On The Right-Hand,
We Saw Several Towns Situated On Rising Grounds, And Among The
Rest, That Of Assissio, Famous For The Birth Of St. Francis,
Whose Body, Being Here Deposited, Occasions A Concourse Of
Pilgrims.
We met a Roman princess going thither with a grand
retinue, in consequence of a vow she had made for the re-establishment
of her health.
Foligno, the Fulginium of the
antients, is a small town, not unpleasant, lying in the midst of
mulberry plantations, vineyards, and corn-fields, and built on
both sides of the little river Topino. In choosing our beds at
the inn, I perceived one chamber locked, and desired it might be
opened; upon which the cameriere declared with some reluctance,
"Besogna dire a su' eccellenza; poco fa, che una bestia e morta
in questa camera, e non e ancora lustrata," "Your Excellency must
know that a filthy Beast died lately in that Chamber, and it is
not yet purified and put in order." When I enquired what beast it
was, he replied, "Un'eretico Inglese," "An English heretic." I
suppose he would not have made so free with our country and
religion, if he had not taken us for German catholics, as we
afterwards learned from Mr. R - i. Next day, we crossed the Tyber,
over a handsome bridge, and in mounting the steep hill upon which
the city of Perugia stands, our horses being exhausted, were
dragged backwards by the weight of the carriage to the very edge
of a precipice, where, happily for us, a man passing that way,
placed a large stone behind one of the wheels, which stopped
their motion, otherwise we should have been all dashed in pieces.
We had another ugly hill to ascend within the city, which was
more difficult and dangerous than the other: but the postilions,
and the other beasts made such efforts, that we mounted without
the least stop, to the summit, where we found ourselves in a
large piazza, where the horses are always changed. There being no
relays at the post, we were obliged to stay the whole day and
night at Perugia, which is a considerable city, built upon the
acclivity of a hill, adorned with some elegant fountains, and
several handsome churches, containing some valuable pictures by
Guido, Raphael, and his master Pietro Perugino, who was a native
of this place. The next stage is on the banks of the lake, which
was the Thrasimene of the antients, a beautiful piece of water,
above thirty miles in circumference, having three islands,
abounding with excellent fish: upon a peninsula of it, there is a
town and castle. It was in this neighbourhood where the consul
Flaminius was totally defeated with great slaughter by Hannibal.
From Perugia to Florence, the posts are all double, and the road
is so bad that we never could travel above eight and twenty miles
a day. We were often obliged to quit the carriage, and walk up
steep mountains; and the way in general was so unequal and stony,
that we were jolted even to the danger of our lives. I never felt
any sort of exercise or fatigue so intolerable; and I did not
fail to bestow an hundred benedictions per diem upon the banker
Barazzi, by whose advice we had taken this road; yet there was no
remedy but patience. If the coach had not been incredibly strong,
it must have been shattered to pieces. The fifth night we passed
at a place called Camoccia, a miserable cabaret, where we were
fain to cook our own supper, and lay in a musty chamber, which
had never known a fire, and indeed had no fire-place, and where
we ran the risque of being devoured by rats. Next day one of the
irons of the coach gave way at Arezzo, where we were detained two
hours before it could be accommodated. I might have taken this
opportunity to view the remains of the antient Etruscan
amphitheatre. and the temple of Hercules, described by the
cavalier Lorenzo Guazzesi, as standing in the neighbourhood of
this place: but the blacksmith assured me his work would be
finished in a few minutes; and as I had nothing so much at heart
as the speedy accomplishment of this disagreeable journey, I
chose to suppress my curiosity, rather than be the occasion of a
moment's delay. But all the nights we had hitherto passed were
comfortable in comparison to this, which we suffered at a small
village, the name of which I do not remember. The house was
dismal and dirty beyond all description; the bed-cloaths filthy
enough to turn the stomach of a muleteer; and the victuals cooked
in such a manner, that even a Hottentot could not have beheld
them without loathing. We had sheets of our own, which were
spread upon a mattrass, and here I took my repose wrapped in a
greatcoat, if that could be called repose which was interrupted
by the innumerable stings of vermin. In the morning, I was seized
with a dangerous fit of hooping-cough, which terrified my wife,
alarmed my people, and brought the whole community into the
house. I had undergone just such another at Paris, about a year
before. This forenoon, one of our coach wheels flew off in the
neighbourhood of Ancisa, a small town, where we were detained
above two hours by this accident; a delay which was productive of
much disappointment, danger, vexation, and fatigue. There being
no horses at the last post, we were obliged to wait until those
which brought us thither were sufficiently refreshed to proceed.
Understanding that all the gates of Florence are shut at six,
except two that are kept open for the accommodation of
travellers; and that to reach the nearest of these gates, it was
necessary to pass the river Arno in a ferry-boat, which could not
transport the carriage; I determined to send my servant before
with a light chaise to enter the nearest gate before it was
shut, and provide a coach to come and take us up at the side of
the river, where we should be obliged to pass in the boat:
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