erve what a thing is a woman! she
is not afraid even of the roaring ocean, and yet goes into fits almost
at the sight of a fly.]

In a very clear day, it is said, one may see Corsica from hence, though
not less than forty or fifty miles off: the pretty island Gorgona
however, whence our best anchovies are brought to England, lies
constantly in view,

Assurgit ponti medio circumflua Gorgon.

RUTELIUS's Itinerary.

How she came by that extraordinary name though, is not I believe well
known; perhaps her likeness to one of the Cape Verd islands, the
original Hesperides, might be the cause; for it was _there_ the
daughters of Phorcus fixed their habitation: or may be, as Medusa was
called _Gorgon par eminence_, because she applied herself to the
enriching of ground, this fertile islet owes its appellation from being
particularly manured and fructified.

Here is an extraordinary good opera-house; admirable dancers, who
performed a mighty pretty pantomime Comedie _larmoyante_ without words;
I liked it vastly. The famous Soprano singer Bedini was at Lucca; but
here is our old London favourite Signora Giorgi, improved into a degree
of perfection seldom found, and from her little expected.

Mr. Udney the British Consul is alone now; his lady has been obliged to
leave him, and take her children home for health's sake; but we saw his
fine collection of pictures, among which is a Danae that once belonged
to Queen Christina of Sweden, and fell from her possession into that of
some nobleman, who being tormented by scruples of morality upon his
death-bed, resolved to part with all his undraped figures, but not
liking to lose the face of this Danae, put the picture into a painter's
hands to cut and clothe her: the man, instead of obeying orders he
considered as barbarous, copied the whole, and dressed the copy
decently, sending it to his sick friend, who never discerned the trick;
and kept the original to dispose of, where fewer scruples impeded an
advantageous sale. The gentleman who bought it then, died; when Mr.
Udney purchased Danae, and highly values her; though some connoisseurs
say she is too young and ungrown a female for the character. There is a
Titian too in the same collection, of Cupid riding on a lion's back, to
which some very remarkable story is annexed; but one's belief is so
assailed by such various tales, told of all the striking pictures in
Italy, that one grows more tenacious of it every day I think;