Greenland, the solicitor my husband now employed, discovered 1600l. still due to me, which was paid on demand; and for the rest of the debt, Piozzi, laughing, said it would be discharged in three years at farthest. So it was; and I felt as much, I think, of astonishment as pleasure. From London we went immediately to Paris, Lyons, Turin, Genoa, and Milan; where, as the Travel Book tells you, we spent the winter, and where the Marquis of Araciel and his family paid me most distinguished attention. There Mr. Parsons dined with us, I remember, and left me a copy of complimentary verses too long to insert here; but we met again the following summer at Florence, where we were living in a sort of literary coterie with Mr. and Mrs. Greathead, Mr. Merry, whom his friends called Della Crusca, and a most agreeable et cetera of English and Italians. We had designed giving a splendid dinner on our wedding-day to Lord Pembroke and the whole party, and Mr. Parsons presented me verses which will not be understood except I

de Mantes et de Meulan, Chevalier de l'ordre Royal et Militaire de St. louis, premier ecuyer de Madame Elizabet de France, Marechal des Camps et armées du Roy et Son Ambassadeur extraordinaire et plenipotentiaire aupres de sa majesté brittanique, &c.

"Certifions que la Signature apposée a l'acte cy de pied est veritablement celle de M. Richard Smith que pleine et entiere confiance doit y etre ajoutée tant en jugement que de hors, en foi de quoi nous avons Signé le present, fait contresigner par l'un de nos Secretaires, et apposé le sceau de nos armes. Donné a notre hotel le Vingt-sept Juillet mil Sept cent quatre vingt quatre. (Signed) "Le Cte D'ADHEMAR.

"Par son excellence

"HERVIEN."

write out my own, that provoked them. He had written a hymn to Venus, so I said:

While Venus inspires, and such verses you sing

As Prior might envy and praise;

While Merry can mount on the eagle's wide wing,
Or melt in the nightingale's lays:

On the beautiful banks of this classical stream
While Bertie can carelessly rove,
Dividing his hours, and varying his theme
With philosophy, friendship, and love;

In vain all the beauties of nature or art
To rouze my tranquillity tried;

Too often, said I, has this languishing heart
For the joys of celebrity sigh'd.

Now sooth'd by soft music's seducing delights,

With reciprocal tenderness blest;

No more will I pant for poetical flights,

Or let vanity rob me of rest.

The Slave and the Wrestlers, what are they to me? From plots and contentions removed;

And Job with still less satisfaction I see,

When I think of the pains I have prov'd.
It was thus that I sought in oblivion to drown
Each thought from remembrance that flows:
Thus fancy was stagnant I honestly own,

But I called the stagnation repose.

Now, wak'd by my countrymen's voice once again To enjoyment of pleasures long past;

Her powers elastic the soul shall regain,

And recall her original taste.

Like the loadstone that long lay conceal'd in the earth, Among metals which glitter'd around;

Inactive her talents, and only call'd forth,

When the ore correspondent was found.

To these lines Mr. Parsons brought the following very flattering answer, which he repeated after dinner:

"To Mrs. Piozzi.

"Tho' sooth'd by soft music's seducing delights,
And blest with reciprocal love;

These cannot impede your poetical flights,
For still friends to the Muses they prove.
Then sitting so gaily your table around,
Let us all with glad sympathy view
What joys in this fortunate union abound,
This union of wit and virtù.

"May the day that now sees you so mutually blest In full confidence, love, and esteem,

Still return with increasing delight to your breast,
And be Hymen your favourite theme!

Nor fear that your fertile strong genius should fail,
Each thought of stagnation dispel;

The fame which so long has attended a Thrale,
A Piozzi alone shall excel.

"As the ore must for ever obedient be found

By the loadstone attracted along:

So in England you drew all the poets around,
By the magical force of your song:

The same power on Arno's fair side you retain ;
Your talents with wonder we see:

And we hope from your converse those talents to
gain,

Tho' like magnets in smaller degree."

Now if I should live to add any more anecdotes of my life, or any more verses to amuse you, they would come best at the end of my Journey-Book; and if you will send it, perhaps I may add a leaf or two. 18th December, 1815.

RESIDENCE IN ITALY.

(A separate and detached manuscript.)

BEFORE We began our journey, my good husband bespoke a magnificent carriage capable of containing every possible accommodation, and begged me to take tea enough and books enough; but when looking over the last article he saw "Diodati's Italian Bible, with Notes" (this was in 1784, I remember), "Ah ciel!" he exclaimed, "this will bring us into trouble. Be content, my dear creature, with an English Bible, and reflect that you are not travelling as you ought to be, like a Protestant lady of quality, but as the wife of a native, an acknowledged Papist, and one determined to remain so." I replied, from my heart, that I desired to appear in his country in no other character than that of his wife; that I would preserve my religious opinions inviolate at Milan, as he did his at London; and that all would go on, to use his own phrase, all' ottima perfezzione. Observing an undertoned expression, however, saying, "They shall tease quest' anima bella as little as I can help," my heart felt (though I changed the conversation) that my mind. must prepare itself for controversy. The account of temptations he told me I should undergo of another kind I drove from me with unaffected laughter, but