Count Brazier de St. Simon. 375 



his bad wines. Once, when at such a dinner he was sitting 

 between the English and the Russian ambgissadors, he advised 

 them not to drink the wine they had before them, but to drink 

 with him. The other wine, though very good, he said, did not 

 agree with him ; he called it ' mixtum compositum,' and such 

 indeed it was. A cask, arriving from a farm he had some- 

 where, broke, and the wine was rather spoiled, but he improved 

 it by mixing it with some cheap Florentine wine. 



He was very angiy that he had to give up his fine lodgings 

 in Florence, and to go to Rome, of which he would not see 

 anything, though he was now and then compelled to go out 

 with persons recommended to him. He was very lively, and 

 his conversation was amusing, tor he was rather sarcastic and 

 witty. 



I do not know by what gifts I won the tavour of this 

 singular old man, but I cannot doubt that I made an impres- 

 sion on him ; for he showed it in a manner which could not 

 but convince all who were acquainted with him. He fetched 

 me every morning in /iis carriage — a hired one, for he kept 

 none — offered me always /lis box in the theatre — of course he 

 had none — and gave me even nice little dinners and luncheons, 



to the wonder of his secretary of legation. Count W , who 



is by marriage connected with the Salm family, and who 

 generally took part in our parties and excursions. 



The old ambassador would have liked very much to mesme- 

 rise me, and he tried to persuade me ; but I laughed it oft. 



1 owe the good old count much thanks, tor he accompanied 

 me everywhere, and showed me all the sights ot Rome and 

 surroundings. When he was with me in the Castle San Angelo 

 and we had seen all the rooms, which had made him rather 

 warm, I am sorry I insisted on his accompanying me to see 

 the prison ot Benvenuto Cellini, lor he caught a severe cold 

 there, Irom which he never recovered, and he died soon after 

 my departure. 



The letter of Count Arnim promised me a very kind recep- 

 tion on the part ot Monsignore Merode, the former secretary 

 of war of the Pope, and since then cardinal. He belongs 

 to a great Belgian tamiily, and is extremely rich. He is a man 

 in his best years, a very portly gentleman, looking more like a 

 disguised officer of cuirassiers than a high dignitary of the 

 Church, of which he is, however, one of the most distinguished 

 ornaments. 



