ferted it to have been a griffin, I should have been inclined to believe them; fome wretched bread, of what date I know not, and fauce made with ftinking oil, concludes the bill of fare-the wine poisonous-the water muddy.-Good night. For me, if fleep should kindly lend her aid, may I dream of a piece of English bread and cheese, and a draught of fmall beer. My little barbett is fo difcontented and crofs, that the barks incefantly at the howling of the wind, and difdains to eat or fleep.

LETTER XXXII.

Viterbo, Jan. 1ft,

WE now come close upon Rome, having

paffed dreadful roads and frightful mountains; but any thing is better than our regale at Radicofani. We reached this place before night; the last post here from Sienna is a good road.

Two bad accidents happened last night; the post-master, who had himself rode as postilion to the Roman courier, was killed on a mountain by falling from his horfe; and in another part of the road, the best horse belonging to the poft-mafter of Aquapendente was swallowed in a flough, where he expired, they not being able to get him out. However, bad as this road is at prefent, it is now better than ever it has been; for just before

the

the Emperor was expected, the Pope and the King of Naples agreed to repair the roads in their respective dominions: we are told, that on the Neapolitan fide it is much better. We paffed by the ruins of the ancient Volfium this morning, near the Bolfena: thefe veftiges are so faint, that they appear like a confused heap of ruined vaults. For many miles our road lay on the borders of the beautiful lake of Bolfena; the water is tranfpa

it is furrounded with hills clothed with hanging woods, whofe various tints tremble upon its translucent bofom. Two beautiful islands rife from it; one contains a majestic ruin: this is about five miles from the fhore. They told us at Bolsena, that the lake is thirty-five miles in circumference.

The foil on the fides of the road is incorporated with a kind of burnt iron or drofs, which bears strongly the appearance of extinguished volcanos. The accommodation here is bad and very dear; our supper confifted of a foup, the chief ingredients of which were all forts of livers and gizzards, collected from various birds, and of various dates, failing after each other in a muddy pool, very unlike the lake of Bolfena; broiled pigeons with oil, and a friture of livers, &c.; our foup the Barbet condefcended to tafte. You may be fure we are in no danger of a furfeit this night. To-morrow we fhall reach immortal Rome; it is only four posts thither; fo good night for the prefent.

Rome, Jan. 6th.

Having arrived the second inftant too late for the French courier, I now refume my pen, this being the first opportunity. We are lodged at Pio's Hôtel, Strada della Cruce, Piazza di Spagna, are well accommodated, and reasonably. Our table is served fomething in the English style, at leaft it affords us three or four homely English dishes (thanks to fome kind English predecessors who have taught them), such as bacon and cabbage, boiled mutton, bread-puddings, which after they have been boiled, are cut in pieces, fried and ferved with a wine fauce ftrongly fpiced, &c. so do not imagine we are likely to starve here.

You may, from the commoneft print, form a very good idea of the entrance into Rome. The town for the most part is unpaved, and the houfes in general make a wretched appearance; I do not mean the palaces: there are many fine buildings, whose splendour is the more furprising, from their being furrounded with miserable habitations. The part of the town we are in is by much the best for ftrangers, and the accommodation any where else extremely bad; for you know one cannot occupy the palaces nor the churches, of which latter there are a plenty.

We have received the utmoft civilities from the families, to whom we have prefented our letters of recommendation; those who are most troubled with us are the Duke and Dutchefs of Monté Libretii; they have undertaken to ferve us, in the

polite Italian sense. The Duke is fon to the Prin. cess Palestrine, who is now in years and infirm; the Dutchess, daughter to the noble Prince Barromeo of Milan; they were fo very obliging as to call upon us the same day we fent our letter, and the next morning. We have been introduced by them to the Dutchess of Bracciano, at whose afsembly we were last night. The Dutchefs of Bracciano is of the blood royal of France; fhe is esteemed not only a very fenfible woman, but also witty and learned: fhe is extremely polite, and poffeffes evidently a great knowledge of the world. The Duke her fon is a fine young man of the first clafs, fpeaks English well, and is lively and agreeable: there was a numerous converzatione: from hence they conducted us to the Contessa Carpegna's, where there was alfo a brilliant affembly: this lady has the manners to appearance of an amiable French-woman. The Cardinal of Bernis came immediately on the reception of our letter of recommendation; he gave us the most obliging invitation to his table and affemblies. We go tomorrow.

The 7th of Jan. at night.

We have dined and paffed the evening at Cardinal Bernis's; his niece, Madame la Marquise de Puymontbrun, does the honour of the table, &c. Nothing can be more elegant than his manner of living he has united the French refinements to the Roman magnificence. There were about fifty perfons

C 4

once.

perfons at table, confifting chiefly of cardinals. The ladies were Madame de Puymontbrun, the Princess of Santa Cruce and her mother. After dinner more company entered, and we were introduced to the Princefs Altieré, and a Polish family who are styled Princes; their name Prezbendowsky: I could think of nothing but Pottowifky, and was going to call her fo more than The Cardinal of Bernis being fubject to the gout, ftarves at his own table, as he thinks living low the only means of keeping the fit off. He feeds on nothing but herbs boiled and all the juice preffed out; neither gravy, butter, falt, cream, eggs, oil, nor any kind of meat, fish, or fowl, does he ever taste, eats very little bread, and that extremely ftale. Though he is himself thus fuffering famine, his dishes are of the best kinds, the greateft variety the feafon can afford in profufion, and the beft dreffed: he knows whether each difh is as it ought to be by its look and smell; and has the moft hofpitable manner imaginable; he is extremely cheerful, poffeffes a great fhare of fpirits, has a brilliant wit, and ready upon the moft trifling occafions; enfin, il eft petri de l'art de fçavoir vivre. It is impoffible to converse with him a quarter of an hour, without being fenfible that he is a man of deep penetration, learning, a great statesman, and perfectly well read in the belles lettres; he has a noble air, though not tall, and rather inclined to corpu lency; his countenance is fenfible, and changes