While I Laboured Under The Weight Of My
Greatcoat Which Made The Streams Of Sweat Flow Down My Face And
Shoulders, I was plunging in the mud, up to the mid-leg at every
step; and at the same time
Obliged to support my wife, who wept
in silence, half dead with terror and fatigue. To crown our
vexation, our conductor walked so fast, that he was often out of
sight, and I imagined he had run away with the boxes. All I could
do on these occasions, was to hollow as loud as I could, and
swear horribly that I would blow his brains out. I did not know
but these oaths and menaces might keep other rogues in awe. In
this manner did we travel three long miles, making almost an
intire circuit of the city-wall, without seeing the face of a
human creature, and at length reached the gate, where we were
examined by the guard, and allowed to pass, after they had told
us it was a long mile from thence to the house of Vanini, where
we proposed to lodge. No matter, being now fairly within the
city, I plucked up my spirits, and performed the rest of the
journey with such ease, that I am persuaded, I could have walked
at the same pace all night long, without being very much
fatigued. It was near ten at night, when we entered the auberge
in such a draggled and miserable condition, that Mrs. Vanini
almost fainted at sight of us, on the supposition that we had met
with some terrible disaster, and that the rest of the company
were killed. My wife and I were immediately accommodated with dry
stockings and shoes, a warm apartment, and a good supper, which I
ate with great satisfaction, arising not only from our having
happily survived the adventure, but also from a conviction that
my strength and constitution were wonderfully repaired: not but
that I still expected a severe cold, attended with a terrible fit
of the asthma: but in this I was luckily disappointed. I now for
the first time drank to the health of my physician Barazzi, fully
persuaded that the hardships and violent exercise I underwent by
following his advice, had greatly contributed to the re-establishment
of my health. In this particular, I imitate the
gratitude of Tavernier, who was radically cured of the gout by a
Turkish aga in Aegypt, who gave him the bastinado, because he
would not look at the head of the bashaw of Cairo, which the aga
had in a bag, to be presented to the grand signior at
Constantinople.
I did not expect to see the rest of our company that night, as I
never doubted but they would stay with the coach at the inn on
the other side of the Arno: but at mid-night we were joined by
Miss C - and Mr. R - , who had left the carriage at the inn, under
the auspices of the captain and my servant, and followed our
foot-steps by walking from the ferry-boat to Florence, conducted
by one of the boatmen. Mr. R - seemed to be much ruffled and
chagrined; but, as he did not think proper to explain the cause,
he had no right to expect that I should give him satisfaction
for some insult he had received from my servant. They had been
exposed to a variety of disagreeable adventures from the
impracticability of the road. The coach had been several times in
the most imminent hazard of being lost with all our baggage; and
at one place, it was necessary to hire a dozen of oxen, and as
many men, to disengage it from the holes into which it had run.
It was in the confusion of these adventures, that the captain and
his valet, Mr. R - and my servant, had like to have gone all by
the ears together. The peace was with difficulty preserved by the
interposition of Miss C - , who suffered incredibly from cold and
wet, terror, vexation, and fatigue: yet happily no bad
consequence ensued. The coach and baggage were brought safely
into Florence next morning, when all of us found ourselves well
refreshed, and in good spirits. I am afraid this is not the case
with you, who must by this time be quite jaded with this long
epistle, which shall therefore be closed without further ceremony
by, - Yours always.
LETTER XXXV
NICE, March 20, 1765.
DEAR SIR, - The season being far advanced, and the weather growing
boisterous, I made but a short stay at Florence, and set out for
Pisa, with full resolution to take the nearest road to Lerici,
where we proposed to hire a felucca for Genoa. I had a great
desire to see Leghorn and Lucca; but the dread of a winter's
voyage by sea in an open boat effectually restrained my
curiosity. To avoid the trouble of having our baggage shifted
every post, I hired two chaises to Pisa for a couple of zequines,
and there we arrived in safety about seven in the evening, though
not without fear of the consequence, as the calesses were quite
open, and it rained all the way. I must own I was so sick of the
wretched accommodation one meets with in every part of Italy,
except the great cities, so averse to the sea at this season, and
so fond of the city of Pisa, that I should certainly have stayed
here the winter, had not I been separated from my books and
papers, as well as from other conveniencies and connexions which
I had at Nice; and foreseen that the thoughts of performing the
same disagreeable voyage in the spring would imbitter my whole
winter's enjoyment. I again hired two calesses for Lerici,
proposing to lie at Sarzana, three miles short of that place,
where we were told we should find comfortable lodging, and to
embark next day without halting. When we departed in the morning,
it rained very hard, and the Cerchio, which the chaises had
formerly passed, almost without wetting the wheels, was now
swelled to a mighty river, broad and deep and rapid.
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