Thursday, Sept. 12.—There was rain in the night, leaving us a fine day without dust. I said mass at 6½ in the parish church. We went to dine at the Duc Torri, at Brescia. I went to see the Bishop, who received me very courteously. There I met a Philippine lay-brother, who introduced me to the church of his order, Sta. Maria della Pace, then to five or six of the fathers sitting together. I had a fine opportunity of recommending England. They are the only religious house in Brescia (of men at least). After dinner at 3 we set off for Bergamo, when we came to Albergo Reale at 9 o'clock. I got up to my knees in a stream near the road at the wet stage, but hope no harm from it.
Friday, Sept. 13.—Anniversary of my first coming abroad, 1819. I got up soon after 5, said mass in a church opposite the inn, breakfasted at a café, then walked up the beautiful road to the high town called the Città, where our inn was is the borga. Between them there are about 36,000. In the Città I met a priest, by name Giuseppe Caffi, belonging to the collegiate church, who, when I asked him for Count Papi, volunteered to be my guide altogether. He showed me the cathedral, his own church, Sta. Maria, and a little convent church, Church of the Benedictine Nuns, beautifully gilt. He also went with me to the Bishop, who gave me one of the best receptions. By the same good hap as at Verona, the priests were in retreat. He introduced me to the Abbate Vittadini, conductor of the retreat, who promised to speak of England to the clergy. He was already full of zeal for it; he knew a good deal of the state of things with us. When I wrote my name, he knew it well, and it had a good effect. I went with Abbé Caffi to the palace of Count Papi; all were away. He came with us to the hotel, and soon we started for Milan. We arrived at 3, and found rooms in the best hotel (de la Ville). Tables d'hôte at 5. I said office, and just got time to look in the cathedral before dinner, and again after we all went. It was beyond my recollections of old. I admired the ceiling, which seemed all beautiful openwork; I did not remember this. It seemed to be only painted so. How I remember Lord Kinnaird taking my mother to it. We tried two other churches to find Benediction in vain. Then I went with Phillipps to a bookseller's.
Saturday, Sept. 14.—Up at 5½. I went to say mass at the cathedral, and finding that the Roman rite is not allowed in the church alone, I was in the happy necessity of celebrating in the chapel of St. Charles, in the crypt, which is almost reserved for strangers. I waited over two masses. After breakfast we had a visit from Count Mellerio, Rosinini's great friend. Phillipps and I went with him to his palace, and saw Abbate Polidori, who lives there. Mrs. Ambrose came with the carriage to pick us up, and I went to the Church of St. Celso, and to the great hospital fitted up for 3,000 patients; then to vespers at the Duomo, and at 3½ to dine with Count Mellerio. I sat near Polidori. Before we parted he and Signer Mercati seemed gained for England. At 6½ we went to a Benediction at the Duomo, only of relics of the Passion, and not very solemn. This was by occasion of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross to-day. I then went to the Archbishop's palace to find the Grand Vicar, to get leave for confessions to-morrow, and without expecting it saw the Cardinal himself instead. As Count Mellerio was to prepare my way to-morrow, I did not speak of England. When I got home I found Mellerio at the inn, bringing a permission from the Grand Vicar. To bed after 10. I have got unwell to-day in the inside,—between yesterday's maigre and the fruit, I suppose.
Sunday, Sept. 15.—We went together this morning to the old basilica of St. Ambrose, where I said mass at the saint's tomb, in the crypt. The Phillippses received communion. Then we saw the splendid covering of the altar above, in the church. It is exposed only on three days at mass—St. Ambrose, SS. Gervase and Protase, and Corpus Christi. SS. Gervase and Protase's relics are there, with St. Ambrose's. This altar cost to a bishop who gave it, 80,000 sequins of gold, about the year 1000. I spoke to the Directeur du Séminaire de Chamberry, who was there, and he promised to speak of England. We went home to breakfast at 10½. Assisted at high mass in the Duomo again; not so solemn as yesterday. The procession of the Blessed Sacrament before it did not please me much. After high mass I went to call on the Cardinal again. I was not so much disappointed as in the case of the Bishop of Brixen, for I had heard nothing promising about this interview as in the other cases; but I felt as one defeated when I went away. I went to the Piazza del Castello to see the Contessa del Verme and her sister, English people, converts to whom Abbate Vittadini, at Bergamo, recommended me. Her sister, Miss Mary Webster, is just about entering the order of the Visitation here. The Count came in just when I was gone out, and followed me to S. Alessandro, of the Barnabites, which he had heard me ask for as I left his house. I brought him to see Phillipps. We dined at 3½, and at 4½ went to the Arena, or Amphitheatre, where there was a grand spettacolo nautico e pirotecnico. The arena was full of water, and we had five races of boats, three of men, one of women, and one of boys rowing; then a procession of two great illuminated galleys filled with musicians; then what struck me most, as most new to me, the ascent of fifty fine balloons; then of one very large one; then a splendid display of fireworks, ending as often with an illuminated palace, with an inscription alle scienze, alle letters, alle arti, as the spectacle was in honour of the Sixth Italian Scientific Congress, now being held here. We got home at ¼ to 9; I almost well again.
Monday, September 16.—I said mass at St. Fidele, formerly one of the three Jesuit churches. At 8 we set off in a carriage to see the Certosa of Pavia. We got to it at 10½, and were two hours examining its beautiful details. Women are now forbidden entrance into the choir, and so Mrs. Ambrose had to stay in the body of the church, while we, with other people who had come to see it, saw the rich high altar and many of the finest things. There are not many precious stones, like rubies, emeralds, &c., but a profusion of altar-fronts of Pietra-dura, beautiful alto relievos in marble, and many fine pictures. The convent is but lately reinhabited. Count Mellerio was the means of replacing monks there. They are all French. We saw the Prior, who knew Michael MacMahon. He promised to recommend England not only here, but by letter in other houses. We dined at an inn half a mile from the church, called Albergo della Certosa, and came back to Milan by 5. I got off near the Contrada S. Maria Falconeria, to call at a convent of Sisters of Charity of the same order as those of Sta. Lucia, at Venice. I saw the Superioress. Then I went to the Count del Verme's palace. La Contessa was confined this morning. I saw Miss Webster, who spoke about two English girls whom they are instructing, wishing me to receive the confession of one who cannot speak Italian. I went out with the priest who instructs them, Don Gaetano Fumagalli, to see them. We first went to the convent of the Salesiani, 54 nuns (visitation), into which Miss Webster is about to enter, and though the time was past, we saw the mistress of novices through the grate, who was very gracious about England. Then we went to a high story in a house where these girls lodge, paid for by the Cardinal. After coming home I went, on an invitation obtained by the Conte del Verme, to a grand assembly and concert at the Accademia, or the Nobil Società. The gayest rooms I have seen a long time. I came home soon after ten, for I knew nobody there, and was almost the only priest I saw; certainly the only one in a cassock.
Tuesday, September 17.—Mass at St. Fidele. At 8 Count Mellerio came, and we started for his villa at Gernetto, beyond Monza. He took Mrs. A. and Amb., and I and a boy went in our carriage, with four vetturino horses. We stopped at Monza to see the glorious relic of the Iron Crown given by the Empress Helena to Constantine, in which is inserted, as a ring of iron within a larger ring of gold, one of the nails of Our Lord's crucifixion beat out into that form. It has crowned from thirty to forty kings of Italy. Among them, Napoleon last but one. Other grand relics of the Passion are with it, two thorns, and a piece of the sponge. Other relics are in the sacristy. This is kept over an altar within rich doors. The Canonico, who was with us in the church, promised to recommend England. We went on to the palace of the Archduke, surrounded by a park fifteen miles round, dressed like an English park, a noble palace. Then on to Gernetto, where we were for two or three hours before dinner walking gaily with the Count round his beautiful grounds. The villa is very handsome. Two priests of the neighbourhood dined with us at 3. One told me that Count Mellerio is one of the richest, or rather the richest nobleman in Milan,—about £15,000 a year of our money. He is alone, having lost his wife and four children. He came back with us to our hotel, where I found Count del Verme to tell me that the confession of the girls was put off. They have been left here by their mother. Their parents, —— and Ann Carraway, live at Newcastle-under-Lyne. Their grandfather and mother, James and Mary Freakley, at Cheapside, Handley. I went with the Count to the assembly of the learned men who are now met in Milan,—not so smart as yesterday, but very numerous. Then to a café, to read news about the effects of O'Connell's liberation.
Wednesday, September 18.—I went with Phillippses to the Duomo to say mass for them at St. Charles's tomb, but I found it occupied, and so I went to San Fidele again, came back to breakfast, and saw Conte Mellerio, who had called. Then went with them to the Brera, where I went quickly through the gallery, and left them, taking the carriage to go to the hospital of the Fate-bene Fratelli, which is a fine establishment for 100 sick. The Vicario, whom I saw, promised to recommend England to the Provincial, who is here, and through him to the thirty brothers here, and five houses in Lombardy—vento. Then I went to the bank. Dined at 1, and at 2 we started with a Swiss voiturier, whom we had engaged to take us to Geneva. We passed the beautiful triumphal arch, L'Arco della Pace, reckoned the finest in the world, ancient and modern. We got to sleep at a nice inn, in a place called Casiua buon Jesu. I wrote a letter to Dr. Wiseman.
Thursday, September 19. San Januarius.—I said mass at the little oratory of the village. There is mass here only on Sundays generally, but the bell rung three times for my mass, and we had a full chapel. This chapel not very neat; it seemed used for a school-room. We started at ½ past 7, and reached Avona at 12 to dine. How I was struck with the remembrance of the last time in this place with my father and mother, after coming in a boat with Dr. Wilson from Bavino. The inn is a fine new house since then. We saw a steamboat pass, which plies daily the whole length of the lake. I missed going to St. Charles's statue and the seminary near it, belonging to the diocese of Novara, where I should have liked to go to preach England. After dinner we started and went round to Strass, where we stopped and went up the mountain's side to see Rosmini's Novitiate, which overlooks the village. It is a large house, without beauty or character, unhappily. We knew we should not find Rosinini, who is at Roveredo. We saw Segnini and two other priests, Paoli and Gagliardi. They have thirty novices. The situation is beautiful. The ground belonged before to Madame Bolognaro, who has a large house in the town, where, while we were at the convent, the Bishop of Novara came. I would not have failed to ask an audience had I been alone, but I made the priests promise to speak to him of England. We took a boat to go to the Isola Bella, to see the palace and gardens on our way to Bavino, the carriage going on there by itself. It was almost dark when we got there, and we could only see the suite of grand rooms and pictures, and the chapel with the old family tombs brought from Milan, by candlelight. Mem. A room of rockwork underneath the chief suite, where Bonaparte dined, and the bedroom he slept in. The whole of this grandeur is made worse than worthless by the indecent statues and pictures which are all about the place. We got to Bavino at 8; a nice new inn.
Friday, Sept. 20.—Ember Day, but no fast for me! I got to say mass at 4½, and we started at 6 to ascend the Simplon. The day was beautiful. We got to Domodossola at 11. We went up the beautiful road to the Monte Calvario, of which Gentili has made me think so much, first having taken a look at their college in the town, where there are 19 boarders and more than 200 out-students. At the Calvary two priests received us kindly. Along the road to it are chapels with the stations represented in groups of figures as large as life, well executed; only two or three are complete. The situation here again is admirable. The house and church not remarkable. I was well received for England. Coming down, which I did after the rest, I visited a pretty Capuchin convent, half-way up, of fifteen friars, and had a good reception (promise to write to the other houses). After dinner at 2 we set off for Simplon, which we reached after 8. The voiturier (coachman), to spare his horses, put us on post-horses at his own expense. The road on the Piedmontese side is sadly dilapidated. It was broken down (by water, as it seems) six years ago, and the King of Sardinia will not have his part repaired, to make people go by Mount Cenis and Turin. Put up at the Simplon Inn.