Quit Rome for Naples-Sepolcro di Ascanio-The Alban Mount -The Alban Lake-The Campagna-Circean Point-Velletri -Palazzo Lanceoletti-Convents-Tres Tabernæ of St. Paul- Terracina-Torre dei Confini-Fondi-Julia Gonzago-Dogani- Vegetation-Formian Hills-Tomb of Cicero-Gaetà-Ancient Formia-The Baths of Cicero-Women of Mola-Lestrigons- PROTESTANT VIGILS, &c. &c. CHAPTER I. Brigg-The Simplon-Domo d'Ossola-Isola Bella-Carlo Borromeo -Sesto Calendo. 66 "IF I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Believing and relying on this declaration of the Psalmist, I ventured to seek the health of a dear accompanying friend in a foreign clime-the friend of my youth, the solace of my declining years. Brigg is situated at the foot of some of the loftiest mountains in Switzerland, and is the last town in the valley of the Rhone; beyond it are immense glaciers and lofty pyramids of granite. Here are a college of Jesuits and a theatre ; the college is covered with a kind of slate, and its globes with a species of lavizzi that makes them very conspicuous at the head of the valley. The inhabitants call the latter giltstein; the ground of it is green, with light yellow veins. I longed to possess time and strength to wander amidst these noble mountains; there are so many warm ravines and valleys-so many glaciers and precipices-so many VOL. I. B sweet flowers and roaring cataracts. From the back of our inn, we looked upon the Jungfrau, and the vast Aletsch glacier stretching down its side into the valley; and the mighty granite peaks of the Breitshorn and the Finster-aarhorn standing up as impassable ramparts. Beneath was an open space, where idiots sauntered, and groups of Jesuits were continually passing. It was to the superior of the Jesuit college here, that Wolf, the missionary, had a recommendation, as he passed from Germany to Rome. He says, "The superior received me with great kindness, and entreated me to stay some days with them; the members of his convent are all very gentle, and have a pleasing external appearance. The superior seemed to me to possess more scriptural knowledge than any I had ever met with; and he wrote several verses of exhortation and encouragement in my remembrance-book. An awful silence is observed in the convent." The front of our inn presents the torrent of the Saltine, and is opposite to the first bridge over the Simplon ravines and streams. Beyond is a wild mountain view, crowned by the hoary glacier of the Simplon and its buttresses; and the eye is led up through the valley of St. Nicholas. The pretty fille de la maison waited upon us. On her head was a small chip hat, turned up all round, with plaited black ribbon, sixteen or seventeen yards, forming a singular serpentine edge, and it was trimmed round the crown with pink ribbon. It appears generally worn by the inhabitants of Sion and Brigg, and is very becoming. Early on Sunday morning the men were called out to be exercised in archery. After a very early mass, the whole day appears passed in sauntering. We felt our privileges, as we shut our doors about us, and sought Him who is ever found of those that seek him; and to such, how gracious are the promises of God! "Delight thyself in the Lord, and he will grant thee thy heart's desire." "If thou turn away the foot on the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou DElight thyself in the Lord." In the evening the rain poured down in torrents, and we foresaw a trying day for our courage on the expedition of the Simplon. We were somewhat dismayed when we were told that we must be up at three. When the morning came we saw lanterns moving here and there, as the men fastened on our baggage, and the skies were still pouring down their watery treasures. In a foreign land, by the dim light of a setting moon, to start with strange drivers, over Alpine precipices, almost baffled resolution. "Is it safe?" "Quite safe!" was the answer, and our horses rattled off. You must now fancy us in our calêche, all buttoned up but one corner,—that corner-curtain often lifted to peep upon the edge of some deep precipice; desire and fear beating quickly in our breasts, as the moon gradually sank amidst the mountaintops, leaving us to feel increased darkness. At length the morning dawned, and the opening clouds let peep forth a star; and "I think it will clear," was the cheering word that broke a silence in which expectation had kept us. We skirted the bridge of the Saltine torrent, without passing it, and gradually wound up a vast altitude, the dawning light just sufficing to shew the depths and torrents. |