I tried to sketch the scene before me, but could not form a stroke.  I cannot now take a short walk without feeling its ill effects; and my hand shook so much from nervous weakness, that after a few vain efforts to steady it, I sorrowfully gave up the attempt.  On returning home by the Coliseum, and through the Forum and Capitol, I met many things I should wish to remember.  After all, what place is like Rome, where it is impossible to move a step without meeting with some incident or object to excite reflection, to enchant the eye, or interest the imagination?  Rome may yield to Naples or Florence in mere external beauty; but every other spot on earth, Athens perhaps alone excepted, must yield to Rome in interest.

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28.—­This morning we walked down to the studio of Mr. Wagenal, to see the AEgina marbles; which, as objects of curiosity, interested me extremely.  These statues are on a smaller scale than I expected, being not much more than half the size of life, but of better workmanship, and in a style of sculpture altogether different from any thing I ever saw before.  They formed the ornaments of the pediment of the Temple of Jupiter in the island of AEgina, and represented a group of fighting and dying warriors, with an armed Pallas in the centre:  but the subject is not known.

The execution of these statues must evidently be referred to the earliest ages of Grecian art; to a period when sculpture was confined to the exact imitation of natural forms.  Several of the figures were extremely spirited, and very correct both in design and execution; but there is no attempt at grace, and a total deficiency of ideal beauty:  in the Pallas, especially, the drapery and forms are but one remove from the cold formal Etruscan style, which in its turn is but one remove from the yet more tasteless Egyptian.  I think it was at the Villa Albani, I saw the singular Etruscan basso-relievo which I was able to compare mentally with what I saw to-day; and the resemblance in manner struck me immediately.  Thorwaldson is now restoring these marbles in the most admirable style for the King of Bavaria, to whom they were sold by Messrs. Cockerel and Linkh (the original discoverers) for 8000_l._

Gibson, the celebrated English sculptor, joined us while looking at the AEgina marbles, and accompanied us to the studio of Pozzi, the Florentine statuary.  Here I saw several instances of that affected and meretricious taste which prevails too much among the foreign sculptors.  I remember one example almost ludicrous, a female Satyr with her hair turned up behind and dressed in the last Parisian fashion; as if she had just come from under the hands of Monsieur Hyppolite.  By the same hand which committed this odd solecism, I saw a statue of Moses, now modelling in clay, which, if finished in marble in a style worthy of its conception, and if not spoiled by some affected niceties in the execution, will be a magnificent and sublime work of art.