Rapid Travelling in 1830--A
Trial at Naples--Deciphering Manuscripts--Ball at the Duchesse
d'Eboli's--Matteis's Plot and Trial--Pompeii--Taking the Veil--
Pausilippo--Baiae--La Cava--Salerno--Paestum--Lazaroni--Museum
of Naples--Grotto del Cane--The Camaldoli--Herculaneum--
Vesuvius--Sorrento--Miracle of St. Januarius--Astroni--Farewell
to Naples.

[Page Head: ALBANO--NAPLES]

Velletri, April 15th, 1830 {p.331}

Left Rome at nine o'clock this morning; at Albano procured an
ancient rural cicerone, a boy, and two donkeys, and set out on
the grand _giro_ of the place. The road over the Campagna is
agreeable, because the prospect roundabout is so fine, and the
aqueducts stretching over the plain so grand. After climbing up
to the Capuchin Convent, close to which are the remains of what
is called Domitian's Theatre, we came to the lake, which is
beautiful, but does not look large, and still less as if it had
ever threatened Rome with destruction. There is a road called the
Upper Gallery, shaded by magnificent ilexes, which leads to the
Villa Barberini, a delicious garden, once Clodius's and
afterwards part of Domitian's Villa, containing many remains of
former magnificence. This villa was probably the scene of the
council described by Juvenal (Fourth Satire).

Misso proceres exire jubentur
Concilio, quos Albanam Dux magnus in arcem
Traxerat attonitos.

I could not make out that any excavations have ever been made
here, though they would be certain of finding marbles. The road
passes along the hill which overhangs the margin of the lake to
Castel Gandolfo, and thence a path leads to the bottom, where are
the Emissarium, the Nyphaeum (called the Baths of Diana), and a
beautiful view of the lake, Monte Albano, and its towns. There is
nothing more curious than the Emissarium, built with a solidity
which has defied the effect of time, for it has never required
reparations, and performs its office still as it did more than
2,000 years ago (393 years before the Christian era). Nothing is
so incomprehensible as the magnitude and grandeur of the works of
the Republic before it had acquired power, territory, or
population. The Romans built as if they had an instinctive
prescience of future greatness, and not even the pressure of
immediate danger could induce them to sacrifice solidity to
haste. After wondering at their enterprise and industry we may go
and admire