structure. Some remains of the amphitheatre exist, and various fragments of buildings, which altogether give you more the idea of being in an ancient Roman city than I could possibly have imagined, if I had not visited them. The modern town is a poor, miserable place; and I was sorry to see that the old buildings are too often injured for the sake of the stones, which are employed in erecting new ones. The cathedral is handsome, and under it is a very curious specimen of a church, built in the early ages of christianity, I mean within a short time after the christian religion became the established religion of the Roman empire. The Hospital deserves notice; it is extremely well regulated under the inspection of the Chevalier Lentz, a well-informed and truly respectable gentleman. This may indeed serve as an example of the neatness, convenience, and I might almost say the elegance, of the Italian hospitals; of which few persons who have not seen them, can form a just idea. Yesterday I ascended from Aosta to St. Bernard, and was received by the good fathers with (if possible) still more kindness than on Monday. The morning had been very hot, and the day very fine; but in the afternoon, when I was within half a mile of the Convent, snow began to fall; and every thing was in a short time covered with it. In the evening I had much serious conversation with Mr. Darbellay, the prior of the Convent, a very amiable and respectable man. He seemed to take great pleasure in obtaining information respecting England and its inhabitants; and I found him, in return, extremely ready to answer my enquiries with regard to St. Bernard. I was truly sorry to learn from this conversation, that the income of the Convent has of late years been so much diminished, and the calls for its assistance so greatly multiplied, that it is not without great difficulty, and with the most rigid economy, that the expenditure can be supported. Mr. Bourrit, in his Itineraire des Glaciers, mentions the number of travellers who are annually received at St. Bernard, as amounting to between 7 and 8000. That number is now so greatly increased, that the prior informed me from his register, that 22,444 persons were entertained at the Convent in the course of the year 1813. I cannot help recommending most strongly to my countrymen an institution of such extensive utility, hoping that those who have it in their power to do more, will not content themselves with giving a guinea for their night's lodging. The trifle which I gave was inclosed in a paper, on which I wrote G a few lines expressive of my feelings in that sublime, spot.* O Tu, qui maria ac terras, qui sidera cœli, This morning every thing near the Convent was white with snow, but it soon began to melt, and at eight o'clock my thermometer was three degrees above frost. After breakfast I took leave of the good fathers, and descended to St Pierre in three hours. Here I quitted the mule, and mounted my own mare which had waited four days for my return. With her assistance I came in five hours to this place, where I again met with sunshine, and summer. I arrived in safety a little before sun-set, having between Monday morning and Saturday evening twice crossed the Alps, em ployed two days in examining the monuments of antiquity at Aosta, and for the fourth time in my life gratified my eye with the beauty and richness of an Italian valley. * If any person should be desirous of giving support to this most useful Institution, I believe it might be done with the greatest ease, and security, by paying the money to the Banking-house of Meffrs. Herries, Farquhar, and Co., St. James's-street; who could transmit it to their respectable corespondent at Lausanne. P. S. You must not be surprised at the prior's being desirous to ask questions concerning England, or the monks being very. attentive to the answers. Our country has acted so distinguished a part on the theatre of Europe during the last twenty-three years, and now stands in so conspicuous a point of view, that every thing which regards it is become an object of curiosity to all the inhabitants of the continent. This is particularly the case with persons, who, like the monks at St. Bernard, have scarce ever seen or conversed with an Englishman. They are all young men, and cannot remember travellers who were there before the war, and since its commencement hardly any of our countrymen have crossed the mountain. SIMPLON.* NOU OUS voici, prêts à monter le Simplon: on nepouvoit autrefois traverser cette montagne qu'à pied ou à mulet; quelques années ont suffi pour la rendre practicable aux voitures, par une pente douce et un chemin plus uni qu'on n'en trouve souvent aux environs des grandes villes. It was my intention to have gone from Aosta to Domo d'Ossola, and to have returned to Switzerland by Simplon; but being deprived by an accident of a companion whose society would have rendered any journey agreeable, I came back by St. Bernard; not displeased to see that mountain, as all fine scenery deserves to be viewed, both in going and returning. Of the road across Simplon (the most extraordinary perhaps that ever was made) I here insert the best description that I could obtain in Switzerland. It is an extract from a Tour to Milan, written by a very intelligent young traveller of Geneva. I shall only premise, that in the year 1792, I crossed the mountain on a remarkably sure-footed poney, which I had brought from Naples. The passage was then extremely difficult, and in many places dangerous, and I was accused of rashness for attempting to perform on horseback, what few persons would undertake unless on foot or on a mule. The new road as I am well assured, is so wide, that three coaches may drive abreast of each other; and the ascent and descent so gradual that the horses may trot the whole way from Glyfs to Domo d'Offola. |