can tell? One thing however is certain, her restless spirit is awake, and panting for freedom. Already has the struggle commenced; and the issues cannot fail to be glorious-if not now, at least hereafter. But the shadows are deepening around us, and night settles upon hill and vale; one after another the stars look out from the sky and mirror themselves, like thoughts in the heart of a good man, in the broad bosom of the lake. The light of the moon is gilding the towers of the old "Collegiate Church," for Arona boasts such an edifice, and burning with "an unconsuming fire" in "the leafy umbrage" of the tall trees. Slowly we retrace our steps to our temporary home for the night, drinking the beauty of the scene, and conning, as we go, the rich verses of Ippolito Pindemonté, the friend of Alfieri and Foscolo, and one of the most gifted and elegant of the modern Italian poets.* "Night dew-lipped comes, and every gleaming star Its silent place assigns in yonder sky; The moon walks forth, and fields and groves afar, While on this rock, in meditative mien, Lord of the unconscious world I sit unseen. *Ippolito Pindemonté was descended from a noble family in Verona. He was born there in 1783, and died in the same place in 1828. He translated Racine's Berenice," and was the author of " Armenio," a tragedy, "Poesi Campestri," and many fugitive pieces. He spent a considerable portion of his life in Venice, travelled extensively, made himself familiar with English literature, and devoted his later years exclusively to literature. His style is rich and harmonious. His lyrics are especially admired. They are distinguished, however, more for beauty than originality and strength. "How deep the quiet of this pensive hour! How sweet this stillness in its magic power, O'er hearts that know her voice, and own her sway! The whirring locust takes her upward way; "Borne on the pinions of night's freshening air, Unfettered thoughts with calm reflection come: Within my bosom throng to seek a home; * It may be proper to say here, once for all, that we shall quote freely from the Italian poets, not only to illustrate the text, but to furnish specimens of the "Genius of Italy." This, we think, will furnish a sufficient apology for the length of some of the quotations. As we write for English readers, we shall make our quotations from such English versions as may be within our reach. CHAPTER III. Lombardy-Aspect of the Country-Condition of the Inhabitants-Brief Sketch of the History of Lombardy-Milan-Description of the City— The Cathedral-View from the Summit-Sunset on the Alps-Interior of the Cathedral. EARLY next morning we are off in the direction of Milan, and soon find ourselves traversing the rich plains of Lombardy, so long under the dominion of Austria, and the scene of so many struggles. On every side are innumerable farms and villages, occupied by a poor but industrious peasantry. The lands are divided and subdivided to an astonishing extent, and as the peasantry who work them are not the proprietors and have large taxes to pay to government, while one-half the produce of their little farms goes to their owners, few or none of them acquire property. They merely live and transmit from father to son their scanty heritage of labor. Let it not, however, be supposed that they are an unhappy race. Doubtless they long for something better, and most of them, with the true Italian spirit, yearn for freedom and national independence, but they toil on with patience and cheerfulness. Their religion would seem to be of a darker and severer character than that of southern Italy. Everywhere you see hideous crucifixes, with skeleton Christs. The churches have a sombre look, and their interior is often quite gloomy. The scenery is agreeable but monotonous, and the villages through which we are passing have a poor and squalid look. The proprietors and gentry live in the large cities, while the country is left to the peasantry, priests and monks. The Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, as it is called, has been for years one of the most valuable possessions of Austria, and will never be willingly abandoned by that powerful and grasping Empire. It extends from the Alpine heights, including Carinthia, Tyrol and the Grisons, to the banks of the Po; and thus embraces the whole expanse of northern Italy, except the portions which belong to Sardinia, and one or two of the smaller duchies on the northwest, from the shores of the Adriatic on the one side towards those of the Mediterranean on the other. It is the best watered, and, in agriculture, the richest portion of Italy. This, in connection with various alliances, has enabled Austria, till within a very recent period, to control the whole Italian peninsula. A new and formidable power has arisen in opposition to Austrian rule, composed of Sardinia, Tuscany, and the Roman States. Pope Pius the Ninth, the King of Sardinia, and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, with their people, are pledged to the doctrines of national independence, political amelioration and social progress.* But whether they will hold together, and accomplish their designs, is yet to be seen. They enjoy the sympathies of the entire Italian race, one of whose distinctive traits is a love of country, and a detestation of foreign rule. This feeling glows with intense energy in their literature, and doubtless forms the polar star in their history. It will, therefore, surmount all obstacles, and, * Already the Pope gives unequivocal signs of weakness and irresolution. The fact is, his position is a peculiar and difficult one. No man can serve two masters; and it will speedily be seen that the freedom of the nineteenth century cannot be promoted without endangering the supremacy of the PAPAL SEE.-The above, written some time ago, has been strikingly verified. And now Pope Pius fulminates anathemas aganst the revolutionists of Rome. though frequently checked and weakened, will yet win its way to permanent victory. On the fall of the Roman Empire, Lombardy was overrun and settled by the rough but vigorous Goths. Under Odoacer and Theodoric the Ostrogoth, Ravenna was established as the capital of their half-barbarous empire. Overthrown by Belisarius and the Greek Eunuch, Narses, they gave place to the Lombards, a new horde of barbarians who made Pavia the seat of their dominion, which extended on every side, and finally reached the gates of Imperial Rome. Two hundred years the Lombard power flourished under twenty successive sovereigns, who displayed all the energy and splendor of a semi-barbarous but powerful rule. In the middle of the eighth century it received its first shock from Pepin of France, and was soon after overturned by the power of Charlemagne. But the iron crown of Lombardy fell from the French kings in the reign of the feeble Charles le Gros. Italy, left to herself, long continued a prey to internal dissensions. But the necessity of defending her possessions against the fierce Hungarians of the north and the piratical Saracens of the south, and the erection of forts and towers for the defense of the towns, taught the cities to estimate their natural strength, and the possibility of attaining freedom and independence. The large concessions wrung from the rival competitors for the empire, Berenger, Duke of Friuli, and Guido, Duke of Spoleto, greatly aided the cause of liberty. The descendants of Berenger being overthrown by Otho the Great, of Germany, and the towns being encouraged to throw off their allegiance to their respective Counts, gave an additional impulse to the movement, and led to the formation of municipal institutions all over Italy. These, however, did not yet trench upon the rights of the Emperor; and the imperial authority was firmly maintained in the tenth century by the Othos of that era. |