been written and said on
this subject, I can add only one observation. To the reality of the
story it has been objected that the oldest narrator, Masuccio, relates
it as having happened at Sienna: but might he not have heard the
tradition at Verona, and transferred the scene to Sienna, since he
represented it as related by a Siennese?--Della Corte, whose history
of Verona I have just laid down, mentions it as a real historical
event; and Louis da Porta, in his beautiful novel, la Giulietta,
expressly asserts that he has written it down from tradition. If
Shakespeare, as it is said, never saw the novel of Da Porta, how came
he by the names of Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and the Capulets:
if he _did_ meet with it, how came he to depart so essentially from
the story, particularly in the catastrophe? I must get some books, if
possible, to clear up these difficulties.

23d, _at Padua._--We spent yesterday morning pleasantly at Vicenza.
Palladio's edifices in general disappointed me; partly because I am
not architect enough to judge of their merits, partly because, of most
of them the situation is bad, and the materials paltry: but the
Olympic theatre, although its solid perspective be a mere trick of the
art, surprised and pleased me. It has an air of antique and classic
elegance in its decorations, which is very striking. I have heard it
criticised as a specimen of bad taste and trickery: but why should its
solid scenery be considered more a _trick_, and in bad taste, than a
curtain of painted canvas? In both a deception is practised and
intended. We saw many things in Vicenza and its neighbourhood, which I
have not time nor spirits, to dwell upon.

We arrived here (at Padua) last night, and to-day I am again ill:
unable to see or even to wish to see any thing. My eyes are so full of
tears that I can scarcely write. I must lay down my pencil, lest I
break through my resolution, and be tempted to record feelings I
afterwards tremble to see written down.--O bitter and too lasting
remembrance! I must sleep it away--even the heavy and drug-bought
sleep to which I am now reduced, is better than such waking moments as
these.

* * * * *

_Venice, October 25th._--I feel while I gaze round me, as if I had
seen Venice in my dreams--as if it were itself the vision of a dream.
We have been here two days; and I have not yet recovered from my first
surprise. All is yet enchantment: all is novel, e