My two companions left this morning at half past five. Strolled through the corridors of the University, reading the epitaphs of the learned men, distinguished in this part of Italy during the last centuries. The buildings are modern and extensive, and the principal cement of this once seat of the Lombard Kings. The Ticinius about the size of the Genesee at Rochester skirts the walls of the city.

Walked across the bridge but could see little, the town and country being enveloped in frost and fog. At 11 embarked on a canal boat to return to Milan, with some 20 or 30 other passengers of all conditions, but many of them students going to Milan to spend the remaining week of the carnival. The fare 3/4ths of a livre - 6 stirlg. - never traveled twenty miles at so low a price before. But, rather slow as it was five o'clock when I arrived at the Gran Brettagna before arriving at the city, a poor poet erne on board - recited one of his verses for the amusement of the passengers, who rewarded him with a few coppers. Being in the Milanese dialect, understood very little of what he said -

At our table d'hote have made the acquaintance of two young Englishmen — Bright, who started today for Genoa per Vetturino. I accompanied them as far as Pavia, some 20 miles from Milan to see Certosa, a very famous church and monastery founded by Giovanni Galiozzo Viscounte – first duke of Milan. He same who commenced the Duomo. Certosa dates from 1396.

The road, leaving Milan by the Porto Ticino, runs along the canal which connects Milan with Pavia & then joins the river Ticinus. We arrived at Certosa in three hours for the snow had rather retarded our progress. As much as I had heard of the richness of Certosa, was surprised and my expectations exceeded in the beauty and variety of the marbles and mosaics of which its numberless alters are formed. Some of which are resplendent with rubies, emeralds, topazes and other reddish stones.

The monks of St. Bruno had once a revenue of a million lives per annum - which for a century or more they employed in adorning this temple, which is still in excellent preservation though the leaden roof was taken by Napoleon & converted to bullets, and one of tiles substituted. There is a marble monument & statue of Galeuzzo the Duke, and of Beatrice d'Este, a little short woman with a pleasing round face. The clog shoes on her feet is still the fashion of the country people in this part of Lombardy.

Leaving Certosa we entered Pavia an hour before dark, which gave us time to stroll through one or two of the principal streets. Noticed some very lofty brick towers intended in former times for defense, and which once were to be number of one hundred. In the evening went to the masquerade at the theatre, but cut rather an odd figure in our caps 6 traveling dress. The ladies merely looked on from the boxes, not being the custom at Pavia to mingle with the students of the university who number near 2,000. Got a fine dinner before bed at the Hotel della Lombardia -

A great holiday high mass and a procession in the Duomo by the archbishop. The numerous attendants appeared small in comparison to the gigantic dimensions of the edifice. A fine day - the streets and churches filled with well dressed people. Went and spent an hour in the churches San Fidele and La Scala [opera house] - a good show of the sex.

At two o'clock carriages began to assemble on the Corso and the bastions and for many a day have not seen a gayer sight. The carriages on the bastions were in four lines and some of them very sumptuous equipages -the viceroys had six horses.

The gravel side walks occupied by promenaders, many of whom had descended from the carriages. The ladies of Milan are stout, and at this season are fresh looking, their eyes remarkably brilliant. The La Scala in the evening not over well attended in consequence of a soiree dansante [a formal ball] at the Governors -

Called on Signor Bonola, but found he has gone to Parma - to return in a few days. Thence took a stroll alone to a distant part of the city. Went in to the church of San Lorenzo - admirable for the architecture of its dome, the largest in Milan.

Towards porta San Lodovico, one of the eleven gates of the city, is situated the church San Celso - built in 1485 after the design of Bramante. The facade is very rich in sculpture by Lorenzo. Among the figures is Adam & Eve, our first mother I take to be a copy of the Venus de Medici, with the addition of a fig leaf and very amusing to see such a voluptuous figure in front of a church.

The interior is rich in alter pieces and frescoes by Milanese painters. The dome was painted last and is admirably done by Andrea Appiani, whom my guide book cells immortal. Mass was performing to a highly respectable and devout crowd - whose carriages and liveries were in attendance at the door of the church -

Did not go out much the first of these days - drizzling snow & uncomfortable. In the evening at the Theatre Connobbiano - the comedy of La Pace figlia d' amore kept the audience very merry. The next day went to the Brera - once a sumptuous convent, but now called the palace of Sciences & Arts. The gallerie of paintings contains a numerous collection, mostly taken from the suppressed convents and nearly entirely on religious subjects, but after remaining about an hour found the cold too severe, so left with the intention of resuming the survey at future day.

The Ambrosian library founded in the 16th century by Cardinal Borromeo is interesting for the many works of art it contains. Among them Raphaels cartoon of the School of Athens - the manuscript books numbers a Virgil a folio volume, once belonging to the poet Petrarch, with notes in his own handwriting and in very rood preservation. Drawings of machinery & hydraulic apparatus by Leonardo da Vinci - with the explanations written backwards.

From the Librarv went to the Vice regal palace - outwardly a plain building forming one side of the square and facing the Duomo, but nothing can exceed internally the luxury and elegance with which the rooms are furnished. Walls lined with rich velvets inlaid with gold and silver embroidery - marbles of most exquisite polish and brilliant colours, far exceeding in richness the imperial palace at Shonbrunn, but far less in extent -

This morning employed a Guida de Piazza, as they are called in Milan - an old militarian under Napoleon and well acquainted with the works of art & antiquities of Milan. He is to take me to see the cenacula of Da Vinci, the arco della pace and the accademia di Bresso, the Ambrosian library etc. etc. He is likewise to perform the part of ruffiano, as I told him I could not think of leading the life of San Girolamo at Milan.

The arch of peace commenced by Napoleon and finished by the Austrians is the finest monument of the kind I have yet seen, of marble surmounted by bronze statues. The Arc de Etoile is the only one to be compared to it, but the arch of Milan carries the palm. After looking round at the alter pieces in the old church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, found in the refectory of an old convent the well known cenacula of Leonardo da Vinci, but time the universal conqueror has done his work the dampness of the wall has nearly obliterated this master piece of art. Some of the faces, particularly that of the saviour, may still be admired and put at defiance all the copies and engravings that I have seen of it. I should say little more than 10 years must complete its decay as the nitre arises from the wall and for which there is no remedy.

The modern amphitheater well built of stone and of large dimensions used for equestrian exercises and nautical exhibitions being supplied with water by the canals with which Milan is so abundantly furnished and in winter as at present the water is let in, and serves as a skating pond to the gentry and nobility of the city.

Snow coming on returned to the Hotel - in the evening the opera of the Straniera & ballet at the La Scala. Ranconi sang admirably in the part of Valdeburgo - Salvi that I saw at Trieste was not so favorably received - the three ballerinas of the accademia received their usual applause -

A fine day, pleasant sun shine - went in to the Duomo. The sun had a fine effect on the large painted windows - particularly those back of the alter where the life of our saviour from his birth to the resurrection is painted at length. To be admired more for the brilliancy of colour than excellence of execution on, found it rather cold in the church so took my course, a long round to the Casenna - or barracks - all that remained of the old Castle of Milan.

Erected by Visconti - and taken down by the french in l801 as useless by the heir of the map made my way to the old church of Saint Ambrose, where the bones of the holy man repose. Part of this church dates from the earliest ages of Xtianity - the 4th century - and was the site of a pagan temple. Here Ambrose celebrated the Christian rites, called after him the Ambrosian, and still is the form in this and the other churches in Milan and differs from the roman. While in the church a number of the officiating priests came in to perform vespers and I could observe the chanting to differ in tune and manner from any I had heard. The monuments of this church are of too remote and barbarous times to be of any worth as specimens of the fine arts.

From hence passed the corso della porta Roman to the fashionable part of the city - the porta orientale & passeggio de Bastioni. Crowded with fashionables and equipages, enjoying the fine day. At half past four completed the five hours ramble by dining at the trattoria del Marino - ala carte. In the evening the theatre of Connobiano - the 2nd of Milan, but not to compare with the La Scala -