276 Mary Somerville. 



himself, and the girls paint in the Borghese gallery. As 

 for myself I have always plenty to do till half past three, 

 when we dine, and after dinner I sleep for an hour or 

 more, and when the sun is set we go out to wander a little, 

 for a long walk is too fatiguing at this season. "VVe have 

 very little society, the only variety we have had was a 

 very pretty supper party given by Signore Rossi, the 

 French minister to the Prince and Princess de Broglie, 

 son and daughter-in-law of the duke. The young lady 

 is extremely beautiful, and as I knew the late Duchesse 

 de Broglie (Madame de Stael's daughter) we soon got 

 acquainted. They are newly married, and have come to 

 spend part of the summer in Rome, so you see people 

 are not so much alarmed as the English. . . "We went 

 yesterday evening to see the Piazza Navona full of water; 

 it is flooded every Saturday and Sunday at this season ; 

 there is music, and the whole population of Rome is 

 collected round it, carts and carriages splashing through 

 it in all directions. I think it must be about three feet deep. 

 It was there the ancient Romans had their naval games ; 

 and the custom of filling it with water in summer has 

 lasted ever since. The fountain is one of the most 

 beautiful in Rome, which is saying a great deal ; indeed 

 the immense gush of the purest water from innumerable 

 fountains in every street and every villa is one of the 

 peculiarities of Rome. I fear from what I have heard of 

 those in Trafalgar Square that the quantity of water will 

 be very miserable. 



The papers (I mean the Times), are full of abuse of 

 Mr. Sedgwick and Dr. Buckland, but their adversaries 

 write such nonsense that it matters little. I do not 

 think I have anything to add to my new edition. If 

 you hear of anything of moment let me know. Perhaps 



