eneral at Rome might answer the
purpose of an agent, and, without being an accredited Minister,
perform all the functions of one. This was the pith of what he
said, besides a great deal about the Catholic religion itself,
its inferiority to the Reformed, its incompatibility with free
institutions, and a good deal more, not much to the purpose.
Bunsen is a man of very considerable information, learned, very
obliging, and communicative, sensible, moderate, but rather
prejudiced. At this moment he is full of the French expedition
[to Algiers], and their colonising projects, of which he is
thoroughly persuaded and not a little afraid.

The Duc de Dalberg told me that at the Congress of Vienna he was
deputed to speak to Consalvi about ceding the March of Ancona to
the Austrians. He answered, 'My dear Duke, the Congress can treat
us as it pleases. If we are pressed, we must retreat to the
walls; further we cannot go, and we are there already.' The
Cardinal afterwards spoke to the Emperor, and the next day
Metternich said he had orders from the Emperor to declare that he
would take nothing from the Pontifical States without the free
concurrence of the Pope; so there ended that question.

[Page Head: FRASCATI]

_At night._--Just returned from Frascati with Henry de Ros--a
very agreeable expedition. We went to the inn, a most execrable
hotel, but dined very well on a repast we had the foresight to
take with us. Before dinner went to the Villa Conti, which has a
delicious garden, with fine trees and ample shade, and one of the
prettiest falls of water I have seen. The house we did not enter,
but it appeared small. To the Villa Marconi, without any garden,
but a capital house, and the only one which looks well kept and
inhabited. The Marconi house in the Conti garden would be
perfect. After dinner to Tusculum, a beautiful walk under shade,
with magnificent views over the Campagna on one side and Monte
Cavo, Rocca di Papa, and the Prati d'Annibale on the other. The
remains at Tusculum are next to nothing, part of a theatre, of an
aqueduct, and of the walls. I believe the town was destroyed by
Pope Celestine III. (1191), in order to extirpate a band of
robbers which had long infested the country and made Tusculum
their stronghold. All the country hereabout is beautiful, and the
air excellent, so that a more perfect residence cannot be
imagined. To the Villa Belvidere, belonging to Prince Aldobrandini,
deserted and neglected, b