'G.-found her playing on the piano-forte-talked till ten, when the Count, her father, and the no less Count, her brother, came in from the theatre. Play, 'they said, Alfieri's Filippo-well received.

Two days ago the King of Naples passed through Bologna on his way to congress. My servant Luigi 'brought the news. I had sent him to Bologna for a lamp. How will it end? Time will show. 'Came home at eleven, or rather before. If the 'road and weather are comfortable, mean to ride tomorrow. High time-almost a week at this worksnow, sirocco, one day-frost and snow the other— 'sad climate for Italy. But the two seasons, last and present, are extraordinary. Read a Life of Leonardo 'da Vinci by Rossi-ruminated-wrote this much, ' and will go to bed.

'not very

'January 5th, 1821.

'Rose late-dull and drooping-the weather drip'ping and dense. Snow on the ground, and sirocco ' above in the sky, like yesterday. Roads up to the 'horse's belly, so that riding (at least for pleasure) is feasible. Added a postscript to my letter to Murray. Read the conclusion, for the fiftieth 'time (I have read all W. Scott's novels at least fifty times) of the third series of "Tales of my Landlord," '-grand work-Scotch Fielding, as well as great English poet-wonderful man! I long to get drunk ' with him.

'Dined versus six o' the clock. Forgot that there was 'a plum-pudding (I have added, lately, eating to my "family of vices"), and had dined before I knew it. 'Drank half a bottle of some sort of spirits-probably spirits of wine; for what they call brandy, rum, &c. ' &c. here is nothing but spirits of wine, coloured

accordingly. Did not eat two apples, which were placed, by way of dessert. Fed the two cats, the hawk, and the tame (but not tamed) crow. Read 'Mitford's History of Greece-Xenophon's Retreat of the Ten Thousand. Up to this present moment ' writing, 6 minutes before eight o' the clock-French 'hours, not Italian.

Hear the carriage-order pistols and great-coat, 'as usual-necessary articles. Weather cold-carriage open, and inhabitants somewhat savage-rather 'treacherous and highly inflamed by politics. Fine fellows, though, good materials for a nation. Out ' of chaos God made a world, and out of high passions comes a people.

'Clock strikes going out to make love. Somewhat perilous, but not disagreeable. Memorandum '-a new screen put up to-day. It is rather antique, 'but will do with a little repair.

‹ Thaw continues-hopeful that riding may be prac'ticable to-morrow. Sent the papers to All'-grand ' events coming,

11 o' the clock and nine minutes. Visited La Con'tessa G. Nata G. G. Found her beginning my letter ' of answer to the thanks of Alessio del Pinto of Rome for assisting his brother the late Commandant in his 'last moments, as I had begged her to pen my reply for the purer Italian, I being an ultra-montane, little skilled in the set phrase of Tuscany. Cut short the ' letter-finish it another day. Talked of Italy, patriotism, Alfieri, Madame Albany, and other branches of learning. Also Sallust's Conspiracy of Catiline, ' and the War of Jugurtha. At 9 came in her brother, Il Conte Pietro-at 10, her father, Conte Ruggiero. 'Talked of various modes of warfare-of the Hun

6

'garian and Highland modes of broad-sword exercise, in both whereof I was once a moderate "master of 'fence." Settled that the R. will break out on the

7th or 8th of March, in which appointment I should 'trust, had it not been settled that it was to have 'broken out in October, 1820. But those Bolognese 'shirked the Romagnuoles.

par

"It is all one to Ranger." One must not be 'ticular, but take rebellion when it lies in the way. 'Come home-read the "Ten Thousand" again, and ' will go to bed.

'Mem.

Ordered Fletcher (at four o'clock this ' afternoon) to copy out seven or eight apophthegms of 'Bacon, in which I have detected such blunders as a 'school-boy might detect rather than commit. Such are the sages! What must they be, when such as 'I can stumble on their mistakes or misstatements? 'I will go to bed, for I find that I grow cynical.

'January 6th, 1821. No stirring out on

'Mist-thaw-slop-rain. 'horseback. Read Spence's Anecdotes. Pope a fine 'fellow-always thought him so. Corrected blunders ' in nine apophthegms of Bacon-all historical-and 'read Mitford's Greece. Wrote an epigram. Turned to a passage in Guinguené-ditto in Lord Holland's Lope de Vega. Wrote a note on Don Juan.

'At eight went out to visit. Heard a little musiclike music. Talked with Count Pietro G. of the 'Italian comedian Vestris, who is now at Rome-have 'seen him often act in Venice-a good actor-very. 'Somewhat of a mannerist; but excellent in broad 'comedy, as well as in the sentimental pathetic. He has made me frequently laugh and cry, neither of

'which is now a very easy matter-at least, for a 'player to produce in me.

Thought of the state of women under the ancient "Greeks-convenient enough. Present state a remnant of the barbarism of the chivalry and feudal ages '-artificial and unnatural. They ought to mind 'home-and be well fed and clothed-but not mixed ' in society. Well educated, too, in religion-but to 'read neither poetry nor politics-nothing but books ' of piety and cookery. Music-drawing-dancing'also a little gardening and ploughing now and then. 'I have seen them mending the roads in Epirus with 'good success. Why not, as well as hay-making and 'milking?

Came home, and read Mitford again, and played 'with my mastiff-gave him his supper. Made another reading to the epigram, but the turn the same. To-night at the theatre, there being a prince on his throne in the last scene of the comedy,-the au'dience laughed, and asked him for a Constitution. This shows the state of the public mind here, as well ( as the assassinations. It won't do. There must be 'an universal republic,-and there ought to be.

The crow is lame of a leg-wonder how it happened-some fool trod upon his toe, I suppose. The falcon pretty brisk-the cats large and noisy-the 'monkeys I have not looked to since the cold weather, ' as they suffer by being brought up. Horses must be gay get a ride as soon as weather serves. Deuced muggy still-an Italian winter is a sad thing, but all 'the other seasons are charming.

What is the reason that I have been, all my life'time, more or less ennuyé? and that, if anything, I am rather less so now than I was at twenty, as far as

'my recollection serves? I do not know how to ' answer this, but presume that it is constitutional,— as well as the waking in low spirits, which I have invariably done for many years. Temperance and exercise, which I have practised at times, and for a long time together vigorously and violently, made 'little or no difference. Violent passions did;-when ' under their immediate influence-it is odd, but-I 'was in agitated, but not in depressed spirits.

A dose of salts has the effect of a temporary ine'briation, like light champagne, upon me. But wine ' and spirits make me sullen and savage to ferocity— 'silent, however, and retiring, and not quarrelsome, if 'not spoken to. Swimming also raises my spirits,— 'but in general they are low, and get daily lower. 'That is hopeless; for I do not think I am so much ennuyé as I was at nineteen. The proof is, that then 'I must game, or drink, or be in motion of some kind, or I was miserable. At present, I can mope in quietness; and like being alone better than any company-except the lady's whom I serve. But I 'feel a something, which makes me think that, if I ever reach near to old age, like Swift, "I shall die at top" first. Only I do not dread idiotism or madness 'so much as he did. On the contrary, I think some 'quieter stages of both must be preferable to much of 'what men think the possession of their senses.

'January 7th, 1821, Sunday.

Still rain-mist-snow-drizzle-and all the in'calculable combinations of a climate where heat and 'cold struggle for mastery. Read Spence, and turned

over Roscoe, to find a passage I have not found. 'Read the 4th vol. of W. Scott's second series of