Biographical Memoir of Sir John Leslie. 25 



Mr Leslie had early determined to visit Italy at a fit oppor- 

 tunity ; and he at last, in the summer of 1823, carried bis 

 design into execution. He set out with a mind still glowing 

 with youthful enthusiasm, at the prospect of beholding the 

 " eternal city ;" but, whether from his entertaining too lofty 

 conceptions, or from his view being too hurried and superficial, the 

 tour, in as far at least as respected that crowning object of it, 

 ended in disappointment. The following letter, written at Inns- 

 bruck on the 11th of August, contains a brief outline of his 

 journey : " I have thus reached the frontiers of Germany on 

 my return from Italy. I have fortunately achieved the princi- 

 pal objects of my tour ; and though 1 have travelled slowly, 

 I have seen a great deal in a short time. From Geneva I pro- 

 ceeded by Lausanne up the Valais to Brieg — thence crossed the 

 Simplon, and descended through the plains of Lombardy to 

 Milan. From this place I advanced by Parma and Modena to 

 Bologna — next crossed the Apennines to Florence — again crossed 

 another part of that broad chain to Rome. For various rea- 

 sons, I made the " eternal city" the limit of my journey. I 

 therefore traversed the Apennines again to Ancona — skirted a 

 considerable portion of the Adriatic — returned to Bologna, and 

 thence proceeded to Mantua. I spent two days, about twent}' 

 miles from that place, at an old chateau, the residence of Acerbi, 

 who accompanied me to Verona. Thence I went to Trent, and 

 journeying through the Tyrol, have reached this spacious, inte- 

 resting city. Italy has rather fallen below my expectations, 

 whilst Switzerland has surpassed my early impressions. The 

 passage of the Simplon alone is worth the journey ; but the 

 rout thnough the Tyrol, though not so sublime, is highly pictu- 

 resque. Italy has every thing on a grand scale. The plain?, 

 mountains, rivers, works of art, are all majestic and noble. But 

 there is no comfort. Rome itself stands in the midst of a desert. 

 Its grandeur has always been artificial — the result of force or 

 fraud. I have seen v/hatever is most interesting ; and I am in- 

 clined to differ very widely from our ordinary travellers. I 

 heard much of the malaria, but I escaped untouched. I suffered 

 little from the heat, and bore it better than the natives. Con- 

 formably to the custom, however, I was a sort of prisoner durino- 

 a great part of the day — the windows shut to exclude every ray 



