ur we reached the quaint little village at the top,
having enjoyed our drive exceedingly, and having bought some pretty,
quaintly shaped straw baskets from the peasant women _en route_. After
passing into the Cathedral--there is no town or village in Italy too
small to boast of its Duomo, or Cathedral--we mounted still higher to
the little chapel on the site of an old monastery, and here we had a
magnificent view of the valley of the Arno, for nearly half its extent.
Florence, with her great Duomo reposing in the centre of a beautiful
plain, and numerous convents, villas, and villages lying here and there
around, some in the glens and valleys, others on the hillsides, the
whole encircled by the fine chain of mountains which formed a circular
boundary-line to the landscape. We found, a few minutes' walk from this
spot, the remains of a half-circular Etruscan amphitheatre, in fairly
good preservation. Wherever I have seen these coliseums and open-air
theatres, I have always found them most admirably situated for grand and
extensive views of the country beyond, and this, I think, must have
greatly added to the impressiveness of the performance, and perhaps
dignified the cruel and barbarous exhibitions that took place there, as
the silent and solemn forest scenery raised the superstitious sacrifices
of the ancient Druids to acts of veneration and worship.

We found here a very pleasant restaurant called the _Aurora Cafe_. It is
owned by the artist I before mentioned as the proprietor of one of the
charming villas. We partook of some refreshment, and I was offered
sundry coins and antiques, supposed to have been dug up from the
amphitheatre, or the still more ancient Etruscan village. I selected an
iron coin, with a fine superscription.

On descending the hillside, we met an English coach and four, and our
Italian driver fully shared in our enthusiastic admiration of the fine
"Hyde Park" turn out, and the skilful manner in which the horses were
handled on these mountain heights. Late in the evening we met the same
team, admirably coached through the narrow and crowded streets and lanes
of Florence.

* * * * *

We found the climate of Florence bright and pleasant, bracing and
healthful, but it was rather too dear a place for those with a limited
income. We had heard that it was an expensive city, and so indeed we
found it, for with all our efforts to be economical our bill at the
Hotel de Ru