echoes and askers and no understanders of askers. I progress, however,
as the Americans say. I have found that Sir William Gell's amanuensis
is at present disengaged, and that he is quite the man for copying the
romances, which is a plain black letter of 1377, at the cheap and easy
rate of 3 _quattrons_ a day. I am ashamed at the lowness of the
remuneration, but it will dine him capitally, with a share of a bottle
of wine, or, by 'r lady, a whole one if he likes it; and thrice the sum
would hardly do that in England. But we dawdle, and that there is no
avoiding. I have found another object in the Studij - the language of
Naples.
_Jany_. 2[5?]. - One work in this dialect, for such it is, was described
to me as a history of ancient Neapolitan legends - _quite in my way_; and
it proves to be a dumpy fat 12mo edition of Mother Goose's Tales,[511]
with my old friends Puss in Boots, Bluebeard, and almost the whole stock
of this very collection. If this be the original of this charming book,
it is very curious, for it shows the right of Naples to the authorship,
but there are French editions very early also; - for there are
two - whether French or Italian, I am uncertain - of different dates, both
having claims to the original edition, each omitting some tales which
the other has.
To what common original we are to refer them the Lord knows. I will look
into [this] very closely, and if this same copiator is worth his ears he
can help me. My friend Mr. D. will aid me, but I doubt he hardly likes
my familiarity with the department of letters in which he has such an
extensive and valuable charge. Yet he is very kind and civil, and
promises me the loan of a Neapolitan vocabulary, which will set me up
for the attack upon Mother Goose. Spirit of Tom Thumb assist me! I
could, I think, make a neat thing of this, obnoxious to ridicule
perhaps; - what then! The author of _Ma SÅ“ur Anne_ was a clever man, and
his tale will remain popular in spite of all gibes and flouts soever. So
_Vamos Caracci_! If it was not for the trifling and dawdling peculiar
to this country, I should have time enough, but their trifling with time
is the devil. I will try to engage Mr. Gell in two researches in his way
and more in mine, namely, the Andrea Ferrara and the Bonnet piece.[512]
Mr. Keppel Craven says Andrea de Ferraras[513] are frequent in Italy.
Plenty to do if we had alert assistance, but Gell and Laing Meason have
both their own matters to puzzle out, and why should they mind my
affairs? The weather is very cold, and I am the reverse of the idiot
boy -
"For as my body's growing worse,
My mind is growing better."[514]
Of this I am distinctly sensible, and thank God that the mist attending
this whoreson apoplexy is wearing off.
I went to the Studij and copied Bevis of Hampton, about two pages, for a
pattern. From thence to Sir William Gell, and made an appointment at the
Studij with his writer to-morrow at ten, when, I trust, I shall find
Delicteriis there, but the gentleman with the classical name is rather
kind and friendly in his neighbour's behalf.[515]
_January_ 26. - This day arrived (for the first time indeed) answer to
last post end of December, an epistle from Cadell full of good
tidings.[516] _Castle Dangerous_ and _Sir Robert of Paris_, neither of
whom I deemed seaworthy, have performed two voyages - that is, each sold
about 3400, and the same of the current year. It proves what I have
thought almost impossible, that I might write myself [out], but as yet
my spell holds fast.
I have besides two or three good things on which I may advance with
spirit, and with palmy hopes on the part of Cadell and myself. He thinks
he will soon cry _victoria_ on the bet about his hat. He was to get a
new one when I had paid off all my debts. I can hardly, now that I am
assured all is well again, form an idea to myself that I could think it
was otherwise.
And yet I think it is the public that are mad for passing those two
volumes; but I will not be the first to cry them down in the market, for
I have others in hand, which, judged with equal favour, will make
fortunes of themselves. Let me see what I have on the stocks -
Castle Dangerous (supposed future Editions), £1000
Robert of Paris, " " " 1000
Lady Louisa Stuart, " " " 500
Knights of Malta, " " " 2500
Trotcosianæ Reliquiæ, " " 2500
I have returned to my old hopes, and think of giving Milne an offer for
his estate.[517]
Letters or Tour of Paul in 3 vols. 3000
Reprint of Bevis of Hampton for Roxburghe Club,
Essay on the Neapolitan dialect,
FOOTNOTES:
[507] Sir William Gell styles him "Archbishop," and adds that at this
time he was in his ninetieth year. Can this prelate be Rogers's "Good
Old Cardinal," who told the pleasant tale of the _Bag of Gold_, and is
immortalised by the pencil of Landseer seated at table _en famille_ with
three of his velvet favourites? See _Italy_, fcp. 8vo, 1838, p. 302.
[508] This is the last notice in the Journal by Sir Walter of his dear
friend. James Skene of Rubislaw died at Frewen Hall, Oxford, in 1864, in
his ninetieth year. His faculties remained unimpaired throughout his
serene and beautiful old age, until the end was very near - then, one
evening his daughter found him with a look of inexpressible delight on
his face, when he said to her "I have had such a great pleasure! Scott
has been here - he came from a long distance to see me, he has been
sitting with me at the fireside talking over our happy recollections of
the past...." Two or three days later he followed his well loved friend
into the unseen world - gently and calmly like a child falling asleep he
passed away in perfect peace.
[509] John Hugh Lockhart died December 15, 1831.
[510] Sir W. Gell relates that an old English manuscript of the Romance
of Sir Bevis of Hampton, existing in Naples, had attracted Scott's
attention, and he resolved to make a copy of it.
The transcript is now in the Library at Abbotsford, under the title,
_Old English Romances_, transcribed from MSS. in the Royal Library at
Naples, by Sticchini, 2 vols. sm. 8vo.
[511] See Appendix v. for Mr. Andrew Lang's letter on this subject.
[512] The forty-shilling gold piece coined by James V. of Scotland.
[513] Sword-blades of peculiar excellence bearing the name of this maker
have been known in Scotland since the reign of James IV.
[514] Altered from Wordsworth.
[515] The editor of _Reliquiæ Antiquæ_ (2 vols. 8vo, London, 1843),
writing ten years after this visit, says, that "The Chevalier de
Licteriis [Chief Librarian in the Royal Library] showed him the
manuscript, and well remembered his drawing Sir Walter's attention to it
in 1832."
[516] Sir W. Gell records that on the morning he received the good news
he called upon him and said he felt quite relieved by his letters, and
added, "I could never have slept straight in my coffin till I had
satisfied every claim against me; and now," turning to a favourite dog
that was with them in the carriage he said, "My poor boy, I shall have
my house and my estate round it free, and I may keep my dogs as big and
as many as I choose without fear of reproach." - _Life_, vol. X. p. 160.
[517] Viz, Faldonside, an estate adjacent to Abbotsford which Scott had
long wished to possess. As far back as November 1817 he wrote a friend:
"My neighbour, Nicol Milne, is mighty desirous I should buy, at a mighty
high rate, some land between me and the lake which lies mighty
convenient, but I am mighty determined to give nothing more than the
value, so that it is likely to end like the old proverb, _Ex Nichilo
Nichil fit_."
FEBRUARY.
_February_ 10. - We went to Pompeii to-day: a large party, all disposed
to enjoy the sight in this fine weather. We had Sir Frederick and Lady
Adam, Sir William Gell, the coryphæus of our party, who played his part
very well. Miss de la Ferronays,[518] daughter of Monsieur le Duc de la
Ferronays, the head, I believe, of the constitutional Royalists, very
popular in France, and likely to be called back to the ministry, with
two or three other ladies, particularly Mrs. Ashley, born Miss
Baillie,[519] very pretty indeed, and lives in the same house. The
Countess de la Ferronays has a great deal of talent both musical and
dramatic.
_February_ 16. - Sir William Gell called and took me out to-night to a
bookseller whose stock was worth looking over.
We saw, among the old buildings of the city, an ancient palace called
the VicarÃa, which is changed into a prison. Then a new palace was
honoured with royal residence instead of the old dungeon. I saw also a
fine arch called the Capuan gate, formerly one of the city towers, and a
very pretty one. We advanced to see the ruins of a palace said to be a
habitation of Queen Joan, and where she put her lovers to death chiefly
by potions, thence into a well, smothering them, etc., and other little
tenderly trifling matters of gallantry.
FOOTNOTES:
[518] Probably _Pauline_; married to Hon. Augustus Craven, and author of
_Récit d'une Sœur_.
[519] Daughter of Colonel Hugh Duncan Baillie, of Tarradale and
Redcastle.
MARCH.
_March_. - Embarked on an excursion to Paestum, with Sir William Gell and
Mr. Laing-Meason, in order to see the fine ruins. We went out by
Pompeii, which we had visited before, and which fully maintains its
character as one of the most striking pieces of antiquity, where the
furniture treasure and household are preserved in the excavated houses,
just as found by the labourers appointed by Government. The inside of
the apartments is adorned with curious paintings, if I may call them
such, in mosaic. A meeting between Darius and Alexander is remarkably
fine.[520] A street, called the street of Tombs, reaches a considerable
way out of the city, having been flanked by tombs on each side as the
law directed. The entrance into the town affords an interesting picture
of the private life of the Romans. We came next to the vestiges of
Herculaneum, which is destroyed like Pompeii but by the lava or molten
stone, which cannot be removed, whereas the tufa or volcanic ashes can
be with ease removed from Pompeii, which it has filled up lightly. After
having refreshed in a cottage in the desolate town, we proceed on our
journey eastward, flanked by one set of heights stretching from
Vesuvius, and forming a prolongation of that famous mountain. Another
chain of mountains seems to intersect our course in an opposite
direction and descends upon the town of Castellamare. Different from the
range of heights which is prolonged from Vesuvius, this second, which
runs to Castellamare, is entirely composed of granite, and, as is always
the case with mountains of this formation, betrays no trace of volcanic
agency. Its range was indeed broken and split up into specimens of rocks
of most romantic appearance and great variety, displaying granite rock
as the principal part of its composition. The country on which these
hills border is remarkable for its powers of vegetation, and produces
vast groves of vine, elm, chestnut, and similar trees, which grow when
stuck in by cuttings. The vines produce Lacryma Christi in great
quantities - not a bad wine, though the stranger requires to be used to
it. The sea-shore of the Bay of Naples forms the boundary on the right
of the country through which our journey lies, and we continue to
approach to the granite chain of eminences which stretch before us, as
if to bar our passage.
As we advanced to meet the great barrier of cliffs, a feature becomes
opposed to us of a very pronounced character, which seems qualified to
interrupt our progress. A road leading straight across the branch of
hills is carried up the steepest part of the mountain, ascending by a
succession of zig-zags, which the French laid by scale straight up the
hill. The tower is situated upon an artificial eminence, worked to a
point and placed in a defensible position between two hills about the
same height, the access to which the defenders of the pass could
effectually prohibit.
Sir William Gell, whose knowledge of the antiquities of this country is
extremely remarkable, acquainted us with the history.
In the middle ages the pasturages on the slope of these hills,
especially on the other side, belonged to the rich republic of Amain,
who built this tower as an exploratory gazeeboo from which they could
watch the motions of the Saracens who were wont to annoy them with
plundering excursions; but after this fastness [was built] the people of
Amalfi usually defeated and chastised them. The ride over the opposite
side of the mountain was described as so uncommonly pleasant as made me
long to ride it with assistance of a pony. That, however, was
impossible. We arrived at a country house, near a large town situated in
a ravine or hollow, which was called La Cava from some concavities which
it exhibited.
We were received by Miss Whyte, an English lady who has settled at La
Cava, and she afforded us the warmest hospitality that is consistent
with a sadly cold chilling house. They may say what they like of the
fine climate of Naples - unquestionably they cannot say too much in its
favour, but yet when a day or two of cold weather does come, the
inhabitants are without the means of parrying the temporary inclemency,
which even a Scotsman would scorn to submit to. However, warm or cold,
to bed we went, and rising next morning at seven we left La Cava, and,
making something like a sharp turn backwards, but keeping nearer to the
Gulf of Salerno than in yesterday's journey, and nearer to its shore. We
had a good road towards Paestum, and in defiance of a cold drizzling day
we went on at a round pace. The country through which we travelled was
wooded and stocked with wild animals towards the fall of the hills, and
we saw at a nearer distance a large swampy plain, pastured by a
singularly bizarre but fierce-looking buffalo, though it might maintain
a much preferable stock. This palace of Barranco was anciently kept up
for the King's sport, but any young man having a certain degree of
interest is allowed to share in the chase, which it is no longer an
object to preserve. The guest, however, if he shoots a deer, or a
buffalo, or wild boar, must pay the keeper at a certain fixed price, not
much above its price in the market, which a sportsman would hardly think
above its worth for game of his own killing. The town of Salerno is a
beautiful seaport town, and it is, as it were, wrapt in an Italian cloak
hanging round the limbs, or, to speak common sense, the new streets
which they are rebuilding. We made no stop at Salerno, but continued to
traverse the great plain of that name, within sight of the sea, which is
chiefly pastured by that queer-looking brute, the buffalo, concerning
which they have a notion that it returns its value sooner, and with less
expense of feeding, than any other animal.
At length we came to two streams which join their forces, and would seem
to flow across the plain to the bottom of the hills. One, however, flows
so flat as almost scarcely to move, and sinking into a kind of stagnant
pool is swallowed up by the earth, without proceeding any further until,
after remaining buried for two or three [miles?] underground, it again
bursts forth to the light, and resumes its course. When we crossed this
stream by a bridge, which they are now repairing, we entered a spacious
plain, very like that which we had [left] and displaying a similar rough
and savage cultivation. Here savage herds were under the guardianship of
shepherds as wild as they were themselves, clothed in a species of
sheepskins, and carrying a sharp spear with which they herd and
sometimes kill their buffaloes. Their farmhouses are in very poor order,
and with every mark of poverty, and they have the character of being
moved to dishonesty by anything like opportunity; of this there was a
fatal instance, but so well avenged that it is not like to be repeated
till it has long faded out of memory. The story, I am assured, happened
exactly as follows: - A certain Mr. Hunt, lately married to a lady of his
own age, and, seeming to have had what is too often the Englishman's
characteristic of more money than wit, arrived at Naples a year or two
ago _en famille_, and desirous of seeing all the sights in the vicinity
of this celebrated place. Among others Paestum was not forgot. At one of
the poor farmhouses where they stopped, the inhabitant set her eyes on
a toilet apparatus which was composed of silver and had the appearance
of great value. The woman who spread this report addressed herself to a
youth who had been [under] arms, and undoubtedly he and his companions
showed no more hesitation than the person with whom the idea had
originated. Five fellows, not known before this time for any particular
evil, agreed to rob the English gentleman of the treasure of which he
had made such an imprudent display. They were attacked by the banditti
in several parties, but the principal attack was directed to Mr. Hunt's
carriage, a servant of that gentleman being, as well as himself, pulled
out of the carriage and watched by those who had undertaken to conduct
this bad deed. The man who had been the soldier, probably to keep up his
courage, began to bully, talk violently, and strike the _valet de
place_, who screamed out in a plaintive manner, "Do not injure me." His
master, hoping to make some impression, said, "Do not hurt my servant,"
to which the principal brigand replied, "If he dares to resist, shoot
him." The man who stood over Mr. Hunt unfortunately took the captain at
the word, and his shot mortally wounded the unfortunate gentleman and
his wife, who both died next day at our landlady's, Miss Whyte, who had
the charity to receive them that they might hear their own language on
their deathbed. The Neapolitan Government made the most uncommon
exertions. The whole of the assassins were taken within a fortnight, and
executed within a week afterwards. In this wild spot, rendered
unpleasing by the sad remembrance of so inhuman an accident, and the
cottages which served for refuge for so wretched and wild a people,
exist the celebrated ruins of Paestum. Being without arms of any kind,
the situation was a dreary one, and though I can scarce expect now to
defend myself effectually, yet the presence of [_illegible_] would have
been an infinite cordial. The ruins are of very great antiquity, which
for a very long time has not been suspected, as it was never supposed
that the Sybarites, a luxurious people, were early possessed of a style
of architecture simple, chaste, and inconceivably grand, which was lost
before the time of Augustus, who is said by Suetonius to have undertaken
a journey on purpose to visit these remains of an architecture, the most
simple and massive of which Italy at least has any other specimen. The
Greeks have specimens of the same kind, but they are composed not of
stone, like Paestum, but of marble. All this has been a discovery of
recent date. The ruins, which exist without exhibiting much demolition,
are three in number. The first is a temple of immense size, having a
portico of the largest columns of the most awful species of classic
architecture. The roof, which was composed of immense stones, was
destroyed, but there are remains of the Cella, contrived for the
sacrifices to which the priests and persons of high office were alone
[admitted].
A piece of architecture more massive, without being cumbrous or heavy,
was never invented by a mason.
A second temple in the same style was dedicated to Ceres as the large
one was to Neptune, on whose dominion they looked, and who was the
tutelar deity of Paestum, and so called from one of his Greek names. The
fane of Ceres is finished with the greatest accuracy and beauty of
proportion and taste, and in looking upon it I forgot all the unpleasant
feelings which at first oppressed me. The third was not a temple, but a
Basilica, or species of town-house, as it was called, having a third row
of pillars running up the middle, between the two which surrounded the
sides, and were common to the Basilica and temple both. These surprising
public edifices have therefore all a resemblance to each other, though
also points of distinction. If Sir William Gell makes clear his theory
he will throw a most precious light on the origin of civilisation,
proving that the sciences have not sprung at once into light and life,
but rose gradually with extreme purity, and continued to be practised
best by those who first invented them. Full of these reflections, we
returned to our hospitable Miss Whyte in a drizzling evening, but
unassassinated, and our hearts completely filled with the magnificence
of what we had seen. Miss Whyte had in the meanwhile, by her interest at
La Trinità with the Abbot, obtained us permission to pay a visit to him,
and an invitation indeed to dinner, which only the weather and the
health of Sir William Gell and myself prevented our accepting. After
breakfast, therefore, on the 18th of March, we set out for the convent,
situated about two or three miles from the town in a very large ravine,
not unlike the bed of the Rosslyn river, and traversed by roads which
from their steepness and precipitancy are not at all laudable, but the
views were beautiful and changing incessantly, while the spring
advancing was spreading her green mantle over rock and tree, and making
that beautiful which was lately a blighted and sterile thicket. The
convent of Trinità itself holds a most superb situation on the
projection of an ample rock. It is a large edifice, but not a handsome
one - the monks reserving their magnificence for their churches - but was
surrounded by a circuit of fortifications, which, when there was need,
were manned by the vassals of the convent in the style of the Feudal
system. This was in some degree the case at the present day. The Abbot,
a gentlemanlike and respectable-looking man, attended by several of his
monks, received us with the greatest politeness, and conducted us to the
building, where we saw two great sculptured vases, or more properly
sarcophagi, of [marble?], well carved in the antique style, and adorned
with the story of Meleager. They were in the shape of a large bath, and
found, I think, at Paestum. The old church had passed to decay about a
hundred years ago, when the present fabric was built; it is very
beautifully arranged, and worthy of the place, which is eminently
beautiful, and of the community, who are Benedictines - the most
gentlemanlike order in the Roman Church.
We were conducted to the private repertory of the chapel, which contains
a number of interesting deeds granted by sovereigns of the Grecian,
Norman, and even Saracen descent. One from Roger, king of Sicily,
extended His Majesty's protection to some half dozen men of consequence
whose names attested their Saracenism.
In all the society I have been since I commenced this tour, I chiefly
regretted on the present occasion the not having refreshed my Italian
for the purpose of conversation. I should like to have conversed with
the Churchmen very much, and they seem to have the same inclination, but
it is too late to be thought of, though I could read Italian well once.
The church might boast of a grand organ, with fifty-seven stops, all
which we heard played by the ingenious organist. We then returned to
Miss Whyte's for the evening, ate a mighty dinner, and battled cold
weather as we might.
In further remarks on Paestum I may say there is a city wall in
wonderful preservation, one of the gates of which is partly entire and
displays the figure of a Syren under the architrave, but the antiquity
of the sculpture is doubted, though not that of the inner part of the
gate - so at least thinks Sir William, our best authority on such
matters. Many antiquities have been, and many more probably will be,
discovered. Paestum is a place which adds dignity to the peddling trade
of the ordinary antiquarian.
_March_ 19. - This morning we set off at seven for Naples; we observed
remains of an aqueduct in a narrow, apparently designed for the purpose
of leading water to La Cava, but had no time to conjecture on the
subject, and took our road back to Pompeii, and passed through two towns
of the same name, Nocera dei [Cristiani] and Nocera dei Pagani.[521] In
the latter village the Saracens obtained a place of refuge, from which
it takes the name. It is also said that the circumstance is kept in
memory by the complexion and features of this second Nocera, which are