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Julian
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This letter is part of the correspondence calendar of the complete correspondence of Thomas Gray. The calendar contains detailed bibliographic records for all known original, copied, or published letters written by or to the poet as well as the full-text, where available. Each record is accompanied by digitised images of the manuscript, where available, or digitised images of the first printed edition.
I believe you saw in the newspapers that I was going to make the tour of Italy; I shall therefore
give you some account of the places I have seen, which are not to be found in Mr. Addison, whose method I shall follow. On 9th of Octr., 1735, we set out from Lodone
Amisit verum vetus Albula nomen.By
Timethe founder's great design was crost, AndAlbulaits genuine title lost.
Here are no remains of Roman antiquity but a statue of Marc Aurelius,
Falleris, hâc qui te pingi sub imagine credis,
Non similis Judas est tibi–poenituit.
Think not, vain man, thou here art represented,
Thou art not like toJudas–he repented.
From thence we made the best of our way to a town, which in English we should call Stony-Stratford, and corresponds with the description which Virgil has given of it–
–vivo praetervehor Ostia Saxo
Stratfordi, Megarosque sinus, Tapsumque iacentem.
Those that follow are little dirty towns, that seem to have been built only to be 'knocked
Antitheum, Glaucumque, Medontaque, Thersilochumque.
The next town of note is Arc,ab Eoo curvatur in Arcum. From Arc we travelled through a very pleasant country to Epino,
Sylva Epini latè dumis, atque ilice nigrâ
Horrida, quam densi complerant undique sentes;
Rara per occultos ducebat semita calles.
Epinum'swoods with shrubs and gloomy oak
Horrid, and all with brambles thick o'ergrown,
Through which few narrow paths obscurely led.
Mr. Trap.
We were here shown, at a distance, the thickets rendered so famous by the robberies of Gregorio.
Accurrit quidam notus mihi nomine tantùm
Arreptâque manu, Quid agis, Cosinissime, rerum?
Horace.
There stepp'd up one to me I hardly knew,
Embraced me, and cried, Cousin, how d'ye do?
Mr. Creech.
We lay that night at Oggerell,quod versu dicere non est.
In our way to Parvulun,
Porrum et Caepe nefas violare.Juv.
The wonders of Parvulun are in great repute all over Lombardy. We have very bad ways from hence to Pont Ossoria,Hâc sita sunt fossâ Bonae
Venerabilis ossa!
From Pont Ossoria we travelled by land to Nuovo ForoA
Discourse on the Magnanimity of Bucephalus, and of the Duke of Boltogne's Horse Looby.
I staid here three days, and in my way to Pavia
Incidit in Gogum qui vult vitare Magogon.Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charibdim.
I need not repeat the history of Gog and Magog, it being known to every child, and to be found at large in most books of travels.
Pavia and its University are described by Mr. Addison, so I shall only mention a circumstance which I wonder escaped that learned
gentleman. It is the name of the town, which is derived from the badness of the streets: Pavia à non pavendo, as
Lucus à non lucendo.
Till next post, adieu!