The newspapers.-The Gazetta di Firenze.—The Gazetta del Popolo.-The Progresso.-The Zenzaro.-The Ferruccio.-The Nazione.-The Firenze.-Judge Roselli.-Style of examinations.-Government gives its cue.-Alarm in the country. The editor silenced by the judge. I challenge the prefetto.—The colonel 325 340 My Istanza.-Judge Roselli awakened.-I am liable to the galleys.-Evolutions of law.-Begin again.— A well-informed judge.-Another appeal.-A judg- Position of a villa.-The mazzaria system.-The fattore. The landlord.—The saldo.--The day labourer.- An innkeeper on the Apennines.-An alarm bell.— Attack on Villa Gondi.-Mutton.-Course of crops. -Yield of corn.-The harvest.-Taxation.-The contadino.-Witchcraft.-Murder.-Plan to sup- press brigandage and robbery.-Vines.-Wine.- YOL. II. NOWADAYS. CHAPTER I. ALBANO. Ardea.-Map of the Campagna.-Alba Longa.-The Lake.The Lake of Nemi.-Monte Cavo.-The Heroine of Modern Society.-Ariccia.-Pigs and Little Girls.-Our Villa.-Illness.-Resignation.-The Last Sacraments.— A Happy Dream.-A Sad Letter.-A Double Death.— Unhealthiness of Albano. WHAT a beautiful spot is the Lake of Albano ! Dr. Pantaleoni had recommended that we should not remove as yet our invalid daughter from what he described as the blood-thickening air of Rome; and as we were assured that Albano and all its neighbouring hills were perfectly free from Roman fever, I had secured, for the summer, the Palazzo di Spagna-the fine mansion in which Charles III of Spain had resided in the little town. On one side of the house, was the filthy street of this great filthy village; but the southern windows looked VOL II. 1 over a pretty terraced garden, of which we had the sole enjoyment; and, beyond it, the view extended down-down-and away-away over the dreary expanse of the Campagna, to the distant ruins of Virgil's Ardea, and the sky-bound Tyrrhenean sea : Locus Ardea quondam Dictus avis et nunc magnam manet Ardea nomen : I cannot tell how much my classical tastes made me enjoy this view. I am one of those persons who cannot be idle; and having nothing to occupy me at Albano, I began making a map of all the country round Rome. It included Ostia, Veji, Tivoli, Velletri and Ardea. I reduced it from the ordnance map of the country, made by the French army of occupation-correcting many errors according to my own local knowledge, and adding the classical to the modern names of the different places of interest. It was intended as a pocketguide map for strangers in their visits to the Campagna; and I presume the Roman booksellers find that it answers the purpose and is approved; as I am informed that they strike off successive editions from the plate, which I had entrusted with a friend, and sell the maps, neatly bound and folded like a |