Ralph Waldo Emerson’s diary, 1833

I rose at sunrise, and under the lee of the spencer-sheet had a solitary, thoughtful hour. All right thought is devout.

I like the latitude of 37° better than my bitter native 42°. We have sauntered all this calm day at one or two knots the hour, and nobody on board well pleased but…

Lat. 37° 23; long- 39° 59 W.

W. long. 36° 11; N. lat. 37°4.

W. long. 28° 58.

Lat. 37° 31 N.; long. 1° 20 E.

I am now pleased abundantly with St. John's church in Valetta. Welcome these new joys. Let my American eye be a child's again to these glo- rious picture-books. The…

Shall I count it, like the Berber at Rome, the greatest wonder of all to find myself here ? I have this day drank the waters of the fountain Arethusa and washed my…

Visited the Latomie of the gardens of the Capuchins, a strange place. It is a large and beautiful garden, full of oranges and lemons and pomegranates, in a deep…

Still, melancholy old metropolis ! under the moon, last eve, how wan and grey it looked. Took a boat this morning and crossed the Porto Maggiore and sailed up the…

At dinner, a Frate dei Padri Capuccini was announced, who brought olives and lemons in his hand, and would accompany us to the Lato- mie of the church of St. John.…

From Catania my ride to this city was charm- ing. The distance is but 60 miles, but that is two days' journey here. Mount Etna was the grand spectacle of the first…

Yesterday at noon I left Messina in the steam- boat and passed betwixt Scylla and Charybdis, which have long lost their terrors, probably fabu- lous at first. Then…

And to-day to the Lake Avernus, to the Lucrine Lake, to Baiae, the Arco Felice or gate of Cuma; and at Baias to the Temple of Venus, the Temple of Mercury and many,…

Judge of your natural character by what you do in your dreams. If you yield to temptation there, I am afraid you will, awake. If you are a coward then, I jalouse of…

I left Naples in Angresani's coach with my townsmen Messrs. Grant and Warren, and two English people. We dined at Molo di Gaeta; and I think I have seen nothing…

It is even so; ray poor feet are sore with walking all this day amongst the ruins of Rome.

We came hither Tuesday, a little after noon, but that day I saw nothing but a passing view of the Coliseum as we entered the city, and after- wards the yellow…

I went to the Capitoline hill, then to its Mu- seum and saw the Dying Gladiator, the Antin- ous, the Venus, — to the gallery, then to the Tarpeian Rock, then to the…

I have seen St. John Lateran's and the Pan- theon, and the Baptistery of Constantine, and the sad remnants of the palaces of the Cssars, and many many ruins more.…

The famous Miserere was sung this afternoon in the Sistine Chapel. The saying at Rome is, that it cannot be imitated, not only by any other choir, but in any other…

I revisited the Tribune this morning to see the Venus -and the Fornarina and the rest of that attractive company. I reserve my admira- tion as much as I can ; I…

To-day I heard, by Charles's letter, of the death of Ellen's mother. Fast, fast the bonds dissolve that I was so glad to wear. She has been a most kind and…

I rode out this evening with Mr. Miles in the beautiful Cascina. Its walks and groves extend from the Prato Gate of the city out for miles along the right bank of…

It is the festa of San Zenobio, once bishop of Florence, and at the churches the priests bless the roses and other flowers which the people bring them, and they are…

Left Florence. Stopped at the Pratolino, five miles out of the city, to see the colossal statue of Father Apennine by John of Bologna.

At 4 A. M. we set forward, and passing through a picturesque country, arrived at Bologna (25 miles) at 10 }4 o'clock. Here we visited the bel- ebrated statue of…

To Verona 30 miles. The chief object of in- terest is the amphitheatre built in Trajan's time, a smaller coliseum, but in excellent preservation and still used as a…

To-day crossed the Mela. In all this Lom- bard region they write on a signpost the name of each town thus: — and a similar threefold inscription in every vil- lage.…

This cathedral is the only church in Italy that can pretend to compare with St. Peter's. It is a most impressive and glorious place, without and within. And its…

It is a pleasant thing to walk along the Boule- vards and see how men live in Paris. One man has live snakes crawling about him, and sells soap and essences.…

The two gifts of the Old World to the New, — Columbus and Lafayette.

Attended divine service at Westminster Ab- bey. The Bishop of Gloucester preached. It is better than any church I have seen except St. Peter's.

May I send you an account of my romancing from Edinburgh to the Highlands ? I was told it was so easy, at an expense of two days, to see that famous country of Ben…

From Kendall this morning to Lancaster; thence to Manchester, and there was deposited with my luggage in the coach on the railway to Liverpool. We parted at 1 1…

I talked commonplaces to-day with a man at this hotel, who told me he had lived in Boston, until I found out it was Jacob Perkins. He says it is not true that he…

No sailing still, but sitting still. I went to the railroad and saw Rocket and Goliath and Pluto and Firefly and the rest of thatvulcanian genera- tion. Mr. Perkins…