THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2007 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/continentaltraveOOIeeerich 
 
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CONTINENTAL TRAVEL 
 
 AN APPENDIX 
 
 INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE, THE REMEDIAL 
 ADVANTAGES OF TRAVELLING, 
 
 dx. 
 
 By EDWIN LEE, Esq., 
 
 ICEMBEB OF THE PSINCIPAL ECROPEAN HEOICAL SOCIETIES, &C. 
 
 Dico di quel die non sapete forsc." — Abiosto. 
 
 LONDON: 
 W. J. ADAMS, 59, FLEET- STREET. 
 
 1848. 
 

 PREFACE. 
 
 The present volume is adapted for home reading 
 as a book of travels, as well as for an indicator 
 to the continental visitor or valetudinarian; 
 giving an account of local peculiarities and the 
 leading objects of interest, without entering into 
 the ordinary details of guide-books, and dwelling 
 more particularly upon points which have re- 
 ference to health:* the author's object being to 
 impart condensed information relative to those 
 parts most frequently visited, from which may 
 be formed a more correct appreciation of their 
 advantages, as compared with our own country, 
 than is usually the case. The work may, in 
 fact, be regarded as an improved edition of one 
 which appeared some years ago, and was very 
 favorably received, entitled " Memoranda on 
 France, Italy, and Germany," subsequent visits 
 
 * Information respecting modes of conveyance, hotels, &c., may be 
 derived from Bradshaw's ContinerUal Railway Guides which is issued 
 monthly. 
 
 n7i^ycyfyr*g-\M 
 
IV. PREFACE. 
 
 abroad having enabled the author to alter and 
 adapt it in accordance with his increased oppor- 
 tunities of observation, and to the circumstances 
 of the present times, respecting which he has 
 offered such comments as the recent course of 
 events seemed to justify. In the Appendix are 
 subjoined remarks on the general influence of 
 climate and travelling, as also on some prevalent 
 causes of disordered health among the upper 
 classes of society, which so often necessitate a 
 recourse to these and other remedial means of 
 relief; and if, by directing attention to these 
 causes, the author can be at all instrumental in 
 preventing the frequently irremediable conse- 
 quences which their persistance entails, he will 
 derive much satisfaction from the consciousness 
 that his endeavours have not been useless. 
 
 London; August^ 1848. 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 The recent course of events has tended to 
 corroborate the opinions expressed in the text — 
 France having passed through one of the phases 
 of republicanism, and being now subject to a 
 military dictator, which may be considered as 
 the prelude to the re-establishment of the mo- 
 narchy at no very distant period.* The reverses 
 of the King of Sardinia, in Northern Italy, will 
 most probably give rise to French intervention 
 (as soon as the troops can be with safety spared 
 from France, inasmuch as occupation must be 
 found for the large army, and a vent for the 
 turbulent), with the probable ultimate annexation 
 of Savoy to the French territory ; but, as Austria 
 now forms part of the general league, a collision 
 with that power must entail war with Germany. 
 At Rome the power of the Pope is becoming 
 more and more circumscribed. 
 
 August^ 1848. 
 
 * The Westminster Review^ in noticing the proof sheets of this work, 
 before pubUcation, observes, " The truth of the author's observations (as 
 respects France) has been mauilested during the late deplorable events in 
 the French capital." 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 ROME, FROM THE TIBER (Page 113) To face Title Page. 
 
 PAU Pa^e 60 
 
 NICE „ 76 
 
 PLACE OF THE GRAND DUKE OF FLORENCE „ 96 
 
 KARLSBAD „ 237 
 
 DRESDEN „ 248 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Routes to Paris — Boulogne —Paris — French Characteristics — Recent 
 Changes — Climate and Medical Practice . . . Page 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Lyons — The Rhone — Marseilles — Climate of Provence — Hieres — Cannes 
 Nismes — Montpelier — Canal du Midi . . . . 19 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Toulouse — Pyrcneau Baths — Bagnbres de Luchon — Bagn^res de 
 Bigorre — Lourdes — Vale of Argeles — The Cagots — Bareges — 
 St. Sauveur — Gavamic — Cauterets and its Mineral Springs . 38 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Pau and its Climate — Eaux Bonnes and Chaudes — Inhabitants of the 
 Pyrenees — The Landes — Bordeaux and its Climate — Tours . 60 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Nice — Climate and Remedial Advantages — Cornice Road — Genoa — Road 
 to Lucca — Lucca Baths 75 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 Pisa and its Climate — Leghorn — Florence — Charitable Societies — 
 Environs— Climate— Road to Rome .... 93 
 
Vm. CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Rome — Churches and Picture Galleries — Environs — Roman Character- 
 istics — The Clergy — Proselytism — Church Ceremonies — Malaria 
 — Climate, and Complaints in which it is Beneficial . . 113 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Naples — Environs — Neapolitan Character — Climate — ViaLatina — Abbey 
 of Monte Casino — Road to Florence by Semi — Malta — Palermo 143 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Bologna — Parma — Milan — Pellagra — The Lakes — The Simplou — Valley 
 of the Rhone — Cretinism — Baths of Leuk . . . 166 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Geneva — Aix les Bains — Turin — Col de Tenda — Berne — Interlacken — 
 Venice — Pass of Ampezzo — Innspruck — Kreuth . . 183 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Munich — Public Buildings — Climate — The Danube — Gastein — Vienna — 
 Cave of Adelsberg — Trieste 203' 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Nuremberg — Franconian Switzerland — Bohemian Baths — Franzensbad 
 — Marienbad — Carlsbad — Prague — Teplitz — Dresden . . 230 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Leipsic — Homoeopathy — Berlin — Hamburg — Weimar — Kissingen — 
 Frankfort — The Bergstrassc — Baden Baden— Stuttgard . 253 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Nassau Baths — Wiesbaden — Schlangenbad — Schwalbach — Ems — The 
 Rhine — Aix la Chapelle — Spa — Brussels^Antwerp — Calais 275 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 Remarks on the Influence of Climate and Travel, and on some Prevalent 
 Causes of Disease 299 
 
THE 
 
 CONTINENTAL TRAVELLER 
 
 INVALID'S HAND-BOOK. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ROUTES TO PARTS-COULOGNE—rARIS — FRENCH CHARACTERISTICS — 
 RECENT CHANGES— CLIMATE, AND MEDICAL PRACTICE. 
 
 Considering Paris as the first point to be reached 
 by the traveller proceeding southward, each of 
 the routes presents its advantages. That by 
 Brighton and Dieppe is the most direct, but 
 the sea passage being of five or six hours' dura- 
 tion, the communication is much less frequent 
 than across the narrower parts of the Channel, 
 and in the winter months is altogether inter- 
 rupted: the entrance to Dieppe harbour is not 
 very good; and, on account of there being no 
 harbour at Brighton, the landing and embarkation 
 there is not always practicable, in which case 
 passengers have to land at Shoreham. Dieppe 
 is a neat town of 16,000 inhabitants; the Grande 
 rue, running through to the port, contains the 
 best hotels, and in the season has a cheerful and 
 animated appearance. The port is spacious, and 
 
Z ROUTES TO PARIS. 
 
 is commanded by a citadel and castle. The 
 principal inducement Dieppe presents for the 
 temporary sojourn of strangers is the bathing, this 
 being the nearest sea-bathing establishment to 
 Paris. The baths are under the superintendence 
 of a physician inspector, as at the other sea and 
 mineral bathing-places in France. Between 
 Dieppe and Paris the country is agreeably diver- 
 sified, the road passing through the most fruitful 
 part of Normandy, and the journey by railroad 
 from Rouen being made in about four hours. 
 Except the cathedral, St. Ouen, and the quays, 
 there is little to interest the passing traveller in 
 this city. Between Dieppe and Havre the scenery 
 of the Seine is, however, of the most interesting 
 description, especially where the river wddens 
 out, near Quillebocuf. This is an inducement 
 with some to prefer the Havre passage from 
 Shoreham, which lasts about an hour and a-half 
 longer. This is one of the finest ports of France, 
 admitting the largest vessels, and regularly com- 
 municating with America, St. Petersburg, and 
 other important points. There is at Havre a 
 small English colony, and the establishment 
 Frascati presents some resource for recreation. 
 Most of the merchants and English residents live 
 at the large suburb Ingonville. The objection 
 to a long trajet will, however, always induce the 
 great majority of travellers to prefer the two 
 hours' passage between Folkstone or Dover, and 
 Boulogne and Calais, especially as the railroad is 
 
BOULOGNE. 3 
 
 now open from the former town to Paris, which 
 may be reached in abont eight hours. 
 
 Boulogne is an agreeable town for a short 
 residence in the summer season, and has been 
 of late years a good deal resorted to by families 
 from England, on account of sea bathing, which is 
 excellent, a fine sandy beach extending at low 
 water eastward of the port, which has been greatly 
 improved by the construction of a jetty along the 
 ridge of rocks that formerly rendered the entrance 
 less safe. The streets are clean, wide, and have 
 an animated appearance; and several of the shops 
 are handsome. The lower town lies at the base 
 and up the acclivity of a steep hill, on which 
 stands the high to^\^l, inclosed by ramparts, planted 
 with trees, and forming an agreeable promenade, 
 whence extensive views may be obtained of the 
 surrounding country. The population amounts 
 to thirty thousand; many rentiers reside in the 
 high to^\Tl, whilst the inhabitants of the lower 
 to^vn are for the most part engaged in commercial 
 and professional avocations, are lodging-house 
 keepers, or connected with the port. 
 
 The environs are agreeable, and the air is light 
 and bracing, but the winter is generally severe, 
 on account of the northern aspect and unsheltered 
 position of the town, and cold winds and storms 
 are of frequent occurrence. Boulogne is, however, 
 on the whole, a healthy place of residence, and 
 generally agrees well with children, though it 
 would not be an advisable place for delicate 
 
4 ROUTES TO rARIS. 
 
 persons, or for those who are '- servile to skyey 
 influences." The resident English population 
 usually averages, in peaceful times, between three 
 and four thousand, many being induced to select 
 it for an abode on account of its neighbourhood 
 to England, its comparative cheapness, and the 
 facilities for education. There are also several 
 officers on half pay, and some whose means of 
 existence are more problematical. Boulogne is 
 also often referred to as a place of resort for those 
 who are under the necessity of a temporary or 
 prolonged absence from England; the society has 
 consequently acquired the reputation of not being 
 the most select. The superior class of the 
 Boulognese are generally courteous in theu' 
 demeanour; the lower orders are for the most 
 part sober, good-tempered, though at times em- 
 2)ories, fond of gaiety and dancing, and civil to 
 strangers; the women are strong, and work hard. 
 Boulogne possesses a tolerable museum and 
 reading-room, where the English papers are daily 
 received. The most usual lounge is on the port 
 and jetty to watch the arrival and dej^arture of 
 the packets. 
 
 Nothing is lost, as regards scenery, in journeying 
 by railroad to Paris, the country being, for the 
 most part, a continued succession of hill and dale, 
 and though generally productive in corn, is but 
 scantily wooded, and offers but little to interest 
 the traveller. The few chateaux seen on the 
 roadside are most of them formal looking 
 
ABBEVILLE AMIENS ST. DENIS. D 
 
 and cheerless, and the absence of detached cot- 
 tages are characteristic of the more gregarious 
 habits of the people. The pleasures of rural life, 
 and the country house society, so universal in 
 England, are but little known or a23preciated ; 
 field sports being comparatively little followed in 
 France, landed proprietors, consequently, seldom 
 reside on their estates for more than a few^ weeks 
 in the year, the great majority preferring the 
 attractions of the capital, the larger provincial 
 towns, or the watering-places. The French 
 peasantry are generally robust, and more sober 
 than the English, living principally upon bread, 
 vegetables, milk, and bad vnne, and eating meat 
 only once or twice in the week ; the villages and 
 hamlets in which they - congregate, tliough im- 
 proved in appearance of late years, look anything 
 but attractive. 
 
 The dull to^Aii of Abbeville contains nothing 
 of interest but its fine cathedral. The same may 
 be said of Amiens, which, however, is a more 
 tolerable j^lace of residence. Beauvais, w^hich is 
 at some distance from the line, lies in a more 
 agreeable part of the country and lias a more 
 cheerful aspect. Its cathedral and the tapestry 
 manufactory are worth visiting. At St. Denis 
 the fine old cathedi'al, and the tombs of the kings 
 of France in its vaults, will be viewed with inte- 
 rest, and will well repay the time occupied in an 
 excursion from the metropolis. 
 
 Few cities stood in greater need of improve- 
 
b PARIS. 
 
 ment than did Paris some years ago, and there is 
 perhaps none in which so much has been effected 
 in so short a space of time. New quarters have 
 arisen in various directions; numerous streets 
 have been widened, and foot-pavements added; 
 and the greater cleanliness both in and out of 
 doors, as well as the improved accommodation 
 generally, render the meaning of the word comfort 
 (which the French language has adopted) now 
 better understood. The speedy completion of 
 several new edifices and public works is in great 
 measure owing to the ex-King, who, it is said, 
 contributed largely to the embellishment of the 
 capital. 
 
 Standing near the obelisk, in the Place de la 
 Concorde, the stranger may enjoy a coiq) d'ocil 
 unique in its kind. The splendid appearance of 
 the Place, and of its two fountains, the view of 
 the bridge and Chamber of Deputies, of the 
 beautiful newly-erected facade of La Madeleine, 
 of the gardens and palace of the Tuilerics, and of 
 the magnificent arch of Neuilly, seen through the 
 vista of the Champs Elysees, will leave an inde- 
 lible impression upon the memory. Another 
 view, scarcely to be equalled in Europe, may be 
 obtained from either of the bridges opposite the 
 Tuileries. The extent of this palace and the 
 Louvre (near half a mile), the spacious quays 
 teeming with life, the light cheerful aspect of the 
 houses, the two branches of the river passing 
 between the Pont Neuf, and having enclosed the 
 
PARIS. 7 
 
 He de la Cite, uniting into one broad stream, 
 witli the venerable towers of Notre Dame, rising- 
 high above the surrounding buildings, form an 
 ensemble which could hardly fail to attract the 
 attention of the most indifferent spectator. The 
 visitor will also be highly gratified by the pano- 
 rama of the city displayed from the summit of 
 Notre Dame, or of the arch of Neuilly, the clear- 
 ness of the atmosphere on a fine day enabling 
 him to see the whole at a glance. 
 
 If the city have undergone great changes 
 within the last twenty years, still greater had 
 taken place in the demeanour and character of its 
 inhabitants. Paris, and indeed France m general, 
 coidd not, even before the recent change from a 
 monarchy to a republic, have been termed witli 
 propriety the 
 
 " Gay, sprightly land of mirth and social ease, 
 Pleased with itself, whom all the world can please ;" 
 
 for instead of the polite, light-hearted people of 
 former days, one more frequently met mtli serious, 
 anxious, business-like countenances; vivacity had 
 given place to a sedate demeanour, and to com- 
 parative taciturnity, and hrusquerie was not un- 
 frequently witnessed in public places.* The 
 
 ♦ " My first impression of the French character," says Mr. Matthews, 
 " is, that it must be greatly changed from that gay and lively frivolity 
 of which we used to hear so much. My fellow- passengers are serious 
 and reserved; each man seems to suspect his neighbour, and at the 
 tables d'hote, where I have dined and supped during my route, the 
 company could not have been more silent and sombre if the scene had 
 been laid in England in the mouth of November." — Diary of an Invalid. 
 
8 PARIS. 
 
 love of self apj^eared in a more prominent light, 
 the acquisition of money being the object of the 
 great majority of all classes, and there are few 
 strangers but have had to complain of the greater 
 disposition to take advantage on the part of the 
 tradespeople, and others with whom they were 
 brought into contact. The women were not free 
 from this reproach, being often more exigeantes 
 than the men. Titles of nobility being no longer 
 hereditary, were but little estimated, wealth being 
 the idol to which most bowed. Among the U23j)er 
 classes the talent of conversation is possessed in 
 a high degree, and egotism is at least more veiled 
 by the exterior forms of politeness ; the essence, 
 however, which consists not merely in a courteous 
 demeanour, but in doing civil and kind acts 
 without interested motives, even though it may 
 be at some personal inconvenience, is much more 
 rare at the present day. The following obser- 
 vation of Mr. Matthews, as regards the diiFerence 
 of manners between the French and certain 
 individuals among the English, is still pretty 
 correct : — " There is in France a universal quick- 
 ness of intellect and apprehension, and a perfect 
 freedom from that awkward embarrassment of 
 manner which is in England, I believe, denomi- 
 nated clownishness. As far, therefore, as the 
 mere outward air of good breeding goes, almost 
 every Frenchman is well bred, and you may enter 
 into conversation with a French servant or cobler 
 upon any of the topics that are common to the 
 
' PARIS. 9 
 
 mixed company of rational and intelligent people 
 all over the world, without any fear of being 
 disgusted by coarseness or vulgarity." The great 
 majority, especially of the upper class of Parisians, 
 has been, in fact, educated more with reference 
 to society than to domestic life, if the thronged 
 reunions and Uasons de salon can be called society, 
 where there is generally little else than a 
 
 " Commerce exterieur, union sans penchant, 
 Que fait naitre I'usage et nou le sentiment ;" 
 
 Where- 
 
 " L'csprit vole toujours sur la supcrficie, 
 Et le cocur ne se voit jamais dc la partie." 
 
 And this desire of shining in society leads the 
 French (as also foreigners in general) to cultivate 
 the art of pleasing more than the English, though 
 the exercise of the said art is too frequently 
 restricted to society, w^ithout being carried into 
 the family circle. Thus, the Frenchman generally 
 possesses a greater variety of information, and 
 can converse more readily upon most subjects 
 (though his knowledge of them may not be very 
 profound) than the Englishman, whose time at 
 college has probably been more occupied by his 
 classical studies, to the neglect of other more 
 available knowledge, or else in more practical 
 occupations. 
 
 To the same cause may be ascribed the greater 
 reputation of foreigners for gallantry, and the 
 compliments which they so commonly introduce 
 
10 FRENCH SOCIETY. 
 
 (sometimes without much delicacy or discrimina- 
 tion) in their discourse with the fair sex; and 
 though these are seldom adopted by Englishmen, it 
 must be confessed that the introduction of the more 
 easy manners and colloquial powers of the French 
 would go far towards removing the insipidity 
 attendant on some crowded meetings where the 
 company is exclusively English, and the conver- 
 sation not the most spirituelle. Thus, as may be 
 supposed from their greater disposition to enjoy 
 the present, and effleurer les choses de la vie, the 
 French are more agreeable as acquaintances than 
 the English, who, however, are generally more to 
 be depended upon as friends, or where any service 
 is required. 
 
 The influence of religion is almost null among 
 the largest proportion of the population of most 
 parts of France, and that of the moral principle 
 is not very powerful, both good and bad actions 
 being more frequently performed from impulse, 
 or in accordance with the dictates of interest or 
 pleasure, than from reflection, or from a due 
 regard to what is right or wrong, wliich, from 
 being inculcated at an early age, is more universal 
 in England. Personal courage and an exagge- 
 rated idea of the superiority of France and 
 Frenchmen over all other nations, as well as a 
 great susceptibility to anything w^liich is con- 
 sidered to affect the national or individual honour, 
 are universal among all classes ; hence the readi- 
 ness to have recourse to arms, and the greater 
 
FRENCH SOCIETY. 11 
 
 frequency of duels to settle disputes and misdeeds 
 affecting society, which in England (where the 
 dread of moral responsibility and of the law 
 operates as a salutary restraint upon personal 
 conflicts) ai-e frequently arranged by apology, or 
 are submitted to the decision of the judicial 
 tribunals. Even among common soldiers in 
 France, when disputes cannot be arranged, a duel 
 with the sword is a frequent consequence. 
 
 The love of pleasure, which pervades all classes 
 in France to a much greater extent than in 
 England, is not always of the most refined nature : 
 hence a morbid craving for excitement and novelty 
 is engendered, and a vitiated taste is acquired, to 
 whicli writers and dramatists of considerable talent 
 have not scrupled to pander and to keep alive, by 
 the reiterated narration of crimes and horrors, 
 which, from the novel and outre combinations in 
 which they were presented to the public, must 
 have called forth not a little inventive power. It 
 must not, however, be supposed that all wxre thus 
 infected, for there is a large proportion of the 
 upper and middle orders, among the French 
 population, as estimable as could be found in any 
 country, whom these productions inspired with 
 disgust and pity; and the writings of Chateau- 
 briand, Lamartine, and De Vigny, were eagerly 
 perused, even by many of those who delighted in 
 the creations of Victor Hugo or Georges Sand. 
 It is, however, gratifying to perceive that this 
 taste had of late greatly subsided : the di'amas of 
 
12 WAR PARTY. 
 
 Lucrece Borgia, Marion de L' Orme^ the Tour de 
 Nesle, and similar performances, liaving been but 
 seldom exhibited on the stage, being suj)erseded 
 by the historical plays and comedies of Delavigne, 
 Scribe, and others of the same school. The 
 classical drama of Racine and Corneille has also 
 been more in favour of late, which, however, is 
 mainly to be attributed to the talent of Madlle. 
 llachel ; but the taste is not likely to last long, 
 unless actors should arise, capable, like Talma, of 
 embodying the characters represented by these 
 great poets, whose productions are better adapted 
 for reading in the closet than for exhibition on 
 the stage, where the lengthy recitations are apt 
 to be monotonous. 
 
 A thirst of military renown and acquisition by 
 force of arms, is strong in the minds of a large 
 section of the population of France (independ- 
 ently of the army,) who have the recollection of 
 the brilliant career of Napoleon, and of individuals 
 raised from obscure stations to the rank of colonels, 
 generals, and field-marshals, without the accom- 
 panpng reflection of the devastation and misery 
 inflicted upon other nations, and which the 
 conscription and occupation by foreign armies 
 subsequently entailed upon their o^vn country. 
 Such persons, many of whom may be likened 
 to the conspirators against Augustus, referred to 
 by Corneille, who, 
 
 " Si tout ii'cst renvcrse iic sauraicnt subsister, " 
 
WAR PARTY., 13 
 
 dazzled by their ideas of national superiority, are 
 led to entertain the supposition of a successful 
 career of conquest as heretofore: a circumstance 
 not likely to happen in the present day, even 
 ■\vere another Napoleon to arise and take the 
 command of their armies. A large proportion of 
 the upper, and almost the whole of the commer- 
 cial class, are, however, well disposed towards 
 England, being well aware of the advantage to 
 both countries, but especially to their own, of the 
 continuance of peace; and also knowing that they 
 could not expect to meet with firm alUes in either 
 of the other three great powers. The peace party, 
 though perhaps the most numerous, are unfortu- 
 nately the least active (in a political point of view) 
 portion of the community; and few persons who 
 have marked the course t)f events, can doubt 
 that the preservation of peace since the revolution 
 of 1830 was in great measure OAving to the sagacity 
 and firmness of the King, who, however, so far 
 availed himself of the war cry a few years ago, as 
 to obtain the completion of his project of sur- 
 rounding Paris by fortifications, under the pretext 
 of defence in the event of the approach of hostile 
 armies, but in truth as a means of ensiuing the 
 durabihty of his dynasty, by the power of con- 
 trolling the fauxhourgs^ and of commanding the 
 city. These works were completed with great 
 rapidity, before many of those who were in favour 
 of their erection could become aAvakened to their 
 true purpose, which they did not fail to be when 
 
14 RECENT CHANGES. 
 
 the exjoenses came under the consideration of the 
 Chambers. These were so great as to occasion 
 considerable dissatisfaction, which gave rise to 
 the jeu de mots — Le mur murant Paris rend Paris 
 murmurant. Had the King died, or fallen by the 
 hand of an assassin, France would, in all proba- 
 bility, long ago have been at war, or in a state of 
 internal revolution, which the vent afforded by 
 the occupation of Algeria in some measure tended 
 to prevent, and to avert which, it is not unlikely 
 that, when no longer able to contain the disaf- 
 fected within bounds, their rulers may adopt the 
 alternative of war, acting upon the principle 
 recommended by Shakspeare's Henry the Fourth 
 to his son, to "busy giddy minds with foreign 
 quarrels," and in this way relieve themselves from 
 some of the turbulent spirits by which their 
 political existence is constantly endangered. 
 
 The above remarks, having already been pub- 
 lished in the work referred to, appear to be.borae 
 out by the course which events have taken within 
 the last three months. The paucity of religious 
 and moral feeling in the bulk of the population — 
 the pernicious influence of the style of literature 
 and of the drama, for some years past, upon the 
 higher as well as upon other classes (as exem- 
 plified in the Praslin tragedy) — the universal and 
 often dishonourable competition for wealth, as 
 the means of pandering to artificial excitement — 
 the consequent corruption and peculations in the 
 government — the additional taxation, in order to 
 
RECENT CHANGES. 15 
 
 create places for the support of the late dynasty 
 — are so many causes which have been gradually 
 tending to subvert the former order of tilings, 
 though the change was accelerated by the deficient 
 firmness of the King (since the death of his sister) 
 at the critical moment of trial — dismissing his 
 minister and appointing another, by whom an 
 order was conveyed to the general in command of 
 the troops not to act against the people, of which 
 the republican party were not slow to avail them- 
 selves, and instead of removing a minister to 
 overthrow the monarchy. The national guard, 
 moreover, did not readily or in great numbers 
 obey the rajypel., both on account of the unpopu- 
 larity of the government and trusting that the 
 presence of the military and of the armed forts 
 would sufiice to control the lower classes and 
 prevent a forcible revolution; so that the very 
 means which, for a series of years, had been 
 cautiously and circuitously raised, as calculated 
 to produce security, had no small share in causing 
 the opposite effect. ^ There being likewise, on the 
 part of the troops, neither loyalty nor afiection 
 towards the reigning monarch (as there w^ould be 
 towards a general who coidd lead them to victory), 
 he found, too late, that when left to act for them- 
 selves, no support was to be expected from them. 
 The violent entry of the populace into the Chamber 
 of Deputies, and the establishment of a republic 
 amidst tumult, could not fail to produce its effect 
 in destroying credit, paralysing commerce, and 
 
16 CLIMATE OF TAR IS. 
 
 driving from the capital foreigners and persons 
 of property. Paris consequently, with its boule- 
 vards bare of trees, the absence of equipages in 
 the streets, the numerous processions of the 
 populace, the anxious countenances of the hour- 
 geosie^ the scantily attended theatres, now presents 
 a very different aspect from that of former days, 
 and mil present but few inducements for a pro 
 tracted sojourn till the country has passed through 
 the ordeal of revolution, the termination of w^hich 
 will most probably be in the re-establishment of 
 monarchy, to which form of government the great 
 bulk of the more influential inhabitants are 
 strongly disposed. The recent demonstration of 
 four hundred thousand troops, national guards, 
 and citizens, defiling before the provisional go- 
 vernment, afibrds, however, sufficient guarantee 
 for the maintenance of order, and a protection 
 against the designs of the Communists. 
 
 With respect to climate, the chief advantage 
 which Paris has over London consists in the 
 greater purity and dryness of the atmosphere, its 
 freedom from smoke and fog, and in the Aveather 
 being less variable from day to day. The summers 
 are hotter, and the winters equally cold if not 
 colder. The average quantity of rain which falls 
 throughout the year is about as great in the one 
 as in the other capital. It w^ould not, therefore, 
 be advisable to select Paris as a winter residence 
 for delicate invalids, or those whose cases require 
 attention to climate. It agrees, however, very 
 
CLIMAJE OF PARIS. 17 
 
 well with many dyspeptics, to whom the light 
 cookery of the French cuisine is better suited than 
 the more substantial fare usually met with in 
 Britain, which requires greater powers of digestion, 
 provided always that this class of invalids abstain 
 from ragouts, rich sauces, indigestible vegetables, 
 as truffles, and from partaking of a variety of 
 wines. The valetudinarian who labours under 
 depression of spirits, combined with disordered 
 digestion, would lil^ewise frequently find himself 
 better after a few weeks' sojoiu'n in Paris, which 
 offers more resources for mental relaxation and 
 amusement than any other city. Baths are also 
 niore general, which is a great advantage, for 
 there can be no doubt that the neglect of this 
 means of keeping the functions of the skin in a 
 proper state is the occasion of many of the com- 
 plaints most frequently met with in England. 
 
 Among the most prevalent diseases of Paris may 
 be enumerated inflammations of the respiratory 
 organs, consumption, typhoid fevers, intermittents, 
 rheumatism, scrofula, and various forms of dys- 
 pepsia. Apoplexy, paralysis, and nervous diseases 
 in general appear to me to be less frcquent than 
 in England. As the treatment of disease presents 
 considerable differences (into the consideration of 
 which I have fully entered in another work*) in 
 England and on the continent, the English abroad 
 usually prefer being attended by medical men of 
 
 * Observations on the Medical Institutions and Practice of France, 
 Italy, and Germany. 
 
 C 
 
18 MEDICAL PRACTICE. 
 
 tlieir own country, and at almost all the conti- 
 nental towns of resort, one, two, or more prac- 
 titioners reside. There is besides always a certain 
 number of medical desoeiivres going about the 
 continent, from one place to another, and some 
 of these individuals, who take the name of English 
 physicians, have but little claim to the confidence 
 of the public, as every body is not aware that the 
 title of doctor of medicine (which does not confer 
 the right to practice) may be obtained with very 
 little trouble from certain foreign universities, 
 which require little else than the payment of the 
 fees. Travellers, therefore, when they hear speak 
 of Doctor So-and-So, will do well to ascertain, 
 before entrusting themselves to their care, how 
 far they are qualified to support the title they 
 assume. 
 
 It must be admitted that in England, where 
 the habit of energetic medication prevails more 
 tlian elsewhere, drugs are often prescribed when 
 not indicated, and much injury is thus done in 
 many chronic diseases, especially in the dyspeptic 
 and nervous complaints, with which so great a 
 proportion of the inhabitants of large towns are 
 afflicted. Continental practitioners frequently 
 manage these cases better by means of mild 
 remedies, baths, mineral waters &c., which, how- 
 ever, have been latterly more universally employed 
 in England than heretofore. 
 
C H A r T E R II. 
 
 LYONS-THE RHONE -MAKSEILLES-CLIMATE OF PROVENCE - HIEKES- 
 CANNES—NISMES—MONTPELIER— CANAL DU MIDI. 
 
 The route from Paris to Lyons by Orleans is 
 mostly preferred on account of the railroad being 
 available as far as Bourges (and shortly to 
 Nevers), the cathedral of which is one of the finest 
 in France. The whole journey requires about 
 thirty-six hours. That by Auxerre and Clialons 
 takes somewhat more time; the accomodation is, 
 however, better, and from the last town to Lyons 
 there is constant commimication by steam-boats. 
 The country is for the most part interesting. Some 
 of the views in the forest of Fontainbleau, through 
 which the road passes, are strikingly beautiful. 
 Enormous masses of grey rock, which contrast 
 agreeably with the surrounding foliage, lie 
 scattered about in various directions, presenting 
 a novel and curious appearance. The town 
 possesses some good streets, but seems to be almost 
 desei'ted. Travellers posting may visit the chateau 
 and gardens en passant. 
 
 Sens is the first town of any importance on this 
 route ; the facade of the old gothic cathedral is 
 fine, but the interior contains nothing worthy of 
 observation except the mausoleum erected to the 
 
20 SENS AUTUN. 
 
 Dauphin, the father of Louis XVI., which is but 
 of indifferent execution. Auxerre is a large town, 
 pleasantly situate on the Yonne, in a fruitful 
 country, which produces a superior kind of wine. 
 The golden tint of the vine leaves in autumn gives 
 a rich and pleasing appearance to some parts of 
 the country between Auxerre and Chalons, which 
 at other times look dreary and cheerless. During 
 the vintage season, the process of treading the 
 grapes by men and women with bare feet (to 
 which practice allusion is made in the Scriptures), 
 will frequently be seen in the vineyards on the 
 road side. It is, however, a mistake to suppose that 
 the peasantry in the wine countries are better off 
 than in others, the reverse being more frequently 
 the case, as great distress ensues if the season 
 should be bad, which not unfrequently happens. 
 The environs of Autun are beautiful and richly 
 wooded. The toAvn has a clean and cheerful 
 aspect, the hill, on the acclivity of which it stands, 
 commanding a delightful prospect. Chalons is 
 also a pretty town, and looks well from a distance. 
 The quays are spaciovis and handsome. Two or 
 three steamers descend the Saone daily to Lyons, 
 making the transit in six or seven hours; they 
 do not, however, convey carriages, which can be 
 forwarded by a steam coche d'eau. The banks of 
 tlie river are, for the most part, flat and culti- 
 vated. Beyond Macon, celebrated for its wine, 
 the scenery is extremely pleasing, and increases 
 ii^ interest on approaching Lyons. The road, which 
 
LYONS. 21 
 
 runs in great part parallel with the river, passes 
 over Mont d'Or, so called from the rich colour of 
 its vineyards in autumn, and from the summit of 
 which a charming and extensive prospect may be 
 enjoyed of the rich plains of Burgundy on the 
 one side, of the Lyonnois on the other, and of 
 the snow-clad Alps of Dauphin e in the distance. 
 The descent to Lyons passes through a succession 
 of meadow land, orchards, and vineyards. 
 
 Lyons is principally built between the Rhone 
 and the Saone ; in addition to the old bridge a 
 suspension bridge has recently been constructed 
 over the latter river. The quays are spacious 
 but not clean. The principal squares are the 
 Place de Bellecour, perhaps the largest in Europe, 
 and the Place des Terreaux, which contains the 
 Hotel de Ville, and a good museum of natural 
 history. The largest, as well as the finest public 
 edifice, is the hospital, which is surmounted by a 
 dome, lis facade occupying a considerable extent 
 of the Quai du Rhone. There are no other 
 public buildings remarkable in an architectural 
 point of view. The streets are mostly narrow 
 and dirty ; the houses old and lofty. Lyons con- 
 sequently offers no inducement to travellers to 
 prolong their sojourn beyond a day. The velvets 
 and silks are justly celebrated, and their manu- 
 facture occupies a large proportion of the popu- 
 lation. The labouring classes, as in most other 
 manufacturing towns, are for the most part 
 republicans, and turbulent. The view from th^ 
 
22 AVIGNON. 
 
 Terrasse de Fourvieres of the city, the junction 
 of the two rivers, a vast extent of fertile country 
 and vine-clad hills, with the distant view of the 
 Alps, is considered as one of the finest in Europe. 
 Steam-boats descend the Rhone to Avignon in 
 about eleven hours; setting off early in the 
 morning, and on the following day leave Avignon 
 for Marseilles, which occupies nearly as much 
 time. They are larger than those on the Saone, 
 and take carriages, but the accommodation is 
 indifferent, and they are often inconveniently 
 full. The scenery on descending is highly inte- 
 resting, not unfrequently resembling that of the 
 Rhine below Mayence ; the river flomng rapidly 
 between steep hills, ever and anon crowned with 
 ruins, and cut in terraces for the cultivation of 
 the vine. On advancing more to the south the 
 banks become flatter, and the Alps rise more 
 distinctly upon the view. At the Pont St. Esprit, 
 which is of great antiquity, the current is very 
 strong, and some degree of excitement attends 
 the passing beneath the arch, several accidents 
 having happened at this point. This is the only 
 stone bridge between Lyons and Avignon, but 
 several handsome suspension bridges have been 
 constructed of late years. When from any cause 
 Avignon is not likely to be reached by daylight, 
 the steamer does not proceed beyond Pont. St. 
 Esprit, proceeding the next day to Avignon. On 
 account of the rapid communication by the river 
 (Avignon being distant from Lyons about 140 
 
AVIGNON. 28 
 
 miles), there is not mucli travelling downwards 
 by the road along its left bank, which is priirci- 
 pally traversed by waggons laden with heavy 
 goods from Marseilles, and is consequently fre- 
 quently in bad order, especially after heavy rains. 
 The towns are dirty and badly built, and the 
 accommodation indifferent. Nothing but an oc- 
 casional glimpse of the river and of the Cevennes 
 range of hills on the opposite bank occurs to 
 relieve the monotony of the route till Orange, 
 where a fine Roman arch stands by the road-side, 
 and beyond which the scenery is of a more inte- 
 resting character. 
 
 Avignon is encircled by high walls, and has 
 every appearance of great antiquity. The papal 
 palace, a fine old gothic edifice, with handsome 
 facade^ is now converted into barracks. From 
 the top of the hill, on the acclivity of which the 
 town is built, an extensive view may be obtained 
 of the plains of Languedoc and Provence, as also 
 of the course of the river, which is here of great 
 breadth, enclosing an island which serves as a 
 pomt ctappiii to the two bridges across its branches. 
 In the cathedral is the tomb of " le brave CriUon,'' 
 and the spot occupied by that of Petrarch's Laura 
 is pointed out among the ruins of the church of 
 the Cordeliers. The environs of Avignon are 
 uninteresting, but an agreeable excursion may be 
 made by those not pressed for time to the 
 
 " Chiare, fresche e dolce acque," 
 
 of Vaucluse, about fifteen miles distant. 
 
24 PROVENCE AIX. 
 
 Tliis fountain, immortalised by the verse of 
 Petrarch, rises in a romantic position at the base 
 of a semicircle of lofty and perpendicular rocks. 
 Below Avignon the scenery of the Rhone presents 
 little to interest the passing traveller, and as the 
 railroad to Marseilles is now open, journeying by 
 the river is in great measure superseded. From 
 Beaucaire, where a large annual fair takes place, 
 there is also railway communication to Nismes, 
 Montpelier, and Cette. 
 
 The aspect of Provence is anything but what 
 one would be led to expect from a perusal of 
 some of the old romances, which expatiate upon 
 the beauties of its scenery. It has for the most 
 part a dreary and triste appearance ; the heat in 
 summer is almost unbearable ; the roads are thick 
 laid with dust, from the long continuance of dry 
 weather; and during the prevalence of high 
 winds it is raised in clouds, to the great dis- 
 comfort of the traveller. The only town of 
 importance between Avignon and Marseilles is 
 Aix, the olives of which are greatly esteemed. 
 The environs are pretty, being enlivened by white 
 villas, scattered about the olive-clothed hills. 
 The town contains little worthy of notice, except 
 the principal street, which is very wide. 
 
 Marseilles has a population of near 200,000 
 inhabitants. It ranks as the third city in France, 
 and, like all large sea-ports, has a thronged and 
 bustling appearance. On entering from Aix, the 
 triumphal arch, begun by Napoleon, is passed, 
 
MARSEILLES. 25 
 
 and the visitor drives along the Cours, a fine 
 wide street, where there were formerly avenues 
 of trees. The only shady spots now existing in 
 the town, where the inhabitants " most do con- 
 gregate," after the business of the day, are the 
 Alices de Meilhan, a planted triangular square. 
 A handsome new promenade, termed the Prado, 
 extends from the town to the sea. The shores of 
 the Mediterranean do not, however, possess the 
 sandy beach which is so great an attraction to 
 the sea-side in other parts ; for 
 
 " There shrinks no ebb in tliat tidelcss sea, 
 Which changeless rolls eternally ; 
 So that wildest of waves, in their angriest mood, 
 Scarce break on the bounds of the land for a rood." 
 
 The port, being generally thronged with merchant 
 vessels and steamers from various countries, pre- 
 sents an animated appearance ; connected with it 
 is an immense basin, twenty feet deep, almost 
 entirely hewn out of the solid rock, for repairing 
 the shipping : this stupendous work, which has 
 not been long completed, required the incessant 
 labour of a great number of men durmg the 
 period of nine years. 
 
 The Promenade Buonaparte, at the opposite 
 extremity of the town, terminates in a public 
 garden, at the foot of a steep rocky hill, on which 
 stands the fort of Notre Dame de la Garde, 
 together with the church, which is rich in votive 
 offerings from sailors and their relatives, desirous 
 
26 
 
 MARSEILLES. 
 
 of propitiating the Virgin previous to undertaking 
 a voyage, as also from others who have escaped 
 " accidents by flood and field," or have recovered 
 from illness by means of her supposed intercession. 
 These offerings consist of small silver hearts, 
 daubs of painting, and other insignificant tokens 
 of acknowledgment, the appearance of which goes 
 far to verify the proverb, "Passato il pericolo, 
 gahhato il santo^ 
 
 From this elevated point a fine view may be 
 obtained of the town, port, lazaretto, the Chateau 
 d'lf, the broad expanse of the Mediterranean, and 
 of a mountainous and rugged line of coast on the 
 one hand, and on the other of a semicircle of high 
 and barren hills, the lower acclivities of which 
 are relieved by verdure, and dotted with the 
 numerous villas of the merchants, who, when not 
 necessarily engaged in business, retire thither 
 from the town, which on Sundays and holidays 
 is also comparatively deserted by the poorer 
 classes, who resort to the guingettes^ and public 
 gardens in the environs, to amuse themselves 
 with dancing, the montagnes Russes, and other 
 sports. 
 
 Almost all the lower, and many among the 
 upper class, are republicans in their politics ; the 
 celebrated air, which takes its name from this 
 city, having long been the rallying cry of this 
 party. A large proportion, however, of the upper 
 class of inhabitants are well disposed towards 
 monarchy. 
 
MARSEILLES HIERES. 27 
 
 There is no inducement for the tourist to delay 
 his departure from Marseilles, which would be 
 an unpleasant residence for any length of time. 
 The heat in summer is so great as to keep people 
 within doors till the evening. The country is 
 generally parched up for want of rain, the roads 
 are consequently excessively dusty, and near the 
 to^vn are enclosed between high walls. The 
 winter is usually very cold, the mistral or northern 
 wind frequently prevailing, especially in the 
 spring months, at which time the sun has con- 
 siderable power, so that not only invalids but 
 many persons in health experience the baneful 
 influence of the great transitions. Steam-boats 
 leave Marseilles almost daily for the various ports 
 along the coast. The voyage to Genoa requires 
 about twenty hours. The passage by the French 
 mails dii'ect across the gulf to Leghorn occupies 
 thirty hours. Steam communication with Spain 
 is also very frequent. The voyage to Barcelona 
 requires about the same time as that to Genoa. 
 
 A drive of about ^\e hours eastward of Mar- 
 seilles will bring the traveller to Toulon, where, 
 having visited its spacious port and arsenal, there 
 will be no occasion for delay. Four miles further 
 on lies Hieres, a small town of 10,000 inhabitants, 
 built in the form of an amphitheatre on the 
 acclivity of a hill, the summit of which is crowned 
 with the ruins of a castle, wdth the remains of 
 massive walls on either side. The position of 
 Hieres is delightful, amidst vineyards, orange and 
 
28 HIERES FREJUS. 
 
 lemon-trees interspersed here and there with 
 palms ; the surrounding hills being clothed with 
 the olive, and other evergreens, and commanding 
 an extensive prospect of the Mediterranean. 
 Near the coast are the small islands of the 
 same name. The interior of the town presents 
 nothing attractive, the streets being narrow, 
 steep, tortuous, and badly paved. Visitors, how- 
 ever, reside in the suburb. Hieres is in great 
 measure sheltered from the influence of north 
 winds, which are so severely felt in the neigh- 
 bouring districts, while it enjoys the clear skies 
 and continued dry weather of Provence. It is, 
 consequently, frequented by invalids, but it is a 
 dull place of sojourn, and labours under the dis- 
 advantage of having but a limited space for out- 
 door exercise. 
 
 Proceeding eastward, the traveller passes 
 through Frejus, where Napoleon landed on his 
 return from Egypt and from Elba, crosses the 
 Estrelles (part of the chain of maritime Alps), 
 where the arbutus, and other evergreens, flourish 
 luxuriantly, the air being perfumed by thyme and 
 other aromatic plants, and descends to Cannes, 
 prettily situate on the bay of the same name. 
 This locality likewise presents considerable ad- 
 vantages with respect to climate, being sheltered 
 from cold winds by the above-named mountains, 
 and the country, especially in the neighbourhood 
 of Grasse (the great mart for perfumery) is ex- 
 ceedingly beautiful. The stranger will likewise 
 
ILE DE LA CAMARQUE. 29 
 
 be struck with the view of the bay and environs, 
 from the ruined fort overlooking the town. The 
 island of St. Marguerite, a league from the shore, 
 celebrated as the place of confinement of the 
 " man Avith the iron mask," and now containing 
 a depot of Algerinc captives, forms the most 
 prominent feature in the scene. Two or three 
 English families have residences in the neigh- 
 bourhood, and Mr. W., who enjoys great popu- 
 larity, from having given occupation to many of 
 the poorer class in embellishing and cidtivating 
 the grounds formerly in the occupation of Sir H. 
 Taylor, is constructing lodging-houses near the 
 sea, for the accommodation of visitors, who might 
 prefer the comparative quiet of Cannes to the 
 movement of Nice, which is about five hours' 
 distant. 
 
 The traveller who is proceeding from Marseilles 
 in a western direction may either embark for 
 Cette, or go by way of Aries and Nismes, either 
 by the rail, or by the canal boats, drawn at the 
 rate of about seven miles an hour by the half- 
 wild horses of the He de la Camarque, a flat 
 marshy tract of country enclosed between two 
 branches of the Rhone, and from which the sea 
 is shut out by embankments. The canal was cut 
 by order of Napoleon, for draining the island, 
 w^hich before this period was frequently inundated, 
 but which has since served for the pasturage of 
 horses, sheep, and goats, which, on the approach 
 of summer, are driven to the mountains. Great 
 
30 ARLES. 
 
 regularity prevails in the migrations of these 
 caravans. The sheep and goats amount to about 
 20,000, and are divided into flocks according to 
 their strength and age ; the weakest go first to 
 enjoy the advantage of cropping the grass before 
 it is trodden down. Each flock is preceded by 
 large goats with bells. The horses next follow, 
 while enormous dogs, of a breed similar to the 
 St. Bernard, hover on the outskiits to prevent 
 straggling, and to guard against the attacks of 
 the wolves, which frequently follow at some 
 distance. 
 
 Aries is an irregularly built town on one of 
 the embouchures of the Rhone, which is navigable 
 for large-sized vessels. It contains about 20,000 
 inhabitants, and is alike celebrated for the beauty 
 of the women, which is heightened by their pic- 
 turesque costume, and for its Roman remains, of 
 which the principal is an amphitheatre in tolerable 
 preservation. Adjoining the cathedral are the 
 cloisters, of which the gothic arches, supported 
 by finely sculptured pillars, are good specimens 
 of architectural skill in the earlier periods of 
 Christianity. 
 
 One of the most magnificent remnants of 
 Roman antiquity, the Pont du Gard, stands not 
 far from the direct road from Avignon to Nismes, 
 from which it is five miles distant. This stu- 
 pendous erection, stretching across the valley of 
 the Gardon, which served at the same time for a 
 bridge and aqueduct, consists of three rows of 
 
NISMES. 31 
 
 arches, one above the otlier, in excellent preser- 
 vation. When seen from below the effect is very 
 striking. This is one of the objects which does 
 not disappomt the tourist's expectation. 
 
 Nismes is a handsome, clean, and cheerful- 
 looking town, with a population of about 40,000 
 inhabitants, a large proportion of wliich number 
 are Protestants, between whom and the Catholics 
 a spii'it of hostility exists, which has frequently 
 broken out into riots attended with loss of life. 
 
 Nismes is not a place of much commerce, many 
 of the inhabitants being rentiers, who are fond of 
 amusement. It is, however, little resorted to by 
 English families, though house-rent and provisions 
 are cheap, and the climate better than that of 
 Marseilles on account of its inland position, as 
 also from its being in great measure protected 
 from the north by the hills rising immediately 
 behind it. It is, however, still too cold and 
 exposed to the mistral and vent de hise to be a 
 recommendable locaHty for persons in weak 
 health. The chief streets and boulevards are 
 lighted with gas, the cafes are numerous, some 
 of them elegantly fitted up. The theatre is 
 handsome, and the corps dranvatique good. Like 
 the Parisians, many of the inhabitants of Nismes 
 live a good deal out of doors, and in places of 
 public resort. Opposite the theatre is the cele- 
 brated maison caree, one of the best preserved 
 monuments of the Roman empire. The interior 
 is now converted into a museum and picture 
 
32 NISMES. 
 
 gallery. A little further on, in a large open 
 space, wliich admits of its being seen to advantage, 
 stands the amphitheatre, the exterior of which is 
 in perfect preservation, but the interior is a good 
 deal dilapidated. There were thirty-five rows of 
 seats, and upwards of 30,000 spectators could be 
 accommodated, being about 10,000 more than 
 the amphitheatre of Verona. 
 
 Few towns are so well supplied with public 
 promenades as Nismes. Besides the boulevards 
 and the extensive esplanade near the theatre, 
 there is the Garden of La Fontaine, so termed 
 from a large reservoir of water supplied by a 
 canal, and in which are several arched recesses, 
 said to have served for bathing in the time of 
 the Romans. The garden possesses several 
 avenues of fine chestnut trees, the intervening 
 space being laid out in walks, between parterres 
 of shrubs and flowers. It also contains the ruins 
 of a temple of Diana, and other remains of anti- 
 quity. A winding path is continued up the hill, 
 on the summit of which stands an imposing mass 
 of brick-work, of a conical shape, termed the 
 Tourmagne, being the largest of a chain of towers 
 formerly occupying the heights, and connected 
 by walls, vestiges of which are still visible in 
 many parts. This tower may be seen from a 
 considerable distance, and formerly served as a 
 station for signals to vessels at sea. 
 
 Pursuing his journey westward, the traveller 
 passes thi'ough a country of vineyards and olive 
 
MONTPELIER. 33 
 
 plantations, in which stands the town of Lunel, 
 celebrated for its sweet wines, and arrives at 
 Montpelier. At the time when little was known 
 respecting the climates of the continent, invalids 
 were frequently sent from England to Montpelier. 
 Many also resorted to it from different parts of 
 France, attracted by the reputation of its line 
 climate, and the skill of its physicians. Numbers, 
 however, acquired the sad experience that there 
 are few localities more prejudicial in cases of 
 pulmonary disease. Speaking of Montpelier, Mr. 
 Matthews observed, " It is difficult to conceive 
 how Montpelier ever obtained a name for the 
 salubrity of its climate. For pectoral complaints 
 it is probably one of the worst in the world. It 
 is true there is almost always a clear blue sky, 
 but the air is sharp and biting, and you are con- 
 stantly assailed by the hise or the marin, and it 
 is difficult to say which of these two winds is the 
 most annoying. The one brings cold, the other 
 damp; the climates of Europe are but little 
 understood in England, nor indeed is it an easy 
 thing to ascertain the truth with respect to 
 climate. Travellers generally speak from the 
 impression of a single season, and we all know 
 how much seasons vary. " * Indeed, Nismes would 
 have the advantage over Montpelier as regards 
 climate, as it is in some measure sheltered from 
 the north, to which Montpelier, lying on the 
 
 * Diary of au Invalid. 
 
34 MONTPELIER. 
 
 acclivity of a hill, is completely exposed. As in 
 Provence, the earth during great part of the year 
 is parched up for want of rain; in summer the 
 heat is oppressive, and the dust lies thick upon 
 the ground. The best period for a short residence 
 here, or at any of the towns in this part of France, 
 is in September, October, or November, though 
 at this time the rains sometimes continue for days 
 together with but little intermission. To certain 
 individuals, however, the climates of Montpelier 
 and Marseilles would not be unsuitable, as in 
 those labouring under some kinds of asthma, or 
 bronchial relaxation, without a tendency to 
 inflammation. Some dyspeptic and rheumatic 
 invalids would likewise find themselves benefited 
 by this kind of climate, which, however, may be 
 also met with in some of the towns of Italy, which 
 present more agremens for a winter residence, 
 without the inconveniences of Provence. 
 
 Montpelier is the seat of one of the three 
 Faculties of Medicine in France, the other two 
 being at Paris and Strasbourg; but its reputation 
 as a medical school is not so great as formerly. 
 The town is not handsome; its streets are mostly 
 narrow and badly paved; the number of inha- 
 bitants exceeds thirty thousand. The celebrated 
 Promenade de Peyrou, at the most elevated part, 
 commands an extensive view of the surrounding 
 country, and of the olive-clad hills in the distance, 
 among which numerous white villas are inter- 
 spersed, and is embellished with an equestrian 
 
CETTE. 35 
 
 statue of Louis XIV., as also with a fountain 
 supplied by a modern aqueduct of considerable 
 extent. There is another much frequented pro- 
 menade, the Esplanade, at the opposite extremity 
 of the town. The objects principally worth 
 visiting are, the Musee Fahre (a collection of 
 pictures presented to his native town by the 
 individual whose name it bears, among which are 
 a few by first-rate Italian masters), the cathedral, 
 and the school of medicine. But few English 
 reside at Montpelier. House-rent and provisions 
 are cheap, though poultry, eggs, and butter are 
 very scarce, as also throughout Provence, on 
 account of the deficiency of pasturage and grain 
 in the country. These articles are consequently 
 brought from other parts, principally from 
 Toulouse. 
 
 Cette is a town of considerable importance in 
 a commercial point of view, from the constant 
 transmission of merchandise and produce by 
 means of the Canal du Midi, between Bordeaux, 
 Toulouse, and Marseilles. There are also manu- 
 factories of claret, champagne, port, and other 
 wines, which supply Italy, and most of the townis 
 along the Mediterranean. A steamer leaves every 
 morning to cross the salt water lake of Thau (a 
 distance of eight miles), into which the Canal du 
 Midi opens, the passengers and goods being then 
 transferred to the canal boats. At the extremity 
 of the lake, opposite to Cette, are the baths of 
 Balaruc, which are a good deal frequented in the 
 
36 THE CANAL DU MIDI. 
 
 season, chiefly by persons from Montpelier, 
 Toulouse, and other parts of the south. There 
 is only the estabHshment, and one or two other 
 houses, where visitors could be accommodated. 
 The springs are saline, containing principally 
 muriate of soda, and a little gas. They have a 
 high reputation in rheumatic, and especially in 
 paralytic cases. 
 
 The Canal du Midi, by which water communi- 
 cation of the two seas is effected, though projected 
 during the reigns of several of the French kings, 
 was commenced and finished under Louis XIV. 
 It is not, however, so available as it might be if 
 the Garonne, near Toulouse, were deeper, so as 
 to be navigable at all times. There are eighteen 
 locks on the Atlantic side, and forty-six between 
 Toulouse and the Lake of Thau. The banks 
 are for the most part protected from the action of 
 the water by rushes planted for the purpose. 
 Hills are in several places pierced to admit its 
 passage. One of these grottoes, termed Mal-pas, 
 is 170 metres long, 25 feet wide, and 22 high, 
 the sides and roof being built up with masonry. 
 It is crossed by more than 100 bridges, and passes 
 beneath 55 bridge aqueducts. The boats are 
 drawn by horses, and, on account of the delays at 
 the numerous locks, thirty-six hours are required 
 to perform the journey from Cette to Toulouse, 
 so that the diligence through Beziers is much 
 more expeditious. When the railroad is com- 
 pleted, the transit of the canal will doubtless be 
 
THE CANAL DU MIDI. 37 
 
 altogether superseded. The country through 
 which the canal passes no longer presents the 
 aridity of Provence, but is rich, fertile, and in 
 many parts highly picturesque. At Carcasonne, 
 the snow-tipped summits of the highest of the 
 Pyrenees rise upon the view, and on approaching 
 Toulouse, the whole range becomes more dis- 
 tinctly visible. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 TOULOUSE -PTKENEAN BATHS— BAGNERES DE LUCHON-BAGNERES DE 
 
 BIGORRE— LOURDES— VALE OF ARGELES— THE CAGOTS— BAREGES— 
 
 ST. SAUVEUR-GAVARNIE-CAUTERETS, AND ITS 
 
 MINERAL SPRINGS. 
 
 Toulouse, the ancient city of song and trouba- 
 dour, is said to have existed before the foundation 
 of Rome. It lies in a beautiful and fertile plain 
 on the right bank of the Garonne, crossed by a 
 handsome bridge of brick. The population 
 amounts to sixty thousand. The streets are nar- 
 row, thronged, and noisy; several of the shops 
 and cafes are handsome, and decorated in a showy 
 manner. There are two or three fine squares, 
 the Place Lafayette and especially the Place du 
 Capitole, one side of which is entirely taken up 
 by the Hotel de Ville ; on the first floor of this 
 building is a large hall, the Salle des Illustres 
 Toulotmois, containing busts in tei-ra cotta of the 
 many celebrated characters born at Toulouse from 
 the time of the Romans to the present. Here 
 are held the meetings of the Academy of the 
 Floral games, which awards prizes to the best 
 compositions in poetry. The annual meeting and 
 distribution of the prizes take place in May. In 
 an adjoining apartment is the statue of Clemence 
 Isaure, the founder and patroness of these games, 
 
TOULOUSE. 39 
 
 who lived in the beginning of the fourteenth cen- 
 tury. Toulouse possesses two theatres, several 
 public libraries, reading-rooms, and scientific so- 
 cieties. The people are in general affable, fond 
 of pleasure, and live a good deal out of doors. 
 House-rent and living are cheap. The winter 
 chmate is generally mild, without the dryness of 
 Provence, or the humidity which prevails on ap- 
 proaching nearer Bordeaux. Cold winds are, 
 however, sometimes severely felt. The west wind, 
 sweeping over the Atlantic, is laden mth moisture, 
 and is extremely trying to invalids. Rain not 
 unfrequently falls, the weather being variable 
 from day to day. In the autumnal months the 
 weather is generally fine till Christmas. In spring, 
 cold and damp winds are prevalent, frequently 
 alternating with rain. The environs are exceed- 
 ingly productive in fruit and grain ; and the 
 flower and fruit market, which is held in the 
 Place du Capitole, is scarcely to be equalled 
 elsewhere. One of the most frequented walks 
 leads to the column lately erected on an eminence 
 at some distance from the town, to the memory 
 of the soldiers of the French army who fell in 
 the battle in 1814. On it is the inscription, "Aua^ 
 braves morts pour la j^f^trie^ Toulouse reconnois- 
 sante.'' From this spot a good view may be 
 obtained of the to^vn, and of the positions occupied 
 by the respective armies. 
 
 The Garonne is only navigable at Toulouse for 
 small boats; so that travellers proceeding to Bor- 
 
40 BAGNERES DE LUCHON. 
 
 deaux usually go by land to Agen (a drive of ten 
 hours), and there take the steam-boat. Those 
 who direct their course towards tlie celebrated 
 mineral springs of the Pyrenees traverse a beau- 
 tiful and cultivated country, interspersed with 
 numerous villages and hamlets, to St. Gaudens, 
 where they arrive in about eighteen hours. From 
 this point two roads diverge. By following the 
 one to the left, you enter a valley, which becomes 
 narrower and less cultivated as you advance, and 
 after a four hours' drive find yourself at Bagneres 
 de Luchon, which is situate immediately " sotto i 
 gran monti Pirenei,'' in a valley of the brightest 
 verdure, watered by the Pique and other streams, 
 and above which the Maladetta, the highest 
 mountain of the range, raises its snow-capped 
 peak. The town contains a population of two 
 thousand inhabitants, and is built in the form of 
 a triangle : each apex terminating in an avenue 
 of trees. The lime avenue leads to the bath esta- 
 blishment, which (like other French baths, is 
 under the superintendence of government,) lies 
 at the foot of a hill, whence the water issues, 
 and passes immediately into the baths. The 
 springs are hot and strongly sulphurous, and are 
 among the most efficacious in the diseases for 
 which this class of mineral waters is indicated. 
 Their temperature varies from 26 to 52 degrees R. 
 The environs of Bagneres de Luchon are highly 
 romantic, and contain many interesting points, to 
 which agreeable excursions may be made. The 
 
BAGNERES DE LUCHON. 41 
 
 lakes of Oo and Seculejo are among the spots 
 most frequently visited ; and the lover of solitude, 
 who delights to 
 
 *' Slowly trace the forest's shady scene, 
 Where things which own not man's dominion dwell, 
 And mortal foot hath ne'er or rarely been," 
 
 may find ample scope for the indulgence of his 
 taste; but, notwithstanding its scenic beauties, 
 and the efficacy of its waters, Bagneres would 
 not be an attractive summer residence t© most 
 English \isitors, unless fond of seclusion, as the 
 French, when aux eaux, associate very little with 
 those whom they have not previously known. 
 There are no public reunions ; the accommoda- 
 tions in most of the French baths are very inferior 
 to those of the German. Each family is served 
 with dinners from a traiteur's: there are few tables 
 d'hote^ and those only at the larger baths, for the 
 accommodation of travellers. With the excep- 
 tion of two or three places, living is not dear at 
 the P)Tenean baths; persons, for instance, may 
 be boarded and lodged during the season at Bag- 
 neres de Luchon or Bagneres de Bigorre for five 
 or six francs a-day. Both England and Germany 
 are, however, deficient in hot sulphur springs; 
 and in cases where they are indicated, there are 
 none in Europe (Aixla Chapelle perhaps excepted) 
 which are so efficacious as those of the western 
 Pyrenees ; but as I have more especially referred 
 to their medical properties in another work, I 
 
42 PYRENEAN BATHS. 
 
 need not again enter into their consideration in 
 this place. 
 
 A path, or mule-track, leads across the moun- 
 tain, by Arreau, to Bagneres de Bigorre, through 
 some of the finest scenery of the Pyrenees ; the 
 road passes round by Montrejeau, and ascends 
 the valley of the Adour, in which this town lies, 
 being sometimes called Bagneres-Adour. The 
 country between Montrejeau and Bagneres is a 
 succession of ascents and descents, and the scenery 
 is beautiful and diversified. 
 
 The town looks well from the hills. The white 
 and yellow painted houses, with thek slated roofs; 
 the bright verdure of the valley; the deeper hue 
 of the pine forests on the acclivities of the moun- 
 tains, the summits of which are imbedded in 
 perpetual snow; form a series of beautiful and 
 striking contrasts ; while the clear waters of the 
 Adour and other streams difi'using fertihty around, 
 
 " Sempre I'erbe vi fan tenere e nove, 
 E rendean ad ascoltar dolce concento, 
 Rotto fra picciol sassi, il correr lento." 
 
 Beyond the town the picturesque valley of Cam- 
 pan — the beauties of which, however, have been 
 rather exaggerated by writers and poets — extends 
 to the foot of the Tourmalet, on the opposite side 
 of which are Bareges and the vale of Luz. 
 
 Bagneres de Bigorre lies near the foot of the 
 Pic duMidi^Mid is the largest and most frequented 
 of the Pyrenean watering-places; a great proper- 
 
BAGNERES DE BIGORRE. 43 
 
 tian of the visitors remaining more for pleasure 
 than for health. The number of English is at 
 times not inconsiderable from Pau or other places 
 in the south of France, or Italy. Many persons 
 likewise pass some time at Bagneres, after having 
 taken a coui'se of one or other of the springs in 
 this part of the country. It stand seventeen hun- 
 dred feet above the level of the sea ; is encircled 
 on all sides but the north by green hills and pine- 
 covered mountains, and is consequently one of 
 the coolest summer residences in the Pyrenees. 
 The resident population amounts to eight or ten 
 thousand, and the resources for amusement are 
 greater than at the other baths. Bagneres was 
 a great place of resort in the time of the Komans, 
 by whom it was termed Vicus aquensis. There 
 are numerous well-shaded walks and roads in the 
 immediate environs ; those which are most fre- 
 quented are the Alices Bourbon, the garden Theas, 
 and the vTilley of Campan. This part of the 
 Pyrenees produces some beautiful kinds of varie- 
 gated marble, and near the town is a marbriere, 
 where it is worked into tables, statues, and other 
 articles of ffout, which are exported. This mar- 
 ble is, however, much softer than that of Italy, 
 and does not bear exposure to the open air. 
 
 The bathing establishments are numerous; the 
 principal one, belonging to government, termed 
 the Thennes de Marie Therese^ is an elegant struc- 
 ture of white stone, the interior of the bathing 
 cabinets being composed of different coloured 
 
44 BAGNERES DE BIGORRE. 
 
 marble. The baths are thirty-six in number, and 
 are exceedingly convenient, each having a dress- 
 ing room attached to it; over the door is inscribed 
 the name of the spring from which it is supplied. 
 Those of La JReine^ which is the hottest, and the 
 Dauphin^ are most used. There is likewise every 
 requisite apparatus for douche and vapour baths. 
 As the water is too hot to be used at its natural 
 temperature, it collects into large reservoirs at 
 the back of the establishment, where it is cooled. 
 
 Frascati's is another bathing establishment, and 
 also a lodging-house, which contains the public 
 rooms for balls, billiards, and the newspapers. A 
 single person may board and lodge here for about 
 six francs a day. Other lodging and bathing- 
 houfees are supplied by particular springs, as the 
 Pinac, Lannes, Petit Prieur, Sante, &c. 
 
 All these sjjrings are saline, and in their com- 
 position are not unlike those of Baden-Baden, or 
 Bath, though they contain much less* saline sub- 
 stance. Their temperature ranges from 27 to 
 35 degrees R. There is at Bagneres an hospital 
 for the military and poor persons to whose cases 
 the springs are considered applicable. 
 
 On ascending the valley by a road bordered 
 with poplar trees, for about a mile and a half, 
 you arrive at another bathing establishment in a 
 secluded spot, at the foot of a steep hill, whence 
 arise the springs from which it takes its name — 
 Salut. There are here ten baths, into which the 
 water keeps constantly flowing from a marble 
 
BAGXERES DE BIGORRE. 45 
 
 mouth, SO that the baths are taken at the natural 
 temperature, and they are in great request from 
 five in the morning till three in the afternoon. 
 As there ai'e no apartments for lodgmg in the 
 biulding, the bathers must come each time from 
 the town on foot, in a carriage or chaise a porteur. 
 This is among the least mineralized of the springs, 
 the solid substance being scarcely more than a 
 grain or two to a pint of water. It is mostly 
 employed by delicate persons and nervous 
 ladies. 
 
 On the liill at the entrance of the town from 
 Tarbes, a chalybeate spring rises from the rock, 
 and is di-ank by some invalids, though, as it is but 
 slightly impregnated with iron, and scarcely con- 
 tains any gas, it would not be of great service in 
 cases where chalybeates are indicated. From this 
 spot may be obtained a good view of the town 
 and valley, the Pic du Midi, and other mountains, 
 and of the course of the Adour; the ensemble 
 forming one of the most picturesque scenes that 
 can be conceived. 
 
 Tarbes, formerly the capital of the Bigorre, is a 
 pretty little to^^^l, situate in a plain at the entrance 
 of the valleys, and forms a central point, where 
 the roads meet from Bagneres, Toulouse, Cau- 
 terets, and Pan. From the Prado, or public walk, 
 and also from the balcony of the principal hotel, 
 may be enjoyed the prospect of a considerable 
 extent of fertile country, termmated by the 
 
 " Long-waviug line of the bine Pyrenees," 
 
46 LOURDES VALE OF ARGELES. 
 
 the whole range, and the relative attitude of the 
 most celebrated pics^ being distinctly visible. 
 
 From this town the traveller who purposes 
 visiting the baths of Bareges or Cauterets, after 
 traversing a pretty undulating country, arrives at 
 Lourdes, which occupies a situation strikingly 
 beautiful and picturesque, at the entrance of the 
 valley, being surrounded by green hills — on the 
 lower acclivities of which the vine is cultivated — 
 meadow^s and fields of maize, through which flows 
 the Gave de Pau. It is overlooked by the ruins 
 of the castle, of which a tower constructed by the 
 Romans is still in tolerable preservation. 
 
 On quitting Lourdes, you enter among the 
 wild scenery of a defile, where at several parts 
 the rocks approximate so closely to each other as 
 scarcely to allow space for the passage of the 
 Gave. 
 
 " The mountains closing — and the road, the river 
 Filling the narrow pass." 
 
 A little further on, the valley of Argeles lies 
 before you, realizing all that one can conceive of 
 pastoral beauty — flocks grazing in meadows of 
 the brightest green, planted with mulberry and 
 fig trees — vineyards on the side of the hills, the 
 rocky summits of which are ever and anon 
 crowned with a ruin ; neat \dllages placed at 
 short intervals, and the little town of Argeles, 
 through which the road passes, form altogether a 
 most enchanting picture, which strikingly con- 
 
THE CAGOTS 47 
 
 trasts with the sterile and snow-capped mountains 
 by which it is enclosed. This valley is eight 
 miles in length and three in breadth. Many of 
 the inhabitants on the left of the river, where 
 the ventilation is not so free, are aftected with 
 goitres ; and Cagots (who are identical with the 
 Cretins of some Alpine districts, but who have 
 now nearly disappeared) were formerly very com- 
 mon.* At Pierrefitte, a road branches off to the 
 right, leading to Cauterets; that on the left leads 
 to Luz, St. Sauveur, and Bareges, immediately 
 ascending between lofty and precipitous pinc- 
 
 * The Cagots are found in several of the more secliitled valleys of the 
 Pyrenees, particularly in the lateral valleys that branch from the valley 
 of Bareges, Lnchon, and Aurc. So sedulously do the Cagots keep apart 
 from the rest of their fellow men, that one might travel through the 
 Pyrenees without seing an individual of the race, unless enquiry were 
 Epecially directed towards them. The Cagot is known by his sallow and 
 unhealthy countenance, his expression of stupidity, his want of vigour, 
 and relaxed appearance, his imperfect articulation, and in many cases his 
 disposition to goitres. From time immemorial the Cagot families have 
 inhabited the most retired villages and the most miserable habitations. 
 The race has always been regarded as infamous, and the individuals of it 
 as outcasts from the family of mankind. They are excluded from all rights 
 of citizens ; they were not permitted to have arms, nor to exercise any 
 other trade than that of wood-cutters. And in more remote times they 
 were obliged to bear upon their breasts a red mark, the sign of their 
 degradation ; so far, indeed, was the aversion to this unfortunate people 
 carried, that they entered the churches by a separate door, and occupied 
 seats allotted to the rejected caste. The persecutions have long ceased, 
 and time and its attendant improvements have diminished the prejudices, 
 and weakened the feelings of aversion with which they were formerly 
 regarded. But they are still the race of Cagots ; still a separate family ; 
 still outcasts ; still a people who are evidently no kindred of those who 
 live around them ; but the remnant of a different and more ancient family.'* 
 — Inglis^ South of France avd the Pyrenees. 
 
48 BAREGES. 
 
 covered mountains, separated by the river oy gave^ 
 which rushes with impetuosity beneath, and is 
 crossed by bridges no less than eight times in' the 
 space of three leagues, according as either side 
 offered greater facility for the construction of the 
 road, which for the greatest part of the distance 
 is cut out of the mountain's side. In about two 
 hours the highest point of the pass is attained, 
 whence there is a gradual descent to the rimit 
 plain of Luz, surrounded by mountains in the 
 form of an amphitheatre. This part has been 
 compared by Ramond with the valley of the 
 Reuss, in Switzerland, and there are certainly 
 few scenes in Europe where the beautiful, the 
 picturesque, and the sublime, are so perfectly 
 combined. 
 
 Bareges is about an hour's ride from Luz, by 
 a continued ascent. The road all the way from 
 Pierrefittewas constructed by the engineer Polard, 
 of whose abilities it remains a standing monu- 
 ment; the difficulties he had to encoimter having 
 appeared to others to be insurmountable. Some 
 parts between Luz and Bareges are very steep, and 
 are not unfrequently carried away by the torrent or 
 by avalanches. As you ascend, the gorge narrows, 
 vegetation becomes more scanty and disappears, 
 though here and there, high up on the moun- 
 tains, patches of land are still cultivated by the 
 peasantry. On approaching Bareges, however, 
 the desolation appears to be complete; not a tree 
 is to be seen, and huge masses of stone, brought 
 
BAREGES. 49 
 
 down by the avalanches, lie scattered about m 
 all directions. The road extends no further than 
 Bareges, there being merely a path across the 
 Tourmalet to Bagneres de Bigorre. In fact, no 
 spot would seem to be less calculated for tne 
 situation of a bath than Bareges, which consists 
 of a single street on the acclivity of the moun- 
 tain, with the impetuous Gave de Bastan foaming 
 beneath. For nine months in the year the place 
 is deserted, being left in the keeping of about 
 twenty men, who pass the winter there to prevent 
 its being occupied by the wolves, which not un- 
 frequently take up their abode in the houses. As 
 it frequently happens that the winter occupants 
 are completely shut out from any intercourse with 
 the valley by the snow, they are obliged to lay in 
 a stock of provisions and fuel for three or four 
 months, and on the return of fine weather, assisted 
 by others from below, begin to clear the road, 
 and ascertain the damage that has been effected; 
 as many of the houses are every year carried 
 away by the torrent, or overwhelmed by the 
 avalanches. At the time of my visit, in May, 
 numerous workmen were employed in digging 
 away the snow beneath which several houses 
 were buried, and in getting the place a little in 
 order for the season, which begins about the 
 middle of June, from which period till September 
 it is crowded with invalids, who certainly would 
 not resort thither for pleasure, or unless they had 
 learned from experience the efficacy of its mineral 
 
 E 
 
60 BAREGES. 
 
 springs. Thus every year is practically contra- 
 dicted the opinion of those who, knowing little 
 of the power of these agents, consider that the 
 benefit which persons derive from a visit to a 
 mineral spring is attributable to the accessory 
 circumstances, as change of air, the agremens of 
 the place, the beauties of scenery, &c. These 
 have, no doubt, considerable influence on many 
 slight ailments, but would have very little in 
 such cases as are usually sent to Bareges. 
 
 In the centre of the street is a small square, 
 on one side of which are the baths, on the other 
 a military hospital, supported by government, for 
 wounded soldiers, the number of which amounts 
 to about four hundred, that of the visitors being 
 about eight hundred, or a thousand, almost all 
 of them invalids, and many who are not able to 
 walk, or hardly to get about on crutches. There 
 is only one table d'hote, and each party is served 
 separately from a traiteur's; nor is there any 
 society, and, as may be supposed, the climate is 
 bad enough, so that existence in the place for 
 several successive weeks would be unbearable, 
 were it not for the benefit anticipated and ex- 
 perienced from the springs. In the bathing 
 establishment there are sixteen private baths; 
 but most of the patients bathe in the piscinae or 
 public basins. Douches arc a good deal used, the 
 water falling from a height of ^\e or six feet 
 from reservoirs through tubes about as thick as 
 a man's forearm. The piscina for the hospital 
 
BAREGES. 51 
 
 patients — but in which several visitors likewise 
 bathe — is an oblong vaulted chamber with 
 stone walls ; the water is about three feet deep, 
 and flows into the bath through a wooden 
 trough, beneath which those who require the 
 douche hold the affected part. About sixteen 
 persons can bathe at the same time. The springs 
 la Douche^ la Temperee^ and Polar d^ are the 
 most used ; the temperature of the former is 
 44 degrees, that of the second 33 degrees, R., 
 and about 30 degrees in the piscince, which are 
 badly ventilated, and filled with vapour, which 
 induces copious perspiration. There is likewise 
 a piscina for indigent patients. The average 
 number of baths required by patients is from 
 thirty to forty. Though the springs are almost 
 exclusively used for bathing, there is one drinking 
 spring. They are strongly sulphurous, and more 
 energetic in their action than any others in the 
 Pyrenees, but they do not emit so disagreeable a 
 smell as others of the same class, which contain 
 a large proportion of sulphuretted hydrogen, as 
 in these the sulphur exists principally in the form 
 of sulphuret of soda. The cases in which they are 
 most efficacious are scrofulous diseases of joints 
 and other enlargements, rheumatic and paralytic 
 affections, old ulcers and wounds, especially when 
 there are foreign substances, as bullets, pieces of 
 clothing, &c., lodged in the body (the expulsion 
 of which not unfrequently takes place during the 
 course), and some eruptions on the skin. 
 
52 ST. SAUVEUR. 
 
 St. Sauveur lies on the side of the mountain 
 immediately opposite to Luz, from which it is 
 not more than half a mile distant. It is built on 
 the edge of a wide and deep ravine, the sides of 
 which are clothed with brushwood, and between 
 which the Gave makes its way with impetuosity 
 three hundred feet below. A neat stone bridge 
 has within the last few years been constructed 
 across the ravine, whence a winding road leads 
 up to the bath. At the widest part of the 
 street stands, on the one side, the church ; on the 
 other, immediately overlooking the ravine, is the 
 handsome bathing establishment, with sixteen 
 cabinets, and a drinking fountain. There are 
 two springs, or rather one spring having two out- 
 lets ; the temperature being twenty-eight and 
 thirty-three degrees. It is much less sulphurous 
 than that of Bareges, and is sometimes recom- 
 mended preparatory to the stronger springs, but 
 is more particularly applicable to nervous affec- 
 tions and other cases peculiar to ladies. Not 
 more than from two to three hundred persons 
 can be accommodated at the same time ; the 
 want of room, consequently, renders living and 
 lodgings dearer than at most of the other baths. 
 There is little or no general society, and yet there 
 are few places where those who delight in the 
 beauties of scenery, and in a romantic country, 
 coidd pass a few weeks in the summer more to 
 their satisfaction. Tractable and well-conditioned 
 mountain ponies are here, as at the other baths 
 
GAVARNIE. 53 
 
 of the Pyrenees, always at the visitor's com- 
 mand. 
 
 The most frequented of the excursions in the 
 environs, which no visitor who is able omits to 
 make, is the celebrated cascade of Gavarnie, and 
 the Cirque de Marbore, to which, however, there 
 is merely a horse road. After crossing the ravine 
 at St. Sauveur, you enter a defile between steep 
 and sombre mountains, the sides of which are 
 plentifully covered with brushwood, their summits 
 clothed with pine trees, and which, separated at 
 their base by the torrent, gradually recede from 
 each other in proportion as they become higher, 
 the path being cut sometimes on one side, some- 
 times on the other. While standing on the first 
 bridge, a considerable height above the foaming 
 torrent, I was strongly reminded of the similarity 
 of the scenery to that of some of the finest parts 
 of the Via Mala in the Grisons. Several water- 
 falls — which are rare in the Pyrenees — add to the 
 interest of the ride. In about another hour you 
 emerge from the defile upon the beautiful valley 
 of Pragneres, which, with the numerous cottages 
 and cJialets on the sides of the hills, its flocks of 
 sheep and goats tended by peasant girls, its cul- 
 tivated fields and meadows, where 
 
 " Flowers fresh iu hue, and many iu their dyes, 
 Implore the pausing step," 
 
 strongly contrasts with the wild scenery which 
 you have just qidtted, and are again about to 
 
54 GAVARNIE. 
 
 behold. Beyond the village of Gedro, the moim- 
 tams again approach close to each other ; vegeta- 
 tion becomes more and more scanty, and at last 
 disappears altogether. You now enter upon the 
 district aptly termed Chaos, where desolation 
 reigns supreme, which is heightened by enormous 
 masses of rock (several being as large as a good 
 sized house), scattered about pell-mell, one above 
 another, for a considerable distance, the path 
 winding between them, and being frequently 
 hidden from the view. The bed of the Gave 
 being also completely encumbered, the water is 
 turned from its course, and, flowing over these 
 masses, falls in numerous cascades, which add 
 greatly to the interest of the scene. 
 
 How and when the mountain fell which occa- 
 sioned this devastation is unkno^vn, though tradi- 
 tions are not wanting respecting the occurrence. 
 
 Altogether the scene is of such an interesting 
 and peculiar kind, that it must be seen to be 
 appreciated. On approaching Gavarnie, the coun- 
 try has the same wild and sombre aspect, several 
 mountain pics are constantly visible, and, at one 
 part of the road, a view is obtained of the cirque; 
 as also, at an elevation of some thousands of feet, of 
 the perpendicular rocky barrier separating France 
 from Spain, with the cleft-like aperture, which, 
 however, is three hundred feet wide, termed the 
 Breche de Roland ^ixom. the tradition that thisjt>re2^ci? 
 chevalier made the said breach with his good 
 sword. 
 
CAUTERETS. 65 
 
 From Gavarnie the cirque is seen to great 
 advantage, and appears to be quite close ; but an 
 hour's ride is still required before you find your- 
 self at its entrance. Description would be totally 
 inadequate to give a correct idea of this wonder 
 of nature (even if lengthened description were 
 here admissible), I shall, therefore, merely content 
 myself with stating that this celebrated circle is 
 an almost perpendicular wall of yellowish rock, 
 having the appearance of marble, some hun- 
 dreds of feet high, extending in a semicircidar 
 form, so as to enclose an area of four miles. 
 In the centre are several ridges, rising one 
 above another, over which a sheet of water 
 falls, forming the cascade (though at the time of 
 my visit it was frozen, presenting the appearance 
 of extensive sheets of snow). 
 
 Those desirous of ascending to the Breche 
 de Roland, and passmg through it into Spain, 
 may find trusty guides at the village of Ga- 
 varnie. 
 
 A wide and well-constructed road leads by a 
 gradual ascent from Pierrefitte, at the extremity 
 of the vale of Argeles, to Cauterets, passing at 
 first through a beautifully-wooded dell, between 
 lofty pine-covered mountains, and afterwards 
 through a more wild and sterile district, with 
 scarcely any signs of cultivation. 
 
 This celebrated watering place lies in the 
 secluded valley of Lavedan, surrounded by scenery 
 of the most romantic kind. It chiefly consists in 
 
56 CAUTERETS. 
 
 a single street, which widens out into a square. 
 The resident population amounts to about fifteen 
 hundred, and two thousand visitors could be 
 accommodated in the season, during which 
 period it is generally thronged, especially by the 
 Parisians, with whom it is a favourite summer 
 retreat. Apartments are, consequently, often 
 exceedingly difficult to be obtained, and are 
 mostly very dear. In the square is the Hotel du 
 Cercle, where there are public rooms for reunions, 
 but there is little general association among the 
 visitors, so that a stranger who does not possess 
 resources within himself would, notwithstanding 
 the magnificence of the scenery, find Cauterets 
 but a dull residence. There are two or three 
 tables d'hote, but they are not well attended. 
 Cauterets has not the advantage of shaded walks 
 (the only rows of trees being in an enclosure 
 behind the town, which serves for a promenade), 
 and, from its being surrounded by lofty peaked 
 mountains, the summits of which are covered 
 with perpetual snow, the reflection of the sun's 
 rays must be, at times, severely felt, notwith- 
 standing its elevated position ; and what must be 
 a great inconvenience to invalids, the bathing 
 establishments, with one exception, are out of the 
 town, some of them being at a distance of more 
 than two miles. 
 
 The season lasts from June to September, before 
 and after which periods poor persons are allowed 
 to use the baths on payment of a trifling sum 
 
CAUTERETS. 57 
 
 (two or three sous each bath). Beyond the town 
 a gradual ascent of the valley leads to the prm- 
 cipal establishment — la Railliere — a handsome 
 isolated edifice, with a central vestibule, drinking 
 fountain, and bathing cabinets, furnished with 
 marble baignoires and douche apparatus, on either 
 side. Some distance beyond this are the springs 
 du Pre^ petit St. Sauveur^ and du Bois ; the latter 
 being perched high up on the mountain's side. 
 The baths in these estabhshments are dark and 
 dirty-looking ; there is also in this direction the 
 spring Mahourat, which is only used for drinking. 
 These springs lie about a league from the town, 
 amidst scenery of the most magnificent descrip- 
 tion, and at the junction of two foaming torrents, 
 which, obstructed by large masses of rock de- 
 tached from the mountains, form numerous cas- 
 cades. From hence the road to the right conducts 
 to the Lac de Gaube and the Pont d'Espagne 
 (the latter being a narrow bridge, thrown across 
 the torrent from one rock to another), which 
 are the objects best worth visiting in the envi- 
 rons. 
 
 The temperature of the springs varies from 21 
 to 40 degrees, R. The composition of the water 
 is very analogous to that of other springs in this 
 part of the Pyrenees, containing principally sul- 
 phuret of sodium, carbonate, sulphate, and muriate 
 of 'soda, with carbonic acid and azotic gases in 
 small quantities. The Railliere is the spring 
 mostly used for drinldng ; it has a high reputa- 
 
58 , CAUTERETS. 
 
 tion in pulmonary and nervous affections, and in 
 dyspeptic cases. 
 
 Besides these springs, however, there are others 
 in a different direction, which are much more 
 sulphurous than the southern group, and are 
 chiefly used for baths. These are termed Bruzaud, 
 situate at the foot of the hill close to the town ; 
 Cesar, high up on the same hill ; la Reine, near 
 the former, and des Espagnols. Patients who 
 cannot walk to the baths are carried in chaises 
 a porteur, the price of which is very low, and 
 which are indispensable in protecting susceptible 
 invalids from the transitions of temperature, 
 which are at times very great and sudden. 
 
 The number of the springs enables the prac- 
 titioner the better to adapt them to individual 
 cases and peculiarities. 
 
 Though the composition of some of these 
 Pyrenean springs be not materially different, 
 yet they differ considerably in the important cir- 
 cumstances of temperature and locality, and 
 certain of them have acquired a special reputa- 
 tion in particular complaints. Thus, Bareges is 
 recommended, par excellence^ in cases of old 
 wounds, ulcers, or long standing affection of the 
 bones ; Bagneres de Luchon, in gouty, rheumatic, 
 and cutaneous diseases; St. Sauveur in nervous 
 complaints, and some local affections to which 
 women are subject ; while Cauterets, from the 
 number of its springs, and the difference of their 
 temperatiu-e, can be adapted to most of the 
 
CAUTERETS. 69 
 
 above-mentioned indications. The greater num- 
 ber of patients are perhaps those labouring under 
 the various forms of indigestion, and pulmonary 
 complaints, or a tendency to consumption. The 
 number of those with rheumatic and cutaneous 
 diseases is likewise considerable. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PAU AND ITS CLIMATE— EAUX BONNES AND CHAUDES— INHABITANTS OF 
 THE PYRENEES— THE L ANDES— BORDEAUX AND ITS CLIMATE— TOURS. 
 
 Having enjoyed the gratification of visiting 
 the baths of Bareges, St. Sauveur, and Cauterets, 
 with the highly interesting scenery in their 
 neighbourhood, the tourist who is disinclined to 
 excursions among the mountains, or to passing 
 into Spain, must retrace his steps by the valley 
 of Argeles to Lourdes ; whence the drive to Pau 
 presents a different character of scenery. The 
 road is continued for some distance on the bank 
 of the Gave de Pau, here already a river of con- 
 siderable size, and traverses a smiling country of 
 pasture land, corn-fields, and prettily- wooded hills, 
 which seems to be the abode of fertility and con- 
 tentment. 
 
 A little before arriving at Es telle, the depart- 
 ment of the High Pyrenees terminates, and you 
 enter that of the Low Pyrenees, where the coun- 
 try increases in beauty, resembling a rich garden, 
 and producing a variety of fruit, Indian corn, and 
 grain ; the vines hanging in festoons between the 
 trees, as in Italy. 
 
 Numerous country-houses and detached cottages 
 
PAU. 61 
 
 are seen on approaching Pan, which is situate on 
 an elevated plain in the richest part of the district 
 of Beam, of which it was formerly the capital. 
 It contains a population of twelve thousand in- 
 habitants ; is a clean and cheerful looking town, 
 and has greatly increased in size vsdthin the last 
 few years, which is partly attributable to the 
 number of English residents, and of the visitors 
 who resort thither on the approach of winter. 
 
 In fact, Pau offers many inducements to families 
 and invalids to select it for a winter residence. 
 Its position is in the highest degree beautiful ; 
 the houses and its accommodations are good, 
 though the proprietors are somewhat exigeans. 
 Provisions of all kinds are abundant, and the 
 climate is better than that of any other town in 
 the south of France. It is humid as compared 
 with that of Provence, but diier than other 
 towns in the south-west, on account of its more 
 elevated position, and from the gravelly nature of 
 its soil. Sir J. Clark says, in reference to it, in 
 his work on Climate — " Calmness is a striking 
 character of the climate, high winds being of rare 
 occurrence, and of short duration. The mean 
 annual temperature is four and a-half degrees 
 higher than that of London ; five lower than that 
 of Marseilles, Nice, and Rome. In winter it is 
 two degrees warmer than London ; three colder 
 than Penzance ; six colder than Nice and Rome, 
 and eighteen colder than Madeira ; but in spring 
 Pau is six degrees warmer than London, and only 
 
62 PAu. 
 
 two and a-half colder than Marseilles and Rome. 
 The daily range of temperature at Pau is seven 
 and a-half degrees, at Nice eight and a-half, at 
 Home eleven. The number of days on which 
 rain falls on an average is 109, nearly the same 
 as at E-ome, and about 70 less than at London ; 
 the west wind blowing directly from the Atlantic 
 is accompanied with rain. The wind from the 
 north-west, and from this point to the north-east, 
 brings dry cold Weather ; while that from the 
 north-east to the south is usually attended with 
 clear mild weather ; south and south-west winds 
 are warm and oppressive. The westerly or 
 Atlantic are most prevalent. The north wind 
 blows feebly, and is not frequent. Rain seldom 
 continues for more than two days at a time, and 
 the ground dries rapidly; the atmosphere generally 
 speaking is free from moisture." Sir James fur- 
 ther states that " the circumstances which render 
 Pau eligible for some invalids are, that the 
 atmosphere, when it does not rain, is dry and the 
 weather fine ; there are neither fogs nor cold 
 piercing winds, and the mildness of the spring is 
 characteristic, and is consequently favourable in 
 chronic affections of the larynx, trachea, and 
 bronchia. In gastritic dyspepsia, and some kinds 
 of asthma, it is also beneficial ; but is prejudicial 
 in bronchial disease, accompanied with much 
 general relaxation, copious expectoration, and 
 dyspnoea. It is too changeable for consumptive 
 diseases." Some gouty patients would also derive 
 
PAu 63 
 
 advantage from wintering at Pau, especially after 
 a course of mineral baths in the summer.* 
 
 The town consists chiefly of a long street badly 
 paved, whence others diverge, leading, on the one 
 hand, to the Place Royale, an esplanade planted 
 with trees, and commanding a delightful prospect; 
 and on the other, to the Place de la Concorde, a 
 spacious square of modern houses built on arcades, 
 with shops on the ground floor ; the upper part 
 of many of them being let to strangers. At the 
 extremity of the principal street is the old chateau 
 of Henri IV., which, with its antique towers, 
 when seen from a distance, forms a picturesque 
 object in the view. In the court-yard are the 
 heads in has relief of some of the ancient princes 
 of Beam. At the entrance is a statue of the 
 king, 
 
 " Qui fat de ses sujets le vainqueur et le pfere," 
 
 which shows him to have been of very diminutive 
 stature. In the interior is exhibited the cradle 
 of the king, formed of a tortoise-shell. From 
 the summit of the chief tower a splendid panorama 
 is displayed of a highly-cultivated and richly- 
 wooded country, dotted over with chateaux and 
 
 * Dr. Taylor, a resident physician, contrasts Pan with Nice as the 
 extremes of continental climates frequented by English invalids. He says, 
 " Langour, disinclination to exertion, and a sense of fullness in the head 
 and chest, are the primary effects experienced by healthy strangers. 
 Hence, in all diseases of an atonic character, in a depressed and relaxed state 
 of the nervous and muscular systems, and in congestive diseases, the 
 climate is injurious. 
 
64 EAUX BONNES. 
 
 farm-houses, and through which flows the Gave^ 
 which has been ah-eady noticed, but which is 
 transformed from a foaming mountain-torrent to 
 a placid and broad river, crossed by a handsome 
 bridge. On the opposite side, the hills are clothed 
 with vineyards, which yield the esteemed wine of 
 Jurangon ; while, towards the south, a back- 
 ground to the prospect is formed by the chain of 
 the Pyrenees, in the centre of which the Pic du 
 Midi towers above the rest.* 
 
 The park, which extends a considerable dis- 
 tance from the chateau, and possesses an avenue 
 of fine old trees, is the most usual promenade : 
 the walks and rides in the environs are beautiful 
 and varied, and the angler may have ample scope 
 for the gratification of his taste. In the town 
 there is a tolerable theatre, and a reading room, 
 where the London papers are received. There is 
 also frequently a good deal of society, so that 
 altogether Pau would offer several resources 
 during a winter residence. 
 
 The Eaux Bonnes, and Eaux Chaudes, are 
 about seven leagues from Pau : the road, passing 
 over the bridge, and for some distance along the 
 river, is highly interesting. At the little town of 
 Laruns, in the valley of Ossau, it divides into 
 two, the one to the right leading up a wild defile 
 between mountains clothed with box-wood to the 
 Eaux Chaudes ; while that to the left leads by a 
 
 * The chateau of Pau is now the prison of Abdel-Kader. 
 
EAUX BONNES. 65 
 
 steep ascent to the Eaux Bonnes, which is closely 
 encircled by lofty and rugged mountains, the sides 
 of which have been in some parts cut away to 
 allow space for new erections. Even now the 
 place does not contain more than twenty-five 
 houses, which have been found insufficient to 
 lodge the increasing number of visitors. 
 
 Close at hand are quarries of marble, which 
 have served for building several of the houses, 
 which have consequently a handsome appearance, 
 and are clean internally, the accommodation 
 being better than at most of the other watering- 
 places. The bathing establishment (with baths 
 on the ground, and a public room on the first 
 floor) is a new and elegant structure. The bath- 
 ing cabinets are handsomely fitted up, and the 
 baignoires constructed of white marble. In the 
 vestibide is the drinking fountain, these springs 
 being more used for drinking than for baths, for 
 which the supply of water is scarcely sufficient. 
 There are two springs, one rising behind the 
 bath-house, the other a little way up the moun- 
 tain ; they are of a lighter sulphurous kind, and 
 enjoy a high reputation in disease of the air- 
 passages, and in incipient consumption. The 
 water is also sent to Pan, and is drank by some 
 individuals during the winter. There is at the 
 Eaux Bonnes a great deficiency of shade, and but 
 little space for exercise, on account of the moun- 
 tains approaching close to the houses. A small 
 piece of ground has, however, been laid out and 
 
 F 
 
66 EAUX CHAUDES. 
 
 planted with trees. The heat is generally very 
 great in the middle of the day, and the transitions 
 of temperature are sudden. At the principal hotel 
 there are a table d'hote and public rooms for 
 reunions ; the visitors also associate more at the 
 Eaux Bonnes than at some of the other baths, 
 where there is a more numerous society, and where 
 there are more resources for the occupation of time. 
 The position of the Eaux Chaudes is even more 
 wild and secluded than that of the Eaux Bonnes, 
 being in a narrow gorge between box and fir- 
 covered mountains on the edge of the Gave 
 d'Oleron, which rolls with impetuosity below. 
 There are about sixteen houses, mostly old; the 
 bathing cabinets are low and dark, and the 
 accommodation altogether very inferior to the 
 Eaux Bonnes. The springs are principally em- 
 ployed for bathing, the supply of water being 
 more abundant than at the Eaux Bonnes, and 
 they are said to have great efficacy in rheumatic, 
 paralytic, and cutaneous affections. Though 
 these waters have been employed medicinally by 
 the inhabitants of Beam and the adjacent districts 
 ever since the time of Henry IV. (when they 
 were termed Eau d'Arquebusade, from their 
 supposed efficacy in gun-shot wounds), it is only 
 of late years that a road practicable for carriages 
 has been constructed from Laruns ; previously to 
 which many of the inhabitants of the town earned 
 a livelihood by carryiaig invalids across the moun- 
 tain to the springs. Although termed Chaudes, 
 
PYRENEAN INHABITANTS. 67 
 
 the temperature of the springs is not much higher 
 than the Eaux Bonnes, but yet it is sufficiently 
 so for bathing, without requiring the water to be 
 artificially heated. In the en\irons is a celebrated 
 cavern, termed the fairies' grotto, which extends 
 a considerable distance under the moimtain. The 
 frontier of Spain is about an hour's walk beyond 
 the baths. 
 
 Previous to taking leave of the Pyrenees, I 
 will subjoin a few remarks on the peasantry from 
 the work of Mr. Inglis, which I have already 
 quoted : — 
 
 " The inhabitant of the Pyrenean valley is in 
 everything more primitive than the Alpine moun- 
 taineer. In his nomishment and di'css he retains 
 the pastoral simplicity, and, I might add, in his 
 morals too. Bread of rye or barley, and milk, 
 and a sort of paste made of Indian corn, are the 
 habitual diet of the Pyrenean peasant ; and those 
 who are in comparatively easy circumstances salt 
 some kid's flesh, and sometimes a pig, for high 
 days and holidays. In comparison with the com- 
 forts which a peasant of the Grindelwald or the 
 Grisons draws around him, those of the Pyrenean 
 peasant scarcely raise him above the grade of a 
 needy man ; for not only are the articles of his 
 subsistence of the simplest kind, but even in the 
 quantity of these he is limited. 
 
 " In the dress of the Pyrenean peasant of both 
 sexes, the usages of Spain have been adopted. 
 The men cover theii* heads with a small bonnet, 
 
6S PYRENEAN INHABITANTS. 
 
 and their bodies with a large cloak, which descends 
 to the very feet. The women throughout all the 
 Pyrenean valleys are clothed in the same way as 
 at Tarbes ; they either wear the capulet or short 
 hood of scarlet, or the capuchin, a cloak of black, 
 both thrown over the head and shoulders, and 
 most commonly they have sandals upon the feet, 
 excepting in the mountains, where the peasant 
 generally walks with naked feet. The moun- 
 taineers of the Pyrenees are a handsomer race 
 than the Alpine peasantry, but the dress of the 
 former is less adapted to display the figure. 
 
 "That besetting sin of the Swiss — greed, I 
 have never found among the Pyrenees. The 
 intercourse of the mountaineer with strangers 
 has hitherto been too limited to dull his natural 
 feelings of justice, kindness, and generosity; and 
 I have generally found it difficult to prevail upon 
 an inhabitant of a Pyrenean cabin, poor as he is, 
 to accept any remuneration for his hospitalities, 
 Crime of every description is rare in the Pyrenees, 
 theft is very unfrequent, and murder altogether 
 unknown. No traveller need hesitate to traverse 
 every part of the French Pyrenees alone and 
 unarmed." 
 
 The journey from Pau to Bordeaux requires 
 eighteen hours. For the first two posts the coun- 
 try is beautiful and highly cultivated, the land 
 being partitioned off into orchards and meadows 
 by hedges, which likewise border the road, as in 
 England. On quitting the province of Bearn, 
 
THE LANDES. 69 
 
 and entering upon the district of the Landes at 
 Mont-de-Marsan, the aspect of the country be- 
 comes totally changed. Nothing is seen for miles 
 but extensive marshy wastes, without any sign of 
 habitation, beyond here and there a turf hovel to 
 afford shelter to the peasantry, who axe employed 
 to superintend the flocks of sheep, and whose 
 aspect is sufficiently indicative of the malarious 
 influence of the locality. In the winter, and 
 when the ground is covered in many parts with 
 water, they use for progression high stilts, which 
 enable them to see for a considerable distance, 
 and with which they can run and leap the wide 
 chasms, by which the ground is frequently inter- 
 sected, with surprising dexterity. A man, woman, 
 and child generally go together, walking on these 
 stilts, the woman being usually employed in knit- 
 ting ; and, seen from afar, the group presents 
 rather a grotesque appearance. The soil of this 
 tract of country is loose and sandy, and the road 
 through it was formerly made with piles of wood 
 laid across. Within the last three or four years, 
 however, a tolerable chaussee has been constructed 
 with stone, which was brought from a great dis- 
 tance. Notwithstanding the desolateness and 
 unhealthiness of this district, the inhabitants are 
 said to be much attached to it, prefering it to 
 other parts. 
 
 At Bazos, the country again assumes an aspect 
 of fertility, and at Langon the road joins the left 
 bank of the Garonne, which is here crossed by a 
 
70 BORDEAUX. 
 
 handsome suspension bridge, and whence there is 
 constant commnnication with Bordeaux by steam- 
 boats. The banks of the river are beautiful, and 
 in many parts strikingly picturesque — verdant 
 meadows, gently sloping uplands and vineyards ; 
 well-wooded hills, occasionally crowned with 
 ruins; modern country-houses and pleasure- 
 grounds present themselves in succession or alter- 
 nately to the view, till the traveller arrives within 
 sight of the city and its handsome stone bridge. 
 The celebrated vineyards of Sauterne and Barsac 
 lie a little way from the left bank of the river. 
 
 Few strangers can fail to be struck with the 
 magnificent aspect of Bordeaux. The coup-d'oeil 
 of its splendid quays and range of buildings, 
 extending in a semicircular form upwards of three 
 miles, of the broad river crowded with shipping, 
 and of the bridge, which is longer than that of 
 South wark, is unique of its kind; while the bustle 
 of its streets, the spacious squares and pro- 
 menades, and the richness of the shops, impart to 
 it every appearance of a metropolis. The fine 
 avenues of trees in the AlUes de Tommy and des 
 Quinconces are the most usual resort of the 
 inhabitants. Among the public edifices prin- 
 cipally deserving of notice are the cathedral, the 
 gothic chm'ch of St. Michael, and the theatre, 
 which, as a work of architecture, is considered to 
 be faultless. The interior of the building is, 
 however, dirty, and the performers are but in- 
 dificrent, theatricals not being much patronized 
 
BORDEAUX. 7J 
 
 by the higher classes. The great hospital St. 
 Andre is likewise an elegant structure, and its 
 interior arrangement and cleanliness are superior 
 to most of the medical institutions which I have 
 visited. It contains seven hundred beds. Bor- 
 deaux ranks high as a school of medicine, and 
 numbers among its inhabitants several celebrated 
 men. Notwithstanding its beauty as a city, it 
 would not offer much attraction for the prolonged 
 residence of strangers; for though the inhabitants 
 be courteous and hospitable, most of them are 
 engaged in commerce, and a person without 
 occupation would soon experience a want of 
 resources. Society is a good deal divided into 
 coteries, and pleasure is less followed than in 
 many other parts of France. The principal 
 merchants have large houses on the Quai des 
 Chartrons, beneath which are extensive cellars, 
 where the wines are kept preparatory to exporta- 
 tion. 
 
 The climate is bad at Bordeaux ; the heat in 
 summer being very great, while the winter, though 
 not very cold, is generally damp, from the winds 
 which blow from the ocean and the marshy district 
 of the Landes. A good deal of rain also falls. 
 The most prevalent diseases are rheumatic and 
 bronchial affections, inflammations of the bowels, 
 pulmonary consumption, scrofula, continued and 
 intermittent fevers.* 
 
 * " The modern word Bordeaux admits of an easy explanation, for it is 
 almost literally hord-des-eaux^ or horde d'eaux^ which is truth. Bordeaux 
 
n 
 
 BORDEAUX. 
 
 The public cemetery, about a mile from the 
 town, is worth visiting. It is a spacious piece of 
 ground, divided into different sections by rows of 
 cypress and plane-trees. Some of the mausoleums 
 and tombs are of fine marble, and all have flowers 
 planted around them, or are decorated with chap- 
 lets of immortelles. There are likewise in the 
 environs several points to which interesting 
 excursions may be made, as the Chateau de la 
 Brede, formerly the residence of Montesquieu; 
 the Chateau d'Epernon, Lafitte, and Margeaux, 
 where are the celebrated vineyards, which are 
 insufficient to supply a tithe of the wine which is 
 sold in Europe under their name. [Those desirous 
 of some account of the Bordeaux wines may 
 refer to Inglis's Travels in the South of France 
 and the Pyrenees; and also to Hedding's work 
 on modem wines.] 
 
 is in fact surrounded by waters. On the east the Garonne flows, on th# 
 west and south three streams are found, and on the north are the rivulets 
 called the Bourde and the Talle. And, besides all these running streams, 
 there are many large marshes, at no great distance from the city." So 
 situated, it may be supposed that Bordeaux cannot be a healthy city ; the 
 winds which blow the most frequently are west, south-west, and north- 
 west, and these, blowing over the ocean and the Landes, must necessarily 
 be charged with humidity. Accordingly the atmosphere of Bordeaux is 
 most commonly moist and mild. During the winters, which are generally 
 rainy, the thermometer generally descends below the fourth or fifth degree 
 of Reaumur. This humid atmosphere and high temperature during the 
 summer, together with the vicmity of the marshes, is productive of frequent 
 epidemics, and of various other maladies, among which the most frequent 
 are colds and coughs, intermittent fevers, rheumatism, and particularly 
 those diseases which the French call Phthisie tuberculeuse des adidtes^ 
 et Phthisie piiuiteuse des mellards.''' — Ivglis^ Op. CiL 
 
TOURS 73 
 
 About five miles from Bordeaux, on the Paris 
 road, at St. Andre de Cubzac, a great work has 
 been latterly completed, viz., a suspension bridge 
 (or rather, five suspension bridges joined into one) 
 across the Dordogne, which is considerably wider 
 than the Garonne at Bordeaux. Three pillars of 
 masonry in the bed of the river serve as so many 
 points d'a2)]mi, and the bridge is raised so high 
 above the water that large vessels can pass 
 beneath. Until it was completed, the communica- 
 tion was kept up beneath the banks by a ferry- 
 boat moved by horses tm*ning a wheel, with 
 paddles ; the current was, however, occasionally 
 too strong to allow the boat to pass, and all cor- 
 respondence between Bordeaux and Paris by this 
 road was consequently cut off for the time. There 
 is in the summer and autumn communication by 
 steam between Bordeaux and Dublin, the passage 
 being made in about three days ; so that invalids 
 proceeding from Ireland to Italy might avoid the 
 long land journey through France. There is 
 also almost daily steam communication between 
 I.a Rochelle, Hochefort, and Nantes. 
 
 The journey from Bordeaux to Paris occupies 
 about thirty hours. There is an English colony 
 at Tours, though the number is much less than a 
 few years ago. The town is beautifully situate 
 on the left bank of the Loire, which is crossed by 
 a handsome bridge. It consists chiefly of a fine 
 wide street, three quarters of a mile long, and 
 short divergent streets. Living is cheap, and the 
 
74 TOURS. 
 
 winter climate is mild, the sky being generally 
 clear, so that Tours might suit many who are 
 desirous of residence less exposed to change and 
 bustle than places more resorted to by the 
 generality of English travellers. By means of 
 the railroad the journey may now be performed 
 to Orleans in three, and to Paris in six hours. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 NICE-CLIMATE AND REMEDIAL ADVANTAGES— CORNICE ROAD— GENOA 
 ROAD TO LUCCA-LUCCA BATHS. 
 
 Passing Antibes, the frontier to^vn of France, the 
 traveller arrives at the bed of the river Var, which 
 divides France from Piedmont, and is crossed by 
 a long wooden bridge, portions of which are 
 occasionally carried away by the force of the 
 torrent, after heavy rains ; and having undergone 
 the ordeal of the custom-house, reaches Nice, 
 which is seen to great advantage on approaching 
 from the west. Its white houses and clear blue 
 sky form a beautiful contrast with the olive- 
 covered hills and dusky mountains by which it is 
 surrounded on the land side, while on the south 
 nothing is seen but the blue waters of the Medi- 
 terranean, dotted here and there with small coast- 
 ing vessels, which, with their broad lateen sails 
 glittering in the sun, add to the picturesqueness 
 of the scene. The greater part of the town is 
 separated from the port by a rocky hill, rising 
 precipitously from the sea, and surmounted by 
 the ruins of a fort. A parapetted road forms the 
 principal means of communication between the 
 two parts. The Place Victoire, a spacious square, 
 
76 NICE. 
 
 and a range of new houses, lie to the north of the 
 port — the old town and the new streets to the 
 west. The streets of the old town are dirty, 
 crowded with shops, and, with one or two excep- 
 tions, are scarcely wide enough to admit the 
 passage of a carriage. The Corso, a promenade 
 shaded by trees, and the streets in its neighbour- 
 hood, contain some good houses, which have a 
 sea view, and are let to strangers in the winter. 
 A long range of dirty-looking buildings, consist- 
 ing of low shops and caffes — the flat roof of 
 which forms an agreeable evening promenade — 
 stands between the Corso and the sea. A river, 
 or rather the dry bed of a river, which is some- 
 times filled by the waters from the mountains 
 after heavy rains, termed the Paglione, forms the 
 limits of the town on the west, and this part also 
 contains some good houses. Many new buildings 
 for the accommodation of visitors have arisen 
 within the last few years. The most eligible 
 quarter, however, which is mostly resorted to by 
 the English and higher class of visitors, is the 
 suburb of the Croix de Marbre (so called from the 
 large marble cross placed upon the spot to com- 
 memorate the meeting of Charles V., Francis I., 
 and Pope Alexander), which extends along the 
 shore for a considerable distance west of the town, 
 and contains several handsome houses, to most of 
 which a large orange garden is attached. A walk 
 extends along the beach close to the garden 
 wall. 
 
NICE. 
 
 77 
 
 The environs of Nice are delightful ; the soil 
 is extremely rich in vegetable productions; various 
 kinds of flowers, the olive, pomegranate, lemon, 
 orange, almond, and fig, grow luxuriantly, and 
 some spots almost realize the poet's description of 
 an enchanted garden — 
 
 . " Vaghi boschetti di soavi allori, 
 D'ulivi e (ramenissime mirtelli, 
 Cedri ed arancie ch'avean frutti e fiori, 
 Conteste in varie forme e tutte belle ; " 
 
 The termination of the stanza, however, 
 
 " E tra i rami con sicuri voli 
 Cantando se ne giano i rossignuoli," 
 
 is not so applicable, as the Nissards amuse them- 
 selves by shooting all the small birds in their 
 neighbourhood. 
 
 From the top of the hill a delightful prospect 
 presents itself of Nice, with its numerous orange 
 gardens, \illas, and olive-clad hills ; its beautiful 
 bay, and the lofty mountains by which it is shel- 
 tered from the north, and to which it owes its 
 advantage of climate; while immediately beneath 
 the houses of the old town, thickly clustered 
 together, form a striking contrast with the beauties 
 of earth, sea, and sky, by which they are sur- 
 rounded. 
 
 The province is placed under the control of a 
 military governor ; the towTi consequently con- 
 tains a numerous garrison, and the population 
 amounts to about thirty-five thousand individuals, 
 
78 NICE. 
 
 consisting, for the most part, of government 
 employes, lodging-house keepers, fishermen, and 
 others connected with the port. The peasantry- 
 are extremely poor, but hard working and honest; 
 the women of the lower class do not possess the 
 
 " Dono infelice di bellezza," 
 
 being for the most part dark complexioned and 
 coarse featured, which is mainly caused by their 
 working constantly exposed to the sun; the mode 
 of wearing the hair tied up on the back of the 
 head so as to expose the forehead, and the head 
 being indiiferently protected by round Chinese- 
 looking hats ; but even these are frequently not 
 worn while pursuing their out-door avocations. 
 
 The town itself does not present many resources 
 for amusement. There is a tolerable theatre, 
 where operas and vaudevilles are performed ; the 
 governor and two or three of the inhabitants give 
 a few balls during the season. Dinner and 
 evening parties are, however, frequent among the 
 English and other visitors. The Church of 
 England service is performed by a resident clergy- 
 man, in a neat chapel, erected in the Croix de 
 Marbre, and encircled by the cemetery. As the 
 only good carriage drives are those along the 
 Paglione, the roads leading to the Var and to 
 Genoa, excursions are frequently made among 
 the valleys on donkeys or horseback. One of the 
 pleasantest rides is to the convent of Cimiez, 
 situate on a hill overlooking the valley of the 
 
NICE. 79 
 
 Paglione, which commands a good view of the 
 environs of Nice, and which itself forms one of 
 the most prominent features in the scene on look- 
 ing up the valley from the town. Several villas 
 lie about the base of the hill, which may be hired 
 in the winter. In a little work, published by 
 Dr. Farr, the author strongly recommends this 
 situation in pulmonary diseases, and I agree with 
 him that, as far as climate is concerned, it would 
 be preferable to the town in some cases. St. Bar- 
 thelymi and St. Andre are likewise beautifully 
 situate. 
 
 Villefranche is another beautiful spot, lying to 
 the eastward of Nice, from which it is separated 
 by a steep hill. It possesses a spacious harbour, 
 sheltered on all sides, which can admit the largest 
 vessels. The little dirty town is almost surrounded 
 by olive-covered hills, which rise steeply above it 
 to a considerable height. From Villefranche a 
 delightful path, overlooking the sea, and bordered 
 by olive trees, myrtle, and other shrubs, leads to 
 L'Ospizio, situate at the extremity of the tongue 
 of land which forms one side of the harbour, 
 whence one may enjoy a charming prospect of 
 several miles of rocky coast — 
 
 " Indi i monti ligustici e riviera 
 Clie con arancie, e serapre verde mirti 
 Quasi avcndo [Mjrpetua primavera 
 Spargon per I'aria i bene olenti spirti." 
 
 Nice has long been resorted to by invalids for 
 the sake of its winter climate, which difters ma- 
 
80 NICE. 
 
 terially from that of Provence and the south of 
 France, inasmuch as it is sheltered from the vent 
 de bise, or mistral, by the maritime Alps on the 
 north and north-east, and by the Estrelles, which 
 terminate at the sea, on the west ; but still it is 
 liable to cold winds and the atmospherical transi- 
 tions, which render a residence in the south of 
 Europe dangerous to invalids ; hence much dis- 
 crimination is required in the selection of the 
 cases likely to be benefited by its climate, as 
 well as the proper period of residing there. The 
 rainy season is generally over at the time when 
 strangers begin to arrive, and the months of 
 November, December, and January are usually 
 fine and warm, the temperature of the air being 
 seldom lower than 45 degrees in the day-time, 
 and sometimes as high as 60 degrees in the 
 shade. The sky is mostly cloudless, of a deep 
 blue colour, and the sun is often extremely 
 powerful in the middle of the day, when the 
 Nissards usually remain within doors. The atmo- 
 sphere is light, dry, and exciting, and is con- 
 sequently suited to individuals of a torpid or 
 relaxed habit. Cold winds sometimes occur in 
 these months, but are most severely felt in the 
 spring, when they blow sharply from the east 
 over the mountains, at that period covered with 
 snow. In the spring also the sun acquires great 
 power, rendering the climate extremely trying 
 to invalids, especially to those labouring under 
 disease of the lungs or air-passages. 
 
NICE. 81 
 
 According to Sir J. Clark, tlie mean winter 
 temperature is 48 degrees ; being nine degrees 
 warmer than London, one colder than Home, and 
 ten colder than Madeira. The daily range of 
 temperature is less than any other part, and in 
 steadiness of temperature it ranks next to Madeira. 
 
 I perfectly agree with Sir James in the opinion 
 that Nice is not suited for the winter residence of 
 consumptive patients, or those in whom there 
 exists much irritability of the air-passages. The 
 air is too sharp and exciting, and the occasional 
 cold winds are severely felt. Those persons, 
 however, in whom there exists a predisposition 
 to consumption, or even those in the earliest stage 
 of the disease, will often derive considerable 
 advantage from passing November, December, 
 and January, at Nice, provided there be not 
 much acceleration of pulse or cough. The climate 
 is generally of great service in chronic bronchial 
 disease, particularly the catarrhal affections of 
 elderly people, attended with copious secretion of 
 mucus, and in those forms of asthma where there 
 is little tendency to inflammatory action. I have 
 known some persons labouring under these com- 
 plaints who have passed several successive winters 
 at Nice. Patients with chronic gout, rheumatism, 
 and paralysis (the latter when not from apoplectic 
 attacks), as well as those whose general health 
 has become deranged by a residence in tropical 
 or unhealthy climates, will in general derive 
 benefit from wintering at Nice; as will also 
 
 G 
 
82 NICE. 
 
 many nervous, hypochondriacal, and scrofulous 
 patients, and those of a cachectic habit of body, 
 with a languid circulation. Several of these cases 
 will be likely to derive much more advantage 
 from climate by the previous employment of 
 mineral waters ; the combination of these means 
 offering, in my opinion, the greatest probability 
 of cure and amelioration in long standing dis- 
 ordered states of the health, where U generally 
 alterative and renovating treatment is indicated. 
 I have, during several years, been in the habit of 
 recommending many invalids, especially those 
 with pulmonary complaints, to leave Nice before 
 the middle of February, about which period 
 inflammation of the lungs and bronchia is very 
 common among the inhabitants. Several persons, 
 by remaining throughout the spring, have lost 
 the advantage which they had gained during the 
 preceding months; and though it may not seem 
 to be a pleasant thing to travel at this season, yet 
 but little difficulty is experienced in proceeding 
 to Rome or Pisa, as the coast road to Genoa 
 is always passable, and, except immediately 
 after heavy rains, is in good condition. The 
 constant passage of steam-boats likewise presents 
 a rapid mode of conveyance to those who may 
 prefer it. 
 
 Nice frequently disagrees with healthy persons 
 of an irritable or plethoric habit, inducing head- 
 ache or derangement of the digestive organs. 
 The diet, both of those in health and invalids, 
 
NICE. 83 
 
 will require particular attention, as several articles 
 which agree very well in England not unfre- 
 quently disagree with people at Nice. Wine, in 
 particular, should be taken very sparingly. Those 
 who remain during the spring should avoid 
 exposure to the sun's rays, by remaining in-doors 
 in the middle of the day, or by carrying an 
 umbrella, as there are no shady walks in the 
 immediate neighbourhood of the town. Invalids 
 should likewise avoid being out at sunset, as there 
 generally arises an exhalation from the earth at 
 that hour. 
 
 With respect to the choice of a residence, the 
 Croix de Marbre, and the range of houses near 
 the river, appear to me to be the preferable 
 situation for the majority of invalids. The villas 
 in the neighbourhood of Cimiez are less con- 
 venient in many respects, especially with regard 
 to dinners, which at Nice are usually sent from a 
 traiteur's. When, however, a villa is preferred, 
 one should be selected a little elevated above the 
 plain, on account of the moisture which frequently 
 arises from the irrigated meadows after sunset. 
 The houses near the Cor so, which have a southern 
 aspect, are not objectionable, but those in the 
 Piazza Carlo Alberto, and along the left bank of 
 the Paglione, are less eligible, on account of their 
 northern aspect, and greater exposure to the 
 winds, which sometimes sweep down the bed of 
 the river with great violence. The Maisori Gilli 
 is one of the best situated lodging-houses in the 
 
84 NICE. 
 
 Croix de Marbre. There are also several new 
 houses near the bridge not in an exposed situation. 
 The Pension Anglaise will be found a comfortable 
 residence for small parties and single people. 
 
 The distance from Nice to Genoa is about a hun- 
 dred and twenty miles, by the beautiful road along 
 the coast, first opened about sixteen years ago, 
 and ever since much frequented, both on account 
 of its magnificent scenery, and also from being 
 the only way travellers can conveniently pass by 
 land between Italy and the north, when the 
 Alpine passes are blocked up with the snow. 
 The posting is well served. The road, although 
 at some parts extremely narrow, and indifferently 
 defended by parapets, is for the most part good, 
 and, as well as the accommodations at inns, is 
 much improved within the last few years. It is 
 not often obstructed by snow, but after heavy 
 rains, which fill the beds of the mountain torrents, 
 through which it passes, the communication is 
 sometimes interrupted for a day or two. As the 
 scenic beauties of this route have been dwelt 
 upon by abler pens, I shall abstain from descrip- 
 tion, and content myself with briefly mentioning 
 some of its most interesting spots. 
 
 The road is for the most part cut, at elevations 
 varying from one hundred to fifteen hundred feet, 
 out of the side of mountains which rise steeply 
 from the sea, frequently descending to pass 
 through towns on the sliore, ^^inding round 
 beautiful inlets, or crossing some projecting 
 
CORNICE ROAD. 85 
 
 headland, and at some parts is hewn for several 
 miles out of perpendicular rocks, which also, 
 in two or three places, are excavated in grottoes 
 for its passage. On leaving Nice, you begin to 
 ascend hills, round which the road winds for 
 three or four miles inland. At an elevation of 
 about fifteen hundred feet, the sea again comes 
 into view, and you perceive beneath the harbour 
 of Villa Franca, with the picturesque peninsular 
 of Ospizio. After a drive of a few miles, you 
 descend to Men tone, in the principality of Monaco. 
 Further on, Monaco and several other to^vns and 
 villages are seen crowning promontories, or nest- 
 ling at the base of precipitous cliffs on the shore. 
 Among these St. Remo, Porto Maurizio, and 
 Oneglia, are remarkable for the beauty of their 
 situation. Most of these to\vns, however, which, 
 on account of the whiteness of the houses, pro- 
 duce a fine effect when seen from a distance, are, 
 on a nearer approach, found to belie the im- 
 pression created by their first appearance. After 
 leaving Oneglia, you ascend a steep hill, whence 
 a turn of the road suddenly displays to the view 
 the magnificent bay of Alassio, mth numerous 
 towns and villages skirting the shore. A small 
 island in the bay adds to the beauty of the scene. 
 The views in the neighbourhood of Loano and 
 Albenga are also strikingly fine, the mountains 
 presenting a bold and rugged aspect, which con- 
 trasts agreeably with the verdure and fertility of 
 the valley in which Albenga lies. From the 
 
86 g:enoa. 
 
 mountain of Finale, you have likewise a splendid 
 prospect, including Genoa and several inter- 
 mediate towns; while immediately beneath is 
 seen Finale, to which the descent by a narrow 
 road, cut by a succession of zigzag turns in the 
 precipitous sides of the mountain, is exceedingly 
 steep.* Between Finale and Genoa the road is 
 excellent, and the scenery of the most interesting 
 description. At Noli, the gulf of Genoa, backed 
 by a semicircle of lofty mountains, with numerous 
 towns along the coast, and the city itself — 
 
 " Che al mar le spoude, il dorso ai moiiti, 
 Occupa tutta, e tutta a cercliio adorna," 
 
 burst upon the view, exhibiting a scene unequalled 
 in magnificence. From Savona, the road is 
 carried along the sea-shore, and, on approacliing 
 the city, is skirted with beautiful villas and 
 gardens. You then pass through a long suburb, 
 and, on arriving at the light-house, see displayed 
 before you the harbour filled with shipping, and 
 encircled by hills, thickly covered with palaces 
 and villas, together with the range of fortifica- 
 tions carried for some miles along the heights. 
 
 The entrance by the Strada Balbi, a wide 
 street of lofty marble palaces, is strikingly fine. 
 The Strada Nuova and the Strada Novissima are 
 a continuation of the Balbi, and contain the 
 splendid palaces of the ancient Genoese nobility, 
 
 * This road over tlie hill is now abandoned, a new one having been cut 
 along its base and through its extremity, forming a long grotto or tunnel. 
 
GENOA. 87 
 
 forming, perhaps, the finest streets in Europe. 
 These, however, are ahiiost the only ones in 
 wliich carriages can pass ; the rest of the town 
 consisting chiefly of narrow passages or alleys 
 between lofty houses, descending to the port, 
 and thronged with pedestrians and the mules 
 which carry about articles of consumption. 
 Several of these wynds are lined with rich shops, 
 especially the Goldsmith's street, in which a bril- 
 liant display is made of gold and silver chains and 
 filagree work, for which the Genoese are cele- 
 brated. The manufactories of velvets likewise 
 employ a good many of the inhabitants ; the 
 velvets are, however, inferior to those of Lyons. 
 Gold articles are sold by the weight, a fixed price 
 being added for the manufacture. 
 
 Most of the palaces are built around spacious 
 court-yards : some of them are decorated externally 
 with fresco painting, especially those near the 
 Piazza delle Fontane Amorose. The most 
 remarkable are the Palazzi Durazzo, Pallavicini, 
 Brignoli, and Serra, the latter containing a saloon, 
 said to be the richest in Europe with respect to 
 gilding. There are two Palazzi Durazzo ; one 
 is now the royal palace, and formerly contained 
 a rich collection of pictures, which has been for 
 the most part transferred by the king to Turin. 
 The celebrated picture of Paul Veronese, of the 
 Magdalen and our Saviour in the house of the 
 Pharisee, went with the others. A few, however, 
 still remain, of which a crucifixion, by Vandyck, 
 
88 GENOA. 
 
 a Carmelite friar, by Spagnoletto, and a portrait, 
 by Rembrandt, are among the best. The palace 
 Filippo Durazzo contains among its collection 
 the Tribute Money, by Guercino, Grecian Charity, 
 a Sibyl, and a Sleeping Cupid, by Guido ; some 
 portraits, by Vandyck, and Philip of Spain, by 
 Rubens. In the Brignoli are some fine family 
 portraits, by Vandyck, especially a Marquis Brig- 
 noli on horseback; Christ driving the Buyers 
 and Sellers from the Temple, by Guercino ; the 
 Madonna, Saviour, and St. John, by the same 
 painter; as also a fine Cleopatra and the Assump- 
 tion, by Correggio. 
 
 The Doria Palace fronts the harbour, and forms 
 a prominent feature in the view from the sea ; it 
 is now, however, untenanted, and in a neglected 
 state. The port is, perhaps, the most spacious in 
 the Mediterranean. A magnificent marble terrace, 
 extending the whole length of the houses, and 
 overlooldng the harbour, has just been completed. 
 
 Compared with those of Rome and Venice, 
 the churches of Genoa are not remarkable for 
 exterior beauty or interior decoration. The best 
 worth visiting are the cathedral, St. Annunciata, 
 and St. Maria Carignano; from the summit of 
 the latter there is a good view of the town, port, 
 and of the sea. The Albergo dei Poveri, a 
 workhouse on a large scale, is a fine establish- 
 ment. Visitors are admitted to see the various 
 works in progress. The hospital Pamatone is an 
 extensive building: the staircase and some of the 
 
GENOA. 89 
 
 wards are adorned with statues, larger than life, 
 of some of the Genoese nobles, and others, who 
 have been benefactors to the establishment. 
 
 The opera house is a handsome structure, and 
 the corps dramatique tolerably good. 
 
 Genoa, and the numerous villas covering the 
 hills around it, are seen to the greatest advantage 
 from the entrance to the harbour. The view is 
 superb, and second only to that of the bay of 
 Naples. A good view of the city and harbour 
 may also be enjoyed from the garden of the Villa 
 Negri. In some of the arbours mirrors are placed 
 so as to reflect the objects beneath, which pro- 
 duces a pleasing effect. The Genoese are mostly 
 good-looking ; several of the women are hand- 
 some, and wear long veils, resembling the Spanish 
 mantilla, fastened to their hair with gold or silver 
 pins; but French fasliions have now very generally 
 superseded this becoming costume. The higher 
 classes possess, for the most part, but scanty 
 information, few being addicted to intellectual 
 pursuits, and appear to care for little else than 
 the pleasures of the hour. If the Italian pro- 
 verb is to be believed, the Genoese are not 
 much to be depended upon; the reason why 
 there are so few Jews at Genoa is said to be, 
 that the Genoese are '' plus juifs que les juifs^' 
 though, from what I have seen, I should say that 
 they are not more dishonest than the inhabitants 
 of some other parts of Italy. 
 
 There is but little society at Genoa, and no 
 
90 ROAD TO LUCCA. 
 
 inducement for the majority of travellers to make 
 a prolonged sojourn. 
 
 The climate is one of the worst in Italy: there 
 is often much rain in winter. The changes of 
 temperature are great and sudden, the hills 
 behind the town not being sufficiently high to 
 shelter it from the north and east winds, which 
 blow down with considerable force from the 
 higher mountains. 
 
 Between Genoa and Chiavari, the scenery is 
 of a character similar to that on the Savona side. 
 At Recco the road passes through a grotto, 
 whence there is a splendid view of the bay, 
 encircled by mountains. Before arriving at Chia- 
 vari, you pass two other grottoes, cut through 
 rocks of marble, within fifty yards of each other, 
 the intermediate part being built up with masonry. 
 Chiavari is a pretty town on the shore, beyond 
 which the road winds inland, crossing the 
 Bracco, the highest pass of the Apennines, to 
 Borghetto, a dirty miserable-looking place. Be- 
 yond this town you traverse a level country, and 
 ascend the hill above Spezzia, whence the town, 
 with its magnificent bay — one of the finest 
 natural harbours in the world, encircled by high 
 mountains — is seen expanded beneath, forming 
 a coup d'ceil rarely equalled in beauty. Leaving 
 Spezzia, you are ferried across the Magra (which 
 after heavy rains frequently overfiows its bed, so 
 as to interrupt the communication) drive through 
 Sarzana, the last town on the Genoese territorv, 
 
LUCCA BATHS. 91 
 
 and enter Tuscany, passing by Carrara, which 
 is situate in a picturesque locality, amidst dark 
 masses of mountain with snow-tipped summits, 
 and is celebrated for its marble quarries, which 
 supply the studii of Rome and Florence with 
 the materiel whence emanate those creations of 
 the chisel which excite the admiration of the 
 beholder. You arrive next at Massa, the environs 
 of which, abounding in vines, oranges, olives, &c., 
 form a complete garden, whence, after crossing a 
 steep hill, you traverse a level and fertile plain, 
 which extends to Lucca. 
 
 This town, enclosed by ramparts, doubtless 
 merited the title- of LTndustriosa. Its streets 
 are clean, regularly built, and paved with flag- 
 stones ; they have now, however, a deserted 
 appearance, the population not being in propor- 
 tion to the size of the town. The palace is a 
 handsome structure, elegantly fitted up, and con- 
 tains some good pictures. In the Dominican 
 Convent is a celebrated picture — the Assumption, 
 by Fra Bartolomeo. The Lucchese are good- 
 tempered, courteous to strangers, and are said to 
 be a very moral people, compared with other 
 parts of Italy. 
 
 The baths of Lucca are about fourteen miles 
 from the town, and are much resorted to in the 
 summer by the English; this being one of the 
 coolest spots in Italy, and free from mosquitoes. 
 They lie in a pleasant valley of the Apennines, 
 on the little river Lima, and are divided into 
 
&2 LUCCA BATHS. 
 
 three parts. The Ponte Seraglio and the Bagni 
 alia Villa are close to the river, about a mile 
 distant from each other, and are connected by a 
 good carriage road. The Bagni Caldi are situate 
 on the hill overlooking the Ponte Seraglio, and 
 this is the best situation for invalids, being cooler 
 than the valley, where also considerable humidity 
 often prevails at night. The springs rise from 
 the hill, but beyond their high temperature do 
 not possess any active medicinal properties. A 
 course of the baths may be recommended in 
 rheumatic affections, and some other disordered 
 states of the health ; but the place is principally 
 frequented on account of its being a cool and 
 agreeable summer retreat. The environs abound 
 in delightful rides and walks, sheltered by fine 
 chesnut trees, where exercise may be taken at any 
 time of the day. The season lasts from the middle 
 of May till the end of August, at which period 
 the weather is generally fine and settled. 
 
 The district of Lucca is very fertile, producing 
 abundance of corn and oil. It is pleasing to 
 hear the peasantry in autumn 
 
 " Singing some national song by the way- side," 
 
 while employed in the olive plantations. The 
 people are for the most part prosperous and 
 cheerful. 
 
 This territory has lately been added to the 
 Grand Duchy of Tuscany. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PISA AND ITS CLIMATE-LEGHORN-FLORENCE— CHARITABLE SOCIETIES 
 ENVIRONS -CLIMATE— ROAD TO ROME. 
 
 Pisa is fourteen miles distant from Lucca, with 
 which it is connected by a railroad extending to 
 Florence on the one side and to Leghorn on the 
 other. The plain in which the town stands 
 is continued on the one side to the sea, five miles 
 westward, and on the other to Leghorn, which 
 lies fourteen miles to the south. Pisa is in some 
 measure sheltered on the north and north-east by 
 a range of high hills, rising at a little distance 
 from it. The Arno flows through the town, with 
 a semicircular bend, dividing it into two unequal 
 parts. The quays are handsome, the streets w4de, 
 clean, and, like those of most towns in Tuscany, 
 are paved with flag stones. The population, 
 which amounted in former times, when Pisa was 
 the capital of an independent state, to 150,000, 
 does not now exceed 20,000, which imparts 
 to it a melancholy and deserted aspect. Pisa 
 is the seat of an university ; the number 
 of students who matriculate amounting to 
 about ^Ye hundred annually. The most in- 
 teresting objects, viz., the leaning tower, the 
 
94 PISA. 
 
 cathedral, the baptistery, and Campo Santo, lie 
 close together in the same square. The cathedral 
 is a large edifice of black and white marble, and 
 is one of the handsomest churches in Italy. The 
 fine gothic aisles and the richness of its interior 
 will scarcely disappoint the traveller's expecta- 
 tions. The bas reliefs on the bronze doors are 
 admirably executed, and in very good preserva- 
 tion. The Campo Santo is a quadrangular space, 
 enclosed between lofty and elegant arcades; part 
 of the earth is said to have been brought from 
 Jerusalem, whence the name of this cemetery. 
 Beneath the arches are tombs, finely sculptured 
 bassi relievi, ancient sarcophagi, and other curiosi- 
 ties. The walls are painted over with frescoes a la 
 Dante^ some of which are in a good state of pre- 
 servation. The Campo Santo produces a rich 
 effect when seen by moonlight. 
 
 The leaning tower is an elegant circular struc- 
 ture, eight stories high, supported by numerous 
 marble pillars, between which a winding staircase 
 ascends to the top, whence may be obtained a 
 good view of the town, and of the surrounding 
 country as far as the sea. The tower is used as 
 a belfry, and declines about thirteen feet from 
 the perpendicular. There is little doubt that the 
 declination depends upon the soil having given 
 way after the foundation was laid. 
 
 The mineral springs of St. Giuliano, termed 
 also the baths of Pisa, are not far from the town ; 
 they contain principally muriate and carbonate of 
 
PISA. 95 
 
 soda (twenty-four grains to the pint), and have a 
 temperature of 27 to 31 degrees, Reaumur ; but, 
 as they possess no particular advantages to induce 
 English invalids to give them a preference over 
 others which are more pleasantly situate, I need 
 not enter into a description of them. 
 
 Pisa enjoys, next to Rome, the mildest and 
 most equable winter climate in Italy. The air is 
 less dry and sharp than that of Nice, but less 
 soft than that of Rome. It is not so liable to 
 great and sudden variations of temperature as 
 Florence and Naples. Cold winds are, however, 
 frequently severely felt, particidarly in the earlier 
 part of the spring. Sir J. Clark says that the 
 quantity of rain which falls during the year at 
 Pisa is nearly as great as in Cornwall. It must, 
 however, be borne in mind, that as the rain falls 
 in large quantities at a time, the weather is less 
 variable, and long periods of fine weather inter- 
 vene. The heat of the sun is at times very great 
 in winter and spring, causing a difference of tem- 
 perature of several degrees between the Lung' 
 Arno and other parts of the town less sheltered 
 from cold. The climate agrees well with the 
 majority of consumptive patients. Persons pre- 
 disposed to phthisis, and those suffering from 
 laryngeal and bronchial affections, which simulate 
 that disease, especially if young, generally derive 
 permanent benefit from wintering at Pisa, two or 
 three successive years if necessary; gouty and 
 paralytic patients would Hkewise frequently 
 
96 LEGHORN. 
 
 derive much benefit from the climate. Pisa is, 
 however, a dull residence, from its possessing 
 none of the resources of a capital, its com- 
 paratively depopulated appearance, and also from 
 the number of invalids there congregated. For 
 those who require more amusement, and are able 
 without danger to partake of it, Rome is prefer- 
 able. Many, however, find Pisa agree better 
 with them than the more relaxing climate of 
 Rome. It suits well some asthmatic invalids, 
 and others whose general health is deranged, 
 without the existence of any evident local disease, 
 as is not unfrequently the case with those who 
 have resided in unhealthy climates. The houses 
 on the sunny side of the river are the most 
 eligible for invalids. 
 
 The large bustling sea-port of Leghorn presents 
 a forcible contrast with the tranquillity of Pisa. 
 It possesses a spacious square, and several wide 
 streets, some of them being intersected by canals, 
 as at Venice. There is a small English popula- 
 tion, chiefly consisting of the families of mer- 
 chants ; few visitors remain long at Leghorn, 
 except in September and October, during which 
 months many repair thither from Florence or the 
 baths of Lucca for sea bathing. The town itself 
 is exceedingly hot in the summer, and, from the 
 sea-water marshes in its neighbourhood, is a good 
 deal infested with mosquitoes. Travellers may 
 proceed from Leghorn or Pisa to Rome (without 
 going to Florence) by Poggibonsi, wliicli is a few 
 
FLORENCE. 97 
 
 posts shorter. Steamers leave every second day 
 for Civita Vecchia (a voyage of fourteen hours), 
 Naples (tlnrty hours), Genoa (ten hours), and for 
 Marseilles dh-ect (about thhty hours). The new 
 iron steamers, Capri and Vesuvio, perform the 
 trajets much quicker. I lately went from Leghorn 
 by the former of these boats to Genoa in seven 
 hours (which by land requires twenty-eight), 
 and from Genoa to Marseilles in fifteen, other 
 boats requiring from twenty to twenty-four hours. 
 
 Leaving Leghorn or Pisa for Florence, you 
 traverse the richest part of Tuscany. Corn, 
 grapes, and olives, are seen growing in the same 
 field ; the vines being gracefidly festooned from 
 tree to tree, produce a pleasing efiect. The soil 
 yields two and sometimes three crops in the year. 
 The peasantry appear to be cheerful and con- 
 tented ; many of the women in the villages are 
 engaged in the manufacture of the straw hats 
 exported from Leghorn : though not remarkable 
 for beauty, they are mostly good-looking, and 
 their style of dress is not unlike that of the 
 English peasantry. 
 
 Florence lies forty-five miles distant from Pisa, 
 at the north-eastern extremity of the Val d' Arno, 
 an extensive plain enclosed between the Apen- 
 nines. It is a cheerful-looking city, encircled 
 by a high wall, and contains upwards of 
 80,000 inhabitants. The houses are lofty. Several 
 of the streets are narrow, but the principal 
 ones are wide, clean, and paved with flag-stones. 
 
 H 
 
98 FLORENCE. 
 
 Though adding greatly to the appearance of a 
 town, the width of the streets in warm climates 
 is no recommendation, and they are generally 
 built narrow in order to afford shelter from the 
 sun's rays. The massive style of the architecture of 
 most of the palaces which were built during the 
 intestine wars, when " each house was a fortalice,'' 
 gives to the principal streets a grand and im- 
 posing appearance. The Arno flows through the 
 city, and is crossed by four bridges. That of 
 Santa Trinita is regarded as a model of light- 
 ness and architectural beauty. A suspension 
 bridge has likewise been erected by a company 
 of Frenchmen within the last few years. Spacious 
 and handsome quays adorn both sides of the 
 river, which are termed, as at Pisa, the Lung' 
 Arno. The city has of late been lighted with 
 gas, which is an immense improvement upon the 
 lamps formerly slung by ropes across the streets. 
 Florence possesses several fine squares — the 
 Piazza del Granduca, with the imposing mass 
 and the characteristic tower of the Palazzo 
 Vecchio; the elegant structure termed the Loggia 
 dei Lanzi, embellished with statues (among which 
 the Perseus of Cellini will be particularly 
 remarked); the fountain and colossal Neptune, 
 together with the equestrian statue of the " father 
 of his country," Cosmo, present as an ensemble 
 a novel and striking aspect. The square of 
 the Duomo, or cathedral, is connected vn\h that 
 of the Granduca by a handsome new street, which 
 
FLORENCE. 99 
 
 is constantly thronged. The cathedral is, after 
 St. Peter's, the largest church in Italy; \t^ facade^ 
 like that of most of the Florentine churches, is 
 unfinished, and is disfigured with numerous holes, 
 which served to fix the scafi'olding at the time of 
 its erection. The interior is extremely plain, and 
 rather sombre. Close to the church stands the 
 beautiful Campanile or belfry, built, like it, of 
 black and white marble. Its summit is the best 
 point for viewing the to^vn, the course of the 
 Amo through the plain, and the Apennine range, 
 
 " Monti superbi la cui fronte Alpina 
 Fa di se contra i vcnti argine e spondc, 
 Valli beatc per cui d'onda in onda 
 L'Arno con passo signoril cammina." 
 
 In the same square is the baptisteiy : the finely 
 executed bassi-relievi on its bronze doors are 
 much admired. The most interesting, however, 
 of the Florentine churches is the Santa Croce, 
 which, though outwardly a plain-looking brick 
 edifice, is, internally, of the finest style of Gothic 
 architecture, and is well calculated to favour 
 religious contemplation. The beautiful stained 
 glass windows add greatly to the effect of the 
 whole. In the side aisles are the tombs of some 
 of the most celebrated men to whom Florence 
 has given birth : — 
 
 " Here repose 
 Angelo's, Alfieri's bones, and his 
 The starry Galileo with his woes, 
 Here Machiavelli's earth returned to whence it rose." 
 
100 FLORENCE. 
 
 A handsome monument to the memory of 
 Dante was a few years ago added to the number. 
 The adjoming cloisters is the burial-place of 
 several Florentine families. Of the other churches, 
 Santa Annunciata, with its cloisters, the Santa 
 Maria Novella, in the square of that name, and 
 the San Spirito, where the music is very fine, are 
 the best worth visiting. The Capella dei Medici, 
 containing the tombs of the dukes of Tuscany, is 
 the richest of the kind in Europe. It is of 
 an octagonal form, and completely lined with 
 variegated marbles inlaid with precious stones ; 
 but it is still unfinished, and many years must 
 elapse before its completion. 
 
 The Corsini Palace, the facade of which 
 occupies a considerable space on the Lung'Arno, 
 is of a light and modern style of architecture, 
 forming a strong contrast with some of the other 
 Tuscan palaces. It contains a choice collection 
 of pictures, among which will be particularly 
 remarked four magnificent water pieces, with 
 shipping, by Salvator Rosa ; two battles by the 
 same great painter ; the head of an old man, by 
 Tintoretto ; a small Teniers ; the Judith and 
 Holofernes of AUori ; the Poesia, and other 
 pictures, by Carlo Dolce ; and Guide's Lucretia. 
 
 The Florentine gallery contains separate rooms 
 for the productions of the Tuscan, German, 
 Flemish, and French schools, in which are 
 several superior pictures, though none of them, 
 except the head of Medusa, by Leonardo da 
 
FLORENCE. 101 
 
 Vinci, are particularly striking, perhaps on 
 account of the absorbing interest excited by the 
 Tribune, which contains several of the choicest 
 specimens of painting and sculpture in the world. 
 The Venus first rivets the attention, and the 
 Faun, Arrotino, and ApoUino subsequently come 
 in for their share. Of the pictures, Titian's 
 Venuses, St. John, and Pope Leo the Tenth, by 
 Raphael, and Herodias with the Head of John 
 the Baptist, will be more especially remarked, 
 even among so many chefs d'oeuvre. The hall of 
 Baroccio, so termed from the large picture of the 
 Madonna del Popolo by this^ painter, contains, 
 among other fine pictures, the Madonna Adolorata 
 of Sasso Ferrata ; Philip of Spain on horseback, 
 by Velasquez ; St. Clovis, a large picture, by 
 Carlo Dolce. In this room may also be admired 
 some of the finest specimens of the pietra dura 
 manufacture, for which Florence is celebrated. 
 
 The cabinet of gems is, after that of Dresden, 
 the richest in Europe. That of the bronzes is 
 likewise highly interesting. The gallery does 
 not possess many good statues, except those in 
 the hall of Niobe, some of the busts of the 
 Homan emperors, and the wild boar in the 
 vestibide. 
 
 The Palazzo Pitti, a heavy sombre-looking 
 building externally, is the residence of the Grand 
 Duke, who liberally allows visitors to see daily 
 his rich collection, which contains but few 
 ordinary pictuies ; some of the most striking are 
 
102 FLORENCE. 
 
 two large laiidscaiies by Salvator Rosa, and two 
 by Rubens ; Titian's Mistress ; the Madonna and 
 Infant, by Murillo — one of his best pictures; 
 another of the same subject, but inferior to the 
 former; a head of Rembrandt, the Madonna della 
 Seggiola, Julius the Second, Leo the Tenth, and 
 a Magdalen, by Raphael; the Conspiracy of 
 Catiline, by Salvator Rosa; the Fates, by Michael 
 Angelo; St. Peter, by Carlo Dolce; St. Sebastian, 
 by Titian ; and Cleopatra, by Guido. Here may 
 likewise be seen the Venus of Canova, and several 
 curiosities. 
 
 The museum of natural history is one of the 
 best in Europe, and contains a large collection of 
 anatomical wax models, coloured according to 
 nature, exhibiting all the parts of the body, both 
 conjointly and in detail, of the natural size; a 
 separate room being allotted to each division of 
 anatomy, as osteology, myology, &c., and one to 
 the progressive development of the embryo. The 
 models are sufficiently correct for general pur- 
 poses. The three celebrated wax representations 
 of the plague, in small glass cases, are to be seen 
 in an adjoining room. 
 
 Florence possesses four or five theatres. The 
 opera, or Pergola, is a long ugly-looking building, 
 tlie interior of which is decorated with taste and 
 neatness. The orchestra is excellent, as in most 
 Italian towns, but the singers are not of the first 
 celebrity. First-rate operatic singing is not 
 frequently heard in Italy, where the scale of 
 
FLORENCE. 103 
 
 remuneration is much lower than in London or 
 Paris ; and it is only en passant that a singer of 
 great celebrity will vouchsafe to sing at any other 
 town than Milan or Naples. 
 
 There are at Florence several societies for the 
 
 encouragement of the arts, literature, and for 
 
 charitable purposes, as the Academia de belli 
 
 Arti, della Crusca, the Archaeological Academy, 
 
 the Magliabechian Library, &c. The Societa 
 
 della Misericordia was instituted in the beginning 
 
 of the fifteenth century, at the time of the great 
 
 plague: the number of its members is seventy, 
 
 two-thirds being high ecclesiastics and nobles, 
 
 one-third consisting of the manufacturing and 
 
 trading classes. Its object is to render assistance 
 
 to the sick poor, for whom the members perform 
 
 many kind offices, and supply them with the 
 
 necessaries of which they may stand in need. 
 
 The society also undertakes the burial of poor 
 
 persons, and in cases of accident sends to the spot 
 
 where assistance is required, to convey the person 
 
 to the hospital, or to his OAvn residence. The 
 
 brethren meet in the building in the Piazza del 
 
 Duomo, where their aifaii-s are conducted by a 
 
 committee, of which one or more members are 
 
 always in attendance, to indicate to the assistants 
 
 on duty the place where their services are 
 
 required. The sick are carried in covered litters 
 
 on the shoulders of the giornanti or assistants, 
 
 who maintain a profound silence, and are clothed 
 
 from head to foot in a black domino, in order to 
 
104 FLORENCE. 
 
 conceal the persons of those thus engaged. Ten, 
 twelve, and often more assistants accompany each 
 litter, and relieve each other in supporting the 
 burden. There is a branch of this establishment 
 at Pisa. 
 
 Another praiseworthy institution is that of the 
 Buonuomini, of which Forsyth gives the following 
 account, but which is not now in a flourishing 
 condition : — " A society of twenty gentlemen, 
 called the Buonuomini di San Martino, has been 
 for four hundred years collecting and distributing 
 alms among the poor, who are ashamed to beg. 
 The rank of these philanthropists, and the objects 
 of relief, induce the rich to contribute, and some- 
 times to bequeath, considerable supplies. All 
 bequests are turned into cash, and the receipts of 
 every year are distributed within the year to 
 hundreds who are starving under a genteel 
 appearance; decayed gentlemen, whose rank 
 deters others from oiFering relief; ladies who live 
 in garrets, are ashamed of their poverty, and steal 
 down to mass before daylight ; industrious 
 women, whom the failure of the silk manu- 
 factories leaves without resource ; such are the 
 objects to whom the Buonuomini go privately 
 every week to visit and relieve. They are a kind 
 of benevolent spies upon the domestic miseries of 
 Florence, and accustomed to search out the 
 retreats of suffering delicacy." 
 
 The upper class of Florentines are affable, fond 
 cxt" gaiety, not given to intellectual exertion, and 
 
FLORENCE. 105 
 
 do not associate much with the resident English. 
 Their morality appears to have improved of late 
 years ; at least, open cicisbeism is quite out of 
 date. The lower classes are generally cheerful, 
 industrious, and tolerably satisfied with their 
 political condition, though their promises are not 
 always to be depended upon. Strangers likewise 
 complain that the tradespeople are tricky and sharp 
 in their dealings. The government is no longer 
 despotic, and prosperity and content appear to 
 prevail throughout the duchy. Open robbery or 
 murder is rare, and the punishment of death is 
 very seldom had recourse to. The Duke is an 
 amiable and intelligent man, and is generally 
 popular among his subjects ; his highness walks 
 almost daily with some of his family on the 
 public promenade at the Cascina, one of his 
 farms, surrounded with pleasure-grounds, situate 
 on the Arno, about a mile from the toAvn, and 
 the favourite resort of the inhabitants.* 
 
 Florence presents more resources of amuse- 
 ment, and more advantages for the permanent 
 residence of persons in health, than any other 
 city in Italy; though at the present time it is 
 much less agreeable in point of society than some 
 years ago, when enlivened by the hospitalities 
 and well-conducted amateur theatrical entertain- 
 
 * Tuscany, with the exception of Leghorn, has hitherto been compa- 
 ratively free from the revohitionary movenieutd wliich have agitated 
 Europe, owing principally to the liberal policy of the Duke, ami the desire 
 "vvhich he has always mauilesltd to improve the condition of his subjects. 
 
106 FLORENCE. 
 
 ments of Lords B. and N., Princes Borghese, 
 DemidofF, &c. Balls and reimions frequently 
 take place at the Pitti Palace, and at the Casino, 
 to which those who have been presented to the 
 Duke receive invitations. There is also one of 
 the best circulating libraries and reading rooms 
 on the continent, where several of the principal 
 London papers are received. Apartments and 
 living are not so expensive as at Rome or Naples; 
 several of the villas in the environs are let to 
 strangers, and are preferable for a permanent 
 residence, on account of the extreme heat within 
 the city in the summer months. Besides the 
 Cascina, there are numerous agreeable walks and 
 drives round the walls and in the neighbourhood. 
 The Boboli gardens, behind the Pitti Palace, are 
 likewise open to the public on stated days. The 
 views from the highest part of the gardens, as 
 also from the Poggio Imj^eriale — a villa of the 
 Duke's outside the Porta Eomana — are highly 
 interesting, but the point whence the best view 
 of Florence may be obtained is from the Bello 
 Sguardo, a villa belonging to the Albizzi family, 
 formerly the abode of Galileo, and situate on a 
 hill opposite to Fiesole, which, placed between 
 two of the Apennines, forms a striking feature 
 in the scene. From the roof, the whole of the 
 city is seen, with the Arno pursuing its course 
 through the plain, which, with the surrounding 
 hills, is thickly dotted with towns, villages, 
 and villas, whose whiteness forms a pleasing 
 
FLORENCE. 107 
 
 contrast with the verdure of the ground, the 
 more dusky hue of the olive trees, and the clear 
 blue of the sky. 
 
 An interesting excursion may be made to 
 Fiesole, nearly four miles from Florence, which 
 also commands extensive views of the Val d'Arno, 
 and of the Apennines; and likewise to the 
 monasteries of Vallombrosa and Camaldoli, the 
 former of which was praised by Ariosto as being, 
 in his time, 
 
 " Ricca e bella, ne men religiosa 
 E cortese a chiunque vi venia." 
 
 It lies about fourteen miles distant, in a wild and 
 secluded part of the Apennines, and still preserves 
 its reputation for hospitality.* 
 
 There are at Florence two large hospitals and 
 a foundling hospital, in which between two and 
 three thousand infants are received annually. 
 The manner in which infants throughout Italy 
 
 * Whatever may be the merits or demerits of these monastic establish- 
 ments, there is, it must be confessed, something very striking in their 
 duration. Kingdoms and empires rise and fall around them, governments 
 change, dynasties flourish and fade, manners and dress undergo con- 
 tinual alterations, and languages themselves die away and give place 
 to new modes of speech. Enter the gates of Camaldoli or La Verna, 
 the torrent of time stands still — you are carried back to the sixth or 
 the tenth century. You see the manners and habits, and hear the 
 language of those distant periods — you converse with another race of 
 beings, unalterable in themselves, though placed among mortals, as if 
 appointed to observe and record the vicissitudes from which they are 
 exempt." — Eustace. 
 
 " From their retreats, calmly contemplating 
 The changes of the eai'th, thcmsclvejj unchanged." — Rogers. 
 
108 FLORENCE. 
 
 are swaddled up in cloths — somewhat after the 
 fashion of an Egyptian mummy, the head only 
 being left to move freely — is productive of dis- 
 tortion of the limbs and other bad consequences. 
 
 The hospitals here, as in many other parts of 
 the continent, are superintended by government, 
 and patients are admitted on application, without 
 any other recommendation than that of their 
 requiring medical assistance. Among the town 
 practitioners, the abstraction of small quantities 
 of blood is very common, which has frequently 
 the effect of debilitating the patients, without 
 effectually checking the progress of inflammatory 
 attacks. 
 
 Dr. Harding resides at Florence, as also one 
 or two other English practitioners. 
 
 The diseases which prevail most in Florence 
 are pleurisy, bronchial affections, and acute in- 
 flammation of the lungs, which carries off annually 
 a great number of the poorer people, and, from 
 not being treated at the beginning with sufficient 
 energy, frequently lays the foundation of con- 
 sumi:)tion ; rheumatism, gastric irritation, and 
 diseases of the eyes are also extremely pre- 
 valent. 
 
 In the summer months the heat is extremely 
 oppressive in Florence; the glare from the white- 
 ness of the houses and flag-pavement is exceed- 
 ingly trying to the eyes ; and, combined with the 
 cold winds in sj)ring, is doubtless the principal 
 cause of the great prevalence of diseases of these 
 
FLORENCE. 109 
 
 organs. In winter tlie weather is much colder 
 than at Rome or Pisa; the transitions of tem- 
 perature are great and sudden, and rain frequently 
 falls in torrents. 
 
 According to the statements of Mondat, the 
 following is the average proportion of rainy 
 to fine days, from observations made during 
 seven years : — 
 
 Fine days in the year . . . . . 1 60 
 
 Rainy days 110 
 
 Variable 95 
 
 365 
 
 From eighteen to twenty inches is the average 
 quantity of rain which falls in a year.* 
 
 The tramontane (which is analogous to the 
 vent de Use of Provence) sweeping over the 
 Apennines is sharp and piercing, while at the 
 same time the heat of the sun is often in- 
 conveniently felt in some parts of the city. 
 Thus, in less than a minute, the change from 
 summer's heat to muter 's cold maybe experienced, 
 rendering the inhabitants more susceptible to 
 inflammatory attacks on the lungs and air- 
 passages than those living in a climate uniformly 
 cold. The majority of Italians guard against 
 these transitions of temperature by the constant 
 practice of wearing large cloaks, without which 
 they seldom stir out during five months of the 
 year; foreigners, who are less cautious in this 
 
 * Topographic Medicale de Florence. 
 
110 FLORENCE. 
 
 respect, frequently experience the bad effects of 
 their negligence. 
 
 From the end of November to the middle of 
 March, the climate of Florence is less adapted 
 than any other in Italy to persons labouring 
 under pulmonary, bronchial, or rheumatic com- 
 plaints. It generally agrees with dyspeptic and 
 nervous patients who seek mental recreation ; 
 and I have known it suit some patients with 
 nervous asthma better than any other Italian 
 town. Such invalids should reside in that part 
 of the city north of the Arno. * The best 
 situations are the Lung' Arno, the Piazzas Santa 
 Trinita, Santa Maria Novella, and the adjacent 
 streets. The Via d' Servi, and others in the 
 neighbourhood of the cathedral, have some good 
 houses; but this situation is colder. The best 
 street on the southern side of the river is the 
 Via Maggio, leading to the Porta Romana. 
 
 The weather in October and November is 
 usually fine and warm. Invalids, on their way 
 to winter at Rome, will frequently benefit more 
 by remaining these months at Florence, than by 
 proceeding at once to Rome. They should not 
 return to Florence before April, at which period 
 the weather is in general delightful. 
 
 The distance from Florence to Rome is about 
 two hundred and twenty miles, which is traversed 
 by the courier in thirty-six hours, but requires 
 five days en voiturier. The country is pretty as 
 far as Sienna, which, from its elevated position, is 
 
ROAD TO ROME. Ill 
 
 one of the coolest summer residences in Italy, 
 and, like the baths of Lucca, it is free from 
 mosquitoes, on which accounts many persons 
 select it for their summer quarters. The town is 
 well-built, and contains about 20,000 inhabitants; 
 the society is said to be good, and the Italian 
 language to be spoken in all its purity. Living 
 is also very cheap at Sienna. The cathedral, 
 built of white and black marble, is the only 
 object calcidated to arrest the attention of the 
 passing traveller. ^ 
 
 From Sienna the road is, for the most part, 
 hilly, and has rather a triste appearance, especially 
 about Radicofani, a ^vretched-looking town, 
 perched on the summit of a bleak mountain, and 
 the frontier of Tuscany. The hotel and custom- 
 house are on the road below the to\vn, and the 
 accommodation is better than might be expected 
 from the appearance of the place. Descending 
 the mountain, you enter the papal dominions, 
 and pass through Aquapendente, a dirty and 
 comfortless town in a beautiful situation. You 
 afterwards drive along the shore of the lake of 
 Bolsena, where the scenery is highly interesting; 
 the country, however, is extremely unhealthy as 
 far as Viterbo, a large walled town, abounding 
 with monks and ecclesiastical seminaries, and 
 situate in a dreary tract of country, which the 
 malaria seems to have depopulated : — 
 
 " All sad, all silent ! o'er the ear 
 No sound of cheerful toil is swelling ; 
 
112 ROAD TO ROME. 
 
 Earth has no quickening spirit here, 
 Nature no charm, and man no dwelling." 
 
 From the hills, beyond Baccano, the traveller 
 discerns the 
 
 " Vast and wondrous dome. 
 To which Diana's marvel was a cell," 
 
 and, after crossing the Tiber at the Ponte Molle, 
 enters the city by the Via Flaminia. 
 
 Note. — In a small work lately published by Galignani, " Brief Advice 
 to Travellers in Italy," the authoress says, " Fair Florence stands first of 
 the above-mentioned cities (Rome and Pisa), for badness of climate and 
 company. Naples comes next, both being of a mixed kind. Florence is 
 cold in winter, hot in summer, and damp at all times. It is the winter 
 that is dangerous to health, being foggy, windy, and rainy, and exceedingly 
 apt to attack the throat : the teeth and eyes have their share of the 
 compliment. The Lung' Arno is the most tempting situation, but dampest 
 in winter and hottest in summer." She prefers the town to the villas for 
 the summer, in which I differ from her, the villas raised above the level 
 of the valley being more exposed to the air, and less affected by the 
 reflection of the sun's rays from the surrounding hills. — As regards Nice, 
 I need not dwell upon what Mrs. Carleton says of its peculiarities during 
 the seasons when it is deserted by visitors ; but I do not agree with her 
 statement as to the dampness of the Croix de Marbre; and some of the 
 residents with whom I have spoken deny that any of the houses are built 
 upon piles. Winter visitors, however, need not be under apprehension of 
 the effects of damp and malaria from a residence at any part of Nice, 
 dryness being the prevailing characteristic of the climate at this season. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 BOME — CHURCHES AND PICTURE GALLERIES — ENVIRONS — ROMAIC 
 
 CHARACTERISTICS — THE CLERGY — PROSELYTISM — CHURCH 
 
 CEREMONIES— MALARIA— CLIMATE AND COMPLAINTS IN 
 
 WHICH IT IS BENEFICL\L. 
 
 The s}Tiimetrical aspect of the Piazza del 
 Popolo, its fine obelisk, fountains, and statues, 
 with a church and handsome buildings on either 
 side, together with the long vista of the Corso, 
 rarely fail to impress strangers on first entering 
 Rome with an idea of its magnificence. The 
 relics of antiquity constantly met with, the obelisks 
 and fountains with which it is embellished, and the 
 meeting almost at every step members of the 
 different religious orders, give Rome an appear- 
 ance distinct from that of any other city ; yet, as 
 an e7is€mble, it cannot be termed handsome. It 
 possesses only one good bridge, but few squares, 
 and the streets are narrow (though now much, 
 better paved and cleaner than formerly), so that 
 its palaces cannot be seen to advantage. 
 
 There are few cities where it would be so 
 difficult to lose one's way : three of the principal 
 streets, meeting in the Piazza del Popolo, front the 
 visitor on entering. The central one, or Corso, 
 
 1 
 
114 ROME. 
 
 extends for more than a mile in a straight line, 
 and leads to the Capitol and the Forum. The 
 Via Babuino on the left, and the Via di Ripetti 
 on the right, gradually diverging from the line of 
 the Corso, lead, the one to the Piazza di Spagna, 
 the other to the river. From the Piazza di 
 Spagna a series of streets is continued, almost in 
 a straight line, cutting across the centre of the 
 Corso to the Ponte St. Angelo, and on the 
 opposite side of which stands the imposing mass, 
 Hadrian's tomb, the 
 
 " Superba mola 
 Che fe' Adi-iano all' onda Tiberina," 
 
 (now a fortress and state prison, surmounted by 
 the statue of the Archangel Michael), whence a 
 dirty street leads to St. Peter's. The above-named 
 are the most frequented streets, and the majority 
 of strangers reside in the neighbourhood of the 
 Piazza di Spagna. 
 
 The Piazza di S. Pietro is imique, and defies 
 criticism. The massive and lofty pillars of its 
 colonnades, ranged in a semicircle on either side, 
 enclosing a vast area, in the centre of which are 
 two splendid jets d'eau, and the finest obelisk in 
 Europe, together with the facade and dome of 
 St. Peter's, form a most striking and magnificent 
 coup d'oeil. The interior of the church is sur- 
 passingly grand ; its size and the harmony of its 
 proportions can only be properly appreciated 
 after the several parts have been repeatedly 
 viewed in detail — 
 
ROME. 115 
 
 " Yustacss which grows, but grows to hirmonize, 
 All musical in its inunensilies : 
 Rich marbles — richer paintings — shrines where flame 
 The lamps of gold ; and haughty dome that vies 
 In air with earth's chief structures, though their frame 
 Sits on the firm-set ground." 
 
 There are, however, no paintings, though the 
 magnificent mosaics might easily be mistaken for 
 paintings without a close inspection. The most 
 remarkable are the Raising St. Petronilla, the 
 Communion of St. Jerome, and the Transfigura- 
 tion. 
 
 The Pantheon, now transformed into a churchy 
 is a noble remnant of antiquity, and in admirable 
 preservation. It is of a circular form, having an 
 aperture twenty-six feet in diameter in the roof. 
 The interior is adorned with several elegant 
 fluted marble pillars, between which altars are 
 placed. The portico consists of sixteen circular 
 granite pillars, each of which is a single piece, 
 thirty-nine feet high, and fourteen feet in cir- 
 cumference, with an entablature and pediment 
 of proportionate magnitude. 
 
 Among the other principal churches, which the 
 Stranger will be gratified by repeatedly visiting, 
 may be mentioned the St^ Giovanni in Laterano, 
 whence there is a good view of part of the 
 Campagna, with the aqueducts and Tivoli, and in 
 the vaults of which is a chefd'ceuvre of Bernini — ^ 
 the group of the Saviour dead, and supported on 
 the lap of his mother; the Santa Maria Maggiore; 
 the Santa Maria degli Angeli, formerly part of 
 
116 ROME. 
 
 Dioclesian's baths, several of the colossal granite 
 pillars of which still support the roof ; the 
 Jesuit's church, after St. Peter's the richest 
 in Rome ; the San Stephano Rotondo, formerly a 
 temple of a circular form, and the S. Pietro in 
 Vincoli, in which will be admired the figure of 
 Moses seated, which is considered the chefd'oeuvre 
 of Michael Angelo : — 
 
 " Quel ch'a par sculpe e colora 
 Michel pill die mortale, Angel divino." 
 
 The church of St. Paul, two miles from Rome, 
 will, when completed, surpass all the others, 
 St. Peter's excepted, in size and richness of 
 decoration. 
 
 The Doria is perhaps the handsomest of the 
 Roman palaces, and contains one of the richest 
 galleries of pictures, among which the attention 
 will be more especially attracted to the two 
 celebrated Claudes, viz., the Molino, and the 
 Sacrifice to Apollo ; the Madonna, by Sasso- 
 Ferrata, the Flight into Egypt, the Assumption, 
 and the Visitation, by Annibale Caracci ; a Mag- 
 dalen, by Murillo ; Belisarius, by Salvator Rosa ; 
 and Queen Joan of Naples, by Leonardo da 
 Vinci. In the Borghese palace will be particularly 
 remarked Diana and her Nymphs, by Domeni- 
 chino; the Cumean Sibyl, by the same painter; the 
 Deposition from the Cross, by Raphael ; the same 
 subject, by Garofolo ; four pictures of the Seasons, 
 by Albano ; and Cesar Borgia, by Raphael. 
 
EOME. 117 
 
 The Barbarini contains three of the best 
 pictures in Rome, viz., the Cenci, by Guido ; the 
 Fornarina, by Raphael ; and a Female Slave, by 
 Titian. Joseph and Potiphar's Wife is also a 
 line picture. 
 
 In the Sciarra Palace will be especially noticed 
 two small landscapes by Claude ; Moses, by 
 Guido ; Modesty and Vanity, by Leonardo da 
 Vinci; Gamesters, by Caravaggio; the Magdalen, 
 delle Radici, by Guido ; Landscapes, by Paul 
 Brill ; Beheading of St. John, by Valentin ; 
 Portrait of a Youth, by Raphael ; Shepherds 
 Regarding a Skull on a Tomb, by Schidone. In 
 the Quirinal are Saul and David, by Guercino ; 
 the Ascension, by Vandyck ; and the Annuncia- 
 tion, by Guido, which forms the altar-piece of 
 the Pope's private chapel. The Rospigliosi also 
 contains a few good pictures, but the principal 
 attraction to this palace is the fine fresco painting 
 on the ceiling of one of the apartments, Aurora, 
 by Guido: — 
 
 " mark again the coursers of the sun, 
 At Guido's call their round of glory run ; 
 Again tiie rosy hours resume their flight, 
 Obscured and lost in floods of golden light." — Rogers. 
 
 But perhaps the most interesting as well as the 
 largest of all the private collections, since the 
 dispersion of Cardinal Fesch's, is that of the 
 Corsini Palace. The following are a few of the 
 best pictures : — several representations of the 
 Madonna, by Carlo Maratta ; three heads of the 
 
JIB, ROME. 
 
 Saviour, by Carlo Dolce, Guido, and Guercino ; 
 the latter is the most esteemed ; Madomia and 
 Infant, by Caravaggio ; Herodias with the Head 
 of St. John, by Guido; a large Murillo, the 
 Madonna and Child, one of the finest productions 
 of this painter; a splendid Landscape, by Poussin; 
 Sleeping Cupid, by Guido ; an Interior, with 
 Cattle, by Teniers ; Prometheus Bound, by 
 Salvator Rosa ; a Water-piece, by the same ; and 
 a similar subject by Vernet. 
 
 In the Palazzo Spada is shown the statue of 
 Pompey, said to be the same at the base of which 
 "great Caesar fell." Here likewise are, a fine 
 picture, representing the Death of Dido, by 
 Guercino; Paul III., by Titian; Cardinal Spada, 
 by Guido ; and a head of Seneca, by Salvator 
 Rosa. In the court-yard is an admirable per- 
 spective, from which the plan of the great stair- 
 case of the Vatican is said to have been taken. 
 
 The Palazzo Colonna contains the handsomest 
 saloon in Rome, and some good pictures, as do 
 also several other palaces mentioned in the guide- 
 books, where will be found detailed accounts of 
 the different galleries, of which I have only 
 mentioned a few of the most striking pieces. In 
 the garden of the Colonna lies an immense 
 fragment of an entablature, supposed to have 
 been part of the Temple of the Sun. Here also 
 are some of the ruins of the baths of Constantine. 
 
 The pictures in the Vatican are few in number, 
 but all choice ones. Among them may be par- 
 
ROME. 1 19 
 
 ticularized the large picture of the Transfigura- 
 tion, by Raphael, considered his chefd'oeuvre; the 
 Communion of St. Jerome, by Domenichino, 
 second only to the former, and placed opposite to 
 it. These pictures are seen to great advantage 
 from the outer rooms, by looking through the 
 door-way, the light being thus more strongly 
 concentrated upon them. In the same room is 
 the Madonna di Foligno. In the adjoining 
 rooms, the Martyrdom of St. Peter, by Guido ; 
 St. Sebastian, by Titian ; the Saviour with the 
 Globe at his Feet, by Correggio ; and Cows, by 
 Paul Potter. 
 
 The walls and ceiling of the Stanze di RafFaelle 
 are covered with the celebrated fresco paintings 
 of this great master, the description of which, 
 with those of the Loggia, or open galleries, would 
 fill a volume. Among the statues, the first 
 objects naturally sought for are the Apollo 
 Belvedere and the Laocoon, which one can 
 scarcely tire of beholding ; the latter especially 
 has a fine appearance by torchlight. They are 
 judiciously placed by themselves in separate 
 cabinets, as are also the Antinous and Meleager. 
 The celebrated Torso, immediately at the top of 
 the staircase, produces a fine effect, seen through 
 the long vista of the gallery. In the Hall of 
 the Nile, the statues of Minerva, Escidapius, 
 Demosthenes, and the large group of the Nile, 
 will be more particularly remarked. Some of the 
 figures and colossal masks in this hall are also 
 
120 
 
 ROME. 
 
 seen to the greatest advantage by torchlight. In 
 other parts of this immense edifice, which may 
 be repeatedly \isitcd with interest, are the 
 museums of the Egyptian and Etruscan anti- 
 quities ; the richly decorated hall of the library, 
 the Sistine Chapel, containing the celebrated 
 fresco of the Last Judgment, by Michael Angelo, 
 the Mosaic Manufactory, &c., which have been 
 repeatedly described by travellers, but of which 
 no description can convey an accurate idea : — 
 
 " I peregrini marmi in varie forme sculti 
 Pitture e getti, e tant' altro lavoro, 
 Mostran che non bastaro a taute mole, 
 Pi venti re insieme le ricchezze sole." 
 
 Ariosio. 
 
 " Go, and insatiate o'er and o'er 
 Th' exhaustless Vatican explore ; 
 Thro' labyrinthine courts pursue, 
 Thro' galleries lengthening on the view, 
 Hall after hall, dome after dome. 
 Treasuries of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, 
 "Where all above, around, beneath, 
 The marble generations breathe, 
 And plundered tombs their wrecks supply, 
 To line the walls with imagVy ; 
 And golden roofs their radiance throw 
 O'er rich mosaics spread below. 
 And fountains in perpetual play 
 Temper with sparkling show'rs the day." 
 
 Sothnbt/. 
 
 In the rich collection of the Capitol will be 
 more particularly noticed, on the ground-floor, 
 the has reliefs on the sarcoj^hagus of Severus; 
 
ROME. 121 
 
 in the centre of the first room, on ascending, the 
 celebrated gladiator — 
 
 " Whose manly brow 
 Consents to death, but conquers agony ; " 
 
 with several other fine statues. Among those in 
 the adjoining apartments, the most remarkable 
 are the Faun, in rosso-antico ; the Centaurs, in 
 nero-antico ; Caius Marius ; a Prefica, or hired 
 mourner ; the colossal Hercules, in bronze gilt ; 
 and the busts of the emperors, senators, and 
 philosophers of ancient Home, especially those of 
 Augustus, Caligula, Galba, Virgil, Socrates. The 
 Venus of the Capitol is one of the finest and 
 best preserved pieces of ancient sculpture, pre- 
 ferred by some to the Venus de Medicis. It is 
 kept in a separate cabinet, and only opened on 
 special application. 
 
 Among the best pictures in the collection of 
 the Capitol may be enumerated, a Cumean Sibyl, 
 by Domenichino (inferior to that in the Borghese); 
 another Sibyl, by Guercino; Romulus and Remus 
 discovered with the Wolf, by Rubens ; Marriage 
 of St. Catherine, by Correggio; the Resurrection 
 of St. Petronilla, an immense picture, by Guercino; 
 and the Europa, by Paul Veronese. 
 
 One of the best points for viewing Rome is 
 from the tower of the Capitol, whence on the one 
 side is seen the modern city, with St. Peter's, and 
 on the other, lying immediately beneath, the 
 ruins of ancient Rome — 
 
122 ROME. 
 
 " Parloiit confusemcnt dans la poussiere epars 
 Les thcrnics, les palais, les tombcaux des Ccsars," 
 
 with the stupendous mass of the Coliseum pre- 
 eminently conspicuous above the rest : — 
 
 " Around the wrecks of Rome 
 The Coliseum lifts its brow sublime ; 
 And, looking down on all that moves below, 
 O'er all the restless range, 
 
 Where war and violence have worked their change, 
 Tow'rs motionless, and wide around it tiu-ows 
 The shadow of its strength — its own sublime repose."* 
 
 Beyond the ruins lies the " weary waste " of the 
 Camj)agna, intersected by the remains of aque- 
 ducts — 
 
 " Arches on arches, range by range, extending " 
 
 towards the Latian hills, on which are seen the 
 towns of Frascati and Tivoli, the whole forming 
 a prospect unequalled for variety and interest. 
 
 The other points whence the most advantageous 
 views of the city and its environs are obtained 
 are the dome of St. Peter's, or the Monte Mario, 
 which, though less extensive, is perhaps the more 
 interesting, as St. Peter's itself forms a prominent 
 object in the view ; the roof of the Doria Pam- 
 phili Villa (the spacious grounds of which are one 
 of the pleasantest walking places), and from the 
 fountain Paolina, in the same direction, but 
 within the walls. On the opposite side, a fine 
 
 '^' Sotheby's Italv. 
 
ROME. 123 
 
 view, particularly of the Campagna, its acqueducts 
 and ruins, may be enjoyed by ascending to the 
 roof of the Villa Patrizi, outside the Porta Pia, 
 and likewise from that of the villa on the aque- 
 duct to the left of St. Giovanni in Laterano. 
 The Pincian hill, which is the fashionable after- 
 noon j)romenade, and the only spot v^^here, during 
 the prevalence of the sirocco, a little fresh air 
 can be breathed, is also one of the most favour- 
 able points for viewing Rome and St. Peter's, 
 which, when seen at sunset, has a magnificent 
 appearance. From this hill Claude Lorraine was 
 in the habit of watcliing the sinking sun make 
 his " golden set," 
 
 " Not as in northern climes obscurely bright, 
 But one unclouded blaze of living light," 
 
 and noting the varied tints produced in " the 
 bright tract of his fiery car," which few besides 
 himself have been able to represent with such 
 fidelity, and without appearing to exaggerate. 
 
 Of the various villas near Rome, the Borghese 
 and Albani require especial mention. The beau^ 
 tifid grounds of the former, close to the Porta del 
 Popolo, shaded by the ilex and by lofty maritime 
 pines, are the most usual resort of equestrians 
 and pedestrians, who may there enjoy either 
 society or seclusion. The house itself is almost un- 
 inhabitable, on account of the prevalence of the 
 malaria in the summer and autumn. It contains, 
 perhapc, the most magnificent private collection 
 
124 ROME. 
 
 of statues extant, which is especially remarkable 
 for its symmetrical arrangement, there being 
 corresponding objects on either side in each 
 apartment. On entering the great hall, the 
 attention will be particularly attracted to the 
 alto-relievo in the centre, of Curtius on horse- 
 back, throwing himself into the gulf; the colossal 
 statues and busts on each side, and the old mosaic 
 pavements. The Saloon of Hercules is like- 
 wise extremely interesting, being filled with the 
 statues of the demi-god, and bas-reliefs illustrative 
 of his history. But the principal saloon sur- 
 passes everything else in the richness of its 
 treasures, and the symmetry with which they are 
 disposed. The series of porphyry busts of the 
 emperors, ranged along three sides of the apart- 
 ment, add greatly to the effect. In the rooms on 
 the first floor are the group Apollo and Daphne, 
 by Bernini, and the Venus Vincitrice, of Canova, 
 for which the Princess Pauline Borghese sat as a 
 model. 
 
 The Villa Albani likewise contains a rich 
 collection of statues, and is adorned with 
 marbles, frescoes, and mosaics. The alto-relievo 
 of Antinous, the Apollo and small Hercules, of 
 Glycon, in bronze, will be particularly remarked. 
 
 No place offers more resource for amusement 
 and mental recreation for the winter months than 
 Rome, whether the visitor be interested in the 
 innumerable works of art which fill its galleries 
 and studii, or whether he prefer strolling among 
 
ROME. 125 
 
 the remnants of fallen grandeur. If fond of 
 walking, whichever way he directs his steps 
 some object of interest will be found; if of 
 riding, few localities are better adapted to this 
 exercise than the environs of the city. There is 
 not, however, as much resource for those who 
 delight in reading as at Florence, which is better 
 supplied with books. 
 
 General society is upon an easy footing at 
 Rome, and is very accessible to persons properly 
 introduced, though the Romans do not receive 
 English visitors at their own houses, unless 
 specially known to them ; they have, however, 
 numerous reunions among themselves, to which 
 those of the English who have introductions to 
 them, particularly if they be Catholics, are 
 invited. 
 
 The Romans are more sedate, reserved, and 
 dignified in their demeanour than the rest of the 
 Italians, and form a strong contrast in this respect 
 with their neighbours, the Neapolitans. They 
 cultivate the fine arts less than the Tuscans, and 
 are but little addicted to literary, scientific, or 
 intellectual pursuits ; most of the upper classes 
 being content with a monotonous daily round of 
 existence, their drive along the Corso in the 
 afternoon, and reunion in the evening, varied by 
 a visit to the opera. In fact, they are habitually 
 inclined to indolence, to which they are further 
 predisposed by their climate, and having no 
 stimulus or motive to exertion. As Eustace, who 
 
126 ROME. 
 
 was a Catholic clergyman, justly observed, " In a 
 free country mental improvement brings with it 
 its own reward, oftentimes rank and fortune. It is 
 both necessary and fashionable, and cannot be 
 dispensed with by any individual who means to 
 attain or keep a place in society. In a despotic 
 government these motives are wanting ; the 
 drudgery necessary for the acquisition of in- 
 formation is rewarded only by the consciousness 
 of intellectual superiority, an advantage of too 
 little weight in countries where mental attain- 
 ments are too much undervalued to attract 
 attention or excite envy. Hence, after having 
 passed through the ordinary course of college 
 education, or loitered away a few years with a 
 private tutor, the noble youth of the continent, 
 if not employed in the army, sink into domestic 
 indolence, and fritter away life in the endless 
 frivolities of a town society."* 
 
 The middle class likewise bear themselves 
 more independently, and are less tricky than the 
 people in some other parts of Italy. Many of 
 the shopkeepers and tradespeople appear to care 
 little about being employed, and will frequently 
 not put themselves out of the way to serve a 
 customer, or abate anything of the price they 
 have first asked, even though it be much more 
 
 * These remarks arc, however, more applicable to the Romans in the 
 time of Gregory than since the accession of Pius, and the formation of a 
 representative legislature, but may serve to show the state of matters 
 before the present era. Tiie recent political changes will, doubtless, greatly 
 alter the Italian character. 
 
ROME. 127 
 
 than the article is Avorth. The majority of the 
 lower orders and the peasantry are remarkable for 
 their personal beauty, which, however, in females 
 soon fades, and they are apt to become very stout 
 after five or six-and-twenty. The Trasteverini, 
 who regard themselves as the descendants of the 
 ancient Romans, are a particularly fine-looking 
 race, haughty, and somewhat suUen in their 
 demeanour, intermarrying among themselves, 
 associating little more than is necessary with 
 others, and, though ignorant and superstitious, 
 they are for the most part moral in their domestic 
 relations. In fact, there is less evident im- 
 morality in Kome than perhaps any other city. 
 Cicisbeism is abolished, ladies being seen as 
 frequently escorted by their husbands as in 
 France; and notwithstanding what has been said 
 by some travellers, who, passing rapidly through 
 the country, appear to have taken their ideas of 
 the people from the writings of Forsyth, Lady 
 Morgan, and other authors of a quarter of a 
 century ago, nothing would now be seen in 
 general society calculated to shock les hienseances 
 any more than in the salons of Paris or London, 
 for at the present day it may truly be said of the 
 higher classes in most capitals, as far as the 
 superficies is concerned, that 
 
 " Society is smoothed to that excess, 
 And manners differ hardly more than dress." 
 
 Street murders and robberies are likewise 
 
128 
 
 ROME. 
 
 much more rare than formerly ; when attempts 
 at assassination do occur, they are mostly con- 
 fined to the inferior classes, and originate in 
 private quarrels, or from jealousy. 
 
 As may be expected, the members of the 
 different ecclesiastical bodies, from the prelate 
 to the mendicant friar, form a large proportion of 
 the population, and their appearance in the streets, 
 or in the religious ceremonies, clad in the same 
 costumes as were seen centuries ago, constitutes 
 a feature peculiar to Rome. Many of the clergy 
 are exceedingly well-informed, and several among 
 them are persons of great learning and attain- 
 ments. As a body they are zealous, and no 
 doubt are chiefly instrumental in preventing the 
 appearance of open immorality, so common in 
 large cities, though on public occasions, and at 
 the church ceremonies, there certainly seems to 
 be frequently more straining after effect than a 
 disposition to encourage religious contemplation 
 or fervour of worship. Be this as it may, there 
 is little doubt that a large proportion of the 
 spectators, and the majority of foreigners, attend 
 the splendid church ceremonies merely as a 
 spectacle; nor is it easy for Protestants to reconcile 
 them with their ideas of religion. Except upon 
 these occasions, the churches are not very fully 
 attended, the bulk of the congregations being 
 usually composed of women and persons of the 
 lower class. 
 
 The attempts on the part of the Catholic 
 
ROME. 129 
 
 priesthood to make converts to Catholicism, are 
 said to have been very successful, both on the 
 continent and in this country, especially among 
 the more impressionable sex. A principal cause 
 of this success is, doubtless, in many instances, 
 not so much from a conviction of the superiority 
 of the Catholic form of worship, as from the 
 circumstance that their clergy mix more with 
 the people, and are, at all times, accessible to 
 persons who require that relief of spiritual con- 
 solation under the various trying circumstances 
 of life, which members of the ecclesiastical 
 profession are best calculated to impart. This 
 is, doubtless, likewise a reason of the success of 
 Dissenters in England. 
 
 Few pageants exceed in magnificence that of 
 the Pope's being carried in state into St. Peter's 
 on the occasions when he performs high mass, 
 preceded by a long double file of cardinals and 
 prelates, attended by the noble guards, and by 
 the Swiss in their picturesque costume, with the 
 people kneeling to receive his blessing as he 
 passes. The benediction, from the balcony of 
 the facade, of the people on Christmas and 
 Easter days, has also a particularly fine effect, 
 the number of persons assembled and kneeling 
 in the spacious Place often amounting to upwards 
 of 100,000. 
 
 Of the other sights at Easter, those best, worth 
 attending are the illumination of the facade and 
 dome of the church, which is unique in its way. 
 
130 ROME. 
 
 the whole being lighted up in a few seconds ; 
 and the Girandola, or display of fire-works from 
 the Castle of St. Angelo. The rest are scarcely 
 worth the trouble and crushing which must be 
 undergone. 
 
 The Carnival at Rome is better than elsewhere, 
 but, in the new order of things, will doubtless, 
 together with the above-mentioned ceremonies, 
 be in future superseded. 
 
 Literature and science are at a low ebb in the 
 Roman states, being but little encouraged. Com- 
 paratively few books are published, as there is no 
 security of copyright in Italy, and a valuable 
 work might be printed in any of the other states, 
 and sold at a low price, without the author's 
 being able to obtain any compensation. As 
 Rome has little commerce and no manufactures, 
 except those of mosaics, cameos, and other objects 
 of taste, a great portion of the inhabitants mainly 
 depend upon the influx of strangers for the 
 season, which is as universally calculated upon 
 as at a watering-place. Without its climate, 
 antiquities, and works of art, which are the 
 chief inducements for strangers to select it as a 
 temporary residence, Rome would soon lose a 
 large portion of its population, as house-rent and 
 taxes are high, compared with other parts of 
 Italy, and the summer is unhealthy, from the 
 prevalence of malaria. 
 
 The finances of the government are in a very 
 depressed condition, and the people complain 
 
ROME. 131 
 
 that their elective form of government is Avorse 
 than an absohite hereditary sovereignty, inasmuch 
 as the chief of the state, being generally an old 
 man before he is called to the throne, is chiefly 
 occupied in enriching his relatives, and has no 
 interest in the general welfare of the country. 
 During the late Pope's reign the national debt 
 is said to have been increased by fourteen millions 
 of dollars. 
 
 The present Pope is a hale man of about fifty- 
 six, with a countenance in which benevolence 
 and firmness are combined. The impetus given 
 by the measures which, shortly after his accession, 
 he adopted, has doubtless tended to accelerate the 
 course of the astounding events which have lately 
 agitated Europe, and it remains to be seen how 
 far they will be beneficial to the country, by de- 
 veloping its resources. Much has akeady been 
 done ; delegates from the provinces forming a 
 deliberative assembly; many abuses of the ancient 
 regime abolished ; and beneficial alterations in all 
 the departments of government effected. Railroads 
 and the cultivation of the Campagna, with other 
 improvements, are in contemplation, and there is 
 little doubt that the administration will, by 
 degrees, become less and less ecclesiastical. The 
 chief power rests with the civic guard, whose 
 costume, with the ancient Roman helmet and 
 short sword, is neat and becoming. As another 
 Pius is scarcely to be expected, he may most 
 likely be considered as the last Pope who 
 
132 ROME. 
 
 will hold the temporal sceptre of the Roman 
 state.* 
 
 Medicine and surgery are in a very backward 
 condition in Rome, as compared with most parts 
 of Europe. The hospitals are richly endowed, 
 but, though somewhat improved of late, are still 
 in a state of great neglect ; the largest of them, 
 St. Spirito, for the reception of patients of the 
 male sex, contains about 1,400 beds. The num- 
 ber occupied varies greatly, according to the 
 season, being much smaller in winter and spring 
 than in summer and autumn, when the inter- 
 mittent and malaria fevers are prevalent. The 
 hospital St. Giacomo, on the Corso, is appropriated 
 to surgical diseases and operations, the mortality 
 after which is great. 
 
 Inflammation of the lungs is prevalent in 
 winter and spring, though less so than at Flo- 
 rence and Naples. Bronchial affections, rheu- 
 matism, and diseases of the eyes, are also less 
 common. Gastric irritation and visceral engorge- 
 ment are of frequent occurrence, especially in the 
 warm months. Consumption is not frequent, 
 unless when it ensues upon neglected inflamma- 
 
 * From the more rapid course of revolutionary movements of late, 
 a republic would doubtless have been proclaimed at Rome but for the 
 respect in which Pius is mdividually held. The city itself will doubtless 
 suffer for some time from the comparative paucity of its accustomed 
 winter visitors. The prediction of Fleming, in a pamphlet published in 
 1701, and now reprinted, " The Decline and Fall of the Papal Power in 
 1848," may be considered as verified, the sovereignty being now merely 
 nominal. 
 
ROME. 133 
 
 tion. Sudden death, called by the Italians acci- 
 dente, frequently occurs, to which the stillness of 
 the air, the indolent mode of life, and the habit 
 of eating suppers on returning from the theatre 
 or from soirees^ no doubt predispose. Nervous 
 affections are also very general, especially the 
 morbid sensibility of the olfactory nerves, with 
 respect to flowers and perfumes, which sometimes 
 exists in such a high degree as to occasion con- 
 vulsive attacks. This peculiar antipathy to 
 perfumes is likewise met with in some other 
 Italian cities, and English residents, who have 
 become acclimated, are also liable to be affected 
 in a similar manner. Intermittent and other 
 fevers are endemic in the summer and autumn, 
 at which periods the hospitals are crowded with 
 patients from the country, and, as bark is the 
 principal remedy employed to combat the disease, 
 the consumption of this medicine is enormous. 
 The insalubrity of the seasons is in a direct ratio 
 to the heat and to the quantity of rain that has 
 fallen ; but, since the improved drainage of the 
 Pontine marshes, these fevers have diminished in 
 frequency and severity. One of the most com- 
 mon exciting causes, according to Sir J. Clark, is 
 exposure to currents of cold air, or chills in 
 damp places, after the body has been heated by 
 exercise ; irregularity of diet, poorness of living, 
 or, in fact, any circumstances which tend to 
 depress the powers of the system may act as 
 predisposing causes. Thus, strangers resorting 
 
134 ROME. 
 
 to Rome are much less liable to be affected the 
 first year of their residence than in the subsequent 
 years, when the body has become relaxed and 
 enervated by the influence of the climate. The 
 wearing of flannel is a good precautionary mea^ 
 sure. There is no doubt that malaria frequently 
 remains for some time latent in the constitution, 
 giving rise, at a future period, to various diseases, 
 which are seldom attributed to it. Neuralgic 
 complaints may often be traced to this cause, as 
 may likevdse some paralytic and other affections, 
 as well as intermittent fevers, which frequently 
 do not appear while persons are under the excite- 
 ment of travelling, but subsequently, perhaps 
 after the interval of several months from the time 
 that the person was exposed to the influence of 
 this poisonous agent. 
 
 Dr. J. Johnson, who, from his long residence 
 in India, is one of the persons best calculated to 
 give an opinion on this subject, agrees with others 
 who have investigated the nature of this noxious 
 agent, when he says, " It rises from the soil with 
 the watery exhalations of the day, and falls with 
 the dews of night. It appears to be in mechanical 
 mixture with the air, not in chemical solution. 
 Being heavier than the atmosphere, it gravitates 
 to the surface in still weather, and when carried 
 along with the winds, it does not appear to rise 
 very high or extend very far, except in such a 
 state of dilution as to be nearly harmless. (There 
 are, however, exceptions to this). Thus, a cur- 
 
ROME. 135 
 
 rent of aii' coming from a malarious ground is 
 strained, as it were, by passing thi'ough a wood 
 or grove of trees ; a portion of elevated ground, 
 or a high wall, will often arrest its progress. 
 Hence the suburbs of Eome are more exposed to 
 malaria than the city, and the open streets and 
 squares more than the narrow lanes in the centre 
 of the metropolis. The low, crowded, and 
 abominably filthy quarter of the Jews, on the 
 banks of the Tiber, may probably owe its acknow- 
 ledged freedom from the fatal malaria to its 
 sheltered site and dense population." 
 
 With reference to malaria, Mrs. Carleton 
 observes, "The appearance of a place does not 
 always] betray its insalubrity, for some spots are 
 dangerous that seem dry and airy. The Piazza 
 del Popolo, for instance, and also, to a certain 
 distance, the three streets that terminate at that 
 point — the nearer the river the worse — so that the 
 whole of the Via Ripetta is subject to this 
 noxious influence. The Corso, and the Via 
 Babuino, become more healthy as they approach 
 the Post-office. High situations are in general 
 more secure than low ones, but height is unavail- 
 ing if the hill be not sufficiently inhabited. The 
 height of a house is better security than the 
 height of a hill, because the upper story removes 
 us from the earth, which is the receptacle of the 
 noxious principle ; accordingly the second and 
 third floors are as dear as the first, and much 
 dearer than the ground-floor. The Palazzo Poli, 
 
1 36 ROME. 
 
 and the vicinity of tlie Fontana di Trcvi are 
 healthy, and so are all the streets leading from 
 the port towards the Piazza di Spagna, but all 
 the houses against the Trinita di Monti should 
 be looked upon with a suspicious eye. The Pincian 
 Hill and the Piazza Barberini are still more salu- 
 brious than the Piazza di Spagna, and not so dear. 
 The Trinita di Monti is one of the most delightful 
 situations in Rome. From thence the situation is 
 healthy all the way to the Quattro Fontane." 
 
 In winter, however, there is little reason to 
 apprehend the effects of malaria, and any part of 
 the city in whicli visitors are accommodated is per- 
 fectly habitable ; though circumstances may lead 
 to a preference of one locality over another. 
 
 The climate of Rome is milder, and the winter 
 shorter and less severe than in other parts of 
 Italy. The air is soft, but at times oppressive, 
 and is very apt to cause depression of spirits in 
 healthy persons. Its mean winter temperature, 
 according to Sir J. Clark, is ten degrees higher 
 than London, seven higher than Pau, and one 
 Ingher than Nice. In spring it is nine degrees 
 above London, three above Pau, one above Nice, 
 one colder than Naples, and four below Madeira. 
 Sir James states also that, with respect to steadi- 
 ness of temperature from day to day, Rome 
 precedes Naples and Pau, but comes after Nice 
 and Pisa; that a third more rain falls than at 
 Nice, but it is considerably drier than at Pisa. 
 A frequent cause, liowever, of dampness at Rome, 
 
ROME. 137 
 
 is the stagnation of the air, and the exhalation 
 from the earth after snn-set, of which foreigners 
 are sometimes very sensible. The difference in 
 the temperature of the air is also very marked, 
 within the sliort space of half-an-hour at this 
 time of the day ; consequently strangers, but 
 especially invalids, should always be provided 
 with an extra garment to put on when out of 
 doors. From the tables appended to Sir J. Clark's 
 work, it appears that more rain falls throughout 
 the year in Rome than in London ; the mean 
 quantity being 31 inches in the former, and 24 
 in the latter ; the number of days on which rain 
 falls in London, on an average throughout the 
 year, is 178, while at Rome it is only 117 ; but it 
 must be borne in mind that small quantities at a 
 time, or showers, are very common in England, 
 while at Rome the rain more frequently falls 
 violently, and at particular seasons, leaving a 
 longer interval of fine weather. About the same 
 quantity of rain falls at Florence as at Rome, 
 though, from the comparative stillness of the 
 Roman atmosphere, and from that of Florence 
 being frequently agitated by winds, the climate 
 of the latter city is not oppressive like that of 
 Rome, which not unfrequently disposes to melan- 
 choly, and to nervous affections, after a prolonged 
 residence, but more especially during the pre- 
 valence of the sirocco wind, which, however, 
 agrees very well with the majority of the Romans, 
 and with many invalids. The tramontana some- 
 
1 38 ROME. 
 
 times prevails during several days in succession, 
 and affects persons prejudicially so much the 
 more easily from the previous mildness and 
 relaxing quality of the air. Many strangers who 
 expose themselves to its influence without being 
 well clothed, especially if driving against it in an 
 open carriage, or on horse-back, experience the 
 bad effect of their negligence : delicate invalids 
 should, on these occasions, confine themselves to 
 the house, or only go out in a close carriage. 
 Both valetudinarians and people in health should 
 likewise take proper precautions against the great 
 and sudden transitions of temperature, which are 
 invariably experienced in going from the open 
 air, when the sun is shining, into the cold picture 
 and statue galleries or churches. I may mention, 
 as a proof of the great difference of temperature 
 to which persons frequently subject themselves, 
 that of two thermometers placed in a window at 
 the same time, the one on the sunny side exhibited 
 91 degrees, Fahrenheit, while the mercury of 
 that in the shade stood only at 45. 
 
 Dr. Johnson justly observed, in his work on 
 "Change of Air," "The very circumstance which 
 forms the charm, the attraction, the theme of 
 praise in the Italian climate, is that which 
 renders it dangerous, because deceitful, viz., the 
 long intervals of fine weather between vicissi- 
 tudes of great magnitude. This is the bane of 
 Italy, whose brilliant suns and balmy zephyrs 
 flatter only to betray. They first enervate the 
 
ROME. 139 
 
 constitution, and when the body is ripe for the im- 
 pression of the tramontana, that ruthless blast de- 
 scends from the mountains on its hapless victims." 
 We cannot, however, wonder that so many of 
 our countrymen, who do not see the dark side of 
 the question, should have allowed themselves to 
 be captivated by the bright skies of Italy, and 
 the delightful temperature of a large proportion 
 of the winter days, when it may be truly said that 
 
 " Ein sanfter wind von blaucn Himmel weht,'* 
 
 and, as somebody has elsewhere said, one feels 
 mere existence to be a pleasure, or, as the poet 
 has expressed it — 
 
 " Simply to feel that we breathe, that we live, 
 Is worth the best joys that life elsewhere can give," 
 
 on comparing them with the fogs, humidity, and 
 variable weather of their native land ; and there 
 is no question that persons in health may, by 
 taking due precautions against the transitions of 
 temperature, derive all the advantage and gratifi- 
 cation afforded by the climate during the winter 
 months, without danger of their health being 
 prejudicially affected; but that, on the other 
 hand, a long residence in Italy (especially at 
 Rome), or even returning thither during several 
 successive winters, does, in many cases, materially 
 impair the health — ^frequently without the cause 
 being suspected — or, at all events, enervates the 
 constitution, thus diminishing the vigour of the 
 body and the energy of the mmd. 
 
140 ROME. 
 
 The relaxation and oj^pression of spirits pro- 
 duced by the stillness of the atmosphere, especially 
 during the prevalence of the sirocco, may generally 
 be removed in some degree by a canter on horse- 
 back; the person thus carried rapidly through 
 the air, without active exertion, being in much 
 the same condition as if he were himself stationary, 
 and the air agitated by winds. Many people, 
 after two or three months' residence at Rome, 
 feel themselves relaxed and out of health ; this 
 indisposition may generally be removed by an 
 excursion for a fortnight or three weeks to Naples, 
 Florence, or even Albano. 
 
 On the whole, Rome may be considered as the 
 best residence in Italy for patients labouring 
 under consumption, though, in the advanced 
 stages, little benefit can be expected ; and since 
 the climates of the continent have been better 
 understood by the profession in England, the 
 number of those who are sent out while labouring 
 under irremediable disease is much less than 
 formerly ; and comparatively few invalids have 
 latterly resorted to Rome, the great majority of the 
 English being composed of families, and travellers 
 for pleasure. In the tendency to consumption, 
 and in the early stage of this disease, much 
 advantage may, however, be frequently derived 
 from wintering at Rome for two or three succes- 
 sive years ; but persons similarly circumstanced 
 should not, in general, remain throughout the 
 summer in Italy. In some cases, Pisa agrees 
 
ROME. 141 
 
 better than Rome, in others Nice, especially when 
 the complaint is of a scrofulous origin, and the 
 patient is of a torpid or phlegmatic temperament, 
 marked by a slow, languid circulation; whereas 
 in the opposite condition, which is characterized 
 by a florid complexion, accelerated circidation 
 and respiration, Pisa or Rome would be pre- 
 ferable. In some bronchial and laryngeal diseases, 
 which are not unfrequently mistaken for disease 
 of the lungs, and which, in fact, frequently 
 superinduce diseases of these organs, the climate 
 of Rome will produce permanently beneficial 
 effects, and will often contribute materially to 
 their removal. Those cases marked by a tendency 
 to inflammatory action, or accompanied with much 
 local irritability, are in general the best adapted 
 for Rome ; while those more chronic forms, 
 especially in old people, and attended with free 
 expectoration of mucus, will often derive more 
 benefit from Nice or Naples ; though they would 
 do well to remove from these localities in the 
 spring. Many dyspeptic, rheumatic, and gouty 
 invalids, especially if of an irritable habit, will 
 likewise derive benefit from passing the winter 
 at Rome, or between Florence, Rome, and Naples. 
 Rome generally agrees well with elderly people, 
 and many attain there a great age. It does not 
 in general suit patients with neuralgic or nervous 
 affections ; neither woidd a prolonged residence 
 be advisable for those liable to cerebral con- 
 gestion. 
 
142 ROME. 
 
 It must be borne in mind that the active 
 medication employed in England would not be 
 well supported by those English who have long 
 resided in Italy, but for those who have not been 
 long enough to become acclimated I have not 
 found it necessary to make any material altera- 
 tion in the treatment of acute disease, or that 
 such persons are much more susceptible to the 
 action of remedies than they would be in England. 
 
 As regards a summer residence in the environs, 
 Mrs. Carleton observes that Tivoli and Frascati 
 are both damp, and speaks favourably of Albano, 
 which, indeed, is the usual resort both of the 
 Romans and those strangers who remain at this 
 season of the year, being perfectly cool, and far 
 more healthy than Naples and its environs. " The 
 sea breeze begins here at ten in the morning, and 
 renders the climate so temperate that our ther- 
 mometer seldom exceeded 72 of Fahrenheit, in a 
 room looking full south ; yet this room looked 
 down upon the Campagna, a nearly level surface, 
 bathed in floods of golden light during three 
 months in the year, passed without rain." 
 
 " Albano has some noble avenues, and a wood 
 belonging to Prince Doria's ViUa ; from hence 
 may be seen Rome, the sea, and the Apennines. 
 Mount Lavinium, with its solitary tower, and 
 Mount Savelli, feathered to the summit with 
 trees and shrubs, add to the beauty of the 
 prospect." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 NAPLES— ENVIRONS-NEAPOLITAN CHARACTER-CLIMATE— \^A LATINA 
 
 ABBEY OF MONTE CASINO-ROAD TO FLORENCE, BY SERNI— 
 
 MALTA— PALERMO. 
 
 The most frequented road to Naples traverses 
 the Campagna, intersected by long lines of aque- 
 ducts as far as Albano. The country between 
 Albano and Aricia is picturesque, but beyond Vel- 
 letri the road descends to the Pontine marshes, 
 through which it is carried in a straight line for 
 twenty-five miles, a great part of the way along 
 the bank of the canal, into which the water from 
 the marshes is drained. For this distance not a 
 habitation is to be seen except the half-way post 
 station, and scarcely a living being, 
 
 " Save the herdsman and hb herd, 
 Savage alike," 
 
 and an occasional wayfarer along the road. The 
 marshes are bounded on the east by the chain of 
 Apennines, on the acclivities of which are two or 
 three towns (formerly the resort of banditti), and 
 by Terracina on the south. The Circean pro- 
 montory is seen for a considerable distance, and 
 
144 NAPLES. 
 
 is the only striking object to attract the attention. 
 Terracina is situate on the shore, at the base of 
 a bold and precipitous rock, washed by the sea, 
 and where the marshes terminate. It was also 
 formerly celebrated in the annals of hrigandciije^ 
 but those days are gone, and travelling is now as 
 safe in Italy as in other civilized states of Europe, 
 the governments having pretty effectually put a 
 stop to the system of highway robbery, as it was 
 formerly methodically pursued; and when any- 
 thing of the kind now takes place, the idea and 
 plan generally arise a Vimproviste among some of 
 the peasantry, or idlers in the towns, if they 
 think a favourable opportunity presents itself. 
 As, however, a reward and pardon are generally 
 offered to any who will give up their accomplices 
 into the hands of justice, the perpetrators are 
 almost always discovered. 
 
 The couriers and the diligences in the Roman 
 states, as also in Modena, and some parts of 
 Northern Italy, are, however, still escorted by 
 dragoons, one riding on either side. 
 
 The appearance of the few people seen along 
 the Pontine marshes, at the post-stations, as also 
 of those of the neighbouring towns, is much less 
 unhealthy than some years ago; in fact, the 
 malaria has not been so destructive of late years, 
 since the improved drainage, by which many 
 parts which were formerly marshy can now be 
 cultivated. 
 
 Shortly after leaving Terracina, you enter the 
 
NAPLES. 145 
 
 Neapolitan territory, and pass through the miser- 
 able towns of Fondi, where you are detained for 
 a short time by the custom-house, and Itri, where 
 a great part of the inhabitants, covered with 
 ragged cloaks, stand scowling in the streets, and 
 looking as if they regretted the hon vieux 
 temps, when their ancestors were enabled to raise 
 forced contributions with comparative impunity. 
 Between the latter town and Mola di Gaeta, the 
 scenery is highly interesting. From Mola, which 
 stands on the sea^shore, a delightful view may be 
 enjoyed, including, in clear weather, Vesuvius — 
 
 " Che fa col foco 
 Chiara la notte, il di di fumo osciiro," 
 
 which may be seen across the bay. Hence to 
 Naples the country is level and extremely fertile, 
 being termed the Campagna Felice. You pass 
 through Capua, which, whatever might have 
 been its attractions in the days of Hannibal 
 (whose soldiers, we are told, were so captivated 
 thereby that they passed many months in slothful 
 luxury), certainly does not at present offer any 
 very strong inducements even for a temporary 
 sojourn. After passing through a long suburb, 
 you enter Naples, and drive along the Strada 
 Toledo to the quarter where strangers most do 
 congregate. 
 
 Naples is second only to Paris in the amount 
 of its population ; the crowded and bustling 
 aspect of its streets contrasts strongly with the 
 
 L 
 
146 NAPLES. 
 
 tranquillity of Rome. The author of a popular 
 work gives the following account of the street 
 population: — "The noise of Naples is enough to 
 drive a nervous man mad. It would be difficult 
 to imagine the eternal bustle and worry of the 
 streets : the people bawling and roaring at each 
 other in all directions ; beggars soliciting your 
 charity with one hand, while with the other they 
 pick your pocket of your handkerchief; the 
 carriages cutting their way through the crowd, 
 with which the streets are thronged, with a 
 fearful rapidity. It requires the patience of Job 
 to carry on any dealings with the people, who 
 are a most unconscionable set. Every bargain 
 is a battle, and it seems to be an established rule 
 to ask, on all occasions, three times as much as is 
 just." * 
 
 The city is seen to great advantage from the 
 water ; the line of white buildings extending for 
 miles along the shore, and rising one above 
 another on the acclivity of the hill, the summit 
 of which is crowned with the Castle of St. Elmo ; 
 the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida in the 
 bay, with Cape Misenum on one side ; Vesuvius 
 and the coast of Sorrento on the other, are 
 generally acknowledged to form one of the finest 
 prospects in Europe. Most of the houses are 
 lofty, and the streets narrow, of which the 
 inhabitants experience the advantage in hot 
 
 * Diary of an Invalid. 
 
NAPLES. 147 
 
 weather. With the exception of the Largo del 
 Castello, in which are the palace and the theatre 
 of St. Carlos, and of the space in front of the 
 handsome new church, St. Giovanni e Paulo, 
 built after the design of the Pantheon, there are 
 no spacious squares or places. The parts fronting 
 the bay, where strangers mostly reside, are the 
 Santa Lucia, Chiatamone, Chiaja, and Strada 
 Vittoria. The Public Garden of the Villa Reale 
 extends along the Chiaja, between the houses 
 and the sea, and is prettily laid out with shrubs 
 and parterres of flowers, among which serpentine 
 several shady walks, of which, however, there 
 is a great deficiency at Naples. The Castel del 
 Uovo stands on a rock, which is only connected 
 with the land by a drawbridge, between the 
 Chiaja and the port. The Mole always presents 
 an animated appearance, both from the movement 
 among the shipping, and also from the number 
 of idlers there assembled, listening to an im- 
 provisatore, or a reciter of Ariosto, or laughing 
 at the antics of Punch, their love for whom, 
 which used to form a national characteristic, has, 
 however, somewhat declined of late years. 
 
 Of the above-mentioned situations, the Santa 
 Lucia is the least eligible for invalids, on account of 
 its being more exposed to cold winds, which several 
 of the houses are but iU calculated to exclude.* 
 
 * Mrs. Carleton mentions, as one of the best positions, the Strada Sta. 
 Therion, and the short streets that cut it at right angles, which are dry, 
 sheltered, and not very noisy. 
 
148 NAPLES. 
 
 The number of churches at Naples remarkable 
 for beauty of architecture, or richness of interior 
 decoration, is small, compared with Rome or 
 Venice. Those best worth visiting are the 
 St. Giovanni e Paulo, the Santa Maria Maggiore, 
 and the San Martino, which is extremely rich in 
 paintings and precious marbles. It stands on 
 the hill, close to the Castle of St. Elmo. From 
 the balcony of the adjoining convent an enchant- 
 ing prospect is displayed to the view — 
 
 " Earth one bright garden, one bright lake the sea." 
 
 The flat roofs of the houses, seen from this 
 position, present a curious and novel aspect. 
 Naples possesses within itself fewer objects of 
 general interest than any other Italian capital. 
 The interior of the Royal Palace, which contains 
 some good pictures, may be viewed by special 
 permission, for which one or two dollars must be 
 paid ; but the most interesting public establish- 
 ment, to which repeated visits may be made with 
 satisfaction, is the Museo Borbonico, which almost 
 equals the Vatican in the richness of its collection 
 of statues, and contains, besides a picture gallery, 
 the fresco paintings, mosaics, gold and silver 
 ornaments, domestic utensils, Etruscan vases, &c., 
 discovered in the excavations of Pompeii and 
 Herculaneum. The process of deciphering the 
 rolls of papyrus is extremely curious, and has 
 of late made great progress. 
 
 Among the most celebrated statues may be 
 
NAPLES. 149 
 
 mentioned those of Marcus Balbus, father and 
 son, on horseback, found in Herculaneum ; 
 Aggripina, seated ; several busts of gods and 
 Roman emperors ; a colossal Flora, Homer, 
 Aristides — the latter also discovered in Hercu- 
 laneum, and one of the finest specimens of the 
 Grecian chisel extant — the Venus Callypige ; 
 the magnificent group of the Toro Farnese ; the 
 Hercules of Glycon, found in Caracalla's baths ; 
 and a large statue of our Saviour on the Cross by 
 Michael Angelo. The cabinets of antique bronzes, 
 of gems, the Etruscan antiquities, and vases, will 
 also afford gratification for many an hour. In 
 the picture gallery will be especially remarked 
 Leo the Tenth between two Cardinals, by Raphael; 
 a Landscape, by Claude ; the Guardian Angel, by 
 Domenichino ; Titian's Danae ; a Child Sleeping 
 near a Skull, by Guido. 
 
 Several splendid pictures are likewise contained 
 in the Prince of Salerno's collection, among 
 Avhich the Descent from the Cross, by Guercino ; 
 a Madonna, by Tasso Ferrato ; Daniel in the 
 Lions' Den, by Salvator Rosa; two fine large 
 Landscapes, by the same painter; two magnificen; 
 Claudes (especially the one mth water and a 
 temple); a large picture of the Madonna and 
 Child being crowned by Angels, by Guido, will 
 more especially rivet the attention. 
 
 The Albergo dei Poveri is a fine establishment, 
 containing a population of 6,000 souls, paupers 
 and orphans. The men and boys on one side. 
 
150 NAPLES. 
 
 the women and girls on the other, are employed 
 in various avocations, as tailors, shoe-makers, 
 manufactories of linen and cloth, pins, type- 
 foundry, &c. A chapel and infirmary for the 
 sick form a part of the establishment. 
 
 There are at Naples four or five large hospitals. 
 The principal one, the Inctirabile, stands in the 
 centre of the city, in an elevated position, and 
 contains about 1,400 beds; the wards are of 
 considerable length and breadth, clean, and 
 tolerably well ventilated. As at the other Italian 
 hospitals, patients are admitted on application, 
 and are attended by sceurs de la charite^ and 
 subordinate male and female attendants. Small 
 bleedings, frequently repeated, are a very general 
 practice, as in other parts of Italy ; and numerous 
 sign-boards may be seen in the streets, at the 
 barber-surgeons, representing the figure of a 
 man with blood flowing in a full stream from 
 the arms, legs, and neck. Stimulating, tonic, and 
 laxative medicines are not frequently exhibited, 
 but sedatives are more commonly used. 
 
 The environs of Naples can scarcely be sur- 
 passed for scenic beauty and interesting associa- 
 tions, whether you muse o'er Virgil's tomb, 
 explore the stupendous grotto of Pausilipo, the 
 ruins of Pozzuoli, the Lake Avernus, the classic 
 shores Baiae and Misenum — 
 
 " Where Civsars deigned with revellers reside; " 
 
 whether you sail to the islands of Ischia, Procida, 
 
NAPLES. 151 
 
 and Capri, or along the coast to Castellamare, 
 and to the orange groves of Sorrento ; or whether, 
 proceeding over fields of lava, you wander about 
 the streets of Pompeii, the city of the dead, 
 where — 
 
 " Radiant porticos appear, 
 Halls that painted columns rear, 
 Courts where central fountains played, 
 Galleries that the noon-sun shade ; 
 Here, Isis' mystic fane, and there 
 Each marbled structur'd theatre ! 
 What though no roof the radiant courts enclose, 
 Fantastic figures beaming from below. 
 Along the rich mosaic brightly glow ; 
 All that from Raphael's fairy pencil flows. 
 In graceful arabesques the walls adorn, 
 Wmg'd nymphs that float in air, and wind the wreathed horn." 
 
 Sotheby's Italy. 
 
 The ascent of Vesuvius is practicable on mules 
 for about a mile further than the hermitage. As 
 this is a work of difficulty and labour, it should 
 not be attempted by invalids, who, if desirous of 
 ascending, should be carried up in a chaise d 
 porteur. The last eruption has very much altered 
 the aspect of the mountain. You have now to 
 ascend to the summit over hardened lava, instead 
 of through ashes and scoriae, as was the case 
 several years ago. The form of the crater is 
 likewise so much changed as to be no longer 
 recognizable by those who had seen it in its 
 former state. There is now no central crater, 
 but the whole forms a regular funnel-shaped 
 
152 THE NEAPOLITANS. 
 
 descent, with here and there several large fissures, 
 through which sulphurous smoke and flame issue. 
 The panorama of the city, the bay, its shores and 
 islands, the chain of mountains, with Pompeii, 
 which appears to lie immediately beneath, is one 
 of the finest in the universe.* 
 
 The Neapolitans have more vivacity than the 
 Romans. Most of the upper classes have but 
 little general information, and, like those of 
 Genoa, seem to care for little else than the 
 enjoyment of the passing hour. Eustace, speak- 
 ing of them (though his account would be 
 somewhat overcharged if written at the present 
 day), attributes the dissoluteness of manners to 
 the enervating influence of the climate, the 
 absence of moral principle, the facility of obtain- 
 ing absolution, the formation of marriages from 
 motives of convenance, the absolute nature of the 
 government, which, by restricting the whole 
 power in the sovereign and in the ministers, 
 deprives the nobility of motives for exertion or 
 employment. " Hence," says he, "without motive 
 for exertion, they allow the nobler faculties of 
 the soul, which have no object to engross them, 
 to slumber in lethargic indolence ; while the 
 sexual appetites, whose indulgence is always 
 within reach, are in full activity, and engross all 
 their time and attention. Hence their days are 
 spent in visits, gaming, and intrigue, and their 
 
 * A railroad extends from the city to Castellamave, and in the opposite 
 Erection to Capua. 
 
THE NEAPOLITANS. 153 
 
 minds are confined to the incident of the hour, 
 the petty cabals of the court, and the vicissitudes 
 of their own circle. They are never called to 
 the country by the management of their estates, 
 which they leave entirely in the hands of their 
 stewards; they live in the capital, forgetting 
 themselves and their duties in an uninterrupted 
 vortex of dissipation, and have neither opportunity 
 nor, perhaps, inclination to harbour serious 
 reflection. Idleness, therefore, is the curse and 
 misfortune of the Neapolitans, and, indeed, of all 
 foreign nobility. It is the bane which, in 
 despotic governments, enfeebles the powers and 
 blots out all the virtues of the human mind. To 
 it we may boldly attribute the spirit of intrigue 
 which at Naples so often defiles the purity of the 
 marriage bed, and dries up the very source of 
 domestic happiness." - 
 
 Among the middle classes information is more 
 diffused, and literature and science are more 
 cultivated. The state of medicine and surgery 
 is higher than at Home, and fully equal to that 
 of Northern Italy. Most of the shopkeepers and 
 lower classes are covetous and over-reaching, and 
 the stranger will require to look pretty sharp in 
 his dealings with them, so that the account from 
 the " Diary of an Invalid," introduced a few 
 pages back, holds equally good at the present day 
 in this respect, and also as regards the picking of 
 pockets. The lower orders are, however, mostly 
 good-humoured, and quick at repartee, though 
 
154 THE NEAPOLITANS. 
 
 passionate and disinclined for more exertion than 
 is sufficient to enable them to exist from day to 
 day ; and nowhere is the "/ar neinte " better 
 exemplified, both in the higher and lower ranks, 
 than in the Neapolitan states. The Lazzaroni, as 
 a body, may be said to exist no longer, though 
 hundreds of raggamuffins may be seen about the 
 streets idling, begging, or attending upon the 
 hackney carriages, which cannot be engaged 
 without one or more being perched up behind. 
 Many of them are exceedingly well formed, 
 muscular, and are able to go through a great 
 deal of hard labour. 
 
 The late revolutionary movements having 
 extended to Naples, and obliged the king (no 
 longer of the two Sicilies) to accede to a represen- 
 tative form of government, will, doubtless, soon 
 alter the character of the people, and lead to the 
 fuller development of the resources of the 
 country. * 
 
 Of the Neapolitans, as compared with the 
 Eomans, Mrs. Carle ton observes, " Naples is the 
 
 * Since the above was written, the double dealing of the king has been 
 manifested, in the collision, attended with considerable loss of life, between 
 the citizens and National Guard on the one side, and the militaiy, aided 
 by the Lazzaroni and the rabble, on the other ; the support of these latter 
 having been obtained by granting them the pillage of the city for several 
 hours, large numbers of the citizens having been killed, and innumerable 
 atrocities committed. The reign of terror was thus established, for a 
 time, in the capital; the provinces, however, having risen, and being 
 aided by the Sicilians, a re-action was imminent ; and, according to the 
 latest £iccounts, the abdication of the king might be expected, as he was 
 shipping his carriages and treasures. 
 
CLIMATE OF NAPLES. 155 
 
 worst for pilfering, Rome is the worst for villany. 
 The Neapolitans are a good-natured, lying, and 
 thieving population ; the passions of the Romans 
 lie deeper ; the Neapolitans stab less because 
 they chatter more ; and their irritability is partly 
 expended in abuse." 
 
 As far as I have been able to observe, I think 
 the bad character which she gives the Romans 
 is exaggerated. 
 
 The climate of Naples, though perhaps the 
 driest in Italy, is at times exceedingly changeable 
 with respect to variations of temperature, which 
 are often great, frequent, and sudden. Cutting 
 winds sometimes prevail with severity, especially 
 in spring; that part of the city inhabited by 
 strangers, termed the Sta. Lucia, is particularly 
 exposed to their influence, while, at the same 
 time, the sun has frequently great power, and 
 renders invalids extremely susceptible ; persons, 
 therefore, with diseases of the lungs and air- 
 passages, or rheumatism, should not remain at 
 Naples in February and March. During Novem- 
 ber, December, and frequently the greater part 
 of January, the weather is usually fine and 
 mild. 
 
 The climate does not in general disagree vdth 
 dyspeptic and nervous patients, unless there be a 
 liigh degree of excitability ; and those whose 
 general health is disordered, without any existing 
 disease, may usually pass the winter very well at 
 Naples. The climate is generally found to be 
 
156 CLIMATE OF NAPLES. 
 
 too exciting for gouty patients of an irritable or 
 plethoric habit. The sirocco is more severely 
 felt than elsewhere in Italy, and, by its relaxing 
 and paralysing influence, frequently renders 
 persons incapable, during its prevalence, of either 
 mental or bodily exertion. After the month of 
 April, the heat in the middle of the day is so 
 great that scarcely anybody is to be seen in the 
 streets, most of the Neapolitans being engaged 
 in taking their siesta, in order to be able to 
 appear in the evening. The weather during 
 April and May is delightful. 
 
 There are two mineral springs rising from a 
 dirty part of the beach, opposite Sta. Lucia, 
 which are a good deal used for drinking, both by 
 the higher and lower classes, in the summer, a 
 string of carriages being frequently seen waiting, 
 while the water is handed in turn to their occu- 
 pants. The springs are both cool : one of them 
 has a slight sulphurous impregnation. The 
 sulphuretted hydrogen, however, speedily escapes 
 after the water has been drawn from the spring, 
 and the saline substance is in very minute 
 quantity. The other, or Aqua Ferrata, is, as its 
 name implies, a chalybeate spring. It has not 
 an unpleasant taste, but the saline and ferrugi- 
 nous impregnation is veiy slight. Each pint 
 contains about seven cubic inches of carbonic 
 acid gas. It may be useful in some forms of 
 dyspepsia from debility of stomach, and as a 
 refreshing drink in summer, though its medicinal 
 
MALTA. 157 
 
 properties would be but inefficient in most cases 
 where tonics are required. 
 
 According to Mrs. Carleton, " the coolest 
 and pleasantest summer residence in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Naples is Sorrento. Castella- 
 mare is also one of the most beautiful places 
 near Naples, but it is also the dampest, being 
 placed on the side of a high hill, covered 
 with high trees from the foot to the summit. 
 These cool groves are intersected by delightful 
 walks, in which respect it is superior to Sorrento, 
 where the pedestrian toils along narrow, hot, and 
 dusty roads, shut out from the garden of the Hes- 
 perides by stone walls, but then it has the advan- 
 tage of Castellamare in rides. The latter is not 
 only damp but dear, being the most fashionable 
 of all the Neapolitan watering-places. 
 
 " As a residence^ Naples has defects that can 
 hardly be compensated by its surrounding beau- 
 ties, the climate is changeable, the rains abundant, 
 the water bad, the gnats innumerable, the noise 
 incessant, the baths limited, the language detest- 
 able ; in all which respects, except rain, it is the 
 opposite of Rome : in cheapness and masters it is 
 inferior, and only equal in roguery." 
 
 Possessing the advantages of an Italian climate, 
 without being so subject to great and sudden 
 transitions of temperature as some of the places 
 of resort in Italy, Malta has been a good deal 
 frequented by invalids, especially since the Queen 
 Dowager was induced to select it for a winter 
 
158 
 
 MALTA. 
 
 residence. Forming moreover a part of the British 
 dominions, Malta may be made more available 
 for the purpose, should the disturbances in the 
 southern peninsula continue, so as to render a 
 prolonged sojourn there hazardous. The island 
 is about sixty miles in circumference, eighteen in 
 length, and twelve at its greatest breadth ; and, 
 from the absence of high grounds or mountains, 
 is not perceived at sea until approaching within 
 a few miles. This has been signalized by one of 
 the Italian poets — 
 
 " Giace Malta fra I'onda occulta e bassa," 
 
 and, according to one of the English physicians, 
 the highest ground is not more than 600 feet 
 above the level of the sea. 
 
 In summer the heat is excessive, the ground 
 being parched up for the want of rain, which 
 falls in torrents at stated seasons in spring and 
 autumn. The sirocco is likewise oppressively 
 felt. The winter cHmate is tolerably equable. 
 Dr. Liddell says, that from the middle of October 
 to the middle of January the weather is delightful, 
 except during the occasional prevalence of a 
 north-east wind. The air is pure and clear, being 
 freshened by the north-west wind, which chiefly 
 prevails, and is agreeable. About the middle of 
 January, however, the weather becomes more 
 unsettled, and in the two following months is 
 often tempestuous and rainy. 
 
 Dr. Liddell states the climate of Malta to be 
 
PALERMO. 159 
 
 more especially suited to chronic bronchitis, with 
 asthma, scrofula cases, dyspepsia, and hypochon- 
 driasis, and a generally disordered condition of 
 the health. It usually agrees well with elderly 
 persons. 
 
 Strangers reside principally in Valetta, which, 
 says Sir James Clark, "is built on a declivity, 
 sloping from south to north-east, and is one of 
 the finest towns in Europe. The principal streets 
 run north and south, and are swept by cold 
 northerly winds. The houses are excellent, and 
 the rooms large and lofty. Country houses, with 
 gardens and orange groves, may be readily 
 obtained at a short distance from the city. The 
 markets are plentifully supplied ; and Valetta is 
 abundantly provided with excellent water, brought 
 from a spring, six miles distant, by an aqueduct. 
 The principal streets are clean, either paved or 
 macadamized, and readily dry after rain. The 
 roads leadmg to the country, or round the 
 harbour, are in good condition, but they are of 
 no great extent or variety. The most desirable 
 places for a winter residence are those with a 
 southern and eastern aspect, near the Barraccas." 
 
 Casal Lia, three miles distant, is, according to 
 Dr. Liddell, an unexceptional residence for pul- 
 monary invalids, being well sheltered, and close 
 to the public garden, St. Antonio. The houses 
 are generally large and good; but Dr. Liddell 
 fears that proper accommodation and comfort 
 for invalids could not be obtained. 
 
160 PALERMO. 
 
 Palermo likewise enjoys an equable winter 
 climate ; the accommodation is, however, but 
 indifferent, and the city offers but few resources 
 to visitors. 
 
 "A mere traveller," says Mrs. Carleton, " would 
 never suspect that the soft and balmy air of 
 Palermo was unfavourable to diseased lungs, yet 
 it is so, being of an exciting nature, but in a 
 less degree than the treacherous breeze of Naples, 
 which may be called irritating. However, the 
 fatal malaria lurks in the surrounding country, 
 and the admirers of fine scenery must not be 
 tempted to lead a rural life in the beautiful spots 
 that abound in the neighbourhood. With respect 
 to accommodation, as Palermo is not the usual 
 resort of invalids, they must not expect to find 
 English comfort, English doctors, and snug 
 lodgings. To conclude, notwithstanding the 
 disadvantages that have been enumerated, those 
 who have wintered at Palermo speak well of it, 
 and the pleasantness and steadiness of its tem- 
 perature, and the beauty of its situation, will 
 always make it agreeable to visitors." 
 
 On leaving Naples to return to Rome, the 
 traveller, who has already passed by Terracina 
 and the Pontine marshes, will be gratified by 
 taking the route through Caserta — visiting its 
 palace and modern aqueduct en passant — to 
 Capua. The fine amphitheatre stands by the 
 road-side, three miles from the to^vn, and though 
 larger than those of Verona or Nismes, is not 
 
VIA LATINA. 161 
 
 nearly in such good preservation, a great part of 
 the outer circle being in ruins. Like the 
 Coliseum, it is constructed of large blocks of 
 travertino, without the use of either mortar or 
 cement, their mere weight being sufficient to 
 keep them together. A little beyond Capua, 
 the road to Rome by St. Germano, the ancient 
 Via Latina, branches off to the right from that 
 by Terracina, and is thirty miles shorter. The 
 country is likewise more beautiful and interesting, 
 and, on approaching St. Germano, is highly 
 picturesque. This town lies at the base of a 
 rocky pinnacle, croAvned by a ruined castle, and 
 at the extremity of a fertile plain, enclosed by 
 mountains. High up on the moimtain, im- 
 mediately behind it, stands the celebrated Bene- 
 dictine Abbey of Monte Casino, which forms 
 a striking feature in the distant view, and is 
 a principal inducement for travellers to take this 
 route. You ascend by a steep and stony road 
 (in many parts cut into steps, and only practicable 
 for pedestrians and mules), through immense 
 detached masses of blueish rock, with which the 
 side of the mountain is covered, and between 
 which grow tufts of long rank grass, forming a 
 chaotic and indescribably curious scene. It 
 requires "an hour's good walking to reach the 
 abbey, and few scenes can compare with that 
 which is exhibited from the platform. The 
 desolateness and the wild sublimity of the moun- 
 tains, grouped together in a variety of forms, 
 
 M 
 
162 ST. GERMANO. 
 
 and enclosing, as in a frame, the plain and town 
 of St. Germano, will leave a lasting impression 
 on the mind. The abbey is a splendid quadrila- 
 teral edifice, its several parts being built round 
 five spacious court-yards ; the cells are neatly 
 fitted up. There is a collection of pictures, and 
 the library is large, and contains many valuable 
 published works and manuscripts. 
 
 The church is richly endowed, and is resplen- 
 dent wdth paintings and precious marbles. It 
 contains also some fine specimens of carved wood- 
 work. The number of monks amounts to about 
 forty ; and there is a seminary of eighty boys and 
 young men, who are educated for the priesthood. 
 Travellers are boarded and lodged for a few days; 
 some remain for several weeks as inmates of the 
 abbey. Ladies are permitted to see the church, 
 but, as in other monasteries, are not permitted 
 to enter the rest of the building — 
 
 " Lest haply seen a form too fair, 
 Immingle with the hermit's prayer, 
 And downward draw liis heaven-cast eye 
 To earthly angel, passing by," 
 
 The view, however, from the summit of the 
 mountain is alone sufficient to repay the trouble 
 of the ascent. A minute description of the 
 abbey, and of the objects of interest along the 
 Via Latina, is given in the Guide Book. 
 
 On leaving St. Germano, you drive through a 
 beautiful but thinly populated country, where 
 scarcely a house is to be seen, except the half- 
 
ROAD TO FLORENCE. 163 
 
 way inn at Melfi. Before arriving at Ceprano, 
 the frontier town of the Roman states, the 
 traveller passes beneath the ancient fortress of 
 Rocca D'Arce, on the summit of a rocky moun- 
 tain, and afterwards through the old towns of 
 Frosinone and Ferrentino, with narrow dirty 
 streets, and a scowling, brigand-looking, pauj)er 
 population. From Ferrentino to Valmontone the 
 country is flat, deserted, and uncultivated, though 
 the environs of Valmontone are interesting. 
 
 After leaving this town, you have to drive 
 across tAventy-five miles of the Campagna before 
 arriving at the entrance to Rome, by the Porta 
 Maggiore, which, having been recently cleared 
 of the stones and rubbish by which it was 
 encumbered, is now the finest gate of the city. 
 
 Those who have leisure and inclination may, 
 by going a little out of the road, explore the 
 ancient Volscian cities, Arpino and Arquino, 
 the Isola di Sora, and the Pelasgic fortress of 
 Alatri. 
 
 The road from Rome to Florence, by Perugia, 
 branches off to the right beyond Baccano, and is 
 much more interesting than that by Sienna, the 
 country being diversified with hill and dale, 
 woods, and cultivated lands. The towns and 
 villages are cleaner, better built, and there is an 
 air of greater neatness and comfort among the 
 people than elsewhere in the Papal territories. 
 
 Nepi and Civita Castellana are placed on the 
 edge of deep ravines, the precipitous sides of 
 
164 PERUGIA CORTONA. 
 
 which are thickly clothed with trees and brush- 
 wood, and, seen from a distance, have a striking 
 and picturesque appearance. The position of 
 Narni is also very fine; lying on the edge of a 
 rocky dell, and crowning a commanding eminence, 
 at the base of which flows the Nar (across which 
 are seen the remains of an immense bridge, 
 built by Augustus), it overlooks an extensive 
 plain, surrounded by mountains, at the opposite 
 extremity of which stands Terni, Avhich is a neat, 
 well-built town, in a delightful situation. The 
 celebrated cascade, formed by the Velino, is 
 about five miles distant, and is surrounded by 
 scenery of the most interesting kind. 
 
 Between Terni and Perugia the country is, for 
 the most part, agreeable and hilly. You cross 
 the mountain La Somma, and descend to Spoleto, 
 near which a fine aqueduct stands by the road- 
 side, and where the roads from Florence and 
 from the Adriatic meet. Perugia is a large town 
 of great antiquity, standing on a steep hill, but 
 presents little to attract the notice of the passing 
 traveller. The principal square contains two or 
 three fine edifices, but the population is small, 
 and the streets have a melancholy and deserted 
 appearance. 
 
 Descending from Perugia, you shortly reach 
 the classic shore of Thrasimene, and a few miles 
 farther on, pass beneath the hill on which stands 
 the ancient city of Cortona, now a large dilapi- 
 dated-looking town, and shortly after arrive at 
 
AREZZO. 165 
 
 Arezzo, the birth-place of Petrarch, a neat town, 
 paved with flag-stones, and possessing a handsome 
 cathedral. Between Arezzo and Florence the 
 road passes through a pretty country, following 
 the windings of the Arno, between cultivated 
 and well-wooded hills. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 BOLOGNA — PARMA — MILAN — PELLAGRA— Til E LA KES — THE SIMPLON 
 VALLEY OF THE RIIONE-CRETINISM— BATHS OF LEUK. 
 
 On leaving Florence for Bologna, shortly after 
 having passed the handsome Porta St. Gallo, the 
 traveller begins to ascend the " Alpestri Apen- 
 nini," and soon enjoys a delightful view of the 
 Val d'Arno, " girt by her theatre of hills." 
 During a succession of ascents and descents, the 
 road presents many fine views of mountain 
 scenery. The prospect from le Maschere, of a 
 valley encircled by mountains, grouped together 
 in picturesque forms, is strikingly fine ; as is also 
 the view of the stern and rugged mountains near 
 Covigliajo. At Loiano you again enter the States 
 of the Church, and from a hill above the town 
 may enjoy a view of the plains of Lombardy, 
 bounded on the north by the chain of Alps, and 
 of the two seas : — 
 
 " D'ltalia quanto il Po ne irriga, e quanto 
 L'Apennin, I'Alpe, e d'Adria il mar nc serra." 
 
 More wooden crosses will be seen on the road- 
 side between Florence and Bologna than in any 
 
BOLOGNA. 167 
 
 other part of Italy. They must not, however, 
 always be regarded as " memorials frail of mur- 
 derous wrath," but indicate the spot where any 
 accident attended with loss of life has occurred. 
 Shortly after leaving Loiano, you desend to the 
 plain, and arrive at Bologna, situate at its southern 
 extremity. 
 
 The city has a population of about 70,000 
 souls ; the streets are clean, and are lined with 
 arcades, on which the houses are built. The 
 principal square, containing the Old Palace, 
 the church of St. Petronio (the patron saint), 
 and other public buildings, with a fountain in 
 its centre, embellished with a statue of Neptune, 
 has a striking and antique appearance. The two 
 leaning towers are ugly square piles of brick, 
 standing close together, and inclining towards 
 each other. Asinelli's tower is upwards of 300 
 feet high ; a fine prospect may be enjoyed from 
 its summit. It declines four feet from the 
 perpendicular. The other tower is about half 
 as high, and has a declination of eight feet. 
 Bologna possesses a large and handsome theatre, 
 and the corps dramatique is generally very good. 
 
 The collection of pictures, though small, is 
 select, and contains several chefs d'oeuvres, among 
 which may be mentioned, as more particularly 
 deserving attention, the Crucifixion, by Jacopo 
 di Bologna ; St. Bruno, by Guercino ; the Con- 
 version of St. Paul, by Ludovico Caracci; the 
 Madonna della Pieta, and the Massacre of the 
 
168 BOLOGNA. 
 
 Innocents, by Guido ; the St. Cecilia of Raphael, 
 and the Madonna del Rosario, by Domenichino. 
 The Zampieri, and one or two other palaces, 
 also contain a few good pictures. 
 
 The University, which in former times was 
 crowded with students from almost all the 
 countries in Europe, is now but thinly attended. 
 Its having fallen off of late years is partly to be 
 ascribed to political circumstances, and also that 
 foreign students are not admitted unless they be 
 of the Catholic religion. The number, conse- 
 quently, does not exceed five hundred. Among 
 the celebrated men who studied at Bologna may 
 be enumerated Valsalva, Malpighi, and Galvani. 
 The building contains a good library, museums 
 of human, comparative, and pathological anatomy, 
 and of natural history. In the former is a 
 collection of wax models of healthy and diseased 
 structure, of the natural size. Those specimens 
 which illustrate the Pellagra and the Morbus 
 Ceruleus are exceedingly well executed. Bo- 
 logna ranks high among the Italian schools of 
 medicine. 
 
 The most prevalent diseases are inflammatory 
 and intermittent fevers, inflammations of the 
 lungs and air passages, and rheumatism. Pel- 
 lagra is not uncommon in the neighbourhood, 
 less so, however, than in the Milanese. 
 
 The inhabitants of Bologna, and, indeed, all 
 those of Romagna, are more vivacious and 
 irritable than the rest of the subjects of his 
 
BOLOGNA. 169 
 
 Holiness, and not unfrequently give the govern- 
 ment considerable trouble by their political 
 tendencies, notwithstanding they enjoy some 
 special privileges distinct from the Romans. 
 The character given them by one of their poets — 
 
 " II Bolognese c un popol del demonio, 
 Che nou si piio freuar con alcun freno," * 
 
 might apply to many of them in the present day. 
 By the new constitution they are, however, now 
 represented at Rome by delegates, elected by 
 themselves. 
 
 The Bolognese are not dependent on the state 
 of the weather for walking exercise, for, besides 
 the arcades in the streets, others, consisting of 
 six hundred and forty arches, extend from the 
 town to the church of the Madonna della Guardia, 
 wliich stands on one of the lower Apennines, 
 three miles distant from the city. These have been 
 constructed by means of contributions from rich 
 individuals, and from the associations of the 
 professional, trading, and other classes of the 
 community. From the principal arcade another 
 branches off, leading to the Campo Santo, an 
 extremely well-arranged and interesting esta- 
 blishment for burying the dead, opened some 
 years ago. It is about a mile distant from 
 the town, and comprises several acres of 
 ground, planted with trees and shiubs, enclosed 
 
 * Tassoui, Stcchia Rapita. 
 
170 MODENA PARMA. 
 
 between elegant colonnades, lined with handsome 
 tombs, statues, and marble monuments. There 
 are likewise long covered passages and vaults 
 beneath the pavement, with spaces partitioned 
 off for interment, as in the catacombs. Among 
 the monuments will be remarked one erected to 
 the memory of the female professor of Greek, 
 the last of the female professors who taught in 
 the University. 
 
 Bologna possesses no inducement for the pro- 
 longed sojourn of strangers. There is but little 
 society beyond an occasional soiree^ as a large 
 proportion of the upper classes pass their evenings 
 at the theatre. The winter climate is bad, from 
 the situation of the town on the northern side of 
 the Apennines, the weather being frequently 
 damp and cold. 
 
 After quitting Bologna, you enter the fertile 
 territory of Modena. The town is handsome, 
 and chiefly consists of a single wide street, 
 whence a few streets branch off on either side. 
 The palace contains some good pictures, which 
 may be visited en passant. The peasantry and 
 lower classes in this small territory are remarkable 
 for their beauty. 
 
 The principal streets of Parma are spacious 
 and well-paved, but the population is small when 
 compared with the size of the town. The Royal 
 Academy contains a large and well-arranged 
 public library, and a collection of pictures^ 
 among which are some of the best productions 
 
PARMA. 171 
 
 of Correggio, by whom also there are fine fresco 
 paintings in the churches. The great theatre, 
 capable of containing 6,000 spectators, is now in 
 ruins, but an elegant new theatre was constructed 
 by the Duchess Maria Louisa. The hospital 
 contains about four hundred beds ; the wards 
 are lofty and airy, but too spacious to admit of 
 their being properly warmed in winter. The 
 pellagra is prevalent in the surrounding country. 
 
 There are in Parma several charitable institu- 
 tions ; one of them, the Congregazione Pietosa 
 della Carita, was formed as far back as the 
 fifteenth century, for the relief and medical 
 assistance of the poor. One half of its members 
 are ecclesiastics, the other half is composed of 
 nobles and citizens. Two members of the society 
 are attached in rotation to each district of the 
 town and its environs, whose duty it is to seek 
 out and relieve those who need assistance. The 
 medical duties are performed by physicians and 
 surgeons, who are elected every three years. 
 The affairs of the society are arranged by a 
 committee of twelve members, six secular, six 
 ecclesiastical, who are divided into pairs, each pair 
 having a particular department to superintend. 
 
 Beyond Piacenza the traveller crosses the two 
 branches of the Po, upon bridges of boats, and 
 is reminded, by the custom-house on the bank, 
 that the river is the boundary of 
 
 " Fruitful Lombardy, 
 The pleasant garden of great Italy ; " 
 
172 MILAN. 
 
 in passing through which, however, he will 
 scarcely fail to notice the unhealthy aspect of 
 the peasantry, who are very liable to fevers and 
 other diseases, which are chiefly to be ascribed 
 to the irrigation and cultivation of the rice fields. 
 
 The duchies of Parma and Modena have, like 
 larger states, had their pronunciamento^ got rid 
 of their sovereigns, and established provisional 
 governments. This, together with the customs 
 league between Rome, Tuscany, and Sardinia, 
 will facilitate the traveller's progress by lessening 
 the anoyance of passports and douanes. 
 
 Milan has more of the appearance of a capital 
 than any other city in Italy. The houses are 
 lofty, the streets clean, wide, lined with showy 
 shops, and paved in the centre with strips of 
 flag-stones, on which the carriages roll smoothly 
 along. The throng of well-dressed pedestrians, 
 and the number of handsome equipages, indicate 
 the prosperous condition of the inhabitants. 
 Milan, however, contains but few objects cal- 
 culated to interest the majority of travellers. 
 The only public edifice conspicuous for beauty is 
 the cathedral, the whiteness of which dazzles the 
 beholder, and the numerous pinnacles, each 
 crowned with a statue, produce a rich and novel 
 effect. The view from the spire of the extensive 
 plains, with their stupendous northern barrier, 
 
 " Alps on Alps in clusters swelling," 
 
 and of the long line of Apennines, stretching 
 
MILAN. 173 
 
 southward till lost in the distance, is strikingly 
 magnificent. There is a public collection of pic- 
 tures in the Palace of the Brera. Among the 
 most valuable pictures are Abraham and Hagar, 
 by Guercino ; St. Peter and St. Paul, by Guide ; 
 the Last Supper, by Rubens ; and two land- 
 scapes, by Salvator Rosa. 
 
 The theatre of La Scala is, after St. Carlo, the 
 largest in Italy. The boxes are so constructed, 
 and furnished with blinds, as to screen the occu- 
 pants from observation. It is the custom at 
 Milan, more than elsewhere, to receive company 
 in the boxes. The operatic corps is not generally 
 very superior, but the ballets d' action are extremely 
 well got up. 
 
 The handsome triumphal gate, commenced by 
 Napoleon, was completed a few years ago, and is 
 one of the objects best worth visiting. On the 
 esplanade, near it, is a modern amphitheatre, 
 large enough to contain thirty thousand spec- 
 tators, in which chariot races, in imitation of 
 those of antiquity, occasionally take place. 
 
 The Spedale Grande is one of the largest hos- 
 pitals in Europe ; its facade measures nine hun- 
 dred feet, and it encloses several court-yards. The 
 number of patients is about a thousand, though 
 nearly twice as many could be accommodated. 
 As in most of the other Italian hospitals, there 
 are a few separate apartments for those who can 
 afford to contribute towards their maintenance. 
 Most of the articles for the use of the patients, as 
 
174 MILAN. 
 
 bread, bedding, blankets, clothes, &c., are manu- 
 factured within the hospital. The treatment of 
 disease appears to me to be rational, and is less 
 based upon exclusive theories than upon the 
 observation of symptoms, and the special indica- 
 tions in individual cases. 
 
 The hospital for the insane is situate about a 
 mile from the town, in a locality where consider- 
 able humidity must prevail, from the numerous 
 canals for irrigation. It contains about five hun- 
 dred beds. Many of the patients are employed in 
 works about the establishment, as gardening, 
 carrying water or wood, the manufacture of 
 articles of clothing, shoes, &c., the women in 
 knitting, spinning, and similar avocations. The 
 remedial means principally adopted, in cases 
 where a high degree of cerebral excitement 
 exists, consists in the occasional abstraction of 
 blood, laxatives, baths, and sedatives, especially 
 morphine. Several of the inmates had large 
 goitres, and in many mental alienation had 
 supervened upon repeated attacks of pellagra. 
 
 On account of the neighbourhood of Milan 
 to the Alps, its climate in winter is cold and 
 damp, and occasionally foggy. The irrigation of 
 the rice-fields, with which the Milanese abounds, 
 is a fertile source of fevers of all types, which, 
 together with thoracic inflammations, phthisis, 
 rheumatism, and afi'ections of the digestive organs, 
 are the most prevalent diseases. Large goitres 
 and scrofulous complaints are likewise very 
 
MILAN PELLAGRA. 175 
 
 common. A disease, however, which may be 
 considered as endemic in Lombardy is the pel- 
 lagra — of which the hospitals contain numerous 
 specimens. This complaint is characterized by 
 general derangement of the nervous and digestive 
 apparatus, with hypochondriasis, and frequently 
 a propensity to suicide, or to destroy others, 
 especially children. There exists at the same 
 time a chronic inflammation of the skin, more 
 particularly afiecting those parts which are most 
 exposed to the action of the sun, as the neck, 
 hands, and arms, which become covered with a 
 dark brown scaly eruption. The disease was 
 unknown before 1778: it generally occurs in 
 spring and summer, many individuals being 
 affected at these periods during several successive 
 years, who become comparatively well as the 
 summer advances, and usually terminates, after 
 repeated attacks, in paralysis, visceral disorganiza- 
 tion, or mental alienation, and is confined to the 
 poorer classes, who are badly clothed and fed; 
 being more common among the inhabitants of the 
 mountainous districts about Como and Bergamo 
 than those of the plain. The causes of this 
 disease are enveloped in considerable obscurity. 
 The use of bread badly baked, or made with 
 damaged Indian corn, which is customary among 
 the peasantry of these districts, has been enume- 
 rated by medical men as one of its causes ; but, 
 in all probability, more depends upon the locality 
 in which they live than upon the quality of their 
 
176 THE LAKE OF COMO. 
 
 food, as the ]3atients generally become better if 
 their residence and mode of life be changed. 
 
 Many individuals among the higher classes of 
 the Milanese are well informed, and are fond of 
 study and of travelling. Most of the women are 
 tall and have finely-formed features: they have 
 for the most part adopted, as in other large 
 towns, the French mode of dress, which has 
 almost entirely superseded the graceful and 
 becoming costume of the middle and inferior 
 classes. Milan was not an agreeable place of 
 residence for strangers, under the Austrian regime 
 society having been much fettered by the system 
 of espionage pursued by government : the success 
 of the recent revolution, and the emancipation 
 from their galling yoke will, however, doubtless 
 tend to elevate the character of the people, and 
 improve the tone of society, as well as to develope 
 the national resources. As, however, Austria is 
 not likely to give up the Lombard-Venetian 
 kingdom without a severe struggle, it may yet be 
 long before peace be restored and a permanent 
 form of government established in Northern 
 Italy.* 
 
 The drive to the lakes is highly interesting, the 
 country being beautiful, fertile, and embellished 
 with neat villas. Como is a pretty town, delight- 
 
 * By the latest accounts, the war is being cai-ried on ; Lombardy has 
 been ceded to Charles Albert, and joined to Piedmont. This measure is 
 thought more likely to be an efficient barrier against the entrance of the 
 French into Italy than if Lombardy had remained a republic. 
 
LAGO MAGGIORE. 177 
 
 fully situate on the shore of the lake, and sur- 
 rounded on the land side by lofty and verdant 
 hills. The lake itself is enclosed between hills 
 clothed with verdure, on the sides of which are 
 numerous villages ; their base being embellished 
 with towns and handsome villas skirting the 
 shores. The most beautiful part is at Bellagio, 
 where the lake of Lecco joins that of Como : — 
 
 " Sweet it is to behold, on either side, 
 The crystal flood divide, 
 Making an isle of that green eminence ; 
 And watch the sails that flash'd on the far stream. 
 Now seen, now lost ; 
 
 Like fire-flies glancing through the moonlight gleam. 
 As winds the current cross'd." 
 
 Sothehy. 
 
 A few days may be agreeably passed at Ca- 
 denabbia, nearly opposite to Bellagio. The villas 
 Somariva and Melfi, in the neighbourhood, will 
 well repay the trouble of a visit. The galleries cut 
 through the rocks for several hundred feet along 
 the edge of the lake near Varenna, forming part 
 of the new road leading to the Stelvio, will like- 
 wise be visited with interest. This road branches 
 off to the right before aniving at Chiavenna, 
 at the upper end of the lake, and where the 
 ascent of the Splugen commences. 
 
 The scenic features of the Lago Maggiore 
 differ materially from those of Como. The lake 
 itself is much wider, and the mountains at its 
 upper part are more bold, lofty, and rugged, than 
 those which enclose the lake of Como ; but, on 
 
 N 
 
178 THE SIMPLON. 
 
 advancing to the south, become softened down 
 into gently rising hills, covered with vineyards 
 and corn-fields, while numerous towns and ham- 
 lets lie at their base, adorning the shores. The 
 Boromean islands, seen from a distance, have a 
 pleasing effect, and, with the distant Alpine range, 
 add to the variety and interest of the scene. 
 
 Leaving the shore of the lake at Baveno, the 
 traveller shortly afterwards arrives at Domo 
 D'Ossola, the first town presented to the view on 
 descending from the Simplon, and which, with 
 the rich plain where it lies, together with the 
 white villas scattered about the hills, is well 
 calculated to convey a favourable impression of 
 Italy. The ascent of the Simplon from the 
 bridge of Crevola is gradual as far as I sella, the 
 road being carried along the edge of the Vedro, 
 through scenery of a strikingly wild and romantic 
 character. Beyond Isella you pass through the 
 sombre defile of Gondo, which presents scenery 
 surpassing in wildness and sublimity that of any 
 other Alpine pass. The ascent then becomes 
 steeper, and the road is seen from below, wind- 
 ing its way upwards in several zig-zag turns, 
 
 *' Like a silver zone 
 Flung about carelessly, it shines afar, 
 Catching the eye in many a broken link. 
 In many a turn and traverse as it glides ; 
 And oft above, and oft below, appears. 
 Seen o'er the wall by him who journeys up, 
 As though it were another, not the same, 
 Leading along he knows not whence or whither." 
 
 Bogers. 
 
THE VALAIS. 179 
 
 After reaching the village of Simplon, a few 
 miles of ascent remain before the summit of the 
 pass is gained. A substantial hosjnce has been 
 erected within these few years at the highest 
 part. The descent towards Switzerland presents 
 but few features of interest compared with the 
 Italian side; the road being for the most part 
 cut through the mountain, along the edge of 
 wide ravines, between whose steeply-shelving 
 sides, clothed with pines and larches, occasional 
 glimpses are caught of the valley and glittering 
 spires of Brigg, to which it descends after many 
 tortuous windings. 
 
 The Haut Valais is hemmed in between high 
 mountains, preventing the free circulation of air : 
 the soil is in many parts marshy, and covered 
 with rank vegetation ; no wonder, then, that 
 goitre and cretinism should be endemic there, as 
 the inhabitants constantly inspire an atmosphere 
 laden with noxious exhalations. 
 
 Goitre, which is, in fact, but a modification of 
 cretinism, is generally found to prevail in locali- 
 ties similarly circumstanced — viz., where there 
 exists a marshy soil combined with imperfect 
 ventilation, or stillness of the atmosphere, as in 
 some of the valleys of the Pyrenees and the Alps. 
 Fodere considered it to depend upon the pro- 
 longed influence of a thick and stagnant air, 
 charged with miasmata and fogs. M. de Saus- 
 sure, in his " Voyages dans les Alpes," remarks, 
 that goitre is not met with above a certain alti- 
 
180 THE VALAIS. 
 
 tude, as one thousand or one thousand four hun- 
 dred metres; he also ascribes it to the influence 
 of the heated, stagnant, and corrupted air which 
 is breathed in deep valleys, as in those parts of 
 the valleys which have a freer ventilation, and 
 where they open out into plains, the complaint 
 is less common. That the principal cause of the 
 disease, where it prevails endemically, is referable 
 to the quality of the air inspired, the anatomical 
 and physiological connexion of the thyroid gland 
 with the vocal and respiratory organs would lead 
 us to believe ; and the opinion is corroborated by 
 the observations of many of the professional men 
 resident in those districts where it prevails. As 
 a proof of the influence of humidity in promoting 
 its formation, it may be mentioned, that in dry 
 and cold weather it is not unusual to see the 
 goitres diminish in size. It has been attributed 
 by some to the drinking of snow-water ; but the 
 inhabitants of many valleys in elevated situations, 
 and also in some parts of Russia, drink nothing 
 else but snow-water during a great part of the 
 year, and yet they are not liable to goitre ; but 
 in the Haut Valais, where the combined causes 
 of marshy exhalation and imperfect ventilation 
 prevail in the highest degree, the most aggra- 
 vated form of the disease, cretinism, is met with; 
 in other localities, where the operation of these 
 causes is not so constant, cretinism is more rare, 
 and the milder form, or goitre, principally obtains. 
 This is well exemplified in the valley of the 
 
BATHS OF LEUK. 181 
 
 Rhone, which widens below Riddes, where the 
 mountains likewise are less high, and cretinism 
 is less frequently met with, though persons with 
 goitres are still seen. Below Martigny, however, 
 where the valley is wide, the mountains low, and 
 the earth more cidtivated, even goitre becomes 
 comparatively rare, and in proportion as you 
 approach the lake of Geneva, the inhabitants 
 have a more healthy and cheerful appearance. 
 Even in the Haut Valais, however, cretins are at 
 the present day less frequently seen than formerly, 
 which I suspect depends upon their being kept 
 more out of sight than upon any material diminu- 
 tion of their number. 
 
 The scenery in several parts of the valley of 
 the Rhone is highly interesting. Sion, the capital 
 of the district, looks well from a distance, and its 
 two castles, now in ruins, crowning commanding 
 eminences, produce a good effect. The position 
 of Martigny is likewise striking. Placed in a 
 nook at the base of steep mountains, it is the 
 point at which the roads meet from the great St. 
 Bernard ; and from Chamouni by the Tete Noire 
 and the Col de Balme. Not many miles from 
 Martigny, but on the opposite side of the valley, 
 the town of Leuk is seen from the road on the 
 acclivity of the mountain. The baths lie up the 
 gorge between the mountains, about three miles, 
 from the town, at the foot of the Gemmi. They 
 are thronged during the season — chiefly, how- 
 ever, by the Swiss, who are afflicted with rheu- 
 
182 BATHS OF LEUK. 
 
 matic and paralytic affections. The baths form 
 four squares under one roof, and are separated 
 from each other by canals, through which water 
 flows fresh from the springs, and is drank by the 
 patients while in the bath, in which it is cus- 
 tomary to remain during four, six, or eight hours 
 every day ; a large number of persons, therefore, 
 of both sexes, bathe together at the same time, 
 each being clad in a flannel gown and tippet, and 
 several having before them small floating tables, 
 to hold their handkerchief, books, snuff-box, &c. 
 The springs contain but a minute quantity of 
 saline substances ; the temperature is about 
 45° R. ; and there is little doubt that to the con- 
 tinued impression of the warm water upon the 
 sm'face for several hours daily their efficacy is to 
 be principally ascribed. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 GENEVA-AIX LES BAINS-TURIN -COL DI TENDA-BEUNE- INTEKLACKEN 
 VENICE-PASS OF AMFEZZO-INNSPRUCK-KREUTH. 
 
 The mountains at the upper part of the lake of 
 Geneva present a fine bold aspect. The climate 
 of this part is said to be extremely mild and 
 salubrious, and several lodging-houses have been 
 constructed >vithin the last few years above Ville- 
 neuve, to which invalids from various parts of 
 Switzerland are in the habit of resorting on 
 the approach of winter. The castle of Chillon 
 looks well from the water, and, with the moun- 
 tains in the back ground, forms a striking pic- 
 ture. Vevay is a neat, clean, quiet town, and 
 an agreeable retreat for a few weeks in the 
 summer. It is a good deal frequented by those 
 persons who undergo the cure des raisins^ which 
 consists in the eating plentifully of ripe grapes, 
 to which bread is added, with a moderate quantity 
 of animal food once in the day. This treatment 
 is not unfrequently productive of marked bene- 
 ficial effects in various states of disordered health, 
 especially those which depend upon a vitiated 
 condition of the fluids, or excessive dehcacy of 
 
184 LAUSANNE GENEVA. 
 
 the mucous membranes of the air-passages and 
 alimentary canal, accompanied with glandular 
 enlargement. Lausanne, the capital of the Pays 
 de Vaud, is one of the towns of Switzerland most 
 frequented by strangers, both for a permanent 
 residence, and for a few weeks or months in the 
 summer. It stands in an elevated position about a 
 mile from Ouchy, on the lake, and possesses several 
 resources for amusement and occupation. The 
 environs are pretty, and from the public prome- 
 nade a delightful prospect may be enjoyed of the 
 greater part of the lake, with the chain of high 
 Alps. Lausanne, though perhaps less agreeable 
 than Geneva, is a cheaper place of residence, 
 and affords greater facilities for the education of 
 young people. 
 
 Geneva is much improved in appearance 
 within the last few years. The quays have been 
 widened by the removal of several old buildings, 
 which are replaced by large and handsome edi- 
 fices. The town, however, has but little beauty 
 in itself, but derives its chief interest from its 
 historical associations, its position, and the beauty 
 of its promenades and environs. The Genevese 
 are in general well informed and agreeable ; 
 society is upon an easy footing, and free from all 
 formality. Evening reunions and tea-parties are 
 very common, to which ladies go on foot, accom- 
 panied by a female servant to carry their shawl, 
 cloak, or pattens, in wet weather, and to light 
 them home. Literature and science are a good 
 
CH AMBER Y. 185 
 
 deal cultivated, Geneva having been the birth- 
 place of several savans^ and the place of residence 
 of many eminent men. Between three and four 
 thousand of the inhabitants are employed in the 
 watch-making business. Geneva, with its environs, 
 is perhaps the most eligible locality in Switzer- 
 land for a summer residence ; many of the villas 
 arc let to the English, by whom the numerous 
 hotels are thronged till the period of autumnal 
 migration to the south. The climate in winter is 
 cold and changeable ; even in the month of 
 October a good deal of rain frequently falls, and 
 fogs are not uncommon in the evening. 
 
 Chambery, the capital of Savoy, and the prin- 
 cipal town on the roads from Geneva and Lyons 
 to Turin, lies in a picturesque country watered 
 by the Isere, apparently close to the Alps, which, 
 however, are several posts distant. Those travel- 
 lers unencumbered with a carriage may descend 
 the Rhone in about eight hours to Lyons, whereas 
 by land double that time is required. A small 
 steamer is stationed on the lake, a few miles from 
 Chambery, to which a railroad conducts, and 
 performs the journey two or three times a week; 
 but, owing to the rapidity of the Rhone, it 
 requii'es two and sometimes three days to return. 
 
 Aix les Bains is two leagues from Chambery, 
 on the Geneva road, and contains a population 
 of four thousand inhabitants. It lies in a beau- 
 tiful situation, and the more elevated parts of 
 the environs command extensive and delightful 
 
186 
 
 AIX LES BAINS. 
 
 prospects. These baths have been frequented 
 from the time of the Romans, and are in high 
 repute in the present day, as being among the 
 most efficient hot sulphurous waters of Europe ; 
 and are especially calculated to remove long- 
 standing rheumatic, paralytic, and cutaneous 
 diseases. The casino, or assembly and billard- 
 rooms, occupies an ancient building, supposed to 
 have been built on the site of a temple of Diana, 
 of which some vestiges may still be seen. The 
 bathing establishment contains two piscinae, or 
 lofty vaulted chambers, about fifteen feet square, 
 fitted up with douche apparatus at various 
 heights from the ground, in order to regulate 
 the degree of force with which the water falls 
 upon any part of the body. The douche forms 
 an essential part of the treatment of most of the 
 cases to which the Aix waters are applicable. It 
 is not, however, the custom to take the bath and 
 douche at the same time, as at other places, as 
 the water does not rise more than a few inches 
 from the floor. The so-called sulphur spring 
 flows directly from the rock (which at this part 
 is hewn out in the form of a grotto), and is used 
 for drinking. There is also another department, 
 termed d'Enfer, from its being below the surface, 
 and the water being hotter than the other 
 springs. The piscinae are constantly filled with 
 vapour, so that patients have the advantage of a 
 vapour bath at the same time as the douche. 
 There is, however, but little convenience for 
 
AIX LES BAINS. 187 
 
 dressing, and on this account only one person 
 can bathe at a time. A fourth vaulted chamber 
 adjoins the preceding, and is furnished with 
 douches and a shower bath, which is a good deal 
 employed in some nervous complaints. The 
 modern part of the establishment, called the 
 Thermos Albertines, contains six chambers for 
 douching — the pipes being arranged so as to 
 allow the water to fall upon the part either in a 
 full or divided stream — a large public bath, with 
 a depth of water of four or five feet, supplied 
 by the alum and cold springs, and principally 
 used as a pleasure-bath for persons in health or 
 weakly children: in the centre of the building 
 is an apartment, around which are ten cabinets 
 supplied with a douche, and having the floor 
 perforated to allow the ascent of vapour, so as to 
 be used either for douching or as a vapour-bath. 
 There are besides six other cabinets for water- 
 baths. Friction of the surface is employed con- 
 jointly with the baths and douches, for which 
 purpose male and female rubbers are in attend- 
 ance. 
 
 From Chambery to the handsome and strongly- 
 fortified town of Grenoble, which, though in a 
 fine mountainous position, presents little to delay 
 the traveller, is a drive of about six hours. 
 Diverging from this route, the Grande Char- 
 treuse may be visited; access is, however, only 
 obtained on foot or horseback, by a path between 
 steep mountains. The scenery altogether is 
 
188 TURIN. 
 
 highly picturesque, but the position of the 
 building is bleak. It is the largest monastery in 
 France; though the number of monks is now 
 much diminished. 
 
 After a few hours' drive from Grenoble, 
 Valence, on the Rhone, may be reached by the 
 passage of Les Echelles, or, if the traveller be 
 proceeding to Italy from Chambery, he will pass 
 the Mount Cenis ; the country is, for the most 
 part, uninteresting. In the wild and sterile 
 valley of the Maurienne, enclosed between steep 
 mountains on each side, goitres and cretinism 
 were formerly very prevalent, but, OAving to the 
 improved drainage and increased cultivation, are 
 now comparatively unfrequent. The ascent of 
 the mountain commences immediately after leav- 
 ing Lanslebourg ; but this road is less interesting 
 in point of scenery than most of the other Alpine 
 passes, though there are some fine parts on the 
 Italian side, where the mountain is excavated in 
 grottoes. At Susa you descend to the plain, and 
 shortly afterwards arrive at Turin. 
 
 This city lies in an open and fertile country, 
 watered by the Po, which is crossed by a hand- 
 some bridge. It is regularly built, the streets 
 are spacious, and at right angles with each other, 
 the principal ones diverging from the square, 
 in the centre of which stands the Iloyal Palace, 
 which does not contain much that is remarkable. 
 The houses in the square, and in several of the 
 streets, are built upon arcades, which enable the 
 
COL DI TENDA. 189 
 
 inhabitants to take exercise in wet weather. 
 There are in Turin but few objects calculated to 
 interest the tourist ; the church of the Superga, 
 on one of the hills, five miles from the town, will, 
 however, repay the trouble of a visit, by the 
 delightful and extensive prospect which it com- 
 mands of the Alps and of the plain. 
 
 Those persons proceeding further into Italy, 
 and desirous of seeing some of the most magni- 
 ficent and wild Alpine scenery, will derive much 
 more gratification from taking the route to Nice 
 by the Col di Tenda, and from Nice to Genoa 
 by the Cornice, than from going direct from 
 Turin to the last-named town. 
 
 After having passed through Coni, a fortified 
 town of some importance, you arrive at Limone, 
 whence a winding ascent leads to the summit, 
 which commands a prospect of the Alps, with 
 Monte Rosa high above the rest. The summit 
 of the pass is strictly a col or neck, being little 
 more than a narrow ridge, whence may be per- 
 ceived, immediately beneath, the road descending 
 the steep sides of the mountain, by numerous 
 zigzag and corkscrew-like turns. On account of 
 the exposed position of the pass, high winds are 
 very common, and the snow is generally thick 
 upon the road from the beginning of November 
 till the end of May, so as almost to interupt the 
 communication . 
 
 Tenda, at the foot of the pass, is a miserable 
 and dilapidated looking town, beyond which you 
 
190 COL DI TEND A. 
 
 pass through some fine scenery, and the wildly 
 romantic gorge of Saorgio; the road being cut 
 for miles along the edge of the torrent, and 
 frequently through rocks, which impeded its 
 construction. The town of Saorgio is perched 
 upon the acclivity of one of the mountains. Its 
 castle completely commands the defile, and made 
 efficient resistance to the French during their 
 occupation of Piedmont. The scenery from 
 Saorgio to Chiandola continues to be of the most 
 interesting description. You then ascend another 
 mountain pass, exceeding in savage grandeur, 
 and in the desolateness of its appearance, that of 
 Tenda, and descend to Sospello, between which 
 town and the plain of Nice there lies yet 
 another mountain, the scenery of which is of 
 the same wild character as the former, the road 
 being in several parts cut through rocks of 
 granite and marble. From the summit is 
 obtained a glance of the Mediterranean, with 
 the harbour of Villa Franca, and the island of 
 Saint Marguerite. After passing through the 
 village of Scarena, the road gradually descends 
 to the regions of fertility, and approaches Nice 
 through olive plantations and orange gardens. 
 
 Proceeding northward from the lake of Geneva 
 to Basle, the traveller is obliged to employ a 
 voiturier, the only post-roads being those from 
 Geneva to Simplon, and from the lake of Con- 
 stance to the Splugen. 
 
 The route to Berne by Morat passes through a 
 
BERNE. 191 
 
 hilly and pleasing country, embellished with 
 numerous cheerful-looking farm-houses, the in- 
 habitants exhibiting every appearance of comfort 
 and content. A plain pillar on " the proud, the 
 patriot field " of Morat, marks the spot where 
 the bones of the Burgundians lie unsepulchred. 
 Berne is the handsomest town in Switzerland, 
 and is one which enjoys the greatest advantage 
 with respect to the beauty of its situation. It 
 is placed on the declivity of a hill, round the 
 base of which the river Aar makes a considerable 
 bend. The streets arc spacious, extremely clean, 
 and the houses are built on low arches, somewhat 
 like those of Padua. 
 
 A stream of clear water runs through a small 
 canal, along the centre of each street, supplying 
 several neat fountains, most of which are adorned 
 with the statue of Winkelried, or some other 
 hero of Swiss history. There are several agree- 
 able terraces and public promenades in the town 
 and in the environs, commanding magnificent 
 prospects over a vast extent of highly cultivated 
 and richly wooded country, above which the long 
 range of the Bernese Alps, covered with snow, 
 raise their majestic peaks, and form the most 
 splendid and striking feature in the scene. 
 
 A drive of about six hours from Berne, 
 through a beautiful country, brings the traveller 
 to Interlacken, situated in one of the pleasantest 
 valleys of the Oberland, and much frequented in 
 the summer by English visitors, the number of 
 
192 INTERLACKEN. 
 
 whom had so much increased, that the size of 
 the village is more than double what it was a 
 few years ago. Several new boarding-houses 
 have also been erected at Unterseen, a small 
 town about half a mile distant from Interlacken, 
 and, like it, deriving its name from its position 
 with respect to the lakes of Thun and Brientz. 
 
 The Jungfrau, with other " thrilling regions 
 of the thick-ribbed ice," rise immediately above 
 the valley; whence the small cross, planted on 
 its summit by the party who first ascended, may 
 be seen with the naked eye in clear weather. 
 Interlacken is a central spot for excursions 
 among some of the sublimest scenery of Switzer- 
 land, though less eligible as a summer residence 
 for an invalid than Geneva and its environs 
 (especially if the weather should chance to be 
 bad), on account of the want of resources. 
 
 The country between Berne and Basle is less 
 hilly, but, like that between Berne and Lausanne, 
 teems with fertility and population. Basle is a 
 large manufacturing town, which contains no 
 remarkable public edifices, and derives much of 
 its importance from being close to the French 
 and German frontier. It is divided into two 
 unequal parts by the Rhine, which is here of 
 considerable breadth, and is crossed by a wooden 
 bridge. Here the traveller joins the railroads, 
 running on both banks parallel with the Rhine. 
 If he do not desire to visit the cathedral at Stras- 
 burg, he need not make the detour into France, but 
 
VENICE. 193 
 
 may pass by Freyburg, a handsome town, with a 
 fine cathedral, and worthy a brief delay. Before 
 proceeding, however, into Germany, some notice 
 must be taken of Venice ; between which and 
 Milan the railroad will shortly be completed, 
 being now open from the former city to 
 Vicenza. 
 
 The lagoons, or shoals, upon which stands 
 Venice, formed by the earth deposited from the 
 rivers, which, descending from the Alps, empty 
 themselves into the head of the Adriatic, may, 
 as a traveller has observed, be compared, >vith 
 reference to this sea, " to a side closet shut off 
 from a room by a partition." This partition, 
 which divides it from the open sea, is composed 
 of different pieces with apertures between them, 
 which, if we pursue the same comparison, may 
 be considered as so many doors; and in a line 
 with these openings, though not uniformly 
 straight, are the channels by which vessels 
 approach Venice. The largest of these channels, 
 or the Grand Canal, is crossed by one bridge, the 
 Rialto, the only other communication between 
 the two parts bein^ by means of gondolas ; and, 
 as the same author further observes, the city 
 itself "may be considered as divided into two 
 principal parts, made up of small islands, and 
 each part separated from the other, except at 
 this bridge. The different shoals, constituting 
 the two great separate parts, are again connected . 
 by smaller bridges, which cross the canals by 
 
 o 
 
194 VENICE. 
 
 which the numerous islands are formed. These 
 bridges are frequent, and, being very steep, they 
 are cut into easy steps; hence, in walking about 
 Venice, you are constantly going up and down 
 flights of steps. The liialto, being the highest 
 bridge in the town, is also the steepest. The 
 small canals, or rii, as they are termed, which 
 are crossed by these bridges, are the water streets 
 of Venice ; but there is no part of either of the 
 two divisions to whicli you may not also go more 
 directly by land through narrow passages callcxl 
 cale. These calc may be considered as an lui- 
 favourable likencjss of Cranbourn-alley and its 
 cognate lanes. There are besides several small 
 squares, called campi^ or fields." * 
 
 Th(^ above quotation will serve to give a good 
 general idea of Venice, of which the aspect of 
 parts is familiar to many who have not visited it, 
 from the accurate representations in Canaletti's 
 pictures. Tlu^ ap])earance of the city, which 
 seems to arise from the water on approaching 
 from the main land in a gondola, and the entrance 
 by the Grand Canal, are eminently calculated to 
 strike the traveller 
 
 " Cho Vc(l<« 
 Di marmi adoriic o grave 
 Sorgcr le miira, onde ondcggiar Ic navi ; " 
 
 as is likewise the silence which prevails, and is 
 scarcely interrupted save by the warning sound 
 ever and anon uttered by the gondoliers on turn- 
 
 * Rose, as quoted in " The Classic and Connoisseur in Italy." 
 
VENICE. 195 
 
 ing a comer; for singing, or the recitation of 
 Tasso's verses, no longer constitutes a part of their 
 vocation : — 
 
 " No answering gondolier at close of day 
 Takes up Medoro's tale or sweet Erminia's lay." 
 
 The most handsome palaces are built along 
 the canal ; some of them are almost literally 
 " cru^ibling to the shore," and others are appro- 
 priated to the use of government, or let to 
 strangers, there being few of the descendants 
 of the old Venetian families now remaining, and 
 those, for the most part, are in an impoverished 
 condition. The expulsion of the Austrians, and 
 the re-establishment of a republic, or an in- 
 dependent form of government, may, however, 
 possibly tend to restore to Venice somewhat of 
 its former importance. 
 
 St. Mark's Square Avill probably be the first 
 spot to which the ^dsitor will direct his gondola ; 
 this, being the only open place for walking, is 
 thronged in the evening with the inhabitants 
 and strangers, several of whom are di'essed in 
 the eastern costume, lounging beneath the arcades 
 or in the cafes. This square is still, as indeed it 
 has always been, celebrated as the scene of 
 pageantiy, and exhibitions both of joy and 
 mourning : — 
 
 " The sea, that emblem of uncertainty, 
 Changed not so fast, for many and many an age, 
 As this small spot. To-day 'twas full of masks ; 
 And lo ! the madness of the carnival, 
 
196 VENICE. 
 
 The monk, the nun, the holy legate masked ! 
 To-morrow came the scaffold and the wheel, 
 And he died there by torch-light, bound and gagged, 
 Whose name and crime they knew not." — Rogers. 
 
 The church, occupying one end of the square, 
 is of a mixed style of architecture, and is sur- 
 mounted by five domes, somewhat after the 
 manner of the Turkish mosques. The interior 
 is rather sombre, notwithstanding the decorations 
 of gilding, mosaics, and marbles, with which it 
 is profusely ornamented. Adjoining is the 
 Doge's Palace, which takes up one side of the 
 Piazzetta. The appearance of the grand council- 
 chamber is interesting. It contains some fine 
 historical pictures by Tintoretto and Palma 
 Vecchio, with portraits of the Doges around; 
 one space being covered with a black pall instead 
 of the picture of Marino Faliero.* The chamber 
 of the Council of Ten, and other apartments, 
 are likewise embellished with paintings by Titian 
 and other painters of the Venetian school. The 
 prisons, termed pozzi^ or wells, to which the 
 entrance is by the Bridge of Sighs, will be visited 
 with interest. 
 
 Venice is only excelled by Eome in the num- 
 ber and magnificence of its churches. The 
 Redentore, with the adjoining Dogana, presents 
 a striking appearance from the water, or from 
 the opposite side of the canal, as does also the 
 
 * See Notes to Childe Harold. 
 
VENICE. 197 
 
 Church of the Salute, which, as well as the 
 former, were erected by Palladio, on the occasion 
 of the cessation of the plague. Its interior is 
 richly decorated and embellished with some fine 
 paintings ; the Jesuits' Church is likewise richly 
 adorned with variegated marbles and precious 
 stones. The churches of St. Giorgio and St. 
 Giovanni e Paulo must likewise be enumerated 
 among those most deserving of a visit. In the 
 Academia di belle Arte is a choice collection of 
 pictures and other interesting objects. Of the 
 private collections, the Barberini and the Man- 
 frini are the best ; in the first are several Titians, 
 portraits of Doges and members of the family; 
 as also a Magdalen, a Venus, and Titian's 
 daughter, which rank among the chefs d'ceuvres 
 of this master. They are, however, rapidly 
 falling into decay. The Manfrini collection is 
 better preserved ; a few of the best pictures are 
 the Prodigal Son, by Guercino, which is the 
 counterpart of the picture of the same subject 
 in the Borghese Palace at Rome ; portrait of a 
 Dutch Ambassador, by Rembrandt ; the Defiance 
 of Apollo; and Lucretia, by Guide; portraits by 
 Titian, especially that of Ariosto ; Circe present- 
 ing the cup to Ulysses, by Giulio Romano ; a 
 Holy Family, by Palma Vecchio. 
 
 A walk of about half a mile from St. Mark's, 
 along the quay, interrupted by the ascent of 
 several bridges, which cross the smaller canals, 
 leads to the arsenal, which, however, in its 
 
198 VENICE. 
 
 present state, will scarcely repay the trouble of a 
 visit. In the same direction is a wide street, 
 formed by covering over a canal with flag-stones, 
 which leads to the public garden constructed by 
 orders of Napoleon, about half a mile long, and 
 planted with trees and shrubs. On an island 
 opposite stands the Armenian Convent, an in- 
 teresting establishment, which is well worth 
 visiting. 
 
 The Campanile, in St. Mark's Square, should 
 be ascended, in order to enjoy the view of the 
 city, the islands, the Adriatic, and the distant 
 Alpine chain. 
 
 The most interesting route fi*om Venice to 
 Innspruck, as well as the most direct, is by the 
 Pass of Ampezzo. The road is in excellent 
 condition, but there is as yet no public convey- 
 ance. Leaving Mestre on the main land, you 
 pass through a beautiful and fertile plain, with 
 villas and gardens on either side of the road, 
 especially about Treviso, where the people are 
 good-lopking, many of the women being remark- 
 able for their beauty, which is heightened by 
 their becoming costume. Ceneda, the termina- 
 tion of the first-day's journey, en voiturier, lies 
 in a picturesque situation at the foot of the Alps, 
 and between gently-rising verdant hills, on the 
 highest of which are the remains of a castle. 
 Shortly after leaving this small town, a gradual 
 ascent commences between mountains, wooded at 
 their base, and terminating in lofty snow-covered 
 
PASS OF AMPEZZO. 199 
 
 peaks. From Seravalle to Longarone the road 
 is, for the most part, level. The town of Belluno 
 lies a few miles on the left. After Longarone is 
 a gradual ascent to the next post, Perarolo, 
 which lies at the base of a mountain, from 
 whence the ascent to Venas presents a succession 
 of varied scenery, equal to some of the most 
 picturesque parts of Switzerland. The drive 
 from Venas to Ampezzo, and through the defile, 
 likewise exhibit views of the highest order of 
 sublimity and beauty; the numerous masses of 
 bare rock of various hues, with snow-tipped 
 peaks, forming a series of striking contrasts with 
 the wooded acclivities of the mountains. From 
 Ampezzo to Landro, a drive of three hours, 
 the interest of the scenery is scarcely surpassed 
 by that of the most celebrated Alpine passes. 
 
 Shortly after leaving the latter town, you 
 emerge upon the beautiful Pusterthal, in the 
 Tyrol, which, from the high state of cultivation, 
 and the neat appearance of the numerous farm- 
 houses and cottages, appears to be the abode of 
 peace and contentment. 
 
 Brunnecken, the chief town of the district, 
 lies in a picturesque position ; some miles beyond 
 which, at the entrance of a narrow defile, a new 
 fort, with extensive fortifications along the 
 heights, has lately been constructed by the 
 Austrian government, and would form an in- 
 surmountable impediment to the passage of a 
 hostile force. 
 
200 INNSPRUCK. 
 
 After a succession of ascents and descents, you 
 arrive at Sterzing, a neat town on the high road 
 from Verona to Innspruck, and at the foot of 
 the Brenner, which is the lowest, and least 
 interesting, in a scenic point of view, of the 
 passes of the Alps. Before arriving at Innspruck, 
 however, you have to cross the SchOnberg, which 
 well deserves its name for the beauty of its 
 scenery, and also from the view presented from 
 its summit of the town, and numerous detached 
 houses scattered along the valley of the Inn, the 
 verdure of which pleasingly contrasts with the 
 dark, rugged, and snow-tipped masses of the 
 Alpine chain, extending from east to west, and 
 forming an apparently impassable barrier. 
 
 Innspruck, the capital of the Tyrol, contains 
 about 14,000 inhabitants, and is a handsome 
 clean town, the appearance of which is greatly 
 improved within the last few years. The view 
 along the principal street is striking, most of 
 the houses being white-washed, several new 
 buildings having lately been erected. The quays 
 along the Inn, as well as the public garden, have 
 likewise been enlarged and embellished. This 
 river is here about half as wide as the Thames 
 at Westminster. From the centre of the bridge 
 a magnificent prospect may be enjoyed up and 
 down the valley, and of the lofty mountain 
 ranges on either side. Innspruck possesses two 
 liandsome churches, the Frauenkirche and the 
 Hoffkirche, in which latter is the splendid tomb 
 
ROUTE TO MUNICH. 201 
 
 of the Emperor Maximilian, and colossal bronze 
 figures of several sovereigns of the early ages, 
 among which are Clovis, Godfrey of Bouillon, 
 Charles the Bold, Rudolph of Hapsburg, with 
 other weU-kno^vn historical personages. A 
 statue to the memory of Hofer has recently 
 been placed in this church over his tomb. The 
 museum likewise contains several objects of 
 interest, and will well repay the trouble of a 
 visit.* 
 
 On leaving Innspruck for Bavaria, the traveller 
 descends the valley to Schwatz — a neat town on 
 the road to Salzburg. The Castle of Ambras 
 stands on an elevated position, a few miles from 
 Innspruck, and looks well from a distance, but 
 does not now contain any object of interest, the 
 rich collection of ancient armour, &c., having 
 been removed, a few years ago, to Vienna, and 
 forms one of the sights i^f the capital best Avorth 
 seeing. Hall, celebrated for its salt-works, also 
 lies on this road. From Schwatz an indifferent 
 cross-road, in many parts too narrow to admit of 
 two carriages passing each other, leads to 
 Achenthal and its lake, which is surrounded by 
 magnificent scenery ; in some parts lofty and 
 sterile mountains rise perpendicularly from the 
 water, as at the lake of Wallenstadt. 
 
 After about four hours' drive from the head of 
 
 * The Tyrolese were always faithful adherents of the House of Haps- 
 burg ; the Emperor was consequently iuduced to select it for an abode on 
 quitting Vienna, on account of the recent disturbances. 
 
202 KREUTH. 
 
 the lake, through a highly picturesque country, 
 where the inhabitants appear to have lost none 
 of their primitive manners and hospitality, you 
 arrive at the beautiful lake Tegernsee, at the base 
 of the Alps, which is greatly resorted to in the 
 summer months by the higher class of Bavarians. 
 The town at the extremity of the lake affords 
 excellent accommodation, and the surrounding 
 scenery is beautiful and varied. 
 
 The watering-place Kreuth, which is likewise 
 greatly resorted to by the inhabitants of Munich, 
 lies more among the mountains, about two hours' 
 drive from Tegernsee. It consists of two large 
 lodging-houses joined together, a public room, or 
 Cursaal, mth baths and outhouses. Not more 
 than two hundred persons could be accommodated 
 at the same time. Many of those who pay it a 
 visit are induced to do so as much on account 
 of the purity and bracing qualities of the air as 
 for the waters, which do not possess any very 
 efficient medicinal properties. A great propor- 
 tion of the invalids labour under pulmonary 
 complaints, and drink goats' milk or whey 
 (molkenkiir)^ which is combined with the use 
 of the baths. 
 
 From Tegernsee to Munich the country is flat 
 and devoid of interest to the passing traveller. 
 This road from Innspruck should not be selected 
 by persons who are encumbered with a carriage : 
 the post-road to Munich, though somewhat 
 shorter, is less interesting. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 MUNICH -rUBLIC BUILDINGS — CLIMATE— THE DANUBE— GASTEIN— 
 VIENNA— CAVE OF ADELSBERG-TIUESTE. 
 
 There is, perhaps, no city where so much has 
 been done in the way of embellishment and the 
 erection of public buildings of late years as at 
 Munich. The modern part presents a strong 
 contrast with the irregularly built old town and 
 its antique-looking houses, the new streets being 
 regular, mde, and well paved, consisting, for the 
 most part, of palaces and private houses, three 
 stories high, several of them having a garden 
 attached. The style of architecture of the new 
 public edifices is chaste and peculiar, and the 
 interior decorations are exceedingly rich and 
 tasteful, the whole having been designed by King 
 Louis, and executed by Von Klenze. His 
 Majesty, indeed, was ever a great patron of the 
 fine arts, on which account Munich is much 
 resorted to, both by native and foreign artists. 
 The circumstances attending his recent abdication, 
 from his disinclination to identify himself with 
 the new order of things, are still fresh in the 
 public mind. The present king is of an amiable 
 
204 MUNICH. 
 
 disposition, liberal in politics, and, as Crown 
 Prince, was always very popular. He speaks 
 English remarkably well, as do also the majority 
 of the upper class of Bavarians, among whom 
 French is comparatively little spoken. 
 
 Of the public edifices, the Pinacothek first 
 merits notice, both on account of its intrinsic 
 beauty, and of the magnificent collection of 
 pictures which it contains, especially those of 
 Murillo and Rubens, and which many persons 
 prefer to that of Dresden ; but I shall, as on 
 former occasions, abstain from description, which, 
 indeed, would be superfluous after the minute 
 and correct accounts given in the " Hand Book 
 for Southern Germany," and merely enumerate 
 as a few of the paintings which more particularly 
 attracted my attention, the following : — The 
 Saviour Bearing the Cross, by Albert Durer; 
 Misers, by Matsys; Heads of an Old Man and 
 Woman, by Denner ; a Burgomaster of Antwerp 
 and his Wife, by Vandyck ; the Interior of a 
 Church, by Delorme; Portrait of a Turk, by 
 Rembrandt ; by Gerard Dow, a Mountebank ; a 
 Hermit, an Old Woman Spinning, a Young 
 Woman Knitting at a Window, and a Portrait 
 of himself ; the Fallen Angels, by Rubens ; 
 Rubens' Wife ; the large picture of the Last 
 Judgment ; a Madonna and Infant ; the Murder 
 of the Innocents; a Priest holding a Skull, Mieris; 
 a Girl with a Parrot ; a similar subject, by 
 Netschar; Peasants Quarrelling, by Ostade; 
 
MUNICH. 205 
 
 three small pictures by Teniers ; Beggar Boys 
 Eating Fruit, a chef iVceuvre of Murillo ; also 
 a Girl Buying Fruit, scarcely inferior to the 
 former ; Marine Views, by Vernet ; Madonna 
 and Child with a Lily, by Carlo Dolce; also 
 St. Agnes, the Madonna, Infant St. Joseph, and 
 a Monk, by Titian ; Portrait of a Lady, by Paris 
 Bordone ; the Saviour Crowned with Thorns, by 
 Guercino ; Madonna and Infant, by Raphael ; 
 Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci. 
 
 In the Leuchtenberg collection will be more 
 particularly remarked Murillo's Madonna and 
 Infant, a chefd'oeuvre; Sunset, by Salvator Rosa ; 
 his own Portrait, by Rembrandt ; Madonna and 
 Child on the Ground, by Correggio ; the Woman 
 taken in Adultery, by Guercino ; a Student, by 
 Gerard Dow; and a half-length Portrait of 
 Petrarch's Laura, which will certainly disappoint 
 the expectations of those who expect to see the 
 picture of a handsome woman, there being no 
 traces of the 
 
 " Crespe chiome d'or puro Incente 
 E'l lampeggiar dell' angelico riso," 
 
 nor of the 
 
 " Begli occhi che i cor fanno smaiti," 
 
 which are so frequently and plaintively apostro- 
 phized by the Poet ; Laura may, however, have 
 sat for tliis portrait when somewhat advanced 
 in life. Here are likewise two of Canova's best 
 works — the Graces and the Magdalen. 
 
206 MUNICH. 
 
 The Glyptothek, or gallery of statues, is an 
 elegant structure of white stone, which is the 
 first object that attracts the traveller's attention 
 on entering Munich from Augsburg. The 
 interior is richly and tastefully decorated, the 
 ceiling of each apartment being composed of 
 stucco-work of a diiferent design and colours, 
 white and gold, or green and gold, being the 
 most predominant ; the walls are plain scagliola, 
 and the floors of variegated marbles. The 
 statues, too, though not very numerous, are 
 select, and are placed so as to be exhibited to 
 the greatest advantage. Among them are the 
 celebrated Egina marbles, the Barberini Faun, 
 Iloneus, Jason, and other choice pieces. The 
 last room is appropriated to modern sculpture; 
 it contains the Paris and the Venus of Canova, 
 a bust of Napoleon, and of the king, by Thor- 
 waldsen. 
 
 The Royal Palace is likewise decorated in a 
 rich and peculiar style, with carving and fresco- 
 painting, which, from the encouragement afforded 
 by the ex-king, has been brought to great per- 
 fection in Bavaria. The floor of each apartment 
 is inlaid with woods of different colours, and, 
 contrasted with the frescoed ceilings and walls, 
 produces a rich effect. The large bronze-gilt 
 statues of former sovereigns, adorning the throne- 
 room, Kkewise afford indication of the taste of 
 King Louis, by whom the art of bronze-gilding 
 has been revived and perfected. 
 
MUNICH. 207 
 
 On one side of the Palace is the Hof-Garten, 
 a large space, planted with trees, where the 
 military bands frequently play in the afternoon, 
 and enclosed between arcades, the walls of 
 which are painted in fresco, with views of 
 Italy and Sicily, or illustrative of the history of 
 Bavaria. 
 
 On the other side is the principal square (with 
 the bronze statue of the late king, seated, in the 
 centre), in which are the new post-office and the 
 theatre, which is connected with the palace by a 
 covered gallery, so that the king can go from one 
 to the other without going out of doors. The 
 theatre is one of the largest and handsomest 
 in Germany, and is well calculated for hearing. 
 The corps dramatiqiie, both in the operatic and 
 tragic department, is excellent. The performances 
 here, as in other parts of Germany, begin about 
 six, and seldom last more than four hours. 
 
 The love of music, though universal in 
 Germany, is, perhaps, greater in Bavaria than 
 elsewhere, and is more diffused among all classes. 
 Military bands play almost daily at stated hours. 
 Public and amateur concerts are given about 
 twice a week in the winter, in the Odeon, or one 
 of the other large rooms appropriated to the 
 purpose, and to balls, which are also of frequent 
 occurrence, the love of dancing being no less 
 general than that of music, though little else 
 than the waltz is seen. The Germans seem to 
 like dancing purely for its own sake ; many 
 
208 MUNICH. 
 
 scarcely speak a word to their partners during 
 the whole time, and hand them to their seat 
 immediately after the waltz or gallopade is over ; 
 whereas, in England, conversation is the chief 
 inducement with a large proportion of the 
 gentlemen who stand up to dance ; hence 
 quadrilles are so much more general. Waltzing 
 may be seen to greater perfection in Vienna and 
 Munich than elsewhere. In the Rhenish countries 
 it is but indifferent. 
 
 There are, besides, numerous houses of enter- 
 tainment in the environs of Munich, as of most 
 other German towns, where inferior shopkeepers, 
 soldiers, and others of the lower classes resort, 
 in the summer evenings and on holidays (which 
 are numerous), to dance and drink beer or tea. 
 The movements of the dancers are generally 
 more active and energetic than elegant, and in 
 many of them profuse perspiration is induced by 
 their exertions. A love of pleasure is, in fact, 
 predominant among the inhabitants of Southern 
 Germany, and great laxity of morals is said to 
 prevail, especially in the two last-mentioned 
 cities. There is, however, in general, more 
 heart among the Germans of all ranks than in 
 some other civilized countries which could be 
 named, and strangers, properly introduced, are, 
 for the most part, cordially received. Society is 
 less exclusively divided into coteries at Munich 
 than at Vienna, where, however, it is less so 
 than many persons have imagined, from reading 
 
MUNICH. 209 
 
 the account given of the Viennese, by Mrs. Trol- 
 lope, a few years ago. 
 
 The churches in Munich exhibit a great variety 
 with respect to architecture. The cathedral, 
 mth its two large brick towers, is a heavy-looking 
 structure; its interior is plain, and rather sombre. 
 St. Michael's Church is built more in the Italian 
 style, and resembles, interiorly, several of the 
 churches of Eome and Florence. The Church 
 of the Theatines is one of the most prominent 
 public edifices ; in its interior it is profusely 
 ornamented with stucco-work. The two most 
 interesting churches, however, are the newly- 
 erected one in the suburb Au, and the All Saints' 
 Church, behind the palace. The contrast between 
 these is very striking, not only the style of 
 architecture, but also the internal aspect, being 
 totally different. The former is a light gothic 
 edifice, plain internally, almost the only decora^ 
 tion being the finely painted glass windows : the 
 art of painting on glass having now been brought 
 to a state of great perfection under the auspices 
 of King Louis. The All Saints' Church has 
 a handsome and chaste appearance exteriorly; 
 internally it is embellished with fresco paintings 
 and arabesques, which produce a rich effect 
 without being gaudy, though perhaps less cal- 
 culated to excite feelings of devotion than the 
 plain or gothic style. The Protestant Church is 
 a neat edifice, contrasting with the other 
 churches in the style of its architecture, and 
 
 p 
 
210 MUNICH. 
 
 forms the most prominent object of one of the 
 Places. 
 
 The new building for the library is one of the 
 handsomest in Munich. The collection of books 
 is said tb be the largest in Europe after the 
 Bibliotheque National at Paris. There is likewise 
 a large collection of ancient manuscripts, and 
 finely-illustrated Bibles and missals. Strangers, 
 who have a proper recommendation, are allowed 
 to take home for perusal any books they please. 
 
 Munich is the seat of an university, where, 
 however, there are but few students from other 
 parts of Germany. 
 
 The hospital, immediately outside of the town, 
 is a handsome modern building, the interior 
 disposition of which will afford gratification to 
 the casual visitor, and might serve as a model 
 for similar institutions in other parts of the 
 Continent. It is principally supported by a 
 trifling tax, levied among the townspeople, to 
 which servants and others of an inferior order 
 contribute, and when ill thus acquire a claim for 
 admission. The wards are small, but clean and 
 airy, being disposed along spacious corridors; 
 each contains about twenty beds, the total num- 
 ber of beds being about four hundred. 
 
 Munich is comparatively free from epidemics, 
 and is, on the whole, a healthy place of residence. 
 The most prevalent diseases are thoracic inflam- 
 mations, gastric and nervous fevers, rheumatism, 
 and scrofulous complaints. The state of medicine 
 
MUNICH. 211 
 
 and surgery, though superior to Vienna, is 
 inferior to Berlin. Diseases of the eyes are like- 
 wise prevalent. These, as well as the surgical 
 department at the hospital, were formerly under 
 the direction of Professor Walther, who enjoys a 
 weU-merited reputation as a surgeon and oculist. 
 
 Near to the hospital is the spacious public 
 Cemetery, containing several handsome marble 
 monuments, hung with chaplets of flowers ; 
 which are likewise cultivated in patches of earth 
 between the graves. At the further extremity 
 is a semicircular colonnade, with central rooms, 
 where the dead lie exposed — generally dressed 
 in their gayest attire, with bouquets of flowers 
 placed in their bosom — for about twenty-four 
 hours. This practice is pretty general in other 
 parts of Germany. 
 
 The pubHc prison will repay the trouble of a 
 visit to those who feel an interest in such 
 matters. There are several workshops, as manu- 
 factures of cloth, articles of clothing, &;c., on 
 which the prisoners are employed, complete 
 silence being enjoined. A certain share of the 
 proceeds is allotted to them, so that when their 
 time of imprisonment expires, they may not be 
 altogether destitute. The punishment of death 
 very rarely takes place in Bavaria, as no one can 
 be executed, however strong the evidence, unless 
 the culprit acknowledge himself guilty of the 
 crime of which he is accused. Those who are 
 convicted of the more atrocious crimes are 
 
212 MUNICH. 
 
 confined for a series of years or for life, or are 
 employed in the public highways, each having 
 the legs chained so as to prevent escape. Some 
 of these criminals are confined in ill-ventilated 
 cells, scarcely large enough to contain the four 
 individuals who are lodged in each, with iron 
 bolts attached to their legs ; in the day-time their 
 beds are placed upright against the wall, and 
 they are occupied in carding cotton, never being 
 allowed to leave their cells, to the unhealthiness 
 of which their countenances bear the strongest 
 testimony. 
 
 Among the other objects of interest in Munich 
 is the Museum, which contains the Brazilian 
 collection of arms, dresses, insects, flowers, &c., 
 brought over by Dr. Von Martins, one of the 
 most distinguished of the Bavarian savans, who, 
 several years ago, accompanied Dr. Spix on a 
 scientific expedition to the Brazils. Schwantha- 
 ler's studio contains some good specimens of 
 sculpture. 
 
 The bronze obelisk in the Carolinen Platz, 
 erected to the memory of the 30,000 Bavarians 
 who perished in the Russian campaign, seen 
 from a distance, especially when the sun is 
 shining upon it, has a rich golden appearance. 
 The colossal statue representing Bavaria, b6 feet 
 high, outside the city, will be seen with interest. 
 
 An extensive park, continued from the Hof- 
 garten, and termed the English garden (through 
 which the water of the Isere is diverted to supply 
 
MUNICH. 213 
 
 an extensive lake), is the usual place of resort for 
 equipages and pedestrians. It is in many parts 
 shaded by fine rows of trees, and in some 
 measure compensates for the want of interest in 
 the environs of the city. 
 
 The railroad, which has been some years open 
 to Augsburg, whence it is in process of con- 
 struction to Stutgard and the Rhine, is continued 
 in the northern direction through Nuremberg 
 and Bamberg, whence the line wdll, ere long, 
 be completed to Leipsic, thus forming steam 
 communication with Belgium, Paris, and London, 
 on the one hand, and with Cracow, Warsaw, and 
 the Baltic, on the other. 
 
 In point of climate, I consider Munich less 
 objectionable than most other German capitals, 
 for, although the snow usually lies thick upon 
 the ground for three or four months, and the 
 thermometer is often several degrees below the 
 freezing point, yet the sky is generally clear, and, 
 considenng the elevated position of the city (the 
 highest in Europe except Madrid), there is but 
 little wind; the cold is consequently rather 
 bracing and salutary than the reverse. Sledges 
 here, and at Vienna, are in constant use, some of 
 them being very handsomely painted, and the 
 horses gaily caparisoned. 
 
 The most unpleasant sort of weather is in the 
 spring, durmg the thaw, when also rain frequently 
 falls, and walking in the streets is almost im- 
 practicable. The houses are well-adapted to 
 
214 THE VALHALLA. 
 
 exclude the cold, being for the most part fur- 
 nished with double windows, and warmed by 
 stoves, which, though preventing drafts of air and 
 imparting to the apartment an equable tempera- 
 ture, yet disagree with many persons not accus- 
 tomed to them — causing head-ache and other 
 unpleasant symptoms. In summer the heat is at 
 times oppressive, and the more so, from the 
 deficiency of shade in the environs. Though a 
 winter residence at Munich would not be recom- 
 mended to delicate invalids, it would agree well 
 with many patients affected with nervous dis- 
 orders, which a more relaxing climate (as Italy) 
 would tend to aggravate. 
 
 About sixteen hours are required for the 
 journey by road from Munich to Ratisbon, which 
 town, however interesting it may be from its 
 historical associations, would offer little induce- 
 ment to the traveller for delaying his departure. 
 Steamers descend the Danube in two days to 
 Vienna, arriving the first day at Linz. Eatisbon 
 and the adjacent territory belong to the Prince 
 of Tour and Taxis, who has a chateau in the 
 neighbourhood, near to which stands the Val- 
 halla, a temple erected by the King of Bavaria, 
 of the same dimensions, and of a similar style of 
 architecture, as the Parthenon at Athens, and 
 containing statues and busts of the most eminent 
 characters to which Germany has given birth. 
 From the elevated position of the Valhalla, a 
 good view of the course of the Danube, and of 
 
THE DANUBE. 215 
 
 an extensive tract of country, may be enjoyed. 
 The building itself, composed of white stone, is 
 seen from a considerable distance, and produces a 
 fine effect. Von Klenze, the celebrated architect 
 under whose superintendance most of the modern 
 buildings of Munich have been constructed, had 
 likewise the formation of this magnificent 
 monument. 
 
 The current of the Danube is more rapid than 
 that of the Rhine, and the river is exceedingly 
 shallow in many parts, which were obstacles 
 to the establishment of steam-boats till within 
 the last few years, when iron ones, which require 
 but little depth of water, were constructed for 
 the pui-pose. The scenery is in many parts 
 highly romantic and picturesque, the country 
 wild, and but thinly populated. Ruined castles, 
 shrines, and richly endowed monasteries, are ever 
 and anon seen in conspicuous positions on the 
 banks. Among these the bold ruins of Durenstein 
 (the prison of Coeur de Lion), and the convents 
 of Molk and Neuburg, occupying commanding 
 positions, will particularly attract attention. The 
 towns and villages are few and far between. 
 
 Lengthened description is not intended in 
 this work; nevertheless, being unwilling to 
 dismiss the Danube with a mere cursory notice, 
 I will deviate from my accustomed course, 
 and subjoin a brief sketch of its scenery from the 
 pen of a graphic writer: — " A little beyond 
 Passau the bed of the river became suddenly 
 
216 THE DANUBE. 
 
 contracted, and the roaring torrent forced its way 
 onward with considerable violence. In some 
 places the nearly perpendicular rocks were 
 entirely destitute of vegetation, except a few 
 stunted shrubs: again, another magic sweep 
 expanded it into an extensive lake, overhung by 
 majestic hills, covered with every description of 
 foliage, from the wide-spreading oak to the s])ire- 
 like pine on the summit; cascatelles were 
 bounding from branch to branch, covering the 
 leafy mantle as it were with diamond spangles 
 and wreaths of crystal, and then foaming into 
 the watery abyss — and thus the scenery con- 
 tinued, with but little variation, till we came to 
 Engelhardzell, the first town of Austria. 
 
 " The morning we left Engelhardzell I had an 
 opportunity of seeing for the first time one of 
 the Danube fogs, which hung in a dense mass 
 of floating vapour upon every object, rendering 
 them totally impervious to the organ of vision. 
 About eight o'clock the fog entirely disappeared, 
 and we were impelled forward very rapidly. The 
 bed of the river being now entirely composed of 
 large rocks, the passage of the stream was most 
 turbulent, and our boat was bufietted about as if 
 in a storm. The dreary crags on each side arose 
 to such an altitude as to exclude all prospect 
 over the adjacent country, and in truth the 
 scenery Avas so wild, and the signs of human 
 habitation so few, that a traveller might deem 
 he had arrived in a country in a state of infancy ; 
 
GA8TEIN BATH. 217 
 
 and the appearance of the Castle of Reinech, 
 with its majestic towers, is hailed with pleasure. 
 From this place a succession of picturesque 
 rocks, ruins, villages, and lofty hills, finely 
 wooded, accompany us to Aschach where the 
 country opens to our vie^v, and the river assumes 
 the form of an immense lake ; then, after passing 
 Ottenheim, with its pretty castle, we landed at 
 Urfer, the faubourg of Linz, the capital of 
 Upper Austria." 
 
 From Linz to the beautiful lake of Traum is a 
 railroad, the carriages being di-awn by horses at 
 the rate of nine miles an hour ; a small steamer 
 now navigates the lake, so that travellers from 
 the Danube can reach with speed and facility 
 the romantic region of the Salzkammergut, and 
 visit the salt springs of Ischl, which, lying in a 
 most picturesque position, 1,500 feet above the 
 level of the sea, is greatly resorted to in summer 
 both on account of its coolness and the efficacy 
 of the waters. 
 
 Some German miles southward of Ischl, and a 
 few hours drive from Salzburg, lies the Bath 
 Gastein, called also Wildbad Gastein, in a 
 romantically secluded position, among the snow- 
 tipped pine-covered Alps, and on the edge of the 
 mountain-torrent Ache, which forms at this point 
 a fine waterfall. It is one of the highest baths 
 in Europe, being 3,000 feet above the level of 
 the Mediterranean: the climate is consequently 
 raw and unsettled. Even on the longest days 
 
218 GASTEIN BATH. 
 
 the sun's influence is but little felt (except in the 
 middle of the day, at which time the heat is 
 often oppressive), as it rises late above, and sets 
 early behind, the adjacent mountains, which are 
 not unfrequently enveloped in clouds. From 
 these causes, and from the spray of the waterfall, 
 the mornings and evenings are generally cold, 
 and often damp ; yet the high reputation which 
 the springs have acquired renders the place 
 thronged during the season, and many persons 
 are obliged to leave for want of accommodation, 
 which, however, may be obtained better at Hof- 
 Gastein, a village about three-quarters of a mile 
 lower down the mountain, in a more open and 
 agreeable position, sheltered from the north and 
 east winds, enjoying a milder and drier atmo- 
 sphere, and less liable to sudden transitions than 
 Wildbad; whence the water of the principal 
 spring is conveyed through pipes of pine and 
 larch wood, by which it loses somewhat of its 
 heat; though this cannot render its action 
 different from what it is at the source ; as being 
 too hot for bathing, it is allowed to remain all 
 night in the baths at Gastein to cool down to 
 the proper temperature. 
 
 There are several establishments of public and 
 private baths. At the Schloss, belonging to the 
 Archduke, where visitors can be lodged, there is 
 a bath in which about a dozen persons can bathe 
 at the same time. The baths of Straubinger's old 
 and new hotels are divided into the Fursten and 
 
THE DANUBE. 219 
 
 Capuciner; where baths are taken m common, 
 part of the latter being appropriated to ladies. 
 Some patients remain a long time in the waters, 
 and some even bathe twice in the day, though 
 these cases are comparatively rare. " The com- 
 mon bath," says Dr. Streintz, " in which ladies 
 and gentlemen assemble together, contains 365 
 cubic feet of water, and requires nearly four 
 hours to fill it. It will accommodate fifteen or 
 sixteen persons, who can walk about in the 
 water, or rest upon the seats whicli are fixed 
 there for the purpose. At each side of the bath 
 is a large dressing-room, one for the men, the 
 other for the women. Around the bath runs a 
 gallery, where the friends of the bathers can 
 assemble and enter into conversation with them."* 
 
 There are numerous springs rising on the bank 
 and in the river. Those most employed are the 
 Furstenquelle (temperature ST*" E-.), the Doctors- 
 quelle (38°), the Hauptquelle (38°), and the 
 Straubinger quelle (36°). A spring, rising in the 
 Ache, supplies the horse bath. The quantity of 
 solid substance and gas in the water is very 
 small ; scarcely two grains of the former, and a 
 cubic inch of the latter to the pint. 
 
 The distance from Linz to Vienna is about 
 sixty leagues. " Ha^dng resumed our voyage," 
 continues the above-quoted author, " the scenery 
 that presented itself was of the most beautiful 
 description — an ever-changing panorama. First 
 
 * Les Bains de Gastcin. 
 
220 THE DANUBE. 
 
 we had luxuriant meadows and corn-fields, swell- 
 ing into gentle hills, clothed with the rich verdure 
 of June, the whole dotted over with the white 
 cottages of the peasants, and animated by 
 numerous groups of cattle. We then came to a 
 plain where the Danube gradually expanded into 
 an immense lake, intersected by several green 
 islands, enlivened by immense flocks of aquatic 
 birds; this terminated by contracting into a 
 mountain gorge, formed by tremendous piles of 
 rocks, with their fantastic peaks, dark, gloomy, 
 and nearly destitute of vegetation. Each moment 
 our progress seemed barred by an impassable 
 chain of rocks, until, by turning a tiny cape, we 
 found ourselves within another mountain lake, 
 surrounded by yawning abysses and frowning 
 precipices, which, overspread with the sable pall 
 of the pine, gave to the whole a character at once 
 wild and supernatural; and thus it continued, 
 curve upon curve, lake upon lake, until we 
 arrived at Sturm, with its dreaded Saurussel. 
 
 " Here everything concurs to increase the 
 interest of the scene, the terrific roar of the 
 river, and the rapidity with which it rushes 
 through its frightful gorge, exhibiting one mass 
 of boiling foam, the stupendous height and 
 threatening altitude of the rocks, which seem to 
 menace us with certain destruction as we 
 advance ; the dim twilight, the anxiety pictured 
 on the countenances of the passengers, their 
 prayers to St. Nicholas and the Madonna, the 
 
THE DANUBE. 221 
 
 sliouts of the captain and his men, hurrying to 
 and fro, combine to raise a slight feeling of 
 apprehelision even in those whose nerves are 
 iron-bound ; but in a moment the dreaded Sau- 
 russel is passed, and nothing is heard but thanks 
 and gratitude for the intercession of the saints."* 
 Viemia is now brought beneath the eye of 
 those interested in being acquainted with it by 
 the fine panoramic tableau exhibiting in Leicester 
 Square. The city itself is but limited in extent, 
 being circumscribed between high ramparts, on 
 which are promenades commanding delightful 
 views of its numerous extensive suburbs and 
 
 * " Sketches of Germany and the Germans, by a resident Englishman." 
 This author, like myself, descended the Danube by a passage-boat or raft, 
 before the days of steam navigation above Vienna, by which the romance 
 attending the various incidents has been destroyed. Neither are implora- 
 tions to the Madonna at present nearly so common as formerly. The 
 subjoined hymn, set to music as sung by the boatmen and peasantry, the 
 translation of which is given in Russell's " Germany," would have a fine 
 effect :— 
 
 HYilN TO THE VIRGIN ON THE DANUBE. 
 
 " Fading, still fading, the last beam is shining, 
 Ave Mai'ia, day is declining, 
 Safety and innocence fly with the light, 
 Temptation and danger walk forth with the night : 
 From the fall of the shade till the matin shall chime. 
 Shield us from dangers, and save us from crime. 
 
 Ave Maria Audi nos. 
 
 " Ave Maria ! hear when we call. 
 Mother of Him who was brother to all. 
 Feeble and failing, we trust in thy might, 
 In doubting and darkness thy love be our light ; 
 Let us sleep on thy breast while the night-taper burns. 
 And wake in thine arms when the morning returns. 
 
 Ave Maria Audi nos." 
 
222 VIENNA. 
 
 parks, witli the Danube and lofty Kahlenberg 
 beyond. The esplanade, laid out with alleys of 
 trees, forms also an agreeable promenade imme- 
 diately beneath the Bastei. Perhaps no where is 
 there so great a variety of public walks, of which 
 the principal are the Prater, the Volksgarten, 
 the Augarten, and Theresiengarten, in which are 
 numerous houses of entertainment, games, fire- 
 works, and other sources for recreation. On 
 holidays one or more concerts are given either 
 in the promenades or in the environs; those 
 presided over by Strauss being the most nume- 
 rously attended. 
 
 The streets of the city are necessarily narrower 
 than those of the suburbs ; the houses, however, 
 are more lofty and solidly built, many of the 
 palaces being of a grand and imposing style of 
 architecture. The fine gothic cathedral Saint 
 Stephen's stands near the centre of the city, its 
 lofty spire (the highest except Strasburg) forming 
 the most conspicuous object. In the Augustine 
 Church the visitor will behold with high gratifi- 
 cation one of Canova's chefs d'wuvre, the monu- 
 ment sculptured in grey marble to the memory 
 of Archduchess Christine. In the other churches 
 there is little to attract the attention. Of the 
 squares, the Josephsplatz is the principal, Vienna 
 not having greatly to boast in this respect : the 
 equestrian statue of the emperor adorns the 
 centre. The imperial palace is not remarkable 
 interiorly, but contains an immense collection of 
 
VIENNA. 223 
 
 works of art. The library saloon, two hundred 
 and sixty feet long, with a fine dome in its centre, 
 and ornamented with marble statues of the rulers 
 of Austria, is peculiarly striking. It contains 
 more than three hundred thousand volumes in all 
 languages, and a large collection of manuscripts, 
 including the original of Tasso's " Gerusaleme." 
 The treasury is richly endowed, and will likewise 
 occupy a share of the visitor's attention ; as also 
 the fine collection of cameos, antique medals, 
 &c., in the Augustine corridor. 
 
 The Belvedere Palace contains the picture 
 gallery, which some persons prefer to that of 
 Munich. It is especially rich in the works of 
 Flemish and German artists, among which may 
 be more particularly specified three of Ruben's 
 chefs d'oeuvre^ St. Ignatius, St. Ildefonso, and St. 
 Ambrosius ; there is also a fine portrait . of 
 Charles I., by Vandyke ; and the mother of Rem- 
 brandt, by this painter. The heads of an old 
 man and woman, by Denner, are particularly 
 well executed. 
 
 In the Italian School Raphael's " Holy Family" 
 is considered as one of the finest of this painter's 
 productions; the "Holy Family" of Titian is 
 likewise a celebrated production : the gallery is 
 rich in the works of this master. There are 
 likewise some fine Correggios, Tintorettos, and 
 works of Salvator Rosa, and others of the best 
 Italian painters. The gallery also contains the 
 splended mosaic of the " Last Supper," by 
 
224 VIENNA. 
 
 Leonardo da Vinci, parts of the original at 
 Milan being scarcely distinguishable. On the 
 ground floor is a rich collection of ancient 
 armour, Avith portraits of several of the most 
 distinguished members of the house of Hapsburg. 
 
 The arsenals contain, besides the collection of 
 arms, many objects of historical interest, as the 
 armour of Charles V., Godfrey de Bouillon's hat, 
 numerous spoils taken from the Turks, &c. 
 
 The theatres are well conducted, the orchestras 
 and corps dramatique the best in kind. Perform- 
 ance begins at six and closes about nine, as else- 
 where in Germany. The Viennese, like the 
 Bavarians, are great lovers of music and dancing, 
 amusements having been encouraged by the 
 government as a means of preventing a too close 
 attention to political matters; which, however, 
 has. not prevented the revolutionary movements 
 which have agitated the rest of Europe from 
 extending to the Austrian capital, and causing 
 the flight of the minister who for the greater 
 part of half a century ruled the destinies of the 
 empire, and the subsequent departure of the 
 Emperor to Innspruck. 
 
 Strangers were not well received unless highly 
 introduced, or forming part of the noblesse ; nor 
 indeed, however delightful for a brief visit, would 
 Vienna ofier much inducement for the protracted 
 sojourn of many English travellers, though living 
 be cheap and the resources of a capital are at 
 command. Except the evening reunions there 
 
VIENNA. 225 
 
 is but little society, tables cVhote are not in vogue, 
 dinners a la carte ^ and at from one to three 
 o'clock, being the usual custom. From the great 
 atmospheric vicissitudes to which Vienna is 
 subject, its comparative humidity, the frequent 
 prevalence of northerly and easterly winds, and 
 the exclusion from those of the south by the 
 chain of Tyrolean and Carnic Alps, this city 
 would not be an agreeable winter residence as 
 respects climate ; while in summer the oppressive 
 heat and dust are annoyances to which it requires 
 one to be accustomed. 
 
 There are in Vienna numerous scientific and 
 charitable establishments. The University is in 
 high repute; it possesses an observatory, an 
 anatomical theatre, a botanical garden, museum 
 of natural history, &c. The hospitals are large 
 and well conducted, though the state of medicine, 
 with the exception of the treatment of diseases 
 of the eyes, is inferior to Berlin. There is like- 
 wise at Vienna an Oriental Academy, founded 
 by Joseph II., for educating young men in 
 the languages of the east, and thus supplpng 
 well-informed secretaries to the embassies in 
 that quarter of the world ; as also the Theresian 
 Academy, founded by Maria Theresa, for edu- 
 cating the sons of the aristocracy. In the 
 Medico-Chirurgical Academy the collection of 
 wax anatomical figures nearly equals that of 
 Florence, being by the same artist. 
 
 In the immediate environs is the Palace of 
 
226 adelsberg. 
 
 Schonbrunn, with its gardens, which will repay 
 the trouble of a visit. It is said that Napoleon, 
 when quartered here, was struck with the portrait 
 of Maria Louisa, which caused his alliance with 
 the imperial family. An agreeable excursion 
 iuay be made to the romantically situated bath 
 of Baden, which in summer is greatly resorted to 
 by the Viennese : its waters are sulphurous. 
 
 The scenery of the river between Vienna, 
 Presburg, and Pesth, is comparatively uninterest- 
 ing ; a railroad is in progress of construction to 
 unite the capitals of Austria and Hungary. That 
 to the Adriatic at Trieste is already completed, 
 passing through the finest part of Styria, of 
 which the capital, Gratz, beyond the beauty of 
 its position, possesses no inducement for the 
 majority of travellers to delay their departure ; 
 the streets being narrow and badly paved, and 
 there being no public edifices worth visiting. 
 Halfway between Laybach and Trieste, amidst 
 highly romantic scenery, is the celebrated Cave 
 of Adelsberg, of which the subjoined account 
 is given by the author whom I have already 
 quoted : — 
 
 " We proceeded through a long spacious gallery 
 of about a hundred paces, when it suddenly 
 opened into an immense cavern of the most 
 colossal height, but this was the mere vestibule 
 to the most magnificent of Nature's temples ; for 
 at length we arrived beneath a vast dome whose 
 altitude by torch light seemed immeasurable. 
 
ADELSBERG. 227 
 
 This splendid hall is fifty feet broad, seventy 
 long, and encrusted with stalactites of the most 
 surpassing beauty, sparkling like diamonds, 
 and appeared worthy of being the palace of the 
 Gnome King himself; the floor is quite level, 
 and a few wooden benches and rustic chandeliers 
 told that this was the hall in which the peasants, 
 by a merry dance, celebrate annually the festival 
 of their patron saint. From hence the cavern 
 branches off in different directions, not in long 
 galleries, but in a succession of grottos. Those to 
 the left are numerous, spacious, and lofty, while 
 the others, though smaller, are more varied in 
 their fantastic forms. As we advance they 
 become more elevated, and the columns more 
 majestic, till, after traversing two leagues in the 
 heart of the earth, our progress is terminated by 
 a deep subterranean lake. It would be impossible 
 to describe, with any degree of accuracy, the 
 varied natural architecture of this city of stalac- 
 tites. In one place we appear wandering through 
 the aisles of a gothic cathedral, supported by 
 columns of the most gigantic height, sometimes 
 uniform, sometimes clustered together, as if 
 fluted. Some of the smaller grottos are entirely 
 inlaid with stalactites, and as they reflected the 
 burning torches appeared one blaze of light. 
 The sparry masses exhibited every form which 
 the invention of the guides could devise : in one 
 place we had crystal cascades of the most 
 dazzling brightness ; in another rows of pillars 
 
228 ADELSBERG. 
 
 ornamented with festoons ; here triumphal arches; 
 there the Emperor's throne, surmounted by a 
 crown. In short, the whole range appears as if 
 real objects had been metamorphosed into crystal 
 by the power of some mighty magician.* 
 
 " However, it is not only the beauty of the 
 stalactites, and their innumerable forms, that 
 arrest our attention, but the foaming river Poick, 
 which here again makes its appearance, roaring 
 in the horrible abyss beneath; by the side of 
 whose frightful gorge, and across whose rocky 
 bridges, we frequently bent our course. 
 
 " Adelsberg is indeed the German grotto par 
 excellence. Those at Muggendorf, however in- 
 teresting, are mere mouse-holes compared with 
 this, which equals in colossal grandeur its own 
 gigantic Alps. In what other part of the world 
 can we trace a river rushing through the bowels 
 of the earth, or wander through an interminable 
 succession of grottos'? — that is if we have courage 
 to pursue our researches; for it is supposed to 
 communicate with another grotto, some thirty 
 miles distant, near Trieste." 
 
 Another highly interesting excursion in this 
 vicinity may be made to the quicksilver mines of 
 Idria — of which, however, I need not enter into 
 a description. 
 
 Trieste is a handsome, bustling port-town, 
 which offers little to attract the passing traveller. 
 
 * Some idea of the beauty of these grottos may be formed from the 
 exhibition at the Colosseum. 
 
TRIESTE. 229 
 
 In the chief street, the Corso, lined with hand- 
 some shops and cafes^ there are several fine 
 buildings; of the churches the Jesuits' is best 
 worth visiting. Trieste has more the aspect of 
 an Italian than a German town. Constant steam 
 communication is kept up with Venice, Ancona, 
 Corfu, and the East, a fine steamer leaving 
 regularly for Alexandiia. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 NUREMBERG — FRANCONIAN SWITZERLAND — BOHEMIAN BATHS- 
 
 FRANZENSBAD — MARIENBAD — CARLSBAD— PRAGUE— 
 
 TEPLITZ-DRESDEN. 
 
 Resuming the journey from Ratisbon northward, 
 a hilly drive of twelve hours will bring the 
 traveller to Nuremberg (now in direct railroad 
 communication with Munich, Bamberg, Sec), 
 which bears internal evidence of its high 
 antiquity. The castle, crowning the hill, has been 
 the scene of many an historical event, and com- 
 mands an extensive prospect of the surrounding 
 country. In the chapel are a few paintings of 
 Albert Durer, whose house still remains in the 
 same state as when he died. A venerable old 
 lime tree has weathered some hundreds of years 
 in the courtyard of the castle. The gothic church 
 of St. Lawrence may vie with some of our 
 English cathedrals, with respect to the solemn 
 and impressive aspect of its cloistered aisles, 
 and windows of stained glass, one of which is 
 more than three hundred years old. St. Sebald's 
 Church is likewise a fine old building, though 
 of a different style to St. Lawrence. In the 
 centre is the shrine, composed of a bronze casting, 
 elaborately worked, in the form of a gothic 
 
NUREMBERG. 231 
 
 chapel, with niches around, containing the figui'es 
 of the apostles, wliich are admirably executed, 
 and enclosing a chest in which are the relics of 
 the saint. The artist, Vischer, has introduced 
 among the figures, at the lower part, a repre- 
 sentation of himself in his working costume. 
 This work, whicli occupied Vischer and his 
 sons thirteen years, was finished in 1529. 
 
 Nuremberg contains at present about forty 
 thousand inhabitants, all of whom, with the 
 exception of about six thousand, are Protestants ; 
 whereas at Munich the bulk of the population 
 are Catholics, who regard with some degree of 
 jealousy their Protestant fellow-subjects of Nu- 
 remberg. The Frauenkirch, or Catholic Church, 
 is a small though handsome edifice in the 
 market-place, where also stands the Schone- 
 brunnen, a fountain in the form of an obelisk, 
 adorned with several figures on stone of some of 
 the more prominent characters of antiquity. 
 
 There is a collection of pictures in the Gothic 
 edifice, formerly the chapel of St. Maurice, 
 though but few are particularly worth remark- 
 ing, except two or three of Albert Durer. The 
 hospital, which likewise comprises a hospice for 
 the reception of the aged and infirm, is a dilapi- 
 dated low building on the river. The treatment 
 of disease appeared to me to be much inferior to 
 that of Munich. 
 
 The costume of some of the inhabitants and 
 peasantry corresponds with the antique appear- 
 
232 ERLANGEN. 
 
 ance of Nuremberg. The women generally wear 
 a cloth dress reaching half way down the leg, 
 with a coloured kerchief (most frequently red) 
 wrapped round the head, somewhat after the 
 fashion of a turban. The men (as in other parts 
 of Bavaria) wear three-cornered hats, long coats, 
 reaching nearly to the heels, and red or other 
 coloured waistcoats, with large metal buttons 
 overlapping each other. 
 
 The first railroad constructed in Germany was 
 that between Nuremberg and Furth, a commercial 
 town about six miles distant, and principally 
 inhabited by Jews. A few miles in the opposite 
 direction lies Erlangen, a neat town of ten 
 thousand inhabitants, and the seat of a Uni- 
 versity, which, from the reputation of some of its 
 professors, has latterly ranked high among the 
 German universities. The number of students 
 does not, however, much exceed three hundred, 
 those in the theological faculty being the most 
 numerous. They are not given to rioting and 
 duelling, as at some other places. Behind the 
 building of the University is a large garden, 
 which contains a good anatomical and pathologi- 
 cal museum. There is likewise a small clinical 
 hospital, containing one hundred beds. 
 
 From Erlangen, the small and beautiful tract 
 of country termed Franconian Switzerland may 
 be conveniently visited in three days. It lies to 
 the left of the high road to Baireuth, and is 
 interesting, not only on account of the pic- 
 
FRANCONIAN SWITZERLAND. 233 
 
 turesqucness of its scenery, but likewise from its 
 magnificent caverns. After a five hours' drive 
 the visitor arrives at Streitberg (where stands 
 the castle, now a ruin, but which formerly com- 
 manded the entrance of the valley), and shortly 
 aftcrAvards at Muggendorf, which is the chief 
 place in the district, and the best point for 
 making excursions. After ascending a steep hill 
 and an hour's good walking, the peculiar shaped 
 rock termed Adlerstein is attained, whence is 
 displayed a beautiful and extensive panorama of 
 
 " Variegated maze of mount and glen," 
 
 with here and there an old castle crowning an 
 eminence. A little further on, the Riesenberg is 
 seen ; this is a natural excavation between arched 
 rocks, which, viewed from the valley below, 
 presents the appearance of a gigantic castle — 
 whence the name. Following the course of the 
 Wiesent along the valley, you pass beneath 
 Rabenek Castle, perched on the summit of a 
 rock, the perpendicular sides of which might 
 well bid defiance to hostile approaches, and, 
 crossing the hill, arrive next at the Castle of 
 Rabenstein, likewise standing on a projecting 
 rock, and surrounded by immense masses of 
 granite, which must have been at some period 
 detached from the mountains by a terrestrial 
 convulsion. From the castle a path, winding 
 between these masses, leads to the chief wonder 
 of the country — the Cave of R-abenstein. This 
 
234 FRANCONIAN SWITZERLAND. 
 
 cavern is divided into four compartments, the 
 first being merely an extensive si)ace on the 
 same level as the ground at the entrance. The 
 other divisions, in order to be seen to advantage, 
 require to be lighted up with numerous candles, 
 by which the whole extent can be perceived, and 
 a singularly wild and unique scene is disclosed. 
 Descending by a winding stair cut in the rock, 
 you have an opportunity of admiring the 
 immense and beautiful stalactites descending 
 from the roof and rising from the floors. Several 
 fossil remains were here discovered, most of 
 which were taken away, though some still 
 remain, such as a pair of enormous antlers, and 
 part of the pelvis of the mammoth, which are 
 so deeply imbedded in the incrustation that they 
 could not well be removed, even if the proprietor 
 were desirous that they should be. The third 
 division, though less extensive than the others, 
 contains more beautiful stalactites, which hang 
 from the roof in the form of palm leaves. 
 The fourth part is the largest, and is mostly 
 filled up with enormous masses of rocks, which 
 form a peculiarly striking and chaotic scene. 
 Altogether this cavern may be considered 
 as one of the natural wonders of Europe, and 
 a visit to it would well repay the traveller 
 for maldng a detour of some miles. It is, 
 however, not to be compared with Adelsberg. 
 There is another of th^e caverns, termed the 
 Forster's Ilohle, near Waischenfeld, nearly two 
 
BAIREUTH FRANZENSBAD. 235 
 
 lioiirs' walk from Rabensteiii, but it is not so 
 interesting. 
 
 Baireuth is a small town in an agreeable 
 country, possessing nothing particularly worthy 
 of remark. A pleasant walk leads to the 
 Ermitage, two miles distant. From this, ten 
 hours are required to reach Eger ; previous to 
 entering there is an Austrian custom-house. 
 Eger likewise presents no object of particular 
 interest, except the old Castle of Wallenstein, 
 in the interior of which are still preserved some 
 relics of this hero. 
 
 Franzensbad is about half-an-hour's diive from 
 Eger, and four from Marienbad and Carlsbad. 
 Though the environs are not distinguished for 
 scenic beauty, or objects of much interest, this 
 bath has, during the season, an animated and 
 cheerful aspect. On entering, the small temple 
 beneath which rises the chief spring, the Franz- 
 quelle, stands on the road-side. A promenade 
 ground, with booths, colonnade, and the public 
 saloon, lie on the left of the Kaiserstrasse — a 
 range of handsome houses and hotels. There is a 
 large bath-house, as also buildings for the adminis- 
 tration of mud and gas-baths. Franzensbad pos- 
 sesses a variety of mineral springs, of whose pro- 
 perties I have elsewhere given a detailed account. 
 
 The position of Marienbad is highly pic- 
 turesque. On entering from the Eger side, the 
 valley expands into a more open space, bounded 
 by pine-covered hills, and laid out as a garden. 
 
236 MARIENBAD. 
 
 On the left are about a dozen large and hand- 
 some lodging-houses, the mansion of Prince 
 Metternich being in the centre. At right angles 
 with this range of buildings is another row 
 of larger houses ; the Tepl-Haus being at one 
 extremity, and Klinger's large hotel and 
 boarding-house at the other. During the 
 season about a hundred people sit down daily 
 to the table d'hote. Adjoining is a colonnade and 
 promenade room, leading to the Kreutzbrunnen, 
 the principal spring, which rises beneath a 
 cupola, surmounted by a large gilt cross, and 
 which has a more than European reputation. 
 From the Kreutzbrunnen, houses are continued 
 up the hill, and terminate at the old bath-house, 
 forming altogether almost a square, enclosing 
 the public promenade, where, in the season, are 
 booths for the sale of fancy articles. The 
 surrounding hills are equally disposed in walks ; 
 that leading to the Miniature Switzerland com- 
 mands the best view. 
 
 This neighbourhood abounds in mineral 
 springs. Those of Marienbad may be divided 
 into three classes, viz., the Kreutzbunnen and 
 Ferdinandbrunnen, which are saline aperient; the 
 Caroline and Ambrosius, which are chalybeate ; 
 and the Marienbrunnen and Waldquelle, which 
 are acidulous. The mud and gas-baths are very 
 efficient at Marienbad. Dr. Herzig, one of the 
 resident practitioners, is mostly consulted by 
 English visitors. 
 
CARLSBAD. 237 
 
 Carlsbad is likewise situate in a romantically- 
 picturesque position, on the banks of the little 
 river Tepel, and occupying a narrow winding 
 valley, enclosed between lofty hills, clothed to 
 their summits with pine, beach, and ash, whereon 
 numerous paths, easy of ascent, have been con- 
 structed, leading to points which command 
 extensive views of the surrounding country. In 
 the neighbourhood are several houses of enter- 
 tainment, situate in beautiful spots, to which 
 visitors resort to take tea or other refreshments. 
 The beauty of the environs presents also strong 
 inducements for more distant excursions. The 
 chief point of reunion is the Wiese, where the 
 valley is somewhat wider, so as to admit of trees 
 and booths between the houses and the river. 
 At the end of this promenade are the pubKc 
 rooms and restaurateurs^ the Salles de Saxe, and 
 de Boheme, dinners being served a la carte^ and 
 where concerts are occasionally given. 
 
 Carlsbad offers but few resources for the 
 amusement of the idler, being chiefly resorted 
 to by invalids. There is not that indiscriminate 
 mixture of society which is met with at other 
 baths, where the goddess of pleasure has 
 numerous votaries. There are no balls, and 
 games of hazard, which at some other places 
 attract a crowd of adventurers, are not allowed, 
 neither are there tables d'hote ; and the dishes 
 served up at dinner are generally plain, many 
 articles which would be likely to interfere with 
 
238 CARLSBAD. 
 
 the action of the waters being prohibited by the 
 medical censors, whose authority, if not openly 
 exercised, is at least tacitly admitted by hotel- 
 keepers and traiteurs, so that invalids have 
 seldom the opportunity of committing those 
 errors in diet which so frequently render 
 nugatory a course of mineral waters. 
 
 On the right bank of the river rises the 
 Sprudel, exhibiting to the beholder the pheno- 
 menon of a perpetual jet d'eau as thick as a 
 man's arm, and varying from three to five feet 
 in height. The immediate neighbourhood of 
 the spring is constantly enveloped in vapour, 
 and an odour is perceptible resembling that of 
 boiled meat. On the edge of the basin into 
 which the water flows is observable a thick green 
 slimy substance, which has been ascertained to 
 consist of innumerable animalculse, of a similar 
 nature with the oscillatoria found in several 
 other thermal springs, the presence of which has 
 been adduced by some authors in corroboration 
 of the opinion of the vitality of mineral springs. 
 
 Close to the Sprudel rises the Hygea, which 
 supplies the adjoining baths. On the opposite 
 side, and lower down the river, are the three 
 other springs principally used, viz., Muhlbrunnen, 
 Neubrunnen, and Theresienbrunnen. Besides 
 these there are several others, as the Schloss- 
 brunnen, Bernardsbrunnen, &c., which are com- 
 paratively little used. A new spring arose last 
 year in the market-place ; it does not, however, 
 
PRAGUE. 239 
 
 materially differ from the others in its properties. 
 Close to the above-mentioned three springs, 
 and above the river, is a covered gallery, where 
 the greater numVer of water drinkers meet, 
 between five and seven in the morning; an 
 excellent musical band being always in attend- 
 ance at these hours. Another is also stationed 
 at the Sprudel. 
 
 There are no mineral springs which have stood 
 higher in general estimation than those of Carls- 
 bad, and none which, since their first discovery, 
 have better sustained their reputation through 
 successive generations, nor are there any on 
 which so much has been written. The first 
 work of importance respecting them, which 
 appeared as far back as 1522, was written by 
 Dr. Payer, and was termed Tractatus di Termis 
 Caroli IV. 
 
 About eight hours' drive through an agreeable 
 country will bring the traveller to the handsome 
 city of Prague, which, being built upon seven 
 hills, and also from containing a profusion of 
 churches and other religious establishments, has 
 been likened to Kome. As the Tiber flows 
 through Rome, and is crossed by a bridge 
 ornamented with statues, so the Moldau, having 
 a similar bridge, divides Prague into two parts. 
 On the river's left bank are numerous gardens 
 and vineyards, continued up the hills, which are 
 crowned with fortifications, and the citadel, with 
 the Ilaradschin Palace, are particularly con- 
 
240 PRAGUE. 
 
 spicuous. This was for some years the residence 
 of Charles X. The object of greatest interest is 
 the cathedral, dedicated to St. Veit (who has 
 given the name to a common disease — chorea, or 
 St. Vitus's Dance — from the circumstance of 
 persons affected with the complaint being 
 accustomed to resort for cure to a chapel 
 dedicated to the Saint, near Ulm). The edifice 
 is one of the finest remnants of gothic architec- 
 ture, and contains many precious reliques and 
 curiosities, especially the magnificent monument 
 erected to St. John of Nepomak, the patron 
 Saint of Bohemia, whose anniversary, in May, 
 lasts eight days, at which period crowds of 
 devotees flock to the shrine, and encumber the 
 bridge on which his statue is placed (being the 
 spot whence he was cast into the Moldau). The 
 number of colossal statues on this bridge is 
 twenty-eight, and it may afford an indication of 
 the state of religious feeling in Bohemia to 
 mention that, a few years ago, passengers took 
 off their hats or bent the knee to the statue of 
 the patron saint, while the adjoining one of 
 Jesus was entirely disregarded. Prague was 
 the head-quarters of Wallenstein, whose palace 
 is one of the finest in the city, in which this 
 general held an almost regal court. 
 
 " Owing to the number of palaces, churches, 
 public buildings, and other splendid remains of 
 its ancient grandeur," says the " English Hesident 
 in Germany," " Prague is more imposing than 
 
PRAGUE. 241 
 
 Vienna, and far preferable as a residence, the 
 situation being much more salubrious, and the 
 climate more mild and equable, the cold in 
 winter rarely exceeding twenty-four degrees E,., 
 and generally averaging between seven and ten ; 
 while during the greatest heat of summer the 
 thermometer seldom rises above twenty-three. 
 Dr. Stultz, a celebrated German physician, who 
 has written upon the relative salubrity of German 
 towns, considers Prague one of the most healthy 
 in the empire, and asserts that it is no uncommon 
 occurrence for the inhabitants to attain the age 
 of a hundred or even sometimes a hundred and 
 fifteen years. The provisions are good and cheap, 
 and an excellent red wine, resembling Burgundy, 
 is produced in the neighbourhood. The theatre 
 equals that of Vienna : public and private con- 
 certs are also very frequent, and, except Vienna, 
 there is no town in Germany where music is 
 cultivated with so much success. Indeed this 
 taste may in the Bohemians be termed truly 
 national, for they excel both in vocal and instru- 
 mental, and not a few of the natives travel to 
 Italy, acquire the language, Italianize their 
 names, and make large fortunes at Vienna. 
 Their language, which is rich and expressive, is 
 also musical, and sounds as pleasing as the 
 Italian when wedded to melody."* 
 
 Prague being now connected by railroad with 
 Vienna, a few hours suffices to reach the capital, 
 
 * Sketches of Germany and the Germans. 
 
 E 
 
242 TEPLITZ. 
 
 In the opposite direction a railroad extends as 
 far as Theresienstadt, more than half way to the 
 celebrated bath Teplitz. This small town lies in 
 an open and agreeable valley, bounded on the 
 east by the chain of the Erzgebirge hills. At 
 each extremity of the principal street is an open 
 Place ; in one of these stands the Town-house ; 
 in the other, the Schloss, or chateau of the 
 Prince de Clary, to whom the territory belongs. 
 The grounds behind the chateau are extensive, 
 laid out d VAnglaise^ and are open to the public. 
 The principal alley, being the usual promenade 
 of the Teplitz society, presents an animated 
 scene during the season; a musical band is in 
 attendance at stated hours ; adjoining are public 
 rooms for restauration, occasional balls and con- 
 certs, and the table d'hote^ which, with that at 
 the Poste, are the only ones in the town, it 
 being the custom, as at Carlsbad, to dine en 
 famille, or d la carte. Being a great place of 
 resort for princes, diplomatists, and the haut ton 
 of Germany, there is but little general associa- 
 tion; Teplitz would not, consequently, offer 
 much resource for the amusement of a stranger, 
 unless he had previously acquaintances among 
 the Germans. It is, therefore, not resorted to by 
 the English. There is little to interest in the 
 town itself, except the baths, which are magnifi- 
 cent, and better arranged than in most of the 
 watering-places which I have visited. The prin- 
 cipal bathing-house, the Herrenhaus, where the 
 
TEPLITZ. 243 
 
 late King of Prussia was in the habit of residing 
 during the summer season, belongs to the Prince 
 de Clary. The ground floor of the edifice is 
 disposed in several elegant and spacious baths, 
 formed of porcelain tiles of various colours ; part 
 of each cabinet, being separated from the bath 
 by a curtain, serves as a dressing-room. At the 
 end of the garden, behind the house, there is a 
 semicircular colonnade, with a portico, beneath 
 which rise three or four springs ; the one being 
 the Trinkquelle or drinking-spring ; the other, 
 the Augenquelle (eye-spring). The number of 
 drinkers at Teplitz is, however, comparatively 
 small, bathing being the essential part of the 
 treatment. The new Stadtbad, or Town-bath, is 
 likewise a handsome building, containing twenty- 
 two commodious bathing cabinets, and two or 
 three large marble ones, around a central 
 reservoir in which the water is cooled. On the 
 first floor is a spacious promenade room. These 
 baths are supplied by the Hauptquelle, together 
 with the adjoining piscina, or public bath for 
 men, which is a lofty and spacious locals in 
 which fifty persons could bathe at the same time. 
 About sixteen were in the bath at the time of 
 my visit; several of them were undergoing the 
 operation of cupping mth small tin cups about 
 the size of a liqueur glass. This is a common 
 practice mth many patients of the poorer classes, 
 who also frequently remain a long time in the 
 water, which in the public baths is of its natural 
 
244 TEPLITZ. 
 
 temperature. Another of these baths is the 
 Furstenbad (Princes bath), so called, not from 
 its being exclusively appropriated to the higher 
 classes, but because it also belongs to Prince 
 Clary. The bathing cabinets are equally elegant 
 and convenient as in the other establishments. 
 Here, likewise, is a public bath for women, 
 which is more dark and confined than the men's. 
 There is also in the town a Jews' bath. The 
 price of a private bath is eighteen kreutzers 
 (about sixpence) in the morning ; in the after- 
 noon it is only twelve. 
 
 The adjacent subourb, Schonau, possesses 
 baths equal if not superior in elegance to the 
 town baths. They are, 1st, The Steinbad, con- 
 sisting of a central vestibule, where the spring 
 rises into a large oval basin, and on either side 
 bathing cabinets: the water also rises directly 
 into some of the baths through a fine layer of 
 sand, as at Wildbad, and remains constantly 
 flowing during the bath, which is taken at the 
 natural temperature ; 2nd, the Templebad, a cir- 
 cular edifice, close to the former, with six baths 
 of a triangular form ; 3rd, the Schlangenbad, a 
 new edifice with handsome facade and portico ; 
 the baths being constructed (as at the other 
 new establisliments) of tiles of various colours, 
 which gives them a light and cheerful appear- 
 ance. But the handsomest of the new erections 
 is, 4th, the Neubad, which has superseded the 
 old Schwefelbad. This edifice is three stories in 
 
TEPLITZ. 245 
 
 height, has a considerable extent of facade^ and 
 is divided into two equal parts, -svith a central 
 hall or vestibule, supported by beautiful composi- 
 tion columns, in imitation of marble, whence 
 wide staircases conduct to the apartments, which 
 are handsomely fitted up for accommodating 
 either families or single persons. A single room 
 lets at from three to six dollars a-week, so that 
 it will be perceived that the expense of living and 
 bathing is not very great at Teplitz. The roof of 
 the building forms a terrace, commanding a 
 delightful view of the town and environs, with 
 the whole range of the Erzgebirge, and the 
 Schlossberg, with the ruin on its summit. The 
 baths on the ground floor are as convenient and 
 well arranged as those at the Herrenhaus. 
 
 There are several hospitals at Teplitz, viz., 1st, 
 the To^vn Hospital ; 2nd, the Austrian Military 
 Hospital, in which three liundred soldiers may 
 be accommodated at the same time ; each oflicer 
 having a private room. On an average, each 
 patient uses the baths for a month, so that one 
 thousand two hundred may obtain relief during 
 the season ; 3rd, the Prussian Military Hospital ; 
 4th, a Civil Hospital for poor persons of any 
 country, containing about fifty beds ; and 5th, a 
 small hospital founded and supported by Prince 
 Clary. 
 
 At the time of the earthquake of Lisbon, the 
 principal spring at Teplitz ceased to flow for 
 about a minute, and then burst out with such 
 
246 TETSCHEN. 
 
 violence as to overflow the basin, the water 
 being in a state of fermentation, of a higher 
 temperature than usual, and of a deep red 
 colour. When it had again become cleat, a 
 quantity of red oxyde of iron was found deposited 
 at the bottom of the basin. Neither the springs 
 of Schonau nor those of Carlsbad were in the 
 least affected. 
 
 From Teplitz to Tetschen the country is 
 pretty and well cultivated. This town lies on the 
 right bank of the Elbe, at the commencement of 
 the district termed Saxon Switzerland, and 
 during the summer steamers ply daily between 
 Tetschen and Dresden, for the accommodation of 
 the numerous tourists who come to explore this 
 interesting region. The objects best worth 
 visiting are the Prebischthor, a colossal natural 
 arch, amidst wild scenery; the Kuhstall, an 
 immense cavern capable of lodging several thou- 
 sand persons, and so called from having been 
 employed by the peasantry for concealing their 
 cattle during the thirty years' war ; the fortress 
 of Konigstein, and the Bastei, which consists of 
 immense masses of rock, split and broken into a 
 variety of forms and shapes, some being con- 
 nected by bridges eight hundred feet above the 
 river. The view of this chaos will leave a 
 lasting impression on the memory. 
 
 The Elbe, from Tetschen to Pirna, is hemmed 
 in between dark rocky banks and wooded hills, 
 descending precipitously to the water, not urdike 
 
PIRNA. 247 
 
 some parts of the Rhine between Bingen and 
 Coblentz. 
 
 "Like Adersbach," says the author whom I 
 have already quoted, " the whole of the rocky 
 masses that line the banks of the Elbe and 
 the valleys are composed of sandstone, broken 
 into the most grotesque forms. But nowhere 
 is the imagination so bewildered by the near 
 approach to reality as in the Ottawalder Grund, 
 a glen so narrow, and formed by rocks so 
 lofty, that in many places the sun has never 
 shone in its gloomy depths. Here the traveller 
 wanders over snow and ice even in June; and 
 the tiny cascades hang in icicles as they fall. 
 In some places the walls are not more than four 
 feet asunder, and as perfectly perpendicular and 
 smooth as if the chisel had passed over them. 
 In another they meet above, and form a natural 
 roof: here rising into a pyramid, and there 
 suddenly expanding, till it seemed as if one 
 inverted cone were placed upon the apex of 
 another. He might also believe he was travers- 
 ing the rude model of some colossal city, or the 
 ruined abode of the Gnomes." 
 
 On a hill overlooking the river and the town 
 of Pima is a large edifice, Sonnenstem, formerly 
 a chateau, now a celebrated establishment for 
 insane patients, of which I have given a detailed 
 description in my work on the Medical Institu- 
 tions of the Continent. 
 
 Beyond Pirna the banks are flatter, the scenery. 
 
248 DRESDEN. 
 
 though contrasting with that previously passed, 
 is yet pleasing, for — 
 
 " Even in a plain no humble beauties lie, 
 Where some broad river breaks the long expanse, 
 And woods along the banks are waving high, 
 Whose shadows in the glassy waters dance. 
 Or with the moonbeam sleep in midnight's solemn trance." 
 
 On approaching the capital the banks are more 
 cultivated. The Royal Palace of Pilnitz stands 
 on the right, and from this point numerous 
 villas and country-houses impart animation to 
 the scenery. 
 
 Dresden is divided by the Elbe into two 
 unequal parts ; that on the right, or new town, 
 being much smaller. The view from the hand- 
 some stone bridge of the Japanese Palace, on 
 the one side, the Bruhl Terrace (the most 
 frequented promenade), the Catholic Churcli, 
 with numerous statues of saints adorning its 
 roof; on the other, of the gardens and villas 
 along the banks, is striking, and will leave an 
 agreeable impression upon the beholder. 
 
 The Japanese Palace contains collections of 
 porcelain and other curiosities. Its garden, 
 descending to the river, is planted with a variety 
 of foreign shrubs and flowers. 
 
 The Catholic Church is plain internally ; 
 almost all the inhabitants of Saxony are Pro- 
 testants ; the King, however, is a Catholic. The 
 music is particularly fine in this church, and 
 doubtless a great cause of attraction to many of 
 
DRESDEN. 249 
 
 the congregation, of which the male and female 
 part are obliged to keep separate sides. The 
 music is likewise very good in the chief Pro- 
 testant Church, which is of large size, the 
 galleries being disposed like the boxes of a 
 theatre. The Picture Gallery is in the same 
 square as the last-named edifice ; it is the largest, 
 and is generally considered to be the richest, in 
 Germany. The Madonna di San Sisto, of 
 Raphael ; the Tribute Money, by Titian ; as also 
 a Portrait of his Daughter ; the Madonna and 
 Infant in the Manger, by Correggio ; llembrandt's 
 Portrait, and Vandyck's Charles the First, are a 
 few of the most esteemed pictures. 
 
 The Zwinger Palace is of a peculiar architec- 
 ture, somewhat of the oriental or mores que style. 
 The different portions, seen from the centre of 
 the courtyard, have a striking appearance, to 
 which the colossal grotesque figures in relief 
 greatly contribute. It contains the museum of 
 copper engravings, and the largest collection of 
 ancient arms and armour upon the continent. 
 
 The costly and curious collection of jewels 
 and curiosities, formed of gold, silver, and 
 precious stones, in the green vaults, is one of 
 the principal sights of Dresden, and perhaps in 
 no one spot is there to be seen so great a variety 
 of treasures and curious nicknacks. Mr. Russell 
 says, respecting them, in his work on Germany, 
 '' Whoever takes pleasure in the glitter of 
 precious stones — in gold and silver wrought 
 
250 DRESDEN. 
 
 into all sorts of royal ornaments — into every 
 form, however grotesque, that art can give them, 
 without either utility or beauty, will stroll with 
 satisfaction through the apartments of this 
 gorgeous toy-shop. They are crowded with 
 crowns and jewels; vases and other utensils 
 seem to have been made merely as a means of 
 expending gold and silver; the shelves glitter 
 with caricatured urchins, whose bodies are often 
 formed of huge pearls, or of egg-shells, to which 
 are attached limbs of enamelled gold. One is 
 dazzled by the quantity of gems and precious 
 metals that glare around him," &c. 
 
 The hospitals of Dresden are but indifferent, 
 and the medical and surgical practice is inferior 
 to that of Berlin. There is, however, an 
 establishment for medical instruction, termed 
 the Medico-Chirurgical Academy, which contains 
 a good pathological museum, in the chief apart- 
 ment, on the first floor of the building, which 
 was formerly one of the largest palaces in the 
 town. The presence of the anatomical and 
 pathological preparations does not harmonize 
 well with the appearance of this handsome 
 saloon, which doubtless was in other days the 
 scene of frequent mirth and revelling, the walls 
 of which still retain the full-length portraits 
 of the former proprietors. Some of the most 
 eminent medical practitioners in Germany reside 
 in Dresden. Dr. Von Ammon, whose name is 
 well known throughout Eui'ope, not only as one 
 
DRESDEN. 261 
 
 of the first surgeons and oculists, but also as 
 having directed much of his attention to medical 
 subjects, especially mineral waters, is the prac- 
 titioner most in repute. Dr. Hedenus is likewise 
 in high estimation. 
 
 The streets of Dresden are, for the most part, 
 narrow, and the houses lofty and solidly con- 
 structed. There are no good squares ; some of 
 the new streets are, however, wide and regularly 
 built ; nevertheless, the ensemhle of the inner 
 part of the to^vn has a somewhat sombre ap- 
 pearance. The environs are beautiful, and, in 
 summer, Dresden would be an agreeable place 
 of residence. The winter, however, is generally 
 very cold and windy, and a good deal of rain 
 falls. The price of food is very high, though 
 house rent is lower than at Munich. The 
 inhabitants are, for the most part, courteous, and 
 receive strangers well; a large proportion of 
 them speak English ; they live more en famille^ 
 are more given to money-getting, and, conse- 
 quently, less to pleasure than those of Southern 
 Germany ; there is, therefore, less society and 
 movement. The theatre, however, is well monte^ 
 and is generally well attended. Literature and 
 science are more cultivated than in the south, 
 but less so than at Berlin and the norther towns. 
 
 As a cheap place for the permanent residence 
 of families, and also as regards education, 
 Dresden offers advantages over many other 
 places. In the envu'ons are numerous houses 
 
252 DRESDEN. 
 
 of entertainment, whither holiday folks repair 
 to take tea, hear music, &c. The most frequented 
 of these is Lord Findlater's Coffee-house, over- 
 looking the river. Here, as at all other of the 
 Enghsh colonies abroad. Church service is per- 
 formed twice on Sundays. At one end of the 
 town is the artificial mineral water estabUshment 
 founded by Dr. Struve, which is open from May 
 to November. In the large garden patients 
 walk about while drinking the waters. The 
 establishment at Brighton is formed ui)on this 
 model. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 LEIPSIC—HOMCEOPATHY— BERLIN— HAMBURG-WEIMAR— KISSINGEN— 
 FRANKFORT-THE BERGSTRASSE-BADEN-BADEN-STUTTGARD. 
 
 The journey from Dresden to Leipsic is per- 
 formed in three hours by the raih'oad. This is a 
 large and bustling town, which would offer but 
 little resource to the idler, or inducement for the 
 majority of English travellers to prolong their 
 sojourn. It is the great European market of 
 booksellers and publishers, in which business a 
 large proportion of its population are engaged ; 
 and the Leipsic editions of most of the works 
 published in Germany, as well as many of those 
 of other countries, are greatly in request, on 
 account of their comparative cheapness. The 
 catalogue of books, printed every six months, 
 forms of itself a respectable-sized volume. 
 Leipsic is likewise the seat of one of the largest 
 German universities: a handsome new building 
 has recently been completed. The number of 
 students amounts to one thousand. Some of the 
 professors of the medical sciences enjoy a high 
 reputation. There are two large hospitals, the 
 St. Francis, containing two hundred beds, for 
 acute and chronic diseases, and the St. George's 
 
254 LEiPsic. 
 
 which comprises a hospital, prison, and school 
 for indigent orphans, Avith some wards for the 
 insane. The view from the tower of the observa- 
 tory comprises a considerable extent of the sur- 
 rounding local country, including the battle-field. 
 The belt of public gardens around the town, on 
 the site of the ramparts, forms an agreeable and 
 shady promenade. 
 
 At the time of my first visit, I was anxious to 
 see the Homoeopathic Hospital, of which I had 
 previously heard, Leipsic being the head-quarters 
 of this doctrine. I expected to have found at 
 least forty or fifty beds filled with patients ; but 
 was rather surprised to find that the building 
 (which is a small house in the suburbs) only 
 contained eight, and even of these all but two 
 or three were unoccupied. At my last visit to 
 Leipsic, I understood that matters were going on 
 badly with homoeopathy, which indeed is now 
 comparatively little heard of in Germany and 
 France, except at Vienna, and only requires to 
 be understood by the public for its absurdity 
 to be apparent, though there will always be 
 credulous individuals who are to be caught by 
 any novelty, when presented under a specious 
 appearance, and backed by an unintelligible 
 name. During its whole progress, it never was 
 sanctioned by any individual of eminence in the 
 profession, and was principally taken up as a 
 means of acquiring wealth, or a livelihood, by 
 persons who had never been previously heard of, 
 
LEiPSic. 255 
 
 or who were kno^vn as having failed to acquire 
 practice by the honourable exercise of their 
 profession, by whom every means were taken 
 to puff it into notice, and to keep public attention 
 directed to it; such as repeated histories of 
 cures, the establishment of dispensaries, of 
 which, I believe, the only one that remains is 
 the above-mentioned at Leipsic, even if that be 
 still in existence, for a few months before my 
 arrival, the house-physician having become con- 
 vinced, during a residence of some time in the 
 dispensary, of the nullity and danger of homoeo- 
 pathy, gave up his appointment, and published 
 an exposition of the system pursued, ^vith an 
 account of cases, which clearly shows (what had 
 long been evident to the bulk of the profession 
 and the public) that the so-called cures were 
 recoveries from ordinary ailments by the efforts 
 of nature, which were frequently a long time 
 under treatment, whereas, by a proper medication 
 and attention at the outset, they might probably 
 have been removed in a few days, and that many 
 of the more serious cases got worse instead of 
 better, for the want of active treatment.* It 
 must not be supposed that the homocopathists 
 always adhere to the principles of the doctrine. 
 It has not unfrequently happened that persons 
 who attributed their recovery to homoeopathy 
 were treated allopathetically without their being 
 
 * Ueber die Nichtikeit der Ilomoeopathie. On the Nothingness of 
 Homoeopathy. — Leipsie, 1840. 
 
256 BERLIN. 
 
 aware of it. In fact, one practitioner in Leipsic, 
 a professed homa3opathist, candidly acknowledged 
 that he pursued both plans of treatment, and 
 was accustomed to ask his patients by which 
 method they would be treated, as both were 
 equally good.* 
 
 Little had been previously heard of homoeo- 
 pathy among English practitioners till I pub- 
 lished an account of it and of animal magnetism, 
 as an appendix to my work on the Medical 
 Institutions of the Continent, f 
 
 About six hours is required for the journey 
 from Leipsic to Berlin, which is of comparatively 
 modern origin, and the most regularly-built city 
 in Europe. The streets, intersecting each other 
 at right angles, afford evidence of the military 
 character of its founder. A wide street, with 
 promenade beneath lime and other trees, in the 
 centre (Unter den Linden), extends for nearly a 
 mile from one of the city's finest monuments, the 
 Brandenburg Gate, to the university, arsenal, 
 museum, and royal palace, which are contiguous 
 to each other. The palace, except from its size, 
 
 * The fate of the Duke di Cannizzaro, well known some years ago in 
 London as the Count St. Antonio, is an exemplification of this. Havmg to 
 take homceopatliic globules at intervals for some slight ailment, in order 
 to save trouble he took three doses at once, and died two hours after- 
 wards ; the supposed globules being a concentrated preparation of nux 
 vomica. 
 
 t I beg to refer those interested in these subjects to the third editions of 
 my works, " Hydropathy and Homoeopathy impartially Appreciated, with 
 Notes illustrative of the Influence of the Mind on the Body," and " Animal 
 Magnetism, with Report on Clairvoyance." — Churchill, Princes- street. 
 
BERLIN. 257 
 
 is not remarkable in point of architecture ; the 
 interior is not inferior in magnificence to the 
 other royal palaces in Germany. The Museum 
 is, however, a noble edifice, with a fine lofty 
 portico extending the whole length of the facade, 
 the ascent being by a magnificent flight of steps. 
 The sculpture and statues occupy the lower hall 
 and rotunda. The collection of pictures is 
 larger than either at Dresden or Munich, but 
 does not contain so many choice works. They 
 are arranged in separate apartments, according 
 to the various schools. The arsenal is likewise 
 a fine building, containing a magnificent collec- 
 tion of arms of various kinds, and the figui'e of 
 Frederick the Great, in the clothes which he 
 wore, with many other objects of interest. The 
 university is perhaps the best in Germany, from 
 the high repute of its professors and the facilities 
 aflbrded for the acquisition of science. The 
 medical school stands deservedly high, and the 
 anatomical and pathological collections are not 
 equalled by those of any other city, with the 
 exception of London. Among the other objects 
 of interest may be enumerated the Egyptian 
 Museum, in the outskirts of the town, and the 
 manufactory of iron ornaments, which were 
 formerly a great deal worn. During the war 
 with Napoleon, when the government was in 
 great financial straits, the ladies contributed 
 their jewels and trinkets, receiving in return 
 articles of the iron manufactory, impressed with 
 
258 BERLIN. 
 
 the inscription " Ich gab gold fur EisenJ' The 
 bronze statue of Blucher stands in a central 
 and conspicuous position. 
 
 The principal street and square are the Wil- 
 helm's Strasse and Platz ; the houses are low, 
 and the wide and badly-paved streets look, for 
 the most part, deserted, on a comparison with 
 those of Vienna. The equipages are also com- 
 paratively few in number. The population is, 
 however, much smaller than in the southern 
 capital (not much exceeding 200,000), while the 
 city occupies a great extent of ground. 
 
 The Spree is a sluggish stream, which by no 
 means conduces to the salubrity of the town, 
 which is not raised above its level. This circum- 
 stance, combined with the flat and arid environs, 
 the roads being deep in sand, renders Berlin 
 oppressively hot in summer; and in winter it 
 would offer but few resources, as the Berliners 
 are not much " given to hospitality : " there is, 
 consequently, but little cordial society, and the 
 royal and other parties are but monotonous 
 affairs. The character of the Prussians is, 
 however, of a more sterling nature than that of 
 the southern Germans, and the different branches 
 of literature and science are more arduously 
 cultivated in the north. The chief source of 
 amusement is the opera, the house being one 
 of the finest buildings of the city, and \h(i artistes 
 first-rate. The pastry-cooks' and liqueur shops, 
 at the corners of the principal streets, are 
 
BERLIN. 259 
 
 favourite resorts of the inhabitants. There are 
 also many under-ground cellars, where those of 
 the inferior class are in the habit of congregating. 
 
 Berlin, being more of a military capital, there 
 is but little commerce or manufactures as sources 
 of revenue. The late revolution was very san- 
 guinary; the number of killed never having 
 been made known. As every man is bred up 
 to the use of arms, it is no ordinary mob with 
 which the military have to deal on the occasion 
 of an outbreak ; they were consequently obliged 
 to retire, and the king and queen were forced 
 to come down into the court-yard of the palace, 
 uncovered, to behold the bodies of some of those 
 who fell. 
 
 The Thiergarten, or park of Berlin, outside 
 the Brandenberg gate (being the only space in 
 the neighbourhood planted with trees), has a 
 sombre aspect, as compared with the promenades 
 of Vienna. There are, however, concerts, and 
 other means of recreation, provided in the 
 summer. Most travellers will be satisfied with 
 a few days sojourn at Berlin. The monument 
 to the late .queen, at Charlottenberg, and the 
 retreat of Frederick (Sans Souci), at Potsdam, 
 are the chief objects of interest in the neigh- 
 bourhood. 
 
 The railroad to Stettin and the Baltic has 
 been open for some time ; that conducting to 
 Hamburg is of more recent construction, and 
 is of immense advantage, not only from Berlin 
 
260 HAMBURG. 
 
 being thereby brought into more direct com- 
 munication with other countries beyond the 
 sea, but also because it relieves travellers of the 
 monotonous and dreary passage along the sandy 
 roads. 
 
 Hamburg, though a fine city, and one of the 
 largest commercial ports, presents no induce- 
 ment to most visitors to linger within its pre- 
 cincts. Except the Exchange and St. Michael's 
 Church, there, is but little worth seeing, as 
 regards public buildings. A fine view may, 
 however, be enjoyed from the church spire, of 
 the city, with its pleasing environs, and of the 
 course of the Elbe for many miles ; and, in an 
 opposite direction, of the plains of Holstein, 
 and the free town of Lubeck, which is the chief 
 point of embarkation for St. Petersburg or 
 Copenhagen. The most frequented promenade 
 of Hamburg is on the banks of the Alster, 
 which here forms a basin of considerable extent, 
 enlivened in summer by numerous boating 
 parties. The trajet from Hamburg to London 
 occupies from forty-eight to fifty-six hours. 
 
 The traveller proceeding from Berlin towards 
 the Rhine has the choice of availing himself 
 of the almost uninterrupted railroad communica- 
 tion to Cologne, by Magdeburg, Brunswick, and 
 Hanover ; or, if his route lay southward, he 
 may travel by rail as far as Gotha, througli 
 Halle and Weimar. The first of these towns 
 contains little of interest except its university. 
 
WEIMAR JENA. 261 
 
 Weimar is a handsome cheerful-looking town, 
 which has long been the resort of distinguished 
 literary characters ; both Goethe and Schiller 
 resided here many years ; the house of the latter 
 poet is shown, the rooms being left in the same 
 state as during his life. The remains of these 
 two illustrious men lie side by side in the ducal 
 vault of the chapel attached to the new cemetery 
 outside the town : the coffins may be seen 
 through an iron grating. Here, as at some 
 other parts of Germany, bodies are exposed to 
 view for a certain time, a string being attached 
 to the fingers, which, on the slightest movement, 
 sounds an alarum in the porter's lodge, as a 
 precaution against premature interment. On 
 inquiry, however, I learned that there had been 
 no instance of resuscitation. The opera is well 
 conducted at Weimar. The grounds of the 
 chateau are extensive, well shaded, and park-like. 
 The printing establishment of books and maps 
 of Dr. Froriep will repay the trouble of a visit. 
 
 Jena, some miles distant from Weimar, is a 
 neat little tOAvn in a romantic position, being 
 principally celebrated on account of the great 
 battle which took place in its vicinity, and as 
 the seat of an university. The students were 
 formerly very turbulent, but, since 1830, there 
 has been scarcely any disturbance; duels are 
 also less frequent than formerly. The Burs- 
 chenschaften appear, in fact, to be practically 
 abolished in almost all the German universities^ 
 
262 URFURT. 
 
 The number of students at Jena does not much 
 exceed 500. After lecture hours they may often 
 be seen strolling about the town or country, 
 each with his long pipe, and generally two or 
 three together, one arm being lovingly entwined 
 round the neck or waist of their comrade. 
 The building appropriated to the university 
 was formerly the castle. It contains a public 
 examination hall and a library, with mineralo- 
 gical, anatomical, pathological, and zoological 
 museums. 
 
 Between Weimar and Gotha lies Urfurt, where 
 the traveller may visit, en passant^ Luther's cell, 
 and one or two other objects of interest which 
 this town contains. At Gotha, the chateau, 
 standing on an elevated position and surrounded 
 by gardens, is the chief attraction, from its 
 containing a rich museum and a variety of 
 curiosities, including the three-cornered hat, 
 boots, and gloves worn by Napoleon at the 
 battle of Leipsic. Near Eisenach stands, on 
 a lofty hill, the Castle of Wartburg, where 
 Luther was long concealed under an assumed 
 name. In the Rittersaal are several fine suits 
 of armour, and the view from the windows is 
 extensive and beautiful. 
 
 From Eisenach to Frankfort there is nothing 
 to attract particular attention : by diverging, 
 however, from the high road at Fulda, the 
 Bavarian baths, Briickenau, Bocklet, and Kissin- 
 gen, may be visited with interest. The first 
 
KISSINGEN. 263 
 
 of these lies in a verdant and extremely pic- 
 turesque valley, through which flows the little 
 river Sinn, and consists of the residence of 
 King Louis, who generally passed here some 
 weeks in the summer in an elegant kursaal, 
 built in the same style as the public edifices at 
 Munich, the interior being richly decorated with 
 fresco paintings, a large bath-house, and a few 
 lodging-houses. There are three springs: the 
 principal one is highly gaseous and chalybeate, 
 and is, in summer, a pleasant beverage. 
 
 A drive of about four hours through beautiful 
 and varied scenery will bring the visitor to 
 Bocklet, which lies a little way from the road 
 to Kissingen, from which it is distant a German 
 mile. At one end of the poplar avenues form- 
 ing the promenade are two buildings, the bath- 
 house and pump-room, the upper part of each 
 being disposed in apartments for the accommo- 
 dation of visitors. Between these two buildings 
 is a portico, with terrace, whence a descent by 
 a flight of steps leads to the springs. The best 
 accommodation is, however, in the buildings at 
 the other end of the avenue, the Neubau and 
 Fiirstenbau. The springs are saline-chalybeate. 
 
 The repute of Kissingen has greatly increased 
 of late years, the number of visitors having 
 been much augmented. Its position is elevated 
 and cheerful, in an open part of the valley of the 
 Saal, surrounded by meadows and corn-fields, 
 and sheltered from c;old winds by high hills. 
 
264 KISSINGEN. 
 
 The heat in summer is not so oppressive, but 
 rain more frequently falls than at many other 
 baths. The town is clean, and contains near 
 2,000 inhabitants, the two principal streets 
 being wide, and the houses well built. A large 
 proportion of the visitors lodge in the Kurhaus, 
 opposite the promenade, containing several bath 
 cabinets. During the season upwards of two 
 hundred people sit down daily to the table d'hote. 
 The dinners here and in the hotels are extremely 
 plain ; those sent to private houses are often very 
 indifferent; so that the hon vivant would have 
 little inducement to remain at Kissingen unless 
 to recruit his health. In fact, as there are but 
 few pleasure visitors, the tables d'hote are under 
 the surveillance of the authorities, and nothing 
 is allowed to be served up that is likely to 
 disagree with the action of the waters. 
 
 The Baierischer, Sachsischer, and Wittelsbacker 
 Hofs are somewhat primitive in their accommo- 
 dation. The resident physicians have large 
 houses, and lodge visitors. Dr. Travis usually 
 passes the season here, wintering at Nice. 
 
 On the promenade, opposite the Kurhaus, rise 
 the three principal springs, the Ragozzi, Pandur, 
 and Maxbrunnen ; the two former being tonic 
 and aperient, the latter an acidulous water, like 
 that of Selters. The Ragozzi is largely exported. 
 Besides these there are also saline springs, about 
 a mile distant from the town, from which a large 
 quantity of salt is obtained; the w^ater being 
 
FRANKFORT. 265 
 
 raised high in the air by machinery, and evapo- 
 rated by passing through thorn bushes. One of 
 these springs presents the curious phenomenon 
 of ebbing and flowing at stated intei'vals. After 
 the water has occupied the same level for some 
 hours, a deep rumbling noise is heard, and it 
 descends in the well twelve or sixteen feet, 
 whence it gradually remounts to its former level. 
 Of late years the water has risen and fallen six 
 or eight times in the space of twenty-four hours, 
 an hour being required for its ascent and 
 another for its descent. 
 
 The approach to Frankfort is indicated by 
 numerous handsome country-houses and gardens. 
 The city itself, however, does not contain many 
 objects calculated to interest the passing tra- 
 veller. The most usual promenade is on the 
 site of the ancient fortification, now agreeably 
 laid out as a garden, with parterres of flowers 
 and shrubs ; a musical band being often in 
 attendance in the summer. One of the houses 
 belonging to Mr. Bethmann, the banker, contains 
 the Ariadne, Dannecker's chef d'wuvre, placed 
 in a room with pink curtains, which impart to 
 the statue a flesh-coloured hue. 
 
 Frankfort possesses an extensive and well- 
 arranged museum of natural history, and a good 
 theatre ; some of the streets are wide and hand- 
 some, and the houses and hotels palace-like, 
 especially along the spacious quays and on the 
 Zeil, which would bear a comparison with the 
 
266 FRANKFORT. 
 
 finest streets of Europe. A stone bridge crosses 
 the Maine, which is too narrow to admit of its 
 being navigated ; a small steamer, however, plies 
 in the summer to Mayence. The new burial- 
 ground, outside the town, though much inferior 
 to that at Bologna, is upon the same plan; 
 precaution against premature interment, already- 
 adverted to, is likewise taken here. 
 
 The population amounts to more than 50,000 
 persons, of which nearly one-fifth are said to be 
 Jews, who, however, are no longer restricted, 
 as formerly, to living in a particular quarter of 
 the town. 
 
 Frankfort possesses some advantages for a 
 permanent residence. Being the seat of the 
 Germanic Diet, there are representatives from 
 all the great powers ; and there is, in the 
 winter, a good deal of society among the mem- 
 bers of the C07'ps diplomatique^ bankers, and 
 merchants, which, however, is said to be greatly 
 tinctured with illiberalism and the spirit of 
 coterie. The Church of England service is 
 performed by the chaplain attached to the 
 British mission. The Casino is well supplied 
 with periodical literature, including some of 
 the London journals : visitors can be introduced 
 by a member. House rent and living are, how- 
 ever, more expensive than at other towns in 
 this part of Germany. The air is pure, but 
 the climate, in winter, is cold, and high winds 
 are not uncommon. On the whole, Frankfort 
 
DARMSTADT. 267 
 
 would not be an unhealthy place of residence 
 for persons in health, but it would not be an 
 advisable one for invalids. 
 
 Rail communication is progressing rapidly 
 between Frankfort to Wurzberg and Bamberg, 
 tliere to join the northern line between Munich 
 and Berlin. It has been some years established 
 between Mayence and Weisbaden, and lately 
 all the way to Basle. This is an interesting 
 route ; the scenery is agreeable, and several 
 places of importance lie along the line. The 
 environs of Darmstadt abound in gardens and 
 pleasure-grounds. From the gate a fine avenue 
 of lime trees is continued a considerable distance 
 along the high road. 
 
 Darmstadt owes it existence to the residence 
 of the ducal court. Its general aspect is hand- 
 some and court-like. Scarcely a shop is to be 
 seen in the best streets, which are spacious 
 and well paved, crossing each other at right 
 angles. The finest is the Rhein Strasse, leading 
 from the central square, in which stands the 
 palace, to the Rhine-gate, beyond which another 
 magnificent vista of lime trees is continued for 
 more than two miles. 
 
 The country between Darmstadt and Heidel- 
 berg is beautiful and fertile, though, as in 
 France, no country-houses or detached cottages 
 are to be seen, the population being congregated 
 in towns and villages. The peasantry in this 
 part of Germany are poor and hard-working, 
 
268 MANNHEIM. 
 
 living chiefly upon coarse bread, vegetables, 
 and milk, with animal food occasionally, and 
 the inferior kind of Rhine wine. They are, 
 however, for the most part, strong and healthy. 
 Women are very commonly seen working in 
 the fields till a late hour in the evening. 
 
 Mannheim, like Darmstadt and Carlsruhe, 
 is a town of modern erection, being scarcely 
 more than a century old. It stands on the right 
 bank of the Rhine, and is connected with the 
 opposite side by a bridge of boats, and has, 
 at first view, rather an attractive appearance, 
 the streets being wide, well paved, and built 
 in straight lines, the houses white and stuccoed, 
 and there are three or four spacious squares. 
 The palace is rather an imposing structure, 
 enclosing a spacious court-yard ; its interior 
 contains a few good pictures. The gardens are 
 extensive, prettily laid out, and terminate in a 
 long terrace, overlooking the Rhine. Several 
 English families have taken up their residence 
 at Mannheim, as living and house-rent are 
 cheap, and there is usually a good deal of 
 society in the winter. The theatre is tolerably 
 good. The climate, however, in winter is cold 
 and damp ; part of the environs are marshy, 
 and intermittent fevers are frequent among the 
 inhabitants. I have known the health of some 
 English persons to be materially deranged by a 
 few months' residence at Mannheim. Steamers 
 pass and repass several times in the day; the 
 
HEIDELBERG. 269 
 
 journey may now be made from Mannheim to 
 Cologne in one day, and to London in less than 
 three days. 
 
 Twenty miutes are required to reach Heidel- 
 berg from Mannheim. Half-way are the mosque, 
 gardens, and fountains of Schweitzingen, con- 
 structed in the middle of the last century. The 
 environs of Heidelberg are a perfect garden, 
 producing abundance of fruit and grain, while 
 
 " The vine, the merry cheerer of the heart," 
 
 ripens on many a sunny slope, and, though no 
 longer contributing to fill the " tun," still diffuses 
 its inspiriting influence throughout the land. 
 
 Heidelberg is placed on the left bank of the 
 Neckar, at the foot of a chain of hills extending 
 up the valley, and is overlooked by the extensive 
 and picturesque ruins of the castle, formerly 
 the residence of the Electors Palatine, and one 
 of the niost interesting objects in Rhenish 
 Germany. The castle was built of the reddish 
 sandstone which abounds in the neighbourhood, 
 and which still serves for the construction of 
 many of the buildings in this part of the country. 
 From the terrace a delightful prospect may be 
 enjoyed, 
 
 " O'er vales that teem with fruits, romantic hills, 
 Whereon to gaze the eye with joyance fills; " 
 
 as also of the placid Neckar, and of the rich 
 plain through whicli " Father Rhine " pursues 
 his steady but rapid course. 
 
270 CARLSRUHE. 
 
 The town is old, clean, and cheerful-looking, 
 and may be an agreeable place for a temporary 
 sojourn. The population amounts to about 
 12,000 individuals. Catholics and Protestants, 
 between whom religious differences excite no 
 feelings of animosity; both, in fact, use the 
 same church for public worship. The university 
 is but thinly attended : the present number of 
 students does not exceed five hundred. They 
 have latterly been politically quiet, but duels 
 among themselves are of very common occur- 
 rence ; almost every third or fourth of them 
 has his face disfigured by a scar. It is seldom, 
 however, that these duels prove mortal, on 
 account of the precautions taken beforehand ; 
 to prevent such an occurrence, a surgeon is paid 
 by the state to take care of the wounded. 
 Professors Tiedmann and Chelius are attached 
 to the medical shool, which is highly estimated 
 in Germany. 
 
 Fine avenues of trees line the road on 
 approaching Carlsruhe, the southern outskirts 
 being disposed as agreeable pleasure-grounds. 
 This town, like Darmstadt, has been built little 
 more than a century, and is entirely dependant 
 upon the grand ducal court. The streets are 
 spacious and regularly built, the houses white 
 and new-looking. The palace is a handsome 
 edifice, occupying, with its dependencies, a semi- 
 circle of the principal Place, the area of which is 
 planted with trees and shrubs, and whence the 
 
BADEN-BADEN. 271 
 
 chief streets diverge. The number of inhabitants 
 is about sixteen thousand, besides the military, 
 who are numerous. Beggars are seldom seen in 
 tliis or other to^vns along the Rhine. Some 
 English families have taken up their residence 
 at Carlsruhe, which offers facilities for education, 
 and is a cheap place of abode. 
 
 Baden-Baden lies partly on the acclivity of a 
 hill, on which stands the chateau, and partly in 
 the valley, which is disposed in meadows, corn- 
 fields, and orchards, and is surrounded on all 
 sides by lofty hills, clothed to their summits with 
 beech, oak, and pine. The little river Oos '' with 
 gentle murmur glides" through the valley, diffus- 
 ing fertility around, and on many of the lower 
 eminences the vine is cultivated. 
 
 Baden possesses the advantage of numerous 
 shady walks, both in the valley and among the 
 hills, without which the heat in summer would 
 be excessive. The public pleasure-ground is 
 agreeably laid out in parterres of shrubs and 
 flowers, through which serpentine many pleasant 
 paths, sheltered by rows of acacias and chesnut- 
 trees. The Conversation-haus, where reunions for 
 restauration, dancing, and gaming take place, is 
 elegantly fitted up. Play is a great inducement 
 for many objectionable characters to resort to 
 Baden, and on that account it is not so much 
 frequented by families of the higher classes as it 
 would otherwise be. A splendid pump-room, 
 with portico, where many of the waters imported 
 
272 BADEN-BADEN. 
 
 from other baths are drank, has been erected of 
 late years. In the pleasure-ground, during the 
 season, are numerous booths for the sale of 
 prints, trinkets, &c. The town is clean and 
 cheerful-looking; it contains upwards of five 
 thousand inhabitants, and could receive nearly 
 an equal number of visitors at a time. Many 
 new houses and hotels have been built w^ithin 
 the last few years, and the accommodations have 
 been altogether greatly improved. The principal 
 hotels are the Badischen, Englischen, Zahringen, 
 and Russichen Hofs. There are likewise several 
 other large hotels, which have baths in the 
 house. The Church of England service is per- 
 formed during the season. 
 
 As only one good carriage-road passes through 
 the valley, excursions are usually made on foot 
 or on donkeys. The fine oak avenue leading to 
 the village and convent of Lichtenthal is the most 
 frequented afternoon drive. Among the most 
 interesting objects in the environs may be men- 
 tioned the Jagdhaus, the ruined castle of Ibourg, 
 and the castle of Eberstein, overlooking the 
 picturesque valley of the Murg. Many delightful 
 paths have likewise been made among the hills. 
 One of the pleasantest is that leading to the 
 extensive ruins of the old castle, which forms a 
 prominent object in the view from below, and 
 w^hence the eye ranges over a beautiful prospect 
 of the pine-covered hills of the Black Forest on 
 the one side, and on the other, of the plains 
 
WILDBAD. 273 
 
 extending to the Rhine ; beyond which towers the 
 lofty and elegant spire of Strasburg Cathedral. 
 
 At Baden, as at every other watering-place out 
 of the season, houses and apartments may be 
 hired at a very low rate. It is not, however, 
 eligible as a winter residence, for though it be in 
 great measure sheltered from cold winds, yet, 
 after rain, the ground remains long wet, and the 
 dews in autumn are generally very heavy. Pro- 
 visions and other necessaries are likewise very 
 scarce, except during the season, and many of 
 the essential articles of consumption require to 
 be sent from Carlsruhe. 
 
 Wildbad is about seven leagues distant from 
 Baden. The drive, by the new road, across the 
 mountains and the Murgthal, offers a pleasing 
 diversity of scenery. This bath is greatly im- 
 proved within the last few years. At one 
 extremity of the principal street are the hotels, 
 kursaal, and bath buildings, constituting a Place. 
 This town lies in one of the most sombre valleys 
 of the Black Forest; behind it flows the rapid 
 rivulet Ens, the banks of which, for about a mile, 
 form the promenade. There are some agreeable 
 and shaded paths among the mountains, but 
 altogether Wildbad would be a triste place of 
 abode, unless seclusion or the restoring powers 
 of its waters was sought for. The climate is raw 
 and cold during great part of the year, whilst, 
 from the deficiency of free ventilation, to which 
 narrow valleys between wood-covered mountains 
 
 T 
 
274 STUTTGARD. 
 
 are siibject, the atmosphere must be considerably 
 charged with moisture for some time after the 
 falling of heavy dew or rain. 
 
 The water rises, through a layer of fine sand, 
 to a height of from two to three feet in the 
 basins or piscinse, in which several persons may 
 bathe at the same time. The natural temperature 
 of the water is 30'' E.., being that best adapted 
 for bathing. The baths are extremely refreshing 
 and agreeable, and are calculated for the allevia- 
 tion of several chronic disorders. 
 
 Stuttgard, the capital of Wurtemburg, is about 
 four hours' drive from Wildbad, and is pleasantly 
 situated in a valley surrounded by hills, on which 
 the vine is cultivated, and, with the numerous 
 white country-houses in the environs, looks well 
 from a distance. It contains about 30,000 
 inhabitants, though but little to interest the 
 passing traveller, and ofiers no inducement for a 
 protracted sojourn. The palace is surmounted 
 by an enormous crown in bad taste. The interior 
 is handsomely but not gaudily furnished. Since 
 the construction of this palace the old one, in 
 the centre of the square, has been appropriated 
 to government offices. The palace gardens are 
 extensive, prettily laid out a VAnglaise, and 
 open to the public ; they terminate at Rosenstein, 
 the summer residence of the king, two miles 
 from the town, of which it commands a good 
 view, as well as of the course of the Neckar. 
 The interior is tastily fitted up. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 NASSAU BATHS— WIESBADEN-SCHLANGENBAD-SCHWALBACH— 
 EMS-THE RHINE-AIX LA CHAPELLE-SPA -BRUSSELS- 
 ANTWERP— CALAIS. 
 
 The duchy of Nassau, though small, is extremely 
 beautiful, comprising within itself a great variety 
 of scenery, while the fertility of its soil in many 
 parts, its extensive woods, its valuable and 
 numerous mineral springs, and its vineyards, 
 which produce some of the most esteemed kinds 
 of Rhine wines, are never-failing sources of its 
 richness. The most beautiful parts lie in the 
 north of the duchy, about Limburg, the banks 
 of the Lahn, the Rheingau, and some localities 
 of the Taunus Mountains. Most of the mineral 
 springs and of the forest lands belong to the 
 duke, who is said to be one of the richest 
 sovereigns in Europe. He is about thirty years 
 of age, intelligent and well informed, and is 
 generally popular among his subjects. The air 
 of the duchy is light and healthy, and many of 
 the inhabitants attain an advanced age. The 
 great majority are Protestants. The labouring 
 classes are sober and hard working : they are all 
 educated so as to be able to read and write ; and 
 though many of the peasantry are extremely 
 
276 WIESBADEN. 
 
 poor, there is no appearance of absolute destitu- 
 tion, and begging is very rare. 
 
 AViesbaden, the capital, is encircled by low 
 cultivated hills, behind which, on the north and 
 north-east, rises the range of the Taunus Moun- 
 tains, clothed with pine and other trees, the dark 
 foliage of which forms a pleasing relief to the 
 verdure of the valley and the white buildings of 
 the town. The old part of the town presents 
 nothing particularly remarkable, but the appear- 
 ance of the Wilhelms Strasse, a handsome row of 
 new houses fronting the promenades, is striking. 
 Many other new streets, as well as isolated 
 public buildings — among which is the Ducal 
 Palace, in the centre of the town ; the Minis- 
 terium, or public offices ; and the new Catholic 
 Church, still in progress of construction — ^have 
 been erected within these few years, and the 
 accommodations for visitors now leave little to 
 be desired. 
 
 The Curhaus der Vier Jahrszeiten, one of the 
 most extensive hotels on the continent, forms a 
 corner of the Wilhelms Strasse, and one side of 
 a square, on the opposite side of which stands 
 the new theatre, a neat building, where there is 
 always a good company of performers during the 
 season ; at which period, also, concerts and 
 exhibitions are given, by artists of celebrity from 
 other towns in Germany or from London. Across 
 the road is a grass enclosure bordered by avenues 
 of limes, and on either side a colonnade for 
 
WIESBADEN. 277 
 
 shops. At the extremity stands the Kursaal, an 
 edifice which contains a magnificent saloon for 
 balls and public assemblies, with smaller apart- 
 ments for refreshment and gaming, which is 
 licensed by government during the season, 
 though the inhabitants of the town are pro- 
 hibited from risking their money. The visitors 
 for the baths do not generally take an active 
 part in the public balls, which are more particu- 
 larly attended by the inhabitants and holyday- 
 folks from the neighbouring large towns. The 
 reunions dansantes, which take place twice a 
 week in one of the smaller rooms, are more 
 select, and are generally preceded by a concert. 
 The ground around the Kursaal and colonnades 
 is laid out as a public garden, adorned with 
 shrubs and flowers, and sheltered by acacias and 
 other trees. From this pleasure-ground an 
 agreeable path is continued by the side of a 
 streamlet up the Valley of Sonnenberg, as far 
 as the ruins of the ancient castle, two miles from 
 Wiesbaden. 
 
 Nothing, in fact, has been neglected to render 
 Wiesbaden the most frequented watering-place 
 in Germany : the walks and drives are pleasing 
 and varied; and from the rising grounds the 
 Rhine, mth Mayence, and other towns on its 
 banks, are seen. The population amounts to 
 upwards of 12,000, consisting principally of 
 rentiers, government employes, tradespeople, and 
 those connected with the bathing establishments, 
 
278 WIESBADEN. 
 
 most of which are in the neighbourhood of the 
 Kochbrunnen, or principal spring, which rises 
 in an open space in the town, close to the acacia 
 avenue, where the water-drinkers walk up and 
 down in the morning, at which time an excellent 
 band is in attendance. It is usual here, as at 
 other German watering-places, for a band to 
 play during dinner-time at the principal tables 
 d'hote^ though the music is frequently too noisy, 
 and is not much relished by many of the 
 English. 
 
 The heat of the weather in July and August 
 is, at times, very oppressive, and thunder-storms 
 are not unfrequent, but are usually of short 
 duration ; the evenings are generally fine and 
 pleasant, and the air on the hills is light, 
 bracing, and well calculated to remove the 
 oppression caused by the atmosphere of the 
 valley. From its sheltered position, Wiesbaden 
 possesses a good winter climate for Germany, 
 and is drier than that of Baden. Several 
 English families have remained the last few 
 winters. House rent, at this time of the year, 
 is, of course, low, compared with what it is in 
 the summer. 
 
 Sunday is a gala day in the season ; the shops 
 continue open, as do the theatre and Kursaal, 
 which are generally filled with visitors from 
 Frankfort, Mayence, and other towns in the 
 neighbourhood. On these occasions, some hun- 
 dreds of persons dine at the tables dlwte of the 
 
WIESBADEN. 279 
 
 Kursaal, the Vier Jahrszeiten, Diiringer's, and 
 the Adler.* Almost all the English remaining 
 at Wiesbaden, and other places in Germany, 
 during the season, dine at the table d'hote^ 
 private dinners being not unfrequently composed 
 of dishes warmed up a second time. One o'clock 
 is the usual dining hour, but, for the convenience 
 of those who prefer to dine later, a four o'clock 
 table d'hote is provided at some of the principal 
 hotels, the price being higher and the dishes 
 of a better quality. 
 
 The duke resides, in the summer, at Biebrich, 
 a chateau on the Rliine, about three miles from 
 Wiesbaden, where there is an extensive garden, 
 to which visitors have free ingress. A ducal 
 hunting box, Die Platte, stands in a conspicuous 
 position on an elevated ridge of the Taunus, 
 and is usually visited by strangers. The apart- 
 ments are tastily fitted up, with furniture 
 chiefly made of stags' horns, and several fine 
 pairs of antlers hang around the hall as trophies 
 of the late duke's achievements in the chase. 
 From the roof a fine prospect is obtained of 
 an extensive tract of variegated country, in- 
 cluding the course of the river for several miles, 
 and the chain of the Bergstrasse Mountains, 
 with the woods of the Taunus and Wiesbaden 
 lying immediately beneath : — 
 
 * Diiringer's new hotel, near the raih-oad station, is extremely well 
 conducted, and, being at a distance from the hot springs, is preferred 
 by many summer visitors. 
 
280 SCHLANGENBAD. 
 
 " Here waving groves a chequered scene display, 
 And part admit, and part exclude the day ; 
 There interspersed in lawns and opening glades, 
 Thin trees arise that shun each other's shades ; 
 Here in full light the russet plains extend. 
 There wrapt in clouds the blueish hills ascend." 
 
 Those who are more particularly interested 
 in the properties of the mineral springs may 
 refer to my work, already mentioned. 
 
 A two hours' drive from Wiesbaden, passing 
 through part of the E-heingau, will bring the 
 traveller to the delightful and secluded little 
 bath Schlangenbad, which consists of a large 
 Nassauer Hof ; the old and new bath-houses, 
 likewise large edifices, capable of lodging many 
 visitors, and four or five smaller hcfs or lodging- 
 houses. There is likewise an old rambling- 
 looking building, which served formerly as the 
 public room, and where the attempt was made 
 to establish a roulette table. The hills by which 
 Schlangenbad is enclosed are thickly wooded; 
 numerous walks, easy of ascent, have been 
 cut to points whence extensive views may be 
 obtained. 
 
 Those who require quiet and retirement 
 might pass a few weeks very agreeably at 
 Schlangenbad, which, being higher and more 
 shaded, is a much cooler residence than Wies- 
 baden. The baths also, from being but slightly 
 mineralised, may be used by persons in health 
 without risk, and not only impart a pleasurable 
 sensation at the time, but likewise a feeling of 
 
SCHWALBACH. 281 
 
 hien etre for the remainder of the day. From 
 the neighbourhood of Schlangenbad to Wies- 
 baden and Schwalbach there is a constant 
 interchange of visitors between these baths. 
 
 Schwalbach is about an hour's walk from 
 Schlangenbad, or a two hours' and a-half drive 
 from Wiesbaden, through the woods of the 
 Hohe Wurzel, one of the highest of the Taunus 
 hills. This small to^vn lies in a narrow valley, 
 enclosed between steep hills almost denuded 
 of wood, which imparts to them, at first view, 
 rather a cheerless aspect. There are few con- 
 tinental watering-places, however, which present 
 more advantages for the temporary residence 
 in the summer months of those who are desirous 
 of avoiding the bustle and society of larger 
 baths, especially should their health require 
 the employment of chalybeates. 
 
 Schwalbach lies considerably higher than 
 Wiesbaden, and though the town itself is at 
 times hot in the middle of the day, when the 
 sun's rays are reflected from the hills, yet the 
 air out of the valley is extremely bracing ; 
 the ground soon dries after rain, and the walks 
 and rides in the environs are highly beautiful 
 and varied. Within the last few years the 
 place is considerably improved in its appearance 
 and accommodations, though the people are said 
 to have become more eocigeans. It must be borne 
 in mind, however, that the season lasts little 
 more than two months, after which several of 
 
282 EMS. 
 
 the hotels and houses are unoccupied during 
 the remainder of the year. Here, also, gaming- 
 tables are established in the public rooms of 
 the AUee Saal, the principal hotel, which opens 
 out upon the AUee on a fine avenue of trees 
 continuous with the public promenade, where 
 two of the springs (the Weinbrunnen and the 
 Pauline) arise ; the third spring (Stahlbrunnen) 
 is separated by a low hill from the others. 
 Near the Weinbrunnen is the new bath-house, 
 which contains numerous commodious bathing 
 cabinets, and a promenade room. As the waters 
 of Schwalbach are cold, they require to be 
 heated to the proper temperature for bathing, 
 which is effected by means of steam. A colon- 
 nade extends the whole length of the building, 
 beneath which booths are opened in the season 
 for the sale of books, toys, &c.* 
 
 About four hours are required for the journey 
 from Schwalbach to Ems. The road is hilly 
 as far as Nassau, a pretty hamlet, delightfully 
 situate on the right bank of the Lahn, which 
 is crossed by a neat- suspension bridge. On 
 the hill overlooking the village are the ruins 
 of the Castle of Nassau, which, with the sur- 
 rounding territory, was the original patrimony 
 of the ancestors of the duke, and which now 
 forms a prominent and interesting feature in 
 the scene. From Nassau to Ems the road 
 
 * The Poste, the Herzog von Nassau, and the Hotel do TEurope, are 
 the houses most frequented by the English. 
 
EMS. 283 
 
 follows the course of the river as it winds 
 between woody and cultivated hills. 
 
 Ems consists chiefly of a long range of houses, 
 built against hills, which rise steeply behind it 
 to a considerable height. The side of the valley 
 is so narrow that there is barely space for the 
 road and the public promenade between the 
 houses and the river. Several houses have latterly 
 been built on the opposite bank. The principal 
 building is the Kurhaus, which stands in the cen- 
 tre of the village. On the ground-floor the water 
 of the two principal sjjrings is drunk. Between 
 the two springs there is a long passage, on either 
 side of which are ranged stalls for the sale of 
 fancy articles ; the upper stories of the building 
 are disposed in apartments, the price of each, 
 as fixed by the government, being ticketed on 
 the door, as this establishment belongs to the 
 duke. The public garden opposite the Kurhaus, 
 though small, is prettily laid out. Within the 
 last few years a handsome Cursaal has been 
 constructed, in place of the former public 
 rooms, for assemblies and play. An excellent 
 musical band performs in the garden morning 
 and evening, at the hours of diinking the 
 waters. The Eussichen and Englischen Hofs, 
 and the new hotel of the Vier Jahrszeiten, 
 may be mentioned as the principal hotels. The 
 lodging-house of the Vier Thiirmen, a large 
 isolated building, surrounded by a garden, at 
 the extremity of town, and the only private 
 
284 MAYENCE. 
 
 house containing baths, with a turret at each 
 angle, forms a striking object in the picture 
 of Ems. 
 
 The situation of Ems is eminently beautiful, 
 and the neighbourhood possesses several objects 
 of interest, to which excursions are usually 
 made on donkeys, which are here numerous 
 and well-conditioned, and without which many 
 of the visitors would be unable to ascend the 
 steep hills by which the valley is enclosed. 
 From this narrowness of the valley there is a 
 want of free ventilation ; the air is exceedingly 
 oppressive and relaxing in July and August, 
 so that it would not be an eligible residence 
 at this time of the year for those who do not 
 require its waters. The only road for carriages 
 is the one passing through the valley from 
 Coblentz, which is about twelve miles distant, 
 or to Schwalbach and Wiesbaden, which is daily 
 traversed by an eilwagen. 
 
 Mayence is seven miles distant from Wies- 
 baden, whence the trajet is made in twenty 
 minutes by the railroad to Cassel, the fortress 
 on the right bank of the Rhine, which forms 
 part of the fortifications, and is connected with 
 Mayence by a bridge of boats. Though belong- 
 ing to the duchy of Hesse Darmstadt, Mayence 
 is strongly garrisoned by the Austrians and 
 Prussians, owing to its importance as a fortress 
 of the Confederation. It looks well from a 
 distance, but possesses few interesting public 
 
MAYENCE. 285 
 
 edifices except the cathedral, and only two or 
 three good streets, the majority being narrow 
 and irregularly built. A bronze statue Of 
 Guttenberg, of indifferent execution, stands in 
 the market place. The number of inhabitants 
 amounts to about 30,000, exclusive of the 
 military. A short distance from the town is 
 a public garden, with a platform overlooking 
 the Rhine, at the point where the Maine flows 
 into it, and commanding a good view of Mayence, 
 its bridge of boats, and part of the Rheingau, 
 with the Taunus in the background. The 
 military bands of the garrison play here alter- 
 nately every week during the summer, on which 
 occasions many of the Wiesbaden visitors resort 
 to Mayence. 
 
 Steamers leave Mayence daily for Cologne, 
 touching at Biebrich, whence the journey to 
 Rotterdam may be made in two days. With 
 the exception of the part between Mayence 
 and Bonn, the banks of the Rhine are flat, 
 and present but little interest, so that most 
 travellers quit the river at Cologne, and pass 
 through Belgium to reach the sea, either at 
 Antwerp or Ostend, which is the most expeditious 
 route to England since the railroad has been 
 completed. 
 
 On descending the river from Mayence, the 
 Palace of Biebrich first attracts attention, and 
 looks well from the water. Further on lie 
 the pretty towns of Geisenheim and Rudesheim, 
 
286 BINGEN. 
 
 where two of the most esteemed wmes of the 
 Rheingau are produced. The Castle of Johannis- 
 berg, on its vme-covered hill, is likewise a pro- 
 minent object in this part. Opposite Rudesheim 
 stands Bingen, whence persons not pressed for 
 time will derive much gratification from ascend- 
 ing the beautiful Valley of the Nahe, beyond 
 Kreutznach, the waters of which have been 
 a good deal in repute during the last few years. 
 The scenery of this valley is of the highest 
 order of picturesque beauty. At Bingen the 
 Rhine, becoming narrower, serpentines rapidly 
 past 
 
 " Many a rock which steeply lowers," 
 
 crowned with castellated ruins, and hills cut 
 in terraces for the cultivation of the vine, 
 rising above neat towns and villages which 
 adorn the banks ; among these Oberwesel (above 
 which stands the Castle of Schonberg), Boppart,* 
 and St. Goar, which is overlooked by the ruined 
 fortress of E-heinfels, are remarkable for the 
 beauty of their position, the river at these points 
 being hemmed in by the mountains, so as to 
 give it the appearance of a lake. Rheinfels 
 was one of the most extensive of the fortresses 
 on the Rhine, and was considered impregnable 
 till it was taken by the French, by whom it 
 
 * Overlooking Boppart stands Marienberg, formerly an extensive 
 convent, now an establishment for the cold water cure, of which I have 
 given an account in my work, " Hydropathy and Homoeopathy impartially 
 Appreciated." 
 
COBLENTZ. 287 
 
 was destroyed. It now presents a complete 
 picture of desolation : — 
 
 " Verbrannt sind Thiiren und Tliore 
 Und iiberall ist cs so still, 
 Das alte verfallne Gemiiuer, 
 Durchklettr' ich wie ich nur will.'* 
 
 Marksburg, the only one of these castles which 
 has escaped destruction, and is in a habitable 
 condition, is now used as a state prison. It 
 stands perched on the summit of one of the 
 highest and steepest rocks, and is seen from a 
 considerable distance. Further on stands Stot- 
 zenfels (which was presented to the King of 
 Prussia, and was put into repair), opposite the 
 embouchure of the Lahn, whence an agreeable 
 road leads to Ems. A little beyond, Coblentz 
 and its rocky fortress, Ehrenbreitstein, rise upon 
 the view. 
 
 Coblentz is a neat town, lying at the point of 
 union of the Moselle and the Rhine, and is 
 strongly fortified on every side. It contains 
 about 12,000 inhabitants. A bridge of boats 
 crosses the Rhme, and connects the town with 
 Ehrenbreitstein, whose precipitous rock, bristling 
 with defences down to the water's edge, frowns 
 defiance around, and is now considered to be 
 impregnable. 
 
 Between Coblentz and Cologne the banks of 
 the river are less hilly, but more fertile, and 
 thickly wooded. Few rocky eminences or ruins 
 
288 BONN COLOGNE. 
 
 are seen before arriving at the seven mountains ; 
 the highest of them is crowned by the " castled 
 crag of Drachenfels," which immediately over- 
 looks the river, whence it is seen to great 
 advantage. On the opposite bank stands Godes- 
 berg, the last of the ruins, beyond which 
 the river flows through a cultivated plain to 
 Cologne. 
 
 Bonn is an ancient town, enclosed within 
 walls, with narrow and badly paved streets, and 
 presents nothing of sufficient interest to delay 
 the traveller. The university enjoys a high 
 reputation, and was founded in 1818 by the late 
 king, on the model of the university of Berlin. 
 The students are for the most part orderly and 
 diligent. Their number is about 1,000. A fine 
 avenue of trees leads to the Castle of Popplesdorf, 
 where there is a botanical garden. 
 
 Cologne, the chief city of Rhenish Prussia, 
 contains 50,000 inhabitants and a large garrison. 
 Like Mayence and Coblentz, it is connected by 
 a bridge of boats with fortifications on the 
 opposite banks. It has only one square, and the 
 streets are narrow, irregular, and dirty, presenting 
 altogether a sombre appearance. The cathedral, 
 built in the old gothic style, is in progress 
 towards completion, and, seen from a distance, 
 appears like two separate buildings. Rubens 
 was a native of Cologne ; his portrait, and an 
 inscription on the wall, indicate the house in 
 which he was born. The crucifixion of St. Peter, 
 
AIX LA CHAPELLE. 289 
 
 a chef d'ceuvre of this painter, is exhibited in one 
 of the churches. 
 
 The country between Cologne and Aix la 
 Chapelle is level and well cultivated. This town 
 is delightfully situated in a well-wooded and 
 fertile valley, surrounded by gentle risings of 
 ground covered with verdure. But little of its 
 former magnificence remains; the gates and 
 walls have been demolished, and the ramparts, 
 planted with limes and chesnut-tree», now form 
 an agreeable promenade. The number of in- 
 habitants is about 30,000, and the town presents 
 a stirring and animated appearance during the 
 bathing season. 
 
 The most remarkable public edifices are the 
 Hotel de Ville, and the cathedral or chapelle 
 built by Charlemagne, where the ashes of this 
 potentate till lately reposed. Two or three 
 spacious new streets have been erected for 
 the accommodation of visitors. The principal 
 hotels and bathing-houses are conveniently fitted 
 up, and are provided with requisite apparatus 
 for douches and vapour-baths. The season begins 
 in June, and terminates about the middle of 
 September, after which period the coolness of 
 the atmosphere would tend to counteract the 
 operation of the waters. The Redoute is a hand- 
 some public room for balls, and where gaming is 
 carried on ; play is under the superintendence 
 of government, an employe being always in 
 attendance to prevent any of the inhabitants of 
 
 u 
 
290 SPA. 
 
 the town from participating in the chances of 
 the gaming-table. 
 
 The environs of Aix la Chapelle abound in 
 pleasant drives and rides, which adds greatly to 
 its attraction as a summer residence. The most 
 favourite place of resort of the inhabitants is 
 Louisberg, a hill near the town, of which it 
 commands a good view, as well as of the little 
 town Borcette, and the richly variegated scenery 
 of the surrounding country. 
 
 Spa lies at an equal distance between Liege 
 and Aix la Chapelle, in an agreeable valley of 
 the Ardennes, at the foot of and between two 
 projecting masses of a steep hill forming an 
 amphitheatre, by which the greater part of it is 
 sheltered from the north and east. The valley 
 is a thousand feet above the level of the sea, and 
 is a pleasant abode during a few weeks in 
 summer. The walks and rides in the environs, 
 and about the hills, are beautiful and varied ; 
 the most usual point of reunion is the Promenade 
 de Sept Heiires, which, however, of late years, has 
 presented rather a deserted appearance, the tide 
 of fashion having flowed in other directions; 
 and since the Belgian revolution, this bath has 
 been abandoned by its Dutch visitors, who used 
 to resort thither in large numbers. Spa, notwith- 
 standing, does not lack resources for amusement. 
 There are a theatre, public rooms for baths and 
 concerts, a redoute^ where games of hazard are 
 played, and ponies for excursions into the 
 
SPA. 291 
 
 country. It is, moreover, not expensive as a 
 summer residence, and is still a good deal fre- 
 quented by the English who are in the habit of 
 wintering at Brussels. 
 
 The country about Spa abounds in chalybeate 
 springs, and oxide of iron is occasionally visible 
 on the rocks. The principal spring, the Pouhon, 
 is the only one which rises in the town. The 
 water has the usual characteristics of springs of 
 this kind, and tastes more astringent than many 
 others, from the comparatively small quantity of 
 salts. Exposed to the action of the air, the 
 iron is soon deposited in the form of a reddish 
 brown sediment. The temperature of the water 
 is 8« R. 
 
 An avenue of horse-chesnut trees leads from 
 Spa to the Geronstere spring, two miles distant, 
 and surrounded with pleasure-grounds. The 
 Sauveniere and the Groesbeek springs are also 
 at some distance from the town, in the woods ; 
 the former contains more iron and gas than the"^ 
 Geronstere. About a mile from the latter are 
 the two Tonnelets, chiefly used for baths, for 
 which purpose there is a low dilapidated-looking 
 building on the spot. Carbonic acid is in such 
 abundance in the neighbourhood of these springs 
 that it is frequently perceived issuing from the 
 clefts in the rocks. The quantity is augmented 
 in certain states of the atmosphere, especially 
 during the prevalence of north winds. 
 
 The high road from Aix la Chapelle to Liege 
 
292 THE MEUSE. 
 
 traverses a richly-wooded and beautiful undu- 
 lating country, and from the high grounds a 
 series of delightful prospects may be enjoyed. 
 Liege lies between steep hills on the left bank 
 of the Meuse : it exhibits all the bustle of a 
 large commercial and manufacturing town, and 
 has an aspect of great antiquity, the houses 
 being old, most of the streets narrow, dirty, and 
 irregularly built. The principal manufactories 
 are iron work, especially fire-arms. On the hill 
 above the town stands the citadel, which is 
 strongly fortified. Persons who are more gratified 
 in viewing beautiful scenery than in huri'ying 
 through a country should take the route to 
 Brussels by Namur. The valley of the Meuse 
 between this town and Liege is full of pastoral 
 beauty and richness. The river flows placidly 
 through scenery diversified by corn and meadow 
 land, among which villages and neat farm-houses 
 are thickly scattered, low woody or cultivated 
 hills, sloping downwards to the water's edge, 
 and precipitous sandstone rocks, whose greyish 
 hue presents a pleasing contrast with the verdure 
 by which they are surrounded. At Huy the 
 river is crossed by a neat stone bridge ; a fort, 
 built in 1815 by the allies, crowns an eminence 
 commanding the bridge and the road to Namur. 
 This town is strongly fortified by a citadel and 
 extensive works along the heights, which over- 
 look the river; and by ramparts and a double 
 fosse extending round it on the land side. Its 
 
BRUSSELS. 293 
 
 streets are narrow and dirty; the population 
 amounts to about 20,000 persons. 
 
 The road to Brussels here quits the Mouse, 
 passing through a populous and highly cultivated 
 country, the pretty hamlet of Waterloo, and the 
 battle field, which is now the most productive 
 land in Belgium : — 
 
 " IIow that red rain hath made the harvest grow !" 
 
 The farm of La Haye Sainte stands on the road- 
 side; its walls still bear visible marks of the 
 conflict. Before arriving at Brussels, you pass 
 through " dark Soignies" wood, and the village 
 of Mount St. Jean ; in the church are marble 
 tablets inscribed with the names of some of the 
 British who fell in the action. 
 
 Brussels presents the stirring and animated 
 appearance of a large capital; its population 
 amounts to 100,000 persons. Spacious boidevards, 
 embellished with ranges of handsome houses, 
 encircle the town ; the principal streets are wide, 
 regularly built, and lined with showy shops. 
 The Place and Rue Royale, in particular, have a 
 handsome and courtly appearance, and, together 
 with the park, form a splendid coiq) d'ceil. The 
 park, though small, is pleasantly laid out, and 
 the walks are well sheltered by lofty trees. At 
 each end stands a royal palace, which seen 
 through the vista of trees produces a good efiect. 
 One of these, the Palace of the Prince of Orange, 
 contains richly-decorated apartments and beauti- 
 
294 BRUSSELS. 
 
 fully inlaid floors, and is generally visited by 
 strangers. Among the most interesting public 
 edifices are the Church of St. Gudule, an ancient 
 gothic structure, somewhat resembling, in its 
 exterior, the Cathedral of Notre Dame at Paris, 
 and the Hotel de Ville, likewise a fine specimen 
 of gothic architecture, of which the extensive 
 facade^ adorned with finely sculptured fret- 
 work, and the lofty elegant spire, are strikingly 
 beautiful. 
 
 In the immediate neighbourhood of Brussels 
 is the geographical establishment, founded by 
 an individual in 1830, for lithographic maps 
 and engravings, and the construction of globes 
 of various sizes. Attached to it are a botanical 
 garden, a museum of natural history, and a large 
 room for the delivery of lectures on various 
 scientific subjects. A little beyond this institu- 
 tion stands the Palace of Lacken, the usual 
 residence of the king. The Belgians resemble 
 the French in several points of their character. 
 They are, however, more religious than the 
 Parisians, and, "being almost all Catholics, the 
 clergy have considerable influence, not only over 
 domestic life, but also in public matters. There 
 has long been a large colony of English at 
 Brussels, which may be in many respects likened 
 to Paris on a small scale: the chief advantage 
 which it presents over the French metropolis is 
 in the greater cheapness of house-rent and 
 living. The winter climate is perhaps one of 
 
ANTWERP. 295 
 
 the least eligible, as compared with many other 
 towns frequented by the English, on the 
 continent.* 
 
 The railroad conveys travellers from Brussels 
 to Antwerp in about an hour (through a level 
 fertile country, intersected in many parts by 
 canals) ; to Ostend in five hours ; to Lille in five 
 and a-half ; and the whole distance from Ostend 
 to the Rhine at Cologne in about thirteen hours. 
 
 Antwerp has an antique and rather sombre 
 appearance ; the houses are built in the old 
 Flemish style, with their gables fronting the 
 street. At the corner of several of the streets 
 the figure of the Virgin and Infant may be seen, 
 as in Italian towns. The quays along the 
 Scheldt are broad and handsome ; several basins 
 for the repairing of shipping communicate with 
 the river. Many of the women wear rich black 
 silk scarfs, termed camelots, to cover their head 
 and shoidders, over which the camelot descends 
 in the mantilla fashion. This costume has been 
 continued since the time of the Spanish occupa- 
 tion of the Netherlands. It is, however, now 
 very much superseded by French fashions, 
 and is mostly confined to old or middle-aged 
 ladies. 
 
 The principal object of interest to the passing 
 traveller is the cathedral, one of the finest 
 specimens of Gothic architecture extant, which, 
 
 * The journey between these two capitals now occupies about thirteen 
 hours. 
 
296 GHENT BRUGES. 
 
 however, is not seen to advantage, on account 
 of shops and other erections being built up 
 against it. In the interior the large picture 
 pf the Descent from the Cross, a chef d'wuvre 
 of Rubens, will immediately attract attention. 
 There is likewise another picture, the Elevation 
 of the Cross, by the same artist, which, however, 
 is inferior to the former. From the summit of 
 the building an extensive panorama is displayed 
 to the view of the town, the course of the 
 Scheldt, Brussels, Ghent, and other towns. The 
 citadel, and the position occupied by the 
 French during the siege, are likewise best seen 
 from this point. The museum contains but 
 few superior pictures. 
 
 Ghent has a population of 84,000 persons, 
 but is not a place calculated for the residence 
 of English families, though a day or two might 
 be passed in viewing its churches, collection 
 of pictures, and theatre, which is one of the 
 finest in Europe. 
 
 At Bruges, which has 40,000 inhabitants, 
 there are about 200 resident English. Two or 
 three of the churches are worth visiting, but 
 the town has a dull aspect, and the only induce- 
 ment to select it for a residence is cheapness 
 of living. 
 
 The sea passage from Antwerp to London 
 is very little more than that from Ostend, as 
 there is five or six hours' navigation of the 
 river. The departure is usually at noon, as there 
 
OSTEND. 29T 
 
 is no occasion to wait for tide as at Ostend and 
 other ports. 
 
 Ostend is but a dull place, though generally 
 full of visitors in the sea-bathing season. 
 
 Those persons, however, who dislike a long 
 sea passage, and are not particularly pressed 
 for time, will do well to proceed from Brussels 
 to Calais, which only requires an additional few 
 hours, instead of going from Brussels to Ostend. 
 The scenery of tliis route is in some parts highly 
 interesting, being agreeably diversified with 
 woods, cultivated lands, and neat farms. 
 
 Lille, the frontier town of France, is well 
 fortified, commercial, and dirty-looking, with 
 a population of 60,000 inhabitants ; a few posts 
 furtlier on the traveller enters Cassel, a neat 
 little town, situate on the hill of the same name, 
 commanding a most extensive prospect of the 
 plains of Belgium, Flanders, and Picardy. In 
 clear weather may be seen, from this elevation, 
 besides innumerable villages, the towns of Dun- 
 kirk, Ostend, Bruges, Courtray, Lille, and. St. 
 Omer, together with the sea, and, in the extreme 
 distance, 
 
 " That pale, that white-faced shore, 
 "Whose foot spurns back the ocean's roaring tides, 
 And coops from other lands her islanders." 
 
 The country between Cassel and Calais is 
 pretty and rather hilly. St. Omer is a strong 
 town, containing about 20,000 inhabitants; the 
 
298 CALAIS. 
 
 streets have a triste and deserted appearance. 
 A few English families have taken up their 
 residence at St. Omer, which presents no other 
 advantage than the cheapness of living. The 
 environs of Calais are flat, and totally devoid 
 of interest. The town was formerly termed 
 an universal inn, from its bustling aspect, caused 
 by the constant arrivals and departures, but 
 Boulogne and Ostend have been more favoured 
 of late years; Calais will, however, supersede 
 Ostend, as regards the majority of Belgian and 
 German tourists, when the railroad to Lille is 
 completed, though it offers at the present day 
 no more inducement to travellers for delaying 
 their departure than it did to one of Ariosto's 
 heroes, when on his embassy from the camp of 
 Charlemagne to England, who, we are told, 
 
 " a Calesse, in poclie ore trovossi 
 
 E giunto, il di medesmo imbarcossi." 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Remarks on the Influence of Climate and Travel^ 
 atul on some Prevalent Causes of Disease * 
 
 The great influence exerted by different localities 
 and states of the air upon the human race 
 could not fail to have been observed from the 
 earliest periods, and has been repeatedly com- 
 mented upon by medical authorities from Hip- 
 pocrates to our own times, though of late years 
 the consideration of this influence has not had 
 its due weight in this country as respects the 
 remedying disordered conditions of the economy, 
 except in some particular instances. It is not 
 my intention to dilate upon this subject, but a 
 few observations may not inaptly be here in- 
 troduced. 
 
 Every one will have remarked the striking 
 
 * Many i)crsous out of health will doubtless be deterred by the pre- 
 sent unsettled stale of the Continent from wintering abroad. Those who 
 are interested in the subject may, therefore, obtain information relative to 
 the advantages of different localities at home from the last edition of my 
 work on the English Watering-places. 
 
300 APPENDIX. 
 
 differences observable in various classes of the 
 community, according to the quality of the air 
 they breathe, and the nature of their avocations. 
 What, for instance, can be more marked than 
 the contrast which is presented by the inhabit- 
 ants of a marshy plain with the dwellers upon 
 the mountains by which that plain is enclosed ] 
 or than that which exists between agriculturists, 
 sportsmen, and others, who take active exercise 
 and are constantly changing the air, and the 
 pallid countenances and deficient muscular energy 
 exhibited by those inhabitants of a metropolis, 
 or of a large manufacturing town, who, during 
 the greater part of the day, inhale the close and 
 vitiated atmosphere of workshops and counting- 
 houses 1 Who has not noticed the difference 
 in the appearance of many of the higher orders 
 of society, especially of the ladies, on their arrival 
 from the country and at the close of the London 
 season, after subjection to the combined agency 
 of want of proper muscular exercise, breathing 
 the air of crowded rooms, and of the high 
 nervous excitement consequent upon a life of 
 so-called pleasure] What a difference also do 
 not the diseases of these various classes of persons 
 present ? How differently, again, is not the same 
 person affected in health and feelings according 
 to the warmth or coldness, the humidity or 
 dryness, of the atmosphere, and its variation 
 with respect to the electricity with which it is 
 charged. 
 
APPENDIX. 301 
 
 The effects of climate on body and mind are 
 perceptible on a large scale in the inhabitants 
 of different regions of the globe. Thus, in cold 
 latitudes, the molecules of the body are approxi- 
 mated to each other, as evidenced in the stunted 
 growth of the Icelanders, Laplanders, and Esqui- 
 maux ; the blood is driven from the surface to 
 the internal parts, the insensible perspiration is 
 lessened, the activity of the skin being superseded 
 by increased exhalation from the pulmonary 
 surface. The air in northern regions being 
 denser and more charged with electricity, a 
 larger quantity is introduced into the lungs, 
 and more oxygen is supplied to the blood. 
 
 From the augmented action of the lungs and 
 air passages under these circumstances, these 
 parts are necessarily predisposed to disease; 
 hence the frequency of their inflammatory affec- 
 tions; and, as regards the functions of the 
 alimentary canal, there is an aphorism of Hippo- 
 crates, " Cutis rara^ alvus densa.'' The eyes are 
 also affected by the prevalence of cold, the eye- 
 lids of Laplanders being very commonly red and 
 tumefied. 
 
 The effects of warm climates on the animal 
 economy are necessarily of an opposite kind to 
 those above-mentioned ; the body is more ex- 
 panded, the blood is drawn to the surface (which 
 is seconded by the diminished density of the air), 
 and the cutaneous secretion is increased. This 
 increased degree of vitality and sensibility of the 
 
302 APPENDIX. 
 
 skin renders its diseases more frequent and 
 intractable. In consequence of less oxygen being 
 taken into the lungs, from the air being more 
 rarified, the venous system predominates over 
 the arterial, and the liver, excited to greater 
 activity, plays an important part in the decar- 
 bonization of the blood — ^hence the frequency of 
 its diseases in warm climates. The effects of 
 temperate climates necessarily vary according to 
 the seasons. Thus, in winter and spring, affections 
 of the respiratory organs, haemorrhages, rheu- 
 matism, and apoplexy will be more common. 
 The frequent variations of temperature, and 
 especially exposure to cold and humidity, are 
 the most usual cause of inflammations of the 
 membranes and viscera. In summer and autumn, 
 on the other hand, analogous disorders to those 
 of warm climates are most prevalent: gastritic 
 and abdominal irritation and relaxation, cholera, 
 fevers of various types, and spasmodic and 
 nervous affections. Pulmonary consumption is 
 more frequent in temperate than in either cold 
 or warm latitudes : in proportion as we advance 
 towards the tropical regions does its frequency 
 diminish. A cold and humid temperature, and 
 frequent atmospheric vicissitudes, by producing 
 repeated' bronchial inflammatory attacks, are the 
 chief exciting causes. Cold and humidity com- 
 bined are likewise chiefly instrumental in the 
 production of diseases of the lymphatic system, 
 local and general dropsies, scrofula, rickets, &c., 
 
APPENDIX. 303 
 
 as also of calculous disorders, which are rare 
 in southern latitudes, where the amount of renal 
 secretion is greatly diminished by that of the 
 cutaneous exhalants. To this cause may be 
 added the more vegetable nature of the diet of 
 the population. Gout, which has great analogy, 
 as to its causes and nature, with the before- 
 mentioned complaints, is also more prevalent in 
 England, France, Germany, and other temperate 
 climes. On the whole, however, the mortality is 
 much less than in either cold or warm climates. 
 England is, perhaps, the country where the 
 annual mortality is the least in proportion to the 
 population. According to the statistical accounts, 
 the proportion of births is as one to thirty-five, 
 of deaths as one to fifty-eight. Next to England, 
 Sweden ranks as the healthiest country, then 
 Belgium, then France ; so that, if the vicissitudes 
 of the seasons occasion many diseases, they are, 
 notwithstanding, a source of salubrity, by purify- 
 ing and renewing the atmosphere. 
 
 The greatest mortality occurs in warm coun- 
 tries, and, as regards Europe, it increases in 
 proportion as we advance from the central parts 
 southward. Thus, while in the former there is 
 only one death in forty, in the latter the propor- 
 tion is as one to thirty-three, and this rate of 
 mortality goes on increasing as we advance 
 towards the regions near the equator. In all 
 these countries, however, the amount of births is 
 greater in proportion than in the north. 
 
304 APPENDIX. 
 
 According to the author from whom some of 
 these statistics are taken, the cities in which the 
 average mortality is the least stand in the follow- 
 ing order: — London, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, 
 Copenhagen, Naples, Dresden, Amsterdam, 
 Stockholm, Vienna, Venice.* As regards the 
 influence of climate on the mental and moral 
 qualities, M. Foissac observes : — " The seasons 
 may be considered, according to Hippocrates, as 
 the chief causes of the differences observed 
 among men : the regularity or irregularity with 
 which they pursue their course impresses itself 
 upon the physiognomy and moral habits. In 
 countries where the temperature is always the 
 same the inhabitants are naturally disposed to 
 indolence, and men are led astray by the irre- 
 sistible attractions of pleasure ; those commotions 
 which render the disposition fiery, intractable, 
 and enterprising, do not occur ; whereas bodily 
 exercise and mental activity become a want in 
 countries where the seasons are more variable ; 
 labour and fatigue occasion courage and stimu- 
 late industry. 
 
 " The climate of Europe, being the most modi- 
 fied by the irregularity and alteration of the 
 seasons, is likewise that in which the genius of 
 man has given birth to the greatest number of 
 prodigies in the arts and sciences. In Africa 
 nothing great has been done, except in those 
 regions which are liable to great and sudden 
 
 * Foissac. — Dc rinfliicnce des Climats sur rilomme. 
 
APPENDIX. 305 
 
 changes of temperature. In Asia there are 
 scarcely any temperate climates : in the southern 
 parts the productions of the earth are obtained 
 and enjoyed without labour ; on the other hand, 
 in the wild countries of its northern zone, nature 
 is unproductive, life languishes, and human 
 industry barely suffices to maintain a miserable 
 existence. In its centre alone are some countries 
 the temperature of which resembles that of 
 Europe; and from their bosom have emanated 
 the warlike armies which have conquered the 
 rest of Asia. The same remark applies to 
 America. Those countries in which frequent 
 variations of the seasons are most experienced 
 are also those which first enter upon the path 
 of civilization, and those where it makes the 
 greatest progress. We may, from these instances, 
 perceive how great a value we ought to attach 
 to the return and continual succession of cold 
 and heat, to winds, and even to tempests, which 
 interrupt the uniformity of each season ; and yet 
 man, always blind and ignorant of the condition 
 of the true good which he possesses, laments 
 that he so seldom enjoys the equability of tem- 
 perature, which presents to him the attraction of 
 pleasure. He does not see that a perpetual 
 spring, the golden age of nature, dreamt of by 
 poets, would be destructive to genius, to courage, 
 and virtue. The volcano of Pichincha is not the 
 most dangerous enemy which threatens the 
 inhabitants of the delicious valley of Quito.'* 
 
806 APPENDIX. 
 
 With respect to the variableness of the 
 English climate, Sir H. Davy observed : — " Of 
 all the climates of Europe, England seems to me 
 to be most fitted for. activity of mind, and the 
 least suited to repose: the alternations of a 
 climate so various and rapid constantly awaken 
 new sensations, and the changes in the sky, from 
 dryness to moisture, from the blue ethereal to 
 cloudiness and fogs, seem to keep the nervous 
 system in a constant state of excitement. In the 
 changeful and tumultuous atmosphere of Eng- 
 land to be tranquil is a labour, and employment 
 is necessary to ward off the attacks of ennui. The 
 English nation is pre-eminently active, and the 
 natives of no other country follow their object 
 with so much force, fire, and constancy."* 
 
 Every one has experienced in himself the 
 variation in his feelings and capabilities for 
 mental or muscular exertion, according to differ- 
 ent states of the atmosphere at different periods, 
 and even in different hours of the same day. 
 This is more especially apparent in certain 
 disordered conditions of the economy, as in 
 most nervous complaints, in which atmospheric 
 changes can often be confidently predicted from 
 the sensations experienced; and, on the other 
 hand, it is less felt in proportion as the body is 
 in health and the mind occupied. 
 
 " There are days," says the author already 
 quoted, " on which the mind falls into a state of 
 
 * Consolations of Travel. 
 
APPENDIX. 307 
 
 languor, and despairs of the future. Overcome 
 by insurmountable sadness, it casts a veil of 
 mourning over the whole of nature, existence is 
 a burden, philosophy is powerless, and friendship 
 has no charms. Everything, even consolation, 
 importunes us. This state of anguish, which seems 
 to us irremediable, passes away without obvious 
 reason, and sometimes with a quickness which 
 seems to be marvellous. What secret cause can 
 then have produced so sudden a metamorphosis ? 
 — a cloud, which obscured the heavens, has dis- 
 appeared — the wind, which agitated the air, is 
 hushed. It seems certain that, in our climate, 
 the east wind predisposes to sadness and dis- 
 couragement. It is said that it blows crimes 
 upon Cadiz. 
 
 " None of the intellectual faculties or affections 
 escape this powerful action : the dispositions of 
 mind are not more variable than the atmosphere. 
 Poets, painters, and musicians know that inspira- 
 tion is capricious ; it comes when least expected, 
 and refuses when it is solicited. Oratory, 
 philosophy, the sciences, and reason, are subject 
 to the same laws, and to the same influence. 
 On remarking all the contradictory sentiments 
 which in man succeed each other, one would be 
 inclined to say that he only acts from caprice, 
 being alternately brave or timid, insensible to 
 affront or ready to avenge himself on the 
 slightest offence — either impassioned for glory or 
 disdaining her favours. Revolutions and civil 
 
308 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 wars, if not occasioned, have at least too often 
 been impressed with bloody characters wliich 
 have stained the page of history, by the consti- 
 tution of the atmosphere. It is chiefly on the 
 approach of storms that man feels himself less 
 disposed to labour or philosophical speculations : 
 he is then more inclined to impatience, anger, 
 and depression. 
 
 " From this it is easy to conceive how tem- 
 porary and individual impressions may become 
 general. Let us suppose, what really exists, that 
 in a particular country the atmospheric constitu- 
 tion of which impresses upon the moral any 
 determinate tendency, all the inhabitants will be 
 more or less aflected. The cerebral faculties, 
 constantly exercised, will assume an anormal 
 development ; this disposition, transmitting itself 
 from generation to generation, and receiving 
 from the always active influence of the air its 
 continual nourishment, may become the moral 
 type of a people, and impart a distinct phy- 
 siognomy to the national character." 
 
 Thus far as regards the general influence of 
 climates upon individual and national health, 
 character, and disposition; it is not, however, 
 merely the breathing of a warm or cold air, a 
 dry or a damp one, which requires to be con- 
 sidered in a remedial point of view, but beyond 
 this, the action of these states of the atmosphere 
 upon the surface of the body, and consequently 
 upon internal organs, which has already been 
 
APPENDIX. 309 
 
 partially referred to. Every medical man is 
 aware of the close sympathetic relations existing 
 between the skin and internal parts, especially 
 the mucous membranes and the thoracic and 
 abdominal viscera, of which the bronchial, 
 pulmonic, or en t critic irritations and inflamma- 
 tions, induced by a chill, exposure to wet, &c., 
 are familiar examples. In winter it is well 
 known that there is a corresponding diminution 
 in the amount of the insensible perspiration, with 
 a greater increase of bronchial and renal secre- 
 tion, whereas in summer the reverse occurs, and 
 we are more inclined to be thirsty, on account of 
 the increased excretion from the skin. When, 
 therefore, we consider the coldness, variableness, 
 and humidity of the climates of Great Britain 
 and Ireland during a great portion of the year, 
 we at once perceive a cause of the great preva- 
 lence among us of many diseases, especially 
 catarrhal affections, pulmonic consumption, rheu- 
 matism, <&c., which so frequently resist the 
 efforts of medicine, and in the removal or 
 alleviation of which a change to localities where 
 these causes can be, in great measure, obviated, 
 is most likely to prove efficacious. 
 
 But the directly exciting causes, depending 
 upon the state of the atmosphere, and other 
 physical deleterious agencies, would, in many 
 cases, be insufficient for the production of 
 disease, were it not that the body is frequently 
 rendered more susceptible to be affected by 
 
'UO iPPENDIX. 
 
 them fr(jrri predisposing causes of various kinds, 
 wliich, being slow and gradual in their action, 
 seldom attract attention ; and their avoidance or 
 removal (even when practicable) is consequently 
 too often neglected, till the general health has 
 become materially impaired. A too sedentary 
 mode of life, and the want of proper and daily 
 walking exercise, is a common predisposing 
 cause of disease^ whence the free circulation is 
 impeded, and a congestive state of j)articular 
 organs is induced, with a deficiency of blood in 
 others, and consequently an arrest or alteration 
 of various secretions. Few persons who take 
 regular and sufficient walking exercise are sub- 
 ject to cold feet, which is so common a complaint 
 among females in the higher ranks of life. The 
 want of due expansion of the lungs in inspira- 
 tion, which is also a consequence of sedentary 
 liabits and of tight lacing, not unfrequently j)re- 
 disposes to diseases of these organs, especially to 
 consumption, the tendency to which has in 
 several cases been removed by exercise, which 
 brings the muscles of respiration into action, as 
 rowing, the use of dumb-bells, &c. Anything 
 which lowers the powers of the system, as 
 dissipation, fatigue, a diet of an improper or a 
 too exciting nature, renders the body more liable 
 to be affected by deleterious external agencies. 
 Anxiety, disappointment, and other distressing 
 moral influences, act in the same way, and these 
 causes are luon^ fre(|uently instrumental in the 
 
APPENDIX. 311 
 
 production of disease than is generally supposed. 
 Hence, travelling tends materially to prevent or 
 counteract the operation of the above-mentioned 
 causes ; and the greater facility and inducements 
 offered, in most of the places of resort on the 
 continent, for being more out of doors than in 
 England, conduces to the same end. The cheer- 
 ing influence upon the mind of clear skies and 
 sunshine in A\dnter; the interest excited by 
 scenery of a novel and magnificent character, or 
 by works of art, &c., are powerfully calcidated 
 to divert the mind from dwelling upon unpleasant 
 or gloomy ideas, and consequently to procure 
 the removal of many diseases, especially when 
 induced by, or connected with, circumstances of 
 a mental nature. On this principle, travel and 
 change of air were not unfrequently recom- 
 mended in the earlier periods of history, and 
 their influence is thus alluded to by Shaksj)eare, 
 witli reference to Hamlet's malady : — 
 
 " Ilaply the seas and countries different, 
 With variable objects, shall exjiel 
 This something settled matter in his heart, 
 Whereon his brain, still beating, puts him thus 
 From fashion of himself." 
 
 Some diseases, however, oven when of a 
 chronic nature, and induced by the action of 
 the above-mentioned predisposing and exciting 
 causes, would not be alleviated by change of 
 climate, which requires much discrimination, and 
 consideration of the circumstances in individual 
 
312 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 cases, not only with respect to the choice of 
 localities for a temporary residence, but also as 
 to whether the case be one which admits of 
 being benefited by removal from home; and 
 before the subject of climate was so well under- 
 stood as at present, numerous invalids were sent 
 abroad, who should never have quitted their 
 homes, and many were recommended to places 
 perhaps the least adapted to their cases. In 
 some, again, the excitement and inconveniences 
 attendant upon travelling, and the separation 
 from friends, would more than counterbalance 
 the advantages of climate, which, as Sir James 
 Clarke justly remarks, in his standard w^ork, is 
 not to be considered in the light of a specific 
 remedy, but is chiefly beneficial by its placing 
 persons in the most favourable situation for the 
 removal of their disease. " All," says Sir James, 
 " is trusted to the air, relaxation from business 
 or amusements, and when these are withdrawn, 
 the dyspeptic and nervous invalids lapse rapidly 
 into their former state." Other remedial means 
 are consequently required, in the majority of 
 cases, to be conjoined with climate, for the 
 complete cure of several diseases, as the judi- 
 cious employment of medicines, and of mineral 
 waters and baths during the summer months. 
 The latter class of remedial agents is especially 
 calculated to remedy visceral obstructions and 
 congestions, and to prepare the way for the 
 invalid's subsequently obtaining the full amount 
 
APPENDIX. 313 
 
 of benefit which climate is capable of affording, 
 and without the previous employment of which 
 climate would often produce only a temporary 
 advantage. The combined influence of these 
 powerful remedial agents (mineral waters and 
 climate), by their gradual and alterative opera^ 
 tion, is eminently adapted to the treatment of a 
 large proportion of chronic diseases, and is much 
 more likely to effect their permanent removal than 
 the employment of pharmaceutical measures. 
 
 Having already endeavoured to indicate in 
 general terms the diseases to which I consider 
 particular localities best adapted, I will in this 
 place merely subjoin a few additional remarks on 
 them. 
 
 Diseases of the Lungs and Air-passages. — 
 The quality of the air which is inspired into the 
 lungs is a point of as much consequence in 
 chronic pulmonary affections as would be that 
 of the aliment introduced into the stomach when 
 this organ is in a diseased state ; and unless a 
 circumstance of such paramount importance be 
 attended to in the treatment of these affections, 
 the powers of medicine wiU frequently be of 
 little avail, or will only be capable of alleviating 
 urgent symptoms; though it not unfi'equently 
 happens that, by a too exclusive reliance upon 
 them, diseases which might have been cured by 
 the change from a vitiated to a purer atmo- 
 sphere, combined with a proper regimen, become 
 irremediable, and recourse is had to climate as 
 
314 APPENDIX. 
 
 a last resource, when it is but too obvious that 
 medicine is powerless in arresting their progress. 
 This remark more especially applies to consump- 
 tion, which occasions annually so great a mor- 
 tality among all classes in Great Britain, but 
 which may often be effectually checked in its 
 earliest stage — especially among those individuals 
 who have the means of selecting or changing 
 their place of residence, as circumstances may 
 require — by a suitable winter climate, regimenal 
 and medicinal management. When the disease 
 is fully confirmed, and attended with its more 
 characteristic symptoms, little or no permanent 
 benefit can be reasonably expected from climate, 
 and a long land journey would be decidedly 
 prejudicial. Under these circumstances, there 
 are several places in England where as much 
 benefit may frequently be obtained as from the 
 climates of the continent. Thus, in pulmonary 
 diseases attended with much excitement and 
 general irritability of the vascular system, the 
 warm and humid atmosphere of Devonshire 
 would probably be the best adapted to the case, 
 or the more sheltered parts of Clifton, Undercliff, 
 or Hastings ; while, in those cases where there 
 is less susceptibility to cold air and a more 
 tor})id circulation, the higher localities of Clifton 
 — Brighton in the early part of the winter — or 
 St Leonard's near Hastings, might be preferable. 
 In many cases, again, especially in the early 
 stages of this disease, great advantage, if not a 
 
APPENDIX. 315 
 
 permanent cure^ may be obtained by a sea 
 voyage, and by the climate of Madeira, which 
 also, in the more advanced stages, holds out, 
 perhaps, a greater prospect of life being pro- 
 longed for a few months than any other locality, 
 though, under these circumstances, it would 
 scarcely be advisable to recommend a removal 
 from home, and separation from friends. Dr. 
 Mason, one of the resident physicians, says of 
 Maderia, that it possesses " many of the charac- 
 teristic peculiarities of a tropical climate, without 
 being baneful or fatal to health, like the West 
 Indies. The mean temperature of the year is 
 higher than the temperature of summer in 
 England, while the temperature of the seasons 
 is very equable and only oscillates from 59 to 69 
 deg., or, according to other observations, from 
 62 to 73 deg. Fahrenheit."* Maderia, therefore, 
 would, on account of the warmth and fineness of 
 the weather in winter, the equableness of its 
 temperature, and comparative freedom from cold 
 winds, be the most advantageous locality abroad 
 for the majority of consumptive patients, who 
 must, for the most part, make up their minds to 
 residing on the island throughout the year, or, 
 should they go to England for a few weeks in 
 the summer, to return on the approach of winter, 
 us a climate of this kind would have the effect 
 of rendering those accustomed to it, like a hot- 
 house plant, extremely susceptible to the atmo- 
 
 * Medical Almanack for 1839. 
 
316 APPENDIX. 
 
 spherical variations in other parts. It would, 
 therefore, be advisable, even when a complete 
 cure appears to have been effected at Madeira, 
 that the person should pass a winter at Pau, 
 Rome, or Nice, according to circumstances, and 
 taking precautions to guard against the transi- 
 tions of temperature, previous to wintering in 
 England. When there is merely a general 
 delicacy of the constitution, with a predisposition 
 to consumption from hereditary tendency, or a 
 strumous diathesis, Nice, Pisa, Rome, Naples, or 
 Malta, would often be preferable to Madeira. 
 The above remarks are also applicable to affec- 
 tions of the bronchia and larynx, which are 
 sometimes difficult to be distinguished from 
 phthisis, even with the aid of auscultation and 
 percussion. I need not, therefore, add anything 
 further to what has been already said respecting 
 them, except that in many cases of pulmonary 
 and bronchial disease the use of the mineral 
 waters of Cauterets, Eaux Bonnes, Ems, Weil- 
 bach, Selters, &c., in the summer, will be 
 attended with the greatest advantage. 
 
 Disorders of the Digestive Apparatus.— 
 These affections, in the different varieties which 
 they present, are for the most part, when of long 
 duration, capable of being materially benefited 
 by climate, especially when preceded or accom- 
 panied by a course of mineral waters. When 
 indigestion depends upon an irritable state of 
 the alimentary canal, with a tendency to inflam- 
 
APPENDIX. 317 
 
 matory action, by bathing in and diinking a 
 slightly mineralized thermal water (as Baden, 
 Wildbad, Schlangenbad, or St. Sauvenr), during 
 part of the summer, and subsequently repairing 
 to Pau, Rome, Florence, or Pisa, for the winter, 
 a perfect cure, or at all events a considerable 
 degree of amelioration, may be looked for in 
 most cases. Where there exists principally a 
 morbid susceptibility of the nerves of the 
 stomach and bowels, the above-mentioned or 
 similar waters may likewise be recommended in 
 some cases; in others, more benefit will be 
 derived from an alkaline water, as Ems, or even 
 from a light chalybeate. In those cases where 
 the chief defect is a want of tone of the digestive 
 organs, as frequently occurs in elderly people, 
 and also in some young ones, the waters of 
 Wiesbaden or Ems, or the cold acidulous and 
 tonic ones of Kissingen, Fachingen, Bruckenau, 
 or Schwalbach, according to circumstances, 
 and the climates of Nice, Florence, or Naples, 
 will generally be attended with the most advan- 
 tageous results. In most disorders of the diges- 
 tive organs, the moral influence of travelling 
 through interesting countries, and the mind 
 being exempted from anxiety and the cares of 
 avocation (which perhaps were mainly instru- 
 mental in causing or prolonging them), will 
 likewise produce a most beneficial eflect. 
 
 Old East or West Indians, or other persons 
 whose health has been deteriorated by a residence 
 
818 APPENDIX. 
 
 in unhealthy climates, though they may not be 
 labouring under actual disease of any particular 
 organs, will mostly derive great advantage from 
 a course of mineral waters, and wintering in 
 Italy, before residing in England. I have known 
 several who have returned from India, and 
 whose health has become seriously impaired, 
 which I consider to be in great measure owing 
 to the sudden change from the climate and 
 mode of living of India to those of England, 
 which persons in advanced life, or in an impaired 
 state of health, are ill calculated to bear. Such 
 persons will frequently find the advantage of 
 becoming acclimated to Europe, by passing the 
 first winter or two in the south. 
 
 Hypochondriasis is closely allied with derange- 
 ment of some part of the apparatus of digestion, 
 of which it is in many instances a consequence, 
 though not unfrequently a cause of such derange^ 
 ment, and occasionally exists independently of 
 it. Hence the divisions of this complaint into 
 the material and the nervous, which require a 
 difierent mode of treatment, though climate pro- 
 duces an advantageous influence on both. In 
 the former kind, medicinal means to remedy 
 existing local disorder require to be adopted. 
 Of the mineral waters best calculated for this 
 purpose, I may mention Carlsbad, Mariensbad, 
 Wiesbaden, Homburg, Kissingen, or Leamington, 
 employed according as circumstances in indi- 
 vidual cases may indicate ; and this class of 
 
APPENDIX. 319 
 
 remedies is better adapted for the treatment of 
 this complaint than medicines, inasmuch as their 
 operation is general, without over-stimulating 
 particular organs, (which is very commonly the 
 case in the exhibition of drugs), and the medi- 
 cinal action is combined with the effects on the 
 mind, produced by novelty of situation, change 
 of air and mode of living, amusements, &c. In 
 the purely nervous kind of hyjiochondriasis, 
 where the disordered digestion appears to be a 
 consequence of the morbid susceptibility of the 
 nervous system, the cold waters of Marienbad or 
 Kissingen, in some cases ; Fachingen, Bruckenau, 
 and other chalybeates, in others, will be more 
 applicable than the thermal springs; and the 
 climates of Nice, Naples, Malta, or Pau, will 
 generally be found to be productive of great 
 advantage. Pau or Rome, for a short period, 
 will sometimes be better than Nice or Naples, in 
 the first variety of the complaint, especially if 
 there be much general excitability of the system. 
 This class of patients will, however, frequently 
 derive more benefit by passing the winter 
 between two or three of the above-mentioned 
 places, than by remaining several months in any 
 one of them. 
 
 Gout and Rheumatism are, perhaps, more 
 than any other class of diseases, capable of being 
 relieved by climate, subsequent to the proper 
 employment of baths of thermal water. I have 
 had several opportunities during the last few 
 
320 APPENDIX. 
 
 years of seeing persons labouring under that 
 disease derive the greatest advantage from these 
 last-mentioned remedies, which has been partly 
 or altogether lost by their passing the subsequent 
 winter in England or Ireland, and exposure to a 
 cold and humid climate ; though in many cases, 
 on the other hand, the advantage has been per- 
 manent, notwithstanding these drawbacks. By 
 a warm winter climate, the effect of the baths is, 
 in fact, in great measure kept up till the ensuing 
 summer, or at all events it is not counteracted 
 by the impression of a cold and damp atmosphere 
 upon the lungs and skin; though perhaps a 
 greater degree of precaution is required on the 
 part of invalids, with respect to regimen, and 
 guarding against the transitions of temperature, 
 in the south of EuroiDe than in Great Britain. 
 Gouty patients, when of an irritable habit, or 
 where there is much tendency to inflammatory 
 attacks, will generally find Pau or Home agree 
 better with them than either Nice or Naples, 
 which, however, will be best adapted to certain 
 other cases, where these counter-indicating cir- 
 cumstances do not exist. Rheumatic patients 
 will often be benefited by passing November, 
 December, and January, at either of the last- 
 mentioned towns. They should, however, remove 
 before the spring winds set in. For many of 
 these patients Pau would not be so eligible, on 
 account of its comparative humidity, neither would 
 a prolonged sojourn at Rome be advisable. 
 
APPENDIX. 321 
 
 Tic and Neuralgic Affections >vill like>\ise 
 be frequently removed by a course of treatment 
 similar to that above recommended, combined 
 .with local water or vapour douches. It is 
 especially important in these cases to guard 
 against exposure either to the heat of the sun, 
 to cold winds, or to the night air, which are 
 frequently instrumental in inducing a recurrence 
 of the attacks. Nice or Naples may be recom- 
 mended in some of these cases ; in others these 
 climates would be too exciting, and Pau or Pisa 
 would suit better. A prolonged residence at 
 Rome would often be prejudicial, but a visit for 
 a few weeks might in some instances be made 
 with advantage. Florence, in November and the 
 beginning of December, would not be objection- 
 able in most cases. 
 
 Paralysis. — The paralysis dependent upon 
 apoplectic attacks, though, perhaps, not capable 
 of being removed by climate or mineral waters, 
 any more than by other remedial means, may 
 yet frequently be relieved by these measui'es, and 
 some of the distressing symptoms concomitant 
 upon it may be essentially mitigated. For the 
 cure and relief of some other kinds of paralysis, 
 however, remedies of this kind are peculiarly 
 adapted, and not unfrequently succeed when all 
 else has failed to render effectual service. When 
 paralysis of a part supervenes upon repeated 
 attack of gout or rheumatism, from exposure to 
 wet, from over-excitement consequent on ex- 
 
 Y 
 
322 APPENDIX. 
 
 cesses, from the action of malaria, &c., there is 
 great probability of recovery from the judicious 
 employment of these means, according to the 
 peculiar circumstances in individual cases. In 
 some cases Rome would be the preferable place 
 for a mnter residence, though not when there 
 exists a tendency to determination of blood to 
 the head, or in persons of a full habit ; in some 
 cases Pau or Pisa would agree better than 
 Rome ; to others, again, Nice, Naples, or Malta, 
 would be better suited. 
 
 Scrofula. — In this disease, or the tendency to 
 it, marked by languor and torpor of the general 
 system, debility, pallid unhealthy countenance, 
 distension of the superficial veins, swelled glands, 
 impaired digestion, &c., the influence of climate 
 will be strongly marked. It is well known to 
 most practitioners in Great Britain, where stru- 
 mous aff'ections are so common, that the great 
 majority of such patients get better in the 
 summer, but become worse in winter, notwith- 
 standing the most approved methods of treat- 
 ment; that these affections are principally met 
 with in their aggravated forms in cold and 
 humid localities, and among the poorer classes, 
 who live upon coarse and frequently unwhole- 
 some food, and are indifferently protected by 
 their houses and clothing from the vicissitudes 
 of the weather. Among the children who work 
 in the close and impure air of manufactories in 
 some of the large towns, "this disease is almost 
 
APPENDIX. 323 
 
 endemic. Hence it may be supposed that climate 
 is calculated to exert the greatest influence over 
 it. In that form of the disease wJiich is accom- 
 panied by general lassitude, torpor, and debility, 
 languid circulation and digestion, enlarged glands 
 of the mesentery or neck, yielding of the bones, 
 &c., a somewhat exciting and dry climate, like 
 Nice or Naples, would be most likely to be 
 productive of advantage; but in those persons 
 of fair florid complexion, quick irritable habit, 
 and accelerated circulation, the above-mentioned 
 localities would very likely disagree, and Pau, 
 Rome, or Pisa, according to circumstances, would 
 be preferable, particularly if there should be 
 cough or other symptoms of pulmonary disease, 
 in which case Madeira would also be likely to 
 render service. 
 
 Elderly people, who are approaching, or w^ho 
 have passed, the grand climacteric, in whom 
 there is a general failure of the powers of the 
 system, will frequently derive the greatest advan- 
 tage from mineral waters in the summer months, 
 and an habitual residence in a southern climate 
 in the winter, where they can enjoy the revivify- 
 ing influence of the sun's rays, and take exercise 
 out of doors almost daily. Rome generally agrees 
 well with old people, if not liable to head affec- 
 tions. Florence has also its advantages for those 
 who are not much affected by the atmospherical 
 vicissitudes, its climate being more bracing than 
 Rome. Naples, again, when not too exciting, 
 
824 APPENDIX. 
 
 will be preferable in some instances, and Pau 
 might suit several of those who would rather 
 reside in France. The climate of Tours is 
 likewise good, though colder and more variable 
 than the south. But most persons, after having 
 resided for a short period at any of the above- 
 mentioned places, would be able to ascertain, by 
 their own feelings, whether the climate were 
 suited to them. 
 
 Nervous Disorders. — The advantage of tra- 
 velling and climate in this class of complaints 
 will scarcely be questioned by those who have 
 had much opportunity of seeing how frequently 
 they resist the eiforts of medicine, and the great 
 influence exerted over them by different states 
 of the atmosphere. In some of these disorders, 
 where, combined with a state of generally dis- 
 ordered health, there exists habitual depression 
 of spirits, the brilliant skies, magnificent scenery, 
 and animation of Naples, would be most likely 
 to procure their removal: Nice would likewise 
 be an advantageous locality for two or three 
 months; or even Florence, which offers more 
 resources for amusement, would not be objection- 
 able. Pisa would not be recommendable, on 
 account of its dulness, unless, perhaps, in some 
 cases where there existed a morbid excitability 
 of the system, in which also Pau would not be 
 a bad locality. Rome would in most nervous 
 complaints be objectionable for a prolonged 
 sojourn, though there are exceptions, and a visit 
 
APPENDIX. 325 
 
 of a few weeks will generally be productive of 
 advantage to those who have never been there, 
 or who take great interest in its ruins, or works 
 of art, by which the mind may be beneficially 
 diverted. In some cases of nervousness, which a 
 long residence in Italy would tend to increase, 
 the passing a winter at Munich wiU be bene- 
 ficial, especially to those with whom a cold 
 bracing air is likely to agree. Nearer home 
 Wiesbaden would not be a bad winter locality 
 for these, and some of the other complaints 
 mentioned, where the baths might also be em- 
 ployed with advantage. 
 
 The diversion of the mind is a great point 
 in these affections ; hence travelling, and the 
 moving from one place to another without hurry 
 or fatigue, will frequently be more beneficial 
 than residing for several months together in one 
 place. In that class of nervous complaints to 
 which I have endeavoured more particularly to 
 direct the attention of the profession,* I have 
 frequently had occasion to observe the great 
 influence of moral and mental impression both 
 in their production and removal, and the ineffi- 
 cacy of a treatment purely medicinal. Many of 
 these complaints are, in fact, not unfrequently 
 kept up for a long period, from the effect of 
 habit, and from the patient's attention being 
 concentrated upon them; any measures, there- 
 fore, which tend to break the chain of habitual 
 
 * Treatise on some NeiTous Disorders. Second Edition. 
 
326 APPENDIX. 
 
 thought will be most influential in their re- 
 moval. 
 
 Women, it is well known, being endowed 
 with a more finely-organised nervous system, 
 and a greater degree of susceptibility, are much 
 more liable than men to the different varieties of 
 nervous disorder. But we see that some classes 
 of women are comparatively exempt from these 
 disorders, and also that some individuals of the 
 higher and middle classes are not only more 
 subject to them, but also to other deranged 
 conditions of their health, which not unfre- 
 quently lay the foundation for consumption and 
 other organic diseases ; or, even if they do not 
 actually shorten life, tend to deprive it of enjoy- 
 ment. This tendency to disease depends, it is 
 true, in some instances, upon natural weakness 
 and delicacy, but it is likewise frequently 
 acquired by the mode of life and education, by 
 which the natural susceptibility to external 
 influences is greatly increased. I have already 
 alluded in a cursory manner to some of the pre- 
 disposing causes of disease of a physical and 
 moral nature; but with regard to the latter — 
 which I consider to be more frequently instru- 
 mentalin the production of disease among the 
 upper classes of the community than is generally 
 imagined — let us look a little higher in the scale 
 of causation, in order to sec how far the conse- 
 .quences, which numberless families have every 
 year occasion to deplore, may admit of preven- 
 
APPENDIX. 327 
 
 tion, which should be as much the object of the 
 practitioner of medicine as the alleviation of 
 disease when actually existing, the more espe- 
 cially as the scope of continental travel, one of 
 the most efficient of these means of alleviation, 
 is likely to be circumscribed for some time. 
 
 The influence of causes of a mental nature in 
 predisposing to and in the production of many 
 distressing diseases (though more than ever 
 exerted at the present day), has not received 
 from medical practitioners the degree of atten- 
 tion which its importance requires; hence a 
 reason of the intractability of several of them 
 under a purely medicinal treatment; and this 
 influence will be the more felt in proportion as 
 certain faculties are unduly exercised, and as 
 others more conducive to the welfare are either 
 allowed to remain inactive or their natural ten- 
 dency to activity is repressed ; and in proportion 
 as individuals are endowed with a greater share 
 of mental capabilities and sensitiveness of feeling, 
 which have not remained undeveloped or become 
 blunted by the necessity of manual labour for 
 earning a livelihood, will the want of fit objects 
 whereon to exercise these capabilities and 
 feelings be more forcibly experienced. The 
 mind, if not fed with adequate nourishment, will 
 frequently prey upon itself, and induce a dis- 
 ordered state of its powers or of the bodily 
 functions. 
 
328 APPENDIX. 
 
 The English are endowed perhaps more than 
 any other people with the combination of 
 corporeal perfections and of mental capabilities 
 of the highest order, which were never intended 
 to lie fallow, for 
 
 " Sure, He that made us with such large discourse, 
 Looking before and after, gave us not 
 That God-like capability and power 
 To rust in us uiuis'd." 
 
 And, as our immortal bard in another place 
 further observes — 
 
 " Spirits are not finely touch'd 
 But to fine issues :* nor nature never lends 
 The smallest scruple of her excellence, 
 But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines 
 Herself the glory of a creditor, 
 Both thanks and use." 
 
 Hence those capabilities and sentiments which 
 form part of our nature, and which, when pro- 
 perly directed and employed, conduce to our 
 well-being, may become, by neglect or misdirec- 
 tion, the sources of wretchedness and disease. 
 
 " An honorable and serious object of activity," 
 says the author of a work of great interest, 
 " preserves man from idleness and ennui, the 
 source of numerous affective and intellectual 
 disorders. Habits result from it which, excluding 
 frivolous or guilty desires, prevent disappoint- 
 ments, satiety, and insatiability. Without a 
 constant object of activity man is delivered up, 
 
 * For high purposes. — Measure for Measure. 
 
APPENDIX. 329 
 
 body and soul, to external influences, and to the 
 capricious appeals of his nervous organism. 
 
 " The more the object of activity is moral and 
 elevated, the more powerful will be the action 
 which it exercises upon the system. If it be a 
 scientific discovery useful to society, all the 
 sensorial and intellectual aptitudes, which may 
 concur towards the realisation of the object, will 
 be particularly solicited and developed in such a 
 manner as to act with increasing energy and 
 facility. If the object of activity be to raise up a 
 family in the world, to adorn it with all the 
 qualities which may cause it to prosper in the 
 paths of virtue and honorable exertion, the care 
 of education, and the solicitude of a profession, 
 will divide the solicitude of the parents. If, on 
 the other hand, the object of activity of a man 
 or woman be the success of a drawing-room, the 
 attaining a reputation for wit or beauty, or the 
 receiving flattery and homage, the result will 
 be an existence in which the most trifling and 
 inevitable causes will occasion unhappiness and 
 despair. 
 
 " How many persons are there who voluntarily 
 inflict upon themselves the torments of inaction 
 and the pains of an agitation without an object ? 
 There are some at whose feet society com- 
 placently lays the power and means of action, 
 the instruction and the encouragement best 
 fitted to direct their activity towards the conquest 
 of an honorable and serious object, and whom 
 
f33() APPENDIX. 
 
 their education ^ives up without pity to all the 
 ennui, all the vicissitudes, all the torments of 
 idleness! They can only avoid the sufferings 
 which oppress them by abandoning to circum- 
 stances, or to their own inclinations, the charge 
 of giving rise to a frivolous and dangerous object 
 of activity. It then happens that they escape for 
 a brief period from the pains of ennui, in order 
 to plunge into the abyss of passions, in which 
 are often swallowed up at the same time fortune, 
 health, honour, and reason. It is thus that a 
 great number of affective and intellectual dis- 
 orders, which are ascribed by practitioners to 
 the empire of the passions, accuse, beyond these 
 passions and the neglect of education, a cause 
 more distant and more deeply hidden."* 
 
 If this be to a certain extent the case in 
 France, how much more must it not be so in 
 this country, where the causes are more gene- 
 rally operative '? 
 
 One of the most popular authors of the day|* 
 repeats an opinion which is very generally enter- 
 tained, viz., that there is a greater degree of 
 discontent among the rich classes in England 
 than those of any other nation, which he con- 
 siders to depend upon the circumstance of 
 " eager minds being placed in a dull and insipid 
 circle, whence arises the desultory love of travel, 
 
 * Dcs Foiictions et Maladies Nerveuses dans leur Rapports avec 
 rEducation. Par Ic Dr. Cerise. 
 - t Sir Bulwer Lytton — " England and the English." 
 
APPENDIX. 331 
 
 for which the English have long been remark- 
 able." To the same cause is doubtless attribut- 
 able those disturbances of the public peace, 
 formerly of such frequent occurrence, and duly 
 chronicled in the police reports, under the head 
 of " gentlemanly amusements ;" and in fact, from 
 the causes already referred to, the Englishman 
 makes a very bad idler, and can seldom, like the 
 Itahan, 
 
 " Lose and neglect the creeping hours of time," 
 
 existing on the " far niente " principle, without 
 experiencing, one way or another, the prejudicial 
 consequences of a want of occupation. To 
 this eagerness and activity of mind, combined 
 with resolution and perseverance, is owing the 
 spirit of enterprise and daring by which the 
 British are characterized, which has mainly con- 
 tributed to render them pre-eminently successful 
 in war, foremost in the advancement and perfec- 
 tion of arts, sciences, commerce, and industry; 
 and consequently to raise our country to the 
 high position in the scale of nations which she 
 has so long occupied, and must continue to 
 occupy — 
 
 " If England to herself do rest but true." 
 
 Most persons who have at all considered 
 the subject in an unprejudiced manner will, I 
 think, be disposed to admit that the methods 
 hitherto adopted in educating a large proportion 
 of the higher and middle classes are far from 
 
332 APPENDIX. 
 
 being calculated to fulfil the objects which con- 
 stitute the proper aim of education (viz., the full 
 development of the bodily, moral, and intellectual 
 faculties), and not unfrequently have an opposite 
 tendency. How often has it not happened, as 
 a consequence of the system which has been 
 pursued at some of our public schools, and at 
 the universities, that the exercise of the finest 
 qualities of the soul is repressed, and that of the 
 mental powers contracted; and hence the defi- 
 ciency of general information is not unfrequently 
 painfully felt by young men on entering the world, 
 leading many of them to think with Montaigne, 
 that " C'est un bel et grand agencement sans 
 doute, que le Grec, et le Latin, mais on I'achete 
 trox^ cher," and to feel in after life that if a more 
 intimate acquaintance with history, various de- 
 partments of science and art, modern languages, 
 literature, &c., had been cultivated in youth, 
 they would possess a variety of resources within 
 themselves, which would enable them to resist 
 the approaches of ennui, without having recourse 
 to means of excitement which enervate the body 
 and mind, and rarely fail to induce a correspond- 
 ing degree of subsequent depression.* There 
 are other powerful reasons (which are every year 
 
 * This great error in the system of education pursued at our public 
 schools was soon perceived by an illustrious personage, who could not 
 fail to observe the contrast with respect to the degree of information 
 possessed by the young men of his native and those of his adopted 
 country, and who, not long after his ai'rival, gave a very strong hint to 
 this effect by establishing at Eton an annual prize for proficiency in 
 
APPENDIX. 333 
 
 becoming more apparent) strongly indicating the 
 necessity of a more extended system of education 
 — such as the universal diffusion of information 
 of a general and practical nature among the 
 inferior classes; the present disturbed state of 
 Europe (which sooner or later must produce its 
 effects upon this country), &c., into the considera- 
 tion of which it would be foreign to the purpose 
 to enter ; my object being in this place merely to 
 state my conviction, that the too exclusive atten- 
 tion bestowed in our public schools and univer- 
 sities upon matters in which few young people 
 take any interest, and which have no reference 
 to what is going on in the world around us, is 
 an indirect cause of much of the discontent and 
 ill health which affects many of those who have 
 no fixed and regular occupation for their time, 
 by leaving them in after life devoid of mental 
 resources. 
 
 There are, it is true, exceptions sufficiently 
 numerous to retrieve, in some measure, the 
 character of the English among other nations, 
 with respect to the variety and solidity of infor- 
 mation upon general subjects; but these are 
 entirely owing to individual energy and exertion, 
 tending to make up for lost time, and from the 
 necessity of such information being apparent to 
 
 modern languages, which has since, to a certain extent, been acted upon. 
 The election of the Prince to the Chancellorship of the University of 
 Cambridge will, it is thought, likewise have a most beneficial eiFect in 
 improving the system hitherto pursued. 
 
334 APPENDIX. 
 
 those who have a higher ambition than merely 
 to vegetate through the period of their existence. 
 Indeed, a very slight consideration will suffice 
 to show that it is not surprising that a large 
 proportion of those whose time has been chiefly 
 engaged upon subjects in which no interest is 
 felt, or has been frittered away in mere pleasure, 
 should, when youth has faded (and sometimes 
 before that period) find themselves unable to 
 amuse or be amused without objects whereby to 
 occupy the mind or to touch the heart, and that, 
 having " felt the fullness of satiety," many should 
 have to learn, from bitter experience, how com- 
 monly it is — 
 
 " The constant revolution, stale 
 And tasteless of the same repeated joys 
 That palls and satiates, and makes languid life 
 A pedlar's pack that bows the bearer down. 
 Health suffers, and the spirits ebb ; the heart 
 Recoils from its own choice, at the full feast 
 Is famished — finds no music in the song, 
 No smartness in the jest, and wonders why." 
 
 That this state, and the feeling of isolation 
 which accompanies it, should frequently induce 
 various diseases is self-evident, and these seldom 
 admit of more than palliation by medical treat- 
 ment, unless the mind can be diverted, the habits 
 changed, and a proper object of activity pursued; 
 hence resource is frequently had to travelling, 
 which is perhaps one of the most efficient means 
 of relief, though often losing its effect by 
 repetition. 
 
APPENDIX. 335 
 
 Another cause of the dissatisfaction and 
 ennui which so frequently occur, and so com- 
 monly terminate in disordered states of health, 
 is the comparative unsociability of disposition 
 which characterises many of the English, and 
 which arises, in some instances, from a degree 
 of natural bashfulness or reserve, but more 
 frequently from the spirit of coterie, by which 
 society is divided into a variety of gradations, 
 separated from each other, and leading individuals 
 to endeavour to outdo others in appearance, 
 which may enable them to raise themselves a 
 degree higher in the social scale, and to look 
 down upon those whom they consider to be 
 beneath them. Hence cordiality is banished, 
 selfishness is encouraged, and by mixing only 
 with one set of associates the ideas become 
 circumscribed, and the powers of the intellect 
 rusted.* 
 With reference to the disposition to ostentation 
 
 * This tendency to individual isolation is illustrated by the mode 
 pursued in the clubs. These establishments were originally formed for 
 purposes of sociability, but at the present day most of their members 
 would prefer dining alone at a separate table on a steak to partaking of 
 a properly served house-dinner at the same price ; and if one were to 
 address another, to whom he had not been introduced, on any common- 
 place topic, it is not improbable that the answer would be abrupt and 
 monosyllabic, discouraging any further intercourse. The same rule seems 
 to obtain in all public places, and persons not unfrequently travel together 
 for hours without speaking a word, as if an interchange of the ordinary 
 courtesies of society were necessarily to entail upon any one the acquaint- 
 ance of an objectionable character. As, however, " man was not born 
 to live alone," this self-isolation is severely felt by many, producing its 
 prejudicial effects upon the disposition and health. 
 
336 APPENDIX. 
 
 and vying, when, as not unfrequently happens, 
 the means are inadequate to its support, Dr. 
 Cerise remarks : — " The false luxury of the rich 
 becomes the real luxury of the poor, and in this 
 dangerous career of imitation the necessary is 
 often sacrificed to the superfluous. Hence the 
 painful pre-occupations of misery concealed 
 beneath gilded and silken trappings — a misery 
 the more fruitful in painful agitations inasmuch 
 as it decks itself the more with the externals 
 of affluence, and apes with greater efforts the 
 smile of happiness. Poverty which condemns 
 itself to pay the tribute exacted from opulence 
 is the most fruitful source of moral and physical 
 sufferings. The social and private education 
 which propagates so deplorable a passion is 
 responsible for the numerous evils which result 
 from it."* 
 
 Lord Byron corroborates the preceding opinions 
 by saying— 
 
 " It need not cost much showing 
 That many of the ills o'er which man grieves, 
 And still more woman, come from not employing 
 Some hours to make the remnant worth enjoying ; 
 And hence high life is oft a dreary void, 
 A rack of pleasures, &c." 
 
 and, in fact, if the want of fit objects whereon 
 
 * This is doubtless one of the causes which have tended to bring 
 about the revolution in France, where, however, the above quotation 
 •would at present be no longer applicable, as all are desirous of appearing 
 poor, from the apprehension that those known to have property are likely 
 to be severely mulcted to meet the exigencies of the state. 
 
APPENDIX. 337 
 
 to exercise the faculties be the source of much 
 of the unhappiness and ill health to which a 
 proportion of the male population is liable, 
 it certainly is no less so among females, by whom 
 the consequences are much more severely felt, 
 inasmuch as in England women are debarred 
 by custom from taking an active interest in 
 affairs, are exposed to chagrins and annoyances 
 from which men are exempt, and, for the most 
 part, lead an in-door life, by which their nervous 
 susceptibility is exalted, which, combined mth 
 the absence of regular occupation, tends to 
 render many of them extremely liable to the 
 encroaches of disease. The author of a popular 
 work observes on this point, " The intellect 
 and feelings not being provided with interests 
 external to themselves, must either become 
 inactive and weak, or work upon themselves 
 and become diseased. In the former case the 
 mind becomes apathetic, and possesses no ground 
 of sympathy with its fellow-creatures; in the 
 latter, it becomes unduly sensitive, and shrinks 
 within itself and its own limited circle, as its 
 only protection against every trifling intrusion." 
 
 An authoress, whose work has gone through 
 numerous editions within a short period (which 
 shows that the importance of the subject upon 
 which she writes is strongly felt and appreciated), 
 likewise says, "One of the most striking features 
 in the character of the young ladies of the 
 present day is the absence of contentment; 
 
338 APPENDIX. 
 
 they are lively when excited, but no sooner does 
 the excitement cease than they fall back again 
 into their habitual listlessness, under which they 
 so often complain of their fate, and speak of 
 themselves as unfortunate and afflicted, that one 
 would suppose them to be the victims of adversity, 
 did not a more intimate acquaintance with their 
 actual circumstances convince us that they are 
 surrounded by everything conducive to rational 
 comfort." * 
 
 The talented author of the article " Hysteria," in 
 the "Cyclopaedia of Practical Medicine," observes, 
 " In England, where an acute sensibility is less 
 desired for young women than accurate powers 
 of calculation^ the improper expectations, the 
 vain rivalries, the restless and frivolous pleasures 
 of fashionable life, are but too well calculated 
 to produce all the varieties of nervous disorders 
 ill young persons whom an affected refinement 
 has debarred from active and natural exercises, 
 and whose minds have never been subjected to 
 the influence of self-control; whilst the want 
 of all love of literature, or acquaintance with 
 science, and consequently of all companionable 
 qualities of a higher kind, diffuses an ennui over 
 society, that every one feels without thinking 
 of its source, and by which the whole movable 
 community is driven about from one place 
 of public resort to another, without useful 
 objects, without attachments, without duties ; 
 
 * Ellis, " The Women of England." 
 
APPENDIX. SSl^ 
 
 leading to the habitual neglect of all self- 
 government, and the creation of much domestic 
 wretchedness." 
 
 Dr. J. Johnson remarked on the same subject, 
 " Few are acquainted, or are capable of becoming 
 acquainted, with the baneful consequences of 
 this system ; but many are doomed to feel them. 
 The poisoned arrow, in this case, leaves no 
 wound, but the venom meanders slowly through 
 the veins, and effects its destructive work unseen 
 and unknown. What but evil can be expected 
 from a system of education which enervates the 
 mind and enfeebles the body — which polishes 
 the external senses, and leaves the intellect a 
 prey to rust and moth — which excites the 
 imagination and obtunds the judgment — which, 
 to speak out plainly, fosters mere animal feeling, 
 and discourages moral sense ]" The same author, 
 in another of his works, further says, " Female 
 education is indeed more detrimental to health 
 and happiness than that of the male. Its grasp, 
 its aim, is at accomplishments rather than 
 acquirements — at gilding rather than gold — at 
 such ornaments as may dazzle by their lustre, 
 and consume themselves in a few years by the 
 intensity of their own brightness, rather than 
 those which radiate a steady light till the lamp 
 of life is extinguished." I 
 
 M. Aime Martin likewise observes, " Certainly 
 if the life of women were to be restricted to 
 
 * Change of Air. • f Economy of IlealUi, 
 
340 APPENDIX. 
 
 exhibitions and fttes — if their business were 
 only to dazzle and to please — the great problem 
 would be resolved by this education of soirees ; 
 but the hours of pleasure are short, and in their 
 train follow the hours of reflection. The life 
 of home, moral life, the duties of mother and 
 wife, all this comes, and all has been forgotten. 
 Then they find themselves as in a void in the 
 bosom of their families, with romantic passions, 
 and unrestrained exaltation and ennui, that great 
 destroyer of female virtue. The lamentation 
 over the fatal consequences of this state of 
 matters assail our ears on all sides : it is the cry 
 of all mothers — the complaint of all husbands ; 
 and in these painful straits, wherein each one 
 is agitated and desponding, the worst effect is 
 that indifference terminates all."* 
 
 " The great question with regard to modern 
 education," says Mrs. Ellis, "is, which of these 
 two classes of feelings does it instil into the 
 mind] Does it inspire the young women of 
 the present day with an amiable desire to make 
 everybody happy around them, or does it teach 
 them only to sing and play, and sj)eak in foreign 
 languages, and consequently leave them to be 
 the prey of their own disappointed feelings 
 whenever they find it impossible to make those 
 qualifications tell upon society 1 " 
 
 * "The Education of Mothers of Families," being the work to which the 
 prize of the French Academy was adjudged, translated from the third Paris 
 edition, with Remarks on the Influence of the Prevailing Methods of 
 Education upon Health and Happiness. Whittaker and Co. 
 
APPENDIX. 341 
 
 A popular author (Bulwer) says, upon the 
 same subject, " It seems odd enough to me, that 
 while young ladies are so sedulously taught all 
 the accomplishments which a husband disregards, 
 they are never taught the great one he would 
 prize — they are taught to be exhibitors : he 
 wants a companion." 
 
 Thus we may perceive how often the too 
 exclusive reliance upon qualifications calculated 
 merely to captivate the senses tends to produce 
 the mesalliances^ which are of such common 
 occurrence. " II importe en amour," says a 
 French authoress, in allusion to personal beauty, 
 " que les impressions viennent des beautes 
 morales, celles qui produisent les beautes 
 physiques, s'efFacent trop promptement." And 
 the same sentiment has been aptly illustrated 
 by the poet, in the simile with the boy and the 
 butterfly — 
 
 " The lovely toy, so fiercely sought, 
 lias lost its charm by being caught. 
 And every touch that wooed its stay 
 Has brush'd its brightest hues away; 
 Till charm, and hue, and beauty gone, 
 'Tis left to fly or fall alone." 
 
 For as it is in the nature of things that mere 
 impressions upon the senses, if not varied, should 
 be succeeded by satiety, it is not surprising 
 indiflerence and inconstancy should so frequently 
 supervene upon alliances contracted solely or 
 chiefly with reference to such qualifications, too 
 ..often verifying the allegory of the incompatibility 
 
342 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 of the wings of Cupid with the fetters of 
 Hymen. 
 
 "Marriage is accused," further says M. Aime 
 Martin, " of all the evils which I have sketched 
 — an unjust accusation. Marriage is good ; it is 
 our methods of education which are bad. What- 
 ever, therefore, would amend these methods 
 would render the state of marriage more happy. 
 Examine the first choice of a young girl. 
 Amongst all the qualities that please her in a 
 lover, there is perhaps not one which would be 
 suitable in a husband, and, in fact, she frequently 
 notices little else of him than his figure, or the 
 style of his dress. Is not this then the most 
 complete condemnation of our system of educa- 
 tion] From an apprehension of too strongly 
 affecting the heart, we conceal from women all 
 that is worthy of love ; we suffer the sense of the 
 beautiful which exists in them to be dispersed 
 among futilities : the outside pleases them ; what 
 is within is unknown. When, therefore, after 
 an union of six months, they look for the 
 delightful young man whose presence charmed 
 them, they are often very much surprised to find 
 in his stead an impertinent fellow or a fool ; yet 
 this is what is commonly termed in the world a 
 marriage of inclination." 
 
 " Les hommes seront toujours ce qu'il plaira 
 aux femmes. Si vous voulez qu'ils deviennent 
 grands et vertueux, apprenez aux femmes ce que 
 c'est grandeur et vertu," says Jean Jacques 
 
APPENDIX. 343 
 
 Rousseau, and, in fact, men receive their first 
 impressions and ideas, which generally give a 
 bias to their character in life, from their mothers, 
 who have the charge of their early education ; 
 and that the influence of women in the social 
 scale, which so greatly contributes to the civiliza- 
 tion and happiness of mankind, is necessarily 
 dependent upon the degree of cultivation of the 
 intellectual and moral qualities, is abundantly 
 proved by the contrast presented in the condition 
 of different communities, and even by that of 
 different families in the same community, accord- 
 ing as the women are possessed of information 
 and a due sense of moral obligations, or are 
 deficient in these respects. Look at the state 
 of the peasantry and labouring classes in different 
 countries, or even in different districts of the 
 same country! Wherever you see the men 
 brutalized, and void of religious or moral prin- 
 ciple, you may be pretty sure there is a want of 
 a proper controlling influence of the women, 
 who not unfrequently participate in the general 
 demoralization. Contrast also the position, in 
 this respect, of the more civilized countries of 
 Europe with that of eastern countries, where 
 women are considered only as " materials for 
 pleasure." The Turk or Asiatic leads a purely 
 animal existence, and dreams of little else than 
 sensual gratifications, to which also he is led to 
 look up as the source of happiness in a future 
 life; but which, even supposing the perpetual 
 
344 APPENDIX. 
 
 absence of the " dull satiety which all destroys," 
 would be insufficient for an intellectual being, 
 who cannot but feel that — 
 
 " Or bathed in bliss, or overwhelmed with woe, 
 The heart will still require a kindred heart. 
 Divided joy bids double joy o'erflow, 
 And pain divided loses half its smart." * 
 
 The preceding extracts from medical and non- 
 medical authors may suffice to exhibit a more 
 just view of the pernicious effects so commonly 
 consequent upon the usual system of education. 
 I will, therefore, conclude by referring those who 
 are desirous of pursuing the subject to the work 
 of M. Aime Martin. 
 
 A reason why marriages either of inclination 
 or convenance, or when contracted for the reason 
 (which is by no means the least frequent) 
 expressed by the King in the opera of the 
 Cenerentola — 
 
 " Che a star solo s'annoio," 
 
 to decide upon entering the holy state — when 
 not followed by domestic happiness, should be 
 more frequently attended by a disordered state 
 of the health of women in England than in some 
 other countries, will, I think, be sufficiently 
 obvious. In France and Italy, young girls pass 
 for the most part a secluded sort of life, and are 
 generally anxious to be married, as the means 
 which will enable them to enter into and have a 
 position in society, frequently without being 
 
 * Translated from Goethe. 
 
APPENDIX. 345 
 
 very particular as to the individual who is 
 presented to them as their future husband; 
 whereas, in England, young ladies are frequently 
 made the idols of society, enjoying all its plea- 
 sures before marriage, and have, or are supposed 
 to have, a free choice in the acceptation or 
 refusal of those who aspire to be their husbands, 
 and after that event retire into the comparative 
 seclusion of domestic life ; when, if unhappy in 
 theu' choice, or if not possessed of sufficient 
 resources for occupation and amusement, they 
 are apt to fall into low spirits, and to reflect with 
 bitterness on the contrast which its monotony 
 presents to their former mode of existence, 
 
 " When life itself was new, 
 And the heart promised what the fancy drew." 
 
 Not but that the pleasures of general society, 
 which are at first so attractive, are often felt 
 after a few seasons to be extremely monotonous, 
 even if they do not become actually distasteful, 
 though perhaps they are still continued from 
 habit, or from having nothing else to do. " Les 
 festins, les danses, les mascarades," says Mon- 
 taigne, " rejouissent ceulx qui ne les veoyent pas 
 souvent, et qui out desire de les veoir ; mais a 
 qui en faict ordinaire le goust en devient fade et 
 malplaisant. Qui ne se donne loisir d'avoir soif, 
 ne sgauroit prendre plaisir a boire."* 
 
 If this be frequently the case under ordinary 
 
 * Essais. 
 
346 APPENDIX. 
 
 circumstances, among those who are compara- 
 tively free from cares, and who haye " all 
 appliances and means to boot," how much more 
 so must it be with others, when there are super- 
 added the various positive causes of mental 
 annoyance which are sometimes concealed be- 
 neath smiling countenances in the gHttering 
 saloon, and which it is unnecessary further to 
 particularize ! 
 
 I have thus enumerated some of the more 
 frequent causes of a mental origin which pre- 
 dispose to disease, but there are others which 
 might have been mentioned, and which, as well 
 as the above, if not altogether peculiar to 
 England, are at all events productive of more 
 serious consequences than elsewhere; and the 
 influence of these causes will be quite sufficient 
 to account for the greater degree of discontent, 
 ennui, and ill health, without the necessity of 
 our ascribing these effects to our variable climate, 
 thick foggy atmosphere, &c. These, it is true, 
 are not unfrequently the exciting causes of 
 disease, but, were it not for the others, which 
 render the body more liable to be affected, their 
 sphere of operation would be infinitely more 
 circumscribed. This is shown to be the case by 
 the comparative freedom of some classes, who 
 lead regulated lives, and are engaged in pursuits 
 which are sufficient to occupy their time without 
 being attended with much anxiety, from several 
 diseases which are extremely prevalent among 
 
APPENDIX. 347 
 
 other classes. The climates of Holland, and of 
 many parts of Germany, are much worse than 
 ours, and yet the proportion of several diseases 
 and disordered states of health, which are so 
 prevalent among the upper and middle classes — 
 especially females — in England, is infinitely 
 smaller among the higher classes of these 
 countries, because their education and mode of 
 life are different from ours. The variableness 
 of our climate is, in fact, as has already been 
 observed, more favourable to health and exertion 
 than the reverse, for persons in good health; 
 but it does not follow from this that a change to 
 another climate woidd not often be beneficial, 
 or that it is not frequently indispensable for 
 invalids. 
 
 As far as beauties of scenery, natural curi- 
 osities, and other objects calculated to restore 
 the health, by diverting the mind, are concerned, 
 the Britisli Isles possess equal advantages with 
 many parts of the Continent; and less of the 
 inconveniences of travelling will generally be 
 experienced in excursions to several of the 
 localities most visited by tourists in England, 
 Wales, Scotland, or Ireland, than on the Con- 
 tinent, though these inconveniences are not 
 unfrequently greatly instrumental in the attain- 
 ment of the object which is sought for; and 
 when the mind is agreeably excited, travelling has 
 also the effect of rendering the body much less 
 susceptible to external influences, which, under 
 
348 APPENDIX. 
 
 other circumstances, would often be severely 
 felt. I have known several persons in delicate 
 health, who when stationary at home were 
 extremely liable to be affected by slight changes 
 of the weather, and were unable to walk a short 
 distance without feeling greatly fatigued, who, 
 when sight-seeing abroad, as among the moun- 
 tains of Switzerland, have been able to undertake 
 walks of several miles without experiencing 
 sensations of fatigue, and who, after having got 
 wet through in the rain, were unable to take off 
 their clothes till they had become dry, without 
 taking cold or being otherwise prejudicially 
 affected. The appetite, likewise, being sharpened 
 by travelling and constant change of air, not 
 only renders persons much less particular as to 
 the quality of the food which is set before them, 
 but enables the stomach to digest with facility 
 many substances which would at other times be 
 likely to disagree. E,oad travelling for health or 
 pleasure is, however, almost superseded in Eng- 
 land, or at all events is restricted to the summer 
 and early autumnal months ; whereas a principal 
 advantage of many parts of the Continent fre- 
 quented by the English is, that a journey may 
 be undertaken at almost any time of the year, 
 and, as I have before said, a residence at any of 
 these places enables persons to be more out of 
 doors in the winter than they could be in Eng- 
 land. The Continent likewise possesses advan- 
 tages over England, on account of the greater 
 
APPENDIX. 349 
 
 variety of impressions produced by the novelty 
 of seeing the different habits, manners, &c., of 
 the people, and of hearing a foreign language ; 
 the towns also offer a much greater variety of 
 resources, in the numerous galleries, objects of 
 art, &c., likely to excite an interest, so that, 
 when a protracted absence of several months 
 from home is contemplated, it would be prefer- 
 able, though for the present not so available as 
 heretofore. 
 
 With respect to the permanent residence of 
 individuals in health, the Continent has its 
 advantages and disadvantages. Single men and 
 others, who have no particular ties, and can 
 move from place to place, find more resources in 
 the way of occupation and amusement, at a 
 comparatively cheap rate, than they could do in 
 England. There is likewise more association 
 abroad, from the circumstance of people meeting 
 more at public places, as restaurants, cafes, 
 tables d'hote, theatres, and from their being for 
 the most part desoeuvres, or in pursuit of the 
 same object — amusement; whereas in England 
 many of this portion of the population, who have 
 not a large circle of acquaintance, are frequently 
 under the necessity of eating their soHtary 
 dinner in their apartments, or at their club, and 
 of passing the evenings alone. This is one of the 
 reasons w^hy a prolonged sojourn in London is 
 distasteful to those foreigners who have but few 
 friends and no fixed occupation. The above- 
 
350 APPENDIX. 
 
 mentioned circumstances, however, tend to beget 
 in our countrymen the habit of a wandering, 
 idle, and unsettled sort of life, which many of 
 them find, after a time, to be but ill suited to 
 their natural activity of disposition, and are 
 consequently greatly instrumental in the produc- 
 tion of discontent and ennui. 
 
 The principal inducements for families to* 
 prefer a residence on the Continent to England 
 are economy, the comparative facilities for the 
 education of children, as far as languages and 
 accomplishments are concerned, and the more 
 easy and unrestrained tone of society. Persons, 
 it is true, might live in many parts of England 
 as cheaply as on the Continent, but they could 
 not procure the luxuries of life at so low a rate. 
 Thus, house-rent, the keep of carriages, horses, 
 servants, the price of wines, public amusements, 
 &c., are in many towns little more than half the 
 expence which they would be in England, and 
 in some places are much less: a family might, 
 for example, live in any of the principal towns 
 in Italy for six or eight hundred pounds a year, 
 in the same manner which would require two 
 thousand in London. In the towns of Germany 
 and the south of France the rate of living is 
 even lower. Many, however, who do not remain 
 the whole year at one place, add considerably to 
 their expenditure by travelling about from place 
 to place. Florence is, perhaps, on the whole, 
 the most eligible town for a permanent residence 
 
APPENDIX. 351 
 
 in Italy. Tours, Pau, or, where English society 
 is not required, Toulouse, in the south of France ; 
 Munich, Dresden, Wiesbaden, and Frankfort, 
 are the most eligible among the towns of 
 Germany. Binissels presents many advantages, 
 but is nearly twice as expensive a residence as 
 Bruges. Boulogne is the pleasantest residence 
 in the north of France. Several English have 
 established themselves at Caen and other towns 
 in that neighbourhood, where living is very 
 cheap; though I cannot speak of its other 
 advantages, never having visited that part. 
 
 With regard to education, though instruction 
 in accomplishments is more easily obtained 
 abroad, and a knowledge of languages is best 
 acquired in the diiferent countries, yet it is very 
 questionable whether a prolonged residence for 
 young people on the Continent be not rather 
 disadvantageous than the reverse, in more 
 respects than one. The passing of several 
 successive years in Italy, or even a single year 
 in some instances, is generally prejudicial as far 
 as health is concerned, especially to young 
 people, from the relaxing and enervating nature 
 of the climate, and the prevalence of malaria 
 in some parts. Young ladies, in particular, 
 frequently exhibit in their countenances and 
 general appearance the marks of a prolonged 
 residence in a southern clime, and I perfectly 
 agree with Lady Blessington, who is likely to be 
 a very good judge of such matters, that " the 
 
352 APPENDIX. 
 
 Italian climate has the same effects on female 
 beauty as a hot-house on rose-buds; but it 
 quickly withers full-grown roses. Women of 
 twenty-five in Italy look quite as passees as 
 those of thirty-five in England, and after twenty 
 they lose that freshness of complexion which 
 forms so great a charm in our young women. 
 In short, they want the appearance of youth, for 
 the absence of which no beauty can com- 
 pensate."* 
 
 England likewise has greatly the advantage 
 over Italy for a permanent residence, as far as 
 longevity is concerned, to which )circumstance 
 reference has already been made. Thus, at 
 Naples the average annual mortahty is about 
 one in twenty-eight persons of the whole 
 population; at Florence and Rome it is not 
 much less ; whereas in London it amounts only 
 to one in forty ; and taking the account for the 
 whole of England, to no more than one in sixty ; 
 so that, if these statistics be correct, the advan- 
 tage of England in this respect is manifest ; but 
 it does not follow that those who have the 
 power of choosing the periods of their resi- 
 dence may not frequently avail themselves of 
 that which is good in both, and derive much 
 gratification, as well as benefit to their health, 
 by a visit to the Continent for a portion of the 
 year. 
 
 * Idler in Italy. 
 
APPENDIX. 353 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 It is very advisable for invalids, while travelling, as well as persons in 
 health, not to sit too long at a time in the carriage, but to get out now 
 and then to walk up the hills, or at the post-stations, as, by so doing, 
 the fatigue consequent upon the muscles being kept long in the same 
 position will be avoided. Those persons who labour under serious 
 affections of the air-passages may be provided with a Jeffrey's respirator, 
 though its too frequent use is not to be recommended, as tending to 
 render the organs more susceptible. A pair of leather sheets may be 
 placed beneath the seat-cushions, as a precaution against damp beds, 
 which, however, are seldom met with in France or Italy. Essence of 
 ginger is a useful stimulant ; and a teaspoouful in a cup of tea on 
 arriving after a day's journey is very refreshing. Those who are in weak 
 health, and travellers in general, should eat very sparingly of animal food 
 when on a journey, as it tends to produce heat and flushing. Black tea 
 is one of the most useful articles travellers can be provided with, as it is 
 seldom good in small towns or at inns on the road. As an evening meal, 
 tea, with a little cold meat or chicken, is much preferable to a hot dinner 
 or supper, which not unfrequently is a cause of sleeplessness. Those who 
 are subject to cold feet should be provided with short boots of coarse 
 cloth, to slip on and off, over their ordinary boots, as occasion may 
 require ; and a small feet-warmer should be placed in the carriage. A 
 large medicine-chest, which is a constant companion of many families, 
 will be cumbersome and unnecessary, as almost all drugs and medicines 
 of good quaUty may be obtained in all the towns frequented by invalids. 
 A small chest containing a few articles likely to be required at out-of- 
 the-way places (as lint, soap-plaster, James's powder, a small quantity 
 of calomel, laudanum, extract of henbane, spirits of ammonia, tartarised 
 antimony, castor oil, rhubarb, weights and scales), will, however, be a 
 useful precautionary addition to the luggage. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 2A 
 
W. J. ADAMS, PEINTEE, 59, FLEET-STKEET, tONDON. 
 
WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR, 
 
 WITH 
 
 SELECTIONS FEOM THE CRITICAL NOTICES. 
 
 THE BATHS AND WATERING-PLACES OF ENGLAND, 
 considered with Reference to their Curative Efficacy. Second Edition. 
 
 NOTICES OF FIRST EDITION. 
 
 " We suppose no member of the profession in this country is so well acquainted 
 with its actual state upon the Continent as the author of this little work before 
 ud. We have frequently derived advantage from the accounts his somewhat 
 prolific pen has furnished, and we can especially recommend the present produc- 
 tion to the notice of our readers. Mr. Lee's remai'ks and limitations to the utility 
 of mineral waters are very discriminate and just. His practical acquaintance 
 with the true character of the various cUmates enables him to add much 
 incidental information on that he&d."-- -Medico-Chirurgical Jieview. 
 
 " This work recommends itself by the spirit of independence in which it is 
 written, by the justness of its therapeutical points of view, and also by the 
 important information which appears in every page." — Gazette Mediaile. 
 
 " As in all Mr. Lee's works, a cool judgment predominates over mere enthusiasm 
 in speaking of cures and cases, and he imbues his book with the principles of the 
 subject, and furnishes a view of the latest novelties connected with it." — Spectutor, 
 
 "Very ably supplies a long and grievously-felt desideratum."™il/o/if/% 
 Magazine. 
 
 " We are not competent to pronounce upon its merits in a professional point 
 of view, but we are assured by a medical friend of great experience that its 
 descriptions and suggestions may be fullydepended upon." — United Service Gazette. 
 
 " A satisfactory account of the principal thermal and cold springs of England." 
 Britannia. 
 
 " Of Mr. Lee's two volumes (the ' Baths of Germany and England') — whose 
 judicious, sensible, and able works on a variety of subjects, and, among others, 
 mineral waters, we have heretofore had occasion to recommend to our readers — 
 we need not say more than that theyabide closely to the subject announced by 
 them. We consider him to be an independent and searching thinker, and the 
 very reverse of fanciful. His personal experience, too, with regard to wells and 
 watering-places, has been most extensive, and his skill, we beUeve, called very 
 often into exercise." — Monthly liecieio. 
 
 " The public are again indebted to Mr. Lee for the result of his professional 
 and literary labours ; and the two publications before us are fresh testimonials 
 of the energy and talent displayed by that gentleman. His aim is obviously 
 that of imparting useful and professional knowledge, and he confines himself 
 strictly to the course of his adoption ; we are, therefore, spared much irrelevant 
 writing, in which many readers and most authors delight. In both volumes 
 Mr. Lee has simply related what the subjects demanded." — Jtyus. 
 
 " These two books have been Avritten by a practical man for practical purposes, 
 the author being evidently more anxious to do good than to show how cleverly 
 he can do it." — Metropolitan May. 
 
 " Mr. Lee's coup d'ceil of British Watering-places is that of a master. 
 Everything unimportant in his subject escapes notice, while everything which 
 is of value to the invahd or medical man he seizes with intuitive sagacity, and 
 places before his readers with a precision and concise elegance wJiich makes his 
 little book a treat, even to the fastidious scho\&x. "—Mvdical Times. 
 
 " A commodious, and it appears to us a complete handbook for the knowledge 
 of the mineral springs of England." — Gernum Medical lievieiv. 
 
ii. Mr. Lee's Works. 
 
 THE PRINCIPAL BATHS OF GERMANY, considered with 
 Reference to their Remedial Efficacy in Chronic Disease. Witli an Appendix 
 on the Cold-water Cure. Second Edition, enlarged. 
 
 "Marked by good sense, reflection, and an acquaintance with the acticm of the 
 waters." — British and Forevjn Medical Review. 
 
 " The judgments which Mr Lee expresses regarding the properties of these 
 waters are enlightened, and exhibit no traces of that exaggeration which is so 
 frequently seen in works written by the resident physicians at baths. On thi& 
 account it is the best work which we can recommend to those wlio are desirous 
 of being acquainted with the properties of these baths." — Gazette Medicale de Paris. 
 
 " The account embraces every point of practical interest or importance con- 
 nected with the subject. We consider Mr. Lee's work an extremely useful 
 publication. Its general accuracy on all important details, and its conciseness, 
 recommend it strongly to the notice of the public, and especially of the medical 
 profession." — DidtUn Journal of Medical Scuiwe. 
 
 " None other than a favorable judgment can be given upon this book, which 
 must be ranked among the best liandbooks on the subject, even of those 
 published in the German language." — German Mediad Review. 
 
 "This work is from the pen of the talented and indefatigable gentleman 
 ■who, by his various and valuable publications, has laid the medical profession 
 and the workl at large under peculiar obligations to him. We can cordially 
 recommend this volume, for in our judgment, it is the best practical work ou 
 mineral waters in the English language." — Atlas. 
 
 " Mr. Lee's production deserves the popularity it has attained. A work so 
 clear, so circumstantial, so free from technical terms or pedantic abstruseness, is 
 worthy of the praise that has been so generally bestowed upon it." — Sunday 
 Times. 
 
 " From the few publication of Mr. Lee that have fallen under our notice, he 
 appears to possess considerable medical knowledge; and what is of quite as 
 much importance, great common sense, and a rational judgment. To point out 
 the different disorders to which the German baths are (jemraUy adapted, and to 
 offer a variety of hints to guide the patient and his medical attendant, as well 
 as to suggest the best mode of using the waters, is tlie object of this work." — 
 Spectator. 
 
 " An interesting work." —Atcgsburg Gazette. 
 
 " To explain which (the properties of the waters), Mr. Lee sets himself, 
 with scientific and professional accuracy, in this certainly very satisfactory 
 volume." — Literary Gazette. 
 
 " The ' Principal Baths of Germany,' by Mr. Lee, the author of several 
 works distinguished by the scientific knowledge they display, but perhaps still 
 more for the comprehensiveness of his views, explained with singular brevity 
 and perspicuity, and the soundness of his judgment, as well as the force of his 
 logic." — Monthly Review. 
 
 " A sound practical work on the mineral waters of the Continent."-- Naval and 
 Military Gazette. 
 
 " This volume is evidently the result of much study, and exhibits much natural 
 acuteness, and considerable scientific knowledge." — liritainiia. 
 
 PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS ON MINERAL WATERS AND 
 BATHS, with Remarks on Bathing, and on Artificial Mineral Waters. 
 
 " A good epitome on the subject of mineral waters, and free from the cant 
 about the infallibility of particular springs." — Athemeum. 
 
 " The book contains a considerable amount of useful practical Information 
 on the subject of which it treats." — Foreign Quarterly Revieto. 
 
 " Of the treatises of Mr. Lee, the first is the most complete and comprehensive. 
 Tlie reader finds a detailed account of the principal mineral springs of Germany, 
 nmch useful information as to the mode of using the waters, and observations 
 on the forms of disease in which they are calculated to be most beneficial." — 
 jpdinburnh Medical and Saryical JonnuU. 
 
 " Able, just, and intenigent."---.-l^/(w. 
 
Mr. Lee's Works. iii. 
 
 HYDROPATHY AND HOMCEOPATHY, impartially appreciated. 
 With an Appendix of Notes, illustrative of the Influence of the Mind on the 
 Body. Third Edition. 
 
 " Mr. Lee's opinions respecting the dogmas in question are generally just, and 
 he gives a very fair and impartial outline of their leading features, pointing 
 out erroneous hypotheses and distorted facts wherever found " — Juancet. 
 
 " The profession in tliis country was indebted to Mr. Lee for the first sketches 
 which appeared of Hydropathy and Homoeopathy. Tliese were well received, 
 from the circumstance of the author's being neither a practitioner nor a partisan 
 of either, and from his having enjoyed favorable opportunities of witnessing the 
 practice upon the Continent. The author has been enabled, by placing two 
 such opposite methods of treating disease in juxta-position, and exposing tlieir 
 fallacies, to do good service to the cause of legitimate medicine."- -J>ubii7i Medical 
 Press. 
 
 " Mr. Lee was, we believe, the first professional man by whom the cold-water 
 cure was treated of in this country, and the candour and moderation displayed 
 in the book amply justified the encomiunw passed upon it by the press generally." 
 Westminntcr and Fareiyn QuartiTly Review. 
 
 " These essays have been recognised as sensible and moderate expositions 
 of the slender merits which attach to the popular charlatanisms of hydropathy 
 and homoeopathy, and as clear exposures of the gross absurdity, inhumanity, 
 and fraud of those who have upheld these practices as the universal remedies 
 for the whole of the diseases to which the human frame is liable." — Medical 
 Gazette. 
 
 " The author ia the first who made these systems known to his countrymen. 
 In his appreciation of water as a remedial means, without depreciating its 
 becoming power, he nevertheless exposes the harm attending the excessive 
 and one-sided use of the water practice. In the second part he controverts 
 the theories of Halmemann, and justly observes that one advantage of homoeo- 
 pathy in England is that the diffusion of the excessive administration of drugs 
 has been thereby circumscribed." — Scfunidt's Jahrbiicher der Medicin. 
 
 " The question to what extent water is available in the treatment of disease 
 is very fairly answered by Mr. Lee, whose work appears to be a judicious 
 estimate of the real merits of the water cure. AVith equal correctness has he 
 appreciated in our opinion the homoeopathic theory. The book is exceedingly 
 calculated to disabuse the mind of that portion of the public which may have 
 been d luded by the imposture termed homoeopathy, and that it is accom- 
 pli.shing this useful purpose may be presumed from the fact that it has now 
 reached a third edition." — Douylas JerrokVs Weekly Newspaper. 
 
 "Mr. Lee's was the first notice of the cold water cure ever published in 
 England. We admired the cautious and temperate style in which he treated 
 it. Mr. Lee's views are sober and rational."— i(Was. 
 
 " The remarks on this rage are characterised by moderation and good sense." 
 Spedxdor. 
 
 " Its perusal will well repay those who are thinking of placing themselves 
 under the care of the water-doctors." — Athejueum. 
 
 iHtclitcal ©rganijattott anO iUcform. 
 
 REMARKS ON MEDICAL ORGANIZATION AND REFORM, 
 
 Foreign and English. 1846. 
 
 THE MEDICAL REFORM QUESTION, a Supplement to the 
 above. London, 1847. 
 
 " For describing the system of medical organization and education in France, 
 Italy, and Germany, Mr. Lee is well qualified, by his having made these 
 subjects his particular study on the occasion of several and prolonged visits to 
 the Continent. Already, in 18.-{5, he had published a work on tiie medical 
 institutions of that part of Europe, which was reprinted in tliis country."— 
 American Journal of Medical Science. 
 
iv. Mr. Lee's Works. 
 
 JWcliical Engtitution0 anU i^racttce. 
 'OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRINCIPAL MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS 
 
 AND PRACTICE OF FRANCE, ITALY, AND GERMANY ; with Illustra- 
 tive Cases, &c., and a Parallel View of English and Foreign Medicine and 
 Surgery. Second Edition, enlarged. 
 
 " Mr. Lee's work deserves particular attention ; it is written with more inde- 
 pendence and justice than are usually met with. His comparative observations 
 are almost always just, and do as much honour to his knowledge as to his 
 judgment." —Renue Medico-Chirurgicai. 
 
 " This is a very useful volume, and contains much valuable information." — 
 Dublin Jourmal of Medical Science. 
 
 " Of the highest value, combining as it does so much of the utile with the dulce, 
 so many facts with so concise a manner of announcing them. We cordially 
 recommend it to the profession." — London Medical a7id Siuyiccd Journal. 
 
 " The account is so sketchy and animated, that the chief fault to be found 
 with it perhaps is, that it does not present us with det^ls more copious." — 
 Medical Gazette. 
 
 NOTICES or SECOND EDITION. 
 
 " A work of great utility : it is so much an elegant record of facts carefully 
 observed, andof opinions judiciously formed, that the duty of the impartial critic 
 is limited to praise and quotation."- -Medical Times. 
 
 " The author is well known to most of our readers from the numerous 
 publications w^th which he has enriched science. His profound and at the 
 same time varied knowledge, his frequent visits to different parts of the Continent, 
 and the protracted residence which he has made in many of them, impart to 
 most of his judgments a justness of appreciation, and a character of truthfulness 
 rarely met with." — Gazette Medicaid de Pai^. 
 
 " The principal points are described with great accuracy. In the parallel 
 between English and foreign medicine the impartial appreciation and the sound 
 judgment displayed reflect gi'eat credit upon the SMthov." —SchvddVs Jahrlmch&r 
 der Medicin. 
 
 " A very useful and justly popular work." — Smulay Times. 
 
 " We recommend this work to the perusal of the profession : it is full of 
 irdGrest."- -Atlas. 
 
 " That this work should have reached the honour of a second edition is no 
 matter of surprise, when the interest to a wider circle than that of medieal 
 readers, and the commendable style in which the subject is treated, are con- 
 sidered." — Morning Herald. 
 
 "The view of English and foreign medicine and surgery is remarkably 
 well written, without a false enthusiasm for foreign novelties, and without 
 a bigoted admiration of our own system; evidently the result of a long and 
 intimate acquaintance with all that he treats of." — Montldy Magazine. 
 
 COUP D'OilL sur les HOPITAUX DE LONDRES, et sur I'Etat 
 Actuel de la Me'dicine et de la Chirurgie en Angleterre. (Pamphlet.) 
 
 .Surgical WitixH, 
 
 THE JACKSONIAN PRIZE ESSAY, on the Comparative Advantages 
 of Lithotomy and Lithotrity, and on the circumstances imder which one method 
 should be preferred to the other. 
 
 " An excellent manual of all the facts relating to lithotrity."— i>MiZ»i Journal 
 of Medical Science. 
 
 "The subject is discussed with temper and judgment, and the various 
 conditions under which the operations are respectively proper or contra- 
 indicated are adduced in a lucid and forcible manner." — Mediad Times. 
 
 " We cannot conclude our remarks without congratulating the author upon 
 having obtained the prize in so worthy a manner."— //n/«Z>Hr^ Medical JounuU. 
 
 TWO LECTURES ON LITHOTRITY AND THE BILATERAL 
 OPEl{ ATION, publicly delivered in London, Birmingham, Bath, and Bristol ; 
 to which is appended a 'i'ranslation of M. Chevalier's Essay on the Dissolution 
 of Stone in the Bladder. Reprinted from the London Medical Gazette. 
 
Mr. Lee^s Works. v. 
 
 ON STAMMERING AND SQUINTING, AND THE METHODS 
 
 FOR THEIR REMOVAL. 
 
 " An excellent treatise on stammering and squinting,"-- Gro^/fea^irf WaUMrs' 
 Journal Jilr Chirurgie. 
 
 " We can recommend the work as by much the complelest and best published 
 on the subject in this country." — British and Foreign Medical Review. 
 
 " Mr. Lee is one of the most candid, calm, sensible, and well-informed 
 writt-rs on subjects in the medical department. Let every practitioner, and let 
 every patient, before falling in with one pretension or another, consult Mr. Lee's 
 book . " — Month hj Reirieip. 
 
 " Mr. Lee has shown so much talent in his professional works, as to afford a 
 strong guarantee of the practical usefulness of his writings. His directions 
 are clear and practical, and his Essay on Squinting will be invaluable to those 
 who are afflicted with that deformity." — United Scrrice Gazette. 
 
 " The general practitioner, in default of personal observation, will find in Mr. 
 Lee's book such an account of the maladies in question, and of the peculiarities 
 of the several operations, as may materially assist him in coming to a just con- 
 clusion." — Atheiueum. 
 
 KerbousJ Bi^ortiei^. 
 
 A TREATISE ON SOME NERVOUS DISORDERS. The Third 
 Edition is nearly ready. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE I.AST EDITION. 
 
 " Mr. Lee has written a book which possesses an uncommonly high degree of 
 practical worth. He has the merit of having by his researches placed in a clearer 
 Ught several complaints which till now had not been very minutely studied. His 
 remarks on hysteria, epilepsy, and hypochondriasis, are in general excellent, and 
 contain much that is new, especially in a practical jMjint of view ; and even if it be 
 not all gold which he gives us, yet has he emphatically directed the attention of 
 practitioners to one point which, with further labour, will certainly lead to great 
 results not yet dreamed of, and which at all events merit a closer investigation at 
 the present time." — Schmidt's Jahrbiicher der gesammten Medicin. 
 
 " The method of treatment is founded upon rational and comprehensive indi- 
 cations. Several cases are added, corroborative of the author's statements, and 
 terminate this interesting tTeat\ae."—Medicinviche Zeitiing. 
 
 " This part of his work, wliich Mr. Lee has devoted to their consideration, 
 appears to us to be the most complete treatise existing on the subject."— Gosefte 
 Medicale. 
 
 " A work which deserves attentive consideration from all professional men. 
 It is well written, its statements are clear, and it exhibits an intimate acquaint- 
 ance with the whole bearings of the inquiry." — Atlas. 
 
 " A very useful and clever treatise. The author is evidently well acquainted 
 with his mhjecV— Monthly Magazine. 
 
 "A valuable treatise, in which those nervous affections which simulate 
 structural disease are treated of with skill and ability." — Literary Gazette. 
 
 " "We consider that Mr. Lee is free from any affectation and pretension, and 
 his work seems written in a plain and candid spirit of truth." — Conservative 
 Journal. 
 
 " Mr. Lee's remarks on hysteria and epilepsy are acute. We particularly 
 invite the attention of parents to the remarks on female education." — Sunday 
 Times. 
 
 Continental aocalttU^ anU Climated, $r(. 
 
 In One Volume, Svo., 10s. 6d. cloth, * 
 
 CONTINENTAL TRAVEL; with an APPENDIX of Remarks on 
 Climate, the Advantages of Travelling, &c. Being a much enlarged and 
 improved edition of a work entitled " Memoranda on France, Italy, and Ger- 
 many," respecting which the following criticisms appeared :— 
 
 "These Memoranda are distinguished by the practical good sense which 
 belong to Mr. Lee's publications, as well as by that fulness and certainty of 
 knowledge which result from long experience."— -Slpecta^or. 
 
vi. Mr. Lee's Works. 
 
 " This is a very superior book ; full of information elegantly communicated." — 
 
 Montldy Magazine. 
 
 " Our readers will agree with us that Mr. Lee's book contains a good deal 
 botli of amusement and information." — Medico-Chiruryical Review. 
 
 "■ Mr. Lee is a high and well-known authority on the subjects indicated 
 of a medical character, and this volume will be found to be a valuable manual 
 in the respects mentioned." — Monthly Iteview. 
 
 " Invalids who seek health in such resorts would do well to consult iV-Literary 
 Gazette. 
 
 " Tliis is the production of a scholar and a gentleman ; of one who knows 
 how to be interesting while he is scientific, and to convey most valuable and 
 sterling information with all the graces that are expected to adorn elegant 
 literature. The author, it is quite apparent, has no selfish interest to provide 
 for, and is influenced neither by the prejudices of venality nor of egotism : all 
 that he says we may depend upon." — Metropolitan Magazine. 
 
 " There is much useful information in this volume, interspersed among clever 
 descriptions of places, persons, and things. To be sure, the track pursued by 
 Mr. Lee traversed no new ground, but there is so much simplicity and 
 straightforwardness in his manner of writing, that he contrives to inspire us with 
 considerable interest." — Sunday Times. 
 
 " This valuable volume, in carrying the reader through the most celebrated 
 places on the Continent, professes to dwell more particularly on those matters 
 connected with climate and the watering-places, which may be found beneficial 
 to invalids, or interesting to the medical profession. Notwithstanding this 
 modest proviso, the spirited manner in which a great deal of information is 
 compressed into a small space gives a novelty and almost an originality to his 
 local descriptions." — United Service Gazette. 
 
 " The title of this volume fairly describes its nature and objects. By invalids 
 especially, who are disposed to travel for change of climate, scenery, &c., it 
 may be consulted with much advantage." — Naval and Military Gazette. 
 
 Dedicated hy Permission to Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, in One Vol., 
 post Svo., price 10s. &d., 
 
 THE EDUCATION OF MOTHERS OF FAMILIES j 
 
 Or the Civilization of the Human Race by "Women. 
 
 BY AIME MARTIN. 
 
 Being the "Work to which the Prize of the French Academy was adjudged. 
 
 Translated from the Third Paris Edition, with Remarks on the Prevailing 
 
 Methods of Education, and their Influence on Health and Happiness. 
 
 " The subject is most important and interesting. It is considered in this treatise 
 in its various relations ; its duties are inferred with argumentative eloquence, 
 and its difibrent relations are illustrated with well-chosen examples."--G^c)^Ze»za7i'5 
 Magazine. 
 
 " The amount of excellent matter, observation, and advice, contained in this 
 work, ought to recommend it to the most careful attention of every parent 
 and teacher. It is well translated by Mr. Lee." — Literary Gazette. 
 
 " About sixty pages are dedicated to the prevailing methods of education by 
 Mr. Lee himself. This is the really valuable part of the volimie, and BIr. Lee's 
 remarks, which connect the various links of the chain of quotations are always 
 ju(Ucious and often highly important. "We only regret that Mr. Lee did not 
 take a more ample part in the construction of the volume, for although it might 
 not in that case have contained so many brilliant passages, emulating those of 
 Rousseau, or rather of St. Pierre, yet it would have presented a denser mass of 
 solid English sense and practical observation." — Medico ■Chii'urgical Review. 
 
 " An extremely interesting and valuable production. The translation is well 
 executed ; the work forms pleasing reading, and Mr. Lee has appended to it a 
 useful and sensible treatise on the prevailing methods of education, and their 
 influence on health and happiness. "We recommend the volume as at once 
 instructive and entertaining."— .Bnfis/j and Foreign Medical Review. 
 
 WHITTAKEE AND CO., AVE-MAKIA LANE. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 BERKELEY 
 
 Return to desk from which borrowed. 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
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