.MjE1.NDg0MzQ
I am not able to do much sigh seeing, + I missed a great deal, that I wanted to see, but this is one of the small trials, so many of which I have to endure, so many besides my illness. There were some full lengths by Vandycke + Reubenns, + Guido's St. Sebastian in the Brignoli palace at Genoa, that I enjoyed more than anything I have seen here, except the Peyche, which is the first bit of marble that ever gave me any real satisfaction. I feel so sorry to loose, Sorrento, Pompeii, + Capri, but I have felt so ill the last few days that we dare not stay in this malaria country any longer. Baths of Lucca. May 10th I have seen Rome! + was only allowed to remain two days; two days, was there ever anything more barbarous? Our arrival was not propitious; utterly exhausted by the journey from Naples, I barely reached our rooms in the hotel de Russie, before one of my terribly fainting fits came on. I had an awful time, + Mamma + Sister were very much alarmed. The next day, I managed to get dressed, + though I had to be very careful, + drink beef tea by the whole sale, I was able to go about in a carriage. The first thing we saw was Saint Peters. It far surpassed my expectations, + the beauty + harmony of the whole impressed me greatly. Pauvre moi! I was only allowed a half an hour, to take it all in. (Half an hour, for Michael Angelo's chef d'oeuvre). It was holy-week, + the 'Vatican,' + principal galleries were closed, another disappointment added to the many. But I did see the "Cenci." If I had been expecting to see my dearest friend I should not have been as excited; + when we finally reached the Barbarini Palace, + were ushered into the Cenci's presence, I found to my inexpressible disappointment that her eyes were --- brown. And I hate brown eyes!! It is quite true that there is something about the original, that the copiests can not catch; some subtle fascination peculiar to itself; I liked it immensely but it was far less beautiful than I expected. We visited th Coliseum, + dug up a "live ruin" in the shape of Mr. G.W. Wurtz.