[fragment ? - WHFT normally signed his letters]
Florence,
Sunday
May 25. 1823
My Dear Mr Feilding,
I found here your letter of the 16th in which you say nothing of staying at Naples, so that I begin to hope it may be a false alarm. I am glad to find you enjoy Naples even more than you expected, and that I dissuaded you from going there in the month of March, in continual bad weather – when for many days together the air was so thick that we could not in the least see the promontory of Sorrento, nor the slightest appearance of land in that direction. – I never was so frozen on an English stagecoach, as I was in returning from Salerno to Naples – The rain fell all day, & the roads being in a state of liquid mud, made walking out of the question; so that when I reached Naples I found that absolutely I could hardly stand – The only thing you lose, is the sight of Vesuvius covered with snow, & then in an hours time the snow all gone, while Somma by its side remains as white as ever. – You seem moreover to have no smoke; perhaps it was owing to the bad weather that Vesuvius favoured us with such volumes, that sometimes were many times more bulky than himself; but of fire he never shewed a spark, indeed if he had, it would have been concealed in the Crater.
I arrived here yesterday evening, having had a pleasant journey from Rome, with most lovely weather, the heat not enough to incommode me. After dinner I took a walk on the bridge S. Trinità, <1> it was about an hour after sunset, & the full moon rising, The Arno like a looking glass, I never saw Florence look so beautiful. The water of the Arno is become green, which is a great improvement, but it is not nor ever will be, clear. When we went to Rome we lost in the shades of the evening, & fogs of the morning many beautiful views – the approach to Narni – the bridge of Augustus!!! The Temple of the Clitumnus <2> – the city of Assisi, most nobly situated on a hill – the approach to Perugia from the South! The only part of the route I could wish cancelled, is that from Arezzo to Florence which is beyond measure dull, & the new road deprives you of all view of the city: it must be confessed the approach to Florence on this side is poor in the extreme – At Terni, made wise by experience I took a Cicerone <3> from the Inn, to keep off the others. He performed his part but lamely, & I found on enquiry that about a month ago, a gentleman & lady who were plagued as we were made their guide give the fellows a beating. They in revenge, when the party were going down to the Lower Fall, threw down great stones upon them – They complained to the Governor of Terni who imprisoned the delinquents, but their companions have sworn that if ever this Cicerone returns they will throw him into the Velino, <4> which threat has completely daunted all the other guides as well as mine.
I made an excursion from the upper fall to a Lake about 3 miles off, which feeds the river, & was greatly pleased with it – I rowed about on it for an hour or two, the views are very pretty, a fine snow mountain is seen in the distance, that is somewhere near Aquila – They call it Monte di Sassitiello or some such name.<5>.
The Gate of Augustus at Perugia, is very interesting. The inscription is simply AUGUSTA PERUSIA I never saw elsewhere the name of a Roman City on its gate.
Monsieur
Monsieur Feilding
Gentilhomme Anglois
Poste Restante
Napoli
Notes:
1. Santa Trinità Bridge, built in the 16th c. by Bartolommeo Ammannati.
2. Ruined temple dating from Roman period in town of Spoleto, Umbria.
3. A guide.
4. Velino River, Terni.
5. WHFT perhaps mis-heard Gran Sasso d'Italia (The Great Stone of Italy), the the highest mountain of the Apennines.