Gymnasium, baths, temples, a school of philosophers, tanks, a
theatre, &c. The greatest part of these buildings are choaked up and
covered with earth, since it is by excavation alone that what does appear
was brought to light. It was by excavation that a man discovered a large
hall wherein he found the nine beautiful statues of the Muses, which now
adorn the Museum of the Vatican; and no doubt if the Roman government would
recommence the excavations many more valuables might be found. Hadrian's
villa has already furnished many a statue, column and pilaster to the
Museums, churches and Palaces of Rome.
I was much more gratified in beholding the remains of this Villa than in
visiting Tivoli and I remained here several hours. At four o'clock in the
afternoon I started on my return to Rome; it was imprudent not to have
started sooner, as it is always dangerous to be outside the walls of Rome
after dark, in consequence of the brigands who infest the environs and
sometimes come close to the walls of the city.
I reached my hotel in Rome at nine o'clock, one hour and half after dark,
but had the good fortune to meet nobody. The Roman peasantry generally go
armed and those who feed cattle in the fields of the Campagna or have any
labour to perform there never sleep there on account of the mal'aria.
[93] Horace, Epist., II, 1, 156. - ED.
[94] Horace, Sat., i, 5, 26. - ED.
[95] A carlino is of the value of half a franc or five pence English. The
accounts in Naples are kept in ducati, carlini and grani. Ten
carlini make a ducat and ten grani (a copper coin) make a carlino.
A grano is a sou French in value. The ducato is an imaginary coin.
The soudo Napoletano, a handsome silver coin of the size of an ecu
de six francs, is equal to twelve carlini.
[96] Not one of these vases was found at Pompeii. - ED.
[97] Horace, Carm., II, 1, 7. - ED.
[98] Virgil, Aen., VI, 264. - ED.
[99] Virgil, Aen., VI, 129. - ED.
CHAPTER XII
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1816
From Rome to Florence - Sismondi the historian - Reminiscences of
India - Lucca - Princess Elisa Baciocchi - Pisa - The Campo Santo - Leghorn -
Hebrews in Leghorn - Lord Dillon - The story of a lost glove - From Florence
to Lausanne by Milan, Turin and across Mont Cenis - Lombardy in winter - The
Hospice of Mont Cenis.
FLORENCE, Novr. 20th.
I bade adieu to Rome on the 28th October and returned here by the same road
I went, viz., by Radicofani and Sienna. I arrived here after a journey of
six days, having been detained one day at Aquapendente on account of the
swelling of the waters.
