72 
A GIUA THROUGH SICILY. 
it has filled millions of souls with adoration of the Divine 
Creator ; and in its light, and warmth, and sublime beauties, 
in all the joy and gladness that it sheds upon earth, there is 
still enough of heaven to make us feel that we are mortal 
here to be immortal hereafter. 
Pardon these little bursts of enthusiasm, I pray you; the 
fact is, being unable to get up any inspiration on the subject 
of antiquities, I have to let out now and then on the sun, 
and moon, and stars by way of experiment; for when I see 
my fellow-travelers go into raptures over an old stone wall, 
or a musty picture, or broken column, which fails to produce 
the slightest effect upon me, I begin to imagine that there 
must be something lacking in head or heart, and it is only 
by soaring among the mountains and clouds that I can con¬ 
jure up a particle of enthusiasm. 
