isiii m li Mfiiyiii;;,:., mm mm I Si '§ m\ illl i i Wi: ^'^^i mm mm- 0°\" 0' <^, .^ 5P ^ \V r> ^ o X'^ ^^^£0^: '% "- '%• .x^' J"V%g •^J*^ .0- ■\^ --^^ V ;f: -^s' .^•^■.r <^ = X'^^ ^ r^ ,7 .. N V . 'K /-_ "^ '-> M ^ .^^ V^ ^ ' " '' rri^^ : ^\- .^?^/ '^^ "-^. -yrm^ j>' '^ .o^^--X"" V'^ -\^ -^ .£ ^^^^-^ s. .aV ^^'^ \" ^ "^c^. ^'^<^^ .3 o 0»^ ^.' '- -^^ -^"^ . A PASTOR'S SKETCHES; Or, Conversations with Anxious laqufrers respecting THE WAY OF SALVATION. By Ichabod S. Spencer, D.D., Pastor of Second Presbyterian Ctiurch, Brooklyn, N. Y'. Also, Second Series, by the same Author. A NEW MEMOIR OF HANNAH MORE, OR, LIFE IN HALL AND COTTAGE. BY Mrs. Helen C. Knigiit. The Sovereigns of the Bible. BY Eliza R. Steele, Author of "Heroines of Sacred History," "Summer Journey to the West," etc., etc. SELECT POETRY, FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH ; JVith an Introduction by TRYON EDWARDS, D.D. This Volume challenf"^= a comparison with any other of its kind. A COMPLETE CONCORDANCE TO THE Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament i Or, a Dictionary and Alphabetical Index to the Bible. — To which is added A Concordance to tJie Books called Ajyocrypha. The most useful and only complete Work of the kind hitherto published.— By Alexander Criiden,M.A. A NEW AND IMPROVED EDITION. WINTER IN SPITZBERGEN. A BOOK FOR YOUTH. From the German of C. HILDEBRANDT, Preacher in Eilsdorf, near Helberstadt, by E. GOODRICH SMITH. RACHEL KELL. By the Author of "My Mother," "Scenes and Characters in College," &c. A moral tale of excellent influence, and most excitints, shoes, slippers, and bare feet. Falstaff's ragged regiment could not have been worse off. Most of them were drunk when shipped, — out of money and out of clothes. All their advance wages had gone to pay the score run up at their boarding places since their last voyage. Con- sequently, when we reached Liverpool, they were wholly at the mercy of those ravening wolves who prowl about the docks to entice new comers to their boarding-hells, where they keep them awhile on the credit of their next voyage, and then pocket their wages in advance, and turn them adrift in the same destitute, wretched condition. Many sea-faring men with whom I have conversed on this 18 OLDSIGHTS Advance Wages— Cape Clear— Holyhead. subject, have expressed to me their conviction that much of this evil might be prevented, if the universal practice of 'pay- ing seamevDs wages in advance w^ere discontinued. If they did not receive their pay, or only a part of it, until after they had sailed, then they would have some money coming to them when they were sober enough to know its value, and to make a good use of it. A feeling of self-respect and independence would grow up in their minds, and when they arrived at the end of their voyage they would be better able to look out for themselves, and steer clear of the landsharks. I would fain appeal to ship owners, and agents, and all honest and benevo- lent persons, who are interested in the welfare of sailors. Is not such a change practicable ? The eighteenth day out we came in sight of land, passed Cape Clear, and were obliged to beat up the Channel in the face of an east wind. The next day, towards evening, we came near the Irish coast, saw Brown Stonehead with its two bea- cons, and could discern the verdure on shore ; then Waterford lighthouse, where was a pilot-boat lying off, from which three men came alongside of us in a small boat, to see if we had any provisions to give them. The next day we were becalmed, so that the tide drifted us down the Channel. Towards even- ing, however, the wind sprang up again, and the succeeding day we passed Holyhead, had a view of the Isle of Man, saw the Skerries, rocks that proved fatal to so many vessels before the erection of the present lighthouse ; and beyond the Isle of Anglesey, had a glimpse of the cloudy outline of Mount Snow- don, which our Welshman contemplated with delight. We soon made Point Linus, the usual station for pilots, about forty- five miles below Liverpool, and when I went on deck late in the afternoon, quite an exciting scene presented itself. Our WITHNEWEYES. 19 The Pilot— Arrival. signal was set for a pilot, viz. the union jack at the fore ; in the distance was a pilot-boat with colors flying, responding to our call, her small boat making for us ; a steanci-tug alongside, anxious to escort us up the Mersey, for only sixteen guineas, which our captain refused to give. The pilot came aboard and dispensed the news to our hungry company. The next morn- ing a steamer took us in tow, we passed Rockfort, had a fine view of Liverpool on the left, and Birkenhead on the right, under a clear sky. The flag was up at Prince's Dock, to sig- nify that it was full of vessels ; but on our captain's landing, room was made for us ; we entered the basin and hauled into the dock just as the " Isaac Webb,'^ swarming with emigrants, was hauling out of the Waterloo Dock, opposite; having made a very good passage of twenty-two days. 20 OLDSIGHTS The "Old Country." CHAPTER II. LIVERPOOL. " So here I am, at last, in the old country,^'' said I to myself, involuntarily, as I stepped ashore with something of the feel- ings of an exile retm-ning to the land of his fathers : for we do not feel like aliens in those countries which have always occupied a large place in our minds ; whose history has been the wonder and delight of our childhood ; the lives of whose great men have been the food of our youthful aspirations ; and to whose literature we are mainly indebted for the deve- lopment, growth, and culture of our mental faculties. They are not foreign from our thoughts and affections. We have often visited them in imagination ; and now that we are actu- ally there, we seem to have been there befoi'e. Memories of the past come forth to meet us, old associations take us by the hand and greet us in familiar tones, as if welcoming us back again to some former home. Especially is this true of England — in every sense our mother country — the prolific source of all our virtues and of all our glories. The germs of all our free institutions were found in her. They only needed a more genial soil and more auspicious skies, in order to attain their present luxuriance. Till within a comparatively recent period, our history is the same as that of England. We have an equal share in her WITHNEWEYES. 21 Custom House— General Appearance of Liverpool. great names. Chaucer, Shakspeare, and Milton are our poets. Bacon, Locke, and Newton are our philosopliers. Coke, Hale, and Blackstone are our jurists. Chatham, Burke, and Erskine are our orators. No Englishman has any better title to these names than we have. Our baggage was placed in charge of a carman, who had obtained a permit to have it examined at the dock depot, whi- ther we followed him. The officer in attendance, a very civil, gentlemanly man, put me to very little trouble, not even open- ing my carpet-bag. My fellow-passengers were not so fortu- nate. One of them had two or three American reprints of English authors — Dickens's and Lever's works — which were condemned to the flames without leave of redemption. Ano- ther had a parcel of tobacco, a package of letters, and a num- ber of daguerreotypes from children in America to their parents in "Wales, which were seized with great indignation, and sub- jected the bearer to a vexatious and expensive detention before a magistrate. The best way to avoid trouble at the Custom- House, the only honest way indeed, is to have nothing contra- band in your possession, so that you can carry a clear con- science. Above all, keep clear of American reprints, private letters, and tobacco. The general appearance of Liverpool was more inviting than I had supposed. Its streets, though not so wide or regular as those of New York, are much cleaner and better paved. The buildings are not generally as lofty (except the warehouses, which are seven or eight stories), but more relieved by archi- tectural ornaments, heavy cornices, paneling, and pediments. Some of the new blocks in Broadway, e. g., that on the site of Grace Church, are more in the English style of commercial buildings. The streets are much more quiet than in New 2* 22 OLDSIGHTS Public Buildings. York, most of the heavy business being confined to the neigh- borhood of the docks. These docks are the greatest " lions" of Liverpool. They are constructed in the side of the bank of the river, and are on a most stupendous scale — wet, and dry, and graving docks, connected with wide and commodious quays and immense warehouses. The wet docks occupy a superficies of ninety acres, 3,384 yards, and the quays measure seven miles one hundred and fifty-six yards in length. Within a few years, extensive docks have also been constructed on the opposite side of the Mersey at Birkenhead. The principal public buildings are the Town-Hall, the Exchange, and the Custom-House. The Town-Hall is a hand- some Palladian building, surmounted by a dome, which is crowned by a statue of Britannia. It contains a number of portraits, a statue of Eoscoe by Chantrey, and on the landing of the staircase one of Canning by the same artist. The Exchange buildings form three sides of a square, in the centre of which is a group of statuary in memoiy of Nelson, exe- cuted by Westmacott in 1813. Victory is just about to crown the hero as Death, partially concealed by a shroud, stretches out his skeleton hand and touches his heart, while a sailor stands before him in an attitude of defence, and another kneels behind, lamenting his fate. On the sides of the base are bas- reliefs of Nelson's victories; and four colossal male figures,- in attitudes of humiliation and grief, are chained to the cor- ners. The new Custom-House, by far the finest building in Liverpool, both in magnitude and architectural dimensions, contains also the post-office, the excise-ofl[ice, the stamp-office, the dock-treasurer and secretary's office, the board-room, and offices of the dock committee. There is also a splendid build- WITHNEWEYES. 23 The People— Signs. ing recently erected, though in an unfinished state, opposite the station-house of the London and North Western Railway- in Lime street, called St. George's Hall, to be devoted to the fine arts. It is in the Grecian style, and has an exquisitely wrought sculpture in bas-relief on the front pediment, repre- senting several figures. Commerce, Agriculture, the Fine Arts and Sciences, &c., bringing their tribute to Britannia. I was struck with the marked difference in the appearance of people I met in the streets from those I had been accus- tomed to see at home. The people here are heartier, fuller- faced, ruddier, carry their heads higher, and project their chests more, their lips are more parted, as if breathing more freely, and they are more leisurely in their gait. They have more of the vivacity and buoyancy of youth, their tones of voice are higher and more varied, and to use a common English expres- sion, they look much more ^'' jolly " than our New York mer- chants driving along Wall street, as if hurrying for dear life, with stooping shoulders, compressed lips, pale feces, and anx- ious looks. One notices the absence of the large-painted and gilded signs which line the sides of our streets — the prevailing mode here being wide plates of brass or white metal on the door- posts or window-sills, engraved with large letters, and kept bright by daily scrubbing. The drinking establishments are styled " vaults " — e. g, " ale, and porter, and wine, and spirit vaults." You see a great many little donkeys in the streets, some rode by children, and others harnessed in carts — pony carriages with lady-drivers — and huge draught horses, three and four tandem, whose load is limited by a special ordinance to sixteen barrels of flour a-piece. In case of a fire, you will pee the engines drawn by horses on the gallop, followed by a 24 OLD SIGHTS St. James's Cemetery. string of carts with casks of water to feed the engines till the water is let on from the hydrants. The water which supplies the town is not flowing at all times, but is only let on at certain seasons to fill the cisterns attached to the houses. The markets in Liverpool are well worthy of a visit, parti- cularly St. John's, which covers nearly two acres of ground, and is all under one roof, supported by one hundred and six- teen pillars. The market in Great Charlotte street is cele- brated for its fine fish — salmon and turbot, and a singular- looking red fish called " gurnets^'' with a head shaped like the inverted stern of a ship. St. James's Cemetery is also quite a curiosity. It was formerly a quarry of red sandstone, but has now been con- verted into catacombs. It is situated in the midst of the town, surrounded by streets and blocks of houses, inclosed by an iron railing. Near the entrance is a beautiful marble chapel. You descend a path cut in stone, now leading through a tunnel in the rock, till you come out upon a level spot in the bottom of the ravine, which constitutes the cemetery, and is laid out in walks and flower-beds, and adorned with shrubbery and trees. The sides of the ravine are mantled with creepers and ivy, in some places smooth rock, in others hewn stone laid in arches and containing vaults. In the centre is a small circular stone building, containing a marble statue of Huskisson, the distin- guished Parliamentary patron of Railways, one of Liverpool's greatest benefactors. Several pleasant excursions may be made in the environs of Liverpool, by the omnibuses which run in all directions — Tox- teth Park, West Derby, Aigburth, and Wavertree (pronounced « Watery "). From the last place is a walk of a mile to Child- wail, where is " Child wall Hall^" belonging to the Marquis of WITHNEWEYES. 25 Ancient Church at Childwall. Salisbury, and a very ancient cliurcli well worthy of a visit. It is built of red sandstone, in tbe old English style ; the en- trance is below the surface, and lined with monumental tablets of clergymen. The slips and seats are of oak, not painted or varnished, and very rude ; a great many recesses containing large square pews for noble families, with separate entrances, and lozenge-shaped escutcheons containing coats of arms hang- ing up over their respective pews. The view from the rear of the church is a fine specimen of English landscape — green fields, a small stream — the country sprinkled with country seats, villages, and spires, and a railway train passing in the distance. 26 OLD SIGHTS Tower of London. CHAPTER III. THE TOWER OF LONDON. The Tower k one of the most interesting objects in London to visitors, on account of its numerous historical associations. It was built by William the Conqueror, about the year 1078, and strongly garrisoned with Normans, in order to intimidate his new subjects. From some coins found here, it is believed that the Romans also had a fort in the same spot. For five hundred years it was occupied as a palace, but since the time of Elizabeth it has been devoted to the purposes of a Royal Arsenal, a depository of the regalia of England, a garrison, and a prison. It is situated on the north bank of the Thames, at the northeast end of the city. You approach it by Thames street, which takes you through the celebrated Fish Market, which has given its name to the foulest and most abusive lan- guage, viz. Billingsgate. Close at hand is the Custom-House, an extensive pile of Portland stone, presenting a fine front to the river, three Ionic porticoes of six pillars each, the whola, 488 feet in length, and 107 in width, with a broad and solid quay, which forms an agi-eeable promenade. North of the Tower, across the street, is Trinity House, the seat of the corporation of that name, selected from the com- manders in the navy and merchant service, including also some of the nobility, who have the navigation of the whole kingdom WITHNEWEYES. 27 The Royal Mint— The Moat— Spur Gate— Middle Tower. under guardiansnip, appoint pilots, erect light-houses and sea- marks, publish charts, and attend to all business connected with the Thames. On Trinity Monday of every year a sermon is preached before them, which, for five years in succession, was assigned to the celebrated Henry Melvill, by his Grace the Duke of Wellington. The Royal Mint is opposite the northeast angle of the Tower, St. Katharine's Docks on the east, London Docks beyond, and still further down the West India and East India Docks. All these are objects of interest to a stranger, and, together with the Tower, may be visited in one day. The Tower is surrounded by a very wide and deep moat or ditch (measuring 3,156 feet), which is now drained and laid out in grass-plots and flower-beds, and adorned with shrub- bery. The space inclosed by the wall is an irregular four- sided figure, covering more than twelve acres, and is a town in itself, containing various streets and extensive ranges of buildings, besides a long line of barracks for the garrison. It is open to visitors daily from ten to four. You enter by the Spur Gate, call at the ticket-office on the right, where you obtain tickets of admission (6d. each for the Armory and Jewel- room), and proceed a few steps further to the ante-room to await the arrival of a warder, who takes a new party every half hour. Passing through a second gate in Middle Tower, and cross- ing the bridge over the moat, you enter a third gate in the massive walls, with By ward Tower on the right, and find your- self within the fortress at the head of a long paved street. Bell Tower occupies the angle of the wall on your left. Walking on a few steps, you see on your right St. Thomas's Tower, where was Traitor's Gate, through which so many illustri- 28 OLDSIGHTS Wakefield Tower— Record Office— Ordnance Office— Bloody Tower. ous prisoners of state have been conducted from the river to their gloomy apartments in the Tower, and thence to the scaf- fold. Nearly opposite, on the left, is the Bloody Tower, in which the two young princes, Edward V. and his brother, were smothered by order of their uncle, Richard III., and buried at the foot of the stair-case. Near by is the Wakefield Tower, the place of confinement for the prisoners taken in the battle of Wake- field, one of the first of the bloody conflicts of the Two Roses. The Lollards or Wickliffites were also confined here. It has a fine octagonal room, in which it is said Henry VL was mur- dered. The range of buildings adjoining it, contains the Record office, where are kept all the rolls from King John to Richard III. (which you may have the privilege of searching for a year upon one subject, by paying 105. 6d.), and also the Ordnance office. Passing under the Bloody Tower you come out into a large open space, the heart of the fortress, containing " the Green " on your left, the " White Tower" before you on your right, be- yond that " the Parade," the Grand Storehouse, a fine building, 350 feet in length, fronting "the Parade," but now in ruins (having been destroyed by fire in 1841), and in the northwest corner on your left, " the Church." Adjoining " the Green" is the governor's house, where the commissioners to inquire into the Gunpowder Plot met in a room since called the Council Chamber. " The Church," " St. Peter ad vincula,^^ was erected in the reign of Edward L, and is the depository of the head- less bodies of many distinguished persons who were executed either in the Tower or on the adjacent hill. Among them were Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and Sir Thomas More, Lord High Chancellor, who were beheaded by order of Henry VIH. for refusing to acknowledge his supremacy over the Church of WITHNEWEYES. 29 The White Tower— Horse Ai-mory. England ; also bis ill-fated wives, Anne Boleyn and Catharine Howard. Near the Church is Beauchamp or Cobham Tower, noted as the prison of Lady Jane Grey. Back of the Grand Storehouse is Bowyer Tower, of which the basement floor alone remains, where it is said that the Duke of Clarence, being con- demned to die by his brother Edward IV., and allowed to choose the manner of his death, was drowned by his own de- sire in a butt of Malmsey wine. The " White Tower," or " Citadel," is a large square build- ing, of a kind of white stone (which gave it its name), with turrets at each corner, erected by Gandulph, Bishop of Roches- ter, in lOTO, It measures one hundred and sixteen by ninety- six feet, and is ninety-two feet in height. The walls are eleven feet thick. The north-east turret was used for astronomical purposes by the Astronomer Flamstead, previous to the erection of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. The first room is an apartment one hundred and fifty feet long, and thirty-five wide, called the Horse Armory, where you are carried back to the days of chivalry by a long line of mail- clad knights, sitting erect upon their steeds, " with visor down and lance in rest." They represent many of the Kings of England, and other distinguished personages, in suits of armor worn by them in life, and are arranged in chronological order, beginning with Edward I. in 12*72. Opposite is a row of figures representing the dress and arms of the esquires, yeomen, and retainers in corresponding periods. Behind them is a row of cannon and specimens of firearms of different periods, besides many other interesting curiositieS. From this room you pass up stairs into the chamber in the Tower, called Queen Elizabeth's Armory. This was the prison of Sir Walter Raleigh, where he wrote his " History of the 80 OLD SIGHTS Prison— Curiosities— New Jewel OflSce. World." The walls are fourteen feet thick, consequently the window is in a deep recess. Over against it is a dungeon in the wall, perhaps eight feet by six, with no aperture for hght or air save the door, which is said to have been his bed-room. This room is also full of curiosities. Here are shown the helmet, belt, and sword of Tippoo Saib, the Indian prince, a representation of Queen Elizabeth in full dress, the heading block and axe that severed the heads of Anne Boleyn and the Earl of Essex, a wooden cannon used by Henry VHI. at the siege of Boulogne, some fine specimens of ancient armor, shields with a great number of figures most exquisitely em- bossed, thumb-screws, and other instruments of torture. At the entrance are two grotesque figures, called " Gin " and "Beer," of the time of Edward VI., which were originally placed in the great hall of the palace at Greenwich, over the doors leading to the buttery and larder. From the White Tower we proceeded to the " New Jewel Office," in the north-east corner of the inclosure. Here we were received by a grave and stately matron dressed in black, who solemnly divested us of our canes and umbrellas, and with an air of grandeur ushered us into the Jewel-room, where she entered upon a description of its contents in a tone of such profound reverence *as to be mostly inaudible. It is a small apartment, having a large glass case in the centre sun^ounded by an iron railing. The regalia consist of several crowns and sceptres of previous reigns, the emblems of royalty used at coronations, viz. — the golden orb, the golden sceptre and cross, the sceptre with the dove, tSe sword of mercy, golden spurs, the bracelets, the golden eagle and the golden spoon ; the state salt-cellar and St. Edward's staff ; a spendid gold wine-fountain for royal banquets, a silver baptismal font, and communion WITHNEWEYES. 81 New Jewel Office. service for the royal family ; the whole surmounted by the new crown of Queen Victoria, which is a cap of purple velvet, bound with hoops of silver glittering with gems, having an immense ruby and amethyst in front, and a dazzling cross of diamonds upon the top. This crown alone is valued at five millions of dollars, and all the regalia at upwards of fifteen mil- lions. The regalia, as well as the whole fortress, is in the custody of the Constable of the Tower, who has several officers under him, and a detachment of the Guards for a garrison. The gates are opened and shut every night and every morning with great ceremony, a yeoman, porter, sergeant, and six men being employed to carry the keys. 32 OLDSIGHTS The British Museum— Foundation, CHAPTER IV. THE BRITISH MUSEUM. The British Museum, which is one of the wonders of the world, owes its foundation to the will of Sir Hans Sloane, a physician, who died in the year 1Y53. During a life of un- common activity, prolonged to the term of ninety-one years, he had accumulated an extensive library of books and manu- scripts, and the largest collection of objects of Natural History and works of art in his time. These, which had cost him $250,000, he directed should be offered to Parliament, after his death, for $100,000. The offer was accepted, and the same act also directed the purchase of the Harleian Library of manu- scripts, for which $50,000 was paid, and enacted that the Cot- tonian Library, which had been given to the Government for public use by Sir Robert Cotton, in 1662, should, together with these, form one general collection. Montague House in Great Russell street, one of the largest mansions in the metrQ,polis, was bought for this purpose at an expense of $100,000, the various collections removed into it, and opened to the public in 1*759, under the name of the British Museum. This building, however, soon proved inadequate. In 1801 a large collection of Egyptian antiquities captured from the French by the British army at Alexandria, was added to the Museum. In 1805 the Townley marbles were purchased. In WITHNEWEYES. 33 The Building. 1823 George IV. made a donation of the valuable library col- lected by George III. The Elgin marbles were purchased for $175,000. Nearly $70,000 were paid for Dr. Burnet's rare classical library. Drawings were accordingly prepared for the erection of an entirely new museum on the same site, which has been in progress for the last twenty-five years, and is now mainly completed. It is still surrounded by the old brick wall, with a square turret at each corner, and a huge cupola over the gateway, completely obstructing the view till you have entered the spa- cious court-yard. The building is in the Grecian Ionic order, and occupies four sides of a quadrangle. The southern fagade which fronts the gateway consists of the great entrance portico, which is eight columns in width, and two intercolumniations in projection. On each side is an advancing wing, giving to the entire front an extent of three hundred and seventy feet, the whole of which is surrounded by a colonnade of fourteen columns, five feet in diameter and forty-five high. Ascending a flight of twelve stone steps, one hundred and twenty-five feet in width, we pass through the doorway, twenty- four feet in height, and stand in the entrance hall of most im- posing dimensions, sixty-two by fifty-one feet, and thirty high, with a magnificently trabeated ceiling ornamented in the Greek style. In the hall are three marble statues, one of Shakspeare, by Roubilliac, Sir Joseph Banks, by Chantrey, and Mrs. Damer, by Cerrachi, holding in her hand a small figure of the Genius of the Thames. We are now on the lower floor. Below is the ground floor, and above the upper floor. To make the regular circuit we turn to the left and ascend the principal staircase, the beautiful casing of the walls on each side, red Aberdeen granite highly polished, pass through the 34 OLDSIGHTS Ethnographical Room— Zoological Collection. central saloon (which is over the entrance hall), and begin with the Ethnographical room at the right (to one facing the south). This room, which consists of several compartments, is filled with curiosities, illustrating the various characteristics, manners, customs, arts, religions, dress, and features of different nations ; shields, spears, poisoned arrows, scalps, war-horns of human jaws, dried bodies, canoes, snow-shoes, musical instruments, clothes, ornaments, cooking utensils, &c., &c., from China to Peru, and from Behring's Straits to the Cape of Good Hope. The great number and variety of objects of religious worship is very remarkable ; of every conceivable material and shape, the likeness of " things in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, and in the waters under the earth." I never saw so humiliating, so disgusting, so mortifying an exhibition of human depravity. It makes one ashamed of his species. Returning to the central saloon, we commence the tour of the Zoological collections, which are contained in three gal- leries or suites of rooms on the southern, eastern, and northern sides of the quadrangle. We begin with the hoofed quadrupeds. The central saloon has twenty wall cases with glass doors, in which are arranged specimens of antelopes, goats, and sheep. Over the cases, the horns of different species of oxen. On the floor, specimens of the giraffe. ^ The southern gallery (which occupies the eastern portion of the south front) has thirty wall cases, in which is a continua- tion of the hoofed quadrupeds, as the oxen, deer, camels, horses, the various kinds of swine, armadilloes, manises, and sloths. On the tops of the cases, horns of different kinds of elephants, rhinoceri, and hippopotami. Next is the Mammalia saloon, containing the handed and WITHNEWEYES. 85 Birds— Reptiles— Minerals and Fossils. rapacious beasts. The handed beasts fill twenty cases, divided into the " old world monkeys," and the " new world monkeys." Such a variety of monkeys as I never dreamed of before, thougb I have often since; — green monkeys, moustache monkeys, white-throated monkeys, red-eared monkeys, white-nosed mon- keys, black-cheeked monkeys, white-collared monkeys of the " old world," and negro monkeys, howlers, night apes, Jew monkeys, ring-tailed and flying monkeys, of the " new." The rapacious beasts fill thirty-three cases, such as the various kinds of cats, dogs, bears, &c., the insectivorous beasts, such as moles, hedgehogs, and the marsupial or pouch-bearing ani- mals, such as kangaroos, opossums, etc. The eastern gallery contains the birds, in one hundred and sixty-six small cases, occupying a suite of three large rooms. A series of small table-cases along the sides of the rooms is devoted to the eggs of birds, and a series of large table-cases in the centre (forty-five in number) to the shells of molluscous animals. These rooms are also adorned with one hundred and sixteen portraits of kings and queens, and other distinguished characters. The northern gallery consists of five rooms, filled with the reptiles, such as lizards, snakes, and turtles, the batrachian ani- mals, such as toads, frogs, and efts, and the collection of fish. The table-cases contain sea-eggs, star-fish, corals, insects, crabs, and sponges. On the tops of the small cases are the fish which are too large to be inclosed in the cases. The north side of the north wing is appropriated to minerals and fossils. Among the minerals, I was struck with the gi-eat number of specimens of meteoric iron from all parts of the world, California gold, splendid crystallizations of sulphur from Sicily, magnificent sulphates of baryta and selenites from the 36 OLD SIGHTS Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Antiquities. Hartz Mountains, and from Switzerland. Conspicuous among the fossils were the megatherium from South America, a gigan- tic tortoise from the hills of India, huge salamanders, iguanodons from Tilgate Forest, ichthyosauri, plesiosauri, and mastodons. The remainder of the upper floor is devoted to the smaller Egyptian antiquities, the great vases and bronzes, and the cabi- nets of coins and medals. The Egyptian room is an interminable accumulation of deities in bronze, gold, silver, porcelain, wood, and stone, sacred ani- mals, household furniture, such as chairs, tables, beds, articles of dress, and the toilet, vases, lamps, cups, spoons, instruments of writing and painting, sarcophagi, sepulchral tablets, amulets, coflSns, human mummies, and mummies of bulls, and rams, and cats, and dogs, and baboons, and snakes, and fishes. The Etruscan room contains a collection of vases discovered in Italy, and known by the name of Etruscan, Grseco-Italian, or painted vases. They are of exquisite beauty of form and workmanship, with figures upon them in bas-relief, far surpass- ing any works of modern art. The bronze room contains Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities. Then there is the Medal room, containing ancient and modern coins and medals ; and the Print room, containing an extensive collection of prints and drawings. The ground floor of all the buildings on the west side is devoted to the more massive Egyptian antiquities, such as colossal statues, sphinxes, sarcophagi, parts of tombs, temples, and gates, and to the Greek and Roman marbles. Room 1 has five compartments of Greek and Roman sculptures. The Nimroud room has eleven compartments of sculptures procured by Mr. Layard on the banks of the Tigris, principally slabs from the sides of apartments, representing battle scenes, sieges, WITHNEWEYES. 37 Library— Autographs. triumplial processions, religious rites, and domestic employ- ments. In the centre is a fragment of a human-headed bull. The Lycian room contains remains of ancient cities in Lycia ; ''he Grand Central Saloon, Greek and Roman sculptures ; the Phigalian Saloon, from Phigalia, in Arcadia ; the Elgin Saloon, the Greek marbles of Lord Elgin, from Athens and its vicinity. When it is borne in mind that every article throughout the whole is numbered and labelled, one is utterly lost in amaze- ment at the inconceivable amount of labor that must have been expended in merely arranging and classifying the stupendous collection. The lower floor is occupied principally with the library of manuscripts and printed books. The rooms are lighted from above, and warmed by hot-water tubes. The floors and book- cases are of polished oak. At one place you can look through a suite of rooms opening into each other, some with glass par- titions between, affording a vista of more than six hundred feet, lined with the choicest productions of literature. King George's Library is considered of very great value. It fills a large room, though only twenty-two thousand volumes, being nearly all folios ; while an adjoining room of about the same size contains six thousand. I cannot describe the interest with which I gazed upon the autographs (in books owned by the -writers) of William Shak- speare, John Milton, Voltaire, Isaac Newton ; a letter of Oliver Cromwell ; one of Charles L, just before his execution, to his son ; one of Richard IIL ; Edward VL ; one of Lady Jane Grey — the letter which brought her to the scaffold ; Lady Jane Grey's prayer-book; a manuscript book penned by Queen Elizabeth; one of her letters; Pope's original draft of his Iliad, on the backs of old letters, collected and bound together ; 3 88 OLD SIGHTS A Singular Coincidence. proof-sheets of one of Walter Scott's poems, corrected and altered by himself. I was also much interested in some books made of papyrus, narrow strips, looking like dried palm leaves, laid one upon another, and tied together ; a Cingalese book, consisting of slips of bright metal engraved and laid in a pile ; a book of birch bark ; some very ancient Hebrew manuscripts in the form of a double roll on two sticks ; the Caxton books, the first ever printed — at least in Great Britain — very distinct ; the first Psalter ever printed, a fine copy, valued at 16,000 florins. A singular coincidence occurred while standing with a friend in one of the alcoves. He had just introduced me to Mr. Watts, an eminent linguist, who speaks twenty-five languages with facility, and mention was made of a letter which I had brought from the corporation of Yale College to Walter Savage Landor, Esq., thanking him for a manuscript copy of his late poem, entitled, " A proper Lesson for King Charles's Martyr- dom^^ The letter contained an allusion to the monument recently erected in " the Green " in New Haven to the memory of the regicide Dixwell. At that very moment, while the " regicide " was on our lips, an attendant handed Mr. Watts a slip of paper with the name of a book on it which some one had called for, but could not find. It was ^^ Lives of the Judges^'' a book which it was thought had never been called for before. I leave mathematicians to calculate the probabilities of such a coincidence. At the same time I had the pleasure of an introduction to the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Home, author of "An Introduction to the Study of the Scriptures," a very pleasant old gentleman, with a broad-brimmed hat, and a Quaker-looking garb, and an air of literary benignity which might well mark him as the genius of the library. WITHNEWEYES. 39 Admission. No charge is made for admission to any part of the British Museum. It is open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with the exception of the library, to which, how- ever, access can easily be obtained by previous application. 40 OLD SIGHTS Westminster Abbey. CHAPTER V. WESTMINSTER ABBEY This was originally an Abbey or Monastery. The principal buildings were the "Cloisters," containing the cells of the monks, and the " Minster," or church attached to the Monas- tery, called " West-minster," or " Minster of the West," from its situation west of the city of London. The first church on this site is said to have been built a.d. 616, to the honor of God and St. Peter, by King Sebert of the East Saxons. It is described by an ancient chronicler as in a " terrible place," on Thorney Island, " overgrown with thorns, and environed with water." It was rebuilt by Edward the Confessor in 1060, and endowed plenteously with relics. Henry III. enlarged it, and added a chapter to the Blessed Virgin. Henry VII. built the magnificent chapel known by his name in 1502. Henry VIII. stripped it of many of its ornaments, to convert them into money ; and in Cromwell's time it was occupied by the soh^iers of the Commonwealth, its chapels turned into barracks, and many of its images and ornaments defaced and mutilated. In William and Mary's time a large sum was expended in repairs, under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, who erected the two towers on the western front. During the present century, Henry the Seventh's chapel was repaired at an expense of 1210,000. The work of restoration and repair is still carried on. WITHNEWEYES. 41 The Minster— Dining Hall— The Pix. The Minster is in the form of a Latin cross, the foot of which is the western front. Adjoining the foot of the cross, on the southern side, is a range of buildings, formerly occupied by the Abbot. The first apartment is the " Jerusalem Chamber," to which Henry IV. was carried from the Confessor's shrine in the Abbey, in a fit of apoplexy, in order that the prediction concerning the place of his death might, in some sort, be verified. "It hath been prophesied to me many years, I should not die but in Jerusalem, Which vainly I supposed the Holy Land ; But bear me to that chamber, there I'U lie ; In that Jerusalem shall Harry die." Close at hand are the Dining Hall, Buttery, Pantry, and Kitchen, now used by the Westminster School, an institution founded by Queen Elizabeth in 1560. The Dining Hall is still heated in the ancient mode, at the dinner hour, by a fire of blazing faggots in a circular stone hearth in the centre. The smoke finds egress through the chimney in the roof. East of these buildings, under the right arm of the cross, are " the cloisters," on the four sides of a grassy area. On the pavement in the south cloister is the punning inscription over the ashes of one of the earliest Abbots, who died in 1085, Vitalis : — " A vita nomen qui traxit, morte vocante Abbas Vitalis transiit hie que jacet." Adjoining the east cloister, directly opposite to the end of the right arm of the cross, is an ancient building, now called the Chamber of the Pix, where is kept " the Pix^'' a box con- taining the standard of gold and silver coin, which is brought out but once in every reign. A little further east is the Chap- 42 OLDSIGHTS The Poets' Corner— Monuments. ter House, an octagonal building originally of great magnifi- cence, where the Chapter of the Abbey held their sittings. By the consent of the Abbots in 1377, the Commons of Great Britain first held their Parliaments in this place. It is now filled with the public records, among which is the original Doomsday Book, over seven hundred years old, and in fine preservation. Let us now enter the Abbey by the little door in the east side of the south transept^ or arm of the cross, close by the Chapter House. We are in the " Poets' Corner." Look up on the wall at your left, just as you enter, and you will see the monumental tablet and medallion likeness of the great drama- tist Ben Jonson, with the inscription, " rare Ben Jonson ; " next Butler, author of "Hudibras," then Edmund Spenser, John Milton, Thomas Gray, Matthew Prior, Dryden, Cowley, Chaucer, Drayton, Shakspeare, Thomson, John Gay the satirist, whose epitaph ill accords with the genius of the place : "Life is a jest, and all things show it; I thought so once, and now I know it." Goldsmith, Addison, Handel, Dr. Barrow, Casaubon, Camden the antiquarian, Garrick, Dr. South, Sheridan, Dr. Johnson, &c., &c. Many of the monuments are in the sacella, or sepulchral chapels, which are separate rooms or recesses in the sides, or additions on the outside. On the south end of the south tran- sept is St. Blaize's chapel. Walking on from Poets' Corner north, the first at your right is St. Benedict's chapel. Near the entrance is the monument of Simon de Langham, Monk, Prior, and Abbot of Westminster, and afterwards Archbishop of Can- WITHNEWEYES. 43 St. Edmund's, St. Nicholas's, and Henry VIL's Chapels. terbury and a Cardinal, who died in 1376. The effigy standing on an altar, robed and mitred, is exceedingly well sculptured. Next is St. Edmund's chapel, full of monuments of Earls, and Bishops, and titled ladies, some with the figures of the deceased erect, others kneeling, others reclining on their elbows, and others recumbent. One tomb is surmounted by kneeling figures of a knight and his two wives, and surrounded by kneeling figures of their four daughters, all sculptured in full dress of the Elizabethan style. Next is St. Nicholas's chapel, crowded with tombs of the most gorgeous magnificence, composed of alabaster, touchstone, porphyry, and variegated marbles, adorned with brass and gilding; Gothic canopies, supported by Corinthian pillars; pyramids, supported by kneeling figures, &c., &c. One of the most beautiful is that of Sir George Villiers and his wife, statues said to be good likenesses. One of the most gorgeous is that erected by Lord Burleigh, to his wife Mildred. We now come to the eastern extremity of the Abbey, which is occupied by Henry VIL's chapel, a magnificent building of itself, one hundred and fifteen feet in length, seventy-nine in breadth, with a ceiling sixty feet high, and consisting of a nave, two aisles, and five chapels. It was built as a burying- place for Henry VII. and his successors, and none but those of blood-royal are ever admitted. You ascend a broad flight of steps of black marble, pass through a dark vestibule, and emerge into the brilliant light of the chapel. The floor is of black and white marble ; the gates of brass most curiously wrought ; the stalls on the sides, of oak beautifully carved, studded with portcullises, falcons perched on fetter-locks, dra- gons, &c., covered with strange devices. The side-walls are in sunk panels with feathered mouldings, and abound in niches 44 OLD SIGHTS Tomb of Henry VII— Knights of the Bath. with statues, angels, escutcheons, and the royal heraldic devices, Tudor roses and the fleur-de-lis under crowns. As you look up to the fretted roof, " Equally poised and scooped into ten thousand cells, Where light and shade reposes" — with its light and airy pendents, graceful and delicate as the foliage of the forests, blossoming with roses and knots of flowers, you can hardly believe what you are told, that it is all solid stone. In the centre is the tomb of Henry VII. and Elizabeth his queen, surrounded by a brass enclosure of open work in the richest Gothic style, itself a magnificent palace in miniature. Over the arched entrance is a projecting branch supporting a crown, a sign of the rank of the guests within. On the tomb are the eflSgy of Henry and his queen, with hands raised to heaven for mercy. The installation of the Knights of the Bath is performed in this chapel. The stalls are ranged on each side of the nave. Each stall has a brass plate, engraven with the arms of the knight, three seats lower down for his esquires, with brass plates for their arms, and above his sword, helmet, and banner. The sight of these banners, suspended from projecting lances, was truly affecting : vainly striving to keep up to the heraldic pomp and pride of noble lineage, their splendor faded, their lustre tarnished, their armorial bearings almost defaced, their very texture dissolving ; some hanging in tattered shreds, and a few entirely gone, naught but the lance remaining. Most of the crowned heads of Europe are here represented. The last installation was that of Louis Philippe in 1812. WITHNEWEYES. 45 St. Paul's, St. John the Baptist's, and St. Erasmus's Chapels. Among the royal personages buried in this chapel are Edward VI., Mary Queen of Scots, Charles II., William III., Queen Mary, Queen Anne, James I., and George II. Some of these have no monument, nor even an inscription over the place of their burial. Leaving Henry Vll.'s chapel, and proceeding west, the next chapel on your right is St. Paul's, full of tombs in the " cinque- cento" (or " five orders") style, a mixture of all orders, obelisks, arches, scrolls, variegated marbles, gilding, and colors. Among the finest are Sir Thomas Bromley, Queen Elizabeth's Chan- cellor, Sir James Fullerton and lady of the time of Charles I., Sir John Pickering, Queen Elizabeth's Keeper of the Great Seal, and the altar tomb of Sir Giles Daubeny in the centre. Strangely incongruous with these relics of chivalry is the colossal statue of James Watt, the inventor of the steam- engine. The next chapel is St. John the Baptist, containing the monuments of Lord Hunsdon, of Queen Elizabeth's time. Col. Edward Popham, one of " the Parliament's generals at sea." In the centre the tomb of Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter, and with his eflSgy on the top, and his first wife lying on his right side. His second wife refused to be placed on his left, and so the place is vacant. All three, however, rest under the monument " cum firma spe resurrectionis." Next is the elegant little chapel of St. Erasmus, or Abbot Islip, adorned with niches and statues on pedestals and under canopies, most delicately and richly chiselled. In the ambula- tory close by is the tomb of Gen. Wolfe, having a bas-relief in the base, of the taking of Quebec. We now leave the side, cross the aisle, ascend a few steps and reach the floor of Edward the Confessor's chapel, 3* 46 OLDSIGHTS Edward the Confessor's Chapel— Coronation Chairs. regarded as the holiest spot in the Abbey. It stands just before the site of the High Altar, in the middle of the top of the cross. Here is the mosaic shrine of Edward the Confessor in the centre, on the sides the plain tomb of Edward I., next the mosaic tomb and canopy of Henry IH., Queen Eleanor, the chantry of Henry V., with its canopies and niches filled with statues of kings, bishops, abbots, and saints. Queen Philippa, Edward HI., Richard II. But an air of neglect and desolation pervades the place. Its recesses have been robbed of their jewelled images. The mosaic work of gold and colored glass has been picked out of the cement wherever it could be reached. The silver head of the effigy of Henry V. is gone, and naught remains but the oaken trunk once " covered with fine embroidery and gilded plates of brass." In this chapel are the ancient coronation chairs. One made by Edward I. to hold the famous Scotch stone (said to be Jacob's pillow, brought from the Holy Land), on which a long line of Scottish kings had been crowned, and which, together with the regalia, was brought from Scone, in Scotland, in 1297. In this chair all the English monarchs since that time have been crowned, Victoria the last. It is a rudely carved oaken chair, with a very hard seat, as I can testify from experience. The other chair was made for Mary, consort of William HI. Behind the coronation chair is a magnificent stone screen, which forms the west end of the chapel, with fourteen sculptures upon the frieze, illustrative of the life and visions of the Confessor. In front of the chapel is Abbot Wau's mosaic pavement, of curious workmanship, but greatly dilapidated. The north transept had formerly three chapels on its east side (viz. St. John the Evangelist, St. Michael, and St. Andrew), separated by carved screens of wood ; but the screens are now WITHNEWEYES. 47 Monuments— The Choir— The Nare. entirely gone. Among the monuments here are Admiral Kempenfelt, Sir Humphrey Davy, a fine one of Sir Francis Vere, recumbent on a couch, a canopy overhead, resting on the shouldere of four half-kneeling knights; one of Lady Nightingale, by Roubilliac, representing Death issuing from the tomb, about to launch his dart at his beautiful victim, while she sinks back into the arms of her agonized husband, who vainly strives to ward off the blow. Also monuments of Canning, Lord Mansfield, Kemble, Oliarles James Fox, Warren Hastings, &c. At the head of the nave is " the choir,*' an inclosure for the perfoiTQaace of service, separated from the nave by an elegant stone screen in the Gothic styie. We have qow explored all but " the nave,'* the lower part of the stem of the cross. Among the monuments which line its sides may be mentioned Dr. Watts, Major Andre, Lord Howe, Congreve, William Pitt, Sir Godfrey Kneller, William Wilberforce, Sir Isaac Newton. Perhaps this description may serve to convey some idea of the multitude of objects in the Abbey to attract and engross the visitor. But it is impossible to describe the effect of the whole, as, at the end of your tour, you stand at the foot of the cross, cast your eyes along the Gothic arches which separate the nave from the aisles, sup- ported by pillars of grey marble, look up at the lofty roof, and then permit your eyes to roam over the wilderness of chapels and monun^ents ip the distance. What scenes have been wit- nessed by |:hese old grey walls that seem heavy with the dust pf ages ! Eight centuries ago they were gay with pictures and hangings pf tapestry, statues of " king and martyr, and sainted eremite," resplendent with gold and silver and precious stones. They looked down upon altars illumined with perpetual fires. 48 OLD SIGHTS The Nave. censers smoking with fragrant perfumes, processions of Bene- dictine monks in their black vests, incense-bearers in their snow-white robes, officiating priests in their jewelled and gold- braided garments, crowds of kneeling worshippers, and the swelling voices of the choir chanting the " Kyrie Eleison," rose and fell upon the air continually. Hither have all the mon- archs of succeeding reigns come to receive their regal investi- ture, and hither have they been borne in state to moulder along with kindred dust. Here sleep the heroes, the statesmen, the philosophers, the philanthropists of England. I can well under- stand the sentiment of Lord Nelson, at the battle of the Nile : ''^Victory, or Westminster Ahhey,^'' While there is much here to remind one of the folly and vanity of earthly pride and grandeur, there is more to remind one of those " longings after immortality" which stamp the seal of divinity upon our nature. WITHNEWEYES. 49 St. Paul's— Historical Sketches— The Old Cathedral. CHAPTER VI. ST. Paul's cathedral. " Or let my path Lead to that younger pile, whose sky-like dome Hath typified by reach of daring art Infinity's embrace : whose guardian crest The silent Cross among the stars shall spread As now, when she hath also seen her breast Filled with mementoes, satiate with its part Of grateful England's overflowing dead." The history of St. Paul's goes back to the first introduction of Christianity into Britain. Eusebius names the Britons among those nations to whom the apostles themselves preached the gospel. Clemens Romanus says that Paul travelled " to the utmost bounds of the West." Hence some antiquarians have attributed to Paul the first publication of the gospel in Britain ;- others to James, the son of Zebedee ; to Simon Zelotes, to Aris- tobulus, to Peter, to Joseph of Arimathea, who, with twelve others, is reported to have been sent from Gaul to Britain, by St. Philip, A.D. 63. By maintaining the truth of this last story, the English clergy obtained the precedence of some others in several councils of the 15th century. Whatever we may think of these traditions, there is little doubt but that Christi- anity was introduced into Britain as early as the first or second century. The first church on the »ite of St, Paul's is supposed 60 OLDSIGHTS 'Paul's Cross "—Strange Uses. to have been built not far from that time ; to have been destroyed during the Dioclesian persecution ; and to have been rebuilt in the reign of Constantine. Again was it demolished by the pagan Saxons, and again restored in the seventh cen- tury (603 to 615) by Sebert, a prince under Ethelbert, the first Christian monarch of the Saxon race, who was converted by the labors of St. Augustine. This building was destroyed bj'- the great conflagration in 1086 ; after which, Mauritius, Bishop of London, commenced the magnificent edifice which imme- diately preceded the present cathedral, which was not, how- ever, entirely completed till 1315. It was one of the largest in the world, being six hundred and ninety feet in length, one hundred and thirty in breadth, and surmounted by a tower and spire five hundred and twenty feet in height, the upper half of which was constructed of timber. The famous " Paul's Cross," which stood before that cathe- dral, near a cross in the churchyard, was a pulpit of wood mounted on steps of stone, and covered with lead, from which the most eminent divines were appointed to preach in the open air every Sunday forenoon. It was also used for various other public announcements. The sermons preached in the cathedral are still called " Paul's cross sermons." During the sixteenth century St. Paul's had fallen into great neglect and ruin. It was injured by fire several times, and but imperfectly repaired. In the reign of Queen Mary it had become a common thoroughfare for foot passengers, carriers, and porters, with beasts of burden. In the reign of Elizabeth, one of the chapels was let for a glazier's workshop ; one of the vaults, previously used for burial, was converted into a wine- cellar ; the shrouds and cloister, under the convocation-house, let out to trunkmakers, " by whose daily knocking and noise WITHNEWEYES. 61 "Paul's Walkers"— The New Cathedral— Sir Christopher Wren. the church was much disturbed." More than twenty houses had been built against the outer walls, and part of the founda- tion cut away to make offices. One house, partly formed of the church, was used as a play-house ; the owner of another had cut a way through a window into part of the steeple, which he used as a warehouse ; and another had excavated an oven in one of the buttresses, in which he baked his bread and pies. The interior was a common rendezvous for beggars, drunkards, and idlers of every description, who were .called "Paul's walkers." In the reign of Charles I. Archbishop Laud made great exertions to have it repaired. More than a hundred thousand pounds were collected, and the undertaking intrusted to the celebrated architect, Inigo Jones. The work was interrupted, however, by the civil wars, and had been prosecuted but a few years after the Restoration, when the great fire of 1666 reduced it to a mass of ruins. In the course of a few years a new cathedral was com- menced under the superintendence of Sir Christopher Wren. It was a difficult matter to pull down the remaining walls and tower of the old cathedral, without injury to the surrounding buildings ; and it is worthy of notice, that when all modern contrivances were found to be impracticable, the battering-ram of the ancients was thought of, and employed with perfect safety and success. The corner-stone was laid in 1675, and the top-stone in 1*7 10. The whole expense of the building was about seven and a half millions of dollars, raised princi- pally by a tax on coal. It was built of Portland stone, and stands on the highest ground in the city, in the midst of the churchyard, which is surrounded by the street, and inclosed with an iron balustrade. 52 OLDSIGHa?S Plan— Architecture— Dome. Within this inclosure, facing Ludgate street, is a marble statue of Queen Anne. The ground plan is that of a Latin cross, with an additional arm or transept at the west end to give breadth to the principal front, and a semi-cireular projection at the east end for the altar. The west front (towards Ludgate street) consists of a grand portico of two stories, the lower twelve Corinthian columns, the upper eight composite, resting on an elevated base of black marble, ascended by twenty-two steps/ and supporting a triangular pediment, on which is sculp- tured in bas-rehef the history of St. Paul's conversion. On the apex is a statue of St. Paul, and at the sides St. James, St. Peter, and the four evangelists, all eleven feet high. Two ele- gant turrets rise, one on each side, to the height of two hun- dred and eighty-seven feet, terminating in a dome, ornamented with a gilt pine-apple. The south turret contains the clock, — the north the belfry. The north transept has a semi-circular portico of six Corin- thian columns, over which is an entablature, with a sculpture of the royal arms, supported by angels. The south front cor- responds with the north, except that upon the entablature is a phoenix rising from the flames, with the words '•'' Resurgam^ The east end, or apsis, is semi-circular, and ornamented with various sculptures. The exterior of the walls of the cathedral is ornamented with two rows of pilasters — the lower Corin- thian, and the upper composite. The dome rises from the centre of the cross, having a cir- cular basement for about twenty feet above the roof of the church ; above that a stone gallery and balustrade ; then a Corinthian colonnade formed by a circular range of thirty-two columns; above that the golden gallery (so called from its gilding) with a stone balustrade and a range of Corinthian WITHNEWEYES. 53 Ball and Cross— Whispering Gallery. columns ; then the vault of the dome, on the top of which is another gallery; then the stone lantern of two stories each, with Corinthian columns, surmounted by a cone, on which rests the gilded ball and cross. The dimensions of the build- ing are five hundred feet in length, two hundred and eighty- five in breadth, and four hundred and four in height. The ball is six feet in diameter, the cross fifteen feet high, and their weight (copper with iron spindle and standards to strengthen it) about seven tons. Let us now enter by the door in the north transept (by pay- ing 2d.), and crossing to the opposite side, obtain tickets of admission to all parts of the building, by paying about one dollar. First let us examine the interior. The pavement con- sists of square slabs of black and white marble alternately. The central arena under the dome is an octagon, formed by eight massive piers (four of which are forty feet wide each), which support the dome. The pavement of this space is a circle of the exact circumference of the dome ; the dark slabs in it form a complete mariner's compass, exhibiting the thirty- two points, and also the half and quarter points. The nave is divided into three portions, a middle and two side aisles, by rows of massive pillars. The piers and arches which separate the nave from the side aisles are ornamented with columns and pilasters of the Corinthian and composite orders, adorned with shields, festoons, chaplets, cherubim, and other devices. The vault of the ceiling is made up of different-sized cupolas, cut off" semi-circular and united by segments. A circular staircase in the south-west pier leads to the whis- pering gallery, which encircles the inside of the dome at the extreme edge of the cornice. The guide sends you to the opposite side, and tells you to put your ear to the wall, and 54 OLDSIGHTS Library— Clock— Bell— " Golden Gallery "—View of London. you hear distinctly his slightest whisper one hundred feet dis- tant. The shutting of the door produces a reverberation like thunder. Here you have a fine view of the church below and the dome above. The paintings by Sir James Thornhill, in eight compartments on the interior of the cupola, representing the principal events in the life of St. Paul, have been almost obliterated, as is supposed, by dampness admitted through the roof. The same staircase also leads to the galleries (in the gar- ret) over the north and south aisles, where is the library, with a valuable collection of books, and a beautiful floor composed of more than two thousand pieces of variously-colored oak in geometrical figures. Opposite is the model room, containing Wren's original wooden model of the cathedral, and some of the funeral decorations used at the interment of Lord Nelson. The guide then hands you over to an old woman, who shows you the clock, which is a fine piece of workmanship, and well worthy of inspection. The pendulum is fourteen feet long, and is loaded with a hundred pound weight. The diameter of the exterior dial is twenty feet, and the length of the minute hand eight feet. The bell, which strikes the hours, is ten feet in diameter, and weighs 11,4*74 pounds, and has been heard at the distance of twenty miles. It is never tolled except upon the death of any member of the royal family, the Lord Mayor, Bishop of London, or dean of the cathedral. Besides this, there are several smaller bells to strike the quarters, and for common use. Now mount up, up, up, till you come out upon the golden gallery on the outside of the dome. Look down upon the roof of the Cathedral. What a vast pile of building ! And then look away towards the south, and trace the course of the Thames, spanned by its noble bridges ; and on all sides, as far WITHNEWEYES. 55 Copper Ball— The Crypt. as the eye can reach, a dense mass of buildings, chimney-tops, domes, spires, and columns, that seems to have usurped the face of the earth, and formed a new world, and brooding over it a dull canopy of smoke that seems determined also to usurp the face of heaven. This is London — that huge Leviathan, throbbing with the pulse of more than three millions of souls, stretching out its giant arms over the whole globe, and wield- ing a mightier influence over the destinies of mankind than ever did the Roman Empire in its palmiest days. Higher and higher yet, up slender and narrow staircases within the vault of the dome, and you reach the gallery at the foot of the lantern, and have another view of the metropo- lis. Still up, up, up, now by a ladder, then squeezing through ^ a narrow aperture, stepping on projecting slats, grasping a knotted rope, and finally giving a spring and dexterous twist to your body, you are seated, face inwards, in the copper ball on , the summit, capable of containing eight persons, so your guide says, but you think rather contracted accommodations for one. The hum of the city, coming up from below, reverberates within * the hollow sphere like the roar of a furnace, and while I was there a violent storm of rain and hail pelted the exterior sur- { face. It was a strange place to be in. !N'owhere have I ever felt so entirely secluded from the world as in that copper ball ^ on the top of St. Paul's. Let us now make a rapid descent from the top to the crypt or cellar beneath the Cathedral. It is a large, dry, and well- ^ lio-hted space, with massive arches, some of the pillars of which are forty feet square, on which rests the immense weight of the superstructure. It is the place of sepulture for such as are interred in the Cathedral. Here is the body of Sir Christopher Wren, the builder ; here the great painters Reynolds, West, Law- 56 OLD SIGHTS Monuments— Military Glory. rence, Barry, and Opie, lie side by side. In the middle avenuj immediately under the centre of the dome, is the tomb of N"els©i a sarcophagus of black marble, surmounted with a cushion an| coronet, originally prepared by Cardinal Wolsey for his owJ entombment in the chapel of St. George, at Windsor, but no\ bearing on the pedestal the inscription, "Horatio Viscoun' Nelson." Close by is the tomb of Admiral Lord Colling wood his companion in arms. The monuments are in the church above. The first on( erected was to the memory of John Howard, the philanthro pist, by the sculptor Bacon. He is represented trampling upor chains and fetters, holding in his right hand a key, and in his left a scroll, on which is engraved, "Plan for the improvement of prisons and hospitals." On the pedestal is a bas-relief, repre- senting him visiting a prison, conveying food and clothing to its wretched inmates. One of the most conspicuous monuments is Lord Nelson's, executed by Flaxman. He stands, arrayed in the pelisse pre- sented him by the Sultan, leaning on an anchor, with a coil of rope at his feet. Beneath, on the right, stands Britannia with two young seamen, whom she points to the hero as their great example. The British lion on the other side guards the monu- ment. The figures on the pedestal represent the North Sea, the German Ocean, the Nile, and the Mediterranean ; and on the cornice are the words " Copenhagen," " Nile," " Trafal- gar." Here also are the monuments of Sir William Jones, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Dr. Johnson, Earl Howe, Lord Rodney, General Picton, and a host of naval and military heroes who ^^fell gloriously " on the field of battle. Oh, what a glory ! The sight of these monuments, reeking with the blood-stained WITH NEW EYES. 57 Bishop Heber— Musical Festival— Galleries and Stalls. ophies of war, made me sick at heart. I could not but think ow pernicious the influence of such models for imitation on '^outhful minds, kindling with the aspirations of ambition. In sweet contrast to these is the monument of the pious leber. Bishop of Calcutta, that illustrious standard-bearer of he cross, the work of Sir Francis Chantrey. He is represented neeling on a cushion with the Bible in his right hand, and mderneath are his own beautiful lines, commencing: " Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not deplore tbee, Though sorrow and darkness encompass thy tomb ; Thy Saviour has passed through the portal before thee, And the lamp of his love is thy guide through the gloom." I was so fortunate as to be present at the Annual Musical Celebration in the month of May, called the " Festival of the sons of the clergy," the avails of which are devoted to the fund for the relief of the widows and orphans of clergymen. It was held in the " choir," which occupies the eastern end of the cross, and is separated from the nave by a beautiful screen of wrought iron. Over this screen, supported by a double range of Corinthian columns of blue and white veined marble, is the organ gallery, adorned with carvings in oak. On each side of the " choir," within, is a range of fifteen stalls, with the Episcopal throne on the south, near the altar, richly decorated with carvings, and surmounted with a mitre. The usual seat of the Bishop is the central stall, distinguished by the ancient Episcopal emblem, a pelican feeding her young from her own breast. Opposite is the Lord Mayor's seat. The Dean's stall is under the organ gallery, richly ornamented with carvings of flowers and fruit. All the galleries and stalls are adorned with a profusion of carved work, flowers, and fruit, and cherubim 58 OLD SIGHTS Entrance of the Lord Mayor— Full Choral Service. looking down on you from every direction. The reader' desk is in the centre, within a brass railing, and is entireb of brass, gilt, in the form of an eagle with expanded wings supported by a pillar. The pulpit is close by. Notwithstand ing the crowd, I succeeded in obtaining a good seat within th( choir. The stalls were soon occupied by the prebendaries ii their canonicals ; behind them the clergy in their gowns ; the long slips in front, filled with the choristers in white surplicej — the united choirs of her Majesty's Chapel Royal, St. Paul's Westminster Abbey, and St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The female voices were in the organ gallery. In front of the choris ters, on each side, were the orphan boys and girls supported by the Association. The side galleries and boxes were filled with spectators. A great rustling is heard, all heads are turned, and the Lord Mayor is seen entering the north aisle, arrayed in a scarlet robe, richly furred, with a broad hood, and golden collar and chain, preceded by the gorgeously dressed mace-bearer and sword- bearer, and his train supported by a page. He takes his seat, and the mace and sword are hung up over his head. Directly opposite sat the late Duke of Cambridge, in scarlet coat bedizened with stars and ribbons, and heavy epaulettes a grey-headed and whiskered old man, who kept bobbing his head about continually, making all the )responses with great emphasis, and beating time to the music. Further up sat the Bishop of London. Archdeacon Musgrave preached the ser- mon. The full choral service was performed, and with very fine efiect. It seemed a fitting tribute to pay to the Most High. The opposite choirs uniting in the swelling responses, and then answering each other in the glorious strains of the Psalms, WITHNEWEYES. 69 Grand Effect. reminded me of the heavenly host " who rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy ! " and when, at the close, Han- del's magnificent Hallelujah chorus rose to the vaulted roof, like the voice of many waters, and echoing peals of thunder, "King of kings, and Lord of lords! Hallelujah! " my soul thrilled with exultation at this external homage to the Deity, and the time seemed not far distant when " one song shall employ all nations," " The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks Shout to each other, and the mountain tops From distant mountains catch the flying joy ; Till nation after nation taught the strain, Earth rolls the rapturous Hosanna round," 60 OLDSIGHTS A Ride through London, CHAPTER VII. A RIDE THROUGH LONDON. Before leaving London, let me invite my reader to accom- pany me in a ride through some of its principal thoroughfares upon the outside of an omnibus, with occasional digressions on foot, while I point out various objects of interest in passing. We will first take our stand on London Bridge. A word or two about it. " Old London Bridge" was covered with houses, connected together by large arches of timber which crossed the street. Hans Holbein and John Bunyan once lived here. In 1212 it was the scene of a dreadful catastrophe. A great multitude had collected upon it to assist in extinguishing a fire which had broken out at the Southwark end. While they were engaged in this work, the fire communicated with the opposite extremity, and upwards of 3000 persons perished in the flames, or were drowned in the river. In 1756 all the houses were pulled down, and the bridge underwent a thorough repair. The " new bridge" was commenced in 1824 and opened in 1831. It is built of granite, the foundations resting on beech piles, and is nine hundred and twenty -eight feet in length, fifty- six in width, and consists of five elliptical arches. At each end there are two flights of stairs, one on each side, leading to the water. The pedestals at the top of each flight are single blocks of granite, each weighing twenty-five tons. WITHNEWEYES. 61 London Monument— Statue of William IV.— Fishmongers' Hall. On the city side, facing the north, you have a good view of London Monument (on Fish street hill, at a little distance on your right), which was erected by order of Parliament in 1671, under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, to commemorate the great fire in 1666, which broke out in that vicinity. It is a fluted Doric column, fifteen feet in diameter, upon a pedestal forty feet square and twenty-eight high, in all two hundred and two feet in height, and has within a black marble staircase of three hundred and forty-five steps to the balcony upon the top, which is surmounted by a blazing urn of brass, gilt. The approach to the bridge is King William street, a wide, open space, in the middle of which is a colossal statue of William IV., of granite, with the pedestal forty feet high, and inclosed with an iron railing. Let us stand here a moment and survey the dense stream of foot-passengers, carriages, and omnibuses passing over the bridge. A wink to the ^bus wiaw-^(don't call him " driver,''^ unless you wish to insult him ; he's a notch or two above that, and fully aware of his superiority in rank ;) a long step up, a desperate pull at the leather strap hanging down for your grasp, and you are on the top alongside of "the whip." Notice the bouquet in his button-hole. " 'Tis a nice one," said one of them, in reply to a complimentary observa- tion on my part ; " it didn't cost me but two-pence, and it'll last me a week nearly. I take it out and put it into water every time I stop." Londoners have a great propensity for flowers. A merchant is not half dressed for his morning walk to his counting-room without his nosegay. That stately pile on your left close to the bridge is Fishmon- gers' Hall, the headquarters of the company of fishmongers. There are ninety-one of these city companies, comprising the chief trades and occupations, arranged in their order of prece- 4 62 OLDSIGHTS Boar's Head Tavern— " London Stone"— Queen Elizabeth, dency, beginning with " Mercers," and ending with " Water- men." Eiding now away from the bridge, at right angles with the course of the Thames, we pass one corner and come to East- cheap at the next. Great Eastcheap is that part of the street on our left. You can see there a house with a stone figure of a boar's head, which occupies the site of the Boar's Head Tavern, alluded to by Shakspeare in Henry IV. as the resi- dence of Mrs. Quickly, and the scene of Sir John Falstaff's merriment. In Cannon street, which is a continuation of Great Eastcheap westerly, is St. Swithin's Church, which has in its south wall " London Stone," one of the greatest antiquities of the metropolis, having been known before the time of William I. It was against this stone that Jack Cade struck his sword and exclaimed, " Now is Mortimer Lord of London." Continuing the same direction, we enter Grace Church street (for in London the name of the street changes almost every block), and the next corner on the right is Fenchurch street. There you will find the Hudson Bay Company's House, and at 'No. 53 King's Head Tavern, which was visited by the Princess (afterwards Queen) Elizabeth, on her liberation from the Tower. The dish in which her dinner (pork and pease) was served up is still preserved in the coffee-room, together with her portrait. The street a| right angles on your left is Lombard street, once the residence of the Lombards, the money-lenders of former times, now chiefly occupied by bank- ers. No. 43 was the residence of Jane Shore. In this street Pope, the poet, was born. Turning the next corner to the left and going west, we enter Cornhill, full of insurance oflSces. The poet Gray was born in this street. Defoe, the author of " Robinson Crusoe," lived WITH NEW EYES. 63 Royal Exchange— Bank 8f England—" Golden Lectures." here and kept a hosier's shop. We now come out into the open space before the Royal Exchange, a noble building with a Grecian front of Corinthian columns, and a beautiful sculp- ture upon the tympanum, representing Commerce, with various groups of British, Asiatic, Chinese, Afi-ican, &c. In the centre of the building is an open court, surrounded by a colonnade, which is the Merchants' 'Change. Lloyd's Coffee House, the headquarters of maritime intelligence, is in the east end. In the open space in front of the building is an equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington, in bronze, by Chantrey, fourteen feet high, upon a pedestal of Scotch granite of the same height. North of this open space is the Bank of England, a vast pile of granite, covering an area of three hundred and sixty- five feet in front on Threadneedle street, four hundred and forty feet in the west side on Princess street, four hundred and ten feet on the north on Lothbury, and two hundred and forty-five on the east on St. Bartholomew's lane. It is low in proportion to its extent, being not more than a story and a half in height, and having the principal suite of rooms on the ground floor. There are more rooms below than above ground. The exterior presents a great number of Corinthian columns and pilasters, mouldings, and architectural ornaments, but has a guarded, prison-like appearance, as it is almost wholly destitute of win- dows opening upon the street, most of the apartments being lighted from above, or from the open courts within. At St. Margaret's Church, Lothbury, near by, you may hear the elo- quent Melvill preach one of the " Golden Lectures " every Tuesday, at 11 a.m. Proceeding west in a course about parallel with the Thames, we leave Cornhill, and enter " the Poultry." Looking over 64 O L D S I G H T S Cheapside— Guildhall. your left shoulder you have a view of the Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor. Wallbrook street, which enters here, was once a stream which served as a fosse to guard the eastern extremity of the city. Riding on we enter Cheapside, and the throng becomes more and more dense every moment, yet all moving on with as much peace and decorum as a funeral procession. Inter- spersed among the crowd, at frequent intervals, you see a num- ber of persons in blue uniforms, with canes in their hands, walking leisurely along, or standing at the corners, taking a general survey of the scenes around them. If a vehicle stops a moment longer than is absolutely necessary to take in or dis- charge its load, the quick eye of the policeman is upon the driver, and he is ordered to " move onr If a group is collected upon the sidewalk around a shop-window, engrossed with con- versation, or arrested by some accident, the hand of the police- man is felt upon the shoulder, and you hear the words '■'•move on" — " move on." As you pass King street on your right, you can see Guild- hall at the end of it, facing you, with a fine Gothic front. This is the seat of the chief public offices of the city of Lon- don. We are now in the heart of the city proper ; for Lon- don comprises the city of London, the eastern portion on the north side of the Thames, the borough of Southwark on the other side, and the city of Westminster at the west end, toge- ther with a multitude of circumjacent parishes. Guildhall has a noble hall, capable of containing 7000 persons, adorned with several monuments and statues, which is used for the city feasts at the inauguration of the Lord Mayor, visits of royalty, and other illustrious occasions, and also for the city elections, and public meetings. Under the window at the west end are W I T H N E W E Y E S . 65 St. Mary le Bow— Paternoster Row— General Post Office— Christ's Hospital. the colossal figures called Gog and Magog, said to represent a Saxon and an ancient Briton. The opposite street on your left, Queen street, will take you across Southwark Bridge. That fine steeple of stone on your left, over two hundred feet high, with a vane in the shape of a dragon, and a clock- face projecting out over the street, is St. Mary le Bow. Here the bishops of London are consecrated, and the " Boyle Lec- tures" delivered. The next corner on your left is Bread street, where Milton was born. Milk street (opposite) was the birth- place of Lord Chancellor More. Blackstone was born in Cheapside. At the end of Cheapside, St. Paul's comes up on the left ; but instead of taking the omnibus route which passes it, or going straight on through Paternoster Row, so called from the manufacturers of beads and other Romish emblems of devotion, now noted as the residence of booksellers, let us now turn to our right into St. Martin's le Grand, and take a view of the General Post Office. It is a fine building of Port- land stone, of the Grecian Ionic order, presenting a front of four hundred feet, with a central portico of six columns, and a portico of four columns at the extremity of each wing. Early in the morning you will see a string of vehicles, of all sizes, from one-horse boxes to four-horse omnibuses, all bright red, with red-liveried riders, the letter-carriers, and the potential initials, " V. R.," surmounted by a crown, displayed on every side, issuing at full speed from the spacious yard on the north, and scattering in all directions. Continuing on in a westerly direction up T^ewgate-street, we pass Christ's Hospital on our right, a magnificent pile of buildings in the Gothic and Tudor style, the seat of the famous ^^ Blue-coat school,^'' established by Edward VI., where from 6Q OLD SIGHTS "Blue Coat School "—Bartholomew's Hospital— Smithfield. 1000 to 1200 boys and girls are supported in a course of edu- cation, at an annual expenditure of from 1150,000 to $200,000. The dress of the boys consists of a dark-blue coat or gown fitted close to the body, but with loose open skirts, a girdle round the waist, an under coat, a petticoat of yellow flannel in cold weather, yellow worsted stockings and shoes, and a neck band. You may sometimes see them in their play -ground, ' which adjoins the street, in full chase after the foot-ball, with then- troublesome skirts pinned back, or holding them up with their hands. They wear no hat or cap in any weather. ' Wher- ever you meet them, in the streets of London, on the railways, or in the country on a visit to their friends, you always see them in this singular costume, and bare-headed. Charles Lamb and Coleridge were " Blue-coat boys." The next corner at your right is Giltspur-street. A few steps will bring you to Bartholomew's Hospital (on the right side), which dates back to 1102 in connection with the Priory of Smithfield, but was incorporated by Henry VIH. in the last year of his reign. It is a benevolent Institution for the recep- tion of patients, supported by its estates, which yield an annual income of more than $150,000. The open space west of it is West-Smithfield, the largest cattle-market in England, and the seat of Bartholomew Fair, which is held in September of every year. It has been the scene of tournaments, theatrical per- formances, bloody conflicts, and martyrdoms. Here Wat Tyler was killed with a dagger by Lord Mayor Walworth. Here were burnt at the stake the noble Anne Askew, Rogers, of " New England Primer " memory, Bradford, Philpot, and a host of other worthies, under the bloodthirsty Bonner, mainly for denying the corporal presence of Christ in ihe sacrament. The lamp-post in the centre of the pens marks the spot. Close W I T H N E W E Y E S . 67 Cock-Lane— Temple-Bar— Inner and Middle Temple. by is Cock-lane, famous for its gliost-stoiy, which created such a sensation iu London in the year 1762, and furnished Churchill with a subject for a satirical poem. Retracing our steps we cross Newgate-street, and proceeding south enter " the Old Bailey." On our left the massive granite walls of Newgate Prison frown gloomily upon us. Near by is Green-arbor Court, in a house of which Goldsmith wrote his " Vicar of Wakefield," under duress of his landlady, from which he was released by the benevolent interposition of Dr. Johnson, Turning the next corner at our right, we enter Lud- gate Hill and resume a w^esterly course, passing at the next corner on our right Farringdon-street, within a few steps of Fleet Prison and Bridge-street opposite, which leads to Black- friars Bridge, and now we are in Fleet-street. The poet Cow- ley was born in this street. Dr. Johnson lived in Bolt Court, which opens into it. At the corner of Chancery-lane "was IzAAc Walton's house. No. IV was the residence of Prince Charles Stewart, son of James I. Temple-Bar, a stone arch which crosses the street, supporting a story above it, adorned with niches and statues, is the only remaining gate of the an- cient city boundaries. Till within one hundred years, the heads of those executed for rebellion or high treason were fixed on iron spikes upon the top of it. Just before you reach it, on your left is the entrance to the Inner and Middle Tem- ple, the residence of benchers, barristers, and students at law, with spacious courts and beautiful gardens and walks upon the banks of the Thames. Here Lamb was born and brought up. Here Cowper once lived. Chancery-lane on the right will take you to Lincoln's Inn, a similar institution, with a fine library and an extensive square and garden. Riding under Temple-Bar, we enter the Strand, and pass 68 OLD SIGHTS Somerset House— Exeter Hall— Charing Cross— Trafalgar Square. the Somerset House on our left, a magnificent building occu- pying a space eight hundred feet in width, and five hundred in depth, with a spacious court in the centre, and a beautiful front on the Thames. The present building is used chiefly for public offices. Old Somerset House was built by the protector Somerset, and was at diflferent times the residence of Queen Elizabeth, Anne of Denmark, and Catherine, Queen of Charles H. Wellington-street, on its west side, leads to Waterloo Bridge. On the opposite side of the Strand is Exeter Hall, a large room for public meetings. Farther on is Hungerford Market, on the river side, and near by Hungerford Wire Sus- pension Bridge. There is a bend in the Thames here, which comes down from the south, and higher up is spanned by Westminster, and beyond that by Vauxhall Bridge. The Strand terminates at Charing Cross, so called from one of the crosses which Edward I. erected here to the memory of his Queen Eleanor, and Charing, the name of the village. This was destroyed in the civil wars, and replaced by a brass eques- trian statue of Charles I., which is still standing. From this spot looking north, you have directly before you the Nelson Column, a fluted pillar, with a colossal statue of the hero on the top, in all one hundred and fifty-six feet in height. Beyond it is the spacious area of Trafalgar Square, paved with asphaltum, and adorned with foiratains. The long front on the north side is the National Gallery. At the north-west corner of the Square is an equestrian statue of George IV. Towards the north-east you have a view of the fine portico, tower, and steeple of St. Martin's Church. On the east side is Morley's Hotel, a favorite resort for Ame- ricans. Charing Cross is a central point from which the jurisdic- WITH NEW EYES. 69 Whitehall— St. James's Park— Hyde Park. tion of the Metropolitan Police radiates in all directions to the distance of twelve miles or more. If we go south we shall enter Whitehall, pass on your right the Admiralty, a massive brick building, in which are conducted the maritime affairs of the kingdom, next the Horse Guards, a handsome stone struc- ture, the head quarters of the British army, and next the Treasury, a portion of which was erected for a palace by Cardinal Wolsey. Here is the Office of the Secretary of State, and in Downing-street, round the corner, the Foreign and Co- lonial 'Offices. On the opposite side is Northumberland House, and Whitehall, built by Inigo Jones, as a Banqueting- house for James I. His son Charles I. slept here the night before his execution, and passed from one of the windows to the scaffold in front of it. Continuing south through Parlia- ment-street, you will come to the New Parliament Houses, in the vicinity of Westminster Abbey. Passing through an arched way under the " Horse Guards," we come out upon the Parade in the rear, in front of St. James's Park. Here you may witness the daily review of "the Guards," at 11 a.m., which is often attended by the Duke of Wellington. St. James's Park is perhaps half a mile long, with a large sheet of water in the middle, and beautifully laid out in walks, and adorned with the choicest flowers and shrub- bery. At the north-east corner is the Duke of York's Co- lumn. On the west, Buckingham Palace, and on the north, St. James's Palace. Green Park, not quite as large, joins it at the north-west corner, and a road between the two Parks, running west, leads to the south-east corner of Hyde Park, which covers three hundred and ninety-five acres, and presents a beautiful combination of hill and dale, wood and water, where you may lose yourself in the country, and see only glimpses of 4^ 70 OLDSIGHTS Regent's Park— Zoological Gardens— Hippopotamus. the tops of buildings far away in the distance. It is here that the " World^s Fair " was held. The immense " Crystal Palace," though covering eighteen acres, occupied but a small spot in the vast enclosure. On the right of the principal en- trance is Apsley House, the town residence of the Duke of Wellington. Returning from Hyde Park, we pursue a north-east course, through the fine street Piccadilly, admiring the stately resi- dences of some of the nobility, passing Devonshire House on our left, then Burlington House, and turning into S-egent- street on our left, one of the finest streets in London, through Portland Place, Park Crescent, Park Square, till we come to the south-east corner of Regent's Park, which occupies a space of about four hundred and fifty acres. At its northern extremity are the Zoological Gardens, well worth visiting. The abodes of the animals are scattered over the extensive and beautiful grounds, in situation and construction adapted as far as possible to their native habits. Here you may see black bears climbing trees to win buns from the hands of admiring spectators, white bears revelling in huge bathing-tubs, seals, otters, and beavers in their native element, and buffaloes, camels, antelopes, and gazelles enjoying ample range for pasturage and exercise. At every diverging path you are startled by some portentous guide-board, indicating the way, " To the Boa-con- strictor;^^ or " To the Grizzly Bear f^ or " To the Hippopota- mus.^^ This last was the public favorite at the time of my visit. His mansion was continually besieged by a throng of anxious expectants, who were admitted by a policeman twenty at a time into a raised gallery, from which they could contem- plate his amphibious majesty for five minutes. His keeper, a native Hindoo, was looked upon with as much wonder as the W I T H N E W E Y E S , 71 "New Road"— Bunhill Fields. animal himself, as " the man lolio slept lolth the Hippopotamus /" In vain had the man attempted to relieve himself from this disagreeable situation. The animal invariably became so vio- lent and unmanageable, striking his head against the sides of the house, as if determined to make way with that or himself, that his bed-fellow was obliged to resume his place on the straw by his side. Leaving Regent's Park, which is at the north-west extremity of London, we will return through the New Road going east, passing on our right Tottenham Court Road, where is the chapel bearing the inscription, Erected by the Rev. George Whitefield, 1*756, through Euston Square, north of which is the grand and imposing edifice of the Birmingham Railway Depot, pass " St. Pancras' New Church," then through a suc- cession of pleasant residences, set back from the street, with spacious gardens in front, till we come to Gray's Inn Lane on our right, which if we take, turning south, we shall pass Veru- XAM Buildings, so named from Lord Bacon, Gray's Inn (of court), vsdth its beautiful grounds, and turning into Holborn, through Skinner-street, enter Newgate, from which we di- verged. Or instead of turning down Gray's Inn Lane, we may keep on east through the City Road, gradually turning to the south till we come to Bunhill Fields, where we must stop long enough to read the inscription upon the tombstone, " Mr. John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress," and to call to re- membrance other eminent Non-conformists buried here, such as Dr. Wilhams, founder of the Red Cross-street Dissenters' Library, Dr. Isaac Watts, Dr. Stennett, Dr. Gill, Dr. Rees, of the Encycloepedia, and the Rev. D. Neale, author of the " History of the Puritans." Here too was buried that excellent woman 72 OLDSIGHTS London Wall. Mrs. Susannah Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, and in the house on the right of the Wesleyan Chapel opposite, the Rev. John Wesley lived and died. Continuing south through Artillery Place, Finsbury Place, crossing London Wall, some remains of which are still to be seen in the burying-ground opposite St. Alphage's Church, through Moorgate- street, we finally reach the " Bank," ha\nng completed a tour of fifteen or twenty miles, and seen compara- tively but a few of the innumerable objects of interest in the " World's Metropohs." WITHNEWEYES. 73 Farewell to London. CHAPTER yill. LONDON TO PARIS. Farewell to thee, dear old London ! dear to me in spite of all tliy smoke, and fog, and noise. Thanks for tlie multitude of pleasant memories connected with thy very stones ; the sense of personal safety with which the stranger walks thy streets, conscious that the strong arm of the law is around him to pro- tect his rights of person and property ; the countless objects of interest that crowd upon the attention, rich in artistic worth, or in historical associations ; the coaacentrated activity of mind in all the affairs of busy life, that makes thee a world in thyself ■ — a world of evil, and a world of good — a hot-bed of vice and misery, it is true, but no less a nursery of philanthropy. Thy very depravity has served to develope in fairest proportions the angelic features of heaven-descended charity. What an em- bodiment of power thou art ! The remotest extremities of the world feel the throbbings of thy mighty pulse ! The scientific expedition in Polar Seas, the enterprising whalemen in Beh- ring's Straits, the roving trappers of Hudson's Bay, the half- wild colonists of the Gape of Good Hope, the convict tribes of Australia, the princely merchants of the Indies, all await thine orders, all are thy servants ! A few weeks' sojourn has made thee seem like an old ac- quaintance. And indeed, were not my earliest years greeted 74: OLD SIGHTS Juvenile Associations—" Letters of Credit." with the sound of thy " Bow bells " ringing a merry peal on the day when " Whittington and his caf entered thy walls, and seeming to say to the youthful adventurer, ^^Welcome, Whittington ! Lord Mayor of London /" Were not the most gaily-colored picture books of my childhood from that far-famed depot of juvenile literature, " opposite St. PauVs Church Yard?''"' and has not my bibliomania in subsequent years always found its highest gratification in " London editions " of its favorite authors ? Gladly would I prolong my stay at my comfortable quarters in King-street; but the mounting sun warns me that I must be " e« route'''' for "the Continent" in season to avoid his sultry heats in southern climes. So now " to begin " — first at the American Minister's in Piccadilly at the " West end," to obtain the signature of the gentlemanly Secretary of Legation to my passport, and then to King William-street at the " East end," to obtain the " vise " of the French Consul, and then to the " London Joint Stock Bank " in Prince's-street, to obtain " letters of credit." These "letters of credit " are a great convenience to travel- lers. You make a deposit of money, and are then furnished with two letters, one containing a list of some hundred places in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, with the address of the agents of the Institution in each place. The other letter intro- duces you to their acquaintance, and contains checks in sums of £5 or £10, equal to the amount deposited, which are cut oflF as you draw them. Your autograph is required for this letter in Loudon. Whenever you draw on it, your signature is re- quired again, and carefully compared with the one first made. You pay no commission save on that which you draw abroad, which varies in difi*erent places according to the rate of ex- change. Whatever remains to your credit is handed you on W I T H N E W E Y E S . 75 "Sunday Fares-" Parliamentary Carriages." your return to London without any deduction. A set of " Mur- ray's Hand Books " is indispensable. They will save you their cost many times over. Early in the morning of 20th May, I rode to the Railway Terminus, at London Bridge, and took my seat in a first class carriage for Dover. The English never use the terms " rail- road " and " car " as we do. They always say " railway/ " and ''^ carriage y Their "carriages" are not one long room, as with us, but usually consist of three or four different apart- ments, like so many coach bodies joined together, each apart- ment having two seats facing each other, accommodating four on a side. In this instance, the " carriage " I rode in had seats arranged longitudinally, facing outward, in four apart- ments, opening into each other. It being " Whitsunday week," there was a great crowd of passengers of second, third, and fourth classes. The day previous, " Whitsunday ^^'' is celebrated %y cheap railway excursions into the country around London. Indeed, nearly all the English railways have a separate table of " Sunday fares^'' cheaper than weelc days, thus furnishing an inducement to the profanation of the Sabbath. I noticed " Parliamentary carriages," as they are called, without any roofs or seats, jammed full of pei'sons of all ages, sizes, and sexes, wedged in like a drove of sheep, in altogether too pro- miscuous a manner to be pleasing. It really seemed degrading to human nature, for human beings to be thus huddled together like a herd of cattle. The last signal is given, and off we go over the tops of houses, past rows of statue-like sentinels, with arms extended in the direction we are going, to signify that " all's right," through tunnel after tunnel, some over a mile in length, between high embankments lined with flower-beds in the vicinity of the 76 OLD SIGHTS Dover— The heights— Dover Castle. station-liouses, past telegraph stations, through parks of stately- trees, with occasional glimpses of noble mansions and distant villages, with a constant accompaniment of a most disagreeable gas from the locomotive, — through Croydon, Reigate, Tun- bridge, Staplehurst, Ashford, &c., having a fine view of Folke- stone Harbor and the chalk hills, to Dover, eighty-eight miles, in 2^ hours, fare 20s. (about 1 5.) Here I had time enough to explore the town and castle be- fore embarking in the steamer, which lay off in the harbor at some distance from the land. Dover is one of the " Cinque-ports^'' (or " five ports," viz., Dover, Sandwich, Romney, Hastings, and Hythe), to which peculiar privileges were granted by Parliament, and a Lord Warden appointed over them, usually the First Lord of the Treasury. It has a population of 13,800, and returns two members to Parhament. The natural situation of Dover is such as to arrest the atten- tion of the visitor. The town lies in a deep valley formed by an opening in the chalk hills, which surround it in the form of an amphitheatre. On the heights back of the town are bar- racks and fortifications, to which there is an ascent by a circular staircase of two hundred steps in a shaft cut in the solid rock. As you emerge from the shaft upon the grassy slope, you have a fine view of the town and harbor. The crescent beach is covered with bathing machines on rollers (for of late years it has become a fashionable watering-place), and fronted with rows of boarding-houses, now silent and tenantless. Further west, long piers run out into the sea to form the harbor, which is entirely artificial, and has been constructed at great expense. Dover Castle is an object of interest to the antiquarian, as W I T H N E W E Y E S . 77 The "Keep"— "Que en Elizabeth's Pocket Pistols." well as to the lover of the picturesque. It stands on the sum- mit of a chalk cliff to the eastward of the town, three hundred and twenty feet in height, and incloses within its walls a space of thirty-five acres. A broad road from the town winds around the hill to the top. The fortifications are of different epochs, Roman, Saxon, Norman, &c. The Avatch-tower (an octagonal building), the parapet, and the peculiar form of the ditch, ex- hibit the Roman architect. There is an ancient church within the fortress which was consecrated to Christian worship by St. Augustine, in the sixth century. In the centre is the " Kee'p^'' of ISTorman origin, a massy square edifice, 123 by 108 feet, with several turrets, one of which is ninety-five feet in height. The view from it in a clear day com- prises the ISTorth Foreland, Ramsgate pier, the Isle of Thanet, the valley of Dover, and the towns of Calais and Boulogne, on the French coast, which is only twenty-one miles distant. During the French Revolution, upwards of $200,000 were expended in repairs and additions. Extensive barracks were excavated in the solid rock, by which accommodations were provided for a garrison of four thousand men. These subter- ranean rooms and passages are shown to visitors upon an order from the military commandant. There is an " armory " in the keep, where many ancient curiosities are to be seen; among which is '■''Queen ElizahetKs Pocket Pistol,'''' a beautiful brass cannon, presented to Elizabeth by the States of Holland, as a token of respect for the assist- ance she aftbrded them against Spain. It is twenty-four feet long, and bears a Dutch inscription, which has been translated thus : "O'er hill and dale I throw my ball, Breaker my name, of mound and wall." , 78 OLDSIGHTS ' Shakspeare's Cliff "—Surf Boats— Calais. About half a mile to tlie south-west is " Shakspeare's Cliffy memorable for the description in " King Lear :" " Come on, sir, here's the place : — stand still ; how fearful And dizzy 'tis to east one's eyes so low ! The crows and daws that wing the midway air Show scarce so gross as beetles : half-way down Hangs one that gathers samphire ; dreadful trade ! Methinks he seems no bigger than his head : The fishermen that walk upon the beach Appear like mice ; and yon tall anch'ring bark Dhuinished to her cock; her cock a buoy Almost too small for sight : the murmuring surge That on th' unnumbered idle pebbles chafes, Cannot be heard so high ; I'll look no more Lest my brain turn and the deficient sight Topple down headlong." But our time is up. We must descend to the beach and take our seats in one of the large surf boats high up on the sand ! and when we are all stowed away, men, women, chil- dren, trunks, valises, baskets, band-boxes, mail-bags, &c., we are pushed down to the water by main strength, launched upon the briny surge, which receives us with a grim yawn, and then tosses us like a cork upon its heaving bosom. A strong pull of brawny arms for twenty minutes, and we are alongside of the steamer '•'•Faimi^'' in which, after having accomplished the diffi- cult feat of getting on board, we are tossed about two hours longer, and then by dint of the agonizing operation of a screw, that seems as if intent on twisting out the vitals of the ship, cabin and all, we run in between the long piers of Calais, lined with strange-looking, cap-crowned, moustached men, bare- headed and bare-legged women, and most unsoldierh^-looking soldiers.. WITH NEW EYES " Commissionaires"— Route. Amid the confusion of landing, you are glad to avail yourself of the proffered services of a " Commissionaire^'' who at once assumes the airs of a confidential attache to your " Lordship ;" makes way for you through the crowd, tips a wink to the " offi- cials " to let you pass, assists you in crossing the mud-puddles, points out to you the various objects of interest in passing, is indignant at the slightest want of respect for your baggage, carries you triumphant through the custom-house, obtains the necessary " vises " for your passport, shows you where to get your railway ticket, introduces you to a "refreshment saloon," and considering himself well paid with two francs, wishes " Mon- sieur " a pleasant trip to Paris, and with a profusion of bows bids you ^^ Adieu /" Leaving Calais at 6|- p.m., we flitted past a great many per- sons along the line of the road for some distance, enjoying an evening walk with their famihes ; on through a flat and unin- teresting country, intersected by scummy ditches, and traversed by rows of pollard willows, — through St. Omer, famous for its Jesuits' College, and having a Seminary for the education of Eno-lish and Irish Catholics, where O'Connell was educated, — through Hazebrouck, Lille, Douai, Amiens, celebrated for its Cathedral, and for the treaty of peace between France and England in 1802, — Creil, Pontoise, St. Denis, famous for its Abbey Church, the burial-place of the kings of France, since the time of Dagobert, a.d. 580, — to Paris, where we arrived about 5^- the next morning, a distance of three hundred and seventy-seven kilometres, or two hundred and thirty-four miles, a French kilometre being nearly equal to five English fur- longs. 80 OLDSIGHTS First Impressions of Paris— Plan of Houses. CHAPTER IX. " So tliis is the gay and brilliant Paris !" said I to myself, as I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of the passing scene through the damp and dirty glass of the omnibus. We had entered the city by the " Chemin de fer du Nord," literally, the " Road of iron of the JVorth,''^ and were on our way from the " Embarcadere " (as the Depot is called), to our respective places of destination. My first impressions were certainly not very favorable. It was early in the morning, and I had been riding all night. A cold drizzling rain was falling. The streets were reeking with filth, the houses sombre with dirt and gloom, and the men and women dirty and slovenly in their appearance. I was completely disgusted. We stopped at the Hotel de Paris, in the Rue de Richelieu, where I concluded to take up my abode for the present. Like most of the houses in Paris, it is built around an open court, into which you pass from the street through an arched entrance under the front part of the building. On one side of this passage-way is the porter's lodge, or office, where the books are kept : on the other side is the principal staircase. In private houses each floor is generally occupied by a separate family. You go up one, or two, or three, or four, or five, or even six flights of stairs, and ring at the door in the hall, as you would WITHNEWEYES. 81 Domestic Arrangements— Female Clerks— National Library. at tlie front door of our houses. The family with which I afterwards boarded, had all their rooms in the fifth story — kitchen, parlor, bed-rooms, and all ; all their wood, and coal, and water, was brought up by hand. What would our Ame- rican ladies think of housekeeping under such circumstances ! It seemed strange to see a ivoman officiating as clerk of the hotel, attending to our baggage, presenting the book for the inscription of our names, &c., and assigning to us our apart- ments. Cross the paved court, ascend five flights of slippery stairs— of polished oak, daily waxed and rubbed smooth as glass — through a long passage, and you have reached my quarters — a good-sized room with an antechamber, marble fire-place, old brussels carpet, mahogany bedstead, bureau, table, and chairs, for which I pay three francs a day, and board myself. Without troubling my reader with the details of successive days of sight-seeing, I will ask him to accompany me in a comprehensive tour of explanation, to some of the principal objects of interest which I visited during my stay in Paris. Premising that the rain has ceased, and the warm sun is shining, and the streets in their holiday costume, we will take a stroll down the Rue de Richelieu in a southerly direction. This open space on our right, with a fine bronze fountain adorned with statuary, is the " Place Richelieu." That long gloomy- looking building opposite, without any windows, is the Royal, or National Library. Every revolution in Paris involves a change in the names of the public institutions. Before the Re- volution of 1789 it was the ^'■Library of the Kingr The " National Convention " changed it to the " National Library.^'' In Napoleon's time it was the " Imperial Library P Upon the occupation of Paris by the allied armies in 1815, it resumed its 82 OLDSIGHTS Palais Royal. name of the " Library of the King:' The last Revolution of 1848 has changed it back again to the ''National Library:' This may serve as a specimen of the fluctuating nomenclature of the public buildings, bridges, and streets of Paris, which is often very perplexing to the stranger, especially just after a new form of government has been in operation long enough to effect a general change in this respect. The National Library is the largest in the world. It contains 800,000 volumes, 72,000 manuscripts, 5000 portfohos of en- gravings, and a most complete collection of coins and medals. It is open to students and authors every day of the week without charge, and on certain days to visitors. You will always find a great many pei-sons there, consulting works and transcribing from them. Passing further down the street, we turn to our left into the Rue St. Honore, and enter through a Doric arcade and gateway into the court of the Palais Royal, or as it is now, Palais National. Crossing this court, which is surrounded by build- ings with colonnades, and passing through the opposite building, you enter another court of much larger dimensions, 700 by 300 feet, which is laid out in spacious walks, shaded with lime-trees, and adorned with statues, and with two flower-gardens in the centre, separated from each other by a circular basin of water, with a fine jet d'eau. The houses that surround the court are all uniform, and consist of two stories and an attic, standing upon arcades. Under the arcades a broad gallery extends all round the court, lined with shops of all kinds, dealers in jewelry, and bijouterie, money-changers, tailors, milliners, &c., with a gTeat number of cafes and restaurants. It is a place of great public resort, and has been called "the Capital of Paris." On a fine afternoon or evening, the gardens and walks are full of WITH NEW EYES. 83 "Place du Carrousel "—Triumphal Arch— The Louvre. visitors, leisurely promenading, or grouped in chairs, "vvbicli are let for tlie purpose, and a continual stream is passing through the galleries at all times in the day, and most of the night. Here you may get your meals at any price, from one franc as high as you please. The " Palais Royal " Avas originally a palace, begun by Car- dinal de Richelieu in 1629, and successively occupied by Louis XIIL, Louis XIV., the Duke of Orleans, and in part by Louis PhiHppe. It is now solely occupied by public offices, shops, and places of amusement. Resuming our walk, a little distance south we enter the Place du Carrousel, which derives its name from a great tournament held by Louis XIV. in 1662. It is a large open space sur- rounded by public buildings. The principal object of interest in it is the Triumphal Arch, erected by Napoleon in 1806, which is forty-five feet in height, sixty in length, and twenty in breadth. It is a copy of the arch of Septimius Severus in Rome, and consists of a central arch, and two smaller lateral ones, each of which is intersected by a transversal arch. Upon the top is a triumphal car and four bronze horses, modelled from the famous Corinthian horses in front of St. Mark's, Ve- nice. An allegorical female figure, representing Victory, stands in the car, and one on each side leads the horses. Over the smaller archways are marble bas-reliefs, finely executed, repre- senting memorable events of the campaign of 1805. The cost of the monument was nearly $300,000. A short distance east of the Place du Carrousel, you enter the Place du Museum, and stand in front of the Louvre. This palace was commenced by Francis I. in 1528, and has been beautified and extended by successive occupants. The interior court is four hundred and eight feet square, and surrounded by 84 OLD SIGHTS Picture Grallery— Palace of the Tuileries— Gardens of Tuileries— Place Vendome. richly ornamented buildings on all sides. It is now almost wholly devoted to the Fine Arts. The Museum of the Louvre contains a collection of antiquities, a museum of French sculp- ture, a gallery of paintings of the Italian, Flemish, and French schools, a collection of Spanish paintings, the Standish museum, and a highly interesting collection of models of shipping. The celebrated Picture Gallery is in the long range on the south of the Place du Carrousel, connecting the two Palaces of the Louvre and Tuileries, which was built by Henry IV., Louis XIIL, and Louis XIV. It is 1332 feet in length, forty-two in width, and lined with pictures throughout. The Palace of the Tuileries is on the east side of the Place du Carrousel. The spacious court is inclosed by an iron rail- ing in front, and buildings on the other sides. Napoleon used to review his troops in this court. This Palace was commenced by Catherine de Medicis in 1564, and enlarged and embellished by her successors. Napoleon built the North Gallery, with the design of connecting it with the Louvre on that side also. In the rear of this Palace are the Gardens of the Tuile- BiES, an area of sixty-seven acres, diversified with shady groves of chestnut-trees, elms, and limes, beautiful flower gardens, broad terraces, and walks with rows of orange trees in large boxes, circular basins of water with fountains, and statues of gods and goddesses, and heroes, singly and in groups, innumerable. These Gardens are open to the pubHc, and are a favorite resort of all classes. A httle north of the Tuileries is the Place Vendome, an octagonal space, with the Vendome pillar in the centre. This was erected by Napoleon in commemoration of the German campaign in 1S05. It is in imitation of the Pillar of Trajan at Rome, of the Tuscan order, one hundred and . thirty-four feet WITHKEWEYES. 85 Place de la Concorde—Palais National. in height, and twelve in diameter, surmounted with a statue of Napoleon. The pedestal and shaft are of stone, and covered with bas-reliefs in bronze (representing the various victories of the French army), composed of 1200 pieces of cannon taken from the Russian and Austrian armies. The bas-reliefs wind around the shaft in a spiral direction from the base to the capi- tal, divided by a band bearing inscriptions of the scenes repre- sented. On the top is a gallery, approached by a winding staircase of one hundred and seventy-six steps, from which is a fine view of Paris and the environs. Returning to the Gardens of the Tuileries, and walking on in a westerly direction, we enter the Place de la Concorde, a vast area in the form of an octagon, tastefully ornamented with statues and fountains, and having in the centre the Obelisk of Luxor (or Thebes), a single block of red granite, seventy-two feet three inches in height, and seven feet six inches in width at the base, which formerly stood in front of the great Temple o,f Thebes, erected by Sesostris, king of Egypt, 1550 b.c. It is covered with hieroglyphics from the base to the summit. The entire cost of transferring it to its present position was 2,000,000 francs. In this place Louis XVI. was guillotined, and his consort, Marie Antoinette ; Charlotte Corday, Brissot, Danton, Robes- pierre, St. Just, Couthon, and a host of others. Between January 1*793 and May 1795, more than 2800 victims of the Revolution were executed here. From the southern side of the Place de la Concorde, a broad avenue leads across the Bridge " de la Concorde " to the Palais National, on the opposite bank of the river Seine, which, until very recently, was the seat of the Legislative Assembly. Continuing in a westerly direction, we enter the Champs 86 OLD SIGHTS Champs Elys^es— The Barriers— Arc de Triomphe de I'Etoile. ElyseeSj or " Elysian Fields," an extensive tract, laid out in handsome walks, and groves, and gardens. The broad Avenue de Neuilly, adorned with fine shade trees, the whole length a distance of a mile and a quarter, conducts by a gradual ascent to the Barrier de I'Etoile. (The Barriers are edifices at the gates of the city walls, for the collectors of the revenues. The same name is also given to the wide road around the walls.) On the summit of the elevation at the head of this avenue, stands the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, which was com- menced by Napoleon in 1806, but not finished till 1832. It is an enormous mass of stone, one hundred and fifty-two feet in height, one hundred and thirty-seven wide, and sixty-eight thick ; and consists of a vast central arch ninety feet high, on each side of which piers of unusual solidity rise to support a bold entablature and attic. Each of these piers is pierced by a transverse arch, fifty-seven feet high, and twenty-five wide. The faces of the piers, outside and inside, and the vaults of the arches, are covered with sculpture illustrative of the career of Napoleon ; allegorical groups, such as the Genius of War sum- moning the nations to arms, warriors of different ages hastening to battle. Victory crowning Napoleon, &c., &c. ; representations of his victories, such as Abukir, Alexandria, Austerlitz, Jemap- pes, &c. ; names of the victories, and of the principal generals. Within the monument, staircases in each pier conduct to vaulted rooms over the principal arch, in three series, one above another. The platform on top commands one of the finest views of the city and its environs. Eastward you look down the magnificent Avenue de Neuilly through the Champs Elysees, and Gardens of the Tuileries, to the Palace beyond and the dense mass of buildings in the distance, among which you can easily distin- guish on the right the beautiful domes of the Hotel des Inva- WITH NEW EYES. 87 Arc de Triomphe de I'Etoile. lides and the Pantheon, the Palace of Luxembourg, in front the towers of Notre Dame, and on the left the Church of the Ma- deleine, and the height of Montmartre and the Batignolles. Westward the eye ranges over a wide extent of country diver- sified with forests, villages, cultivated fields, and distant hills. 88 OLDSIGHTS Swimming Schools "—" City Island "—" Notre Dame." CHAPTER X. PARIS AND VERSAILLES. Let us continue our exploration of Paris by taking a walk beside the river Seine. The banks are skirted with spacious quays, in many places planted with trees, and affording agreeable promenades. Moored in the stream are floating laundries, full of washerwomen hard at work ; large bathing-houses, with inscriptions in large letters, '"''Ecoles de Natation aux Hommes^'' i. e. " Swimming-schools for the men," and ^^ Ecoles de Natation aux Femmes^"^ i. e. " Swimming-schools for the women ;" dredging machines scraping up the mud, and clumsy-looking flat-bottomed barges. Wide bridges of stone and iron span the river at frequent intervals, many of them thronged with pas- sengers. One of these, Pont Neuf, rests on twelve arches, and is 1020 feet long. It is supported in the centre on a point of an island called the " Isle de la Cite,''^ or " City Island," the ancient seat of Paris, densely covered with buildings. Let us thread its narrow and crooked passages till we come out into the area '■^Parvis de Notre Dame^^ in front of the Cathedral. CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME. Much of the effect of Notre Dame is lost by reason of its low situation, several feet below the level of the street, and its WITHNEWEYES. 89 Tower and Belfry. close proximity to the surrounding buildings. Still it is a noble pile, and has a venerable air of antiquity, that impresses the beholder. Its dimensions are, length, three hundred and ninety feet ; width at the transepts, one hundred - and forty-four feet ; height of the vaulting, one hundred and two feet ; height of the western towers, two hundred and four feet ; and width of the western front, one hundred and twenty-eight feet. Three ample portals lead into the body of the nave and the aisles, in the most exquisitely wrought pointed style, each composed of three sys- tems of arches, retiring one within the other, richly sculptured with angels, scriptural figures, saints, &c. The north tower has a colossal bell, called " Le Bourdon^'' {. e. " the drone " (from its low, deep sound), which weighs 32,200 pounds, and requires sixteen men to ring it. It is only rung on state occasions. I ascended this tower by the dark stone staircase of three hundred and eighty steps to the belfry, where two men were ringing the ordinary bells by pushing the yoke from above with their feet. It seemed to be very hard work. The sides of the belfry ara open arches, and the rest of the ascent was by a series of crazy steps and ladders, that shook with every swing of the bells, and gave a fearful interest to the view of the roof and pavement through the open arches. On reaching the top, however, I felt myself rewarded for my pains by the commanding prospect of the city, which gave me a clear idea of the relative situation of all its parts. You can also see to fine advantage the flying buttresses which rise from the outer walls of the chapels to support the lofty clerestory. These chapels are external additions to the main building on the two sides, opening into the interior, and having the appear- ance of recesses. Much of the stone carving in the interior has been fretted out by the weather, and is now in a process of 90 OLDSIGHTS Devils' Heads— Interior— Historical Associations— Revolutionary Desecration. restoration. I was struck with the great number of devils'' heads upon the towers, some very grotesque, and others very malignant in expression. Let us descend and take a view of the interior. The air seems gray and heavy with the gloom of ages. Cast your eye along the massive pillars, alternately circular and clustered, that support the nave and choir ; and notice the curious little galleries with stone balustrades on the sides of the walls, one above another, almost to the roof, leading one wonders where ; explore the forty-five chapels with their beautiful rosaces of stained glass of the thirteenth century, and their countless shrines and decorations ; stand before the marble group over the altar, representing the Descent from the Cross; examine the curiously-sculptured compartments of the wall inclosing the choir, representing the mysteries in the life of Christ, executed in 1352 ; and then let the mind go back into the past, and call up some of the eventful scenes which have been wit- nessed by these walls. The first ecclesiastic who ofiiciated here was Heraclius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, in 1185, who came to Paris to preach the third crusade. Since then what multitudes have thronged these spacious aisles, and kneeled upon this marble floor ! "What ages of superstition have lavished their ill-gotten wealth upon these costly shrines ! Here, in the Revolution of the last century, the Parisian mob entered like a pack of wolves, and vented their insensate fury upon these walls, stripping them of their ornaments, gorging their avarice with the spoils, and dis- interring the buried Archbishops of Paris, for the sake of their lead coffins ! Here was performed the imposing ceremony of Napoleon's coronation, which the Pope was compelled to grace with his presence. Here the mob again rioted in 1831, cutting WITHNEWEYES. 91 Hotel Dieu—" College of France "—Pantheon. up the coronation robes, and the splendid dresses of the Bishops and Chapter, for the sake of the gold embroidery, and destroying everything within their reach. An infidel sar- casm from my companion broke in upon my reflections, and provoked a reply that led to further conversation, till at length we sat down and added another scene to the history of Notre Dame, viz. — that of two young Americans discussing the evidence of Christianity upon the steps of its high altar. Emerging from the gloom and walking westward, we pass on our left the immense hospital Hotel Dieu, the most ancient in Paris, founded in the seventh century, and crossing the Petit Font, i. e. " little bridge," pass up Rue St. Jacques. We are now in " the students' " quarters, as indicated by the gi'eat number of book stalls filled with classical and scientific works, notices of " Lodgings to let," and innumerable small beer-shops. In this vicinity are the " College of France," the " College of the Sorbonne," the " College of Henry IV.," the " Normal School," the " Polytechnic School," the " School of Medicine," the " School of Law," &c., &c. My friend and I stopped at the College of France long enough to hear a lecture from Pro- fessor Ampere on French Literature. A number of young ladies were in attendance, and the occasional glances of the students in that direction forcibly reminded us of our college days. It seems strange, however, to see a mustachioed Professor in the chair. Our next visit was to the PANTHEON. This is one of the finest buildings in Paris. It was originally the Church of St. Genevieve, and was built by Louis XV., in 1 764. Of late years, however, it has not been used for religious 92 O L D S I G H T S Portico— Plan of the Building— French Mythology— Fine View. service, but solely as a temple for the monuments and remains of the illustrious dead. It is said that Louis ISTapoleon designs to give it back into the hands of the priests. The portico is composed of twenty-two fluted Corinthian columns, sixty feet in height, and six feet in diameter, support- ing a triangular pediment one hundred and twenty feet in breadth, by twenty-four in height, which contains a large com- position in sculpture by David, representing France dispensing- honors to her great men. A notice at the door conveys a deli- cate hint to the visitor, assuring him in the most positive terms, that the guide in attendance to conduct strangers through the building has no public comjjensation whatever. The plan of the building is a Greek or equilateral cross. Each arm of the cross is ninety-nine feet in length, and- has a richly sculptured vaulted roof of eighty feet above the marble pavement. From the intersection of these arms rises a great dome, springing from a circular gallery surrounded by thirty- two Corinthian columns, sixty-two feet in diameter at the base, and two hundred and eighty-two feet in height. The inside of the dome is covered with a fine painting, representing, upon the lower part, the four monarchs of France, Clovis, Charlemagne, St. Louis, and Louis XVIIL, with figures of angels, and other emblems of glory. Above is St. Genevieve, descending towards them upon a cloud, while higher up in the heavenly regions are seen Louis XVL, Marie Antoinette, Louis XVIL, and Madame Ehzabeth ! A gleam of light at the loftiest point indicates the abode of the Deity. The construction of the dome is worthy of particular atten- tion. It consists of three stone vaultings, one over the other, and each independent of the rest. The ascent by which you go up is between these vaultings. From the highest gallery on WITH NEW EYES. 93 Tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau— Palace of Luxembourg— Various Uses. the outside you have a very fine view of Paris and the sur- rounding country. Underneath the pavement is an immense series of vaults for the remains of the dead. Here are the tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau, whose apotheoses were celebrated in the church above, and of many other distinguished persons. A short distance west of the Pantheon, fronting the Rue de Vaugirard, stands the PALACE OF LUXEMBOURG. It derives its name from the Duke of Luxembourg, who had a mansion on this spot in 1583, which was purchased by Marie de Medicis in 1612, who built the present palace upon the model of the Pitti Palace in Florence, the residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. It has witnessed a great many changes. It was occupied successively by its founder, her son, Duke of Orleans, the Duchess de Montpensier, the Duchess of Guise, Louis XIV., the Duchess of Brunswick, Madame d'Orleans, and Louis XVIIL, who occupied it till 1791, when he quitted France. During the first years of the Revolution it was converted into a prison ; in 1795 it became the place of the sittings of "the Directory," and was called the " Palace of the Directory ; " when Bona- parte came into power, it was devoted to the sittings of the Consuls, and received the name of the " Palace of the Consu- late," and shortly after " Palace of the Senate Conservator ; " in 1814 it became the " Palace of the Chamber of the Peers." The original palace is on four sides of a court, 360 by 300 feet. At the four corners are four large square three- storied buildings, or pavilions, with pyramidal roofs. These corner 5* 94 OLDSIGHTS Description of the Building— Napoleon's Rooms— Jardin des Plantes. pavilions are connected on the sides and in the rear of the court by a two-storied range. The front consists of an elegant rotun- da in the centre, surmounted by a handsome cupola, and con- nected with the corner pavilions on each side by a one-storied range, decorated with pilasters, and having upon the top an open gallery with balustrades. I was shown through the rooms once occupied by Napoleon, and sat in the chair in which he was crowned ; visited the Senate Chamber and Chamber of Peers, a small chapel richly adorned with paintings and sculpture, the bed-chamber of Marie de Medicis, decorated with paintings and gilding on the sides and ceiling, in the most sumptuous style, and passed many hours in the fine gallery of paintings and sculpture. The grounds in the rear are very extensive, and comprise a flower-garden with a piece of water in the centre, encircled by terraces, ornamented with vases and balustrades, and groups of statuary, broad walks with rows of stately trees, an immense nursery ground on the right, and a botanical garden on the left. When I was there 8000 soldiers were on parade in the central avenue. Some distance to the east, on the banks of the Seine, near the Bridge of Austerlitz, is the JARDIN DES PLANTES, or " Garden of the Plants," a vast inclosure, which contains the natural productions of every country on the globe. Much of its prosperity is owing to the genius of the great naturahst BufFon, who devoted himself to its improvement with indefatigable zeal. Huge conservatories of glass and iron have been erected to shelter the tall slants of tropical climes. Every species of WITHNEWEYES. 95 "Wine Market"— "Grain Market." animal has its appropriate habitation in some part of the esta- blishment. Large buildings, constructed for the purpose, con- tain unrivalled collections in Zoology, Mineralogy, Geology, Botany, Comparative Anatomy, &c., which are open to the public on certain days without charge. There is also an am- phitheatre for public lectures, and a fine library of works on Natural History. In short it is a complete museum of Natural History. The Halle aux Vins, or " Wine Market," near by, is worthy a passing notice. It is a large tract of ground, inclosed with walls on three sides, and an iron railing on the side towards the quay, and occupied by piles of buildings for the storage of wines and spirits. The ranges of buildings are separated by streets called after the different kinds of wine, e. g. Rue de Champagne, Rue de Bordeaux, Rue de Languedoc, &c. Some idea of its extent may be obtained from the length of the iron railing on the side next to the river, which is about 2,600 feet, or more than half a mile. There is also the Halle aux Ble, or " Grain Market," a vast circular building, La Bourse, or " the Exchange," which has a beautiful peristyle of sixty-six Corinthian columns, the Hotel DE Ville, or "Town Hall," the residence of the Mayor of Paris, the Hotel des Invalides, beneath whose beautiful dome lie the remains of Napoleon, the Palace of Justice, the magnifi- cent church of the Madeleine, with its noble peristyle of fifty- two Corinthian columns, sixty feet in height, and six in diame- ter, and its profusion of statuary, the churches of " Notre Dame de Lorette," of St. Eustache, of St. Sulpice, the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, " the city of the dead," crowded with monu- ments of every size and shape, and exhibiting much of the same heartless sentiment and foppish vanity which characterize OLD S I G H T S Palace of Versailles— Lavish Expenditure. the city of the living; and a multitude of other objects of interest, which my limits will not allow me to enumerate. I will conclude this imperfect sketch with a brief account of my visit to the PALACE OF VERSAILLES. Versailles is a large town of 30,000 inhabitants, south- west of Paris, distant about 10^ miles by railroad. The palace is the chief object of interest. The day on which I visited it will ever be one of the most memorable in my life. It gave me an idea of princely splendor and magnificence of which I had no previous conception. I shall not attempt to describe it in detail. That would require months of explora- tion, and volumes of description. I shall simply give a few particulars, with the general impression left upon my mind by the survey. The Palace was commenced by Louis XIY., in 1664. His father had a small chateau upon the spot, which was left stand- ing, but is almost lost amid the magnificent piles that were built around it. It is estimated that the sum expended upon the buildings and grounds during his reign, amounted to $200,000,000 ! and millions more have been lavished upon it by succeeding monarchs. The late Louis Philippe expended an immense sum in restoring it to its ancient splendor, and filling it with an endless series of paintings, sculpture, and works of art, illustrative of everything that has reflected honor on the annals of France, from the cradle of the monarchy down to the present day. One of the last additions is a noble painting by Horace Yernet, 50 by 16 feet, representing the " Capture of Ahdel Kader hy the Due jyAnmahy W I T H N E W E Y E S . 97 Place d'Armes— Statues of the Marshals, Ac— Extent of the Buildings, &c. You approach it from the town through the broad Avenue de Paris rising towards the Place d'Armes, a fine open space, eight hundred feet broad, on the eastern side of which is a handsome range of buildings, with semicircular fronts, with courts inclosed by iron railings, and lofty gateways ornamented with trophies and sculptured pediments. There are the Royal Stables, with accommodations for 1000 horees. The Place d'Armes is separated from the court of the Palace by stone parapets, flanking an iron raihng richly charged with gilded ornaments, and having a central gateway, surmounted by the ancient shield of France, with the three fleurs de lis. At the extremities of this railing are colossal groups in stone, of France victorious over Austria and Spain. As you enter the spacious court, the majestic forms of the Marshals and other dignitaries of France, such as Richelieu, Bayard, Turenne, Sully, Conde, assed in S'aples. We experienced mifch annoyance, however, from one- source, which the traveller must expect as a matter of coarse ir^ Italy, even a^ the best regu-kted Botels.- I^one of thefiaf are free from vermin of all so:^ts and siz^es. After breakfast we took a promeiiade in the Tilla Keal, ?^ ptiblic ground extending along the sea-shore fol- hal^ a miley- laid out in Walks and gardens, and horned with suflMner-house^ and statuary. The wide street called the Corso runs on one side of it, lendii^ out to the Grotto of Posilipo, a favorite drive for the citizens. "Visited {^veral shops, where we saw fine assortments of cameos, mosaics, bracelets, and all kinds of ornanaents-, made of coral and lava. The principal streets^ such as the " Ckiaja " and " Toledo,'' are tolerably clean, though narrow in most parts, and without walks, so that it' yequires no little dext;erity to steer through the (^owd of foot- WiTfi l^feW EYE^. ISO i---y, ---- - - ,- ^ „ Street Sights— Carriages— The Temp le. passengel^s and carriages. But the streets generally are ex- tremely dirty, and abotind in noisome slnells. The doors and ■windows are all open, So that tile passer-by can see all that is going on within. Half the inhabitants are in the streets, and tnany of the trades are carried oh there, sudh as weavingj tope-making, embroider}'-, and tinkering of all kinds. One street is full of iron bedstead makers^ another is a favorite j-esort of scribes. Or letter-writers, who sit at little tables, with ink-horns, ready to wield their pens in the service of the people ; another is occupied as a market. It is common to See boys and girls ten years old running about stark nakedj and in the vicinity of the docks full-grown men in the same condition, almost black with tan and dirt. I'ublic carriages ate Very numerous, and can be obtained at a cheap rate. The drivers have a curious fashion of trick- ing out their horses with brass gewgaws, often in the shape of little vanes, upon the neck, and back, and tail, that whirl around with the motion of the animal. The display of private Equipages Upon the " Corso " just befoi-e evening, is one of the finest I have ever witnessed. Many of them belong to the i^nglish residents or visitors. Among the public edifices in Naples, one of the most coti^ fepicuous is the Temple, which fronts a large square opposite the Palace. It has a large dome built after the Pantheon at Paris, which is supported by beautiful pillars of variegated marble. Marble statues of St. ChrySostOm, St. Matthew, St* Luke, St. Mark, St. John, St. Augustine, and St. AthanasiuSj stand between the pillars, and the Walls are adorned with many line paintings. The Cathedral has some beautiful marbles, several statues of t*opes, and some fine paintings. Many of the other churches 160 OLD SIGHTS* Indulgences— The Muse um— Pain tings> are riclily ornamented. They seemed to be well attended. We always saw persons at the confessionals, and at mass quite a large congregation. Over one church was the inscription, " Plena indulgentia quotidiana et perpetua^ mortuis et vivis^'' i. e. ^^full indulgence daily and perpetually for the dead and the living." Another had the same with the addition, " toties quoties^'' i. e. " as many times as you please.^"* The purport of which was, that within those churches one might obtain fiiU indulgence for any crime or crimes which he either had com- mitted, or might desire to commit, for one day, or any number of days, or as often as he might please, and this indulgence might be obtained not only for the living for themselves, but also for their deceased relatives or friends. We spent several days in exploring the Museum, *' Museo £orbonico" as it is called. It is on a grand scale. The entrance hall is of imposing dimensions, and adorned with colossal statuary. The first floor is devoted to the more mas- sive antiquities, such as statues, monuments, fragments of archi- tecture, &c. The rooms above contain the lighter antiquities, a fine collection of paintings, and the library. Difierent rooms are assigned to the paintings of diflferent schools ; one room for the Bolognese ; another for the Vene- tian ; another for the Neapolitan ; another for the Eoman, &c. Here are some of the first originals by Domenichino, the two Caracci, Correggio, Titian, Rubens, Raphael, Guido, and a host of others. Of those which made the strongest impression upon me at the time, I have noted a series illustrating the history of the Prodigal Son, one of Moses smiting the rock, St. Agatha, St. Jerome in a library taking a thorn out of a lion's foot, the contest between a lion and a tiger over a deer ; a fine large painting of the Crucifixion, in which I was struck with the WITH NEW EYES. 161 Antiquities of Pompeii and Herculaneum— Statuary. despairing expression of one thief, and the penitent hopeful air of the other ; the fine expression of reverence on the face of the centurion ; and the consternation of many of the specta- tors at the unnatural phenomena of the scene. But I can convey no idea of the extent, variety, and magnificence of this collection of paintings of all kinds, portraits, historical, archi- tectural, landscape, &c., on all subjects, domestic, public, sacred, and profane. One might spend weeks in the study of a single one of the innumerable master-pieces that are to be found here. The rooms were full of artists at their easels, dili- gently engaged in copying, often with a cluster of admiring friends around them watching their progress. The collection of the lighter antiquities is one of great interest. I was struck with the great number and variety of domestic utensils from Pompeii, many of them, such as the kettles, pots, chafing-dishes, vases, cups, &c., very much like modern ones, of beautiful proportions, and exquisite workman- ship. In one room, the operations of unrolling the charred manuscripts of papyrus fi*om Herculaneum by an ingenious machine contrived for that purpose, was going on, slowly unfolding the fragile material, and glueing it to a more substan- tial fabric of parchment underneath. Many of these manu- scripts have been deciphered and published. I could easily make out the letters, Roman capitals, with no intervening space, but only points to separate the words. The Egyptian antiquities, in one of the rooms below, are very numerous and interesting. The apartment of mummies is said to be the richest in the world. The choicest treasures of Pompeii have been transferred to this Museum. There are some very fine Mosaic pavements, whole sides of rooms covered with fresco paintings, many of 162 OLD SIGHTS Hall of the Emperors— Grecian and Roman Art. wliich, taken from the walls of their sleeping apartments, are of the lowest grade of obscenity. But I was much interested in the statuary — heathen gods and goddesses — one colossal statue of Jupiter, with an air of indescribable majesty. Bac- chuses and Venuses without number, the favorite subjects of ancient sculptors. One room is wholly devoted to Venuses. There is the " Venus of Capua," tbe " Venus Kallipuge," and so on ad infinitum^ each one having some peculiarity of drapery or posture by which it is distinguished. There are some fine statues of the " Seasons," the " Muses," one of Atlas, Flora, Pudicitia veiled. Psyche, a wounded Amazon on horse- back, Aristides, Socrates, Plato, Seneca, Demosthenes, Cicero, Homer, Terence, S'. Maria sopra Minerva, so called from being built on the site of a temple of Minerva, is the only Gothic church in Rome. It contains a full-length statue of Christ, by Michel Angelo. The library attached to it is richer in printed books than any other in Rome. WITH NEW EYES. 205 Pantheon, CHAPTER XXV. THE PANTHEON. " Simple, erect, severe, austere, sublime — Shrine of all saints and temple of all gods, From Jove to Jesus— spared and blessed by Time, Looking tranquillity, while falls or nods Arch, empire, each thing round thee, and man plods His way through thorns to ashes— glorious dome ! Shalt thou not last ? Time's scythe and tyrants' rods Shiver upon thee — sanctuary and home Of art and piety — Pantheon ! pride of Rome I A STRANGE spell comes over the soul, as one looks upon this noble temple, which rears its unbroken front of faultless sym- metry, in the midst of the filth and bustle of modern Eome, and reads the inscription upon the frieze, which shows that it was erected by M. Agrippa in his third consulate, b.c. 26. More than eighteen hundred years have passed away, yet there it stands, erect, entire, beautiful, sublime, as if invested with the attribute of immortality ! The portico is one hundred and ten feet long, forty-four deep, and is composed of sixteen Corinthian columns of oriental granite, with capitals and bases of Greek marble. Eight of these are in front, and the others in four lines behind them, so as to divide the portico into four porticoes. Each column is a single block, forty-six and a half feet in height, and five feet in diameter. On the frieze of the entablature is the inscription, 10 206 OLD SIGHTS Interior— Tomb of Raphael—" Sacred Napkin.' " M. AGRIPPA, L. F. COS. TERTIUM. FECIT." The whole is SUF- mounted by a pediment, wliicli still retains the marks by wliich its bas-reliefs were attached. In the vestibule on the left of the doorway, is a Latin inscription, recording that Urban VIII. moulded the remains of the bronze roof into columns to serve as ornaments of the apostle's tomb in the Vatican, and into cannons for the Castle of St. Angelo. No less than 450,250 pounds weight of metal were removed on this occasion. A great part of the roof had been previously stripped by the Emperor Constans II. in 657. The bronze doors still remain. The interior is a rotunda supporting a dome. The rotunda is one hundred and forty-three feet in diameter, exclusive of the walls, which are twenty feet thick. The height from the pavement to the summit is one hundred and forty-three feet, and the dome occupies one half of this height. In the upright wall are seven large niches with columns. Between the niches are modern altars. Above the niches and altars runs a marble cornice, covered with rich sculpture, supporting an attic with fourteen niches, and a second cornice, from which rises the majestic dome, divided with square panels, originally covered with bronze. All the light comes through the circular opening in the centre, twenty-eight feet in diameter. The pavement is composed of porphyry, pavonazzetto, and giallo antico, alter- nately in round and square slabs. The third chapel on the left contains the tomb of Raphael. In the same chapel is the tomb of Annihale Caracci. Other eminent painters are buried in different parts of the building. One of the altars has a wooden chest, which professes to hold the " sacred napMn " with which the Saviour wiped the " bloody sweat " from his face — bearing the following inscrip- WITH IN-EW EYES. 207 ^ The Capitol— Palaces on the Top. tion : " Area in qua sacrum sudarium olim a diva Veronica delatum Eomam ex Palestina, hac in basilica annos centum enituit." THE CAPITOL. The Capitoliue Hill rises at the eastern extremity of the " Corso," and is ascended by a noble flight of steps. At the foot of the central steps are two Egyptian lionesses, in basalt. On the summit, at the angles of the balustrades, are two colossal statues in marble, of Castor and Pollux, standing by the side of their horses. On the right of the ascent, at the extremity of the balustrade, is the celebrated Columna Milli- aria, the milestone of Vespasian and Xerva, which marked the first mile of the Appian way. The corresponding column on the left balustrade sustains an antique ball, said to be that which contained the ashes of Trajan, and was formerly held by the colossal statue on the summit of his historical column. The summit of the hill is an open square, with palaces on three sides. In the centre of the piazza is the bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. It is related that Michel Angelo once said to the horse, " Cammina P'' i. e. "go on," so life-like did it appear. "When it stood in front of the Lateran, in 1347, upon the occasion of Rienzi's elevation to the tribuneship, wine was made to run out of one nostril, and water out of the other. On the three sides of the piazza, are the three separate buildings designed by Michel Angelo. The central one is the Palace of the Senator ; that on the right, is the Palace of the Conservatori ; that on the left, is the Museum of the Capitol. (The Senator was one of the chief magistrates of Rome in later times, a sort of Mayor, and the Conservatori were his 208 OLD SIGHTS Palace of the Senator— Palace of the ConserYatori— Protomeca. three judges. These palaces were built for their accommo- dation. The Palace of the Senator has a double row of steps in front, at the base of which is a fountain, ornamented with three statues, Minerva in the centre, and the others colossal representations of river gods in Parian marble, the Nile and the Tiber. The principal apartment in the palace is the hall in which the Senator holds his court. The tower contains the great bell of the Capitol, captured from Viterbo in the middle ages, which is rung only to announce the death of the Pope, and the beginning of the carnival. It commands one of the finest views of Rome and its vicinity. The Palace of the Conservatori contains many inte- resting works of art. Under the arcade on the right, is a colossal statue of Julius Csesar ; on the left, a statue of Au- gustus in a military dress, with the rostrum of a galley on the pedestal, in allusion probably to the battle of Actium. In the court are several interesting fragments ; a colossal marble head of Domitian, a fine group of a lion attacking a horse, a hand and head of a colossal bronze statue, Rome triumphant, two captive kings in grey marble, and the Egyptian statues of Ptolemy Philadelj^hus and Arsinoe, with hieroglyphics on their backs, &c., &c. The Protomeca is a suite of eight rooms, containing a series of busts of illustrious men, presented to the Arcadian Academy by Leo XII. One room has the busts of eminent foreigners ; another, celebrated artists ; another, eminent authors and dis- coverers; another, musicians and composers. One chamber has the monument of Canova, three female figures representing the fine arts, mourning his death. The Hall of the Conservatori consists of eight rooms, of WITH NEW EYES. 209 Bronze Wolf— Fasti Consulares— Museum of the Capitol. which the first is adorned with paintings in fresco, from the history of the Roman kings, beginning with the finding of Romulus and Remus ; the second with subjects from the republican history ; the third from the Cimbric wars. This last contains the famous Bronze Wolf of the Capitol, supposed to date back to the earliest antiquity of Rome. The fourth room contains the celebrated Fasti Consulares, found in the Roman Forum, having a Hst of all the consuls and public officers of Rome, from Romulus to the time of Augustus. There are also two additional halls of pictures, and the Se- cret Cabinet, opened only on application to the director. The Museum of the Capitol, on the opposite side of the piazza, contains an interesting collection of antiquities. There are many fragments in the vestibule. One room is called the Chamber of Canopus, from the statues in the Egyptian style found in the hall dedicated to Canopus in Hadrian's Villa. Another is the Hall of Inscriptions, containing a collection of imperial and consular inscriptions, from Tiberius to Theodosius. Here is a square altar of Pentelic marble, with bas-reliefs in the oldest style of Greek sculpture, representing the labors of Hercules ; also the funeral altar of T. Statilius Aper, measurer of the public buildings, with bas-reliefs of the trowel, com- passes, plummet, the foot, and various instruments of his business. The Hall of the Sarcophagus is so called from a fine sarco- phagus of marble, respresenting the history of Achilles. On the wall of the staircase are the celebrated frao-ments of the plan of Rome in white marble, found in the temple of Remus, invaluable to the Roman topographer. The Gallery contains a great number of busts, and statues, and inscriptions. 210 OLD SIGHTS Hall of Emperors— Hall of Philosophers— The Dying Gladiator. The Hall of the Vase is so called from a noble vase of white marble in the middle of the room, found near the tomb of Caecilia Metella. Here also is the celebrated Iliac table, con- taining* the history of the Iliad and the Fall of Troy ; the famous mosaic of Plinyh doves. The Hall of the Emperors contains seventy-six busts of the emperors and empresses, arranged in two shelves around the room in chronological order. In the centre of the room is the celebrated sitting statue of Agripinna, mother of Germa- nicus. Then there is the Hall of the Philosophers, containing seventy-nine busts of philosophers, poets, and historians; the Saloon, with numerous busts and statues ; the Hall of the Faun, so called from the celebrated Faun in roseo antico found in Hadrian's Villa ; and the Hall of the Dying Gladiator, so called from the celebrated figure of the Dying Gladiator. It is supposed to be one of a series illustrating the incursion of the Gauls into Greece. Whether it was owing to my own ex- cited feelings or to the intrinsic merit of the statue, or to the powerful description of the poet, I cannot tell ; but nothing of all I had seen in Rome aflfected me so deeply. The tears dropped like rain as I stood before it. "I see before me the Gladiator lie. He leans upon liis hand — his manly brow Consents to death/ but conquers agony, And his drooped head sinks gradually low — And through his side the last drops, ebbing slow From the red gash, fall heavy, one by one, Like the first of a thunder shower ; and now The arena swims around him — he is gone Ere ceased the inhuman shout which hailed the wi'etch who won. He heard it — but he heeded not — his eyes WITH NEW EYES. 211 The Dying G-ladiator. Were "with his heart, and that was far away : He recked not of the life he lost, nor prize, But where his rude hut by the Danube lay, There were his young barbarians all at play. There was their Dacian mother : — he, their sire, Butcher'd to make a Roman holiday. All this rushed with his blood — shall he expire, And imayenged? Arise, ye Goths, and glut your irel" 212 OLD SIGHTS The Roman Fornm— Lacus Cortios. CHAPTER XXYI. THE ROMAN FORrM. Between tlie Capitoline and the Palatine there is a small irregular space, which has been raised by the accumulation of soil from fifteen to twenty feet above the ancient level. Its modem name is the Campo Vaccino, or " cattle-field," from the use that has been made of it for several centuries past. Some- where within this hollow lay the Roman Forum, but its precise locality and true boundaries have been the subject of much controversy for the last three hundred years. Recent discover- ies, however, have satisfactorily determined its principal land- marks. It was between the Capitol on the west and the Arch of Titus on the east — about 630 feet in length, and from 100 to 110 in breadth. iVt the eastern and narrowest extremity, about a third of the space was separated from the rest by a branch of the Via Sacra. This small portion constituted the Comitium, a place of public assemblies. The Lacus Curtius — the gulf which suddenly opened in the Forum, into which the heroic youth Marcus Curtius leaped, in order that it might be closed, — is supposed to have occupied the centre of the hollow. On the slope of the Capitoline hill is a massive wall of peperino (a kind of volcanic rock), a fragment of ancient Ro- man masonry, which now forms the substruction of the modern WITH NEW EYES. 213 Fragments of Temples— Ar ch of Septimius Severus. prisons. Upon it are the remains of Doric columns, and an architrave belonging to the ancient Tahularium^ or Record Office. At the base of the hill are fragments of three temples ; the three fluted columns in the Corinthian style belonging to the Temple of Saturn. This point was settled by the recent dis- covery of the MilUarium Aureum^ or golden mile-stone of Au' gustus, at its base, which, as we know from numerous classical authorities, stood immediately below the Temple of Saturn. On the left is a portico, with eight granite columns, whicb is supposed to have been the Temple of Vespasian. On the right, behind the three columns, partly covered by the modern ascent and by fragments of marble, is a massive basement proved by inscriptions to have belonged to the Temple of Con- cord, erected in the time of Augustus. In front of this ruin stands the Arch of Septimius Severus <, which makes the north-west angle of the Forum. This was erected a. d. 205, by the Senate and people, in honor of the Emperor and his sons Caracalla and Geta, to commemorate their conquests of the Parthians and Persians. On the summit there formerly stood a car drawn by six horses abreast, and containing the figures of the Emperor and his sons. Each front has a series of bas-reliefs, representing different events of the Oriental wars. In one of the piers is a staircase of fifty steps leading to the top. The soil in which the Arch was half buried, has been excavated so as to lay bare the ancient pave- ment of the Elibus Asyli, by which the triumphal processions passed from the Forum to the Capitol. Along the left side of the Forum the line of the modern road is supposed to mark the position of the ^'•novoi tahernce,^'' the porticoes and shops of the traders. At the eastern end is the 10* 214 OLD SIGHTS Temple of Antoninus and Faustina— Column of Phocas— Cur ia Julia— Via Sacra. Temjile of Antoninus and Faustina, now the church of St. Lorenzo in Miranda. The inscriptions show it to have been the temple dedicated by the Senate to Faustina, the wife of Anto- ninus Pius, and afterwards also to Antoninus himself. It con- sists of a portico of ten Corinthian columns, six in front and two returned on the flanks. The columns are beautifully proportioned, and the frieze and cornice are exquisitely sculp- tured with griffins, vases, and candelabra. On the other side of the Forum, beginning from the Portico of Vespasian, we notice first the single column, called by Lord Byron •* The nameless column with a buried base." It is no longer nameless ; for in 1813 it was excavated to the base, and an inscription found proving it to be the Column of Phocas, and recording that a gilt statue of that Emperor was placed upon it by the Exarch Smaragdus, a. d. 608. Farther east are three fluted columns of Greek marble, which have been long regarded as models of the Corinthian style, sup- posed to be the remains of the Temple of Minerva Chalcidica, built by Augustus. The mass of brick-work behind the church of St. Maria Liberatrice is supposed to be the remains of the magnificent Curia Julia, or new Senate-house, erected by Au- gustus. Farther back, the church of San Teodois is supposed to mark tbe site of the Temple of Romulus. Along the line from the Portico of Vespasian to this spot, were the " veteres tabernce,''^ or shops which Tarquinius Priscus allowed to be erected in the Forum, and where Virginius bought the knife that saved the honor of his daughter. Entering on the Via Sacra, we notice a small circular build- ing on the left, now used as a vestibule to a church, which is WITH NEW EYES. 215 Arch of Titiis— Palace of the Caesars— Seven Hills. supposed to have been the ^des Penatium. Xext is the immense ruin of the Basilica of Constantine. Close by is the Arch of Titus, erected in commemoration of the conquest of Jerusalem, the most beautiful of all the Roman arches. The Via Sacra is supposed to have passed under the Arch of Titus to the Meta Sudans, in front of the Cohseum. PALACE OF THE C^SARS. One fine evening just before sunset, we paid a visit to the ruins of the Cassars' Palace on the Palatine hill. Through a private house we obtained admission to a vineyard on the hill- side, at the further end of which appeared huge masses of brick-work in the form of arches, and corridors, and vaults, clothed with ivy and creeping plants, and diversified by laurels and ilex. Rude steps conduct to the summit, from which we had a fine view, and made out the seven hills of Rome. We were standing on the Palatine, the seat of the earliest settle- 'ment in Rome, covered with the ruins of the Palace of the Caesars, in the midst of gardens and vineyards, the soil of which is composed of crumbled fragments of masonry, in many parts to a depth of twenty feet above the original surface. Bere were the houses of Cicero, Hortensius, and Clodius. Here Augustus erected his palace ; Tiberius enlarged it ; Caligula and Nero still farther ; and it was repeatedly re-built and altered by succeeding Emperors. The Capitolixe hill is north of us. There was the great Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, and the Citadel, and the Tar- peian Rock. On the east are the Quirinal and the Yiminal. The EsQuiLiNE and Ccelian on the south, and the x\ventine on the west. 216 OLD SIGHTS Circus Maximus— Baths of Caracalla— Favorite haunt of Shelley. Below US on the west is the Circus Maximus, the scene of the Sabine rape. It was founded by Tarquinius Priscus, and rebuilt with unusual splendor by Julius Caesar. The number of seats was not less than 200,000. Towards the south-west are the Baths of Caracalla, and blue mountains and the sea in the distance. We left the Palatine, and proceeded on our way to the Baths of Caracalla, under the eastern slope of the Aventine. These are the most perfect of all the Roman baths, and except the Coliseum, are the most extensive ruins in Rome. They occupy an area not less than a mile in circuit. The external wall incloses a quadrilateral open area, of which the baths occupied nearly the centre. The mass of central ruins is six hundred and ninety feet long and four hundred and fifty broad. It comprises a multitude of passages, chambers, halls, porticoes, with vaulted ceilings, fragments of mosaic pavements, remains of aqueducts, and reservoirs, and conduits. Most of the walls have been stripped of their marble coating, and reduced to masses of brick-work. These baths have furnished some of the finest specimens of ancient sculpture which now adorn the re- positories of art — such as the Farnese Hercules, the colossal Flora, and the Toro Farnese, in the museum at Naples; and the Torso Belvidere, the Atreus and Thyestes, the two Gladiators, and the Venus Callipyge, of the Vatican, with numerous bas-reliefs, cameos, bronzes, medals, and other treasures. These ruins were the favorite haunt of the poet Shelley. In the preface to the " Prometheus Unbound" he says : " This poem was chiefly written upon the mountainous ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, among the flowery glades and thickets of odoriferous blossoming trees, which are extended in ever-wind- WITH NEW EYES. 217 Tomb of Scipio— Columbaria. ing labyrinths upon its immense platforms and dizzy arches suspended in the air." Thence we proceeded to the Tomh of Scipio, the most ancient and interesting of all the tombs yet discovered. In 1780 the tomb and its sarcophagi were brought to light, after having been undisturbed for upwards of twenty-one centuries. Several recesses or chambers were discovered, irregularly exca- vated in the tufa, with six sarcophagi and numerous inscriptions. In one of the recesses was found the celebrated sarcophagus bearing the name of L. Scipio Barbatus, now in the Vatican, and well known by models all over the world. We explored the recesses by the light of a candle, but found nothing save the inscriptions. All other memorials have been removed. " The Scipio's tomb contains no ashes now ; The very sepulchres he tenantless Of their heroic dwellers." In the same vineyard, a little farther on, is the Columbarium of Cneius Pomponius Hylas and of Pomponia Vitalina. These Columbaria are a kind of sepulchres, so called from the rows of little niches, resembling the holes of a pigeon-house. These niches contained the olloe or urns, in which the ashes of the dead were deposited. In some cases the names are found on the urns, but more generally in inscriptions over the niches. These Columbaria were set apart for the slaves and freedmen, -^.nd were usually near the tombs of their masters. And here we will take our leave of the memorials of ancient Rome. Without describing everything I saw, I have endea- vored to give the most interesting species of the various classes of objects. I have generally left the reader to his own reflec- tions. But I cannot close without saying, that the prevailing 218 OLD SIGHTS Sad Memorials. sentiment of my soul while viewing and recalling these scenes, has been that of sadness. I mourn over Roman grandeur, not because it has departed, but because it was unsanctified. It was " without God," and therefore without a fitting aim, or guide, or end. All its splendor and glory cannot blind me to the truth, that it was also " without hope." Xo bright visions of immortality inspired its life, cheered its course, and irradi- ated its pathway to the tomb. Cold, dark, dreary, and deso- late was the grave into which Rome sank. " The Xiobe of nations ! there she stands, Childless and crownless in her voiceless woe : An empty wrn within her withered hands Where holy dust was scattered long ago." WITH NEW EYES. 219 Departure from Rome— The Malle Poste— "Porta del Popolo." CHAPTER XXVII. ROME TO FLORENCE. Tuesday, the 2d of July, at about 6 p.m., we took our place in the Malle Poste for Florence, which was standing in the carriage-house in the rear of the Post-Office. The baggage and mail had been previously deposited ; the horses were then at- tached, we were dragged out and commenced our journey. The Malle Poste is a stout-built carriage with only one apart- ment for passengers, which resembles the coupe of a diligence, having but one seat facing the horses, and with glass windows in front and at the sides. Outside in front is a seat for the conductor. The team of four horses with bells attached is managed by a postilion in uniform, mounted on the rear leader, who improves every opportunity to magnify his office. The whole establishment, when in motion, presents quite an animat- ing spectacle — the horses dashing off at full speed, bells jingling merrily, the postilion in his gay costume with a feather in his hat, bobbing up and down, flourishing his whip, and vociferat- ing at the horses. As there is room for only three passengers inside, an early application is necessary to secure a seat. We had secured ours a week beforehand by registering our names and paying half the fare. We stopped at the " Porta del Popolo," to have our papers examined by the officer of the guard, and an additional im- 220 OLD SIGHTS Pons Mllvius— Constantine and Maxentius— Roman Girl's Song. pression of the mitre and keys stamped upon them, and after travelling some distance upon a straight and dusty road, shut in by the high walls of villas and gardens on each side, we at length came out into 'the more open country. We cross the Tiber (which separated Etruria from Latium) by the Ponte Molle, a modern bridge, built on the foundation of the Pons Milvius. Here it was that Cicero arrested the ambassadors of the Allobroges at the dead of night, on their way to Catiline, with letters concerning the conspiracy. Here was fought the celebrated battle between Constantine and Maxentius, which Raphael has represented on the walls of the Vatican. Here, while addressing his troops before the battle, Constantine saw the cross in the heavens, with the inspiring motto, "/w hoc signo vinces.^^ From the parapet of this bridge the body of Maxentius was precipitated into the Tiber. Then the air re- sounded with the shrill clangor of trumpets, the clashing of steel, the shouts and yells of combatants, the frequent splash of horse and rider falling heavily into the stream below, till the "yellow Tiber" was red with blood. Now, how calm and peaceful the scene ! The shades of evening gather around us, as we wind over the undulating surface of the Campagna, from one elevation after another, taking our farewell view of the towers and cupolas of Rome. A feeling of unutterable sadness spreads over my soul as I think of the departed glory of the " Eternal City," the " mistress of the world ;" and in-voluntariiy I repeat the plain- tive strains of the " Roman girl's song." " Rome ! Rome 1 thou art no more As thou hast been ! On thy seven hills of yore Tliou sat'st a queen. WITH NEW EYES. 221 Roman Girl's Song— Yolcanic District. " Thou hadst thy triumphs then, Purpling the street ; Leaders and sceptred men BoTved at thy feet. " They that thy mantle ^vore As gods TS'ere seen — Rome ! Eome ! thou art no more As thou hast been ! " Eome ! thine imperial brow Xever more shall rise, What hast thou left thee now ? Thou hast thy skies ! " Blue, deeply blue, they are, Gloriously bright ! Veiling thy wastes afar, With colored light. " Thou hast the sunset's glow, Rome, for thy dower. Flushing tall cypress bough, Temple and tower. "Yet wears thy Tiber's shore A mournful mien : — Rome ! Rome ! thou art no more As thou hast been." We pass throiigli La Siorta, and enter upon a country which bears marks of volcanic action. An extinct crater in the vicinity of Baccano contains a sulphurous pool, which sends forth exhalations that impregnate the whole atmosphere. The night air is heavy with pestilential vapors. We close the 222 OLD SIGHTS Lacus Cimini— City of Viterbo. windows and muse in silence upon the dire malaria that infests this region. At Moriterosi we leave the Cam area (or province) of Rome, and enter upon the Delegation of Viterbo. From the next post, Ronciglione, we begin to ascend the steep volcanic hill of Monte Cimino, the classical Ciminus, whose dense forests served as a barrier to Etruria against Rome for so many ages. The road skirts the eastern margin of the Lago di Yico, or Lacus Cimini, of which Virgil speaks, " Et Cimini cum monte lacum" — The lake is about three miles in circumference, and has all the appearance of a crater. Ancient writers say that it was caused by a sudden sinking, during which a city called Succi- nium was swallowed up, and that when the water was clear, the ruins of this city might be seen at the bottom of the lake. We reach the summit of the mountain at L' Lnposta and then descend to Viterbo, which we enter about daylight. We read in our hand-books that " it is called by the old Italian writers the city of handsome fountains and beautiful women.'''' So we strain our eyes, as we pass within the frowning battlements and roll through the narrow and dirty streets, to see if we can discover anything to justify the appellation. At some of the corners gi-oups of sleepy-looking dolphins or dragons appear, lazily spouting streams of water, but the " beautiful women " are nowhere to be seen. We take a cup of coffee with our conductor at the Post-Office, and fall back upon the historical associations of the place for our interest. Viterbo is the capital of one of the most extensive delega- tions of the Papal states, the seat of a bishopric and the resi- WITH NEW EYES. 223 Cathedral— Historical Associations. dence of the delegate. Its population is about 13,000. It is surrounded by walls and towers built chiefly by the Lombard kings. It is supposed to occupy the site of the ancient Farnum Voltumnce, where the Etruscan cities held their general assem- blies. In the 13th century it was the residence of several Popes and the scene of numerous conclaves of the Sacred Col- lege. Six popes were elected here. The Cathedral dedicated to San Lorenzo is a Gothic edifice, built, as supposed, on the site of a temple of Hercules. It was at the high altar of this Cathedral that Prince Henry of Eng- land was murdered by Guy de Montfort in revenge for the death of his father Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, who was killed in 1265 at the battle of Evesham fighting against Henry III. At Evesham the body of the Earl was dragged in the dust by the royalists. His son Guy de Montfort was present, and vowed vengeance against the king and his family for this outrage. No opportunity occurred for several years ; but at length an accidental visit to this city threw one of the young Princes of England in his way, on his return from the crusades. While the young Prince was kneeling at the altar during the celebration of mass, Guy de Montfort rushed upon him and ran him through with his sword. The prince instantly expired, and the murderer walked out of the church unmolested. He said to his attendants at the door, "I have been avenged." " How ?" said one of them, " was not your father dragged in the dust ?" At these words he returned to the altar, seized the body of the Prince by the hair, and dragged it into the public square. He then fled and took refuge in the Maremma. The Cathedral is also memorable for another historical inci- dent. It was in its piazza (or square) that Adrian IV., the only Englishman that ever wore the tiara, compelled Frederick 224 OLD SIGHTS Montefiascone— Epitaph of Bis hop Johann Fugger— Lake Bolsena. Barbarossa, Emperor qf Germany, to humble himself in the presence of the papal and imperial courts, by holding his stirrup while he dismounted from his mule. Another post through a dreary and uninteresting country brings us to Montefiascone^ — situated on an isolated hill, crown- ed by an old castle of the middle ages, — an episcopal town of 4,800 inhabitants, on the site of an ancient Etruscan city. The Cathedral, with its octagonal cupola, has an imposing air. The church of San Flaviano near the gate has a singular monu- ment in its subterranean chapel, in memory of Bishop Johann Fugger of Augsburg. The bishop is represented lying on his tomb with two goblets on each side of his mitre and under his arms. The following is his epitaph written by his valet: " Est, est, est. Propter nimium est, Joannes de Fducris, Domi- nus mens, mortuus est." It seems the bishop, while travelling, was accustomed to send on his valet in advance, to ascertain whether the wines of the place were good, in which case he wrote on the walls the word " est " (it is, i. e. it is good.) At Montefiascone he was so well pleased with its sweet wines, that he wrote the word est three times — Ust, est, est. The luxurious prelate drank so freely of the wine as to occasion his death. The best wine still bears the name of the fatal treble est. Leaving Montefiascone, we descended the hills of Bolsena through a wood, abounding in majestic oaks, formerly notori- ous for banditti. At frequent intervals we have exquisite views of the Lake of Bolsena, a beautiful expanse of water about twenty-six miles in circumference. The surrounding country slopes gradually to the water, and is in a high state of cultiva- tion. But not a single human habitation meets the eye of the traveller. iJ^fot a single sail rufiles the placid surface of the lake. He wonders at the universal soHtude that reigns, until WITH :j5-ew etes. 225 Bolsena— San Loren20 — Acqua J)endente. lie learns that tlie treacherous beauty of the lake conceals malaria in its most fatal forms. The laborers dare not sleep for a single night in the plains where thej work by day. Two small islands in the lake are visible from the road, the largest called Bisenfina, and the smallest Mariana. The latter is memorable as the scene of the imprisonment and murder of Amalasontha, Queen of the Goths, the only daughter of Theo- doric, and the niece of Glovis. She was strangled in her bath A.D. 635, by the order of her cousin Theodatus, whom she had raised to a share in the kingdom. Some steps in the rock are shown as the stairs which led to her prison. Pliny gives a description of this lake under the name of the Tarquinian lake, and an account of two floating islands on it. Bolsena is a small town on the margin of the lake, occupy- ing the site of the Etruscan city of Volsinium. ' It is celebrated in the history of the Roman church, as the scene of the miracle of the wafer, which Eaphael has immortalized by his represen- tation on the walls of the Vatican. It is said to h^ve taken place in the church of Santa Cristina in the year 1263. A Bohemian priest who doubted the doctrine of transubstantiation, was convinced by blood flowing from the Host he was conse- crating. Soon after leaving Bolsena we pass the ruined town of San Lorenzo Hovinato, i. e. San Lorenzo ruined, surmounted by an old tower covered with ivy, a most romantic looking ruin. The old town was abandoned on account of the 'malaria, and a new town, San Lorenzo Kuovo, i. e. San Lorenzo ISTew, built on the brow of the hill by Pope Pius VI. at his own cost. This hill commands a fine view of the Lake of Bolsena, with its pictu- resque shores. Acquapendente, i. e. hanging ivater, so called from the num- 226 OLD SIGHTS Mountain of Radicofani— Tuscan Dogana. ber of cascades tiiat dash over the precipitous mass of rock on which the town is situated, into the ravine below, is the last town in the Papal States. Our passports are again examined and sealed. 'We change carriages and couriers, and feel con- strained to keep a vigilant watch over our baggage during the operation, such a ruffian-looking set are standing aroand. The inn can furnish nothino; better than coffee and eo;crs, on which we make a late breakfast. Our new courier entertains us with stories of robberies recently committed in this neighborhood. Our Swedish companion examines his pistols, and is very much surprised to find that we have no arms with us. A long and winding descent amidst fine old oaks and terraces covered with vegetation, brings us to the river Paglia, which we cross by the Pont^ Gregoriano, and next arrive at Ponte Centino, the Papal frontier station and custom-house, where our passports and baggage are again examined. We cross the Elvella, which separates the Papal States from Tuscany, and commence the long and tedious ascent of the mountain of Piadicofani? We have now seven horses attached to our carriage, with two pos- tilions to guide them. The sides of the mountain are covered with enormous fragments of volcanic matter, and the whole aspect of the surrounding region is wild and dreary in the extreme. Far up the mountain is the village surrounded by strong walls, and higher still upon the very summit of the cone, which is said to be 2,4*70 feet above the sea, is the ruined castle of Ghino di Tacco, the robber-knight. At the Dogana by the road-side our baggage is again examined, our passports receive the endorsement " Visto buono per Firenze^'' i. e. " seen good for Florence," and the stamp Radicofani^ and over the whole to our admiring eyes the inscription " Gratis,^^ showing most unmistakably that we are WITH 2s EW EYES. 227 Ricorsi— San Quirico— City of Siena. in a new country, and impressing iis most deeply witli a sense of the extraordinary clemency and boundless generosity of liis Excellency the Grand Duke of Tuscany. From Radicofani, a wild and dreary ride down the mountain to JRtcorsi. Thence over bare and desolate clay hills to Pode- rina on the river Orcia. Xext San Quirico with its Gothic church, the Chigi palace, and an old square tower of Eoman origin. Thence over the hills, crossing the Asso and the Tuo- ma, to Torrinieri. Thence a continuous descent, crossing the Pereta and the Seriate to Buonconvento situated near the junc- tion of the Arbia and the Ombrone. The ancient castle here is infamous in Italian history as the scene of the death of the Emperor Henry YIL The Emperor was on his march towards Rome in order to give battle to the Guelph party under Robert of Xaples, when he stopped here to celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew, August 24, 1313. He received the communion from the hands of a Dominican monk, and expired in a few- hours, as is supposed from the effects of poison mixed in the consecrated cup. !Xight overtakes us still among these wild and dreary hills, till we enter the gate of Siena, and after threading its steep, narrow, and irregular streets, find entertain- ment at the Aquila Xera, i. e. Black Eagle, at 10 o'clock. SiEXA is the ancient Sena Julia. In its republican days it was the great rival of Florence, and could send an hundred thousand armed men out of its thirty-nine gates. Its commerce was extensive, the arts were encouraged, and it became the seat of a school of painting characterized by deep religious feeling, and a peculiar beauty and tenderness of expression. It is still the chief city of one of the five Compartimenti of Tuscany, the seat of an Archbishop, a military governor, of a criminal tribu- nal, and a civil Ruota. But only eight of its thirty-nine gates 228 OLD SIGHTS Vicinity of Florence. are now open. Its population has been reduced to 18,000, and in some quarters of the city grass is gi'owing on the pavements. From Siena through Castiglioncello^ down the valley of the Staggia, through Poggibonsi^ a manufacturing town with a palace belonging to the Grand Duke, through Tavernelle^ San Casciano (in the neighborhood of which is the villa of Machia- velli), through a more pleasing country, the olive grounds, and vineyards, and gardens becoming more numerous as we proceed, till the Arno greets our eyes, and after riding along its banks for a short distance we arrive at Florence, " Firenze la bella, ' at 6 o'clock in the morning of the 4th of July. WITH NEW EYES. 22^ Situation of Florence. CHAPTER XXVIII. FLORENCE ITS PALACES, GALLERIES, AND CHURCHES. " Bnt Arno wins us to the fair white walls Where the Etrurian Athens claims and keeps A softer feeling for her fairy halls. Girt by her theatre of hills, she reaps Her corn, and wine, and oil, and Plenty leaps To laughing life with her redundant horn. Along the banks where smiling Amo sweeps Was modern Luxury of Commerce bom, And buried Learning rose, redeemed to a new mom." Florence (Italian^ Firenze), the capital of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, has a population of about 100,000, and is situated upon the river Arno, about fifty miles from the sea. Its shape is an irregular pentagon, about six miles in circuit, enclosed by walls having eight gates. Three " quay'tierP^ (i. e. " quarters") are on the north and one on the south side of the Arno. The bed of the river is from three hundred to four hundred feet wide, and in the dry season contains very little water. It is very variable, however. Heavy rains, or the sudden melting of the snows upon the Apennines, will some- times raise the stream to a great height in a few hours ; so as to inundate the country and carry all before it. On the north and north-west, at the distance of a few miles across the fertile plain, rise the naked and barren ridges of the Apennines to the height of three thousand feet. On the north-east is the hill of Fiemle, covered with gardens and country-houses. On the 11 ^oO OLD SIGHTS Bridges of the Arno— Flower girls. south the prospect is bounded by the gardens of Bobolij extend- ing along the declivity of a steep hill, crowned by the Fort of Belvidere upon the summit. Within the city, the Arno is crossed by four stone bridges : the Fonte delle Grazie, built in 1235, which has several dwell- ing-houses upon it ; the Ponte Vecchio, a century later, which is a street of shops, principally jewellers, goldsmiths, and workers in metals, and over which runs a covered gallery con- necting two of the Grand Duke's palaces on opposite sides of the river ; the Ponte de Sta Trlnita {i. e. Bridge of the Holy Trinity), built in 1569, adorned with four marble statues representing the four Seasons ; and the Ponte alia Carraja, the most westerly. We entered Florence by the Porta Romana^ and crossing the Ponte de Sta Trinita, put up at the Hotel du Nord. After seeing to our rooms, we sallied forth into the streets, and had hardly stepped upon the pavement before we were saluted by a yoimg and pretty flower-girl, in the becoming costume of the country, with a broad trimmed Tuscan hat tied under her chin, and set back upon her head, who insisted upon furnishing us all with bouquets. She would take no refusal, but actually forced them upon us, arranging them with her own hands in our button-holes, and would receive no compensation ; at which we greatly wondered, till we learned the customs of the place. There are several of these flower-girls, who make it their busi- ness to keep visitors supplied with flowers during their con- tinuance here, and with the expectation of a remembrancer at the time of departure. As you are about to get into the dili- gence, your favorite greets you with her sweetest smile, and hands you her parting bouquet, the choicest of all, and you hand her perhaps a scudo (about a dollar) in return. WITH NEW EYES. 231 Doney's Cafe— Palazzo Pitti— Pictures— Allegorical Painting in Fresco. After breakfasting at Doney's famous ca/e, where one can get a cup of excellent coffee, the nicest bread and butter, and a boiled ^gg for a ;paid (about ten cents), we commenced our tour of exploration. We were struck by the massive character of the buildings, crowned with heavy cornices, the smooth flag- ging of the streets, and the general air of leisure and courtesy which seemed to pervade the city. Our first visit was to the PALAZZO PITTI. This is the chief residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. It stands upon high ground, with an open square before it, and presents a vast extended front of solid massive architecture. At the time of our visit the Grand Duke was absent in the. country, and through the kindness of one of our company, we obtained admission into the private apartments. Some of the rooms are magnificently furnished. One was lined with white satin, em- broidered by the former Duchess. But the chief attraction of the Palace is the collection of pictures, which is considered on the whole as the finest in the world. They are contained in a series of splendid apartments (fifteen or sixteen in number), which are generally named after the subjects painted in fresco upon the ceilings. Five of them were painted by Pietro da Cortona, the nephew of Michel Angefo Buonarotti, about the year 1640, and each of these is denominated from the planet which denoted one of the vir- tues of Cosmo I., the founder of the Grand-ducal dynasty of Tuscany. The first of these rooms is the Rail of Venus, representing the triumph of Reason over Pleasure. Minerva rescues a youth (who stands for Cosmo I.) and conducts him to Hercules. Among the pictures are a fine allegorical painting 232 OLD SIGHTS Salvator Rosa— Michel Angelo— Leonardo da Vinci. by Salvator Bosa, representing Falsehood by a man holding a mask ; two very large and magnificent Coast views, by the same artist ; two fine landscapes, by Ruhens ; and the portrait of a lady in a rich dress, by Titian. Next is the Hall of Apollo, the ceiling of which represents the tutelary deity of Poetry and the Fine Arts, receiving Cosmo, guided to him by Virtue and Glory. Some of the pictures are, the Supper at Emmaus, by Palma Vecckio ; a Virgin and Child, by Miirillo ; the Deposition from the Cross, by Andrea del Sarto; a portrait of himself, by Rembrandt ; two fine portraits, by Raphael; and a noble picture by the same artist, of Leo X. with two cardinals. Next is the Hall of Mars, the ceiling of which illustrates Cosmo's success in war. Here is Raphael's celebrated Madonna della Seggiola {i. e. " the Madonna of the Chair"), so often copied and engraved ; a noble portrait of Cardinal Bentivoglio, by Vandyke; EaphaePs Holy Family (" del' impannata,") and a fine picture by Ruhens, of his own portrait, with that of his brother, and the two philosophers, Lipsius and Grotius, and the Consequences of War, a large and impressive picture by Ru- hens. The Hall of Jupiter comes next. The ceiling depicts Hercu- les and Fortune introducing Cosmo to Jove, from whom he receives a crown of Immortality. Here is the Catihne Con- spiracy, by Salvator Rosa, sl company of fierce and dissolute men with a great variety of expression ; a grand picture of the Three Fates, by Michel Angelo, one of the three painted in oil by this great master ; a lovely portrait of a female, by Leonardo da Vinci, (fee, (fee. The Hall of Saturn represents Cosmo, now in mature age, conducted by Mars and Prudence to receive the crown offered WITH NEW EYES. 233 Tandyke— Raphael— Domenichino, &c.— Canova's Venus. by Glory and Eternity. Here is a fine portrait of Charles I. (of England), and Henrietta his Queen, by Vandyke; Pope Julius H. by Baj^hael; the Death of Abel, by Schiavone; Mary Magdalene, by Domenichino; the Descent from the Cross, by Perugino ; the Madonna del Baldacchino, by Raphael ; the head of an old man, by Annihale Caracci; Raphael's Vision of Ezekiel, and many others. Next is the Hall of the Iliad^ representing on the ceiling many of the scenes of the Homeric poem, and containing pictures by Salvator Rosa, Titian, &c., and two fine Assump- tions, by Andrea del Sarto. Adjoining this is an elegant cabinet, the walls of which are painted with allegories of the four ages of man, and the four ages of the world, and the vaulting with the Virtues and Fame. Next comes the Hall of the Education of Jupiter, containing some of RaphaeVs, a Carlo Dolce, and others ; next the Hall of Ulysses, which has a very fine portrait of Oliver Cromwell, by Sir Peter Lely, painted expressly as a present to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and sent by the Protector in his lifetime ; next the Hall of Justice ; next the Hall of Flora, which con- tains Canova's Venus ; next the Hall " deiPutti," which has a fine picture by Salvator Rosa, representing the story of Dio- genes throwing away his cup on seeing a boy drink out of his hand ; next the Gallery of Pocetti, then the Music-room, the Pavilion, and the Gallery of Hercules. This visit to the Palazzo Pitti seemed more like an enchant- ing dream than an actual reality. There was nothing to break the spell. No grim sentinel withstood our progress. Every door opened at our bidding. No troublesome custode hurried us from one apartment to another, or extended his hand for the 284 OLD SIGHTS Palazzo Pitti— Boboli Gardens— Museum of Natural History— Galileo's Temple. customary fees. Luxurious seats invited to repose, wlien tired of standing, and strains of delicious music came floating through the open windows from the Austrian band in the court below. I carried away with me from that gallery of pictures images of beauty and majesty, which have been my cherished companions ever since, and for which I owe a debt of lasting gratitude to those masters of the olden time. PALACES, GALLERIES, AND CHURCHES. In the rear of the Palace are the Boboli Gardens. The ground rises in a succession of terraces, adorned with statues and vases, and clothed with the richest foliage. Some of the walls are extended arbors, for a long distance perfectly embowered in shade. These gardens are open to the public twice a week, viz. on Sundays and Thursdays. At such times it is pleasant to see the various groups of wxll dressed persons strolling in every direction, clustered around some fountain or statue, or occupying the rustic seats. I sat a long time one beautiful evening watching a merry troop of children in their cool summer dresses and broad-brimmed Tuscan hats, romping over the grass, and filling the air with their shouts and laughter. Adjoining the Pitti Palace on the west is the Museo di Sto- ria Naturale, or " Museum of Natural History," open daily to the public. Here are fine collections in Mineralogy, Geology, Zoology, Botany, and Anatomy. Some of the anatomical models in wax of different parts of the body in a diseased state are horribly natural. One series represents corpses in various stages of decomposition. Attached to the Museum is the Tribuxe, or Temple, erected by the present Grand Duke to Galileo. In the centre is a WITH NEW EYES. 235 The Grand Duke— Democracy of Florence. statue of the Tuscan philosopher, surrounded by niches, con- taining busts of his principal pupils. The walls are beautifully- inlaid with marble and jasper ; the ceiling is richly painted in compartments, representing the principal events of the life of Galileo ; and many of the instruments with which he made his discoveries are here deposited. The present Grand Duke, Leopold II., who succeeded to the throne in 1824, did much for the improvement of Tuscany, during the early part of his reign. The pestilential marshes of the Maremma Senese were drained, the lakes and rivers em- banked, a fine road opened the whole length of the province, handsome bridges thrown across the rivers, and the Artesian wells made to provide the inhabitants with wholesome water. Educational institutions were established, infant schools, normal schools, schools for the deaf and dumb ; the most liberal patron- age was extended to the arts and sciences ; law reforms and railway enterprises were commenced. The unvarying poUcy of Tuscan diplomacy for more than a hundred years had been to maintain its independence of Austrian dominion and of Papal control. But ever since the revolution of 1848, the weak and superstitious old Duke has taken counsel only of his fears. The agents of the Papal Oamerilla are made his confidential advisers, or he looks for his protection to the Austrian bayonets. PALAZZO VECCHIO. This is a monument of the Democracy of Florence. The Ghibeline nobles in whom the government was vested, impos- ed heavier taxes than the citizens chose to pay. The insolent pride of the aristocracy had also become intolerable. The people therefore assembled in one of the public squares, the Piazza di Santa Croce^ in the year 1250, and took the power 236 OLD SIGHTS Palazzo Vecchio — Fountain of Neptune. into their own hands, without meeting the slightest resistance. They elected Uberto di Lucca as Capitano del Popolo, and a council of twelve elders, or Anziani del Popolo, two for each district of the town, who were civil magistrates, and a Podesta (or Governor), to administer justice. Sixteen years later, a new organization of the government took place. There was a Council of twelve Buonomini, who were to give their opinion first on every new measure, after which, if approved, it came before the Council of Credenza (or " Trust"), a sort of Senate who deliberated in secret, and from them the motion came before the Council of Three Hundred, consisting of deputies from all classes of the citizens, presided over by the Podesta, which gave its final sanction. In 1282, a law was passed by which the citizens chose six Priori, one for each district, who constituted the executive, and were renewed every six months. In 1293, the popular party elected a new officer, called Gon- faloniers di Giustizia (i. e, "Standard-bearer of Justice"), who was to enforce order and justice, and had a guard of one thousand soldiers. The Palazzo Vecchio was built in 1298, as a residence for the Gonfaloniere and the Priori, the elective magistracy of the Republic. It stands on the east side of the Piazza del Gran^ Duca, the central spot of Florence for business and for interest. It is an imposing mass of dark stone, with enormous battlements, deep machicolations projecting over the walls, and a bold and lofty campanile, or bell-tower. Beneath the machicolations of the battlements are large triangular escutcheons painted with the bearings of the ancient Republic, and of the Sestieri, or wards, into which the city was divided. In front of the Palace is the celebrated Fountain of Neptune, by Ammanato. It consists of a colossal figure of Neptune in his WITH NEW EYES. 237 MichelAngelo's " David "—Loggia di Lanzi— Imperial Gallery— Vestibule. car drawn by horses, in the centre, while tritous, nymphs, and satyrs, are congregated round the margin of the basin. On this site stood the Ringhiera, or tribune, from which the orators of the Republic were accustomed to harangue the multitude. On the left hand side of the door is a colossal statue of " David," by Michel Angela. On the other side is a colossal figure of Hercules subduing Cacus, by Bandinelli. The Loggia di Lanzi is an " open gallery" (as the word " loggia" signifies) on the south side of the square, consisting of three circular arches, supported by angular pillars, with a Gothic balustrade above. It contains a number of celebrated statues, such as the Perseus, by Benvenuto Cellini ; the Rape of the Sabines, by Giovanni di Bologna ; Judith slaying Holo- fernes, in bronze, by Donatello ; six ancient colossal statues of females, two lions, and some others. A few steps towards the south-east stands the fine building, the Uffizii {i. e. " offices"), erected by Cosmo I. for public offices. It consists of three sides of a parallelogram, and has a " loggia," or open gallery, all around the first story, which is occupied by shop-keepers. The upper story contains the celebrated collection of pictures and statuary called the " Imperial Gallery." GALERIA IMPERIALE. From the western end a corridor of communication is carried from this gallery across the river to the Palazzo Pitti, more than half a mile distant, so as to enable the sovereign to pass from one to the other without descending into the streets of his metropolis. In the First Vestibule are the busts of the Medici family, three of which are in porphyry. The Second Vestibule con- 11* 238 OLD SIGHTS The Tribune— Venus de Medicis— Various Schools of Painting. tains the Florentine Boar, and two noble wolf-dogs seated, and several fine statues larger than life. The Eastern Gallery is filled with paintings and sculpture. Among the statues is a series of Roman Emperors, from Caesar to Constantine, with the various expressions which marked their characters ; the Bacchus and Faun of Michel Angelo, a bronze of David, as the Conqueror of Goliath, by Donatella. A door on the left, about half way to the end, opens into the Tribune, an octagonal room with a vaulted ceiling, ornamented in the most costly style, and containing the choicest works of painting and sculpture in the world. It was originally built by Francesco I. as a cabinet of miscellaneous curiosities. The cupola is beautifully inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and the pave- ment is of the richest marble. Here stands the famous Venus de Medicis, an ancient statue more than two thousand years old, universally acknow- ledged to be the most perfect model of female symmetry and beauty. The highest ambition of modern sculptors is to come as near to it as possible, none dream of equalling it. Here too is the famous group of the Wrestlers, the Arrotino, the Dancing Faun, and the Apollino. The paintings are the choicest productions of Raphael, Corregio, Guido, Titian^ Vandyke, Guercino, Andrea del Sarto, and Daniel da Vol- terra. Then follow two rooms of Tuscan paintings, two rooms of the Venetian school, three rooms filled with autograph portraits of painters, and several rooms of the Dutch and French schools. On the western side of the Gallery is a magnificent table of Florentine mosaic, which employed twenty-two workmen con- stantly for twenty-five years, and cost 80^000 crowns. WITH NEW EYES. 289 Hall of Niobe— The Duomo— Largest Dome in the World. Then there are several other rooms of sculpture, one called the Hall of jyiohe and her Children — containing Niobe in the centre, with her youngest daughter pressed to her, and arranged around the sides of the room, her numerous sons and daughters in various attitudes and with various expressions of fear and agony, dying, or about to die by the avenging shafts of Apollo and Diana. Then there is the Cabinet oi Modern Bronzes, i\iQ Cabinet oi Ancient Bronzes, a collection of sculptures of the Mod- ern Tuscan school, Eg3rptian Antiquities, Vases and Terra Cottas, a valuable collection of Medals, a beautiful Cabinet of Gems, collected by Lorenzo de'" Medici, and a fine collection of Draw- inofs and Eno-ravino-s. THE DUOMO, OR CATHEDRAL. * The foundations of this noble structure were laid hjArnolfo di Lapo, in 1298. After his death the work was intrusted to Griotto in 1331, who erected the Campanile, or Bell-tower, and part of the fagade, which was subsequently torn down, and has never yet been completed. In 1420, Brunelleschi was employed to complete the cupola. His success was a new era in architecture. He erected the first dome that was ever exalted upon what is technically called a drum {i. e. the base), and the first double dome that was ever built. This dome is also the largest in the world ; for though the summit of the cross of St. Peter's js at a greater distance from the ground than the summit of the cross of the Cathedral of Florence, yet dome separately compared with dome, that of Brunelleschi is the highest, and has the larger circumference. It served as a model to Michel Angelo for St. Peters. He admired it so much that he used to say, " Co?no te non voglio, meglio te non posso" i. e. " Like you, I do not wish, better than you, I can- 240 OLD SIGHTS Statue of Brunelleschi— Dimensions— Stai ned Glass— Sculptures. not." In the Piazza on the south side of the Cathedral are two sta- tues in honor of the architects Arnolfo and Brunelleschi. Brunel- leschi has upon his knee the plan of the Duomo, and he is looking up to see it reahzed. JN'ear by is a flag-stone inscribed Sasso dl Dante, i. e. " Dante's seat," where formerly stood a stone seat on which Dante used to sit and contemplate the Cathedral. The whole building is cased on the outside with black and ■white marble in alternate horizontal stripes. Its dimensions are length, four hundred and fifty-four feet ; breadth, i. e. length of the transept, three hundred and thirty-four feet ; height from the pavement to the summit of the c*ross, three hundred and eighty-seven feet ; height of the nave, one hundred and fifty- three feet ; and that of the side aisles, ninety-six and a half feet. The cupola is octagonal, and is one hundred and thirty-eight and a half feet in diameter, and from the cornice of the drum to the eye of the dome, one hundred and thirty-three and a quarter in height. The interior is paved with red, blue, and white marble. The stained glass of the windows is uncommonly rich, and is said to be the finest in the world. The cupola is covered with paintings in fresco, representing Paradise, Prophets, Angels, Saints, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Punishment of the Con- . demned, &c. Many of the figures are grotesque and absurd. Among the sculptures are a David by Doriatello, and a group of Joseph of Arimathea entombing the body of our Lord, by Michel Angela. There are also three monumental paintings of some interest ; one, the portrait of Dante, in a long red robe, with a grave and beautiful countenance, and head crowned with laurel ; another in honor of the celebrated knight. Sir John Hawkwood, who enlisted in the service of Florence ; and a third, of Nicolo Tolentino, another hired general. WITH NEW EYES. 241 The Bell Tower— Baptistery— The Bronze Door. The Campanile, or Bell-tower, is a parallelopiped, two hun- dred and fifty feet in height, and of the same size to the sum- mit. On the top are four great piers, from which, according to the original design, was to have risen a spire of one hundred and ninety feet in height. This is also cased with black and white marble, elaborately ornamented with panels, and tablets, and statues. The ayerage cost of each square, hraccia (/. e. a space not quite two feet square), was 1000 florins — about $250. On the other side of the Piazza, opposite the Duomo, is the BAPTISTERY OF ST. JOHN. This building is an exact octagon, supporting a cupola and lantern. The external coating is black and white marble, con- structed by Arnolfo in 1288-93. But the building within is of much greater antiquity. There is eyidence that it was a finished building in a.d. '725, and it was supposed by the early Florentines to haye been a Temple of Mars. It was used as the Cathedral before the Duomo was built. The chief ornaments of the Baptistery are the three bronze doors, one by Andrea Fisano, and the two others by Ghiberfi, which Michel Angelo declared " worthy to be the gates of Paradise." The gate executed by Andrea Pisano is the one to- wards the south, coyered with allegorical figures in the lower com- partments, and aboye with the principal eyents in the life of St. John. "When this gate was fixed and exhibited, the eyent was celebrated throughout all Tuscany as a festival. The north gate displays the principal events of the ministry of our Lord. The eastern gate represents the leading events of the Old Tes- tament, whilst the framework is filled with statues and busts 242 OLD SIGHTS Mosaics of the Cupola— Baptism— Santa Croce. of patriarchs, saints, and prophets of the Jewish dispensation in basso-relievo. The interior of the cupola is covered with huge mosaics of great antiquity, and paintings in fresco ; — a gigantic figure of our Lord in the centre, the Rewards of the Just and the Punish- ments of the Wicked, the Orders and Powers of the Celestial Hierarchy, Prophets, Patriarchs, and the Bishops of Florence. Among these frescoes is the Lucifer of Dante, with the lost soul, whose punishment is greatest, half in his mouth. All the baptisms of the city are performed in this church, and you rarely enter it without witnessing the ceremony. While we were there, a coach rolled up to the door, and a gen- tleman descended, followed by a great fat nurse with a very young child in her arms ; the priest made his appearance, with book in hand, rattled off the service, took the infant, crossed it, anointed it, put salt in its mouth, poured water on its head, and handed it back to the nurse with evident satisfaction. The average number of baptisms is about three thousand five hun- dred per annum. It is said that, taking the average of months, births are always scarcest in June, and most plentiful in Janu- ary, February, and March. CHURCH OF SANTA CROCE. " In Santa Crocks holy precincts lie Ashes -svhicli make it holier, dust which is Even in itself an immortality, Though there were nothing save the past and this The particle of those sublimities Which have relapsed to Chaos , — Here repose Angelo's, Alfeeri's bones, and his. The starry Galileo, with his woes ; Here Macchiavelu's earth returned to whence it rose," WITH NEW EYES. 243 Westminster Abbey of Florence— Tomb of Michel Angelo. This M'as the principal church of the Black or Observatine Friars in ancient Florence. St. Francis sent his first colony to this city in 1212, and in 1294 the first stone of this magnifi- cent building was Jaid with great pomp. Arnolfo was the architect. Santa Croce has always been a favorite place for interment, and hence has been called the " Westminster Abbey" and the " Pantheon" of Florence. The pavement is thickly strewn with sepulchral slabs and tablets. In the centre of the chuich is the pavement tomb of John Ketterich, or Kerrich^ successively Bishop of St. David's, Litchfield, and Exeter (England), who was sent upon an embassy by Henry V. to Pope Martin V., and died shortly after his arrival in Florence in 1419. Another is that of Giovanni Magalotti, one of the board of eight members appointed by the Florentines, when they declared war against Pope Gregory XL and allied themselves with the " Roman re- public" in defence of liberty in 13 7 5. The people called them " Otto Santi,'" i.e. " the Eight Saints." The Pope styled them " Otto Diavoli,'" i. e. " the Eight Devils." One of the most interesting tombs is that of Michel Angelo JBuonarotti. The three sister arts. Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, appear as mourners around the urn of the great master. His bust by Lorenzi was considered a most faithful likeness. Another is the magnificent tomb of Marsuppini, who died in 1453, Chancellor of the Republic of Florence, and one of the proteges of Cosmo de Medici — a sarcophagus with a recumbent figure. Another is that of Leonardo Bruni^ who died in 1644 (surnamed L'Aretino, from the place of his birth, Arezzo), author of a " History of the Goths," " History of Florence," and many other works. He lies extended on the tomb, witli a volume of 244 OLD SIGHTS Monuments to Macchiavelli, Dante, Alfieri, Galileo. his "History of Florence" on his breast, and a crown of laurel around his head. There are also the monument to Macchiavelli, the cenotaph of Dante, Canova's monument of Aljieri, and the tomb of Ga- lileo. A modern tomb of the Polish Countess Sophia, by Bar- tolini, is a fine work of art. She is represented as on her dying bed, partly raised up and supported by pillows, having just given her parting advice to her family, her eyes closed, her hands clasped, and her expression that of a dying Christian. WITH NEW EYES. 245 Farewell to Florence. CHAPTER XXIX. FLORENCE TO BOLOGNA. Farewell to thee, Florence! "city of flowers!" graceful, beautiful, illustrious Florence ! birtli-place of Genius ! home of Poetry, Philosophy, and the Fine Arts ! where Freedom once had a voice that awed the insolence of aristocratic pride, and drowned the thunders of the Vatican. Thou hast many attrac- tions for the visitor from distant lands. Thou receivest him with a smile of welcome, thou strewest flowers in his pathway, and open est wide to him thy choicest galleries of art, " without money and without price." Thanks for thy courtesy and hos- pitality ! "Pleasant memories of thee" we carry with us on our way. It was about half-past eight in the evening, when we took our places in the diligence for Bologna. The two Bostonian "Medici" occupied the "Interior;" the "Cambridge graduate" chose " the Banquette ;" while "the Swede," "the attache," and myself, congi-atulated ourselves on having secured the " Coupe." The baggage was at length stowed away to the satisfaction of all hands, the flower-girls waved their " addios,''^ and we rattled off" in fine style, making our exit by the Porta San Gallo, and crossing the stream Mugnone. The country in the neighbor- hood of Florence is studded with villas, and rich in vineyards and olive groves, but the gathering shades of night soon limited 246 OLD SIGHTS Summit of the Appenines— Tuscan Frontier— Basin of the Po. our prospect. We passed through Fontebuono, Vaglia Taglia- ferro^ Caffaggiolo^ where we changed horses about midnight, and then commenced a much steeper ascent, up which we toiled through Monte Carelli, till we reached the summit of the pass about daybreak. We got out of the carriage and walked along for some distance, to have a better view of the Apennines. The prospect was magnificent. Immediately around us all was barrenness and desolation — a sea of mountains on all sides, with lovely vales between, dotted with castles and villages — the clouds beneath us roseate with the beams of the rising sun. Thence our descent was rapid, though with occasional varia- tions. At one hill we were obliged to have a yoke of oxen attached to the diligence in front of the horses to pull us up. The horses seemed to understand it perfectly ; for they at once relaxed their own exertions and left the oxen to do all the work. From Covigliaio close under the Monte Bene, covered with scattered rocks of serpentine, and the Sasso di Castro, another fine mountain, through the village of Pietra Mala, famous for its spontaneous fires, constantly issuing from a small spot, ten or twelve feet across of stony ground, which always burn brightest in stormy weather, to Filigare, the last station of the Tuscan frontier. Here is the Dogana, or custom-house, a fine stone building, where our passports were examined. Then we crossed the boundary line and entered the Pa- pal States, and were obliged to have our passports and baggage examined again at La Ca, where is the Papal cus- tom-house. AVe stopped at Lojano to breakfast, and thence had a succes- sion of fine views of the basin of the Po, from Turin to the Adriatic. From the next station, Pianoro, through the rich WITH NEW EYES. 247 Bologna— Ancient Liberty— Covered Porticoes. plains of Bologna, till we entered the gates of the city, and after "a scene" with the police, who were very rigorous in their examinations, and "a scene" with one of our horses, who kicked up and broke his harness, we finally arrived at the Grand Hotel Brun, BOLOGNA. Bologna is the second city of the Papal States, next to Rome in population and importance. It is the capital of the Province of Bologna, a district of about fifty miles in length and thirty in breadth, having a population of 324,000. The city is two miles long, by about one broad, surrounded by a high brick wall with twelve gates. It lies between the rivers Savena and Reno, and the Reno canal, which passes through it, connects it with Ferrara, whence by means of the Po, the Adige, and the intermediate canals, it has water communication with Venice. Its population is about 67,000. The ancient escutcheon of Bologna bore the word "LihertasJ^ For many centuries it enjoyed municipal independence. The citizens assembled in general comitia, and appointed the magis- trates, at the head of whom were the consuls. It was not indeed until the sixteenth century that it became subject to the Papal see. The inhabitants still retain something of their ancient bear- ing. During the late revolution, they made a most desperate resistance to the Austrians, and the walls still bear the marks of the artillery. The city was full of Austrian troops while we were there, and sentinels with rifles guarded the entrance of every hotel and public building. One of the first things noticed by the stranger, is the number of covered porticoes on the sides of the streets. These extend 248 OLD SIGHTS Churches. all over the city, and afford a pleasant shelter from the sun and rain. In some parts, however, they give a dark and gloomy aspect to the houses. As usual we set out to explore some of the principal church- es. The Cathedral dedicated to St. Peter, contains among its relics the skull of St. Anna, presented by Henry VI. of Eng- land, in 1435. Among the works of art is the celebrated painting of the Annunciation, by Lodovico Caracci. The church of San Petronio is the largest, and said to be one of the finest specimens of the Italian Gothic of the fourteenth century. It is a perfect museum of sculpture. Windows and doorways are covered with mouldings, bas-reliefs, and statues, in lavish profusion. The beholder stands amazed at the incre- dible amount of labor and skill which must have been expended on them. On the pavement is the celebrated meridian^ line, traced by the astronomer Cassini. The church of San Domenico contains the tombs of St. DomeniCy the founder of the Inquisition, of King £Jnzius, son of Frederick II. Emperor of Germany, of Taddeo Pepoli, the celebrated republican ruler of Bologna, in the fourteenth cen- tury, and of Guido, the painter, and his favorite pupil, Eliza- betta Sirani. It is also extremely rich in works of art. Guido painted the fresco on the roof, representing the glory of Para- dise, with the Saviour and the Virgin receiving the soul of St. Domenic, amidst the music of the seraphim. Here is also an original and authentic likeness of St. Thomas Aquinas, by Simone da Bologna. These may serve as specimens of the hundred churches of Bologna, most of which are adorned with the choicest produc- tions of painting and sculpture, which have been accumulating for centuries. WITH NEW EYES. 249 Academy of Fine Arts— Guide's " Massacre of the Innocents," The next day we visited tlie Academy of the Fine Arts, one of the finest collections in Italy. It contains the choicest works of the Caracci, Domenichino, Guido, and their pupils. One of the finest of Ludovko Caracci is the Madonna and child, standing on the half-moon, in a glory of angels, with St. Jerome and St. Francis in adoration. The Martyrdom of St. Agnes, by Domenichino, is a noble painting. The scene and beautiful countenance of the saint, irradiated by an expression of rapt holiness and heavenly resignation, are finely contrasted with the terror and amazement of the surrounding multitude, and the savage ferocity of the murderer, plunging the dagger into her bosom. In one corner of the foreground are two women hiding the face and stilling the screams of a terrified child. But the picture wliich made the most powerful impression upon my mind was the Massacre of the Innocents, by Guido. I shall never forget the terror and dismay, and wild frenzy of despair, upon the faces of those mothers as they see the ruffians in pursuit, and seek to shield their infants within their tight- ening grasp ; it seems as if you could hear the piercing shriek of one dragged by her hair and scarf, as the soldier reaches after her child, while another sits wringing her hands over her slaughtered babes, and on the countenance of another, uplifted with an indescribable expression of the utmost agony, is the wild gleam of incipient madness. The Crucifixion, the Victory of Samson over the Philistines, and a sketch of St. Sebastian, are also paintings of gi*eat cele- brity by the same artist. An illustration of the sacrilegious extent to which the Roman Catholic painters sometimes go, is seen in one of Guercind's paintings here — God the Father! described as "a grand 250 OLD SIGHTS Kaphaers " Santa Cecilia "— UniTersity of Bologna— Female Professors. impromptu painting, done in a single night and put up in the morning !" The great treasure of this gallery is thought to be the Santa Ceciha, by Rai^hael. The saint is represented with a lyre held by both hands carelessly dropped, the head turned up towards heaven with a beautiful, pensive countenance. The other figures are St. Paul, St. John, St. Augustine, and Mary Magda- lene. We also paid a visit to the University of Bologna, which occupies part of a noble palace in the Strada San Donato. This University is the oldest in Italy, and the first in which acade- mical degrees were conferred. It was founded in 1119, by Wemerus, a learned civihan, who acquired the title of " Lucema Juris." During the twelfth century students flocked hither from all parts of Em-ope. Xo less than ten thousand are said to have been here in 1262. At first the civil and canon laws were the principal study ; but the faculties of Medicine and Arts were added before the fourteenth century, and Innocent YI. instituted a Theological faculty. In the fourteenth century it became distinguished as the first school which practised the dissection of the human body ; and in more recent times it became renowned for the discovery of Galvanism, by Lewis Galvani, one of the lecturers on Medicine. It has also been remarkable for the large number of its learned female profes- sors. In the fourteenth century Novella d^ Andrea, daughter of the celebrated canonist, frequently occupied her father's chair : and it is related that her beauty was so striking that a curtain was drawn before her in order not to distract the attention of the students. Of later date is the name of Laura Bassi, who was Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy ; another IS that of Madonna Manzolina, who graduated in surgery, and WITH NEW EYES. 251 Two Leaning Towers. was Professor of Anatomy ; and within the present century the Greek chair has been filled by the learned Malilda Tamhroni^ the friend and predecessor of Cardinal Mezzofanti. In our walk we passed the two celebrated leaning towers, which are so conspicuous as you approach the city, one called the Asinelli, and the other the Garisenda. The Asinelli is a square massive brick tower, surmounted by a cupola, two hundred and fifty-six feet seven inches in height, and having an inclination of three feet two inches. The Garisenda is one hundred and thirty feet high, and has an inclination of more than eight feet to the south, and three feet to the east. They were built, one in 1109, the other in 1110. 252 OLD SIGHTS The Vetturino— Our " Turn Out." CHAPTER XXX. BOLOGXA, FERRARA, AND PADUA, TO VENICE. We hired a vetturino {i. e., back-driver), to take us to Padua, about seventy-five miles, for a Napoleon (about four dollars) apiece. In accordance with the suggestion of an old traveller, the contract was drawn up in writing, signed by the respective parties, and attested by witnesses ; and it was expressly stipu- lated that no other person besides our party, numbering six, should be taken into the carriage. 'We soon found the wisdom of this precaution ; for, as we were on the point of starting, the driver attempted to smuggle another indi^ddual into the car- riage, already overladen, to judge from the miserable appearance of the three poor beasts attached to it. It was really amusing to hear the vetturino expatiate upon the peculiar qualifications of those animals for the duties assigned to them ; such horses were not often to be obtained ; all bone and muscle, no waste flesh — in prime condition for travelling. But it was " no go." "We were not to be " done." Tlie intruder was obliged to de- scend, the driver mounted his box, and announced our departure by a succession of cracks with the whip lash, which rang through the court-yard like a volley of pistol shots. We went through the customay passport examinations at the gate, and had but just fairly entered upon the high road, when the leader of our team suddenly shied from some imagi- WITH NEW EYES. 253 D Tedo— Ferrara. nary cause, and brought up against the side of the carriage in reverse order. By dint of waiting and coaxing we finally suc- ceeded in righting him, and inducing him to proceed. All this was very provoking, as we had thirty miles to go that afternoon to reach Ferrara, and there was every prospect of an approach- ing thunder-storm. We had hardly reached the inn // Tedo^ when the storm burst upon us with great fury — thunder and lightning and sheets of rain with immense hailstones. While waiting for dinner in the spacious hall, we amused ourselves with attempting to decipher the inscriptions of travellers upon the walls in various languages, and stiU more various moods. At six p. M. we started again, passed through Malalhergo^ crossed the Reno in a ferry-boat, at Gallo crossed the boundary between the two Legations, and arrived at Ferrara about ten o'clock in the evening, where we found excellent accommoda- tions at the Hotel de I'Europe. It was formerly a palace, and the walls of the dining saloon are covered with landscape- painting in fresco. FERRARA. Ferrara is the capital of the Legation of Ferrara, the most northern province of the Papal States- During the sixteenth century, under the princely house of D'Este, the Court of Ferrara was distinguished throughout Europe for its refinement and intelligence ; its L^niversity was a favorite resort of students from all Christendom, and its walls, seven miles in circuit, inclosed nearly 100,000 souls. But its glory has departed; its broad streets are deserted ; its magnificent palaces are untenanted and falling into decay. Its population is now about 31,000. Early the next morning we visited the CaitUy formerly the 12 254 OLD SIGHTS Castle of "Parisina"— Tasso's Prison. Ducal Palace, now the residence of the Cardinal Legate. It is a large square building, with four large towers at the angles, surrounded by a very wide moat, crossed by drawbridges. Here is laid the scene of Byron's poem " Parisina."' In the dungeons of this castle Parisina and her guilty lover suffered execution. Dr. Frizzi, in his " History of Ferrara," thus describes the closing catastrophe : — " It was then in the prisons of the castle, and exactly in those frightful dungeons which are seen at this day beneath the chamber called the Aurora, at the foot of the Lion's tower at the top of the street Giovecca, that on the night of the 21st of May were beheaded, first Ugo, and afterwards Parisina." We saw also the prison of Tasso^ a cell in the hospital of St. Anna, where the poet was confined by order of the Duke Alfonso, his capricious and tyrannical sovereign. " Ferrara ! in thy wide and grass-grown streets, Whose symmetry was not for soHtude, There seems as 'twere a curse upon the seats Of former sovereigns, and the antique brood Of Este, which for many an age made good Its strength within thy walls, and was of yore Patron or tyrant, — as the changing mood Of petty power impell'd, — of those who wore The wreath which Dante's brow had worn before. " And Tasso in their glory and their shame : Hark to his strain ! and then, survey his cell ! And see how dearly earn'd Torquato's fame, And where Alfonso bade his poet dwell ; The miserable despot could not quell The insulted mind he sought to quench and blend With the surrounding maniacs, in the hell Where he had plunged it. Glory without end /Scatter'd the clouds away— and on that name attend WITH NEW EYES. 255 The " Italian Homer "— Crossine the Po. " The tears and praises of all time ; while thine Would rot in its oblivion — in the sink Of worthless dust, which from thy boasted line Is shaken into nothing : but the link Thou formest in his fortunes, bids us think Of thy poor malice, naming thee with scorn ; — Alfonso ! how thy ducal pageants shrink From thee ! if in another station bom, Scarce fit to be the slave of him thou mad'st to mourn." A statue of Ariosto, the " Italian Homer," who made Ferrara his principal residence, adorns one of the public squares called the Piazza cfAriosto. The house he lived in is also shown, and the Public Library contains his tomb, transferred from the church of San Benedetto by the French in 1801. About the middle of the last century the bust which surmounted it was struck by lightning, and the crown of iron laurels melted away. Lord Byron has happily improved this incident in one of his stanzas : "The lightning rent from Ariosto's bust, The iron crown of laurel's mimic'd leaves: Nor was the ominous element unjust ; For the true laurel wreath which Glory weaves Is of the tree no bolt of thunder cleaves, And the false resemblance but disgraced his brow, Yet still, if fondly Superstition grieves, Know, that the hghtning sanctifies below Whate'er it strikes ; — ^yon head is doubly sacred now." We left Ferrara at half past six in the morning, near the gates met a company of Austrian recruits from the Tyrol, and after a few miles through a flat uninteresting country, arrived at the banks of the Po, which is here about half a mile wide, and flows with a majestic yet rapid course. We crossed in a ferry- 256 OLD SIGHTS Custom house— Rovigo. boat attached to a wire extended across the river, so arranged that the boat is carried over by the force of the current. Moored in the stream were several floating grist-mills, which are worked by the same power. We entered the Austrian province of Lombardy on the opposite side, and were obliged to undergo a long and minute examination at the Dogana, or custom-house. Even the private papers in our portfolios were scrutinized, and a small sealed package in possession of one of our party, which had been intrusted to his care by a lady in Naples to be forward- ed to her friend in England, having been opened and found to contain prohibited articles (jewehy), the bearer was fined 100 francs, and we were all regarded with more or less suspicion. After a delay of nearly two hours, we were permitted to con- tinue our journey. The road for some distance runs along the top of a high embankment, which has been raised to guard against the inundations of the Po, which is higher than the surrounding country. Here our leader again manifested his shying propensity, and several times put us in imminent jeopardy of a somerset into the river. We dined at Rovlgo^ a town of about 7000 inhabitants, with a canal running through it, two leaning towers, and a curious old altar. At 3 p.m. we resumed our journey, and had a delight- ful ride along a level road, perfectly straight for six or eight miles, shaded by fine poplars, through a region of exuberant fertility. Some of the peasant boys and girls ran after our carriage a long way, attracted by the promise of a few coppers ; one bright looking girl followed us two miles to obtain a few cigars which were occasionally thrown out to her. As we approached Montselice, we had a fine view of the castle which stands upon a lofty rock above the town. Here we found some fine fruit, plums and pears, and excellent ices. We entered the WITH NEW EYES. 257 Padixa— University— Caf6 Pedrochi— Town Hall. gates of Padua about eight o'clock in the evening, and put up at the Hotel Croce d' Oro, i. e. " Cross of Gold." PADUA. Padua, the ancient Patavium, is the oldest city of northern Italy. The Romans attributed its foundation to the Trojan Prince Antenor, soon after the ruin of Troy. It was the birth- place of the historian Livy. The University of Padua, founded by the Emperor Frederick II., in the fii-st part of the thirteenth century, had at one time 6000 students, and still retains some reputation, especially in medicine. It now has about 1500 students. Here Forcellini compiled and published his great Latin Lexicon, upon which he spent forty years of his life. Padua is fortified with walls, ditches, and bastions, and is more than six miles in circumference, but the present number of inhabitants does not exceed 47,000. Most of the streets are narrow, and lined with arcades for side-walks. The next morning we breakfasted at the famous Ccrfe Pedrocchi, a fine building, cased with marble outside and in. One of the maps painted on the walls of the eating saloon was in what we should call inverted order; i. e. the top of the map was south, and the bottom north. Our first \Hlsit was to the Palazzo della Ragione {i, e. Palace of Reason), or Town-hall, a large building, extending along the market-place, and resting entirely on open arches. A vast roof towers above the walls, which is said to be the largest unsup- ported by pillars in the world. It was modelled after the roof of a great palace in India, which the architect had seen in 1306. The hall is about two hundred and forty feet long, and eighty wide, and the whole interior wall is covered with mystical paintings, designed by Giotto^ after the instructions of the great 258 OLD SIGHTS Bankrupt's Seat— Church of San Antonio— Votive Offerings. astrologer, alchemist, and magician, Pietro d'Ahano. At the top of the hall is the monument of Livy. In front of it is an enormous wooden model of a horse, made by Donatello, which reminds one of Virgil's description of the Trojan horse. Here is also a bust of the celebrated traveller Belzoni, with two Egyptian statues which he presented to his native city. At the other end is the " lapis viiuperarii" mentioned by Addison, — a seat of black granite, upon which insolvent debtors were obliged to sit bare, as in other towns of Italy in the middle ages. A meridian line crosses the hall ; the ray of the sun passes through a hole in the roof decorated with a golden face. We next visited the church of San Antonio, the patron saint of Padua. It was built by Nicholas of Pisa, in the thirteenth century, and is in the shape of a cross, two hundred and eighty feet in length, one hundred and thirty-eight in breadth, crowned with no less than eight cupolas, which give it an oriental aspect. It is remarkable for the splendor and beauty of its internal decorations. In the north transept is the chapel of the saint, which is illuminated day and night by the golden lamps and silver candlesticks and candelabra borne by angels, which burn before the shrine. The walls are covered with sculp- tures, and in the centre is the shrine, as splendid as gold and marble can make it. The presby{ery and choir are separated from the rest of the church by elaborately wrought marble screens and balustrades. The high altar is decorated with bronzes by Donatella, and near it is an immense candelabrum of bronze executed by Andrea Riccio, the result of ten years' labor, and considered the finest work of art in the church. I have never been in a church which exhibited such a mul- titude and variety of votive offerings, from individuals who pro- fessed to have experienced the miraculous interposition of the WITH NEW EYES. 259 . Giotto's Chapel— Allegorical Paint ings. saint in times of peril. These offerings consisted sometimes of gold and silver ornaments, hearts, crucifixes, candlesticks, &c., and sometimes models in wood or wax of diseased parts of the body which had been cured, and at other times of pictorial representations of the events commemorated, framed and sus- pended on the wall. One picture represented a carriage on the verge of upsetting, but prevented just in time by St. x\ntho- ny, who has let down a rope from heaven and grappled the vehicle. Another represents the saint pulling out of the water a man who has fallen from a bridge. Other instances of assist- ance extended to females at the most ci-itical seasons, are de- picted with great fidelity. In the square betbre the church is a fine bronze statue of " Gutta Melata" (Erasmo di Narni), the Venetian General, one of Donatelld's finest works. Another most interesting object is Giotto's chapel, a small building, which stands at the end of a green court-yard, all by itself, the monastic buildings formerly attached to it having been entirely destroyed. The wails of the interior are covered with frescoes by that great master. Over the entrance is the Last Judgment — Christ on his throne in the centre at the top, aad groups of " the blessed " on the right, and " the cursed " on the left. It is surprising to see the prominence he has given to the vices of the Romish clergy. Many a priest and bishop is seen in the hands of the devils, dragged down to hell together with the partner of his guilty pleasures. On the side walls, in the lowest range of paintings, is a series of allegorical figures. Opposite to each Virtue is the antago- nist Vice. Thus on one side, Hope, winged, scarcely touching the earth, and eagerly stretching after the celestial crown. Opposite is Despriir^ portrayed as a female, who, at the insti- 260 OLD SIGHTS Lucifer and his Crew— Rail to Venice. gation of the Fiend, is in the act of banging herself. Charity^ her countenance beaming with joy, holding up her right hand to receive gifts from heaven, and in her left, the vase from which she dispenses them. Etivy^ standing in flames ; a serpent issues from her mouth, and recoils upon herself; she has the ears and claws of a wolf. Faith, holding the creed, and tram- pling on a horoscope ; in the other hand she grasps the cross. Unhelitf ; a Roman helmet on her head ; in her hand an an- cient heathen idol, to which she is noosed, and by which she is dragged to the pit. Temperance ; a female figure, fully drap- ed, holding a sword bound in the scabbard, and a bit is placed in her mouth, emblem of restraint. Amger ; a hideous crone tearing her own bosom, and many others in similar style. Our last visit was to the Palazzo Pappafavo, in part to see the paintings, but mainly to see a strange group in sculpture of Lucifer and his companions cast down from heaven, by Agosti- no Fasolata. It contains sixty figures carved out of one solid block of marble. The figures are so twisted together, it is diffi- cult to understand how the artist could have managed his tools. The group is five feet high, and employed the artist twelve years I "We took a farewell ice at Pedrocchi*s, got into an omnibus, and were conveyed to the railway station, to take the train for Venice, twenty-two miles distant. It was delightful to come in sight of a railway again. The carriages, too, were not like the English and French, divided into separate apartments, but like our American " cars," one long, open room each. The name of the locomotive was " 11 VirgilioP We left Padua at 1 30 p.m., had a running view of the Tyrolese Alps in the distance on our left, crossed the great stone bridge over the Lagoon, tv/o and a half miles long, with the •WITH NEW EYES. 261 Rail to Yeaice. ^__ domes and towers of Venice floating on the water before us, entered the railway terminus, and were soon in a gondola in the Grand Canal (the " Broadway " of Venice), on our way to the Hotel Roval Danielis. 12* 262 OLD SIGHTS ' City of the Sea "—The Two Granite Pillars. CHAPTER XXXI. VENICE. " There is a glorious city in the sea, The sea is in the broad, the narrow streets, Ebbing- and flowing ; and the salt sea-weed Clings to the marble of her palaces. No track of man, no footsteps to and fro Lead to her gates. The path lies o'er the sea Invincible ; and from the land we went, As to a floating city — steering in, And gliding up her streets, as in a dream So smoothly, silently — by many a dome Mosque-like, and many a stately portico, The statues ranged along an azure sky ; By many a pile in more than Eastern pride Of old the residence of merchant kings ; The fronts of some, though Time had shatter'd them, Still glowing with the richest hues of art. As though the wealth within them had run e'er." I COULD hardly believe my own eyes that I was in Venice — that " city of the sea," which had always seemed to me more like some dream of fairy-land than an actual locality. But there was no doubting it. Here we were in a veritable gondola, with our baggage all labelled "Fe?i€2ia," gliding by rows of stately palaces, where the water rippled upon the marble steps ; we pass an open square and shout with delight as we recognise the two granite pillars, so completely identified with Venice, surmounted one by the " winged lion " of St. Mark, the other by St. Theodore, the patron saint of the Republic in early times. WITH NEW EYES. 263 View from our Window— The Mole — The Piazzetta. We pass the Doge's Palace, the Prison, and turning into a little canal on our left, shoot under a bridge, and are landed from the gondola at a side entrance of the hotel. Signer I. and myself are fortunate in obtaining a front sitting- room in the fourth story, which commands a fine view of the Bay and Lagoon. Dii-ectly opposite is the island of St. George, covered with buildings, among which is the church of San Giorgio Maggiore. To the right of that, upon another island, is the Dogana, or custom-house, and a little further in the same direction rise the beautiful domes and turrets of the diurch of San Maria della Salute, which seems to float upon the surface of the water like a swan. In front of the hotel is a wide stone quarry, called H Mola, i. e. " The Mole." We walk along this quarry, pass the Doge's Palace, and find ourselves in the square which contains the two granite pillars. Three pillars were brought from Constantinople in the twelfth century. One sank into the mud as they were landing it, the others were safely landed, but no one could raise them and place them on their pedestals. A certain Lombard, nicknamed Nicolo Barattiero, i. c. " !N"ick the Blackleg," offer- ed his services and succeeded in raising them, claiming as his reward that games of chance, prohibited elsewhere by the law, might be played with impunity between the columns. The concession could not be revoked, but as an offset to it, the legis- lature enacted that the public executions should be held upon the pri^-ileged gambling spot, by which means it became so ill- omened as to be universally shunned. During the republican rule of the French, the winged Lion of St. Mark, which sur- mounts one of the pillars, was carried to Paris, but afterwards restored. This square is called the Piazzetta. On its west side, stands 264 OLD SIGHTS Piazza, of St. Mark— "St. Mark's Pigeons" -The Three Bronze Pedestals. the Bihlioieca Antica^ formerly containing the Public Library, but was a part of the Palazzo Reale. On its east side is the Doge^s Palace. At the north end, it abuts upon the Basilica of St. Mark. Here are some curious relics of ancient times — the Stone of Shame, upon which bankrupts were placed, — the square piers of St. John of Acre, originally forming part of a gateway in that city, and brought to Venice in the thirteenth century. As you reach the north end of the Pioszetta, on facing to the left, you have before you the Piazza of St, Mark, one of the finest squares in the world. It is five hundred and seventy-six feet in length, and two hundred and sixty-nine in width (at the east end), paved with smooth flagging, having the splendid front of the Basilica on its east side, and on the other sides a conti- nuous range of palaces with arcades. These arcades are occu- pied by cafes and shops of every description, and form a fine promenade. On a pleasant morning, the Piazza is a scene of great animation and gaiety, especially when enlivened by a fine Austrian band of music stationed in the centre, as was the case when we were there. The little tables of the cafes with their occupants, extend across the arcades into the Piazza, and visitors of all nations are standing in groups or strolling about in every direction. " The pigeons of St. Mark " are privileged occupants of the Piazza and the adjacent buildings. No one dares molest them. From time immemorial they have been regarded with supersti- tious veneration by the people, and fed at the expense of the government. They are very tame. I have often gathered a flook of them around nay table, while breakfasting in the Piazza, by throwing out a few crumbs of bread. I Q front of the Basilica are the three bronze pedestals, \ii WITH NEW EYES. 265 The Foior Bronze Horses— St. Mark's Cathedral. which are inserted the masts from which once proudly streamed the three gonfalons of silk and gold, supposed to signify the three dominions of the Eepublic, Venice, Cyprus, and the Morea. In place of these are now the Austrian standards. Over the central portal of the Basilica are the /owr celebrated bronze horses, formerly gilt, brought from the Hippodrome at Constantinople, as part of the Venetians' share of the plunder, when that city was taken by the Crusaders in the fourth crusade. They are supposed to be of Greek origin, and to have been car- ried from Alexandria by Augustus, after his conquest of An- tony, and placed on a triumphal arch in Rome, successfully transferred by Nero, Domitian, Trajan, and Constantine, to arches of their own, and finally by Constantine to his' new capital. The foundations of St. Mark's were laid in a.d. 97*7, upon the site of a former edifice destroyed by fire. Its plan is that of a Greek cross, with the addition of spacious porticoes. The centre is covered with a dome, and over the centre of each of the arms of the cross rises a smaller cupola. The vestibule presents a front of five arched entrances, and two smaller arch- ways, ornamented with two rows of columns of red antique, porphyry, serpentine, and other marbles. Five large mosaics fill the recesses over the doorways. A marble balustrade runs along the top of the vestibule, and above this is a semi-circu- lar window in the centre, with a statue of St. Mark upon its apex, and on each side two semi-circular gables, filled with mo- saics. Turrets, and statues, and ornaments, of the richest kind, on every part of the exterior, give it a brilliant and splendid appearance. The interior is equally rich, the walls and columns of the most precious marbles, the vaulting covered with mosaics with 266 OLD SIGHTS Signs of decay— Tower of the Clock— The Campanile. gold grounds, and the pavement of tesselated marble, remarka- ble for the beauty and richness of the patterns, and the allegori- cal character of the devices. For instance, one is that of a round, well-fed, sleek Lion on the sea, and a lean, meagre Lion on the land, to signify what would be the fate of Venice, if she deserted the profits of the maritime commerce for the vain glories of territorial conquest. The pavement has become very- uneven, in some places thrown into undulations, by the set- tling of the foundations, and many of the pillars and even the sides of the building are deflected from the perpendicular. It seems to indicate the decrepitude of Venetian power and glory. In the pavement of the vestibule is a lozenge of reddish marble, marking the spot where Pope Alexander III. and the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa were reconciled on the 23d July, 1177, through the intervention of the Venetian republic. The Pope placed his foot upon the head of the prostrate Emperor, repeat- ing the words of the Psalm, " Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder." To the right, on coming out of St. Mark, is the Torre dell Orologio, or " Tower of the Clock." The bell is outside upon the top of the tower, and by the side of it are two figures of bronze called " the Moors," who strike the hours. The hours are struck twice, the second time at an interval of five minutes after the first. To the left is the great Campanile tower of St. Mark, a huge square building, surmounted by a lofty pyramid. It is three hundred and twenty -three feet high, and forty -two feet square at the base. The ascent is by a continuous inclined plane, which winds around an inner tower. The prospect from the belfry is very fine. The city lies spread out like a map at your feet, with its domes and towers, its canals and bridges, the Lagoon WITH NEW EYES. 267 An Austrian Spy— The Doge's Palace. and its islands, and tlie waters of the Adriatic in one direction, "while in another the vi&vf is terminated by the distant Alps* While tracing out the various localities in sight, by the aid of a map, I was accosted by a foreigner, who seemed very desirous of making my acquaintance. He inquired what this place was, and that place, &c., and seemed to be taking notes in his memorandum book ; asked me if I was from Paris, repeated the motto, " Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite ;" said he was a Hun- garian, compelled to serve in the Austrian army against his will, and when I told him I was an American, he seemed de- lighted, called it a happy land, said he wanted to go there, and entreated me to give him my name, and when I refused, he followed me down the tower, reiterating the request in a cor- rupt mixture of Italian and Latin, " Signor, nomine preco," i, e. " Your name, I pray." The next morning, while breakfasting in the Piazza, I saw this same person in close conference with an Austrian officer, evidently directing his attention to the table where I sat. I have no doubt that he was a spy. THE doge's palace. This has two fronts, the southern on the Molo, towards the sea, and the eastern on the Piazzetta. The lower story is an open gallery originally clear through to the interior court, but now closed up on that side, and that part of it on the Piazzetta was formerly called the Broglio, and was the resort of the Ve- netian nobles, when they wished to see each other on business. At the time of our visit it was occupied by the Austrian guard, and several pieces of artillery were planted in front of it, com- manding the Piazzetta, so as to quell any popular rising which might take place there. We passed through the Porta della Carta, into the cortile, or 268 OLDSIGHTS The Lion's Mouth— Hall of the Greater Council. interior court, and crossing it ascended the " Giants' Staircase," so called from two colossal statues by Sansovino, of Mars and Jupiter, which stand one on each side at the head of the staircase. The ceremony of the coronation of the Doge was anciently performed at the head of the staircase. Turning to the right, we passed along the loggia or open gallery of the second story, and see on the wall the openings of the terrible lions^ mouths, the receptacle of all secret communications in state affairs. Near the end of this side is the great staircase, the Scala cf Oro, i. e. " Staircase of gold." Ascending two flights, we gain admission to the suite of rooms which occupy the two fronts of the Palace. The first room is an ante-cham- ber, filled with books, from which we pass into the Salla dell Maggior Consiglio, i. e. the " Hall of the Greater Council," a magnificent room, one hundred and seventy-five and a half feet long, eighty-four and one third broad, and fifty-one and one third high, adorned with the most splendid paintings by Tin- toretto, Bassano, Paul Veronese, and others, illustrating the glories of Venice. " Paradise" by Tintoretto, on the east end of the hall, is said to be the largest picture ever painted upon canvas, being eighty-four and one third feet in width, and thirty-four in height. The Public Library is now kept in this room. The ceiling is rich with painting and gilding, and just below the cornice there is a series of portraits of the Doges, with the black veil covering the space, which should have been occupied by Marino Falieri and the well known inscrip- tion, " Hie est locus, Marini Faletro, decapitati pro criminibus" — " This is the place of Marino Falieri, who was beheaded for his crimes." A corridor connects this hall with the Sala della Scru- tinio, i, e. " Hall of the Inquisition," which is also adorned WITH NEW EYES. 269 Senate Hall— The Dungeons. with historical pictures, and a continuation of the Doges' portraits. The upper story contains another suite of apartments, adorned w-ith many fine paintings, and rich in historical associations ; the " Senate Hall," with the same furniture as in the days of the Republic ; the room where the " Council of Three" held their sittings ; the Audience Chamber in which the Doge and his Privy Council received foreign ambassadors. I sat in the Doge's chair, and to aid my imagination, thundered out an imperative mandate, sentencing the prisoner at the bar to the lowest dun- geons of the Palace ; whereat our guide manifested great con- sternation, and begged us to desist, lest we should be arrested on suspicion of revolutionary designs. From some of these rooms there were secret communications with the dungeons below. Descending to the second story, we entered another apart- ment, from which we were conducted to the Pozzi, i. e, " Wells" — two ranges of state dungeons one below the other. As we went down tlie narrow passage between the solid stone walls into the dark, close, heavy air below, where our lantern gave but a feeble light, it seemed as if we were bidding fare- well to freedom, happiness, and hope, and a cold shudder passed over me as I thought how many had gone down these steps, never to return. The cells are about five paces in length, two and a half in width, and perhaps seven feet high. They are closed by double doors, and the only opening was a small round hole in the wall over the door. At the end of the nar- row passage into which the cells open, is a small grated window. I went into one of the cells and closed the door, while the guides stood without, and I tried to conceive the feelings of one immured there. It seemed as if it would be impossible to sus- tain life there many days. 270 OLD SIGHTS Place of Execution— Churches— Monuments— Cannova. At the end of anotlier passage is a door opening into a small room, -with a grated window and a door in the outside wall. This was the jplace of execution. The condemned was seated upon a stone step, and an iron collar fastened around his neck, and gradually tightened by a screw. The body was then taken out through the outside door, which is about on a level with the water, and carried off in a boat and sunk in the Adriatic. We afterwards crossed the covered bridge which connects the Palace with the prison, called the Bridge of Sighs, CHURCHES OF VENICE. These are numerous and splendid, filled with paintings and sculpture. The church of Sta. Afaria Gloriosa de" Frari con- tains many fine tombs. A plain slab in the pavement marks the spot where Titian was buried, who died in 1575, at the age of ninety-nine. In the body of the church are two large and splendid monuments ; on the right that of the unfortunate Doge Foscari, who died 1457 ; opposite is that of the Doge Nicoli Tron^ who died 1472, an immense structure, fifty feet in width, and seventy in height, composed of six distinct stories, and adorned by nineteen whole length figures larger than life, be- sides a profusion of bas-reliefs and other ornaments. The monument of the Doge Giovanni Pesaro (who died 1658) is also a stupendous fabric, in singular taste. It is sup- ported by Moors or Negroes, of black marble, dressed in white marble, their black elbows and knees protruding through the rents of their white jackets and trowsers. The bronze skele- tons bear sepulchral scrolls ; and dragons sustain a funeral urn. In the centre sits the Doge. By the side of this is the monument erected to the memory of Canova the sculptor. It is a repetition of his own design WITH NEW EYES. 271 Academy of Fine Arts. for the Archduchess Christina at Vienna — a vast pyramid o f white marble, with open doors of bronze, into which various mourners, Art, Genius, &c., are seen walking in funeral pro- cession. The door of the sacristy is a triumphal arch erected in honor of the Venetian general Benedetto Pesaro. Over the Pesaro altar is a beautiful votive picture by Titian. The church of San Giovanni e Paolo contains many fine sculptures. Here are the monuments of the Doge Michele Morosini (died 1382), the Doge Leonardo Loredano (died 1521), and the Doge Andrea Vendramin (died 14*78), and many other Doges and Generals. The chapel of the Rosary is adorned with the finest alti-rilie\a I have ever seen. They represent various scenes in the history of our Lord, and the figures, of the purest white marble, stand out with a boldness and beauty of workmanship I have never seen equalled. Here is the celebrated Peter Martyr by Titian, one of his finest paint- ings. In the open space in front of this church stands the celebrated statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni da Bergamo, the second eques- trian statue erected in Italy after the revival of the arts. We also visited the Academy of the Fine Arts, an extensive collection of paintings and sculpture, containing the finest specimens of the Venetian school, by Titian, Paul Veronese, Tintoretto, Bassano, &c., and several of the palaces similarly enriched. We applied to the Austrian commandant for permis- sion to visit the Arsenal, but failing to obtain it were obliged to content ourselves with sailing up to the entrance, and admir- ing the four colossal marble lions which were brought from the Peloponnesus in 1685. One of them formerly stood at the entrance of the Pirseus at Athens. 272 OLD SIGHTS The Arsen al— Street Music— House where Canova died. This arsenal is said to be nearly three miles in circuit, sui-- rounded by walls and towers built between 1307 and 1320. It has four basins, nearly surrounded by dry docks and slips for the building of vessels and workshops. The armories contain many curious specimens of ancient armor and weapons, and instruments of torture — and the model-room has some interest- ing illustrations of naval architecture in former times. One is deeply impressed with the greatness of Venice in her palmiest Venice has always been famous for street music. Some of it is very good. One day, while dining at the Restaurant San Gallo, in the open square before the building, we were enter- tained with music by an old man of sixty-seven years, who played a violin and accompanied it with his voice. He was succeeded by a lady and two men with a violin and two guitars, who made very sweet music. The passers by stopped to listen heads were put out from the neighboring windows, — at one window was a nurse with a beautiful child — the whole scene, was very picturesque. I copied the following inscription upon the house opposite ; " Has aedes Francesconiorum, quas ob diuturnse amicitiae candorem lautioribus hospitiis praetulerat, Antonius Canova sculpturae princeps, extreme hahtu consecra- vit. 3 Ides Oct. 1822." "This house of the Francescans, which, on account of the sincerity of long continued friendship, he had preferred to more splendid hospitality, Antony Canova, the prince of sculpture, consecrated by his last breath," We threaded the narrow passages of the city, we crossed the Rialto, and sought for counterparts of the Jew Shy lock ; we ex- plored the canals and bridges in our gondola, we floated down the Grand Canal in the golden glow of sunset, singing " Vir- ginia melodies," and taking a lingering farewell of those stately "WITH NEW EYES. 273 The spell dispelled. places, stately even in their decay, many of them evidently settling down into the water, with great cracks in their walls, broken cornices, and grass growing upon their roofs, — we did our shopping in the arcades of the Piazza, we took our last ice at " Florian's," and thus ended the fairy spell of Venice. The next morning as we were rowed from the hotel to the railway station about daybreak, a cold grey mist rested upon every- thing ; everything was damp, dreary, and uncomfortable ; all the romance was gone, and we were glad to take our departure. 274 OLD SIGHTS Verona and Milan— Amphitheatre— The Rehearsal. CHAPTER XXXII VERONA AND MILAN. We arrived at Verona at half past 8 a.m. after a ride of forty- three miles, about three hours by rail to Venice. An omnibus conveyed us from the station to the city and set us down at the " Hotel di due Torri,'' i. e. " Hotel of the Two Towers," an ancient feudal-looking building, formerly the Palazzo delP Aquilla, and once belonging to the Scaligeri. After breakfast we visited the Amphitheatre^ the most perfect of all the Roman amphitheatres now extant. It is built of Verona marble, and is 513 by 410 feet in diameter, and is supposed to be contemporary with the Coliseum — i. e. from 81-1 IT, A.D. The arena was occupied in part by a temporary theatre, in which a company of actors were going through with a re- hearsal. Through a chink in the tent we had a glimpse of their proceedings. A young girl in a short frock, with bare neck and shoulders, was standing before the dancing-master rehearsing her part in the ballet. The teacher sat astride a chair, facing the back, and had a small cane in one hand with which he occasionally switched the poor girl's legs, instructing her to raise them higher and keep them extended longer. By her side sat an elderly lady with a bonnet on, who seemed to be her mother, and two or three of the " Verona dandies" were WITH NEW EYES. 275 Romeo and Juliet— Milan. walking about smoking and quizzing the performance. The poor girl, who seemed not to have lost all her modesty, looked ashamed and fatigued ; and the perspiration streamed down her face and neck. I pitied her with all my heart. While standing in a court-yard waiting for the diligence, we were much amused with a coarse representation of " Romeo and Juliet" at the " Tomb of the Capulets," painted in fresco upon the wall of an upper story. The inn is called the Casa de Cappalletti, and is supposed to have been the dwelling of that family. The tomb of Juliet is shown in another place, but it cannot be the genuine one, as there is e-vddence to prove that it was long since destroyed. We left Yerona at half past 5 p.m.; passed Peschiera^ a strongly fortified town with double walls and moat, and bearing marks of its late siege by the Austrians, alongside of the Lago di Garda^ through Brescia^ a flourishing city of 35,000 inhabit- ants, where we waited some time, at the dead of night, in the silent streets, to Treviglio, about eighty miles, where we arrived at 10 A.M. the next day, after a long, dusty, wearisome ride. We had been obhged to occupy the rotonde, the worst part of the diligence, which catches all the dust. We took the railway at eleven and a quarter, and arrived at Milan, eighteen miles distant, about twelve. MILAN. We found excellent accommodations at the Grand Hotel de la Yille. It is a fine house, and well kept. After dinner, we walked out to take a survey of the city. Milan was anciently a town of the Cisalpine Gauls, and is mentioned by Livy and Polybius under the name of Mediola- num. It was taken by the Romans b. c. 221. In the fourth 276 OLD SIGHTS The Cathedral— View from the top. and fifth centuries, it was occasionally the residence of the Emperors. At the fall of the Western empire, it was twice devastated, once by Attila, and afterwards by the Goths. It is now the capital of Lombardy, and the third city of Italy, having a population of 175,000. It stands in the midst of a vast plain between the rivers Olona and Lambro, vfith. which it communi- cates by a canal called Naviglio Grande, which flows all around the old town. The suburbs are inclosed by a hne of ramparts, planted with trees, which serves as a promenade. The external circuit of the town is nearly ten miles. The first building that attracts the eye of the stranger is the DuoMO or Cathedral. We visited it more leisurely the next morning. It is a magnificent edifice, all of white marble in the florid Gothic style. The view of the exterior from the top is truly wonderful. With its hundred spires, so tall and slender and delicately chiselled, it seems as if the wind would blow them over, and its three thousand statues crowning every pinnacle, it looks like a forest of marble. I could think of nothing so much like it as a forest of fir-trees mantled in snow. The prospect of the surrounding country is very fine. You can see the whole Lombard plain and the chain of Alps which border it on the north side. The guide bid us wait a moment, while he went to get his horse. Whereupon he brought out of an adjoining room a good sized telescope to assist our eyes, and by means of a map, pointed out to us many of the peaks and passes of the Alps. We also ascended to the gallery which runs round the principal spire. On the top is a statue of the Virgin Mary. The guide told us with an air of great sincerity, that the gilt stars of the lightning-rods had often been much bent and battered by the hail-stones, but the figure of the Vir- gin was never in the least injured ! WITH NEW EYES. 277 ^ Interior— Arch of Peace. The interior is vast and imposing, adorned with a multitude of statues and monuments. The principal dimensions are : ex- treme length, four hundred and eighty-five feet ; breadth, two hundred and eighty-seven feet ; height of the ceiling in the nave, one hundred and fifty-three feet ; from the pavement to the top of the statue of the Madonna which crowns the spire, three hundred and fifty-five feet. The pavement is laid in a mosaic pattern of red, blue, and white marble. Just beyond the entrance it is erossed by a meridian line laid down by the academicians of the Brera in 1786. The sun's rays, coming through a small hole in the roof, crosses it at noon-day. As the hour of twelve approached, a crowd of persons collected near the meridian line, with watches in hand to set their time by it. Toward evening we took a carriage and rode out to see the Arch of Peace, which stands at the termination of the Simp- Ion road. It was originally intended to have been called the Arch of the Simplon, and to have been embelHshed with a statue of Victory in commemoration of the battle of Jena, and with bas-reliefs representing the events of ISTapoleon's wars. When it fell into the hands of the Austrians, its name was changed to the Arch of Peace, whose figure is placed in the car, and the sculptures underwent a transformation to make them represent the events which succeeded the general peace. On the top of the Arch is a bronze figure of Peace in a car drawn by six horses. Four figures of Fame, one at each angle, an- nounce her arrival. Innumerable sculptures adorn the various sides. A stair- case in the interior leads to the summit. The total cost of it is estimated at over '714,000 dollars! Its general dimensions are seventy-two and a half, by forty-two and a half feet in depth, and the extreme height ninety-eight feet. It 13 278 OLD SIGHTS The Arena— La Scala— The Brera. appears to fine advantage at the head of the spacious Piazza d^Armi. Near by is the AreTm, or modem amphitheatre, built for the exhibition of chariot and horse races, bull fights and other games. It is of an oval form, seven hundred and eighty by three hundred and ninety feet in diameter, surrounded by ten rows of seats, capable of containing 30,000 spectators. We were somewhat disappointed, however, to find the seats made of turf instead of stone. The arena can be filled with water for naval exhibitions. La Scala is the name of the principal Theatre in Milan, said to be the largest in Italy, capable of seating 3600 spec- tators. Milan is the literary metropolis of Italy. It is a favorite place of residence for Italian writers, and more books are pub- lished here than in all the rest of Italy. Booksellers* shops abound, and it is an excellent place to obtain prints, and maps, and guides, for all the adjoining countries. The Brera (or " Palazzo della Scienze e delle Arti^'' i. e, "Palace of the Sciences and Arts") is a great establishment, containing an extensive gallery of Paintings called the Pina- coteea, a Museum of sculpture, a Public Library, an Observatory, and a Botanical Garden. The Library contains 100,000 volumes, and is open to the public. The Amhrosian Library is cele- brated for its numerous and valuable manuscripts, and especi- ally for its palimpsests — manuscripts from which the original writing has been erased or washed out and which have then been written on again. This was done to economize the parch- ment. In many cases the original writing has been restored. Thus, a manuscript, containing a commentary of St. Augustine upon the Psalms, was found to have underneath Cicero's trea- WITH NEW EYES. 279 "Last Supper." tise " De Republica." In this way many ancient productions have been brought to light. Another object of interest to visitors is the celebrated " Last Supper" oi Leonardo da Vinci^ begun in 1493, the original of nearly all the engTavings of tnat scene. It was painted in fresco upon the wall of the refectory of the Dominican Convent, which is attached to the church Santa Maria delle Grazie. It has been so much injured by the ravages of time and violence as to afford little satisfaction to the beholder. 280 OLD SIGHTS Tower of the Baradello— Beauty of Como. CHAPTER XXXIII. MILAN TO LAKE COMO, LAKE MAGGIORE, AKD DOMO d'oSSOLA. We left Milan at a quarter past five in tlie morning, went by- rail through Monza as far as Camerlata^ and thence by omni- bus to Como, about thirty miles in all, where we arrived at half-past seven. The country became more mountainous as we advanced. A very conspicuous object in the landscape just before you reach Como is the ancient tower of the Baradello^ situated upon a lofty sandstone rock, with its castellated walls running down the abrupt sides of the steep. It served as a beacon tower, to give notice by fires blazing on its summit of the approach of the enemy. Here Napoleone della Torre, the popular chief and lord of Milan, having been defeated by his rival Ottone Visconti, in 1277, was shut up in an iron cage. After lingering for nineteen months, devoured by vermin and suffering the most extreme misery, he ended his captivity by dashing his head against the bars of his prison. CoMO, the capital of the Province of Como, is a city of about 15,000 inhabitants, delightfully situated at the extremity of the south-western branch of Lake Como. It is a favorite summer retreat of the Milanese. There are many beautiful villas in the vicinity upon the banks of the lake. " Ugo Foscolo used to say, that it was impossible to study in the neighborhood of Como ; for the beauty of the landscape always tempting you to WITH NEW EYES. 281 Antiquity— The Lake. the window to look out, quite prevented you from giving proper attention to your book." It is a place of gi-eat antiquity. The Romans took it from the Gauls 196 b.c. C. Pompeius Strabo afterwards peopled it with a Grecian colony, and its name was changed from Co- mum to Novum Comum. It was the birthplace and favorite residence of the two Plinys. The site of "Pliny's villa" is pointed out to the visitor, and the front of the Cathedral is adorned with two statues, erected by the Comaschi (as the in- habitants are styled) to their " fellow citizens." After the fall of the empire, Como passed under the Goths, Longobards, and Franks, and became at last an independent municipal com- munity. It was one of the chief towns of the Ghibelinas in Lombardy, and as such quarrelled repeatedly with the Milanese, who" took it after a long siege and burnt it in 1127. It was re- built by Frederic Barbarossa, and remained a republic for two centuries, until it fell under the dominion of the Visconti, the lords of Milan. After breakfast we took the steamer to Bellagio, about twenty miles north of Como, situated upon a promontory at the crotch of the two branches of the lake — one stretching in a south- western direction to Como, and the other south-easterly to Lecco. The view from this point is very fine, extending up the main lake and down the two branches. The water is as smooth and pellucid as glass, the mountains, some of them nine thou- sand feet high, slope down to its very edge, and their sides are clothed with the most luxuriant vegetation, and dotted with the most picturesque villas. I lingered a long time in the gardens and upon the terraces of the Villa Serbelloni on the height, enchanted with the scenes. Here my friend Signor I., who had been my travelling com- 282 OLD SIGHTS Yilla Melzi— Cadenabbia. panion since I left Rome, took his leave of me and proceeded farther up the lake to Colico^ there to take the road which leads to the Splugen pass of the Alps. I visited several of the villas in the neighborhood — the Villa Melzi, once the residence of the Vice-president of the republic in the first years of Bonaparte's dominion. The chapel has a beautiful statue of Christ bearing his cross, and many bas- reliefs and frescoes. The drawing-rooms are also adorned with many fine statues and paintings, and one hall contains a series of the marble busts of the family, father, mother, sons, and daughters, all in a row. The sleeping apartments are small, and though neat, very plain in their furniture. Also visited a villa belonging to a Prussian princess — Carlotti. I then took a boat and crossed to Cadenabbia, where I dined under the shade, with the beautiful lake and the mountains in full view. I was surprised at the distinctness with which voices on the opposite side, two miles distant, could be heard. About noon there was very Httle air stirring, and the heat became very oppressive. I strolled along the bank, prying into some of the neighboring houses and gardens, much amused with the ap- pearance of the peasant girls, in great wooden shoes, and with a profusion of pewter pins, headed with large balls, in their hair — till I was glad to see the steamer at hand at half-past three o'clock, in which I returned to Como. At dinner I formed a pleasant acquaintance with the American Ambassador to the court of Austria, who was on his way home from Vienna with his family. " Allow me to ask you, sir," said -he, " if you are not an American ? " " Certainly, sir," I replied, " I am." " I thought so," said he — " but my daughter insisted that you were an Englishman^ After dinner I walked about the city, visited the Cathedral and the Broletto, or Town-hall, built in 1215, TVITH NEW EYES. 283 Town Hall— Ride to Varese. interesting as a memorial of the ancient days of the indepen- dence of the Italian republics. It is of marble, alternate courses of black and white, and one course of red. The lower story is a Loggia upon open arches. Above is a floor with large win- dows, where the chiefs of the municipality assembled ; and from the middle window projects the " riugkiera,^^ or tribune, from ft which they addressed the crowd of citizens convened in parlia- ment below — for in ancient Italy the parliament was the primary assembly of the democracy, whence the government originated, and to whom the ultimate appeal was made. At 6 the next morning I took the diligence for Varese, about seventeen miles west of Como. My fellow occupant of the coupe was a Swede, a very intelligent and agreeable gentleman, with whose company I was favored all the day. There was a delicious coolness in the morning air, the carriage was very comfortable, the scenery fine, and we had a delightful ride. Verese is a town of considerable activity, famous for the excel- lent quahty of its silk. Here we took a private carriage to Laveno, twelve miles to the nort-west, on Lake Maggiore. This was one of the most beautiful rides I ever took. Just after leaving Yarese, we passed the celebrated " Sanctuary of the Virgin," called Madonna del Monte, situated upon a lofty hilL By the side of the road which leads to the church on the sum- mit there are fourteen chapels, representing the fourteen mys- teries of the Rosary. The sanctuary is said to have been founded in 397, by St. Ambrose, to commemorate a great vic- tory — not in argument, but in arms — gained by him on this spot, over the Arians. All along the way we had a succession of the most exquisite views of beautiful lakes lying '• in the shel- tered lap of hills," and distant mountains with snow-clad sum- mits. 284 OLD SIGHTS Lake Maggiore — Borromean Islands— Isola Bella. At Laveno, whidi is on the shore of Lake Maggiore, we hired a boat (for twelve francs), to take ns to the Borromean islands. The lake seemed to me far more beautiful than Lake Como. It seemed hardly two miles across, the air was so clear and the water so tranquil, yet the distance was eight. We could see Mount Simplon, the Splugen, St. Gothard, and many other of the Alpine peaks. Before us were the islands", and on the shores of the lake, in every direction, numerous villages. The w^hole scene was bathed in a rich mellow light, which, without in the •least impairing the distinctness of vision, invested every object seen through its medium with a celestial glow of beauty. The Barromean Islands belong to a noble Milanese family of the same name. They are four in number, Isola Madre, Isola Bella, Isola die Piscatori,- and the Isolino, the smallest of all. The Isola Madre, which is the largest, is principally covered with a magnificent grove of trees of every variety — laurel, pine, cypress, fir, oak, chestnut, maple, specimens from all countries — many peculiar to our own country. Avenues radiate from the centre, afibrding beautiful views of the lake and its shores. You can see eight different villages through eight of these ave- nues, from one central position. Here are specimens of the camphor tree, the cork tree, the sago, aloes, groves of orange and lemon trees, and magnificent oleanders, rhododendrons, and Camillas. The terraces on the sides are so made, that they can be covered in the winter season and converted into a conser- vatory. Isola Bella is more artificial. It was originally a mass of bare and barren slate-rock, which, by incredible pains and ex- pense, has been converted into a beautiful garden. Every handful of mould was brought from a distance, and has to be constantly renewed. There are ten terraces, the lowest on piers WITH NEW EYES. 285 The Palace. built out into the lake, rising in a pyramidal form, one above another, and lined with vases, obelisks, and black cypresses. Upon these terraces flourish the orange, citron, myrtle, and pomegranate, aloes, cactuses, sugar-cane, and cofl'ee, in the open air, within a day's journey of the frigid climate of the Simplon, and in sight of Alpine snows. Upon one end of the island is the Palace, a vast unfinished building, in which the Count Borromeo resides part of the year. It is rich in marble, gild- ing, and mirrors, and the lower apartments are shaped like grottoes, and embellished with statues and fountains. I left my companion on Isola Bella, and crossed to Baveno, on the western side, just in time to take the diligence from Milan on the Simplon road. We passed through Fariolo, Gravellona, Ornavasca, near which are seen the white marble quarries, which supplied the stone for Milan Cathedral, Yog- ogna, the country becoming more and more mountainous as we proceeded, till at 9 o'clock we arrived at Domo d'' Ossola^ where I was glad to enjoy the Sabbath rest. 13* 286 OLD SIGHTS Sabbath in Domo d'Ossola. CHAPTER XXXIV. DOMO d'ossola, the simplon, the tete noire to CHAMOUNI. The next morning, while taking my breakfast at a neighboring cafe, I made the acquaintance of a pleasant young gentleman whom I found to be an Italian from Turin, recently settled in the place as a practising physician. He said the population was about twenty-five hundred, and that he was not very well satisfied with his situation — thought he should not remain here long. Turin was his beau ideal of a residence. He expatiated upon its fine buildings, and streets, and many advantages, and earnestly advised me not to go home without visiting it. After breakfast he politely ofiered his services to show me the place. I accepted his courtesy, and we traversed some of the principal streets on our way to the church, a very inferior building in external appearance, but somewhat richly decorated within. There were a few persons in attendance upon the service, and I tried to imagine that they might be sincere worshippers, though in forms so different from those to which I had been accustom- ed ; but there was little appearance of devotion, and with a sigh I returned to the hotel and passed the rest of the day in my room. During part of the time a company of Sardinian infantry was on parade in the streets under my windows. In the night there was a violent storm of wind and rain. It passed off very quickly, however, and at 3 o'clock the next WITH NEW EYES. 287 Pass of the Simplon— Fine Road— Gorge of G-ondo— Inscriptions of Trarellers, morning, ^-hen I took my seat in the diligence, it was bright star light. I had a very comfortable seat in the cou}3€, there was only one other passenger, we had four fine horses, and my mind was on tip toe with expectation. I was about to cross the Alps, by that very route which had always excited my highest admiration from its association with the indomitable genius of its author — the pass of the Simplon, We passed through Crevola, which commands a beautiful view of the valley, crossed the Doveria on a lofty stone bridge of eight arches, nearly ninety feet high, and began to feel the growing chilliness of the air as we ascended, I was surprised to find the road so good — fi'om twenty-five to thirty feet in breadth, and the average slope nowhere exceeds six inches in six and. a half feet. "We stopped at Isella, the Sardinian frontier, to have our baggage and passports examined, and then entered the Gor^e of Gondo, one of the grandest and most savage passages in the Alps. In one place, a vast projecting buttress of rocks jutting out from the mountain on the right seemed to block up all further passage. But the engineer pierced the solid granite with a tunnel five hundred and ninetf-six feet in length, called the Gallery of Gondo. Just before entering the mouth of this cavern, a roaring water-fall leaps down from the rocks close to the road, which is carried over it on a beautiful bridge. After passing the gallery, the road is hemmed in by perpendicular rocks rising to a great height, and in some places actually overhanging it, while a mountain torrent, dashiog furiously over the scattered fragments which have fallen from the clifis above, runs alongside of it for some distance. We stopped at Simplon to dine. The walls of the inn were covered with the inscriptions of travellei-s. I copied the following in my note 288 OLD SIGHTS Summit of the Pass— Avalanches— Glacier Galleries. book: "Louis Spleny, de la Ilongrie, apres la malheureuse "bataille de Novara, pour eviter le General Autrichien, qui demandait son extradition, le 26 Mai, 1849. Vive la Hongrie I Vive Kossuth ! Vive I'independence ! Vive la guerre ! Mort aux Autricbiens !" " Louis Spleny, of Hungary, after the unfortu- nate battle of ISTovara, to escape tbe Austrian General, who demanded his surrender, 26th May, 1849. Live Hungary! Live Kossuth 1 Live Independence ! Live "War ! Death to the Austrians 1" This may serve as an illustration of the spirit of those times. Soon after leaving Simplon we reached the summit of the pass, a large open valley, bounded by snow-clad heights with no vegetation but lichens and coarse herbage on the rocks, and an indescribable aspect of barrenness and desolation. Here is the Kew Hospice, founded by Napoleon for the reception of tra- vellers, a large stone building, occupied by three or four brothers of the Augustine order, members of the same community as those on the great St. Bernard. Several of the celebrated dogs of St. Bernard are kept here. Half a mile farther a simple cross of wood marks the highest point of the road, six thousand five hundred and seventy-eight feet above the level of the sea. We now enter upon that part of the road which is the most dangerous of all, at the season when avalanches fall. On this account it is provided with six places of shelter, viz. three galleries, two refuges, and a hospice, within a distance of one mile and three quarters. Overhead is the gorge of Schalbet in the sides of Mount Simplon, filled with glaciers which stretch down to the road. Below is a yawning abyss, along the edge of which the road is conducted. To protect this part of it, three galleries, called Glacier Galleries^ have been constructed, partly excavated, and partly built of masonry, strongly arched. TTITH NETV EYES. 289 Tiew of the Bernese Alps— Martigny. Thev serve as bridges and aqueducts at the same time, the torrents being carried over and beneath them, so that you are sometimes riding under ?. waterfall. I shall never forget the magnificent view of the Bernese Alps (which bound the valley on the opposite side of the Rhone), as we began to descend towards Brieg. Their glittering white peats, with glaciers stretching down their sides, seemed nearer to us than the valley which intervened, and they whispered to us of a purity and majesty that does not belong to earth. After a detention of two and a half hours at Brieg, during which I explored the town, which contains about six hundred and fifty inhabitants, visited the Jesuits' College and the Ursuline Convent, I proceeded on my way, through Visp, Tourtemagne, Sierre, Sion, Riddes — the last part of the way for a long distance alongside of the Ehone, which shone hke molten silver in the bright moonlight, to Martigny, where we arrived at 3 o'clock in the morning, at the Hotel du Cygne. I went to bed and slept till 8 o'clock, then breakfasted and took a guide, a pied, i. e. on foot, for the Tete IS'oire pass to Chamouni. I thouo^ht it a sinomlar coincidence that in mv regular course of Bible reading, I had this morning the 65th Psalm, in which occurs the following verse : " Which by his strength settethfast the mountains, being girded with p)oivery My guide was an old man, of fifty-five years, who had been a guide thirty years. He put my carpet bags and overcoat into a hamper, and carried it on his back. The sun came out very hot as we toiled up the path, and I felt sorry for the old man, who seemed too feeble for his burden, although he would not admit it. We soon overtook another guide, a hale young fellow with a stout mule, who had conducted a party from Chamouni to Martigny, and was now on his return. He had previously 290 OLD SIGHTS Tete Noire Pass— The Mnntets. called on me at the hotel, and offered his services after I should reach Chamouni. I wished to engage him to Chamouni, but he gave me to understand that it would not do. I must hire a guide at Martigny. Such are the regulations to prevent interference on the part of the guides in one place with those in another. Now that I had hired a guide, however, he was at liberty to assist me. So he put my luggage on his mule and insisted that I should mount. I did so, and found it a great rehef. I enjoyed the scenery much more from the mule's back than when toiling up on my own legs. The view of the Rhone valley was very fine. "We passed over the mountain of Forclaz, and down through the forest which clothes its side by a steep path into the little valley of Trient, where we stopped at the little auherge for refreshment. The torrent which flows through the valley de- scends from the glacier of the Trient, and is icy cold even at the distance of miles from the glacier. Crossing the torrent and ascending the opposite side, the road lies through a dense forest for some distance, and then passes round the brow of a mountain covered with dark forests, called the Tete Noire (^. e. " Black Head"), which gives the name to the pass. After coming out of the forest, the road winds along the edge of a deep ravine, passes under an overhanging rock and through a gallery pierced through the rock, presenting successive views of the valley and mountains of great beauty and grandeur. The summit of the pass, a sterile gorge near the Montets, is a scene of savage wildness and desolation. On each side rise the sharp peaks like needles of granite into the clear air, while the valley between is strewed with huge fragments, and marked with furrows, as if it had been the bowling WITH NEW EYES. 291 Sight of Mont Blanc. ground of giants. Here the avalanches have free play during the winter. I was growing very weary and dispirited when the sight of Mont Blanc in the distance revived me. I picked some flowers as mementoes of the time. The magnificent glaciers which stream down into the valley of Chamouni began to appear, Argentiere, Boisson, &c., the peaks of Montanvert, the Flegere, Breven, the Aiguilles, Rouges, (fee, &c. ; we passed the village of Argentiere, crossed the Arve, and down its banks to the hamlet of Les Pres, reaching Chamouni at 7 o'clock in the evening, where I found excellent accommodation at the Hotel de la Couronne. 292 OLD SIGHTS Stormy Night— Early start for Montanvert. CHAPTER XXXV. CHAMOUNY MONTANVERT — THE FLEGERE. As I awoke in the night I heard the wind howling furiously around the house, and the rain dashing against the windows. So, thought I, there is an end to my projected excursion for the morrow, and I comforted myself, as I turned over, with the prospect of a day of rest. Very much surprised then was I to be awakened out of a sound sleep at half past five in the morning, by my guide, knocking at the door, and telling me it was time to get up and start for Montanvert. I remonstrated and appealed to his sense of propriety whether this was the right sort of weather for a mountain excursion — a wet drizzly morning — when you could hardly see across the street. " O !" said he, " that's nothing, it will clear up by noon, and be a first- rate time." " Ah ! these guides !" said I to myself, as I pro- ceeded to draw on my clothes — " what mercenary beings they are ! All they care for is to get as many ' excursions ' out of you as they can, till there's nothing left but a skeleton. When you are perfectly satisfied that you are tired to death, and can't go a step farther, they persuade you that you're as fresh and vigorous as ever !" I hurried through my breakfast, equipped myself in an old over-coat, and mounted upon the trusty mule which my guide had waiting at the door, slowly wended my way through the WITH NEW EYES. 293 Incidents of the Way. streets, the gazing stock of the guides and stragglers of the various hotels we passed. My guide walked now in advance, sometimes leading the mule by the bridle over difficult places, and now in the rear, shouting at him, or quickening his pace by a stick. We crossed the Arve and the opposite meadows, past several farm-houses, frequently accosted by children with curiosities or refreshments for sale, and occasionally by some poor beggar, afflicted with the goitre^ till we reached the foot of the mountain, where the path rises above the valley through a forest of pines. At a sudden turn, I noticed a little girl sit- ting upon a rock with a wooden box by her side, who seemed anxious to attract our attention, and as soon as she caught my eye, applied herself vigorously to a crank- in the box, which occasioned a most grotesque combination of discordant sounds, bearing a slight resemblance to the "Hunting chorus " of Der Freyschutz. After playing a little, she left her box and ran after us for the pay. Farther on we met a troop of children with strawberries for sale. The multitude of visitors to the vale of Chamouny for several years past has almost destroyed the simplicity of its inhabitants. Old and young seem de- termined to make as much as possible out of strangers, and all sorts of contrivances are resorted to for this object. One has some minerals for sale, another a bunch of flowers, another a salver with little cups of milk and rum, another a few wooden toys, another some views of the scenery, &c., &c. Two or three children will start up from behind a rock and sing an Alpine song, and before the last note has ceased, hold out their hands for money. Another stations himself at some place where there is a fine echo, with a tin-horn or a little can- non, and sells you as many echoes as you wish to buy. A few of such applications would not be unreasonable, 294: OLD SIGHTS The Ascent—" Sea of Ice.' but they become so frequent and are prosecuted with such boldness and pertinacity as to annoy and disgust the tra- veller. The ascent is very steep in many places ; the path is full of rocks and roots of trees, sometimes carried along the edge of the declivity by means of trees cut down and filled in with branches and soil, through which great holes often gape into the valley below, and you tremble lest your mule should put his feet into them and send you over his head down the moun- tain. But the sagacious and sure-footed animal soon wins your confidence, and you resign yourself to his superior discernment. We crossed several " creux^'' as they are called, ^. e. hollows or ravines in the mountain side, down which the avalanches come in the winter season and sweep everything before them. Most of the way we were enveloped in a thick mist, but occasionally it would lift up and afibrd us beautiful glimpses of the valley. "We had a fine view of the Cascade dfArveiron. We reached the Pavilion on the summit in about two and a half hours from Chamouni. The sky cleared up, and we had a fine view of the sharp peaks across the adjoining glacier, such as tbe Aiguille du Dru, the Aiguille Verte, the loftiest of all rising to the height of thirteen thousand feet, and a thousand nameless pinnacles in different directions. After resting awhile, we prepared to descend upon the neigh- boring glacier, called the Mer de Glace, i. e. " Sea of Ice." This is not so easy as it seems at first sight. For the glaciers, as they work down towards the valley at the rate of a foot a day, throw up huge ridges on each side, composed of earth and stones and fragments of rocks, wbich are ground ofl" from the mountains by the friction of the glacier. These ridges or moraines, as they are called, sometimes sixty or one hundred WITH NEW EYES. 295 The Glacier— The Jardin— Coleridge's Lines. feet high, must be surmounted before you can reach the surface of the glacier. The glacier appears very different when you are upon it from what it did at a distance. Instead of presenting a smooth surface, it is broken up into a great variety of forms ; here, huge blocks, and there sharp pinnacles sixty or eighty feet high, with unfathomable crevices between, down which you gaze with a shudder, as you think of the consequences of a slip of the foot upon the narrow edge of ice along which you are walking with the aid of a pointed staff. These crevices exhibit the beautiful deep blue color of the ice, which has never been satisfactorily explained. The river Arveiron has its source at the termination of this glacier in the valley below. The water issues from a vault of ice, which is continually changing its form, as great pieces are detached from the roof and tumbled down into the bed of the stream. A farther excursion of three and a half hours is sometimes made along the glacier to the Glacier du Talefre, to visit the Jardin {i. e. " Garden"), a rock in the ice, which is covered with beautiful herbage, and in the month of August enamelled with flowers. In many places you see the flowers of the Gen- tiana Major along the very ^digQ of the ice. Coleridge has finely described these glaciers in his " Hymn before sun-rise, in the vale of Chamouny." "Ye Ice-falls ! ye that from tlie mountain's brow Adorn enormous ravines slope amain — Torrents, methinks, that heard a mighty voice, And stopped at once amid the maddest plunge ! Motionless torrents ! silent cataracts ! Who made you glorious as the Gates of Heaven Beneath the keen, full moon ? Who bade the Sun 296 OLD SIGHTS The Flegere— Ascent of Mont Blanc. Clotlie you with rainbows? Who with living flowers, Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet ? — God ! let the torrents like a shout of nations Answer ! and let the ice-plains echo, GOD !" On our way down we met more than fifty persons, some on mules, some on foot, and some carried in a sedan-chair by two men — old and young, ladies and children. After an interval of two hours for rest and dinner, I set out again for the Flegere. This is a mountain on the opposite side of the valley, command- ing a fine view of theMer du Glace, the Montanvert, and the whole range of Mont Blanc. A ride of half an hour to the foot of the mountain, then a long and wearisome ascent of two hours more to the Croix de Flegere and the Chalet. Just before reaching the summit we caught a glimpse of the peak of Mont Blanc, but most of the time he was wrapped in clouds. I stopped a little while at the Chalet to rest and obtain some refreshment, and wrote my name in the album, and purchased some prints of the views. I came down in fine spirits, repeating the stanza, " Mont Blanc is the monarch of naountains ; They crowned him long ago On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, With a diadem of snow." I have often been asked whether I made the ascent of Mont Blanc. The name Mont Blanc is given to the whole chain of mountains of which the Montanvert is one, and those who have visited that, often speak of having been to Mont Blanc. But the peak of Mont Blanc itself is rarely visited. The attempt has been often made without success, for several years. It requires a favorable combination of circumstances which rarely occurs. It is moreover attended with an expense of one or two hundred WITH NEW EYES. 297 Curiosities. dollars to each individual of the party, as each person must have five or six guides and porters to carry the provisions. In the evening I visited some of the curiosity shops, which contain a great variety of articles to ser/e as mementoes of Chamouny — such as crystals from Mont Blanc, miniature Swiss cottages, cows and chamois ingeniously carved out of wood, and cane tops and knife handles, of chamois horn. 298 OLD SIGHTS Ride to Geneva. CHAPTER XXXVI. CHAMOUNY TO GENEVA, LAUSANNE AND FREYBUKG. At T o'clock tlie next morning I started for Geneva in a char-a-banc, which is the body of a gig placed sideways upon four wheels, at a very little distance fi-om the ground. It is a light strong vehicle, capable of carrying two or three persons, and can be used on roads which will not admit of any other kind of carriage. I sat upon the same seat with the driver, and greatly enjoyed the sublime views of the mountains which were continually presented to us. We passed the hamlet of Bossons, near the Glacier of the same name, crossed the steep ridge of the Montrets which separates the vale of Chamouuy from the vale of Servoz, crossed the river Arve upon the Pont Pelissier, and after riding some ways close under the foot of the Breven, arrived at Servoz, where we stopped a few minutes. Kear the inn is a curiosity shop, where we saw a live chamois on exhibition. From Servoz to Sallenches, where we arrived at the Hotel de la Belle Vue, and were transferred from the char-a-banc to the diligence. Two Englishmen and a German occupied the ban- quette with myself, and we had a very pleasant and sociable time. "We passed through Cluses Bonneville, crossed the Sar- dinian frontier, and entered the gates of Geneva at six and a half P.M. I went to the Hotel des Bergues, where, to ray great joy, I found a package of letters awaiting my arrival. TTITH NEW EYES. 299 Geneva— Isle of Rousseau— Kamble through the Streets—" The Eagles." Geneva is at the western extremity of the lake, at the point where the Khone issues out of it. The river divides it into two parts. The Quartier des Bergiies, which is of modern origin, is connected with the opposite side by two handsome bridges, which unite with a small island called the Isle of Housseau. This island has a statue of Rousseau, and is planted with trees, and laid out into walks for public resoTt. There was a concert of instrumental music here on the evening of my arrival, and the grounds were full of promenaders fi-om the different hotels, among whom I was delighted to find several Americans. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and we took a boat and rowed out into the lake, where we lay for some time, listening to the music from the shore. The next morning we took a long walk in the "vncintiy, visited the Ramparts, which serve as promenades, commanding fine views of the lake and mountains ; — explored the streets of the city, saw the house in which John Calvin lived, the Cathedral, the Museum of Ifatural History, did some "shopping" in the print shops and watch-makers, admired the extensive assort- ment of watches, music-boxes, and jewelry, which met our eyes — heard with surprise the favorite " Christie's melodies," which had just come out when we left home, and wound up with visiting the tivo live eagles, which are maintained at the public expense in honor of the armorial bearings of Geneva — two ragged, scrawny, miserable looking birds, that are suggestive of anything rather than cWA freedom and prosperity. In the evening, while sitting in the reading-room of the Hotel des Bergues, we were favored for a few minutes with a most lovely view of Mont Blanc in the distance, presenting the appearance of a snow-bank tinged with a rose-colored hue of the setting sun. 800 OLD SIGHTS Steamer to Lausanne— Lord Byron— Gibbon's Residence. At nine o'clock the next morning, I took the lake steamer ^'- Helvetic^'' as far as Lausanne. It was a cold, cloudy morning, and the lake grew blacker and blacker till the storm burst upon us and drove all the passengers to the cabin for shelter. In a few minutes the smooth surface of the w^ater was convulsed with waves, and when we arrived at Lausanne, it was so rough we could hardly take the small boat to be landed. Soon after leaving Geneva, we passed the small village of Coppet^ where "we saw the house in which Madame de Stael lived, and her father, the French minister Necker. At the landing Ouchy^ which is a suburb of Lausanne, a young woman superintended the removal of our baggage to the omnibusses, which conveyed us up the hill to the town. Near by is a small inn where Byron wrote the " Prisoner of Chillon" in the short space of two days, during which he was confined here by bad weather. I stopped at the Hotel du Gibbon, so named after the cele- brated historian of the Roman Empire, who spent many years of his life at Lausanne, while receiving his education and prosecuting his literary labors. The dining-room contains a portrait of him, and the wall of the hotel occupies the site of the summer-house in which he wrote the last page of his great work. " It was," he says, " on the day or rather the night of the 27th of June, 1787, between the hours of eleven and twelve, that I wrote the last line of the last page in a summer-house in my garden. After laying down my pen, I took several walks in a berceau or covered walk of acacias, which commands a prospect of the country, the lake and the mountains. The air was temperate, the sky was serene, the silver orb of the moon was reflected from the waters,' and all nature was silent. I WITH NEW EYES. 301 Freyburg— The Organ— Curious Bas-relief. will not," he adds, " dissemble the first emotions of joy on recovery of my freedom, and perhaps the establishment of my fame. But my pride was soon humbled, and a sober melan- choly was spread over my mind by the idea that I had taken an everlasting leave of an old and agreeable companion, and that whatever might be the future date of my History, the life of the historian must be short and precarious." From Lausanne I took the Poste at half past six in the even- ing for Freyhurg, where I arrived two hours after midnight, and was most comfortably entertained at the Hotel de Zah- ringen. The principal " lions" of Freyburg are the Suspension bridges and the Organ in St. Nicholas' church. The organ is said to be the finest in the world. It was built by Aloys Mooser, a native of the town, and has four rows of keys and sixty-eight stops (which do not draw out as in common, but slide to the right and left), and seven thousand eight hundred pipes, some of them thirty-two feet long. The case is of black walnut, richly ornamented with gilt covered work. It has one stop (Bassoon-hautbois) which so faithfully imitates the human voice, that it is often mistaken for a choir of voices. I was de- ceived by it myself and actually supposed for the time that there was a choir of boys accompanying the instrument. The imitation of a full band was excellent, and also the storm- piece with which the performance terminated, imitating the howling of the wind, the rolling of the thunder, and the general melee of the tempest. The portal to the church is surmounted by a curious bas- relief in dark stone, representing the Last Judgment. In the centre stands St. Nicholas, and above him is seated the Saviour. On the left, an angel is weighing mankind in a huge pair of 14 802 OLD SIGHTS Suspension Bridge— Pensionnat— Ancient Lime-Tree. scales, not singly, but in lots, and a pair of imps are maliciously endeavoring to pull down one scale, and make the other kick the beam ; below is St. Peter, ushering the good into Paradise. On the right hand is a devil with a pig's head, dragging after him by a chain a crowd of the wicked, and also with a basket on his back filled with figures, which he is apparently about to precipitate into a vast caldron suspended over a fire, which several other imps are stirring and blowing with the bellows. In the corner is Hell, represented by the jaws of a monster, filled up to the teeth with lost souls, and above it is Satan on his throne. The efiect of the whole is ludicrous in the ex- treme. The Suspension Bridge is thrown over the deep gorge of the river Saane (a tributary of the Rhine), to connect the opposite sides of the town. At the time of its construction in 1834, it was the longest of a single curve in the world. It is nine hundred and forty-one feet long, twenty-two feet eleven inches wide, and at an elevation of one hundred and eighty feet above the bed of the stream. Below is another wire bridge across the gorge of Gotteron, which is six hundred and forty feet long, and three hundred and seventeen high. The houses of the town are partly in the bottom of the gorge on the banks of the river, partly on the heights above, presenting a singular and romantic appearance. On an elevated site is the Pensionnat or Jesuits' School, in which some four hundred children, many of them from wealthy Roman Catholic families in France and Germany, are educated. Near the ancient Rathhaus, L e. " Town-house," is the trunk of a lime tree, said to have been planted on the day of the battle of Moriat, in 1476. A young Frey burger, who had fought in the battle, anxious to bring home the good news, ran the whole WITH NEW EYES. 303 Ancient Lime-Tree. way, and arrived at this spot bleeding, out of breath, and so exhausted that he fell down and had barely time to cry " Vic- tory," when he expired. The branch of lime, which he carried in his hand, was immediately planted, and grew into this tree. The decayed trunk, which is twenty feet in circumference, is surrounded by a railing with seats, and is preserved with great care. Some old men, who were sunning themselves upon the seats, accosted me with great cordiality as I approached, and seemed pleased to enter into conversation with a stranger. The line of separation between the French and German languages passes through Freyburg, so that French is spoken in the upper town, and in the lower town German. 304 OLD SIGHTS Freyburg to Berne. CHAPTER XXXVII. FREYBURG TO BERNE AND INTERLACHEN. I LEFT Freyburg at 3 o'clock the next morning, in the Poste for Berne, sixteen or seventeen miles distant. Bright moonlight rested upon the quaint old buildings, as we rattled through the silent streets, passed under the lofty portal, and rolled over the great suspension bridge which, though apparently so frail, was not in the least disturbed by the passage of our heavy coach, and four horses. The country seemed fertile and under good cultivation, and the appearance of the Bernese cottages is ex- tremely picturesque. I found an agreeable companion in one of the passengers, a Swiss manufacturer, travelling on business, a gentleman of intelligence, who seemed happy to communi- cate to strangers any desired information respecting the institu- tions and resources of his country. He greatly enlarged my ideas of the extent and enterprise of the manufacturing interest in Switzerland. We passed near the battle-ground of Laupen^ where the Swiss Confederates, under Rudolph of Erlach, de- feated the mailed chivalry of Burgundy and Suabia, in 1339, crossed the stream of the Sense, which separates the canton of Freyburg from Berne, and entered the gate of Morat, flanked by two great stone bears in a sitting posture, at about six o'clock. After breakfast, at the excellent Hotel du Faucon, my Swiss WITH NEW EYES. 805 " The Bears "—Situation of Berne. friend took me to see " the bears!''' Berne signifies " a bear," in the old German or Suabian dialect, and this bas been the favorite device of the city from time immemorial. A bear con- stitutes the armorial bearings of the canton, a bear is stamped upon the coin ; you see bears upon the sign-posts, fountains, and public buildings. One of the principal fountains is sur- mounted by a bear in armor, with a sword at his side, and a banner in his paw. Another has the figure of a Swiss cross- bowman of former days, attended by a young bear as squire. Bears are the most conspicuous images in the toy-shops. But " the bears" we went to see were living specimens, which are maintained at the. public expense, in the ditch of the wall outside of the Aarburg gate. They have a keeper to take care of them, and a comfortable house for their accommodation. We tried various expedients to excite them to activity, but without success. It was too early in the morning, or the oc- casion was not of sufficient importance. Bruin obstinately refused to make an exhibition of himself, and maintained a sullen com- posure. When the French revolutionary army took possession of Berne in 1798, the bears were led away captive, and put into the Jardin des Plautes, in Paris. But when, after a series of years, the ancient order of things was restored, one of the first cares of the citizens was to replace and provide for their ancient pensioners. Berne is the capital of the largest of the Swiss cantons, the seat of the Diet, and the residence of most of the foreign Ministers. The number of its inhabitants is about twenty-three thousand. It is built upon a lofty sandstone promontory, formed by the winding course of the river Aar, which flows at the bottom of a deep gully with steep and precipitous sides, nearly surrounding the town. It is seventeen hundred feet 806 OLD SIGHTS Charitable lastitutions— Antique Watch Towers— The Minster. above the level of the sea, and commands a fine ^^ew of the Bernese Alps. The houses are of massive stone, though not of gi'eat height, and in the principal streets rest upon arcades, which furnish covered walks, and are lined with shops and stalls. The fortifications have been converted into promenades. In the moat outside of the gate of Morat, a number of tame deer are kept at the public expense. They are very pretty animals, and their lively motions, especially the gambols of the young, afford much amusement to the children. Berne is celebrated for the number and excellence of its cha- ritable institutions. My friend took me to see the Hospital, a fine building, bearing the inscription, " Christo in pauperibus," " To Christ in the poor," i. e. as the poor are Christ's repre- sentatives on earth. The new Prison and Penitentiary are also grand and imposing edifices. In the principal street there are three antique watch towers, which attract the notice of the stranger. The Clock-tower about the centre (origiually built in 1191), further on the Cage- tower, now used as a prison, and beyond that Christopher's tower, with the figure of a giant upon it. The clock is a great curiosity. A minute before the hour strikes twelve, a wooden cock makes its appearance, crows twice and flaps his wings, and while a puppet strikes the hour on a bell, a procession of bears issues forth and passes in front of a figure on a throne, ■who marks the hour by gaping and lowering his sceptre. We next visited the Minster, a beautiful Gothic building, begun in 1421 and finished in 1457. The chief entrance is adorned with sculptured reliefs of the Last Judgment in the centre, and the wise and foolish Virgins on the sides. The windows are painted with the coats of arms of the aristocratic WITH NEW EYES. 807 The Platfoi m -My Carpet-Bag . burghers of Berne, iu all the pomp of heraldry. Along the walls are tablets, bearing the names of eighteen officers and six hundred and eighty-three soldiers, citizens of Berne, who fell fighting against the Frencli in 1798. Behind the Minster is the Platform^ a lofty terrace one Xumdred and eight feet above the river Aar, planted with noble chestnut trees, and furnished with seats for public accommoda- tion. From this spot the sunny peaks of the Bernese Alps are seen to great advantage. At half i)ast 10, I took my seat on the top of the diligence for Thun (pronounced Tuoii). We crossed the deep river of the Aar, upon the nciv stone bridge, and turning to the right * along the river, had a fine view of this noble structure. It is nine hundred feet long, and the central arch is one hundred and fifty feet wide, and ninety-three high. The weather was line, and the scenery very pleasing, but alas! I was not in a mood to enjoy it. My mind was ill at ease respecting the sole companion of my European tour, my trusty carfet-bag. The conductor had repeatedly assured me it was ihere^ but where I could not see. At the imminent risk of my neck, I explored the huge pile of luggage upon the roof, but nowhere amid the multitude of carpet-bags of every imaginable size, shape, and hue, could I discover that peculiar combination of red, green, and brown stripes, which alone had any interest in my eyes. I became so unmanageable, that the conductor at length good- iiaturedly undertook the search himself and after dragging out innumerable articles and subjecting them to my inspection, only to be condemned, finally succeeded in extracting from the remotest corner the identical carpet-bag, the sight of which restored me to my usual equanimity. My fellow passenger was a German, a velvet manufacturer at Kraufield, on the Bhine, 308 OLD SIGHTS Lake Thun— The Mountains— Interlachen. who told, me that last year he seat two thousand pieces of velvet to Zsew York. When we arrived at Thun about half-past 1 p.m. it was rain- ing hard, and the removal of the passengers and their baggage to the small steamer on the lake was a scene of no little con- fusion. The lake is about fourteen miles long, and three wide, and in some places seven thousand feet deep. The river Aar, coming from the lake of Brienz, enters it at its south end, and issues from it at the opposite extremity. The town is on the Aar, about a mile below its egress fi-om the lake. The most conspicuous objects are the old feudal Castle, the former resi- dence of the Counts of Thun, and the venerable parish church with its loftj tower. The banks of the lake in the vicinity of Thun are adorned with many picturesque villas and gardens ; farther on the shore is more precipitous and barren. The inountains appear finely. The sharp peak of the Stoekhor^, and the pyramidal mass of the 3?icsen, stand sentinels at the enti-ance of the rivers Kandu and Simraenthal, on the south side of the lake, and farther on to- wards the east are seen the Jungfrau and Finster Aar-horn. We were landed at JTcuhaus, about ten miles from Thun, where we found a long array of carriages, porters, guides, and horses, to carry passengers chieflj to Interlachen, which is two or three miles distant. On our way we passed through the village of Unierseen. Vnterseeii and Interlachen both signify " between the lakes," i.e. lake Thun and lake Brienz. Inter- lachen is a favoiite resort of the Germans and English. It con- tains a number of larg-e hotels and boarding- houses. I went to the Hotel Jungfrau, where, through the kind offices of a friend, I was favored with a fine front room, in full view of the snow- clad summit of the Jungii-au. To ray gi-eat surprise I met three WITH NEW EYES. 809 Hotel Jungfrau— The Company. of my former companions in Italy, who had just arrived from a pedestrian tour, and two other Americans with them, so that we made out a party by ourselves. The company at the Hotel Jungfrau was mostly German and Swiss, with a sprinMing of Enghsh. I could not but observe that the Germans and Swiss were much better informed re- specting our country than the English. Swiss gentlemen especially seemed to take a pride in the growing prosperity of our republican institutions, as the natural fruit of seeds first sown in their own soil. They love to speak of the united states of Switzerland as the mother of the United States of America. An English lady who sat next to me at the table d'hote, ex- pressed great surprise on hearing that I was an American, because, said she, " you speak English so well." I suppose she expected to hear me speak nothing but Indian. She then asked me about California, and when I told her that California was farther from the place of my residence than it was from Eng- land, she evidently began to look upon me jvith suspicion, as one who was endeavoring to impose upon her credulity. There was some fine music in the drawing-room in the even- ing. One of the young ladies in particular, a German, had an uncommonly rich, clear voice. She sang several comic German songs with an inimitable grace. There was very little personal beauty, however. And in general, the traveller may expect that the loveliness of the women in Switzerland will be in inverse proportion to the loveliness of the country. 14* 810 OLD SIGHTS Guide and Horse— "The Evil Stone." CHAPTER XXXVIII. LAUTERBRUNNEX THE WEXGERN ALP, AND GRINDELWALD TO MEYRIXGEX. I HIRED a guide with his horse to take me through the val- ley of Lauterbrunnen over the Wengern Alp to Grindelwald the first day, over the great Scheideck to Meyringen the next day, and by the pass of the Brunig to Lungern the third day, calling it four days, allowing for his return part-way, at the rate of nine francs a day and one and a half franc a day " pour boire" or " trinkgeld," i. e. " drink-money " — the customary name for a gratuity — amounting to forty-two francs in all. Accordingly we set out for Lauterbrunnen at 7 o'clock in the morning, in a one-horse carriage. The road passes first through a tract of verdant meadow-land, on which great wrestling-matches are held periodically. The dilapidated old Castle of Unspunnen, the reported residence of Byron's " Man- fred," appears on the right, and we plunge into the narrow and savage gorge of the Lutschine, hemmed in by perpendicular rocks of limestone, that almost exclude the light of day. The road passes a projecting rock, called Bose Stein, " the Evil Stone," where a fratricide was committed. The lord of the Castle of Rothenflue, which stood on the opposite side of the valley, here murdered his own brother. At the hamlet of Zweilutschinen, about two miles from the WITH NEW EYES. 3il Valley of Lauterbmnuen— The Dust-Fall. entrance of the valley, wo came to the fork wliere it divides into two brandies, Tliat oii the left is the valley of Griildelwald, terminated by the gigantic mass of the Wetterhorn. That on the right is the Lauterbrunnen, up which we proceeded. "Zaw- terhrunnen " signifies " nothing but fountains," and the valley is so called from the number of streamlets that pour down its precipitous sides. The village of Lauterbrunnen is '2400 feet above the sea, and so shut in b}^ the mountains that in summer the sun does not appear till seven o'clock, and in wiiiter not before twelve. Here we left the cari'iage, and I walked on half a miie further to visit Staubbach (or Dust-fall), one of the loftiest water-falls in Europe. The stream is not large, but it pours over a, precipice nine hundred feet high, and long before it reaches the bottom is shivered into spray like dust. It has been compared to a beautiful lace veil, suspended from the precipice, and imitating in its centre the folds of drapery. Byron has described it as " curving over the rock like the tail of a white horse streaming in the wind," such as it might be conceived would be that of " the pale horse," on which Death is mounted in the Apocalypse. ^' It is not noon — the sunbow's rays still arch The torrent Avitli the many lines of heaven, And roll the sheeted silver's waving column O'er the crag's headlong perpendicular, And fiing its lines of foaming light along. And to and fro, like the pale courser's tail, The giant steed to be bestrode by Deatli, As told in the Apocalypse. " When the clouds are low and rest upon the valley, this waterfall literally appears to leap down from the sky. 812 OLD SIGHTS Wengern Alp— Mountain Echoes— The Jungfrau. Eetorning- 1 met my guide with his horse, which I mounted, and turning off to the left, commenced the ascent of the Wen- gern Alp, or Lesser ScheidecJc — down a hill^ across a brook, up the hill opposite, through some meadows, past the scattered houses of a hamlet, toiling up a steep zig-zag path for a long distance, then a succession of dilapidated stone stairways, till it seems as if you must soon be at the top of everything. At last, you emerge upon a more gradual slope of meadow land, when you are amply compensated for all yonr toil by the mag- nificent prospect of the valley below. A boy with a long wooden horn had posted himself at one place in the road to sell echoes to travellers. I bought a batz (about two cents) worth, and thought it a good bargain. He blew a few notes on his horn, and when he ceased, the mountains opposite took up the strain and repeated it many times with wouderful dis-' tinctness and sweetness. About noon we reached the inn, which has been built upon the broAv of the ravine directly facing the gigantic snow-clad mass of the Jungfrau, which rises in majestic purity on the op- posite side. Jung-frau means " young woman," or " virgin," and this name was given to the mountain either on account of the unsullied purity of the snow which clothes its sides, or because at that time it had never been surmounted by human foot. The air is so clear, and the proportions of surrounding- objects so colossal, as to destroy the usual effect of distance. It seems close to you, as if you could throw a stone against the mountain-side, which is five or six miles distant from you. I waited about two hours in hopes of seeing an avalanche fall. They are usually most numerous a little after noon, when the snn exercises the greatest influence upon the glaciers in looseiiing masses of snow and ice, and causing tliem to break WITH NEW EYES. 813 Fall of an Avalanche— Mountain Peaks— The Descent. off. Just after I had started on my way again, I was lavored with the sight of one. A distant roar, like thunder, first arrested my attention. I looked and saw a shower of snow pouring over a precipice on the side of the mountain, — then disappear- ing for a Httle w^hile, and then streaming out of a gully below over another precipice. This w^hite powder, which looks so insignificant in the distance, consists of huge blocks of ice and snow, capable of sweeping away whole forests and overwhelm- ing villages in its course. About two miles beyond the inn we attained the summit of the pass, which is 6,280 feet above the level of the sea. The view of the mountains was very fine. The Jung-frau on the extreme right, the Silherhorns somewhat nearer, then the Monch or Klein-Eigher {i. e. " Little Giant "), and the Great-Eigher, all over 13,000 feet high. The Eigher-horn especially appeared truly sublime. Its base was enveloped in clouds, out of which uprose its sharp peak, like the tenant of another sphere. As we approached Grindelwald, the Schreck-horn ( i. e. " Peak of Terror") came ia sight, and occasionally the needle-like peak of the Finsttr Aarhorn. The glaciers which cling around these peaks, and fill up the ravines between them, have been computed to occupy an area of one hundred and fifteen square miles. The descent was very steep and difiicult — at first muddy and slippery, and then strewn with fallen rocks. We passed in sight of a forest mown down by the fall of avalanches. It was a picture of complete desolation, the trunks broken off near the ground, stripped of their branches and bark even, black and seared as if a raging fire had swept over them. As we neared the valley, the Wetterhorn (or "Peak of Tempests") appeared in front, the Faulhorn on the left, and to the right ol4 OLD SIGHTS Grindelwald— Pass of the Gre at Scheideck— The Upper Glacier. the white glacier of Grindelwald. We reached Grindelwald at 5 P.M., and put up at the small but comfortable Hotel de rOurse, i. e. '' the Bear.'' Grindelwald seemed to me the beau ideal of an Alpine val- ley, with its gigantic mountains, the Eigher-horn, the Mitten- berg, and the Wetterhorn, and its two magnificent glaciers issuing from between thesj mountains, and descending to the very bottom of the valley, within a stone's throw of human habitations, and skirted by forests of fir along their sides, and green pastures at their ba^e. The next morning I started at half past seven, on horseback, for Meyrlnjen, by the pass of the Great Scheideck. The path was very steep, and stony, and slippery, in consequence of re- cent rains. I wanted to dismount and walk down some of the worst places, but my guide kept saying, " nein ! nein !'"' (" Oh no I Oh no!') and would take hold of the bridle and lead the horse along ; till finally we came to a steep and rocky descent, when I had a strong presentiment the horse would, stumble and throw me over his head, and I insisted on getting ofi", and did, and walked on in advance some distance to the Upper Glacier, where I hngered some time, admiring the beau- tiful blue color of the ice. Large blocks, detached from the Glacier and fallen down into the stream which flows from it, still retained this deep azure here, thus showing that it was not occasioned simply by the reflection of the light, as might be thought, from its appearance in the crevices. As I turned aside into a foot-path which led nearer to the Glacier, an old man with a pipe in his mouth came out of a small hut near by, and followed at my heels, gesturing away and pointing out the chief objects of interest, to my great an- noyance and disgust. I supposed h§ was offering his services WITH NEW EYES. 315 The Wetterhorn— "Alpine Roses." as a guide, and therefore shook my head repeatedly, and said, " Nein ! ncinr^ as significantly as I could. He paid no atten- tion to it, however, but still kept close to me, jabbering away with great volubility. About all the German I could muster from the evanescent associations of the " German optional," during junior year in college, was the unmistakeable direc- tion^ ^^ Geht zum Teufel P^ which I accordingly discharged at him with evident effect. It certainly was not a very civil salu- tation, but I had no other medium of expressing my decided wish that he should withdraw and leave me to my own medi- tations. He seemed very much enraged, and kept walking around the rock on which I stood, gesturing and jabbering away more fiercely than ever. Presently my guide came up and explained to the old man my ignorance of the vernacular, whereupon he accosted me in French, giving me to understand that this was a private path, which he had made through his own land for the accommodation of travellers, and that he wanted pay for my use of it. I gave him half-a-batz (about a cent and a half), which changed his tone completely, and brought down a shower of thanks and apologies. Mounted again, and rode on over a wild, desolate tract of meadow land, wet, muddy, and slippery, along the base of the gigantic Wetterhorn, which lifts its stupendous peak of naked rock to the height of more, than 13,000 feet, seeming to over- hang the path, and impressing the traveller with sublime awe. We reached the summit of the pass about 10 o'clock. I dis- mounted and commenced the descent on foot. We met a great many coming up ; one gentleman, an invalid, in a " chaise-a-porteur'''' (or sedan-chair) with four bearers, also a lady, carried in the same manner, and a long string of others on horse-back and a-foot. I picked some of the '■^AJpine rose,^^ 816 OLD SIGHTS Baths of Rosenlaui— Shelter from the Storm. a species of red ibododendron, wliicli grows here in great pro- fusion, and put them in my passport book for preservation, as mementoes of the Alps. Soon it commenced raining. I was far ahead of my guide, and therefore stopped under a shed to wait his coming. After waiting a long time, I walked on again in the rain, now through a forest, where I heard a distant howling, and wondered whether there were any wolves in this region, saw some fine avalanches, loosened by the rain, down the Wetterhorn, was overtaken by my guide, and in the midst of a drenching rain arrived at the Biths of Rosenlaui, where there is a small inn. Here we stopped for shelter and refreshment. I amused myself for some time, watching the successive arrivals of par- ties overtaken by the storm, as they cime stringing in, dripping wet — ladies holding up their skirts, all be-draggled in the mud. " Oh ! what a sight I" till the little hotel was full to overflow- ing. All the resources of the establishment were put into re- quisition to supply the ladies with change of apparel, and great was the merriment occasioned by the oddity of their new cos- tumes. However, we were all " put to rights" after a while, and sat down to dinner, a motley company of old and young, German, English, and French, and one American. X French lady who sat next me was yqty sociable, and when she found out my country, inquired after a cousin who had married in Virginia, and another friend wlio resided in Xew York. A French gentleman in conversation spoke of the States of Phi- ladelphia and Boston. After dinner we waited and waited for the rain to cease. One party of English, half of them ladies, set off in the rain, on horses and mules, with India-rubber hoods, and cloaks, and umbrellas, a doleful procession. About 5 o'clock, it stopped raining, and I WITH NEW EYES. 817 "Ropefall." resumed my journey, on horseback. For a short distance the path leads across a beautiful green plain, by the side of the torrent of Reichenbach, but soon the valley contracts into a ravine, and the path becomes so steep and rocky, one is obliged to dismount and proceed on foot. The view of the craggy peaks in the rear is very fine, and all along the ravine numer- ous streams of water from over its precipitous sides, one called the Seilbach, or " Ropefall," had also a fine view of the Falls of Reichenbach, and passed the Hotel called the Baths of Reichenbach, about a mile short of Meyringen. Instead of going around by the road with my guide and horse, I took a short cut path through the field, and crossing the Alpbach in a ferry-boat carried over by the force of the current, arrived at the Hotel de la Couroune about G o'olook. 318 OLD SIGHTS The Vallej' of Meyringen— Pass of the Brunig. CHAPTER XXXIX. MEYRINGEX, PASS OF THE BRUNIG, LUCERNE TO BASLE. The valley of Meyringen is noted for its beauty. It is en- compassed by mountains with precipitous sides, partly clothed with forests, here and there streaked with white cascades, and overtopped by many snow-white peaks. It is not however so gi-and as Grindelwald. Much of it is a flat plain, half marsh and half gravel, from inundations of the river. The Alpbach, a mountain torrent pouring down from "the height behind the village out of a narrow gorge, when swollen by the rains, bears along heaps of black sand and rubbish, w'hich sometimes impede its course till the accumulated waters sweep everything before them, and spread desolation over the valley. An inundation of this sort in 1762 buried a large part of the village in one hour twenty feet deep in rubbish. The marks of this catas- trophe still appear on many of the buildings and fields. In the night I heard it raining hard still, and had dismal forebodings of the morrow. However, I rose early, and took my breakfast, thinking it might clear up. But no, it was rain, rain, rain, as hard as it could pour. About 10 o'clock it abated a little, and I set out for Lnngern, by the pass of the Brunig. The first part of the way I was able to ride on a trot, but soon the ascent became steeper and obliged us to slacken cur pace. The rain came doAvn in torrents ; I was obliged to carry an um- WITH NEW EYES. 819 Lungern— Landenberg brella, which frightened rny horse and made him sheer in some very pokerish-looking places. The last part of the way was very steep and rocky. Still I was abundantly repaid by the sublime appearance of the clouds rolling around the mountains, and the occasional glimpses of the valley afforded us. On reaching the summit, I dismounted, and went down the other side on foot. The path was the most rocky and precipitous of any I had travelled. It seemed impossible that horses could travel it. At one place I took a short cut across a meadow, and then down steps cut in the rock, while the guide went around a different way with the horse. I reached Lungern about noon, drenched with rain, and much fatigued. Here I paid my guide his forty-two francs, and dismissed him to return. I sent my overcoat to the kitchen-fire to dry, took dinner, and ordered a carriage to Alpnach. It was a one-horsed vehicle, like a four-wheeled gig, with a leathern apron in front to protect from the weather, and a driver's seat outside of that. It was delightful to exchange the back of a horse for a com- fortable seat in a carriage, and I leaned back and smoked my pipe with a sense of perfect satisfaction. The steep ascent of the Kaiserstuhl brought us to the level of the Lake of Lungern. This lake was recently drained by boring a tunnel through the ridge of the Kaiserstuhl, and letting off its waters into the lower valley. The surface of the lake was lowered about one hundred and twenty feet, and its dimensions reduced about one half. The additional land thus gained has not however compensated for the expense of the operation, which was estimated at five thousand pounds, and nineteen thousand days' labor. The road then skirts the east shore of the Lake of Sarnen, and passes through the ^nllage of the same name, pleasantly situated at the foot of an eminence called Landenberg, memor- 820 OLD SIGHTS Slide of Alpnach— Lake Alpnach— Boat-Women. able in Swiss history as tlie residence of the cruel Austrian bailiff of that name, who put out the eyes of the aged Henry An der Halden. AVe next came to Aljr'iach with its fine taper spire, a village of about fourteen hundred inhabitants, at the foot of Mount Pilatus. It was in this vicinity that the cele- brated Slide of Alpnach was constructed, for the purpose of brino-insf down to the lake the fine timber of the mountains, which could not be obtained by the ordii.ary means. The slide was a trough of wood extending from a height of twenty- five hundred feet down to the water's edge. A tree one hundred feet long, and four feet in diameter, was discharged in six minutes from the upper end of the trough into the lake, a distance of eight miles ! Sometimes a tree would bolt from the trough with such force as to cut large trees at the side short off, and dash itself to pieces. The timber was collected on the lake, formed into a raft, and floated down the Reuss into the Rhine. About a mile and a half further brought us to Gestad., on Lake Alpnach, which is a gulf of Lake Lucerne, where I ordered a boat to Winlcel^ on the opposite side. After waiting awhile somewhat impatiently, as it was after 5 o'clock, and I wished to reach Lucerne that evening, I noticed several women walk- ing down the street, carrying huge oars fifteen feet long on their shoulders, and supposed them to be the wives of the boat- men, making preparations for their husbands' departure. But when I came to the boat, I found it was manned by three women^ an old woman and two young ones. Yes ! I am almost ashamed to confess it, I was rowed across the lake to "Winkel, a distance of five miles, by three women I If there had been anything particularly feminine and interesting in their appear- ance, I should have felt constrained to assist them, but they WITH NEW EYES. 821 Lucerne— Bridges adorned with Paintings— The English barrow. were so coarse and ugly, I thought them fit for nothing better. At Winkel I hired a carriage for Lucerne, where I arrived at 8 o'clock in the evening, at the Schwytzer Hof, a large and splendid hotel, full of company. Lucerne is the chief town of the canton, and one of the alternate seats of the Diet. It is situated at the north-west extremity of the Lake of Lucerne, and is divided into two parts by the river Reuss, which here issues out of the lake. Its population is about eight thousand. I rose early next morning and walked out to visit the Hof- hrucJce — a covered bridge over an arm of the lake, more than one thousand feet long, which is adorned with paintings, occu- pying the triangular space between each cross-beam and the rafters of the roof. The paintings are illustrations of the Scrip- tures, some of them very well done, but much injured by the weather. The bridge commands a fine view of the lake, and the mountains Righi, Pilatus, Schwytz, and Engelberg, &c. Another of the bridges, called the Mill-bridge, is hung with paintings of the "Dance of Death." On going to the Poste to take a place for Basle, I found the diligence full. A swpplement was provided however for another person and myself — an open one-horse carriage, much pleas- anter than the coach. The streets through which we passed were decorated with triumphal arches of green and garlands of flowers, the relics of a recent musical fete. It was a beautiful morning, the late rains had laid the dust, the scenery was fine, and we had a delightful ride. At Buttisholz I saw the mound called the English harrow ^ because it contains the bones of three thousand Englishmen, followers of the celebrated Condottiero leader, Ingelzam de Coucy, who were defeated herQ in 1376, by the inhabitants of 822 OLD SIGHTS Arnold of Winkelried— Sursee. Entlebuch. Had a fine view of the Lake of Sempach, on the east shore of which was fought the Battle of Sempach^ between the Austrians and the Swiss, the second of those great and sui-prising victories by which Swiss independence was establish- ed. Here Arnold of Winkelried signalized himself by his devotion to liberty. Seeing all the attempts of his countrymen to break the Austrian ranks foiled by their long lances, he exclaimed, " Protect my wife and children, and I will open a path to freedom." He then rushed forward, and gathering in his arms as many lances as he could grasp, buried them in his bosom ; and before the lancers could extricate their entangled weapons, his countrymen were enabled to take advantage of the gap thus made in the mail-clad ranks of the foe. " Make way for liberty ! lie cried, Then ran, with arms extended wide, As if his dearest friend to clasp ; Ten spears he swept within his grasp ! ' Make way for liberty!' he cried, Their keen points met from side to side ; He bowed amongst them like a tree, And thus made way for liberty. Swift to the breach his comrades fly, ' Make way for liberty !' they cry, And through the Austrian phalanx dart. As rushed the spears through Arnold's heart ; While, instantaneous as his fall. Rout, ruin, panic, scattered all. Thus Switzerland again was free ; Thus death made way for liberty !" At Sursee, an old walled town, whose gate-towers still bear the double-headed eagle of Austria covered in stone, we changed WITH NEW EYES. 323 Aarburg— Frolicsome Girls. horses and carriage. On the way to Reiden, saw the ruins of the castle of Reiden, and a solitary tree on a rock beside it. Stopped at Zoffingen to dine. Changed carriage again. Rode through a pleasant valley, under good cultivation and dis- tinguished by substantial farm houses. Passed an extensive cotton factory, just before entering the old town of Aarhurg^ conspicuous by its extensive citadel upon the heights. Crossed the river Aar, and rode along its banks to Olten^ where we changed carriages again. Commenced the long winding pass of the JJyiter Hauenstein (^. e. "in hewn rock"). Fine view from the summit. Two young girls on the front seat facing me, in high glee, disposed to make sport of every- thing. A passenger in the driver's seat pressed so hard against the glass behind him as to push out a pane, which fell inside. One of the girls took out her scissors and cut a piece off from her bonnet-ribbon and pinned it on his coat-sleeve, and great was the meiTiraent that ensued. We changed again at Sissach, and again at Liesihal, for an omnibus, in which the man with the ribbon on his sleeve was informed of his plight by his next neighbor, and seemed very much hurt and offended. We entered the gates of Basle about half past 6 in the evening, and I put up at the Hotel aux Trois Rois (i. e. " the Three Kings"), a fine establishment, fronting on one of the principal streets, and in the rear overlooking the Rhine, which washes its walls. 824 OLD SIGHTS Basle— New Acquaintance. CHAPTER XL. BASLE TO STRASBOURG. Basle, Bale, or Basel, the site of the ancient Basilea, built by the Roman Emperor Valentinian I., is the capital of the canton of the same name, and contains about fourteen thousand in- habitants. The Rhine, which rushes past in a full broad flood of a clear, light green, divides it into parts, Great Basle and Little Basle, connected by a wooden bridge. Of late years it has been declining in population and business, and an air of stilness and repose pervades its quaint old streets. While drinking my tea in the Dining Saloon of the " Three Kings," which looks out upon the Rhine, my attention was arrested by the familiar sound of my native tongue, character- ized by the peculiar intonations of Yankee-dom. I looked up, and in the serious sensible-looking gentleman who sat opposite, found a brother clergyman, with whom I formed a most agree- able acquaintance. It was delightful to meet some one with whom I could get back to old congenial topics of conversation, from which I had been so long debarred. He had not travel- led as far as I had, and moreover could not talk French, so that he was obliged to avail himself of my assistance, and being naturally of an humble and distrustful turn of mind, he readily deferred to my superiority as a " travelled man," and I really began to consider myself of some importance. After tea we WITH NE-W EYES. 825 The Minster— Erasmus— The Terrace. took a stroll through the streets. A saddened feeling came over us as we noticed the American flag suspended from the window of the United States Consulate opposite, shrouded in crape, on account of the recent death of our President. I called at the Bureau and paid my passage through to Lon- don-, amounting to one hundred and seventeen and a half francs. (First class.) It seemed to bring me so much nearer home. The next morning was the sabbath — a beautiful day. B - and I walked to the Minster, a curious old building of deep red sandstone, with two square towers surmounted by spires two hundred and five feet high. It was begun by Henry 11. in 1010, and consecrated in 1019. The front has two quaint old groups of St. Greorge and the Dragon on one side of the prin- cipal entrance, and St. Martin and the Beggar on the other. The cloisters are very extensive, and contain the monuments of the three Reformers, (Ecolampadius, Grynseus, and Meyer. In the church above is the tombstone of Erasmus, who died here in 1536. The church is now used for Protestant service, but there was no service this morning. Behind the Minster is a terrace, seventy-five feet above the river, planted with noble chestnut trees, and commanding a beau- tiful view over the Rhine, the town, and the country, bounded by the Black Forest hills. Near by is the Public Libroury, con- taining many interesting autographs of Luther, Melancthon, Erasmus, and Zwinglius, and a Gallery of the Paintings and Drawings of Holbein. A very polite citizen, of whom we had made some inquiries respecting the Minster, ofiered to show us some of the principal sights of the town, but we declined the offer, and sat down on one of the benches under the trees, and had a long talk about home matters, contrasting our situation 15 826 OLD SIGHTS Service at the Cathedral— Strasbourg— Monnment of Marshal Sase. ■with tliat of our congregations, and wondering how vre should feel at resunaing onr ministerial labors. In the afternoon we attended service in the Minster. The congregation was small, and apparently not yerv attentive, but the preacher seemed mucb engaged in his work, and spoke with a great deal of animation. Two infants were baptized — " Louisa Carlina," and " Sarah Carlina.*' The clergyman took them in his arms and sprinkled each three times in connection ■with the names of the persons of the Trinity. On calling at the Poste the next morning, I was greeted with ■the sight of my old green umbrella, the faithful companion of all my travels, which I hardly expected ever to see again. I had missed it on arriving at Basle Saturday evening, and gave the conductor a charge to look for it on his return. He found it at Sissach, fourteen miles back, where I had left it, as we stopped to change carriages. At a quarter to 9 a.m., an omnibus took passengers from the hotel to the railway terminus, and at nine and a quarter we started for Strasbourg, passing through Mulhausen, Colmar, and jScklesiadt, and arriving at a little after 2 p.m. The distance is eighty-six miles. I went in an omnibus to the Hotel de la ViUe de Paris, and after dinner employed a commissionaire to show me the principal objects of interest, as I had but httle time for the purpose. He took me first to St. Thomas's church to see the Monument of Marshal Saxe, erected to his memory by Louis XV. — which employed the sculptor Pigalle twenty- five vears. It is of white marble, and the different fiomres are of foil size. The principal figure is the Marshal with his baton in his right hand, and his left a-kimbo, calmly descending to the tomb. On his right, cowering at his presence, are an eagle, the emblem of Austria, a leopard overturned, the emblem of Eng- WITH KEW EYES. 827 Statue of Guttemberg. land, and a lion emblem of Holland, nations over whom he had been victorious. On his left, flags of different nations, trophies of war, a little genius mourning his fate, and France in the person of a beautiful female, with one hand endeavoring to detain the Marshal, and with the other to stay the approach of Death, a skeleton wrapped in a winding-sheet, opening the lid of a coflSn. Marshal Saxe was buried here rather than in Paris, because he was a Protestant. The sexton also showed us two embalmed bodies, discovered under the floor in 1802, supposed to be a Count of Nassau, Saarwerden and his daughter, and to have been buried more than four hundred years. They are in full dress — the daughter with finger-rings, necklace, and brace- lets, and ruffles, which comport strangely with the dark shrunken features, and the head sunk down between the shoulders. On our way saw the statues of Gen. Kleher, a native of Stras- bourg, one of Napoleon's generals, whom he left in command of the army in Egypt — and of Guttemhurg, the inventor of printing". The statue of Guttemburg is of bronze, and was modelled by the celebrated sculptor David. By his side is a printing-press, and in his hands a scroll, with the following in- scription, " Let there be hght ! " On one of the four sides of the pedestal appear in bas-relief the distinguished men of letters and science; on another, the advocates of freedom, among whom it is easy to recognize the marked features of our own Washington, Adams, and Franklin ; and on another, the form of Philanthropy, pitying and relieving the oppressed ; and on the fourth. Religion and all nations receiving the gospel at her hands. As I stood contemplating it early the following morn- ing, when it was surrounded by groups of market-women with their various wares, the momentous results of the invention here commemorated came thronging upon my mind; I lost 828 OLD SIGHTS The Cathedral— The Clock. sight of everything around me, and seemed elevated to a height from -which I could take in at one view the whole domain of Art, Science, Literature, and Human Improvement — and lo ! e very- dome, and pinnacle, and house-top, was irradiated by the light which streamed from this central point. It was as if the Crea- tor had laid his hand upon that majestic brow and uttered his almighty fiat, "Let there be light!" — and a new sun arose upon the benighted world ! We next visited THE CATHEDRAL. This is one of the finest Gothic edifices in the world. Its dimensions are three hundred and fifty-five feet in length, one hundred and thirty-two in breadth, and the height of the spire variously estimated at from four hundred and seventy-four to five hundred and thirty feet. It is of solid stone from the found- ation to the apex, and most elaborately carved. The whole front is carried up to the height of two hundred and thirty feet, and from the top of this platform rises the spire nearly three hundred feet higher ! The oldest part of the building is at- tributed to the time of Charlemagne, but the principal part was designed and begun by the architect Erwin of Steinbach, who died in 1318. The most remarkable things in the interior are the vast and beautiful marigold window over the principal en- trance, the rich painted glass of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the carved stone pulpit (of 148*7), and the famous clock, made in 15*71, which stands in the south transept. It is as high as an ordinary dwelling-house, and has a light staircase leading to the top. The various dials show the year, the month, the day, the places of the sun and moon, and many other astronomical phenomena. The quarter-hour is struck by the figure of a boy, the half-hour by a youth, the three-quarters WITH NEW EYES. 829 The Rgprechtsau — Balloon— Ascent of the Spire. by an old man, and the full hour by old father Time himself. When the clock is about to strike twelve, a large gilt cock on a pinnacle claps his "wings, opens his mouth, and crows lustily three times, a procession of the Twelve Apostles issues from one door, passes before the Saviour, each one bowing as he passes, and retires by another door. For fifty years it was out of order and stood still, but it has at length been repaired by a watch- maker of Strasbourg, and set in motion. Towards evening I walked out to the principal promenade called the Ruprechtsau, an extensive space beyond the walls, laid out in walks and gardens. In passing through the fortifi- cations, three draw-bridges are crossed. Indeed Strasbourg is considered one of the strongest fortresses in Europe. The grounds were full of people, who had come to witness a balloon ascension. By paying a small fee I obtained admission to the Jardin Lip, within which the inflation of the balloon was con- ducted, but I was disappointed to find that it was to be raised simply by heated air. The balloon was large and decorated in the gayest style, but the process of inflation occupied a long time. At length everything seemed ready, the aeronaut in fancy costume went around among the spectators with a con- tribution plate, took an afiectionate farewell of his friends, seated himself in the wicker-basket attached to the balloon, heroically resigned to his fate. But the balloon would not go up. It swung this side and that, and came very near catching fire several times, so that the whole afiair was a miserable failure. The next morning, while taking a walk before breakfast, I resolved to ascend the spire of the Cathedral. A commissioner whom I consulted, directed me to the Police oflicer whose special duty it is to accompany such persons as wish to make 830 OLD SIGHTS Highest in the World. the ascent. This regulation has been prescribed in consequence of several instances of suicide or accidental death, by falling from the steeple. We entered the south door in the unfinished tower and toiled up the dark and wearisome staircase which leads to the Platform two hundred and thirty feet high. Here is a telegraph office and a station for watchmen, who are set to look out for fires, including several rooms with domestic conveniences. Then we ascended two hundred and thirteen feet higher to an iron grating trap- door, which my guide un- locked, and we commenced the more dangerous part of the ascent. The staircases are winding with such narrow steps that but part of the foot can rest on them, and one is obliged to go sideways. There is no railing to hold on by, and the spire is so open, that should the foot slip, the body might fall through the fret-work at the side. Up, up, up, the steps growing narrower and narrower, till at length you are obliged to step upon a small square stone clear on the outside of the spire without any pro- tection, then stoop under an iron bar, up another set of steps like the side of a pyramid, terminating in a flat stone a foot square, upon which you sit down right under the carved rosette which forms the apex of the spire, and shudder at your temerity, as you look down and think of the descent. You have as- cended six hundred and sixty steps, and may enjoy the satis- faction of thinking that you are at the top of the highest spire in the world. But as you look again, it seems as if a gust of wind might destroy the equilibrium of the steeple, so slender and delicate is its structure, and your brain reels at the idea of such a catastrophe ! WITH NEW EYES. 331 The Rhine— Clerical acouaintance. CHAPTER XLI. STRASBOURG, THE EKIXE, COLOGNE BY OSTEXD TO LONDON. An omnibus took us to the steamer on the 111, a tributary of the Rhine, from which we soon emerged into the broader stream. The «ceneiy from Strasbourg to Mayenee is not par- ticularly interesting. The river .flows through a wide plain, bounded by distant mountains. It was a pleasant morning, however, and I enjoyed the saiL I made several agreeable ac- quaintances on board. One of them was an Englishman, who came to me as I was sitting in the cabin, with a bottle of wine which he had ordered, and after asking me to partake of it, said he would be under great obligations to me if I would ask the waiter for him how mueh his dinner was. He said he could not speak anything but English, and was troubled to get along. Till within a few days he had been travelling with a company of friends, but now he was all alone, and finding that I was on my return to England, proposed that we should travel in company, saying that he would go whatever route I prefer- red, and accommodate himself entirely to my convenience. He seemed greatly relieved by my assent to his proposal, and after we had gone on deck and seated ourselves on some boxes to ^dew the scenery, expressed his satisfaction by rubbing his hands together, and uttering a shrill "Cock-a-doodle-doo !" I was not a little amused at this singular mode of expression, espe- Sa2 OLD SIGHTS Mayenee — " Glories of the Ehine^' cially on learning afterwards, to my surprise, that he was a clergyman of the Church of England. He preyed to be a very pleasant companion, though ivithout any marked interest iu theological matters, and in all matters of business he was as help- less as a child. Indeed, I thought at the time that one of our Yankee boys ten years old would be much more competent to take care of himself. From this time forth I took charge of him, settled all his accounts with hotel-keepers, porters, rail- roads, &c., and delivered him in safety at Dover. TVe arrived at Mayenee at nine o'clock in the evening, and went to the Bheinischer JSof, a fine establishment. Mayenee is a fortress of the Confederation, strongly garrisoned by the Austrians and Prussians. The population is about thirty-six thousand ; the garrison eight thousand. Here is another statue of Guitemherg^ the inventor of printing, in bronze, model- led by TJiorwcddse}!, and cast at Paris. Mayenee was his birth- place and principal residence. At half past 7, the next morning, we started again in the steamer "i2w6e?w," and had fine weather as far as Coblentz, en- joying the "glories ol the Ehine" very much — the terraced hill-sides covered with vineyards, the frowning crags, the ro- mantic old castles, the tortuous river, the rocky islands, the massive fortifications of JEhrenhreitstein, soon after passing which it began to rain and blow with great violence, so that we were driven below for shelter. TTe arrived at Cologne about 4 P.M., and went to the Hotel Rheijiberg, close by the river. The rain came down in torrents, and I sat a long time at the window of my room, amusing myself with watching the string of foot-passengers crossing the bridge of boats, which was occasionally interrupted by the passage of a steamer or boat. At length we sallied out in spite of the rain, and went to WITH NEW EYES. 833 Cathedral of Cologne— Shrine of the Three Kings. < see the Cathedral, a magaificent structure, begun in 1248, but not yet completed. The main body of the building is not finished, and of the two towers, the highest is not above one third of the full height. The dimensions are: length, five hundred and thirty-eight feet; breadth, two hundred and thirty-one feet ; and the intended height of the towers, five hundred and thirty feet. If completed according to the ori- ginal design, it would be by far the noblest specimen of Gothic architecture in the world. But though untold sums have been lavished upon it, it would require an additional expenditure of five millions of dollars. An Association has been formed, with branches in all parts of Europe, for collecting subscriptions for this purpose. You will often see some of the contribution boxes put up in the hotels, soliciting the contributions of visitors. The choir is the only part finished, and with its clustered pillars, its multitudinous arches, its numerous chapels, its fine stained-glass windows, its colossal statues, and finely carved stalls and seats, is splendid beyond description. Behind the High Altar is the Shrine of the Three Kings of Cologne, or the Magi, who came from the East with presents for the infant Saviour. A curiously wrought silver gilt case contains what are supposed to be their bones, said to have been brought from Milan by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, in 1162, and pre- sented to the Archbishop of Cologne. Their skulls, inscribed with their names — Gasper, Melchior, and Balthazer — written in rubies, are exhibited to view through an opening in the shrine, crowded with diadems and studded with jewels. Under a slab in the pavement is buried the heart of Maria de Medici s, the exiled Queen of Henri IV. of France, who died in poverty at Cologne, in 1642. 15* 834 OLD SIGHTS St. Ursula and the eleven thousand Virgins— Relics— Rail to Ostend. We also visited the Church of St. Ursula and of the eleven thousand Virgins. The story is, that St. Ursula and her vir- gin train, on their return from Rome to Brittany, were all slaughtered at Cologne by the barbarian Huns, because they refused to break their vows of chastity. Their bones are supposed to be deposited here. Bones and skulls meet your eyes wherever you look. They are built into the walls, buried under the pavement, and arrayed in glass cases on all sides. In one apartment, called the Golden Chamber^ you are shown the skulls of a select few, cased in silver, with busts fitted to them, and wrapped in silk. Your attention is particularly di- rected to the marks of the cruel swords in the skulls. You are also shown one of the stone vessels which held the water that was turned into wine at the marriage in Cana, a thigh bone of the apostle Peter, and several other interesting rehcs ! To- complete our tour of Cologne, we next sought out the establishment of the veritable Jean Marie Farino, opposite the Julichs Platz, to purchase some of the genuine article. The next morning was pleasant. We took our seat in the railway carriage at 7 o'clock, and commenced our ride to Ostend. My companion was so elated with the idea of being in England the next day, that he uncorked a bottle of Cologne, and sprinkled our railway apartment with its contents. The other occupants were a lady, and a Cologne and London wine- merchant. As we passed through the walls I was struck with the massive fortifications, with their picturesque flanking-towers and gate-houses, said to present one of the most perfect speci- mens of the style of the middle ages. At Verviers, the Prussian frontier, our luofo-ao-e was searched. ' ' CO o Here Ave changed carriages, and my friend and myself were the sole occupants of a luxurious apartment, with large glass WITH NEW EYES. SS5 Boat to the Steamer. windows in front and at the sides, so that we could have a fine view of the country through which we passed. Our route was through Aix-la-Cha2jelU\ Louvain, Ghent, Bruges, ar- riving at Ostend at T o'clock in the evening. Here all the passengers for England, with their luggage and the English mails, wer« put on board a stout boat, perhaps thirty feet long, ail open to the weather, and manned by four boat- men, to be conveyed to the steamer which lav somewhere in the offing, though not within sight. It was low tide, we had to go down a dozen steps from the pi=er to get aboard ; the boat was so full that there was not room for all to sit down — about fifty passengers — English, German, Frenchmen, and dogs. It was fast growing dark, and soon began to rain. The tide was running in very strong through the narrow passage be- tween the two long piers, but there was not yet water enough to cross the bar at the mouth of the harbor. So we waited and waited, the scowl of the heavens gathering blacker and blackei, the wind rising higher and higher, and the breakers outside looking " scary" enough. "\^^e finally became so impatient of delay, that the men hoisted a large sail and put out I The sea g-rew worse and worse till we drove bump on the bar, with a shock that knocked down every one that was standing, and drenched us with the salt spray. The tide took us back, and the wind drove us on again bump I bump I bump ! the sea dashing over us every time, till the boat was full of water. We all expected to see the water coming in through the bottom every moment, and the boatmen were so frightened they were at their wits' end. Seven or eight times at least we struck with great violence, but finally cleared the bar. The danger was not all over yet, however. For when we came alono-side of the steamer, the sea was so high we were obliged BB^ OLD SIGHTS Return to London. to use great caution in approaching her. One moment the boat would be down by the keel of the steamer, and the next almost on her deck. However, we were all safely taken on board and stowed away, and a most tempestuous night it was. I lay down in my berth and did not quit it ; and to my great satisfaction was not sick at all, while all around me were " making night hideous " by their retchings. We reached Dover about 5 o'clock the next morning (the usual passage is four and a half hours), when I took the 8 o'clock express train for London, and about 11 arrived at my old boarding-house in KiDg street, heartily rejoiced to be back in " Old England " again. It seemed almost like getting home. WITH NEW EYES. 887 Windsor — St. George's Chapel. CHAPTER XLII. WINDSOR, CAMBRIDGE, AND OXFORD. While spending a few days in London, after my return from "the Continent," I made several excursions to places in the vicinity, which I had not visited before. One of these was to Windsor. The distance by the South- Western Railway is twenty-six miles. "An excursion ticket" to go and return in the second class carriages was 4s. 6d. From Waterloo station we passed through Vauxhall, Putney, Richmond, Twickenham, Feltham, Staines, to Windsor. A steep flight of steps cut in the rock leads up to the Castle, which, with its numerous buildings and squares, is a town in itself. I first visited St. George's Chapel, a fine Gothic edifice, built by Edward III., and much enlarged and embellished by succeeding monarchs. The Cenotaph of the Princess Charlotte is an affecting monument. It is divided into two compartments ; in the lower one, the body is represented lying on a bier imme- diately after the departure of the immortal spirit ; it is covered with drapery, beneath which the outline of the figure is wonder- fully apparent, and part of the right hand projects from under the veil with startling effect. At each corner is a female figure weeping. The figures are exquisitely sculptured of the purest marble, and the eff'ect upon my own mind was singularly impressive. 838 OLD SIGHTS The Round Tower— Queen's Stables. The choir contains the stalls of the Knights of the Garter. Over each stall, under a canopy of carved work, are the sword, mantle, helmet, and crest of each knight ; above these is the banner on which are his armorial bearings, and at the back of the seat an engraved brass plate records his name, style, and titles. Among the names are the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia. The Chapel also contains many royal monu- ments. The great painted window over the Altar is a fine work of art. It was designed by Benjamin West, and repre- sents the Resurrection of our Saviour. I next visited the Keep or Round Tower, which stands on the summit of an artificial mount, and was anciently surrounded by a ditch, which is now filled up in part, and the rest con- verted into a shrubbery and garden. The view from the top of the battlements is one of great extent and beauty, comprising parts of twelve counties. The Tower is three hundred and two and a half feet in circumference, and from the level of the Little Park to the top of the flagstaff is an elevation of two hundred and ninety-five and a half feet. The principal apartments of the Palace were closed against visitors on account of the extensive repairs and alterations in progress, but we were promised admission to the Queen's Stables at one o'clock p.m. — an arrangement with which I was perfectly satisfied, as I had no doubt it would prove the more interesting exhibition of the two, especially to one who was sated with palaces. So after w^aiting an hour or two, the gate was opened by one of the grooms, and w^e made the tour of the stables under his guidance. The establishment was characterized by great order and neatness. All the floors were scrubbed to (he last degree of cleanliness. You might have rubbed a white cambric hand- WITH NEW EYES. 839 Carriages— Virginia Water. kerchief over them without soiling it. We saw the " Ponies' harness," the " Pony carriages," the Prince of Wales' " goat carriage," Prince Albert's and the Queen's Pony carriages, and then the Ponies themselves — one cross little specimen from Java, only twenty seven inches high — several beautiful Arabian mares, each with her name over her stall, such as "Zec?a," &c., and many fine horses : different sets of harnesses, some splendidly ornamented ; and carriages without number, of all descriptions — one, a present from Louis Philippe, two droskies from the Emperor of Russia, such as he uses, and a sledge ; night car- riages with conveniences for sleeping, carriages for servants, and carriages for riding incog. The wheels of some of the carria- ges had very large tires for riding on the turf, and others were covered with an elastic substance to deaden the noise, and called " noiseless wheels." Another visitor and myself hired an open carriage to take us to " Virginia Water, ''^ a beautiful ride through the Great Park. One avenue through which we rode, called the " Long Walk," is three and a half miles long, lined with magnificent elm trees the whole distance. At its upper extremity, on an elevation called Snowhill, is a bronze equestrian statue of George IIL, by Westmacott. The views of the lake from different points are very beautiful. An elegant little fishing temple hangs over the water, where we were told the Queen sometimes went a-fishing. ^ On the lake is a beautiful miniature frigate, full rigged, with batteries and everything complete. On great occasions it is ^ manned, by a crew of boys, who go through a variety of naval evolutions for the entertainment of her Majesty. We got out ^ and walked across the meadows, along the shore of the lake, while the carriage went around by the road. At the mouth of the lake there is a small cascade, such as one may see in almost. 340 OLD SIGHTS " Hearne's Oak."— Runnymead— Cambridge— King's College. every brook in New England, but in the eyes of my cockney friend it appeared an exceeding great "water-fall." It was amusing to see the awe-struck wonder with which he contem- plated it, as if it were a second " Niagara." We stopped at a little inn called the " Wheat Sheaf," for dinner, and then rode back by a different way, passed the Banger's house, the Duchess of Kent's, saw the Prince's Aviary, where the Queen sometimes comes and feeds the birds, paid a visit to " Hearne's Oak," the scene of Fallstaff's punishment by the fairies, saw the plain of Runnymead, famous for the meet- ing of the Barons and King John, the 15th June, 1215, and near by the island in the river called Magna Charta Island, where the great Charter was signed — taking the rail again at Windsor and arriving in London at six o'clock in the evening. CAMBRIDGE. Another excursion was to Cambridge, fifty-seven and a half miles distant, by the Eastern Counties Railway. Leaving Shoreditch station at two twenty-five p.m., and passing through Tottenham, AValtham, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop Stortford, and Chesterford, we arrived at Cambridge at 5 25, where a long string of gay looking omnibuses were in waiting to con- vey passengers to the different hotels. After tea I made the tour of the colleges ; went first to King's College, visited the Dining Hall, the Chapel, a magnificent pile of Gothic architecture, with twenty-five beautiful stained glass windows. The ceiling is of solid stone. I went up into the garret overhead to see the ingenious construction of the roof. Admired the beautiful grounds in the rear of Clare Hall — ^the pleasant walks along the river Cam. Coming to the stone bridge my guide interrogated me respecting the number of WITH NEW EYES. 841 Newton's Rooms— The Colleges— The Uniyersity. stone balls on the parapet at the sides, assuring me that he had never been able to find a visitor who gave a correct answer. I counted seven on each side, making fourteen in all. "Where- upon with great exultation he took me across the bridge and showed me one of the balls from which a quarter had been cut out, thus making the number, as he triumphantly asserted, not fourteen, as might appear on a superficial observation, but thir- teen and three quarters ! He said that the piece was cut out by one of the students to win a bet. Visited Trinity College, saw Newton's rooms and Observatory, St. John's College, the " Old" and the " New ;" Trinity church, where Charles Simeon preached; All Saints' church, which has a monument by Chantrey to Henry Kirke "White ; St. Catherine's Hall, Pem- broke College, &c., &c. ; the Senate House, the Pitt Press, the Observatory. The buildings are all of stone, of various ages and styles of architecture, generally arranged in quadrangles, on three sides of an open court, the fourth side closed by a wall with gates for entrance, and pleasant walks and grounds in the rear and at the sides. Each College is a distinct Corporation, holding its buildings and libraries, and possessing large funds in money, land, houses, and advowsons, i. e. the right of pre- sentation to vacant benefices. Each College has its own con- stitution and regulations, its scholars, fellows, and masters. The University is a corporation .by itself, holding the Public Library, the Senate-house (when their public convocations are held and degrees conferred), the printing press, the Observatory, and some other establishments, and also having power to make rules for the government of the whole body, and to choose the several professors. The University has the privilege of sending two representa- tives to Parliament. The right of election is vested in the 842 OLD SIGHTS Oxford— Bodleian Library. members of the Senate. All masters of arts or doctors in one of the three faculties, viz. divinity, the civil law, or physic, having their names upon the college boards, holding any Uni- versity office, or being resident in the town of Cambridge, have votes in this assembly. ^» oxroRD. The next morning I left Cambridge, returned to London, hurried across the city, and reached Paddington station just in time to take the 12.30 train of the Great Western Railway; passed through Slough, Reading, Pangbourne, turning off on a branch road at Didcot, and arrivinor at Oxford about 3 p.m. a distance of sixty-three miles. I went to the " Angel Hotel." The room assigned to me bore this magniloquent inscription, engraved upon a brass plate on the door : " This room was occupied by Rev. Mr. Wood, Preceptor to his Royal Highness, the Prince of Cambridge, on the 19th, 20th, and 21st July, 1835." My first visit was to the Bodleiax Library, which has 2Y0,000 volumes. A copy of every book published in the Kingdom must be deposited here. The gi-eat number of old manuscripts attracted my attention ; several Hebrew ones, with notes written in the form of animals. Queen Elizabeth's Latin Exercises, and many other interesting memorials. The Library is adorned with many fine portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Sir Peter Lely, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, as Addison, Swift, South, Butler, Prior, Shirley, Locke, Duns Scotus, the Duke of Well- ington, and innumerable others. Among the curiosities were the model of a subterranean Temple in India, ninety feet under ground, made of teak-wood by natives, and a most beautiful alabaster model of the Cathedral in Calcutta. WITH NEW EYES. 843 "Addison's Walk"— The " Martyr's Memorial "—Christ Church Meadows. After dinner visited University College, Queen's, Magda- lene — famous for its square tower of fine proportions, and its chapel with its elaborate carved stone-work and stone organ- case, and its painting of " Christ bearing the Cross," attributed to Guido, and another of the "Last Judgment" — took ^^Addi- son^s walk,''^ about three quarters of a mile long, saw a herd of about sixty deer, scattered over the lawn ; visited New Col- lege, admired the stained glass in the Chapel, brought frOm Flanders four hundred years ago, and the great window painted after a design by Reynolds, with the Nativity at the top, and allegorical representations of the Christian virtues at the sides ; saw the superb Bishop's Crosier of the founder, William de Wykeham, of silver, gilt, six feet long, and weighing seventeen pounds; visited the Theatre, the place of public convocations, sat in the Chancellor's seat, where all the Kings since Charles I. have sat ; the Chapel near by, where Charles I. held his Par- liament of Peers, and where Cromwell's troopers afterwards quartered their horses ; visited All Souls, Brazen Nose, Exeter Lincoln Colleges, Radcliffe Library ; saw the " Martyr's Memo- rial," an elaborate Gothic cross of stone, of a triangular form, with niches containing statues of Cranmer on one side, Latimer on another, and Ridley on the third ; saw the place marked by a stone in front of Baliol Colleges where the martyrs were burned at the stake, and the prison near by from which Cran- mer was compelled to witness the sufferings of some of his fellow martyrs, which his persecutors hoped might induce him to recant. After breakfast the next morning, I took a walk through Christ Church meadows, a fine broad gravelled walk, bordered by magnificent elms, along the banks of the Isis and Cherwell ; visited Christ Church Colleges, Oriel, Corpus Christi, Merton, 844 OLDSIGHTS Christ Church Meadows. and Pembroke. Oxford has twenty Colleges, and five Halls. The difference between a College and a Hall is only nominal at present. The Colleges grew out of schools, some of which were claustral, i. e. appendages of convents or other religious bodies, and others were of a more secular character. Where many of these secular scholars resided in one house, it was called a Hall or Hostel^ i. e. Inn, and the name was afterwards retained though the institution was not materially difierent from a College. WITH NEW EYES. 845 Blenheim— Stratford-on-ATon. C'SAPTER XLIII. OXFORD TO BIRMINGHAM, THE "LAKE COUNTRY/' STIRLING. At Oxford I took a place in the outside of the coach for Bir- mingham, sixty-two and a half miles distant. We had a fine coach, four noble horses, a very obliging and communicative coachman, and no rain, so that I enjoyed the ride exceedingly. A few miles out we passed on the left Blenheim, the magnifi- cent seat erected by vote of Parliament in the reign of Queen Anne, for the celebrated Duke of Marlborough. The park contains 2,^00 acres. We rode through a rich and beautiful country, under high cultivation, the ripe grain evidently suffer- ing for want of reapers, which it was very difficult to obtain. One of the company with whom I had some conversation was surprised to learn from me that the Americans talked English. He supposed we used the Spanish language, and were obliged to study EngHsh just as they did French, in order to speak it. He asked me if I should not infinitely prefer England to the United States as a place of residence, and seemed very much astonished at my reply. We passed through Stratford^on-Avon, where it was market- day, and the streets were filled with cattle and stupid looking rustics. A staring sign upon a very old and mean looking house in the main street bore the inscription : " This is the house in which the immortal Shakspeare was borny Both he 846 OLD SIGHTS Birmingham—" The Lake district"— KesTrick. and his wife were buried in the parish church, where there is a. monumeBt to his memory. BIRMINGHAM. "We arrived at Birmingham about '7 p.m., where I found excellent accommodations at the " Hen a?id* Chickens Family Hotel." The next day I spent the morning in exploring the city, visited a Papier Mache Manufactory, and saw the whole process from the plain slabs of pressed paper down to the most splendid centre-tables, five hundred and one thousand dollars a-piece; went over an electro-plating establishment, and saw some beautiful specimens of the art, visited the great Town Hall, capable of seating four thousand, at 12 45 took the train for Wolverhampton. Passed through a wild and desolate region of coal heaps, and factories, and tall chimneys. At Wolver- hampton I took the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway to Ches- ter, and thence by the Chester and Birkenhead Railway to Birkenhead, and across the Ferry to Liverpool, where I was glad to regain my old quarters in Duke street. After spending a few days at Liverpool, I set out on an excursion into the north of England, the " Lake district," as it is called, passing through Wigan, Preston, KendaT, Winder- mere, thence, by the steam-yacht '•'■Lady of the Lahe^'' to Ambleside, and thence by coach to Keswick. This last ride was delightful. I had a seat alongside of the coachman, who was very ready to answer all inquiries, and pointed out the various objects of interest by the way. Saw Ulm Crag, Rydal Mount, where Wordsworth lived. Lake Helvellyn, Lake Kes- wick, and as we descended toward Keswick, Mount Skiddaw. After what an Englishman would call a nice tea at the snug little inn of the " King's Arms," I walked out to the old church WITH NEW EYES. 347 Southey's Monument— Vale of St, John— "Aircy Force." to see Southey's monument. It represents the poet the size of hfe, in a dressing gown, lying on a couch with one hand on his heart. The features are said to be a good hkeness, copied from a cast of his face, but the general air of the representation is affected and constrained. My guide said he knew Southey very well ; he was reserved in his manners, but very kind, not so stout a man as Wordsworth. The church is six hundred years old, and has some curious old monuments — one of the Earl of Derwentwater, and AHce his wife, 1527, a large slab supported by marble statues underneath, and on the top a brass plate engraved with a full length figure of the deceased as large as life. In the adjoining yard saw where lie the bodies of Southey and of " Edith," his wife. Walked alongside of the river Greta, and passed " Greta Hall," Southey's late residence. Went to see the " new church" at the other end of the village. It is of stone, in the Gothic style, and taking into the account the situation and prospect of the lake and mountains, appeared to me the most beautiful country church I had ever seen. The next morning I took a seat on the outside of the " Jenny Lind Coach" for Penreith. We started at half past eight in a pouring rain, which however did not continue long. The ride through the vale of St. John was very fine — affording succes- sive views of great beauty and sublimity. The mountains are bare of all trees, except where plantations have been made. Rode for a long distance over a barren common, a most deso- late tract, through Troutbeck. Got out at a steep hill and turned off to the right to see ^' Aircy Force,^^ a fine water-fall of about eighty feet. Had a beautiful ride along by Ullswater lake, passed through Watermillock, Pooley's Bridge, and reach- ed Penreith at half past 12 o'clock. At Penreith I took the rail to Carlisle, and thence to Glas- 848 OLD SIGHTS Glasgow— steamboat in the Clyde. gow, througli Gretna^ Lockerbie, Beattock, Abington, Lanark, Carluke, Motberwell, arriving a little after eigbt in tbe evening. For tbe last twenty miles, tbe air was full of smoke from tbe numerous furnaces, and as it grew dark tbe fires blazing out from tbe tops of tbe cbimneys cast a lurid ligbt over tbe wbole region. Tbe botels were all full, and I found some difficulty in obtaining quarters, but finally succeeded at tbe Queen's Hot^l, opposite St. George's Square. Tbe weatber bad grown cold very fast, and being witbout an overcoat, I was very uncomfortable, but a good fire blazing in tbe grate and a cup of tea wrougbt a great cbange in my feelings, so that I accept- ed an invitation on tbe part of a gentleman in tbe room and walked out witb bim to take a look at tbe city. It was brigbt moonligbt, and tbe buildings appeared to fine advantage* Some of tbe public buildings are noble edifices — such as tbe Exchange, in front of wbicb is a colossal statue of tbe Duke of WelHngton, tbe Xational Bank, Clydesdale Bank, British Linen Co.'s Bank, &c. TVe walked through Queen street, Argyle street, Buchanan street, alongside of tbe Clyde, saw the light of the distant furnaces over the tops of the build- ings opposite, like a great fire, crossed the great common, and went through the Salt Market. It rained bard in the night and the next morning, so that I thought I should be obbged to give up my trips to the Lochs ; but tbe sky lighting up somewhat after breakfast, I took my carpet-bag in band and walked down to tbe steam-boat on the Clyde. Tbe plank was laid from the dock to tbe top of the wheel-house, from which steps led down to tbe deck. Tbe pas- sengers came flocking aboard in great numbers. Just after we had cast ofi", an elderly gentleman witb his family arrived at the dock, and beseechingly entreated the captain to stop and WITH NEW EYES. 349 Loch Lomond — " Macgregor country." take him aboard, exclaiming in a most pathetic tone, " My lug- gage is all aboard ! " but it was of no avail ; he was " too lateP The Clyde was originally a small stream. Twenty years ago vessels of fifty tons only could come up, now it is navigable for vessels of the largest size. This improvement has been effected by dredging machines, at an enormous expense, which has been borne entirely by the citizens of Glasgow. We passed many large steamers and other vessels. Passed Yoker Lodge, further down. IN'ear Bowling Inn, saw the mouth of the Great Junc- tion Canal which unites the east and west coasts of Scotland by means of the Firths of Forth and Clyde. At Bowling took the new railway to Ballock, had a fine view of Dumbarton Rock and Castle by the way. At Ballock took the little steamer Prince AlheiH on Loch Lomond. The scenery on the Lake was beautiful and grand. Ben Lomond with his head capped with snow made a fine appearance. But the rain com- mencino* asfain, drove us all down into the cabin. Landed at Inversnaid, and aftfer toiling up a steep hill reached the top just in time to secure a seat in the last wagon for Loch Katrine. What those did who came afterwards, I cannot tell. It was raining hard, and there was no shelter near but a miser- able old shanty for cattle, and every one was to pick his own way as he could. There were twelve of us in the wagon crowded together, and such a ride as we had for about five miles, over what is called the " Macgregor country," over hills of every form and size, without a tree in sight, but covered with the purple heather in full bloom. There seemed to be many varieties of the heather— the bells varying in size and color from deep purple to white. I picked a bunch of them for a keepsake. Still rain, rain,— but our party seemed in no wise depressed 16 850 OLD SIGHTS Fortress of Inrersnaid— Loch Katrine— Ellen's Isle— The Trosachs. by the weather, but talked and laughed as it were all sunshine. A melancholy sight were the ruins of the fortress of Inversnaid, which we passed in a wild savage-loohing region. This fortress was built in iTlo, for a garrison of soldiers stationed here to keep the lawless Macgregors in check. A few trees that had been set out around it were still standing like mourners over the adjoining graye-yards, where nearly all this gamson laid their bones. "We passed a beautiful little lake called Loch Ark- let, in the lap of the hills, and as we caught a view of Loch Katrine the sun broke out for a few minutes, and more than one of the party involuntarily recuiTed to the description in Sir Walter Scott's " Lady of the Lake : '* " And tliTis an airy point lie won, "VHiere, gleaming with, ilie setting sun, One burnished sheet of living gold, Loch Katrine lay beneath hiTn rolled. In all her length far winding lay "With promontory, creek and bay, Aad islands that empurpled bright, Floated amid the livelier light. And monntains that like giants stand To sentinel enchanted land" "We went on board a little mite of a steamer — the "i?o6-'7-oy," with poor accommodations — the sides of the saloon being en- closed with sailcloth, so that we had to choose between the ex- clusion of the prospect and the admission of the rain. There was a Scotch piper aboard, who went through with a series of most excruciating performances upon the bag-pipe, and then took up_a collection. Just before landing at the Trosachs, we passed Ellen's Isle, a most romantic spot. The term Trosachs signifies ^^the rough or bristled territory^ WITH NEW EYES. 851 "Coilantogle Ford." and well describes the district to which it is applied. Scott has given a striking description of it : " the dark ravines helow Where twined the path in shadow hid, Round many a rocky pyramid, Shooting abruptly from the dell Its thunder-shattered pinnacle ; Round many an insulated mass The native bulwarks of the pass. ******** The rocky summits split and rent Formed turret, dome, or battlement, Or seemed fantastically set With cupola or minaret, Boon nature scattered free and wild, Each plant and flower, the mountain's child. ******** Aloft the ash and warrior oak Cast anchor in the rifted rock ; And higher yet the pine-tree hung His shattered trunk, and frequent flung, When seemed the cliffs to meet on high, His bows athwart the narrowed sky. Two rival coaches were in waiting to take us through the Trosachs. I patronized the " Rob-roy " — the red one. Further on we passed an Inn of recent construction, built of stone, in the style of a castle, with two lofty towers, which make the rooms small and inconvenient. We passed Loch Achray, Loch Ven- nachar, saw " Coilantogle Ford," in the river Teith, marked by two trees, the scene of the contest between King James and Roderick Dhu. Passed through Callender,— a dirty-looking place, where the men, women, and children came running to the 852 OLD SIGHTS Doune Castle. doors to see the coach pass — through Doune, crossed the Teith by a fine old bridge, from which we had a view of the ruins of Doune Castle on the riarht — throuorh a fertile and well culti- vated region, till the immense Rock of Stirling Castle loomed up before us, completely hiding the town from our view. Wo rode round the Rock, and entered the town just at evening. WITH NEW EYES. 353 " Stirling Races "—The Castle, CHAPTER XLIV STIRLING AND EDINBURGH. It was tlie eve of " Stirling Races," and all the Hotels were overflowing with company. I found good entertainment at the Royal Hotel, but was lodged out. The next morning dawned bright and the streets were all alive with people. The shop- windows were decked out in their gayest colors, strolling ped- lers were crying their wares, tumblers performing their antics in the midst of admiring groups, over-grown boys playing at thimble-rig, and travelling ministrels with hand-organs, and monkies, and dancing bears, drawing crowds and collecting pennies. I walked about the streets awhile, amusing myself with the various sights, and then made my way to the " Castle," up a long irregular street, past the Earl of Mar's magnificent castle, which was confiscated and levelled by order of King James, around several corners between high stone walls, up successive flights of steps, till I came across a guide who showed me the Castle. It is now garrisoned by 400 soldiers. " Stirling Castle " is of great antiquity. The time of its first foundation is unknown. During the wars which were carried on for the independence of Scotland, it was frequently taken and re-taken by the contending parties. About the time of the accession of the house of Stewart, it became a royal residence, 854 OLD SIGHTS James' Palace— Douglas' Room— John Knox's Pulpit. and was long the favorite abode of the Scottish monarchs. It •was the birth-place of James II. and James V. ; and James VI. and his eldest son Prince Henry were baptized in it. In the south-east part of the fortress is a building in the form of a quadrangle called " James' Palace." It was built by James V., but is now converted into barracks. The open court in the centre is said to have been the place where the lions were kept, and fed through the windows. It has but one high story with long grated windows, and a half story above. Every long win- dow is surmounted by a stone statue — one very indecent. On the south side of the square is the oldest part of the Castle. One of the apartments is called " Douglas' Room, " where William Earl of Douglas was assassinated by James 11. after he had granted him a safe-conduct. This event is thus commemorated in the " Lady of the Lake :" " Ye towers ! within whose circuit dread A Douglas by his sovereign bled." On the west side of the square is a long, low building, which was originally the Chapel, but is now used as a store room and armory. Here are some curious specimens of old armor — a huge leathern hat which Oliver Cromwell used to put on over all as a defence — a quantity of pikes with stout wooden handles, prepared for the militia, the " Sea-fencibles " at the time when fears were entertained of Napoleon's invasion — and some old pikes and guns taken from the rebels in 1820. In one corner is the old pulpit from which John Knox used to thunder forth his bold, uncompromising denunciations of iniquity. It has been almost aU cut up by the pen-knives of visitors. The view from the ramparts is very fine. Near by is the mount on which executions commonly took place, called " Exe- cution Hill," which Scott thus characterizes : WITH NEW EYES. 355 View from the Ramparts— (xreyfriar Church— Appearance of Edinburgh. " Tliou, O sad and fatal mound. That oft has heard the death-axe soimd," On anotKer part of the declivity is the crag behind which Wallace's army was encamped. On the west is the vale of Menteith, bounded by the Highland mountains. To the north and east, fertile fields, handsome country-seats, the windings of the Firth, the Ochill and the Grampian hills. To the east, the town, the Abbey Craig, the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey, and in a clear day the Castle of Edinburgh and Arthur's Seat may be seen. In the south the Campsie hills bound the view. At one corner of the ramparts, called "Victoria Station," Queen Victoria stood in 1842 and sketched the scene. Another place is called " Queen Mary's Look-out." The field of Bannockburn was pointed out to me — also the marks made by the cannon- balls when the Castle was besieged by Gen. Monk, the tower in which Roderick Dhu was confined by King James, and the room in which James was instructed by his tutor Buchanan. On my way down I visited the old Grej^riar or Franciscan church built by James IV. in 1494. Here John Knox preached the coronation sermon of James VI. in 1597. The old piulpit is still preserved in the vestry-room. Since the Reformation the church has been divided into two separate places of worship, called the East and West churches. At about 6 o'clock in the afternoon I took the train for Edin- burgh, and arrived between seven and eight. The appearance of the city as we approached it was very imposing. We passed a magnificent building on the left in the castellated style, newly erected for a Hospital, then the Castle rock rose up on our right, we entered a deep ravine at its base, and, passing under the " Mound," reached the terminus, from which we emerged 856 OLD SIGHTS Archibold's Hotel— The Castle—" Mons Meg." by a flight of stairs into the street above. Passing Scott's Mo- nument, I walked up Prince-street, and established myself at Archibold's Hotel, EDINBURGH. Archibold^s Private Hotel, where I staid during my sojourn in Edinburgh, was without exception the most comfortable, quiet and agreeable house of entertainment, I met with in my absence frofn home. I had a snug little front parlor on the first floor, looking out on Prince-street, commanding a grand view of the Castle directly opposite, where my meals were served up by a most attentive waiter, who was invisible save at the sound of the bell, and the adjoining room was my bed- room. The waiter was the only person I ever raw in the house, except on one occasion, when two gentlemen came into the parlor to read the newspapers. Where the other boarders were, or whether there were any others, was a mystery I could not solve. The accommodations were excellent and at a moderate price. My first visit was, of course, to the Castle. I walked down Prince-street, crossed the " Mound " which connects 'the 'New Town with the Old, passed in front of the new Free Church College, an imposing edifice, through Ramsay Place, so called from the home of Allan Ramsay, the author of " The Gentle Shepherd," and by a private path up the hill, came out on the Esplanade of the Castle, where a company of soldiers in the Highland dress were going through their militaiy exercises under the drill sergeant. I passed around the batteries and saw the celebrated " Mons J/e^," a gigantic piece of artillery which was cast at Mons in Flanders. It burst when firing a salute to the Duke of York in 1682, and has never been re- paired. WITH NEW EYES. 357 Scottish Regalia— Queen Mary's Prayer— Holyrood Palace. The view from the ramparts is very fine — the Grampian and Pentellean hills, the buildings of the " Xew Town," Carlton Hill with its monuments, Arthurs Seat, Salisbury Crag, the " Old Town," spread out before you. The guide took me into a small building called " Queen Margaret's Chapel," said to be the oldest church in Scotland. Leaving the Castle, I walked down High-street, past the Par- liament Houses, Tron Church, St. Giles' Cathedral, the Royal Exchange, and went to the City Chambers, to obtain an order to see the Scottish Regalia in the Tower-room at the Castle. Coming out I met my old acquaintance of Basle, together with a young friend of his on his way to Dusseldorf to pursue his studies in painting. We went in company to the Castle and saw the Regalia, consisting of the Crown, the Sceptre, Sword of State and the Lord Treasurers Rod of Office. We were also admitted to Queen Mary's room, where James VL was born, and from the windows of which he was let down in a basket by night and conveyed to Stirhng Castle. On the wall is the prayer which she is said to have composed on that oc- casion. The following is a copy verbatim, though the original is in the old Enghsh character : " Lord Jesus Chryst that Crownit was with Thornise Preserve the Birth quhais Badgic heir is borne. And send Hir Sonee Successione to 'Reigne still Lang in this Realme, if that it be Thy will. Als Grant Lord quhat ever of Hir proseed Be to thy Glorie, Honer and Prais sobied. "Year 1566 — Birth of King James — month 19 Junii." From the Castle we walked down High-street to HOLYROOD PALACE. The Chapel in the rear of the Palace is a most picturesque 16* 858 OLD SIGHTS Queen Mary's Apartments. ruin. The roof is all gone, and the wall of one end has a large window of beautiful proportions through which you see the country beyond. In one corner are the remains of David II., James II., James V. and Magdalen his Queen, Henry, Lord Darnley and others. Lord Darnley was the last person buried there, until the re-interment of Queen Mary. It was her dying request that she might not he buried there^ because Lord Darn- ley was ; and she was therefore buried in a church in the city. But when this church was taken down to open the rail-way, her remains were dug up and removed to this very vault. On one side is the door by which Lord Darnley and his associates, after passing through the church, entered the Palace to murder Eizzio. An old lady in black with a stately air waited on us through Queen Mary's apartments, which remain in nearly the same state as when she occupied them. There we saw a sofa with cushions for Queen Mary and Lord Darnley, on which they had many a tete-a-tete — chairs embroidered by Mary — the first grate and fender used in Scotland, introduced by King James — a coarse clumsy affair. " What a fender for royalty ! " said the old lady, hfting up both her hands. The adjoining apart- ment was her bed-room. The bed with all its furniture has been kept as nearly as possible in the same state as when she occupied it. At the foot was a stand with a basket for baby- linen. ^Ye were shown a box containing her miniature, covered with silk embroidered bv her when twelve vears old linno- in Paris, with '' Jacob's dream," and other scriptural scenes. Ad- joining is the closet where Darnley surprised Mary and Rizzio, who were at tea with the Countess of Argyle and one or two others. Rizzio, terrified by the vindictive looks of the conspira- tors, clung to the skirts of the Queen for protection, but Darnley WITH NEW EYES. 359 John Knox's House— Carlton Hill— Dr. Candlish's Preaching. tore him off, George Douglas gave him the first stab, and he was then dragged into the outer apartment and dispatched with fifty-six wounds. His body was then dragged into the adjoining room, and lay there all night, weltering in its blood. The stains are still to be seen on the floor. A partition was afterwards built up by order of the Queen, to separate this part from the rest of the room. We also went through the Gallery of paint- ings, which however contains nothing remarkable. Walking up the Canongate, we entered an old churchyard where we saw the monument erected to the poet Ferguson by Robert Burns, Saw John Knox's house with this inscription : 0SOS Deus God After dinner we rode out upon Victoria road, got out at Arthur's Seat and ascended to the top. The view is magnificent — the Castle, the City, Carlton hill, the Firth, Leith, the Ger- man Ocean, Porto-bello, &c. Returned by the way of St. An- thony's Well and Chapel, and went on Calton hill and saw the Monument of Dugald Stewart, Playfair's Observatory, the Na- tional Monument, intended to commemorate Waterloo, but left unfinished, Nelson's Monument and Burns' Monument, The next day was the Sabbath. In the morning I went to hear Dr. Candlish. The church is plain, but comfortable, and was well filled. The Doctor is a stern-looking man and evi- dently very nervous. His prayers consisted almost entirely of scriptural expressions. The subject of his discourse was 2 Pet. 1 : 5^Y. He had no notes and spoke with great freedom. His division was as follows : I. The connection of the text with the context, n. The connection of the different parts of the text with each other. Under the first head he remarked that what 860 OLD SIGHTS Free Tron Church— Dr. Chalmers's Grave. 'precedes the text appertains to the first coming of Chri&t ; what follow&j appertains to his second coming, so that the text is placed, just as Christians are, hehueen the two ; and then dwelt upon the motives to Christian fidelity and zeal thus supplied by the retrospect and the prospect. Under the second head he remarked that ^^ faith " was as- sumed as an indisj^ensable prerequisite, and of the seven things to be added to faith, the first/owr, viz. ^'virtue^'^ — ^'-hnowUdge^^ — " temperance ^'^ — ^'' patience ^^ were elements oi power — preparative ; while the remaining three , viz., ^^ godliness,''^ ^'- hroiherly-hind- ness^'' " charity^^ showed the proper direction of these elements, or capabilities. " Virtue" he understood to mean (in the old Eng- lish sense) valor — courage — fortitude — to profess and act out belief. " Knowledge " is discretion — " the better part of valor,^' in a sound Christian sense. " Temperance" is self-command in its widest sense. " Patience" is ^er^ez^em^zre. In conclusion he urged upon Christians with great earnestness the same diligent training, and exercising unto godliness, that ambitious and as- piring men practice for ungodly ends. In the afternoon I attended the Free Tron Church, where I heard Rev. Alexander Abercrombie, from Abbey. The sermon was a plain and sensible one from Jer. 6:16. Many of the soldiers of the garrison were present in full Highland cos- tume, and were very attentive. It seemed strange to see a red-coat in the precentor's place to set the tune. At evening I Ansited ih^ Grange burying ground to see the grave of Dr. Chalmers. The monument is nothing but a plain slab set in the wall with the inscription, " Thomas Chalmers, D.D. L.L.D. Born 1780, died 1847." Close by is the grave of his wife, who died about three years after. WITH NEW EYES. 361 Britannia Bridge— Chester. CHAPTER XLY. BRITANNIA BRIDGE OVER MENAI STRAITS. Before leaving home, I had been much interested in the account of "Britannia Bridge'" over Menai Straits, and I re- solved, if I ever went to England, that one of my first excursions should be to this wonderful achievement of modern engineering. Accordingly a party was formed for this purpose a few days after my arrival at Liverpool, but circumstances prevented our going, and I now found myself in Liverpool again within a few days of my depai-ture, without having accomplished the object. Thinks I to myself, — "This will never do at all! — to go home without havinor seen Britannia Bridsfe i" So the next morning I rose early, ate a sandwich for my breakfast, and hurried down to St. George's Pier-head, crossed the ferry to Birkenhead and took the rail to Chester, — where I arrived "at half-past nine a.m., walked up to the town, saw the Cathedral, a very ancient building of red sand-stone much worn by the weather, walked upon the old wall, which crosses the principal street by an arch, and returned to the railway station in time for the 10.35 train to Bangor. Passed through Holywell^ where is the famous St. "Winifred's Well, — Mosfi/n, where we had a ghmpse of Lord Mostyn's beautiful seat — Prestatyn, where is Lord Eskill's seat, an extensive building in the castle 862 OLD SIGHTS Passage of the Bridge— Menai Straits. style — Conway, where is a fine old castle erected by Edward I., went througli the Tubular Bridge over Conway river, to Ban- gor, where I got a ticket to Llanfair, the first station on the opposite side of Britannia Bridge. As we approached the Bridge, I could not repress some mis- givings. The idea of an extended railway train going through an iron tube 15 by 30 feet, 1524 feet long, composed of wrought iron plates not over three-fourths of an inch in thickness, and in two places unsupported for a distance of 460 feet, and having a total weight of over 5000 tons ! I kept looking out for it " with fear and trembling," saw farther to the north Telford's beautiful Suspension Bridge ; at length we turned a short curve and the two colossal lions, which guard the entrance, hove in sight, the pass- word was given by the watchman, " All clear !" and we entered the dark cavern, experienced a sensation of warmth, a strong smell of lamp-oil, and a hollow rumbling sound, till we emerged into the light all " safe and sound " on the other side. From Llanfair I walked back to the Bridge for more particu- lar observation. Perhaps my readers may be interested in a more particular account of it. Menai Straits is a deep and boisterous passage of the sea between the main-land of Carnarvonshire in Wales and the Island of Anglesey. . The waters of the Irish Sea on the north and St. George's Channel are continually vibrating backward and forward, and progTcssively rising or falling from twenty-five to thirty feet with each successive tide, and with a current of more than eight miles an hour. The object of the Bridge was to extend the Chester Railway across the Isle of Anglesey to Holyhead, and thus shorten the sea-voyage of the gTcat thoroughfare between London and Dublin. From Holyhead WITH NEW EYES. 863 Difficult y of Construction— Principle illustrated— Strength of a " Hollow Beam." to Dublin is only sixty-four miles, while from Liverpool to Dublin is 138 miles. It would seem as if the natural difficulties were enough, but in addition to these, it was required by the Board of Admiralty, that the proposed bridge should be constructed a good hundred feet above high-water level, to enable large vessels to sail be- neath it ; and moreover, that in its construction, neither scaffold- ing nor centering should he used — as they would obstruct the navigation of the Straits. These difficulties were all surmounted by the ingenuity and skill of Mr. Robert Stephenson, Civil Engineer. The principle of the bridge may be thus illustrated. Take a small straight stick freshly cut from a tree. In its natural form the bark around the stick is eqully smooth through- out. Now let it be supported at each end while you bear down upon it in the middle so as to bend it, and it will represent a beam under heavy pressure. The bark will present two op- posite appearances. That in the centre of the upper half of the stick will be cramped up ; while on the opposite side, imme- diately beneath, it will be forced apart, thus showing that beneath the rind the wood of the upper part of the stick is severely compressed, while that underneath it is as violently stretched ; and if the stick is bent till it breaks, the splinters of the upper fracture will be seen to interlace or cross each other, while those beneath will be divorced by a chasm. But it is e\adent that these opposite results of compression and extension must, as they approach each other, respectively diminish in degree until in the middle of the beam they neu- tralize each other. It appears, therefore, that the main strength of a beam consists in its power to resist compression and exten- sion, and that the middle is comparatively useless. Hence in S64: OLD SIGHTS Form of the Tubes— The Towers. order to obtain the greatest possible amount of strengtb, tlie given quantity of roaterial to be used should be accumulated at the top and the bottom, where the strain is the greatest, or in plain terms, the middle of the beam should be bored out. Upon this principle Mr. Stephenson undertook to convey the Railway trains across Menai Straits through hollow tubes instead of attempting to do it upon solid beams, and as a striking exemplification of the truth of his theory, it has been stated that while his tubes will bear nearly nine times the amount of the longest railway train that could possibly pass through them, yet if instead of being hollow they had been a solid iron beam of the same dimensions, they would not only have been unable to sustain the load required, but would actually have been bent by their own weight ! After a series of expensive experiments it was determined to give the tube a rectangular form, and to construct it of wrought iron plates rivetted together. Three ipimense towers were built to support the tubes — one based upon a rock in the middle of the straits, which at high water is covered to the depth of ten feet — and one on each side between this and the opposite shore. The centre tower is 62 by 52 feet five inches at the base, tapering to 55 by 45.5 inches at tube-level, and the total height is 221 feet eight inches. It contains 1,500,000 cubic feet of stone, and 387 tons of cast iron beams and girders, and weighs in all 20,000 tons. The Carnarvon and Anglesey Towers are each 184 feet seven inches above high water. There are a double set of tubes, so that trains can pass each other on the Bridge. The length of the tubes from the main land to Carnarvon Tower i's 274 feet; from that to Britannia Tower (the central one), 472 feet ; and from that to Anglesey Tower 472 feet, and from that to the other side 274 feet. The total WITH NEW EYES. 365 Heat a nd Cold— Security of the Bridge. weight of the tubes is 11,366 tons! In order to provide for the expansion and contraction of the tubes, they are made fast in the central tower, but on either side through the shore towers, and on the abutments, they travel on cast iron rollers. The sun breaking out of the clouds will make a difference of an inch or an inch and a half in the length, and the extreme variation between summer and winter is nearly twelve inches. At the time of my visit only one set of the tubes was com- pleted. I walked across upon the top of it and went inside of the other one where the men were at work and helped clinch the last rivet that was driven that day. No less than two millions of bolts have been used ! After, walking upon the top of the tube and examining its construction, I felt perfect confidence in its security. It seemed as firm as the solid earth. Indeed it has been asserted that scientific calculations have demonstrated that Britannia Bridge is capable of sustaining a greater weight than any embankment in the whole length of the Railway, SQ6 OLD SIGHTS Homeward Bound. CHAPTER XLYI. THE VOYAGE HOME. The long anticipated morning had at length arrived, on which I was to sail for home. It seemed hardly credible that I might be at home in two weeks or less. The very idea put me in a fever of agitation. My hands trembled with excitement as I packed my trunk for the last time, and I could eat no breakfast. At ten o'clock I rode down to St. George's Pier-head, which ■was crowded with passengers and luggage. Soon the steamer Satellite came alongside and took us off to the Asia, which lay in the river. There seemed to be no end to the stream of pas- sengers and luggage that came pouring on board, but the capacious vessel seemed conscious of its adequacy to accommo- date them all. Passengers are expected to pack what articles they may want on the passage in as naiTOW compass as possible for convenient storage in their staterooms, while the heavy luggage is deposited in the hold and not disturbed till the end of the voyage. I found my stateroom 'No. 51, in the aft-cabin, inside row, with my name on a card lying on the bed. My compagnon de voyage was a gentlenjan from New Orleans — a Scotchman, I believe, whom I found to be a very pleasant and accommodating man. The next thing to be done was to secure a seat at the table. WITH NEW EYES. 367 Arrangements on Board— Table Companions. by putting my card at some plate not already thus occupied. Being rather late, I was obliged to take the last seat at the aft end of the saloon, facing the captain's seat at the opposite end — a very comfortable arm chair, but objectionable as most affected by the motion of the vessel in rough weather. We were detained about an hour in consequence of one of the mail-bags being dropped into the water on its way from the tender. At one o'clock we were under full head-way and fired two guns as we steered down the Mersey. The " order of exercises" in the Dining Saloon is as follows : — breakfast at half-past eight, lunch at twelve, dinner at 4 p.m., tea at half-past seven, and supper at ten. From what source the appetite for all these performances is to come, is to me a mystery. Perhaps the eating part is not considered essential to the programme. We have 175 passengers — of all languages, sizes and ages — among whom are one member of Parliament, several army oflBcers, a number of sea-captains, eight clergymen, several medical men, and a great number of commercial agents. My right hand neighbor at the table is a stout Yorkshu-eman, next is a good-natured Irishman, who has a store in William street, N. Y. ; next sits a Frenchman and his wife, and next a Swiss merchant and his young bride. At my left is a long-nosed Spaniard, next to him a German, and then a South American. Farther than that my acquaintance does not extend. Our "table talk" is consequently a jumble of French, German, Spanish and English, by means of which we make out to pass the compliments of the day, help each other to the various dishes within our reach, and indulge in comments on the state of the weather and the progress of the voyage. It is pleasant when you lie awake, in the night, to hear 868 OLD SIGHTS 'All's vreU !"— Sabbath. every half-hour the announcements of the look-outs stationed in different parts of the ship. First you hear the number of bells struck at the stern, followed by the cry, " All's well !" Then the number of bells is struck again at the bow, and the response made, *' All's well !" The look-out on the starboard wheel-house echoes, " All's well !" and his neighbor on the lar- board reiterates, '• All's well !" When I could hear dis- tinctly all the successive announcements, I settled down into a grateful sense of security, and generally turned over and w^ent to sleep. But if any one of them was wanting, I began to speculate upon the possible cause ; perhaps the man was asleep, or had fallen over-board, and we might be a-fire or run a-foul of a vessel before we knew it. Our first night was as quiet as on shore. I arranged with my chum that he should rise first and get out of the way by half' past seven, thus giving me sole possession for an hour before breakfast. The next morning was the Sabbath. We were off Waterford. After breakfast I walked awhile on deck, conversing with a zealous young Methodist preacher. Some of the passengers applied to the Captain for permission to have preaching in the Saloon, as there were several clergymen on board. He replied that he was instructed by the Company to allow no other service on board but the Church of England. His orders were to have that service read, and afterwards if there was a clergyman of that Church present, he might preach, but no other. Several of the clergymen were higlily indignant at this, and declared they would not go near the Saloon to hear that service read, if they could not have preaching. This exhibition of temper on their part seemed to me very unamiable and unchristian, — in poor accordance with the liberal sentiments which they professed to hold. I had been WITH NEW EYES. 869 Obserrance of the Day— Shuffle-board— " Shipping a Sea." SO long deprived of all external religious privileges while on the Continent, that I was glad to enjoy this service, though diiferent from that to which 1 was accustomed at home. At 10 o'clock the greater part of the passengers assembled in the Saloon, where prajer-books had been put at every seat, the officers and sailors in their Sunday clothes came in, and Capt. Judkin, in a fine clear voice, read the morning service and afterwards a sermon. The officers and men were very attentive, and joined in the responses with apparent devotion, and the whole service was to me more than ordinarily impres- sive. During the rest of the day the Saloon was uncommonly quiet. Xo card-playing is allowed on the Sabbath, and a good degree of decorum is maintained, that no one may be molested in a proper observance of the day. In the afternoon we passed the Stag Rocks, Cape Clear, saw at a distance the Bull, Cow and Calf, — three islands — and by night were out of sight of land. One of the favorite amusements of the passengers was the game of shuffle-hoard or shovel-hoard, as originally spelt. It consists in shoving along with your hand on a stick, fashion- ed for the purpose, circular blocks of wood, so as to place them in certain spaces marked out with chalk upon the deck and numbered. It is grand exercise for the arms and chest, and indeed for the whole body, especially in rough weather, as you are obliged to regulate your movements by the motion of the ship. One morning when we were playing, a huge sea came over the bulwarks on the opposite side, and drenched some ladies and gentlemen who were sunning themselves upon the settees, clear over the top of the Saloon and down the stern- stairs on one side, deluging the deck and putting an end to our game. One little boy was knocked down by it and very much 870 OLD SIGHTS "Port your helm"— Iceberg— Steamer in Sight. frightened. There was a great screaming and scattering among the ladies. The sea poured down the stairs into the passage- way and deluged all the state-rooms, so that the carpets had to be taken up, and everything put up out of reach till the water was mopped up. Either from this exposure, or from too violent exercise on deck, I caught a severe cold, which lasted all the voyage. We had variable weather — some days very pleasant, others wet and disagreeable. One morning early, while lying in my berth, I heard the officer on deck give the startling order, " Port your helm !" We were not under full head- way on account of the thick fog, and the order was occasioned, as I afterwards learned, by the appearance of a large barque which suddenly loomed up on our starboard quarter, grazing the wheel-house with its bowsprit. A short time after I heard one of the occupants of the adjoining room ask his companion, who was dressing himself, what he was up so early for. " Why," said he, " we're going into Halifax." " That can't be," said the other. " What makes you think so ?" " Why," said he, " we must be going into some port, for I just heard the man on deck say, ' Port your helm P " One morning while at lunch, the announcement of an ice- BERa brought up the whole company, sick ones and all. ' It appeared in the distance like a small island of snow rising out of the water. As we came nearer we had a fine view of it. It looked very much like one of the snow-clad summits of the Alps, though not so acute in form. We could see the sea dash up its side and then stream down. I tried my new spy-glass on it. At another time, when we were a week out, a great sensa- tion was produced by the announcement of '•« steamer in WITH NEW EYES. 871 _^ Heayy Blow— Halifax. sight /" We could just see the smoke at a great distance. I sat on the wheel-house a long time watching it, till we could see her masts and hull. She seemed to be standing for us, and at first we stood for her, but afterwards returned to our former course, fired a salute of two guns and ran up signals, but she showed nothing in return. The next day was the Sabbath, and we had the usual service in the Saloon, and a Scotch clergyman read a sermon. "We hoped to be in Halifax before night, but the weather became very thick, it began to rain and blow, and soon the gale became a tempest — wind from the south-east. After making the attempt for awhile, we were obliged to give it up and stand out to sea ; and when we had made suflBcient offing, the engines were stopped and we lay at anchor all night. The rolling of the ship was tremendous. One of the guns got loose and went pitching from one side of the deck to the other, making a terrible racket and smashing everything in its way. A number of spars were dislodged from the roof of the fore-cabin and added to the noise and confusion. It was impossible to sleep or keep in one position. The chief steward had his shoulder dislocated by a fall, — one lady got a black eye by a fall, — a fat man fell out and was afraid to get into his berth again — many sat up all night. The storm passed away by morning, and we again stood in for Halifax, soon passed the light, steered up the beautiful harbor, firing a salute of two guns and came to at the pier at 10 A.M. We had an hour and a half to walk about the streets, and then proceeded on our way. The next morning, before I arose, I felt the engine stop, and was afraid we were in a fog again, but heard the steward say we were taking in a pilot. We were seventy miles from Sandy 872 OLD SIGHTS WITH NEW EYES. New York Bay. Hook — land not yet in sight. The weather was beautifully clear and mild. It seemed to me I had not seen so fair a sky in all my travels. The prospect of the speedy termination of our voyage made us all very good natured and sociable at breakfast, our last meal on board. Soon we came in -sight of land. All hands were on deck — the luggage was hauled out of the hold and selected by the passengers — steward, waiter and boots received their customary fees. Sandy Hook appear- ed — O how diflferent my feelings now from what they were when I last saw it ! — we passed the Quarantine, firing a gun, which brought the Health officer off in a boat with a yellow flag ; we steamed up the beautiful bay in fine style, went past the city firing a salute of fourteen guns, and turning around came down to our dock in Jersey city just as the America was on the point of starting. " What could tempt me," thought I, " to take passage in her back again ?" THE K ND JUVENILE BOOKS PUBLISHED BY M. W. D O D D, 506 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. JUST PUBLISHED : Amy Carr, by Caroline Cheesbro. 1 vol. i6mo. 3 Illustrations, - - - - $0.85 " No stilted language, no startling incidents, all is simple and true to nature. This little book is written by one who looks on life with sad but kindly eyes, and children with a warm, yearning heart for their present and future well-being. A pho- tograph of " life as it is." You have not to look to the end for the moral. Instruction, moral and religious, is woven like a golden thread through the whole fabric. A sweet melody, as from a better sphere, sings in your heart as you read, and lifts it toward celestial harmonies." — RocJiesier Democrat, Robert the Cabin Boy. By H. K. P., Author of Mary Alden, etc. i6mo, illustrated, 85 "The interest with which our author has invested the history of this homeless orphan child of the sea, and the important lessons of instruction conveyed as the reader is induced to fol- low him in after years, will be certain to make the book about 'Eobert the Cabin Boy' a universal favorite." Glen ar von ; or. Holidays at the Cottage. A beautiful Scotch Story. Illustrated. i8mo, - 65 " This is a delightful book. Its stories, drawn from Scottish life, are interspersed with interesting anecdotes and episodes, illustrating historical and scientific truths. It conveys the best moral and religious lessons adapted to the youthful mind, and told in such a manner as to engage the attention." — Am. and For. Oh. Union. Henry Willard ; or, the Value of Right Prin- ciples, by C. M. Trowbridge. Illustrated, - 65 "A story of a boy who learned from his pious parents ahoays to do right, and v,'ho, though an orphan when quite young, and often sorely tempted, maintained his integrity, and eventually won many warm friends, and exerted a good influence over others." — Frid>yt6rian. 2 M, W, Dodd's Publications, The tittle Savoyard, Wonderful Phials and other Stories. Translated from the French by Anna. 18 mo, - - - - - So. 65 If any one can read the story of the Little Savoyard and not have the sensibilities deeply moved, and the kindliest feelings of the heart brought into exercise, we are greatly mistaken. This and the other'stories embraced in the volume make it on© of great interest to the reader. Heroes of Puritan Times, by Joel Stough- ton. With an Introduction Letter by Joel Hawes, D. D., ._.---- 65 " This is a book of decided interest. The times to which it relates, the characters it describes, the stirring events which it sketches, and the noble sentiments which it illustrates, lend it a peculiar charm." Honey Blossoms for Little Bees, a beautiful Juvenile. Illustrated, - - - 65 " A beautiful book with a siceet title, and what's more a pretty story, in large type and short words, with beautiful pictures to help the little reader to understand." The Deaf Shoemaker, and other Stories. By Philip Barrett. Illustrated. l8mo, - "55 "The author of this charming little book understands what vill interest children, and how'to adapt his style and language to their taste and wants. We cordially recommend it to a place in every Sabbath-School and family library." — Advocate and Guardian. Fred. Lawrence, or. The World College. By Margaret E. Teller. Illustrated, i8mo, - 55 " This interesting story shows how a yoath may make a man of himself in spite'of many disadvantages, and the embarrass- ments of poverty. He is cut short in his course of study by the necessity of "providing a livelihood for his widowed mother and sister; yet contrives to make himself a scholar, and push his way to wealth and an honorable position." — Church Timet. Winter in Spitzbergen ; a book for Youth, from the German of C. Hildebrandt, by E. Goodrich Smith. Illustrated, - - - 65 "A book of surpassing interest for young people. Those who have been charmed with^Robinson Crusoe will be delighted with this. It gives an account of the manner in which three looely castaways spent a winter in the dark, frozen, and desolate polar regions of Spitzbergen, and how th«y were at length providen- tially delivered. A capital book to be read aloud around a wtater fireside."— jB»p^w< M«moHal. M. TF, Dodd's Publications, 3 The Old Chest and its Treasures, by- Aunt Elizabeth. A most attractive volume of several hundred anecdotes and stories. izmo, $0.90 "A collection of more than two hundred striking incidents and anecdotes, illustrative of moral and religious truths. It is an excellent book for the family, and especially the young." — Chrisiian Observer. Sunday Sketches for Children, by a Father. Illustrated. i8mo, - - - - 65 "Those are admirable sketches, naturally and strikingly drawn, and will be read by the children with pleasure and profit." — Vhrisiian Chronicle. Shadows and Sunshine, as illustrated in the History of Notable Characters, by Rev. Erskinc Neal. i8mo, - 65 " A book in which various characters are made to teach, and from whose chequered experience much which is valuable may be derived. We can heartily recommend it." — EeUgiovs Her. Stories for Young Americans. By Prof. Joseph Alden. The Example of Washington. With Portrait, - 40 The Old Stone House. A Story of 1776, - 40 Fruits of the May-Flower, - - - - 40 Stories and Anecdotes of the Puritans, - - 40 "Prof. Alden's juvenile books are in many respects patterns of publications for the young. They have a purity, simplicity, and gravity of style, that must do much towards forming mental and moral characteristics of the best model." — Heliffioua Bee. By Charlotte Elizabeth. Personal Recollections and Memoir, - -65 Posthumous Poems, - - - - - 65 Judah's Lion, - - - - - "65 Judaea Capta, •;• - - - - -65 The Deserter, - - - - - -65 The Flower-Garden, - - - - - 65 Count Raymond of Toulouse, - - - 65 Conformity, ------ 40 Falsehood and Truth, ----- 40 4 M. W. Dodd's Publications, Sovereigns of the Bible, by Eliza R. Steele, author of "Heroines of Sacred History," etc. With illuminated title and fine illus. i2m-o, $1.50 " We have here the scattered facts in the lives of the kin^s of Israel and Jr.dah skillfully arranged in continuous narratives, Tvhich are highly instructive. The book is an important contri- bution to our general biblical literature." — Albany Argus. The Russell Family, by Anna Hastings. illustrated. i8mo, - - - _ - 55 "A very beautiful and instrnctive storv from real life, illus- trating the power of a Christian mother, and the sweet influencea of the domestic circle."— _Vew) York Ohaerzer. Minnie Carlton, by Mary Belle Bartlett. A beautiful Story for Girls. Illustrated. i8mo, - 65 "'The subject of this narrative is the eldest daughter of a hansehold forced by the death of her mother to take" charge of It. fhe pledge giren to her dying mother to train the little ones to meet her in heaven is couscieniiouslr fnlrilied. and the les- sons 01 her example, prudence and pietv. rewarded bv the most - cheenng results, bringing light and jov to the household, -nill scarcely be read without deep and grateful emotion."— ^/.-au^. Uncle Barnaby ; or. Recollections of his Character and Opinions. 65 "The religion of the book is good — the morality excellent, and the mode of exhibiting their important lessons cnn hardly be surpassed in anvthins calculated to make them attractive to the young, or successful in correcting anything bad in their habits or morals." The Finland Family; or. Fancies taken for Facts. A Tale of the Past for the Present. By Mrs. Susan Peyton Cornwall, - - - - ^5 "The Finland Family belongs to the very best class of re- ligious tales. It is full" of the' gentlest and sweetest sympa- thies, and at the same time commends the culture of the firmest and most steadfast principles." — Ch. Intelligencer. Frank Forrest ; or the Life of an Orphan Boy. By David M. Stone. Illustrated. i8mo, - 45 ' '"It inculcates the most impressive lessons of virtue and re- ligion, and the intense interest of the story will rivet the attention of the children : thus securing a happy influence on their hearts." — Journal of Commerce. Poetic Readings for Schools and Families, with an Introduction by J. L. Comstock, • M. D. Illustrated, - - - - - ^S " We cordially recommend to all yonng readers this charming collection. It "is executed with soundness of judgment, deli- cacy of taste, and great range of research; no school ought to be without it" — Some Journal. Any Booh on this Catalogue will be sent free of postage on recap i of price. BOOKS PUBLISHED BT M. W. DODD, 506 Broadway, New York. A PASTOR'S SKETCHES; or, Con- versations with Anxious Inquirers, respecting the Way of Salvation. By I. S, Spencer, D. D., late Pastor Second Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, N. Y. 2 vols,, l2mo, cloth, ^2 75. It is believed no strictly religious work of the present century has had BO -wide a circulation, or excited' a deeper interest than this. "• This is a book of remarkable interest. It is one of pastoral experience ; and the thrilling interest it gathers about many of the scenes and incidents which it describes, iustities the comparsion which has been made of it in this respect to the well-known ' Diary of a Physician.' '' — Independent. " Nothing like it exists." — American Bible Mepository. " This isli remarkable book."' — ^ Y. Recorder. "To those who are fond of Ze?ic?ir2^ good books, we would vehemently commend this as one that will be very sure to be read." — Puritan Hecarder. •'The book is in the diamatic form, and so vividly drawn that the reader becomes not merely a spectator, or a listener, but an actor in all that is de- scribed. Few wilTbe able to leave it until they have read its last page." — Literary Messenger. The Young Irishman. The First Sketch in vol 1., by itself, 80.20. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. Sermons, with a Sketch of his Life, By Rev. J. M. Sherwood. With Portrait, 2 vols., 83 00. '• We can assure those who have read Dr. Spencer's Sketches, no matter with how much delight, that they will be in no danger of disappointment from reading these sermons. — Puritan Recorder. They are rich in thought, clear, discriminating, and sound in doctrine, and, withal, remarkable for simplicity of style and directness of address." — Daily Courant, Hartford. Discourses on Sacramental Occa- sions. A new work. 1 vol., large i2mo, ^i 50. " It will be welcome, not more from the class of subjects treated, than from the fervor of thought and language of the imthor, and his keen insight into spiritual truth and "into facts of human nature." — Am. Pre>ibyterian. ''We cordially recommend this volume as containing fervent and spirit- ual views of the communion." — Prts. Quar. Review. M, W. Dodd's Publications. PULPIT ELOQUENCE (History and Repo- sitory of); Deceased Divines; containing the Master- pieces of Bossuet, Bourdalone, Massillon, Flechier, Isaac Barrow, Jeremy Taylor, Chalmers, Robert Hall, M'Laurin, Christmas Evans, Edwards, John M. Ma- son, etc. With DISCOURSES from the Fathers and the Reformers, and the marked men of all countries and times, from the Apostles to the present century ; with Historical Sketches of Preaching in each of the coun- tries represented, and Biographical and Critical Notices of the several Preachers and their Discourses, by Henry C. Fish, D. D. Two volumes, 8vo, $7 00. It is beliered to contain a very complete JUstory of preaohing, and of the great pulpit orators ; and to embody an amount of Christian eloquence, ^and a great variety of topics, such as was never before presented in anything like the same compass. More than eighty differe^it preachers are here represented; each by a brief sketch, and by his most celebrated dis- course. Under the Greek and Latin pulpit, their are eight discourses; under the English, twenty-two ; under the German, ten ; imder the French, eleven ; under tke Scottish, nine ; under the American, sixteen ; under the Irish, four ; under the Welsh, three. It will be seen that more than tMrty are from foreign languages. The translationa are uniformly from high sources. " The purpose of this massive work will commend itself to clergymen and to all admirers of the highest style of eloquence. It aims to present the characteristics of pulpit oratory, in all ages of the Christian Church, by furnishing specimens from the most celebrated and influential men of each period. The idea has been carried out with wonderful completeness. Such a body of homiletic literature, embracing so great a variety, and so instruc- tive indications, has never been brought together before The intecest and value of such a collection can hardly be over-estimated." — Evangelist. " "We have felt, in glancing through these splendid and massive volumes, as though walking in a gallery of statuary, along the reaches of which stood, each on'his pedestal, the mighty pulpit orators of other centuries and gen- erations. And as we paused before each, to read the name inscribed, and to study the form and features, the statue warmed suddenly into life, called back the long- silent voice, and, with lifted hand and glowing lip, repeated the strong arguments that wrestled so overmasteringly with the minds of their day, and now held us wrapt listeners." — Congregatio7ialist. "Even a layman vrould be justified in recommending it unhesitatingly and without reserve, as au invaluable treasure to every man of taste, and as of especial and indispensable importance to ministers of the gospel and to the Christian public." — Evening Traveller. " The historical information communicated in these volumes will, of itself^ more than repay the expense of their purchase." — Bibliotheca Sacra. ^ "We regard these volumes as scarcely less valuable to the Intelligent lay- man than to the aspiring clergyman. They are filled with the meat eloquent and powerful appeals which human minds have addressed to their fellow creatures in the interests of religion, and constitute an enduring record of the highest order of eloquence." — Com. Advertit^. M. W. Dodd's Publications. PULPIT ELOQUENCE of the Nine- teenth Century. Being supplementary to the History and Repository of Pulpit Eloquence (deceased divines) ; and containing Discourses of Eminent Living Ministers in Europe and America. Accompanied with Sketches Biographical and Descriptive. By Henry C. Fish, D. D. With an Introductory Essay by Prof Edwards A. Park, D. D. One large volume, 8vo. Illustrated with seven large Portraits from steel, ^4 00. Nearly sixty of the most distinguished Preachers of the present day ar© here introduced, about forty of whom belong to foreign countries. The Dis- courses have been almost uniformly prepared expressly for this work, or selected and designated by their authors themselves. They are, therefore, no ordinary productions ; but Avdll be esteemed Avorthy, it is believed, of being placed with the " Master-Pieces of Pulpit Eloquence " of other ages. The materials of the Biographical Sketches have in all cases been derived from responsible sources. As indicative of the character of the work, it may be stated, that, under the German Pulpit, such men as Professors Tholuck, Julius Muller, Nitzsch, Drs. Krummacher and Hoffman, Court Preachers to the King of Prassia, will be found; under the French Pulpit, Drs. J. H. Merle D'Aubigne, Gaussan, Malan, Grandpierre, and the celebrated Adolphe Monod (deceased since the preparation of the work was commenced); under the English, Melville, and Noel, and Bunting, and James and the like ; and under tho Scottish, Drs. Hamilton, Commings, Buchanan, Guthrie, Duff, Candlish and others. The American Pulpit is represented by eminent men in each Evangelical denomination, selected with great care, and after wide consultation. Most of the Discourses in this department appear in print now for the first time. "Our readers will remember the noble volumes of which this is a supple- ment, and how cordially we commended them to their delighted study. The present volume is worthy to go with them as a memento of the living, who teach and preach Jesus in many nations. "Those who own the former volumes will hasten to add this to their treasure, and those who have failed hitherto to procure them will find them selves doubly tempted now." — Congregationaliat. " The biographical sketches are compiled with care, and, along with an outline of the history of each individual named, contain brief critical discus- sions of their merits as preachers and as divines. These criticisms are, so far as we can determine, just and discriminating. Altogether, this volume, like its predecessors, is a highly valuable and acceptable contribution to our religious literature, and wilfbean acquisition to the library of any reading man, whether he be a minister or layman. — Christian Times. "Whether it be considered in reference to the felicity of its selections, the fidelity of its sketches, the amplitude of its range, or the e^ President of Brown ViiiversUy. .8-! 19 9 7, ,0o ? , - -.n .V. '\ '•^?^ .Oo ■^ %^ "^.■^^ %. ,.vx* Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: ^^^ PreservationTechnologies A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 111 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township, PA 16066 f724i 779-2111 ^"H^ ■>-. .^^ ^0- n: ^^ "^ 5 // i-v^^ ^ <=>^"' .^^^"-. 0^ '^^^ ^^.A'^- \^->^^.... , ^^ ^ x>. .^?^ '/ "> oT- -\ I V. ^-^CVs^- V- a5 •7^ ^ fe-' '^ S^ ^ * /■ ^ V S ^ ' * ^ t"^ r .7/^ ' ..X-* '^ 0o^ ^' ^0- <^" ?0^ V' y^ ,A^^"^< aV^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 007 228 420 '"i Pllj