118 Mary Somerville. 



ville thought that in my weak state a warm climate 

 was necessary ; so we arranged with our friends, the 

 Miss Barclays, to pass the Simplon together. We 

 parted company at Milan, but we renewed our 

 friendship in London. 



We went to Monza, and saw the iron crown ; and 

 there I found the Magnolia grandiflora, which 

 hitherto I had only known as a greenhouse plant, 

 rising almost into a forest tree. 



At Venice we renewed our acquaintance with the 

 Countess Albrizzi, who received every evening. It 

 was at these receptions that we saw Lord Byron, but 

 he would not make the acquaintance of any English 

 people at that time. When he came into the room I 

 did not perceive his lameness, and thought him 

 strikingly Lke my brother Henry, who was remark- 

 ably handsome. I said to Somerville, "Is Lord 

 Byron like anyone you know ? " " Your brother 

 Henry, decidedly." Lord Broughton, then Sir John 

 Cam Hobhouse, was also present. 



At Florence, I was presented to the Countess of 

 Albany, widow of Prince Charles Edward Stuart 

 the Pretender. She was then supposed to be married 

 to Alfieri the poet, and had a kind of state reception 

 every evening. I did not like her, and never went 

 again. Her manner was proud and insolent. " So 

 you don't speak Italian ; you must have had a very 



