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Jam mens prætrepidans avet vagari:
Jam læti studio pedes vigescunt.

the streets so narrow, as would be sufficient to render Lyons the dismallest place in the world; but the number of people, and the face of commerce However, so long as I am not deprived of your diffused about it, are, at least, as sufficient to make correspondence, so long shall I always find some it the liveliest. Between these two sufficiencies pleasure in being at home. And, setting all vain you will be in doubt what to think of it; so we curiosity aside, when the fit is over, and my reasor shall leave the city, and proceed to its environs, begins to come to herself, I have several other pow which are beautiful beyond expression: it is sur-erful motives which might easily cure me of my rounded with mountains, and those mountains all restless inclinations. Amongst these, my mother's bedropped and bespeckled with houses, gardens, ill state of health is not the least, which was the and plantations of the rich Bourgeois, who have reason of our going to Tunb idge; so that you can from thence a prospect of the city in the vale below not expect much description or amusement from on one hand, on the other the rich plains of the thence. Nor indeed is there much room for either; Lyonnois, with the rivers winding among them, for all diversions there may be reduced to two artiand the Alps, with the mountains of Dauphine, to cles, gaming and going to church. They were bound the view. All yesterday morning we were pleased to publish certain Tuntrigiana this season; busied in climbing up Mount Fourviere, where but such ana! I believe there were never so many the ancient city stood perched at such a height, vile little verses put together before. So much for that nothing but the hopes of gain could certainly Tunbridge. London affords me as little to say. ever persuade their neighbours to pay them a visit. What! so huge a town as London? Yes, consider Here are the ruins of the emperor's palaces, that only how I live in that town. I never go into the resided here, that is to say, Augustus and Severus: gay or high world, and consequently receive no they consist in nothing but great masses of old thing from thence to brighten my imagination. wall, that have only their quality to make them The busy world I leave to the busy; and am rerespected. In a vineyard of the Minims are re-solved never to talk politics till I can act at the mains of a theatre; the fathers, whom they belong same time. To tell old stories, or prate of old to, hold them in no esteem at all, and would have books, seems a little musty; and toujours, chapon showed us their sacristy and chapel instead of them. bouilli, won't do. However, for want of better The Ursuline Nuns have in their garden some fare, take another little mouthful of my poetry. Roman baths, but we having the misfortune to be men, and heretics, they did not think proper to admit us. Hard by are eight arches of the most magnificent aqueduct, said to be erected by Antony, when his legions were quartered here: there are many other parts of it dispersed up and down the country, for it brought the water from a river many leagues off in La Forez. Here are remains too of Agrippa's seven great roads which met at Lyons; in some places they lie twelve feet deep in the ground. In short, a thousand matters that you shall not know, till you give me a description of the Pais de Tombridge, and the effect its waters have upon you.

FROM MR. WEST.

O meæ jucunda comes quietis!
Quæ fere ægrotum solita es levare
Pectus, et sensim, ah! nimis ingruentes
Fallere curas:

Quid canes? quanto Lyra die furore
Gesties, quando hâc reducem sodalem!
Glaucian' gaudere simul videbis

Meque sub umbrâ?

TO HIS MOTHER.

Lyons, Oct. 13, N. S. 1739. It is now almost five weeks since I left Dijon, one of the gayest and most agreeable little cities of France, for Lyons, its reverse in all these particulars. It is the second in the kingdom in bigness and rank; the streets excessively narrow and Temple, Sept. 28, 1739. nasty; the houses immensely high and farge; Ir wishes could turn to realities, I would fling (that, for instance, where we are lodged, has twen down my law books, and sup with you to-night. ty-five rooms on a floor, and that for five stories;) But, alas! here I am doomed to fix, while you are it swarms with inhabitants like Paris itself, but fluttering from city to city, and enjoying all the chiefly a mercantile people too much given up to pleasures which a gay climate can afford. It is commerce to think of their own, much less of a out of the power of my heart to envy your good stranger's diversions. We have no acquaintance fortune, yet I can not help indulging a few natural in the town, but such English as happen to bʊ desires; as for example, to take a walk with you!

on the banks of the Rhone, and to be climbing up Mount Fourviere;

He gives Mr. Gray the name of Glaucias frer intly in

his Latin verse, as Mr. Gray calls him Favonius.

passing through here, in their way to Italy and night at Annecy: the day after, by noon, we got the south, which at present happen to be near to Geneva. I have not time to say any thing about thirty in number. It is a fortnight since we set it, nor of our solitary journey back again.

TO HIS FATHER.

Lyons, Oct. 25, N. S. 1739.

and all that belongs to it, are not of equal extent with Windsor and its two parks. To one that has passed through Savoy, as we did, nothing can be

out from hence upon a little excursion to Geneva. We took the longest road, which lies through Savoy, on purpose to see a famous monastery, called the Grand Chartreuse, and had no reason to think our time lost. After having travelled seven days very slow (for we did not change horses, it IN my last I gave you the particulars of our little being impossible for a chaise to go post in these journey to Geneva; I have only to add, that we roads) we arrived at a little village among the stayed about a week, in order to see Mr. Conway mountains of Savoy, called Echelles; from thence settled there. I do not wonder so many English we proceeded on horses, who are used to the way, choose it for their residence; the city is very small, to the mountain of the Chartreuse. It is six miles neat, prettily built, and extremely populous; the to the top; the road runs winding up it, commonly Rhône runs through the middle of it, and it is surnot six feet broad; on one hand is the rock, with rounded with new fortifications, that give it a miliwoods of pine-trees hanging over head; on the tary compact air; which, joined to the happy, lively other a monstrous precipice, almost perpendicular, countenances of the inhabitants, and an exact disat the bottom of which rolls a torrent, that some- cipline always as strictly observed as in time of times tumbling among the fragments of stone that war, makes the little republic appear a match for have fallen from on high, and sometimes precipi- a much greater power; though perhaps Geneva, tating itself down vast descents with a noise like thunder, which is still made greater by the echo from the mountains on each side, concurs to form one of the most solemn, the most romantic, and more striking than the contrast, as soon as he apthe most astonishing scenes I ever beheld. Add proaches the town. Near the gates of Geneva to this the strange views made by the crags and runs the torrent Arve, which separates it from the cliffs on the other hand; the cascades that in many king of Sardinia's dominions; on the other side of it places throw themselves from the very summit lies a country naturally, indeed, fine and fertile; down into the vale, and the river below; and many but you meet with nothing in it but meagre, ragother particulars impossible to describe; you will ged, bare-footed peasants, with their children, in conclude we had no occasion to repent our pains. extreme misery and nastiness: and even of these This place St. Bruno chose to retire to, and upon no great numbers. You no sooner have crossed its very top founded the aforesaid convent, which the stream I have mentioned, but poverty is no is the superior of the whole order. When we more; not a beggar, hardly a discontented face to came there, the two fathers, who are commissioned be seen, numerous, and well-dressed people swarmto entertain strangers (for the rest must neither ing on the ramparts; drums beating, soldiers wellspeak one to another, or to any one else,) received clothed and armed, exercising; and folks, with us very kindly; and set before us a repast of dried business in their looks, hurrying to and fro; all fish, eggs, butter and fruits, all excellent in their contribute to make any person, who is not blind, kind, and extremely neat. They pressed us to sensible what a difference is between the two gospend the night there, and to stay some days with vernments, that are the causes of one view and them; but this we could not do, so they led us the other. The beautiful lake, at one end of which about their house, which is, you must think, like the town is situated; its extent; the several states a little city; for there are 100 fathers, besides 300 that border upon it; and all its pleasures, are too servants, that make their clothes, grind their corn, well known for me to mention them. We sailed press their wine, and do every thing among them- upon it as far as the dominions of Geneva extend, selves. The whole is quite orderly and simple; that is, about two leagues and a half on each side; nothing of finery, but the wonderful decency, and and landed at several of the little houses of pleathe strange situation, more than supply the place sure that the inhabitants have built all about it, of it. In the evening we descended by the same who received us with much politeness. The same way, passing through many clouds that were then night we eat part of a trout, taken in the lake, that forming themselves on the mountain's side. Next weighed thirty-seven pounds: as great a monster day we continued our journey by Chamberry, as it appeared to us, it was esteemed there nothing which, though the chief city of the duchy, and extraordinary, and they assured us, it was not unresidence of the king of Sardinia, when he comes common to catch them of fifty pounds: they are into this part of his dominions, makes but a very dressed here, and sent post to Paris upon some mean and insignificant appearance; we lay at great occasions; nay, even to Madrid, as we were Aix, once famous for its hot baths, and the next told. The road we returned through was not the

TO HIS MOTHER.

same we came by; we crossed the Rhone at Seys-up the hill again with him in his mouth. This sel, and passed for three days among the moun- was done in less than a quarter of a minute; we tains of Bugey, without meeting with any thing all saw it, and yet the servants had no time to new; at last we came out into the plains of La draw their pistols, or to do any thing to save the Bresse, and so to Lyons again. Sir Robert has dog If he had not been there, and the creature written to Mr. Walpole, to desire he would go to had thought it fit to lay hold of one of the horses, Italy, which he has resolved to do; so that all the chaise, and we, and all must inevitably have tumscheme of spending the winter in the south of bled above fifty fathoms perpendicular down the France is laid aside, and we are to pass it in a precipice. The seventh we came to Lanebourg, much finer country. You may imagine I am not the last town in Savoy; it lies at the foot of the sorry to have this opportunity of seeing the place famous Mount Cenis, which is so situated as to in the world that best deserves it: besides, as the allow no room for any way but over the very top pope, who is eighty-eight, and has been lately at of it. Here the chaise was forced to be pulled to the point of death, can not probably last a great pieces, and the baggage and that to be carried by while, perhaps we may have the fortune to be pre- nules: we ourselves were wrapped up in our furs, sent at the election of a new one, when Rome will and seated upon a sort of matted chair without be in all its glory. Friday next we certainly begin legs, which is carried upon poles in the manner our journey; in two days we shall come to the of a bier, and so begun to ascend by the help of foot of the Alps, and six more we shall be in pass- eight men. It was six miles to the top, where a ing them. Even here the winter is begun; what plain opens itself about as many more in breadth, then must it be among those vast snowy moun- covered perpetually with very deep snow, and in tains where it is hardly ever summer? We are, the midst of that a great lake of unfathomable however, as well armed as possible against the depth, from whence a river takes its rise, and tumcold, with muffs, hoods, and masks of beaver, fur-bles over monstrous rocks quite down the other boots, and bear skins. When we arrive at Turin, side of the mountain. The descent is six miles we shall rest after the fatigues of the journey. * * * more, but infinitely more steep than the going up and here the men perfectly fly down with you, stepping from stone to stone with incredible swiftness in places where none but they could go three paces without falling. The immensity of the precipices, the roaring of the river and torrents that run I AM this night arrived here, and have just sat into it, the huge crags covered with ice and snow, awn to rest me after eight days' tiresome journey: and the clouds below you and about you, are objects for the three first we had the same road we before it is impossible to conceive without seeing them; passed through to go to Geneva; the fourth we and though we had heard many strange descripturned out of it, and for that day and the next tions of the scene, none of them at all came up to it. travelled rather among than upon the Alps; the We were but five hours in performing the whole, way commonly running through a deep valley by from which you may judge of the rapidity of the the side of the river Arc, which works itself a men's motion. We are now got into Piedmont, passage, with great difficulty and a mighty noise, and stopped a little while at La Ferriere, a small among vast quantities of rocks, that have rolled village about three quarters of the way down, but down from the mountain tops. The winter was still among the clouds, where we began to hear a so far advanced, as in great measure to spoil the new language spoken round about us; at last we beauty of the prospect; however, there was still got quite down, went through the Pas de Suse, a somewhat fine remaining amidst the savageness narrow road among the Alps, defended by two and horror of the place. The sixth we began to go fortresses, and lay at Bossolens: next evening ap several of these mountains; and as we were through a fine avenue of nine miles in length, a passing one, met with an odd accident enough: straight as a line, we arrived at this city, which, Mr. Walpole had a little fat black spaniel, that he as you know, the capital of the principality, an was very fond of, which he sometimes used to set the residence of the king of Sardinia.*** We down, and let it run by the chaise side. We were shall stay here, I believe, a fortnight, and proceed at that time in a very rough road, not two yards for Genoa, which is three or four days' journey, broad at most; on one side was a great wood of to go post. pincs, and on the other a vast precipice; it was noon-day, and the sun shone bright, when all of a udden, from the wood-side, (which was as steep upwards as the other part was downwards) out rushed a great wolf, came close to the head of the sorses, seized the dog by the throat, and rushed

Turin, Nov. 7, N. S. 1739.

I am, &c.

***That part of the letter here omitted, contained only a description of the city; which, as Mr. Gray has given it to Mr. West in the following letter, and that in a more lively man. ner, I thought it unnecessary to insert; a liberty 1 have taker: in other parts of this correspondence, in order to avoid repe tition

TO MR. WEST.

|too every now and then at a distance among the trees; il me semble, que j'ai vu ce chien de visage Turin, Nov. 16, N. S. 1739. là quelque part. You seemed to call to me from AFTER eight days' journey through Greenland, the other side of the precipice, but the noise of the we arrived at Turin-you approach it by a hand- river below was so great, that I really could not some avenue of nine miles long, and quite straight. distinguish what you said; it seemed to have a caThe entrance is guarded by certain vigilant dra-dence like verse. In your next you will be so good goons, called Douaniers, who mumbled us for some to let me know what it was. The week we have time. The city is not large, as being a place of since passed among the Alps, has not equalled the strength, and consequently confined within its for- single day upon that mountain, because the wintifications: it has many beauties and some faults; ter was rather too far advanced, and the weather a among the first are streets all laid out by the line, little foggy. However, it did not want its beauregular uniform buildings, fine walks that surround ties; the savage rudeness of the view is inconthe whole; and in general a good lively clean ap- ccivable without seeing it: I reckoned, in one day, pearance: but the houses are of brick, plastered, thirteen cascades, the least of which was, I dare say, which is apt to want repairing; the windows of one hundred feet in height. I had Livy in the oiled paper, which is apt to be torn; and every chaise with me, and beheld his “Nires cœlo prope thing very slight, which is apt to tumble down. immista, tecta informia imposita rupibus, pecora There is an excellent opera, but it is only in the jumentaque torrida frigore, homines intonsi et carnival: balls every night, but only in the carni- inculti, animalia inanimaque omnia rigentia gelu; val: masquerades too, but only in the carni- omnia confragosa, præruptaque." The creatures val. This carnival lasts only from Christmas to that inhabit them are, in all respects, below humaLent; one half of the remaining part of the year nity; and most of them, especially women, have is passed in remembering the last, the other in ex- the tumidum guttur, which they call goscia. Mont pecting the future carnival. We can not well Cenis, I confess, carries the permission mountains subsist upon such slender diet, no more than upon have of being frightful rather too far; and its horan execrable Italian comedy, and a puppet show, rors were accompanied with too much danger to called Rappresentazione d'un' anima dannata, give one time to reflect upon their beauties. There which, I think, are all the present diversions of the is a family of the Alpine monsters I have mentionplace; except the Marquise de Cavaillac's conver-ed, upon its very top, that in the middle of winter sazione, where one goes to see people play at ombre calmly lay in their stock of provisions and firing, and taroc, a game with seventy-two cards all paint- and so are buried in their hut for a month or two ed with suns, and moons, and devils, and monks. under the snow. When we were down it, and a Mr. Walpole has been at court; the family are at little way into Piedmont, we began to find “ Apripresent at a country palace, called La Venerie. cos quosdam colles, rivosque prope silvas, et jam The palace here in town is the very quintessence humano cultu digniora loca." I read Silius Italiof gilding and looking-glass; inlaid floors, carved cus too, for the first time; and wished for you, acpanels, and painting wherever they could stick a cording to custom.-We set out for Genoa in twc brush. I own I have not, as yet, any where met days' time. with those grand and simple works of art, that are to amaze one, and whose sight one is to be the better for: but those of nature have astonished me beyond expression. In our little journey up to the Grande Chartreuse I do not remember to have gone ten paces without an exclamation, that there was no restraining. Not a precipice, not a torrent, not a cliff, but is pregnant with religion and poetry. There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into belief, without the help of other argu- AT least, if they do not, they have a very ill inent. One need not have a very fantastic imagi- taste; for I never beheld any thing more amiable: nation to see spirits there at noon-day: you have only figure to yourself a vast semicircular basin, death perpetually before your eyes; only so far re- full of fine blue sea, and vessels of all sorts and moved, as to compose the mind without frighting sizes, some sailing out, some coming in, and others it. I am well persuaded St. Bruno was a man of at anchor; and all around it palaces and churches Ho common genius, to choose such a situation for peeping over one another's heads, gardens, and bis retirement; and perhaps should have been a marble terraces full of orange and cypress trees, disciple of his, had I been born in his time. You fountains, and trellis-works covered with vines, inay believe Abelard and Heloïse were not forgot which altogether compose the grandest of theatres. upon this occasion: if I do not mistake, I saw you This is the first coup d'œil, and is almost all I am

TO MR. WEST.

Genoa, Nov. 21, 1738.
Horridos tractus, Boreæque linquens
Regna Taurini fera, molliorem
Advehor brumam, Genuæque amantes
Litora soles.

ye' able to give you an accourt of, for we arrived week before last; crossed the wountains, and lav late last night. To-day was, luckily, a great fes- that night at Tortona, the next at St. Giovanni, tival, and in the morning we resorted to the church and the morning after came to Piacenza. Tha! of the Madonna delle Vigne, to put up our little city, (though the capital of a dutchy) made so friporisons; (I believe I forgot to tell you that we pery an appearance, that instead of spending some have been sometime converts to the holy catholic days there, as had been intended, we only dined, church,) we found our lady richly drest out, with and went on to Parma; stayed there all the fol a crown of diamonds on her head, another upon lowing day, which was passed in visiting the fathe child's, and a constellation of wax lights arn- mous works of Corregio in the Dome, and other mg before them: shortly after came the doge, in churches.-The fine gallery of pictures, that once nis robes of crimson damask, and a cap of the belonged to the Dukes of Parma, is no more here; same, followed by the senate in black. Upon his the King of Naples has carried it all thither, and approach, began a fine concert of music, and among the city had not merit enough to detain us any the rest two eunuchs' voices, that were a perfect longer, so we proceeded through Reggio to Modeleast to ears that had heard nothing but French na; this, though the residence of its duke, is an operas for a year. We listened to this, and breath- ill-built melancholy place, all of brick, as are most d nothing but incense for two hours. The doge of the towns in this part of Lombardy: he himself s a very tall, lean, stately, old figure, called Con- lives in a private manner, with very little appearantino Balbi; and the senate seem to have been ance of a court about him; he has one of the nonade upon the same model. They said their pray- blest collections of paintings in the world, which ers, and heard an absurd white friar preach, with entertained us extremely well the rest of that day qual devotion. After this we went to the Annon- and part of the next: and in the afternoon we iata, a church buiit by the family Lomellini, and came to Bologna: so now you may wish us joy of velonging to it; which is, indeed, a most stately being in the dominions of his Holiness. This is Mructure! the inside wholly marble of various kinds, a populous city, and of great extent: all the streets except where gold and painting take its place.- have porticos on both sides, such as surround a From hence to the palazzo Doria. I should make part of Covent Garden, a great relief in summer you sick of marble, if I told you how it was lav- time in such a climate; and from one of the prinished here upon the porticos, the ballustrades, and cipal gates to a church of the Virgin, (where is a terraces, the lowest of which extends quite to the wonder-working picture, at three miles distance) sea. The inside is by no means answerable to the runs a corridor of the same sort, lately finished, outward magnificence; the furniture seems to be and, indeed, a most extraordinary performance. as old as the founder of the family. Their great The churches here are more remarkable for their embossed silver, tables tell you, in bas-relief, his paintings than architecture, being mostly old victories at sea, how he entertained the emperor structures of brick; but the palaces are numerous, Charles, and how he refused the sovereignty of the and fine enough to supply us with somewhat commonwealth when it was offered him; the rest worth seeing from morning till night. The counis old-fashioned velvet chairs, and Gothic tapestry. try of Lombardy, hitherto, is one of the most beauThe rest of the day has been spent, much to our tiful imaginable; the roads broad, exactly straight, hearts' content, in cursing French music and ar- and on either hand vast plantations of trees, chiefchitecture, and in singing the praises of Italy. We find this place so very fine, that we are in fear of finding nothing finer. We are fallen in love with the Mediterranean sea, and hold your lakes and your rivers in vast contempt. This is

"The happy country where huge lemons grow,"

ly mulberries and olives, and not a tree without a vine twining about it and spreading among its branches. This scene, indeed, which must be the most lovely in the world during the proper season, is at present all deformed by the winter, which here is rigorous enough for the time it lasts; but

as Waller says; and I am sorry to think of leav-one still sees the skeleton of a charming place, ing it in a week for Parma, although it be

The happy country where huge cheeses grow.

TO HIS MOTHER.

Bologna, Dec. 9, N. S. 1739. OTR journey hither has taken up much less time than I expected. We left Genoa (a charming place and one that deserved a longer stay) the

• The famous Andrea Doria,

and reaps the benefit of its product; for the fruits and provisions are admirable: in short, you find every thing that luxury can desire, in perfection. We have now been here a week, and shall stay some little time longer. We are at the foot of the Appenine mountains; it will take up three days to cross them, and then we shall come to Florence, where we shall pass the Christmas. Til then we must remain in a state of ignoratice as to what is doing in England, for our letters are to meet us there if I do not find four or fiv. from you alone. I shall wonder.

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