tioned to the mettle of the other two. As he took the affair upon
himself, and I perceived had an ascendancy over the magistrate, I
contented myself with saying, I was certain the two horses had been put
to the coach on purpose, either to hurt or frighten us; and that since
I could not have justice here I would make a formal complaint to the
British minister at Florence. In passing through the street to the
coach, which was by this time furnished with fresh horses, I met the
hostler, and would have caned him heartily; but perceiving my
intention, he took to his heels and vanished. Of all the people I have
ever seen, the hostlers, postilions, and other fellows hanging about
the post-houses in Italy, are the most greedy, impertinent, and
provoking. Happy are those travellers who have phlegm enough to
disregard their insolence and importunity: for this is not so
disagreeable as their revenge is dangerous. An English gentleman at
Florence told me, that one of those fellows, whom he had struck for his
impertinence, flew at him with a long knife, and he could hardly keep
him at sword's point. All of them wear such knives, and are very apt to
use them on the slightest provocation. But their open attacks are not
so formidable as their premeditated schemes of revenge; in the
prosecution of which the Italians are equally treacherous and cruel.

This night we passed at a place called Radicofani, a village and fort,
situated on the top of a very high mountain. The inn stands still lower
than the town. It was built at the expence of the last grand-duke of
Tuscany; is very large, very cold, and uncomfortable. One would imagine
it was contrived for coolness, though situated so high, that even in
the midst of summer, a traveller would be glad to have a fire in his
chamber. But few, or none of them have fireplaces, and there is not a
bed with curtains or tester in the house. All the adjacent country is
naked and barren. On the third day we entered the pope's territories,
some parts of which are delightful. Having passed Aqua-Pendente, a
beggarly town, situated on the top of a rock, from whence there is a
romantic cascade of water, which gives it the name, we travelled along
the side of the lake Bolsena, a beautiful piece of water about thirty
miles in circuit, with two islands in the middle, the banks covered
with noble plantations of oak and cypress. The town of Bolsena standing
near the ruins of the antient Volsinium, which was the bir