sic of Kurdistan, and the full-grown
beauty of the Greek after the ruder dialects. Among those who appeared
to the best advantage were several blacks, and the majesty of the
Latin hexameters was confided to a full-blooded Guinea negro, who
acquitted himself better than any other I heard. I observed, too, the
perfectly gentlemanly appearance of these young men, and that they
had nothing of that Cuffy swagger by which those freed from a servile
state try to cover a painful consciousness of their position in our
country. Their air was self-possessed, quiet and free beyond that of
most of the whites.

January 22, 2 o'clock, P.M.

Pour, pour, pour again, dark as night,--many people coming in to see
me because they don't know what to do with themselves. I am very glad
to see them for the same reason; this atmosphere is so heavy, I seem
to carry the weight of the world on my head and feel unfitted for
every exertion. As to eating, that is a bygone thing; wine, coffee,
meat, I have resigned; vegetables are few and hard to have, except
horrible cabbage, in which the Romans delight. A little rice still
remains, which I take with pleasure, remembering it growing in the
rich fields of Lombardy, so green and full of glorious light. That
light fell still more beautiful on the tall plantations of hemp, but
it is dangerous just at present to think of what is made from hemp.

This week all the animals are being blessed,[A] and they get a
gratuitous baptism, too, the while. The lambs one morning were taken
out to the church of St. Agnes for this purpose. The little companion
of my travels, if he sees this letter, will remember how often we saw
her with her lamb in pictures. The horses are being blessed by St.
Antonio, and under his harmonizing influence are afterward driven
through the city, twelve and even twenty in hand. They are harnessed
into light wagons, and men run beside them to guard against accident,
in case the good influence of the Saint should fail.

[Footnote A: One of Rome's singular customs.--ED.]

This morning came the details of infamous attempts by the Austrian
police to exasperate the students of Pavia. The way is to send persons
to smoke cigars in forbidden places, who insult those who are obliged
to tell them to desist. These traps seem particularly shocking when
laid for fiery and sensitive young men. They succeeded: the students
were lured, into combat, and a number left dead and wounded on both
sides. The