recollect rightly, you told me that Mr. Gifford had kindly
undertaken to correct the press (at my request) during my
absence--at least I hope so. It will add to my many obligations to
that gentleman.

"I wrote to you, on my way here, a short note, dated Martigny. Mr.
Hobhouse and myself arrived here a few days ago, by the Simplon
and Lago Maggiore route. Of course we visited the Borromean
Islands, which are fine, but too artificial. The Simplon is
magnificent in its nature and its art,--both God and man have done
wonders,--to say nothing of the devil who must certainly have had a
hand (or a hoof) in some of the rocks and ravines through and over
which the works are carried.

"Milan is striking--the cathedral superb. The city altogether
reminds me of Seville, but a little inferior. We had heard divers
bruits, and took precautions on the road, near the frontier,
against some 'many worthy fellows (i.e. felons) that were out,' and
had ransacked some preceding travellers, a few weeks ago, near
Sesto,--or _C_esto, I forget which,--of cash and raiment, besides
putting them in bodily fear, and lodging about twenty slugs in the
retreating part of a courier belonging to Mr. Hope. But we were not
molested, and I do not think in any danger, except of making
mistakes in the way of cocking and priming whenever we saw an old
house, or an ill-looking thicket, and now and then suspecting the
'true men,' who have very much the appearance of the thieves of
other countries. What the thieves may look like, I know not, nor
desire to know, for it seems they come upon you in bodies of thirty
('in buckram and Kendal green') at a time, so that voyagers have no
great chance. It is something like poor dear Turkey in that
respect, but not so good, for there you can have as great a body of
rogues to match the regular banditti; but here the gens d'armes are
said to be no great things, and as for one's own people, one can't
carry them about like Robinson Crusoe with a gun on each shoulder.

"I have been to the Ambrosian library--it is a fine
collection--full of MSS. edited and unedited. I enclose you a list
of the former recently published: these are matters for your
literati. For me, in my simple way, I have been most delighted with
a correspondence of letters, all origin