But change of air may cure
some sick people more speedily than the sufferers ever hoped; and also it is on
record that young men with the very best intentions respecting study do not
fulfil them, and are led away from their scheme by accident, or pleasure, or
necessity, or some good cause. Young Clive worked sedulously two or three months
at his vocation at Rome, secretly devouring, no doubt, the pangs of sentimental
disappointment under which he laboured; and he drew from his models, and he
sketched round about everything that suited his pencil on both sides of Tiber;
and he laboured at the Life Academy of nights - a model himself to other young
students. The symptoms of his sentimental malady began to abate. He took an
interest in the affairs of Jack, and Tom, and Harry round about him; Art
exercised its great healing influence on his wounded spirit, which to be sure
had never given in. The meeting of the painters, at the Caffè Greco and at their
private houses, was very jovial, pleasant, and lively. Clive smoked his pipe,
drank his glass of Marsala, sang his song, and took part in the general chorus
as gaily as the jolliest of the boys. He was the cock of the whole painting
school, the favourite of all; and to be liked by the people, you may be pretty
sure that we for our parts must like them.
    Then, besides the painters, he had, as he has informed us, the other society
of Rome. Every winter there is a gay and pleasant English colony in that
capital, of course more or less remarkable for rank, fashion, and agreeability
with every varying year. In Clive's year some very pleasant folks set up their
winter quarters in the usual foreigners' resort round about the Piazza di
Spagna. I was amused to find lately, on looking over the travels of the
respectable M. de Pöllnitz, that a hundred and twenty years ago the same
quarter, the same streets and palaces, scarce changed from those days, were even
then polite foreigners' resort. Of one or two of the gentlemen Clive had made
the acquaintance in the hunting-field; others he had met during his brief
appearance in the London world. Being a youth of great personal agility, fitted
thereby to the graceful performance of polkas, etc.; having good manners, and
good looks, and good credit with Prince Polonia or some other banker, Mr.
Newcome was thus made very welcome to the Anglo-Roman society, and as kindly
received in genteel houses, where they drank tea