Volume VI Part 57 (1/2)

I thanked him, but I would not look at his trinkets, as I was afraid the tereat

When I got back to uests had arrived, of whom a feere known toSaxons, whose tutor he was These young noblemen were rich and handsome, and looked fond of pleasure

Bartoldi was an old friend ofof Poland's Italian Theatre On the death of the monarch he had been placed at the head of the opera-buffa by the dowager electress, as passionately fond of h, now duchess of Kingston, with a nobleotten

The duchess recognized me at once, and seemed pleased that I paid my court to her An hour afterwards Mr Hahted to ether Mr Hairl, as clever enough to make him in love with her Such a e is always a folly; but when awo low, he is bound to pay dearly for his folly; and if his wife is ao I had a narrow escape myself from the same fate

After dinner I presented the two Saxons to the duchess; they gave her news of the dowager electress, of whoether As chance would have it, Madame Goudar occupied the box next to ours, and Ha the story of the handso Sara's acquaintance

After supper the duchess arranged a galishmen and the two Saxons The stakes were small, and the Saxons proved victorious I had not taken any part in the ga

The following day we dined nificently with the Prince of Francavilla, and in the afternoon he took us to the bath by the seashore, where onderful sight A priest stripped hihtest movement floated on the surface like a piece of deal There was no trick in it, and the ans of breathing After this the prince amused the duchess still es, lads of fifteen to seventeen, go into the water, and their various evolutions afforded us great pleasure They were all the sweethearts of the prince, who preferred Ganyive us the sa nymphs for the 'amoyini', and he promised to do so the next day at his splendid house near Portici, where there was a arden

CHAPTER XIV

My Amours with Gallih--The Marquis Petina--Gaetano--Madame Cornelis's Son--An Anecdote of Sara Goudar--The Florentines Mocked by the King--My Journey to Salerno, Return to Naples, and Arrival at Rome

The Prince of Francavilla was a rich Epicurean, whose motto was 'Fovet et favet'

He was in favour in Spain, but the king allowed hi the Prince of Asturias, his brothers, and perhaps the whole Court, into his peculiar vices

The next day he kept his pro the irls ah and the two other ladies pronounced this spectacle tedious; they no doubt preferred that of the previous day

In spite of this gay company I went to see Calliatha was ladly have helped iving me any overt assistance She promised to ask Calli that I should succeed in ht we should have to spend there

Before Agatha had ements, Haston, and I succeeded in getting an invitation I associated chiefly with the two Saxons and a char Abbe Guliani, hom I afterwards made a more intimate acquaintance at Ro, in a felucca with twelve oars, and at nine we reached Sorrento

We were fifteen in nuhted with this earthly paradise

Ha to the Duke of Serra Capriola, who chanced to be there with his beautiful Piedmontese wife, who loved her husband passionately

The duke had been sent there two e which was adjudged tooto punish this infringe had not yet learnt to resist his ministers, the duke and his ere exiled to this earthly paradise But a paradise which is a prison is no paradise at all; they were both dying of ennui, and our arrival was balm in Gilead to them

A certain Abbe Bettoni, whose acquaintance I had made nine years before at the late Duke of Matalone's, had coain

The abbe was a native of Brescia, but he had chosen Sorento as his residence He had three thousand crowns a year, and lived well, enjoying all the gifts of Bacchus, Ceres, Co his favourite divinity He had only to desire to attain, and no reater pleasure than he enjoyed at Sorento I was vexed to see Count Medini with hireetings

We were twenty-two at table and enjoyed delicious fare, for in that land everything is good; the very bread is sweeter than elsewhere We spent the afternoon in inspecting the villages, which are surrounded by avenues finer than the avenues leading to the grandest castles in Europe