VARIOUS NOTABLES-1879-1881 569 



suspected that it was intended for me, I quietly evaded 

 the whole business by joining a party of Americans in a 

 steam-launch, so that I had been on board some little time 

 before the admiral realized the omission in his pro 

 gramme. As a result, in order to quiet his conscientious 

 and patriotic feelings, I came again a day or two after 

 ward, was conveyed to the frigate with the regulation 

 pomp, and received the salutes due an American minister. 

 My stay on the ship was delightful ; but, though the admiral 

 most kindly urged me to revisit him, I could never again 

 gather courage to cause so much trouble and make so much 

 noise. 



Most interesting to me of all the persons in Nice at that 

 time was a young American about fourteen years of age, 

 who seemed to me one of the brightest and noblest and 

 most promising youths I had ever seen. Alas ! how many 

 hopes were disappointed in his death not long afterward ! 

 The boy was young Leland Stanford. The aspirations of 

 his father and mother were bound up in him, and the great 

 university at Palo Alto is perhaps the finest monument 

 ever dedicated by parents to a child. 



During another of these yearly absences in Italy, I met 

 various interesting men, and, among these, at Florence the 

 syndic Ubaldino Peruzzi, a descendant of the great Per- 

 uzzis of the middle ages, and one of the last surviving as 

 sociates of Cavour. He was an admirable talker ; but of all 

 he said I was most pleased with the tribute which he paid 

 to the American minister at Eome, Judge Stallo of Cincin 

 nati. He declared that at a recent conference of statesmen 

 and diplomatists, Judge Stallo had carried off all the hon 

 orsspeaking with ease, as might be necessary, in Italian, 

 French, and English, and finally drawing up a protocol 

 in Latin. 



At Florence also I made an acquaintance which has 

 ever since been a source of great pleasure to me that of 

 Professor Villari, senator of the kingdom, historian of 

 Florence, and biographer of Savonarola. So began a 

 friendship which has increased the delights of many Flor- 



