There were few public places of amusement open, during my stay at Florence, it being the season of the Carême, or Lent. I visited the Theatre Cocomero, and heard the Barber of Seville, an opera so well known, that it would be superfluous to enter into any description of it; but I cannot resist stating the extraordinary effect produced upon me by the singing of the prima Donna. I thought I could have given the world to have seen her pretty face and figure; the tones and expression of her voice, however, appeared to connect themselves in my mind, by pure sympathy, with exact delineations of her person and attitudes, and to excite the most intense desire to possess the power of vision, which I ever recollect to have experienced since I had the misfortune to lose it. I heard, I felt, I saw or _imagined I saw_, every thing which words, gestures, and actions could convey: I rose, leaned forward, and felt an almost irresistible impulse to spring upon the stage, to ascertain whether my ideas were illusive or real; and what may be thought more strange my desire to see, appeared to originate from a wish to convince myself that I could not see. I may be thought to overcharge this description with too vivid or affected sentiment, but I can assure the reader, that it contains only a small portion of the exquisite feelings which I experienced. I am unable to give any account of the state of society at Florence, my intercourse being confined to a very few friends, who were chiefly former acquaintance. I met with a gentleman just arrived from Rome, who assured me that every thing was quiet and safe there, and I consequently determined, whatever might be the result of the Austrian and Neapolitan war, to advance forward to that place; but my determination was still more confirmed, the day before my proposed departure, by the official news which arrived, of the Austrians having entered the Neapolitan states, without any considerable opposition. At the same time we received intelligence of a revolution having broken out at Turin, Genoa, and Nice, and I could not but feel an equal concern for my friends at the latter place, with what they had previously felt for me; but my apprehensions on this score soon subsided, on finding the effort immediately checked by the Austrians stepping into Piedmont; so that in fact they appear to have taken upon themselves the guardianship of all Italy.