thing in it can bless the eyes. But, before I enter were to pass there; and the next morning we set into particulars, you must make your peace both forward on our journey through a country very with me and the Venus de Medicis, who, let me oddly composed; for some miles you have a contell you, is highly and justly offended at you for tinual scene of little mountains cultivated from top not inquiring, long before this, concerning her to bottom with rows of olive trees, or else elms, each symmetry and proportions. TO HIS MOTHER. of which has its vine twining about it, and mixing with the branches; and corn sown between all the ranks. This, diversified with numerous small houses and convents, makes the most agreeable prospect in the world: but, all of a sudden, it alters Florence, March 19, 1740. to black barren hills, as far as the eye can reach, THE pope is at last dead, and we are to set out that seem never to have been capable of culture, for Rome on Monday next. The conclave is still and are as ugly as useless. Such is the country sitting there, and likely to continue so some time for some time before one comes to Mount Radicolonger, as the two French cardinals are but just fani, a terrible black hill, on the top of which we arrived, and the German ones are still expected. were to lodge that night. It is very high, and difIt agrees mighty ill with those that remain en- ficult of ascent; and at the foot of it we were much closed: Ottoboni is already dead of an apoplexy; embarrassed by the fall of one of the poor horses Altieri and several others are said to be dying, or that drew us. This accident obliged another chaise, very bad: yet it is not expected to break up till which was coming down, to stop also; and out of after Easter. We shall be at Sienna the first night, it peeped a figure in a red cloak, with a handkerspend a day there, and in two more go to Rome. One begins to see in this country the first promises of an Italian spring, clear unclouded skies, and warm suns, such as are not often felt in England; yet, for your sake, I hope at present you have your proportion of them, and that all your frosts, and snows, and short-breaths, are by this time utterly vanished. I have nothing new or particular to inform you of; and, if you see things at home go on much in their old course, you must not imagine them more various abroad. The diversions of a Florentine Lent are composed of a sermon in the morning, full of hell and the devil; a dinner at noon, full of fish and meagre diet; and, in the evening what is called a conversazione, a sort of assembly at the principal people's houses, full of I can not tell what; besides this, there is twice a week a very grand concert. * chief tied round its head, which, by its voice and mien, seemed a fat old woman; but upon its getting out, appeared to be Senesino, who was returning from Naples to Sienna, the place of his birth and residence. On the highest part of the mountain is an old fortress, and near it a house built by one of the grand dukes for a hunting-seat, but now converted into an inn: it is the shell of a large fabric; but such an inside, such chambers and accommodations that your cellar is a palace in comparison: and your cat sups and lies much better than we did; for it being a saint's eve, there was nothing but eggs. We devoured our meagre fare; and, after stopping up the windows with the quilts, were obliged to lie upon the straw beds in our clothes. Such are the conveniences in a road, that is, as it were, the great thoroughfare of all the world. Just on the other side of this mountain, at Ponte-Centino, one enters the patrimony of the church; a most delicious country, but thinly inhabited. That night brought us to Viterbo, a city of a more lively appearance than any we had lately Rome, April 2, N. S. 1740. met with; the houses have glass windows, which THIS is the third day since we came to Rome, is not very usual here; and most of the streets are but the first hour I have had to write to you in. terminated by a handsome fountain. Here we had The journey from Florence cost us four days, one the pleasure of breaking our fast on the leg of an of which was spent at Sienna, an agreeably clean, old hare and some broiled crows. Next morning, old city, of no great magnificence or extent; but in in descending Mount Viterbo, we first discovered a fine situation and good air. What it has most (though at near thirty miles distance) the cupola considerable is its cathedral, a huge pile of marble, of St. Peter's, and a little after began to enter on black and white laid alternately, and laboured with an old Roman pavement, with now and then a a Gothic niceness and delicacy in the old fashioned ruined tower, or a sepulchre on each hand. We way. Within too are some paintings and sculpture now had a clear view of the city, though not to the of considerable hands. The sight of this and some collections that were showed us in private houses, were a sufficient employment for the little time we TO HIS MOTHER. Clement the Twelfth. best advantage, as coming along a plain quite upon a level with it; however, it appeared very vast, and surrounded with magnificent villas and gardens. We soon after crossed the Tiber, a river that ancient Rome made more considerable than any merit of its own could have done : however, it is not con- see that vast church, and the most magnificent in temptibly small, but a good handsome stream; the world, undoubtedly, illuminated (for it was very deep, yet somewhat of a muddy complexion. night) by thousands of little crystal lamps, disposed The first entrance of Rome is prodigiously striking. in the figure of a huge cross at the high altar, and It is by a noble gate, designed by Michael Angelo, seeming to hang alone in the air. All the light and adorned with statues; this brings you into a proceeded from this, and had the most singular eflarge square, in the midst of which is a vast obelisk fect imaginable as one entered the great door. Soon of granite, and in front you have at one view two after came one after another, I believe, thirty prochurches of a handsome architecture, and so much cessions, all dressed in linen frocks, and girt with alike, that they are called the Twins; with three a cord, their heads covered with a cowl all over, streets, the middlemost of which is one of the long- only two holes to see through left. Some of them est in Rome. As high as my expectation was were all black, others red, others white, others parraised, I confess, the magnificence of this city in-ty-coloured; these were continually coming and finitely surpasses it. You can not pass along a going with their tapers and crucifixes before them; street, but you have views of some palace, or and to each company, as they arrived and knelt church, or square, or fountain, the most picturesque before the great altar, were shown from a balcony, and noble one can imagine. We have not yet set at a great height, the three wonders, which are, about considering its beauties, ancient and modern, you must know, the head of the spear that woundwith attention; but have already taken a slight ed Christ; St. Veronica's handkerchief, with the transient view of some of the most remarkable. miraculous impression of his face upon it: and a St. Peter's I saw the day after we arrived, and piece of the true cross, on the sight of which the was struck dumb with wonder. I there saw the people thump their breasts, and kiss the pavement cardinal D'Auvergne, one of the French ones, with vast devotion. The tragical part of the cerewho, upon coming off his journey, immediately re-mony is half a dozen wretched creatures, who, with paired hither to offer up his vows at the high altar, their faces covered, but naked to the waist, are in and went directly into the conclave; the doors a side-chapel disciplining themselves with scourges of which we saw opened to him, and all the other immured cardinals came thither to receive him. Upon his entrance they were closed again directly. It is supposed they will not come to an agreement about a pope till after Easter, though the confine- we not been convinced of the contrary by the ment is very disagreeable. I have hardly philosophy enough to see the infinity of fine things, that are here daily in the power of any body that has money, without regretting the want of it; but custom has the power of making things easy to one. I have not yet seen his majesty of Great Britain, &c. though I have the two boys in the gardens of the Villa Borgese, where they go a shooting almost every day; it was at a distance, indeed, for we did THIS day being in the palace of his highness the not choose to meet them, as you may imagine. duke of Modena, he laid his most serene commands This letter (like all those the English send, or re- upon me to write to Mr. West, and said he thought ceive) will pass through the hands of that family, it for his glory, that I should draw up an inventory before it comes to those it was intended for. They of all his most serene possessions for the said West's do it more honour than it deserves; and all they perusal.Imprimis, a house, being in circumwill learn from thence will be, that I desire you ference a quarter of a mile, two feet and an inch; to give my duty to my father, and wherever else it the said house containing the following particulars, is due, and that I am, &c. TO HIS MOTHER. full of iron prickles; but really in earnest, as our eyes can testify, which saw their backs and arms so raw, we should have taken it for a red satin doublet torn, and showing the skin through, had blood which was plentifully sprinkled about them. It is late; I give you joy of Porto-Bello, and many other things, which I hope are all true. * TO MR. WEST. Tivoli, May 20, 1740. to wit, a great room. Item, another great room; item, a bigger room; item, another room; item, a vast room; item, a sixth of the same; a seventh ditto; an eighth as before; a ninth as abovesaid; a tenth (see No. 1.;) item, ten more such, besides Rome, April 15, 1740. Good-Friday. twenty besides, which not to be too particular, we TO-DAY I am just come from paying my adora- shall pass over. The said rooms contain nine tions at St. Peter's to three extraordinary relics, chair, two tables, five stools, and a cricket. From which are exposed to public view only on these whence we shall proceed to the garden, containing two days in the whole year, at which time all the two millions of superfine laurel hedges, a clump confraternities in the city come in procession to of cypress trees, and half the river Teverone, that see them. It was something extremely novel to pisses into two thousand several chamberpots. May 21. We have had the pleasure of going twelve miles out of our way to Palestrina. It has rained all day as if heaven and us were coming together. See my honesty, I do not mention a syllable of the temple of Fortune, because I really did not see it; which, I think, is pretty well for an old traveller. So we returned along the Via Prænestina, saw the Lacus Gabinus and Regillus, where, you know, Castor and Poilux appeared upon a certain occasion. And many a good old tomb we left on each hand, and many an aqueduct, Finis.-Dame Nature desired me to put in a list to Mæcenas's; and they told us there was a bridge of her little goods and chattels, and, as they were of communication, by which "andava il detto Sigsmall, to be very minute about them. She has nor per trastullarsi coll istesso Orazio." In combuilt here three or four little mountains, and laid ing hither we crossed the Aqua Albulæ, a vile them out in an irregular semicircle; from certain little brook that stinks like a fury, and they say it others behind, at a greater distance, she has drawn has stunk so these thousand years. I forget the a canal, into which she has put a little river of hers, Piscina of Quintilius Varus, where he used to called Anio; she has cut a huge cleft between the keep certain little fishes. This is very entire, and two innermost of her four hills, and there she has there is a piece of the aqueduct that supplied it left it to its own disposal; which she has no sooner too; in the garden below is old Rome, built in litdone, but, like a heedless chit, it tumbles headlong tle, just as it was, they say. There are seven down a declivity fifty feet perpendicular, breaks temples in it, and no houses at all: they say there itself all to shatters, and is converted into a shower were none. of rain, where the sun forms many a bow, red, green, blue, and yellow. To get out of our metaphors without any further trouble, it is the most noble sight in the world. The weight of that quantity of waters, and the force they fall with, have worn the rocks they throw themselves among into a thousand irregular crags, and to a vast depth. In this channel it goes boiling along with a mighty noise till it comes to another steep, where you see it a second time come roaring down (but first you must walk two miles farther) a greater height than before, but not with that quantity of waters; for by this time it has divided itself, being crossed and opposed by the rocks, in four several streams, each of which, in emulation of the great one, will tumble down too; and it does tumble down, but not There are, indeed, two whole modern ones, works from an equally elevated place; so that you have of popes, that run about thirty miles a-piece in at one view all these cascades intermixed with length; one of them convey still the famous Aqua groves of olive and little woods, the mountains ris- Virgo to Rome, and adds vast beauty to the prosing behind them, and on the top of one (that pect. So we came to Rome again, where waited which forms the extremity of one of the half-cir- for us a splendidissimo regalo of letters: in one of cle's horns) is seated the town itself. At the very which came You, with your huge characters and extremity of that extremity, on the brink of the wide intervals, staring. I would have you to know, precipice, stands the Sibyl's temple, the remains I expect you should take a handsome crow-quill of a little rotunda, surrounded with its portico, when you write to me, and not leave room for a above half of whose beautiful Corinthian pillars pin's point in four sides of a sheet royal. Do you are still standing and entire; all this on one hand. but find matter, I will find spectacles. On the other, the open campagna of Rome, here I have more time than I thought, and I will emand there a little castle on a hillock, and the city ploy it in telling you about a ball that we were at itself on the very brink of the horizon, indistinctly the other evening. Figure to yourself a Roman seen (being eighteen miles off') except the dome villa; all its little apartments thrown open, and of St. Peter's; which, if you look out of your win-lighted up to the best advantage. At the upper dow, wherever you are, I suppose, you can see. I end of the gallery, a fine concert, in which La did not tell you that a little below the first fall, on the side of the rock, and hanging over that torrent, are little ruins which they show you for Horace's house, a curious situation to observe the Dumb are whose fountains, and their channels dry. Diamantina, a famous virtuoso, played on the violin divinely, and sung angellically; Giovannino and Pasqualini (great names in musical story) also performed miraculously. On each side were ranged all the secular grand monde of Rome, the "Præceps Anio, et Tiburni lucus, et uda ambassadors, princesses, and all that. Among the Mobilibus pomaria rivis." rest II Serenissimo Pretendente (as the Montova Mæcenas did not care for such a noise, it seems, gazette calls him) displayed his rueful length of and built him a house (which they also carry one person, with his two young ones, and all his minto see) so situated that it sees nothing at all of the istry around him. "Poi nacque un grazioso matter, and for any thing he knew there might be ballo," where the world danced, and I sat in a no such river in the world. Horace had another corner regaling myself with iced fruits, and other house on the other side of the Teverone, opposite pleasant rinfrescatives. TO MR. WEST. Rome, May, 1740. is not two hundred yards in length. We send you some Roman inscriptions to entertain you. The first two are modern, transcribed from the Vatican Library by Mr. Walpole. tunity of displaying all my erudition, that I may appear considerable in your eyes. This is the prospect from one window of the palace. From I AM to-day just returned from Alba, a good deal another you have the whole campagna, the city, fatigued; for you know the Appian is somewhat Antium, and the Tyrrhene sea (twelve miles distiresome. We dined at Pompey's; he indeed tant) so distinguishable, that you may see the veswas gone for a few days to his Tusculan, but, by sels sailing upon it. All this is charming. Mr. the care of his villicus, we made an admirable Walpole says our memory sees more than our meal. We had the dugs of a pregnant sow, a eyes in this country, which is extremely true; peacock, a dish of thrushes, a noble scarus, just since, for realities, Windsor, or Richmond Hill, is fresh from the Tyrrhene, and some conchylia of infinitely preferable to Albano or Frescati. I am the lake with garum sauce: for my part I never now at home, and going to the window to tell you eat better at Lucullus's table. We drank half a it is the most beautiful of Italian nights, which, in dozen cyathi a-piece of ancient Alban to Pholoë's truth, are but just begun, (so backward has the health: and, after bathing, and playing an hour spring been here, and every where else, they say). at ball, we mounted our essedum again, and pro- There is a moon! there are stars for you! Do not ceeded up the mount to the temple. The priests you hear the fountain? Do not you smell the there entertained us with an account of a wonder-orange flowers? That building yonder is the conful shower of birds' eggs, that had fallen two days vent of St. Isidore; and that eminence, with the before, which had no sooner touched the ground, cypress trees and pines upon it, the top of M. but they were converted into gudgeons; as also Quirinal.-This is all true, and yet my prospect that the night past a dreadful voice had been heard out of the adytum, which spoke Greek during a full half hour, but nobody understood it. But quitting my Romanities, to your great joy and mine, let me tell you, in plain English, that we come from Albano. The present town lies within the enclosure of Pompey's villa in ruins. The Appian way runs through it, by the side of which, a little farther, is a large old tomb, with five pyramids upon it, which the learned suppose to be the burying-place of the family, because they do not know whose it can be else. But the vulgar assure you it is the sepulchre of the Curiatii, and by that name (such is their power) it goes. One drives to Castel Gondolfo, a house of the Pope's, situated on the top of one of the Collinette, that forms a brim to the basin commonly called the Alban lake. It is seven miles round; and directly opposite to you, on the other side, rises the Mons Albanus, much taller than the rest, along whose side are still discoverable (not to common eyes) certain little ruins of the old Alba Longa. They had need be very little, as having been nothing but ruins ever since the days of Tullus Hostilius. On its top is a house of the constable Colonna's where stood the temple of Jupiter Latialis. At the foot of the hill Gondolfo, are the famous outlets of the lake, built with hewn stone, a mile and a half under ground. Livy, you know, amply informs us of the foolish occasion of this expense, and gives me this oppor However whimsical this humour may appear to some readers, I chose to insert it, as it gives me an opportunity of remarking that Mr. Gray was extremely skilled in the customs of the ancient Romans; and has catalogued, in his common-place book, their various eatables, wines, perfumes, clothes, medicines, &c. with great precision, referring under every articles to passages in the poets and historians where there names are mentioned. Pontifices olim quem fundavere priores, Hæe trahit Amphion; Sixtus et arte trahit. Mine is ancient, and I think not less curious. It is exactly transcribed from a sepulchral marble at the villa Giustiniani. I put stops to it, when I understand it. DIs Manibus Et Piae, Benemeritate. Non æquos, Parcae, statuistis stamina vitæ. O nimis injustæ ter denos dare munus in annos, 'Sixtus V. built the dome of St. Peter's TO HIS MOTHER. on, and deep in the ground: curiosity led them they have been digging ever since; the passage Naples, June 17, 1740. they have made, with all its turnings and windings, OUR journey hither was through the most beau- is now more than a mile long. As you walk, you tiful part of the finest country in the world; and see parts of an amphitheatre, many houses adorned every spot of it, on some account or other, famous with marble columns, and incrusted with the same; for these three thousand years past.* The season the front of a temple, several arched vaults of rooms has hitherto been just as warm as one would wish painted in fresco. Some pieces of painting have it; no unwholesome airs, or violent heats, yet been taken out from hence, finer than any thing heard of. The people call it a backward year, and of the kind before discovered, and with these the are in pain about their corn, wine, and oil; but we, king has adorned his palace; also a number of who are neither corn, wine, nor oil, find it very statues, medals, and gems; and more are dug out agreeable. Our road was through Villetri, Cis- every day. This is known to be a Roman town,* terna, Terracina, Capua, and Aversa, and so to that in the emperor Titus's time was overwhelmed Naples. The minute one leaves his holiness's by a furious eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which is dominions, the face of things begins to change from hard by. The wood and beams remain so perfect wide uncultivated plains to olive groves and well- that you may see the grain; but burnt to a coal, tilled fields of corn, intermixed with ranks of elms, and dropping into dust upon the least touch. We every one of which has its vine twining about it, were to-day at the foot of that mountain, which at and hanging in festoons between the rows from one present only smokes a little, where we saw the tree to another. The great old fig-trees, the oranges materials that fed the stream of fire, which about in full bloom, and myrtles in every hedge, make four years since ran down its side. We have but one of the delightfulest scenes you can conceive; a few days longer to stay here; too little in conbesides that, the roads are wide, well kept, and full science for such a place. of passengers, a sight I have not beheld this long time. My wonder still increased upon entering the city, which, I think, for number of people, outdoes both Paris and London. The streets are one continued market, and thronged with populace so much that a coach can hardly pass. The common Ar my return to this city, the day before yessort are a jolly lively kind of animals, more indus-terday, I had the pleasure of finding yours dated trious than Italians usually are; they work till June the 9th. The period of our voyages, at least evening; then take their lute or guitar (for they towards the South, is come as you wish. We have all play) and walk about the city, or upon the sea- been at Naples, spent nine or ten days there, and shore with it, to enjoy the fresco. One sees their returned to Rome, where finding no likelihood of little brown children jumping about stark-naked, a pope yet these three months, and quite wearied and the bigger ones dancing with castanets, while with the formal assemblies, and little society of that others play on the cymbal to them. Your maps great city, Mr. Walpole determined to return will show you the situation of Naples; it is on the hither to spend the summer, where he imagines he most lovely bay in the world, and one of the calm- shall pass his time more agreeably than in the teest seas: it has many other beauties besides those dious expectation of what, when it happens, will of nature. We have spent two days in visiting only be a great show. For my own part, I give the remarkable places in the country round it, such up the thoughts of all that with but little regret; as the bay of Baiæ, and its remains of antiquity; but the city itself I do not part with so easily, which the lake Avernus, and the Solfatara, Charon's alone has amusements for whole years. However, grotto, &c. We have been in the Sibyl's cave and I have passed through all that most people do, many other strange holes under ground (I only both ancient and modern; what that is you may name them, because you may consult Sandy's travels;) but the strangest hole I ever was in, has been to-day, of a place called Portici, where his Sicilian Majesty has a country-seat. About a year ago, as they were digging, they discovered some parts of ancient buildings above thirty feet TO HIS FATHER. Florence, July 16, 1740. see, better than I can tell you, in a thousand books. The conclave we left in greater uncertainty than ever; the more than ordinary liberty they enjoy there, and the unusual coolness of the season, makes the confinement less disagreeable to them than common, and, consequently, maintains them in their irresolution. There have been very high words, one or two (it is said) have come even to blows; two more are dead within this last month, Cenci and Portia; the latter died distracted; and It should seem, by the omission of its name that it was not then discovered to be Herculaneum. |
