hough often decorated with exquisite taste, are constructed
without any regard to what _we_ should term comfort and convenience;
they are dark, confined, and seldom communicate with each other, but
have a general communication with a portico, running round a central
court. This court is in general beautifully paved with mosaic, having
a fountain or basin in the middle, and possibly answered the purpose
of a drawing-room. It is evident that the ancient inhabitants of this
lovely country lived like their descendants mostly in the open air,
and met together in their public walks, or in the forums, and
theatres. If they _saw company_, the guests probably assembled under
the porticoes, or in the court round the fountain. The houses seem
constructed on the same principle as birds construct their nests; as
places of retreat and shelter, rather than of assemblage and
recreation: the grand object was to exclude the sunbeams; and this,
which gives such gloomy and chilling ideas in our northern climes,
must here have been delicious.

Hurried on by a hungry, noisy, merry party, we at length reached the
Caserna (the ancient barracks, or as Forsyth will have it, the
praetorium). The central court of this building has been converted into
a garden: and here, under a weeping willow, our dinner table was
spread. Where Englishmen are, there will be good cheer if possible;
and our banquet was in truth most luxurious. Besides more substantial
cates, we had oysters from Lake Lucrine, and classically excellent
they were; London bottled porter, and half a dozen different kinds of
wine. Our dinner went off most gaily, but no order was kept
afterwards: the purpose of our expedition seemed to be forgotten in
general mirth: many witty things were said and done, and many merry
ones, and not a few silly ones. We visited the beautiful public walk
and the platform of the old temple of Hercules (I call it _old_,
because it was a ruin when Pompeii was entire); the Temple of Isis,
the Theatres, the Forum, the Basilica, the Amphitheatre, which is in a
perfect state of preservation, and more elliptical in form than any of
those I have yet seen, and the School of Eloquence, where R** mounted
the rostrum, and gave us an oration extempore, equally pithy,
classical and comical. About sunset we got into the carriages, and
returned to Naples.

Of all the heavenly days we have had since we came to Naples, this has
been the most heavenly: and of all the lovely s