Among the pictures here, the entombing our blessed Saviour by Rafaelle is most praised:  It is supposed indeed wholly inestimable, and I believe is so, while Venus, binding Cupid’s eyes, by Titian, engraved by Strange, is possibly one of the pleasantest pictures in Rome.  The Christ disputing with the Doctors is inimitable, one of the wonderful works of Leonardo da Vinci:  but here is Domenichino’s Diana among her nymphs, very laboured, and very learned.  Why did it put me in mind of Hogarth’s strolling actresses dressing in a barn?

Villa Borghese presents more to one’s mind at once than it will bear, from the bas relief of Curtius over the door that faces you going in, to the last gate of the garden you drive out at;—­large as the saloon is however, the figure of Curtius seems too near you; and the horse’s hind quarters are heavy, and ill-suited to the forehand; but here are men and women enough, and odd things that are neither, at this house; so we may let the horse of Curtius alone.

Nothing can be gayer or more happily expressed in its way than the Centaur, which Dr. Moore, like Dr. Young, finds not fabulous; while the brute runs away with the man, and Cupid keeps urging him forward.  The fawn nursing Bacchus when a baby, is another semi-human figure of just and high estimation; and that very famous composition for which Cavalier Bernini has executed a mattress infinitely softer to the eye than any real one I ever found in his country, has here an apartment appropriated to itself.

From monsters the eye turns of its own accord towards Nero, and here is an incomparable one of about ten years old, in whose face I vainly looked for the seeds of parricide, and murderous tyranny; but saw only a sturdy boy, who might have been made an honest man perhaps, had not the rod been spared by his old tutor, whose lenity is repaid by death here in the next room.  It is a relief to look upon the smiling Zingara; her lively character is exquisitely touched, her face the only one perhaps where Bernini could not go beyond the proper idea of arch waggery and roguish cunning, adorned with beauty that must have rendered its possessor, while living, irresistible.  His David is scarcely young enough for a ruddy shepherd swain; he seems too muscular, and confident of his own strength; this fellow could have worn Saul’s armour well enough.  AEneas carrying his father, I understand, is by the other Bernini; but the famous groupe of Apollo and Daphne is the work of our Chevalier himself.

There is a Miss Hillisberg, a dancer on the stage, who reminds every body of this graceful statue, when theatrical distress drives her to force expression:  I mean the stage in Germany, not Rome, whence females are excluded.  But the vases in this Borghese villa! the tables! the walls! the cameos stuck in the walls! the frames of the doors, all agate, porphyry, onyx, or verd antique! the enormous riches contained in every chamber, actually takes away my breath and leaves