And smiles: the passions, gently sooth’d away,
Sink to divine repose, and love and joy
Alone are waking; love and joy serene
As airs that fan the summer.”—Akenside.
CHAP. XXII.
JOURNEY FROM NAPLES TO ROME AND FLORENCE.
At length, on Wednesday the 13th of June, we commenced our journey from Naples, although not without much insolence and altercation on the part of the vittureno, with respect to our fare; we finally settled this, by agreeing to pay six dollars each for our conveyance, dinners and beds included; which, as we were to occupy four days on the journey, was not unreasonable.
We had, however, to provide our own breakfasts, for which purpose we took with us the requisite materials for one in the English fashion and in particular a supply of butter, an article which is rarely to be met with in travelling through this country; even the bread is not always eatable, as the corn of which it is made, is thrashed out by horses or oxen trampling upon it, and then gathered up with not a little of the accompanying dirt, and which they are not always careful to purify it from, before sending it to the mill.
The innkeepers on the road, however, looked shy at our travelling provisions; but contrived, whenever they supplied us with eggs or milk, to make us pay exorbitantly for them.
We set off in company with the voiture for which we had delayed our journey on the Monday, but did not get clear of Naples before seven o’clock; after which we breakfasted at Capua, and reached St. Agatha in the evening; at the latter place we witnessed a violent quarrel between two Austrian officers, which however was carried through with the same weapons that it commenced with—their tongues.