317 
fully say—‘ Von carent altissimt montes preruptique 
scopult suis etiam deliciis’*; nor need one have the 
science of a Clusius to feel pleasure in such scenes. 
Scarcely any traveller passes the Alps in summer 
without either lamenting the ‘neglect of his bota- 
nical studies, or more honestly regretting that he 
had never attended to this source of pleasure at all. 
I have long ago perhaps tired the reader with my 
admiration of the works of art. If he had had in- 
dulgence enough for me to get thus far, he must 
now lay in a fresh stock of patience while I expa- 
tiate on the productions of nature; unless he should 
chance to be a botanist, and then all I can say will 
not satisfy his curiosity. Dr. Bellardi and myself 
were accommodated at the hospital, built for the 
reception of travellers in bad weather, which is now 
under the direction of an abbé, named Tua; the 
good father Nicholas, so much celebrated by Lady 
Miller, being dead long since. This is a good rus- 
tic sort of inn; so far from being intolerable, that 
the English ambassador, Mr. Trevor, and his lady, 
had. lately resided some weeks here on a party of 
pleasure. Mr. de Sousa and the rest of our com- 
pany took refuge in a tent not far distant, belong- 
ing to the chevalier de St. Real, then intendant of 
the province of Maurienne, and now of the valley 
dAost, who with an ingenious young officer of 
Chambery, Mr. Martinel, had spent several weeks 
here, and as many in the preceding summer, in 
order to investigate thoroughly the geography and 
*< «The most lofty mountains and most rugged precipices are 
not without their own peculiar charms.’ ” (Clus. Panon. 316.) 
