One of the most intriguing parts of Bonaparte and Brimstone for me has been the 1824 diary kept by a passenger on board John Monk’s brig, the William Black. It is rare to uncover a first-hand account of the man you are describing, and it was satisfying to be able to reproduce an unknown primary source. Together John and his passenger sail south from Liverpool to Leghorn (modern-day Livorno) on the Tuscan coast, surviving a giant storm, near shipwreck, and rough seas. There is a death on board, a rescue at sea and then a period of quarantine when they finally arrive. The diary continues beyond what the book included, describing their stay in the city and excursions.
The unpublished landlocked remainder is included here for completeness. I have left square brackets around the occasional word which was unclear in the original.
Remarks on Leghorn
It having rained very heavy during the night, the streets were miserably dirty and the avenues from the mole to the town most disagreeable, which induced me to form rather a mean opinion of it until I entered the square called Piazza D’Arno, which is large and the buildings and houses lofty with a good deal of uniformity.
On the right hand is the Custom House, a large regular building with a portico in front, and on the left the Palace at which the Grand Duke sojourns when he visits Leghorn and the ___ where the Corporate Body and Public Authority hold their meetings.
At the upper end [stands] the Cathedral, a large pile with a portico in front. The exterior of this building, intended to be cased with marble, is in an unfinished state owing to the disturbed state of the country, but it is to be hoped will ere long receive that acquisition, so that it may in some measure correspond with the interior which is truly magnificent. In it several hours may be spent with much pleasure in viewing the ceiling and monuments. The general form of the town is square, the streets running parallel with each other, part of it having the convenience of canals. At the entrances to the town are gates strictly guarded It is about 2 miles in circuit. The population about 60,000. Of them, upwards of 10,000 are Jews whom you see in shoals in Via Fernandina, commonly called the Via Grande, the principal street which is wide and well flagged throughout, the houses being lofty and regularly built. Fine homes with balconies high the ground floors occupied as shops, the upper stories as residences, the shutters to which are all in the blind stile, pardon the pun.
Objects of remark are the “Mole” where the vessels lie out at anchor, which are laden and discharged by means of lighters, three lazarettos, which by the bye I should conceive were in general occupied from the treatment I experienced. A local manufactory, the statue of Ferdinand I with 4 slaves chained to the pedestals, the first by Giovanni dell’ Opera, the slaves by Pietro Tacca Carrarese. The public library, the Greek Church, New Theatre and English Burying Ground, the exterior of the English place of worship having more the appearance of a barn than a church, indeed it was formerly occupied as a store.
The houses are built upon the plan of Edinburgh in “flats or stories” and are very large, several families occupying one house and although the exterior of many of them display much grandeur by being ornamentally painted stile, the interior predominates greatly the approach to them through dark wide stair cases which reminded me of the…
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…in water colours various devices. The floors are of red tile polished beautifully light, the centres covered with carpets which causes them to be very slippery. The windows hung round with rich tapestry and otherwise finished with great taste, the furniture being made principally of cherry tree richly polished.
[Simple] stair cases are very unpleasant. This is amply compensated by the comfort you experience within. The houses in Italy are not at all calculated during the winter months. The great fault is their being built with too little regard to the short period in which cold weather prevails, the proportion of this to the warm is so little, that it seems to be lost sight of altogether in planning the houses. The stair-cases and lobbies are large and open, consequently subject to currents of air, of which invalids not unfrequently feel the effects.
Dined with Captain Monk (who saw the Consul and promised to do the needful for me) at the Table d’ Hote, which consisted of soup, stewed fish, lamb etc. In short we had 5 removes and the charge for which only 4 Pauls, including the wine drank at dinner, dessert consisting of grapes, apples, pears, almonds, raisins etc and was much pleased with the company, of whom only 8 in number were English, Irish, Welsh and Scotch!!
After dinner, owing to its being wet, could not stroll to see the lions. Went however as far as Dennis, saw the Courier, Times and Sun papers, the Sporting Magazine etc. Purchased 4 Indian handkerchiefs, a dollar each. Evening spent in a friendly rubber with Mr Hamilton, Mr Woolley, Mr Oldis, who called to welcome my release from imprisonment.
WEDNESDAY. A cold raw day, remained in doors reading Cape’s Tour through Italy.
THURSDAY. Introduced to the Vice Consul, Mr Maddock, who proved to be a Cestrian, and from him I received my passport and much civility with an offer of his services if of avail during my stay in this part of Europe. The day raw and cold.
FRIDAY. With Captain Monk through Macali’s Repository of Statuary etc of a very great extent. The alabaster most beautiful and with which I was much taken, particularly with the Rape of the Sabines, after that at Florence by Ino. of Bologna and for which with cover, call etc 60 dollars was asked. Found in my heart to offer 40!
There were from 40 to 50 fine paintings, originals and the most celebrated artists, the price of which however exceeded the limits of either our purses, although we greatly wished to possess one or two of them.
SATURDAY. Went with Mr Woolley to the cathedral to witness the ceremony of mass performed and much surprised to see the congregation generally speaking of the lowest order and miserably clad, no regard being paid to their diess, indeed very few of them appeared respectable. The day being wet our perambulation was limited.
A Visit to Pisa
SUNDAY. This was a most charming day and went to Pisa with Captain Monk, Davies, Woolley and Thompson. The road to which after getting through the town is very good, upon the McAdam principle. The country is extremely flat to compensate for which you have fine views of the Apennines on the left and the Mount Nero Hills on the right.
The view of this city has a good effect at a distance, the dome being much like St Pauls, London from Highgate. This is an ancient brau. Town divided by the river Arno which traverses the city in the form of a crescent, dividing it nearly into 2 equal parts. Over the river are 3 bridges, said to be (among?) the finest in the country. One of the bridges, said to be of marble, is much overrated, the exterior of the arches only being edged with that material (said to be the finest in Europe). The municipal road quay on each side of the river, which serves as a promenade, is in general crowded to excess.
The situation of the cathedral, baptistry, leaning tower, churches etc render these majestic edifices particularly striking and give an air of grandeur not easily conceived and, though a large city, it has now only about 10,000 inhabitants, no commerce or manufacturing. To a stranger it’s however [paig] interests on account of the many learned men and good society which he finds. The markets, which are well supplied, are very reasonable and the house rent extremely cheap. Vis.
As a winter residence it is very desirable, the air being so extremely mild and it is in general pretty full of visitors in the months of November, October, January and February. About 40 English families in 1824-1825. The buildings are remarkable, particularly the Duomo or cathedral, the Campanile or leaning tower and the Campo Santo or burial place all of which are in a sequestered part of the city. Hence Forsythe remarks that the inhabitants are happy in their society and happy in their solitude.
It is said Buschetto a Greek was the architect of the Duomo, who began it in 1046 or 1063. It has many fine columns in the exterior of porphyry granite, jasper, verde antico etc taken from ancient bridges. The Brass or Bronze Gates at the west end or entrance are extremely curious and were made by Bonanno, those at the small entrances at the west end by Bologna.
The Baptistry is in the form of a rotunda after the designs of Diotisalvi and built in the 12th century. The interior has 8 columns of Sardinian granite, with another row over them supporting a cupola. In the centre stands a large octagon marble font elevated on 3 steps of beautiful marble, adorned with intaglio and mosaics so well expressed that they appear to have been done long before the building. On the margins are 4 places for the immersion of infants and in the centre a larger basin for the immersion of adults. This building was finished in 1133 at which period Pisa is said to have been so populous that a voluntary contribution of one florin from each family sufficed to pay for this noble edifice.
The Campanile was finished in 1174. It is 150 feet high and of a circular form and is ascended by 230 steps. It has several galleries outside and is open in the interior. It’s 14 feet out of the perpendicular inside and its curious effect appears most striking when viewed from the angular corner of the Duomo adjoining to which it was intended for a belfry as other cathedrals in Italy have these detached buildings belonging to them.
There is a report amongst the lower classes that this building was built in this singular manner, but it is too ridiculous to be credited in the least, and its enormousness fully proved by other buildings in the town which have moved from their perpendicular. The ground upon which they are built having sunk. From the top of this tower, which is most disagreeable to ascend as you fancy you are momentarily falling, there is a fine view towards Leghorn, which [proved] pleasing, Lucca and Florence.
The Campo Santo is a court surrounded by a portico of 60 arches of a very light gothic, began in 1278 from the designs of Giovanni Pisano. It has however a mean, unfinished and shed-like appearance. The ceiling not being covered or even plastered and the bare sloping beams which support the roof intrude their uncouth appearance on the sight.
The legend regarding the mound in the interior of the quadrangle is that it was originally brought from the Holy Land from whence it derives its name of Campo Santo (Holy Hill). The quality ascribed to this mound is that it completely consumes a body [which] is deposited in it in the space of 24 hours after interment!!!
The walls of the cloisters are painted in fresco with sacred histories by the first [restorers] of painting. The most important of them now remaining are about 33 pieces of the Old Testament from the creation of Solomon. They fill the whole side opposites the entrance. Except the 4 first are said to be painted by Benozzo Gozzoli who finished them in 1476. The works of the older masters especially Orcagna’s are much hurt, apparently by repainting. My guide informed me that the plates of these curious frescos are to be obtained at Charles Lasinio’s at Florence.
The other places most worthy of notice are the University (or Sapienza), which has an observatory furnished with good English instruments, a botanic garden rich in foreign plants and a small museum of birds, fish, shells, corals, fossils among other those of Gaultieri.
The public library, great hospital, observatory and seminario la loggia dei mercanti. The palaces of Lanfreducci and Lanfranchi on the Arno and that of the archbishop. Also the baths of St Julian which are about 4 miles distant, they are both handsome and commodious, being esteemed very beneficial in gout and diseases of the liver. The Chartreuse of Calci is also worthy of being visited and well repays for the labour of walking about 3 miles or better.
[Still] I was introduced to Mr Deacon, a Sheffield gent, but which country he left several years and is now settled in Pisa. His politeness was the true characteristic of an Englishman. After perambulating both sides of the Arno for some considerable time in quest of quarters for me, he introduced one to Mr [Ledny] of Liverpool, surgeon, who had come out here with his wife and family for the benefit of her health and afterwards pressed me to take dinner with him. This, out of courtesy to my fellow travellers, I could not do.
Having pledged myself to call upon him on my return to Pisa we parted and proceeded to the Sun, and by the time I arrived there my legs were not a little fatigued, having ascended and descended so many long staircases. We had a good dinner but certainly not got up in so good a style as Thompsons, for which and one bottle of Malaga wine / 8 pauls. We were charged 55 pauls, 11 pauls each. This was notice to quit for me and at the Huzzar I shall not again make my quarters.
After dinner, walked down the north side of the Arno to the gates to meet the coach and just got through them ere they were closed for the night. The quay was completely crowded and, although it would not boast of that beauty and elegance witnessed in Hyde Park, still it reminded me of that our most fashionable promenade. At ½ past 7 arrived at Leghorn not at all displeased with the cost, the expense being 19 pauls each, about 2 dollars or 8s 10d.
Last Days in Leghorn
Owing to the wetness of the weather was in doors most of the week until Saturday when we went to the English Burying Ground. For particulars of the tomb see back of next page.
SUNDAY. Strolling with Mr Townley and went with him to Mr Jackson, who introduced us to Miss Fabrico of Scalio la Pables. At this place we saw several beautiful paintings, particularly a very small one, St Anthony kissing our Saviour when an infant. For this, which was said to be an original, 40 dollars was asked. Mr Jackson gave me an invite to call upon him at home if I visited that city.
English Church Yard at Leghorn
Inclosed 1746
Monuments of Smollett (much defaced) others to the memory of the Countess of Orford, of Honorable Lady Catherine Burgess. Louisa Beckford, daughter of Lord George Rivers and Penelope his wife, of the Right Honorable Earl of Guildford, Rick? Gwillym of Bewsey, Lancashire. William, son of Lundy Foot Esq, and of Francis Horner Esq. M.P. of the latter the following is a copy:
Francis Horner
Member of the British Parliament, Born Edinburgh, August 12 1778
In his Public Life he was distinguished for his splendid talents and spotless integrity.
In his private life as a son, a brother and a friend he was dutiful, affectionate and sincere.
His father erected this monument and offers this Tribute to his memory.
The diary ends.
