On March 20th the travellers reached Florence, where, unfortunately, Lady Montefiore was taken seriously ill. Two eminent physicians, Dr G. Levy and Professor Pietro Ciprani, held frequent consultations. Dr Canham, the physician who attended her at Ramsgate, was also sent for, and it was not until the 13th of May that the doctors considered her sufficiently recovered to continue the journey. That was an anxious time for Sir Moses, the more so as he himself was ill and obliged to keep his bed for seventeen days.
May 15th.—We find them with their relatives at Pisa. Lady Montefiore continued to make satisfactory progress towards recovery, and Sir Moses was again able to enjoy the fine scenery of the country.
Saturday, he attended Divine worship, and the day following he gave a description in the Diary of the Synagogue, which, on account of the allusions therein made to his parents and godfather, appeared to me of sufficient historical importance to interest the reader.
"The Synagogue," he wrote, "was very well attended, both by males and females, and it is one of the handsomest little Synagogues I have ever seen. I wish I had seen it before I built one at Ramsgate. I would have gladly adopted the plan. It will accommodate three hundred persons, and has a splendid ark, containing the sacred scrolls of the Pentateuch. My godfather, Moses Haim Racah, of blessed memory, attended this Synagogue when residing at his country house at Pisa. He was a very liberal contributor to the Synagogue and charities at Pisa. I have often heard my dear mother, blessed be her soul, say that she and my honoured father had passed many happy days when staying on frequent visits with the best of friends, Moses Haim Racah and his amiable wife, my godmother. My mother frequently spoke of the kindness she ever experienced from them, being more the affection of parents both towards herself and my father. They were both young at the time, having been married only about a twelvemonth. I consider myself most fortunate in having been blessed on my coming into the world with such excellent friends as my godfather and godmother. My godfather continued a sincere friend to my dear parents to the end of his life. Peace to his soul!"
May 23rd.—They left Pisa for La Spezia, where they remained eight or nine days, Lady Montefiore being again in ill health.
May 31st.—They started for Genoa. On their arrival in that place their travelling companions became most anxious to return without delay to England, and wishing to go by sea to Marseilles to avoid a fatiguing journey across the Alps, took an affectionate farewell of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, who, in the hope of deriving some improvement by a longer stay, resolved to remain in Genoa for some time.
In this, however, they were disappointed. Dr Canham told Sir Moses that he was anxious for their return to England, not on his own account, but on that of Lady Montefiore, as he feared her health would not get better until she was back in England. Nevertheless he strongly advised very short journeys, not to exceed, if possible, four hours a day.
June 24th.—They arrived at Paris. Lady Montefiore continued very poorly and weak. Sir Moses himself was under great apprehension regarding his own health, feeling the symptoms of a very dangerous malady, from which he had suffered before. Their stay in the French capital was very brief. They left four days after their arrival. They arrived safely at Ramsgate on July 2nd. A few days later they were at Park Lane, after an absence of five months.
Here Sir Charles Locock and Dr Canham met in consultation respecting Lady Montefiore's illness, and Sir Moses had the happiness of hearing from Sir Charles that he saw no reason to despair of her ultimate recovery.
The entries referring to the month of July show that, notwithstanding the anxieties both of them had on their minds during their last journey, which would have made it desirable for them to have a few weeks' rest, they were immediately called upon to exercise their wonted activity in the performance of duties partly self-imposed, and, to a certain degree, obligatory, owing to the position they held in their own community, as well as in society in general.