200 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 



Sir Hans Sloane of famous memory, who resides in 

 the Bontrouline palace, and not finding him at home 

 left a note of introduction written by two ladies, 

 Mrs. Boott and Miss Boott, and also a letter intrusted 

 to my care by Mirbel. I called also at the Botanic 

 Garden, but Mr. Targioni-Tozzetti ■* was not at home, 

 and the garden was of no great consequence. While 

 at dinner Mr. Sloane called to welcome me to Flor- 

 ence, and to take me out of the city to the Campagna, 

 — lawns and beautiful pleasure-grounds and groves 

 skirting the Arno for a mile or two, which are thrown 

 open to the public, forming the favorite drive or prome- 

 nade. Almost the whole city was there, and I never 

 saw a more pleasant place. The roads were thronged 

 with carriages, from the barouche of the grand duke 

 to the peasant's cart, all on terms of perfect equality. 

 The grand duke passed us twice. He mingles much 

 with the people, is accessible to all, and is greatly be- 

 loved. The government, though despotic, is paternal, 

 the people are not burdened with taxes, and are con- 

 tented and industrious. The difference between 

 Tuscany and the Papal States is manifest enough. 

 But I must hasten with my narrative. Early the next 

 morning, Friday, I called on Mr. Sloane, looked at his 

 garden, where he has many fine things. We then 

 crossed the Arno to the other side of the town, called 

 on Professor Amici,^ who removed here from Modena 

 a few years since, and has charge of the grand 

 duke's observatory. He was very obliging, showed 

 me his microscopes, which he thinks unrivaled, but I 

 don't, and then the observatory, where I saw all the 



1 Antonio Targioni-Tozzetti, 1*785-1856 ; distinguished Florentine 

 botanist. 



^ Giovanni Battista Amici, 1784-1863 ; an Italian astronomer, espe- 

 cially skilled in the construction of optical instruments. 



