LETTER XXVIII. Florence, Dec. 18th, 1770. Inn at WE E are arrived here in perfect health, admirably well lodged at Vanini's, where you find true English cleanlinefs, elegance, and civility. The English will have a real lofs in old Mrs. Vanini, when the departs this life; and I wifh, for their fakes, her daughter-in-law may imitate the example fhe fets her: her fon alfo behaves quite well in his ftation; but it is particularly agreeable for female travellers, to find a hoftefs of the stamp of Mrs. Vanini, who perfectly understands her business, is juft in her dealings, respectful in her behaviour, friendly without the leaft familiarity, and has the art of making her hôtel feem one's own houfe. Her attentions are fuch as I have never before experienced from any perfon in her fituation. In fhort, I tell you I am charmed with this old Englishwoman, and am forry it is not in our power to make a longer stay at Florence than we propofe. Our apartment confifts of a large anti-chamber, an excellent bedchamber within, and a room without a bed, which the French call un cabinet de jour, for the antichamber is a dining-room; from the former we have a door that opens upon a terrace, with a balustrade round it, from whence is a fine view of the there. the famous bridge with cycloid arches, the Arno, the town, &c. The apartment is hung with crimfon damask, and ornamented with pictures. Our expences, as lodgings, firing (the wood is dear Expences here), lights, eating, wine, &c. twenty-fix pauls a-day; a paul is ten fols French. Our remife is at a fixed price, ten pauls a-day, and two pauls for the coachman; the laquais de louage the fame as at Bologna and other Italian towns. from Bo and Pea We quitted Bologna the 15th, but begun our journey too late, and were guilty of the fame imprudence the next morning, which obliged us to lie two nights on the road, though the diftance is Road only fixty-three miles. The road from Bologna, logna to for about two or three miles, is through a culti Florence. vated country; the farmers and peasants appear Farmers rich and happy; but the reft of the journey is ex-fants. tremely difagreeable, the mountains feeming as if they would never end; the road, however, is fafe, and all the afcents paved; but Appenine on Ap- Appepenine is repeated fo often, that, to gratify your curiofity at our return, I drew upon a blank leaf of Lalande (which I held in my hand to see what he fays of the route) the outlines of the fummits of the mountains as they appeared one above the other. The higher they afcend, and feek to ease Their wearied steps, their labours still increase: And every hill another feems to breed. Hence nines. Hence all their toils and labours, which before Tranflation from Silius Italicus. By the way, that I may not forget to mention it, there was not the leaft appearance of flame or fimoke when we paffed by the ground near the PietraMa village of Pietra Mala, where is a kind of volcano, la village. Volcano. moft precisely described by Lalande. The surface appears of calcined earth; there are various kinds of vitrified substances, resembling the dross and ashes of a glass-house (these are the true indications of volcanoes), accompanied with a black fhining fand mixed with the foil; and this mixture is one of the marks by which they are traced and difcovered. We regretted much that this fire did not fhew itself; it is called here fuoco di legno, proba bly from its resemblance to the clear flame of lighted wood. At length, having traversed a most uncultivated, barren, and bleak wafte, fo thinly inhabited, fino. tines. inhabited, as for many miles the country on each fide feems, as "where no human footsteps ever trod*." We gained Scaricalafino; it was be- Scaricalatween nine and ten o'clock when we arrived at the gate of the convent, not far from which is the wretched inn where we must have fought shelter, had it not been for the Cadinal Legate's kind mandate. The gate of the Convent was immediately Convent. opened to us, after the porter had delivered the letter to the Superior, who very politely came out himself and conducted us in. We entered a large faloon; there we found two Monks; their order is of the White Benedictines, confequently are of White noble descent, as this fraternity admits no others. Benedic The Superior is a hale, well-looking man, about forty years of age; his behaviour was courteous, affable, and hofpitable: he seemed a man of uncommon good fense, to have a great knowledge of the world, and was very good-humoured and converfible. There are but fix Monks here; they admit no Novices. They keep two fervants only, who are well-dreffed, and ferve as valets de chambre. The Monks themselves take in turn the inspection of the kitchen. You know the church in all countries inclines to good fare, and this is not a rigid order. Two of the Monks did not appear; I fuppofe one was employed in the kitchen, and the other, perhaps, indifpofed. The Superior made us many excufes for the bad fare The poft-houfes generally through Italy are ifolée, no other boufe being for the most part near them. we we should have, and for our being obliged to wait for fupper; faying, they themselves had already fupped, that they had scarce any provisions in the houfe, and being a maigre day alfo (for it was Saturday), he hoped we would excufe, &c. however, we did not wait a quarter of an hour for fupper. They lamented much the not having previous notice of our arrival, as they would have given us a better reception, and added many polite things; but before they had finished, the two fervants appeared with a fmall table for M and me, and laid a cloth and a lay-over upon it, in our English fashion, of the finest damask I have ever feen; it was callendered and pinched, forming a Mofaic pattern; the napkins were curiously folded, the plates of the fineft old China; fpoons, knives, forks, &c. falt-fellers of filver of the most elegant fashion, and so clean, that they appeared quite new; they ferved one Supper at difh at a time; firft, an admirable gravy-foup, the Con- in a beautiful terreen of the fame China as the great hof- plates; they removed this with a poularde a la pitality. braife, as good as you ever faw from Breffe; then a fry tres recherchée, after the Italian ecclefiaftical fashion; then a pigeon pattue dont le cul etoit farci, garnished with fmall cakes, made of a kind of paste, quite agreeable to eat with the pigeon. The defert confifted of grapes fo well preferved, that they feemed as juft gathered, Burey- pears, fine chefnuts roafted, and excellent Parmesan cheese. They were quite teafing whilft we fupped, with vent, &c. |