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diff --git a/7880-h/7880-h.htm b/7880-h/7880-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..80797e3 --- /dev/null +++ b/7880-h/7880-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,8246 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + Passages from Hawthorne's Note-books in France and Italy, Vol. 2 by + Nathaniel Hawthorne + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Passages From the French and Italian +Notebooks, Volume 2, by Nathaniel Hawthorne + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. 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 2 + +Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne + +Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7880] +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 PASSSAGES 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 HAWTHORNE'S NOTE-BOOKS IN FRANCE AND ITALY + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + By Nathaniel Hawthorbne + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h2> + FLORENCE (Continued). + </h2> + <p> + June 8th.—I went this morning to the Uffizi gallery. The entrance is + from the great court of the palace, which communicates with Lung' Arno at + one end, and with the Grand Ducal Piazza at the other. The gallery is in + the upper story of the palace, and in the vestibule are some busts of the + princes and cardinals of the Medici family,—none of them beautiful, + one or two so ugly as to be ludicrous, especially one who is all but + buried in his own wig. I at first travelled slowly through the whole + extent of this long, long gallery, which occupies the entire length of the + palace on both sides of the court, and is full of sculpture and pictures. + The latter, being opposite to the light, are not seen to the best + advantage; but it is the most perfect collection, in a chronological + series, that I have seen, comprehending specimens of all the masters since + painting began to be an art. Here are Giotto, and Cimabue, and Botticelli, + and Fra Angelico, and Filippo Lippi, and a hundred others, who have + haunted me in churches and galleries ever since I have been in Italy, and + who ought to interest me a great deal more than they do. Occasionally + to-day I was sensible of a certain degree of emotion in looking at an old + picture; as, for example, by a large, dark, ugly picture of Christ hearing + the cross and sinking beneath it, when, somehow or other, a sense of his + agony, and the fearful wrong that mankind did (and does) its Redeemer, and + the scorn of his enemies, and the sorrow of those who loved him, came + knocking at any heart and got entrance there. Once more I deem it a pity + that Protestantism should have entirely laid aside this mode of appealing + to the religious sentiment. + </p> + <p> + I chiefly paid attention to the sculpture, and was interested in a long + series of busts of the emperors and the members of their families, and + some of the great men of Rome. There is a bust of Pompey the Great, + bearing not the slightest resemblance to that vulgar and unintellectual + one in the gallery of the Capitol, altogether a different cast of + countenance. I could not judge whether it resembled the face of the + statue, having seen the latter so imperfectly in the duskiness of the hall + of the Spada Palace. These, I presume, are the busts which Mr. Powers + condemns, from internal evidence, as unreliable and conventional. He may + be right,—and is far more likely, of course, to be right than I am,—yet + there certainly seems to be character in these marble faces, and they + differ as much among themselves as the same number of living faces might. + The bust of Caracalla, however, which Powers excepted from his censure, + certainly does give stronger assurance of its being an individual and + faithful portrait than any other in the series. All the busts of Caracalla—of + which I have seen many—give the same evidence of their truth; and I + should like to know what it was in this abominable emperor that made him + insist upon having his actual likeness perpetuated, with all the ugliness + of its animal and moral character. I rather respect him for it, and still + more the sculptor, whose hand, methinks, must have trembled as he wrought + the bust. Generally these wicked old fellows, and their wicked wives and + daughters, are not so hideous as we might expect. Messalina, for instance, + has small and pretty features, though with rather a sensual development of + the lower part of the face. The busts, it seemed to me, are usually + superior as works of art to those in the Capitol, and either better + preserved or more thoroughly restored. The bust of Nero might almost be + called handsome here, though bearing his likeness unmistakably. + </p> + <p> + I wish some competent person would undertake to analyze and develop his + character, and how and by what necessity—with all his elegant + tastes, his love of the beautiful, his artist nature—he grew to be + such a monster. Nero has never yet had justice done him, nor have any of + the wicked emperors; not that I suppose them to have been any less + monstrous than history represents them; but there must surely have been + something in their position and circumstances to render the terrible moral + disease which seized upon them so generally almost inevitable. A wise and + profound man, tender and reverent of the human soul, and capable of + appreciating it in its height and depth, has a great field here for the + exercise of his powers. It has struck me, in reading the history of the + Italian republics, that many of the tyrants, who sprung up after the + destruction of their liberties, resembled the worst of the Roman emperors. + The subject of Nero and his brethren has often perplexed me with vain + desires to come at the truth. + </p> + <p> + There were many beautiful specimens of antique, ideal sculpture all along + the gallery,—Apollos, Bacchuses, Venuses, Mercurys, Fauns,—with + the general character of all of which I was familiar enough to recognize + them at a glance. The mystery and wonder of the gallery, however, the + Venus de' Medici, I could nowhere see, and indeed was almost afraid to see + it; for I somewhat apprehended the extinction of another of those lights + that shine along a man's pathway, and go out in a snuff the instant he + comes within eyeshot of the fulfilment of his hopes. My European + experience has extinguished many such. I was pretty well contented, + therefore, not to find the famous statue in the whole of my long journey + from end to end of the gallery, which terminates on the opposite side of + the court from that where it commences. The ceiling, by the by, through + the entire length, is covered with frescos, and the floor paved with a + composition of stone smooth and polished like marble. The final piece of + sculpture, at the end of the gallery, is a copy of the Laocoon, considered + very fine. I know not why, but it did not impress me with the sense of + mighty and terrible repose—a repose growing out of the infinitude of + trouble— that I had felt in the original. + </p> + <p> + Parallel with the gallery, on both sides of the palace-court, there runs a + series of rooms devoted chiefly to pictures, although statues and + bas-reliefs are likewise contained in some of them. I remember an + unfinished bas-relief by Michael Angelo of a Holy Family, which I touched + with my finger, because it seemed as if he might have been at work upon it + only an hour ago. The pictures I did little more than glance at, till I + had almost completed again the circuit of the gallery, through this series + of parallel rooms, and then I came upon a collection of French and Dutch + and Flemish masters, all of which interested me more than the Italian + generally. There was a beautiful picture by Claude, almost as good as + those in the British National Gallery, and very like in subject; the sun + near the horizon, of course, and throwing its line of light over the + ripple of water, with ships at the strand, and one or two palaces of + stately architecture on the shore. Landscapes by Rembrandt; fat Graces and + other plump nudities by Rubens; brass pans and earthen pots and herrings + by Terriers and other Dutchmen; none by Gerard Douw, I think, but several + by Mieris; all of which were like bread and beef and ale, after having + been fed too long on made dishes. This is really a wonderful collection of + pictures; and from first, to last—from Giotto to the men of + yesterday—they are in admirable condition, and may be appreciated + for all the merit that they ever possessed. + </p> + <p> + I could not quite believe that I was not to find the Venus de' Medici; and + still, as I passed from one room to another, my breath rose and fell a + little, with the half-hope, half-fear, that she might stand before me. + Really, I did not know that I cared so much about Venus, or any possible + woman of marble. At last, when I had come from among the Dutchmen, I + believe, and was looking at some works of Italian artists, chiefly + Florentines, I caught a glimpse of her through the door of the next room. + It is the best room of the series, octagonal in shape, and hung with red + damask, and the light comes down from a row of windows, passing quite + round, beneath an octagonal dome. The Venus stands somewhat aside from the + centre of the room, and is surrounded by an iron railing, a pace or two + from her pedestal in front, and less behind. I think she might safely be + left to the reverence her womanhood would win, without any other + protection. She is very beautiful, very satisfactory; and has a fresh and + new charm about her unreached by any cast or copy. The line of the marble + is just so much mellowed by time, as to do for her all that Gibson tries, + or ought to try to do for his statues by color, softening her, warming her + almost imperceptibly, making her an inmate of the heart, as well as a + spiritual existence. I felt a kind of tenderness for her; an affection, + not as if she were one woman, but all womanhood in one. Her modest + attitude, which, before I saw her I had not liked, deeming that it might + be an artificial shame, is partly what unmakes her as the heathen goddess, + and softens her into woman. There is a slight degree of alarm, too, in her + face; not that she really thinks anybody is looking at her, yet the idea + has flitted through her mind, and startled her a little. Her face is so + beautiful and intellectual, that it is not dazzled out of sight by her + form. Methinks this was a triumph for the sculptor to achieve. I may as + well stop here. It is of no use to throw heaps of words upon her; for they + all fall away, and leave her standing in chaste and naked grace, as + untouched as when I began. + </p> + <p> + She has suffered terribly by the mishaps of her long existence in the + marble. Each of her legs has been broken into two or three fragments, her + arms have been severed, her body has been broken quite across at the + waist, her head has been snapped off at the neck. Furthermore, there have + been grievous wounds and losses of substance in various tender parts of + her person. But on account of the skill with which the statue has been + restored, and also because the idea is perfect and indestructible, all + these injuries do not in the least impair the effect, even when you see + where the dissevered fragments have been reunited. She is just as whole as + when she left the hands of the sculptor. I am glad to have seen this + Venus, and to have found her so tender and so chaste. On the wall of the + room, and to be taken in at the same glance, is a painted Venus by Titian, + reclining on a couch, naked and lustful. + </p> + <p> + The room of the Venus seems to be the treasure-place of the whole Uffizi + Palace, containing more pictures by famous masters than are to be found in + all the rest of the gallery. There were several by Raphael, and the room + was crowded with the easels of artists. I did not look half enough at + anything, but merely took a preliminary taste, as a prophecy of enjoyment + to come. + </p> + <p> + As we were at dinner to-day, at half past three, there was a ring at the + door, and a minute after our servant brought a card. It was Mr. Robert + Browning's, and on it was written in pencil an invitation for us to go to + see them this evening. He had left the card and gone away; but very soon + the bell rang again, and he had come back, having forgotten to give his + address. This time he came in; and he shook hands with all of us, children + and grown people, and was very vivacious and agreeable. He looked younger + and even handsomer than when I saw him in London, two years ago, and his + gray hairs seemed fewer than those that had then strayed into his youthful + head. He talked a wonderful quantity in a little time, and told us—among + other things that we should never have dreamed of—that Italian + people will not cheat you, if you construe them generously, and put them + upon their honor. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Browning was very kind and warm in his expressions of pleasure at + seeing us; and, on our part, we were all very glad to meet him. He must be + an exceedingly likable man. . . . They are to leave Florence very soon, + and are going to Normandy, I think he said, for the rest of the summer. + </p> + <p> + The Venus de' Medici has a dimple in her chin. + </p> + <p> + June 9th.—We went last evening, at eight o'clock, to see the + Brownings; and, after some search and inquiry, we found the Casa Guidi, + which is a palace in a street not very far from our own. It being dusk, I + could not see the exterior, which, if I remember, Browning has celebrated + in song; at all events, Mrs. Browning has called one of her poems "Casa + Guidi Windows." + </p> + <p> + The street is a narrow one; but on entering the palace, we found a + spacious staircase and ample accommodations of vestibule and hall, the + latter opening on a balcony, where we could hear the chanting of priests + in a church close by. Browning told us that this was the first church + where an oratorio had ever been performed. He came into the anteroom to + greet us, as did his little boy, Robert, whom they call Pennini for + fondness. The latter cognomen is a diminutive of Apennino, which was + bestowed upon him at his first advent into the world because he was so + very small, there being a statue in Florence of colossal size called + Apennino. I never saw such a boy as this before; so slender, fragile, and + spirit-like,—not as if he were actually in ill health, but as if he + had little or nothing to do with human flesh and blood. His face is very + pretty and most intelligent, and exceedingly like his mother's. He is nine + years old, and seems at once less childlike and less manly than would + befit that age. I should not quite like to be the father of such a boy, + and should fear to stake so much interest and affection on him as he + cannot fail to inspire. I wonder what is to become of him,—whether + he will ever grow to be a man,—whether it is desirable that he + should. His parents ought to turn their whole attention to making him + robust and earthly, and to giving him a thicker scabbard to sheathe his + spirit in. He was born in Florence, and prides himself on being a + Florentine, and is indeed as un-English a production as if he were native + of another planet. + </p> + <p> + Mrs. Browning met us at the door of the drawing-room, and greeted us most + kindly,—a pale, small person, scarcely embodied at all; at any rate, + only substantial enough to put forth her slender fingers to be grasped, + and to speak with a shrill, yet sweet, tenuity of voice. Really, I do not + see how Mr. Browning can suppose that he has an earthly wife any more than + an earthly child; both are of the elfin race, and will flit away from him + some day when he least thinks of it. She is a good and kind fairy, + however, and sweetly disposed towards the human race, although only + remotely akin to it. It is wonderful to see how small she is, how pale her + cheek, how bright and dark her eyes. There is not such another figure in + the world; and her black ringlets cluster down into her neck, and make her + face look the whiter by their sable profusion. I could not form any + judgment about her age; it may range anywhere within the limits of human + life or elfin life. When I met her in London at Lord Houghton's + breakfast-table, she did not impress me so singularly; for the morning + light is more prosaic than the dim illumination of their great tapestried + drawing-room; and besides, sitting next to her, she did not have occasion + to raise her voice in speaking, and I was not sensible what a slender + voice she has. It is marvellous to me how so extraordinary, so acute, so + sensitive a creature can impress us, as she does, with the certainty of + her benevolence. It seems to me there were a million chances to one that + she would have been a miracle of acidity and bitterness. + </p> + <p> + We were not the only guests. Mr. and Mrs. E———, + Americans, recently from the East, and on intimate terms with the + Brownings, arrived after us; also Miss F. H———, an + English literary lady, whom I have met several times in Liverpool; and + lastly came the white head and palmer-like beard of Mr. ——— + with his daughter. Mr. Browning was very efficient in keeping up + conversation with everybody, and seemed to be in all parts of the room and + in every group at the same moment; a most vivid and quick-thoughted + person, logical and common-sensible, as, I presume, poets generally are in + their daily talk. + </p> + <p> + Mr. ———, as usual, was homely and plain of manner, with + an old-fashioned dignity, nevertheless, and a remarkable deference and + gentleness of tone in addressing Mrs. Browning. I doubt, however, whether + he has any high appreciation either of her poetry or her husband's, and it + is my impression that they care as little about his. + </p> + <p> + We had some tea and some strawberries, and passed a pleasant evening. + There was no very noteworthy conversation; the most interesting topic + being that disagreeable and now wearisome one of spiritual communications, + as regards which Mrs. Browning is a believer, and her husband an infidel. + Mr. ——— appeared not to have made up his mind on the + matter, but told a story of a successful communication between Cooper the + novelist and his sister, who had been dead fifty years. Browning and his + wife had both been present at a spiritual session held by Mr. Hume, and + had seen and felt the unearthly hands, one of which had placed a laurel + wreath on Mrs. Browning's head. Browning, however, avowed his belief that + these hands were affixed to the feet of Mr. Hume, who lay extended in his + chair, with his legs stretched far under the table. The marvellousness of + the fact, as I have read of it, and heard it from other eye-witnesses, + melted strangely away in his hearty gripe, and at the sharp touch of his + logic; while his wife, ever and anon, put in a little gentle word of + expostulation. + </p> + <p> + I am rather surprised that Browning's conversation should be so clear, and + so much to the purpose at the moment, since his poetry can seldom proceed + far without running into the high grass of latent meanings and obscure + allusions. + </p> + <p> + Mrs. Browning's health does not permit late hours, so we began to take + heave at about ten o'clock. I heard her ask Mr. ——— if + he did not mean to revisit Europe, and heard him answer, not uncheerfully, + taking hold of his white hair, "It is getting rather too late in the + evening now." If any old age can be cheerful, I should think his might be; + so good a man, so cool, so calm, so bright, too, we may say. His life has + been like the days that end in pleasant sunsets. He has a great loss, + however, or what ought to be a great loss,—soon to be encountered in + the death of his wife, who, I think, can hardly live to reach America. He + is not eminently an affectionate man. I take him to be one who cannot get + closely home to his sorrow, nor feel it so sensibly as he gladly would; + and, in consequence of that deficiency, the world lacks substance to him. + It is partly the result, perhaps, of his not having sufficiently + cultivated his emotional nature. His poetry shows it, and his personal + intercourse, though kindly, does not stir one's blood in the least. + </p> + <p> + Little Pennini, during the evening, sometimes helped the guests to cake + and strawberries; joined in the conversation, when he had anything to say, + or sat down upon a couch to enjoy his own meditations. He has long curling + hair, and has not yet emerged from his frock and short hose. It is funny + to think of putting him into trousers. His likeness to his mother is + strange to behold. + </p> + <p> + June 10th.—My wife and I went to the Pitti Palace to-day; and first + entered a court where, yesterday, she had seen a carpet of flowers, + arranged for some great ceremony. It must have been a most beautiful + sight, the pavement of the court being entirely covered by them, in a + regular pattern of brilliant lines, so as really to be a living mosaic. + This morning, however, the court had nothing but its usual stones, and the + show of yesterday seemed so much the more inestimable as having been so + evanescent. Around the walls of the court there were still some pieces of + splendid tapestry which had made part of yesterday's magnificence. We went + up the staircase, of regally broad and easy ascent, and made application + to be admitted to see the grand-ducal apartments. An attendant accordingly + took the keys, and ushered us first into a great hall with a vaulted + ceiling, and then through a series of noble rooms, with rich frescos above + and mosaic floors, hung with damask, adorned with gilded chandeliers, and + glowing, in short, with more gorgeousness than I could have imagined + beforehand, or can now remember. In many of the rooms were those superb + antique cabinets which I admire more than any other furniture ever + invented; only these were of unexampled art and glory, inlaid with + precious stones, and with beautiful Florentine mosaics, both of flowers + and landscapes,—each cabinet worth a lifetime's toil to make it, and + the cost a whole palace to pay for it. Many of the rooms were covered with + arras, of landscapes, hunting-scenes, mythological subjects, or historical + scenes, equal to pictures in truth of representation, and possessing an + indescribable richness that makes them preferable as a mere adornment of + princely halls and chambers. Some of the rooms, as I have said, were laid + in mosaic of stone and marble, otherwise in lovely patterns of various + woods; others were covered with carpets, delightful to tread upon, and + glowing like the living floor of flowers which my wife saw yesterday. + There were tables, too, of Florentine mosaic, the mere materials of which—lapis + lazuli, malachite, pearl, and a hundred other precious things—were + worth a fortune, and made a thousand times more valuable by the artistic + skill of the manufacturer. I toss together brilliant words by the handful, + and make a rude sort of patchwork, but can record no adequate idea of what + I saw in this suite of rooms; and the taste, the subdued splendor, so that + it did not shine too high, but was all tempered into an effect at once + grand and soft,—this was quite as remarkable as the gorgeous + material. I have seen a very dazzling effect produced in the principal + cabin of an American clipper-ship quite opposed to this in taste. + </p> + <p> + After making the circuit of the grand-ducal apartments, we went into a + door in the left wing of the palace, and ascended a narrow flight of + stairs,—several tortuous flights indeed,—to the + picture-gallery. It fills a great many stately halls, which themselves are + well worth a visit for the architecture and frescos; only these matters + become commonplace after travelling through a mile or two of them. The + collection of pictures—as well for their number as for the celebrity + and excellence of many of them—is the most interesting that I have + seen, and I do not yet feel in a condition, nor perhaps ever shall, to + speak of a single one. It gladdened my very heart to find that they were + not darkened out of sight, nor apparently at all injured by time, but were + well kept and varnished, brilliantly framed, and, no doubt, restored by + skilful touches if any of them needed it. The artists and amateurs may say + what they like; for my part, I know no drearier feeling than that inspired + by a ruined picture,—ruined, that is, by time, damp, or rough + treatment,—and I would a thousand times rather an artist should do + his best towards reviving it, than have it left in such a condition. I do + not believe, however, that these pictures have been sacrilegiously + interfered with; at all events, I saw in the masterpieces no touch but + what seemed worthy of the master-hand. + </p> + <p> + The most beautiful picture in the world, I am convinced, is Raphael's + "Madonna della Seggiola." I was familiar with it in a hundred engravings + and copies, and therefore it shone upon one as with a familiar beauty, + though infinitely more divine than I had ever seen it before. An artist + was copying it, and producing certainly something very like a fac-simile, + yet leaving out, as a matter of course, that mysterious something that + renders the picture a miracle. It is my present opinion that the pictorial + art is capable of something more like magic, more wonderful and + inscrutable in its methods, than poetry or any other mode of developing + the beautiful. But how does this accord with what I have been saying only + a minute ago? How then can the decayed picture of a great master ever be + restored by the touches of an inferior hand? Doubtless it never can be + restored; but let some devoted worshipper do his utmost, and the whole + inherent spirit of the divine picture may pervade his restorations + likewise. + </p> + <p> + I saw the "Three Fates" of Michael Angelo, which were also being copied, + as were many other of the best pictures. Miss Fanny Howorth, whom I met in + the gallery, told me that to copy the "Madonna della Seggiola," + application must be made five years beforehand, so many are the artists + who aspire to copy it. Michael Angelo's Fates are three very grim and + pitiless old women, who respectively spin, hold, and cut the thread of + human destiny, all in a mood of sombre gloom, but with no more sympathy + than if they had nothing to do with us. I remember seeing an etching of + this when I was a child, and being struck, even then, with the terrible, + stern, passionless severity, neither loving us nor hating us, that + characterizes these ugly old women. If they were angry, or had the least + spite against human kind, it would render them the more tolerable. They + are a great work, containing and representing the very idea that makes a + belief in fate such a cold torture to the human soul. God give me the sure + belief in his Providence! + </p> + <p> + In a year's time, with the advantage of access to this magnificent + gallery, I think I might come to have some little knowledge of pictures. + At present I still know nothing; but am glad to find myself capable, at + least, of loving one picture better than another. I cannot always "keep + the heights I gain," however, and after admiring and being moved by a + picture one day, it is within my experience to look at it the next as + little moved as if it were a tavern-sign. It is pretty much the same with + statuary; the same, too, with those pictured windows of the Duomo, which I + described so rapturously a few days ago. I looked at them again the next + morning, and thought they would have been hardly worthy of my eulogium, + even had all the separate windows of the cathedral combined their narrow + lights into one grand, resplendent, many-colored arch at the eastern end. + It is a pity they are so narrow. England has many a great chancel-window + that, though dimmer in its hues, dusty, and perhaps made up of + heterogeneous fragments, eclipses these by its spacious breadth. + </p> + <p> + From the gallery, I went into the Boboli Gardens, which are contiguous to + the palace; but found them too sunny for enjoyment. They seem to consist + partly of a wilderness; but the portion into which I strayed was laid out + with straight walks, lined with high box-hedges, along which there was + only a narrow margin of shade. I saw an amphitheatre, with a wide sweep of + marble seat around it, enclosing a grassy space, where, doubtless, the + Medici may have witnessed splendid spectacles. + </p> + <p> + June 11th.—I paid another visit to the Uffizi gallery this morning, + and found that the Venus is one of the things the charm of which does not + diminish on better acquaintance. The world has not grown weary of her in + all these ages; and mortal man may look on her with new delight from + infancy to old age, and keep the memory of her, I should imagine, as one + of the treasures of spiritual existence hereafter. Surely, it makes me + more ready to believe in the high destinies of the human race, to think + that this beautiful form is but nature's plan for all womankind, and that + the nearer the actual woman approaches it, the more natural she is. I do + not, and cannot think of her as a senseless image, but as a being that + lives to gladden the world, incapable of decay and death; as young and + fair to-day as she was three thousand years ago, and still to be young and + fair as long as a beautiful thought shall require physical embodiment. I + wonder how any sculptor has had the impertinence to aim at any other + presentation of female beauty. I mean no disrespect to Gibson or Powers, + or a hundred other men who people the world with nudities, all of which + are abortions as compared with her; but I think the world would be all the + richer if their Venuses, their Greek Slaves, their Eves, were burnt into + quicklime, leaving us only this statue as our image of the beautiful. I + observed to-day that the eyes of the statue are slightly hollowed out, in + a peculiar way, so as to give them a look of depth and intelligence. She + is a miracle. The sculptor must have wrought religiously, and have felt + that something far beyond his own skill was working through his hands. I + mean to leave off speaking of the Venus hereafter, in utter despair of + saying what I wish; especially as the contemplation of the statue will + refine and elevate my taste, and make it continually more difficult to + express my sense of its excellence, as the perception of it grows upon + one. If at any time I become less sensible of it, it will be my + deterioration, not any defect in the statue. + </p> + <p> + I looked at many of the pictures, and found myself in a favorable mood for + enjoying them. It seems to me that a work of art is entitled to credit for + all that it makes us feel in our best moments; and we must judge of its + merits by the impression it then makes, and not by the coldness and + insensibility of our less genial moods. + </p> + <p> + After leaving the Uffizi Palace, . . . . I went into the Museum of Natural + History, near the Pitti Palace. It is a very good collection of almost + everything that Nature has made,—or exquisite copies of what she has + made,—stones, shells, vegetables, insects, fishes, animals, man; the + greatest wonders of the museum being some models in wax of all parts of + the human frame. It is good to have the wholeness and summed-up beauty of + woman in the memory, when looking at the details of her system as here + displayed; for these last, to the natural eye, are by no means beautiful. + But they are what belong only to our mortality. The beauty that makes them + invisible is our immortal type, which we shall take away with us. Under + glass cases, there were some singular and horribly truthful + representations, in small wax figures, of a time of pestilence; the hasty + burial, or tossing into one common sepulchre, of discolored corpses,—a + very ugly piece of work, indeed. I think Murray says that these things + were made for the Grand Duke Cosmo; and if so, they do him no credit, + indicating something dark and morbid in his character. + </p> + <p> + June 13th.—We called at the Powers's yesterday morning to leave R——- + there for an hour or two to play with the children; and it being not yet + quite time for the Pitti Palace, we stopped into the studio. Soon Mr. + Powers made his appearance, in his dressing-gown and slippers and + sculptor's cap, smoking a cigar. . . . He was very cordial and pleasant, + as I have always found him, and began immediately to be communicative + about his own works, or any other subject that came up. There were two + casts of the Venus de' Medici in the rooms, which he said were valuable in + a commercial point of view, being genuine casts from the mould taken from + the statue. He then gave us a quite unexpected but most interesting + lecture on the Venus, demonstrating it, as he proceeded, by reference to + the points which he criticised. The figure, he seemed to allow, was + admirable, though I think he hardly classes it so high as his own Greek + Slave or Eva; but the face, he began with saying, was that of an idiot. + Then, leaning on the pedestal of the cast, he continued, "It is rather a + bold thing to say, isn't it, that the sculptor of the Venus de' Medici did + not know what he was about?" + </p> + <p> + Truly, it appeared to me so; but Powers went on remorselessly, and showed, + in the first place, that the eye was not like any eye that Nature ever + made; and, indeed, being examined closely, and abstracted from the rest of + the face, it has a very queer look,—less like a human eye than a + half-worn buttonhole! Then he attacked the ear, which, he affirmed and + demonstrated, was placed a good deal too low on the head, thereby giving + an artificial and monstrous height to the portion of the head above it. + The forehead met with no better treatment in his hands, and as to the + mouth, it was altogether wrong, as well in its general make as in such + niceties as the junction of the skin of the lips to the common skin around + them. In a word, the poor face was battered all to pieces and utterly + demolished; nor was it possible to doubt or question that it fell by its + own demerits. All that could be urged in its defence—and even that I + did not urge—being that this very face had affected me, only the day + before, with a sense of higher beauty and intelligence than I had ever + then received from sculpture, and that its expression seemed to accord + with that of the whole figure, as if it were the sweetest note of the same + music. There must be something in this; the sculptor disregarded + technicalities, and the imitation of actual nature, the better to produce + the effect which he really does produce, in somewhat the same way as a + painter works his magical illusions by touches that have no relation to + the truth if looked at from the wrong point of view. But Powers considers + it certain that the antique sculptor had bestowed all his care on the + study of the human figure, and really did not know how to make a face. I + myself used to think that the face was a much less important thing with + the Greeks, among whom the entire beauty of the form was familiarly seen, + than with ourselves, who allow no other nudity. + </p> + <p> + After annihilating the poor visage, Powers showed us his two busts of + Proserpine and Psyche, and continued his lecture by showing the truth to + nature with which these are modelled. I freely acknowledge the fact; there + is no sort of comparison to be made between the beauty, intelligence, + feeling, and accuracy of representation in these two faces and in that of + the Venus de' Medici. A light—the light of a soul proper to each + individual character—seems to shine from the interior of the marble, + and beam forth from the features, chiefly from the eyes. Still insisting + upon the eye, and hitting the poor Venus another and another and still + another blow on that unhappy feature, Mr. Powers turned up and turned + inward and turned outward his own Titanic orb,—the biggest, by far, + that ever I saw in mortal head,—and made us see and confess that + there was nothing right in the Venus and everything right in Psyche and + Proserpine. To say the truth, their marble eyes have life, and, placing + yourself in the proper position towards them, you can meet their glances, + and feel them mingle with your own. Powers is a great man, and also a + tender and delicate one, massive and rude of surface as he looks; and it + is rather absurd to feel how he impressed his auditor, for the time being, + with his own evident idea that nobody else is worthy to touch marble. Mr. + B——— told me that Powers has had many difficulties on + professional grounds, as I understood him, and with his brother artists. + No wonder! He has said enough in my hearing to put him at swords' points + with sculptors of every epoch and every degree between the two inclusive + extremes of Phidias and Clark Mills. + </p> + <p> + He has a bust of the reigning Grand Duchess of Tuscany, who sat to him for + it. The bust is that of a noble-looking lady; and Powers remarked that + royal personages have a certain look that distinguishes them from other + people, and is seen in individuals of no lower rank. They all have it; the + Queen of England and Prince Albert have it; and so likewise has every + other Royalty, although the possession of this kingly look implies nothing + whatever as respects kingly and commanding qualities. He said that none of + our public men, whatever authority they may have held, or for whatever + length of time, possess this look, but he added afterwards that Washington + had it. Commanders of armies sometimes have it, but not in the degree that + royal personages do. It is, as well as I could make out Powers's idea, a + certain coldness of demeanor, and especially of eye, that surrounds them + with an atmosphere through which the electricity of human brotherhood + cannot pass. From their youth upward they are taught to feel themselves + apart from the rest of mankind, and this manner becomes a second nature to + them in consequence, and as a safeguard to their conventional dignity. + They put themselves under glass, as it were (the illustration is my own), + so that, though you see them, and see them looking no more noble and + dignified than other mortals, nor so much so as many, still they keep + themselves within a sort of sanctity, and repel you by an invisible + barrier. Even if they invite you with a show of warmth and hospitality, + you cannot get through. I, too, recognize this look in the portraits of + Washington; in him, a mild, benevolent coldness and apartness, but + indicating that formality which seems to have been deeper in him than in + any other mortal, and which built up an actual fortification between + himself and human sympathy. I wish, for once, Washington could come out of + his envelopment and show us what his real dimensions were. + </p> + <p> + Among other models of statues heretofore made, Powers showed us one of + Melancholy, or rather of Contemplation, from Milton's "Penseroso"; a + female figure with uplifted face and rapt look, "communing with the + skies." It is very fine, and goes deeply into Milton's thought; but, as + far as the outward form and action are concerned, I remember seeing a rude + engraving in my childhood that probably suggested the idea. It was + prefixed to a cheap American edition of Milton's poems, and was probably + as familiar to Powers as to myself. It is very remarkable how difficult it + seems to be to strike out a new attitude in sculpture; a new group, or a + new single figure. + </p> + <p> + One piece of sculpture Powers exhibited, however, which was very + exquisite, and such as I never saw before. Opening a desk, he took out + something carefully enclosed between two layers of cotton-wool, on + removing which there appeared a little baby's hand most delicately + represented in the whitest marble; all the dimples where the knuckles were + to be, all the creases in the plump flesh, every infantine wrinkle of the + soft skin being lovingly recorded. "The critics condemn minute + representation," said Powers; "but you may look at this through a + microscope and see if it injures the general effect." Nature herself never + made a prettier or truer little hand. It was the hand of his daughter,—"Luly's + hand," Powers called it,—the same that gave my own such a frank and + friendly grasp when I first met "Luly." The sculptor made it only for + himself and his wife, but so many people, he said, had insisted on having + a copy, that there are now forty scattered about the world. At sixty + years, Luly ought to have her hand sculptured again, and give it to her + grandchildren with the baby's hand of five months old. The baby-hand that + had done nothing, and felt only its mother's kiss; the old lady's hand + that had exchanged the love-pressure, worn the marriage-ring, closed dead + eyes,—done a lifetime's work, in short. The sentiment is rather + obvious, but true nevertheless. + </p> + <p> + Before we went away, Powers took us into a room apart—apparently the + secretest room he had—and showed us some tools and machinery, all of + his own contrivance and invention. "You see I am a bit of a Yankee," he + observed. + </p> + <p> + This machinery is chiefly to facilitate the process of modelling his + works, for—except in portrait-busts—he makes no clay model as + other sculptors do, but models directly in the plaster; so that instead of + being crumbled, like clay, the original model remains a permanent + possession. He has also invented a certain open file, which is of great + use in finishing the surface of the marble; and likewise a machine for + making these files and for punching holes through iron, and he + demonstrated its efficiency by punching a hole through an iron bar, with a + force equivalent to ten thousand pounds, by the mere application of a part + of his own weight. These inventions, he says, are his amusement, and the + bent of his nature towards sculpture must indeed have been strong, to + counteract, in an American, such a capacity for the contrivance of + steam-engines. . . . + </p> + <p> + I had no idea of filling so many pages of this journal with the sayings + and characteristics of Mr. Powers, but the man and his talk are fresh, + original, and full of bone and muscle, and I enjoy him much. + </p> + <p> + We now proceeded to the Pitti Palace, and spent several hours pleasantly + in its saloons of pictures. I never enjoyed pictures anywhere else as I do + in Florence. There is an admirable Judith in this gallery by Allori; a + face of great beauty and depth, and her hand clutches the head of + Holofernes by the hair in a way that startles the spectator. There are two + peasant Madonnas by Murillo; simple women, yet with a thoughtful sense of + some high mystery connected with the baby in their arms. + </p> + <p> + Raphael grows upon me; several other famous painters—Guido, for + instance—are fading out of my mind. Salvator Rosa has two really + wonderful landscapes, looking from the shore seaward; and Rubens too, + likewise on a large scale, of mountain and plain. It is very idle and + foolish to talk of pictures; yet, after poring over them and into them, it + seems a pity to let all the thought excited by them pass into nothingness. + </p> + <p> + The copyists of pictures are very numerous, both in the Pitti and Uffizi + galleries; and, unlike sculptors, they appear to be on the best of terms + with one another, chatting sociably, exchanging friendly criticism, and + giving their opinions as to the best mode of attaining the desired + effects. Perhaps, as mere copyists, they escape the jealousy that might + spring up between rival painters attempting to develop original ideas. + Miss Howorth says that the business of copying pictures, especially those + of Raphael, is a regular profession, and she thinks it exceedingly + obstructive to the progress or existence of a modern school of painting, + there being a regular demand and sure sale for all copies of the old + masters, at prices proportioned to their merit; whereas the effort to be + original insures nothing, except long neglect, at the beginning of a + career, and probably ultimate failure, and the necessity of becoming a + copyist at last. Some artists employ themselves from youth to age in + nothing else but the copying of one single and selfsame picture by + Raphael, and grow at last to be perfectly mechanical, making, I suppose, + the same identical stroke of the brush in fifty successive pictures. + </p> + <p> + The weather is very hot now,—hotter in the sunshine, I think, than a + midsummer day usually is in America, but with rather a greater possibility + of being comfortable in the shade. The nights, too, are warm, and the bats + fly forth at dusk, and the fireflies quite light up the green depths of + our little garden. The atmosphere, or something else, causes a sort of + alacrity in my mind and an affluence of ideas, such as they are; but it + does not thereby make me the happier. I feel an impulse to be at work, but + am kept idle by the sense of being unsettled with removals to be gone + through, over and over again, before I can shut myself into a quiet room + of my own, and turn the key. I need monotony too, an eventless exterior + life, before I can live in the world within. + </p> + <p> + June 15th.—Yesterday we went to the Uffizi gallery, and, of course, + I took the opportunity to look again at the Venus de' Medici after + Powers's attack upon her face. Some of the defects he attributed to her I + could not see in the statue; for instance, the ear appeared to be in + accordance with his own rule, the lowest part of it being about in a + straight line with the upper lip. The eyes must be given up, as not, when + closely viewed, having the shape, the curve outwards, the formation of the + lids, that eyes ought to have; but still, at a proper distance, they + seemed to have intelligence in them beneath the shadow cast by the brow. I + cannot help thinking that the sculptor intentionally made every feature + what it is, and calculated them all with a view to the desired effect. + Whatever rules may be transgressed, it is a noble and beautiful face,—more + so, perhaps, than if all rules had been obeyed. I wish Powers would do his + best to fit the Venus's figure (which he does not deny to be admirable) + with a face which he would deem equally admirable and in accordance with + the sentiment of the form. + </p> + <p> + We looked pretty thoroughly through the gallery, and I saw many pictures + that impressed me; but among such a multitude, with only one poor mind to + take note of them, the stamp of each new impression helps to obliterate a + former one. I am sensible, however, that a process is going on, and has + been ever since I came to Italy, that puts me in a state to see pictures + with less toil, and more pleasure, and makes me more fastidious, yet more + sensible of beauty where I saw none before. It is the sign, I presume, of + a taste still very defective, that I take singular pleasure in the + elaborate imitations of Van Mieris, Gerard Douw, and other old Dutch + wizards, who painted such brass pots that you can see your face in them, + and such earthen pots that they will surely hold water; and who spent + weeks and months in turning a foot or two of canvas into a perfect + microscopic illusion of some homely scene. For my part, I wish Raphael had + painted the "Transfiguration" in this style, at the same time preserving + his breadth and grandeur of design; nor do I believe that there is any + real impediment to the combination of the two styles, except that no + possible space of human life could suffice to cover a quarter part of the + canvas of the "Transfiguration" with such touches as Gerard Douw's. But + one feels the vast scope of this wonderful art, when we think of two + excellences so far apart as that of this last painter and Raphael. I pause + a good while, too, before the Dutch paintings of fruit and flowers, where + tulips and roses acquire an immortal bloom, and grapes have kept the + freshest juice in them for two or three hundred years. Often, in these + pictures, there is a bird's-nest, every straw perfectly represented, and + the stray feather, or the down that the mother-bird plucked from her + bosom, with the three or four small speckled eggs, that seem as if they + might be yet warm. These pretty miracles have their use in assuring us + that painters really can do something that takes hold of us in our most + matter-of-fact moods; whereas, the merits of the grander style of art may + be beyond our ordinary appreciation, and leave us in doubt whether we have + not befooled ourselves with a false admiration. + </p> + <p> + Until we learn to appreciate the cherubs and angels that Raphael scatters + through the blessed air, in a picture of the "Nativity," it is not amiss + to look at, a Dutch fly settling on a peach, or a bumblebee burying + himself in a flower. + </p> + <p> + It is another token of imperfect taste, no doubt, that queer pictures and + absurd pictures remain in my memory, when better ones pass away by the + score. There is a picture of Venus, combing her son Cupid's head with a + small-tooth comb, and looking with maternal care among his curls; this I + shall not forget. Likewise, a picture of a broad, rubicund Judith by + Bardone,—a widow of fifty, of an easy, lymphatic, cheerful + temperament, who has just killed Holofernes, and is as self-complacent as + if she had been carving a goose. What could possibly have stirred up this + pudding of a woman (unless it were a pudding-stick) to do such a deed! I + looked with much pleasure at an ugly, old, fat, jolly Bacchus, astride on + a barrel, by Rubens; the most natural and lifelike representation of a + tipsy rotundity of flesh that it is possible to imagine. And sometimes, + amid these sensual images, I caught the divine pensiveness of a Madonna's + face, by Raphael, or the glory and majesty of the babe Jesus in her arm, + with his Father shining through him. This is a sort of revelation, + whenever it comes. + </p> + <p> + This morning, immediately after breakfast, I walked into the city, meaning + to make myself better acquainted with its appearance, and to go into its + various churches; but it soon grew so hot, that I turned homeward again. + The interior of the Duomo was deliciously cool, to be sure,—cool and + dim, after the white-hot sunshine; but an old woman began to persecute me, + so that I came away. A male beggar drove me out of another church; and I + took refuge in the street, where the beggar and I would have been two + cinders together, if we had stood long enough on the sunny sidewalk. After + my five summers' experience of England, I may have forgotten what hot + weather is; but it does appear to me that an American summer is not so + fervent as this. Besides the direct rays, the white pavement throws a + furnace-heat up into one's face; the shady margin of the street is barely + tolerable; but it is like going through the ordeal of fire to cross the + broad bright glare of an open piazza. The narrow streets prove themselves + a blessing at this season, except when the sun looks directly into them; + the broad eaves of the houses, too, make a selvage of shade, almost + always. I do not know what becomes of the street-merchants at the noontide + of these hot days. They form a numerous class in Florence, displaying + their wares—linen or cotton cloth, threads, combs, and all manner of + haberdashery—on movable counters that are borne about on wheels. In + the shady morning, you see a whole side of a street in a piazza occupied + by them, all offering their merchandise at full cry. They dodge as they + can from shade to shade; but at last the sunshine floods the whole space, + and they seem to have melted away, leaving not a rag of themselves or what + they dealt in. + </p> + <p> + Cherries are very abundant now, and have been so ever since we came here, + in the markets and all about the streets. They are of various kinds, some + exceedingly large, insomuch that it is almost necessary to disregard the + old proverb about making two bites of a cherry. Fresh figs are already + spoken of, though I have seen none; but I saw some peaches this morning, + looking as if they might be ripe. + </p> + <p> + June 16th.—Mr. and Mrs. Powers called to see us last evening. Mr. + Powers, as usual, was full of talk, and gave utterance to a good many + instructive and entertaining ideas. + </p> + <p> + As one instance of the little influence the religion of the Italians has + upon their morals, he told a story of one of his servants, who desired + leave to set up a small shrine of the Virgin in their room—a cheap + print, or bas-relief, or image, such as are sold everywhere at the shops + —and to burn a lamp before it; she engaging, of course, to supply + the oil at her own expense. By and by, her oil-flask appeared to possess a + miraculous property of replenishing itself, and Mr. Powers took measures + to ascertain where the oil came from. It turned out that the servant had + all the time been stealing the oil from them, and keeping up her daily + sacrifice and worship to the Virgin by this constant theft. + </p> + <p> + His talk soon turned upon sculpture, and he spoke once more of the + difficulty imposed upon an artist by the necessity of clothing portrait + statues in the modern costume. I find that he does not approve either of + nudity or of the Roman toga for a modern statue; neither does he think it + right to shirk the difficulty—as Chantrey did in the case of + Washington —by enveloping him in a cloak; but acknowledges the + propriety of taking the actual costume of the age and doing his best with + it. He himself did so with his own Washington, and also with a statue that + he made of Daniel Webster. I suggested that though this costume might not + appear ridiculous to us now, yet, two or three centuries hence, it would + create, to the people of that day, an impossibility of seeing the real man + through the absurdity of his envelopment, after it shall have entirely + grown out of fashion and remembrance; and Webster would seem as absurd to + them then as he would to us now in the masquerade of some bygone day. It + might be well, therefore, to adopt some conventional costume, never + actual, but always graceful and noble. Besides, Webster, for example, had + other costumes than that which he wore in public, and perhaps it was in + those that he lived his most real life; his dressing-gown, his drapery of + the night, the dress that he wore on his fishing-excursions; in these + other costumes he spent three fourths of his time, and most probably was + thus arrayed when he conceived the great thoughts that afterwards, in some + formal and outside mood, he gave forth to the public. I scarcely think I + was right, but am not sure of the contrary. At any rate, I know that I + should have felt much more sure that I knew the real Webster, if I had + seen him in any of the above-mentioned dresses, than either in his + swallow-tailed coat or frock. + </p> + <p> + Talking of a taste for painting and sculpture, Powers observed that it was + something very different and quite apart from the moral sense, and that it + was often, perhaps generally, possessed by unprincipled men of ability and + cultivation. I have had this perception myself. A genuine love of painting + and sculpture, and perhaps of music, seems often to have distinguished men + capable of every social crime, and to have formed a fine and hard enamel + over their characters. Perhaps it is because such tastes are artificial, + the product of cultivation, and, when highly developed, imply a great + remove from natural simplicity. + </p> + <p> + This morning I went with U—— to the Uffizi gallery, and again + looked with more or less attention at almost every picture and statue. I + saw a little picture of the golden age, by Zucchero, in which the charms + of youths and virgins are depicted with a freedom that this iron age can + hardly bear to look at. The cabinet of gems happened to be open for the + admission of a privileged party, and we likewise went in and saw a + brilliant collection of goldsmiths' work, among which, no doubt, were + specimens from such hands as Benvenuto Cellini. Little busts with diamond + eyes; boxes of gems; cups carved out of precious material; crystal vases, + beautifully chased and engraved, and sparkling with jewels; great pearls, + in the midst of rubies; opals, rich with all manner of lovely lights. I + remember Benvenuto Cellini, in his memoirs, speaks of manufacturing such + playthings as these. + </p> + <p> + I observed another characteristic of the summer streets of Florence + to-day; tables, movable to and fro, on wheels, and set out with cool iced + drinks and cordials. + </p> + <p> + June 17th.—My wife and I went, this morning, to the Academy of Fine + Arts, and, on our way thither, went into the Duomo, where we found a + deliciously cool twilight, through which shone the mild gleam of the + painted windows. I cannot but think it a pity that St. Peter's is not + lighted by such windows as these, although I by no means saw the glory in + them now that I have spoken of in a record of my former visit. We found + out the monument of Giotto, a tablet, and portrait in bas-relief, on the + wall, near the entrance of the cathedral, on the right hand; also a + representation, in fresco, of a knight on horseback, the memorial of one + John Rawkwood, close by the door, to the left. The priests were chanting a + service of some kind or other in the choir, terribly inharmonious, and out + of tune. . . . + </p> + <p> + On reaching the Academy, the soldier or policeman at the entrance directed + us into the large hall, the walls of which were covered on both sides with + pictures, arranged as nearly as possible in a progressive series, with + reference to the date of the painters; so that here the origin and + procession of the art may be traced through the course of, at least, two + hundred years. Giotto, Cimabue, and others of unfamiliar names to me, are + among the earliest; and, except as curiosities, I should never desire to + look once at them, nor think of looking twice. They seem to have been + executed with great care and conscientiousness, and the heads are often + wrought out with minuteness and fidelity, and have so much expression that + they tell their own story clearly enough; but it seems not to have been + the painter's aim to effect a lifelike illusion, the background and + accessories being conventional. The trees are no more like real trees than + the feather of a pen, and there is no perspective, the figure of the + picture being shadowed forth on a surface of burnished gold. The effect, + when these pictures, some of them very large, were new and freshly gilded, + must have been exceedingly brilliant, and much resembling, on an immensely + larger scale, the rich illuminations in an old monkish missal. In fact, we + have not now, in pictorial ornament, anything at all comparable to what + their splendor must have been. I was most struck with a picture, by + Fabriana Gentile, of the Adoration of the Magi, where the faces and + figures have a great deal of life and action, and even grace, and where + the jewelled crowns, the rich embroidered robes, and cloth of gold, and + all the magnificence of the three kings, are represented with the + vividness of the real thing: a gold sword-hilt, for instance, or a pair of + gold spurs, being actually embossed on the picture. The effect is very + powerful, and though produced in what modern painters would pronounce an + unjustifiable way, there is yet pictorial art enough to reconcile it to + the spectator's mind. Certainly, the people of the Middle Ages knew better + than ourselves what is magnificence, and how to produce it; and what a + glorious work must that have been, both in its mere sheen of burnished + gold, and in its illuminating art, which shines thus through the gloom of + perhaps four centuries. + </p> + <p> + Fra Angelico is a man much admired by those who have a taste for + Pre-Raphaelite painters; and, though I take little or no pleasure in his + works, I can see that there is great delicacy of execution in his heads, + and that generally he produces such a Christ, and such a Virgin, and such + saints, as he could not have foreseen, except in a pure and holy + imagination, nor have wrought out without saying a prayer between every + two touches of his brush. I might come to like him, in time, if I thought + it worth while; but it is enough to have an outside perception of his kind + and degree of merit, and so to let him pass into the garret of oblivion, + where many things as good, or better, are piled away, that our own age may + not stumble over them. Perugino is the first painter whose works seem + really worth preserving for the genuine merit that is in them, apart from + any quaintness and curiosity of an ancient and new-born art. Probably his + religion was more genuine than Raphael's, and therefore the Virgin often + revealed herself to him in a loftier and sweeter face of divine womanhood + than all the genius of Raphael could produce. There is a Crucifixion by + him in this gallery, which made me partly feel as if I were a far-off + spectator,—no, I did not mean a Crucifixion, but a picture of Christ + dead, lying, with a calm, sweet face, on his mother's knees ["a Pieta"]. + </p> + <p> + The most inadequate and utterly absurd picture here, or in any other + gallery, is a head of the Eternal Father, by Carlo Dolce; it looks like a + feeble saint, on the eve of martyrdom, and very doubtful how he shall be + able to bear it; very finely and prettily painted, nevertheless. + </p> + <p> + After getting through the principal gallery we went into a smaller room, + in which are contained a great many small specimens of the old Tuscan + artists, among whom Fra Angelico makes the principal figure. These + pictures are all on wood, and seem to have been taken from the shrines and + altars of ancient churches; they are predellas and triptychs, or pictures + on three folding tablets, shaped quaintly, in Gothic peaks or arches, and + still gleaming with backgrounds of antique gold. The wood is much + worm-eaten, and the colors have often faded or changed from what the old + artists meant then to be; a bright angel darkening into what looks quite + as much like the Devil. In one of Fra Angelico's pictures,—a + representation of the Last Judgment,—he has tried his saintly hand + at making devils indeed, and showing them busily at work, tormenting the + poor, damned souls in fifty ghastly ways. Above sits Jesus, with the + throng of blessed saints around him, and a flow of tender and powerful + love in his own face, that ought to suffice to redeem all the damned, and + convert the very fiends, and quench the fires of hell. At any rate, Fra + Angelico had a higher conception of his Saviour than Michael Angelo. + </p> + <p> + June 19th.—This forenoon we have been to the Church of St. Lorenzo, + which stands on the site of an ancient basilica, and was itself built more + than four centuries ago. The facade is still an ugly height of rough + brickwork, as is the case with the Duomo, and, I think, some other + churches in Florence; the design of giving them an elaborate and beautiful + finish having been delayed from cycle to cycle, till at length the day for + spending mines of wealth on churches is gone by. The interior had a nave + with a flat roof, divided from the side aisles by Corinthian pillars, and, + at the farther end, a raised space around the high altar. The pavement is + a mosaic of squares of black and white marble, the squares meeting one + another cornerwise; the pillars, pilasters, and other architectural + material is dark brown or grayish stone; and the general effect is very + sombre, especially as the church is somewhat dimly lighted, and as the + shrines along the aisles, and the statues, and the monuments of whatever + kind, look dingy with time and neglect. The nave is thickly set with + wooden seats, brown and worn. What pictures there are, in the shrines and + chapels, are dark and faded. On the whole, the edifice has a shabby + aspect. On each side of the high altar, elevated on four pillars of + beautiful marble, is what looks like a great sarcophagus of bronze. They + are, in fact, pulpits, and are ornamented with mediaeval bas-reliefs, + representing scenes in the life of our Saviour. Murray says that the + resting-place of the first Cosmo de' Medici, the old banker, who so + managed his wealth as to get the posthumous title of "father of his + country," and to make his posterity its reigning princes,—is in + front of the high altar, marked by red and green porphyry and marble, + inlaid into the pavement. We looked, but could not see it there. + </p> + <p> + There were worshippers at some of the shrines, and persons sitting here + and there along the nave, and in the aisles, rapt in devotional thought, + doubtless, and sheltering themselves here from the white sunshine of the + piazzas. In the vicinity of the choir and the high altar, workmen were + busy repairing the church, or perhaps only making arrangements for + celebrating the great festival of St. John. + </p> + <p> + On the left hand of the choir is what is called the old sacristy, with the + peculiarities or notabilities of which I am not acquainted. On the right + hand is the new sacristy, otherwise called the Capella dei Depositi, or + Chapel of the Buried, built by Michael Angelo, to contain two monuments of + the Medici family. The interior is of somewhat severe and classic + architecture, the walls and pilasters being of dark stone, and surmounted + by a dome, beneath which is a row of windows, quite round the building, + throwing their light down far beneath, upon niches of white marble. These + niches are ranged entirely around the chapel, and might have sufficed to + contain more than all the Medici monuments that the world would ever care + to have. Only two of these niches are filled, however. In one of them sits + Giuliano de' Medici, sculptured by Michael Angelo,—a figure of + dignity, which would perhaps be very striking in any other presence than + that of the statue which occupies the corresponding niche. At the feet of + Giuliano recline two allegorical statues, Day and Night, whose meaning + there I do not know, and perhaps Michael Angelo knew as little. As the + great sculptor's statues are apt to do, they fling their limbs abroad with + adventurous freedom. Below the corresponding niche, on the opposite side + of the chapel, recline two similar statues, representing Morning and + Evening, sufficiently like Day and Night to be their brother and sister; + all, in truth, having sprung from the same father. . . . + </p> + <p> + But the statue that sits above these two latter allegories, Morning and + Evening, is like no other that ever came from a sculptor's hand. It is the + one work worthy of Michael Angelo's reputation, and grand enough to + vindicate for him all the genius that the world gave him credit for. And + yet it seems a simple thing enough to think of or to execute; merely a + sitting figure, the face partly overshadowed by a helmet, one hand + supporting the chin, the other resting on the thigh. But after looking at + it a little while the spectator ceases to think of it as a marble statue; + it comes to life, and you see that the princely figure is brooding over + some great design, which, when he has arranged in his own mind, the world + will be fain to execute for him. No such grandeur and majesty has + elsewhere been put into human shape. It is all a miracle; the deep repose, + and the deep life within it. It is as much a miracle to have achieved this + as to make a statue that would rise up and walk. The face, when one gazes + earnestly into it, beneath the shadow of its helmet, is seen to be calmly + sombre; a mood which, I think, is generally that of the rulers of mankind, + except in moments of vivid action. This statue is one of the things which + I look at with highest enjoyment, but also with grief and impatience, + because I feel that I do not come at all which it involves, and that by + and by I must go away and leave it forever. How wonderful! To take a block + of marble, and convert it wholly into thought, and to do it through all + the obstructions and impediments of drapery; for there is nothing nude in + this statue but the face and hands. The vest is the costume of Michael + Angelo's century. This is what I always thought a sculptor of true genius + should be able to do,—to show the man of whatever epoch, nobly and + heroically, through the costume which he might actually have worn. + </p> + <p> + The statue sits within a square niche of white marble, and completely + fills it. It seems to me a pity that it should be thus confined. At the + Crystal Palace, if I remember, the effect is improved by a free + surrounding space. Its naturalness is as if it came out of the marble of + its own accord, with all its grandeur hanging heavily about it, and sat + down there beneath its weight. I cannot describe it. It is like trying to + stop the ghost of Hamlet's father, by crossing spears before it. + </p> + <p> + Communicating with the sacristy is the Medicean Chapel, which was built + more than two centuries ago, for the reception of the Holy Sepulchre; + arrangements having been made about that time to steal this most sacred + relic from the Turks. The design failing, the chapel was converted by + Cosmo II. into a place of sepulture for the princes of his family. It is a + very grand and solemn edifice, octagonal in shape, with a lofty dome, + within which is a series of brilliant frescos, painted not more than + thirty years ago. These pictures are the only portion of the adornment of + the chapel which interferes with the sombre beauty of the general effect; + for though the walls are incrusted, from pavement to dome, with marbles of + inestimable cost, and it is a Florentine mosaic on a grander scale than + was ever executed elsewhere, the result is not gaudy, as in many of the + Roman chapels, but a dark and melancholy richness. The architecture + strikes me as extremely fine; each alternate side of the octagon being an + arch, rising as high as the cornice of the lofty dome, and forming the + frame of a vast niche. All the dead princes, no doubt, according to the + general design, were to have been honored with statues within this stately + mausoleum; but only two—those of Ferdinand I. and Cosmo II.—seem + to have been placed here. They were a bad breed, and few of them deserved + any better monument than a dunghill; and yet they have this grand chapel + for the family at large, and yonder grand statue for one of its most + worthless members. I am glad of it; and as for the statue, Michael Angelo + wrought it through the efficacy of a kingly idea, which had no reference + to the individual whose name it bears. + </p> + <p> + In the piazza adjoining the church is a statue of the first Cosmo, the old + banker, in Roman costume, seated, and looking like a man fit to hold + authority. No, I mistake; the statue is of John de' Medici, the father of + Cosmo, and himself no banker, but a soldier. + </p> + <p> + June 21st.—Yesterday, after dinner, we went, with the two eldest + children, to the Boboli Gardens. . . . We entered by a gate, nearer to our + house than that by the Pitti Palace, and found ourselves almost + immediately among embowered walks of box and shrubbery, and little + wildernesses of trees, with here and there a seat under an arbor, and a + marble statue, gray with ancient weather-stains. The site of the garden is + a very uneven surface, and the paths go upward and downward, and ascend, + at their ultimate point, to a base of what appears to be a fortress, + commanding the city. A good many of the Florentines were rambling about + the gardens, like ourselves: little parties of school-boys; fathers and + mothers, with their youthful progeny; young men in couples, looking + closely into every female face; lovers, with a maid or two attendant on + the young lady. All appeared to enjoy themselves, especially the children, + dancing on the esplanades, or rolling down the slopes of the hills; and + the loving pairs, whom it was rather embarrassing to come upon + unexpectedly, sitting together on the stone seat of an arbor, with clasped + hands, a passionate solemnity in the young man's face, and a downcast + pleasure in the lady's. Policemen, in cocked hats and epaulets, + cross-belts, and swords, were scattered about the grounds, but interfered + with nobody, though they seemed to keep an eye on all. A sentinel stood in + the hot sunshine, looking down over the garden from the ramparts of the + fortress. + </p> + <p> + For my part, in this foreign country, I have no objection to policemen or + any other minister of authority; though I remember, in America, I had an + innate antipathy to constables, and always sided with the mob against law. + This was very wrong and foolish, considering that I was one of the + sovereigns; but a sovereign, or any number of sovereigns, or the + twenty-millionth part of a sovereign, does not love to find himself, as an + American must, included within the delegated authority of his own + servants. + </p> + <p> + There is a sheet of water somewhere in the Boboli Gardens, inhabited by + swans; but this we did not see. We found a smaller pond, however, set in + marble, and surrounded by a parapet, and alive with a multitude of fish. + There were minnows by the thousand, and a good many gold-fish; and J——-, + who had brought some bread to feed the swans, threw in handfuls of crumbs + for the benefit of these finny people. They seemed to be accustomed to + such courtesies on the part of visitors; and immediately the surface of + the water was blackened, at the spot where each crumb fell, with shoals of + minnows, thrusting one another even above the surface in their eagerness + to snatch it. Within the depths of the pond, the yellowish-green water—its + hue being precisely that of the Arno— would be reddened duskily with + the larger bulk of two or three gold-fishes, who finally poked their great + snouts up among the minnows, but generally missed the crumb. Beneath the + circular margin of the pond, there are little arches, into the shelter of + which the fish retire, when the noonday sun burns straight down into their + dark waters. We went on through the garden-paths, shadowed quite across by + the high walls of box, and reached an esplanade, whence we had a good view + of Florence, with the bare brown ridges on the northern side of the Arno, + and glimpses of the river itself, flowing like a street, between two rows + of palaces. A great way off, too, we saw some of the cloud-like peaks of + the Apennines, and, above them, the clouds into which the sun was + descending, looking quite as substantial as the distant mountains. The + city did not present a particularly splendid aspect, though its great + Duomo was seen in the middle distance, sitting in its circle of little + domes, with the tall campanile close by, and within one or two hundred + yards of it, the high, cumbrous bulk of the Palazzo Vecchio, with its + lofty, machicolated, and battlemented tower, very picturesque, yet looking + exceedingly like a martin-box, on a pole. There were other domes and + towers and spires, and here and there the distinct shape of an edifice; + but the general picture was of a contiguity of red earthen roofs, filling + a not very broad or extensive valley, among dry and ridgy hills, with a + river-gleam lightening up the landscape a little. U—— took out + her pencil and tablets, and began to sketch the tower of the Palazzo + Vecchio; in doing which, she immediately became an object of curiosity to + some little boys and larger people, who failed not, under such pretences + as taking a grasshopper off her dress, or no pretence at all, to come and + look over her shoulder. There is a kind of familiarity among these + Florentines, which is not meant to be discourteous, and ought to be taken + in good part. + </p> + <p> + We continued to ramble through the gardens, in quest of a good spot from + which to see the sunset, and at length found a stone bench, on the slope + of a hill, whence the entire cloud and sun scenery was fully presented to + us. At the foot of the hill were statues, and among them a Pegasus, with + wings outspread; and, a little beyond, the garden-front of the Pitti + Palace, which looks a little less like a state-prison here, than as it + fronts the street. Girls and children, and young men and old, were taking + their pleasure in our neighborhood; and, just before us, a lady stood + talking with her maid. By and by, we discovered her to be Miss Howorth. + There was a misty light, streaming down on the hither side of the ridge of + hills, that was rather peculiar; but the most remarkable thing was the + shape into which the clouds gathered themselves, after the disappearance + of the sun. It was like a tree, with a broad and heavy mass of foliage, + spreading high upward on the sky, and a dark and well-defined trunk, which + rooted itself on the verge of the horizon. + </p> + <p> + This morning we went to the Pitti Palace. The air was very sultry, and the + pavements, already heated with the sun, made the space between the + buildings seem like a close room. The earth, I think, is too much stoned + out of the streets of an Italian city,—paved, like those of + Florence, quite across, with broad flagstones, to the line where the + stones of the houses on each side are piled up. Thunder rumbled over our + heads, however, and the clouds were so dark that we scarcely hoped to + reach the palace without feeling the first drops of the shower. The air + still darkened and darkened, so that by the time we arrived at the suite + of picture-rooms the pictures seemed all to be changed to Rembrandts; the + shadows as black as midnight, with only some highly illuminated portions + gleaming out. The obscurity of the atmosphere made us sensible how + splendid is the adornment of these saloons. For the gilded cornices shone + out, as did the gilding of the arches and wreathed circles that divide the + ceiling into compartments, within which the frescos are painted, and + whence the figures looked dimly down, like gods out of a mysterious sky. + The white marble sculptures also gleamed from their height, where winged + cupids or cherubs gambolled aloft in bas-reliefs; or allegoric shapes + reclined along the cornices, hardly noticed, when the daylight comes + brightly into the window. On the walls, all the rich picture-frames + glimmered in gold, as did the framework of the chairs, and the heavy + gilded pedestals of the marble, alabaster, and mosaic tables. These are + very magnificent saloons; and since I have begun to speak of their + splendor, I may as well add that the doors are framed in polished, richly + veined marble, and the walls hung with scarlet damask. + </p> + <p> + It was useless to try to see the pictures. All the artists engaged in + copying laid aside their brushes; and we looked out into the square before + the palace, where a mighty wind sprang up, and quickly raised a prodigious + cloud of dust. It hid the opposite side of the street, and was carried, in + a great dusky whirl, higher than the roofs of the houses, higher than the + top of the Pitti Palace itself. The thunder muttered and grumbled, the + lightning now and then flashed, and a few rain-drops pattered against the + windows; but, for a long time, the shower held off. At last it came down + in a stream, and lightened the air to such a degree that we could see some + of the pictures, especially those of Rubens, and the illuminated parts of + Salvator Rosa's, and, best of all, Titian's "Magdalen," the one with + golden hair clustering round her naked body. The golden hair, indeed, + seemed to throw out a glory of its own. This Magdalen is very coarse and + sensual, with only an impudent assumption of penitence and religious + sentiment, scarcely so deep as the eyelids; but it is a splendid picture, + nevertheless, with those naked, lifelike arms, and the hands that press + the rich locks about her, and so carefully permit those voluptuous breasts + to be seen. She a penitent! She would shake off all pretence to it as + easily as she would shake aside that clustering hair. . . . Titian must + have been a very good-for-nothing old man. + </p> + <p> + I looked again at Michael Angelo's Fates to-day; but cannot satisfactorily + make out what he meant by them. One of them—she who holds the + distaff—has her mouth open, as if uttering a cry, and might be + fancied to look somewhat irate. The second, who holds the thread, has a + pensive air, but is still, I think, pitiless at heart. The third sister + looks closely and coldly into the eyes of the second, meanwhile cutting + the thread with a pair of shears. Michael Angelo, if I may presume to say + so, wished to vary the expression of these three sisters, and give each a + different one, but did not see precisely how, inasmuch as all the fatal + Three are united, heart and soul, in one purpose. It is a very impressive + group. But, as regards the interpretation of this, or of any other + profound picture, there are likely to be as many interpretations as there + are spectators. It is very curious to read criticisms upon pictures, and + upon the same face in a picture, and by men of taste and feeling, and to + find what different conclusions they arrive at. Each man interprets the + hieroglyphic in his own way; and the painter, perhaps, had a meaning which + none of them have reached; or possibly he put forth a riddle, without + himself knowing the solution. There is such a necessity, at all events, of + helping the painter out with the spectator's own resources of feeling and + imagination, that you can never be sure how much of the picture you have + yourself made. There is no doubt that the public is, to a certain extent, + right and sure of its ground, when it declares, through a series of ages, + that a certain picture is a great work. It is so; a great symbol, + proceeding out of a great mind; but if it means one thing, it seems to + mean a thousand, and, often, opposite things. + </p> + <p> + June 27th.—I have had a heavy cold and fever almost throughout the + past week, and have thereby lost the great Florentine festivity, the Feast + of St. John, which took place on Thursday last, with the fireworks and + illuminations the evening before, and the races and court ceremonies on + the day itself. However, unless it were more characteristic and peculiar + than the Carnival, I have not missed anything very valuable. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Powers called to see me one evening, and poured out, as usual, a + stream of talk, both racy and oracular in its character. Speaking of human + eyes, he observed that they did not depend for their expression upon + color, nor upon any light of the soul beaming through them, nor any glow + of the eyeball, nor upon anything but the form and action of the + surrounding muscles. He illustrates it by saying, that if the eye of a + wolf, or of whatever fiercest animal, could be placed in another setting, + it would be found capable of the utmost gentleness of expression. "You + yourself," said he, "have a very bright and sharp look sometimes; but it + is not in the eye itself." His own eyes, as I could have sworn, were + glowing all the time he spoke; and, remembering how many times I have + seemed to see eyes glow, and blaze, and flash, and sparkle, and melt, and + soften; and how all poetry is illuminated with the light of ladies' eyes; + and how many people have been smitten by the lightning of an eye, whether + in love or anger, it was difficult to allow that all this subtlest and + keenest fire is illusive, not even phosphorescent, and that any other + jelly in the same socket would serve as well as the brightest eye. + Nevertheless, he must be right; of course he must, and I am rather ashamed + ever to have thought otherwise. Where should the light come from? Has a + man a flame inside of his head? Does his spirit manifest itself in the + semblance of flame? The moment we think of it, the absurdity becomes + evident. I am not quite sure, however, that the outer surface of the eye + may not reflect more light in some states of feeling than in others; the + state of the health, certainly, has an influence of this kind. + </p> + <p> + I asked Powers what he thought of Michael Angelo's statue of Lorenzo de' + Medici. He allowed that its effect was very grand and mysterious; but + added that it owed this to a trick,—the effect being produced by the + arrangement of the hood, as he called it, or helmet, which throws the + upper part of the face into shadow. The niche in which it sits has, I + suppose, its part to perform in throwing a still deeper shadow. It is very + possible that Michael Angelo may have calculated upon this effect of + sombre shadow, and legitimately, I think; but it really is not worthy of + Mr. Powers to say that the whole effect of this mighty statue depends, not + on the positive efforts of Michael Angelo's chisel, but on the absence of + light in a space of a few inches. He wrought the whole statue in harmony + with that small part of it which he leaves to the spectator's imagination, + and if he had erred at any point, the miracle would have been a failure; + so that, working in marble, he has positively reached a degree of + excellence above the capability of marble, sculpturing his highest touches + upon air and duskiness. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Powers gave some amusing anecdotes of his early life, when he was a + clerk in a store in Cincinnati. There was a museum opposite, the + proprietor of which had a peculiar physiognomy that struck Powers, + insomuch that he felt impelled to make continual caricatures of it. He + used to draw them upon the door of the museum, and became so familiar with + the face, that he could draw them in the dark; so that, every morning, + here was this absurd profile of himself, greeting the museum-man when he + came to open his establishment. Often, too, it would reappear within an + hour after it was rubbed out. The man was infinitely annoyed, and made all + possible efforts to discover the unknown artist, but in vain; and finally + concluded, I suppose, that the likeness broke out upon the door of its own + accord, like the nettle-rash. Some years afterwards, the proprietor of the + museum engaged Powers himself as an assistant; and one day Powers asked + him if he remembered this mysterious profile. "Yes," said he, "did you + know who drew them?" Powers took a piece of chalk, and touched off the + very profile again, before the man's eyes. "Ah," said he, "if I had known + it at the time, I would have broken every bone in your body!" + </p> + <p> + Before he began to work in marble, Powers had greater practice and success + in making wax figures, and he produced a work of this kind called "The + Infernal Regions," which he seemed to imply had been very famous. He said + he once wrought a face in wax which was life itself, having made the eyes + on purpose for it, and put in every hair in the eyebrows individually, and + finished the whole with similar minuteness; so that, within the distance + of a foot or two, it was impossible to tell that the face did not live. + </p> + <p> + I have hardly ever before felt an impulse to write down a man's + conversation as I do that of Mr. Powers. The chief reason is, probably, + that it is so possible to do it, his ideas being square, solid, and + tangible, and therefore readily grasped and retained. He is a very + instructive man, and sweeps one's empty and dead notions out of the way + with exceeding vigor; but when you have his ultimate thought and + perception, you feel inclined to think and see a little further for + yourself. He sees too clearly what is within his range to be aware of any + region of mystery beyond. Probably, however, this latter remark does him + injustice. I like the man, and am always glad to encounter the mill-stream + of his talk. . . . Yesterday he met me in the street (dressed in his linen + blouse and slippers, with a little bit of a sculptor's cap on the side of + his head), and gave utterance to a theory of colds, and a dissertation on + the bad effects of draughts, whether of cold air or hot, and the dangers + of transfusing blood from the veins of one living subject to those of + another. On the last topic, he remarked that, if a single particle of air + found its way into the veins, along with the transfused blood, it caused + convulsions and inevitable death; otherwise the process might be of + excellent effect. + </p> + <p> + Last evening, we went to pass the evening with Miss Blagden, who inhabits + a villa at Bellosguardo, about a mile outside of the walls. The situation + is very lofty, and there are good views from every window of the house, + and an especially fine one of Florence and the hills beyond, from the + balcony of the drawing-room. By and by came Mr. Browning, Mr. Trollope, + Mr. Boott and his young daughter, and two or three other gentlemen. . . . + </p> + <p> + Browning was very genial and full of life, as usual, but his conversation + has the effervescent aroma which you cannot catch, even if you get the + very words that seem to be imbued with it. He spoke most rapturously of a + portrait of Mrs. Browning, which an Italian artist is painting for the + wife of an American gentleman, as a present from her husband. The success + was already perfect, although there had been only two sittings as yet, and + both on the same day; and in this relation, Mr. Browning remarked that P———, + the American artist, had had no less than seventy-three sittings of him + for a portrait. In the result, every hair and speck of him was + represented; yet, as I inferred from what he did not say, this + accumulation of minute truths did not, after all, amount to the true + whole. + </p> + <p> + I do not remember much else that Browning said, except a playful abuse of + a little King Charles spaniel, named Frolic, Miss Blagden's lap-dog, whose + venerable age (he is eleven years old) ought to have pleaded in his + behalf. Browning's nonsense is of very genuine and excellent quality, the + true babble and effervescence of a bright and powerful mind; and he lets + it play among his friends with the faith and simplicity of a child. He + must be an amiable man. I should like him much, and should make him like + me, if opportunities were favorable. + </p> + <p> + I conversed principally with Mr. Trollope, the son, I believe, of the Mrs. + Trollope to whom America owes more for her shrewd criticisms than we are + ever likely to repay. Mr. Trollope is a very sensible and cultivated man, + and, I suspect, an author: at least, there is a literary man of repute of + this name, though I have never read his works. He has resided in Italy + eighteen years. It seems a pity to do this. It needs the native air to + give life a reality; a truth which I do not fail to take home regretfully + to myself, though without feeling much inclination to go back to the + realities of my own. + </p> + <p> + We had a pleasant cup of tea, and took a moonlight view of Florence from + the balcony. . . . + </p> + <p> + June 28th.—Yesterday afternoon, J——- and I went to a + horse-race, which took place in the Corso and contiguous line of streets, + in further celebration of the Feast of St. John. A crowd of people was + already collected, all along the line of the proposed race, as early as + six o'clock; and there were a great many carriages driving amid the + throng, open barouches mostly, in which the beauty and gentility of + Florence were freely displayed. It was a repetition of the scene in the + Corso at Rome, at Carnival time, without the masks, the fun, and the + confetti. The Grand Duke and Duchess and the Court likewise made their + appearance in as many as seven or eight coaches-and-six, each with a + coachman, three footmen, and a postilion in the royal livery, and attended + by a troop of horsemen in scarlet coats and cocked hats. I did not + particularly notice the Grand Duke himself; but, in the carriage behind + him, there sat only a lady, who favored the people along the street with a + constant succession of bows, repeated at such short intervals, and so + quickly, as to be little more than nods; therefore not particularly + graceful or majestic. Having the good fortune, to be favored with one of + these nods, I lifted my hat in response, and may therefore claim a bowing + acquaintance with the Grand Duchess. She is a Bourbon of the Naples + family, and was a pale, handsome woman, of princely aspect enough. The + crowd evinced no enthusiasm, nor the slightest feeling of any kind, in + acknowledgment of the presence of their rulers; and, indeed, I think I + never saw a crowd so well behaved; that is, with so few salient points, so + little ebullition, so absolutely tame, as the Florentine one. After all, + and much contrary to my expectations, an American crowd has incomparably + more life than any other; and, meeting on any casual occasion, it will + talk, laugh, roar, and be diversified with a thousand characteristic + incidents and gleams and shadows, that you see nothing of here. The people + seems to have no part even in its own gatherings. It comes together merely + as a mass of spectators, and must not so much as amuse itself by any + activity of mind. + </p> + <p> + The race, which was the attraction that drew us all together, turned out a + very pitiful affair. When we had waited till nearly dusk, the street being + thronged quite across, insomuch that it seemed impossible that it should + be cleared as a race-course, there came suddenly from every throat a + quick, sharp exclamation, combining into a general shout. Immediately the + crowd pressed back on each side of the street; a moment afterwards, there + was a rapid pattering of hoofs over the earth with which the pavement was + strewn, and I saw the head and back of a horse rushing past. A few seconds + more, and another horse followed; and at another little interval, a third. + This was all that we had waited for; all that I saw, or anybody else, + except those who stood on the utmost verge of the course, at the risk of + being trampled down and killed. Two men were killed in this way on + Thursday, and certainly human life was never spent for a poorer object. + The spectators at the windows, to be sure, having the horses in sight for + a longer time, might get a little more enjoyment out of the affair. By the + by, the most picturesque aspect of the scene was the life given to it by + the many faces, some of them fair ones, that looked out from window and + balcony, all along the curving line of lofty palaces and edifices, between + which the race-course lay; and from nearly every window, and over every + balcony, was flung a silken texture, or cloth of brilliant line, or piece + of tapestry or carpet, or whatever adornment of the kind could be had, so + as to dress up the street in gala attire. But, the Feast of St. John, like + the Carnival, is but a meagre semblance of festivity, kept alive + factitiously, and dying a lingering death of centuries. It takes the + exuberant mind and heart of a people to keep its holidays alive. + </p> + <p> + I do not know whether there be any populace in Florence, but I saw none + that I recognized as such, on this occasion. All the people were + respectably dressed and perfectly well behaved; and soldiers and priests + were scattered abundantly among the throng. On my way home, I saw the + Teatro Goldoni, which is in our own street, lighted up for a + representation this Sunday evening. It shocked my New England prejudices a + little. + </p> + <p> + Thus forenoon, my wife and I went to the Church of Santa Croce, the great + monumental deposit of Florentine worthies. The piazza before it is a wide, + gravelled square, where the liberty of Florence, if it really ever had any + genuine liberty, came into existence some hundreds of years ago, by the + people's taking its own rights into its hands, and putting its own + immediate will in execution. The piazza has not much appearance of + antiquity, except that the facade of one of the houses is quite covered + with ancient frescos, a good deal faded and obliterated, yet with traces + enough of old glory to show that the colors must have been well laid on. + </p> + <p> + The front of the church, the foundation of which was laid six centuries + ago, is still waiting for its casing of marbles, and I suppose will wait + forever, though a carpenter's staging is now erected before it, as if with + the purpose of doing something. + </p> + <p> + The interior is spacious, the length of the church being between four and + five hundred feet. There is a nave, roofed with wooden cross-beams, + lighted by a clere-story and supported on each side by seven great pointed + arches, which rest upon octagonal pillars. The octagon seems to be a + favorite shape in Florence. These pillars were clad in yellow and scarlet + damask, in honor of the Feast of St. John. The aisles, on each side of the + nave, are lighted with high and somewhat narrow windows of painted glass, + the effect of which, however, is much diminished by the flood of common + daylight that comes in through the windows of the clere-story. It is like + admitting too much of the light of reason and worldly intelligence into + the mind, instead of illuminating it wholly through a religious medium. + The many-hued saints and angels lose their mysterious effulgence, when we + get white light enough, and find we see all the better without their help. + </p> + <p> + The main pavement of the church is brickwork; but it is inlaid with many + sepulchral slabs of marble, on some of which knightly or priestly figures + are sculptured in bas-relief. In both of the side aisles there are saintly + shrines, alternating with mural monuments, some of which record names as + illustrious as any in the world. As you enter, the first monument, on your + right is that of Michael Angelo, occupying the ancient burial-site of his + family. The general design is a heavy sarcophagus of colored marble, with + the figures of Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture as mourners, and + Michael Angelo's bust above, the whole assuming a pyramidal form. You pass + a shrine, within its framework of marble pillars and a pediment, and come + next to Dante's monument, a modern work, with likewise its sarcophagus, + and some huge, cold images weeping and sprawling over it, and an + unimpressive statue of Dante sitting above. + </p> + <p> + Another shrine intervenes, and next you see the tomb of Alfieri, erected + to his memory by the Countess of Albany, who pays, out of a woman's love, + the honor which his country owed him. Her own monument is in one of the + chapels of the transept. + </p> + <p> + Passing the next shrine you see the tomb of Macchiavelli, which, I think, + was constructed not many years after his death. The rest of the monuments, + on this side of the church, commemorate people of less than world-wide + fame; and though the opposite side has likewise a monument alternating + with each shrine, I remember only the names of Raphael Morghen and of + Galileo. The tomb of the latter is over against that of Michael Angelo, + being the first large tomb on the left-hand wall as you enter the church. + It has the usual heavy sarcophagus, surmounted by a bust of Galileo, in + the habit of his time, and is, of course, duly provided with mourners in + the shape of Science or Astronomy, or some such cold-hearted people. I + wish every sculptor might be at once imprisoned for life who shall + hereafter chisel an allegoric figure; and as for those who have sculptured + them heretofore, let them be kept in purgatory till the marble shall have + crumbled away. It is especially absurd to assign to this frozen sisterhood + of the allegoric family the office of weeping for the dead, inasmuch as + they have incomparably less feeling than a lump of ice, which might + contrive to shed a tear if the sun shone on it. But they seem to let + themselves out, like the hired mourners of an English funeral, for the + very reason that, having no interest in the dead person, nor any + affections or emotions whatever, it costs them no wear and tear of heart. + </p> + <p> + All round both transepts of the church there is a series of chapels, into + most of which we went, and generally found an inscrutably dark picture + over the altar, and often a marble bust or two, or perhaps a mediaeval + statue of a saint or a modern monumental bas-relief in marble, as white as + new-fallen snow. A chapel of the Bonapartes is here, containing memorials + of two female members of the family. In several chapels, moreover, there + were some of those distressing frescos, by Giotto, Cimabue, or their + compeers, which, whenever I see them,—poor, faded relics, looking as + if the Devil had been rubbing and scrubbing them for centuries, in spite + against the saints,—my heart sinks and my stomach sickens. There is + no other despondency like this; it is a new shade of human misery, akin to + the physical disease that comes from dryrot in a wall. These frescos are + to a church what dreary, old remembrances are to a mind; the drearier + because they were once bright: Hope fading into Disappointment, Joy into + Grief, and festal splendor passing into funereal duskiness, and saddening + you all the more by the grim identity that you find to exist between gay + things and sorrowful ones. Only wait long enough, and they turn out to be + the very same. + </p> + <p> + All the time we were in the church some great religious ceremony had been + going forward; the organ playing and the white-robed priests bowing, + gesticulating, and making Latin prayers at the high altar, where at least + a hundred wax tapers were burning in constellations. Everybody knelt, + except ourselves, yet seemed not to be troubled by the echoes of our + passing footsteps, nor to require that we should pray along with them. + They consider us already lost irrevocably, no doubt, and therefore right + enough in taking no heed of their devotions; not but what we took so much + heed, however, as to give the smallest possible disturbance. By and by we + sat down in the nave of the church till the ceremony should be concluded; + and then my wife left me to go in quest of yet another chapel, where + either Cimabue or Giotto, or both, have left some of their now ghastly + decorations. While she was gone I threw my eyes about the church, and came + to the conclusion that, in spite of its antiquity, its size, its + architecture, its painted windows, its tombs of great men, and all the + reverence and interest that broods over them, it is not an impressive + edifice. Any little Norman church in England would impress me as much, and + more. There is something, I do not know what, but it is in the region of + the heart, rather than in the intellect, that Italian architecture, of + whatever age or style, never seems to reach. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the Santa Croce, we went next in quest of the Riccardi Palace. On + our way, in the rear of the Grand Ducal Piazza, we passed by the Bargello, + formerly the palace of the Podesta of Florence, and now converted into a + prison. It is an immense square edifice of dark stone, with a tall, lank + tower rising high above it at one corner. Two stone lions, symbols of the + city, lash their tails and glare at the passers-by; and all over the front + of the building windows are scattered irregularly, and grated with rusty + iron bars; also there are many square holes, which probably admit a little + light and a breath or two of air into prisoners' cells. It is a very ugly + edifice, but looks antique, and as if a vast deal of history might have + been transacted within it, or have beaten, like fierce blasts, against its + dark, massive walls, since the thirteenth century. When I first saw the + city it struck me that there were few marks of antiquity in Florence; but + I am now inclined to think otherwise, although the bright Italian + atmosphere, and the general squareness and monotony of the Italian + architecture, have their effect in apparently modernizing everything. But + everywhere we see the ponderous Tuscan basements that never can decay, and + which will look, five hundred years hence, as they look now; and one often + passes beneath an abbreviated remnant of what was once a lofty tower, + perhaps three hundred feet high, such as used to be numerous in Florence + when each noble of the city had his own warfare to wage; and there are + patches of sculpture that look old on houses, the modern stucco of which + causes them to look almost new. Here and there an unmistakable antiquity + stands in its own impressive shadow; the Church of Or San Michele, for + instance, once a market, but which grew to be a church by some inherent + fitness and inevitable consecration. It has not the least the aspect of a + church, being high and square, like a mediaeval palace; but deep and high + niches are let into its walls, within which stand great statues of saints, + masterpieces of Donatello, and other sculptors of that age, before + sculpture began to be congealed by the influence of Greek art. + </p> + <p> + The Riccardi Palace is at the corner of the Via Larga. It was built by the + first Cosmo de' Medici, the old banker, more than four centuries ago, and + was long the home of the ignoble race of princes which he left behind him. + It looks fit to be still the home of a princely race, being nowise + dilapidated nor decayed externally, nor likely to be so, its high Tuscan + basement being as solid as a ledge of rock, and its upper portion not much + less so, though smoothed into another order of stately architecture. + Entering its court from the Via Larga, we found ourselves beneath a + pillared arcade, passing round the court like a cloister; and on the walls + of the palace, under this succession of arches, were statues, bas-reliefs, + and sarcophagi, in which, first, dead Pagans had slept, and then dead + Christians, before the sculptured coffins were brought hither to adorn the + palace of the Medici. In the most prominent place was a Latin inscription + of great length and breadth, chiefly in praise of old Cosino and his deeds + and wisdom. This mansion gives the visitor a stately notion of the life of + a commercial man in the days when merchants were princes; not that it + seems to be so wonderfully extensive, nor so very grand, for I suppose + there are a dozen Roman palaces that excel it in both these particulars. + Still, we cannot but be conscious that it must have been, in some sense, a + great man who thought of founding a homestead like this, and was capable + of filling it with his personality, as the hand fills a glove. It has been + found spacious enough, since Cosmo's time, for an emperor and a pope and a + king, all of whom have been guests in this house. After being the family + mansion of the Medici for nearly two centuries, it was sold to the + Riccardis, but was subsequently bought of then by the government, and it + is now occupied by public offices and societies. + </p> + <p> + After sufficiently examining the court and its antiquities, we ascended a + noble staircase that passes, by broad flights and square turns, to the + region above the basement. Here the palace is cut up and portioned off + into little rooms and passages, and everywhere there were desks, + inkstands, and men, with pens in their fingers or behind their ears. We + were shown into a little antique chapel, quite covered with frescos in the + Giotto style, but painted by a certain Gozzoli. They were in pretty good + preservation, and, in fact, I am wrong in comparing them to Giotto's + works, inasmuch as there must have been nearly two hundred years between + the two artists. The chapel was furnished with curiously carved old + chairs, and looked surprisingly venerable within its little precinct. + </p> + <p> + We were next guided into the grand gallery, a hall of respectable size, + with a frescoed ceiling, on which is represented the blue sky, and various + members of the Medici family ascending through it by the help of angelic + personages, who seem only to have waited for their society to be perfectly + happy. At least, this was the meaning, so far as I could make it out. + Along one side of the gallery were oil-pictures on looking-glasses, rather + good than otherwise; but Rome, with her palaces and villas, takes the + splendor out of all this sort of thing elsewhere. + </p> + <p> + On our way home, and on our own side of the Ponte Vecchio, we passed the + Palazzo Guicciardini, the ancient residence of the historian of Italy, who + was a politic statesman of his day, and probably as cruel and unprincipled + as any of those whose deeds he has recorded. Opposite, across the narrow + way, stands the house of Macchiavelli, who was his friend, and, I should + judge, an honester man than he. The house is distinguished by a marble + tablet, let into the wall, commemorative of Macchiavelli, but has nothing + antique or picturesque about it, being in a continuous line with other + smooth-faced and stuccoed edifices. + </p> + <p> + June 30th.—Yesterday, at three o'clock P. M., I went to see the + final horse-race of the Feast of St. John, or rather to see the concourse + of people and grandees whom it brought together. I took my stand in the + vicinity of the spot whence the Grand Duke and his courtiers view the + race, and from this point the scene was rather better worth looking at + than from the street-corners whence I saw it before. The vista of the + street, stretching far adown between two rows of lofty edifices, was + really gay and gorgeous with the silks, damasks, and tapestries of all + bright hues, that flaunted from windows and balconies, whence ladies + looked forth and looked down, themselves making the liveliest part of the + show. The whole capacity of the street swarmed with moving heads, leaving + scarce room enough for the carriages, which, as on Sunday, passed up and + down, until the signal for the race was given. Equipages, too, were + constantly arriving at the door of the building which communicates with + the open loggia, where the Grand Ducal party sit to see and to be seen. + Two sentinels were standing at the door, and presented arms as each + courtier or ambassador, or whatever dignity it might be, alighted. Most of + them had on gold-embroidered court-dresses; some of them had military + uniforms, and medals in abundance at the breast; and ladies also came, + looking like heaps of lace and gauze in the carriages, but lightly shaking + themselves into shape as they went up the steps. By and by a trumpet + sounded, a drum beat, and again appeared a succession of half a dozen + royal equipages, each with its six horses, its postilion, coachman, and + three footmen, grand with cocked hats and embroidery; and the gray-headed, + bowing Grand Duke and his nodding Grand Duchess as before. The Noble Guard + ranged themselves on horseback opposite the loggia; but there was no + irksome and impertinent show of ceremony and restraint upon the people. + The play-guard of volunteer soldiers, who escort the President of the + United States in his Northern progresses, keep back their fellow-citizens + much more sternly and immitigably than the Florentine guard kept back the + populace from its despotic sovereign. + </p> + <p> + This morning J——- and I have been to the Uffizi gallery. It + was his first visit there, and he passed a sweeping condemnation upon + everything he saw, except a fly, a snail-shell, a caterpillar, a lemon, a + piece of bread, and a wineglass, in some of the Dutch pictures. The Venus + de' Medici met with no sort of favor. His feeling of utter distaste + reacted upon me, and I was sensible of the same weary lack of appreciation + that used to chill me through, in my earlier visits to picture-galleries; + the same doubt, moreover, whether we do not bamboozle ourselves in the + greater part of the admiration which we learn to bestow. I looked with + some pleasure at one of Correggio's Madonnas in the Tribune,—no + divine and deep-thoughted mother of the Saviour, but a young woman playing + with her first child, as gay and thoughtless as itself. I looked at + Michael Angelo's Madonna, in which William Ware saw such prophetic depth + of feeling; but I suspect it was one of the many instances in which the + spectator sees more than the painter ever dreamed of. + </p> + <p> + Straying through the city, after leaving the gallery, we went into the + Church of Or San Michele, and saw in its architecture the traces of its + transformation from a market into a church. In its pristine state it + consisted of a double row of three great open arches, with the wind + blowing through them, and the sunshine falling aslantwise into them, while + the bustle of the market, the sale of fish, flesh, or fruit went on + within, or brimmed over into the streets that enclosed them on every side. + But, four or five hundred years ago, the broad arches were built up with + stone-work; windows were pierced through and filled with painted glass; a + high altar, in a rich style of pointed Gothic, was raised; shrines and + confessionals were set up; and here it is, a solemn and antique church, + where a man may buy his salvation instead of his dinner. At any rate, the + Catholic priests will insure it to him, and take the price. The sculpture + within the beautifully decorated niches, on the outside of the church, is + very curious and interesting. The statues of those old saints seem to have + that charm of earnestness which so attracts the admirers of the + Pre-Raphaelite painters. + </p> + <p> + It appears that a picture of the Virgin used to hang against one of the + pillars of the market-place while it was still a market, and in the year + 1291 several miracles were wrought by it, insomuch that a chapel was + consecrated for it. So many worshippers came to the shrine that the + business of the market was impeded, and ultimately the Virgin and St. + Michael won the whole space for themselves. The upper part of the edifice + was at that time a granary, and is still used for other than religious + purposes. This church was one spot to which the inhabitants betook + themselves much for refuge and divine assistance during the great plague + described by Boccaccio. + </p> + <p> + July 2d.—We set out yesterday morning to visit the Palazzo + Buonarotti, Michael Angelo's ancestral home. . . . It is in the Via + Ghibellina, an ordinary-looking, three-story house, with broad-brimmed + eaves, a stuccoed front, and two or three windows painted in fresco, + besides the real ones. Adown the street, there is a glimpse of the hills + outside of Florence. The sun shining heavily directly upon the front, we + rang the door-bell, and then drew back into the shadow that fell from the + opposite side of the street. After we had waited some time a man looked + out from an upper window, and a woman from a lower one, and informed us + that we could not be admitted now, nor for two or three months to come, + the house being under repairs. It is a pity, for I wished to see Michael + Angelo's sword and walking-stick and old slippers, and whatever other of + his closest personalities are to be shown. . . . + </p> + <p> + We passed into the Piazza of the Grand Duke, and looked into the court of + the Palazzo Vecchio, with its beautifully embossed pillars; and, seeing + just beyond the court a staircase of broad and easy steps, we ascended it + at a venture. Upward and upward we went, flight after flight of stairs, + and through passages, till at last we found an official who ushered us + into a large saloon. It was the Hall of Audience. Its heavily embossed + ceiling, rich with tarnished gold, was a feature of antique magnificence, + and the only one that it retained, the floor being paved with tiles and + the furniture scanty or none. There were, however, three cabinets standing + against the walls, two of which contained very curious and exquisite + carvings and cuttings in ivory; some of them in the Chinese style of + hollow, concentric balls; others, really beautiful works of art: little + crucifixes, statues, saintly and knightly, and cups enriched with delicate + bas-reliefs. The custode pointed to a small figure of St. Sebastian, and + also to a vase around which the reliefs seemed to assume life. Both these + specimens, he said, were by Benvenuto Cellini, and there were many others + that might well have been wrought by his famous hand. The third cabinet + contained a great number and variety of crucifixes, chalices, and whatever + other vessels are needed in altar service, exquisitely carved out of + amber. They belong to the chapel of the palace, and into this holy closet + we were now conducted. It is large enough to accommodate comfortably + perhaps thirty worshippers, and is quite covered with frescos by + Ghirlandaio in good preservation, and with remnants enough of gilding and + bright color to show how splendid the chapel must have been when the + Medicean Grand Dukes used to pray here. The altar is still ready for + service, and I am not sure that some of the wax tapers were not burning; + but Lorenzo the Magnificent was nowhere to be seen. + </p> + <p> + The custode now led us back through the Hall of Audience into a smaller + room, hung with pictures chiefly of the Medici and their connections, + among whom was one Carolina, an intelligent and pretty child, and Bianca + Capella. + </p> + <p> + There was nothing else to show us, except a very noble and most spacious + saloon, lighted by two large windows at each end, coming down level with + the floor, and by a row of windows on one side just beneath the cornice. A + gilded framework divides the ceiling into squares, circles, and octagons, + the compartments of which are filled with pictures in oil; and the walls + are covered with immense frescos, representing various battles and + triumphs of the Florentines. Statues by Michael Angelo, John of Bologna, + and Bandinello, as well historic as ideal, stand round the hall, and it is + really a fit theatre for the historic scenes of a country to be acted in. + It was built, moreover, with the idea of its being the council-hall of a + free people; but our own little Faneuil, which was meant, in all + simplicity, to be merely a spot where the townspeople should meet to + choose their selectmen, has served the world better in that respect. I + wish I had more room to speak of this vast, dusky, historic hall. [This + volume of journal closes here.] + </p> + <p> + July 4th 1858.—Yesterday forenoon we went to see the Church of Santa + Maria Novella. We found the piazza, on one side of which the church + stands, encumbered with the amphitheatrical ranges of wooden seats that + had been erected to accommodate the spectators of the chariot-races, at + the recent Feast of St. John. The front of the church is composed of black + and white marble, which, in the course of the five centuries that it has + been built, has turned brown and yellow. On the right hand, as you + approach, is a long colonnade of arches, extending on a line with the + facade, and having a tomb beneath every arch. This colonnade forms one of + the enclosing walls of a cloister. We found none of the front entrances + open, but on our left, in a wall at right angles with the church, there + was an open gateway, approaching which, we saw, within the four-sided + colonnade, an enclosed green space of a cloister. This is what is called + the Chiostro Verde, so named from the prevailing color of the frescos with + which the walls beneath the arches are adorned. + </p> + <p> + This cloister is the reality of what I used to imagine when I saw the + half-ruinous colonnades connected with English cathedrals, or endeavored + to trace out the lines along the broken wall of some old abbey. Not that + this extant cloister, still perfect and in daily use for its original + purposes, is nearly so beautiful as the crumbling ruin which has ceased to + be trodden by monkish feet for more than three centuries. The cloister of + Santa Maria has not the seclusion that is desirable, being open, by its + gateway, to the public square; and several of the neighbors, women as well + as men, were loitering within its precincts. The convent, however, has + another and larger cloister, which I suppose is kept free from + interlopers. The Chiostro Verde is a walk round the four sides of a + square, beneath an arched and groined roof. One side of the walk looks + upon an enclosed green space with a fountain or a tomb (I forget which) in + the centre; the other side is ornamented all along with a succession of + ancient frescos, representing subjects of Scripture history. In the days + when the designs were more distinct than now, it must have been a very + effective way for a monk to read Bible history, to see its personages and + events thus passing visibly beside him in his morning and evening walks. + Beneath the frescos on one side of the cloistered walk, and along the low + stone parapet that separates it from the grass-plat on the other, are + inscriptions to the memory of the dead who are buried underneath the + pavement. The most of these were modern, and recorded the names of persons + of no particular note. Other monumental slabs were inlaid with the + pavement itself. Two or three Dominican monks, belonging to the convent, + passed in and out, while we were there, in their white habits. + </p> + <p> + After going round three sides, we came to the fourth, formed by the wall + of the church, and heard the voice of a priest behind a curtain that fell + down before a door. Lifting it aside, we went in, and found ourselves in + the ancient chapter-house, a large interior formed by two great pointed + arches crossing one another in a groined roof. The broad spaces of the + walls were entirely covered with frescos that are rich even now, and must + have glowed with an inexpressible splendor, when fresh from the artists' + hands, five hundred years ago. There is a long period, during which + frescos illuminate a church or a hall in a way that no other adornment + can; when this epoch of brightness is past, they become the dreariest + ghosts of perished magnificence. . . . This chapter-house is the only part + of the church that is now used for the purposes of public worship. There + are several confessionals, and two chapels or shrines, each with its + lighted tapers. A priest performed mass while we were there, and several + persons, as usual, stepped in to do a little devotion, either praying on + their own account, or uniting with the ceremony that was going forward. + One man was followed by two little dogs, and in the midst of his prayers, + as one of the dogs was inclined to stray about the church, he kept + snapping his fingers to call him back. The cool, dusky refreshment of + these holy places, affording such a refuge from the hot noon of the + streets and piazzas, probably suggests devotional ideas to the people, and + it may be, when they are praying, they feel a breath of Paradise fanning + them. If we could only see any good effects in their daily life, we might + deem it an excellent thing to be able to find incense and a prayer always + ascending, to which every individual may join his own. I really wonder + that the Catholics are not better men and women. + </p> + <p> + When we had looked at the old frescos, . . . . we emerged into the + cloister again, and thence ventured into a passage which would have led us + to the Chiostro Grande, where strangers, and especially ladies, have no + right to go. It was a secluded corridor, very neatly kept, bordered with + sepulchral monuments, and at the end appeared a vista of cypress-trees, + which indeed were but an illusory perspective, being painted in fresco. + While we loitered along the sacristan appeared and offered to show us the + church, and led us into the transept on the right of the high altar, and + ushered us into the sacristy, where we found two artists copying some of + Fra Angelico's pictures. These were painted on the three wooden leaves of + a triptych, and, as usual, were glorified with a great deal of gilding, so + that they seemed to float in the brightness of a heavenly element. Solomon + speaks of "apples of gold in pictures of silver." The pictures of Fra + Angelico, and other artists of that age, are really pictures of gold; and + it is wonderful to see how rich the effect, and how much delicate beauty + is attained (by Fra Angelico at least) along with it. His miniature-heads + appear to me much more successful than his larger ones. In a monkish point + of view, however, the chief value of the triptych of which I am speaking + does not lie in the pictures, for they merely serve as the framework of + some relics, which are set all round the edges of the three leaves. They + consist of little bits and fragments of bones, and of packages carefully + tied up in silk, the contents of which are signified in Gothic letters + appended to each parcel. The sacred vessels of the church are likewise + kept in the sacristy. . . . + </p> + <p> + Re-entering the transept, our guide showed us the chapel of the Strozzi + family, which is accessible by a flight of steps from the floor of the + church. The walls of this chapel are covered with frescos by Orcagna, + representing around the altar the Last Judgment, and on one of the walls + heaven and the assembly of the blessed, and on the other, of course, hell. + I cannot speak as to the truth of the representation; but, at all events, + it was purgatory to look at it. . . . + </p> + <p> + We next passed into the choir, which occupies the extreme end of the + church behind the great square mass of the high altar, and is surrounded + with a double row of ancient oaken seats of venerable shape and carving. + The choir is illuminated by a threefold Gothic window, full of richly + painted glass, worth all the frescos that ever stained a wall or ceiling; + but these walls, nevertheless, are adorned with frescos by Ghirlandaio, + and it is easy to see must once have made a magnificent appearance. I + really was sensible of a sad and ghostly beauty in many of the figures; + but all the bloom, the magic of the painter's touch, his topmost art, have + long ago been rubbed off, the white plaster showing through the colors in + spots, and even in large spaces. Any other sort of ruin acquires a beauty + proper to its decay, and often superior to that of its pristine state; but + the ruin of a picture, especially of a fresco, is wholly unredeemed; and, + moreover, it dies so slowly that many generations are likely to be + saddened by it. + </p> + <p> + We next saw the famous picture of the Virgin by Cimabue, which was deemed + a miracle in its day, . . . . and still brightens the sombre walls with + the lustre of its gold ground. As to its artistic merits, it seems to me + that the babe Jesus has a certain air of state and dignity; but I could + see no charm whatever in the broad-faced Virgin, and it would relieve my + mind and rejoice my spirit if the picture were borne out of the church in + another triumphal procession (like the one which brought it there), and + reverently burnt. This should be the final honor paid to all human works + that have served a good office in their day, for when their day is over, + if still galvanized into false life, they do harm instead of good. . . . . + The interior of Santa Maria Novella is spacious and in the Gothic style, + though differing from English churches of that order of architecture. It + is not now kept open to the public, nor were any of the shrines and + chapels, nor even the high altar itself, adorned and lighted for worship. + The pictures that decorated the shrines along the side aisles have been + removed, leaving bare, blank spaces of brickwork, very dreary and desolate + to behold. This is almost worse than a black oil-painting or a faded + fresco. The church was much injured by the French, and afterwards by the + Austrians, both powers having quartered their troops within the holy + precincts. Its old walls, however, are yet stalwart enough to outlast + another set of frescos, and to see the beginning and the end of a new + school of painting as long-lived as Cimabue's. I should be sorry to have + the church go to decay, because it was here that Boccaccio's dames and + cavaliers encountered one another, and formed their plan of retreating + into the country during the plague. . . . + </p> + <p> + At the door we bought a string of beads, with a small crucifix appended, + in memory of the place. The beads seem to be of a grayish, pear-shaped + seed, and the seller assured us that they were the tears of St. Job. They + were cheap, probably because Job shed so many tears in his lifetime. + </p> + <p> + It being still early in the day, we went to the Uffizi gallery, and after + loitering a good while among the pictures, were so fortunate as to find + the room of the bronzes open. The first object that attracted us was John + of Bologna's Mercury, poising himself on tiptoe, and looking not merely + buoyant enough to float, but as if he possessed more than the eagle's + power of lofty flight. It seems a wonder that he did not absolutely fling + himself into the air when the artist gave him the last touch. No bolder + work was ever achieved; nothing so full of life has been done since. I was + much interested, too, in the original little wax model, two feet high, of + Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus. The wax seems to be laid over a wooden + framework, and is but roughly finished off. . . . + </p> + <p> + In an adjoining room are innumerable specimens of Roman and Etruscan + bronzes, great and small. A bronze Chimera did not strike me as very + ingeniously conceived, the goat's head being merely an adjunct, growing + out of the back of the monster, without possessing any original and + substantive share in its nature. The snake's head is at the end of the + tail. The object most really interesting was a Roman eagle, the standard + of the Twenty-fourth Legion, about the size of a blackbird. + </p> + <p> + July 8th.—On the 6th we went to the Church of the Annunziata, which + stands in the piazza of the same name. On the corner of the Via dei Servi + is the palace which I suppose to be the one that Browning makes the scene + of his poem, "The Statue and the Bust," and the statue of Duke Ferdinand + sits stately on horseback, with his face turned towards the window, where + the lady ought to appear. Neither she nor the bust, however, was visible, + at least not to my eyes. The church occupies one side of the piazza, and + in front of it, as likewise on the two adjoining sides of the square, + there are pillared arcades, constructed by Brunelleschi or his scholars. + After passing through these arches, and still before entering the church + itself, you come to an ancient cloister, which is now quite enclosed in + glass as a means of preserving some frescos of Andrea del Sarto and + others, which are considered valuable. + </p> + <p> + Passing the threshold of the church, we were quite dazzled by the splendor + that shone upon us from the ceiling of the nave, the great parallelograms + of which, viewed from one end, look as if richly embossed all over with + gold. The whole interior, indeed, has an effect of brightness and + magnificence, the walls being covered mostly with light-colored marble, + into which are inlaid compartments of rarer and richer marbles. The + pillars and pilasters, too, are of variegated marbles, with Corinthian + capitals, that shine just as brightly as if they were of solid gold, so + faithfully have they been gilded and burnished. The pavement is formed of + squares of black and white marble. There are no side aisles, but ranges of + chapels, with communication from one to another, stand round the whole + extent of the nave and choir; all of marble, all decorated with pictures, + statues, busts, and mural monuments; all worth, separately, a day's + inspection. The high altar is of great beauty and richness, . . . . and + also the tomb of John of Bologna in a chapel at the remotest extremity of + the church. In this chapel there are some bas-reliefs by him, and also a + large crucifix, with a marble Christ upon it. I think there has been no + better sculptor since the days of Phidias. . . . + </p> + <p> + The church was founded by seven gentlemen of Florence, who formed + themselves into a religious order called "Servants of Mary." Many + miraculous cures were wrought here; and the church, in consequence, was so + thickly hung with votive offerings of legs, arms, and other things in wax, + that they used to tumble upon people's heads, so that finally they were + all cleared out as rubbish. The church is still, I should imagine, looked + upon as a place of peculiar sanctity; for while we were there it had an + unusual number of kneeling worshippers, and persons were passing from + shrine to shrine all round the nave and choir, praying awhile at each, and + thus performing a pilgrimage at little cost of time and labor. One old + gentleman, I observed, carried a cushion or pad, just big enough for one + knee, on which he carefully adjusted his genuflexions before each altar. + An old woman in the choir prayed alternately to us and to the saints, with + most success, I hope, in her petitions to the latter, though certainly her + prayers to ourselves seemed the more fervent of the two. + </p> + <p> + When we had gone entirely round the church, we came at last to the chapel + of the Annunziata, which stands on the floor of the nave, on the left hand + as we enter. It is a very beautiful piece of architecture,—a sort of + canopy of marble, supported upon pillars; and its magnificence within, in + marble and silver, and all manner of holy decoration, is quite + indescribable. It was built four hundred years ago, by Pietro de' Medici, + and has probably been growing richer ever since. The altar is entirely of + silver, richly embossed. As many people were kneeling on the steps before + it as could find room, and most of them, when they finished their prayers, + ascended the steps, kissed over and over again the margin of the silver + altar, laid their foreheads upon it, and then deposited an offering in a + box placed upon the altar's top. From the dulness of the chink in the only + case when I heard it, I judged it to be a small copper coin. + </p> + <p> + In the inner part of this chapel is preserved a miraculous picture of the + "Santissima Annunziata," painted by angels, and held in such holy repute + that forty thousand dollars have lately been expended in providing a new + crown for the sacred personage represented. The picture is now veiled + behind a curtain; and as it is a fresco, and is not considered to do much + credit to the angelic artists, I was well contented not to see it. + </p> + <p> + We found a side door of the church admitting us into the great cloister, + which has a walk of intersecting arches round its four sides, paved with + flat tombstones, and broad enough for six people to walk abreast. On the + walls, in the semicircles of each successive arch, are frescos + representing incidents in the lives of the seven founders of the church, + and all the lower part of the wall is incrusted with marble inscriptions + to the memory of the dead, and mostly of persons who have died not very + long ago. The space enclosed by the cloistered walk, usually made cheerful + by green grass, has a pavement of tombstones laid in regular ranges. In + the centre is a stone octagonal structure, which at first I supposed to be + the tomb of some deceased mediaeval personage; but, on approaching, I + found it a well, with its bucket hanging within the curb, and looking as + if it were in constant use. The surface of the water lay deep beneath the + deepest dust of the dead people, and thence threw up its picture of the + sky; but I think it would not be a moderate thirst that would induce me to + drink of that well. + </p> + <p> + On leaving the church we bought a little gilt crucifix. . . . + </p> + <p> + On Sunday evening I paid a short visit to Mr. Powers, and, as usual, was + entertained and instructed with his conversation. It did not, indeed, turn + upon artistical subjects; but the artistic is only one side of his + character, and, I think, not the principal side. He might have achieved + valuable success as an engineer and mechanician. He gave a dissertation on + flying-machines, evidently from his own experience, and came to the + conclusion that it is impossible to fly by means of steam or any other + motive-power now known to man. No force hitherto attained would suffice to + lift the engine which generated it. He appeared to anticipate that flying + will be a future mode of locomotion, but not till the moral condition of + mankind is so improved as to obviate the bad uses to which the power might + be applied. Another topic discussed was a cure for complaints of the chest + by the inhalation of nitric acid; and he produced his own apparatus for + that purpose, being merely a tube inserted into a bottle containing a + small quantity of the acid, just enough to produce the gas for inhalation. + He told me, too, a remedy for burns accidentally discovered by himself; + viz., to wear wash-leather, or something equivalent, over the burn, and + keep it constantly wet. It prevents all pain, and cures by the exclusion + of the air. He evidently has a great tendency to empirical remedies, and + would have made a natural doctor of mighty potency, possessing the shrewd + sense, inventive faculty, and self-reliance that such persons require. It + is very singular that there should be an ideal vein in a man of this + character. + </p> + <p> + This morning he called to see me, with intelligence of the failure of the + new attempt to lay the electric cable between England and America; and + here, too, it appears the misfortune might have been avoided if a plan of + his own for laying the cable had been adopted. He explained his process, + and made it seem as practicable as to put up a bell-wire. I do not + remember how or why (but appositely) he repeated some verses, from a + pretty little ballad about fairies, that had struck his fancy, and he + wound up his talk with some acute observations on the characters of + General Jackson and other public men. He told an anecdote, illustrating + the old general's small acquaintance with astronomical science, and his + force of will in compelling a whole dinner-party of better instructed + people than himself to succumb to him in an argument about eclipses and + the planetary system generally. Powers witnessed the scene himself. He + thinks that General Jackson was a man of the keenest and surest + intuitions, in respect to men and measures, but with no power of reasoning + out his own conclusions, or of imparting them intellectually to other + persons. Men who have known Jackson intimately, and in great affairs, + would not agree as to this intellectual and argumentative deficiency, + though they would fully allow the intuitive faculty. I have heard General + Pierce tell a striking instance of Jackson's power of presenting his own + view of a subject with irresistible force to the mind of the auditor. + President Buchanan has likewise expressed to me as high admiration of + Jackson as I ever heard one man award to another. Surely he was a great + man, and his native strength, as well of intellect as character, compelled + every man to be his tool that came within his reach; and the more cunning + the individual might be, it served only to make him the sharper tool. + </p> + <p> + Speaking of Jackson, and remembering Raphael's picture of Pope Julius II., + the best portrait in the whole world, and excellent in all its + repetitions, I wish it had been possible for Raphael to paint General + Jackson! + </p> + <p> + Referring again to General Jackson's intuitions, and to Powers's idea that + he was unable to render a reason to himself or others for what he chose to + do, I should have thought that this very probably might have been the + case, were there not such strong evidence to the contrary. The highest, or + perhaps any high administrative ability is intuitive, and precedes + argument, and rises above it. It is a revelation of the very thing to be + done, and its propriety and necessity are felt so strongly that very + likely it cannot be talked about; if the doer can likewise talk, it is an + additional and gratuitous faculty, as little to be expected as that a poet + should be able to write an explanatory criticism on his own poem. The + English overlook this in their scheme of government, which requires that + the members of the national executive should be orators, and the readiest + and most fluent orators that can be found. The very fact (on which they + are selected) that they are men of words makes it improbable that they are + likewise men of deeds. And it is only tradition and old custom, founded on + an obsolete state of things, that assigns any value to parliamentary + oratory. The world has done with it, except as an intellectual pastime. + The speeches have no effect till they are converted into newspaper + paragraphs; and they had better be composed as such, in the first place, + and oratory reserved for churches, courts of law, and public + dinner-tables. + </p> + <p> + July 10th.—My wife and I went yesterday forenoon to see the Church + of San Marco, with which is connected a convent of Dominicans. . . . The + interior is not less than three or four hundred years old, and is in the + classic style, with a flat ceiling, gilded, and a lofty arch, supported by + pillars, between the nave and choir. There are no side aisles, but ranges + of shrines on both sides of the nave, each beneath its own pair of pillars + and pediments. The pavement is of brick, with here and there a marble + tombstone inlaid. It is not a magnificent church; but looks dingy with + time and apparent neglect, though rendered sufficiently interesting by + statues of mediaeval date by John of Bologna and other old sculptors, and + by monumental busts and bas-reliefs: also, there is a wooden crucifix by + Giotto, with ancient gilding on it; and a painting of Christ, which was + considered a wonderful work in its day. Each shrine, or most of them, at + any rate, had its dark old picture, and there is a very old and hideous + mosaic of the Virgin and two saints, which I looked at very slightly, with + the purpose of immediately forgetting it. Savonarola, the reforming monk, + was a brother of this convent, and was torn from its shelter, to be + subsequently hanged and burnt in the Grand Ducal Piazza. A large chapel in + the left transept is of the Salviati family, dedicated to St. Anthony, and + decorated with several statues of saints, and with some old frescos. When + we had more than sufficiently examined these, the custode proposed to show + us some frescos of Fra Angelico, and conducted us into a large cloister, + under the arches of which, and beneath a covering of glass, he pointed to + a picture of St. Dominic kneeling at the Cross. There are two or three + others by the angelic friar in different parts of the cloister, and a + regular series, filling up all the arches, by various artists. Its + four-sided, cloistered walk surrounds a square, open to the sky as usual, + and paved with gray stones that have no inscriptions, but probably are + laid over graves. Its walls, however, are incrusted, and the walk itself + is paved with monumental inscriptions on marble, none of which, so far as + I observed, were of ancient date. Either the fashion of thus commemorating + the dead is not ancient in Florence, or the old tombstones have been + removed to make room for new ones. I do not know where the monks + themselves have their burial-place; perhaps in an inner cloister, which we + did not see. All the inscriptions here, I believe, were in memory of + persons not connected with the convent. + </p> + <p> + A door in the wall of the cloister admitted us into the chapter-house, its + interior moderately spacious, with a roof formed by intersecting arches. + Three sides of the walls were covered with blessed whitewash; but on the + fourth side, opposite to the entrance, was a great fresco of the + Crucifixion, by Fra Angelico, surrounded with a border or pictured + framework, in which are represented the heads of saints, prophets, and + sibyls, as large as life. The cross of the Saviour and those of the + thieves were painted against a dark red sky; the figures upon them were + lean and attenuated, evidently the vague conceptions of a man who had + never seen a naked figure. Beneath, was a multitude of people, most of + whom were saints who had lived and been martyred long after the + Crucifixion; and some of these had wounds from which gilded rays shone + forth, as if the inner glory and blessedness of the holy men blazed + through them. It is a very ugly picture, and its ugliness is not that of + strength and vigor, but of weakness and incompetency. Fra Angelico should + have confined himself to miniature heads, in which his delicacy of touch + and minute labor often produce an excellent effect. The custode informed + us that there were more frescos of this pious artist in the interior of + the convent, into which I might be allowed admittance, but not my wife. I + declined seeing them, and heartily thanked heaven for my escape. + </p> + <p> + Returning through the church, we stopped to look at a shrine on the right + of the entrance, where several wax candles were lighted, and the steps of + which were crowded with worshippers. It was evidently a spot of special + sanctity, and, approaching the steps, we saw, behind a gilded framework of + stars and protected by glass, a wooden image of the Saviour, naked, + covered with spots of blood, crowned with thorns, and expressing all the + human wretchedness that the carver's skill could represent. The whole + shrine, within the glass, was hung with offerings, as well of silver and + gold as of tinsel and trumpery, and the body of Christ glistened with gold + chains and ornaments, and with watches of silver and gold, some of which + appeared to be of very old manufacture, and others might be new. Amid all + this glitter the face of pain and grief looked forth, not a whit + comforted. While we stood there, a woman, who had been praying, arose from + her knees and laid an offering of a single flower upon the shrine. + </p> + <p> + The corresponding arch, on the opposite side of the entrance, contained a + wax-work within a large glass case, representing the Nativity. I do not + remember how the Blessed Infant looked, but the Virgin was gorgeously + dressed in silks, satins, and gauzes, with spangles and ornaments of all + kinds, and, I believe, brooches of real diamonds on her bosom. Her attire, + judging from its freshness and newness of glitter, might have been put on + that very morning. + </p> + <p> + July 13th.—We went for the second time, this morning, to the Academy + of Fine Arts, and I looked pretty thoroughly at the Pre-Raphaelite + pictures, few of which are really worth looking at nowadays. Cimabue and + Giotto might certainly be dismissed, henceforth and forever, without any + detriment to the cause of good art. There is what seems to me a better + picture than either of these has produced, by Bonamico Buffalmacco, an + artist of about their date or not long after. The first real picture in + the series is the "Adoration of the Magi," by Gentile da Fabriano, a + really splendid work in all senses, with noble and beautiful figures in + it, and a crowd of personages, managed with great skill. Three pictures by + Perugino are the only other ones I cared to look at. In one of these, the + face of the Virgin who holds the dead Christ on her knees has a deeper + expression of woe than can ever have been painted since. After Perugino + the pictures cease to be interesting; the art came forward with rapid + strides, but the painters and their productions do not take nearly so much + hold of the spectator as before. They all paint better than Giotto and + Cimabue,—in some respects better than Perugino; but they paint in + vain, probably because they were not nearly so much in earnest, and meant + far less, though possessing the dexterity to express far more. Andrea del + Sarto appears to have been a good painter, yet I always turn away readily + from his pictures. I looked again, and for a good while, at Carlo Dolce's + portrait of the Eternal Father, for it is a miracle and masterpiece of + absurdity, and almost equally a miracle of pictorial art. It is the + All-powerless, a fair-haired, soft, consumptive deity, with a mouth that + has fallen open through very weakness. He holds one hand on his stomach, + as if the wickedness and wretchedness of mankind made him qualmish; and he + is looking down out of Heaven with an expression of pitiable appeal, or as + if seeking somewhere for assistance in his heavy task of ruling the + universe. You might fancy such a being falling on his knees before a + strong-willed man, and beseeching him to take the reins of omnipotence out + of his hands. No wonder that wrong gets the better of right, and that good + and ill are confounded, if the Supreme Head were as here depicted; for I + never saw, and nobody else ever saw, so perfect a representation of a + person burdened with a task infinitely above his strength. If Carlo Dolce + had been wicked enough to know what he was doing, the picture would have + been most blasphemous,—a satire, in the very person of the Almighty, + against all incompetent rulers, and against the rickety machine and crazy + action of the universe. Heaven forgive me for such thoughts as this + picture has suggested! It must be added that the great original defect in + the character as here represented is an easy good-nature. I wonder what + Michael Angelo would have said to this painting. + </p> + <p> + In the large, enclosed court connected with the Academy there are a number + of statues, bas-reliefs, and casts, and what was especially interesting, + the vague and rude commencement of a statue of St. Matthew by Michael + Angelo. The conceptions of this great sculptor were so godlike that he + seems to have been discontented at not likewise possessing the godlike + attribute of creating and embodying them with an instantaneous thought, + and therefore we often find sculptures from his hand left at the critical + point of their struggle to get out of the marble. The statue of St. + Matthew looks like the antediluvian fossil of a human being of an epoch + when humanity was mightier and more majestic than now, long ago imprisoned + in stone, and half uncovered again. + </p> + <p> + July 16th.—We went yesterday forenoon to see the Bargello. I do not + know anything more picturesque in Florence than the great interior court + of this ancient Palace of the Podesta, with the lofty height of the + edifice looking down into the enclosed space, dark and stern, and the + armorial bearings of a long succession of magistrates carved in stone upon + the walls, a garland, as it were, of these Gothic devices extending quite + round the court. The best feature of the whole is the broad stone + staircase, with its heavy balustrade, ascending externally from the court + to the iron-grated door in the second story. We passed the sentinels under + the lofty archway that communicates with the street, and went up the + stairs without being questioned or impeded. At the iron-grated door, + however, we were met by two officials in uniform, who courteously informed + us that there was nothing to be exhibited in the Bargello except an old + chapel containing some frescos by Giotto, and that these could only be + seen by making a previous appointment with the custode, he not being + constantly on hand. I was not sorry to escape the frescos, though one of + them is a portrait of Dante. + </p> + <p> + We next went to the Church of the Badia, which is built in the form of a + Greek cross, with a flat roof embossed and once splendid with now + tarnished gold. The pavement is of brick, and the walls of dark stone, + similar to that of the interior of the cathedral (pietra serena), and + there being, according to Florentine custom, but little light, the effect + was sombre, though the cool gloomy dusk was refreshing after the hot + turmoil and dazzle of the adjacent street. Here we found three or four + Gothic tombs, with figures of the deceased persons stretched in marble + slumber upon them. There were likewise a picture or two, which it was + impossible to see; indeed, I have hardly ever met with a picture in a + church that was not utterly wasted and thrown away in the deep shadows of + the chapel it was meant to adorn. If there is the remotest chance of its + being seen, the sacristan hangs a curtain before it for the sake of his + fee for withdrawing it. In the chapel of the Bianco family we saw (if it + could be called seeing) what is considered the finest oil-painting of Fra + Filippo Lippi. It was evidently hung with reference to a lofty window on + the other side of the church, whence sufficient light might fall upon it + to show a picture so vividly painted as this is, and as most of Fra + Filippo Lippi's are. The window was curtained, however, and the chapel so + dusky that I could make out nothing. + </p> + <p> + Several persons came in to say their prayers during the little time that + we remained in the church, and as we came out we passed a good woman who + sat knitting in the coolness of the vestibule, which was lined with mural + tombstones. Probably she spends the day thus, keeping up the little + industry of her fingers, slipping into the church to pray whenever a + devotional impulse swells into her heart, and asking an alms as often as + she sees a person of charitable aspect. + </p> + <p> + From the church we went to the Uffizi gallery, and reinspected the greater + part of it pretty faithfully. We had the good fortune, too, again to get + admittance into the cabinet of bronzes, where we admired anew the + wonderful airiness of John of Bologna's Mercury, which, as I now observed, + rests on nothing substantial, but on the breath of a zephyr beneath him. + We also saw a bronze bust of one of the Medici by Benvenuto Cellini, and a + thousand other things the curiosity of which is overlaid by their + multitude. The Roman eagle, which I have recorded to be about the size of + a blackbird, I now saw to be as large as a pigeon. + </p> + <p> + On our way towards the door of the gallery, at our departure, we saw the + cabinet of gems open, and again feasted our eyes with its concentrated + brilliancies and magnificences. Among them were two crystal cups, with + engraved devices, and covers of enamelled gold, wrought by Benvenuto + Cellini, and wonderfully beautiful. But it is idle to mention one or two + things, when all are so beautiful and curious; idle, too, because language + is not burnished gold, with here and there a brighter word flashing like a + diamond; and therefore no amount of talk will give the slightest idea of + one of these elaborate handiworks. + </p> + <p> + July 27th.—I seldom go out nowadays, having already seen Florence + tolerably well, and the streets being very hot, and myself having been + engaged in sketching out a romance [The Marble Faun.—ED.], which + whether it will ever come to anything is a point yet to be decided. At any + rate, it leaves me little heart for journalizing and describing new + things; and six months of uninterrupted monotony would be more valuable to + me just now, than the most brilliant succession of novelties. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday I spent a good deal of time in watching the setting out of a + wedding party from our door; the bride being the daughter of an English + lady, the Countess of ———. After all, there was nothing + very characteristic. The bridegroom is a young man of English birth, son + of the Countess of St. G———, who inhabits the third + piano of this Casa del Bello. The very curious part of the spectacle was + the swarm of beggars who haunted the street all day; the most wretched mob + conceivable, chiefly women, with a few blind people, and some old men and + boys. Among these the bridal party distributed their beneficence in the + shape of some handfuls of copper, with here and there a half-paul + intermixed; whereupon the whole wretched mob flung themselves in a heap + upon the pavement, struggling, lighting, tumbling one over another, and + then looking up to the windows with petitionary gestures for more and + more, and still for more. Doubtless, they had need enough, for they looked + thin, sickly, ill-fed, and the women ugly to the last degree. The wedding + party had a breakfast above stairs, which lasted till four o'clock, and + then the bridegroom took his bride in a barouche and pair, which was + already crammed with his own luggage and hers. . . . He was a well-looking + young man enough, in a uniform of French gray with silver epaulets; more + agreeable in aspect than his bride, who, I think, will have the upper hand + in their domestic life. I observed that, on getting into the barouche, he + sat down on her dress, as he could not well help doing, and received a + slight reprimand in consequence. After their departure, the wedding guests + took their leave; the most noteworthy person being the Pope's Nuncio (the + young man being son of the Pope's Chamberlain, and one of the Grand Duke's + Noble Guard), an ecclesiastical personage in purple stockings, attended by + two priests, all of whom got into a coach, the driver and footmen of which + wore gold-laced cocked hats and other splendors. + </p> + <p> + To-day I paid a short visit to the gallery of the Pitti Palace. I looked + long at a Madonna of Raphael's, the one which is usually kept in the Grand + Duke's private apartments, only brought into the public gallery for the + purpose of being copied. It is the holiest of all Raphael's Madonnas, with + a great reserve in the expression, a sense of being apart, and yet with + the utmost tenderness and sweetness; although she drops her eyelids before + her like a veil, as it were, and has a primness of eternal virginity about + the mouth. It is one of Raphael's earlier works, when he mixed more + religious sentiment with his paint than afterwards. Perugino's pictures + give the impression of greater sincerity and earnestness than Raphael's, + though the genius of Raphael often gave him miraculous vision. + </p> + <p> + July 28th.—Last evening we went to the Powers's, and sat with them + on the terrace, at the top of the house, till nearly ten o'clock. It was a + delightful, calm, summer evening, and we were elevated far above all the + adjacent roofs, and had a prospect of the greater part of Florence and its + towers, and the surrounding hills, while directly beneath us rose the + trees of a garden, and they hardly sent their summits higher than we sat. + At a little distance, with only a house or two between, was a theatre in + full action, the Teatro Goldoni, which is an open amphitheatre, in the + ancient fashion, without any roof. We could see the upper part of the + proscenium, and, had we been a little nearer, might have seen the whole + performance, as did several boys who crept along the tops of the + surrounding houses. As it was, we heard the music and the applause, and + now and then an actor's stentorian tones, when we chose to listen. Mrs. P——— + and my wife, U—— and Master Bob, sat in a group together, and + chatted in one corner of our aerial drawing-room, while Mr. Powers and + myself leaned against the parapet, and talked of innumerable things. When + the clocks struck the hour, or the bells rang from the steeples, as they + are continually doing, I spoke of the sweetness of the Florence bells, the + tones of some of them being as if the bell were full of liquid melody, and + shed it through the air on being upturned. I had supposed, in my lack of + musical ear, that the bells of the Campanile were the sweetest; but Mr. + Powers says that there is a defect in their tone, and that the bell of the + Palazzo Vecchio is the most melodious he ever heard. Then he spoke of his + having been a manufacturer of organs, or, at least, of reeds for organs, + at one period of his life. I wonder what he has not been! He told me of an + invention of his in the musical line, a jewsharp with two tongues; and by + and by he produced it for my inspection. It was carefully kept in a little + wooden case, and was very neatly and elaborately constructed, with screws + to tighten it, and a silver centre-piece between the two tongues. + Evidently a great deal of thought had been bestowed on this little harp; + but Mr. Powers told me that it was an utter failure, because the tongues + were apt to interfere and jar with one another, although the strain of + music was very sweet and melodious— as he proved, by playing on it a + little—when everything went right. It was a youthful production, and + he said that its failure had been a great disappointment to him at the + time; whereupon I congratulated him that his failures had been in small + matters, and his successes in great ones. + </p> + <p> + We talked, furthermore, about instinct and reason, and whether the brute + creation have souls, and, if they have none, how justice is to be done + them for their sufferings here; and Mr. Powers came finally to the + conclusion that brutes suffer only in appearance, and that God enjoys for + them all that they seem to enjoy, and that man is the only intelligent and + sentient being. We reasoned high about other states of being; and I + suggested the possibility that there might be beings inhabiting this + earth, contemporaneously with us, and close beside us, but of whose + existence and whereabout we could have no perception, nor they of ours, + because we are endowed with different sets of senses; for certainly it was + in God's power to create beings who should communicate with nature by + innumerable other senses than those few which we possess. Mr. Powers gave + hospitable reception to this idea, and said that it had occurred to + himself; and he has evidently thought much and earnestly about such + matters; but is apt to let his idea crystallize into a theory, before he + can have sufficient data for it. He is a Swedenborgian in faith. + </p> + <p> + The moon had risen behind the trees, while we were talking, and Powers + intimated his idea that beings analogous to men—men in everything + except the modifications necessary to adapt them to their physical + circumstances—inhabited the planets, and peopled them with beautiful + shapes. Each planet, however, must have its own standard of the beautiful, + I suppose; and probably his sculptor's eye would not see much to admire in + the proportions of an inhabitant of Saturn. + </p> + <p> + The atmosphere of Florence, at least when we ascend a little way into it, + suggests planetary speculations. Galileo found it so, and Mr. Powers and I + pervaded the whole universe; but finally crept down his garret-stairs, and + parted, with a friendly pressure of the hand. + </p> + <h3> + VILLA MONTANTO. MONTE BENI. + </h3> + <p> + August 2d.—We had grown weary of the heat of Florence within the + walls, . . . . there being little opportunity for air and exercise except + within the precincts of our little garden, which, also, we feared might + breed malaria, or something akin to it. We have therefore taken this + suburban villa for the two next months, and, yesterday morning, we all + came out hither. J——- had preceded us with B. P———. + The villa is on a hill called Bellosguardo, about a mile beyond the Porta + Romana. Less than half an hour's walk brought us, who were on foot, to the + iron gate of our villa, which we found shut and locked. We shouted to be + let in, and while waiting for somebody to appear, there was a good + opportunity to contemplate the external aspect of the villa. After we had + waited a few minutes, J——- came racing down to the gate, + laughing heartily, and said that Bob and he had been in the house, but had + come out, shutting the door behind them; and as the door closed with a + springlock, they could not get in again. Now as the key of the outer gate + as well as that of the house itself was in the pocket of J——-'s + coat, left inside, we were shut out of our own castle, and compelled to + carry on a siege against it, without much likelihood of taking it, + although the garrison was willing to surrender. But B. P——— + called in the assistance of the contadini who cultivate the ground, and + live in the farm-house close by; and one of them got into a window by + means of a ladder, so that the keys were got, the gates opened, and we + finally admitted. Before examining any other part of the house, we climbed + to the top of the tower, which, indeed, is not very high, in proportion to + its massive square. Very probably, its original height was abbreviated, in + compliance with the law that lowered so many of the fortified towers of + noblemen within the walls of Florence. . . . The stairs were not of stone, + built in with the original mass of the tower, as in English castles, but + of now decayed wood, which shook beneath us, and grew more and more crazy + as we ascended. It will not be many years before the height of the tower + becomes unattainable. . . . Near at hand, in the vicinity of the city, we + saw the convent of Monte Olivetto, and other structures that looked like + convents, being built round an enclosed square; also numerous white + villas, many of which had towers, like that we were standing upon, square + and massive, some of them battlemented on the summit, and others + apparently modernized for domestic purposes. Among them U—— + pointed out Galileo's tower, whither she made an excursion the other day. + It looked lower than our own, but seemed to stand on a higher elevation. + We also saw the duke's villa, the Poggio, with a long avenue of cypresses + leading from it, as if a funeral were going forth. And having wasted thus + much of description on the landscape, I will finish with saying that it + lacked only water to be a very fine one. It is strange what a difference + the gleam of water makes, and how a scene awakens and comes to life + wherever it is visible. The landscape, moreover, gives the beholder (at + least, this beholder) a sense of oppressive sunshine and scanty shade, and + does not incite a longing to wander through it on foot, as a really + delightful landscape should. The vine, too, being cultivated in so trim a + manner, does not suggest that idea of luxuriant fertility, which is the + poetical notion of a vineyard. The olive-orchards have a pale and unlovely + hue. An English view would have been incomparably richer in its + never-fading green; and in my own country, the wooded hills would have + been more delightful than these peaks and ridges of dreary and barren + sunshine; and there would have been the bright eyes of half a dozen little + lakes, looking heavenward, within an extent like that of the Val d' Arno. + </p> + <p> + By and by mamma's carriage came along the dusty road, and passed through + the iron gateway, which we had left open for her reception. We shouted + down to her and R——-, and they waved their handkerchiefs + upward to us; and, on my way down, I met R——- and the servant + coming up through the ghostly rooms. + </p> + <p> + The rest of the day we spent mostly in exploring the premises. The house + itself is of almost bewildering extent, insomuch that we might each of us + have a suite of rooms individually. I have established myself on the + ground-floor, where I have a dressing-room, a large vaulted saloon, hung + with yellow damask, and a square writing-study, the walls and ceilings of + the two latter apartments being ornamented with angels and cherubs aloft + in fresco, and with temples, statues, vases, broken columns, peacocks, + parrots, vines, and sunflowers below. I know not how many more saloons, + anterooms, and sleeping-chambers there are on this same basement story, + besides an equal number over them, and a great subterranean establishment. + I saw some immense jars there, which I suppose were intended to hold oil; + and iron kettles, for what purpose I cannot tell. There is also a chapel + in the house, but it is locked up, and we cannot yet with certainty find + the door of it, nor even, in this great wilderness of a house, decide + absolutely what space the holy precincts occupy. Adjoining U——'s + chamber, which is in the tower, there is a little oratory, hung round with + sacred prints of very ancient date, and with crucifixes, holy-water vases, + and other consecrated things; and here, within a glass case, there is the + representation of an undraped little boy in wax, very prettily modelled, + and holding up a heart that looks like a bit of red sealing-wax. If I had + found him anywhere else I should have taken him for Cupid; but, being in + an oratory, I presume him to have some religious signification. In the + servants' room a crucifix hung on one side of the bed, and a little vase + for holy water, now overgrown with a cobweb, on the other; and, no doubt, + all the other sleeping-apartments would have been equally well provided, + only that their occupants were to be heretics. + </p> + <p> + The lower floor of the house is tolerably furnished, and looks cheerful + with its frescos, although the bare pavements in every room give an + impression of discomfort. But carpets are universally taken up in Italy + during summer-time. It must have been an immense family that could have + ever filled such a house with life. We go on voyages of discovery, and + when in quest of any particular point, are likely enough to fetch up at + some other. This morning I had difficulty in finding my way again to the + top of the tower. One of the most peculiar rooms is constructed close to + the tower, under the roof of the main building, but with no external walls + on two sides! It is thus left open to the air, I presume for the sake of + coolness. A parapet runs round the exposed sides for the sake of security. + Some of the palaces in Florence have such open loggias in their upper + stories, and I saw others on our journey hither, after arriving in + Tuscany. + </p> + <p> + The grounds immediately around the house are laid out in gravel-walks, and + ornamented with shrubbery, and with what ought to be a grassy lawn; but + the Italian sun is quite as little favorable to beauty of that kind as our + own. I have enjoyed the luxury, however, almost for the first time since I + left my hill-top at the Wayside, of flinging myself at full length on the + ground without any fear of catching cold. Moist England would punish a man + soundly for taking such liberties with her greensward. A podere, or + cultivated tract, comprising several acres, belongs to the villa, and + seems to be fertile, like all the surrounding country. The possessions of + different proprietors are not separated by fences, but only marked out by + ditches; and it seems possible to walk miles and miles, along the + intersecting paths, without obstruction. The rural laborers, so far as I + have observed, go about in their shirt-sleeves, and look very much like + tanned and sunburnt Yankees. + </p> + <p> + Last night it was really a work of time and toil to go about making our + defensive preparations for the night; first closing the iron gate, then + the ponderous and complicated fastenings of the house door, then the + separate barricadoes of each iron-barred window on the lower floor, with a + somewhat slighter arrangement above. There are bolts and shutters, + however, for every window in the house, and I suppose it would not be + amiss to put them all in use. Our garrison is so small that we must depend + more upon the strength of our fortifications than upon our own active + efforts in case of an attack. In England, in an insulated country house, + we should need all these bolts and bars, and Italy is not thought to be + the safer country of the two. + </p> + <p> + It deserves to be recorded that the Count Montanto, a nobleman, and + seemingly a man of property, should deem it worth while to let his country + seat, and reside during the hot months in his palace in the city, for the + consideration of a comparatively small sum a month. He seems to + contemplate returning hither for the autumn and winter, when the situation + must be very windy and bleak, and the cold death-like in these great + halls; and then, it is to be supposed, he will let his palace in town. The + Count, through the agency of his son, bargained very stiffly for, and + finally obtained, three dollars in addition to the sum which we at first + offered him. This indicates that even a little money is still a matter of + great moment in Italy. Signor del Bello, who, I believe, is also a + nobleman, haggled with us about some cracked crockery at our late + residence, and finally demanded and received fifty cents in compensation. + But this poor gentleman has been a spendthrift, and now acts as the agent + of another. + </p> + <p> + August 3d.—Yesterday afternoon William Story called on me, he being + on a day or two's excursion from Siena, where he is spending the summer + with his family. He was very entertaining and conversative, as usual, and + said, in reply to my question whether he were not anxious to return to + Cleopatra, that he had already sketched out another subject for sculpture, + which would employ him during next winter. He told me, what I was glad to + hear, that his sketches of Italian life, intended for the "Atlantic + Monthly," and supposed to be lost, have been recovered. Speaking of the + superstitiousness of the Italians, he said that they universally believe + in the influence of the evil eye. The evil influence is supposed not to be + dependent on the will of the possessor of the evil eye; on the contrary, + the persons to whom he wishes well are the very ones to suffer by it. It + is oftener found in monks than in any other class of people; and on + meeting a monk, and encountering his eye, an Italian usually makes a + defensive sign by putting both hands behind him, with the forefingers and + little fingers extended, although it is a controverted point whether it be + not more efficacious to extend the hand with its outspread fingers towards + the suspected person. It is considered an evil omen to meet a monk on + first going out for the day. The evil eye may be classified with the + phenomena of mesmerism. The Italians, especially the Neapolitans, very + generally wear amulets. Pio Nono, perhaps as being the chief of all monks + and other religious people, is supposed to have an evil eye of tenfold + malignancy; and its effect has been seen in the ruin of all schemes for + the public good so soon as they are favored by him. When the pillar in the + Piazza de' Spagna, commemorative of his dogma of the Immaculate + Conception, was to be erected, the people of Rome refused to be present, + or to have anything to do with it, unless the pope promised to abstain + from interference. His Holiness did promise, but so far broke his word as + to be present one day while it was being erected, and on that day a man + was killed. A little while ago there was a Lord Clifford, an English + Catholic nobleman, residing in Italy, and, happening to come to Rome, he + sent his compliments to Pio Nono, and requested the favor of an interview. + The pope, as it happened, was indisposed, or for some reason could not see + his lordship, but very kindly sent him his blessing. Those who knew of it + shook their heads, and intimated that it would go ill with his lordship + now that he had been blessed by Pio Nono, and the very next day poor Lord + Clifford was dead! His Holiness had better construe the scriptural + injunction literally, and take to blessing his enemies. + </p> + <p> + I walked into town with J——— this morning, and, meeting + a monk in the Via Furnace, I thought it no more than reasonable, as the + good father fixed his eyes on me, to provide against the worst by putting + both hands behind me, with the forefingers and little fingers stuck out. + </p> + <p> + In speaking of the little oratory connected with U——'s + chamber, I forgot to mention the most remarkable object in it. It is a + skull, the size of life (or death). . . . This part of the house must be + very old, probably coeval with the tower. The ceiling of U——'s + apartment is vaulted with intersecting arches; and adjoining it is a very + large saloon, likewise with a vaulted and groined ceiling, and having a + cushioned divan running all round the walls. The windows of these rooms + look out on the Val d' Arno. + </p> + <p> + The apartment above this saloon is of the same size, and hung with + engraved portraits, printed on large sheets by the score and hundred + together, and enclosed in wooden frames. They comprise the whole series of + Roman emperors, the succession of popes, the kings of Europe, the doges of + Venice, and the sultans of Turkey. The engravings bear different dates + between 1685 and thirty years later, and were executed at Rome. + </p> + <p> + August 4th.—We ascended our tower yesterday afternoon to see the + sunset. In my first sketch of the Val d' Arno I said that the Arno seemed + to hold its course near the bases of the hills. I now observe that the + line of trees which marks its current divides the valley into two pretty + equal parts, and the river runs nearly east and west. . . . At last, when + it was growing dark, we went down, groping our way over the shaky + staircases, and peeping into each dark chamber as we passed. I gratified J——- + exceedingly by hitting my nose against the wall. Reaching the bottom, I + went into the great saloon, and stood at a window watching the lights + twinkle forth, near and far, in the valley, and listening to the convent + bells that sounded from Monte Olivetto, and more remotely still. The stars + came out, and the constellation of the Dipper hung exactly over the Val d' + Arno, pointing to the North Star above the hills on my right. + </p> + <p> + August 12th.—We drove into town yesterday afternoon, with Miss + Blagden, to call on Mr. Kirkup, an old Englishman who has resided a great + many years in Florence. He is noted as an antiquarian, and has the + reputation of being a necromancer, not undeservedly, as he is deeply + interested in spirit-rappings, and holds converse, through a medium, with + dead poets and emperors. He lives in an old house, formerly a residence of + the Knights Templars, hanging over the Arno, just as you come upon the + Ponte Vecchio; and, going up a dark staircase and knocking at a door on + one side of the landing-place, we were received by Mr. Kirkup. He had had + notice of our visit, and was prepared for it, being dressed in a blue + frock-coat of rather an old fashion, with a velvet collar, and in a thin + waistcoat and pantaloons fresh from the drawer; looking very sprucely, in + short, and unlike his customary guise, for Miss Blagden hinted to us that + the poor gentleman is generally so untidy that it is not quite pleasant to + take him by the hand. He is rather low of stature, with a pale, shrivelled + face, and hair and beard perfectly white, and the hair of a particularly + soft and silken texture. He has a high, thin nose, of the English + aristocratic type; his eyes have a queer, rather wild look, and the + eyebrows are arched above them, so that he seems all the time to be seeing + something that strikes him with surprise. I judged him to be a little + crack-brained, chiefly on the strength of this expression. His whole make + is delicate, his hands white and small, and his appearance and manners + those of a gentleman, with rather more embroidery of courtesy than belongs + to an Englishman. He appeared to be very nervous, tremulous, indeed, to + his fingers' ends, without being in any degree disturbed or embarrassed by + our presence. Finally, he is very deaf; an infirmity that quite took away + my pleasure in the interview, because it is impossible to say anything + worth while when one is compelled to raise one's voice above its ordinary + level. + </p> + <p> + He ushered us through two or three large rooms, dark, dusty, hung with + antique-looking pictures, and lined with bookcases containing, I doubt + not, a very curious library. Indeed, he directed my attention to one case, + and said that he had collected those works, in former days, merely for the + sake of laughing at them. They were books of magic and occult sciences. + What he seemed really to value, however, were some manuscript copies of + Dante, of which he showed us two: one, a folio on parchment, beautifully + written in German text, the letters as clear and accurately cut as printed + type; the other a small volume, fit, as Mr. Kirkup said, to be carried in + a capacious mediaeval sleeve. This also was on vellum, and as elegantly + executed as the larger one; but the larger had beautiful illuminations, + the vermilion and gold of which looked as brilliant now as they did five + centuries ago. Both of these books were written early in the fourteenth + century. Mr. Kirkup has also a plaster cast of Dante's face, which he + believes to be the original one taken from his face after death; and he + has likewise his own accurate tracing from Giotto's fresco of Dante in the + chapel of the Bargello. This fresco was discovered through Mr. Kirkup's + means, and the tracing is particularly valuable, because the original has + been almost destroyed by rough usage in drawing out a nail that had been + driven into the eye. It represents the profile of a youthful but + melancholy face, and has the general outline of Dante's features in other + portraits. + </p> + <p> + Dante has held frequent communications with Mr. Kirkup through a medium, + the poet being described by the medium as wearing the same dress seen in + the youthful portrait, but as hearing more resemblance to the cast taken + from his dead face than to the picture from his youthful one. + </p> + <p> + There was a very good picture of Savonarola in one of the rooms, and many + other portraits, paintings, and drawings, some of them ancient, and others + the work of Mr. Kirkup himself. He has the torn fragment of an exquisite + drawing of a nude figure by Rubens, and a portfolio of other curious + drawings. And besides books and works of art, he has no end of antique + knick-knackeries, none of which we had any time to look at; among others + some instruments with which nuns used to torture themselves in their + convents by way of penance. But the greatest curiosity of all, and no + antiquity, was a pale, large-eyed little girl, about four years old, who + followed the conjurer's footsteps wherever he went. She was the brightest + and merriest little thing in the world, and frisked through those shadowy + old chambers, among the dead people's trumpery, as gayly as a butterfly + flits among flowers and sunshine. + </p> + <p> + The child's mother was a beautiful girl named Regina, whose portrait Mr. + Kirkup showed us on the wall. I never saw a more beautiful and striking + face claiming to be a real one. She was a Florentine, of low birth, and + she lived with the old necromancer as his spiritual medium. He showed us a + journal, kept during her lifetime, and read from it his notes of an + interview with the Czar Alexander, when that potentate communicated to Mr. + Kirkup that he had been poisoned. The necromancer set a great value upon + Regina, . . . . and when she died he received her poor baby into his + heart, and now considers it absolutely his own. At any rate, it is a happy + belief for him, since he has nothing else in the world to love, and loves + the child entirely, and enjoys all the bliss of fatherhood, though he must + have lived as much as seventy years before he began to taste it. + </p> + <p> + The child inherits her mother's gift of communication with the spiritual + world, so that the conjurer can still talk with Regina through the baby + which she left, and not only with her, but with Dante, and any other great + spirit that may choose to visit him. It is a very strange story, and this + child might be put at once into a romance, with all her history and + environment; the ancient Knight Templar palace, with the Arno flowing + under the iron-barred windows, and the Ponte Vecchio, covered with its + jewellers' shops, close at hand; the dark, lofty chambers with faded + frescos on the ceilings, black pictures hanging on the walls, old books on + the shelves, and hundreds of musty antiquities, emitting an odor of past + centuries; the shrivelled, white-bearded old man, thinking all the time of + ghosts, and looking into the child's eyes to seek them; and the child + herself, springing so freshly out of the soil, so pretty, so intelligent, + so playful, with never a playmate save the conjurer and a kitten. It is a + Persian kitten, and lay asleep in a window; but when I touched it, it + started up at once in as gamesome a mood as the child herself. + </p> + <p> + The child looks pale, and no wonder, seldom or never stirring out of that + old palace, or away from the river atmosphere. Miss Blagden advised Mr. + Kirkup to go with her to the seaside or into the country, and he did not + deny that it might do her good, but seemed to be hampered by an old man's + sluggishness and dislike of change. I think he will not live a great + while, for he seems very frail. When he dies the little girl will inherit + what property he may leave. A lady, Catharine Fleeting, an Englishwoman, + and a friend of Mr. Kirkup, has engaged to take her in charge. She + followed us merrily to the door, and so did the Persian kitten, and Mr. + Kirkup shook hands with us, over and over again, with vivacious courtesy, + his manner having been characterized by a great deal of briskness + throughout the interview. He expressed himself delighted to have met one + (whose books he had read), and said that the day would be a memorable one + to him,—which I did not in the least believe. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Kirkup is an intimate friend of Trelawny, author of "Adventures of a + Younger Son," and, long ago, the latter promised him that, if he ever came + into possession of the family estate, he would divide it with him. + Trelawny did really succeed to the estate, and lost no time in forwarding + to his friend the legal documents, entitling him to half of the property. + But Mr. Kirkup declined the gift, as he himself was not destitute, and + Trelawny had a brother. There were two pictures of Trelawny in the + saloons, one a slight sketch on the wall, the other a half-length portrait + in a Turkish dress; both handsome, but indicating no very amiable + character. It is not easy to forgive Trelawny for uncovering dead Byron's + limbs, and telling that terrible story about them,—equally + disgraceful to himself, be it truth or a lie. + </p> + <p> + It seems that Regina had a lover, and a sister who was very disreputable + It rather adds than otherwise to the romance of the affair,—the idea + that this pretty little elf has no right whatever to the asylum which she + has found. Her name is Imogen. + </p> + <p> + The small manuscript copy of Dante which he showed me was written by a + Florentine gentleman of the fourteenth century, one of whose ancestors the + poet had met and talked with in Paradise. + </p> + <p> + August 19th.—Here is a good Italian incident, which I find in + Valery. Andrea del Castagno was a painter in Florence in the fifteenth + century; and he had a friend, likewise a painter, Domenico of Venice. The + latter had the secret of painting in oils, and yielded to Castagno's + entreaties to impart it to him. Desirous of being the sole possessor of + this great secret, Castagno waited only the night to assassinate Domenico, + who so little suspected his treachery, that he besought those who found + him bleeding and dying to take him to his friend Castagno, that he might + die in his arms. The murderer lived to be seventy-four years old, and his + crime was never suspected till he himself revealed it on his death-bed. + Domenico did actually die in Castagno's arms. The death scene would have + been a good one for the latter to paint in oils. + </p> + <p> + September 1st.—Few things journalizable have happened during the + last month, because Florence and the neighborhood have lost their novelty; + and furthermore, I usually spend the whole day at home, having been + engaged in planning and sketching out a romance. I have now done with this + for the present, and mean to employ the rest of the time we stay here + chiefly in revisiting the galleries, and seeing what remains to be seen in + Florence. + </p> + <p> + Last Saturday, August 28th, we went to take tea at Miss Blagden's, who has + a weekly reception on that evening. We found Mr. Powers there, and by and + by Mr. Boott and Mr. Trollope came in. Miss ——— has + lately been exercising her faculties as a spiritual writing-medium; and, + the conversation turning on that subject, Mr. Powers related some things + that he had witnessed through the agency of Mr. Home, who had held a + session or two at his house. He described the apparition of two mysterious + hands from beneath a table round which the party were seated. These hands + purported to belong to the aunt of the Countess Cotterel, who was present, + and were a pair of thin, delicate, aged, lady-like hands and arms, + appearing at the edge of the table, and terminating at the elbow in a sort + of white mist. One of the hands took up a fan and began to use it. The + countess then said, "Fan yourself as you used to do, dear aunt"; and + forthwith the hands waved the fan back and forth in a peculiar manner, + which the countess recognized as the manner of her dead aunt. The spirit + was then requested to fan each member of the party; and accordingly, each + separate individual round the table was fanned in turn, and felt the + breeze sensibly upon his face. Finally, the hands sank beneath the table, + I believe Mr. Powers said; but I am not quite sure that they did not melt + into the air. During this apparition, Mr. Home sat at the table, but not + in such a position or within such distance that he could have put out or + managed the spectral hands; and of this Mr. Powers satisfied himself by + taking precisely the same position after the party had retired. Mr. Powers + did not feel the hands at this time, but he afterwards felt the touch of + infant hands, which were at the time invisible. He told of many of the + wonders, which seem to have as much right to be set down as facts as + anything else that depends on human testimony. For example, Mr. K———, + one of the party, gave a sudden start and exclamation. He had felt on his + knee a certain token, which could have been given him only by a friend, + long ago in his grave. Mr. Powers inquired what was the last thing that + had been given as a present to a deceased child; and suddenly both he and + his wife felt a prick as of some sharp instrument, on their knees. The + present had been a penknife. I have forgotten other incidents quite as + striking as these; but, with the exception of the spirit-hands, they + seemed to be akin to those that have been produced by mesmerism, returning + the inquirer's thoughts and veiled recollections to himself, as answers to + his queries. The hands are certainly an inexplicable phenomenon. Of + course, they are not portions of a dead body, nor any other kind of + substance; they are impressions on the two senses, sight and touch, but + how produced I cannot tell. Even admitting their appearance,—and + certainly I do admit it as freely and fully as if I had seen them myself,—there + is no need of supposing them to come from the world of departed spirits. + </p> + <p> + Powers seems to put entire faith in the verity of spiritual + communications, while acknowledging the difficulty of identifying spirits + as being what they pretend to be. He is a Swedenborgian, and so far + prepared to put faith in many of these phenomena. As for Home, Powers + gives a decided opinion that he is a knave, but thinks him so organized, + nevertheless, as to be a particularly good medium for spiritual + communications. Spirits, I suppose, like earthly people, are obliged to + use such instruments as will answer their purposes; but rather than + receive a message from a dead friend through the organism of a rogue or + charlatan, methinks I would choose to wait till we meet. But what most + astonishes me is the indifference with which I listen to these marvels. + They throw old ghost stories quite into the shade; they bring the whole + world of spirits down amongst us, visibly and audibly; they are absolutely + proved to be sober facts by evidence that would satisfy us of any other + alleged realities; and yet I cannot force my mind to interest myself in + them. They are facts to my understanding, which, it might have been + anticipated, would have been the last to acknowledge them; but they seem + not to be facts to my intuitions and deeper perceptions. My inner soul + does not in the least admit them; there is a mistake somewhere. So idle + and empty do I feel these stories to be, that I hesitated long whether or + no to give up a few pages of this not very important journal to the record + of them. + </p> + <p> + We have had written communications through Miss ——— with + several spirits; my wife's father, mother, two brothers, and a sister, who + died long ago, in infancy; a certain Mary Hall, who announces herself as + the guardian spirit of Miss ———; and, queerest of all, a + Mary Runnel, who seems to be a wandering spirit, having relations with + nobody, but thrusts her finger into everybody's affairs. My wife's mother + is the principal communicant; she expresses strong affection, and rejoices + at the opportunity of conversing with her daughter. She often says very + pretty things; for instance, in a dissertation upon heavenly music; but + there is a lack of substance in her talk, a want of gripe, a delusive + show, a sentimental surface, with no bottom beneath it. The same sort of + thing has struck me in all the poetry and prose that I have read from + spiritual sources. I should judge that these effusions emanated from + earthly minds, but had undergone some process that had deprived them of + solidity and warmth. In the communications between my wife and her mother, + I cannot help thinking that (Miss ——— being + unconsciously in a mesmeric state) all the responses are conveyed to her + fingers from my wife's mind. . . . + </p> + <p> + We have tried the spirits by various test questions, on every one of which + they have failed egregiously. Here, however, the aforesaid Mary Runnel + comes into play. The other spirits have told us that the veracity of this + spirit is not to be depended upon; and so, whenever it is possible, poor + Mary Runnel is thrust forward to bear the odium of every mistake or + falsehood. They have avowed themselves responsible for all statements + signed by themselves, and have thereby brought themselves into more than + one inextricable dilemma; but it is very funny, where a response or a + matter of fact has not been thus certified, how invariably Mary Runnel is + made to assume the discredit of it, on its turning out to be false. It is + the most ingenious arrangement that could possibly have been contrived; + and somehow or other, the pranks of this lying spirit give a reality to + the conversations which the more respectable ghosts quite fail in + imparting. + </p> + <p> + The whole matter seems to me a sort of dreaming awake. It resembles a + dream, in that the whole material is, from the first, in the dreamer's + mind, though concealed at various depths below the surface; the dead + appear alive, as they always do in dreams; unexpected combinations occur, + as continually in dreams; the mind speaks through the various persons of + the drama, and sometimes astonishes itself with its own wit, wisdom, and + eloquence, as often in dreams; but, in both cases, the intellectual + manifestations are really of a very flimsy texture. Mary Runnel is the + only personage who does not come evidently from dream-land; and she, I + think, represents that lurking scepticism, that sense of unreality, of + which we are often conscious, amid the most vivid phantasmagoria of a + dream. I should be glad to believe in the genuineness of these spirits, if + I could; but the above is the conclusion to which my soberest thoughts + tend. There remains, of course, a great deal for which I cannot account, + and I cannot sufficiently wonder at the pigheadedness both of + metaphysicians and physiologists, in not accepting the phenomena, so far + as to make them the subject of investigation. + </p> + <p> + In writing the communications, Miss ——— holds the pencil + rather loosely between her fingers; it moves rapidly, and with equal + facility whether she fixes her eyes on the paper or not. The handwriting + has far more freedom than her own. At the conclusion of a sentence, the + pencil lays itself down. She sometimes has a perception of each word + before it is written; at other times, she is quite unconscious what is to + come next. Her integrity is absolutely indubitable, and she herself + totally disbelieves in the spiritual authenticity of what is communicated + through her medium. + </p> + <p> + September 3d.—We walked into Florence yesterday, betimes after + breakfast, it being comfortably cool, and a gray, English sky; though, + indeed, the clouds had a tendency to mass themselves more than they do on + an overcast English day. We found it warmer in Florence, but, not + inconveniently so, even in the sunniest streets and squares. + </p> + <p> + We went to the Uffizi gallery, the whole of which with its contents is now + familiar to us, except the room containing drawings; and our to-day's + visit was especially to them. The door giving admittance to them is the + very last in the gallery; and the rooms, three in number, are, I should + judge, over the Loggia de' Lanzi, looking on the Grand Ducal Piazza. The + drawings hang on the walls, framed and glazed; and number, perhaps, from + one to two hundred in each room; but this is only a small portion of the + collection, which amounts, it is said, to twenty thousand, and is + reposited in portfolios. The sketches on the walls are changed, from time + to time, so as to exhibit all the most interesting ones in turn. Their + whole charm is artistic, imaginative, and intellectual, and in no degree + of the upholstery kind; their outward presentment being, in general, a + design hastily shadowed out, by means of colored crayons, on tinted paper, + or perhaps scratched rudely in pen and ink; or drawn in pencil or + charcoal, and half rubbed out; very rough things, indeed, in many + instances, and the more interesting on that account, because it seems as + if the artist had bestirred himself to catch the first glimpse of an image + that did but reveal itself and vanish. The sheets, or sometimes scraps of + paper, on which they are drawn, are discolored with age, creased, soiled; + but yet you are magnetized by the hand of Raphael, Michael Angelo, + Leonardo, or whoever may have jotted down those rough-looking + master-touches. They certainly possess a charm that is lost in the + finished picture; and I was more sensible of forecasting thought, skill, + and prophetic design, in these sketches than in the most consummate works + that have been elaborated from them. There is something more divine in + these; for I suppose the first idea of a picture is real inspiration, and + all the subsequent elaboration of the master serves but to cover up the + celestial germ with something that belongs to himself. At any rate, the + first sketch is the more suggestive, and sets the spectator's imagination + at work; whereas the picture, if a good one, leaves him nothing to do; if + bad, it confuses, stupefies, disenchants, and disheartens him. First + thoughts have an aroma and fragrance in them, that they do not lose in + three hundred years; for so old, and a good deal more, are some of these + sketches. + </p> + <p> + None interested me more than some drawings, on separate pieces of paper, + by Perugino, for his picture of the mother and friends of Jesus round his + dead body, now at the Pitti Palace. The attendant figures are distinctly + made out, as if the Virgin, and John, and Mary Magdalen had each favored + the painter with a sitting; but the body of Jesus lies in the midst, dimly + hinted with a few pencil-marks. + </p> + <p> + There were several designs by Michael Angelo, none of which made much + impression on me; the most striking was a very ugly demon, afterwards + painted in the Sistine Chapel. Raphael shows several sketches of Madonnas,—one + of which has flowered into the Grand Duke's especial Madonna at the Pitti + Palace, but with a different face. His sketches were mostly very rough in + execution; but there were two or three designs for frescos, I think, in + the Vatican, very carefully executed; perhaps because these works were + mainly to be done by other hands than his own. It seems to one that the + Pre-Raphaelite artists made more careful drawings than the later ones; and + it rather surprised me to see how much science they possessed. + </p> + <p> + We looked at few other things in the gallery; and, indeed, it was not one + of the days when works of art find me impressible. We stopped a little + while in the Tribune, but the Venus de' Medici seemed to me to-day little + more than any other piece of yellowish white marble. How strange that a + goddess should stand before us absolutely unrecognized, even when we know + by previous revelations that she is nothing short of divine! It is also + strange that, unless when one feels the ideal charm of a statue, it + becomes one of the most tedious and irksome things in the world. Either it + must be a celestial thing or an old lump of stone, dusty and time-soiled, + and tiring out your patience with eternally looking just the same. Once in + a while you penetrate through the crust of the old sameness, and see the + statue forever new and immortally young. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the gallery we walked towards the Duomo, and on our way stopped to + look at the beautiful Gothic niches hollowed into the exterior walls of + the Church of San Michele. They are now in the process of being cleaned, + and each niche is elaborately inlaid with precious marbles, and some of + them magnificently gilded; and they are all surmounted with marble + canopies as light and graceful as frost-work. Within stand statues, St. + George, and many other saints, by Donatello and others, and all taking a + hold upon one's sympathies, even if they be not beautiful. Classic statues + escape you with their slippery beauty, as if they were made of ice. Rough + and ugly things can be clutched. This is nonsense, and yet it means + something. . . . The streets were thronged and vociferative with more life + and outcry than usual. It must have been market-day in Florence, for the + commerce of the streets was in great vigor, narrow tables being set out in + them, and in the squares, burdened with all kinds of small merchandise, + such as cheap jewelry, glistening as brightly as what we had just seen in + the gem-room of the Uffizi; crockery ware; toys, books, Italian and + French; silks; slippers; old iron; all advertised by the dealers with + terribly loud and high voices, that reverberated harshly from side to side + of the narrow streets. Italian street-cries go through the head; not that + they are so very sharp, but exceedingly hard, like a blunt iron bar. + </p> + <p> + We stood at the base of the Campanile, and looked at the bas-reliefs which + wreathe it round; and, above them, a row of statues; and from bottom to + top a marvellous minuteness of inlaid marbles, filling up the vast and + beautiful design of this heaven-aspiring tower. Looking upward to its + lofty summit,—where angels might alight, lapsing downward from + heaven, and gaze curiously at the bustle of men below,—I could not + but feel that there is a moral charm in this faithful minuteness of Gothic + architecture, filling up its outline with a million of beauties that + perhaps may never be studied out by a single spectator. It is the very + process of nature, and no doubt produces an effect that we know not of. + Classic architecture is nothing but an outline, and affords no little + points, no interstices where human feelings may cling and overgrow it like + ivy. The charm, as I said, seems to be moral rather than intellectual; for + in the gem-room of the Uffizi you may see fifty designs, elaborated on a + small scale, that have just as much merit as the design of the Campanile. + If it were only five inches long, it might be a case for some article of + toilet; being two hundred feet high, its prettiness develops into grandeur + as well as beauty, and it becomes really one of the wonders of the world. + The design of the Pantheon, on the contrary, would retain its sublimity on + whatever scale it might be represented. + </p> + <p> + Returning homewards, we crossed the Ponte Vecchio, and went to the Museum + of Natural History, where we gained admittance into the rooms dedicated to + Galileo. They consist of a vestibule, a saloon, and a semicircular + tribune, covered with a frescoed dome, beneath which stands a colossal + statue of Galileo, long-bearded, and clad in a student's gown, or some + voluminous garb of that kind. Around the tribune, beside and behind the + statue, are six niches,—in one of which is preserved a forefinger of + Galileo, fixed on a little gilt pedestal, and pointing upward, under a + glass cover. It is very much shrivelled and mummy-like, of the color of + parchment, and is little more than a finger-bone, with the dry skin or + flesh flaking away from it; on the whole, not a very delightful relic; but + Galileo used to point heavenward with this finger, and I hope has gone + whither he pointed. + </p> + <p> + Another niche contains two telescopes, wherewith he made some of his + discoveries; they are perhaps a yard long, and of very small calibre. + Other astronomical instruments are displayed in the glass cases that line + the rooms; but I did not understand their use any better than the monks, + who wished to burn Galileo for his heterodoxy about the planetary system. + . . . + </p> + <p> + After dinner I climbed the tower. . . . Florence lay in the sunshine, + level, compact, and small of compass. Above the tiled roofs rose the tower + of the Palazzo Vecchio, the loftiest and the most picturesque, though + built, I suppose, with no idea of making it so. But it attains, in a + singular degree, the end of causing the imagination to fly upward and + alight on its airy battlements. Near it I beheld the square mass of Or San + Michele, and farther to the left the bulky Duomo and the Campanile close + beside it, like a slender bride or daughter; the dome of San Lorenzo too. + The Arno is nowhere visible. Beyond, and on all sides of the city, the + hills pile themselves lazily upward in ridges, here and there developing + into a peak; towards their bases white villas were strewn numerously, but + the upper region was lonely and bare. + </p> + <p> + As we passed under the arch of the Porta Romana this morning, on our way + into the city, we saw a queer object. It was what we at first took for a + living man, in a garb of light reddish or yellowish red color, of antique + or priestly fashion, and with a cowl falling behind. His face was of the + same hue, and seemed to have been powdered, as the faces of maskers + sometimes are. He sat in a cart, which he seemed to be driving into the + Deity with a load of earthen jars and pipkins, the color of which was + precisely like his own. On closer inspection, this priestly figure proved + to be likewise an image of earthenware, but his lifelikeness had a very + strange and rather ghastly effect. Adam, perhaps, was made of just such + red earth, and had the complexion of this figure. + </p> + <p> + September 7th.—I walked into town yesterday morning, by way of the + Porta San Frediano. The gate of a city might be a good locality for a + chapter in a novel, or for a little sketch by itself, whether by painter + or writer. The great arch of the gateway, piercing through the depth and + height of the massive masonry beneath the battlemented summit; the shadow + brooding below, in the immense thickness of the wall and beyond it, the + vista of the street, sunny and swarming with life; outside of the gate, a + throng of carts, laden with fruits, vegetables, small flat barrels of + wine, waiting to be examined by the custom-house officers; carriages too, + and foot-passengers entering, and others swarming outward. Under the + shadowy arch are the offices of the police and customs, and probably the + guard-room of the soldiers, all hollowed out in the mass of the gateway. + Civil officers loll on chairs in the shade, perhaps with an awning over + their heads. Where the sun falls aslantwise under the arch a sentinel, + with musket and bayonet, paces to and fro in the entrance, and other + soldiers lounge close by. The life of the city seems to be compressed and + made more intense by this barrier; and on passing within it you do not + breathe quite so freely, yet are sensible of an enjoyment in the close + elbowing throng, the clamor of high voices from side to side of the + street, and the million of petty sights, actions, traffics, and + personalities, all so squeezed together as to become a great whole. + </p> + <p> + The street by which I entered led me to the Carraja Bridge; crossing + which, I kept straight onward till I came to the Church of Santa Maria + Novella. Doubtless, it looks just the same as when Boccaccio's party stood + in a cluster on its broad steps arranging their excursion to the villa. + Thence I went to the Church of St. Lorenzo, which I entered by the side + door, and found the organ sounding and a religious ceremony going forward. + It is a church of sombre aspect, with its gray walls and pillars, but was + decked out for some festivity with hangings of scarlet damask and gold. I + sat awhile to rest myself, and then pursued my way to the Duomo. I + entered, and looked at Sir John Hawkwood's painted effigy, and at several + busts and statues, and at the windows of the chapel surrounding the dome, + through which the sunshine glowed, white in the outer air, but a + hundred-hued splendor within. I tried to bring up the scene of Lorenzo de' + Medici's attempted assassination, but with no great success; and after + listening a little while to the chanting of the priests and acolytes, I + went to the Bank. It is in a palace of which Raphael was the architect, in + the Piazza Gran Duca. + </p> + <p> + I next went, as a matter of course, to the Uffizi gallery, and, in the + first place, to the Tribune, where the Venus de' Medici deigned to reveal + herself rather more satisfactorily than at my last visit. . . . I looked + into all the rooms, bronzes, drawings, and gem-room; a volume might easily + be written upon either subject. The contents of the gem-room especially + require to be looked at separately in order to convince one's self of + their minute magnificences; for, among so many, the eye slips from one to + another with only a vague outward sense that here are whole shelves full + of little miracles, both of nature's material and man's workmanship. + Greater [larger] things can be reasonably well appreciated with a less + scrupulous though broader attention; but in order to estimate the + brilliancy of the diamond eyes of a little agate bust, for instance, you + have to screw your mind down to them and nothing else. You must sharpen + your faculties of observation to a point, and touch the object exactly on + the right spot, or you do not appreciate it at all. It is a troublesome + process when there are a thousand such objects to be seen. + </p> + <p> + I stood at an open window in the transverse corridor, and looked down upon + the Arno, and across at the range of edifices that impend over it on the + opposite side. The river, I should judge, may be a hundred or a hundred + and fifty yards wide in its course between the Ponte alle Grazie and the + Ponte Vecchio; that is, the width between strand and strand is at least so + much. The river, however, leaves a broad margin of mud and gravel on its + right bank, on which water-weeds grow pretty abundantly, and creep even + into the stream. On my first arrival in Florence I thought the goose-pond + green of the water rather agreeable than otherwise; but its hue is now + that of unadulterated mud, as yellow as the Tiber itself, yet not + impressing me as being enriched with city sewerage like that other famous + river. From the Ponte alle Grazie downward, half-way towards the Ponte + Vecchio, there is an island of gravel, and the channel on each side is so + shallow as to allow the passage of men and horses wading not overleg. I + have seen fishermen wading the main channel from side to side, their feet + sinking into the dark mud, and thus discoloring the yellow water with a + black track visible, step by step, through its shallowness. But still the + Arno is a mountain stream, and liable to be tetchy and turbulent like all + its kindred, and no doubt it often finds its borders of hewn stone not too + far apart for its convenience. + </p> + <p> + Along the right shore, beneath the Uffizi and the adjacent buildings, + there is a broad paved way, with a parapet; on the opposite shore the + edifices are built directly upon the river's edge, and impend over the + water, supported upon arches and machicolations, as I think that peculiar + arrangement of buttressing arcades is called. The houses are picturesquely + various in height, from two or three stories to seven; picturesque in hue + likewise,—pea-green, yellow, white, and of aged discoloration,—but + all with green blinds; picturesque also in the courts and galleries that + look upon the river, and in the wide arches that open beneath, intended + perhaps to afford a haven for the household boat. Nets were suspended + before one or two of the houses, as if the inhabitants were in the habit + of fishing out of window. As a general effect, the houses, though often + palatial in size and height, have a shabby, neglected aspect, and are + jumbled too closely together. Behind their range the city swells upward in + a hillside, which rises to a great height above, forming, I believe, a + part of the Boboli Gardens. + </p> + <p> + I returned homewards over the Ponte Vecchio, which is a continuous street + of ancient houses, except over the central arch, so that a stranger might + easily cross the river without knowing it. In these small, old houses + there is a community of goldsmiths, who set out their glass cases, and + hang their windows with rings, bracelets, necklaces, strings of pearl, + ornaments of malachite and coral, and especially with Florentine mosaics; + watches, too, and snuff-boxes of old fashion or new; offerings for shrines + also, such as silver hearts pierced with swords; an infinity of pretty + things, the manufacture of which is continually going on in the little + back-room of each little shop. This gewgaw business has been established + on the Ponte Vecchio for centuries, although, long since, it was an art of + far higher pretensions than now. Benvenuto Cellini had his workshop here, + probably in one of these selfsame little nooks. It would have been a + ticklish affair to be Benvenuto's fellow-workman within such narrow + limits. + </p> + <p> + Going out of the Porta Romana, I walked for some distance along the city + wall, and then, turning to the left, toiled up the hill of Bellosguardo, + through narrow zigzag lanes between high walls of stone or plastered + brick, where the sun had the fairest chance to frizzle me. There were + scattered villas and houses, here and there concentrating into a little + bit of a street, paved with flag-stones from side to side, as in the city, + and shadowed quite across its narrowness by the height of the houses. + Mostly, however, the way was inhospitably sunny, and shut out by the high + wall from every glimpse of a view, except in one spot, where Florence + spread itself before my eyes, with every tower, dome, and spire which it + contains. A little way farther on my own gray tower rose before me, the + most welcome object that I had seen in the course of the day. + </p> + <p> + September 10th.—I went into town again yesterday, by way of the + Porta San Frediano, and observed that this gate (like the other gates of + Florence, as far as I have observed) is a tall, square structure of stone + or brick, or both, rising high above the adjacent wall, and having a range + of open loggie in the upper story. The arch externally is about half the + height of the structure. Inside, towards the town, it rises nearly to the + roof. On each side of the arch there is much room for offices, apartments, + storehouses, or whatever else. On the outside of the gate, along the base, + are those iron rings and sockets for torches, which are said to be the + distinguishing symbol of illustrious houses. As contrasted with the vista + of the narrow, swarming street through the arch from without, the view + from the inside might be presented with a glimpse of the free blue sky. + </p> + <p> + I strolled a little about Florence, and went into two or three churches; + into that of the Annunziata for one. I have already described this church, + with its general magnificence, and it was more magnificent than ever + to-day, being hung with scarlet silk and gold-embroidery. A great many + people were at their devotions, thronging principally around the Virgin's + shrine. I was struck now with the many bas-reliefs and busts in the + costume of their respective ages, and seemingly with great accuracy of + portraiture, in the passage leading from the front of the church into the + cloisters. The marble was not at all abashed nor degraded by being made to + assume the guise of the mediaeval furred robe, or the close-fitting tunic + with elaborate ruff, or the breastplate and gorget, or the flowing wig, or + whatever the actual costume might be; and one is sensible of a rectitude + and reality in the affair, and respects the dead people for not putting + themselves into an eternal masquerade. The dress of the present day will + look equally respectable in one or two hundred years. + </p> + <p> + The Fair is still going on, and one of its principal centres is before + this church, in the Piazza of the Annunziata. Cloth is the chief commodity + offered for sale, and none of the finest; coarse, unbleached linen and + cotton prints for country-people's wear, together with yarn, stockings, + and here and there an assortment of bright-colored ribbons. Playthings, of + a very rude fashion, were also displayed; likewise books in Italian and + French; and a great deal of iron-work. Both here and in Rome they have + this odd custom of offering rusty iron implements for sale, spread out on + the pavements. There was a good deal of tinware, too, glittering in the + sunshine, especially around the pedestal of the bronze statue of Duke + Ferdinand, who curbs his horse and looks down upon the bustling piazza in + a very stately way. . . . The people attending the fair had mostly a + rustic appearance; sunburnt faces, thin frames; no beauty, no bloom, no + joyousness of young or old; an anxious aspect, as if life were no easy or + holiday matter with them; but I should take them to be of a kindly nature, + and reasonably honest. Except the broad-brimmed Tuscan hats of the women, + there was no peculiarity of costume. At a careless glance I could very + well have mistaken most of the men for Yankees; as for the women, there is + very little resemblance between them and ours,—the old being + absolutely hideous, and the young ones very seldom pretty. It was a very + dull crowd. They do not generate any warmth among themselves by + contiguity; they have no pervading sentiment, such as is continually + breaking out in rough merriment from an American crowd; they have nothing + to do with one another; they are not a crowd, considered as one mass, but + a collection of individuals. A despotic government has perhaps destroyed + their principle of cohesion, and crumbled them to atoms. Italian crowds + are noted for their civility; possibly they deserve credit for native + courtesy and gentleness; possibly, on the other hand, the crowd has not + spirit and self-consciousness enough to be rampant. I wonder whether they + will ever hold another parliament in the Piazza of Santa Croce! + </p> + <p> + I paid a visit to the gallery of the Pitti Palace. There is too large an + intermixture of Andrea del Sarto's pictures in this gallery; everywhere + you see them, cold, proper, and uncriticisable, looking so much like + first-rate excellence, that you inevitably quarrel with your own taste for + not admiring them. . . . + </p> + <p> + It was one of the days when my mind misgives me whether the pictorial art + be not a humbug, and when the minute accuracy of a fly in a Dutch picture + of fruit and flowers seems to me something more reliable than the + master-touches of Raphael. The gallery was considerably thronged, and many + of the visitors appeared to be from the country, and of a class + intermediate between gentility and labor. Is there such a rural class in + Italy? I saw a respectable-looking man feeling awkward and uncomfortable + in a new and glossy pair of pantaloons not yet bent and creased to his + natural movement. + </p> + <p> + Nothing pleased me better to-day than some amber cups, in one of the + cabinets of curiosities. They are richly wrought, and the material is as + if the artist had compressed a great deal of sunshine together, and when + sufficiently solidified had moulded these cups out of it and let them + harden. This simile was suggested by ———. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the palace, I entered the Boboli Gardens, and wandered up and down + a good deal of its uneven surface, through broad, well-kept edges of box, + sprouting loftily, trimmed smoothly, and strewn between with cleanly + gravel; skirting along plantations of aged trees, throwing a deep shadow + within their precincts; passing many statues, not of the finest art, yet + approaching so near it, as to serve just as good a purpose for garden + ornament; coming now and then to the borders of a fishpool, or a pond, + where stately swans circumnavigated an island of flowers;—all very + fine and very wearisome. I have never enjoyed this garden; perhaps because + it suggests dress-coats, and such elegant formalities. + </p> + <p> + September 11th.—We have heard a good deal of spirit matters of late, + especially of wonderful incidents that attended Mr. Home's visit to + Florence, two or three years ago. Mrs. Powers told a very marvellous + thing; how that when Mr. Home was holding a seance in her house, and + several persons present, a great scratching was heard in a neighboring + closet. She addressed the spirit, and requested it not to disturb the + company then, as they were busy with other affairs, promising to converse + with it on a future occasion. On a subsequent night, accordingly, the + scratching was renewed, with the utmost violence; and in reply to Mrs. + Powers's questions, the spirit assured her that it was not one, but + legion, being the ghosts of twenty-seven monks, who were miserable and + without hope! The house now occupied by Powers was formerly a convent, and + I suppose these were the spirits of all the wicked monks that had ever + inhabited it; at least, I hope that there were not such a number of + damnable sinners extant at any one time. These ghostly fathers must have + been very improper persons in their lifetime, judging by the + indecorousness of their behavior even after death, and in such dreadful + circumstances; for they pulled Mrs. Powers's skirts so hard as to break + the gathers. . . . It was not ascertained that they desired to have + anything done for their eternal welfare, or that their situation was + capable of amendment anyhow; but, being exhorted to refrain from further + disturbance, they took their departure, after making the sign of the cross + on the breast of each person present. This was very singular in such + reprobates, who, by their own confession, had forfeited all claim to be + benefited by that holy symbol: it curiously suggests that the forms of + religion may still be kept up in purgatory and hell itself. The sign was + made in a way that conveyed the sense of something devilish and spiteful; + the perpendicular line of the cross being drawn gently enough, but the + transverse one sharply and violently, so as to leave a painful impression. + Perhaps the monks meant this to express their contempt and hatred for + heretics; and how queer, that this antipathy should survive their own + damnation! But I cannot help hoping that the case of these poor devils may + not be so desperate as they think. They cannot be wholly lost, because + their desire for communication with mortals shows that they need sympathy, + therefore are not altogether hardened, therefore, with loving treatment, + may be restored. + </p> + <p> + A great many other wonders took place within the knowledge and experience + of Mrs. P———. She saw, not one pair of hands only, but + many. The head of one of her dead children, a little boy, was laid in her + lap, not in ghastly fashion, as a head out of the coffin and the grave, + but just as the living child might have laid it on his mother's knees. It + was invisible, by the by, and she recognized it by the features and the + character of the hair, through the sense of touch. Little hands grasped + hers. In short, these soberly attested incredibilities are so numerous + that I forget nine tenths of them, and judge the others too cheap to be + written down. Christ spoke the truth surely, in saying that men would not + believe, "though one rose from the dead." In my own case, the fact makes + absolutely no impression. I regret such confirmation of truth as this. + </p> + <p> + Within a mile of our villa stands the Villa Columbaria, a large house, + built round a square court. Like Mr. Powers's residence, it was formerly a + convent. It is inhabited by Major Gregorie, an old soldier of Waterloo and + various other fights, and his family consists of Mrs. ———, + the widow of one of the Major's friends, and her two daughters. We have + become acquainted with the family, and Mrs. ———, the + married daughter, has lent us a written statement of her experiences with + a ghost, who has haunted the Villa Columbaria for many years back. + </p> + <p> + He had made Mrs. ——— aware of his presence in her room + by a sensation of extreme cold, as if a wintry breeze were blowing over + her; also by a rustling of the bed-curtains; and, at such times, she had a + certain consciousness, as she says, that she was not ALONE. Through Mr. + Home's agency, the ghost was enabled to explain himself, and declared that + he was a monk, named Giannane, who died a very long time ago in Mrs. + ———'s present bedchamber. He was a murderer, and had + been in a restless and miserable state ever since his death, wandering up + and down the house, but especially haunting his own death-chamber and a + staircase that communicated with the chapel of the villa. All the + interviews with this lost spirit were attended with a sensation of severe + cold, which was felt by every one present. He made his communications by + means of table-rapping, and by the movements of chairs and other articles, + which often assumed an angry character. The poor old fellow does not seem + to have known exactly what he wanted with Mrs. ———, but + promised to refrain from disturbing her any more, on condition that she + would pray that he might find some repose. He had previously declined + having any masses said for his soul. Rest, rest, rest, appears to be the + continual craving of unhappy spirits; they do not venture to ask for + positive bliss: perhaps, in their utter weariness, would rather forego the + trouble of active enjoyment, but pray only for rest. The cold atmosphere + around this monk suggests new ideas as to the climate of Hades. If all the + afore-mentioned twenty-seven monks had a similar one, the combined + temperature must have been that of a polar winter. + </p> + <p> + Mrs. ——— saw, at one time, the fingers of her monk, + long, yellow, and skinny; these fingers grasped the hands of individuals + of the party, with a cold, clammy, and horrible touch. + </p> + <p> + After the departure of this ghost other seances were held in her + bedchamber, at which good and holy spirits manifested themselves, and + behaved in a very comfortable and encouraging way. It was their benevolent + purpose, apparently, to purify her apartments from all traces of the evil + spirit, and to reconcile her to what had been so long the haunt of this + miserable monk, by filling it with happy and sacred associations, in + which, as Mrs. ——— intimates, they entirely succeeded. + </p> + <p> + These stories remind me of an incident that took place at the old manse, + in the first summer of our marriage. . . . + </p> + <p> + September 17th.—We walked yesterday to Florence, and visited the + church of St. Lorenzo, where we saw, for the second time, the famous + Medici statues of Michael Angelo. I found myself not in a very + appreciative state, and, being a stone myself, the statue of Lorenzo was + at first little more to me than another stone; but it was beginning to + assume life, and would have impressed me as it did before if I had gazed + long enough. There was a better light upon the face, under the helmet, + than at my former visit, although still the features were enough + overshadowed to produce that mystery on which, according to Mr. Powers, + the effect of the statue depends. I observe that the costume of the + figure, instead of being mediaeval, as I believe I have stated, is Roman; + but, be it what it may, the grand and simple character of the figure + imbues the robes with its individual propriety. I still think it the + greatest miracle ever wrought in marble. + </p> + <p> + We crossed the church and entered a cloister on the opposite side, in + quest of the Laurentian Library. Ascending a staircase we found an old man + blowing the bellows of the organ, which was in full blast in the church; + nevertheless he found time to direct us to the library door. We entered a + lofty vestibule, of ancient aspect and stately architecture, and thence + were admitted into the library itself; a long and wide gallery or hall, + lighted by a row of windows on which were painted the arms of the Medici. + The ceiling was inlaid with dark wood, in an elaborate pattern, which was + exactly repeated in terra-cotta on the pavement beneath our feet. Long + desks, much like the old-fashioned ones in schools, were ranged on each + side of the mid aisle, in a series from end to end, with seats for the + convenience of students; and on these desks were rare manuscripts, + carefully preserved under glass; and books, fastened to the desks by iron + chains, as the custom of studious antiquity used to be. Along the centre + of the hall, between the two ranges of desks, were tables and chairs, at + which two or three scholarly persons were seated, diligently consulting + volumes in manuscript or old type. It was a very quiet place, imbued with + a cloistered sanctity, and remote from all street-cries and rumble of the + city,—odorous of old literature,—a spot where the commonest + ideas ought not to be expressed in less than Latin. + </p> + <p> + The librarian—or custode he ought rather to be termed, for he was a + man not above the fee of a paul—now presented himself, and showed us + some of the literary curiosities; a vellum manuscript of the Bible, with a + splendid illumination by Ghirlandaio, covering two folio pages, and just + as brilliant in its color as if finished yesterday. Other illuminated + manuscripts—or at least separate pages of them, for the volumes were + kept under glass, and not to be turned over—were shown us, very + magnificent, but not to be compared with this of Ghirlandaio. Looking at + such treasures I could almost say that we have left behind us more + splendor than we have kept alive to our own age. We publish beautiful + editions of books, to be sure, and thousands of people enjoy them; but in + ancient times the expense that we spread thinly over a thousand volumes + was all compressed into one, and it became a great jewel of a book, a + heavy folio, worth its weight in gold. Then, what a spiritual charm it + gives to a book to feel that every letter has been individually wrought, + and the pictures glow for that individual page alone! Certainly the + ancient reader had a luxury which the modern one lacks. I was surprised, + moreover, to see the clearness and accuracy of the chirography. Print does + not surpass it in these respects. + </p> + <p> + The custode showed us an ancient manuscript of the Decameron; likewise, a + volume containing the portraits of Petrarch and of Laura, each covering + the whole of a vellum page, and very finely done. They are authentic + portraits, no doubt, and Laura is depicted as a fair-haired beauty, with a + very satisfactory amount of loveliness. We saw some choice old editions of + books in a small separate room; but as these were all ranged in shut + bookcases, and as each volume, moreover, was in a separate cover or modern + binding, this exhibition did us very little good. By the by, there is a + conceit struggling blindly in my mind about Petrarch and Laura, suggested + by those two lifelike portraits, which have been sleeping cheek to cheek + through all these centuries. But I cannot lay hold of it. + </p> + <p> + September 21st.—Yesterday morning the Val d' Arno was entirely + filled with a thick fog, which extended even up to our windows, and + concealed objects within a very short distance. It began to dissipate + itself betimes, however, and was the forerunner of an unusually bright and + warm day. We set out after breakfast and walked into town, where we looked + at mosaic brooches. These are very pretty little bits of manufacture; but + there seems to have been no infusion of fresh fancy into the work, and the + specimens present little variety. It is the characteristic commodity of + the place; the central mart and manufacturing locality being on the Ponte + Vecchio, from end to end of which they are displayed in cases; but there + are other mosaic shops scattered about the town. The principal devices are + roses,—pink, yellow, or white,—jasmines, lilies of the valley, + forget-me-nots, orange blossoms, and others, single or in sprigs, or + twined into wreaths; parrots, too, and other birds of gay plumage,— + often exquisitely done, and sometimes with precious materials, such as + lapis lazuli, malachite, and still rarer gems. Bracelets, with several + different, yet relative designs, are often very beautiful. We find, at + different shops, a great inequality of prices for mosaics that seemed to + be of much the same quality. + </p> + <p> + We went to the Uffizi gallery, and found it much thronged with the middle + and lower classes of Italians; and the English, too, seemed more numerous + than I have lately seen them. Perhaps the tourists have just arrived here, + starting at the close of the London season. We were amused with a pair of + Englishmen who went through the gallery; one of them criticising the + pictures and statues audibly, for the benefit of his companion. The critic + I should take to be a country squire, and wholly untravelled; a tall, + well-built, rather rough, but gentlemanly man enough; his friend, a small + personage, exquisitely neat in dress, and of artificial deportment, every + attitude and gesture appearing to have been practised before a glass. + Being but a small pattern of a man, physically and intellectually, he had + thought it worth while to finish himself off with the elaborateness of a + Florentine mosaic; and the result was something like a dancing-master, + though without the exuberant embroidery of such persons. Indeed, he was a + very quiet little man, and, though so thoroughly made up, there was + something particularly green, fresh, and simple in him. Both these + Englishmen were elderly, and the smaller one had perfectly white hair, + glossy and silken. It did not make him in the least venerable, however, + but took his own character of neatness and prettiness. He carried his + well-brushed and glossy hat in his hand in such a way as not to ruffle its + surface; and I wish I could put into one word or one sentence the + pettiness, the minikinfinical effect of this little man; his + self-consciousness so lifelong, that, in some sort, he forgot himself even + in the midst of it; his propriety, his cleanliness and unruffledness; his + prettiness and nicety of manifestation, like a bird hopping daintily + about. + </p> + <p> + His companion, as I said, was of a completely different type; a tall, + gray-haired man, with the rough English face, a little tinted with port + wine; careless, natural manner, betokening a man of position in his own + neighborhood; a loud voice, not vulgar, nor outraging the rules of + society, but betraying a character incapable of much refinement. He talked + continually in his progress through the gallery, and audibly enough for us + to catch almost everything he said, at many yards' distance. His remarks + and criticisms, addressed to his small friend, were so entertaining, that + we strolled behind him for the sake of being benefited by them; and I + think he soon became aware of this, and addressed himself to us as well as + to his more immediate friend. Nobody but an Englishman, it seems to me, + has just this kind of vanity,—a feeling mixed up with scorn and + good-nature; self-complacency on his own merits, and as an Englishman; + pride at being in foreign parts; contempt for everybody around him; a + rough kindliness towards people in general. I liked the man, and should be + glad to know him better. As for his criticism, I am sorry to remember only + one. It was upon the picture of the Nativity, by Correggio, in the + Tribune, where the mother is kneeling before the Child, and adoring it in + an awful rapture, because she sees the eternal God in its baby face and + figure. The Englishman was highly delighted with this picture, and began + to gesticulate, as if dandling a baby, and to make a chirruping sound. It + was to him merely a representation of a mother fondling her infant. He + then said, "If I could have my choice of the pictures and statues in the + Tribune, I would take this picture, and that one yonder" (it was a good + enough Enthronement of the Virgin by Andrea del Sarto) "and the Dancing + Faun, and let the rest go." A delightful man; I love that wholesome + coarseness of mind and heart, which no education nor opportunity can + polish out of the genuine Englishman; a coarseness without vulgarity. When + a Yankee is coarse, he is pretty sure to be vulgar too. + </p> + <p> + The two critics seemed to be considering whether it were practicable to go + from the Uffizi to the Pitti gallery; but "it confuses one," remarked the + little man, "to see more than one gallery in a day." (I should think so,—the + Pitti Palace tumbling into his small receptacle on the top of the Uffizi.) + "It does so," responded the big man, with heavy emphasis. + </p> + <p> + September 23d.—The vintage has been going on in our podere for about + a week, and I saw a part of the process of making wine, under one of our + back windows. It was on a very small scale, the grapes being thrown into a + barrel, and crushed with a sort of pestle; and as each estate seems to + make its own wine, there are probably no very extensive and elaborate + appliances in general use for the manufacture. The cider-making of New + England is far more picturesque; the great heap of golden or rosy apples + under the trees, and the cider-mill worked by a circumgyratory horse, and + all agush with sweet juice. Indeed, nothing connected with the + grape-culture and the vintage here has been picturesque, except the large + inverted pyramids in which the clusters hang; those great bunches, white + or purple, really satisfy my idea both as to aspect and taste. We can buy + a large basketful for less than a paul; and they are the only things that + one can never devour too much of—and there is no enough short of a + little too much without subsequent repentance. It is a shame to turn such + delicious juice into such sour wine as they make in Tuscany. I tasted a + sip or two of a flask which the contadini sent us for trial,— the + rich result of the process I had witnessed in the barrel. It took me + altogether by surprise; for I remembered the nectareousness of the new + cider which I used to sip through a straw in my boyhood, and I never + doubted that this would be as dulcet, but finer and more ethereal; as much + more delectable, in short, as these grapes are better than puckery cider + apples. Positively, I never tasted anything so detestable, such a sour and + bitter juice, still lukewarm with fermentation; it was a wail of woe, + squeezed out of the wine-press of tribulation, and the more a man drinks + of such, the sorrier he will be. + </p> + <p> + Besides grapes, we have had figs, and I have now learned to be very fond + of them. When they first began to appear, two months ago, they had + scarcely any sweetness, and tasted very like a decaying squash: this was + an early variety, with purple skins. There are many kinds of figs, the + best being green-skinned, growing yellower as they ripen; and the riper + they are, the more the sweetness within them intensifies, till they + resemble dried figs in everything, except that they retain the fresh + fruit-flavor; rich, luscious, yet not palling. We have had pears, too, + some of them very tolerable; and peaches, which look magnificently, as + regards size and downy blush, but, have seldom much more taste than a + cucumber. A succession of fruits has followed us, ever since our arrival + in Florence:—first, and for a long time, abundance of cherries; then + apricots, which lasted many weeks, till we were weary of them; then plums, + pears, and finally figs, peaches, and grapes. Except the figs and grapes, + a New England summer and autumn would give us better fruit than any we + have found in Italy. + </p> + <p> + Italy beats us I think in mosquitoes; they are horribly pungent little + satanic particles. They possess strange intelligence, and exquisite + acuteness of sight and smell,—prodigious audacity and courage to + match it, insomuch that they venture on the most hazardous attacks, and + get safe off. One of them flew into my mouth, the other night, and sting + me far down in my throat; but luckily I coughed him up in halves. They are + bigger than American mosquitoes; and if you crush them, after one of their + feasts, it makes a terrific bloodspot. It is a sort of suicide—at + least, a shedding of one's own blood—to kill them; but it gratifies + the old Adam to do it. It shocks me to feel how revengeful I am; but it is + impossible not to impute a certain malice and intellectual venom to these + diabolical insects. I wonder whether our health, at this season of the + year, requires that we should be kept in a state of irritation, and so the + mosquitoes are Nature's prophetic remedy for some disease; or whether we + are made for the mosquitoes, not they for us. It is possible, just + possible, that the infinitesimal doses of poison which they infuse into us + are a homoeopathic safeguard against pestilence; but medicine never was + administered in a more disagreeable way. + </p> + <p> + The moist atmosphere about the Arno, I suppose, produces these insects, + and fills the broad, ten-mile valley with them; and as we are just on the + brim of the basin, they overflow into our windows. + </p> + <p> + September 25th.—U—— and I walked to town yesterday + morning, and went to the Uffizi gallery. It is not a pleasant thought that + we are so soon to give up this gallery, with little prospect (none, or + hardly any, on my part) of ever seeing it again. It interests me and all + of us far more than the gallery of the Pitti Palace, wherefore I know not, + for the latter is the richer of the two in admirable pictures. Perhaps it + is the picturesque variety of the Uffizi—the combination of + painting, sculpture, gems, and bronzes—that makes the charm. The + Tribune, too, is the richest room in all the world; a heart that draws all + hearts to it. The Dutch pictures, moreover, give a homely, human interest + to the Uffizi; and I really think that the frequency of Andrea del Santo's + productions at the Pitti Palace—looking so very like masterpieces, + yet lacking the soul of art and nature—have much to do with the + weariness that comes from better acquaintance with the latter gallery. The + splendor of the gilded and frescoed saloons is perhaps another bore; but, + after all, my memory will often tread there as long as I live. What shall + we do in America? + </p> + <p> + Speaking of Dutch pictures, I was much struck yesterday, as frequently + before, with a small picture by Teniers the elder. It seems to be a + pawnbroker in the midst of his pledges; old earthen jugs, flasks, a brass + kettle, old books, and a huge pile of worn-out and broken rubbish, which + he is examining. These things are represented with vast fidelity, yet with + bold and free touches, unlike the minute, microscopic work of other Dutch + masters; and a wonderful picturesqueness is wrought out of these humble + materials, and even the figure and head of the pawnbroker have a strange + grandeur. + </p> + <p> + We spent no very long time at the Uffizi, and afterwards crossed the Ponte + alle Grazie, and went to the convent of San Miniato, which stands on a + hill outside of the Porta San Gallo. A paved pathway, along which stand + crosses marking stations at which pilgrims are to kneel and pray, goes + steeply to the hill-top, where, in the first place, is a smaller church + and convent than those of San Miniato. The latter are seen at a short + distance to the right, the convent being a large, square battlemented + mass, adjoining which is the church, showing a front of aged white marble, + streaked with black, and having an old stone tower behind. I have seen no + other convent or monastery that so well corresponds with my idea of what + such structures were. The sacred precincts are enclosed by a high wall, + gray, ancient, and luxuriously ivy-grown, and lofty and strong enough for + the rampart of a fortress. We went through the gateway and entered the + church, which we found in much disarray, and masons at work upon the + pavement. The tribune is elevated considerably above the nave, and + accessible by marble staircases; there are great arches and a chapel, with + curious monuments in the Gothic style, and ancient carvings and mosaic + works, and, in short, a dim, dusty, and venerable interior, well worth + studying in detail. . . . The view of Florence from the church door is + very fine, and seems to include every tower, dome, or whatever object + emerges out of the general mass. + </p> + <p> + September 28th.—I went to the Pitti Palace yesterday, and to the + Uffizi to-day, paying them probably my last visit, yet cherishing an + unreasonable doubt whether I may not see them again. At all events, I have + seen them enough for the present, even what is best of them; and, at the + same time, with a sad reluctance to bid them farewell forever, I + experience an utter weariness of Raphael's old canvas, and of the + time-yellowed marble of the Venus de' Medici. When the material embodiment + presents itself outermost, and we perceive them only by the grosser sense, + missing their ethereal spirit, there is nothing so heavily burdensome as + masterpieces of painting and sculpture. I threw my farewell glance at the + Venus de' Medici to-day with strange insensibility. + </p> + <p> + The nights are wonderfully beautiful now. When the moon was at the full, a + few nights ago, its light was an absolute glory, such as I seem only to + have dreamed of heretofore, and that only in my younger days. At its + rising I have fancied that the orb of the moon has a kind of purple + brightness, and that this tinge is communicated to its radiance until it + has climbed high aloft and sheds a flood of white over hill and valley. + Now that the moon is on the wane, there is a gentler lustre, but still + bright; and it makes the Val d' Arno with its surrounding hills, and its + soft mist in the distance, as beautiful a scene as exists anywhere out of + heaven. And the morning is quite as beautiful in its own way. This mist, + of which I have so often spoken, sets it beyond the limits of actual sense + and makes it ideal; it is as if you were dreaming about the valley,—as + if the valley itself were dreaming, and met you half-way in your own + dream. If the mist were to be withdrawn, I believe the whole beauty of the + valley would go with it. + </p> + <p> + Until pretty late in the morning, we have the comet streaming through the + sky, and dragging its interminable tail among the stars. It keeps + brightening from night to night, and I should think must blaze fiercely + enough to cast a shadow by and by. I know not whether it be in the + vicinity of Galileo's tower, and in the influence of his spirit, but I + have hardly ever watched the stars with such interest as now. + </p> + <p> + September 29th.—Last evening I met Mr. Powers at Miss Blagden's, and + he talked about his treatment, by our government in reference, to an + appropriation of twenty-five thousand dollars made by Congress for a + statue by him. Its payment and the purchase of the statue were left at the + option of the President, and he conceived himself wronged because the + affair was never concluded. . . . As for the President, he knows nothing + of art, and probably acted in the matter by the advice of the director of + public works. No doubt a sculptor gets commissions as everybody gets + public employment and emolument of whatever kind from our government, not + by merit or fitness, but by political influence skilfully applied. As + Powers himself observed, the ruins of our Capitol are not likely to afford + sculptures equal to those which Lord Elgin took from the Parthenon, if + this be the system under which they are produced. . . . I wish our great + Republic had the spirit to do as much, according to its vast means, as + Florence did for sculpture and architecture when it was a republic; but we + have the meanest government and the shabbiest, and—if truly + represented by it—we are the meanest and shabbiest people known in + history. And yet the less we attempt to do for art the better, if our + future attempts are to have no better result than such brazen troopers as + the equestrian statue of General Jackson, or even such naked + respectabilities as Greenough's Washington. There is something false and + affected in our highest taste for art; and I suppose, furthermore, we are + the only people who seek to decorate their public institutions, not by the + highest taste among them, but by the average at best. + </p> + <p> + There was also at Miss Blagden's, among other company, Mr. ———, + an artist in Florence, and a sensible man. I talked with him about Home, + the medium, whom he had many opportunities of observing when the latter + was in these parts. Mr. ——— says that Home is + unquestionably a knave, but that he himself is as much perplexed at his + own preternatural performances as any other person; he is startled and + affrighted at the phenomena which he produces. Nevertheless, when his + spiritual powers fall short, he does his best to eke them out with + imposture. This moral infirmity is a part of his nature, and I suggested + that perhaps if he were of a firmer and healthier moral make, if his + character were sufficiently sound and dense to be capable of steadfast + principle, he would not have possessed the impressibility that fits him + for the so-called spiritual influences. Mr. ——— says + that Louis Napoleon is literally one of the most skilful jugglers in the + world, and that probably the interest he has taken in Mr. Home was caused + partly by a wish to acquire his art. + </p> + <p> + This morning Mr. Powers invited me to go with him to the Grand Duke's new + foundry, to see the bronze statue of Webster which has just been cast from + his model. It is the second cast of the statue, the first having been + shipped some months ago on board of a vessel which was lost; and, as + Powers observed, the statue now lies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean + somewhere in the vicinity of the telegraphic cable. + </p> + <p> + We were received with much courtesy and emphasis by the director of the + foundry, and conducted into a large room walled with bare, new brick, + where the statue was standing in front of the extinct furnace: a majestic + Webster indeed, eight feet high, and looking even more colossal than that. + The likeness seemed to me perfect, and, like a sensible man, Powers' has + dressed him in his natural costume, such as I have seen Webster have on + while making a speech in the open air at a mass meeting in Concord,—dress-coat + buttoned pretty closely across the breast, pantaloons and boots,—everything + finished even to a seam and a stitch. Not an inch of the statue but is + Webster; even his coat-tails are imbued with the man, and this true artist + has succeeded in showing him through the broadcloth as nature showed him. + He has felt that a man's actual clothes are as much a part of him as his + flesh, and I respect him for disdaining to shirk the difficulty by + throwing the meanness of a cloak over it, and for recognizing the folly of + masquerading our Yankee statesman in a Roman toga, and the indecorousness + of presenting him as a brassy nudity. It would have been quite as + unjustifiable to strip him to his skeleton as to his flesh. Webster is + represented as holding in his right hand the written roll of the + Constitution, with which he points to a bundle of fasces, which he keeps + from falling by the grasp of his left, thus symbolizing him as the + preserver of the Union. There is an expression of quiet, solid, massive + strength in the whole figure; a deep, pervading energy, in which any + exaggeration of gesture would lessen and lower the effect. He looks really + like a pillar of the state. The face is very grand, very Webster stern and + awful, because he is in the act of meeting a great crisis, and yet with + the warmth of a great heart glowing through it. Happy is Webster to have + been so truly and adequately sculptured; happy the sculptor in such a + subject, which no idealization of a demigod could have supplied him with. + Perhaps the statue at the bottom of the sea will be cast up in some future + age, when the present race of man is forgotten, and if so, that far + posterity will look up to us as a grander race than we find ourselves to + be. Neither was Webster altogether the man he looked. His physique helped + him out, even when he fell somewhat short of its promise; and if his eyes + had not been in such deep caverns their fire would not have looked so + bright. + </p> + <p> + Powers made me observe how the surface of the statue was wrought to a sort + of roughness instead of being smoothed, as is the practice of other + artists. He said that this had cost him great pains, and certainly it has + an excellent effect. The statue is to go to Boston, and I hope will be + placed in the open air, for it is too mighty to be kept under any roof + that now exists in America. . . . + </p> + <p> + After seeing this, the director showed us some very curious and exquisite + specimens of castings, such as baskets of flowers, in which the most + delicate and fragile blossoms, the curl of a petal, the finest veins in a + leaf, the lightest flower-spray that ever quivered in a breeze, were + perfectly preserved; and the basket contained an abundant heap of such + sprays. There were likewise a pair of hands, taken actually from life, + clasped together as they were, and they looked like parts of a man who had + been changed suddenly from flesh to brass. They were worn and rough and + unhandsome hands, and so very real, with all their veins and the pores of + the skin, that it was shocking to look at them. A bronze leaf, cast also + from the life, was as curious and more beautiful. + </p> + <p> + Taking leave of Powers, I went hither and thither about Florence, seeing + for the last time things that I have seen many times before: the market, + for instance, blocking up a line of narrow streets with fruit-stalls, and + obstreperous dealers crying their peaches, their green lemons, their figs, + their delicious grapes, their mushrooms, their pomegranates, their + radishes, their lettuces. They use one vegetable here which I have not + known so used elsewhere; that is, very young pumpkins or squashes, of the + size of apples, and to be cooked by boiling. They are not to my taste, but + the people here like unripe things,—unripe fruit, unripe chickens, + unripe lamb. This market is the noisiest and swarmiest centre of noisy and + swarming Florence, and I always like to pass through it on that account. + </p> + <p> + I went also to Santa Croce, and it seemed to me to present a longer vista + and broader space than almost any other church, perhaps because the + pillars between the nave and aisles are not so massive as to obstruct the + view. I looked into the Duomo, too, and was pretty well content to leave + it. Then I came homeward, and lost my way, and wandered far off through + the white sunshine, and the scanty shade of the vineyard walls, and the + olive-trees that here and there branched over them. At last I saw our own + gray battlements at a distance, on one side, quite out of the direction in + which I was travelling, so was compelled to the grievous mortification of + retracing a great many of my weary footsteps. It was a very hot day. This + evening I have been on the towertop star-gazing, and looking at the comet, + which waves along the sky like an immense feather of flame. Over Florence + there was an illuminated atmosphere, caused by the lights of the city + gleaming upward into the mists which sleep and dream above that portion of + the valley, as well as the rest of it. I saw dimly, or fancied I saw, the + hill of Fiesole on the other side of Florence, and remembered how ghostly + lights were seen passing thence to the Duomo on the night when Lorenzo the + Magnificent died. From time to time the sweet bells of Florence rang out, + and I was loath to come down into the lower world, knowing that I shall + never again look heavenward from an old tower-top in such a soft calm + evening as this. Yet I am not loath to go away; impatient rather; for, + taking no root, I soon weary of any soil in which I may be temporarily + deposited. The same impatience I sometimes feel or conceive of as regards + this earthly life. . . . + </p> + <p> + I forgot to mention that Powers showed me, in his studio, the model of the + statue of America, which he wished the government to buy. It has great + merit, and embodies the ideal of youth, freedom, progress, and whatever we + consider as distinctive of our country's character and destiny. It is a + female figure, vigorous, beautiful, planting its foot lightly on a broken + chain, and pointing upward. The face has a high look of intelligence and + lofty feeling; the form, nude to the middle, has all the charms of + womanhood, and is thus warmed and redeemed out of the cold allegoric + sisterhood who have generally no merit in chastity, being really without + sex. I somewhat question whether it is quite the thing, however, to make a + genuine woman out of an allegory we ask, Who is to wed this lovely virgin? + and we are not satisfied to banish her into the realm of chilly thought. + But I liked the statue, and all the better for what I criticise, and was + sorry to see the huge package in which the finished marble lies bundled + up, ready to be sent to our country,—which does not call for it. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Powers and his two daughters called to take leave of us, and at + parting I expressed a hope of seeing him in America. He said that it would + make him very unhappy to believe that he should never return thither; but + it seems to me that he has no such definite purpose of return as would be + certain to bring itself to pass. It makes a very unsatisfactory life, thus + to spend the greater part of it in exile. In such a case we are always + deferring the reality of life till a future moment, and, by and by, we + have deferred it till there are no future moments; or, if we do go back, + we find that life has shifted whatever of reality it had to the country + where we deemed ourselves only living temporarily; and so between two + stools we come to the ground, and make ourselves a part of one or the + other country only by laying our bones in its soil. It is particularly a + pity in Powers's case, because he is so very American in character, and + the only convenience for him of his Italian residence is, that here he can + supply himself with marble, and with workmen to chisel it according to his + designs. + </p> + <h3> + SIENA. + </h3> + <p> + October 2d.—Yesterday morning, at six o'clock, we left our ancient + tower, and threw a parting glance—and a rather sad one—over + the misty Val d' Arno. This summer will look like a happy one in our + children's retrospect, and also, no doubt, in the years that remain to + ourselves; and, in truth, I have found it a peaceful and not uncheerful + one. + </p> + <p> + It was not a pleasant morning, and Monte Morello, looking down on + Florence, had on its cap, betokening foul weather, according to the + proverb. Crossing the suspension-bridge, we reached the Leopoldo railway + without entering the city. By some mistake,—or perhaps because + nobody ever travels by first-class carriages in Tuscany,—we found we + had received second-class tickets, and were put into a long, crowded + carriage, full of priests, military men, commercial travellers, and other + respectable people, facing one another lengthwise along the carriage, and + many of them smoking cigars. They were all perfectly civil, and I think I + must own that the manners of this second-class would compare favorably + with those of an American first-class one. + </p> + <p> + At Empoli, about an hour after we started, we had to change carriages, the + main train proceeding to Leghorn. . . . My observations along the road + were very scanty: a hilly country, with several old towns seated on the + most elevated hill-tops, as is common throughout Tuscany, or sometimes a + fortress with a town on the plain at its base; or, once or twice, the + towers and battlements of a mediaeval castle, commanding the pass below + it. Near Florence the country was fertile in the vine and olive, and + looked as unpicturesque as that sort of fertility usually makes it; not + but what I have come to think better of the tint of the olive-leaf than + when I first saw it. In the latter part of our journey I remember a wild + stream, of a greenish hue, but transparent, rushing along over a rough + bed, and before reaching Siena we rumbled into a long tunnel, and emerged + from it near the city. . . . + </p> + <p> + We drove up hill and down (for the surface of Siena seems to be nothing + but an irregularity) through narrow old streets, and were set down at the + Aquila Nera, a grim-looking albergo near the centre of the town. Mrs. S——— + had already taken rooms for us there, and to these we were now ushered up + the highway of a dingy stone staircase, and into a small, brick-paved + parlor. The house seemed endlessly old, and all the glimpses that we + caught of Siena out of window seemed more ancient still. Almost within + arm's reach, across a narrow street, a tall palace of gray, time-worn + stone clambered skyward, with arched windows, and square windows, and + large windows and small, scattered up and down its side. It is the Palazzo + Tolomei, and looks immensely venerable. From the windows of our bedrooms + we looked into a broader street, though still not very wide, and into a + small piazza, the most conspicuous object in which was a column, hearing + on its top a bronze wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. This symbol is + repeated in other parts of the city, and scours to indicate that the + Sienese people pride themselves in a Roman origin. In another direction, + over the tops of the houses, we saw a very high tower, with battlements + projecting around its summit, so that it was a fortress in the air; and + this I have since found to be the Palazzo Publico. It was pleasant, + looking downward into the little old piazza and narrow streets, to see the + swarm of life on the pavement, the life of to-day just as new as if it had + never been lived before; the citizens, the priests, the soldiers, the + mules and asses with their panniers, the diligence lumbering along, with a + postilion in a faded crimson coat bobbing up and down on the off-horse. + Such a bustling scene, vociferous, too, with various street-cries, is + wonderfully set off by the gray antiquity of the town, and makes the town + look older than if it were a solitude. + </p> + <p> + Soon Mr. and Mrs. Story came, and accompanied us to look for lodgings. + They also drove us about the city in their carriage, and showed us the + outside of the Palazzo Publico, and of the cathedral and other remarkable + edifices. The aspect of Siena is far more picturesque than that of any + other town in Italy, so far as I know Italian towns; and yet, now that I + have written it, I remember Perugia, and feel that the observation is a + mistake. But at any rate Siena is remarkably picturesque, standing on such + a site, on the verge and within the crater of an extinct volcano, and + therefore being as uneven as the sea in a tempest; the streets so narrow, + ascending between tall, ancient palaces, while the side streets rush + headlong down, only to be threaded by sure-footed mules, such as climb + Alpine heights; old stone balconies on the palace fronts; old arched + doorways, and windows set in frames of Gothic architecture; arcades, + resembling canopies of stone, with quaintly sculptured statues in the + richly wrought Gothic niches of each pillar;—everything massive and + lofty, yet minutely interesting when you look at it stone by stone. The + Florentines, and the Romans too, have obliterated, as far as they could, + all the interest of their mediaeval structures by covering them with + stucco, so that they have quite lost their character, and affect the + spectator with no reverential idea of age. Here the city is all + overwritten with black-letter, and the glad Italian sun makes the effect + so much the stronger. + </p> + <p> + We took a lodging, and afterwards J——- and I rambled about, + and went into the cathedral for a moment, and strayed also into the Piazza + del Campo, the great public square of Siena. I am not in the mood for + further description of public places now, so shall say a word or two about + the old palace in which we have established ourselves. We have the second + piano, and dwell amid faded grandeur, having for our saloon what seems to + have been a ball-room. It is ornamented with a great fresco in the centre + of the vaulted ceiling, and others covering the sides of the apartment, + and surrounded with arabesque frameworks, where Cupids gambol and chase + one another. The subjects of the frescos I cannot make out, not that they + are faded like Giotto's, for they are as fresh as roses, and are done in + an exceedingly workmanlike style; but they are allegories of Fame and + Plenty and other matters, such as I could never understand. Our whole + accommodation is in similar style,—spacious, magnificent, and + mouldy. + </p> + <p> + In the evening Miss S——— and I drove to the railway, and + on the arrival of the train from Florence we watched with much eagerness + the unlading of the luggage-van. At last the whole of our ten trunks and + tin bandbox were produced, and finally my leather bag, in which was my + journal and a manuscript book containing my sketch of a romance. It + gladdened my very heart to see it, and I shall think the better of Tuscan + promptitude and accuracy for so quickly bringing it back to me. (It was + left behind, under one of the rail-carriage seats.) We find all the public + officials, whether of railway, police, or custom-house, extremely + courteous and pleasant to encounter; they seem willing to take trouble and + reluctant to give it, and it is really a gratification to find that such + civil people will sometimes oblige you by taking a paul or two aside. + </p> + <p> + October 3d.—I took several strolls about the city yesterday, and + find it scarcely extensive enough to get lost in; and if we go far from + the centre we soon come to silent streets, with only here and there an + individual; and the inhabitants stare from their doors and windows at the + stranger, and turn round to look at him after he has passed. The interest + of the old town would soon be exhausted for the traveller, but I can + conceive that a thoughtful and shy man might settle down here with the + view of making the place a home, and spend many years in a sombre kind of + happiness. I should prefer it to Florence as a residence, but it would be + terrible without an independent life in one's own mind. + </p> + <p> + U—— and I walked out in the afternoon, and went into the + Piazza del Campo, the principal place of the city, and a very noble and + peculiar one. It is much in the form of an amphitheatre, and the surface + of the ground seems to be slightly scooped out, so that it resembles the + shallow basin of a shell. It is thus a much better site for an assemblage + of the populace than if it were a perfect level. A semicircle or truncated + ellipse of stately and ancient edifices surround the piazza, with arches + opening beneath them, through which streets converge hitherward. One side + of the piazza is a straight line, and is occupied by the Palazzo Publico, + which is a most noble and impressive Gothic structure. It has not the mass + of the Palazzo Vecchio at Florence, but is more striking. It has a long + battlemented front, the central part of which rises eminent above the + rest, in a great square bulk, which is likewise crowned with battlements. + This is much more picturesque than the one great block of stone into which + the Palazzo Vecchio is consolidated. At one extremity of this long front + of the Palazzo Publico rises a tower, shooting up its shaft high, high + into the air, and bulging out there into a battlemented fortress, within + which the tower, slenderer than before, climbs to a still higher region. I + do not know whether the summit of the tower is higher or so high as that + of the Palazzo Vecchio; but the length of the shaft, free of the edifice, + is much greater, and so produces the more elevating effect. The whole + front of the Palazzo Publico is exceedingly venerable, with arched + windows, Gothic carvings, and all the old-time ornaments that betoken it + to have stood a great while, and the gray strength that will hold it up at + least as much longer. At one end of the facade, beneath the shadow of the + tower, is a grand and beautiful porch, supported on square pillars, within + each of which is a niche containing a statue of mediaeval sculpture. + </p> + <p> + The great Piazza del Campo is the market-place of Siena. In the morning it + was thronged with booths and stalls, especially of fruit and vegetable + dealers; but as in Florence, they melted away in the sunshine, gradually + withdrawing themselves into the shadow thrown from the Palazzo Publico. + </p> + <p> + On the side opposite the palace is an antique fountain of marble, + ornamented with two statues and a series of bas-reliefs; and it was so + much admired in its day that its sculptor received the name "Del Fonte." I + am loath to leave the piazza and palace without finding some word or two + to suggest their antique majesty, in the sunshine and the shadow; and how + fit it seemed, notwithstanding their venerableness, that there should be a + busy crowd filling up the great, hollow amphitheatre, and crying their + fruit and little merchandises, so that all the curved line of stately old + edifices helped to reverberate the noise. The life of to-day, within the + shell of a time past, is wonderfully fascinating. + </p> + <p> + Another point to which a stranger's footsteps are drawn by a kind of + magnetism, so that he will be apt to find himself there as often as he + strolls out of his hotel, is the cathedral. It stands in the highest part + of the city, and almost every street runs into some other street which + meanders hitherward. On our way thither, U—— and I came to a + beautiful front of black and white marble, in somewhat the same style as + the cathedral; in fact, it was the baptistery, and should have made a part + of it, according to the original design, which contemplated a structure of + vastly greater extent than this actual one. We entered the baptistery, and + found the interior small, but very rich in its clustered columns and + intersecting arches, and its frescos, pictures, statues, and ornaments. + Moreover, a father and mother had brought their baby to be baptized, and + the poor little thing, in its gay swaddling-clothes, looked just like what + I have seen in old pictures, and a good deal like an Indian pappoose. It + gave one little slender squeak when the priest put the water on its + forehead, and then was quiet again. + </p> + <p> + We now went round to the facade of the cathedral. . . . It is of black and + white marble, with, I believe, an intermixture of red and other colors; + but time has toned them down, so that white, black, and red do not + contrast so strongly with one another as they may have done five hundred + years ago. The architecture is generally of the pointed Gothic style, but + there are likewise carved arches over the doors and windows, and a variety + which does not produce the effect of confusion,—a magnificent + eccentricity, an exuberant imagination flowering out in stone. On high, in + the great peak of the front, and throwing its colored radiance into the + nave within, there is a round window of immense circumference, the painted + figures in which we can see dimly from the outside. But what I wish to + express, and never can, is the multitudinous richness of the ornamentation + of the front: the arches within arches, sculptured inch by inch, of the + deep doorways; the statues of saints, some making a hermitage of a niche, + others standing forth; the scores of busts, that look like faces of + ancient people gazing down out of the cathedral; the projecting shapes of + stone lions,—the thousand forms of Gothic fancy, which seemed to + soften the marble and express whatever it liked, and allow it to harden + again to last forever. But my description seems like knocking off the + noses of some of the busts, the fingers and toes of the statues, the + projecting points of the architecture, jumbling them all up together, and + flinging them down upon the page. This gives no idea of the truth, nor, + least of all, can it shadow forth that solemn whole, mightily combined out + of all these minute particulars, and sanctifying the entire space of + ground over which this cathedral-front flings its shadow, or on which it + reflects the sun. A majesty and a minuteness, neither interfering with the + other, each assisting the other; this is what I love in Gothic + architecture. We went in and walked about; but I mean to go again before + sketching the interior in my poor water-colors. + </p> + <p> + October 4th.—On looking again at the Palazzo Publico, I see that the + pillared portal which I have spoken of does not cover an entrance to the + palace, but is a chapel, with an altar, and frescos above it. Bouquets of + fresh flowers are on the altar, and a lamp burns, in all the daylight, + before the crucifix. The chapel is quite unenclosed, except by an openwork + balustrade of marble, on which the carving looks very ancient. Nothing + could be more convenient for the devotions of the crowd in the piazza, and + no doubt the daily prayers offered at the shrine might be numbered by the + thousand,—brief, but I hope earnest,—like those glimpses I + used to catch at the blue sky, revealing so much in an instant, while I + was toiling at Brook Farm. Another picturesque thing about the Palazzo + Publico is a great stone balcony quaintly wrought, about midway in the + front and high aloft, with two arched windows opening into it. + </p> + <p> + After another glimpse at the cathedral, too, I realize how utterly I have + failed in conveying the idea of its elaborate ornament, its twisted and + clustered pillars, and numberless devices of sculpture; nor did I mention + the venerable statues that stand all round the summit of the edifice, + relieved against the sky,—the highest of all being one of the + Saviour, on the topmost peak of the front; nor the tall tower that ascends + from one side of the building, and is built of layers of black and white + marble piled one upon another in regular succession; nor the dome that + swells upward close beside this tower. + </p> + <p> + Had the cathedral been constructed on the plan and dimensions at first + contemplated, it would have been incomparably majestic; the finished + portion, grand as it is, being only what was intended for a transept. One + of the walls of what was to have been the nave is still standing, and + looks like a ruin, though, I believe, it has been turned to account as the + wall of a palace, the space of the never-completed nave being now a court + or street. + </p> + <p> + The whole family of us were kindly taken out yesterday, to dine and spend + the day at the Villa Belvedere with our friends Mr. and Mrs. Story. The + vicinity of Siena is much more agreeable than that of Florence, being + cooler, breezier, with more foliage and shrubbery both near at hand and in + the distance; and the prospect, Mr. Story told us, embraces a diameter of + about a hundred miles between hills north and south. The Villa Belvedere + was built and owned by an Englishman now deceased, who has left it to his + butler, and its lawns and shrubbery have something English in their + character, and there was almost a dampness in the grass, which really + pleased me in this parched Italy. Within the house the walls are hung with + fine old-fashioned engravings from the pictures of Gainsborough, West, and + other English painters. The Englishman, though he had chosen to live and + die in Italy, had evidently brought his native tastes and peculiarities + along with him. Mr. Story thinks of buying this villa: I do not know but I + might be tempted to buy it myself if Siena were a practicable residence + for the entire year; but the winter here, with the bleak mountain-winds of + a hundred miles round about blustering against it, must be terribly + disagreeable. + </p> + <p> + We spent a very pleasant day, turning over books or talking on the lawn, + whence we could behold scenes picturesque afar, and rich vineyard glimpses + near at hand. Mr. Story is the most variously accomplished and brilliant + person, the fullest of social life and fire, whom I ever met; and without + seeming to make an effort, he kept us amused and entertained the whole day + long; not wearisomely entertained neither, as we should have been if he + had not let his fountain play naturally. Still, though he bubbled and + brimmed over with fun, he left the impression on me that . . . . there is + a pain and care, bred, it may be, out of the very richness of his gifts + and abundance of his outward prosperity. Rich, in the prime of life, . . . + . and children budding and blossoming around him as fairly as his heart + could wish, with sparkling talents,—so many, that if he choose to + neglect or fling away one, or two, or three, he would still have enough + left to shine with,—who should be happy if not he? . . . . + </p> + <p> + Towards sunset we all walked out into the podere, pausing a little while + to look down into a well that stands on the verge of the lawn. Within the + spacious circle of its stone curb was an abundant growth of maidenhair, + forming a perfect wreath of thickly clustering leaves quite round, and + trailing its tendrils downward to the water which gleamed beneath. It was + a very pretty sight. Mr. Story bent over the well and uttered deep, + musical tones, which were reverberated from the hollow depths with + wonderful effect, as if a spirit dwelt within there, and (unlike the + spirits that speak through mediums) sent him back responses even + profounder and more melodious than the tones that awakened them. Such a + responsive well as this might have been taken for an oracle in old days. + </p> + <p> + We went along paths that led from one vineyard to another, and which might + have led us for miles across the country. The grapes had been partly + gathered, but still there were many purple or white clusters hanging + heavily on the vines. We passed cottage doors, and saw groups of contadini + and contadine in their festal attire, and they saluted us graciously; but + it was observable that one of the men generally lingered on our track to + see that no grapes were stolen, for there were a good many young people + and children in our train, not only our own, but some from a neighboring + villa. These Italian peasants are a kindly race, but, I doubt, not very + hospitable of grape or fig. + </p> + <p> + There was a beautiful sunset, and by the time we reached the house again + the comet was already visible amid the unextinguished glow of daylight. A + Mr. and Mrs. B———, Scotch people from the next villa, + had come to see the Storys, and we sat till tea-time reading, talking, + William Story drawing caricatures for his children's amusement and ours, + and all of us sometimes getting up to look at the comet, which blazed + brighter and brighter till it went down into the mists of the horizon. + Among the caricatures was one of a Presidential candidate, evidently a man + of very malleable principles, and likely to succeed. + </p> + <p> + Late in the evening (too late for little Rosebud) we drove homeward. The + streets of old Siena looked very grim at night, and it seemed like gazing + into caverns to glimpse down some of the side streets as we passed, with a + light burning dimly at the end of them. It was after ten when we reached + home, and climbed up our gloomy staircase, lighted by the glimmer of some + wax moccoli which I had in my pocket. + </p> + <p> + October 5th.—I have been two or three times into the cathedral; . . + . . the whole interior is of marble, in alternate lines of black and + white, each layer being about eight inches in width and extending + horizontally. It looks very curiously, and might remind the spectator of a + stuff with horizontal stripes. Nevertheless, the effect is exceedingly + rich, these alternate lines stretching away along the walls and round the + clustered pillars, seen aloft, and through the arches; everywhere, this + inlay of black and white. Every sort of ornament that could be thought of + seems to have been crammed into the cathedral in one place or another: + gilding, frescos, pictures; a roof of blue, spangled with golden stars; a + magnificent wheel-window of old painted glass over the entrance, and + another at the opposite end of the cathedral; statues, some of marble, + others of gilded bronze; pulpits of carved marble; a gilded organ; a + cornice of marble busts of the popes, extending round the entire church; a + pavement, covered all over with a strange kind of mosaic work in various + marbles, wrought into marble pictures of sacred subjects; immense + clustered pillars supporting the round arches that divide the nave from + the side aisles; a clere-story of windows within pointed arches;—it + seemed as if the spectator were reading an antique volume written in + black-letter of a small character, but conveying a high and solemn + meaning. I can find no way of expressing its effect on me, so quaint and + venerable as I feel this cathedral to be in its immensity of striped + waistcoat, now dingy with five centuries of wear. I ought not to say + anything that might detract from the grandeur and sanctity of the blessed + edifice, for these attributes are really uninjured by any of the Gothic + oddities which I have hinted at. + </p> + <p> + We went this morning to the Institute of the Fine Arts, which is + interesting as containing a series of the works of the Sienese painters + from a date earlier than that of Cimabue. There is a dispute, I believe, + between Florence and Siena as to which city may claim the credit of having + originated the modern art of painting. The Florentines put forward Cimabue + as the first artist, but as the Sienese produce a picture, by Guido da + Siena, dated before the birth of Cimabue, the victory is decidedly with + them. As to pictorial merit, to my taste there is none in either of these + old painters, nor in any of their successors for a long time afterwards. + At the Institute there are several rooms hung with early productions of + the Sienese school, painted before the invention of oil-colors, on wood + shaped into Gothic altar-pieces. The backgrounds still retain a bedimmed + splendor of gilding. There is a plentiful use of red, and I can conceive + that the pictures must have shed an illumination through the churches + where they were displayed. There is often, too, a minute care bestowed on + the faces in the pictures, and sometimes a very strong expression, + stronger than modern artists get, and it is very strange how they attained + this merit while they were so inconceivably rude in other respects. It is + remarkable that all the early faces of the Madonna are especially stupid, + and all of the same type, a sort of face such as one might carve on a + pumpkin, representing a heavy, sulky, phlegmatic woman, with a long and + low arch of the nose. This same dull face continues to be assigned to the + Madonna, even when the countenances of the surrounding saints and angels + are characterized with power and beauty, so that I think there must have + been some portrait of this sacred personage reckoned authentic, which the + early painters followed and religiously repeated. + </p> + <p> + At last we came to a picture by Sodoma, the most illustrious + representative of the Sienese school. It was a fresco; Christ bound to the + pillar, after having been scourged. I do believe that painting has never + done anything better, so far as expression is concerned, than this figure. + In all these generations since it was painted it must have softened + thousands of hearts, drawn down rivers of tears, been more effectual than + a million of sermons. Really, it is a thing to stand and weep at. No other + painter has done anything that can deserve to be compared to this. + </p> + <p> + There are some other pictures by Sodoma, among them a Judith, very noble + and admirable, and full of a profound sorrow for the deed which she has + felt it her mission to do. + </p> + <p> + Aquila Nera, October 7th.—Our lodgings in Siena had been taken only + for five days, as they were already engaged after that period; so + yesterday we returned to our old quarters at the Black Eagle. + </p> + <p> + In the forenoon J——- and I went out of one of the gates (the + road from it leads to Florence) and had a pleasant country walk. Our way + wound downward, round the hill on which Siena stands, and gave us views of + the Duomo and its campanile, seemingly pretty near, after we had walked + long enough to be quite remote from them. Sitting awhile on the parapet of + a bridge, I saw a laborer chopping the branches off a poplar-tree which he + had felled; and, when it was trimmed, he took up the large trunk on one of + his shoulders and carried it off, seemingly with ease. He did not look + like a particularly robust man; but I have never seen such an herculean + feat attempted by an Englishman or American. It has frequently struck me + that the Italians are able to put forth a great deal of strength in such + insulated efforts as this; but I have been told that they are less capable + of continued endurance and hardship than our own race. I do not know why + it should be so, except that I presume their food is less strong than + ours. There was no other remarkable incident in our walk, which lay + chiefly through gorges of the hills, winding beneath high cliffs of the + brown Siena earth, with many pretty scenes of rural landscape; vineyards + everywhere, and olive-trees; a mill on its little stream, over which there + was an old stone bridge, with a graceful arch; farm-houses; a villa or + two; subterranean passages, passing from the roadside through the high + banks into the vineyards. At last we turned aside into a road which led us + pretty directly to another gate of the city, and climbed steeply upward + among tanneries, where the young men went about with their well-shaped + legs bare, their trousers being tucked up till they were strictly breeches + and nothing else. The campanile stood high above us; and by and by, and + very soon, indeed, the steep ascent of the street brought us into the + neighborhood of the Piazza del Campo, and of our own hotel. . . . From + about twelve o'clock till one, I sat at my chamber window watching the + specimens of human life as displayed in the Piazza Tolomei. [Here follow + several pages of moving objects.] . . . . Of course, a multitude of other + people passed by, but the curiousness of the catalogue is the prevalence + of the martial and religious elements. The general costume of the + inhabitants is frocks or sacks, loosely made, and rather shabby; often, + shirt-sleeves; or the coat hung over one shoulder. They wear felt hats and + straw. People of respectability seem to prefer cylinder hats, either black + or drab, and broadcloth frock-coats in the French fashion; but, like the + rest, they look a little shabby. Almost all the women wear shawls. Ladies + in swelling petticoats, and with fans, some of which are highly gilded, + appear. The people generally are not tall, but have a sufficient breadth + of shoulder; in complexion, similar to Americans; bearded, universally. + The vehicle used for driving is a little gig without a top; but these are + seldom seen, and still less frequently a cab or other carriages. The gait + of the people has not the energy of business or decided purpose. Everybody + appears to lounge, and to have time for a moment's chat, and a disposition + to rest, reason or none. + </p> + <p> + After dinner I walked out of another gate of the city, and wandered among + some pleasant country lanes, bordered with hedges, and wearing an English + aspect; at least, I could fancy so. The vicinity of Siena is delightful to + walk about in; there being a verdant outlook, a wide prospect of purple + mountains, though no such level valley as the Val d' Arno; and the city + stands so high that its towers and domes are seen more picturesquely from + many points than those of Florence can be. Neither is the pedestrian so + cruelly shut into narrow lanes, between high stone-walls, over which he + cannot get a glimpse of landscape. As I walked by the hedges yesterday I + could have fancied that the olive-trunks were those of apple-trees, and + that I was in one or other of the two lands that I love better than Italy. + But the great white villas and the farm-houses were unlike anything I have + seen elsewhere, or that I should wish to see again, though proper enough + to Italy. + </p> + <p> + October 9th.—Thursday forenoon, 8th, we went to see the Palazzo + Publico. There are some fine old halls and chapels, adorned with ancient + frescos and pictures, of which I remember a picture of the Virgin by + Sodoma, very beautiful, and other fine pictures by the same master. The + architecture of these old rooms is grand, the roofs being supported by + ponderous arches, which are covered with frescos, still magnificent, + though faded, darkened, and defaced. We likewise saw an antique casket of + wood, enriched with gilding, which had once contained an arm of John the + Baptist,—so the custode told us. One of the halls was hung with the + portraits of eight popes and nearly forty cardinals, who were natives of + Siena. I have done hardly any other sight-seeing except a daily visit to + the cathedral, which I admire and love the more the oftener I go thither. + Its striped peculiarity ceases entirely to interfere with the grandeur and + venerable beauty of its impression; and I am never weary of gazing through + the vista of its arches, and noting continually something that I had not + seen before in its exuberant adornment. The pavement alone is + inexhaustible, being covered all over with figures of life-size or larger, + which look like immense engravings of Gothic or Scriptural scenes. There + is Absalom hanging by his hair, and Joab slaying him with a spear. There + is Samson belaboring the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. There are + armed knights in the tumult of battle, all wrought with wonderful + expression. The figures are in white marble, inlaid with darker stone, and + the shading is effected by means of engraved lines in the marble, filled + in with black. It would be possible, perhaps, to print impressions from + some of these vast plates, for the process of cutting the lines was an + exact anticipation of the modern art of engraving. However, the same thing + was done—and I suppose at about the same period—on monumental + brasses, and I have seen impressions or rubbings from those for sale in + the old English churches. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday morning, in the cathedral, I watched a woman at confession, + being curious to see how long it would take her to tell her sins, the + growth of a week perhaps. I know not how long she had been confessing when + I first observed her, but nearly an hour passed before the priest came + suddenly from the confessional, looking weary and moist with perspiration, + and took his way out of the cathedral. The woman was left on her knees. + This morning I watched another woman, and she too was very long about it, + and I could see the face of the priest behind the curtain of the + confessional, scarcely inclining his ear to the perforated tin through + which the penitent communicated her outpourings. It must be very tedious to + listen, day after day, to the minute and commonplace iniquities of the + multitude of penitents, and it cannot be often that these are redeemed by + the treasure-trove of a great sin. When her confession was over the woman + came and sat down on the same bench with me, where her broad-brimmed straw + hat was lying. She seemed to be a country woman, with a simple, matronly + face, which was solemnized and softened with the comfort that she had + obtained by disburdening herself of the soil of worldly frailties and + receiving absolution. An old woman, who haunts the cathedral, whispered to + her, and she went and knelt down where a procession of priests were to + pass, and then the old lady begged a cruzia of me, and got a half-paul. It + almost invariably happens, in church or cathedral, that beggars address + their prayers to the heretic visitor, and probably with more unction than + to the Virgin or saints. However, I have nothing to say against the + sincerity of this people's devotion. They give all the proof of it that a + mere spectator can estimate. + </p> + <p> + Last evening we all went out to see the comet, which then reached its + climax of lustre. It was like a lofty plume of fire, and grew very + brilliant as the night darkened. + </p> + <p> + October 10th.—This morning, too, we went to the cathedral, and sat + long listening to the music of the organ and voices, and witnessing rites + and ceremonies which are far older than even the ancient edifice where + they were exhibited. A good many people were present, sitting, kneeling, + or walking about,—a freedom that contrasts very agreeably with the + grim formalities of English churches and our own meeting-houses. Many + persons were in their best attire; but others came in, with unabashed + simplicity, in their old garments of labor, sunburnt women from their toil + among the vines and olives. One old peasant I noticed with his withered + shanks in breeches and blue yarn stockings. The people of whatever class + are wonderfully tolerant of heretics, never manifesting any displeasure or + annoyance, though they must see that we are drawn thither by curiosity + alone, and merely pry while they pray. I heartily wish the priests were + better men, and that human nature, divinely influenced, could be depended + upon for a constant supply and succession of good and pure ministers, + their religion has so many admirable points. And then it is a sad pity + that this noble and beautiful cathedral should be a mere fossil shell, out + of which the life has died long ago. But for many a year yet to come the + tapers will burn before the high altar, the Host will be elevated, the + incense diffuse its fragrance, the confessionals be open to receive the + penitents. I saw a father entering with two little bits of boys, just big + enough to toddle along, holding his hand on either side. The father dipped + his fingers into the marble font of holy water,—which, on its + pedestals, was two or three times as high as those small Christians, + —and wetted a hand of each, and taught them how to cross themselves. + When they come to be men it will be impossible to convince those children + that there is no efficacy in holy water, without plucking up all religious + faith and sentiment by the roots. Generally, I suspect, when people throw + off the faith they were born in, the best soil of their hearts is apt to + cling to its roots. + </p> + <p> + Raised several feet above the pavement, against every clustered pillar + along the nave of the cathedral, is placed a statue of Gothic sculpture. + In various places are sitting statues of popes of Sienese nativity, all of + whom, I believe, have a hand raised in the act of blessing. Shrines and + chapels, set in grand, heavy frames of pillared architecture, stand all + along the aisles and transepts, and these seem in many instances to have + been built and enriched by noble families, whose arms are sculptured on + the pedestals of the pillars, sometimes with a cardinal's hat above to + denote the rank of one of its members. How much pride, love, and reverence + in the lapse of ages must have clung to the sharp points of all this + sculpture and architecture! The cathedral is a religion in itself, —something + worth dying for to those who have an hereditary interest in it. In the + pavement, yesterday, I noticed the gravestone of a person who fell six + centuries ago in the battle of Monte Aperto, and was buried here by public + decree as a meed of valor. + </p> + <p> + This afternoon I took a walk out of one of the city gates, and found the + country about Siena as beautiful in this direction as in all others. I + came to a little stream flowing over into a pebbly bed, and collecting + itself into pools, with a scanty rivulet between. Its glen was deep, and + was crossed by a bridge of several lofty and narrow arches like those of a + Roman aqueduct. It is a modern structure, however. Farther on, as I wound + round along the base of a hill which fell down upon the road by + precipitous cliffs of brown earth, I saw a gray, ruined wall on the + summit, surrounded with cypress-trees. This tree is very frequent about + Siena, and the scenery is made soft and beautiful by a variety of other + trees and shrubbery, without which these hills and gorges would have + scarcely a charm. The road was thronged with country people, mostly women + and children, who had been spending the feast-day in Siena; and parties of + boys were chasing one another through the fields, pretty much as boys do + in New England of a Sunday, but the Sienese lads had not the sense of + Sabbath-breaking like our boys. Sunday with these people is like any other + feast-day, and consecrated cheerful enjoyment. So much religious + observance, as regards outward forms, is diffused through the whole week + that they have no need to intensify the Sabbath except by making it + gladden the other days. + </p> + <p> + Returning through the same gate by which I had come out, I ascended into + the city by a long and steep street, which was paved with bricks set + edgewise. This pavement is common in many of the streets, which, being too + steep for horses and carriages, are meant only to sustain the lighter + tread of mules and asses. The more level streets are paved with broad, + smooth flag-stones, like those of Florence,—a fashion which I + heartily regret to change for the little penitential blocks of Rome. The + walls of Siena in their present state, and so far as I have seen them, are + chiefly brick; but there are intermingled fragments of ancient stone-work, + and I wonder why the latter does not prevail more largely. The Romans, + however,—and Siena had Roman characteristics,—always liked to + build of brick, a taste that has made their ruins (now that the marble + slabs are torn off) much less grand than they ought to have been. I am + grateful to the old Sienese for having used stone so largely in their + domestic architecture, and thereby rendered their city so grimly + picturesque, with its black palaces frowning upon one another from arched + windows, across narrow streets, to the height of six stories, like + opposite ranks of tall men looking sternly into one another's eyes. + </p> + <p> + October 11th.—Again I went to the cathedral this morning, and spent + an hour listening to the music and looking through the orderly intricacies + of the arches, where many vistas open away among the columns of the choir. + There are five clustered columns on each side of the nave; then under the + dome there are two more arches, not in a straight line, but forming the + segment of a circle; and beyond the circle of the dome there are four more + arches, extending to the extremity of the chancel. I should have said, + instead of "clustered columns" as above, that there are five arches along + the nave supported by columns. This cathedral has certainly bewitched me, + to write about it so much, effecting nothing with my pains. I should judge + the width of each arch to be about twenty feet, and the thickness of each + clustered pillar is eight; or ten more, and the length of the entire + building may be between two and three hundred feet; not very large, + certainly, but it makes an impression of grandeur independent of size. . . + . + </p> + <p> + I never shall succeed even in reminding myself of the venerable + magnificence of this minster, with its arches, its columns, its cornice of + popes' heads, its great wheel windows, its manifold ornament, all + combining in one vast effect, though many men have labored individually, + and through a long course of time, to produce this multifarious handiwork + and headwork. + </p> + <p> + I now took a walk out of the city. A road turned immediately to the left + as I emerged from the city, and soon proved to be a rustic lane leading + past several villas and farm-houses. It was a very pleasant walk, with + vineyards and olive-orchards on each side, and now and then glimpses of + the towers and sombre heaped-up palaces of Siena, and now a rural + seclusion again; for the hills rise and the valleys fall like the swell + and subsidence of the sea after a gale, so that Siena may be quite hidden + within a quarter of a mile of its wall, or may be visible, I doubt not, + twenty miles away. It is a fine old town, with every promise of health and + vigor in its atmosphere, and really, if I could take root anywhere, I know + not but it could as well be here as in another place. It would only be a + kind of despair, however, that would ever make me dream of finding a home + in Italy; a sense that I had lost my country through absence or + incongruity, and that earth is not an abiding-place. I wonder that we + Americans love our country at all, it having no limits and no oneness; and + when you try to make it a matter of the heart, everything falls away + except one's native State; neither can you seize hold of that unless you + tear it out of the Union, bleeding and quivering. Yet unquestionably, we + do stand by our national flag as stoutly as any people in the world, and I + myself have felt the heart throb at sight of it as sensibly as other men. + I think the singularity of our form of government contributes to give us a + kind of patriotism, by separating us from other nations more entirely. If + other nations had similar institutions,—if England, especially, were + a democracy,—we should as readily make ourselves at home in another + country as now in a new State. + </p> + <p> + October 12th.—And again we went to the cathedral this forenoon, and + the whole family, except myself, sketched portions of it. Even Rosebud + stood gravely sketching some of the inlaid figures of the pavement. As for + me, I can but try to preserve some memorial of this beautiful edifice in + ill-fitting words that never hit the mark. This morning visit was not my + final one, for I went again after dinner and walked quite round the whole + interior. I think I have not yet mentioned the rich carvings of the old + oaken seats round the choir, and the curious mosaic of lighter and darker + woods, by which figures and landscapes are skilfully represented on the + backs of some of the stalls. The process seems to be the same as the + inlaying and engraving of the pavement, the material in one case being + marble, in the other wood. The only other thing that I particularly + noticed was, that in the fonts of holy water at the front entrance, marble + fish are sculptured in the depths of the basin, and eels and shellfish + crawling round the brim. Have I spoken of the sumptuous carving of the + capitals of the columns? At any rate I have left a thousand beauties + without a word. Here I drop the subject. As I took my parting glance the + cathedral had a gleam of golden sunshine in its far depths, and it seemed + to widen and deepen itself, as if to convince me of my error in saying, + yesterday, that it is not very large. I wonder how I could say it. + </p> + <p> + After taking leave of the cathedral, I found my way out of another of the + city gates, and soon turned aside into a green lane. . . . Soon the lane + passed through a hamlet consisting of a few farm-houses, the shabbiest and + dreariest that can be conceived, ancient, and ugly, and dilapidated, with + iron-grated windows below, and heavy wooden shutters on the windows above,—high, + ruinous walls shutting in the courts, and ponderous gates, one of which + was off its hinges. The farm-yards were perfect pictures of disarray and + slovenly administration of home affairs. Only one of these houses had a + door opening on the road, and that was the meanest in the hamlet. A flight + of narrow stone stairs ascended from the threshold to the second story. + All these houses were specimens of a rude antiquity, built of brick and + stone, with the marks of arched doors and windows where a subsequent + generation had shut up the lights, or the accesses which the original + builders had opened. Humble as these dwellings are,—though large and + high compared with rural residences in other countries,—they may + very probably date back to the times when Siena was a warlike republic, + and when every house in its neighborhood had need to be a fortress. I + suppose, however, prowling banditti were the only enemies against whom a + defence would be attempted. What lives must now be lived there,—in + beastly ignorance, mental sluggishness, hard toil for little profit, + filth, and a horrible discomfort of fleas; for if the palaces of Italy are + overrun with these pests, what must the country hovels be! . . . . + </p> + <p> + We are now all ready for a start to-morrow. + </p> + <h3> + RADICOFANI. + </h3> + <p> + October 13th.—We arranged to begin our journey at six. . . . It was + a chill, lowering morning, and the rain blew a little in our faces before + we had gone far, but did not continue long. The country soon lost the + pleasant aspect which it wears immediately about Siena, and grew very + barren and dreary. Then it changed again for the better, the road leading + us through a fertility of vines and olives, after which the dreary and + barren hills came back again, and formed our prospect throughout most of + the day. We stopped for our dejeuner a la fourchette at a little old town + called San Quirico, which we entered through a ruined gateway, the town + being entirely surrounded by its ancient wall. This wall is far more + picturesque than that of Siena, being lofty and built of stone, with a + machicolation of arches running quite round its top, like a cornice. It + has little more than a single street, perhaps a quarter of a mile long, + narrow, paved with flag-stones in the Florentine fashion, and lined with + two rows of tall, rusty stone houses, without a gap between them from end + to end. The cafes were numerous in relation to the size of the town, and + there were two taverns,—our own, the Eagle, being doubtless the + best, and having three arched entrances in its front. Of these, the middle + one led to the guests' apartments, the one on the right to the barn, and + that on the left to the stable, so that, as is usual in Italian inns, the + whole establishment was under one roof. We were shown into a brick-paved + room on the first floor, adorned with a funny fresco of Aurora on the + ceiling, and with some colored prints, both religious and profane. . . . + </p> + <p> + As we drove into the town we noticed a Gothic church with two doors of + peculiar architecture, and while our dejeuner was being prepared we went + to see it. The interior had little that was remarkable, for it had been + repaired early in the last century, and spoilt of course; but an old + triptych is still hanging in a chapel beside the high altar. It is painted + on wood, and dates back beyond the invention of oil-painting, and + represents the Virgin and some saints and angels. Neither is the exterior + of the church particularly interesting, with the exception of the carving + and ornaments of two of the doors. Both of them have round arches, deep + and curiously wrought, and the pillars of one of the two are formed of a + peculiar knot or twine in stone-work, such as I cannot well describe, but + it is both ingenious and simple. These pillars rest on two nondescript + animals, which look as much like walruses as anything else. The pillars of + the other door consist of two figures supporting the capitals, and + themselves standing on two handsomely carved lions. The work is curious, + and evidently very ancient, and the material a red freestone. + </p> + <p> + After lunch, J——- and I took a walk out of the gate of the + town opposite to that of our entrance. There were no soldiers on guard, as + at city gates of more importance; nor do I think that there is really any + gate to shut, but the massive stone gateway still stands entire over the + empty arch. Looking back after we had passed through, I observed that the + lofty upper story is converted into a dove-cot, and that pumpkins were put + to ripen in some open chambers at one side. We passed near the base of a + tall, square tower, which is said to be of Roman origin. The little town + is in the midst of a barren region, but its immediate neighborhood is + fertile, and an olive-orchard, venerable of aspect, lay on the other side + of the pleasant lane with its English hedges, and olive-trees grew + likewise along the base of the city wall. The arched machicolations, which + I have before mentioned, were here and there interrupted by a house which + was built upon the old wall or incorporated into it; and from the windows + of one of then I saw ears of Indian corn hung out to ripen in the sun, and + somebody was winnowing grain at a little door that opened through the + wall. It was very pleasant to see the ancient warlike rampart thus + overcome with rustic peace. The ruined gateway is partly overgrown with + ivy. + </p> + <p> + Returning to our inn, along the street, we saw ——— + sketching one of the doors of the Gothic church, in the midst of a crowd + of the good people of San Quirico, who made no scruple to look over her + shoulder, pressing so closely as hardly to allow her elbow-room. I must + own that I was too cowardly to come forward and take my share of this + public notice, so I turned away to the inn and there awaited her coming. + Indeed, she has seldom attempted to sketch without finding herself the + nucleus of a throng. + </p> + <h3> + VITERBO. + </h3> + <p> + The Black Eagle, October 14th.—Perhaps I had something more to say + of San Quirico, but I shall merely add that there is a stately old palace + of the Piccolomini close to the church above described. It is built in the + style of the Roman palaces, and looked almost large enough to be one of + them. Nevertheless, the basement story, or part of it, seems to be used as + a barn and stable, for I saw a yoke of oxen in the entrance. I cannot but + mention a most wretched team of vettura-horses which stopped at the door + of our albergo: poor, lean, downcast creatures, with deep furrows between + their ribs; nothing but skin and bone, in short, and not even so much skin + as they should have had, for it was partially worn off from their backs. + The harness was fastened with ropes, the traces and reins were ropes; the + carriage was old and shabby, and out of this miserable equipage there + alighted an ancient gentleman and lady, whom our waiter affirmed to be the + Prefect of Florence and his wife. + </p> + <p> + We left San Quirico at two o'clock, and followed an ascending road till we + got into the region above the clouds; the landscape was very wide, but + very dreary and barren, and grew more and more so till we began to climb + the mountain of Radicofani, the peak of which had been blackening itself + on the horizon almost the whole day. When we had come into a pretty high + region we were assailed by a real mountain tempest of wind, rain, and + hail, which pelted down upon us in good earnest, and cooled the air a + little below comfort. As we toiled up the mountain its upper region + presented a very striking aspect, looking as if a precipice had been + smoothed and squared for the purpose of rendering the old castle on its + summit more inaccessible than it was by nature. This is the castle of the + robber-knight, Ghino di Tacco, whom Boccaccio introduces into the + Decameron. A freebooter of those days must have set a higher value on such + a rock as this than if it had been one mass of diamond, for no art of + mediaeval warfare could endanger him in such a fortress. Drawing yet + nearer, we found the hillside immediately above us strewn with thousands + upon thousands of great fragments of stone. It looked as if some great + ruin had taken place there, only it was too vast a ruin to have been the + dismemberment and dissolution of anything made by man. + </p> + <p> + We could now see the castle on the height pretty distinctly. It seemed to + impend over the precipice; and close to the base of the latter we saw the + street of a town on as strange and inconvenient a foundation as ever one + was built upon. I suppose the inhabitants of the village were dependants + of the old knight of the castle; his brotherhood of robbers, as they + married and had families, settled there under the shelter of the eagle's + nest. But the singularity is, how a community of people have contrived to + live and perpetuate themselves so far out of the reach of the world's + help, and seemingly with no means of assisting in the world's labor. I + cannot imagine how they employ themselves except in begging, and even that + branch of industry appears to be left to the old women and the children. + No house was ever built in this immediate neighborhood for any such + natural purpose as induces people to build them on other sites. Even our + hotel, at which we now arrived, could not be said to be a natural growth + of the soil; it had originally been a whim of one of the Grand Dukes of + Tuscany,—a hunting-palace,—intended for habitation only during + a few weeks of the year. Of all dreary hotels I ever alighted at, methinks + this is the most so; but on first arriving I merely followed the waiter to + look at our rooms, across stone-paved basement-halls dismal as Etruscan + tombs; up dim staircases, and along shivering corridors, all of stone, + stone, stone, nothing but cold stone. After glancing at these pleasant + accommodations, my wife and I, with J——-, set out to ascend + the hill and visit the town of Radicofani. + </p> + <p> + It is not more than a quarter of a mile above our hotel, and is accessible + by a good piece of road, though very steep. As we approached the town, we + were assailed by some little beggars; but this is the case all through + Italy, in city or solitude, and I think the mendicants of Radicofani are + fewer than its proportion. We had not got far towards the village, when, + looking back over the scene of many miles that lay stretched beneath us, + we saw a heavy shower apparently travelling straight towards us over hill + and dale. It seemed inevitable that it should soon be upon us, so I + persuaded my wife to return to the hotel; but J——- and I kept + onward, being determined to see Radicofani with or without a drenching. We + soon entered the street; the blackest, ugliest, rudest old street, I do + believe, that ever human life incrusted itself with. The first portion of + it is the overbrimming of the town in generations subsequent to that in + which it was surrounded by a wall; but after going a little way we came to + a high, square tower planted right across the way, with an arched gateway + in its basement story, so that it looked like a great short-legged giant + striding over the street of Radicofani. Within the gateway is the proper + and original town, though indeed the portion outside of the gate is as + densely populated, as ugly, and as ancient, as that within. + </p> + <p> + The street was very narrow, and paved with flag-stones not quite so smooth + as those of Florence; the houses are tall enough to be stately, if they + were not so inconceivably dingy and shabby; but, with their half-dozen + stories, they make only the impression of hovel piled upon hovel,—squalor + immortalized in undecaying stone. It was now getting far into the + twilight, and I could not distinguish the particularities of the little + town, except that there were shops, a cafe or two, and as many churches, + all dusky with age, crowded closely together, inconvenient stifled too in + spite of the breadth and freedom of the mountain atmosphere outside the + scanty precincts of the street. It was a death-in-life little place, a + fossilized place, and yet the street was thronged, and had all the bustle + of a city; even more noise than a city's street, because everybody in + Radicofani knows everybody, and probably gossips with everybody, being + everybody's blood relation, as they cannot fail to have become after they + and their forefathers have been shut up together within the narrow walls + for many hundred years. They looked round briskly at J——- and + me, but were courteous, as Italians always are, and made way for us to + pass through the throng, as we kept on still ascending the steep street. + It took us but a few minutes to reach the still steeper and winding + pathway which climbs towards the old castle. + </p> + <p> + After ascending above the village, the path, though still paved, becomes + very rough, as if the hoofs of Ghino di Tacco's robber cavalry had + displaced the stones and they had never been readjusted. On every side, + too, except where the path just finds space enough, there is an enormous + rubbish of huge stones, which seems to have fallen from the precipice + above, or else to have rained down out of the sky. We kept on, and by and + by reached what seemed to have been a lower outwork of the castle on the + top; there was the massive old arch of a gateway, and a great deal of ruin + of man's work, beside the large stones that here, as elsewhere, were + scattered so abundantly. Within the wall and gateway just mentioned, + however, there was a kind of farm-house, adapted, I suppose, out of the + old ruin, and I noticed some ears of Indian corn hanging out of a window. + There were also a few stacks of hay, but no signs of human or animal life; + and it is utterly inexplicable to me, where these products of the soil + could have come from, for certainly they never grew amid that barrenness. + </p> + <p> + We had not yet reached Ghino's castle, and, being now beneath it, we had + to bend our heads far backward to see it rising up against the clear sky + while we were now in twilight. The path upward looked terribly steep and + rough, and if we had climbed it we should probably have broken our necks + in descending again into the lower obscurity. We therefore stopped here, + much against J——-'s will, and went back as we came, still + wondering at the strange situation of Radicofani; for its aspect is as if + it had stepped off the top of the cliff and lodged at its base, though + still in danger of sliding farther down the hillside. Emerging from the + compact, grimy life of its street, we saw that the shower had swept by, or + probably had expended itself in a region beneath us, for we were above the + scope of many of the showery clouds that haunt a hill-country. There was a + very bright star visible, I remember, and we saw the new moon, now a third + towards the full, for the first time this evening. The air was cold and + bracing. + </p> + <p> + But I am excessively sleepy, so will not describe our great dreary hotel, + where a blast howled in an interminable corridor all night. It did not + seem to have anything to do with the wind out of doors, but to be a blast + that had been casually shut in when the doors were closed behind the last + Grand Duke who came hither and departed, and ever since it has been kept + prisoner, and makes a melancholy wail along the corridor. The dreamy + stupidity of this conceit proves how sleepy I am. + </p> + <h3> + SETTE VENE. + </h3> + <p> + October 15th.—We left Radicofani long before sunrise, and I saw that + ceremony take place from the coupe of the vettura for the first time in a + long while. A sunset is the better sight of the two. I have always + suspected it, and have been strengthened in the idea whenever I have had + an opportunity of comparison. Our departure from Radicofani was most + dreary, except that we were very glad to get away; but, the cold + discomfort of dressing in a chill bedroom by candlelight, and our + uncertain wandering through the immense hotel with a dim taper in search + of the breakfast-room, and our poor breakfast of eggs, Italian bread, and + coffee,—all these things made me wish that people were created with + roots like trees, so they could not befool themselves with wandering + about. However, we had not long been on our way before the morning air + blew away all our troubles, and we rumbled cheerfully onward, ready to + encounter even the papal custom-house officers at Ponte Centino. Our road + thither was a pretty steep descent. I remember the barren landscape of + hills, with here and there a lonely farm-house, which there seemed to be + no occasion for, where nothing grew. + </p> + <p> + At Ponte Centino my passport was examined, and I was invited into an + office where sat the papal custom-house officer, a thin, subtle-looking, + keen-eyed, sallow personage, of aspect very suitable to be the agent of a + government of priests. I communicated to him my wish to pass the + custom-house without giving the officers the trouble of examining my + luggage. He inquired whether I had any dutiable articles, and wrote for my + signature a declaration in the negative; and then he lifted a sand-box, + beneath which was a little heap of silver coins. On this delicate hint I + asked what was the usual fee, and was told that fifteen pauls was the + proper sum. I presume it was entirely an illegal charge, and that he had + no right to pass any luggage without examination; but the thing is winked + at by the authorities, and no money is better spent for the traveller's + convenience than these fifteen pauls. There was a papal military officer + in the room, and he, I believe, cheated me in the change of a Napoleon, as + his share of the spoil. At the door a soldier met me with my passport, and + looked as if he expected a fee for handing it to me; but in this he was + disappointed. After I had resumed my seat in the coupe, the porter of the + custom-house—a poor, sickly-looking creature, half dead with the + malaria of the place—appeared, and demanded a fee for doing nothing + to my luggage. He got three pauls, and looked but half contented. This + whole set of men seem to be as corrupt as official people can possibly be; + and yet I hardly know whether to stigmatize them as corrupt, because it is + not their individual delinquency, but the operation of a regular system. + Their superiors know what men they are, and calculate upon their getting a + living by just these means. And, indeed, the custom-house and passport + regulations, as they exist in Italy, would be intolerable if there were + not this facility of evading them at little cost. Such laws are good for + nothing but to be broken. + </p> + <p> + We now began to ascend again, and the country grew fertile and + picturesque. We passed many mules and donkeys, laden with a sort of deep + firkin on each side of the saddle, and these were heaped up with grapes, + both purple and white. We bought some, and got what we should have thought + an abundance at small price, only we used to get twice as many at Montanto + for the same money. However, a Roman paul bought us three or four pounds + even here. We still ascended, and came soon to the gateway of the town of + Acquapendente, which stands on a height that seems to descend by natural + terraces to the valley below. . . . + </p> + <p> + French soldiers, in their bluish-gray coats and scarlet trousers, were on + duty at the gate, and one of them took my passport and the vetturino's, + and we then drove into the town to wait till they should be vised. We saw + but one street, narrow, with tall, rusty, aged houses, built of stone, + evil smelling; in short, a kind of place that would be intolerably dismal + in cloudy England, and cannot be called cheerful even under the sun of + Italy. . . . Priests passed, and burly friars, one of whom was carrying a + wine-barrel on his head. Little carts, laden with firkins of grapes, and + donkeys with the same genial burden, brushed passed our vettura, finding + scarce room enough in the narrow street. All the idlers of Acquapendente—and + they were many—assembled to gaze at us, but not discourteously. + Indeed, I never saw an idle curiosity exercised in such a pleasant way as + by the country-people of Italy. It almost deserves to be called a kindly + interest and sympathy, instead of a hard and cold curiosity, like that of + our own people, and it is displayed with such simplicity that it is + evident no offence is intended. + </p> + <p> + By and by the vetturino brought his passport and my own, with the official + vise, and we kept on our way, still ascending, passing through vineyards + and olives, and meeting grape-laden donkeys, till we came to the town of + San Lorenzo Nuovo, a place built by Pius VI. as the refuge for the people + of a lower town which had been made uninhabitable by malaria. The new + town, which I suppose is hundreds of years old, with all its novelty shows + strikingly the difference between places that grow up and shape out their + streets of their own accord, as it were, and one that is built on a + settled plan of malice aforethought. This little rural village has gates + of classic architecture, a spacious piazza, and a great breadth of + straight and rectangular streets, with houses of uniform style, airy and + wholesome looking to a degree seldom seen on the Continent. Nevertheless, + I must say that the town looked hatefully dull and ridiculously prim, and, + of the two, I had rather spend my life in Radicofani. We drove through it, + from gate to gate, without stopping, and soon came to the brow of a hill, + whence we beheld, right beneath us, the beautiful lake of Bolsena; not + exactly at our feet, however, for a portion of level ground lay between, + haunted by the pestilence which has depopulated all these shores, and made + the lake and its neighborhood a solitude. It looked very beautiful, + nevertheless, with a sheen of a silver mid a gray like that of steel as + the wind blew and the sun shone over it; and, judging by my own feelings, + I should really have thought that the breeze from its surface was bracing + and healthy. + </p> + <p> + Descending the hill, we passed the ruins of the old town of San Lorenzo, + of which the prim village on the hill-top may be considered the daughter. + There is certainly no resemblance between parent and child, the former + being situated on a sort of precipitous bluff, where there could have been + no room for piazzas and spacious streets, nor accessibility except by + mules, donkeys, goats, and people of Alpine habits. There was an + ivy-covered tower on the top of the bluff, and some arched cavern mouths + that looked as if they opened into the great darkness. These were the + entrances to Etruscan tombs, for the town on top had been originally + Etruscan, and the inhabitants had buried themselves in the heart of the + precipitous bluffs after spending their lives on its summit. + </p> + <p> + Reaching the plain, we drove several miles along the shore of the lake, + and found the soil fertile and generally well cultivated, especially with + the vine, though there were tracks apparently too marshy to be put to any + agricultural purpose. We met now and then a flock of sheep, watched by + sallow-looking and spiritless men and boys, who, we took it for granted, + would soon perish of malaria, though, I presume, they never spend their + nights in the immediate vicinity of the lake. I should like to inquire + whether animals suffer from the bad qualities of the air. The lake is not + nearly so beautiful on a nearer view as it is from the hill above, there + being no rocky margin, nor bright, sandy beach, but everywhere this + interval of level ground, and often swampy marsh, betwixt the water and + the hill. At a considerable distance from the shore we saw two islands, + one of which is memorable as having been the scene of an empress's murder, + but I cannot stop to fill my journal with historical reminiscences. + </p> + <p> + We kept onward to the town of Bolsena, which stands nearly a mile from the + lake, and on a site higher than the level margin, yet not so much so, I + should apprehend, as to free it from danger of malaria. We stopped at an + albergo outside of the wall of the town, and before dinner had time to see + a good deal of the neighborhood. The first aspect of the town was very + striking, with a vista into its street through the open gateway, and high + above it an old, gray, square-built castle, with three towers visible at + the angles, one of them battlemented, one taller than the rest, and one + partially ruined. Outside of the town-gate there were some fragments of + Etruscan ruin, capitals of pillars and altars with inscriptions; these we + glanced at, and then made our entrance through the gate. + </p> + <p> + There it was again,—the same narrow, dirty, time-darkened street of + piled-up houses which we have so often seen; the same swarm of ill-to-do + people, grape-laden donkeys, little stands or shops of roasted chestnuts, + peaches, tomatoes, white and purple figs; the same evidence of a fertile + land, and grimy poverty in the midst of abundance which nature tries to + heap into their hands. It seems strange that they can never grasp it. + </p> + <p> + We had gone but a little way along this street, when we saw a narrow lane + that turned aside from it and went steeply upward. Its name was on the + corner,—the Via di Castello,—and as the castle promised to be + more interesting than anything else, we immediately began to ascend. The + street—a strange name for such an avenue—clambered upward in + the oddest fashion, passing under arches, scrambling up steps, so that it + was more like a long irregular pair of stairs than anything that + Christians call a street; and so large a part of it was under arches that + we scarcely seemed to be out of doors. At last U——, who was in + advance, emerged into the upper air, and cried out that we had ascended to + an upper town, and a larger one than that beneath. + </p> + <p> + It really seemed like coming up out of the earth into the midst of the + town, when we found ourselves so unexpectedly in upper Bolsena. We were in + a little nook, surrounded by old edifices, and called the Piazza del + Orologio, on account of a clock that was apparent somewhere. The castle + was close by, and from its platform there was a splendid view of the lake + and all the near hill-country. The castle itself is still in good + condition, and apparently as strong as ever it was as respects the + exterior walls; but within there seemed to be neither floor nor chamber, + nothing but the empty shell of the dateless old fortress. The stones at + the base and lower part of the building were so massive that I should + think the Etrurians must have laid them; and then perhaps the Romans built + a little higher, and the mediaeval people raised the battlements and + towers. But we did not look long at the castle, our attention being drawn + to the singular aspect of the town itself, which—to speak first of + its most prominent characteristic—is the very filthiest place, I do + believe, that was ever inhabited by man. Defilement was everywhere; in the + piazza, in nooks and corners, strewing the miserable lanes from side to + side, the refuse of every day, and of accumulated ages. I wonder whether + the ancient Romans were as dirty a people as we everywhere find those who + have succeeded them; for there seems to have been something in the places + that have been inhabited by Romans, or made famous in their history, and + in the monuments of every kind that they have raised, that puts people in + mind of their very earthliness, and incites them to defile therewith + whatever temple, column, ruined palace, or triumphal arch may fall in + their way. I think it must be an hereditary trait, probably weakened and + robbed of a little of its horror by the influence of milder ages; and I am + much afraid that Caesar trod narrower and fouler ways in his path to power + than those of modern Rome, or even of this disgusting town of Bolsena. I + cannot imagine anything worse than these, however. Rotten vegetables + thrown everywhere about, musty straw, standing puddles, running rivulets + of dissolved nastiness,—these matters were a relief amid viler + objects. The town was full of great black hogs wallowing before every + door, and they grunted at us with a kind of courtesy and affability as if + the town were theirs, and it was their part to be hospitable to strangers. + Many donkeys likewise accosted us with braying; children, growing more + uncleanly every day they lived, pestered us with begging; men stared + askance at us as they lounged in corners, and women endangered us with + slops which they were flinging from doorways into the street. No decent + words can describe, no admissible image can give an idea of this noisome + place. And yet, I remember, the donkeys came up the height loaded with + fruit, and with little flat-sided barrels of wine; the people had a good + atmosphere—except as they polluted it themselves—on their high + site, and there seemed to be no reason why they should not live a + beautiful and jolly life. + </p> + <p> + I did not mean to write such an ugly description as the above, but it is + well, once for all, to have attempted conveying an idea of what disgusts + the traveller, more or less, in all these Italian towns. Setting aside + this grand characteristic, the upper town of Bolsena is a most curious and + interesting place. It was originally an Etruscan city, the ancient + Volsinii, and when taken and destroyed by the Romans was said to contain + two thousand statues. Afterwards the Romans built a town upon the site, + including, I suppose, the space occupied by the lower city, which looks as + if it had brimmed over like Radicofani, and fallen from the precipitous + height occupied by the upper. The latter is a strange confusion of black + and ugly houses, piled massively out of the ruins of former ages, built + rudely and without plan, as a pauper would build his hovel, and yet with + here and there an arched gateway, a cornice, a pillar, that might have + adorned a palace. . . . The streets are the narrowest I have seen + anywhere,—of no more width, indeed, than may suffice for the passage + of a donkey with his panniers. They wind in and out in strange confusion, + and hardly look like streets at all, but, nevertheless, have names printed + on the corners, just as if they were stately avenues. After looking about + us awhile and drawing half-breaths so as to take in the less quantity of + gaseous pollution, we went back to the castle, and descended by a path + winding downward from it into the plain outside of the town-gate. + </p> + <p> + It was now dinner-time, . . . . and we had, in the first place, some fish + from the pestiferous lake; not, I am sorry to say, the famous stewed eels + which, Dante says, killed Pope Martin, but some trout. . . . By the by, + the meal was not dinner, but our midday colazione. After despatching it, + we again wandered forth and strolled round the outside of the lower town, + which, with the upper one, made as picturesque a combination as could be + desired. The old wall that surrounds the lower town has been appropriated, + long since, as the back wall of a range of houses; windows have been + pierced through it; upper chambers and loggie have been built upon it; so + that it looks something like a long row of rural dwellings with one + continuous front or back, constructed in a strange style of massive + strength, contrasting with the vines that here and there are trained over + it, and with the wreaths of yellow corn that hang from the windows. But + portions of the old battlements are interspersed with the line of homely + chambers and tiled house-tops. Within the wall the town is very compact, + and above its roofs rises a rock, the sheer, precipitous bluff on which + stands the upper town, whose foundations impend over the highest roof in + the lower. At one end is the old castle, with its towers rising above the + square battlemented mass of the main fortress; and if we had not seen the + dirt and squalor that dwells within this venerable outside, we should have + carried away a picture of gray, grim dignity, presented by a long past age + to the present one, to put its mean ways and modes to shame. ——— + sat diligently sketching, and children came about her, exceedingly + unfragrant, but very courteous and gentle, looking over her shoulders, and + expressing delight as they saw each familiar edifice take its place in the + sketch. They are a lovable people, these Italians, as I find from almost + all with whom we come in contact; they have great and little faults, and + no great virtues that I know of; but still are sweet, amiable, pleasant to + encounter, save when they beg, or when you have to bargain with them. + </p> + <p> + We left Bolsena and drove to Viterbo, passing the gate of the picturesque + town of Montefiascone, over the wall of which I saw spires and towers, and + the dome of a cathedral. I was sorry not to taste, in its own town, the + celebrated est, which was the death-draught of the jolly prelate. At + Viterbo, however, I called for some wine of Montefiascone, and had a + little straw-covered flask, which the waiter assured us was the genuine + est-wine. It was of golden color, and very delicate, somewhat resembling + still champagne, but finer, and requiring a calmer pause to appreciate its + subtle delight. Its good qualities, however, are so evanescent, that the + finer flavor became almost imperceptible before we finished the flask. + </p> + <p> + Viterbo is a large, disagreeable town, built at the foot of a mountain, + the peak of which is seen through the vista of some of the narrow streets. + </p> + <p> + There are more fountains in Viterbo than I have seen in any other city of + its size, and many of them of very good design. Around most of them there + were wine-hogsheads, waiting their turn to be cleansed and rinsed, before + receiving the wine of the present vintage. Passing a doorway, J——- + saw some men treading out the grapes in a great vat with their naked feet. + </p> + <p> + Among the beggars here, the loudest and most vociferous was a crippled + postilion, wearing his uniform jacket, green, faced with red; and he + seemed to consider himself entitled still to get his living from + travellers, as having been disabled in the way of his profession. I + recognized his claim, and was rewarded with a courteous and grateful bow + at our departure. . . . To beggars—after my much experience both in + England and Italy—I give very little, though I am not certain that + it would not often be real beneficence in the latter country. There being + little or no provision for poverty and age, the poor must often suffer. + Nothing can be more earnest than their entreaties for aid; nothing + seemingly more genuine than their gratitude when they receive it. + </p> + <p> + They return you the value of their alms in prayers, and say, "God will + accompany you." Many of them have a professional whine, and a certain + doleful twist of the neck and turn of the head, which hardens my heart + against them at once. A painter might find numerous models among them, if + canvas had not already been more than sufficiently covered with their + style of the picturesque. There is a certain brick-dust colored cloak worn + in Viterbo, not exclusively by beggars, which, when ragged enough, is + exceedingly artistic. + </p> + <h3> + ROME. + </h3> + <p> + 68 Piazza Poli, October 17th.—We left Viterbo on the 15th, and + proceeded, through Monterosi, to Sette Verse. There was nothing + interesting at Sette Verse, except an old Roman bridge, of a single arch, + which had kept its sweep, composed of one row of stones, unbroken for two + or more thousand years, and looked just as strong as ever, though gray + with age, and fringed with plants that found it hard to fix themselves in + its close crevices. + </p> + <p> + The next day we drove along the Cassian Way towards Rome. It was a most + delightful morning, a genial atmosphere; the more so, I suppose, because + this was the Campagna, the region of pestilence and death. I had a quiet, + gentle, comfortable pleasure, as if, after many wanderings, I was drawing + near Rome, for, now that I have known it once, Rome certainly does draw + into itself my heart, as I think even London, or even little Concord + itself, or old sleepy Salem, never did and never will. Besides, we are to + stay here six months, and we had now a house all prepared to receive us; + so that this present approach, in the noontide of a genial day, was most + unlike our first one, when we crept towards Rome through the wintry + midnight, benumbed with cold, ill, weary, and not knowing whither to + betake ourselves. Ah! that was a dismal tine! One thing, however, that + disturbed even my present equanimity a little was the necessity of meeting + the custom-house at the Porta del Popolo; but my past experience warranted + me in believing that even these ogres might be mollified by the magic + touch of a scudo; and so it proved. We should have escaped any examination + at all, the officer whispered me, if his superior had not happened to be + present; but, as the case stood, they took down only one trunk from the + top of the vettura, just lifted the lid, closed it again, and gave us + permission to proceed. So we came to 68 Piazza Poli, and found ourselves + at once at home, in such a comfortable, cosey little house, as I did not + think existed in Rome. + </p> + <p> + I ought to say a word about our vetturino, Constantino Bacci, an excellent + and most favorable specimen of his class; for his magnificent conduct, his + liberality, and all the good qualities that ought to be imperial, S——- + called him the Emperor. He took us to good hotels, and feasted us with the + best; he was kind to us all, and especially to little Rosebud, who used to + run by his side, with her small white hand in his great brown one; he was + cheerful in his deportment, and expressed his good spirits by the smack of + his whip, which is the barometer of a vetturino's inward weather; he drove + admirably, and would rumble up to the door of an albergo, and stop to a + hair's-breadth just where it was most convenient for us to alight; he + would hire postilions and horses, where other vetturini would take nothing + better than sluggish oxen, to help us up the hilly roads, so that + sometimes we had a team of seven; he did all that we could possibly + require of him, and was content and more, with a buon mono of five scudi, + in addition to the stipulated price. Finally, I think the tears had risen + almost to his eyelids when we parted with him. + </p> + <p> + Our friends, the Thompsons, through whose kindness we procured this house, + called to see us soon after our arrival. In the afternoon, I walked with + Rosebud to the Medici Gardens, and on our way thither, we espied our + former servant, Lalla, who flung so many and such bitter curses after us, + on our departure from Rome, sitting at her father's fruit-stall. Thank + God, they have not taken effect. After going to the Medici, we went to the + Pincian Gardens, and looked over into the Borghese grounds, which, + methought, were more beautiful than ever. The same was true of the sky, + and of every object beneath it; and as we came homeward along the Corso, I + wondered at the stateliness and palatial magnificence of that noble + street. Once, I remember, I thought it narrow, and far unworthy of its + fame. + </p> + <p> + In the way of costume, the men in goat-skin breeches, whom we met on the + Campagna, were very striking, and looked like Satyrs. + </p> + <p> + October 21st.—. . . . I have been twice to St. Peter's, and was + impressed more than at any former visit by a sense of breadth and + loftiness, and, as it were, a visionary splendor and magnificence. I also + went to the Museum of the Capitol; and the statues seemed to me more + beautiful than formerly, and I was not sensible of the cold despondency + with which I have so often viewed them. Yesterday we went to the Corsini + Palace, which we had not visited before. It stands in the Trastevere, in + the Longara, and is a stately palace, with a grand staircase, leading to + the first floor, where is situated the range of picture-rooms. There were + a good many fine pictures, but none of them have made a memorable + impression on my mind, except a portrait by Vandyke, of a man in + point-lace, very grand and very real. The room in which this picture hung + had many other portraits by Holbein, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, and other + famous painters, and was wonderfully rich in this department. In another, + there was a portrait of Pope Julius II., by Raphael, somewhat differing + from those at the Pitti and the Uffizi galleries in Florence, and those I + have seen in England and Paris; thinner, paler, perhaps older, more + severely intellectual, but at least, as high a work of art as those. + </p> + <p> + The palace has some handsome old furniture, and gilded chairs, covered + with leather cases, possibly relics of Queen Christina's time, who died + here. I know not but the most curious object was a curule chair of marble, + sculptured all out of one piece, and adorned with bas-reliefs. It is + supposed to be Etruscan. It has a circular back, sweeping round, so as to + afford sufficient rests for the elbows; and, sitting down in it, I + discovered that modern ingenuity has not made much real improvement on + this chair of three or four thousand years ago. But some chairs are easier + for the moment, yet soon betray you, and grow the more irksome. + </p> + <p> + We strolled along Longara, and found the piazza of St. Peter's full of + French soldiers at their drill. . . . We went quite round the interior of + the church, and perceiving the pavement loose and broken near the altar + where Guido's Archangel is placed, we picked up some bits of rosso antico + and gray marble, to be set in brooches, as relics. + </p> + <p> + We have the snuggest little set of apartments in Rome, seven rooms, + including an antechamber; and though the stairs are exceedingly narrow, + there is really a carpet on them,—a civilized comfort, of which the + proudest palaces in the Eternal City cannot boast. The stairs are very + steep, however, and I should not wonder if some of us broke our noses down + them. Narrowness of space within doors strikes us all rather ludicrously, + yet not unpleasantly, after being accustomed to the wastes and deserts of + the Montanto Villa. It is well thus to be put in training for the + over-snugness of our cottage in Concord. Our windows here look out on a + small and rather quiet piazza, with an immense palace on the left hand, + and a smaller yet statelier one on the right, and just round the corner of + the street, leading out of our piazza, is the Fountain of Trevi, of which + I can hear the plash in the evening, when other sounds are hushed. + </p> + <p> + Looking over what I have said of Sodoma's "Christ Bound," at Sierra, I see + that I have omitted to notice what seems to me one of its most striking + characteristics,—its loneliness. You feel as if the Saviour were + deserted, both in heaven and earth; the despair is in him which made him + say, "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Even in this extremity, however, + he is still Divine, and Sodoma almost seems to have reconciled the + impossibilities of combining an omnipresent divinity with a suffering and + outraged humanity. But this is one of the cases in which the spectator's + imagination completes what the artist merely hints at. + </p> + <p> + Mr. ———, the sculptor, called to see us, the other + evening, and quite paid Powers off for all his trenchant criticisms on his + brother artists. He will not allow Powers to be an artist at all, or to + know anything of the laws of art, although acknowledging him to be a great + bust-maker, and to have put together the Greek Slave and the Fisher-Boy + very ingeniously. The latter, however (he says), is copied from the + Apollino in the Tribune of the Uzi; and the former is made up of beauties + that had no reference to one another; and he affirms that Powers is ready + to sell, and has actually sold, the Greek Slave, limb by limb, + dismembering it by reversing the process of putting it together,—a + head to one purchaser, an arm or a foot to another, a hand to a third. + Powers knows nothing scientifically of the human frame, and only succeeds + in representing it as a natural bone-doctor succeeds in setting a + dislocated limb by a happy accident or special providence. (The + illustration was my own, and adopted by Mr. ———.) Yet + Mr. ——— seems to acknowledge that he did succeed. I + repeat these things only as another instance how invariably every sculptor + uses his chisel and mallet to smash and deface the marble-work of every + other. I never heard Powers speak of Mr. ———, but can + partly imagine what he would have said. + </p> + <p> + Mr. ——— spoke of Powers's disappointment about the + twenty-five-thousand-dollar appropriation from Congress, and said that he + was altogether to blame, inasmuch as he attempted to sell to the nation + for that sum a statue which, to Mr. ———'s certain + knowledge, he had already offered to private persons for a fifth part of + it. I have not implicit faith in Mr. ———'s veracity, and + doubt not Powers acted fairly in his own eyes. + </p> + <p> + October 23d.—I am afraid I have caught one of the colds which the + Roman air continually affected me with last winter; at any rate, a sirocco + has taken the life out of me, and I have no spirit to do anything. This + morning I took a walk, however, out of the Porta Maggiore, and looked at + the tomb of the baker Eurysaces, just outside of the gate,—a very + singular ruin covered with symbols of the man's trade in stone-work, and + with bas-reliefs along the cornice, representing people at work, making + bread. An inscription states that the ashes of his wife are likewise + reposited there, in a bread-basket. The mausoleum is perhaps twenty feet + long, in its largest extent, and of equal height; and if good bakers were + as scarce in ancient Rome as in the modern city, I do not wonder that they + were thought worthy of stately monuments. None of the modern ones deserve + any better tomb than a pile of their own sour loaves. + </p> + <p> + I walked onward a good distance beyond the gate alongside of the arches of + the Claudian aqueduct, which, in this portion of it, seems to have had + little repair, and to have needed little, since it was built. It looks + like a long procession, striding across the Campagna towards the city, and + entering the gate, over one of its arches, within the gate, I saw two or + three slender jets of water spurting from the crevices; this aqueduct + being still in use to bring the Acqua Felice into Rome. + </p> + <p> + Returning within the walls, I walked along their inner base, to the Church + of St. John Lateran, into which I went, and sat down to rest myself, being + languid and weary, and hot with the sun, though afraid to trust the + coolness of the shade. I hate the Roman atmosphere; indeed, all my + pleasure in getting back—all my home-feeling—has already + evaporated, and what now impresses me, as before, is the languor of Rome,—its + weary pavements, its little life, pressed down by a weight of death. + </p> + <p> + Quitting St. John Lateran, I went astray, as I do nine times out of ten in + these Roman intricacies, and at last, seeing the Coliseum in the vista of + a street, I betook myself thither to get a fresh start. Its round of + stones looked vast and dreary, but not particularly impressive. The + interior was quite deserted; except that a Roman, of respectable + appearance, was making a pilgrimage at the altars, kneeling and saying a + prayer at each one. + </p> + <p> + Outside of the Coliseum, a neat-looking little boy came and begged of me; + and I gave him a baiocco, rather because he seemed to need it so little + than for any other reason. I observed that he immediately afterwards went + and spoke to a well-dressed man, and supposed that the child was likewise + begging of him. I watched the little boy, however, and saw that, in two or + three other instances, after begging of other individuals, he still + returned to this well-dressed man; the fact being, no doubt, that the + latter was fishing for baiocci through the medium of his child,—throwing + the poor little fellow out as a bait, while he himself retained his + independent respectability. He had probably come out for a whole day's + sport; for, by and by, he went between the arches of the Coliseum, + followed by the child, and taking with him what looked like a bottle of + wine, wrapped in a handkerchief. + </p> + <p> + November 2d.—The weather lately would have suited one's ideal of an + English November, except that there have been no fogs; but of ugly, + hopeless clouds, chill, shivering winds, drizzle, and now and then pouring + rain, much more than enough. An English coal-fire, if we could see its + honest face within doors, would compensate for all the unamiableness of + the outside atmosphere; but we might ask for the sunshine of the New + Jerusalem, with as much hope of getting it. It is extremely + spirit-crushing, this remorseless gray, with its icy heart; and the more + to depress the whole family, U—— has taken what seems to be + the Roman fever, by sitting down in the Palace of the Caesars, while Mrs. + S——- sketched the ruins. . . . + </p> + <p> + [During four months of the illness of his daughter, Mr. Hawthorne wrote no + word of Journal.—ED.] + </p> + <p> + February 27th, 1859.—For many days past, there have been tokens of + the coming Carnival in the Corso and the adjacent streets; for example, in + the shops, by the display of masks of wire, pasteboard, silk, or cloth, + some of beautiful features, others hideous, fantastic, currish, asinine, + huge-nosed, or otherwise monstrous; some intended to cover the whole face, + others concealing only the upper part, also white dominos, or robes + bedizened with gold-lace and theatric splendors, displayed at the windows + of mercers or flaunting before the doors. Yesterday, U—— and I + came along the Corso, between one and two o'clock, after a walk, and found + all these symptoms of impending merriment multiplied and intensified; . . + . . rows of chairs, set out along the sidewalks, elevated a foot or two by + means of planks; great baskets, full of confetti, for sale in the nooks + and recesses of the streets; bouquets of all qualities and prices. The + Corso was becoming pretty well thronged with people; but, until two + o'clock, nobody dared to fling as much as a rosebud or a handful of + sugar-plums. There was a sort of holiday expression, however, on almost + everybody's face, such as I have not hitherto seen in Rome, or in any part + of Italy; a smile gleaming out, an aurora of mirth, which probably will + not be very exuberant in its noontide. The day was so sunny and bright + that it made this opening scene far more cheerful than any day of the last + year's carnival. As we threaded our way through the Corso, U—— + kept wishing she could plunge into the fun and uproar as J——- + would, and for my own part, though I pretended to take no interest in the + matter, I could have bandied confetti and nosegays as readily and as + riotously as any urchin there. But my black hat and grave talma would have + been too good a mark for the combatants, . . . . so we went home before a + shot was fired. . . . + </p> + <p> + March 7th.—I, as well as the rest of the family, have followed up + the Carnival pretty faithfully, and enjoyed it as well, or rather better + than could have been expected; principally in the street, as a more + looker-on,—which does not let one into the mystery of the fun,—and + twice from a balcony, where I threw confetti, and partly understood why + the young people like it so much. Certainly, there cannot well be a more + picturesque spectacle in human life, than that stately, palatial avenue of + the Corso, the more picturesque because so narrow, all hung with carpets + and Gobelin tapestry, and the whole palace-heights alive with faces; and + all the capacity of the street thronged with the most fantastic figures + that either the fancies of folks alive at this day are able to contrive, + or that live traditionally from year to year. . . . The Prince of Wales + has fought manfully through the Carnival with confetti and bouquets, and U—— + received several bouquets from him, on Saturday, as her carriage moved + along. + </p> + <p> + March 8th.—I went with U—— to Mr. Motley's balcony, in + the Corso, and saw the Carnival from it yesterday afternoon; but the + spectacle is strangely like a dream, in respect to the difficulty of + retaining it in the mind and solidifying it into a description. I enjoyed + it a good deal, and assisted in so far as to pelt all the people in + cylinder hats with handfuls of confetti. The scene opens with a long array + of cavalry, who ride through the Corso, preceded by a large band, playing + loudly on their brazen instruments. . . . There were some splendid + dresses, particularly contadina costumes of scarlet and gold, which seem + to be actually the festal attire of that class of people, and must needs + be so expensive that one must serve for a lifetime, if indeed it be not an + inheritance. . . . + </p> + <p> + March 9th.—I was, yesterday, an hour or so among the people on the + sidewalks of the Corso, just on the edges of the fun. They appeared to be + in a decorous, good-natured mood, neither entering into the merriment, nor + harshly repelling; and when groups of maskers overflowed among them, they + received their jokes in good part. Many women of the lower class were in + the crowd of bystanders; generally broad and sturdy figures, clad + evidently in their best attire, and wearing a good many ornaments; such as + gold or coral beads and necklaces, combs of silver or gold, heavy + ear-rings, curiously wrought brooches, perhaps cameos or mosaics, though I + think they prefer purely metallic work to these. One ornament very common + among them is a large bodkin, which they stick through their hair. It is + usually of silver, but sometimes it looks like steel, and is made in the + shape of a sword,—a long Spanish thrusting sword, for example. Dr. + Franco told us a story of a woman of Trastevere, who was addressed rudely + at the Carnival by a gentleman; she warned him to desist, but as he still + persisted, she drew the bodkin from her hair, and stabbed him to the + heart. + </p> + <p> + By and by I went to Mr. Motley's balcony, and looked down on the closing + scenes of the Carnival. Methought the merry-makers labored harder to be + mirthful, and yet were somewhat tired of their eight play-days; and their + dresses looked a little shabby, rumpled, and draggled; but the lack of + sunshine—which we have had on all the preceding days—may have + produced this effect. The wheels of some of the carriages were wreathed + round and spoked with green foliage, making a very pretty and fanciful + appearance, as did likewise the harnesses of the horses, which were + trimmed with roses. The pervading noise and uproar of human voices is one + of the most effective points of the matter; but the scene is quite + indescribable, and its effect not to be conceived without both witnessing + and taking part in it. If you merely look at it, it depresses you; if you + take even the slightest share in it, you become aware that it has a + fascination, and you no longer wonder that the young people, at least, + take such delight in plunging into this mad river of fun that goes roaring + between the narrow limits of the Corso. + </p> + <p> + As twilight came on, the moccoli commenced, and as it grew darker the + whole street twinkled with lights, which would have been innumerable if + every torch-bearer had not been surrounded by a host of enemies, who tried + to extinguish his poor little twinkle. It was a pity to lose so much + splendor as there might have been; but yet there was a kind of symbolism + in the thought that every one of those thousands of twinkling lights was + in charge of somebody, who was striving with all his might to keep it + alive. Not merely the street-way, but all the balconies and hundreds of + windows were lit up with these little torches; so that it seemed as if the + stars had crumbled into glittering fragments, and rained down upon the + Corso, some of them lodging upon the palace-fronts, some falling on the + ground. Besides this, there were gas-lights burning with a white flame; + but this illumination was not half so interesting as that of the torches, + which indicated human struggle. All this time there were myriad voices + shouting, "SENZA MOCCOLO!" and mingling into one long roar. We, in our + balcony, carried on a civil war against one another's torches, as is the + custom of human beings, within even the narrowest precincts; but after a + while we grew tired, and so did the crowd, apparently; for the lights + vanished, one after another, till the gas-lights—which at first were + an unimportant part of the illumination—shone quietly out, + overpowering the scattered twinkles of the moccoli. They were what the + fixed stars are to the transitory splendors of human life. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Motley tells me, that it was formerly the custom to have a mock + funeral of harlequin, who was supposed to die at the close of the + Carnival, during which he had reigned supreme, and all the people, or as + many as chose, bore torches at his burial. But this being considered an + indecorous mockery of Popish funereal customs, the present frolic of the + moccoli was instituted,—in some sort, growing out of it. + </p> + <p> + All last night, or as much of it as I was awake, there was a noise of song + and of late revellers in the streets; but to-day we have waked up in the + sad and sober season of Lent. + </p> + <p> + It is worthy of remark, that all the jollity of the Carnival is a genuine + ebullition of spirit, without the aid of wine or strong drink. + </p> + <p> + March 11th.—Yesterday we went to the Catacomb of St. Calixtus, the + entrance to which is alongside of the Appian Way, within sight of the tomb + of Cecilia Metella. We descended not a very great way under ground, by a + broad flight of stone steps, and, lighting some wax tapers, with which we + had provided ourselves, we followed the guide through a great many + intricate passages, which mostly were just wide enough for me to touch the + wall on each side, while keeping my elbows close to my body; and as to + height, they were from seven to ten feet, and sometimes a good deal higher + It was rather picturesque, when we saw the long line of our tapers, for + another large party had joined us, twinkling along the dark passage, and + it was interesting to think of the former inhabitants of these caverns. . + . . In one or two places there was the round mark in the stone or plaster, + where a bottle had been deposited. This was said to have been the token of + a martyr's burial-place, and to have contained his blood. After leaving + the Catacomb, we drove onward to Cecilia Metella's tomb, which we entered + and inspected. Within the immensely massive circular substance of the tomb + was a round, vacant space, and this interior vacancy was open at the top, + and had nothing but some fallen stones and a heap of earth at the bottom. + </p> + <p> + On our way home we entered the Church of "Domine, quo vadis," and looked + at the old fragment of the Appian Way, where our Saviour met St. Peter, + and left the impression of his feet in one of the Roman paving-stones. The + stone has been removed, and there is now only a fac-simile engraved in a + block of marble, occupying the place where Jesus stood. It is a great pity + they had not left the original stone; for then all its brother-stones in + the pavement would have seemed to confirm the truth of the legend. + </p> + <p> + While we were at dinner, a gentleman called and was shown into the parlor. + We supposed it to be Mr. May; but soon his voice grew familiar, and my + wife was sure it was General Pierce, so I left the table, and found it to + be really he. I was rejoiced to see him, though a little saddened to see + the marks of care and coming age, in many a whitening hair, and many a + furrow, and, still more, in something that seemed to have passed away out + of him, without leaving any trace. His voice, sometimes, sounded strange + and old, though generally it was what it used to be. He was evidently glad + to see me, glad to see my wife, glad to see the children, though there was + something melancholy in his tone, when he remarked what a stout boy J——- + had grown. Poor fellow! he has neither son nor daughter to keep his heart + warm. This morning I have been with him to St. Peter's, and elsewhere + about the city, and find him less changed than he seemed to be last night; + not at all changed in heart and affections. We talked freely about all + matters that came up; among the rest, about the project—recognizable + by many tokens—for bringing him again forward as a candidate for the + Presidency next year. He appears to be firmly resolved not again to + present himself to the country, and is content to let his one + administration stand, and to be judged by the public and posterity on the + merits of that. No doubt he is perfectly sincere; no doubt, too, he would + again be a candidate, if a pretty unanimous voice of the party should + demand it. I retain all my faith in his administrative faculty, and should + be glad, for his sake, to have it fully rccognized; but the probabilities, + as far as I can see, do not indicate for him another Presidential term. + </p> + <p> + March 15th.—This morning I went with my wife and Miss Hoar to Miss + Hosmer's studio, to see her statue of Zenobia. We found her in her + premises, springing about with a bird-like action. She has a lofty room, + with a skylight window; it was pretty well warmed with a stove, and there + was a small orange-tree in a pot, with the oranges growing on it, and two + or three flower-shrubs in bloom. She herself looked prettily, with her + jaunty little velvet cap on the side of her head, whence came clustering + out, her short brown curls; her face full of pleasant life and quick + expression; and though somewhat worn with thought and struggle, handsome + and spirited. She told us that "her wig was growing as gray as a rat." + </p> + <p> + There were but very few things in the room; two or three plaster busts, a + headless cast of a plaster statue, and a cast of the Minerva Medica, which + perhaps she had been studying as a help towards the design of her Zenobia; + for, at any rate, I seemed to discern a resemblance or analogy between the + two. Zenobia stood in the centre of the room, as yet unfinished in the + clay, but a very noble and remarkable statue indeed, full of dignity and + beauty. It is wonderful that so brisk a woman could have achieved a work + so quietly impressive; and there is something in Zenobia's air that + conveys the idea of music, uproar, and a great throng all about her; + whilst she walks in the midst of it, self-sustained, and kept in a sort of + sanctity by her native pride. The idea of motion is attained with great + success; you not only perceive that she is walking, but know at just what + tranquil pace she steps, amid the music of the triumph. The drapery is + very fine and full; she is decked with ornaments; but the chains of her + captivity hang from wrist to wrist; and her deportment—indicating a + soul so much above her misfortune, yet not insensible to the weight of it—makes + these chains a richer decoration than all her other jewels. I know not + whether there be some magic in the present imperfect finish of the statue, + or in the material of clay, as being a better medium of expression than + even marble; but certainly I have seldom been more impressed by a piece of + modern sculpture. Miss Hosmer showed us photographs of her Puck—which + I have seen in the marble—and likewise of the Will-o'-the-Wisp, both + very pretty and fanciful. It indicates much variety of power, that Zenobia + should be the sister of these, which would seem the more natural offspring + of her quick and vivid character. But Zenobia is a high, heroic ode. + </p> + <p> + . . . . On my way up the Via Babuino, I met General Pierce. We have taken + two or three walks together, and stray among the Roman ruins, and old + scenes of history, talking of matters in which he is personally concerned, + yet which are as historic as anything around us. He is singularly little + changed; the more I see him, the more I get him back, just such as he was + in our youth. This morning, his face, air, and smile were so wonderfully + like himself of old, that at least thirty years are annihilated. + </p> + <p> + Zenobia's manacles serve as bracelets; a very ingenious and suggestive + idea. + </p> + <p> + March 18th.—I went to the sculpture-gallery of the Capitol + yesterday, and saw, among other things, the Venus in her secret cabinet. + This was my second view of her: the first time, I greatly admired her; + now, she made no very favorable impression. There are twenty Venuses whom + I like as well, or better. On the whole, she is a heavy, clumsy, + unintellectual, and commonplace figure; at all events, not in good looks + to-day. Marble beauties seem to suffer the same occasional eclipses as + those of flesh and blood. We looked at the Faun, the Dying Gladiator, and + other famous sculptures; but nothing had a glory round it, perhaps because + the sirocco was blowing. These halls of the Capitol have always had a + dreary and depressing effect upon me, very different from those of the + Vatican. I know not why, except that the rooms of the Capitol have a + dingy, shabby, and neglected look, and that the statues are dusty, and all + the arrangements less magnificent than at the Vatican. The corroded and + discolored surfaces of the statues take away from the impression of + immortal youth, and turn Apollo [The Lycian Apollo] himself into an old + stone; unless at rare intervals, when he appears transfigured by a light + gleaming from within. + </p> + <p> + March 23d.—I am wearing away listlessly these last precious days of + my abode in Rome. U——'s illness is disheartening, and by + confining ———, it takes away the energy and enterprise + that were the spring of all our movements. I am weary of Rome, without + having seen and known it as I ought, and I shall be glad to get away from + it, though no doubt there will be many yearnings to return hereafter, and + many regrets that I did not make better use of the opportunities within my + grasp. Still, I have been in Rome long enough to be imbued with its + atmosphere, and this is the essential condition of knowing a place; for + such knowledge does not consist in having seen every particular object it + contains. In the state of mind in which I now stand towards Rome, there is + very little advantage to be gained by staying here longer. + </p> + <p> + And yet I had a pleasant stroll enough yesterday afternoon, all by myself, + from the Corso down past the Church of St. Andrea della Valle,— the + site where Caesar was murdered,—and thence to the Farnese Palace, + the noble court of which I entered; thence to the Piazza Cenci, where I + looked at one or two ugly old palaces, and fixed on one of them as the + residence of Beatrice's father; then past the Temple of Vesta, and + skirting along the Tiler, and beneath the Aventine, till I somewhat + unexpectedly came in sight of the gray pyramid of Caius Cestius. I went + out of the city gate, and leaned on the parapet that encloses the pyramid, + advancing its high, unbroken slope and peak, where the great blocks of + marble still fit almost as closely to one another as when they were first + laid; though, indeed, there are crevices just large enough for plants to + root themselves, and flaunt and trail over the face of this great tomb; + only a little verdure, however, over a vast space of marble, still white + in spots, but pervadingly turned gray by two thousand years' action of the + atmosphere. Thence I came home by the Caelian, and sat down on an ancient + flight of steps under one of the arches of the Coliseum, into which the + sunshine fell sidelong. It was a delightful afternoon, not precisely like + any weather that I have known elsewhere; certainly never in America, where + it is always too cold or too hot. It, resembles summer more than anything + which we New-Englanders recognize in our idea of spring, but there was an + indescribable something, sweet, fresh, gentle, that does not belong to + summer, and that thrilled and tickled my heart with a feeling partly + sensuous, partly spiritual. + </p> + <p> + I go to the Bank and read Galignani and the American newspapers; thence I + stroll to the Pincian or to the Medici Gardens; I see a good deal of + General Pierce, and we talk over his Presidential life, which, I now + really think, he has no latent desire nor purpose to renew. Yet he seems + to have enjoyed it while it lasted, and certainly he was in his element as + an administrative man; not far-seeing, not possessed of vast stores of + political wisdom in advance of his occasions, but endowed with a + miraculous intuition of what ought to be done just at the time for action. + His judgment of things about him is wonderful, and his Cabinet recognized + it as such; for though they were men of great ability, he was evidently + the master-mind among them. None of them were particularly his personal + friends when he selected them; they all loved him when they parted; and he + showed me a letter, signed by all, in which they expressed their feelings + of respect and attachment at the close of his administration. There was a + noble frankness on his part, that kept the atmosphere always clear among + them, and in reference to this characteristic Governor Marcy told him that + the years during which he had been connected with his Cabinet had been the + happiest of his life. Speaking of Caleb Cushing, he told me that the + unreliability, the fickleness, which is usually attributed to him, is an + actual characteristic, but that it is intellectual, not moral. He has such + comprehensiveness, such mental variety and activity, that, if left to + himself, he cannot keep fast hold of one view of things, and so cannot, + without external help, be a consistent man. He needs the influence of a + more single and stable judgment to keep him from divergency, and, on this + condition, he is a most inestimable coadjutor. As regards learning and + ability, he has no superior. + </p> + <p> + Pierce spoke the other day of the idea among some of his friends that his + life had been planned, from a very early period, with a view to the + station which he ultimately reached. He smiled at the notion, said that it + was inconsistent with his natural character, and that it implied foresight + and dexterity beyond what any mortal is endowed with. I think so too; but + nevertheless, I was long and long ago aware that he cherished a very high + ambition, and that, though he might not anticipate the highest things, he + cared very little about inferior objects. Then as to plans, I do not think + that he had any definite ones; but there was in him a subtle faculty, a + real instinct, that taught him what was good for him,—that is to + say, promotive of his political success,—and made him inevitably do + it. He had a magic touch, that arranged matters with a delicate potency, + which he himself hardly recognized; and he wrought through other minds so + that neither he nor they always knew when and how far they were under his + influence. Before his nomination for the Presidency I had a sense that it + was coming, and it never seemed to me an accident. He is a most singular + character; so frank, so true, so immediate, so subtle, so simple, so + complicated. + </p> + <p> + I passed by the tower in the Via Portoghese to-day, and observed that the + nearest shop appears to be for the sale of cotton or linen cloth. . . . + The upper window of the tower was half open; of course, like all or almost + all other Roman windows, it is divided vertically, and each half swings + back on hinges. . . . + </p> + <p> + Last week a fritter-establishment was opened in our piazza. It was a + wooden booth erected in the open square, and covered with canvas painted + red, which looked as if it had withstood much rain and sunshine. In front + were three great boughs of laurel, not so much for shade, I think, as + ornament. There were two men, and their apparatus for business was a sort + of stove, or charcoal furnace, and a frying-pan to place over it; they had + an armful or two of dry sticks, some flour, and I suppose oil, and this + seemed to be all. It was Friday, and Lent besides, and possibly there was + some other peculiar propriety in the consumption of fritters just then. At + all events, their fire burned merrily from morning till night, and pretty + late into the evening, and they had a fine run of custom; the commodity + being simply dough, cut into squares or rhomboids, and thrown into the + boiling oil, which quickly turned them to a light brown color. I sent J——- + to buy some, and, tasting one, it resembled an unspeakably bad doughnut, + without any sweetening. In fact, it was sour, for the Romans like their + bread, and all their preparations of flour, in a state of acetous + fermentation, which serves them instead of salt or other condiment. This + fritter-shop had grown up in a night, like Aladdin's palace, and vanished + as suddenly; for after standing through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, it + was gone on Monday morning, and a charcoal-strewn place on the pavement + where the furnace had been was the only memorial of it. It was curious to + observe how immediately it became a lounging-place for idle people, who + stood and talked all day with the fritter-friers, just as they might at + any old shop in the basement, of a palace, or between the half-buried + pillars of the Temple of Minerva, which had been familiar to them and + their remote grandfathers. + </p> + <p> + April 14th.—Yesterday afternoon I drove with Mr. and Mrs. Story and + Mr. Wilde to see a statue of Venus, which has just been discovered, + outside of the Porta Portese, on the other side of the Tiber. A little + distance beyond the gate we came to the entrance of a vineyard, with a + wheel-track through the midst of it; and, following this, we soon came to + a hillside, in which an excavation had been made with the purpose of + building a grotto for keeping and storing wine. They had dug down into + what seemed to be an ancient bathroom, or some structure of that kind, the + excavation being square and cellar-like, and built round with old + subterranean walls of brick and stone. Within this hollow space the statue + had been found, and it was now standing against one of the walls, covered + with a coarse cloth, or a canvas bag. This being removed, there appeared a + headless marble figure, earth-stained, of course, and with a slightly + corroded surface, but wonderfully delicate and beautiful, the shape, size, + and attitude, apparently, of the Venus de' Medici, but, as we all thought, + more beautiful than that. It is supposed to be the original, from which + the Venus de' Medici was copied. Both arms were broken off, but the + greater part of both, and nearly the whole of one hand, had been found, + and these being adjusted to the figure, they took the well-known position + before the bosom and the middle, as if the fragmentary woman retained her + instinct of modesty to the last. There were the marks on the bosom and + thigh where the fingers had touched; whereas in the Venus de' Medici, if I + remember rightly, the fingers are sculptured quite free of the person. The + man who showed the statue now lifted from a corner a round block of + marble, which had been lying there among other fragments, and this he + placed upon the shattered neck of the Venus; and behold, it was her head + and face, perfect, all but the nose! Even in spite of this mutilation, it + seemed immediately to light up and vivify the entire figure; and, whatever + I may heretofore have written about the countenance of the Venus de' + Medici, I here record my belief that that head has been wrongfully foisted + upon the statue; at all events, it is unspeakably inferior to this newly + discovered one. This face has a breadth and front which are strangely + deficient in the other. The eyes are well opened, most unlike the + buttonhole lids of the Venus de' Medici; the whole head is so much larger + as to entirely obviate the criticism that has always been made on the + diminutive head of the De' Medici statue. If it had but a nose! They ought + to sift every handful of earth that has been thrown out of the excavation, + for the nose and the missing hand and fingers must needs be there; and, if + they were found, the effect would be like the reappearance of a divinity + upon earth. Mutilated as we saw her, it was strangely interesting to be + present at the moment, as it were, when she had just risen from her long + burial, and was shedding the unquenchable lustre around her which no eye + had seen for twenty or more centuries. The earth still clung about her; + her beautiful lips were full of it, till Mr. Story took a thin chip of + wood and cleared it away from between them. + </p> + <p> + The proprietor of the vineyard stood by; a man with the most purple face + and hugest and reddest nose that I ever beheld in my life. It must have + taken innumerable hogsheads of his thin vintage to empurple his face in + this manner. He chuckled much over the statue, and, I suppose, counts upon + making his fortune by it. He is now awaiting a bid from the Papal + government, which, I believe, has the right of pre-emption whenever any + relics of ancient art are discovered. If the statue could but be smuggled + out of Italy, it might command almost any price. There is not, I think, + any name of a sculptor on the pedestal, as on that of the Venus de' + Medici. A dolphin is sculptured on the pillar against which she leans. The + statue is of Greek marble. It was first found about eight days ago, but + has been offered for inspection only a day or two, and already the + visitors come in throngs, and the beggars gather about the entrance of the + vineyard. A wine shop, too, seems to have been opened on the premises for + the accommodation of this great concourse, and we saw a row of German + artists sitting at a long table in the open air, each with a glass of thin + wine and something to eat before him; for the Germans refresh nature ten + times to other persons once. + </p> + <p> + How the whole world might be peopled with antique beauty if the Romans + would only dig! + </p> + <p> + April 19th.—General Pierce leaves Rome this morning for Venice, by + way of Ancona, and taking the steamer thence to Trieste. I had hoped to + make the journey along with him; but U——'s terrible illness + has made it necessary for us to continue here another mouth, and we are + thankful that this seems now to be the extent of our misfortune. Never + having had any trouble before that pierced into my very vitals, I did not + know what comfort there might be in the manly sympathy of a friend; but + Pierce has undergone so great a sorrow of his own, and has so large and + kindly a heart, and is so tender and so strong, that he really did the + good, and I shall always love him the better for the recollection of his + ministrations in these dark days. Thank God, the thing we dreaded did not + come to pass. + </p> + <p> + Pierce is wonderfully little changed. Indeed, now that he has won and + enjoyed—if there were any enjoyment in it—the highest success + that public life could give him, he seems more like what he was in his + early youth than at any subsequent period. He is evidently happier than I + have ever known him since our college days; satisfied with what he has + been, and with the position in the country that remains to him, after + filling such an office. Amid all his former successes,—early as they + came, and great as they were,—I always perceived that something + gnawed within him, and kept him forever restless and miserable. Nothing he + won was worth the winning, except as a step gained toward the summit. I + cannot tell how early he began to look towards the Presidency; but I + believe he would have died an unhappy man without it. And yet what + infinite chances there seemed to be against his attaining it! When I look + at it in one way, it strikes me as absolutely miraculous; in another, it + came like an event that I had all along expected. It was due to his + wonderful tact, which is of so subtle a character that he himself is but + partially sensible of it. + </p> + <p> + I have found in him, here in Rome, the whole of my early friend, and even + better than I used to know him; a heart as true and affectionate, a mind + much widened and deepened by his experience of life. We hold just the same + relation to each other as of yore, and we have passed all the turning-off + places, and may hope to go on together still the same dear friends as long + as we live. I do not love him one whit the less for having been President, + nor for having done me the greatest good in his power; a fact that speaks + eloquently in his favor, and perhaps says a little for myself. If he had + been merely a benefactor, perhaps I might not have borne it so well; but + each did his best for the other as friend for friend. + </p> + <p> + May 15th.—Yesterday afternoon we went to the Barberini + picture-gallery to take a farewell look at the Beatrice Cenci, which I + have twice visited before since our return from Florence. I attempted a + description of it at my first visit, more than a year ago, but the picture + is quite indescribable and unaccountable in its effect, for if you attempt + to analyze it you can never succeed in getting at the secret of its + fascination. Its peculiar expression eludes a straightforward glance, and + can only be caught by side glimpses, or when the eye falls upon it + casually, as it were, and without thinking to discover anything, as if the + picture had a life and consciousness of its own, and were resolved not to + betray its secret of grief or guilt, though it wears the full expression + of it when it imagines itself unseen. I think no other such magical effect + can ever have been wrought by pencil. I looked close into its eyes, with a + determination to see all that there was in them, and could see nothing + that might not have been in any young girl's eyes; and yet, a moment + afterwards, there was the expression—seen aside, and vanishing in a + moment—of a being unhumanized by some terrible fate, and gazing at + me out of a remote and inaccessible region, where she was frightened to be + alone, but where no sympathy could reach her. The mouth is beyond measure + touching; the lips apart, looking as innocent as a baby's after it has + been crying. The picture never can be copied. Guido himself could not have + done it over again. The copyists get all sorts of expression, gay, as well + as grievous; some copies have a coquettish air, a half-backward glance, + thrown alluring at the spectator, but nobody ever did catch, or ever will, + the vanishing charm of that sorrow. I hated to leave the picture, and yet + was glad when I had taken my last glimpse, because it so perplexed and + troubled me not to be able to get hold of its secret. + </p> + <p> + Thence we went to the Church of the Capuchins, and saw Guido's Archangel. + I have been several times to this church, but never saw the picture + before, though I am familiar with the mosaic copy at St. Peter's, and had + supposed the latter to be an equivalent representation of the original. It + is nearly or quite so as respects the general effect; but there is a + beauty in the archangel's face that immeasurably surpasses the copy,—the + expression of heavenly severity, and a degree of pain, trouble, or + disgust, at being brought in contact with sin, even for the purpose of + quelling and punishing it. There is something finical in the copy, which I + do not find in the original. The sandalled feet are here those of an + angel; in the mosaic they are those of a celestial coxcomb, treading + daintily, as if he were afraid they would be soiled by the touch of + Lucifer. + </p> + <p> + After looking at the Archangel we went down under the church, guided by a + fleshy monk, and saw the famous cemetery, where the dead monks of many + centuries back have been laid to sleep in sacred earth from Jerusalem. . . + . + </p> + <h3> + FRANCE. + </h3> + <p> + Hotel des Colonies, Marseilles, May 29th, Saturday.—Wednesday was + the day fixed for our departure from Rome, and after breakfast I walked to + the Pincian, and saw the garden and the city, and the Borghese grounds, + and St. Peter's in an earlier sunlight than ever before. Methought they + never looked so beautiful, nor the sky so bright and blue. I saw Soracte + on the horizon, and I looked at everything as if for the last time; nor do + I wish ever to see any of these objects again, though no place ever took + so strong a hold of my being as Rome, nor ever seemed so close to me and + so strangely familiar. I seem to know it better than my birthplace, and to + have known it longer; and though I have been very miserable there, and + languid with the effects of the atmosphere, and disgusted with a thousand + things in its daily life, still I cannot say I hate it, perhaps might + fairly own a love for it. But life being too short for such questionable + and troublesome enjoyments, I desire never to set eyes on it again. . . . + </p> + <p> + . . . . We traversed again that same weary and dreary tract of country + which we passed over in a winter afternoon and night on our first arrival + in Rome. It is as desolate a country as can well be imagined, but about + midway of our journey we came to the sea-shore, and kept very near it + during the rest of the way. The sight and fragrance of it were exceedingly + refreshing after so long an interval, and U—— revived visibly + as we rushed along, while J——- chuckled and contorted himself + with ineffable delight. + </p> + <p> + We reached Civita Vecchia in three or four hours, and were there subjected + to various troubles. . . . All the while Miss S——— and I + were bothering about the passport, the rest of the family sat in the sun + on the quay, with all kinds of bustle and confusion around them; a very + trying experience to U—— after the long seclusion and quiet of + her sick-chamber. But she did not seem to suffer from it, and we finally + reached the steamer in good condition and spirits. . . . + </p> + <p> + I slept wretchedly in my short and narrow berth, more especially as there + was an old gentleman who snored as if he were sounding a charge; it was + terribly hot too, and I rose before four o'clock, and was on deck amply in + time to watch the distant approach of sunrise. We arrived at Leghorn + pretty early, and might have gone ashore and spent the day. Indeed, we had + been recommended by Dr. Franco, and had fully purposed to spend a week or + ten days there, in expectation of benefit to U——'s health from + the sea air and sea bathing, because he thought her still too feeble to + make the whole voyage to Marseilles at a stretch. But she showed herself + so strong that we thought she would get as much good from our three days' + voyage as from the days by the sea-shore. Moreover, . . . . we all of us + still felt the languor of the Roman atmosphere, and dreaded the hubbub and + crazy confusion of landing at an Italian port. . . . So we lay in the + harbor all day without stirring from the steamer. . . . It would have been + pleasant, however, to have gone to Pisa, fifteen miles off, and seen the + leaning tower; but, for my part, I have arrived at that point where it is + somewhat pleasanter to sit quietly in any spot whatever than to see + whatever grandest or most beautiful thing. At least this was my mood in + the harbor of Leghorn. From the deck of the steamer there were many things + visible that might have been interesting to describe: the boats of + peculiar rig, and covered with awning; the crowded shipping; the + disembarkation of horses from the French cavalry, which were lowered from + steamers into gondolas or lighters, and hung motionless, like the sign of + the Golden Fleece, during the transit, only kicking a little when their + feet happened to graze the vessel's side. One horse plunged overboard, and + narrowly escaped drowning. There was likewise a disembarkation of French + soldiers in a train of boats, which rowed shoreward with sound of trumpet. + The French are concentrating a considerable number of troops at this + point. + </p> + <p> + Our steamer was detained by order of the French government to take on + board despatches; so that, instead of sailing at dusk, as is customary, we + lay in the harbor till seven of the next morning. A number of young + Sardinian officers, in green uniform, came on board, and a pale and + picturesque-looking Italian, and other worthies of less note,—English, + American, and of all races,—among them a Turk with a little boy in + Christian dress; also a Greek gentleman with his young bride. + </p> + <p> + At the appointed time we weighed anchor for Genoa, and had a beautiful day + on the Mediterranean, and for the first time in my life I saw the real + dark blue of the sea. I do not remember noticing it on my outward voyage + to Italy. It is the most beautiful hue that can be imagined, like a liquid + sky; and it retains its lustrous blue directly under the side of the ship, + where the water of the mid-Atlantic looks greenish. . . . We reached Genoa + at seven in the afternoon. . . . Genoa looks most picturesquely from the + sea, at the foot of a sheltering semicircle of lofty hills; and as we lay + in the harbor we saw, among other interesting objects, the great Doria + Palace, with its gardens, and the cathedral, and a heap and sweep of + stately edifices, with the mountains looking down upon he city, and + crowned with fortresses. The variety of hue in the houses, white, green, + pink, and orange, was very remarkable. It would have been well to go + ashore here for an hour or two and see the streets, —having already + seen the palaces, churches, and public buildings at our former visit,—and + buy a few specimens of Genoa goldsmiths' work; but I preferred the + steamer's deck, so the evening passed pleasantly away; the two lighthouses + at the entrance of the port kindled up their fires, and at nine o'clock + the evening gun thundered from the fortress, and was reverberated from the + heights. We sailed away at eleven, and I was roused from my first sleep by + the snortings and hissings of the vessel as she got under way. + </p> + <p> + At Genoa we took on board some more passengers, an English nobleman with + his lady being of the number. These were Lord and Lady J———, + and before the end of our voyage his lordship talked to me of a + translation of Tasso in which he is engaged, and a stanza or two of which + he repeated to me. I really liked the lines, and liked too the simplicity + and frankness with which he spoke of it to me a stranger, and the way be + seemed to separate his egotism from the idea which he evidently had that + he is going to make an excellent translation. I sincerely hope it may be + so. He began it without any idea of publishing it, or of ever bringing it + to a conclusion, but merely as a solace and occupation while in great + trouble during an illness of his wife, but he has gradually come to find + it the most absorbing occupation he ever undertook; and as Mr. Gladstone + and other high authorities give him warm encouragement, he now means to + translate the entire poem, and to publish it with beautiful illustrations, + and two years hence the world may expect to see it. I do not quite + perceive how such a man as this—a man of frank, warm, simple, kindly + nature, but surely not of a poetical temperament, or very refined, or + highly cultivated—should make a good version of Tasso's poems; but + perhaps the dead poet's soul may take possession of this healthy + organization, and wholly turn him to its own purposes. + </p> + <p> + The latter part of our voyage to-day lay close along the coast of France, + which was hilly and picturesque, and as we approached Marseilles was very + bold and striking. We steered among rocky islands, rising abruptly out of + the sea, mere naked crags, without a trace of verdure upon them, and with + the surf breaking at their feet. They were unusual specimens of what hills + would look like without the soil, that is to them what flesh is to a + skeleton. Their shapes were often wonderfully fine, and the great + headlands thrust themselves out, and took such lines of light and shade + that it seemed like sailing through a picture. In the course of the + afternoon a squall came up and blackened the sky all over in a twinkling; + our vessel pitched and tossed, and a brig a little way from us had her + sails blown about in wild fashion. The blue of the sea turned as black as + night, and soon the rain began to spatter down upon us, and continued to + sprinkle and drizzle a considerable time after the wind had subsided. It + was quite calm and pleasant when we entered the harbor of Marseilles, + which lies at the foot of very fair hills, and is set among great cliffs + of stone. I did not attend much to this, however, being in dread of the + difficulty of landing and passing through the custom-house with our twelve + or fourteen trunks and numberless carpet-bags. The trouble vanished into + thin air, nevertheless, as we approached it, for not a single trunk or bag + was opened, and, moreover, our luggage and ourselves were not only landed, + but the greater part of it conveyed to the railway without any expense. + Long live Louis Napoleon, say I. We established ourselves at the Hotel des + Colonies, and then Mss S———, J——-, and I + drove hither and thither about Marseilles, making arrangements for our + journey to Avignon, where we mean to go to-day. We might have avoided a + good deal of this annoyance; but travellers, like other people, are + continually getting their experience just a little too late. It was after + nine before we got back to the hotel and took our tea in peace. + </p> + <h3> + AVIGNON. + </h3> + <p> + Hotel de l'Europe, June 1st.—I remember nothing very special to + record about Marseilles; though it was really like passing from death into + life, to find ourselves in busy, cheerful, effervescing France, after + living so long between asleep and awake in sluggish Italy. Marseilles is a + very interesting and entertaining town, with its bold surrounding heights, + its wide streets,—so they seemed to us after the Roman alleys,—its + squares, shady with trees, its diversified population of sailors, + citizens, Orientals, and what not; but I have no spirit for description + any longer; being tired of seeing things, and still more of telling myself + about them. Only a young traveller can have patience to write his travels. + The newest things, nowadays, have a familiarity to my eyes; whereas in + their lost sense of novelty lies the charm and power of description. + </p> + <p> + On Monday (30th May), though it began with heavy rain, we set early about + our preparations for departure, . . . . and, at about three, we left the + Hotel des Colonies. It is a very comfortable hotel, though expensive. The + Restaurant connected with it occupies the enclosed court-yard and the + arcades around it; and it was a good amusement to look down from the + surrounding gallery, communicating with our apartments, and see the + fashion and manner of French eating, all the time going forward. In sunny + weather a great awning is spread over the whole court, across from the + upper stories of the house. There is a grass-plat in the middle, and a + very spacious and airy dining-saloon is thus formed. + </p> + <p> + Our railroad carriage was comfortable, and we found in it, besides two + other Frenchwomen, two nuns. They were very devout, and sedulously read + their little books of devotion, repeated prayers under their breath, + kissed the crucifixes which hung at their girdles, and told a string of + beads, which they passed from one to the other. So much were they occupied + with these duties, that they scarcely looked at the scenery along the + road, though, probably, it is very rare for them to see anything outside + of their convent walls. They never failed to mutter a prayer and kiss the + crucifix whenever we plunged into a tunnel. If they glanced at their + fellow-passengers, it was shyly and askance, with their lips in motion all + the time, like children afraid to let their eyes wander from their + lesson-book. One of them, however, took occasion to pull down R——-'s + dress, which, in her frisky movements about the carriage, had got out of + place, too high for the nun's sense of decorum. Neither of them was at all + pretty, nor was the black stuff dress and white muslin cap in the least + becoming, neither were their features of an intelligent or high-bred + stamp. Their manners, however, or such little glimpses as I could get of + them, were unexceptionable; and when I drew a curtain to protect one of + them from the sun, she made me a very courteous gesture of thanks. + </p> + <p> + We had some very good views both of sea and hills; and a part of our way + lay along the banks of the Rhone. . . . By the by, at the station at + Marseilles I bought the two volumes of the "Livre des Merveilles," by a + certain author of my acquaintance, translated into French, and printed and + illustrated in very pretty style. Miss S——— also bought + them, and, in answer to her inquiry for other works by the same author, + the bookseller observed that "she did not think Monsieur Nathaniel had + published anything else." The Christian name deems to be the most + important one in France, and still more especially in Italy. + </p> + <p> + We arrived at Avignon, Hotel de l'Europe, in the dusk of the evening. . . + . The lassitude of Rome still clings to us, and I, at least, feel no + spring of life or activity, whether at morn or eve. In the morning we + found ourselves very pleasantly situated as regards lodgings. The gallery + of our suite of rooms looks down as usual into an enclosed court, three + sides of which are formed by the stone house and its two wings, and the + third by a high wall, with a gateway of iron between two lofty stone + pillars, which, for their capitals, have great stone vases, with grass + growing in them, and hanging over the brim. There is a large plane-tree in + one corner of the court, and creeping plants clamber up trellises; and + there are pots of flowers and bird-cages, all of which give a very fresh + and cheerful aspect to the enclosure. The court is paved with small round + stones; the omnibus belonging to the hotel, and all the carriages of + guests drive into it; and the wide arch of the stable-door opens under the + central part of the house. Nevertheless, the scene is not in all respects + that of a stable-yard; for gentlemen and ladies come from the salle a + manger and other rooms, and stand talking in the court, or occupy chairs + and seats there; children play about; the hostess or her daughter often + appears and talks with her guests or servants; dogs lounge, and, in short, + the court might well enough be taken for the one scene of a classic play. + The hotel seems to be of the first class, though such would not be + indicated, either in England or America, by thus mixing up the stable with + the lodgings. I have taken two or three rambles about the town, and have + climbed a high rock which dominates over it, and gives a most extensive + view from the broad table-land of its summit. The old church of Avignon + —as old as the times of its popes, and older—stands close + beside this mighty and massive crag. We went into it, and found it a dark + old place, with broad, interior arches, and a singularly shaped dome; a + venerable Gothic and Grecian porch, with ancient frescos in its arched + spaces; some dusky pictures within; an ancient chair of stone, formerly + occupied by the popes, and much else that would have been exceedingly + interesting before I went to Rome. But Rome takes the charm out of an + inferior antiquity, as well as the life out of human beings. + </p> + <p> + This forenoon J——- and I have crossed the Rhone by a bridge, + just the other side of one of the city gates, which is near our hotel. We + walked along the riverside, and saw the ruins of an ancient bridge, which + ends abruptly in the midst of the stream; two or three arches still making + tremendous strides across, while the others have long ago been crumbled + away by the rush of the rapid river. The bridge was originally founded by + St. Benezet, who received a Divine order to undertake the work, while yet + a shepherd-boy, with only three sous in his pocket; and he proved the + authenticity of the mission by taking an immense stone on his shoulder, + and laying it for the foundation. There is still an ancient chapel midway + on the bridge, and I believe St. Benezet lies buried there, in the midst + of his dilapidated work. The bridge now used is considerably lower down + the stream. It is a wooden suspension-bridge, broader than the ancient + one, and doubtless more than supplies its place; else, unquestionably, St. + Benezet would think it necessary to repair his own. The view from the + inner side of this ruined structure, grass-grown and weedy, and leading to + such a precipitous plunge into the swift river, is very picturesque, in + connection with the gray town and above it, the great, massive bulk of the + cliff, the towers of the church, and of a vast old edifice, shapeless, + ugly, and venerable, which the popes built and occupied as their palace, + many centuries ago. . . . + </p> + <p> + After dinner we all set out on a walk, in the course of which we called at + a bookseller's shop to show U—— an enormous cat, which I had + already seen. It is of the Angora breed, of a mottled yellow color, and is + really a wonder; as big and broad as a tolerably sized dog, very soft and + silken, and apparently of the gentlest disposition. I never imagined the + like, nor felt anything so deeply soft as this great beast. Its master + seems very fond and proud of it; and, great favorite as the cat is, she + does not take airs upon herself, but is gently shy and timid in her + demonstrations. + </p> + <p> + We ascended the great Rocher above the palace of the popes, and on our way + looked into the old church, which was so dim in the decline of day that we + could not see within the dusky arches, through which the chapels + communicated with the nave. Thence we pursued our way up the farther + ascent, and, standing on the edge of the precipice,—protected by a + parapet of stone, and in other places by an iron railing,—we could + look down upon the road that winds its dusky track far below, and at the + river Rhone, which eddies close beside it. This is indeed a massive and + lofty cliff, and it tumbles down so precipitously that I could readily + have flung myself from the bank, and alighted on my head in the middle of + the river. The Rhone passes so near its base that I threw stones a good + way into its current. We talked with a man of Avignon, who leaned over the + parapet near by, and he was very kind in explaining the points of view, + and told us that the river, which winds and doubles upon itself so as to + look like at least two rivers, is really the Rhone alone. The Durance + joins with it within a few miles below Avignon, but is here invisible. + </p> + <p> + Hotel de l'Europe, June 2d.—This morning we went again to the Duomo + of the popes; and this time we allowed the custode, or sacristan, to show + us the curiosities of it. He led us into a chapel apart, and showed us the + old Gothic tomb of Pope John XXII., where the recumbent statue of the pope + lies beneath one of those beautiful and venerable canopies of stone which + look at once so light and so solemn. I know not how many hundred years old + it is, but everything of Gothic origin has a faculty of conveying the idea + of age; whereas classic forms seem to have nothing to do with time, and so + lose the kind of impressiveness that arises from suggestions of decay and + the past. + </p> + <p> + In the sacristy the guide opened a cupboard that contained the jewels and + sacred treasures of the church, and showed a most exquisite figure of + Christ in ivory, represented as on a cross of ebony; and it was executed + with wonderful truth and force of expression, and with great beauty + likewise. I do not see what a full-length marble statue could have had + that was lacking in this little ivory figure of hardly more than a foot + high. It is about two centuries old, by an unknown artist. There is + another famous ivory statuette in Avignon which seems to be more + celebrated than this, but can hardly be superior. I shall gladly look at + it if it comes in my way. + </p> + <p> + Next to this, the prettiest thing the man showed us was a circle of + emeralds, in one of the holy implements; and then he exhibited a little + bit or a pope's skull; also a great old crozier, that looked as if made + chiefly of silver, and partly gilt; but I saw where the plating of silver + was worn away, and betrayed the copper of its actual substance. There were + two or three pictures in the sacristy, by ancient and modern French + artists, very unlike the productions of the Italian masters, but not + without a beauty of their own. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the sacristy, we returned into the church, where U—— + and J——- began to draw the pope's old stone chair. There is a + beast, or perhaps more than one, grotesquely sculptured upon it; the seat + is high and square, the back low and pointed, and it offers no enticing + promise to a weary man. + </p> + <p> + The interior of the church is massively picturesque, with its vaulted + roof, and a stone gallery, heavily ornamented, running along each side of + the nave. Each arch of the nave gives admittance to a chapel, in all of + which there are pictures, and sculptures in most of them. One of these + chapels is of the time of Charlemagne, and has a vaulted roof of admirable + architecture, covered with frescos of modern date and little merit. In an + adjacent chapel is the stone monument of Pope Benedict, whose statue + reposes on it, like many which I have seen in the cathedral of York and + other old English churches. In another part we saw a monument, consisting + of a plain slab supported on pillars; it is said to be of a Roman or very + early Christian epoch. In another chapel was a figure of Christ in wax, I + believe, and clothed in real drapery; a very ugly object. Also, a figure + reposing under a slab, which strikes the spectator with the idea that it + is really a dead person enveloped in a shroud. There are windows of + painted glass in some of the chapels; and the gloom of the dimly lighted + interior, especially beneath the broad, low arches, is very impressive. + </p> + <p> + While we were there some women assembled at one of the altars, and went + through their acts of devotion without the help of a priest; one and + another of them alternately repeating prayers, to which the rest + responded. The murmur of their voices took a musical tone, which was + reverberated by the vaulted arches. + </p> + <p> + U—— and I now came out; and, under the porch, we found an old + woman selling rosaries, little religious books, and other holy things. We + bought two little medals of the Immaculate Virgin, one purporting to be of + silver, the other of gold; but as both together cost only two or three + sous, the genuineness of the material may well be doubted. We sat down on + the steps, of a crucifix which is placed in front of the church, and the + children began to draw the porch, of which I hardly know whether to call + the architecture classic or Gothic (as I said before); at all events it + has a venerable aspect, and there are frescos within its arches by Simone + Memmi. . . . The popes' palace is contiguous to the church, and just below + it, on the hillside. It is now occupied as barracks by some regiments of + soldiers, a number of whom were lounging before the entrance; but we + passed the sentinel without being challenged, and addressed ourselves to + the concierge, who readily assented to our request to be shown through the + edifice. A French gentleman and lady, likewise, came with similar purpose, + and went the rounds along with us. The palace is such a confused heap and + conglomeration of buildings, that it is impossible to get within any sort + of a regular description. It is a huge, shapeless mass of architecture; + and if it ever had any pretence to a plan, it has lost it in the modern + alterations. For instance, an immense and lofty chapel, or rather church, + has had two floors, one above the other, laid at different stages of its + height; and the upper one of these floors, which extends just where the + arches of the vaulted root begin to spring from the pillars, is ranged + round with the beds of one of the regiments of soldiers. They are small + iron bedsteads, each with its narrow mattress, and covered with a dark + blanket. On some of them lay or lounged a soldier; other soldiers were + cleaning their accoutrements; elsewhere we saw parties of them playing + cards. So it was wherever we went among those large, dingy, gloomy halls + and chambers, which, no doubt, were once stately and sumptuous, with + pictures, with tapestry, and all sorts of adornment that the Middle Ages + knew how to use. The windows threw a sombre light through embrasures at + least two feet thick. There were staircases of magnificent breadth. We + were shown into two small chapels, in different parts of the building, + both containing the remains of old frescos wofully defaced. In one of them + was a light, spiral staircase of iron, built in the centre of the room as + a means of contemplating the frescos, which were said to be the work of + our old friend Giotto. . . . Finally, we climbed a long, long, narrow + stair, built in the thickness of the wall, and thus gained access to the + top of one of the towers, whence we saw the noblest landscapes, mountains, + plains, and the Rhone, broad and bright, winding hither and thither, as if + it had lost its way. + </p> + <p> + Beneath our feet was the gray, ugly old palace, and its many courts, just + as void of system and as inconceivable as when we were burrowing through + its bewildering passages. No end of historical romances might be made out + of this castle of the popes; and there ought to be a ghost in every room, + and droves of them in some of the rooms; for there have been murders here + in the gross and in detail, as well hundreds of years ago, as no longer + back than the French Revolution, when there was a great massacre in one of + the courts. Traces of this bloody business were visible in actual stains + on the wall only a few years ago. + </p> + <p> + Returning to the room of the concierge, who, being a little stiff with + age, had sent an attendant round with us, instead of accompanying us in + person, he showed us a picture of Rienzi, the last of the Roman tribunes, + who was once a prisoner here. On a table, beneath the picture, stood a + little vase of earthenware containing some silver coin. We took it as a + hint, in the customary style of French elegance, that a fee should be + deposited here, instead of being put into the hand of the concierge; so + the French gentleman deposited half a franc, and I, in my magnificence, + twice as much. + </p> + <p> + Hotel de l'Europe, June 6th.—We are still here. . . . I have been + daily to the Rocher des Dons, and have grown familiar with the old church + on its declivity. I think I might become attached to it by seeing it + often. A sombre old interior, with its heavy arches, and its roof vaulted + like the top of a trunk; its stone gallery, with ponderous adornments, + running round three sides. I observe that it is a daily custom of the old + women to say their prayers in concert, sometimes making a pilgrimage, as + it were, from chapel to chapel. The voice of one of them is heard running + through the series of petitions, and at intervals the voices of the others + join and swell into a chorus, so that it is like a river connecting a + series of lakes; or, not to use so gigantic a simile, the one voice is + like a thread, on which the beads of a rosary are strung. + </p> + <p> + One day two priests came and sat down beside these prayerful women, and + joined in their petitions. I am inclined to hope that there is something + genuine in the devotion of these old women. + </p> + <p> + The view from the top of the Rocker des Dons (a contraction of Dominis) + grows upon me, and is truly magnificent; a vast mountain-girdled plain, + illuminated by the far windings and reaches of the Rhone. The river is + here almost as turbid as the Tiber itself; but, I remember, in the upper + part of its course the waters are beautifully transparent. A powerful rush + is indicated by the swirls and eddies of its broad surface. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday was a race day at Avignon, and apparently almost the whole + population and a great many strangers streamed out of the city gate + nearest our hotel, on their way to the race-course. There were many + noticeable figures that might come well into a French picture or + description; but only one remains in my memory,—a young man with a + wooden leg, setting off for the course—a walk of several miles, I + believe—with prodigious courage and alacrity, flourishing his wooden + leg with an air and grace that seemed to render it positively flexible. + The crowd returned towards sunset, and almost all night long, the streets + and the whole air of the old town were full of song and merriment. There + was a ball in a temporary structure, covered with an awning, in the Place + d'Horloge, and a showman has erected his tent and spread forth his great + painted canvases, announcing an anaconda and a sea-tiger to be seen. J——- + paid four sous for admittance, and found that the sea-tiger was nothing + but a large seal, and the anaconda altogether a myth. + </p> + <p> + I have rambled a good deal about the town. Its streets are crooked and + perplexing, and paved with round pebbles for the most part, which afford + more uncomfortable pedestrianism than the pavement of Rome itself. It is + an ancient-looking place, with some large old mansions, but few that are + individually impressive; though here and there one sees an antique + entrance, a corner tower, or other bit of antiquity, that throws a + venerable effect over the gray commonplace of past centuries. The town is + not overclean, and often there is a kennel of unhappy odor. There appear + to have been many more churches and devotional establishments under the + ancient dominion of the popes than have been kept intact in subsequent + ages; the tower and facade of a church, for instance, form the front of a + carpenter's shop, or some such plebeian place. The church where Laura lay + has quite disappeared, and her tomb along with it. The town reminds me of + Chester, though it does not in the least resemble it, and is not nearly so + picturesque. Like Chester, it is entirely surrounded by a wall; and that + of Avignon—though it has no delightful promenade on its top, as the + wall of Chester has—is the more perfectly preserved in its mediaeval + form, and the more picturesque of the two. J——- and I have + once or twice walked nearly round it, commencing from the gate of Ouelle, + which is very near our hotel. From this point it stretches for a + considerable distance along by the river, and here there is a broad + promenade, with trees, and blocks of stone for seats; on one side "the + arrowy Rhone," generally carrying a cooling breeze along with it; on the + other, the gray wall, with its battlements and machicolations, impending + over what was once the moat, but which is now full of careless and + untrained shrubbery. At intervals there are round towers swelling out from + the wall, and rising a little above it. After about half a mile along the + river-side the wall turns at nearly right angles, and still there is a + wide road, a shaded walk, a boulevard; and at short distances are cafes, + with their little round tables before the door, or small shady nooks of + shrubbery. So numerous are these retreats and pleasaunces that I do not + see how the little old town can support them all, especially as there are + a great many cafes within the walls. I do not remember seeing any soldiers + on guard at the numerous city gates, but there is an office in the side of + each gate for levying the octroi, and old women are sometimes on guard + there. + </p> + <p> + This morning, after breakfast, J——- and I crossed the + suspension-bridge close by the gate nearest our hotel, and walked to the + ancient town of Villeneuve, on the other side of the Rhone. The first + bridge leads to an island, from the farther side of which another very + long one, with a timber foundation, accomplishes the passage of the other + branch of the Rhone. There was a good breeze on the river, but after + crossing it we found the rest of the walk excessively hot. This town of + Villeneuve is of very ancient origin, and owes its existence, it is said, + to the famous holiness of a female saint, which gathered round her abode + and burial-place a great many habitations of people who reverenced her. + She was the daughter of the King of Saragossa, and I presume she chose + this site because it was so rocky and desolate. Afterwards it had a long + mediaeval history; and in the time of the Avignon popes, the cardinals, + regretful of their abandoned Roman villas, built pleasure-houses here, so + that the town was called Villa Nueva. After they had done their best, it + must have seemed to these poor cardinals but a rude and sad exchange for + the Borghese, the Albani, the Pamfili Doria, and those other perfectest + results of man's luxurious art. And probably the tradition of the Roman + villas had really been kept alive, and extant examples of them all the way + downward from the times of the empire. But this Villeneuve is the + stoniest, roughest town that can be imagined. There are a few large old + houses, to be sure, but built on a line with shabby village dwellings and + barns, and so presenting little but samples of magnificent shabbiness. + Perhaps I might have found traces of old splendor if I had sought for + them; but, not having the history of the place in my mind, I passed + through its scrambling streets without imagining that Princes of the + Church had once made their abode here. The inhabitants now are peasants, + or chiefly such; though, for aught I know, some of the French noblesse may + burrow in these palaces that look so like hovels. + </p> + <p> + A large church, with a massive tower, stands near the centre of the town; + and, of course, I did not fail to enter its arched door,—a pointed + arch, with many frames and mouldings, one within another. An old woman was + at her devotions, and several others came in and knelt during my stay + there. It was quite an interesting interior; a long nave, with six pointed + arches on each side, beneath which were as many chapels. The walls were + rich with pictures, not only in the chapels, but up and down the nave, + above the arches. There were gilded virgins, too, and much other quaint + device that produced an effect that I rather liked than otherwise. At the + end of the church, farthest from the high altar, there were four columns + of exceedingly rich marble, and a good deal more of such precious material + was wrought into the chapels and altars. There was an old stone seat, + also, of some former pope or prelate. The church was dim enough to cause + the lamps in the shrines to become points of vivid light, and, looking + from end to end, it was a long, venerable, tarnished, Old World vista, not + at all tampered with by modern taste. + </p> + <p> + We now went on our way through the village, and, emerging from a gate, + went clambering towards the castle of St. Andre, which stands, perhaps, a + quarter of a mile beyond it. This castle was built by Philip le Bel, as a + restraint to the people of Avignon in extending their power on this side + of the Rhone. We happened not to take the most direct way, and so + approached the castle on the farther side and were obliged to go nearly + round the hill on which it stands, before striking into the path which + leads to its gate. It crowns a very bold and difficult hill, directly + above the Rhone, opposite to Avignon,—which is so far off that + objects are not minutely distinguishable,—and looking down upon the + long, straggling town of Villeneuve. It must have been a place of mighty + strength, in its day. Its ramparts seem still almost entire, as looked + upon from without, and when, at length, we climbed the rough, rocky + pathway to the entrance, we found the two vast round towers, with their + battlemented summits and arched gateway between them, just as perfect as + they could have been five hundred or more years ago. Some external + defences are now, however, in a state of ruin; and there are only the + remains of a tower, that once arose between the two round towers, and was + apparently much more elevated than they. A little in front of the gate was + a monumental cross of stone; and in the arch, between the two round + towers, were two little boys at play; and an old woman soon showed + herself, but took no notice of us. Casting our eyes within the gateway, we + saw what looked a rough village street, betwixt old houses built + ponderously of stone, but having far more the aspect of huts than of + castle-hails. They were evidently the dwellings of peasantry, and people + engaged in rustic labor; and no doubt they have burrowed into the + primitive structures of the castle, and, as they found convenient, have + taken their crumbling materials to build barns and farm-houses. There was + space and accommodation for a very considerable population; but the men + were probably at work in the fields, and the only persons visible were the + children aforesaid, and one or two old women bearing bundles of twigs on + their backs. They showed no curiosity respecting us, and though the wide + space included within the castle-rampart seemed almost full of habitations + ruinous or otherwise, I never found such a solitude in any ruin before. It + contrasts very favorably in this particular with English castles, where, + though you do not find rustic villages within the warlike enclosure, there + is always a padlocked gate, always a guide, and generally half a dozen + idle tourists. But here was only antiquity, with merely the natural growth + of fungous human life upon it. + </p> + <p> + We went to the end of the castle court and sat down, for lack of other + shade, among some inhospitable nettles that grew close to the wall. Close + by us was a great gap in the ramparts,—it may have been a breach + which was once stormed through; and it now afforded us an airy and sunny + glimpse of distant hills. . . . J——- sketched part of the + broken wall, which, by the by, did not seem to me nearly so thick as the + walls of English castles. Then we returned through the gate, and I + stopped, rather impatiently, under the hot sun, while J——- + drew the outline of the two round towers. This done, we resumed our way + homeward, after drinking from a very deep well close by the square tower + of Philip le Bel. Thence we went melting through the sunshine, which beat + upward as pitilessly from the white road as it blazed downwards from the + sky. . . . + </p> + <h3> + GENEVA. + </h3> + <p> + Hotel d'Angleterre, June 11th.—We left Avignon on Tuesday, 7th, and + took the rail to Valence, where we arrived between four and five, and put + up at the Hotel de la Poste, an ancient house, with dirty floors and dirt + generally, but otherwise comfortable enough. . . . Valence is a stately + old town, full of tall houses and irregular streets. We found a cathedral + there, not very large, but with a high and venerable interior, a nave + supported by tall pillars, from the height of which spring arches. This + loftiness is characteristic of French churches, as distinguished from + those of Italy. . . . We likewise saw, close by the cathedral, a large + monument with four arched entrances meeting beneath a vaulted roof; but, + on inquiry of an old priest and other persons, we could get no account of + it, except that it was a tomb, and of unknown antiquity. The architecture + seemed classic, and yet it had some Gothic peculiarities, and it was a + reverend and beautiful object. Had I written up my journal while the town + was fresh in my remembrance, I might have found much to describe; but a + succession of other objects have obliterated most of the impressions I + have received here. Our railway ride to Valence was intolerably hot. I + have felt nothing like it since leaving America, and that is so long ago + that the terrible discomfort was just as good as new. . . . + </p> + <p> + We left Valence at four, and came that afternoon to Lyons, still along the + Rhone. Either the waters of this river assume a transparency in winter + which they lose in summer, or I was mistaken in thinking them transparent + on our former journey. They are now turbid; but the hue does not suggest + the idea of a running mud-puddle, as the water of the Tiber does. No + streams, however, are so beautiful in the quality of their waters as the + clear, brown rivers of New England. The scenery along this part of the + Rhone, as we have found all the way from Marseilles, is very fine and + impressive; old villages, rocky cliffs, castellated steeps, quaint + chateaux, and a thousand other interesting objects. + </p> + <p> + We arrived at Lyons at five o'clock, and went to the Hotel de l'Univers, + to which we had been recommended by our good hostess at Avignon. The day + had become showery, but J——- and I strolled about a little + before nightfall, and saw the general characteristics of the place. Lyons + is a city of very stately aspect, hardly inferior to Paris; for it has + regular streets of lofty houses, and immense squares planted with trees, + and adorned with statues and fountains. New edifices of great splendor are + in process of erection; and on the opposite side of the Rhone, where the + site rises steep and high, there are structures of older date, that have + an exceedingly picturesque effect, looking down upon the narrow town. + </p> + <p> + The next morning I went out with J——- in quest of my bankers, + and of the American Consul; and as I had forgotten the directions of the + waiter of the hotel, I of course went astray, and saw a good deal more of + Lyons than I intended. In my wanderings I crossed the Rhone, and found + myself in a portion of the city evidently much older than that with which + I had previously made acquaintance; narrow, crooked, irregular, and rudely + paved streets, full of dingy business and bustle,—the city, in + short, as it existed a century ago, and how much earlier I know not. Above + rises that lofty elevation of ground which I before noticed; and the + glimpses of its stately old buildings through the openings of the street + were very picturesque. Unless it be Edinburgh, I have not seen any other + city that has such striking features. Altogether unawares, immediately + after crossing the bridge, we came upon the cathedral; and the grand, + time-blackened Gothic front, with its deeply arched entrances, seemed to + me as good as anything I ever saw,—unexpectedly more impressive than + all the ruins of Rome. I could but merely glance at its interior; so that + its noble height and venerable space, filled with the dim, consecrated + light of pictured windows, recur to me as a vision. And it did me good to + enjoy the awfulness and sanctity of Gothic architecture again, after so + long shivering in classic porticos. . . . + </p> + <p> + We now recrossed the river. . . . The Frank methods and arrangements in + matters of business seem to be excellent, so far as effecting the proposed + object is concerned; but there is such an inexorable succession of + steel-wrought forms, that life is not long enough for so much accuracy. + The stranger, too, goes blindfold through all these processes, not knowing + what is to turn up next, till, when quite in despair, he suddenly finds + his business mysteriously accomplished. . . . + </p> + <p> + We left Lyons at four o'clock, taking the railway for Geneva. The scenery + was very striking throughout the journey; but I allowed the hills, deep + valleys, high impending cliffs, and whatever else I saw along the road, to + pass from me without an ink-blot. We reached Geneva at nearly ten o'clock. + . . . It is situated partly on low, flat ground, bordering the lake, and + behind this level space it rises by steep, painfully paved streets, some + of which can hardly be accessible by wheeled carriages. The prosperity of + the town is indicated by a good many new and splendid edifices, for + commercial and other purposes, in the vicinity of the lake; but intermixed + with these there are many quaint buildings of a stern gray color, and in a + style of architecture that I prefer a thousand times to the monotony of + Italian streets. Immensely high, red roofs, with windows in them, produce + an effect that delights me. They are as ugly, perhaps, as can well be + conceived, but very striking and individual. At each corner of these + ancient houses frequently is a tower, the roof of which rises in a square + pyramidal form, or, if the tower be round, in a round pyramidal form. + Arched passages, gloomy and grimy, pass from one street to another. The + lower town creeps with busy life, and swarms like an ant-hill; but if you + climb the half-precipitous streets, you find yourself among ancient and + stately mansions, high roofed, with a strange aspect of grandeur about + them, looking as if they might still be tenanted by such old magnates as + dwelt in them centuries ago. There is also a cathedral, the older portion + exceedingly fine; but it has been adorned at some modern epoch with a + Grecian portico,—good in itself, but absurdly out of keeping with + the edifice which it prefaces. This being a Protestant country, the doors + were all shut,—an inhospitality that made me half a Catholic. It is + funny enough that a stranger generally profits by all that is worst for + the inhabitants of the country where he himself is merely a visitor. + Despotism makes things all the pleasanter for the stranger. Catholicism + lends itself admirably to his purposes. + </p> + <p> + There are public gardens (one, at least) in Geneva. . . . Nothing struck + me so much, I think, as the color of the Rhone, as it flows under the + bridges in the lower town. It is absolutely miraculous, and, beautiful as + it is, suggests the idea that the tubs of a thousand dyers have emptied + their liquid indigo into the stream. When once you have conquered and + thrust out this idea, it is an inexpressible delight to look down into + this intense, brightly transparent blue, that hurries beneath you with the + speed of a race-horse. + </p> + <p> + The shops of Geneva are very tempting to a traveller, being full of such + little knick-knacks as he would be glad to carry away in memory of the + place: wonderful carvings in wood and ivory, done with exquisite taste and + skill; jewelry that seems very cheap, but is doubtless dear enough, if you + estimate it by the solid gold that goes into its manufacture; watches, + above all things else, for a third or a quarter of the price that one pays + in England, looking just as well, too, and probably performing the whole + of a watch's duty as uncriticisably. The Swiss people are frugal and + inexpensive in their own habits, I believe, plain and simple, and careless + of ornament; but they seem to reckon on other people's spending a great + deal of money for gewgaws. We bought some of their wooden trumpery, and + likewise a watch for U——. . . . Next to watches, jewelry, and + wood-carving, I should say that cigars were one of the principal articles + of commerce in Geneva. Cigar-shops present themselves at every step or + two, and at a reasonable rate, there being no duties, I believe, on + imported goods. There was no examination of our trunks on arrival, nor any + questions asked on that score. + </p> + <h3> + VILLENEUVE. + </h3> + <p> + Hotel de Byron, June 12th.—Yesterday afternoon we left Geneva by a + steamer, starting from the quay at only a short distance from our hotel. + The forenoon had been showery; but the suit now came out very pleasantly, + although there were still clouds and mist enough to give infinite variety + to the mountain scenery. At the commencement of our voyage the scenery of + the lake was not incomparably superior to that of other lakes on which I + have sailed, as Lake Windermere, for instance, or Loch Lomond, or our own + Lake Champlain. It certainly grew more grand and beautiful, however, till + at length I felt that I had never seen anything worthy to be put beside + it. The southern shore has the grandest scenery; the great hills on that + side appearing close to the water's edge, and after descending, with + headlong slope, directly from their rocky and snow-streaked summits down + into the blue water. Our course lay nearer to the northern shore, and all + our stopping-places were on that side. The first was Coppet, where Madame + de Stael or her father, or both, were either born or resided or died, I + know not which, and care very little. It is a picturesque village, with an + old church, and old, high-roofed, red-tiled houses, the whole looking as + if nothing in it had been changed for many, many years. All these + villages, at several of which we stopped momentarily, look delightfully + unmodified by recent fashions. There is the church, with its tower crowned + by a pyramidal roof, like an extinguisher; then the chateau of the former + lord, half castle and half dwelling-house, with a round tower at each + corner, pyramid topped; then, perhaps, the ancient town-house or Hotel de + Ville, in an open paved square; and perhaps the largest mansion in the + whole village will have been turned into a modern inn, but retaining all + its venerable characteristics of high, steep sloping roof, and antiquated + windows. Scatter a delightful shade of trees among the houses, throw in a + time-worn monument of one kind or another, swell out the delicious blue of + the lake in front, and the delicious green of the sunny hillside sloping + up and around this closely congregated neighborhood of old, comfortable + houses, and I do not know what more I can add to this sketch. Often there + was an insulated house or cottage, embowered in shade, and each seeming + like the one only spot in the wide world where two people that had good + consciences and loved each other could spend a happy life. Half-ruined + towers, old historic castles, these, too, we saw. And all the while, on + the other side of the lake, were the high hills, sometimes dim, sometimes + black, sometimes green, with gray precipices of stone, and often + snow-patches, right above the warm sunny lake whereon we were sailing. + </p> + <p> + We passed Lausanne, which stands upward, on the slope of the hill, the + tower of its cathedral forming a conspicuous object. We mean to visit this + to-morrow; so I may pretermit further mention of it here. We passed Vevay + and Clarens, which, methought, was particularly picturesque; for now the + hills had approached close to the water on the northern side also, and + steep heights rose directly above the little gray church and village; and + especially I remember a rocky cliff which ascends into a rounded pyramid, + insulated from all other peaks and ridges. But if I could perform the + absolute impossibility of getting one single outline of the scene into + words, there would be all the color wanting, the light, the haze, which + spiritualizes it, and moreover makes a thousand and a thousand scenes out + of that single one. Clarens, however, has still another interest for me; + for I found myself more affected by it, as the scene of the love of St. + Preux and Julie, than I have often been by scenes of poetry and romance. I + read Rousseau's romance with great sympathy, when I was hardly more than a + boy; ten years ago, or thereabouts, I tried to read it again without + success; but I think, from my feeling of yesterday, that it still retains + its hold upon my imagination. + </p> + <p> + Farther onward, we saw a white, ancient-looking group of towers, beneath a + mountain, which was so high, and rushed so precipitately down upon this + pile of building as quite to dwarf it; besides which, its dingy whiteness + had not a very picturesque effect. Nevertheless, this was the Castle of + Chillon. It appears to sit right upon the water, and does not rise very + loftily above it. I was disappointed in its aspect, having imagined this + famous castle as situated upon a rock, a hundred, or, for aught I know, a + thousand feet above the surface of the lake; but it is quite as impressive + a fact—supposing it to be true—that the water is eight hundred + feet deep at its base. By this time, the mountains had taken the beautiful + lake into their deepest heart; they girdled it quite round with their + grandeur and beauty, and, being able to do no more for it, they here + withheld it from extending any farther; and here our voyage came to an + end. I have never beheld any scene so exquisite; nor do I ask of heaven to + show me any lovelier or nobler one, but only to give me such depth and + breadth of sympathy with nature, that I may worthily enjoy this. It is + beauty more than enough for poor, perishable mortals. If this be earth, + what must heaven be! + </p> + <p> + It was nearly eight o'clock when we arrived; and then we had a walk of at + least a mile to the Hotel Byron. . . . I forgot to mention that in the + latter part of our voyage there was a shower in some part of the sky, and + though none of it fell upon us, we had the benefit of those gentle tears + in a rainbow, which arched itself across the lake from mountain to + mountain, so that our track lay directly under this triumphal arch. We + took it as a good omen, nor were we discouraged, though, after the rainbow + had vanished, a few sprinkles of the shower came down. + </p> + <p> + We found the Hotel Byron very grand indeed, and a good one too. There was + a beautiful moonlight on the lake and hills, but we contented ourselves + with looking out of our lofty window, whence, likewise, we had a sidelong + glance at the white battlements of Chillon, not more than a mile off, on + the water's edge. The castle is wofully in need of a pedestal. If its site + were elevated to a height equal to its own, it would make a far better + appearance. As it now is, it looks, to speak profanely of what poetry has + consecrated, when seen from the water, or along the shore of the lake, + very like an old whitewashed factory or mill. + </p> + <p> + This morning I walked to the Castle of Chillon with J——-, who + sketches everything he sees, from a wildflower or a carved chair to a + castle or a range of mountains. The morning had sunshine thinly scattered + through it; but, nevertheless, there was a continual sprinkle, sometimes + scarcely perceptible, and then again amounting to a decided drizzle. The + road, which is built along on a little elevation above the lake shore, led + us past the Castle of Chillon; and we took a side-path, which passes still + nearer the castle gate. The castle stands on an isthmus of gravel, + permanently connecting it with the mainland. A wooden bridge, covered with + a roof, passes from the shore to the arched entrance; and beneath this + shelter, which has wooden walls as well as roof and floor, we saw a + soldier or gendarme who seemed to act as warder. As it sprinkled rather + more freely than at first, I thought of appealing to his hospitality for + shelter from the rain, but concluded to pass on. + </p> + <p> + The castle makes a far better appearance on a nearer view, and from the + land, than when seen at a distance, and from the water. It is built of + stone, and seems to have been anciently covered with plaster, which + imparts the whiteness to which Byron does much more than justice, when he + speaks of "Chillon's snow-white battlements." There is a lofty external + wall, with a cluster of round towers about it, each crowned with its + pyramidal roof of tiles, and from the central portion of the castle rises + a square tower, also crowned with its own pyramid to a considerably + greater height than the circumjacent ones. The whole are in a close + cluster, and make a fine picture of ancient strength when seen at a proper + proximity; for I do not think that distance adds anything to the effect. + There are hardly any windows, or few, and very small ones, except the + loopholes for arrows and for the garrison of the castle to peep from on + the sides towards the water; indeed, there are larger windows at least in + the upper apartments; but in that direction, no doubt, the castle was + considered impregnable. Trees here and there on the land side grow up + against the castle wall, on one part of which, moreover, there was a green + curtain of ivy spreading from base to battlement. The walls retain their + machicolations, and I should judge that nothing had been [altered], nor + any more work been done upon the old fortress than to keep it in + singularly good repair. It was formerly a castle of the Duke of Savoy, and + since his sway over the country ceased (three hundred years at least), it + has been in the hands of the Swiss government, who still keep some arms + and ammunition there. + </p> + <p> + We passed on, and found the view of it better, as we thought, from a + farther point along the road. The raindrops began to spatter down faster, + and we took shelter under an impending precipice, where the ledge of rock + had been blasted and hewn away to form the road. Our refuge was not a very + convenient and comfortable one, so we took advantage of the partial + cessation of the shower to turn homeward, but had not gone far when we met + mamma and all her train. As we were close by the castle entrance, we + thought it advisable to seek admission, though rather doubtful whether the + Swiss gendarme might not deem it a sin to let us into the castle on + Sunday. But he very readily admitted us under his covered drawbridge, and + called an old man from within the fortress to show us whatever was to be + seen. This latter personage was a staid, rather grim, and + Calvinistic-looking old worthy; but he received us without scruple, and + forthwith proceeded to usher us into a range of most dismal dungeons, + extending along the basement of the castle, on a level with the surface of + the lake. First, if I remember aright, we came to what he said had been a + chapel, and which, at all events, looked like an aisle of one, or rather + such a crypt as I have seen beneath a cathedral, being a succession of + massive pillars supporting groined arches,—a very admirable piece of + gloomy Gothic architecture. Next, we came to a very dark compartment of + the same dungeon range, where he pointed to a sort of bed, or what might + serve for a bed, hewn in the solid rock, and this, our guide said, had + been the last sleeping-place of condemned prisoners on the night before + their execution. The next compartment was still duskier and dismaller than + the last, and he bade us cast our eyes up into the obscurity and see a + beam, where the condemned ones used to be hanged. I looked and looked, and + closed my eyes so as to see the clearer in this horrible duskiness on + opening them again. Finally, I thought I discerned the accursed beam, and + the rest of the party were certain that they saw it. Next beyond this, I + think, was a stone staircase, steep, rudely cut, and narrow, down which + the condemned were brought to death; and beyond this, still on the same + basement range of the castle, a low and narrow [corridor] through which we + passed and saw a row of seven massive pillars, supporting two parallel + series of groined arches, like those in the chapel which we first entered. + This was Bonnivard's prison, and the scene of Byron's poem. + </p> + <p> + The arches are dimly lighted by narrow loopholes, pierced through the + immensely thick wall, but at such a height above the floor that we could + catch no glimpse of land or water, or scarcely of the sky. The prisoner of + Chillon could not possibly have seen the island to which Byron alludes, + and which is a little way from the shore, exactly opposite the town of + Villeneuve. There was light enough in this long, gray, vaulted room, to + show us that all the pillars were inscribed with the names of visitors, + among which I saw no interesting one, except that of Byron himself, which + is cut, in letters an inch long or more, into one of the pillars next to + that to which Bonnivard was chained. The letters are deep enough to remain + in the pillar as long as the castle stands. Byron seems to have had a + fancy for recording his name in this and similar ways; as witness the + record which I saw on a tree of Newstead Abbey. In Bonnivard's pillar + there still remains an iron ring, at the height of perhaps three feet from + the ground. His chain was fastened to this ring, and his only freedom was + to walk round this pillar, about which he is said to have worn a path in + the stone pavement of the dungeon; but as the floor is now covered with + earth or gravel, I could not satisfy myself whether this be true. + Certainly six years, with nothing else to do in them save to walk round + the pillar, might well suffice to wear away the rock, even with naked + feet. This column, and all the columns, were cut and hewn in a good style + of architecture, and the dungeon arches are not without a certain gloomy + beauty. On Bonnivard's pillar, as well as on all the rest, were many names + inscribed; but I thought better of Byron's delicacy and sensitiveness for + not cutting his name into that very pillar. Perhaps, knowing nothing of + Bonnivard's story, he did not know to which column he was chained. + </p> + <p> + Emerging from the dungeon-vaults, our guide led us through other parts of + the castle, showing us the Duke of Savoy's kitchen, with a fireplace at + least twelve feet long; also the judgment-hall, or some such place, hung + round with the coats of arms of some officers or other, and having at one + end a wooden post, reaching from floor to ceiling, and having upon it the + marks of fire. By means of this post, contumacious prisoners were put to a + dreadful torture, being drawn up by cords and pulleys, while their limbs + were scorched by a fire underneath. We also saw a chapel or two, one of + which is still in good and sanctified condition, and was to be used this + very day, our guide told us, for religious purposes. We saw, moreover, the + Duke's private chamber, with a part of the bedstead on which he used to + sleep, and be haunted with horrible dreams, no doubt, and the ghosts of + wretches whom he had tortured and hanged; likewise the bedchamber of his + duchess, that had in its window two stone seats, where, directly over the + head of Bonnivard, the ducal pair might look out on the beautiful scene of + lake and mountains, and feel the warmth of the blessed sun. Under this + window, the guide said, the water of the lake is eight hundred feet in + depth; an immense profundity, indeed, for an inland lake, but it is not + very difficult to believe that the mountain at the foot of which Chillon + stands may descend so far beneath the water. In other parts of the lake + and not distant, more than nine hundred feet have been sounded. I looked + out of the duchess's window, and could certainly see no appearance of a + bottom in the light blue water. + </p> + <p> + The last thing that the guide showed us was a trapdoor, or opening, + beneath a crazy old floor. Looking down into this aperture we saw three + stone steps, which we should have taken to be the beginning of a flight of + stairs that descended into a dungeon, or series of dungeons, such as we + had already seen. But inspecting them more closely, we saw that the third + step terminated the flight, and beyond was a dark vacancy. Three steps a + person would grope down, planting his uncertain foot on a dimly seen + stone; the fourth step would be in the empty air. The guide told us that + it used to be the practice to bring prisoners hither, under pretence of + committing them to a dungeon, and make them go down the three steps and + that fourth fatal one, and they would never more be heard of; but at the + bottom of the pit there would be a dead body, and in due time a mouldy + skeleton, which would rattle beneath the body of the next prisoner that + fell. I do not believe that it was anything more than a secret dungeon for + state prisoners whom it was out of the question either to set at liberty + or bring to public trial. The depth of the pit was about forty-five feet. + Gazing intently down, I saw a faint gleam of light at the bottom, + apparently coming from some other aperture than the trap-door over which + we were bending, so that it must have been contemplated to supply it with + light and air in such degree as to support human life. U—— + declared she saw a skeleton at the bottom; Miss S——— + thought she saw a hand, but I saw only the dim gleam of light. + </p> + <p> + There are two or three courts in the castle, but of no great size. We were + now led across one of them, and dismissed out of the arched entrance by + which we had come in. We found the gendarme still keeping watch on his + roofed drawbridge, and as there was the same gentle shower that had been + effusing itself all the morning, we availed ourselves of the shelter, more + especially as there were some curiosities to examine. These consisted + chiefly of wood-carvings,—such as little figures in the national + costume, boxes with wreaths of foliage upon them, paper knives, the + chamois goat, admirably well represented. We at first hesitated to make + any advances towards trade with the gendarme because it was Sunday, and we + fancied there might be a Calvinistic scruple on his part about turning a + penny on the Sabbath; but from the little I know of the Swiss character, I + suppose they would be as ready as any other men to sell, not only such + matters, but even their own souls, or any smaller—or shall we say + greater—thing on Sunday or at any other time. So we began to ask the + prices of the articles, and met with no difficulty in purchasing a salad + spoon and fork, with pretty bas-reliefs carved on the handles, and a + napkin-ring. For Rosebud's and our amusement, the gendarme now set a + musical-box a-going; and as it played a pasteboard figure of a dentist + began to pull the tooth of a pasteboard patient, lifting the wretched + simulacrum entirely from the ground, and keeping him in this horrible + torture for half an hour. Meanwhile, mamma, Miss Shepard, U——, + and J——- sat down all in a row on a bench and sketched the + mountains; and as the shower did not cease, though the sun most of the + time shone brightly, they were kept actual prisoners of Chillon much + longer than we wished to stay. + </p> + <p> + We took advantage of the first cessation,—though still the drops + came dimpling into the water that rippled against the pebbles beneath the + bridge,—of the first partial cessation of the shower, to escape, and + returned towards the hotel, with this kindliest of summer rains falling + upon us most of the way In the afternoon the rain entirely ceased, and the + weather grew delightfully radiant, and warmer than could well be borne in + the sunshine. U—— and I walked to the village of Villeneuve, + —a mile from the hotel,—and found a very commonplace little + old town of one or two streets, standing on a level, and as uninteresting + as if there were not a hill within a hundred miles. It is strange what + prosaic lines men thrust in amid the poetry of nature. . . . + </p> + <p> + Hotel de l'Angleterre, Geneva, June 14th.—Yesterday morning was very + fine, and we had a pretty early breakfast at Hotel Byron, preparatory to + leaving it. This hotel is on a magnificent scale of height and breadth, + its staircases and corridors being the most spacious I have seen; but + there is a kind of meagreness in the life there, and a certain lack of + heartiness, that prevented us from feeling at home. We were glad to get + away, and took the steamer on our return voyage, in excellent spirits. + Apparently it had been a cold night in the upper regions, for a great deal + more snow was visible on some of the mountains than we had before + observed; especially a mountain called "Diableries" presented a silver + summit, and broad sheets and fields of snow. Nothing ever can have been + more beautiful than those groups of mighty hills as we saw them then, with + the gray rocks, the green slopes, the white snow-patches and crests, all + to be seen at one glance, and the mists and fleecy clouds tumbling, + rolling, hovering about their summits, filling their lofty valleys, and + coming down far towards the lower world, making the skyey aspects so + intimate with the earthly ones, that we hardly knew whether we were + sojourning in the material or spiritual world. It was like sailing through + the sky, moreover, to be borne along on such water as that of Lake Leman,—the + bluest, brightest, and profoundest element, the most radiant eye that the + dull earth ever opened to see heaven withal. I am writing nonsense, but it + is because no sense within my mind will answer the purpose. + </p> + <p> + Some of these mountains, that looked at no such mighty distance, were at + least forty or fifty miles off, and appeared as if they were near + neighbors and friends of other mountains, from which they were really + still farther removed. The relations into which distant points are + brought, in a view of mountain scenery, symbolize the truth which we can + never judge within our partial scope of vision, of the relations which we + bear to our fellow-creatures and human circumstances. These mighty + mountains think that they have nothing to do with one another, each seems + itself its own centre, and existing for itself alone; and yet to an eye + that can take them all in, they are evidently portions of one grand and + beautiful idea, which could not be consummated without the lowest and the + loftiest of them. I do not express this satisfactorily, but have a genuine + meaning in it nevertheless. + </p> + <p> + We passed again by Chillon, and gazed at it as long as it was distinctly + visible, though the water view does no justice to its real + picturesqueness, there being no towers nor projections on the side towards + the lake, nothing but a wall of dingy white, with an indentation that + looks something like a gateway. About an hour and a half brought us to + Ouchy, the point where passengers land to take the omnibus to Lausanne. + The ascent from Ouchy to Lausanne is a mile and a half, which it took the + omnibus nearly half an hour to accomplish. We left our shawls and + carpet-bags in the salle a manger of the Hotel Faucon, and set forth to + find the cathedral, the pinnacled tower of which is visible for a long + distance up and down the lake. Prominent as it is, however, it is by no + means very easy to find it while rambling through the intricate streets + and declivities of the town itself, for Lausanne is the town, I should + fancy, in all the world the most difficult to go directly from one point + to another. It is built on the declivity of a hill, adown which run + several valleys or ravines, and over these the contiguity of houses + extends, so that the communication is kept up by means of steep streets + and sometimes long weary stairs, which must be surmounted and descended + again in accomplishing a very moderate distance. In some inscrutable way + we at last arrived at the cathedral, which stands on a higher site than + any other in Lausanne. It has a very venerable exterior, with all the + Gothic grandeur which arched mullioned windows, deep portals, buttresses, + towers, and pinnacles, gray with a thousand years, can give to + architecture. After waiting awhile we obtained entrance by means of an old + woman, who acted the part of sacristan, and was then showing the church to + some other visitors. + </p> + <p> + The interior disappointed us; not but what it was very beautiful, but I + think the excellent repair that it was in, and the Puritanic neatness with + which it is kept, does much towards effacing the majesty and mystery that + belong to an old church. Every inch of every wall and column, and all the + mouldings and tracery, and every scrap of grotesque carving, had been + washed with a drab mixture. There were likewise seats all up and down the + nave, made of pine wood, and looking very new and neat, just such seats as + I shall see in a hundred meeting-houses (if ever I go into so many) in + America. Whatever might be the reason, the stately nave, with its + high-groined roof, the clustered columns and lofty pillars, the + intersecting arches of the side-aisles, the choir, the armorial and + knightly tombs that surround what was once the high altar, all produced + far less effect than I could have thought beforehand. + </p> + <p> + As it happened, we had more ample time and freedom to inspect this + cathedral than any other that we have visited, for the old woman consented + to go away and leave us there, locking the door behind her. The others, + except Rosebud, sat down to sketch such portions as struck their fancy; + and for myself, I looked at the monuments, of which some, being those of + old knights, ladies, bishops, and a king, were curious from their + antiquity; and others are interesting as bearing memorials of English + people, who have died at Lausanne in comparatively recent years. Then I + went up into the pulpit, and tried, without success, to get into the stone + gallery that runs all round the nave; and I explored my way into various + side apartments of the cathedral, which I found fitted up with seats for + Sabbath schools, perhaps, or possibly for meetings of elders of the + Church. I opened the great Bible of the church, and found it to be a + French version, printed at Lille some fifty years ago. There was also a + liturgy, adapted, probably, to the Lutheran form of worship. In one of the + side apartments I found a strong box, heavily clamped with iron, and + having a contrivance, like the hopper of a mill, by which money could be + turned into the top, while a double lock prevented its being abstracted + again. This was to receive the avails of contributions made in the church; + and there were likewise boxes, stuck on the ends of long poles, wherewith + the deacons could go round among the worshippers, conveniently extending + the begging-box to the remotest curmudgeon among them all. From the + arrangement of the seats in the nave, and the labels pasted or painted on + them, I judged that the women sat on one side and the men on the other, + and the seats for various orders of magistrates, and for ecclesiastical + and collegiate people, were likewise marked out. + </p> + <p> + I soon grew weary of these investigations, and so did Rosebud and J——-, + who essayed to amuse themselves with running races together over the + horizontal tombstones in the pavement of the choir, treading remorselessly + over the noseless effigies of old dignitaries, who never expected to be so + irreverently treated. I put a stop to their sport, and banished them to + different parts of the cathedral; and by and by, the old woman appeared + again, and released us from durance. . . . + </p> + <p> + While waiting for our dejeuner, we saw the people dining at the regular + table d'hote of the hotel, and the idea was strongly borne in upon me, + that the professional mystery of a male waiter is a very unmanly one. It + is so absurd to see the solemn attentiveness with which they stand behind + the chairs, the earnestness of their watch for any crisis that may demand + their interposition, the gravity of their manner in performing some little + office that the guest might better do for himself, their decorous and soft + steps; in short, as I sat and gazed at them, they seemed to me not real + men, but creatures with a clerical aspect, engendered out of a very + artificial state of society. When they are waiting on myself, they do not + appear so absurd; it is necessary to stand apart in order to see them + properly. + </p> + <p> + We left Lausanne—which was to us a tedious and weary place—before + four o'clock. I should have liked well enough to see the house of Gibbon, + and the garden in which he walked, after finishing "The Decline and Fall"; + but it could not be done without some trouble and inquiry, and as the + house did not come to see me, I determined not to go and see the house. + There was, indeed, a mansion of somewhat antique respectability, near our + hotel, having a garden and a shaded terrace behind it, which would have + answered accurately enough to the idea of Gibbon's residence. Perhaps it + was so; far more probably not. + </p> + <p> + Our former voyages had been taken in the Hirondelle; we now, after + broiling for some time in the sunshine by the lakeside, got on board of + the Aigle, No. 2. There were a good many passengers, the larger proportion + of whom seemed to be English and American, and among the latter a large + party of talkative ladies, old and young. The voyage was pleasant while we + were protected from the sun by the awning overhead, but became scarcely + agreeable when the sun had descended so low as to shine in our faces or on + our backs. We looked earnestly for Mont Blanc, which ought to have been + visible during a large part of our course; but the clouds gathered + themselves hopelessly over the portion of the sky where the great mountain + lifted his white peak; and we did not see it, and probably never shall. As + to the meaner mountains, there were enough of them, and beautiful enough; + but we were a little weary, and feverish with the heat. . . . I think I + had a head-ache, though it is so unusual a complaint with me, that I + hardly know it when it comes. We were none of us sorry, therefore, when + the Eagle brought us to the quay of Geneva, only a short distance from our + hotel. . . . + </p> + <p> + To-day I wrote to Mr. Wilding, requesting him to secure passages for us + from Liverpool on the 15th of next month, or 1st of August. It makes my + heart thrill, half pleasantly, half otherwise; so much nearer does this + step seem to bring that home whence I have now been absent six years, and + which, when I see it again, may turn out to be not my home any longer. I + likewise wrote to Bennoch, though I know not his present address; but I + should deeply grieve to leave England without seeing him. He and Henry + Bright are the only two men in England to whom I shall be much grieved to + bid farewell; but to the island itself I cannot bear to say that word as a + finality. I shall dreamily hope to come back again at some indefinite + time; rather foolishly perhaps, for it will tend to take the substance out + of my life in my own land. But this, I suspect, is apt to be the penalty + of those who stay abroad and stay too long. + </p> + <h3> + HAVRE. + </h3> + <p> + Hotel Wheeler, June 22d.—We arrived at this hotel last evening from + Paris, and find ourselves on the borders of the Petit Quay Notre Dame, + with steamers and boats right under our windows, and all sorts of + dock-business going on briskly. There are barrels, bales, and crates of + goods; there are old iron cannon for posts; in short, all that belongs to + the Wapping of a great seaport. . . . The American partialities of the + guests [of this hotel] are consulted by the decorations of the parlor, in + which hang two lithographs and colored views of New York, from Brooklyn + and from Weehawken. The fashion of the house is a sort of nondescript + mixture of Frank, English, and American, and is not disagreeable to us + after our weary experience of Continental life. The abundance of the food + is very acceptable in comparison with the meagreness of French and Italian + meals; and last evening we supped nobly on cold roast beef and ham, set + generously before us, in the mass, instead of being doled out in slices + few and thin. The waiter has a kindly sort of manner, and resembles the + steward of a vessel rather than a landsman; and, in short, everything here + has undergone a change, which might admit of very effective description. I + may now as well give up all attempts at journalizing. So I shall say + nothing of our journey across France from Geneva. . . . To-night, we shall + take our departure in a steamer for Southampton, whence we shall go to + London; thence, in a week or two, to Liverpool; thence to Boston and + Concord, there to enjoy—if enjoyment it prove—a little rest + and a sense that we are at home. + </p> + <p> + [More than four months were now taken up in writing "The Marble Faun," in + great part at the seaside town of Redcar, Yorkshire, Mr. Hawthorne having + concluded to remain another year in England, chiefly to accomplish that + romance. In Redcar, where he remained till September or October, he wrote + no journal, but only the book. He then went to Leamington, where he + finished "The Marble Faun" in March, and there is a little journalizing + soon after leaving Redcar.—ED.] + </p> + <h3> + ENGLAND. + </h3> + <p> + Leamington, November 14th, 1859.—J—— and I walked to + Lillington the other day. Its little church was undergoing renovation when + we were here two years ago, and now seems to be quite renewed, with the + exception of its square, gray, battlemented tower, which has still the + aspect of unadulterated antiquity. On Saturday J——- and I + walked to Warwick by the old road, passing over the bridge of the Avon, + within view of the castle. It is as fine a piece of English scenery as + exists anywhere,— the quiet little river, shadowed with drooping + trees, and, in its vista, the gray towers and long line of windows of the + lordly castle, with a picturesquely varied outline; ancient strength, a + little softened by decay. . . . + </p> + <p> + The town of Warwick, I think, has been considerably modernized since I + first saw it. The whole of the central portion of the principal street now + looks modern, with its stuccoed or brick fronts of houses, and, in many + cases, handsome shop windows. Leicester Hospital and its adjoining chapel + still look venerably antique; and so does a gateway that half bestrides + the street. Beyond these two points on either side it has a much older + aspect. The modern signs heighten the antique impression. + </p> + <p> + February 5th, 1860.—Mr. and Mrs. Bennoch are staying for a little + while at Mr. B———'s at Coventry, and Mr. B——— + called upon us the other day, with Mr. Bennoch, and invited us to go and + see the lions of Coventry; so yesterday U—— and I went. It was + not my first visit, therefore I have little or nothing to record, unless + it were to describe a ribbon-factory into which Mr. B——— + took us. But I have no comprehension of machinery, and have only a + confused recollection of an edifice of four or five stories, on each floor + of which were rows of huge machines, all busy with their iron hands and + joints in turning out delicate ribbons. It was very curious and + unintelligible to me to observe how they caused different colored patterns + to appear, and even flowers to blossom, on the plain surface of a ribbon. + Some of the designs were pretty, and I was told that one manufacturer pays + 500 pounds annually to French artists (or artisans, for I do not know + whether they have a connection with higher art) merely for new patterns of + ribbons. The English find it impossible to supply themselves with tasteful + productions of this sort merely from the resources of English fancy. If an + Englishman possessed the artistic faculty to the degree requisite to + produce such things, he would doubtless think himself a great artist, and + scorn to devote himself to these humble purposes. Every Frenchman is + probably more of an artist than one Englishman in a thousand. + </p> + <p> + We ascended to the very roof of the factory, and gazed thence over smoky + Coventry, which is now a town of very considerable size, and rapidly on + the increase. The three famous spires rise out of the midst, that of St. + Michael being the tallest and very beautiful. Had the day been clear, we + should have had a wide view on all sides; for Warwickshire is well laid + out for distant prospects, if you can only gain a little elevation from + which to see them. + </p> + <p> + Descending from the roof, we next went to see Trinity Church, which has + just come through an entire process of renovation, whereby much of its + pristine beauty has doubtless been restored; but its venerable awfulness + is greatly impaired. We went into three churches, and found that they had + all been subjected to the same process. It would be nonsense to regret it, + because the very existence of these old edifices is involved in their + being renewed; but it certainly does deprive them of a great part of their + charm, and puts one in mind of wigs, padding, and all such devices for + giving decrepitude the aspect of youth. In the pavement of the nave and + aisles there are worn tombstones, with defaced inscriptions, and + discolored marbles affixed against the wall; monuments, too, where a + mediaeval man and wife sleep side by side on a marble slab; and other + tombs so old that the inscriptions are quite gone. Over an arch, in one of + the churches, there was a fresco, so old, dark, faded, and blackened, that + I found it impossible to make out a single figure or the slightest hint of + the design. On the whole, after seeing the churches of Italy, I was not + greatly impressed with these attempts to renew the ancient beauty of old + English minsters; it would be better to preserve as sedulously as possible + their aspect of decay, in which consists the principal charm. . . . + </p> + <p> + On our way to Mr. B———'s house, we looked into the + quadrangle of a charity-school and old men's hospital, and afterwards + stepped into a large Roman Catholic church, erected within these few years + past, and closely imitating the mediaeval architecture and arrangements. + It is strange what a plaything, a trifle, an unserious affair, this + imitative spirit makes of a huge, ponderous edifice, which if it had + really been built five hundred years ago would have been worthy of all + respect. I think the time must soon come when this sort of thing will be + held in utmost scorn, until the lapse of time shall give it a claim to + respect. But, methinks, we had better strike out any kind of architecture, + so it be our own, however wretched, than thus tread back upon the past. + </p> + <p> + Mr. B——— now conducted us to his residence, which stands + a little beyond the outskirts of the city, on the declivity of a hill, and + in so windy a spot that, as he assured me, the very plants are blown out + of the ground. He pointed to two maimed trees whose tops were blown off by + a gale two or three years since; but the foliage still covers their + shortened summits in summer, so that he does not think it desirable to cut + them down. + </p> + <p> + In America, a man of Mr. B———'s property would take upon + himself the state and dignity of a millionaire. It is a blessed thing in + England, that money gives a man no pretensions to rank, and does not bring + the responsibilities of a great position. + </p> + <p> + We found three or four gentlemen to meet us at dinner,—a Mr. D——— + and a Mr. B———, an author, having written a book called + "The Philosophy of Necessity," and is acquainted with Emerson, who spent + two or three days at his house when last in England. He was very kindly + appreciative of my own productions, as was also his wife, next to whom I + sat at dinner. She talked to me about the author of "Adam Bede," whom she + has known intimately all her life. . . . Miss Evans (who wrote "Adam + Bede") was the daughter of a steward, and gained her exact knowledge of + English rural life by the connection with which this origin brought her + with the farmers. She was entirely self-educated, and has made herself an + admirable scholar in classical as well as in modern languages. Those who + knew her had always recognized her wonderful endowments, and only watched + to see in what way they would develop themselves. She is a person of the + simplest manners and character, amiable and unpretending, and Mrs. B——— + spoke of her with great affection and respect. . . . Mr. B———, + our host, is an extremely sensible man; and it is remarkable how many + sensible men there are in England,—men who have read and thought, + and can develop very good ideas, not exactly original, yet so much the + product of their own minds that they can fairly call them their own. + </p> + <p> + February 18th.—. . . . This present month has been somewhat less + dismal than the preceding ones; there have been some sunny and breezy days + when there was life in the air, affording something like enjoyment in a + walk, especially when the ground was frozen. It is agreeable to see the + fields still green through a partial covering of snow; the trunks and + branches of the leafless trees, moreover, have a verdant aspect, very + unlike that of American trees in winter, for they are covered with a + delicate green moss, which is not so observable in summer. Often, too, + there is a twine of green ivy up and down the trunk. The other day, as J——- + and I were walking to Whitnash, an elm was felled right across our path, + and I was much struck by this verdant coating of moss over all its + surface,—the moss plants too minute to be seen individually, but + making the whole tree green. It has a pleasant effect here, where it is + the natural aspect of trees in general; but in America a mossy tree-trunk + is not a pleasant object, because it is associated with damp, low, + unwholesome situations. The lack of foliage gives many new peeps and + vistas, hereabouts, which I never saw in summer. + </p> + <p> + March 17th.—J——- and I walked to Warwick yesterday + forenoon, and went into St. Mary's Church, to see the Beauchamp chapel. . + . . On one side of it were some worn steps ascending to a confessional, + where the priest used to sit, while the penitent, in the body of the + church, poured his sins through a perforated auricle into this unseen + receptacle. The sexton showed us, too, a very old chest which had been + found in the burial vault, with some ancient armor stored away in it. + Three or four helmets of rusty iron, one of them barred, the last with + visors, and all intolerably weighty, were ranged in a row. What heads + those must have been that could bear such massiveness! On one of the + helmets was a wooden crest—some bird or other—that of itself + weighed several pounds. . . . + </p> + <p> + April 23d.—We have been here several weeks. . . . Had I seen Bath + earlier in my English life, I might have written many pages about it, for + it is really a picturesque and interesting city. It is completely + sheltered in the lap of hills, the sides of the valley rising steep and + high from the level spot on which it stands, and through which runs the + muddy little stream of the Avon. The older part of the town is on the + level, and the more modern growth—the growth of more than a hundred + years—climbs higher and higher up the hillside, till the upper + streets are very airy and lofty. The houses are built almost entirely of + Bath stone, which in time loses its original buff color, and is darkened + by age and coal-smoke into a dusky gray; but still the city looks clean + and pure as compared with most other English towns. In its architecture, + it has somewhat of a Parisian aspect, the houses having roofs rising steep + from their high fronts, which are often adorned with pillars, pilasters, + and other good devices, so that you see it to be a town built with some + general idea of beauty, and not for business. There are Circuses, + Crescents, Terraces, Parades, and all such fine names as we have become + familiar with at Leamington, and other watering-places. The declivity of + most of the streets keeps them remarkably clean, and they are paved in a + very comfortable way, with large blocks of stone, so that the middle of + the street is generally practicable to walk upon, although the sidewalks + leave no temptation so to do, being of generous width. In many alleys, and + round about the abbey and other edifices, the pavement is of square flags, + like those of Florence, and as smooth as a palace floor. On the whole, I + suppose there is no place in England where a retired man, with a moderate + income, could live so tolerably as at Bath; it being almost a city in size + and social advantages; quite so, indeed, if eighty thousand people make a + city,—and yet having no annoyance of business nor spirit of worldly + struggle. All modes of enjoyment that English people like may be had here; + and even the climate is said to be milder than elsewhere in England. How + this may be, I know not; but we have rain or passing showers almost every + day since we arrived, and I suspect the surrounding hills are just about + of that inconvenient height, that keeps catching clouds, and compelling + them to squeeze out their moisture upon the included valley. The air, + however, certainly is preferable to that of Leamington. . . . + </p> + <p> + There are no antiquities except the abbey, which has not the interest of + many other English churches and cathedrals. In the midst of the old part + of the town stands the house which was formerly Beau Nash's residence, but + which is now part of the establishment of an ale-merchant. The edifice is + a tall, but rather mean-looking, stone building, with the entrance from a + little side court, which is so cumbered with empty beer-barrels as hardly + to afford a passage. The doorway has some architectural pretensions, being + pillared and with some sculptured devices—whether lions or winged + heraldic monstrosities I forget—on the pediment. Within, there is a + small entry, not large enough to be termed a hall, and a staircase, with + carved balustrade, ascending by angular turns and square landing-places. + For a long course of years, ending a little more than a century ago, + princes, nobles, and all the great and beautiful people of old times, used + to go up that staircase, to pay their respects to the King of Bath. On the + side of the house there is a marble slab inserted, recording that here he + resided, and that here he died in 1767, between eighty and ninety years of + age. My first acquaintance with him was in Smollett's "Roderick Random," + and I have met him in a hundred other novels. + </p> + <p> + His marble statue is in a niche at one end of the great pump-room, in wig, + square-skirted coat, flapped waistcoat, and all the queer costume of the + period, still looking ghost-like upon the scene where he used to be an + autocrat. Marble is not a good material for Beau Nash, however; or, if so, + it requires color to set him off adequately. . . . + </p> + <p> + It is usual in Bath to see the old sign of the checker-board on the + doorposts of taverns. It was originally a token that the game might be + played there, and is now merely a tavern-sign. + </p> + <h3> + LONDON. + </h3> + <p> + 31 Hertford Street, Mayfair, May 16th, 1860.—I came hither from Bath + on the 14th, and am staying with my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Motley. I would + gladly journalize some of my proceedings, and describe things and people; + but I find the same coldness and stiffness in my pen as always since our + return to England. I dined with the Motleys at Lord Dufferin's, on Monday + evening, and there met, among a few other notable people, the Honorable + Mrs. Norton, a dark, comely woman, who doubtless was once most charming, + and still has charms, at above fifty years of age. In fact, I should not + have taken her to be greatly above thirty, though she seems to use no art + to make herself look younger, and talks about her time of life, without + any squeamishness. Her voice is very agreeable, having a sort of muffled + quality, which is excellent in woman. She is of a very cheerful + temperament, and so has borne a great many troubles without being + destroyed by them. But I can get no color into my sketch, so shall leave + it here. + </p> + <p> + London, May 17th. [From a letter.]—Affairs succeed each other so + fast, that I have really forgotten what I did yesterday. I remember seeing + my dear friend, Henry Bright, and listening to him, as we strolled in the + Park, and along the Strand. To-day I met at breakfast Mr. Field Talfourd, + who promises to send you the photograph of his portrait of Mr. Browning. + He was very agreeable, and seemed delighted to see me again. At lunch, we + had Lord Dufferin, the Honorable Mrs. Norton, and Mr. Sterling (author of + the "Cloister Life of Charles V."), with whom we are to dine on Sunday. + </p> + <p> + You would be stricken dumb, to see how quietly I accept a whole string of + invitations, and what is more, perform my engagements without a murmur. + </p> + <p> + A German artist has come to me with a letter of introduction, and a + request that I will sit to him for a portrait in bas-relief. To this, + likewise, I have assented! subject to the condition that I shall have my + leisure. + </p> + <p> + The stir of this London life, somehow or other, has done me a wonderful + deal of good, and I feel better than for months past. This is strange, for + if I had my choice, I should leave undone almost all the things I do. + </p> + <p> + I have had time to see Bennoch only once. + </p> + <p> + [This closes the European Journal. After Mr. Hawthorne's return to + America, he published "Our Old Home," and began a new romance, of which + two chapters appeared in the Atlantic Monthly. But the breaking out of the + war stopped all imaginative work with him, and all journalizing, until + 1862, when he went to Maine for a little excursion, and began another + journal, from which I take one paragraph, giving a slight note of his + state of mind at an interesting period of his country's history. —ED.] + </p> + <p> + West Gouldsborough, August 15th, 1862.—It is a week ago, Saturday, + since J——- and I reached this place, . . . . Mr. Barney S. + Hill's. + </p> + <p> + At Hallowell, and subsequently all along the route, the country was astir + with volunteers, and the war is all that seems to be alive, and even that + doubtfully so. Nevertheless, the country certainly shows a good spirit, + the towns offering everywhere most liberal bounties, and every able-bodied + man feels an immense pull and pressure upon him to go to the war. I doubt + whether any people was ever actuated by a more genuine and disinterested + public spirit; though, of course, it is not unalloyed with baser motives + and tendencies. We met a train of cars with a regiment or two just + starting for the South, and apparently in high spirits. Everywhere some + insignia of soldiership were to be seen,— bright buttons, a red + stripe down the trousers, a military cap, and sometimes a round-shouldered + bumpkin in the entire uniform. They require a great deal to give them the + aspect of soldiers; indeed, it seems as if they needed to have a good deal + taken away and added, like the rough clay of a sculptor as it grows to be + a model. The whole talk of the bar-rooms and every other place of + intercourse was about enlisting and the war, this being the very crisis of + trial, when the voluntary system is drawing to an end, and the draft + almost immediately to commence. + </p> + <h3> + END OF VOL. II. + </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 2, by Nathaniel Hawthorne + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PASSSAGES FRENCH AND ITALIAN *** + +***** This file should be named 7880-h.htm or 7880-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/8/8/7880/ + +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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