VISIT TO THE LIBRARY.

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fig orchards. It is a broad, smooth road, constructed onthe principle in England called “ Mac Adam’s,” hut whichhas been in general use in Italy time out of mind. Uponarriving within about a mile from the convent, the groundsassume a more park or garden-like appearance. Rows andbowers of orange and lemon trees, roses, jessamines, and aprofusion of flowers laid out in parterres and sodded terraceswith great taste and neatness. All this terminates in aspacious esplanade flanked with orange trees, in the centreof which is the mighty convent gate. I must not forgetto mention that one of the rules of this establishment is tosupply all travellers or visitors of decent appearance withlodging and good entertainment gratuitously for three days,should any choose to stay so long. I had a letter of intro-duction to one of the monks who happened to be absent,but every civility we could desire was shown to us. A setof rooms is reserved for the reception and lodging of visitors.Being very hungry we desired to be ushered into the eatingdepartment of La Forestieria, where we made a heartymeal of vermicelli soup, boiled fowl, and stewed veal withplenty of good wine and fruit. Every friar of this conventhas his horse or mulq, moreover there are carriages at thedisposal of such of the community as are desirous of going ajourney in that way. We knew that upon the arrival ofvisitors of respectability, especially such as are introducedby letter, it was usual to provide them with horses and takethem over the mountain Plateau for the sake of the sur-rounding scenery. We were somewhat surprised at notbeing offered the honour of that ceremonial, and we alsosuspected that we had been put into a very second or thirdrate tabernacle in the Forestieria. In consequence of theseapparent misconceptions of our dignity, we determined totake a hasty view of the most interesting objects and returnto our inn at St. Germano instead of passing the night at