Bunbury, Henry William, 1750-1811

Journey from Paris to Naples, 1769.

LWL Mss Vol. 181

Manuscript, in a single hand, documenting Bunbury’s trip from Paris starting on 16 June 1759 to Auxerre and Dijon, continuing on through the Burgundy wine region to Geneva, making observations on the many smaller towns and sites he visited, commenting on the roads, the wine, the vineyards, the people, and the scenery. He quotes Addison’s description of the Rhone. He is very positively impressed with Marseilles, commenting at length both on the beauty of the city and the lively crowds of people of various nationalities. He records his impressions of the “happy” galley slaves. He writes at length about his impressions of the Roman ruins at Nimes as well as Marseilles, Nice, Monaco, Genoa. Though he remarks on the beauty of Genoa, he has a low opinion of the Genoese character. He describes the use of oxen in the city and the presence of the Jesuits who are not well-thought of but tolerated because so many of them come from the “very first families of the state.” He arrives in Florence in the evening of July 19. He is not impressed with the bridge of which he has heard so much noting that he thinks it is “inferior in size to our Thames Bridge” as well as in beauty. He writes about the cathedral and the Medici Mausoleum and concludes with a detailed description of the Uffizi sculpture and paintings “by the most celebrated painters.” He concludes with a list of a list of the works that most impressed him and rates the “gallery of Florence” as one of the “first curiosities in Italy.”

Subjects (Library of Congress): Bunbury, Henry William, 1750-1811; Travelers’ writings, English; France–Description and travel; Italy–Description and travel.

Lewis Walpole Library new acquisition: May, 2010