and showed all their cards,
which he treasured up. A very lively, good-humoured old friar.
Returned to ride in the Corso, which is a narrow street going
from the Duomo to the Annunziata, to drive up and down which is
one of the ceremonies of the day (Lady Day), as the people are
supposed to go and pay their respects to the Virgin. In the
evening to the Opera and heard David again.

[Page Head: ROME]

Rome, March 29th, 1830 {p.303}

Set off yesterday morning at half-past seven from Florence, and
arrived here at six this evening in a fine glowing sunset,
straining my eyes to catch interesting objects, and trying in
vain to make out the different hills. The last two days at
Florence I went to the Gallery and Pitti Palace again with the
Copleys. Half the rooms were shut up when I was at the Pitti
before, but we now saw them all, and probably the finest
collection of pictures in the world. The Raphaels, Rubens, Andrea
del Sartos, and Salvators I liked the best. On Saturday evening
went to Court and was presented to the Grand Duke, who is
vulgar-looking and has bad manners; but the whole thing is rather
handsome. Stopped at Siena to see the cathedral; very fine,
the ancient fount beautiful. The mutilated Graces I am not
connoisseur enough to appreciate, but the illuminated Missals of
the thirteenth century I thought admirable, both for the
colouring and the drawing, and as exquisitely finished as any
miniature. The entrance to Rome through the Porta del Popolo
appeared very fine, but I was disappointed in the first distant
view of the city from the hill above Viterbo. I passed Radicofani
in the dark, and saw little to admire in the Lake of Bolsena or
the surrounding country. The women throughout Italy appeared very
handsome, one quite beautiful at Siena.

March 30th, 1830 {p.303}

This morning I awoke very early, and could not rest till I had
seen St. Peter's; so set off in a hackney coach, drove by the
Piazza della Colonna and the Castle of St. Angelo (which burst
upon me unexpectedly as I turned on the bridge), and got out
as soon as St. Peter's was in sight. My first feeling was
disappointment, but as I advanced towards the obelisk, with the
fountains on each side, and found myself in that ocean of space
with all the grand objects around, delight and admiration
succeeded. As I walked along the piazza and then entered the
church, I felt that sort of breathless bewilderment which was
produced in some degree by