242 Mary Somerville. 



cattle are driven. Near where this occurred there is 

 a house with the inscription "Casa Dei Spiriti*; but 

 I do not think the Italians believe in either ghosts 

 or witches ; their chief superstition seems to be the 

 " Jettatura" or evil eye, which they have inherited 

 from the early Eomans, and, I believe, Etruscans. 

 They consider it a bad omen to meet a monk or 

 priest on first going out in the morning. My 

 daughters were engaged to ride with a large party, 

 and the meet was at our house. A Roman, who 

 happened to go out first, saw a friar, and rushed in 

 again laughing, and waited till he was out of sight. 

 Soon after they set off, this gentleman was thrown 

 from his horse and ducked in a pool; so the 

 " J^ttatura " was fulfilled. But my daughters 

 thought his bad seat on horseback enough to 

 account for his fall without the Evil Eye. 



