PASSAGE OF THE PONTINES BY NIGHT. 219 rantine; while the husband, ever and anon, ejaculated, in broken English, his anathemas against the terrible extortions and expences of their Italian expedition! I greatly fear that the next adventure which befel my fair and delicate fellow-traveller was still more destructive to her health. But of this presently. We started from Terracina, a little before sunset, in a carriage very badly calculated for four, but compelled by the villainous courier of the Pope (for which I hope he has never received absolution) to hold an additional passenger, in the shape (if shape he had) of his own pot-bellied son, besides baggage and luggage enough to load a caravan. Nothing but the philosophy of observing the Pontine Marshes at night, could have induced me to bear, with any degree of patience, the infernal breath of the father and his urchin, between whom I voluntarily placed myself to give the invalids all the accommodation which their health and sufferings required. But patience has its bounds, and at the end of the first stage I got on the outside of the coach, rather to breathe the deleterious gases emitted from the fens, than inhale the mephitic airs generated within this infernal cauldron. The atmosphere was still as the grave-the moon shone faintly through a halo of fogs-and a dense vapour rose in all directions around us, emitting the most strange and sickly odour which I ever experienced on any part of the earth's surface. Under other and ordinary circumstances, I should have felt some alarm at thus exposing myself to the full influence of nocturnal emanations from the deadly marshes over which we were passing; but a consciousness of the life which I had led for three months, inspired me with complete contempt for any morbific influence which air or earth could direct against me. I crossed the fens in this philosophic mood, while the courier of St. Peter kept the windows of the coach closely shut against the dangerous malaria of the night. I would not advise others to imitate this rash conduct on my part. Many have paid dearly for their curiosity—and myself among the rest-if not on this, on various other occasions. Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor! As we approached Velletri, the storm again arose, and compelled me to take shelter in the interior. It ceased during a part of the next day; but as night came on, the thunder, lightning, and rain pursued us to the Eternal City, which we entered after midnight, and were dragged to the Dogana, where we were detained full an hour in the examination of our baggage. When let loose from this villainous inquisition, the rain was pouring down in torrents; the streets were roaring currents of water; and not a coach or human being was there to be found to conduct the passengers to any place of residence for the night! Fortunately I was perfectly well acquainted with the topography of Rome, and was able to conduct, though not to carry, the invalid lady, through the dark and dismal streets, in a deluge of rain, to the Place d'Espagne. The husband of the lady could render her no assistance, and she was obliged to wade through currents of water, more than ankle deep, to the HOTEL DE PARIS, where I left her, drenched to the skin, and nearly dead with cold, hunger, and fatigue! If she did not perish from the effects of this dreadful night, she will perhaps recognize, in these lines, a country man who lent her all the assistance in his power, and without whose guidance to a hotel she might probably have died in the streets! Such are the interesting incidents to which an invalid is exposed under the delightful skies of Italy! I hastened on to my kind host of the "ISLES BRITANNIQUES,” who, by previous notice, had a warm supper and an excellent bed prepared for his guest. I need hardly say that I slept till ten o'clock next morning rising refreshed to pursue my journey to Old England. As the mail did not start for Florence till midnight, I had an opportunity of paying one more visit to the VATICAN-taking a last stroll through the streets-and indulging in a farewell rumination on the fallen greatness of the Eternal City, while taking my evening walk along the PINCIAN HILL. In these meditations, I could not help comparing, or rather contrasting, the splendour and luxury of the Romans that were, with the poverty and degra dation of those now existing. The following graphic illustrations, from two very different pens, may not be inappropriate in this place. ROMANS THAT WERE. "The Romans, after they had abandoned their native simplicity and poverty, and despoiled the provinces of the East, gave themselves up to a degree of luxury, to which the moderns have never arrived. Their palaces surpassed in grandeur the most splendid of succeeding ages, even without quoting as an example the golden house of Nero; the gates, often of Numidian marble, the doors inlaid with tortoise-shell,* the walls of the rooms incrusted with the most rare marbles, covered with rich furniture and carpets; gilded beams with gems enchased in them, and fountains in the rooms; pavements of excellent Mosaic, often representing interesting histories, and the Etruscan vases as a finish to the ornaments. The buildings were very lofty, and at the top was a hanging garden, of rare and expensive plants; the entrance was sometimes flanked by a wood of columns; that of the villa of inhiant testudine postes."-VIRG. Georg. lib. 2. ↑ "Vidi artes veterumque manus verisque metalla Viva modis, labor est auri numerare figuras Aut ebur, aut dignas digitis contingere gemmas."—STATIUS. COMPARISON OF ANCIENT AND MODERN ROMANS. 221 the Gordiani has two hundred of the finest Numidian marble. The profusion of jewels and pearls, worn by the women, can hardly be expressed: after having covered the head, the locks of hair, the neck, ears, fingers, and arms, they attached a great number to their shoes ; and the celebrated Lollia Paulina, on every public occasion, carried no less upon her than the value of four millions of French francs. The cost of their suppers exceeds imagination; the tables most appreciated (although many were made of silver and ivory,) were of knotty cedar, stained like a leopard, the feet of silver or of onyx :§ the vases were for the most part, of silver, (it having been ordered by Tiberius that the golden ones should serve only for sacrifices,) were covered with jewels; they are still called vases of entire gems. The luxury displayed in their servants at the suppers, was such that they were all nearly of the same age, of the same quality and colour of hair.** The expense of the suppers of Lucullus, Apicius, and Vitellius, will scarcely be believed. The fish, of which they were so greedy, were seen alive at the tables before cooking them; and for this purpose there were reservoirs beneath.tt This is only a very small example of the luxury of the Romans, which was in truth extravagant; but it was necessary to expend in some manner the immense sums which flowed into Rome from a conquered world. Her citizens, not content with the spoils of the East, with the immense tributes drawn from the provinces, had acquired immense possessions; under Nero, according to the testimony of Pliny, six Roman citizens possessed the whole territory of Africa subjected to the Romans."-PIGNOTTI. * "Capital. in Gord." ↑ «Neque enim gestare margaritas nisi calcant et per uniones ambulent satis est.'-Plin. lib. 9, cap. 56." "Vide Plin. loc. cit. e le note dell'Arduino." "Mertio describes some that cost 50,000 florins." U "Turba gemmarum potamus et smaragdis teximus calices.'-Plin. in 1. 33." præ. ¶ "Pacat in padeg. Parum se lautas putabant, nisi æstivam in gemmis capacibus glaciem falerna fregissent," and more positively Cicero, ver. 6; • Erat illi vas vinarium ex una gemma pergrandi trulla excavata cum manubrio aureo. Probably some hard stone, of the finest and most rare quality, is here meant."" **Senec. Epist. 95." ↑↑ “It was said that the fish should be fresh enough to have the taste of the sea. tt "See Meurs de Luxu. Rom." ROMANS THAT ARE. Let us look at the descendants of those extravagant Romans. 66 Apart from the great mass of the population, separated by the distinctions of ages, foul and fatuous as an Indian fakeer, and sunk in the dusky niche of its splendid sty, vegetates the Roman patrician, or prince of the empire! The morning is lounged away by the heir of the Gregories and the Clements in a dusty great coat, (the modern Roman toga,) rarely changed at any season of the day for a better garb. An early, but not a princely dinner follows; succeeded by the siesta and the Corso, a funereal drive in a long narrow street, relieved in Summer by a splashy course in the Piazza Navona. The prima sera is passed in some noble palace, where, at the end of a long suite of unlighted rooms, sits the Signora Principessa, twinkling her eyes before a solitary lamp, or pair of candles, whose glimmer is scarce visible in the gloomy space, which a fire never cheers; while the caldanini, whose embers have expired in the atmosphere of her petticoat, is presented to the most distinguished of her visitors; and such a conversation ensues as minds without activity or resource may be supposed to supply :-a sermon of the popular preacher, Padre Pacifico, if it be Lent; a Cecisbeo faithless or betrayed, if at the Carnival, fill up the time till the opera commences, or until the only two genuine Roman houses open to society in Rome, light up their rouge et noir tables-the sole object for which company is received or for which company go."-Lady Morgan. I inquired, at the HOTEL DE PARIS, for my fair and invalid country-woman; but she was in her bed-and whether she ever arose from it, I am ignorant. The "ISLES BRITANNIQUES" furnished me with hospitable refection for my journey, and I left the Eternal City at midnight. While crossing the Campagna, amid the “ droning music of the vocal nose,” I amused myself with ruminations on the scene which I had just left, and which I should, in all probability, never again behold. As daylight dawned, I had the pleasure of forming an acquaintance with some agreeable and intelligent fellow-travellers, which rendered the journey to Florence very pleasant. It was on this retrograde march through Italy, that I had opportunities, in consequence of travelling occasionally by night, to behold and admire the brilliancy of Italian skies, when lit up by moon and stars in that fairy land. It is impossible for language to paint the glories of the firmament in clear moon-light nights among the mountains of Tuscany. They surpassed any I had ever witnessed, even in the tropical latitudes; and a thouand times did I repeat the glowing description drawn by Homer of similar scenes among the Grecian Isles. AQUAPENDENTE-ARNO. As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night, A flood of glory bursts from all the skies! 223 Instead of dozing away the hours of night in the lazy mail of his Holiness, I walked up all the hills between Viterbo and Florence, enjoying the enchanting prospects-and when I could not keep pace with the vehicle, I mounted on its summit, to continue the enjoyment. Time can never obliterate from my memory the impressions of moon-light scenery on this journey. But his Holiness is indulgent even to heretic travellers. He allowed us six hours for supper and sleep at AQUAPENDENTE, where we were lodged in a genuine specimen of an Italian LOCANDA. Fortunately for us, one of the passengers was an Italian courier-Mr. BRUNO-and a more intelligent or useful companion I never met. His finger was that of a conjuror, and commanded, in the twinkling of an eye, every thing we wished or wanted in a most wretched-looking loft over the stables! The company at supper consisted of an Italian, a German, a Frenchman, and a Briton. The Italian spoke English, the Frenchman spoke Italian, the Englishman spoke French -and the German spoke a little of all languages. Never was there seen a more happy QUARTETTO. We made a hearty supper-quaffed various kinds of wine—toasted, in Montefiascone, the memory of the German priest who drank of this beverage till he died of it—and slept, without a dream, on beds of coarse straw covered by clean linen, till roused from our couches long before the dawn of day. LOWER VALLEY OF THE ARNO. After a night's repose in Florence, and one more perambulation of the Royal Gallery, I was standing on the sunny-side of the LUNG-ARNO, admiring the graceful arches of the PONTE TRINITA, and pondering on the route which I should pursue in my way home- undetermined whether to take that by Venice, the Tyrol, and Germany or by the Simplon through Switzerland-or by Pisa, Genoa, and the new road along the Mediterranean shore to Nice when I was accosted by one of the most brigandlooking forms I had ever beheld, and asked if I wished to go to Pisa that day. The fellow was sitting on one of the shafts of his carricello, drawn |