25–31 March 1833

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 since I stood on the Monte Reale at Palermo, which was richer than the view from this pleasant Locanda. Strange costumes upon the road at Fondi. But we rode all night and passed in safety the Pon- tine marshes, molested neither by malaria nor by robbers. As we drew nigh to the imperial city, the stately ruins of the aqueducts began to appear, then the tomb of Cecilia Metella, and we entered the city by the Gate of St. John.

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 Tiber. Yesterday morn at nine I set forth with a young Englishman, Mr. Kingston, and crossed the Tiber and visited St. Peter's. Another time I will say what I think about this temple. From St. Peter's to the Chambers of RafFaele and saw the pictures of the great master. It was a poor way of using so great a genius to set him to paint the walls of rooms that have no beauty and, as far as I see, no purpose. Then we threaded our way through narrow streets to the Temple of Vesta, and the house of Rienzi, "last of Romans," then to the Forum and the Coliseum. Here we spent some hours in identifying ruins and fixing in mind the great points of the old topography.

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 vast and splendid museum of the Vatican, a wilderness of marble. After traversing many a shining chamber and gallery I came to the Apollo and soon after to the Laocoon. 'T is false to say that the casts give no idea of the originals. I found I knew these fine statues already by heart and had ad- mired the casts long since much more than I ever can the originals.

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. Glad I was amidst all these old stumps of the past ages to see Lewis Stackpole, as fresh and beautiful as a young palm tree in the desert. Rome is very pleasant to me, as Naples was not, if only from one circumstance, that here I have pleasant companions to eat my bread with, and there I had none.