e illuminations and the fireworks on
the Ponte Carraja; your sisters saw it all, so I leave them to tell
you all about it. The King and Prince are terribly early; they and
Ricasoli are on horseback by _five_ in the morning; the King dines
at twelve, and never touches food afterwards, though he has a dinner
party of 60 or 80 every day at six.... Now, my dearest Woronzow, I
must end, for I do not wish to miss another post. I am really
wonderfully well for my age.

Your devoted mother,
MARY SOMERVILLE.

* * * * *

FROM MRS. SOMERVILLE TO W. GREIG, ESQ.

FLORENCE, _19th June, 1861_.

... Italy has been thrown into the deepest affliction by the death
of Cavour. In my long life I never knew any event whatever which
caused so universal and deep sorrow. There is not a village or town
throughout the whole peninsula which has not had a funeral service,
and the very poorest people, who had hardly clothes on their backs,
had black crape tied round their arm or neck. It was a state of
consternation, and no wonder! Every one felt that the greatest and
best man of this century has been taken away before he had
completely emancipated his country. All the progress is due to him,
and to him alone; the revolution has called forth men of much
talent, yet the whole are immeasurably his inferior in every
respect--even your friend, Ricasoli, who is most able, and the best
successor that can be found, is, compared with Cavour, as Tuscany to
Europe. Happily the sad loss did not occur sooner. Now things are so
far advanced that they cannot go back, and I trust that Ricasoli,
who is not wanting in firmness and moral courage, will complete what
has been so happily begun. I am sorry to say he is not in very good
health, but I trust he will not fall into the hands of the physician
who attended Cavour, and who mistook his disease, reduced him by
loss of blood, and then finding out his real illness, tried to
strengthen him when too late. There was a most excellent article in
the "Times" on the two statesmen.

[My mother's recollections continue thus:--]

* * * * *

One night the moon shone so bright that we sent the carriage away, and
walked home from a reception at the Marchesa Gino