William Calder Marshall, Rome, to Helen

6 pieces

The murder here referred to was that of George Houseal (ref. The Carlyle letters, http://carlyleletters.dukejournals.org/cgi/content/full/9/1/lt-18370921-TC-JAC-01#FN2)

He has been on a tour of the Appenines with two painters, an Englishman and an Irishman, describes their appearance, all have moustaches. Describes their progress to Subiaco, where the people are "barbarians", on to Albano, at which point cholera broke out and their journey became most difficult. On being refused access to Tivoli they, and a German, get drunk. Through a lucky break he returns to Rome.

It is thought the cholera was caused by the number of people crowded around for the Festa of the Madonna. He is protecting himself with a bottle of cognac and the pills used by the English surgeon in Palermo. They must have heard of the murder of an Englishman in Rome, the people are now again calm. Bandits have also escaped from prison and are in the woods above Albano. I understands their parents have travelled to Holland to see Tom. He has obtained a piece of verde antique from the baths of Nero. Mother must go to the Zoological Gardens when in London, and the Adelaide Gallery in the Strand.