their subsequent luxury in the Baths of Diana, as the
place is called, but which is evidently a natural cave improved
into a delicious retreat by some inhabitant of one of the villas
above. We mounted the hill and went by another road (called the
Lower Gallery, shaded by the finest ilexes, elms, and oaks, which
'high over-arch'd embower,' and where there is one ilex which
twelve men can hardly embrace) to the Doria Villa, once Pompey's
and likewise Domitian's, who included both Clodius's and Pompey's
in his own. There are no remains here, but some arabesques in a
sort of grotto, which I suspect are modern. All their villas
command views of the Campagna, the sea, Rome, and the mountains.
It is no wonder Hannibal was deeply mortified when he looked down
on Rome from these hills (the hills at least close by called the
Prati d'Annibale) at having twice just missed taking it. Poetry
and history contribute alike to the interest of this beautiful
scenery. We met an Englishman, a single bird who had lost his
covey, and had procured a guide who could not understand what he
said. He wanted to go to Albano, and the man was taking him to
the Emissarium. We put him right, but his fury in mixed Italian,
French, and English was exceedingly comical. It was unlucky that
we met him at the top instead of the bottom of the hill.

The road to Aricia, where Horace got such a bad dinner--

Egressum magna me excepit Aricia Roma
Hospitio modico--

is beautiful, and close to Gensano we went to look at the Lake of
Nemi, which is very pretty, but not so grand as Albano. The
peasantry are a fine race in these parts, and we met many men
driving carts or riding asses who would not disgrace the most
romantic group of banditti. The people were all working in the
open air, and seemed very gay. There were few beggars, and not
much rags and wretchedness.

Started from Velletri at six in the morning; went very quick over
the Pontine Marshes (which form an avenue of about twenty miles,
quite straight, shaded with trees, and with vegetation of
remarkable luxuriance on each side) to Terracina (Anxur), where
we breakfasted in a room looking upon the sea. The place is
extremely pretty. Thence to Mola di Gaeta, which is very
beautiful, but where we did not stop; and, after a very tiresome
journey, got to Naples at two o'clock in the morning. Vesuvius
was so obliging as to emit some flames as we passed by, just to
show us his wh