I dare say you will be surprised when you see the date of my letter,
as according to my last from Turin, you must have imagined me at
Venice. It was indeed our intention till we got as far as Milan,
and saw the shoals of English that were pouring in from every side,
and till we heard the same accounts from everybody of the crowds
and dearness at Venice upon this occasion. Garrets hired as a great
favor at four sequins a night, every thing else in proportion, and
with regard to us, who could not have got there above two days
before Ascension day, the greatest danger of lying in the street.
A fortnight passed at Venice at this time would have occasioned a
very considerable augmentation in my expences, greater I am afraid
than would have suited you, and which I should have brought upon
you merely for the sake of a ceremony, as I can take Venice in as
convenient, and a much cheaper manner in coming home. I was happy
enough to find Mr. Guise entirely of my opinion, & we both agreed
to strike off to Genoa & from thence by the way of Leghorn into
Tuscany. I can easily conceive how extravagant Venice would have been
upon such an occasion, from what I have already experienced of the
dearness of travelling in Italy. Upon the road the necessary expences
of the posts, &c., are higher than in England, and with regard to the
inns, the instant they discover you are an Englishman, they do not
know what to ask. We are constantly obliged to reduce their demands
to one half, and even then to pay them too much. At Pavie I remember
they asked us about twelve shillings for our lodging two nights in a
single room. We gave them about eight, which they took after about
half an hour's wrangling.
This, Dear Sir, is the disagreable side of travelling. In every other
respect my tour exceeds my most sanguine expectations, altho' I am
not yet got to the most interesting part of Italy. Turin, Milan,
and Genoa have afforded me very great entertainement, and very
different scenes. You cannot expect, Dear Sir, an account of any one
of them. The whole it would be impossible to give you, and I should
hardly know what particulars to select. We had better reserve them
till we meet at Beriton, where the history of my peregrinations may
perhaps furnish out the amusement of some evening when there is no
post. Indeed if negligence and conciseness can be ever excused in
a Correspondent they ought to be in a traveller. The common excuse
of having no time is almost verified. Your morning is taken up with
running about to see places, your evenings are commonly engaged in
company, and you are forced to employ the very few moments you have
at home in setting down some account of the things you have seen.
But amongst all my avocations I cannot help mentioning Mr. & Mrs.
Celesia, who have received us not only in the most polite but really
in the most friendly manner. We have dined and supped several times
with them; once at their Country house which is still wilder than
Beriton, and they have introduced us to the Doge and to several
houses in the town. This afternoon we are going with them upon a
party in the country. Mrs. Celesia seems to retain the warmest
friendship for Mrs. Gibbon; she is very sorry their correspondence
has been dropt, and has some thoughts of renewing it herself. I
likewise saw the other day Captain John Elliot,[76] who came in with
his Frigate and sailed again in about a couple of hours for Minorca.
He has been a great while beating about the Mediterranean.
Mr. Guise and I travel in great harmony and good humour. He is
indeed a very worthy sensible man, and I hope I have formed a
friendship that will last as long as my life. He is very far from
being ignorant & will be more so every day, as he has a very proper
spirit of curiosity and enquiry. My inferior companion (my servant)
is a very useful one in this country, and in general a very good one.
I never enjoyed a better state of health, and hope I shall stand the
heats of Florence pretty well. I fancy I shall be obliged to draw
again soon after my arrival there, which will be in about ten days.
I hope I need say nothing of my sentiments which are always the same
for Mrs. Gibbon. I hope to write to her from Florence. My sincere
compliments wait upon the brothers.
I am, Dear Sir,
Most affectionately yours,
E. GIBBON.
[76] Captain J. Eliot, R.N., was connected through his
sister-in-law, Mrs. Eliot of Port Eliot, (_née_ Catherine
Elliston), with Gibbon. He died unmarried, an admiral and
governor of Newfoundland.
[Sidenote: FLORENCE.]
37.
_To his Stepmother._
Florence, June 20th, 1764.