English travelers on the continent of Europe are, and have been for many years, as it is hardly necessary to state, a very motley and heterogeneous crowd.  The same thing may be said of American travelers now, but it was not so much the case at the time of which I am writing.  It is not so with the people of any other nation; and foreigners are apt to sneer on occasion at the unkempt and queer specimens of humanity which often come to them from the two English-speaking nations.  We can well afford to let them stare and smile, well knowing that if a similar amount of prosperity permitted the people of other countries to travel for their pleasure in similar numbers, the result would be at the very least an equally—­shall I say undrawing-room-like contribution to cosmopolitan society?  When Sir George Hamilton assumed the duties of British representative at Florence, the yearly throng of English visitors was becoming more numerous and more heterogeneous, and all wanted to be invited to the balls at the Pitti Palace.  Those were the most urgent in their applications, as will be easily understood, whose claims to such distinction were the most problematic.  The practice was for the minister to present to the grand duke whom he thought fit, and those so presented went to the balls as a matter of course.  The position of the minister, it will be seen, was an invidious one.  Under the pressure of these circumstances, Sir George Hamilton declared that he would in no case take upon himself to decide on the fitness or unfitness of any person, but would act invariably upon the old recognized rule of etiquette observed at other courts in such matters—­i.e., he would present anybody who had been presented at the court of St. James, and none who had not been so presented.  The result was soon apparent in a singular thinning of the magnificent suites of rooms of the Pitti on ball-nights.  The general appearance of the rooms might be something more like what the receiving-rooms of princes are wont to look like, but all that was gained in quality was attained by a very marked sacrifice of quantity.  In a week or two Sir George received a hint to the effect that the grand duke would be pleased if the minister would be less strict in the matter of presenting such English as might desire to come to the Pitti.  “Oh!” said Sir George, “if that is what is desired, there can be no difficulty about it.  I am sure I won’t stand in the way of filling the Pitti ball-room.  Let them all come.”  And accordingly everybody who asked to be presented was presented without any pretence of an attempt at discrimination.