Pièce 54 - Letter from Sir George Trevelyan to R. C. Trevelyan

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Verona. - They had good weather on their journey, though there was so much rain on their first day in Verona he feared a repeat of the floods of 1882 and 1868; however since the Adige has now been embanked it is hoped it will not flood again. Verona is wonderful, though their hotel is 'not quite good enough to linger in'. They spent two nights in Brescia, which is better than the guidebooks suggest. Plan to send on their suite and luggage tomorrow and spend the day in Vicenza, going on late to Venice. Went up to a fort over the town today and saw back to Solferino and Villafranca where the peace was made in 1859 [between Napoleon III and Emperor Francis Joseph]; likes seeing the 'deserted fastnesses of the Austrians'; their withdrawal from Italy is 'one of the good things done in [his] lifetime]. Has read the "De Corona" [of Demosthenes?] and calls it 'the best speaking in the world', but is not in a hurry to read more at the moment: 'as with Tacitus, or Herodotus, or Cicero's letters, speeches are never quite literature'. Is now reading some Terence, and reckons its 'sweet and feeling' nature must come from Terence himself, as Plautus does not give the same effect.