Perugia. 253 



interesting to be seen. The neighbouring country is 

 very beautiful, and the city being on the top of a 

 hill is very cool during the hot weather. We had 

 an apartment in the Casa Oddi-Bagiioni a name 

 well known in Italian history and I recollect spend- 

 ing some very pleasant days with the Conte Oddi- 

 Baglioni, at a villa called Colle del Cardinale, some 

 ten or twelve miles from the town. The house was 

 large and handsomely decorated, with a profusion 

 of the finest Chinese vases. On our toilet tables 

 were placed perfumes, scented soap, and very 

 elaborately embroidered nightdresses were laid out 

 for use. I remember especially admiring the basins, 

 jugs, &c., which were all of the finest japan enamel. 

 There was a subterranean apartment where we 

 dined, which was delightfully cool and pleasant, and 

 at a large and profusely served dinner-table, while 

 we and the guests with the owner of the house 

 dined at the upper end, at the lower end and below 

 the salt there were the superintendent of the Count's 

 farms, a house decorator and others of that rank. It 

 is not the only instance we met with of this very 

 ancient custom. The first time Somerville and I 

 came to Italy, years before this, while dining at a 

 very noble house, the wet-nurse took her place, as a 

 matter of course, at the foot of the dinner-table. 

 On the morning after our arrival and at a very 



