He asked me five crowns for the indulgence, which I thought extravagant, and represented to him, in vain, that I might have as many views of the thing for as many pauls in any shop in Naples. I found out afterwards, that Naples is positively nothing from that side, which consoled me not a little for my misadventure.-On my way to Fondi, from some conversation I had with my companions, I perceived I had neglected seeing Pompeii, but this I do not so much regret it is a shameful waste of money, to attempt scraping, and sweeping away the ashes from so miserable a village. One Italian palace, I have heard, is nearly as large as the entire market-place, and there is scarcely a church which would not swallow up the whole tribe of their temples. There is nothing, I must avow, which so completely sickeneth me as cant; and to pretend there is any thing wonderful, or out of the way, in an oven or a baker's shop or a poor cellar, (which might be run dry in a night,) because it is ancient, is, to say the best of it, but a most miserable

affectation, worthy only of our black-letter gossips, and to be straightway banished from all modern travelling. Yet such is the force of habit and evil custom, you will see our daintiest dames putting their heads into every crevice, and conjecturing upon the use of every stone, when, without stepping out of their own land, especially if they be Irish, they may any day in the year meet ruined Citria, vestibules of ten feet, streets of twenty, and I know not what other marvels, with which every page of modern Recollections, Souvenirs, and Diaries, most inordinately abounds. With half the money expended in excavating this village, I would engage to build a most respectable market-town in any part of his Neapolitan Majesty's dominions; and I cannot sufficiently commend the singular sagacity of that prince, who, to put an end to the abuse at once, or to perish in it, erected an expensive palace, of exactly the same size, immediately over Herculaneum.

I did not see Vesuvius, as most people do-though if the weather had been fine,

and a carriage could have got up to the top of the mountain,—as the guides always take provisions, and you meet good wine,-I confess I should have liked it. My countrymen blamed me much for this omission, assuring me there was the finest view in the world from its summit, which, though they did not see on account of the mists, they claimed a right to speak about with an assurance to which I could not possibly pretend. After all, I am not without my defence; and the Neapolitan Professor of Mineralogy* or Geology, no matter which, told me I had much better do as he did, who, though he had been Professor ten years, had only visited it once, which, in his opinion, was once too often. The reality is not to be compared to the images of our imagination; and

* I was afterwards acquainted with this Emeritus Philosopher. The French naturalists could with difficulty induce him to make a collection for their use. The minerals were furnished by one of the Vesuvian guides, he or his pupils, I believe, contributed the catalogue and classification.

no one is fool enough to exchange a good picture for a bad. There is some truth in that-but ne quid nimis. There is no knowing what might come of the establishment of such a principle-sine grano :-it might do up with travelling altogether.

The snow continued till we reached Terracina; and though I was assured it would go off on Wednesday, this was no consolation to me who, unfortunately, was travelling on Tuesday. I had once in my life, before, been a day too late; I was now condemned to be a day too early. Nor, though I have much reflected on it since, have I been able to decide which of the two evils is to be preferred:-my father would have untied the knot, and decided that both were for the best.

We reached Terracina late; and as we were rumbling in, under what appeared to me to be the ancient portico of some half-ruined Roman villa, I thanked God aloud for having escaped from the snares of the Fowler: my companion was still more devout, as

if he had something to lose besides his life.

-But here an occurrence befel me, pregnant with the most instructive moral, and which should I hide from the curiosity of my reader, I should indeed fail in one of the primary duties imposed upon a public instructor. Foreigners blame us much for our habits of taciturnity, but verily they know notwhat they say. In our journeying through regions so beset with all sort of men-traps, as this neighbourhood, we should have eyes which see not, ears which hear not, and above all, tongues which talk not.-We found a party of young and giddy travellers congregated at the fire before us. The cold was great, and I know not whether my habitual timidity would have prevented me (if other causes did not intervene) from mingling in their company. Our Vetturino had, as usual, without consulting us, ordered our repast at the other end of the room. The dinner, I need not say, was bad; and most of our circle had retired, lassati nondum satiati, to their repose: but these wantons