We met with many friends at Milan, and spent our time agreeably enough, but from circumstances, were induced to hasten our departure sooner than we intended; in consequence we were prevented from visiting some of the most interesting parts of the city, as the various churches, the coliseum of Napoleon, and the triumphal arch, erected in honour of him, over one of the gates; the lazaretto, the mint, the museum, the minor theatres, and various other places. The city itself, is one of the most intricate I ever met with, the streets so numerous, short, and narrow, that we had never been more perplexed to find our way.
We were induced to leave Milan, as I before remarked, sooner than at first intended; this was in consequence of the difficulty experienced in procuring a satisfactory conveyance to Geneva.
We had flattered ourselves, that we could have made arrangements to accompany some Swiss gentlemen in their voiture, which would have afforded us an opportunity of gaining much agreeable information from them, but in this we were disappointed. As a preparatory measure, a day or two before we proposed to depart, we entered into various negotiations with different vitturenos, all of which we were obliged to conduct with the greatest caution, and which became abortive, from some determination or other to impose upon us.
We had actually engaged one to convey us to Geneva, for a considerable sum, under the full explanation of its being intended to cover the usual expenses of supper, &c. but when he was desired to sign the agreement, he pretended that these necessaries were not to be included.
At length, on Tuesday the 10th, we met a vittureno, who was departing in the morning, with the intention of taking the route of Turin; when viewing the little chance we had of getting any conveyance, which would take the passage of the Simplon for some days, we determined to embrace the opportunity, and immediately entered into an arrangement with him, to convey us to Geneva, resting two days at Turin, bearing our expenses for supper and beds each night, while actually travelling, for which we agreed to pay him four Napoleons and a half each; this as the journey would occupy nine days, we thought a reasonable bargain. The expense of travelling is considered to increase on leaving Italy, and passing through Switzerland, particularly by the way of the Simplon, in consequence of the great number of barriers on that road; but I became convinced from experience, that the real difference of expense, is nothing equal to what the proprietors of the voitures would wish one to suppose. The Swiss drivers appear far more acute than the French or the Italians, for the cunning of the latter is easily detected; while the manners of the former are more sagacious and collected. One in particular, impressed me so strongly with his archness of expression, that my imagination leads me to suppose, if my powers of sight would admit of a use of the pencil, I could at this instant depict his portrait, as correctly as if I had actually seen him.
CHAP. XXV.
JOURNEY FROM MILAN BY TURIN, AND OVER MOUNT CENIS TO GENEVA.
We left Milan on Tuesday, July the 11th, early in the morning of a very fine day, in the largest, and most elegant voiture which I had met with in France or Italy, having only two companions; one, a lady with her lap-dog, who, although she was not very young, was witty and amusing; the other, a singular character of a Frenchman, an ex-colonel of the army of Bonaparte, and who amused us by his eccentricities. He had fought in the battle of Waterloo, and afterwards, been deprived of his pension and half pay, as well as for a time banished the kingdom. He had received a variety of wounds in Egypt, and other parts of the world. My friend informed me that his appearance was shabby, although he talked of having a very rich wife at Lyons. According to his own account, he was at this time carrying on, in a large way, the business of a horse-dealer; and boasted of supplying various princes, and noblemen, with Arabian and other fine horses. Soon after leaving Milan, we passed a voiture, from the outside of which, a trunk had just been stolen. Fifteen miles from Milan, we crossed the Tesseno, which cost us eight centimes per head. This river takes its rise from Mount St. Gothard, and falls into the Po. Soon afterwards, we entered the Piedmontese states, and after the customary examinations, reached Novara for breakfast, having travelled thirty-five miles from Milan. Novara is an ancient city, but of no great note. After breakfast, we proceeded on our journey, and in the afternoon, crossed two small rivers, where they took a toll, not only for our carriage and horses, but ourselves also. About six o’clock, we arrived at Verceil, a very ancient city, with narrow, ill-paved streets, and a scanty population. A number of Austrian troops, who had occupied Piedmont in support of the royalist party, were quartered at this place, and sacrilegiously using the cathedral as stables. We understood that all the principal towns, with the exception of Turin itself, probably in consequence of a particular request, or as a point of delicacy, were at this time under the charge of the Austrians.
On the following morning, we breakfasted at St. Germano, and passed several rivers, with good modern bridges over them. Whenever we inquired how they came by such fine roads and bridges, the reply always attributed them to Bonaparte, so that if he had robbed their churches and monasteries, he had left them many a recompense; and they were willing to admit, that he usefully employed the poor in improving their country, and liberally patronized the arts.
Between seven and eight in the evening, we entered Turin, and in the morning directed our first attention to getting our passports properly arranged for our future journey; with this view we attended the police; and afterwards the Sardinian minister, where they demanded four francs from each of us for his signature. After this we walked about the town, where my friend expressed himself uncommonly pleased with the grandeur, beauty, and regularity of the buildings, streets, squares, and shops. The inhabitants generally addressed us in French, which gave us much the impression of a French town. After dinner we visited the queen’s villa, situated on the top of a hill, half a mile out of the town, in our way to which we crossed the Po (which has its source twenty-five miles above Turin, in the recesses of Monte Viso), over a magnificent bridge of five arches, built by the French, the approach to which was through a noble street, bearing the name of the river, with arcades on either side of it. The villa possesses a most commanding view of the city, river, and country around it, but contains nothing particularly good, except that the gardens are well laid out. After this we returned to the city, and promenaded the bank of the river, but were obliged to desist from extending our ramble by the coming on of a rainy evening. After breakfast the next day, we renewed our examination of the city, visiting the boulevards, and other parts, but were again compelled to return by the weather. On this account we took shelter in a caffé, where we observed in the papers, the first official account of the death of Napoleon, a rumour of which had reached us before we left Florence.