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AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



museums, with this difference only, that the 

 monkeys have glass eyes most unnaturally 

 starting from their sockets, whilst the hollow 

 sockets of the Sicilian mummies contain a 

 withered substance, discoloured and deprived 

 of all the loveliness that life had once imparted 

 to it. 



The churches in this delicious island surpass 

 even those of Rome in the variety of rare and 

 costly marble ornaments. 



The horns of the cattle are of surprising 

 length. By the merest mishap in the world, I 

 lost the opportunity of purchasing a pair of 

 these, which would have deserved a place of 

 distinction in any museum of England. 



We left Sicily under the full impression that 

 we ought to have remained there for three or four 

 months ; but this could not be accomplished ; 

 so, on our return to Naples, having paid a fare- 

 well visit to Virgil's tomb, we left this laughing, 

 noisy, merry city on a fine and sunny morning, 

 to enjoy, for eight or nine months more, the 

 soothing quiet of the Roman capital. 



To ourselves, as Catholics, a prolonged so- 

 journ in the eternal city was of infinite value. 

 The venerable Cardinal Fransoni had been un- 



