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After a very pleasant drive through a country as beautiful as it
had been ever since they left Naples, the party reached Salerno,
where they passed the night. Salerno is a lovely place, situated
at the extremity of a bay, like Naples, of which it may be called
a miniature. It is protected from the wind by the high hills that
encircle it, and its delicious climate makes it a great resort for
invalids. But formerly Salerno had a different character, and one
far more prominent in the eyes of the world. Salerno has a history
full of events of the most varied and stirring character. Fought
for by Greek, and Roman, and German, and Saracen, and Norman, its
streets have witnessed the march of hundreds of warlike arrays,
and it has known every extreme of good or evil fortune. Two things
make. Salerno full of interest to the traveller who loves the past.
One is, its position as a seat of learning daring the middle ages.
Here once arose the greatest school of medicine in, the world, the
chairs of which were thrown open, to Jewish and Arabian professors,
who at that time far outstripped the students of the Christian
world in scientific attainments. The other thing is, that here the
great pope, Gregory VII., found refuge, after his long struggle,
and, flying from Rome, obtained rest here among the friendly Normans,
for it was in Salerno that he uttered those memorable dying words
of his: "I have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, and
therefore I die in exile."

Here at Salerno they had a slight misunderstanding with their
driver. He insisted on getting more pay. As they had already made
a full contract with him, this demand seemed like an imposition,
and was rejected by the whole of them. The driver grew furiously
excited, gesticulated vehemently, stamped, his feet, rolled his
eyes, struck his fists together, and uttered language which sounded
like Italian oaths, though they could not make it out. Uncle Moses
seemed a little appalled at his vehement, and was inclined to
yield to his demands for the sake of peace; but the boys would
not listen to this for a moment. After watching the raging
Italian till they were tired, Frank at length started to his
feet, and in a peremptory tone ordered him out of the room. The
Italian was so unprepared for this decisive conduct on the part
of one who appeared to be but a boy, that he stopped short in
the midst of a most eloquent tirade against them, in which he
was threatening to de