We had a magnificent voyage, which made me feel immediately in a most robust and lively condition. I find, however, that a calm in the Bay of Biscay, such as we had, is considered ill-omened by the sailors; and one of the passengers committed {158} suicide on the night before we left Gibraltar. Curiously enough, the same thing happened in the same circumstances on another occasion which I remember of a calm in the same spot. We landed at Naples last Saturday. The lewdness, cruelty, etc., of the Neapolitans seems as bad as usual; but some non-Neapolitan clergy have lately been introduced, who say Mass very reverently, and preach and pray in the vernacular. I hear they are beginning to do much good. We arrived here yesterday, and are fasting to-day (Ash Wednesday) in great discomfort. Rome is crowded. The Scotch deputation (about 140 persons) is to be received by the Pope to-morrow at 10.30 a.m. Bute read the address to Pope Leo XIII. on behalf of the Scottish pilgrimage, which had come to Rome to join with the rest of Christendom in congratulating the venerable Pontiff on the celebration of his sacerdotal jubilee. From Sorrento, where he afterwards spent several weeks, he wrote to Dr. Metcalfe on Holy Saturday: The people had their fill (I should hope) of services, and especially of preaching, yesterday (Good Friday). They began with a procession round the town at 4 a.m., which I did _not_ join, commemorative of the procession to Calvary. The Liturgy began in the cathedral at 8, and ended at 11. At 1 a man began preaching in the cathedral and went on till 4.15--I wonder he could do it. The church was full, and all, even small boys and girls, very attentive. He preached nine sermons, or rather one enormous sermon in nine points, with short and very sweet Italian anthems sung between each. Many of the congregation were affected to tears. The service of _Tenebræ_ began at 5 and lasted an hour and a half; then they began another procession through the streets, this time in commemoration of Christ being {159} borne to the grave. A spectator said to me quite cheerily that this procession was going the round of seven churches; and that there would be a sermon in each. At 9.30 p.m. I heard from our garden the town band (which accompanied the procession) still playing in the distance sacred music and funeral marches. The people are now buying at the confectioners' small lambs made of the least indigestible sugar procurable, so that they may "eat the lamb this night" without violating the Lenten law of abstinence from flesh meat. [Sidenote: 1888, Easter at Sorrento]