I congratulated myself on having arrived safely at this universally admired city, and had the additional pleasure of finding the hotel, to which I had been recommended, exceedingly comfortable; the establishment was excellent, and the charges, at the same time, reasonable; every thing was conducted upon a fixed system, the prices for rooms and meals being undeviating; nor did they charge for any thing which was not actually partaken of. The rates were as follows:—breakfast, a paul and a half (the paul being little more than five pence sterling); there was a table d’hôte at two o’clock, chiefly frequented by merchants of all nations; and another at five, for the accommodation of those who were travelling for amusement, comprising amongst other articles a good substantial English dinner; for each of which, with a good bottle of wine, the charge was five pauls, somewhat less than half-a-crown sterling; and the bedroom was charged three pauls per night. The table d’hôte was nearly over when I arrived, but I contrived to make a good dinner from the remains of a roasted turkey, during which I recognised the voice of the Saxony merchant entering the house, and of whom I had gained ground half an hour; but he did not come near me, for the two or three days that he remained at this hotel. I was not disposed to consider my present visit to this city, more than _en passant_ on my way to Rome, intending to take it more at leisure on my return; my present observations are therefore to be regarded as very casual ones. Madame H⸺ had the kindness to procure me a servant, but it was not easy to gain much information from him, as he was an Italian, and not in the least acquainted with the French language; however by his naming, as he had been ordered, each street and public building, as we passed along, I soon began to acquire a general idea of the town, and contrived to go wherever I wished, so as to call upon my friends and explore most parts of the city; the weather, however, was unfavourable, and, notwithstanding the advanced state of the spring, both cold and wet, so that for the nine days I staid at Florence, we were only one day exempt from rain more or less: as compared with Nice, it might be considered an English climate. The cathedral is a beautiful edifice, paved with fine marble, as is also the Duke’s chapel, which is said to contain some exquisite paintings over the altar. On Sunday I was present at the ceremonies of this chapel, where I heard some fine vocal and instrumental music; after which I proceeded to attend divine service at the house of our ambassador, which is opened for that purpose to English residents and visitors: and I could not avoid contrasting its devout and simple solemnity, with the pompous ritual of the Roman church.