228 Travels in Italy 



much watered. The scene in some places is charming : the road 

 is Hke a fine alley^ passing through a new mown garden; the 

 meadows are as level as a die, without a mole-cast or ant-hill: 

 thanks to watering ! The mowing neat; the hay now cocking; 

 rows of trees everywhere, and not being in straight lines, the 

 appearance is pleasing. It is an observation I have more than 

 once made, and it is nowhere so exemplified as in this country, 

 that there are beauties resulting from extreme fertility that 

 belong to a flat which would be hurt by inequalities of soil. The 

 approach to Racconis is by a double row of trees on each side of 

 the road, with two shady paths, very pleasing even by moon- 

 light; but my fellow-traveller, with his drawn sword, ready to 

 pass at the breast of a robber, should any attack us, did not 

 people these shades with the most agreeable figures of the fancy. 

 He says there are many in Piedmont ; and that travelling in the 

 dark is alway dangerous. Such things are to be laid to the 

 account of government; and a pretty satire it is on despotism, 

 not to be able to keep its roads clear from robbers. At Racconis, 

 a great trade in winding silk: a beggarly inn — paper windows, 

 etc. — 27 miles. 



25/A. Pursuing our road, pass a country seat of the Prince 

 of Carignan, with a great enclosure of plantation, and many 

 Lombardy poplars. Cross the Po by a most commodious ferry; 

 a platform on two boats; the coach drove on and off without 

 our moving. Why have we not such ferries in England ? All a 

 rich level country till we come near the mountain of Turin, and 

 pass the chateau of Moncaglia, the present residence of the 

 Count d'Artois. Reach Turin; drive to the hotel royal ; all full. 

 To the hotel d' Angleterre ; all taken for the Prince of Conde. To 

 the bonne femme, which good woman received me. I was in 

 time for the table d'hote, at which were several French refugees, 

 whose accounts of affairs in France are dreadful. These were 

 driven from their chateaus, some of them in flames; it gave me 

 an opporunity of inquiring by whom such enormities were com- 

 mitted ; by the peasants or wandering brigands ? they said by 

 peasants, undoubtedly; but that the great and indisputable 

 origin of most of those villainies was the settled plan and conduct 

 of some leaders in the National Assembly, in union with, and by 

 the money of, one other person of great rank, who would deserve 

 the eternal execrations and reproaches of all true Frenchmen and 

 every honest man: that when the assembly had rejected the 

 proposal of the Count de Mirabeau to address the king to estab- 

 lish the niilice bourgeoise, couriers were soon after sent to all 



