Volume I Part 33 (1/2)

[Page Head: ASTRONI]

May 8th, 1830 {p355}

Rode with a large party to Astroni, where they dined, but I did not There were the Lushi+ngtons, Prince and Princess Dentici (he is at the head of the Douane), Madame and Mademoiselle Galiati (she is remarkably pretty), Count (I believe) and Countess Rivalvia, her uncle, Lord A Chichester, Count Gregorio, and a Mr Stuart The park, or whatever it is called--for it is the King's chase and full of wild boars--is one of the most beautiful and curious places about Naples Milton's description of the approach to Eden applies exactly to Astroni; if ever he saw it it is likely that he meant to describe it--

To the border comes Of Eden, where delicious Paradise, Now nearer, croith her enclosure green, As with a rural n head Of a steep wilderness, whose hairy sides, With thicket overgrown, grotesque, and wild, Access denied; and overhead up grew Insuperable height of loftiest shade, A sylvan scene, and as the ranks ascend Shade above shade, a woody theatre Of stateliest view

It is an immense crater of a volcano, the aer than that of Vesuvius, but covered ood, and the bottom with very fine trees of various sorts and with fern--very wild and picturesque There are several little hillocks, supposed to have been sh it is proved that this was a volcano from the lava under the soil and from its shape, there is no mention of it as an active volcano, and nobody can tell how , with his usual good taste, is cutting down the finest trees, and has made a ride round the botto as much as he can all the beauty of the place They dined in a shady arbour, ether, and on beds of fern, were very es and cherries, and dealing about an abundance of _--I have taken my last ride and last look at Naples, and a it, as I fear, for ever Rode again to Astroni with Morier, and walked through the wood and tried to scale one of the sides of the et half-way up; it is the most beautiful place about Naples Came back by the Strada Nuova, and saw for the last time that delicious Bay with its coast and its islands, which are as deeply i theht I have stood once more by the shore, and could alain--

The smooth, surface of this summer sea--

nor breathe this delicious air, nor feast aiety, and brilliancy, and beauty aroundto it; every gale see health and cheerfulness with it, and appears 'able to drive all sadness but despair'

Naples, they tell row tired of it To be sure, I have been here only three weeks, but I liked it better every day, and I a it was not gay, and less lively than Genoa? To-night, as I ca, the shore was covered with lazaroni and throngs of people, dancing, singing, harping, fiddling--all so merry, and as if the open air and their own elastic spirits were happiness enough I suppose I shall never coain, for when I have y country, there I shall settle for ever, and Naples and her sunny shores and balhtful dream, from which I have waked too soon

CHAPTER X

Mola di Gaeta--Capua--Lines on leaving Naples--Return to Rome-- The Aqueducts--'Domine, quo vadis?'--St Peter's--The Scala Santa--Reasons in favour of San Gennaro--Ascent of St

Peter's--Library of the Vatican--A racing _ex voto_--Illness of George IV--Approaching _Coup d'etat_ in France--The Villa Mills--The Malaria--Duc and duchesse de Dalberg--The Emperor Nicholas on his Accession--Cardinal Albani--A _Columbarium_-- Maii--Sir William Gell--Tivoli--Hadrian's Villa--The Adventures of Miss Kelly and Mr Swift--Audience of the Pope--Gibson's Studio--End of Miss Kelly's Marriage--A great Function--The Jesuits--Saint-ellants-- Statues by Torchlight--Bunsen on the State of Rome--Fiascati-- Relations of Protestant States with Rome--The French Ministry-- M de Villele--The Coliseum--Excommunication of a Thief--The Passionists--The Corpus Doe--Farewell to Rona-- Mezzofanti--Ferrara--Venice--Padua--Vicenza--Brescia--Verona-- Milan--Lago Maggiore--The Simplon--Geneva--Paris

Mola di Gaeta, May 9th, 1830 {p359}

I have dined here on an open terrace (looking over the garden and the delicious Bay), where I have been sitting writing the whole evening Thea flood of silver over the sea--

Rising in cloudless ht And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw

We left Naples at half-past seven in the , went to Caserta, and walked over the palace, in which nothing struck me but the dimensions, the staircase, and a few of the rooms The theatre is very well contrived; it is at one end of the palace, and the back of it opens by large folding doors into the garden, so that they can have any depth of stage they please, and arrange any pageants or cavalcades This could, however, only be at a theatre in a country house Thence to Capua, and went over the Aer than the Coliseum, but the arena did not appear to ain, and it is irandeur, luxury, and fate of Capua, for on the very spot on which I was standing (for the chief places are ascertained) in all probability Hannibal often sat to see the ga _His_ Capua was nearly destroyed, and if it had an amphitheatre it would have been ruined These ruins ed to Capua the Second, which was restored by Augustus or Tiberius, and beca and populous as the first had been-- [CCG]

The Italian postilions, it o faster than ever I went in England, then at others they creep like snails, and stop at the least inclined plane to put on the _scarpa_ The occasions they generally select for going fast are when they have six horses harnessed to the carriage, and so extend about ten yards, on slippery paveh very narrow streets, extre their horses to full speed, and clatter along without fear or sha ever does anywhere in Italy

I have walked over this garden [at Gaeta], which contains remains of one of Cicero's villas, but they are only arched roo but for the name of Cicero, and the recollection that he was ood taste in his villas, for this bay is as placid and delicious as that of Baiae There is an ancient bath, which probably belonged to the villa; it is in the sea, and still available, when cleaned out, which just now it is not

[Page Head: LINES ON LEAVING NAPLES]

Rome, May 10th, 1830 {p360}

Left Mola at half-past seven and got here at ten ht and this , and lay the dust all the way Stopped at Terracina, and went to see the ancient port, which is worth seeing The road is pretty all the way, but the scenery in Italy wants verdure and foliage The beauty of these landscapes consists in the bold outlines, lofty ht atmosphere, and they are always better to look at from a little distance than very near Aricia is pretty ooded I found a parcel of letters with the London news; but the post is enough to drive one ot one of the 23rd of April and another of the 19th of March on the same day

_ON TAKING LEAVE OF NAPLES_ (Written in a carriage between Naples and Mola di Gaeta) '_Nascitur poeta_'

Though not a spark of true poetic fire Beah rude my numbers, and untuned my lyre, I will not leave thee with a mute farewell

I cannot see recede thy sunny shore, Nor ling'ring look aze noway