Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the GospelYeardley, John
Religion
Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel
Yeardley, John
Clergy -- United States -- Biography; Quakers -- Biography; Yeardley, John, 1786-1858
We had much to do before we could meet with a suitable conveyance, and at
length trusted ourselves with our Italian coachman, who could not speak
French. For a certain sum he was to give us three places in his coach, and
provide us with food and lodging by the way. The other passenger inside
was an Englishman, who spoke very little French and no Italian, and
another Englishman outside was in the same situation. We could not but
feel ourselves a very helpless company when arriving at the inns, which
were quite of an inferior class, and little or no French spoken. We did
pretty well, however, till we got to Milan, where we rested some days; and
our Englishmen were exchanged for an Italian priest who spoke no French,
and a Swiss who was a little useful to us as far as Bologna; after this
place we travelled five days alone. The inns on this side of Milan are
much worse, and from the detention of our passports in the towns we passed
through, we were often prevented from reaching the place of destination,
and obliged to lodge at villages, where we suffered much in the way of
food and lodging; yet through all we were favored to bear the journey much
better than I expected. My J.Y. was rather poorly for two days, and I was
extremely anxious about him; but the sight of the Gulf of Venice seemed to
help to restore him.
At Sinigaglia, a town eighteen miles from this, they told us that we
should just meet the vessel which was to sail on the 30th. Judge then what
was our disappointment when, on arriving at the inn here, we found that it
was gone.
This disappointment was a severe trial of their patience; but they
consoled themselves with reflecting that "good in some shape might arise
out of the seeming evil."
Ancona, says John Yeardley, is beautifully situated on the side of a high
hill, in appearance at a distance a perfect model of Scarborough. There
are in the place a good many Greeks, one of whom Argyri recognised as we
inquired at his shop the way to the Post-office. On returning she made
herself known to him, and he shows us every attention; he is a fine
looking man, with a countenance as strong as brass. We are comfortably
lodged, with a delightful view of the harbor, but our hearts are in Corfu.
Our young companion, adds M.Y., is amiable and very quick, but not of much
use to us respecting her native tongue, which she retains but very
imperfectly, and is not at all fond of speaking it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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