amuse my fancy. Not being able to brook the confinement of the
carriage, I left it to come over at its leisure; and, stepping into a
boat, rowed along, at first, by the quivering osiers; then, launching
out into the midst of the waters, I glided a few moments with the
current, and resting on my oars, listened to the hum of voices afar
off, while several little skiffs, like canoes, glanced before my
sight, concerning which distance and the twilight allowed me to make
a thousand fantastic conjectures. When I had sufficiently indulged
these extravagant reveries, I began to cross over the river in good
earnest; and being landed on its opposite margin, travelled forwards
to the town.

Nothing but the famous gallery of paintings could invite strangers to
stay a moment within its walls; more crooked streets, more
indifferent houses, one seldom meets with; except soldiers, not a
living creature moving about them; and at night a complete regiment
of bugs "marked me for their own." Thus I lay, at once both the seat
of war and the victim of these detestable animals, till early in the
morning (Sunday, July 9th), when Morpheus, compassionating my
sufferings, opened the ivory gates of his empire, and freed his
votary from the most unconscionable vermin that ever nastiness
engendered. In humble prose, I fell fast asleep; and remained quiet,
in defiance of my adversaries, till it was time to survey the
cabinet.

This collection is displayed in five large galleries, and contains
some valuable productions of the Italian school; but the room most
boasted of is that which Rubens has filled with no less than three
enormous representations of the last day, where an innumerable host
of sinners are exhibited as striving in vain to avoid the tangles of