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hire if more than two persons go in the caratella, which, in fact, conveniently holds four, each person must pay an additional crown.

The drive is one of incomparable beauty; and my description of it would not give you the slightest idea of it. Our cicerone pointed out a most romantic habitation in the valley, which he said had been, for fifteen days, the residence of Queen Caroline of England. The morning was gloomy, the sun being veiled behind a cloud; but the moment we reached the cascade, the cloud disappeared, and the sun, in all its splendour, shone on the rushing torrent, over which its reflected beams cast the heavenly bow which was the sign of the covenant between man and his Creator. The rising spray sparkled like myriads of glittering brilliants: and the scene, so glorious in prospect, rivetted us for a considerable time to the spot from whence we beheld it. At the persuasion of our guide, however, we followed his steps to the different points from whence it could be seen to the greatest advantage; -when we again seated ourselves in the caratella to retrace our path. The cicerone was a young lad, handsome, communicative, and very intelligent. He complained much of the laws of his country, civil and religious, particularly of the superabundance of idle priests. "Vi sono troppo, Signora, di quella gente, che mangiono molto, e lavorono poco."

LETTER XL.

Spoleto, November 14, 1821.

WE found the accommodation so uncomfortable at Terni, that we determined on remaining there no longer, and again set forward on our journey, about two o'clock in the day. We have travelled eighteen miles to Spoleto, through a chain of the Apennines, clothed with wood, now more beautiful with the autumnal tints, and rendered truly glorious by the rays of the setting sun: a scene which those only who have witnessed the splendour of an Italian sun-set can imagine.

We have had a delightful walk in one of the suburbs of this town. Well may it be said, "A man's heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps." This is the place which Sir W. had fixed on for our residence this last summer; and we could not help remarking to each other, how pleasant it would have been, had all been spared but the Lord has seen fit to counteract our plans, and to detain us at Rome, where the pestilence walketh in darkness, and destruction wasteth at noon-day; yet the children and I went in and out, we lay down and rose up in peace and

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safety, we breathed the pestilential air, but received no harm. May we never cease to praise Him!

Spoleto is one of the most picturesque towns in Italy. Its magnificent castle was partly built on Cyclopean walls. Some workmen lately discovered arches of an ancient Roman bridge, below. the bed of the present river. Several other remains of great antiquity are to be seen in the neighbourhood.

The inn to which our Vetturino took us, is called La Speranza, where we found the accommodations most excellent in every respect. Fires. blazed upon the hearths, instead of the miserable focones of most of the other inns, filled with charcoal, which gave us head-aches.

Foligno, Friday Morning. We were on our road before the sun rose. The country from Spoleto to this town is thickly inhabited. At Foligno we have stopped to dine at a miserable inn; but the people, by their civility, make all possible amends for want of cleanliness and comforts: that which we most. wished for, we have found in perfection,-a good fire. The waiter invited us to the kitchen, to see the meat roasted by a little dog, which has been turning the wheel with its paws, with hardly any respite, for four days and nights; the concourse of travellers, English in particular, being so great at this time of the year.

About thirteen miles this side from Perugia, we stopped to see the fine church of St. Francesco, built over the little hut in which the saint lived

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CHURCH OF ST. FRANCESCO.

and died; it looked very diminutive, standing in the centre of this noble edifice. The little chapel of the saint stands near it; the interior is covered with black velvet, thickly studded with silver ornaments, votive offerings to the Virgin. Our cicerone, a young friar, making us observe them, said, "Tutti sono miracoli fatti dalla Vergine!"

The hut appears to remain exactly in the state in which the saint left it; and, it may be presumed, boasts the same antiquity, if not greater, than the chapel, which, it appears, was built in the thirteenth century. We were obliged to stoop on entering the little broken door of the hut, in which, however, we could stand upright, though we had hardly room to turn. There is a little cupboard in the wall, which contained "tutte le sue robe."

The memory of the saint is held in such veneration, that, when his body was found, the inhabitants of Assisi disputed the possession of it with the founders of the church, and would only yield to them the heart, which is deposited in a small altar in his hut, in the very spot where he was found dead. Having been a native of Assisi, which stands on a rising ground at a little distance, he is called San Francesco d'Assisi.

Perugia is a large town. We arrived too late to walk out, or we should have gone to see an ancient arch of Augustus, in which strength and elegance of architecture are combined. Our accommodations at the inn are excellent, and we are now

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enjoying the comforts of a blazing fire and clean

rooms.

Maggiore, November 17. Elizabeth passed a restless feverish night, and in the morning complained of a head-ache, and would take nothing at breakfast. Hoping that the air would do her good, we did not delay to set forward on our journey; but the motion of the carriage increasing the pain, my sister determined on stopping at the first town to which we came. We have put her to-bed, hoping in a few hours to be able to proceed, as nothing can be more wretched than the place in which we have now taken up our quarters. Open doors, broken windows, want of fuel, of food, and of cleanliness, prevent the possibility of our feeling any degree of comfort. A good stable in our own country would be preferable, for there we could, at least, find shelter from the cold air, but here it streams upon us from all quarters. We have been shewn into the three best rooms in the house, in none of which is there a single whole window. Elizabeth is in the best bed-room, two panes are broken, and one altogether out. In the other bed-room, the window is completely without the sash or shutters, nor have we any possible way of excluding the November night air from our bed, which is just opposite.

Elizabeth's fever is so high that we must remain, the risk of removing her being greater than of our remaining, notwithstanding all these mise