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Florence. Sailed from Dover on Saturday, 18th May, 1816, and sailed from Malta (for his return to England) on Sunday, 18th May, 1817. Left Naples on 1st June and arrived in Rome 4 days later. Intended to remain there 2 days, but bumped into the Miss Allens (v.271), so stayed until the 18th - in mourning due to death of nephew in Pisa in the spring, and also 1 of the 3 sisters - the 2 survivors and their mother are with their aunts in Rome. Trip to Tivoli - frequently mentioned by Horace, so PE bought a copy to take with him. 5 days from Rome to Florence - carriage overturned and PE tumbled into a ditch (without damage) - it will soon ne too hot to travel in the middle of the day. Much better pleased with Florence than in the autumn, having spent the interim in the filth and misery of Rome and Naples. Joined from Rome to Florence by Timothy Rogers of New York (whose brother Elmsley is named after PE's brother) - he had an affair with a married woman in Naples. Miss V (v.274) has found her man again - rich, good-tempered but such a fool (according to Mary King). Plans for his journey home - the Sothebys are in Venice, and he hopes to catch up with them in Heidelberg, and then persuade them to spend 2 or 3 weeks in Holland. Availability or not of various fruits in Italy. Letters PE found in Rome - more on the dishonest Roman postal clerk. Sending 3 boxes, mostly of books, from Leghorn - will need to pay duty on his return. Asks for name of Miss Bigge's husband (in the military?), and passes on good wishes.

Paris. Mary's (PE's niece?) letter arrived for PE in Paris via Milan, apparently enclosing an introduction by Lord Lansdowne to Mr de Brome - but PE could not have fully profited from it, since after arriving in Milan on 29th June excessive heat drove him away on 10th July. Sister-in-law has been preoccupied by a Mrs Gee having to defend a will in court - PE has received threatening letters in his time (which his sister-in-law may find among his papers if she survives him), and is none the worse for them. Arrived in Paris on 28th July, and will stay at least a month; intends to be in Oxford by 10th October. A letter has reached PE via Milan - the government means to engage PE to examine some mss. in Naples. On return to England may land at Brighthelmston (official name of Brighton until 1810). Has bought his sister-in-law some eau de Cologne. 15 night journey from Milan to Paris. Paris said to be full of the English, but PE knows only one (who has a pretty country house just outside the city, but only one cow). Has received a letter from Sotheby explaining a bit more about the Neapolitan expedition (but nothing about the timing). Love to the girls, and thanks to Mary in particular for her letter - short, but exceedingly fairly written. (On the 1st page the letter continues, written interlineally in red - an experiment in how to cram even more onto the sheets. Women are indefatigable scribblers, and have many ways of getting a great deal of matter onto paper. Then a story of an Italian lady, courted by two men - she chose the Englishman by drawing his name from a hat, and said that he must be faithful to her, since if she lost him she would not be able to recover the other man; she was not choosing a husband, however, having one already, but a lover. Some remarks on the attitudes to love of various nationalities, and the story tails off...else PE will lose his dinner.)

Dunkeld. Prevented from writing of Edinburgh by the attentive hospitality of the MacKnights. Barnbougle Castle far superior to Hopetoun House. Left Edinburgh yesterday and spent the night in Kinross (the trout not much larger than a Ramsgate whiting). Strath earn a lovely and rich valley. Perth today - disappointing. Dunkeld similar to the suburbs of Canterbury. To see Blair Atholl the next day. Veysie is PE's travelling companion (Daniel, Bampton Lecturer 1795?).

From John Richardson in Montreal to Mrs Elmsley in Quebec. Condolences on heavy loss (her husband - cf. letter 30). Apologises for heavy expenses (medical, funeral).

NB Some of the following letters, up to and including that of 18th July, are not signed off - they read like an extended journal, and were despatched all together under one cover. Antwerp, Hotel d'Angleterre. Goes through his accounts since Ostend - has lived very cheaply, though without stinting himself. Could have stayed a few weeks longer in Brussels - PE the only English clergyman, so performed the office of pastor to the very smart English residents - indeed, he would like to smuggle to his sister-in-law several yards of white silk, which he received for burying the daughter of Lord Robert Fitzgerald, who died of a consumption. However, he must hasten into Holland, before hot weather makes the canals offensive and unwholesome. Description of journey from Brussels to Antwerp = well-built villages and no beggars. Antwerp itself extremely handsome. Walk to cathedral - 3 paintings by Rubens recently returned from Paris (where Napoleon had taken them, and where PE had seen them 2 years before) - but hung as if for sale, like pictures in Mr Christie's great room. Jesuit church - mixed feelings - first church with galleries he has seen on the continent. Hotel quite dirty. Dutch performance of Othello. Excellent costumes, variable but reasonable acting. Text taken from the adaptation by Jean-Francois Ducis. Royal Academy of Fine Arts - nothing remarkable apart from the pictures recently recovered from Paris. Walk along the quai - saw some merchantmen - many American ships, and the shops display signs in Flemish, French and American English (e.g. osiers instead of hawsers). Commerce uncertain, because nobody knows who will rule Antwerp in 10 years - it may remain Dutch, it may be reconquered by France, or it may be demanded by Prussia in any new division, to gain access to the German sea. To the north Buonaparte constructed a basin for 60 men of war, now innocently occupied by American vessels.

Antwerp. Leaves Antwerp in early afternoon - 1 night in Breda, 2 in Utrecht, then Amsterdam. Church of St James and memorial chapel of Rubens (picture returned after 7 years in Paris). Citadel - now a prison. Dockyard built by Buonaparte now decaying. Latin elegiacs over one of town gates - in 1624 the senate and people felt that the Scheldt would soon be opened and commerce restored - 200 years passed before the first happened, and the second is probably very remote. Inhabitants are fair, fresh, clean, quiet, industrious and comfortable. Every street corner has a statue of the Virgin with a lamp (street lighting). The many angels and saints in the churches possess a distinguished beauty. Oratorio in cathedral for the souls of all nations who fell at Waterloo.

Hague. Walk to Ryswyk, and failure to find Needle of Ryswyk (house chosen for 1697 treaty negotiations because it had several doors, so the ambassadors could enter at the same time without any loss of precedence). Monument to Baron Wassenaar (d. 1665) in Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk very badly executed. States General are sitting - PE has not been, but several members taker the table d'hote at his hotel. (Tuesday, 16th July - Rotterdam) Has paid bill - hotel not clean, but not as expensive as feared (misled by wax rather than tallow candles). Dutch royal family very quiet and modest, without any pomp. Has brought French franks to Holland, but the exchange rate varies. Little book buying in Holland (apart from guides) - 1638 bible by Barker and Bill, and 1597 Euripides apud Commelinum.

Brussels. Arrived on 20th. Tour of Holland - 4 nights in Antwerp, 1 in Breda, 2 in Utrecht, 6 in Amsterdam, 3 in Leyden, 4 in The Hague, 3 in Rotterdam, 1 in Antwerp. All PE's letters have arrived in England, 'though mostly entrusted to complete strangers (inc. a Valentine Dillon of County Mayo, who had just been prosecuted - unsuccessfully - for breach of promise, accompanied by a duel with the lady's brother). Discussion of difficulty of conveying a trunk to Italy - impossible by land, no sea-trade from Holland, therefore leave it in Brussels till his return. Expecting a letter of credit, but it may have been sent straight to Geneva - will not wait for it, since he has spent quite enough time in Holland. Staying at Hotel de Flandre - table d'hote expensive enough to exclude army officers, an expense PE cheerfully bears, since they are noisy and empty and unaccustomed to good society. Considers various means of travelling to Cologne. Much rainy weather - the Dutch do refer to St Swithin (a Saxon bishop), but to St Medard or St Margaret.

Two letters are at Stafford Row from PE to his brother, who has gone to Godalming (to examine Norman remains). Since one letter follows the other by a day, he wonders if he should forward them. His mother is still at Ealing, and has been for five weeks.

Recommends a doctor.