&*% ,4°o o 4f ^ * 4 A V«* « o *" O *\iii:* <^ ^ . «5 °<* • Sab* • »° «fetf" 1^3 I «5°* 3 * 8 . » * ^ « » i / ■ *. SIGHTS AND SCENES > IX zux&ft: A SERIES OF LETTERS * . ' * « ENGLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND ITALY, IN 1350. BY MRS. A. T. J. BULLARD ST.. LOUIS, MO.: CHAMBERS k KNAPP, PRINTERS AND BINDERS, J8S2. I l^-\3 'ot C, I ... &* : :- TO THE LADIES OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ST. LOUIS , MO. THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. PREFACE. The following- letters appeared in the Missouri Republi- can, St. Louis, Mo. At the earnest request of many friends, the writer has been persuaded to issue them in a more permanent form. If they afford amusement and in- formation to the reader, especially to the young, and serve in any measure as a guide and directory to other travelers, who may follow in her footsteps abroad, the highest wish and fondest hope of the author, will be realized. A. T. J. B. CONTENTS. LETTER NO. I. Journey from St. Louis to Buffalo, Page 13 T">? TTER NO. H. Niagara Falls — Annoyance of porters and runners at Albany — Journey to New York and Boston, 21 LETTER NO. HI. Voyage from New York to Liverpool — Company — Amusements — Storm — Ships and vessels in the river Mersey — Custom House Officers, 30 LETTER NO. IV. Morley's Hotel, London — Thames Tunnel — Tower- — Queen's Regalia — Par- liament House — Parliament prorogued by the Queen 37 LETTER NO. V. Delegates to the Peaee Congress at Frankfori>on-the-Maine leave London by Dover and Calais — Railroad to Cologne — Ghent — Liege — Aix la Chapelle — the Rhine— Vineyards— Castles— Cologne — Bonn— Mayence. 47 LETTER NO. VI. Pence Convention — Frankfort — Luther's house — Juden Gasse — Cemetery — The Currency 53 LETTER NO. VII. Darmstadt — Heidelberg — The famous tuns in the wine cellar of the Castle- — University of Heidelberg — Carlsruhe — Baden — -Prisons — - Basel — Tomb of Erasmus — Berne — the Bernese Alps, 57 LETTER NO. VIII. t The Diligence — Vevay — View of Mt. Blanc? — Lausanne — Coppet— Ferney — Geneva — John Calvin's house — Calvin's church — Dr. Malan — Vises ■r^-Ride to Chainou>iy*-Beggars~ The goitre, ,,, ,,. 62 Till CONTENTS. LETTER NO. IX. Ride in a "char a banc" — Romantic scenery — The ascent of La Flegere and view of Mt. Blanc—Ascent of Montagne Vert — The Mer de Glace, 67 LETTER NO. X. Ride over the Tete Noire to Martigny — Ride to Brieg— Simplon Pass — Gorge of Gondo — the Hospice — Domo d'Ossola — Lago Maggiore — Scene of the battle of Ticinus — Arch of Peace, 72 LETTER NO. XL Milan — Cathedral — Paintings and Statuary — Amphitheatre — Verona— Amphitheatre — Cemetery — Venice— Gondolas—Making wine — Marble Palaces — Church of San Marco — Doge's Palace — The Pozzi — Bridge of Sighs — Titian's and Canova's tombs — Paintings in the Accade- mia delle Belle Arte — Armenian Convent — Fleas, 79 LETTER NO. XII. Passports — Robbers — Ferrara — Trouble about passports — Bologna — The Appennines — Pistoia — Florence — Cathedral — Michael Angelo's tomb — Medicean Chapel — The Gallerie Imperiale — Palazza Pitti — Boboli Gardens — Anatomical Museum,..., 87 LETTER NO. XHI. Mosaics — Cafes — Flower-girls — "Sunny Italy" — Italian Ladies — Railroad to Leghorn — Pisa. — Leaning Tower — Campo Santo — Leghorn — Voyage to Civita Vecchia — Attempt to rob — Baggage searched, 94 LETTER NO. XIV. Rome — Canonization of a Saint — The Pope and his Cardinals — The Capitol — Seven Hills — Forums and arches — Palace of the Cassars — Coliseum — . St. Peter's Church— Relics, 100 LETTER NO. XV. Consecration of Cardinal Wiseman and others — Sistini Chapel — Paintings— The Vatican — The Seven Basilicae — St. John Lateran — The Pieta, by Bernini — Scala Santa. — Relics, , , 108 LETTER NO. XVI. St. Peter's Church — Bronze image of St. Peter — The graves of St. Peter and St. Paul — Priests— Ceremonies — The Dome— View of the City,... lift CONTENTS. IX LETTER NO. XVII. Santa Maria Maggiore — Santa Croce in Gerusalemme — San Paolo Fuori le Mure — Pillars of Egyptian alabaster sent by the Pacha of Egypt to the Pope — San Lorenzo — San Sebastiano — Capuchin Cemetery — Baths — Columbaria — Tombs — Mausoleums — The Pantheon — Tarpeian Rock — Cloaca Maxima, — Aqueducts, 124 LETTER NO. XVTIL The Vatican— Paintings and Statues — The Capitol — Dying Gladiator—* Pliny's Doves — Private Palaces — American Chaplain — Toleration — Artists, , 133 LETTER NO. XIX. Quarantine— Journey to Naples by land — Vises — Appian Way — Tombs of Ascanius and of Pompey the Great — The Pope's Summer Palace — Albano — Genzano — Velletri — Cisterna — " Three Taverns, ' ' where Paul stopped on his journey to Rome — Pontine Marshes — Terraeina — Fondi—Itri— Olives— Mola di Gaeta— The Vintage, 141 LETTER NO. XX. Capua — Sessa — Ruins — Primitive Plough — Vineyards — Naples — Driver arrested on entering Naples — Excursion to Mt. Vesuvius — Resina — Portici — The Hermit — Cone de Gantrey — Climbing up the Mountain — View of the Sea and its Islands — The Crater — Coming down the Mountain, , 149 LETTER NO. XXI. Pompeii and Herculaneum — The ruins — Bake-shop— Sallust's house— Mo- saic floors — Musical Academy — Temple of Isis — Bathing Establish- ment — House of Marcus Arrius Diomede — Cemetery of Pompeii, 158 LETTER NO. XXII. Naples — Its bay and chateaux — Ferdinand Second, King of Naples — The Army — Churches and public buildings — Interesting excursions about Naples — Steamer Lombardy — Attempt to rob — Quarantine regula- tions — Civita Vecchia — Its prisons — The brigand Gasperonia — The morality of Italy — Charitable Institutions — Foundling Hospitals, , 165 LETTER NO. XXHI. Trip up the Mediterranean — Genoa — Its palaces — Its exports — Dress of the Ladies — Galley Slaves — The Cathedral — The reputed grave of John X CONTENTS. the Baptist — The Church of L'Annunziata — Novi — Marengo battle- field — Alessandria — Turin — Washing by the river side — Vittorio Emanuele, King of Piedmont— His palace — Charles Albert, late King, 173 i LETTER NO. XXIV. Armeria Eoyale— Trouble with the Pope — Pietro di Santa Rosa — Church of the Waldenses — Pane grissino — Journey over Mt. Cenis — Monas- teries — Susa — A terrible snow storm on the Mountain — Refuges — Sledges — Lanslebourg, 181 LETTER NO. XXV. Chamberri — Lyons — Deception practiced at hotels — Sail up the Rhone, from Lyons to Dijon — Entrance into Paris by railroad — The Tuilleries Meurice's Hotel— St. Roch— All Saints' Day— All Souls' Day— Pere la Chaise — Houses in Paris — Water-carrriers, 189 LETTER NO. XXVI. The Louvre — National Museum — Sevres' Porcelain Manufactory — Ver- sailles, 166 LETTER NO. XXVII. Sight-seeing — La Fayette's grave — The Pantheon —Its vaults and tombs — ■ Hotel des Invalides — Napoleon's tomb — Manufactory of Gobelin Ta- pestry — Cafes and Restaurateurs — Catacombs, 202 LETTER NO. XXVIII. Palais Bourbon — Chamber of Deputies — St. Madeleine's Church — Number of the priesthood — Need of a Presbyterian Church for Americans — Charitable Institutions in Paris — Shopping — Receiving calls — Jardin des Plantes— Chapel of St. Ferdinand, 209 LETTER NO. XXIX. Crossing the English Channel from Boulogne to Folkestone — Keeping house in London — Dining out — St. James' Palace — Madame Tussaud's Wax Gallery, 217 LETTER NO. XXX. St. Paul's Cathedral — Westminster Abbey — Rev. James Hamilton's Church Rev. Dr. Cunimings — Surrey Chapel, 223 LETTER NO. XXXI. Hyde Park — Regents' Park — Zoological Garden — British Museum — Ver- non Gallery — National Gallery of Paintings, 23fi CONTENTS. XI LETTER NO. XXXII. Manchester — Print Works — Silk Mill — Derby — Porcelain Works — Arbore- tum — Matlock Bath — Mines — Petrifying Wells — Birmingham — Ho- tels—Papier Mache Establishment ofWennens & Bettredge — Stratford on Avon — Shakspeare's birth-place — Shakspeare's grave — Leaming- ton— Kenilworth Castle, 238 LETTER NO. XXXni. Sheffield— Rogers & Sons' Cutlery Establishment—Haddon Hall— Chats- worth — Kitchen Gardens — Conservatory — Fountains — Chapel — Sculp- ture and Paintings — Herds of Deer,.,., , * 246 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. LETTER NO. I. Boston, June 29, 1850. To one who has traversed our western rivers in " auld lang syne," the change which has been wrought in the facility and mode of transportation is marvelous. A pas- senger in the steamer "Fashion," at the present day, can scarcely comprehend the weariness and discomfort of the traveler, who descended the Mississippi in 1817 in a flat- boat, or even the small, incommodious steamers of a later date. Nor can the student of the geographies of our country in early times fail to be amused, as he compares the hopes and prospects of the sanguine men of those days, with the daily realization of travelers now. Morse, in his " Universal Geography," published in Boston, 1812, says, vol. 1, page 437: "It is found, by late experiments, that sails are used to great advantage against the current of the Ohio, and it is worthy of observation, that steamboats are found to do great service in all our extensive river navigation." The " great service" hoped from them, is explained on page 595, where he gives his ideas of our western commerce. " The difficulty of ascending the Mississippi has, in a great measure, cut off New Orleans from supplying the western States with foreign merchandize. Hitherto, it has been 2 14 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUKOPE. found cheaper to purchase articles in New York and Phila- delphia and carry them by land to Pittsburgh, at the forks of the Ohio, and thence down that river to the various towns on its banks, than to transport them up the Mississippi and the Ohio. The experiment of the steamboat is trying in the western waters. If boats of that description, sufficiently strong to resist the sawyers, planters, sleeping- sawyers and wooden islands, which abound in the Mississippi, can be made to ascend it with loads of merchandize, at the rate of three or four miles an hour, and to travel safely by night as well as by day, New Orleans may bid defiance to the efforts of Montreal, New York and Philadelphia to engross the foreign trade of the whole western country. Should the experiment fail, most of the commerce she would obtain and enjoy will probably be divided between these three cities, and it will fall, of course, chiefly to the one which can supply foreign goods at the lowest prices." He says, also : " The canal of three hundred miles in length, on an inclined plane, proposed to be opened between Lake Erie and the Hudson, in order to divert the trade of the western country from Montreal to New York, has heretofore been men- tioned. There appears little probability that this grand project can be carried into execution; at least, before the commercial connection and intercourse between the Ohio and the St. Lawrence have become so seltled that it will be difficult to shake them." What would this good man think, could he open his eyes upon our telegraphic operations, our railroads, and our mammoth steamers ? We left St. Louis, June 17th, at 5 o'clock, the time announced for the boat's departure. A blessed period have we lived to see, when steamboat Captains keep their engage- ments, and boats are "off" at the hour. Formerly, the poor, helpless traveler with his baggage and body on board, and his temper at " boiling point," must wait, perhaps a LETTEK NO. I. 15 day or two after the public announcement of the time of departure, afraid to go on shore lest he should be left, and feeling himself to be a sort of amphibious animal, with no privileges on land or water. The " Fashion" is truly a fine boat, with large cabins, commodious state-rooms, sofas, otto- mans and rocking-chairs in abundance ; in short, with every convenience, comfort and luxury — and last and not least, with an obliging chambermaid. This last appendage is more necessary to the comfort of passengers than is often supposed. A disobliging chambermaid will do much to render a boat unpopular. I remember, once in particular, a snappish chambermaid, a colored woman, destroyed the comfort of the ladies' cabin completely, notwithstanding the efforts of the gentlemanly officers of the boat to make every thing- pleasant. In those days, one wash-bowl, one towel, one comb and brush, were deemed sufficient to accommodate the whole cabin. A tumbler of water, a candle, wash-bowl, or towel, was a superfluity in any state-room, which the chambermaid positively refused. Every favor was resolutely denied. She seemed to feel her province was to rule, and the passengers' duty was to submit. She made herself exceedingly odious, till a little incident occurred, which turned the tide of feeling in another direction, and, in our mirth, we forgot our annoy- ances. There was but one rocking-chair in the cabin, and that belonged to an invalid. When not occupied by the owner, it found many friends among the ladies. The cham- bermaid felt it her duty to set matters right in regard to this chair. She requested the ladies not to use it any more, as it did not belong to the boat, but was owned by a sick lady on board, " who had a spine in her back" We all laughed at the unfortunate lot of this woman, in the chambermaid's imagination. 16 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. We had one hundred and ten passengers, many of whom were the residents of St. Louis — a very agreeable company. As this is a passenger boat, and not heavily laden with freight, she makes speedy trips. The "Fashion" is deser- vedly one of the most popular boats on the western waters. It has but one fault ; it allows gambling. We reached Cairo Tuesday morning, early, and Louisville, or rather the port below it at the canal, Thursday morn. A messenger was dispatched to engage state-rooms for the St. Louis company, but a crowd from the southern boats had monopolized every state-room but one in the ladies' cabin, and the best rooms in the other. We found ourselves very uncomfortably ac- commodated in consequence ; but as it is the part of wisdom when one is in trouble, from which he cannot extricate himself, to sit down contentedly as possible, I resolved not only to enjoy my own sorrows, but to look about and amuse myself with other people's misfortunes. And this is by far a more interesting employment than one would imagine. As my position was nearly the centre of the gentlemen's cabin, I had a fine opportunity to observe. It seemed as if " every tribe, people, nation and kindred under heaven" was represented in the moving throng that rushed upon the Tele- graph No. 2, the mail boat from Louisville to Cincinnati. It was quite amusing to notice with what eagerness each passenger sought out the number of his state-room, and peeped into his " Pandora's box," and then to listen to his exclamations of dissatisfaction, and see the grimaces and wry faces displayed at his lot. The ladies and servants were hunting up the bewildered children, gathering them like chickens, and putting each brood into its new nest. The servants were a curiosity in themselves — of all colors, from milk and molasses up to the darkest Egyptian marble — and the negr esses from the South, moving about with stee- ples and topknots of the most fantastic shapes and colors LETTER NO, I. 17 imaginable. Not the least of my amusement was to see how many tumbled over the spittoons, which were arranged throughout the cabin evidently for the purpose of entrap- ping the unwary; they were of no use whatever otherwise, as every body spit upon the carpet. In the bustle and hur- ry and confusion of leaving shore, and being settled down in our new circumstances, it seemed as if the world either had come to an end, or was on the eve of dissolution, we could scarcely determine which. After awhile the confusion abated, and a new operation commenced. A table was spread with napkins, and two mulattoes employed themselves in preparing them for din- ner, and I became initiated in the mystery of folding doy- lies into the most fantastic shapes ; this is quite an art. But the process of getting up a dinner for three hundred people, and clearing it away, which occupied three hours, quite ab- sorbed my attention. This was the most elaborate perform- ance of the kind I ever witnessed. The automaton-like movements of the waiters, as they walked up and down with measured step in single file, with the clatter of dishes, knives and forks, and the tinkling of spoons, and finally their regular and simultaneous movements in placing dinner upon the table, brought back vividly to my mind the evolu- tions of our old-fashioned militia — "Make ready — take aim — fire ! " — and down came the dishes and off went the cov- ers with such magical power, I almost feared an " open sesame" would come next, to wind up the scene, and we find ourselves in some fairy land involved in one general catastrophe. I was pleased to see, in the cabin, framed printed notices to this effect: "Gambling for money prohibited on this boat." I expressed my pleasure to a gentleman present, who replied: "There is as much gambling on this boat as on others, but it is managed in an evasive way. A pile of 18 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. coffee kernels, or something else, is substituted for money. Each kernel is counted for a dime or a dollar, as the parties may agree, and when the result of the game is known, mat- ters are settled in the state-rooms." He told me many a young man was duped and fleeced by the professed gam- blers who abound on our western rivers. The gambler selects his victim at an early stage of his journey, and b^ special attention, perhaps, if he is a young, inexperienced traveler, wins his confidence; when time passes wearily, he proposes to play a game of cards for amusement. This he consents to do, and is allowed at first to win. After a while the gambler declares the game insipid, and proposes to play for a drink. The young man often demurs, but finally, lest he should be thought mean, consents ; and when he becomes excited with liquor, he is easily led on to other games, and soon begins to lose. He often loses all his money, and is fairly started on the highway to ruin before his trip is over. We came to a little town on the river where we stopped to take on an old lady as a passenger. A stranger near me inquired of the porter the name of the place. He replied, waggishly, it was "Bethlehem of Judea." " And is that," retorted the passenger, pointing to the old lady who had just come on board, "the star of Bethlehem?" We had one case of cholera on board while our boat lay at Louisville. A young man who came from St, Louis was seized very violently as soon as he came on to the " Tele- graph." He had been unwell previously, and walking about the city in the hot sun developed the disease. Dr. M., of St. Louis, and some friends of the gentleman, came to his aid, and carried him off the boat to a place where he could receive every attention. The weather was excessively warm all the way to Cin- cinnati, and being huddled together in such numbers, and occupying state-rooms so uncomfortable that we could scarce- LETTER NO. I. 19 jy breathe the fresh air, we were very glad when we arrived at Cincinnati, at half past 6 on Friday morning, the 21st. We breakfasted at the Burnett House. This is a magnifi- cent hotel, inside and out. Everything is arranged in princely style. Princes and nabobs only can afford to pa- tronize it. Many of our company breakfasted and dined nere. Their bill was two dollars each. At half past 2 o'clock, we took the cars to Sandusky. Sixty passengers went from the Burnett House alone. We rode all night, and found it wearisome enough. This railroad is certainly an improvement on the old-fashioned "tym'Z "-roads or "cor- duroys " of twenty years ago that abounded in Indiana and Illinois, but surely can claim to be nothing more than a cari- cature of an Eastern railroad. The seats for night passen- gers are very uncomfortable. There is a place to rest your head, such as you find in a daguerreotype chair, and I felt as if I had been sitting for my daguerreotype all night. We passed a very pleasant Sabbath at Buffalo, at the " Phelps House." This hotel is kept by Rogers, formerly of the " Delavan House," Albany. Travelers who wish every com- fort and attention at reasonable prices, I would recommend to this hotel. We heard Dr. Thompson preach. His theme was the recent disaster on the Lake, and a most excellent discourse it was. We passed the wreck of the ill-fated "Griffith" on our way from Sandusky to Buffalo. The chimneys and one of the wheels were above the water. This was truly a most deplorable disaster, and is rendered more melancholy from the fact that it happened so near the shore, and in sight of so many homes. As I stood gazing at the wreck, I discovered a young woman near me who seemed deeply affected. She was sister of the pilot who was lost on that boat. She said her brother was one of the most expert swimmers on the Lake. He had often told his wife she need not fear that he would ever be droivned, 20 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. "for," said he, "it 1 the boat was on fire even, I could swim ten miles." He was the first to discover the smoke, and directed the engineer's attention to it. Finding it on fire, the engineer returned to him and told him "to stick to the wheel to the last." This he promised to do; and when com- pletely enveloped in smoke and flame, and he found he could be of no farther use, he stripped off his coat and jumped overboard. But he was seized upon by the struggling mass and was drowned. He was the individual drawn up by the grappling-hooks with eight bodies attached to him. So little do we know the manner of our death! And so little, by any foresight or precaution of our own, can we prevent death's approach in his own way. As our route from Buffalo to Albany by Niagara Falls and Lake Ontario to Oswego, taking the cars at that place" to Syracuse and on, would be less fatiguing, less mono- tonous, and part of it novel and cheaper than the other, giving us four hours' time at the Falls, we took the cars to Lewiston. We found this a pleasant route, giving us a good night's rest on the splendid steamer Cataract to Oswego. You will hear from me again at New York. LETTER NO. II. New York, July 8, 1850. We found Niagara thronged with visitors. It was a splendid day, and we saw the "Falls" in their greatest beauty. But no human pen can justly describe this wonder of God's wonderful works. The eye alone can give a true impression of their magnificence. Three or four days will scarcely suffice a traveler to take a glimpse of all the inter- esting features of this place. You must go down the stairs to the foot of the American Fall, to have an idea of the vast ~~ height from which this cataract pours. There are five hun- dred and eighty steps, down and up again. If you choose, you can take an almost perpendicular ride, by means of pulleys, down the cliff. We wandered about Goat Island, which is almost as beautiful a spot as the picture my imagina- tion has drawn of the garden of Eden. We saw the very spot where Charles Addi'ngton and the little girl went over the Falls, last June. She fell in about twenty feet above the " Fall." The stone was pointed out to us on which Mr. A.'s foot slipped, as he stepped to rescue the child, whom his ill-timed joke was about to destroy. We passed over the bridge where Mrs. Miller tied her shawl and bonnet, last year, to create a supposition of her suicide, and by the place where Sam Patch made his two successful leaps from a platform, raised on a ladder ninety-six feet above the water's edge. The Whirlpool, the Suspension Bridge, the Caves, the Battle Grounds in the vicinity of Niagara, Table Rock, the Burning Spring, and the Museum and Reposito- ries of Indian works and curiosities, are all places of great interest, and wile away much time as you gaze and admire 2 22 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. and are riveted to these enchanting spots. We found groups of squaws engaged at bead-work in the woods, and surroun- ded by many samples of their ingenuity and industry, which they dispose of to passers-by. I was quite amused at the Indian fashion of "tending a baby," and putting a "papoose" to sleep. One of the squaws had a very pretty infant, which was strapped into a shallow trough by a very beautiful piece of bead- work, a quarter of a yard wide — only the baby's head could be seen. This trough stood upright in the mother's lap, and she see-sawed it from side to side, till the baby was fast asleep — a more fatiguing process than the old-fashioned way of rocking a cradle. We took the steamer Cataract on Lake Ontario ; this is a very fine boat. We were about twelve hours from Niagara to Oswego. At Oswego, we took the cars to Syracuse, and reached Albany at 3 o'clock on Tuesday, 25th June. I think, of all places I ever visited, there is none in which a traveler is more annoyed, on his arrival, than at Albany. Long before we reached the city, steamboat and hotel runners poured into the cars. By the time we were fairly landed, we were almost compelled to believe "Bedlam had broke loose," so like a pack of wolves did they rush upon us. While waiting to check our baggage, two of these runners besieged us in the most furious manner, determined to contest the point to the very last extremity. One was a pleader for the steamer Isaac Newton, and the other for the Manhattan. The fare in the former to New York was fifty cents, their printed card stated, and fifty cents for a berth. In the latter, fare twenty-five cents; berth in a state-room fifty cents. Both talked and coaxed, and we were compelled to hear both sides at once, for, wedged in the crowd, there was no way of escape. Finally, "Isaac Newton" said he would take us for twelve and a half cents each. "He lies" said Manhattan, "and you'll find you are awfully cheated. * LETTER NO. II. 23 if you go on that boat." " / don't lie" said Isaac Newton, " and to prove it, if you will give me thirty-seven and a half cents for your company of three, I will give you three tickets on the spot." As the Isaac Newton is one of the finest boats on the North River, we concluded to take him up; and, with our tickets and baggage, proceeded to the steamer. But our persecution did not end here. Like Bunyan's Poor Pilgrim in the " Valley of the Shadow of Death," we were followed by these satyrs and hobgoblins in human shape, springing up on every side, and shouting in our ears, some one thing and some another, till, like Christian, afraid of losing his " Roll," we feared we should lose our earthly possessions in the way of baggage, and, perchance, be car- ried off " bodyaciously " besides, as a Hoosier would say. "Will you go on the Manhattan?" said one man, very coaxingly. "No respectable people go on that boat," screamed out another. A colored man joined in the chorus, and offered to show us to the Isaac Newton. "Don't pay any attention to that nigger ! " bellowed out the opposition. Sure enough, when we called for our berths on the Isaac Newton, we were charged three dollars besides our tickets, making three dollars and thirty-seven and a half cents ; and on the P*lanhattan, for a very good state-room, fare and all, one dollar and seventy-five cents. So we changed to the last named boat. This is but a specimen of the outrages and imposition that meet you on every side. Arrived at New York June 26th; dined at the Rev. H. Beecher's, of Brooklyn. His new church, just completed, is built on the site occupied by Dr. Cox's old church, formerly. It is a very large, unostentatious edifice. The front is plain, to a fault, I think, but I admire the interior very much. It will seat more than two thousand people, and although the aisles are filled with seats, crowds often go 24 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUBQPE. away. A pastor's study and reception room, with a lecture and two Bible class rooms, are in the rear of the church below, and above there is a Sabbath school room and two beautiful parlors, with folding doors, elegantly furnished with Brussels carpets, stuffed chairs, handsome sofas, a chandelier, &c, at the end of which are a gentlemen's and a ladies' dressing room attached. These rooms are for the accommodation of the Sewing Circle and the social gather- ings of the congregation. They meet alternately every other Tuesday. These social parties are found necessary in so large a congregation, where the requisite visiting to pro- mote the acquaintance desirable between a pastor and his people would be impracticable. Mr. Beecher's salary is $3,500, and he has lately received a very handsome horse and carriage as a gift from his people. At 5 o'clock, we took the steamer Empire State to Fall River, where we arrived at 5 in the morning, and taking- the cars to the " City of Notions," arrived in Boston to breakfast. They have an excellent arrangement on the Empire State, which it would be well for our western steamers to adopt — viz: A little door, about eight inches by six, in the top of the pillar or narrow panel between every two state-rooms. This door was locked. About dusk, a servant came with a torch, and unlocking the little door, unclosed a small lamp in a glass box of triangular shape, through which the light could shine into each state-room. As soon as the lamp was lighted, the little door was locked, the servant walking off with the key. In this way, without danger to the boat, each state-room was lighted all night, (a great accommodation, certainly, to those who have children traveling with them,) and a little red curtain was provided to shade the light, if necessary. I suppose there was an aperture in the top of the box for the smoke of the lamp to escape. LETTER NO. II. 25 Br. Webster's case, of course, forms one of the important topics of conversation in Boston. There are several rumors afloat concerning him, which may or may not be true. One is, that an idiot son died some time since, with striking- evidences of having been poisoned, and that the Doctor was unwilling to have a post mortem examination, &c. As you and your readers will hear much in Dr. Webster's case of the doings of the Governor and Council, and as the Gover- nor's Council is peculiar to Massachusetts, it may be well to say, that it stands in relation to the Governor much as the Senate does in other States. In Massachusetts, all the appointments and official acts of the Governor are by and with the advice and consent of the Council. The Council not only confirms and vetoes the acts and appointments of the Governor, but advises with him concerning them ; in this respect, occupying the place of the Cabinet officers and Senate of the United States. In constructing the government of Massachusetts, there was manifested a jealous care to keep each department separate and independent. Dr. Webster has effectually destroyed all confidence in his veracity. His confession has come too late ; and after such solemn appeals to the " Searcher of hearts" for the truth of his declarations of innocence in killing Dr. Parkman, as we find in his first petition to the Governor, April 24th, his present statement of the circumstances of his murder will have little weight. Then he asserts, in an awfully solemn manner, that he "did not kill Dr. Parkman" — "that he is a victim of a foul conspiracy or of circumstances." JVow he confesses that he then perjured himself, by stating that he did kill him and attempted to secrete his body. Now, too, he appeals to the same omniscient Being, and affirms he tells the truth, when he asserts that he killed Dr. P. by one blow with a piece of grape vine, in a fit of passion, 26 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. induced by great provocation on Dr. P.'s part. And that this one blow was so effectual that life was extinguished in ten minutes ! Surgeons in this part of the country are, I believe, unani- mous in the opinion, that life could not thus be taken away in so brief a period. They say that death might be effec- tually secured by one blow, but that life would not be extin- guished in ten minutes, were even the skull broken. For the benefit of your traveling readers, Mr. Editor, I will give you the expense of the popular route we came from St. Louis, to Boston: From St. Louis to Louisville $7.00 " Louisville to Cincinnati 2.50 " Cincinnati to Buffalo 10.00 " Buffalo to Oswego 5.00 " Oswego to Albany 4.25 " Albany to New York , 75 " New York to Boston, by Falls river 4.00 $33.50 By taking a boat through to Cincinnati from St. Louis, SI. 50 might be saved, besides porterage and conveyance from the foot of the canal to Louisville. Also, by paying railroad fare to Sandusky simply, instead of Buffalo, one or two dollars' expense might be avoided, and a better boat secured in the opposition line. They had one excellent ar- rangement on the cars from Cincinnati to Sandusky; it was peculiarly grateful in a hot day. Every hour a man passed through the cars with a pail of cold water and a tumbler. On some routes it is exceedingly difficult, sometimes, to ob- tain water at all, and on others you are obliged to buy it. In the Worcester depot, Boston, we found the following curious printed notice : " Insurance against steamboat and railroad accidents. — The Franklin Health Assurance Company of Boston, Mass., LETTER NO. II. 27 especially empowered to insure against accidents ! Capital $50,000. President, Hon. Sherman Leland ; Vice Presi- dent, Gen. H. A. S. .Dearborn, &c. This Company insures travelers at the following rates : Terms, 6 hours Premium 6 cents. " 12 " " 12 » " 24 " « 15 " " Persons employed on railroads and steamboats are in- sured against accidents at the following rates, viz : Engineers, firemen, brakemen, and other operatives, 3 months.... $3. 00 Conductors, baggage masters, and express men 3 " .... 2.00 " Conditions of Policy. — Any accident by railroad or steamboat resulting in the injury of any passenger holding a policy in this company, entitles the party insured to re- ceive $200, if detained ten days ; and $400 if any of his bones are broken by such accident, or if he shall be so far injured as to be incapable of attending to any business for the space of two months next succeeding such accident or injury." The following certificate is from W. E. Richardson, con- ductor of the Worcester and Norwich railroad : " On the 8th of April last, being a conductor on the Wor- cester and Norwich railroad, I purchased of the Agent of the Franklin Health Assurance Company, at the depot in this city, a policy of insurance against accidents on railroads, for which I paid fifteen cents. On the same evening, the cars fell through the bridge at Fisherville, and I was so much injured that I was detained from my business about fifteen days. I presented my claim to the Secretary of the Franklin Health Assurance Company, and he promptly paid me the sum of two hundred dollars, being the amount gua- ranteed to me by the policy I had purchased." What will not be insured next ? We have spent one Sabbath in New York. Were roused at a very early hour by an incessant cry of radishes or vege- tables, as on other days, I thought. I found afterwards it was the news boys who are employed in selling the Sunday 28 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUKOPE. papers. It is really a serious infringement on the quiet of the Sabbath and the morality of the people. Heard Dr. Stiles in the morning, successor to Dr. Skinner, Mercer street. He does not use notes ; but his fluency and earnest- ness render him a very interesting speaker. His church is one of the most wealthy Presbyterian churches in the city ; probably there are more men of influence and wealth con- gregated in this church than in any other of this denomina- tion. We attended the Church of the Epiphany in the afternoon — Rev. Lot Jones, Rector. He is an indefatiga- ble student, and a very laborious and successful shepherd. From a very small beginning, he has, in a few years, built up a large and flourishing church. In the evening, we heard the Rev. Henry Beecher, of Brooklyn. His church, when lighted in the evening, is certainly one of the finest I have seen [anywhere. The organ and the choir are in the rear of the pulpit, and the gallery, including the orchestra, forms a circle around the church. The effect is very line. The house was filled. There are four aisles in the body of the church, and a gen- tleman stations himself in every aisle, and, with the utmost courtesy, seats every stranger. No one is made to feel here that he is trespassing on the rights of others, but, on the contrary, is most heartily welcomed even to the best seats ; quite a contrast to the surly, selfish conduct often witnessed in our churches. Mr. Beecher's text was in 1st Pet. 5: 8, 9; "Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour," &c. It was the best sermon on Satanic agen- cy I ever heard. Mr. Beecher has a fine voice, of great compass. He is exceedingly graphic and life-like in de- scription, and his knowledge of men and things he shows up with great effect. LETTER NO. II. 29 We expect to sail for Liverpool to-morrow, July 9th, at 12 o'clock, m., in the large and elegant packet New World, Capt. Knight. The captain is a very gentlemanly man, and a member of Mr. Beecher's congregation, Brooklyn. He limits his number of cabin passengers to eighteen. The following persons have engaged state-rooms : Judge Willard and lady, Troy; Rev. Mr. Sayres and lady, (Bap- tists,) Brooklyn; Rev. Mr. Chapin, Universalist minister, and Mr. B. B. Muzzy, Boston; Mr. Lyman Scott, and Rev. A. Bullard, St. Louis. I presume we shall have rare discussions on Baptism, Universalism, and Presbyterianism, and what other isms we can dish up by the way. We have been down to look at our transient home on the deep. Our state-room is very comfortable and capacious — twelve feet long and eight feet wide — affording a double berth and a single one on the same side. As to sea-sickness, the captain seems to think it is a sheer piece of nonsense, which no rational person will tolerate more than twenty-four hours. He recommends a strict diet for two or three days before sailing, and promises, if we follow his directions, that we shall only have a touch of it at any rate. I am afraid we have not as much "spunk" as the captain expects, and that we shall not be very successful in resisting the attacks of this monster, but you shall have our experience in due time. 30 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. LETTER NO. III. Liverpool, July 31, 1850. On the 9th of July, at noon, the passengers of the " New World" were all assembled on the pier, waiting for a steam- er to take them to the ship, which lay anchored at some dis- tance from the city. Just as we left, another ship arrived, crowded from stem to stern with emigrants ; she looked like a white rose covered with bugs. Every man, woman and child were straining their eyes for a first view of the land of their adoption, while we were taking a last look, perchance, of our native country. The departure of a ship is a very different thing from that of a steamer. The ship was not rigged till just before the tow-boats left us at Sandy Hook, so we had a fine op- portunity to see the whole process of unfurling the sails, and of learning the a-b-c of sea-life. The "New World" is a splendid vessel, of fifteen hun- dred tons, built about three years since, and is differently constructed in many particulars from the sailing packets of former times. It has an upper deck, occupying about one- third the width of the vessel; affording quite a long prome- nade and a fine position for viewing the coast as we sailed out of the harbor. We were towed by two steamers, one on each side, for several miles, when one of them returned, bearing away from us many of our friends, who had come down to the ship to accompany us a short distance on our way. In the course of the afternoon, it was found that four steerage pas- sengers had been smuggled on board, and one was actually detected in robbing a fellow-passenger. He was driven over LETTER NO. III. 31 the side of the vessel in double quick time with a rope's end, and leaped on the steamer which still remained at our side. The captain told us that on his last trip from Liver- pool to New York, among seven hundred passengers, he found that seven had been smuggled on board, but it was discovered too late to set them adrift. Sometimes a man is headed up in a barrel — he has known a man to be put in a sack and filled around with potatoes, and sometimes done up in feather beds and other luggage. Whenever he sees any suspicious looking bundles on board, he sends a man with a long stick that has two or three prongs to it, to stick into the luggage, and ascertain if it contains a piece of humanity. So occupied were we with gazing at the scenery on the coast, and scanning the countenances and watching the movements of our fellow-passengers, both cabin and steer- age, (for all were scattered about the decks on the look-out,) and witnessing the movements of the sailors, and listening to their songs, that we remained on deck till 10 o'clock at night, long after our last tow-boat had disappeared, and till the last faint glimpse of the lighthouse on Sandy Hook had vanished, and we began to feel that we were at sea, and that a long, long time would elapse before our eyes would again be blessed with the sweet vision of land. Our passengers promised to be extremely pleasant com- panions ; our captain was exceedingly affable and commu- nicative, our accommodations were comfortable, and in the novelty of our situations we found every thing to amuse and interest us. So far, I was quite delighted with our prospects. I had learned that in all we had two hundred and three souls on board. The officers and crew numbered forty-two ; there were twenty-seven cabin, twenty second cabin, and one hundred and fourteen steerage passengers. There were six clergymen, three lawyers, one physician, one sur- 32 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. geon, five ladies and four children. George Folsom, Esq., U. S. Charge d' Affaires at the Court of the Netherlands, lady, children and servants ; Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, of Brooklyn; Dr. McFarlane, Superintendent of the New Hampshire Insane Asylum, and James Edwards, Esq., and lady, of Albany, were among our number. Five of our passengers were Delegates to the Peace Congress, at Frank- fort, Germany. I began to think a ship was a world in itself, and that there were pleasures on sea as well as on land, and with many pleasant thoughts I fell asleep. But in the morning all my bright visions of enjoyment had fled. Almost every passenger, as well as myself, was prostrated by sea-sickness for two or three days. On Saturday, those of us who were able to make our ap- pearance on deck, had come unanimously and decidedly to the conclusion that we understood more fully the theory of the "in- terior life" than we had ever done before. Such a crest-fallen, subdued set of mortals it has seldom been my lot to see. Some of the gentlemen were stretched on coils of rope, with cloaks for their pillows, and their faces upturned to the sky. One had cradled himself in one of the boats swung over the side of the vessel, where he had made quite a respectable nest, with a sail stretched over him as a shelter from the sun, and was the envy and admiration of the rest for his ingenuity and ability to make himself so comfortable. Others were pacing the decks "with measured strides and slow," and with a look of resolution and defiance which, in other circumstances, would certainly have excited a smile. As for the ladies, they were all passive, gentle and silent, if not amiable. We had head winds ever after we left New York, and had made very little progress, which was no alle- viation of our discomfort. Saturday night, while in the Gulf stream, it thundered and lightened for several hours. LETTER NO. III. 33 and the thunder boomed over the waters with a sound we never heard on land. Suddenly a terrific squall came up, and before the sails could be taken in the vessel was thrown on her side; three of the sails were carried away and one torn into ribbons, and the jib-boom (a beam more than a foot in diameter) was snapped in two like a pipe-stem. The pitchers and tumblers and chairs and baggage rolled about in glorious confusion — a couple of buckets full of ocean's brine poured into our window, while a greater quan- tity came splashing down the companion-way, deluging the cabin floor, and pouring into our state-room beneath the door. The captain's voice was heard in loud and hurried tones, the sailors ran to and fro, and the pulleys creaked as they furled their sails, the passengers flew out of their state- rooms, and to add to the general uproar, a knife-basket sit- ting on the cabin table was thrown with violence against the state-room, and the knives and forks, in a terrible clatter, flew into every corner of the cabin. This lasted only about twenty minutes, and was the only unpleasant occurrence during the whole voyage. While crossing the Banks of Newfoundland, we had some foggy days, as is always the case. We hoped to have had a glimpse of some of the fish- ermen and their vessels, but on account of the dense fog we did not distinguish one. Every few minutes, a signal bell was rung on our ship as a warning to any one who might be near us unseen. As the passengers recovered from sea-sickness, sociability returned, and a committee was appointed to make arrange- ments for some intellectual treats. How much we missed the daily news ! How we longed to know what was going on in the great world, to which we seemed no longer to belong ! The only event of any importance that occurred among us, was an occasional visit from some of Mother Carey's chickens, which afforded a topic of conversation and wonder 34 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. how they could stand upon the water, where they came from, why they were never seen near land, and where they made their nests — all of which questions nobody yet has been able to answer ; or the sight of a shoal of porpoises which occa- sionally followed the vessel, and, in a most obliging and comical manner, performed a wallopade for our amusement. Several lectures were delivered, which were very useful and interesting. The Captain lectured on the " Ocean," giving us many important items of information, and stating many facts which were altogether new to some of us land lubbers. Dr. McFarlane lectured one evening on " Insanity." Mr. Bullard gave a lecture on " The West." The Captain spent another evening in giving us the details of the burning of the Ocean Monarch, two years since, not far from Liverpool. The New World rescued sixty of the passengers from the wreck. One of the Captain's crew was "Jerome," about whom so much was said at the time. Rev. Mr. Chapin delivered a first rate lecture on Intemperance, and Rev. Mr. Beecher gave an address on another occasion, &c. Then our table talk, if not interesting enough to give to the world, was so exceedingly pleasant to ourselves, that on more than one occasion, tea time found us all grouped around the table, unmoved, just as dinner left us. Stories, wild and tame, were told; discussions, hot and cold, took place. The political affairs of the old and the new world were all brought on to the carpet and settled by prophesy, if in no other way, to the satisfaction of all concerned. All the movements of the present day were canvassed, and either approved or condemned. Men and measures were handled without mittens, and sometimes without mercy. What else could be expected of so many idle lawyers, doctors, judges and ministers, without any causes to plead or criminals to con- demn ! There was a regular wordy contest, too, about all the isms and pathys of the age; and we had some very LETTER NO. III. 35 warm disputants, especially in favor of homoeopathy and hydropathy. When tired of the cabin, we sat on deck. We had our amusements, too; the principal of which was a game of shovel-cove, played with blocks, squares and num- bers being marked on the deck with chalk. Twelve, or more, could play at once. This game is a fine exercise, as well as amusement. One day, we became quite interested in the trial of a steerage passenger. Considerable excite- ment was raised on the forward deck by the conduct of one of the passengers, who had passed a counterfeit two dollar bill on a poor woman on board. When she ascertained it was a counterfeit, he refused to exchange it. The steerage passengers took it up. After consulting our lawyers and our judge, they put the man on trial in a regular way, sum- moning a jury and witnesses. The matter was tried ; the man was found guilty, and sentenced to be ducked once an hour, day and night, in a hogshead of water, till he made reparation. Just before the first hour was out, he took back the bill, and forked over another. As we approached a higher latitude, the weather, of course, became colder, and the nights shorter. Some days, it was really so cold that winter clothing was necessary ; it was not dark till ten o'clock, and was day-break at a little past two in the morning. It seemed wonderful to me, that in the midst of the pathless ocean we could tell just where we were, and by throwing out the log, we could ascertain just how many miles we were going in an hour. I cannot describe the joy with which our eyes first greeted Cape Clear. We had a fine view of the coast of the Emerald Isle — saw the place where the Albion was wrecked, near thirty years ago. Twelve of our party had' resolved to land at Cork, and, taking a trip to the Lakes of Killarney, and from thence to Dublin, and down to Liver- pool, calculated to reach the latter place almost as soon as 36 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUEOPE. the ship itself. But the wind would not allow us to land. We had head winds again in St. George's channel, and crept along slowly, but the weather was pleasant, and we saw the most beautiful sunsets imaginable. It is almost worth the trouble of a voyage to see a sunrise and a sunset at sea. As we began to draw nearer land, our attention was arrested by numerous vessels of all descriptions, unlike our own. This was peculiarly striking as we came into the river Mersey. The steamboats, tugboats, and smaller ves- sels are all painted black, with edges or stripes of white. The pipes of the steamers are painted, one-quarter of their height perhaps in black, one-quarter in vermillion color, then white, and topped with black, giving them a very gay ap- pearance. The small sailing vessels, instead of white sails, had nearly all sails of brick or chocolate color. Several miles from Liverpool we took on board a pilot, and were towed up the river by a tugboat, as there was very little wind. Our delight at being so near land can scarcely be conceived by any who have not been at sea. Soon after our arrival at the bar was telegraphed, we were enabled to get hold of some English newspapers, from which we learn- ed the death of Sir Robert Peel; and the first American news that greeted us as we came in sight of Liverpool was the sad intelligence of President Taylor's death. Owing to low tide, we were compelled to anchor out in the stream, and here were visited by custom-house officers. The steer- age was first examined, and one man was detected in stow- ing away large plugs of tobacco about his person. On examination fourteen large plugs were found upon him, and in his chest a bag of plugs was found, weighing a great many pounds. It was taken from him, and he held in ar- rest, liable to a fine of £100 or $500. The examination on board ship was very rigid. Several men with lanterns searched every state-room, although it was broad day-light ; LETTEK NO. IV. 37 they looked under the berths, lifted up the matresses, looked between the bed-clothes, and in every nook and corner. The baggage of the passengers, however, was reserved for inspection at the custom-house, but the ship was faithfully searched. At length, a steamer took us from the ship, and with three cheers, long and loud, which it seemed must startle old John Bull, we bade adieu to the " New World,' and turned our faces to the beautiful city of Liverpool, which loomed up to our view. At 12 o'clock, July 30th, just twenty days from the time we left New York, we arrived at this place; "and so it came to pass, we escaped all safe to land." LETTER NO. IV. London, August 17, 1850. We arrived in London late in the evening, and stopped at Morley's Hotel. In the morning, when I raised my cur- tain and threw up my window, I was delighted with the scenes presented to my view. Morley's Hotel is opposite Trafalgar Square, with the Strand on one side and Pali Mall on the other. Two beautiful "jets d'eau" were playing in front; at my right was an equestrian statue of George IV., and at my left a monument to Lord Nelson. " The National Gallery " was also in full view. We had hastened to London, by the advice of friends, as it had been announced that the Queen would prorogue Par- liament in person, and as the sporting season commences 3 38 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. the 12th of August, the city would soon be deserted by the nobility. There are so many objects of curiosity to a traveler in this great and wonderful city, that many weeks would scarcely suffice to obtain a glimpse of its wonders. We have, however, been very busy and have visited several of the most prominent points of interest. Taking a steamer at the Suspension Bridge, we proceeded down the Thames to the Tunnel, having a fine view of the city on each side, as this river winds through its centre. There are several bridges thrown across the Thames, and in passing under them the steamers are obliged to lower their chimneys. It is a curi- ous sight to see the chimneys toppling over, on hinges, as you reach the bridges, and then to see them rise up again after you have passed. The Thames Tunnel is a stupen- dous work. By several pairs of winding stairs you descend into the Tunnel, which you find whitewashed and lighted well, with stalls, fitted up on one side for the sale of toys, books or confectionary. In the Tunnel, for the first time in my life, I heard music performed by steam. On one side of the Tunnel is a ball-room, in which I was assured people often have very merry times. I could not but wonder at the design and successful completion of this gigantic work, nor could I divest myself of the idea that a river was roiling over my head, and might, perchance, come bursting down upon me. I was glad once more to find myself in upper regions. The Tower and Tower Hill one cannot visit with- out deep interest. The area of the Tower, within the walls, is more than twelve acres. William the Conqueror, in 1076, is supposed to have commenced the building of this great pile, to which additions have been made by William Rufus, Henry I., Henry III., Edward IV., Richard III., Henry VIII. , and new buildings are now being added to repair the ruins of a late fire. This place has been occupied as a LETTER NO. IV. 39 palace by many of the sovereigns of Great Britain. And oh ! how many scenes of blood have been enacted here. We saw the very spot where Anna Boleyn and Catharine of Arragon, and Lady Jane Grey, and hosts of others were beheaded; and saw the very instruments with which their heads were severed from their bodies, and the block on which so many heads have been laid, that it is covered with cuts and indentures like a butcher's block. The stones on the spot where these executions took place are for several yards so discolored, while all the pavement about is white, that it seemed as if they must be stained with blood. We went into the chapel and stood upon the very spot where the bones of Anna Boleyn and the Lady Jane Grey now moulder, and saw the marble images of the Earl of Dudley and Lady Jane, as at full length they lay, side by side, sculptured within the chapel wall. We went into the cell where Sir Walter Raleigh was confined, and read some of the inscriptions cut by unfortunate prisoners on its walls. We also saw a thumb screw and saw it applied. The "Bloody Tower" was shown us, where, among other atrocities, it is said, "the Innocents" were smothered by their uncle, Rich- ard III.; the room also where Anna Boleyn was imprisoned, and where Guy Fawkes was tried — and the tower, or rather the remains of the tower, where it is said the Duke of Clar- ence was drowned in a butt of malmsey. The Hall of Knights is full of interest. Here are knights, looking as if they were alive, and their eyes flashing fire, mounted upon their pawing steeds, in full aimor — not only in the exact style of the various periods in which they lived, but in the very armor which was worn. The weight of their armor was enormous. And we were told that the little sprigs of nobility, from their earliest years, were trained to wear it. A boy of five years could wear armor that would weigh twenty-five pounds. It was fitted to his age and size, and 40 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. a part of a child's daily discipline was, for a certain period, to wear his armor and accustom himself to its weight. We were then shown the Queen's Regalia, some of which was to be taken out next day for her public appearance in Parliament. Here was Queen Victoria's crown, valued at £1,000,000, or $5,000,000. The crown which Anna Bo- leyn wore is here also, as is that of George the Fourth ; the baptismal font of gold and the Royal communion service, consisting of a golden plate, elaborately wrought, two feet in diameter, and two golden flagons, &c. These are all en- closed in a glass case in the centre of the room, around which is an iron frame work to keep the precious jewels safe. The entire value of the Regalia is £3,000,000, or $15,000,000. Through the politeness of Mr. Richard Cobden, we were shown over the House of Parliament, which is an immense building, and will be a splendid one when it is completed, and the ruins of the fire are wholly repaired. It is as intri- cate as a rabbit-warren, and we almost lost ourselves in its - labyrinths. Ladies are not permitted to enter the House of Commons, but he took me to the entrance-door, the upper part of which is glass, shaded with so slight a curtain that I could distinctly observe all the proceedings without being seen myself. I saw the Speaker of the House with his great grey wig on, Lord John Russell, who was on the floor, &c. The House of Commons is very plain, but the House of Lords is most magnificent. We have nothing to compare with it in America. I was indebted also to Mr. R. Cobden for a ticket of ad- mission to the House of Lords to see the Queen prorogue Parliament. This, for an opportunity to see all the nobil- ity, is fully equal to a presentation to the Queen. A ticket of admission is obtained only from the Lord Chamberlain through a Peer. My ticket of admission ran thus: *n LETTER NO. IV. 41 No. 75. London, Aug. 15, 1850. \ Admit Full Dress. WlLLOUGHBY DE ERESBY, Gr. C. On the back of the card — "No lady admitted except in full dress." The streets were lined with people to see the Queen pass. I understand it is three years since she has prorogued Par- liament in person. Temporary seats, three tiers or more, were built up on each side, for which some persons paid three shillings (or seventy-five cents J each. No gentlemen are admitted to the floor of the House of Lords except peers, Bishops, and Ambassadors, and there are seats for only about two hundred ladies. It was an- nounced that the Queen would arrive at 2 o'clock, and to be in season I took a carriage at half -past eleven. There were about fifteen carriages in advance of mine, and as the House was not opened until 12 o'clock, the ladies must of course sit in their carriages until their turn came to be admitted. Precisely at twelve the door was opened, and when all the carriages before me were emptied and my turn came, I was allowed to pass in, but without the escort of any gentleman. Only about thirty ladies were seated before me, and I was shown one of the most desirable places for observation in the room, near the Queen, and for two hours and a half I had an admirable opportunity to scan the novel scenes be- fore me. The House of Lords is a most gorgeous place. The ceil- ing is magnificently gilded in raised figures, and the galler- ies are formed of very open iron-work, also gilded. The 42 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. Queen's throne, or chair of State, her canopy, &c, have also all the appearance of the most elegant carved work, covered with gold. The seats, arranged lengthwise of the room in four rows, were without backs and covered with crimson morocco. One of the most beautiful young ladies in the rooms at at my right hand, and, very fortunately for me, she was agreeable and communicative, and pointed out many persons of rank, whom I could not have recognized but for her politeness. In answer to one of my inquiries, whether such a lady was a Peeress, my companion replied, "Oh, yes, we are all Peeresses, you know." I smiled, but did not undeceive her, thinking, as it was the first and last time I should ever pass for a Peeress, I would enjoy my rank. The Duke of Wellington came early; he walked about, shaking hands and talking with all the ladies he knew, and I had a very fine opportunity both to see him and to hear him talk. He greeted our Minister, Mr. Lawrence, with great cordiality and respect. The Countess of Somers and some of the Dutchess Dowagers sat directly in front of me. The Bishops occupied a short front seat at the right of the Queen's chair of State ; the Ambassadors were seated be- hind them. The Nepaulese and Turkish Ministers alone sat with their heads covered. The Nepaulese Ambassador wore a cap covered with jewels, which it would have been a great pity not to display; he seems to be quite "a lion" here at this time. Crowds follow him, if in the street, at- tracted, I suppose, mostly by the exceeding splendor of his costume. The front seat on each side beyond the Bishops was occupied by the Peers, in crimson robes, striped cross- wise with ermine ; and each had a black bow on his left shoulder, a badge of mourning, I was told, for the late Duke of Cambridge, the Queen's uncle. In the gallery, opposite the Queen's chair, the front seat was occupied by reporters, LETTER NO. IV. 43 and behind were a few gentlemen and ladies. In the side galleries were about fifty ladies. In the centre of the room was a large table covered with documents and writing ma- terials, behind which sat four gentlemen in grey wigs. All the Judges and lawyers wear such comical looking wigs that I can scarcely preserve my gravity when looking at them. The tip-top ones have long ears to them, like the tabs of a lady's cap, and they look woolly as if they were cut out of a sheep's hide and colored grey ; I do not know what they are made of. Some wear wigs, shaped to the head, with three or four rows of tight curls and two little queues hang- ing down behind. When every thing seemed ready, and the time had nearly arrived for the ceremony, it was whis- pered about that the Queen's speech could not be found. I was at first disposed to be amused at the idea that the Queen had lost her speech; but, upon second thought, my selfishness suggested that it was no laughable matter, as in that case I should not hear it delivered, and so I joined in the general sympathy. At length, the Lord Chancellor, preceded by the mace, entered and took his seat. Prayers were read before her Majesty's arrival by the Bishop of Hereford. The pray- ers offered for the Queen are truly excellent ; allusion is made, briefly, to " Prince Albert, Albert, Prince of Wales, and all the royal family." We then sat a few moments in silence. I can give you no idea of the splendor of the scene before me. I never saw so brilliant a display of jewels be- fore ; such costly array and such magnificent head-dresses, composed of feathers, flowers, pearls, diamonds and bril- liants of every description. The room had the appearance of a flower garden, so varied and beautiful were the hues of the ladies' dresses. One of the prettiest young ladies I saw was Lady Constance, youngest daughter of the Dutchess of Sutherland. She was in mourning. 44 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. Some were dressed in rose-colored satin, with lace dresses over, flounced with very elegant Brussels lace a quarter of a yard wide, three rows. Two sisters wore very light blue silks with five flounces, pinked, and a white drooping feath- er on each side of their back hair, tipped with blue. White brocade silks with broad Brussels flounces, straw-colored, with black lace flounces, and the richest brocades of all colors, and plain changeable silks were worn. One lady was beautifully dressed in a very light delicate green silk, with flounces. She was very fair, had dark hair, and wore white plumes. Nearly all wore their hair twisted or braided very low behind. I saw very few French twists. Some wore cable twists. Their dresses are shorter waisted than with us, and they wear them so low in the neck, especially some of the old ladies, that I was quite scandalized, and scarcely knew whether to laugh or cry at the sight. At length, the report of cannons announced the Queen's ap- proach, and a flourish of trumpets preceded her up the stairs. She stepped into her robing chamber before she entered and put on her robe of State. Then the door was thrown open and the Royal Procession was ushered in by the her- alds — the officers of the Royal household followed. The Duke of Wellington bore the sword of State. The Marquis of Lansdown carried the crown on a crimson velvet cushion, which he held during the whole ceremony. This crown the Queen never wears. The Lord Chancellor carried the great seal. Queen Victoria came next, leaning on Prince Albert's arm, wearing over her dress a crimson velvet robe, trimmed with jewels, her train being borne by the Lord and Lady in waiting, the Dutchess of Sutherland and two pages. She ascended the steps to the throne with peculiar grace and dignity, and her crimson robe was gently withdrawn. The Lord and Lady in waiting and the pages withdrew behind LETTER NO. IV. 45 her chair. The Dutchess of Sutherland, a fine looking wo- man, in mourning, stood one step below the Queen at her left hand, the Duke of Wellington next her, and Prince Al- bert sat near him. The Marquis of Winchester, the Lord Chancellor and the Marquis of Lansdown stood at th Queen's right hand. The Queen is too small in stature, but she has a pleasing face and was dressed magnificently, and she is remarkably easy, graceful and dignified in all her movements. She wore a dress of gold and silver tissue, and her tiara, stomacher and necklace were all composed of dia- monds. Every time she moved, even slightly, her jewels glistened in the most dazzling manner. Prince Albert wore a Field Marshal's uniform, with a band of black crape on his left arm. He is quite a handsome man. Of course, every body rose as the Queen entered and did not resume their seats till she sat down. I imagined she colored a little under the deep gaze of so many eyes and so many glasses as were cocked at her Majesty. The Queen then dispatched an usher to summon " the Commons," who were in waiting outside the House of Lords. They came in a body and formed behind a railing underneath the gallery and oppo- site her Majesty. The Speaker of the House of Commons addressed the Queen at some length. Two of the gentle- men who sat at the table then rose, and making very low bows to the Queen, one repeated the title of a bill to which her Royal assent was requested. The other turned round to the House of Commons, and said, " La Reine le vent" " The Queen approves or assents." He then turned towards the Queen, and both the "wigs" bowed low again. This form was repeated a dozen or more times, till her assent to all the bills in question was made known. If the Queen does not approve the bill, he says, " La Reine s'avisera." "The Queen will consider of it," which is understood to be a delicate way of expressing her disapprobation. Her Mn- 3* 46 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. jesty then proceeded to read her speech, which had been found, and was presented to her by the Lord Chancellor, kneeling. Her speech was written on foolscap, which she rested on her lap as she read, sitting. She is a beautiful reader. Her enunciation was slow and distinct — her man- ner calm, dignified and self-possessed. To republican eyes it was a strange sight to see such a body of men standing grouped before a lady to receive orders, and it sounded strangely to hear her say: " My Lords and Gentlemen, I have the satisfaction of being able to release you from the duties of a laborious session," &c. But she said it with wonderful grace and dignity as well as authority. Her speech was short ; every word of it was heard distinctly by every person present. The Lord Chancellor then received the copy of the speech from her Majesty, kneeling, and her commands in regard to the prorogation. Then rising, he turned to the House and said, "My Lords and Gentlemen, it is her Majesty's will and pleasure that Parliament be prorogued till the 15th of October next." The Queen then rose and retired as she entered. Her State carriage is as magnificent as her attire. It glittered with gold, and was drawn by eight cream-colored horses in gilt trappings. The life-guards walked on each side of the carriage, and the horse-guards rode behind. Thus ended this day's pageantry. On Monday, 19th, the Delegation to the Peace Congress leave London for Dover and Calais, in company. The names of four or five hundred are already enrolled, and extra accommodations are provided. LETTER NO. V. At 4 o'clock, p. m., August 19th, we left London for Dover, by railroad, on our way to Frankfort, Germany, five hundred and eight miles. Four hundred and sixty-five names had been enrolled on the list of Delegates to the Peace Convention w T hich was to assemble on the 22d. About 8 o'clock in the evening, we reached Dover. The streets and wharf were lined with people, who had swarmed thither out of curiosity to see the crowd of members to the Peace Congress. With the greatest difficulty we made our way through the multitude, and covered the steamer. It is only twenty-two miles to Calais, and as it was a beautiful moonlight evening, and would take but two hours to land us on the other side of the Straits of Dover, the majority of the company preferred remaining on deck. But there was quite a stiff breeze, and in a few minutes the vessel rolled and pitched, and the water splashed over our vessel's side, driving the passengers from stem to stern. They tumbled over the baggage and over one another, and were drenched in water ; and, to add to all this, nearly every one became very sea-sick, while wedged in with the crowd they could not move. Oh, how much some suffered ! To those who were so fortunate as not to experience any sea-sickness, the scene afforded the greatest amusement. They laughed most heartily, while the poor, miserable objects of their mirth wondered how any body could laugh at the misfortunes of others. It was a long two hours, but it had an end, and we hurried off the boat to the Custom House. Our train was an extra, fitted out especially to accommodate the members of the Peace Congress, and the friends of the cause who 48 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. should go with them; and an arrangement had been made by the London Committee, with the officers of the different governments, to allow them to pass without examination of passports and baggage. Each one, however, had a large card, of the size of a small sheet of letter paper, done up in an envelop, signed, sealed and numbered by the committee, to show that he belonged to the company. They were allowed to go to Frankfort and return the next week, for the usual price of one way, which was about fifteen dollars in the second class cars, and a third more in the first. When we had all passed the Custom House in single file, showing our certificates, we seated ourselves in the cars and were soon whirled away, traveling all night. When you once get in a car, either in England or on the Continent, you are in and cannot get out, for the conductor passes from car to car and locks every door, and there you must stay till he sees lit to let you out. You see none of the popping in and out that prevails in America. Police men are stationed through- out the railroad routes in sight of each other, flag in hand, to notify in case of danger, and I have been much impressed with the care and watchfulness manifested every where. It is very seldom that any railroad accident occurs in these countries. You find no notices like the following, seen in our own country — '"Look out for the engine while the bell rings" — but every avenue leading to the railroad is closed by a gate, or a policeman is at hand when the cars are expected, and the road undergoes a special review before the train arrives, by the numerous railroad police. After such a siege of sea-sickness as we experienced the evening before, traveling all night, and eating nothing since 3 o'clock the day before, you may imagine that an appetite for a comfortable breakfast was not wanting ; but, as if we were on an errand of life and death, we were not allowed to stop long enough to obtain refreshments till 11 o'clock in LETTER NO. V. 49 the forenoon, and then only ten minutes. The moment the doors were unlocked, the famished passengers set out on a full run to the nearest eating establishments, and, losing sight of their peace principles, there ensued a general skirmish for hot coffee and rolls. The stoutest and fiercest, of course, conquered; and the vanquished had to hush the gnawings of hunger till 1 o'clock, and then a dinner prepared for a hundred, perhaps, afforded a fit oscasion for another battle among the four hundred distinguished combatants. To Ghent, we found the country level, and highly culti- vated in small patches. No fences or walls marred the scene, but it was all like one large, beautiful garden. Some of the country seemed like our prairies, well tilled. Cows were drawing the plough, and we were surprised at the rudeness of the agricultural tools. Ghent was, perhaps, the largest and most populous city of Europe, in the time of Charles V., containing one hundred and seventy-five thou- sand inhabitants; now, it has only ninety-seven thousand. From Liege, a city of seventy-five thousand inhabitants, to some distance beyond Aix la Chapelle, the scenery was mountainous and beautiful — beyond that, to Cologne, the land was level and poor. We saw women sawing wood, carrying coal, reaping, mowing, and engaged in all kinds of out-door work. Wheat, rye, oats, barley, beans, hemp, grass and clover, seemed to be the chief productions of the soil on our route. We saw very little corn, and that small. The houses were low and uncomfortable. Aix la Chapelle contains, perhaps, forty-eight thousand inhabitants, if is a fine city, and is famous as the birth and burial place of Charlemagne, to whom it owes its eminence. In the Cathedral here, they profess to show you some won- derful relics, among which are the skull and arm-bone of Charlemagne; though it is affirmed by some, whose knowl- edge of anatomy leaves no room for a doubt, that the bone 60 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. is no arm at all, but a leg bone. This arm is enclosed in a case, made for it by order of Louis XI., of France. They also show a lock of the Virgin Mary's hair, a piece of the true cross, a nail of the cross, the sponge which was filled with vinegar, some of the blood and bones of St. Stephen, some of the manna from the wilderness, and some bits of Aaron's rod. It was upon these relics that the Emperor of Germany swore at his coronation! The "Grandes Reliques" are shown only once in seven years, from the 15th to 17th of July. The next exhibition will take place in 1853. So highly has the privilege of obtaining a glimpse at these relics been esteemed in former times, that no fewer than one hundred and fifty thousand pilgrims have resorted to this spot on the occasion; and in 1846, the last anniversary, the number exceeded one hun- dred and eighty thousand ! Some of these relics are as follows: The robe worn by the Virgin at the nativity — it is of cotton, five feet long. The swaddling clothes in which Christ was wrapped ; they are of cloth, coarse as sacking, of a yellow color. The cloth on which the head of John the Baptist was laid. The scarf worn by our Saviour at the Crucifixion, stained with blood, &c. We spent the night at Cologne. This city is the largest and wealthiest city on the Rhine ; its population is eighty- five thousand. Here is one of the most beautiful Gothic Cathedrals in Europe ; it is, however, like very many of the most elegant and costly churches on the Continent, unfinished. We did not reach Cologne till evening, and it was rather a difficult matter to dispose of nearly five hundred visitors. Our accommodations were miserable. It was a warm night in August, and my bed consisted of a huge feather bed, a large feather pillow to put my feet upon, and two pillows for my head, with a feather bed to cover over all. They use LETTER NO. V. 51 none but single bedsteads in Germany, either in hotels or private houses. I ought, in justice, to say that, except in one other instance, we have found excellent beds in Ger- many. They generally have a comforter of down, which you can use or not, for an outer covering ; but only among the lower class do you find the huge feather beds to smother you in, which I have named above. We found, almost invariably, excellent matresses and clean beds throughout Germany and Switzerland. In the morning, we took a steamer to M ayence ; and in the beautiful scenery which burst upon us after we left Bonn, a city of fifteen thousand inhabitants, we forgot all the discomforts and annoyances of the preceding day and nights. Within twenty-four hours, we were in four different king- doms — England, France, Belgium and Prussia. Bonn is famous for its University, and a huge palace built for the Electors of Cologne in 1730, nearly half a mile long, serves to contain the University. Prince Albert was a student here. Beethoven, the composer, was born here in 1770. The banks of the Rhine, even to the summits of the highest hills, are in a state of the greatest cultivation. Every little strip of land, even amidst the rocks and almost inaccessible places, apparently, seemed to be filled with grape vines. In some spots, where the hills were steep, they build up terraces. The vines are trained on poles, three, four, or five feet high, like hops, and require an immense amount of labor. The old castles, too, on each side of the stream, presenting every few miles their moss-covered ruins to our view, kept our curiosity alive. I did not count the castles we passed on the Rhine, but I think there must have been thirty or forty, perhaps more — all ruins — speaking of the past, telling of the dead — and in such meagre traditions as only to create mystery, excite imagination, and awaken melancholy. 52 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. Mayence is a beautiful city, with thirty-six thousand inhabitants, and has eight thousand soldiers stationed in it — half Prussian and half Austrian. It seemed, as we walked this city, that we were in a camp, surrounded with soldiers. The Cathedral is an object of interest. A part of it has been built nine hundred years. The tower suffered from the Prussian bombardment in 1793, and is just as they left it. From Mayence to Frankfort, we had a few miles of rail- road. We passed large fields of poppies, and a great abundance of plums. Hemp and flax fields, too, lined the road side. We arrived at Frankfort on the morning of the 22d of August, where we spent one week. A committee to pro- vide places for those who should attend the Peace Congress, assigned us lodgings in a family, the head of which is con- nected with the Post Office Department. They only assigned places ; every member defrayed his own expenses. LETTER VI. Thursday morning, August 22d, the Peace Congress con- vened in St. Paul's Church, Frankfort, which was two years since given up to the German Congress, arid has never been used since that time till it was opened for the Peace Con- vention. It is a very large building ; the seats are circular, with two galleries, and it will contain five thousand people. It was well filled during the three days' session, and the meetings were exceedingly interesting. Most of the coun- tries of Europe were represented there, and we had speech- es in German, French, English and Italian. The same speaker sometimes addressed the assembly in three different languages. Mr. Jaup, late Prime Minister of Hesse Darm- stadt, was in the chair. I cannot begin to give you an account of the many thrilling speeches that were made and translated, nor even give you a list of the many distinguish- ed men of all nations, present. Cobden and Gerardin were decidedly the greatest lions there, as far as speeches are concerned. It was a delightful meeting, and will be produc- tive, no doubt, of happy results. A letter was read from the Archbishop of Paris, approv- ing the meeting, &c. As near as I could learn, thirty-five American Delegates were present. I presume before this you have received, in the German newspapers, a full account of the meetings. I intended to have sent you an extra, published in English, if it had been out in time ; but it was not issued till the day after we left. We visited many pla- ces of interest in Frankfort, among which were the Cathe- dral, (a building of the thirteenth century,) in which forty- six Emperors have been chosen and crowned before the 54 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. altar; and the Banqueting Hall, in the Town House, where the festivities succeeding the coronation were celebrated. Here are the portraits of fifty-two Emperors, from Conrad I. to Francis II. In the Dom Platz, we saw the house in which Luther resided , and the window from which he ad- dressed the people. Under it is his bust on the wall. We saw some very fine paintings also, among the best of which was a large painting of " Huss before the Council of Con- stance," an admirable picture, and a child of Rubens, paint- ed by himself, which was all but alive. The most curious place we saw was " Juden Gasse," the Jews' street, where the Rothschilds were born and lived, and where the old lady, not long since, died. I think I never saw a darker, more dirty, or forlorn looking place. I could think of nothing, as I looked into the long, dark, time-eaten halls of the houses in this quarier, but looking into the by- ways that lead to the bottomless pit. But black, old and gloomy as the place is, the old lady Rothschild could never be prevailed upon to leave the home of her youth and live in the palaces of her sons. We visited, also, the house where the poet Goethe was born. This is a beautiful residence. Some of the streets and houses in the new portions of Frankfort are very hand- some. The Cemetery at Frankfort is well worth visiting. It is unlike any other repository of the dead I have ever seen. The Old Cemetery, as it is called, is full; and as you enter a large and massive gateway, your eye meets one un- broken array of white marble gravestones, in the form of a cross. Trees, shrubbery and flowers surround the immense plat of graves. Bursting upon me unexpectedly, as it did, I felt for the moment that an army of the shrouded dead were waiting to receive us as we entered. Bordering on this large square, among the trees, are ma- ny very beautiful tombs, fine walks and rare flowers. Fresh LETTER NO. VI. 55 flowers were lying on almost every grave, and wreaths of fresh flowers garnished every tomb. Among the monuments here was a chapel in gothic style, erected by one of the late Dukes of Hesse to the memory of the wife whom he married with his left hand. It cost an immense number of florins — I dare not say how many. On asking an explanation of a left-hand marriage, I was told that the Duke was allowed to marry two wives — a wife from the nobility, whom he married with the right hand, and a wife from the people, who could be married only with the left. That they were equally recognised and legal mar- riages, but the children only of the noble wife could inherit the titles and honors of the Ducal family. The Duke in- tended to have been buried in the tomb of the left-hand wife, but, as he made no will to that effect, when he died his remains were buried with his ancestors. He married another wife from the people after the death of his first left- hand wife, and his noble wife and the last left-hand wife are still living. I was quite incredulous about this matter, but was informed by four different intelligent Germans, natives of Frankfort, that it was even so. The streets of the old part of the city are exceedingly narrow, and the upper stories of the houses in some of them jut over the street so far that you can almost shake hands with your opposite neighbors. The streets are altogether paved with large flat stones, the old ones having no side- walks. Very many respectable families live in tiers or layers, one family living in the lower story, another in the second, and so on to the fifth, and sometimes higher. At the front door you will find five bell-knobs perhaps, one above the other, numbered one, two, three, and so on; you must ring the bell of the story in which your friend lives. Of course, the kitchen, &c, are all in the story occupied by each family. 56 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. We were greatly harassed for a few days with the cur- rency — florins, groschens, silver groschens, kreutzers, and so on; and speaking no German, and but little French, we had marvelous times when we undertook to do any shop- ping. We found here, as in Mayence, several thousand soldiers stationed, half Austrians, and the other half Prussians. The citizens of Frankfort and other prominent places in the vicinity are exceedingly restive under the burdens and re- straints now laid upon them. The presence of foreign troops wounds their pride, and embitters their feelings toward their rulers. In speaking of these soldiers, as we passed some of them in the streets of Frankfort, a very in- telligent, wealthy citizen remarked to us, that he hoped soon to have a chance to exchange shots with some of them. The Prince of Prussia, who is very far from being popular among the people of Frankfort, reviewed the Prussian troops the morning before we left the city. A respectable committee was deputed to call on him with a petition from the citizens, praying that the number of troops in that city might be di- minished. We were informed that he replied, "You come from the discontented to complain, do you ? I will give you cause to complain. The number of troops shall be increas- ed." Many were greatly enraged by this reply. It is not easy to predict whereunto these things will grow. The standing armies, now employed in most parts of the conti- nent to keep the people under, are a grievous burden — a burden which cannot long be endured. Nearly half the vigorous, able-bodied men are now in the army. As a con- sequence, the women in great numbers are forced into the fields, to do the hard labor that should be done by those who are wasting their time and strength in burnishing their weapons of war. If man forsakes his home for the army, and woman leaves it for the field, what becomes of the care- LETTER NO. VII. 57 fill training of children, and who is to make bright and cheer- ful the fireside, and cultivate the dear delights of home? • ♦•■» » LETTER VII. On the twenty-eighth day of August we left Frankfort for Heidelberg by railroad, a distance of fifty-six miles. The country was level and uninteresting till we reached Darm- stadt. This is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and the Grand Duke resides here. Population thirty thou- sand. From Darmstadt to Heidelberg the scenery is beau- tiful. We had a view of the highest peak of the Odenwald chain of hills, the Melibocus, from the top of which you can see sixty miles. On our route to Heidelberg we had a view of the Castles of Auerberg, the Abbey of Lorsch, Starken- berg Castle, and the ruined Castle of Strahlenberg. Hei- delberg and its vicinity are beautiful. From the terrace, facing the river Neckar, on which it stands, we had a mag- nificent view of the town and the majestic hills behind it. The castle has the most imposing front of any that I have yet seen. This was for many years the residence of the Electors Palatine. It is said very few towns in Europe have experienced the horrors of war more frequently than this city. It has been five times bombarded, twice burnt, and three times taken by assault and pillaged. Its castle would seem from its situation and strength to be impregnable ; but one of the towers was undermined by the French, and half of it, instead of crumbling to pieces in the fall, has slid down in one solid mass into the ditch. 58 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUKOPE. In the cellar we saw the famous tuns built to hold the wine used at the castle. One (the small one, as the guide called it) was built in 1662, and holds ten thousand gallons, or sixty thousand bottles. But it seems this did not begin to meet the necessities of the noble family, and another was built in 1751 which holds forty-six thousand gallons; it took six months to empty it. It is thirty-two feet long and twenty- four feet high, and cost eighty thousand florins, or thirty-two thousand dollars. After taking a look at its dimensions be- hind and before, and on each side, which were amazing, we walked up quite a flight of stairs to the top ; over it is built a platform with a railing around it. Upon this platform the guide said it was customary to have a dance whenever the tun was newly filled. It has not been filled since 1769. We visited St. Peter's Church and saw the door on which Jerome of Prague attached his celebrated theses, and the place where he expounded his doctrines to the multitude in the neighboring church-yard. The inscriptions, in the part of the church-yard which we saw, were altogether in He- brew, and have stood many, many years. The University of Heidelberg is one of the oldest in Ger- many — was founded in 1386. It has now six hundred students. We visited the library, which contains an im- mense number of books, and were shown some very great literary curiosities ; among which were Luther's manuscript translation of Isaiah, in a state of excellent preservation — the manuscripts of Thucydides and Plutarch, of the 10th and 11th centuries-— a copy of the Heidelberg Catechism, with Luther's annotations in his own handwriting — and the Prayer Book of the Electress Elizabeth, daughter of James I., in her own writing. From Heidelberg we took the railroad to Carlsruhe. Thi is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Baden, and conta" between twenty and thirty thousand inhabitants. This cii LETTER NO. VII. 59 is laid out in a very singular manner. The palace is sur- rounded by a circular court-yard, a handsome row of houses forming a circle about it. All the streets of the city, like the spokes of a wheel, terminate in this centre ; so that in a walk round this circle, you can see through all the main streets, and in a few moments obtain a good general view of the town. There is also a beautiful avenue of Lombardy poplars, two miles long, leading to Durlach ; none of these poplars are less than ninety feet and some a hundred and twenty feet in height. After leaving the Rastadt station, a few miles from here is seen an old deserted chateau of the Mar- graves of Baden, built by Sybilla, wife of Louis of Baden. This lady was very beautiful, and it is said was as vain as she was handsome. There are sixty or seventy portraits of her, taken in different costumes, still hanging in her bou- doir. In her old age she became exceedingly bigoted. Her whole time was spent in privation and penance. She wore a hair shirt and a cross of wire net-work with points inside next her skin, and had two circular pieces of the same mate- rial to kneel upon. Her bed was a thin rush mat laid upon the floor. For a number of miles we found wreaths of flowers hung up in every direction, and flags flying from almost every house. On inquiry we found it was the birth-day of the Grand Duke, who was fifty-eight years of age. When we entered Baden, which is a city of great beauty, embosomed among the hills of the Black Forest, and built on the Oos river, we found great preparations making for extensive fireworks in honor of the Grand Duke. This city contains six thousand inhabitants, and has been a celebrated water- \g place ; it is said thirty-two thousand people visited it last r. We went to the old castle where the Margraves of .tden lived six hundred years. The dungeons under the 60 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUEOPE. castle are well worth a visit. Following a guide, we were conducted down winding stairs through several narrow dark entries with cells on each side, and came to a passage where, looking up, we discovered the light through a large tunnel leading up to the top of the castle. Here, our guide told us, persons had been let down blindfolded in an arm-chair, never to find their way out. Wander wherever they would, a dark cell would receive them, and a ponderous stone door, at length, by an invisible hand, would shut upon them. These stone doors are composed of one solid slab, a foot and a half thick, and springs concealed in the wall would slowly turn them on a pivot and close them so that no hu- man strength could force them. She showed us also one dungeon in which the instruments of torture were still re- maining, and a trap-door beyond which an image of the Virgin stood in a niche. On being told to kiss the Virgin, the prisoner stepping on the trap-door found it fall beneath him, and he was precipitated on a wheel filled with knives and cut to pieces. At Basle we visited the cathedral in which Erasmus is buried, and the cloisters which were his favorite resort, and went into the room where the famous Council of Basle were accustomed to meet. Here Pope Eugene IV. was dethroned and replaced by Felix V. This room was full of interest to us, as it remains precisely in its original state. In the libra- ry of the university we saw, among other curiosities, some manuscripts of Erasmus, who was Professor here. The country from Basle to Berne is very beautiful. The soil is rich and highly cultivated. But it is a melancholy sight to see the women engaged in the most laborious out- door duties, and cows yoked together performing the labor of oxen and horses with us, and driven by women. We often met women leading a cow, by a rope round her horns, attached to a load of hay. One of the greatest beauties of LETTER NO. VII. 61 the scenery on the continent, is the absence of those ugly fences and rude walls which mar so greatly the aspect of the cultivated parts of our own country. Here, for miles, you see nothing unsightly. The roads are in perfect repair, not a fence even between them and the fields ; but one vast beautiful field or garden is spread out to your admiring view. How each land owner, without any visible limit, can understand the boundary of his own possessions, especially after his crop is garnered, is a mystery to me. Or how people can live together in harmony, without quarrels and lawsuits, where no constant visible barrier between mine and thine exists, I cannot comprehend. Berne is a beautiful city, with twenty or thirty thousand in- habitants. Here we obtained our fir si view (and a most mag- nificent one it was) of the snowy Alps. The sky was clear, without a cloud, and nearly a dozen peaks of the Bernese Alps rose up in all their beauty and majesty before us, like so many pyramids of snow. You can scarcely imagine our feel- ings, as we seated ourselves beneath the shade of some old, lofty green tree, on the terrace back of the cathedral, to enjoy the beautiful landscape before us. It was the 30th of August, and every thing about us wore the livery of summer. The river Aar rolled one hundred and eight feet below us, at our feet. The hills about us were clothed with verdure, and yet we were in full sight of the land of eternal snows. There is a great deal to interest and amuse a traveler in Berne. The costumes of the Swiss are a novelty ; some of their fashions are very becoming. The town clock, in the centre of the city, is quite a curiosity. A minute before the clock strikes, a wooden cock, by the side of it, crows and flaps its wings ; and while a puppet strikes the hour on a bell, a pro- cession of bears issues out and passes in front of a figure up- on a throne, who marks the hour by gaping and by lowering his sceptre. They indulge here in a curious partiality for 4 62 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. bears. Images of this animal are seen everywhere. It is a favorite device, and is the armorial bearing of the canton. Outside one of the gates, two bears are to be found, living at public expense. Quite a large place of solid masonry is built up for their comfort. It would be quite a slight to omit visiting " Barengraben," as it is called. For hundreds of years bears have been kept at public charge. When the French army took possession of Berne, in 1798, the bears were led away captive, and deposited in the " Jardin des Plantes." But when, after a time, matters were settled, the bears were sent for, and provided for as before. Per- haps the Bear is looked upon as the tutelar deity of the city, At Berne, we found Dr. Hitchcock, President of Amherst College, and his lady, and in company with them we left for Geneva and Mont Blancv LETTER NO. VIII Spending a Sabbath in Berne, we took a Diligence from there to Vevay on Monday. The Diligence is unlike any public conveyance we have in America ; it is a great, lum- bering vehicle, which, on account of its clumsiness, rolls lazily along. It is divided into several compartments, viz: The "coupee," " l'interieur," "le banquette," "i'imperinle," and "le rotonde." The "coupee" is the most desirable; it will hold three persons, and being exactly behind and below the drivers' seat, with an open front, you have a fine view of the country as you pass along. The seats in this LETTER NO. VIII. 63 compartment are somewhat higher in price than the others. The " interieur" is the middle division, "le rotonde" is the last, and the "banquette" and "imperiale" are on top. All these divisions will hold sixteen or eighteen persons. They often attach three horses abreast, in front of the wheel horses, and sometimes, in ascending a hill, they put on a pair of oxen ahead of all. These horses have bells about their necks, as with us in sleigh-riding. Beside the driver, there is a conductor, who carries the passengers' passports, attends to the baggage and other matters, and there is often a postillion, who rides one of the front horses. We passed through Freyburg and Bulle — the former of which is noted for its Suspension Bridge, the longest of a single curve in the world — and it has one of the finest organs in Europe, built by the late Aloys Mooser, a native of Freyburg. It has sixty-four stops, and seventy-eight hundred pipes, some of them thirty-two feet long. By paying eleven francs for a party, you may have an opportunity to hear it. The town has eight or ten thousand inhabitants. The country, from Berne to Freyburg, is mostly a grazing country; we saw scarcely any vineyards. We did not reach Vevay till eight or nine in the evening; but it was moonlight, and so beautiful did our winding way among the hills and vineyards seem, down to the bright and calm Lake of Geneva which lay at our feet, that we talked seriously about turning back the next morning, eight or ten miles, to have another and a day-light view of the same scene. But, as our time was limited, we finally concluded to take a small steamer the next morning from Vevay to Geneva, a distance of fifty-five miles. Vevay is a beautiful little town, located on the east end of Lake Geneva, and the city of Geneva is situated at its western extremity, where the Rhone issues out of it. Vevay is famous for its vineyards and wines. I never saw more delicious grapes. 64 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. It was a calm, bright day ; the sky was cloudless, and we enjoyed the trip exceedingly. Our view of Mont Blanc, though at a distance of sixty miles, was magnificent. We were told by those on board, who had often traversed the Lake, that we were peculiarly fortunate, as so clear and fine a view was seldom obtained. We could scarcely believe ourselves to be more than ten miles from its base, so dis- tinctly did it stand before us in all its snowy beauty, among the green hills of the Alpine range. On our right, were the towns of Lausanne, Coppet, Ferney, &c. At Lausanne, Gibbon wrote his History of Rome. At Coppet, we saw the chateau of Madame de Steel. Ferney, about five miles from Geneva, was, for twenty years, the residence of Vol- taire ; and two of the rooms which he occupied are still pre- served as he left them, even to the curtains of his bed, which, it is said, are fast disappearing, from the depredations of visitors. The place where Lord Byron wrote some of his works was pointed out to us also. Geneva is a beautiful place, containing about thirty thousand inhabitants. It is, as every one knows, a famous place for watches, musical boxes, &c. • It is said that three thousand people are enga- ged in watch-making. Here Rousseau was born, and Calvin lived and labored for many years and was buried, and Sir Humphrey Davy died and was buried in the Cemetery of the Plain Palais. No stone marks the grave of Calvin. He forbade the Genevese to erect any monument to his memory, and the site of his grave is not known with any certainty. The Naturalist, Saussure, also, who was the first to ascend Mont Blanc, was born here ; and, at the present day, it is the residence of Merle D'Aubigny, author of the History of the Reformation. By the way, he is called Dr. Merle here, D'Aubigny being his assumed name as a writer. We visited John Calvin's house, No. 116 Rue des Cha- noines, and we loitered about a long time in St. Peter's LETTER NO. VIII. 65 Church, whose walls had so often echoed to his eloquent appeals. Some alterations have taken place in the Church since his day, but much of it remains just as he left it. The old-fashioned sounding board which hung over his head in the pulpit, hangs there still. Families live here in tiers, as they do in Frankfort. We took dinner with a Professor in a Seminary here, who lives in the fifth story. We were obliged to go up one hundred and twenty stairs to the parlor. The surveillance that is exercised on the Continent, over all the people, we have no conception of in our own country. Even the native inhabitants cannot go from town to town without permission, and their passports are as essential to their well-being, and as rigidly scrutinized, as those of travelers. Foreign residents are more strictly watched still. One gentleman told us, that in getting his passport arranged to leave Geneva for a few weeks only, he happened to see a minute of his most trifling movements recorded by his name in the books of the Bureau, some of which he sup- posed were known only to himself and family, as they con- cerned no one else. Our genllemen, Dr. Hitchcock and Mr. Billiard, called on Rev. Dr. Merle and Rev. Dr. Malan. The latter is quite a patriarch, with white flowing locks ; he received them in a very kind and affectionate manner, and on parting, did not even omit the apostolic kiss. Two of his daughters are recently married to American clergymen, one a Rev. Mr. Hall, of Connecticut, and the other, Rev. Mr. Fletcher, Chaplain to the Seamen at Rio Janeiro. We were shown, at Geneva, some enormous granite boulders, transported from the Alps, two of which, a little distance beyond the port of Geneva, project above the water from the bed of the Lake. They are called "Pierres de Niton" Tradition says they were used as altars to Nep- tune. They are hollowed out, and instruments of sacrifice have been found near them. After spending two days in 66 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. Geneva, we took a "voiture" to Chamouny, a little town lying at the foot of Mont Blanc, a distance of fifty-four miles. We had taken every precaution to have our pass- ports " en regie," as it is called. Had obtained the vise of the Police and of the Sardinian Minister, for the last of which we had to pay four francs. When we reached the boundary of Savoy, we were stopped and the passports demanded and vised again, and in a few rods farther, another police officer stepped up to the carriage and deman- ded a look at our passports. A gentleman who was behind us, in the Diligence, and had paid his passage to Chamouny, but had come without his passport from Geneva, thinking it unimportant for so short a distance, was not permitted to go on, and was obliged to return and lose the money he had paid for his passage. Our ride to Chamouny would have been charming, had not our path been beset with beggars. So many assailed our carriage, that we counted fifty-six applicants in fifty-four miles. I never, in any trip anywhere, saw such a system of beggary. The houses were very comfortable, and the gar- dens and fields about them were thriving and abundant, and the children were neither remarkably ragged or dirty, but the moment a carriage appeared in view, out came the chil- dren to beg, whilst the mother, perhaps, stood looking com- placently on at the door, to see how the children made out. Almost every woman, and a great majority of the men we met in this journey, were afTTicted with the goitre, and so horribly were they deformed in many cases by it, that we were compelled to turn away our eyes from the sight. In several, the tumor projecting from their throats was larger than their heads. We were told, moreover, that this disease existed throughout this region — that almost every one was affected more or less by it; and as we progressed on our journey as far as Martigny, to the south of Lake Geneva, LETTER NO. IX. 67 and even farther, we found it more and more prevalent, and more frightful in its developments. At Martigny, we were told there was a hospital filled with cases of this disease, under the care of the " Sisters of Charity." Some persons attribute it to the water in this region, and some to the great quantity of magnesia in their vegetables, and some to the low living and out-door exposure of the inhabitants; but no satisfactory conclusion seems to have been formed. The water of the Rhone is intensely blue, like indigo, the cause of which Sir Humphrey Davy attributed to the presence of iodine. Now, as iodine is one of the most approved reme- dies for the goitre, how can its prevalence in the waters of the country produce the disease ? LETTER NO. IX. At the foot of Mont Blanc, Chamouny, Sept. 9th, 1850. We were obliged to leave our " voiture" at St. Martin's, some miles from Chamouny, and take a vehicle called a " char a banc" a sort of sofa on wheels, in which you ride sideways, with your feet hanging nearly to the ground — a comical looking affair, but the only carriage, they say, in which you can ascend the mountainous region which brings you to the foot of Mont Blanc ; but the comfort, conveni- ence or philosophy of its construction I had not the wit to discover. For the first half mile we could only amuse our- selves with our novel and queer mode of conveyance, but 68 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. we soon found ourselves amid the most wild, romantic and beautiful scenery imaginable. Our eyes could scarcely reach the heights above us, nor could they fathom the depths below. Our path, in some places, was so narrow, that it seemed as if one false step would precipitate us into the ravine; and then again it was wider, bordered with beauti- ful shrubs and trees, venerable enough to have outlived the storms and snows of ages. As we descended to Chamouny, Mont Blanc, with its snowy peak, and the glaciers between the needles or peaks around, came full upon our vision. Oh, what a sight ! With what anxiety did we wait the developments of the morrow ! How earnestly did we wish for a clear and pleasant day, that we might ascend the adjacent mountains and get a nearer view of the Land of Eternal Snows and the Ever- lasting Sea of Ice ! The day proved all we could have desired ; it was cold in the morning, for there was a frost in the night, though only the 6th of September. We started early, taking two guides and four mules, to make the ascent of La Flegere, from which one of the best views of Mont Blanc and the sur- rounding group of "Aiguilles" is obtained. Our company consisted of eight. We rode up the valley, about two miles, to the hamlet of Les Pres, then turned to the left, and in a few moments arrived at the foot of the mountain. It seemed nearly perpendicular, and I could discern no path whatever. I asked the guide where the road was, and he replied, " we must go straight up." My heart sank within me, and for a moment I recoiled at attempting such an impossibility ; but on being assured that the mule could find a way up, with much fear and trembling I commenced the ascent. It was very curious to witness the sagacity and skill of our mules ; they would go two or three yards to the right and then turn and go two or three yards to the left, and thus we LETTER NO. IX. 69 found ourselves ascending by degrees, when, at the first glance, it seemed too steep to climb at all. After a while we plunged in among the pines and brush, and pursued a wind- ing mule-path around the mountain, sometimes not more than two or three feet wide, and every now and then our mules would hit a loose stone and send it rolling, tumbling, thundering down, down beyond all vision, into the fathom- less abyss, below; while I often quailed at the idea that a mis-step of the mule might doom me to the same fearful descent. The gentlemen, who walked, were furnished with climbing poles, six or eight feet long, with a sharp iron in the bottom, and holding on the mules' tails with the other hand, according to the guides' direction, they were aided and pulled along up. We cut a ridiculous figure on our "winding way," but were amply repaid for our fatigue and apprehension by the enchanting and sublime prospect be- fore us, when we reached the little house for travelers. Just before we reached the top, we were startled by two or three reports of a cannon below, which our guide assured us was occasioned by the arrival of some traveler at the top of Mont Blanc, when it was always customary, on a given signal, to announce such an event in that way. With a spy-glass, furnished at the house of entertainment on the Flegere, we had a view of the English gentleman and his guides, who had made this difficult ascent; he was fifteen miles distant. He was accompanied by six guides, to whom, we afterwards learned, he paid one hundred francs, or twen- ty dollars, each; and with mules, provisions, &c, the trip cost him two hundred dollars. He went up one day and returned the next, but was so exhausted with fatigue that he could scarcely speak or move when he reached his hotel. This ascent is not only very expensive, but exceedingly dif- ficult and dangerous, and is sometimes attended with very serious consequences, Some persons have heen known to 4# 70 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. bleed at the nose, eyes and ears before reaching the top ; one gentleman sustained an injury to his sight from which he never recovered ; many, after making the attempt to ascend, are compelled from exhaustion to return, and those who ac- tually attain its summit do not for a long time recover from the fatigue. After feasting our eyes with a most magnificent view of those mountains of snow, we descended by the same path we came up, which, however, was so painful to me in the descent, that I preferred walking ; and on reaching the plain, about one o'clock, we sent back our mules and one guide to Chamouny, and concluded to go up the Montague Vert, opposite, to enjoy a full view of the Mer de Glace. We crossed the river Arve, which flows from the sea of ice, and has made for itself an archway under the ice, which is a hun- dred feet thick above it, and commenced climbing the steep ascent by the side of the glacier, where mules never go up and travelers seldom do. Dr. Hitchcock, President of Am- herst College, and his lady, were of our party. The sun came down with scorching power, but we scrambled among rocks and bushes for one long hour and then found our- selves only half way to the house erected on the side of the glacier for the refreshment of weary pilgrims. Two ava- lanches of ice and snow came booming and thundering down, and as they reached the bottom fell into millions of fragments. The noise they made as they first separated from the whole mass was like the distant report of cannon. We were not in a situation to fear any thing from their descent, and, of course, enjoyed the sight extremely. You can scarcely imagine how beautiful and strange a sight this sea of ice was to us, as we sat down to rest from our fatigue. With the scorching mid-day sun upon us and the exertion of climbing we were in a glow of heat. We were seated on the grass ; around us were blooming wild flowers of every variety ; strawberries and whortleberries LETTER NO. IX. 71 we found growing on the mountain side, and trees and shrubs of all descriptions surrounded us ; while at our feet lay this ocean of ice, extending several miles in length and a mile in width: summer and winter meeting together' — ■ such a sight as never before had met our eyes. As we afterwards stood upon the ice and threw stones down the crevices through which the deep blue waters yawned, we could hear them thump and rattle down, down to a fearful depth, and at last plunge into the water, showing how the accumulating snows of ages had added to its immensity. Before us rose the towering peaks of other mountains, one of which, directly opposite us, with its thousand pinna- cles almost touching the very heavens, seemed like a grand and beautiful temple of Nature, fit for the Majestic King of these wonderful domains — the King of kings and Lord of lords. The ascent of the mountain grew more and more steep and difficult, and I began to think I must end my days there: it seemed impossible to ascend, and almost as great an impossibility to return. The guide, however, with the help of another, by placing two long poles under my arms, lifted me along over the rocks and bushes ; and almost per- fectly exhausted, all of us reached the little inn of Mon- tague Vert at 4 o'clock. Here we rested and took refresh- ment, and then went out to examine nearer this wonderful Mer de Glace. Quiet and motionless as it seems, this im- mense mass of ice is said to move a foot a day., A rock of many tons, on which the names of Pococke and Wyndham were engraved in 1741, has in this slow moving process been brought on this mass of ice some miles from the place where the inscriptions were made. After loitering about awhile we returned to Chamouny, on foot, by the mule path, on the other side, a distance of eight miles. We reached our hotel at 8 o'clock in the even- ing, much fatigued, but well repaid for the adventure of the day. ■ 72 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE, LETTER NO. X, Milan, September 12, 1850. In my last, I gave you a brief account of our rambles among the Alps, over " La Flegere and " Montague Vert," to the "Mer de Glace." Our next expedition was over the "Tete Noire" to Martigny, on our route over the Simplon pass to Italy. The "ColdeBalme" has one view which surpasses any in the " Tete Noire," but as the general sce- nery of the last is superior, we concluded to take the latter course. With our guide and four mules, and the same com- pany in which we made our other excursions, we left Cha- mouny early in the morning ; and after winding about in a zig-zag course over loose and dangerous slopes, through the wildest scenery imaginable, we entered a tunnel, pierced through a rock overhanging a dark and fearful gorge, and in six hours after we left Chamouny found ourselves at a little cabin, where we dined. We then commenced a more difficult and steep ascent, amid dark pine forests and awful precipices, which most of us preferred to climb on foot rather than on mules. We found the descent to Martigny, which occupied perhaps two hours, even more difficult than the as- cent; so steep and rocky was it that the mules were often obliged to jump from place to place ; but the view of the valley of the Rhone from the height, for miles before we reached Martigny, which lies at the mountain's base, was exceedingly beautiful. This little village is very unhealthy and undesirable as a residence, but from its position on the high road of the Simplon, at the termination of the car-road from the St. Bernard, (the famous monastery of which is only ten hours' ride hence,) and the mule path to Chamou- LETTER NO. X. 73 ny, it is a great and constant resort of travelers. The town is situated at the junction of the Rhone and the Dranse, in a valley hemmed in on all sides by the Alps ; and the village has been nearly destroyed twice by an inundation .of these ' rivers, once in 1543. and again in 1818. Almost all the inhabitants are affected by the goitre. They are exceed- ingly dwarfish, deformed and sickly in their appearance. In no place that we have visited have we seen a costume so unique and curious as here. Their bonnets and head-dresses are wonderful. The monks of St. Bernard have their head- quarters here in a convent, and at intervals they relieve the members stationed at the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard. The hotels in Martigny, for so small and retired a place, are unusually good. Throughout the continent, you find no regular public breakfast table as in our country. Every one calls for his breakfast when he wishes it, and pays for what he orders, and nothing is set before him except what he calls for specially. I could not but smile at one of our " Brother Jonathans," who came in one day and said "he would like his breakfast." " What will you have, sir?" said the waiter, very respectfully. " Oh, any thing," said the Yankee, " it makes no difference — I had no supper last night, and I want a good breakfast." The waiter seemed quite con- founded. "Will you have coffee, sir — and what else?" " Oh, yes," said he, " coffee and meat and so on; any thing you happen to have" The waiter went off. I did not see the end; but I presume the "green" one had quite a bill to pay for his breakfast. There is always one public table at 5 or 6 o'clock in the afternoon, the " table d'hote" as they call it in French ; and they generally ask you when you breakfast, if you will dine at the "table d'hote" As these dinners consume two hours or more, and are so late for a Yankee dinner, and moreover so luxurious and expensive, we have not often partaken of them, choosing a more sim- 74 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN ETJKOPE. pie repast, consuming less time and at a more seasonable hour. We have, however, dined often enough at the "table d'hote" to see the mode of "doing up" a dinner in all the different countries or provinces where we might be. On the continent you are not charged by the day for three meals, whether you eat them or not, and for your lodging, but so many florins, or francs, or batzens, or lires, or pauls, or carlinis, according to the country you are in, for your room, and for as many meals as you take, and according to what you call for at these meals. Then you are charged from ten to thirty cents a day for "services," and so much for candles and fire. They will generally bring up to your room two flaming wax candles and set them down on your table, for which they will charge you twenty cents apiece, even if you do not burn them an hour. One gentleman, who had for some time been paying largely for his candles, found that in a few weeks more, at the rate he had been charged, he should have paid $25 for his candles to light him to bed. The only way is to tell them you prefer ordinary candles, or carry your own with you. It is always best to in- quire the price of your room for a day, as soon as shown to it, else you will often have a startling price to pay. The peo- ple here seem to think nothing is too good for the English and Americans, and, moreover, that they are made of silver and gold. But I have digressed from the point at which I started. I intended to describe a "table d'hote" dinner at the little town of Martigny, as it is a good general specimen of a dinner in Switzerland. When you seat yourself at the table you see nothing be- fore you of dinner but your plate, on which is a napkin and a piece of bread, a tumbler, wine-glass and decanter of ordi- nary wine, (which is as free here as water in our country,) and without extra charge, two knives, two forks, and a spoon. There is nothing in the centre of the table but the casters, LETTEK NO. X. 75 and every half yard or so up and down the table is a tum- bler of wooden toothpicks, or an image of a porcupine in porcelain bristling with the same, with which you are ex- pected to pick your teeth during the intervals between the courses. When all were seated, the order of exercises was as follows: first, soup — then the boiled meat of which the soup was made and mashed potatoes — then fish boiled — fish fried — (each dish passed separately behind us at the table, ready carved, and plates changed every time — the dish of meat then placed on the table till the next course was served) — then came pancakes of some sort mixed with a vegetable — then a dish which none of us could puzzle out satisfacto- rily, but very common in Switzerland, Piedmont and Italy, made of the brains of something or other, fried in batter (I expect) — then beef, veal, partridges and roast chickens — then stringed beans passed separately — after which were peas, then greens, and finally salad and cheese, changing plates for each. Thus ended the first lesson. Then came pudding, afterwards grapes, peaches, plums, maccaroni, nuts, bons-bons, &c. In Germany, they give you soup, fish and several dishes of meat, and then pudding, and afterwards bring on roast beef, chickens, &c. After spending a Sabbath here, we bade farewell to our traveling companions, Dr. and Mrs. Hitchcock, who returned to Geneva, while we proceeded to Milan. We were so for- tunate, however, as to find other acquaintances, two English gentleman from Birmingham, with whom we took a private carriage on Monday, (as the Diligence left Sabbath even- ing,) and traveled as far as Visp, a miserable little village, finely situated at the junction of the Visp with the Rhone. Here our friends left us, striking off to the foot of Monte Rosa by the pass of the Moro, and we took a char-a-banc to Brieg, seven or eight miles further, where we spent the night at the foot of the Simplon pass. 76 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. It is amazing to see the shoals of people traveling this season on the continent for pleasure. Although the travel has been increasing for several years, it has far exceeded this summer any previous one. We were repeatedly told that more Americans had visited the continent this year than ever before. It was quite interesting to examine the arrivals at the various hotels ; we found the names of many whom we knew by reputation as well as personally, from America, who perhaps had preceded us only a few days. We constantly found amusement as we rode or walked about, in meeting travelers in Switzerland, all equipped in the same style, with traveling-bags or knapsacks slung over their shoulders, a staff in one hand, and an open guide-book in the other, going on a pilgrimage among the Alps, and stu- dying out their course and the curiosities by the way. The distance from Brieg to Domo d'Ossola is about forty English miles, and it takes ten hours to travel the distance — seven to reach Simplon, and three to go down the mountain to Domo d'Ossola. This day's journey was one of the most delightful and exciting I ever made. The Simplon road, leaving the valley of the Rhone at Brieg, begins to ascend immediately from the post-house, and you wind around and around the mountain till, after six hours' travel, you look down the valley, and there lies the little town of Brieg, like a map, at your feet, just as distinctly seen as when you first began the ascent. This pass is certainly one of the wonders of the age ; and your admiration of this gigantic enterprise and of Napoleon's wisdom, skill, inventive genius, and un- conquerable will, is increased by the remembrance that such an undertaking was then a novel thing — that nothing of its grandeur or magnitude had preceded it. To have an idea of its immensity, you must not only know that thirty thou- sand men were at work upon at one time, that it took six years to build it, and that six hundred and eleven bridges, LETTER NO. X. 77 great and small, are constructed for the passage of the road, and that terraces of massive masonry extend for miles, and ten tunnels are pierced through the overhang- ing rocks, or are built up of stone, and that there are twenty houses of refuge for travelers and workmen who keep it in repair ; but you must see how smooth and per- fect it is in its construction. Its breadth is from twenty- five to thirty feet, and the average slope nowhere exceeds six inches in six and a half feet. You must look down the awful ravines and gorges which it skirts, and up, over- head, at the black and bristling rocks which seem to threaten you, and at the fearful height from which the avalanches come tumbling down, and often carry every- thing before them. You must see the Gorge of Gondo, which is one of the greatest natural curiosities in the world, and see the road wind through it, and you will think none but Napoleon could ever have conceived the idea of attempting a pass in such a savage place. 4 Our travelers, most of them, walked several miles, not that they were appalled by personal danger in riding, for the road is so wide and safely guarded that nothing is to be ap- prehended at this season of the year, but to enjoy more perfectly the grandeur and sublimity of the scenery. Although early in September, we broke off icicles two feet long that had congealed as the water was dripping down from the snow-capped mountains above, while with- in a rod we picked flowers in full bloom. The Gallery of Gondo, or Tunnel, as we should say, is a cut through solid rock, measuring five hundred and ninety-six feet, and cost immense labor to make it, as the rock is of gran- ite. It is said it required the incessant labor of one hun- dred workmen, in gangs of eight relieving each other day and night, to pierce a passage in eighteen months. " The progress of the work would have been still more tedious, 78 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. had the laborers confined themselves to the two ends ; but the engineer ordered two side openings to be made, thus working in four places at once. To make these lateral per- forations, it was necessary to suspend the miners by ropes over the outside of the rock, till a lodgement was effected; these now serve as windows to light the interior." Near the mouth of this tunnel is a roaring water-fall, carried over a covered bridge of beautiful construction, which is quite a curiosity. We stopped at the famed Hospice on the summit, and were shown about by the Monks, and took a lunch at their table. Father Barras, so long the head of the Great St. Bernard Hospice, is now removed here. While they were taking us to see some of the famous St. Bernard dogs, the conductor of the diligence called us and we were obliged to hasten away. As we descended the mountain to Domo d'Ossola, we emerged into a land of greenness and beauty. We found chesnuts and firs, vines and maize, and soon a warmer climate, and began to realize that we were in Italy, the land of beauty and of song. We spent the night at Domo d'Ossola, a small place and not interesting; and next day, following the shore of the beautiful Lago Maggiore, we passed the famous Borromean Islands, of which we had a good view in the diligence. The road to Milan is over a monotonous flat, between avenues of trees, extending for miles; grapevines are festooned between the trees, and grow very luxuriantly. We passed a remarkable cypress tree, of great age, said to have been a tree in the time of Julius Caesar. It is one hundred and twenty- one feet high and twenty-three feet in circumference. Napoleon, in construct- ing the Simplon, gave orders that the road should diverge from a straight line to save it. Near this tree was fought the first great battle between Scipio and Hannibal, called the battle of Ticinus, in which Scipio was defeated. LETTER NO. XI. 79 We entered Milan through the magnificent Arch of Peace, begun by Napoleon and finished in 1838 by the Austrian Government. This is built of pure white marble, and is a splendid specimen of architecture. Milan is a beautiful city, of which you shall hear in my next. LETTER NO. XI. Venice, September 17, 1850. Milan is a splendid city. As you enter it by the Arch of Peace, erected at the termination of the Simplon road, through a long avenue of trees, it presents a very imposing appearance. A large open space remains in front of this magnificent arch, on which Napoleon intended to have built one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. A design was prepared by Antolini, but only two of the buildings planned have been erected. The space intended for a forum, is now used for exercising the military. There is much in Milan to interest a traveler ; but the greatest magnet of attraction is the Cathedral, renowned, world-wide, for its exquisite beauty. It is built entirely of white marble, and exceeds anything I ever saw. I surveyed it from every point of the compass, and wandered over its marble roofs in every direction, and wound myself up the cork-screw stairs of the different turrets, and gazed, till my eyes ached, at the multitude of exquisite statues ; but I was so enchanted with the beauty of the exterior, that I have entirely lost all recol- lection of the interior of the church, and, indeed, cannot remember that I went into it at all. There are seven thou- 80 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. sand marble statues about it, no two alike, and five thousand more are necessary to complete the original design. It has one hundred and six turrets, which have fifteen thousand points, and thirty-two are still to be finished. It has already cost five hundred and sixty-three millions of francs, and when completed, will have cost eight hundred and forty-five millions. What seems curious to me is, that scarcely any of these beautiful edifices are finished. Palaces, churches and castles are either in ruins, or half done. I might except some that Napoleon finished — for "when he spake it was done," and had he carried out his plans here, every thing would have been " done up straight," as we say, like his Simplon road. The paintings and statuary in Milan are very beautiful. There are many by Titian, Raphael, Guido, Tintoretto, Rem- brandt, Correggio, Paul Veronese, Domenichino, Rubens, and others. In the " Santa Maria della Grazie" is to be seen the "Last Supper," by Leonardo da Vinci, which, however, has been exceedingly injured by smoke and damp- ness. The Amphitheatre at Milan, near the Arch of Peace, built by Napoleon, and capable of containing thirty thousand people, is quite a curiosity. From Milan, we proceeded by railroad to Trevigiio, about twenty-two miles; then took the Diligence and reached Verona at 2 o'clock in the morning. Here we saw an Am- phitheatre, built by the Romans, in the greatest preservation of anything of the kind now known. It is supposed to have been built about the time of the Coliseum, at Rome. We visited, also, the new marble Cemetery, covering several acres of ground, and forming a colonnade on three sides of a square. Had we remained in Verona two or three days longer, we should have had an opportunity of seeing the Archduke Charles of Austria review about twenty-thousand of his troops ; but, unfortunately, we lost this. At elevenj LETTER NO. XI. 81 a. m., we left Verona by railroad, and, passing through Padua, reached Venice at three o'clock, p. m. I thought I had seen Venice in so many representations, that I knew exactly how it looked; but I have visited no city for which I was so unprepared, and which filled me with such admiration on entrance as this. I fairly cried with, delight. The first view, as it burst upon me, a city in the sea, was beautiful beyond all description. It seemed to rise out of the water, without any earthly foundation; scarce a tree, and no vestige of hill or valley meets the eye. Lofty domes, marble palaces, and glittering spires, stood before us in the water, as the railroad car whirled us with magic speed over a bridge three miles long, from the main land. I could scarcely believe my eyes, and I looked and looked again, to be sure it was no vision of imaginative beauty that deceived me. But, no! there it was — a real city; the far-famed, once glorious, but now expiring city of Venice — a city whose sun is set! As we landed at the railroad station, we were perfectly bewildered with the strangeness and novelty of our situation. No carriages, omnibuses, and noisy drivers, with whip in hand, assailed us — but long, black, funeral- like boats, shaped like a Chinese lady's shoe, pointed and turned up at both ends, lay in long rows in the water-streets of the city, and strange men, speaking in an unknown tongue, insisted upon seating us in this new vehicle. We preferred to walk, but looking this way and that, up and down, we saw no way of crossing the water, and no side- walks even, but the pavement about the depot. So, showing the name of the hotel to which we had been recommended, we seated ourselves in a gondola and were rowed silently and noiselessly up the grand street of the city. In the centre of the boat is a little place enclosed, containing seats for four persons, cushioned with black, two behind and one on each side, with a door so low that you stoop on entering. This 82 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. caboose is covered with black velvet, and is ornamented with black rosettes. So funeral-like is its appearance, that you feel as if you were creeping into a hearse. We rowed in front of many palaces and splendid buildings, turned many corners into narrow canals, and finally landed at a beautiful marble palace whose steps, three of them, were actually in the water. We entered a large and handsome door, and found ourselves in a hollow square, paved with stones, and filled with flowers and birds. Ascending another stairway, we reached a piazza which Was lined with paintings of enor- mous size. Of this hotel, once the " Palais de Grassi," the landlord told us the following story: In the palace opposite, once lived a young lady to whom a gentleman of Venice was deeply attached, and wished to marry. But the father of the lady objected to the match, giving as his ground of objection, that the young man had no home for his bride. The father of the young gentleman declared that difficulty should soon be removed, for " he would build a house for his son, whose windows should be larger than his neighbor's doors" And so the Palais de Grassi was built in splendid style and quite eclipsed all the rest in the neighborhood, and this lady was married and lived here. But the nobility of Venice, where are they now? Exiled, imprisoned, or dead ! and these princely halls and magnificent white marble build- ings are now used for store-houses, hotels, wine-shops, &c. One I noticed, was stuffed from top to bottom with hay. At the door of another, surrounded with barrels, hogsheads, and baskets of grapes, we saw a man whose trowsers were rolled up to his knees, and whose legs and feet were red with the juice of the grape. We had often heard that the juice of the grape was pressed out by men's feet; we told our gondolier to stop a moment, and he rowed us to the door, and we went in and found it even so. The grapes are thrown into a vat or hogshead, and a man or boy, with LETTER NO. XL 83 naked feet, gets in, and, holding on to the side of the vat with his hands, he jumps up and down in the grapes till the juice is expressed. He hops out whenever he takes a notion, and runs about in the dirt, and then wipes his feet on the grass or a board, and pops in again to finish his work. This process (it is now the time of vintage) we have seen repeatedly. It seems strange to see no carriages and no horses, and to hear no sound of a wheel or a horse's hoof. The quietness is quite annoying. There are few or no gar- dens, and no back-yards to the houses. The front doors open to the water, and the back doors into the narrow streets between the canals; they are well paved with large, smooth flag- stones, and connect with all parts of the city by little bridges which are formed like stairs, up and down, over the canals, to leave room for the gondolas to run underneath. It is melancholy to see Venice as she is, and remember what she was. Austria desions tr> Vmmble and ruin this beautiful ;r to destroy both Milan and ing to direct trade and com- and build up Trieste on its h and influential men have already left here. We have seen many marks of the recent hard-fought battles here, in the roofs and walls of the churches and houses, which are perforated with balls and bombs. We have visited the Church of San Marco, the pride and boast of Venice. Did not admire it, as a whole. It has too much the appearance of a heathen temple, with its many domes. It is adorned with numerous paintings, and is certainly wonderful for the display of beautiful mar- bles of all sorts, and for its mosaics. It has, in all, five hundred pillars of various marbles. Here is a painting of Ceres, and there one of the Evangelists — a painting of Proserpine drawn by dragons, in a chariot, and another of the marriage in Cana of Galilee — scripture scenes and 84 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. heathen mythology all mixed up together. As you enter the great door, you observe in the pavement some pieces of red marble in a circle, which indicate the precise place where Pope Alexander III., and the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa were, on July 23, 1177, reconciled through the intervention of the Venetian Republic. The Pope placed his foot on the head of the prostrate Emperor, repeating the words of the psalm, "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder." The specimens of mosaic, the columns of porphyry, verd antique, serpentine, and other marbles of the richest hue, the bas reliefs, statues, monuments, &c, are of great beauty. The strange mixture of mythology and Bible history, ex- ecuted in bas reliefs or in painting, is accounted for from the fact that materials and relics from all countries and climes were brought together to enrich this church. Every vessel that left Venice was obliged to bring back pillars, statuary, marbles, or something for this work. The great Campanile Tower of St. Marc, which contains the bells, stands separate, but near it. This is forty-two feet square at the base and three hundred and twenty-three feet high. This is aduined with several bas reliefs in marble, and with four statues — ^allas, Apollo, Mercury, and Peace — in bronze. The view from the belfry of the Campanile is very fine. Adjoining St. Marc's is the Doge's Palace, or Palazza Du- cale ; this we visited. Each side of the front entrance, at the head of the superb staircase which leads to it, you can see an opening in the wall, like those into which we drop letters into our post-offices. These places were formerly covered with a lion's head, mouth open, into which all accu- sations against any of the distinguished inhabitants of Ve- nice were secretly dropped, and which resulted in the imme- diate summons and imprisonment, and often secret death, of those calumniated. We were taken down by the guide, with a lighted candle, to see the pozzi or dark cells underneath LETTER NO. XI. 85 the palace, in which many of the nobles and private citizens, for political crimes or imaginary treason, on secret accusa- tions, were immured; some were there smothered, and others, never again seeing the light of day, were conducted over a covered bridge — the celebrated Bridge of Sighs, or " Ponte de Sopiri," from their dark vaults to the prison, sepa- rated from the palace only by a little street canal. They were never heard of afterwards. In this palace, the Libra- rian has the splendid Greek cameo found in Ephesus in 1793, called the Jupiter iEgiocus, and the celebrated Map of the World, drawn in 1460 by Fra Mauro, showing the surface of the globe as it was then known. There are sev- eral halls of paintings, many of which are by Titian, Tinto- retto, Paul Veronese, and other great masters. The Manfrini Palace, so famous for its pictures, we could not see ; we did not visit it at the right time. The churches are, many of them, very beautiful. " Santa Maria Gloriosa de Frari" is full of fine tombs. Here Titian is buried, and a fine monument to his memory is now in process of erection at the sole expense of the Emperor of Austria. It has been building five years, and is still boarded up, so that we could not see it. Opposite his tomb, in the same church, is a monument to Canova, the famous sculptor — the most beautiful piece of sculpture I ever be- held in monumental style. It is a very large pyramid of white marble, into whose open doors Genius, Art, and other beautiful figures, as mourners, are walking in funeral pro- cession. I could have gazed at this exquisite work of art for hours. Canova designed and sculptured it himself for his friend Titian ; but it has been used for his own tomb. I have not time even to name particularly the numerous paintings, statues and frescos which deserve notice in this elegant church. 5 86 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. The "Academia delle Belle Arte" is full of the rich paintings of the Venitian School. " The Assumption of the Virgin," by Titian; "Adam and Eve taking the forbidden fruit," by Tintoretto; "the Venitian Slave delivered by St. Mark," by the same ; " a Portrait of Titian's Mother," by himself; "the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple," by Titian; and his last unfinished work, "the Deposition from the Cross," with many others, are extremely beautiful. The churches, paintings and statuary alone in Venice, to be viewed as they should be, would occupy several days. We went out in a gondola three or four miles to the Armenian Convent, situated on an island, founded by the Abbot Me- chitar, in the beginning of the last century. The Armenian merchants of Calcutta do much for the support of this insti- tution. In Venice, we were so fortunate as to meet with the Rev. Mr. Langworthy, of Chelsea, and Mr. A. Kingman, of Boston ; with them we shall go to Rome. The currency in Venice affords us much amusement. Every thing must be paid for in lires, swanzigers, or centimes, which, added to our ignorance of the Italian language, sometimes quite flus- ters us. Our chief recreation, when not sight-seeing, is reckoning up and studying out our money, and " catching fleas" which occupies really more time than you can imag- ine. The Italians do not understand the first principles of neatness, and the country is as full of fleas as Missouri is of musquitoes. Our last business at night, and our first in the morning, is hunting fleas ; and all the leisure time we can command during the day, we are compelled to appro- priate in that way. More anon. LETTER XII. Florence, September 23, 1850. We are sometimes compelled to think that "the chief end of man" in Italy is to attend to his passport. Americans, who can travel in their own country from "Dan to Beer- sheba" without being asked who they are, where they are going, or what they are after, cannot fail to be annoyed and perplexed with this most farcical of all customs, carrying a passport. My companion's ran thus: first, name and age — then height, tall — hair, grey — eyes, blue — chin, sharp — and so on. Fortunately, he had his passport done up in pocket-book fashion, or it certainly would have been nearly worn out by this time. That of one of our gentlemen was quite ragged, it had encountered so many vises. We were told in New York, and by the American Minister in Lon- don, that when a lady was traveling with her husband, it was unnecessary for her to have a passport, and I often congratulated myself upon being able to travel without one. When we entered a city, our driver would come to a dead halt, and somebody would pop his head into the carriage and say, passport ? and when we went out of the walls, another would stop us to inquire if it had been looked at in the other end of the city ; so that the passport must always be at hand for inspection. Sometimes it would be taken and carried away, and we would be at our "wit's end" lest it should never return, knowing that we were undone with- out it. When we had stopped at a hotel and had taken our rooms, a servant would open the door and ask for the pass- port — for it is the landlord's immediate duty, on the arrival 88 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. of a traveler at his house, to report him to the Police. Then our passport must be vised by the Minister of the next prov- ince or kingdom to which we are going, and by the Minis- ter of our own country resident in the city we are in, and finally by the Police. So much must be done before we leave one kingdom or province ; and so soon as we reach the boundary of the next one, the passports must be looked at to see that all is right, and the luggage overhauled. We found baggage so troublesome and expensive, that we have long since left all behind but our carpet-bags. In some pla- ces you pay for evory pound of baggage you have. We left Venice for Padua by railroad, twenty-three miles. There we concluded to take a vettura for Bologna, by way of Ferrara, five of us in company. There is a great deal of highway robbery in Italy, and only two weeks before this, the diligence to Ferrara, containing sixteen passengers, was beset by four men armed, in mid-day. Only a few days since, thirty-five robbers were condemned at Bologna, nine to be imprisoned for life and twenty-six to be shot ; but ten, being under age, had their sentence commuted to ten years' hard labor : sixteen were actually shot the 5th of this month. The distance from Padua to Bologna is about eighty-six English miles. We made a contract with our veiturino to start early in the morning, and to halt before dark. We were anxious to reach Ferrara to spend the first night, but it was nearly sunset when we arrived at the river Po, which divides the Austrian from the Papal territory. After cross- ing the river, our baggage must be examined at the custom house on the other side, and we had then a few miles fur- ther to go. Before crossing the river, the passports were called for by the Austrian officer at the landing, and, as usual, I remained in the carriage, while the gentlemen went in to have them examined. To my great surprise and con- sternation, I was called in and told, I could proceed no fur- LETTER NO. XII. 89 ther, as / had no passport. It was in vain he was told I had experienced no difficulty in any other place, and that it was said to be unnecessary when a family were traveling together. He was inexorable. All that he would say to our entreaties, was in French, with an Italian shrug of his shoulders, " Jest impossible /" " What can I do ?" exclaimed I, in French. "Oh, you can go back to Rovigo," he re- plied, "and all the rest can go on." We then made another appeal. We talked a little French and a little Latin and a little more English, and called in another man who could talk German and broken English to help us — adding all the gesticulations, imploring looks and bursts of eloquence which such a dilemma as we were in might be supposed to inspire. Whether all this manoeuvre was merely to magni- fy his office and make a show of authority, I don't know ; but after a while it seemed to enter his perecranium that I was the wife of one of the gentlemen, whereupon, after making the other two give him a written certificate who I was, that I was myself and nobody else, he let us go, and we " went on our way rejoicing." It was in this neighbor- hood, that a little more than a year since, (February, 1849,) Marshal Haynau crossed the Po with 10,000 men, and ap- peared at the gate of Ferrara and demanded, in behalf of the Pope, the delivery of the city gates to the Imperial troops, and the payment of 206,000 scudi, or dollars, in twenty- four hours. This sum was paid through the generosity of an English resident, and the Austrians evacuated the city. We crossed the Po on a " flying bridge " ferry, being drawn over with ropes, and drove to the custom-house, where our luggage was overhauled, and with these deten- tions it was quite dark when we arrived at Ferrara. How- ever, we were not beset by robbers. We reached Bologna at one o'clock next day. Bologna is the second capital of the "States of the Church," and is situated at the foot of 90 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. the Appenines. It has a population of seventy thousand. There is much of interest here in its churches, and there are many excellent paintings. Bologna has been celebrated for its University; it enjoyed a greater reputation formerly than it does now. It is the oldest in Italy, and has had one peculiarity — that of learned female Professors. In the fourteenth century, Novella d'Andrea used often to occupy her father's chair. It is said she was very beautiful, and, lest the attention of the students should be more absorbed in the lecturer than the lecture, a curtain was drawn before her. Moore, in alluding to this, says: « drawn before her Lest, if her charms were seen, the students Should let their young eyes wander o'er her, And quite forget their jurisprudence." Laura Bassi was once Professor of Mathematics and Natural History here. She received the title of L. L. D., and her lectures were attended by ladies of France and Germany, who were members of the institution. Madonna Manzolini graduated in Surgery, and was Professor of Anatomy; and in our own times, the Greek chair was filled by JVfatilda Tambroni. As you leave Bologna, you have a fine view of the mag- nificent Colonnade, extending three miles from the gate called La Porta di Saragozza, to the church of the Madon- na di S. Luca, on a mountain out of the city. We traveled by diligence over the Appenines to Florence. It was a de- lightful day, and the scenery was truly enchanting. The Appenines separate the Plains of Lombardy from Tuscan)''. In order to have a full view of the country, we took our seats in the " imperial " of the diligence. The mountains have nothing of the grandeur and boldness of the Alps, but they are picturesque and beautiful. The road, though very LETTER NO. XII. 91 good, as all the roads are on the continent, is excessively steep in some places. We had three pairs of horses, two postillions, one driver, and a conductor, to navigate us ; and you may judge of our astonishment, as we stopped at one house by the road-side, to see a woman come out of the yard, leading by a rope, attached to their yoke, two mon- strous white oxen, which she, with perfect self-possession, hitched on ahead of the horses, going before the whole team herself, still pulling along her oxen by the rope, while one of the postillions -occasionally aided her efforts by applying the butt end of the whip to their sides. When we had reached the summit of the hill, she unhitched her oxen, and receiv- ing her pay for their use from the conductor, she returned home. In this country women are engaged in all kinds of out-door employment. I have seen them ploughing, reap- ing, mowing, pitching hay, driving hay-carts, &c. Some- times you will see a woman carrying a pail or jug of water on her head, knitting as she goes along, and driving a flock of goats, all at the same time. As we descended the Appenines, we obtained our first view of the valley of the Arno. It is one of the most beau- tiful sights I ever beheld. Florence with its domes and battlements, twenty miles distant, is spread out in all its beauty at your feet. Pistoia also, a walled city, is full in view, besides innumerable villages and hamlets dotted over this immense valley. As we left the mountains for a warm- er atmosphere, everything became more luxuriant and beau- tiful. Whole fields of olives burst upon our view. Figs and pomegranates were growing also in abundance, and vineyards covered the hill-sides. We began to realize that we had reached " a land of oil and wine." The descent to Florence over a fine road is one of the most enchanting drives in the world. Owing to the steep- ness of the descent, it was necessary to drag the wheels, 92 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. which became so hot from the friction, that when half way down we were obliged to stop and have cold water poured on them to prevent the carriage from taking fire. They smoked like a cauldron. I do not wonder that Florence is called "Farenze la bella," or that it has been celebrated in all ages for the beauty of its situation. It contains more than one hundred thousand inhabitants. The buildings on the banks of the Arno, which runs through the city, are grand and imposing ; but the Arno is now sluggish and shallow, almost a stream of mud. At other seasons of the year it has doubtless a different appearance. The Cathedral in Florence is as unique, though not as beautiful in its ar- chitecture, as that of Milan. It is an immense building, and its exterior is covered with mosaic. It has also a Cam- panile, or bell-tower, which is equally curious in architecture. The Baptistery near it, was once a temple of Mars. Its bronze doors are splendidly executed. It is said Michael Angelo, when examining them, declared they were worthy of being "the gates of Paradise." The lover of paintings will find enough to study and to admire in Florence. We visited churches and examined paintings till our eyes were dim, and we gazed at statuary till we almost turned into statues ourselves. We visited the studios of our country- men, Greenough and Powers. The latter has some exqui- site pieces of statuary. He was just finishing a bust of Cal- houn. He is also at work on a splendid figure, which he calls America. It is superb. In the church of " Santa Croce" are some very beautiful tombs. One is that of Michael Angelo, and another, which struck me as the finest of any I had seen except Canova's, was that of the Polish Countess Lamoiska, by Bartoline. The stained glass in the churches of Florence is very beautiful. LETTER NO. XII. 93 The church of San Lorenzo contains in the " Capella del Deponti" some few monuments of rare beauty, erected to the Medici family ; and the Medicean Chapel, which is back of the choir and yet unfinished, is unlike anything I have yet seen. It contains perhaps a dozen tombs only. The entire walls of the room, which is quite large, are covered with the richest marbles and precious stones — jasper, chal- cedony, agate, lapis lazuli, verd antique, and others still more rich and costly. The richest and most varied collection of paintings in the world is in the " Gallerie Imperiale e Reale." The " Pa- lazza Pitti" has also many that are exquisite. The "Boboli Gardens," connected with this palace, are some of the finest in the world. Our guide told us in imperfect English that the extreme cold, last winter, nearly ruined it. He said the cold was so great, " it died a great many people and nearly half the trees." Connected with the " Palais Pitti," which is the Palace of the Dukes of Tuscany, is a Museum. The Anatomical Museum is the most complete and curious, probably, of any in existence. In one of the halls of the "Gallerie Imperiale e Reale" is a table of Florentine mosaic so elaborate and beautiful, that it occupied twenty-two workmen twenty-five years ! There is also the richest collection of cameos in the world in this palace. 5* 94 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. LETTER NO. XIII. Rome, September 30, 1850. My last letter was written from Florence, a city of pecu- liar interest to the traveler. Its local beauty, the healthiness of its climate, its superior attractions to lovers of the fine arts, and the cheapness of living, all combine to make it a favorite resort for people of every clime. Its churches, pic- ture galleries, statuary, and mosaics, claim more than the hasty glance which the sojourn of a few days only allows. Weeks, instead of days, can be profitably spent in Florence, in examining its rare works of art. The Florentine mosaic is there manufactured in every variety. The most exquisite specimens probably in the world are found in the " Gallerie Imperiale e Reale." The manufacture of mosaic is carried on at the public expense. It is said to be very injurious to health, and when the workmen arrive at the age of sixty, they receive a pension from government for the rest of their lives. This style of mosaic is altogether different from the Roman mosaic, the former being made entirely of stones, shaded by the varied tints of their natural color ; while the latter is formed of a species of glass, artificially colored. I saw many elaborate specimens of the art, which had cost the labor of a great many years. There is no place in Italy probably, unless it be Naples, where a person can live cheaper than at Florence. A fur- nished room and service can be obtained for three or four pauls a day. (A paul is worth ten cents.) The city is full of cafes and restaurants, and they are thronged by ladies as well as gentlemen. An excellent breakfast of coffee, bread, LETTER NO. XIII. 95 butter and eggs can be obtained at a cafe for thirteen or fifteen cents. Many families hire furnished rooms, and take their breakfasts at cafes, and have their dinners sent in from a " trottoir," or eating-house, and live at a trifling ex- pense, without the trouble of house-keeping. Some pay, perhaps, eight pauls a day for a parlor and bed-room fur- nished, and two pauls a day for " service," as it is called ; which includes not only the attention of a servant, but the use of table-linen, crockery, &c. When they wish break- fast, if they ring a bell, a servant appears and sets the table, bringing also a teakettle of boiling hot water, with which they make tea on the table, English fashion; and they send the servant to buy, or they provide themselves such things as they need. These furnished apartments can be found to let in London, Paris, Frankfort, and in fact in almost all the large cities on the continent. I mention these facts es- pecially for the benefit of families traveling with small means, or of any young "artist" who may wish, at a small expense, to avail himself of the advantages here offered to perfect himself in his profession. There is a custom here among flower-girls of presenting bouquets to strangers, daily, which is peculiar to Florence, I believe. The very first day we arrived, a flower-girl, with a broad-brimmed leghorn hat, followed us into a cafe, and offered each of us a bouquet. Not understanding that it was intended as a compliment, we refused. She, however, in- sisted on its acceptance, and finally left on the table a bou- quet for three of us. One was offered also to a gentleman, a stranger, who declined it; but she urged it upon him, and finally stuck it in his button-hole. Every day during our stay in Florence she met us at the cafe, or sought us out in the city, and proffered her complimental bouquet. We learned it is a custom, and that no recompense is expected ; indeed, it is often refused, if offered ; though, if you remain 96 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. some time, and are supplied daily, a trifling gift will be re- ceived on your departure from the city. My expectations in regard to Italy are disappointed in two or three particulars. I have not yet found the peculiar golden sunsets, balmy air, and paradisiacal beauties, which my imagination had pictured from the glowing descriptions of Italian travelers. The north of Italy is so much like Kentucky and Missouri in the rankness and luxuriance of its vegetation, in the majestic beauty of its forests, and in its picturesque scenery, that I could not refrain from ex- claiming frequently, how exactly the climate and the general appearance of things is like the south and west of the United States. For the first time, after we crossed the Appenines and descended into Italy, since we left the Ohio river, could I say that I was comfortably and thoroughly warm. It was clear and pleasant weather ; the sky was cloudless, the sun- sets beautiful day after day, but no more so than in Mis- souri day after day and week after week. I finally came to the conclusion, that although Italy was a beautiful coun- try indeed, it was no more so than our own country in the south and west; and that all the glowing, unearthly descrip- tions of "sunny Italy" were written by Englishmen, who had lived so eternally in rain, mist or fog, and so seldom in their lives had seen a blazing noon-day sun and seen it go down in its glory, that it was the most natural thing in the world that an enthusiastic lover of nature should go off in ecstasies on finding a country with cloudless skies, balmy air and gorgeous sunsets. I listened in vain, moreover, in this "land of song" for those exquisite bursts of melody which have bewitched so many travelers ; but nobody sung while I was there. The song even of the gondolier in Ve- nice was hushed; but who could sing in Venice now? I had expected to find the Italian ladies a peculiar race — brunettes generally, with dark, fascinating eyes, and raven LETTER NO. XIII. 97 hair; instead of which, I saw as many blondes as brunettes — many very beautiful women indeed, especially in Flor- ence, tut with complexions as fair and blooming, and eyes as varied as at home. Women, who are exposed to the sun and engaged in out-door labor here, have the same sickly, sallow hue as those who have suffered from chills and fever and exposure to a southern climate with us. We found an Episcopal church in Florence, which we attended, but their congregation is small, and they have the curious custom of demanding of every person, as he enters, three pauls, or thirty cents, admittance fee. It is said the same policy is pursued in others of the English churches in Italy. We hurried away from Florence before we were satisfied with seeing its wonders, in order to arrive at Leghorn in time to take the steamer to Civita Vecchia and Naples. The distance from Florence to Leghorn is sixty-one miles, and a railroad is completed the whole distance. We stopped at Pisa two hours, to visit the celebrated Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, Baptistery, and Campo Santo, which are all in one group, and are well worth a visit. I was satisfied with viewing the Leaning Tower on all sides, without climb- ing to its summit, thinking, if it should happen to topple over while I was there, my situation would be anything but agree- able. It is one hundred and seventy-eight feet high and fifty feet in diameter, and leans thirteen feet ! It was built in the twelfth century, and it is supposed that the defect arises from a bad foundation. The Cathedral is a beautiful specimen of architecture, and is very rich in ornaments, frescoes, paintings, &c. It is said the silver of one altar cost thirty-six thousand crowns. The Campo Santo, or Ce- metery, was founded also in the twelfth century, by Arch- bishop Ubaldo, and is interesting from the sepulchral monu- ments within it, as well as from the circumstances of its 98 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. origin. Fifty-three vessels, laden with earth from, Mount Calvary, were brought to make it. It is said that in twenty- four hours, dead bodies buried within it would be reduced to dust ! This sacred dust is enclosed by a massive building, forming a hollow square. The building itself has now so many ancient sepulchral monuments within it, that it is in fact a museum of curiosities. Leghorn can be reached in twenty-five minutes by rail- road from Pisa. We found Leghorn the most busy, bust- ling place that we had seen on the continent. It contains seventy or eighty thousand inhabitants. It possesses very few objects of art, or curious specimens of antiquity. Its importance as a commercial city is great, and it ranks as the fifth on the Mediterranean, after Marseilles, Genoa, Naples and Smyrna. The monastery of Monte Nero, near the city, on a hill, is visited by most travelers for its pleasing prospect, and also to see a famous picture of the Virgin, which for five hundred years has been the object of great veneration by the Livornese. It is said the picture sailed by itself, in 1345, from the island of Negropont to the shore of Ardenya, and that a shepherd, directed by the Virgin, found it and brought it to the monastery. At Leghorn, we took a steamer for Civita Vecchia, at six o'clock, p. m., and reached there at seven in the morning, a distance of one hundred and sixty-five miles. The steamer was small, dirty and uncomfortable. I was put into an up- per berth in the ladies' cabin, without any sheets or pillow; and, not being able to speak Italian, I could not get any. As usual, I became sea-sick and could not sleep. About twelve o'clock in the night, a man came creeping stealthily into our cabin, and through a gap in my curtain I saw him peep slily into the lower berths, as I supposed to ascertain if their in- mates were asleep, and then move carefully to the valises and bags, which were heaped together just below where I LETTER NO. XIII. 99 lay. I suppose he heard a noise, as he turned suddenly and went out. I was alarmed, and placed myself in a situation where I could see every movement. In about half an hour he returned and came to my berth, which was an upper one, and slowly and cautiously drew the curtain aside. I jumped up suddenly and asked him, in French, what he wanted ; at which he seemed quite flustered for a moment, and then re- plied that he " thought he would come and let me now that my little boy was sound asleep." He then went out, but his object, doubtless, was to rob us of our watches, and perhaps search our carpet-bags. I passed a sleepless night. At Civita Vecchia, the process of landing was tedious enough. The vessels anchor out some distance from the town, and little boats come out for the passengers, and also convey all the freight to the shore. Travelers are not allow- ed to land till the captain has shown his papers and all the passports have been duly examined. We found a quaran- tine existed at Naples, which led us to resolve to take a dili- gence at Civita Vecchia and proceed first to Rome. On leaving town, our luggage was examined twice, first by the police and second by the custom-house officers, each of which expected two pauls ; then our passport was vised, for which we paid one dollar, which, with two pauls to the boatman who brought us to shore, and a fee to the porter, made us feel that we were called upon to give to every man we met. The road to Rome skirts the sea-coast, and for several miles we had a fine view of the Mediterranean. It was with no ordinary feelings we found ourselves drawing near to Rome. Its antiquities, its ruins, its classical associations, all combine to render it the most interesting of all places a tra- veler can visit, except, perhaps, Jerusalem. Much depends on first impressions, and we had hoped to have entered Rome by sunlight, and prepared our minds, by a glorious entrance within its walls, for a feast of enjoyment in our LofC. 100 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. researches afterwards. Instead of that, the diligence rolled lazily along, and it was half-past ten at night when we ar- rived at the outer gate of the Eternal City, which was shut, and called for admittance. Safe within the walls and the gate locked, we were next assailed by the police officers with their usual bow-wow-ing, not a word of which we could un- derstand but passport, of which the Italians contrive to make four syllables. These were all taken away and carried off, and receipts given for them ; and then we were driven to the custom-house, where our baggage was searched again, notwithstanding its recent overhauling at Civita Vecchia, and before we reached our hotel it was past one o'clock in the night. LETTER NO. XIV. Rome, October 6, 1850. In my last, I mentioned that, although we reached the city at ten o'clock at night, we did not get through the examina- tion of our passports and baggage, and find ourselves quietly settled at our hotel, till between one and two o'clock in the morning. We learned, at breakfast, that a great ceremony was to take place on this day, which was Sunday, at which the Pope was to be present; we could not ascertain exactly what it was, but as there was no Protestant service in the city, (for the English and American clergymen had not yet returned, owing to the unhealthiness of Rome as a summei residence,) we hastened away to the Church, that we might LETTER NO. XIV. 101 be there in time to obtain seats. We found the streets were lined with people, but we pressed on bravely and reached the gate with difficulty. There we encountered four soldiers with bristling- bayonets, who resisted our entrance because we had no written permission. Amid the bustle, however, our friend,. Mr. , contrived to slip in, and walked on undiscovered. We, however, stood under the arch of the gateway, wedged in by the crowd. To go on was impossi- ble, and to retreat as much so — so we stood still and looked on. The large yard surrounding the Church was filled with soldiers and carriages. The Pope had arrived before us, and the ceremony was in progress. We learned, after- wards, from persons who were so fortunate as to be within, that the Pope first examined a school of young ladies in the convent adjoining, inspecting their embroideries and worsted work, and also the raw material which they used, (wool, &c.,) after which they entered the church. At length, we were startled by the booming of cannon, and on enquiring the cause, we were told the Pope was canonizing a saint, Mademoiselle Maria Anna a Jesu de Paredes, of South America. One of the Cardinals, after bowing and kissing the Pope's toe, (or rather his scarlet slipper, embroidered with gold,) presented,, a petition which the Pope kindly granted, and a printed certificate of the canonization is now posted in every part of the city — the substance of which is, that in consequence of the Pope's earnest prayers and endeavors, and the unceasing petitions of God's people for many years, and in consideration of the extraordinary vir- tues of the lady, her devoted life and great sufferings, her beatification was now insured, and she might henceforth be reverenced as a saint. After the conclusion of this cere- mony, the Pope made his appearance in the balcony " to bless the people" which he did by spreading his hands over the crowd below and repeating a few words in an unknown 102 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUKOPE. tongue, and then entering his carriage with his Secretary, several other carriages rilled with Cardinals following, atten- ded by the Swiss Guards, who are the Pope's body-guard, and the Roman Guards, composed of the young nobility of Rome, he was escorted home with martial music. It is said the Pope has no confidence in his own people, and therefore selects the Swiss soldiery for his body-guard. The stairs and porch of the Church were covered with flowers, olive leaves, and evergreens, for the Pope to walk upon. As he rode through the gate, I had a fair view of His Holiness. He is quite a handsome man, and has, certainly, one of the most benignant countenances I ever looked upon. All agree that he possesses a kind and amiable disposition, and is in favor of yielding to all the reasonable wishes of his people. Although he is the Supreme Head of the Church, nominally, he is said to be ruled himself by others. Cardinal Anto- nelli is the secret moving spring of Church and State affairs. He is Secretary of State, is President of the Council of State, and presides at Cabinet meetings in absence of the Pope. He is a tall, slender Italian, with dark, restless eyes, whose single glance is so stealthy and insinuating as to betray the artful and intriguing character of the owner. Nothing can exceed the splendor of the Pope's equipage, and the pomp and pageant of his retinue. His body-guard look like butterflies. His carriage is covered with gold, and his six horses are enormous fellows, black as jet, with gold trap- pings ; and the Pope's crown is branded on the left flank of each horse ; the livery of the postillions and footmen of the whole suit, is exceedingly rich and gay. Monday, we started on our peregrinations. Very natu- rally, we first sought the Capitol, from which to take a gen- eral survey of the city. At the bottom of the stone steps which lead up on one side to this building, they profess to show you the identical spot where the twin brothers, Romu- LETTER NO. XIV. 103 lus and Remus, the founders of this city, were found with their wolf-nurse. From the Capitol, we obtained a fine view of Ancient and Modern Rome, and located in our minds the seven hills on which it was built — the Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Ccelian, Esquiline, Quirinal and Vimi- nal — and all the prominent points of interest pointed out to us by our guide. We saw, also, the Bastions to the left of the gate San Pancrazio, on the Janiculum, where the French made the first breach, under Gen. Oudinot, in entering the city last year. We then descended, and began a more minute exploration of the arch of Septimus Severus, of Jupiter Tonans, of the arch of Constantine, and the arch of Titus, erected to commemorate the destruction of Jeru- salem; and we wondered at the splendid bas-reliefs, and puzzled over the inscriptions which nobody, yet, has been able fully to read. We went up and down and about where the old Roman Forum stood — where once walked the Caesars and Pompeys — where Cicero declaimed and Cataline conspired — and where Caligula, and Nero, and Constantine, had plotted and planned, perhaps, and where Virgil, and Horace, and Livy, had stood — where Paul, the Apostle, too, had, doubtless, often trod, during the two years he lived in Rome, "in his own hired house," which spot we also visited. It is near the " Palace Doria," and is now occupied by the church of San Marcia in Via Lata. There is a spring of water underneath this church, which tradition says miraculously sprung up to enable the Apostle to baptize his disciples. We went through the ruins of the palace of the Caesars. The gardens are now partially covered with vineyards, and the vine-dressers allowed us to pick and eat freely of the grapes; they were the most delicious I ever tasted. This palace, once so beautiful and extensive, is but a mass of ruins — of walls and of arches — of columns and frescoes — heaps upon heaps; the location is exceedingly 104 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. fine, overlooking the country far and wide, but nothing" remains to give you any distinct idea of its former magnifi- cence. From there we went to the Coliseum, the most mag- nificent ruin I have yet seen. This was commenced by Vespasian in 72, and completed by his son Titus, A. D., SO, ten years after the destruction of Jerusalem. Many thou- sands of the captive Jews were employed in its construction. The edifice is of an oval form ; it is one thousand six hun- dred and forty- one feet in circumference, and one hundred and fifty-seven feet high. I can never describe the feelings with which I walked about and finally perched myself near the top of this vast ruin, and recalled to memory the scenes of its former days. With what sighs and tears, and heavi- ness of heart, aid the captive Jews build up this monument of their downf all ! Of what scenes of gaiety, and splendor, and cruelty, h?s this been the receptacle ! Of what a parade of beauty, of vanity, and of folly as well as suffering, has this been the theatre ! In imagination, I peopled those seats with one hundred thousand spectators, said to be present at its dedication, and with them witnessed the games in honor of it, which lasted one hundred days. I saw the sacrifice of two thousand gladiators and five thousand wild beasts, which then took place. I saw Ignatius torn to pieces by wild beasts, and the many Christian martyrs who, in this arena, gave up their lives. Although I visited the Coliseum in the very noon-tide of a bright and beautiful day, it wore such a sombre and dreary aspect to me, from the associations connected with it, that I had no desire to visit it by moon- light, as most travelers do, to add to it the gloominess and silence of midnight, the company of owls and bats, or the awfulness of solitude in such a bloody circus as this has been. Ruin as it is, two or three French soldiers stand at its portals, armed; I cannot imagine for what, for nothing is seen in its enclosures, or disturbs its awful silence, but the LETTEE NO. XIV. 105 lizards that run up and down its walls, and the few strangers that come to look and wonder, and retire, save now and then a devotee who comes in to kiss the cross, erected in the centre of the arena, under a printed pledge given on its transverse piece, in Italian, that whoever shall "kiss the cross once, shall have plenary indulgence two hundred days." Of St. Peter's Church, one of Rome's greatest attractions, I can find no words to express my admiration. I have now been in Rome several days, and every day I have been in once or twice, to gaze and admire. Its grandeur, its beauty, its elegance and taste — its architecture, paintings, statuary, mosaics, marbles, bas-reliefs, &c, are all unequalled by any thing I have yet seen. To give you some idea of its splen- dor, it is said that the actual cost of this building has been more than three hundred millions of dollars. The annual expenditure on repairs, superintendence, &c, is three hun- dred thousand dollars. You will be amazed, but it is even so. I can scarcely imagine how the interior can be more beautiful, but I was disappointed in the exterior ; it is neither grand nor imposing. During the siege of Rome, in 1849, considerable damage was done to the roof of the Church; nineteen balls were picked up about the edifice, and it was perforated in eighty different places. Many of the altars are adorned with beautiful mosaics, copied from the paint- ings of the greatest masters, and you can have some idea of the immense work in them from the fact that some have cost the labor of twelve and twenty years. We visited the manufactory of mosaics in the Vatican, by special permis- sion. It is a great curiosity. Above some of the statues are balconies, which contain relics held in great veneration. Over San Veronica is kept the "sudarium"' or handker- chief, bearing the impression of the Saviour's face, which is shown to the people during Holy Week. Over St. Helena 106 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUKOPE. is a piece of the true Cross, and. over Saint Andrew is the head of that Saint, which was lost two years ago, and crea- ted a great sensation at the time. I found the following account of it the other day, which I will send you : " In March, 1848, this relic was stolen from its balcony by some one, who was evidently familiar with the internal arrangements of St. Peter's. The popular belief was, that the Emperor of Austria or the Emperor of Russia had something to do with the affair. The Pope was deeply affec- ted by the sacrilege ; religious services were ordered, and a reward of five hundred dollars was offered to any one, not even excepting the culprit, for the recovery. Independent of its sanctity, it had a value of another kind, for it is enclo- sed in a silver bust, set with jewels, the value of which has been estimated at eighteen thousand scudi or dollars. It was at last found with the jewels detached, but deposited near it, buried in the earth beyond the Porta St. Pancrazio; the secret is said to have been revealed through the confes- sional; the judicial investigation was, therefore, suspended. Pius IX. wept for joy when it was brought and given into his own hands. The event was announced to the citizens by the Cardinal Vicar. All the bells in Rome rang a joyous peal for half an hour after the Ave Maria, the cupola of St. Peter's was illuminated, and, by a spontaneous act on the part of the people, so was the whole city. Te Deum was sung the next day at St. Andrea della Valle and St. Peter's; and on tile 5th of April, in the following week, the relic was carried from the former to the latter Church, in a pro- cession equally vast and magnificent with that of the Corpus Domini. All the ecclesiastical orders, religious orders, chapters of basilicas, parochial clergy, &c, preceded the gorgeous shrine borne by the canons of the Vatican. The relic was placed in a glass coffer, on a kind of car, and a wide silk canopy supported over it ; after which walked His Holiness, followed by the Sacred College, the Senate, the Roman Princes, the members of all the Casini, and (a new feature in such assemblies) a procession of noble ladies, all in black, with lace veils over their faces, and carrying tapers, as did the rest. The noble guard, the municipality, and all the military in Rome, brought up the rear. In St. Peter's, * LETTER NO. XIV. 107 His Holiness gave the benediction with the relic, and at night another illumination, both of the city and St. Peter's took place, which was still more brilliant than the first.'' I was sorry we could not see St. Peter's illuminated ; it must be a very imposing spectacle. Just imagine its exterior lighted with rows of lamps from top to bottom. It takes sixty-eight hundred lamps and three hundred and eighty-two men to light them. On the Festival of St. Peter, there are two illuminations the same evening: the first called the silver, and the second the golden illumination. The former com- mences at dusk, and is made by lamps enclosed in paper lanterns ; the second is made of iron plates filled with blazing tar and turpentine. Precisely at nine o'clock, nine hundred lamps are lighted instantaneously, and, in eight seconds, all the sixty-eight hundred are in full blaze. These illumina- tions cost six hundred crowns. On Thursday after our arrival, a great ceremony took place, at which we were so fortunate as to be present, which was no less than the consecration of several Cardinals, among whom was the celebrated Dr. Wiseman, of England. I will give you an account of it in my next, 108 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. LETTER NO. XV. Rome, October 9, 1850. Soon after our arrival in Rome, we heard that fourteen new Cardinals were to be consecrated during the following week, but notwithstanding all our inquiries, we could not, for two or three days, learn definitely when or where the ceremony was to take place. Some of the Italians, seeing our interest in the matter, made several attempts to ascertain particulars for us, but in vain. The people here have no means of informing themselves of what is going on in the world, or what is taking place among themselves, except as the developments are made before their eyes. Among a population of one hundred and seventy or one hundred and eighty thousand inhabitants, but two newspapers are pub- lished, and these quite small; one is the " Giornale Ro- mano," official, and the " Observatore Romano," semi- official. The people, of course, learn from these nothing, except what their political rulers choose they should know. " All foreign newspapers, expressing any opinions unfavora- ble to the Papal Court, or to any of the branches of adminis- tration, are rigorously excluded. All the Democratic press of England, France and Tuscany, is prohibited, and even journals addressed to resident diplomatists, often meet with the same severity." Not a religious newspaper (Protestant, I mean,) can be found here. One gentleman we met had not seen one for a year, and expressed the greatest sorrow at this deprivation. He knew nothing that was transpiring in the religious world, except such items of information as he occasionally gleaned from travelers. LETTER NO. XV. L09 At length, in a visit to the Vatican, one of the Pope's palaces adjoining St. Peter's, we were shown, among other rooms, the " Sistine Chapel," and the " Sala Ducale," where we found carpenters and upholsterers at work, fitting up the rooms with crimson curtains, golden fringes, &c; and, on inquiry, were told, in French, that the ceremony was to come off there on Thursday morning, at ten o'clock. We learned that fourteen new Cardinals had been added to the Consistory in the usual private way, but that four, only, would be publicly consecrated at this time, as they were not in Rome. Dr. Wiseman, of England, was one of the four. We were told that ladies, in order to be admitted, must be dressed in black, without bonnets. Supposing there would be a crowd on the occasion, we went early; and were told we must wait in the " Sala Regia,' or Royal Hall, until after the Pope had arrived. The Swiss Guards and the Roman soldiers, in equal numbers, were arranged in and about the " Sistine Chapel and the " Sala Ducale," in the latter of which the Cardinals, all dressed in scarlet, took their seats in rows on each side. Quite a num- ber of priests and monks, of various orders, were also present. The sound of music was at length heard, proclaiming the approach of the Pope, and the ladies, perhaps fifty in num- ber, were allowed to pass in, not by the same door as His Holiness, and arrange themselves in a low gallery on the left of his chair ; and here we had a fine opportunity to wit- ness all the ceremonies of the occasion. All the ladies had black veils folded over their heads, the ends hanging grace- fully on each side. The Pope, at length, with pomp, was ushered in. He wore his golden mitre and his robe of state. Two Cardinals, one on each side, supported him, and some one followed, bearing his train. The ceremony of seating the Pope in 6 110 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. his Chair of State, was quite an operation. With all due deference to the Pope's dignity, I must say I was reminded forcibly of scenes I have witnessed in the chamber of an aged invalid — when the dear old lady was able, to our great joy and delight, to sit up in the easy chair. Two would sup- port her to her seat, and smooth her wrapper and tuck her up carefully; one would stick up her cap in due form and order ; another get a soft cricket for her feet and run for a cologne bottle, and others stood by ready for an emergency in case she should faint away or tumble out of her chair. But, seriously, when his holiness was seated, his robe was carefully arranged, his train was disposed of according to rule, and a stool adjusted properly under his feet, while two officials remained standing by his chair. The Cardinals, of whom thirty or forty were present, I should judge, (the Consistory numbers seventy-two,) came forward one by one, and ascending three steps to the Pope's throne, bowed the knee, and kissing first his hand and then each cheek, retired to their seats. A short speech was then made in an unknown tongue — whether an address to man, or a prayer to God, I know not, nor could I learn the purport of it, or ascertain the name of the speaker. After this was ended, the Pope despatched the Cardinals for those who were to be consecrated, and who were, during this time, waiting in the " Sistine Chapel." They came in procession, and, one by one, the four new Cardinals approached His Holiness to be consecrated, separately. Each one knelt and kissed the Pope's "toe," or rather his scarlet slipper embroidered with gold, then his hand and each cheek. It was a wonder that His Holiness survived such an overwhelming manifestation of affection, but he did. The new Cardinal remained kneel- ing, with his head bowed in the Pope's lap, while His Holi- ness read a few words to him, sitting, from a book he held in one hand, while with the other he set him apart to his new LETTER NO. XV. Ill office. When the four were thus duly consecrated, they were escorted by the old cardinals, the priests and monks also joining in procession and singing with book in hand, through the Sala Regia to the " Sistine Chapel," where we all followed to see the end. The Pope retired through the other door, and we did not see him again. The new cardi- nals, after prostrating themselves on the steps, covered with scarlet broadcloth in front of the Pope's throne in the Chapel, for a few moments, rose and received the congratu- lations of their brethren in office by a kiss on the hand and one on each cheek. Cardinal Wiseman is quite a fat, jolly looking personage; he had a smile or a joke for all who greeted him, and seemed to enjoy his honors, kisses and all, amazingly. Finding this was the close of the devotional and religious ceremonies of the occasion, we withdrew, and continued our explorations of the Vatican. I do not sup- pose there were one hundred persons present besides the cardinals, priests, monks, and other officials. There were very few Italians ; the majority were English or Americans. On expressing our surprise at seeing so few persons on so great an occasion, we were told it was a specimen of the present feeling of the people towards their government and their religion ; that three or four years ago, twenty thousand spectators would have flocked together on such an occasion. The Sistine Chapel contains a series of remarkable and beautiful frescoes, executed by the most eminent masters. One side is devoted to representations of passages in the life of Moses, and the other to scenes in the life of Christ. The roof of the chapel is also covered with cartoons delineating other scenes in Scripture history, such as the Creation of Adam, and the Creation of Eve, the Fall and Expulsion from Paradise, the Deluge, the Sacrifice of Noah, &c. Op- posite the entrance of the chapel is the great fresco of the Last Judgment, designed by Michael Angelo in his sixtieth 112 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. year. It cost the labor of eight years. It was commenced at the request of Clement VII. The Pope was anxious to have it painted in oils, but Michael Angelo would execute it only in fresco, saying "oil painting was fit only for wo- men and people who had time to squander" and so he had his own way. The fresco is sixty feet high and thirty feet broad, and is as curious as it is magnificent. Solemn and imposing as such a scene must be, there is such a mingling of scriptural and mythological ideas as to render portions of it ridiculous enough. The Saviour and the Virgin occu- py a prominent position, and our Saviour is evidently pass- ing sentence on the wicked. On his right is a group of apostles, patriarchs and saints, and on his left a crowd of martyrs. Below is the angel sounding the last trump, and others bearing the books of life and death. On their left is the representation of the Fall of the Condemned, and de- mons seizing their unwilling victims; while in another place is Charon, ferrying a group over the river Styx, and striking down with his oar some of the rebellious. — Opposite are the blessed rising from their graves, assisted by the angels, &c. Paul IV., who was pope when the picture was finished, objected to the nudity of some of the figures, and ordered another artist to cover the most prominent ones with drapery, which quite offended Mi- chael Angelo. So, in the corner at the right hand of the picture, Michael introduced Biagio, (who was the first to suggest the indelicacy of the figures,) in a cor- rect likeness, standing in hell, as Midas, with ass's ears and a serpent around his body. Biagio complained to the pope, who requested him to alter it ; but Michael Angelo sent him word, " that although his holiness could release Biagio from purgatory, he had no power over hell : " and Biagio is there still, with his ass's ears, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. LETTER NO. XV. 113 The Vatican is the palace of palaces. Its buildings and gardens occupy almost as much space as a small city. The palace proper has twenty courts and four thousand four hundred and twenty-two apartments. The museum here requires days instead of hours to see and appreciate its curiosities. It contains a vast number of the best fresco paintings in the world; galleries of statues of exquisite beauty, both ancient and modern ; and an endless variety of paintings which have been collecting for ages, halls of ta- pestry, and sepulchral monuments and inscriptions without end; to say nothing of the variety of curiosities embraced in the hall of animals, hall of busts, hall of the Muses, cabi- net of the masks, circular hall, hall of the Greek cross, hall of the Biga, Museo Gregoriano (consisting of eleven cham- bers), gallery of the candelabra, gallery of maps, &c. &c. And then there are numberless halls, which contain the library, the gardens, and the pontifical armory, all full of wonderful things. The gallery of paintings in the Vatican contains probably some of the best specimens in the world : there are not more than fifty in all, but they are exquisite. "The Transfiguration," the last and greatest work of Ra- phael; the Communion of St. Jerome," the master-piece of Domenichino; "The Crucifixion of St. Peter," by Guido; " The Entombment of Christ," by Caravaggio, and " The Madonna and Child, surrounded by Angels," by Titian, are perfect gems. I visited this gallery twice, but I wished I had a week to spend in these four rooms alone. There are seven Basilica in Rome, four within the walls and three without. They are called Basilica, because they have served at different times as the seats of public tribu- nals or courts of justice. St. Peter's occupies the spot where it is said the Apostle was interred after his crucifixion, and where thousands of the early Christians suffered martyr- 114 SIGHTS AND SCENES IN EUROPE. dom. " St. John Lateran" is the Basilica where the coro- nation of the popes always takes place. In a vault underneath the chapel we saw the famous Pieta by Bernini. It is beautiful, and I cannot imagine why it is placed where it is so dark that a candle is necessary, and where it is in a fair way to be ruined by the carelessness of the guide, who has already marred its beauty by smoking it with the candle, as he professes to point out its peculiar excellencies. Connected with this church is the " Scala Santa," of great renown. It contains twenty-eight marble steps, said to have been Pilate's staircase, and to be the identical stairs which Jesus Christ descended when he left the judgment-seat. No one is allowed to go up these steps but penitents on their knees ; and so great is the number who visit it, that the edges are protected by boards, which it has been necessary to renew three times. Holes are bored in the wood through which to kiss the steps and save the marble from the touch of polluted lips. One of our com- pany, an American gentleman, was so naughty that he ran up these stairs like a cat, to the great astonishment and dis- may of a poor woman who was crawling up on her knees. We, however, went up and came down on the stairs made and provided for the impenitent. I had a great desire to see a painting kept in the chapel here ; it is attributed to St. Luke, and said to be a correct likeness of the Saviour when he was twelve years old. Luke, we are told in holy writ, was the " beloved physician," but nothing is said of him as an artist. Being one of Eve's daughters, I had a great curiosity to see his style of painting, and as much to know how Christ looked when a boy. But we could not gain access. We caught a glimpse of one or two priests at the head of the stairway as we were ascending, but when we had arrived at the top they had disappeared — like snails, they had crept into their shells. LETTER NO. XVI. 115 In the cloisters belonging to St. John Lateran, we were shown several remarkable curiosities, among which was the mouth of a well called " the well of the woman of Samaria." It was of stone, round, and three or four feet high. We saw two columns of Pilate's house," and "the column that was split in twain when the wall of the temple was rent ! " The slab was shown us on which " the soldiers cast lots for Christ's garments " — it was of porphyry ; also a slab supported by four columns, said to be the exact height of our Saviour — six feet ! One of our gentlemen stood under it, and the guide remarked that he was just the size of the Saviour! Here we saw also an altar-table of stone, an inch thick, through which, when a priest doubted the real presence, the wafer fell from his hand, and left a hole ! But more anon. ^ ****♦ WERT OOKBINDINC Crantville, Pa JULY ■ AUG 1989 Ve re Quilny Bound