eens, and shrubs, and heather, and affording grand and
various prospects of the still blue sea and the white and shining
coast with the dark mountains behind--

A sunny bay
Where the salt sea innocuously breaks
And the sea breeze as innocently breathes
On Sestri's leafy shores--a sheltered hold
In a soft clime encouraging the soil
To a luxuriant beauty.

[Page Head: FLORENCE]

The mountain road from Chiavari to La Spezzia presents the same
scenery as far as Massa and Carrara, which I unfortunately lost
by travelling in the night. I crossed the river in the boat by
candle-light, which was picturesque enough, the scanty light
gleaming upon the rough figures who escorted me and plied the
enormous poles by which they move the ferry-boat. Got to Pisa to
breakfast (without stopping at Lucca), and passed three hours
looking at the Cathedral, Leaning Tower, Baptistry, and Campo
Santo, the last of which alone would take up the whole day to be
seen as it ought. The Cathedral is under repair; the pictures
have been covered up or taken down, and the whole church was full
of rubbish and scaffolding; but in this state I could see how
fine it is, and admire the columns which Forsyth praises, and the
roof and many of the marbles. The Grand Duke has ordered it all
to be cleaned, and very little of it to be altered. One
alteration, however, is in very bad taste; he has taken away the
old confessionals of carved wood, and substituted others of
marble, fixed in the wall, which are exactly like modern
chimney-pieces, and have the worst effect amidst the surrounding
antiquities. The exterior is rather fantastic, but the columns
are beautiful, and John of Bologna's bronze doors admirable. The
Campo Santo is full of ancient tombs, frescoes, modern busts, and
morsels of sculpture of all ages and descriptions. The Leaning
Tower[9] is 190 feet high, and there are 293 steps to the top of
it, which I climbed up to view the surrounding country, but it
was not clear enough to see the sea and Elba. Here is the finest
aqueduct I have seen, which continues to pour water into the
town. Part of the old wall[10] with its towers is still standing.
These pugnacious republics, who were always squabbling with each
other and wasting their strength in civil broils, erected very
massive defences. The Pisans are proud of their ancient exploits.
The San Stefa