28 Cisterna and Fogliano [1889 



made a scene, declaring that he and Prince Henry would leave the 

 Vatican if not at once announced. They were consequently announced, 

 although the Pope had given orders that he and the Emperor should be 

 undisturbed for half an hour, ten minutes before the time, but the 

 Emperor told them to wait. Stonor assures me that this was all. It 

 has, however, I fancy been agreed to hush up whatever happened, and 

 the Emperor has made whatever amends was required. 



" $th Nov. — Made a round of visits with Stonor, among others to 

 the Embassy. The Dufferins arrived last night, but we did not see 

 them. With Dering [the first Secretary], however, we had some talk. 

 Simmons is to arrive next week and with him as secretary, Ross of 

 Bladensburg. This will make a storm in Ireland, where Ross is known 

 to have had much to do with the Papal Rescript against the Plan of 

 Campaign. [See my ' Land War in Ireland.'] 



" 6th Nov. — We breakfasted at the Palazzo Caetani, and went on 

 in the afternoon in a storm of thunder and lightning with the Duke 

 and Duchess [of Sermoneta] and their daughter Giovanella to Fogliano. 

 Fogliano, however, we were not destined to reach, for the rain was 

 quite equatorial, and we stopped for the night at Cisterna, where the 

 Duke has a half-deserted palace, and there we are camped. The floods 

 on the Campagna were beyond belief, torrents of red water pouring 

 over the edges of the railway cuttings, and in some places the train 

 having to drive its way against a strong and deep current. Every 

 water course was a raging flood and broad streams were forming 

 themselves rapidly in the fields and still broader lakes. At Villetri 

 we left the train and took carriage, but stopped here as it was thought 

 dangerous to go farther. I never in Europe saw such continuous 

 lightning or such rain over so long a space of time. It has been like 

 the breaking of the monsoon in India. The torrent in one of the 

 valleys gave one an idea of what the world may have been in the tropic 

 age when the great valleys were first formed. 



" This palace here at Cisterna has many remains of grandeur, fresco 

 paintings by Zucchero, and fine marble chimney-pieces. The weather, 

 too, in spite of the rain is warm, and we are lodged comfortably 

 enough. We play dominoes in the evening on an old fire screen 

 propped on two chairs to serve as table." 



We went on next morning with the first light to Fogliano, just in 

 time to get across the Pontine Marshes, for the floods were rising and 

 in one place had already covered the road. Here we spent four days 

 in this the most delightful country place in Italy. I have already de- 

 scribed Fogliano in one of my previous volumes and need not repeat 

 it here. We occupied our time pleasantly enough duck shooting on 

 the lagoons, which lie between the great oak forest and the sea, in 

 the early mornings, and riding in the afternoons to visit the Duchess's 



