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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Passages From the French and Italian Notebooks, Volume 1 + +Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne + + +Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7879] +This file was first posted on May 29, 2003 +Last Updated: April 3, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PASSAGES FRENCH AND ITALIAN *** + + + + +Produced by Tapio Riikonen and David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <div style="height: 8em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h1> + PASSAGES FROM THE FRENCH <br />AND ITALIAN NOTE-BOOKS, <br />VOLUME I. + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + By Nathaniel Hawthorne + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + PASSAGES FROM HAWTHORNE'S NOTE-BOOKS IN FRANCE AND ITALY. + </h2> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0002" id="link2H_4_0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + FRANCE. + </h2> + <p> + Hotel de Louvre, January 6th, 1858.—On Tuesday morning, our dozen + trunks and half-dozen carpet-bags being already packed and labelled, we + began to prepare for our journey two or three hours before light. Two cabs + were at the door by half past six, and at seven we set out for the London + Bridge station, while it was still dark and bitterly cold. There were + already many people in the streets, growing more numerous as we drove + city-ward; and, in Newgate Street, there was such a number of + market-carts, that we almost came to a dead lock with some of them. At the + station we found several persons who were apparently going in the same + train with us, sitting round the fire of the waiting-room. Since I came to + England there has hardly been a morning when I should have less willingly + bestirred myself before daylight; so sharp and inclement was the + atmosphere. We started at half past eight, having taken through tickets to + Paris by way of Folkestone and Boulogne. A foot-warmer (a long, flat tin + utensil, full of hot water) was put into the carriage just before we + started; but it did not make us more than half comfortable, and the frost + soon began to cloud the windows, and shut out the prospect, so that we + could only glance at the green fields—immortally green, whatever + winter can do against them—and at, here and there, a stream or pool + with the ice forming on its borders. It was the first cold weather of a + very mild season. The snow began to fall in scattered and almost invisible + flakes; and it seemed as if we had stayed our English welcome out, and + were to find nothing genial and hospitable there any more. + </p> + <p> + At Folkestone, we were deposited at a railway station close upon a shingly + beach, on which the sea broke in foam, and which J——- reported + as strewn with shells and star-fish; behind was the town, with an old + church in the midst; and, close, at hand, the pier, where lay the steamer + in which we were to embark. But the air was so wintry, that I had no heart + to explore the town, or pick up shells with J——- on the beach; + so we kept within doors during the two hours of our stay, now and then + looking out of the windows at a fishing-boat or two, as they pitched and + rolled with an ugly and irregular motion, such as the British Channel + generally communicates to the craft that navigate it. + </p> + <p> + At about one o'clock we went on board, and were soon under steam, at a + rate that quickly showed a long line of the white cliffs of Albion behind + us. It is a very dusky white, by the by, and the cliffs themselves do not + seem, at a distance, to be of imposing height, and have too even an + outline to be picturesque. + </p> + <p> + As we increased our distance from England, the French coast came more and + more distinctly in sight, with a low, wavy outline, not very well worth + looking at, except because it was the coast of France. Indeed, I looked at + it but little; for the wind was bleak and boisterous, and I went down into + the cabin, where I found the fire very comfortable, and several people + were stretched on sofas in a state of placid wretchedness. . . . I have + never suffered from sea-sickness, but had been somewhat apprehensive of + this rough strait between England and France, which seems to have more + potency over people's stomachs than ten times the extent of sea in other + quarters. Our passage was of two hours, at the end of which we landed on + French soil, and found ourselves immediately in the clutches of the + custom-house officers, who, however, merely made a momentary examination + of my passport, and allowed us to pass without opening even one of our + carpet-bags. The great bulk of our luggage had been registered through to + Paris, for examination after our arrival there. + </p> + <p> + We left Boulogne in about an hour after our arrival, when it was already a + darkening twilight. The weather had grown colder than ever, since our + arrival in sunny France, and the night was now setting in, wickedly black + and dreary. The frost hardened upon the carriage windows in such thickness + that I could scarcely scratch a peep-hole through it; but, from such + glimpses as I could catch, the aspect of the country seemed pretty much to + resemble the December aspect of my dear native land,—broad, bare, + brown fields, with streaks of snow at the foot of ridges, and along + fences, or in the furrows of ploughed soil. There was ice wherever there + happened to be water to form it. + </p> + <p> + We had feet-warmers in the carriage, but the cold crept in nevertheless; + and I do not remember hardly in my life a more disagreeable short journey + than this, my first advance into French territory. My impression of France + will always be that it is an Arctic region. At any season of the year, the + tract over which we passed yesterday must be an uninteresting one as + regards its natural features; and the only adornment, as far as I could + observe, which art has given it, consists in straight rows of very + stiff-looking and slender-stemmed trees. In the dusk they resembled + poplar-trees. + </p> + <p> + Weary and frost-bitten,—morally, if not physically,—we reached + Amiens in three or four hours, and here I underwent much annoyance from + the French railway officials and attendants, who, I believe, did not mean + to incommode me, but rather to forward my purposes as far as they well + could. If they would speak slowly and distinctly I might understand them + well enough, being perfectly familiar with the written language, and + knowing the principles of its pronunciation; but, in their customary rapid + utterance, it sounds like a string of mere gabble. When left to myself, + therefore, I got into great difficulties. . . . It gives a taciturn + personage like myself a new conception as to the value of speech, even to + him, when he finds himself unable either to speak or understand. + </p> + <p> + Finally, being advised on all hands to go to the Hotel du Rhin, we were + carried thither in an omnibus, rattling over a rough pavement, through an + invisible and frozen town; and, on our arrival, were ushered into a + handsome salon, as chill as a tomb. They made a little bit of a wood-fire + for us in a low and deep chimney-hole, which let a hundred times more heat + escape up the flue than it sent into the room. + </p> + <p> + In the morning we sallied forth to see the cathedral. + </p> + <p> + The aspect of the old French town was very different from anything + English; whiter, infinitely cleaner; higher and narrower houses, the + entrance to most of which seeming to be through a great gateway, affording + admission into a central court-yard; a public square, with a statue in the + middle, and another statue in a neighboring street. We met priests in + three-cornered hats, long frock-coats, and knee-breeches; also soldiers + and gendarmes, and peasants and children, clattering over the pavements in + wooden shoes. + </p> + <p> + It makes a great impression of outlandishness to see the signs over the + shop doors in a foreign tongue. If the cold had not been such as to dull + my sense of novelty, and make all my perceptions torpid, I should have + taken in a set of new impressions, and enjoyed them very much. As it was, + I cared little for what I saw, but yet had life enough left to enjoy the + cathedral of Amiens, which has many features unlike those of English + cathedrals. + </p> + <p> + It stands in the midst of the cold, white town, and has a high-shouldered + look to a spectator accustomed to the minsters of England, which cover a + great space of ground in proportion to their height. The impression the + latter gives is of magnitude and mass; this French cathedral strikes one + as lofty. The exterior is venerable, though but little time-worn by the + action of the atmosphere; and statues still keep their places in numerous + niches, almost as perfect as when first placed there in the thirteenth + century. The principal doors are deep, elaborately wrought, pointed + arches; and the interior seemed to us, at the moment, as grand as any that + we had seen, and to afford as vast an idea of included space; it being of + such an airy height, and with no screen between the chancel and nave, as + in all the English cathedrals. We saw the differences, too, betwixt a + church in which the same form of worship for which it was originally built + is still kept up, and those of England, where it has been superseded for + centuries; for here, in the recess of every arch of the side aisles, + beneath each lofty window, there was a chapel dedicated to some Saint, and + adorned with great marble sculptures of the crucifixion, and with + pictures, execrably bad, in all cases, and various kinds of gilding and + ornamentation. Immensely tall wax candles stand upon the altars of these + chapels, and before one sat a woman, with a great supply of tapers, one of + which was burning. I suppose these were to be lighted as offerings to the + saints, by the true believers. Artificial flowers were hung at some of the + shrines, or placed under glass. In every chapel, moreover, there was a + confessional,—a little oaken structure, about as big as a + sentry-box, with a closed part for the priest to sit in, and an open one + for the penitent to kneel at, and speak, through the open-work of the + priest's closet. Monuments, mural and others, to long-departed worthies, + and images of the Saviour, the Virgin, and saints, were numerous + everywhere about the church; and in the chancel there was a great deal of + quaint and curious sculpture, fencing in the Holy of Holies, where the + High Altar stands. There is not much painted glass; one or two very rich + and beautiful rose-windows, however, that looked antique; and the great + eastern window which, I think, is modern. The pavement has, probably, + never been renewed, as one piece of work, since the structure was erected, + and is foot-worn by the successive generations, though still in excellent + repair. I saw one of the small, square stones in it, bearing the date of + 1597, and no doubt there are a thousand older ones. It was gratifying to + find the cathedral in such good condition, without any traces of recent + repair; and it is perhaps a mark of difference between French and English + character, that the Revolution in the former country, though all religious + worship disappears before it, does not seem to have caused such violence + to ecclesiastical monuments, as the Reformation and the reign of + Puritanism in the latter. I did not see a mutilated shrine, or even a + broken-nosed image, in the whole cathedral. But, probably, the very rage + of the English fanatics against idolatrous tokens, and their smashing + blows at them, were symptoms of sincerer religious faith than the French + were capable of. These last did not care enough about their Saviour to + beat down his crucified image; and they preserved the works of sacred art, + for the sake only of what beauty there was in them. + </p> + <p> + While we were in the cathedral, we saw several persons kneeling at their + devotions on the steps of the chancel and elsewhere. One dipped his + fingers in the holy water at the entrance: by the by, I looked into the + stone basin that held it, and saw it full of ice. Could not all that + sanctity at least keep it thawed? Priests—jolly, fat, mean-looking + fellows, in white robes—went hither and thither, but did not + interrupt or accost us. + </p> + <p> + There were other peculiarities, which I suppose I shall see more of in my + visits to other churches, but now we were all glad to make our stay as + brief as possible, the atmosphere of the cathedral being so bleak, and its + stone pavement so icy cold beneath our feet. We returned to the hotel, and + the chambermaid brought me a book, in which she asked me to inscribe my + name, age, profession, country, destination, and the authorization under + which I travelled. After the freedom of an English hotel, so much greater + than even that of an American one, where they make you disclose your name, + this is not so pleasant. + </p> + <p> + We left Amiens at half past one; and I can tell as little of the country + between that place and Paris, as between Boulogne and Amiens. The windows + of our railway carriage were already frosted with French breath when we + got into it, and the ice grew thicker and thicker continually. I tried, at + various times, to rub a peep-hole through, as before; but the ice + immediately shot its crystallized tracery over it again; and, indeed, + there was little or nothing to make it worth while to look out, so bleak + was the scene. Now and then a chateau, too far off for its characteristics + to be discerned; now and then a church, with a tall gray tower, and a + little peak atop; here and there a village or a town, which we could not + well see. At sunset there was just that clear, cold, wintry sky which I + remember so well in America, but have never seen in England. + </p> + <p> + At five we reached Paris, and were suffered to take a carriage to the + hotel de Louvre, without any examination of the little luggage we had with + us. Arriving, we took a suite of apartments, and the waiter immediately + lighted a wax candle in each separate room. + </p> + <p> + We might have dined at the table d'hote, but preferred the restaurant + connected with and within the hotel. All the dishes were very delicate, + and a vast change from the simple English system, with its joints, + shoulders, beefsteaks, and chops; but I doubt whether English cookery, for + the very reason that it is so simple, is not better for men's moral and + spiritual nature than French. In the former case, you know that you are + gratifying your animal needs and propensities, and are duly ashamed of it; + but, in dealing with these French delicacies, you delude yourself into the + idea that you are cultivating your taste while satisfying your appetite. + This last, however, it requires a good deal of perseverance to accomplish. + </p> + <p> + In the cathedral at Amiens there were printed lists of acts of devotion + posted on the columns, such as prayers at the shrines of certain saints, + whereby plenary indulgences might be gained. It is to be observed, + however, that all these external forms were necessarily accompanied with + true penitence and religious devotion. + </p> + <p> + Hotel de Louvre, January 8th.—It was so fearfully cold this morning + that I really felt little or no curiosity to see the city. . . . Until + after one o'clock, therefore, I knew nothing of Paris except the lights + which I had seen beneath our window the evening before, far, far downward, + in the narrow Rue St. Honore, and the rumble of the wheels, which + continued later than I was awake to hear it, and began again before dawn. + I could see, too, tall houses, that seemed to be occupied in every story, + and that had windows on the steep roofs. One of these houses is six + stories high. This Rue St. Honore is one of the old streets in Paris, and + is that in which Henry IV. was assassinated; but it has not, in this part + of it, the aspect of antiquity. + </p> + <p> + After one o'clock we all went out and walked along the Rue de Rivoli. . . + . We are here, right in the midst of Paris, and close to whatever is best + known to those who hear or read about it,—the Louvre being across + the street, the Palais Royal but a little way off, the Tuileries joining + to the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde just beyond, verging on which is + the Champs Elysees. We looked about us for a suitable place to dine, and + soon found the Restaurant des Echelles, where we entered at a venture, and + were courteously received. It has a handsomely furnished saloon, much set + off with gilding and mirrors; and appears to be frequented by English and + Americans; its carte, a bound volume, being printed in English as well as + French. . . . + </p> + <p> + It was now nearly four o'clock, and too late to visit the galleries of the + Louvre, or to do anything else but walk a little way along the street. The + splendor of Paris, so far as I have seen, takes me altogether by surprise: + such stately edifices, prolonging themselves in unwearying magnificence + and beauty, and, ever and anon, a long vista of a street, with a column + rising at the end of it, or a triumphal arch, wrought in memory of some + grand event. The light stone or stucco, wholly untarnished by smoke and + soot, puts London to the blush, if a blush could be seen on its dingy + face; but, indeed, London is not to be mentioned, nor compared even, with + Paris. I never knew what a palace was till I had a glimpse of the Louvre + and the Tuileries; never had my idea of a city been gratified till I trod + these stately streets. The life of the scene, too, is infinitely more + picturesque than that of London, with its monstrous throng of grave faces + and black coats; whereas, here, you see soldiers and priests, policemen in + cocked hats, Zonaves with turbans, long mantles, and bronzed, half-Moorish + faces; and a great many people whom you perceive to be outside of your + experience, and know them ugly to look at, and fancy them villanous. + Truly, I have no sympathies towards the French people; their eyes do not + win me, nor do their glances melt and mingle with mine. But they do grand + and beautiful things in the architectural way; and I am grateful for it. + The Place de la Concorde is a most splendid square, large enough for a + nation to erect trophies in of all its triumphs; and on one side of it is + the Tuileries, on the opposite side the Champs Elysees, and, on a third, + the Seine, adown which we saw large cakes of ice floating, beneath the + arches of a bridge. The Champs Elysees, so far as I saw it, had not a + grassy soil beneath its trees, but the bare earth, white and dusty. The + very dust, if I saw nothing else, would assure me that I was out of + England. + </p> + <p> + We had time only to take this little walk, when it began to grow dusk; + and, being so pitilessly cold, we hurried back to our hotel. Thus far, I + think, what I have seen of Paris is wholly unlike what I expected; but + very like an imaginary picture which I had conceived of St. Petersburg,— + new, bright, magnificent, and desperately cold. + </p> + <p> + A great part of this architectural splendor is due to the present Emperor, + who has wrought a great change in the aspect of the city within a very few + years. A traveller, if he looks at the thing selfishly, ought to wish him + a long reign and arbitrary power, since he makes it his policy to + illustrate his capital with palatial edifices, which are, however, better + for a stranger to look at, than for his own people to pay for. + </p> + <p> + We have spent to-day chiefly in seeing some of the galleries of the + Louvre. I must confess that the vast and beautiful edifice struck me far + more than the pictures, sculpture, and curiosities which it contains,— + the shell more than the kernel inside; such noble suites of rooms and + halls were those through which we first passed, containing Egyptian, and, + farther onward, Greek and Roman antiquities; the walls cased in variegated + marbles; the ceilings glowing with beautiful frescos; the whole extended + into infinite vistas by mirrors that seemed like vacancy, and multiplied + everything forever. The picture-rooms are not so brilliant, and the + pictures themselves did not greatly win upon me in this one day. Many + artists were employed in copying them, especially in the rooms hung with + the productions of French painters. Not a few of these copyists were + females; most of them were young men, picturesquely mustached and bearded; + but some were elderly, who, it was pitiful to think, had passed through + life without so much success as now to paint pictures of their own. + </p> + <p> + From the pictures we went into a suite of rooms where are preserved many + relics of the ancient and later kings of France; more relics of the elder + ones, indeed, than I supposed had remained extant through the Revolution. + The French seem to like to keep memorials of whatever they do, and of + whatever their forefathers have done, even if it be ever so little to + their credit; and perhaps they do not take matters sufficiently to heart + to detest anything that has ever happened. What surprised me most were the + golden sceptre and the magnificent sword and other gorgeous relics of + Charlemagne,—a person whom I had always associated with a sheepskin + cloak. There were suits of armor and weapons that had been worn and + handled by a great many of the French kings; and a religious book that had + belonged to St. Louis; a dressing-glass, most richly set with precious + stones, which formerly stood on the toilet-table of Catherine de' Medici, + and in which I saw my own face where hers had been. And there were a + thousand other treasures, just as well worth mentioning as these. If each + monarch could have been summoned from Hades to claim his own relics, we + should have had the halls full of the old Childerics, Charleses, Bourbons + and Capets, Henrys and Louises, snatching with ghostly hands at sceptres, + swords, armor, and mantles; and Napoleon would have seen, apparently, + almost everything that personally belonged to him,—his coat, his + cocked hats, his camp-desk, his field-bed, his knives, forks, and plates, + and even a lock of his hair. I must let it all go. These things cannot be + reproduced by pen and ink. + </p> + <p> + Hotel de Louvre, January 9th.—. . . . Last evening Mr. Fezaudie + called. He spoke very freely respecting the Emperor and the hatred + entertained against him in France; but said that he is more powerful, that + is, more firmly fixed as a ruler, than ever the first Napoleon was. We, + who look back upon the first Napoleon as one of the eternal facts of the + past, a great bowlder in history, cannot well estimate how momentary and + insubstantial the great Captain may have appeared to those who beheld his + rise out of obscurity. They never, perhaps, took the reality of his career + fairly into their minds, before it was over. The present Emperor, I + believe, has already been as long in possession of the supreme power as + his uncle was. I should like to see him, and may, perhaps, do—so, as + he is our neighbor, across the way. + </p> + <p> + This morning Miss ———, the celebrated astronomical lady, + called. She had brought a letter of introduction to me, while consul; and + her purpose now was to see if we could take her as one of our party to + Rome, whither she likewise is bound. We readily consented, for she seems + to be a simple, strong, healthy-humored woman, who will not fling herself + as a burden on our shoulders; and my only wonder is that a person + evidently so able to take care of herself should wish to have an escort. + </p> + <p> + We issued forth at about eleven, and went down the Rue St. Honore, which + is narrow, and has houses of five or six stories on either side, between + which run the streets like a gully in a rock. One face of our hotel + borders and looks on this street. After going a good way, we came to an + intersection with another street, the name of which I forget; but, at this + point, Ravaillac sprang at the carriage of Henry IV. and plunged his + dagger into him. As we went down the Rue St. Honore, it grew more and more + thronged, and with a meaner class of people. The houses still were high, + and without the shabbiness of exterior that distinguishes the old part of + London, being of light-colored stone; but I never saw anything that so + much came up to my idea of a swarming city as this narrow, crowded, and + rambling street. + </p> + <p> + Thence we turned into the Rue St. Denis, which is one of the oldest + streets in Paris, and is said to have been first marked out by the track + of the saint's footsteps, where, after his martyrdom, he walked along it, + with his head under his arm, in quest of a burial-place. This legend may + account for any crookedness of the street; for it could not reasonably be + asked of a headless man that he should walk straight. + </p> + <p> + Through some other indirections we at last found the Rue Bergere, down + which I went with J——- in quest of Hottinguer et Co., the + bankers, while the rest of us went along the Boulevards, towards the + Church of the Madeleine. . . . This business accomplished, J——- + and I threaded our way back, and overtook the rest of the party, still a + good distance from the Madeleine. I know not why the Boulevards are called + so. They are a succession of broad walks through broad streets, and were + much thronged with people, most of whom appeared to be bent more on + pleasure than business. The sun, long before this, had come out brightly, + and gave us the first genial and comfortable sensations which we have had + in Paris. + </p> + <p> + Approaching the Madeleine, we found it a most beautiful church, that might + have been adapted from Heathenism to Catholicism; for on each side there + is a range of magnificent pillars, unequalled, except by those of the + Parthenon. A mourning-coach, arrayed in black and silver, was drawn up at + the steps, and the front of the church was hung with black cloth, which + covered the whole entrance. However, seeing the people going in, we + entered along with them. Glorious and gorgeous is the Madeleine. The + entrance to the nave is beneath a most stately arch; and three arches of + equal height open from the nave to the side aisles; and at the end of the + nave is another great arch, rising, with a vaulted half-dome, over the + high altar. The pillars supporting these arches are Corinthian, with + richly sculptured capitals; and wherever gilding might adorn the church, + it is lavished like sunshine; and within the sweeps of the arches there + are fresco paintings of sacred subjects, and a beautiful picture covers + the hollow of the vault over the altar; all this, besides much sculpture; + and especially a group above and around the high altar, representing the + Magdalen smiling down upon angels and archangels, some of whom are + kneeling, and shadowing themselves with their heavy marble wings. There is + no such thing as making my page glow with the most distant idea of the + magnificence of this church, in its details and in its whole. It was + founded a hundred or two hundred years ago; then Bonaparte contemplated + transforming it into a Temple of Victory, or building it anew as one. The + restored Bourbons remade it into a church; but it still has a heathenish + look, and will never lose it. + </p> + <p> + When we entered we saw a crowd of people, all pressing forward towards the + high altar, before which burned a hundred wax lights, some of which were + six or seven feet high; and, altogether, they shone like a galaxy of + stars. In the middle of the nave, moreover, there was another galaxy of + wax candles burning around an immense pall of black velvet, embroidered + with silver, which seemed to cover, not only a coffin, but a sarcophagus, + or something still more huge. The organ was rumbling forth a deep, + lugubrious bass, accompanied with heavy chanting of priests, out of which + sometimes rose the clear, young voices of choristers, like light flashing + out of the gloom. The church, between the arches, along the nave, and + round the altar, was hung with broad expanses of black cloth; and all the + priests had their sacred vestments covered with black. They looked + exceedingly well; I never saw anything half so well got up on the stage. + Some of these ecclesiastical figures were very stately and noble, and + knelt and bowed, and bore aloft the cross, and swung the censers in a way + that I liked to see. The ceremonies of the Catholic Church were a superb + work of art, or perhaps a true growth of man's religious nature; and so + long as men felt their original meaning, they must have been full of awe + and glory. Being of another parish, I looked on coldly, but not + irreverently, and was glad to see the funeral service so well performed, + and very glad when it was over. What struck me as singular, the person who + performed the part usually performed by a verger, keeping order among the + audience, wore a gold-embroidered scarf, a cocked hat, and, I believe, a + sword, and had the air of a military man. + </p> + <p> + Before the close of the service a contribution-box—or, rather, a + black velvet bag—was handed about by this military verger; and I + gave J——- a franc to put in, though I did not in the least + know for what. + </p> + <p> + Issuing from the church, we inquired of two or three persons who was the + distinguished defunct at whose obsequies we had been assisting, for we had + some hope that it might be Rachel, who died last week, and is still above + ground. But it proved to be only a Madame Mentel, or some such name, whom + nobody had ever before heard of. I forgot to say that her coffin was taken + from beneath the illuminated pall, and carried out of the church before + us. + </p> + <p> + When we left the Madeleine we took our way to the Place de la Concorde, + and thence through the Elysian Fields (which, I suppose, are the French + idea of heaven) to Bonaparte's triumphal arch. The Champs Elysees may look + pretty in summer; though I suspect they must be somewhat dry and + artificial at whatever season,—the trees being slender and scraggy, + and requiring to be renewed every few years. The soil is not genial to + them. The strangest peculiarity of this place, however, to eyes fresh from + moist and verdant England, is, that there is not one blade of grass in all + the Elysian Fields, nothing but hard clay, now covered with white dust. It + gives the whole scene the air of being a contrivance of man, in which + Nature has either not been invited to take any part, or has declined to do + so. There were merry-go-rounds, wooden horses, and other provision for + children's amusements among the trees; and booths, and tables of cakes, + and candy-women; and restaurants on the borders of the wood; but very few + people there; and doubtless we can form no idea of what the scene might + become when alive with French gayety and vivacity. + </p> + <p> + As we walked onward the Triumphal Arch began to loom up in the distance, + looking huge and massive, though still a long way off. It was not, + however, till we stood almost beneath it that we really felt the grandeur + of this great arch, including so large a space of the blue sky in its airy + sweep. At a distance it impresses the spectator with its solidity; nearer, + with the lofty vacancy beneath it. There is a spiral staircase within one + of its immense limbs; and, climbing steadily upward, lighted by a lantern + which the doorkeeper's wife gave us, we had a bird's-eye view of Paris, + much obscured by smoke or mist. Several interminable avenues shoot with + painful directness right towards it. + </p> + <p> + On our way homeward we visited the Place Vendome, in the centre of which + is a tall column, sculptured from top to bottom, all over the pedestal, + and all over the shaft, and with Napoleon himself on the summit. The shaft + is wreathed round and roundabout with representations of what, as far as I + could distinguish, seemed to be the Emperor's victories. It has a very + rich effect. At the foot of the column we saw wreaths of artificial + flowers, suspended there, no doubt, by some admirer of Napoleon, still + ardent enough to expend a franc or two in this way. + </p> + <p> + Hotel de Louvre, January 10th.—We had purposed going to the + Cathedral of Notre Dame to-day, but the weather and walking were too + unfavorable for a distant expedition; so we merely went across the street + to the Louvre. . . . . + </p> + <p> + Our principal object this morning was to see the pencil drawings by + eminent artists. Of these the Louvre has a very rich collection, occupying + many apartments, and comprising sketches by Annibale Caracci, Claude, + Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Michel Angelo, Rubens, Rembrandt, and almost + all the other great masters, whether French, Italian, Dutch, or whatever + else; the earliest drawings of their great pictures, when they had the + glory of their pristine idea directly before their minds' eye,— that + idea which inevitably became overlaid with their own handling of it in the + finished painting. No doubt the painters themselves had often a happiness + in these rude, off-hand sketches, which they never felt again in the same + work, and which resulted in disappointment, after they had done their + best. To an artist, the collection must be most deeply interesting: to + myself, it was merely curious, and soon grew wearisome. + </p> + <p> + In the same suite of apartments, there is a collection of miniatures, some + of them very exquisite, and absolutely lifelike, on their small scale. I + observed two of Franklin, both good and picturesque, one of them + especially so, with its cloud-like white hair. I do not think we have + produced a man so interesting to contemplate, in many points of view, as + he. Most of our great men are of a character that I find it impossible to + warm into life by thought, or by lavishing any amount of sympathy upon + them. Not so Franklin, who had a great deal of common and uncommon human + nature in him. + </p> + <p> + Much of the time, while my wife was looking at the drawings, I sat + observing the crowd of Sunday visitors. They were generally of a lower + class than those of week-days; private soldiers in a variety of uniforms, + and, for the most part, ugly little men, but decorous and well behaved. I + saw medals on many of their breasts, denoting Crimean service; some wore + the English medal, with Queen Victoria's head upon it. A blue coat, with + red baggy trousers, was the most usual uniform. Some had short-breasted + coats, made in the same style as those of the first Napoleon, which we had + seen in the preceding rooms. The policemen, distributed pretty abundantly + about the rooms, themselves looked military, wearing cocked hats and + swords. There were many women of the middling classes; some, evidently, of + the lowest, but clean and decent, in colored gowns and caps; and laboring + men, citizens, Sunday gentlemen, young artists, too, no doubt looking with + educated eyes at these art-treasures, and I think, as a general thing, + each man was mated with a woman. The soldiers, however, came in pairs or + little squads, accompanied by women. I did not much like any of the French + faces, and yet I am not sure that there is not more resemblance between + them and the American physiognomy, than between the latter and the + English. The women are not pretty, but in all ranks above the lowest they + have a trained expression that supplies the place of beauty. + </p> + <p> + I was wearied to death with the drawings, and began to have that dreary + and desperate feeling which has often come upon me when the sights last + longer than my capacity for receiving them. As our time in Paris, however, + is brief and precious, we next inquired our way to the galleries of + sculpture, and these alone are of astounding extent, reaching, I should + think, all round one quadrangle of the Louvre, on the basement floor. Hall + after hall opened interminably before us, and on either side of us, paved + and incrusted with variegated and beautifully polished marble, relieved + against which stand the antique statues and groups, interspersed with + great urns and vases, sarcophagi, altars, tablets, busts of historic + personages, and all manner of shapes of marble which consummate art has + transmuted into precious stones. Not that I really did feel much impressed + by any of this sculpture then, nor saw more than two or three things which + I thought very beautiful; but whether it be good or no, I suppose the + world has nothing better, unless it be a few world-renowned statues in + Italy. I was even more struck by the skill and ingenuity of the French in + arranging these sculptural remains, than by the value of the sculptures + themselves. The galleries, I should judge, have been recently prepared, + and on a magnificent system,—the adornments being yet by no means + completed,—for besides the floor and wall-casings of rich, polished + marble, the vaulted ceilings of some of the apartments are painted in + fresco, causing them to glow as if the sky were opened. It must be owned, + however, that the statuary, often time-worn and darkened from its original + brilliancy by weather-stains, does not suit well as furniture for such + splendid rooms. When we see a perfection of modern finish around them, we + recognize that most of these statues have been thrown down from their + pedestals, hundreds of years ago, and have been battered and externally + degraded; and though whatever spiritual beauty they ever had may still + remain, yet this is not made more apparent by the contrast betwixt the new + gloss of modern upholstery, and their tarnished, even if immortal grace. I + rather think the English have given really the more hospitable reception + to the maimed Theseus, and his broken-nosed, broken-legged, headless + companions, because flouting them with no gorgeous fittings up. + </p> + <p> + By this time poor J——- (who, with his taste for art yet + undeveloped, is the companion of all our visits to sculpture and picture + galleries) was wofully hungry, and for bread we had given him a stone,—not + one stone, but a thousand. We returned to the hotel, and it being too damp + and raw to go to our Restaurant des Echelles, we dined at the hotel. In my + opinion it would require less time to cultivate our gastronomic taste than + taste of any other kind; and, on the whole, I am not sure that a man would + not be wise to afford himself a little discipline in this line. It is + certainly throwing away the bounties of Providence, to treat them as the + English do, producing from better materials than the French have to work + upon nothing but sirloins, joints, joints, steaks, steaks, steaks, chops, + chops, chops, chops! We had a soup to-day, in which twenty kinds of + vegetables were represented, and manifested each its own aroma; a fillet + of stewed beef, and a fowl, in some sort of delicate fricassee. We had a + bottle of Chablis, and renewed ourselves, at the close of the banquet, + with a plate of Chateaubriand ice. It was all very good, and we respected + ourselves far more than if we had eaten a quantity of red roast beef; but + I am not quite sure that we were right. . . . + </p> + <p> + Among the relics of kings and princes, I do not know that there was + anything more interesting than a little brass cannon, two or three inches + long, which had been a toy of the unfortunate Dauphin, son of Louis XVI. + There was a map,—a hemisphere of the world,—which his father + had drawn for this poor boy; very neatly done, too. The sword of Louis + XVI., a magnificent rapier, with a beautifully damasked blade, and a + jewelled scabbard, but without a hilt, is likewise preserved, as is the + hilt of Henry IV.'s sword. But it is useless to begin a catalogue of these + things. What a collection it is, including Charlemagne's sword and + sceptre, and the last Dauphin's little toy cannon, and so much between the + two! + </p> + <p> + Hotel de Louvre, January 11th.—This was another chill, raw day, + characterized by a spitefulness of atmosphere which I do not remember ever + to have experienced in my own dear country. We meant to have visited the + Hotel des Invalides, but J——- and I walked to the Tivoli, the + Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysees, and to the Place de Beaujou, and + to the residence of the American minister, where I wished to arrange about + my passport. After speaking with the Secretary of Legation, we were + ushered into the minister's private room, where he received me with great + kindness. Mr. ——— is an old gentleman with a white head, + and a large, florid face, which has an expression of amiability, not + unmingled with a certain dignity. He did not rise from his arm-chair to + greet me,—a lack of ceremony which I imputed to the gout, feeling it + impossible that he should have willingly failed in courtesy to one of his + twenty-five million sovereigns. In response to some remark of mine about + the shabby way in which our government treats its officials pecuniarily, + he gave a detailed account of his own troubles on that score; then + expressed a hope that I had made a good thing out of my consulate, and + inquired whether I had received a hint to resign; to which I replied that, + for various reasons, I had resigned of my own accord, and before Mr. + Buchanan's inauguration. We agreed, however, in disapproving the system of + periodical change in our foreign officials; and I remarked that a consul + or an ambassador ought to be a citizen both of his native country and of + the one in which he resided; and that his possibility of beneficent + influence depended largely on his being so. Apropos to which Mr. ——— + said that he had once asked a diplomatic friend of long experience, what + was the first duty of a minister. "To love his own country, and to watch + over its interests," answered the diplomatist. "And his second duty?" + asked Mr. ———. "To love and to promote the interests of + the country to which he is accredited," said his friend. This is a very + Christian and sensible view of the matter; but it can scarcely have + happened once in our whole diplomatic history, that a minister can have + had time to overcome his first rude and ignorant prejudice against the + country of his mission; and if there were any suspicion of his having done + so, it would be held abundantly sufficient ground for his recall. I like + Mr. ———, a good-hearted, sensible old man. + </p> + <p> + J——- and I returned along the Champs Elysees, and, crossing + the Seine, kept on our way by the river's brink, looking at the titles of + books on the long lines of stalls that extend between the bridges. Novels, + fairy-tales, dream books, treatises of behavior and etiquette, collections + of bon-mots and of songs, were interspersed with volumes in the old style + of calf and gilt binding, the works of the classics of French literature. + A good many persons, of the poor classes, and of those apparently well to + do, stopped transitorily to look at these books. On the other side of the + street was a range of tall edifices with shops beneath, and the quick stir + of French life hurrying, and babbling, and swarming along the sidewalk. We + passed two or three bridges, occurring at short intervals, and at last we + recrossed the Seine by a bridge which oversteps the river, from a point + near the National Institute, and reaches the other side, not far from the + Louvre. . . . + </p> + <p> + Though the day was so disagreeable, we thought it best not to lose the + remainder of it, and therefore set out to visit the Cathedral of Notre + Dame. We took a fiacre in the Place de Carousel, and drove to the door. On + entering, we found the interior miserably shut off from view by the + stagings erected for the purpose of repairs. Penetrating from the nave + towards the chancel, an official personage signified to us that we must + first purchase a ticket for each grown person, at the price of half a + franc each. This expenditure admitted us into the sacristy, where we were + taken in charge by a guide, who came down upon us with an avalanche or + cataract of French, descriptive of a great many treasures reposited in + this chapel. I understood hardly more than one word in ten, but gathered + doubtfully that a bullet which was shown us was the one that killed the + late Archbishop of Paris, on the floor of the cathedral. [But this was a + mistake. It was the archbishop who was killed in the insurrection of 1848. + Two joints of his backbone were also shown.] Also, that some gorgeously + embroidered vestments, which he drew forth, had been used at the + coronation of Napoleon I. There were two large, full-length portraits + hanging aloft in the sacristy, and a gold or silver gilt, or, at all + events, gilt image of the Virgin, as large as life, standing on a + pedestal. The guide had much to say about these, but, understanding him so + imperfectly, I have nothing to record. + </p> + <p> + The guide's supervision of us seemed not to extend beyond this sacristy, + on quitting which he gave us permission to go where we pleased, only + intimating a hope that we would not forget him; so I gave him half a + franc, though thereby violating an inhibition on the printed ticket of + entrance. + </p> + <p> + We had been much disappointed at first by the apparently narrow limits of + the interior of this famous church; but now, as we made our way round the + choir, gazing into chapel after chapel, each with its painted window, its + crucifix, its pictures, its confessional, and afterwards came back into + the nave, where arch rises above arch to the lofty roof, we came to the + conclusion that it was very sumptuous. It is the greatest of pities that + its grandeur and solemnity should just now be so infinitely marred by the + workmen's boards, timber, and ladders occupying the whole centre of the + edifice, and screening all its best effects. It seems to have been already + most richly ornamented, its roof being painted, and the capitals of the + pillars gilded, and their shafts illuminated in fresco; and no doubt it + will shine out gorgeously when all the repairs and adornments shall be + completed. Even now it gave to my actual sight what I have often tried to + imagine in my visits to the English cathedrals,— the pristine glory + of those edifices, when they stood glowing with gold and picture, fresh + from the architects' and adorners' hands. + </p> + <p> + The interior loftiness of Notre Dame, moreover, gives it a sublimity which + would swallow up anything that might look gewgawy in its ornamentation, + were we to consider it window by window, or pillar by pillar. It is an + advantage of these vast edifices, rising over us and spreading about us in + such a firmamental way, that we cannot spoil them by any pettiness of our + own, but that they receive (or absorb) our pettiness into their own + immensity. Every little fantasy finds its place and propriety in them, + like a flower on the earth's broad bosom. + </p> + <p> + When we emerged from the cathedral, we found it beginning to rain or snow, + or both; and, as we had dismissed our fiacre at the door, and could find + no other, we were at a loss what to do. We stood a few moments on the + steps of the Hotel Dieu, looking up at the front of Notre Dame, with its + twin towers, and its three deep-pointed arches, piercing through a great + thickness of stone, and throwing a cavern-like gloom around these + entrances. The front is very rich. Though so huge, and all of gray stone, + it is carved and fretted with statues and innumerable devices, as + cunningly as any ivory casket in which relics are kept; but its size did + not so much impress me. . . . + </p> + <p> + Hotel de Louvre, January 12th.—This has been a bright day as regards + weather; but I have done little or nothing worth recording. After + breakfast, I set out in quest of the consul, and found him up a court, at + 51 Rue Caumartin, in an office rather smaller, I think, than mine at + Liverpool; but, to say the truth, a little better furnished. I was + received in the outer apartment by an elderly, brisk-looking man, in whose + air, respectful and subservient, and yet with a kind of authority in it, I + recognized the vice-consul. He introduced me to Mr. ———, + who sat writing in an inner room; a very gentlemanly, courteous, cool man + of the world, whom I should take to be an excellent person for consul at + Paris. He tells me that he has resided here some years, although his + occupancy of the consulate dates only from November last. Consulting him + respecting my passport, he gave me what appear good reasons why I should + get all the necessary vises here; for example, that the vise of a minister + carries more weight than that of a consul; and especially that an Austrian + consul will never vise a passport unless he sees his minister's name upon + it. Mr. ——— has travelled much in Italy, and ought to be + able to give me sound advice. His opinion was, that at this season of the + year I had better go by steamer to Civita Veechia, instead of landing at + Leghorn, and thence journeying to Rome. On this point I shall decide when + the time comes. As I left the office the vice-consul informed me that + there was a charge of five francs and some sous for the consul's vise, a + tax which surprised me,—the whole business of passports having been + taken from consuls before I quitted office, and the consular fee having + been annulled even earlier. However, no doubt Mr. ——— + had a fair claim to my five francs; but, really, it is not half so + pleasant to pay a consular fee as it used to be to receive it. + </p> + <p> + Afterwards I walked to Notre Dame, the rich front of which I viewed with + more attention than yesterday. There are whole histories, carved in stone + figures, within the vaulted arches of the three entrances in this west + front, and twelve apostles in a row above, and as much other sculpture as + would take a month to see. We then walked quite round it, but I had no + sense of immensity from it, not even that of great height, as from many of + the cathedrals in England. It stands very near the Seine; indeed, if I + mistake not, it is on an island formed by two branches of the river. + Behind it, is what seems to be a small public ground (or garden, if a + space entirely denuded of grass or other green thing, except a few trees, + can be called so), with benches, and a monument in the midst. This quarter + of the city looks old, and appears to be inhabited by poor people, and to + be busied about small and petty affairs; the most picturesque business + that I saw being that of the old woman who sells crucifixes of pearl and + of wood at the cathedral door. We bought two of these yesterday. + </p> + <p> + I must again speak of the horrible muddiness, not only of this part of the + city, but of all Paris, so far as I have traversed it to-day. My ways, + since I came to Europe, have often lain through nastiness, but I never + before saw a pavement so universally overspread with mud-padding as that + of Paris. It is difficult to imagine where so much filth can come from. + </p> + <p> + After dinner I walked through the gardens of the Tuileries; but as dusk + was coming on, and as I was afraid of being shut up within the iron + railing, I did not have time to examine them particularly. There are wide, + intersecting walks, fountains, broad basins, and many statues; but almost + the whole surface of the gardens is barren earth, instead of the verdure + that would beautify an English pleasure-ground of this sort. In the summer + it has doubtless an agreeable shade; but at this season the naked branches + look meagre, and sprout from slender trunks. Like the trees in the Champs + Elysees, those, I presume, in the gardens of the Tuileries need renewing + every few years. The same is true of the human race,—families + becoming extinct after a generation or two of residence in Paris. Nothing + really thrives here; man and vegetables have but an artificial life, like + flowers stuck in a little mould, but never taking root. I am quite tired + of Paris, and long for a home more than ever. + </p> + <h3> + MARSEILLES. + </h3> + <p> + Hotel d'Angleterre, January 15th.—On Tuesday morning, (12th) we took + our departure from the Hotel de Louvre. It is a most excellent and + perfectly ordered hotel, and I have not seen a more magnificent hall, in + any palace, than the dining-saloon, with its profuse gilding, and its + ceiling, painted in compartments; so that when the chandeliers are all + alight, it looks a fit place for princes to banquet in, and not very fit + for the few Americans whom I saw scattered at its long tables. + </p> + <p> + By the by, as we drove to the railway, we passed through the public + square, where the Bastille formerly stood; and in the centre of it now + stands a column, surmounted by a golden figure of Mercury (I think), which + seems to be just on the point of casting itself from a gilt ball into the + air. This statue is so buoyant, that the spectator feels quite willing to + trust it to the viewless element, being as sure that it would be borne up + as that a bird would fly. + </p> + <p> + Our first day's journey was wholly without interest, through a country + entirely flat, and looking wretchedly brown and barren. There were rows of + trees, very slender, very prim and formal; there was ice wherever there + happened to be any water to form it; there were occasional villages, + compact little streets, or masses of stone or plastered cottages, very + dirty and with gable ends and earthen roofs; and a succession of this same + landscape was all that we saw, whenever we rubbed away the congelation of + our breath from the carriage windows. Thus we rode on, all day long, from + eleven o'clock, with hardly a five minutes' stop, till long after dark, + when we came to Dijon, where there was a halt of twenty-five minutes for + dinner. Then we set forth again, and rumbled forward, through cold and + darkness without, until we reached Lyons at about ten o'clock. We left our + luggage at the railway station, and took an omnibus for the Hotel de + Provence, which we chose at a venture, among a score of other hotels. + </p> + <p> + As this hotel was a little off the direct route of the omnibus, the driver + set us down at the corner of a street, and pointed to some lights, which + he said designated the Hotel do Provence; and thither we proceeded, all + seven of us, taking along a few carpet-bags and shawls, our equipage for + the night. The porter of the hotel met us near its doorway, and ushered us + through an arch, into the inner quadrangle, and then up some old and worn + steps,—very broad, and appearing to be the principal staircase. At + the first landing-place, an old woman and a waiter or two received us; and + we went up two or three more flights of the same broad and worn stone + staircases. What we could see of the house looked very old, and had the + musty odor with which I first became acquainted at Chester. + </p> + <p> + After ascending to the proper level, we were conducted along a corridor, + paved with octagonal earthen tiles; on one side were windows, looking into + the courtyard, on the other doors opening into the sleeping-chambers. The + corridor was of immense length, and seemed still to lengthen itself before + us, as the glimmer of our conductor's candle went farther and farther into + the obscurity. Our own chamber was at a vast distance along this passage; + those of the rest of the party were on the hither side; but all this + immense suite of rooms appeared to communicate by doors from one to + another, like the chambers through which the reader wanders at midnight, + in Mrs. Radcliffe's romances. And they were really splendid rooms, though + of an old fashion, lofty, spacious, with floors of oak or other wood, + inlaid in squares and crosses, and waxed till they were slippery, but + without carpets. Our own sleeping-room had a deep fireplace, in which we + ordered a fire, and asked if there were not some saloon already warmed, + where we could get a cup of tea. + </p> + <p> + Hereupon the waiter led us back along the endless corridor, and down the + old stone staircases, and out into the quadrangle, and journeyed with us + along an exterior arcade, and finally threw open the door of the salle a + manger, which proved to be a room of lofty height, with a vaulted roof, a + stone floor, and interior spaciousness sufficient for a baronial hall, the + whole bearing the same aspect of times gone by, that characterized the + rest of the house. There were two or three tables covered with white + cloth, and we sat down at one of them and had our tea. Finally we wended + back to our sleeping-rooms,—a considerable journey, so endless + seemed the ancient hotel. I should like to know its history. + </p> + <p> + The fire made our great chamber look comfortable, and the fireplace threw + out the heat better than the little square hole over which we cowered in + our saloon at the Hotel de Louvre. . . . + </p> + <p> + In the morning we began our preparations for starting at ten. Issuing into + the corridor, I found a soldier of the line, pacing to and fro there as + sentinel. Another was posted in another corridor, into which I wandered by + mistake; another stood in the inner court-yard, and another at the + porte-cochere. They were not there the night before, and I know not whence + nor why they came, unless that some officer of rank may have taken up his + quarters at the hotel. Miss M——— says she heard at + Paris, that a considerable number of troops had recently been drawn + together at Lyons, in consequence of symptoms of disaffection that have + recently shown themselves here. + </p> + <p> + Before breakfast I went out to catch a momentary glimpse of the city. The + street in which our hotel stands is near a large public square; in the + centre is a bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV.; and the square itself + is called the Place de Louis le Grand. I wonder where this statue hid + itself while the Revolution was raging in Lyons, and when the guillotine, + perhaps, stood on that very spot. + </p> + <p> + The square was surrounded by stately buildings, but had what seemed to be + barracks for soldiers,—at any rate, mean little huts, deforming its + ample space; and a soldier was on guard before the statue of Louis le + Grand. It was a cold, misty morning, and a fog lay throughout the area, so + that I could scarcely see from one side of it to the other. + </p> + <p> + Returning towards our hotel, I saw that it had an immense front, along + which ran, in gigantic letters, its title,— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + HOTEL DE PROVENCE ET DES AMBASSADEURS. +</pre> + <p> + The excellence of the hotel lay rather in the faded pomp of its + sleeping-rooms, and the vastness of its salle a manger, than in anything + very good to eat or drink. + </p> + <p> + We left it, after a poor breakfast, and went to the railway station. + Looking at the mountainous heap of our luggage the night before, we had + missed a great carpet-bag; and we now found that Miss M———'s + trunk had been substituted for it, and, there being the proper number of + packages as registered, it was impossible to convince the officials that + anything was wrong. We, of course, began to generalize forthwith, and + pronounce the incident to be characteristic of French morality. They love + a certain system and external correctness, but do not trouble themselves + to be deeply in the right; and Miss M——— suggested that + there used to be parallel cases in the French Revolution, when, so long as + the assigned number were sent out of prison to be guillotined, the jailer + did not much care whether they were the persons designated by the tribunal + or not. At all events, we could get no satisfaction about the carpet-bag, + and shall very probably be compelled to leave Marseilles without it. + </p> + <p> + This day's ride was through a far more picturesque country than that we + saw yesterday. Heights began to rise imminent above our way, with + sometimes a ruined castle wall upon them; on our left, the rail-track kept + close to the hills; on the other side there was the level bottom of a + valley, with heights descending upon it a mile or a few miles away. + Farther off we could see blue hills, shouldering high above the + intermediate ones, and themselves worthy to be called mountains. These + hills arranged themselves in beautiful groups, affording openings between + them, and vistas of what lay beyond, and gorges which I suppose held a + great deal of romantic scenery. By and by a river made its appearance, + flowing swiftly in the same direction that we were travelling,—a + beautiful and cleanly river, with white pebbly shores, and itself of a + peculiar blue. It rushed along very fast, sometimes whitening over shallow + descents, and even in its calmer intervals its surface was all covered + with whirls and eddies, indicating that it dashed onward in haste. I do + not now know the name of this river, but have set it down as the "arrowy + Rhone." It kept us company a long while, and I think we did not part with + it as long as daylight remained. I have seldom seen hill-scenery that + struck me more than some that we saw to-day, and the old feudal towers and + old villages at their feet; and the old churches, with spires shaped just + like extinguishers, gave it an interest accumulating from many centuries + past. + </p> + <p> + Still going southward, the vineyards began to border our track, together + with what I at first took to be orchards, but soon found were plantations + of olive-trees, which grow to a much larger size than I supposed, and look + almost exactly like very crabbed and eccentric apple-trees. Neither they + nor the vineyards add anything to the picturesqueness of the landscape. + </p> + <p> + On the whole, I should have been delighted with all this scenery if it had + not looked so bleak, barren, brown, and bare; so like the wintry New + England before the snow has fallen. It was very cold, too; ice along the + borders of streams, even among the vineyards and olives. The houses are of + rather a different shape here than, farther northward, their roofs being + not nearly so sloping. They are almost invariably covered with white + plaster; the farm-houses have their outbuildings in connection with the + dwelling,—the whole surrounding three sides of a quadrangle. + </p> + <p> + We travelled far into the night, swallowed a cold and hasty dinner at + Avignon, and reached Marseilles sorely wearied, at about eleven o'clock. + We took a cab to the Hotel d'Angleterre (two cabs, to be quite accurate), + and find it a very poor place. + </p> + <p> + To go back a little, as the sun went down, we looked out of the window of + our railway carriage, and saw a sky that reminded us of what we used to + see day after day in America, and what we have not seen since; and, after + sunset, the horizon burned and glowed with rich crimson and orange lustre, + looking at once warm and cold. After it grew dark, the stars brightened, + and Miss M——— from her window pointed out some of the + planets to the children, she being as familiar with them as a gardener + with his flowers. They were as bright as diamonds. + </p> + <p> + We had a wretched breakfast, and J——- and I then went to the + railway station to see about our luggage. On our walk back we went astray, + passing by a triumphal arch, erected by the Marseillais, in honor of Louis + Napoleon; but we inquired our way of old women and soldiers, who were very + kind and courteous,—especially the latter,—and were directed + aright. We came to a large, oblong, public place, set with trees, but + devoid of grass, like all public places in France. In the middle of it was + a bronze statue of an ecclesiastical personage, stretching forth his hands + in the attitude of addressing the people or of throwing a benediction over + them. It was some archbishop, who had distinguished himself by his + humanity and devotedness during the plague of 1720. At the moment of our + arrival the piazza was quite thronged with people, who seemed to be + talking amongst themselves with considerable earnestness, although without + any actual excitement. They were smoking cigars; and we judged that they + were only loitering here for the sake of the sunshine, having no fires at + home, and nothing to do. Some looked like gentlemen, others like peasants; + most of them I should have taken for the lazzaroni of this Southern city,—men + with cloth caps, like the classic liberty-cap, or with wide-awake hats. + There were one or two women of the lower classes, without bonnets, the + elder ones with white caps, the younger bareheaded. I have hardly seen a + lady in Marseilles; and I suspect, it being a commercial city, and dirty + to the last degree, ill-built, narrow-streeted, and sometimes + pestilential, there are few or no families of gentility resident here. + </p> + <p> + Returning to the hotel, we found the rest of the party ready to go out; so + we all issued forth in a body, and inquired our way to the + telegraph-office, in order to send my message about the carpet-bag. In a + street through which we had to pass (and which seemed to be the Exchange, + or its precincts), there was a crowd even denser, yes, much denser, than + that which we saw in the square of the archbishop's statue; and each man + was talking to his neighbor in a vivid, animated way, as if business were + very brisk to-day. + </p> + <p> + At the telegraph-office, we discovered the cause that had brought out + these many people. There had been attempts on the Emperor's life,— + unsuccessful, as they seem fated to be, though some mischief was done to + those near him. I rather think the good people of Marseilles were glad of + the attempt, as an item of news and gossip, and did not very greatly care + whether it were successful or no. It seemed to have roused their vivacity + rather than their interest. The only account I have seen of it was in the + brief public despatch from the Syndic (or whatever he be) of Paris to the + chief authority of Marseilles, which was printed and posted in various + conspicuous places. The only chance of knowing the truth with any fulness + of detail would be to come across an English paper. We have had a banner + hoisted half-mast in front of our hotel to-day as a token, the head-waiter + tells me, of sympathy and sorrow for the General and other persons who + were slain by this treasonable attempt. + </p> + <p> + J——- and I now wandered by ourselves along a circular line of + quays, having, on one side of us, a thick forest of masts, while, on the + other, was a sweep of shops, bookstalls, sailors' restaurants and + drinking-houses, fruit-sellers, candy-women, and all manner of open-air + dealers and pedlers; little children playing, and jumping the rope, and + such a babble and bustle as I never saw or heard before; the sun lying + along the whole sweep, very hot, and evidently very grateful to those who + basked in it. Whenever I passed into the shade, immediately from too warm + I became too cold. The sunshine was like hot air; the shade, like the + touch of cold steel,—sharp, hard, yet exhilarating. From the broad + street of the quays, narrow, thread-like lanes pierced up between the + edifices, calling themselves streets, yet so narrow, that a person in the + middle could almost touch the houses on either hand. They ascended + steeply, bordered on each side by long, contiguous walls of high houses, + and from the time of their first being built, could never have had a gleam + of sunshine in them,—always in shadow, always unutterably nasty, and + often pestiferous. The nastiness which I saw in Marseilles exceeds my + heretofore experience. There is dirt in the hotel, and everywhere else; + and it evidently troubles nobody,—no more than if all the people + were pigs in a pigsty. . . . + </p> + <p> + Passing by all this sweep of quays, J——- and I ascended to an + elevated walk, overlooking the harbor, and far beyond it; for here we had + our first view of the Mediterranean, blue as heaven, and bright with + sunshine. It was a bay, widening forth into the open deep, and bordered + with heights, and bold, picturesque headlands, some of which had either + fortresses or convents on them. Several boats and one brig were under + sail, making their way towards the port. I have never seen a finer + sea-view. Behind the town, there seemed to be a mountainous landscape, + imperfectly visible, in consequence of the intervening edifices. + </p> + <h3> + THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. + </h3> + <p> + Steamer Calabrese, January 17th.—If I had remained at Marseilles, I + might have found many peculiarities and characteristics of that Southern + city to notice; but I fear that these will not be recorded if I leave them + till I touch the soil of Italy. Indeed, I doubt whether there be anything + really worth recording in the little distinctions between one nation and + another; at any rate, after the first novelty is over, new things seem + equally commonplace with the old. There is but one little interval when + the mind is in such a state that it can catch the fleeting aroma of a new + scene. And it is always so much pleasanter to enjoy this delicious newness + than to attempt arresting it, that it requires great force of will to + insist with one's self upon sitting down to write. I can do nothing with + Marseilles, especially here on the Mediterranean, long after nightfall, + and when the steamer is pitching in a pretty lively way. + </p> + <p> + (Later.)—I walked out with J——- yesterday morning, and + reached the outskirts of the city, whence we could see the bold and + picturesque heights that surround Marseilles as with a semicircular wall. + They rise into peaks, and the town, being on their lower slope, descends + from them towards the sea with a gradual sweep. Adown the streets that + descend these declivities come little rivulets, running along over the + pavement, close to the sidewalks, as over a pebbly bed; and though they + look vastly like kennels, I saw women washing linen in these streams, and + others dipping up the water for household purposes. The women appear very + much in public at Marseilles. In the squares and places you see half a + dozen of them together, sitting in a social circle on the bottoms of + upturned baskets, knitting, talking, and enjoying the public sunshine, as + if it were their own household fire. Not one in a thousand of them, + probably, ever has a household fire for the purpose of keeping themselves + warm, but only to do their little cookery; and when there is sunshine they + take advantage of it, and in the short season of rain and frost they shrug + their shoulders, put on what warm garments they have, and get through the + winter somewhat as grasshoppers and butterflies do,—being summer + insects like then. This certainly is a very keen and cutting air, sharp as + a razor, and I saw ice along the borders of the little rivulets almost at + noonday. To be sure, it is midwinter, and yet in the sunshine I found + myself uncomfortably warm, but in the shade the air was like the touch of + death itself. I do not like the climate. + </p> + <p> + There are a great number of public places in Marseilles, several of which + are adorned with statues or fountains, or triumphal arches or columns, and + set out with trees, and otherwise furnished as a kind of drawing-rooms, + where the populace may meet together and gossip. I never before heard from + human lips anything like this bustle and babble, this thousand-fold talk + which you hear all round about you in the crowd of a public square; so + entirely different is it from the dulness of a crowd in England, where, as + a rule, everybody is silent, and hardly half a dozen monosyllables will + come from the lips of a thousand people. In Marseilles, on the contrary, a + stream of unbroken talk seems to bubble from the lips of every individual. + A great many interesting scenes take place in these squares. From the + window of our hotel (which looked into the Place Royale) I saw a juggler + displaying his art to a crowd, who stood in a regular square about him, + none pretending to press nearer than the prescribed limit. While the + juggler wrought his miracles his wife supplied him with his magic + materials out of a box; and when the exhibition was over she packed up the + white cloth with which his table was covered, together with cups, cards, + balls, and whatever else, and they took their departure. + </p> + <p> + I have been struck with the idle curiosity, and, at the same time, the + courtesy and kindness of the populace of Marseilles, and I meant to + exemplify it by recording how Miss S——— and I attracted + their notice, and became the centre of a crowd of at least fifty of them + while doing no more remarkable thing than settling with a cab-driver. But + really this pitch and swell is getting too bad, and I shall go to bed, as + the best chance of keeping myself in an equable state. + </p> + <h3> + ROME. + </h3> + <p> + 37 Palazzo Larazani, Via Porta Pinciana, January 24th.—We left + Marseilles in the Neapolitan steamer Calabrese, as noticed above, a week + ago this morning. There was no fault to be found with the steamer, which + was very clean and comfortable, contrary to what we had understood + beforehand; except for the coolness of the air (and I know not that this + was greater than that of the Atlantic in July), our voyage would have been + very pleasant; but for myself, I enjoyed nothing, having a cold upon me, + or a low fever, or something else that took the light and warmth out of + everything. + </p> + <p> + I went to bed immediately after my last record, and was rocked to sleep + pleasantly enough by the billows of the Mediterranean; and, coming on deck + about sunrise next morning, found the steamer approaching Genoa. We saw + the city, lying at the foot of a range of hills, and stretching a little + way up their slopes, the hills sweeping round it in the segment of a + circle, and looking like an island rising abruptly out of the sea; for no + connection with the mainland was visible on either side. There was snow + scattered on their summits and streaking their sides a good way down. They + looked bold, and barren, and brown, except where the snow whitened them. + The city did not impress me with much expectation of size or splendor. + Shortly after coming into the port our whole party landed, and we found + ourselves at once in the midst of a crowd of cab-drivers, hotel-runnets, + and coin missionaires, who assaulted us with a volley of French, Italian, + and broken English, which beat pitilessly about our ears; for really it + seemed as if all the dictionaries in the world had been torn to pieces, + and blown around us by a hurricane. Such a pother! We took a + commissionaire, a respectable-looking man, in a cloak, who said his name + was Salvator Rosa; and he engaged to show us whatever was interesting in + Genoa. + </p> + <p> + In the first place, he took us through narrow streets to an old church, + the name of which I have forgotten, and, indeed, its peculiar features; + but I know that I found it pre-eminently magnificent,—its whole + interior being incased in polished marble, of various kinds and colors, + its ceiling painted, and its chapels adorned with pictures. However, this + church was dazzled out of sight by the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, to which + we were afterwards conducted, whose exterior front is covered with + alternate slabs of black and white marble, which were brought, either in + whole or in part, from Jerusalem. Within, there was a prodigious richness + of precious marbles, and a pillar, if I mistake not, from Solomon's + Temple; and a picture of the Virgin by St. Luke; and others (rather more + intrinsically valuable, I imagine), by old masters, set in superb marble + frames, within the arches of the chapels. I used to try to imagine how the + English cathedrals must have looked in their primeval glory, before the + Reformation, and before the whitewash of Cromwell's time had overlaid + their marble pillars; but I never imagined anything at all approaching + what my eyes now beheld: this sheen of polished and variegated marble + covering every inch of its walls; this glow of brilliant frescos all over + the roof, and up within the domes; these beautiful pictures by great + masters, painted for the places which they now occupied, and making an + actual portion of the edifice; this wealth of silver, gold, and gems, that + adorned the shrines of the saints, before which wax candles burned, and + were kept burning, I suppose, from year's end to year's end; in short, + there is no imagining nor remembering a hundredth part of the rich + details. And even the cathedral (though I give it up as indescribable) was + nothing at all in comparison with a church to which the commissionaire + afterwards led us; a church that had been built four or five hundred years + ago, by a pirate, in expiation of his sins, and out of the profit of his + rapine. This last edifice, in its interior, absolutely shone with + burnished gold, and glowed with pictures; its walls were a quarry of + precious stones, so valuable were the marbles out of which they were + wrought; its columns and pillars were of inconceivable costliness; its + pavement was a mosaic of wonderful beauty, and there were four twisted + pillars made out of stalactites. Perhaps the best way to form some dim + conception of it is to fancy a little casket, inlaid inside with precious + stones, so that there shall not a hair's-breadth be left + unprecious-stoned, and then to conceive this little bit of a casket + iucreased to the magnitude of a great church, without losing anything of + the excessive glory that was compressed into its original small compass, + but all its pretty lustre made sublime by the consequent immensity. At any + rate, nobody who has not seen a church like this can imagine what a + gorgeous religion it was that reared it. + </p> + <p> + In the cathedral, and in all the churches, we saw priests and many persons + kneeling at their devotions; and our Salvator Rosa, whenever we passed a + chapel or shrine, failed not to touch the pavement with one knee, crossing + himself the while; and once, when a priest was going through some form of + devotion, he stopped a few moments to share in it. + </p> + <p> + He conducted us, too, to the Balbi Palace, the stateliest and most + sumptuous residence, but not more so than another which he afterwards + showed us, nor perhaps than many others which exist in Genoa, THE SUPERB. + The painted ceilings in these palaces are a glorious adornment; the walls + of the saloons, incrusted with various-colored marbles, give an idea of + splendor which I never gained from anything else. The floors, laid in + mosaic, seem too precious to tread upon. In the royal palace, many of the + floors were of various woods, inlaid by an English artist, and they looked + like a magnification of some exquisite piece of Tunbridge ware; but, in + all respects, this palace was inferior to others which we saw. I say + nothing of the immense pictorial treasures which hung upon the walls of + all the rooms through which we passed; for I soon grew so weary of + admirable things, that I could neither enjoy nor understand them. My + receptive faculty is very limited, and when the utmost of its small + capacity is full, I become perfectly miserable, and the more so the better + worth seeing are the things I am forced to reject. I do not know a greater + misery; to see sights, after such repletion, is to the mind what it would + be to the body to have dainties forced down the throat long after the + appetite was satiated. + </p> + <p> + All this while, whenever we emerged into the vaultlike streets, we were + wretchedly cold. The commissionaire took us to a sort of pleasure-garden, + occupying the ascent of a hill, and presenting seven different views of + the city, from as many stations. One of the objects pointed out to us was + a large yellow house, on a hillside, in the outskirts of Genoa, which was + formerly inhabited for six months by Charles Dickens. Looking down from + the elevated part of the pleasure-gardens, we saw orange-trees beneath us, + with the golden fruit hanging upon them, though their trunks were muffled + in straw; and, still lower down, there was ice and snow. + </p> + <p> + Gladly (so far as I myself was concerned) we dismissed the commissionaire, + after he had brought us to the hotel of the Cross of Malta, where we + dined; needlessly, as it proved, for another dinner awaited us, after our + return on board the boat. + </p> + <p> + We set sail for Leghorn before dark, and I retired early, feeling still + more ill from my cold than the night before. The next morning we were in + the crowded port of Leghorn. We all went ashore, with some idea of taking + the rail for Pisa, which is within an hour's distance, and might have been + seen in time for our departure with the steamer. But a necessary visit to + a banker's, and afterwards some unnecessary formalities about our + passports, kept us wandering through the streets nearly all day; and we + saw nothing in the slightest degree interesting, except the tomb of + Smollett, in the burial-place attached to the English Chapel. It is + surrounded by an iron railing, and marked by a slender obelisk of white + marble, the pattern of which is many times repeated over surrounding + graves. + </p> + <p> + We went into a Jewish synagogue,—the interior cased in marbles, and + surrounded with galleries, resting upon arches above arches. There were + lights burning at the altar, and it looked very like a Christian church; + but it was dirty, and had an odor not of sanctity. + </p> + <p> + In Leghorn, as everywhere else, we were chilled to the heart, except when + the sunshine fell directly upon us; and we returned to the steamer with a + feeling as if we were getting back to our home; for this life of wandering + makes a three days' residence in one place seem like home. + </p> + <p> + We found several new passengers on board, and among others a monk, in a + long brown frock of woollen cloth, with an immense cape, and a little + black covering over his tonsure. He was a tall figure, with a gray beard, + and might have walked, just as he stood, out of a picture by one of the + old masters. This holy person addressed me very affably in Italian; but we + found it impossible to hold much conversation. + </p> + <p> + The evening was beautiful, with a bright young moonlight, not yet + sufficiently powerful to overwhelm the stars, and as we walked the deck, + Miss M——— showed the children the constellations, and + told their names. J——- made a slight mistake as to one of + them, pointing it out to me as "O'Brien's belt!" + </p> + <p> + Elba was presently in view, and we might have seen many other interesting + points, had it not been for our steamer's practice of resting by day, and + only pursuing its voyage by night. The next morning we found ourselves in + the harbor of Civita Vecchia, and, going ashore with our luggage, went + through a blind turmoil with custom-house officers, inspectors of + passports, soldiers, and vetturino people. My wife and I strayed a little + through Civita Vecchia, and found its streets narrow, like clefts in a + rock (which seems to be the fashion of Italian towns), and smelling + nastily. I had made a bargain with a vetturino to send us to Rome in a + carriage, with four horses, in eight hours; and as soon as the + custom-house and passport people would let us, we started, lumbering + slowly along with our mountain of luggage. We had heard rumors of + robberies lately committed on this route; especially of a Nova Scotia + bishop, who was detained on the road an hour and a half, and utterly + pillaged; and certainly there was not a single mile of the dreary and + desolate country over which we passed, where we might not have been robbed + and murdered with impunity. Now and then, at long distances, we came to a + structure that was either a prison, a tavern, or a barn, but did not look + very much like either, being strongly built of stone, with iron-grated + windows, and of ancient and rusty aspect. We kept along by the seashore a + great part of the way, and stopped to feed our horses at a village, the + wretched street of which stands close along the shore of the + Mediterranean, its loose, dark sand being made nasty by the vicinity. The + vetturino cheated us, one of the horses giving out, as he must have known + it would do, half-way on our journey; and we staggered on through cold and + darkness, and peril, too, if the banditti were not a myth,— reaching + Rome not much before midnight. I perpetrated unheard-of briberies on the + custom-house officers at the gates, and was permitted to pass through and + establish myself at Spillman's Hotel, the only one where we could gain + admittance, and where we have been half frozen ever since. + </p> + <p> + And this is sunny Italy, and genial Rome! + </p> + <p> + Palazzo Larazani, Via Porta Pinciana, February 3d.—We have been in + Rome a fortnight to-day, or rather at eleven o'clock to-night; and I have + seldom or never spent so wretched a time anywhere. Our impressions were + very unfortunate, arriving at midnight, half frozen in the wintry rain, + and being received into a cold and cheerless hotel, where we shivered + during two or three days; meanwhile seeking lodgings among the sunless, + dreary alleys which are called streets in Rome. One cold, bright day after + another has pierced me to the heart, and cut me in twain as with a sword, + keen and sharp, and poisoned at point and edge. I did not think that cold + weather could have made me so very miserable. Having caught a feverish + influenza, I was really glad of being muffled up comfortably in the fever + heat. The atmosphere certainly has a peculiar quality of malignity. After + a day or two we settled ourselves in a suite of ten rooms, comprehending + one flat, or what is called the second piano of this house. The rooms, + thus far, have been very uncomfortable, it being impossible to warm them + by means of the deep, old-fashioned, inartificial fireplaces, unless we + had the great logs of a New England forest to burn in them; so I have sat + in my corner by the fireside with more clothes on than I ever wore before, + and my thickest great-coat over all. In the middle of the day I generally + venture out for an hour or two, but have only once been warm enough even + in the sunshine, and out of the sun never at any time. I understand now + the force of that story of Diogenes when he asked the Conqueror, as the + only favor he could do him, to stand out of his sunshine, there being such + a difference in these Southern climes of Europe between sun and shade. If + my wits had not been too much congealed, and my fingers too numb, I should + like to have kept a minute journal of my feelings and impressions during + the past fortnight. It would have shown modern Rome in an aspect in which + it has never yet been depicted. But I have now grown somewhat acclimated, + and the first freshness of my discomfort has worn off, so that I shall + never be able to express how I dislike the place, and how wretched I have + been in it; and soon, I suppose, warmer weather will come, and perhaps + reconcile me to Rome against my will. Cold, narrow lanes, between tall, + ugly, mean-looking whitewashed houses, sour bread, pavements most + uncomfortable to the feet, enormous prices for poor living; beggars, + pickpockets, ancient temples and broken monuments, and clothes hanging to + dry about them; French soldiers, monks, and priests of every degree; a + shabby population, smoking bad cigars,—these would have been some of + the points of my description. Of course there are better and truer things + to be said. . . . + </p> + <p> + It would be idle for me to attempt any sketches of these famous sites and + edifices,—St. Peter's, for example,—which have been described + by a thousand people, though none of them have ever given me an idea of + what sort of place Rome is. . . . + </p> + <p> + The Coliseum was very much what I had preconceived it, though I was not + prepared to find it turned into a sort of Christian church, with a pulpit + on the verge of the open space. . . . The French soldiers, who keep guard + within it, as in other public places in Rome, have an excellent + opportunity to secure the welfare of their souls. + </p> + <p> + February 7th.—I cannot get fairly into the current of my journal + since we arrived, and already I perceive that the nice peculiarities of + Roman life are passing from my notice before I have recorded them. It is a + very great pity. During the past week I have plodded daily, for an hour or + two, through the narrow, stony streets, that look worse than the worst + backside lanes of any other city; indescribably ugly and disagreeable they + are, . . . . without sidewalks, but provided with a line of larger square + stones, set crosswise to each other, along which there is somewhat less + uneasy walking. . . . Ever and anon, even in the meanest streets, —though, + generally speaking, one can hardly be called meaner than another,—we + pass a palace, extending far along the narrow way on a line with the other + houses, but distinguished by its architectural windows, iron-barred on the + basement story, and by its portal arch, through which we have glimpses, + sometimes of a dirty court-yard, or perhaps of a clean, ornamented one, + with trees, a colonnade, a fountain, and a statue in the vista; though, + more likely, it resembles the entrance to a stable, and may, perhaps, + really be one. The lower regions of palaces come to strange uses in Rome. + . . . In the basement story of the Barberini Palace a regiment of French + soldiers (or soldiers of some kind [we find them to be retainers of the + Barberini family, not French]) seems to be quartered, while no doubt + princes have magnificent domiciles above. Be it palace or whatever other + dwelling, the inmates climb through rubbish often to the comforts, such as + they may be, that await them above. I vainly try to get down upon paper + the dreariness, the ugliness, shabbiness, un-home-likeness of a Roman + street. It is also to be said that you cannot go far in any direction + without coming to a piazza, which is sometimes little more than a widening + and enlarging of the dingy street, with the lofty facade of a church or + basilica on one side, and a fountain in the centre, where the water + squirts out of some fantastic piece of sculpture into a great stone basin. + These fountains are often of immense size and most elaborate design. . . . + </p> + <p> + There are a great many of these fountain-shapes, constructed under the + orders of one pope or another, in all parts of the city; and only the very + simplest, such as a jet springing from a broad marble or porphyry vase, + and falling back into it again, are really ornamental. If an antiquary + were to accompany me through the streets, no doubt he would point out ten + thousand interesting objects that I now pass over unnoticed, so general is + the surface of plaster and whitewash; but often I can see fragments of + antiquity built into the walls, or perhaps a church that was a Roman + temple, or a basement of ponderous stones that were laid above twenty + centuries ago. It is strange how our ideas of what antiquity is become + altered here in Rome; the sixteenth century, in which many of the churches + and fountains seem to have been built or re-edified, seems close at hand, + even like our own days; a thousand years, or the days of the latter + empire, is but a modern date, and scarcely interests us; and nothing is + really venerable of a more recent epoch than the reign of Constantine. And + the Egyptian obelisks that stand in several of the piazzas put even the + Augustan or Republican antiquities to shame. I remember reading in a New + York newspaper an account of one of the public buildings of that city,—a + relic of "the olden time," the writer called it; for it was erected in + 1825! I am glad I saw the castles and Gothic churches and cathedrals of + England before visiting Rome, or I never could have felt that delightful + reverence for their gray and ivy-hung antiquity after seeing these so much + older remains. But, indeed, old things are not so beautiful in this dry + climate and clear atmosphere as in moist England. . . . + </p> + <p> + Whatever beauty there may be in a Roman ruin is the remnant of what was + beautiful originally; whereas an English ruin is more beautiful often in + its decay than even it was in its primal strength. If we ever build such + noble structures as these Roman ones, we can have just as good ruins, + after two thousand years, in the United States; but we never can have a + Furness Abbey or a Kenilworth. The Corso, and perhaps some other streets, + does not deserve all the vituperation which I have bestowed on the + generality of Roman vias, though the Corso is narrow, not averaging more + than nine paces, if so much, from sidewalk to sidewalk. But palace after + palace stands along almost its whole extent,—not, however, that they + make such architectural show on the street as palaces should. The enclosed + courts were perhaps the only parts of these edifices which the founders + cared to enrich architecturally. I think Linlithgow Palace, of which I saw + the ruins during my last tour in Scotland, was built, by an architect who + had studied these Roman palaces. There was never any idea of domestic + comfort, or of what we include in the name of home, at all implicated in + such structures, they being generally built by wifeless and childless + churchmen for the display of pictures and statuary in galleries and long + suites of rooms. + </p> + <p> + I have not yet fairly begun the sight-seeing of Rome. I have been four or + five times to St. Peter's, and always with pleasure, because there is such + a delightful, summerlike warmth the moment we pass beneath the heavy, + padded leather curtains that protect the entrances. It is almost + impossible not to believe that this genial temperature is the result of + furnace-heat, but, really, it is the warmth of last summer, which will be + included within those massive walls, and in that vast immensity of space, + till, six months hence, this winter's chill will just have made its way + thither. It would be an excellent plan for a valetudinarian to lodge + during the winter in St. Peter's, perhaps establishing his household in + one of the papal tombs. I become, I think, more sensible of the size of + St. Peter's, but am as yet far from being overwhelmed by it. It is not, as + one expects, so big as all out of doors, nor is its dome so immense as + that of the firmament. It looked queer, however, the other day, to see a + little ragged boy, the very least of human things, going round and + kneeling at shrine after shrine, and a group of children standing on + tiptoe to reach the vase of holy water. . . . + </p> + <p> + On coming out of St. Peter's at my last visit, I saw a great sheet of ice + around the fountain on the right hand, and some little Romans awkwardly + sliding on it. I, too, took a slide, just for the sake of doing what I + never thought to do in Rome. This inclement weather, I should suppose, + must make the whole city very miserable; for the native Romans, I am told, + never keep any fire, except for culinary purposes, even in the severest + winter. They flee from their cheerless houses into the open air, and bring + their firesides along with them in the shape of small earthen vases, or + pipkins, with a handle by which they carry them up and down the streets, + and so warm at least their hands with the lighted charcoal. I have had + glimpses through open doorways into interiors, and saw them as dismal as + tombs. Wherever I pass my summers, let me spend my winters in a cold + country. + </p> + <p> + We went yesterday to the Pantheon. . . . + </p> + <p> + When I first came to Rome, I felt embarrassed and unwilling to pass, with + my heresy, between a devotee and his saint; for they often shoot their + prayers at a shrine almost quite across the church. But there seems to be + no violation of etiquette in so doing. A woman begged of us in the + Pantheon, and accused my wife of impiety for not giving her an alms. . . . + People of very decent appearance are often unexpectedly converted into + beggars as you approach them; but in general they take a "No" at once. + </p> + <p> + February 9th.—For three or four days it has been cloudy and rainy, + which is the greater pity, as this should be the gayest and merriest part + of the Carnival. I go out but little,—yesterday only as far as + Pakenham's and Hooker's bank in the Piazza de' Spagna, where I read + Galignani and the American papers. At last, after seeing in England more + of my fellow-compatriots than ever before, I really am disjoined from my + country. + </p> + <p> + To-day I walked out along the Pincian Hill. . . . As the clouds still + threatened rain, I deemed it my safest course to go to St. Peter's for + refuge. Heavy and dull as the day was, the effect of this great world of a + church was still brilliant in the interior, as if it had a sunshine of its + own, as well as its own temperature; and, by and by, the sunshine of the + outward world came through the windows, hundreds of feet aloft, and fell + upon the beautiful inlaid pavement. . . . Against a pillar, on one side of + the nave, is a mosaic copy of Raphael's Transfiguration, fitly framed + within a great arch of gorgeous marble; and, no doubt, the indestructible + mosaic has preserved it far more completely than the fading and darkening + tints in which the artist painted it. At any rate, it seemed to me the one + glorious picture that I have ever seen. The pillar nearest the great + entrance, on the left of the nave, supports the monument to the Stuart + family, where two winged figures, with inverted torches, stand on either + side of a marble door, which is closed forever. It is an impressive + monument, for you feel as if the last of the race had passed through that + door. + </p> + <p> + Emerging from the church, I saw a French sergeant drilling his men in the + piazza. These French soldiers are prominent objects everywhere about the + city, and make up more of its sight and sound than anything else that + lives. They stroll about individually; they pace as sentinels in all the + public places; and they march up and down in squads, companies, and + battalions, always with a very great din of drum, fife, and trumpet; ten + times the proportion of music that the same number of men would require + elsewhere; and it reverberates with ten times the noise, between the high + edifices of these lanes, that it could make in broader streets. + Nevertheless, I have no quarrel with the French soldiers; they are fresh, + healthy, smart, honest-looking young fellows enough, in blue coats and red + trousers; . . . . and, at all events, they serve as an efficient police, + making Rome as safe as London; whereas, without them, it would very likely + be a den of banditti. + </p> + <p> + On my way home I saw a few tokens of the Carnival, which is now in full + progress; though, as it was only about one o'clock, its frolics had not + commenced for the day. . . . I question whether the Romans themselves take + any great interest in the Carnival. The balconies along the Corso were + almost entirely taken by English and Americans, or other foreigners. + </p> + <p> + As I approached the bridge of St. Angelo, I saw several persons engaged, + as I thought, in fishing in the Tiber, with very strong lines; but on + drawing nearer I found that they were trying to hook up the branches, and + twigs, and other drift-wood, which the recent rains might have swept into + the river. There was a little heap of what looked chiefly like willow + twigs, the poor result of their labor. The hook was a knot of wood, with + the lopped-off branches projecting in three or four prongs. The Tiber has + always the hue of a mud-puddle; but now, after a heavy rain which has + washed the clay into it, it looks like pease-soup. It is a broad and rapid + stream, eddying along as if it were in haste to disgorge its impurities + into the sea. On the left side, where the city mostly is situated, the + buildings hang directly over the stream; on the other, where stand the + Castle of St. Angelo and the Church of St. Peter, the town does not press + so imminent upon the shore. The banks are clayey, and look as if the river + had been digging them away for ages; but I believe its bed is higher than + of yore. + </p> + <p> + February 10th.—I went out to-day, and, going along the Via Felice + and the Via delle Quattro Fontane, came unawares to the Basilica of Santa + Maria Maggiore, on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. I entered it, without + in the least knowing what church it was, and found myself in a broad and + noble nave, both very simple and very grand. There was a long row of Ionic + columns of marble, twenty or thereabouts on each side, supporting a flat + roof. There were vaulted side aisles, and, at the farther end, a bronze + canopy over the high altar; and all along the length of the side aisles + were shrines with pictures, sculpture, and burning lamps; the whole + church, too, was lined with marble: the roof was gilded; and yet the + general effect of severe and noble simplicity triumphed over all the + ornament. I should have taken it for a Roman temple, retaining nearly its + pristine aspect; but Murray tells us that it was founded A. D. 342 by Pope + Liberius, on the spot precisely marked out by a miraculous fall of snow, + in the month of August, and it has undergone many alterations since his + time. But it is very fine, and gives the beholder the idea of vastness, + which seems harder to attain than anything else. On the right hand, + approaching the high altar, there is a chapel, separated from the rest of + the church by an iron paling; and, being admitted into it with another + party, I found it most elaborately magnificent. But one magnificence + outshone another, and made itself the brightest conceivable for the + moment. However, this chapel was as rich as the most precious marble could + make it, in pillars and pilasters, and broad, polished slabs, covering the + whole walls (except where there were splendid and glowing frescos; or + where some monumental statuary or bas-relief, or mosaic picture filled up + an arched niche). Its architecture was a dome, resting on four great + arches; and in size it would alone have been a church. In the centre of + the mosaic pavement there was a flight of steps, down which we went, and + saw a group in marble, representing the nativity of Christ, which, judging + by the unction with which our guide talked about it, must have been of + peculiar sanctity. I hate to leave this chapel and church, without being + able to say any one thing that may reflect a portion of their beauty, or + of the feeling which they excite. Kneeling against many of the pillars + there were persons in prayer, and I stepped softly, fearing lest my tread + on the marble pavement should disturb them,—a needless precaution, + however, for nobody seems to expect it, nor to be disturbed by the lack of + it. + </p> + <p> + The situation of the church, I should suppose, is the loftiest in Rome: it + has a fountain at one end, and a column at the other; but I did not pay + particular attention to either, nor to the exterior of the church itself. + </p> + <p> + On my return, I turned aside from the Via delle Quattro Fontane into the + Via Quirinalis, and was led by it into the Piazza di Monte Cavallo. The + street through which I passed was broader, cleanlier, and statelier than + most streets in Rome, and bordered by palaces; and the piazza had noble + edifices around it, and a fountain, an obelisk, and two nude statues in + the centre. The obelisk was, as the inscription indicated, a relic of + Egypt; the basin of the fountain was an immense bowl of Oriental granite, + into which poured a copious flood of water, discolored by the rain; the + statues were colossal,—two beautiful young men, each holding a fiery + steed. On the pedestal of one was the inscription, OPUS PHIDIAE; on the + other, OPUS PRAXITELIS. What a city is this, when one may stumble, by mere + chance,—at a street corner, as it were,—on the works of two + such sculptors! I do not know the authority on which these statues (Castor + and Pollux, I presume) are attributed to Phidias and Praxiteles; but they + impressed me as noble and godlike, and I feel inclined to take them for + what they purport to be. On one side of the piazza is the Pontifical + Palace; but, not being aware of this at the time, I did not look + particularly at the edifice. + </p> + <p> + I came home by way of the Corso, which seemed a little enlivened by + Carnival time; though, as it was not yet two o'clock, the fun had not + begun for the day. The rain throws a dreary damper on the festivities. + </p> + <p> + February 13th.—Day before yesterday we took J——- and R——- + in a carriage, and went to see the Carnival, by driving up and down the + Corso. It was as ugly a day, as respects weather, as has befallen us since + we came to Rome,—cloudy, with an indecisive wet, which finally + settled into a rain; and people say that such is generally the weather in + Carnival time. There is very little to be said about the spectacle. + Sunshine would have improved it, no doubt; but a person must have very + broad sunshine within himself to be joyous on such shallow provocation. + The street, at all events, would have looked rather brilliant under a + sunny sky, the balconies being hung with bright-colored draperies, which + were also flung out of some of the windows. . . . Soon I had my first + experience of the Carnival in a handful of confetti, right slap in my + face. . . . Many of the ladies wore loose white dominos, and some of the + gentlemen had on defensive armor of blouses; and wire masks over the face + were a protection for both sexes,—not a needless one, for I received + a shot in my right eye which cost me many tears. It seems to be a point of + courtesy (though often disregarded by Americans and English) not to fling + confetti at ladies, or at non-combatants, or quiet bystanders; and the + engagements with these missiles were generally between open carriages, + manned with youths, who were provided with confetti for such encounters, + and with bouquets for the ladies. We had one real enemy on the Corso; for + our former friend Mrs. T——— was there, and as often as + we passed and repassed her, she favored us with a handful of lime. Two or + three times somebody ran by the carriage and puffed forth a shower of + winged seeds through a tube into our faces and over our clothes; and, in + the course of the afternoon, we were hit with perhaps half a dozen + sugar-plums. Possibly we may not have received our fair share of these + last salutes, for J——- had on a black mask, which made him + look like an imp of Satan, and drew many volleys of confetti that we might + otherwise have escaped. A good many bouquets were flung at our little R——-, + and at us generally. . . . This was what is called masking-day, when it is + the rule to wear masks in the Corso, but the great majority of people + appeared without them. . . . Two fantastic figures, with enormous heads, + set round with frizzly hair, came and grinned into our carriage, and J——- + tore out a handful of hair (which proved to be sea-weed) from one of their + heads, rather to the discomposure of the owner, who muttered his + indignation in Italian. . . . On comparing notes with J——- and + R——-, indeed with U—— too, I find that they all + enjoyed the Carnival much more than I did. Only the young ought to write + descriptions of such scenes. My cold criticism chills the life out of it. + </p> + <p> + February 14th.—Friday, 12th, was a sunny day, the first that we had + had for some time; and my wife and I went forth to see sights as well as + to make some calls that had long been due. We went first to the church of + Santa Maria Maggiore, which I have already mentioned, and, on our return, + we went to the Piazza di Monte Cavallo, and saw those admirable ancient + statues of Castor and Pollux, which seem to me sons of the morning, and + full of life and strength. The atmosphere, in such a length of time, has + covered the marble surface of these statues with a gray rust, that + envelops both the men and horses as with a garment; besides which, there + are strange discolorations, such as patches of white moss on the elbows, + and reddish streaks down the sides; but the glory of form overcomes all + these defects of color. It is pleasant to observe how familiar some little + birds are with these colossal statues,—hopping about on their heads + and over their huge fists, and very likely they have nests in their ears + or among their hair. + </p> + <p> + We called at the Barberini Palace, where William Story has established + himself and family for the next seven years, or more, on the third piano, + in apartments that afford a very fine outlook over Rome, and have the sun + in them through most of the day. Mrs. S—— invited us to her + fancy ball, but we declined. + </p> + <p> + On the staircase ascending to their piano we saw the ancient Greek + bas-relief of a lion, whence Canova is supposed to have taken the idea of + his lions on the monument in St. Peter's. Afterwards we made two or three + calls in the neighborhood of the Piazza de' Spagna, finding only Mr. + Hamilton Fish and family, at the Hotel d'Europe, at home, and next visited + the studio of Mr. C. G. Thompson, whom I knew in Boston. He has very + greatly improved since those days, and, being always a man of delicate + mind, and earnestly desiring excellence for its own sake, he has won + himself the power of doing beautiful and elevated works. He is now + meditating a series of pictures from Shakespeare's "Tempest," the sketches + of one or two of which he showed us, likewise a copy of a small Madonna, + by Raphael, wrought with a minute faithfulness which it makes one a better + man to observe. . . . Mr. Thompson is a true artist, and whatever his + pictures have of beauty comes from very far beneath the surface; and this, + I suppose, is one weighty reason why he has but moderate success. I should + like his pictures for the mere color, even if they represented nothing. + His studio is in the Via Sistina; and at a little distance on the other + side of the same street is William Story's, where we likewise went, and + found him at work on a sitting statue of Cleopatra. + </p> + <p> + William Story looks quite as vivid, in a graver way, as when I saw him + last, a very young man. His perplexing variety of talents and + accomplishments—he being a poet, a prose writer, a lawyer, a + painter, a musician, and a sculptor—seems now to be concentrating + itself into this latter vocation, and I cannot see why he should not + achieve something very good. He has a beautiful statue, already finished, + of Goethe's Margaret, pulling a flower to pieces to discover whether Faust + loves her; a very type of virginity and simplicity. The statue of + Cleopatra, now only fourteen days advanced in the clay, is as wide a step + from the little maidenly Margaret as any artist could take; it is a grand + subject, and he is conceiving it with depth and power, and working it out + with adequate skill. He certainly is sensible of something deeper in his + art than merely to make beautiful nudities and baptize them by classic + names. By the by, he told me several queer stories of American visitors to + his studio: one of them, after long inspecting Cleopatra, into which he + has put all possible characteristics of her time and nation and of her own + individuality, asked, "Have you baptized your statue yet?" as if the + sculptor were waiting till his statue were finished before he chose the + subject of it,—as, indeed, I should think many sculptors do. Another + remarked of a statue of Hero, who is seeking Leander by torchlight, and in + momentary expectation of finding his drowned body, "Is not the face a + little sad?" Another time a whole party of Americans filed into his + studio, and ranged themselves round his father's statue, and, after much + silent examination, the spokesman of the party inquired, "Well, sir, what + is this intended to represent?" William Story, in telling these little + anecdotes, gave the Yankee twang to perfection. . . . + </p> + <p> + The statue of his father, his first work, is very noble, as noble and fine + a portrait-statue as I ever saw. In the outer room of his studio a + stone-cutter, or whatever this kind of artisan is called, was at work, + transferring the statue of Hero from the plaster-cast into marble; and + already, though still in some respects a block of stone, there was a + wonderful degree of expression in the face. It is not quite pleasant to + think that the sculptor does not really do the whole labor on his statues, + but that they are all but finished to his hand by merely mechanical + people. It is generally only the finishing touches that are given by his + own chisel. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday, being another bright day, we went to the basilica of St. John + Lateran, which is the basilica next in rank to St. Peter's, and has the + precedence of it as regards certain sacred privileges. It stands on a most + noble site, on the outskirts of the city, commanding a view of the Sabine + and Alban hills, blue in the distance, and some of them hoary with sunny + snow. The ruins of the Claudian aqueduct are close at hand. The church is + connected with the Lateran palace and museum, so that the whole is one + edifice; but the facade of the church distinguishes it, and is very lofty + and grand,—more so, it seems to me, than that of St. Peter's. Under + the portico is an old statue of Constantine, representing him as a very + stout and sturdy personage. The inside of the church disappointed me, + though no doubt I should have been wonderstruck had I seen it a month ago. + We went into one of the chapels, which was very rich in colored marbles; + and, going down a winding staircase, found ourselves among the tombs and + sarcophagi of the Corsini family, and in presence of a marble Pieta very + beautifully sculptured. On the other side of the church we looked into the + Torlonia Chapel, very rich and rather profusely gilded, but, as it seemed + to me, not tawdry, though the white newness of the marble is not perfectly + agreeable after being accustomed to the milder tint which time bestows on + sculpture. The tombs and statues appeared like shapes and images of + new-fallen snow. The most interesting thing which we saw in this church + (and, admitting its authenticity, there can scarcely be a more interesting + one anywhere) was the table at which the Last Supper was eaten. It is + preserved in a corridor, on one side of the tribune or chancel, and is + shown by torchlight suspended upon the wall beneath a covering of glass. + Only the top of the table is shown, presenting a broad, flat surface of + wood, evidently very old, and showing traces of dry-rot in one or two + places. There are nails in it, and the attendant said that it had formerly + been covered with bronze. As well as I can remember, it may be five or six + feet square, and I suppose would accommodate twelve persons, though not if + they reclined in the Roman fashion, nor if they sat as they do in Leonardo + da Vinci's picture. It would be very delightful to believe in this table. + </p> + <p> + There are several other sacred relics preserved in the church; for + instance, the staircase of Pilate's house up which Jesus went, and the + porphyry slab on which the soldiers cast lots for his garments. These, + however, we did not see. There are very glowing frescos on portions of the + walls; but, there being much whitewash instead of incrusted marble, it has + not the pleasant aspect which one's eye learns to demand in Roman + churches. There is a good deal of statuary along the columns of the nave, + and in the monuments of the side aisles. + </p> + <p> + In reference to the interior splendor of Roman churches, I must say that I + think it a pity that painted windows are exclusively a Gothic ornament; + for the elaborate ornamentation of these interiors puts the ordinary + daylight out of countenance, so that a window with only the white sunshine + coming through it, or even with a glimpse of the blue Italian sky, looks + like a portion left unfinished, and therefore a blotch in the rich wall. + It is like the one spot in Aladdin's palace which he left for the king, + his father-in-law, to finish, after his fairy architects had exhausted + their magnificence on the rest; and the sun, like the king, fails in the + effort. It has what is called a porta santa, which we saw walled up, in + front of the church, one side of the main entrance. I know not what gives + it its sanctity, but it appears to be opened by the pope on a year of + jubilee, once every quarter of a century. + </p> + <p> + After our return . . . . I took R——- along the Pincian Hill, + and finally, after witnessing what of the Carnival could be seen in the + Piazza del Popolo from that safe height, we went down into the Corso, and + some little distance along it. Except for the sunshine, the scene was much + the same as I have already described; perhaps fewer confetti and more + bouquets. Some Americans and English are said to have been brought before + the police authorities, and fined for throwing lime. It is remarkable that + the jollity, such as it is, of the Carnival, does not extend an inch + beyond the line of the Corso; there it flows along in a narrow stream, + while in the nearest street we see nothing but the ordinary Roman gravity. + </p> + <p> + February 15th.—Yesterday was a bright day, but I did not go out till + the afternoon, when I took an hour's walk along the Pincian, stopping a + good while to look at the old beggar who, for many years past, has + occupied one of the platforms of the flight of steps leading from the + Piazza de' Spagna to the Triniti de' Monti. Hillard commemorates him in + his book. He is an unlovely object, moving about on his hands and knees, + principally by aid of his hands, which are fortified with a sort of wooden + shoes; while his poor, wasted lower shanks stick up in the air behind him, + loosely vibrating as he progresses. He is gray, old, ragged, a pitiable + sight, but seems very active in his own fashion, and bestirs himself on + the approach of his visitors with the alacrity of a spider when a fly + touches the remote circumference of his web. While I looked down at him he + received alms from three persons, one of whom was a young woman of the + lower orders; the other two were gentlemen, probably either English or + American. I could not quite make out the principle on which he let some + people pass without molestation, while he shuffled from one end of the + platform to the other to intercept an occasional individual. He is not + persistent in his demands, nor, indeed, is this a usual fault among + Italian beggars. A shake of the head will stop him when wriggling towards + you from a distance. I fancy he reaps a pretty fair harvest, and no doubt + leads as contented and as interesting a life as most people, sitting there + all day on those sunny steps, looking at the world, and making his profit + out of it. It must be pretty much such an occupation as fishing, in its + effect upon the hopes and apprehensions; and probably he suffers no more + from the many refusals he meets with than the angler does, when he sees a + fish smell at his bait and swim away. One success pays for a hundred + disappointments, and the game is all the better for not being entirely in + his own favor. + </p> + <p> + Walking onward, I found the Pincian thronged with promenaders, as also + with carriages, which drove round the verge of the gardens in an unbroken + ring. + </p> + <p> + To-day has been very rainy. I went out in the forenoon, and took a sitting + for my bust in one of a suite of rooms formerly occupied by Canova. It was + large, high, and dreary from the want of a carpet, furniture, or anything + but clay and plaster. A sculptor's studio has not the picturesque charm of + that of a painter, where there is color, warmth, and cheerfulness, and + where the artist continually turns towards you the glow of some picture, + which is resting against the wall. . . . I was asked not to look at the + bust at the close of the sitting, and, of course, I obeyed; though I have + a vague idea of a heavy-browed physiognomy, something like what I have + seen in the glass, but looking strangely in that guise of clay. . . . + </p> + <p> + It is a singular fascination that Rome exercises upon artists. There is + clay elsewhere, and marble enough, and heads to model, and ideas may be + made sensible objects at home as well as here. I think it is the peculiar + mode of life that attracts, and its freedom from the inthralments of + society, more than the artistic advantages which Rome offers; and, no + doubt, though the artists care little about one another's works, yet they + keep each other warm by the presence of so many of them. + </p> + <p> + The Carnival still continues, though I hardly see how it can have + withstood such a damper as this rainy day. There were several people— + three, I think—killed in the Corso on Saturday; some accounts say + that they were run over by the horses in the race; others, that they were + ridden down by the dragoons in clearing the course. + </p> + <p> + After leaving Canova's studio, I stepped into the church of San Luigi de' + Francesi, in the Via di Ripetta. It was built, I believe, by Catherine de' + Medici, and is under the protection of the French government, and a most + shamefully dirty place of worship, the beautiful marble columns looking + dingy, for the want of loving and pious care. There are many tombs and + monuments of French people, both of the past and present,— artists, + soldiers, priests, and others, who have died in Rome. It was so dusky + within the church that I could hardly distinguish the pictures in the + chapels and over the altar, nor did I know that there were any worth + looking for. Nevertheless, there were frescos by Domenichino, and + oil-paintings by Guido and others. I found it peculiarly touching to read + the records, in Latin or French, of persons who had died in this foreign + laud, though they were not my own country-people, and though I was even + less akin to them than they to Italy. Still, there was a sort of + relationship in the fact that neither they nor I belonged here. + </p> + <p> + February 17th.—Yesterday morning was perfectly sunny, and we went + out betimes to see churches; going first to the Capuchins', close by the + Piazza Barberini. + </p> + <p> + ["The Marble Faun" takes up this description of the church and of the dead + monk, which we really saw, just as recounted, even to the sudden stream of + blood which flowed from the nostrils, as we looked at him.— ED.] + </p> + <p> + We next went to the Trinita de' Monti, which stands at the head of the + steps, leading, in several flights, from the Piazza de' Spagna. It is now + connected with a convent of French nuns, and when we rang at a side door, + one of the sisterhood answered the summons, and admitted us into the + church. This, like that of the Capuchins', had a vaulted roof over the + nave, and no side aisles, but rows of chapels instead. Unlike the + Capuchins', which was filthy, and really disgraceful to behold, this + church was most exquisitely neat, as women alone would have thought it + worth while to keep it. It is not a very splendid church, not rich in + gorgeous marbles, but pleasant to be in, if it were only for the sake of + its godly purity. There was only one person in the nave; a young girl, who + sat perfectly still, with her face towards the altar, as long as we + stayed. Between the nave and the rest of the church there is a high iron + railing, and on the other side of it were two kneeling figures in black, + so motionless that I at first thought them statues; but they proved to be + two nuns at their devotions; and others of the sisterhood came by and by + and joined them. Nuns, at least these nuns, who are French, and probably + ladies of refinement, having the education of young girls in charge, are + far pleasanter objects to see and think about than monks; the odor of + sanctity, in the latter, not being an agreeable fragrance. But these holy + sisters, with their black crape and white muslin, looked really pure and + unspotted from the world. + </p> + <p> + On the iron railing above mentioned was the representation of a golden + heart, pierced with arrows; for these are nuns of the Sacred Heart. In the + various chapels there are several paintings in fresco, some by Daniele da + Volterra; and one of them, the "Descent from the Cross," has been + pronounced the third greatest picture in the world. I never should have + had the slightest suspicion that it was a great picture at all, so worn + and faded it looks, and so hard, so difficult to be seen, and so + undelightful when one does see it. + </p> + <p> + From the Trinita we went to the Santa Maria del Popolo, a church built on + a spot where Nero is said to have been buried, and which was afterwards + made horrible by devilish phantoms. It now being past twelve, and all the + churches closing from twelve till two, we had not time to pay much + attention to the frescos, oil-pictures, and statues, by Raphael and other + famous men, which are to be seen here. I remember dimly the magnificent + chapel of the Chigi family, and little else, for we stayed but a short + time; and went next to the sculptor's studio, where I had another sitting + for my bust. After I had been moulded for about an hour, we turned + homeward; but my wife concluded to hire a balcony for this last afternoon + and evening of the Carnival, and she took possession of it, while I went + home to send to her Miss S——— and the two elder + children. For my part, I took R——-, and walked, by way of the + Pincian, to the Piazza del Popolo, and thence along the Corso, where, by + this time, the warfare of bouquets and confetti raged pretty fiercely. The + sky being blue and the sun bright, the scene looked much gayer and brisker + than I had before found it; and I can conceive of its being rather + agreeable than otherwise, up to the age of twenty. We got several volleys + of confetti. R——- received a bouquet and a sugar-plum, and I a + resounding hit from something that looked more like a cabbage than a + flower. Little as I have enjoyed the Carnival, I think I could make quite + a brilliant sketch of it, without very widely departing from truth. + </p> + <p> + February 19th.—Day before yesterday, pretty early, we went to St. + Peter's, expecting to see the pope cast ashes on the heads of the + cardinals, it being Ash-Wednesday. On arriving, however, we found no more + than the usual number of visitants and devotional people scattered through + the broad interior of St. Peter's; and thence concluded that the + ceremonies were to be performed in the Sistine Chapel. Accordingly, we + went out of the cathedral, through the door in the left transept, and + passed round the exterior, and through the vast courts of the Vatican, + seeking for the chapel. We had blundered into the carriage-entrance of the + palace; there is an entrance from some point near the front of the church, + but this we did not find. The papal guards, in the strangest antique and + antic costume that was ever seen,—a party-colored dress, striped + with blue, red, and yellow, white and black, with a doublet and ruff, and + trunk-breeches, and armed with halberds,—were on duty at the + gateways, but suffered us to pass without question. Finally, we reached a + large court, where some cardinals' red equipages and other carriages were + drawn up, but were still at a loss as to the whereabouts of the chapel. At + last an attendant kindly showed us the proper door, and led us up flights + of stairs, along passages and galleries, and through halls, till at last + we came to a spacious and lofty apartment adorned with frescos; this was + the Sala Regia, and the antechamber to the Sistine Chapel. + </p> + <p> + The attendant, meanwhile, had informed us that my wife could not be + admitted to the chapel in her bonnet, and that I myself could not enter at + all, for lack of a dress-coat; so my wife took off her bonnet, and, + covering her head with her black lace veil, was readily let in, while I + remained in the Sala Regia, with several other gentlemen, who found + themselves in the same predicament as I was. There was a wonderful variety + of costume to be seen and studied among the persons around me, comprising + garbs that have been elsewhere laid aside for at least three centuries,—the + broad, plaited, double ruff, and black velvet cloak, doublet, + trunk-breeches, and sword of Queen Elizabeth's time,—the papal + guard, in their striped and party-colored dress as before described, + looking not a little like harlequins; other soldiers in helmets and + jackboots; French officers of various uniform; monks and priests; + attendants in old-fashioned and gorgeous livery; gentlemen, some in black + dress-coats and pantaloons, others in wide-awake hats and tweed overcoats; + and a few ladies in the prescribed costume of black; so that, in any other + country, the scene might have been taken for a fancy ball. By and by, the + cardinals began to arrive, and added their splendid purple robes and red + hats to make the picture still more brilliant. They were old men, one or + two very aged and infirm, and generally men of bulk and substance, with + heavy faces, fleshy about the chin. Their red hats, trimmed with + gold-lace, are a beautiful piece of finery, and are identical in shape + with the black, loosely cocked beavers worn by the Catholic ecclesiastics + generally. Wolsey's hat, which I saw at the Manchester Exhibition, might + have been made on the same block, but apparently was never cocked, as the + fashion now is. The attendants changed the upper portions of their + master's attire, and put a little cap of scarlet cloth on each of their + heads, after which the cardinals, one by one, or two by two, as they + happened to arrive, went into the chapel, with a page behind each holding + up his purple train. In the mean while, within the chapel, we heard + singing and chanting; and whenever the voluminous curtains that hung + before the entrance were slightly drawn apart, we outsiders glanced + through, but could see only a mass of people, and beyond them still + another chapel, divided from the hither one by a screen. When almost + everybody had gone in, there was a stir among the guards and attendants, + and a door opened, apparently communicating with the inner apartments of + the Vatican. Through this door came, not the pope, as I had partly + expected, but a bulky old lady in black, with a red face, who bowed + towards the spectators with an aspect of dignified complaisance as she + passed towards the entrance of the chapel. I took off my hat, unlike + certain English gentlemen who stood nearer, and found that I had not done + amiss, for it was the Queen of Spain. + </p> + <p> + There was nothing else to be seen; so I went back through the antechambers + (which are noble halls, richly frescoed on the walls and ceilings), + endeavoring to get out through the same passages that had let me in. I had + already tried to descend what I now supposed to be the Scala Santa, but + had been turned back by a sentinel. After wandering to and fro a good + while, I at last found myself in a long, long gallery, on each side of + which were innumerable inscriptions, in Greek and Latin, on slabs of + marble, built into the walls; and classic altars and tablets were ranged + along, from end to end. At the extremity was a closed iron grating, from + which I was retreating; but a French gentleman accosted me, with the + information that the custode would admit me, if I chose, and would + accompany me through the sculpture department of the Vatican. I acceded, + and thus took my first view of those innumerable art-treasures, passing + from one object to another, at an easy pace, pausing hardly a moment + anywhere, and dismissing even the Apollo, and the Laocoon, and the Torso + of Hercules, in the space of half a dozen breaths. I was well enough + content to do so, in order to get a general idea of the contents of the + galleries, before settling down upon individual objects. + </p> + <p> + Most of the world-famous sculptures presented themselves to my eye with a + kind of familiarity, through the copies and casts which I had seen; but I + found the originals more different than I anticipated. The Apollo, for + instance, has a face which I have never seen in any cast or copy. I must + confess, however, taking such transient glimpses as I did, I was more + impressed with the extent of the Vatican, and the beautiful order in which + it is kept, and its great sunny, open courts, with fountains, grass, and + shrubs, and the views of Rome and the Campagna from its windows,—more + impressed with these, and with certain vastly capacious vases, and two + seat sarcophagi,—than with the statuary. Thus I went round the + whole, and was dismissed through the grated barrier into the gallery of + inscriptions again; and after a little more wandering, I made my way out + of the palace. . . . + </p> + <p> + Yesterday I went out betimes, and strayed through some portion of ancient + Rome, to the Column of Trajan, to the Forum, thence along the Appian Way; + after which I lost myself among the intricacies of the streets, and + finally came out at the bridge of St. Angelo. The first observation which + a stranger is led to make, in the neighborhood of Roman ruins, is that the + inhabitants seem to be strangely addicted to the washing of clothes; for + all the precincts of Trajan's Forum, and of the Roman Forum, and wherever + else an iron railing affords opportunity to hang them, were whitened with + sheets, and other linen and cotton, drying in the sun. It must be that + washerwomen burrow among the old temples. The second observation is not + quite so favorable to the cleanly character of the modern Romans; indeed, + it is so very unfavorable, that I hardly know how to express it. But the + fact is, that, through the Forum, . . . . and anywhere out of the + commonest foot-track and roadway, you must look well to your steps. . . . + If you tread beneath the triumphal arch of Titus or Constantine, you had + better look downward than upward, whatever be the merit of the sculptures + aloft. . . . + </p> + <p> + After a while the visitant finds himself getting accustomed to this + horrible state of things; and the associations of moral sublimity and + beauty seem to throw a veil over the physical meannesses to which I + allude. Perhaps there is something in the mind of the people of these + countries that enables them quite to dissever small ugliness from great + sublimity and beauty. They spit upon the glorious pavement of St. Peter's, + and wherever else they like; they place paltry-looking wooden + confessionals beneath its sublime arches, and ornament them with cheap + little colored prints of the crucifixion; they hang tin hearts and other + tinsel and trumpery at the gorgeous shrines of the saints, in chapels that + are incrusted with gems, or marbles almost as precious; they put + pasteboard statues of saints beneath the dome of the Pantheon; in short, + they let the sublime and the ridiculous come close together, and are not + in the least troubled by the proximity. It must be that their sense of the + beautiful is stronger than in the Anglo-Saxon mind, and that it observes + only what is fit to gratify it. + </p> + <p> + To-day, which was bright and cool, my wife and I set forth immediately + after breakfast, in search of the Baths of Diocletian, and the church of + Santa Maria degl' Angeli. We went too far along the Via di Porta Pia, and + after passing by two or three convents, and their high garden walls, and + the villa Bonaparte on one side, and the villa Torlonia on the other, at + last issued through the city gate. Before us, far away, were the Alban + hills, the loftiest of which was absolutely silvered with snow and + sunshine, and set in the bluest and brightest of skies. We now retraced + our steps to the Fountain of the Termini, where is a ponderous heap of + stone, representing Moses striking the rock; a colossal figure, not + without a certain enormous might and dignity, though rather too evidently + looking his awfullest. This statue was the death of its sculptor, whose + heart was broken on account of the ridicule it excited. There are many + more absurd aquatic devices in Rome, however, and few better. + </p> + <p> + We turned into the Piazza de' Termini, the entrance of which is at this + fountain; and after some inquiry of the French soldiers, a numerous + detachment of whom appear to be quartered in the vicinity, we found our + way to the portal of Santa Maria degl' Angeli. The exterior of this church + has no pretensions to beauty or majesty, or, indeed, to architectural + merit of any kind, or to any architecture whatever; for it looks like a + confused pile of ruined brickwork, with a facade resembling half the inner + curve of a large oven. No one would imagine that there was a church under + that enormous heap of ancient rubbish. But the door admits you into a + circular vestibule, once an apartment of Diocletian's Baths, but now a + portion of the nave of the church, and surrounded with monumental busts; + and thence you pass into what was the central hall; now, with little + change, except of detail and ornament, transformed into the body of the + church. This space is so lofty, broad, and airy, that the soul forthwith + swells out and magnifies itself, for the sake of filling it. It was + Michael Angelo who contrived this miracle; and I feel even more grateful + to him for rescuing such a noble interior from destruction, than if he had + originally built it himself. In the ceiling above, you see the metal + fixtures whereon the old Romans hung their lamps; and there are eight + gigantic pillars of Egyptian granite, standing as they stood of yore. + There is a grand simplicity about the church, more satisfactory than + elaborate ornament; but the present pope has paved and adorned one of the + large chapels of the transept in very beautiful style, and the pavement of + the central part is likewise laid in rich marbles. In the choir there are + several pictures, one of which was veiled, as celebrated pictures + frequently are in churches. A person, who seemed to be at his devotions, + withdrew the veil for us, and we saw a Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, by + Domenichino, originally, I believe, painted in fresco in St. Peter's, but + since transferred to canvas, and removed hither. Its place at St. Peter's + is supplied by a mosaic copy. I was a good deal impressed by this picture,—the + dying saint, amid the sorrow of those who loved him, and the fury of his + enemies, looking upward, where a company of angels, and Jesus with them, + are waiting to welcome him and crown him; and I felt what an influence + pictures might have upon the devotional part of our nature. The nailmarks + in the hands and feet of Jesus, ineffaceable, even after he had passed + into bliss and glory, touched my heart with a sense of his love for us. I + think this really a great picture. We walked round the church, looking at + other paintings and frescos, but saw no others that greatly interested us. + In the vestibule there are monuments to Carlo Maratti and Salvator Rosa, + and there is a statue of St. Bruno, by Houdon, which is pronounced to be + very fine. I thought it good, but scarcely worthy of vast admiration. + Houdon was the sculptor of the first statue of Washington, and of the + bust, whence, I suppose, all subsequent statues have been, and will be, + mainly modelled. + </p> + <p> + After emerging from the church, I looked back with wonder at the stack of + shapeless old brickwork that hid the splendid interior. I must go there + again, and breathe freely in that noble space. + </p> + <p> + February 20th.—This morning, after breakfast, I walked across the + city, making a pretty straight course to the Pantheon, and thence to the + bridge of St. Angelo, and to St. Peter's. It had been my purpose to go to + the Fontana Paolina; but, finding that the distance was too great, and + being weighed down with a Roman lassitude, I concluded to go into St. + Peter's. Here I looked at Michael Angelo's Pieta, a representation of the + dead Christ, in his mother's lap. Then I strolled round the great church, + and find that it continues to grow upon me both in magnitude and beauty, + by comparison with the many interiors of sacred edifices which I have + lately seen. At times, a single, casual, momentary glimpse of its + magnificence gleams upon my soul, as it were, when I happen to glance at + arch opening beyond arch, and I am surprised into admiration. I have + experienced that a landscape and the sky unfold the deepest beauty in a + similar way; not when they are gazed at of set purpose, but when the + spectator looks suddenly through a vista, among a crowd of other thoughts. + Passing near the confessional for foreigners to-day, I saw a Spaniard, who + had just come out of the one devoted to his native tongue, taking leave of + his confessor, with an affectionate reverence, which—as well as the + benign dignity of the good father—it was good to behold. . . . + </p> + <p> + I returned home early, in order to go with my wife to the Barberini Palace + at two o'clock. We entered through the gateway, through the Via delle + Quattro Fontane, passing one or two sentinels; for there is apparently a + regiment of dragoons quartered on the ground-floor of the palace; and I + stumbled upon a room containing their saddles, the other day, when seeking + for Mr. Story's staircase. The entrance to the picture-gallery is by a + door on the right hand, affording us a sight of a beautiful spiral + staircase, which goes circling upward from the very basement to the very + summit of the palace, with a perfectly easy ascent, yet confining its + sweep within a moderate compass. We looked up through the interior of the + spiral, as through a tube, from the bottom to the top. The pictures are + contained in three contiguous rooms of the lower piano, and are few in + number, comprising barely half a dozen which I should care to see again, + though doubtless all have value in their way. One that attracted our + attention was a picture of "Christ disputing with the Doctors," by Albert + Duerer, in which was represented the ugliest, most evil-minded, stubborn, + pragmatical, and contentious old Jew that ever lived under the law of + Moses; and he and the child Jesus were arguing, not only with their + tongues, but making hieroglyphics, as it were, by the motion of their + hands and fingers. It is a very queer, as well as a very remarkable + picture. But we passed hastily by this, and almost all others, being eager + to see the two which chiefly make the collection famous,—Raphael's + Fornarina, and Guido's portrait of Beatrice Cenci. These were found in the + last of the three rooms, and as regards Beatrice Cenci, I might as well + not try to say anything; for its spell is indefinable, and the painter has + wrought it in a way more like magic than anything else. . . . + </p> + <p> + It is the most profoundly wrought picture in the world; no artist did it, + nor could do it, again. Guido may have held the brush, but he painted + "better than he knew." I wish, however, it were possible for some + spectator, of deep sensibility, to see the picture without knowing + anything of its subject or history; for, no doubt, we bring all our + knowledge of the Cenci tragedy to the interpretation of it. + </p> + <p> + Close beside Beatrice Cenci hangs the Fornarina. . . . + </p> + <p> + While we were looking at these works Miss M——— + unexpectedly joined us, and we went, all three together, to the + Rospigliosi Palace, in the Piazza di Monte Cavallo. A porter, in cocked + hat, and with a staff of office, admitted us into a spacious court before + the palace, and directed us to a garden on one side, raised as much as + twenty feet above the level on which we stood. The gardener opened the + gate for us, and we ascended a beautiful stone staircase, with a carved + balustrade, bearing many marks of time and weather. Reaching the + garden-level, we found it laid out in walks, bordered with box and + ornamental shrubbery, amid which were lemon-trees, and one large old + exotic from some distant clime. In the centre of the garden, surrounded by + a stone balustrade, like that of the staircase, was a fish-pond, into + which several jets of water were continually spouting; and on pedestals, + that made part of the balusters, stood eight marble statues of Apollo, + Cupid, nymphs, and other such sunny and beautiful people of classic + mythology. There had been many more of these statues, but the rest had + disappeared, and those which remained had suffered grievous damage, here + to a nose, there to a hand or foot, and often a fracture of the body, very + imperfectly mended. There was a pleasant sunshine in the garden, and a + springlike, or rather a genial, autumnal atmosphere, though elsewhere it + was a day of poisonous Roman chill. + </p> + <p> + At the end of the garden, which was of no great extent, was an edifice, + bordering on the piazza, called the Casino, which, I presume, means a + garden-house. The front is richly ornamented with bas-reliefs, and statues + in niches; as if it were a place for pleasure and enjoyment, and therefore + ought to be beautiful. As we approached it, the door swung open, and we + went into a large room on the ground-floor, and, looking up to the + ceiling, beheld Guido's Aurora. The picture is as fresh and brilliant as + if he had painted it with the morning sunshine which it represents. It + could not be more lustrous in its lines, if he had given it the last touch + an hour ago. Three or four artists were copying it at that instant, and + positively their colors did not look brighter, though a great deal newer + than his. The alacrity and movement, briskness and morning stir and glow, + of the picture are wonderful. It seems impossible to catch its glory in a + copy. Several artists, as I said, were making the attempt, and we saw two + other attempted copies leaning against the wall, but it was easy to detect + failure in just essential points. My memory, I believe, will be somewhat + enlivened by this picture hereafter: not that I remember it very + distinctly even now; but bright things leave a sheen and glimmer in the + mind, like Christian's tremulous glimpse of the Celestial City. + </p> + <p> + In two other rooms of the Casino we saw pictures by Domenichino, Rubens, + and other famous painters, which I do not mean to speak of, because I + cared really little or nothing about them. Returning into the garden, the + sunny warmth of which was most grateful after the chill air and cold + pavement of the Casino, we walked round the laguna, examining the statues, + and looking down at some little fishes that swarmed at the stone margin of + the pool. There were two infants of the Rospigliosi family: one, a young + child playing with a maid and head-servant; another, the very chubbiest + and rosiest boy in the world, sleeping on its nurse's bosom. The nurse was + a comely woman enough, dressed in bright colors, which fitly set off the + deep lines of her Italian face. An old painter very likely would have + beautified and refined the pair into a Madonna, with the child Jesus; for + an artist need not go far in Italy to find a picture ready composed and + tinted, needing little more than to be literally copied. + </p> + <p> + Miss M——— had gone away before us; but my wife and I, + after leaving the Palazzo Rospigliosi, and on our way hone, went into the + Church of St. Andrea, which belongs to a convent of Jesuits. I have long + ago exhausted all my capacity of admiration for splendid interiors of + churches, but methinks this little, little temple (it is not more than + fifty or sixty feet across) has a more perfect and gem-like beauty than + any other. Its shape is oval, with an oval dome, and, above that, another + little dome, both of which are magnificently frescoed. Around the base of + the larger dome is wreathed a flight of angels, and the smaller and upper + one is encircled by a garland of cherubs,—cherub and angel all of + pure white marble. The oval centre of the church is walled round with + precious and lustrous marble of a red-veined variety interspersed with + columns and pilasters of white; and there are arches opening through this + rich wall, forming chapels, which the architect seems to have striven hard + to make even more gorgeous than the main body of the church. They contain + beautiful pictures, not dark and faded, but glowing, as if just from the + painter's hands; and the shrines are adorned with whatever is most rare, + and in one of them was the great carbuncle; at any rate, a bright, fiery + gem as big as a turkey's egg. The pavement of the church was one star of + various-colored marble, and in the centre was a mosaic, covering, I + believe, the tomb of the founder. I have not seen, nor expect to see, + anything else so entirely and satisfactorily finished as this small oval + church; and I only wish I could pack it in a large box, and send it home. + </p> + <p> + I must not forget that, on our way from the Barberini Palace, we stopped + an instant to look at the house, at the corner of the street of the four + fountains, where Milton was a guest while in Rome. He seems quite a man of + our own day, seen so nearly at the hither extremity of the vista through + which we look back, from the epoch of railways to that of the oldest + Egyptian obelisk. The house (it was then occupied by the Cardinal + Barberini) looks as if it might have been built within the present + century; for mediaeval houses in Rome do not assume the aspect of + antiquity; perhaps because the Italian style of architecture, or something + similar, is the one more generally in vogue in most cities. + </p> + <p> + February 21st.—This morning I took my way through the Porta del + Popolo, intending to spend the forenoon in the Campagna; but, getting + weary of the straight, uninteresting street that runs out of the gate, I + turned aside from it, and soon found myself on the shores of the Tiber. It + looked, as usual, like a saturated solution of yellow mud, and eddied + hastily along between deep banks of clay, and over a clay bed, in which + doubtless are hidden many a richer treasure than we now possess. The + French once proposed to draw off the river, for the purpose of recovering + all the sunken statues and relics; but the Romans made strenuous + objection, on account of the increased virulence of malaria which would + probably result. I saw a man on the immediate shore of the river, fifty + feet or so beneath the bank on which I stood, sitting patiently, with an + angling rod; and I waited to see what he might catch. Two other persons + likewise sat down to watch him; but he caught nothing so long as I stayed, + and at last seemed to give it up. The banks and vicinity of the river are + very bare and uninviting, as I then saw them; no shade, no verdure,—a + rough, neglected aspect, and a peculiar shabbiness about the few houses + that were visible. Farther down the stream the dome of St. Peter's showed + itself on the other side, seeming to stand on the outskirts of the city. I + walked along the banks, with some expectation of finding a ferry, by which + I might cross the river; but my course was soon interrupted by the wall, + and I turned up a lane that led me straight back again to the Porta del + Popolo. I stopped a moment, however, to see some young men pitching + quoits, which they appeared to do with a good deal of skill. + </p> + <p> + I went along the Via di Ripetta, and through other streets, stepping into + two or three churches, one of which was the Pantheon. . . . + </p> + <p> + There are, I think, seven deep, pillared recesses around the circumference + of it, each of which becomes a sufficiently capacious chapel; and + alternately with these chapels there is a marble structure, like the + architecture of a doorway, beneath which is the shrine of a saint; so that + the whole circle of the Pantheon is filled up with the seven chapels and + seven shrines. A number of persons were sitting or kneeling around; others + came in while I was there, dipping their fingers in the holy water, and + bending the knee, as they passed the shrines and chapels, until they + reached the one which, apparently, they had selected as the particular + altar for their devotions. Everybody seemed so devout, and in a frame of + mind so suited to the day and place, that it really made me feel a little + awkward not to be able to kneel down along with them. Unlike the + worshippers in our own churches, each individual here seems to do his own + individual acts of devotion, and I cannot but think it better so than to + make an effort for united prayer as we do. It is my opinion that a great + deal of devout and reverential feeling is kept alive in people's hearts by + the Catholic mode of worship. + </p> + <p> + Soon leaving the Pantheon, a few minutes' walk towards the Corso brought + me to the Church of St. Ignazio, which belongs to the College of the + Jesuits. It is spacious and of beautiful architecture, but not strikingly + distinguished, in the latter particular, from many others; a wide and + lofty nave, supported upon marble columns, between which arches open into + the side aisles, and at the junction of the nave and transept a dome, + resting on four great arches. The church seemed to be purposely somewhat + darkened, so that I could not well see the details of the ornamentation, + except the frescos on the ceiling of the nave, which were very brilliant, + and done in so effectual a style, that I really could not satisfy myself + that some of the figures did not actually protrude from the ceiling,—in + short, that they were not colored bas-reliefs, instead of frescos. No + words can express the beautiful effect, in an upholstery point of view, of + this kind of decoration. Here, as at the Pantheon, there were many persons + sitting silent, kneeling, or passing from shrine to shrine. + </p> + <p> + I reached home at about twelve, and, at one, set out again, with my wife, + towards St. Peter's, where we meant to stay till after vespers. We walked + across the city, and through the Piazza de Navona, where we stopped to + look at one of Bernini's absurd fountains, of which the water makes but + the smallest part,—a little squirt or two amid a prodigious fuss of + gods and monsters. Thence we passed by the poor, battered-down torso of + Pasquin, and came, by devious ways, to the bridge of St. Angelo; the + streets bearing pretty much their weekday aspect, many of the shops open, + the market-stalls doing their usual business, and the people brisk and + gay, though not indecorously so. I suppose there was hardly a man or woman + who had not heard mass, confessed, and said their prayers; a thing which—the + prayers, I mean—it would be absurd to predicate of London, New York, + or any Protestant city. In however adulterated a guise, the Catholics do + get a draught of devotion to slake the thirst of their souls, and methinks + it must needs do them good, even if not quite so pure as if it came from + better cisterns, or from the original fountain-head. + </p> + <p> + Arriving at St. Peter's shortly after two, we walked round the whole + church, looking at all the pictures and most of the monuments, . . . . and + paused longest before Guido's "Archangel Michael overcoming Lucifer." This + is surely one of the most beautiful things in the world, one of the human + conceptions that are imbued most deeply with the celestial. . . . + </p> + <p> + We then sat down in one of the aisles and awaited the beginning of + vespers, which we supposed would take place at half past three. Four + o'clock came, however, and no vespers; and as our dinner-hour is five, . . + . . we at last cane away without hearing the vesper hymn. + </p> + <p> + February 23d.—Yesterday, at noon, we set out for the Capitol, and + after going up the acclivity (not from the Forum, but from the opposite + direction), stopped to look at the statues of Castor and Pollux, which, + with other sculptures, look down the ascent. Castor and his brother seem + to me to have heads disproportionately large, and are not so striking, in + any respect, as such great images ought to be. But we heartily admired the + equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, . . . . and looked at a + fountain, principally composed, I think, of figures representing the Nile + and the Tiber, who loll upon their elbows and preside over the gushing + water; and between them, against the facade of the Senator's Palace, there + is a statue of Minerva, with a petticoat of red porphyry. Having taken + note of these objects, we went to the museum, in an edifice on our left, + entering the piazza, and here, in the vestibule, we found various old + statues and relics. Ascending the stairs, we passed through a long + gallery, and, turning to our left, examined somewhat more carefully a + suite of rooms running parallel with it. The first of these contained + busts of the Caesars and their kindred, from the epoch of the mightiest + Julius downward; eighty-three, I believe, in all. I had seen a bust of + Julius Caesar in the British Museum, and was surprised at its thin and + withered aspect; but this head is of a very ugly old man indeed,—wrinkled, + puckered, shrunken, lacking breadth and substance; careworn, grim, as if + he had fought hard with life, and had suffered in the conflict; a man of + schemes, and of eager effort to bring his schemes to pass. His profile is + by no means good, advancing from the top of his forehead to the tip of his + nose, and retreating, at about the same angle, from the latter point to + the bottom of his chin, which seems to be thrust forcibly down into his + meagre neck,—not that he pokes his head forward, however, for it is + particularly erect. + </p> + <p> + The head of Augustus is very beautiful, and appears to be that of a + meditative, philosophic man, saddened with the sense that it is not very + much worth while to be at the summit of human greatness after all. It is a + sorrowful thing to trace the decay of civilization through this series of + busts, and to observe how the artistic skill, so requisite at first, went + on declining through the dreary dynasty of the Caesars, till at length the + master of the world could not get his head carved in better style than the + figure-head of a ship. + </p> + <p> + In the next room there were better statues than we had yet seen; but in + the last room of the range we found the "Dying Gladiator," of which I had + already caught a glimpse in passing by the open door. It had made all the + other treasures of the gallery tedious in my eagerness to come to that. I + do not believe that so much pathos is wrought into any other block of + stone. Like all works of the highest excellence, however, it makes great + demands upon the spectator. He must make a generous gift of his sympathies + to the sculptor, and help out his skill with all his heart, or else he + will see little more than a skilfully wrought surface. It suggests far + more than it shows. I looked long at this statue, and little at anything + else, though, among other famous works, a statue of Antinous was in the + same room. + </p> + <p> + I was glad when we left the museum, which, by the by, was piercingly + chill, as if the multitude of statues radiated cold out of their marble + substance. We might have gone to see the pictures in the Palace of the + Conservatori, and S——-, whose receptivity is unlimited and + forever fresh, would willingly have done so; but I objected, and we went + towards the Forum. I had noticed, two or three times, an inscription over + a mean-looking door in this neighborhood, stating that here was the + entrance to the prison of the holy apostles Peter and Paul; and we soon + found the spot, not far from the Forum, with two wretched frescos of the + apostles above the inscription. We knocked at the door without effect; but + a lame beggar, who sat at another door of the same house (which looked + exceedingly like a liquor-shop), desired us to follow him, and began to + ascend to the Capitol, by the causeway leading from the Forum. A little + way upward we met a woman, to whom the beggar delivered us over, and she + led us into a church or chapel door, and pointed to a long flight of + steps, which descended through twilight into utter darkness. She called to + somebody in the lower regions, and then went away, leaving us to get down + this mysterious staircase by ourselves. Down we went, farther and farther + from the daylight, and found ourselves, anon, in a dark chamber or cell, + the shape or boundaries of which we could not make out, though it seemed + to be of stone, and black and dungeon-like. Indistinctly, and from a still + farther depth in the earth, we heard voices,—one voice, at least,—apparently + not addressing ourselves, but some other persons; and soon, directly + beneath our feet, we saw a glimmering of light through a round, + iron-grated hole in the bottom of the dungeon. In a few moments the + glimmer and the voice came up through this hole, and the light + disappeared, and it and the voice came glimmering and babbling up a flight + of stone stairs, of which we had not hitherto been aware. It was the + custode, with a party of visitors, to whom he had been showing St. Peter's + dungeon. Each visitor was provided with a wax taper, and the custode gave + one to each of us, bidding us wait a moment while he conducted the other + party to the upper air. During his absence we examined the cell, as well + as our dim lights would permit, and soon found an indentation in the wall, + with an iron grate put over it for protection, and an inscription above + informing us that the Apostle Peter had here left the imprint of his + visage; and, in truth, there is a profile there,—forehead, nose, + mouth, and chin,—plainly to be seen, an intaglio in the solid rock. + We touched it with the tips of our fingers, as well as saw it with our + eyes. + </p> + <p> + The custode soon returned, and led us down the darksome steps, chattering + in Italian all the time. It is not a very long descent to the lower cell, + the roof of which is so low that I believe I could have reached it with my + hand. We were now in the deepest and ugliest part of the old Mamertine + Prison, one of the few remains of the kingly period of Rome, and which + served the Romans as a state-prison for hundreds of years before the + Christian era. A multitude of criminals or innocent persons, no doubt, + have languished here in misery, and perished in darkness. Here Jugurtha + starved; here Catiline's adherents were strangled; and, methinks, there + cannot be in the world another such an evil den, so haunted with black + memories and indistinct surmises of guilt and suffering. In old Rome, I + suppose, the citizens never spoke of this dungeon above their breath. It + looks just as bad as it is; round, only seven paces across, yet so obscure + that our tapers could not illuminate it from side to side,— the + stones of which it is constructed being as black as midnight. The custode + showed us a stone post, at the side of the cell, with the hole in the top + of it, into which, he said, St. Peter's chain had been fastened; and he + uncovered a spring of water, in the middle of the stone floor, which he + told us had miraculously gushed up to enable the saint to baptize his + jailer. The miracle was perhaps the more easily wrought, inasmuch as + Jugurtha had found the floor of the dungeon oozy with wet. However, it is + best to be as simple and childlike as we can in these matters; and whether + St. Peter stamped his visage into the stone, and wrought this other + miracle or no, and whether or no he ever was in the prison at all, still + the belief of a thousand years and more gives a sort of reality and + substance to such traditions. The custode dipped an iron ladle into the + miraculous water, and we each of us drank a sip; and, what is very + remarkable, to me it seemed hard water and almost brackish, while many + persons think it the sweetest in Rome. I suspect that St. Peter still + dabbles in this water, and tempers its qualities according to the faith of + those who drink it. + </p> + <p> + The staircase descending into the lower dungeon is comparatively modern, + there having been no entrance of old, except through the small circular + opening in the roof. In the upper cell the custode showed us an ancient + flight of stairs, now built into the wall, which used to lead from the + Capitol. The whole precincts are now consecrated, and I believe the upper + portion, perhaps both upper and lower, are a shrine or a chapel. + </p> + <p> + I now left S——— in the Forum, and went to call on Mr. J. + P. K——— at the Hotel d'Europe. I found him just returned + from a drive,—a gentleman of about sixty, or more, with gray hair, a + pleasant, intellectual face, and penetrating, but not unkindly eyes. He + moved infirmly, being on the recovery from an illness. We went up to his + saloon together, and had a talk,—or, rather, he had it nearly all to + himself,—and particularly sensible talk, too, and full of the + results of learning and experience. In the first place, he settled the + whole Kansas difficulty; then he made havoc of St. Peter, who came very + shabbily out of his hands, as regarded his early character in the Church, + and his claims to the position he now holds in it. Mr. K——— + also gave a curious illustration, from something that happened to himself, + of the little dependence that can be placed on tradition purporting to be + ancient, and I capped his story by telling him how the site of my + town-pump, so plainly indicated in the sketch itself, has already been + mistaken in the city council and in the public prints. + </p> + <p> + February 24th.—Yesterday I crossed the Ponte Sisto, and took a short + ramble on the other side of the river; and it rather surprised me to + discover, pretty nearly opposite the Capitoline Hill, a quay, at which + several schooners and barks, of two or three hundred tons' burden, were + moored. There was also a steamer, armed with a large gun and two brass + swivels on her forecastle, and I know not what artillery besides. Probably + she may have been a revenue-cutter. + </p> + <p> + Returning I crossed the river by way of the island of St. Bartholomew over + two bridges. The island is densely covered with buildings, and is a + separate small fragment of the city. It was a tradition of the ancient + Romans that it was formed by the aggregation of soil and rubbish brought + down by the river, and accumulating round the nucleus of some sunken + baskets. + </p> + <p> + On reaching the hither side of the river, I soon struck upon the ruins of + the theatre of Marcellus, which are very picturesque, and the more so from + being closely linked in, indeed, identified with the shops, habitations, + and swarming life of modern Rome. The most striking portion was a circular + edifice, which seemed to have been composed of a row of Ionic columns + standing upon a lower row of Doric, many of the antique pillars being yet + perfect; but the intervening arches built up with brickwork, and the whole + once magnificent structure now tenanted by poor and squalid people, as + thick as mites within the round of an old cheese. From this point I cannot + very clearly trace out my course; but I passed, I think, between the + Circus Maximus and the Palace of the Caesars, and near the Baths of + Caracalla, and went into the cloisters of the Church of San Gregorio. All + along I saw massive ruins, not particularly picturesque or beautiful, but + huge, mountainous piles, chiefly of brickwork, somewhat tweed-grown here + and there, but oftener bare and dreary. . . . All the successive ages + since Rome began to decay have done their best to ruin the very ruins by + taking away the marble and the hewn stone for their own structures, and + leaving only the inner filling up of brickwork, which the ancient + architects never designed to be seen. The consequence of all this is, + that, except for the lofty and poetical associations connected with it, + and except, too, for the immense difference in magnitude, a Roman ruin may + be in itself not more picturesque than I have seen an old cellar, with a + shattered brick chimney half crumbling down into it, in New England. + </p> + <p> + By this time I knew not whither I was going, and turned aside from a + broad, paved road (it was the Appian Way) into the Via Latina, which I + supposed would lead to one of the city gates. It was a lonely path: on my + right hand extensive piles of ruin, in strange shapes or shapelessness, + built of the broad and thin old Roman bricks, such as may be traced + everywhere, when the stucco has fallen away from a modern Roman house; for + I imagine there has not been a new brick made here for a thousand years. + On my left, I think, was a high wall, and before me, grazing in the road . + . . . [the buffalo calf of the Marble Faun.—ED.]. The road went + boldly on, with a well-worn track up to the very walls of the city; but + there it abruptly terminated at an ancient, closed-up gateway. From a + notice posted against a door, which appeared to be the entrance to the + ruins on my left, I found that these were the remains of Columbaria, where + the dead used to be put away in pigeon-holes. Reaching the paved road + again, I kept on my course, passing the tomb of the Scipios, and soon came + to the gate of San Sebastiano, through which I entered the Campagna. + Indeed, the scene around was so rural, that I had fancied myself already + beyond the walls. As the afternoon was getting advanced, I did not proceed + any farther towards the blue hills which I saw in the distance, but turned + to my left, following a road that runs round the exterior of the city + wall. It was very dreary and solitary,— not a house on the whole + track, with the broad and shaggy Campagna on one side, and the high, bare + wall, looking down over my head, on the other. It is not, any more than + the other objects of the scene, a very picturesque wall, but is little + more than a brick garden-fence seen through a magnifying-glass, with now + and then a tower, however, and frequent buttresses, to keep its height of + fifty feet from toppling over. The top was ragged, and fringed with a few + weeds; there had been embrasures for guns and eyelet-holes for musketry, + but these were plastered up with brick or stone. I passed one or two + walled-up gateways (by the by, the Parts, Latina was the gate through + which Belisarius first entered Rome), and one of these had two high, round + towers, and looked more Gothic and venerable with antique strength than + any other portion of the wall. Immediately after this I came to the gate + of San Giovanni, just within which is the Basilica of St. John Lateran, + and there I was glad to rest myself upon a bench before proceeding + homeward. + </p> + <p> + There was a French sentinel at this gateway, as at all the others; for the + Gauls have always been a pest to Rome, and now gall her worse than ever. I + observed, too, that an official, in citizen's dress, stood there also, and + appeared to exercise a supervision over some carts with country produce, + that were entering just then. + </p> + <p> + February 25th.—We went this forenoon to the Palazzo Borghese, which + is situated on a street that runs at right angles with the Corso, and very + near the latter. Most of the palaces in Rome, and the Borghese among them, + were built somewhere about the sixteenth century; this in 1590, I believe. + It is an immense edifice, standing round the four sides of a quadrangle; + and though the suite of rooms comprising the picture-gallery forms an + almost interminable vista, they occupy only a part of the ground-floor of + one side. We enter from the street into a large court, surrounded with a + corridor, the arches of which support a second series of arches above. The + picture-rooms open from one into another, and have many points of + magnificence, being large and lofty, with vaulted ceilings and beautiful + frescos, generally of mythological subjects, in the flat central part of + the vault. The cornices are gilded; the deep embrasures of the windows are + panelled with wood-work; the doorways are of polished and variegated + marble, or covered with a composition as hard, and seemingly as durable. + The whole has a kind of splendid shabbiness thrown over it, like a slight + coating of rust; the furniture, at least the damask chairs, being a good + deal worn, though there are marble and mosaic tables, which may serve to + adorn another palace when this one crumbles away with age. One beautiful + hall, with a ceiling more richly gilded than the rest, is panelled all + round with large looking-glasses, on which are painted pictures, both + landscapes and human figures, in oils; so that the effect is somewhat as + if you saw these objects represented in the mirrors. These glasses must be + of old date, perhaps coeval with the first building of the palace; for + they are so much dimmed, that one's own figure appears indistinct in them, + and more difficult to be traced than the pictures which cover them half + over. It was very comfortless,— indeed, I suppose nobody ever + thought of being comfortable there, since the house was built,—but + especially uncomfortable on a chill, damp day like this. My fingers were + quite numb before I got half-way through the suite of apartments, in spite + of a brazier of charcoal which was smouldering into ashes in two or three + of the rooms. There was not, so far as I remember, a single fireplace in + the suite. A considerable number of visitors—not many, however—were + there; and a good many artists; and three or four ladies among them were + making copies of the more celebrated pictures, and in all or in most cases + missing the especial points that made their celebrity and value. The + Prince Borghese certainly demeans himself like a kind and liberal + gentleman, in throwing open this invaluable collection to the public to + see, and for artists to carry away with them, and diffuse all over the + world, so far as their own power and skill will permit. It is open every + day of the week, except Saturday and Sunday, without any irksome + restriction or supervision; and the fee, which custom requires the visitor + to pay to the custode, has the good effect of making us feel that we are + not intruders, nor received in an exactly eleemosynary way. The thing + could not be better managed. + </p> + <p> + The collection is one of the most celebrated in the world, and contains + between eight and nine hundred pictures, many of which are esteemed + masterpieces. I think I was not in a frame for admiration to-day, nor + could achieve that free and generous surrender of myself which I have + already said is essential to the proper estimate of anything excellent. + Besides, how is it possible to give one's soul, or any considerable part + of it, to a single picture, seen for the first time, among a thousand + others, all of which set forth their own claims in an equally good light? + Furthermore, there is an external weariness, and sense of a thousand-fold + sameness to be overcome, before we can begin to enjoy a gallery of the old + Italian masters. . . . I remember but one painter, Francia, who seems + really to have approached this awful class of subjects (Christs and + Madonnas) in a fitting spirit; his pictures are very singular and awkward, + if you look at them with merely an external eye, but they are full of the + beauty of holiness, and evidently wrought out as acts of devotion, with + the deepest sincerity; and are veritable prayers upon canvas. . . . + </p> + <p> + I was glad, in the very last of the twelve rooms, to come upon some Dutch + and Flemish pictures, very few, but very welcome; Rubens, Rembrandt, + Vandyke, Paul Potter, Teniers, and others,—men of flesh and blood, + and warm fists, and human hearts. As compared with them, these mighty + Italian masters seem men of polished steel; not human, nor addressing + themselves so much to human sympathies, as to a formed, intellectual + taste. + </p> + <p> + March 1st.—To-day began very unfavorably; but we ventured out at + about eleven o'clock, intending to visit the gallery of the Colonna + Palace. Finding it closed, however, on account of the illness of the + custode, we determined to go to the picture-gallery of the Capitol; and, + on our way thither, we stepped into Il Gesu, the grand and rich church of + the Jesuits, where we found a priest in white, preaching a sermon, with + vast earnestness of action and variety of tones, insomuch that I fancied + sometimes that two priests were in the agony of sermonizing at once. He + had a pretty large and seemingly attentive audience clustered round him + from the entrance of the church, half-way down the nave; while in the + chapels of the transepts and in the remoter distances were persons + occupied with their own individual devotion. We sat down near the chapel + of St. Ignazio, which is adorned with a picture over the altar, and with + marble sculptures of the Trinity aloft, and of angels fluttering at the + sides. What I particularly noted (for the angels were not very real + personages, being neither earthly nor celestial) was the great ball of + lapis lazuli, the biggest in the world, at the feet of the First Person in + the Trinity. The church is a splendid one, lined with a great variety of + precious marbles, . . . . but partly, perhaps, owing to the dusky light, + as well as to the want of cleanliness, there was a dingy effect upon the + whole. We made but a very short stay, our New England breeding causing us + to feel shy of moving about the church in sermon time. + </p> + <p> + It rained when we reached the Capitol, and, as the museum was not yet + open, we went into the Palace of the Conservators, on the opposite side of + the piazza. Around the inner court of the ground-floor, partly under two + opposite arcades, and partly under the sky, are several statues and other + ancient sculptures; among them a statue of Julius Caesar, said to be the + only authentic one, and certainly giving an impression of him more in + accordance with his character than the withered old face in the museum; + also, a statue of Augustus in middle age, still retaining a resemblance to + the bust of him in youth; some gigantic heads and hands and feet in marble + and bronze; a stone lion and horse, which lay long at the bottom of a + river, broken and corroded, and were repaired by Michel Angelo; and other + things which it were wearisome to set down. We inquired of two or three + French soldiers the way into the picture-gallery; but it is our experience + that French soldiers in Rome never know anything of what is around them, + not even the name of the palace or public place over which they stand + guard; and though invariably civil, you might as well put a question to a + statue of an old Roman as to one of them. While we stood under the loggia, + however, looking at the rain plashing into the court, a soldier of the + Papal Guard kindly directed us up the staircase, and even took pains to go + with us to the very entrance of the picture-rooms. Thank Heaven, there are + but two of them, and not many pictures which one cares to look at very + long. + </p> + <p> + Italian galleries are at a disadvantage as compared with English ones, + inasmuch as the pictures are not nearly such splendid articles of + upholstery; though, very likely, having undergone less cleaning and + varnishing, they may retain more perfectly the finer touches of the + masters. Nevertheless, I miss the mellow glow, the rich and mild external + lustre, and even the brilliant frames of the pictures I have seen in + England. You feel that they have had loving care taken of them; even if + spoiled, it is because they have been valued so much. But these pictures + in Italian galleries look rusty and lustreless, as far as the exterior is + concerned; and, really, the splendor of the painting, as a production of + intellect and feeling, has a good deal of difficulty in shining through + such clouds. + </p> + <p> + There is a picture at the Capitol, the "Rape of Europa," by Paul Veronese, + that would glow with wonderful brilliancy if it were set in a magnificent + frame, and covered with a sunshine of varnish; and it is a kind of picture + that would not be desecrated, as some deeper and holier ones might be, by + any splendor of external adornment that could be bestowed on it. It is + deplorable and disheartening to see it in faded and shabby plight,—this + joyous, exuberant, warm, voluptuous work. There is the head of a cow, + thrust into the picture, and staring with wild, ludicrous wonder at the + godlike bull, so as to introduce quite a new sentiment. + </p> + <p> + Here, and at the Borghese Palace, there were some pictures by Garofalo, an + artist of whom I never heard before, but who seemed to have been a man of + power. A picture by Marie Subleyras—a miniature copy from one by her + husband, of the woman anointing the feet of Christ—is most + delicately and beautifully finished, and would be an ornament to a + drawing-room; a thing that could not truly be said of one in a hundred of + these grim masterpieces. When they were painted life was not what it is + now, and the artists had not the same ends in view. . . . It depresses the + spirits to go from picture to picture, leaving a portion of your vital + sympathy at every one, so that you come, with a kind of half-torpid + desperation, to the end. On our way down the staircase we saw several + noteworthy bas-reliefs, and among them a very ancient one of Curtius + plunging on horseback into the chasm in the Forum. It seems to me, + however, that old sculpture affects the spirits even more dolefully than + old painting; it strikes colder to the heart, and lies heavier upon it, + being marble, than if it were merely canvas. + </p> + <p> + My wife went to revisit the museum, which we had already seen, on the + other side of the piazza; but, being cold, I left her there, and went out + to ramble in the sun; for it was now brightly, though fitfully, shining + again. I walked through the Forum (where a thorn thrust itself out and + tore the sleeve of my talma) and under the Arch of Titus, towards the + Coliseum. About a score of French drummers were beating a long, loud + roll-call, at the base of the Coliseum, and under its arches; and a score + of trumpeters responded to these, from the rising ground opposite the Arch + of Constantine; and the echoes of the old Roman ruins, especially those of + the Palace of the Caesars, responded to this martial uproar of the + barbarians. There seemed to be no cause for it; but the drummers beat, and + the trumpeters blew, as long as I was within hearing. + </p> + <p> + I walked along the Appian Way as far as the Baths of Caracalla. The Palace + of the Caesars, which I have never yet explored, appears to be crowned by + the walls of a convent, built, no doubt, out of some of the fragments that + would suffice to build a city; and I think there is another convent among + the baths. The Catholics have taken a peculiar pleasure in planting + themselves in the very citadels of paganism, whether temples or palaces. + There has been a good deal of enjoyment in the destruction of old Rome. I + often think so when I see the elaborate pains that have been taken to + smash and demolish some beautiful column, for no purpose whatever, except + the mere delight of annihilating a noble piece of work. There is something + in the impulse with which one sympathizes; though I am afraid the + destroyers were not sufficiently aware of the mischief they did to enjoy + it fully. Probably, too, the early Christians were impelled by religious + zeal to destroy the pagan temples, before the happy thought occurred of + converting them into churches. + </p> + <p> + March 3d.—This morning was U——'s birthday, and we + celebrated it by taking a barouche, and driving (the whole family) out on + the Appian Way as far as the tomb of Cecilia Metella. For the first time + since we came to Rome, the weather was really warm,—a kind of heat + producing languor and disinclination to active movement, though still a + little breeze which was stirring threw an occasional coolness over us, and + made us distrust the almost sultry atmosphere. I cannot think the Roman + climate healthy in any of its moods that I have experienced. + </p> + <p> + Close on the other side of the road are the ruins of a Gothic chapel, + little more than a few bare walls and painted windows, and some other + fragmentary structures which we did not particularly examine. U—— + and I clambered through a gap in the wall, extending from the basement of + the tomb, and thus, getting into the field beyond, went quite round the + mausoleum and the remains of the castle connected with it. The latter, + though still high and stalwart, showed few or no architectural features of + interest, being built, I think, principally of large bricks, and not to be + compared to English ruins as a beautiful or venerable object. + </p> + <p> + A little way beyond Cecilia Metella's tomb, the road still shows a + specimen of the ancient Roman pavement, composed of broad, flat + flagstones, a good deal cracked and worn, but sound enough, probably, to + outlast the little cubes which make the other portions of the road so + uncomfortable. We turned back from this point and soon re-entered the gate + of St. Sebastian, which is flanked by two small towers, and just within + which is the old triumphal arch of Drusus,—a sturdy construction, + much dilapidated as regards its architectural beauty, but rendered far + more picturesque than it could have been in its best days by a crown of + verdure on its head. Probably so much of the dust of the highway has risen + in clouds and settled there, that sufficient soil for shrubbery to root + itself has thus been collected, by small annual contributions, in the + course of two thousand years. A little farther towards the city we turned + aside from the Appian Way, and came to the site of some ancient + Columbaria, close by what seemed to partake of the character of a villa + and a farm-house. A man came out of the house and unlocked a door in a low + building, apparently quite modern; but on entering we found ourselves + looking into a large, square chamber, sunk entirely beneath the surface of + the ground. A very narrow and steep staircase of stone, and evidently + ancient, descended into this chamber; and, going down, we found the walls + hollowed on all sides into little semicircular niches, of which, I + believe, there were nine rows, one above another, and nine niches in each + row. Thus they looked somewhat like the little entrances to a + pigeon-house, and hence the name of Columbarium. Each semicircular niche + was about a foot in its semidiameter. In the centre of this subterranean + chamber was a solid square column, or pier, rising to the roof, and + containing other niches of the same pattern, besides one that was high and + deep, rising to the height of a man from the floor on each of the four + sides. In every one of the semicircular niches were two round holes + covered with an earthen plate, and in each hole were ashes and little + fragments of bones,—the ashes and bones of the dead, whose names + were inscribed in Roman capitals on marble slabs inlaid into the wall over + each individual niche. Very likely the great ones in the central pier had + contained statues, or busts, or large urns; indeed, I remember that some + such things were there, as well as bas-reliefs in the walls; but hardly + more than the general aspect of this strange place remains in my mind. It + was the Columbarium of the connections or dependants of the Caesars; and + the impression left on me was, that this mode of disposing of the dead was + infinitely preferable to any which has been adopted since that day. The + handful or two of dry dust and bits of dry bones in each of the small + round holes had nothing disgusting in them, and they are no drier now than + they were when first deposited there. I would rather have my ashes + scattered over the soil to help the growth of the grass and daisies; but + still I should not murmur much at having them decently pigeon-holed in a + Roman tomb. + </p> + <p> + After ascending out of this chamber of the dead, we looked down into + another similar one, containing the ashes of Pompey's household, which was + discovered only a very few years ago. Its arrangement was the same as that + first described, except that it had no central pier with a passage round + it, as the former had. + </p> + <p> + While we were down in the first chamber the proprietor of the spot—a + half-gentlemanly and very affable kind of person—came to us, and + explained the arrangements of the Columbarium, though, indeed, we + understood them better by their own aspect than by his explanation. The + whole soil around his dwelling is elevated much above the level of the + road, and it is probable that, if he chose to excavate, he might bring to + light many more sepulchral chambers, and find his profit in them too, by + disposing of the urns and busts. What struck me as much as anything was + the neatness of these subterranean apartments, which were quite as fit to + sleep in as most of those occupied by living Romans; and, having undergone + no wear and tear, they were in as good condition as on the day they were + built. + </p> + <p> + In this Columbarium, measuring about twenty feet square, I roughly + estimate that there have been deposited together the remains of at least + seven or eight hundred persons, reckoning two little heaps of bones and + ashes in each pigeon-hole, nine pigeon-holes in each row, and nine rows on + each side, besides those on the middle pier. All difficulty in finding + space for the dead would be obviated by returning to the ancient fashion + of reducing them to ashes,—the only objection, though a very serious + one, being the quantity of fuel that it would require. But perhaps future + chemists may discover some better means of consuming or dissolving this + troublesome mortality of ours. + </p> + <p> + We got into the carriage again, and, driving farther towards the city, + came to the tomb of the Scipios, of the exterior of which I retain no very + definite idea. It was close upon the Appian Way, however, though separated + from it by a high fence, and accessible through a gateway, leading into a + court. I think the tomb is wholly subterranean, and that the ground above + it is covered with the buildings of a farm-house; but of this I cannot be + certain, as we were led immediately into a dark, underground passage, by + an elderly peasant, of a cheerful and affable demeanor. As soon as he had + brought us into the twilight of the tomb, he lighted a long wax taper for + each of us, and led us groping into blacker and blacker darkness. Even + little R——- followed courageously in the procession, which + looked very picturesque as we glanced backward or forward, and beheld a + twinkling line of seven lights, glimmering faintly on our faces, and + showing nothing beyond. The passages and niches of the tomb seem to have + been hewn and hollowed out of the rock, not built by any art of masonry; + but the walls were very dark, almost black, and our tapers so dim that I + could not gain a sufficient breadth of view to ascertain what kind of + place it was. It was very dark, indeed; the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky could + not be darker. The rough-hewn roof was within touch, and sometimes we had + to stoop to avoid hitting our heads; it was covered with damps, which + collected and fell upon us in occasional drops. The passages, besides + being narrow, were so irregular and crooked, that, after going a little + way, it would have been impossible to return upon our steps without the + help of the guide; and we appeared to be taking quite an extensive ramble + underground, though in reality I suppose the tomb includes no great space. + At several turns of our dismal way, the guide pointed to inscriptions in + Roman capitals, commemorating various members of the Scipio family who + were buried here; among them, a son of Scipio Africanus, who himself had + his death and burial in a foreign land. All these inscriptions, however, + are copies,—the originals, which were really found here, having been + removed to the Vatican. Whether any bones and ashes have been left, or + whether any were found, I do not know. It is not, at all events, a + particularly interesting spot, being such shapeless blackness, and a mere + dark hole, requiring a stronger illumination than that of our tapers to + distinguish it from any other cellar. I did, at one place, see a sort of + frieze, rather roughly sculptured; and, as we returned towards the + twilight of the entrance-passage, I discerned a large spider, who fled + hastily away from our tapers,—the solitary living inhabitant of the + tomb of the Scipios. + </p> + <p> + One visit that we made, and I think it was before entering the city gates, + I forgot to mention. It was to an old edifice, formerly called the Temple + of Bacchus, but now supposed to have been the Temple of Virtue and Honor. + The interior consists of a vaulted hall, which was converted from its + pagan consecration into a church or chapel, by the early Christians; and + the ancient marble pillars of the temple may still be seen built in with + the brick and stucco of the later occupants. There is an altar, and other + tokens of a Catholic church, and high towards the ceiling, there are some + frescos of saints or angels, very curious specimens of mediaeval, and + earlier than mediaeval art. Nevertheless, the place impressed me as still + rather pagan than Christian. What is most remarkable about this spot or + this vicinity lies in the fact that the Fountain of Egeria was formerly + supposed to be close at hand; indeed, the custode of the chapel still + claims the spot as the identical one consecrated by the legend. There is a + dark grove of trees, not far from the door of the temple; but Murray, a + highly essential nuisance on such excursions as this, throws such + overwhelming doubt, or rather incredulity, upon the site, that I seized + upon it as a pretext for not going thither. In fact, my small capacity for + sight-seeing was already more than satisfied. + </p> + <p> + On account of ——— I am sorry that we did not see the + grotto, for her enthusiasm is as fresh as the waters of Egeria's well can + be, and she has poetical faith enough to light her cheerfully through all + these mists of incredulity. + </p> + <p> + Our visits to sepulchral places ended with Scipio's tomb, whence we + returned to our dwelling, and Miss M——— came to dine + with us. + </p> + <p> + March 10th.—On Saturday last, a very rainy day, we went to the + Sciarra Palace, and took U—— with us. It is on the Corso, + nearly opposite to the Piazza Colonna. It has (Heaven be praised!) but + four rooms of pictures, among which, however, are several very celebrated + ones. Only a few of these remain in my memory,—Raphael's "Violin + Player," which I am willing to accept as a good picture; and Leonardo da + Vinci's "Vanity and Modesty," which also I can bring up before my mind's + eye, and find it very beautiful, although one of the faces has an affected + smile, which I have since seen on another picture by the same artist, + Joanna of Aragon. The most striking picture in the collection, I think, is + Titian's "Bella Donna,"—the only one of Titian's works that I have + yet seen which makes an impression on me corresponding with his fame. It + is a very splendid and very scornful lady, as beautiful and as scornful as + Gainsborough's Lady Lyndoch, though of an entirely different type. There + were two Madonnas by Guido, of which I liked the least celebrated one + best; and several pictures by Garofalo, who always produces something + noteworthy. All the pictures lacked the charm (no doubt I am a barbarian + to think it one) of being in brilliant frames, and looked as if it were a + long, long while since they were cleaned or varnished. The light was so + scanty, too, on that heavily clouded day, and in those gloomy old rooms of + the palace, that scarcely anything could be fairly made out. + </p> + <p> + [I cannot refrain from observing here, that Mr. Hawthorne's inexorable + demand for perfection in all things leads him to complain of grimy + pictures and tarnished frames and faded frescos, distressing beyond + measure to eyes that never failed to see everything before him with the + keenest apprehension. The usual careless observation of people both of the + good and the imperfect is much more comfortable in this imperfect world. + But the insight which Mr. Hawthorne possessed was only equalled by his + outsight, and he suffered in a way not to be readily conceived, from any + failure in beauty, physical, moral, or intellectual. It is not, therefore, + mere love of upholstery that impels him to ask for perfect settings to + priceless gems of art; but a native idiosyncrasy, which always made me + feel that "the New Jerusalem," "even like a jasper stone, clear as + crystal," "where shall in no wise enter anything that defileth, neither + what worketh abomination nor maketh a lie," would alone satisfy him, or + rather alone not give him actual pain. It may give an idea of this + exquisite nicety of feeling to mention, that one day he took in his + fingers a half-bloomed rose, without blemish, and, smiling with an + infinite joy, remarked, "This is perfect. On earth a flower only can be + perfect."—ED.] + </p> + <p> + The palace is about two hundred and fifty years old, and looks as if it + had never been a very cheerful place; most shabbily and scantily + furnished, moreover, and as chill as any cellar. There is a small balcony, + looking down on the Corso, which probably has often been filled with a + merry little family party, in the carnivals of days long past. It has + faded frescos, and tarnished gilding, and green blinds, and a few damask + chairs still remain in it. + </p> + <p> + On Monday we all went to the sculpture-gallery of the Vatican, and saw as + much of the sculpture as we could in the three hours during which the + public are admissible. There were a few things which I really enjoyed, and + a few moments during which I really seemed to see them; but it is in vain + to attempt giving the impression produced by masterpieces of art, and most + in vain when we see them best. They are a language in themselves, and if + they could be expressed as well any way except by themselves, there would + have been no need of expressing those particular ideas and sentiments by + sculpture. I saw the Apollo Belvedere as something ethereal and godlike; + only for a flitting moment, however, and as if he had alighted from + heaven, or shone suddenly out of the sunlight, and then had withdrawn + himself again. I felt the Laocoon very powerfully, though very quietly; an + immortal agony, with a strange calmness diffused through it, so that it + resembles the vast rage of the sea, calm on account of its immensity; or + the tumult of Niagara, which does not seem to be tumult, because it keeps + pouring on for ever and ever. I have not had so good a day as this (among + works of art) since we came to Rome; and I impute it partly to the + magnificence of the arrangements of the Vatican,—its long vistas and + beautiful courts, and the aspect of immortality which marble statues + acquire by being kept free from dust. A very hungry boy, seeing in one of + the cabinets a vast porphyry vase, forty-four feet in circumference, + wished that he had it full of soup. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday, we went to the Pamfili Doria Palace, which, I believe, is the + most splendid in Rome. The entrance is from the Corso into a court, + surrounded by a colonnade, and having a space of luxuriant verdure and + ornamental shrubbery in the centre. The apartments containing pictures and + sculptures are fifteen in number, and run quite round the court in the + first piano,—all the rooms, halls, and galleries of beautiful + proportion, with vaulted roofs, some of which glow with frescos; and all + are colder and more comfortless than can possibly be imagined without + having been in them. The pictures, most of them, interested me very + little. I am of opinion that good pictures are quite as rare as good + poets; and I do not see why we should pique ourselves on admiring any but + the very best. One in a thousand, perhaps, ought to live in the applause + of men, from generation to generation, till its colors fade or blacken out + of sight, and its canvas rots away; the rest should be put in garrets, or + painted over by newer artists, just as tolerable poets are shelved when + their little day is over. Nevertheless, there was one long gallery + containing many pictures that I should be glad to see again under more + favorable circumstances, that is, separately, and where I might + contemplate them quite undisturbed, reclining in an easy-chair. At one end + of the long vista of this gallery is a bust of the present Prince Doria, a + smooth, sharp-nosed, rather handsome young man, and at the other end his + princess, an English lady of the Talbot family, apparently a blonde, with + a simple and sweet expression. There is a noble and striking portrait of + the old Venetian admiral, Andrea Doria, by Sebastian del Piombo, and some + other portraits and busts of the family. + </p> + <p> + In the whole immense range of rooms I saw but a single fireplace, and that + so deep in the wall that no amount of blaze would raise the atmosphere of + the room ten degrees. If the builder of the palace, or any of his + successors, have committed crimes worthy of Tophet, it would be a still + worse punishment for him to wander perpetually through this suite of rooms + on the cold floors of polished brick tiles or marble or mosaic, growing a + little chiller and chiller through every moment of eternity,— or, at + least, till the palace crumbles down upon him. + </p> + <p> + Neither would it assuage his torment in the least to be compelled to gaze + up at the dark old pictures,—the ugly ghosts of what may once have + been beautiful. I am not going to try any more to receive pleasure from a + faded, tarnished, lustreless picture, especially if it be a landscape. + There were two or three landscapes of Claude in this palace, which I doubt + not would have been exquisite if they had been in the condition of those + in the British National Gallery; but here they looked most forlorn, and + even their sunshine was sunless. The merits of historical painting may be + quite independent of the attributes that give pleasure, and a superficial + ugliness may even heighten the effect; but not so of landscapes. + </p> + <p> + Via Porta, Palazzo Larazani, March 11th.—To-day we called at Mr. + Thompson's studio, and . . . . he had on the easel a little picture of St. + Peter released from prison by the angel, which I saw once before. It is + very beautiful indeed, and deeply and spiritually conceived, and I wish I + could afford to have it finished for myself. I looked again, too, at his + Georgian slave, and admired it as much as at first view; so very warm and + rich it is, so sensuously beautiful, and with an expression of higher life + and feeling within. I do not think there is a better painter than Mr. + Thompson living,—among Americans at least; not one so earnest, + faithful, and religious in his worship of art. I had rather look at his + pictures than at any except the very finest of the old masters, and, + taking into consideration only the comparative pleasure to be derived, I + would not except more than one or two of those. In painting, as in + literature, I suspect there is something in the productions of the day + that takes the fancy more than the works of any past age,—not + greater merit, nor nearly so great, but better suited to this very present + time. + </p> + <p> + After leaving him, we went to the Piazza de' Termini, near the Baths of + Diocletian, and found our way with some difficulty to Crawford's studio. + It occupies several great rooms, connected with the offices of the Villa + Negroni; and all these rooms were full of plaster casts and a few works in + marble,—principally portions of his huge Washington monument, which + he left unfinished at his death. Close by the door at which we entered + stood a gigantic figure of Mason, in bag-wig, and the coat, waistcoat, + breeches, and knee and shoe buckles of the last century, the enlargement + of these unheroic matters to far more than heroic size having a very odd + effect. There was a figure of Jefferson on the same scale; another of + Patrick Henry, besides a horse's head, and other portions of the + equestrian group which is to cover the summit of the monument. In one of + the rooms was a model of the monument itself, on a scale, I should think, + of about an inch to afoot. It did not impress me as having grown out of + any great and genuine idea in the artist's mind, but as being merely an + ingenious contrivance enough. There were also casts of statues that seemed + to be intended for some other monument referring to Revolutionary times + and personages; and with these were intermixed some ideal statues or + groups,—a naked boy playing marbles, very beautiful; a girl with + flowers; the cast of his Orpheus, of which I long ago saw the marble + statue; Adam and Eve; Flora,—all with a good deal of merit, no + doubt, but not a single one that justifies Crawford's reputation, or that + satisfies me of his genius. They are but commonplaces in marble and + plaster, such as we should not tolerate on a printed page. He seems to + have been a respectable man, highly respectable, but no more, although + those who knew him seem to have rated him much higher. It is said that he + exclaimed, not very long before his death, that he had fifteen years of + good work still in him; and he appears to have considered all his life and + labor, heretofore, as only preparatory to the great things that he was to + achieve hereafter. I should say, on the contrary, that he was a man who + had done his best, and had done it early; for his Orpheus is quite as good + as anything else we saw in his studio. + </p> + <p> + People were at work chiselling several statues in marble from the plaster + models,—a very interesting process, and which I should think a + doubtful and hazardous one; but the artists say that there is no risk of + mischief, and that the model is sure to be accurately repeated in the + marble. These persons, who do what is considered the mechanical part of + the business, are often themselves sculptors, and of higher reputation + than those who employ them. + </p> + <p> + It is rather sad to think that Crawford died before he could see his ideas + in the marble, where they gleam with so pure and celestial a light as + compared with the plaster. There is almost as much difference as between + flesh and spirit. + </p> + <p> + The floor of one of the rooms was burdened with immense packages, + containing parts of the Washington monument, ready to be forwarded to its + destination. When finished, and set up, it will probably make a very + splendid appearance, by its height, its mass, its skilful execution; and + will produce a moral effect through its images of illustrious men, and the + associations that connect it with our Revolutionary history; but I do not + think it will owe much to artistic force of thought or depth of feeling. + It is certainly, in one sense, a very foolish and illogical piece of work,—Washington, + mounted on an uneasy steed, on a very narrow space, aloft in the air, + whence a single step of the horse backward, forward, or on either side, + must precipitate him; and several of his contemporaries standing beneath + him, not looking up to wonder at his predicament, but each intent on + manifesting his own personality to the world around. They have nothing to + do with one another, nor with Washington, nor with any great purpose which + all are to work out together. + </p> + <p> + March 14th.—On Friday evening I dined at Mr. T. B. Read's, the poet + and artist, with a party composed of painters and sculptors,—the + only exceptions being the American banker and an American tourist who has + given Mr. Read a commission. Next to me at table sat Mr. Gibson, the + English sculptor, who, I suppose, stands foremost in his profession at + this day. He must be quite an old man now, for it was whispered about the + table that he is known to have been in Rome forty-two years ago, and he + himself spoke to me of spending thirty-seven years here, before he once + returned home. I should hardly take him to be sixty, however, his hair + being more dark than gray, his forehead unwrinkled, his features + unwithered, his eye undimmed, though his beard is somewhat venerable. . . + . + </p> + <p> + He has a quiet, self-contained aspect, and, being a bachelor, has + doubtless spent a calm life among his clay and marble, meddling little + with the world, and entangling himself with no cares beyond his studio. He + did not talk a great deal; but enough to show that he is still an + Englishman in many sturdy traits, though his accent has something foreign + about it. His conversation was chiefly about India, and other topics of + the day, together with a few reminiscences of people in Liverpool, where + he once resided. There was a kind of simplicity both in his manner and + matter, and nothing very remarkable in the latter. . . . + </p> + <p> + The gist of what he said (upon art) was condemnatory of the Pre-Raphaelite + modern school of painters, of whom he seemed to spare none, and of their + works nothing; though he allowed that the old Pre-Raphaelites had some + exquisite merits, which the moderns entirely omit in their imitations. In + his own art, he said the aim should be to find out the principles on which + the Greek sculptors wrought, and to do the work of this day on those + principles and in their spirit; a fair doctrine enough, I should think, + but which Mr. Gibson can scarcely be said to practise. . . . The + difference between the Pre-Raphaelites and himself is deep and genuine, + they being literalists and realists, in a certain sense, and he a pagan + idealist. Methinks they have hold of the best end of the matter. + </p> + <p> + March 18th.—To-day, it being very bright and mild, we set out, at + noon, for an expedition to the Temple of Vesta, though I did not feel much + inclined for walking, having been ill and feverish for two or three days + past with a cold, which keeps renewing itself faster than I can get rid of + it. We kept along on this side of the Corso, and crossed the Forum, + skirting along the Capitoline Hill, and thence towards the Circus Maximus. + On our way, looking down a cross street, we saw a heavy arch, and, on + examination, made it out to be the Arch of Janus Quadrifrons, standing in + the Forum Boarium. Its base is now considerably below the level of the + surrounding soil, and there is a church or basilica close by, and some + mean edifices looking down upon it. There is something satisfactory in + this arch, from the immense solidity of its structure. It gives the idea, + in the first place, of a solid mass constructed of huge blocks of marble, + which time can never wear away, nor earthquakes shake down; and then this + solid mass is penetrated by two arched passages, meeting in the centre. + There are empty niches, three in a row, and, I think, two rows on each + face; but there seems to have been very little effort to make it a + beautiful object. On the top is some brickwork, the remains of a mediaeval + fortress built by the Frangipanis, looking very frail and temporary being + brought thus in contact with the antique strength of the arch. + </p> + <p> + A few yards off, across the street, and close beside the basilica, is what + appears to be an ancient portal, with carved bas-reliefs, and an + inscription which I could not make out. Some Romans were lying dormant in + the sun, on the steps of the basilica; indeed, now that the sun is getting + warmer, they seem to take advantage of every quiet nook to bask in, and + perhaps to go to sleep. + </p> + <p> + We had gone but a little way from the arch, and across the Circus Maximus, + when we saw the Temple of Vesta before us, on the hank of the Tiber, + which, however, we could not see behind it. It is a most perfectly + preserved Roman ruin, and very beautiful, though so small that, in a + suitable locality, one would take it rather for a garden-house than an + ancient temple. A circle of white marble pillars, much time-worn and a + little battered, though but one of them broken, surround the solid + structure of the temple, leaving a circular walk between it and the + pillars, the whole covered by a modern roof which looks like wood, and + disgraces and deforms the elegant little building. This roof resembles, as + much as anything else, the round wicker cover of a basket, and gives a + very squat aspect to the temple. The pillars are of the Corinthian order, + and when they were new and the marble snow-white and sharply carved and + cut, there could not have been a prettier object in all Rome; but so small + an edifice does not appear well as a ruin. + </p> + <p> + Within view of it, and, indeed, a very little way off, is the Temple of + Fortuna Virilis, which likewise retains its antique form in better + preservation than we generally find a Roman ruin, although the Ionic + pillars are now built up with blocks of stone and patches of brickwork, + the whole constituting a church which is fixed against the side of a tall + edifice, the nature of which I do not know. + </p> + <p> + I forgot to say that we gained admittance into the Temple of Vesta, and + found the interior a plain cylinder of marble, about ten paces across, and + fitted up as a chapel, where the Virgin takes the place of Vesta. + </p> + <p> + In very close vicinity we came upon the Ponto Rotto, the old Pons Emilius + which was broken down long ago, and has recently been pieced out by + connecting a suspension bridge with the old piers. We crossed by this + bridge, paying a toll of a baioccho each, and stopped in the midst of the + river to look at the Temple of Vesta, which shows well, right on the brink + of the Tiber. We fancied, too, that we could discern, a little farther + down the river, the ruined and almost submerged piers of the Sublician + bridge, which Horatius Cocles defended. The Tiber here whirls rapidly + along, and Horatius must have had a perilous swim for his life, and the + enemy a fair mark at his head with their arrows. I think this is the most + picturesque part of the Tiber in its passage through Rome. + </p> + <p> + After crossing the bridge, we kept along the right bank of the river, + through the dirty and hard-hearted streets of Trastevere (which have in no + respect the advantage over those of hither Rome), till we reached St. + Peter's. We saw a family sitting before their door on the pavement in the + narrow and sunny street, engaged in their domestic avocations,—the + old woman spinning with a wheel. I suppose the people now begin to live + out of doors. We entered beneath the colonnade of St. Peter's and + immediately became sensible of an evil odor,—the bad odor of our + fallen nature, which there is no escaping in any nook of Rome. . . . + </p> + <p> + Between the pillars of the colonnade, however, we had the pleasant + spectacle of the two fountains, sending up their lily-shaped gush, with + rainbows shining in their falling spray. Parties of French soldiers, as + usual, were undergoing their drill in the piazza. When we entered the + church, the long, dusty sunbeams were falling aslantwise through the dome + and through the chancel behind it. . . . + </p> + <p> + March 23d.—On the 21st we all went to the Coliseum, and enjoyed + ourselves there in the bright, warm sun,—so bright and warm that we + were glad to get into the shadow of the walls and under the arches, + though, after all, there was the freshness of March in the breeze that + stirred now and then. J——- and baby found some beautiful + flowers growing round about the Coliseum; and far up towards the top of + the walls we saw tufts of yellow wall-flowers and a great deal of green + grass growing along the ridges between the arches. The general aspect of + the place, however, is somewhat bare, and does not compare favorably with + an English ruin both on account of the lack of ivy and because the + material is chiefly brick, the stone and marble having been stolen away by + popes and cardinals to build their palaces. While we sat within the + circle, many people, of both sexes, passed through, kissing the iron cross + which stands in the centre, thereby gaining an indulgence of seven years, + I believe. In front of several churches I have seen an inscription in + Latin, "INDULGENTIA PLENARIA ET PERPETUA PRO CUNCTIS MORTUIS ET VIVIS"; + than which, it seems to me, nothing more could be asked or desired. The + terms of this great boon are not mentioned. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the Coliseum, we went and sat down in the vicinity of the Arch of + Constantine, and J——- and R——- went in quest of + lizards. J——- soon caught a large one with two tails; one, a + sort of afterthought, or appendix, or corollary to the original tail, and + growing out from it instead of from the body of the lizard. These reptiles + are very abundant, and J——- has already brought home several, + which make their escape and appear occasionally darting to and fro on the + carpet. Since we have been here, J——- has taken up various + pursuits in turn. First he voted himself to gathering snail-shells, of + which there are many sorts; afterwards he had a fever for marbles, pieces + of which he found on the banks of the Tiber, just on the edge of its muddy + waters, and in the Palace of the Caesars, the Baths of Caracalla, and + indeed wherever else his fancy led him; verde antique, rosso antico, + porphyry, giallo antico, serpentine, sometimes fragments of bas-reliefs + and mouldings, bits of mosaic, still firmly stuck together, on which the + foot of a Caesar had perhaps once trodden; pieces of Roman glass, with the + iridescence glowing on them; and all such things, of which the soil of + Rome is full. It would not be difficult, from the spoil of his boyish + rambles, to furnish what would be looked upon as a curious and valuable + museum in America. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday we went to the sculpture-galleries of the Vatican. I think I + enjoy these noble galleries and their contents and beautiful arrangement + better than anything else in the way of art, and often I seem to have a + deep feeling of something wonderful in what I look at. The Laocoon on this + visit impressed me not less than before; it is such a type of human + beings, struggling with an inextricable trouble, and entangled in a + complication which they cannot free themselves from by their own efforts, + and out of which Heaven alone can help them. It was a most powerful mind, + and one capable of reducing a complex idea to unity, that imagined this + group. I looked at Canova's Perseus, and thought it exceedingly beautiful, + but, found myself less and less contented after a moment or two, though I + could not tell why. Afterwards, looking at the Apollo, the recollection of + the Perseus disgusted me, and yet really I cannot explain how one is + better than the other. + </p> + <p> + I was interested in looking at the busts of the Triumvirs, Antony, + Augustus, and Lepidus. The first two are men of intellect, evidently, + though they do not recommend themselves to one's affections by their + physiognomy; but Lepidus has the strangest, most commonplace countenance + that can be imagined,—small-featured, weak, such a face as you meet + anywhere in a man of no mark, but are amazed to find in one of the three + foremost men of the world. I suppose that it is these weak and shallow + men, when chance raises them above their proper sphere, who commit + enormous crimes without any such restraint as stronger men would feel, and + without any retribution in the depth of their conscience. These old Roman + busts, of which there are so many in the Vatican, have often a most + lifelike aspect, a striking individuality. One recognizes them as faithful + portraits, just as certainly as if the living originals were standing + beside them. The arrangement of the hair and beard too, in many cases, is + just what we see now, the fashions of two thousand years ago having come + round again. + </p> + <p> + March 25th.—On Tuesday we went to breakfast at William Story's in + the Palazzo Barberini. We had a very pleasant time. He is one of the most + agreeable men I know in society. He showed us a note from Thackeray, an + invitation to dinner, written in hieroglyphics, with great fun and + pictorial merit. He spoke of an expansion of the story of Blue Beard, + which he himself had either written or thought of writing, in which the + contents of the several chambers which Fatima opened, before arriving at + the fatal one, were to be described. This idea has haunted my mind ever + since, and if it had but been my own I am pretty sure that it would + develop itself into something very rich. I mean to press William Story to + work it out. The chamber of Blue Beard, too (and this was a part of his + suggestion), might be so handled as to become powerfully interesting. Were + I to take up the story I would create an interest by suggesting a secret + in the first chamber, which would develop itself more and more in every + successive hall of the great palace, and lead the wife irresistibly to the + chamber of horrors. + </p> + <p> + After breakfast, we went to the Barberini Library, passing through the + vast hall, which occupies the central part of the palace. It is the most + splendid domestic hall I have seen, eighty feet in length at least, and of + proportionate breadth and height; and the vaulted ceiling is entirely + covered, to its utmost edge and remotest corners, with a brilliant + painting in fresco, looking like a whole heaven of angelic people + descending towards the floor. The effect is indescribably gorgeous. On one + side stands a Baldacchino, or canopy of state, draped with scarlet cloth, + and fringed with gold embroidery; the scarlet indicating that the palace + is inhabited by a cardinal. Green would be appropriate to a prince. In + point of fact, the Palazzo Barberini is inhabited by a cardinal, a prince, + and a duke, all belonging to the Barberini family, and each having his + separate portion of the palace, while their servants have a common + territory and meeting-ground in this noble hall. + </p> + <p> + After admiring it for a few minutes, we made our exit by a door on the + opposite side, and went up the spiral staircase of marble to the library, + where we were received by an ecclesiastic, who belongs to the Barberini + household, and, I believe, was born in it. He is a gentle, refined, + quiet-looking man, as well he may be, having spent all his life among + these books, where few people intrude, and few cares can come. He showed + us a very old Bible in parchment, a specimen of the earliest printing, + beautifully ornamented with pictures, and some monkish illuminations of + indescribable delicacy and elaboration. No artist could afford to produce + such work, if the life that he thus lavished on one sheet of parchment had + any value to him, either for what could be done or enjoyed in it. There + are about eight thousand volumes in this library, and, judging by their + outward aspect, the collection must be curious and valuable; but having + another engagement, we could spend only a little time here. We had a hasty + glance, however, of some poems of Tasso, in his own autograph. + </p> + <p> + We then went to the Palazzo Galitzin, where dwell the Misses Weston, with + whom we lunched, and where we met a French abbe, an agreeable man, and an + antiquarian, under whose auspices two of the ladies and ourselves took + carriage for the Castle of St. Angelo. Being admitted within the external + gateway, we found ourselves in the court of guard, as I presume it is + called, where the French soldiers were playing with very dirty cards, or + lounging about, in military idleness. They were well behaved and + courteous, and when we had intimated our wish to see the interior of the + castle, a soldier soon appeared, with a large unlighted torch in his hand, + ready to guide us. There is an outer wall, surrounding the solid structure + of Hadrian's tomb; to which there is access by one or two drawbridges; the + entrance to the tomb, or castle, not being at the base, but near its + central height. The ancient entrance, by which Hadrian's ashes, and those + of other imperial personages, were probably brought into this tomb, has + been walled up,—perhaps ever since the last emperor was buried here. + We were now in a vaulted passage, both lofty and broad, which circles + round the whole interior of the tomb, from the base to the summit. During + many hundred years, the passage was filled with earth and rubbish, and + forgotten, and it is but partly excavated, even now; although we found it + a long, long and gloomy descent by torchlight to the base of the vast + mausoleum. The passage was once lined and vaulted with precious marbles + (which are now entirely gone), and paved with fine mosaics, portions of + which still remain; and our guide lowered his flaming torch to show them + to us, here and there, amid the earthy dampness over which we trod. It is + strange to think what splendor and costly adornment were here wasted on + the dead. + </p> + <p> + After we had descended to the bottom of this passage, and again retraced + our steps to the highest part, the guide took a large cannon-ball, and + sent it, with his whole force, rolling down the hollow, arched way, + rumbling, and reverberating, and bellowing forth long thunderous echoes, + and winding up with a loud, distant crash, that seemed to come from the + very bowels of the earth. + </p> + <p> + We saw the place, near the centre of the mausoleum, and lighted from + above, through an immense thickness of stone and brick, where the ashes of + the emperor and his fellow-slumberers were found. It is as much as twelve + centuries, very likely, since they were scattered to the winds, for the + tomb has been nearly or quite that space of time a fortress; The tomb + itself is merely the base and foundation of the castle, and, being so + massively built, it serves just as well for the purpose as if it were a + solid granite rock. The mediaeval fortress, with its antiquity of more + than a thousand years, and having dark and deep dungeons of its own, is + but a modern excrescence on the top of Hadrian's tomb. + </p> + <p> + We now ascended towards the upper region, and were led into the vaults + which used to serve as a prison, but which, if I mistake not, are situated + above the ancient structure, although they seem as damp and subterranean + as if they were fifty feet under the earth. We crept down to them through + narrow and ugly passages, which the torchlight would not illuminate, and, + stooping under a low, square entrance, we followed the guide into a small, + vaulted room,—not a room, but an artificial cavern, remote from + light or air, where Beatrice Cenci was confined before her execution. + According to the abbe, she spent a whole year in this dreadful pit, her + trial having dragged on through that length of time. How ghostlike she + must have looked when she came forth! Guido never painted that beautiful + picture from her blanched face, as it appeared after this confinement. And + how rejoiced she must have been to die at last, having already been in a + sepulchre so long! + </p> + <p> + Adjacent to Beatrice's prison, but not communicating with it, was that of + her step-mother; and next to the latter was one that interested me almost + as much as Beatrice's,—that of Benvenuto Cellini, who was confined + here, I believe, for an assassination. All these prison vaults are more + horrible than can be imagined without seeing them; but there are worse + places here, for the guide lifted a trap-door in one of the passages, and + held his torch down into an inscrutable pit beneath our feet. It was an + oubliette, a dungeon where the prisoner might be buried alive, and never + come forth again, alive or dead. Groping about among these sad precincts, + we saw various other things that looked very dismal; but at last emerged + into the sunshine, and ascended from one platform and battlement to + another, till we found ourselves right at the feet of the Archangel + Michael. He has stood there in bronze for I know not how many hundred + years, in the act of sheathing a (now) rusty sword, such being the + attitude in which he appeared to one of the popes in a vision, in token + that a pestilence which was then desolating Rome was to be stayed. + </p> + <p> + There is a fine view from the lofty station over Rome and the whole + adjacent country, and the abbe pointed out the site of Ardea, of Corioli, + of Veii, and other places renowned in story. We were ushered, too, into + the French commandant's quarters in the castle. There is a large hall, + ornamented with frescos, and accessible from this a drawing-room, + comfortably fitted up, and where we saw modern furniture, and a + chess-board, and a fire burning clear, and other symptoms that the place + had perhaps just been vacated by civilized and kindly people. But in one + corner of the ceiling the abbe pointed out a ring, by which, in the times + of mediaeval anarchy, when popes, cardinals, and barons were all by the + ears together, a cardinal was hanged. It was not an assassination, but a + legal punishment, and he was executed in the best apartment of the castle + as an act of grace. + </p> + <p> + The fortress is a straight-lined structure on the summit of the immense + round tower of Hadrian's tomb; and to make out the idea of it we must + throw in drawbridges, esplanades, piles of ancient marble balls for + cannon; battlements and embrasures, lying high in the breeze and sunshine, + and opening views round the whole horizon; accommodation for the soldiers; + and many small beds in a large room. + </p> + <p> + How much mistaken was the emperor in his expectation of a stately, solemn + repose for his ashes through all the coming centuries, as long as the + world should endure! Perhaps his ghost glides up and down disconsolate, in + that spiral passage which goes from top to bottom of the tomb, while the + barbarous Gauls plant themselves in his very mausoleum to keep the + imperial city in awe. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the Castle of St. Angelo, we drove, still on the same side of the + Tiber, to the Villa Pamfili, which lies a short distance beyond the walls. + As we passed through one of the gates (I think it was that of San + Pancrazio) the abbe pointed out the spot where the Constable de Bourbon + was killed while attempting to scale the walls. If we are to believe + Benvenuto Cellini, it was he who shot the constable. The road to the villa + is not very interesting, lying (as the roads in the vicinity of Rome often + do) between very high walls, admitting not a glimpse of the surrounding + country; the road itself white and dusty, with no verdant margin of grass + or border of shrubbery. At the portal of the villa we found many carriages + in waiting, for the Prince Doria throws open the grounds to all comers, + and on a pleasant day like this they are probably sure to be thronged. We + left our carriage just within the entrance, and rambled among these + beautiful groves, admiring the live-oak trees, and the stone-pines, which + latter are truly a majestic tree, with tall columnar stems, supporting a + cloud-like density of boughs far aloft, and not a straggling branch + between there and the ground. They stand in straight rows, but are now so + ancient and venerable as to have lost the formal look of a plantation, and + seem like a wood that might have arranged itself almost of its own will. + Beneath them is a flower-strewn turf, quite free of underbrush. We found + open fields and lawns, moreover, all abloom with anemones, white and + rose-colored and purple and golden, and far larger than could be found out + of Italy, except in hot-houses. Violets, too, were abundant and + exceedingly fragrant. When we consider that all this floral exuberance + occurs in the midst of March, there does not appear much ground for + complaining of the Roman climate; and so long ago as the first week of + February I found daisies among the grass, on the sunny side of the + Basilica of St. John Lateran. At this very moment I suppose the country + within twenty miles of Boston may be two feet deep with snow, and the + streams solid with ice. + </p> + <p> + We wandered about the grounds, and found them very beautiful indeed; + nature having done much for them by an undulating variety of surface, and + art having added a good many charms, which have all the better effect now + that decay and neglect have thrown a natural grace over them likewise. + There is an artificial ruin, so picturesque that it betrays itself; + weather-beaten statues, and pieces of sculpture, scattered here and there; + an artificial lake, with upgushing fountains; cascades, and broad-bosomed + coves, and long, canal-like reaches, with swans taking their delight upon + them. I never saw such a glorious and resplendent lustre of white as shone + between the wings of two of these swans. It was really a sight to see, and + not to be imagined beforehand. Angels, no doubt, have just such lustrous + wings as those. English swans partake of the dinginess of the atmosphere, + and their plumage has nothing at all to be compared to this; in fact, + there is nothing like it in the world, unless it be the illuminated + portion of a fleecy, summer cloud. + </p> + <p> + While we were sauntering along beside this piece of water, we were + surprised to see U—— on the other side. She had come hither + with E—— S——— and her two little brothers, + and with our R——-, the whole under the charge of Mrs. Story's + nursery-maids. U—— and E—— crossed, not over, but + beneath the water, through a grotto, and exchanged greetings with us. + Then, as it was getting towards sunset and cool, we took our departure; + the abbe, as we left the grounds, taking me aside to give me a glimpse of + a Columbarium, which descends into the earth to about the depth to which + an ordinary house might rise above it. These grounds, it is said, formed + the country residence of the Emperor Galba, and he was buried here after + his assassination. It is a sad thought that so much natural beauty and + long refinement of picturesque culture is thrown away, the villa being + uninhabitable during all the most delightful season of the year on account + of malaria. There is truly a curse on Rome and all its neighborhood. + </p> + <p> + On our way home we passed by the great Paolina fountain, and were assailed + by many beggars during the short time we stopped to look at it. It is a + very copious fountain, but not so beautiful as the Trevi, taking into view + merely the water-gush of the latter. + </p> + <p> + March 26th.—Yesterday, between twelve and one, our whole family went + to the Villa Ludovisi, the entrance to which is at the termination of a + street which passes out of the Piazza Barberini, and it is no very great + distance from our own street, Via Porta Pinciana. The grounds, though very + extensive, are wholly within the walls of the city, which skirt them, and + comprise a part of what were formerly the gardens of Sallust. The villa is + now the property of Prince Piombini, a ticket from whom procured us + admission. A little within the gateway, to the right, is a casino, + containing two large rooms filled with sculpture, much of which is very + valuable. A colossal head of Juno, I believe, is considered the greatest + treasure of the collection, but I did not myself feel it to be so, nor + indeed did I receive any strong impression of its excellence. I admired + nothing so much, I think, as the face of Penelope (if it be her face) in + the group supposed also to represent Electra and Orestes. The sitting + statue of Mars is very fine; so is the Arria and Paetus; so are many other + busts and figures. + </p> + <p> + By and by we left the casino and wandered among the grounds, threading + interminable alleys of cypress, through the long vistas of which we could + see here and there a statue, an urn, a pillar, a temple, or garden-house, + or a bas-relief against the wall. It seems as if there must have been a + time, and not so very long ago,—when it was worth while to spend + money and thought upon the ornamentation of grounds in the neighborhood of + Rome. That time is past, however, and the result is very melancholy; for + great beauty has been produced, but it can be enjoyed in its perfection + only at the peril of one's life. . . . For my part, and judging from my + own experience, I suspect that the Roman atmosphere, never wholesome, is + always more or less poisonous. + </p> + <p> + We came to another and larger casino remote from the gateway, in which the + Prince resides during two months of the year. It was now under repair, but + we gained admission, as did several other visitors, and saw in the + entrance-hall the Aurora of Guercino, painted in fresco on the ceiling. + There is beauty in the design; but the painter certainly was most unhappy + in his black shadows, and in the work before us they give the impression + of a cloudy and lowering morning which is likely enough to turn to rain by + and by. After viewing the fresco we mounted by a spiral staircase to a + lofty terrace, and found Rome at our feet, and, far off, the Sabine and + Alban mountains, some of them still capped with snow. In another direction + there was a vast plain, on the horizon of which, could our eyes have + reached to its verge, we might perhaps have seen the Mediterranean Sea. + After enjoying the view and the warm sunshine we descended, and went in + quest of the gardens of Sallust, but found no satisfactory remains of + them. + </p> + <p> + One of the most striking objects in the first casino was a group by + Bernini,—Pluto, an outrageously masculine and strenuous figure, + heavily bearded, ravishing away a little, tender Proserpine, whom he holds + aloft, while his forcible gripe impresses itself into her soft virgin + flesh. It is very disagreeable, but it makes one feel that Bernini was a + man of great ability. There are some works in literature that bear an + analogy to his works in sculpture, when great power is lavished a little + outside of nature, and therefore proves to be only a fashion,—and + not permanently adapted to the tastes of mankind. + </p> + <p> + March 27th.—Yesterday forenoon my wife and I went to St. Peter's to + see the pope pray at the chapel of the Holy Sacrament. We found a good + many people in the church, but not an inconvenient number; indeed, not so + many as to make any remarkable show in the great nave, nor even in front + of the chapel. A detachment of the Swiss Guard, in their strange, + picturesque, harlequin-like costume, were on duty before the chapel, in + which the wax tapers were all lighted, and a prie-dieu was arranged near + the shrine, and covered with scarlet velvet. On each side, along the + breadth of the side aisle, were placed seats, covered with rich tapestry + or carpeting; and some gentlemen and ladies—English, probably, or + American—had comfortably deposited themselves here, but were + compelled to move by the guards before the pope's entrance. His Holiness + should have appeared precisely at twelve, but we waited nearly half an + hour beyond that time; and it seemed to me particularly ill-mannered in + the pope, who owes the courtesy of being punctual to the people, if not to + St. Peter. By and by, however, there was a stir; the guard motioned to us + to stand away from the benches, against the backs of which we had been + leaning; the spectators in the nave looked towards the door, as if they + beheld something approaching; and first, there appeared some cardinals, in + scarlet skull-caps and purple robes, intermixed with some of the Noble + Guard and other attendants. It was not a very formal and stately + procession, but rather straggled onward, with ragged edges, the spectators + standing aside to let it pass, and merely bowing, or perhaps slightly + bending the knee, as good Catholics are accustomed to do when passing + before the shrines of saints. Then, in the midst of the purple cardinals, + all of whom were gray-haired men, appeared a stout old man, with a white + skull-cap, a scarlet, gold-embroidered cape falling over his shoulders, + and a white silk robe, the train of which was borne up by an attendant. He + walked slowly, with a sort of dignified movement, stepping out broadly, + and planting his feet (on which were red shoes) flat upon the pavement, as + if he were not much accustomed to locomotion, and perhaps had known a + twinge of the gout. His face was kindly and venerable, but not + particularly impressive. Arriving at the scarlet-covered prie-dieu, he + kneeled down and took off his white skull-cap; the cardinals also kneeled + behind and on either side of him, taking off their scarlet skull-caps; + while the Noble Guard remained standing, six on one side of his Holiness + and six on the other. The pope bent his head upon the prie-dieu, and + seemed to spend three or four minutes in prayer; then rose, and all the + purple cardinals, and bishops, and priests, of whatever degree, rose + behind and beside him. Next, he went to kiss St. Peter's toe; at least I + believe he kissed it, but I was not near enough to be certain; and lastly, + he knelt down, and directed his devotions towards the high altar. This + completed the ceremonies, and his Holiness left the church by a side door, + making a short passage into the Vatican. + </p> + <p> + I am very glad I have seen the pope, because now he may be crossed out of + the list of sights to be seen. His proximity impressed me kindly and + favorably towards him, and I did not see one face among all his cardinals + (in whose number, doubtless, is his successor) which I would so soon trust + as that of Pio Nono. + </p> + <p> + This morning I walked as far as the gate of San Paolo, and, on approaching + it, I saw the gray sharp pyramid of Caius Cestius pointing upward close to + the two dark-brown, battlemented Gothic towers of the gateway, each of + these very different pieces of architecture looking the more picturesque + for the contrast of the other. Before approaching the gateway and pyramid, + I walked onward, and soon came in sight of Monte Testaccio, the artificial + hill made of potsherds. There is a gate admitting into the grounds around + the hill, and a road encircling its base. At a distance, the hill looks + greener than any other part of the landscape, and has all the curved + outlines of a natural hill, resembling in shape a headless sphinx, or + Saddleback Mountain, as I used to see it from Lenox. It is of very + considerable height,—two or three hundred feet at least, I should + say,—and well entitled, both by its elevation and the space it + covers, to be reckoned among the hills of Rome. Its base is almost + entirely surrounded with small structures, which seem to be used as + farm-buildings. On the summit is a large iron cross, the Church having + thought it expedient to redeem these shattered pipkins from the power of + paganism, as it has so many other Roman ruins. There was a pathway up the + hill, but I did not choose to ascend it under the hot sun, so steeply did + it clamber up. There appears to be a good depth of soil on most parts of + Monte Testaccio, but on some of the sides you observe precipices, + bristling with fragments of red or brown earthenware, or pieces of vases + of white unglazed clay; and it is evident that this immense pile is + entirely composed of broken crockery, which I should hardly have thought + would have aggregated to such a heap had it all been thrown here,—urns, + teacups, porcelain, or earthen,—since the beginning of the world. + </p> + <p> + I walked quite round the hill, and saw, at no great distance from it, the + enclosure of the Protestant burial-ground, which lies so close to the + pyramid of Caius Cestius that the latter may serve as a general monument + to the dead. Deferring, for the present, a visit to the cemetery, or to + the interior of the pyramid, I returned to the gateway of San Paolo, and, + passing through it, took a view of it from the outside of the city wall. + It is itself a portion of the wall, having been built into it by the + Emperor Aurelian, so that about half of it lies within and half without. + The brick or red stone material of the wall being so unlike the marble of + the pyramid, the latter is as distinct, and seems as insulated, as if it + stood alone in the centre of a plain; and really I do not think there is a + more striking architectural object in Rome. It is in perfect condition, + just as little ruined or decayed as on the day when the builder put the + last peak on the summit; and it ascends steeply from its base, with a + point so sharp that it looks as if it would hardly afford foothold to a + bird. The marble was once white, but is now covered with a gray coating + like that which has gathered upon the statues of Castor and Pollux on + Monte Cavallo. Not one of the great blocks is displaced, nor seems likely + to be through all time to come. They rest one upon another, in straight + and even lines, and present a vast smooth triangle, ascending from a base + of a hundred feet, and narrowing to an apex at the height of a hundred and + twenty-five, the junctures of the marble slabs being so close that, in all + these twenty centuries, only a few little tufts of grass, and a trailing + plant or two, have succeeded in rooting themselves into the interstices. + </p> + <p> + It is good and satisfactory to see anything which, being built for an + enduring monument, has endured so faithfully, and has a prospect of such + an interminable futurity before it. Once, indeed, it seemed likely to be + buried; for three hundred years ago it had become covered to the depth of + sixteen feet, but the soil has since been dug away from its base, which is + now lower than that of the road which passes through the neighboring gate + of San Paolo. Midway up the pyramid, cut in the marble, is an inscription + in large Roman letters, still almost as legible as when first wrought. + </p> + <p> + I did not return through the Paolo gateway, but kept onward, round the + exterior of the wall, till I came to the gate of San Sebastiano. It was a + hot and not a very interesting walk, with only a high bare wall of brick, + broken by frequent square towers, on one side of the road, and a bank and + hedge or a garden wall on the other. Roman roads are most inhospitable, + offering no shade, and no seat, and no pleasant views of rustic domiciles; + nothing but the wheel-track of white dust, without a foot path running by + its side, and seldom any grassy margin to refresh the wayfarer's feet. + </p> + <p> + April 3d.—A few days ago we visited the studio of Mr. ———, + an American, who seems to have a good deal of vogue as a sculptor. We + found a figure of Pocahontas, which he has repeated several times; + another, which he calls "The Wept of the Wish-ton-Wish," a figure of a + smiling girl playing with a cat and dog, and a schoolboy mending a pen. + These two last were the only ones that gave me any pleasure, or that + really had any merit; for his cleverness and ingenuity appear in homely + subjects, but are quite lost in attempts at a higher ideality. + Nevertheless, he has a group of the Prodigal Son, possessing more merit + than I should have expected from Mr. ———, the son + reclining his head on his father's breast, with an expression of utter + weariness, at length finding perfect rest, while the father bends his + benign countenance over him, and seems to receive him calmly into himself. + This group (the plaster-cast standing beside it) is now taking shape out + of an immense block of marble, and will be as indestructible as the + Laocoon; an idea at once awful and ludicrous, when we consider that it is + at best but a respectable production. I have since been told that Mr. + ——— had stolen, adopted, we will rather say, the + attitude and idea of the group from one executed by a student of the + French Academy, and to be seen there in plaster. (We afterwards saw it in + the Medici Casino.) + </p> + <p> + Mr. ——— has now been ten years in Italy, and, after all + this time, he is still entirely American in everything but the most + external surface of his manners; scarcely Europeanized, or much modified + even in that. He is a native of ———, but had his early + breeding in New York, and might, for any polish or refinement that I can + discern in him, still be a country shopkeeper in the interior of New York + State or New England. How strange! For one expects to find the polish, the + close grain and white purity of marble, in the artist who works in that + noble material; but, after all, he handles club, and, judging by the + specimens I have seen here, is apt to be clay, not of the finest, himself. + Mr. ——— is sensible, shrewd, keen, clever; an ingenious + workman, no doubt; with tact enough, and not destitute of taste; very + agreeable and lively in his conversation, talking as fast and as naturally + as a brook runs, without the slightest affectation. His naturalness is, in + fact, a rather striking characteristic, in view of his lack of culture, + while yet his life has been concerned with idealities and a beautiful art. + What degree of taste he pretends to, he seems really to possess, nor did I + hear a single idea from him that struck me as otherwise than sensible. + </p> + <p> + He called to see us last evening, and talked for about two hours in a very + amusing and interesting style, his topics being taken from his own + personal experience, and shrewdly treated. He spoke much of Greenough, + whom he described as an excellent critic of art, but possessed of not the + slightest inventive genius. His statue of Washington, at the Capitol, is + taken precisely from the Plodian Jupiter; his Chanting Cherubs are copied + in marble from two figures in a picture by Raphael. He did nothing that + was original with himself To-day we took R——-, and went to see + Miss ———, and as her studio seems to be mixed up with + Gibson's, we had an opportunity of glancing at some of his beautiful + works. We saw a Venus and a Cupid, both of them tinted; and, side by side + with them, other statues identical with these, except that the marble was + left in its pure whiteness. + </p> + <p> + We found Miss ——— in a little upper room. She has a + small, brisk, wide-awake figure, not ungraceful; frank, simple, + straightforward, and downright. She had on a robe, I think, but I did not + look so low, my attention being chiefly drawn to a sort of man's sack of + purple or plum-colored broadcloth, into the side-pockets of which her + hands were thrust as she came forward to greet us. She withdrew one hand, + however, and presented it cordially to my wife (whom she already knew) and + to myself, without waiting for an introduction. She had on a shirt-front, + collar, and cravat like a man's, with a brooch of Etruscan gold, and on + her curly head was a picturesque little cap of black velvet, and her face + was as bright and merry, and as small of feature as a child's. It looked + in one aspect youthful, and yet there was something worn in it too. There + never was anything so jaunty as her movement and action; she was very + peculiar, but she seemed to be her actual self, and nothing affected or + made up; so that, for my part, I gave her full leave to wear what may suit + her best, and to behave as her inner woman prompts. I don't quite see, + however, what she is to do when she grows older, for the decorum of age + will not be consistent with a costume that looks pretty and excusable + enough in a young woman. + </p> + <p> + Miss ——— led us into a part of the extensive studio, or + collection of studios, where some of her own works were to be seen: + Beatrice Cenci, which did not very greatly impress me; and a monumental + design, a female figure,—wholly draped even to the stockings and + shoes,—in a quiet sleep. I liked this last. There was also a Puck, + doubtless full of fun; but I had hardly time to glance at it. Miss ——— + evidently has good gifts in her profession, and doubtless she derives + great advantage from her close association with a consummate artist like + Gibson; nor yet does his influence seem to interfere with the originality + of her own conceptions. In one way, at least, she can hardly fail to + profit,—that is, by the opportunity of showing her works to the + throngs of people who go to see Gibson's own; and these are just such + people as an artist would most desire to meet, and might never see in a + lifetime, if left to himself. I shook hands with this frank and pleasant + little person, and took leave, not without purpose of seeing her again. + </p> + <p> + Within a few days, there have been many pilgrims in Rome, who come hither + to attend the ceremonies of holy week, and to perform their vows, and + undergo their penances. I saw two of them near the Forum yesterday, with + their pilgrim staves, in the fashion of a thousand years ago. . . . I sat + down on a bench near one of the chapels, and a woman immediately came up + to me to beg. I at first refused; but she knelt down by my side, and + instead of praying to the saint prayed to me; and, being thus treated as a + canonized personage, I thought it incumbent on me to be gracious to the + extent of half a paul. My wife, some time ago, came in contact with a + pickpocket at the entrance of a church; and, failing in his enterprise + upon her purse, he passed in, dipped his thieving fingers in the holy + water, and paid his devotions at a shrine. Missing the purse, he said his + prayers, in the hope, perhaps, that the saint would send him better luck + another time. + </p> + <p> + April 10th.—I have made no entries in my journal recently, being + exceedingly lazy, partly from indisposition, as well as from an atmosphere + that takes the vivacity out of everybody. Not much has happened or been + effected. Last Sunday, which was Easter Sunday, I went with J——- + to St. Peter's, where we arrived at about nine o'clock, and found a + multitude of people already assembled in the church. The interior was + arrayed in festal guise, there being a covering of scarlet damask over the + pilasters of the nave, from base to capital, giving an effect of splendor, + yet with a loss as to the apparent dimensions of the interior. A guard of + soldiers occupied the nave, keeping open a wide space for the passage of a + procession that was momently expected, and soon arrived. The crowd was too + great to allow of my seeing it in detail; but I could perceive that there + were priests, cardinals, Swiss guards, some of them with corselets on, and + by and by the pope himself was borne up the nave, high over the heads of + all, sitting under a canopy, crowned with his tiara. He floated slowly + along, and was set down in the neighborhood of the high altar; and the + procession being broken up, some of its scattered members might be seen + here and there, about the church,—officials in antique Spanish + dresses; Swiss guards, in polished steel breastplates; serving-men, in + richly embroidered liveries; officers, in scarlet coats and military + boots; priests, and divers other shapes of men; for the papal ceremonies + seem to forego little or nothing that belongs to times past, while it + includes everything appertaining to the present. I ought to have waited to + witness the papal benediction from the balcony in front of the church; or, + at least, to hear the famous silver trumpets, sounding from the dome; but + J——- grew weary (to say the truth, so did I), and we went on a + long walk, out of the nearest city gate, and back through the Janiculum, + and, finally, homeward over the Ponto Rotto. Standing on the bridge, I saw + the arch of the Cloaca Maxima, close by the Temple of Vesta, with the + water rising within two or three feet of its keystone. + </p> + <p> + The same evening we went to Monte Cavallo, where, from the gateway of the + Pontifical Palace, we saw the illumination of St. Peter's. Mr. Akers, the + sculptor, had recommended this position to us, and accompanied us thither, + as the best point from which the illumination could be witnessed at a + distance, without the incommodity of such a crowd as would be assembled at + the Pincian. The first illumination, the silver one, as it is called, was + very grand and delicate, describing the outline of the great edifice and + crowning dome in light; while the day was not yet wholly departed. As + ——— finally remarked, it seemed like the glorified + spirit of the Church, made visible, or, as I will add, it looked as this + famous and never-to-be-forgotten structure will look to the imaginations + of men, through the waste and gloom of future ages, after it shall have + gone quite to decay and ruin: the brilliant, though scarcely distinct + gleam of a statelier dome than ever was seen, shining on the background of + the night of Time. This simile looked prettier in my fancy than I have + made it look on paper. + </p> + <p> + After we had enjoyed the silver illumination a good while, and when all + the daylight had given place to the constellated night, the distant + outline of St. Peter's burst forth, in the twinkling of an eye, into a + starry blaze, being quite the finest effect that I ever witnessed. I + stayed to see it, however, only a few minutes; for I was quite ill and + feverish with a cold,—which, indeed, I have seldom been free from, + since my first breathing of the genial atmosphere of Rome. This pestilence + kept me within doors all the next day, and prevented me from seeing the + beautiful fireworks that were exhibited in the evening from the platform + on the Pincian, above the Piazza del Popolo. + </p> + <p> + On Thursday, I paid another visit to the sculpture-gallery of the Capitol, + where I was particularly struck with a bust of Cato the Censor, who must + have been the most disagreeable, stubborn, ugly-tempered, pig-headed, + narrow-minded, strong-willed old Roman that ever lived. The collection of + busts here and at the Vatican are most interesting, many of the individual + heads being full of character, and commending themselves by intrinsic + evidence as faithful portraits of the originals. These stone people have + stood face to face with Caesar, and all the other emperors, and with + statesmen, soldiers, philosophers, and poets of the antique world, and + have been to them like their reflections in a mirror. It is the next thing + to seeing the men themselves. + </p> + <p> + We went afterwards into the Palace of the Conservatori, and saw, among + various other interesting things, the bronze wolf suckling Romulus and + Remus, who sit beneath her dugs, with open mouths to receive the milk. + </p> + <p> + On Friday, we all went to see the Pope's Palace on the Quirinal. There was + a vast hall, and an interminable suite of rooms, cased with marble, + floored with marble or mosaics or inlaid wood, adorned with frescos on the + vaulted ceilings, and many of them lined with Gobelin tapestry; not + wofully faded, like almost all that I have hitherto seen, but brilliant as + pictures. Indeed, some of them so closely resembled paintings, that I + could hardly believe they were not so; and the effect was even richer than + that of oil-paintings. In every room there was a crucifix; but I did not + see a single nook or corner where anybody could have dreamed of being + comfortable. Nevertheless, as a stately and solemn residence for his + Holiness, it is quite a satisfactory affair. Afterwards, we went into the + Pontifical Gardens, connected with the palace. They are very extensive, + and laid out in straight avenues, bordered with walls of box, as + impervious as if of stone,—not less than twenty feet high, and + pierced with lofty archways, cut in the living wall. Some of the avenues + were overshadowed with trees, the tops of which bent over and joined one + another from either side, so as to resemble a side aisle of a Gothic + cathedral. Marble sculptures, much weather-stained, and generally + broken-nosed, stood along these stately walks; there were many fountains + gushing up into the sunshine; we likewise found a rich flower-garden, + containing rare specimens of exotic flowers, and gigantic cactuses, and + also an aviary, with vultures, doves, and singing birds. We did not see + half the garden, but, stiff and formal as its general arrangement is, it + is a beautiful place,—a delightful, sunny, and serene seclusion. + Whatever it may be to the pope, two young lovers might find the Garden of + Eden here, and never desire to stray out of its precincts. They might + fancy angels standing in the long, glimmering vistas of the avenues. + </p> + <p> + It would suit me well enough to have my daily walk along such straight + paths, for I think them favorable to thought, which is apt to be disturbed + by variety and unexpectedness. + </p> + <p> + April 12th.—We all, except R——-, went to-day to the + Vatican, where we found our way to the Stanze of Raphael, these being four + rooms, or halls, painted with frescos. No doubt they were once very + brilliant and beautiful; but they have encountered hard treatment since + Raphael's time, especially when the soldiers of the Constable de Bourbon + occupied these apartments, and made fires on the mosaic floors. The entire + walls and ceilings are covered with pictures; but the handiwork or designs + of Raphael consist of paintings on the four sides of each room, and + include several works of art. The School of Athens is perhaps the most + celebrated; and the longest side of the largest hall is occupied by a + battle-piece, of which the Emperor Constantine is the hero, and which + covers almost space enough for a real battle-field. There was a wonderful + light in one of the pictures,—that of St. Peter awakened in his + prison, by the angel; it really seemed to throw a radiance into the hall + below. I shall not pretend, however, to have been sensible of any + particular rapture at the sight of these frescos; so faded as they are, so + battered by the mischances of years, insomuch that, through all the power + and glory of Raphael's designs, the spectator cannot but be continually + sensible that the groundwork of them is an old plaster wall. They have + been scrubbed, I suppose,—brushed, at least,—a thousand times + over, till the surface, brilliant or soft, as Raphael left it, must have + been quite rubbed off, and with it, all the consummate finish, and + everything that made them originally delightful. The sterner features + remain, the skeleton of thought, but not the beauty that once clothed it. + In truth, the frescos, excepting a few figures, never had the real touch + of Raphael's own hand upon them, having been merely designed by him, and + finished by his scholars, or by other artists. + </p> + <p> + The halls themselves are specimens of antique magnificence, paved with + elaborate mosaics; and wherever there is any wood-work, it is richly + carved with foliage and figures. In their newness, and probably for a + hundred years afterwards, there could not have been so brilliant a suite + of rooms in the world. + </p> + <p> + Connected with them—at any rate, not far distant—is the little + Chapel of San Lorenzo, the very site of which, among the thousands of + apartments of the Vatican, was long forgotten, and its existence only + known by tradition. After it had been walled up, however, beyond the + memory of man, there was still a rumor of some beautiful frescos by Fra + Angelico, in an old chapel of Pope Nicholas V., that had strangely + disappeared out of the palace, and, search at length being made, it was + discovered, and entered through a window. It is a small, lofty room, quite + covered over with frescos of sacred subjects, both on the walls and + ceiling, a good deal faded, yet pretty distinctly preserved. It would have + been no misfortune to me, if the little old chapel had remained still + hidden. + </p> + <p> + We next issued into the Loggie, which consist of a long gallery, or arcade + or colonnade, the whole extent of which was once beautifully adorned by + Raphael. These pictures are almost worn away, and so defaced as to be + untraceable and unintelligible, along the side wall of the gallery; + although traceries of Arabesque, and compartments where there seem to have + been rich paintings, but now only an indistinguishable waste of dull + color, are still to be seen. In the coved ceiling, however, there are + still some bright frescos, in better preservation than any others; not + particularly beautiful, nevertheless. I remember to have seen (indeed, we + ourselves possess them) a series of very spirited and energetic + engravings, old and coarse, of these frescos, the subject being the + Creation, and the early Scripture history; and I really think that their + translation of the pictures is better than the original. On reference to + Murray, I find that little more than the designs is attributed to Raphael, + the execution being by Giulio Romano and other artists. + </p> + <p> + Escaping from these forlorn splendors, we went into the sculpture-gallery, + where I was able to enjoy, in some small degree, two or three wonderful + works of art; and had a perception that there were a thousand other + wonders around me. It is as if the statues kept, for the most part, a veil + about them, which they sometimes withdraw, and let their beauty gleam upon + my sight; only a glimpse, or two or three glimpses, or a little space of + calm enjoyment, and then I see nothing but a discolored marble image + again. The Minerva Medica revealed herself to-day. I wonder whether other + people are more fortunate than myself, and can invariably find their way + to the inner soul of a work of art. I doubt it; they look at these things + for just a minute, and pass on, without any pang of remorse, such as I + feel, for quitting them so soon and so willingly. I am partly sensible + that some unwritten rules of taste are making their way into my mind; that + all this Greek beauty has done something towards refining me, though I am + still, however, a very sturdy Goth. . . . + </p> + <p> + April 15th.—Yesterday I went with J——- to the Forum, and + descended into the excavations at the base of the Capitol, and on the site + of the Basilica of Julia. The essential elements of old Rome are there: + columns, single, or in groups of two or three, still erect, but battered + and bruised at some forgotten time with infinite pains and labor; + fragments of other columns lying prostrate, together with rich capitals + and friezes; the bust of a colossal female statue, showing the bosom and + upper part of the arms, but headless; a long, winding space of pavement, + forming part of the ancient ascent to the Capitol, still as firm and solid + as ever; the foundation of the Capitol itself, wonderfully massive, built + of immense square blocks of stone, doubtless three thousand years old, and + durable for whatever may be the lifetime of the world; the Arch of + Septimius, Severus, with bas-reliefs of Eastern wars; the Column of + Phocas, with the rude series of steps ascending on four sides to its + pedestal; the floor of beautiful and precious marbles in the Basilica of + Julia, the slabs cracked across,—the greater part of them torn up + and removed, the grass and weeds growing up through the chinks of what + remain; heaps of bricks, shapeless bits of granite, and other ancient + rubbish, among which old men are lazily rummaging for specimens that a + stranger may be induced to buy,—this being an employment that suits + the indolence of a modern Roman. The level of these excavations is about + fifteen feet, I should judge, below the present street, which passes + through the Forum, and only a very small part of this alien surface has + been removed, though there can be no doubt that it hides numerous + treasures of art and monuments of history. Yet these remains do not make + that impression of antiquity upon me which Gothic ruins do. Perhaps it is + so because they belong to quite another system of society and epoch of + time, and, in view of them, we forget all that has intervened betwixt them + and us; being morally unlike and disconnected with them, and not belonging + to the same train of thought; so that we look across a gulf to the Roman + ages, and do not realize how wide the gulf is. Yet in that intervening + valley lie Christianity, the Dark Ages, the feudal system, chivalry and + romance, and a deeper life of the human race than Rome brought to the + verge of the gulf. + </p> + <p> + To-day we went to the Colonna Palace, where we saw some fine pictures, + but, I think, no masterpieces. They did not depress and dishearten me so + much as the pictures in Roman palaces usually do; for they were in + remarkably good order as regards frames and varnish; indeed, I rather + suspect some of them had been injured by the means adopted to preserve + their beauty. The palace is now occupied by the French Ambassador, who + probably looks upon the pictures as articles of furniture and household + adornment, and does not choose to have squares of black and forlorn canvas + upon his walls. There were a few noble portraits by Vandyke; a very + striking one by Holbein, one or two by Titian, also by Guercino, and some + pictures by Rubens, and other forestieri painters, which refreshed my + weary eyes. But—what chiefly interested me was the magnificent and + stately hall of the palace; fifty-five of my paces in length, besides a + large apartment at either end, opening into it through a pillared space, + as wide as the gateway of a city. The pillars are of giallo antico, and + there are pilasters of the same all the way up and down the walls, forming + a perspective of the richest aspect, especially as the broad cornice + flames with gilding, and the spaces between the pilasters are emblazoned + with heraldic achievements and emblems in gold, and there are Venetian + looking-glasses, richly decorated over the surface with beautiful pictures + of flowers and Cupids, through which you catch the gleam of the mirror; + and two rows of splendid chandeliers extend from end to end of the hall, + which, when lighted up, if ever it be lighted up, now-a-nights, must be + the most brilliant interior that ever mortal eye beheld. The ceiling glows + with pictures in fresco, representing scenes connected with the history of + the Colonna family; and the floor is paved with beautiful marbles, + polished and arranged in square and circular compartments; and each of the + many windows is set in a great architectural frame of precious marble, as + large as the portal of a door. The apartment at the farther end of the + hall is elevated above it, and is attained by several marble steps, whence + it must have been glorious in former days to have looked down upon a + gorgeous throng of princes, cardinals, warriors, and ladies, in such rich + attire as might be worn when the palace was built. It is singular how much + freshness and brightness it still retains; and the only objects to mar the + effect were some ancient statues and busts, not very good in themselves, + and now made dreary of aspect by their corroded surfaces,—the result + of long burial under ground. + </p> + <p> + In the room at the entrance of the hall are two cabinets, each a wonder in + its way,—one being adorned with precious stones; the other with + ivory carvings of Michael Angelo's Last Judgment, and of the frescos of + Raphael's Loggie. The world has ceased to be so magnificent as it once + was. Men make no such marvels nowadays. The only defect that I remember in + this hall was in the marble steps that ascend to the elevated apartment at + the end of it; a large piece had been broken out of one of them, leaving a + rough irregular gap in the polished marble stair. It is not easy to + conceive what violence can have done this, without also doing mischief to + all the other splendor around it. + </p> + <p> + April 16th.—We went this morning to the Academy of St. Luke (the + Fine Arts Academy at Rome) in the Via Bonella, close by the Forum. We rang + the bell at the house door; and after a few moments it was unlocked or + unbolted by some unseen agency from above, no one making his appearance to + admit us. We ascended two or three flights of stairs, and entered a hall, + where was a young man, the custode, and two or three artists engaged in + copying some of the pictures. The collection not being vastly large, and + the pictures being in more presentable condition than usual, I enjoyed + them more than I generally do; particularly a Virgin and Child by Vandyke, + where two angels are singing and playing, one on a lute and the other on a + violin, to remind the holy infant of the strains he used to hear in + heaven. It is one of the few pictures that there is really any pleasure in + looking at. There were several paintings by Titian, mostly of a voluptuous + character, but not very charming; also two or more by Guido, one of which, + representing Fortune, is celebrated. They did not impress me much, nor do + I find myself strongly drawn towards Guido, though there is no other + painter who seems to achieve things so magically and inscrutably as he + sometimes does. Perhaps it requires a finer taste than mine to appreciate + him; and yet I do appreciate him so far as to see that his Michael, for + instance, is perfectly beautiful. . . . In the gallery, there are whole + rows of portraits of members of the Academy of St. Luke, most of whom, + judging by their physiognomies, were very commonplace people; a fact which + makes itself visible in a portrait, however much the painter may try to + flatter his sitter. Several of the pictures by Titian, Paul Veronese, and + other artists, now exhibited in the gallery, were formerly kept in a + secret cabinet in the Capitol, being considered of a too voluptuous + character for the public eye. I did not think them noticeably indecorous, + as compared with a hundred other pictures that are shown and looked at + without scruple;—Calypso and her nymphs, a knot of nude women by + Titian, is perhaps as objectionable as any. But even Titian's flesh-tints + cannot keep, and have not kept their warmth through all these centuries. + The illusion and lifelikeness effervesces and exhales out of a picture as + it grows old; and we go on talking of a charm that has forever vanished. + </p> + <p> + From St. Luke's we went to San Pietro in Vincoli, occupying a fine + position on or near the summit of the Esquiline mount. A little abortion + of a man (and, by the by, there are more diminutive and ill-shapen men and + women in Rome than I ever saw elsewhere, a phenomenon to be accounted for, + perhaps, by their custom of wrapping the new-born infant in + swaddling-clothes), this two-foot abortion hastened before us, as we drew + nigh, to summon the sacristan to open the church door. It was a needless + service, for which we rewarded him with two baiocchi. San Pietro is a + simple and noble church, consisting of a nave divided from the side aisles + by rows of columns, that once adorned some ancient temple; and its wide, + unencumbered interior affords better breathing-space than most churches in + Rome. The statue of Moses occupies a niche in one of the side aisles on + the right, not far from the high altar. I found it grand and sublime, with + a beard flowing down like a cataract; a truly majestic figure, but not so + benign as it were desirable that such strength should be. The horns, about + which so much has been said, are not a very prominent feature of the + statue, being merely two diminutive tips rising straight up over his + forehead, neither adding to the grandeur of the head, nor detracting + sensibly from it. The whole force of this statue is not to be felt in one + brief visit, but I agree with an English gentleman, who, with a large + party, entered the church while we were there, in thinking that Moses has + "very fine features,"—a compliment for which the colossal Hebrew + ought to have made the Englishman a bow. + </p> + <p> + Besides the Moses, the church contains some attractions of a pictorial + kind, which are reposited in the sacristy, into which we passed through a + side door. The most remarkable of these pictures is a face and bust of + Hope, by Guido, with beautiful eyes lifted upwards; it has a grace which + artists are continually trying to get into their innumerable copies, but + always without success; for, indeed, though nothing is more true than the + existence of this charm in the picture, yet if you try to analyze it, or + even look too intently at it, it vanishes, till you look again with more + trusting simplicity. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the church, we wandered to the Coliseum, and to the public grounds + contiguous to them, where a score and more of French drummers were beating + each man his drum, without reference to any rub-a-dub but his own. This + seems to be a daily or periodical practice and point of duty with them. + After resting ourselves on one of the marble benches, we came slowly home, + through the Basilica of Constantine, and along the shady sides of the + streets and piazzas, sometimes, perforce, striking boldly through the + white sunshine, which, however, was not so hot as to shrivel us up bodily. + It has been a most beautiful and perfect day as regards weather, clear and + bright, very warm in the sunshine, yet freshened throughout by a quiet + stir in the air. Still there is something in this air malevolent, or, at + least, not friendly. The Romans lie down and fall asleep in it, in any + vacant part of the streets, and wherever they can find any spot + sufficiently clean, and among the ruins of temples. I would not sleep in + the open air for whatever my life may be worth. + </p> + <p> + On our way home, sitting in one of the narrow streets, we saw an old woman + spinning with a distaff; a far more ancient implement than the + spinning-wheel, which the housewives of other nations have long since laid + aside. + </p> + <p> + April 18th.—Yesterday, at noon, the whole family of us set out on a + visit to the Villa Borghese and its grounds, the entrance to which is just + outside of the Porta del Popolo. After getting within the grounds, + however, there is a long walk before reaching the casino, and we found the + sun rather uncomfortably hot, and the road dusty and white in the + sunshine; nevertheless, a footpath ran alongside of it most of the way + through the grass and among the young trees. It seems to me that the trees + do not put forth their leaves with nearly the same magical rapidity in + this southern land at the approach of summer, as they do in more northerly + countries. In these latter, having a much shorter time to develop + themselves, they feel the necessity of making the most of it. But the + grass, in the lawns and enclosures along which we passed, looked already + fit to be mowed, and it was interspersed with many flowers. + </p> + <p> + Saturday being, I believe, the only day of the week on which visitors are + admitted to the casino, there were many parties in carriages, artists on + foot, gentlemen on horseback, and miscellaneous people, to whom the door + was opened by a custode on ringing a bell. The whole of the basement floor + of the casino, comprising a suite of beautiful rooms, is filled with + statuary. The entrance hall is a very splendid apartment, brightly + frescoed, and paved with ancient mosaics, representing the combats with + beasts and gladiators in the Coliseum, curious, though very rudely and + awkwardly designed, apparently after the arts had begun to decline. Many + of the specimens of sculpture displayed in these rooms are fine, but none + of them, I think, possess the highest merit. An Apollo is beautiful; a + group of a fighting Amazon, and her enemies trampled under her horse's + feet, is very impressive; a Faun, copied from that of Praxiteles, and + another, who seems to be dancing, were exceedingly pleasant to look at. I + like these strange, sweet, playful, rustic creatures, . . . . linked so + prettily, without monstrosity, to the lower tribes. . . . Their character + has never, that I know of, been wrought out in literature; and something + quite good, funny, and philosophical, as well as poetic, might very likely + be educed from them. . . . The faun is a natural and delightful link + betwixt human and brute life, with something of a divine character + intermingled. + </p> + <p> + The gallery, as it is called, on the basement floor of the casino, is + sixty feet in length, by perhaps a third as much in breadth, and is (after + all I have seen at the Colonna Palace and elsewhere) a more magnificent + hall than I imagined to be in existence. It is floored with rich marble in + beautifully arranged compartments, and the walls are almost entirely eased + with marble of various sorts, the prevailing kind being giallo antico, + intermixed with verd antique, and I know not what else; but the splendor + of the giallo antico gives the character to the room, and the large and + deep niches along the walls appear to be lined with the same material. + Without coming to Italy, one can have no idea of what beauty and + magnificence are produced by these fittings up of polished marble. Marble + to an American means nothing but white limestone. + </p> + <p> + This hall, moreover, is adorned with pillars of Oriental alabaster, and + wherever is a space vacant of precious and richly colored marble it is + frescoed with arabesque ornaments; and over the whole is a coved and + vaulted ceiling, glowing with picture. There never can be anything richer + than the whole effect. As to the sculpture here it was not very fine, so + far as I can remember, consisting chiefly of busts of the emperors in + porphyry; but they served a good purpose in the upholstery way. There were + also magnificent tables, each composed of one great slab of porphyry; and + also vases of nero antico, and other rarest substance. It remains to be + mentioned that, on this almost summer day, I was quite chilled in passing + through these glorious halls; no fireplace anywhere; no possibility of + comfort; and in the hot season, when their coolness might be agreeable, it + would be death to inhabit them. + </p> + <p> + Ascending a long winding staircase, we arrived at another suite of rooms, + containing a good many not very remarkable pictures, and a few more pieces + of statuary. Among the latter, is Canova's statue of Pauline, the sister + of Bonaparte, who is represented with but little drapery, and in the + character of Venus holding the apple in her hand. It is admirably done, + and, I have no doubt, a perfect likeness; very beautiful too; but it is + wonderful to see how the artificial elegance of the woman of this world + makes itself perceptible in spite of whatever simplicity she could find in + almost utter nakedness. The statue does not afford pleasure in the + contemplation. + </p> + <p> + In one of these upper rooms are some works of Bernini; two of them, Aeneas + and Anchises, and David on the point of slinging a stone at Goliath, have + great merit, and do not tear and rend themselves quite out of the laws and + limits of marble, like his later sculpture. Here is also his Apollo + overtaking Daphne, whose feet take root, whose, finger-tips sprout into + twigs, and whose tender body roughens round about with bark, as he + embraces her. It did not seem very wonderful to me; not so good as + Hillard's description of it made me expect; and one does not enjoy these + freaks in marble. + </p> + <p> + We were glad to emerge from the casino into the warm sunshine; and, for my + part, I made the best of my way to a large fountain, surrounded by a + circular stone seat of wide sweep, and sat down in a sunny segment of the + circle. Around grew a solemn company of old trees,—ilexes, I + believe,— with huge, contorted trunks and evergreen branches, . . . + . deep groves, sunny openings, the airy gush of fountains, marble statues, + dimly visible in recesses of foliage, great urns and vases, terminal + figures, temples, —all these works of art looking as if they had + stood there long enough to feel at home, and to be on friendly and + familiar terms with the grass and trees. It is a most beautiful place, . . + . . and the Malaria is its true master and inhabitant! + </p> + <p> + April 22d.—We have been recently to the studio of Mr. Brown [now + dead], the American landscape-painter, and were altogether surprised and + delighted with his pictures. He is a plain, homely Yankee, quite + unpolished by his many years' residence in Italy; he talks + ungrammatically, and in Yankee idioms; walks with a strange, awkward gait + and stooping shoulders; is altogether unpicturesque; but wins one's + confidence by his very lack of grace. It is not often that we see an + artist so entirely free from affectation in his aspect and deportment. His + pictures were views of Swiss and Italian scenery, and were most beautiful + and true. One of them, a moonlight picture, was really magical,— the + moon shining so brightly that it seemed to throw a light even beyond the + limits of the picture,—and yet his sunrises and sunsets, and + noontides too, were nowise inferior to this, although their excellence + required somewhat longer study, to be fully appreciated. I seemed to + receive more pleasure front Mr. Brown's pictures than from any of the + landscapes by the old masters; and the fact serves to strengthen me in the + belief that the most delicate if not the highest charm of a picture is + evanescent, and that we continue to admire pictures prescriptively and by + tradition, after the qualities that first won them their fame have + vanished. I suppose Claude was a greater landscape-painter than Brown; but + for my own pleasure I would prefer one of the latter artist's pictures,—those + of the former being quite changed from what he intended them to be by the + effect of time on his pigments. Mr. Brown showed us some drawings from + nature, done with incredible care and minuteness of detail, as studies for + his paintings. We complimented him on his patience; but he said, "O, it's + not patience,—it's love!" In fact, it was a patient and most + successful wooing of a beloved object, which at last rewarded him by + yielding itself wholly. + </p> + <p> + We have likewise been to Mr. B———'s [now dead] studio, + where we saw several pretty statues and busts, and among them an Eve, with + her wreath of fig-leaves lying across her poor nudity; comely in some + points, but with a frightful volume of thighs and calves. I do not + altogether see the necessity of ever sculpturing another nakedness. Man is + no longer a naked animal; his clothes are as natural to him as his skin, + and sculptors have no more right to undress him than to flay him. + </p> + <p> + Also, we have seen again William Story's Cleopatra,—a work of + genuine thought and energy, representing a terribly dangerous woman; quiet + enough for the moment, but very likely to spring upon you like a tigress. + It is delightful to escape to his creations from this universal + prettiness, which seems to be the highest conception of the crowd of + modern sculptors, and which they almost invariably attain. + </p> + <p> + Miss Bremer called on us the other day. We find her very little changed + from what she was when she came to take tea and spend an evening at our + little red cottage, among the Berkshire hills, and went away so + dissatisfied with my conversational performances, and so laudatory of my + brow and eyes, while so severely criticising my poor mouth and chin. She + is the funniest little old fairy in person whom one can imagine, with a + huge nose, to which all the rest of her is but an insufficient appendage; + but you feel at once that she is most gentle, kind, womanly, sympathetic, + and true. She talks English fluently, in a low quiet voice, but with such + an accent that it is impossible to understand her without the closest + attention. This was the real cause of the failure of our Berkshire + interview; for I could not guess, half the time, what she was saying, and, + of course, had to take an uncertain aim with my responses. A more intrepid + talker than myself would have shouted his ideas across the gulf; but, for + me, there must first be a close and unembarrassed contiguity with my + companion, or I cannot say one real word. I doubt whether I have ever + really talked with half a dozen persons in my life, either men or women. + </p> + <p> + To-day my wife and I have been at the picture and sculpture galleries of + the Capitol. I rather enjoyed looking at several of the pictures, though + at this moment I particularly remember only a very beautiful face of a + man, one of two heads on the same canvas by Vandyke. Yes; I did look with + new admiration at Paul Veronese's "Rape of Europa." It must have been, in + its day, the most brilliant and rejoicing picture, the most voluptuous, + the most exuberant, that ever put the sunshine to shame. The bull has all + Jupiter in him, so tender and gentle, yet so passionate, that you feel it + indecorous to look at him; and Europa, under her thick rich stuffs and + embroideries, is all a woman. What a pity that such a picture should fade, + and perplex the beholder with such splendor shining through such + forlornness! + </p> + <p> + We afterwards went into the sculpture-gallery, where I looked at the Faun + of Praxiteles, and was sensible of a peculiar charm in it; a sylvan beauty + and homeliness, friendly and wild at once. The lengthened, but not + preposterous ears, and the little tail, which we infer, have an exquisite + effect, and make the spectator smile in his very heart. This race of fauns + was the most delightful of all that antiquity imagined. It seems to me + that a story, with all sorts of fun and pathos in it, might be contrived + on the idea of their species having become intermingled with the human + race; a family with the faun blood in them, having prolonged itself from + the classic era till our own days. The tail might have disappeared, by + dint of constant intermarriages with ordinary mortals; but the pretty + hairy ears should occasionally reappear in members of the family; and the + moral instincts and intellectual characteristics of the faun might be most + picturesquely brought out, without detriment to the human interest of the + story. Fancy this combination in the person of a young lady! + </p> + <p> + I have spoken of Mr. Gibson's colored statues. It seems (at least Mr. + Nichols tells me) that he stains them with tobacco juice. . . . Were he to + send a Cupid to America, he need not trouble himself to stain it + beforehand. + </p> + <p> + April 25th.—Night before last, my wife and I took a moonlight ramble + through Rome, it being a very beautiful night, warm enough for comfort, + and with no perceptible dew or dampness. We set out at about nine o'clock, + and, our general direction being towards the Coliseum, we soon came to the + Fountain of Trevi, full on the front of which the moonlight fell, making + Bernini's sculptures look stately and beautiful, though the semicircular + gush and fall of the cascade, and the many jets of the water, pouring and + bubbling into the great marble basin, are of far more account than Neptune + and his steeds, and the rest of the figures. . . . + </p> + <p> + We ascended the Capitoline Hill, and I felt a satisfaction in placing my + hand on those immense blocks of stone, the remains of the ancient Capitol, + which form the foundation of the present edifice, and will make a sure + basis for as many edifices as posterity may choose to rear upon it, till + the end of the world. It is wonderful, the solidity with which those old + Romans built; one would suppose they contemplated the whole course of Time + as the only limit of their individual life. This is not so strange in the + days of the Republic, when, probably, they believed in the permanence of + their institutions; but they still seemed to build for eternity, in the + reigns of the emperors, when neither rulers nor people had any faith or + moral substance, or laid any earnest grasp on life. + </p> + <p> + Reaching the top of the Capitoline Hill, we ascended the steps of the + portal of the Palace of the Senator, and looked down into the piazza, with + the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in the centre of it. The + architecture that surrounds the piazza is very ineffective; and so, in my + opinion, are all the other architectural works of Michael Angelo, + including St. Peter's itself, of which he has made as little as could + possibly be made of such a vast pile of material. He balances everything + in such a way that it seems but half of itself. + </p> + <p> + We soon descended into the piazza, and walked round and round the statue + of Marcus Aurelius, contemplating it from every point and admiring it in + all. . . . On these beautiful moonlight nights, Rome appears to keep awake + and stirring, though in a quiet and decorous way. It is, in fact, the + pleasantest time for promenades, and we both felt less wearied than by any + promenade in the daytime, of similar extent, since our residence in Rome. + In future, I mean to walk often after nightfall. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday, we set out betimes, and ascended the dome of St. Peter's. The + best view of the interior of the church, I think, is from the first + gallery beneath the dome. The whole inside of the dome is set with + mosaic-work, the separate pieces being, so far as I could see, about half + an inch square. Emerging on the roof, we had a fine view of all the + surrounding Rome, including the Mediterranean Sea in the remote distance. + Above us still rose the whole mountain of the great dome, and it made an + impression on me of greater height and size than I had yet been able to + receive. The copper ball at the summit looked hardly bigger than a man + could lift; and yet, a little while afterwards, U——, J——-, + and I stood all together in that ball, which could have contained a dozen + more along with us. The esplanade of the roof is, of course, very + extensive; and along the front of it are ranged the statues which we see + from below, and which, on nearer examination, prove to be roughly hewn + giants. There is a small house on the roof, where, probably, the custodes + of this part of the edifice reside; and there is a fountain gushing + abundantly into a stone trough, that looked like an old sarcophagus. It is + strange where the water comes from at such a height. The children tasted + it, and pronounced it very warm and disagreeable. After taking in the + prospect on all sides we rang a bell, which summoned a man, who directed + us towards a door in the side of the dome, where a custode was waiting to + admit us. Hitherto the ascent had been easy, along a slope without stairs, + up which, I believe, people sometimes ride on donkeys. The rest of the way + we mounted steep and narrow staircases, winding round within the wall, or + between the two walls of the dome, and growing narrower and steeper, till, + finally, there is but a perpendicular iron ladder, by means of which to + climb into the copper ball. Except through small windows and peep-holes, + there is no external prospect of a higher point than the roof of the + church. Just beneath the ball there is a circular room capable of + containing a large company, and a door which ought to give access to a + gallery on the outside; but the custode informed us that this door is + never opened. As I have said, U——, J——-, and I + clambered into the copper ball, which we found as hot as an oven; and, + after putting our hands on its top, and on the summit of St. Peter's, were + glad to clamber down again. I have made some mistake, after all, in my + narration. There certainly is a circular balcony at the top of the dome, + for I remember walking round it, and looking, not only across the country, + but downwards along the ribs of the dome; to which are attached the iron + contrivances for illuminating it on Easter Sunday. . . . + </p> + <p> + Before leaving the church we went to look at the mosaic copy of the + "Transfiguration," because we were going to see the original in the + Vatican, and wished to compare the two. Going round to the entrance of the + Vatican, we went first to the manufactory of mosaics, to which we had a + ticket of admission. We found it a long series of rooms, in which the + mosaic artists were at work, chiefly in making some medallions of the + heads of saints for the new church of St. Paul's. It was rather coarse + work, and it seemed to me that the mosaic copy was somewhat stiffer and + more wooden than the original, the bits of stone not flowing into color + quite so freely as paint from a brush. There was no large picture now in + process of being copied; but two or three artists were employed on small + and delicate subjects. One had a Holy Family of Raphael in hand; and the + Sibyls of Guercino and Domenichino were hanging on the wall, apparently + ready to be put into mosaic. Wherever great skill and delicacy, on the + artists' part were necessary, they seemed quite adequate to the occasion; + but, after all, a mosaic of any celebrated picture is but a copy of a + copy. The substance employed is a stone-paste, of innumerable different + views, and in bits of various sizes, quantities of which were seen in + cases along the whole series of rooms. + </p> + <p> + We next ascended an amazing height of staircases, and walked along I know + not what extent of passages, . . . . till we reached the picture-gallery + of the Vatican, into which I had never been before. There are but three + rooms, all lined with red velvet, on which hung about fifty pictures, each + one of them, no doubt, worthy to be considered a masterpiece. In the first + room were three Murillos, all so beautiful that I could have spent the day + happily in looking at either of them; for, methinks, of all painters he is + the tenderest and truest. I could not enjoy these pictures now, however, + because in the next room, and visible through the open door, hung the + "Transfiguration." Approaching it, I felt that the picture was worthy of + its fame, and was far better than I could at once appreciate; admirably + preserved, too, though I fully believe it must have possessed a charm when + it left Raphael's hand that has now vanished forever. As church furniture + and an external adornment, the mosaic copy is preferable to the original, + but no copy could ever reproduce all the life and expression which we see + here. Opposite to it hangs the "Communion of St. Jerome," the aged, dying + saint, half torpid with death already, partaking of the sacrament, and a + sunny garland of cherubs in the upper part of the picture, looking down + upon him, and quite comforting the spectator with the idea that the old + man needs only to be quite dead in order to flit away with them. As for + the other pictures I did but glance at, and have forgotten them. + </p> + <p> + The "Transfiguration" is finished with great minuteness and detail, the + weeds and blades of grass in the foreground being as distinct as if they + were growing in a natural soil. A partly decayed stick of wood with the + bark is likewise given in close imitation of nature. The reflection of a + foot of one of the apostles is seen in a pool of water at the verge of the + picture. One or two heads and arms seem almost to project from the canvas. + There is great lifelikeness and reality, as well as higher qualities. The + face of Jesus, being so high aloft and so small in the distance, I could + not well see; but I am impressed with the idea that it looks too much like + human flesh and blood to be in keeping with the celestial aspect of the + figure, or with the probabilities of the scene, when the divinity and + immortality of the Saviour beamed from within him through the earthly + features that ordinarily shaded him. As regards the composition of the + picture, I am not convinced of the propriety of its being in two so + distinctly separate parts,—the upper portion not thinking of the + lower, and the lower portion not being aware of the higher. It symbolizes, + however, the spiritual short-sightedness of mankind that, amid the trouble + and grief of the lower picture, not a single individual, either of those + who seek help or those who would willingly afford it, lifts his eyes to + that region, one glimpse of which would set everything right. One or two + of the disciples point upward, but without really knowing what abundance + of help is to be had there. + </p> + <p> + April 27th.—To-day we have all been with Mr. Akers to some studios + of painters; first to that of Mr. Wilde, an artist originally from Boston. + His pictures are principally of scenes from Venice, and are miracles of + color, being as bright as if the light were transmitted through rubies and + sapphires. And yet, after contemplating them awhile, we became convinced + that the painter had not gone in the least beyond nature, but, on the + contrary, had fallen short of brilliancies which no palette, or skill, or + boldness in using color, could attain. I do not quite know whether it is + best to attempt these things. They may be found in nature, no doubt, but + always so tempered by what surrounds them, so put out of sight even while + they seem full before our eyes, that we question the accuracy of a + faithful reproduction of them on canvas. There was a picture of sunset, + the whole sky of which would have outshone any gilded frame that could + have been put around it. There was a most gorgeous sketch of a handful of + weeds and leaves, such as may be seen strewing acres of forest-ground in + an American autumn. I doubt whether any other man has ever ventured to + paint a picture like either of these two, the Italian sunset or the + American autumnal foliage. Mr. Wilde, who is still young, talked with + genuine feeling and enthusiasm of his art, and is certainly a man of + genius. + </p> + <p> + We next went to the studio of an elderly Swiss artist, named Mueller, I + believe, where we looked at a great many water-color and crayon drawings + of scenes in Italy, Greece, and Switzerland. The artist was a quiet, + respectable, somewhat heavy-looking old gentleman, from whose aspect one + would expect a plodding pertinacity of character rather than quickness of + sensibility. He must have united both these qualities, however, to produce + such pictures as these, such faithful transcripts of whatever Nature has + most beautiful to show, and which she shows only to those who love her + deeply and patiently. They are wonderful pictures, compressing plains, + seas, and mountains, with miles and miles of distance, into the space of a + foot or two, without crowding anything or leaving out a feature, and + diffusing the free, blue atmosphere throughout. The works of the English + watercolor artists which I saw at the Manchester Exhibition seemed to me + nowise equal to these. Now, here are three artists, Mr. Brown, Mr. Wilde, + and Mr. Mueller, who have smitten me with vast admiration within these few + days past, while I am continually turning away disappointed from the + landscapes of the most famous among the old masters, unable to find any + charm or illusion in them. Yet I suppose Claude, Poussin, and Salvator + Rosa must have won their renown by real achievements. But the glory of a + picture fades like that of a flower. + </p> + <p> + Contiguous to Mr. Mueller's studio was that of a young German artist, not + long resident in Rome, and Mr. Akers proposed that we should go in there, + as a matter of kindness to the young man, who is scarcely known at all, + and seldom has a visitor to look at his pictures. His studio comprised his + whole establishment; for there was his little bed, with its white drapery, + in a corner of the small room, and his dressing-table, with its brushes + and combs, while the easel and the few sketches of Italian scenes and + figures occupied the foreground. I did not like his pictures very well, + but would gladly have bought them all if I could have afforded it, the + artist looked so cheerful, patient, and quiet, doubtless amidst huge + discouragement. He is probably stubborn of purpose, and is the sort of man + who will improve with every year of his life. We could not speak his + language, and were therefore spared the difficulty of paying him any + compliments; but Miss Shepard said a few kind words to him in German. and + seemed quite to win his heart, insomuch that he followed her with bows and + smiles a long way down the staircase. It is a terrible business, this + looking at pictures, whether good or bad, in the presence of the artists + who paint them; it is as great a bore as to hear a poet read his own + verses. It takes away all my pleasure in seeing the pictures, and even + remakes me question the genuineness of the impressions which I receive + from them. + </p> + <p> + After this latter visit Mr. Akers conducted us to the shop of the jeweller + Castellani, who is a great reproducer of ornaments in the old Roman and + Etruscan fashion. These antique styles are very fashionable just now, and + some of the specimens he showed us were certainly very beautiful, though I + doubt whether their quaintness and old-time curiousness, as patterns of + gewgaws dug out of immemorial tombs, be not their greatest charm. We saw + the toilet-case of an Etruscan lady,—that is to say, a modern + imitation of it,—with her rings for summer and winter, and for every + day of the week, and for thumb and fingers; her ivory comb; her bracelets; + and more knick-knacks than I can half remember. Splendid things of our own + time were likewise shown us; a necklace of diamonds worth eighteen + thousand scudi, together with emeralds and opals and great pearls. Finally + we came away, and my wife and Miss Shepard were taken up by the Misses + Weston, who drove with them to visit the Villa Albani. During their drive + my wife happened to raise her arm, and Miss Shepard espied a little Greek + cross of gold which had attached itself to the lace of her sleeve. . . . + Pray heaven the jeweller may not discover his loss before we have time to + restore the spoil! He is apparently so free and careless in displaying his + precious wares,—putting inestimable genes and brooches great and + small into the hands of strangers like ourselves, and leaving scores of + them strewn on the top of his counter,—that it would seem easy + enough to take a diamond or two; but I suspect there must needs be a sharp + eye somewhere. Before we left the shop he requested me to honor him with + my autograph in a large book that was full of the names of his visitors. + This is probably a measure of precaution. + </p> + <p> + April 30th.—I went yesterday to the sculpture-gallery of the + Capitol, and looked pretty thoroughly through the busts of the illustrious + men, and less particularly at those of the emperors and their relatives. I + likewise took particular note of the Faun of Praxiteles, because the idea + keeps recurring to me of writing a little romance about it, and for that + reason I shall endeavor to set down a somewhat minutely itemized detail of + the statue and its surroundings. . . . + </p> + <p> + We have had beautiful weather for two or three days, very warm in the sun, + yet always freshened by the gentle life of a breeze, and quite cool enough + the moment you pass within the limit of the shade. . . . + </p> + <p> + In the morning there are few people there (on the Pincian) except the + gardeners, lazily trimming the borders, or filling their watering-pots out + of the marble-brimmed basin of the fountain; French soldiers, in their + long mixed-blue surtouts, and wide scarlet pantaloons, chatting with here + and there a nursery-maid and playing with the child in her care; and + perhaps a few smokers, . . . . choosing each a marble seat or wooden bench + in sunshine or shade as best suits him. In the afternoon, especially + within an hour or two of sunset, the gardens are much more populous, and + the seats, except when the sun falls full upon them, are hard to come by. + Ladies arrive in carriages, splendidly dressed; children are abundant, + much impeded in their frolics, and rendered stiff and stately by the + finery which they wear; English gentlemen and Americans with their wives + and families; the flower of the Roman population, too, both male and + female, mostly dressed with great nicety; but a large intermixture of + artists, shabbily picturesque; and other persons, not of the first stamp. + A French band, comprising a great many brass instruments, by and by begins + to play; and what with music, sunshine, a delightful atmosphere, flowers, + grass, well-kept pathways, bordered with box-hedges, pines, cypresses, + horse-chestnuts, flowering shrubs, and all manner of cultivated beauty, + the scene is a very lively and agreeable one. The fine equipages that + drive round and round through the carriage-paths are another noticeable + item. The Roman aristocracy are magnificent in their aspect, driving + abroad with beautiful horses, and footmen in rich liveries, sometimes as + many as three behind and one sitting by the coachman. + </p> + <p> + May 1st.—This morning, I wandered for the thousandth time through + some of the narrow intricacies of Rome, stepping here and there into a + church. I do not know the name of the first one, nor had it anything that + in Rome could be called remarkable, though, till I came here, I was not + aware that any such churches existed,—a marble pavement in + variegated compartments, a series of shrines and chapels round the whole + floor, each with its own adornment of sculpture and pictures, its own + altar with tall wax tapers before it, some of which were burning; a great + picture over the high altar, the whole interior of the church ranged round + with pillars and pilasters, and lined, every inch of it, with rich yellow + marble. Finally, a frescoed ceiling over the nave and transepts, and a + dome rising high above the central part, and filled with frescos brought + to such perspective illusion, that the edges seem to project into the air. + Two or three persons are kneeling at separate shrines; there are several + wooden confessionals placed against the walls, at one of which kneels a + lady, confessing to a priest who sits within; the tapers are lighted at + the high altar and at one of the shrines; an attendant is scrubbing the + marble pavement with a broom and water, a process, I should think, seldom + practised in Roman churches. By and by the lady finishes her confession, + kisses the priest's hand, and sits down in one of the chairs which are + placed about the floor, while the priest, in a black robe, with a short, + white, loose jacket over his shoulders, disappears by a side door out of + the church. I, likewise, finding nothing attractive in the pictures, take + my departure. Protestantism needs a new apostle to convert it into + something positive. . . . + </p> + <p> + I now found my way to the Piazza Navona. It is to me the most interesting + piazza in Rome; a large oblong space, surrounded with tall, shabby houses, + among which there are none that seem to be palaces. The sun falls broadly + over the area of the piazza, and shows the fountains in it;—one a + large basin with great sea-monsters, probably of Bernini's inventions, + squirting very small streams of water into it; another of the fountains I + do not at all remember; but the central one is an immense basin, over + which is reared an old Egyptian obelisk, elevated on a rock, which is + cleft into four arches. Monstrous devices in marble, I know not of what + purport, are clambering about the cloven rock or burrowing beneath it; one + and all of them are superfluous and impertinent, the only essential thing + being the abundant supply of water in the fountain. This whole Piazza + Navona is usually the scene of more business than seems to be transacted + anywhere else in Rome; in some parts of it rusty iron is offered for sale, + locks and keys, old tools, and all such rubbish; in other parts + vegetables, comprising, at this season, green peas, onions, cauliflowers, + radishes, artichokes, and others with which I have never made + acquaintance; also, stalls or wheelbarrows containing apples, chestnuts + (the meats dried and taken out of the shells), green almonds in their + husks, and squash-seeds,—salted and dried in an oven,—apparently + a favorite delicacy of the Romans. There are also lemons and oranges; + stalls of fish, mostly about the size of smelts, taken from the Tiber; + cigars of various qualities, the best at a baioccho and a half apiece; + bread in loaves or in small rings, a great many of which are strung + together on a long stick, and thus carried round for sale. Women and men + sit with these things for sale, or carry them about in trays or on boards + on their heads, crying them with shrill and hard voices. There is a shabby + crowd and much babble; very little picturesqueness of costume or figure, + however, the chief exceptions being, here and there, an old white-bearded + beggar. A few of the men have the peasant costume,—a short jacket + and breeches of light blue cloth and white stockings,—the ugliest + dress I ever saw. The women go bareheaded, and seem fond of scarlet and + other bright colors, but are homely and clumsy in form. The piazza is + dingy in its general aspect, and very dirty, being strewn with straw, + vegetable-tops, and the rubbish of a week's marketing; but there is more + life in it than one sees elsewhere in Rome. + </p> + <p> + On one side of the piazza is the Church of St. Agnes, traditionally said + to stand on the site of the house where that holy maiden was exposed to + infamy by the Roman soldiers, and where her modesty and innocence were + saved by miracle. I went into the church, and found it very splendid, with + rich marble columns, all as brilliant as if just built; a frescoed dome + above; beneath, a range of chapels all round the church, ornamented not + with pictures but bas-reliefs, the figures of which almost step and + struggle out of the marble. They did not seem very admirable as works of + art, none of them explaining themselves or attracting me long enough to + study out their meaning; but, as part of the architecture of the church, + they had a good effect. Out of the busy square two or three persons had + stepped into this bright and calm seclusion to pray and be devout, for a + little while; and, between sunrise and sunset of the bustling market-day, + many doubtless snatch a moment to refresh their souls. + </p> + <p> + In the Pantheon (to-day) it was pleasant looking up to the circular + opening, to see the clouds flitting across it, sometimes covering it quite + over, then permitting a glimpse of sky, then showing all the circle of + sunny blue. Then would come the ragged edge of a cloud, brightened + throughout with sunshine, passing and changing quickly,—not that the + divine smile was not always the same, but continually variable through the + medium of earthly influences. The great slanting beam of sunshine was + visible all the way down to the pavement, falling upon motes of dust, or a + thin smoke of incense imperceptible in the shadow. Insects were playing to + and fro in the beam, high up toward the opening. There is a wonderful + charm in the naturalness of all this, and one might fancy a swarm of + cherubs coming down through the opening and sporting in the broad ray, to + gladden the faith of worshippers on the pavement beneath; or angels + bearing prayers upward, or bringing down responses to them, visible with + dim brightness as they pass through the pathway of heaven's radiance, even + the many hues of their wings discernible by a trusting eye; though, as + they pass into the shadow, they vanish like the motes. So the sunbeam + would represent those rays of divine intelligence which enable us to see + wonders and to know that they are natural things. + </p> + <p> + Consider the effect of light and shade in a church where the windows are + open and darkened with curtains that are occasionally lifted by a breeze, + letting in the sunshine, which whitens a carved tombstone on the pavement + of the church, disclosing, perhaps, the letters of the name and + inscription, a death's-head, a crosier, or other emblem; then the curtain + falls and the bright spot vanishes. + </p> + <p> + May 8th.—This morning my wife and I went to breakfast with Mrs. + William Story at the Barberini Palace, expecting to meet Mrs. Jameson, who + has been in Rome for a month or two. We had a very pleasant breakfast, but + Mrs. Jameson was not present on account of indisposition, and the only + other guests were Mrs. A——— and Mrs. H———, + two sensible American ladies. Mrs. Story, however, received a note from + Mrs. Jameson, asking her to bring us to see her at her lodgings; so in the + course of the afternoon she called on us, and took us thither in her + carriage. Mrs. Jameson lives on the first piano of an old palazzo on the + Via di Ripetta, nearly opposite the ferry-way across the Tiber, and + affording a pleasant view of the yellow river and the green bank and + fields on the other side. I had expected to see an elderly lady, but not + quite so venerable a one as Mrs. Jameson proved to be; a rather short, + round, and massive personage, of benign and agreeable aspect, with a sort + of black skullcap on her head, beneath which appeared her hair, which + seemed once to have been fair, and was now almost white. I should take her + to be about seventy years old. She began to talk to us with affectionate + familiarity, and was particularly kind in her manifestations towards + myself, who, on my part, was equally gracious towards her. In truth, I + have found great pleasure and profit in her works, and was glad to hear + her say that she liked mine. We talked about art, and she showed us a + picture leaning up against the wall of the room; a quaint old Byzantine + painting, with a gilded background, and two stiff figures (our Saviour and + St. Catherine) standing shyly at a sacred distance from one another, and + going through the marriage ceremony. There was a great deal of expression + in their faces and figures; and the spectator feels, moreover, that the + artist must have been a devout man,—an impression which we seldom + receive from modern pictures, however awfully holy the subject, or however + consecrated the place they hang in. Mrs. Jameson seems to be familiar with + Italy, its people and life, as well as with its picture-galleries. She is + said to be rather irascible in her temper; but nothing could be sweeter + than her voice, her look, and all her manifestations to-day. When we were + coming away she clasped my hand in both of hers, and again expressed the + pleasure of having seen me, and her gratitude to me for calling on her; + nor did I refrain from responding Amen to these effusions. . . . + </p> + <p> + Taking leave of Mrs. Jameson, we drove through the city, and out of the + Lateran Gate; first, however, waiting a long while at Monaldini's + bookstore in the Piazza de' Spagna for Mr. Story, whom we finally took up + in the street, after losing nearly an hour. + </p> + <p> + Just two miles beyond the gate is a space on the green campagna where, for + some time past, excavations have been in progress, which thus far have + resulted in the discovery of several tombs, and the old, buried, and + almost forgotten church or basilica of San Stefano. It is a beautiful + spot, that of the excavations, with the Alban hills in the distance, and + some heavy, sunlighted clouds hanging above, or recumbent at length upon + them, and behind the city and its mighty dome. The excavations are an + object of great interest both to the Romans and to strangers, and there + were many carriages and a great many visitors viewing the progress of the + works, which are carried forward with greater energy than anything else I + have seen attempted at Rome. A short time ago the ground in the vicinity + was a green surface, level, except here and there a little hillock, or + scarcely perceptible swell; the tomb of Cecilia Metella showing itself a + mile or two distant, and other rugged ruins of great tombs rising on the + plain. Now the whole site of the basilica is uncovered, and they have dug + into the depths of several tombs, bringing to light precious marbles, + pillars, a statue, and elaborately wrought sarcophagi; and if they were to + dig into almost every other inequality that frets the surface of the + campagna, I suppose the result might be the same. You cannot dig six feet + downward anywhere into the soil, deep enough to hollow out a grave, + without finding some precious relic of the past; only they lose somewhat + of their value when you think that you can almost spurn them out of the + ground with your foot. It is a very wonderful arrangement of Providence + that these things should have been preserved for a long series of coming + generations by that accumulation of dust and soil and grass and trees and + houses over them, which will keep them safe, and cause their reappearance + above ground to be gradual, so that the rest of the world's lifetime may + have for one of its enjoyments the uncovering of old Rome. + </p> + <p> + The tombs were accessible by long flights of steps going steeply downward, + and they were thronged with so many visitors that we had to wait some + little time for our own turn. In the first into which we descended we + found two tombs side by side, with only a partition wall between; the + outer tomb being, as is supposed, a burial-place constructed by the early + Christians, while the adjoined and minor one was a work of pagan Rome + about the second century after Christ. The former was much less + interesting than the latter. It contained some large sarcophagi, with + sculpture upon them of rather heathenish aspect; and in the centre of the + front of each sarcophagus was a bust in bas-relief, the features of which + had never been wrought, but were left almost blank, with only the faintest + indications of a nose, for instance. It is supposed that sarcophagi were + kept on hand by the sculptors, and were bought ready made, and that it was + customary to work out the portrait of the deceased upon the blank face in + the centre; but when there was a necessity for sudden burial, as may have + been the case in the present instance, this was dispensed with. + </p> + <p> + The inner tomb was found without any earth in it, just as it had been left + when the last old Roman was buried there; and it being only a week or two + since it was opened, there was very little intervention of persons, though + much of time, between the departure of the friends of the dead and our own + visit. It is a square room, with a mosaic pavement, and is six or seven + paces in length and breadth, and as much in height to the vaulted roof. + The roof and upper walls are beautifully ornamented with frescos, which + were very bright when first discovered, but have rapidly faded since the + admission of the air, though the graceful and joyous designs, flowers and + fruits and trees, are still perfectly discernible. The room must have been + anything but sad and funereal; on the contrary, as cheerful a saloon, and + as brilliant, if lighted up, as one could desire to feast in. It contained + several marble sarcophagi, covering indeed almost the whole floor, and + each of them as much as three or four feet in length, and two much longer. + The longer ones I did not particularly examine, and they seemed + comparatively plainer; but the smaller sarcophagi were covered with the + most delicately wrought and beautiful bas-reliefs that I ever beheld; a + throng of glad and lovely shapes in marble clustering thickly and chasing + one another round the sides of these old stone coffins. The work was as + perfect as when the sculptor gave it his last touch; and if he had wrought + it to be placed in a frequented hall, to be seen and admired by continual + crowds as long as the marble should endure, he could not have chiselled + with better skill and care, though his work was to be shut up in the + depths of a tomb forever. This seems to me the strangest thing in the + world, the most alien from modern sympathies. If they had built their + tombs above ground, one could understand the arrangement better; but no + sooner had they adorned them so richly, and furnished them with such + exquisite productions of art, than they annihilated them with darkness. It + was an attempt, no doubt, to render the physical aspect of death cheerful, + but there was no good sense in it. + </p> + <p> + We went down also into another tomb close by, the walls of which were + ornamented with medallions in stucco. These works presented a numerous + series of graceful designs, wrought by the hand in the short space of (Mr. + Story said it could not have been more than) five or ten minutes, while + the wet plaster remained capable of being moulded; and it was marvellous + to think of the fertility of the artist's fancy, and the rapidity and + accuracy with which he must have given substantial existence to his ideas. + These too—all of them such adornments as would have suited a festal + hall—were made to be buried forthwith in eternal darkness. I saw and + handled in this tomb a great thigh-bone, and measured it with my own; it + was one of many such relics of the guests who were laid to sleep in these + rich chambers. The sarcophagi that served them for coffins could not now + be put to a more appropriate use than as wine-coolers in a modern + dining-room; and it would heighten the enjoyment of a festival to look at + them. + </p> + <p> + We would gladly have stayed much longer; but it was drawing towards + sunset, and the evening, though bright, was unusually cool, so we drove + home; and on the way, Mr. Story told us of the horrible practices of the + modern Romans with their dead,—how they place them in the church, + where, at midnight, they are stripped of their last rag of funeral attire, + put into the rudest wooden coffins, and thrown into a trench,—a + half-mile, for instance, of promiscuous corpses. This is the fate of all, + except those whose friends choose to pay an exorbitant sum to have them + buried under the pavement of a church. The Italians have an excessive + dread of corpses, and never meddle with those of their nearest and dearest + relatives. They have a horror of death, too, especially of sudden death, + and most particularly of apoplexy; and no wonder, as it gives no time for + the last rites of the Church, and so exposes them to a fearful risk of + perdition forever. On the whole, the ancient practice was, perhaps, the + preferable one; but Nature has made it very difficult for us to do + anything pleasant and satisfactory with a dead body. God knows best; but I + wish he had so ordered it that our mortal bodies, when we have done with + them, might vanish out of sight and sense, like bubbles. A person of + delicacy hates to think of leaving such a burden as his decaying mortality + to the disposal of his friends; but, I say again, how delightful it would + be, and how helpful towards our faith in a blessed futurity, if the dying + could disappear like vanishing bubbles, leaving, perhaps, a sweet + fragrance diffused for a minute or two throughout the death-chamber. This + would be the odor of sanctity! And if sometimes the evaporation of a + sinful soul should leave an odor not so delightful, a breeze through the + open windows would soon waft it quite away. + </p> + <p> + Apropos of the various methods of disposing of dead bodies, William Story + recalled a newspaper paragraph respecting a ring, with a stone of a new + species in it, which a widower was observed to wear upon his finger. Being + questioned as to what the gem was, he answered, "It is my wife." He had + procured her body to be chemically resolved into this stone. I think I + could make a story on this idea: the ring should be one of the widower's + bridal gifts to a second wife; and, of course, it should have wondrous and + terrible qualities, symbolizing all that disturbs the quiet of a second + marriage,—on the husband's part, remorse for his inconstancy, and + the constant comparison between the dead wife of his youth, now idealized, + and the grosser reality which he had now adopted into her place; while on + the new wife's finger it should give pressures, shooting pangs into her + heart, jealousies of the past, and all such miserable emotions. + </p> + <p> + By the by, the tombs which we looked at and entered may have been + originally above ground, like that of Cecilia Metella, and a hundred + others along the Appian Way; though, even in this case, the beautiful + chambers must have been shut up in darkness. Had there been windows, + letting in the light upon the rich frescos and exquisite sculptures, there + would have been a satisfaction in thinking of the existence of so much + visual beauty, though no eye had the privilege to see it. But darkness, to + objects of sight, is annihilation, as long as the darkness lasts. + </p> + <p> + May 9th.—Mrs. Jameson called this forenoon to ask us to go and see + her this evening; . . . . so that I had to receive her alone, devolving + part of the burden on Miss Shepard and the three children, all of whom I + introduced to her notice. Finding that I had not been farther beyond the + walls of Rome than the tomb of Cecilia Metella, she invited me to take a + drive of a few miles with her this afternoon. . . . The poor lady seems to + be very lame; and I am sure I was grateful to her for having taken the + trouble to climb up the seventy steps of our staircase, and felt pain at + seeing her go down them again. It looks fearfully like the gout, the + affection being apparently in one foot. The hands, by the way, are white, + and must once have been, perhaps now are, beautiful. She must have been a + perfectly pretty woman in her day,—a blue or gray eyed, fair-haired + beauty. I think that her hair is not white, but only flaxen in the + extreme. + </p> + <p> + At half past four, according to appointment, I arrived at her lodgings, + and had not long to wait before her little one-horse carriage drove up to + the door, and we set out, rumbling along the Via Scrofa, and through the + densest part of the city, past the theatre of Marcellus, and thence along + beneath the Palatine Hill, and by the Baths of Caracalla, through the gate + of San Sebastiano. After emerging from the gate, we soon came to the + little Church of "Domine, quo vadis?" Standing on the spot where St. Peter + is said to have seen a vision of our Saviour bearing his cross, Mrs. + Jameson proposed to alight; and, going in, we saw a cast from Michael + Angelo's statue of the Saviour; and not far from the threshold of the + church, yet perhaps in the centre of the edifice, which is extremely + small, a circular stone is placed, a little raised above the pavement, and + surrounded by a low wooden railing. Pointing to this stone, Mrs. Jameson + showed me the prints of two feet side by side, impressed into its surface, + as if a person had stopped short while pursuing his way to Rome. These, + she informed me, were supposed to be the miraculous prints of the + Saviour's feet; but on looking into Murray, I am mortified to find that + they are merely facsimiles of the original impressions, which are + treasured up among the relics of the neighboring Basilica of San + Sebastiano. The marks of sculpture seemed to me, indeed, very evident in + these prints, nor did they indicate such beautiful feet as should have + belonged to the hearer of the best of glad tidings. + </p> + <p> + Hence we drove on a little way farther, and came to the Basilica of San + Sebastiano, where also we alighted, and, leaning on my arm, Mrs. Jameson + went in. It is a stately and noble interior, with a spacious unencumbered + nave, and a flat ceiling frescoed and gilded. In a chapel at the left of + the entrance is the tomb of St. Sebastian,—a sarcophagus containing + his remains, raised on high before the altar, and beneath it a recumbent + statue of the saint pierced with gilded arrows. The sculpture is of the + school of Bernini,—done after the design of Bernini himself, Mrs. + Jameson said, and is more agreeable and in better taste than most of his + works. We walked round the basilica, glancing at the pictures in the + various chapels, none of which seemed to be of remarkable merit, although + Mrs. Jameson pronounced rather a favorable verdict on one of St. Francis. + She says that she can read a picture like the page of a book; in fact, + without perhaps assuming more taste and judgment than really belong to + her, it was impossible not to perceive that she gave her companion no + credit for knowing one single simplest thing about art. Nor, on the whole, + do I think she underrated me; the only mystery is, how she came to be so + well aware of my ignorance on artistical points. + </p> + <p> + In the basilica the Franciscan monks were arranging benches on the floor + of the nave, and some peasant children and grown people besides were + assembling, probably to undergo an examination in the catechism, and we + hastened to depart, lest our presence should interfere with their + arrangements. At the door a monk met us, and asked for a contribution in + aid of his church, or some other religious purpose. Boys, as we drove on, + ran stoutly along by the side of the chaise, begging as often as they + could find breath, but were constrained finally to give up the pursuit. + The great ragged bulks of the tombs along the Appian Way now hove in + sight, one with a farm-house on its summit, and all of them preposterously + huge and massive. At a distance, across the green campagna on our left, + the Claudian aqueduct strode away over miles of space, and doubtless + reached even to that circumference of blue hills which stand afar off, + girdling Rome about. The tomb of Cecilia Metella came in sight a long + while before we reached it, with the warm buff hue of its travertine, and + the gray battlemented wall which the Caetanis erected on the top of its + circular summit six hundred years ago. After passing it, we saw an + interminable line of tombs on both sides of the way, each of which might, + for aught I know, have been as massive as that of Cecilia Metella, and + some perhaps still more monstrously gigantic, though now dilapidated and + much reduced in size. Mrs. Jameson had an engagement to dinner at half + past six, so that we could go but a little farther along this most + interesting road, the borders of which are strewn with broken marbles; + fragments of capitals, and nameless rubbish that once was beautiful. + Methinks the Appian Way should be the only entrance to Rome,—through + an avenue of tombs. + </p> + <p> + The day had been cloudy, chill, and windy, but was now grown calmer and + more genial, and brightened by a very pleasant sunshine, though great dark + clouds were still lumbering up the sky. We drove homeward, looking at the + distant dome of St. Peter's and talking of many things,—painting, + sculpture, America, England, spiritualism, and whatever else came up. She + is a very sensible old lady, and sees a great deal of truth; a good woman, + too, taking elevated views of matters; but I doubt whether she has the + highest and finest perceptions in the world. At any rate, she pronounced a + good judgment on the American sculptors now in Rome, condemning them in + the mass as men with no high aims, no worthy conception of the purposes of + their art, and desecrating marble by the things they wrought in it. + William Story, I presume, is not to be included in this censure, as she + had spoken highly of his sculpturesque faculty in our previous + conversation. On my part, I suggested that the English sculptors were + little or nothing better than our own, to which she acceded generally, but + said that Gibson had produced works equal to the antique,—which I + did not dispute, but still questioned whether the world needed Gibson, or + was any the better for him. We had a great dispute about the propriety of + adopting the costume of the day in modern sculpture, and I contended that + either the art ought to be given up (which possibly would be the best + course), or else should be used for idealizing the man of the day to + himself; and that, as Nature makes us sensible of the fact when men and + women are graceful, beautiful, and noble, through whatever costume they + wear, so it ought to be the test of the sculptor's genius that he should + do the same. Mrs. Jameson decidedly objected to buttons, breeches, and all + other items of modern costume; and, indeed, they do degrade the marble, + and make high sculpture utterly impossible. Then let the art perish as one + that the world has done with, as it has done with many other beautiful + things that belonged to an earlier time. + </p> + <p> + It was long past the hour of Mrs. Jameson's dinner engagement when we + drove up to her door in the Via Ripetta. I bade her farewell with much + good-feeling on my own side, and, I hope, on hers, excusing myself, + however, from keeping the previous engagement to spend the evening with + her, for, in point of fact, we had mutually had enough of one another for + the time being. I am glad to record that she expressed a very favorable + opinion of our friend Mr. Thompson's pictures. + </p> + <p> + May 12th.—To-day we have been to the Villa Albani, to which we had a + ticket of admission through the agency of Mr. Cass (the American + Minister). We set out between ten and eleven o'clock, and walked through + the Via Felice, the Piazza Barberini, and a long, heavy, dusty range of + streets beyond, to the Porta Salara, whence the road extends, white and + sunny, between two high blank walls to the gate of the villa, which is at + no great distance. We were admitted by a girl, and went first to the + casino, along an aisle of overshadowing trees, the branches of which met + above our heads. In the portico of the casino, which extends along its + whole front, there are many busts and statues, and, among them, one of + Julius Caesar, representing him at an earlier period of life than others + which I have seen. His aspect is not particularly impressive; there is a + lack of chin, though not so much as in the older statues and busts. Within + the edifice there is a large hall, not so brilliant, perhaps, with frescos + and gilding as those at the Villa Borghese, but lined with the most + beautiful variety of marbles. But, in fact, each new splendor of this sort + outshines the last, and unless we could pass from one to another all in + the same suite, we cannot remember them well enough to compare the + Borghese with the Albani, the effect being more on the fancy than on the + intellect. I do not recall any of the sculpture, except a colossal + bas-relief of Antinous, crowned with flowers, and holding flowers in his + hand, which was found in the ruins of Hadrian's Villa. This is said to be + the finest relic of antiquity next to the Apollo and the Laocoon; but I + could not feel it to be so, partly, I suppose, because the features of + Autinous do not seem to me beautiful in themselves; and that heavy, + downward look is repeated till I am more weary of it than of anything else + in sculpture. We went up stairs and down stairs, and saw a good many + beautiful things, but none, perhaps, of the very best and beautifullest; + and second-rate statues, with the corroded surface of old marble that has + been dozens of centuries under the ground, depress the spirits of the + beholder. The bas-relief of Antinous has at least the merit of being + almost as white and fresh, and quite as smooth, as if it had never been + buried and dug up again. The real treasures of this villa, to the number + of nearly three hundred, were removed to Paris by Napoleon, and, except + the Antinous, not one of them ever came back. + </p> + <p> + There are some pictures in one or two of the rooms, and among them I + recollect one by Perugino, in which is a St. Michael, very devout and very + beautiful; indeed, the whole picture (which is in compartments, + representing the three principal points of the Saviour's history) + impresses the beholder as being painted devoutly and earnestly by a + religious man. In one of the rooms there is a small bronze Apollo, + supposed by Winckelmann to be an original of Praxiteles; but I could not + make myself in the least sensible of its merit. + </p> + <p> + The rest of the things in the casino I shall pass over, as also those in + the coffee-house,—an edifice which stands a hundred yards or more + from the casino, with an ornamental garden, laid out in walks and + flower-plats between. The coffee-house has a semicircular sweep of porch + with a good many statues and busts beneath it, chiefly of distinguished + Romans. In this building, as in the casino, there are curious mosaics, + large vases of rare marble, and many other things worth long pauses of + admiration; but I think that we were all happier when we had done with the + works of art, and were at leisure to ramble about the grounds. The Villa + Albani itself is an edifice separate from both the coffee-house and + casino, and is not opened to strangers. It rises, palace-like, in the + midst of the garden, and, it is to be hoped, has some possibility of + comfort amidst its splendors.—Comfort, however, would be thrown away + upon it; for besides that the site shares the curse that has fallen upon + every pleasant place in the vicinity of Rome, . . . . it really has no + occupant except the servants who take care of it. The Count of + Castelbarco, its present proprietor, resides at Milan. The grounds are + laid out in the old fashion of straight paths, with borders of box, which + form hedges of great height and density, and as even as a brick wall at + the top and sides. There are also alleys forming long vistas between the + trunks and beneath the boughs of oaks, ilexes, and olives; and there are + shrubberies and tangled wildernesses of palm, cactus, rhododendron, and I + know not what; and a profusion of roses that bloom and wither with nobody + to pluck and few to look at them. They climb about the sculpture of + fountains, rear themselves against pillars and porticos, run brimming over + the walls, and strew the path with their falling leaves. We stole a few, + and feel that we have wronged our consciences in not stealing more. In one + part of the grounds we saw a field actually ablaze with scarlet poppies. + There are great lagunas; fountains presided over by naiads, who squirt + their little jets into basins; sunny lawns; a temple, so artificially + ruined that we half believed it a veritable antique; and at its base a + reservoir of water, in which stone swans seemed positively to float; + groves of cypress; balustrades and broad flights of stone stairs, + descending to lower levels of the garden; beauty, peace, sunshine, and + antique repose on every side; and far in the distance the blue hills that + encircle the campagna of Rome. The day was very fine for our purpose; + cheerful, but not too bright, and tempered by a breeze that seemed even a + little too cool when we sat long in the shade. We enjoyed it till three + o'clock. . . . + </p> + <p> + At the Capitol there is a sarcophagus with a most beautiful bas-relief of + the discovery of Achilles by Ulysses, in which there is even an expression + of mirth on the faces of many of the spectators. And to-day at the Albani + a sarcophagus was ornamented with the nuptials of Peleus and Thetis. + </p> + <p> + Death strides behind every man, to be sure, at more or less distance, and, + sooner or later, enters upon any event of his life; so that, in this point + of view, they might each and all serve for bas-reliefs on a sarcophagus; + but the Romans seem to have treated Death as lightly and playfully as they + could, and tried to cover his dart with flowers, because they hated it so + much. + </p> + <p> + May 15th.—My wife and I went yesterday to the Sistine Chapel, it + being my first visit. It is a room of noble proportions, lofty and long, + though divided in the midst by a screen or partition of white marble, + which rises high enough to break the effect of spacious unity. There are + six arched windows on each side of the chapel, throwing down their light + from the height of the walls, with as much as twenty feet of space (more I + should think) between them and the floor. The entire walls and ceiling of + this stately chapel are covered with paintings in fresco, except the space + about ten feet in height from the floor, and that portion was intended to + be adorned by tapestries from pictures by Raphael, but, the design being + prevented by his premature death, the projected tapestries have no better + substitute than paper-hangings. The roof, which is flat at top, and coved + or vaulted at the sides, is painted in compartments by Michael Angelo, + with frescos representing the whole progress of the world and of mankind + from its first formation by the Almighty . . . . till after the flood. On + one of the sides of the chapel are pictures by Perugino, and other old + masters, of subsequent events in sacred history; and the entire wall + behind the altar, a vast expanse from the ceiling to the floor, is taken + up with Michael Angelo's summing up of the world's history and destinies + in his "Last Judgment." + </p> + <p> + There can be no doubt that while these frescos continued in their + perfection, there was nothing else to be compared with the magnificent and + solemn beauty of this chapel. Enough of ruined splendor still remains to + convince the spectator of all that has departed; but methinks I have seen + hardly anything else so forlorn and depressing as it is now, all dusky and + dim, even the very lights having passed into shadows, and the shadows into + utter blackness; so that it needs a sunshiny day, under the bright Italian + heavens, to make the designs perceptible at all. As we sat in the chapel + there were clouds flitting across the sky; when the clouds came the + pictures vanished; when the sunshine broke forth the figures sadly + glimmered into something like visibility,—the Almighty moving in + chaos,—the noble shape of Adam, the beautiful Eve; and, beneath + where the roof curves, the mighty figures of sibyls and prophets, looking + as if they were necessarily so gigantic because the thought within them + was so massive. In the "Last Judgment" the scene of the greater part of + the picture lies in the upper sky, the blue of which glows through betwixt + the groups of naked figures; and above sits Jesus, not looking in the + least like the Saviour of the world, but, with uplifted arm, denouncing + eternal misery on those whom he came to save. I fear I am myself among the + wicked, for I found myself inevitably taking their part, and asking for at + least a little pity, some few regrets, and not such a stern denunciatory + spirit on the part of Him who had thought us worth dying for. Around him + stand grim saints, and, far beneath, people are getting up sleepily out of + their graves, not well knowing what is about to happen; many of them, + however, finding themselves clutched by demons before they are half awake. + It would be a very terrible picture to one who should really see Jesus, + the Saviour, in that inexorable judge; but it seems to me very undesirable + that he should ever be represented in that aspect, when it is so essential + to our religion to believe him infinitely kinder and better towards us + than we deserve. At the last day—I presume, that is, in all future + days, when we see ourselves as we are—man's only inexorable judge + will be himself, and the punishment of his sins will be the perception of + them. + </p> + <p> + In the lower corner of this great picture, at the right hand of the + spectator, is a hideous figure of a damned person, girdled about with a + serpent, the folds of which are carefully knotted between his thighs, so + as, at all events, to give no offence to decency. This figure represents a + man who suggested to Pope Paul III. that the nudities of the "Last + Judgment" ought to be draped, for which offence Michael Angelo at once + consigned him to hell. It shows what a debtor's prison and dungeon of + private torment men would make of hell if they had the control of it. As + to the nudities, if they were ever more nude than now, I should suppose, + in their fresh brilliancy, they might well have startled a not very + squeamish eye. The effect, such as it is, of this picture, is much injured + by the high altar and its canopy, which stands close against the wall, and + intercepts a considerable portion of the sprawl of nakedness with which + Michael Angelo has filled his sky. However, I am not unwilling to believe, + with faith beyond what I can actually see, that the greatest pictorial + miracles ever yet achieved have been wrought upon the walls and ceiling of + the Sistine Chapel. + </p> + <p> + In the afternoon I went with Mr. Thompson to see what bargain could be + made with vetturinos for taking myself and family to Florence. We talked + with three or four, and found them asking prices of various enormity, from + a hundred and fifty scudi down to little more than ninety; but Mr. + Thompson says that they always begin in this way, and will probably come + down to somewhere about seventy-five. Mr. Thompson took me into the Via + Portoghese, and showed me an old palace, above which rose—not a very + customary feature of the architecture of Rome—a tall, battlemented + tower. At one angle of the tower we saw a shrine of the Virgin, with a + lamp, and all the appendages of those numerous shrines which we see at the + street-corners, and in hundreds of places about the city. Three or four + centuries ago, this palace was inhabited by a nobleman who had an only son + and a large pet monkey, and one day the monkey caught the infant up and + clambered to this lofty turret, and sat there with him in his arms + grinning and chattering like the Devil himself. The father was in despair, + but was afraid to pursue the monkey lest he should fling down the child + from the height of the tower and make his escape. At last he vowed that if + the boy were safely restored to him he would build a shrine at the summit + of the tower, and cause it to be kept as a sacred place forever. By and by + the monkey came down and deposited the child on the ground; the father + fulfilled his vow, built the shrine, and made it obligatory, on all future + possessors of the palace to keep the lamp burning before it. Centuries + have passed, the property has changed hands; but still there is the shrine + on the giddy top of the tower, far aloft over the street, on the very spot + where the monkey sat, and there burns the lamp, in memory of the father's + vow. This being the tenure by which the estate is held, the extinguishment + of that flame might yet turn the present owner out of the palace. + </p> + <p> + May 21st.—Mamma and I went, yesterday forenoon, to the Spada Palace, + which we found among the intricacies of Central Rome; a dark and massive + old edifice, built around a court, the fronts giving on which are adorned + with statues in niches, and sculptured ornaments. A woman led us up a + staircase, and ushered us into a great gloomy hall, square and lofty, and + wearing a very gray and ancient aspect, its walls being painted in + chiaroscuro, apparently a great many years ago. The hall was lighted by + small windows, high upward from the floors, and admitting only a dusky + light. The only furniture or ornament, so far as I recollect, was the + colossal statue of Pompey, which stands on its pedestal at one side, + certainly the sternest and severest of figures, and producing the most + awful impression on the spectator. Much of the effect, no doubt, is due to + the sombre obscurity of the hall, and to the loneliness in which the great + naked statue stands. It is entirely nude, except for a cloak that hangs + down from the left shoulder; in the left hand, it holds a globe; the right + arm is extended. The whole expression is such as the statue might have + assumed, if, during the tumult of Caesar's murder, it had stretched forth + its marble hand, and motioned the conspirators to give over the attack, or + to be quiet, now that their victim had fallen at its feet. On the left + leg, about midway above the ankle, there is a dull, red stain, said to be + Caesar's blood; but, of course, it is just such a red stain in the marble + as may be seen on the statue of Antinous at the Capitol. I could not see + any resemblance in the face of the statue to that of the bust of Pompey, + shown as such at the Capitol, in which there is not the slightest moral + dignity, or sign of intellectual eminence. I am glad to have seen this + statue, and glad to remember it in that gray, dim, lofty hall; glad that + there were no bright frescos on the walls, and that the ceiling was + wrought with massive beams, and the floor paved with ancient brick. + </p> + <p> + From this anteroom we passed through several saloons containing pictures, + some of which were by eminent artists; the Judith of Guido, a copy of + which used to weary me to death, year after year, in the Boston Athenaeum; + and many portraits of Cardinals in the Spada family, and other pictures, + by Guido. There were some portraits, also of the family, by Titian; some + good pictures by Guercino; and many which I should have been glad to + examine more at leisure; but, by and by, the custode made his appearance, + and began to close the shutters, under pretence that the sunshine would + injure the paintings,—an effect, I presume, not very likely to + follow after two or three centuries' exposure to light, air, and whatever + else might hurt them. However, the pictures seemed to be in much better + condition, and more enjoyable, so far as they had merit, than those in + most Roman picture-galleries; although the Spada Palace itself has a + decayed and impoverished aspect, as if the family had dwindled from its + former state and grandeur, and now, perhaps, smuggled itself into some + out-of-the-way corner of the old edifice. If such be the case, there is + something touching in their still keeping possession of Pompey's statue, + which makes their house famous, and the sale of which might give them the + means of building it up anew; for surely it is worth the whole + sculpture-gallery of the Vatican. + </p> + <p> + In the afternoon Mr. Thompson and I went, for the third or fourth time, to + negotiate with vetturinos. . . . So far as I know them they are a very + tricky set of people, bent on getting as much as they can, by hook or by + crook, out of the unfortunate individual who falls into their hands. They + begin, as I have said, by asking about twice as much as they ought to + receive; and anything between this exorbitant amount and the just price is + what they thank heaven for, as so much clear gain. Nevertheless, I am not + quite sure that the Italians are worse than other people even in this + matter. In other countries it is the custom of persons in trade to take as + much as they can get from the public, fleecing one man to exactly the same + extent as another; here they take what they can obtain from the individual + customer. In fact, Roman tradesmen do not pretend to deny that they ask + and receive different prices from different people, taxing them according + to their supposed means of payment; the article supplied being the same in + one case as in another. A shopkeeper looked into his books to see if we + were of the class who paid two pauls, or only a paul and a half for + candles; a charcoal-dealer said that seventy baiocchi was a very + reasonable sum for us to pay for charcoal, and that some persons paid + eighty; and Mr. Thompson, recognizing the rule, told the old vetturino + that "a hundred and fifty scudi was a very proper charge for carrying a + prince to Florence, but not for carrying me, who was merely a very good + artist." The result is well enough; the rich man lives expensively, and + pays a larger share of the profits which people of a different system of + trade-morality would take equally from the poor man. The effect on the + conscience of the vetturino, however, and of tradesmen of all kinds, + cannot be good; their only intent being, not to do justice between man and + man, but to go as deep as they can into all pockets, and to the very + bottom of some. + </p> + <p> + We had nearly concluded a bargain, a day or two ago, with a vetturino to + take or send us to Florence, via Perugia, in eight days, for a hundred + scudi; but he now drew back, under pretence of having misunderstood the + terms, though, in reality, no doubt, he was in hopes of getting a better + bargain from somebody else. We made an agreement with another man, whom + Mr. Thompson knows and highly recommends, and immediately made it sure and + legally binding by exchanging a formal written contract, in which + everything is set down, even to milk, butter, bread, eggs, and coffee, + which we are to have for breakfast; the vetturino being to pay every + expense for himself, his horses, and his passengers, and include it within + ninety-five scudi, and five crowns in addition for buon-mano. . . . . + </p> + <p> + May 22d.—Yesterday, while we were at dinner, Mr. ——— + called. I never saw him but once before, and that was at the door of our + little red cottage in Lenox; he sitting in a wagon with one or two of the + Sedgewicks, merely exchanging a greeting with me from under the brim of + his straw hat, and driving on. He presented himself now with a long white + beard, such as a palmer might have worn as the growth of his long + pilgrimages, a brow almost entirely bald, and what hair he has quite + hoary; a forehead impending, yet not massive; dark, bushy eyebrows and + keen eyes, without much softness in them; a dark and sallow complexion; a + slender figure, bent a little with age; but at once alert and infirm. It + surprised me to see him so venerable; for, as poets are Apollo's kinsmen, + we are inclined to attribute to them his enviable quality of never growing + old. There was a weary look in his face, as if he were tired of seeing + things and doing things, though with certainly enough still to see and do, + if need were. My family gathered about him, and he conversed with great + readiness and simplicity about his travels, and whatever other subject + came up; telling us that he had been abroad five times, and was now + getting a little home-sick, and had no more eagerness for sights, though + his "gals" (as he called his daughter and another young lady) dragged him + out to see the wonders of Rome again. His manners and whole aspect are + very particularly plain, though not affectedly so; but it seems as if in + the decline of life, and the security of his position, he had put off + whatever artificial polish he may have heretofore had, and resumed the + simpler habits and deportment of his early New England breeding. Not but + what you discover, nevertheless, that he is a man of refinement, who has + seen the world, and is well aware of his own place in it. He spoke with + great pleasure of his recent visit to Spain. I introduced the subject of + Kansas, and methought his face forthwith assumed something of the bitter + keenness of the editor of a political newspaper, while speaking of the + triumph of the administration over the Free-Soil opposition. I inquired + whether he had seen S———, and he gave a very sad account + of him as he appeared at their last meeting, which was in Paris. S———, + he thought, had suffered terribly, and would never again be the man he + was; he was getting fat; he talked continually of himself, and of trifles + concerning himself, and seemed to have no interest for other matters; and + Mr. ——— feared that the shock upon his nerves had + extended to his intellect, and was irremediable. He said that S——— + ought to retire from public life, but had no friend true enough to tell + him so. This is about as sad as anything can be. I hate to have S——— + undergo the fate of a martyr, because he was not naturally of the stuff + that martyrs are made of, and it is altogether by mistake that he has + thrust himself into the position of one. He was merely, though with + excellent abilities, one of the best of fellows, and ought to have lived + and died in good fellowship with all the world. + </p> + <p> + S——— was not in the least degree excited about this or + any other subject. He uttered neither passion nor poetry, but excellent + good sense, and accurate information on whatever subject transpired; a + very pleasant man to associate with, but rather cold, I should imagine, if + one should seek to touch his heart with one's own. He shook hands kindly + all round, but not with any warmth of gripe; although the ease of his + deportment had put us all on sociable terms with him. + </p> + <p> + At seven o'clock we went by invitation to take tea with Miss Bremer. After + much search, and lumbering painfully up two or three staircases in vain, + and at last going about in a strange circuity, we found her in a small + chamber of a large old building, situated a little way from the brow of + the Tarpeian Rock. It was the tiniest and humblest domicile that I have + seen in Rome, just large enough to hold her narrow bed, her tea-table, and + a table covered with books,—photographs of Roman ruins, and some + pages written by herself. I wonder whether she be poor. Probably so; for + she told us that her expense of living here is only five pauls a day. She + welcomed us, however, with the greatest cordiality and lady-like + simplicity, making no allusion to the humbleness of her environment (and + making us also lose sight of it, by the absence of all apology) any more + than if she were receiving us in a palace. There is not a better bred + woman; and yet one does not think whether she has any breeding or no. Her + little bit of a round table was already spread for us with her blue + earthenware teacups; and after she had got through an interview with the + Swedish Minister, and dismissed him with a hearty pressure of his hand + between both her own, she gave us our tea, and some bread, and a mouthful + of cake. Meanwhile, as the day declined, there had been the most beautiful + view over the campagna, out of one of her windows; and, from the other, + looking towards St. Peter's, the broad gleam of a mildly glorious sunset; + not so pompous and magnificent as many that I have seen in America, but + softer and sweeter in all its changes. As its lovely hues died slowly + away, the half-moon shone out brighter and brighter; for there was not a + cloud in the sky, and it seemed like the moonlight of my younger days. In + the garden, beneath her window, verging upon the Tarpeian Rock, there was + shrubbery and one large tree, softening the brow of the famous precipice, + adown which the old Romans used to fling their traitors, or sometimes, + indeed, their patriots. + </p> + <p> + Miss Bremer talked plentifully in her strange manner,—good English + enough for a foreigner, but so oddly intonated and accented, that it is + impossible to be sure of more than one word in ten. Being so little + comprehensible, it is very singular how she contrives to make her auditors + so perfectly certain, as they are, that she is talking the best sense, and + in the kindliest spirit. There is no better heart than hers, and not many + sounder heads; and a little touch of sentiment comes delightfully in, + mixed up with a quick and delicate humor and the most perfect simplicity. + There is also a very pleasant atmosphere of maidenhood about her; we are + sensible of a freshness and odor of the morning still in this little + withered rose,—its recompense for never having been gathered and + worn, but only diffusing fragrance on its stem. I forget mainly what we + talked about,—a good deal about art, of course, although that is a + subject of which Miss Bremer evidently knows nothing. Once we spoke of + fleas,—insects that, in Rome, come home to everybody's business and + bosom, and are so common and inevitable, that no delicacy is felt about + alluding to the sufferings they inflict. Poor little Miss Bremer was + tormented with one while turning out our tea. . . . She talked, among + other things, of the winters in Sweden, and said that she liked them, long + and severe as they are; and this made me feel ashamed of dreading the + winters of New England, as I did before coming from home, and do now still + more, after five or six mild English Decembers. + </p> + <p> + By and by, two young ladies came in,—Miss Bremen's neighbors, it + seemed,—fresh from a long walk on the campagna, fresh and weary at + the same time. One apparently was German, and the other French, and they + brought her an offering of flowers, and chattered to her with affectionate + vivacity; and, as we were about taking leave, Miss Bremer asked them to + accompany her and us on a visit to the edge of the Tarpeian Rock. Before + we left the room, she took a bunch of roses that were in a vase, and gave + them to Miss Shepard, who told her that she should make her six sisters + happy by giving one to each. Then we went down the intricate stairs, and, + emerging into the garden, walked round the brow of the hill, which plunges + headlong with exceeding abruptness; but, so far as I could see in the + moonlight, is no longer quite a precipice. Then we re-entered the house, + and went up stairs and down again, through intricate passages, till we got + into the street, which was still peopled with the ragamuffins who infest + and burrow in that part of Rome. We returned through an archway, and + descended the broad flight of steps into the piazza of the Capitol; and + from the extremity of it, just at the head of the long graded way, where + Castor and Pollux and the old milestones stand, we turned to the left, and + followed a somewhat winding path, till we came into the court of a palace. + This court is bordered by a parapet, leaning over which we saw the sheer + precipice of the Tarpeian Rock, about the height of a four-story house. . + . . + </p> + <p> + On the edge of this, before we left the court, Miss Bremer bade us + farewell, kissing my wife most affectionately on each cheek, . . . . and + then turning towards myself, . . . . she pressed my hand, and we parted, + probably never to meet again. God bless her good heart! . . . . She is a + most amiable little woman, worthy to be the maiden aunt of the whole human + race. I suspect, by the by, that she does not like me half so well as I do + her; it is my impression that she thinks me unamiable, or that there is + something or other not quite right about me. I am sorry if it be so, + because such a good, kindly, clear-sighted, and delicate person is very + apt to have reason at the bottom of her harsh thoughts, when, in rare + cases, she allows them to harbor with her. + </p> + <p> + To-day, and for some days past, we have been in quest of lodgings for next + winter; a weary search, up interminable staircases, which seduce us upward + to no successful result. It is very disheartening not to be able to place + the slightest reliance on the integrity of the people we are to deal with; + not to believe in any connection between their words and their purposes; + to know that they are certainly telling you falsehoods, while you are not + in a position to catch hold of the lie, and hold it up in their faces. + </p> + <p> + This afternoon we called on Mr. and Mrs. ——— at the + Hotel de l'Europe, but found only the former at home. We had a pleasant + visit, but I made no observations of his character save such as I have + already sufficiently recorded; and when we had been with him a little + while, Mrs. Chapman, the artist's wife, Mr. Terry, and my friend, Mr. + Thompson, came in. ——— received them all with the same + good degree of cordiality that he did ourselves, not cold, not very warm, + not annoyed, not ecstatically delighted; a man, I should suppose, not + likely to have ardent individual preferences, though perhaps capable of + stern individual dislikes. But I take him, at all events, to be a very + upright man, and pursuing a narrow track of integrity; he is a man whom I + would never forgive (as I would a thousand other men) for the slightest + moral delinquency. I would not be bound to say, however, that he has not + the little sin of a fretful and peevish habit; and yet perhaps I am a + sinner myself for thinking so. + </p> + <p> + May 23d.—This morning I breakfasted at William Story's, and met + there Mr. Bryant, Mr. T——— (an English gentleman), Mr. + and Mrs. Apthorp, Miss Hosmer, and one or two other ladies. Bryant was + very quiet, and made no conversation audible to the general table. Mr. T——— + talked of English politics and public men; the "Times" and other + newspapers, English clubs and social habits generally; topics in which I + could well enough bear my part of the discussion. After breakfast, and + aside from the ladies, he mentioned an illustration of Lord Ellenborough's + lack of administrative ability,—a proposal seriously made by his + lordship in reference to the refractory Sepoys. . . . + </p> + <p> + We had a very pleasant breakfast, and certainly a breakfast is much + preferable to a dinner, not merely in the enjoyment, while it is passing, + but afterwards. I made a good suggestion to Miss Hosmer for the design of + a fountain,—a lady bursting into tears, water gushing from a + thousand pores, in literal translation of the phrase; and to call the + statue "Niobe, all Tears." I doubt whether she adopts the idea; but + Bernini would have been delighted with it. I should think the gush of + water might be so arranged as to form a beautiful drapery about the + figure, swaying and fluttering with every breath of wind, and rearranging + itself in the calm; in which case, the lady might be said to have "a habit + of weeping." . . . . Apart, with William Story, he and I talked of the + unluckiness of Friday, etc. I like him particularly well. . . . + </p> + <p> + We have been plagued to-day with our preparations for leaving Rome + to-morrow, and especially with verifying the inventory of furniture, + before giving up the house to our landlord. He and his daughter have been + examining every separate article, down even to the kitchen skewers, I + believe, and charging us to the amount of several scudi for cracks and + breakages, which very probably existed when we came into possession. It is + very uncomfortable to have dealings with such a mean people (though our + landlord is German),—mean in their business transactions; mean even + in their beggary; for the beggars seldom ask for more than a mezzo + baioccho, though they sometimes grumble when you suit your gratuity + exactly to their petition. It is pleasant to record that the Italians have + great faith in the honor of the English and Americans, and never hesitate + to trust entire strangers, to any reasonable extent, on the strength of + their being of the honest Anglo-Saxon race. + </p> + <p> + This evening, U—— and I took a farewell walk in the Pincian + Gardens to see the sunset; and found them crowded with people, promenading + and listening to the music of the French baud. It was the feast of + Whitsunday, which probably brought a greater throng than usual abroad. + </p> + <p> + When the sun went down, we descended into the Piazza del Popolo, and + thence into the Via Ripetta, and emerged through a gate to the shore of + the Tiber, along which there is a pleasant walk beneath a grove of trees. + We traversed it once and back again, looking at the rapid river, which + still kept its mud-puddly aspect even in the clear twilight, and beneath + the brightening moon. The great bell of St. Peter's tolled with a deep + boom, a grand and solemn sound; the moon gleamed through the branches of + the trees above us; and U—— spoke with somewhat alarming + fervor of her love for Rome, and regret at leaving it. We shall have done + the child no good office in bringing her here, if the rest of her life is + to be a dream of this "city of the soul," and an unsatisfied yearning to + come back to it. On the other hand, nothing elevating and refining can be + really injurious, and so I hope she will always be the better for Rome, + even if her life should be spent where there are no pictures, no statues, + nothing but the dryness and meagreness of a New England village. + </p> + <h3> + JOURNEY TO FLORENCE. + </h3> + <p> + Civita Castellana, May 24th.—We left Rome this morning, after + troubles of various kinds, and a dispute in the first place with Lalla, + our female servant, and her mother. . . . Mother and daughter exploded + into a livid rage, and cursed us plentifully,—wishing that we might + never come to our journey's end, and that we might all break our necks or + die of apoplexy,—the most awful curse that an Italian knows how to + invoke upon his enemies, because it precludes the possibility of extreme + unction. However, as we are heretics, and certain of damnation therefore, + anyhow, it does not much matter to us; and also the anathemas may have + been blown back upon those who invoked them, like the curses that were + flung out from the balcony of St Peter's during Holy Week and wafted by + heaven's breezes right into the faces of some priests who stood near the + pope. Next we had a disagreement, with two men who brought down our + luggage, and put it on the vettura; . . . . and, lastly, we were infested + with beggars, who hung round the carriages with doleful petitions, till we + began to move away; but the previous warfare had put me into too stern a + mood for almsgiving, so that they also were doubtless inclined to curse + more than to bless, and I am persuaded that we drove off under a perfect + shower of anathemas. + </p> + <p> + We passed through the Porta del Popolo at about eight o'clock; and after a + moment's delay, while the passport was examined, began our journey along + the Flaminian Way, between two such high and inhospitable walls of brick + or stone as seem to shut in all the avenues to Rome. We had not gone far + before we heard military music in advance of us, and saw the road blocked + up with people, and then the glitter of muskets, and soon appeared the + drummers, fifers, and trumpeters, and then the first battalion of a French + regiment, marching into the city, with two mounted officers at their head; + then appeared a second and then a third battalion, the whole seeming to + make almost an army, though the number on their caps showed them all to + belong to one regiment,—the 1st; then came a battery of artillery, + then a detachment of horse,—these last, by the crossed keys on their + helmets, being apparently papal troops. All were young, fresh, + good-looking men, in excellent trim as to uniform and equipments, and + marched rather as if they were setting out on a campaign than returning + from it; the fact being, I believe, that they have been encamped or in + barracks within a few miles of the city. Nevertheless, it reminded me of + the military processions of various kinds which so often, two thousand + years ago and more, entered Rome over the Flaminian Way, and over all the + roads that led to the famous city,—triumphs oftenest, but sometimes + the downcast train of a defeated army, like those who retreated before + Hannibal. On the whole, I was not sorry to see the Gauls still pouring + into Rome; but yet I begin to find that I have a strange affection for it, + and so did we all,—the rest of the family in a greater degree than + myself even. It is very singular, the sad embrace with which Rome takes + possession of the soul. Though we intend to return in a few months, and + for a longer residence than this has been, yet we felt the city pulling at + our heartstrings far more than London did, where we shall probably never + spend much time again. It may be because the intellect finds a home there + more than in any other spot in the world, and wins the heart to stay with + it, in spite of a good many things strewn all about to disgust us. + </p> + <p> + The road in the earlier part of the way was not particularly picturesque,—the + country undulated, but scarcely rose into hills, and was destitute of + trees; there were a few shapeless ruins, too indistinct for us to make out + whether they were Roman or mediaeval. Nothing struck one so much, in the + forenoon, as the spectacle of a peasant-woman riding on horseback as if + she were a man. The houses were few, and those of a dreary aspect, built + of gray stone, and looking bare and desolate, with not the slightest + promise of comfort within doors. We passed two or three locandas or inns, + and finally came to the village (if village it were, for I remember no + houses except our osteria) of Castel Nuovo di Porta, where we were to take + a dejeuner a la fourchette, which was put upon the table between twelve + and one. On this journey, according to the custom of travellers in Italy, + we pay the vetturino a certain sum, and live at his expense; and this meal + was the first specimen of his catering on our behalf. It consisted of a + beefsteak, rather dry and hard, but not unpalatable, and a large omelette; + and for beverage, two quart bottles of red wine, which, being tasted, had + an agreeable acid flavor. . . . The locanda was built of stone, and had + what looked like an old Roman altar in the basement-hall, and a shrine, + with a lamp before it, on the staircase; and the large public saloon in + which we ate had a brick floor, a ceiling with cross-beams, meagrely + painted in fresco, and a scanty supply of chairs and settees. + </p> + <p> + After lunch, we wandered out into a valley or ravine near the house, where + we gathered some flowers, and J——- found a nest with the young + birds in it, which, however, he put back into the bush whence he took it. + </p> + <p> + Our afternoon drive was more picturesque and noteworthy. Soracte rose + before us, bulging up quite abruptly out of the plain, and keeping itself + entirely distinct from a whole horizon of hills. Byron well compares it to + a wave just on the bend, and about to break over towards the spectator. As + we approached it nearer and nearer, it looked like the barrenest great + rock that ever protruded out of the substance of the earth, with scarcely + a strip or a spot of verdure upon its steep and gray declivities. The road + kept trending towards the mountain, following the line of the old + Flaminian Way, which we could see, at frequent intervals, close beside the + modern track. It is paved with large flag-stones, laid so accurately + together, that it is still, in some places, as smooth and even as the + floor of a church; and everywhere the tufts of grass find it difficult to + root themselves into the interstices. Its course is straighter than that + of the road of to-day, which often turns aside to avoid obstacles which + the ancient one surmounted. Much of it, probably, is covered with the soil + and overgrowth deposited in later years; and, now and then, we could see + its flag-stones partly protruding from the bank through which our road has + been cut, and thus showing that the thickness of this massive pavement was + more than a foot of solid stone. We lost it over and over again; but still + it reappeared, now on one side of us, now on the other; perhaps from + beneath the roots of old trees, or the pasture-land of a thousand years + old, and leading on towards the base of Soracte. I forget where we finally + lost it. Passing through a town called Rignano, we found it dressed out in + festivity, with festoons of foliage along both sides of the street, which + ran beneath a triumphal arch, bearing an inscription in honor of a ducal + personage of the Massimi family. I know no occasion for the feast, except + that it is Whitsuntide. The town was thronged with peasants, in their best + attire, and we met others on their way thither, particularly women and + girls, with heads bare in the sunshine; but there was no tiptoe jollity, + nor, indeed, any more show of festivity than I have seen in my own country + at a cattle-show or muster. Really, I think, not half so much. + </p> + <p> + The road still grew more and more picturesque, and now lay along ridges, + at the bases of which were deep ravines and hollow valleys. Woods were not + wanting; wilder forests than I have seen since leaving America, of + oak-trees chiefly; and, among the green foliage, grew golden tufts of + broom, making a gay and lovely combination of hues. I must not forget to + mention the poppies, which burned like live coals along the wayside, and + lit up the landscape, even a single one of them, with wonderful effect. At + other points, we saw olive-trees, hiding their eccentricity of boughs + under thick masses of foliage of a livid tint, which is caused, I believe, + by their turning their reverse sides to the light and to the spectator. + Vines were abundant, but were of little account in the scene. By and by we + came in sight, of the high, flat table-land, on which stands Civita + Castellana, and beheld, straight downward, between us and the town, a deep + level valley with a river winding through it; it was the valley of the + Treja. A precipice, hundreds of feet in height, falls perpendicularly upon + the valley, from the site of Civita Castellana; there is an equally abrupt + one, probably, on the side from which we saw it; and a modern road, + skilfully constructed, goes winding down to the stream, crosses it by a + narrow stone bridge, and winds upward into the town. After passing over + the bridge, I alighted, with J——- and R——-, . . . + . and made the ascent on foot, along walls of natural rock, in which old + Etruscan tombs were hollowed out. There are likewise antique remains of + masonry, whether Roman or of what earlier period, I cannot tell. At the + summit of the acclivity, which brought us close to the town, our vetturino + took us into the carriage again and quickly brought us to what appears to + be really a good hotel, where all of us are accommodated with + sleeping-chambers in a range, beneath an arcade, entirely secluded from + the rest of the population of the hotel. After a splendid dinner (that is, + splendid, considering that it was ordered by our hospitable vetturino), U——, + Miss Shepard, J——-, and I walked out of the little town, in + the opposite direction from our entrance, and crossed a bridge at the + height of the table-land, instead of at its base. On either side, we had a + view down into a profound gulf, with sides of precipitous rock, and heaps + of foliage in its lap, through which ran the snowy track of a stream; here + snowy, there dark; here hidden among the foliage, there quite revealed in + the broad depths of the gulf. This was wonderfully fine. Walking on a + little farther, Soracte came fully into view, starting with bold + abruptness out of the middle of the country; and before we got back, the + bright Italian moon was throwing a shower of silver over the scene, and + making it so beautiful that it seemed miserable not to know how to put it + into words; a foolish thought, however, for such scenes are an expression + in themselves, and need not be translated into any feebler language. On + our walk we met parties of laborers, both men and women, returning from + the fields, with rakes and wooden forks over their shoulders, singing in + chorus. It is very customary for women to be laboring in the fields. + </p> + <h3> + TO TERNI.—BORGHETTO. + </h3> + <p> + May 25th.—We were aroused at four o'clock this morning; had some + eggs and coffee, and were ready to start between five and six; being thus + matutinary, in order to get to Terni in time to see the falls. The road + was very striking and picturesque; but I remember nothing particularly, + till we came to Borghetto, which stands on a bluff, with a broad valley + sweeping round it, through the midst of which flows the Tiber. There is an + old castle on a projecting point; and we saw other battlemented + fortresses, of mediaeval date, along our way, forming more beautiful ruins + than any of the Roman remains to which we have become accustomed. This is + partly, I suppose, owing to the fact that they have been neglected, and + allowed to mantle their decay with ivy, instead of being cleaned, propped + up, and restored. The antiquarian is apt to spoil the objects that + interest him. + </p> + <p> + Sometimes we passed through wildernesses of various trees, each + contributing a different hue of verdure to the scene; the vine, also, + marrying itself to the fig-tree, so that a man might sit in the shadow of + both at once, and temper the luscious sweetness of the one fruit with the + fresh flavor of the other. The wayside incidents were such as meeting a + man and woman borne along as prisoners, handcuffed and in a cart; two men + reclining across one another, asleep, and lazily lifting their heads to + gaze at us as we passed by; a woman spinning with a distaff as she walked + along the road. An old tomb or tower stood in a lonely field, and several + caves were hollowed in the rocks, which might have been either sepulchres + or habitations. Soracte kept us company, sometimes a little on one side, + sometimes behind, looming up again and again, when we thought that we had + done with it, and so becoming rather tedious at last, like a person who + presents himself for another and another leave-taking after the one which + ought to have been final. Honeysuckles sweetened the hedges along the + road. + </p> + <p> + After leaving Borghetto, we crossed the broad valley of the Tiber, and + skirted along one of the ridges that border it, looking back upon the road + that we had passed, lying white behind us. We saw a field covered with + buttercups, or some other yellow flower, and poppies burned along the + roadside, as they did yesterday, and there were flowers of a delicious + blue, as if the blue Italian sky had been broken into little bits, and + scattered down upon the green earth. Otricoli by and by appeared, situated + on a bold promontory above the valley, a village of a few gray houses and + huts, with one edifice gaudily painted in white and pink. It looked more + important at a distance than we found it on our nearer approach. As the + road kept ascending, and as the hills grew to be mountains, we had taken + two additional horses, making six in all, with a man and boy running + beside them, to keep them in motion. The boy had two club feet, so + inconveniently disposed that it seemed almost inevitable for him to + stumble over them at every step; besides which, he seemed to tread upon + his ankles, and moved with a disjointed gait, as if each of his legs and + thighs had been twisted round together with his feet. Nevertheless, he had + a bright, cheerful, intelligent face, and was exceedingly active, keeping + up with the horses at their trot, and inciting them to better speed when + they lagged. I conceived a great respect for this poor boy, who had what + most Italian peasants would consider an enviable birthright in those two + club feet, as giving him a sufficient excuse to live on charity, but yet + took no advantage of them; on the contrary, putting his poor misshapen + hoofs to such good use as might have shamed many a better provided biped. + When he quitted us, he asked no alms of the travellers, but merely applied + to Gaetano for some slight recompense for his well-performed service. This + behavior contrasted most favorably with that of some other boys and girls, + who ran begging beside the carriage door, keeping up a low, miserable + murmur, like that of a kennel-stream, for a long, long way. Beggars, + indeed, started up at every point, when we stopped for a moment, and + whenever a hill imposed a slower pace upon us; each village had its + deformity or its infirmity, offering his wretched petition at the step of + the carriage; and even a venerable, white-haired patriarch, the + grandfather of all the beggars, seemed to grow up by the roadside, but was + left behind from inability to join in the race with his light-footed + juniors. No shame is attached to begging in Italy. In fact, I rather + imagine it to be held an honorable profession, inheriting some of the odor + of sanctity that used to be attached to a mendicant and idle life in the + days of early Christianity, when every saint lived upon Providence, and + deemed it meritorious to do nothing for his support. + </p> + <p> + Murray's guide-book is exceedingly vague and unsatisfactory along this + route; and whenever we asked Gaetano the name of a village or a castle, he + gave some one which we had never heard before, and could find nothing of + in the book. We made out the river Nar, however, or what I supposed to be + such, though he called it Nera. It flows through a most stupendous + mountain-gorge; winding its narrow passage between high hills, the broad + sides of which descend steeply upon it, covered with trees and shrubbery, + that mantle a host of rocky roughnesses, and make all look smooth. Here + and there a precipice juts sternly forth. We saw an old castle on a + hillside, frowning down into the gorge; and farther on, the gray tower of + Narni stands upon a height, imminent over the depths below, and with its + battlemented castle above now converted into a prison, and therefore kept + in excellent repair. A long winding street passes through Narni, + broadening at one point into a market-place, where an old cathedral showed + its venerable front, and the great dial of its clock, the figures on which + were numbered in two semicircles of twelve points each; one, I suppose, + for noon, and the other for midnight. The town has, so far as its + principal street is concerned, a city-like aspect, with large, fair + edifices, and shops as good as most of those at Rome, the smartness of + which contrasts strikingly with the rude and lonely scenery of mountain + and stream, through which we had come to reach it. We drove through Narni + without stopping, and came out from it on the other side, where a broad, + level valley opened before us, most unlike the wild, precipitous gorge + which had brought us to the town. The road went winding down into the + peaceful vale, through the midst of which flowed the same stream that cuts + its way between the impending hills, as already described. We passed a + monk and a soldier,—the two curses of Italy, each in his way,— + walking sociably side by side; and from Narni to Terni I remember nothing + that need be recorded. + </p> + <p> + Terni, like so many other towns in the neighborhood, stands in a high and + commanding position, chosen doubtless for its facilities of defence, in + days long before the mediaeval warfares of Italy made such sites + desirable. I suppose that, like Narni and Otricoli, it was a city of the + Umbrians. We reached it between eleven and twelve o'clock, intending to + employ the afternoon on a visit to the famous falls of Terni; but, after + lowering all day, it has begun to rain, and we shall probably have to give + them up. + </p> + <p> + Half past eight o'clock.—It has rained in torrents during the + afternoon, and we have not seen the cascade of Terni; considerably to my + regret, for I think I felt the more interest in seeing it, on account of + its being artificial. Methinks nothing was more characteristic of the + energy and determination of the old Romans, than thus to take a river, + which they wished to be rid of, and fling it over a giddy precipice, + breaking it into ten million pieces by the fall. . . . We are in the Hotel + delle tre Colonne, and find it reasonably good, though not, so far as we + are concerned, justifying the rapturous commendations of previous + tourists, who probably travelled at their own charges. However, there is + nothing really to be complained of, either in our accommodations or table, + and the only wonder is how Gaetano contrives to get any profit out of our + contract, since the hotel bills would alone cost us more than we pay him + for the journey and all. It is worth while to record as history of + vetturino commissary customs, that for breakfast this morning we had + coffee, eggs, and bread and butter; for lunch an omelette, some stewed + veal, and a dessert of figs and grapes, besides two decanters of a + light-colored acid wine, tasting very like indifferent cider; for dinner, + an excellent vermicelli soup, two young fowls, fricasseed, and a hind + quarter of roast lamb, with fritters, oranges, and figs, and two more + decanters of the wine aforesaid. + </p> + <p> + This hotel is an edifice with a gloomy front upon a narrow street, and + enterable through an arch, which admits you into an enclosed court; around + the court, on each story, run the galleries, with which the parlors and + sleeping-apartments communicate. The whole house is dingy, probably old, + and seems not very clean; but yet bears traces of former magnificence; for + instance, in our bedroom, the door of which is ornamented with gilding, + and the cornices with frescos, some of which appear to represent the + cascade of Terni, the roof is crossed with carved beams, and is painted in + the interstices; the floor has a carpet, but rough tiles underneath it, + which show themselves at the margin. The windows admit the wind; the door + shuts so loosely as to leave great cracks; and, during the rain to-day, + there was a heavy shower through our ceiling, which made a flood upon the + carpet. We see no chambermaids; nothing of the comfort and neatness of an + English hotel, nor of the smart splendors of an American one; but still + this dilapidated palace affords us a better shelter than I expected to + find in the decayed country towns of Italy. In the album of the hotel I + find the names of more English travellers than of any other nation except + the Americans, who, I think, even exceed the former; and, the route being + the favorite one for tourists between Rome and Florence, whatever merit + the inns have is probably owing to the demands of the Anglo-Saxons. I + doubt not, if we chose to pay for it, this hotel would supply us with any + luxury we might ask for; and perhaps even a gorgeous saloon and state + bedchamber. + </p> + <p> + After dinner, J——- and I walked out in the dusk to see what we + could of Terni. We found it compact and gloomy (but the latter + characteristic might well enough be attributed to the dismal sky), with + narrow streets, paved from wall to wall of the houses, like those of all + the towns in Italy; the blocks of paving-stone larger than the little + square torments of Rome. The houses are covered with dingy stucco, and + mostly low, compared with those of Rome, and inhospitable as regards their + dismal aspects and uninviting doorways. The streets are intricate, as well + as narrow; insomuch that we quickly lost our way, and could not find it + again, though the town is of so small dimensions, that we passed through + it in two directions, in the course of our brief wanderings. There are no + lamp-posts in Terni; and as it was growing dark, and beginning to rain + again, we at last inquired of a person in the principal piazza, and found + our hotel, as I expected, within two minutes' walk of where we stood. + </p> + <h3> + FOLIGNO. + </h3> + <p> + May 26th.—At six o'clock this morning, we packed ourselves into our + vettura, my wife and I occupying the coupe, and drove out of the city gate + of Terni. There are some old towers near it, ruins of I know not what, and + care as little, in the plethora of antiquities and other interesting + objects. Through the arched gateway, as we approached, we had a view of + one of the great hills that surround the town, looking partly bright in + the early sunshine, and partly catching the shadows of the clouds that + floated about the sky. Our way was now through the Vale of Terni, as I + believe it is called, where we saw somewhat of the fertility of Italy: + vines trained on poles, or twining round mulberry and other trees, ranged + regularly like orchards; groves of olives and fields of grain. There are + interminable shrines in all sorts of situations; some under arched niches, + or little penthouses, with a brick-tiled roof, just large enough to cover + them; or perhaps in some bit of old Roman masonry, on the wall of a + wayside inn, or in a shallow cavity of the natural rock, or high upward in + the deep cuts of the road; everywhere, in short, so that nobody need be at + a loss when he feels the religious sentiment stir within him. Our way soon + began to wind among the hills, which rose steep and lofty from the scanty, + level space that lay between; they continually thrust themselves across + the passage, and appeared as if determined to shut us completely in. A + great hill would put its foot right before us; but, at the last moment, + would grudgingly withdraw it, and allow us just room enough to creep by. + Adown their sides we discerned the dry beds of mountain torrents, which + had lived too fierce a life to let it be a long one. On here and there a + hillside or promontory we saw a ruined castle or a convent, looking from + its commanding height upon the road, which very likely some robber-knight + had formerly infested with his banditti, retreating with his booty to the + security of such strongholds. We came, once in a while, to wretched + villages, where there was no token of prosperity or comfort; but perhaps + there may have been more than we could appreciate, for the Italians do not + seem to have any of that sort of pride which we find in New England + villages, where every man, according to his taste and means, endeavors to + make his homestead an ornament to the place. We miss nothing in Italy more + than the neat doorsteps and pleasant porches and thresholds and delightful + lawns or grass-plots, which hospitably invite the imagination into a sweet + domestic interior. Everything, however sunny and luxuriant may be the + scene around, is especially dreary and disheartening in the immediate + vicinity of an Italian home. + </p> + <p> + At Strettura (which, as the name indicates, is a very narrow part of the + valley) we added two oxen to our horses, and began to ascend the Monte + Somma, which, according to Murray, is nearly four thousand feet high where + we crossed it. When we came to the steepest part of the ascent, Gaetano, + who exercises a pretty decided control over his passengers, allowed us to + walk; and we all, with one exception, alighted, and began to climb the + mountain on foot. I walked on briskly, and soon left the rest of the party + behind, reaching the top of the pass in such a short time that I could not + believe it, and kept onward, expecting still another height to climb. But + the road began to descend, winding among the depths of the hills as + heretofore; now beside the dry, gravelly bed of a departed stream, now + crossing it by a bridge, and perhaps passing through some other gorge, + that yet gave no decided promise of an outlet into the world beyond. A + glimpse might occasionally be caught, through a gap between the hill-tops, + of a company of distant mountain-peaks, pyramidal, as these hills are apt + to be, and resembling the camp of an army of giants. The landscape was not + altogether savage; sometimes a hillside was covered with a rich field of + grain, or an orchard of olive-trees, looking not unlike puffs of smoke, + from the peculiar line of their foliage; but oftener there was a vast + mantle of trees and shrubbery from top to bottom, the golden tufts of the + broom shining out amid the verdure, and gladdening the whole. Nothing was + dismal except the houses; those were always so, whether the compact, gray + lines of village hovels, with a narrow street between, or the lonely + farm-house, standing far apart from the road, built of stone, with + window-gaps high in the wall, empty of glass; or the half-castle, + half-dwelling, of which I saw a specimen or two, with what looked like a + defensive rampart, drawn around its court. I saw no look of comfort + anywhere; and continually, in this wild and solitary region, I met + beggars, just as if I were still in the streets of Rome. Boys and girls + kept beside me, till they delivered me into the hands of others like + themselves; hoary grandsires and grandmothers caught a glimpse of my + approach, and tottered as fast as they could to intercept me; women came + out of the cottages, with rotten cherries on a plate, entreating me to buy + them for a mezzo baioccho; a man, at work on the road, left his toil to + beg, and was grateful for the value of a cent; in short, I was never safe + from importunity, as long as there was a house or a human being in sight. + </p> + <p> + We arrived at Spoleto before noon, and while our dejeuner was being + prepared, looked down from the window of the inn into the narrow street + beneath, which, from the throng of people in it, I judged to be the + principal one: priests, papal soldiers, women with no bonnets on their + heads; peasants in breeches and mushroom hats; maids and matrons, drawing + water at a fountain; idlers, smoking on a bench under the window; a talk, + a bustle, but no genuine activity. After lunch we walked out to see the + lions of Spoleto, and found our way up a steep and narrow street that led + us to the city gate, at which, it is traditionally said, Hannibal sought + to force an entrance, after the battle of Thrasymene, and was repulsed. + The gateway has a double arch, on the inner one of which is a tablet, + recording the above tradition as an unquestioned historical fact. From the + gateway we went in search of the Duomo, or cathedral, and were kindly + directed thither by an officer, who was descending into the town from the + citadel, which is an old castle, now converted into a prison. The + cathedral seemed small, and did not much interest us, either by the Gothic + front or its modernized interior. We saw nothing else in Spoleto, but went + back to the inn and resumed our journey, emerging from the city into the + classic valley of the Clitumnus, which we did not view under the best of + auspices, because it was overcast, and the wind as chill as if it had the + cast in it. The valley, though fertile, and smilingly picturesque, + perhaps, is not such as I should wish to celebrate, either in prose or + poetry. It is of such breadth and extent, that its frame of mountains and + ridgy hills hardly serve to shut it in sufficiently, and the spectator + thinks of a boundless plain, rather than of a secluded vale. After passing + Le Vene, we came to the little temple which Byron describes, and which has + been supposed to be the one immortalized by Pliny. It is very small, and + stands on a declivity that falls immediately from the road, right upon + which rises the pediment of the temple, while the columns of the other + front find sufficient height to develop themselves in the lower ground. A + little farther down than the base of the edifice we saw the Clitumnus, so + recently from its source in the marble rock, that it was still as pure as + a child's heart, and as transparent as truth itself. It looked airier than + nothing, because it had not substance enough to brighten, and it was + clearer than the atmosphere. I remember nothing else of the valley of + Clitumnus, except that the beggars in this region of proverbial fertility + are wellnigh profane in the urgency of their petitions; they absolutely + fall down on their knees as you approach, in the same attitude as if they + were praying to their Maker, and beseech you for alms with a fervency + which I am afraid they seldom use before an altar or shrine. Being denied, + they ran hastily beside the carriage, but got nothing, and finally gave + over. + </p> + <p> + I am so very tired and sleepy that I mean to mention nothing else + to-night, except the city of Trevi, which, on the approach from Spoleto, + seems completely to cover a high, peaked hill, from its pyramidal tip to + its base. It was the strangest situation in which to build a town, where, + I should suppose, no horse can climb, and whence no inhabitant would think + of descending into the world, after the approach of age should begin to + stiffen his joints. On looking back on this most picturesque of towns + (which the road, of course, did not enter, as evidently no road could), I + saw that the highest part of the hill was quite covered with a crown of + edifices, terminating in a church-tower; while a part of the northern side + was apparently too steep for building; and a cataract of houses flowed + down the western and southern slopes. There seemed to be palaces, + churches, everything that a city should have; but my eyes are heavy, and I + can write no more about them, only that I suppose the summit of the hill + was artificially tenured, so as to prevent its crumbling down, and enable + it to support the platform of edifices which crowns it. + </p> + <p> + May 27th.—We reached Foligno in good season yesterday afternoon. Our + inn seemed ancient; and, under the same roof, on one side of the entrance, + was the stable, and on the other the coach-house. The house is built round + a narrow court, with a well of water at bottom, and an opening in the roof + at top, whence the staircases are lighted that wind round the sides of the + court, up to the highest story. Our dining-room and bedrooms were in the + latter region, and were all paved with brick, and without carpets; and the + characteristic of the whole was all exceeding plainness and antique + clumsiness of fitting up. We found ourselves sufficiently comfortable, + however; and, as has been the case throughout our journey, had a very fair + and well-cooked dinner. It shows, as perhaps I have already remarked, that + it is still possible to live well in Italy, at no great expense, and that + the high prices charged to the forestieri at Rome and elsewhere are + artificial, and ought to be abated. . . . + </p> + <p> + The day had darkened since morning, and was now ominous of rain; but as + soon as we were established, we sallied out to see whatever was worth + looking at. A beggar-boy, with one leg, followed us, without asking for + anything, apparently only for the pleasure of our company, though he kept + at too great a distance for conversation, and indeed did not attempt to + speak. + </p> + <p> + We went first to the cathedral, which has a Gothic front, and a modernized + interior, stuccoed and whitewashed, looking as neat as a New England + meeting-house, and very mean, after our familiarity with the gorgeous + churches in other cities. There were some pictures in the chapels, but, I + believe, all modern, and I do not remember a single one of them. Next we + went, without any guide, to a church attached to a convent of Dominican + monks, with a Gothic exterior, and two hideous pictures of Death,—the + skeleton leaning on his scythe, one on each side of the door. This church, + likewise, was whitewashed, but we understood that it had been originally + frescoed all over, and by famous hands; but these pictures, having become + much injured, they were all obliterated, as we saw,—all, that is to + say, except a few specimens of the best preserved, which were spared to + show the world what the whole had been. I thanked my stars that the + obliteration of the rest had taken place before our visit; for if anything + is dreary and calculated to make the beholder utterly miserable, it is a + faded fresco, with spots of the white plaster dotted over it. + </p> + <p> + Our one-legged boy had followed us into the church and stood near the door + till he saw us ready to come out, when he hurried on before us, and waited + a little way off to see whither we should go. We still went on at random, + taking the first turn that offered itself, and soon came to another old + church,—that of St. Mary within the Walls,—into which we + entered, and found it whitewashed, like the other two. This was especially + fortunate, for the doorkeeper informed us that, two years ago, the whole + church (except, I suppose, the roof, which is of timber) had been covered + with frescos by Pinturicchio, all of which had been ruthlessly + obliterated, except a very few fragments. These he proceeded to show us; + poor, dim ghosts of what may once have been beautiful,—now so far + gone towards nothingness that I was hardly sure whether I saw a glimmering + of the design or not. By the by, it was not Pinturicchio, as I have + written above, but Giotto, assisted, I believe, by Cimabue, who painted + these frescos. Our one-legged attendant had followed us also into this + church, and again hastened out of it before us; and still we heard the dot + of his crutch upon the pavement, as we passed from street to street. By + and by a sickly looking man met us, and begged for "qualche cosa"; but the + boy shouted to him, "Niente!" whether intimating that we would give him + nothing, or that he himself had a prior claim to all our charity, I cannot + tell. However, the beggar-man turned round, and likewise followed our + devious course. Once or twice we missed him; but it was only because he + could not walk so fast as we; for he appeared again as we emerged from the + door of another church. Our one-legged friend we never missed for a + moment; he kept pretty near us,—near enough to be amused by our + indecision whither to go; and he seemed much delighted when it began to + rain, and he saw us at a loss how to find our way back to the hotel. + Nevertheless, he did not offer to guide us; but stumped on behind with a + faster or slower dot of his crutch, according to our pace. I began to + think that he must have been engaged as a spy upon our movements by the + police who had taken away my passport at the city gate. In this way he + attended us to the door of the hotel, where the beggar had already + arrived. The latter again put in his doleful petition; the one-legged boy + said not a word, nor seemed to expect anything, and both had to go away + without so much as a mezzo baioccho out of our pockets. The multitude of + beggars in Italy makes the heart as obdurate as a paving-stone. + </p> + <p> + We left Foligno this morning, and, all ready for us at the door of the + hotel, as we got into the carriage, were our friends, the beggar-man and + the one-legged boy; the latter holding out his ragged hat, and smiling + with as confident an air as if he had done us some very particular + service, and were certain of being paid for it, as from contract. It was + so very funny, so impudent, so utterly absurd, that I could not help + giving him a trifle; but the man got nothing,—a fact that gives me a + twinge or two, for he looked sickly and miserable. But where everybody + begs, everybody, as a general rule, must be denied; and, besides, they act + their misery so well that you are never sure of the genuine article. + </p> + <h3> + PERUGIA. + </h3> + <p> + May 25th.—As I said last night, we left Foligno betimes in the + morning, which was bleak, chill, and very threatening, there being very + little blue sky anywhere, and the clouds lying heavily on some of the + mountain-ridges. The wind blew sharply right in U——'s face and + mine, as we occupied the coupe, so that there must have been a great deal + of the north in it. We drove through a wide plain—the Umbrian + valley, I suppose—and soon passed the old town of Spello, just + touching its skirts, and wondering how people, who had this rich and + convenient plain from which to choose a site, could think of covering a + huge island of rock with their dwellings,—for Spello tumbled its + crooked and narrow streets down a steep descent, and cannot well have a + yard of even space within its walls. It is said to contain some rare + treasures of ancient pictorial art. + </p> + <p> + I do not remember much that we saw on our route. The plains and the lower + hillsides seemed fruitful of everything that belongs to Italy, especially + the olive and the vine. As usual, there were a great many shrines, and + frequently a cross by the wayside. Hitherto it had been merely a plain + wooden cross; but now almost every cross was hung with various + instruments, represented in wood, apparently symbols of the crucifixion of + our Saviour,—the spear, the sponge, the crown of thorns, the hammer, + a pair of pincers, and always St. Peter's cock, made a prominent figure, + generally perched on the summit of the cross. + </p> + <p> + From our first start this morning we had seen mists in various quarters, + betokening that there was rain in those spots, and now it began to spatter + in our own faces, although within the wide extent of our prospect we could + see the sunshine falling on portions of the valley. A rainbow, too, shone + out, and remained so long visible that it appeared to have made a + permanent stain in the sky. + </p> + <p> + By and by we reached Assisi, which is magnificently situated for pictorial + purposes, with a gray castle above it, and a gray wall around it, itself + on a mountain, and looking over the great plain which we had been + traversing, and through which lay our onward way. We drove through the + Piazza Grande to an ancient house a little beyond, where a hospitable old + lady receives travellers for a consideration, without exactly keeping an + inn. + </p> + <p> + In the piazza we saw the beautiful front of a temple of Minerva, + consisting of several marble pillars, fluted, and with rich capitals + supporting a pediment. It was as fine as anything I had seen at Rome, and + is now, of course, converted into a Catholic church. + </p> + <p> + I ought to have said that, instead of driving straight to the old lady's, + we alighted at the door of a church near the city gate, and went in to + inspect some melancholy frescos, and thence clambered up a narrow street + to the cathedral, which has a Gothic front, old enough, but not very + impressive. I really remember not a single object that we saw within, but + am pretty certain that the interior had been stuccoed and whitewashed. The + ecclesiastics of old time did an excellent thing in covering the interiors + of their churches with brilliant frescos, thus filling the holy places + with saints and angels, and almost with the presence of the Divinity. The + modern ecclesiastics do the next best thing in obliterating the wretched + remnants of what has had its day and done its office. These frescos might + be looked upon as the symbol of the living spirit that made Catholicism a + true religion, and glorified it as long as it did live; now the glory and + beauty have departed from one and the other. + </p> + <p> + My wife, U——, and Miss Shepard now set out with a cicerone to + visit the great Franciscan convent, in the church of which are preserved + some miraculous specimens, in fresco and in oils, of early Italian art; + but as I had no mind to suffer any further in this way, I stayed behind + with J——- and R——-, who we're equally weary of + these things. + </p> + <p> + After they were gone we took a ramble through the city, but were almost + swept away by the violence of the wind, which struggled with me for my + hat, and whirled R——- before it like a feather. The people in + the public square seemed much diverted at our predicament, being, I + suppose, accustomed to these rude blasts in their mountain-home. However, + the wind blew in momentary gusts, and then became more placable till + another fit of fury came, and passed as suddenly as before. We walked out + of the same gate through which we had entered,—an ancient gate, but + recently stuccoed and whitewashed, in wretched contrast to the gray, + venerable wall through which it affords ingress,—and I stood gazing + at the magnificent prospect of the wide valley beneath. It was so vast + that there appeared to be all varieties of weather in it at the same + instant; fields of sunshine, tracts of storm,—here the coming + tempest, there the departing one. It was a picture of the world on a vast + canvas, for there was rural life and city life within the great expanse, + and the whole set in a frame of mountains,—the nearest bold and + dust-net, with the rocky ledges showing through their sides, the distant + ones blue and dim,—so far stretched this broad valley. + </p> + <p> + When I had looked long enough,—no, not long enough, for it would + take a great while to read that page,—we returned within the gate, + and we clambered up, past the cathedral and into the narrow streets above + it. The aspect of everything was immeasurably old; a thousand years would + be but a middle age for one of those houses, built so massively with huge + stones and solid arches, that I do not see how they are ever to tumble + down, or to be less fit for human habitation than they are now. The + streets crept between them, and beneath arched passages, and up and down + steps of stone or ancient brick, for it would be altogether impossible for + a carriage to ascend above the Grand Piazza, though possibly a donkey or a + chairman's mule might find foothold. The city seems like a stony growth + out of the hillside, or a fossilized city,—so old and singular it + is, without enough life and juiciness in it to be susceptible of decay. An + earthquake is the only chance of its ever being ruined, beyond its present + ruin. Nothing is more strange than to think that this now dead city—dead, + as regards the purposes for which men live nowadays—was, centuries + ago, the seat and birthplace almost of art, the only art in which the + beautiful part of the human mind then developed itself. How came that + flower to grow among these wild mountains? I do not conceive, however, + that the people of Assisi were ever much more enlightened or cultivated on + the side of art than they are at present. The ecclesiastics were then the + only patrons; and the flower grew here because there was a great + ecclesiastical garden in which it was sheltered and fostered. But it is + very curious to think of Assisi, a school of art within, and mountain and + wilderness without. + </p> + <p> + My wife and the rest of the party returned from the convent before noon, + delighted with what they had seen, as I was delighted not to have seen it. + We ate our dejeuner, and resumed our journey, passing beneath the great + convent, after emerging from the gate opposite to that of our entrance. + The edifice made a very good spectacle, being of great extent, and + standing on a double row of high and narrow arches, on which it is built + up from the declivity of the hill. + </p> + <p> + We soon reached the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, which is a modern + structure, and very spacious, built in place of one destroyed by an + earthquake. It is a fine church, opening out a magnificent space in its + nave and aisles; and beneath the great dome stands the small old chapel, + with its rude stone walls, in which St. Francis founded his order. This + chapel and the dome appear to have been the only portions of the ancient + church that were not destroyed by the earthquake. The dwelling of St. + Francis is said to be also preserved within the church; but we did not see + it, unless it were a little dark closet into which we squeezed to see some + frescos by La Spagna. It had an old wooden door, of which U—— + picked off a little bit of a chip, to serve as a relic. There is a fresco + in the church, on the pediment of the chapel, by Overbeck, representing + the Assumption of the Virgin. It did not strike me as wonderfully fine. + The other pictures, of which there were many, were modern, and of no great + merit. + </p> + <p> + We pursued our way, and came, by and by, to the foot of the high hill on + which stands Perugia, and which is so long and steep that Gaetano took a + yoke of oxen to aid his horses in the ascent. We all, except my wife, + walked a part of the way up, and I myself, with J——- for my + companion, kept on even to the city gate,—a distance, I should + think, of two or three miles, at least. The lower part of the road was on + the edge of the hill, with a narrow valley on our left; and as the sun had + now broken out, its verdure and fertility, its foliage and cultivation, + shone forth in miraculous beauty, as green as England, as bright as only + Italy. Perugia appeared above us, crowning a mighty hill, the most + picturesque of cities; and the higher we ascended, the more the view + opened before us, as we looked back on the course that we had traversed, + and saw the wide valley, sweeping down and spreading out, bounded afar by + mountains, and sleeping in sun and shadow. No language nor any art of the + pencil can give an idea of the scene. When God expressed himself in the + landscape to mankind, he did not intend that it should be translated into + any tongue save his own immediate one. J——- meanwhile, whose + heart is now wholly in snail-shells, was rummaging for them among the + stones and hedges by the roadside; yet, doubtless, enjoyed the prospect + more than he knew. The coach lagged far behind us, and when it came up, we + entered the gate, where a soldier appeared, and demanded my passport. We + drove to the Grand Hotel de France, which is near the gate, and two fine + little boys ran beside the carriage, well dressed and well looking enough + to have been a gentleman's sons, but claiming Gaetano for their father. He + is an inhabitant of Perugia, and has therefore reached his own home, + though we are still little more than midway to our journey's end. + </p> + <p> + Our hotel proves, thus far, to be the best that we have yet met with. We + are only in the outskirts of Perugia; the bulk of the city, where the most + interesting churches and the public edifices are situated, being far above + us on the hill. My wife, U——, Miss Shepard, and R——- + streamed forth immediately, and saw a church; but J——-, who + hates them, and I remained behind; and, for my part, I added several pages + to this volume of scribble. + </p> + <p> + This morning was as bright as morning could be, even in Italy, and in this + transparent mountain atmosphere. We at first declined the services of a + cicerone, and went out in the hopes of finding our way to whatever we + wished to see, by our own instincts. This proved to be a mistaken hope, + however; and we wandered about the upper city, much persecuted by a shabby + old man who wished to guide us; so, at last, Miss Shepard went back in + quest of the cicerone at the hotel, and, meanwhile, we climbed to the + summit of the hill of Perugia, and, leaning over a wall, looked forth upon + a most magnificent view of mountain and valley, terminating in some peaks, + lofty and dim, which surely must be the Apennines. There again a young man + accosted us, offering to guide us to the Cambio or Exchange; and as this + was one of the places which we especially wished to see, we accepted his + services. By the by, I ought to have mentioned that we had already entered + a church (San Luigi, I believe), the interior of which we found very + impressive, dim with the light of stained and painted windows, insomuch + that it at first seemed almost dark, and we could only see the bright + twinkling of the tapers at the shrines; but, after a few minutes, we + discerned the tall octagonal pillars of the nave, marble, and supporting a + beautiful roof of crossed arches. The church was neither Gothic nor + classic, but a mixture of both, and most likely barbarous; yet it had a + grand effect in its tinted twilight, and convinced me more than ever how + desirable it is that religious edifices should have painted windows. + </p> + <p> + The door of the Cambio proved to be one that we had passed several times, + while seeking for it, and was very near the church just mentioned, which + fronts on one side of the same piazza. We were received by an old + gentleman, who appeared to be a public officer, and found ourselves in a + small room, wainscoted with beautifully carved oak, roofed with a coved + ceiling, painted with symbols of the planets, and arabesqued in rich + designs by Raphael, and lined with splendid frescos of subjects, + scriptural and historical, by Perugino. When the room was in its first + glory, I can conceive that the world had not elsewhere to show, within so + small a space, such magnificence and beauty as were then displayed here. + Even now, I enjoyed (to the best of my belief, for we can never feel sure + that we are not bamboozling ourselves in such matters) some real pleasure + in what I saw; and especially seemed to feel, after all these ages, the + old painter's devout sentiment still breathing forth from the religious + pictures, the work of a hand that had so long been dust. + </p> + <p> + When we had looked long at these, the old gentleman led us into a chapel, + of the same size as the former room, and built in the same fashion, + wainscoted likewise with old oak. The walls were also frescoed, entirely + frescoed, and retained more of their original brightness than those we had + already seen, although the pictures were the production of a somewhat + inferior hand, a pupil of Perugino. They seemed to be very striking, + however, not the less so, that one of them provoked an unseasonable smile. + It was the decapitation of John the Baptist; and this holy personage was + represented as still on his knees, with his hands clasped in prayer, + although the executioner was already depositing the head in a charger, and + the blood was spouting from the headless trunk, directly, as it were, into + the face of the spectator. + </p> + <p> + While we were in the outer room, the cicerone who first offered his + services at the hotel had come in; so we paid our chance guide, and + expected him to take his leave. It is characteristic of this idle country, + however, that if you once speak to a person, or connect yourself with him + by the slightest possible tie, you will hardly get rid of him by anything + short of main force. He still lingered in the room, and was still there + when I came away; for, having had as many pictures as I could digest, I + left my wife and U—— with the cicerone, and set out on a + ramble with J——-. We plunged from the upper city down through + some of the strangest passages that ever were called streets; some of + them, indeed, being arched all over, and, going down into the unknown + darkness, looked like caverns; and we followed one of them doubtfully, + till it opened out upon the light. The houses on each side were divided + only by a pace or two, and communicated with one another, here and there, + by arched passages. They looked very ancient, and may have been inhabited + by Etruscan princes, judging from the massiveness of some of the + foundation stones. The present inhabitants, nevertheless, are by no means + princely,—shabby men, and the careworn wives and mothers of the + people,—one of whom was guiding a child in leading-strings through + these antique alleys, where hundreds of generations have trod before those + little feet. Finally we came out through a gateway, the same gateway at + which we entered last night. + </p> + <p> + I ought to have mentioned, in the narrative of yesterday, that we crossed + the Tiber shortly before reaching Perugia, already a broad and rapid + stream, and already distinguished by the same turbid and mud-puddly + quality of water that we see in it at Rome. I think it will never be so + disagreeable to me hereafter, now that I find this turbidness to be its + native color, and not (like that of the Thames) accruing from city sewers + or any impurities of the lowlands. + </p> + <p> + As I now remember, the small Chapel of Santa Maria degl' Angeli seems to + have been originally the house of St. Francis. + </p> + <p> + May 29th.—This morning we visited the Church of the Dominicans, + where we saw some quaint pictures by Fra Angelico, with a good deal of + religious sincerity in them; also a picture of St. Columba by Perugino, + which unquestionably is very good. To confess the truth, I took more + interest in a fair Gothic monument, in white marble, of Pope Benedict + XII., representing him reclining under a canopy, while two angels draw + aside the curtain, the canopy being supported by twisted columns, richly + ornamented. I like this overflow and gratuity of device with which Gothic + sculpture works out its designs, after seeing so much of the simplicity of + classic art in marble. + </p> + <p> + We then tried to find the Church of San Pietro in Martire, but without + success, although every person of whom we inquired immediately attached + himself or herself to us, and could hardly be got rid of by any efforts on + our part. Nobody seemed to know the church we wished for, but all directed + us to another Church of San Pietro, which contains nothing of interest; + whereas the right church is supposed to contain a celebrated picture by + Perugino. + </p> + <p> + Finally, we ascended the hill and the city proper of Perugia (for our + hotel is in one of the suburbs), and J——- and I set out on a + ramble about the city. It was market-day, and the principal piazza, with + the neighboring streets, was crowded with people. . . . + </p> + <p> + The best part of Perugia, that in which the grand piazzas and the + principal public edifices stand, seems to be a nearly level plateau on the + summit of the hill; but it is of no very great extent, and the streets + rapidly run downward on either side. J——- and I followed one + of these descending streets, and were led a long way by it, till we at + last emerged from one of the gates of the city, and had another view of + the mountains and valleys, the fertile and sunny wilderness in which this + ancient civilization stands. + </p> + <p> + On the right of the gate there was a rude country-path, partly overgrown + with grass, bordered by a hedge on one side, and on the other by the gray + city wall, at the base of which the track kept onward. We followed it, + hoping that it would lead us to some other gate by which we might re-enter + the city; but it soon grew so indistinct and broken, that it was evidently + on the point of melting into somebody's olive-orchard or wheat-fields or + vineyards, all of which lay on the other side of the hedge; and a kindly + old woman of whom I inquired told me (if I rightly understood her Italian) + that I should find no further passage in that direction. So we turned + back, much broiled in the hot sun, and only now and then relieved by the + shadow of an angle or a tower. + </p> + <p> + A lame beggar-man sat by the gate, and as we passed him J——- + gave him two baiocchi (which he himself had begged of me to buy an orange + with), and was loaded with the pauper's prayers and benedictions as we + entered the city. A great many blessings can be bought for very little + money anywhere in Italy; and whether they avail anything or no, it is + pleasant to see that the beggars have gratitude enough to bestow them in + such abundance. + </p> + <p> + Of all beggars I think a little fellow, who rode beside our carriage on a + stick, his bare feet scampering merrily, while he managed his steed with + one hand, and held out the other for charity, howling piteously the while, + amused me most. + </p> + <h3> + PASSIGNANO. + </h3> + <p> + May 29th.—We left Perugia at about three o'clock to-day, and went + down a pretty steep descent; but I have no particular recollection of the + road till it again began to descend, before reaching the village of + Magione. We all, except my wife, walked up the long hill, while the + vettura was dragged after us with the aid of a yoke of oxen. Arriving + first at the village, I leaned over the wall to admire the beautiful paese + ("le bel piano," as a peasant called it, who made acquaintance with me) + that lay at the foot of the hill, so level, so bounded within moderate + limits by a frame of hills and ridges, that it looked like a green lake. + In fact, I think it was once a real lake, which made its escape from its + bed, as I have known some lakes to have done in America. + </p> + <p> + Passing through and beyond the village, I saw, on a height above the road, + a half-ruinous tower, with great cracks running down its walls, half-way + from top to bottom. Some little children had mounted the hill with us, + begging all the way; they were recruited with additional members in the + village; and here, beneath the ruinous tower, a madman, as it seemed, + assaulted us, and ran almost under the carriage-wheels, in his earnestness + to get a baioccho. Ridding ourselves of these annoyances, we drove on, + and, between five and six o'clock, came in sight of the Lake of + Thrasymene, obtaining our first view of it, I think, in its longest + extent. There were high hills, and one mountain with its head in the + clouds, visible on the farther shore, and on the horizon beyond it; but + the nearer banks were long ridges, and hills of only moderate height. The + declining sun threw a broad sheen of brightness over the surface of the + lake, so that we could not well see it for excess of light; but had a + vision of headlands and islands floating about in a flood of gold, and + blue, airy heights bounding it afar. When we first drew near the lake, + there was but a narrow tract, covered with vines and olives, between it + and the hill that rose on the other side. As we advanced, the tract grew + wider, and was very fertile, as was the hillside, with wheat-fields, and + vines, and olives, especially the latter, which, symbol of peace as it is, + seemed to find something congenial to it in the soil stained long ago with + blood. Farther onward, the space between the lake and hill grew still + narrower, the road skirting along almost close to the water-side; and when + we reached the town of Passignano there was but room enough for its dirty + and ugly street to stretch along the shore. I have seldom beheld a + lovelier scene than that of the lake and the landscape around it; never an + uglier one than that of this idle and decaying village, where we were + immediately surrounded by beggars of all ages, and by men vociferously + proposing to row us out upon the lake. We declined their offers of a boat, + for the evening was very fresh and cool, insomuch that I should have liked + an outside garment,—a temperature that I had not anticipated, so + near the beginning of June, in sunny Italy. Instead of a row, we took a + walk through the village, hoping to come upon the shore of the lake, in + some secluded spot; but an incredible number of beggar-children, both boys + and girls, but more of the latter, rushed out of every door, and went + along with us, all howling their miserable petitions at the same moment. + </p> + <p> + The village street is long, and our escort waxed more numerous at every + step, till Miss Shepard actually counted forty of these little reprobates, + and more were doubtless added afterwards. At first, no doubt, they begged + in earnest hope of getting some baiocchi; but, by and by, perceiving that + we had determined not to give them anything, they made a joke of the + matter, and began to laugh and to babble, and turn heels over head, still + keeping about us, like a swarm of flies, and now and then begging again + with all their might. There were as few pretty faces as I ever saw among + the same number of children; and they were as ragged and dirty little imps + as any in the world, and, moreover, tainted the air with a very + disagreeable odor from their rags and dirt; rugged and healthy enough, + nevertheless, and sufficiently intelligent; certainly bold and persevering + too; so that it is hard to say what they needed to fit them for success in + life. Yet they begin as beggars, and no doubt will end so, as all their + parents and grandparents do; for in our walk through the village, every + old woman and many younger ones held out their hands for alms, as if they + had all been famished. Yet these people kept their houses over their + heads; had firesides in winter, I suppose, and food out of their little + gardens every day; pigs to kill, chickens, olives, wine, and a great many + things to make life comfortable. The children, desperately as they begged, + looked in good bodily ease, and happy enough; but, certainly, there was a + look of earnest misery in the faces of some of the old women, either + genuine or exceedingly well acted. + </p> + <p> + I could not bear the persecution, and went into our hotel, determining not + to venture out again till our departure; at least not in the daylight. My + wife and the rest of the family, however, continued their walk, and at + length were relieved from their little pests by three policemen (the very + images of those in Rome, in their blue, long-skirted coats, cocked + chapeaux-bras, white shoulder-belts, and swords), who boxed their ears, + and dispersed them. Meanwhile, they had quite driven away all sentimental + effusion (of which I felt more, really, than I expected) about the Lake of + Thrasymene. + </p> + <p> + The inn of Passignano promised little from its outward appearance; a tall, + dark old house, with a stone staircase leading us up from one sombre story + to another, into a brick-paved dining-room, with our sleeping-chambers on + each side. There was a fireplace of tremendous depth and height, fit to + receive big forest-logs, and with a queer, double pair of ancient + andirons, capable of sustaining them; and in a handful of ashes lay a + small stick of olive-wood,—a specimen, I suppose, of the sort of + fuel which had made the chimney black, in the course of a good many years. + There must have been much shivering and misery of cold around this + fireplace. However, we needed no fire now, and there was promise of good + cheer in the spectacle of a man cleaning some lake-fish for our dinner, + while the poor things flounced and wriggled under the knife. + </p> + <p> + The dinner made its appearance, after a long while, and was most + plentiful, . . . . so that, having measured our appetite in anticipation + of a paucity of food, we had to make more room for such overflowing + abundance. + </p> + <p> + When dinner was over, it was already dusk, and before retiring I opened + the window, and looked out on Lake Thrasymene, the margin of which lies + just on the other side of the narrow village street. The moon was a day or + two past the full, just a little clipped on the edge, but gave light + enough to show the lake and its nearer shores almost as distinctly as by + day; and there being a ripple on the surface of the water, it made a sheen + of silver over a wide space. + </p> + <h3> + AREZZO. + </h3> + <p> + May 30th.—We started at six o'clock, and left the one ugly street of + Passignano, before many of the beggars were awake. Immediately in the + vicinity of the village there is very little space between the lake in + front and the ridge of hills in the rear; but the plain widened as we + drove onward, so that the lake was scarcely to be seen, or often quite + hidden among the intervening trees, although we could still discern the + summits of the mountains that rise far beyond its shores. The country was + fertile, presenting, on each side of the road, vines trained on fig-trees; + wheat-fields and olives, in greater abundance than any other product. On + our right, with a considerable width of plain between, was the bending + ridge of hills that shut in the Roman army, by its close approach to the + lake at Passignano. In perhaps half all hour's drive, we reached the + little bridge that throws its arch over the Sanguinetto, and alighted + there. The stream has but about a yard's width of water; and its whole + course, between the hills and the lake, might well have been reddened and + swollen with the blood of the multitude of slain Romans. Its name put me + in mind of the Bloody Brook at Deerfield, where a company of Massachusetts + men were massacred by the Indians. + </p> + <p> + The Sanguinetto flows over a bed of pebbles; and J——- crept + under the bridge, and got one of them for a memorial, while U——, + Miss Shepard, and R——- plucked some olive twigs and oak + leaves, and made them into wreaths together,—symbols of victory and + peace. The tower, which is traditionally named after Hannibal, is seen on + a height that makes part of the line of enclosing hills. It is a large, + old castle, apparently of the Middle Ages, with a square front, and a + battlemented sweep of wall. The town of Torres (its name, I think), where + Hannibal's main army is supposed to have lain while the Romans came + through the pass, was in full view; and I could understand the plan of the + battle better than any system of military operations which I have hitherto + tried to fathom. Both last night and to-day, I found myself stirred more + sensibly than I expected by the influences of this scene. The old + battle-field is still fertile in thoughts and emotions, though it is so + many ages since the blood spilt there has ceased to make the grass and + flowers grow more luxuriantly. I doubt whether I should feel so much on + the field of Saratoga or Monmouth; but these old classic battle-fields + belong to the whole world, and each man feels as if his own forefathers + fought them. Mine, by the by, if they fought them at all, must have been + on the side of Hannibal; for, certainly, I sympathized with him, and + exulted in the defeat of the Romans on their own soil. They excite much + the same emotion of general hostility that the English do. Byron has + written some very fine stanzas on the battle-field,—not so good as + others that he has written on classical scenes and subjects, yet + wonderfully impressing his own perception of the subject on the reader. + Whenever he has to deal with a statue, a ruin, a battle-field, he pounces + upon the topic like a vulture, and tears out its heart in a twinkling, so + that there is nothing more to be said. + </p> + <p> + If I mistake not, our passport was examined by the papal officers at the + last custom-house in the pontifical territory, before we traversed the + path through which the Roman army marched to its destruction. Lake + Thrasymene, of which we took our last view, is not deep set among the + hills, but is bordered by long ridges, with loftier mountains receding + into the distance. It is not to be compared to Windermere or Loch Lomond + for beauty, nor with Lake Champlain and many a smaller lake in my own + country, none of which, I hope, will ever become so historically + interesting as this famous spot. A few miles onward our passport was + countersigned at the Tuscan custom-house, and our luggage permitted to + pass without examination on payment of a fee of nine or ten pauls, besides + two pauls to the porters. There appears to be no concealment on the part + of the officials in thus waiving the exercise of their duty, and I rather + imagine that the thing is recognized and permitted by their superiors. At + all events, it is very convenient for the traveller. + </p> + <p> + We saw Cortona, sitting, like so many other cities in this region, on its + hill, and arrived about noon at Arezzo, which also stretches up a high + hillside, and is surrounded, as they all are, by its walls or the remains + of one, with a fortified gate across every entrance. + </p> + <p> + I remember one little village, somewhere in the neighborhood of the + Clitumnus, which we entered by one gateway, and, in the course of two + minutes at the utmost, left by the opposite one, so diminutive was this + walled town. Everything hereabouts bears traces of times when war was the + prevalent condition, and peace only a rare gleam of sunshine. + </p> + <p> + At Arezzo we have put up at the Hotel Royal, which has the appearance of a + grand old house, and proves to be a tolerable inn enough. After lunch, we + wandered forth to see the town, which did not greatly interest me after + Perugia, being much more modern and less picturesque in its aspect. We + went to the cathedral,—a Gothic edifice, but not of striking + exterior. As the doors were closed, and not to be opened till three + o'clock, we seated ourselves under the trees, on a high, grassy space + surrounded and intersected with gravel-walks,—a public promenade, in + short, near the cathedral; and after resting ourselves here we went in + search of Petrarch's house, which Murray mentions as being in this + neighborhood. We inquired of several people, who knew nothing about the + matter; one woman misdirected us, out of mere fun, I believe, for she + afterwards met us and asked how we had succeeded. But finally, through + ———'s enterprise and perseverance, we found the spot, + not a stone's-throw from where we had been sitting. + </p> + <p> + Petrarch's house stands below the promenade which I have just mentioned, + and within hearing of the reverberations between the strokes of the + cathedral bell. It is two stories high, covered with a light-colored + stucco, and has not the slightest appearance of antiquity, no more than + many a modern and modest dwelling-house in an American city. Its only + remarkable feature is a pointed arch of stone, let into the plastered + wall, and forming a framework for the doorway. I set my foot on the + doorsteps, ascended them, and Miss Shepard and J——- gathered + some weeds or blades of grass that grew in the chinks between the steps. + There is a long inscription on a slab of marble set in the front of the + house, as is the fashion in Arezzo when a house has been the birthplace or + residence of a distinguished man. + </p> + <p> + Right opposite Petrarch's birth-house—and it must have been the well + whence the water was drawn that first bathed him—is a well which + Boccaccio has introduced into one of his stories. It is surrounded with a + stone curb, octagonal in shape, and evidently as ancient as Boccaccio's + time. It has a wooden cover, through which is a square opening, and + looking down I saw my own face in the water far beneath. + </p> + <p> + There is no familiar object connected with daily life so interesting as a + well; and this well or old Arezzo, whence Petrarch had drunk, around which + he had played in his boyhood, and which Boccaccio has made famous, really + interested me more than the cathedral. It lies right under the pavement of + the street, under the sunshine, without any shade of trees about it, or + any grass, except a little that grows in the crevices of its stones; but + the shape of its stone-work would make it a pretty object in an engraving. + As I lingered round it I thought of my own town-pump in old Salem, and + wondered whether my townspeople would ever point it out to strangers, and + whether the stranger would gaze at it with any degree of such interest as + I felt in Boccaccio's well. O, certainly not; but yet I made that humble + town-pump the most celebrated structure in the good town. A thousand and a + thousand people had pumped there, merely to water oxen or fill their + teakettles; but when once I grasped the handle, a rill gushed forth that + meandered as far as England, as far as India, besides tasting pleasantly + in every town and village of our own country. I like to think of this, so + long after I did it, and so far from home, and am not without hopes of + some kindly local remembrance on this score. + </p> + <p> + Petrarch's house is not a separate and insulated building, but stands in + contiguity and connection with other houses on each side; and all, when I + saw them, as well as the whole street, extending down the slope of the + hill, had the bright and sunny aspect of a modern town. + </p> + <p> + As the cathedral was not yet open, and as J——- and I had not + so much patience as my wife, we left her and Miss Shepard, and set out to + return to the hotel. We lost our way, however, and finally had to return + to the cathedral, to take a fresh start; and as the door was now open we + went in. We found the cathedral very stately with its great arches, and + darkly magnificent with the dim rich light coming through its painted + windows, some of which are reckoned the most beautiful that the whole + world has to show. The hues are far more brilliant than those of any + painted glass I saw in England, and a great wheel window looks like a + constellation of many-colored gems. The old English glass gets so smoky + and dull with dust, that its pristine beauty cannot any longer be even + imagined; nor did I imagine it till I saw these Italian windows. We saw + nothing of my wife and Miss Shepard; but found afterwards that they had + been much annoyed by the attentions of a priest who wished to show them + the cathedral, till they finally told him that they had no money with + them, when he left them without another word. The attendants in churches + seem to be quite as venal as most other Italians, and, for the sake of + their little profit, they do not hesitate to interfere with the great + purposes for which their churches were built and decorated; hanging + curtains, for instance, before all the celebrated pictures, or hiding them + away in the sacristy, so that they cannot be seen without a fee. + </p> + <p> + Returning to the hotel, we looked out of the window, and, in the street + beneath, there was a very busy scene, it being Sunday, and the whole + population, apparently, being astir, promenading up and down the smooth + flag-stones, which made the breadth of the street one sidewalk, or at + their windows, or sitting before their doors. + </p> + <p> + The vivacity of the population in these parts is very striking, after the + gravity and lassitude of Rome; and the air was made cheerful with the talk + and laughter of hundreds of voices. I think the women are prettier than + the Roman maids and matrons, who, as I think I have said before, have + chosen to be very uncomely since the rape of their ancestresses, by way of + wreaking a terrible spite and revenge. + </p> + <p> + I have nothing more to say of Arezzo, except that, finding the ordinary + wine very bad, as black as ink, and tasting as if it had tar and vinegar + in it, we called for a bottle of Monte Pulciano, and were exceedingly + gladdened and mollified thereby. + </p> + <h3> + INCISA. + </h3> + <p> + We left Arezzo early on Monday morning, the sun throwing the long shadows + of the trees across the road, which at first, after we had descended the + hill, lay over a plain. As the morning advanced, or as we advanced, the + country grew more hilly. We saw many bits of rustic life,—such as + old women tending pigs or sheep by the roadside, and spinning with a + distaff; women sewing under trees, or at their own doors; children leading + goats, tied by the horns, while they browse; sturdy, sunburnt creatures, + in petticoats, but otherwise manlike, at work side by side with male + laborers in the fields. The broad-brimmed, high-crowned hat of Tuscan + straw is the customary female head-dress, and is as unbecoming as can + possibly be imagined, and of little use, one would suppose, as a shelter + from the sun, the brim continually blowing upward from the face. Some of + the elder women wore black felt hats, likewise broad-brimmed; and the men + wore felt hats also, shaped a good deal like a mushroom, with hardly any + brim at all. The scenes in the villages through which we passed were very + lively and characteristic, all the population seeming to be out of doors: + some at the butcher's shop, others at the well; a tailor sewing in the + open air, with a young priest sitting sociably beside him; children at + play; women mending clothes, embroidering, spinning with the distaff at + their own doorsteps; many idlers, letting the pleasant morning pass in the + sweet-do-nothing; all assembling in the street, as in the common room of + one large household, and thus brought close together, and made familiar + with one another, as they can never be in a different system of society. + As usual along the road we passed multitudes of shrines, where the Virgin + was painted in fresco, or sometimes represented in bas-reliefs, within + niches, or under more spacious arches. It would be a good idea to place a + comfortable and shady seat beneath all these wayside shrines, where the + wayfarer might rest himself, and thank the Virgin for her hospitality; nor + can I believe that it would offend her, any more than other incense, if he + were to regale himself, even in such consecrated spots, with the fragrance + of a pipe or cigar. + </p> + <p> + In the wire-work screen, before many of the shrines, hung offerings of + roses and other flowers, some wilted and withered, some fresh with that + morning's dew, some that never bloomed and never faded,—being + artificial. I wonder that they do not plant rose-trees and all kinds of + fragrant and flowering shrubs under the shrines, and twine and wreathe + them all around, so that the Virgin may dwell within a bower of perpetual + freshness; at least put flower-pots, with living plants, into the niche. + There are many things in the customs of these people that might be made + very beautiful, if the sense of beauty were as much alive now as it must + have been when these customs were first imagined and adopted. + </p> + <p> + I must not forget, among these little descriptive items, the spectacle of + women and girls bearing huge bundles of twigs and shrubs, or grass, with + scarlet poppies and blue flowers intermixed; the bundles sometimes so huge + as almost to hide the woman's figure from head to heel, so that she looked + like a locomotive mass of verdure and flowers; sometimes reaching only + half-way down her back, so as to show the crooked knife slung behind, with + which she had been reaping this strange harvest-sheaf. A Pre-Raphaelite + painter—the one, for instance, who painted the heap of autumnal + leaves, which we saw at the Manchester Exhibition—would find an + admirable subject in one of these girls, stepping with a free, erect, and + graceful carriage, her burden on her head; and the miscellaneous herbage + and flowers would give him all the scope he could desire for minute and + various delineation of nature. + </p> + <p> + The country houses which we passed had sometimes open galleries or arcades + on the second story and above, where the inhabitants might perform their + domestic labor in the shade and in the air. The houses were often ancient, + and most picturesquely time-stained, the plaster dropping in spots from + the old brickwork; others were tinted of pleasant and cheerful lines; some + were frescoed with designs in arabesques, or with imaginary windows; some + had escutcheons of arms painted on the front. Wherever there was a + pigeon-house, a flight of doves were represented as flying into the holes, + doubtless for the invitation and encouragement of the real birds. + </p> + <p> + Once or twice I saw a bush stuck up before the door of what seemed to be a + wine-shop. If so, it is the ancient custom, so long disused in England, + and alluded to in the proverb, "Good wine needs no bush." Several times we + saw grass spread to dry on the road, covering half the track, and + concluded it to have been cut by the roadside for the winter forage of his + ass by some poor peasant, or peasant's wife, who had no grass land, except + the margin of the public way. + </p> + <p> + A beautiful feature of the scene to-day, as the preceding day, were the + vines growing on fig-trees (?) [This interrogation-mark must mean that Mr. + Hawthorne was not sure they were fig-trees.—ED.], and often wreathed + in rich festoons from one tree to another, by and by to be hung with + clusters of purple grapes. I suspect the vine is a pleasanter object of + sight under this mode of culture than it can be in countries where it + produces a more precious wine, and therefore is trained more artificially. + Nothing can be more picturesque than the spectacle of an old grapevine, + with almost a trunk of its own, clinging round its tree, imprisoning + within its strong embrace the friend that supported its tender infancy, + converting the tree wholly to its own selfish ends, as seemingly flexible + natures are apt to do, stretching out its innumerable arms on every bough, + and allowing hardly a leaf to sprout except its own. I must not yet quit + this hasty sketch, without throwing in, both in the early morning, and + later in the forenoon, the mist that dreamed among the hills, and which, + now that I have called it mist, I feel almost more inclined to call light, + being so quietly cheerful with the sunshine through it. Put in, now and + then, a castle on a hilltop; a rough ravine, a smiling valley; a mountain + stream, with a far wider bed than it at present needs, and a stone bridge + across it, with ancient and massive arches;—and I shall say no more, + except that all these particulars, and many better ones which escape me, + made up a very pleasant whole. + </p> + <p> + At about noon we drove into the village of Incisa, and alighted at the + albergo where we were to lunch. It was a gloomy old house, as much like my + idea of an Etruscan tomb as anything else that I can compare it to. We + passed into a wide and lofty entrance-hall, paved with stone, and vaulted + with a roof of intersecting arches, supported by heavy columns of + stuccoed-brick, the whole as sombre and dingy as can well be. This + entrance-hall is not merely the passageway into the inn, but is likewise + the carriage-house, into which our vettura is wheeled; and it has, on one + side, the stable, odorous with the litter of horses and cattle, and on the + other the kitchen, and a common sitting-room. A narrow stone staircase + leads from it to the dining-room, and chambers above, which are paved with + brick, and adorned with rude frescos instead of paper-hangings. We look + out of the windows, and step into a little iron-railed balcony, before the + principal window, and observe the scene in the village street. The street + is narrow, and nothing can exceed the tall, grim ugliness of the village + houses, many of them four stories high, contiguous all along, and paved + quite across; so that nature is as completely shut out from the precincts + of this little town as from the heart of the widest city. The walls of the + houses are plastered, gray, dilapidated; the windows small, some of them + drearily closed with wooden shutters, others flung wide open, and with + women's heads protruding, others merely frescoed, for a show of light and + air. It would be a hideous street to look at in a rainy day, or when no + human life pervaded it. Now it has vivacity enough to keep it cheerful. + People lounge round the door of the albergo, and watch the horses as they + drink from a stone trough, which is built against the wall of the house, + and filled with the unseen gush of a spring. + </p> + <p> + At first there is a shade entirely across the street, and all the + within-doors of the village empties itself there, and keeps up a + babblement that seems quite disproportioned even to the multitude of + tongues that make it. So many words are not spoken in a New England + village in a whole year as here in this single day. People talk about + nothing as if they were terribly in earnest, and laugh at nothing as if it + were all excellent joke. + </p> + <p> + As the hot noon sunshine encroaches on our side of the street, it grows a + little more quiet. The loungers now confine themselves to the shady margin + (growing narrower and narrower) of the other side, where, directly + opposite the albergo, there are two cafes and a wine-shop, "vendita di + pane, vino, ed altri generi," all in a row with benches before them. The + benchers joke with the women passing by, and are joked with back again. + The sun still eats away the shadow inch by inch, beating down with such + intensity that finally everybody disappears except a few passers-by. + </p> + <p> + Doubtless the village snatches this half-hour for its siesta. There is a + song, however, inside one of the cafes, with a burden in which several + voices join. A girl goes through the street, sheltered under her great + bundle of freshly cut grass. By and by the song ceases, and two young + peasants come out of the cafe, a little affected by liquor, in their + shirt-sleeves and bare feet, with their trousers tucked up. They resume + their song in the street, and dance along, one's arm around his fellow's + neck, his own waist grasped by the other's arm. They whirl one another + quite round about, and come down upon their feet. Meeting a village maid + coming quietly along, they dance up and intercept her for a moment, but + give way to her sobriety of aspect. They pass on, and the shadow soon + begins to spread from one side of the street, which presently fills again, + and becomes once more, for its size, the noisiest place I ever knew. + </p> + <p> + We had quite a tolerable dinner at this ugly inn, where many preceding + travellers had written their condemnatory judgments, as well as a few + their favorable ones, in pencil on the walls of the dining-room. + </p> + <h3> + TO FLORENCE. + </h3> + <p> + At setting off [from Incisa], we were surrounded by beggars as usual, the + most interesting of whom were a little blind boy and his mother, who had + besieged us with gentle pertinacity during our whole stay there. There was + likewise a man with a maimed hand, and other hurts or deformities; also, + an old woman who, I suspect, only pretended to be blind, keeping her eyes + tightly squeezed together, but directing her hand very accurately where + the copper shower was expected to fall. Besides these, there were a good + many sturdy little rascals, vociferating in proportion as they needed + nothing. It was touching, however, to see several persons—themselves + beggars for aught I know—assisting to hold up the little blind boy's + tremulous hand, so that he, at all events, might not lack the pittance + which we had to give. Our dole was but a poor one, after all, consisting + of what Roman coppers we had brought into Tuscany with us; and as we drove + off, some of the boys ran shouting and whining after us in the hot + sunshine, nor stopped till we reached the summit of the hill, which rises + immediately from the village street. We heard Gaetano once say a good + thing to a swarm of beggar-children, who were infesting us, "Are your + fathers all dead?"—a proverbial expression, I suppose. The + pertinacity of beggars does not, I think, excite the indignation of an + Italian, as it is apt to do that of Englishmen or Americans. The Italians + probably sympathize more, though they give less. Gaetano is very gentle in + his modes of repelling them, and, indeed, never interferes at all, as long + as there is a prospect of their getting anything. + </p> + <p> + Immediately after leaving Incisa, we saw the Arno, already a considerable + river, rushing between deep banks, with the greenish line of a duck-pond + diffused through its water. Nevertheless, though the first impression was + not altogether agreeable, we soon became reconciled to this line, and + ceased to think it an indication of impurity; for, in spite of it, the + river is still to a certain degree transparent, and is, at any rate, a + mountain stream, and comes uncontaminated from its source. The pure, + transparent brown of the New England rivers is the most beautiful color; + but I am content that it should be peculiar to them. + </p> + <p> + Our afternoon's drive was through scenery less striking than some which we + had traversed, but still picturesque and beautiful. We saw deep valleys + and ravines, with streams at the bottom; long, wooded hillsides, rising + far and high, and dotted with white dwellings, well towards the summits. + By and by, we had a distant glimpse of Florence, showing its great dome + and some of its towers out of a sidelong valley, as if we were between two + great waves of the tumultuous sea of hills; while, far beyond, rose in the + distance the blue peaks of three or four of the Apennines, just on the + remote horizon. There being a haziness in the atmosphere, however, + Florence was little more distinct to us than the Celestial City was to + Christian and Hopeful, when they spied at it from the Delectable + Mountains. + </p> + <p> + Keeping steadfastly onward, we ascended a winding road, and passed a grand + villa, standing very high, and surrounded with extensive grounds. It must + be the residence of some great noble; and it has an avenue of poplars or + aspens, very light and gay, and fit for the passage of the bridal + procession, when the proprietor or his heir brings home his bride; while, + in another direction from the same front of the palace, stretches an + avenue or grove of cypresses, very long, and exceedingly black and dismal, + like a train of gigantic mourners. I have seen few things more striking, + in the way of trees, than this grove of cypresses. + </p> + <p> + From this point we descended, and drove along an ugly, dusty avenue, with + a high brick wall on one side or both, till we reached the gate of + Florence, into which we were admitted with as little trouble as + custom-house officers, soldiers, and policemen can possibly give. They did + not examine our luggage, and even declined a fee, as we had already paid + one at the frontier custom-house. Thank heaven, and the Grand Duke! + </p> + <p> + As we hoped that the Casa del Bello had been taken for us, we drove + thither in the first place, but found that the bargain had not been + concluded. As the house and studio of Mr. Powers were just on the opposite + side of the street, I went to it, but found him too much engrossed to see + me at the moment; so I returned to the vettura, and we told Gaetano to + carry us to a hotel. He established us at the Albergo della Fontana, a + good and comfortable house. . . . Mr. Powers called in the evening,—a + plain personage, characterized by strong simplicity and warm kindliness, + with an impending brow, and large eyes, which kindle as he speaks. He is + gray, and slightly bald, but does not seem elderly, nor past his prime. I + accept him at once as an honest and trustworthy man, and shall not vary + from this judgment. Through his good offices, the next day, we engaged the + Casa del Bello, at a rent of fifty dollars a month, and I shall take + another opportunity (my fingers and head being tired now) to write about + the house, and Mr. Powers, and what appertains to him, and about the + beautiful city of Florence. At present, I shall only say further, that + this journey from Rome has been one of the brightest and most uncareful + interludes of my life; we have all enjoyed it exceedingly, and I am happy + that our children have it to look back upon. + </p> + <p> + June 4th.—At our visit to Powers's studio on Tuesday, we saw a + marble copy of the fisher-boy holding a shell to his ear, and the bust of + Proserpine, and two or three other ideal busts; various casts of most of + the ideal statues and portrait busts which he has executed. He talks very + freely about his works, and is no exception to the rule that an artist is + not apt to speak in a very laudatory style of a brother artist. He showed + us a bust of Mr. Sparks by Persico,—a lifeless and thoughtless thing + enough, to be sure,—and compared it with a very good one of the same + gentleman by himself; but his chiefest scorn was bestowed on a wretched + and ridiculous image of Mr. King, of Alabama, by Clark Mills, of which he + said he had been employed to make several copies for Southern gentlemen. + The consciousness of power is plainly to be seen, and the assertion of it + by no means withheld, in his simple and natural character; nor does it + give me an idea of vanity on his part to see and hear it. He appears to + consider himself neglected by his country,—by the government of it, + at least,—and talks with indignation of the byways and political + intrigue which, he thinks, win the rewards that ought to be bestowed + exclusively on merit. An appropriation of twenty-five thousand dollars was + made, some years ago, for a work of sculpture by him, to be placed in the + Capitol; but the intermediate measures necessary to render it effective + have been delayed; while the above-mentioned Clark Mills— certainly + the greatest bungler that ever botched a block of marble—has + received an order for an equestrian statue of Washington. Not that Mr. + Powers is made bitter or sour by these wrongs, as he considers them; he + talks of them with the frankness of his disposition when the topic comes + in his way, and is pleasant, kindly, and sunny when he has done with it. + </p> + <p> + His long absence from our country has made him think worse of us than we + deserve; and it is an effect of what I myself am sensible, in my shorter + exile: the most piercing shriek, the wildest yell, and all the ugly sounds + of popular turmoil, inseparable from the life of a republic, being a + million times more audible than the peaceful hum of prosperity and content + which is going on all the while. + </p> + <p> + He talks of going home, but says that he has been talking of it every year + since he first came to Italy; and between his pleasant life of congenial + labor, and his idea of moral deterioration in America, I think it doubtful + whether he ever crosses the sea again. Like most exiles of twenty years, + he has lost his native country without finding another; but then it is as + well to recognize the truth,—that an individual country is by no + means essential to one's comfort. + </p> + <p> + Powers took us into the farthest room, I believe, of his very extensive + studio, and showed us a statue of Washington that has much dignity and + stateliness. He expressed, however, great contempt for the coat and + breeches, and masonic emblems, in which he had been required to drape the + figure. What would he do with Washington, the most decorous and + respectable personage that ever went ceremoniously through the realities + of life? Did anybody ever see Washington nude? It is inconceivable. He had + no nakedness, but I imagine he was born with his clothes on, and his hair + powdered, and made a stately bow on his first appearance in the world. His + costume, at all events, was a part of his character, and must be dealt + with by whatever sculptor undertakes to represent him. I wonder that so + very sensible a man as Powers should not see the necessity of accepting + drapery, and the very drapery of the day, if he will keep his art alive. + It is his business to idealize the tailor's actual work. But he seems to + be especially fond of nudity, none of his ideal statues, so far as I know + them, having so much as a rag of clothes. His statue of California, lately + finished, and as naked as Venus, seemed to me a very good work; not an + actual woman, capable of exciting passion, but evidently a little out of + the category of human nature. In one hand she holds a divining-rod. "She + says to the emigrants," observed Powers, "'Here is the gold, if you choose + to take it.'" But in her face, and in her eyes, very finely expressed, + there is a look of latent mischief, rather grave than playful, yet + somewhat impish or sprite-like; and, in the other hand, behind her back, + she holds a bunch of thorns. Powers calls her eyes Indian. The statue is + true to the present fact and history of California, and includes the + age-long truth as respects the "auri sacra fames." . . . . + </p> + <p> + When we had looked sufficiently at the sculpture, Powers proposed that we + should now go across the street and see the Casa del Bello. We did so in a + body, Powers in his dressing-gown and slippers, and his wife and daughters + without assuming any street costume. + </p> + <p> + The Casa del Bello is a palace of three pianos, the topmost of which is + occupied by the Countess of St. George, an English lady, and two lower + pianos are to be let, and we looked at both. The upper one would have + suited me well enough; but the lower has a terrace, with a rustic + summer-house over it, and is connected with a garden, where there are + arbors and a willow-tree, and a little wilderness of shrubbery and roses, + with a fountain in the midst. It has likewise an immense suite of rooms, + round the four sides of a small court, spacious, lofty, with frescoed + ceilings and rich hangings, and abundantly furnished with arm-chairs, + sofas, marble tables, and great looking-glasses. Not that these last are a + great temptation, but in our wandering life I wished to be perfectly + comfortable myself, and to make my family so, for just this summer, and so + I have taken the lower piano, the price being only fifty dollars per month + (entirely furnished, even to silver and linen). Certainly this is + something like the paradise of cheapness we were told of, and which we + vainly sought in Rome. . . . + </p> + <p> + To me has been assigned the pleasantest room for my study; and when I like + I can overflow into the summer-house or an arbor, and sit there dreaming + of a story. The weather is delightful, too warm to walk, but perfectly fit + to do nothing in, in the coolness of these great rooms. Every day I shall + write a little, perhaps,—and probably take a brief nap somewhere + between breakfast and tea,—but go to see pictures and statues + occasionally, and so assuage and mollify myself a little after that + uncongenial life of the consulate, and before going back to my own hard + and dusty New England. + </p> + <p> + After concluding the arrangement for the Casa del Bello, we stood talking + a little while with Powers and his wife and daughter before the door of + the house, for they seem so far to have adopted the habits of the + Florentines as to feel themselves at home on the shady side of the street. + The out-of-door life and free communication with the pavement, habitual + apparently among the middle classes, reminds me of the plays of Moliere + and other old dramatists, in which the street or the square becomes a sort + of common parlor, where most of the talk and scenic business of the people + is carried on. + </p> + <p> + June 5th.—For two or three mornings after breakfast I have rambled a + little about the city till the shade grew narrow beneath the walls of the + houses, and the heat made it uncomfortable to be in motion. To-day I went + over the Ponte Carraja, and thence into and through the heart of the city, + looking into several churches, in all of which I found people taking + advantage of the cool breadth of these sacred interiors to refresh + themselves and say their prayers. Florence at first struck me as having + the aspect of a very new city in comparison with Rome; but, on closer + acquaintance, I find that many of the buildings are antique and massive, + though still the clear atmosphere, the bright sunshine, the light, + cheerful hues of the stucco, and—as much as anything else, perhaps—the + vivacious character of the human life in the streets, take away the sense + of its being an ancient city. The streets are delightful to walk in after + so many penitential pilgrimages as I have made over those little square, + uneven blocks of the Roman pavement, which wear out the boots and torment + the soul. I absolutely walk on the smooth flags of Florence for the mere + pleasure of walking, and live in its atmosphere for the mere pleasure of + living; and, warm as the weather is getting to be, I never feel that + inclination to sink down in a heap and never stir again, which was my dull + torment and misery as long as I stayed in Rome. I hardly think there can + be a place in the world where life is more delicious for its own simple + sake than here. + </p> + <p> + I went to-day into the Baptistery, which stands near the Duomo, and, like + that, is covered externally with slabs of black and white marble, now + grown brown and yellow with age. The edifice is octagonal, and on + entering, one immediately thinks of the Pantheon,—the whole space + within being free from side to side, with a dome above; but it differs + from the severe simplicity of the former edifice, being elaborately + ornamented with marble and frescos, and lacking that great eye in the roof + that looks so nobly and reverently heavenward from the Pantheon. I did + little more than pass through the Baptistery, glancing at the famous + bronze doors, some perfect and admirable casts of which I had already seen + at the Crystal Palace. + </p> + <p> + The entrance of the Duomo being just across the piazza, I went in there + after leaving the Baptistery, and was struck anew—for this is the + third or fourth visit—with the dim grandeur of the interior, lighted + as it is almost exclusively by painted windows, which seem to me worth all + the variegated marbles and rich cabinet-work of St. Peter's. The + Florentine Cathedral has a spacious and lofty nave, and side aisles + divided from it by pillars; but there are no chapels along the aisles, so + that there is far more breadth and freedom of interior, in proportion to + the actual space, than is usual in churches. It is woful to think how the + vast capaciousness within St. Peter's is thrown away, and made to seem + smaller than it is by every possible device, as if on purpose. The pillars + and walls of this Duomo are of a uniform brownish, neutral tint; the + pavement, a mosaic work of marble; the ceiling of the dome itself is + covered with frescos, which, being very imperfectly lighted, it is + impossible to trace out. Indeed, it is but a twilight region that is + enclosed within the firmament of this great dome, which is actually larger + than that of St. Peter's, though not lifted so high from the pavement. But + looking at the painted windows, I little cared what dimness there might be + elsewhere; for certainly the art of man has never contrived any other + beauty and glory at all to be compared to this. + </p> + <p> + The dome sits, as it were, upon three smaller domes,—smaller, but + still great,—beneath which are three vast niches, forming the + transepts of the cathedral and the tribune behind the high altar. All + round these hollow, dome-covered arches or niches are high and narrow + windows crowded with saints, angels, and all manner of blessed shapes, + that turn the common daylight into a miracle of richness and splendor as + it passes through their heavenly substance. And just beneath the swell of + the great central dome is a wreath of circular windows quite round it, as + brilliant as the tall and narrow ones below. It is a pity anybody should + die without seeing an antique painted window, with the bright Italian + sunshine glowing through it. This is "the dim, religious light" that + Milton speaks of; but I doubt whether he saw these windows when he was in + Italy, or any but those faded or dusty and dingy ones of the English + cathedrals, else he would have illuminated that word "dim" with some + epithet that should not chase away the dimness, yet should make it shine + like a million of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and topazes,—bright + in themselves, but dim with tenderness and reverence because God himself + was shining through them. I hate what I have said. + </p> + <p> + All the time that I was in the cathedral the space around the high altar, + which stands exactly under the dome, was occupied by priests or acolytes + in white garments, chanting a religious service. + </p> + <p> + After coming out, I took a view of the edifice from a corner of the street + nearest to the dome, where it and the smaller domes can be seen at once. + It is greatly more satisfactory than St. Peter's in any view I ever had of + it,—striking in its outline, with a mystery, yet not a bewilderment, + in its masses and curves and angles, and wrought out with a richness of + detail that gives the eyes new arches, new galleries, new niches, new + pinnacles, new beauties, great and small, to play with when wearied with + the vast whole. The hue, black and white marbles, like the Baptistery, + turned also yellow and brown, is greatly preferable to the buff travertine + of St. Peter's. + </p> + <p> + From the Duomo it is but a moderate street's length to the Piazza del Gran + Duca, the principal square of Florence. It is a very interesting place, + and has on one side the old Governmental Palace,—the Palazzo + Vecchio,—where many scenes of historic interest have been enacted; + for example, conspirators have been hanged from its windows, or + precipitated from them upon the pavement of the square below. + </p> + <p> + It is a pity that we cannot take as much interest in the history of these + Italian Republics as in that of England, for the former is much the more + picturesque and fuller of curious incident. The sobriety of the + Anglo-Saxon race—in connection, too, with their moral sense—keeps + them from doing a great many things that would enliven the page of + history; and their events seem to come in great masses, shoved along by + the agency of many persons, rather than to result from individual will and + character. A hundred plots for a tragedy might be found in Florentine + history for one in English. + </p> + <p> + At one corner of the Palazzo Vecchio is a bronze equestrian statue of + Cosmo de' Medici, the first Grand Duke, very stately and majestic; there + are other marble statues—one of David, by Michael Angelo—at + each side of the palace door; and entering the court I found a rich + antique arcade within, surrounded by marble pillars, most elaborately + carved, supporting arches that were covered with faded frescos. I went no + farther, but stepped across a little space of the square to the Loggia di + Lanzi, which is broad and noble, of three vast arches, at the end of + which, I take it, is a part of the Palazzo Uffizi fronting on the piazza. + I should call it a portico if it stood before the palace door; but it + seems to have been constructed merely for itself, and as a shelter for the + people from sun and rain, and to contain some fine specimens of sculpture, + as well antique as of more modern times. Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus + stands here; but it did not strike me so much as the cast of it in the + Crystal Palace. + </p> + <p> + A good many people were under these great arches; some of whom were + reclining, half or quite asleep, on the marble seats that are built + against the back of the loggia. A group was reading an edict of the Grand + Duke, which appeared to have been just posted on a board, at the farther + end of it; and I was surprised at the interest which they ventured to + manifest, and the freedom with which they seemed to discuss it. A soldier + was on guard, and doubtless there were spies enough to carry every word + that was said to the ear of absolute authority. Glancing myself at the + edict, however, I found it referred only to the furtherance of a project, + got up among the citizens themselves, for bringing water into the city; + and on such topics, I suppose there is freedom of discussion. + </p> + <p> + June 7th.—Saturday evening we walked with U—— and J——- + into the city, and looked at the exterior of the Duomo with new + admiration. Since my former view of it, I have noticed—which, + strangely enough, did not strike me before—that the facade is but a + great, bare, ugly space, roughly plastered over, with the brickwork + peeping through it in spots, and a faint, almost invisible fresco of + colors upon it. This front was once nearly finished with an incrustation + of black and white marble, like the rest of the edifice; but one of the + city magistrates, Benedetto Uguccione, demolished it, three hundred years + ago, with the idea of building it again in better style. He failed to do + so, and, ever since, the magnificence of the great church has been marred + by this unsightly roughness of what should have been its richest part; nor + is there, I suppose, any hope that it will ever be finished now. + </p> + <p> + The campanile, or bell-tower, stands within a few paces of the cathedral, + but entirely disconnected from it, rising to a height of nearly three + hundred feet, a square tower of light marbles, now discolored by time. It + is impossible to give an idea of the richness of effect produced by its + elaborate finish; the whole surface of the four sides, from top to bottom, + being decorated with all manner of statuesque and architectural sculpture. + It is like a toy of ivory, which some ingenious and pious monk might have + spent his lifetime in adorning with scriptural designs and figures of + saints; and when it was finished, seeing it so beautiful, he prayed that + it might be miraculously magnified from the size of one foot to that of + three hundred. This idea somewhat satisfies me, as conveying an impression + how gigantesque the campanile is in its mass and height, and how minute + and varied in its detail. Surely these mediaeval works have an advantage + over the classic. They combine the telescope and the microscope. + </p> + <p> + The city was all alive in the summer evening, and the streets humming with + voices. Before the doors of the cafes were tables, at which people were + taking refreshment, and it went to my heart to see a bottle of English + ale, some of which was poured foaming into a glass; at least, it had + exactly the amber hue and the foam of English bitter ale; but perhaps it + may have been merely a Florentine imitation. + </p> + <p> + As we returned home over the Arno, crossing the Ponte di Santa Trinita, we + were struck by the beautiful scene of the broad, calm river, with the + palaces along its shores repeated in it, on either side, and the + neighboring bridges, too, just as perfect in the tide beneath as in the + air above,—a city of dream and shadow so close to the actual one. + God has a meaning, no doubt, in putting this spiritual symbol continually + beside us. + </p> + <p> + Along the river, on both sides, as far as we could see, there was a row of + brilliant lamps, which, in the far distance, looked like a cornice of + golden light; and this also shone as brightly in the river's depths. The + lilies of the evening, in the quarter where the sun had gone down, were + very soft and beautiful, though not so gorgeous as thousands that I have + seen in America. But I believe I must fairly confess that the Italian sky, + in the daytime, is bluer and brighter than our own, and that the + atmosphere has a quality of showing objects to better advantage. It is + more than mere daylight; the magic of moonlight is somehow mixed up with + it, although it is so transparent a medium of light. + </p> + <p> + Last evening, Mr. Powers called to see us, and sat down to talk in a + friendly and familiar way. I do not know a man of more facile intercourse, + nor with whom one so easily gets rid of ceremony. His conversation, too, + is interesting. He talked, to begin with, about Italian food, as poultry, + mutton, beef, and their lack of savoriness as compared with our own; and + mentioned an exquisite dish of vegetables which they prepare from squash + or pumpkin blossoms; likewise another dish, which it will be well for us + to remember when we get back to the Wayside, where we are overrun with + acacias. It consists of the acacia-blossoms in a certain stage of their + development fried in olive-oil. I shall get the receipt from Mrs. Powers, + and mean to deserve well of my country by first trying it, and then making + it known; only I doubt whether American lard, or even butter, will produce + the dish quite so delicately as fresh Florence oil. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, I like Powers all the better, because he does not put his life + wholly into marble. We had much talk, nevertheless, on matters of + sculpture, for he drank a cup of tea with us, and stayed a good while. + </p> + <p> + He passed a condemnatory sentence on classic busts in general, saying that + they were conventional, and not to be depended upon as trite + representations of the persons. He particularly excepted none but the bust + of Caracalla; and, indeed, everybody that has seen this bust must feel the + justice of the exception, and so be the more inclined to accept his + opinion about the rest. There are not more than half a dozen—that of + Cato the Censor among the others—in regard to which I should like to + ask his judgment individually. He seems to think the faculty of making a + bust an extremely rare one. Canova put his own likeness into all the busts + he made. Greenough could not make a good one; nor Crawford, nor Gibson. + Mr. Harte, he observed,—an American sculptor, now a resident in + Florence,—is the best man of the day for making busts. Of course, it + is to be presumed that he excepts himself; but I would not do Powers the + great injustice to imply that there is the slightest professional jealousy + in his estimate of what others have done, or are now doing, in his own + art. If he saw a better man than himself, he would recognize him at once, + and tell the world of him; but he knows well enough that, in this line, + there is no better, and probably none so good. It would not accord with + the simplicity of his character to blink a fact that stands so broadly + before him. + </p> + <p> + We asked him what he thought, of Mr. Gibson's practice of coloring his + statues, and he quietly and slyly said that he himself had made wax + figures in his earlier days, but had left off making them now. In short, + he objected to the practice wholly, and said that a letter of his on the + subject had been published in the London "Athenaeum," and had given great + offence to some of Mr. Gibson's friends. It appeared to me, however, that + his arguments did not apply quite fairly to the case, for he seems to + think Gibson aims at producing an illusion of life in the statue, whereas + I think his object is merely to give warmth and softness to the snowy + marble, and so bring it a little nearer to our hearts and sympathies. Even + so far, nevertheless, I doubt whether the practice is defensible, and I + was glad to see that Powers scorned, at all events, the argument drawn + from the use of color by the antique sculptors, on which Gibson relies so + much. It might almost be implied, from the contemptuous way in which + Powers spoke of color, that he considers it an impertinence on the face of + visible nature, and would rather the world had been made without it; for + he said that everything in intellect or feeling can be expressed as + perfectly, or more so, by the sculptor in colorless marble, as by the + painter with all the resources of his palette. I asked him whether he + could model the face of Beatrice Cenci from Guido's picture so as to + retain the subtle expression, and he said he could, for that the + expression depended entirely on the drawing, "the picture being a badly + colored thing." I inquired whether he could model a blush, and he said + "Yes"; and that he had once proposed to an artist to express a blush in + marble, if he would express it in picture. On consideration, I believe one + to be as impossible as the other; the life and reality of the blush being + in its tremulousness, coming and going. It is lost in a settled red just + as much as in a settled paleness, and neither the sculptor nor painter can + do more than represent the circumstances of attitude and expression that + accompany the blush. There was a great deal of truth in what Powers said + about this matter of color, and in one of our interminable New England + winters it ought to comfort us to think how little necessity there is for + any hue but that of the snow. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Powers, nevertheless, had brought us a bunch of beautiful roses, and + seemed as capable of appreciating their delicate blush as we were. The + best thing he said against the use of color in marble was to the effect + that the whiteness removed the object represented into a sort of spiritual + region, and so gave chaste permission to those nudities which would + otherwise suggest immodesty. I have myself felt the truth of this in a + certain sense of shame as I looked at Gibson's tinted Venus. + </p> + <p> + He took his leave at about eight o'clock, being to make a call on the + Bryants, who are at the Hotel de New York, and also on Mrs. Browning, at + Casa Guidi. + </p> + <h3> + END OF VOL. I. + </h3> + <div style="height: 6em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Passages From the French and Italian +Notebooks, Volume 1, by Nathaniel Hawthorne + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PASSAGES FRENCH AND ITALIAN *** + +***** This file should be named 7879-h.htm or 7879-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/8/7/7879/ + +Produced by Tapio Riikonen and David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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