fi •1 . r ■V . . '. ’ .J ' ••' ) - { 9 / A CLASSICAL TOUR THROUGH ITALY ■# 6 <- i. ... / A CLASSICAL TOUR through ITALY An. MDCCGIL Haec est Italia diis sacra, hae gentes ejus, Iiaec oppida populoriim. Plin^ Nat. Hist. iii. 20. BY THE REV. JOHN CHETWODE EUSTACE FOURTH EDITION. To this edition^ carefully revised, corrected and amended, is added a description of the most remarkable exca- vations of POMPEI subsequent to the authors tour, with a plan of that ancient city, and references to the same, and moreover an itinerary of the posts on the principal roads, and a list of the most celebrated, and commodious Inns throughout Italy V O L. I. . LEGHORN. PRINTED and sold BY GLAUCUS MASi verrazzana street opposite the post-office, 1818. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/classicaltourthr01eust_1 TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE I lOHN LORD BROWNLOW, LORD lieutenant OF THE COUNTY OF LINCOLN, ETC, ETC, ETC. THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED, I AS A TRIBUTE TO HIS MANY VIRTUES, I AS AN ACNOWLEDGEMENT OF HIS CONSTANT KINDNESS I AND AT THE SAME TIME AS A MONUMENT OF AN INSTRUCTIVE AND PLEASANT TOUR, BY HIS LORDSHIP*S FELLOW-TKAVELLER AND MOST SINCERE FRIEND, JOHN CHETWODE EUSTACE, nAt' 3 ? i’t u '^.'.v-/ '■''31 '’•■ 1 •J ■ A ^ f\ •; '’•n-i'v/j- ;*-, 'a .-‘I'i-- •■ ■•■■ . '■■ ■ ^ Jin// ■;.... . f.''^-:-^ , V -•■ ' ■ • . - ' V -s ■ . ■ -Hii* r> r* MM ^ ■- :0m ' i^' '‘' 0 .sWa5f*«?;''’;-. ■ '^ . ■: ; ■ ' '. -/V ' >1 a.jux ' . .v\- '"v> mry^:--r: '■ ’^’ll K-fl*::;^i I ;,4-^t,i r-^ . . /. ^5 ■' .’ y: :’’ ^'. „ '. i.;t «M :^' ♦ :'' ■■ ’ 5sj“' n«'"- '.rTv* V\. >}fHITOKiafg''IOH v*/>T;|ig «f V P R E F A C E. HE Authorpresents the follow- ing pages to the Public with diffidence. He is aware that the very title of » a Tour through Italy » is sufficient m itself to raise expectations, which, as he has learned from the fate of si- milar composition , is more fre- quently disappointed than satis- fied. To avoid as much as pos- sible this inconvenience , he thinks it necessary to state preci- VI PREFACE, sely the nature and object of the present work, that the reader may enter upon its perusal with some previous knowledge of its contents. The Preliminary Discourse is intended chiefly for the informa- tion of young and inexperienced travellers, and points out the qualities and accomplishments requisite to enable them to de- rive from an Italian Tour, its full advantages . The Reader then comes to the Tour itself. The epithet Classical suffi- ciently points out its peculiar character, which is to trace the resemblance between Modern and Ancient Italy, and to take for guides and companions in the beginning of the nineteenth century , the writers that pre- PREFACE, VII ceded or adorned the first. Con- formalily to that character, the Aiitlior may be allowed to dwell with complacency on the inci- dents of ancient history, to admit every poetical recollection , and to claim indulgence , if in des- cribing objects so often allud- ed to by the Latin writers, he shoidd frequently borrow their expressions ; Maleriae scripto convenieiite suae. * Citations, in fact, which not- withstanding the example of Cicero and the precept of Quin- . tilianf, some severe critics are disposed to proscribe , may he- re be introduced or even lavish- * Ovidj Trist. 1. v. i. -j' Quintil, lib. i. cap. v. edit. Rolliii. VIII PREFACE, ed, wilhout censure; tliey ri- se spontaneously from the soil we tread, and constitute one of its distinguishing beauties. In Modern History, he may perhaps be considered as some- times too short ; but it must be remembered that Modern His- tory is not Classical^ and can claim admission only as an illus- tration. As for the forms of go- vernment established in many provinces by the present Freneli rulers, they are generally passed over in silenee and contempt, as shifting scenes or rather mere Jiguranli in the politieal drama, destined to occupy the attention for a time, and to disappear when the principal character shows himself upon the stage. Of the state of painting and IX rRE F ,\CE. sculpture, though these arts re- flect so much lustre on Italy, little is said * ; an acknowledg- ment which may surprize and disappoint many readers. But, on the one hand , to give a long catalogue of pict ures and statues, 'without explanatory observa- tions, appeared absurd ; and on the other, t& execute such a work in a becoming manner requires leisure, technical infor- mation, and the pen of a profes- sed artist, perhaps of a Reynolds. The subject is therefore touched incidentally only ; but as it is extensive and amusing, and affords scope to the display of * Little is said of the arls , when the extent and importance of the subject are considered; but in ich. is said in comparison of other Tours and similar compositionsa ★ X PREFACE, skill, taste and erudition united, it will, it is to be hoped, ere long allractthe attention ofsome writer capable of doing it justice. As to the Style — in the first place some, perhaps many expressions, and occasionally whole sentences, may have been inadvertently repeated ; a fault great without doubt, but par- donable because almost un- avoidable in descriptive compo- sition. /5^/io, indeed, can paint like Nature^ orwlio vary hisco- loring with all the tints of Ita- lian scenery, lighted by an ita- lian sky? If Lucretius has re- peated at length two of the most beautiful passages in his poem*, the Author may claim indul- ^ Lib. i. V. 925. — Lib. iv. v. XI PREFACE, gence , if in describing the per- petual recurrenee of similar objects, he has been betrayed into similar language. In Proper Names, be has ven- tured frequently to use the an- cient appellation if not irrecove- rably lost in the modern. Thus , he sometimes introduces the Be- nacus, Liris^ A thesis^ instead of the Lago di Garda , Gari- gliano and Adige ^ because the former names are still familiar to the learned ear and by no means unknown even to the peasantry. The same may be said of the Arno^ the Tibei\ and several other rivers , and may be extended to many cities and mountains. He has , as much as possible , attempted to discard tlie French termination in Ita- XII PREFACE. lian names, and laments that lie cannot carry consistency so far as to apply it to antiquity, and rejecting tiie semi-barba- rous appellation with which the french have misnamed some of the most illustrious ancients, restore to Horace , and Virgil, all their Pvoman majesty*. But this general reformation must be left to more able and more popular v^riters, or rather per- haps recommended to the learn- ed gentlemen who preside over the Universities and the great Schools, and to the Critics who direct the public taste in Re- views , and have of late exercis- * Titus Livius owes the recovery of his Pioraao appellation to the Bishop of LandalF, \vho introduces it into his Apology for the Bihle. PHEFACE. XIII ed no small inlluence over cus- tom itself. We now come to objects of greater moment, and here the Author must, however reluctan- tly, obtrude himself on the at- tention of the Reader. Religion Politics, and Literature, are the three great objects that employ every mind raised by education above the level of the laborer or of the mechanic ; upon them every thinking man must have a decided opinion , and that opinion must occasionally in- lluence his conduct, conversa- tion, and writings. Sincere and undisguised in the belief and profession of the Roman Catholic Religion, the Auihor affects not to conceal, because he is not ashamed of its inlluence. How- XIV PHEFACE. ever unpopular it may be, he is convinced that its evil report is not the result of anv inherent defect, but the natural conse- quence of polejTiic animosity, of the exag’gerations of friends, of the misconceptions of ene- mies. Y es! he must acknowledge that the affecting lessons, the holy examples, and the majestic rites of the Catholic Church , made an early impression on his mind ; and neither time nor experience, neither reading nor conversation , nor much tra- velling, have weakened that im- pression, or diminished his ve- neration. Yet with this affectio- nate attachment to the ancient Faith , he presumes not to ar- raign those who support other systems. Persuaded that their XV PREFACE. claims to mercy as well as his own, depend upon Sincerity and Charity, he leaves them and himself to the disposal of the common Father of All , who , we may humbly hope, will treat our errors and our defects with more indulgence than mortals usually shew to each other. In truth, Reconciliation and Union are the objects of his warmest wishes, of his most fervent pray- ers : they occupy his thoughts, they employ his pen ; and if a stone shall happen to mark the spot where his remains are to repose, that stone sh dl speak of Peace and a Reconciliation . 'We come next to Politics, a subject of a very delicate nature, w here difference of opinion, like disagreement in Religion, has PREFACE given occasion to many ran- corous and interminahle con- tests: and here, expressions ap- parently favorable to republi- canism, or perhaps the general tendency of his principles to the cause of freedom, may in- cline some- of his readers to suspect him of an excessive and unconstitutional attach- ment to that form of govern- ment. Without doubt, Liber- ty, the source of so many vir- tues, the mother of so many arts, the spring of public and private happiness, of the glory and the greatness of nations, is and ever will be the idol of liberal and manly minds, and that system which is most fa- vorable toils development must necessarily obtain their appro- PREFACE. XVir bation. But fortunately they need not have recourse to fine- spun theories for the princi- ples, or look to past ages or to distant countries for the prac- tice of a free, and, what may justly, be called, a republican government. The Constitution of England actually comprises the excellencies of all the an- cient commonwealths, together with the advantages of the best forms of monarchy ; though lia- ble, as all human institutions are, to abuse and decay, yet like the works of Providence, it contains in itself the means of correction and the seeds of renovation. Such a system was considered as one of unattaina- ble perfection by Cicero, and was pronounced by Tacitus, a XVIIl PREFACE, vision fair but transient. A sche- me of policy that enchanted the sages of antiquity may sure- ly content the patriot and the philosopher of modern days, and the only wish of both must be, that, in spite of royal en- croachment and of popular frenzy, it may last for ever. In Literature, if the Author differs from those who have preceded him in the same Tour; if he censures the opinions of any other traveller or writer; he hopes he has expressed the reasons of his dissent with the tenderness and with the atten- tion due to their feelings and reputation . On the merits of the French language and literature he dif- fers from many ; but he is open P R E F A C E . XIX to conviction even on this sub- ject, and only requests the Rea- der to weigh with impartiali- ty the reasons which he pro- duces against both, and the mo- re so, as the question is of greater importance than may perhaps be imagined; for, to the wide circulation of French authors may be attributed ma- ny of the evils under which Europe now labors. This ob- servation naturally leads to the following. If ever he indulges in harsh and acrimonious lan- guage, it is when speaking of the French, their principles, and measures ; and on this subject he acknowledges that his ex- pressions, if they correspond with bis feelings, must be strong, because his abhorrence XX PREFACE of that government and of its" whole system, is deep and im- qualilied. Neither the patriot who recollects the vindictive spirit with which the Ruler of France carries on hostilities against Great Britain, the only bulwark of Europe, and the asylum of the Independence of Nations, because he knows where Freedom makes her last stand, Libertas nltima mundi Quo sleterit ferienda loco Lucan. viL nor the philosopher who con« siders the wide wasting w^ar which the French government has been so long carrying on against the Uberties and the PREFACE. XXI happiness of mankind, will pro-. LaBly condemn the author^s feelings as intemperate, or re- quire any apology for the harsh- ness of his expressions. As long as religion and literature, civilization and independence are objects of estimation among men , so long must revolutio- nary France be remembered with horror and detestation. It now only remains to in- form the reader, that the Tour sketched out in the following pages was undertaken in com- pany with Philip Roche, Esq. a young gentleman of fortune, who, Vvhile he spared no ex- pence to render it instructive, contributed much to its plea- sures hy his gentle manners, and by his many mild and be- XXII PREFACE, nevolent virtues; virtues whieh it was hoped, would have ex- tended their influence through a long and prosperous life, and contributed to the happiness , not of his family only, hut of an extensive circle of friends and acquaintances. But these hopes were vain, and the Au- thor is destined to pay this un- availing tribute to the memo- ry of his friend and companion. The two gentlemen wtio, with tl\e Author and his fellow traveller , formed tlie party often alluded to in the folloAV- ing pages, were the Hono- rable Mr. CusT, now Lord Brownlow, and Robert Rush- broke, Esq. of Rushbroke Park. The information, the politeness, and the good humor of the for- XXIII PREFACE. mer, with the liveliness, the mirth, and the accomplisli- ments of the latter, heigh- tened the pleasures of the jour- ney, and, by supplying a con- tinual fund of incident and conversation , rendered even Italy itself more delightful. To Lord Brownlow, the Author must acknowledge another ob- ligation, as he is indebted to his Lordship for several useful observations during the course of this work, and particularly for the details’ of the excursion to the island of Ischia^ and the account of the solitudes of Ca- maldoli and of Alvernia. The publication of these vo- lumes has been delayed by frequent avocations, and par- ticularly by a more extensive Xxiv PREFACE. arid scarcely less interesting excursion to parts oi Dalma- iia^ the Western Coasts of Greece^ the Ionian Islands^ to -Sicily^ Malla^ etc. etc. The details of this latter Tour may, perhaps, be presented to the public if the following pages meet its approbation. Great Chcsfcr/brd, EsseXp Sept. 1 ^, i 8 i 2 . 1 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. Jam mens praetrepidans avet vagari: ' Jam laeti studio pedes vigescunt. O dulees comitum valete caetus, Louge quos simnl a domo profectos^ Diverse variae viae reportaiit. Catul, XLiv. rri X HE degree of preparation necessary I for travelling depends upon the mo- i lives which induce us to travel. He i who goes from home merely to change I tire scene and to seek for novel fy ^ who i makes amusement his sole object^ and i has no other view but to fill up a few 1 months that must otherwise remain I unemployed*, has no need of mental VOL. I. 1 2 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, preparalioii for his excursion. All that such a loiterer can possibly want, are a convenient post-chaise, a letter of credit, and a well-furnished trunk 5 for occupation he will have recourse to inns, to coffee-houses, and to theatres, with their appertenances, which cannot fail to supply him with iiicidents^ anecdote, and pastime in abundance. But he who believes with Cicero, that it becomes a man of a liberal and active mind to visit countries ennobled by the birth and the residence of the Great ^ who, with the same Roman, finds himself disposed by the contemplation | of such scenes tp virtuous and honora- ble pursuits 5 he who, like Titus Quin- tius devoting the first days of leisure after his glorious alchievements , to ' the celebrated monuments of Greece^ J embraces the earliest opportunity of vi- siting the classic regions of Italy j such PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 5 a traveller will easily comprehend the necessiiy of providing before-hand the information requisite to enable him to traverse the country without constant difficulty, doubt, and inquiry. And indeed , if there be a Tour in which such preparation is more particularly wanting than in any other, it is that to which I allude: as Italy owes more to history than even to nature,* and he who goes over it merely with his eyes open to its embellishments, and his mind intent on observation, though he may see much and learn much also ^ will yet, with all his curiosity and di- ligence, discover one-half only of Its beauties. Even those travellers who have made someefforts to qualify them- selves by previous application, will on many occasions regret that they have not extended their researches still farther, and that they have not , by a longer 4 TRELTMINARY DISCOURSE, course o( preparation , added to their lueans Ijoili of amusement and of in- struction'*^. It may, therefore^ be con- sidered as an appropriate introduction to an account of Italy, to point out to the reader such branches of Infor- mation as are either indispensable or highly advantageous in an excursion to that country^ after which I mean to add a few reflections and cautions, with a view either to remove prejudices ^ or to prevent inconveniences* * Vous lie sauriez croire, says the Abbe Bartheleniy to the Comte De C ay la s,comh\en mon voyage ( eii Italle ) m’a ImmiHe'; j"ai vu tant de clioses qiie i’igiiorois, et que j'ignore encore, qii"il m^a paru fou de se savoir gre de quelqiies connoissanees superficielles. — Let^ tre xxi. Yet the author of Auach arsis was onei of the most learned and judicious antiquaries in France. PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. CLASSICAL KNOWLEDGE. 5 I. As these pages are addressed solely to persons of a liberal education^ il is almost needless to recommend the Latin Poets and Historians. Virgil and Horace, Cicero and Livy, ought to be the inseparable com])anions of all tra- vellers’, they should occupy a corner in every carriage « and be called forth in every interval of leisure to relieve the fatigue and to heighten the pleasure ofthe journey. Familiar acquaintance or rather bosom intimacy with the an- cients is evidently the first and most essential accomplishment of a classical traveller. But there is a class of Poets who, though nearly allied in language, senti- ments, and country, to the ancients, are yet in general little known 5 I mean the modern Latin poets ^ Vida, Sa- 6 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, nazarins, Fracastorius, Flaminlus, Po- litian, etc. * who laboured so success- fully to restore the pure taste of anti- quily. Boileau and the F'rench critics affected to despise these authors**, * Pope printed, or rather, I believe, reprint- ed with additions, a collection of poems from these authors in two volumes duodecimo. The Clarendon press gave the public a superb specimen of typographical elegance, in an edi- tion of Vida , in three volumes octavo, in the years 22, 25, 24 , of the last century. The contempt which the French critics generally shew for modern Latin poetry may, perhaps, arise from a consciousness of their own deiiciency in this respect. Cardinal Po^ lignac, Vaniere^ Rapin and Santeuil (a), are (a) This Inst author is inferior to the otliers, be- cause more affected. His hymns, though inserted in the Parisian Breviary, and much admired by Frencii critics, are quite disfigured by conceit ditiH antilhcjsis. PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. j and, for what reason it is difficult to discover, uiidervalued their latinity* But men of equal discernment, Alter- bury, Pope, and Johnson, entertained a very different opinion of their merit. the anly Latin poets if I recollect well, of any consideration that France has produced , and though they are not without merit, yet they betray in the effort with which they ad- vance and in the very art which they display, somewhat of the latent barbarian. Even in Latin prose the French do not seem to have succeeded better. There is always an appear- ance of study and constraint in their style, very different from the easy, unaffected flow of Italian authors. The latter only have either preserved or recovered the certa vox Romani generis , urhisque propria , in qua nihil of^ fendi , nihil displicere, nihil animadverti possity nihil sonaroy aut olere peregrinum, ( Cicero de Orjt.) Hence Mr. Roscoe has reason to mention these poets with partiality, under the appel- lation of the rivals of Virgil and Horace. (3 ^REL1MI^^ARY DISCOURSE, and not only read but sometimes bor- rowed from them. Every body is ac- quainted with the beautiful compliment which the British poet pays to Vida^and through him indirectly to his fellow- bards, whose united rays lighted up the glories of the second Augustan age^ and every reader not blinded by prejudice must admit the proprieiy of this poe- tical tribute 5 and acknowledge , that not Vida only^ but several of his con- temporaries tread in the footsteps of their illustrious countrimen Virgil and Horace, not unfrequently catch a spark of dieir inspiration 5 and often speak their language with the grace and the facility which distinguish native Ro- mans. Upon the present occasion I mean to recommend, in particular^ only such passages in their works as have an immediate connexion with Italy, and are calculated to give an PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 9 add.’llonal interest to any parlof its hi- story, scenery, or aniiqui lies. In these passage^, where the subject calls forth their energies, they glow wiiti native fire,- and in numbers not unworthy the fathers of Roman verse, pure, majestic, or patheiic, celebrate the grandeur, de-* scribe the beiutirs, or lament the mis- fortunes of their country. ITALIAN LANGUAGE, IT. It is evident that he who wishes to become acquainted with the man- ners, or to enjoy the society of the in- habitans of any country, must pre- viously learn their language,* it is not therefire my intention, at present, me- rely to recommend, what indeed no traveller entirely neglects, tlie study of //a//a^,but to enforce the necessity of commencing it at a much earlier 1 \ lo PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, period, and of continuing It for a much longer space of time than is now customary. He who enters Italy with an Intention of applying to its language particularly, must make a longer resi- dence there than our countrymen usual- ly do, or he will find too many external calis upon his attention and curiosity to allow him to devote his time to cabinet studies. Information there^ is lobe gathered, not from sedentary application , but from active research and observation. One day is devoted lo the contemplation of churches or ruins, the next is passed in the exami- nation of pictures, a third is dedicaled to a groiipe of ancient statues , and a fourth and a fifth are agreeably spent in the galleries or the gardens of a villa,* then excursions are to be made to spots consecrated by history or by song , to Horace’s Sabine farm or to Virgil’s PRELIMIIVARY DISCOURSE, ii tomb, to Tiburov Tusciilum, to Fieso^ le y or Vallomhrosa. In these delight- ful and instructive occupations , day<^, weeks, and months glide away with imperceptible rapidity, and the few leisure hours that may chance to occur at intervals are scarcely sufficient to give the diligent traveller time to col- lect his remarks and to embody his recollections. Let him, therefore, who wishes to visit Italy with full satisfac- tion and advantage, acquire, if possible, such an acquaintance with its language, previous to his journey, that nothing may be wanting to complete his com- mand of it but practice and conversa- tion. He that traveAleth into a countiy before he hath some entrance into the language^ goeth to school and not to travel^ says Bacon . 12 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. ITALIAN HISTORY. m. The next object whicli claims attention is the History of the diffe^ lent Revolutions of Italy y not only before 5 but during the decline and after the fall of the Roman Empire. The republican part of Roman history is considered as purely classical^, and as such is presupposed in the first paragraph. The lives or the reigns of the first Emperors are contained in Suetonius 5 Tacitus^ and Herodian^ • whose curious and amusing volumes must of course be perused with atten- tion, while the Scriptores Jlistorice jliigustce will not be neglected. The Abate Denina^s History of the Revo- lutions of Italy^ a work in great esti- mation, gives a very satisfactory view of the whole subject including both ancient and modern times. The two PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. i5 Sister Histories of Lorenzo and Leo, by Mr. Roscoe, contain a fuU and in- teresting account of one of llie most important epochs that occur in the an- nals of Italy 5 ihtjy have long since at- tracted the attention of every candid and reflecting mind^ and need not be recommended to persons who mean to visit the country which has been the theatre of the events^ and the abode of (he great men so eloquently record- ed in them. MEDALS. IV. Though I do not mean to turn young travellers into profound anti- quaries, yet I w(udd have them at least skim over all the regions of ancient learning. No spot in this extensive ter- ritory is either dreary or anprodnetive. Medals are intimately connected with i4 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. thv3 history and the manners^ with the arts and even the taste of the ancients. . . . Ant? fairhful to their charge of fame Through climes and ages bear each form and In one short view, subjected to our eye, (name. Gods, emph'ors, heroes, sages, beauties, lie. They merit therefore considerable at- tention. Ad Jisou’s Dialogues, written with the Ubual felicity of that graceful aiuhor, deserve to be recommended as a very proper Introduction to this amus- ing branch of knowledge. These dia- logues have also, independently of their scientific merit, a very strong claim to the attention of the classical traveller , from the numberless extracts from the ancients, and particularly the poets in- troduced with art, and frequently illus- trated with elegance. PRELIMINABY DISCOURSE. i5 architecture. V. As Italy possesses some of tho most perfect monuments of antiquity now remaining, Bes antiquae laudis et art is ^ as well as the most splendid productions of modern genius in Ar- chitecture, Sculpture^ and Painting, it is absolutely necessary to acquire a ge- neral knowledge of the principles of these three great arts. With regard to Architecture, Dean Aldrich’s Elements^ translated by Mr. Smyth of Kew College, is a very clear and concise treatise on the general principles, proportions, and terms of this art, and may be recommended as a good work of the kind for the use of beginners. The five orders, according to Palladio's system , are explaiuedi in a little treatise^ and illustrated in a set i6 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, of neat engravings by Cypriani,^ Sca^ mozzi\s Lives of the principil Archi- tects, preceded by a dissertation on the art in general , is an useful and very entertaining work. But the man who wishes to have ac- curate ideas and comprehensive notions on this subject, must not content him- self with these nor indeed with any modern composit’ons. He must have recourse to the ancients — ifiventas qui vifani excoluere per artes — and in their wiitings and monuments study the best models and tlie fairest speci- mens of architectural beauty. R ollin’s short treatise, in his Appendix to his Ancient History, enriclied with several citations and classical references, may serve as an introduction. It is not per- haps always accurate, because written ^ Roma 1801, PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 17 before an exact survey of several an- cient monuments had been made, but it is perspicuous and interesting, and like all the works of that excellent au- thor, admirably calculated to awaken curiosity in the youthful mind. Stuart’s Athens, a work of surprising exactness, presents to the eye, in one groupe, a collection of the noblest specimens of Grecian art and of Attic taste now existing*. In these matchless edifices, erected during the most flourishing pe- riod of Grecian architecture, the reader will discover the genuine proportions \\\e original Doric, the first and favorite order of the Grecian architects^ an order either slightly mentioned or ^ Mr. Wilkins'’s magnificent woi% entitled, Ma^na Grecia, is^ in execution, accurac}’', and inlerest, equal to any of the kind, and cannot be loo strongly recommended. i8 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, totally omitted by modern artists, though it is supposed, at least as em- ployed in the Parthenon and the tem- ple of Theseus , to unite above all others, ornament with simplicity and beauty with solidity. Vitruvius must be perused or at least consulted, with the assistance of the Italian translation and notes, to remove such difficulties as must invariably occur without some explanation Many works of greater length and more detail might be recommended , but the few alluded to are sufficient, not indeed to perfect an architect, but to form the taste of a young traveller. Besides, when the first principles are once known and the original propor- tions well understood, an attentive observer may improve his taste by ^ Vitruvio del Galianiy Napoli. PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 19 comparing the besl models ot Greek and Roman, of ancient and modern arcbltecture*. ^ No art deserves more attention than Ar- chitecture, because no art is so often caUed into action, tends so much to the embel- lishment or contributes more to the reputation of a country. It ought, therefore, at all events to occupy some portion of time in a liberal education. Had such a method of instruction, as that which is here recommended , been adopted a century ago, the streets of London, Oxford, and Cambridge, would not present so many shapeless buildings,raised atari enormous expence, as if designed for eternal monuments of the opulence and of the bad taste of the British nation. We should not see such a mul- titude of absurd edifices under the names of temples, ruins, etc. disgrace the scenery of England so much admired by foreigners. In short, instead of allowing architects to pursue novelty at the expence of taste, and seek for reputation by adaptations and pretended im- provements of their own invention, a method •which has never yet succeeded, their employ- PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. SCULPTURE. Vr. We come in llie next place to • Sculpture. Some acquaintance with anatomy is a desirable preliminary to the knowledge of this art, therefore he who wishes to form correct notions of the statues, which he must necessarily examine during his travels^ would do well to attend a few anatomical lectu- res previous to his departure from the University. The best meihod of acquir- ing a correct and natural taste in scul- pture is, without doubt, to inspect fre- cjuently the masterpieces of the art, to compare them with each other, and to converse occasionally with the best informed artists. ers would oblige them to adhere strictly to the ancients, and hy adopting their forms and proportions to adorn England with the noblest edifices of Greece and of Italy. PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 21 PAINTING. VII. Dll Fresnoy's Art of Paintings ami Sir Joshua Reynolds’t» well knoAVQ discon rses, together with much obser- vation and frequent conversation with persons well versed in this enchanting art, may enable attentive observers to distinguish the different schools, to ob- serve the characteristic excellence of each great master, the peculiar beauty of every celebrated piece, and give them, if not-the eruditos oculos ^ the disciiminating eye of the professed artist, at least the liberal satisfactioa of the judicious admirer. MUSIC. VIII. As Italy is acknowledged to fce the first countiy in the world for Music, both with regard to composition 22 PRELIMIIVARY DISCOURSE, and execution , something perhaps may be expected on that subject also. But, much as Ave may value music,, yet I think that young travellers ought rather tobe cautioned against its allure- ments than exposed by preparatory lessons to their dangerous influence. Music in Italy has lost its strength and its dignity,' It is little calculated cither to kindle patriotism. or to inspire devo- tion; it does not call forth tire ener- gies of the mind, nor even touch the strings of melancholy.lt tends father by its effeminacy to bring dangerous passions into action and like the alle- gorical stream of antiquity, to unman those who allow ihemseives to be hurri- ed down Its treacberous current. Plato would have forbidden sucli music, and banished its professors from his repub- lic,' at all events it neither wants nor deserves much encouragement^ and PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 25 We may at least be allowed to caution youthful travellers against a taste that too often leads to low and dishono- rable connexions. IX. I have now pointed out the pre- paratory knowledge which I thirjtk ne- cessary to all travellers who wish to derive from their Italian Tour , their full share of informaliou and amuse- ment. I will next proceed , according to my plan , to point out such disposi- tions, as will contribute very mate- rially to this object^ by removing pre- judices , and leaving the mind fully open to the impressions of experience and observation. All the dispositions alluded to , are included in one short but comprehen- sive expression, an unprejudiced mind. Tliis excellent quality is the re- sult of time and observation, of docility and benevolence. It does not require 24 rRELTMINAUY DISCOURSE, that we slionld be indiflerent to the prosperity ofour own count) y or blind to its pre-eminence^ but, that we should shew some indulgeime to the er- rors and some compassion for the suffer* ings of less favoured nations. Far be it from me, to wi^h to repress that spirit of patriotism which forms one of the no- blest features of the national character, and still farther every idea of encourag- ing the unfeeling sect, who conceal gerieral indifference^ under the affecta- tion of philantropy, and sacrifice the feelings of the patriot, to the pretended benevolence of the philosopher. But attachment to oiir own country, and partiality to its reputation^ do not oblige us to despise those nations, which having been otme tumbled from the pinnacle of Glory, are held by a series of disastrous revolutions and irresisti- ble circumstances in a slate of depen- PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. a5 dence and of consequent degradaiion. On the contrary, the numl)erless evils and abuses which result Irom slavery and oppression^, cannot but excite sen- linients of compassion and ol syin- paiby. Scipio, when hebeheldthe flames oi Carthage ascending to the skies, exclaimed with a prophetic application to Rome then triumphant, Ey Me'/ ToVg q7&'» xcera ©peVa, x«/ xktcc Bu^ov *Eraratively so little 5 lliat while the spirit of Chris- tianity is like its divine author^ im- mutable, its external form may change with the age and ibe climate, and, as public opinion and authority shall direct, assume or resign the pomp and the circumstance ol‘ worshi[),* that ceremonies, in themselves unmeaning, signify just as much as those, who employ them, attach to them, and that Catholic as well as Protestant nations may be allowed to adopt in religion as well as in civil life , such forms and rites as may seem caicnlated to ensure order and respect ^ that whether the GovSpel be read in the language and according to the simple forms of the Church of England, under the Gothic vaults of Yoik or of Canter- bury^ or whether it be chanted in Greel TRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 29 and Latin 5 with all the splendor of the R(»man ritual undtr the goldeu dome of the Vatican j it is always and every-where the same voice of iriiih^ the same tidings of salvation: in fine^ tliat all Chi’istians are marked on their entrance into life, with the same seal of salvation that all hope to receive at the eucharistic table the same pledge of redemption , and that all resign their souls in death to the same merciful Father, with humble hopes of for- giveness through the same gracious Redeemer. That there should be such an universal agreement in these great and interesting articles must be a subject of consolation , and of pious acknowledgment to every benevolent mind. But I fear that Charity itself can scarce look for a greater unanimity. An agreement in all the details and So PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, consequences drawn byargunients from first piinciples, is not to be expected in our present state, so chequered with light and shade, where knowledge is dealt out so unequally, and where the opinions of even good and wise men are so biassed by education, by habit, and by prejudice. But if we have not knowledge enough to coincide in speculation , we may at least have charity enough to agree in practice, by treating each other’s opinions with tenderness,* and, in all our differences and discussions , keeping in view that beautiful maxim inculcated by a very learned, a very zealous, and a very benevolent Father, In necessai'iis Unitas , in dubiis libertas , in nibus Caritas, X. It is usual to take with us as guides on our journey certain works written for the purpose, and Addison’s PRELIMINAPiY DISCOURSE. 5i Travels are generally recommetided ^ and indeed his known taste and charac- ter, together wiih the avowed purpose of his journey, might have juslihed the expectation of a finished performance. But though Addison had naturally an enlarged mind, humane feelings, and a fancy teeming with imagery, yet prejudice had narrowed his extensive views, religious acrimony had soured his Lemper, and party spirit had re- pressed his imagination . He gave there- fore to one half of the nation, what he owed to the whole,* he considered principally how he might support one party and annoy the other,* and he ran over great part of Europe, par- ticularly Italy , not so much a Classic as a Whig traveller. In his eyes, coun- tries appeared fertile and happy, or barren and miserable, not as nature formed them , but as they were con-^ 32 rRELIMlNAllY DISCOURSE, nected with France or with England, as their religion was Piolesiant or Ca- tholic. Hence, he dwells with at least as much complacency on the little miserable details of German and Ita- lian superstition, as on the interest- ing remains of Roman grandeur, and fills with the dreams of bigotry and the censures of intolerance, those pages whicli ought to have been devoted to the effusions of classical enthusiasm, and strewed with the flowers of ancient poesy. Prejudice or malevolence, in ordinary writers , excites neither sur- prize nor regret; the Ignorance or the folly of mediocrity can claim nothing more tlian contempt; but the errors and the defects of the wise and of the good awaken more serious emotions; '*' Vide seven pages devoted to St. Anthony's Sermon to the Fish, in Italian and English. PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 33 and while we justly lament the weak- ness of human nature we are caution- ed by such examples against the in- dulgence of passions_j which could ini- bitterthe benevolence^ and pervert the good sense, of the mild, the judicious Addison, Succeeding travellers have improved on this author’s defects, and loaded their pages with misrepresen- tation and invective : while, within the last ten years, some tourists have em- ployed their journals as vehicles of revolutionary madness, and instead of the landes Italiae and ihe fortia fa- cta patrum have given the j)ublic elaborate panegyrics on tlie French generals, and accounts of their achieve- ments as exaggerated as their own des- patches.^ * The best guide or rather companion which the traveller can take with him, is Corlnne on * 2 34 TRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. To conclude this lopic^ — an at- tentive traveller^ after having acquir- ed the preparatory knowledge recom- mended in the preceding pages, may safely rely on his own diligence, aided by the observations of the intelligent inhabitants, and by the maps and guides to be procured in every great town. Books, though necessary, are r Italie, a work of singular ingenuity and elo- quence. In it Madame de Stael does ample justice to the Italian character; though a Pro- testant she speaks of the religion of Italy with reverence, and treats even superstition itself with indulgence. She describes the climate, the beauties , the monuments of that privileg- ed country with glowing animation, Musaeo contingens cuncta lepore ; she raises the reader above the common level of thought, and inspires him with that lofty temper of mind, without whicli we can neither discover nor relish the great and the beautiful in art or in nature. PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 35 an incuniberance which never hals to increase as we advance ^ we ought therefore to confine ourselves to the classics, if possible, and even then we shall find our library sufficiently nu- merous and bulky. XI. Maps form anindispensablepart ofa traveller’s furniture. At setting out, two will be sufficient: one of Ancient, one of Modern Italy. Of the former Anville's is the best 5 of the lat- ter, an excellent one, extremely beau- tiful in the execution , and upon a scale large enough for information without being burthensome , has been published by ZanrioniA As the tra- veller advances, he must enrich his * The Map prefixed to the present edition is the same of Zannoni alluded ta. It is very accurate and well executed, and does credit to the ingenious engraver . 56 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, collection 5 and procure in its principal town 5 the map of each province or division. At Milan^ he will find se- parate maps of the lakes and the va- I'ioiis regions of Milanese, hi Man- tiia^ a beautiful, correct, but I believe scarce map, of that city and its vi- cinity , should be inquired for. At Bologna may be had the excellent maps of the Roman territory by Father Boscovich. At Rome may be pur- chased a map of the patrimony of St. Peter, and one of Latium. These I recommend, as they give the ancient and modern names of each town and territory, and at the same time mark the ancient roads, aqueducts, and ruins. The great and beautiful map of Rome must not be neglected, though if it should be deemed too expensive and bulky, there are two others of a smaller and more convenient size. The PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 37 best map of the kingdom of Naples is in four sheets.^ well prinJed , and said to be very accurate, by Zannoni, There are moreover, three maps of Naples and its neighborhood, of the bay and its islands^, of exquisite beauty in execution and ornament. 1 hese of course every traveller will purchase.'*' ROUTE. XII. We are now' to speak of the time requisite to make a bill and complete Tour of Italy, as well as of the season best adapted to the commencement of such a tour. A year, I think, is the shortest space that ought to be allotted, and a year Maps oil the same scale^ and of the same heant}", of ah the provinces of the Neapolitan territory; have; I believe, been since published. 58 PRELIVIINARY DISCOURSE, and a half or even two years might be well devoted to this useful and amusing part of our travels. The want of leisure is the only objection that can be made to this arrangement, but it is an objection seldom well grounded, as youth in general from nineteen to three or four-and-twenly, have more lime than business , and seem much more frequently at a loss for occupation than for leisure. Oc- cupation , necessary at all seasons, but particularly in youth, should be furnished, and no occupation can suit that age when the mind is restless and the body active, better than tra- velling. Moreover, every man of ob- servation who has made a cursory visit to Italy, will find that a first view of that country has merely qua- lified him to make a second visit with more advantage, and will perhaps PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 39 feel the cravings of unsatisfied cu- riosity^ the visendi studiiitn ^ at a thne when travelling may be inconsis- tent with the cares and the duties of life. It is more prudent^ therefo- re, to seize the first opportunity, and by then allotting a sufficient portion of time to the tour, gratify himself with a full and perfect view for ever. Supposing therefore, that a year and a half is to be devoted to this part of the journey, I advise the traveller to pass the y^lps early in the autumn, thus to avoid the inconvenience of travelling in winter or cold weather, an inconvenience always felt on the Continent, where ready fires, warm rooms, doors and windows that ex- clude the air, are seldom found. His route to the Alps may be as follows. He may first proceed to Brussels^ thence to Liege^ Spa^ Aix4a-Cha- 4o PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. pelle^ Cologne^ Bonne^ and along tho banks of the Rhine to Cobtenfz^ 3Ie/z^ and Strashwg:^ there cruss the Rhine to Manheinip traverse the Palarlnate^ the territoires of JVitten- herg^ Bavaria^ and Saltzhiirg^ enter the dt files of the Tyrol or Rlictiaii ^Ips^ and passing through fnsprnck and l^rent^ tJirn to Ba^ssano and to Mestre y whruice he may send his carriage by land lo Padua ^ and em- bark for Venice. From Venice he may go by waier up the Brent a to , Padua., where he may establish his head quarters, and visit Arcqua., ihe Monti Euganei.) and thence pass on- wards to Ferrara and Bologna th^n follow tlie Pda Emilia to Forli., thence proceed to Ravenna and /?/- mini., make an excursion to S an Ma-- vino., and advance forward to Anco- na.^ whence he may visit Osimo. He PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 4i will then coiiliniie his journey by Lo-> reto and Maccrata to Tolentirio^^ thence over the pennines to Foli^ gno^ Spo/eto^ and Terni^ and so fol- low the direct road through Civita Castcllana to Rome* I suppose that a traveller passes the Alpsiw Se[)tember5 of course he should reach Rome by the end of No- vember. I calculate ten or fifteen days delay on account of the autumnal rains^‘ for it is advisable by all means to stop at some large town during that period of inundation. These autumnal rains take j)lace somelimes in Septem- ber , though they frequently fall at a later period. At any rate , I would by no means advise a traveller to pass t^ie Apennines^ or visit any ter- ritory supposed to lie under the in- fluence of the malaria^ till these sa- lubrious showers have purified the air 42 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, and allayed the noxious vapours that hover over the Pontine Marshes, the Campagna di Ronia^ and some other low tracts, da iug the latter weeks of summer and the beginning of autumn: the air of Venice itself is supposed by many persons not to be quite exempt from this inconvenience. The traveller will devote the month of December to the first contempla- tion of Rome, and the consideration of its most striking beauties . He will then do well to proceed to Naples , where the months of January, Fe- bruary, and (if Easter be in April) of March, will be delightfully em- ployed in visiting the numberless beauties that lie in that neighborhood, and along the storied shores of Mag^ na Grecia. At all events, the tra- veller must so time his return as to be at Rome the week before Easter, PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, 43 in order to be present at the cere-^ monies that are performed in the Sixtine Chapel, and in St. Peter’s^ before and during that festival. The Months of April, May, and June will not appear long when pas- sed leisurely in a survey of the re- mains of ancient magnificence and the study of the great models of mo- : dern art, and when enlivened by fre- ; quent excursions to Tibur^ Ostia^ ^ Antium^ Mount Soracte^ Praene^ i ste^ and the Sabine mountains. The > Alban Mounts with all its tumuli j and luci^ may be reserved for the : hot months of July and August^ there I he may easily establish himself in . some villa, whose cool retreats will af- ford him shade and refreshment dur- i ing the oppressive heats of the season. In the course of September , or rather when the autumnal rains have 44 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, fillen 5 it will bo time to turn towards Florence . The first object wh’ch should claim the attention of the tra- veller in the neighborhood of this city is Fallomhrosa , because its elevated situation renders it difficult of access at an early period of au- tumn . The first opportunity therefore must be embraced, and the excursion, if the weather be favorable, continued to CarnaldoU and La Vernia , two other celebrated and higlily romantic solitudes . The winter may be divided very agreeably between Florence and the other Tuscan cities . In the beginning of February the traveller may pass the Apennines to Modena^ Parma^ Piacenza^ Lodi^ Cremona ^ Mantua^ and Verona^ allowing four days or a week to each town and its neighborhood . From Verona he will visit Peschiera and TRFLTMTNARY DISCOURSE. 45 the J.ago di Garda ( Benacus ), ihfiice direct his course ]>y Brescia and Bergamo to Milan . From Mi-^ Ian he wili make the celebrated lakes Como and Magg'iore objects of at- Untion ^ and I lienee shape his course by Veicdli^ arid Tortona^ to Genoa, He will then take the mad of the maritime dips by Savona to Nice ^ after which he will turn inland to Turin. Mount Cenis^ the terminatioa of his Italian Tour^ then rises before him in distant perspective . If 5 while at Najrles ^ he find it safe or practicable to penetrate into the sou: hern provinces of Calabria and dpidia.) he will not in gleet the op- portunity 5 and ^ with the adviition of that txcursion , by foil owing the road which 1 have traced out , he will have seen every town of note , and indeed every remarkable plain ^ hilly 46 PRELTMEVARY DISCOURSE, or mountain in Italy , and become if)timately acquainted wiih the num- berless beauties and curiosities of iliat most interesting country . But if he should not have so much time at his disposal 5 he may retrench the first part of the touiv^ proceed direct to Switzerland^ pass the y41jjs hy Mount St. Gothard ov Sernpione and de- scending directly to Dome D'^Ossola visit the lakes , and proceed from Co^ mo to Milan ^ Brescia.^ Verona^ Vicenza^ Padua., Fenice., and re- turning again by Padua and Vicenza turn to Mantua., Piacenza Parma, Modena., Bologna., along the Adria^- tic as above. He will moreover abrid- ge tlie time devoted to Naples and Rome 5 pass the summer in Tuscany g ) hy sea from Leghorn or Carrara to Genoa., and j)ass thence l)y the Bocchclta direct to Turin . The visit PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 47 to the lakes ought to be so timed as to avoid the equinoctial winds, ex- tremely dangerous, because very sud- den and very boisterous so that it is not uncommon in these seasons to see the lakes pass, in the short space of half an hour , from a state of per- fect calm to the most tremendous agitation . XIII. The great roads in Italy are good , the posts well furnished with horses, and robberies not common^ travelling is therefore, in general, safe and expeditious . The principal , and indeed almost the ordy incon- veniencies , arise from the equinoctial rains and the summer heats . The in- fluence of both is felt over all Italy • that of the former is particularly in- convenient and even sometimes dan- gerous , especially in the northera provinces and along the eastern coast. 4^^. rnEIIMIlVARY DISCOURSE. The immense numl)er of coiisi(Iera])le ri^ds, dull as the 'Janeiro^ the Tesino^ the Bormida^ the Adda^ etc, that pour their tiihiitaiy waters info the Po 5 while wlih it iliey con(ril)ute so laigeiy fo fhe Inxurianry and beau- ty of tl>e plains throngli which they glide 5 yt'I ? when s\velled with con- tinued rains ^ like it they overflow their banks and inundate the level surface of the surrounding country . On (hese occasions fhe roads are co- vered wUli mud , the fords rendered ixnpassable ^ bridges not unfrequently swept away, and the communication between dilTerent towns and prov’n- ces entirely snsj)onded . JNor do tliese inundations always subside as soon as might be expected fjom the general heal and dryness of tlie cli- mate,* their pernicious effects are so- metimes felt for months afterwards ^ PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 49 and I recollect to lia\e nayself observ- ed in March 18025 in the neighbor- hood of Mantua^ or rather about ten miles lower down 5 between the Mincio and the Po, vast sheets of water , and whole fields immerged ^ the effects of an inundation some months btfore . VirgU , whose farm bordered upon the Mlucius 5 seems to have had a particular apprehens’ori of the consequences of inundations.^ if we may judge from the accurate details which he gives of the signs of approaching rain ^ and the picture which he draws of their disastrous iconsequences. The traveller therefore, ]v,’ho may be surprised by these pe- :riodical showers , if in compliance iwith the advice given above , he esta^ iblishes himself in the first commodious cun ^ will not find such accidental ilela ys either useless or unpleasant . I VOL. I. 5 5o PRELIMIIVARY DISCOURSE. But to return to the principal object of this paragraph . Though the sun in Italy has even in the cooler seasons , a sufiicient degree of warmth to in- commode a foreigner^ yet the beat can scarcely be considered as an obstacle to travelling , except in the nionlhs of July and August 5 then indeed it is intense, and it is imprudent in the traveller to expose himself to the beams of the sun for any time though Englishmen frequently seem insensible of the danger , and brave alike the rigours of a Russian winter and the heats of an Italian or even of an Egyptian summer. Fevers and unti- mely deaths are sometimes the con- sequences of this rashness , and more than one traveller has had reason to regret his imprudence . To avoid these dangers , persons who are obliged to travel during the hot months generally PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 5i proceed by and repose during the sultry hours of I lie day . By this ineihod , without doubt they guard ^ sufficiently against the inconveniencies and dangers of the weather^ but at the same time they sacrifice one of the principal objects , the scenery of the country ^ and this sacrifice in Italy can , in my opinlonj be compensated by no advantages . The best method^ therefore 5 is to set out a full hour before sun-rise^ to stop at ten, and repose till five, then travel as day light will permit : by this arrangement of time the traveller will enjoy the prospect of the country , the freshness of the mornings and the coolness of th e evening, and devote to rest those hours only which heat renders unfit j for any purpose of excursion or of i enjoyment o 52 TRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. ACCOMMODATIONS; A ftjw words upon the inns and accomm )d itions In Italy will be suf- ficient . An English traveller must, tlie very instant he embarks for the Continent, resign many of the comforts and conveniencies whidi he enjoys at home , and which he does not suf- ficiently prize , because he Is seldom in the way of learning their value by privation . Great will be his disap- pointment if, on his arrival, he ex- pects a warm room, a news-paper, and a well-stored larder . These ad- vantages are common enough at home, but they are not to be found in any inn on the Continent, not even sennes at Calais or the Mahon Rouge at Frankfort . But the prin- cipal and most offensive defect abroad is the want ol cleaiiliness, a defect PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 55 In a greater or lesser degree common to all parts of the Continent. In Italy, to whicli these observations are confined , the little country inns are dirty, but the greater inns, parti- cularly ii\ Rome^ Naples^ Florence^ and Venice , are good , and in general the linen is clean , and the beds are excellent . As for diet , in country towns, the traveller will find plenty of provisions, though seldom prepar- ed according to his taste. But, iL faut bien p ” says Mr. De la Lande, racheter par quelque chose les agreniens de V Italic. ” This representation of Italian ac- ! commodations , which it is hoped , ! will be found on experience tolerably I accurate , is not on the whole discou- i raging, and our traveller may com- ^ inence his journey without the ap- ( prehension of any very serious or 54 rRELTiVlIIVARY DISCOURSE, distressing inconvenience . He who can content himself with plain food and a good bed^ will find abundant .1 compensation "^for the absence of the •’ supernumerary pleasures of accorn- modation ^ in the indulgence of ra- tional curiosity ^ and the acquisition of knowledge . The classical reader i will console himself In the assurance^ 5 that accominodations in the worst Italian Inns at present 5 are far better than what they seem to have been ™ in Horace’s time , at least , if we may ^ be allowed to form conjectures about the state of inns in general from that of Beneventum in particular . The inconvenience of which the poet complains at Trevicus is at pre- sent very general at the inns both of France and Italy, where the shivering traveller finds himself, if he happens to travel in cold weather , like Ho- PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 53 race ^ often ushered into a clamp room 5 and placed before a newly lighted fire, diffusing a half smother- ed flame , lacrimoso non sine fiimo. OBJECTS OF ATTENTION. XTV. It may not he deemed su- perfluous to enumerate the principal objects which deserve a traveller’s attention , and to point out^ at the- same time , the best method of sa- tisfying his curiosity. The manners ^ customs , and opinions , together with the different lights which reli- gion , government, and climate, throw upon the characters of nations and individuals, without doubt, claim our first attention. To converse with the natives of the country, to fre- quent public assemblies and courts , and, on the other hand, to take an 56 PRELTMIIVARY DISCOURSE, occasional range through the humble walks of life , is the proper method of acquiring this useful information^ Inlrodution to the higher class in Italy is not very difficult , ihey meet in evening parties ^ either at particular houses 5 where such assemblies are called conversazioni-^ or at the ca- siiio ^ a sort of fashionable club esta- blished in most towns in Italy. A letter of introduction to any person of rani; will open all such assemblies to a stranger . But the traveller , who really wishes to know the manners of the Italian gentry, must endeavour to jjenetrale into the interior of so- ciety, and form acquaintance with sonie of the principal characters in each town , particularly if there be any among them of literary reputa-. tion . j\or would this be a difficult task, if we went to Italv better vers- PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 57 ed in its language 5 and if we de- voted more time to the cultivatiou of onr acquaintance there . This pri- vate society 5 if it be select, and I recommend no oilier, is, I think for very obvious reasons , far preferable to larger circles . But, while speaking of society, I think it necessary to make an ob- servation, the propriety of which must strike every reader, because it is founded upon the change which has taken place in the higher classes on the ^continent during the last ten years . The court of Versailles w; s formeriy considered as the most po- lished court in the world , and the stale of society at Paris , as \^e!l as at Rome and Turin , was supposed to have reached a very high degree of rcfi nenieiU . The principal object of travelling then was to acquire, in 58 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, some accomplished society , that ease and tliose graces which consliuite tlie ])errection of good breeding, and which were seldom, it was then fancied, to be discovered in the manners of a home-bred Englishman . How far this opinion was true, it is not my intention to examine , but it was very generally admitted^ and in conse- quence no young man of rank was deemed qualified to make an advan- tageous entrance into the world till, by a considerable residence in the capitals mentioned above, he had worn o(f somewhat of the native roughness of the Briton . But the case is very different at present . The French Re- volution has been as fatal to the man- ners as to the morals of nations it lias corrupted the one, and hriUalized the other . It is not to society in such a slate that he is to look for improve- PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE., 69 menC, nor indeed is such inriprove- ment either the sole or the prin- cipal motive of travelling at present, nor is it necessary to wander over the Continent in quest of accomplish- ments . London^ that has long been I the Srst city in Europe fur popula- tion^ extent, and opulence^ is now also confessedly the first in point of society^ and the Capital of the polite I and fashionable , ' as it has long been I of the commercial world . The first ! class of its society, the most nume- rous of that description that has ever I been united in any great city , com- : prehends all the advantages of tide , ^ of fortune, and of information . I do j not hereby mean to depreciate conti- nental society or represent it as use- less , but I wish to point out to the reader the change that has taken pla- ce, and to caution him against expect- Go TRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, iiig from foreign society ^ in its pre- sent slate, all the advantages which were formerly supposed to be deriv- ed from it . This subject naturally leads to a question which, I beUeve , is gene- rally solved rather from habit and prejudice than reason. Are we ^ as Bacon says, cc to sequester ourselves IVom ihe company of our country- men cc while abroad , or may we be allowed sometimes to associate with them ? The answer to this question should be drawn from principles of general or rather durable utility. The object of all our travels, studies, and pursuits is, or ought to be, perma- nent advantage. We do not, doubt- less, travel to France or to Italy to see EngUshmea^ but yet we travel for improvement and for amusement,* and whatever society contributes to' PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 6i either, ought to be cultivated with an assiduity proportioned to its ad- vantages. The traveller^ therefore^ onglit by all means to procure an in- troduction to the best company of the great towns through which he may pass; and at the same time he may become acquainted wltli such English gentlemen as may chance to be in the same place. Such an ac- quaintance super- induces no obhga- tion 5 it may be cultivated or dropt at pleasure; but the trial ought to be made; and if experience may be cre- dited, the reader may be assured , that casual acquaintance not unfre- quenlly ripens into settled and per- manent friendship. Continental con- nexions in general are of a very dif- ferent nature ; however agreeable, they are contracted only for the oc- casion 5 and cannot be supposed, ia 62 ^RELTMI^'ARY DISCOURSE, general, strong enough to resist the influence of absence. BesicJes, why should we voluntarily reject one of the greatest advantages of travelling, an o])portunily of selecting friends, and forming sincere and durable at- tachments for, as Ovid observes in some beautiful lines, there is not a stronger bond than that which is form- ed by a participation of the acci- dents and of the vicissitudes of a long and eventful journey.^ * Te diice_, rnagiii fleas Asiae perspeximus Urbes : Triiiacris est oculis, tc ducc, nota ineis. Vidlmns/Elnnea coelmn splendescere flamma; Snppvjsitus moiiti quain vomit ore gigas : Hcniiaeosqnc laeiis, ct oleiUia stagua Talici, Quaqiic sais Gyanea miscet Auapus aquis..., PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 63 SCENERY. The general face of the country^ so conspicuously beaudful all over Italy^ i Et quota pars haec sunt rerum, quas vidi- mus am bo, j Te mihi jucundas efficiente vias ! I Sen rale caeruleas picta sulcavimus undas : i Esseda nos agili sive tulere roUL I Soepe brevis nobis vicibus via visa loquendi I Pluraque, si numeres, verba fuere gradu. i Soepe dies sermone minor fuit ; inque lo- quendurn Tarda per oestivos defuit bora dies. Est aliqiiid casus, pariter timuisse marines 5 Junclaque ad aequoreos vota tidisse Deos : Ilaec libi si subeant (absim licet) omnibus horis Ante tuos oculos, ut mode visus; ero. Oi>icLEp, ex Ponto ^ lib, ii. x. 21. seq. 64 PRELIMIIVARY DISCOURSE, nierits frcm this circumstance alone peculiar attention, and when to its j*icturesque features we add those chinu-i, less real but more enchant- whii'.h Fancy sheds over its sce- ntvy , we give it an irresistible inte- rest that awakens all the feelings of the classic youth. Our early studies, as G'bbon justly ol)■^erves^ allow us to sympathize in the feelings of a Ro- man,* and one might almost say of every school boy not insensible to the swee’s of his first studies , that he ])ecoincs in heling and sentiments, j)eihaps even in language, a Roman. It is not then wonderful, lhat when in a riper age he visits that country and bell )hls those very scenes which he has imagined to himself so long bed ore, he should feel an uncornmon glow of enthusiasm, and in the mo- ment of enchantment , should add PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 65 some imaginary to their many real charms. Besides, the scenery of Italy is truly classical y I inean^ it is such as described by poets an 1 historians. Earthquakes, the only species of re- volution that can permanently alter the great features of nature, however common they may be there , have, if we except a few places In the neighborhood of Naples, and some distant parts of the coasts of Ca/a- hria , made in the whole but little alteration. Even wars, invasions, and the devastation of eighteen centuries have not yet eradicated those local ornaments that arise either from the tendency of the soil or from the per- severing attention of the inhabitants. The Sylarls is still shaded with gro- ves and thickets ^ the rose of Poe^ stmUy though neglected^ still blooms Avice a year , to \Yaste its sweetness 66 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. on the desert aiv\ while Mount burnns still glories in the ilex and in the neverlading verdure of his lofty forests . But not to anticipate various obser- vations that will occur 5 each in irs proper place , one advantage , at all events , the face of nature possesses in Italy 5 wdiich is, that it seldom or never disappoints the traveller , or falls short of liis expectations, how- ever high they may have been pre- viously raised,* on the contrary, ifl may form any opinion of the senti- ments of foreigners in general by my own and by those of my fellow tra- vellers, the lakes, the vale of the Clitumnus ^ the fall of the Anio^ the banks of the Nar ^ the waters of Tihnr^ the groves of Alhaiio ^ and the plains, the hills, the coasts , the bays of Campania Felix ^ not only PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 67 equal but even surpass the descrip- tions of the poets 5 and tlie bright pictures of youthful imagination . RUINS. The same observation cannot he applied to mins, which, however interesting they maybe, seldom an- swer expectation. When we read or hear of Roman ruins we figure to ourselves a vast scene of broken co- lumns, shattered cornices, mutilated statues, hanging arches, and inter- rupted colonnades. Such a magnifi- cent scene of desolation may indeed he seen at Poestum , Agrigentiim , and Selinus ^ and such also is oc- casionally presented on the Seven Hills^ in the majestic remains of the ancient City. But these grand objects are rare , for, if to the exceptions just mentioned, Cn PRELTMTiVARY DISCOURSE, we adtl the lem[)le of Tivoli^ the amphitheatre and gates of Verona^ and two or three triamplial . arches - we shall find little more than totter- ing walls and masses of brick . Ruins^ till Ih e revival of taste in the fi- fteenth century 5 were considered as quarries fnrn'shing materials to those wlio chose to employ them; and un- fortunately many did employ them with little or no regard to their an- cient fime, their costly workm m- sliip, or their fair proportions. When Belisarius turned the tomb of Adrian into a fortress , he paid little at- tention to the masterpieces of scul- ])ture that adorned its circumferen- ce, and it is said that, on that occasion the sleeping Faun pleaded in vain the beauty of his limbs and the grace of liis attitude. Whatever obstructed the machinery was tumbled to the PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 69 ground 5 whatever was fit for defence Avas worked into the rampart . In sli It, first war, then convenience, and lastly, Taste itself directed by self-love, de.strayed or defaced the woiks of ancient art, and eiiher left no marks of their existence behind, or reduced them to a mere dislocated skeleton . The traveller therefore must not be sanguine in his expectailons of satisfaction from the first appea- rance of ruins In general , but coiitent himself with the ceitainly of finding, amid numberless uninteresting masses that bear that name, some few beau- tiful specimens , as w^dl as some grand monuments of Roman magni- ficence . CHURCHES Modern edifices next claim our at- tention, and among them the priu- ro I’RKLIMIXARY discourse. / n’pal are cliurdies, j)articularly ca- di mIhiIs . Many of the latter are indeed very noble piles, and ei- llier exlemally or internally pre- sent btr.king instances of architec- tural beauiy. Even wdiere there is no display of architecture, there is gtnuTally a richness of materials ^ a jirolus'on of marble , and not iinfre- qiienlly, a luxuriancy of sculpture and jiaiuting tliat delights and sur- jn’ises ilie transalpine sj^ectator . There is also in every cathedral a chapel cl' the Holy Sacrament, which is almost universally of exr[«iisite work- maushij) and of splendid decorations. Some indeed are jierfect masterjiieces of proportion , symmetry , and ele- gance . I have hinted above , that few cliu relies jiresent an exterior and in- terior equally linished;^ in reality one^ PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 71 half of the great churches iu Italy are left in a very imperfect state with regard to the outside 5 the fact is singular 5 but the reason obvious. At the restoration of the arts, a sudden enthusiasm seized all Italy 5 princes 5 bihho])s, noblemen, entered the lists of taste widi ardor 5 each longed to signalize himself and im- mortalize his name by some superb fabric and rival cathedrals , palaces, and villas rose on all sides . But their means were not always adequate to their grand un lertakings . Some edi- fices were finished , some eniiialy neglected , and many have been con- tinued with slow, parsinionioiis pa- tience down to the present period. The nobility of Vicenza are said to feel even at present the conse- quences of their forefathers’ maguifi- ceiice, and the Palladian decoralions 72 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, of tlieir ciiy are still supposed to prey on llicir finances . (lie propensity of the nation is uncontrolaljle ^ for thou- h j)ul)lic ami j^rivate juopeity has been exhausted by the French invasion , yet the enemy were scarcely with- drawn when, with laudable spirit^ ^ excitions were instantly made In ma- g ny ])laces to repair some of the edifi- ces which those modern Vandals thus had damagetl , and to supply the place of some of the masterpieces which they had carried away. Churches , on the whole, are very interesting, as there are (Vw that do not present some object worthy the attention of the traveller. With respect to palaces , I must venture to say that, in general, they are deficient in strict architectural beauty, as few, I fear, are to be found even in Italy, >Yhere, in some point PRELTMmARY DISCOURSE. 75 or other, the architect has not sacri- ficed symmetry and proportion to ca- price and vanity. But if it be possible to overlook a defect so material , it must be acknowledged, that the mar- bles , statues , and paintings that ge- nerally adorn the specious apartments, oftentimes f the day, and perhaps i doomed there to underi»o certain unknown chastisements, these hapless spirits are said to fill the cavern with groans and shrieks, and yell so loud, as to pierce the surface of the earth, and not unfrequently to reach the ear of the lonely woodman, but at night the dungeon is opened, the imprisoned spirits are at liberty, and the woods, that overhang the steep brows of the mountain, echo with the sound of an infernal trumpet, with the barking of hellish dogs, and with shouts too deep and loud to proceed fmm mortal organs. Tradition does not say, that the sportsmen have ever condescended to shew themselves to any human being; but it is reporled, that at midnight, flames of blueish tint and of various sizes have been seen traversing the forests of the Unterberf' with the velocity of lightning; and these flames the people have turned into hounds and horses, huntsmen and beasts, all of fire. Some conjecture, that 8G CLASSICAL TOUR CTi. I the chief of lliese restless sportsmen is one of the former bishops, who, like many of ]iis German brethren, in a^es not very remote, was acenstofned to pass in the ehaee the hours and days >vhieh he oui>ht to have devoted to the duties of his station. Others pretend, that it vvas a Count, or, what was nearly the same thin;' in certain periods of Gcrinaii liistory, a jobber, who had built a castle amid these fastnesses, and used to emplrjy his days m pni'suin;; and arresting travellers, in ravaging the (ields and vallies below, and compelling all the eonuti’y I’oimd to pay hiiix liibule. Jt would be diffie.nlt to decide the question, as the bishop and the Gomit seem both to have a fair claim to the manorial honors of the Uuterher^ : we shall therefore wave the discussion of this knotty point; and the more readily, as the invisible horn has now ceased to sound ; the infern d pack no loiiger disturbs the silence of the woods, and the spirits of the ehaee have either fill filled the (lays of llieir punishment, or are sent to sport ill soHL'ides less liable to observation. The Unterher^ ^ however, is not the only inonutoin in Germanv supposed to be the haunt of preternatural huaters. ! Ck. T. TIIROUGir ITALY, R/ The salt mines ai (Lille ixhjxit four mi« I les from Saltzbur^, are deservedly celebratedo The entrance is near the sunim L of a moun- tain, and Lite ascent, though over a ^ood road, lon^ and tedious. Near the summit is a village with a handsome church. Seeing a ciovvd assembled round ihe door of a public house, we were informed, that tliey weie celebrat- ing a jubilee, on the liftieth anniversary of the marriage of an old couple, and, at the same tune, the wedding of a grandson. We were invited in as soon as observed , and treated with cake, wine, and beer. The dance was going on merrily, and some of our party joined in it, con spirito a circumstance wlijch seemed to give much satisfaction. The per- sons of the younger damsels wei e not un- comely, nor were their coun.enances with- out expression : but their dress was such as would have disfigured far more perfect forms, and turned beauty itself into deformity. To enliven the dance, they now and then clapped their hands, and uttered a shriek very grat- ing to ears unaccustomed to the tones of Al- pine merriment. We departed, pleavsed with the novelty of the scene, and still more with the hospitality of the good people. Ch. I. 88 CLASSICAL TOUR At Icn^^th vve reached the summit, and enlered the mines by a long subterranean: gallery, which terminated in the mouth of the first descent We there accoutred our- selves in miners’ dresses, and slid down five hundred feet, in a manner perfectly s ifo and coni mod ions. It is managed thus. The shaft may be about four feet broad , and about five high, worked above into the form of an arch. The line may diverge about thirty feet in the liundred from the perpendicular. The space in the middle is hollowed and worked into steps. On each side of these steps at aboul a foot distance, runs a pole like the side of a ladder. On these poles a miner re- clines with his feet extended, so (l^.it the poles pass under his knees and under his arms. A traveller places himself beliind him in the same ]>oslurc , but so close, as to rest the inside of his knees on the miner's shoulders. The olhcrs follow (he example, and form a line, in such a manner, that the one ^l)ove always rests gently on the shonldeis of the one below. Another miner genei’ally goes in the middle, and a (bird closes the rear. The fiist miner regulates the motion, and if he iiaJ it necessary to check or stop it entirely, Ch. I. THROUGH IT\LY. he need only to put his foot backward , and touch one of steps behind. The miners carry torches made of the fir tree. When the line is formed, upon a signal given, the miner undermost lets the ropes loose (for two ropes run parallel with the poles and nearly touch them) and glides down with great rapidity. We suddenly found ourselves in an immense hall , lighted up with a prodigious number of candles. This hall was very long and broad^ but extremely low, and as the cieling was flat, unsupported either b}'^ pillars or props, apparently of very crumbling materials, it was natural to feel some apprehension of its giving way. The miners, however, tranquil- lized us, by assuring us that such accidents never happened, however probable they might appear. The sides were adorned here and there with basso relievos of different bishops, rudely worked in the earth or rock. The lights, as I said above, were numerous ; but instead of being reflected from a great variety of spars and shining miner'als , which a traveller might naturally expect to find in a salt mine, the blaze falls sullen and dead from the walls, and serves only to shew the thickness of the surrounding gloom. From this hall we passed 90 CLASSICAL TOUR €h, 1. into a ^.iHcry, and ifionce descended, in the same manner as before, into a second, a llrrd, and a fourth, of nearly the same form an 1 dimensions. These halls are used for the followm*' purpose; the salt is worked from the sides and cieling; then water is let in, and kept confined t.ll it is impregnated with salt, after which it is drained away into the salt works, and the earthy particles remain deposited on the floor. We quitted the mine with as much faci- lity as we entered. We were placed astride a long bench ; one miner moved before to guide , two others were placed behind to push this bench down a gently inclined plane. After so.ne minutes of rapid motion, we perceived the appearance of a star, which gradually increased upon ns, till we were launched once more into full day. The exit is as picturesque as the entrance is gloomy. It opens under a cliff, clad with brambles growing out of its crevices, and overhung with pines and fa's, clinging to the sides, and bending from the brows of the preci- pice. On one side, a torrent bursting from the crag, tumbles from steep to steep, till it cngulphs itself in a deep shaded dell ^ and Ch. I. THROUGH ITALY. 91 on the other, far below, stretches the town of Hallelrriy with its white houses and spire. On our exit, the miners presented each of us with a little box containing specimens of salt. They were very beautiful in color and shape, but are not easily preserved, as they crumble into dust by the motion of the car- riage, and are dissolved by the least humi- dity. On the whole our visit to the mines of Hallei/n was a very pleasant, and not au unimproving excursion. Our stay at Saltzburg was much enlivened by the hospitality of Prince J. Schwartzen- hurg, a canon of the cathedral, to whom^ the Princes of Schwartzenhurg had obligingly recommended us. This young nobleman en- tertained us with great splendor, pointed out to us the most interesting objects , introduced us to the best company at his dinners , con* certs , and suppers , and rendered the place so agreeable, that we fixed the day of our departure with no small reluctance. We must ever retain a grateful recollection of his at- tention and kindness. February the 10th. About nine in the morn- ing we set off from Saltzhurg, A thick fog hang over the surrounding scenery. We could ^2 CLASSIC \L TOUR Ch .V only perceive that the road ran over a plain, naked in ^^eneral, bnt occasionally ornament- ed with villa^^es, whose graceful spires at intervals attracted our attention. After having crossed the plain, we reached the skirts of a vast mountain, presenting at first a black indistinct mass, which cast a dark shade on the fog that enveloped it, and then just dis- played its fir- cl ad summit so far above the mist, tliat it appeared to hang in the air, an 1 to belong to some other region. Reichenhall is a well-built little town, or rather village, remarkable for its salt works, and in a prosperous condition. We were now at the very foot of the Alps, and entered their defiles at a place called Unkin y about one mile from Reichenhall, The road first sweeps along the base of a noble eminence covered with firs; a church spire rises on the side of a hill ; and on the summit of the same hill stands a cas- tle in ruins. Proceeding onwards we come to the foot of the precipice, .which with its caslle overhangs the road in tremendous majesty. We then enter a dell, a sudden turn of wliich presents on one side a vast moun- tain dad with jQrs; while on the other the Ch. L THROUGH ITALY. 93 precipice , girded with a zone of forest trees,' increases in height and grandeur, and, sur- mounted with the old rampart walls, looks like the battleniented dwelling of a race of giants. In front, an immense mass, covered with a hundred >voods , and half wrapped in fogs and clouds , obstructs the view , and forms an awful foreground to the picture. Still continuing to ascend, we wind along the dell, with a torrent murmuring by the road side, and all around mountains m various grotesque forms , increasing in height in shagginess , and in horror. The scene was here truly tremendous. The defile is very narrow, leaving space only for the road and for the torrent. The mountains rise on each side so nearly per- pendicular, that the vast forests growing on. their sides cast a dismal shade over the road, and loaded as they were with a weight of snow, seemed ready to fall, and bury the traveller as he passed below. Now and then, a chasm broke the uniformity of this gloo- my scenery, and presented an object less dark, but equally terrific — a torrent arrested in iis fall by the frost, hanging from the brow of a crag in solid masses, and termi- ^4 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I. in immense pointed icicles. The least of these iciiles, if detached from the sheet above, would have crushed tho whole parly; and, when contemplated thus suspended over oiu’ heads, jam jam lapsura cadendque adsi- mifis, could not fail to excite some emotions of tenor. Whenever the nioimtains receded and sloped backwards, they on^y enabled us to discover forests rising above each other, and swelling into new regions, till they con- cealed their extent and elevation in the clouds. The snow la}^ deep on the road, and on the approach of nighty began to fall again in great quantities. We moved slowly on; and when night set in with all the darkness of the season, our situation appeared such as might have discoinaged even experienced travellers. After some honrs^ exertion, and very little progress, our drivers wer*e serious- ly alarmed, and entreated us to allow them to return with their horses, before the depth of the snow, Avhich was every moment in- creasing, slionhl render the roads impassa- LV. They promised to come to onr assis- tance ear^y in the morning, with a suffieient number of persons to remove the snow, and enable us to proceed. This proposal, as luay Ch, T. TimOUGH ITALY. 95 Le supposed, was rejected, and the drivers were, partly by representations, and partly by threats, induced to remain. All the horses were put alternately to each c irriage, whilst we proceeded o i foot, and with no small diffi<‘iilty at length reached the post house, where we took sledges, and continued our journe}^ at the rate of ten miles an hour. We reached St. John at a late hour. A neat col- legiate church is the only lemarkable object in this little town. February nth. 'The scenery this day did not appear so grand and awful as on the preceding; whelher this part of the d*rfile be more open , or wheLlier our eyes were more accustomed to its gloomy magnificence I knovv not; but I believe the former to be the case , as the road gradually ascends, and consequently the elevation of the mountains apparently diminishes ; whereas, while at the bottom of the defile, we beheld the whole mass of tlie Alps in full elevation above us. I need not, I suppose, caution even the untravelled reader agdinst a mistake, into which some have fallen, that any of the passages through the Alps crosses the ridges, even approaches the summits of thesiS Ch, I. CLASSICAL TOUR niountnins. The various roads traversiii^^ the Alps arc rondncled llirough as many defiles, and were probal)ly Irared out by the paths, that have served from time immemorial as means of eommunicalion between the fer- tile valleys that lie interspersed up and down the windinj,'s of ibis immense chain. These dcliles ai-e always watered, and were per- haps formed, by streatns incessantly gliding down from the eternal snows that mantle the higfiest regions: these streams, increas- ing as they descend, work their way be- tween the rocks, and continue for ever open- ing and enlarging their channels. Such is the Inn that now bordered our road, and such is tlie Salza still nearer the plains of Bavaria. AV'lien therefore it is asked, who first cros- sed the Alps, or opened such a particular passage over these mountains, the question means only, what general or what army first forced a way through this immense barrier, or made such a particular track or path prac- ticable? Of these tracks, that which we are now pursuing seems to have been one of the most ancient and most frequented. The first peo[)le who passed it in a body were pro- bably the Gauls; that race ever restless, wan- Ch.l. THROUGH ITALY. 97 dering, and ferocious, who have so often cilice forced the mighty rampart, which na- ture raised to protect the fertile provinces of Italy from the rapacity of northern in- vaders. Of a tribe of this people, Livy says, ^ that in the consulship of Spuriiis Posthumius Albinus, and Quintus Marcus Philippus, that is, in the year of Rome 56d. they passed the Alps by roads till then un- discovered, and entering Italy, turned towards Aquileia. Upon this occasion, contrary to their usual practice, they came in small numbers, and rather in the character of suppliants than of enemies. But the most remarkable army that ever crossed these mountains was that of the Cimbri, who in less than a century after the above- mentioned p>eriod, climbed the Rhetian Alps, and rushed like a torrent down the Tri- dentine defile. The first successes and final destruction of this horde of savages are well known. At length Augustus, irritated by the lawless and plundering spirit of some of the . Rhetian tribes, sent a Roman army into * L. xxxix. 22. YOL. 1. 5 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I. flicir (crrllory under Driisiis, who in a very sliorl. space of lime entirely broke the spirit of the muuiilaineers, brought their country into perfect subjection, and opened a commodious coinmunication through the whole range of Alps that bears their name. This expedition is celebrated by Horace, and forms the subject of one of his most spirited produc- tions*. Ever since this event, this road has been frequented, and always considered as the best and safest passage from the Tran- salpine regions to Italy. As we had set out late, darkness fell upon us before we had made any very con- siderable progress, and deprived us of the view of the celebrated vale of Inspruck. AV'e travelled nearly the whole night, and entered that city about four o^clock in the morning. Inspruck is the capital of the Tyrol, a large Alpine province of the Austrian empire, and as it was once the residence of a so- vereign prince, is still the seat of govern- ment , and has frequently been visited by L. iv. 4. Ch, I. THROUGH ITALY. . 99 the emperors. It possesses some noble edi- fices, more remarkable however, as is usual in Germany, for magnitude than for beauty. The style of architecture, therefore, both of the palace and the churches, is, as may be expected, below criticism; and, when I mention the great hall in the palace, I point out to the traveller almost the only building that deserves his notice. To this I will add another object, that has a claim upon his attention far superior to any that can be derived from mere architectural beauty. It is a little chapel, erected upon a very melancholy and interesting occasion. It is well known that the Emperor Francis the First, husband to the celebrated Maria Te- resa , died suddenly at Inspruck. He was going to the Opera, and while walking hrough the passage from the palace to the dieatre, he fell down, and instantly expired, le was conveyed to the nearest room, which lappened to be that of a servant, and there laid upon a miserable bed. Attempts were ^nade to bleed him, but to no purpose; 1 nd it is stated , that for a considerable ime the body remained with the blood rickling slowly from the arm, unnoticed, and ,oo CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, I. iinaflenclccl by a servant of any description. 7’he Empress , who loved him with unusual feiulerness, shortly after raised an altar on the very spot where he fell, and, clear- inj,^ tlie space around, erected over it a chapel. Ruth the chapel and the altar , are , though plain, extremely beautiful, and a pleasing jnoniiment both of the affection and of the Ijisle of the illustrious widow. This princess, Ijieii in the full bloom of youth and beauty, and the first sovereign in Europe in title and in territorial possessions, continued ever after to wear riiourning; and to some sub- sc(fueut matrimonial overtures, is said to have replied in the animated lines of Virgil, 111c, ineos primus qui me sibi Junxil amores, AbsLulit, illc liabeat secuin scrvelque sepulcro I The inscription runs as follows, and brea- ihcs more grief than elegance. p. O. M. Memoriae eteruac fati, quo Priuceps opliinus Throni deciis Populi Deliciae Eranciscus D : G: Piorn: Imp; Aug; 101 Ch. I. THROUGH ITALY. Germ : et Jerus ; Rex M: D ; Hot. Lolli ct Bur : D. XVIII. Aug : MDCCLXV. Vitae hie loci et nobis ereplus Monumentum posteritati positum— - 1 shall say nothing of the magnificent ce- notaph of the Emperor Maximilian in the church of the Franciscans, with its sculp- tured pannels and bronze statues ; nor of the humble cells of the Archduke of the same name in the convent of the Capuchins, but proceed to a much nobler object than either, to the vale of Inspruck. This vale is perhaps the most extensive and most beautiful of all that lie in the Northern recesses of the Alps. It is about thirty miles in length, and, wdiere widest, as in the neighborhood of Inspruck, about six in breadth. It is watered by the Inn, anciently the (Enus , which glides through it, intersecting it nearly in the middle, and bestowing freshness and fertility as it winds along. The fields that border t are in high cultivation, finely adorned A^ith every species of forest-trees, enlivened with towns- and villages, and occasionally jcaced with the ruias of a castle, frowning in Jo:^ Ch, I. CLASSIC A r. TOUR .sliiillorcd inajesly from the summit of a pre- cij»ire. I.ar^^e woods lino the skirts and clothe I he sides of the neighboring mountains^ and, \\ilh the ragged missliapen rocks that swell ;ii)ove I hem, form a frame worthy a picture 50 extensive and so beautiful. In the southern extremity of this vale, stands Inspruck; and behind it rises a long ridge, forming part of the eraggv pinnacles of the Brenner y one of the loftiest mountains of the Tyrolian Alps. About five miles North of Inspruck is the town of Hall, famous for its salt works; and about four miles on the opposite side, on a bold eminence, stands embosomed in trees, the castle of Amhras, This edifice is of very ancient date, and its size, form, and furniture are well adapted to its anti- quily. Its exterior is dignified with turrets, spires, and battlements and its large halls are hung witli spears, shields, and helmets, and lined with the forms of hostile knights mounted upon their palfreys, with visors down and spears couched, as if ready to rush forward in battle. The smaller apartments are fitted up with less attention to Gothic propriety than to utility, and contain various natural curio- Ch. L THROUGH ITALY. io3 sities, intermingled with gems, medals, and pictures. Though at Inspruck we had made a con- siderable progress in the defile , yet we had not risen in elevation so much as might be imagined ; for that city is said to be no more than fifteen hundred feet above the level of the sea. But, about three miles farther, the road suddenly turns, and the traveller begins in reality to work up the steep. The road is well contrived to lessen, the labor of ascent , winding gently up the mountains, and affording every-where per- fect security, though generally skirting the edge of a precipice. It presents some strik- ing objects, such as the Abbey of WLlltean^ anciently Villitenum, the castle of Sonen- herg^ and, through a break to the west, a transient view of a most majestic mountain, rising from the midst of the surrounding gla- ciers , and lifting its pointed summit to the skies. Its craggy sides are sheathed in ice, and its brow is whitened with eternal snows. ^ Its height is supposed to be nearly * This mountain hears, I believe, the very barbarous appellation of Bock KogeL Ch. I. ,o4 CLASSICAL TOUR to Ihat of Mont Blanc ^ though la 1 ,'iaiKlctjr, the mountain (of Savoy yields to that of the Tyrol; because the former heaves itself ^M-adiially from the plain, and conducts liic eye, by tliree different stages to its summit, ^vhilst the latter shoots up at once A\ilhout support or gradation, and termi- nates in a point that seems- to pierce the Ijcavens. 'the ascent still continued steep and with- out intermission to Steinachj and the cold, A\hich hitherto liad not much incommoded us, except at night, became more intense*, 'i'he scenery grew more dreary, gradually assuming all the bleak appearances of Al- pine winter. The last mentioned place, though situated amidst the pinnacles of the Rhetian Alps, is yet not the highest point up the tremendous steeps of the Brenner. As he advances, piercing blasts blowing around the irire ridges and summits that gleam with ice, stunted half-frozen firs appearing here and there along the road, cottages almost buried under a weight of snow, all announce the regions where winter reigns undisturbed , and w here I he Alps display all their ancient and uiu:liangeable horrors. — ?? Wives codo I Ch. r. THROUGH ITALY. io 5 5) props immistoe^ tecta informia irnposita riipibus ^ pecora j jumentaque torridafri-' gore j homines intonsi _et inculti y anima- » Lia , inanimaque omnia rigeniia gelu. The summit, or rather the highest region of the mountain which the road traverses, is crowned with immense crags and pre- cipices enclosing a sort of plain or valley: This plain was bleak and dreary when we passed through it, because buried in deep snow, and darkened by fogs and mists, and the shades of the approaching evening: yet it possesses one feature, which in summer must give it some degree of animation, of beauty, and' even of fertility 5 I mean the source of the river Atagis, which, bursting from the side of a shattered rock, tumbles in a noble cascade to the plain. We had just before passed the fountain head of the river^ Sill, which takes a northward course, and runs down the defile that leads to Inspruck, so that we now stood, on the confines of Liv. XXI. ,oG CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. 1. the north, our faces being turned towards Ualv, and the genial regions of the south. At the post we once more entered sledges, and with great satisfaction began to descend, a vast mass of mountain hanging over us on the leR, and the Atagis, now called the Adige, tumbling from steep to steep on our right. Night soon enveloped us, and we pur- sued o!ir way with great rapidity down the declivity through Mark and Middle iv aid y and at length entered the episcopal city of Brixen, or Bressinone, We had now passed the wildest retreats and most savage scenery of the Alps, once Ifie impenetrable abode of fierce tribes of barbarians, and tl^e haunt of associated rob- bers , who plundered with the numbers, the spirit, and the discipline of armies. The Roman legions were not unfrequently im- peded in their progress, and more than once stripjx’d of their baggage by these desperate mountaineers. The expedition of Drusus , before alluded to, vseems to have reduced the Alpine tribes, at least the Vindelici and the Rhoeti , so far to subjection, as to ensure a safe and easy passage through their ter- ritories for many succeeding ages. The in- Clu I. THROUGH IT\LY. 107 ciirsions, invasions, and consequent anarchy, that preceded and followed the dlssolutioa of the Roman empire, naturally revived the fierceness of the mountain tribes, and re** ne vved the disorders of earlier periods. But these disorders yielded in their turn to the increasing influence of Christianity and to the authority of the clergy: two causes, which, fortunately for Europe, worked with increas- ing extent and energy, and successfully couu- leracted the prodigious efforts of ferocity, of barbarism, and of ignorance during the middle ages. So effective was their operation, that the Rhetians, from the most savage, became the most gentle of mountain tribes, and have for a long succession of ages con- tinued to' distinguish themselves by their in- nocence, simplicity and benevolence; and few travellers have, I believe, traversed the Rhetian Alps, without having witnessed some instances of these amiable virtues. It is indeed fortunate, that religion lias penetrated these fiistnesses impervious to hu- man power, and spread her influence over solitudes where human laws are of no avail, that where precaution is impossible, and re- iistance useless, she spreads her invisible ,oS CLASSICAL TOUR Ch.l, yf ”is over llic traveller, and conducts liini .sening of several valleys, and near the con- (luenre of three rivers, is advantageous; its neighborhood well cultivated and romantic. It contains, however, no remarkable object. ^ lilUc below Bolsano the Atagis flows into^ Clu I. THROUGH ITALY. n5 tlie Alhesis \ rivers , which from the resem- blance of their names, are frequently con- founded ; especially as they now go under til e same appellation, and are called the dlge^ sometimes the Adese. The former name may be derived from either of the ancient titles 5 the latter can come from the Alhesis only. This river takes its rise near a little town called Burg, not far from Chiras and Tiroli, anciently Tirioli, whence the terri- tory takes its modern name, and after tra- versing the valley of Venosta, joins the Ata- gis at Bolsano. From Bolsano the road presents nothing peculiarly interesting as Alpine scenery. Some castles, however, finely situate, project into the valleys of Sole and Anania-, Monte Cer- no and Monte Mendala are objects grand and beautiful. We left the^ village of Mezzo Te- descoy and entered that on the opposite side of the river called Mezzo Lombardo , with pleasure. Salurno interested us by its anti- quity, of which its name is a memorial. Night had already closed upon us, when we en- tered Trent. CLASSICAL TOUR CHAP. II. ciu II. ii4 Trent — Council of Trent — Gastello della Pie- tra — Roveredo — SLavini di Marco — Ala — Chiusa — Verona^ its Antiquities and His^ tory, ]i RENT is the seat of an archbishop. Its ancient name wms Tridentum, and the tribes and Alps in its vicinity were not unfrequently called Tridentini. It is seated in a small but beautiful valley, exposed, however, from its elevation, to intense cold in winter, and from the reflection of the surrounding mountains, to heat as intense in summer. When we passed (February the sixteenth) the ground was still covered witli snow, and the frost, notwith- standing the influence of the sun, very se- vere. The town is well built, and boasts some palaces. That of the prince bishop con- tains some very noble apartments , but it had been plundered and disfigured by the French in their late invasion. The cathedVal is Gothic, and not remarkable either for its beauty or magnitude. Its organ is admired, though sup- posed to be inferior to that of the church Santa Maria MaggiorCj in the same city. Ch. II. THROUGn ITALY. ii5 Bat Trent owes its fame neither to its si*- tuation nor to its edifices, but to the c.ele- brated Council held within its walls about the middle of the sixteenth century*. It was opened in the cathedral , but generally held its sessions in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore y where a picture still exists, re- presenting the Council sitting in full Synod. The most conspicuous figures are supposed to be portraits taken from the life. This as- sembly sat, with various interruptions, under three successive pontiffs, during the space of eighteen years. It was convoked by Paul the Third, and consisted of cardinals, archbishops bishops, abbots, chiefs of religious orders, representatives of the universities, and am- bassadors from the Emperor, Kings of France, Spain, Portugal, etc. from the republics of Venice , of Genoa, and from the cantons of Switzerland, from the German Electors, etc. These ambassadors were called Oratores, and were accompanied each by a certain number of lawyers and divines selected by their re- spective sovereigns. The whole number of * One lUousaad five hundred and forty-two. nG CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, II. persons composing the general assemblicir- amonnlccl to one thousand, j* TIic subjects of discussion were prepared in committees, and definitively settled in the general assemblies. The bull of convocation, issued byTaul the Third, is a ma&ter-piece of its kind. The style of the Acts is pure and di'Miified, and the dissertations and observa- tions that precede tlie canons, cannot be pe- rused, even by an impartial and pious pro- tcslant, without instruction and edification. One of the great objects of the Council was the restoration of peace and unity among Christians. In this respect it failed ; animosity prevailed over charity: conscious- authority on one side , rage of innovation on the other, would submit to no concession. The other object was the reformation of the church. Here its efforts were attended, if not with f Gibbon says of the council of Constance, that the number and weight of civil and ecclesiasti- cal members might seem to constitute the Slates general of Europe ; a remark etjually applic- able to the council of Trent; Ch, 11. THROUGH ITALY. ny totals at least with very general sueeess , and must receive the approbation of every impartial reader. Many of its regulations have been adopted by the civil authority, even in Protestant countries; such, for instance, as those relating to matrimony; and where ad- mitted, their utility has been felt and acknow- ledged. Intrigue, without doubt, was not inactive at Trent: and where so many per- sons of such rank and weight , so many di- plomatic agents from almost all the countries and all the corporate bodies in Christendom, were brought together, it must have been frequently and strongly exerted. Yet with such an obstacle in its way, the Council drew up a set of articles clear and concise , com- prehending all the principal points then in debate , and fixing the faith of th^ CathoHe v/ith logical precision. After having thus represented the Council in a favourable light, I must now, reluclant- ly I confess, turn to the charges advanced against it 5 the first of which is the influence supposed to have been exercised over it by the Roman court ; an influence which , after all , seems to have been confined to subjects eonnected with the temporal interests and n8 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. II. ivilli the interior concerns of that Court, and never extended either to the deliberations or to the final decrees of the Council. In the second place, many a benevolent man, many a true friend of the jieace and union of the Christian body; has deplored the degree of precision , with which the articles in debate were defined, and a line was drawn between I he contending parties, — to separate them perhaps for ever ! Real union , indeed at that time of delirious contest, was not to be hoped for; blit some latitude allowed to the wan- derings of the human mind, a greater scope given to interpretation , and a respectful si- lence recommended to the disputants on sub- jects too mysterious to be explained, and too awful to be bandied about in scholastic dis- imlation, might, perhaps, at a more favorable season, have soothed animosity, and disposed all temperate persons to terms of accommo- dation. Remote, however, as we now are Iroin lhat aera of discord, and strangers to the passions which then influenced mankind, it might seem to border upon temerity and injuslicc, were we to censure the proceed- ings of an assembly, whl(‘h coinbliied the be- nevolence, the sanctity and the moderation of ciu IL THROUGH ITALY. 119 the Cardinals Pole, and Sacloleii, Contari- ni and Seripando,^ February 18th. From Trent the road con- tinues to run through a narrow valley, wa- tered by the Adige (or Athesis) and covered with vines conducted over trellis work , or winding from tree to tree in garlands. High mountains rise on each side, and the snow, though occasionally deep, was yet sensibly diminished. After the first stage, the snow appeared only on the mountains, while in the valley we enjoyed some share of the ge- * Vida has made a beautiful allusion both to the City and the Council of Trent, in the form, of a devout prayer, at the end of one of his hjinris. Nos primum pete, qui in sedem convenimus unani, Saxa ubi depressum condunt praeriipla Tridenlun^ Hinc, atque hinc, variis acciti e sedibus oibis, Ut studiis juncti 5 atque aniinis concordibus una Tendainus, duce te freti, succurrere lapsis Lcgibus, et versos revocare in prislina mores. Teque ideo coetu celebramus, et ore cienuis, Saiicte, veni, penitus le menlibus iusere nosiris, Aura putens,amor omnipotens, caeli aurea flainma! Hjni, Spin Sun, CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IT. gial infliicnr.c of an Ilaliaii sun. The number of neat villages seemed to increase on both banks of the river; ihoui^h in all ^ the ra^ va^^es of war and that wanton ra^^e for mis- clilef which, upon all occasions, distinguishes an invading army, were but too discernible. Cottages destroyed , houses burnt or damag- ed, and churches disfigured forced themselves too frequently upon the attention of the tra- veller. A fortress covering the brow of a steep hill, rises on the left at some distance from the road , and forms too conspicuous an object to pass unnoticed. Its ancient name was, according to Cluverins , Verrucca Gas- tcllum ; it is now called Castello della Ple- tra^ from its site. It was taken and re-taken twice by the French and Austrians during the last war, though its situation might in- duce a traveller to consider it impregnable. Boiferedn^ anciently Roboretum, the second stage from Trent, is a neat little town in the defiles of the Alps, situated, geographically speaking, in the German territory, but in language, manners, and appeaiance, Italian. The enl ranee on the side of Trent looks well, though the main street is narrow. An inscrip- tion 9>cr the gate, relative to tlie marriage ch. n. 121 THROUGH ITALY, and passage of the Princess of Parma, pleased rne much, as it affords a specimen of the good taste of this little town. Tsabellae Philippi Borb. Parmae duels Joseplio Aiislriae duci nuptae Viennam proficiscanti Felix sit iter Faustusque thalamus Roboretanis gaudeniibus. in fact, as you approach Italy, you may perceive a visible improvement not only in the climate of the country, but also in the ideas of its inhabitants 5 the churches and pub- lic btiildings assume a better form 5 the shape and ornaments of their portals, doors and windows are more graceful, and their epi- taphs and inscriptions, which, as Addison justly observes , are a certain criterion of public taste, breathe a more classical spirit. Pioveredo is situate in the beautiful valley of Lagarina , has distinguished itself in the literary world, and has long possessed an academy , whose members have been neither inactive nor inglorious. VOL. I. ,22 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. II. 1’Iie descent (for from Steinach^ or rather few miles south of that village, three sta- ges before Brixeii, we liad begun to descend) becomes more rapid between Roveredo and yila\ the river which glided gently through the valley of Trent, assumes the roughness of a torrent; the defiles become narrower ; and the mountains break into rocks and pre- ripices, wbicli occasionally approach the road, somefimes rise pcrj)cndicular from it, and now and then liang over it in terrible majesty.* * Amid these wilds the traveller cannot fail to notice a vast tract called the SLavinl di Marco^ covered with fragments of rock lorn from the sides of the neighboring mountains by an earth- quake, or perhaps by their own unsupported weight and hurled dowu into the plains below. They spread over llie whole valley, and in some places contract ilie road to a very narrow space. A f«‘W firs and cypresses scattered in the intervals, or sometimes rising out of the crevices of the rocks, casta partial and melancholy sliadc amid the sur- rounding nakedness and desolation. Tliis scene of ruin seems to liave made a deep impression upon the wild imagination of Dante, ns he has intro- duced it into the UncIIUi canto of lire Inferno, in Ch, II. THROUGH ITALY. i23 Ala is an insignifioanLlittle town^, in no respect remarkable, except as forming the geographi- cal boundary of Italy. || The same appearances continue for some time, till at length the mountains gradually I sink into hills, tlie hills diminish in height and number; and at last leave an open space beyond the river on the right. In front, however, a round hill presents itself at a little distance, which, as you approach, swells in bulk, and opening, just leaves room suf- I ficient for the road , and for the river on the j right, between two vast perpendicular walls of solid rock, that tower to a prodigious order to give the reader an adecjuate idea of one of his infernal ramparts. Era lo loco, ov'c a scender la rlva Venimmo, alpestro, e per f[ael ch' iv"' er'anco, Tal, ch' ogni vista ne sarehbe schiva. Quab e qaella ruina, che nel banco Di qua da Trento I'Adice percosse, O per tremuol^ o per sostegno manco; Che da cima del monte, onde si mossc , AI piano e s'l la roccia discoscesa , Ch' alcana via darcbbe a cbi su fosse; CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. II. niul cast a most terrific gloom over the narrow strait that divides them. As the road leads along a precipice, hanging over the river, without any parapet, the peasants, who live at the entrance of the defile, crowd round the carriage to support it in the most d.mgcrous parts of the ascent and descent. A fortification^, ruined by the French in the laic war, formerly defended this dreadful pass, and must have rendered it impregnable, but French gold, rerriimperc amat saxa, poteniius Iclu fulmiiieo. In the middle of the defile a cleft in the rock on the left gives vent to a torrent that rushes * The fortress alluded to is called Chiusa , and is said to have been originally built by the Ro- mans; and thougli frequently destroyed dur- ing the wars and various invasions of Italy, yel it was as constantly repaired in more peaceable limes. Tt must be acknowledged that Nature could not liave erected a more impregnable rampart to Italy than the Alps, nor opened a more magni- beent avenue than the long defile of the Tyrol, Ch, II. THROUGH ITALY. 125 down the crag ^ and sometimes sweeps away a part of the road in its passage. After wind- ing throuiih the defde for about half an hour, we turned, and suddenly found our- selves on the plains of Italy. A traveller, upon his entrance into Italy , longs impatiently to discover some remains of ancient magnificence, or some specimen of modern taste, and fortunately finds much to gratify his curiosity in Verona , the first town that receives him upon his descent from the Rhetian Alps. Verona is beautifully situate on the Adige, partly on the declivity of a hill, which forms the last swell of the Alps, and partly on the skirts of an immense plain extending from these mountains to the Apennines. Tlie hills behind are adorned with villas and gardens, where the graceful cypress and tall poplar predominate over the bushy ilex and spreading laurel. The plains before the city are streaked with rows of mulberry trees, and shaded with vines climbing from branch to branch and spreading in garlands from tree to tree. The devastation of war had not a little disfigured this scenery, by stripping several villas, levelling many a grove, ,2G classical tour Ch, II. .ntifl rootiiii; up whole rows of vines and Hill! berry trees. Rut the hand of industry Jiad already be^un to repair these ravages, and to restore to the neighboring hills and iields Ihcir beauty and fertility. The interior of the town is worthy of its situation. It is divided into two unequal parts by the Adige, which sweeps through it in a bold curve, and forms a peninsula, within whicli the whole of the ancient, and the greater part of the modern city, is enclosed. The river is wide and rapid^ the streets , as in almost all continental towns , are nar- rower than our’s, but long, strait, well built, and frequently presenting in the form of the doors, and windows, and in the orna- nienls of their cases, line proportions, and beautiful workmanship. Rut besides these advantages which Ve- rona enjoys in common with many other towns , it can boast of possessing one of the noblest monuments ot Roman magni- ficence now existing; I mean its amphi- theatre , interior in size, but equal in ma- teri.ils and in solidity to the Coliseuin. Almost immedialely upon our arrival, we hastened to this celebrated monuincnt, and passed the Ch, IT. THROUGH ITALY. 127 greater part of the morning in climbing seats and ranging over its spacious areiia. The external circumference^ forming the orna- mental part, has been destroyed long ago; with the exception of one piece of wall con- taining three stories of four arches, rising to the height of more than eighty feet. The pi- lasters and decorations of the outside were Tuscan, an order well adapted by its sim- plicity to such vast fabrics. Forty-live ranges of seats , rising from the arena to the top of the second story of outward arches, remain entire, with the different vomitoria, and their respective staircases and galleries of commu- nication. The whole is formed of blocks of marble, and presents such a mass of compact solidity, as might have defied the influence of time, had not its powers been aided by the more active operations of barbarian des- truction. The arena is not, as in AddisoiTs time, filled up, and level with the first row of seats, but a few feet lower; though still somewhat higher than it was in its original stale. As it is not ray intention to give an architectural account of this celebrated edi- fice, I shall merely inform the reader, in order to give him a general idea of its vast- ,.3 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IT, ness, that the outward circumference is 1290 feet, the length of the arena 218, and its breadth 129: the seats are capable of con- taining 22,000 spectators. At each end of the amphitheatre is a great gate, and over each a modern balustrade with an inscription, informing the traveller, that two exhibitions of a very different nature look place in it some years ago. The one was a biill-baiting exhibited in honor of the Lniperor Joseph then at Verona, by the go- vernor and the people. The seats were crowd- ed , as may be imagined, on this occasion; and a Roman Emperor was once more hailed in a Roman amphitheatre with the titles of Cesar and Augustus, by spectators who pretend and almost deserve to be Romans. The other exhibition, though of a very different nature, was ])crhaps equally interesting: the late Pope in his German excursion passed through A erona, and was requested by the magistrates to give the people a public opportunity of testifying their veneration. He accordingly appeared in the amphitheatre selected on ac- count of its capacity as the properest place, and when the shouts of acclaim had subsided, poured forth his benediction on the prostrate ciu n. THROUGH ITALY. 129 miillituclc collected from all the neighboring provinces to receive it. The tiionghlful spec- tator might have amused himself with the singular contrast, which this ceremony must have presented , to the shows and the pomps exhibited in tfie same place in ancient times. A multitude in both cases equally numerous , then assembled for purposes of cruel and: bloody amusements, now collected by motives, of piety and brotherhood: then all noise, agitation, and uproar: now all silence and tranquil expectation: then all eyes fixed on the arena, or perhaps on the Emperor, an arena: crowded with human victims , an Em- peror, Gallienus for instance, frowning on his trembling slaves: now all looks rivetted on the venerable person of a Christian FonliT, who, with eyes and hands uplifted to heaven, implored for the prostrate crowd peace and happiness.. The French applied the amphitheatre to a> very different purpose. Shortly after their en- trance into Verona, they erected a wooden theatre near one of the grand portals, and caused several farces and pantomimes to be acted in it for the amusement of the army. Idle sheds and scaffolding that composed ^ G Ch, II. , 5 o CLASSICAL TOUR lliis miserable edifice were standing in the year 1802^ and looked as if intended by the J)iiildcr for a satire upon the taste of tiie Great Nation^ that could disfigure so noble an arena. The Veronese beheld this charac- teristic absurdity with indignation^ and com- pared the French, not without reason, to the linns and the Lombards. In reality, the in- habitants of Verona have always distinguished themselves by an unusual attachment to their ancient monuments, and have endeavoured, as well asdhe misery of tire times, and the general impoverishment of Ital}^ would allow them, to preserve and repair their public build- ings. From an early period in the thirteenth century (1228) we find that there were sums appropriated to the reparation of the amphi- theatre; and that afterwards public orders- werc issued for its preservation and ornament, and respectable citizens appointed to enforce them. This latter custom continued till the Irench invasion, and two persons, entitled Presidenti aW arena ^ were intrusted with its inspection and guardianship. Such zeal and attention, to which the world owes one of the noblest monuments of antiquity, are highly ci editable to the taste and the public spirit CL II. THROUGH ITALY. of the Veronese^ and afford an honorable proof that they not only boast of Ronian ex- traction, but retain some features of the Ro- man character. But the amphitheatre is not the only mo- nument of antiquity that distinguishes Vero- na. In the middle of a street, called the Corso^ stands a gate inscribed with the name of Gallienus ,\on account of bis having rebuilt the city wallsN It consists of two gateways, according to the ancient custom, one for those who enter, the other for those who go out : each gateway is ornamented with Corin- thian half pillars, supporting a light pediment; above are two stories with six small arched windows each. The whole is of marble , and does not seem to have suffered any detriment from time or violence. The gate, ‘ihough not without beauty in its size, proportions, and materials, }^et, by its supernumerary orna- ments proves, that at its erection, the taste for pure simple architecture was on the de- cline. The remains of another gale, of a si- milar though chaster form, may be seen in the Via Tjeoni, where it stands as a front lo^ an insignificant house 5 and within that ,32 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. II, house, in (lie upper sIoit, a fc'V feet behind (he first i^atc, there exist some beautiful remnants of the Doric ornaments of the inner front of the remnants much admired l*y modern archilects, and said to present one of the best specimens of that order to be found in Italy. This double gate is sup- posed to have been the entrance into the Fornni Judiciale, and ought to be cleared, if possible, of tlie miserable pile that encumbers it, and buries its beauty. From the first-mentioned gate, which form- ed the principal entrance into the town , as appears from some remains of the wall or rampart, which ran on each side of it, and was repaired by Gallienus, we may conclude that Verona was anciently of no great extent, as it was confined to the space that lies be- tween this wall and the river. This observa- tion, apparently improbable considering that Verona was an ancient Roman colony, the native country or the residence of many illus- trious persons mentioned by historians and celebrated by poets, is founded on the au- tliorily of Silius and of Servius; if indeed the descriptions of the former can, like HoiueUs^ Ch. II. TIIROUGH ITALY. loS be considered as geographical author Ity However , it may be presumed, that the sub- urbs of the town extended into the neigh- boring plain ; a conjecture favored by the situation of the amphitheatre, which, though standing at some distance from the ancient gate, was probably erected in or near some populous quarter. At all events, the modern Verona is of much greater magnitude, and spreading into the plain to a considerable distance beyond tlie old wall on the one side, and on the other covering the opposite banks of the river, encloses the ancient town as its centre, and occupies a spacious area of about five miles in circumference. Many parts of it, particularly the square called Piazza della Bra^ near the amphitiieatie , are airy and splendid. Some of its palaces, and several of its churches, merit particular attention: among the latter, the beautiful chapel of S. Bernardino ^ in the church of the Franciscan ♦ Athesis Veronae circumflua. Sil. VIII. Atbe- sis Venetiae fluvius est Veronam civitaiem am- biens. Seryius in Virg. VIII. i54 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IL Friars, and S. Zeno,'*' with its painted 4*loij>tcr and vast vase of porphyry^ may per- haps claim the precedency. Amon^^ public edilices, the G ran- Guar dia and the iMuseo Lapidario are the most eon- spicuons ; the portico of the latter is Ionic : its court surrounded with a gallery of light Doric, contains a vast collection of antiqui- ties f of various kinds, such as altars, tombs, sepulchral vases, inscriptions, etc. formed and arranged principally by the celebrated Maffeiy a nobleiiian whose learning and taste (two qualities not always united ) reflect great ho^ nor on Italy, and particularly on Verona, the place of his birlh and his usual residence. The garden of the Giusti family, alluded to * This church suffered considerably from the bniiality of the French soldiery, some of whom' amused iliemselves, as miglit have done the Huns ot Aliila, or die Goths of Radagaisus, in breaking porpliyry pillars and vases, ransacking tombs, and disfiguring paintings. d file French visited diis collection, and car-^ ried off some of die most valuable articles. S Ch. II. TimOUGIl ITALY. i55 ( Ly Addison, is sLill shewn to travellers, though. it has little to recomuieiid it to attention f except its former celebrity, and some wild / walks winding along the side of a declivity j remarkable as being the last steep in the iin- ] mensG descent from the Alps to the plain. I From the highest terraee of this garden, ' there is a beautiful and extensive prospect of the town, the hills and the Alps on one side ; and on the other, of plains spreading ^vdde, and losing their fading tints in the southern horizon. This is, in reality, one of the best spots for viewing Verona, and as such it may be considered worthy of the at- tention of travellers, together with the hills that rise behind the town, particularly that on which formerly stood the Castello cli San rietro, now in ruins. Few towns have contributed more largely to the reputation of Pioman literature, or have been more fertile in the production of genius, taste, and knowledge , than Verona. Gatiilhis, and Macer ( supposed to be intro- duced by Virgil into his Eclogues under the pastoral name of Mopsus); Cornelius Nepos and Pomponius Secundus ; Vitruvius, and Pliny the Elder, form a coiistellaliou of In- ,.>G (MASMCXL TOUR Ch, [l\ minarics of Llie first magnitude^ and shed a distinguishing lustre on the place of their hirlh and early education. A succession of writers followed; and though feeble tapers in comparison of their predecessors^ yet they cast a transient gleam as they passed on, and not only preserved the light of science from being utterly extinguished during the middle ceiiLurics, but contributed to« revive its glories at a later and more fortunate- period. In this revival, at the commence- ment of the- fifteenth century, Verona had-- some- share : Guarlniy a VeronesCj returning horn Constantinople, restored' the- study of Greek sometime before the arrival of Chry^ soloras, and of the other learned Gonstan- tinopolitan fugitives. He w^as succeeded by a- long line of eminent men, among whom we- may distinguish Domitius Calderini ( who, with Laureritius Valla and Politianj received' Ihe honorable appellation of Triuimnrs of Li- terature ) Scallger and Panvinius 5 and in. line, Fracastorius the poet, the naturalist, and the astronomer. In modern times, Ve- rona still preserves her reputationdn taste and- scicncc ; and the names of Bianchini and Scl^ pio Majfci may be considered as proofs of \Ch. II. THROUGH ITALY. 15 ^^ j her present, and pledges of her future litc- , rarv i^lory. The history of Verona is various and in- : teresting. Situate as it is at the foot of the ; Alps, and at the southern opening of the grand defile through Rhetia forming the most ancient and regular communication between Italy and Germany, it is exposed to the first fury of the northern invaders, and has always ! been the first object of their attacks. It re- sisted with various success ; sometimes it was treated with lenity, and sometimes with cruelty. Like the other Italian towns, it sub- I mitted sooner or later to the prevailing power, I and bore successively the yoke of the He- ruli, of the Goths, of the Greeks, of the Lombards, and of the Italian and German emperors. During this long period of invasi- on, of anaixhy, and of devastation, Verona seems to have enjoyed a better fate, or, to speak more correctly, to have suffered less than most other Italian cities. Many of the sovereigns, who reigned during this in- terval from Theodoric to Frederic the Se- cond, either allured by the beauty, or struck by the importance of its situation, made Ve- rona their occasional residence 5 and fre- CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, IT. qiioiitly j)aid much attention to its accoiri- niodation, strength, and oriiaineiit. Ill the tvvelftli centtiry, Verona, together with many other Italian cities, shook ofF the yoke of foreign barbarians 5 erected itself into an independent republic; and, as con- quest fre({nently attends- liberty , became the Capital of a very considerable territory. In this state of freedom and of consequence Verona re- mained till the commencement of the fifteenth century; when, seduced by the influence, allured by the glory, or awed by the great- ness of Venice, she submitted to the genius of her powerful neighbor. However , this vo- luntary dependence was rather a state of tran- quillity, than of servitude or degradation. The Venetians respected the laws and customs ef the Veronese, and consulted the beauty and prosperity of their city; so that the change might be considered as the union of bordering territories, not the subjection of a separate state; and the sway of the Venetians was regarded rather as the superiority of countrymen, than as the usurpation of fo- reigners. At length, during the revolutionary war, the French invaded Italy; and, after a long Ch. II. THROUGH ITALY. 139 and bloody contest, remaining masters of the Venetian territory, employed it to purchase peace, and made over the greatest part to the emperor. Upon this occasion , the terri- tory of Verona was divided, and the city itself torn asunder; the Adige was declared to be tlie boundary of the two states, the territory and part of the town on the lefC bank was consigned to the Austrians , while the greater part, which lies on the right, was annexed to the new-created Italian re- public. This dismemberment (if the expres- sion may be allowed) is considered by the Veronese as the greatest disaster their town has ever suffered; and the French are de- tested as the most cruel of the many barba- rous tribes that have invaded their devoted country. They look upon themselves as victims of a partition* treaty between two rival Powers, agreeing only in one point— the subjugation and oppression of Italy 5 but these Powers they hate as transalpines and barbarians (for the latter term is applied by the modern as well as the ancient Italians, to all foreign or hostile nations) but the French most, as ag- gressors, who have added treachery and in- sult to invasion and plunder. The Italian re- i4o Cr.ASSICAL TOUR Ch, lU public they regard as the handmaid and crea-’^ tiire of France, with a pompous name to dupe the populace, and to palliate the odiumj of tyrannical measures and of oppressive taxa-| tion. They consider its duration as uncertain j as the existence, and its administi’ation asi|j irregular as the caprice of its founder; like : the French republic , it is in their eyes a ^ phantom, which appeared yesterday, and may vanish to-morrow: doubtful therefore of ' its permanency, but convinced that while it exists, it will be a mere instrument of op- pression in the hands of an enemy, they be- hold its operations with distrust , and hear its name with contempt and indignation. Hence the inactivity and solitude that pervade the streets of the Italian, or rather French part of the town, announce the apprehension and the despair of its inhabitants , their at- tachment to their old , and their hatred to their new government. The Austrians they do not and cannot love: they are barbarians and invaders; and though the emperor be a just and even benevolent so- vereign, yet his right over them is that of the sword only ; and though he may be tyranno- turn nutiss'uniis ^ yet in the eyes of every Ila.^ Ch. II. THROUGH ITALY. 1.41 lian patriot, still he is, as well as Bonapar^ te, a tyrant, and an usurper; since, however, they are doomed to be slaves, of the two |they prefer the former. The Austrian govern- ment is mild and equitable 5 it proceeds Ion fixed principles, and moves on in the straight and beaten track; it is, and so is the French republic, liable to the reverses of war; but it is exempt, and so is not the French republic, from internal change and unexpec- ted revolution. Hence they submit with some- thing like resignation, to the imperial sway; and hence some life and activity, some share of confidence, and some appearance of busi- ness, enliven the Austrian quarter of Verona. It is indeed highly probable, that if the present precarious state of things lasts for any time, the ancient city will be almost deserted, and all the population of Verona pass to the x\u- strian territory. Not to speak therefore of the money raised, of the pictures, statues, and an- tiquities , carried off by the French , Verona has suffered more , in a political sense, in the convulsive war, than perhaps any city, Ve- nice excepted, that lay within its rang of de- vastation. Not content with dividing and en- slaving it for the present, the Frencli seem Ch, II. ,42 CLASSICAL TOUR determined lo prevent it from ever again be- coming a plr.ee of importance 5 and have ac- cordingly levelled its fortifications, and des- troyed tlie walls of its castle, formerly a for- tress of some strength from its ramparts and commanding position. The top and sides of the hill are now covered with its ruins; and the emperor is, I believe, obliged by an article in the treaty, not to rebuild them at any fu- ture period. Such was the state of Verona in tlie year 1802. Our last visit , as our first , was to the amphitheatre : we passed some hours, as be- fore, in a very delightful manner , sometimes reclining on the middle seats , and admiring the capaciousness , the magnitude, and (he durability of the vast edifice ; at other times seated on the upper range, contemplating the noble prospect expanded before us , the town under our eyes , verdant plains spread- ing on one side, and on the other, the Alps rising in craggy majesty, and bearing on their ridges (he uniled snows of four thousand win- ters^vvhile ^nllespcriari sun shone in full bright- ness ovei* our heads, and soulhern gales breath- ed all (he vvai’mlh and all the fragrance of Spring around us. Prospects so grand and \ Ch, ir. THROUGH ITALY. 143 i Leaiitiful must excite very pleasing emotions i at all times , and such vernal breezes may i well he supposed to inspire ) « = delight and joy able to drive i « All sadness. » f p But the pleasure which we felt on the occa- f sion, was not a little enhanced by the con- I) tra-t between our present and late situation, f We had just descended from the mountains j of the Tyrol , where our view had long been confined to a deep and narrow defile : our I eye now ranged at liberty over an immense i extent of scenery, rich, magnificent, and su- i blime. ^ye had just escaped from tJie rigors : of winter , and we were now basking m the I beams of a summer sum We still stood on the very verge of frost, and beheld whole regions I of snow rising full before us , but vernal warmth, vegetation, and verdure, envelop- ■ ed us on all sides. In such circumstances , when for the fiist time the traveller beholds the beauties of an Italian prospect expanded before him, and feels the genial infhience of an Italian sun around him , he may be allow- ed to indulge a momentary enthusiasm , and bail Italy in the language of yirgii. Ch. II. , CLASSICAL TOUR Scd orqiie Mcdorum sylvae, ditissima terra, >cc pulcher Ganges, alque auro turbidus Hermus T.iudibus Italiae certeiit ; non Bacira neque ludi, Toiaque ihuriieris Panchaia pingu.s arenis Ilic gravjdae fruges et Baccbi Massicus humor Implevere ; tenent oleae armentaque laeta , . . . Hie ver assiduum, alque alienis mensjbus aestas... yVdde lot egregias urbes operumque iaborem Tot congesta manu praeruptis oppida saxis Lliiininaque anliquos siibterJabf3ntia muros. . . . Salve magiia parens fiugum, Salurnia tellus Magna virum ! Georg, ii. On the whole , we visited few places with more satisfaction, and left few with more re- gret, than Verona; whether as the first Ita- lian cily on onr road, it happened, by its aj)pcarance and monuments very novel to a transalpine traveller, particularly to engage our attention; or whether it really possesses many means of exciting interest, I know not ; but as we departed , w^e felt ourselves inclined to address it in the words of one of its poets. « Verona, qiii te viderit, « Et non amarit protinus, een common on the ex- terior we should have discovered some tra- ces of them in the ruins of different villas, or at least in the fronts of the houses of Pompeii: and yet though I cannot assert that there are none, 1 do not recollect to have observed in the streets of the latter city the slightest vestige of architectural orna- ments on private edifices. To these exter- nal decorations of architecture, the cities of Italy , and indeed most modern towns of any consideration, owe a great part of their beauty ; and may glory , not perhaps without reason, in surpassing the towns of antiquity in general appearance. I feel some regret in being obliged to acknowledge , that the metropolis of the British empire , though the first city of Eu- rope , for neatness , convenience and clean- liness , is yet inferior to most Capitals in architectural embellishment. This defect, is owing in a great degree , to the nature of the materials of which it is formed , as brick is ill calculated to receive the grace- ful forms of an Ionic volute , or of a Co- rinthian acanthus 5 while the dampness of x:6 CLASSrCAL TOUR Clu HI. i!ic climate seems to preclude the possibi- lity of applying' stucco to the external parts with permanent advantage . Besides some blame may justly be attributed to architects ^ who either know not, or neglect the rules of proportion and the models of antiquity ; and in edifices , where no expence has been spared, often display splendid instances of taste- less contrivance and of grotesque ingenuity. But, it is to be hoped, that the industry and the taste of the British nation will, ere long, triumph over this double obstacle , inspire artists with genius , teach even brick to enm- latc marble , and give a becoming beauty and magnificence to the seat of government and to the Capital of so mighty an empire. Augustus found Rome of brick , and in his last moments boasted that he left it of mar- ble.^ May not London hope at length to see its Augustus } As Palladio was a native of Vicenza it may be proper to say something of that ce- lebrated architect , while we are employed in admiring the many superb structures , with which he ornamented his country. Of Suci, D. Oct. Caes. Aug. a8. Ch. III. THROUGH ITALY. la/ all modem architects, Palladio seems to have had the best taste, the most correct ideas, and the greatest influence over his contemporaries and posterity . Some may have had more boldness and genius , others more favorable opportunities of displaying their talents 5 and such, in both respects, was the felicity of the two grand architects of St. Peter’s, Bra^ mante and Michael Angelo: but Palladio h?,s the exclusive glory of having first collected, from the writings and monuments of the an- cients , a canon of symmetry and propor- tion , and of having reduced architecture un- der all its forms , to a regular and complete system. I am aware that many parts of that system have been severely criticized , that his pedestals, for instance, are by ma- ny considered as heavy, his half pillars as little , and hjs decorations as luxuriant ; yet it must be remembered, that these real or merely nominal defects are authorized by the practice of the ancients 5 and that it is not fair to blame, in a modern edifice, that , which is admired in the Temple of Fortuna Virilis, or on the Triumphal Arch of Trajan. But supposing this criticism well founded , every candid spectator will admit, ,58 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IIL that there are in all the edifices erected under the direction , or on the immediate plans of Palladio a simplicity and beauty, a symmetry and majesty, that abundantly compensate petty defects, and fulfil all the ends of arcliitecture , by producing great- ness of manner and unity of design. 1 know not whether my opinion, in this respect, may agree with that of professed artists , but of all the grand fabrics , which 1 have had an opportunity of contemplating after St. Peter’s and the Pantheon, the two master-pieces, one of ancient, the other of modern architecture, I own I >vas most de- lighted with the abbey church of St. George at Venice, and that of St. Justina at Padua. Addison represents the latter as the most luminous and disencumbered building that he had ever seen : though , for my part , I should be inclined to give the preference to the former, which he passes over in si- lence: but be the superiority wdiere it may, both these superb edifices display the cha- racteristic features of Palladian architecture to the highest advantage ; and in a manner not often witnessed, even in Italy, blend siriiplicily with ornament , extent with pro- Ch. III. TimOUGII ITALY. 159 portion , and combination with unity. St. Ju- stina was, if I be not mistaken, erected on the plan of Palladio, though after his death: some defects consequently occur in the exe- cution , which ought not to be attributed to that illustrious architect , particularly as these defects are lost in the admirable sym- metry and proportion of the whole , perfec- tions owing exclusively to the genius that conceived and arranged the original model. On the whole , Palladio may be consider- ed as the Vitruvius of modern architec- ture ; and it has been very properly recom- mended to persons who wish to make a proficiency in that art , to pass some time at Vicenza^ Padua, and Venice, in order to study the many monuments of Palladian skill that abound in these cities. The splendor of Vicenza is not confined to its walls, but extends to the country for some distance round, where private or pub- lic munificence has erected several villas and magnificent edifices. Among the former, we may rank the villa of the Marchesi j called the Rotunda , an exquisite fabric of Palladio's, and among the latter the triumphal arch, and the portico which lead to the churck ,r»o CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, III. oil Monte Berlco, The arch is said hy some to be the work of Palladio, in imitation of that of Trajan at xAncona ; and is like it, light and airy. The portico is a noble gallery leading from the town to the church, and intended to shade and shelter the persons who visit the sanctuary in which it ter- minates ; and as its length is more than a mile, its materials stone, and its form not inelegant, it strikes the spectator as a very magnificent instance of public taste. The church is seen to most advantage at a dis- tance ; as, on a nearer approach, it appears overloaded with ornaments. It is of fine stone, of the Corinthian order, in the form of a Greek cross, with a dome in the centre 5 but wants in all its decorations, both internal and external , the proportions and the simplicity oL Palladio. The view from the windows of the convent annexed to the church, is extensive and beautiful. . , It may be here the proper place to men- tion a political phenomenon, of. a very ex- traordinary nature, which, few travellers have, » I believe, noticed. Tim Giinbri and Teutones, two tribes from the northern Chersonesus, invuded Italy , as it is well known , in the Ch. I! I. THROUGH IT\LY. i6i year of Rome 640, and were defeated, and almost extirpated by Marius , in the neigh- borhood of Verona. The few who escaped from the vengeance of the conquerors took refuge in the neighboring mountains , and formed a little colony, which either from its poverty, its insignificance, or its retired po- sition, has escaped the notice; or perhaps ex- cited the contempt of the various parties, that have disputed the possession of Italy for nearly two thousand years. They occupy al- together seven parishes , and are therefore called the Sette coinuni 5 they retain the tradition of their origin, and though surround- ed by Italians still preserve their Teutonic language. The late King of Denmark visited this singular colony, discoursed with them ia Danish, and found their idiom perfectly intelli- gible. Though we felt no inclination to visit them (for a classic traveller cannot be sup- posed to be very partial to barbarian estab- lishments in Italy however ancient their date) yet, we were struck with the circum- stance, and beheld their distant villages nest- ed in the Alps , as they were pointed out to us from Vicenza^ with some interest. The reader will hear with more satisfaction that i 62 classical tour Ch, III. a Roman colony still remains on the borders of Transylvania, and that it retains the Latin language nearly unmixed, and glories in its illustrious origin. Hence, when any of its meml>ers enlists in the imperial service, and according to custom is asked his country and origin, his answer is always, w Roinanus sum. ^4* * Iq mezzo alia colta Europa, says Lanzi-, vi- von tuttora popolazioni di lioguaggi non estesi 5 nelle montagne di Vicenza vive il Celtico di Bar- bari che vi si annidarono ai tempi di Mario j nel- la Valaccliia il Latino di presidi che vi mise Tra- jano ; in qualche parte di Elvezia il Romans di Franzesi aniichi. Saggio di lingua Etrusca Epi~ logO’iCtc. Vol. i. Non e sialo fuor di proposito il distendersi al- quanlo nel raccoulo della spedizione de' Cimbri i\ per distiriguerne i tempi ed i fatti, si perche oltre alTessere di quella famosa guerra il paese nostro stalo teatro , un avanzo di quella gente ri- mase per sempre nelle montagne del Veronese, del Viccntino, e del Treutino , mantenendo an- cora in quesli territorj la discendenza ed una lin- gua differenie da tutii i circostanti paesi. Si e Irovaio Tedcsco vcramente esscre il linguaggio, Ch, III. THROUGH ITALY. i65 The hills, called the Colles Bericij in the neighborhood of Vicenza ^ present some na- tural grottos, of great extent, and of surpriz- ing variety. Monsieur de la Lande speaks of a little temple of the form of the Pan- theon , which he represents as a master-piece of the kind; if it be such, I regret that we had not an opportunity of visiting it, though e simile per la pronuncia, non pero a quella de' Tedeschi piii limitrofi dell' Italia, ma a quella de’ Sassoni e de’ popoli situati verso il mar Bal- tico •, il che fu studiosamente riconosciuto da Fe- derico IV. Re di Danimarca, che onoro con sua dimora di dieci giornila citta di Verona nel 1708. Non s’ inganna dunque il nostro popolo, quando per immemorabil uso Cimbri cliiama gli ahita- tori di que' boschi e di quelle monlagne. — Maffei \ Verona illmtrata^ Lib. III. With two such vouchers, the author thinks himself justifi- ed in preferring the opinion expressed in the text to that of some writers of inferior repu- tation. There are several works for the information of travellers with regard to the curiosities of this town, among others I recommend » Descrizione delV Architetture^i^ 2. vols. with prints. i64 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. III. not above twenty miles from Vicenza. Bas- sanoy seven leagues, to the north, merits a visit without doubt, if the traveller has time at his disposal. From Vicenza to Padua it is eighteen miles. About three miles from the former is a bridge over a stream , a branch of the Meduacus , now Bacchiglioneyerecied by Palladio, which will not fail to attract the attention of the curious traveller. Late in the evening we entered Padua Urbem Patavi Sedes(jue Teucrorum, and reflected with some exultation that we stood , as it were , on the confines of Greek and Latin literature , in a city that derives its origin from a catastrophe celebrated in itself or in its consequence , by the two greatest poets of antiquity. Few cities can boast of an origin so ancient and so hono- rable , and not many can pretend to have enjoyed for so long a period so much glory and prosperity as Padua. We learn from Ta- citus^ that it was accustomed to celebrate the Tacit: Annal. lib. xxvi. c. ai. Ch. III. THROUGH ITALY. i65 antiquity of its origin and the name of its founder in annual games said to have been instituted by that hero. Livy informs us that a Naumachia exhibited annually on one of the rivers which water the town, perpetuated the memory of a signal victory obtained by the Paduans long before their union with Rome, over a Lacedemonian fleet commanded by Gleonymus. f They are also said to have not unfrequently assisted the Romans , and contributed in no small degree to their vic- tories , particularly over the Gauls , the com- mon enemy of both States 5 while an immense population furnished them with the means of giving effect to their measures, by sending powerful armies into the field. Padua afterwards submitted to the genius of Rome , but submitted with dignity , and was accordingly treated not as a conquer- ed but an allied republic. She was admit- ted at an early period to all the privileges and honors of the great Capital , and shar- ed , it seems , not only the franchises but even the riches of Rome \ as she could -[- Liv. book X. c. 2. ,GC CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, TIL roiitit at one period five hundred Roman kni;^lifs amon£,» her citizens , and drew by her manufactures , from the emporium of the world , no small portion of the tril>ules of the provinces. After having shared the glory of Rome , Padua partook of her- disasters ; was, like her, assaulted aud plundered by Alaric and Aitila 5 like her , was half unpeopled by the flight of her dismayed inhabitants , and obliged to bend under the yoke of a suc- cession of barbarian invaders.* After the ex- pulsion of the Goths, Rome recovered her independence ; not so Padua , which was subject successively to the Lombards, to the Franks, and to the Germans. During this long period of disastrous vicissitude , Padua some- times enjoyed the favor and sometimes felt the fury of its wayward tyrants. At length it shook olf the yoke , and with its sister states , Verona , Vicenza , Ferrara , and Mantua , ex})erienced the advantages and dis- advantages of republicanism , occasionally blessed with the full enjoyment of freedom, and occasionally , with all its forms, smart- ing under Ihe rod of a powerful usurper.^ In tlu; f nirtccnlli century Pmlua owned the Ch. III. THROUGH ITALY. 167 At length , in the fifteenth century , Padua united itself to the Venetian territory, and under the influence of its own laws acknow- ledged the supreme authority of that repub- lic. The consideration that Venice was found- ed by citizens of Padua , who flying from the ravaging armies of Alaric and Attila took refuge in the solitary isles of the Adriatic, might perhaps have lightened the yoke of submission , or facilitated the arrangements of union. As fire and sword, aided by earthquakes and pestilence , have been employed more than once during so many ages of convul- sion , in the destruction of Padua , we are not to expect many monuments of the Ro- man colony , within its walls , or to won- der so much at its decline as at its ex- istence. However it is still a great , and in sway of the Carrara family; Pandolfo di Car- rara was he friend of Petrarca. ihis family and their rivals in power and place , the ScaUgeri were among the many patrons and supporters of literature that graced Italy in that and the suc- ceeding centuries. ,G8 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, III. nianv respects a beautiful city , as its cir- nimfeieiice is near seven miles, its popu- lation about fifty thousand persons, and not- withstanding the general narrowness of its streets , many of its buildings both public and private , are truly magnificent. The abbey of St, Giustina deserves parti- nilar attention. Its church, planned by Pal- ladio, and hmXihy Andrea Pdccio', its library, hall or refectory, and cloister are all in the highest style of architecture.^ The piazza before it called Prato della f^alle, is per- haps one of the largest and noblest in Eu- rope. The cathedral, though not remark- ♦ Dimensions of the Church of St. Giustina. The length 5oo feel. Breadth /{o The Transept 35o Height 120 Tile central dome ( lliere are several) 26 S T lie pavement is laid out in compartments of •white and red marble; its various altars with their decorations are of beautiful marble. The whole is kept in a style of neatness and repair, that gives it the appearance of a cliurch just haished. The outside was never completed. Clu III. THROUGH ITAL^. 16:^1 able for its architecture, still deserves to be ranked among buildings of eminence, and contains several objects worthy of notice. The church, denominated IL Santo, a title given by way of eminence to St. Antony of Tadua, though the most frequented, is not by any means the most beautiful 5 it is of Gothic architecture, of great magnitude, and was, before the late French invasion, en- riched with a valuable treasury. That treasury consisting of church plate, gold and silver candlesticks to a vast amount , was seized and carried off by the French but the most remarkable object still remains— the tomb of the Saint, adorned with fine marbles and most exquisite sculpture. In AddisoiTs days, ointments, it seems, distilled from the body, celestial perfumes breathed around the shrine , and a thousand devout catholics were seen pressing their lips against the cold marble, while votive tablets hung over and disfigured the altar. When we visited the Santo, the source of ointment had long been dried, the perfumes were evaporated, the crowds of votaries had disappeared , and nothing remained to certify the veracity of our illustrious traveller but a few petty VOL. I. 8 1-0 CLASSICAL TOUR Clu TIL picfiurs hani^nni^ on one side of the naonn- ineiiL. Blit I fie excellency of the sculpture makes amends for the wretchedness oF the painlini,^ and small must the taste of that man be, who derives no satisfaction from the examination of the marble pannels that line the tliapel. Each pannel represents some miracnlous event of the Saint’sjife ; and how- ever strange or chimerical the subject may be, 3 'ct the skill of the artist finds means to make it interesting. The rich materials and ornaments of the altar and of the shrine, the bronze candelabra and lamps, will not escape the attentive observer. On the whole, though the style of architecture is bad, yet this church, from its size and furniture, de- serves attention. 11 Salone, or the town-hall remarkable for its vast magnitude,^ contains a monument in honor of Titus Livius, with an ancient bust. * It is three huiulred and twelve feet in length, one hundred and eight in breadth, and one hundred and eiglit in height, and consequently the largest hall in Europe. c//. III. TII ROUGH ITALY. 171 Tl lis author, as is well known, was a native of Padua, and is supposed to have retained in his style some of the provincial peculiari- ties of his country j- perceptible indeed only to the refined critics of the Augustan aera. The Italian towns in general, are not apt to forget such of their natives as have distin- guished themselves in ancient or modern story; and Padua, amongst others, is not wanting in the honors which she pays to the memory of her illustrious citizens. The inscription blinder the bust of the historian is not re- markable for its beauty. The last line expres- ses at least the generosity of the Paduans , who, if their means were adequate to their zeal, would have converted the marble statue into one of gold. Hoc lotus stares aureus ipse loco ! They shew a house which, as they pretend, belonged to him, and, whether it was budt -|- Pollio-, says Quintilian, reprehendit in Li- via pativinitatem, L. i. ,-2 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. Ill- upon the spot which traditionary report re- presented as the site of the historian's dwell- ings* or whether it was erected on the min of some ancient edifice that bore a name resembling his 5 or whether, in short, some inscription favorable to such an opinion , may have been found in or near it, I could not discover; but every object connected in the most distant manner with so eminent an author, inspires interest and claims some at- tention. I need not observe, that the pre- tended tomb of Antenor, though it recals to mind the antiquity of the city, and at the same time some \ery beautiful verses,^ is a monument of some prince of the middle ages, discovered in 1274. Antenor potult mediis elapsus Achivis, Illyricos penelrarc sinus alque iiitima tutus Begaa Liburiiorum et fontem siiperare Tiraavi*.| Unde per ora novem magno cum murmure montis In mare proruptum el pelago premit arva sonanti Hie lainen illc urbein Palavi, sedesque locavit, Teucrorum et genii nomen dedit, armaque fixit Iroia; nunc placida compostus pace quiescif. Mneid, u Ch. III. THROUGH ITALY. lyS Padua was famous in ancient times for its woollen manufactures celebrated in prose by Strabo and in verse by Martial. It still retains much of its reputation in this respect, and its wool and woollen articles are considered as the best in Italy. But the principal glory of Padua arises from its literary pursuits, and from an ancient and well directed propensity to liberal science. The prince of Roman his- tory (perhaps, if we consider the extent of his plan, and the masterly manner in which he has executed it, we may add, the first of historians) was not only born, but, as we may fairly conjecture from the local peculia-^ rities of language, which adhered to him during life, was educated at Padua. Silius Italicus, among the various chieftains whom he introduces, represents Pedianus the leader of the Euganeans and Paduans (^pono gaii- dens populiis ) as equally excelling in the arts of war and of peace, and dear alike to Mars and to the Muses. As the verses are com- posed in the best style of Silius , and likely to please the reader, I insert them. Polydamanteis juvenilis Pedianus in armis Bella agitabat atrox, Trojanaque semina et ortus, CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. III. Aii|«ie Anlenorea scse de slirpe fercbat; Ji.iud Jcvior generis faina, sacroque Timavo Gloria cl Euganeis cLleclum nomen in oris. Jluic pater Eridanus,Venelaeque ex ordine gentcs, Alque Aponogaudens populus, seu bella cieret, Sen Musas placidus, doctaeque silentia vitae Mallet, el Aonio pleclro mulcere labores, Noil iillum dixere parem ^ nec notior alter Gradivo juvenis, nec Plioebo notior alter. lib. xii, V. 2 i5. The love of knowledge^ the partiality to learned ease here alluded to, was probably altribuled to the Chief, because in some de- ^n ee characteristic of the people ; so much at least we sliould infer from a similar passage in Homer or in Virgil. During tlie various revolutions that follow- ed the fall and dismemberment of the Roman empire, Padua, in the intervals of repose that followed each successive shock, endeavored lo rcjiair the shattered temple of the Muses, and to revive the sacred fire of knowledge. Some success alwa^^s attended these laudable exertions, and a beam of science occasionally broke through the gloom of war and of bar- barism. At length, the University was found- Ch. III. THROUGH ITALY. i75 ed about the end of the eleventh century, and its foundation was to Padua the coin- menceuient of an era of glory and of pros- perity. Its fame soon spread over Europe, and attracted to its schools prodigious numbers of students from all, even the most remote countries 5 while the reputation of its pro- fessors was so great, and their station so honorable, that even nobles, at a time wher nobles were considered as beings of a more elevated nature, were ambitious to be en- rolled in their number. Eighteen thousand students are said to have crowded the schools during ages; and amidst the multitude were seen, not Italians and Dalmatians, Greek and Latin Christians only; but even Turks, Persians and Arabians are said to have tra- velled from the distant regions of the East to improve their knowledge of medicine and botany, by the lectures of the learned Pa- duans. Hence the catalogue of the students of this University is rich in numbers and in illustrious names. Petrarca, Galileo, and Christopher Columbus applied here, each to his favorite art, and in classics, astronomy and navigation, collected the materials lliat were to form their future fame and fortune. / Ch, TIL i;ti CLASSICAL TOUR Lilt Universities like empires, have their acras of prosperity, and their periods of decline; science, as commerce, often aban- dons its favorite seat; and those very arts of medicine and anatomy which flourished for so many centuries in Salerno and in Padua, have long since migrated to the North, and seem to have fixed their temporary residence at Gottingen and Edinburgh. Of eighteen thousand students six hundred only remain, a number, which thinly scattered over the benches, is barely sufficient ta shew the deserted state of the once crowded schools of Padua. This diminution of numbers is not to be attributed either to the igno- rance or to the negligence of the profes- sors; to the defects of the system of in- struction, or to the want of means of im- provement. The lecturers are men of zeal and abilities; the plan of studies is the re- sult of long and successful experience ; and libraries, collections, and cabinets of every kind are numerous and magnificent. More- over, encouragement is not wanting, as the jdaccs of professors are both lucrative and honorable, and the directors , till the late- disastrous revolution, were three Venetian TimOUGH ITALY. ch. m. 177 senators. The decrease of numbers, there- fore, at Padua, and in other ancient Univer- sities, is to be attributed to the establish- ment of similar institutions in other countries, and to the ^^eneral multiplication of the means of knowledge over the Christian world. Knowledge is now fortunately placed within the reach of almost every village ; the most abstruse science may be learned in the most remote corners; colleges and seminaries have been planted and flourish even in the polar circles; and youth in almost every country, may enjoy that, which an eloquent ancient justly considers as one of the greatest blessings of early life — hojiie education.'*^ The architecture of the schools or Uni- versity is admired, and, I believe, said to be of Palladio ; the observatory , the botanical garden in particular, the cabinet of natural philosophy containing a peculiarly cmdous col- * Ubi enim aut jucundius morarentur quani in patria aut pudicius continerentur quaai sub oculis parentum I aut niinoTe sumpiu qiiam domi p iv. Ep. xiii. ,;-a CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. III. Icrlion of fossils y Ihn liall of midw^ifer}^, and indeed most of the dependencies of the Uni- versity, are grand in their kind, well fur- nished and well supported. An agricultural lecture is, I believe, peculiar to Padua, and consecpiently very honorable to it 5 especially as so large a space as fifteen acres is allot- ted to the professor for experiments. It is sin- gular that no such lecture exists in any Bri- tish University, when we consider the bent of the national character to a rural life, and the great encouragement and countenance given by tlie higher classes, and indeed by the Na- tion at large, to every species of agricultu- jal improvement.'*^ Besides the University , there are in Padua, for the propagation of taste and of literature , several academics, some of which were open- * (( Tliere has hcien such a lecture for many years in the University af Edinburgh ^ and to those who know with what distinguished success and ability the duties of that otficc are discharged, no apology will appear necessary for having Slopped to notice this mistake. ((— E Unburgh Jievie'M. Ch. III. THROUGH ITALY. 179 ed so early as the Legiiming of the sixteenth ceil liny. At that time, the love of knowledge and of classical distinction seems to have been the predominant passion of the Italians who were then like the ancient Greeks — praetei’ laudem nullius avari. Others have been esta- blished in the last century, particularly the Academy of Sciences founded by the senate of Venice. Most of these institutions are sup- ported with spirit, not only b}^ the clergy, but moreover by the gentry of Padua , who seem to take an honorable pride in the lite- rary reputation of their city. The following beautiful lines of NaugeriuSy a poet of Leo^ s golden days y contain a fine , though concise encomium , on Padua , and may be considered as an abridgment of its history; even to the present period, when war has again ravaged its vicinity, and disfi- gured its edifices. Urbs, quam velusto veclus ab Hio Post fata Troum trislilia , post graves Tot patriae exhaiistos iniquo Tempore, tot pelago labores , Diiccnte demum Pa’lade, qua rapax Cultos per agios Medoacus fluit Diis frelus Aiuenor secundis, Ch. IIL ,no CLASSICAL TOUR CondiJit, Eiignncis in oris. Ta miper et Ilos el clecus urbium, OurifjiirnqiKJ tellus Itala continent : M.iguas tot artes , tot virorum Ingcnia, el studia una alebas. Tc , seplicornis Danubii accola , Te fulva potant fluinina qui Tagi , Longeque semoti Britanni Culiiim animi ad capiendum adibant. At nunc, acerbi hen saeva necessitas Faii , severas ut paleris vices 1 Ut te ipse vastatam vel hosti Conspicio miserandam iniquo! Quid cuha tot pomaria conquerar ?' Tot pulclira flammis hausta suburbia? Quid glande deturbata aliena Mocnia ? Ch, IV. TliROUHG ITALY. CHAP, IV, The Brenta — J^enice;its Magnificence; er ; Degeneracy ; and Fall — Return to Padua — the Environs of that City-^the Fons Aponus — Colles Euganei-^Arqua-- ta — Villa and Tomb of Petr area ; Ohser^ nations on his Character, "VV" E deferred the consideration of the nel^h- Lorhood of Padua, till our return from Ve^ nice, whither we hastened in order to enjoy the few remaining days of the expiring car- nival. We accordingly embarked on the Brenta about ten o' clock in the morning, February the twenty first, in a convenient barge drawn by horses, and glided rather slowly down the river. The country through which it flows is a dead flat, but highly cultivated, well wooded, and extremely populous. The banks are lined with villages, or rather towns, and decorated with several handsome palaces and gardens.' Among these,lhat of Giooanelle at Novento two miles from Padua; that o^Pisani at ; of Trona at Dolo 3 that of Bemho at Mira 3 and ,82 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. • .nboiit ten miles farllier, that of Foscarini of the architocliue of Palladio, merit particular aUeiitioii. J liese celebrated banks have, with- out doubt, a rich, a lively, and sometimes a magnificent appearance ; but their splendor and beauty Iiave been much exaggerated, or are much faded; and an Englishman accustom- ed to the Thames , and to the villas which grace its banks, will discover little to excite Iiis admiration , as he descends the canal of llie Brenta. About five o'clock we arrived at Fusina, oi\ the shore of the Lagune opposite Venice. * The Lagune are the shallows that border the whole coast, and extend round Venice; their depth, between the city and the main land , is from three to six feet in general. These shallows are occasioned by the vast quantities of sand carried down by the many rivers that descend from the Alps and fall into the Adriatic, all along i ts west- ern shores. Ravenna , 'which lies much lower down ancienlly stood like Venice in the midst of ^vaters ; it is now surrounded with sand .1 as Ve- nice will probably he ere long, if it should con- tinue subject to tlic Austrian government. 1 he re- public expended considerable sums in cleansing CL IV. i85 THROUGH ITALY. This city instantly fixed all our attention. It was faintl}^ illuminated by the rays of the set- ting sun, and rising from the waters with its numberless domes and towers, attended , if I may be allowed (he expression, by several lesser islands, each crowned with spires and pinnacles, it presented the appearance of a vast city lloating on the bosom of the ocean. We embarked, and gliding over the Lagutie^ whose surface unruffled b}Hhe slightest breeze, was as smooth as the most polished glass, we touched at the island of S. Gmrgm half way, that is two miles from the main land on one side, and from Venice on the other: and then enlering the city passed under the ilmZzo and rowed up the grand ^ canal admir- the canals that intersect and surround the city , in removing obstacles , and keeping up the depth of waters so necessary for the security of the Ca- pital. The interest of a foreign sovereign is to lay it open to attack. * Canal grande (so called because llie widest of the canals of Venice) is more than three hundred feet wide , and intersccis the city nearly in the middle . The Ri alto cvosscs it , and forms one of its most conspicuous ornaments. CLvSSICAL TOUEl C/i. IV. Ill" .IS we .aclv.ii)cccl , the various archilec- ture and the vast edifices that line its sides. Venice cannot boast of a very ancient ori- t»in , nor lias it any direct connexion with Roman story and with classical recollections 5 yet I doubt much , whether any city in Italy , not even excepting Rome itself, contains so much genuine Roman blood 5 as none has, certainly , preserved so long the spirit of the ancient Romans. Founded by the inhabitants of Aquileja, of Padua , and other Roman colonies hordering on the Adriatic, joined probably by several from the interior provinces, it escap- ed the all-wasting sword of Alaric and of Attila ; first eluded , then defied the power of succeeding invaders , and never saw a barbarian army within its walls till the fatal epoch of 1797. Its foundation dates from the year 421 .* the succession of Doges or Dukes from the year 697. Its name is de- rived from the Venetl, a people that inhabit- ed all the neighboring coasts, and appro- priated , as it has been , from a very early^ period to it, is a sufficient monument of the origin and of the numbers of its founders. Its government was at first popular ; as the power and riches of the State increased. Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. iK the influence of the nobles augnienled ; at intervals the Doges acquired and abused the sovereignty j till at length, after six centu- ries of struggle , the aristocratie party pre- vailed, limited the power of the Doge ^ ex- cluded the people , and confined to their own body all the authority and exercice of government. As Venice may justly be considered a Ro- man colony , so it bore for many centu- ries a striking resemblance to the great parent Republic. The same spirit of liberty , the same patriot passion, the same firmness, and the same wisdom that characterized and en- laobled the ancient Romans , seemed to re- vive in the Venetians , and to pervade every member of the rising State. That profound respect for religion also, which formed so distinguished a feature in the character of the former,"^ was equally conspicuous in the * Et si conferre volumus noslra cum exter- nis , cocteris rebus aut pares etiam inferiores re- I'periemur ; Religionc , id est , cultu Deorum 5 multo superiores — De Nut. Dear, ii S. ,86 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. latter, I)nt more permanent and efTectual , Lceaiise directed to a Letter object;, and re- gulated bv superior information. The same sneecss in a just proportion accompanied the same virtues ; and we behold Venice, from dirt and sca-irecdy rise into magnificence and fame, extend its sway over the neighboring coasts , wrest to>vns , islands , and whole provinces from mighty potentates, carry its arms into Asia and Africa, and cope suc- cessfully, with the collected force of vast empires. As its greatness rested on solid foun- dations, so was it permanent 5 and Venice may boast of a duration seldom allowed to human associations, whether kingdoms or com- mon-wcallhs , thirteen complete centuries of fame , of prosperity , and of independence. It is not wonderful therefore that this Re- public should have been honored with the aj)pcllation of another Rome , considered as the bulwark and pride of Italy , and cele- bralcd by orators and poets as the second fated scat of independence and empire. Una Ilalum regina , allae pulchcrrima Romae A^^mula , quae terris , quae doiiiinaris aquis 1 Tu libi vel reges cives , facisj O decus ! O lux Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 187 Ausonine , per quam libera lurba sumus j Per quam barbaries nobis non imperat, el Sol Exoriens nostro clarius orbe micat ! Act. Syn. Sannaz. lib. iii. ELeg. 1. 95. The literary fame of Venice was unequal, it must be confessed, to its military renown: perhaps because the government , as is usually the case in free countries , left talents and genius to their own activity and intrinsic powers j yet the ardor of individuals who either did not , or could not take a share in public administration , led many to seek distinction in the new career which the re- vival of letters opened to their ambition. Many eminent scholars had visited, and some had settled in the Republic, and to their labors we owe many an interesting publi- cation on some or other branch of classic erudition. But it would be difficult to say whether the exertions of any individual, how- ever splendid his talents, or even the la- bors of any particular association , or aca- demy, however celebrated, ever shed so much lustre on the place of their re- sidence as that which Venice derives from the reputation of a stranger , who volun- CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, lY. farily sclccLed it for his abode. I allude to Aldus iVIanulius. This exstraord inary person combined the lights of the scholar , with the industry of the mechanic; and to his labors carried on without interruption till the conclusion of a long life , the world owes the first or princlpes editiones of twenty-eight Greek Classics. Among these \vc find Pindar, ^schylus , Sophocles, Euri- pides , Herodotus, Thucydides, Demosthenes , Plato and Aristotle. Besides these , there are few ancient authors of any note, of whom this indefatigable editor has not published editions of acknowledged accuracy , and as far as the means of the Art, then in its infancy permitted, of great beauty. In order to appreciate the merit of Aldus , we must consider the difficulties under which he must have labored at a time when there were few public libraries ; when there was no regular communication between distant cities: when the price of manuscripts put them out of the reach of persons of ordinary incomes ; and when the existence of many since discovered, was utterly unknown. The man who could surmount these obstacles, and publish so many authors till then inedited 5 who could find Cli, IV. TIIROUGH ITALY. 189 means and time to give new and more accu- rate editions of so many others already pub- lished, and accompany them all with pre- faces mostly of his own composition ; who could extend his attention still farther and by his labors secure the fame, by immortalizing the compositions of the most distinguished scholars of his own age and country,^ must have been endowed in a very high degree, not only with industry and perseverance, but with judgment, learning, and discrimination. One virtue more, Aldus possessed in common with many of the great literary characters of that period; I mean, a sincere and manly piety, a virtue which gives consistency, vigor, and permanency to every good quality, and never fails to communicate a certain grace and dig- nity to the whole character. The appearance of Venice is not unworthy of its glorious destinies. Its churches, palaces^ and public buildings of every description , and sometimes even its private edifices, have in their size, materials and decorations, a certain air of magnificence truly Roman. The style of architecture, is not always either pnre or Among these is Politianus • 1^0 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. plcasin^^S conformable to the taste that prevailed in the different a^es when each edi- fice was erected. Hence, the attentive obser- ver may discover the history of architecture in (he sireets of Venice, and may trace its gradation from the solid masses and the round arches, the only remains of the ancient grand style in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries, through the fanciful forms and gro- tesque embellishments of the middle ages, to its revival and re-establishment in these latter times. The church of St. Alark, with its accom- paniments, its tower, its square, its library, and its palace, from its celebrity alone de- serves the travellers first visit. The tower has neither grace in its form, nor beauty in its materials. Its only merit is its height, which , though not extraordinary in itself, yet from the flatness of the surrounding scenery, gives the spectator a very clear and advantageous view of the city and its port and sliipping, witli the neighboring coasts, and all their windings. The famous Piazza di S, Marco ^ surrounded with arcades, is more re- markable for its being tlie well known scene of Venetian mirth, conversation and intrigue, CJi, IV. THROUGH ITALY. 191 than for its size or its symmetry. It is infe- rior in both respects , to many squares in many great cities; yet as one side is the work of Palladio, and the whole of fine mar- ble , its appearance is grand and striking. The church of St. Mark , the great patron of the city and of the republic, occupies one end of this square , and terminates it with a sort of gloomy barbaric magnificence. In fact, the five domes which swell from its roof, and the paltry decorations which cover and en- cumber its porticos, give it externally the ap- pearance of an eastern ; while formed within on the plan of the Greek churches, and adorned with clumsy mosaics , it is dark, heavy, and sepulchral. This church is extremely ancient , it was begun in the year 829, and after a fire, rebuilt in the year 976. It was ornamented with mosaics and marble in 1071. The form of this ancient fabric , evidently of eastern origin , may perhaps throw some light on the rise of the style called Gothic. Its architects, it is re- lated, were ordered by the Republic to spare no expense, and to erect an edifice superior in size and splendor to any then existing. They took Santa Sophia for their model , and ,Q2 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. spcin to have imitated its form, its domes, niid its laslc. f)(iL if riches can compensate the absence of beauty, the church of bt. Mark possesses a sufficient share to supply the deficiency, as it is ornamented with the spoils of Constan- tinople, and d splays a profusion of the finest marbles, of alabaster, onyx, emerald, and of all the splendid jewellery of the East. The ce- lebrated bronze horses stood on the portico facing the Piazza. These horses are supposed to be the work of Lysippus; they ornament- ed successively different triumphal arches at Rome , were transported by Constantine to his new City, and conveyed thence by the Venetians when they took and plundered it in the year 1206. They were erected on marble pedestals over the portico of St. Mark, where they stood nearly six hundred years , a trophy of the power of the Republic, till they were removed to Paris in the year ^79'^f placed on stone pedestals behind the palace of the Thuilleries where they re- main a monument of the treachery of French friendship.* * The French entered Venice as friends and Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 195 As it is not my intention to give a minute description of the ornaments or riches of the church of St. Mark , I shall only observe , that they merit much attention^ and that to discover the value of the internal decorations, a very minute inspection is often rendered necessary hy the gloominess of the place. The reader may perhaps wish to know how and when St. Mark , whose life and evange- lical writings seem to have no connexion with the Venetian history, acquired such conside- ration in the city of Venice, as to become its patron Saint, and to give his name to the most splendid and celebrated of its churches. The following account may possibly satisfy his curiosity. In the year eight hundred and twenty-nine, two Venetian merchants of the names of Bono and Rnsdco, then at Alexandria contriv- ed, either by bribery or by stratagem, to were ferried over the Lagiine in Venetian boats. The Venetians entered Constantinople as enemies, sword in hand : and no restraints says Gibbon except those of religion and humanitj^ were imposed on the conquerors bj the laws of war. vuL. 1, 9 Cr.ASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. purloin I he body of St. Mark at that time in the p ssession of tlie Mnssulmen, and to con- vey it to Venice. On its arrival, it was trails- j)oiied to the Ducal palace, and deposited by the then Do^e in his own chapel. St. Mark was shortly after declared the patron 'and ])rotector of the Republic, and the lion which, in the mystic vision of Ezekiel, is supposed to represent this evangelist, was emblasoned on its standards, and elevated on its towers. 1’he chuK'h of St. Mark was erected imme- diately after this event, and the saint has ever since retained his honors. But the reader will learn with surprise, that notwithstand- ing these honors, the body of the evange- list was in a very short space of time either lost , or privately sold by a tribune of the name of Carozo^ who had usurped the duke- dom 5 and to support himself against the legitimate Doge, is supposed to have plunder- ed the treasury , and to have alienated some of the most valuable articles. Since that pe- riod , the existence of the body of St. Mark has never been publicly ascertained, though the Venetians firmly maintain that it is still in their possession. The place however , where the sacred deposit lies, is acknowledg- CL IV. TimOUGH ITALY. ig5 ed to be an undiov^ ged secret , or perhaps , in less cautious language , to be utterly unknown. The Piazzefta, opening from St. Markus to the sea in fronts and lined on one side with the ducal palace, on the other with the public library, with its two superb pillars of granite standing insulated in the centre, is a scene at once grand, airy, and from the concourse of people which frequents it, animated. Close to St. Markus stands the ducal palace , the seat of the Venetian government, where the senate and the different councils of state , used to assemble each in their respective halls. This antique h]bric is in the Gothic or rather Sa- racenic style, of vast extent, of great soli- dity, and of venersble appearance. Some of its apartments are spacious and lofty , and some of its halls of a magnitude truly noble. They are all adorned with paintings by the first masters of the Venetian school ; and Titian, Paolo f^eronese, and Tintoretto , have exerted all their powers, and displayed all the charms of their art to adorn the senate-house, and to perpetuate the glories of the republic. The subjects of the pictures are taken either from the Scriptures or from the history of CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. Venice ; so that the nobles, when assembled, iiad always before their eyes incentives to virtue and examples of patriotism. Tablets with inscriptions were suspended over the tribunals of the magistrates, pointing out either the duties attached to their offices in particular, or those of the nobility in general. The style is often diffusive, but the senti- ments are always just. The following, which is inserted in a picture over the Doge's seat in one of the council chambers may serve as a specimen. « Qui patriae pericula siio periculo expellunt, hi sapientes putandi sunt, cum et eum quern de-» hent honorem reipub. redduut , et pro mullis pe- rire maluiit qiiam cum multis. Etenim, vehemen- ler est iniquum vilam , quani a natura acceptam propter palriam conservaverimus , naturae , cum cogat, reddere, patriae cum roget, non dare. Sa- picnlcs igitur acstimandi sunt, qui nullum pro sa- lute patriae periculum vitant. Hoc vinculum est liujus dignitatis qua fruiinur in repub. hoc funda- mcnluni libertalis. Hie fons equitalisj mens et aulmiis et consilium el senteiitia civitatis posita sunt in legibus. Ut corpora nostra sine mente, sic civitas sine lege. Legum inlerpretes judices. Le- Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 197 gum deniq. idcirco omues servi sumus , ut libcri esse possimus. It would have been happy for the State , if the nobles had been animated by these prin- ciples previous to the French invasion. The courts and staircases are decorated with antique statues ; marble and bronze shine on every side, and the whole edifice corresponds in every respect with the dignity of its destination. The celebrated Rialto is a single but very bold arch thrown over the Gran-Canale-^ and though striking from its elevation, span and solidity, yet it sinks almost into insignifi- cance when compared with the beautifril bridge Della Trinita , at Florence , or with the superb , and far more extensive structures of Blackfriars" and Westminster. The arsenal occupying an entire island , and fortified not only by its ramparts , but by the surrounding sea , is spacious , com- modious , and even magnificent. Before the gate stand two vast pillars, one on each side , and two immense lions of granite , which formerly adorned the Piraeus of A- thens. They are attended by two others of CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. l\\ a smaller size, all, as the iiicriptioii ia- jurins us , w Triuiupliali manu e Piraeo dire- pUi.^) The staircase in the principal builds is of white marble . The halls are lar^e, lofty, and coiimiodious; one of the prin- cipal is decorated with a beautiful statue by Canoi’a , representing Fame crowning llie late Admiral Emo , the Pompey of Ve- nice , the last of her heroes. In short, no- thing is wanting to make this celebrated ar- sciial perliaps tlie first in Europe ; except- ing that for which all arsenals are built , stores and shipping-^ and these the French in their late invasion either plundered or destroyed. So far their rapacity , however odious , had an object and a pretext ; but it is difficult to conceive any motive , ex- cepting an innate propensity to mischief, which could have prompted them to disfi- gure the buildings and statues , to break the marble stairs , by rolling cannon balls down them, and to dismantle the Bucent- aur , the famous state galley of the repub- lic. Higlivvaymen have been known to spare or to restore a seal, a ring, a trinket, to indulge the whim or the feelings of the owner j and robbers and housebreakers re- Ch, IV. THROUGH ITAL. 199 fraiii from damaging furniture which they cannot carry away ; in the same manner the French might have respected the above- mentioned monument of a gallant man , and not disfigured it by forcing a paltry gold pencil from the hand of a figure of Fame: they might have spared a gaudy stair; pageant , whose antique magnificence had for ages delighted the eyes ^ and soothed the pride ofthe Venetian commonalty. Yet such is the peculiar cast of this people^ whose armies at Venice ^ in every town in Italy , and indeed in almost every country they have over-runj have uniformly added insult to rapa- city , and have wounded the feelings , while they plundered the property, of the mise- rable inhabitants. But no public edifice does so much credit to the State, as the noble rampart erected on the hido di Palestrina , to protect the city and port against the swell and the storms of the Adriatic. This vast pile, formed of blocks of Istrian stone resembling marble , runs along the shore for the space of nineteen miles, connects various little islands and towns with each other, and , if completed , would excel in utility, in solidity , in extent, and 200 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. pcrliaps ill Leaiily the Piraeus, the mole of Aiitiuiii and of Ancona , and all other si- jiiilar works of either Greeks or Romans. Of the churches in Venice , it may be observed in general , that , as some of them have been built by Palladio, and many raised on models designed by him , they are of a better style in architecture : and also, that on account of the riches and the religious temper of the Republic, they are adorned with more magnihcence than those of any other town in Italy, if we except the matchless splendors of Rome. I need not add, that the talents of the first Vene- tian artists have been exerted , to adorn them with sculptures and with paintings. Of these churches that Della Salute , that Del Bedentore two votive temples, erected by the Republic on the cessation of two dread- ful pestilences, and that of S. Giorgio Mag- giore, are very noble ; the latter in parti- cular , an exquisite work of Palladio , with some few defects, has numberless beauties. The cliurch of the Dominican friars SS. Gio- vanni , e Paolo is Gothic , and remarkable for a chapel of the blessed Virgin lined with marble divided into pannels , containing each THROUGH ITALY. 201 Ch. IV. a piece of gospel history represented in beau- tiful basso relievo. But the peculiar and cha- racteristic ornaments of this churchy are the statues erected by the Senate to many of its Worthies, and the superb mausoleums of se- veral heroes and Doges, The materials are always the finest marbles, and the ornaments frequently of the best taste. The descripti- ons as pompous as the tombs themselves, carry us back to the heroic ages of the Republic 5 and in lofty and classical lan- guage, relate the glorious achievements of the doges and warriors of ancient times. The appellations of Greticus , Africanus , Asiaticus , grace many of the tombs , and seem to re- vive and emulate the triumphs and the titles of consular Rome. The conclusion of one of these epitaphs deserves to be recorded 3 it is the last admonition which the d^dng hero addresses to his countrymen, « Vos justitiam et concordiam , quo sempiternwn hoc sit im^ perium , conservate. » Next to the churches we may rank tlie Sci/ole j or the chapels and halls of certain confraternities, such as that of St. Roch, St. Mark , and that of the Mercatantl ; all of noble proportions and rich furniture ^ and * 9 20’2 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. ali adorned with paiiitin^^s relative to their respective denominations, by the best masters. But, why enlarge on the beauty, on the magnificence on the glories of Venice? or, why describe its palaces , its churches , its monu- ments? That Liberty which raised these pom- pous edifices in a swampy marsh, and opened such scenes of grandeur in the middle of a pool, is now no more! That bold independence which filled a few lonely islands, the abode of sea-mews and of cormorants, with popu- lation and with commerce, is bowed into slavery, and the republic of Venice, with all its bright series of triumphs, is now an empty name. The City, with its walls and towers, and streets, still remains; but the spirit that animated the mass is fled. Jacet in^ens lit tore truncus It is unnecessary, therefore, at present, to enlarge upon the former government of Venice ; suffice it to say, that it is now a petty province of the Austrian empire, and that of all its former territories, the Seven Ionian Islands only, once considered as a very insignificant part of the Venetian do- minions, enjoy a nominal and precarious in- dependence. The unjust and cruel deed of CA. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 2o5 destroying a republic weak, inoffensive, and respectable from its former fame, belongs to Bonaparte'^hnl \he causes that led to it must be sought for in the bosom of the repub- lic itself. Had the same virtues which fos- tered the infant commonwealth still flou- rished, had the courage which urged it so often to unequal contest with the migthy power of the Ottomans, continued to in- spire its sons ; had the spirit and the wis- dom that directed its councils during the famous league of Cambray, influenced its decisions in 1797, it might still have stood 5 and in defiance of the treachery , and of the power of France, it might have pre- served, if not all its territories, at least its honor and independence. But those virtues, that wisdom, were now no more, they blazed out for the last time in the war of the Morea,* and even the last spark died away with the gallant Emo, Luxury had corrupted every mind, and un- A, D. 1718. 3o4 classical tolr ch. ly. Lraced every sinew. Pleasure had long been the only object of pursuit, the idol to which the indolent Venetians sacrificed their time, their fortune , their talents . To attend the Bo^e on days of ceremony, and act their part in public pageantry; or perhaps, to point out ill the senate the best mode of complimenting some powerful court, or of keeping or patching up an inglorious peace with the piratical powers of Africa, was the only business of the nobility. To accompany their chosen ladies , to while- away the night at their casinos , and to slumber away the day in their palaces , was their usual, their favorite employ inent. Hence Venice, for so many ages the seat of inde- pendence, of commerce, of wisdom, and of enterprise , gradually sunk from her emi- nence , and at length became the foul abode of clTeininacy , of wantonness and of de- bau(‘hery. Her arsenal where so many storms once fermenfed, and whence so many thun- derboUs had been levelled at the aspiring head of the Turk, resigning its warlike Inrnilnre, became a scene of banquetting; and instead of resounding to the stroke of the anvil re-echoed to the dance and the ch. IV. THROUGH italy. 205 concert.* In short , this once proud and potent republic, like some of the degene- rate Emperors of Rome, seemed to prefer the glories of the theatre to those of the field , and willingly rested its modern claim to consideration, on the pre-eminent exhibitions of its vvell-kno^vn carnival, j * Several noble halls in the arsenal had been for a long time appropriated to the entertainment of royal guests, and of strangers of very great distinction. -j- )) In fatti, un certo Egoismo sempre fatale alle repubbliche, un reflessibile raffreddamento di quel zelo patrio che tamo distinse gli aristocra- tici dei passati secoli, una falsa clemenza nei tri- bunali, onde rimanevano i delitti senza il castigo dalle Leggi prescritto, una certa facilita di pro- palare i segreti del Senate, sorpassata con indo- lenza dagb it]quisif ori dello stale, una non curanza delle cose sacrc e religiose, un immoderato spi- rilo di passaterapi, una scandalosa impudenza nel- le donne, un libertinaggio portato per cosi dire in trionfo negli uoniini erano fra gli altri d^sordini clic dominavano in una parte di Patrizi, e Citta- dini d’ogui condizionesi in Venezia, che ucllo Sta- 2o6 classical tour Ch, IV, From a people so degraded, so lost to Fold and manly sentiments, no generous exertions, no daring enterprise is to be ex-* peeled in the hour of danger. It is their policy to temporize, to weigh changes, to Hatter the great contending Powers, and it must be their fate to sink under the weight of the victorious. Such was the des- tiny of Venice. After having first insulted, and then courted the French republic, it at length, with all the means of defence in its Iiands, resigned itself to hollow friend- ship*, and sent a thousand boats, to trans- port the armies of France from the main land over the Lagune into the very heart of the city. The English commodore in the Adriatic, protested against such madness to. Ne fanno fode gP inlerni sconvolg'meiitl degli anni 1-^62. c 1780. e la Loggia de’ Liberi Mura- lori scoperta nel 1785. in ciii alcuni rispettabili soggelti av'cvano ingresso : Qiieste furono le ca- gioni rstrinseche, che disponevano I'edifjcio ad iin imminrnie pericolo di crollare.» — Such is the acknowlL-dgmeiil of a Venolian author. liaccolta vol* i. p. 16. Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 20f and offered Lo cover the city with his own ships — ill vain! The people^ who are ahvays the last to lose a sense of national honor, expressed their readiness to stand forth and to defend their country — in vain ! The nobles trembled for their Italian estates j and in the empty hope of saving their income, they be- trayed their country, and submitted to plunder, to slavery, and to indelible disgrace. Not one arm was raised, not one sword was drawn, and Venice fell , self-betrayed, and unpitied. Her enemies punished her pusillanimity, by pillaging her public and her private treasures by defacing her edifices, by stripping her ar- senal, by carrying awa}" hr?r trophies^ and then they handed her over a contemptible prize, to a foreign sovereign. A tremendous lesson to rich and effeminate nations to rouse them to exertion, and to prove, if such proof were w'anting , that independence must be preserved , as it can only be obtained , by the sword; that money may purchase arms, but not freedom ; that submission excites contempt ; and that determined heroic re- sistance, even should it fad , challenges and obtains consideration and honor. s,o3 CLASSICAL TOUR , Ch, IV, Non lamen ignavae Percipient genles quam sit non ardua virUis Servilium Cugisse manu Ignoranlque datos, ne quisquam serviat, enses. Lucan. The population of Venice^ previous to the late revolution, amounted to about one himdrcd and fifty thousand souls; it is sup- posed to have decreased considerably since that event, and if the present order of things should unfortunately continue , it will di- minish, tdl, deserted like Siena and Pisa, this city shall become a superb solitude, whose lonely grandeur will remind the tra- veller , that Venice w^as once great, and independent. The state of society in Venice seems to be upon a more enlarged scale than for- merly ; Ihe casinos indeed continue still to l)e lliC places of resort, of card-parties and ol suppers; but various houses are open to strangers; and lialls and concerts, and club dinners are given frequently; to all which, introduction is not difficult. The carnival was distinguished by plays in the day, and by masked bails at night ; the illumination THROUGH ITALY. Ch. IV. 209 of the theatre 011 such nights is very beau* tifiil. One species of theatrical anmseinent at this season is singular. It is a regular farce, carried on at all hours 5 so that the idle part of the community may , if they please , pass all the twenty-four hours in the play-house , fall asleep , and awake , go out and come in , and still find the play going on with its usual spirit. In such pie- ces , the actors seem to be obliged to have recourse to their own ingenuity for the dialogue, which, however, seldom flags for want of materials ; such is their natural talent for repartee and buffoonery. A person accustomed to the rides , the walks, the activity of ordinary towns, soon grows tired of the confinement of Venice, and of the dull , indolent , see-saw motion of Gondolas. He longs to expatiate in fields, and to range at large through streets, with- out the encumbrance of a boat and a re- tinue of Gondolieri. We therefore left Ve- nice on the sixth of March , without much regret , and embarking at the inn door , proceeded towards Fusina. As we rowed over the Lagune , we prevailed upon our Gondoliari to sing, according to an ancient 210 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. custom , mentioned, I think, by Addison , some stanzas of Tasso; but however beautiful the poetry nii^^ht be , we thou^dit the tune and execution no ways superior to that of a common ballad-singer in the streets of London. This classical mode of sinking verses alternately , a remnant of the ancient pas- toral ^ so long preserved in Italy, has been much on the decline in Venice since the Fi’ench invasion, which has damped the ar- dor of the people, and almost extinguished their natural mirth and vivacity. From Fu^ sina we ascended the Brenta in the same manner as we had descended it, and ar- rived late at Padua. The next morning , after a second visit to the most remarkable edifices , such as St. Giustina , the Santo , the Cathedral , the Safone , we turned our thoughts to the neighboring country and considered ^^hat objects it presented to our curiosity. The warm fontain and baths of Aponus , now called Apono , lie about four miles * Alteniis dicetis, araant ahernae Cainenae. Firgil, ■ Ch. IV. 211 THROUGH ITALY, from Padua. They were frequented by the ancient Romans under the Emperors , and have been celebrated by Glaudian ^ and by the Gothic king Theodoric, in long and ela- borate descriptions in verse and prose These writers attribute to them many strange and wonderful etfects; however, making all due allowances for poetical exaggeration, the waters are in many cases of great advantage. About seven njiles southward of Padua, rises the ridge of hills called the Colli Eu- * The principal effects are described in the following verses. Glaudian addresses himself to the fountain: Felices, proprium qui te meruere coloni, Fas quibiis est Aponon juris habere sui 5 Non illis terrena lues, corrupta nec Austri Flamina, nec saevo Sirius igne nocet Quod si forte malus niembris eKuberat humor Languida vel nimio viscera felle virent: Non venas reserant, nec vulnere vulnera sanant, Pocula nec tristi gramine mista bibunt : Amissum lymphis reparant irnpune vigorem, Pacaturque, aegro luxuriante, dolor . Eidyl. Apon* 212 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VI. i , still retaining the name of one ol the earliest tribes that peopled the Paduan ter- ritory. These mountains, for so they might justly be termed, if the enormous swell of the neighboring Alps did not in appearance diminish their elevation, were formerly, it seems, inhabited by a race of soothsayers, who vied with the Tuscans in the art of looking into futurity. One of these seers , according to Lucan, beheld the battle of Pharsalia while seated on his native hill , and described to his astonished auditors , all the vicissitudes of that bloody contest % on the very morning on which it took place. Aldus Gellius relates the same story , but attributes it to a priest of the name of Cor- nelius , a citizen of Padua , without men- tioning , as he frequently does , the author Eug.inco, si vera fides meniorantibiis, Augur Colic sedeiis, Aponus terris ubi funiifer exit, Atque Antenorei dispergitur unda Timavi, Venit suinma dies, geritur res maximaj dixit, Impia concurrunt Pompeii et Caesaris arma. Luc, vii, 192. ( The poet’s geography is not very accurate.) ^ Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 2,3 from whom he derived the tale. But, whether ^ it was a Paduan priest or an Euganean sooth- sajer , who was gifted with this extraordi- nary power of vision , it proves at least that claims to the faculty termed second ^ ^ are not confined to modern times, or to the northern regions of Great Bri- tain In one of the recesses of the Colli Eu~ ! ganei stands the village of Arqud^ distin- j guished by the residence of Petrarca during the latter ^^ears of his life, and by his death which took place in 1074. He was buried in the church-yard of the same village, and a monument was erected to his honor. This monument and his villa have been preserved by the people with religious care, and con- tinue even now to attract a number of literary visitants of all countries, w^ho , as they pass through Padua, fail not to pay their respects to the manes of Petrarca. The road to Arqua, as far as Monte Se- lice, runs along a canal, over a very flat and Aul. Cell. lib. XV. 18. Ch. IV. 21 1 CLASSICAL TOUR vcrv fcrlilc coiiiilry bearing a strong resem- blance to some of ihe finest parts of the Ne- therlands. Villas and large villages lie thick around , and the scene on every side gives the traveller an idea of plenty and of popu- lation. To relieve the flatness of the adjacent country, mountains rise in various forms in front, and Monte Selic.e (or Silicis j in par- ticular, strikes the eye by its lofty conical form. About eight miles from Padua , on the banks of the canal stands the castle of \heObiz~ zi , an ancient an ] illustrious family of Padua. This edifice is much in the style of the old castles of Romance. Lofty rooms, long galle- ries, winding staircases, and dark passages, fit it admirably for the purposes of a no- velist , and render it equally proper for the abode of a great baron, for the receptacle of a band of robbers, for the scene of night- ly murders , or for the solitary walk of ghosts and of spectres. But the predomi- nant taste of the country has fitted it up in a si vie well calculated to dispel these gloomy transalpine illusions, and to cure the spec- tator’s mind of its Gothic terrors. The apart- mculs are adorned with paintings, some of winch arc in fresco ^ on the walls repre- Ch, IV. THROUGH ITALY. 2i5 senting the glories and the achievements of the Obizzian heroes in days of old , and others are on canvas being originals or co- pies of great masters. The galleries , and one in particular of very considerable length , are filled with Roman antiquities , altars^ vases, armour, inscriptions, pillars, ect. On the whole , the castle is very curious , and ought to be made the object of a par- ticular visit , as an incidental hour is not sufficient for an examination in detail of the various curiosities which it contains. ^ A little beyond the village of Catah , we turned off from the high road , and alighting from the carriage on account of the swam- piness of the country, we walked and rowed occasionally through lines of willows, or over tracts of marshy land, for two or three miles. * When we visited it, the proprietor was walk- ing up and down the great gallery, and giving directions to his servants to clear and arrange some new acquisitions. He seemed to contemplate liis collection with great complacency^ and it must be owned that the number and arrangement of the articles which compose it, give a favorable opinion both of his diligence and his judgement. 9a6 CL\SSIGAL tour Ch. IV, till \vc be^,^aa lo ascend the mountain, is prctiJy situated on the northern side of a hii,di hill, with a valley below it winding through the Euganean ridge. It is not a very large, hut a neat village. Petrarca's villa is at the extremity farthest from Padua. It consists of two floors. The first is used for farming purposes, as it is annexed to a farmer^s house. The second story contains five rooms, three of which are. large, and two closets; the middle room seems to have been used as a reception room or hall ; that on the right is a kitchen ; that on the left has two closets, one of which might have been a study, the other a bed- chamber. Its fire-place is high , and its pastes fi/lip;Ine nigri. To the chief window is a balcony; the view thence towards the opening of the valley on the side , and in front towards two lofty conical hills , one of which is topped with a convent, is calm and pleasing. The only decoration of the ap.utnients is a deep border of grotesque painting as running as a cornice under the ceiling ; an old smoky picture over the fire- place in the kitchen said by the good peo- pic lo Lc aa original Lj Michael Angelo, THROUGH ITALY. C'h. IV. 217 and a table and chair, all apparently, the picture not excepted, as old as the house itself. On the table is a large book, an Album , containing the names , and some- times the sentiments of various visitants. The following verses are inscribed in the first page 3 they are addressed to the traveller. Til die devolo al sagro albergo arrivi 9 Ove aggira ancor 1’ ombra immortale Di chi un di vi depose il corpo frale , La Patria , il nome , i seiisi tuoi qu'i scrivi. The walls are covered with names, compli- ments and verses. Behind the house is a garden , with a small lodge for the gar- dener , and the ' ruins of a tower covered with ivy. A narrow walk leads through it, and continues along the side of the hill ; under the shade of olive trees; a solitary laurel^ still lingers beside the path , and * ,'It is necessary to remark here, once for all, that the Italian laurel is the bay-tree^ \hQ laurus of the ancients. VOL. I. 10 21 8 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. recalls to mind both the poet and the lover. The hill ascends steep from the garden , and winding round ^ closes the vale and the prospect. Its broken sides are well cul- tivated , and interspersed with olives and wilh cottages. It was already evening when we arrived. After having examined the house , v/e walked for some time in the garden ; a thousand violets perfumed the air; the night- ingale was occasionally heard, as if making its lirst essay; and, excepting his evening song, most musical, most melancholy, » all was still and silent around. The place and the scenery seemed so well described in the following beautiful lines, that it was impos- sible not to recollect and apply them , though probably intended by the poet for another region. Qui non palazzi , non leatro , o loggia, Mahi lor vece un abele, un f.iggio, un pino, Tra r ei’ba verde , e ’1 bel monte vicino , Onde si scende poetando e poggia, Levan di terra al ciel nostr’ intelletto : EM rosignuol die dolcemente all’ ombra Tulte le notti si lamenta , e piagne. Son. ix. Ch IV. THROUGH ITALY. 219 The garden is entirely neglected, but the house is kept in good repair ; a circumstance which cannot but reflect much honor on the spirit of the proprietor and on the inhabi- tants of the village , when it is considered that more than four hundred years have now elapsed since the death of Petrarca , and that many a destructive war has raged in the coun- try, and many a wasting army passed over it since that event. His body lies interred in the church-yard of the village in a large stone sarcophagus raised on four low pillars , and surmounted with a bust. As we stood and contemplated the tomb by the pale light of the moon, we indulged the caprice of the moment, and twining a branch of laurel into the form of a crown , placed it on the head of the bust, and hailed the manes of the Tuscan poet in the words of his admirer. Dell pioggia, o vento rio non faccia scorno AIP ossa pie:^ sol porti grati odori L’ aura die ’1 ciel suol far puro e sereno. Lascin le ninfe ogni lor antro ameno E raccolle in corona al sasso inlorno, Liete ti cantin lodi e spargan fiori I Aitss, Piccolominio CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. Several of llie inhabitants who had gathered romicl us, during this singular ceremony, seemed not a little pleased with the whim, and cheered us with repeated cvvwa as we passed through the village, and descended the hill. Though overturned by a blunder of the drivers, and for some time suspended over the canal with imminent danger of being precipitated into it, yet as the night was bright and warm, and all the party in high spirits, the excursion was extremely pleasant. Few names seem to have been so fondly cherished by contemporaries, or treated with so iiiueh partiality by posterity, as that of Petrarca. This distinction he owes not so much to his talents, or even to his virtues, as to the many amiable and engaging quali- ties which accompanied them , and set them off to the greatest advantage. As an orator, an historian, and a poet, he had even in his own time many rivals, perhaps in Boccaccio an equal , and in Dante undoubtedly a su- perior. But in pleasing manners, in generous feelings, in warm attachment, and in all the gracelul , all the attractive accomplishments ot lile, he seems to have surpassed every public character of his time , and to Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 221 have engaged universal and unqualified admiration. Gibbon asserts that the literary reputation, of Petrarca must rest entirely on his Latin works and insinuates that his sonnets are trifles: that his passion was, in his own opinion, and in that of his contemporaries, criminal; and that Laura, the mother often children , could have possessed few of the charms ascribed to her by the poet. Though 1 have no particular inclination to enter the lists as champion of the lady's charms, yet I may venture to observe, that a matron who died at the age of forty or forty-two, may possibly have been very beautiful at the age of nineteen or twenty, when the poet first beheld her; that female beauty sometimes survives forty, however fatal that age may he to it in general ; that it is less liable to fade when it consists more in expression than in color and freshness; and in fine, that though Laura, if we may believe her lover, possessed both species of beauty, yet she excelled in the former. Le crespe chiome d' or puro Iiicente E 1 lampeggiar deirangelico riso . . . II Parte Sonn, 2^. 222 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. Le perle in ch' (amor) frange ed affrena Dolci parole — I Parte Sonn. 184. are perishable charms without doubly and liable to very rapid decay, But^ Leggiadria singolare e pelJegrina ; E '1 cantar che neiranima si sente 5 L' andar celeste, e '1 vago spirto ardente Cli’ogni dur rompe, ed ogni altezza inshina: E quei begli occhi che i cor fanno smalti : Col dir pien d’intelJelti, dolci ed alii: E '1 bel tacere, e quei santi costumi I I Parte Sonn, 177. These are charms which emanate directly from the mind, and seem almost to enjoy some portion of its pure and imperishable nature. Laura , therefore , may still be allow- ed to retain her honors, and continue to rank among the celebrated beauties of an- cient times, oltra le belle bella, * As to Petrarca^s passion, it was undoubt- edly misplaced, excessive, and highly re- prehensible 5 but his contemporaries do not seem to have considered it in that light. Vol. ii. Son. xxi. Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 22 especially as it never broke out in any guilty deed , or even indecorous expression. The author of his life, Beccadelliy a man of unblemished morals and reputation , and an archbishop, declares that Petrarca's attach- ment was innocent in itself, and beneficial in its consequences, as it called forth the powers of his genius , and contributed in a high degree to the perfection of his language, and to the honor of his country. The Poet himself condemns, and applauds his passion alternately 5 representing it sometimes as hav- ing preserved him from the indulgence of low grovelling appetites , and urged him to the pursuit of honorable famef; and at other times lamenting it as a guilty weakness, to which he had sacrificed his time, and had devoted talents destined for nobler objects But, notwithstanding the severity of this self- censure 5 he continued either to compose or to correct the strains that love inspired , not only for several years after the death of its object, but even to the near approach of his Part. II. Canz. vii. * Part II. Son. Ixxxyi* * 22^ CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV. own: a circuinslanoe which, considering llie religions turn of his mind, particularly in his latter days, proves that he attached no cri- minality to the passion itself, since he could indulge himself so freely in its recollection. As to the sonnets of Petrarca ; in the eyes of a moralist they are trifles, and so are the elegies of Propertius and of Tibullus, and all the numerous poems both ancient and modern, that treat the same airy and unsubstantial subject; but trinkets may derive value from their materials and workmanship , and even love songs may acquire both importance and interest from their language and their senti- ments. Genius communicates its own dignity to every subject that it chooses to handle ; it can give weight to insignificance, and make even an amorous ditty the vehicle of awful truths and of useful lessons. This observation is more applicable perhaps to Petrarca than to any other poet. Equal , I had almost said supe- rior in felicity of expression, and in harmony of language , to his Roman predecessors, he rises far above them in delicacy of thought, and in dignity of sentiment. He borrows no embellishments from the fictions of mythology, and indulges himself in no pastoral tales, no Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 225 far-fetched allusions. The spirit of religion , which strongly influenced his mind in all the vicissitudes of life, not unfrequently gives his passion something of the solemnity of devotion, and inspires the holy strains that chant Quanto piu vale Sempiterna bellezza che mortale. This peculiar turn of thought, that pervades the poems of Petrarca, and raises them so much above all similar compositions, is no- ticed by his biographer as a distinction highly honorable to the Tuscan muses, le quali , ha mostro , come altamente e santamente posson cantar d’ amoce. It is not wonderful therefore, that the poet himself should have rested his hopes of fame on his Italian poems, and have persisted in correcting and in re« polishing them with so much assiduity ; or that posterity should have conflrmed the author^’s judgment, and continued ever since to set a high value on these short , but highly labored productions. While his Latin poems (histories and moral dissertations) sluiuber undisturbed on the shelf, his Rhne will * lO 226 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch IV. sometimes amuse the leisure of the youthful reader , and no>v and then , perhaps , attract the attention of the philosopher , who will often find in them, intermingled with the frivolous graces of the subject, sublime sen- timents, expressed in language the most harmonious. Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY. 227 CHAP. V. Visit to the Lago di Garda ^ or Benacus — the River Mincius — the Promontory of Sirmio — Desens ano — Storm on the LaKe — Paradisino — Banxs of the Mincius — Mantua — Pietole — Excursion to the Po — Honors paid to Virgil — Virgiliano, -L 1 EXT day we took leave of Padua , re- turned through Vicenza to Verona and hav- ing passed the following day there ^ on the ensuing morning (March i3) we set out for the hago di Garda ( the Benacus ) ce- lebrated by Virgil as one of the noblest ornaments of Italy. Its principal promontory^ Sirmioy has been commemorated by Catullus , as his favorite residence. We reached Pes- chiera , a fortress on the southern extre- mity of the lake , at about half past two. The distance is about eighteen miles, the road is excellent, generally descending, and al- ways passing through corn fields striped with vines with some swells at a distance crowned with villages , and churches , and CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. V, scats wlillc the Alps formed a vast line to llie north. Traces of hostility, as I be- fore observed, are indeed too visible in the nei'^hborhood of Verona, where several se- o vere skirmishes , and one decisive battle , took place during the late war. The vine- yards and mulberry trees , of course , were lorn up or cut down by the armies as they passed along. However, I observed with sa- tisfaction, that the peasants were busily em- ployed in replanting them. At Peschiera , the lake terminates in the river Mincio^ which flows through the town, broad, deep, and clear as crystal, though almost as rapid as a mountain torrent. The traveller, when he beholds this river, the name of which is so familiar and so pleas-" ing to a classic ear , will recal to mind the passages in which A'irgil describes its banks and appearances. We contemplat- ed it for some time from the bridge, and then went out of the town, and embark- ing without tlie gate, glided over the sur- lace of the lake so smooth and clear, that we could distinguish the bottom at the depth ot twenty or five-aud-twenty feet. The weather though only the thirteenth of March, Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY. 223 was as warm , aud the sim as bright , as on a summer's day in England j yet some clouds hung on the summits of the moun- tains , and a certain haziness dimmed their sides. The borders of the lake towards the south 5 .though rather flat , rise sufficiently to display to advantage the towns ^ villa- ges , and seats , with the olives , corn fields , and vineyards that adorn them ; and when lighted up by a bright sunshine, they pre- seiit a very exhilarating prospect. The shores, as they advance northward, assume a bolder aspect, and exhibit all the varie- ties of Alpine scenery. Rocky promontories , precipices, lofty hills, and towering moun- tains , in all their grotesque , broken , and shapeless appearances, rise in succession one above another ; while the declining sun , playing upon the snow that capped their summits, tinged them with various hues, and at length spread over them a thin veil of purple. The peninsula of Sirmione , and the bold- er promontory of Mlnerbo , the former about seven, the latter about fourteen miles distant , appeared to great advantage from Feschiera , and grew upon the sight as 25 o classical tour Ch. Y. ^vc advanced. Sinnione appears as an island: so low and so narrow is the bank that unites it to the main land. Its entrance is defended , and indeed totally covered by an old castle , with its battlements and high antique tower in the centre , in the form of a Gothic fortification. The promontory spreads behind the town, and rises into a hill entire- ly covered with olives ; this hill may be said to have two summits ; as there is a gentle descent between them. On the nearest is a church and hermitage , plundered by the French, and now uninhabited and neglected. On the farthest , in the midst of an olive grove , stand the walls of an old building , said to be a Roman bath , and near it is a vault , called the grotto of Catullus, The extremity of this promontory is covered with arched ways , tovvers , and subterranean pas- sages , supposed by the inhabitants to be Roman , but apparently of no very distant aera. At all events, Catullus undoubtedly in- liabited this spot , and preferred it , at a certain period , to every other region. He has expressed his attachment to it in some beautiful lines. Ch, y. THROUGH ITALY. 23 1 Peninsularum Sirmio , iasularumqiie OceJle , quacumque in liquentibus stagnis Marique vasto fert uterque Neptunus : Quam te libenter , quamque laelus inviso. CatuLL 32 , He could not have chosen a more delight- ful retreat. In the centre of a magnificent lake^ surrounded with scenery of the great- est variety and majesty , secluded from the world j yet beholding from his garden the villas of his Veronese friends , he might have enjoyed alternately the pleasures of retire- ment and of society 5 and daily , without the sacrifice of his connexions ^ which Horace^ ‘ seemed inclined to make, in a moment of despondency , he might have contemplated the grandeur and the agitation of the ocean , without its terrors and immensity. Besides, the soil is fertile and its surface varied ; sometimes shelving in a gentle declivity , at other times breaking in craggy magnifi- cence ; and thus furnishing every requisite for delightful walks and for luxurious baths; while the views vary at every step , pre- senting rich coasts or barren mountains, sometimes confined to the cultivated scenes * Lib. I. Ep. xi. 2^., CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, V. of tlic neighboring shore, and at other limes bewildered and lost in the windings of the lake , and in the recesses of the Alps. In siiort, more convenience and more beauty are seldom united 5 and such a pe- ninsula is, as Catullus enthusiastically observes, scarcely to be matched in all the wide range of the world of waters. We left Sirmione after sunset; and, lighted by the moon, glided smoothly over the lake to Desensano, four miles distant, where, about eight , we stepped from the boat into a very good inn. So far the appearance of the Bcnacus was very different from the de- scription which Virgil has given of its stormy character. Before we retired to rest, about midnight, from our windows, we observed it still calm and unruffled. About three in tlie morning I was roused from sleep by the door and windows bursting open at once, and the wind roaring round the room. I started up, and looking out, observed by the light of the moon, the lake in the most dreadful agitation, and the waves dashing against the walls of the inn, and resembling the swellings of the ocean , more than the petty agitation of inland waters. Shortly after, Ch. Y. TimOUGTI ITALY. 233 the landlord entered with a lantern, closed the outward shutters , expressed some ap- prehensions, but at the same ti ne assured me , that their houses were built to resist such sudden tempests , and that I might re- pose with confidence under a roof, which had withstood full many a storm as terrible as that which occasioned our present alarm. Next morning, the lake so tranquil and serene the evening before, presented a surface cover- ed with foam , and swelling into mountain billows , that burst in breakers every instant at the very door of the inn, and covered the whole house with spray. Virgil’s descrip- tion now seemed nature itself, and, taken from the very scene actually under our eyes, it was impossible not to exclaim, Teque Fluctibus el fremitu assurgens, Benace, marino. Georg, ii. 160. After breakfast (March 14 ? Sunday) I walked up the road to Brescia , and from a high hill viewed the lake , its coasts , peninsulas and promontories. The peninsula of Sinnione forms the most striking object,- 234 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. V. as niiinin^^ between Peschiera and Desen- sano; it divides the fust and widest part of the lake ittto two nearly equal spaces, and on account of tlie lowness and the narrowness of the passage to it, appears like a beautiful and well wooded island. The next striking feature of the lake is the bold promontory of Minerbo , or rather of San Pietro , and the Isola del Vend. Behind this promontory and island , lies the river of Salo’y supposed to be one of the most picturesque parts of the lake. Nearly oppo- site to Sa?i Pietro , stands the town of Garda ( founded in the middle ages) which now gives its name to the lake, while an- ciently, the lake gave its name to the sur- rounding territory called Ager Benacensis*, * Many geographers suppose, and pretend to ground iheir suppositions upon ancient monuments, that the name of Benacus belonged not to a town, but to the lake itself only, and that the surround- ing country Avas called Ager Benacensis-, and the inhabitants, Benacenses.. The lake is now known among the people of the country, as much by the appellation of Logo di Benaco , as. that •f Logo di Garda* Ch, V. THROUGH ITALY. 235 whose inhabitants assembled for public pur- poses at Tusculanum. This town still exists, under its ancient appellation , near Salb, The remaining part of the lake is conceal- ed among the mountains, and placed be- yond the observation of one who stands in the neighborhood of Desensano. The waters of the lake are of the finest sea- green ; its depth is unequal 5 in the narrow parts , from ten to forty , in the wider , from one hundred to three hundred feet. The Benacus is fed by several Alpine streams, and particularly by the Sarca , a river that still bears its Roman name; its only outlet is the Mincio, Hence this stream is sup- plied with a perpetual flow of waters , and never rises or falls more than a few inches , while other rivers are oftentimes almost dried up in warm seasons , and swelled in wet months into an inundation. On the fifteenth we left Desensano , and passing through Rigoltela , alighted at the turn towards the peninsula, and visited Sir- mione once more. We ranged, as before, over the whole promontory , and examined its coasts , its productions , an its ruins more minutely The eastern and western Ch. V. 256 CLASSICAL TOUR sides are formed principally of steep craggy rocks, that sometimes rise into a. wall, and at other times descend in regular gradations to the water. The northern extremity is a grassy declivity. A vast mass of solid rock seems to form the basis of the pro- montory. It borders it on all sides , and shelving by degrees , extends to a consi- derable distance visible though under water, and losing itself almost imperceptibly in the deep. The views on all sides, excepting the south , are such an intermixture of level and mountainous, of cultivated and barren country , as cannot fail to interest even by its contrasty while from the northern point you discover the utmost borders of the lake, though their distance, which is about forty-live miles , and the dark shade of the superincumbent mountains , involve them in dimness and obscurity. The produce of the hill consists principally of olive trees, plants evergreen indeed but neither lofty nor luxuriant in foliage , and consequently not well calculated to answer the purposes of ornament, shade, or shelter. They are, however, productive, and the in- • I Ch, V. THROUGH ITALY. 25/ 'I habitants are so sensible of their value, that ! they contrive to plant them on the sides , i and even in the clefts of the rocks , and i sometimes raise walls to prop them when in a situation too perpendicular, or of a form ! too spreading and extensive for the trunk. This instance of exertion, and indeed many others , which I may introduce occasionally hereafter, toi^ether with the highly cultivat- ed appearance of the country, have effectually removed some of our prejudices, and con- I vinced us, notwithstanding the partial and hasty representations of certain travellers, that the Italians are a very laborious people, and that if they do not enjoy ail the advantages attached by Providence to industry, the fault is to be attributed, not to them, but to their landlords and governors. But though olives be the principal produce of the peninsula , yet vines and corn are by no means exclud- ed: on the contrary, vineyards occupy a con- siderable part of the first hill , particularly towards the west, where , bordering on the town and lake , a beautiful vineyard rises , enclosed with large laurels 5 and corn fills the spaces betvveen the ohve rows, and covers the peninsuia with verdure from shore 2:>3 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. V. to shore. A large garden occupies the first hill immedialely over the town, and contains, among other plants, some beautiful cypresses, ’ favorite trees in all Italian gardens both an- cient and modern. Having wandered up and down these poe- tical retreats, and read Catullus on the ruins of his residence ; having observed again and again all the beautiful points of view that rose around us, we were reminded by the setting sun of the necessity of retiring; and withdrew, reluctantly indeed, but with the satisfaction of having seen the Benacus under all its forms of calmness, of agitation, and of returning trancpiillity. We walked along its banks by the light of the moon, to Pes- chiera y six miles, and thence one more to P aradisino ^ a country seat belonging to Si^, Alberto Alhertini y our banker at Verona. The house is in a lovely country, yet so situate as to enjoy none of its advantages; for though it stands on the banks of the Min- cio, and within a mile of the lake, it com- mands a view of neither. Its furniture is very indifferent, and the walks around, the prin- cipal of which opposite the house, consists of a double row of cypresses, seem to pro- Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY. 2S9 mise neither shade nor shelter. To account for this deficiency, it would perhaps be suf- ficient to observe, that the Italians in general, have very little taste in furnishing a house, or ill laying out grounds to advantage; but in justice to the proprietor of Paradisino , I must add, that the French had plundered the house, and cut down the greatest pa»-t of the wood that surrounded it, so that its nakedness mi^st, in some degree, be ascrib- ed to the general cause of all the miseries of Italy, to the destroying spirit of the French army Before we take a last leave of the Benacus and of its borders , of Verona and of its vi- cinity , I must inform the reader that the lake, with all its streams and surrounding hills, and indeed the whole circumjacent country , has been rendered truly classical b}^ having been made the scene or the subject of many beautiful compositions in the second Augustan age of Italy. Fracastorius ^ ISlau^erius^ Cas^ tiilo, have invoked the Nymphae Benacidesj and Bembo has given the appellation of Be- nacus to one of his most correct and most pleasing Latin poems. The mountains and bills on its borders have been converted into CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. V. Vio Arcadia of Italy, and peopled with a race of sliepljcrds, who altnosl rival in song the (hecian swains once soli cantare peritiy and who far surpass them in innocence and in piety. But of all the strains in which these scenes are celebrated, the most affecting are those addressed by Fracastorius to his de- parted friend Flaminius y who was himself one of the most tuneful natives of this happy region. Te miseruml ante diem, crudeli funere, Marce Antoni ! aetalis primo sub flore cadentem Vidimus extrema positum Benacide ripa Quam media inter saxa sonans Sarca abluit unda: Te ripae flevere Athesis, te voce vocare Auditae per noctem umbrae mariesque Calulli, El pairios mulcere nova dulcednie Jucos. Sjph, lib» i. I\ext morning we sent our carriages towards Mantua, and determined to proceed on foot, in order toexplot e the secret beauties of the Mincins , at)d to trace its pastoral banks , hitherto untiodden by the foot of any Britisli traveller, ^e took one of AiberUni s meiij an hoiiest looking peasant, Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY, 241 for oiir guide, and descending the little hill on which Paradisino stands, advanced to- wards the hanks of the river. These banks consist of fine little broken hills, covered with vineyards and mulberry trees , interspersed with corn fields and downs, with a rill oc- casionally tumbling through a chasm. On the left, on the highest part of the bank, stands the village of Salionche , and on leaving this village you have a fine view over the river, between two swells, of the fortress of Ponte y at about two miles distance , backed by the Alps, Before you , rises on a hill , the old castle of Mosemhano , with its two towers and loug hattlemented ramparts. Beyond it a fine swell crowned with a few solitary cy- presses, attracts the attention, merely by its apparent loneliness. Mosemhano stands high on the right bank, and as you approach, in- creases to your view , presenting a hand- some church , and a line old castle. Oppo- site Mosemhano on the left , a fertje plain extends for the space of a mile, to a range of well wooded hills, adorned with a tower on the middle eminence called Monte Velio y and terminating m the very picturesque hill and castle of Vale^^io^ v OL. 1 . 11 2^2 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch V. A liule beyond Mosemhano , the scenery improves considerably ; broken hills, increas- ing^ in magnitude, approach the river: trees more frequent and more majestic, adorn their sides j the Mincio, spreading as it winds along, assumes the appearance of a magnificent ri- ver, while the castle J^aleggio on the hill, and the fortified bridge of Borghetto in the valley, form a very singular and striking ter- mination. The side of a high hill, on the left, is crowned with the house and garden of the Marquis Maffei , a name well known in li- terature. Borghetto is situate in a very beau- tiful valley : a high road runs across and is flanked with a wall on each side, strengthen- ed with towers and defended by three cas- tles , one at each end , and one in the mid- dle , forming a bridge over the river. On the top of a steep hill, rising immediately from the bridge or fortified road , stands the ro- mantic castle of Valeggio, In its centre rises a lofty tower, which the Austrians were em- ployed in repairing and raising, till the mo- ment of their final retreat. The whole is now neglected and will undoubtedly, if the pre- sent system remains in force much longer, become a heap of ruins. Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY. 243 A little beyond the castle of Vale^^io from its highest rampart, we enjoyed one of the most delicious views imaginable. To the south extended a plain almost interminable watered by the Mincio , covered with corn- fields, divided by mulberry trees and vines, intersected by various roads, and dotted with villas, villages, and towns. Among the latter, Mantua, at the distance of about fifteen miles, made the most conspicuous figure. To the east, rose the hills of Vicenza, and the more distant mountains of Arqua, amongst Vv^hich the peaked forms of Monte Selice, and Monte Ferro , were , though so remote, very remark- able. Westward, and immediately under the eye, lay the delightful valley of Borghetto , with its little town, its castle, its fortified bridge, and all its towers and battlements. An amphitheatre of hills partly encloses the valley with a rampart of woods and villages , and through its middle rolls the sea-green Mincio, tumbling in foam over two or three slight rocky layers. To the north, the churches and castles of Mosembano and Ponte, crown their respec- tive hills , while the Alps , forming a vast semicircular sweep from east to west , close the prospect with a broken line of blue 2 ', 4 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch: V. rockS;, snowy masses , and cloud*capt pin- nacles. \^^e here caught, for the first time, an in- distinct view of the very distant Apennines , running from west to south, and observed with surprise , that they were still , like the neighboring Alps, covered with snow. We descended from the rampart, and following the hill to its southern extremity, saw the Mincio rushing from the defile between two eminences (one of which on the right is called the Folta Mantuana) and then sweep- ing along a wood, till it loses itself in the distant level. As the day advanced , and the river did not promise any picturesque scenery during its progress over the flat country, we mounted our carriages in the town of Borghetto , and drove over a most fertile, well wooded, highly cultivated, and well peopled plain. About six o^clock on the 17th of March, we entered Mantua, lU;mlna mnsarum domns, atque ad sidera cantu Evccta aonio, et Smyriiaeis emula plectris. Sil. viii. The day affer our arrival we crossed the lower lake, and visited the village of Pietole , Clu V. THROUGH ITALY 2.45 anciently supposed by some to be Andes, where Virgil is said to have been born. It is about three miles distant from Mantua, on the banks « tardis ingens ubi flexibus errat Mincius , « and consists of several’ neat cottages , good farm houses , and a hand- some church. About half a mile southward on the road, and near the river, stands a large farm , with two extensive gardens , and offices well walled in, formerly belong- ing to the Imperial government, which grant- ed it to a Mantuan citizen, Count Gibertiy to defray the interest of the money which he had advanced for public purposes. This farm is called Virgiliana, and is said to have belonged to the poet himself. The country around it and Pietolcy is extremely flat, but fertile, well wooded, and highly cultivated. On the 19th (Friday) we took a boat \ and descended the Mincio , to the place where it falls into the Po, about twelve miles below Mantua. The country through which it flows is so low, that the river is generally embanked like a canal, and cannot be supposed to exhibit any picturesque views^ especially as the fields around were still , in consequence of the late inundation, in 24G CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. V. many places covered with water. However, many trees, great fertility , and high culti- vation, give it all the beauty it is capable of receiving ; while several neat cottages adorn the banks, and as the weather was extreinelv fine , appeared , when we passed, to innch advantage. At the beautiful village of Governolo ^ the Mincio makes a sudden bend, and shortly after loses itself in the Po. The breadth of this latter river, and the vast mass of w'aters which it rolls along, give it a very magnificent appearance, and entitle it to the pompous appellation of Vluviorum Rex-, if, as Addisson justly observes, its pre-eminence be confined to the rivers of Italy. Though inferior to the Rhine or Danube in the ex- tent of country it waters, it certainly sur- passes the former , and equals the latter , at least at Vienna, in its immense surface. Its waters very different from the sea-greea colour of the Mincio y were thick and yellow with mudj its banks are low, and the country, around flat 5 hence its frequent and extensive inundations. Its borders are lined with trees and villages, and pleasing, though by no means picturesque. As the Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY. 247 Po is a truly classic river ^ we walked for some time on its banks with great satisfac- tion , and recalled to mind various passages in Virgil, Ovid, Vida, etc. in which its name occurs. We then returned to Gooer- nolo , and as we passed through , visited and admired its beautiful church, which, unfortunately, owing to the poverty of the inhabitants , occasioned by the French in- vasion, has never been fitted up and furnish- ed for divine service. We were then drawn up the river by our boatmen, and arrived at Mantua about five. ^ The reader will naturally suppose, that while we ranged along the banks of the Mincio y or glided down its stream, we freqidently recurred to Virgil, and enjoyed his descriptions on the borders of his favorite river, and amid the scenery of his native fields. We perused his Eclogues and Georgies * I thought it necessary to enter into very minute details in describing the banks of the Mincio , as they are very little known, notwithstanding the poetical fame of the river. 243 CLASSICAL TOUR Clu V. duriii" oiir tour, and after having examined and applied them to the face of the coun- try , as it now appears , have been led to the following conclusions. Virgil composed his Eclogues, in order to enrich his language with a species of poetry till then unknown in Latin, and that he might succeed the Letter, he took Theocritus the Prince of Pastoral Poets, for his model. With little regard to originality, he pretended to no more than the honor of being the first Roman who imitated the Sicilian bard. I Prima Syracosio dignata est ludere versu Nostra, nec crubuit silvas habitare Thalia, Eel* iii. and made no difficulty of borrowing the senti- ments, images, and even descriptions of his master. We are not therefore, generally speaking, to look into VirgiPs Pastorals for delineations of Mantuan scenery, nor expect to find in them many unmixt and peculiar allusions to the Mincius and its borders. His object was to copy the original, not to give a new picture of his own composition. I have said generally y because in two pastorals . ciu V. THROUGH ITALY. 249 the first and the ninth, the poet treats pro- fessedly of that river, of Mantua, and of the neighboring country ; and in the seventh , though the names are Greek, the two con- tending shepherds Arcadians, and the scene, we must suppose, Grecian also, yet, by an inaccuracy, not unusual in pastoral composi- tions, he introduces the Mincius , ' with its characteristic reeds and its verdant banks. Ilic virides tenera pvaetexit arimdine ripas, Mincius. In the two former the poet certainly means to describe some of the features of his own little possession, and by these features it is evident, that it lay at the foot, or in the im- mediate neighborhood of the hills , not far from Vale^giOy near which town they begin to subside , and gradually lose themselves in the immense plain of Mantua. Qua se siihducere colles, Incipiunt, mollique jugum demittere chVo. Eol» ix. 7 — 16. On no other part of the banks of the Min- cius, are to be discovered either the bare 2J0 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, V. rocks f « that disfi^Mired the farm ofTityrus, or the towering crag « that shaded the primer, as he sung, or the « vine -clad grotto, V where the shepherd reclined, or the « bushy cliff, w whence « the browsing goats seemed as if suspended, w or « the lofty mountains, w which, in the evening, cast their protracted shadows over the plain. The spreading beech , indeed, and << aerial elm , still delight in the soil , and adorn the banks of the Mincius, in all its windings. From these observations we may venture to infer, in opposition to great authority , the impropriety of fixing VirgiLs farm at Pietole or Virgiliana, in the im- mediate vicinity of Mantua , while the poet represents it as at the distance of at least * E quelhombra genlil per ciii si noma Pietola pill che villa Mantovana. Purgatorio XV 111. From these verses we may infer that it was not only the opinion of Dante, bni the tradition of his limes, that Pietole occupied the site of Andes. Ch, V. THROUGH ITALY. 25 1 some miles, or a walk , deemed long even for active young shepherds ; Caatanles, licet usque, minus via laedett eamus. ix. Of the tomb of Bianor we at present knew nothing; but as sepulchral monuments unless formed of valuable materials, or standing in the immediate neighborhood of cities , have generally been respected, or at least neglect- ed, I have no doubt that some vestiges of it might be discovered by a diligent investi- gator, on or near some of the roads leading from the hills to Mantua. The observation which I have }ust made , that Virgirs Pastorals ought, in general, to be considered, not as pictures of real scenery, Or as conveying his own feelings and senti- ments, but as mere lusus poetici composed in imitation of Theocritus , leads me to another , which , though unconnected with the hdincio, will, I hope, recommend itself by its object , which is to rescue the me- mory of the first and purest of poets , from a very odious and ill-founded suspicion. Every critical reader knows , that the subject of the 2^2 CLASSICAL TOUR CL V. second Pastoral, though it has exposed Virgil to the charge alluded to , is taken from Theo- critus , and that many images , sentiments , and even expressions are copied literally, and almost verbatim from the Sicilian poet. This circumstance alone, is sufficient to clear the writer, from the suspicion of any personal application ; especially ,when we recollect the contempt , with which he elsewhere speaks, of a character to whom he attributes such a propensity, and whom he seems to have introduced for the express purpose of brand- ing him with infamy^ The truth is that he who judges of the morality of the Latin poets, from a few detached passages m their works, must form^ a very unfair estimate of their cha- racter, and impute to them criminal habits, from which they were most probably exempt. Pliny the younger 5 to excuse himself for having composed some sportive verses, pleads the example of Cicero, and cites a pas- sage from Catullus I importing, that however • Tu quoque, L. x, 325 . •• Plin. Lib v. Ep. 3. f vSciinus alioqui hujus opusculi illam esse ve- rissiinam legem quain Catullus expressit. > / Ch, V. THROUGH ITALY. 255 blameless the manners of the poet should be^ his verses may be playful , and even lasci- vious. Ovid adopts the same idea, and holds it forth as a justification of his own wanton compositions, f The modern Italians have imitated the ancients in this respect, and some of the most classical writers of the sisteenth century, though eminent for the unblemished innocence of their lives, have, in moments of poetical playfulness, employed expressions, which , if literally understood , may be censured as li- centious. I admit that the reasoning of Pliny is by no means satisfactory, and that the rule laid down by Catullus is both absurd and im- moral , and I most readily pass condemna- tion , in whatsoever composition it may be found. But as the ancients seem to have Nam castum esse decct piuiu poetam Ipsura, vei'siculos nihil necesse esl : Qui tunc denique habent salem et leporem, Si sunt raolliculi et parum pudici. PLln^ Lib. iv. Ep- iq* -j- Crede mihi mores distant a carmine nostri, Vita verecunda est, Musa jocosa fuit. 25/J classical tour, Ch. T. aJo])led this rule, and acted upon it, I con- tend that it authorizes us to acquit Virgil of the odious charge brought against him, by some systematical grammarians, and igno- rant commentators,* especially as it is sup- ported by mere traditional tales and conjec- tural anecdotes.^ Above and below Mantua, the Minch spreads into two lakes , called the La go di Snpra and the Lago di Infra the space between the breadth of which entitles it to a similar appellation, is called the Lago di Mezzo, Virgil alludes to this vast expanse, when in the third Georgic , he promises to erect a temple to Augustus. Et vlridi in campo templum de marmore ponam Propter aquam, tardis ingens ubi fkxibus errat Mincius. . * • • • 3. Geor xiii. The banks of the Minrioy above Mantua, arc rather higher than below Ihe town, and * See Pope’s Letter to Swift, on Gay’s death ^ letter Ixv. Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY, 255 a little more picturesque, particularly on the right side of the river , near the Cremona road; several large farms rise on its borders, and its reeds wave over them as usual , in forests. Mantua is a large city, with spacious streets, and some fine edifices. Its cathedral , built nearly upon the same plan as Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome , is a very regular and beautiful edifice. The nave consists of two rows of Corinthian pillars, supporting, not arches, but an architrave and cornice, with a range of windows above, and niches in the inter- vals between them. Another row of pillars of the same order , on both sides , forms a double aisle. The choir consists of a semicir- cular recess behind the altar. Between the choir and the nave rises a very noble dome, decorated with pilasters and fine paintings. The transept, on the left, terminates in the chapel of the Holy Sacrament, an hexagon, with a recess for the altar, surmounted with a dome, adorned with paintings and arabesques in the best style, presenting , on the whole, an exquisite specimen of Mantuan taste. The day after our arrival happened to be the festival of St. Anselmo , patron of Man~ 25o classical tour Ch. V. Ilia. At evening service, about six clock, llie cathedral was illuminated in the finest manner imaginable. Double rows of lustres lighted up the nave 5 the aisles and arcades had as many clusters of torches , as there were arches and pillars ; while a thousand chan- deliers suspended from the dome , shed a blaze of light on the choir and the altar. The music might have been deemed hea- venly , had it not been rather too theatri- cal , and , like all Italian church-music , performed with violins ; however the organ sometimes interposed with all its solemnity, and some bursts in chorus were truly ce- lestial. The venerable old bishop presided in full pontific majesty; the crowded con- gregation were silent, orderly, and pious, and the scene , though perhaps too glaring and stage-like for English taste, was splen- did , and even awful. The statue of the Saint was as large as life , and formerly of massive silver, but the French conceiv- ing that one of wood was siiihcleut for ' all the purposes of exhibition, converted the silver to other uses. The next, and I believe, the only re- maining church worth particular alien- Ch. V. THROUGH ITALY. 25/ tion , is that of St. Andrew. It is a Latin cross 5 without aisles, with a dome in the section. It contains some fine pictures , and is painted all over in a very beautiful manner. Several other churches, and many public buildings, such as the Corte y with its halls 5 the Palazzo della giustizia ; that of Gonzaga ; that in the suburbs , called the Palazzo del T. on account of its form , with its apartments ; together with several private mansions, merit attention. In fact, Glullo Romano y an architect and painter of the first eminence, and a disciple of Raphael, devoted his time and superior talents to the embellishment of Mantua, and adorn- ed it with many a magnificent pile , and n:any a noble painting. The house of this celebrated artist is shown to strangers, and as it was erected by himself, it certainly deserves to be visited. The taste of Giulio in architecture, seems to have been manly and bold ; he was fond of strength and majesty; but sometimes inclined to encumber his edifices with too much ma s, and with too many ornaments. Mantua can boast an antiquity superior even to that of Rome, and is represented 253 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, V. by her native poet, not without some his- torical truth , as existing so early as the time of Eneas. Ille etiam patriis agmen ciet Ocnus ab oris Fatidicae Manias et Tusci filius amnis: Qui maros, malrisque dedit tibi, Mantua, nomen, Mantua dives avis. JEneid, x. 198: Mantua shared the prosperity of Rome, underwent her disasters , felt all the vicis- situdes of the middle ages, and emerged thence , like the other great Italian cities, into liberty and independence. At length, it became subject to one of its own powerful families, and acknowledged the Gonzagas as Dukes and Sovereigns. This form of govern- ment remained for near two hundred years, when the last Duke, taking up arms against the Austrian interest , was driven from his states, and died an exile at Padua, in 1708. Mantua, while free, and even under the dominion of her own dukes, enjoyed no small share of riches and of prosperity. Her walls were supposed to contain about fifty thousand inhabitants. She was often engaged in wars with the neighboring states , and Ch, V. THROUGH ITALY. 25^ had her fall proportion of victory and of honor. The arts and sciences flourished in her territories, and numberless palaces adorned her streets , her squares , and her suburbs. But this golden age closed at the Austrian invasion. The city was plundered, several of its antiquities carried off or defaced , and its independence finally sacrificed to Aus- strian ambition. In the late war, it had the misfortune of undergoing twice the hor- rors of a siege , and is now annexed to the Italian republic, to share its nominal independence and real slavery. It must in justice be owned, that the arts and scien- ces had not been neglected by the Aus- trian government. An Imperial academy was erected, a noble palace devoted to its meetings , and a fine assemblage of antiqui- ties collected in its galleries. The inscription over its entrance is as follows : INGREDERE. HOSPES. ET MIRARE QV^. GRAECORVM. ET. ROMANORVM ANTIQVI. AE\1. MONYMENTA CVM. PRINGIPIS. TV\I. CIVIVM. MVNERE IN. HOG. MVSEO. CONLEGTA 5PEGTANDA. TIBI. EXHIBET, VIRGIUI. PATRIA. 2Go classical tour Ch. V. The most interesting object in this col- lection, was the well-known bust of Virgil, which, as may be easily supposed, the Manluans always pointed out to strangers, with peculiar complacency. It seems, that at the end of the fourteenth century, a statue of Virgil stood on an elevated pedestal , in the Piazza delle Erbe^ when Carlo Mala- testa ^ one of the brutal chieftains of the times , ignorant of every art but that of war, and knowing, probably nothing of Virgil but his name, in one of his triumphal processions, ordered it to be thrown down, and cast into the lake. The reason for this act of sacrilegious violence , is characteristic both of the hero and of the times. « The honor of a statue belongs, said he, w to Saints only, and ought not to be profaned by being communicated to scribblers and buf- foons. ')} The bust in question is supposed to be the head of this very statue , and, as such , it was crowned with ivy by the Duke Vespasian, and erected in the prin- cipal hall of his palace , about the year i58o. The ivy, which was real, and onlj covered with a fine varnish to preserve it the longer , on being touched , many years Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 2G1 after , fell into dust 5 but the bust survived the plunder of the ducal palace on the en- trance of the Austrians ^ and was placed in the academical gallery , where it remained till the year 1797. The French no sooner be- came masters of Mantua , than they began to pillage its gallery , and to pilfer its most valuable articles. Among them was the bust of Virgil 5 which they carried off, notwith- standing the intreaties of the Mantuans, while with cruel mockery , they celebrated civic feasts in honor of the poet, and erected plaster busts in the place of his marble statues. Such is the taste of this nation, such the honors it pays to the ancients ! * * We were present at one of these exhibitions. In the middle of the great square was creeled an ilUproportioned pillar, about ten feet high. ')n it was placed a plaster bust of Virgil. Four lesser pillars supporting four other plaster busts, joined by garlands, formed a sort of square enclo- sure. Virgil’s bust was crowned with laurel, and from it hung garlands, extending to tlie other four. These garlands or festoons, instead of hanging loose, and waving gracefully in the aiij 263 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, V. The r.ircumslanees which I ha^e just re- lated prove , at least , that the Mantuans have never been indifferent to the memory of their celebrated countryman, as some tra- Tellers have pretended 5 and that they have not been wanting in the erection of becoming monuments to his honor, as often , and in as magnificent a manner, as the vicissitudes of the times would allow. Even during all the rage and tempest of the late war, while contending armies hovered round their walls , and the roar of artillery resounded in their ears , they had planned a public garden at Pietole, and laid out a considerable piece of ground in walks and groves , in the centre of which a temple was to rise, and a statue to be erected in honor of the immortal poet. Thus they would have accomplished the grand design so finely unfolded in the third Goorgic, adorned tlie classic Mincio with a fabric becoming its fame, and bestowed , with were drawn tight, and were consequently, as motionless as ropes. Around this ridiculous page- ont, tlie French troops drew up, aud paraded. 'Ihe inhabitants seemed purposely to keep aloof. Ch, V, THROUGH ITALY. 265 more propriety, on the aknowledged virtues of their countryman , the honors \vhich he intended, with a flattery pardonable because the result of gratitude , for the ver}^ equivo- cal merit of Augustus. But the second siege of Mantua put an end to this project ; the gates were thrown down, the enclosures torn up , the plantations destroyed , and the whole scene of rural beauty and poetical illusion was stained with blood , and abandoned to de- vastation. On the twenty-third of March, we took leave of Mantua, extremely well pleased with the general appearance of the town , and convinced , that it is far more flourishing at present , than it seems to have been in ancient days. In extent it is considerable, not insignificant in population , and in magnifi- cence equal to most cities ; circumstances , which place it far above the epithet of paroa^ applied to it by Martial. Tantum magna suo debet Verona CatuIIa Quantum parva suo Mantua Virgilio.* » The following lines, addressed to Mantua, in the day of its glory, are not inapplicable to it, even in its present humiliation and distress : 264 CLASSICAL TOLR C/i. V* I'lie road to Ci cniona, for some miles, bor- der oil the Mincio , and inns close to its reec/y banks, as lon^ as it forms the Lago dl Supra , that is , till it turns northward , as it comes down from the hills of Bor ghetto. Felix Mantua, clvltatum ocelle, Quam Mars Palladi cei tat usque et usque Claram reddere geiitibus, prubisque Oruare ingeniis viroruiii, et armis ! Te fruguin facilis, poten^qtIe rerum Tellus, te celebrem facit vireiite Qiii ripa, calamisque flexuosus Leni fluinine Mincius sussurrat, Ef qui te lacus intiat, adv^nisque Dl tes mercibus inveliit carinas. Quid palatia culta, quid deorum Templa, quid iiiernorem vias, et urbis Moles nubibus arduis pr. pinqiias? P 'X secura loco, quiesque nuIJis Turijata exsiliis, fre(jueusque reruin Semper copia, et artium bonarum. Felix Mantua, centiesque felix, luulis M uitua doiibus beata. J/. Ant, Flamin, Cur. Lib^ i. 3o. Ch, V. THROUGH ITALY. s65 As the road is formed on the ancient Via Posthuinia, it is strait and even, runs through several large villages, or rather little towns, and traverses a tract of country intersected by various streams and luxuriantly fertile. VOL. I. 12 266 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VI. CHAP. VI. Cremona — River Jidda ' — Placentia — the Trebia — Parma — Reggio — Modena — its Library , and celebrated Librarians Mu^ ratoriy Tiraboschi ^ etc, Cre!vto]va derives some degree of importance from the well-known verse of Virgil , Mantua vac miserae nimiiim' vicina Cremonae. Eclog, iv. 28. 'And from the accurate observation of Taci- tus , llunc exitum Cremona habuit ...... hellis externis intacta , cwilibus infelix. In fact , these few words contain the whole history of this city , which , being founded by one of the Celtic tribes that occupied the northern parts of Italy, was colonized and for- tified by the Romans , about the commence- ment of the second Punic war , as a rampart against the approaching attack of Annibal. The strength of its walls , or the courage of its inhabitants, preserved it from the fury of this formidable invader , and it went on in- Ch. TL THROUGH ITALY. 267 creasing in numbers^ size, and opulence, till by its attachment to tlie cause of the senate , and of liberty , it drew down upon itself the vengeance of the Triumvirs, and incur- red forfeiture and confiscation.^ Its fidelity to Vitellius, or its mistaken prudence cal- culating on the supposed superiority of hi« interest, exposed it to the rage of Vespa- sian^’s partisans , wdio besieged , took, plun- dered , and reduced it to a heap of ashes. Shortly after it rose from its ruins ; but rose to experience the disasters of war and of revolution , and to share the long and painful agonies of the expiring empire. How- ever , it survived all its reverses, and after having been the prey of Goths and of Lom- bards , of French and of Germans 5 after having enjoyed a precarious liberty , and then borne the light yoke of the sove- reigns of Milan 5 it is, for the present, an- nexed to that sickly abortion of French in- fluence misnamed the Italian Republic, * The consequences of this confiscation reached the Mantuan territory, and occasioned, as is well known, the flight and the fame of Virgil. 268 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VI. Cremona is a large and well-built city^ adorned with many noble edifices , and advantageously situate on the northern bank of the Po. Its cathedral, of Gothic, or ra- tlier mixed architecture, was begun in the year 1107, and continued at different pe- riods , but not completely finished till the fourteenth century. It is faced with white and red marble , and highly ornamented though in a singular and fanciful style. It contains several beautiful altars and fine paintings. One chapel in particular merits attention. It is that which is set apart for the preservation of the relics of the primi- tive martyrs . Its decorations are simple and chaste, its colors soft and pleasing. The ashes of the a sainted dead w repose in urns and sarcophagi placed in niches in the wall regularly disposed on each side of the cha- pel, after the manner of the ancient Roman sepulchres. It is small , but its proportions , form , and furniture are so appropriate, and so well combined , that they produce a very licautiful and perfect Whole. The Baptistery , which, according to tlie ancient manner still preserved in many of the great towns of Italy, is a separate building near the cathe- Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 269 dral, contains in the centre a font of curious form and workmanship, cut out of one im- mense block of party-colored marble. The tower is of great height and of singular archi- tecture. The view from it is extensive, taking in the town with its streets ; the roads that cross the country in strait lines in various directions 5 the Po winding along almost close to tlie walls , and intersecting the im- mense plain ol the Milanese; the Alps to the north, and the Apennines to the south- west , both covered with snow and occa- sionally half veiled with passing clouds. Such was the prospect we beheld from the top of the Torazzo, The public palace, for so the town-hall is not improperly cal- led in Italy , and most of the ehurches, but particularly . that of St, Pietro al Po , are worthy the attention of the traveller; since, with seyeral objects which correct taste must blame , they contain many which it will admire. Cremona has produced her proportion of genius and of talent, both in ancient and modern times ; but among all her sons , none have contributed more to her reputa- tion than Marcus Hieronymus Vida , the 270 CLASSICAL TOUR Clu VI. first poet of the second Augustan age of Roman literature , and sometimes not un- deservedly styled by his admirers, the Chris- tian Virgil. Every reader is acquainted with the poetical tribute which Pope has paid to his memory in his Essay on Criticism; and all , who peruse Vida's works , will acknowledge that the compliment is not misplaced. Ikitliterarv excellence was neither the sole, nor the principal merit of Vida : piety and purity of morals unsullied even by suspicion , graced his early years, and a zealous discharge of every episcopal duty employed him from the middle to the close of life. He was buried in his cathedral at Aiha , and a cenotaph is said to have been erected to his honor in the Duonio at Cre'noria ; though we endeavored in vaia to disc.over it. I sliall conclude this ac- count with some verses taken from a hymn of this poet 5 which , with the passage of Tacitus inserted above , will suffice to give the reader some notion both of the history and of the territory of Cremona, The ver- ses are addressed to our Blessed Saviour, and express a Christian sentiment in the purest language of Heathen poetry. Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 271 Turn veri, Graiiim obliti mendacia, vales Funera per gentes referent tua, carmine verso itque Uiis omnes resonabuiit laudibus urbes. Praesertim laelam Italiae felicis ad oram, Acldua ubi vagus, et muscoso Serius amiie Purior eleclro torloque simillimus angui ; Qua rex fluviorain Eridanus se turbid us iufcrt, Moenia turrigerae slringens male luta Cremonae. Ui §ibi jam lectis vix tempcret unda cuducis. Christiados vi. 885 — 8(^o, If the reader wishes to see the history of Cremona , the beauties of its district , and the achievements and talents of its inhabitants, set olf in the most splendid colors of partial eloquence, he may read the plead- ings or Actiones tres attributed to this author, and supposed to have been pro- nounced before competent judges at Milan, on a question of precedency between Cre- mona and Paoia, From Cremona , to the fortress of Pizzi^ ghettone ^ are two short stages. We there passed the Adda, on a flying bridge. This river is represented , by Glaudian , as re- markable for the cerulean tints of its waves, and is united to the Tesino , in a very pretty verse. :^72 CLASSICAL TOUR ' Clu VL CoIIa lavant pulclier Ticiniis el Addua visa Coeruleus. The country continues populous and fertile, but displays more forest wood. Castiglione y with various little towns and villages , ap- pears rich and beautiful. Thence the roads were deep and bad, owing to the late inunda- tions. Towards sunset we arrived at the Po, and passing it on a flying bridge , entered Placentia March' 2ad. Placentia was built and colonized by the Romans , about two hundred and eighteen years before Christ, and, not long after, serv- ed as an asylum to the Roman army when defeated by Annibal, at the Trcblaia. It \vas afterwards assaulted by that Carthaginian , but in vain; and like Cremona, was des- tined to suffer more from the madness of citizens, than from the fury of invaders. More fortunate however than the latter , though attacked by a party of Vitellians , it resisted with success, and in the bloody contest, had only to lament the loss of its amphitheatre remarkable ( it seems ) for its capaciousness and architecture. This edi- fice , like that of Verona , stood without Ch. VL THROUGH ITALY. 275 the walls 5 and w'as of course exposed to the fury of the assailants. It seems to have been principally of wood , as it was con- sumed by fire, a circumstance which, in our ideas, must take away much of its pretend- ed splendor : but , whatever were its ma- terials , its extent was at that time un- equalled ; and it stood the pride of Pla- centia , and the envy of tlie neighboring cities. It was set on fire when Gaecina as- saulted the town, either by chance, which is more probable, or perhaps, as the Pla- centians suspected, by the malice of some incendiaries , who took advantage of the confusion of the contest, and Avas reduced to ashes. It perished , however, at a for- tunate period j and with all its glory around it ; for had it survived only a few years , its fame would have been eclipsed by the splendor and by the magnificence of the gigantic Coliseum. Placentia y after having frequently changed masters, was annexed to Parma, and re- mained so till the expulsion of the late duke , when , with the whole of its ter - ritory it was occupied by the French. It is a large and well-built city. Its cathedral * 12 274 CLASSICAL TOUR Ck, VI. is Saxon : the town-house , with some other public biiildin^^s in the great square , are Gothic. Several churches^ particularly that of Sl, A^ostino , are of fine Roman archi- tecture , and some adorned with paintings of great celebrity. The square is ornamented witli two brass equestrian statues ; one of the celebrated Alexander Farnese , the other^ of his brother Ranuccio : they are much admired, particularly the former, for atti- tude, animation, and drapery . Many of the convents , some of which are now sup- pressed , seem to have been magnificent. The neighborhood of Placentia is , perhaps, more interesting than the town itself, 'as it has been the theatre of many bloody engagements. The first and most remark- able, occurj'ed sliortly after the foundation of the city, about three miles from it, and its scene lies on the banks of the Trebbia* AVe visited the spot, with Livy as our guide, .aiid I need not add, that we found his description extremely accurate. It must in- deed be observed, in justice to the great writers of antiquity, that their pictures so resemble the objects which they are in- tended to represent , that a traveller might Ch. VI. TimOUGH ITALY. 275 imagine they had always been sketched on the spot itself, and in the very heat of action . The banks, though low, are yet sufficiently elevated, in a military sense, not indeed at the very confluence of the two rivers, the Po and the Trebbia; but a little higher up the latter, where the battle took place, the stream is wide enough to form a line of defence, and yet shallow enough to be in many places fordable. Its sides, particu’ larly on the right as you ascend the stream , where Mago lay in ambush, are still covered with reeds and brush-wood. After these obser- vations, merely applying the present scenery to the historian's description, the reader need but open Livy, and he will becoihe a spectator of the action so bloody and disastrous to the Romans. But the banks of the Trebbia have been the theatre of more contests than one , nor is the last-mentioned, though, without doubt, the most illustrious, the most bloody or the most decisive. It is well known that a me- morable battle between the French and the Russians , under the command of Marshal Suivarroiv ^ was fought on the same spot, and was attended with more important con- ^^0 CLASSICAL TOUR CL VI. sequences. It is said to have lasted two days, and to have been supported with the utmost obstinacy on both sides. The Rus- sians, who advanced with their usual firm- ness and impetuosity, were thrice driven back in dismay: at length the Marshal , with the looks and the voice of a Fury, led them on to a fourth attack, when they rushed into the bed of the river , and with horrible shouts and screams, fell once more upon tlie enemy. Resistance was now overpower-' ed; the French fled in confusion ; the banks were strewed with bodies, and tlie fields covered with fugitives. The consequence of this victory was the immediate deliverance' of Italy from the insolence and the rapacity of the French armies; a deliverance which, instead of being a mere interval of repose, would perhaps have been the commence- ment of a long era of tranquillity, had t'le same spirit continued to animate the armies, and the same union prevailed in the cabinets of the confederates. But this battle, how- ever bloody and important, will pass un- noticed, in the long register of contests between different tribes of invading barba- rians; perhaps the very names of the generals €h. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 277’ may sink into oblivion, with the leader^i of the Goths and of the Vandals, of the Huns and of the Lombards; while the i? Battle of Trebbia will live for ever in tlie pages of Livy, the names of Annibal and of Mago, of Scipio and of Sempronius, recorded both by the historian and by the poet, will continue to delight the youtliful reader, and a thousand generations will con- template with emotion, Cannas et Trcbiam ante oculos,Trasimenaque busta. SU, ItaL lib. xi. 345. From Placentia we proceeded to Parma, on the Via Emilia. This road was made by Marcus Emilius Lepidus, about one hundred and eightyseven years before the Christian aera ; it has been kept in good repair, and is still excellent. We crossed over several rivers, and passed through some pretty towns. These rivers generally retain their ancient name with little variation, and descending from the Apennines, fall into tlie neighboring Po. The principal are the Chiavenna^ the On^ ginay the Stivona, and the Taro. Among the towns, Fiorenzmla^ anciently Florentiala, and 2-3 CLASSICAL TOUR Ck. VI. S. Donnino, deserve most attention. At or near the latter (once Fidentiola ) Sylla defeated tiie jMarian general Carboy and dispersed or utterly destroyed his army. About tw^elve miles to the south of Fiorenzuala^once stood the town of Velleia ruined by the sudden fall of part of the neighboring mountain^ about the end of the fourteenth century. Several excavations were made amongst the ruins, in 1760, and the four following years; but the difficulty of penetrating through the vast masses of rock that cover the town, was so great, that the work was suspended, and 1 believe never since renewed. This want of spirit, or of perseverance, is much to be regretted, as few enterprises promise so fiirly, or seem so likely to reward the labor. The dreadfid catastrophe is suppos- ed to have been sudden, and the inhabit- ants, with their furniture and property were buried in one tremendous crash: it is there- fore highly probable, that more medals, coins, and books, may be found here than in Her- culaneum, where gradual ruin gave time to remove the most precious and portable ef- fecls. Besides, the latter town, with Pom*- pcii, and the various cities that studded the Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 279 Neapolitan coast, were Greek colonies, and appear to have pail but little attention to La- tin literature; while Velleia was entirely Ro- man, and some of its citizens must have pos- sessed tolerable collections of Latin authors. It would not, therefore, be unreasonable to expect, if the excavations were pushed on With vi^^or and with discernment, the disco- very of some, if not of several Latin manus- cripts. But such undertakings require opulence and leisure , and are not to be expected in the present impoverished and distracted state of Ital}" . The country, as the traveller advances, improves in beauty, and, if not in fertility ( for that seems scarcely possible ) at least in the neatness and in the order of cultiva- tion. The Apennines advancing at every step present their bold forms to vary the dulness cf the plain ; hedges, and neat enclosures mark the different farms; elms in long rows garlanded with vines separate the fields; and villages, each with a magnificent church, enliven the road at every mile. Parma stands on a river of the same name: it was founded by the Etrurians, taken by the Boii, a tribe of Gnuls, and, at CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VI. colonized by the Romans. It is said to Jiave suffered much from the licentious cruelly of Antony, and its sufferings, on this occasion, are pathetically deplored and im- mortalized by Cicero in his fourteenth Phi- lippic, the last tribute which he paid to Rome and to liberty. During the disastrous period that elapsed between the reigns of 'riieodosiiis and of Charlemagne, it was taken and retaken by the Goths and by the Romans, jjy the Lombards and by the Greek Exarchs, till it was given by Charlemagne to the Holy See ; and, after a succession of ages and of changes, it was at length bestowed by Paul III. on his son Ottavio Varnese. On tlie extinction of this funily in the middle of the last cen- tury, it passed to a Prince of Spain ; and, on the death of the last Duke, it was taken possession of by the French, and is now pin- ing away under the inllucnce of their iron domination. Farma is large, populous, airy and clean, thougli it cannot boast of any very striking or regular building. The cathedral is Saxon, but lined in the interior wilE Roman archi- tecture ; its dome is much admired for tlie beautiful paintings w itli which it was' adorn- Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 281 ed by Goreggio. Tlie baptistery is an octagon, in the same style as the cathedral, cased with marble, and ornamented with various arches and galleries. The Steccata is the most re- gular church in Varma ; it is in the form of a Greek cross , and not without beauty. The church of the Capuchins is remarkable only for being the burial place of the ce- lebrated Alexander Farnese , who, in con- sequence of his own directions , lies inter- red, distinguished from the vulgar dead only by the following epitaph : D; O. M. ALEXANDER FARNESIUS BELGIS DEVIGTIS FRANCISQUE OBSIDIONE LEVATIS UT HUMILI HOC LOGO EJUS CADAVER DEPONERETUR MANDAVIT. NON. DEGEMB. MDXGIL The place is large , but irregular ; the li- bi'ary is well furnished: it contains the Acca^ detnia di Belle Arti y in which there is a noble hall adorned with excellent paintings, and with several ancient statues found in the ruins of Velleia. In this hall, during the hap- 282 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VI. j)icr aera of Parma ^ the Prince used to pre- side over the assembled academicians , and to distribute prizes in the various arts. In the same palace is the celebrated theatre magni- ficent in its size , its proportions , its form , and its decorations. It is modelled on the ancient plan , like the Oliinpic theatre at l^icenza ^ and like it but on a greater scale, adorned with pillars , colonuades^ and sta- tues. Unfortunately, either in consequence of the many revolutions of late years , or on account of the difficulty of filling, and the expence of repairing , furnishing and lighting up such a vast edifice , this theatre perhaps the noblest in the world, has been so long and so much neglected, that it will probably soon sink into a heap of ruins , and remain only in the plans of artists , and in the descriptions of travellers. But the principal ornament of Parma , and its pride and glory , were the numberless masterpieces of Coreggio , with which its oil arches, palaces , and public halls were once adorned. This celebrated artist, born in a vil- lage near Modena , and of course not far from Parma , has spread the enchantments of his pencil over all the great towns that Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 283 bordered on the place of his nativity , and seems to have exerted his wonderful powers, in a particular manner , for the decoration of this city. Par/nigiani and Lanfranco , two other painters of high reputation, were natives of Parmay and contributed not a little to the embellishment of its churches and pa- laces; so that no city in Italy, if we except Rome, presented more attractions to the artist, or furnished more debghtful entertainment to the traveller of taste. But, alas ! such ivere the decorations and the glory of Parma. The French , though in peace with the so- vereign of this unfortunate city, in their late wide-wasting progress , entered ils walls , raised heavy contributions on its inhabitants, and stripped it of its best and most valuable ornaments — its unrivalled paintings. Many , without doubt , still remain , because paint- ed on walls and ceilings , and therefore at- tached to the spot, but the masterpieces are gone , and the indignant Parmesians can only show the traveller the place where they once were. The arts and sciences were by no means neglected in Parma. An university, two aca- demies, schools of painting, etc. announce CLASSICAL TOUR Clu VI. the application, and a long catalogue of great names might be produced to prove the suc- cess of the Parmesians in every literary pursuit. The Dukes have, for many years past been the active patrons of literature, and by their judicious encouragement at- Iracfcd strangers of talents to their territo- ries. Among these w^e may rank the Abhate Fruf^oni a Genoese, and the Abbe Condillac y a Frenchman; the former a poet of great re- putation , and next in fame to Metastasio ; the latter preceptor to the Prince, and author of a well known « Course of Education. ->y The royal press of Parma was established in the year 1765: it is conducted Bodoni and has produced several beautiful editions, Greek , Latin , and Italian , together with various works in the Oriental languages. The public walk on the ramparts is extre- mely pleasing. Tlie country round is well wooded, and the town and territory of Parma seemed to have been in a flourishing state till the entrance of the French army. Since that fatal period, its prosperity has been on the decline its government • unsettled , its inhabitants impoverished and discontented. The contributions raised by the French Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. s85 amouiiled to five millions of French livres : a sum enormous for so small a territory , and equalling two years of its regular income. Petrarca resided some years at Parma, or in its neighborhood, and seems to have been delighted with the beauty of the country, with the generous spirit of its princes, and with the open manly manners of its inhabi- tants. To the honor of their descendants, it may be added, that notwithstanding the lapse of ages , the change of government, and the galling pressure of recent revolutions , these qualities are said to be still perceptible. Two stages from Parma the traveller ar- rives at Forum Lepicli Regiu/rij now called Reggio, an ancient Roman colony, destroyed by Alaric, and rebuilt by Charlemagne. The cathedral, the church of S, Frospero^ and that of the Augustin-friars ; together with the Town-house, and the Porta Nuova^ are con- sidered as deserving some attention. It pos- sesses no antiquities. However, the traveller will visit it with some respect, as the country of Ariosto — the copious, the fantastic Ariosto I Two more stages brought us to Modena ('Mutina) lately the capital of a dukedom, ROW a dependence on the will of Bonaparte* ,.06 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VI. Tlion^^h an ancient Roman colony, called by Cicero; w firinissinia et splendidissima Colo- iiia, w it presents no traces of antiquity; it has been the scene of so many bloody con- tests , has been so often destroyed , and has so often risen from its ruins : that not only no vestige of its former splendor re- mains at present , but it is even uncertain whether it occupies the same site as the ancient city . But whatever might have been its strength and m.agnificence in ancient times , they have been probably far surpas- sed by its present ( I should rather have said its late ) prosperity. It is a well built town , its streets are wide , and several of its public edifices have a noble appear- ance. Its cathedral is Gothic , and like most of its churches, rather inferior to the ex- pectation naturally excited by the general features of the towm. The ducal palace is of vast size ; and though built in a Ger- man, that is, in a heavy and fanciful style of architecture, is on the whole rather magni- ficent. It contains several handsome apar- tments , and , what still more merits the atlenlion of travellers , a gallery of pain- tings , a noble library , and a numerous Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 287 and curious collectioQ of sketches , by the first masters , of prints ^ of medals , and of Cameos, * The arts and sciences, particularly the latter, have long flourished at Modena^ under the fostering care of its Princes of the house of Este, a family so much and so justly celebrated by Tasso and Ariosto, for its generous feelings and its noble mu- nificence. Tu magnanimo iUfonso, says tlie former to a Prince of this line, his patron, Tu magnanimo Alfonso, il qual ritogli A1 furor di fortuna, e guidi in porto Me peregrino errante, e fra gli scogli E fra Tonde agitato e quasi assorto ; Quesle mie carte in beta fronte accogli Che quasi in voto a te sacrate f porto. Gerus* Lib, Canto 1. 4 * The latter, in less poetical, but equally grateful style, expresses his obligations to the same family , and enlarges upon its * Th is latter collection has either been removed or plundered by the French. s83 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VI. iicrolral qualifies and its prospects of glory. ^ Under sucJi encouragement^ it is not wonder- ful that genius should flourish , and that men of learning should flock from all quarters , to enjoy the advantages of such liberal patronage. Among the illustrious personages who have done honor to Modena , by their virtues and talents, one of the earliest, and if the good qualities of the heart give double lustre to the brilliant endowments of the head, one of the greatest is Cardinal Sadoletu This eminent prelate rose to notice in the fostering aera of Leo the Tenth, became intimately con- nected with the most conspicuous charac- ters of that period, and shone himself, with no small lustre, in the midst of its bright- est luminaries. In the turbulent pontifi- cates that succeeded the aera of Leo , when the animosities, kindled by the Reformation blazed out with unquenchable fury, and every bosom glowed with rage almost infernal against the opponents of his own creed , this worthy bishop preserved the native candor See Orlando Furioso. Canto i, 3. 4‘ Ch. VI. THROUGH ITALY. 289 of his soul;, and the characteristic mildness of his sacred olhce. Above passion and re- sentment, he treated the supporters of the new opinions with paternal tenderness , and while he condemned their creed, he che- rished, and whenever an opportunity oc- curred, he protected their persons. Fond to spread friendships, and to cover hates, v he made it the business of his life, to dif- fuse his own spirit, a spirit of charity, peace, and indulgence, into all around him; and while he zealously endeavoured to clear up the subjects in debate, and to remove misap- prehensions, h-e still more strenuously exert- ed himself to calm the rage of contest, and to infuse a milder temper into the dispu- tants. Even in these days of tranquil dis- cussion , when a general spirit of tolera- tion seems to have gradually diffused itself over Ihe Christian world, such a conciliat- ing character if placed in an elevated sta- tion , w'ould engage our esteem and re- verence ; but at the aera of the Reforma- tion , that age of division and madness , such gentleness, moderation, and candor, were godlike qualities indeed. The works of Sadoleti ^ consisting princi- 2qo CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VI. pall/ of letters, addressed to the most con- spiciious persons of the age , are still ex- tant : and as they are drawn up in a pure and elegant style , and frequently treat of subjects of great interest and importance , they are equally amusing and instructive, and are calculated to give a very favorable idea of the taste , the knowledge , and the piety of the author. From the time of Sadoleti y that is from the middle of the sixteenth century, down to the present period , a regular succession of men eminent for their talents and learn- ing, either natives of its territory, or at- tracted to its walls by the liberal patronage of its princes, has continued to adorn Mo- dena, and to support its literary reputation. Instead of giving a long and dry catalogue of names, I will mention only two authors^ but these of a reputation so splendid as to throw a lustre on any city. One is the Abbate Muratoriy an Ex-Jesuit, the Duke^s librarian, perhaps the most learned antiquary , the most inquisitive, and at the same time, the most impartial historian, that the last cen- tury has produced. His works consist of nearly lilty volumes in folio 5 of these, his Annali €h, VI. THROUGH ITALY. 291 Ultalia^ are perhaps the most instructive and the most entertaining. The other is the Ah- hate Tiraboschiy Ex- Jesuit and librarian as his predecessor Muratori, and like him emi- nent for his profound knowledge of history and of antiquities. His principal work is a history of Italian literature , entitled Istoria della letteratura italiana in sixteen volumes, a work replete with erudition, seasoned with curious anecdote, and enriched with much judicious and amusing criticism. In justice to the Muses of Modena, I must add the name of the playful Tas- soni , who in his Secchia Rapita , gave Boileau and Pope , the hint and the mo- del of the Lutrin 5 and of the Rape of the Lock ; tauglit them to trifle with the splen- dor of poetry without degrading it, and ena- bled them, even on frivolous subjects, to dis- play the ease, the pliancy, and the perfec- tion of their respective la’nguages. The impor- tant « Bucket , w celebrated in this poem , was carried off from a well in one of the streets of Bologna , by a party of Modenese troops , during a petty war between these neighboring cities , and has ever since been most carefully preserved as an inva- 292 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VI. luable trophy , in a vault under the great tower. The naturalist may find some occupation in the territory of Modena, by investigating the nature of its wells supplied by peren- nial sources , and uninfluenced by the state of the atmosphere , as well as by inspect- ing its petrifactions and its mineral fountains. The Campi Macri , celebrated in oppo- sition to their name , for their fertility , and the excellent pasturage which they af- forded to a famous breed of cattle , were the plains w^hich lie between Parma and Modena, and extend beyond the latter city towards Bologna. CK Vn. THROUGH ITALY. 293 CHAP. VII. Bologna^ its Unwersity y Academies --^Imola — Vaventia — Vorli — Forlimpopoli — 6'e- sena — Rubicon — St. Marino — Rimini. TT HE traveller, as he rolls along the Via Emi- lia, from Modena to Bologna, amidst scenes of the neatest cultivations and of the most luxuriant fertility , -will recollect , that the very fields which spread around him, the very country which he is traversing, was the bloody theatre of the last unavailing ef- forts of Roman liberty. The interview of the Triumvirs took place in an Island formed by the Rhenus , at a little distance from Bologna. * As the river is small , and the island observable only on examination , the * This island is two miles from Bologna, three miles long, and one broad ; it contains two vil- lages, St. Fiolay to the south , St. Giovanni y to the north. 234 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VII. traveller generally passes without being aware of the circumstance. The stream still re- tains its ancient name , and is called the }\eno. From Modena to Bologna , the distance is tliree stages , about twenty-four miles : about six miles from the former town is Fort Urba- no ^ erected by Urbano VIII. to mark and defend the entrance into the Ecclesiastical Slate. Bologna (Bononia Felsinia) was a Roman colony, though it retains few or no traces of its antiquity, and is a rich, po- pulous, extensive, and most flourishing city. Its history , like that of the preceding towns , is contained in a few words.‘ First , great and prosperous under its founders, then in the succeeding revolutions of the empire , pillag- ed, destroyed, and rebuilt 5 sometimes en- slaved, and sometimes free, it underwent and survived all the vicissitudes of the barbarous ages. At last, after various con- tests with tlie neighboring states , and with their own tyrants, the inhabitants of Bo- logna made a voluntary submission to Pope Nicolas III. in 1278, and afterwards to John XXII. in 1327, which they have frequently renewed since, at different periods. Ch, VII. THROUGH ITALY. 29^ But, in this voluntary submission, the Bo- lognese did not mean so much to acknow- ledge the Pope as their direct sovereign , as to put their city under his protection as liege lord : hence, they cautiously retained the management of their finances, the election of their magistrates, and the administration of their laws; that is to say, the essential forms of a republic, and only employed the name and authority of the Pontiff to repress the ambition oL^owerful and factious citi- zens, or to awe the hostility of their neighbors the Dukes of Modena , and of their rivals the Venetians. Hence, they always resisted every encroachment on their privileges, and not un- frequently, expelled the papal legates when inclined to overstrain the prerogatives of their office. This guarded and conditional de- pendence produced at Bologna all the advan- tages that accompany liberty ; industry , com- merce, plenty, population, knowledge, and refinement. The French, in their late invasion, found, but did not leave , the Bolognese in posses- sion of these blessings. They deprived their city of its freedom and independence, se- parated it from the Roman state, and annex- 296 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. Yll. ed it to the Italian Republic , to share with it the name of a Coimnonw'ealth , and, to bear, in reality, the oppressive yoke of an avaricious and insulting t3u*ant/Mr. Burke, speaking of this event, says, v The Pontiff has seen his free fertile and happy city and state of Bologna , the cradle of regenerated Jaw, the seat of sciences and of arts, the chosen spot of plenty and delight ; — convert- ed into a Jacobin ferocious republic, depen- dent on the homicides of France. The streets in Bologna are narrow, and the exterior of the public buildings by na means proportioned to the fame and to the opulence of the city. The cathedral is a modern edifice, of Roman architecture, but in a bad style; the inside is light, and though it did not appear so to me, is con- sidered by several connoisseurs, as beautiful. One altar, erected by the late bishop, of the finest marbles, chastest decorations, and best proportions, cannot fail to attract the C}^e of the observer 5 it is exquisite in its kind, and was, in our opinion , almost the only object in the cathedral worthy of attention. The church of St. Petronius is considered as the principal church. It is Gothic, of Ch. VII. THROUGH ITALY. 297 great extent and antiquity, and though not beautiful , is celebrated as well for several grand ceremonies, which have been' per- formed in it, such as the coronation of Charles V. by Clement VII. as for the meridian of the famous astronomer Cassini^ traced on its pavement. It was^ built about the years 44^ rebuilt in a very dif- ferent style in iSqo, and seems still to re- main, in a great degree, unfinished. The prelate, its founder first, and now its pa- tron, flourished in the reign of Theodosius, and was a man of great activity and general benevolence. He enlarged the extent of the city, adorned it with several public build- ings , procured it the favor and largesses of the Emperor, and, by his long and unre- mitting exertions to promote its welfare, seems to have a just claim to the gratitude and veneration of its inhabitants. S. Salvador S, Paolo j and above all. La Madonna di S. Luca, deserve a particular visit. This latter church stands on a high hill, about five miles from Bologna. It is in the form of a Greek cross, of the Corinthian order, and is crowned with a dome. As the people of Bologna have a peculiar i3 :,,jD CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VII. (ievotion to the Blessed Virgin, and crowds /lock: from all quarters to visit this her* sanctuary, for their accomodation, in all seasons and in all weather, a portico has been carried from the gates of the city up the hill to the very entrance of the temple, or rather to the square before it. This im- mense building was raised by the volun- tary contributions of persons of every class in Bologna ; the richer erected one or more arches, according to their means; the middling classes gave their pecuniary aid in proportion ; and the poorest insisted on contributing their labor to the grand undertaking. It is in reality a most noble monument of public^ piety, and alone sufficient to .prove that the spirit and magnificence of the ancient Romans still animate the modern Italians, and may, in a fortunate combination of circumstancesy once more blaze out in all their pristine glory. The church is of a fine and well propor- tioned form , rich in marbles , But over- loaded , as we imagined , with ornaments. It is needless to add , that from such an elevation the view is beautiful, lost on one side in the windings of the neighboring Apen- nines , and extending on the other over a Ch. VII. THROUGH ITALY. 299 plain of immense extent, and unparalleled population and fertility. One circumstance struck us particularly while on the hill. It was the end of March , the sky was clear , and the weather warm nearly as it may be on a bright day in England in the month of May , so warm in short , as to render the shade not only pleasing, but desirable ; yet , in various parts of the hill , and near the church, the snow lay deep, and in vast masses likely to resist for some time , the increasing warmth of the season. So great is the influence of such mountains as the Alps and Apennines , on the climate of the adja- cent countries. The two brick towers , Degli Asinelli and dei Garisendi , are deformed monu- ments of a barbarous age , and remarkable only for their unmeaning elevation and dan- gerous deviation from the perpendicular. Bologna is decorated with many palaces of vast extent, and some few of noble archi- tecture. Among the latter is the Palazzo Ra- nuzzi said to be of Palladio j also those of Lambertini , Orsi , Bentivagli , Malvezzi , Campeggi , Pepoli , Legnani , etc. These palaces, and indeed almost all the churches 5oo CLASSIC VL TOUR VII. and public bui [dinars in Bologna , are orna- mented with a profusion of paintings, by the first masters, Guiclo^ Guerciiio^ the Carac-- ci , Carat^ag^lo , Giordano , and particularly Alhano, Of the latter artist it has been said , that the Loves seem to have mixed his colors, and the Graces to have fashioned his forms ; 6uch is the soft glow of his tints, such the ease and the beauty of his groups and figures ! The greater number , and the best of this cele- brated artisCs compositions are to be seen at Bologna , and may furnish the admirer of painting with many an hour’s , or rather , many a day’s entertainment. No city has given more encouragement to painting, or con- tributed more to its perfection, than BoZo- gna 5 no one has produced a greater number of illustrious painters , or enjoyed a higher reputation in the art , than its well known school. To perpetuate the skill and the honors of this school, an academy has been establish- ed, under the title of the Clementine Aca- demy, with a sufficient number of eminent professors to direct, and of medals and premiums to animate and reward the zeal ot the young artists. Public instructions are CJumi. THROUGH ITALY. 5oi given gratis, models furriislied, accomodations supplied, and every possible encouragement afforded to attract scholars, and enable them to develop and perfect their talents. This excellent institution, so well calculat- ed to preserve the reputation of the school of Bologna, originated in the beginning of the last century, and has already produced several artists of reputation ; among whom we may rank its first president. Carlo Cignani. The halls and apartments of this academy are very spacious, and form part of the palace belonging to the Instituto di Bologna, This latter establishment one of the most magnificent of the kind in Italy, or perhaps in the world, occupies an immense and very noble edifice, where the various arts and sciences have their respective halls decorated in a grand style, and furnished with appropriate apparatus. In this palace sits the Academy of Sciences , a singular mo^ nument of that enthusiasm for knowledge , which has always formed a distinctive feature in the Italian character. This Academy of high reputation in the republic of letters , owes its origin in' the seventeenth century, to a noble youth of the CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VlL name of Eustachio Manfredi ^ who , at the early age of sixteen, formed a literary so- ciety , and collected at certain stated assem- blies in his own house, all the men of taste and talents in Bologna . The spirit of the founder has never abandoned the academy, which still continues to enrich the learned world with its productions, and to support the fame and the glory of its origin. In the same palace, are a library contain- ing at least one hundred and fifty thous- and volumes, open to the public six days in the week ; an observatory furnished with an excellent astronomical apparatus; a vast che- mical laboratory; a cabinet of natural history; an experimental cabinet with all kinds of instruments for physical operations, two halls of architecture, one for the civil, the other for the military branches of this art ; a ma- rine hall; a gallery of antiquities; another of statues , and a third of paintings ; a hall of anatomy and midwifery , celebrated for « remarkable collection of wax figures , re- presenting the female form in all the stages, and in all the incidents of parturition. In fine, a chapel for the use of the united members of the Institute, Almost all these halls and Ch, VII. THROUGH ITALY. 3o5 apartments are adorned with pictures and paintings in fresco , on the walls and cei- lings, and form one of the most magnificent abodes ever consecrated to the arts and scien- ces. I have already observed , that regular instructions are given to young painters in the hall of the academy ; I must here add , that professors attend and deliver lectures gratis , at stated periods , to all students , on the different arts , in their respective halls. Bologna owes this superb establishment to one of its citizens, General Count Marsigliy who, after having passed many years in the Imperial service, returned to his native coun- try, and devoted the remainder of his days, his talents , and his fortune , to the propa- gation of the arts and sciences, in its bosom. He bestowed upon the city his valuable col- lections of every kind , and by his exertions formed a society of men of the first talents and reputation, in each art and science , which assumed the name of the Instituto di Bolo- gna. To lodge this society, and receive the above-mentioned collections, the city purchas- ed the Palazzo Cellesi , and had it fitted up in its present style combining grandeur and convenience. This arrangement took place 5 o 4 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VIL ill the year 1714* Since that period the Insti^ tuto has been enriched by the donations of several illustrious persons, and particularly of Benedict XIV. a pontiff of an enlightened and capacious mind, who encouraged the sciences, in all parts of the Roman state, but par- ticularly in Bologna , his native city. An Englishman, accustomed to the rich endow- ments of his own country will hear with asto- nishment, that this grand establishment so well furnished with all the materials of science, and so well supplied with professors of the first abilities and reputation, does not pos^ sess an annual income of seven hundred pounds a year ; and his surprise will increase , when it is added , that the want of a larger in- come has hitherto been abundantly supplied by the zeal and the indefatigable assiduity of the governors and professors. From the Tnstituto we naturally pass to the University, the glory of Bologna, and equal , if not as the Bolognese pretend, superior in antiquity, and once in reputation, to the most celebrated academies in Europe. The honors, titles, and privileges conferred upon it by kings and emperors, by synods and pontiffs, the deference paid to its opinions, and the Ch. VIL THaOUGH ITALY. 3o5 reverence that waited upon its graduates, prove the high estimation in which it was once held; and the names of and Aldro- vandus , of Malpighi and Guglielmini ^ of Ferres and Cassini , are alone sufficient to shew that this high estimation was not un- merited. The Scuole pubbliche , or halls of the university, form a very noble buildings seventy professors are employed, and the endowments are very considerable. - The number of students however is not adequate to the fame and splendor of such an esta- blishment, as it scarce amounts to five hundred, while anciently it exceeded twice as many thousands. The decrease here, as at Padua, is to be ascribed to the multiplication of similar establishments inall Christian countries. Besides the Instituto and the University , two Academies of inferior lustre and ce- lebrity watch over the interests of literature, and endeavor to extend the empire of the Muses. They are entitled, by a playful op- position, the Inquieti and the Oziosi^ and abandoning the higher regions of science to the speculations of their brethren of the two great seminaries of learning , they range at large through the fields of fancy, and 3o6 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VII. amuse themselves in collecting its flowers. The youth , whom I mentioned above as founder of the Academy of Sciences EustU'^ chio Manfredi y did honor to these societies, by his poetical elfusions, and is ranked for tenderness and delicacy among the first Italian poets, in light airy compositions. Zanotti, Scarselli, Roberti, and Sanseverino y have acquired considerable reputation in the same line. In short, the two grand features of the Bolognese character , are formed by the two most honorable passions that can animate the human soul— the love of Knowledge, and the love of Liberty; passions which predominate through the whole series of their history, and are justly expressed on their standard, where « Libertas blazes in golden letters in the centre, while « Bo- nonia docet w waves in embroidery down the borders. The fountain in the great square is much celebrated, but more, I think, than it de- serves. The statues are good, particularly that of Neptune ; but the figures are crowded into a space too small for such a group, and Neptune, « the earth-shaking god, n armed witli that trident which controuls the ocean, Ch, VII. THROUGH ITALY. 307 « Et vastas aperit syrtes et temperat aequor.» seems employed to little purpose^ in su- perintending a few nymphs and dolphins squirting mere threads of water from their bi^asts and nostrils. The god should have stood upon a rock, a river should have burst from under his feet, and the mermaids and dolphins, instead of being perched on the narrow cornice of his pedestal , should have appeared sporting in the waves. Such should be the attitude , and such the accompani- ments of the God of the Ocean ; and such is the Fontana di Treoi, in Rome. On the thirtieth of March, we set out from Bologna , and still rolling along the Via Emilia, through a beautiful country, arrived about two o'clock at Lnola, twenty miles from Bologna. This neat little town stands on or near the site of Forum Cornelii ruined in the wars between the Greek empe- rors and the Longobardi. It was the See of the present Pope, before his elevation to the pontifical throne. It contains little worth notice: its Corinthian cathedral was never finished without, nor completely furnished within, and of course scarce deserves a visit. 3o3 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VII. ImoLa has its academy called the Industriosi, and can boast of several men of eminence in literature, particularly poets ; among these, Zappi and Zampieri are much esteemed for a certain graceful refinement, and deli- cacy of sentiment and expression. Imola y though situate in the commencement of the great plain of Milan, derives from the neighboring Apennines a considerable portion of the beauty of mountainous landscape , of which Monte Battaglia seen from the ramparts, westward, presents a striking in- stance. The river that bathes its walls , has changed its Roman name Vatrenus , into the more sonorous appellation of Santerno, From Imola to Faenza (Faventia) is about ten miles. This ancient town is spacious and well built; its great square, with a fine range of porticos on either side, and a Corinthian church belonging to the Domi- nicans , deserve attention. Its cathedral is Gothic, and not remarkable. We could dis- cover within the vicinity of this city, few traces of the pine-groves, which seem an- ciently to have formed one of the most conspicuous features of its territory. Ch. VII. THROUGH ITALY. ooj Undiqiie solers Arva coronanlem nutrire Favencia pinum. SiL viii. Nine miles from Faenza, beyond the river Montone , anciently the Ufens , stands Forli (Forum Livii) a long well-built town, with a very spacious and handsome square. The cathedral not remarkable in itself, con- tains a very beautiful chapel lined with the finest marble, adorned with paintings, and surmounted with a well proportioned dome. This chapel bears the title of Vergine del Fuoco, The tabernacle in the chapel of the sacrament , is the work of Michael Angelo. The Benedictine Abbey of St, Mercuriale is a grand edifice, and deserves attention on ac- count of its antiquity. Forli has an academy under the title of the Filar gyri , and has produced several men of literary merit ; among others the Abate Pellegrino Gaudenzi , who might be styled the Italian Klopstock if the laws of euphony would allow names of such opposite sound , to be brought into contact. From Forli to Forlimpopoli is four miles. This latter town, anciently Forum Popilii, 5io CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIL is small hut neat. Hence to Cesena is a distance of seven miles; we arrived there late in the evening. In leaving Bologna we turned our backs upon the fertile and most extensive plains of Milan, and began gradually to approach the Adriatic on one side , and the Apen- nines on the other. The road , however , still continues to give the traveller all the advantages of the plain , as scarce an eminence rises to retard his course , before he reaches Ancona; while he enjoys all the beauties of a mountainous country , in the hills on the right, that sometimes advance, and sometimes retire, varying their forms and landscape almost at every step. Mountains crowned with towers , castles or towns , a striking feature of Italian , and particularly of Apennine scenery, had often attracted our attention during our progress , and increasing upon us from Faenza , in number , boldness and beauty , repeatedly forced on our recollection Virgil’s descriptive verse, Tot congcsta manu praeruptis oppida saxis. Geo* Lib, ii, i56i Ch. VII. THROUGH ITALY. 3i i I may add, that numberless rivers rushing from the mountains , intersect the plain and bathing the time-worn walls of many an ancient town, seemed to exhibit the original of the next line , Fluminaque antiques subterlabentia muros. i5j. These streams , it is true , are mere rills , as most rivers are in southern countries during the heats of summer, and may easily deceive the superficial traveller , who pas- sing their dry channels in that season , may very naturally suppose that their sources have failed , and that the streams them- selves exist only in description. To this mis- taken notion we perhaps owe the poetical fiction of Lucan when he represents Caesar as stepping over the unnoticed Xanthus. Inscius in sicco serpentem pulvere riviim Transierat, qui Xanthus erat, Lib, ix. 274* 5 . as well as Addison’s pleasing lines.* Letter to Lord Halifax. 012 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VII. Sometimes misguided by the tuneful throng, 1 look for streams immortalized in sung, That lost in silence and oblivion lie, (Dumb are their fountains, and their channels dry) Yet run for ever by the muses skill, And in the smooth description murmur still. But when swelled by the rains in autumn, or by the melting snows in spring, these apparently petty rills cover their broad chan- nels, fill their banks, and swell into con- siderable rivers. ( Cesena retains its ancient name unaltered by time or by barbarism. It is a little clean town , beautifully situate at the foot of a ridge of fine hills covered with villas and convents; the eminence immediately over the town is crowned with a romantic old castle. Its cathedral scarcely deserves notice, but its ancient bridge of three vast arches merits attention. TJie late Pope Pius VI. was born at Cesena^ and with all the partiality of a native , adorned it with various edifices, and dignified it with several privileges. His countrymen, in grateful acknowledgment, erected a bronze statue over the gate of the Towa-hall, representing him in the usual €h. VII. THROUGH ITALY. 3i3 attitude of Popes, that is, as giving liis be3 nedictioii. The inscription is, «Givi optimo,v a st}de perfectly Roman, when applied to the sovereign , and used only in tlie early periods of the monarchy , while the bold spirit of republican equality still breathed in a few surviving Romans. The soil around the town is fertile , and was anciently re- markable, as the hilly regions of Italy ge- nerally were , for excellent wines ; such, at least, was the opinion of Pliny. Whether the vines have degenerated 3 or their cul- ture is neglected or whether the defect w^as in our palates, I know not 5 but we thought the wines of Cesena indifferent. About two miles from Cesena flows a stream , called the Pisatello , supposed to be the ancient Rubicon. There stood on its northern bank an obelisk , with the decree of the senate and Roman people inscribed on its pedestal, and two other inscriptions on its sides. The French destroyed this obelisk. The slabs that formed the pedestal lay half buried in a farm -yard , about a hundred paces from the road , w^here we dug them up , and placed them against the trunk of a tree. 3i4 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VII- The Pisatello like most other mountain streams , is very shallow in dry weather ; but its banks are high in some places , and in others , its channel is wide 3 so that it might occasionally present a mass of waters considerable enough to embarrass an army in its passage. Its sides are shaded with poplars, and present a pretty solitary scene. But it must be observed, that notwithstand- ing the abovementioned inscriptions , which are generally acknowledged to be spurious, the name and honors of this streamlet are disputed, and that the inhabitants of both Sa^i^nano and Rimini boldly maintain that their respective rivers have a better title , than the Pisatello , to the classical appel- lation of the Rubicon , and to the vene- ration of the traveller, I must add, what the reader will be not a little surprized to hear , that the learned are nearly as much divided about the modern as about the ancient name of this rivulet. To understand the difficulties of this ques- tion, he must be informed, that between Cesena and Saoignano , the Via Emilia is intersected by three streams ; the first is about two miles from Cesena; the second, Ch. VIL THROUGH ITALY. 5i5 five 5 and the third , eight. The first is commonly^ I believe, called, and certainly marked in the most correct maps , such as that of the learned Jesuits Maire and Boscovick 5 Pisatello ; the second , gone , Rugosa , Rigosa , or Urgone ; the third is called Borco and bathes the walls of Saoignano. These three rills , before they fall into the neighboring Adriatic , unite and form a considerable river called the Fiutnicino, In opposition to most Italian writers, Gluverius maintains ( and it is dif- ficult to question the accuracy of so at- tentive and indefatigable an investigator ) that the former is called Rugone, that this appellation is evidently a corruption of Ru- bicone , and that the second is , properly speaking, the Pisatello. However we must assert upon the authority, not of maps or of books only , but of the innkeeper and tlie drivers , an authority perhaps more decisive on such a question, that the common name of the first stream is now the Pisatello , and that of the second the Rugone. But notwithstanding the difference of na- mes, it is still evident, that the stream noit^ called Pisatello is a branch only of the Ru' 3i6 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VII. Licon ; and equally so , that the river which Caesar passed , was not the Pisatello , or the Rugone , but that which is formed by the three streams united, and is now called the Fiumicino. To prove this circumstance , it is only necessary to observe, that Caesar marched from Ravenna to Rimini, by the direct road (for as he was in haste we cannot suppose that he deviated from it) that is, not by the Via Emilia, but by that which runs along the sea shore, and is called the Lower Road: to this we may add, that the distance of the Fiumicino at present, from Ravenna on one side , . and from Rimini on the other, agrees with the dis- tance ascribed to the Rubicon , from the same towns in the ancient itineraries. More- over , it is highly probable , or as the above- mentioned learned geographer maintains , nearly certain, that the ancient Via Emilia, instead of passing the three streams, turned to the sea, and crossed the Rubicon over a bridge , at the point where the rivers unite, and which is therefore called, in the itineraries, ad Confluenteis. w Rimini^ by the present road, is only eighteen very short, that is , sixteen ancient miles , while it was Ch. VII. THROUGH ITALY. 017 formerly twent}’^ , from Cesena ; the diffe- rence evidently implies a turn in the road, which could be no other than that leading from Cesena to the bridge, a ad Confluenteis.?^ -There were, therefore, two ]3assages over the Rubicon anciently , the one by the Via Emilia, over a bridge, n ad Confluenteis; the other, about a mile lower down, or nearer the sea , on the direct road from Ravenna to Rimini. This latter then was the passage , and here was the celebrated spot where Caesar stood, and absorbed in thought suspended for a moment his own fortunes, the fate of Rome , and the destinies of man- kind; here appeared the warlike phantom, commissioned by the furies, to steel the bosom of the relenting chief, and to hurry him on to the work of destruction; and here too , arose the Genius of Rome , the awful form of the mighty Parent, to restrain the fury of her rebel son, and to arrest the blow levelled at justice and at liberty. TJt ventiim est parvi Rubiconis ad undas Ingens visa duel patriae Irepidanlis imago, Clara per obsciiram vultu maestissima noclem Turrigero canos effundens vertice crines. Lucan^ lib. i. 3i8 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIL Here Caesar passed, and cast the die, that decided the fate, not of Rome only, of her consuls , of her senates, and of her armies , but of nations and empires, of kingdoms and republics , that then slept in embryo in the bosom of futurity. In crossing the Rubicon, the traveller passes from Cisalpine Gaul into Italy properly so called, and enters the territory of the Umbri, that is Umbria. This province, though it re- tains its general name, is divided into various arbitrary departments, such' as- the Legazione d' V rhino ^ Marca d' Ancona^ etc. of which, as of most similar partitions, I shall take little or no notice 5 because they arc mere transient distinctions, adapted to the particular admi- nistration of each district, and varying with every accidental change in the system of government. A few miles from Cesena we came within sight of the Adriatic on the left, Avhile on the riglit , the mountains increase in height and in inagnilicence. On the summit of one that rose in full view before us, co- vered with snow and shining with ice, rose the town of S, Marino, bosomed in the re- gions of winter, and half lost in the clouds. The genius of Liberty alone could have found- Ch. VII. THROUGH ITALY. Si 9 ed, and supported a Republic, in such a si- tuation ! Savignano on the Borco is a large hand- some town, but, I believe , contains nothing remarkable. Thence to Rimini^ and, indeed, to Ancona , the road runs along the coast of the Adriatic ; presenting such scenery as the sea on one side, and on the other the Apen- nines, or rather their attendant mountains must naturally furnish. About four miles from Savignano , we passed the Luso (anciently Plusa ) and six miles further ; crossing the ancient Ariminus, now the Marecchia, enter- ed Rimini (Ariminum). The bridge over which we passed, is of marble, and in the best style of Roman architecture 5 it was erected in the times of Augustus and Tibe- rius Caesar, and is inscribed with their names. It consists of five arches with niches for sta- tues between, and a regular cornice surmount- ing both arches and niches. Its solidity, bold- ness and beauty, as well as the date of its erection, have led many connoisseurs to con- clude , that it is the work of Vitruvius. The gate on the opposite side , under which the traveller passes on his way to Pesaro , is a triumphal arch of Augustus, of the best ma- 520 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VII. tcrials and noblest form. The order is Corin- thian , but in some respects peculiar. The barbarous taste of the middle ages crowned tliis monument of Roman grandeur with a Gothic battlement, a deformity which is still allowed to exist , « in media luce Italiae, » in such an age and in such a country. Rimini is large and well built. In the principal square is a fountain , and a statue of Paul V. changed into that of St. Gaudentius by the French, who, upon this occasion, seem, I know not how, to have forgotten their usual propensity to destruction. The cathedral had been turned by them into a military hospital, and so much disfigured as to be rendered unfit for public worship. The church of the Dominican Friars was, there- fore, used for the purposes of cathedral service. That of St. Francis, adorned with a profu- sion of marble, deserves notice, particularly as it is supposed to be the last in Italy, if we except however the cathedral of Milan , into which Gothic forms and ornaments have been admitted. It was built in the year i^So, a period when the latter style began to give way to the restored proportions of Roman architecture. However, this attempt to re- Ch. VII. THROUGH ITALY. 32 1 sume the graces of antiquity does not seem to have succeeded, as the orders are ill pro- portioned, and the whole edifice is clumsy and whimsical. Several other churches and some palaces are worthy the attention of the traveller. The port of Rimini is much obstructed by the sands swept along by the river in its descent from the neighboring mountains ; and though much labor has been employed, and money expended, in order to keep it clear, yet at present it admits small vessels only; an inconvenience incidental to all ports formed by mountain torrents, wlien they fall into the sea near their sources, and before they have time to deposit the gravelly par- ticles with which they are necessarily en- cumbered. Some fragments of ' marble lin- ings and piers remain to attest the ancient magnificence of this port. Of the history of Filmmi it can only be said , that after having suffered in common with all the other cities in Italy, the ra- vages of the first barbarian invaders , and bowed its neck for some years under the Gothic sceptre, it was restored to the empire by Belisarius, and at the fall of the Exarchate * .4 CLASSICAL TOUR 322 CJi. VII. was annexed once more to the Roman terri- tory, in the eighth century. Since that period, though occasionally distracted by factions , and sometimes enslaved by its own citizens, it has never entirely dissolved the tie that Linds it to the parent city , nor refused to pay legal submission to its pontiffs. But the most remarkable event in the records of Rbnini is, without douljt, that which lirst registered its name in the page of history, and still gives it a claim upon the atten- tion of the traveller. Rbnini was the first town that beheld Caesar in arms against o his country. After having harangued his troops on the banks of the Rubicon, and made the last appeal from the laws to the sword, he rushed forward with his usual rapidity, and at day-break appeared, sur- rounded with his cohorts, in the forum at Rbnini^ The untimely sound of the trumpet, the alarm and confusion of the inhabitants, the threatening aspect of Caesar, are circum- stances which the historian discreetly leaves to the imagination of his readers 3 while the poet finds in them the materials of sublime description. Ch, VII. THROUGH ITALY. 323 Constitit lit capto jussus deponere miles Signa foro, slridor lituum, clangorque tubarum Non pia concinuit curn rauco classica cornu. Rupta quies populis, stralisque excita juvenlus Diripiunt sacris affixa penatibus arma Ut notae fulsere aquilae, Romanaque signa, Et celsus medio conspectus in agmine Caesar, Diriguere metu, gelidos pavor occupat artus. Luc* i. — 236. etc* 32/f CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VUl. CHAP. VIII. Cattolica--~- Pesaro~-~~ Fano — The IMetaurus and Monte Asdrubale — Senegalia — An- cona 5 its Har'bor and Triumphal Arch-— Loreto , and the Santa Casa — ToLlen- tino — Ponte della Trave^ c V>4lose to Rimini we passed the river Ansa or Aprusa. Thence to Ancona^ the scenery continues the same^the Adriatic on the right, line fertile hills covered with buildings, and rising gradually in height, till they swell into the ridge of the Apennines about fifteen miles southwest. Among the hills, S, Marino pre- sents to the eye , a perpendicular precipice of tremendous height , and of craggy aspect , and long continues to form a most majestic and conspicuous feature of the landscape. The first stage is Cattolica , a title given to this place, because it became the asylum of the or- thodox prelates, who receded from the council held at Rimini^ when they found that the Arian faction seemed likely to prevail. Such at least is the import of an inscription in the Ch. VIII. THROUGH ITALY. 52^ principal churcli, a neat edifice, with a high Gothic tower opposite. The river Concha , which flows a few miles from CattoUca ^ on the road to Rimini, is supposed, by Cluverius, to be the « Crustumium rapax w of Lucan. About ten miles from Cattolica , is Pesaro ( Pesauriis ) a large, clean, airy town , witli a handsome square ornamented by a noble fountain, and formerly by a marble statue of Urban VIII. lately destroyed by the French. Most of the churches are remarkable for their paintings , and some for their architecture^ Among the latter are S. Giovanni , La Mi^ sericordia and 5*. Q*arlo. Several palaces have the same claim to attention. On the whole, few towns have a handsomer or more pre- possessing appearance than Pesaro. The bridge over the Foglia anciently the Pe- saurus, is a very noble edifice, and though not ancient , worthy of being so. About seven miles further is Fano ( Fa- num Fortunae) a well-built, and very hand- some town. One of the gates of Fano is a triumpVial arch of Augustus ; a gal- ler}’- or portico of five arcades was built over it , a5t a later period , that is , under Con- stantine; the whole is, or was Corinthian, 526 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIU. It was considerably defaced , and the upper story destroyed, by the artillery, in a contest between this town and Julius II. Several pillars still lie, as they seem to have fallen, on the platform above the arch. On the three different cornices, there are three inscriptions. The churches at Fano are not inferior to those at Pesaro. The theatre was a noble and commodious edifice , but has been so long neglected , that it has at present much the appearance of ruins. * The Via Flaminia here turns from the sea towards the Apennines, and runs along the banks of the Metaurus , now called the Metaro ^ or shorter, the Metro, This river, a streamlet in dry weather, must, if we may judge by its wide-extended bed , and by * The Basilica annexed to the forum of Fanum was planned and built by Vitruvius. Would it be impossible to discover some traces of an edifice, which,, from the account which he gives of its form and proportions, seems to have been of considerable magnitude aud beauty ? None are now observable. Fit. L. v. C. i. Ch, VIII. THROUGH ITALY. 827 the long bridge thrown over it , form in rainy seasons a vast sheet of water. Its western banks are covered with wood^ and increase in height and declivity as they re- tire from the sea. To the east , opens a pla-n , bounded by gentle eminences ^ and contracting in breadth as it runs south- ward 5 where the hills line the banks of the river. The Adriatic occupies the north, and to the south rise the Apennines in irre- gular forms, interrupted only by tlie steep dell , through which the river forces its passage. The character of boisterous rapidity , given by the poets to this stream , agrees with it only while rushing from the Apen- nines 5 or confined within the defiles that line the base of these mountains. Velosque Metaurus. Lucan* ii. 49^* Cavis yenientes montibus Umbri, Hos .Slsis, Sapisque lavant, rapidasque sonanti Venice contorquens uiidas per saxa Metaurus. Sil* viii. 447’ The banks of this river were, as is well known , the theatre of one of the most glorious and most decisive victories ever 328 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIIT. obtained by the Romans, a victory which saved Rome , by depriving Annibal of his long expected reinforcements, and anticipated the fall of Carthage , by cutting off at one stroke the strength of her armies and the flower of her rising generation. The description which Livius has given of the battle of Metaurus is animated and circumstantial , and though the learned seem to doubt whether it be possible to ascertain the spot on which it took place, may, I think , enable us to guess at it with some probability. According to the historian, both armies were encamped on or near the Sena, about four miles westward of Senegaglia, or to use his words , « Ad Senam castra consulis erant , et quingcntos inde passus Asdrubal aberat. n Asdrubal began his retreat, << prima vigilia, that is, about an hour after sunset; and after having wandered in the dark for some time , reached the Metaurus , about eight miles from the Sena, and there halted till break of day, when following the banks from the sea towards the mountain, in order to discover some place fordable, he was over- taken and attacked by the Romans. The battle commenced at an early hour , for after va- Ch, VIII. THROUGH ITALY. 329 rioiis manoeuvres and a most bloody contest, it vs^as only mid-day when victory decided in favor of the Romans. « Et jam diei medium erat , silisques et calor hiantes , caedendos capiundosque ( hostes ) affatim praebebat. ?? Now when we consider these circumstances united, that is, that the nights were short, as it was summer, that after having marched eight miles , the Carthaginian army bewil- dered themselves in the windings of the banks, « per tortuosi amnis sinus flexusque errorem volvens , ?? that they halted and were over- taken early in the morning , we shall con- clude , that they had not marched more than eighteen miles from Sena , or in other words, that they had not reached the mountains , and , of course , that the battle took place in the plain, but nearer the mountains than the sea. Moreover , the left wing of the Car- thaginian army , formed chiefly of Gauls, was covered by a hill. Round this hill, when the Consul Claudius had attacked the enemy in the rear, was the principal slaughter, and it is highly probable that the fall T. Liv. Lib. xxvii. 4^. CJu VIII. 55o CLASSICAL TOUR of the Carthaginian general ennobled this spot, and dignified it with the appella- tion of Monte Asdrubale, We may therefore, I think, conclude, without much danger of wandering widely from the truth, that the round hill which still bears that name, and rises south of the Metaurus , about three miles from Fossombrone on the road to Forli, was the scene of this memorable action. It is about eighteen miles by the Via Flaminia from Fano , and about fourteen from the Sena^ on which both armies were encamped the day before. In fine , a battle in which a hundred thousand combatants are engaged , covers a great extent of country, and spreads over all the neighboring region; so that the banks of the river , for many a mile , wit- nessed the rout of the Carthaginians; and the jjoetical prediction was fully accomplished, Malta quoque Asdrubalis fulgebit slrage Metaurus, T wo hours brought us to the river Negola ( Misas ) ; Quo Sena relictum Gallorum a populis traxit per saecula nomen ! CJu\m. THROUGH ITALY. 3 3i for, on its banks stands Sinigaglia^ 'which took its name from the Galli Senones, though colonized by the Romans after the destruction of that race. Sinigaglia is a very well built, airy, and apparently flourishing town. The cathedral of the Corinthian order was lately rebuilt, and its high altar adorned with a most beau- tiful tabernacle, by the present bishop, Car- dinal Onorati , who has the reputation of being a man of taste and public spirit. Unfortunately for the town, his means of indulging the useful propensities which na- turally follow such endowments, Jiave been completely annihilated by the rapacity of the French, and all improvements, since the fatal period of their arrival, have been totally suspended. The distance from this town to Ancona is twenty-four computed, twenty real miles. A little beyond Casa Frascata^ at the Bocca di Fiumicino , w^e passed the Esino , the Roman Aesis , entered Picenum , and arrived late at Ancona. Ancona retains its ancient name , sup- posed to be derived from its reclining posture, and no small share of its ancient prosperity, as, Venice excepted , it is still the most 332 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIII. populous and the most trading city on the shores of the Adriatic. Most of the tov/ns we have hitherto mentioned were founded by various Gallic tribes. Ancona boasts a nobler origin. It was built by a band of Syracusan patriots who, to avoid the inso- lence and lawless sway of Dionysius the tyrant, abandoned their country, and settled on this coast , about four hundred years before Christ. It was anciently remarkable for a celebrated temple of Venus, and, like Paphos and Cythera , was supposed to be one of the favorite resorts of the Goddess of Love and Beauty.* In reality, it would be difficult to find a situation more con- formable to the temper of the « Queen of smiles and sports, or better adapted to health and enjoyment than Ancona. Seated on the side of a hill forming a semicircular bay, sheltered by its summit from the exhalations of the south, covered by a bold promontory from the blasts of the north, open only to the breezes of the west, that * Ante domum Veneris quana Dorica sustinet Ancon.=Jur. iv. 3g. Ch, VIII. THROUGH ITALY. 355 wanton on the bosom of the waters which bathe its feet , and surrounded by fields of inexhaustible fertility, Ancona seems formed for the abode of mirth and luxury. Hence it has been remarked by travellers, that the inhabitants of Ancona, and its territory, are of a more beautiful form and fairer color than their countrymen in general ; and though several invidious reasons have been given to account for this flattering distinction, I must add, that their morals are acknowledged to be pure, and the conduct of the females unimpeachable. The Romans, aware of the advantages of this port, made it their principal naval station in the Adriatic , built a magnificent mole to cover the harbor, and adorned it with a triumphal arch. This useful and splendid work was undertaken and finished by Trajan, and to him the triumphal arch is dedicated. It is still entire, though strip- ped of its metal ornaments; the order is Corin- thian ; the materials, Parian marble; the form light, and the whole is considered as the best, though not the most splendid, nor the most massive model, that remains of similar edi- iices. It was ornamented with statues, busts, 334 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. Vill. and probably inferior decoralioiis of bronze; blit of these, as I hinted above , it has been Ion" since stripped by the avarice of barbarian invaders, or perhaps of ignorant and degenerate Italians. From the first taking of Rome by Alaric, that is, from the total fall of the arts to their restoration, it was certain ruin to an ancient edifice to retain , or to be supposed to retain, any ornament, or even any stay of metal. Not the internal decorations' only were torn off, but the very nails pulled out, and not unfrequently stones displaced, and columns overturned, to seek for bronze or iron. Of this species of sacrile- gious plunder we find numberless instances, not only in the edifice now under our con- sideration, but in various remains of antiquity, and particularly in the Pantheon and Coli- seum. Nor will this conduct appear wonderful in men either by birth or by habits, and gro- velling passions, barbarians; when in our own times, and almost before our own eyes, per- sons of rank and education have not hesitat- ed to disfigure the most ancient , and the most venerable monuments of Grecian architecture, to tear the works of Phidias and Praxiteles Ch. Vlll. TPIROUGH ITALY. 555 from their original position, and to demo- lish fabrics , which time , war , and barba- rism, had respected during twenty centuries. The French, whose rapacity the voice of Eu- rope has so loudly and so justly censured, did not incur the guilt of dismantling ancient edifices ; they spared the walls , and con- tented themselves with statues and paintings, and even these they have collected and ar- ranged in halls and galleries, for the inspection of travellers of all nations ; while , if report does not deceive us , our plunderers have ransacked the temples of Greece, to sell their booty to the highest bidder, or, at best, to piece the walls of «ome obscure old man- sion, with fragments of Parian marble, and of Attic sculpture. The triumphal arch has only one gateway, is ornamented with four half columns on each front, one at each side of the gateway, and one at each angle. The marble , parti- cularly in the front towards the sea, retains its shining white ; the capitals of the pillars have suffered much , and lost the prominent parts of the acanthus; however, on the whole, this arch may be considered in high preser- vation. 536 CLASSICAL TOUR CJu VIIL The greatest part of the mole still remains a solid compact wall^ formed of huge stones bound together by iron, and rising to a con- siderable height above the level of the sea. Close to it , but much lower, is the modern mole, adorned in like manner with a trium- phal arch of the Tuscan order, in itself not beautiful , and when compared with the Co- rinthian arch that stands almost immediately over it, extremely cumbersome. The architect was T^anvitelli, a name of considerable repute in the architectural annals of the last cen- tury ; and if we may judge from the soli- dity of the new mole, from the elevation of the light house that terminates it, and from the admirable arrangement of the LazzerettOy he seems to have merited the celebrity which he enjoyed. It is difficult, however, to con- ceive what motives could have induced him to place an arch, of so mixed a composition, and so heavy a form, so near to the simple and airy edifice of Trajan, unless it were to display their opposite qualities by the contrast, and of course to degrade and vilify his own workmanship. But all modern architects, not excepting the great names of Michael An^ gelo, Bramantey and Palladio y have had the Ck. VIIL THROUGH ITALY. 337 fever of innovation, and more than ten centu- ries of unsnccessfnl experiments have not been sufficient to awaken a spirit of diffidence, and to induce them to suspect that, in deviating from the models of antiquity, they have aban- doned the rules of symmetry: and, that in erecting edifices on their own peculiar plans, they have only transmitted their bad taste, in stone and marble monuments , to posterity. The cathedral of Ancona is a very ancient, but a low, dark edifice. It contains nothing within , and exhibits nothing without , to fix attention. Its situation, however, compensates in a great degree , its architectural defects. Placed near the point of the Gumerian pro- montory, elevated far above the town and the harbor, it commands a most magnificent view, extending along the sea coast to Pesaro and Fano on the north , bounded on the west by the snow -crowned Apennines , while on tlie east it wanders over the Adriatic , and , in clear weather, rests on the distant hills of Dalmatia. We lingered on this delightful spot with much satisfaction, and while our eyes feasted on the varied prospect expanded before us we enjoyed, though it was only the second of April , the freshness of the gale VOL. 1 . i3 558 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIII. that sprang occasionally from llie sea , and fanned us as we ascended Ihe summit of the promontory and the tops of the neighboring mountains. There are, however, several churches that merit observation ; particularly the Agosti- xTiiani^ and the Gesii ( of anvitelli ) as also the Palazzo della Comunita or Town-hall, and the PaZrtzzo deiMercanti, or Merchants^ hall. The Popes have not been wanting in their attention to the prosperity of Ancona. They have made it a free port , allowed liberty of conscience to persons of all religions, im- proved the harbor, and opened a new and very noble approach on the land side. How- ever , in commerce , activity , and popula- tion , Ancona is still inferior to ‘Leghorn , owing , probably, to the situation of the latter on the western coast of Italy, in the heart of the Mediterranean , and open , of course to the commerce of France , Spain, Africa, and the Mediterranean islands , while the former, on the Adriatic, a sea comparative- ly unfrequented, faces Dalmatia, a country little known in the commercial world , and little given to mercantile speculation and activity. ciu VIIT. THROUGH ITALY. 55^ Tlie general appearance of Ancona, tliougli beautiful at a distance, is, within, dark and gloomy , in consequence of the narrowness of the streets, and the want of squares and of great public buildings. Ancona and its neigh- boring towns and coasts , are celebrated in the following lines of SjHus Italicus : lllc et qnos pascunt scopulosae rura Numanae, Et quis litorae fumant allaria Cuprae, Quiquae Truentinas servant cum flumine lurres Cernere erat : cljpeata procul sub sole corusco Agrnina, sanguinea vibrant in nubila lucej Slat Fucare coins nec Sidone vilior Ancon, Murice nec Lihyco. Statque humectata Vomano Adria, et inclemcns hirsuti signifer Ascii. Sil* Ital. viii. 4^^* Numana is now Humana ; 0*u^Y3i ^ Le Grotte. Tmentium on the banks of the Tronto ^ un- known at present. The river still bears its ancient name Vomano and Ascii AscolL The distance from Ancona to Loreto , is about fourteen miles 3 the road hilly , the country in the highest degree fertile, and the views on every side extremely beautihil. Ca-- murano , the intermediate stage , stands on a high hill , and has a small but handsome 34o CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIII. cliurcli. Loreto also is situate on a very bold and commanding eminence. This town is mo- dern, and owes its existence to the Santissi- nia Casa^ and its splendor to the zeal or to the policy of Sixtus Quintus. It is large , well built, populous, and notwithstanding its ele- vated site well supplied by an aqueduct with water. It is surrounded with a rampart, and from that rampart commands a varied and most delightful prospect on all sides. To the north rise Osimo the Auximum of the ancients, and Camurano , each on a lofty hill ; also close to tlie sea , an abbey perched on the summit of Monte Gomero ( Cumerium pro- montori um ) 5 on the south, Monte Santo anciently Sacra ta, and Macerata; to the west, Recanati^ and Monte Fiore 5 with the Apen- nines rising , broken , white and craggy , behind ; while to the east , between two bills, the Adriatic spreads its blue expanse , and brightening as it retires from the shore, vanishes graduall}^ in the white fleecy clouds that border the horizon. Every reader is acquainted with the legen- dary history of the Santissima Casa^ or most holy house; that it was the very house which the Virgin Mother , with the infant Saviour Ch, VIII. TimOUGII ITALY. 54 1 and St- Joseph, inhabited at Nazareth; that it was transported by angels from Palestine, w^hen that country was totally abandoned to the infidels, and was placed, first in Dal- matia, and afterwards on the opposite sliore in Italy, close to the sea side, whence, in consequence of a quarrel between two bro- thers, the proprietors of the ground, it w^as removed, and finally fixed on its present site. This wonderful event is said to have taken place in the 3^ear 1294, and is attested by the ocular evidence of some Dalmatian pea- sants , the testimony of the two quarrelsome brothers, and, I believe the declaration of a good old lady of the name of Lauretta. Some had seen it in Dalmatia, others beheld it hovering in the air, and many had found it in the morning on a spot, which they knew to have been vacant the evening before. Such is , at least in general , the account given at Loreto , circulated all over Italy , piously admitted by many holy persons , and not a little encouraged by the Popes. I need not say, however, that many men of reflection in Italy, and indeed within the precincts of Loreto itself, consider this won- derful story as an idle tale, or at best a pious 542 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, VIII. dream, conceived by a heated imagination, and circnlaled among an ignorant race of peasants and fishermen. They suppose the holy house to have been a cottage or build- ing long buried in a pathless forest, and unnoticed in a country turned almost into a desert by a succession of civil wars, inva- sions, and revolutions, during the space often or twelve centuries. A dream, an accidental coincidence of circumstances might have led one or more persons to the discovery- of this long forgotten edifice, and such an incident working on minds heated by solitude and enthusiasm , might easily have produced the conviction, and propagated the belief of the wonderful tale. But be the origin of the holy house what it may , the effect of artifice or of credulity, it gradually attracted the attention first of the country round, then of Italy, at large,- and at length of the whole Christian world. Tiie miracle was every where heard with joy and admiration, and every-where welcom- ed \\dth‘ implicit unsuspecting faith. Princes and prelates, rich and poor, hastened with pious alaci-ity to venerate the terrestrial abode of the incarnate Word, and to implore the Ch. VIII. THROUGH ITALY. 343 present aid and influence of his Virgin Moe ther. Gifts and votive offerings accumulatedj a magnifleent church was erected ; gold, silver and diamonds blazed round every altar, and heaps of treasures loaded the shelves of the sacristy 5 various ediflees rose round the new temple , and Loreto became , as it still re- mains, a large and populous city. The church was planned by Bramante , and is a very noble structure , in the form of a cross , with a dome over the point of inter- section. Under this dome is the Santa Casa^ a building about thirty feet long and four- teen high, vaulted, of stone rough and rather uneven. It is difficult to discover the originaL color of the stone , as it is blackened by the smoke of the numberless lamps continually burning, but it is said to be of a reddish grey 3 the interior is divided by a silver rail into two parts of unequal dimensions. In the largest is an altar; in the less, which is con- sidered as peculiarly holy, is a cedar image of the blessed Virgin placed over the chim- ney-piece. The exterior is covered, with a marble casing, ornamented with Corinthian pilasters and sculptured pannels representing various incidents of Gospel History. The font. 344 CL\SSIGAL TOUR Ch, Vlll. the Mosaics over several altars, the bronze i,Mles both of the church and of the Santa Casa^ and several paintings in the chapels are admired by connoisseurs, and deserve a minute examination. The square before the church, formed principally of the apostolical palace the residence of the bishop, and of the canons and the penitentiaries, is in a very grand style of architecture. The treasury was formerly a subject of admiration and astonishment to all travellers who seemed to attempt but in vain to describe^ not the gold and silver only, but the gems and the diamonds that glittered on every vase, and dazzled the eyes with their splendor. Long catalogues were produced of the names of' Emperors, Kings, Potentates and Republics, who had contributed to augment this immense accumulation of wealth with additional offer- ings, and some surprise was expressed, that the Turk or some hardy pirate tempted by the ^ greatness of the booty, and by the facility of the conquest, did not assault the town, and endeavor to enrich himself with the plunder. But such was the supposed sanctity of the place, such the religious awe that surrounded it, that even theTarks themselves beheld it with Ch. VIII. THROUGH ITALY. 345 veneration; and the inhabitants reposed with confidence under the tutelar care of the Virgin Patroness. Once, indeed, the infidels made a bold attempt to assault the sanctuary of Lo- reto; but; like the Gauls under Brennus pre- suming to attack the temple of Delphi, they were repulsed by tremendous storms , and struck with supernatural blindness. LoretOy indeed, in latter times, as Delphi in days of old, was surrounded with an invisible ram- part, which no mortal arm could force, and no malignant daemon even venture to assail re^ pressed both by superior power, motique verenda^ Majestate loci But Loreto has now shared the fate of Del- phi; its sacred bounds have been violated, its sanctuary forced, and its stores of treasure seized, and dispersed by the daring, hands of ks late invaders . No vestige now remains of this celebrated collection of every thing that was valuable ; roWs of empty shelves , and numberless cases, only afford the treasurer an 546 CLASSICAL TOUR CL VIII. opportunity of enlarging on its immensity, and a tolerable pretext for cursing the banditti that plundered it. Galli/^ said he, semper rapaces, crudeles, barbarorum omnium Italis infestissimi : he added, in a style of compli- ment, Angli, justi, moderati, continentes. I hope our countrymen will endeavour to ve- rify the compliment, by their conduct towards the degraded Greeks, and the oppressed Ita- lians ! But though we eondemned the sacrilegious rapine of the French, we could not share the deep regret of the good father . Treasures bu- ried in the sacristies of the churches, are as useless, as if still slumbering in their native mines; and though they may contribute to the splendor of an altar, or to the celebrity of a convent , they can be considered only as withheld from the purposes for which Provi- dence designed them, and as draw’backs upon that industry w^hich they are made to eneou- fage. The altar ought certainly to be provided with a sufficient quantity of plate for the decency , and even for the splendor of divine service : such' was the opinion of the Christian church even in the second century; but it is the duty of government not to allow Ch. VIII. TimOUGH ITALY. 347 it to accumulate : and it is much to be lament' ed, that the immense wealth deposited in the diurches in Italy, had not been employed, as anciently was the custom in times of public distress, for public relief. “ Ad diyos adeunto caste: pietatem adhibento^ opes amovento.’’^ * Ti]e cliurch of Loreto is a magnificent esta- blisliment . It consists of twenty prebendaries or resident canons: twenty chaplains or minor canons; and twenty penitentiaries, to hear the confessions of the pilgrims, and to administer to them advice and spiritual consolation. These penitentiaries are selected from various countries, that every pilgrim may find a di- rector, who can discourse with him in his own language . The number of pilgrims seem at present to be very small ; indeed they have long ceased to be of any advantage to the town, as they are generally of the lowest class, beg their bread on the road, and are sup- ported at the expence of the church while at Loreto . We visited the fathers, and were treated by them with much kindness and cor- diality. * Cic. de Legibus, ii. 8. 348 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VIII. Tbe traveller would do well, while, his if headquarters are at Loreto, to visit Osimoy llu-' ' maiiay Monte Santo y and as much of the coast and country southward as possible . These places are all of ancient fame, and the whole region around is both beautiful and classical . From 'Loreto the road turns directly to Rome, passes under a noble gateway, descends the hill of Loreto, with an aqueduct running on the left, and then rising traverses Piecanatl a neat but deserted episcopal town . Again de- scending it winds through a delicious plain watered by the Potenzay adorned with all the beauty of cultivation , and with all the exu- berance of fertility producing corn and beans clover and flax, vines and mulberries, in pro- fusion; and when we passed through it , all lighted up and exhilarated by the beams of a vernal evening sun. A little beyond the post Samhuchetto , and on the banks of the river lie the ruins of an amphitheatre, or rather of a town, supposed by some antiquaries, to have been Recina : though others conclude, from the distance of fourteen miles marked by the Itineraries, be-* tween Auximum and Recina, that the latter stood on or near tlie site of the modern Ma- Ch. VIII. THROUGH ITALY. 349 cerata, that is, about two miles and a half farther on . Macerata is an episcopal see, a town of some population, activity, and even magnifi- cence . It is situate on a high hill, and com- mands an extensive view of the lovely country which we had traversed terminating in the distant Adriatic. The gate is a sort of modem triurnplial arch not remarkable either for ma- terials or for proportion . The same beautiful scenery continues to delight the traveller till he reaches Tolentino . Tolentino an episcopal see and very ancient, contains nothing remarkable . Its principal church is dedicated to St. Nicolas a native saint, and of course in high veneration. The bust of a celebrated philosopher of the fif- teenth century, Philelphus, is placed over the entrance of the Town-hall; a circumstance, which I mention merely as an instance of the respect which the Italians are wont to shew to the memory of their great men of every des- cription. The gate towards Loreto is double, of Gothic architecture, and of a singular form. ^ As we sat on a heap of stones contemplaiiiig 35o CLASSICAL TOUR Clu VIII- The situation of the town is extremely plea- sin^^, on a gentle eminence on the banks of the Chienti ^ in a fertile plain lined on either side with wooded hills. A little beyond Tolentino we began to enter the defiles of the xApennines; the hills closing and swelling into mountains, the inver the Gothic structure of the gate, and its antique accompaniments, a Pilgrim made his appearance under the archway. He was dressed in a russet cloak, his beads hung from his girdle, his hat was turned up with a scollop shell in front, his beard played on his breast, and he bore in his hand a staff with a gourd suspended. LX ever did pilgrim appear m costume more accurate, or in more appropriate scenery. With the Gothic gate through which he was slowly moving, hefornied a picture of the thirteenth century. We entered into conversation with him, and found that he was a German, and had been, as Kings and Princes were wont to go in ancient times, to the TreshoLd of the Jpostles ( ad limina Apostolorum ) and had offered up his orisons at the shrine of St. Peter. He did not ask for alms, but accepted a trifle with gratitude, and with an Iiiimble bow promis- ed to renicmbor us in his prayers, and proceeded on his journey. 35i Ch, VIII. THROUGH ITALY, roughening into a torrent, and the rocks breaking here and there into huge precipices. Tiie road runs along the sides of the hills , with the Chienti rolling below on the left . A little beyond Belforte^ a view opens over the precipice towards a bridge, and presents a landscape of very bold features. Be! forte is an old fortress perched on the side of a rock in a very menacing situation, and well cal- culated to command the dehle. A village on the opposite side of the river adds not a little to its picturesque appearance. The grandeur of the scenery increased as we advanced; beyond the stage t^alcimara^ the mountains are naked rocky and wild for some miles; on a sudden they assume a milder aspect, sink in height, clothe their sides with sylvan scenery , and present on their wooded summits, churches, castles and ruins, the usual ornaments of Italian mountains. The landscape continued to improve in soft- ness and in milder beauty till we arrived at Ponte de la Traoe , so called from a bridge over the Chienti, Here, though we had tra- velled two stages or eighteen miles only , and it was still early, we determined to remain during the night; partly from a just ap- 552 CLASSICAL TOUR Clu VIII. prehension of danger in passing the steep and lonely fastnesses of Seravalle in the dark , and partly from an unwillingness to traverse the majestic solitudes of the Apennines, when incapable of enjoying the prospect. The inn, it is true, was indifferent, but the surrounding scenery extremely pleasing. The river rolling rapidly along close to the road^ a convent seated in the middle of a vineyard^ groves waving on the sides of the hills; the fields painted with the lively green of vernal vegetation ; fruit-trees in full blossom on all sides; farm-houses interspersed in the groves and meadows: and broken crags surmounted with churches and towers in distant per- spective, formed on the whole a scene, rich, varied, tranquil and exhilarating. One would imagine that Addison, who travelled this road, had this delicious valley in view, when in imitation of Virgil , he exclaims. Bear me , some God , to Baiae's gentle seats, Or cover me in Umbrians green retreats : Where western gales eternally reside And all the seasons lavish all their pride ; Blossoms and fruits and flowers together rise. And the whole year in gay confusion lies . Letter from Italy^^ Ch. IX. TimOUGII ITALY. 555 CHAP. IX. Passage of the Apennines — Foligno — Impro- visatore — The Clitwfmus , its Temple and Fale — Spoleto — Monte Sonima — Terni Falls of the Felino , Addison's opinion refuted — The Nar ^ Narni — The Tiber — Otricol i — CwitaCastellana — Mo ntesC im i n i — Nepi — Campagna — First Fiewv of Rome, From Ponte della Traoe, the road runs for some time over a country enclosed^ cultivated, and wooded , with much variety 5 but the scenery gradually roughens as you ascend the Apennines 3 the mountains swell and close upon you , assume a savage aspect, and though on the banks of the river which still attends you and winds through the defile , yet the scenery is rocky, naked, and barren. Sera Valle is in a deep dell, where the river rolls tumbling along shaded by oaks, poplars , and vines. A rocky mountain rises immediate- ly to the west of the town. From its foot close to the road , through various crevices gushes a vast source of the purest water , which may justly be considered as one of the 354 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, IX. heads of the Potentia. On the steep side of the hill stands an old ruined Gothic castle, whose fortifications run in different compart- ments, down to the road side. In the nearest is an aperture in a vault formed over a large and deep spring. This rocky moun- tain appears to be a vast reservoir of waters , as a little higher up towards the summit , about one hundred yards from the first source of the river Potentia , another bursts out at the bottom of a cavern finely- shaded with bushes, shrubs; and fruit trees. A little farther on, you enter a plain spread- ing in the midst of the Apennines, whose- summits rise in various shapes around , and form a majestic amphitheatre. It ismot however to be understood, that the summits to which* I allude , are the highest points of the whole ridge : this is not true , as the pinnacles of the Apennines are covered with snow almost all the year, while the mountains which we passed over, only exhibited a few detach- ed sheets of snow , and were in general green. I mean therefore that above Seravallej you reach the highest point of the mountains that intersect the Via Flaminia , and the road from Ancona to Rome. On the sides of Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 355 the mountains you see villages and cottages, the greatest part of which look bleak and i miserable , and in the midst of the plain , j graze numerous flocks of sheep , and herds ' of cattle. There is, however, an appearance of loneliness about the place, that excites ill the traveller’s mind, ideas of danger, which are considerably increased by accounts of murders and robberies said to have been com- mitted in this remote region. While we were gliding over this elevated plain, with silence and dreariness around us, I began to reflect on the descriptions which the ancient poets have left us of the Apen- nines , a ridge of mountains which the Ro- mans beheld vvdth fondness and veneration , as contributing so much both to the beauty and to the security of their country. In real- ity, they had reason to thank Providence for having placed such a tremendous barrier between them and their victorious enemy , after the disastrous engagement on the banks of the Trebbia. The attempt of Annibal to pass the Apennines , is eloquently described by Titus Livius : ^ upon that occasion one Liv. xxi. 58. Ch, IX. 356 CLASSICAL TOUR would suppose that the Genius of Rome , enveloped in tempests, and armed with thunder, had stood on the summit to arrest ihe invader: — Turn vero ingenti sono coe- lum strepere et inter horrendos fragores micare ignes. w After repeated , but useless exertions , Annibal returned to the plain , and Rome had time to arm her youth and to call forth all her energies , to meet the approaching tempest. Lucan , in his description 'of the Apenni- nes, indulges, as usual, his vein of hyperbo- lical exaggeration ; but as he is accurate in his representation of the bearing of this im- mense ridge , and of the rivers that roll from its sides it may not be amiss to insert his lines. Mons inter gemiiias medius se porrigit undas Inferni, superique maris : collesque coercent Hinc Tyrrhena vado frangentes aequora Pisae, Illinc Dalmalicis obtioxia fluctibus Ancon. Fontibus hie vastis iminensos concipit amnes, Fluininaque in gemini spargit divortia ponti. In laevum ceoidere latus veloxque Metaurus, Grumstumiumque rapax, et junctus Isapis Isauro, . Semnaqiie, et Adriacasqiii verberat Aufidus undas; Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 35/ Qiioque raagis nullum tellus se solvit in amnem, Eriflanus, fractasque evolvit in aoquora silvas. . . Dexteriora petens monlis declivia Tybrim Untla facil, Rutubamque cavuin ; delabitur inde Vulturnusque celer, nocturnaeque editor aurae Sarnus, et umbrosae Liris per regna Maricae Vestinis impulsus aquis, radensque Salerni Culta Siler, millasque vado qui Macra moratiis Alnos, vicinae procurrit in aequora Lunae. Longior educto qua surgit in aera dorso, Gallica rura videt, devexasque excipit Alpes Tunc Umbris Marsisque ferax,domi tusque Sabello Vomere piniferis amplexus rupibus omnes Indigenas Latii populos, non deserit ante Hesperiam, quam cum Scjllaeis clauditur undis, Extenditque suas in ternpla Lacinia rupes. Lib. ii. Tills poet deliglited in details, and loved to display his knowledge , whether connected with his subject or not. Others have been more correct , and liave selected such par- ticular features only as suited the circum- stance. Thus Petroiiius Arbiter alludes me- reh^ to heigiit , as an extensive view only was requisite for the Fury, whom he re- presents as perched upon its summit. 353 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX. llacc ut Cocyti tenebras, et Tartara liqiiit, Alla petit gradiens iuga nobilis Apeunini, Unde omnes terras, alque ornnia litora posset Adspicere, ac toto fluiiantes orbe calervas. Sillus Italiciis enlarges upon the deep ex- panse of driven snow , and the vast sheets of solid ice, which when Annibal attempt- ed the passage , buried the forests , and wrapped up the piniiacles of the Apennines in impenetrable winter. Horrebat glade saxa inter rubrica summo Piniferuni coelo miscens caput Apcnninusj Considerat nix alta Irabes et vertice celso Canus apex structa surgebat ad astra pruina. SiL JtaL ix. In fine , Virgil , whose masterly hand ge- nerally gives a perfect picture m a single line , to close one of his noblest compa- risons with the grandest image , presents the Apennine in all its glory , with its evergreen forests waving on its sides, and a veil of snow thrown over its majestic sum in it. Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 359 Qiiantus Athos aut quanlusEryx, aul ipse, coriiscis Cum fremit ilicibus, qiiantus, gaudetque nivali Venice se altollens pater Apenninus ad auras. Virg, xii. 701. On quitting the plain you wind along the mountain with a lake on your right , and passing an eminence, begin to descend the declivity of CoLfiorito represented more dan- gerous than it really is, because, though the precipice be steep and abrupt , the road is good, and winding along the side of the hill, descends on an easy slope. Through the deep dell that borders the road , a streamlet murmurs along, and gradually in- creasing becomes a river, which, in the plain below, falls into the Clitumnus. The little post of Case nuove forms the first stage of the descent, which continues with little or no intermission to the neighborhood of Foligno. About three miles from this town, the mountains open and give the traveller a delightful view through the deep wooded defile into the adjoining vale, a view, which, when we passed , was considerably improved by the splendid coloring of the evening sun. CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX. oGo At the village situate in the dell below amidst woods and rocks, the river pent up between the closing crag, w^orks its way through several little chasms, and tambles in seven or eight cascades down the steep through tufts of box and ilex 5 amidst houses and fragments of rocks intermingled, into the plain below, where turning two or three mills as it passes, it hurries along to join the neighboring Clitumnus. I should advise the traveller to alight, order^ his , carriage to wait for him at the foot of the hill, and going down to the village, visit a very curious grotto formed by the waters while confined within the caverns of the mountain. It is entirely under ground, may be about five-and-twenty feet higlij is hollowed into several little niches sup- ported by stalactite pillars, and ornamented on all sides with natural fretwork. He may then pass through the rows of olive trees that cover the opposite rocks, observe the singular situation of the village between two mountains, one of naked rock, the other covered with brusli-wood; examine as he descends, the pic- turesque elfect of tlie several hills bursting liirough masses of wall and verdure, and then Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 36 1 he may follow the road that mns along the foot of the hill^ and mount his carriage within a mile of Foligno . While at supper, we were amused hy tlie appearance of an lmpro{>i>isatore^ who, after having sung an ode of his own composition in honor of England, poured forth his unpreme- ditated verse with great harmony of tones , strength of voice, and rapidity of utterance . He asked for a subject, and Ave gave the prosperity of Italy , which he enlarged upon with some enthusiasm, asking emphatically at the conclusion of each stanza, how Italy, open as it was to two barbarous nations, such as the French and the Germans , could ever expect prosperity ? His extemporary effusions generally ended in the praises of England; and , after some bumpers and a suitable pre- sent, he retired wdth much apparent satisfac- tion. These characters, in their wandering habits, precarious mode of living, and interest- ed exertions, so much like the bards of ancient days, have, it is said, decreased in number since the French invasion, owing partly to the de- pression of the national spkit,and partly to the poverty of their former patrons, and to the absence of wealthy foreigners . The exhibition VOL. 1. i6 CLASSICAL TOUR ciu IX. 0G2 was perfectly new to us, and while we enjoy- ed it, we could not but a^ree that such an ease and versatility of talent, iniglit it' proper- ly managed, be directed to very great and very useful purposes. FoUgno the ancient Fulginia, though akrge, is yet a very indifferent tow^n. Its cathedral unfinished without, is neat within, of handsome Ionic, and contains t>vo pretty side altars. In reality, there are few Italian churches wJiich do not present something interesting to an at- tentive traveller, so generally is taste diffused ^ over this classic country. But the situation of FoLigjio compensates all its internal defects. At the foot of the Apennines, in a delightful plain that winds between the mountains, ex- tending ten miles in breadth and about forty in length, adorned with rows of vines, corn (ields, and villages, it enjoys the breezes and the wild scenery of the mountains with the luxuriance and the warmth of the valley . This its site, is alluded tobySilius. — patuloque jacens sine moenibus arvo Fulginia. SiL viii. About three miles distant rises Bejas;na,l]ie ancient Mevania3 and through the same valley Ch, IX. THROUGH ITALY. 563 the Clitumnus rolls his sacred streams/^ and glories in the beauty and fertility of his banks. At Foligno ^ the traveller from Loreto again re-enters the Via Flaminia. The first stage from Foligno terminates at a place called he Vene . Almost close to the post-house on the northern side , rises on a steep bank an ancient temple; and a little to the south of it, from various narrow vents or veins j gushes out a most plentiful stream of clear limpid water, forming one of the sources of the C4litumnus . From these sources the place takes its name, and the temple on the bank was once sacred to the rivergod, under the appellation of Jupiter Clitumnus. The younger Pliny has given a lively and accurate description of this fountain, which the reader will prefer, no doubt, to the best modern picture . C. Plinius Romano Suo S. )) Vidistine aliquando, Clitumnum fonlem.^ Si nondura (et puto nondura alioqui narrasses milii) vide : quern ego, poenilet tarditatis, proximo vidi. Modicus collis assurgit; antiqua cupressu nemo- rosus et opacus : himc subter fons exit, et expri- milur pluribus veuis, sed imparibus , elucta- Clu IX. 364 CLASSICAL TOUR liisque facit gurgilem, qui lato gfemio palcscit purus et vitreus, ut numerare jaclas stipes et re- Jucentes calculos possis. Inde, non loci devexi- taie, sed ipsa sui copia et quasi pondere impelli- tur. Fons adhuc, et jam amplissimum flumen alqiie etiam navium patiens, quas obvias quoque et contrario nisu in diversa tendentes, transmittit et perfert : adeo validus ut ilia qua properat, ipse lanquatn per solum planum remis non adjuvetur: idem aegerrime remis contisque superelur adver- sus. Jucundum utrurnque per jocum ludurnqiie fluitantibus , ut flexerint cursum, laborem ocio, ocium labore variare. Ripae fraxino multa, multa populo vestiuntur: quas perspicuus amnis, velut mersas viridi imagine annumerat. Rigor aquae cer- taverit nivibus, nec color cedit. Adjacet ternplum priscum et religiosum. Stat Clitumnus ipse amictus, ornatusque praetexta.Praesens numen atque etiam fatidicum, indicant sortes. Sparsa sunt circa sa- cella complura, totidemque Dei simulacra: sua cuique veneratio, suum numen : quibusdam vero etiam fonles. Nam praeter ilium, quasi parenlem caeterorum, sunt rninores capite discreti j sed flu- mini miscentur, quod ponle transmittiiur. Is ter- minus saci’i profanique. In superiore parte navi- gare tantum, infra etiam natare conccssum. Rali- neiim Hispellates, quibus ilium locum Divus Au- gustus dono dedit, publice praebent et hospitium. Nec djsunt villae, quae secutae fluminis amacni- ch. IX. THROUGH Italy. 5G5 tatem, margini insistunt. In summa, nihil erit, ex quo non capias voluptatem. Nam studebis quo- que, et leges multa miiltorum omnibus columnis, omnibus parietibus inscripta, quibus fons ille Deus- que celebratur. Plura laudabis, nonnulla ridebis, quanquam tu vero, quae tua humanitas, nulla ridebis. Vale. » C. Plin. Lib» viiij Epist* v3. Some changes have however taken place., not indeed in the great features of nature, but in those ornamental parts which are under the influence of cultivation . The ancient cypres- ses that shaded the hill, the ash and the poplar that hung over the river, have fallen long since, and have been replaced by mulberries, vines, and olives, less beautiful but more pro- ductive. The sacred grove has not been spar- ed ; the little chapels have disappeared, and the statue of the god has yielded its place to the triumphant cross . This circumstance is“ rather fortunate , as to it the temple owes its preservation . This temple consists of the cella and a Corinthian portico , supported by four pillars and two pilasters; the pilasters are fluted; two of the pillars are indented with two- CLASSICAL TOUR SCG Ch. IX. spiral lines winding round , and two orna- mented with a light sculpture representing the scales of fish. The inscription on the freize is singular , << Deus angeloruni ^ qui fecit resurrectionem. Underneath is a vault or crypta ; the entrance is on the side as the portico hangs over tl;ie river 5 the walls are solid ^ the proper tioi^ beautiful , and the whole worthy of the Romans, to whom it is ascribed. I am however inclined to think , that the portico has been altered or repaired since the construction of the tem- ple, as it is^ more ornamented than the ge- neral form of the edifice would induce us to expect. Besides , the capitals of the pi- lasters differ from those of the pillars , a circumstance very unusual in Roman archi- tecture. It is not improbable, that this tem- ple suffered considerably before it was con- verted into a Christian church , and that when repaired for that purpose , the an- cient pillars, perhaps thrown into the ri- ver, might have been replaced by columns from the ruins of the various other fanes, whicli as Pliny informs us , were inter- spersed up and down the sacred grove , around the residence of the principal divinity. Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 56/ The ClituQiniis still retains its ancient name , and recalls to the traveller's recol- lection many a pleasing passage in the poets, connecting the beauty of the scenery about him with the pomps of a triumph , and transporting him from the tranquil banks of the rural stream to the crowds of the Forum , and to the majestic temples of the Capitol. Hinc albi, Clitumne, greges et maxima tauriis Victima, saepe tuo perfusi fluminc sacro Romanos ad templa Deum duxere triumphos, Virg* Georg, ii, 146. Propertius confines his softer muse to the beauty of the scenery , and seems to re- pose with complacency on the shaded bank. Qua formosa suo Clitumnus flumina luco Iniegit et niveos abluii unda hoves. Lib, ii, 17. Though white herds are still seen wander- ing over the rich plain watered by this river, yet a very small portion of it is employed in pasturage. Its exuberant fer- tility is better calculated for tillage , and 358 CLASSICAL TOUR Clu IX. every year sees it successively covered with wheat , grapes , mulberries , and olives. From Le Vene to Spoleto is about nine miles. The ancient town of Spoletuin is situate on the side and summit of a hill. It is well known that Anliibal attacked this town immediately after the defeat of the Romans at Thrasimenus , and the inhabit- ants still glory in having repulsed the Car- thaginian general, flushed as he was with conquest, and confident of success. An ins- scription over the great arch of an ancient gate conuneinorates this event so honorable to the people of Spoleto, I have observed, as I have already hinted , with great satisfaction , not only in Spoleto but in many Italian towns , particularly such as were founded by Roman colonies, a vivid recollection of the glory of their ancestors. Notwithstanding the lapse of so many ages , notwithstanding so many cruel and destructive invasions , though insulted and plundered and almost enslaved, the Ita- lians remember with generous pride , that the Romans were their ancestors , and che- risli the records of their glorious achieve- mcals as aq inheritance of honor , a birth- Ck. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 569 right to fame. Unhappy race ! it is the only possession which their invaders cannot wrest from them — Maneant meliora nepotes ! w T wo other gales seem , by their form and materials ^ to have some claim to antiquity. Some vast masses of stone_, forming the piers of a bridge , the ruins of a theatre , and of a temple , said to be dedicated to Concord ( though the latter scarce exhibit enough to constitute even a ruin ) as being Roman y deserve a passing look. The cathedral^ in a commanding situation 3 presents a front of five Gothic arches 3 sup- ported by Grecian pillars 3 and withiu3 con- sists of a Latin cross , with a double range of pillars, of neat and pleasing architecture. The order is Corintliian. The two side altars are uncommonly beautiful. Two vast cande- labra 3 near the high altar 3 deserve atten- tion. The view from the terrace of tlie ca- thedral is very extensive and beautifuL Near it 3 a very fine fountain of an elegant form pours out, though near the summit of a high hill 3 a torrent of the purest water. The Ro- man pontiffs, it must be acknowledged, have, in this respect , retained the sound maxim of antiquity , and endeavored to unite the * 16 370 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX, useful and Ihe agreeable. Never have 1 seen water employed to more advantage, or pour- ed forth ill greater abundance , than in the Roman territories. It is sometimes drawn from distant sources, sometimes collected from va- rious springs gathered into one channel, and always devoted to public purposes. The castle is a monument of barbarous an- tiquity, built by Teodoric, destroyed during the Gothic war , and repaired by Narses, the rival and successor of Belisarius. It is a vast stone building, surrounded by a stone ram- part, standing on a high hill that overlooks the town^ but as it is commanded by anotlier hill still higher, it loses at present much of its utility in case of an attack. Behind the castle, a celebrated aqueduct, supported by arches of an astonishing elevation , runs across a deep dell, and unites the town by a bridge, to the noble hill that rises behind it, called J\I )fite fjuco. Tiiis hill is covered with ever- green oaks , and adorned by the white cells of a tribe of hermits established on its shaded sides. Tiiese hermits are of a very different description from most others who bear the nafue. They are not bound by vows , nor teased with little petty observances 5 and not- Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 371 withstanding this kind of independence, they are said to lead very pure and exemplary lives. Tiie aqueduct is Roman, but said to have been repaired by the Goths. The town of Spoieto is in general well-built, and though occasionally damaged by earthquakes, as we wcie informed by various inscriptions on the public build. ngs, yet it possesses many noble edilices and beautiful palaces. The road from Spoieto is bordered by a stream on the left, and by wooded hills on the right. About two miles from the town we began to ascend the Soiwna . The road is excellent, and winds up tJie steep, without presenting any thing particularly interesting, till you reach the summit, whence you enjoy a delightful and extensive view over Spoieto, and the vale of Glitnmnus on one side, and on the other towards Terni, and the plains of the IVar . Monte Sotnnia is supposed to have taken its name from a temple of Jupiter Sum- rnanus placed on its summit, is near five thousand feet high , fertile, shaded with the olive, the ilex, and various forest trees, well cultivated, and enlivened with several little towns. The descent is long and rapid, and extends to the stage next to Terni . 572 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX. This ancient tovvni, the interamna of the Ro- mans, retains no traces of its former splendor, if it ever was splendid, though it may boast of some tolerable palaces, and, what is superior to all palaces, a charming situation . The ruins of the amphitheatre in the episcopal garden consist of one deep dark vault, and scarcely merit a visit . Over the gate is an inscription , informing the traveller that this colony gave birth to Tacitus the historian, and to the em- perors Tacitus and Florian; few country towns can boast of three such natives. The principal glory of Terniy and Indeed one of the noblest object of the kind in the world, is the celebrated cascade in its neigh- borhood, called the ‘‘ Caduta delle Marmore J^ To enjoy all the beauties of this magnificent fall, it will be proper first to take a view of it from the side of the hill beyond the Nar . The way to it runs through the valley along the Nar; sometimes overshaded by the superin- cumbent mountain with its groves of pine, ilex, and beech, rustling above, and at every turn exhibiting new scenery of rocks, woods, and waters . At length you climb the steep shaggy sides of the hill, and, from a natural platform, behold the cascade opposite . This Ch, IX. THROUGH ITALY. 575 point enables you to see^ with much advan- tage, the second fall, when the river bursting from the basin into which it was first precipi- tated, tumbles over a ridge of broken rocks in various sheets half veiled in spray and foam. Hence are taken most of the views hitherto published, and when w^e visited it, we found two Roman artists employed on the spot. If the contemplation of this scene for ever shifting to the eye, should be found tire- some, the remainder of the day may be spent very agreeably in traversing the surrounding woods, and exploring the vale of the Nar and its enclosing mountains. The second day must be devoted to the examination of the cascade from above, and the excursion commenced from the earliest dawn . Mules, or one horse chairs, are commonly hired, though, if the weather be cool, and the traveller a good walk- er, it may easily be performed on foot. Tlie upper road to the Caduta crosses a plain varied with olives, vines, and corn fields, and climbs the mountain through a defile, Avhose sides are clad with vines below, and with box and ilex above . Through the dell , the Nar, siilfurea albus aqua,’" of a wheyish color', tumbles foaming along his rocky channel . In 3;4 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, IX. tlie centre of the defile rises an insulated eini- nence, topped with tlie ruins of the village of Papignia destroyed by the French. Ascending still higher, you come to an angle, wlier,^ the road is worked through the rock, and forming a very elevated terrace, gives you a view of Terni and its p’ain; of the dell below with the Nar; of the mountains aroinid with their woods; and of the T^elino itself, at a con- siderable distance, just bursting from the shade, and throwing itself down the steep. The road still continues along the precipic'e, then crosses a small plain bounded by high mountains, when yon quit it, and follow a pathway that brings you to a shed, placed on the point of a hill just opposite to the cascade, and so near- it, that you are occasionally covered with its spray. Here we sat down, and observed the niagni- Rcent phenomenon at leisure. At a little dis- tance beyond the cascade, rise two hills of a fine swelling form, covered with groves of ilex. The VeVino passes near one of these hills; and suddenly tumbling over a ridge of broken rock, rushes headlong down in one vast sheet aiid in tliree streamlets . The pre- cipice is of brown rock; its sides are smooth Ch. IX. Til ROUGH ITALY. 37a and naked; it forms a semicircle, crowned with wood on the right, and on the left it rises steep, and feathered with evergreens. On the one side, it ascends in broken ridges, and on the other, sinks giadually away, and sub- sides in a narrow valley, through which the Nar glides gently along till its jnnction with the F'elmo^ after which it rolls through the dell in boisterous agitation . The artificial bed of the Velino is straight, but before it reaches it, it wanders through a fertile plain spread between the mountains, and extending to the lake Pie di Lugo . This beautiful expanse of water, about a mile in breadth, fills the defile, and meanders between the mountains for some miles . The way to it from the fall , is by a path winding along the foot of the mountain, and leading to a cottage, where you may take a boat, and cross to a bold promontory opposite. There, seated in the sha le, you may enjoy the view of the waters, of the bordering moun- tains, of the towns perched on their sides, the village Pie dt LugOj and rising behind it tiie old castle of Lahro^ whose dismantled towers crown a regular hill , while its shattered wails run in long lines down the declivity, 376 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX. We were here entertained with an echo the most articulate, the most retentive, and the most musical I ever heard , repeating even a whole verse of a song , in a softer and more plaintive tone indeed , but with sur- prising precision and distinctness . We sat for some time on the point of the promon- tory , partly to enjoy the view, and partly to listen to the strains of this invisible songstress , and then crossed the lake to the village now called Pie dl Lugo , or ad Pedes Luci." This name is probably derived from a grove w'hich formerly covered Uie hill , and was sacred to Velinia , the goddess who presided over the Lacus Velinus . Around and above the lake are the Rosea rura Velini , so celebrated for their dews and fertility, and always so interesting for their variety and beauty. We would willingly have followed the banks of the Velino up to its source, and visited Reale , now Pdeli , with its vale of Tempe , alluded to by Cicero 5 but the day was on the decline, and it would have been imprudent to have allowed ourselves to be benighted, either amid the solitudes of the mountain, or on its declivity. We Ch, IX. THROUGH ITALY. 877 therefore returned , again visited the cascade, ranged through a variety of natural grottos and caverns , formed in its neighborhood by the water , before the present spacious bed was opened to receive it ; and then de- scending tlie hill we hastened to Terni,^ After having minutely examined the sce- nery of this superb waterfall , I cannot but wonder that Addison should have selected it as a proper gulph to receive the Fury Alecto , and transmit her to the infernal regions . Tiie wood -crowned basin of rock that receives the Velinus; the silver slieet of water descending from above 5 the white spray that rises below , and conceals the * The first artificial vent of the Velinus on record was made by the consul Curiiis Dentatus, but it did net fully answer the purpose. The Ve- linus still continued to inundate the vale of Reate, and occasioned, in Cicero’s time, several legal con- tests between the inhabitants of that city and those of interamna, who opposed its full discharge into the Nar. The present bed was opened, or at least enlarged, by the late Pope Pius the Sixth, and gives the river a free passage down the steep* 378 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX. secrets of the abyss , the Iris that plays over the watery cavern , and covers it with a party- coloured blaze, are all features of uncommon beauty, and better adapted to the watery pa- laces of the Naiads of the neighboring rivers, Centum que sylvas, cenlum quae flumina servant. Fir. Geo. iv 383. Addison's conjecture is founded upon one particular expression Est locus Italiae me- dio,*' and two verses in VirgiVs description: TJrget utrlmque latus nemorls, rnedioque fragosus Dat sonitum saxis et torlo verlice torrens. ^n. Lib. vii. 56t>. But the first expression may merely imply that Amsanctus was at a distance from the coast, and extremities of Italy; and the des- cription contained in the verses may be ap- plied to any wood , and to the roar and agi- tation of any torrent; while, if intended to represent the thunder of the falling Veli- nus , they convey, what Virgil's descrip- Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. . 379 tions are seldom supposed to do, a very faint idea of their object. Besides , in opposition to these critical conjectures , we have the positive authority of the ancients, and par- ticularly of Cicero and Titus Livius , who inform us in plain terms that the vale or lake of Amsanctus was in the territories of the Hirpini , which lay on and along the Apennines, to the south of Beneventum, and about twenty-five or thirty miles east of Naples.* In that territory, not far from Friento , a lake even now bears the name of Ansanto , and emits a vapor , or rather throws up in the middle a torrent of sulphur, «torto vertice, w and if we may credit tra- vellers , agrees in every respect with A^irgii^s description.! However , I cannot close these remarks better, than by inserting the verses of Virgil, which actually allude to the river in question, and to the neighboring Nar, Tartarean! inlendit vocem : qua prolinus omne Contremuit nemus, et sylvaeintonuere profuriJae. * Cic. De Div. i. 1 See Swinburne CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, IX. as they give the characteristic features iin the usual grand manner of the poet. The Fury , says Virgil , Audiit et Trlvlae longe lacus , audiit amnis Siilfurea Nar albus aqua, fontesque Velini. yErt. vii. 5i4* ' The Nar now called the Nera, is the southern boundary of Umbria, and traverses,} in its way to Narni about nine miles dis- tant , a vale of most delightful appearanc,e. The Apennine, in its mildest form, «corus- cis ilicibus fremens, bounds this plain ; the milky Nar intersects it , and fertility ] equal to that of the neighboring vale of Clitumnus, compressed into a smaller space, ; and of course placed more immediately within the reach of observation , adorns it on all sides with vegetation and beauty ; so tliat it resembles a noble and extensive park, j the appendage of some princely palace , laid out and cultivated to please the eye , and to amuse the fancy. Tlie ancient Roman colony of Narni stands J on the summit of a very high and steep i hill, whose sides are clothed with olives,^ Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 38 1 and whose base is washed by the Neva. At the foot of the hill we alighted, in order to visit the celebrated bridge of Augustus. This noble row of arches thrown over the stream and the defile in which it rolls, to open a com- iniinication between the two mountains, and to facilitate the approach to the town, was formed of vast blocks of white stone fitted together without cement. All the piers and one arch still remain ; the other arches are fallen, and their fall seems to have been occasioned by the sinking of the middle pier: otherwise a fabric of so much solidity and strength must have been capable of resist- ing the influence of time and of weather. The views towards the bridge on the high road and the plain on one side and on the other through the remaining arch along the river, are unusually picturesque and pleasing. We proceeded through this dell, along the Nar tumbling and murmuring over its rocky channel, and then, with some difficulty, worked our way through the olives and evergreens that line the steep, up to the town. We were particularly struck with the romantic appearance of Nanii, Its w^lls 582 CLASSICAL TOUR CA. IX. I® and towers spread along the u})oven summit, sometimes concealed in groves of cypress, ilex, and laurel, and sometimes emerging from the shade , and rising above their wav- ing tops; delightful views of the vales, towns, rivers, and mountains, opening here and there unexpectedly on the eye ; a cer- tain loneliness and silence, even in the streets; the consequence and sad memorial i of ages of revolution, disaster, and suffer- j ing , are all features pleasing and impres- ^ H sive. Ii Few towns have suffered more than Narni, but its greatest wounds were inflicted by the hands, not of Goths or Vandals, of barbarians and foreigners, but of Italians, ^ or at least of an army in the pay of an Italian ^ government , of Venice itself, which at ^ that time gloried in the title of the second ^ Rome, the bulwark and pillar of Italian ' liberty and security. It is probable that this army was composed of mercenaries , banditti, and foreigners, and, like that of Charles V. which they were hastening to join, fit solely for the purposes of plunder, sacrilege , and devastation. But , of wdiat- ever description of men these troops Ch. LX. THROUGH ITALY. 583 were composed, they acted under the authority of the Venetians , when they destroyed Nanii, and butchered its defen^ celess inhabitants. The site of this town, its extensive views, its dell, and the river, are happily des- cribed in the following lines of Glaudian : Cclsa dehinc patulum prospectans Narnia campuua Regal) calcatiir equo, rarique coloris Non procul amnis adest urbi, qui nominis auctor, nice sub densa sylvis arclatus opacis Inter utrumque jugum, tortis anfraciibus albet. De Sext, Cons* Hun. From ,iVhr/27’ the road runs through the dehie along the middle of the declivity , till sud- denly the opposite mountain seems to burst asunder, and opens through its shaggy sides an extensive view over the plain of the Tiber, terminating in the mountains of Hitcrbo. Here we left the defile and the Nar , but conti- nued to enjoy mountain and forest scenery for some miles , till descending the last de- clivity , a few miles from Otricoli , for the first time in the midst of a spacious and ver- dant plain , we beheld clear and distinct , glittering in the beams of the sun , 584 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX. ^vinding along in silent dignity — the Tiber^. Otricoli stands on the side of a hill, about two miles from the ancient Ocriculi, whence it takes its name. The remains of the latter lie spread in the plain below, along the banks of the Tiber, and present a considerable heap of fragments, in which the vestiges of a thea- tre perhaps , and a few porticos may be per- ceived , while the principal features of the town are lost, and buried in a confused mass of ruins. We had now not only traversed the Apennines, but extricated ourselves from the various labyrinths and defiles which border the immeuse base of these mountains. Tlie windings of the Tiber below Otricoli^ have been alluded to by Ariosto , who seems to have beheld one particular spot , a sort of peninsula formed by the meanderings of the stream , with partiality 3 but either his 'i^t voXloov^ a'ovgto'v e'di$\cK Dionjs. IlEPlHrHSir. Cl or it ti se cii !:Cl ,1V .a 11 k ai a' j I t( I Ch. IX. THROUGH ITALY. 585 muse has shed supernumerary beauties around- it 5 or the shades that adorned the banks in his time have disappeared \ as it now pre- sents a green but naked surface almost en- eircled by the waves. Ecco vede un pratel d’ ombre coperto Che SI d" un alto fiiime si ghirlanda Che lascia a pena un breve spazio aperto. Dove r acqua si torce ad ultra banda , Un simil luogo con girevol onda Sou’ Otricoli ’1 Tevere circonda. Canto xiv. 38. We crossed the Tiber by the Ponte Felice ^ changed horses at Bor^hetto , and arrived , when dark ^ at Civita Castellana, From Civita Castellana we passed over a tract of forest country , enjoying beautiful views of the Montes Cimini , with their towns , villas , and villages to the right , and an occasional glimpse of Soracte to the left, and having passed the river Falisco , which anciently gave its name to the people and territory of the Falisci, came to Nepi , a small , but very ancient episcopal town , whose cathedral, built on the site of a tein- VOL. 1 386 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IX. pie, was consecrated, if we may believe an inscrpition over one of the doors , by the blood of the townsmen, in the early period of the year i5o. Another inscription may re- cord, with more certainty, though perhaps posterity may be as little inclined to credit it, that the same pile was deluged with the blood of its clergy, and almost entirely de- stroyed by the French army in the year 1798. From Nepi we proceeded to Monte Rosi, The inhabitants of all this territory , who derived their names from its towns, some of which still remain, are enumerated in the following lines of Silius ; His mixti Nepesina cohors , aequifjue Falisci , Qiiique tuos , Flavina , focos \ Sabatia quique Slagna tenent, Ciminique lacurnj qui Sutria tecta Haud procul , et sacrum Phoebo Soracie frc- quentant. Lib* viiL Many authors suppose that the road hence, or rather from Ponte Felice , was lined by a succession of magnificent edifices , obe lisks and palaces , adorned with statues, ant conduced under triumphal arches, to th Ch, IX. THROUGH ITALY. 587 «ales of the imperial city . Clandian indeed, seems to encourage this supposition , in the well-known lines , Inde salutato libatis Tibiride nympliis, Excipiunt arcus, operosaque semita vastis Molibus, et quicquid tantae praemittitur Urbi, De Sext, Cons, Hon, If this description be accurate, it is sin- gular that no trace should now remain of all these splendid monuments . No mounds nor remnants of walls , no mouldering heaps of ruins, scarce even a solitary tomb, has survived the general wreck . On the con- trary, beyond Nepi, or rather beyond Monte Rosi the next stage , the Campagna di Roma begins to expand its dreary soli- tudes ; and naked hills , and swampy plains rise, and sink by turns, without present- ing a single object worth attention. It must not, however, be supposed, that no ve- getation decorates these dreary wilds . On the contrary, verdure but seldom interrupted, occasional corn fields, and numerous herds and flocks , communicate some degree of animation to these regions otherwise so de- 588 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, IX. solatc: but descending from mountains the natural seat of barrenness , where still we witnessed rural beauty and high cultivation, to a plain in the neighborhood of a po- pulous city, where we might naturally expect the perfection of gardening and all the bustle of life, w e were struck with the wide waste that spreads around, and wondered what might be the cause that deprived so exten- sive a tract of its inhabitants . But neatness and population announce the neighborhood of every common town ; they are the usual accompaniments of Capitals, and excite no interest . The solitude that encircles the fallen Metropolis of the world , is singular and grand 5 it becomes its majesty; it a- Wakens a sentiment of awe and melancholy, and may perhaps after all , be more con- sonant both to the character of the City, and to the feelings of the traveller, than more lively and exhilarating scenery . On the heights above Baccano the pos- tillions stopped, and pointing to a pinnacle that appeared between two hills, exclaimed; — Roma ! — That pinnacle was the cross of St. Peter^s.-~The ^‘ETERNAL CITY rose before us ! Clu X. THROUGH ITALY. 59G CHAP. X. ReJlections-‘-Ro7neSt. Peter's-The Capitol. As the traveller advances over the dreary wilds of the Gampagna, where not one ob- ject occurs to awaken his attention, he has time to recover from the surprise and a- gitation, which the first view of Rome sel- dom fails to excite in liberal and ingenuous minds . He may naturally be supposed to inquire into the cause of these emotions , and at first he may be inclined to attri- bute them solely to the influence of early habits, and ascribe the feelings of the man, to the warm imagination of the school-boy. Without doubt the name of Rome echoes in our ears from our infancy; our lisping tongues are tuned to her language; and our first and most delightful years are passed among her orators, poets and his- torians . We are taught betimes to take a deep interest in her fortunes, and to adopt her cause, as that of our own country, with spirit and with passion . Such impres- 3oo CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. X* siotis made at such an age, are indelible, and it must be admitted, are likely to in- fluence our feelings and opinions during life . ^ But the prejudices instilled into the mind of the boy , and strengthened by the studies of youth, are neither the sole nor even the prin- cipal causes of our veneration for Rome. The Mistress of the World claims our respect and affection, on grounds which the Christian and the pliilosopher must admit with grateful acknowledgment. In addition to her ancient origin and venerable fame , to her mighty achievements and vast empire, to her heroes and her saints, to the majesty of her lan- guage , and the charms of her literature ; « habe ante oculos hanc esse terram quae * We may apply to every youth of liberal education, the beautiful lines addressed by Clau- dian to Honorius: Hinc tibi concreta radice tenacius haesit, Et penitus lotis inolevit Roma medullis , Dilectaeque urbis tenero conceptus ab ungue Tecum crevit amor. Cons. vi. ,Ch X. THROUGH ITALY. 591 nobis miserit jura, quae leges dederit. w f Rome has been in the hands of Providence the instrument of communicating to Europe, and to a considerable portion of the globe 5 the three greatest blessings of which human nature is susceptible — Civilization, Science, and Religion. The system of Roman government was peculiarly adapted to the attainment of this great end , and the extension of its empire, seems to have been ordained by Heaven for its full accomplishment. The despotism of the Eastern monarchies kept all prostrate on the ground in abject slavery ; the narrow policy of the Greek republics confined the blessings of liberty within their own precincts; Rome, with more enlarged and more generous sen- timents, considering the conquered countries as so many nurseries of citizens, gradually extended her rights and privileges to their capitals, enrolled their natives in her legions, and admitted their nobles into her senate. Thus her subjects, as they improved in ci- vilization, advanced also in honors, and ap- -j* Plin. Lib. viii. 24 * Ch. X. 532 CLASSICAL TOUR proached every day nearer to the manners and to the virtues of their masters, till every province became another Italy, every city another Rome. With her laws and franchises she communicated to them her arts and scien- ces 3 wherever the Roman eagles penetrated, schools were opened , and public teachers were pensioned. Aqueducts and bridges, tem- ples and theatres vyere raised in almost every town; and all the powers of architecture , of sculpture, and of painting, were employed to decorate the capitals of the most distant provinces. Roads, the remains of which asto- nish us even at this day, w'ere carried from the Roman Forum tlie centre of this vast em- pire , to its utmost extremities 3 and all the tribes and nations that composed it were linked together , not only by the same laws and by the same government, but by all the facilities of commodious intercourse , and of frequent communication.* Compare the state * « Lioeat dicere, » says Lipsius, with great Irulli, <( divino muiiere Romanos datos ad quid- quid rude expoliendum , ad quidquid infectum faciendum, et loca hominesque eleganlia et arti- biis passim exornandos, CJi. X. THROUGH ITALY. 3y3 of Gaul , of Spain , and of Britain , when co- vered with numberless cities, and flourishing in all the arts of peace under the protection of Rome , with their forests , their swamps , and the sordid huts of half-naked savages scattered thinly over their wastes, previous to their subjugation; and you will be enabled to appreciate the blessings which they owed to Rome. Haec cst, in grernium victos quae sola receplt, Humanumque genus comniuni nomine fovit, Matris non dominae riiu ; civesque vocavit Quos dorauit, nexiique pio longinqua revinxit. , . (Armorum legumque parens, quaefundit in omnes. Imperium primique dedit incunabula juris)... Hujus pacificis debemus moribus omnes Quod veluti patriis regionibus utitur hospes Quod sedemmutare licet; quod cernere Thulen Lusus, et horrendos quondam penetrare recessus.. Quod cuncti gens una sumus. Claudian De Cons\ Stilich lib. iii. « Rome in thus civilizing and polishing man- ciiid , had prepared them for the reorpt;. ou )f that divine religion , whi -h alone can give lo human nature its fu!l and adcqtiate peift.a> 394 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. X. tion 5 and she completed, her godlike work, when inlluenced by her instructions and exam- ple, Europe embraced Christianity. Thus she became the metropolis of the world, by a new and more venerable title , and assumed , in a most august sense , the appellation of the a Holy City » the « Light of Nations, the Pai*cnt of Mankind. When in the course t: * A classical bishop of the fifth century, ■\?ho endeavoured to communicate the charm of poetry to the metuphysical discussions of a refined theology,saw this new empire then gradually ris- ing on the increasing ruins of the old, and ex- pressed its extent and greatness in language not inelegant. Sedes Roma Petri, quae Pastoralis honoris Facta caput Mundo, quioquid non possidet armis, Religione tenet. St. Prosper.) P 1 1 111 I i Hi Leo the Great, standing over the tomb of Suj Peter and St. Paul, on their festival, addressesj the Roman people in language equally elevated: « Isti sunt viri per quos libi evangelium Chris- ^ ti, Roma! resplenduit !. . . . Isti sunt qui le ad banc gloriam provexerunt ut gens suacia populus eleutus , civius sacerdotalis Cli, X. THROUGH ITALY. 395 of Ihe two succeeding ages , she was stript of her imperial honors *, when her provinces were invaded, and all the glorious scene of cuU tivation, peace, and improvement, was ra- vaged by successive hordes of barbarians, she again renewed her benevolent exertions, and sent out, not consuls and armies to conquer, but apostles and teachers to reclaim, the sa- vage tribes which had wasted her empire. By them she bore the light of heaven into the dark recesses of idolatry 5 and displaying in this better cause all the magnanimity, the wisdom , the perseverance , which marked her former career, she triumphed, and in spite of ignorance and of barbarism again dif- hised the blessings of Christianity over the Western world. Nor is it to be objected, that the reli- gion of Rome was erroneous, or that she blinded and enslaved her converts. The re~ ac regia per sacram beali Petri sedem caput orbis cffecta, lalius presideres religione divina , quam dominatione lerrena. » Serm* in 'slat, App. Petri e Pauli, 59G CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, X. ^ ligioa which Rome taught was Christianity. jf With it the convert received in the Scrip- 3, tures, the records of truth ; and in the j sacraments, the means of sanctification; in the creeds, the rule of faith ; and in the d commandments, the code of morality . In ^ these are comprised all the belief and all j the practices of a Christian, and to com- r municate these to a nation is to open to ] it the sources of life and happiness . But [ whatever may be the opinions of my reader e in this respect, he must admit, that the ji Latin muses, which had followed the Ro- ^ man eagles in their victorious flight, now j accompanied her humble missionaries in their ,, f \ expedition of charity ; and with them pe- [ netrated the swamps of Batavia, the forests 5 of Germany, and the mountains of Cale- j donia . Schools, that vied in learning and ^ celebrity with the seminaries of the south, j rose in these benighted regions, and diffus- ed the beams of science over the vast tracts of the north, even to the polar cir- cles. Thus the predictions of the Roman poets were fulfilled , though in a manner very different from their conceptions; and their immortal compositions were rehear- Clu X. THROUGH ITALY. 597 sod in the remote islands of the Hebrides^ and in the once impenetrable forests of Scandinavia. At the same time, the arts followed the traces of the muse , and the untutored sa- vages saw with surprize temples of stone rise in their sacred groves; and arches of rock spread into a roof over their heads . The figure of the Redeemer till then un- known, seemed to breathe on canvas to their e}^es; the venerable forms of the apostles in Parian marble replaced the grim un- couth statues of their idols; and music surpassing in sweetness the strains of their bards, announced to them the mercies of that God whom they were summoned to adore . It was not wonderful that they should eagerly embrace a religion adorned with so many graces, and accompanied by so many blessings; and Europe finally settled * « Visam Britannos hospitibus feros, « Et laetum equino sanguine Concanum, « Visam pharetratos Gelonos, « Et Scythicum inviolatus amnem. » /for, Lib. iii‘ 4* 398 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. X. in the profession of Chris rianity, and once more enli^^htened by the beams of science, was indebted to the exertion of Rome for both these blessings. Blit the obligation did not end here, as the work of civilization was not yet finished. The northern tribes long established in the invaded provinces had indeed become Chris- tians, but they stili remained in .many respects barbarians . Hasty and intemperate they in- dulged the caprice or the vengeance of the moment; they knew no law but that of the sword, and would submit to no decision but to that of arms . Here again we be- hold the genius of Rome interposing her authority as a shield between ferocity and weakness; appealing from the sword to reason, from private combat to public justice, from the will of the judge and the uncertain rules of custom , to the clear prescription of her own written code. This grand plan On the effpcls produced by the discovery of the Pandects of Justinian, at Amalfi-, in the Ch, X. THROUGH ITALY. Sgg of civilization, though impeded, and delayed by the brutality, and the obstinacy of the barbarous ages, was at length carried into effect, and the Roman law was adopted by consenting nations as the general code of the civilized world. Rome therefore may still be said to rule nations, not indeed with the rod of power, but with the sceptre of justice, and may still be supposed ta exercise the high com- mission of presiding over the world, and of regulating the destinies of mankind . “j* Thus too she has retained by her wisdom and benevolence , that ascendancy w hich she first acquired by her valor and n>a» twelfth century, see Hiimd's Theory of England^ chapter xxiii. On the general effects of Roman domination on the provincials, see Cowpers Eocpostulation. *j- Tu regere imperio populos Romane memento Hae tibi erunt artes 1 pacisqiie imponere morem Parcere subjectis et debellare supeibos. yirg, jEn, 6. Ch, X. 4oo CLASSICAL TOUR gnanirnlty; and by the pre-eminence which she has enjo3^ed in every period of her history, she seems to have realized the fic- titious declaration of her founder, Ita nuncia Romanis , Coelestes ita velle, ut rnea Roma caput orbis terrarum sit. Urbs urbium— templum aequitatis—portus omnium gentium, arc titles fondly bestowed upon her in the days of her imperial glory ; and she may assume them without arrogance even in her decline . Her matchless mag- nificence, so far superior to that of every other capital^ the laws which have emanat- ed from her as from their source j and the encouragement which she has at all times given to men of talents and of virtue from every country, still give her an unquestio- nable right to these lofty ' appellations . f * Tit. Liv. i. i6. -j- (( Nulli sit ingrata Roma, » says Cassiodo- vus, ill the sixth cenliiry, ((ilia eloqueiitiae fa- cuuda mater, illud virtutum omnium latissimuni templum. » (( Aliis alia patria est^ Roma communis omnium lileratorum el pallia, ct altrix, et eyeclrix, a says Ch. X. THROUGH ITALY. 4oi To conclude^ in the whole Universe, there are only two cities interesting alike to every member of the great Christian common- wealth, to every citizen of the civilized world. the Cardinal of St. George to Erasmus, in the sixteenth century. « Quid loquor, » says the latter^ « de Roma, comniuni omnium gentium parente.w The benefits derived from the Roman govern- ment are tolerably well expressed in the follow- ing lines of Ruliiiiis : Fecisli patriam diversis gentibus uriam Profuit injustis le dominante capi j Dumque offers victis proprii consortia juris Urbem fecisli quod prius Orbis erat, Lih. ii. « NumineDcum electa, » says Pliny, quae coelum ipsum clarius faceret, sparsa congregaret imperia ritusque molliret, et tot populoruin dis- cordes ferasque linguas, sermonis commercio con- traheret ad colloquia , et humanitatem homini daret^ breviterque una cunctarum gentium in loto orbe, patria fieret. » III. cap, v. At te, quae domitis leges, ac jura dedisti Gentibus, instituens magnus qua tendiiiir orbis Armorum, moruinque feros mansuescere ritus. Prudent: contra 4o2 classical tour Ch, X. whatever may be his tribe or nation— Rome and Jerusalem. The former calls up every classic recollection, the latter awakens every, sentiment of devotion; the one brings before our eyes all the splendors of the present world; the other, all the glories of the world to come. By a singular dispensation of Providence, the names and influence of, these two illustrious Capitals are combined in the same grand dispensation; and as Jerusalem was ordained to receive, Rome was destined to propagate the light that leads to heaven.” The cross which Jerusalem erected on Mount Calvary, Rome fixed on the diadem of emperors; and the prophetic songs of Mount Sion, have resounded from the seven hills, to the extremities of the earth . —How natural then is the emotion of the traveller, when he first beholds the distant domes of a city of such figure in the History of the Universe, of such weight in the destinies of mankind, so familiar to the imagination of the boy, so interesting to the feelings of the man ! While occupied in these reflections , we passed Monte Mario , and beheld the city gradually opening to our view : turrets and ?et 31Q Ch. X. THROUGH ITALY. 4o3 cupolas succeeded each other, with long lines of palaces between , till the dome of the Va- tican lifting its majestic form far above the rest , fixed the eye , and closed the scene with becoming grandeur. We crossed the Tiber by the Ponte Molle ( Pons Milvius ) and proceeding on the Via Flaminia through the suburb, entered the Porta del Popolo, admired the beautiful square that receives the traveller on his entrance , and drove to the Piazza di Spagna, Alighting , we instantly hastened to St. Peter^s, traversed its superb court , contemplated in silence its obelisk, its fountains , its colonnade , walked up its lengthening nave , and before its altar , of- fered up our grateful acknowledgments in « the noblest temple that human skill ever raised to the honor of the Creator.*# Next morning we renewed our visit to St. Peter^s , and examined it more in detail : the preceding day it had been' somewhat veiled by the dimness of the evening : it was now lighted up by the splendors of the morning sun. The rich marbles that compose its pa- vement and line its walls , the paintings that adorn its cupolas , the bronze that enriches its altars and railings, the gilding that lines 4o4 CLASSICAL TOUR Clu X. the pannels of its vault , the mosaics that rise one above the other in brilliant succes- sion up its dome, shone forth in all their va- ried colors. Its nave , its aisles , its tran- septs, expanded their vistas, and hailed the * spectator wherever he turned, with a long « succession of splendid objects, and beautiful f arrangement 5 in short , the whole of this j' most majestic fabric opened itself at once to the sight, and filled the eye and the imagi- 'I nation wdth magnitude, proportion, riches j | and grandeur. From St. Peter's we hastened to the ca- | pitol , and ascending the tower , seated I ourselves under the shade of its pinnacle, | and fixed our eyes on the view beneath and ^ around us. That view was no other than I ancient and modern Rome. Behind us, the modern town lay extended over the Cam- pus Martins, and spreading along the banks q of the Tiber formed a curve round the fi base of the Capitol. Before us, scattered in vast (i black shapeless masses o\er the seven hills, \ and through the intervening vallies , arose the ruins of the ancient city. They stood desolate, amidst solitude and silence, witli groves of funei'eal waving over them ; cypress CJu X. T HROUGH ITALY. 4o3 the awful monuments ^ not of individuals, but of generations 5 not of men , but of empires. A distant view of ^gina and of Megara , of the Firaens and of Corinth then in ruins, melted the soul of an ancient Roman, for a while suspended his private sorrows, and absorbed his sense of personal affliction, in a more expansive and generous compassion for the fate of cities and of states. ^ What then must l)e the emotions of the man who beholds extended in disordered heaps before him, the disjointed carcase of fallen Ronie,» once the abode of the gods , the grand receptacle of nations , the common asylum of mankind. * « Ex Asia redens, cum ah AEgina Megaram versus navigarem, coepi regioiies circumcirca pros- picere. Post me erat iEgiua, ante xMegara, dextra Piraeus, sinistra Corinthus j quae oppida quodam tempore florentissima fuerunt, nunc proslraia ac diruta, ante oculos jacent. Goepi egomet mecum sic cogitare. Hem I nos homunculi indignamur, si quis nostrum interiit, aut occisus est, quorum vita hrevior esse dehet, cum uno loco tot oppi- dum cadavera projecia jaceant ih) — Cic. ad Fam, Lib. iy. jE/j, 5. 4o6 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. X. Immediately under our eyes, and at the foot of the Capitol , lay the Forum lined with solitary columns , and terminated at each end by a triumphal arch. Beyond and just before us, rose the Palatine Mount encumbered with the substructions of the Imperial Palace , and of the Ternple of Apollo ; and farther on , ascended the Ce- lian Mount with the Temple of Faunus on its summit. On the right was the Aventine spotted with heaps of stone swelling amidst its lonely vineyards. To the left the Esqui- line with its scattered tombs and tottering aqueducts ; and in the same line , the Vi- minal, and the Quirmal supporting the once magnificent Baths of Diocletian. The Baths of Antoninus , the Temple of Minerva , and many a venerable fabric bearing on its shat- tered form the traces of destruction , as well as the furrows of age , lay scattered up and down the vast field ; while the superb tem- ples of St. John Lateral!, Santa Maria Mag- giore and Santa Croce , arose with their pointed obelisks , majestic but solitary monu- ments , amidst the extensive waste of time and of desolation. The ancient walls, a vast circumference, formed a frame of venerable Clu X. THROUGTI ITALY. 407 aspect; well adapted to this picture of ruin, this cemetery of ages , « Romani bustuin populi w Beyond the walls the eye ranged over the storied plain of Latium , now the deserted Campagna , and rested on the Alban Mount , which rose before us to the south shelving downwards on the west towards Antium and the Tyrrhene sea , and on the east towards the Latin vale. Here, it presents Tusculum in white lines on its declivity, there, it exhibits the long ridge that overhangs its lake once the site of Alba Longa , and towering boldly in the centre with a hundred towns and villas on its sides, it terminates in a point once crowned with the triumphal temple of Jupiter Latialis. Turning eastward we beheld the Tiburtine hills, with Tibur reclining on their side; and behind, still more to the east , the Sabine mountains enclosed by the Apennines, which at the varying distance of from forty to sixty miles swept round to the east and north , forming an immense and bold boundary of snow. The Montes Gimini and several lesser hills , diverging from the great parent ridge the Pater Apenninus, con- tinue the chain till it nearly reaches the sea CLASSICAL TOUR 408 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. X. and forms a perfect theatre. Mount Soracle thirty miles to the north, lifts his head, an insulated and striking feature. While the Tiber enriched by numberless rivers and streamlets, intersects the immense plain 5 and bathing the temples and palaces of Rome, rolls like the Po a current unexhausted even durin" o the scorching heats of summer. The tract now expanded before us was the country of the Etrurians, Veientes , Ru- tuli, Falisci, Latins, Sabines, Volsci, ^qai , and Ilernici, and of course the scene of the wars and the exertions, of the victories and triumphs of infant Rome , during a period of nearly four hundred years of her history; an interesting period, when she possessed and exercised every generous virtue , and esta- blished on the basis of justice , wisdom , and fortitude, the foundations of her future empire. As the traveller looks towards tlie regions once inhabited by these well-known tribes , many an illustrious name, and many a noble achievement, must rise in his memory, reviving at the same time the recollection of early studies and of boyish amusements , and blending the friendships of youth with tlie memorials of ancient greatness. Ch, X. TimOUGH ITALY. 409 The day was cloudless, the beams of the suii played over the landscape; hues of li^ht- blue intermingled with dark shades deepen- ing as they retired, chequered the mountains. A line of shaiing snow marked the distant Apennines, and a vault of the purest and brightest azure covered the glorious scene! We passed a long and delightful morning in this contemplation. The following day was employed in wan- dering over the city at large, and taking a cursory view of some of its principal streets, squares, buildings and monuments. This we did to satisfy the first cravings of curiosity, iiitendi >g to proc eed at our leisure to the examination of each object in detail * * I think it necessary to repeat here, what I declared in the preliminary djscouise, that it is not my inn ntion to give a particular account of ruins, churclies , buildings, statues, or pic- tures, etc. Tliis belengs rather to guides and Ci- ceroni^ and may be found in numberless works wvinen professedly for the information of tra- vellers on such heads. My wish is to lay before the reader an account of the observations which 18 ^ VOL. I. CLASSICAL TOUR ANCIENT ROME. Ch, X. 4io THE CAPITOL. After having thus gratified ourselves vvilh a general and some select vievvs^ and formed a tolerably accurate idea of the most strik- ing features of Rome, we proceeded on the we made, and of the classical recollections which occurred to us, while we traced the remains of ancient grandeur. We begat) this examination by visiting in order the seven hills. We then proceed- ed to the Vatican and Pincian mounts, ranged over the Campus Martius, and along the banks of the Tiberj then wandered through the villas, both within and without the city, and finally explored the churches, monuments, tombs, hills, and fields, in its immediate neighborhood. This method I recommend as being more easy and more natural than the usual mode of visiting the city, according to its cc Rioni » (regiones) or al- lotting a certain portion of it to each day; by which mode the traveller is obliged to pass ra- pidly from ancient monuments to modern edifi- ces ; from palaces to churches ; from galleries to gardens ; and thus to load his mind with a heap of unconnected ideas and crude observations. By Ch. X. THROUGH ITALY. 41 1 fourth day, through the Via Lata, now 11 Corso, through streets of palaces and walks of state , to the Capitoline Hill • Every school-boy has read with delight VirgiLs short, but splendid description of this hill, then a silvan scene of dark fo- rest and craggy rock, though destined one day to become the seat of regal opulence and of universal empire. Hinc ad Tarpeiam sedem, et capitolia ducii, Aurea nunc, olim silvestnbus horrida dumis. Jam turn Religio pavidos terrebat agrestes Dira loci: Jam turn sylvam saxumque tremebant. Hoc nemus, hunc, inquit, frondoso vertice collem, (Quis Deus, incertum est) habitat Deus . Arcades ipsum Credunt se vidisse Jovem: cum saepe nigrantem ^gida concuteret dexlra, nimbosque cieret. ^neid. viii. the former process we keep each object distinct, and take it in a separate view ; we first contem- plate ancient, then visit modern Rome, and pass from the palaces of the profane, to the temples of the sacred city • 4i2 classical tour Ch, X. Every circumstance that could dignify and consecrate the spot, and prepare it for its grand destiny, is here collected and gradually expanded^ while a certain awful obscurity hangs over the whole, and augments the magnitude of the object thus dimly present- ed to the fancy. The traveller, however sensible he may suppose himself to have been of the beauties of this description be- fore, imagines that lie feels its full force for the first time as he ascends the acclivity of the Capitoiine Mount. The Capitol was anciently both a fortress and a sanctuary. A fortress surrounded with precipices, bidding defianct; to all the means of attack employed in ancient times ; a sanctuary, crowded with altars and temples, the repository of the fatal oracles, the scat of the tutelar deities of the empire. Ro- mulus began the grand work, by erecting the temple of Jupiler Feretrius; Tarquinius Prisciis, Servius Tullius, and Tarquinius Su- perbus continued, and the Consul llorat-us Pulvillus, a few years after the expulsion of the kings, completed it, with a solidity and magnificence, Tacitus, which the riches of succeeding ages might adorn, but Clu X. THROUGH ITALY. 4i3 could not increase . It was burnt during the civil wars between Marius and Sylla, and rebuilt shortly after, but again destroyed by fire in the dreadful contest that took place in the very Forum itself, and on the sides of the Capitoline Mount, between the partisans of Vitellius and Vespasian*. This event Tacitus laments, with the spirit and indignation of a Roman , as the greatest disaster that had ever befallen the city . f And indeed, if we consider the public ar- chives, and of course the most valuable records of its history were deposited there, we must allow that the catastrophe was peculiarly unfortunate, not to Rome only, but to the world at large. * A. D. 69. -I* Id facinus post conditam Urbem luctuosis- simum foedissimumque populo Romano accidit : imllo externo hoste, propitiis, si per mores nostros liceret, diis, sedcm Jovis, Jovis optimi max;mi, auspicate a majoribus pignus imperii, conditam, quara non Porsena dedita Urbe, neque Galli capta, lemerare potuissent, furore Principum excindi ! 4i4 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, X. However, the Capitol rose once more from its ashes , with redoubled splendor, and re- ceived from the munifieenee of Vespasian, and of Domitian his son, its last and most glo- rious embellishments. The edifices were probably in site and destination nearly the same as before the conflagration ; but more attention was paid to symmetry , to costli- ness, and above all, to grandeur and magni- ficence. The northern entrance led under a triumphal arch to the centre of the hill, and to the sacred grove the asylum opened by Romulus , and almost the cradle of Roman power. On the right on the eastern summit stood the temple of Jupiter Feretrius. On the left on the western summit , was that of Jupiter Custos : near each of these temples were the fanes of inferior Divinities, that of Fortune, and that of Fides alluded to by Ci- cero. In the midst, to crown the pyramid form- ed by such an assemblage of majestic edifices, rose the residence of the guardian of the empire the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on a hundred steps, supported by a hundred pillars , adorned wdth all the refinements of art, and blazing with the plunder of the world. In the centre of the temple , with Ch. X. THROUGH ITALY. 4i5 Juno on his left , and Minerva on his ri^^ht side^ the Thunderer sat on a throne of gold, grasping the lightening in one hand , in the other wielding the sceptre of the universe. Hither the consuls were conducted hy the senate , to assume the military dress , and to implore the favor of the gods before they marched to battle. Hither the victorious ge- nerals used to repair in triumph, in order to suspend the spoils of conquered nations , to present captive monarch s , and to offer up hecatombs to Tarpeian Jove. Here , in cases of danger and distress, the senate was assem- bled, and the magistrates convened to deli- berate in the presence, and under the imme- diate influence of the tutelar gods of Rome. Here the laws were exhibited to public insp- ection, as if under the sanction of the Di- vinity 5 and here also they were deposited , as if intrusted to his guardian care. Hither Cicero turned his hands and eyes , when he closed his first oration against Catiline , with that noble address to Jupiter , presiding in the Capitol over the destinies of the empire, and dooming its enemies to destruction. In the midst of these magnificent struc- tures, of this wonderful display of art and opu- CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, X. 4i6 lence , stood for ages the humble strawroof- ed palace of Romulus^ a monument of primi- tive simplicity dear and venerable in the eyes of the Romans. This cottage^ it may easily be supposed , vanished in the first conflagra- tion. But not the cottage only, the temples, the towers, the palaces also that once sur- rounded it, have disappeared. Of all the an- cient glory of the Capitol , nothing now re- * Mars speaks in Ovid, as follows : Quae fuerit nosiri si quaeris regia nati 5 Adspice de canna strarninibusque domutn. In stipula placidi carpebat munera somui : Et tamen ex illo venit in astra toro. OWti. Fast^ Lib, iii. v, i83 Romuleoque recens hurrebal regia ciilmo . Fir. JEn, LiF viii. 654* Vitruvius speaks of the cottage of Romulus as existing in bis time , that is , in the reign of Augustus. In Capitolio commune facere potest et. sigtiificare mores velustatis Romuli casi in arce sacroruin. — Lib. ii. Ch. X. THROUGH ITALY. 417 mains but the solid foundation , and ^ vast substructions raised on the rock. Capitoli immobile saxura. Not only is the Capitol fallen , but its very name , expressive of dominion^ and once fondly considered as an omen of empire ^ is now almost lost in the semi-barbarous appel- lation of Campidoglio. At present the Gapitoline Mount is covered v^uth buildings , far inferior without doubt , to the imperial edifices above described , but yet grand both in their proportions and in * These walls on one side form the stables of the Senator, and on the other a dark gloomy chapel , said to have been originally the Tullia- num , in which Caliline^s associates were put to death. The criminal was let down into this dun- geon by a hole in the vault , as there was an- ciently no other entrance 5 the modern door was opened through the side wall , when the place was converted into a chapel , in honor of St. Peter, who is supposed to have been confined in it. Notw ithstanding the change, it has still a most appalling appearance^ o 4i8 CLASSICAL TOUR CK X. their magnitude. The northern , still the prin- cipal entrance , is an easy ascent adorned with a marble balustrade, which commences below with two colossal lionesses of Egyptian porphyry, pouring a torrent of water into spacious basins of marble, and is terminat- ed above by statues of Castor and Pollux , each holding his horse. Here you enter the square, in the centre of which stands the well- known equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. In front, and on each side, are three palaces erected by Michael Angelo. The edifice be- fore you, of bold elevation, adorned with Co- rinthian pilasters and with a lofty tower, is the residence of the senator. A double flight of marble steps leads to its portal. In the centre of this staircase stands the genius of Borne, like Minerva armed with the -dEgis, and leaning on her spear. A fountain bursts forth at her feet. On her right the Tiber, on her left the Nile lay reclined, each on its urn. The French have carried off the two latter statues, with some other ornaments of the Capitoline square. In the palace of the Sena- tor , and in that of the Conservatori , are se- veral halls and apaitments , magnificent in their size and decorations. Ch. X. TIIROUGH ITALY. 4i^ The Capilol is Ihe palace of the Roman peo[)ie, tiie seat of tlieir power ^ and the re- sidence of iheir mai^istrates. The statues and other antiques placed here by the Popes, are dedicated iu the names of the donors to the Roman people , and the inscriptions in ge- neral run in the ancient style. One in the palace of the Conservatori pleased me UiUch : S. P. Qv R. majorum suorum praestantiam ut aaimo sic re quantum licuit , iinilatus , deformatum injuria teinporum capitolium lestituit 3 anno post urbeni conditam 2320. w Nor is it unworthy of its destination; as the beauty of its architecture, the magnitude of its apartments, the excellence of its paint- ings, and the prodigious number of statues and antiques with which it is decorated, give it a splendor unequalled in any other city, and only eclipsed even in Rome itself by the lecollectlon of its former greatness. The Museum Capitolinum contains in se- veral large rooms a most splendid collection of busts, statues, sarcopi.agi, etc bestowed by different Popes and illustrious personages on this magnificent cabinet devoted to the use of the Roman people, or rather of the literary and curious of all nations. One of CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, X. /j20 the most interesting objects in this collection is an ancient plan of Rome cut in marble , once the pavement of a temple in the Forum, and thence transferred to the Capitol , where it lines the walls of one of the grand stair- cases of the Museum. But unfortunately it is not entire ; if it were , we should have had a most perfect plan of ancient Rome , the streets, forums, temples, etc. being marked out in the most distinct manner. There are , moreover, in the palace of the Comervatori ^ galleries of paintings , and halls appropriated to the use of young artists , where lectures are given , and drawings taken from life 5 premiums are also bestowed publicly in the grand hall in the Senator’s palace. In short, the Capitol is now consecrated , not to the' tutelar gods of Rome , but to her arts , to the remains of her grandeur , to the monu-’ ments of her genius , and , I may add ', to her titles , now the mere semblance of her ancient liberty. It is to be regretted that the highest and most conspicuous part of the Capitoline Mount should be occupied by a building so tasteless and deformed as the church and convent of Ara Coeli. The ascent from the plain below^ Clu X. THROUGH ITALY. 421 by an hundred and twenty-four marble steps, deserves a better termination than its mise- rable portal 5 and the various ancient pillars of E^wplian granite , that adorn the nave of the church and the portico of the cloisters, furnish a sufficient quantity of the best ma- terials for the erection and decoration of a very noble edifice. Anciently there were two ways from the Capitol to the Forum; both parted from the neighborhood of the Tabularium, and diverging as they descended, terminated each in a triumphal arch ; that of Tiberius to the west, that of Severus to the east. Of these arches, the latter only remains. The descent at present is a steep and irregular path, winding down the declivity from the senator's stables, without any regular termi- nation . The traveller as he descends, stops to contemplate the three Corinthian pillars, with their frieze and cornice that rise above the ruins, and preserve the memory of the temple of Jupiter Tonans, erected by Augus- tus as a monument of his preservation from a thunderbolt that fell near him . A little lower down on the right stands the portico of the temple of Concord, built by Cainillus 4^2 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, X. consisring of eight granite pillars^ with Ca- pitals and entablature of irregular Ionic. To account for this irregularity, it is to be remembered, that the edifices on the sides of the hill shared the fate of the Capitol, in the contest which took place between the parties of Vespasian and Vitellius, and were rebuilt shortly after by Titus and Do- mitian, and afterwards by Constantine. Hence the word reslilutum in the inscription , and hence the want of regularity in some parts of such buildings, as were monuments of republican Rome, and did not, perhaps, enjoy the favor of the emperors. TJie triumphal arch of Septimius Severus is nearly half buried in the ground. Ch, XL THROUGH ITALY. 425 CHAP. XL The Roman Forum — Coliseum — Palatine Mount — Aventine — Tomb of C. Cestius — Coelian — Sahurra — Esquiline — Baths of Titus — Mineri>a Medica — Palace of Moe- cenas — Viminal — Ouirmal — Baths of Dioclesian . r HE Roman Forum now lay extended be- fore us, a scene in llie a^es of Roman greatness of unparalleled splendor and mag- nificence . It was bordered on both sides with temples, and lined with statues . It terminated in triumphal arches , and was bounded here by the Palatine hill, with the Imperial residence glittering on its summit , and there by the Capitol , with its ascending ranges of porticos and of temples. Thus it pf'esented one of the richest exhibitions that eves could behold, or human ingenuity in- vent. In the midst of these superb monu- ments, the memorials of their greatness, and the trophies of their fathers, the Roman peo- ple assembled to exercise their sovereign 424 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XI. power j and to decide the fates of heroes , of kings , and of nations. Nor did the contemplation of such glorious objects fail to produce a corresponding ef- fect. Manlius^ as long as he could extend his arm , and fix the attention of the people on the Capitol which he had saved ^ suspended his fatal sentence. Cajus Gracchus melted the hearts of his audience , when in the mo- ment of distress he pointed to the Capitol , and asked with all the emphasis of despair , whether he could expect to find an asylum in that sanctuary whose pavement still streamed with the blood of his brother, -j- Scipio Afri- canus, when accused by an envious faction, and obliged to appear before the people as a criminal, instead of answering the charge, turned to the Capitol , and invited the as- sembly to accompany him to the temple of Jupiter, and give thanks to the gods for the defeat of Annibal and the Cartiiaginians.|-j* Such in fact, was the influence of locality, * Liv. vi. 20 , ’}■ Cic. De Oral. Lib. iii. Cap. 56. Ij* Liv. xxxviii. 5i, 67^. XL THROUGH ITALY. 4>5 and such the awe, interest, and even emo- tion , inspired by the surrounding edifices. Hence the frequent references that we find in the Roman historians and orators to the Capitol, the Forum, the temples of the gods ; and hence those noble addresses to the deities themselves , as present in their respec- tive sanctuaries , and watching over the inte- rests of their favored city , « Ita praesentes his temporibus opem et auxilium nobis tule- rnnt, ut eos pene videre oculis possimus. » * But the glories of the Forum are now fled for ever ; its temples are fallen ; its sanctua- ries have crumbled into dust; its colonnades encumber its pavements now buried under their remains. The walls of the Rostra stripped of their ornaments and doomed to eternal silence, a few shattered porticos, and here and there an insulated column standing in the midst of broken shafts , vast fragments of marble capitals ar.d cornices heaped to- gether in masses, remind the traveller, that the field which he now traverses, was once the Roman Forum. Cat. iii. 8. 426 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XL A fountain fills a marble basin in the mid- dle, the same possibly to which Propertius alludes when speaking of the Forum in the time of Tatius, he says. Murus erant monies ; ubi nunc est Curia septa , Bellicus ex illo fonte bibebat equus . -j- Lih, iv. 4‘ A little farther on commences a double range of trees that leads along the Via Sacra by the temples of Antoninus , and of Peace to the arch of Titus. A herdsman seated on a pe- destal while his oxen were drinking at the fountain, and a few passengers moving at a distance in different directions, were the only living beings that disturbed the silence and solitude which reigned around. Thus the place seemed restored to its original wildness described by Virgil,^ and abandoned once •j" As this fountain is near the three pillars, which have occasioned so much discussion, we may draw a presumptive argument from these verses, that they formed part of the Curia. * passimque armenta videbant Romanoque foro el lautis mugire carinis Mn» viii* * Ch. XL THROUGH ITALY. more to flocks and herds of cattle. So far have the modern Romans forgotten the theatre of the glory and of the imperial power of their ancestors , as to degrade it into a com- mon market for cattle , and sink its name illustrated by every page of Roman history into the contemptible appellation of Campot V accino. Proceeding along the Via Sacra and pas- sing under the arch of Titus, on turning a little to the left, we beheld the amphitheatre of Vespasian and Titus, now called the co- liseum . Never did human art present to the eye a fabric so well calculated, by its size and form, to surprize and delight. Let the spectator first place himself to the north and contemplate that side which depreda- tion, barbarism, and ages have spared, he will behold with admiration its wonderful extent, well proportioned stories and flying lines, that retire and vanish without break or interruption. Next let him turn to the south, and examine those stupendous arches, '^vhich stripped as they are of their exter- nal decorations, still astonish us by their solidity and duration . Then let him enter, range through the lofty arcades^ and ascend- 428 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XL the vaulted seats, consider the vast mass of min that surrounds him; insulated walls, immense stones suspended in the air; arches covered with weeds and shrubs, vaults open- ing upon other ruins ; in short, above, below, and around, one vast collection of magnificence and devastation, of grandeur and of decay.'^ Need I inform the reader that this stu- pendous fabric, “Which on its public shews unpeopled Rome, “And held uncrowded nations in its womb,’' * Martial prefers , perhaps , with justice , this amphitheatre to all the prodiges of architecture known in his time. Barbara Pyramidum sileat miracula Memphis : Assiduus jactet nec Babilona labor: Nec Triviae templo molles laudeiiiur Tones ; Dissimuletque deum cornibus ara frequens Aere nec vacuo pendentia Mausolea Laudibus immodicis Cares in astra ferant. Omnis Caesareo cedat labor araphitheatro Unura pro cunctis fama loquatur opus De Specie Ch. XL THROUGH ITALY. 429 was erected by the abovementioried empe* rorSj out of part only of ihe materials, and on a portion of the site of Nero's golden lic;use, which had been demolished by order of Vespasian, as too sumptuous even for a Roman Emperor. The Coliseum owing to the solidity of its materials, survived the era of barbarism, and was so perfect in the thirteenth cen- tury that games were ex’aibited in it, not for the amusement of the Romans only, but of all the nobility of Italy. The destruc- tion of this wonder ful fabric is to be as- cribed to causes more active in general in the erection than in the demolition of ma- gnificent buildings— to Taste and Vanity. When Rome began to revive, and archi- tecture arose fr-Jin its ruins, every rich and powerful citizen wished to have, not a com- modious dwelling merely, but a palace. Toe Coliseum was an immense quarry at hand; the common people stole, the grandees ob- tained permission to carry off its materials, till the interior was dismantled, and the exterior half stripped of its ornaments . It is difficult to say where tliis system of depredation so sacrilegious ia the opinion 43o CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XL of ihe antiqnai y^ would have stopped , had not Benedict XIV. a poiitiff of great judgment, erected a cross in the centre of the arena and declared the place sacred, out of re- spect to the blood of the many martyrs who were butchered there during the persecu* tions . This declaration, if issued two or three centuries ago, would have preserved the Coliseum entire; it can now only pro- tect its remains, and transmit them in their present state to posterity . We next returned to the Meta Sudans and passed under the arch of Constantine. I need ' not give a description of this spe- cies of edifice so well known to the reader ; it Avill suffice to say, that the arch of Con- stantine is the only one that remains entire, with its pillars, statues, and basso relievos, all of the most beautiful marble, and some of exquisite workmanship. They were taken from the arch of Trajan, which, it seems, was stripped, or probably demolished , by order of the senate, for that purpose . It did not occur to them, it seems, that the achievements of Trajan and his conquests in Dacia, could have no connexion with the exertions of Constantine in Britain , or Ch, XI. THROUGH ITALY. 45i with his victory over the tyrant Maxentius . But taste was then on the decline, and pro- priety of ornament not alvvays consulted. We then ascended the Palatine Mount, after having walked round its base in order to examine its bearings. This hill , the nur- sery of infant Rome, and finally the residence of imperial grandeur, presents now two so- litary villas and a convent, with their de- serted gardens and vineyards . Its numerous temples, its palaces, its porticos and its libra- ries, once the glory of Rome, and the admi- ration of the universe, are now mere heaps of ruins, so shapeless and scattered , that the antiquary and architect are at a loss to discover their site, their plans and their elevation . Of that wing of the imperial pa- lace, which looked to the west, and on the Circus Maximus, some apartments remain vaulted and of fine proportion, but so deeply buried in ruins , as to be now subter- ranean. A hall of immense size was discovered about the beginning of the last century, con- cealed under the ruins of its own massive roof. The pillars of t^erde antico that sup- ported its vaults, the statues that ornamented 432 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XI. its niches, and tie rich marbles lliat form- ed its pavement, were found buried in rub- bish and were immediately carried away by the Farnesian family, the proprietors of the soil, to adorn their palaces, and furnish their galleries. This hall is now cleared of its encumbrances, and presents in the eye a vast length of naked wall, and an area covered with weeds . As we stood coiilem- plating its extent and prop n-tions, a fox started from an apcrlure, once a window at one end, and crossing the open space scrambled up the ruins at the other, and disappeared in the. rubbish. This scene of desolation reminded me of Ossian^’s beautiful description, the thistle shook there its lonely head; the moss whistled to the gale; the fox looked out from the windows ; the rank grass waved round his head, and almost seemed t)ie accomplishment of that awful prediction ,, There tlie wild beasts of t'le desert shall lodge, and howling monsters shall fiM the houses, and wolves shall howl to one anotlier in their palaces, and dragons in their voluptuous pavilions. * * Lowihe’s liuiah, xiii. v. 21. 22. ciu XL through ITALY. 455 The classic traveller as he ranges through the groves, which now shade the Palatine Mount, f will recollect the various passages in which Virgil alludes to this hill, a scene of so much splendor in his days, hut now nearly reduced to its original simplicity and loneliness . Like ^neas, he will contemplate L Let the reader now contrast this mass of ruin , with the splendors of the Palatine in Claudian’s lime. Ecce Palatino crevit reverentia monti ...... Non alium certe decuit rectoribiis orbis Esse larem , nulloque m^gis se colie potestas ^stiraat , el sumrni sentit fastigia juris. Attollens apicem subjectis regia rostris , Tot circum delubra videt , tantisque Deorum Cingitur excubiis. Juvat infra tecta Toriantis Cernere Tarpeia pendentes rupe Giganles , Caelatasqiie fores , mediisque volantia signa Nubibiis , et densum stipantibus aeihera templis, Alraque vestitis numerosa puppe cohimnis Consita , subnixasque jugis immanibus aedes , Naturam cumulante manu 5 spoliisqiie micantes Innuineros arcus. Acics stupet igne metalli , Et circumfuso Irepidans obtunditur auro. De Cons. Honor, ri. ip VOL. 1. 454 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XL the interesting spot with delight, and re- view like him, though with very different feelings, the vestiges of heroes of old, virum monumenta priorum." Cum muros arcemque procul, ac rara domorum Tecta vident, quae nunc Romana potentia coelo JEquavit : turn res inopes Evandrus habebat ^ Mn. viii. 98. Miratur facilesque oculos fert omnia circum jEneas, capiturque locis; et singula laetus Exquiritque auditque virum monumenta priorum. Turn Rex Evandrus, Romanae conditor aicis Ilaec nemora indigenae Fauni njmphaeque tene- baut . 3 10. From the Palatine we passed to the Avem tine Mount well known for the unpropitious augury of Remus and at an earlier period for the residence of Cacus, and the victory of Hercules , both so well described by Virgil, — . Ter totum fervidus ira Lustrat Aventiui Montemj ter saxea tentat Limina nequicquam; ter fessus valle resedit. Slabat acuta silix, praecisis undique saxis, Speluncae dorso insurgens, altissima visu, Birarum nidis domus opporluna volucrum. viii. 23 o. Ch. XI. THROUGH ITALY, 435 Here also stood the temple of Diana, erected in the joint names of all the Latin tribes, in imitation of the celebrated temple of that goddess at Ephesus built at the common expense of the cities of Asia. The erection of the temple of Diana at Rome bj the Latins in the reign of Servius Tullius^ that is, at a time when the Latins were inde- pendent and had frequently disputed with the Romans for pre-eminence, was con- sidered as a tacit renunciation of their pre- tensions , and an acknowledgment that Rome w^as the centre and the capital of the Latin nation at large. The sacrifice of a celebrated ox in this temple by a Roman instead of a Sabine, was supposed to have decided the destiny of Rome, and to. have fixed the seat of universal empire on its hills.^ Of this temple, once so magnificent and so celebrated, no traces remain, not even a base, a fallen pillar, a shattered wall, to ascertain its situation, or furnish the an- tiquary with grounds for probable’ conjecture. The same may be said of the temple of Tit. Liv. i. 45* Valerius Maximus, vii. 3 . 436 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XL Juno, of that of the Dea Bona, and of the numberless other stately edifices that rose on this hill. Some parts indeed are so deserted and so encumbered with ruins, as to answer the description Virgil gives of it when point- ed out by Evander to his Trojan guest. Jam primum saxis suspensam hanc asplce rupem: Disjectae procul iit moles, desertaque moutis Stat domus, et scopuli ingentem traxere ruinam. viii. 190. The west side of the Aventine looks down on the Tiber and on the fields called Prati del Popolo Romano. These meadows are planted with mulberry-trees, and adorned by the pyramidal tomb of Caius Cestius. This ancient monument remains entire, an advantage which it owes partly to its form well calculated to resist the influence of wxather, and partly to its situation, as it is joined to the walls of the city, and forms part of the fortification. It stands on a basis about ninety feet square, and rises about a hundred and twenty in height. It is form- ed, at least externally , of large blocks of white marble : a door in the basis opens into a gallery terminating in a small i'oom Ch. XI. THROUGH ITALY. 43/ ornamented with painting on the stucco, in regular compartments. In this chamber of the dead once stood a sarcophagus , that contained the remains of Gestius. At each corner on the outside there was a pillar once surmounted with a statue : two of these remain, or rather were restored, but with- out the ornament that crowned them an- ciently. It is probable that this edifice stands on an elevation of some steps, but the earth is too much raised to allow us to discover them at present. Its form is graceful, and its appearance very picturesque : supported on either side by the ancient wills of Rome with their towers and galleries venerable in decay, half shaded by a few scattered trees, and looking down upon a hundred humbler tombs interspersed in the neighbor- ing grove, it rises in lonely pomp, and seems to preside over these fields of silence and of mortality. When we first visited this solitary spot, a flock of sheep was dispersed through the grove nibbling tlie grass over the graves; the tombs rose around in various forms of sepulchral stones , urns , and sarcopha- gi, some standing in good repair, others 4,^58 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XL fallen and mouldering half buried in the high grass that waved over them ; the mo- nument of Gestius stood on the back ground in perspective, and formed the principal fea- ture of the picture ; and a painter seated on a tombstone, was employed in taking a view of the scene. None but foreigners ex - eluded by their religion from the cemete- ries of the country, are deposited here, and of these foreigners several were English. The far greater part had been cut off in their prime , by unexpected disease or by^ fatal accident. What a scene for a traveller far remote from home and liable to similar disasters ! Turning from these fields of death, these V lugentes campi, w and repassing the Aven- tine hill , we came to the baths of Antoni- nus Caracalla , that occupy part of its declivity and a considerable portion of the plain between it , Mons Coeliolus and Mous Goelius . No monument of ancient ar- chitecture is calculated to inspire such an exalted idea of Roman magnificence, as the ruins of their thermae or baths. Many re- main in a greater or less degree of pre- servation 3 such as those of Titus , Diode- Ch, XI. THROUGH ITALY. 43^ cletian, and Garacalla. To give the untra- velled reader some notion of these prodi- gious piles, I will confine rny observations to the latter, as the greatest in extent, and as the best preserved 5 for though it be entirely stript of its pillars , statues , and ornaments , both internal and external , yet its walls still stand , and ils constituent parts and principal apartments are evidently dis- tinguishable. The length of the Thermae of Garacalla was one thousand eight hundred and forty feet , its breadth one thousand four hun- dred and seventysix. At each end were two' temples , one to Apollo , and another to ^sculapius , as the « Genii tutelares w of a place sacred to the improvement of the mind , and to the care of the body. The two other temples were dedicated to the two protecting divinities of the Antonine family , Hercules and Bacchus. In the prin- cipal building were , in the first place , a grand circular vestibule with four halls on each side , for cold , tepid , warm , and steam baths; in the centre was an immense square , for exercise when the weather was unfavourable to it in the open air, 44o CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XI. beyond it a great hall, where sixteen hun- dred marble seats were placed for tlie convenience of the bathers ; at each end of this hall were libraries . This building terminated on both sides in a court sur- rounded with porticos, with an odeum for music, and in the middle a capacious basin for swimming. Round this edifice were walks shaded by rows of trees, particularly the plane ; and in its front extended a gymna- sium for running, wrestling,, etc. in fine weather. The whole was bounded by a vast portico, opening into exedrae or spacious halls, where poets declaimed and philoso- phers gave lectures. This immense fabric was adorned within and without with pillars, stucco-work, paint- ings, and statues. The stucco and painting, though faintly indeed, are yet in many places, perceptible. Pillars have been dug up, and some still remain amidst the ruins; while the Farnesian bull, and the famous Hercules found in one of these halls , announce the multi- plicity and beauty of the statues which once adorned the Thermae of Garacalla. The flues and reservoirs for water still remain. The height of the pile was. proportioned, to iU Ch. XT. THROUGH ITALY. 441 extent, and still appears very considerable, even tlioiigli the ground be raised at least twelve feet above its ancient level. It is now changed into gardens and vineyards: its high massive walls form separations, and its limy rains spread over the surface, burn the soil, and check its natural fertility. From these Thermae we crossed the Val- lis Coelimontana and ascended the Goelian Mount. Many shapeless rums tliat bewilder antiquaries in a maze of conjectures, are* strew'ed over the surface of this hill. One object only merits particular attention, and that is the church of S. Siefano in rotonda^ so called from its circular form, admitted by all to be an ancient temple, though there is much doubt as to the name of its tutelar god . Some suppose it to have been dedicated to the Emperor Claudius , a leaden divinity not likely either to awe or to delight his votaries; while others con- ceive it to have been the sanctuary of the most sportive of the rural powers, of Faunas ‘^Nympharum fugientum amator/^ On this conjecture the imagination reposes with com- Xjlacency . Its circular walls are supported by a double range of Ionic pillars of granite. 442 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XL to tlie number of sixty, and it derives from such an assemblage of columns, a certain air of grandeur, though in other respects it is much disfigured, and at present much ne- glected . This latter circumstance seems ex- traordinary, as it is one of the most an- cient churches in Rome, having been con- secrated as such by Pope Simplicius in the year 46^5 it gives title to a Cardinal deacon, a privilege which generally secures to a church endowed with it, the attention and munificent partiality of the titular prelate. Descending the Coelian hill, we crossed the Sahurra once the abode of the great and opulent Romans, now two long streets lined with dead walls, and covered with a few straggling houses and solitary convents. Pro- ceeding over the Esquiline Mount we stopped at the baths of Titus, an edifice once of unusual extent and magnificence, though on a smaller scale than the Thermae of Garacalla. Part of the theatre of one of the temples and of one of the great halls still remains above, and many vaults, long galleries, and spacious ruins under ground. Some of these subterraneous apartments were curiously painted , and such is the firmness and con- ciu XT. TimOUGH IT ALY. 44S sisteiicy of the colors that notwithstanding the dampness of the place, the lapse of so many a»es, and the earth which has filled the vaults for so long a time, they still retain much of their original freshness. Many of the figures are scratched on the plaster, and sup« posed to have been so originally to imitate basso rilie^o; but upon a close examination' the little nails which fastened the gold, silver, or bronze , that covered these figures are per» ceptible , and seem to prove that they were all originally coated over m a similar man- ner. Many of the paintings are arabesques , a fanciful style of ornament observed and re- probated as unnatural and ill-proportioned by Vitruvius,^ but revived and imitated by Raffael. Tituses baths are, as I have observed ])efore, inferior in extent to those of Caracalla and of Diocletian; but erected at a period when the arts still preserved their primeval per- fection, they must have surpassed all later edifices of the kind in symmetry, decoration, and furniture. Every person of taste must Lih, vii. cap. 5. 444 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XL therefore lament tliat they are not cleared and opened; the famous groupe of Laocoon was found m an excavation made there not many years ago , and several pillars of granite, alabaster, and porphyry' have since been dis- covered in various^ partial researches. What precious remnants of ancient art and magni- ficence might we find , if all the streets of this subterraneous city ( for so these thermae may be called) were opened, and its reces- ses explored ! At present tlie curious visitor walks over heaps of rubbish so high as al- most to. touch the vault, so uneven as to require all his attention at every step 5 and wliilst he examines the painted walls by the faint glare of a taper, he is. soon obliged by the closeness of the air to retire contented with a few cursory observations. To these Laths belong the Sette Sale^ seven halls, or vast vaulted rooms of one hundred feet in length by fifteen in breadth and twenty in depth, intended originally as reservoirs to supply the baths, and occasionally the Co- liseum w'ith water when naval engagements were represented. Besides the baths of Til us several other vaulted subterraneous apartments, halls, and ck. xr. TiiROUGn italy. 445 galleries, ornamented in the same style and with the same magnificence, have been dis- covered at different times on the same hill. They are supposed to have been parts of the same Thermae, or perhaps belonging to some of the many palaces that were once crowded together in this neighborhood. Towards the extremity of the Esqiiiline and not far from the Porta Magglore , in a vineyard, stands a ruined edifice called the Temple of Minerva Medica, though it is sup- posed by some to have been a bath. Its form circular without, is a polygon within 3 its arched roof swells into a bold dome 3 in its sides are nine niches for so many statues 3 the entrance occupies the place of the tenth. Many beautiful statues were found in the grounds that border it, among others that of Minerva with a serpent an emblem of (Esculapius, twined round her legs, a cir- cumstance which occasioned the conjecture that this structure was a temple of that god- dess. It seems to have been surrounded with a portico, cased with marble, and highly decorated. Nothing now remains but the walls , the vaulted roof in some places shat- 446 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XL tered , and on the whole a mass that daily threatens ruin. In the same vineyard are various subter- ranean vaulted apartments, some more, some less ornamented, the receptacles of the dead of various families, whose ashes consigned to little earthenware urns remain in their places, inscribed with a name and exclama- tion of sorrow. Anciently indeed, a consi- derable part of the Esquiline was devoted to the plebeian dead whose bodies were sometimes burnt here, and sometimes I be- lieve thrown into ditches or graves uncover- ed: a circumstance to which Horace seems to allude when he represents it as the re- sort of beasts and birds of prey. Insepiilta membra difFerant lupi Et Esquilinae alites. To remove such funereal objects, and to purify the air, Augustus made a present of the ground so employed to Maecenas who covered it with gardens and groves and erected on its summit a palace . The eleva-^ tion of this edifice and its extensive views Ch. XL THROUGH ITALY. 447 are alluded to by the same poet, when press- ing his friend to descend from his pompous residence and visit his humble roof, he says, — Eripe te morae: Ne semper udum Tibur et JEsulae Decbve coiitempleris arvum, et Telegoui jiiga parricidae. Fastidiosam desere copiam, et Molem propinqiiam nubibus arduis: Omitte mirari beatae Fumum et opes strepitumque Romae. Carrn* iii, 29 *- From the top of this palace, or from a to^ver^ in a garden, Nero contemplated and enjoy- ed the dreadful spectacle of Rome in flames. * The precise site of this palace and its towers, and of the gardens surrounding, has never been ascertained in. a satisfactory manner 5 statues and pamtings have been discovered in profusion in various parts of this hill; but numberless were the temples and palaces that rose on all sides, and to Sueionius , Nero, 38. 4^8 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XL which such ornaments belonged, it would be difficult to determine. IVear the palace of his patron Maecenas, Virgil is said to have had a house; but the retired temper of this poet, and his fondness for a country life, seem to render extremely improbable a report, which I believe rests solely on the authority of Donatus. From the Esquiline hill we passed to that elevated site which as it advances westvi^ard branches into the Viminal and Quirinal hills. On it stands one of the grandest remains of ancient splendor, a considerable portion of the baths of Diocletian , now converted into a convent of Carthusians . The principal hall is the church and though four of the side recesses are filled up, and the two middle ones somewhat altered; though its pavement has been raised about six feet to remove the dampness, and of course its proportions have been chang- ed, yet it retains its length, its pillars, its cross-ribbed vault, and much of its original grandeur. It was paved and in(‘rusted with the finest marble by Benedict XIV. who carried into execution tlie plan drawn up originally by Michael Angelo , wlicn it was Ch, XI. THROUGH ITALY. first changed into a cliiircli. It is supported by eight pillars forty feet in height and five in diameter^ each of one vast piece of granite. The raising of the pavement, by taking six feet from the height of these pillars, has destroyed their proportion, and given them a very massive appearance . The length of the hall is three hundred and fifty feet , its breadth eighty , and its .height ninety-six: Notwithstanding its magnificence, the mixture of Corinthian and composite capital shews how much the genuine taste of architecture was on the decline in the time of Diocletian . The vestibulum or en- trance into this church, is a beautiful rotunda consecrated by the monuments of Carlo Ma- ratti and Salvator Piosa . The cloister de- serves attention: it forms a large square sup- ported by a hundred pillars . In the centre, four towering cypresses shade a fountain that pours a perpetual supply of the purest waters into an immense marble basin, and forms a scene of delicious freshness and antique rural luxury. The Viminal hill has no remnant of an- cient magnificence to arrest the traveller in his progress to the Quirinal once adorned CLASSICAL TOUR 45o Ch. XI. with the temple of Qairinus, whence it de- rived its name. Titus Livius and Ovid both relate the Apotheosis of Romulus; the his- torian in his sublime manner-the poet in his usual easy graceful style. Romulus/' says Proculus in the former; parens urbis hujus, prima hodierna luce coelo repente delapsus, se mihi obvium dedit. Quum per- fusus horrore venerabundusque astitissem petens precibus ut contra intueri fas esset. Abi, inquit, nuncia Romanis coelestes ita velle ut mea Roma caput orbis terrarum sit; proinde rem militarem colant, sciantque, et ita posteris tradant, nullas opes humanas armis Romanis resistere posse. Haec, inqait, locutus, sublimis abiit . " ♦ Pulcher et hiimano major, trabeaque decorus Romulus in media visas adesse via ..... Tlmra ferant, placeiiique novum pia luiba Quiri- num Et patrias artes militiamqiie colant Templa Deo hunt. Collis quoque dictus ab illo: Et referunl certi sacra paterna dies. Ovid. Fast. lib. ii. 607. Liv. i. 16 . CJi, XL THROUGH ITALY. 45t We may easily suppose that a temple de- dicated to the founder and tutelar divinity of Rome, must have been a structure of unusual magnificence, and we find accord- ingly that a noble flight of marble steps conducted to its portal, and that it was supported by seventysix lofty columns. It stood on the brow of the hill that looks towards the Viminal, and in such a site, and with such a colonnade, it must have made a most majestic and splendid appear- ance. On the opposite side and command- ing the Campus Martius, rose the temple of the sun erected by Aurelian, and almost equal in grandeur and decorations to the pa- lace of this deity described by Ovid, ‘^sub- limibus alta columnis. " In fact the pillars that supported its portal must have been, if we may judge by a fragment remaining in the Colonna garden, near seventy feet in height; and as they were with the whole of their entablature of the whitest marble and of the richest order (the Corinthian) they must have exhibited a most dazzling spec- tacle worthy of the glory of ^Uhe far beaming god of day. But not a trace of either of these edifices remains; their massive pillars 452 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XI. .have long since faDen, and the only remnant of the latter is a block of white marble, and a part of the entablature ; and of the former, the flight of marble steps that now leads to the church of Ara Coeli in the Capitol . From the Quirinal we passed to the Monte Pincio anciently without the city, and call- ed , Collis hortulorum;^^ because covered then as now, with villas and suburban gar- dens. Pompey, Sallust, and at the latter period the Emperors, delighted in the rural airy retreat of this hill, high and com- manding extensive views on all sides. . Ch. XII. THROUGH ITALY. 453 CHAP. XII. Campus Martins^ its Edifices -^Mausoleum of Augustus — Pajitheon — Columna Tra- jana — Bridges — Circus — Causes of the Destruction of Ancient Edifices, F ROM the hills we descended to the Campus Martins , in the early ages of the Republic an open field devoted to military exercises, and well calculated for that purpose by its level grassy surface, and the neighborhood of the river winding along its border. In pro- cess of time some edifices of public utility were erected upon it; but their number was small during the Republic ; while under the Emperors they were increased to such a de- gree , that the Campus Martins became ano- ther city composed of theatres, porticos, baths, and temples. These edifices w^ere not only magnificent in themselves , but surrounded with groves and walks; and arranged with a due regard to perspective beauty. Such is the idea which we must naturally form of buildings erected by Consuls and Emperors, 454 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XYL. •each endeavoring to rival or surpass his pre- decessor in magnificence ; and such is the description which Strabo gives of the Campus in his time , that is , nearly in the time of its greatest glory. This superb theatre of glo- rious edifices, when beheld from the Jani- culum, bordered in front by the Tiber, and closed behind by the Capitol , the Vimi- nal, the Quirinal, and the Pincian hills, with temples , palaces , and gardens lining their ;sides, and swelling from their summits, must have formed a picture of astonishing beauty, splendor and variety , and have justified the proud appellation so often bestowed on Rome rt of the temple and abode of the gods. But of all the pompous fabrics that formed this assemblage of wonders how few remain! and of the remaining few , how small the number of those which retain any features of their ancient majesty ! Among these latter can hardly be reckoned Augustus’s tomb , the vast vaults and substructions of which indeed exist , but its pyramidal form and pillars are no more 5 or Marcellus^s theatre half buried under the superstructure raised upon its vaulted galleries ; or the portico of Octavia lost with its surviving arch apid Ch. XII. THROUGH ITALY. 455 a few shattered pillars in the Pescheria. Of such surviving edifices the principal indeed is the Pantheon itself. The Pantheon , it is true , retains its ma- jestic portico, and presents its graceful dome uninjured : the pavement laid by Agrippa , iind trodden by Augustus , still forms its floor ; the compartments and fluted pillars of the richest marble that originally lined its walls, still adorn its inward circumfe- rence ; the deep tints that age has thrown over it only contribute to raise its dignity, and augment our veneration 5 and the tra- veller enters its portal, through which twice twenty generations have flowed in succes- sion, with a mixture of awe and religious veneration. Yet the Pantheon itself has been shorn of its beams , and looks eclipsed through the disastrous twilight w of eighteen centuries. Where is noAv its proud elevation , and the flight of steps that conducted to its threshold } Where the marbles that clothed , or the handmaid edifices that concealed its brick exterior? Where the statues that graced its cornice ? The bronze that blazed on its dome , that vaulted its portico , and formed j^s sculptured doors 5 and where the silver 45G classical tour c/i, XIL that lined the compartments of its roof with* in , and dazzled the spectator with its bright- ness ? The rapacity of Genseric began , the avarice of succeeding barbarians continued , to strip it of these splendid decorations^ and tune by levelling many a noble structure in its neighborhood , has raised the pavement y and deprived it of all tlie advantages of .situation. The two celebrated pillars of Antoninus and Trajan stand each in its square; but they also have lost several feet of their ori- ginal elevation; and the colonnade or portico that enclosed the latter, supposed to be the noblest structure of the kind ever erected , lias long since sunk in the dust, and its ruins probably lie buried under the foundations of the neighboring houses. Seven bridges formerly conducted over the Tiber to the Janiculum and the Vatican Mount: of these the most I’emarkable were the first, the Pons Elius ; and the last, the Pons Sublicius : the former erected by Adrian, opened a grand communication from the Campus Martins to his mausoleum. It remains under the appellation of Ponte S, Angelo ; lue statues tiiat adorned its balustrade, dis^ Clu XII. THROUGH ITALY. 45/ appeared at an early period , and have since hecn replaced by statues of St. Peter and St. Paul ^ and of several angels executed by eminent masters, and considered beautiful. The ancient statues were probably thrown into the Tiber, and may at some future period emerge from its., channel. The Pons Subiicius lay much lower, and formed a passage from the Aventine Mount to the Ja- niculum. Though consecrated^by its antiquity, for it was the first bridge built at Rome , and still more by the heroic exertions of Horatius Codes, it has long since fallen , and only some slight traces of foundations or abutments remain on the Ripa Grande , to mark the spot where it once stood. Two others , the Pons Triumphalis and Pons Se- natorius, have shared the same fate. The reader will probalily expect an ac~ count of the various theatres and circusses that rose in every quarter of the city, and furnished perpetual occupation to the dege- nerate Romans of later times, who confined their ambition to the pittance of bi ead and the public amusement of the day; and he will feel some disappointment when he learns, that scarce a trace remains of such immense VOL. !. 20 453 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XII. structures , that in general their very foun- dations have vanished, and that the Circus Maximus itself, though capable of contain- ing half the population of Rome within its vast embrace , is erased from the surface of the earth, and has left no vestige of its exis- tence , excepting the hollow scooped out in the Aventine valley for its foundation. It may be asked how the edifices just al- luded to , and a thousand others equally cal- culated to resist the depredations of time and the usual means of artificial destruction, should have thus • sunk into utter annihila- tion ? May we not adopt the language of poetry ? Some felt the silent stroke of mould'ring age , Some hostile fury , some religious rage. Barbarian blindness , Christian zeal conspire, And Papal piety , and Gothic fire. Papers Epistle to Addison, . These verses contain a very comprehensive scale of destruction; five causes sufficient to compass and explain the widest range of de- vastation, and annihilate the most solid fab- rics that human skill can erect, even the CK XII. THROUGH ITALY. 459 pyramids tliemselvQs. Yet upon impartial examination^ we shall find that the fury of enemies , and the zeal of Christians , the piety of Popes, and the fres kindled by the Goths , have not been the sole or even the principal agents in the work of devastation 5 and that other causes less observable because slower , but equally effectual in their operations, have produced the wide extended scene of ruin which we have just traversed. To begin therefore with the first cause, hostile fury: it is to be recollected that the barbarians who took and sacked Rome , such as Alaric and Genseric, had plunder and profit, not destruction, in view3 and that they warred with the power and the opulence, not with the taste and the edifices of the Romans. Gold and silver, brass and precious stones, cloth and articles of apparel, with flirniture of every sort, were the objects of rapacity: the persons also of the unfortunate Romans, whom they could either sell or employ as slayes, were considered a valuable part of their booty ; in collecting the former, and securing the latter, their attention was fully occupied, nor had they leisure, suppos- ing that they had the inclination, during the 46o CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XII. sliort space of time they occupied the city (confined to six days the first, and fourteen- the second time the city was taken) to de- molish, or even very materially to disfigure the solidity of the public edifices. The mas- sive roof of the Capitol formed of brass, and it seems lined with gold, and the bronze covering and sculptured portals of the Pan- theon , were torn from their respective tem- ples by Gensericj but the edifices themselves were spared, and the latter still remains to shew how little damage its essential form suffered in the disaster. As for the destructive effects of Gothic fire, they seem to have been confined to a few palaces and private houses 5 and so partial was the mischief, that only one edifice of any note, the palace of Sallust, is mention- ed as having been consumed on this occasion. Religious rage, or Christian zeal, two ex- pressions meaning the same thing, are fre- quently introduced by authors of a certain mode of thinking , as agents unusually active in the work of destruction 5 while Papal piety is represented as the presiding demon who directed their operations , and quickened their natural activity. The fact, however, Ch. XII. THROUGH ITALY. 461 is otherwise ; we do not find that any one temple in Rome was destroyed by the Christians , either tumultuously , or legally , that is by imperial orders; on the contrary, such was the respect w^hich the Christian Em- perors paid even to the prejudices of the Romans, that idols proscribed in the pro- vinces, were still tolerated in the capital, and allowed to occupy their rich shrines , and sit enthroned in their deserted temples. In the pillage of Rome by the Goths and Vandals, these statues, when of precious materials , such as gold , silver , or brass , were not spared; but the shrine only, or perhaps the furniture and decorations of the temple of similar materials , and of course equally calculated to attract the hand of ra- pacity, were violated; while the edifices themselves, without, I believe, one excep- tion, were respected. The influence of Papal piety was employed to preserve these build- ings, and if possible, to consecrate them to the pure mysteries of Christian adoration ; and to it we owe the few temples that have survived the general ruin such as the temple of Vesta, that of Faunus, of Fortuna Virilis, 462 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XTL and last; though first in estimation and gran- deur, the Pantheon itself. Having thus rejected as fabulous or ineffi- cient the causes produced by the poet ad- mitted by ignorance and prejudice with little or no examination; it is necessary, and not difficult to substitute in their place, the real agents that effected the degradation, and fi- nally, the destruction of the noblest city that the world had ever beheld. Under the auspicious government of Trajan, the empire of Rome had reached the utmost extent of its destined limits ; and Rome her- self had attained the full perfection of her beauty, and the highest degree of her ma- gnificence. During the virtuous administra- tion of the Antonines, that is, during the space of nearly a century, this state of pros- perity and glory continued unaltered till the tyranny of Com modus revived the memory and the disasters of the reigns of Caligula , Nero, and Domitian, and ended, like them, in assassination, civil vvar, and revolution. From the portentous aera of the death of Pertinax, Rome ceased to be the fixed and habitual residence of her Emperors, who Ch^ XII. THROUGH ITALY. 463 were generally employed in the field , either in repressing rebellious usurpers^ or in repel- ling foreign enemies. Still they occasionally returned to celebrate festive games ^ to receive the homage of the Senate and Roman people , or perhaps to ascend in triumph to the Ca- pitol, and to worship the tutelar deities of the empire. From the accession of Diocletian, these visits became less frequent, and while the Mistress of the world was neglected by her half-barbarian Emperors , the hand- maid cities of the provinces, Thessalonica, Nicomedia, Antioch, Milan, and Ravenna, enjoyed the honor and the advantages of their residence. Though Rome was still the acknowledged capital of the world, and though her popu- lation and her riches were unbounded, yet the arts, no longer encouraged or employed by the sovereign, languished . Taste was on the decline, and the great masterpieces (edi- fices, statues, paintings ) that adorned the city, monuments of the genius and magni- ficence of happier periods, were passed by unnoticed , and gradually neglected . ^’e cannot suppose that a people who had lost their taste and spirit, or that Emperors oc- 464 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XII. cupied in remote provinces with the in- Irignes of competition, or with the dangers of war were disposed to furnish the sums requisite to repair and to maintain build- ings , which they scarcely knew, or pro- bably beheld with indifference. We may therefore fairly conclude, that, at the begin- ning of the reign of Constantine, some, per- haps several, public edifices must have suf- fered from neglect; and when we behold the triumphal arch of Trajan .destroyed by order of the senate, to furnish materials for the erection of a similar trophy in ho- nor of the former Emperor, we may fairly infer that such edifices were considered as scarcely worth preservation, and that they were indebted for their duration to their own solidity. Among the causes of ruins we may there- fore safely rank the indifference and the neglect of government; nay , we have even some reason to suspect that the Em- perors not only neglected the reparation , but sometimes hastened the fall of public structures. Each sovereign was ambitious of distinguishing his reign by some magnificent fabric, by erecting baths or a circus: a porli- Ch, XII. THROUGH ITALY. 465 CO or a forum ; but it is to be feared that they were not always delicate as to the places whence the materials \vere taken, and some- times stripped the monuments of their predecessors of their ornaments, in order to employ them in the decoration of their new edifices. Certain k is that some Emperors while they were adding to the splendor of the city on one side, made no difficulty of plundering it on the other. Moreover as the number of Christians increased, the tem- ples became deserted : and Christian princes, though not obliged by their religion to destroy, did not, perhaps consider them- selves as authorized in conscience to repair the sanctuaries of idolatrous worship. * AYe may conjecture from an ancient inscrip- I tion , how much Rome was encumbered with ruins even in the age of Honorius. S. P. Q. R. IMPP. CAESS. DD. NN. INVICTISSIMIS. PRINCIPIBUS. ARCADIO. ET. HONORIO. VICTORIBUS. AC. TRIUMPHATORIBUS. SEMPER. AUGG. OB. INSTAURATOS. UR- BI. AETERNAE. MUROS. PORTAS. AC. TURRES. EGESTIS. IMMENSIS. RUDERI- BUS. etc. etc. — Apud^ Grut. 20 466 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XII. When Rome ceased to be free, and lost even the forms of republican liberty, the forum (the seat of popular deliberations) became useless, and the five or six superb squares that bore that appellation, were turned into so many lonely walks . The various curiae (the superb palaces of the senate ) so necessary in the days of Roman freedom, when almost the whole of the ci- vilized world was governed by the wisdom of that venerable body, stood silent and unfrequented under the later Emperors , when public deliberation was a mere form, and the senate itself an empty shadow. The hasilicae, indeed (the halls where the magistrates sat to administer justice) might still collect a crowd, and challenge attention^ but as the population of the city decreased, their numbers appeared too great, and the Emperors seemed to embrace with readiness every opportunity of turning them to other purposes . These three sorts of edifices may be supposed, therefore, to have fallen into decay at an early period , and to have mouldered imperceptibly into dust, even though no active power was employed to hasten their dissolution , Of the several cu- Ch. XII. THROUGH ITALY. 467 riae^ not one has escaped destruction, and the reader will learn with regret, that time has swept away the very vestiges of these celebrated seats of liberty, of wisdom, and of public dignity. Some few temples remain which after they had loilg been abandoned both by their deities and their votaries , are indebted for their existence to Christian zeal and Papal plety,'*^ which saved them from complete ruin by turning them into churches. We may lament that more of these beautiful edifices were not destined to partake of this advantage; and particularly that the ma- gnificent temple of Jupiter Gapitolinus was not of the number; especially as it surviv- ed the taking of the city, and stood, as to its walls, unimpaired in the time of Theodoric . But in the first place, the Chris- tians do not seem to have taken possession of any temple, at least in Rome, where the Emperors treated the ancient religion of the empire with peculiar delicacy, till the total downfal of idolatry, and the com- plete change of public opinion; that is, till many of these fabrics had fallen into irre- 468 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XII. parable decays and become incapable of resto^ ration . ^ In the next place, the forms of pagan temples in general, and particularly of such as were built (and these formed the far greater number) on a smaller scale, were extremely ill adapted to the purposes of Christian worship . Narrow oblong edifices , frequently dark and lighted only from the * The opinion of the Christians relative to the idols themselves, appears from the follow- ing lines, which prove satisfactorily, I conceive^ that they had no desire to destroy them. Tke Poet addresses himself to Rome. Deponas jam festa velim puerilia, ritus Ridicules, tantoque indigria sacraria regno. Marmora tabenti respergine tincta lavate, O proceres, liceat statuas consistere puras, Artilicum magnorum opera, haec pulcherrima (nostro Ornarnenta eluant patriae, nec decolor usus In vitium versae moiiumenta coinquinet artia. Prudent If they spared even the idols, it is difficult to conceive why they should destroy the temples. Ch, XII. THROUGH ITALY. 469 entrance, they seem to have been constructed merely as sanctuaries to receive the statues of their respective gods , while the multitude of adorers filled the porticos, or crowded the colonnades without, and waited till the trumpets announced the moment of sacrifice, or the priest proclaimed the oracles of the god . The external ornaments, and the vast extent of porticos and galleries that surround- ed the principal temples , and not the ca- pacity of the interior, constituted their mag- nificence. The Adyta or Penetralia, seem mostly to have been on a contracted scale, and though well calculated for a chapel or oratory for a small assembly, are too con- fined for a parish church, and for the ac- commodation of a large congregation. The Basilieae^ on the contrary, presented every convenience and seemed as if expres- sly erected for the purpose of a Christian assembly . The aisles on either side seemed formed to receive and screen the women; the vast area in the middle furnished a spacious range for the men; the apsis or semicircular retreat raised on a flight of steps at the end , gave the bishop and his presbyters an elevated and honorable sta- 470 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XIL tiori 5 while the sacred table surrounded with youth and innocence, stood between the clergy and the people, a splendid and conspicuous object. Hence several of these edifices, wdiich depended entirely on the will of the sove- reign, and might without offence or injus- tice be devoted to such purposes as he judged most expedient , were at an early period opened for the reception of the Chris- tians, and consecrated to the celebration of the holy mysteries. Thus in the time of Constantine, the Basilica Lateranensis was converted into a church and dedicated to the Saviour ; while the Basilica Vaticana became another Christian temple under the well-known appellation of St. Peters. It follows of course, that the temples would in general be permitted to crumble away insensibly into ruin, as useless and unap- propriated edifices, wdiile many of the Ba- silicae would be repaired with diligence, and not unfrequenlly enriched with the pil- lars and marbles of the fallen fanes in their neighborhood . The neglect of the Emperors was followed by indifference in the city magistrates , and contempt among the people, who made no Ch. XII. THROUGH ITALY. 471 difficulty of stealing from the public edi- fices the materials requisite for the erectiou , or ornament of their private houses ; a di- sorder which rose to such a pitch as to require the interference of public authority more than once , in order to prevent the total dilapidation of some of the finest monuments of Roman greatness. This inter- ference however , only took place during the short reign of one Emperor , whose virtues struggled in vain against the misfor- tunes of the time and the destinies of the falling empire. I allude to Majonan, whose patriotic edict on this subject is cited with becoming applause by Gibbon, and proves that the magistrates themselves connived at the abuse , and were perhaps too frequently the transgressors . To the neglect of the sovereign therefore we may add the indif- ference of the magistrates , and the interested pilferings of the people, a second and power- ful agent of destruction. However, notwithstanding these disadvan- tages Rome retained much of her imperial grandeur, after the nominal fall of her em- pire, and still challenged the respect and admiration of nations, even when subjected 472 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XII. to the sway of barbarian princes. Odoacer for instance and his victorious rival Theodoric, during a long and prosperous reign watched with jealous care over the beauty of the city, and not only endeavored to preserve what it retained, but to restore what it had lost of its ancient splendor. Their attempts merit- ed praise and acknowledgment, but the ef- fect was temporary, and withheld, but could not avert the stroke which fate already le- velled at the monuments of Rome. When the evil genius of Italy prompted Justinian to re-annex it as a province to the empire, of which it had formerly been the head ; and when Belisarius took possession of the capital with a force suflficrent to gar- rison, but not to protect it fully against the enemy, Rome was turned into a fortress , her amphitheatres, mausoleums, and surviving temples were converted into strong holds , and their splendid furniture and costly de- corations were employed as they presented themselves , for means of defence or of an- noyance. In the course of this most destruc- tive war, Rome was five times taken; many of her edifices were demolished not by the hostile rage of the Goths, but by the mill- Ch. XII. THROUGH ITALY. 4-75 tary prudence of Belisariiis; her streets were unpeopled bj the sword and by pestilence 5 the titles of her magistrates were suppres- sed; her senate was dispersed; and her honors were finally levelled with the dust. The Exarchs who succeeded Narses in the govern- ment of Italy, were more attentive to their own interests than to the prosperity of the country; and residing at Ravenna then an almost impregnable fortress, abandoned Rome to her own resources, and her edifices to the care of the citizens, or rather to their own solidity. The misery and humiliation of Rome lasted near three hundred years ; that is, from the invasion of Italy, or rather from the taking of Rome by Belisarius in the year 556 , to the coronation of Charlemagne in 800. During the disastrous interval which elaps- ed between these eras, Rome was oppressed by the Exarchs, threatened by the Lombards, wasted by pestilence, and visited at once by all the plagues employed to chastise guilty nations. The few surviving Romans who re- mained to lament the ruin of their country, and to glide like spectres about its abandon- ed streets now turned into the sepulchres of 474 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XII. fhe inhabitants , had too much employment in supporting their miserable existence to think of repairing or maintaining the vast edifices raised in prosperous times. During so many ages of war and despair^ of public and private dejection, how extensive must have been the ravages of desolation ! how many pillars must have fallen from their bases ! how many temples sunk under their own weight ! how many lofty fabrics subsid- ed in the dust ! Even after these ages of war, when Rome became the head of a new empire, and the kings and princes of the western world listened with respect to the oracles of the Pontiff 5 when some share of opulence probably accompanied her re- viving dignity, and emperors and sovereigns hastened to enrich her sanctuaries with their gifts — yet no re-animating ray visited the pom- pous ruins spread over her hills , where the taste and spirit of her ancestors still slum- bered undisturbed, and temples, curiae, and forums, whose names and destination had long been forgotten, were left tottering in decay, or extended in heaps on the earth. A transient gleam of prosperity is not suf- ficient ; a long season of tranquillity and Ck, XII. THROUGH ITALY. 475 encouragement is requisite to call forth and mature the varied powers of the mind that produce taste and enterprise . But Rome was far from enjoying this tranquillity 5 threatened sometimes by the Greeks , and sometimes by the Saracens, alternately op- pressed by her barbarian Emperors, and disturbed by her factious nobles; and at last convulsed by the unnatural contests be- tween her Emperors and her Pontiffs, she assumed byturns the appearance of a for- , tress besieged or taken; her edifices, sacred and profane, ancient and modern, were demolished without distinction , and her streets and churches were strewed with the bodies of her inhabitants. To these bloody divisions succeeded the absence of the Popes, and their very impo- litic residence at Avignon , at a distance from the seat of their spiritual authority, of their temporal dominion, which in the mean time was abandoned to the intrigues of a domineering nobility, and to the insurrections of a factious populace . During this period, the reign of anarchy, the few monuments of antiquity that remained Avere turned into forts and castles, and disfigured with towers 470 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XII. and Gothic battlements^ the country was overrun with banditti, and the city itself convulsed and defiled with perpetual scenes .of violence and bloodshed . At length the Pontiff returned to his See, and after some struggles, a regular govern- ment was established; Julius the Second, a stern and arbitrary prince suppressed anar- / chy: the arts began to revive, architecture was restored, a Leo rose, and Rome, even ancient Rome, might have expected the re- turn of her Augustan glory. But such an expectation would have been ill-founded 5 the very restoration of the arts, while it contributed to the splendor of modem Rome, was the last blow that fate gave to the magnificence of the ancient city . While new temples and new palaces arose, the remains of ancient edifices disappeared^ and posterity still laments that the Perizonium was demolished, the Coliseum deformed, and the Pantheon plundered , to supply ma- terials or ornaments for the Farnesian and Barbarini palaces and for the new Basilica of St. Peter. With regard to the latter, the man of taste and the lover of antiquity, as Gibbon justly observes, will perhaps pardon the theft; Ch. XII. THROUGH ITALY. 4-7 I as it contributed to the triumph of modern genius, and to the decoration of the noblest edifice that human art has ever erected. But to plunder the venerable monuments of im- perial greatness, in order to deck the man- : sions of two upstart families, was a sacri- I lege justly reprobated by the satirical lam- poons of the indignant Romans . have now, I think, enumerated the 1 principal causes of the destruction of Rome, very diiTerent from those assigned by the I poet; and if to the neglect of Emperors, the indifference of magistrates, the rapacity . of individuals, the rage of contesting fac- jtions, and the impoverishment of the city, we add, the silent stroke of mouldering : Time, we shall have the list of destruction complete. The. few edifices that still sur- vive, owe their existence either to the pro- tecting hand of religion that warded ^ or to their own solidity which defied, tlie blow levelled at their majestic forms by age or by malevolence . Some instances of the former have already been given; of the latter, be- sides the tombs of Gestius and Metella , the columns of Trajan and Antoninus stand most magnificent examples . These superb 478 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XH, columns are of the same materials, the fi- nest white marble , of nearly the same height about one hundred and twenty feet and of the same decorations, as a series of sculpture winds in a spiral line from the base to the capital of each, representing the wars and triumphs of the respective Em- perors . ^ They formerly supported each a co- * The Coliimna Trajana is formed of thirty- four blocks of white marble , eight of which are employed in the pedestal, one in the base (or torus) twenty-three in the shaft, one in the ca- pital, and one in the summit that supports the statue. This celebrated column yields to the mo- nument of London in elevation, but it surpasses that and all similar pillars in the admirable sculp- tures that adorn all its members. There are two thousand five hundred human figures; of two feet average height, besides the scenes in which they are engaged, and the horses, standards, machi- nery , etc. with which they are accompanied. It is a complete representation of Roman mili- tary dresses, evolutions, standards, and edifices, and it has supplied all the most eminent artists, whether painters or sculptors, with most of their altitudes and graces. This column, one of the most ancient and most perfect monuments of CK XII. THROUGH ITALY. 479 lossal statue of Trajan and Antoninus; these have long since disappeared, while St. Peter and St. Paul have been substituted in their stead, though very improperly, as the bloody scenes and profane sacrifices pourtrayed on the shafts beneath, are ill adapted to the cha- racter and pacific virtues of Apostles. How- ever, notwithstanding the impropriety of the situation, the picturesque effect is the Roman art and power united, has been exposed twice to the probable danger of destruction ; once when a Dutch artist proposed to the Roman government at an expence not exceeding fifteen hundred pounds, to take it down in order to raise its pedestal, which is now near twenty feet under the modern level of the city, and again re-erect it in a more conspicuous situation. Even though such precautions were to be taken, as to preclude the possibility of accident, yet the very removal of such masses of marble could not be effected without detriment to the sculpture. The second danger was of a more alarming nature, and occurred while the French were masters of Rome during the late invasion. The Directory, it seems, had conceived the project of transport- ing both the Colurana Trajana and Antonina to Paris, and measures were taken to ascertain the 48o CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XII. same, especially as the modern statues are probably of the same size^ and if we rnay judge by medals^ placed in the same atti- tude as the ancient . To the question which I have here at- tempted to answer, one more may be ad- ded . It may be asked^ what is now beco- me of the rich materials, the bronze, the marbles employed in the statues, pillars, and decorations of this vast scene of gran- possibility of realizing this project of robbery anddevastalion. Fortunately their expulsion from Rome prevented the execution of this and some oilier entcrprizes e'’^ualLy just and honorable* Francis the First, in the happier days of France, conceived the nobler and more honorable design of adorning the French capital with a copy of this noble monument in bronze, and the present Ruler of France, has, it is said, raised in the Place J^endonie-, at Paris, a rival column, re- presenting his German victories in brass. This latter design is neither unjust nor nnimperial. The Columna Anlonini is inferior in the beauty and perfection of sculpture to that of Trajan ; it is also formed of blocks of marble, twenty- eight in number, and in every respect an imita- tion of the latter. Ch, XII. THROUGH ITALY. 481 deur ? The bronze has always been an ob- ject of plunder or of theft, and of course equally coveted by tlie rapacious barbarians and the impoverished Romans. It was there- fore diligently sought for, and consequently soon disappeared . Besides though employed with profusion, and even with prodigality yet its sum total was definite , and easily exaustible, particularly when every research was made to discover, and every method used to obtain it. The quantity of granite and marble that decorated ancient Rome is almost incalculable . If we may be allowed to judge by the marble plan which 1 have alluded to more than once, we should be inclined to imagine that its streets were lin- ed with porticos , and formed an endless succession of colonnades . The shafts of the pillars were generally formed of one single piece or block , whatsoever their height might have been, an advantage equally cal- culated to secure them against the influence of time, and the attacks of wanton destruc- tion. Of statues, if we may believe the elder Pliny, the number was equal to that of th i^ - habitants, and seems in fact to have been VOL. 1, 21 482 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, XIL sufficient not only to fill the temples, basi- licae, and curiae, but to crowd the streets, and almost people the porticos and public Avalks. These statues when of marble, for- tunately for their duration, were beheld by all parties with indifference 5 and when not immediately within the verge of warlike ope- rations, allowed to stand undisturbed on their pedestals, or fall unsupported and forgotten into the mass of rubbish around them. That this was the case we may conclude, from the places where several beautiful sta- tues were found, such as the baths of Titus and Caracalla, where they stood for ages exposed to depredation, and were only con- cealed in latter times by the fall of the buildings around them. The pillars met with a different fate 5 some were conveyed by the Exarchs to Ravenna, others transported by Charlemagne beyond the Alps, and thousands have been employed in the churches and palaces of the modern city. In reality, ancient Rome has been for twelve centuries a quarry ever open and never exhausted; and the stranger , as he wanders through the streets of the modern city, is astonished to see, sometimes thrown neglected into corners , Ch, XII. THROUGH ITALY. 483 and often collected round the shops , or in the yards of stone-cutters , shafts, capitals, parts of broken cornices , and in short , blocks of the finest marbles, all dug out of the ruins in the neighborhood. Yet , notwithstanding the waste and havoc of these materials, made in the manner I have described, and by the causes I have enumerated , I am inclined to think that the far greater portion still remains buried amidst the ruins , or entombed under the edifices of the modern city. The columns carried away to ornament other cities, bear a small proportion to the numbers left behind, and of these latter, the number employed in the decorations of buildings now exist- ing, will appear a very slight deduction from the remains of ancient magnificence, when we consider that the great churches at Rome,^ that is all the buildings where there is any display of pillars or marbles, were erected in the days of Roman glory, before the invasion of Italy and the wars of the Goths. Their ornaments therefore with a few St. Peter's excepted. 484 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XIL exceptions, were not drawn from tlie ruins of ancient Rome: they are monuments of its glory, but have not shared its plunder. The elevation of the ground over the whole extent of the city, amounting in ge- neral, to the height of from fourteen to twenty feet, and the many little hills which have risen in various parts of the Campus Martins, especially on the sites of theatres and baths, and other extensive buildings, sufficiently she^v what a mass of ruin lies extended below. Few excavations have been made in this ar- tificial soil, without terminating in some in^- teresting discovery; and it has frequently happened that in sinking a well , or in open- ing the foundations of a private house, the masons have been stopped by the interposing bulk of a pillar or an obelisk. One of the latter was discovered thrice , and as often buried again in rubbish, before it was raised by Benedict XIV. The pavement of the Fo- rum is well known to exist about fourteen feet under the present level, and several of the thermae remain still unopened. The por- tico of Trajan lies near twenty feet under the foundations of churches and convents. What treasures of art may not be contained in Ch .XII. TimOUGH ITALY. 485 these mines, hitherto unexplored ! What beau- tiful forms of sculpture and architecture may still slumber in this immense cemetery of ancient magnificence ! Should the Roman government, when the present convulsions shall have subsided into tranquillity , acquire energy and means ade- quate to such an undertaking, it may per- haps turn its attention to an object so worthy of it, and the classic traveller may entertain the fond hope, that the veil which has so long concealed the beauties of the ancient city, may be in part removed, and some grand features of Roman magnificence once more exposed to view. At least the materials of many a noble structure may reappear, many a long fallen column be taught again to seek the skies , and many a god, and many a hero, emerge from darkness, once more ascend their lofty pedestals , and chal- lenge the admiration of future generations. But when these pleasing hopes may be realiz- ed it is difficult to determine. Rome and all Italy crouch under the iron sway of the First Consul ; how he intends to model her various governments , and on whom he may here- after bestow her coronets, crowns, and tiaras. 486 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. XII. is a secret confined to his own bosom: in the mean time, public confidence languishes, every grand undertaking is suspended , and it would be absurd to squander away expense and labor in recovering statues and marbles, which may be instantly ordered to Paris , to grace the palace of the Tuilleries, or to en- rich the galleries of the Louvre. The genius of the ancient city must still brood in dark- ness over her ruins, and wait the happy day, if such a day be ever destined to shine on Italy, ,when the invaders may be once more ^ driven beyond the Alps, all barbarian in- fluence be removed, and the talents and abili- ties of the country left to act with all their native energy.'*' * A medal was found not long ago, I think near the Capitol, with the form of a hero crown- ed with laurel, extending a sword, with the in- scription, (( Adsertori Libertatis, )> on one side, and Rome seated, with the inscription, « Roma resurges, » on the reverse. May Italy ere long have cause to strike a similar medal. END OF VOL. I. ■*? I ■> I WImAl ?7-B V, I ®£6:iTvc£ivr£fi