Italy

To-day, as early as you please, and at all events before doing anything else, let us go to Giotto's own parish-church, Santa Maria Novella. If, walking from the Strozzi Palace, you look on your right for the "Way of the Beautiful Ladies," it will take you quickly there.

I promised some note of Sandro's Fortitude, before whom I asked you to sit and read the end of my last letter; and I've lost my own notes about her, and forget, now, whether she has a sword, or a mace; - it does not matter. What is chiefly notable in her is - that you would not, if you had to guess who she was, take her for Fortitude at all. Everybody else's Fortitudes announce themselves clearly and proudly. They have tower-like shields, and lion-like helmets - and stand firm astride on their legs, - and are confidently ready for all comers. Yes; - that is your common Fortitude.

As early as may be this morning, let us look for a minute or two into the cathedral: - I was going to say, entering by one of the side doors of the aisles; - but we can't do anything else, which perhaps might not strike you unless you were thinking specially of it. There are no transept doors; and one never wanders round to the desolate front.

As you return this morning to St. Mary's, you may as well observe - the matter before us being concerning gates, - that the western facade of the church is of two periods. Your Murray refers it all to the latest of these; - I forget when, and do not care; - in which the largest flanking columns, and the entire effective mass of the walls, with their riband mosaics and high pediment, were built in front of, and above, what the barbarian renaissance designer chose to leave of the pure old Dominican church.

NICE, March 10, 1765.

By Thomas Seccombe

I

NICE, May 2, 1764.

NICE, March 30, 1765.

BOULOGNE SUR MER, June 23, 1763.

DEAR SIR, - You laid your commands upon me at parting, to communicate from time to time the observations I should make in the course of my travels and it was an injunction I received with pleasure. In gratifying your curiosity, I shall find some amusement to beguile the tedious hours, which, without some such employment, would be rendered insupportable by distemper and disquiet.

NICE, July 2, 1764.