TALBOT1072

Rome
Thursday May 8. 1823

We missed you somehow yesterday very unluckily – we had walked along the margin of the Lake till we passed the village of Nemi, when we began to think you could not be gone so far – As we differed in opinion which was the shortest way back, William ¹ returned & I went round the Lake, We both arrived together at Gensano & found you had been gone 20 minutes – We were very much disappointed at finding ourselves too late being persuaded I especially that we were should be first at Gensano – In the evening we took a walk on the road to Nettuno from whence we had a fine view of Albano & G La Riccia at the same time. By the bye the way I went round the Lake of Nemi was quite beautiful, along the water’s edge on the sunny side of the Lake, but overshadowed with a canopy of Trees – At night I observed several fires on the Campagna, and on enquiring found that it was Ascension eve, & the country people make these fires of rejoicing perchè in questa notte intra la grazia di Dio nel grano; ² for if you look at an ear of corn on Ascension Day you see the farina beginning to form, whereas there was nothing the day before. This morning we saw the Campagna covered with a most dense fog, which beginning in front of Albano (while Rome was free from it & in the sunshine) extended on the left as far as we could see towards the Pontine Marshes, so that I fear you were involved in it as soon as you descended from Velletri – Today we went to Frascati & Tusculum, & then back to Rome. Coming down from Tusculum we met Sandon ³ & Labouchere ⁴ going up – The Pope ⁵ blessed the people today from the Quirinal, the ceremony lasted from 11 to half past 12. We were unluckily too late for it. Tomorrow we mean to go to Tivoli. My love to all. Adieu. Amusez vous bien. ⁶

Your aff^te Son
W.H.F. Talbot

[address panel:]
à Miladi
Miladi Feilding
Poste Restante
Napoli