PICTURES AND PORTRAITS

FORE IGN TRAV E L .

E M ’ L Y

A man may see how this w orld goes , w ith no eyes .

Look w ith th ine ears .

”

KING LEAR

PH I L AD E L PH I A

E . C L AX TON C OM P A N Y ,

N o . 930 MARKET STREET .

1 8 8 1

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1 880 , byANN IE S . WOLF,

in the oflice of the Librarian o f Congress.

c ommas , PR INTER

IF IT CONTAIN

A WORTHY SENTIMENT ,

AN ORIGINAL THOUGHT , AN HONORABLE AMB ITION ,

IT I S NOT D UE TO VANITY BORN OF FLATTERY ,

BUT TO YOU ,

M Y D E AR M OTH E R ,

WHOSE PEERLESS NATURE AND ANGEL VIRTUES

ARE MY SW EETEST M EMORI ES ;

AND I TRUST , I N THOSE DARK DAYS WHICH ,

AS THEY COM E TO ALL LIV ES,MUST COM E TO M IN E ALSO ,

MY LOVE OF BOOKS AND DEVOTION TO MY PEN MAY PROVE

MY SOLACE AN D MY STRENGTH .

I am in this earthly world ; where , to do harm,

Is often lau dable : to do good , sometim“Accounted dangerou s fo lly.

”

SHAKESPBBB .

PICTURES AND PORTRAITS

FOREIGN TRAVEL.

L E T T E R I.

Adieu , ad ieu ! my nati ve sho reFades o ’

er the waters bl ue ;The night-w inds sigh, the breakers roar,And sh rieks the wi ld seamew .

Y on Sun that sets u n the seaWe fo l low in his lgbt ;

Farewel l awh i le to him and thee ,My nati ve Land—Good night !"

BYRON .

LIVERPOOL, February, 1878.

I ANTEDATE my fi rst page at L i ve rpool,Engl and

,on

board the s teamsh i p C i ty of Rich mond ,” wh ich I am Ofii

c ially assu red w i l l a r rive i n the Mersey Sat u rday even ing ;and I s i t i n my cab i n wonder i ng how I shal l (be ! when Iarr i ve i n a fore ign land , and w hethe r th e jou rna l I des ignkeep i ng d ur i ng my stay abroad wi l l ever be fi n i shed

,and

i f so whether i t w ill prove pl easan t read i ng to my fr iendsat home. For many days I ha ve been con fined to my room

,

s ubm i tt i ng marty rl i ke and res igned ly to the tortu res imposed On me by my tu rbu l ent enemy ,

“O l d Nep.

" Formany n igh ts I have l a i n in my be rth (wh ich , by the way ,was not the most l ux u riou s couch that ever female ’s tenderl im bs rested u pon ), l i sten i ng to the i ncessan t heart-th ro bsof th is marve l l o us iron horse

,trampl ing do wn the migh ty

waves,and car ry i ng me many thousand leagues from my

cou n try and my home. As I contempl ate new ambi t ion s,

fresh scenes,and cu r io us s t ud ies , the coun t less poss ib l e

ca l am i t i es by wh ich I am su rrounded are forgotten . Theseag u l l s th at h ave been track i ng the cou rse of the vesse l

2

14 PI o'

ruaEs AND PORTRA ITS

s i nce noon , resembl i n g gi an t snowflakes d r i fted by thew i nd

,seem to have folded t hei r beau t i fu l w i ngs i n rest

,

wh i le the gen t l e waves rock t hem to sl eep on the bosom ofthe bl ue sea. These bi rd s l i ve f mm the o fl

"

al o f the S h i p,

bu t never come aboard , as they are affected by sea-s ick nes st he same a s h uman be i ngs .“We have h ad an un usual ly cal m voyage, so my good

fri en d the stewardess says ; th e on ly reply I have to makeis,

“that th e sl eeplessness o f these ‘calm ’ wate rs hascreated in me sen sat ions of a most u npleasan t

,not to say

,

hypochond riacal character.”

In these l eaves I shal l endeavor to avoid the safe and

easy hab i t o f borrow i ng ideas from the gu ide-books,or th e

equal ly seduct i ve th ievery of reflecti ng the i mpress ion s offormer travel le rs . I have often t hough t w hat del igh tfu lsketches cou ld have been w ri tten by th ose who crosse dfromNew York or Ph i l adel ph ia to Li verpoo l i n the fi rs t oceansteamers . They got the cream o f nove l ty

,and the i r reade rs

were almost as m uch grat ified as themse l ves ; but now thatnearly every one goes to E u rope, and that many know farmore o f other coun tr ies t h an of the i r own

,and that i t i s the

fash ion to say you have been “abroad,

” a rev iew of ramblesin foreign cl imes must be Somet h i ng more t han a mere copyof wh at has been w ri t ten a thousan d t imes. A ny one

,

however,w ho is bles sed w i th t he u sual for ty-eigh t ou nces

of that mater i al i n strumen t of though t , impu l se, or percept ion

,t hat reigns su preme lnman , an d who uses h i s eyes

and ears,can find plen ty o f tex ts to elabo rate wheresoever

he may jou rney. The old,Ol d world is forever new to such

m i n ds,every fresh face i s a fresh theme , and noth i ng i s so

su re to qu icken thought as the hab i ts of another peopl e.These w i l l be the books that I shal l attempt to study d u ri ng my absence

,an d i f I can succeed i n i n teresti ng my

friends beyond the vast sea ever so l i ttle , my labors w i l l beth e labo rs doubly of lo ve and du ty .

N ine days i solated from the grea t worl d ! N in e daysafloat u pon the beautifu l but t reacherou s sea l N i ne dayso f oblivion l

a: s

No doubt L i verpool i s a pl easan t c i ty i n good weather,bu t w hen we ro de along i ts broad st reets i t was d ismal an dwet to a degree ; still, w ithal, i t had a piou s look . fo r i t wasS unday morn i ng

,and the people were on the i r way to

ch u rch . The two great l ion s i n fron t of St . George’s Hall,

and the equestrian statue of Quee n V ictor ia,wi t h P ri n ce

o s roamu s TRAVEL. 15

A lbe rt o n the Oppo s i te ped iment, to ld me I was in E ngland ,and the im press i o n was con fi rmed as we en tered the gl oomycorridor of the Londo n and North weste rn Hote l . E verything was r ich , dark , and heavy. The coffee-room waschee rl es s l ike the rest ; the el aborate decorations , the s i l en tservan ts

,the d ign i fied l ady clerk i n t he office

,who was at

once boo kkeepe r and manage r, th e mass i ve stai rway, werea l l so many natu ral i n trod uct ion s to a coun try that I hadexpected to fi nd m o re remarkab le fo r strength and moneythan fo r grace and beau ty . The bad tea, the execrableco fl

’

ee,h ard bread

,cold toast , and immense m u t tonchop ,

m i n us savor,wh ich consti t u ted o u r breakfast

,were the i n i

t ials to a long series o f the same monotonous fare .The al most constan t absence of the su n has a depress ing

effect . The atmo sphe re i s not keen and co ld as in America,

bu t dark and penet rat i ng, and the u n i versal u se of bituminous coal g i ves rathe r a P i ttsbu rg taste and smel l to the ai r.There 18 no Adam s Express nor Wes tern U n ion Transfer

Company i n Engl and,so we hai l ed a “fou r-wheel er” to con

vey us,in t he i n s ide

,and ou r “t raps” o n the ou ts ide, to the

hotel . I marve l some en te rpr i s i ng Yankee does not comehere and estab l i s h one o f the baggage t ransfe r compan i esfo r wh ic h ou r cou n try i s renowned . He wou ld have nocompe t i tors to st ruggl e agai nst . Now

,he re i s an o ppo r

t unity for one of o ur you ng men ; wi l l he take the a dv iceof a woman ?The “h an som i s an u n prete n t iou s “one-boss shay

,”re

sembl i ng somewhat o u r l ig h t buggy-wagon s . I t h as on lytwo seats , doors that c lose over the occ upan ts , and i t i sal so provided w i th a gl ass w i ndow th at may be l owe re dover the face i n i nclemen t weat her. The d r i ver i s pe rchedh igh i n a l i ttl e box at the back , and the rei n s pas s over theto p of the car riage . I wonder i f th i s c u r ious eq u i page i san improvemen t on

,or whether i t i s fas h i oned after the

same model of the fi rst pu b l i c ca rri age t hat the i n habi tan tsof Li verpool h ad the pri v i lege of h i r i ng o f M r. JamesD imo ke

,in the m idd le of the e igh tee n t h centu ry. I n tho se

da M iss Clay ton was the happy possessor o f the on lyp vate tu rnou t i n th i s c i ty , so on the occas ion of a gran dparty , ba l l , o r Ope ra , when M i ss C layton was us i ng hero wn brougham ,

and Mrs . h ad h i red the on ly one at theexten si ve l i very stables of J ames D imo ke , the othe r l ad ieso f Liverpool were con veyed i n sedan chai rs .I was s u rp rised to fi nd so few l ad ies on the street. The

wome n were al most w i thou t exception slatte rn and care

16 PICTURES AND PORTRA ITS

l ess,and I shou ld have left w i th a w rong Op i n i on had I

not had an opportu n i ty to be presen t at the recept ion ofth e ch ief magi strate o f Li verpool

,Mr . Forwood

,at the

“C i ty Hall ." A ssi sted by his accompl i shed w i fe, theeven t at t racted al l the better cl asses , i n cl ud i ng the nobi l i tyo f the n e igh borhood . What m ust be the weal th o f a cou ntry when the mayor o f one of i ts ci t i es en te rtai n s and i shonored l i ke a monarch ? The C i ty Hal l was t he fi rstE ngl i sh publ ic bu i ld i ng I had seen

,and the sal oon s where

the Lord Mayor of t h i s commercia l tow n,w ith a popula

t io n o f recei ved h is guests , were i n fin i tely su per iorto the chambers i n the Wh i te House

,at Wash i ngton

,as

su pe ri or,i ndeed

,as the home Of a p u r ven u cotton-sp i n ne r

i s to an o ld feudal castl e.Mr. Forwood is a tal l , el egan t man , abou t th i rty-s i x ,

ev idently the j u n i or of h i s w i fe by a co uple of years,who

i s the ve ri table type o f an E ngl is h woman ,—a ponderou sfigu re clad in th e very softest and heav iest of Bon net s i l ks.Hc r recept io n to i let o f pal e sage was bo rdered wit h k n i fepl a i ti ng and r usres, r ich ly d raped w i th th e same materia l ,and myrt l e-green ve l vet ban ds embroidered w ith cu t crystal s of emerald

,r uby , and topaz, formed the garni tu re.

The costume was completed by an exqu i s i te bon net o f thesame shades . Mrs. Forwood i s a comely bu t no t handsome woman . She was exceed i ngly cord ia l in her manne ro f greeti ng an Ameri can , an d the pleasan t words she spokeo f my co u n t ry (for she has v is i ted the Un i ted S tates),th r i l led me w i th k i nd ly emotion s for my Engl i sh cous i ns ,and grea t ly tempe red the od i um w i t h w h ich I had al waysregarded the nation that had held , and hoped to reta i n us

thei r vassals .Was i t n ot i n th i s n at ion

,and from th i s very port o f

L i verpool , that that most i n famous and i n h uman sou rce ofemol ument , the A frican s lave t rade was open ed A s ear lyas 1766 Liverpoo l had al ready ga i ned an unen v iable noto riety i n th i s despicable t raffic—the pu rch ase and sale o fh uman be i ngs—the li berat ion o f whom co st us years ofbl oodshed , death , and desol atio n

,in the succeed i ng cen

tu ry . I n a bi l l of Iad ing , dated short ly after we hadcrossed the merid ian o f the l ast cen tu ry

,for s l aves sh i pped

to Georgia, then a portion of Sou th Caro lina, l see thatthese poo r c reatu res were branded w i th part icu la r marks

,

by red-hot i ron s,the same p rocess used on catt le

,and w i th

eq ual i nd i fference . And i n the year 1806-180 7, when t h i s

o r FORE IGN TRAVEL. 17

od i ou s trad e was abol ished , 185 African sl ave Sh i ps sa i l edfrom L i verpoo l car ry i ng s l aves .The deck s a re u ns u rpasse d by any i n th e world ; these

mas terfu l const ruct ion s st re tc h alo ng the Mersey for fi vem i l es on the Li verpool S ide , and two m i les o n the Bi rkenh ead s ide, cove ri ng w i th d ry-docks two h u nd red acres ,together w i th n i neteen m i les o f q uays.A n attempt at fo rm ing someth i ng l i ke a doc k in the Old

Poo l was m ad e i n 156 1 , as a S hel te r for S h ips i n bad weathe r, by defend ing the en trance w i th mass i ve stone p iers ;and for a centu ry th is h arbor was su fficien t fo r the l im i tedcomme rce of the pe ri od . The developmen t o f t rafficca u sed the necess i ty o f a regu l a r dock , and i n 170 9 an actwas passed mak i ng the fi rs t dock at L i verpool for the sec urity of a l l sh i ps trad i ng to and fro m th i s port ; i t wasca l l ed the C ustom House Dock . These were the earlyfoundat ions o f t he ex i st i n g enormous system . The p resen twbus iness wea l th and i m po rtance of L i verpoo l i s ch ieflyow ing to i ts magn ifice n t docks

,wh ich are among the great.

est wo rks o f mo dern t i mes , co nsider i ng the obstacles s u rmou n ted ; u n l ike most docks they are bu i l t i n the r i veritse l f by i ncl os i ng w i th i n a sea-wal l

,fi ve m i les in exten t

, a

port ion of the beach of the Mersey , and afte rward excavati ng the part th us recla imed t o a prope r depth . Mos t ofthese docks commun i cate w ith each other, and have separate en trances , so the sh i ps may pass from one to theo ther, w i thou t be i ng locked o u t i n th e r i ver, and back i nthe dock agai n .The sugar refi neries and soap fac tor i es are very exten

s i ve. What w i th the mu rky a tmosphere,and what wi th

the soo t ar is i ng fro m the soft coal , I doubt not bu t t he demand fo r the l atte r prod uct exceeds the supply.

I t was co ld and inhospi table when we rode th rough Sefton Park

,bu t the hedges s u r rou nd i ng the homes Of the

ar i s tocracy w i th i n the i r l im i ts were g reen,l u x u rian t

, and

wel l-com bed , an d the s i l ve r pla tes, o r the l et te rs carved on

t he mass i ve stone portal s , told not the names of the ownersof these ma ns ions

,bu t the name o f each estate i tsel f, such

as “Maple G rove,

” “Oak Lodge,” “Stan ley Park

,

”and

Worces te r P lace.”

18 P ICTURE S AND PORTRA ITS

L E T T E R I I .

Thus,Thus upon Londo n do I lay my sword .

JACK CADE .

LoxDOE , February , 1878.

LONDON I G reat London l! But no . O f that herea fte r.Eager as I am ,

dea r, si len t l i tt l e fr iend , you who never iaterrupt no r con t rad ict me, to tel l you o f th i s bew i lder i ngwo rl d o f a city

,I m ust relate to o night on ly how I came in to

i t . Were I to fol low my impu l se s,and pou r i n to yo u all

my fi rst i mpress ion s , those who may peruse my pages latero n wou ld excla im : But how was the great capi ta l reached ?Em ’ly say s no t a word o f her m anner of t rans i t from them o st gigan t ic commercia l por t to th e pol i t ical

,moral , ln

te llec tual, l i terary, art i st i c , and soci a l cen tre of the world .

D id she r ide,walk

,fly

,o r make the passage i n a bal l oon ?

”

I came on the metal s ,” to u se the Engl ish word fo r

ra i l s . We were regi stered fo r London th i s morn i ng at t hebook i ng-Office Of the Londo n and North western S tat io n , i nL ime St reet , Li verpo ol . O f cou rse I fel t a woman ’s cu r io sity about an Engl i s h ra i l way stat ion , wh ich I th i n k Ican attri bu te to the effect u pon my m i nd of F ri th

’s greatp ic tu re that h u ng i n the B rit i sh A rt Sect ion at o ur Centenn ia l Exh ibi t ion . I t was adm i rably descri ptive o f th escene th at greeted me th is morn i ng. W hat a motl eyth rong ! What a torren t of travel ! The brigh t , ruddyfaced school boy on his way to R ugby

,the bu rly manu fac

t u rer re tu rn i ng to h i s m i l l s i n Manch ester, the detect i vean d the pi ckpocket , the gamble r and the pr iest, the lordand the farmer , the l ady and the maid , the stately dowagerand the h oyden ish Engl i sh m i ss

,ungai n ly and i nelegan t i n

t he extreme , w i th none o f the g race and chic of the fa i rAmeri can and bri l l i an t French girl, who fol lowed , al l m i ngl i n g ia the mélée. Ho w difl

‘

erent from ou r dépOts at home !Y et w ith a l l how prec i se an d orderly ! A l ready I havelea rned that I m ust no t use the word d épfit. Joh n Bu l ldoes not comprehend i ts s ign ificance ; w i th h im it i s i n variably

“statio n . I was struck by the enormous sale o f

papers,and the vast book-stal l s ; and gazed at the crowds

cl ustere d al o und them , and then at the character of thel i te rat u re , and was del igh ted to not i ce t hat a l arge n umberof American works were offered to custome rs . O ver the

or YORE ION TRAVEL. 19

door o f the first-cl ass wai t i n g-room I read i n large le ttersFor l a dies on ly.

” Th i s command excl udes a h usband ,fo r under no ci rcumstances whate ve r i s a gen tleman pe rmitted to en te r the hallowed prec i n cts. He i s obl i ged totarry el sewhere , and joi n h i s wi fe , or h is s i s ter, o r h i ssweetheart on the plat form .

Every stat ion is provided w i th a restau ran t and bar, fo rthe Engl i s h are a nation o f eaters and d ri nkers , an d th esed in i ng-rooms a re always fi l l ed to replet ion on the arr i valand depart u re of the trai n s ; fu rthermore they are alwaysattended by young women . No t t he imag i nary pre ttyba rmaid , but pert , flashy

,loud ly d ressed creat u res . The

great hote l and saloon system , managed by the partnersh i pof Spie rs do Pond , who are coi n i ng fabu lous s ums by the i rfran ch i ses, i s sa id to employ over fi ve h u nd red g i r l s as bartenders. When I expressed my hor ror at th i s method , anE ngl i sh lady tol d me that the most popu lar man i n L i verpool

,Mr. Sam nelson

,who had hel d the post Of mayor, pre

v i on s to M r. Forwood , owned severa l h u nd red beer shops,and had secu red h i s el ec t ion by the money and patronageth u s col lected and organ i zed .

When the heral d fo r depa rtu re sou nded,the re was n o

h u rry i n g nor r ush for seats,bu t the passengers were shown

to the carr iages accord i ng to the class i nd icated on the i rt icket. Before en tering

,I pau sed to look at th i s n ovel , at

least to me,con veyance, w i th a door on e i ther s ide o f each

compartmen t. Very pleas i n g and l ux u r io us i ndeed wasthe in ter ior

,as ‘ muc h so as o u r Amer ican d raw ing-roo m

cars . The u phol s ter i ng was n avy blue clot h,fin i shed w i t h

s i l k cords and bu tton (you see , woman-l i ke , I jot down th edeta i l s), an om inous color, an d I marvel led i f th is h ue wasto pe rvade my en t i re tou r. As I san k i n to my place I ohserved that ou r ca rr i age con tai ned s ix passenge rs , th reeon each sofa, face to face. Th is was the ex ten t o f i tsseat i ng capaci ty

,as the sofas are d i v ided i n to th ree sec

t ion s by projecti ng arms . The pl aces th us formed arespac iou s for one, and m uch spac e i s squandered ; bu t Ip resume that th i s precaut ion has been adop ted by the ci rc umspcct Engl ish , as a mean s of preven t i ng the acciden taloccu r rence o f travel lers becom i ng to o closely al l i ed wh i lecon fi ned i n t hese fly i ng prison s. There l i nge rs i n my m i ndrecol lect ion s of a catas t rophe th at t rans pi red i n on e ofthese car riages

,desp i te th i s p reservat i ve , wh ich created a

v i vac iou s gossi p on both S ides the A t lan tic.A nother de lectable custom of fore i gn travel i s bei ng

20 PICTURES AND PORTRAITS

l ocked i n the carri age by the guard , and l e ft. I n such acase oue ’s sen sat io n s are far more apprehens i ve w hen lefti n company th an when left alone . Had I been a youngl ady , I s hou l d have been agi tated and i l l-at-ease, but as thefac t stands , a married one, w i th M r. Em ’ly” at my s ide

,

I sett l ed mysel f to scan my compan ions—two Amer ican sand two Engl ish . There was no sh ri l l w h istl i ng

,nor

blow ing , n or sh riek i ng, no r s h ift i ng trai n s ; no push ingcars back and forth

,no cl angi ng of cha i ns

,no u nexpected

col l ision s of car riages i n the effo rt to get Ofi—such del igh tswe have all enjoyed at home—bu t we moved as smooth lyas i f the metal s had been oiled , and away we flew to

London , s i x hou rs d i stan t .Fo r many years the re was g reat i n con ven ien ce to travel

l e rs,i n con sequence of the circu i to us r o ute they had to

make by ex i s t i ng l i n es , and from the extreme poi n ts atw h ich t hei r c i ty term i n i were s i t uated . The compan i es th atoccu py the north

,northeast

,and m id land d istricts o f L i v

erpoo l, were obl iged to c on vey al l thei r passengers i n anomn ibus from a stat i on nea r the B ru ns w ick Dock to thesouthern end of the town

,en ta i l i ng an expens ive and vexa

t ions transfer of baggage. Now al l the an noyance of th i swas te fu l system is obv iated by the const ru ct ion of a stat ionin the cen t re of L i verpool

,adjo i n i ng the Adel ph i Hotel

,

wh ich bran ches from t he ex i st i ng l i ne con tiguous to theB runsw ick Dock

,and i s used i n common by these compa

nic e for passengers and genera l traffi c.A s I was fresh to the s igh t and to al l my s u rrou nd i ngs

,

I began to study and com pare . The morn i ng was cold,

the atmosphere gloomy and dank , and I was ch i l ly , w i thou t the accustomed l uxu ries of A merican travel . Longcopper can i sters

,fi l l ed w i th hot wate r and placed under

the feet, were i n tended to supp ly the absence o f fi re . Wi t hth i s accessory , one might have been com fortable enough ,had no t the Engl i sh pe rseveri ng ly kept the w i ndows lowered . Resu l t : an ug ly cold and an i l l temper. There wasno con versation save amongst the A merican s ; o f cou rsewe were fu l l of the strange sc enes and nove l s i t uat ion s

,

bu t I cou ld see t hat i f John B ull d id no t tal k he was aneager and h ungry l is tener. A t len gth s ilence re igned

,and

I looked o u t u pon the coun try s ide , by wh ich we were flyi ng at the rate of forty m i les an hou r. A dense ve i l o fm i st h u ng upon the l andscape . How ‘earnest ly I des i redthe appearance o f the su n to d i spe l al l th i s mel ancholy fog

,

and by h is i nfl uence glo r i fy an d i rrad i ate the pictu re,fo r I

or rom an TRAvEL. 2 !

cou l d d i sce rn the bea uty of the sect ion th rough w h ich wewere pass ing.

I t i s w i n ter , yet the grass i s green , the trees are i n fu l l l eaf,an d the hedges strong , dark , and glossy. The l i ttl e browncottages are neat

,pr im

,and cosey ; very few ex is t ou t o f

the large towns,and those we not iced on the road s ide were

i n c l uste rs .Wi thou t except ion

,th e stati on s were qu iet and deserted .

A t C rews the doors were u n lo cked , and a fresh re-en forcemen t o f foot~warmers su ppl ied . Th i s not I h ai l ed w i thg ratefu l emot ion s . I t i s a tow n o f almos t eu tirt ly mo derng rowth , and the home of n umbers o f th e rai l way offici al sof the London and N o r thweste rn Road , who have here avas t es tabl i shmen t fo r the man u factu re of everyth ing essent ial to rai l ways.When we reached Rugby

,and I saw the tra i n deposi t i ng

i ts bu rden of grammar schoo l boys,I longed to fol low

,no t

to school , but to B i l ton Hal l , formerly the home of thecelebrated Engl i sh essay i st

,Add ison . Dr. Joh n son says :

Whoever w ishes to attai n an E ngl ish sty l e,fam i l i ar bu t

no t coarse , and elegan t bu t no t osten tat ious , must gi ve h i sdays and n ights to the vo l umes o f Addison .

” Rememberi ng this

,I was eager to sau n te r i n h i s footpri n ts t h rough

“Add i son ’s Wal k ,” a long aven ue or favor i te promenade

i n his garden , hop i ng t hat I m igh t be imbued by some end u ri ng essence o f the poet ’s l i terary mer i ts and grace.The more frequen t cl usters of habi tati ons , the fai n t and

fl i cker i ng l igh ts i n t he d istance , that were grow i ng cl ea rerand more defini te every momen t , the toweri ng spi res , th evol umes o f smoke i ssu i ng from the n umberless ch i m neys

,

were al l ev i den ces of ou r app roach to a great ci ty . F i fteenm i n u tes more and we were i n E uston Squa re Stat ion

,

Lo ndon,su r rou nded by at l eas t a h u nd red porte rs and

hac kmen,al l c lamo ri ng for pat ronage

,and each one ad

hering to us w i t h as m uch pers is tency as i f they ex pectedwe cou ld engage them al l . I endeavored to describe thedepot at L i verpool . Th i s one i n London exceeds mypower. I t i s con fusion worse con fou nded .

22 PICTURES AND PORTRA ITS

L E T T E R I I I .

What, then , is to i nsure the pil e w hich now towers above mefrom shari ng the fate of mightier mauso leums ? The time mustcome when its gi lded vaults, which new spring so softly, shal l l iein rubbish benea th the feet ; when , instead o f the sound o f melodyand praise, the wind shal l whistle thro ugh the bro ken arChes, and

the ow l boo t from the shattered tower ; when the garish sunbeamshal l break in to these g loomy mans io ns of death ; and the ivytw ine aro und the fal len co l umn ; and the fo xglo ve hang its blo ssoms abo ut the nameless urn , as i f in mockery o f the d

’ead . Thusman passes away his name perishes from reco r dand reco l lectio nhis histo rv is as a tale that is to ld. and his monumen t becomes aruin .

”—WASHINOTOE IRvmc's WESTMIN STE R AB BEY .

LOND ON , February , 1878.

W HEN I en te red the atr ium o f the Westm i n s ter Pal aceHotel

,several e ven i ngs ago, I was awed by the grandeu r

of i ts arch i tec t u re and appoi n tmen ts . The flood of l igh tfrom the chandel iers

,and the bl az i ng fi re i n the glow ing

grates , on ei ther s ide o f the h al l,were cheeri ng s ign s o f

comfort and l ux u ry. Bu t the ample sto ne sta i rway and

s i len t corridors,the floors of marble and vau l ted Ce i l i ngs

,

gave to i t a monast ic a i r. I was cond ucted to my apartmen ts by a natty l i ttl e Engl i sh maid i n a pale pi n k co t tongown

,car ry i ng a cand l e that shed a ghostly gl i mmer.

Th row i ng open the doo r o f a room t hat was dark and damp,

she bade me en ter. Deposi ti ng the ta l low,she was abou t

to make her ex i t , when I reques ted her to“ l igh t th e gas .”

Gaz i ng at me i n amazemen t, s he i n formed me that therewas no gas i n the chambers. I n on e co rner I saw a grateof rathe r l im i ted compass , and i n qu i red i f she cou l d l igh tthe fi re ? Reply i ng i n the affi rmat i ve

,the you ng woman

i n the pi n k cot ton go wn , i n m id wi n te r , van i sh ed .

Left alone,I d we l t u po n the stone floor, chee rl ess fi re

place,absen ce Of gas , and the old-fash ioned bu reau , s u r

m o un ted by a l i tt le to i let m i r ror—a cou n te rpart o f one Iremembe r i n my grandmother’s attic , when a ch i ld , s t i l lretai ned by the fam i ly as a geneal ogical re l i c—and then

,

l i ke a meteor,i t flashed u po n me that I was no t i n America ,

at the Con ti nen tal , Philadelphia , o r the Fi fth A ven ue , NewYork

,bu t i n London . The London , th at i s so Old

,that

n ot h i ng ce rta i n i s kno wn o f i ts ori gi n ; the London t hatA mm ian u s Marcelliuu s , who flo u ri shed i n the reign o f

J u l ian the Apostate , termed an ancient place,cal led Lon

dim’

um tha t appea rs as a Roman station d u ri ng the sov

o r roasmn TRAVEL. 23

ereignty o f Cl aud i u s ; th at was fi rs t fort ified by Cons tanti n e the G reat , and on e o f the t heat res where some o f theworl d ’s grandest scenes h ave been acted . Cou ld I ex pectm o dern com forts i n a c i ty that had ex isted prev iou s to the

Chr ist i an era ? I had said ad ieu to the Progressive Youthone brigh t day

,al most t h ree weeks ago, and was now l i v

i ng am idst the memories and habi ts of th e cen tu r ies . Iw as buri ed in these reflections when my attendan t i n thes ummer to i l et reappeared , w i th requ i s i tes for the fi re, anda copper ewer of ’

o t water ,” wh ich I sad ly needed

,after

my l ong r i de. Very soon the flames were leapi ng an ddan ci ng i n the chimneyt and a hospi tabl e glow pervadedthe chamber. The one v i rtue of E ngl is h bi tum i nous coal i st he read i ness w i th wh ich i t ign i tes.I t was abou t seven o ’clo ck when we l eft the h o te l , and

passed on ou r way to find ou r fi rst d i n ner i n th i s world andw i lderness o f br ick and mortar. Eager to see the m igh tyh i ve

,we d i rected o ur footsteps to the Café ' Royal

,the

famous F rench restau rant, i n Regent C rescen t . The d i nof the popu l ace was l ike the roa r of N iagara

,and the whole

pic tu re was a m ixtu re o f l igh ts struggl i ng th rough a h um id,

h azy atmosphere , a vast cro wd in st reets sl imy w ith m ud,

crash ing veh icles,over-d ress ed women , and fore ign-l ook i ng

men. I t was ne i t her Broadway no r Broad Street. I w asl ike one of many gaz i ng i n to a m ighty arena whe re somew i l d c arn i val was en force—a theat re w i th a backgrou n do f fi re, and la ugh ter, and clamo ro us m us ic. But I wash ungry , and h u rried on ward to the “CafeRoyal .” Therewas magic i n the words ; they b reathed of Tortue Claire,Sales o n v ia blan c

,Tale dc Veau

,Vo l-au Vent, and File! de

bamf an champignons. I had a l ready tes ted E ngl i sh cooking ad nau seam. The Café was fi l l ed to ove rflowi ng, andfo r some moments we despai red o f seats

,til l a you ng gen

tleman, w ith a swal l ow-tai l coat , wh i te cravat, and a markedforeign accen t

,l ed u s th ro ugh seem i ngly end less apar t

men ts,fi l led w i th people packed l ike . sard i nes. But order

came o u t of the chaos ; and fi nal ly anchored,I began to

u n ravel the tangl ed skei n . There were many French an dA merican s

,some German s

,an d few Engl i sh . The lady

bookkeeper,pe rched beh i nd her h igh desk

,gave her orders

to the army of wa i ters l i ke a t rue commandan t . But thed in ner—del icate , dain ty , and de l icious ! Shall I rehearseall the fresh and savory tidbi ts of th i s meal ? No l Thatwou l d be uncharitable l E igh t o ’cl ock

,and w i th i t c igars !

Smo k i ng i s i n order at that hou r—the habi t of the Lati n

94 mor on s AND PORTRAITS

countries ; so we fled ou t into the st reet, u nder the s ta rsstars l No , into the dense float ing vapo r, to inhale the fog.

M ingl ing in the mass of humani ty , we wandered on to Piccadilly. Befo re me ro se a formidabl e p i l e, one i l l um i n at ionfrom turret to foundati on-stone. I t was the C rite rion

,

tt theatre and restaurant combined ; d i n i ng rooms on everyfloo r, kitchen in the filt h sto ry, and the theatre th ree storiesunder gr ound . It was too late to attend the pl ay, bu t asmy English friend who accompan ied us had dete rm ined thatwe should see all that was po ss i ble th is first n igh t in Londo n, he pro posed for us to look in at the great bar-room .

llo swung open the doo r, and l, arden t fo r novel ty , fo llowed . A pandemonium indeed ! I shou ld have l iked tostudy this med ley of men ; but before I had obtained afirs t gl impse, we were wave dback by the helmeted sent ine lwho was on guard at the entrance , w i th the poli te, bu t decide d remark : No admit tance fo r lad ies at the bar afternine o

’c lo ck.

” Thus was I greeted on my ar r i val in a

fo re ign land . My husband then info rmed the ou t ly i ng

pirkut that l was no t a lady”who sought admi ttance to

tho bar, but only an Amer ican woman who w ished to l ookin. More, at le ast, the sterner sex had it all to themse l ves ,but no t so in the surgingmyriads ou tside . W here were theyall go ing ? Ah, 1 four me, they were all blent in one d readnouvau, down, down, to the dark shores of sin and misery

,

and donth l'

l‘

hn llrs t s ight o f a great city is very l ike the fi rs t s igh tof tho o ooan : it o verwhe lms yo u . There is so much of itand so litt le o f yo urse lf, that yo u feel li ke a feather tem

prst to ut, and a painful sensatio n of lonel i ness, o r ratherNo thingness , c rept o ver me, as I wal ke d back , past thelumen winn'

c Charles I was executed , Westminster A bbey ,and tho llonso o f Parl iament, all seen th rough a cl oud ofltlllttmay mist. Fo r o ver two tho usand years this tide ofimmunity, no w quite fo ur mi l l ions o f so u ls , has been growllmInnl go ing, Inc reas ing and unceasing, l i v ing and dy ing,mu zh lll

’

n vu lnnblo to its po ssessor and val ue less to its ne igh

lom. Wllh tlnmo rolloo t lo ns l ret ired to—prayers . I restednupu My, and when I wakened the next morn i ng i t was st i l lchu b, but my monito r warned me o f the hou r of ni n e, so IHim: and Illns sml by cand le l ight , fo r the fog seemed to have

unlohmml nmto clonno ly than over. I t was becomi ng mo

inclonmmMy th at mnnunl lon o n enteri ng Westm inster A bbey wast of u mi ld , ou vo rno nn, grave

-l ike c h i l l . The tw il ight

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

26 p xcr uass AND Poa'

raarrs

fo r that,” an swered an Engl i sh lady at my s ide. Yes

,t h ey

are too good fo r t hat , I mused ; th ey reserve thei r idol a t ryfor profligate k i ngs like the second Charl es, and fo r rouésl i ke the “fi rst gen t leman of E ngl and ,

” Beau B rummel’sfr iend

,the d is so lute Prince of Wales.

L E T T E R I V .

Tw o scraps o f fo undation , some fragments o f lace,A shower o f French rosebuds to dr op over the face ;Fine ribbons and feathers, w ith craps and il lu sion ,Then mix and derange them in graceful confusio n .

Inveigle some fairy out roaming fo r pleasure,And buy the slight favo r o f taking her meas ure ;The length and the bread th o f her dear little pate,And hasten a miniature frame to createThen po ur as above the brigh t mixture upo n it ,And 10 l you possess such a love of a bonnet."

Anonymous .

LONDON , February , 1878 .

FROM the earl iest ages France seem s to have been the

ori gi nator and sovere ign of costumes and customs. I nthe yea r 55 B.C .

, when J u l i u s Owsar i n vaded Bri ta i n, hefou n d the i n habi tan ts of Ken t the most en l igh tened , an dTac i tu s says “they were near and l i ke the Gau l s ,

” fromwhom they had acqu i red the arts of dres sing, sp i n n i ng ,dyei ng

,and weav i ng wool . Somewhere I h ave read th at

th e early B ri tons l i ved con t i n ual ly in pu r is natu ralibu s,bu t Caesar h imsel f correc ts th at v u lgar error when he tel l sus that even the least c iv i l i zed were c l ad i n sk i n s, wh i lethose i n the sou the rn d i s t r ic ts

,l ike the Gau l s

,were no t

on ly com plete ly,bu t splend id ly att i red . That they punc

to red the i r bod ies in n umerou s devices of an ima ls , flowers ,and leaves

,s tai ned them bl ue w i t h the i r favori te herb, glas

lye, and fl ung o ff thei r ga rmen ts w hen abou t to rush i n tobatt le, we have ample au thority. E ven the famous ta rtanpl aids were fi rs t woven in Fran ce , for are they not to thisday ca l led ‘ the garb of ol d Gau l

” ?

A s I st rol l ed al o ng Regen t Stree t,Oxford Street, Bon d

St reet , and the St rand , I saw that these people sti l l ass u me to follow the fas h ion s set by the i r ne igh bors ac ross

o r reunion TRAVEL. 27

the Channel , for all the shops were made attract i ve by thedisplay o f Par i s bon nets

,Par i s costumes

,Pari s m an tles ,

and Pari s s hoes and stock i ngs,and gloves . A nd as I

looked at t hese beau t ifu l good s , and then at the my riadsof plai n , cumbrous females pass i ng by , I marvel led w hoth e pu rchase rs and wearers o f these da i n ty con fec ti onsco u ld be. Ce rtai n ly not these heavy , s to l i d women , whofi l led the st reets and added to th e oppression of the atmosphere. I t seemed to me that some Wo men ’s Righ ts orGoody-Goody soc iety h ad j ust adjou rned . and these womenwi th the l arge fee t

,w hose size was en hanced by rough

l ea th er boo ts , c u t low arou nd the ank le , and the broad flatheels

,short bl ack d resses

,and heavy cloth coats

,general ly

a st raw bo n net in February,and i n vari ably an umbre l la

,

were re tu rn i ng from the séanee. They al l appea red to h avebeen blocked o u t afte r one mod el . Sure ly these Par i s ianm orsel s shou ld revo l u t ion ize t he u nbro ken con formationo f these B ri tish Ven uses . No ! U n l ike al l other nation s ,the Engl i sh woman i s never Gal l ic i zed by a F rench to i let ;and the potency of the sal ien t poi n ts of her form A ngl iw i zes the most rav ish i ng Fren ch t id bi ts .I n Regen t C rescen t I not iced the most exqu is i te gloves,

combi nat ion s of two de l icate s hades of k id—ec u dc m’

le

embroidered w i th myrt l e,and myrt l e cufl

'

s ; eiel bleu and

flesh ti n t ; éeru and brown ; pi n k and fawn—and l l ongedto posses s these novel t ies

,yet I never saw a pa i r wor n by

any o f the l ad ies at en te rtai nm en ts. The gen tlemen I notei n my sa un te rs are u n i ve rsa l ly more carefu l i n the i r att i rethan their s i sters , be i ng at al l t i mes wel l shod and wel lg l oved . Th i s seems to be a rem i n iscence of the ages , forg loves were very general ly worn i n the twel fth cen t u ry ,and prior to th at per io d the sl eeves were made long enoughto d raw over the hand , and th us stood i n lieu of the l ate rperqu i s i te . And I mou rn

,as a v is ion o f Chestn u t Street

floats before me , th ronged by my cou n trymen on t he i r wayto the o fllce or cou n ti ng-house i n u nbl acked boots and un

gloved hands , gene ral ly th r ust deeply i n to the recesses oft he i r pocket s .

There are in n umerable co zf u rs establ i sh men ts , w i thshowy w i ndow d ress i ngs

,and agai n I ask

,by whom are

they pat ron ized ? For s u rely the prototype from wh ichMrs . Bu l l and her he i fe rs h ave copied , cou ld no t have beenconcei ved by any of these art i s ts . The ha i r o f the Londonfemale w i thou t var i ation i s parted i n the cen tre andd rawn down very c losely beh i n d the ears to the nape of

28 p tcr uaxs A ND Po a'

raarrs

the neck , where i t i s tw isted i n to an exceed i ngly sm al l co i l ,abou t the size of an ord i nary lemon . N o crim ps , no cu rls ,n o pu ffs, no braids l Th is a u ste re and r ig id headd ress hasth e s tam p of age and d u rab i l i ty , veri ly : i t l ooks as i f i twere coeva l w i t h the Saxon s and Danes . It cannot meritthe d i spleasu re o f the cle rgy , an d make an occas ion fo rthem to decla im from the pu l pi t aga i n s t the fash ion ab l efol l ies o f t he fai r sex , wh ic h was a frequen t even t i n the

fou rteen th and fi fteen th cen turi es,when the emf u re of the

l ad ies was compared to ho rned sna i l s,to hea rts, to u n i

com a,and even to a gi bbet

,fo r i ndeed , the re t i cu l ated

headd ress , spread i ng o u t on each side, when covered w i t ha vei l , m igh t be fa i r ly ass im i l ated to the cross t ree o f thosedays. Later on , Add i son, i n the Spectator , l i ken s thesteeple headgear” to the commode o r lower . Th i s goth i cbu i l d i ng m igh t have been carri ed m uch h igher , h ad i t notbeen fo r the zea l and determ i nati on w i th wh ich the famousmonk

,Thomas Conec te

,fo ught i t down ; he trave l l ed from

town to to wn to preach agai n s t the monst rou s ornament.By h is e l oquen ce he so warmed and an imated the womenaga i n st t h i s abs u rd i ty that they th rew o ff the commodes i nthe m idd l e o f h i s sermon and made a bon fi re of them .

W h i l e the holy man was i n the i r m idst th is enorm ity vanished , bu t when he had depar ted , i t re appeared , and as

Monsieu r Parad i n says , “th e women that , l i ke snai l s i n afr igh t, h ad d rawn in thei r horns , shot them o u t aga i n assoo n as the dange r was o ver .

” From the earl iest da tes wesee that the Bri t ish fri zzed and arranged the i r ha i r

,after

t he sty l e o f the French,i n the most elaborate fash ion ; the

problem is , why the u ngracefu l sever i ty of the prese n tre ign i ng mode ?1 h ave al ways regarded t he E ngl i sh l ady as rather a

mora l t han an art i sti c creat ion ,—a prod ucti on o f sher ry ,

brown s tou t,roast beef and l eathe r. She is plain and un

prepossess i n g. I have met Engl i sh gi r l s w i th a profu s ionof exqu i si te golden h ai r

,bu t they have none of the del ica te

flesh-t i n ts and classi c con tou r that general ly accompanythe same sun ny shade o f ha i r a t home. I can n o t rhaps o

d ize over the i r sou l th ri l l ing eyes. nor syl ph l ike forms !The figu re i s fi rm and am ple , and speaks l oud ly of a robustappe t i te , heal thy exerci se , and no t igh t lac i ng. That th i sn a t io n of women d id fal l v i c t i ms to th i s ev i l i n the twe l ft hce n t u ry we are s u re

,and i n the roman ce of the “Lay of

Sy r Launfal,” wri tten about the year 1 300, Lady Triamo re

is descri bed as

or roaaiou m aven. 29

C lad i n pa is pail,W ith genty l bo dy and midd le small.

In London , every th ing may be procu red for money , except taste ; that is a commod i ty in wh ich the bov ine Johnsdo n o t raffic . The Londone rs , howeve r m uch they maydeny i t

,fly ove r to Pari s to buy modes for themsel ves

,an d

I can fran kly say , t hey de ri ve. no benefit from thei r v i s i ts .A vast deal of preten s ion a n d l i tt l e effect i s em i nen tlyc haracte ri s t ic of the Engl i sh costume . A nd why i s th i s ?w hen all t hat i s recherché an d efl

‘

ective, embraced i n afem al e ou tfi t

,i s ex h ib i ted at the con sp icuous bijouter ies o f

Peter Robi n son and Marshal l and S nel lg rove, on Regen tand Oxford St reets !How odd i t seem s to me, to be compel l ed to remove my

bonnet , before I am perm it ted to occupy a firs t-cl ass seatat any of the theatres ! A nd how i ncongruous to see thel ad ies at the ci rcus i n a pl ai n cashmere d ress , and the i rh a i r l i be ra l ly decorated w i th flowers .A mer ican s w ho come abroad and expect to pu rchaseods for absol u tely noth i ng are al ways d isappoi n ted .

he re a re shops i n London where a rtic les may be boug h tat rea l ly very low figures . Bu t

,to become posted i n these

establ is hmen ts , one mus t l i ve i n a ci ty fo r some time, orpossess a va l uable acq uai n tan ce

,who may render s uch a

serv ice . Strangers mus t pay for the i r ignorance in whatever cou n t ry they roam .

The grea t jewel ry shops are very u n l i ke ou rs . I n s teado f adorn i ng the w i ndows w i th statuary and pai n t i ng andceram i cs , as we do at home , they expose the greater po rt i on o f t he i r stock to th e eye o f t he pas se r-by . A nd verybeau ti fu l and orn ate are thei r d i spl ays . F requen tly I l i nger at the shop-w indows i n o ld Bond St reet

,and feast my

eyes upon the d iamonds,pearl s

,and r ubies

,the pa le-pi n k

coral , and the del icate bl ue tu rq uoise , these , combi n ed w ithspark d iamonds

,enjoy a prom i nen t pos i t ion among the

cos t ly orn amen ts of the presen t day .

30 p tcrnaxs A ND roam u rs

L E T T E R V .

N o sun, no moo n iN o mo rn , no noo n i

No dawn , no dusk, no proper time o f dayN o sky , no earth ly viewNo distance looking bl ue

No road, no street, no t‘o ther side the way .

N o top to any steep le,N o recogni tio n o f fami l iar people ;N o travel l ing at al l , no locomo tion ,N o i nk ling o f the way , no mo tionN o go by land o r ocean ,N o trai l , no postNo news from any fo reign coast l"

Tnoxas HOOD.

LONDON , February , 1878.

THE fog con t i n ues to en velop the great metropol i s l i kea pull. D ismal i ndeed i s the aspect. I t i s a fu nera l d i rgei n vapor ; a d ream o f darkness ; a v i si on of gloom ; a melancho ly an ti phony. The brigh t su n i s ext i ngu ished , andt he s tars do wander dark l i n g i n ete rn al space

,ray less an d

path less,and the v ic ious earth sw ings blacken ing i n t h e

ai r ; morn comes and goes , and comes and bri ngs no day ,bu t men do not fo rget thei r pass ion s. Were i t not fo r theinfin i te var iety o f d i vers ion i n London now

,l i fe wou ld be

come i n tolerable to the st ranger and travel l er. To m i n i s terto the appet i tes of every age , sex ,

cond i t ion,seems to he

the general s tudy . A nd th at such effo rts are no t vai n , i sproved by the vast mu l t i tudes who flock h i ther

,at all sea

sons,to enjoy the great metropol i s. Here the m usica l

c ri t ic , the l i terati , the blasé pleasu re seeker, i nd u lge the i rp ropen s i t ies

,and he re the prod igal

,the man o f science

,the

t rave l le r, the i n ven tor, gather as to a harbor and a home.L o ndon i s an end less encyc lo pmd ia for the uses and imp ro vemen t o f mank i nd .

Regard less o f the c loud u pon the su rface of the earth,

yeste rday we took the u ndergrou nd rai l way to BakerS treet

,Portman Square

,to pass a couple o f hou rs in the

M useum and H i storica l Gal l e ry of M adame Tussaud .

Undergrou nd ra i l ways are the ou tgrow t h of the l as ttwen ty yea rs . The fac i l i t ies for trave l on the su rface i nLo ndon became insnflic ient , and then began the subte rran ean su rveys. Tu nnels in the ear th do not requ i re t he

d r i l l o r the expl os i ve ; bu t the permanen t wal l i ng and a rch

o r ro as rc N raAa . 3 1

i ng requ is i te to sa fety,are frequen tly more expens i ve than

b lasting the sol id rock . Yet i n t h is popu lou s h i ve thedange r to property and to pe rson make the tu n nel preferable

,regard less o f cost. So they mapped the l ower mun

dane regions as Agassiz mapped,and searched , and sou nded

the floors o f o ld ocean and now lower London , or ratherinv i sibl e London, h as almost as many m i l es of road perw es t i ng i t , as the u nseen arte r ies and fibres that permeatethe h uman frame. We procu red o ur t ickets at Wes tm in s terto Bake r S treet S tat ion

,over two m i l es d i stan t

,fo r two

pence ap iece. I descended a long fl i gh t o f steps , an dfound myse l f i n a cl ean

,wel l-l igh ted ce l lar. There was

no sepu lehral ai r ; i t was very l i ke any ot her dépfit. Longplatforms

,th ronged by busy mortal s , w i th br igh t faces ;

bookstands , the wal l s i l l um i n ated w i th showy playbi l l sa nd adve tt isemcnts. I saw a c ri mson star i n the d i stance ,and then the tra i n shot i n to the stat ion l i ke a comet.There was open i ng and sl amm i ng of doo rs ; the rai l wayguards boiste rous ly sh riek i ng the n ame of the stat io n inu n i n tel ligi bl e sou nds ; a rush out of the i ncom i ng passen

ge rs , an a rush i n o f th e depart i ng. l was pushed i n toa carr i age by an official

,and agai n the doo r was s lammed

i n such a way as to lead me to be l ieve that t he guardw ho made the mos t noi se rece i ved the la rgest sa l ary , andthat they were al l i n competit i on . Th is was my fi rs tacquai n tance w i t h a ra i l way i n a tu n nel l ed c i ty . The do orw as l ocked

,and o ff the comet shot

,to th read i ts way

th ro ugh long caverns, past open spaces, where the routec rossed the u ppe r st reets , past other comets fly i ng i n an

oppos i te d i rect ion . Baker S t reet ! was shou ted by thegua rd , wh ich I n ever cou ld have recogn ized , had not myeye caugh t the words on a sign. Agai n I was pushed ou tl i ke a parce l . Moun ti ng to the ou ter and upper atmosp here

,I fou nd mysel f i n a broad ai ry s t reet

,fu l l o f sho ps

and peopl e , h ansoms , bro ughams , organ-gri nders , and ginpalaces—a w i ld d i n of l i fe .

A sho rt walk brough t me to th e famou s exh ib i t ion .

Mad ame Tussaud ’s gal l ery i s Westm i n ste r A bbey iu wax,

bu t it i s no t a sepu l ch re ; it em b races the l i v i ng as wel l asthe dead celebri t ies. I t i s ne i the r so choice nor so chas teas the great Cathed ral

,as we fi nd he re al l the notoriet ies

,

from Lyd ia Thompson to Jesu s Ch rist : the ba l let-danceran d the traged i an , the m u rde rer and the mu rde red

,the

k ing and the cl own . These efligies are l i fel ike and art i st ic ,and very often capi ta l copies o f the origi nal s , partic u l arly

32 PICTURES AND po araarrs

the cou n terparts of English’

celebrit ies. But oh ! how Madame has bl asphemed i n wax

,mu rdered i n mechan ism

,an d ‘

t ravest i e d i n spermaceti,the great ones o f America. Her

i deal o f General G ran t i s a fa i r-ha i red boy of n i neteen , thatof A braham L i ncol n

,9. black-bea rded clergyman i n swel l

c lo thes .” B u t noth i ng cou ld have been more val uable thanthe h istoric grou ps of the royal fam i l i es of E ngl and

,from

the N o rman s down . The re s i ts Bl uebea rd,Hen ry Tudor

,

h is si x w ives c l u s te red aro und h im , each one l o ok i ng sereneand radian t i n the s un l igh t of th is magnan i mous ( f) man

’sfavo r ; h is hand res ts u pon the you ng pri nce

’s head—thefutu re Edward V I—and sweet A n ne Bo leyn wears thefamous yel low d ress i n wh ich the capr ici ous mona rch lovedto see her. I was ever so m uch i n terested i n MadameGuel ph , as Her Majesty is cal l ed ; he r n i ne ch i ld ren an dfou r of her gra ndch i l d ren are near her

,w i th the ha ndsome

and v i rt uous P ri n ce A l bert ; s l igh t ly i n the backgro und ,and on the r igh t o f the Queen , i s see n th e man who combi nes the gen i us of Bol i ngbroke

,the w i t of Can n ing , and

the e loquence of B u rke”—the omn ipo ten t P rem ier. I wasm uch impressed by the wonde rfu l l i kenes s o f the hero o f

Wagram ,Marengo, A usterl i tz , Eylau , Fried land , an d by

the e loquen t re l ics of h i s so ld ier, domes t ic, and co n su l arl i fe. The figures o f the i l l-fa ted Lou is Napo l eo n , and thebeaut i fu l and queen ly E ugen i e are s ide by s ide. They areal l here ; from the o ld man , Emperor Wi l l iam ,

and B ismarck of Germany , to the sad Czar of the Russias ; fromthe Ch i nese teaman to the A meer o f A fghan i stan ; from the

w h ite-hai red Emperor of B raz i l to the Viceroy of Egypt ;the you th fu l k i ngs of I ta ly an d Spai n ; and Th ie rs , Gu izot,Tro ch u

,Gambetta , and Cassignac .

Mad ame Tussaud , the d i sc ip le of the art of the anc ien tV errochio and O rs i no, was a native of Berne, Sw itzerlan dat an ea rly age she was placed under the su pe rvis ion of heru ncle

,M . Cu rti us

,who was a rt i s t to Lou is XVI

,and by

him she was i nst ructed i n t he fine arts . Late r she wass ummoned to the pal ace as the a rt ist ic adv i se r of Mad ameE l izabet h , the s i ster of the h apless k i ng. Passi ng m uchof her time at the Tuilleries an d Versa i l les, she becameacquai n ted w i th the nobi l i ty and gen i us of the F renchcou rt. One of her ablest works i s the portrai t mode! ofthe cel ebrated w i t, Vol tai re. I n 1802 she bade ad ieu toF ran ce w ith her val uable co l lect ion o f figu res

,to -exh i bi t

them i n the pri nc i pal c i t ies of G reat B ri ta i n and I re land .

The ceroplast ic art seems to have degene rated w i th th e

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

34 Pl cruass s un PORTRA ITS

sold iers and you imagi n e you hear the excl amation o f pa i n .

C lose by i s t he august b u t crushed V i rgin mo the r,bu t fa r

more touch i ng was the spec tacle of Magdalene ; she it wasw ho cl aimed my tea rs an d sympathy . True

,Mary th e

mother i s bereft of her Son, bu t to the other Mary thereh as fal len u tte r m i sery , desolation , and sol i tude. She h asl ost all

,fo r she has los t her Sav iou r, who d rew her from

th e fathom less gu l f of sin and death ; she has l ost herG uard ian

,who led her s tray i ng fee t i n to the golden path s

o f virtue ; she has lo st her K i ng, who pro tected and lovedher ; an d she has lost her God , whom she worsh i pped .

L E T T E R V I .

Once I was pure as the snow—bu t I fel lFel l , l ike the sno w-flakes , from heaven to hell ;Fel l to be tramped as the fi lth of the street ;Fel l to be sco ffed , to be spi t on, and beat.

P lead i ng,Oursingg,

D readin to die,Sel l i ng my soul to whoever w ouu d buy ,D eal ing

'

in shame fo r a mo rsel o f bread ,Hati ng the li v ing and fearing the dead .

BEAUTIFUL Snow .

LONDON , February, 1878 .

I HAD no t been a residen t o f this fore ign ci ty long, ere Iwas i mpressed by the terri ble d ispari ty between the ex

t remes of weal th and the extremes of poverty . The r icha re very r ich

,and the poo r a re very poor. The rich learn

to ru le, wh i le the poor learn to obey . Lo ndon i s g reat i ni ts opu lence

,great i n i ts mend ic i ty , great in i ts v i rtue, and

great in i t s v ice, and t hese ext remes a re freq uen tly so

c lose ly al l ied,as to be next-door n eighbors. Wh i le i n

L iverpool,I attempted to d raw the l i ne between the d i ss i

pations and the d i st resses o f the poor, an d I speed i lyreached the concl u sion that the ch ief cause o f pauperismwas rum ; that m uch o f i t i ssued from the excess i ve use ofgi n and beer. That wh ich orig i nated i n a custom ,

u l t imate ly became a necess i ty . The two-pence or th ree-pen cebegged on the s idewa l k and i n vested i n t h i s v i l e poi so n ,i f expended on bread and coarse meat , wou ld prove the

or scanne r: Tai wan. 85

sal vat ion o f thousands of these wretched c reatu res. Bu toh ! what i s t h is demon tha t p u rsues mank i nd ? Legion sof fresh and hea l thy recru i ts falling in the ran ks each yearto be led a long the dark shores of s i n to the seas of death .I s there noth i ng to s top i ts ravages ? lt spreads i ts gl oomyw ings over happy homes, i t i s the mothe r o f mu rder, th ep ro gen i tor o f defalcat ion , the paren t o f l i es . C rime i nwhatsoever att i tude i t may appea r is the i nevi table o il

'

spr ing o f th i s defiling fiend . lt devastates fam i l ies andpol l u tes the brigh te st m i nd .

I t was on ly when I came to London that I real ized theforce of these impre ss ions , for i t i s on ly here th at I haveseen the pi teous and p it i fu l deprav i ty o f my own sex ; notthe poor pain te d bu t terfl ies w ho fl i cker and fal l i n the fiery

g u l f of the dazz l i ng s i n of the streets , but those who su ffersimply from careless dest i tu t i on , who wander apparen tlyall th rough the lo n g n igh t w i t hou t shel ter or food

,and

scarcely any cloth i ng ; bleared an d bloate d women clamori ng for mo re wh i skey o r struggl i ng w ith the i r im b ru tedh u sbands. Th is d i refu l pau pe r ism , togethe r w i th v ice , h asl ed to an organ izat ion of beneficent l ad ies i n Londo n ,w h ich

,th ank God

,i s not necessary i n ou r happy coun t ry.

A l arge ball i s procu red am idst th e very haun ts o f thedes ti tute and reck less classes

,and d u r i ng the severe and

d reary w i n ter n igh ts many noble women of exa l ted rankremai n here, to recei ve and reason w i th the poor fa l len ou tcasts who a re con d ucted h i the r hy friend ly pol icemen fromthe sl u ms and nar row l anes . The vari ed emot ion s thatrend the bosoms o f these frai l st rays as they issue fromthe dark and d i smal h igh ways to the l igh t , an d warmth ,and welcome o f t hese great pa r ish hal l s

,where hot coffee

and homely fo od are pro v ided fo r them , have more thanonc e roused my woman ly sym path ies. Some of them are

conspicuous i n t hei r tawd ry fi nery , and general ly u nder thein fl uence o f gi n—others are shoel ess and hatless—l ocksd i shevel led

,face and hands soi led—others sh i vering

t h rough the i r th readbare clothes , and again those whowea r a hosti l e and defian t m ien ; al l un sexed by th e freq uen t con tact w i t h privat ion a nd si n . But oh ! to see thesooth i ng, tender, and forgi v i ng manner o f the c lergyman

and h umane lad ies , who greet the fug i ti ves as they en te rfro m the cold and cheerless o u te r world . There are noreproaches , no lo ng se rmons, no moral iz i ng, but now andt hen a to uch i ng hymn and a plai n t i ve prayer for theresc ue of the wanderers , wh ich go d i rec t ly to the heart . I

36 c ruaas AND poaraanr s

have seen the tears cou rs i n g down the rouged and w h i tedche eks of these i l l-sta rred gi rl s from the pu r l ieu s o f th em usic-hal l s and gi n-pal aces .There seems to be a st range fasc i n ation i n a grea t c i ty

for these depraved be i ngs. They prefer the fi l t h i n w h ic hthey ex i st , and wou ld rather starve i n its dens an d al l eys,or be con fined in the l owes t of its prisons than em igrate t oother cou n tries , or honest ly toi l for s ustenance ; an d th emethod employed by some o f the pau pe rs t o gai n th i sl i v i ng i s worthy of a special chapter. The stree t A rabsare s im ply m u l ti tud i nous . They are a fratern i ty o f the i rown

,ind igenous to London

,w i thou t paral le l i n any other

section of the world, gen eral ly i n l eague w i th th e olde r

ru filans , men and women , adepts i n all k inds of w i cked ness ,ever ready to face any r i sk or ru n any danger. They pou rdown u pon and bes iege the foot-passenge rs i n ho rdes .They attach themsel ves to you r person

,and adhe re w i t h

the u tmost tenaci ty. When you hai l a han som o r fou rw heeler

,i n the tw i nk l i ng of an eye you are su rro u nded by

as many ev i l spi ri ts as sprang upon“o ld Ri p” on that

even t fu l even i ng i n the Ca tsk i l l s when he too k h i s nap,

and these Engl i sh man ik ins emana te fro m every corner i nthe same mysterious man ner. There is the old man

,the

ragged gi rl , the d i rty boy , and the consumpt i ve womanw i th the baby h idden u nder h er sca n ty shawl

,al l eager to

render some serv i ce, and rece i ve compen sat io n .

A couple of days ago,as I was wal k i ng up Parl i amen t

St reet,a l i tt le boy sprang before me and proceeded to

th row summersau l ts o n the pavemen t for q u i te a block,

and i t was on ly when he demanded pay,that I became

aware tha t these fea ts of agi l i ty had been i nd u lged fo r myspecia l de lectat ion . Fu rther on two l i t t le gi rl s started o ff

on a wal tz for my amusemen t, and they , of cou rse , w i shedpen n ies fo r thei r pai n s. N o w these ch i ld ren al l be long toso me o f the older ai ms-seekers , who stand o n th e c u rbt u rn i ng the i r sightless eyes , w i thered hands , o r deformedand offen s i ve l im bs i n to capi ta l . There are regu lar com

panies formed by the beggars , and each o ne perambu la teshis own c i rc u i t ; sometimes they exchange beats i n o rderto eq ual ize thei r recei pts. They a re n umerous i n St. G i les

,

Seven-d ia ls,Ki ng S t reet , Sho red i tch , and St. Paul ’s

Ch u rchyard ; there are res tau ran ts and publ ic houses inthe v ic i n i ty

,and even places of am usemen t en t i re ly sup

.

ported by mend ican t patron s , who con grega te at theseresorts at n ight and spend cons i derable o f the i r

o r seame n r aav s t . 87

i n ho t s u ppers and l iq uor. B ut even the l and lord who

su bs ists from the bou n ty of s uch cha rac ters , does not entertain th e most exal ted op i n ion of the i r moral rect i tude,for t he forks

,kn i ves

,and spoon s are chai n ed to the tables.

A nother profi table sou rce o f emol umen t i s the shoe trade.These bu l l ies or swaggerers, exc ite ch ari ty fo r shoes, byappear ing on the s t reets bare footed , the i r feet scarified andscabby ; the old shoes begged they tran slate i n to new o nesw h ich t hey sell , an d t h us ac t a s um each day that en ablesthem to l i ve we l l .V ice i s one of the adm itted facts of th i s awfu l Lo ndon

,

even organi zed v i ce , v ice i n all degrees ; bu t th en so is v i rtue.The wea l thy t radesmen and t he ari stoc racy do many gracefu l acts of chari ty i n sec ret, and those w ho are i n the habi tof dec l a im i ng agai nst the l ux u ry and extravagance of thenobi l i ty , do not know what enormous s ums are paid by someof the lat ter to re l i e ve the poor. Yet , the ru le of o ppression preva i l s to o en ti rely th roughou t the U n i ted K i ngdomto make a happy and healthy commun i ty . I heard s omemelancholy sto r i es abou t the poo r i n Wales

,i n what are

ca l led the nai l factories, that I shou l d h ave rejected as untrue had no t the fac ts been gi ven to me by am ember of theHouse of Commons. Del icate young women work moreard uously

,than o ur sou the rn n egro sl aves ever worked

,for

the support of d runken h usbands, whose on ly escape fromthe workhouse i s by the pat ien t and u ncomplai n i ng to i l ofthe i r w i ves. Suspension o f l abor i n the col l ier ies , cottonm i l l s

,brickyard s , and lace fac tori es, has p roduced a state

o f affai rs that badica desc ri pt ion .

These are some of the figures of B ri t i sh pauperi sm,as I

con trast them w ith other co u n t r i es . A few years ago E ngland pa id o r $ 1 6 a head for the support of herpoor

,wh i le in F rance the cost for the i r poor was on ly

o r a hea d. I n 1873 there were eigh t hund red and fifty

-five thou sand six h u nd red and e ighty-n i nepau pe rs i n England , and the cost of these i n 1860 wasapi ece . I n Germany , $7, an d i n F rance on ly SoBr i t i sh pau per i sm i s ever i n the ascendan t . E ven the wo rdfound its bi rt h i n England i n the seven teenth or e ighteenthcen t u ry

,to descr i be th at cond i t ion of pen u ry w here sel f

su pport i s n ot attempted , and w here the basest v ices areb red . Pau pe ri sm dates back to the reign o f Hen ry V I I I .

,

when the break i ng up of the feu dal system and the d ismantl ing o f the m o naster ies, th rew very ma ny people u pon the i rown endeavors for support . Extreme poverty was the con

4

38 mcr ua ss AND Ponr iu rrs

seq uence , bu t a law was passed to the effect, that“valient

beggars and id l e loi te re rs”were to be avoided , and on ly the

old and feeble, an d the halt were to recei ve al ms, the ablebod ied men to be pu t to work . B u t w hen the daugh te r ofA nn e Boleyn ascended the th rone the law was revol u tionised , and fo r the fi rst t ime a lega l righ t was gi ven to everyone to cla im re l ief. Very often the cond i tion o f the pau perwas su perior to that o f th e i ndependen t l abore r ; i f t hewages o f a parish were con s i dered i ns ufficien t fo r the support o f a fam ily

,al l owances were granted , and more money

bestowed for the main tenance of an i l legi t imate th an for aleg i t imate ch i ld . Of co u rse such laws on ly tended to spreadthe i n fect ion o f i mmoral i ty and sloth .

What a con trast ou r blessed cou n try forms to th is dolefu l state o f governmen t ! There i s very l itt l e n ati ve pau

perism at home . A l l o f th i s te rr ible p l ague that we h avei n the Un i ted S tates is fore ign-born , or of foreign extract io n . We have towns and v il l ages where not one pau

'

pe r i sto be fou nd . Why ? I t i s a q uest ion read i ly answe red .

The i nfluence o f l i bera l ed ucation , the sel f-respec t i m posedby pol i t ica l and socia l pr i v i l eges

,the l ow price s o f l and and

the r igh t o f eve ry man to become a property hol der. I fE nglan d wou ld fol low th i s ex ample of her truan t offspring

,

and ed ucate rather than rel ieve her masses , the gigan ticev i l wou ld be great ly abated . So noble a cou n try shou l dl abor to remo ve th i s fou l sta i n from her escu teheon. Nocommun i ty can be happy wh i l e men are al lo wed to “l ook tocha ri ty as a fund on wh ich they may con fiden tly depend .

”

L E T T E R V I I .

Here is the nursery o f Art,Here mi l l ions gather glad to see,

The treasures o f th is mighty mart,Taken from w orlds long past, andy

et to be."s um mons.

LonDox , February , 1878 .

HAD I come abroad prev io us to the g rand pagean t w h ichsignal ized the cetenary o f o ur i n dependence I am qu i tes u re I sho u ld h ave rave d abou t al l the wo nderfu l t h i ngs i nt h is wh i rl po o l of a Lo ndo n . Bu t the ed ucatio n I rec e i ved

o r re union r aa v an. 39

i n art,sc ience

,and i n ven tion , wh i le attend i ng that m ic ro

co sm of marvels , d isci pl i ned me to exam i ne more soberlythe bea u t i fu l c reat i on s that were n ove l t ies to American sbefore the I n ternat ional Exh i b i t ion . A nd so these ex qu is i te d i splays do no t su rpri se me no w .

There fore,pas s i ng th rough the Sou th Kensiugton M u

seum I was a l i t t le l i ke the I n d ian who saw noth i ng i nthe wh i te man ’s count ry to sti r h i s stol i d n atu re. I wasabou t to add . the i n sti tu t ion ha s cause to be jea lous of o u rPh i l adel ph ia Exh i bi t ion

,bu t I w i l l at tempt no compari

son s,they are al ways od ious. Left by i tse l f th i s great

m useum wou ld be the as plus nllra o f school s and gal leries.I f I attempted to descri be Sou th Kensi ngton Museum , Ishou l d fai l to be or igi na l . I cou ld on ly walk in the footprints o f my p redecessors. Though t is su re to d u l l an ddampen the ecs tasy o f th e n eophy te i n a fore ign co u n t ry.

We crave to be nove l,and yet how i m possi ble when so

many older and w iser j udges w i th al l these facts i n thei rmemories

,devote t he i r best ene rg ies to th i s o ld wo rld !

When I en tered th is repos i tory of cu r ios i ties I was st u n nedby the dead si l ence . S i l ence seems to be one o f the charac te ristic s of the Engl i sh—s i l ence o f mo t i on and ofspeech . I n the vast hotels we never hear a foot fa l l no r aloud word despi te the stone floors and lofty ce i l i ngs . andhere I fi nd the same qu iet order. A l l i s d umb as death !Perhaps yo u have no ticed the e loquence o f u nspoken so l itude at t imes. Some one h as said “order was hea ven ’sfi rst law ,

” and order i s always st i l l ness,but s uch compl ete

n o isel es sness as we have he re i s oppressi ve.There were n umbe rs d ispersed th ro ugh the salons

,and

as I watched them i n the d istan t a lcoves and shel tered re

treats,they grew i n to a m u l t i t ude o f men and women ; bu t

they moved rathe r l i ke shadows than s ubstances,and they

Spoke on ly i n w h ispers. They con veyed knowledge andideas to each other by s igns , an d poi n ted to the ca ta logues ,to pa in ti ngs

,and s tatues

,and maps, and cases . Th is s i len t

language i s con tagious,and as I stud ied them I unc on

sc iously sank i n to the i r fas h ion , and l ost my own i den t i tyin the voicel ess concou rse. My words were h ushed , and Ibegan to con verse by mot ions , no t from choice , bu t thespe l l was u pon me. I soon became accustomed to an drathe r enjoyed the speech less con versati on . I speed i lyfou nd mysel f hol d i ng col loqu ies w i th the objects , antiq ueand recen t . Every stat ue, re l i c , chart , foss i l , and engrav

i ng cou l d art icu l ate i deas to my h ungry m ind . I passed

40 “cr anes AND ro ur aanr s

two days i n th i s spl end id academy , and fee l that i t ough tto have been two weeks . Shal l I tel l yo u of the l i v i ng atthe s ide o f the skeleto ns

,o r of the l i v i ng before thei r po r

t ra i ts ? Sha l l I tel l you of sc ience , o f wh ich I know l i tt l e ;or shal l it be pol i t ics

,of wh ich I know noth i ng ? What

i n terested me most w as the weal th o f art,skil l

,i n gen u i ty

,

and novel ty i n sn u ff-boxes,fan s

,ceram ics

,and med al l ion s.

A col l ec tion o f sn u ff-boxes,i n étu is

,gold

,enamel

,jew

elled,etc .

,l oan ed by M r. C . God i ng

,fi l l s severa l la rge

cases, and I ben t ove r t hese exqu i si te morsel s u n t i l h eadand heart reeled . The prod igal i ty of expen se

,t i me , and

gfi i ius o n these gewgaws i s marvel lou s. Gems by famousutch , French , and I ta l ian art i sts adorned the co l l ect ion .

There was o ne of scaly go l d resembl i n g a serpen t’s epi

derm is ; the l id was em be l l i shed w i th a ma tch l ess mosai co f Ven us and Adon i s upon the emeral d and vel vety t u rf,at the i r feet babbled a s i l ve ry bro ok

,cast i ng a sp ray over

t i ny pebb l es . The goddess was endeavori ng to cajole thecold and chaste yo u th

,who re ce i ved w i th u t te r ind ifi

'

erenee

the p ro ffered favors o f th e d i v i n e coquette . There weresplen d id enamel s con tai n i ng dev i ces and legendary emblemsi n d iamonds

,some o f jaspe r

,some o f block o crystal , othe rs

o f sardonyx,and choi ce moss-agate. There were the p ro

d uct ions o f a l l n at i on s an d o f al l ages , proclai m i ng howfo r cen t u ries the i n hal at io n of vo l at i le du s t was the ru l i ngfash ion o f soc iety i n E u rope . The est i mated va l ue o f th isarray o f snuff-boxes i s thousands of pounds sterl i ng.

The nex t cases t hat engaged my woman’s t i me and at

ten t i on were those co n ta i n i ng fans . O ne section was conacerated whol ly to a cu r ious and elegan t ex h i bi t ion o f fan s

,

mostly the compi l at ion o f one l ady ; many o f exq u is i teFrench des ign ; sat i n , tu l le , gauze , pa rchmen t , and the se

cal led ch icken-sk i n ; and these were beau tified w i t h pai n ti ngs by s uch cl ever craft smen as Marie Bonhc u r, A . So ldé,Edouard Moreau

,and others of equal s ubtl ety . There w as

the novel Pompadou r that forms a perfect o val when ex

panded , and the fold i ng fan o f Cat herine de Med ici s ; th eeccent r i c Lomba rd sh apes of t he seven teen th cen tu ry

,an d

bri l l i an t tuft fans o f peaco ck and parrot feathers w i th jewelled hand les. Fans of woo d and fan s of i vory ; fan s ofgreat elegance from Rome

,Greece

,an d Egypt , and even

from the fatherl an d of fan s,C h i n a. I h ave heard i t co u

tended that fan s are a fem i n i ne appendage,and i n the

coun t ries w here the use of fans i s a nat ion al cu stom, the

sal ien t characte r i stics of the n at i ves a re pro-emi nen tly

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42 PICTURES arm poa'raarrs

bl ue , and so ft green , w i th wh i te figu res en relief,and the

majo l ica by the same arti sans,that s u rpasses a l l s im i la r

wa res o f the p resent day i n model l i ng and color i ng. ThenM i n ton stoneware and Min ton plaq ue. I can not leave th i schapter before I tel l yo u of a chaste and el egan t d i n nerse rv i ce I have seen o f th i s choi ce porce la i n

,on exh i bi t ion

i n a w i ndow near Pal l Mal l , opposi te. Haymarket . I t i s o ft u rquo i se bl ue

,soft , yet bri l l iant I ! ) tone, an d adorned by

carefu l ly d raw n swan s,i n shades of mel low gray an d wh i te

,

wad i ng among the long l ush gl ass A ttend i ng th i s se rv icewere a pa i r o f figu res abou t two feet h igh

,of the same ex

qu isite make and h ues, rep resen ti ng a lady and gen tlemanof the Cou rt o f Lou i s XV I . W henever I pass th i s cynosu re

,I endeavor to d i st rac t my atten tion by any object in

an opposi te d i rect ion , but th e magnet conquers , and whenI gaze I am en th rall ed ; i t i s so tempt i ng ly beau tifu l .Tw ice I have ven tu red i n to the san ctuary to price and preyu pon i t ; and as I look and l inger, two fiends tear at myheart

,as they .d id at good Launcel ot Gobbo’s ; m i ne are the

fiends of a l ux u rious desi re,and a scan ty pu rse. The fiend

—des i re —i s . at m i ne elbow , and tempts me, say i ng ,“take

i t, grati fy you r taste .

” “No,” says my meagre enemy o n

my righ t, take heed,h o nest lady , take heed ; sco rn such

fr i vol i t i es.” Then cou rageous desi re says,

“Rouse up,be

o f brave and posi t i ve m i n d .

” Then , repl i es the sl im and

h ungry opponen t ,“My honest friend

, yo u are an honestwoman ’s ch i l d ; beware !

” Then flatter ing des i re says,

Imagi ne i t upon you r tabl e at h ome,the beau ty en h anced

,

when i n combi n atio n wi th fi ne l i n en,pu re crystal s o f spark

l i ng w i nes,sh i n i ng s i l ver

,laden w i th l u sc ious fru i ts

,seen

th rough the gl ow of col o red l igh ts ; how p retty the l i tt leF rench l ady w i l l be on th e etagere, when no t ca l l ed to thed inncn table.

” A nd I am about to y ie ld,when the other

voice wh ispe rs,

“Cau t ion,prudence

,go you r way and I

go ! Th rough sheer madness , I ru n away w i th my h eel s”

as Gobbo d id . But the M i n ton porcela i n of pal e b l ue w i thi ts wh ite swans hau n ts me neverthel es s.Fu rther on are specimen s o f jewel led Copel an d an d

Sev res,Hen ri Deux an d Pal i ssy

, and many worthy adaptations from Majol ica, Pal i s sy , an d De ll a Robb ia , producedi n England .

The w i ndows o f the refreshmen t-room o f the Sou thKen si ngton M useum and the corr idor l ead i ng to i t

,a re

com binat ions of the most beau t i fu l sta i ned-glass fragments

o r reuni on m aven. 43

I h ave ever seen . Much o f th i s same gl ass h as been takenfrom the famou s w i ndows o f Sa i n t C hape l l e i n Par is.O u ts ide

,the bu i ld i ng i s not stately as o u r Ph i l adel ph ia

Ex h ib i t ion Hal l , a l though a series o f magn i ficen t ed i ficess u rrou nded by twel ve ac res of grou nd , the cos t o f wh ichwas S i n ce the erect i on o f the fi rs t structu re at

a group has been added . Th is sect ion of o pu l en tLondon i s i n tersected by m i les of mass i ve an d forbidd i ngmans ion s. W ith i n these lord iy palaces there are l ight

,and

wa rm th, and hosp i tal i ty , sweet women . and sweete r ch i l~d ren ; bu t th e ou te r face is l i feless and d rea ry , and I soo nl earn ed how few of these favored cl asses wal k the streets.They are l i ke p rec ious jewel s c l osed i n a casket, to be seeno n ly on specia l o ccasi on s. They sau n ter i n the i r ow ngrou nds

,and when they ven tu re beyond those l im i ts

,are

a l ways i n co s tly carriages .

L E T T E R v u l .

His fai th and wo rks, l ike streams that i n termingle,In the same channel ranThe crysta l clearness o f an eye kept singleS hamed al l the frauds of man .

"

Jo an Gnaax ns u Wm '

r'

rm a.

N o dear mo ther ever upo n me smi ledWhy i s it, I wo nder, that I 'm nobody ’s chi ld .

PH ILO H . CHI LD.

LONDON , February , 1878 .

I WAS greatly i n terested i n the accoun ts th at floated toAmer ica of Dean S tan ley ’s welcome to General G ran t

,

when the ex-Pres iden t v i s i ted Westm i nste r A bbey short l yafter his arriva l i n London last J u ly . How the gray o ld

cath ed ra l was su lfoc at ingly c rowded ; how al l the American s and thousands of the Engl i sh were presen t to tenderk ind sal u tation s to the u nosten tatious hero ; and ho w theDean at the close of h i s sermon add ressed the g reat sold ierd i rectly . Such an honor was i ndeed a novel ty ; i t i s th edead , and no t the liv ing, who are glorified i n Westm i n ster,and the venerab l e scholar and ecc lesiast i s not i n the habi tof prai s i ng men i n power. I h eard h i m speak a few days

44 c'

ruass ann roa'

raarrs

ago, bu t was no t near enough to ca tc h h is tones no r to

gather in h i s though ts , and had , therefore , formed no

Opi n ion of h i m u nti l after my socia l cal l at h i s home inthe a nc ient monaste ry yesterday .

In one Of the d reary and crumbl i ng t raverses of theabbey we fou nd a door l ead i ng to the Dean ’s pr i vatechambers. By a h uge brass knocke r we made ou r p resence kno wn

,wh ich was speed i ly answered by a you th fu l

se rvan t . I feared we wou l d no t be gran ted an aud ience,know i ng so wel l how heav i ly he i s pres sed by ot her d u t ies,from wh ich there i s no esc ape. The charge of the grea tAbbey i s i n i tse l f an exacti ng task , and then the v i s i to rs ,th e re l igi ous bod ies

,and h i s l i terary exert ions, are so many

constan t cl a i ms u pon h i s t i me . A mem be r of Parl i amen t ,w ho ha d fo r many years resided i n th e U n i ted States ,accompan i ed me, and , u pon the presen tation of h i s n ame ,we were grac ious ly recei ved . The

‘

room we fi rs t en te red,

and where we wai ted d u ri ng the absen ce Of the messenge r ,was r igid ly plai n ; i t presen ted a rathe r gloomy aspect , an dhere and the re were p laced o ld re l ig ious re l ics , i ncl ud i ngaged B ibl es

,H igh-Ch u rch books , and pictu res . Whi le

absorbed i n the con templat ion of these cu r ious ornamen ts,we we re s ummoned to th e Dean ’s st udy . We passedt h rough many corr idors

,and u p se veral spac ious stai r

ways Of pol ished wal n u t and oak . A gl ad,fam i l i ar s igh t

met me i n t he an techamber ; these were Ro gers’s statuettes

,

“Com ing to t he Parson ’s,

” and “Rip V an Winkle.” Ik new that the Dean was part ial to A meri ca, and had freq uent ly i n v i ted A merican cl e rgy to preach from h is pu l p i t ,bu t t h i s man i fest i ncl i na t i on to Ameri can ar t was a wel co meto h i s fi res ide. The study was a l arge sq uare apartmen t

,

homel i ke and l u x urious. A l l the appoin tments were r ich,

and dark, and handsome . A vas t O rien ta l rug covered theroom al most ent i rely , exposi ng on ly a margi n o f the po lished wal n u t door. Bookcases ex tended alo ng the s i des

,

con tai n i ng the congen ia l compan ion s Of the am i able ch u rc hman . On the wal l were some portrai ts o f nobi l i ty andcle rgy , by Kne l l er, Law rence , Reynolds , etc. The man telwas l arge

,a mass i ve carv i ng Of wal n ut and oak

,and i n

the grate a gen ia l fi re was leapi ng ; i n i ts glow stoodthe Old Dean of Westm i ns te r. My fi rst i mpress ion was :

what -1 . l arge hearth and what a sh ru nken l i tt le man !H is g reeti ng was k i nd , bu t u ndemonstrati ve. He bade u sbe seated wh i le he rema i ned stand ing

,as we had fou n d

h i m , th roughou t ou r en ti re v i s i t. He is of the Cass i us

o r po s s um r as v s t . 45

ty pe , “lean and h u ngry , he t h i nks too m uch ,” and w i th a

schol ar-l ike ai r. He has very l i ttle con versation,and

appears to be absorbed by far-away though ts . He seemedto wait for us to i n t rod uce subjects o f d i sc uss ion

,and h i s

remarks were i n va riably pol i te and l acon ic . He made afew i nqu i r ies abou t America, and then relapsed i nto ut te rs i len ce. When a ques t ion was d i rected to h im he seemedto rou se from h is d i strac t io n i n a nervous

,epi lepti c way

,

and after several momenl s’ hes i tancy and del i bera t ion

,as

i f search i ng th rough his m i nd fo r an exact reply , answereds imply , i n te l l igen t ly, and del i be rately . A n Engl i sh ladyh ad to ld me that n o marr iage was val id sol emn ized afte rtwe l ve o ’cloc k , noo n , accord i ng to the Establ is hed Ch u rchof England . Th i s statemen t seemed i ncre d ible to me i nv iew o f the fact that marriages take place at e very ho u r ofthe day and n igh t i n the U n i ted States. I fe l t q u i te su reshe was jest i ng w ith a stranger to Eng l i sh l aws. o r that shehad bee n m is i n formed , so I ca r ried the case to DeanS tan ley h im sel f. He ass u red me t hat what my friend hadtol d me was correct. A l l marr iages

,accord i ng to the

canon ical l aw of the H igh Ch u rch,are n u l l and void afte r

noon , u n less by spec i al l icense from the Righ t Honorableand Most Reverend A rch i bald Cam pbel l Ta i t

,A rchbishop

of Can terbu ry , and that i s on ly gran ted i n extreme cases.A rth ur Pen rhyn Stan ley i s a son of the late B ishop

Edward , and nephew of the fi rst Baron Stan l ey Of A lderly ,where the Dean was born December I3 , 18 l5 . He was afavori te pu pi l of the em inent Engl i s h h i storian , Dr. ThomasA rnol d

,wh i le the latter was h ead master at Rugby School .

When he was on ly n i neteen he ga i ned a scholarsh i p at Bal io lCol lege

,Oxford , and at twen ty-two he gai ned the Newd i

gate pr ize fo r h i s E ngl i sh poem,

“The Gyps ies.” A fte rm any years of adm i rable official m igration

,when he was

forty-seven,he married Lady Augusta Bruce , daugh ter o f

Lord E lgi n ; she was the Queen’s most i n t i mate friend

,and

acted as one of her l ad ies-in-wai ti ng u n t i l her death in1 876. The Dean i s st i l l ve ry near to her Majesty

,al though

n ot a member of the Tory party . He ho ld s a powerfu lhand i n pu b l ic affa i rs , and i s m uch be loved by the E ngl ish .

On the Sabbath I h ea rd h im speak I noticed many lad iessend i ng messages and cards to his apartmen ts after he hadreti red .

Accustomed to h ear Of extravagan t sal aries to cle rgymen at home , I made some inq u i ry of one of the chapterclerks at Westm inster

,and learned

,that w h i le Dean Stan ley

46 PICTURES AND Poa'raarrs

rece i ves on ly £2000 , o r a year , A rchbi shop Tait ,the Primate Of al l England , is paid the A rch bi sh o pof York

,the B ishop of Lo ndon

,the

Bi sho p of D u rham , the Bishop o f Wi ncheste r,and the B ishop Of Bangor , There are

twen ty-s i x other bi sho ps whose sa lar i es are fro m twen ty totwen ty-dve thou sand dollars pe r ann um ,

and all th i s greata r i stoc racy su ppo rted by st i l l other bishops, dean s , deacons,and archdeacons

,secretaries , cl erks , and i n n umerable m i nor

d ign i taries , some of whom are paid as h igh as fi fteen , ten,an d fi ve thou sand dol la rs each

,for attend i ng to the i r rel ig

ious d u ties . O f cou rse,th i s great estab l i shmen t i s a puzzl i ng

p rob lem to an American woman,bu t i n con tras t w i th ou r

republ ican sys tem i n A mer i ca,i t seems a monstrou s ou t

l ay Of money when added to other expen ses,to pay for th e

E stabl ished Ch u rch .

I had heard m uch o f the s i ngu l arly fresh an d bri l l i an tsty le o f Canon Farrar, one of the Dean ’s ass istan ts , an ddesi red to see the new celebr i ty. Last even i ng he spoke inthe Ch u rch Of St. A nd rew ’s, corner Of St. A nd rew

’s Street,Hol born Viad uct

,an d I am obl iged to confess I was d i s

appoi n ted,al ike ia h i s though ts and d ict io n . H is text

,“Modern Marty rs

,

” was one capable of marvel lous elabo~ration , yet he seemed to fai l i n i ts treatmen t . H is manneri s somewhat gracefu l , bu t he l acks fi re . He has a softd u lcet Engl i sh vo ice

,bu t i t has n o ne Of th e c lear and elec

t ric American ri ng . Much o f h i s se rmon was i naud ibl e,

al though the ch u rch was fi l l ed . The Eng l ish make a demigod Of a clergyman who is no t comparab le to n umbe rs ofou r m i n i sters w ho real ly enj oy no spec ial cel ebr i ty , barr i ngthe Reverend Beecher, fo r whom I en tertai n the u tmostadm i ration

,no t as a d i v i n e creation

,but as an orator

,a

statesman,a ph i losophe r

,and a th i nker ; i t i s the subtle

e loq uence i n wh ich he clothes h i s ideas,that th ri l led my

w hole bei ng when I fi rst l i stened to h im .

Last Su nday I attended holy se rv ice i n the chapel attached to the Fou nd l i ng Hosp i ta l i n G u i l ford St reet

,

Blo omsbu ry Square. I t i s one o f th e objec ts that n ev erfai l to i n te rest the st ranger, and i s as fu l l Of nove l ty to theE ngl i shman

,for the ve ry natu ral reason

,that i t has been

the depos i tory for arm ies Of ano nymous Engl i s h ch i ldren.

A nd I enjoyed it for the other reason,that I had ever fel t

an x iou s to see how s uch i n s t i t u tions are managed . Un t i laft er I had made th i s v i s i t and became i n terested i n thesehomes for the l i t tl e u nfortu n ates, I had formed no concepc

or roanro rv raavst . 47

t i on o f the stat i st ics o f these E uropean establ i shmen ts.The fou nd l i ng hosp i tal i n Rome lras the capac i ty o f re ta i ning -3000 l i tt le ones, and one i n Napl es rece i ves 1900

an n u al ly at the tu rn i ng-b ox at th e door ; every fou nd l i nghas a n um ber fastened about i ts neck to a id its fu ture recogni t ic a. The hospi ta l in Floren ce grants to the gi rl s a dow ryOf 235 francs on th e even t of th e i r marriage , and from 1855

to 1865 , 1403 gi rl s rece i ved th i s reward . From l863 to

1 866, the I tal ian hosp i tal rece i ved 33 ,222 ch i ld ren . E igh tyth ree Of these i nst i t u t ion s ex ist i n I taly alone. The stat i stics of the Russi an system are appal l i ng. I n the year 1864 ,there were 6 181 found l i ngs i n the St. Pete rsbu rg inst itut io n , and from 1862 to 1 864 , were adm i tted to t heone in Mo scow . Those of V ien na rece i ved i n fan ts ,from 1863 to 1868. Both ancien t G reece and Ro me werefu rn i shed w i th these estab l is hmen ts

, and i n A then s the

forsaken ch i ld ren we re exposed i n a pi l l ar placed i n thepubl ic market .O l d Capta i n Coram

,founder of the Lond on Fou nd l i ng

A sy l um , was a seafa ri ng man w ho , seve ra l cen t u ries ago,donated to the ci ty ti tty-si x ac res , wh ich has now so in

creased in val ue,as to be co vere d by great squares and

flower-gardens , and handsome hou ses ; and t h u s t h i s hosp i ta l stands i n on e o f the mos t beau t i fu l d ist ricts Of the

gray metro pol is. O ver 500 ou tcasts , gi r l s an d boys , frommere i n fancy to the age of fi ftee n years , jo ine d i n the serv iceo f the ch u rch , and I afte rward s saw them at t he i r d i n nersi n the long wel l l igh ted hall . The ch i ldre n mu st all be i l l e

gitimate , and the mother i s not perm itted to v i si t her l i ttl eone after p lac i ng i t he re, u n less she m i ngles i n the t h rongof v i s i tors on Sunday . A fte r i t has recei ved the p resc r i bed amou n t of ed ucat ion and i s about to be appren ti cedou t

,then she has a righ t to cl a im i t. In the bu i ld i ng are

preserved cases Of trinkets , cards and other memen tos foundon the wa ifs , as they a re depo s i ted w i th the keeper. Noth i ngcou ld have been more beau t i fu l than the day I v i s i ted th isim posi ng spectacle. Some Of Hogs rth

’s most val uable pro

d uc tions , who was a great benefactor to th i s cha ri ty , adornthe wal ls

,and severa l fi ne statues are p rese rved i n memory

o f Capta i n Coram and h i s wort hy successors .

48 Prem iu mAND poa'rnarrs

L E T T E R I X .

The boast of heraldry , the pomp of power,And all that beauty , al l that weal th e’er gave,Awai t al ike the i nevitable ho ur :The paths Of g lo ry lead bu t to the grave.

GRAY .

Among mank i nd we are al l bo rn al ikeOf father and mo ther. None excelsAno ther in his natu re. bu t the fateOf evi l chance ho lds some o f us , and someGood fo rtune favo rs , and necessi tyHo lds some in bondage.

So rnocns s.

Lo uno x , March , 1878.

I HAV E ever regarded the study of hera ld ry the heigh t o ffol ly , and wh i l e many o f my friends love to d i l ate on thes u bjec t, I p refer to study someth i ng more use fu l . 1 n eve rh ad any t ime to gi ve to that prod i gious mass of con ce i t

,

Bu rke ’s Pee rage.” What has an American lady to do w i t harmorial bea ri ngs , descents , precedence , ce remon ies, a ndp rocess ion s ? U n l ike some P i nchbeck pat ric i an s is te rs

,I

neve r had the s l igh test i ncl i nat ion to pu rchase from mystationer a cou n terfei t crest, no r to sh ie l d my shortcom i ngsby a blazon ry Of borrowed d igni ty o r genealogy . The ambi t i ou of every American shou l d be to mer i t a ti tl e o f realn o bi l i ty , then may he proud ly wear i t.I passed yes te rday mor n i ng i n the Heral d ’s Co l l ege

,

Bcuet’s H i l l , Doctors’ Commons

,and became i n te rested so

m uch i n the sc ience as to feel a u thorized to d isprove theax iom of the men , t hat women are al ways attracted bygewgaws , and I reproach my sex fo r be i ng too ready toy ie ld to the accusat i on . I hope those who may v is i t t heCol lege of A rms and con verse w i th Mr. Stephen 1. Tucker

,

the Rouge C roi x pu rs u i van t , w i l l no t freely gi ve way hereafte r. Th i s irrstitu t io u i s a h uge mon umen t of the van i tyO f men . No t that my sex are not fond of the s igns Of b l u eb lood an d anc ien t ancestry , bu t i t i s i n var i ab ly the malew ho originates and carries these empty honors ; the femalei s on ly the reflec t i on o f the l ords o f c rea t ion , save i ndeed ,w hen she i s m i st ress

,l ike Queen Victori a. Yet I learn ed

from one of the fr iends of the Lord Chamberla i n,that even

H er Majesty obeys the mandates o f her m i n is te rs i n h er

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50 PICTURES AND PORTRA ITS

1 484 . The ch ief i s the Duke o f Norfolk , one o f the l ead i ngCathol ic pee rs , and the office i s an hei rloom of h i s h ouse.There are th ree k i ngs of arms , s i x he ralds, an d fou r pu rsu i van ts. These office rs at tend on cou rt occas ion s i nroya l costume. The scarlet coat embroidered wit h gold ,an d gold bu tton s

,cocked hat , and pan taloons w i th broad

gold str i pe,and a smal l sword

,gave to handsome Stephen

I . Tucker the appearan ce of a mason i c kn igh t . I t was asort o f thea tr ica l u n iform, o r hol iday fancy-d ress, and as Iw rite I fee l qu i te s u re my grac ious fr ien d w i l l charge mycri t ic i sm to my democrat i c rear i ng. I presume I was oht use

,bu t i t was a lo ng ti me before I co u ld comprehend

t hat the objects of the Hera ld ’s Co l lege” were to preserveal l the ped ig rees of the Bri t i sh nobi l i ty and gen t ry , thereco rds o f royal coronat ions , marri ages , ch ris ten i ngs , fu ne~ral s

,v i s i ts of k i ngs and pri nces , also officia l report s of

cavalcades,p rocess ions, tou rn amen ts , and combats . The

r oyal funera l s a lone ti l l s i x ty-hr s fol io vol umes . The immen se l i braries a re c ro wded w i th books

,port ra i ts , and en

g rav i n gs , to preserve venerat ion for rank among the people.These documen ts and records are very often n ecessary tosettl e q uest ions o f t i t l e to l ands, bu t the gene ral object i sto keep a l i ve respect fo r a r is toc rat i c fo rms . I was muc hi mpressed by th i s regard fo r ol d cu stoms. A t home almostevery fam i ly has pecu l i ar habi ts , general ly hard enough toexplai n to s trangers

,or to j ust i fy to ou rsel ves

,and th i s i s

the case i n London . I was shown an accou nt of Si r Gervase C l i fto n , who had been a w idower s i x t i mes ; al so avol ume

,the work o f a mo nk o f the i 4th cen tu ry

,The

Ped igree from Adam to the Saxon K i ngs .” He tel l s u safte r “Adam had l i ved 930 years he d ied of the gou t.”

Lady J u l iana Berners says that “Adam was a gen t l eman,

"

and i n one sen se she does not transcend the bou nds o freason . But when J oh n Gu illim,

t he rouge croi x pursuivan t of the 17th cen tu ry , asc ri bes coat~armo r to t he tr i besof I srael , I th i nk he has al lowed h i s i maginat ion ratherfree pl ay. Mr. Tucker’s ancesto r and namesake , S tephenTucker, was l icen sed by Hen ry V I I I ., J u ly “to

use and wear h i s bonne t upo n h i s head,as wel l i n o u r pre

sence as el sewhe re,at h i s l i be rt ies.” The great mass of

bo oks,pape rs , and ve l l u ms , were kept i n perfect order, and

as t hey re late to thousands , and are frequen t ly consu l ted,the i r prese rvation requ i res a prod igious o utlay of money.

The Queen appoi nts a l l the he ralds,and thei r homes a re i n

the co l lege . Mr . Tucker presented us to h i s charm ing

o r reunion raavm j. 5 1

fam i ly , an d when I left I fel t that the w i n te r day had beenprofi tably passed , though I was u n sat is fied ; hav i ng tas tedof th i s en igmat i cal sc ience

,I h u ngered fo r s t i l l fu rther

k nowl edge.The mysteries o f coats-o f-arms are i ndeed c u r iou s. The

prec iou s s tones, topaz , pea r l s, r ubies , sapph i res , emeral ds ,amethysts

,and d iamonds , are i n con stan t u se , each em

blematic ; al so the co lors , red , yel low , bl ue , wh i te , orange ,p u rpl e

,and black ; and the pl anets , sun , moon , stars , J up i

te r, Ven us , Mercu ry , and Satu rn . How soon we l ea rn thatthe prec ious stones are for nobi l i ty

,the pl anets fo r p ri nces,

the variou s co lo rs fo r h igher o r l ower degrees ; wh ich isthe dex ter and wh ich the si n i s te r s ide of the fiel d ; andthus we are able to rea d the h ie roglyph ics of herald ic beari ngs by the emgies of men , women , and ch i ld ren , beasts,fru i ts

,and flowers . L ion s gard an t

,sa l i an t

,couchan t , dor

m ant , and passan t , seem to have been one o f t he ea rl iestcharges ; we see them on the sh ie l d s o f the great houses o fN o rthumberland , Cadogan , North , Westm i n ster , Fit z hammond . The mean i ng of such charges as fleur-de-l i s , cl a r ion ,and the fy l fot i s obscu re ; they are, the refore, cal led doubtfu l . Learned schola rs do not hes i tate to devote themsel vesto this st udy , as i f i t had a v i s ible u se othe r than to keepal i ve form

,degree

,obed ience

,an d re verence among men .

The struggle fo r p recedence am used me. Every ran k hasi ts place

,and none dares to precede h is su perio rs. Rid ica

lou s anecdotes a re afloat of the d isp u tes of men,but the

goss i ps say th at l ad ies are far more severe an d part ic u l ar,

especial ly those of anc ien t fam i ly. Serious d i ssens ion soccu r

,and the royal hou seholds are no t excepti o n s to

burs ts of fem i n i ne temper. The Queen , Pri ncess of Wales ,pri n cesses , d uchesses , the w i ves of k i ngs , or brothers o f

the Queen , daugh ters o f t he Queen,come fi rst

,and then

the o ther grades o f nobi l i ty , down to the w i ves o f c lergymen

,and l awyers , an d bu rgesses ; bu t the re i s no pl ace

for the conso rts of t radesmen or mechan ics , and t hose ofsc ient i sts

,art i s ts

,and scholars a re excl uded . The clergy

and l awyers come l ast on the roste r.The ti t led fam i l ies take not on ly th e precedence

,bu t

absorb most of the emcee and a t ten t ions o f the cou rt . A nA meri can now and then engi nee rs he rsel f i n to the charmedci rcl e, bu t i t

'

is pai d fo r by m uch i n t rigue and h um i l ia t ion ;and afte r her object i s accom pl i shed , she i s d i sc ussed andcan vassed d ispa ragingly by the Bri t is h s i ste rhood .

S i nce I h ave been i n London , i nciden ts h ave come to

52 PICTURES AND PORTRAITS

my know ledge by wh ich I am taught social caste is as

strong in England as i t ever was ; and I am sc l ry to add

that th o se who cannot boast a coat o f-arms o f the i r own,

no r a long l i neage, are genera l ly to o anx iou s to enjoy thepatronage of thei r more fort u nate fe l low-creatu res .

L E T T E R X .

Home o f the Grosveno r’s high-born race,

Home o f their beautifu l and brav e,A l ike their birth—and burial-place,Their crad le and their grave

Still sternly o ’er the castle-gate

Their hou se’s Lion stands in state,As in his pro ud , departed hours,

And w arrio rs frown in stone o n high ,

And feudal banners flou t the sky,’

Above his princely tow ers.

”

Frr z -GRREN HALLECK, AM ENDED.

A w o rld o f busy w o rkers, who nobly to ilThe greater w o rld to c lo the and charm,

Men w ho take vast w ealth from sky and so il,Co in gems fo r o rnaments, and guns to harm.

Su ch is this glow ing City—such th is homeOfmodern art, a new and daz z ling Rome,Where labor ru les supremest king ,And bright inventions choicest offerings bring.

ANON YM OUS.

BIRM INGHAM , March , 1878.

IT was a day v ery i lke o u r I nd ian s ummer as we strolledth rough the famous tow n o f Chester

,i n C hesh i re ; pass ing

through the o ld c i ty gates , l i nger i ng i n ou r wa l k upon theorig i na l Roman wa l l s , and u pon the an tiq ue and totter i n gbr idges th at span the Dee

,and paus i ng to feast o u r eyes

u pon the exq u i si te specimens o f pot tery in th e shops h iddenu nde r the row s , as t hey are cal l ed here—roofed ga l le r ies extend i ng along the s i dewa l k

,where pedest rian s may sh op

,

protected from the rain when the weather is i nclement .I enjoyed these n o ve l t ies u nder the k i n d gu idesh i p o f

General Luc i u s Fa irch i ld,Amer ican Con su l at l erpo o l.

He l i ves so near the ancient seat, and has so many friends

or ro as ron TRAVEL. 58

i n the v ic i n i ty,that , as wel l as hav i ng the pleasure Of h i s

gen ia l soc ie ty we garnered m uc h i n fo rmat io n from h is iatell igeut desc ri pt ion s Of the i n terest i ng and pi ct u resquecou n t ry arou n d u s .Ches te r has become al most an Ameri can town ; not in

its i n habi tan ts no r i ts customs , bu t becau se i t i s l argelyv i s i ted by ou r cou n t ry peopl e. and i s a lso the cen t ral po i n tfo r an i mmense amoun t of E ngl is h t raffic and travel . Aflood Of ove rpoweri ng h is to rica l recol lect ions en ve loped meas I pau sed to th i n k and gaze u pon t he busy town u ponthe h igh road between London and I re l and ; i t i s the veryspo t u pon wh ich to d raw com parison s between the o ld , O ldt i mes and th e new ones . The Romans were here w i th thetwen t ieth leg i on i n A . D . 60 , an d many descri pt ion s Of

an c ien t rel ics a re found at th i s day, speak ing l o ud ly Of theearly possessors. O l d as C hes te r i s , i t i s ve ry c lean and

very m uch i mproved , al though t here i s a v i s i ble effort tohol d on to the ves tiges of the or igina l Roman occ u pation .

Here, i n deed , was the archetype of the many p ict u res Ihad seen Of E ng l i sh towns. The nar row l anes

,low

,red

t i led roofs , spotless d i m i ty cu rta i n s stretched across thel owe r wi ndow panes

,rows o f earthen dower-pots and l i t t le

green plan ts,gave to it a prov i nc ia l a i r.

The books that have been w ritten abou t th i s on e tow nwou l d fi l l a res pectabl e l i brary , especial ly th ose by Americans . I w i l l no t l oi te r upon the old

,fo o tbeaten path

,bu t

t ry to p reserve some idea of the famous Eaton Ha l l,the

magn ificen t es tate of the M a rq u i s of Westm i n ste r,t he

r ichest peer i n E ngland,the owner Of a l arge port ion Of

t h e grea t m u rky metropo l i s , whose i n come is s im ply i nca lc u lable. The ancestor o f th i s No rman l ord was the Ear lH ugh Lu pus

,the nephew and fav on

’

te o f the Norman conq ue ro r, who , l i ke many Of those ancien t ch iefs , a lt e r l i vingt h ro ugh years o f v ice , exp iated h is si n s by con st ruct i n gthe A bbey Of St. Warbu rg, from wh ich th e old cathed ra l ,wi th in a few yea rs sp lend id ly i mproved

,may cl aim i ts

o r1g1n.

The fai r and Opu len t demesne o n wh ich Eaton Hal ls tands , i s over s i xtee n m i les i n length , and some se ven m i l esb road

,nearly as vast as th e e n t i re c i ty Of Ph i ladel ph ia

,

Fa i rmoun t Park i n cl us i ve , an d th i s i s no t al l ; the mightyMarqu i s o f Grosvenor , or Westm i nster, i s the happy posses so r Of a large part O f t he c i ty Of Chester. We d rove

,

i n o ur l i t t l e Eng l i sh wagonette , out to th is h istoric domai n ,abo u t th ree m i les from this st i l l more h i stor ic town . A s

5*

54 mornas s AND poarau'rs

we approache d,the greatj ro n gate su pported by the s to n e

po rta l s of the ou ter l o dge , was swu ng back u pon its c reaki ng

,rusty h i nges, by the keeper

’s daugh te r, a l i t t l e r uddyfaced Engl i sh gi r l i n a cr i mso n d ress , who ,

d ro pped us aco u rtesy

,and cast upo n u s a coy glance from u nde r her

l ash es,that mean t pen n ies . We d ro ve fo r m i l es t h ro ugh

long aven ues , sk i rted by h uge oaks an d fi rs . A l thoughmuch Of the grounds a re u nde r cu l t i va t io n , there a re vas tsect ions devoted to the orn amen tal , and to l arge he rds o fdeer

,—that were grazing by thousands,—not for h uman

cons umption , but s imply fo r the s port of the n ob le Marq u i sand h i s t i t led guests. We Obta i n ed a gl impse Of the cost l ycastle ; of the ha l l 450 fee t l on g, in wh ich th e Marq u i s res ides w hen at home, o f a floor 40 feet square, that cos t$8000 , of th e great corr idor ex tend i ng 500 feet , of the spac io u s d rawi ng ro o m ,

w it h the cei l i ng of hera ld ic sh i e l ds,

and honeycombed i n t racery Of cream color and go l d , th ewal l s rich in thei r t reasu res o f art , by Rubens and West ,Of the st i l l more spacious l ibrary , w i th i ts OOlOnmtdQS Of

pi l l ars On ei ther s ide,and heavy goth i c w i ndows

,and oaken

shel ves , overladen w i th th e rarest books . The gra n dsta i rway i s a prod igy ; two col o red marble Egyptian state

ues stand on e i the r hand as you ascend the long fl igh t ofsteps, wh ich r u n from the cen tre r igh t and left to the seco ndgal lery

,and then ce to the p r ivate apartmen ts on the h igher

s tory . Land and sea h ave been ran sacked fo r gems toa dorn th i s l u x u ri o u s p i le. Here are i nclosed p reciousa rt icles Of virtu , pai n ti ngs , sta tuary , mosaics , and frescoes .

D u ri ng the h u nt i ng season th i s nobleman en te rtai n s manyhtmd red guests

,and h i s ten an t ry alon e are from fi ve to

seven h u nd red . The whol e ed ifice , excl us i ve of stablesand o ut-bu ild i ngs, cove rs a space of 700 feet i n fron t .1600 gu i neas were expended upo n the pavemen t of themai n floor.Tapest ri es , damasks, sh ield s, vases , chandel iers , an d

a wor ld Of prec iou s treas u res O f art, have been pu rchasedand placed i n the i n te rior, wh i le ou ts ide yo u are enchan te dw i t h fou n tains , v i stas , I ta l ia n gardens , l ong wal ks , an dend less a rrangemen ts for t he enj oymen t of those who prefer t he chase , or the d ri ve , or the pleasu res of the an gler .

Apa rt from the . his to ric p ieces,and portra i ts

,and o ld

armor,i s a ch oi ce col lect ion Of rac i ng pict u res

,i l l u strat i ve

Of the fabu lou s s ums Of mo ney that have been squande redon bl ooded horses by the l u x u r iou s G rosvenors . The po rt raits Of the an imals bel onging to th i s fam i ly for more than

Or roanlon TRAVEL. 55

a h u nd red years occu py a prom i nen t pl ace i n th e household . Th i s house Of Westmi n s te r

,or G rosvenor

,has been

co l l ec ti ng weal th and add i ng to a l l its ter r i to ry s i nce theNorman i n vasi on . I was en raptu red by t he garden s andconserv ator ies , wh ich , though i t was ear ly spri n g, werefil led wi th every variety of exo t i c sh rub and flower, lncl ud i ng exqu is i te p ieces of nat i ve growt h

,making al to

gether a bew i lder i ng m u l t i t ud e o f color and a weight O fOdor t hat recal l ed the s im i le Of the poet when he speaks Ofthe rose dy ing Of aromatic pa i n .

A s I en tered the central aven ue,I was greeted by a

v is i on of en tranci ng bea u ty. The flo ral-fretted wal l s ex

tended and grad ual ly con t racted i n the far perspect i ve ;from the lofty and vau l ted g l ass roof h u ng the de l i ca tesprays Of a v i n e beari n g t i ny cri mson s ta rs that had c l u ste red and w rea thed the i r tend ri l s i n to a network and fri ngeOverhead . Far

,far dow n th i s gal l e ry

, the effec t was thatof a cl oud o f sea-foam i n m id-a i r , t i nge d by the l u r id glowof the s i nk i ng su n . I t was a poem Of rad iance and perfume from the breath Of heaven . Then t here were thesca rl et and p i nk and wh i te l i l i es , the sweet m o dest v i o lets,t he cold chas te bri dal-wreaths

,the l u s ty ve l vet roses , an d

the b ronzed and glossy margi n s o f bo x ; and yo u may beq u i te su re I d id not qu i t th i s Eden t i l l I h ad sec u red fragran t troph ies of my memorable v is i t.The Old racecou rse

,where the Chester cu p i s an n ual ly

run fo r,h as a h i story Of i ts Own, and there i s n o fi ner

Engl is h scene than the struggle fo r th i s cu p i n May . I n1540 a custom began

,by wh ich a si l ver bel l

,cost i ng 38 . 6d .

,

was an n ual ly gi ven by the sadd ler ’s company “to h im who

shal l r u n the best on horseback .

” Th i s arrangemen t wassu bsequen tly change d, and i t was decreed tha t that horsew h ich w i th speed d id ove rru n the rest

,had the bes t cu p

then p resen tly del i ve red,and that horse wh ich came sec

o nd , next the fi rs t,before the rest

,had the second cup then

al so de l i vere d."

Chesh i re , i n w h ich C hes ter i s pl aced , i s perhaps the r i chest cou n ty ia England i n Ol d houses ; many O f the ch u rch esare very beau t i fu l

,and i t i s n oted for the n umber Of i ts

a ris tocracy and weal thy prop r ietors ; bu t among i ts O ld

esta tes yo u wil l fi nd few,i ndeed no ne , as extens i ve as

Eaton Hal l . The coun t ry i s so grid i roned w i th rai l roads,

that w i th i ts l i m i ted ter r i tory you pass fro m one place toa nother w i thou t the sl igh test d ifiic u lty. SO bidd i ng ad ieuto o ur friend , Gene ra l Fai rch i l d , we passe d i n to Warw ick

56 Pro'ruans AND roaraar

'rs

sh i re , and found ou rsel ves at The G reat Wes tern Hotel ,Bi rm ingham , a few hou rs afte r l eav i ng Chester. Warw icksh i re i s one Of the weal th ies t terr i tories i n the worl d , an dB i rm i ngham th e largest man u factu r i n g town i n E ngl and ,and i s cla imed w i thou t an equal in any ot her cou n try.

Far d i fferen t from Li verpoo l , b righ te r, cleaner , and morei nte l l igen t , i t i s cal l ed “the toy-shop Of E u rope,

” from the

n umber and variety Of i ts man u factu res . I had no t imeto s top to exam i ne the ch u rches and shops , theatres andcemete ri es , and so h i red a hack and a gu ide , and m ade arathe r cl o se su rvey of the man u factori es , al l of them veryc u r iou s and i n te rest i ng to me . I t i s the g reat headq uarte rs Of buttons ; bu ttons Of b rass, coppe r , cl oth , she l l , bone,wood

,and porcel a i n . The gi l t bu tton s fo r m i l i tary and

ot her u n i forms employ th ou sands o f person s ; m i l l ions o fcloth bu ttons are so ld an n ual ly

,al so l i nen bu tton s

,books

and eyes , and pearl and bo ne bu ttons. Swords an d gu nsand pi sto l s a re made i n immen se quan ti t i es i n B i rm i ngham .

The gold and s i l ve r plate i n jewel ry t rade i s very large.wedd i ng r i ngs an n ual ly pass th ro ugh the assay

offi ce. 70 ounces Of gold l eaf are used every week , an dou n ces Of s i l ver a re used ann ual ly . I was com~

pletely astou nded by the man u factu re Of brasses andbronz cs. The Bi rm i ngham workers in i ron are renow n edall over the world . The gl ass man u factu rers

,and the

man u factu re rs of steel pens are al so very i n terest i ng ; theycla im that B i rm i ngham su ppl ies the worl d with pen s.We dro ve t h rough A ston Park , by th e sweet waters Of

the Rea, along the easte rn s lopes Of the un d u l ating h i l l s Ofred sandstone , and i n to the subu rbs as far as S taffo rd andWo rceste r. The new cour t of assizes

,that i s i n cou rse of

ere ct i on , i s q u i te as l a rge and as handsome a bu i l d i ng asou r new pos t-O thce prom i ses to be ; the town can not c laimha l f the popu lat io n of Ph i lade l ph ia, i ncl ud i ng that portio nbeyond ci ty l im i ts.Opposi te my w i ndow i s one Of the beau t i fu l a rcades or

gal l e ries Of shops that one fi nds all over E u rope ; and afterthe lam ps were l igh ted I sa u n tered th rough i t to note the

d i ve rs i ty o f fancy a rtic les of n ati ve man u fact u re that emhellished the w i ndows. A pleasan t pl ace to pass ha l f anh o u r ; a clean wal k , a glass roof, bri l l i an t goods d isplayed ,and i t seemed to be a general rendezvous for l uxu r iousitllers .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

58 PICTURES AND Pon'rau '

r s

The propr ietor ’s w i fe,an Engl i sh woman o f cons iderabl e

ed ucat ion,was excess i vely hospi table , and afte r ch at ti ng

abou t her col l ection of p i ct u res,the ancien t house

,and th e

strange max ims that a rres t you r gaze at every step , sh espoke oh ny obvious state of poor heal th , and offered h e rten der care and an al leviation

,i f not a remedy , fo r my su f.

ferings wh i le I remai ned her guest. She left me,and a

quarter of an hou r afterward a maid appeared w i th a bow lof what I su pposed to be fa rina gruel and a smal l v ia l of abrown i sh h ue , of wh ich she caut ioned me, to let the dosebe meagre ; th i s wam ing m igh t have been om i tted , as therewas bu t one remai n i ng d rop ; s t i l l the words c reated un

pleasan t suspic iou s i n my h u sband ’s m i nd,who endeavored

to d issuade my imbi b i ng the om i nous po t ion . Despi tet he en treaties, I took it ; I fel t that my sands of l i fe wererapid ly d rift i ng ou t in to the great ocean of ete rn i ty ; th er u th less winds were sh i ft i n g the l eaves o f my brief bookof l i fe

, to the page where on ly one wo rd , fint'

s,was w ri tten ;

and so the offered sympathy I accepted ; bu t let my exporience serve as a watchword to my American s i s te rs ; th efol l ow i ng even i ng I found my lan d lady

’s pap and cha ri ty

pu t i n the bill, aft er I had prai sed h er as a model ! Bewar eof the sympa thet ic Engl i sh p ropr ietress ; th i s i s the secon done who has charged for benevolence. “The best i n t h i sk i nd are but shadows ; and the worst are no worse, i f ima

gination amend them .

”

My fi rst v i s i t was no t to th e house whe re he who becameLord Paramou n t i n E ngl i s h l i te rat u re opened h i s eyes u ponthe l igh t of th i s world , bu t to New Pl ace , the home of h i sr i pened gen i us and i nd ust ry

,where he wai ted the too ea rly

s ummons o f the grim and bri beless rea per. O f h i s anc ien tsanctum there remai n on ly a few fou ndation s tones . Buthere l i ved and labored the poet ; here were h i s garden , h isfavor i te m u l be rry t ree

,h is shady walks

,and h is law n and

o rchard stre tch i ng down to the margin o f the s i l very A von .The morn i ng succeed i ng the ha i l storm was d i smal and wet

,

but the tu rf i n the Shakspeare garden was fresh and green ,and the gravel-paths fi rm benea th ou r feet . These garden sare cu l t i vated and embe l l i s hed w i th beau ti fu l flowers, an di n the summer season are open fo r p ubl i c enjoymen t. Byspec i al arrangemen t they may be procu red for picn i cs and

other oc cas ion s o f merry-mak i ng.

I n the house attached to New Place,where res i d es th e

anc ien t and i n te rest i ng warden o f the i l l ustri ou s poet ’sdevastated home

,are many si len t bu t eloq uen t re l i cs of his

or roas iou m a v en. 59

l i fe and su rro u nd ings ; a rude cl ay cast of the“hard o f

A von,

”and a port ra i t, as al so port ra i ts o f the noble l i ne

o f C loptons and Coom bes,who se fa i r daugh te r, i f my

memory righ tly se rves me,was cons igned to a l i v ing tomb,

and the fact i s general ly bel ieved to h ave been the i n cen t i veto the melancholy tragedy , Romeo and J ulic t.”

We approached Tri n i ty C hape l th rough a path sk i rtedby tal l l i mes , w hose interlac i n g branches form a shel teroverhead

,whe re the co ld gl i mmer of wh i te tombstones i s

fa i n t ly seen th rough the ran k grass , where the sweetlyflo w ing A von w i nds l i ke a s i l ke n r i bbon abou t the base o f

the crumbl i ng an d i vy-c rowned house o f God , whose gen tlem u rm u r is a d u l cet accom pan i men t to the wh i s t l i ng of thew i nd amo ng the almost leafles s branches . A s we wa i tedfo r th e sexton , I n ot iced a sad-faced woman and ch i l dp lan t i ng flowers arou nd a l i ttle grave that had been new lymade, and then we passed f

rom the yet u n t rodden earth ofa spring-ti me bu r ial

,i n to the cen t u r ied sanctuary of the

immorta l d ust.O n the left s ide o f the chancel , as yo u face the al tar, i s

t he grave beari ng the wel l-know n i nscri p t ion0

Good frend fo r Jesus sake fo rbears ,To d igg the dust enclos sed hereBleste be y

' man y‘ spares these stones,And curst be he y‘mo ves my bones.

Pri n ted fac-s im i les of these characte r ist i c l i nes o f th epoet of the world” are fo r sa l e at a sh i l l i ng each ; but byo ffer i ng a bri be of another sh i l l i ng , I became the possessoro f the i den ti cal one upon the to mb. From the entahlatu rej u st abo ve

,the florid and bed i zened efligy of sweet W i l

l i am,i n sca rlet double t and slee ve less black gown

,loo ked

down upo n the sacri leg io u s bar te r over h is d ry and w h i tedbones . A nd then we were requested to con t r i bu te to thebea u t i fu l new memor ia l w i ndow tha t i s pl aced ve ry nearShakes pea re ’s tomb, and is pai d for from America n boun ty ;it i s o f exqu is i te sta i ned glass , and represen ts the sevenages ,

” appl i ed to the B ible ; fou r of the pane l s a re al readycompleted . Afte r l i nger i ng in the ai sles and naves of theo ld Goth ic structu re, we tu rned to the bi rth pl ace o f themodest wool-comher’s poet ch i l d . Here every th i ng is redolen t o f Shakespeare, and the phan tom that I had en te rtained o f Shakespeare be i ng made o f d i fferen t clay

, and

cast in a d ifl'

e rent mou ld from the res t o f h umank i nd,rap

id ly faded . He had l i ved so l o ng ago , I so far away from

co c'

ruass s un marau rs

al l th at proved h i s ex iste n ce,h is w ri t i ngs so pee rless , h i s

i mag i nat ion so w i ld and crea t i ve, that I had sometimes believed h i m a trad i t ion

,al ways d i vine

,bu t never a myth . I

del igh t to fi nd h i m h uman,approachab l e, and lovabl e. The

old fi replace, the decayed wal l s , ce il i n gs , and floors , th el ow-gabled tenemen t, and the ten t reac he rou s steps tha tasce nd from the k itc hen to the chamber w here h e was bo rn ,

all seem hal lowed by the “grea t hei r of fame,” and thenI remember th at t h i s same house se rved aft erwa rd as abu tc her-shop and a tavern

,i mpregnated w i th the odor o f

M e r, bad gi n , coarse meat , and greasy bacon ; ah ! ve r i ly ,“ to wha t base u ses may we no t retu rn , Horatio ?”

The wal l s o f the chamber are blackened by thousands o fpenci l l ed names , and Scott and Byro n are easi ly read u ponthe gl ass w i ndow panes . There remai n t he chai rs, the signet r i ng, the fi rst copy of some of his plays , and even al etter from Richard Qu i ncey , wri t ten i n 1598, fo r the pu rpose o f bo rrow i ng from the poet th i rty pou nds

,bu t not on e

l i ne i n the han d of Shakespeare. The l i ttle garden at tachedto the bi rthplace” i s fil l ed w i th the flowers so often ment io ned i n h i s d ramas , and as the ol d lady who cond uctedus over the poetica l grou nd handed them to me

,she re

pos ted the l i nes of poor O phel ia , an d those that ru n , Ik now a ban k whereon the w i ld thyme blo ws

,

”etc . I fo u n d

M r. J . O . Hal l i wel l Ph i l i ps not on ly the god of her idolatry , bu t the pres id i ng gen i u s o f al l Stratford-on-Avon i tm ust be remembered t hat he pu rchased over ten years ago“New Place,

” and presen ted i t to the C rown,after pu tt i n g

it i n splend id o rder. O cc asional ly he v is i ts the anc i entv i l l age , and must be , from all accoun ts

,a regu lar brot her

Cheeryble , j udg i ng by the ecstas ies of the woman jan i to r o fthe b i rth place.” E very o ne abou t S t ra t ford

,wi th th e ex~

c ept ion of the great fam i l ies , makes a l i v i ng ou t of Shakespea re ; were it not for th e constan t stream of tou r i sts ,main ly A merican s , the ol d houses and hau n ts of the idolW i l l i am , the shops , tavern s , and ch u rches , wou ld have ad i smal experien ce . E very t h i ng i s p laced u nder a rigidsystem o f con t ri bu t ion . The charges are not great

,bu t the

system i s cons isten tly and stead i ly ma in ta i n ed .

The great staple prod uct of the v ici nage is beer ; i n d eed ,the who l e neigh borho od cu l t i vates the j u ice of the ho p, jus tas a l l cl asses d ri nk the tempti ng brew . The memorial theat re. wh ich seems to have or igi nated from the fund startedby Dav id Gar ri ck , one h und red and ten years ago , to co nst ruct a sta t ue to S hakespeare

,i s i n rapid cou rse of erec

‘

OF FORE IGN m a ven. 6 1

t ion,and when co mpleted

,w i l l be one o f the finest in the

k i ngdom . It i s e n t i re ly too l a rge, however, fo r the town ,w h ich has a popu l at ion of not more t han 4000 . Only onrare occas ions can i t ever be p ut to profi table use.

L E T T E R X I I .

He was no t o f an age , bu t fo r al l time,And al l the muses s ti l l were in their prime

,

When l ike Apo l lo he came fo r to charmOur ears, o r l ike a Mercury to harm.

"

Ben Jonson.

Wanw rcx ,

‘

Enem n, March , 1878.

THE charm o f Engl i sh l i fe i s a res idence or sojou rn i nt he co un try d u ri ng the spri ng and s ummer, bu t as myprogramme carr ies me on the Con ti nen t fo r the open i ngof the Pari s Expos i ti on , I am obl iged to i m prove an Engl i s h w i n te r as best I can. The cou n try s ide of Englan d isal way s lovely , even i n March , and the cl imate i s m uch lessd i smal and i n hosp i table than t h at of London .

Warwicksh i re , the cou n ty i n w h ich Stratford i s placed ,has been , from its cen tra l s i tu at i on and physical per i phery ,ca l l ed t he heart o f Engl and . I t i s a l i ttle wor ld by itse l f;a world of weal th i n m i n era l and agricu l tu ral prod ucts

,

a world o f l ea rn i ng , of ar i stocracy , of poet ry , roman ce,h i story

,ancien t records

,and modern progress . The rai l

w ay rad iates al l th rough the section at exceed i ngly lowfares

,cab h i re is reasonable

,an d the d istan ces between

t he various show places , v i l l age i n n s , c i t ies , an d towns, i nthis part icu l ar coun ty , are so short, that many travel lers,when the weather i s fi ne

,prefe r to wal k . A week m igh t

be spen t i n Stratford and its v ici n i ty , and you wo u l d rea pa golden harvest o f pleas u re an d i n format ion .Whi le at the Shakespea re ho use I heard o f many o f my

country people who come there i n J u ne or J uly , and loi tera rou nd the p lace sancti fied by the great master, h i s p redecessors , and fo l lowers ; i nte resti n g i n the i r Roman re'

mai n s and att ractive in recen t a nces tral homes. The r i ve rA von flows through Warw icksh i re on i ts way to the Severn ;i t beau tifies and freshen s the borders o f l ovely Engl i sh

6

62 Plcr unss A ND roa'

ram 'rs

abodes , passes sm i l i ng , th rifty ham lets , sombre castles ,i rr igates r ich farm l auds , m u rm u rs at the poe t

’s grave,

and coi ls a round the old co u n ty-town s w i th thei r venerabl ech u rches and towers.A lcester

,seven and a hal f m i les from Stratford

,a sm al l

market town,the seat o f a Roman encampmen t , as proved

bv th e d iscovery of ancien t br icks , coi n s , and u rn s o f

h uman bones,i s now a mode rn factory of needles. A lccs

t er i s at the confl uen ce o f the s treams A rrow and A l ne,

a sh o rt d i stance from,the anci en t cas t les of the Bea u

champs and G rev i l l es, two m i les from Cough ton Mano r ,the home of the ancien t fam i ly of Th rockmorton si nce there ign of Hen ry IV . The same l i ttle town i s bordered

,

eq ual ly d i stan t, on the sou th west by Ragley Park,t he

pa t ric i an esta te of t he Marq u i s o f Hert ford,w i t h its castle,

park,lakes

,and peerl ess ga rdens . Charlecote’

,fou r m i les

fro m S t ratford , i nd issol ubly assoc iated w ith Shakespea re ,i s the ancien t fam i ly seat of the L ucys

,whose ancesto r

,

S i r Thomas Lucy,i s sa id to have bi tterly persecu ted

Shakespeare,because the latte r, on several occas ion s, made

free w i th the Knigh t ’s deer, wh ich favor (f) the poet re

tu rn ed by attach i ng i mmortal and merci l ess r id icule toh im as J u stice Shallow . Th e o ld homestead i s of b rick i nthe E l i zabeth an sty le, the g reat bal l wa i n scoted i n oak ,con ta i n i ng m arvel s of ancien t and rich ly ca rved fu rn i t u re

,

and many val uable pai n t i ngs. Charlecote Ch u rch , near by ,was rebu i l t by the same fam i ly. The C loptons and Com bes

,

fam i l ies con temporary w i th Shakespeare,had thei r esta te

on the Avon,so that the en ti re v ic i nage is dot ted w i th

n o ble cast les and opu l en t homes .Shottery , where Shakespeare wooed—o r rath e r was

wooed by Anne Hath away,i s on ly a m i le from h i s bi rth.

pl ace. There i s noth i ng here to awaken pl easan t reco llect ions , and I was rathe r glad that some doubts were th rownu pon its au then ti ci ty. Even the re l ics pu rch ased fromhere by Garrick

,as sanctified by con fede racy w i t h th e

great poet, were mo st probably the construct i ve frau ds ofan en terpri s i ng auctioneer o r col l ecto r.My v is i t to Stratford left a sad impress ion . I t i s odd

i n deed that there remai n s n oth i ng sat i sfactory of Shakespeare ’s ways of l i fe, e i ther i n London , or at h i s v i l l ageh ome. There was q u i te too m uch su rm ise and specu l at i on .

The most l i v i ng th i ngs about h im are h i s p lays,and even

th ese are doubted by some and open ly con ceded to others.For so great a m ind

,i t i s pa i n fu l how l ittle h as been l eft

or seamen TRAVEL. 63

by h imsel f or found by antiq uarians l Dwell i ng u pon thesefacts , l i ke thousands of o t hers who have preceded me , Iwas cheered by the fol low i ng l i nes

,th at I copi ed from the

cr umbl ing wall s of Shakespea re ’s ho use,wri t ten by sweet

Wash ington I rv i ng i n 182l—fifty-eigh t years ago. I t i s

t he mos t so lac iug excuse for S hakespeare’s anonymou s

character I have seen“Of mighty Shakespeare

’s bi rth the room we see,

That where he d ied in vain to find we try ;Useless the search—fo r al l immo rtal he,And those who are immo rtal never die.

When we left Stratford the an n ual -cattl e fa i r was at i tsh eigh t, and as we passed th rough the pi ctu resque val leyo f the Av on, we saw vast herds o f choice grades i n padd ocks fo r exh i bi t ion . There were the sho rt~ho rned D urhambreed

,the Herefords , t hat are va l uable as worki ng oxen ,

the Devons , famed for thei r beau ty , the Ayrsh i res prizedfo r the q uan ti ty o f m i l k they y ie ld

, and th e A lderneysw hose EXTRACT i s wo rld renowned fo r r ich ness . I have

good reaso n never to forget the latte r b reed , and when myexpe r ience recu rs to my m i nd I do not con template th i spart i c u l a r sto ck wi th m uch sati sfact ion . Several weeksago my Lo ndo n physi cia n ad v ised me to dri nk Engl is hstou t , champagne or cream . The fi rs t was less pa latablethan any d rug he cou ld have prescr ibed , the second to o

costly,and as I was forb idden sti l l w i nes I was red uced to

th e remai n ing exped ien t,so I o rdered the comm iss ioner at

the Westmi nster to have A lderney cream served to meevery morn i n g. Noth ing cou ld have been finer, so that i ti s not the qual i ty of wh ich I complai n bu t the pr ice ; whenI recei ved the accoun t I d i scovered that I had been bu i ldi ng u p my heal th upon a fo u ndat ion o f cream at two do l l a rsa quart ! Now

,do not look aghast as I d id . I endeavored

to pe rs uade mysel f that I had fo rgotten my tab l e of Engl ish money , or tha t my entire b i l l am oun ted to e igh t sh i lliugs . I rang for the comm iss ioner and adv i se d w i th him.

He assu red me the bi l l was co rrect and seemed to be su rp ri sed that cream had decl i ned to e igh t sh i ll i ngs , the usualp rice be i n g tea ! I had al ways heard the capabi l i t ies oft h e A lde rney h igh ly spo ken of and for the fi rst t ime Irea l i zed ho w high they were.What a beau ti fu l spot i s \Varw ick l These sweet Eng

l i s h town s are much more att ract i ve than w i l d ,

’wihlering

London . Here one h as such a s upreme sense of rest,away

from the gloom an d clamor of ponderou s houses and noisy

64 Proruars AND PORTRA I TS

stree ts , away from th e vas t pa laces whe re great question so f s tate are d iscussed , away from that ceaseles s wh i rl poolo f trade.

A fter we had deposi ted o ur l uggage and engaged room sat the Warw ick A rms we strol l ed ou t th rough the s treetsof the town . I n ot iced clean ly h ighways , bea u ti fu l res idences , ex tens i ve shops , an d then wandered toward the

emi nence on wh ich the castle stands,l ingered u pon th e

new stone br idge that g i rd s th e same beau t i fu l A von everi n o ur wake wheresoever we may tu rn . The pictu re wasone of u n r i va l led beau ty . The sky was pale bl ue, fleckedw ith fi l my clouds , and the sun j ust s i n k i ng beh i nd th ewestern h i l l s, shed a rosy glow th rough the hazy atmos

phere. I t was m uch such an afternoon as we frequen t l yhave at home i n early spri ng. The l u x u ri ous sh r u bbery inth e vast park ben t lo w to res t on the gen tl e waters theybordered . Shakespeare

,must have been referri ng to t h i ssweet ri ver w hen he sai d

The curren t, that w i th gen tle murmur gl idedThou kanw '

at, being stepped , impatien tly do th rage ;But when his fair cou rse is no t hindered,He makes sweet music w ith the enamel led stones,Gi ving a gentle kiss to every sedgeHe overtaketh in his pilgrimageAnd so , bymany w i nding nooks he strays,W ith w i l l ing sport to the w ild ocean .

”

The ancien t w i l l ows droop to k iss th e r i pples as theypass, and o t he rs l i ke t hem i n Denmark are undoubted lyal l uded to by Queen Gertrude

,i n the passage where sh e te l ls

Laertes of his fa i r s i ster ’s deat h , begin n i ng

There is a w illow grows ascaunt the brook ,That shows his boar leaves in the glassy stream.

"

On the o dorous Engl i sh road , the rust i c l ads and l ass i esdofi

‘

ed the i r h ats and d ropped us cou rtesies, as they cameto o r from thei r coun try homes i n the n eighbo r ing sh i reso f S tafford , Leices ter, o r Worcester ; from the h i lls ofFen ny Compton , the val l ey o f the Stou r

,o r the Dale o f the

Red Horse ; from the Northwest , near the red marl andsandstone mou nds

,and from the v ic i n i ty of Morton H i l l

and Dun smore Heat h ; some t rudgi ng thei r way on foot ,wh i l e tho se from a greater d i stance rode i n the i r coseywagonettes . Then we sau n tered th rough the obscu re lanesat the rear of the castle wa l l s

,w here ruddy-faced bab i es

p layed i n the m i re,w i th th e pou l t ry

,an d where low

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

66 PICTURES AND Poa'ram '

rs

o f h elmet sh iel d,sword

,an d breastpl ate of th i s legen dary

Guy,are preserved here an d weigh 1 1 1 pou nds . Among

othe r rel i cs are t roph ies of h i s exploi ts on Du nsmoreHeath . O u r h i stori an tol d u s of the vast n umbe r o f

Ameri can s w ho t rack h i therward en ro ute to London “Ahyes

,

” she sa id ,“I have been here many a year ; they never

fa i l us , and they are the most l i beral o f all my v i s i tors .”

Th is s ly h i n t of th e sh rewd old crone I very wel l comprehended , bu t I h ad the sh i l l i ng ready and as she spo ke Ial most fe lt as i f I stood i n the presence o f one of the o ld

dependen ts o f the “k i ng-maker.”

We reached the castl e by a cavernous path hew u th roughthe sol id rock , by a long ascen t , an d heard the d u l l c rus ho f the sodden gravel benea th o u r feet i n th i s nove l v au l tl ike tu n nel . A t the te rm i n us of the wonder fu l gran i te fo rmation ou r pa t h l ay between a colon nade of ta l l an d vencrabl e trees whose i n terlac ing b ranches were heavy w i thnatu re ’s tear-d rops

,and the weepi ng w i l lows and sweep i ng

cedars made mo u rnt’

ul mus ic on the cl oudy morn i ng. As1 advanced my thoughts reverted to the long ago , whencame h i ther the lo rd s an d lad ies o f dead k ings to v i s i tthe i r opu len t and hal f-roya l en terta i ner

,who g lad ly con

sen ted to bank ru pt h imsel f to grat i fy h i s sove re i gn . I nmy m i nd ’s eye I saw agai n th e cavalcades of kn ights andk i ngs and queens

,rad ian t i n powdered cu rl s

,golden l ace,

crimson pl ush,and erm i ne

,tread i ng t he paths I n ow t rod ,

com i ng from the su r ro u nd ing coun try and from great London town ever so many cen tu r ies ago . .They came to v i sitmy l o rd and l ady, hol d i n g h igh revel i n yonde r gray monast ic towers wh ich bu rst u pon my v i s ion as I reached thepl ateau on wh ich the glor ious mon umen t stands . Howsupremely beau t i fu l and l ovely ! The ai r was m i l d , andthe award smooth and green . My eyes have become acc u stomed to these Engl ish landscape scenes, th at seem rep roduced i n I nd i a i n k , and part ial ly obl i terated by hav i ng hada moist sponge passed over th em . I now apprec i ate t he irartist ic po i n ts

,bu t at fi rs t t hey formed a d i smal con tras t

to o ur i n ten sely clear and b ri l lian t A merican p ictu res.A l l was si len t as the grave

,fo r the grea t peo ple were

away ofl'

i n London , and the i r pa lace was left i n chargeo f the se rvan ts and senesc hals . We ascended a l ongfl igh t of steps on o ur l eft and passed i n to a marble vest ibu le overarched by a Goth ic canopy ; but we h ad totarry fo r no one i s i n a h u rry here ; al l c l asses take the i rt ime , the servan ts are s low , the peers are s lower, an d all

or seamen ras van. 67

i s slow ex cept the telegraph an d steam , and t hey wa i t fo rn o man

,

“nor woman nei ther.” Then the doo r was Open edu n to us

,and I fou nd mysel f in the hal l s w here earl s ha d

been born and bred si n ce the days of W i l l i am the Co nq uere r. To the righ t lay the grand baron ial hal l w i th itsr ich ly ca rved and gi l ded roof o f Goth ic arch itectu re, i tsVenet ian marble floor , an d an t i que wa i n scot i ng ; on theeas t wal l we re h ung the a rmor, swords , and match l ocks o fa long l i ne o f ba ronets . Many o f these t reasu res remai nas troph ies o f v ictory

,w rested in battl e from thei r van

q u ished foe i n th e days of Ed'

vvard I,I I , the campa i gn s

o f th e Black Pr i nce , the reign s o f Hen ry V I , Edward I V ,

an d s ubsequen t ages. On the Oppos i te wa l l were long wi ndows set -ia deep em b rasu res

,and equal ly d i stant betwee n

each of t hese were the efilgies of the former lords of th i sfa i r demesne clad in armor and moun ted upon t he i r favor i techargers . From th is poi n t I v iewed the s i tuation of theh i l l . Towers we re al l arou nd u s ; the castle , the cathed ral ,the donjon-keep

,an d the h igh wal l s made the level at th e

head o f t he stony wal k a sort of i nclosu re. Look i ng downu pon the A von

,a h und red feet below we saw i t softly and

silently lappi n g the base of the m igh ty ro ck,the fou nds

t ion o f th i s strongh o l d o f “ancien t and ch i va l rou s spl endor."

To add to th e roman tic and u nequalled scene i s thed en se ly wooded port ion of the park

,wh ich has been a l lo w

ed to go u nkempt and uncombed ; al so the d i lap idatedremai n s of an anc ien t b ridge ; and farther u p , the bea u t i fu lst ream i s c rossed by a new stone str uct u re w i th picturesq ue ad ornmen ts ; the pla i n s of the Fe ldon and the woodland o f the A rden may be seen ,

and i n the far d istan ceabove al l , and beyond al l , are the m ist-capped he igh ts o f

W orceste rsh i re and G louces te rs h i re . As I wai ted i n th i sh al l h is to ri ca l memories del uged my brai n—memories thatseemed to waken i n to l i fe i n the m idst o f the blazoned armoria l bearin gs and he ral d ic dev ices of th i s nob l e hou se.A nd as I pondered i n th i s atmosphere of ancien t g lo ry , o u rci cerone

,the palace gu ide

,appeared . He was a faded

,

blasé, d rowsy , rhe umati c E ngl i sh se rvan t , who recei ved u sw ith a sup reme sen se of i nd i ffere n ce that proved h is cal ling . We fol l owed h im i n to the great hal l , and banquet i n gh a l l , where eve ryth ing was gorgeous , l ord ly , an d artistic ,b u t

,u n happi ly

,very new , for, of cou rse, the necessary

repai rs have been made si n ce the d isastrous fi re i n 187 1 .

B ut i n the state-bedroom,known as the “Queen A nne

68 PICTURES AND PORTRA ITS

C hamber,” the magn ificent appoi ntmen ts remai n i n thei ror igi n al s tate ; here al l the fu rni tu re has the r ig i d st raightn ess of th at period . The bed o f cr imson ve l vet i s the sameoccu pied by Queen E l izabe t h when she v i s i ted Warw ick.The cha i rs , square and an t iq ue , were uphol stere d i n cr imsonvelvet, en riched by an arabesq ue pat tern i n applique of sea

green and wh i te sat i n , st i tc hed w i th golden thread ; doubtess the hand i work o f roya l fi ngers long si n ce c rumbl ed tod ust. I n th is room are the world-renown ed tapestri es

,p ic

tu ri ng the garden s o f Versa i l l es,the pleasu res o f see ing

these i n n atu re I have da ily i n con templat ion . To design ate i n d i v id ually the treasu res o f art i n oi l

,marble

,bu h l

,

marq uetrie, parq uétrie, mosaic, bronze, and porcel ain , sc atte red th rough the gi l t d raw i ng-room

,cedar d raw ing-room

,

red d raw i ng-room,M i lady ’s Bo udoi r

,and the Chapel Pas~

sage, I shou ld be m i n u te and t i resome. Here the a rt i stso f a l l decades and coun tr ies are represen ted by glo riou smon umen ts of the i r gen i u s and assid u i ty ; Salvator Rosa ,Ten iers , Gerard Dow , Va ndervelde, Vandyke , Rubens , V an

M ieris , Paolo Veronese, Z ucchero, Lely , Mu ri l l o , and evenRafl

'

aelle are here. O u r rhe umat ic fr iend poin ted to p ict u res

,statuary

,o ld arms, and rel ics of spec ia l i n te rest,

signed us to w i ndows to v iew the splendid ou ts ide combin a t ion s of sky , water, and fol iage , and now and

'

t hen m umbled a sort of id io tic catal ogue of the su rround i ng h i story .

The d ispl ay of fi re arms exc ited my i n terest,for I saw that

the pistol s th ree or fou r cen t u ries ago were mad e ve ryn early after the model now so prevalen t i n America

,and

w h ich we cla i m as ou r i n ven tion . I thank the presen t Ear lof Warw ick for the apparen t care of t h i s treasu re-house o fEngl i sh h istory , and w i l l n ot compla i n of the su l len cond uct o f h i s gou ty su bord i nate . I enjoyed to the fullestexten t al l I came to see ; a sp l eneti c attendan t cou l d notp reven t th at. I had my sh i l l i ngs ready to prese rve u s fromh i s maled ict ion , and ret i red i n to the garden to strol l by theanc ien t mo at , th rough the charm i ng pleas u re-grou nds andw i nd i ng paths, borde red by the stately cedars of Lebanon .

A nd the o ld gardener in the meanwh i le tol d u s o f the kindness o f the presen t Earl to h i s servan ts , and catalogu ed inch rono l ogical order h i s iss ue . We paid the old fe l low a

sh i l l i ng for h i s courteous repl ies to o u r quest ions,and t hen

he i nsi sted we shou l d en ter the green house to see the famousvase

,nearly seven feet h igh

,and twenty-one i n c i rc um fe r

ence , w ith quai n t hand les o f tw isted snakes ; a magn i fi centp iece of Grecian a rt

,carven from one sol i d block of pu re ly

or po s s um m av en. 69

wh i te marble. I t was fou nd at the bottom o f a lake inth e Empe ror A d rian ’s v i l l a

,at T i vol i

,one o f the exqu i s i te

s ubu rban pal aces of Rome,and was pu rchased by the an

ces to r of the presen t Earl , from Si r W i l l i am Ham i l ton ,ambassador at Naples i n the l as t cen tu ry . O f cou rse I ha dth e cu r i os i ty j ust to peep i n to the d ungeon beneath Caesar

’sTower

,where the names

,dev ices , and sen ten ces i n Engl i s h

an d F rench , cu t i n to the wal l s , were a sad rem inder whatthe w retched capti ves w ho pi ned w ith i n these charnel~ho usesd id to begu i l e the weary hou rs . And then I attem ptedto moun t the summ i t of G uy ’s Tower, where th e gu ideass u red me I could o bta i n the fi n est pos s ib le x iew of thesu rrou nd i ng cou n ties for many m i les ; but when I ha d l essthan hal f accompl ished my ted ious task

,I abandoned it ,

and wa s obl iged to rest before I ret raced my steps over th es teep an d r ickety stai r. No doubt i t wou ld have been acred i table fea t to have completed the ascen t

,bu t I n ever

asp i red to gl ory o f t hat descr i pt ion . A fter doi ng th i sprou d offsp ri ng o f th e ages , I re tu rn ed to my l i t t l e boudoi ri n th e Warw i ck A rms, where I wr i te to yo u , the eyes ofLord Leigh , anothe r of the gran d mogu l s o f the v ici n age ,peeri ng down u pon me from the oppo si te wal l . With i n anhou r I am goi ng to b id ad ie u to the nati ve town o f the erud i te sc hol ars , Walte r, of Coven try , and J o h n Rous , an dpost across th i s enchan t i ng sect ion of England to the othe rh isto r ical and roman ti c poin ts i n opu len t Warw icksh i re.

L E T T E R X I V .

W ith Leicester, Lo rd o f Kenilwo rih , in mournful robes, w as seenThe gifted, grea t E l izabeth , h igh Eng land

’s matchless q ueen .

Tressilian ’a wi ld and man] glance , and Varn

‘s darker gaze,

So ugh t Amy Robsart’

s bri l iant fo rm, too fair o r earthly praiseCaaans s Swam .

LONDON , March , 1878.

BACK again i n ol d London , u nde r the shadow o f Westm i nster A bbey . w ith i n s igh t of Westm i nste r Hal l ; thedarkly

0 flow ing Thames to my l eft , w i th the den se vei l ofbl ack fog that London may i n deed ca l l i ts own , hangi nglow over the ci ty. and B ig Ben’s deep-mouthed vo ice bidd i n g m e an honest welcome !

70 PICTURES AN D Poa'

raarrs

Yesterday morn i ng afte r completing a barga i n w i th theJeh u of the Warw ick A rms

,to d ri ve u s to Leam i ngton

,

a bou t ten m i les d i s tan t,for the sum of fo u rteen sh i l l i ngs ,

wh ich I cons idered excess i vely reason able , remember ingou r A meri can tari ff

,anothe r en te rpri s i ng cabby offered to

do the same work for ten sh i l l i ngs . O f co u rse, I was somewhat provoked

,not alone on accou n t of the fou r sh i l l ings ,

but I fe l t the t r i ck o f t he fi rst sharper l ike an i n su l t to myi n te l l igence. I cou ld no t repud iate my prom ise, however,to the fo rmer

,bu t endeavored to red uce h im to the p rice of

h i s r i val,w i thou t effect ; he sa id h i s r i val d id no t k no w his

bus i ness,that he cou ld give u s no h i story o f the cou n t ry

th rough wh ich o u r rou te lay ; bu t I,madam , am acquai n ted

w i th every ro od of the g ro u nd , and can relate al l the h i nteresting hanecdo tes.

” The l ast pe rsuas i ve prom ise sett l edthe matte r ; who wou l d forego the benefi t of such a sto reo f knowledge fo r the pal t ry sum of fou r sh i l l i ngs ? As wetu rned o ur backs upo n the home where Richard Nev i l le,the frank and hospi table k i ng-maker” had l i ved an d govern ed

,I found the conveyance comfortable, and the d r i ve r

reasonably i n tel l igen t,as he d rove over the bro ad smoo t h

Engl i sh roads and past t he com fortable E ngl ish homes,poi n t i ng o u t the great esta tes and nam i ng thei r t i t l ed ow ners . He had opened h i s budget and I al lowed h im to prattl eon . He re l ated the story of Ethelfleda, A l fred

’s daugh te r,who fort ified and con tri bu ted to the pro s pe ri ty of Warw ick ;be repeated pages of D ugdale

’s narrati ves

, and o f the R0man occu pat ion

,bu t he ev i nced spec ial del igh t i n dwe l l i n g

u pon the glor ies of the k i ng-maker ;” how h i s bravery had

attached to h is i n terests the m i l i tary ; how h i s g i fts an dfr iendsh i p were al ways regarde d as gen u i ne ; how the people i n general

,and particu l arly h i s retai n ers

,were more de

vo ted to his i ro n w i l l,than to th e E ngl i sh law ; and by h i s

fu l ness o f sou l how he had conquered all men’s affec t io n s .

O u r ru ral communicaut sa id not h i n g o f the an cien t Earl ’sconquests over femal e hearts ; I p resume that he left toconjectu re.I t i s Ma rch

,and al though there i s no snow on the grou nd ,

nor ice i n the streams,there i s s u fficien t ch i l l i n th e ai r to

cause me to d raw my fu r c l oak arou nd me ; bu t th i s was aseconda ry d iscomfort in the m idst o f these stori ed scenes .O h ! fo r the brigh t w i n ter sk ies of my own dea r home j us tno w—noth i ng cou l d be more cheer i ng than to ri de th rou ghth i s l ovely coun try i n o u r i ncomparable wea ther. A rt a n dnatu re combi ne to make r u ral England a small realm o f

or t eaman Taiw an. 71

l o ve l i ness,and

,notw i thstand i n g t here are many gl oomy

days betwee n December an d A pri l,s t i l l the best E ngl is h

h omes are abodes of almos t royal l ux u ry , and when spri ngand summer fo l low

,that wh ich has been done by weal th to

beau t ify the roads and the fie ld s , and the en t i re cou n try ,makes th e scene one o f i n desc r i bable sp lendor ! Yes

,i t

deserves j ust t h i s one word splendor.A very short ride of a m i le brough t us to G uy ’s C l i ff,

fam i l iar to al l of u s as the cho se n home and tomb of th efabl ed hero who slew the gian t Co lbrand , and whom the

ear ly metrica l romances make a champion against the Danes .

Now th i s po i n t presen ted to Jeh u a rare oppo rtunin topai n t a poet i c pictu re of the famous old legen d , and hepro ceeded to “ho rate .

'l he cave where l i ved and d ied the

sa id G uy , was scooped w i th h i s own han ds from the rock.

I t i s t reason to harbor a doubt of the fact ; for the legendte l l s u s :

There with my hands I hewed a houseOu t o f a craggy rock o f sto ne

And l ived l ike a palmer poo r,W i th in that cave myself alone."

I am rather i ncred u lou s as to the last l i ne of th i s poetica la u tob iography ; the o ld story te l l s u s that the fai r Ph i l l i swo u ld hie h i ther to bestow alms u pon the so l i tary man ,and recei ve i n retu rn h is sa i n t ly Ph i l l i s neve rrecogn ized i n the herm i t her h u sband

,who m she bel ieved to

have long s i n ce d ied , o r to be a capt i ve i n the Holy Land .

Ph i l l is,u n l i ke J u l iet

,was no t easi ly won ; she did no t tel l

G uy,at t hei r fi rst i n terv iew , to deny h i s father and refuse

h is name , and for that name wh ich was no part o f h im to

take al l herse l f ; nor d i d she exclaim ,I n t ru th , I am too

fond,

” and then ask “Dost thou lo ve me ?” and beforeG uy cou l d reply

,an swered her o wn ques t ion by “I know

thou w i l t say—Ay and cl i nched the co n t ract by add i ng,

“A nd I w i l l take thy word .

” A nd then i mplored h i m tos wear fidel i ty by someth i ng m o re constan t than the moon .

O h no ! Ph i l l i s l i ved i n more prov i ncia l days , and bore ag reater resembl ance to Penelope , who was so loath to makea fi nal dec i sio n . Guy ’s sweetheart was a pe rverse youngl ady

,who frowned

,and said h i m nay ; who requ i red deed s

of h igh i n trep id i ty from her su i to r befo re she y ielded he raffection and l iberty ; al l of wh ich he w ro ugh t fo r thelove of th i s woman

,fo r he was i n t he very summer of the

tender pass ion s ; and then after years—o h ye gods pi tyns l—t rue to h i s sex he regretted t hat he had cau sed so

72 F lor ence AND ro u'

raarrs

m uch m isch ief and bloodshed for the sake of one i n th i sworl d of women

,and he betook h i m to a l i fe of penance in

a stony abode from sheer remorse. Trad i t ion te l ls u s thath e did not d i sclose to her h is iden t i ty t i l l he was dying,bu t I have a sly notion that these two u nderstood eachother al l al ong. The spot i s one of su rpass i ng beau ty , andi f Ph i l l i s retai ned any of the powerfu l w i tchery of heryouth

,that goaded G uy to h i s val ian t explo i ts , he d id not

s u ffer the many pr i vat ions d u r i ng h is hermi tage,attend i ng

a l i fe of ascet ic i sm .

Here was another o f those exqu is i te r u ral E ng l i sh piet u res . The verd u re was so ft and green

,the r i ver ge n t l e

,

except w here i t had been dammed (mechan i cal ly), and thenit i m petuously fo amed and raged

,to hel p the evol u tion s o f

the old m i l l ; the rocks were moss-grown and i vy-w reath ed ,and the ru st ic foot-br i dge across the A von i n a rapi d stateof decay . The man s ion i s qu ite modern

,and the residence

of the Hon . M rs . Percy,who was “at home ;

” at such timesit i s never shown to v is i tors ; but afte r enjoyi ng th efresh fields

,the path s t rod by the chan try-priests of other

days , t he groves of state ly e l ms , the aven ues overshad edby fi rs, we remoun ted ou r l i tt l e chai se and proceede d onou r way over the Kenilwont h road . N o t far beyond theC l iff

,and on the oppos i te s ide of the h ighway is Blacklow

H il l , the scene o f the execu t ion of P iers Gaveston, Earl ofCorn wal l

,the favori te of Edward I I

,and the hated enemy

of G uy de Beauchamp,Earl o f Warw ick . Gaveston had

st igmat ized Warw ick as the bl ack bound of A rden ,”and

w hen the l a t te r attacked Dedd i n gton Castle , where Gaveston was lodged fo r safety , he was at once captu red and

t aken to Warw ick Castle,and thence to the wooded eleva

tion scarcely more th an a m i l e d i stan t,where he paid fo r

h i s sp i te w i th h is head . Th is place of execu t ion was a l on emarked by an insc r i pt ion on the rock , now qu i te obliterated

,u n t i l M r. Greatheed , the father of M rs. Percy , presen t

o wner o f Guy ’s C l i ff,erected a s tone cross to the honor o f

the m i n ion of a hate fu l k i ng.

”

There had been a h u n t at one o f the great manors i n theneigh borhood , and as we wended ou r way toward Xcu ilw o rt h we had a fai r v iew of a flock of natty Engl i shl ord l i ngs i n red jacke ts and jockey caps sk i mm i ng acrossth e cou n try on thei r sp i r i ted cou rse rs

,fol lowed by the i r

grooms. As we en te red the town I was impressed by the

mo dern appearan ce of i ts arch i tectu re . The bu i ld i n gs areall h umble and co mfortable

,and rem i nded me very m uch

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

74 p row es s AND Poamm 'rs

port , i n Lycom i ng Cou n ty , Pen n sy l van ia. Leaming to nPriors i s the ou tgrowth of the last forty yea rs

,i ts ca u se o f

prospe ri ty be i ng attr i bu ted to the med ic i n al q ual i t ies ofits m i ne ral waters . I n 1784 a sal i ne spri ng was d i scoveredby one Benjam i n Satch wel l , a v i l l age shoemaker , and to

h i m may the now flou r ish i ng resort offer a l l th an ks for i tsri se and affl uence. Here we to o k the trai n fo r Londo n

,

n i nety-seven m il es d is tan t,where we arr i ved abo u t n ine P. M.

L E T T E R X V .

I waited fo r the train at Coven try ;I hung w ith grooms and po rters on the brid

s

ghe ,

To watc h the three tal l 8 ires ; and there I spedThe city ’s ancien t legeu i nto this

Tns nr so s .

LONDON , March , 1878 .

I sw am that I d id no t s top over long enough at Kenilwort h to run across the count ry to the anc ien t c i ty ofCoven try

,on ly five m i les o fl

‘

. I t i s ch iefly att racti ve bythe story o f t he l ady God i va

,woven i n to i mmortal verse

by the B ri t ish poe t-l a u reate,A l fred Ten nyson . Bu t I was

not id l e,hav i n g col lec ted a good deal of i n formati on from

several k i nd people w hom I me t at the l i t t le co u n try i n nn ear Ken i l worth

,and afte rwa r ds i n the station w here we

were obl iged to wai t a long t ime be fore leav i ng Leam ington for London . I n deed , apart from the beau t i fu l cou n te sshersel f

,Coven t ry and the su rro u nd i ng cou n t r

yare ve ry

fu l l o f h i story , ancien t, mo nas t ic, l i terary , ant sc ien t ific .The town has over i n habi tan ts , and the manu fact u re o f ri bbons

,s i lk

,and watc hes so considerable , as to

gi ve empl oymen t to fi ve or s i x t ho usand men , and almos tas many women and ch i ld ren ; and then the re i s a l a rgeadd i t i onal popu l at ion engaged i n the same work in t hene ighbor i ng pari sh of Foles h i l l . I specia l ly regre tted no thav i ng seen what th e peopl e i n Leam i ngton ta l k so m uchabo u t , St. Mary

’s Hal l , a splend id and remarkable ed i fice,bu i lt i n 1450 , and at presen t i n a n adm i rable s tate of p reservation. I t i s the h eadquarte rs of one of the old Bri t is hgu i l ds, and i s regarded as one of the most magn ificentspec imen s of anc ien t domest ic a rch i tectu re i n the Un it ed

or roanrou TRAVEL. 75

K i ngdom . Here,and a l l ove r th i s pa rt of England , t he

name of Lady God i va i s ce leb rated and p reserved as theworsh i pped sa i n t o f the common people . The s tory i s abea u t i fu l one

,and I sa t and l i stened fo r qu i te an hou r as I

h ea rd i t re lated by an old v i l l age goss i p , who tel ls i t forthe pu rpose of sec u r ing a few sh i l l i ngs from the pass i ngst ranger.I n 1043 t he fi fth Earl of Merci a an d h is l ady , Godi va,

fou nded and r ich ly endowed a Bened icti ne mon as tery o n

th e ru i ns o f a n u nn ery , des t royed i n 10 16 by Can u te , theDane . The ol d legends te l l u s th is monastery was an

s peakably grand,a perfect casket, i n fact, o f gold and s i l

ver. Leofric and h is cou n tess were both bu r ied i n theporch of th i s p riory. Now

,w hether t h is Lady God i va i s

the same immorta l i zed by Tennyson my i n forman t wasu nabl e to say

,bu t the accepted au thor i ty of the d i s t ri ct ,

S i r W i l l i am D ugdale, who was a devou t bel iever i n the romance, g i ves the fol lowi ng accou n t o f i t :

“The Cou n tessGod i va

,bea ring an extrao rd i nary affec t io n to th i s p lace,

o ft en and earnestly be sough t he r h usband that fo r th e l oveof God an d the B lessed V i rg in he wou ld free i t from thatgr ie vous serv i tude whe reu n to i t was subject ; bu t be , rebuk ing her for importu n i ng h i m i n a man ne r so incons isten t w i th h i s profi t , commanded that she sh ou l d th enceforward forbea r to move therei n ; yet she, o u t of her woman ish pert i n ac i ty

,con ti n ued to sol ic i t h im , i n somuch that

he to ld her i f she wou ld r ide on horseback naked , from o ne

end o f the tow n to the other, i n s igh t o f al l the people , hewou ld gran t he r req uest. Whe re u n to she re tu rned , Bu tw i l l you gi ve me l eave to do so ?” and he reply i ng “Yes ,

”

the nobl e lady upon an appoi n ted day got o n horsebacknaked

,with her ha i r l oose

,so that i t cove red al l her body

bu t her legs ; and th u s perform i ng her jou rney , she re

tu rned w i th joy to her h usband,who there upon gran ted to

th e i n habi tan ts a ch arte r of freedom . The res iden tsof the town

,gratefu l to thei r beau ti fu l sovere ign fo r the

del icate task she had accepted to secu re the i r c i v i l franchise s, w ith one accord w i t hdrew from the h ig hways an dwi ndows i n order that as li tt l e pai n as poss i b l e shou ld hei nfl icted u pon the i r roya l E ve ; bu t one Tom , by profess iona ta i lor

,y ie lded to the rare temptation , an d for h i s l ack o f

moral va lor, had h i s eyes sh r i ve l l ed i n to dark ness i n h i shead . There i s a gro tesque pictu re of the co un t an dcou n tes s set up i n T ri n i ty Church ; he holds a scro l l in h i shand bearing these words

76 Prcr uas s AND Poaraarrs

El. flcurirhe. for flour of thee,ma: make (Herm it e Col-free.

"

The Lady God i va pagean t th at was i n st i tu ted i n th e reignof the i ndolen t vo l u pt uary

,C harl es I I

,has not taken place

w i th i n the l ast th i rty years,and may con fiden tly he n um~

be red among the j ubilee'

s of the past . I n its days of you thand prospe ri ty , the festi va l was one o f u n preceden ted splendor, and was al way s d ign ified by the p resence o f the mu n ic ipnl au thori ti es. Of cou rse , the spectacl e o f St . George onhorseback

,and her u ncover ed l adysh i p , was the pri nc i pa l

attract ion o f the sat u rnal ia n revel . The mayor , al dermen ,and sherifl

’

s,ancien t orders and beneficial soc ieties , w i th

thei r streamers . decoration s, an d bands of m usi c, presen teda fan tastic and bizar re s igh t.O u t of many o f these ol d places

,the haun ts of t rad i t ion

ary heroes , marty rs, an d sai n ts , i magi nation creates someof i ts w i ldest and sweetest fancies . With i n a ci rc l e of tenor twen ty m i les, I find mate rial fo r a succes s ion o f d ramas ,each w i th a bas is o f fact

,w h ich t ime tu rns i n to fable

,or

mys tifies i n to doubt . Shakespeare h im sel f,the s ubl i mes t

wonde r o f al l,grows more sacred and more sp r

’

rituelle as

the ages go on , wh i l e G uy o f W arw ick , and Richard Nev i l lethe great k i ng-maker

,

” an d gen tle A my Robsart,and no w

the fai r-hai red God i va , become more and more l egendaryw ith the cen tu ries . I l i ke it better so. We are to o yo u ngi n America to h ave such ad van tages

,and hen ce the scarc i ty

of o u r great au thors,i n com par ison w i th the r ich treas u re s

d ug ou t o f those ancien t m i nes , and coined i n to such gol denm usic. There i s not an ol d E ngl i sh house th at h as n ot aboard o f prec ious memories . Even the fi res ide goss i p make smateri a l fo r fu t u re poets and h i sto r i ans

,and there i s no t

an o ld ch u rch from the Mersey to the Tweed , from the I r ishcoast to Dover , th at is no t the s to rehouse of gbo at ly rem inisccnces .

A l l over England the early exampl e of London i n regardto anc ien t char i t ies i s i m i tated , and everywhere i n the townof Coven try the goodness of the Lady God i va i n re l iev ingthe poor is perpetuated i n the rude art o f the t ime. Ford’sHospi tal

,fou nded i n 1529 , by W i l l iam Ford , a mercha n t ,

fo r the recepti on of aged fema les , has grown i n d ign i ty w i ththe years

,and has been i nc reased by donat ions from ot h e r

parties ; t he re are twen ty o ld women in th i s beau ti fu lbu i ld i ng

,who rece i ve 3s . 6d. per week and coal s , and twe n ty

flve other women , cal l ed o u t-o f-door rec i p ien ts , who recei ve

or posmon ma v en. 77

the same amount of money and a ton of co al each year.Then t here i s Bablake H o spi tal

,fo u nded i n 1806

,by Tho

mas Bo nd , fo r ten poor men bu t s ubseq uen t gifts have soaugmen ted i ts funds

,that i t now recei ves over forty persons .

Then t here i s a supe rb school for boys , fou nded by ThomasW heatly , Mayo r o f Coven try, i n 1560 ; the revenues are84500 per an n um . Then there is St. J o h n ’s Hospi ta l andfree school

,fou nded i n 1 155 , for the s ick and po or , and for

a free school w i th an an n ua l i n come of 85000 . There aresevera l o ther schools an d hosp i ta ls l i be ra l ly endowed centu ries ago , wh ich , i n t he progress of t ime have la rgelyi ncreased by add i t i on al beq uests and en hancemen ts o f l and

,

from wh ich you w i l l perce i ve how ve ry rich i s every partof E ngland . There i s hard ly a sh i re o r parish i n wh ichyo u wi l l n ot fi nd one or more endowmen ts, as t hey arecal led

,fo r re l i gi ous

,char i table, and ed ucation al pu rp oses ;

most of them begi n n i n g ever so l ong ago , from a very smal lp rov is ion and gat he ri ng i n value w i th the growth of thepopu lation , and the i m port ance o f the real estate se t apartby the old-ti me ph i l an t h ropists. England i s deep ly affl i ctedby the grow i ng cu rse of pau pe rism ,

and the equal ly dan

gero us e lemen t , mi l l ions of d i scon ten ted laborers , bu t thesecha ri table prepa rat ions agai n st ignorance and m is fortu ne ,show not on ly the great care o f the generous leaders ofsoc iety , bu t a lso the great opu lence of the k i ngdom i tsel f.A s I s i t in my l i tt l e room i n this cathed ral of a hotel ,

ponderi n g over my sweet sw ift v is i t to C hester, B irmingham , St ratford , Warw ick, Ken i l worth , Leam i ngton , and myflash bac k to th i s great , gr i m , gray cap i tal , I wonde r i f Ishal l ever see i t al l agai n . Ho w many people cross th eocean from o ur cou n t ry to these old places w i th their m i nds

,

i f no t the i r eyes sh u t . They ru sh th rough Engl and , I rel and , Scotland , across the Con t i nen t, even i n to the HolyLand , and perhaps away o ff to I nd ia , Asia, and A fri ca , andare back aga i n i n the tw i n k l i ng of an eye

,as it were ; and

for what ? I fear on ly to boast to those who have been lessfo rtu nate. A h , me ! how I comm iserate s uch people . Formysel f, I am never ti red l ea rn i n g from th i s m igh ty vol ume ,Experi ence. I t teaches me how smal l I am (not phys ical lybu t men tal ly), and t hough I love my own dear l and , I amn eve r oppressed no r fatigued by the knowledge I gather i nt hese strange , ancien t, and sugges ti ve scenes . A nd st i l l avoi ce w i th i n ask s

,Shal l I eve r s i t by the sweet E ng l i sh

i ngl es i de agai n ? So good n igh t,my voice less

,pat ien t

fr iend .

78 prow e s s AND Poa'

rau rs

L E T T E R X V I .

S i ng—si ng—music was givenTo brighten the ay , and kind le the lo ving ,

So uls here l ike p anets in Heaven ,By harmony ’s law s alone are kept moving.

Beau ty may boast o f her eyes and her cheeks,Bu t love from the l ips his true archery wings ;And she, w ho but feathers the dart when she speaks,At once sends it home to the heart when she sin

g.

Ton 0 0 1m.

Lonnon, March , 1878 .

AT l ast I h ave had an opportu n i ty of enjoy i ng the

Royal Ope ra i n Londo n . Here long enough to beware o fhasty j udgmen ts, 1 w i l l not t r us t myself to avow them ;but 1 may wh i sper th at I am no t qu i te carr ied away by afi rst expe rience . We secu red s ta l l s i n the parq uette fo r

each,aud l ast even i ng ret i ri ng i n to the secrecy of my

closet,I “unclasp

’d the wedded eagles of my be l t ,” and

p roceed ed to array me i n fest i ve regal ia before go i ng toCo ven t Garden Theat re to see the nobi l i ty before the cu rta i n

,and the great mel od i s ts u nder th e cu rta i n . The ope ra

hou se i s l arge,heavy

,and sol id ; very Engl ish , w i th a l i ttle

o f the ai r of m usty sty le that makes age respectable , an dgoes far to con secrate d isabl ed fu rn i tu re and d i l ap idatedar ras . A l though the presen t stu pendou s structu re hasbeen open on ly s i nce 1 858

,i t has encou n tered d isaste r by

fi re severa l t i mes s ubsequen t to the erection o f the orig i naled i fice

, in 1 732. I n th i s bri c-whro o per iod,when t he an

tiq ue is the newest fash ion , and when to be in the modewe m ust d rag ou t of o ld garrets o ur great grandmother’ s

(those who have had one) sp i n n i ng-whee l an d and iro n s ,and resu rrect l ong-exp i red spoons , and tea-kett les , an dknee-buckles , I s u pposed such a venerab le dame as CoventGarden wou l d have th rown me at once i n to v iolen t ecstacies. Bu t she d idn ’t !Though the aud i tor i um of th is theatre i s larger t han ou r

Academy i t l ooks smal l e r, as the t ie rs range h igher, an dare d i v ided i n to c lose boxes heav i ly d raped w i th floridtapestries. Many o f t hese be long to noble fam i l i es

,an d

w hen t hey do not w is h to occ upy them t hey are not tooproud to let the managers sel l them to the h ighes t b idde r

,

an d they pocket the money . Red and gol d are the preva i l i ng colors

,the cr imson dom i nati ng the whole. We

or FORE IGN TRAVEL. 79

started fo r the opera w i th the i n ten t ion of hea r i ng Mad lle.

Sarda,but before we had been sea ted many momen ts an

I ta l ian appea red u pon the stage,an d at once my heart

sank w i th i n me , I an tic i pated d isappoi n tmen t. O u r friendfrom the su n ny So u th tol d us, i n very bad Engl ish ,“Mad lle. Sar da was i l l , and , i n consequence , opera and

p r ime dorma were both changed , bu t we shou ld hearBerte l l i an d Smero schi, two names wholly unknow n tome . The Opera was Verd i ’s su pe rb c reat ion , Un ballo inMaschera, that I h ad often enjoyed at home, and i t wasmagn ificent ly rendered . 8 0 great a c i ty as London i snecessa r i ly a cen t re of mus ical art. A l l t he em i nen ts i ngers , and , of cou rse , many that we are even u nac

q uainted w i th i n America float he re i n the season,to get

t he h ighest pri ces for the i r gen i us ; and yet I ta ly an dItuss ia often outbid London fo r such ce lebrit i es as Patt iand her new h usband , N ico ltnni. The orchestra, of atleas t seven ty-five i n s tr umen ts , was fu ll, correct, harmon io us

,

’

and nobly mastered ; and the work u pon the stagecomplete . The recitat ives were ch aste and strongly accentas ted

,the arias somet i mes sweet and allegro , at others

s u b l ime and sombre,and the ensembles grand . The tro u pe

was part icularly s t rong i n i ts s ubsid i ary fo rce ; the bal letbr i l l i an t and eflervesc ing i n the adm i rable scenery , and thatpe rfec t d isc i p l i ne

,wh ich may be cal led the crown ing glory

of pat ience and t i me. I t 18 read i ly seen that the opera inLondon is a governmen t mach i ne, and not a matter ofs pec u l at ion. I t i s an i n st i t u tion l ike a great castle , bu i l tto last

,an d not made fo r t he pleasu re of the rich merely ,

o r for a spasmod ic season .

There was not h i ng popu lar abou t i t except the fine reperto i re . Even the cheapest pl aces were occup ied by thebette r class of m idd le Londoners . Americans always seekt he best ; they t ravel fi rst cl ass

,they d i ne 6. la carte

,they

n ever restra i n thei r phys ica l n or moral appet i te for a fewsh il l i ngs

,and o f cou rse they wan t the bes t fo r the i r mo ney.

I n the overpower i ng t ide o f trave l that sweeps across theA tlan tic

,the major portion are pl eas u re seeke rs , and they

act on the pr i nc i ple that they are resol ved to enjoy the i rhol i day carousal w i t h all its cpic u rean attr ibu tes. O u rparty sat i n the m i ds t o f the creme de la créme fee l i ngfo r the time a sort of m i l l ion na i re s upe rior i ty. I was byn o means oppresse d because to my righ t sat a coun tessand to my left a pri ncess . I n th i s state of su preme com

placency I devoted myse lf to observat ion . Very u n l i ke,

80 PtCTUBEB AND Poarau rs

indeed,was the prospect co n trasted w i th the rad iant an d

vari ed habi tues of ou r Academy of M usic. A n ampl i t ud eof gaudy d ress

,bu t whol ly i n congruous . Ponderous ol d

dowagers i n point d’a z

’

gu i lle and d iamonds, redolen t o frare roast bee f and port, chaperoned thei r you th fu l femal erel at i ves . There seemed to be a deart h o f gay gal l an tyou t hs. I m i ssed the fresh maiden s accompan ied by su i to rs or friends , that fi l l o u r play houses ; and t hen , th es wee t new ly-c reated mat 1on s , st i l l i n th e i r ty ron ism ,

tha tt i me and t ri bu l at ion have no t yet robbed o f the i r matu rescen t b l oom . The Engl i sh gi r l m ig rates from a hoyend ishsc hool m i ss

,to a sq uare

,sol id femal e bov i n e ; nowhere

have I see n that s tage o r age o f fem i n i ne beauty,so pre

valen t i n A merica , that i s on ly comparable to a su perblyr i pe moss rose, fu l l , fragran t , an d magn ificen t. A B ri ti shfledgl i ng of eigh tee n or n i n eteen s umme rs, u nder the protec tion of her father ’s w i ng, i n wh i te s i l k an d wh i te m i ttensreach i ng the el bows , and M rs. Langtry

,the re i gn i ng Eng

l i sh bel le , at w hom the Pri nce of Wales has been casti n gbu ll’s eyes, i n can ary-satin and ten-bu tton bl ack-k id glo ves,were the on ly l ad ies i n the vast assembl age that reca l led av i sio n of ou r fai r ones at home. The opera is always aresort fo r wel l-bred i nd iffe rence , a savage noi se i n the m ids to f beau t i fu l m us ic—a place i n fact where the so cal l ed cu lt ivated classes r ush to d i spl ay the i r u ncu l t i vated rudeness .

.A l 1 l how wel l these E ngl i sh u nderstand impass i ve i n solence.Why i s i t that the most preten t i ou s peopl e i n Ameri ca

are o ften the most o fl‘

ens ive in publ ic places ? The mo reel eg an t the en tertai nmen t the more i n t rusi ve and noi sythey are ; and so i t i s here , as I l ea rn from those who are

i n i t iated i n to the ways and means o f the better orde rs. I twas certai n ly so l ast n igh t. There was a bo x fu l l of n obility, so m uch I gl eaned from su rrou nd i ng commen ts .They arr i ve d late P . M .

—and had eviden t ly bee nd i n i ng ; i n j ubi lan t moods, every one ; they were as utterlyregard less of the opera as i f the voca l i s ts had been plan tat io n slaves . There was no protest agai n st the i r rude patrouage

,e i ther on the pa rt o f the actors or the aud ience .

I am obl iged to co n fess I h ave seen the same efl’

rontery athome , bu t never qu i te so boisterous and u nbl u sh i ng.

The now fam i l i ar science o f musi c takes rank amongs tth e modern arts . In the early ages

,when a 1e hitec ture

,

pai n ti ng,an d scu l ptu re rapid ly rose to perfect i on

,the lyric

sc ien ce seemed to rema i n a dark and dorman t stud y .

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82 increase AND roars u'rs

struggl ed wi th his i n novat ion s o f styl e t i l l h i s s i x ty-fifthyear, before he rece i ved a satisfactory appreci at io n fromthe Pari s publ ic. The l igh t o peras o f Hero ld

,Halevy

,

Anher, and recent ly Offen bach,seem to h ave s u perseded

the heav ier an d loft ier work s of Mi hal, Rossi n i , an d Meye r

beer,i n the hea rts o f the l augh te r-l ov i ng Paris ian s . The

earl ie r m asterpieces, even of ou r con tem porary m us icalau thors , are overru l ed by the i r you n er p rogeny ; th u s ,Aids , and Un hallo i n Maschera are c th e latest prod uc~t ion s o f the I ta l ian senator

,Verd i ; so i t i s w i th Bal fe, A u be r,

Héro ld , Don izett i , Thomas , Rossi n i , and Von Flotow ,whose

Martha i s the on ly one of h is operas k now n at home.

L E T T E R X V I I .

“To the travel ler imbued w i th a feelin for the histo rical and

goeti cal . so inseparahly i ntertw ined in t e annals o f roman t i cman, the Al hambra is as much an o bject o f devotio n as is the

Caaba to al l true Mos lems. How many legends and traditio ns, trueand fabulous, how many songs and bal lads, Arabian and Span ish ,o f lo ve and war and ch ival ry , are associated with _ this Orien talpile l”—Was u 1xo

‘

ron Invmo’s ALHAMBRA .

Lonnoa , March , 1878.

Latos s'rsa SQUARE i s one o f the i n te rest i n g and beau tifu lsec t io n s of the West End . Forme rly i t was a fashi o nable qua rte r ; then i t fe l l i n to d i sgrace by d i n t of n egl ectof the open space, th at h as been tran sformed from a de

po s ito ry of refuse i n to an exqu is i te publ i c gard en at thei nd i v id ua l ex pen se o f Baron G ran t , whose palace in theneighborhood of the A l be rt Memorial

,and en. rou te to the

Sou th Kens i ngton M useum , i s th e presen t marvel and envyof the great metropol is. He was one of the money-k ingsof England , bu t has recen tly been the prey of the merc i l es sfiend M i sfortu ne, and w i l l be compel l ed to part w i th , e ve nbefore he has occu pied

,his regal home that cos t over th ree

m i l l i ons o f ou r money . The cu rren t prophecy i s,th at the

Baron G ran t w i l l never ri se agai n ; bu t he i s el ast i c , amb i t io n s , and fu l l of resou rces , and even now the requ i t i n gange l may be hoveri n g over h i s d reams . He has been o nc eor tw ice chosen to Parl i amen t , bu t was depri ved of h is sea t ,

or ronsmn ras v an. 83

ow i ng to charges of corruption i n proc u ri ng votes ; and

w h i le the newspa pe rs were heap i ng v i tuperation u pon h imfo r every k ind of fraud u len t tran sact ion i n stocks andbonds , an d he was en tangled i n a l l man ner of l awsu i ts andco n ten t ion s , he conce i ved the i dea o f renderi ng a publ icserv i ce by pu r i fy i ng th i s d ism a l spot i n the heart of London . So i n the cen t re of Leicester Sq uare be planted plotsof grass an d parterres of flowe rs , erected fou n tai n s , andp la ced a s tatue of Shakespeare i n the m idd le, s u rrou nd i ngthe whole w i th seats fo r the aged and the poor. Leices te rSquare was the home of the mathemat ic ian , S i r I saac Newton ; the a rt i st, S i r Josh ua Reyno l d s, and the free ca ric atnrist , Hogarth . O n the east s ide of the c i rcle

,Joh n

H un ter,the patho logi st an d ana tom ist

,l i ved and gathere d

his great m useum of spec imen s i l l ust rat i ve of h i s pro fess ion

,subseq uen tly pu rc hased by the governmen t for t he

Royal Col lege of Su rgeons. These fac ts and adornmen tso f G ran t add immen se ly to th e attract ions of th e Alhambra

,

t he famous var ie ty theat re o f the metropo l is and one o f themost profi tabl e of the many great resorts o f London . Th is

g reat show-place i s ca l l ed afte r one o f the o ldes t and mosto rnate and lasc i v ious o f the pal aces of Moor i sh k ings , nearGranada, Spai n , beau ti fu l ly descri bed by ou r own Washingto n I rv i ng i n the words I have pl aced at the head o f

t h i s chapte r. The London arch i tect seems to have had theS pan ish A l hambra fo r h i s mo del . l ts fou n tai n s

,danc i ng

hal ls,con servatories , se ragl ios, baths and Saracen ic sp len

dors are a l l O rien tal ; the or ig i na l pal ace was a combi nat ion o f gorgeous magn ificence

,not on ly in works of art and

lovely women and rav ish i ng m usic ; bu t in fo rests , flowers ,fr u i ts , s i ngi ng-bi rds, de l ic iou s fish

,and cu r ious an i mals

,

and al l these are sough t to be im i ta ted i n the dazzl i ngm us ic hal l and bal let of the Spectacu l ar temple i n Le icesterSquare. There i s an i nan i mate d u pl icate of the palace at theC rys ta l Pal ace, Syden ham ,

wh ich i s a marvel of su perb Spanish color ing, med imval ornamen tat ion , elaborate carv i ng andq uai n t arch i tectu ra l sty le. Th i s splend id attract ion standson a port ion of the ground cal led afte r Robert Sydney

,

E ar l of Lei cester, who was father of the handsome Sydney ,w ho figu red in the Grammon t Memoi re , publ is hed by Coun tA n thony Ham il ton

,i n 171 3—a complete exposé o f the ex

plo its of his brother-in-law i n lo ve and at the gam i ng-table .I t i s a spac i ous struct u re i n the moresque sty le of arch ite c tu re, and was fi rst opened by a sc ien t i fic an d l i terarybody

,somewhat resembl i ng t he Poly tech n ic

,on Regen t

84 9 101 11a s un roarnu rs

St reet, u nder t he t i tl e of Panopti con ; but the n igh t I at

tended the gi lded palace the'

performance d id n ot bear th es l igh tes t resembl ance to the i nst ruct i ve d isco u rses an dpal i nodes of t hat i n sp i red u n i fo rm i ty of good n ess ,

” t ha tCan n i ng used to tal k abou t. Twel ve years ago gen t lemenonly at tended th i s w i l d a l l u r i ng satu rn al i a, an d al t h oughthe managemen t s t i l l h ave an ard uous task to secu re l icen sefrom the Lord Chamberla i n each year, I am obl iged to confess I saw noth i ng there bu t an exqu i s i te m usica l ex travaganza. A magn ificen t orchestra

,such as the thea t res of

Lo n don on ly have , a bal let of 175 or 200 bea u ti fu l you ngwomen—not femal e w recks

,rendered dazzl i ng by the ai d

of pa i n t and ca lc i um l igh ts , such as consti tue ou r homebal lets,—and an aud ience chamber th ro nged by qu i te th esame class o f l ad ie s th at freq uen t other pl ayhouses. Per

haps there a re performan ces here j ust i fy i ng the cau st i ci nd ign at ion of th e ci rcumspect

, that‘

I d id not see . For,

i f al l I have heard be true,there are ambiguous platform s

u nder the same roof w here the comed ies,farces

,d ramas , and

even traged ies o f l i fe a re freely enacted . The Operetta o rvaudev i l l e o f “Wi ldfi re” was to me a most bri l l iant an dpleas i ng feast . The i n terio r i s fiashingly beau t i fu l , exceedi ng i n s ize any one of the American theatres

,the a lt i tu d e

r i s i ng fi ve t i e rs . To the bon ne tl ess l ad ies and femal e ushersI am becom i ng more and more recon ci l ed each day I l i nge ri n the cap i tal , bu t the imperat i ve si x o r e igh t cen ts for aprogramme that ofte n times is th ru s t i n to the hands o f th eneophyte, and i n adverten tly accepted , the pedd l i ng of re

freshments amongst the aud ience betw een the se vera l act so f a pl ay , and the cool ness and complacency w i th w h ic hthe E ngl ish lad ies cal l for a g l ass o f w i ne at the lo bby-ba rs

,

are customs I can not v i nd icate. The fi rs t, i mpos i t i on ;the second , i nd ign i ty ; the th ird , indel icacy . True , the playbi l l i s u n ique, con tain ing vignettes o f the dramati s personau pon the margin

,that m igh t be worth i ly im i ta ted at home

but I en treat you , sh un the extortion and the i mpudence.The patriotism of the Br i t i sh

,whether i n born of des pot i c

r u le o r i n h eren t loyal ty,i s ever apparen t

,and at al l pu bl i c

resorts w hen a pol i t ical wi tt ic ism or l ocal h i t i s made th ebiases and appl ause are i n stan t and pro longed . I h avebeen presen t w hen an aud i en ce have joi ned w i th one se

cord in a nationa l chorus . To me,th ere 18 not h ing more

interesti ng and elevat i ng th an a people fi red by pu bl icsen t i men t , bu t not the boi sterou s demonstrat i on s I ha vew i tn essed here. I t wou l d n ot h u rt u s one bi t were the

or cosmo s m aven. 86

Amer ican s to borrow from the i r ne ighbors beyond the seasa port ion of thei r

'

nat i ona l zeal ; I fear ever s i nce the blac kand bloody cl oud , War, h as fal l e n from ou r horizon , weh ave been s lowly and sure ly s i nk i ng i n to a state of ind iffet c h t feal ty.

A ll arou nd Le ices te r Square are brigh t l igh ts,and su rg

i ng cosmo pol i tan crowds. I t i s the favori te quarter of thefore igners , and abounds i n foreign hote ls , bu t the A lhamb ra is the attracti ve constellat ion that sheds radiance overt he secondary satel l i tes. A fte r see i n g the beau ti fu l statueof Shakes peare i n the n ew park , I saun tered i n to a n eigh~bori ng bookstore , and i n rak i ng t h ro ugh a heap of l i te raryashe s, d iscovered a l i v i ng co al t hat t h ro ws upon the ex is tence of the grea t poet an i nd ispu tab le halo. I t i s an extract from a poem by ant-Engl i s h rhymste r, R i ch ard Barnefie lde, wri tten in 1598, eigh tee n years be fore the death ofS hakespea re. Whe ther ol d o r new , i t i s q u i te conc l us i ve ,and a su preme sat i s fac tion to me to find Shakespeare no

myth,and such a proof o f h i s t i t l e to h is own work ; al

tho ugh “ ra re Ben J onson ’s” melo dio us test i mony i n h i sfavo r ough t to si lence the c lamor of env ious tongues.

And Shakespeare, tho u whose honeydlow iug vein,( Pleasiu the wo rld) thy raises do th conta i n :Whose enus and who se ucrece, sweet and chas te,Thy name in Fame‘s immo rta l book hath placed .

Live ever yo u , at least in Fame l ive everWel l may the body die, bu t Fame dies never.

By some the A l hambra i s c l assed amongs t the m usi ch a l l s of London , bu t the mode of en tertai n men t no w h o l di ng the boards of th is thea tre dese rves the t i tle of vaudev i l l e

,as the d itference between i t and the stereotyped Lon

don M usic Hal l i s em i nen t. One of the mos t popu lar o ft hese plebe ian and i ndependen t resorts i s Evans ’s celebratedconce rt room

,famou s for i ts m u t ton chops

,Welsh rarebi ts

,

w h iskey-pu nch and bro wn stou t , and its renowned gal l eryof theatn

’

cal port ra i ts . A t t hese concerts,wh ich begin

l ate and last far i n to the n igh t,the male el emen t p reva i l s

,

they flo ck here after the Op era and theatres have clo sed,

rathe r an easy process,as the boxes of the concert hal l

m ay be en te red from the adjo i n i ng Coven t Garden OperaHouse. I have heard the chan t i ng boys

,or c horal s i ngers

o f this es tabl ishment h igh ly extol led , an d have been eagerto enjoy thei r harmony

,bu t lacked the moral forti t ude to

v en tu re u pon fo rbidden groun d ,—eveu i n a fore ign c i ty,

where, I be l ie ve, a l l Amer icans a re conceded u n l i m i ted l i8

86 i ncr eas e AND Poaraarrs

cen se. Bu t I loved to l i nger i n the v icinage hal lo wed bythe names o f Dr. Johnson, Gar r ick , Boswel l , Goldsmith,Add ison , and Pope. C lose to-Evans

’s is St. Pau l ’s Church,

no t the Cathed ral , i n terest i ng becau se in the adjacentgrounds we saw the grave o f Butle r, the au thor of the immorta l poem ,

“Hud ibras ;”and of Gibbons, the il l ustrious

sculptor, whose flowers carven i n wood,needed only colo r

and perfume to make them pass for nat u re.St . James Hal l , entrance on P iccad i l ly and Regent

S t reet , an attachmen t of the famous restau ran t , is a go r

geo u sly decorated room ,w here the Moore and Burgess

Amer i can Minst re l s presen t to the Engl ish a thoroughlyAmer ican plan tation j ubi l ee. I t is refresh ing to see t heseEngl i sh people enjoy ing th is as a novel ty . The OxfordM us ic Hal l

,the portals of w h ich I v en tured to pass, was

thronged w ith a motl ey crowd , comparatively litt le smo king and dr i nk i ng, a cheap place, a dismal repertoire, bu tthe aud ience exceedingly reputabl e, that is , while I t e

ma i n ed in th is bacchanal ian rendez vous,w h ich was only

l ong enough to take a peep, and then glad to hu rry away .

Fo r al though I had been an x ious and cu r iou s to see one o f

these sports fo r the London mob,I was conscious o f a

feel ing o f self-desecrat ion wh i le my i n qu i s i t i ve longingw as be i ng grat ified . Can terbu ry M us ic Hal l is on the

lVestmins ter Bridge Road,across the Thames ; the or ig ina l

bu il d ing was the first of th is class of carni val in Londonand Ex eter Hal l

,near Coven t Garden , i s a better specimen

of the same type o f amusemen ts,as i t i s al so often used

fo r meet i ngs of re l igious associ at ions,oratories , and the

olog ical d isputations.

o r FORE IGN m av en. 87

L E T T E R X V I I I .

“ Is it no t monstrous,that this

(player

here,Bu t in a fiction , in a dream 0 pass io n ,Could force his so ul so to his own co nceit,That from her working, al l his visage warmed ,Tears i n his eyes, distractio n in ‘

s as Ct

A broken voice, and his who le func tgfns’

suitingW ith fo rms to his conceit ? And al l fo r no thing ?For Hecuba l" Hau ns '

r .

Lonnox , March , 1878 .

AND so I fel t, as I sat an d saw Hen ry I rv i ng enact h i s

port rai t of Lo u is X I at the Ly ceum Theatre. He i s wors h i pped he re as the Rosc i u s of the B ri t i sh stage. Wh i let he lad i es s i ng prai ses to h i s melancholy grace and the

m us i c o f h i s vo ice,the cr i t i cs ex haust adject i ves i n e u log ies

o f h i s gen i u s. They do no t overrate th i s E ngl i sh d isc i pleo f the G reek d rama, and I i ncon t i nen tly y ielded to h i s magnet i c i nfl uence. I had seen h i m several weeks be fore i n thewei rd represen ta t ion

, The Bells, where the hero h as h iddenfa rewel l t o con ten t

,an d d ies th e v icti m o f a remorsefu l

c o nscience . I rv i ng i s a man w h o se walk and ta l k a re fu l lo f shado wy l

’

o rebod ings , and wel l adapted fo r s uch a charee te r as the su perst i t io us

,susp ic ious

,cruel

,and fai th less

K ing of F rance . He i s no t handsome, bu t possesses thec harms of i n tonation , gest u re , and man ner th at come on lyto the fin i sh ed arti st—part i al Natu re’s gift s to her favoredfew. He has a moody an d studen t a i r

,and seems to have

though t out al l h i s paces and poi n ts ; an atmosphere ofm usty books and med i tation c l i ngs abou t h i m . He i s atonce att ract i ve and repel len t. He has con ned French h istory and the nove l o f th e Sco tt i s h s tory t e l ler fo u nded uponi t , and he has s tud ied the i l l ustrated l i s ts of the costumerso f the t ime . The man ner i n w h ich be d ressed the characterh onored the au thor ; the fac ial make-up was as art ist ic ande l aborate as the Meg Mer reiles of C har lotte C ushman .The scenes are al l l aid at and near the Cast le o f Pless i s

lee-Tou rs , where the m iserable monarch passed the lastyea rs o f h i s l i fe , s u rrou nded by a body-guard of sol d iers.He feared t hat h uman ity wou ld be as cruel to h i m as hehad been crue l to h uman i ty. He ascended the th rone aty ran t

,de te rm i ned to subj ugate a l l the nobl es to h i s w i l l .

He was as w ise as he was jealou s , but he l abo red to coneent ra te a l l power in h i s own hands. He selected h i s con n

88 r icr r arzs a s p m ar aarrs

se l l o u t fro m the peo ple , and encou raged comme rce and

ind nat ty. a c anw to w h ic h J acq ues Coe u r , th e merchant

princ e o f the fo rme r re ign , had given suc h i mpe tu s. His

impu l se s we re lo w and c un n ing, and though he was a chu rchman, he was the type of abject b igo try and supe rs t i t ion.

He t ho ugh t he co u l d pro pit iate the sa i n ts w i th prom i ses as

he d id his fe l lo w-c t catu res—prom ises that he never i n tendedto redeem—pa rt icu l arly no t iceab l e i n his m i d n igh t de vot io ns , whe n he kne l t be fo re the i mage of the Lady of C lery ,alte r s uppl icat ing fo r the fu lfi l men t o f all h i s world ly projo r ta. He co nc l udes his praye r. accor ding to S ir W alte rS c o t t : c c tc s t Lady. wo rk w i t h thy ch i ld , t hat he w i l l

pardo n all pas t s i n s , and o ne— o ne l itt l e deed that I mu stdo this nigh t—nay, it is no s in, dearest Lady o f C lery

,no

s in . bu t an ac t o f j u s t ice pr i vately adm in i stered ; fo r thev il la in is the greates t impo s to r t hat ever pou red fa l seh oodinto n p l inc c '

s car, and leans bes ides to th e fi l t hy heresy o f

the (l rc cks . He is no t d ese rv i ng o f thy protect ion ; l eavehim to my care ; and h o ld i t as a good serv ice that l ri dthe Wo rld o f him,

fo r the man i s a necromancer and wi z ard ,t hat is no t u o i th thy tho ugh t and care—a do g, the ex t i net i o n o f who sc l i l

'

e o ugh t to be of as l i t tle consequence inth ine cyc s as the t read ing o u t o f a spark that d rops froma lamp o r sp rings trom a tire . Th i n k no t o f th i s l i tt le mat

te r, gent les t , k inde s t Lady.bu t co ns ider how t ho u can s t

bes t aid mo in my t ro u ble s ! and I he re b i nd my l o yal s ignc t to thy c lllgy , Il l to ken that I w i l l keep word concern ingthe c o unty o f (

‘

Iiampague (whic h , by the way, he had p ledgedno ve l al l itu r a pre v io u s ), and that th is w i l l be the l ast t imeI w i l l t ro nblc thcc in a tla irs of blo od , know i ng thou art so

k ind , so gcnt lc . and s o tender-heartml. A h ! w i ly reasoner,ho w we l l yo u plcad and tlat ter ! And here w e see the sh rewdd ipl omate—w i tho u t heart or con science—in h i s fortress,w i th no ne near him bu t his barbe r m inister , O l i ver Io Dain ;his pro v o s t , Tri s tan l

‘

li imite ; and his physician , JacquesC o it ic r. l le feared to meet his Creato r

,because he had so

blackened the l ife bes towed upo n h im . I recoi led fromHen ry I rv i ng as he played the int r igu ing, crafty , sou l lesshypo cri te, yet fou nd myse l f me l t i ng toward h i m the nextmomen t as he add ressed a favori te ; his ev ery ton e a sw eetcaress. He is one o f t hose who so s ink the actor i n to thec haracter, and so rapid ly pa i n t the v arious phases of l ifethat yo u al ternately hate and sym path i ze w ith h im u n ti lthe cu rta in d rops , when , fo r the fi rs t t i me vo u dwe l l uponthe creative sk i l l of the co nsummate artist .

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90 rtcr vass AND roar su r s

Princess Theatre , where M iss Heath nigh tly barrows upthe bu t and tenderest emot ions of the pub l i c by reh ea rsin gthe strugg l es and s i ns of the beau t i fu l bu t fra i l J ane S hore ,is d isma l to the l ast degree . Had poor Jane borne thes l ighte st resembl ance to the l ady who assumes h er rate , Iam loath to bel ieve she cou l d have n umbered Edward I V ,

Lo rd Hasti ngs , and Thomas Lynom,the k i ng’s sol i ci to r,

amo ngs t her denolees . Mammon,a cap i tal commerci al com

Ody-d rama at the Duke’s , i s a charm i ng presen tat i on , w i t h

Miss Lou i se Mood ie as the heroi ne. M iss Neilson at theIl aymarket, i s M i ss Nei l son everywhere ; and so I m igh tco nt inue ; and yet a l l these houses are spacious and i n variably th ronged .

We are apt to regard the presen t growth of the d rama asa l together more remarkable than theatr ica l d ispl ays befo reand after the appearance o f Shakespeare , and i n some re

apec ts the assumpt ion i s correct. I n the t ime o f C h arl esl- I I, and fo r many years succeed i ng, there were no womeno n the stage ; men played women

’s parts , and at an earl ie rperi od

,at the c lo se o f th e fifteen th cen tu ry , pass ion o r

rel igious plays ru led the prim i t i ve stage,al i ke i n F rance

and England . One of these , The Passi on o f o ur Sav i ou r,”

was w ri tten so early th at the name of the au thor i s l ost .

A wri ter by the name of Bale,who d ied i n 1563 , the yea r

be fore Shakespea re was born , wrote seventeen d ramat i cpieces , some of the t i t l es o f wh ich were, The Bap t i sm o f

Ch ri st,” Ch rist when He was Twel ve Years O ld

,

” “Th eLord ’s Suppe r,

” “The Resu rrec t ion,

” etc. A nother by thesame au th o r, was cal led God ’s Prom ises

,

”and some o f the

poetry i s o f a very do nbtful ch aracter.End less plays were prod u ced , and the absence of all art

i n thei r representation made i t very d itticnlt to show them .

G reat re l igio ns quarrel s res u l ted fro m the re l i gi ou s d ramas,

u n t i l fi nal ly t hey were. s uppressed by the ci v i l go vernments.When Shakespeare fel l i n to the hands of the i l l ustrious mo

dern t raged ians , o f whom Garrick may be cal led t he mos tem i nen t

,women came fort h to add to the i l l u st rat ion o f h i s

and al l con temporaneous and succeed ing works ; and thengrew th e art o f pa in t ing , co stumes , and that i n fin i te var i e tyo f scenery and arch i tectu re wh ich have made the stage inal l en l igh tened n at ion s the most potent a l ly o f p ubl i c en

joyment and soci al devel opment . Music was equal ly ad

venced , and th e d rama , a ided and beautified by the prese n ceof sweet women

,cal led to i ts assi stance th e s iste r a rt s

,an d

became one o f the most del igh tfu l i n strumen tal i t ies fo r theen tertainmen t and improvemen t o f mank i nd .

OP FORE IGN TRAVEL .

L E T T E R X I X .

0 tho u sweet k ing-k i l ler, and dear d ivorce"I

‘

w ix t natural son and sire ! tho u bri ht defilerOfHymen ’s purest bed l thou val ian t ars lThou ever young, fresh , lo v

'd , and delicate wooer,

Whose bl ush do th thaw the consecrated snowThat l ies on D ian’

s lap l th ou visible god ,That so lder'st c lose impossibil i t ies,And mak ’st them kiss ! that speak

’st w i th every tongue,

To every purpose .

Tm ox or Armans.

LONnon, March, 1878.

Foa they say , if money go before , al l ways do l i e open .

”

The importance of these word s I h ave learned to real i ze ,though I h ave hard ly loo ked beneath the su rface o f t h i sgl i tte ri ng metropol i s . The “sa i n t-sed uci ng gold

” i s al lpowerfu l he re , as it i s at home , and I have al ready begunto wonder what people mean t who talked abou t goi ngabroad to econom ize. O f course one can econom ize here,but he must fi rst l ea rn these o ld countr ies

,and to gai n th i s

k now ledge he m ust pay fo r h is ex pe rien ce , an d gene ral ly ap retty heavy tax . Then there are tho se who posses s th eh igh tal en t fo r su fferi ng and starv i ng, and i t matters l i t t l ew he re they go o r where they stop

,for they have set u pon

a campaign of sk im p ing. Strangers m ust fee the w hol ek i ngdom

,an d th i s sys tem i s red uced to a science . I gran t

yo u a very l i t t l e go es a great way . I t i s not the amo u n tto any one that makes the vacu um i n the pocket

,but the un

ceas iug demand fo r penn ies ; and the pence i s what cheatsthe American . W i th u s the cen t i s the pen ny al ways

,an d

though we know the fact wel l , i t takes some ti me fo r u s tobecome accustomed to it , th at a sh i l l i ng i s twen ty-fivece n ts , though twel ve pence. The wai te r that sm i l es as yougi ve h im s i xpence

,woul d be con ten t u pon o ne ; Gabby

k nows an American at o nce and trades u pon h i s con temptfor coppers an d h i s weakness fo r si l ver. The Frenchmani s happy on a son ; the German on a brew er or pfennig ;the I tal ia n on a centesimi , and the Span iard on a real ; i ti s ever the smal lest coi n o ffe red by the Engl ish to thewai ter

,bu t the Am er ican d i sdai n s anyth i ng less than s i x

pence . Grad ual ly I con va lesced from the s i xpence fo l ly,

an d the London restau ran ts w rough t the rad ica l c u re . Iconfess I was captu red by a su perb d i n ner—m usic i nc l uded

92 Ptcr uas s ann roar sa rrs

—fo r “th ree and si x,

”and excl ai med

,wi th Dominic Samp

son,“prod igious !” be fore cal c u lat i ng the other expenses

attend i ng th i s ep icu rean bu t econom ica l feas t. Th ree an dsix

" are eigh ty-se ven and a ha l f cen ts ; a b ottl e of N d w inefou r sh i l l i ngs an d s i xpence for the wai te r, s we l lsyour sem ant to each if two are d i n i ng. The fee forthe attendant does not remai n at the opt ion and gene rosi tyo f the d iners, but i s charged i n the bi l l , and then o f cou rse,you are expected—no ! not expected , bu t obliged to h an dthe waiter a smal l g ratu i ty for h imsel f. I f yo u take ahansom to reach any one of the swel l resta u ran ts , you rou tl ay fo r d i n ner w i l l n et qu i te what w i th the lodging at the hote l , and breakfast, yo u d iscover t hat you arel i ving at abou t fi ve dol l ars a day , or more than it wou ldcost at the “Cont i nental” or “Finh Aven ue.

” No one

d i nes here w i thou t w ine, and the tar i ff eq ual s the A mer ica n

prices, fo r the Engl i shman i s also obl iged to render i m po s tto his French neigh bor across the chan nel fo r the beu vrage .

There are many chop hou ses,and po t hou ses, and gri l l

rooms, where a gen tleman may d i ne wel l upon a chOp, asnack , w i th vegetables and bread , for s ix or e igh t pe nce ,but these are scarcely the places for a l ady . They are

mostly fou nd i n the c i ty ; Strand , Fleet Street , Cheaps ide ,Can non Street , and Ludgate H i l l . I have made a tou r o fthe better class resta u ran ts

,and have fi nal ly ancho red a t

the “Cafe Royal ,”Regen t Quad ran t

,where I took my fi rst

d i nner i n London many weeks ago. The Engl ish are thev i l es t cooks on th i s ro u nd globe ; the tale n t for ru i n i ng a l lv ianda the touch seems plenar i ly deve loped

,an d I hai led

the Frenc café as a harvest and a home. Here we are

se rved w i th a savory meal o f ch icken , vegetables, sal ad ,

cheese , bread and butter , ice-cream and wine , fo r the verymodest s um of o ne dol lar. O u r garcon i s a blue beard edI tal i a n

,ca l l ed Tony , who, besides supplyi ng o ur del ic iou s

bi te,i s as pol i te as a danc i ng-mas te r, as ac ti ve as an acro

bat, and l ies l i ke a l awyer.Perhaps yo u are say ing “fat pau nches have lean pates ,

and dai n ty h i ts make r ich the r ibs,bu t bank ’

ro ut qu i te thew i ts bu t th is s ubj ect o f food has been weigh i ng hea vi l yu pon my—bra i n an d I m ust del iver myse l f of i t. Theother att ernoon I strol led along the mon umenta l splen~dors of Parl i amen t Street, the Hou se of Commons and theH o use o f Lords

,past o ld W es tm i n ster A bbey , through St .

James ’s Park,past the great I nd i a House

,th rough Water

loo Square , and by the fou r co lossal l ion s o f Landseer guard

or roas ton r as v an. 93

i n g the tower i n g col umn of Nelson, in Trafalgar Squa re .W hat a th rong ! and wha t a med ley o f weal th and poverty !Beggars pl ead i ng for pen n ies at every step , and the gayand fest i ve young sol d iers of the Quee n ’s G uard , w i th the i rj au n ty l i ttl e caps ti l ted on one s ide , short j ackets an d closefi tt i ng t rowse rs , eac h one as st ra ight as an arrow , and eachw ith a bonu s

,and each beans w ith a baby . Then the no

bility rol l ing alo ng in the i r l uxu ri ou s carr iages w i th livc r ied footmen and outriders , i t was a panorama i ndee d !We l i ngered on Ox ford St reet to l ook i n to the dazzl i ngs hop w i ndows fi l led w i th objects of m

’

rtu , gol d and si l vero rnamen ts

,and a perfect w i ldernes s of femal e parapher

na l i a. Shortly we emerged i n to H igh Hol born, and thent o the fhmo us r esta u ran t of the same name where we d i ned .

U nder the roof o f th i s vas t estab l i shmen t there are manymans ion s ; the grand sa lo n

,t he d uke ’s salo n

,the l ad ies ’

sa l on,Linco l n ’s i n n bu ffet

,and the . grill room,

besides a ni nfi n i ty o f c lo ak-rooms and pr i vate d i n i ng-rooms. On ente ri ng the grand salon at The Holbo rn

,for 6 R M. table

d’hdte , I t hough t I was i n a fai ry palace ; i t was as l igh t asa floo d o f gas and wax-cand les cou l d make it ; t he c rysta land gi l t chandel iers were reflected i n a h u nd red m i rrors ;th e a i r was fi l l ed with the pe rfume o f dowers ,—for o n eachsmal l table was plac ed a bouquet ,—th e si l ve ry t i nk le ofthe foun tai n s’ Spray as i t d ropped u pon the marble bas i nbenea th

,w i th m usi c and the song o f b i rd s ; mus ic taken

from the ope ras and execu ted by master hands. We d i nedi n the l owe r ba l co ny

,beh i nd the shado w and w i t h i n the

glow o f cr imson d rape ry,from where we cou ld see the wel l

d ressed guests i n the large ball j u st belo w,and tho se arou nd

u s ; the wai ters seem i ng as cou rt ly as the company ; an dt h is was the mend .

Soup s .Purée o f Game. Co nsommé wi th I tal ian Pas te.

Frau .

Fi l lets o i Sturgeo n , Indian Sauce . Turbo t , Lobster Sauce.

.ENTREE8 .

T urtle Croquettes, w i th Mushrooms. Fri cassee o f Rabbit .

Roas'r.

Ribs o f Beef, w i th Ho rseradish.

Sws a'

rs .

Rh ubarb Tart. Dom Pedro Jel ly.

Génoise Glacéau Ki rsch .

94 PI CTURES AND marau rs

Oran

cge. Rataflarbeese . French Salad.

Dassan‘r.

Apples. Oranges. Pippins. Olives .A lmonds and Raisins.

And all o f th i s gracefu l and el egan t feas t for th ree and s ix .

Yet I have heard many Ame r ican gen tlemen say they wereobl iged to doubl e u p on the E uropea n table d

’hdte,as the

us ual s u pply i s insuflic ient.A t the New Viad uct Ho te l, Hol born Vi ad uct , u nder th e

au spices o f Spiers 85 Pond , the restau ran t p ri n ces h ere, ane l egan t d i n ne r i s suppl ied , but not for three and s ix ; thati s one o f the s i l very resorts . The St. James

,on P iccad i l ly

,

i n con nection w i th the co ncert rooms, serves almost as gooda meal

,bu t no t the other accessories, as the H igh Hol born ,

fo r the same sum . A t the C ri ter io n there i s al so a six

o ’c loc k table d ’hote, but i t i s st i l l more expen s ive. The

B u rl i ngton,on Regen t St reet , i s con spicuous , costly , w i th

d i n ners d la carte : t he i n te r io r adornmen ts a re st ri k i nglybeau ti fu l

,bu t we s udden ly retreated when we were tol d we

shou l d have to wa i t at least hal f an hou r fo r a smal l d i n ner.

Mr. Blanchard , of the B u rl i ngton, i s al so propr ietor of al ess pretent io us establ ish men t on less preten t ious BeakStreet

,where we obta i ned a very fa i r mea l at rather a

reasonable pri ce . Verrey’s, on Regen t Street, i s se lect

and expens i ve, and the reso rt of fash io nab l e lad ies d u ringthe shopp i ng hou rs . Simpson ’s

,on the St rand

,i s famous

and cons tantly th ronged, so i t requ i res cons iderable elee~t io ueering to secure a separate table, bu t I regard the

cook i ng i n fer io r to the others I have tried. Here roastbee f and m u tton

,wi th potatoes and Brusse l s sprou ts

,a re

the staples ; the d i ssector i n w h i te apron , j acke t , and pape rcap rol l s a l arge barrow upon whee ls to the side of you r .table

,and there carves whate ver you may choo se from a

h uge rou nd of beef or m u tton . The Pal l Mal l , i n PallMal l

,i s the aristocratic restau ran t o f th i s extremely wea l thy

and noble quarter. It i s pe rvaded by a solem n and sti fl ingh ush . J ust o u t of Carleton Garden s and St . James Park

,

and i n the m idst of the cl u bs—the A thenfeum,Un i ted

Serv ice, the Reform C l ub, the Travel l er’s,t he Carl ton , and

A rmy and Navy—it i s at on ce the rendezvous o f the pee rand poet

,the schol ar and t he so ld ie r, the man of play an d

the man of pleasu re . The table d ’hole at the p ri nci pal

or seamen ras van. 95

ho tels,as the G rosvenor

,Langham , M id l and , and Char ing

Cross,are always expens i ve

,never l ess than si x or seven

sh i l l ings , frequen tly ten .The most costly and excl us i ve hote l s o f London are no t

the larges t and most prom i nen t w here the greate r portio nof the t ide of trhvel settles. They a re to be fou nd i n q uietseques tered d istricts

,o ff from the d in of the mercan t i le

worl d ; ou ts ide, the cou n te rpa rt o f a large pri vate res idence ,pla i n and spi ri tless ; i n s ide, pal a ti al ; and they are neverad vert i sed .

Much has been wri tten o f the qual i ty an d q uan ti ty ofm i l k and cream i n England , yet the price and dea rth ofi ce cream i s one of the po i n ts to be observed . I t i s genera l ly a very i nfer ior prod uct

,when i t i s fou nd at all

,and

s i xpence for so much as m igh t be pu t i n to a Sau te rneglass

,freq uen tly a sh i l l i ng ; th is depends i n what end of

the town i t i s bough t. The best i s to be had at Gun te r’s ,i n Berkeley Square

,con fect i one rs to Her Majesty ; bu t

be l ieve me,that i ce cream has rece i ved a too l i be ra l dose

of ar row root o r co rn starch . E igh ty-seven cen ts for h al fa dozen o f t he most d i m i n u ti ve raw oyste rs you ever saw.

O ne dol la r for a d ish of clear tu rt le so up. Seven ty-fivecen ts fo r one port i on , and a very small one , of lobste rsalad . Two dol l ars for a capon . These figu res are q u i tecon cl us i ve that the l u x u ries of t he table a re pro c u rahle atfa r l ower rates at home. A nd to those who have beenharboring the fa l se conception o f goi ng abroad t o ceeacm ize—d ispe l i t at once !

96 Ptcrvass s un peu'

rau'

re

L E T T E R X X .

This royal throne o f kings, this see ter’d isle,

Th is earth o f majesty , this seat o f are,

This o ther Eden , demi-parad ise ;Th is fo rtress bui l t by nature fo r hersel f,Against i nfec tion and the hand o f war ;This happy breed o f men , th is l i ttle wo rldTh is precio us sto ne set in the sil ver sea,Wh ich serves it i n the o ffice o f a wal l ,Or as a mos t defensi ve to a house,Against the envy of less happy lands ;This blessed plo t, this earth , this realm , this England,This nurse, this teemi ng womb o f royal k i ngs,Feared by their breed, and famous by their bi rth ,Renowned for their deeds as far from home(Fo r Christian service and true chival ry)As is the sepulehre in stubborn Jewry,Of the world 's ransom, blessed Mary ’s son.

Sm xssr su m.

Lennon, March , 1878 .

IN this cloudy cou n try , a const i tu t iona l ” i s al most asn ecessary to hea l th as fo od and sl eep

,and the “const itu

t ional ” of the Eng l i sh i s a long s trol l or str ide of manyhou rs or m i les . The prac tice accou n ts fo r the i mmen sefeet o f the females and th e s ta l wart forms of the males .

A n Engl i sh l ady i n her wal k i ng costume is more an oh

jcet of oppress ive respectabi l i ty than of attrac t ion . One

rap id ly grows i n to the c ustoms of a cou n try . I hav eal ready l earned to p refe r wal k i ng to r id i ng, even in roughweathe r, and what en hances the pleasu re a re the thousan dcu r ious s ights and scenes wh ich make ou r jauu ts a ser i eso f panoram ic v iews . A st ranger in London ca n no t fu l lyenjoy the metropol i s from a closed omn ibus , a fou r-whee ler,or a hansom

,and , o f cou rse , not from the u nderground

rai l way ; therefo re we have adopted the Bayard Tay l o rfash ion of tak i ng v iews afo ot.So to-day we concl uded to walk from IVest lninste r to

Tower H i l l . O f the tower w i th its many b l ack and bl oo dylegends ; its hoary wal l s an d mach icol ated bat t lemen ts ;it s anc ie n t meat and Tra i tor’s Gate ; its resplenden t ha l l sof armor and chambers of jewel s ; its hast io ns and donjon ,and i ts s h roud of past gloom , casti ng shadows over th epresen t s unsh i ne of i n te l l i gence and l i berty—l w i l l no ttal k ; i t i s a hackneyed as wel l as horri b l e s tory . Bu t o fthe appro ach and immed ia te v ic i n i ty o f th i s m igh ty mon umen t of bygone v ice, sl ave ry , and barbar i ty , I tru st I may

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iitt Ptc'

ruaas AND Poarau rs

A l l trades are pl ied , al l c l asses m i ngl e , all languages are

spoken. Yo u are th rus t here and there by the ex tend ednlbo wa o f a ru illan, by a greasy fish-basket, a heed less boy ,

whc c llmrrows , bo xes, and wagon s. Suddenly th ere is a

hal t. midway in the mad tum u l t ; t here is a bloc kade in theto rrent o f trave l on s idewal k and h ighway

,if,indeed , yo u

can d ist ingu ish them , as at such a ti me horses and wagons

are d riven o n the pavemen t , regard less of h uman l ife ; andthan the air rc vc rbc rates w i th the shou ts of d rive rs

, po r

torn, beggars , hawkers , guard ians o f the peace, fishwomen,

candy and fru i t se l lers , i m po rtu nate showmen , and ped

d io rs . At “rat I was provoked that I h ad consented toVenture In the mi ds t of the h uman and inhuman menaguric , than my mo o d changed to one of sol ic i tude fo r myraiment , fo r my premon i t ion was that I shou ld be vehe

umutly d i ves ted o f i t , and the tertium qu id was a s ilen t

praye r fo r my life . No man tarr ied fo r h i s neighbor , so Iabando ned myse l f to the c u rrent , to gaze u pon the s t rangemun-nurse , and watc h the pass ion s on the faces of the mu l

titude , and s tare i n to the kalei doscope o f the w indow s .II

'

the pic ture on the h ighway was exci t i ng and ou tre, it

was no vo l in tho depo s i to r ies t hat flanked the pavemen ts .

llr ro wnro s he lves o f go ld and sil ver coi n s,nex t do or

M ans on and mat es o f o ld stat uary , pai n t i ngs , engrav i ngs ,mu s ty bo o ks , and bric-a-brac . Past brokers

,l aw-o ffices ,

and nu tiqno ho uses , we were carr ied i n to Leadeuhail S t ree t ,the plac e o f markets o fmeat. po u l try , and espec ia l ly h i des .A no the r wo rl d as exc l us i ve i n i ts devot ion to creatu remantbrtu it s what I have j ust left is to money and specu latio n. I lo ro in tho vas t sepu lc h re, o r confined subterranea nmm,

o f l igh t. lt‘

rc uch and Ge rman w i nes ; the ce l lars o f H .

Ii W i l l iams t‘o . , extend i ng beneat h the range of th e en

tire marke ts , and t hen we eme rged i n to Lombard Stree t ,the reg io n o f the go l den go ds o f E u rope and America

,and

the same whe re the l io ugo bards of Edward I l’s re ign me t

to transac t their a tl‘

airs . A l l he re was heavy, and gloomy ,and s tro ng ; the great dea le rs o f fi nance seem to avo id

g l itte r. t idd it is that all these t reasure ho uses are s u r

ro unded by marts fo r the sale o f foo d and gra in and herewe came upo n Mark and Mo w ing Lanes , t he c orn market so f the Wo rld .

The s cene at. liilliugsgate great fish market and wharf wasgrotesq ue and biz arre to the l as t degree. What a mélangeof c urio us ly d ressed men, and s t i l l mo re c u r ious ly att i redwomen ! What an atmo sphe re and mu l t it ude of odd-look

o r res al e s r as van. 99

ing and odd-named fi sh . Th i s w hol esale market was madeopen and free for al l c lasses o f fish i n 1 699 , and all theo vi pa ro us i n habi tan ts of the wate r that a re im po rted inB r i tish ve ssels, fres h or onned , are free of d u ties. The fishin th is market are sold by coun t

,except salmon and ee ls ;

oys te rs are sold by meas u re, and no fish are sol d on Sunday ,w i th the except ion of mackere l . Much has bee n w ri ttenof the pecu l iar characte ri st ics o f the fish~mongers . Timehas ev iden tly im pro ved them

,as I heard none o f the r i

bal d ry and v i tu perat ion o f the olden days , but they a remuch rougher

,ruder

,and more boisterous than t he same

o rder at home.The Thames i s to London

,l i fe, food , heal th , and enjoy

men t. Wi thou t i ts ceaseless cu rren t the re wou l d be noworld 's metropol is. However regarded i t i s v i ta l to London exis tence . Ven i ce i s no t more dependen t u pon he rcanal s

,than is London upon th e Thames ; no r i s Ho lland

mo re i ndebted to her dykes,and the estuar ies of the sea

t hat penetrate i n to,cl ean se

,and impro ve her ci t ies. A nd

the very region I have been v i s i t i ng to-day pro ves how iad i spen sable the Thames i s to the ci ty it d i v ides. I t i sborde red by stately ed ifices

,and the \ prod uce a most impres

s i ve effect. The custom h o use'

18 so l id,capac ious

,and most

ex tensi ve , the long room i s 190 by 60 feet, and has an al t itude of 55 feet , in the cen tre ; some concept io n o f i ts exten tmay be formed . bu t the rush and crush of bus i ness cannotbe ideal ized. Here I had my fi rst rea l i n s igh t of Engl is hcommerce. E ven Li verpoo l

,w i t h i ts forest o f masts

,and

w i lderness of docks , d id not i m press me l i ke these m ightystorehouses on t he Thames

,tha t hold the pro d uce o f the

Med i terran ea n and Ameri ca , of the O rien t and the Occ iden t.I was bew i ldered by the scene

,yet I l abored to retai n a few

fac ts of th i s Trade Colossus . The S t. Catheri ne Dockscost nea rly n ine m il l i on s o f dol l ars , and the w i ne vau l ts ofthe Eastern Docks cover an u ndergrou nd area offeet ; one vau l t alone a space of se ven aeres i On the I nd iaDocks six m i l l ion s of do l la rs were ex pended i n the begi nn i ng, seven ty-n i ne years ago , and they now i ncl ude th reeh u nd red acres of land and water.Such i s th e opu lence of London , of i ts world-w ide affili

at ions , o f th e end l ess var iet i es of i ts traffi c . All the del icaeies , refi nemen ts , l u x u r ies , n ecess i t ies, i n ven t ions andp rod ucts of the h uman race , are col lected i n the i r grossan d rude vi rgi n s tate. it was a w i ld b l end i ng of fore ignso un ds , smel l s , and co stumes. Them were many lad ies

100 PICTURES AND m an u re

and travel l e rs from d istan t po rts , t rad esmen , and man yl i ke myse l f tak i ng notes . We had reached the l im i t o fth i s h i storical and commerc ial l aby r in th i ne locals , and themelancholy wal l s of the Tower bu rst u pon us from the h i l l ,We joi ned the democ rat i c brigade commanded by a bee feater,” w i th faded and flauntiug r i bbo ns , and proceededto view that o f wh ich we had so oft en read .

L E T T E R X X I .

Y e distant spires, ye an tique towers,That crow n the wat’ry lade,Where te ful Science sti l adoresHer enry

’s ho ly shade

And e that from the stately browOf indso r

’s heigh ts ih

' ex panse belowOf gro ve, o f lawn , o f mead survey ,Whose tu rf, whose shade, whose flowers amongWanders the hoary Thames alongHis si lver w ind i ng way .

”

Tu o s us Gear .

Loav es , March , 1878.

THE Thames , th at v i tal arte ry o f the Engl i s h capi ta l,

al ways seemed chiefiy im portan t as a commercial s tream ,

t i l l George E l iot , i n Dan ie l Deronda , glorified i t i n to ro

mance and beau ty. Tak i n g i ts r i se near C i rences te r,it

passes W i ndsor,Hampton Cou rt, Twicken ham , Fu l h am ,

Chel sea,R ichmond , and so on to London

,where i ts sho res

are crow ned by the o ldes t re l ig ious , pol i t i ca l , chari table ,commerc ial, and l i terary mon umen ts . A l though the Thamesi s often repu l s i ve v iewed from the many br idges that s pa nit,o r from the new and costly em bankments , i t seems to

p u ri fy as we penetrate i n to ru ral England . A l l al on g i tsbanks a re the s i l en t abod es of bl i ssfu l weal th . The grea tn ove l i st has opened new v iews o f its pas tora l beau t ies, ofthe l ovely region s i t traverses , o f the ham lets an d es tates ,palaces and ret reat s, battl e-field s , co l leges, school s , and

ch u rches,i t has ro l led th rough

“an d by for cen tu ries . A s

yo u t ravel you fi nd i n l and towns and v i l l ages con nec tedw i th London by ra i l an d sa i l down to the North Sea , whe rethe r i ver emp ties i ts t ri bu te of darksome wate rs ; i ts mar

or FORE IGN ras v an. 10 1

gi n i s l in ed w i th pu n ts and ba rges ply i ng o u t i n to the cu rren t. We see i t at i n te rvals th rough the trees a mere co i ling r ibbon , grad ual ly expand i ng i n to a r i ve r n av igabl e forvegsels of 1400 tons . These towns are flanked by fi nehote l s

,houses , l ord ly domai n s , and pu bl ic gardens. As

you approach London yo u rea l ize that the Upper Thamesh as become the rendezvous o f fash ion , frol ic , h igh l i fe , lowl i fe

, and the ten thousand sec rets of a h uge metropol i s.Here they are large ly concea led and s tead i ly i ncrease.The Thames at London i s p regnan t of dark myster ies an dda rker t raged ies . Few t rave l le rs fol l ow its cou rse andrarely see i ts cou ntry side i n natu re. They v is i t the Docks

,

Tower,Tun nel

,and C ustom-hou se

,l i nger on the b ridges ,

and stop at W i ndsor,Richmond

,and Kew . They are th us

on ly part ia l ly prepared fo r the end less weal th of London,

p rov ed by the s u perb memorial s on its ri ver ’s banks,

brough t i n to bold rel ief by the sky , and these ev i dencesstrengthen the i r bel i ef i n the words of the old Po pe , whoa cen tu ry ago said

,

“I f th e treas u ry of Ph i l i p A ugustushad been pu t u p fo r sale London co u l d have bough t it .”

Then they dwel l u pon the fo u n tai n o f th i s inealc ulablewea l t h—the ocean—and of the Thames , i ts t ri bu ta ry , andth i n k of what the marty r S i r Wal te r Rale igh sa id

,He

w ho commands the sea commands the trade o f the world ;h e who commands the trade of the worl d commands therich es o f the worl d

,an d conseq uen t ly the world itse l f ;

”

bu t there ! I am transgressi ng my woman ’s prov i nce . Ihave no desire to play the m eant, nor decoy yo u i n to thebe l ief that I h ave all the mots and aphori sms o f the eccl es iastical

,pol i t i ca l , an d poeti c Sol omons, at my fi nger

t i ps . No ! I spare you the i nfl i ct ion .

So w it h the v is ion of Dan ie l Deronda i n m i nd , j ust ast he su n was s i nk ing beh i nd the h i l l s

,and n igh t was w rap

p i ng n atu re i n he r d usky cloak,and the l i tt le s tars we re

com i ng out one by one l i ke so many eyes to w i tness h i srescue of the mel ancholy M i rah who had wandered to th eriver edge

,where i t s lo pes gen t ly from Kew Garden s

,and

the w i l l ow bushes stand th i ck and close to the margi n,I

projected my tou r of the s i l en t h igh way , w i th W i ndsorPa lace

,E ton , Kew Gardens, R i c hmond , Bushy Park , and

Hampton Cou rt i n pros pect. Next morn i ng was balmyand so ft , though the mon th March , and as we passedu nder the dark arches of the great bri dges

,the r i ver was

s l uggi sh and Opaque, the tal l s p i res lost the i r heads i n them isty clouds

,and the d im masses of stone fretwork were

9s

10 2 v iew er s arm roaraarrs

i n d i st i nctly ou tl i ned agai nst the hazy sky ; bu t the fis he rs ’

bo ats,pleas u re barges , and commercia l craft, were stead i ly

p l ough i ng th e watery way. The Oxford and Camb r idgelad s we re i n the i r cock i e-she l l sk ifi

'

s , prac tis i n g fo r thep rize competi t ion wh ich w i l l take place i n abo u t t woweeks. We rested u pon ou r oars close to the Grea tWeste rn Rai l way Bridge a nd v iewed W indso r, w i th i tsghost ly towers and wooded h eigh ts , the famous ol d beech esw ith ou tstretched arms and gnarl ed tru nks , that te l l u s o ft he “years of gene ra t ion s.” A t the feet of these old menarch s i s t he baby crocu s i n her crad le o f soft , fresh g reen ;she pushes back her blanket

,and l i fts her sweet sad face

to the pal e Engl ish s u n,bu t a ch i l l gale blows ove r th e

b l eak Wel sh hills,and the new-born crocu s sh i vers an d

head s her head to he r mother—Earth . The wi l low bushesand long ran k grass a re d i ppi ng i n to t he r iver, wh ic hspark les as the strugg l i ng s u n touches i ts ri pples , th eangl ers are spo rt i ng w i th t hei r rods, and a flock o f wh i tesheep a re graz i ng on the you ng verd u re . Yonder o n the

oppos i te ban k i s E to n,the famous schoo l o f prel i m i na ry

i n struct i on fo r the son s of noblemen and gen t ry . Th emai n portio n o f the you th s u nder t u i t ion here a re o ppidans

,n umbe r i ng nearly n i n e h u nd red , the n umbe r of the

K ing ’s scholars who res ide w i th i n the wal l s i s l i m i ted tose ven ty ; the n arrow lanes and level h ighways of the tow nare fu l l of these odd ly d ressed oppidans. As we passedmany o f the la ds were o ut on the green swa rd , and i n thesesport i ng you th s I saw the fu t u re Br iti sh poets and statesm en , and though t of thei r predecesso rs , Wal pol e, Bol i n gb roke , F ield i ng, Gray , Chatham , Fo x , and Wel l i ngton

,

who had gambol led u pon the same lawn .

We t u rned from the chal k h i l l s o f W i nd sor,an d p u l l ed

toward Hampton Cou rt,past the royal and den sely-wooded

estates, gladdened by su n ny trou t-brooks, where the fal lo’

wdeer were browsi ng , and where the dark Engl i sh roads arebordered by gl o ssy hedges

,where the cat t l e wade among

the messy an d sl imy s tones at the r i ver's bri n k , w i t h i n theshadow o f the tal l e lms

,where my lo rd rides ou t u pon his

pa l fry i n bucksk i n or cord u roy,wh i le h is re tai ners l ay down

the bee a nd s ick le as noon-t ide tol ls from the cu rfew tower.The fi rs t gl impse we caugh t of the palace made i t appear

l ike a smal l town . We l i nge red upon Hampton Bridge,’ as

we had been to ld to do, to ga i n a v iew of the Goth ic tur ret so f Wolsey , and then passed the great s tone porta l s guard edby the l ions, and adorned by the armori al symbol s an d tro

or FOREIGN ras van. 103

ph ies o f the th i rd W i ll iam . Th rough a neglec ted cou rt o raven ue that lay between the barracks—a l ong row of low,d i lapidated br ick st ructu res on the left

,an d heavy , decay

i ng i ncongruous bu i ld ings on the ri gh t—we reached th e

rega l ho me of Charles an d I I , where the work i ngs ofn atu re and art go hand i n h and , where coun tless names offame are i nd issol ubly carved , where cl i ng t he trad i t ion s ofthe roman ce and tragedy of th ree cen tu r ies

,where the

sai n t ly bu t sybaritic Wol sey hel d h igh revel , and h i sthousand sate l l i tes were housed

,where the i l l us t rious

scri ptura l tapestr i es st i l l embe l l i s h the wal l s of the grea thal l . They are i n a pe rfect state of preservat ion and i l l us~trate the e igh t epochs o f the l i fe of A braham . They a re

el abo ra te specimen s o f art, the h igher l igh ts be i ng wo rkedi n gold .

” Each one i s bo rdered by an i n t ricate des ign i na rabesque

,where figu res

,fru i ts

,flowers

,and v i nes i n te r

m i ngle,emblemat i c of the lessons the su bject i s i n tended

to teac h . Need I recou n t the h i gh-pi tched roof andpendan ts, the sta i ned gl ass w i n dows bear i ng the t i tl es o ft h e s ix w i ves o f blufi

’

k ing Hal ?” the ban ne rs

,and arms

,

and ciphers of the nobles ? the cou rt and chapel ? thek i ng’s s ta ircase w i th i ts essen tial ly French frescoes byA n ton io V errio ? The adorn men ts are str i k ing and ex uberant

,bu t I am told by superio r j udgment , they w i l l no t

s u stai n cr i t i c i sm . We wandered th rough the roya l bedchambe rs and boudo ir s , and long success io n of art gal leries ,w here each po rt rai t i s an eloq uen t legend of th e past. Fromthe cen tre w i ndo w i n the q ueen ’s d raw i ng-room we lookedo u t u pon t he garden bel ow , w ith i ts bri l l i an t border andl evel yel low gravel path s , the terraces and mounds o f softgreen t u rf

,stone vases

,a mass o f l u xu r ian t bl o om

,dan ci ng

foun ta i n s,and th rough th e v ista o f a long l i ne of lofty and

venerable t rees,shado w ing a footpath

,there i s a lake orna

mea ted w i th s tat ues and spark l i ng j ets d’eau . Across the

h ighroad to K i ngston we en te red Bushby Park,w i th its

l o ng co lo unades o f chestn u t s and l imes , several cen t u rieso ld , and not o ne o f them seems to be al l owed to grow aninch abo ve the other

,mak i ng a m igh ty and mazy arbor of

reen .gA short row brought us to the celebrated Kew Gardens

,

ex tend i ng alo ng the Thames . Th i s extens i ve col lect ionof l i v i ng flowers and pl an ts of al l k i nds

,i s now nationa l

p ro perty , but nevertheless we cou l d no t forget the t imew hen i t was leased to the Pri n ce o f Wales , son of GeorgeI I , afte rward George 111 , nor t hat the cottage i s st i l l p re

1 04 PICTURES AND Poa'

rnarrs

serv ed as i t was left by the ill-fated Queen Charl otte. At

present the ch ief i n teres t cen t res in its gardens and botan ical treasu res

,sa id to be the most famous in the wor ld . How

soft and vel vety the tu rf l How capacious and wel l-orderedthe green-houses , nu rser ies , and conservator ies, and how

wonderfu l in s ummer the Open beds o f v ar ious co l oredflowers

,exot ic and otherw i se

, gathered from every l andu nder th e sun

,and cu red and cu l t i vated by all the resou rces

o f science and o f gen i u s. To th is lovely resort con tinuou sand coun tless crowds repair from mu l t i tud i nous London,by dai ly boat and rai l Kew Garden s are open every dayto the public after one o ’clock . Famous Richmond—theT i voli of England—is a sa i l o f a few moments from Kew ,

a large town w ith a popu lat ion of over and beautifu l ly placed on the righ t bank o f the Thames. I ts parkand bridge , and palat ial s u rrou nd ings, and glorious perspec tive , wi l l l i ve ever i n my memory . The muse of his toryhas l i ngered long and w ri tten m uch upon th is favor i te

p lace. N ear by Pope and Wal pol e lived for many years,

and here myr iads gather du r i ng the fine days to enjo y theexquis i te scene ry , to wa l k th rough the h i stor ic parks

, to

pu n t on the roman t i c r i ve r , o r to regale themsel ves upo n

the cost l y d i n ners at the S tar and Gar ter , an experiencewe were fa i n to avo id , being u nw i l l i ng to pay fo r mereform and s tyl e , when we cou ld procu re an eq ual ly satisfac

tory repas t at one of the less preten tious i n n s. Our ho ste l ,the Talbot, was

“neat bu t no t gaudy.

” W e had to wai tfor qu i te awh i le fo r o u r steak and potatoes, and wh i l e doingso

,w i tnessed one o f th o se exhi bi t ion s wh i ch I regret to say

are to o common i n Eng land , a rathe r decen t you ng ladyaccompan ied by her swai n

,bo th considerab ly worse fo r

to o frequen t potatio ns. The food was good,and we were

ready fo r i t,and we d id no t comp lai n as we pa i d o ur nine

sh i l l i ngs, feel i ng i t wou ld be dou ble the amoun t at the mores i l ve ry Star and Garter.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

106 PICTURE S AND PoaraArrs

wou l d have made the fame of any other st ruggl i ng aspi ran t ,bu t h ave added noth i ng to that of the great nove l i st

,an d

are comparat i vely unknown. George Hemy Lewes is he rsen ior by o n ly th ree years, and though h is fi rs t days ofs t uden t-l i fe were steeped i n anatomy and physiology

,he

afterward w rote fict i on , and late r became a scien tific zealot ,and has ever s i nce attracted atten t io n by the abi l i ty of h i spsychologica l d i ssertation s . I was tempted to study thes u rround i ng co u n try Of th e Thames by George E l iot ’si n spi red desc ript ions, and th i s l ed to my med i tat i on s onthe other femal e w r i ters of London .

Miss Mary E l i z abeth B raddon , the daugh te r o f a con

t r ibu tor to the o ld spo rt i n g magaz i n es—wh ich accou n tsfor her hero i ne

,A u rora F l oyd , hav i ng a pred i l ect ion fo r

jockeys and the pl eas u res of the tu rf, car ry i ng a bett i ngbook , and ind u l gi ng in such l i te ratu re as Bell’s L ife—wasborn i n Soho Square ove r fo rty-one years ago . S t i l l co rrespond i ng under her maiden name

,she has ma rr ied a

weal thy gen t l eman and l i ves i n affl uence. She is a prod igio us worke r, and her nove l s, plays , and cu rren t contributions to period ica l l i teratu re , are popu l ar and rem u nerat i ve .She i s the ed it ress o f the Belgravia , a mon th ly magaz i neo f the type of ou r Galaxy. Her pu b l icat ion s have not

on ly en r ich ed the a u thoress , but as adapted to the s tagehave proven a sou rce of emol umen t to actors and manage rs .Mrs . Hen ry Wood , the daugh te r of Thomas Pri ce , a glove

m an u factu rer,i s abou t s ix ty years o ld . For m any years

th e ed i t ress of the Argosy, a s i xpen ny mon th ly and favo rite o f fi ction readers , she h as been ecl i psed by the brigh terl um i naries

,George El iot and M iss B raddon . How many

tears have been s hed over t he wayward an d m isled LadyI sabel i n E ast Lynne, and other eq ual ly hapl ess he ro inesOf her d ramatized works !O ne o f the oldest E ngl i s h au t ho resses and arti sts i s M rs.

A n na E l i za B ray. She stud i ed art unde r th e gu idance o fMr. Stothard

,w hose so n she married in 1818. The i r con

gen i al l ife of study and travel was fated to be brie f, forscarc ely th ree years had pas sed when he was k i l led . Hisgreat labo r

, The Monumental Efligies of Great Britain,was completed by h i s w idow , who shortly after marr ied theRev . M r. Bray , the au thor of several theological and poetical books .

Another o f these b rave women l i v i ng i n Londo n i s Florence N igh t i ngal e , more em i ne n t for her n oble philanthropies i n peace and war, though she has wri tten much u pon

or seamen raav at . 107

chari tab le and san i tary subjec ts . She rece ived al l t he advan tages Of a comple te ed ucat ion , bu t her l i fe m i ss i on hasbeen to al l ev iate phys ical an d moral d i stress . She may bej ustly cal l ed the idol of the go od people o f Englan d .

Though she rarely goes ou t now, th is lady has a cl a imu pon ou r grat i tude for her u n selfis h sac rifices for sufl

‘

ering .

h uman i ty . Su rrou nded by al l t he l ux u ri es Of weal th an drefinemen t

,sti l l her hea rt beats warm ly fo r t he affl icted .

She has expended i mmen se s ums from her pr i vate means,and a few years ago

,when $250 ,000 were voted to her by

the publ ic in recogn i tion Of h er splend id se rv ices i n the

m i l i ta ry hosp i tals in the C rimes , she establ i shed w i t h thatfu nd an i n st i t ution for the “trai n i n g and employmen t Ofn u rses .” A nd now

,after a l ife abou nd i ng i n s uch examples

of royal munifieence, she relapses , in t he au t um n of herdays , i nto rest fu l com fort.Another Of the toi l i ng l ad i es of London i s M i ss Amel ia

B landford Edwards. She i s abou t forty-seven , and a descendant Of the Wal pol e fam i ly , as yet u nmar ri ed , I bel ieve .She has written many n o vel s and j u ven i l e books , as wel l asbe i ng a co nstan t co n t ri bu tor to fi ve or s i x magazi nes .But no woman i n all E ngland , w i th the exceptio n Of the

Queen,has had more deserved and greate r ho nors than

A ngel a Georg i ana , Baroness Burd ette -Cou tts , who wonfame by the l ibe ral u se Of her l arge fort une ; the greaterport i on of i t she i n her i ted from her mother

,So ph ia Coutts

,

who marr ied S i r Franc is B u rdette,an efl

’

ec tive Pa rl iamen tary orator, and the

“i dol of the London popu l ace .” TheBaroness i s abou t s i x ty-five

,and was crea ted a peeress in

her own righ t, i n J u ne , 1871 . Her weal th i s as bound lessas her genero s 1 ty, and her fea tu res as conspicuously homelyas those o f the Prem ier. W ith she endo wed th reecolon i al bi shoprics i n B rit i sh col on ies . W ith l avish handsshe bes tows mo ney upon her favor i te , the Ch u rch o f England

,bu t to i nst i tu t ion s Of science

,char i ty

,ed ucation

,d i s

co very, and art, she i s i n a l i ke man ner l i beral . She i seq ual ly sol ic i tous fo r the ad vancemen t o f the d rama andm us ic. Hen ry I rv i ng i s he r chosen fr iend , and a braver

,

more modes t , whole-sou led woman does not ex i st .One Of the facts that have ever i n teres ted me i s the

amou n t of work done by l i te rary and profess i onal womeni n Ameri ca and Engl and , and , i ndeed , i n eve ry part of theworld . The l abors Of George Sand , Mad ame de Sta

'

e l,

Madame de Sevigne , i n F ra nce ; Mrs. Sto we, J u l i a WardHowe

,Lou isa A lcott

,Anna D ick i n son

,in Amer ica , and the

cou n t l ess th i nkers and w ri ters of Engl and,are prod ig ious .

108 exer uas s AND roaraarrs

L E T T E R X X I I I .

“What bid? at thou in thy treasure caves and cel ls,Tho u hollow so und ing and mysterious main 1

Pale gl iste ning pearls and rainbo w co lo r’a shel ls

,

Brigh t th ings wh ich gleam unrecked o f and in vain 1Keep, keep thy riches, melancholy sea 1We ask no t much from thee.

Hann a's .

LONDON, April , 1878.

W e: set ou t fo r Hasti ngs i n a bu rst of su nshi ne , but nlas lou r brigh t experien ce was short-l i ved . The gray c l oudsl owered , the fi rst d rops patte red again st the w i ndo w-paneof ou r carri age. We hoped for a favo rab le w i nd that m igh tchase away the th reaten i ng stO 1m. But no ! the atm o sphe rewas om i nous

,and at length the sto rm bro ke 1n a l l its fury.

U n l i ke ou rs in spr i ng, at home , the tempest d id not p u r i fythe a i r ; fo r several days after , the heaven s were overcast .W hy d id th is part icu la r war of the elemen ts make s uch adeep im pression upon me ? Perhaps beca u se I was at afore ign seas ide ! Perhaps becau se 1 h ad an t ic i pated gloryand met only gloom ! Bu t I d id no t s i t down to mora l ize

,

and there is someth i ng to o much o f t h i s .

”

Hast i ngs i s th ree hou rs ’ d is tan t from London by rail .The fi rst stat ion of note after leav i ng London B ri dge, isC h ise l h u rs t , fam i l iar as the retreat Of Napol eo n I I I andE ugen ie ; the scene of h i s death and bu r ia l , and s i nce thegrow th and peace of the Republ ic the restfu l harbor of thebea u t i fu l Empress. Then on we dash ed thmugh emeraldpas tu re la nds and cu l t i vated farm s

,sm i l i ng roads ides framed

by g lo ssy , l u x u ri an t hedges , and past the h i l l s , vei l ed w ithN at u re’s co bwebs, where nes t le the wh i te cottages and therude barns. A t Tun br idge Wel l s

,an ancien t an d famous

i n l and wate r i ng-place , an h umble c lergyman , who had beena pleasan t compagnon de voyage , possess i ng apparen tlyplen ty of brai n s and l i t tl e gold

,le ft u s. Then ou r rou te

gra v i tated grad ua l ly toward the sea. The ai r was fu l l o fthe smel l of sal t from the brack i sh i n lets , and over the wideexpanse of moorl an d I saw the naked downs borderi ng theChan nel . From the stat ion we rode along the parade tothe Mari ne Hote l faci ng the ocean , wh ich was cal m enough,but the sk ies were not bright

,the ra i n was fall i ng i n tor

ren ts , and the ai r was soft and warm . I had been anx i ou sto see one Of these w in ter seas ide resorts u pon the sou thern

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1 10 PICTURES AND PORTRAITS

A thorough E ngl i sh d i n ner and the d rench i ng ove r,bo th

ample and sat i sfactory,I ensconced my se l f before the

gen ia l sea-coal fi re i n the cosy si tt i ng-room o f the s i l en tEng l i sh hotel—a l ways si len t as clo isters even if fi l led w i thcompany—to enjoy my compan ion ,—a boo k—for a coupleof hou rs , before ret i r i ng to rest u nder th e same roo f t ha thad shel te red the Empres s E ugen i e, when she came to

meet her son, t he you ng Pr i nce Imperia l , afte r he r escapefrom the palace o f the Tu i leri es . In t h i s fl igh t she was

a i ded by ou r fellowo co nnt ryman, Dr. Thomas E vans , p ro

prie to r of the Ame ri can Register . A nd t hen I s lept to thechan t of the waves

,wh i l e v i s io n s dance d th rough my head

o f b l o ody frays,l ed by Ha rold the Saxon on o ne side and

the Norman W i l l iam upo n the o ther ; o f vast fleets o fmen

o f war moored cl ose by ; of Mat i lda the i n d ust ri o u s w i feof the Co nq uero r

,and her maids o f hono r engaged i n sew

i ng sph i nxes, and bi rds , an d dogs , and horses ,—oh, suc h

horses l—and trees,and sh i ps , and men u po n that g reat big

sample r—t he Picto r i al H is to ry o f the I n vas ion—that s hep resen ted to the B ish o p o f Bayeux .

Nex t morn i ng was d reary and damp, as I made a to u r o fthe s ho ps—numero u s , beau t i fu l . and complete—and the

ascen t o f the rearward b i l l s to obtai n a v iew o f the beachth ro nged by the rude fi s hermen i n fan tast i c. d ress , so me inthe i r bo ats

, and others u po n lan d mend i ng t hei r ne ts fo rfu tu re use ; the bro ad ma ri ne parade stretch i ng far awaya lo ng the coast ; the to wn immed ia tely beneath me su nggl i ng clo se t o the roc ks fo r protec t io n ; heal thy v i l lagescro wn i ng lofty s umm i ts

,and the ghast ly deso l at ion of the

d isman t led cast l e upon a seem i ng ly peri l o us c l i ff. A s Iretraced my zigzag steps , I desc ried new com forts and

l ux u r ies co n cea led i n co sy recesses Bac k agai n we wen tth rough Wel l i ngton Sq ua re to ou r ho te l , a clean ed i fice o f

stone , where ou r ca rriage wa i ted to con vey us to S t . Leona rds-o n-Sea , the Wes t End " of Hast i ngs . O u r r ide wasalong the sea , then by the s i de o f the l io n sea , qu iet and

ca l m—b u t ev iden t ly as po werfu l as the other forces o f

natu re. A con t i n uo us facade o f wh i te sto ne hou ses ex tend sfrom the Eas t C lifls to Bo peep ; i n the bow w i ndows wererather good-look i ng, cl umsy women gaz i n g ou t u pon thewo rld o f waters. Bu t there were no b l ue sk ies no r pu rewaves of ai r ; no plea su re barges , nor e ques t ri an pa rt i es ;no st ream o f fash ion ’s votar ies pou ri ng t h rough the st reets

,

and no p romen aders lou ngi ng i n the amades,fo r the ove r

charged emot io ns of the gods were sti ll u n co n trol lab le

or re sale s m av en. 1 1 1

On we rode past so l id,st ro ng structu res , u n t i l we reached

S t . Leonard ’s. What a l ovely to wn ! wi th noble and en

d u ri ng homes. fine shops, the same featu res o f atmosphere ,a rch i tectu re , l u x u r ious pri vate res idences, and none of thehorro rs of a London w i n ter

,as the h is tori ca l Has t i n gs .

Here I observed the same large fee t o f the lad ies , awkwardcarri age

,i nd ifference to d ress , and u t te r lack of taste.

The re i s n o more inte res t in bea u t i fu l , ro man t ic , andh i sto ri cal spot i n Engl and than gusse x Cou n ty or its s h i res.E verywhere are fou nd rel ics, e loquen t of Roman orig i n andoccupat ion ; legends of the Norman Conquest ; ancien testates and ti tled castles .These two seas ide to wns

,Hastings and St. Leon ards-on

Sea , even seen th rough a va i l of gloom,more complete ly

fi l l my ideal than any s i m i l a r resorts we have in Ame rica .

O f cou rse I had sketc hed my p ictu re of Atlan t i c C i ty ,Cape May , Long Branch , Spri ng Lake and many othersbefo re v is i t i ng them ; and upon pe rsona l acq ua i n tance Ifou nd I had been feed i ng u pon del us ion . I had t ho ugh t toenj oy the seashore

,the ho tel s sh o u ld be placed d i rec t ly on

t he sands , facing mai n ward , where the rol l o f the “deepand dark-bl ue ocean sho u l d be ever dash i ng agai n st o u r

w i ndows,i n stead of stand i ng i n a paved stree t hal f a m i le ,

and frequen tly a greate r d istan ce from the wate rs. A notherfeatu re that al ways d isappoi n ted me a t home was the ab

sence o f rock s,and every to pograph ical ac cessory that

makes u p a beau t i fu l landscape,o r rather

,marine scene .

Here I had it al l !Every year greate r n umbe rs of ou r people a re copy i ng

the fo re ign custom of w i n te ri ng by the sea , and the fact ofth e beneficia l effect of the soft and sal u brious sal t a i r u ponthose su ffer i ng from pu l monary compla int s m us t strengthenth i s fash ion . As fo r me

,I shou ld never w ish to escape the

glory,the fer ven t clearness

,and n ippi ng ai r of an Ameri

can w i n te r.One fact dese rves to be st ud ied by the people o f Long

B ranch , Cape May , A tl an t i c C i ty , Seagi rt , and othe rA t l an ti c sea-set t lemen ts ; t hat from the clo s i ng o f the

summer seaso n to its re o pen i ng , they have many lo ng spel l sof de l igh tfu l ly soft and sal ubrious weather, an d that t heyough t to p rofi t by the experie nces of Has t i ngs.

1 12 i nc rease ann PORTRAI TS

L E T T E R X X I V .

Deep in the wave is a co ralgro ve.

W here the purple mu l let an o ld fish rove ;Where the sea-flow er Spreads ts leaves o f b l ueThat never are w et w i th fal l i ng dew ,

Bu t in brigh t and changefnl beauty shineFar down in the green and g lassy brine.The floo r is o f sand l ike the mountain-dri ft,

And the pearl-shel ls spangle the flinty snow ;From co ral rocks the seao plants l i ftThe i r ho ugbs, w here the tides and bi l lows flowThe water is ca lm and sti l l be low ,

Fo r the winds and waves are absent there,And the sands are brigh t as the stars that glowIn the mo tionless fields o f uppe r air.

"

Js u ns Ga'

rs s a mvan.

Lennon,Apri l , 1878 .

Tax Crystal Pal ace ! the beau t i fu l g l ass temple , w i th itsgi rders o f i ro n , crown i ng fa i r Syden ham H i l l , e igh t m i lesfro m Lond o n

,i s a store hou se o f every depa rtment o f an

cien t and m o dern art and sc ien ce . I ts E ngl i sh and I tal ia n

gardens , foreign med ize val a rch i tectu ra l cou rts , and bi stor ica l port ra i t ga l lery , are lesson s for med i tation . and fo rm anu n ri val led preparatory school to a Cont i nen ta l to u r. Ye ti ts i nd u s tr ia l departmen t was i n a state o f d ishab i l le w he nI saw i t

, and many o f i ts sect i on s were d i ngy and tawd ry .

Bu t E ngl i s h wea l th , ever apparen t , i s i n no th i ng so st riking as in the cop ies o f expen s i ve and unobtainahle origi nal si n this same C rystal Palace : co pies of s tatuary , pa i n t i ng s ,pl a te , armor, cast les , tombs , sh rines , jewel s , ceram ics , an»

t ues , and al l the spo i ls o f the ages, wh ich a re i n val ua bl eas s o many reflections o f the real i ty. 8 0 opu len t, i n deed ,

i s England,w i th Lo ndo n as it s t reasu re-house

,re i n forced

by Eng l i sh pr ide (for they are as fo nd o f the i r co u n try as

a woman of her d i amonds), t hat th o ugh the great Palacehas no t proved a fi nancia l s uccess , they w i l l no t al low i t tofa i l . Very beau t i fu l and ample are the a tt ract ion s of th i spermanen t ex h ib i t ion ; bu t I am st i l l blasé, by d int o f thes plendo rs o f o ur Cen te n n ial . A nd so i n place o f rhamd is i ng over al l t hat i s sprea d be fo re me at th i s banq ue t o f

pleasu re and k nowledge,I oral ly compare and cont rast ,

and my verd ict i s always : Young A merica has exce l led h i s

pareu t l

l l ingered long in the Pompe i an Cou rt,a co py l i ke that

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1 14 PICTURES s un Poa'

raan s

pl ain ly defi n ed u pon the obverse. I saw the S tick lebaekweav i ng its nes t of wee ds, wh ich i t sewed together w i t hth reads ex uded from i ts bo dy, i n the same man ne r as thefi lamen ts that the spider uses i n the construct ion o f h i s web.O f cou rse the an i mal s pecu l ia r to Bri t i s h wate rs were he rei n g reat affl uen ce , the Wh i te-ba i t, Wh i ting, Smel ts , G rayM u l l et

,e tc ; and I watched them eati ng, sl eeping, res ting ,

bu rro wi ng,and house-b u i ld i ng.

I t was t he fi rs t fai r demon strat ion I h ad of zoophytes o rthe ani mal flowers. The i r fo rm i s that o f a bea u t i fu l flowe rand general ly o f a pale pi n k or ye l low l esh-eo lo r, the i rma n i fold ten tacl es heari ng a st rong resemblance to h umanflesh . Like the Sc ri ptu ral Peter

,I was no t con te n t w i th

the o ur’

d ire of the i r an i mated ex i stence,and dete rm ined

u pon hav i ng an ex h i bi t ion o f an imal l i fe from these wh i tebl oode d creatu res . I saw they had motion

,and powers of

expan sion,bu t these fac u l t i es wou l d be common i f t hey

possessed on ly the vegetable n atu re. I had n ot lon g towa i t, fo r soon the keeper came w i th feed ; i t was w i th fe wexception s raw flesh ; thei r abso rption of or nnic matte rwas a concl usi ve proo f of the i r an ima l i sm .

" h i s c lass ofcreati on

,more fam i l ia r as sea-anemones , are rad i ate ani~

male, and breathe from the su rface of the i r bod ies. Theyare sen s i t i ve to touch

,al though no nerves have been d e

tec ted ; but they must ex is t i n some spec i es , as they are

capabl e o f be i ng rendered i n sens i ble by an Opiate . I n oticed they were al l vo rac ious , t hough they prese n ted awe l l-fed and hea l thy appearance

,the i r complex ion s rosy ,

and the i r l i mbs fu l l ; but thei r te n tacl es a re eve r sp read i n“fu l l bl ast

,

” to sweep whatever may approach them i n tothe cav i t ies of the i r stomachs . To secu re l i v i ng prey theyejec t poisonous darts. The i r d i n ner was con veyed to the mfrom t heml; o f the tank by mean s o f a cu rved tongs. Eachone was fed s i ngly. and as the tongs hold i ng the feed waslowered w i th i n le vel of the i r reach , al l the ne igh bo rs o f th eo ne w ho was to recei ve the prize extended the i r mo nthsu n t i l you cou ld look i n to the very pi t o f thei r bod i es , andthen con t racted w i th despa i r an d d isappoi n tmen t . Likeal l eage r feeders thei r powers of l ocomot ion are l im i ted .

The most ac t ive an d en e rgetic h ave n ever been know n toaccompl i sh more than s i x i nches of trave l i n twen ty-fo u rhou rs , and the most s loth fu l scarcely move the i r pos i t i oni n a l i fe-time . I f the aqua r ia are hea l thy they often ex i s tfo rty

~flve years and even longer pe riod s , gi v i ng bi rth t o

thousands o f young, and ev i nc i ng no sign s o f approach i n g

or mamas ras van. ”5

age , a proof o f thei r devot ion to the command , “bri ngfo rt h and m u l t i ply .

” Those that have a taste fo r travelan d no des i re to tax the i r own energies , have the h uman iast inc t o f attach ing themsel ves to the back or flank o f amore ambitio us creatu re

,th e cru stacean . The c rab

,lobste r

,

or prawn,often becomes so bu rdened by i ts parasi t i c

frien ds,that i t abandon s i ts she l l i n shee r des pe ra t ion and

seeks another home,wh i l e another s pecies so res igned ly

y iel ds all authori ty to the sc phant , that when i t changesits hab i ta t ion i t con veys its v i ta l inc umbrau ce h i ther. Thegrea t l esson taugh t i n th i s vo l ume i s the h uman power ofu nde rstand i ng between these lowest organ i z ed c reatu res .

There a re many beau t ifu l legends o f the zoophytes i n eo nacet ic a w i th ancien t warriors whose powers and customsfa i th fu l ly resembled them .

F u l l of th is i n te rest ing st udy i t occu rred to me that Im i ght complete i t by a n exam i n at ion i n to the enormousp lay house and muse um

,The Aqua ri um

,

” a few steps fromthe Westm i nster Pal ace H ote l ; so pay i ng ou r sh i l l i ng wesau n tere d i n to th is othe r variegated wo rld , and it on ly re

q u i red a few mi n u tes to rea l i z e that the t i t le o f the greatex h i bi t ion was i n o ne sense a m isnomer. A t fi rs t i n tendedto he a g rand de pos i to ry o f all the ocean tri bes

,i t has rap

i d ly become a receptacl e o f the works o f the h uman tr ibes,

a so rt o f caravanse ra,or olla pod rida , o r gene ra l r ende z vou s ,

n ot on ly of fish,and fow l

, and bi rds , and beasts . andflowers , and m inera l s , bu t o f all the s pecies o f the pa ragonof an imal s. I n one end Unc l e Tom ’s Cab i n played tothousand s dai ly by co lo red A meri can s

,men

,women

,and

ch i ld re n ; i n ano ther C h i nese acrobats , A s i at i c j ugglers,

Sw iss m usi c ians,Tu rk ish doctors

,the A meri can c i rcu s

,

ope rat ic mat inees,w res tlers

,dancers , te lephone es pe riment s ,

l earned pigs , ed ucated ,

fleas,and final ly a wonderfu l m i nd

reader, Li tt le Lou ie , a gi rl abou t ten , t rai ned to a l igh tn i ng percept ion , by mea ns of i n tu i t i ve psycho logy , an dl i ke all those occu l t practices

,qu i te beyond explanation .

Fancy th i s ch i ld stand i ng at her fat he r’s s ide,eyes ban

dage d, and answeri ng qu ick ly to every ques t ion he pu ts tohe r, as he passes from her to a cons iderable d is tance amongt he a ud ience , and holds i n h i s hand the special objec t herece i ves o r takes from a s pectator ; i t may be a watch , o r acoin

,o r a book , o r a man usc ri pt, o r an i nsc ribed r i ng , o r

the t i n iest art ic le o r an i mal , wh i l e rapi d as tho ugh t shecharac te ri z es the art ic le, i ts s i z e , i ts colo r , and what i s mos tas t on is h i ng, t he date , the name o f owne r

,and i n sc ri pt ion .

1 16 PICTURES A ND m ar s atra

Hav i ng fai led to d i sc ove r any cur ious i n hab i tants o f th egrea t deep, 1 was suflic ient ly successfu l i n sea rch i ng fo r

s t range materia l among my o wn fe l low-creatu res.

L E T T E R X X V .

“Search W i ndsor Cast le, e l ves, wi thin and o ut

The severa l chai rs o f order look you sco urW i th juice o f ba lm , and every prec ious flowerEac h fai r insta lmen t, coat, and several cres t,W i th lo ya l blaz on . ever more be blest lAnd n igh t ly , meadow-fai ries, look, you si ng,Like to the Garter s compass . in a ri ng.

”

Mas e r v s s o r Ww mon.

Lennon, April, 1878 .

SATURDAY was a b righ t, bal my , Bri ti sh day . The w ho l etown was in a tum u l t ; t he t wo r i va l co lleges,

’

0 x fo rd andCambridge

,were to row agai n st each other on the Thames

,

and my riads came to see,bu t we we re royal ly i nc l i ned

,and

the t rain that ca rried us to W i ndsor,stopped at every l i t tl e

road s ide s ta t ion on ly to be l aden by h u nd reds o f cou n tryl ad s and lasses bou nd fo r the ri ver race . Before we reach edou r dest i n at ion the rad iance o f the mo rn i n g had t u rned tora i n

,and so we saw Wi nd sor Pal ace

,one o f the e igh t h is s

to rical homes of the Queen , th rough a vai l of g l oom . Onr

rou te to Windso r l ay th rough the enchan t i ng val ley o f the

Thames,bordered by the Opu len t es tates o f the wea l t hy

nob l es. As we moved onward the scene was so fe rt i l e ,fi n ished , and cl ean , so l i ke a regal beau ty wai ting fo r therobes of sp ri ng

,t h a t the wonder gre w , where the m u l ti

t ud ino us poor were hired . Bei ng in Windsor town,wha t

fi rst impres sed me was the Merry Wi ves , or maidens , thatth ronged th e l i tt l e w i nd i ng st rt e ts. Wi t h i n the cast l e c ou rt

,

to ride t h rough the do ub le row of el ms, the long wal k,”

from the York and Lanc as te r Towers to Snow H i l l,wh ere

George I I I i s en th rone d i n a l l his brazen sp lendo r,was my

fi rs t step ; and I th in k the most del igh tfu l part o f my v is i tto t he palac cd iome was pas sed under the shad ow o f the

m ighty trees that she l ter the aven ue wh ich a l l the mona rchso f England ha ve t rodden . Th ree con ti n uous m i les o f suc hfresh , formal fo l iage was a banq uet fo r a botan i st. To gi vethe h is tory of Wind sor wou ld be to relat e the h istory of

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1 18 p row ess aan rea'

raarrs

arti ficial , and the ru i n s wh ich d id no t awaken i n my bo somany emot ion of reveren ce

,for they a re also fic titio u s—th ey

a re said to have been b rough t h i ther from Tripol i , and the i ren t i re h istory i s ve i led i n obscu ri ty that i s im penet rab lewe passed to the roya l stab les

, o f end less char iots , phaete ns, wagons , and barouches, mos t of them gi fts from fo r

eign powers , a mass o f splendo r t hat remai n s unu sed atl east si x mon th s in t he year. Her Majesty has he r stablesi n London

,Osborn

,and Balmo ra l amply stocked , a nd

tho ugir she i s censt tmt ly pereg ri n at i ng ,the domestic ap

po intments o f the pal aces are stationary . O f the ho rsesre ta i ned fo r the pleasu re o f royal ty e igh ty-five a re at

W indsor, s i xty-d ve at Osborn , and eigh ty in London , tosay noth i ng of the Go ve rnmen t eq u i pages.The te rrac es and garden s , foun ta i n s and parter res. the

Vandyck room,the Z uccarel l i room,

the S i r Thomas Lawrence or Waterloo C hamber

,I m ust s l igh t fo r the Round

To we r,the mos t an tiq ue of the mass i ve batt lemen ts over

w h ich the royal s tandard floats when the Quee n i s atW i nd sor. Mou nting two h und red and se ve n ty s te ps , wefinal ly reached the ac ro po l i s , from wh ich o u r brusq ue andruddy so ld ie r-gu ide po i n ted ou t the l u x u riou s regionsrou nd abou t, i nc l ud i ng the te rri to ry of twel ve op u len tE ng l i sh cou n ties , trarrscendent ly fasci na t i ng , t lre uglr seenth rough a sh roud o f vapo r ; a l te rnat i ng w i th sp i res , d omes,r i ver

,fo res t

,road

,rai l

,sh i ps o n wate r

,and ste am t ra i ns

on land , a l l bou nd tip i n h i sto ry , poetry , and romance. lt

was l ike a d ream o f enchan tmen t. Then th i s bovine son

of Mars asked me i f I knew what r i ver lay so tranq u i l andtawny be low us and was los t am idst the bi l l s and da les.When I answered , “Certa i n ly ; the Thames ,

” he took upt he refrai n , say i ng ,

“Yes,the Thames ; the greatest ri ver

i n the worl d . Y o u have no s uch s t ream i n you r vastst retch o f coun try . True

,you r M i ss i ss i pp i i s l a rge r, but

I te l l yo u this i s the g rea test o f al l ri ve rs ;” and w i th these

wo rd s he c l apped h i s mou th together as if he had del i veredh i s u ltimo um. I con fess I was amaze d at the ab ru ptassert ion

,and cou l d no mo re summon the mo ral co u rage

to reply,than to a yo ung mother , when she annou nced

that the shape less mass o f rose~co lo red flesh i n th e c radle—w h ich more i n t imately resemb led a zoophy te than anyan imated object I eve r saw—was the mo s t beau t i fu l andwonderfu l of al l heaven-born c reatu res . Such i s the l oveand pride of Father la nd that the Brite rrs have bequeathedto t hei r e tfspring.

or roamo s m a v en. 1 19

To ou r r igh t was Hen ry the E igh th's Gateway

,th e

tryst i ng-place of the po lygamous mona rch and the you ngand att ract i ve A n ne Boleyn . I t was he re that he cameto meet her when he bestowed the t i t le o f march ionesson ly as an (w ant cour ier o f the j ewel led d iadem thatawa i ted her .Sl igh tly to the l eft , o n the oppo s i te s ide o f th e Thames ,

E ton Co l l ege and Park , presen t i ng a very d i fferen t aspec tfrom the one tha t met my eye a cou ple of weeks ago , whenI rowed u p the ri ve r Now the ha l l was cl osed and the

green sward deserted ; the stude n ts had gone home for theZaster hol i days .To o u r rea r lay Frogmore, the home o f the Duches s of

Ken t , now the res idence of he r g randch i ld ren , the Pr i nceand P ri ncess Ch ris t ian of Sch le swig-H o l ste i n .

Be l ow is the Home Park,where once stoo d Herne ’s

o ak, i mmortal i z ed by the poet i n the Mer ry Wicca of

Windsor . The spo t. i s marke d by a sap l i ng of the samefam i ly .

Away o ff i s the g reen meadow o f Run nym e de, se parate dfrom Charter I s land on ly by a narrow estua ry o f the

Th ames,as cal m and s leepy i n the m is ty noon tid e , as if i t

h ad not w i tnessed the w res ted signatu re of K i ng J oh n tothe great chart er o f the i n su rgen t nobles and cle rgy fo rth e righ ts and l i bert ies o f the people i n the th i rteen th ce n

t u ry . Wi t h the aid o f a l orgnet te I pl a i n ly saw the S tokePoge s ch u rchyard

,where Thomas Gray w rote h i s famou s

E legy, and c l ose to the Rou nd Tower whe re I stood , i sthe cast le cu rfew that “to l l s t he k nel l of part i ng d ay .

” I nth is same be l fry the bu tc he r

,Ma rk Fy lton, was con fi ned

and even tua l ly banged , fo r b reath i ng scath i ng rebukes upont he K i ng ’s i ncon t i nen t and u n t i me ly love fo r the fa i r daughte r of S i r Thomas Bo l eyn .

Descend i ng the tower w i th a v iew by the way of theQuee n ’s d i n i ng sa loon

,where s he en te rta i ned o u r sol d i e r

P res iden t and h i s s pouse less t han a year ago , and whereshe welcomes the roya l ty o f othe r l and s

,we nex t i nc l uded

w hat many rega rd as the most i n te res t i ng part o f t h i svenerable fo rt ress , pa lace , and h i s tor ic treas u re-ho use , St.Geo rge ’s Chapel . Sma l le r than the severa l cathed ral s Ihad seen

,yet wonderfu l ly Oppres si ve and i m pre ss i ve by

its ch i l ly si lence and the suspended ban ners o f the kn igh tsand k i ngs . I t was i n terest i ng becau se here the motherand grandmot her

,Empress and Queen

,worsh i ps i n pu b l ic

w hene ver she occup ies he r castle o n the Thames . Here

1 20 r icruass s un Poa'

rau rs

many o f th e great ones were mated and mou rned . H erefamous Chu rch of England preachers have preach ed ; h ereal l the i l l ustrious men o f th e realm , cou rt i ers and cabi ne tm i n i ste rs , so l d iers and s tatesmen , have worsh i pped d u ringthei r prolonged v i s i ts on s ta te occas ion s . Here t he P rin ceof Wales was married to A lexand ra , and here the su pe rbvo i ce o f Jen ny Li nd pou red her mel low melody th roughthese lofty gro i n ed arches , and chan ted i n he r u nequa l l edtones the sac red ben i son composed by the P ri nce-con so rt

,

A lbe rt, for h i s e ldes t son and hei r.

L E T TT E R X X V I .

“Thence wi th C reed to hi re a co ach to carry us to H ide Parketo day. there being a genera l muster o f the Ki ng

’s Guards, horse and

foo t ; bu t they demand so high , that I , apy in Mr. Cut ler the mer

chan t, did take notice o f him, and he goi ng nto his coach, te l l i ngme that he w as g oing to the muster. I asked and wen t alon W i t hhim ; where a good ly sigh t to see so many fine horses and o cers ,Ki ng, Duke, and others, c ome by a ho rseback, and the two Queenesin the Queens-Mother

’s coach .

—e r s‘D i sav , J u ly

LONDON , Apri l , 1878 .

Or t he l u ngs o f the great met to po lis , none is mo re v i ta lthan li t de Park , th e aris to cmt ic reso rt of the Wes t End ;bordered by the l ux u rious homes o f Gro sverno r Sq ua re ,en v i roned by royal ty

,t raversed by foot and carriage-road s

cross i ng at al l angles,i r r iga ted by

'

the Serpen t i ne , eu

r iched and en l i vened by the excl u s i vely eq uestrian i nc le su re ,

Rotten Row—th i s i ne legan t ti t l e o f the most famou sbrid le-path i n the worl d i s rea l ly a co rru pt ion of route d or o i—it i s at once the hau n t o f the gay vol u ptuary , thefash ionabl e inco unu , t he weal thy pa r oenu , an d the cen

t u ried noblesse. A nd as I tu rned from the long l i ne o f

rega l eq u i pages , gl is ten i ng u nder the obl iq ue rays o f thes i nk i ng su n as they wou nd arou nd Lad ies ’ M i l e fo l low i ngthe no rthern bank o f t he Serpen ti ne, w i th footmen and

ou tr iders i n l api s—lazu l i l i ve ries,gold l ace

,powdered pe ri

w igs , and s i l ken hose , and a bu rden o f po rtly dowage rsi n garish d ress—t u rned to the horsewomen w i th the i rioc key grooms i n b uck sk i n o r co rd u roy , fo l low ing at arespec tfu l d istance

,pass i ng u nder the sol id symmetry o f

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132 Ptcr uass A ND roarau r s

presume i n honor of h i s fa i r capto r, Nel l Gwynn . I t washere tha t the k i ng an d she w ho had been bo rn i n sq ual i dpoverty . an d whose t ran s it ion th rough the several roles o forange-gi rl , conce rt-salo on danseuse , fan tastica l o r j oc u laractress , u n t i l she reached t he apex o f the soc ial col u mn

,

bidcd trys t. Varied , pote n t , and spark l i ng were t he ac

complishments o f pretty Nel ly . The s pot seems ded ica tedto and hal lowe d by the sove re ign lover ’s example ; and i ss t i l l a rende zvous of success ive Romeos and J u lieta, He»l o i ses and A be lards , Jes s icas and Lorenzos .

Si nce welcome spr i ng ’s ad ven t a booth has been constructed in the park where fres h m i l k and cream i s th espec ial ty. To prove the pu r i ty o f t h i s a rt i cle , the k i ne a restationed by ; th i s i s for th e nou ri s hmen t o f the my riad so f poo r ch i l d ren sport i n g u pon the awa rd . I t the p riceseq ua l those I pa id seve ral mon ths ago wh i l e pat ron i z i n gthat exceed i ng moral beve rage , the i n d igen t and i l l-sta rredyou t hs o f Bri tai n do no t i nd u lge i n freq uen t l i bat ion s.U nder the peri sty le o f o ld St. James ’ Pa lace patrol t heguards , wi th l i tt le to hee d except the royal mews o f t h eQueen . The Pa rk i s at on ce bond and ba rr ie r between thecastl e and Marl b orough H o use

,the ci ty res idence of the

P rince of Wales. N umero us as are the l egends of t hePark

,th ey are exceede d by those o f the Pa lace . George

I V was born here , bu t h igh reve l has not bee n he ld i n t he sespaciou s chambe rs s i nce t he days o f his fat her, thoughmany s t i l l speak of ou r ambassador be i ng sen t t o the Co u rto f S t . J ames. Fore ign m i n i s te rs a re now acc red i ted to aco u n try no t a cou rt

,to a people no t a po ten ta te.

Love i n tr igues , po l i t ica l p lo ts , t raffic i n honor , ba rter o fh uman sou l s

, and leave-tak i ngs , deaths , b i rth s , and the

amalgamat ion o f i n fan ts , have l eft the i r d ark im pri n t u ponthe ol d castle wal l s , bu t the re i s no mo re am usi ng chap te ri n i ts h isto ry than that devo ted to the presen ta t ion of M r.

and M rs. John Adams, ou r fi rst en voy after the peace w i t hE ngland

,to the Cou rt o f George I II and h i s pl a i n and un

ass um i ng q ueen . On both occasion s o f M r. Adams’s fi rstmeeti ng w i th the k i ng and queen he was a r med w i th al engthy and p recon ce i ved add ress , fo r w h ich the roya lcoupl e were u n prepa red . The k i ng read i ly col lected hisscattered sen ses and made rather an able reply

,bu t h i s

eq ua l ly e loq uen t bu rs t o f orato ry to Queen Charlotte q u i teove rpowered the l i tt l e womau ,

—for though a queen , st il lon ly a woman

,and not near ly so fin ished i n manners, no r

possess i ng the ap lemb of the republ ican ambassador ’s w ife

o r res ales ras van. 123

—and h er on ly answer to his l ofty rheto ri ca l expl os ionwas ,

“l than k you , s i r, for you r c i v i l i ti es to me and myfam i ly , and am gl ad to see yo u i n th i s cou n try ;

”then the

queen relapsed i n to a fr i end ly con ve rsa t ion w i th theA merica n omc ial, i n w h ic h a ll the roya l fam i ly cou ld takepart. When M rs . Adams and he r daughter at ten ded the i rfi rst “d raw ings ro om,

” at St . James ' Pal ace , she was qu i teas no nplus sed by the i n i t ia l add ress of the k i ng as h i sroya l consort h ad been some ti me prev ious by the exal tedspeech o f Mr. Adams . “Have yo u t aken a walk th i smo rn i ng he said . Now the en ti re fo renoon had bee nocc upi ed i n don n i ng the cou rt costumes , u pon the cons truction of wh ich so many days had been spen t

,and the

l ady was i ncl i ned to te l l the t ru th,bu t u pon reflecti on

me rely an swered i n the n egat i ve ; u pon th i s, the obtu sesovereign d rove her to th e wa l l by as k i ng i f she d id notenjoy wa lk i ng ?” and now the poor

,persecu ted fema l e was

ob l iged to o fl‘

er the base fab r i cat ion that she was rathe ri ndolen t i n that respec t.” The queen was al ways embarrassed in the p resence o f M rs . Adams

,wh i le the latter re

ma i ned pe rfectly u ndazzled by the fo re ign cou rt . She wasa plai n-spoken

,democrati c American

,w i th cons iderab l e

c u l t i vat ion and u ncommon good sense, and therefore neve ra favori te at th e sh r i ne of a rrogan t

,ped an t ic

,v u lgar t i t le

w orsh i p .

The prevai l i ng sty le o f ci ty arch i tectu re i n G reat B ri tai n ,though state ly and i m pos i ng

,i s oppre ss i ve. A l l the famo us

ch u r ches, ha l ls , cas t les, banks , theat res , and publ i c ed ificesa re e i ther the original pl an s o f S i r C h ri stophe r W ren and

I n igo Jones , or have been remodel led from thei r d ra ugh ts .The idea of d i v id i ng the metropo l i s i n to sections

,or

squares , o r pl aces , or parks , o r par ishes , i s a pretty one,

and a necess i ty i n a ci ty where there a re almost two h u nd red St. J oh n s treets . How shou ld o ne e ver find his dest inatio n i f the afllxes , Berkeley Square , F i n sbu ry Park ,Po rtman Sq uare, B loomsbu ry Square . etc ., were ban ishedfrom the d i rec tory ?The ve ri table Engl i s h ho t cross-bu n s

,of wh i ch we read

so much i n ou r i n fan t i l e rhymes,are a l ways eate n here o n

Goo d Friday morn i ng,so yeste rday at break fast we were

regaled by the an n ua l supply .

Amo ng the b i goted m i l l ion s these cakes are retai nedfrom one Easte r j ub i l ee to another to p reven t whoopi ngcough i n the fam i ly .

I n deed,many of the cu stoms that we th i nk American

124 Pier c ass AND PORTRAITS

are borrowed from Engl and , and I am dai ly su rpr i sed atst range practi ces that n eed an expl an at ion to make inte lligible. The shop w i ndows are fi l l ed w i t h Easte r eggs

,j us t

as the ch u rches were arranged fo r Good Fr iday , and Len twas an i n te rval o f abst i nence , and pal m s were worn by

Catho l ic and Protestan t on Pal m Sunday. The B ri t i s hhave a thousand i n heri ted fol l i es

,wh ich they con ti n ue to

hono r on ly because they are old . These o dd and ch i l d i shcustoms are not con fined to the common people

,but are

cher i shed by the nobi l i ty a nd the th rone .

L E T T E R X X V I I .

These bookmen , what a busy race !How happy in themsel ves and others l

They g lori fy a l l time and place ,And make us human beings brothers.

What rapture to themselves they give lW hat joy to mi l l ions yet unborn

Thus i n their wond rous works they l i ve,And turn the nigh t o fdu lness i n to morn .

Ano xm o os .

Lo xno s , Apri l , 1878.

A MONG the wonde rs of London the B ri ti sh M use um i sthe fi rst. To recoun t the attracti on s i t offers and t he l esson s it teaches wou ld req u i re t ran scenden t gen i us. I t i sso al l-absorb i ng

,and there i s so m uch of i t , that i t over

whelmed me . Far d i fferen t the feel i ng i t exci ted from thati n sp i red by the Tower

,Westm i nste r A bbey , the Parl iamen t

Pa laces , the Docks , an d the Thames. The B ri ti sh M u se u mi s a col lect ion o f h uman progress , a wedd i ng between thepas t and presen t ; the great th reshold u pon wh ich to nu

t ic ipate an d look i n to the fu t u re. I t i s o f i m posi ng pres.en ce , and u nder the su n less sk ies and h um i d atm o sph e reof London

,apparen t ly venerable. Yet the massi ve grou p

that bears i ts n ame , though projecwd at the cl ose o f thel as t cen t u ry

,was on ly commenced i n 1823 and completed

t wen ty-seven years afte rwa rd .

The approach to th i s m igh ty structu re is through a spac io us cou rt-yard , and under the porta l s of the Doric en

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126 mcr uass AND marau r s

u pon wh ich cou n t l es s sums have been expende d. th at hasbeen the object of the genero s i ty o f princes and magnat es,and the l i v i ng care of Parl iamen t

,i s th us th rown open to

the poores t and the r iches t.1 l i ngered by the. desks w here Thackeray, Dicken s , an d

thei r assoc iates,read and w r ote ; and w here Maca u l ay. as

trustee and studen t. sat wh i l e he gave shape and fire to themate ri a l he had co l l ected fo r h i s marvel lous h i story . I nthe K i ng ’s L i bra ry he took h is no tes , and referred con

stantly to the s hoal of pamph lets prese rved by the th i rdGeorge

,and gi ven to the publ ic by h i s son . Across th i s

t h reshold have passed far greate r monarch s than commonk i ngs and queen s. Y o u are su re to mee t the con tem po raryce le bri t i es at thei r desks i f you come freq uently ; an d i f

yo u you rse l f be an h abi tué, at regu lar i n te rvals yo uw i l l see such cha racte rs as Ten nyson

,Tynda l l , C harles

Read,Geo rge E l iot , the Baroness Bu rdette-Cou t ts. Joh n

B righ t, Beacons lield , Rosett i , Swi n bu rne, Edmund Yates,Dean Stan ley , Card i nal Man n i n g, A rch b i shop Tate , Mon~

s ignore Cape l , Canon Farrar, Joh n Wa l ke r,of the Times

,

Levy , of the Telegraph, S i r Charles D i l ke , Hen ry By ron,Ha l l i we l l Ph i l l i ps

,G i lbert, Su l l i van , and al l the grea t and

even lesser m i n ds of the bench,the bar

,the pu l pi t , Parl i a

men t, and the academy ; a ho st of w i l l i n g slaves of the pen ,ci t izen s o f the Repu b l ic of Bohemia . To l i nger and ponderi n th i s magazi ne of the dead ages , th i s sagacious preparat ion fo r the i n spi red though ts o f u n born ge nera t ions

,took

m uch of my t ime , so I wen t home, retu rn i ng anothe r dayto essay the au tographs

,l ette rs , man usc ri pts , roya l , ba ro

n ial and eccles iastical seal s,a wonderfu l col l ec t i on . The

le tters o f the dead are ever sad ly i n terest i ng . They ou t

l i ve the body , and are the nea rest of man ’s l i v i ng works.They end u re beyond h i s posteri ty

,and are more prec ious

than pri n t or photograph . Leav i ng the G rev i l l e Li bra ry ,1 mused u pon the au tograph man uscri pts o f Marti n Lu ther,the grea t theo logica l re former o f the fi fteen t h and s i x teen t hcen t u ries ( i n th i s lette r he asserts that d i sbe l ie f in pnrgwto ry i s no t heresy); o f Ph i l i p Me lanc thon (bo rn 1497 , d ied15 60 , acknow ledg i ng a presen t o f ven i son ); Card i nal Wolsey , “who once trod the ways o f glo ry,

”to h i s young friend

an d a id , Thomas C romwel l (subsequen t ly Earl o f Essex),i n form i ng h i m that Richmond Lodge was not yet ready forh i s recept ion ; Si r Wal ter Rale igh , d i recti ng that breadfu rn i shed for voyagi ng adven tu res shou ld be prepared

, his

l etter is dated from the co u rt ; S i r Ph i l i p S id ney , w ri tten

or roas l o a m a ven. 127

in F rench from the cou rt , as su ri ng M . Jean Ho tnan of hisfriend sh i p ; Si r F ran ci s Bacon , At to rney Genera l to JamesI , o n a rgumen ts i n the S tar C ham ber ; and one from ou ro ld fr ie nd , Wi l l i am Pe nn , regret t i ng h i s i nab i l i ty to doa ser v ice fo r a friend ; the l e t te rs from A rios to, Mi chae lA nge lo

,A l be rt D iire r, Pau l Rubens , Van Dyck , Rem

brand t,Raci ne

,Cornei l l e , Mo l iere , Vol tai re , Prio r , Sw i ft ,

A dd ison,Dryden , Hoga rth , P i t t. Bu rke , Fox , Wash i ngton ,

F rank l i n . Byron,Wel l i ngton

,and the Adm i ra l Nelson to

his fa i r friend Lady Ham i l ton , on the eve of the battl e o f'

I‘

ra falgar, comm un i ca t i ng that the enemy’s com b i ned fleets

were com i ng ou t of the port, and that he hoped to llu is lthis letter, dated on Boa rd the V ictory , Octobe r i 9th, 1805 .

He con ti n ued i t next day , bu t it was left u nfin i shed , and a

few l i nes i n the h and of Lady Ham i l ton sta te tha t i t wasfound i n Lord Nelson ’s desk , after th i s act ion o f October2 1st , i n wh ich he los t his l i fe. There a re au tographs ofnumerous E ng l i s h and foreign sovere igns ; a s i gnatu re ofS hakespeare

,and man uscri pts o f Pope , Bu rns , Wal te r

Scot t,Dr. Joh n son , Ben. Jonson , Macau l ay , Queen E l iza

bet h,Mary , Queen of Scots ; many cases o f orig i n al char

te rs,mi ss al s

,Hindoo m i n iatu res , Buddh is t books , hym n s

i n E th iopic language,the Gospels o n cotton paper in A r

mcn is h l anguage , the Ko ran in min u te A rabic charac ters ,poems and a lbums i n A rabic and Persian , sea ls of the sovere igns o f England from Edward the Con fesso r to her re igni ng Maj esty ; seals of b i s hops and archbishops , o f abb otsand abbeys , and seven ty-dve ba ron ial sea l s of lad ies o f ran k .

S uch are the jewel s fou nd i n th i s g igan tic shel l—jewe l s andrar i t ies t hat co me from the ages . Lo rd Macau lay j us t lysaid ,

“I t was one o f the glo r ies of h i s coun t ry .

The co l lect ion of Hen ry Weeks, professor o f scu l ptu re ,o n T ich borne Street

,i s one o f the coun tless i nstances of

sc ien tific ph i l an th ropy . lt con s is ts ch iefly o f cu rious spec imens o f mechan ism . Bi rds w hose songs not on ly em u laten atu re

,bu t th at hop from bar to bar ; m ice that gambo l

n im b ly over the floor,and h uman figu res pe rform i ng upon

m us ica l i nstruments i n fu l l band ; swan s sw imm i ng in thewate r

,and serpen ts w i nd i ng themse l ves u p trees, al l o f

w h ich is the res u l t of scien t i fic research and experi men t.I cou ld make another long letter on th i s su bj ect of the

Br i t i s h Museum ,i ndeed a book wou l d not do j ust ice to a

su perficia l v iew ; but I am admon i shed that my stay inLondon i s com i ng to a c lose . I m u s t , the refo re , hold my

pen. I t i s l i ke a h ungry man s toppi ng in the m idst of a

128 excr uass ann reas su r e

feas t. I have such an appeti te fo r mo re work i n t h iswor ld ’s cen tre, that I feel , if t i me served , l i ke p itc h i ng mytent he re for ano ther month . But I m ust “move on.

" Ihave on ly two days mo re i n the worl d 's mass i ve capital ,and m ust give these to prepa rati on fo r cross i ng the charm

ml ; and t hen for the gay Gal l ic C i ty on t he banks of the

me.

L E T T E R X X V I I I .

The i l lustrio us house o f HanoverAnd Protestan t successi o n ,

To these I do a l legiance swear,Whi le they can keep po ssess ion

For in my fai th and loiyalty,

I never more w i l l tit ter,And Geo rge my law fu l king sha l l he ,Un ti l the times do a l ter.” Unk nown.

Lonnon, Apri l , 1878

Barons l eav i ng London 1 determ i ned to take anotherstro l l abou t the Parl iamen t Palace , and look i n agai n u ponthe Ho uses i n sess ion . The day was “fine” ( I am borrowingfrom Joh n Bu l l ) and the gras s h ad grown fu l l and

l irtght u pon the i nclosu re , though the clouds d ri fted hyl i ke gl oomy spect res. The Eng l i s h cl imate i s eve r capric io us , and a few flecks o f bl ue

,o r a sc i n t i l l a o f su n l igh t ,

have no longer the power to decoy me i n to the hope o f agen ia l atmosphere. I have been l i v i ng here qu i te th reemon ths

,and can not recal l a week o f ord i nari ly p leasan t

weather. The cold spe l l in March was as severe as athome , bu t the thermomete r he re i s not so s teady as w i thus. The nat i ves ca l l i t “beastly” for i ts tan ta l iz i ngt reachery . These barometr ica l changes make a sad peopleby tempti ng them i n to an ex travagan t con sumption o f

beer,brandy , gi n , and rum . even amongst women o f the

bette r classes ; and the soak i ng, su n l ess days , and grim ,

gruesome n igh ts, prod uce a su l len . mo rbid , and s l uggishtempe r. A lady fr iend

,i n o u r hotel , i n si sts that to th ese

fou r l iquors , taken frequen tly i n success ion , may be a t tri

bu ted the w i fe-beat i ngs and riot i ngs common all over th ek ipgdom ; and tha t where h igh and lo w i mbi be heavy

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PICTURES AND PORTRA ITS

left .by the opposi t ion leaders , a l arge and spac i ou s tab l ebetween them . I t ri ed w i th the aid o f my prin ted gu id eto disen tangle thes e ri val sta tesmen

,whose photographs I

had seen and stud ied i n the w i ndows o f the p rint shops inBo nd Street ; bu t I soo n abandone d the task. A n intelligen t E ngl ish l ady , not ic i ng my d i sappoi n tment , o ffe red toac t as my cic érone. D isco vering that I was an American,she became qu i te comm un icati ve , an d i n a cl ear, cu l t i vatedv oice, w i thou t i nd icat i ng her bias in pol i t ics , she said :“There i s M r. G ladstone

,the ta l l m an w ith a stoop, a

prominent n ose and th i n straggl i ng hai r ; he i s j ust n owtaki ng his seat and pu lling h i s h at over h i s eyes. Nowon see M r. Brigh t, but yo u A merican s know h i m so we l ly h i s face that he needs no b iography ; see, he is nowta lk ing to Mr. Bland , the Speaker , the official that we arei n the habit o f cal l i ng the fi rst gentleman i n England .

The Speaker has not yet cal l ed the House to o rder,wh ich

he w i l l presen tly do. The tal l , s lender man next to Gladstone i s th e Ma rq u i s o f Hart i ngton , t he presen t L i bera ll eader, and d i rec tly at h i s s id e i s S i r W i l l i am Harco u rt,so n-ia-law of you r cou n tryman

,the late M r. Mot ley , the

h i s torian ; these are the Li beral s , who Oppose al most everyth i ng set fo rth by the Tories , on the bench d i rec t l y opposi te

,to the righ t o f the Speaker. The smal l , sandy man

is S i r S tafi'

o rd No rthco te,the Tory leader o f t he House of

Commons,and the d i rec t represen tat i ve of Lo rd Beacons

field . Then yo u have the Rt. Hon . Wi l l iam Hen ry Sm it h ,Sec retary o f the Navy o r fi rst Lord o f the Admi ra l ty

, the

owner o f the newspape r ci rcu l at ion of the k i ngdom ; LordJoh n Man ners, Postmaste r-General , and othe rs .”

And so my Engl i s h fr iend , who seemed to be a so rt o f

parl iamen ta ry d i rectory,co n t i n ued to describe the g rea t

leade rs o f pu bl i c opi n ion i n the som b re hal l be low . Pre

sently the Ho use came to o rde r, and I rem ai ned j ust longenough to hear some of the vo i ces o f t he speakers and catchsome of the i r po i n ts . I n ot iced t hat S i r Staffo rd Northcote al ways held h i s hat i n h i s hand as he spoke , and thesame was noticeable of M r. Gl ad s tone an d Mr. Brigh t, butI learned w hen they spoke an e l abo rate harangue, they laiddown the i r chapeau x .

Rel uct an t ly leav i n g my post I h u rri ed w ith my A merican fr i ends to the House of Lords. Paus i ng i n the l oftyhal l , th e approach to Westm i n ster Hal l , wh ich i s of uneq ual led magn i ficence , ranged on e i ther s ide were the figu res , larger than l i fe, of t he i l l ustr iou s men , E ngl is h

or ses s i on maven. 131

o rators and statesmen,the two P i tts , Fox , Bu rke , Claren

d o n,etc. Befo re descend i ng the fl igh t o f steps i n to West

m i n ster Ha l l 1 had a g l i m pse i n to the Pee rs ’ lobby , and theco s t ly sp lendors of the Ho use o f Lords i tse l f. Of severa lhund red peers I do no t th i n k twen ty were presen t thate ven i ng. The Commons are l oud and noi sy , bu t the Lords,save on ve ry great occas ions, pay very l i tt le atten tion tothe i r l egi sl at i ve d u t ies. To st range rs many of the parl ia~men tary customs a re d ifficu l t to u nders tand . The grea tb ig powdered wigs of the l awyers

,th e crimson pl ush of the

offic ial s,the l i ve ried servan ts

,the omn i presen t d ign i ty and

ad u lat ion,are con fus ing i ndeed , es pec ial ly when the real

great ones,l i ke D is rae l i

,Derby

,Sta n ley , and the various

d ukes and earl s , move around yo u i n the d ress o f or di na rymo rta ls

,and on ly don thei r sta rs and garters on state c c

cas ions . I w i sh I c ou ld gi ve you some idea of the i n ter io rsplendors o f th is palace of Parl iamen t, but i t defies mydescr i p t i ve powers.Now fo r the beauti fu l and venerab l e bu i l d i ng, Wes tmin

s te r Ha l l,fou nded by W i l l i am Ru fus i n 1097, and rebu i l t by

R ichard l l i n l399, whe re be freq uen tly kept h i s Ch ri stmas ,a nd enterta ined ten thousand guests a day ; the larges tsaloon i n E u rope u nsupported by pi l l a rs , 270 feet l ong, 74feet w ide. and 90 feet h igh . Th is great hall was designe dfo r royal banquets and co ronat ion feasts ; cou rts of j u s ticewere cond uc ted here i n ea rly ti mes

,the sovere ign h imsel f

p res i d i ng ; here , to o , cou rt s of im peachmen t have been

cond ucted,and here Wi l l i am W al lace

,S i r Thomas More,

P rotector Somerset,the lamen ted Earl S trafi

'

o rd,m i n i s te r

o f Charles,and tha t equa l ly i l l-fated sovereign . were tried

and co n v i cted . Here also War ren Has t i ngs was subjectedto that prot rac ted ordeal fo r h i s m iscond uct i n I nd ia , defended and opposed by such i n te l lects as Sheridan , Bu rke ,and the i r con tempo raries. The last coronat ion-d i n ne r washe ld here by George lV . O u ts ide is a la rge paved squarei n to wh ich the equ i pages o f the mem bers o f the two Housesof Parl iamen t a re d r i ven

,and from wh ich t hey pass i n to

thei r respective ha l ls . As we st ood,many ce leb rated ch ar

ac ters w ho passed were design ated to me by name ; somewere late

,eviden tly j ust com i ng from d i n ner . and others

seem to have been sen t fo r fo r what i s a ca l l o f the Hou se.Oppos i te t he north fron t of the ha l l i s the Parish Ch u rcho f S t . Margaret

,begun i n the re ign o f Edward I , where

many great and noble men are bu rie d; Cax ton the pri n te r ,S i r Walte r Ra le igh , Adm i ral Howard o f the fleet in th e

132 prow es s as !) rom an -rs

t i me o f the Span i sh A rmada,and very many eq ua l ly d i s

t ingu ished .

l have now heard some of the most d i st i ngu i sh ed orato rso f England , and of those w ho spoke th is even i ng , S i r Stra tford No rthcote makes the least preten s ions to o ra to ry ; ap leas i ng, rather tenor voice ; h i s rheto ric i s clear and d ist i nct . Lord Joh n Man ners has a bold , man ly sty le . S i rRobert Peel , who to ok part i n the debate beh i nd the m i nis terial benches , was very fearless , and was fol l owed by ape rfect chorus o f “Hear, hear , hear.

” M r. Brigh t spokemost l i ke an A merican

,w i th a rather coaxi ng vo i ce

,yet

d is t i nct and capable o f ri s i ng i n to a fi ne vol ley o f eloq uence .M r. Glads tone i s ev iden tly very m uch idol ized by h i s c on

stituents , and the l i ttle he sa id p roved t hat he was mas te rof the Li be ral s i t uat ion . I regretted that I had not hea rdLo rd Beaco usfield i n the Peers ; bu t one can not see everyth i ng and every body

,and so I was ob l iged to econom ize my

oppo rtu n i t ies , and to choose my days from the t i me I hadal lotted i n th is great Euglish cen t re.

L E T T E R X X I X .

When France in w rath her gian t l imbs upreared .

And wi th that oath , wh ich smote air, earth , and sea,

S tamp’d her strong foot and said she wou ld be free ,0 s s o s a

Y es , whi le I stood and gaz ed , my temp les bare,And shot my being through earth , sea, and air,Po ssessi ng all things wi th i n tensest love,0 L iberty ! my spi ri t fe l t thee there."

Cons ume s .

Pants, Apri l , 1878 .

WHEN we steamed out o f Victori a Stat ion th i s morn i ng,bidd i ng ad ieu to the damp and d u s ky capital, tbe an t i cipated gayety o f anothe r st range wor ld gave a fresh z est tomy sp i r i ts ; but alas ! the othe r v i sion o f the Dove r na rorows w i th the short , chopp i ng bi l lows ho i st i ng the boatfore and aft ; the rush of waters u nder the keel ; and a hosto f sick and pal l i d passenge rs , w i th my own wh i te v isage asthe fron t i spiece to t he tableau , was an an t idote to all ex

u beran t expectat ion .

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134 p rcrnass AND maras rrs

scattering feed to a brood o f you ng fowl s. I n the peaceo f the du lce t Sunday noon and hazy Eng l i s h atmosp he re,th is pictu re seemed l i ke an an i mated C res wick , Rus k i n , orB i rket Foster. More lofty st i l l l ooke d the bl i nd i ng h i l ls ofchal k i n the rays o f the mou n ted s un . “The mu rm’

rings u rge that on the unnumber’d id l e pebbl es cha fes, cannotbe heard so h igh ; and the . fishermen that wa lk u pon thebeach appear l i ke m ice .” There was a crush of c ra ft i nt he st ra i t and at anchor i n the harbor o f the on ly ex i s t i n gquay o f the C i nque Ports of W i l l i am . O u r roya l ba rge toCa lai s was moored to th e pier ; i t was no t a bu rn i shedth rone that bu rned on t h e wate r, ne i ther were the sai lspu rple o r perfumed ; no si l ver oars , no l u sci ous women re

c lining u pon couches of v io lets o r go l den t iss ue cloth, nosm i l i ng

,d im pled cupids w ie ld i ng fan s o f O r ien ta l dyes , no

ga l lan t Mercu ry or dazzl i ng A p ol l o. N o ! i n one fea t u rea l one d id the barque resemble t hat o f C leopatra w he n shefloated down the Cyd n us to meet her A ntony , and th i s wasfrom the barge a strange i n v i si ble perfume h i ts the sen seof the adjacen t w harfs.”

Cross i ng the Chan nel was a ghost that h ad h au n ted melong. The strai t has been the scene o f thousand of citlamit ies , exper imen ts , and exped i t ion s fo r as many yea rs ;and here i t t umb les and th reatens the h uman t ravel thatpou rs over i t now as i n t he long-gone centu r ies : travelever chang i ng

,bu t t h i s eternal t ide the same.

A crowded boat w i th a nw’

lange of passengers from everynat i on and speak i ng every tongue ; gross men and generousma idens , sh ri l l sc reams o f por ters and seamen ; a steamand stench of cook i ng , and as the steamer dropped downthe Channe l and A lb ion ’s s nowy ban ks receded from o u r

v iew, l descended to the stu ffy , nox ious cabi n . I co n tem

plated d is tres s from the s leepless sea, and am too we l l se

q uainted w i th the natu re of my h um id , t u rbu len t enemy totake l iberties w i th h im . For awh i le al l wen t “merry as amarriage be l l ,

” and the joyous l augh ter o f t hose w ho hadbeen mo re dari ng than I , and remai ned on the u ppe r deck

,

reached my car i n mockery o f my coward ice ; bu t my spiri twas strong and my stomach was weak , and I heed ed no t

t hei r tau nts. “A t length thei r h igh-blown pride broke un~der them ,

" and as I lay w i th cl osed eyes and cal m sou l,I

cou ld hear the mou rners descend i ng to my level. They a rr ived in detac hments , and sore were the i r l amen tat ion s forthe i r lost ones . The god o f the tr iden t had been merc i lessi n h is shower of afil ic tions upon my compan ion s ; he had

o r ses s ion ras v an. 135

depri ved them o f the i r deares t and neares t t reasu res . Tome he had gran ted al l comfo rt becau se upo n fi rs t act ion Ihad so subm iss i vely y iel ded a l l van i ty. I n th i s attri bu teof charac te r at leas t, a god does no t d ifl

'

er from mortalman. When we touched the fai r s hores o f Gau l the affl ic tedwere worn and wea ry w i th l ong sufi

’

ering and I was comparati ve ly buoyan t.Once u pon t he so i l of Cha rl emagne and Cl ov i s

,the fai r

land washed by the Engl i s h C han nel and the Bay of B is

cay ; ir rigated by the e i ne, t he Loi re, and the Rhone ;a nd sheltered by the Vosges

,J u ra

,A l ps

,and Py renees

,

the en ti re ea rth ’s face seemed t o have u ndergone a rad icalchange. I was abou t to say re form

,for s uch i s my honest

con v i ct ion,bu t t he word wou ld perhaps offend the q u iet

and pu ri tan i c d i sci pl i ne of the is le we had qu i tted . Herew i th a Gal l i c s u n pou ri ng dow n u pon me

,the l igh t wh i te

earth beneath my feet,the bri sk

,energet ic movemen ts

,and

the sh r i l l , nasal tones o f the F renchman upon every side,the shack les that had oppressed me i n the dark met ropol i sd ropped w i th th e fi rst b reath o f French republ ican ism.

L iberty was a l l arou nd us ! For the fi rst t i me the sou l ofthe freedman th robbed w i th i n me, an d then on ly I definedthe weigh t o f royal ty that had pu l led me down . The ca rolo f bi rds

,the soft

,sigh i ng breeze

,the r un n i ng stream

,the

i n te nsely bl ue and ferven tly c lear hea vens, the youngwav i ng wheat, the joyou s spi r i t of the peasan t , the w i l l ingto i l of the farmers

,and the h appy

,th ri fty cottage homes

,

sang one u n i versal can tata of brotherhood,equal ity

,and

Be fore tak i ng o ur pl aces i n the ca rriage at Cal ai s , o urbaggage was weighed and reg i stered ; here I had my fi rstex pe rience i n t he Con ti nen tal cu stom o f payi ng for thet ran siti on o f all baggage exceed i ng si xty-six pou nds i nd ivi .dually These figu res vary s l igh tly as one passes fromone coun try i n to another.Of al l trave l lers the Engl i shman i n vari ably con veys w i th

him th e g reatest amount o f pe rsonal paraphernal i a. Suchcumbrous articles l To say noth i ng of the t ru nks andches ts i n n umerabl e s towed i n t he baggage car, several

por tman teaus , hat-boxes, bu nd les of cou n tless umbrel lasand canes

,th e i nev i table bath tu b

,and freq uen t ly a fo ld

ing-cha i r

,to the horror and i ncon ven ience of al l othe r

o cc upan ts are brough t i n to the carr iage .Resti ng here over hal f an hou r for d i n ner—o f cou rse the

E ngl i shman eats at every station-bo u flet he meets—theshr i l l

,sc reechy wh i stle of the F rench l ocomot i ve was

136 excr uaz s a sn roam rrs

blown, an d the th i n , sc reechy vo ice o f the F renc h co nd ucto r was heard i n h i s nat i ve ve rnacu la r o f “All aboard. "

I t was al l beau t i fu l,al l novel , and al l spa rk l i ng ! The

w h i te road s wou nd a bou t the green fields i n st rik i ng eon~

t rast,and here and there i n cl ea r ou t l i ne was the cr i m son

d ress o f a peasan t ch i ld . As we passed th rough the V al

ley o f the Somme th i s brigh t, warm S unday afte rnoon. the

fie ld s were fi l l ed w ith men a nd woman t i l l i n g the gro u ndand sow i ng the seeds o f p ros pe ri ty an d happi ness . Themajori ty o f the earth cu l ti vato rs were women past m idd leage

,i n coa rse shoes t ied a t the ank le, and bl ue stock i ng s ,

short pett icoats,and bareheaded , o r perhaps a large towe l

wound ab ou t th e forehead fo r protecti on from the h eat ;the men a l ways appea ri ng i n the b l ue blou se

,t he he ra ld ic

ens ign of the French o u vr ier .

We seemed pass i ng away from the n eatly combed h edges ;st raggl i ng meagre l ines o f sh rubbery or s lat fen ces tak i ngthe i r pl ace. G reat forests o f l ofty popl ars grew i n l i nesas p rec i se as if they had bee n placed by a maste r su rveyor.A fte r stopp i ng at C recy , where Edward the B lack Pr i nce"

won the feathers more than fi ve cen tu ri es ago , that“Al be rt

t he presen t Pri nce con ti n ues to wea r ; and at Am iens, the

pri nc i pa l town o f Pica rdy , and famous fo r th e t reaty heres igned w h ich placed the E ngl is h and F renc h once moreu pon am icabl e ground . and fo r the s ignal v ictory an d subseq uen t possession o f the German forces i n the a u t um n o fl S

’

iO—we dashed on to Pari s . As we approach ed th e g reatcap ital the fan tas tic mode o f t r imm i ng and tra i n i ng thetrees

,and a rt i st ic dev ices of the vegetable garden s g reatly

i mpressed me.A h l Paris l Dash i ng, danc ing, daz z ling, insoucio nt Paris.

I came u pon yo u j u st as the even i ng A ngel us was ch im ingforth i ts sweet and solem n melo dy . Y o u looked l i ke anew ly-a rrayed br ide, whose snowy garmen ts were yet no .

so i led,whose sp i r i t was yet u ncrushed by the ca res of

added years and sorrows,wh i le the s i n k i ng su n h u ng i n a

ha lo of bu rn i shed gold ove r you r brow lThe l i tt le co itu res de p lace w i th cocher , i n cr im so n vest

and b l ack sh i ny o i l c loth ha t , were fly i ng over th e c lean lyswept st reets l i ke so many fire-fli es. The great w h i tehote l s were joyous w i th t he spark l e o f l i fe. The gaybou levard s were shaded by tall, wav i ng t rees and fi l ledw i th pleasu re-seekers . A l l al ong th e s idewal ks and i n fron tof the cafes were cl u ste rs o f l i ttl e i ron tables and cha i rs ,and knots of happy care-free people chatti ng and s i pp i n g

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138 c'

rcans AND PORTRA ITS

Maintenon , De Stae l , Roland , Recam ier, Jeanne d ’Arc,Antoi ne tte , Joseph i ne, Eugen ie, and a l l the l i tera ry and

socia l l igh ts that h ave i l l um i ned the brigh t capita l , to mys i x t h-sto ry chamber

,look ing ou t u pon th at panorama in

bronze o f the v ictories of the Lieu tenan t of A rtille ry”

the Col umn Vendome—I came to s l eep away my firs t n ighti n the Wh i te C i ty .

L E T T E R X X X .

John Bull fo r pastime took a prance,Some time ago to peep at France,To talk o f sc iences and arts,

And know ledge gained in fo reign parts.Monsieur. o bsequ ious, heard him speak,And answ ered John in heathen Greek ,To all he asked

’l,o ut all he saw ,

"I‘

was, Monsieur, J e vou s n’entands pas.

Pam8 , Apri l , 1878.

I CANNOT recon c i l e myse l f to the F rench man ’s idea of

an ari stocrat ic fifth o r s ix t h-story chamber. I t is cons id

c red decided ly pl ebeian to occu py apartments on the g ro u nddoo r o r the entreso l ; these are excl u s ively fo r servants.The pr emier étage o f the French dom ici l e i s i n rea l i ty ou rt h i rd-s to ry , and when I ri se in the morn i n g and gazeth rough o r over the jal ou s ies of my elevated w i ndow

,upon

the pygmian horses and cart s , and s u rg i ng popu lat i ondwarl

'

ed by the height—a sen se o f d i s tress , and pove rty ,and co nfi nement as i n an old tower

,comes over me. I can

sympath i z e w i th , no t sat iriz c , the li t tle v i l lage-gi rl , w hotrave l led to Paris i n searc h o f the rec rean t lover

,W hom

she had hea rd was i l l , and w h i l e moun ting five o r six pa i rso f sta i rs , excla i med , M o n D ie u , how poor he m us t be l”

bu t flung Open the door o f his salon to meet a b laze o f

l igh t and go l d and fresco ; A ubusson rugs , and lace , anddamask hang ings ; th e spark le o f cham pagne , the heavyaro ma o f sweet pe rfumes , and the laugh ter o f women. I t

is eve r so here ; pa lat ia l pa r l o rs nex t the roof : all verybeau ti fu l and bew i lderi ng when yo u reach the sky

-c ham

or FOREIGN m av en. 139

he rs ; bu t the jou rney is ted ious, an d there i s no Americane levator.The re is a rare sweetness i n the ai r of Pari s , a rad iance

i ndeed so d ifferen t from London , that I fee l al ready athome in its broad s treets, br igh t soc iety, and happy i nd ust r ies. I so glad ly m i ss the constan t fog, that has cl u nga bou t me fo r the pas t th ree mon th s i n the great Englishc i ty like a wet garmen t. I l i ke the u tter abandon of manner

,and the hol iday appea rance of the m u l t i t udes w ho s i t

al ong the bou l evard s and aven ues s i ppi ng the i r s in ordin

a z’

re,cafe noir , or absi n the , or eati ng al ette,—a c ri sp ,

flaky piece o f pie-crust,made as on ly the ranch can make

pat i sseri e. I l i ke the popu lar pass ion for strol l i ng alongthe h ighways

,and I jo i n the l egion o f fl aneurs , as they

are cal led , to sa u n te r along the Bou levards des I ta l i ens,Haussmann

,des Capuci nes

,Mon tmart re

,and i n the Rue

de la Pai x,to gaze i n the w ide-awake shops ; every shOp a

show , and eve ry show a new i n ven t ion from an odd gameto a cheap d ress , from a figu re that tal ks to a toy fu l l oft u nes ; from a game that te lls fortu nes to a watch that i s abaromete r ; from a cane that i s an umbre l l a , to a portmantea u that w i l l k i l l th e robbe r w ho wou ld stea l i t . I l ike tosee the bare-heade d, b l ue-b lou sed workmen , the wh i tecapped beam s and the bab ies , the j eans fills o f the m idd lec lass , who n ever don s a bon net , bu t en h ances the beau ty ofher pretty face and large l iq u id eyes by coquett i sh ly wea ring Alsac iau bows of black ve l ve t the paper-capped cookso f the cafes

,the gamins sp i n n i ng the i r tops , and the gay

booths w i t h thei r flaunting ex h i bi t ion s . I t i s al l so joyous,jo l ly

,and j ubi lan t. A w i l d scene w i thou t i n tox ica t ion , a

satu rn al ia w i thou t open sin, a reve l ry that st im u la tes . Thepopu lat ion has the a ppearance o f ou r fel low-cou n t rymen

,

and one though t i s ever pa ramou n t,

’t i s so l i ke home.A long the new A ven ue de l’Opera t he dazzl i ng facades o ft h e s i x and sevens to ry wh i te ed i fices s tareane al most tobl i nd ness . They are j us t from the art i san

’s hand , yet theex te riors are scarcely wh i te r than the ate l iers an d hotel st ha t have braved the elements many yea rs

, so brigh t andpu re i s the cl i mate . Row after row o f these magn ificen tnew st ructu res have l a rge placard s i n the w i ndows bea ri ngt he words “6 loner .

” A young gen t leman i n o u r ci rcle,

who possess es a rather l i m i ted know le dge o f the Gal l i ctongu e , asked me what “

(i louer ” (al l u re) mean t ? 1 re

p lie d, w ith s u rpri se ,“a l l u re you su re ly u nderstand th e

word , to decoy , en tice, begu i l e ; no t rea l iz i ng my frie nd

140 excr ua z s AND Poaraarrs

was read i ng the F rench si gn ,“to ren t ,” wi th h is Engl is h

tongue , and h i s reply was , “What an odd way theseF rench have o f word i ng the i r s igns .

” Poo r fel low l he nowbe l ieves that the la nd lords of the A ven ue de l'Opera i nten dto decoy te nan ts i n to thei r p roperty by fai r mean s or fou l .The Bou leva rds des I ta l ie n s i s a banq uet for the eyes , th eea rs

,the pal ate

,and the memory

,i n i ts bazars o f eon-fee

tions,bijou te ri e , and d isplay of D isderi photography ; i n i t s

Grand Ope ra , Theatre Cleverman, Theat re des Fan tasiesPari s i en nes, the O pe ra Com iq ue, and Theatre I ta l i en ; inits ep icu rean cafés , as the famous Ma ison-Dorée , CafeRestau rant To rton i , Cafe Card i nal and R iche ; and i ts eve rva ry i ng , never-ceasi ng flow of l i fe

,i n to the Bou l evards

Mon tmartre ; here we pas sed the Theatre des Varieties,and l paused to read the playbi l l s u pon the boards. Icatch the name of J ud ie

,and at once I dete rm i n e to st r oll

i n to th i s pl ay house some even i ng soo n to hear and see thefa i r

,fat Fre nch woman , o f whom we A me ri cans have read

so m uch , and whose photographs are float i ng th rough theU n i ted States i n shoa ls. Righ t and left are sybari t icres tau ran ts and oafés ; cafes occupy i ng the uppe r storieso f theatres and bazars ; and so on and on we wanderth rough the changefu l kal e idoscope , un ti l the pri n ce lyestabl ishmen ts degenerate i n to eati ng-houses o r bou i l l ies ,t he ope ra-house i n to ci rcu ses and third c lass shows , thec o itu res are few and pedestr ian s seldom

,and we fi nd ou r

se lves Upon the ve ry con fines o f the to wn . I n th i s quarl i

‘

er we c ame u pon the C h u rch of Notre Dame de Lo rette,a place of wors h i p ce lebrated fo r i ts i n terio r s umptuousdecorations, an imated and i ner t. Th i s h igh ly art i st ictempl e i s cons i dered o ne of the cu rios i ti es o f Par is , becau se i t i s s u sta i ned and fro ueu ted by an ar i stoc ratic an drathe r amb iguous s is te rhood assum ing “a v i rtue i f theyhave i t not

,whose beauty i s splendor

, a nd whose to i le tsare regal ; as a fratern i ty they wear the name " l oret tes"

from the orato ry i n wh ich they pray ; if pray they everdo ! I t seems the i r on ly object in assemb l i ng in the sanetou ry i s to fan the flame o f envy i n each other

’s degeneratehear ts

,by the prod igal i ty and an t ic i pated ri val ry of cos

t ome . and seek expiation of the i r s i n s th rough the me di u mo f the i r tarn ished gol d d ropped i n to the boils pour !as

pau nres .

To hall a fly and ride back th rough the h igh ways we hadt rodden , gave us anothe r d a z z l i ng effect o f the scen es inthe change l

'

ul d rama. The c i ty appeared to be arrayed in

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148 P ICTURES A ND Poa'

raarrs

was'

an easy st rol l al ong the Rue R i vol i homewards,u nder

th e sta rs , yet eve ry0 rood of ou r progress was made ins truc~

t i ve by some rare novel ty and by the su rgi ng mass fro mthe French prov i nces and the great towns o f the E u ropeanCon ti nen t , ce n tri ng here to be presen t at the open i ng of

the Exh ibi t i on Universalle to-morrow .

L E T T E R X X X I .

Ring o u t false pride in place and blood ,The civic slander and the spi teRi ng in the love o f truth and right,Ring i n the common love o f Good l

"

Taaavson.

Pam s, May, 1878 .

IT i s pas t m id n igh t , and sti l l the sh uffl e o f feet, the h umo f vo ices , the shou ts of the revel le rs, and the stra i ns of theMarse i l l a i se

,

” are hear d in th e broad and bri l l i an t s t reetbelow , as I s i t i n my u ppe r chamber attemp t i ng to organ i z ethe impress ion s of the Expos i t ion—to day ’s wonderfulpagean t o f wea l th , nobi l i ty , and popu la r en th usi asmbe fo re the memory i s d immed by other s plendors .Yeste r day mo rn i ng w hen I wal ked th rough the u n tin

ished templ e of art and i n d ustry , legions o f mec han i cs ,and decorators

,and labore rs were busy i n the work o f

complet ion , or at l east s t r i v i ng to red uce the balls fromthe i r presen t state o f anarc hy to a cond i t ion s u i tabl e fo rthe recept ion of pr i nces and poten tates. We waded th roughan ocean of debri s

,the dust of sweepe rs

,the sh av i ngs and

sh i n gles o f sawyers , and the v ibrat ion of hammers , to th eE ng l i s h Depa rtmen t

,wh ich , u nder the master-hand o f P .

Cunlifl‘

e Owen , C .B.,w ho is Secretary o f the Royal Com

m iss ion , al ready wears a garb o f completenes s , wh i le her su rrou nd i ng compan ion s are st i l l c rude and u nfin i sh ed . Howth is vast bu i ld i ng was ever to be t ra nsformed from chao sto order by the morrow I cou ld n ot define. A ft e r v i s i t i ngGeneral M cCo rmick i n h i s p r i vate sanct um

,we met i n the

A merican sect ion J ohn Russel l You ng, the compan ion andd ia ri st o f Gene ral G ran t, Hen ry Pett i t, the en th usias tican d etflc ient d raugh tsman of the American B u i ld ings , and

os rom an m aven. 1 43

Mons ignore Cape l , the hero of Lolha t‘

r, who has rece i ved

an apotheos i s from the London females , whose heads andhearts he sways by his priest ly eloquen ce. He has th eport ly d ist i nc t ion of a ch u rchman and the su btle e leganceof a cou rt ier . A man who comprehends the secre ts ofw i n n i ng vol u ntary con cess ion from al l he add ressessocial ly or profess ional ly—I had l onged to see i n h i spu l p i t i n London . H is vi l l a , no t fa r from the confines o ft he great ci ty

,the former residence o f the comed ian

So thern,a real ly bo ro nial estate , now has changed from

the Sybari t ic home o f the pl ayer to the sanctuary of thep rel ate.I w i l l n e i ther compare nor cri t ic ize the F rench nati ona l

d i splays now . Such a proceed i ng wou l d be a gross injust ice , and when I do speak o f them , i f I am not the mosti m pa rt ia l j udge

,forgi ve me and remembe r that al l my

opi n ion s are b i as sed by one fact : I am an American’

, and

l i ved i n Ph i ladel ph i a d u ri ng the i ncomparable Cen ten n ialExh i bi t i on of 1876. But i n pass i ng , I may say the ex te

r io r of the palaces on the Cham ps dc Mars are a rt istic andshowy w i thou t be i ng flaunt ing ; gay w i thou t bei ng gaudy ;o rn ate and chaste even i n the combi nat ion of rude , ruddyfresco

,and facades o f v i v id wooden fre twork , and co lored

g lass,s us ta i ned by robust ca rya t ides of the nat ions over

w hose heads float the standard s and streamers o f the i r respec t ive l ands. Whatever a Frenchman touches seems to bema de grace fu l . What h i s work lacks o f pomp and poten cy

,

i t possesse s i n del icacy and pu ri ty ; so i t i s w i t h the tem plesnes tl ed on the left bank o f the Se i ne

,aga i n st the grassy

s lopes of A uteu i l and Passy . Sti l l an emotion o f sad nessth ri ll s me as I med i tate u pon the u n fi n i shed struct u res ;such utte r i ncompleteness seems to presage fai lu re to theexh i b i t ion o f the repu bl ican s , and a stim u lan t to the hopes

.o f the I m peria l i sts and Bou rbon s of th e Fau bou rg St .Germa i n , who wan t i t to fa i l . The ci ty i s overflowi ngw i th st rangers , and hotel an d café prices are proportionately extort ionate .

When I rose th i s morni ng there was a rustl e and bustl eo f busy l i fe i n the Place Vendome, i n the Rue St. Hono ré,in the Rue de Ri vo l i ; and as far as my eye cou ld reach

,

o r t he ear catch a sou nd , there were ev iden ces o f p leasu reben t th rongs i n the mot ley concou rse o f ped estri an s

,the

i n ces san t beat o f horses ’ hoofs , and the wh i rl o f whee ls .O f cou rse eve ry one was go ing towards the C hamp deM ars ; those who we re fo rtu nate enough to possess c reden

14 4 PICTURES AND Poa'

raarrs

t ials of adm i ttance to roya l ty wou l d cross the Pon t deJena , and be ensconced under the pe r isty le of the Trocadé ro

,or at o ne o f the u pper w i ndows of the Exh i bi t ion

B u i ld i ng, wh i le the m i l l i on s o f the democracy wou ld c rowdthe h ighways and aven ues , not k now i ng o r cari ng so m uchfo r the pri n ces or the pagean t ry as to m i ngle i n and swellt he popu l ace . The day dawned fai r ly

,bu t the su n wo re

u pon h i s face a s u l t ry sm i l e o f treachery,and though we

s ta rted i n a bu rs t o f brigh tness fo r t he i nstal l at ion,by

so l emn and po l i t i cal r i tua l o f the fi rst i nd ustr ial,soc i al,

and nat i onal even t u nder th e republ ican regime, before wehad crossed the Pon t de l a Concorde, natu re was a rd uonely stri v i ng to d rown eve ry hope and aspi rat ion o f then ew governmen t. The s i tu ation o f those poor del udedmo rta ls i n the open voilu res and cabriolets—I was one o f

the damp,d rizz l ed sta rs compri si ng th i s ga laxy—was d is

mal and despe rate to the last degree wh i l e heaven ’s bl essi ngs were descend i ng in a watery superflu ity. Though mymood was no t am iab le

,I d id no t i ndu lge i t to the to p of

i ts ben t ; the re were“ so many no t any worse, and st i l l so

m uch worse o fl‘

than myse l f. H und red s of new ly d ressed ,fash ionably-d res sed , and ex pen s i ve ly-d ressed da ugh ters o fE ve waded t h rough lakes o f m ud and m i re

,u n t i l s ta rched

sk i rts and lofty ex pec tat ion s w i l ted away togethe r.A fter wai ti ng one and a hal f o r two hou rs i n the Ameri

can sect ion I hea rd a flou ri sh o f t rumpets and roll o f d ru ms,

wh ich an nounced the approach o f the corlége. The timepas sed i n an ti c i pat i ng the monarch ica l and m i l i tary d isplaywas not ca lcu l ated to promote good tem per. F ron t sta l lsat the w i ndows were at a prem i um and unsat i s fac tory ; i fyou attempted to reta i n one afte r secu ri ng i t , some i nd iv i d ual of inefl

'

able avoirdupois re sted a port ion o f h i s bu rden u pon you r shou lders

,al thoug h h is own were broader ;

if a ga l lan t—see i ng you r d iscomfort—ofl’

ered you a chai r,

you r grat i tude was q u ick in al l save the acceptance ; toabandon you r post was to make a vol u n tary and pe rmane n tcons ignmen t to the too sol i d enemy , an d so med i tat i ng yo uconcl uded to rather “hea r t he i l l s you had than fly toothers that yo u knew no t of.”

A ll arou nd there was a clatter and chatter o f French ;th e Americans were few , and seemed h ushed i n to u t ters i lence by the Gal l i c gabb le . From the Trocadéro

,over

the Pon t de Jéna, sancti fied i n the bapt ism of angel s’ tea rs ,

came the P rin ce of Wales , brigh t sc ion of the hou se o fHanover

,fai r

,fat

,and not yet forty . As he passed the

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146 mor on s awn murmu rs

A s tw i l igh t u n fu rl ed her dark cu rtai n s, bu sy hands andbrave hearts were act i vely engaged i n the labo r o f deco rat ion . The facades of all the pub l i c bu i l d i ngs and even thech u rch es were ablaze w i t h patriot i c dev i ces i n co l o red l igh ts ,and ban ners and pen non s floated from every w i ndow . The

great lamps i n the colon nades , the l igh ts of the Tu i le r i es ,the s tars i n t he dark , clear heaven s, had tran sfo rmed the

w h i te m acadam ized road of the Rue de RIVU ll i n to a seaof brigh tness . Th rough i t pou red a mass of happy

,free

peopl e from the R ue St . A n toi ne . Were i t not fo r thewei rd ru i n s o f the pa lace sta ri ng at us l i ke a spec tre , wewou ld be pro ne to forget ton igh t that seven y ears ago thesame popu lac e rushed th rough the same h ighway

,fiends

and petro leuses , sow ing the seeds o f sed i t ion,and s i n

,and

deso lat ion i n the i r pa thway . The Champs E lysees thatwe re then a charred and b l ackened desert a re now brigh tw i th the glory o f a new repu b l i c . There i s no sad reg retfo r the fate o f the fa i r A u s tr ian , Ma rie A n to i ne tte , i n thePlace de l a Concorde to-n igh t. Every wal l , rampa rt, an dbridge i s bathed in a phospho rescence of splendor and pride,and “L iber té, E gali té, ct Fraterm

’

lé,

” sh i ne n ot i n bl oodbu t i n fi re. To-n igh t th e memory o f w retched cr i mes

,

fru it l ess prayers , and the gu i l lot i ne , i s dead in the P lacede l a Bast i le . '

l he rad ian t Pala i s de l ’I nd u s t r ie,the head

q uaners of the'

l eu ton ic enemy seven years ago , to-n igh tshed s a free French l u s tre over the E lysee , and al l t he RueRoyal e is daz z l i ng in the h a lo o f the Made le ine.

The. n igh t has been a deserved compen sa tion for the d i sma l i ncidents o f the day to the acto rs and spectators at theExpos i t i on . I had read o f a Pari s popu lace ; I had stud iedthe Cen ten n ial i n 1876 , whe n Ph i l ade l ph ia was del uged byst rangers ; I had been the th rongs o f to day

,bu t had formed

no idea of the s igh t after tw i l igh t on t h is fi rst o f M ay i nthe French capi tal . I t was al l so w i ld and tum u l t uous ; Iwas the atom o f the poet and th is was rea l ly

“Ocean i nto tempest inst,To waft a feathe r and to drown a fly.

I was less than a feathe r or a fly , and i n the heed l esswh i rl was bo rne along l ike a cloud before a grea t s torm.

I t was a fan tast ic, tu rbu len t satu rna l i a. Yet the re was astrange sen se of safety i n the de l i r ious mas s ; al l wereh appy

,and no one was i n tox icated by l iq uor . The ho rses

were d ri ven to one si de, and the g l ad people fi l led thebroad bou levard s w i th song, and shou t

,and hymn

,and

or seamen ma ven. 147

chorus,un t i l I caugh t the con tagion o f the i r ecs tasy.

The re was a pause , an eddy i n the g reat d ri v i ng cu rren t o ft he g reat h uman sea , formed by a side-way i n a w ide aven ue ,a nd l flo ated i n to i t toward my home . I had seen and

h ea rd enough to u nderstand i t a l l . The F rench were en

j oy ing the fi rst real sen se o f the i r l i berty i n a long l apse o fyea rs

,and I d id not marvel tha t the welcome d raugh t had

tempora ri ly s tol en away the i r senses.

L E T T E R X X X I I .

The French have taste in all they do ,W h ile we are q ui te wi thou t

For Nature that to them gave post,To us gave only gout.”

E nem a.

Pant s, May, 1878 .

I ROBE early th i s morn i ng to watch the ci ty u ndergo thec lean si ng process. The buckets

,and tu bs

,and pans of

o ffa l we re arranged as primly a long the cu rbs as vases upona pa rlo r man te l . The re was noth i ng sloven ly o r repu l s i vein the s ight , even of the garbage. The pass ion fo r arti st icand artificia l effect i s i n na te w i t h the F rench , and i t i s apparen t ih the m i n u tes t affa i rs . The chzf onnier and h i sw i fe were al ready at wonk u nder my w i ndow

,rak i ng

amongst d ust-heaps i n the st ree t and ashes and refuse upont he pavemen t. Someti mes t hey wou l d l igh t ly toss thecon ten ts of barre l s o r bo xes wi th the i r long forks—genera l ly a ben t w i re o r na i l i n the end o f a sti ck—and turnaway w i th an express ion of d i sgus t and d isappo i n tmen t

,

fai l i ng i n thei r search fo r prizes. O ve r the next pai l theywou ld l i nge r , an d d i ve deepe r and deeper a t each eff ort .Some of these heaps o f debr is were ver i tabl e olla podr idasy ie ld i ng crum pl ed pape r-bags, o l d rags , pieces o f coal , d i rtys t r i ngs , bones i n n umerable , sta le p ieces o f bread , and nestso f snarly hai r , wh ich they t ucke d away w i th grea t cau t iona n d class ificat ion i n to the several pockets o f the long

,

na rrow , l eathern sack hangi ng upon the l e ft arm . Thero l l s of hai r, however d usty and tangled and i n te rwovent hey m igh t be w i th other matte r

,whether from the mou l t

1 48 PICTURE S arm Poa'raarrs

ing o f mist ress or maid, cou n tes s or cook , blonds or bru

nette,we re s pec ia l boo ty . These locks rescued from po l

lu t ion are sold to the m zf eu r,and afte r pass i ng th ro ug h

h i s pu r i fy i ng hands agai n ado rn the heads of us poo r , unsuspecting females i n pu ffs , waves , crim ps , and fri zzle s.Then as the wagon s came a long to cart away the res id u um,

and the water was tu rned on at every co rner, r u n n i n gth rough the gu tters as p u re and l i mpid as a mou n tainspri ng , the weary eh zfi onnier sat down upon the cu rhs to ne

to take h i s b reak fast of black bread or to gnaw a sparebone

,pe rhaps from the spoi l s o f h i s mo rn i ng ramble.

G rou ps of mechan i cs we re sh uffl i ng th rough the stree tsnow

, and fair Par is greeted them i n her fresh ly-madeto i let.I n s ide the toi l o f t he day had al so begu n . How d iffer

en t an d how much more ard uous a re the tasks o f theseforei gn servan ts compared w i t h the labor o f o ur domestiq u esat home ! Yet here they a re al l a ppa ren t l y h appy , wh i lein America the same classes joi n i n a uni versal choru s ofd i ssat i sfact ion . J eanne , ou r nea t l i tt le femme de chambre

,

to ld me yes te rday—her spa re Engl i sh aided by my l i m i tedF rench—she had the care o f s i xty chambers , al l of thesecon ta i n i ng one or more beds , and tha t the hot and coldwater fo r t hese apa rtmen ts has to be carri ed over manypai rs of sta i rs

,and th rough many corridors , as they h ave

no t the America n accesso ries of stat ionary washstand s ;and poor Jean ne ’s remune rat ion i s no t more than fifteenor e igh teen francs a mon th . True Jean ne rece i ves manyfrancs from the lad ies and gen t l emen w hose chambe rs shear ranges

,bu t does i t com pen sate fo r the weary l i mbs an d

ach i ng head when the clock tol l s e leven at n ight ? A ndeven then Jean ne i s st i l l s low ly d ragging ti n pa i l s of wate ru pstai rs. A s I l i stened to the poor gi rl ’s st ory , and markedher am iab l e natu re and i nb orn cou rtesy , my heart swel ledi n sympathy . Th i nk i ng of he r so rrow fu l lo t my memorytook a fly i ng trip to my tran sat l an tic home , w he re my maidh as the i n suppo rtab l e respon s i bi l i ty of one bed-c h ambe rres t i ng u pon her each day

,and other housework o f a l igh t

cha racte r,w i th nameless p ri v i leges , and th ree dol l a rs per

week ; yet she freq uen tly d isplays the cl oven foot at theweigh t o f her bu rden. As t hese con tras ti ng p ict u respassed before my v is ion , I exc lai med , You have t o o muchw ork for one pai r o f hands. I t i s far wo rse than the

d rudgery o f a s lave. Yo u shou ld appea l to you r employerfo r an ass is tan t.” I t was the fi rst t ime I had ever sow n

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150 PICT URES AND poaraa rrs

con t rast the p ict u re forms to the great E ngl i sh metmpolis,w he re ebriety an d mend ici ty are w ri t ten by a sha rp sty l usupon at l east one hal f the faces we meet ! A n eq ua l ly appa ren t fact is th e extreme neatness of the F rench wom en ;however meagre the d ress, i t i s a l ways nea tly wo rn , andthe hai r

,i f n ot el aborate, eve r tas tefu l ly ar ranged ; no t so

the females on the othe r s ide of the C hannel .On my way I passed many noble homes, whe re the grea t

wooden gates close ou t th e eyes o f the r u de, i nq u is i tiveworld from the flower i ng parad i se of the cou rtyard

, o f

w h ich I caugh t an occas ional gl i mpse as a servan t wou ldpass

,o r a manq u ise en ter he r carr iage. A t lengt h I reac hed

a stately bu i ld i ng, bea ri ng the n umbe r I sough t ; d i rec tedto the fou rth s tory by the concierge , I asc ended and fo undmysel f i n regal apartmen ts , spa rk l i ng i n gi l t , frescoes ,m i rrors , and laces. A n in fin i ty o f co nfections were u ponexh ib i t ion

,and though t hei r constru ct i on j usti fied th e

p ri ces,t hey exceeded what I was able to pay. No bon ne t

fo r l ess th an twel ve do l l ars,and many fo r twen ty

-fi ve,and I shou l d have tu rned away had i t no t been fo r th ecou rtesy o f the accompl i shed sa les l ad ies. I may app l ythe word l ad ies” i n its eve ry acceptation ; i n man ner , inappearan ce , and i n ed ucat ion . Both handsome, the yo u n ge rpast you th , the elder had c rossed the merid i an of l i fe, an dyet e i the r wou ld have “shaken the sa i n tsh i p of an ancho ri te” by the i r s u btl e grace

,and l iq u i d voice and tal k ing

eyes ; and so they succeeded in se l l i ng me a bon net. Howcou ld I res is t the i n fl uence of two such sed ucti ve flat terersand l ia rs ? They compel l ed me to be seated before a m i r ro r

,

and one bon net after another adorned my pate ; fo r “shewas qu i te su re she cou ld su i t madame. I f o ne was too

cost ly there was another, hangi ng u pon the nex t peg, j u stas beau t i fu l

,fo r e igh teen francs l ess . If madame d id no t

l i ke th e rouge , madame sho u ld see hersel f i n the d eloblcu ;i t was j us t m adame’s co lor , but th en madame was so eas i lyruffl ed : madame was—ab ! si lrés belle i n any th i ng an dthen these two handsome, crafty fema les i nd u lged i n a d isso rt at ion i n the i r o wn tbngue , la rgely inter larde d w i t hE ngl i sh , upon my construct i ve attract ion s . Th i s l ast coupd’état cl i n ched the bargai n . The nex t madame” whopu rchase d a mo re ex pens i ve arti cl e wou ld be sti l l morebeau t i fu l , an d wou ld u ndoubted ly hear her charms ex to l ledi n s t i l l more w i n n i ng tones. Sti l l I adm i re the sh rewdph i losophy of these people ; i t made us a l l happy ; theysold the i r merchand ise ; I wen t away i n a sta te of bea titude , i n be i ng compared to flowers

,and angels

,and s u n»

OF FORE IGN TRAVEL .

beams , the calm ness o f moon l igh t,and the sparkl e of

champagne,wh ich wou ld not have been the case had d is

obl igi ng attendan ts shown an i nd ispos i tion to d i sp laygoods

,say i ng

,“Madame, we have noth i ng t hat wou ld be

come you .

” A nd as I passed away toward s the bookshop,

my med i tat ions were u pon the cruel fasc i nat ions o f theseF rench women . Wi th me the i r i nfl uence had been potent ia l ; what wou l d s uch sway be wi th t he opposi te sex ? I

co u ld fi nd l i ttl e cen s u re fo r one w ho y ielded to the spel l ,whether exerc i sed fo r good or evi l .The l i teratu re o f the gay c i ty i s a marvel . I t abou nds

in s uch a variety , that even a woman w i th an i n fi rm i ty fo rd ress and ornamen tation

,i s sta rt led at the mas s o f engrav

ing and pr i n t i ng fo r sal e and show . Here, at least, yo u

h ave what i s not to he fou nd i n London . There the l i te raryd epo ts a re i n the ra i l way stat ions ; here books, pape rs , audperi od ical s fill the w i ndows and k iosks on the Bou leva rd si n a l l l angu ages and for every nat ion . A t Madame M iche l ’s

,

on the pao é of the G rand Hote l , I fi nd French , I ta l ian ,German

,Du tch

,and even G reek

,Tu rk ish

,and Ch i nese

l i te rat u re People of a l l these nationa l i t ies flock here tob uy and read the peri od ica ls i n the i r vernacu l ar. Of cou rsethe French predom inates . I n com ic jou rnal i sm and cari cat u res the French excel . We had an example o f them as

p rin ters and scu l pto rs at ou r Cen ten n ia l Exh i bi tion . B u tn ow I pause b r iefly u pon the F rench gin: of pr i n ted sa t i re.E verybody is r id ic u led ; no one i s sacred o r saved from the

me rci less w i t and scath i ng l am poon of their savage jokes.W i th a dash of the penci l they transfo rm the most ser iouss ta tesman i n to a cl own . Mademo i se l le Sara Bern hard t’sw i l lowy figu re i s tu rned i n to a tra i l o f smoke ; the figh t i n gC assagnac con verted i n to a h uge pistol ; Victor H ugo, ady i ng l ion , gaz i ng upon the setti ng su n ; Marsha l Mac

M ahon,scow l i ng i n a gigan tic moustache ; Gam betta , in

k i ngly robes ; Pope Leo X I I I , i n eve ry concei t o f honorabl e d i sgu i se ; Joh n Bu ll, i n as many shapes as h i s pecu l i a rhabi ts may suggest ; Brother Jonathan , i n a l l descri pt ion so f s ta rs and s t r i pes ; and the wo rl d

’s ca talogue o f po l i t ic ians , sol d iers , actors , priests ,

“

and cel ebri t i es of al l vocat ion s. And as I overhau led the photograph s o f l i v i ng anddead heroes in the shops on t he Rue de Ri vol i

,my arden t

des i re was to make a col l ec t ion . I looked , and looked ,and was dazed by the end less profus ion o f famous faces invar ious gu ises ; bu t I tu rned away w it h saddened pu rposeI remembered my l im i ted spaces

,and finances

,and re

flee ted upon how m uch farthe r my jou rney was to extend .

152 PICTURES AND rosn am

L E T T E R X X X I I I .

Of the hearts that dai ly break,

Of the tears that ho url l‘al l ,Of the many , many tro n ice o f li fe,That grieve this earth] bal l

D isease and H unger, Pa n and Want,But now I d ream o f them all l"

Ho op .

Paw s, May, 1878 .

Howsv sn paradox ical i t may seem,the Ex pos i ti on U n i

v erselle i s the remotest magnet to the s t ranger i n Pa ris.The gay ci ty i s i tse l f an end less and un fad i ng m icroco sm icd ispl ay . O f ex h i bi tions we have had a satiety ; at l eas t,u n ti l a warran ta b le i n terva l has e la psed

,when we may

aga i n show ou r demon st rat i on s i n art , scienc e , and l i te ratu re , from the lofty pedes ta l of Progress , and when o u r

national and soc ia l de velopmen t has reached a h ighe r stateo f c i v i l i zat ion . We had an exh i b i t i on at Ph i l ade l ph ia

,of

wh ich th is one i s,w i th al l its splendo r

,a feeb le l et harg i c

t ran scri pt ; and we can have exh i b i t ion s i n every ci ty and

town of the two hem ispheres w h ich w i l l on ly be the copieso f a great archetype . But Paris—nat iona l , po l i t ica l , pec ul i ar

,and omm

'

um galherum Pari s—stands a lone,and can

on ly be enjoyed here ; and here there is such i nexhaus t i b leenjoyment that the “appeti te seems to grow w i t h w ha t i tfeed s u pon .

”

The exh i bi t ion palaces are st i l l d i sorde red and i n dishabille, wh i le Pa r i s i s ever i n gal a att i re. She i s al tern atelythe rai nbow

,the sto rm , the s u n sh i ne , the sta rl igh t , and t he

cyclone,and i n each of these phenomenal phases is en t ran

c ingly u n su rpassed .

I h ave endeavored i n vai n to retrospect th rough the

v i sta of cen t u ries , the ravages of pest i len ce and fam i n e,

the smoke o f arti l le ry , th e b loody sloughs o f battle,th e

flames o f comm u nes , and the devas tat ion o f revo l u tio n s,

and on the banks o f the Sei ne , recal l the mud h u ts of theI’arisii

,where now stand the nob le mon umen ts w h ich pe r

petuate the memo ry o f crime , commune , and conques t .Oh ! anc ien t Lutet ia, thy pri m i t i ve man t le d ropped be

fo re Cte sar’s sword,and was tramp led in to d ust by h i s

vanqu ish i ng hordes ; pu rged and pu ri fied by s ucces s i vedespoi le rs wert thou

,u n t i l n ow , not even an aroma of thy

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154 r tcr uas s AND Poaraarrs

emanates i n regu l ar pufl’

s from the i n ner s to ries and permeates the atmosphere. The fron t shops o f these hous esare al i ve w i th the trade o f energetic and s u ccessfu l ma r

chauds ; a cobb ler, a ti n sm i th , a blanchis seuse , or a res

taurant, whe re the mend con si sts of leeks, rad is he s, bo u illon, and bou illi, w i ne , and l iq ueu rs . These people are

a rd uously struggl i ng to make an honest,respectable liv

ing, so they may clothe an d ed ucate the i r ch i ld ren , andl i ft them o ut of the slough o f con tam ination . But w i l l t hefru i tion o f th ei r h umble

,pra i sewor thy aspi ra tions be rea l~

iz ed ? They are young now ; hope and ambi tion are l us tyw i th i n th em . The h uman buds a re bu rst i ng i n fas t s ucces s ion , but the soi l i s as toned w i th v i ru s ; the h u sband manmay choose the su n n iest , most san i ta ry spot in the en ti regarden

,but w i l l no t con tagion be con veyed , even u po n

angel s ’ w i ngs,i n t he breath of heaven

,and the l i m p id cu r

ren t o f v i rt ue , tu rned to irr igate and n u rtu re t he n ascen tplan t , w i l l gather t he v i ru lence o f the sea th rough w h ichit flows !Vice i s qu ick and v i rtue i s sl ow to become root-bou nd i n

the embryo procreated and n u rsed i n an atmosphe re ofcorru pt ion . The lesson s taught by example exert a morepoten t and permanen t au thor i ty tha n theoretical ones , andhere the ev i l example i s e ve r paramou n t.Often there i s seen a young woman carry i ng a bu nd le ,

perhaps a faded s i l k sk i rt,—an o ld woman wi t h a pi l low o r

bol s te r,or a man w i th a d i ngy m i rror iss u i ng from the

cou rtyard ; they do not stop to chat w i th the i r ne i ghborsu pon the corne rs

,bu t cas t s teal thy g lances r igh t and l eft

and h u r ry on . You wonder whe re they are go i n g ; the i rman ne r wh i spe rs that they are u pon some secret e rran dben t. They al l tu r n toward the northwes t ; you need notfo l l ow ; they a re al l t rac i ng the one pa th , to the Mon t-deP iété. i n the Rue de Parad i s da Temple. I t i s a c u riousestab l i shmen t

,bu t i s noth i ng more nor less than a vast

governmen t pawn brok i ng office, whose profi ts are devotedto the su pport o f char i table i nst i tu tions. I t seems an iacongruous project.A few steps farther i s the Marché d a Templ e, where

hu nd reds of th i s same popu lat ion a re congregated to overhau l and pe rhaps event ua l ly pu rch ase some of the sord id ,so i l ed , trumpery of th i s wonderfu l rag-fai r. They are t ru lythe vestments that T ime hlches away.

” Here,in one ia

compat ible mass,are t he cast o ff

or rou tes Ta iw an. 155

Purple, pri ncely gown ,Of high success ; or case, l ike robes o f downOr harsh denials. l ike the camel’s hai rThe Prophet wore ; or sable weeds o f rief °

Or smoo th whi te buria l robes o f last re lef.

A nd here the vocabu lary m o st l argely patron ized bearsa s i m i l i tude to the r i bald ry and v i tuperat ion o f London ’sB i l l i n gsgate . Such a v i ci n i ty

,of cou rse , i s im pre gn ated

by th ieves,grogs hops , dance-houses , gamb l i ng houses , yet

w hen I pass ed th rough i t was w i th a l order ly i n the ext reme.

From the Faubou rg St. An to i ne , ac ross th e Pon t d ’Au s.

terlitz , along th e promenade o f the Se i ne , I en tered theFaubou rg S t . Germai n , where the re ex is ts ano ther po pu lat i on t han the Ult ramo u tanists and Bou rbon s , wh ich i sm uch oftener seen th rong i ng the stree ts , and fi l l i ng theh igh ways w i th abo u t and revel ry . On the Rue Dauph i neand the Rue d u Bac, there sti l l reside the o fl

'

spring o f the

compan ion s o f Madames de Sta'

el and Recam ier, i t is t rue ;bu t come i n to the retreats of the st uden ts and gri sette ofth i s Quartier Latin

,where the a ri stocra t ic, conservati ve

i ncen se has evaporated though decorum i s preserved , an dyou w i l l a t once obse rve its resemb lance to the d ist r ict wehave j ust q u i t ted on the righ t o f the ri ver. There i s no tso much so rro wfu l , starv i ng poverty v is i b l e here ; the hyst reets are dark and the hou ses ta l l and d i ngy , bu t thest uden ts o f a rt and med ic i ne are fu l l of an i mat ion andjol l i ty

,swagge r i ng along, l i nked in each othe r

’s arms ; orstopping to take a gl ass o f w ine at the adj acen t cabaret

,

w here the accou n t i s o nly scored o ff once a month , whenthe sti pu lated a l lowance arri ves from the dot i ng paren tsi n the far-away prov i nces ; or goi ng toward the Odé ou o rone o f the c afe ga rdens , apparen tly happy by the s ide ofhis favori te gri set

te.The co ncert I had formed of th i s c lass o f females was a

va i n de l us ion . I had expected to see youth fu l,natty

,

spark l i ng coq uettes,whose vocation i t was to w i n k and

b l i n k,and wa ll. a sa l u te to every man whom fortu ne th rew

across thei r path ; I fou nd n eat, modest , con fi rmed , i nd us~t rio us women . not at a l l ca l cu lated to sway a man by thei rrav i sh i ng beau ty no r s ubtlety , bu t c reated and trai ned fo rgood housew i ves and v igi lan t mothe rs.The pictu res o f th is sect ion o f the ci ty were wei rd and

bizarre , bu t not d isagreeab l e . If the u n deve loped art i s t orembryo doctor was poo r

,and compe l led to lead a stud ious

156 n orm s a s» man u re

l i fe , and to sl eep up many pairs of stairs in a st udy backchamber

,they seemed to accept th e inevimbl

z tphfi o so ph i

c ally, and embrace the pl easan t op portu n i ties their l i ve sw i t h h u n ry zeal .The grr se ttes were t ranqu i l and con ten t.The fol iage i n the ga rd en of the L ux embo urg seems

forced i n its l u x u ri an ce fo r th i s early season ; the ligh tsflash from the summer thea tres

, and the orchest ras fill thea i r w ith melody.

I n a l i tt le gloomy sho p two women we re p icking rags ;they were handsome creatu res

,w i th fu l l w h i te th roat s,

from wh ich thei r d resses we re tu rne d back, and cr i m sonkerchie t

’

a were knotted ove r the i r bosoms ; my gaze andatu 'nt io u were arrested by these su pe rb an i ma l s , with t hedark l u m i nous eyes and weal th of sab l e h a i r, set i n the

engu l fing frame of fi l thy refuse ; and as I l i nge red one

fl ung he r l u sty l labad a rms abou t the other’a neck , andcaro used her w it a lover ’s arden t raptu re, u n t il the cheerl ess hole glowed w i th the fi re o f pass io n and you th . Tomy eyes i t was no l onger t he d is mal ho me o f the chifl

'

o a

mere, bu t a heaven—o r hell , God knows which —o f d eli rio us ecstasy.

I t was Satu rday n igh t when I passed th ro ugh thesescenes , and th is commun ity seemed res

Y

t in i n the i r orgiesto st i m u late them fo r t he morrow. e JS unday i s thegrand gal a day he re ; i t i s the day of fi

Y

o lic and fun, excurs ions i n to the s ubu rbs and w i ld sports in the c i ty.

A s I fe l l asl eep a fte r th i s ex pe rience, i t was w i t h th esereflec t ion s : what I aaw had i nstructed me ; it taugh t met he lesson of strife and sin ; bu t I was eage r fo r fu rthererud i t i on i n th is st ratum of soc iety. I n tu i t ion wa rn ed methat the re was m uch to be yet u n fo l ded . Bu t how toreach these fan tast ic marvel s of Pari s ian l i fe was the agitat i ng d isq u isitio n l My desi re grew i n to a passi on , andas l pondered

'

I became w roth w i th an imagina ry ty ran tw ho was thwart i ng my fool i s h w h im . Soon

,very soon

,

my sad fancy was abou t to be gratified,to my i n tense

sati sfact ion and d i sgust .The nex t even i ng

,Su nday , a company o f s i x set o ut to

v is i t the Cathed ral o f Notre Dame. We d ism issed cooker,

and appl ied for adm i ttance at the great en t ran ce of thewes te rn facade ; here we recei ved no an swer, and loath to

we appl ied at many other en trancesisl e o t

’

Se i n e w i thou t success . Weaim,

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158 n orm s AND Poa'

raarrs

a shel te red arbo r. But the aud ience d id not ca re fo r q u iet ,seq uestered ret rea ts ; they preferred to bask in the fu l lgla re of the gasl igh t

,and bacchanal ian revel . S loven ly

w ai ters were h u rry i ng by w i th l i tt l e carafi’

es o f cog nac .

A l l was w i ld and i ncohe ren t, bu t no one in a state of br u tishi n tox icati on .

Fo r a few momen ts we l i stened and l ooked at the fan~ .

i astic scene arou nd us. What we saw and w hat we heardI w i l l not t ranslate

,for

Into strange vagaries fell ,As they would dance. ”

Every featu re o f th is h uman menagerie was nauseat i ngin the l as t degree. Low , i m becil e men ; m ise rabl e , d i rtyw omen , marked by the fi nge r o f d i sease and w retched ness.There were no l aces

,no r pai n t, nor s ilk , no r jewel s , o r the

s t i m u l us of cham pagne to h ide the tarn i shed sou ls , thetattered repu tat i on , and the decayin bod ies of these poo rch i ld ren . But th ey dan ced

,—dan w ild ly

,as if i m pe l led

by a demo u iac po wer, not cari ng w hat, or w hen , o r ho w ,and I covered my eyes i n vo l u n tari ly and h u rried awayw i th more an xiety than I had shown importuni ty to come.

L E T T E R X X X I V.

When lovely woman stoops to fol ly,And finds too late that men betray,W hat charm can soothe her melancholy,W hat art can wash her gui l t away i"

Ou v aa Gow sm rn.

Pants, May, 1878.

WHEN last I opened my d ia ry i t was to ch ron icle the

horrors of the vast h uman menager ie of the Quartier La tin,w here I had seen the an imals i n the he ight of the i r sat u rnal i an sports on the Sabbath . I never had a preposses s ionfo r a c i rcus , a h i ppod rome , no r any o f the cu riosi ties ormonstros i t ies con ta i ned i n col lec t i on s o f w i ld beasts, suc has ed uca ted hogs ,—o r uned u cated ,—arm less gi rl s , dou bleh eaded babies

,bra i n less men , or hea rtl ess wome n . No ! I

w i l l no t mal ign so grossly my sex by apply i ng the ep i the tto the mongrel creatu res w ho fi l led the Jardin Bu llie r .

or row an mav en. 159

My experience i n t h i s b izar re spec ies had been l i m i tedu n ti l then , and though I do not regret the tri a l , as I favorthe study o f an imate and i ne rt nat u re i n al l i ts phases ,one ex perimen t con ten ted me

,and I shal l penetrate n o

deeper in to the revol ting subj ect .Agai n i t is S u nday n ight, and I come to speak o f the

beaut ies of the marve l lous ma rket of h uman i ty,the Ja rdin

Mabille.

Hush ! a lady fri end i s appal l ed becau se I sugges t thatwe shou ld t read t hes e forbidden paths . But w hy not ? Iq uery ; had we not the day preced i ng v i s i ted Les HallesCe ntra les

, and i n hal ed the i n cense o f the flower bazaar o fthe Madeleine ? Why shadow i n obscu r i ty the fac t thatwe enjoyed an d stud ied th i s g reates t, choi cest , and mostbew i tch i ng , yes, beau t i fu l , most beau t i fu l o f a ll,—themarket of h uman sou l s : the retreat of the nymph and theh a u n t of the s iby l ?J ust o ff the Champs E lysees i n the Aven ue Mon ta i gne

i s th i s em porium o f fash ionable v ice. Natu re and art h avel abored hand i n hand and hea rt to hea rt to transform th en u rse ry i n to a parad i se

,and i n ven t ion seems to h ave been

exhausted i n the construct ion o f grottos,groves, arbors ,

sequestered walks,and secret recesses. The rav i nes an d

cascades,gay pa rter res and gen t le s lopes, make an elys i u m .

F ive francs each we paid to en te r th i s heaven o f flowers,

flo nnces , and fu rbelows . We arr i ved ear ly , rather tooearly

,for though the angel s had t r i mmed and ligh ted

the i r l amps,and natu re ’s m usic i ans we re fi l l i ng every

n ook and wave o f a i r w i th swee t me lody,the candel abras

bord ering the cafe and the garlands of C h inese l an te rns festoo ned from branch to branch o f the trees, were on ly d im lybu rn i ng, and the orchest ra was s i len t i n the pav i l ion .

O u r ad vantage lay in t h is fact ; we had ample time toloi te r th rough the aven ues an d l i nger upo n the del ic iousfeat u res of the garden

,wh i le the fai r votaries o f fash ion and

pleasu re were st i l l employed don n i ng the rav ish i ng toi le tdes i gned to make the wearer's fortu ne , wh i le an n ih i l ati ngth at o f some othe r i l l-s tarred s is te r. The cafe i s qu i te asl arge and much resembl i ng Pro skau r's i n ou r Fai rmou n tPark. I n the cen tre of the garden i s a h igh ly deco ratedsem ic i rcu lar bu ild i ng fo r the accommodati on of the band

,

and abo u t th i s n ucl eu s cl u ste r females whose loftiest aspiration is to re l ieve a gen tl eman spec tator o f h i s hat by ani n t ricate flou ri sh o f the left toe

,wh i le execu ti ng the vaga

r ies o f the can-can.

160 prcruas s ann poaraarrs

W e fou nd a comfortable seat i n a rust i c alcov e, nea r themain entrance path

,whe re I cou ld obse rve all who en te red ,

and very m uch en te rtai ned was I by the dev ices p ract isedby the frai l beau ties .u pon thei r eq ual ly fa ith l ess p rey .

Occas ional ly a veritable o ld Darby and Joan cou ple fromone of the n ear p rov i nces wou l d pass th rough the gling th rong i n a state of bew i lde red adm i ra tion at all theyhea rd and saw , w i thou t hav ing the s l igh test co n ceptio n of

its meani n g. I t was better so ; you k now the o ld adage ,Where ignorance

,etc.” Had these good , u nsoph i sticated

peop le suspected the perversion of the banq uet, at w h ichthey were w i l l i ng guests, t hey wou l d have denied th emsel ves the otherw ise enchan t i ng t reat. Often times a cou nt ry bumpk in

,i n l oose shoes

,short t rowsers

,hands th r ust

in to the very extrem it ies of h is pockets,and mou th and

eyes w ide open,wou ld s tan d i n a stony att i t ude

, gaz i n gand marvell i ng at the splen dor o f these c rea tu res, whoseimages God had formed after his own

,and w hose sou ls

had been su ppl ied by Satan w i th the covenan t they shou l dretu rn to h im after the casket had fal len i n to decay. Therewere many sigh tsee rs from strange l ands l i ke ou rse l ves,and as the bri l l i an t bu tterfl i es floated and swarmed amongstt he flowers

,the l igh ts bu rn ed brigh ter, an d the tu n i ng of

ins trumen ts to ld the adven t of t he dan ce.The tide of strol le rs s topped , and by the laugh s, an d

applau se , and the shou ts o f the revel lers I knew that funand fro l ic were ru n ning r i ot. But I was loath to l eavemy l i tt l e retreat , though an x ious to w i tness the dance , ye td readed lest th e exh ibi t ion m igh t resemble the sad perfo rmance a week ago .

When I d id final ly move towards the citadel of del igh t,the ar ray of fash ion

,elegance

,extravagance

,and beau ty

that dazz led my eyes was such as I had never d reamed ,even i n the w i ldest fl igh ts o f fancy. The scene was , evento my woman

’s eye,more exqu is i te than any of the great

p i ctu re gal l er ies I had walked , though not q u i te so end u rai ng, and the fragrance exhaled by the female flowers waseq ua l ly sweet i f not so pu re as the bouquets of the marketo f the Madel aine.To see that most bewi l de r i ng of a l l dan ces , the can-can,

ex ecu ted by Pari si ans, i n Par is , and at the most a ri stocrat ic garden of i ts cl ass i n the wor ld

,wou ld i n deed be a

fantast i c sigh t for an Ameri can l ady , and the re were manythe re bes ides me. To procu re a posi t ion close to the ac to rsi n the farce was now al most i mposs i bl e

,as the major i ty of

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162 p ror uas s AND Poaraarrs

th i s meretri ciou s place, and that even i ts acolytes w i l l n o tdare to defend the example. But w hat puzz les me is t hatmany persons w ho i n Ph i l adel ph ia and New York wo u l drun away from places no better, and pl ay prude and pro .

cisian i f even asked to look i n a t a German theatre , o rconcert garden , or a brigh t sa t u rnal ia l ike G i l more

’s in New

York , come over to Par i s and bold ly pay flve francs fo r asigh t at the demamonde, who fl u tter t he i r s ta i ned l ives inthe doubtfu l penetra l ia, and walk the gl i tte ring dec l i nesthat lead down to i nev i tab le Hades. A nd these American J osephs and Clarisaas rarely go al one. They comei n c rowds . Sometimes the l ad ies vei l t hei r porcela i n faces ;sometimes th e men h ide th e i r piou s bl‘owB ; bu t mos t frequen tly they gather i n n u mbers , and when they retu r nhome they fold thei r h ands i n the i r l aps , and raise th ewh i tes o f thei r eyes to heaven , an d p ropi t iate offendedv i rtue by say i ng : “I t i s an awfu l p l ace , that J ardinMabille, and very naugh ty ; but we ,

wen t,l ike the res t o f

th e wo rld , jus t to see i t for once , so no t to have it saidt hat we were afra id to fol l ow the example of others.”

L E T T E R X X X V.

He was a scholar, and a ri pe and good one

Exceed ing wise, fai r spoken , and persuad i ngLo fty, and sour, to them that loved him not,But to those men who sought him, sweet as summer.”

Sau s srm as .

Pants, May, 1878.

A v sar warm and almost Ameri can summer day dec idedme to make several cal l s , an d retu rn se vera l v i s i ts , and asSunday sh i nes no Sabbath i n the French capi tal

,I d i d not

hesi ta te to u se the fi rst morn i ng i n the week to pay myrespects to an American fam i ly , whose home is o n the

beau ti fu l an d broad aven ue Joseph i ne. They had adoptedth e sen s ible pl an , and occu pied the floor above the entresol,an d as they had plen ty o f money and p len ty of opport u n i.ti es , they were enjoy i ng Pari s to the fu l l . A s we d re w thebe l l-hand l e towa rd s u s the great doors o f the cou rt flewback

, and the conciérge appeared at her l i ttl e window.

or mamas TRAVEL . 1 68

F rom her we obta in ed the d i rec tion of o u r fri end ’s apa rtmen ts

,and passed u p a spac io u s sta i rway o f po l i shed o ak

and wa l n u t. We were adm i tted to the an techamber by agen t leman of sable h ue, i mported from “the States” asspec ial valet dc chambre. The room was rather smal l andsq uare , con ta i n i ng on ly several carved-wal n ut chai rs and atab le, bu t t he floor gave ev idence of the ass id uous toi l ofthe f rotteu r . Here we left paraso l s , canes , bats , or anyother awkward appu rtenances by wh ich we m igh t be s neumbe red , befo re en te r i ng the grand 80 118 . O u r auspi c iou sbrot her of the F i fteen th A mendmen t u shered us i n to asalon , gar i sh i n i ts elaborate decorat i ons i n repou sé o f gi l tand wh i te and gaudy frescoes . Very few works o f artadorned the wal l s , except those pa i n ted i n the panel s bythe deft sk i l l of the ar t i st. The floor was covered by anex pensi ve Axm i nster ; fllmy l aces an d cr imson sat i n d rapedthe deep embras u res of the casemen t-wi ndows ; and eventhe door-frames were of ornate wooden fretwork ti n ted bydeli ca te pigmen ts and dazzl i ng i n gold leaf. I do notwonder th at the r i chest come here

,l i ke M r. and M rs .

Mackay , and other bonanza k i ngs,to revel i n these Old

World glor i es and to squander the i r easi ly earn ed m il l ion s,

and I am su re yo u w i l l fo rgi ve me when I say , h ad I beenequally fo rtu nate, I wou l d have fol lowed the i r example atleast fo r awh i le. There i s one t roubl e that wou ld no tbefal l me. No glare and n o novel ty wou ld ever a l ienatemy heart from my coun t ry . I t i s too true that manyA meri ca n s who come to Pari s on a short v i s i t soon growso much fasc i nated w i th th i s l u x u r io us capital

,and there

fore ou t o f hear t w i th thei r own ways at home , as to become regu lar habitués ; and t h i s appl ies no t on ly to thevery r ic h bu t to those who have very l i ttle money o f thei rown . There are cou n trywomen of m ine to day i n th i scostly c i ty

,women of i r reproachable repu tation s w i thal

,

who resort to every sort of exped ien t , and even at t imessubmi t to pr i va t ions sim ply that they may l i ve a Bohem ian ’s l ife among these agreeab l e strangers.A l though the day was warm

,the avenues were al ready

crowded w ith carr i ages das h i ng o u t to the Bo i s,and the

magn ificen t bou levards , joc u nd w i th the w i ld and vari edl i fe o f the brigh t metropo l i s ; and I cou ld wel l understandt he w i tty remark o f the su perficial F ren chman when hesa id “that the opu len t barbarians had agai n taken posse ss ion o f h i s lux u r iou s Paris.” The occupa n ts of the gl i tter i ng chariots and sh i n i ng cafes and decorated h igh ways

“it wa rm am» now

! on: tho fo rt-igno re. from all]! literati-a. fl i cking: hitzhurwm flmMan y t lw Exh ibitio n L

'

naivm ain i l t ' tzlmead ing o ur m y

l lo o ngh t lw ! firearm! and s lim-mal t! filming -“ mill?mid i”in ch in : n to the Co lle z e de q flh jilfl ll tfil lflnt tw e lf th

l low lo gh'nl and c lass ical ad here-ll fl'ottmimfl by Nahum: S wlmo uo . li ve ry Ame rican enlis tmen Pmui

'

emm W age,ho w tho wh ic h »! t hat g reat araden y. :nmd a m flmfi

lfiin tho l’wm'h A ssembly. He live s imttlln m blh-im hmnm ,

o h hh o ne fo unded in L630 by Franc-as I. M g r“ ;

o h o o lmh a, and d is t ingu ished f or its: M amas hm ,

how, and language s , M. La lvo u laye bim e llfideliglhtz ihg em“W"V Mo nday , When the Senate is no t in w hen . with ex

onlu llo d lnw i tnt lo im on such inte res t ing 3 :0 s W ash

lnglo n, tho Amo thmn Cons ti tu t io n. Soc u tes . Jmlliim Ca nt ,M r M lmho ulnyo l lves i n the simplic ity o f a cu lt iva tedol inlmi l and nebu lar , and the plainness o f llis fu rnitu re, thehuo m-d o o h hinlo n o f his bo oks, his so ft v o ice and gent leMomma

, all a marked con t ras t to the fresh deco ration andM t ho lulo l o ua we lcome of my American friend s, w as

no r llho tho h unto ro and qu i et rooms o f the o ther greatMo on I had vis ited in lmndo n, Dean S tanley, in Wes tm innl i-i M du'r And wh en M. Labou laye sa id to me, in hisb o o-M lo o lw n llillg llalt , You Americans are so rich,

” I res

mi n d It to : n i o pro iu-h o fmany of my o stentat io us eo nntry

no un-h M lot lmnlnyu , though , as eve ry o ne kno ws. 8

to w oo lli-puhlh-un, looked and was d ressed l ike a pri es t ;

lo no-ob oum l the turn c h arm of l isten i ng intent ly to all IHu h In t o d ; to his ruoo l

'

ul q ues t ion s,Whethe r I had seen

on. io n \'

ho the r 1 l iked Pari s ? How Io ns.

Iloh-hdmi lo i ono i ln l

’ Whe re I l i ved in America ? A ndn lo-lhm no wo u ld do him the honor to come any M o ndayand lo-co hho lvo turul’ It was al l j us t as ni ce as i t cou ldin and M om I l o l l . his presence I fe l t the i n fluence of his

po o i-luo uo to i and hones t exampl e , precisely as if I be“unt i l to tho l"i o noh llopnblio myse l f.

fl u no managed fro m the Co l lege , the st reets in tha t faro ll i

lioo thu we re q u ite deserted , as qu ie t indeed as Ph i l a

lhdp on o n a sunny Nnbhnth afte rnoon ; so hai l ing a vo itu rem : wr i t : ou t lod ml to the Jard i n des I’lantes, opposite thePo o l. d ’

Anuto t ltt z . This is o ne of the favori te resorts oftin: lll lll lllll l

'

tt, u mnubnutt io u of every descri pt ion of natu ral

I llt'

tillll lz ll lt ,much and i ne rt , and pe rh aps the fi nes t botanicalco llec t io n In tho wo rld . I d o no t des i re to be d is loyal tofashio n o r to sc ience , but I con fess I have never been ableto jo in in the enth us iasm o f those who rhapsod i ze o ver a

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166 rxo'

ruass ann roa'

raarrs

L E T T E R X X X V I .

Mo rtal i ty , beho ld and fear,W hat a change o f flesh is here lThink how many royal bonesS leep w i th in these heaps o f sto nes !Here they l ie, had rea lms and lands,Who now wan t strength to sti r thei r hand s,W here from thei r pu lpit: aeal'd wi th d ustThey preach , ‘ In greatness is no trust.

’

H ere ’s an acre sown indeedW i th the richest , roya l lest seedThat the earth d id o

’er suck in

S i nce the fi rst man d ied fo r sinH ere the bones o f bi rth have cried ,Tho ugh god s they were, as men they d ied l

’

Here are sands , ignoble th ings,D ropt from the rai n 'd sides o f kingsH ere ’

s a world o f pomp and stateBuried in dust. once dead by fate .

"

c xs Baamronr .

Pant s, May, 1878.

I Lts o aaan i n the Place de la Concorde on my way tothe Hote l des l n val ides th is morn i ng, and as the s u ntouched the Spr ay of the fo u n ta i n s i n to rad i an t pr i sms andglori fied the monol i th of Luxor, I though t o f the past.The n upt ia l pagea n t of Marie A n toi nette , term inati ng int he sad catastrophe o f a pan i c-st r icken m u l t i tude , foll owedscarce ly more than two decades afte r by the h um i l i atio nand execu tion o f th i s same beau ti fu l bu t prod igal q ueen ;the hor ro rs of the Reign o f Terror, and the se ve red h ead so f Charl otte Corday and Robespie r re , t ram pled u nder th efeet of the sans ou lo ttes ; t he demon popu lace sat u rat i ngthe i r kerch iefs i n the bl ood o f thei r gu i l loti ned k i ng, an dthe women kn i tt i ng wh i le t hey partic ipated i n the ba rbaricca ro usal ; a l l these crowded i n to my men tal v is ion a l mos tas v i v id ly as the Egyptian h ie roglyph ics on the tablets ofthe Obel isk . The sta tues o f the e igh t important ci t i es of

France : Lyons , Marse i l l es, Bordeau x, Nan tes , Ro ucn,Brest

,L i lle , and Stras bo u rg—the l ast , alas ! French no

longe r—b lazed l ike sh i n i n g d em igod s th i s bri l l ian t day .

To my righ t, at the to p of the li ne Roya l , i n al l its pathe t i cmaj esty , were the dark peri s ty le and hoveri ng angel s of theMadela i ne

,w i th i ts patron sa i n t as the cen tra l figu re of

the tympan um,where the Last J udgmen t has been w ro ugh t

in stony alto-rel ievo. She i s i n an attit ude of i n te rcess ion

or res ales r as van. 167

w i th Ch ri st for the sou l s o f th e condemned . Before me,

th rough the leafy arbor of the Champs E lysees , rose i npe rspec t i ve the A rc de Triumph , the nob l e mo n umen t pro

jec ted by Napoleon as a cenotaph to the triumphs of theFrench

,and on ly completed by Lou is Ph i l i ppe i n ti me for

the eor lége bearing the co rpse of h i m wh ose l i fe’s chapters

may be read from i ts wal l s, to pass under i ts a rches on theway to th e resti ng-place prepa red amongst the vete ranshe l oved so wel l .C rossi ng the Pon t de la Concorde

,I tu rned towards

t h i s magnificenhcatafalq ue o f the Cors ican conqueror. Thegi lded dome was the fi rst spl en dor that dazzled me as wecame i n to the fai r ci ty , and this was my th i rd attempt , o wing to a negl igence of the hou rs o f adm ission , to gai n admi ss ion to i ts magn ificen ce .Napo l eon Bonaparte seemed to permeate the very atmo

sphere o f the H6tel des l n val ides ; al l natu re seemed tobreathe h i s name i n a bush o f reve rence . The approach tothe gl i tteri ng tomb is by st reets ha l lowed by the names o f'

Vauban and Varen ne, and as you pass th rough the garden

w here the veterans a re d rows i ng u nder branch i ng shad et rees, or plan t i ng l i tt le pl ots o f flowe rs

,you forget th at

t h is haven was not prepared by the fi rs t Consu l for h i ssca rred and c ri ppled warr iors. There i s not a though t forLo u i s X IV , who real ly fou nded the hospi tal for the i n fi rmand aged fight i ng men of Fran ce ; eve ry sigh , and everyt h ri l l

,are for the sorrows and t r i umphs o f the incompara

ble em peror,gene ra l , and statesman . You may say h i s

sad end was only a j us t retr i bu t ion for h i s rep ud iat ion ofthe sweet woman w ho l ed h im on to fame and empi re ; bu tdo you no t th i n k his d read ex piation was con ti n ua l ly at

work u pon h im th rough the i n te rm inable l i ne o f cormoran tsw ho fed and flou r ished on h i s power, and fi nal ly d raggedh i m down ? I was fi rst impressed by the hazy

,gol den

l igh t that vei led the h igh a l ta r , and h u ng over the roya lcrypt i n the

'

chapel. I t seemed l i ke the holy i n cense aroun dan ascend i ng spi r i t . An i n tense st i l l n ess fi l led the ch u rch .

M any fore ign visi tors , toil i ng men and boys , who had l a i ndown thei r i ns t rumen ts o f labo r fo r a few momen ts , andbourgeois women and ch i ld ren , s tood abou t the th rone ofthe m i l i ta ry de i ty . The men u ncovered thei r heads asthey passed the portals o f the sanctuary , the boys steppedl igh tly over the mosaic la u rel s th at w reath the amaran th i net i l es of h i s v ict ories abo u t h is bed , a mou rn fu l glamou rgathered in the eyes of the veteran sold ie r as he leaned

168 Prer uas s a s p Poaraan s

ove r th e u rn of porphyry,and inst i nctive devotion fe ll

upon the whole gazing and voiceless concou rse.Down a broad stai rway we passed to the ent ran ce of the

v au l t. O ver the doors , su ppo r ted by ca ryat ides, I saw the

last ch aracte rist ic req uest of Napoleon,that h i s “as hes

migh t repose u pon the ban ks o f the Se i ne, in the m idst ofthe peopl e he loved so wel l .” How prec i se ly h as his tes tamen t been fulfilled l Abou t h i m are garl anded h i s con

quests ; over h im wave the ban ners of the co nq uered fee ;in tran sept an d n ave are the remai ns o f ge nera l or b rother ;and guard i ng the tomb are t he sepu lehraLnrns of h i s loyalM arsha ls D u roc and Bertrand . There is a constan t flowo f worsh i ppers about the sarcophagus.The memory of Lo u i s N apo leon i s as cold and dead in

the republ ican capital as if h i s hands had never held the

re i n s of governmen t ; there i s no reg re tfu l s igh for the fa i rE ugen ie , whose beau ty i l l u m i ned the Tuiler ies , rad iatedthe bou levards , and shone upon the Bois ; w hose vau l t i ngambi t ion h u rr ied Max im i l i an to h i s fi nal compt

,an d im

posed the crush i ng crown u pon the brow o f the beau t ifu lCarlotta , that

'

hol ds ' reason pri soner. The French haveeven fo rgotten that the bl ood of the s l eeping he ro travcreed the ve i ns of the late emperor ; all their tears are fo rthe Li ttl e Corpora l .”

The mou rners come from strange l ands and the far-o ffFre nch prov i nces to revere the great sold ier. A l l arou n dwere signs of the Republ i c ; all around were souven i rs ofthe new l i be rty , and , wi th i n v iew , the grou p of Exh i bitionPalaces des igned and com pl eted by the Republ i c. B u tst i l l the French masses idol ize the “l ieu tenan t of art i l l e ry .

”

O ther dy nast ies have risen and faded ou t o f sigh t ; othe rheroes have had the i r l i t t l e day and h ave bee n forgotten ;bu t the name and fame of Bon aparte are the u nse t t ingsta rs i n the empyrean of F ran ce.O u r next v is i t was to the ce l ebrated Par i s ian necropol i s .

Fro m the Hote l des I n val ides, i n the extreme west portion ,to the cemete ry

,on the e astern con fines , was a r i de of

qu i te an hou r,t h rough the Bou levards St. Germai n

,wash ed

by the blood of the Bou rbons,and pas t the Rue du Bac,

fo r the gu tte r of wh ich the d iplomats i n pett i coats had

s ighed when in exi l e at Coppet, su rrou nded by her vicerega l cou rt. Then we crossed the Sei ne

,and l ooked u po n

the r u i ned mass of the Hotel de V i l le . I vai n ly sough tt he w i ndow at wh ich ou r friend Lafayette presen ted Lo u isPh i l i ppe to the people near ly fi fty years ago, and the ro om

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1 70 Prcr uass s un Poaraarrs

the i ron door u pon the mosai c al ta r , and silve r candelab ra ,the marb le floor and su pe rb pu rple vel vet al ta r c loth

,the

pai n t i ngs , and v ases , and man ua ls , a l l offer i ngs u pon thegrave of the departed , eviden tly a dead Crms us. Somet imes the hridal w reath

,or comm un ion garland , or the

b roken do l l,or the waro sw o rd i s l aid by the s i de of its

former owne r. I t was touch i ng ly re a l is t i c and fu l l oflove for the dead.Oppos i te was the tomb of Ross i n i , of pu re wh i te sto ne ,

rather u nosten tatio us i n the i n te r ior. He d ied on ly a fewyears s i nce . I n the fi rs t aven ue

,d i vergi ng from th e ri gh t

o f the broad path , i s the tom b of th e great Heb rew whoth r i l l ed two con ti nen ts by her a l mos t su pernatu ra l po rt rayal of th e d ark passion s of hatred and revenge

,bu t

possessed none o f the gen tleness th at gives woman hergreatest cha rm—Rache l . I n the same section was t heopu len t sepu lch re of the princes o f M ammon , the goldenRoth sch i lds.A few steps to the east i s the c lassic cynosu re of all the

roman tic,l ove-l angu ish i ng Romeos and J u lieta who v i s i t

t h i s sweet place o f repose—the cenotaph of Abel ard and

Heloi se . A nd here they stand , and weep , and s igh , andmed i tate. As I watched these dou b le N iobes , I marve l l e dif they knew the correct ve rs ion of the l i ves they mou rned .

The pai r have been . deified by gene rations. A nd to whatend ? Perhaps to i ncarnate the decei tfu l precepts o f a fa l seph i losophy . A h l i t has ever been so. M agdalene i s asai n t ; the th ie f who repen ted w i th h i s expi ri ng breath , anange l ; Abraham ,

who tu rn ed the wronged Hagar and he ro ffspri ng vagran ts u pon t he world , a holy patri arch ; Solomon

,w i th h is h u nd red s o f co ncuhines

,the sc ri ptu ra l

ac ce nt J ud i th , the m u rderess o f Ho lofernes , a he ro i ne ;Cathar i n e , the Russ ian Fa ust i na, a queen ; the i ncest uou sLucrez ia Bo rgia , the theme o f the t roubadou r ; and thenames of Robespie rre, Nero, Hen ry VI I I , B loody Ma ry ;flam i ng me teors u pon the h i stor ical horizon !From there we fel l i n to an aven ue of graves

,p l an ted

ove r w i th fresh,ran k sward

,shadowed by weep i ng w i l l ows ,

and marked on ly by a wh i te or gran i te headstone. I l i kedthe solemn

,umbrous shadows , and the peacefu l bush, and

the soft,sigh i ng rust le of t he l eaves

,bette r than these da z »

s l i ng tombs and spectac u la r decorations. A nd as I sa untared the clie nt and sweetness o f the spot enve loped mel i ke an i ncense. O n my path towards the chape l I inadverteu tly stumbled upon the g rave of Led ro Ro l l i n , the

or FORElON TRAVEL. 171

Republ i can leader of the last empi re, who flew to Englan dafte r fai l i ng in an attempt to preven t the Emperor fromsend ing troops to aid i n re establishiug the Pope . A t theend o f twen ty yea rs he retu rned to h i s n at i ve cou n try

,and

t hough endeavori ng to avoid pol i t i cs was th ru st i n to thearena , and by a greater const i tuency than ever was e lec tedto the A ssembly , where he took h is sea t upon the ExtremeLeft, and pleaded u n i versal su lfrage more i mpress i ve lyth an formerly. H is grave was l a den w i t h the offerings ofh i s pa rty , and bou nd i n the tr icolors of F ran ce.O n the righ t o f the ch u rch are the mou nd and mon umen t

of Cas i m i r Peri e r. The d ispl ay of mon umen tal splendorwas att rac ti ve, but there were no democrat ic offe ri ngs fromthe masses u pon the clay that covered the peacemaker, l iket hose cas t at the fee t o f the re vol u tion is t. I n t h i s l ocal i tya re a grou p of d ramatic and m usical celebri t ies , as i f seeking congen ia l compan ionsh i p i n the grave—Bel l i n i , Gretry ,Bo e ild ieu , Cherub i n i , Chopi n , and Tal ma. When I metthe n ame of Cons tan t I i n vol u n ta ri ly looked fo r the nex tone to be De S ta

'

él,but

,alas ! I reco l lected how many roods

sepa rate t hese two i n death who were so close in l i fe.These l i ves are ever comb i n ed i n my m i nd by the weal th oflove an d in te l lect w i th wh ich th is st rong woman Oppres sedhe r u ngratefu l lover. She p rompted h i s orat ions i n th eA ssemb ly

,and wound her arms abou t h is neck un ti l he was

satia ted by the excess o f favor. Marsha l s Ney , Lefebv re ,Massen a, Devaust , and Morti e r, w i th the o ld vol upt ua ryBarras

,form a magn ificen t array . I n the ex treme nor th of

the cemete ry I fou nd Balzac,the naugh ty novel i st

,c lose to

the l im i ts of the fosse communes or publ i c graves .The re was a process io n o f Cat hol ic gi rl s clad i n wh i te

,

w i th l ong wh i te ve i l s fa l l i ng over the i r faces and forms,

and borne by s i x o f the i r compan ions was a l i ttle wh i tec ofi

‘ln

,wh i le the others ca rr ied cand les to l igh t the l i ttl e

sou l th rough the dark path to h eaven . Two holy fathers,

in sable gowns, carry i ng rosa r ies, and repeati ng the officeo f the dead , walked at the i r s ides. I t was on ly thebu ri al o f a poor l i ttle morta l , who had come to rest at l as tamongst the herd , sti l l how sweet and suggest i ve i t was .

Yet i n the ci ty so popu la ted by the dead ho w few were thel i v i ng persons . But the French are as lov i ng to the i r deadas they are to the l i v i ng, and odd enough , i f the Communek i l l s i ts hecatombs , the re i s a splend id bu rial fo r a l l .M uch as I h ad ever loved these ci t ies of the dead at

h ome, my fore i gn expe rience was sti l l more affec t i ng. I

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l . t m 1 t un a ax H air c u t :

lu m m t had no t Ia n lou ilt unt il inns afte r t he perfidions

m u n .” I. ct. n t h ar e t u n i c-i into t he Rue tie R iv o l t. whereI la y u a l p al e in aq u a“) inatotm mz . Begun by Franc is-I" It” h as u -lm n fro m I t a l) . burning w it h t he fire o f renau

l l t-c mm “W pre te xt fo r ro } al expend i t u re in manyh m t u l t l ty I t ' lg l l h . A lld IIO ' . afte r t he add i t io n or w ings,a m t

pm t i l t-l l . a nd fi rt' lu 'h . and ro o fs . t his go rgeo us my of

l lu stu m s t n-n in o ne o f t he gra ndest aggregates o f archil | a I n “ ” I t l lu ' I H II IH| g lu lm. ‘Vil h s uch S J V IBETS and

l tt tu n , llc tm u t .cla V lttt

‘id‘le l S arto . Cel l ini. and R0

u n n u u t t la am -Ii pa t ro n s as t he Franc iscs . Henry I I andl u l lu u l l u ' d c Mo clu '

t , I l ians dc Po i t iers. the lux urioustt.m t l l l u t t t l Lo u i s X I I I and Maz ar in, and the great

N th the t'

r ippe ry o f Lo u is Ph il ippe . and theh t t | l |l lt m t “In t i l l ltt ' ltt l t ' Empe ro r. It seems e ven mo re com

ll l‘ h a nd g it-nu ns lit-c a u se it escaped the peri lo u s crisis of“t l

ll ll u tl \ t‘

ll I N Napo l eon Bonaparte made o f thist l d a y -l l lt H the pn d o o f Pa r i s and the marve l o f o ther

t um u l t-m M c u m-c u tm t tng he re from all the pu bl ic depos i

tm tn u l m t tn the c o u n tr ie s he had ra vaged and con

.‘m u -l . l lu l t mu nl c t ltlt'

t't 'u ill hro nz es , marbles

,canvas.

l-t ph al t t . u tn l pu-c tu un s tone s . W herever his v i cto rious

l-u u t u t lt ct t l llu ll l t ‘t l ll t ‘ sough t, and found , and seiz ed thet lt u l-t n l pm d m

-tn o f h uman ge n i us , a l i ke t ho se o f the

l lu li n tt tu l tn,i lt t ' and the Teu to ns

,a l ike

u l l lu l l l t t lt llt‘ c t tt u u s o f the renaisssance , and placedt tu m In the i n tu l t ' , w h ic h he o s tc tt tat io usly ca l led the

l‘t n lm lt n u Mu s t

-um l-

‘

u r fift e e n years,as I have sa i d

,this

m u t i l l“ lon u tu t‘ l lw lm lt ‘h l tt l’ of Eu ropean adm iration ,

u nu l in z |t ll l l | t lt°

l v t i c api ta l s of I ta ly ,Germany , Au stria

,

"m t li t tnh lu l l l l l l l l l l t‘t l the l u s h of the i r ch iefest t reasu res.

l lu d u m tu nt tu n o f the all c o nq ue ri ng Cors ican seemed tot . u ntm p u

-u-t and e te rnal . He was the Colossus that

I ltc w i th , and when s trange rs came to look atl lu m . tu n -tp n .h. i s r i lled l l’ tN ll the dazz l ing pa lacesu l n t t ln lm ul t t t u tt t t t t

' lta , l ltt'y t‘u tl t

‘t‘lvetl 8 new i dea Of the

“m l-m u t i l the I t t t tp t t'nn lltlt' Hu ltllt‘l' , W llO carried the eagles

I l' t u tu t : It n u t l lw S c lttc to the Tiltt‘l‘, and from the Dan ubeln t lm Im a m fro nt ie r o f thc Mu scov i te. Y et in a fewb itu l l mo nth s th is brigh t d ream had faded . Waterloot l tt lt ' t l hts un~tm u |c c arc e r. The magi c figh ter hecame a

l'

ug tt tw ,th en a gue s t , and tluu lly a pri sone r, who d ied

upo n a ro c k in thc nc u .

'l‘

hcn the rescued k i ngs of thetlc spo ilcd t

' il ic s t‘

ttshc t l i n to Paris to demand the restora

or roamc s ras van. 175

tion of the i r p i l fered t reasu res, and ran sacked the Lou v refo r the price l ess gi fts t hat had been plac ed the re , as theMan of Desti ny vai n ly hoped , forever.Such were my fi rs t sad i m pres s ion s as I saun te red along

the brigh t and tesse l lated floors o f the Lou vre,the theatre

o f bri l l ian t pagean ts , dark pl ots , happy love , and royalli cen se . I t i s the place to real ize eq ual ly the po wer andins ignificance of man , the length of h i s gen i us , and thesho rt ness of h i s l i fe . There are sa id to be fi ve m i les ofgal l er ies unde r theo ro o fs of these prod igi ou s palaces o f theLou v re

,and my immed ia te an d ha rass ing though t was my

u t te r inab i l i ty to t raverse them . The bri l l i an t, deep-tonedfrescoes o f the ceil i ngs , framed i n thei r garl ands of repouss éand gold

,fi rs t chai n ed my atten t ion

,bu t as I became

acc ustomed to thei r gari sh beau ty I could d isti ngu ish thev ario us school s and p ick o u t the gems.Who cou ld pass un noti ced the Bel le Ferron iere

,

"o f da

V i nc i ? Perhaps I l i ngered longer by i t because I knewt he story o f the last and bes t-beloved favori te o f Franci s I

,

and how the art i st had expi red i n t he K i ng ’s arms,afte r

beq ueath ing to pos teri ty the chaste and beau ti fu l featu reso f h i s sweet amorosa . O r who neg lect the “Bel ls Jard in iere,

” of Raphael ; or the E 0 0 8 Ham and Magda len ofG u ido ? With the Ven us de M i l o , and Jean Goujon ’scelebrated D iana

,an end u ri n g tri bu te to h is ce lebrated

patroness, these are the u n i ve rsal magnets.The early French art i s noth i ng more th an a cl ose tran

scr i ption of the I ta l ian school s,as the fi nest specimen s of

C la ude Lorrai ne, Poussi n , Fréminet, and Vernet bear test imo ny. Poussi n

,perhaps the greatest of French maste rs

,

stud ied his art i n Rome , and h is sty le i s strongly i mbuedw i th the spi ri t o f renai ssan ce . Le Sueu r was the fi rs t o f th i sgal axy who c i rcumscri bed h i s d u t i es to Pari s , and thoughhe left some fai r model s of h i s l abor

,h i s star was ec l i psed

by h is aspi r i ng ri val,Le B run

,who fo l l owed the schoo l of

Poussi n . S t i l l l ater the stud ies of Wattea u,Greuze

,and

Dav id seem to have i naugu rated and fixed in pe rmanen tfame the presen t F rench choice of forms an d the mode o ft reat i ng them .

Certa i n i t i s the modern F rench possess none o f the

pat hos and d i refu l beau ty o f th e ea rly I ta l i ans . The latterwe re possess ed w i th a so u l for depic t i ng wofu l resignat ionand appeal i ng grie f, harrow i n g l amen tations and pai n fu lmed itat ion s ; wh i le t he former po rt ray natu re i n i ts matu reglow o f l u sc ious l i fe and loveli ness. I had read m uch of

176 prow e ss AND poa'raa rrs

th e Spanish type, Valasq uez and M u r i l lo, but I co nfess

freely so far i n my exper ience I d i v i ne no bea u ty ; thefemales im pressed me as travesties on an eccen t ri c o r ig inal

,and the male figu res as fie rce , fan t astic , and u n rea l .

In the Ru bens gal le ry 1 was da z ed by the n um be r ands ize o f h is works ; even w i th h is renowned ass i s tan ts heseemed a su pernatu ral worke r. F i fty or s i x ty h i stor ical ,my tho l ogical , and scri ptu ra l represen tations , each measu r

i ng l 0 x 16, were conspicuou s fo r thei r bo ldness o f out l in eand rad iance of colori ng. These alone' are se l f-ev iden t o fthe i nde fat igable energies of th ei r creator, to say no th i n gof th e h u nd reds that grace every gal le ry and palace , an dmany pri vate homes th roughou t E u rope . I not i ce tha the was fond of sketch i ng h i msel f, and i n to al l h i s Ho lyFam i l ies” were woven the portra i ts o f h is k i n d red . H i stwen ty prod uct ion s re lat i ng to the caree r of M ar ie deM ed ic i a re rega rde d as val uable stud ies fo r acoly tes ; t h i ssalon was th ronged by copy is ts tak i ng miniatu re mode lso f the grea t an ti ty pe .

The apartmen ts dev oted to fm'

ence, majol i ca, ca rvedivor ies , terra cotta , and d

'

el l a Robbia has-rel iefs st retch faraway i n i n te rm i nable array. B ut one has no t the t ime toli nger he re and st udy fine arts and h i story ; the weal t h o ft he fi rst seems to be con ti n ual ly elbow ing the l ast from its

eq u i tabl e pedestal . A s I pas sed down the steps whe reCol igny had passed

,an honored gues t

,at a n u pt ial feast ,

two days before he was overtaken by t ra i torous perfidy o fthe k i ng

,the hel l o f St. Germai n l’Auxerro is sen t fo rt h a

s ilver m usic that wou l d have fa l len melod iously u pon the“hol low of m i ne ear” had i t not been ma rred w i t h th ereco l lect ion of the signal fo r the commencement o f the

b loody carn i va l on the appall i ng St. Bartholomew ’s day,

t h ree hund red years ago.

B ut now sen t i ne ls l i st l essly patro l th e i r rou nd , and the

t roops id le upon the sq uare t he wars are done,the T u rk s

are d rown ’d .

”

Direct ly oppos i te the Lo u v re,across the Sei ne

,i s the

Palace L uxembou rg, con tai n i ng of modern art w hat i tsroya l neigh bor hold s of med ite ral. The award was fres hand smooth ly cropped

, the pa l ace and i ts parter res alivew i th v i s i tors, the marble heroi n es and patron sa i n ts , wh ichgl isten l i ke wh i te ghosts th ro ugh the ga rdens

,crude and

gro ss ly unsymmetrical , and t he l ux u ri an t fol i age of theg lossy lemon and orange trees i n the green t u bs sk i rt i ngthe plots

,made a most touch ing d rama. The ch i l dren played

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178 PICTURES AND rem a i n s

of art they en cou raged an d paid for. Perhaps i t seems tohave been rese rved t hat as they pl an ted i n blood and tea rs

,

the harves t i n the fu l ness of t ime shou l d be gathered by arepubl ican poste ri ty , whose ancesto rs thes e ty ran ts h u n ted ,impoverished , and forced to figh t fo r them .

L E T T E R X X X V I I I .

VERSAILLES l—Up the ‘

chestnut alley,A l l in flower

,so whi te and pure,

Strut the red and ye l low lacqueysOf th is Madame Pompadour."

Tnons nuav .

Pant a, May, 1878.

Rnrt s c'

rm o u pon i t n ow,i n the sweet French starl igh t ,

the whole of my v i s i t to Ve rsa i l les was a fiasco. I fo u ndt h e seat of pol i t ica l governmen t as d u l l as Goldsm i th ’s“Dese rted V i l lage ,

” and what added to t he d u l ness wasthe u nexpected absence o f the statesmen from thei r l egislat i ve ha l l . Yet the rai l way rou te was fu l l o f i n te res t ;the scenery , the habi ts o f the people i n the an tique v i l l ages ,the ol d palaces, the shops , cafés, and places of publ ic worsh i p

,were all stud ies.

We passed th rough a pe rfect arbor o f perfhmed flowe rsan d grasses , chateaux gleam i ng th rough the den se fo l i age ;t he spl ash of freq uen t fou n ta i ns ; s i lent statua ry ,

as i f onguard agai ns t i n t ruders ; w h i te-capped women th ron gi n gt he streets of the ham lets con trasted w i th hlue-blo usedmen d riv i ng great horses a nd oxen ; females i n short petticoats and w hats, bend i ng over the ga rdens whe re the vegetables o f vorac ious Pari s are grown ; now and then a pr ies t,in long se rge gown and shovel-hat, wou ld cross the scene ,l i ke a figu re from the seven teen th cen tu ry

,and occas ional l y

a sold ier l i ke a L i l l i p u t i an image wou ld st ru t past l i ke anactor i n a French farce . I t was a mov i ng pictu re to myA mer ican v i s ion

,and I had sca rce ly time to make a note

of my fel low-passengers be fore we swept i n to t he bea u ti fu ls tat ion

,to fi nd ou rselves i n the pol i t ical capi tal of France

,

the scene of cen tu r ies of re vol u t ion , l u x u riou s profiigacy,j oyous even ts w i th sorrowfu l te rm i nat ions

,and th e rendez

vo us i n the summer of 187 1 of the German i n vade rs .

or res ales raav z t . 179

F rom St. Laz aro stat ion , the fi rst i mportan t po i n t weapproached was Mou n t Val er i en ; from th i s fo rt the shel lw as th rown that fe l l u pon and destroyed the palace at St.C loud . But i n the q u iet n oon day h ush t here was not atrace of the fast and fu r ious fi ri ng seven years ago. On

we rushed th rough a co l on nade of tall , sl i m popla rs , theemblem s o f eq ual i ty an d l i be rty, ti l l we paused at St.C loud

,the anc ien t t ri bu n a l of monarch ical r u le , and the

s ummer res idence of the l ate hapless Napoleon I I I . Icou l d see the sweet, sha dy ret rea ts o f the wooded pa rkfrom my seat at the car-w i n dow. Thence o ur rou te extended th rough a port ion o f the grand pa re to the adjacen t tow n o f Sev res. I n the lan es I saw the art isans ofthe roya l man u facto ry o f jewel l ed porcel ai n and patetendre .

Th i s was the toy coaxed by Madame de Pompadou r fromLou i s XV, u nder w hose regal patronage i t made a markedadvance

,and then chem ists an d art ists endeavored to riva l

one another i n the i n ven tion of new and exqu is i te pigmentsand design s to adorn the gems o f cl ay . The blew de rot

,

and Pompadou r pi n k , were empl oyed w i th great effectu pon v ases and se rv i ces i n compl i men t to the pri ncelybenefac tors. A fter th i s I fe l l to study i ng my companio ns

o

i n the compartment. Oppos i te was the man of books, wi thh i s po rtfo l i o and jou rn al , Le Temps, and magazi ne, Re vuedes Mondes , h i s black silk sku l l-cap, and sma l l wh i te, del icats hand , and sol i ta i re d i amond ri ng ; bes ide h im an

e lde r ly lady and a poo dl e—a sweet woman wi th a fadedface

,and an a i r o f rest and cal m that seemed a foi l to the

e legan t va l e t,who stood ready to aid her from the tra i n ;

nex t was a dash i ngly beauti ful gi rl , whos e pet was not al ap-dog, bu t a handsome officer in bl ue u n i form ,

w i th si l ve rcor di ng and epau let tes ; he ev iden tly req u i red greateraplomb and d i p lomacy to manage t han the elde r l ady ’scompan ion , but she w as fu ll o f the el ect rici ty o f you th andhea l t h

,and capable o f the task. They took us to be Eng

li sh strangers , as I cou ld u nde rstan d by the con versation ,but w hen I chatted a l i tt le F rench o f my own, there wasa s udden wel l-bred s i l ence , an d then a con fus i ng sm i le ;t hey accep ted my chal lenge as a fa i r Rol and fo r thei rO l i ver .Need less that I should recou n t th e sto ry o f Versai l l es

,

w i th i ts i l l ustriou s neigh bors i n a near ci rcle , St. Den is , St.C loud

,St . Germa i n , Malmai son , Sevres, V incen nes , and

Scea ux ; no r exto l l ux u r ious fie lds,massi ve fores ts , gray

cas tl es,brigh t cascades , seques tered promenades, and the

1 80 mcr uass arm Posraarrs

s u perb Seine w ind i ng l ike a silver sca rf rou nd cent u riedtowers , and town s ; nor o f the th ree grand av enu es , Paris,St. Clo ud , and Sceaux ; no r of the great ch u rches , St. Lou is ,the Prefecture , and the Chancery ; nor beyond a l l the palaces

,w i th t hei r sto ri ed pi ctu re gal l er ies, pa rks , l akes ,

orange ry , pri vate theatre , chapel , fou n ta i n s, statues , co llvges, school s , l i te rary and publ ic ed ifices.Yee l The i ncense of favo red women hangs abou t the

spot ; no t one of them w i t hou t a po i son i n he r sto ry.

Mai nte non , the ru le r of France , and m istress of G randeTrianon , had neve r touched the soft hand of Fortu ne u n t i lLou i s X I V was su bd ued by the im portu n i ties and ac umenof the “w idow Scarron as her biographer says , “she wasbo rn i n a pri son

,bred i n poverty , th e w idow of a cr i pple ,

and w i fe of a k i ng." Le Peti t Trianon was e rected fo r

M adame de Pompadou r, w ho car ried more th an one sta inu pon he r v ice-rega l page of l i fe. Here the l ux u riousdaugh ter of Mari e Theresa am used he rse l f w i th the ex travagnat toy

,the m i n iatu re Sw iss v i l l age, regard l ess o f he r

approach i ng fate at the gu i l loti ne ; and whe re do we fin dsadder anec do tes than the n arrati ve of the las t days o fJ oseph ine and E ugen ie ? so that the Lares and Pena tes o fVersa i l l es seem to be execu t i ng some d read decree u ponthe fai r and un fortu nate occu pan ts o f her double pal ace s.Bu t of a l l th i s we can read i n hi story , and ou r day seems

to be i n sympathy w i th the past. Cooker was ra ther ani n tel l i gen t bourgeoise, w i th the fac u l ty of conve rsa tionl a rgely developed

,and a fai r app rec iation of the bea u ties

of natu re and art. Versai l les i s not a pretty town,but

cooker add ressed h im se l f to the task of pleas i ng, and d roveus th rough dark and leafy aven ues , closed i n on ei ther s i deby heavy wal l s o f fo l i age

,where the t rees had been t ri mmed

and garlanded i n the most novel and fantas tic man ner ; heextol led the Empi re, and denounced the Repu bl ic , andglori fied the Napoleon ic dyn ast ies ; and fi nd i ng us con»

plaissant and chatty , he demanded h is poo r boire beforewe d i sm issed h im , and hav i ng enjoyed i t on the way vo lunteered to co nd uct us to an excel len t cafe for l u nch.Whi le I was i nd u lgi ng an ecstasy of prai se o f the obl igi ngF renchman , we were d r i ven to what looked very l i ke a“beer shop.

” Undau nted by appearances , we orde redl u nch , and oh ! what a d i senchan tmen t. But cooker had takenF rench leave, and when the re we began to i n vestigate o urbargai n . The w i ly d r iver had gu ided us to a fou rth-cl ass resotaurant, the proprietor ev i den tly h i s con federate . I saw i t

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I“ wors en m m am

on S u nday. Kath i» in Par is M n and a a ria ! of

pleas u re u th is mn titede on the Sabbs th. l t is the d‘yof the o pe ra and the ora tories ; tbe dmrch and them ;thepla m md thc p ries t-3 the unity o f s in s t d w

on there are the st udent and his (eig h t y -M Mu nder the ches tn u ts , eating !m e n ts and boa-boas : the good

bunrgm i re women w i t h their large , white hand s. rentingextended u pon their ample knees.around their skirts c linging threo o r fo nr ltttle una chatteriag 1

2m m c urrency

that rouse us to the con tras t be tween th is brig h t to-dayand the har

p-van ished yeste rdays.

And su re y the Elyséos, the A rc de T riomph e, Columno l

’

Lns o r, M il l llo lu t i ll llo ulogne, are m agi ca l com bi nat io ns ,nu l l on th i s glor iou s day, more love ly and more bew ild er»int; than even my exu l ti ng expectati on hai l pa i n ted .

“Ain“Myannua l but no t w i thou t a plan .

" To en hance the seultra" inns , Natu re appeared in he r r iches t robe an d sweetout llllmtl. The air was an el i x i r, t he flowers h ea vy w i ththei r own aroma , the luxurianee of the fol i age seeined

hn‘oml, and the sun, though bri l l i an t, was n ot oppres s i v e.A long the su pe rb aven ue—much broade r tha n ou r B ro ad

S treak—w i th {loo l pnvoments for pe destrian s. and the cen treflu'lvu da tetl toho rses and ve ll lc les , ex tcnd ing nea rly th reemi l es to the antes o l

’

the Bo la, we wande red and wonde red .

Advanc i ng toward the Arc do I’Eto ilc , the le l t i s flank edby stately pa laces, wh i le u pon the r ig ht , th ro ugh t he

branch i ng s lunle , glenms the Palm'

s d ’Elysée , t he h ome o fthe Marshal Presiden t , and the summe iu gardens . As the

the grand s lide is reache d, the re s i ts th e t r ireoelve

(on u nder its mass i ve po rta l s,

snrro um i ng v i c i n age , the n ucl eu s o f as from a cen t ra l s tar , w hos es of Napoleon , an d w hos e

c v memo s TRAVEL . 188

i s one bri l l i an t parad ise of h i story,art

,d i plomacy

,and

weal t h .Th is vast

,yet symmetrica l Dome of V ictory , u n de r

w hose dark a rches have marched the royal process ions thatswept away and s ucceeded the Napoleon ic dynasty , i s adagu erreoty pe i n marbl e of the sal ien t epi sodes in th eca ree r o f the conquering hero . I t was proj ected by thech ief as a mon umen t o f brave ry to the Grands Armée . It

i s a marvel lous com b i n at i on o f sh iel ds , standa rd s, colossa lfigures

,m i l i tary medal l ion s , and al l egor ical represen tat ions,

a froz en parable o f the Consu l ate and the F i rst Empi re .

U pon every s ide and by every group we are taugh t the onelesson , the Heroism o f war and the Glory o f v ictory . Buti n those days al l men we re brave

,and al l men battled for

em pi re and power.Here t he Gen i u s o f War seems to be omn i poten t. We

see i t i nci t i ng the ch i va l ric Mars to motion ; we see i tcheer i ng the young warrior on to the sal va tion of h i scou n try , wh i le he tears h imse l f from the restrai n i ng armso f h is father, and t u rn s from h is griefo stricken you ng w i fe ,w ho holds forth appeal i ngly the body of thei r dead ch i ld ;a nd we see i t i n the con fusion of batt le and carnage. Thenas the reward of al l h i s sacri fices come s Victory w i th thec rown o f l au re l s

, and Hi story w i th her sty l u s and scro l l ,ch ron icl ing h is hero ic deeds. O ver all is the emblem ofgen tle , gracious Peace, w i th the sword sheathed ,

“fo r heand h i s sword d id earn h i s chronicle . At his s ide Agric u l tu re , w i th the harvest o f fru i t and gra i n , and the sweetdomest ic sway o f wi fe an d ch i ld ren .

The faces u pon the A rch are al l port ra i ts , and the t rumpe ts o f Fame are procl ai m i ng to the whol e wo rld thatFrance has conquered her fo es . I saw the marvel lous co nceits w i th breath less de l igh t. I t is a consummat ion o f a rt

,

a memorable t ribu te to va lor,a proud ceno taph of a people ’s

grati tude. Yet u nder th is mass i ve mon umen t o f Frenchgen i us to

'

French bravery , the stol id and res ist l ess German smarched i n 1871, after they had conquered Napoleon I I I.Th is to the F rench m ust have seemed the se verest sati re o fFate. The Empe ror a fugi t i ve ( l i ke h i s great uncl e), theE mpress flying from and feari ng her own su bj ects , homeless and fr iend less, wh i le the g rim Teutou t ri umphed overal l .Bu t for ph i l osophy I had l i ttl e t i me

,and dashed on

towards the Boi s . O u r fiac re was one among thousands .Far more extens ive and i n tricate the maze than at Fai r

184 P ICTURES AND roars arrs

mou n t o r Cent ra l Park,or even Hyde Park ; London ,

where,on the u l tra-fash ionable d ri ves one meets noth i n g

bu t weal th and t i t l es,where the pol ice keep ou t th e p l e

be ians , and the mas s a re too poor an d oppressed to ventu re i n .

Here i s a rare combi nation of royal l i ve ry an d republ ican ha rn ess. A t presen t , Equal i ty i s Emperor i n F rance ,and the ou vrier and Bou rbon r ide side by s ide

,to the infi

ni te avers ion of the l atter , and the inefl'able sat i sfact ion of

the former. So, as the h uman ocea n pou red th rough t heA rc , gl i tter i ng with al l t he fash ions and peoples of th ewor ld

,i t was a myriad masq uerade , where h uman pass io n s,

i n trigues. schemes, hates, loves , en v ies , and ambi t ion s , werecon cea led under the gu i se o f fri vo l i ty and fro l ic .

O nce past the Arc de l’Eloi le, you stand u pon the ve rycon fines of the A merican q uarter. The large

,dau n ti ng

res idence across the way i s the sylvan ret reat of t he Pr i nce ss Bonanza , who empt ies many sequ i n s from he r pu rsefo r the decorat ion of her house u pon republ ican fete n igh ts .Though the d isplay i s ample a nd cos t ly

,the effect prod uced

i s no t al ways su fficien t u n to the desi res of the Pri n cess ;there is a mu rm u r o f compla i n t aga i n st the “horr id arch”

w h i ch obstructs the br i l l i an t scene . I t was sheer i ng ra t it ude—nay

,crue l ty—fo r the m u n ic i pal au thori t ies to refuse

to remove o r to sel l t hat “horr id th i ng” at the sol ici tat iono f the exact i ng Pr i n cess . O u r M i n i s te r res ides upon theA ven ue Joseph i ne ; o u r Comm issioner-General to the E xpos i t ion u pon A ven ue d ’Eylau ; Dr. Thomas E vans , pro

prieto r o f the Amer ican Register , i n a palat i a l home uponthe A ven ue d o Bois de Bou logne ; and , indeed , there i s n otan aven ue of the famous rad i us but what i s odoro us w i thA merican s. My compatr i ots seem to flock th i ther fromi n tu i t ion , as do the p igeons o f St. Mark to the P iazza i nVen ice

,or the Jews to the i r wa i l i ng place.

Pari s sol d iers and Pari s horses resemble each otherclosely . The same process seems to have prod uced bot h ,and both ind ifl

'

erently. There w as no t eno u h to comple tea fu l l ~s ized sold ier o r a fu l l-s ized horse

,and d id not won

der when I heard the tal l German s and thei r big steed scon trasted wi th these l i ttl e people. Thei r l egs a re tooshort

, and thei r bod ies too l ong, an d the same pec ularitiesa re pronounced ly observabl e i n the an imal and the man.

The famous Cen tau r h as real ly fou nd a cl ai m to my cred ulity s i nce I have stud i ed these t wo Gal l i c creat ion s ;s u rely th is quad ruped , to al l appearances , was prod uced

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186 mcr r as s AND m urm urs

o rnamented bv bowers , and arbors , and s t retch es o f densefo re s t land .

Fu r th e r on we h ave the Theatre des Flenrs , whosesce ne ry is no t the pai n ted can vas of art i sts, bu t the sh rubbe ry . and g ro ttos , and st ream

,and firmament o f Natu re,

Iwau t iticd by mo dern sk i l l .Hi s to ry and romance have garlanded the Bois w it h a

wh o le w reath o f legends , w here the amaran th of immo rt u l i ty and the poppy of deat h are en tw ined up on o ne s tem ;w h e re the o l i ve of peace and the w heat of prospe r i ty are

gro u ped w i th the ro se of York and Lancaster proclaimingwar ; whe re the h o us to n ia o f con ten t rests u pon the verybreas t o f the h o l lyhock o f am b i t ion ; where the cypress ofdes pa i r has c o i led its tend ri ls i n i n extricable mockery abo u tthe haw tho rn o f ho pe ; and w here the marigold o f c rue lty ,w i t h its tw i n s is te r lot us , revenge, are. couched w i th thebalm o f s ympath y upo n a bed of lir -t ime,

L E T T E R X L .

The looks o f y e , ma‘

am, rather su i ts me,The “ages yo u o tl

‘

c r w i l l do ,

llu t then I can'

t enter you r serviceW itho u t a co nd it ion o r two ;

.\ nd no w to begin is the k i tchent‘

o uu u o dio tts , w ith p lenty o f ligh t,\ nd til , yo u know , f or cntcrtainin

’

S uch friends as I l ike to inv i te.

”

Axonvmons.

Panz a, May , 1878 .

l bc cn new ly interes ted i n the eterna l q ues t io n o f

se rvant-gi r l i sm. No t o n the po i n t of wages, bu t on the

l arge r s ubjec t o f d res s . .\ nd 1 th i n k I have gathere d alc w c o mpa rat i ve i tems that w i l l be i n terest i n g at h ome .

Noth i ng has g i ven me more mental concern than the ve rygreat d ill

'

c rencc between the g i r ls o u t at serv ice in Eu ropeand the i r s i s ters i n the U n i ted S tates. I am no t speak ingof th o se who are retained th ro ugh generations i n weal thyand u ris tro c ratic ho u s es , and h ave become an integra l

part o f these ti t led es tab l i shmen t s , bu t o f the vas t armyo f fema l es who earn a l i ve l i hoo d i n hotel s and ord i nary"

.mi l ies . In Londo n and Par is the us ual do mest ic is

or roaato s m av en. 187

al most a sl ave,recei v i ng l i ttl e remu neration except from

guests,and i n nearly al l cases far better ed ucated and

bette r beh aved than the correspond i ng class i n America.The c i v i l i ty and subord i nation o f the fore ign servan t-gi rlsresemble the doci l i ty and spr igh tl i ness of the coloredwomen o f the Sou th , on ly the E u ropean s are more tho rough ly t ra i ned by thei r associ at ion s , and con t rast pai n fu l lyw i th the inso leuce o f too many of the im po rtat ions fromt he Emeral d I sl e i n ou r A meri can households.I nd ustry and a practi ca l k nowl edge o f the fine as wel l as

t h e usefu l arts i s the pri mal ambi t ion o f the Frenchwornan.

Her st ruggle i s to become worthy o f her pl ace,and even t

ually to ascend i n the soc ia l scale. On the other hand,

ass umption i s the chi e f v i rt ue o f her Cel tic s i s te r. IIer fi rs ttaste o f America does no t prompt her to acq u i re u nde rstand ing and sk i l l , bu t to copy expens i ve fash ions. Wh i leE l i se i s wandering th rough the Louv re gai n i ng a knowledgeo f pai n t i ngs and ceram ics

,Bridget on ly sees the fol l ies o f

the A mer ican l ady o f soc iety . I f M adame is a leader oft he mode, Bridget m us t be equal ly exqu is i te i n the cho iceo f her own toi lets

,and i n th i s pass ion she ofte n neglec ts

t he d u ties for which she has been employed . She forgetst hat she has been dupl icat i ng h er m istress 's s ty le

,a nd fre

q uen tly so far oversteps her prescribed orb i t as to a dv iset he head of the ho use how to d ress .I have al ready told you how many chambers ou r poor

f emme-de-chambre, Jean ne , m us t a rrange and how manypai l s o f water she m ust carry to the fi fth and s i xth sto riesi n a day

,and she i s a fa i r type of a system ; one of m i l l ion s

i n Eu rope. I n add i t ion to he r vern acu lar German , shespeaks French adm i rab ly

,Engl ish well

,and i s a woman o f

cons iderab le i n fo rmat ion . Yet th is poor creatu re has nol e isu re to devo te to gewgaws and fr i pper

‘

y ' very t a l e lyd oes she enjoy God ’a pu re ai r and the thousand pleasi ngi n ven t ions o f modern l i fe When she lays down brush and

broo m at eleven o ’c lock , i t i s to reti re to rest.There are leg ion s as poor as Jean ne i n these great cen

t res o f popu l at ion,th at to reta i n the i r s i tuat ion s m u s t

d rudge and obey s i len t ly . The moment. a m u rmu r of comp la i n t escapes them they are merc i less ly ejected

,an d the

vacancy suppl ied by ano ther h u ngry o ne .

O n d uty , the French gi rl s are at a l l t i mes neat andorderly. When tak i ng thei r ou ti ng

,a pla i n d ress minu s

fri l l s an d fu rbelows,an ampl i tude of w h i te apron , and a

c ri s p wh ite cap care fu l ly crim ped , i s the u n i versal u n i fo rm .

188 P icr caas AND Poa'rau

'

rs

In London th e average gi rl is cal l ed “s l av i c,

” and herl abori ng regal ia i s i n var iab ly a smudge on her nose

,a

so i l ed , tatte red d ress , s l i ps hod shoes , and hai r as frowsyas a bi rd ’s nest . Otf d u ty , s he appears i n l igh t ca l icod ress , straw bon net , an d c loth sacque or faded shawl i nm idw i n te r.Upon my own dear en franch ised sho res , ou r m i n i s te rs

pl en i poten tiary o f the cu l i nary depa rtmen t copy the m is~t ress of the ho u se , even to th e deta i ls of shapes and co lo rs .IVhen my friend pu rchased a sage-h ued s i l k , her nu rsernaidcopied i t i n an a l paca o f the same co l o r ; when my chambermaid expressed her i n ten se adm i ration fo r the c u t o f myblack si l k pri n cess robe and mantl e

,i t d id not strike me

that th ree weeks afterward I shou ld beho ld her c lad in i tsmode l of cashmere , and st i l l greater was my amazemen tw hen she daz zl ed my v i s ion i n p i n k lawn after see i ng myFrench organdy of the same shade. Th is pract ice i sw ho l ly u nk nown amongst the gi rl s ou t at se rv i ce i n Eu rope .W ith us the passion ex tend s not on ly to blonde Bridget , bu tto d usky D inah , Of co u rse there are exceptions i n thesen s ib l e

,s t r iv i ng gi rl s wh o p l ace thei r ea rn i ngs i n t he

bu i ld i ng associat ion s and trust compan ies , bu t the ru l e i sthose w ho expend t hei r week ly wages u pon costly para

phernalia,If you w i l l ca l l at any of the great establ i shments i n

Ph i ladel ph ia, li ke Wanamaker

’s , where al l varie t i es o f w o o

men ’s wear are sold at al l pr ices , yo u wi l l be su rpri sed atthe vast s ums la id o ut on the deco ration of the person s o fou r female hel p . They may not buy the best

,bu t th ey

s pend eno rmously i n s i lks, l aces , hose , bon nets , gloves , andu nderwear

,and when you see them on Su ndays o r hol idays ,

yo u a re as tounded at the expens i ve e legance of many o fthei r ou tfi ts. I do not speak of th is hab i t to com pla i n o fi t so m uch as to make a no te o f i t. A Bos ton lady

,no w

here,says t hat the fu ror fo r d ress amongst these c lasses

i n the ew England town s often leads to ev i l , and has

gi ven great pa in to h umane women who des i re to see t hese rvan t c lass improved and elevated . I t i s a phase o f

soc ie ty pecu l ia r to the Uni ted S tates , and is a res u l t o f o urfreedom ,

an inev i tab l e ou tgrowth o f o ur emanci pated fo rmo f governmen t , that what one woman may do all can t ry to

fo l low ; no r am I d isposed to dwel l u pon the bad effects t h i si n sane appeti te fo r d ress must have u pon the d isci pl i ne o fthe household and the fu tu re o f those who manage i t. That.is the righ t of the servan t as it i s o f the m is t ress . Bu tsu re ly a word on a su bject that al l o f u s fee l can do no

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190 P ICTURES AND Poa'raan s

Academic ; then we, of the pl ebei an mass , are perm i tted aplace i n any of the other t ie rs o r boxes by pay i ng seven

,

ten , fifteen , or twen ty-two francs each . Upon grand fes tas ,when the k i n gs and queen s of

.

th e profess ion appea r,seats

a re sold at a prem i um , an d handsome sums are rea l i zedby the i r ti t l ed possessors .The weal th expended u pon th e lobby, ~grand stai rway,

a nd foyer i s fabu lous. The stai rway is a com b i n at ion o f

al l the marbles and agates of the chalcedon i c p la i n s o f

E u ro pe and the Eas t. Egyptian al abaste r, verde an t iq ue,l api s l az u l i

,carnel ian

,and a h u nd red other species o f onyx

are grou ped i n to stony rad iance. From the vau l ted domeange l s

,ch u bby cu pid s

,m uses

,and god s look down upon

the l ux u rious,l av ish

,sacr i l eg iou s th rongs trampl i n g the

prec ious mosa ics underfo ot. I wal ke d i n to one o f the

th i rd-story bal con ies overhangi ng the grand escalz'

er,to

d ri n k i n the essence of royal weal th and si n fu l ex trava~gance on eve ry si de. Bu t the salle dc p romenade i s theloadsta r o f th e i n terior. I t i s a w i lderi ng aggregate ofthe gl i tte r of gold and the bri l l i ancy o f frescoes, one pris~mat ic l ust re o f glass and l igh ts , a vast sheen of m i rro rs ,t he sal iency o f repou ssé, gl i tte ri ng co l on nades , and loftyce i l i ng

,and here it i s that the vast aud ience make a ren

dez vo u s d u ri ng the ( mire-acts, a Van i ty Fai r u nequal l ed inthe u n i verse .

Represe n tation s take place th ree t imes a week at t heG rand Ope ra , Mondays , Wednesdays , and Fridays, and

these performances are al so u nsu rpassed by any i n the

world . The scholars from the Conservatoi re de M us iq ueconst i tu te the choruses

,and the bal l et i s com posed of the

famous dance rs of E u rope . I n add i tion to the el even m i ll i on s pa id out of the nat ional treas u ry for th i s rega l gewgaw

,a subs idy i s gran ted by the governmen t o f

francs an n ual ly , and d u ri ng the emp i re i t recei vedfrancs from i ts progen i to r , Napo leon I I I. The Repu bl icansare almos t as generous to art and mus ic as the k i ngs.We secu red o u r places fo r Les Huguenots

,

" and thou ghthe repertoi re was cast w i t h excel le nce , and the m us i c un

su rpassed th at u shers i n that d i refu l 24 th o f A ugust , 15 72 ,i t seemed to me a l i tt le profane t hat so l igh t and vo l a t i lea people shou ld ren der a c reat ion more i n harmony w i ththe mou rn fu l I ta l i an s o r the ponderous German s.My greatest regret i s t hat I was not i n Paris before the

l en ten season,d u ri ng the epoch o f mad fol ly an d ri oto u s

insou eianes , when the Nou vel Opéra reaches the he igh t o fF rench bri l l iancy and d rol l ery i n the li 'ant ic bale mo sq ues

or co smo s m u s t . 19 1

o f th e carn i val. The presen t costly ed i fice i s on ly i n thefmt us o f i ts saturnallau expe rience

,bu t w hat i nstan ces of

fro l ic and fu n , i n t rigue and equ ivoque , s i n and scandal ,cou ld be revea led by every s ti ck and stone o f the ol dOpera on the Rue Lepe llet ier l These d i vert isemen ts area l ways spec ial ly organ ized by the favori tes of the pr i nc i pa lth eatres o f Paris, and h ugely enjoyed by al l Pari s . Thea dvocates of pleas u re m i ngle i n the w i l d w h i rl

,and ofiic i

ate as vestals at the al ta rs of Bacch us,wh i le the more ci r

cumspec t connoisseu r grat ifies h i s sated palate beh i n d theshadow o f the im penetrab l e fo l i age shel te r i ng h i s pa lace int he Quarti er St. Germa i n , and on ly rarely comes to theBal ( le l’Opéra to enjoy the orgies o f h is less patr ici ancon tem poraries .The Comed ic Franca i se, on th e Rue R ichel ie u , i n th e

Pal ai s Roya l,the scene o f the tr i umphs o f D ucheno is ,

M ars, Rachel , Tal ma ,—father and da ugh ter,—Delau nay ,Got , and Bern hardt , who i s now portray i ng D ona 8 0 1 i nV ictor H ugo ’s Hernani , is rea l ly the ou tgrow th of theIlfitel Bou rgoyne , pu rc hased by the then on ly organ izedcompany i n Pari s

,the Trou pe Royal

,th ree cen t u r i es ago .

I t was i n this pri m i t i ve pl ay-house that the mas te rpieces o fRaci ne

,the su bl ime and pat hetic de l i n eator o f woman ly

pa ss ion , and Cornei l le , who i s cal l ed the fath e r of Fren cht rage dy and the Gallic Eu rip ides, were fi rst represen tedand won the lau rel s o f t hei r a u thors . '

l‘

hree-quarte rs o f ace n tu ry s ubseq uen t ly Mo l iere en tered the liteartc-d ramatica rena , and Lou is X I I I was so m uch more del i gh ted w i thhis e fforts as a thea t r i ca l z ea lot than royal valet dc chambre

,

that he vouch safed h im a theat re i n the Palai s da Louv re,

where , hav i ng attracted the atten t i on o f the ecc lesi astica lp rem ier, Card i nal R ichel ieu , the aspi ri ng d ramati st wasg ran ted another stage o f action i n the regal-c le r ical Palai sRoyal .

'

I ho ugh Mo l iere was preceded and succeeded by manyfamous men

,yet he is t he pres id i ng gen ius o f the

'l héatre

F ranca i s, and i n th e v i c i n i ty I dai ly pass the foun tai n andst reet ded icated to the dead poet

,and the house where he

b reathe d h is last i n s igh t o f t he cou rt o f h i s amaran th i ne

g l ories .We are told that the d rama i s retrograd i ng

,and that

more atten tion i s paid to the effec t an d man ner i sm t hanto exqu i s i te fi n ish and i n tens i ty of act ion . They tel l u st hat the omn i poten t Bern hardt does not wear gracefu ly theman tl e of her i l l ust rious coun try woman

,Rachel

,al though

she n ightly holds here au d ien ces brea th less by her we i rd

192 Pxoruaxs awn Poaraarrs

grace, pai n fu l beau ty , and an gu ished emot ion s i n Phed ra,the Cid , the Sphynx , and Alha lie ; they tel l us th at Go tand Mou net-Su l ly are raw and l ack pol ish i n compariso nw i th Del au n ay and Coq uel i n yet we read i n h i s to rythat Mol ie re’s d ramat ic en te rpri se was commenced by onlyth ree fiddles at the w ings of the stage, and Corneille

’sLe Cid was prod uced w i th on ly “a room w i th fourdoors

,

” and other p lays wi th as r id iculous a dearth o f ap

po intments ; some bei ng eq u ipped w i th only two dagge rsand others w i th th ree papers . We know that Mol iere hadnot reached the to pmost rou nd i n the l adder of fame u n ti lM ars came to strengthen h is in spired l i nes by her gen i usand power, and th at ne i ther she nor Rachel attai ned theapogee o f renown by one u n broken l i ne of progress. ButBern hard t dead

,w i l l w ield a far more poten ti a l wand than

Bern hard t al i ve, though even now not on ly Par is , bu t al lthe worl d have knel t at he r sh r i ne to offer her ad o rationand go ld . When the sage ph i losopher H ugo retu rn s froma rehearsal at the F ranca ise after Bern hard t has rendereda true i deal o f h is creation

,he exclaims in a glow of F renc h

beati tude,

“I have j ust kissed the hand of a queen .

The Theat re Frangais has a seat i ng capac i ty of 1405p laces ; those of the best l ocat ion command ing th i rtee nfrancs. S i ngle fau teu i l s i n the fi rst boxes may be p rocu red for n i ne francs, and i f you do no t object to a sofa inthe th i rd gal l ery you may enjoy the vagar ies o f the inimitable Sara for the v u lgar sum of fou r francs . Th is housea ppears to enjoy al l the bless i ngs vouchsafed to the profess ion. I t no t on ly has ex cl usi ve l icense to producet ragedy

,but a cl ai m on every scholar o f the Conservatoi re

,

wh ich r igh t i t does not n eglect to exerc ise , an d is so

enabled to sec u re every studen t w i th the prom ise of a fa i rfutu re. I ts an n ual s ubsidy from the Governmen t i sA t the Opera Com ique in the Place Boie ld ieu , whe re

Gii audet 18 s i ngi ng Peter in L ’E toile da Nord, th e priceso f adm iss ion are somewhat more reasonable, though thecast of cha racter is not so fi ne as I have seen at home.The Variet ies on the Bou levard Montmartre 18 th e pa lace

o f v audev i l l e, whe re the fa i r and fat J ud ic i nd u lges heran t ics to the delectation of her cou n tl ess adm i re rs , in thenaugh ty character of N iniche or La Comtesse dc Co rnislca .

She pl ays her d ual rol e o f prudc an d coquette as on ly aF renchwoman “to the manner born " can. When we seeher at Danv il le

,w i th the cou n t , her h usband , sh e i s the

q u i n tessence of d iscretion and del i b e ration , even to the

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194 r icrc ass s un Poa'

raarrs

and d i sci pl i ned to thei r d u t ies by thei r pa t roniz i ng art i s ts.The Be rn hardt, C ro iz ette , and Get pay them we l l , a n dd ri l l them as accl ai mers on to glory as they pl ay. Theyare not a l lowed to perm i t the v u lgar mass to i n terr u pt u negrands pa ssion when Bern hard t i s p l u n ged . i n to a wh i r lw i nd o i’ agony w i th the i r a i d she holds the tension o f eve rynerve i n the t igh test co il u n t i l the fina l l i nes , and then s hei s wait ed to heaven w i th he r hea re rs i n a F rench craze ofen th usi asm . Bes ides i n fu s i ng the art i st w i th the fire ofsuccess, th is custom se rves as a p ioneer to the pl aygoer ;i t teaches h im a v i rtuous pause

,and makes h im wa i t fo r

the echo as h is own watch wo rd . The claque i s th e prod uct of cen tu ries. Years ago , when traged ies of i n tenseemotion were to be en acted , females o f the same profess ionwere employe d to do the cry i ng and fa i n ti ng ; of cou rse Ilooked fo r these fem i n i ne au tomata , and fai l i ng in mysea rch am lead to be l ieve th at that branch of h i red N ic heshas passed away .

Everywhere we have the femal e u shers,as i n London .

A t the G rand O pe ra they seem to be all over forty-eigh t,

many approach i ng seven ty,l ook i ng l i ke an an tiq uated

br igade i n u n i form—a black gown , whi te apron , w h i te cap ,and an ampl i tude o f daun ti ng pi nk r i bbon . I am told thata l l these excess ively conser vat i ve-l ook i ng old l ad ies h aveagi ta ti ng romances attached to thei r earl ie r l i ves ; many oft hem have gl addened the heart of a studen t i n the i r gr iseltsdays. The heyday of the i r you th h as long mel ted i n togray and grim November, and they have bi l l eted themsel vesupo n the d ramatic organ izat ion s fo r the rema i nder o f the i rdays. They are the vet eran s of the naugh ty past.The i nev i table footstoo l that they carry abou t and i n s is t

u pon shov i ng u nder every pai r of female shoes seems toconsti tu te the i r u tmost d u ty . I t was on ly afte r I lea rnedthat an acceptance o f th i s a rtic le mean t a fee , that I rea liz ed the secre t i n come of th i s faded frate r ni ty .

I t wou ld seem that al l these oflieial or l icen sed amu semen ts wou l d su rfei t the French

,bu t near ly every alte rna te

house in Paris i s a factory o f pl eas u re. Perha ps i n so

say i ng I have u n w i tt i ngly overstepped the margi n ; bu tcertai n ly I shall be safer i n the h i n t th at the bus i ness o fenjoymen t i s h ere th e ch ief object of many l i ves . Rel i i onis a mere sou rce of i d le lei su re

,i n a word

,a l ux u ry . h i le

many F rench take the c ream from the su rface of pleas u rethemse l ves

,al l th rough th i s m agic c i ty there are thou sand s

to i l ing to make l i fe en tranc i ng to others , by cater i ng tq

o r roas ter: ras van. 196

h uman appeti tes an d v i ces . They constan t ly prove the

Shakes pearian max im “A l l the worl d ’s a stage ,” for they

are an arti ficial show-people,ever in att i t udes , and masks ,

and poses,and col ors , and m us ic, and t ri nkets. They

seem to have been bo rn to the travestie , and never reachth e finale u n t i l Death comes , and w i th h i s i cy hand s t i l l sthei r vagari es . Even then , i n t he Morgue o r Pere La Chai se ,the corpse i s made a joke or a jol l i ty , the fu neral an excusefo r a fan faronad e , and the to mb a pretext for a pl ay fu l orgrotesque memory .

L E T T E R X L I I .

Now is there then no earth ly p laceW here we can res t in d ream El sian ,

W i thout some curved , ro und Eng ish facePopping up near to break the vision

W ho knows, if to the West we roam,

But we may find some blue at homeAmong the blacks o f Carol i na ;Or flyin to the eastwardSome rs . Hopkins taking teaAnd toast upon the wall o f China.

"

Ano s vu o us .

Pants, May, 1878 .

I co rmsss I do not l ike to l eave Paris,and I say i t w i th

a fa i n t h eart and wri te i t w i th a fal teri ng hand . Fai nwou ld I l i nger at th e banq uet. “Time can not w i ther no rc u s tom stale her i nfi n i te variety .

”

The re i s so m uch that i s we i rd and old,fres h and sta rt

l ing, in the habi ts and customs of t hese people , that eachd i sti n g ui s h i ng characte ri stic demands and deserves reco rd .

A nd st i l l I do not doubt th at the French wou ld be equal lyam u sed by what t hey cal l o ur equ i valen t fol l ies .We are a domest i c n at ion ; they are a commun i ty o f

playe rs . I t i s the fi rst and ch i e fest asp i rat ion o fA merican s,

and especi ally o f Ph i l ade l ph i ans , to possess a com fortable-a l u xu r iou s—home ; the fam i ly ci rc le i s t he sanctuary

o f b l i ss w i th us , and a l l endeavors l ook eagerly to thatgo a l . The F renchman ’s home is t he Tu i l eri es

,th e C hamps

E lysees,the Pare Monceau x

,the p laces, the café, or h is

l i t t l e i ron chai r and table on the s idewal ks We embel l i s h

196 Picr uas s as ! ) Poa'rau rs

the i n terio r o f ou r houses, because we are more th ere , andderi ve greate r happi ness from th at ahea d the affec t ion s ;they decora te th e street

,the church, the bench of the

bou levard , the foun ta i n and the sh r i ne. Every i nd us triou sman and woman amongst us m ust aspi re to a flower-ga r den ,brouzes

,and fi ne fu rn i tu re i n the house

,because th is i s

w here they come when the to i l of the day is over , and all

that i s beau ti fu l m ust he congregated i n to th i s haven of

res t. .The F rench enjoy the i r parterres , and fou n ta i n s, andmon umen ts i n the sq uares and at the co rners o f the bou l evard s ; art, scu l ptu re , and regal appo i n tmen ts i n the Lou v re,the palaces , and the m useums. There are one h und red andeigh ty o r one h u nd red and twen ty-e igh t fou n ta i n s i n theci ty of Par i s,—I have real ly forgotte n wh ich ,—aud theseare i n variab ly accompan ied by flowering trees , h i stori c memo rials , and comfortable seats. Al l cl asses th rong t heseopen places and ga rden s, regard less of station . There

,i n

t he ga rden o f the L uxem bou rg,where once l i ngered

Madame Ro land by the s ide of the G i rond i s ts,i n t he days

of caba l an d conspi racy,i s one o f the musty pro fessors

from the Col lege de F rance , Bool e de Médeci ne , Pal a i s d esBea ux-A rts

,M usée d ’Histo ire Natu re l l e

,A mph i theat re

d ’Anatomie,o r one o f the many other magazi nes o f l ore

w i th wh ich th i s q uarter i s teem i ng, he i s now sh i fted “thel ean and sl i ppered pan taloon ,

”and though there is m uch

i n the busy l i fe around h im , he i s abso rbed i n h i s l i t t lebook , and does no t heed and appears not to see

,the p ret ty

,

l iq u id-eyed g i rl s sel l i ng v iole ts,th e boys w i th the i r h 0 0 ps

,

and tops,and sk ipping

~ ro pe s ,—fo r ch i ld hood i s ch i ld hood ,i n roman ti c, pic t u resq ue Pa ri s , and i nd u lges i n the samesports as in artless Ph i ladel ph ia ,—no r t ruan t scho l ars

,and

roisterers,l i n ked arm-in-arm , a i ri ng the i r id le though ts.

He goes on read i ng h is book and prepari ng h i s rec i ta t ions .Bu t to the garden s ! Late r i n t he day come th e n u rses

and the i r charges ; the lofty dames from th ei r Legi ti m ist i chomes

,and the queen s of the ambiguous ci rcl es

,who ap

pea r in order to fu lfi l th e i r appoi n tmen ts. Here theym i ngl e

,and are perm i tted to fol low the ben t of thei r o wn

i mpu l ses so long as they a re decorous . Wi th u s i t i s no tso ; b road publ ic acres an d ci ty sq uares , i f n o t l eft toquest ionab le classes , are not sought by the bette r orders,and even a v i s i t to Fai rmou n t Park shou l d be prope rlymade i n a car r iage . The one d ismal fea t u re of the nu ,

me ro us Pari s pleasances i s the dearth of award . Othere l ements conspi re to make them beauti fu l ; the gleam o f

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198 moreas s AND Poarnarrs

w icked enough to deny thei r n ati v i ty. The o ldest i s ardw‘o usly endeavori ng to d i ffuse h i s whole body over t he tab le ,

w h i le the you th s a re impo rtu n i ng the garp on in ve ry bo iste ro us fash ion fo r roast ch icken or lamb and p l en ty of i t

,

a nd no t these vo l-au-vents and champ ignons, and del i ca tetidbi ts. Near by there i s an exqu i s i te you ng lady an d herd isti ngu ished fathe r. He i s a Boston barr i ste r, and thes eI am proud to clai m as my compatriots. Her cu l t i vat io nmay be heard i n he r pu re E ngl i s h accen t, and he r refi nedfos ter i ng i n the harmony o f her rich co stume and pol i shedmanner. When she add resses the wai ter i t i s i n h is owntongue , w i th n ice emphasi s, that em u lates his own ; wh i lechatt i ng w i th her father there i s a na i ve u ncon sci ousnesso f se l f that is charm ing. The two you ng lad ies wi th the i rdash i ng caval ie rs over i n the corner a re des cendan ts o fC harlemagne

,of cou rse . Who wou ld doubt i t ? To me

there i s someth i ng far more al l u ring abou t a F rench womanthan my American o r Engl i sh s iste rs . They are a combi nat ion of grace and wi t, th at i n ot her females wou ld seemd i s repu table dari ng inso uc z

’

ance. They are enjoy i ng al l th eda i n t ies t morse l s of the menu

,and demol is h i ng copio u s

d raughts o f Chatea u La ro se.

I n most of the F rench restau ran ts of the bette r o rde r,

and at the theatre-lobby bars , att racti ve gi r l s a re i n attendance at the desks ; h ardened and po l i s hed by the steel andi ce o f fl i rtat i on

, as bea uti fu l as they are reck less , as daz z lingas they are desperate .The Palai s Royal

,w i th i ts var iety o f expens i ve shops

and palatia l restau ran ts , i s st i l l a hot-bed o f faro thought he very weal thy c lasses freq uen t the gambl i ng cl ubs o n

t he bou leva rds. Most of the cafes have thei r gambl i n gsalons , and it i s a ra re th i ng to pass i n even the choices to f these restau ran ts, w i thou t the flas h gen tleman at thedoor i n te rrogati ng “

o ne cabinet pa rticu lier ?” There is

no attempt to sc reen these v i ces . They are sp read befo rethe pub l i c i n all thei r attraction s . Gam b l i ng i s legal izedth roughou t the Con t i nen t

,and encou raged by the Republ i c ,

wh i le the favori te pasti me o f the plebeian s i s attend i ng l o tste rica

,where m i l l io n s a re los t and on ly thousands won .

These people h ave a way o f gi v i ng p rope r names to the i rl ead i ng shops as we do to hfitels

,and many o f them are

su premely r id icu lous. The Bon Marché” i s a r easonab leappel l ation for the estab l i sh men t i t d ign i ties , as a l l thegoo ds are moderate i n pr i ce

,and upon en ter i ng the shop

o ne i s i ncon ti nen tly en veloped in the essence o f chempness .

or resales ras v an. 199‘

I t i s the fi rst and last res ort of Amer ican s. O l d England”

i s a s hop o f homespu n wool len s and serges on the Bou l eva rde des I tal i en s . I ts name i s compati b l e w i th i ts s tockand attendan ts. I t i s ch iefly val uable to Engl i sh lad iesgoi n g over to the Con ti nen t , as they may here secu re ali nen d uste r

,an ugly pl a id u l ste r, made of con v ict ’s mate

ria l,and Tu rki s h towel l i ng, and green barege vei l i n g to t i e

round the i r h ats . Then th e “Carn i va l of Ven ice,

” in

wh ich I can d iscover noth i n g con s is ten t. The GoodDev i l

,” ah ! th is to my woman ’s w it reveal s i ts s ign ificance

—there w i l l be the dev i l o f a row when the b i l l comes home .The “I n fan t Jesus” baflles my powers of d isce rnmen t , nul ess th rough th i s omn i poten t med i um al l bless i ngs may beobta i ned . The G reat Hou se of Peace

,

”yes , here are

u nctions that phys ic all pai ns . But fo r me, Les grandesM agas i n s d o Lou v re !” Here no t on ly al l th at ado rn s awoman

,bu t al l that beau tifies her home i s p rocu rable, i n

the cho icest and most rav ish i n g des ign s .What a con t ras t the Paris st reets form to day wi th thei r

deplorable cond i t i on forty years ago ! Then when Hel ad ies wen t o n t he promenade they were obl iged to esca ; edead cats and pu trescen t matte r of d i vers spec ies ; i n manyo f the smal l er byways the ga rbage floated i n the midd le o f

the st reet. Now they are swept and scou red i n to u l t rac lean l i ness. Walk where you w i l l , the same un i ve rsa l pu ri tyi s pre em inen t

,even t o the con fi n es o f t he town at the l’ o rtc

M ai l lot , where the octrm’

i s col lected from the vegetab l e andfru i t vendors

,bri ngi ng the prod uce o f the i r l i tt le garden s

beyond the bast ion s of the ci ty , to fi nd pu rchasers w i th i n .

When one arri ves i n th is da z zl i ng metropol i s,there i s a

s u preme su pe rficial gl i tter,th a t one bel ieves may ve ry so o n

be ex hausted ; bu t as we l i nge r new and more profoundatt ract ions bu rst u pon us . When we are sa ted by the parksand pal aces , the operas and art gal l er ies , the mon umen tsand the m useum s

,the flowers and foun tains ; then the great

p ub l ic works of ed ucation , chari ty , and ci v ic governmen tengage us even afte r these soc ia l attract ions are powerles s .

They have ho spi tal s for the t reatmen t o f cu taneo us d iseasesexc l usi ve ly

,as t he Sai n t Lou i s , and the Hotel D ieu where

a ll affl i cted by con tag ious e ru pt ions are den ied admi ttance ; Hopi ta l d u M id i , u nexceptional ly for males and thei rmalades improp re , the Hopi ta l de Lo urc ine i s the femalebranc h of th i s pecu l ia r char i ty ; al mshouses i n n u merablefo r th e o ld and the you ng, the hal t an d the bl i nd

, and av i s i t to t he Hosp ice pou r les i n fan ts través

,in the l i ne

200 PICTURES AND Poaraaxrs

d ’Eufer, c rea tes a reg ret in oue’s hea rt for leg i t i mate gamine

who have no good nun to care fo r them,and are pe rhaps

starv i ng fo r bread and ro lic king i n defilement , wh i l e th esel i ttl e inconnus are n u rt u red w i th tenderness

,and stim u lated

by pu rity.

L E T T E R X L I I I .

When , from the sacred garden dri ven ,Man fled before his Maker's wrath ,An ange l left her place in H eaven ,And eross

'

d the wanderer’s sun less path .

‘T was Art l sweet Art l new rad iance bro keVi here her l igh t foot flew o

’er the ground ,And thus wi th seraph voice she sp okeThe curse a blessi ng sha l l be fo und .

CHARLES Sr aaons .

Pants, May, 1878 .

I HAVE v is i ted the pal aces cl uste red on the C hamps d cMars

,with i n sha dow o i the exq u i s i te subu t bs

,—l’assy and

Lamue rs,—and the Moresq ue '

l ro cadéro,crown i ng the his

to rical heigh ts of Chai l lot, agai n and aga in in the hope of seei n g them i n a st ate of completion , and I have hal f-fea rfu l lysough t i n thei r equ i pmen ts splendor s u rpass i ng o u r d isplayo f 1876. Su rely I have no t found i t upo n t he ope n te rritory su rrou nd i ng the bu i ld i ngs . Wh i le the esp lanade i sb road

,and the grassy knol l s and gay parter res bo rderi ng

the mai n expos i t ion ha l l a re mode ls o f harmony and

grace , they have no fi tt i ng ex pan se . Wh i le the struc tu resa re spacious

,there i s a genera l appearance o f cramped ness

preva i l i ng th roughout,and th i s featu re i s a tt ri bu table to

the absence o f the v is tas i n w h ich ou r glor io us Cen ten n ialwas so fort u nate.In the mai n hal l there a re no series o f l ong l i nes o f per

spec t ive st retch i ng from end to end , such as gave .o u r

bu i ld i ng its magn i ficen t express ion o f d is tance. Bu t l bel i eve the man ner o f d issecti ng st reets and spaces by rigidpl umb l i ne i s pre-em i nen t ly Philadelphiau , and ou r ad herenee to i t has won for us the stigma of to noewitioao lr

'

sls.

However,the j u tti ng arms o f sections, and the abru p t

blockadi ng of aven ues in t he F r ench ex h i bit ion , hav e

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They were undefiled by the s ty l us of the anexception of a modes t a rmor ial de vice , enc icats garland of i mmortell es. An embossedand correspond i ng candelabras fu rn ished thabou t the s ides and corners of the table ase rv ice, elaborately w rough t i n cu rious des i;and fro sted ~wo rkmanship, was s pread , readyv ia nds of the sybari t ic feast. The fe ar wew i th tapes t r ies made at the Queen ’s cas t!town of W indsor, and the represen tations fi n Shakespeare ’s “Merry W i ves. ” Thesetheme of fash ionabl e cri tic i sm i n soc i ety aF rom the ponderous and pom pou s upho ls t

plate of the se lls 6 manger to the fa iry brPri n cess ’s boudoi r was

,i ndeed , a transform

a hol iday pan tom ime. A l l that th e adjacentained of the oppress i ve sumptuonsness th isde l icate splen dor o f bl ue and gi l t appo intmealco ve there was bu i l t an art ific ial g rotto, w

tai n fal l i n melod io us t i nk l e npc

fol i age acted as a foi l to theand goddesses i t stw i th th e confu semajo l ica vases. Fartherand busi ness bu rea u s, al l c liture i n E ngl i s h and French

or seamen raavat . 203

ex travagan ce of pri n ces was fo rcibly port rayed i n the marq uét ric man tel s an d doors , fash ioned in the ra res t designsfrom the wood s of I nd i a—cost ly add i t ion s

,that may be

u seless i n a few months , when t he pav i l ion i s razed .

Cont i n u ing down th is aven ue we emerge i n to the broadesplan ade o f the ma i n h al l wh ich str ikes me as be i ng muchha ndsomer than ou r hal l i n Fa i rmoun t Park. The bu i ld i ngo f i tse lf i s a mere shel l

,but so rich ly i s i t colored and co l

nmned,so rad iant w i th sta i ned glass w i ndows , so to s peak ,

fo rm ing the u ppe r two-th i rds of the facade, that I fel t i tsin fl uenc e l ong afterward s . I h ea r i t neve rtheless denou ncedas taw dry, w i th i ts crude and s howy cqlo ssal statues rest i n gaga in st o s tentatio us pi l l a rs far above whose heads floatt he i r ba n ners and pen nons ; bu t I d id not agree w i th thev erd ict. A slop i ng award cl ose ly shaven , pl an ted w i thfloweri n g p lots and freshened by fou n ta i n s

,grav i ta tes to a

mi crocosm of res tau rants , k iosks , an d fore ign bu reaus .Th rough the en trance o f the Quai d

’Orsay, guarde d by itsgiga n tic bron z es

,you res t u pon the Pon t de Jena to watch

the l i t t l e s teamers pnfling to and fro on the pl ac id Se i n e,

so me co n vey i ng a fre igh t o f v is i to rs to the Exh i b i t ionPalaces, and others moored to the stone wharves , depos i ti ngt h e i r s tores of stone and wood , to complete the temples ofart , sc ience , and i nd ust ry . Many aq uatic sportsmen i n ot iosemood a re pu l l i ng themse l ves in l i tt le canoes over the sti l land si l en t st ream ,

wh i le othe r r iotous part ies of bacchan tesare fi l l i ng the ai r w i th abo ut and jest . U pon the br idgeare the votar i es of fash ion and fro l ic , who have come to seea n d be seen ; t he art is t w i th palet te and brush , and thea rch i tect i n spec t i ng w i th c ri tica l eye eve ry cu rve and cap ita l, base and head , that make u p the co lo unades o f theT rocadero ; the corres ponden t who i s i n te rv iew i ng the integral parts o f t he p ictu re en masse and jotti n g down ai ryno th i n g from wh i ch he w i l l w eave severa l col umns of themos t s u bstan t ial mate rial ; the fai r rou nd ch u rchman w i thm issal and rosary , add ing savor, as i t were, to th i s h umanolla pod rida.

To v iew the Tro cadero from the base of the mound i ssc arcely sati sfac tory . I n t h i s pos i t ion an acc u rate pros

pec t of the who l e may be obta i ned , bu t to enjoy and studyt he bu i ld i ng prope r, one must l i nger abou t the par s , takea seat at one o f the l i ttl e ca fé o tables so n umerou s i n the

grou nd s, an d wh i le l u nch i ng , d wel l u pon th i s vast Ioad stare n th roned u po n the verd u red summ i t wh ich a cen tu ry agow as destined as t he s i te o f t he regal home of the fu tu re

204 PICTURES nan ronrau 'rs

K ing of Rome . Mark wel l i ts many attracti ve poi n ts . I tis a vast sem ic i rcu lar ed i fi ce ; a h uge rotunda fo rmi n g thecen tre

,flanked by sq uare w i ngs wi th lofty towers , and pro

jecting from these w i n gs , extend i ng from the northeas t tothe south west, are sky o lighted ga l l e ries modelled afte r th epe ri sty les o f Oampanian town s . Th is canopied and colonh aded promenade stre tc hes from one ex t rem i ty to the othe ro f the palace w i th the Span i sh name

,encompass i ng th e

m usic hall, and con nect ing at each of the open vesti bu leso f the w i ngs , and reached by spaciou s stone stai rways, o r ,as a cor responden t call s t hem

,stoops from the severa l

footpaths . There i s no ster i l i ty o f decorat ion , as flags floa tin an en d less array of colo rs along the marg i n s of th e ro ofs

,

and statues pe rfect each p i l as ter of the s uperb col on nade .

I ssu i ng from the ce n tre of th is bu i l d i ng,and as i f r ush i n g

from the col umn s, i s a casc ade of foam i ng water, that takesone pl u nge to t he ground l evel , and then over a ser ies o fgrav i tat i ng s teps u nt i l i t d r i fts i n to the great c i rc u l a rbasi n ; th rough th i s vol um e of cres ted foam j ets d

’eau xej ect the i r spray alo ft

,and fou n ta i n s a t opposi te ang l e s

cas t thei r waters to each other i n play fu l mo t ion . The

bed s of tu l i ps and earl y spr i ng flowers are more beau t i fu lby thei r sl igh t i n cl i n at ion toward the horizon

,n estl i n g

upon the gen tle accl i v i ty , and the fou r grea t braz en beasts—the horse

,the bu l l , the el eph an t , and rh i noceros—at the

corners of the bas i n , though magn i fice n t works of a r t,seem sad ly i n harmon iou s. However, t hey con tr ibu te toward a con str uct ion that i s most fan tastic and unco nven

t iennl, from the A l pha to the Omega .

The Chai l lot He igh ts , l i ke many of the Paris i an subu rbswere d isco vered to be thorough ly alveo la ted by anc ien tq uarri es

,renderi ng i t absol u tely neces sary to form a new

and so l id foundation fo r the Pala is d u Trocadero , bu t fro mth i s c i rcu lar cond i tion of the h i l l s ide, the cu rious fres hwate r aquari um sprang. These aq uaria a re formed by t h enatu ra l o ld quarry cav i t ies, and though p resent i ng the appearance of a success ion of smal l ponds Upon the grou nd s ,the water descends gen tly th rough the i ch thyol og ica l re'

t reats .When the inter ior of the Trocadero i s q u i te completed ,

the long wi ngs w i l l be the depos i tory of art, w h i le the

rotunda w i l l be the hal l o f festas and ceremon ial s . Whe nI fi rs t looked u pon the d iso rdered mass , I sca rcely hope dto see it i n i ts presen t gloriou s sta te , bu t the F rench seemto econom ize t ime and weather ; they leve l st ree ts i n a n ig h t

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206 Ptcruaxs AND ron'

raA i r s

bestowed u pon the Pri nce, so th at they may tel l them to

others. I jo i n the ocean of h uman i ty,bu t on ly to admi re

and study these s i n ful ly costly gewgaws,j ust as l l inger at

the ceram ic d i splay o f the M i n ton and Dou l ton cl ay s, theCopeland and Worcester Par ian

,the Chel sea porce la i n

,

and the Wedgwood Jaspe r. Royal ty has i ts uses i n theencou ragemen t o f gen i us

,and the d is tr i bu tion: of the nu

t iq ue model s ; bu t i t i s pa i n fu l to see how many m i l l i onsare gi ve n to feed the overfed k ings of the wo rl d , and to

decorate those who are al ready overweigh ted w i th theircha i n s of gold . I be l ieve i t i s general ly conceded that thepresen t exh ibi t ion of t he prod ucts of the B ri tis h potte ri eso ntdaz z les thei r specimens a t the Cen ten n i a l d i splay in 1876.

I t seems on ly reasonable th at i t shou ld , i n con s ide rat iono f the d ifficu l t ies of the Voyage, but i t does no t st ri ke meso. Perhaps I am a pat r iot ic bigot who sees al l copies o f

ou r nat ional d i splay on ly to the i r d i sparagement,bu t I

never can repeat the fi rst joy o f o u r own u n i ve rsal A merican banquet. Th i s i s the na t iona l excu se for deprec iationif so , i t i s the fam i l ia r s im i l e of the l i ttle ch i ld w i th thegingerbread horse, the sense o f fi rst pleas u re l asts th roughthe after years . I st i l l taste that ea rly gingercalte. The rei s n oth i n g to take the p lace o f the Cen ten n ial .Bron z es

,tapestries , statuary , and pictu res are so u rces

o f end less enjoymen t a t a grea t fa i r. Among the mos tbizarre gems of the E ngl i sh pottery departmen t were the

G reek vases i n im i ta tion of red gran i te , from the factoriesof Wedgwood Sons, at E tru r ia , Stoke-on-Tren t, Stafafo rdshire. I bent long over a choice col lect io n of clocks ,t i me pieces , etc. , adorned w i th origi na l p l aques of faience ,from James Howel l , Regen t Stree t, London . Fasci nat i n gas many o f the modern se rv ices a re , the most pe rs i s te n tefforts seem to be lav ished u pon ce rtai n panel s. Theseare ent ranci ng beyond desc r i ption . Many sacred subjects ,

repres entat ions from the ea rly G reek and Roman epics ,and themes o f feudal tro ubadou rs , are fai th fu l , w ith a del icacy of p igmen t and exactn ess o f ou tl i ne that are the perfec t ion of ce ram ic art .

“The I n fan t Sav iou r i n the armsof S imeon

,” “Geth semane ,

” “The Wal k from Emma us , ”“The Resu rrection

,

” “Elai n e, and many other equal l yfam i l i ar objects , a re treated w i th almost ar t i cu la te pathos .

S tafl’

o rdshire i s , so to speak , a price less m i n e of clayfields , as one soon learns by wal k i ng th roug h the Par i sE xpos i tion . I t i s al most v is i ting the d istri ct o f th e Po t»

t eries,” wh ich ex tends a long the cou rse of the Tren t, where

or roaste r: TRAV EL. 207

t he only oc cu pa tion o f the popul at ion i s th e man u factu reo f t his precious earthenware , and though Bu rs lem send smany fine prod uc tions

,S to ke upo n

-T ren t, a town of lesse rinhabi tan ts , an d two hun dred facto ries , transm i ts the l ion

’ssha re. Have we not i n ou r cou n try the same earths

,and

t he same sk il l to m i x, mou ld , and poet i ze them ?I n otic ed a case o f exqu is i te lad ics ’ shoes . beari ng a cl ose

sim i litude to the same w i th wh ich ou r Engl i sh friendsfa vored the Cen ten n ial ; su rel y no French co rdo nm

'

er everin fused greate r fin is h and de l icacy i n to h is i nspi rat ion

,yet

the Eng l i sh are the i l les t-shml females on the two hem isp heres. They i n ven t exqu i s i te shoes

,but have few feet

among their own people to fi t them .

The cu tl ery o f Sheffield an d B i rm i ngham can no longerclai m a place alone

,no more can the Mancheste r pri n ts ,

s i n ce ou r Yankee s teel and cot ton are so ld u pon Engl i shco unte rs ; another d i senchan tmen t began at the Cen ten n i alan d repeated i n Pari s. I t i s u pon th is p latform that theU n i ted States stands pre em i nen t. I fi nd here othe r factsfo r though t. O u r agricu l tu ra l and steam-propel l i ng inach i nes , ou r pi anos , and sewi n g mach i nes, are everywhereu ns u rpassed , and let i t he sa id ou r exh ibi ts of th i s k i ndw e re not on ly cred i tab le to ou r i n ven tors , bu t to ou r tastein the u sefu l arts. Th is last featu re i s al so noticeable ino u r su rgica l and den tal i n stru men t s , ou r carri ages, and theexqu i si te gold and s i l verware of T i ffany . But

,whe re was

t he great “Corl iss ” that i mpel led o u r cou n try ’s i nd ust rialand mechan ical rep res en tati ves ? Ho w I m issed the colo ss us . I t wou l d have m ade the F renchmen sta re , and compens ated for other deficiences .

The Japanese and Ch i nese depa rtmen ts are i n te res ting,as the se al mo nd-eyed people ever are in al l the i r e u ter ~

p rises . Bu t there is a swee t fam i l iar i ty abou t al l thatsee. The ca rved i vory beds and pai n ted s i l k canopies a rej u s t as wonde rfu l i f no t qu i te as fres h as when I saw themin Ph i ladel ph ia. S t i l l e ven t hose Americans who are soind i gnan t becau se we are not st rong enough in the Amer ican depa rtmen t in Paris , and sco l d Cong ress for not gi v i ngGoverno r McCo rmick hal f a m i l l ion to make a respectab les h ow i n th is great world ’s ca rn i va l and jewel-house , —eventhese take com fort becau se the Japanese showed thei r mostlovely pro duc tion s fi rst to the wor ld th rough ou r spec tac lesin Fai rmou n t Park . The Cen ten n ial is a great comforter,I assu re you , away ove r he re .

The crow n jewel s of G reat B ri tai n have been conveyed

208 mow er s s un Ponrau r s

h i the r from the Tower,and here i s a spl end id t reat fo r the

F rench masses that we were u n able to offer i n Ph i l a del ph i a .A fter that

,very nat u ral ly , I st rayed i n to the jewel depart

men t o f the F rench section,and fou nd th i s pa rt o f the

pageant spark l i ng w i th d i amonds and gold far beyond co n

ception. I w ish I had the abi l i ty to pai n t th i s dazzl i ngsc ene. I t i s so, i ndeed , that a great gem is never l os t !I t may be stolen , bu t al l the th ieves feel a special p ropertyi n i ts p reservation . I t can not be im i ta ted , and so carri esits own protect ion i n i ts scarc i ty . A great jewel i s l i kethe spec ial d i scovery of an i s land , once fou nd al l a reso l ic i tous to keep i t

,and a con t i nen t can not be cou n te r

feited . The Russ ian jewe l departmen t,though perhaps

not finer than i n 1876, i s more ex tens i ve. I t embraces aw ider sphere of female decorations , and the Russi an manner o f giv i ng tone and colo r to gold i s whol ly u n iq ue . Amedal l ion has upon i ts u pper face the pro topl ast of a pea rand the l eaves ; the fru i t i s a f o r: 81 711218 pear l of a del i ca tepi nk an d yel low shade ; the l eaves are o f the metal , presen ted i n frostwork , combi n i ng the green , yel low , russe t ,aitd brown o f au tumnal t i n ts . Ear-d rops , sym bo l i ca l o ffuch s ias , of th i s same colored gold , hav i ng the petal s t i ppedsomet imes w ith coral and somet imes w i th pearl s ; orn amen ts figu rati ve of the rose , s haded from pale-sa ffron to

p i nk , are on ly the more s impl e of these e legan t design s.The M uscov i te i s maste r i n h i s own schoo l o f art , and isstrong i n h is s i l ver and mal ach i te concei ts

,even beyond

th e F rench .

I n the French annex of lad ies ' costumes we find the

grandest ach ievemen ts o fWorth ’s and Pi nget’e sk i l l . He reare d resses that wou ld create an i n su rrect ion i f carried i n toa Ph i l adelph i a sal oon . I w i l l n ot attempt to sketch thesefan tastic anatom ies. Bu t t hen the i r vagaries were produced to glori fy the i n ven tor ’s name, an d though t hey a rethe excess i ve poetry of female att i re , i t i s dou btfu l if the yw i l l remunerate t he con tr i ver.A n Engl i sh lady o f conside rable cu l t i vation in si sts tha t

t he d ispl ay of statuary fal l s i n poi n t of mer i t far beneat hou r co l l ect ion i n 1876, an d not on ly so , bu t declares thatafte r v i s i t i ng all the importan t gal le ries of E u rope she

found none so r ich en masse as that gathered in to ou r artaggregat ion in Fai rmou nt Park. I l i s tened bu t was no tcon v i nced , and so took her compl imen t i n si lent surpri se .

To compare ou r Exh ib i t i on , even w i th al l tha t was loanedfrom abro ad , to the depos i tor i es of ancien t art, i s scarcely

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2 10 rroruass m roaralu'

rs

hou laye, the statesman and the ph i l osopher ; and V i cto rH ug o

,an i nspi red Derv i sh . I do no t know anybody in

the Royal House o f Eng lan d that eve r showed any specialbrain s ; none of the Pri nces or Pri n cesses ; while over herei n Fran ce the O rl ean s and Bou rbon pretenders are someof them very able men . M ost of the grea t w ri te rs , art i sts ,pai n ters , and scu l pto rs, are Republicans , and have been fo ryears , long before the fal l o f the last Empi re. Most o f theph i l osophers and scien t i st s are on the same side. O f cou rsethe re are plen ty of ot her men agai n st the Republ i c , an d fo rreact ion ; but I l ook i n vain fo r a man on the Repub l i ca ns ide i n E ngl an d who has any speci al statu s as a great poe t

,

pa i n ter,scul ptor

,speaker , o r essay ist . The bes t Republ i

can ia t hat great cou n try is a woman,and her name i s

George E l iot.

L E T T E R X L V .

“ In oran g roves and m rtle bowers.That reuthe a lo 0 fragrance round ,I charm the fairy ou ted hoursW i th my loved l ute's romantic so undOr crowns o f li v ing laure l weaveFor those that run the race at eve.

Ro s ana.

Lro xs, May, 1878 .

N EVER was Par i s more glor ious than when I pas sedth rough i ts sh i n i ng bou levards and open sq uares towa rdthe Embarcadere de Lyon yes terday . The spi res and

domes of the marvel lous c i ty were spark l i ng i n the s u nl igh t

,the flowers bloom i ng at the corners , and the Trico l o r

of Fran ce and the Sta rs and St r i pes o f her s i s te r repub l i c ,Amer ica, blend ing and floati ng i n the breeze . Perhaps i twas th is sweet fratern i ty

,and perhaps my own affect i o n

fo r home, that caused the inefi‘

able sad ness at my hea rt asI rode away. There has been an es sence o f home abo u tt h i s pl ace ever si nce I came i n to i t o ne sh i n i ng Sabba thfou r weeks ago. Peradven tu re, yo u may say , I l oved i tbeca use i t i s gay and dazzl i ng, because I caugh t al l thesm i les and none o f the s ighs, beca use I had seen on ly thebeaut i fu l an d none o f the bestial , bec ause I was though tfu lonly o f the charms and though tless of the crosses ; or , i t

or res al e s raav s t . 2 1 1

may be, yo u w i l l say that I revelled i n th e w i l d enchan tment, and had no concept ion o f i ts s i n s and i ts sorrows.B u t eager as I am fo r fres h te rr i tor ies

,the regret at leav i n g

this sweet foreign habi tat ion , as I had grown to regard i t,was qu i te s i nce re.A s I pas sed the cabarets, hotel s , and shops I met occa

s ionally I tal ian, Engl is h , a n d even German flags,bu t

Fre nc h and A merican con stan tly. We were pass ingth rou gh the Pays Latin, whe re l i berty i s dear ly cheri shed ,and these tw i n repub l i can symbol s were far more freq uen tthan on the oppos i te bo rder o f the Sei ne amongst the representatives of the an cien t regime.

N umbers o f st uden ts were c l ustered abou t the l i b rar iest hat fla nk the Se i ne in t his port ion of the c i ty

,where

books by famous au thors , of whom I never heard , may be

p u rc hased from two so ns to a Lou is d 'o r.

A s we d rew near the dépfit , upon.the con fi nes of Bercy ,w e fou nd the streets straggl i ng , and the workmen i n the i rblou ses ; now and then one i n sabots wou ld cl atter over thes to ne s

,a fru it-se l le r or flo wer-gi rl i n bl ue pett icoat and

w h i te w if e, and arms as hare and as brown as pol ishedpo rphyry , crossed the wh i te s treets that i ncrease i n dazzl i nglu st re , w ith the i r l i tt l e s tores u pon the i r heads from the i rhomes abou t C haren ton beyond the bastion s ; great logsand rafts were dr i ll i ng i n the s i len t flow o f the r i ve r, orh eaped upon the stone quays . Everywhere there was cont e n t and th rift

,bu t none of the g l i t te r and crush of the

c i ty . We had al ready crossed the t h reshol d of the Pal aceo f Enchan tmen t.We to ok t icke ts fo r Lyon s

,a ride of n i ne and a quarte r

ho u rs through the Bu rgun dy v i neyards o f France. I tseemed l i ke a long ri de

,bu t I knew i t wou ld not p rove

ted iou s, ly i ng th rough th is golden d ist r ict, that presen teda n ew and ent ranc i ng pictu re at eac h step ; bu t I was no tp repared fo r the bu rst o f gl o ry th at gree ted me upon leav

Paris,and d id not dese rt me u n t i l n igh t came and hid

it m my arden t gazeWe rap id ly penetrated i n to the richest sect ion s of F rance ,

t ho ugh not the most pictu resque ; fo r i t had none of thewild romance o f rugged mou n ta i ns , sharp deflles , dark

ggges, and foam i ng wate rs ; bu t al l the calm ,

domesticuty of r ich farm lands , cu l ti vated h i l l s ides, an d happy

h omes. I met w ith n o starvat ion and squalor ; a l l waspeacefu l an d flou ri sh i ng, and al l we re at work ; no one desp ised or scorned labor, and therefore al l we re prospe rous .

2 12 PICTURES AND mam arrs

Th i s absence o f the woes of i n tem peran ce i s the p re va i li ng characte ri st ic of the Val ley of the Marne , that stre tc he sfa r away to the l e ft , i n one u nbroken pla i n of fert i l i ty .

A fte r crossi ng the wate rs from wh ich th is l ux u rian t reg i o nde ri ves i ts n ame

,nea r the i r confl uence w i th the Se i n e ,

guarded on th e west by Fort I v ry , and the eas t by Cha reu ton , o ur compan ion sh i p w i th i t ceased , and th r oug hSei ne et Marne , along the green sl opes of the Y éres , ate rr i tory of ve rd u re-c l ad h i l l s, we saw here and there a na rtis tic dwel l i ng se t down i n a dal e o f flowers , an d the

smoke from th ri v i ng m i l l s c u rling over the l andsca pe .En teri ng the fo rest o f Fo ntainehleau the t rees seem as

i f they had been u prooted and repl aced i n l ong stra igh tl i nes by a su rveyor. The vegetable garden s are rich i np ro duce for the great ci ty . We have al ready passed man ywh i te-s to ne quarries

,the weal th of wh ich i s so cx tensive ly

u ti l ized i n the nob l e ed ifices we have lefl. beh i nd na—pe rh aps forever. I had bel ieved the gl isten i ng Par is hou sesto be compos i te , and a portion .o f the c i ty certa i n ly i s , bu there be fore me and arou nd me are vast blocks of c reamystone

,ne

'

wly cu t from chal ky bed s he ond . These dep os i t sl ie close along the rai l way , and lab rers a re busy d iggi n gand hew i ng the materi a l for bu i lde rs.A nd now there are v i nes everywhere ; they are d raw n

o ut far ahead as a wayside border of ou r rou te . The

grapes a re grown upon the terraced h i l l s i des, an d t ra i n e dto l i ttl e sticks not more than two fee t h igh , and women a re

to be see n everywhere u pon the bloom i ng acc l i v i ti es ten di ng thei r crops for the approach i ng v i n tage. Where aret he men ? 1 i nvol u n ta ri ly ask ; the women are do i ng al l thed rudgery . One fert i le val ley succeeds another, and anoth e r ,and another

,u n t i l I am prone to bel i eve the re i s no t a n

acre of Yonne and the Cele d ’o r wh ich i s no t devoted to

the grape and the ol i ve. Beh i nd the h i l locks are pl atea u xof award and neat l i tt l e cottages ; tal l popl ars shorn o f

fol i age,u nti l the effect i s th at o f a forest of flagstatfs o r

telegraph pol es,one of the pri nci pal featu res of the Fren c h

l and sc ape. Ham lets as w h i te as a seagu l l ’s w i ng are

couched agai nst gen tl e i n cl i nat ions,and feudal cha tea u :

and abbeys crown the summ i ts,where many a revel , a n d

many a secre t,and many an ex i le were h idden in the ion

ago, when con ven t was on ly a eu ph u ism fo r carousal , c ogchateau for con finemen t. The t u r rets and the spi res gleams t i l l and solem n agai nst the i n te n se ly bl ue sky, the land isas fu l l o f med ireval h i s tory as of presen t prospe rity ; per

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214 r tc'ruaz s AND poaraarrs

earl i e r days , when France was u nder then umber of petty feudal o fiicers , i t was thegu ndy , and the home of the reign i ng d uhteenth cen tu ry. Now , sh i n i ng u nder thsystem , we find i t the met roCfité d ’or and the heart o f the w i ne t rade. Ame I had lost m uch by no t remai n i ng overn ighp i ng i n to the cu rio us s igh ts and c us toms o f t h i stown , such as I shall never enjoy by v is i t i ng on ly la rgeci t ies . Bei ng an xious to sleep in Lyon s , woman l i ke , Ifo l l ow th e d ictat es of my own des i re, and d ri ve on to myi n tended dest i nation .

Then , as we wh i rled th rough so ft , green val leys , fromwh ich the fru i t-bu rdened h i l l s d i ve rge on every s ide

,and

c rossed crystal s treams whose meagre waters r i ppl e overstony beds , where women si t at th e margi n d i ppi ng thei rl i nen i n the l uc id cu rren t and beati ng ithe wh i te roads , w i nd i ng arou nd thedales , and ascend i ng the dark mo untsd ista nce agai n , we saw the gracl ums i ly yet gay ly capari soned , and heard theo f the i r bel l s v i brati ng th rough the sweet s ven ith rew h i s l ast warm rad ian ce over the ea rth

,an

tno us h ush of even tide was mad e m us ica l byj i ngl i ng ch imes of convent towers .Now we were i n the hea rt o f Haute Bou

bade ad ie u to the famous v i neyards of theon ly to greet those o f Gev rey

,and lose s igh t of

and pu rpl e heigh ts of N u i ts,Vol ney , or Poms

the p rospect of the s lopes of Beanne.

Yes l N ight w i th he r ow l s and bats and starcome to dwel l w i th us. The coach-l amps weclos i ng all commun icat i on w i th the ou teressayed to read my nove l . With the dy i ngI saw the m isty shadows of the J nra i ngu ide tel l s me i n clear weather the icy i ri deBlane i s percept i bl e.When I emerged from the cou rtya rd i n to

cou r th i s morn i ng, w it h my fi rs t s igh t of tsectional he igh ts of the c i ty of Lyons Ipowe r of a Mi l let orriety and fasci nati on 0Befo re me mou nted r idand rows

or macro s ru n s. 215

Behind me lay the tongu e of the c i ty l apped by the RhoneandScene

,and I tu rned to the shops and C i ty Hal l th rough

the new and beau tifu l Place de Belleco nr. Not so many ,a re shOps and stree ts as beaucapi tal . Not s uch an en d lessas I an tic i pated ; b lack l acesou s

,as though en v iou s o f the

Bmwcrm’s repu tat ion . A fte r t i r i ng o f the m u n ici pa l s igh ts ,

l engaged cos-her to Open u n to me the ru ra l splendor o f

the Pare de la Téte d ’O r,for this comm un i ty , though

W eely more than a th i rd as large as Ph i ladel ph i a, musthave their Fai rmoun t Park on the l eft of the Rhone.S im-lug from the con vergi ng poi n t o f the two streams , all“fl ag the quays on ei ther s ide are the float i ng la u nd r ies,"We the washerwomen come to perform thei r d u t ies,"with seem to be the ch i ef sou rce o f emol umen t amongstthe lower clas ses. The bou levard l ead i ng to the Parc i sd "? and l e ve l

,plan ted on e i ther margi n w i th prol ifi c shade

W 0, and the r i ve r i s span ned by freq uen t bridges. One

o f the great charms o f these fo reign ci t ies a re the ri ve rs“m g l id e th rough the ce n tre , w i th thei r handsome embankments and wh i te s tone w harv es .

in the pa rk we find the Zoo logical and Botan i ca l gardens ,a hike where l i ttl e skifls are danci ng, vast parte rres o f gaydone“, cu l t i vated by the h usbandmen , and a vacherie“ar e fres h m i l k is o fi

’

ered to the pl ea su re-seeke rs. Tor igh t a great checkered co nnte rpaue o f yel low an d

pink and wh i te and green appears to have been spread .

allW e approach th i s gaudy coverlet we fi nd i t woven of

in0 g racefu l , wav i ng gra i n , d roopi ng i ts go lden head as i f

o f“EO dest sense o f i ts matu re wea l th , b lended w i th patchesin i nk and wh i te clover, and you ng crisp ve rd u re.

HOT“ wa rd the s i l k factories , travers i ng the heigh ts of C ro ix

B se , we ascended i n an i n frac tno us coi l , that often proveda”a l ‘

dno ns pu l l to ou r poor old horse. The i nc l i n ations

a: fl angero us , the st ree ts na rrow , the houses rear i ng toh eigh t o f s ix and seven s tories

,and pe rmeat i ng the

“h

i

rfi sphere a re the moistu re o f steam and the wh i r r ofm s. The d im inu t i ve statu re and h un ted faces of the

Bing“ V veavers a re v i s i ble,a cogen t p roof of the sed i t iou s

seat fiments -o f th i s s i n uous section . I may cal l al mosteve r

y hou se a s i lk factory , as man u factu rers fu rn i sh them” mater ial to the laborers and they t ransform i t i n toshe Q ny fabric i n the i r homes .M o unti ng ten or twe l ve pa i rs of steep steps th rough

216 mor on s arm roaraarrs

d i ngy corridors and d i smal chambers , we reac hed one o f

the lead i ng establ i shmen ts a la rge roo m fi l led w i th looms ,of wh ich on ly a few were i n act i ve operation , and we hea rt he murmer of “hard times.

” The looms that we re in

motion con tai n ed the warp of go l d and wh i te damas kordered by Pres iden t MacMahon to u pholste r a new s u itof fu rn i t u re. The pro prieto r of th is great es tabl is hm en tescorted us to a room ado rned with s i l k p i ct u res , the prod ucts of the J acquar d l ooms he and his fam i ly rece i vedby the Em pero r and Empress,

" Wash ington ,” Lincoln,”

and many i l l u strat i ve o f French h is tory , all capi tal po rtra i ts. We di sda i ned offering a fee to th i s pompo us silkman, who had been i n the presence of royal ty, be l i evin g

p rofuse thanks to be ou r on ly mode of gratefu l demonstrat ion. I summoned my ent i re vocabulary of F re n chcou rtesy and lav i shed i t u pon h i m ; bu t even this d id n otappeas e the ol d vampi re ’s c ri ngi ng so ul. He beckoned u si n to a smal l room , and I , be l iev i ng he was about to re wardmy u l tra c i v i l i ty by a d isp lay of fu rther glories , than kedh im agai n and agai n. A t length I y ie lded to h i s i m po rt ifii ities, and there scattered over a table were a shoal o fo the r woven adornmen ts. I expressed my adm i rat io n fo rthe wonderfu l work i n my st rongest language, and s t i llno t a gl immer of the old man ’s des ign daw ned upon meu n ti l he en umerated the pr ices of them . Then , and t henon ly

,the su n of Wisdom broke th rough my cloudy pe rce p~

t ion i n a pe rfec t ex ube rance of l igh t. I co mprehendedthe s it u at ion ; I was the fly i n the spider’s web, and myescape cou ld on ly be pu rchased by the pr ice of se ve ra l o fthese p ictu res, the cheapest va l ued at ten francs ! 8 0

t h rough l i fe one m ust pay fo r h i s ignorance, and tho ughthe school of exper ience exacts the most bit ter les so n s,they are al ways the most chasten ing and end u ring.

Lyon s presen ts no appearan ce of neglec t. I ts st ree tsare new

,i ts sq uares adorned w i th stat ues, i ts garden s and

p lots ca re fu l ly pl an ted ; yet there i s ever appa ren t a s i mmeri ng i n su rrection

,that w i th a brea th may be fan ned i n to

a bro i l . I t i s more the c i ty of successfu l man u fac t u resand weary pro letaires , th an of costly pl eas u res. I t i s a

commun i ty of toil e rs and merchan ts,not poets and state s

men .

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2 18 PIOTsas s as s Poaraarrs

w h i te and red

l east none ofmi l l ion ai res alower gradestouch i ng the

Rhone, and i n the d i s tanceta i n peaks, from wh ich , trad i t ioncomm itted su ic ide. The tale

,how

to have become rootbou nd . Thesti l l bear the name o f Mm t P ilaf.i s i n the beau ti fu l val ley of thec ross i t, and then i ts sw il eft i n th e northeas t as we dash onWe grad ua l ly l eave the cou rse ofcon t i n ue i n a paral l el l i ne for some d istance.A v ignon , once a Roman colony ,

cen tu ry the seat o f the po ntifical tm agnets of presen t power, i s at lthea t re of the mc lo d ramat ic pland Lau ra . Th i s melancholy , l ove-l angu iate , crowned i n the Roman capi ta l , conceipass ion fo r Lau ra de Noves when he was 8hood

,and though h i s import un i ties were

t ermined pu rpose ,—ao the story run s ,you ng l ady ’s v i rgin i ty and w i fehood , thecon ti n ued to s i n g h i s love so n nets un t ish rouded h i s constan t and tem pestuou s hwas a wofu l day wh

en th ral led by the “no f St. C l ai re . TheLau ra’s pass i

th rough I taly , France, Spai n ,l au rel s a l ike from the vo l a t i l eservi ng classica l man uscri pts afou n tai ns o f a love that were dest i ned to ca rry h is fame downth rough the u n fathomable abysses of time, Lau ra re

mai ne d i n A v ignon,'

go ing th rough the maternal rou t ine ofdomes t i c l i fe , and w hen he retu rned to the hal lowed spo ta fter an absence o f nearly a decade

,fou nd his i do l op~

p ressed by domest ic gri evan ces and a pro l ific offspr i ng.

Oh l wh at a prosai c pl anet i s this earth l We are p rone to

bel ieve we a re l i v i ng i n an age from wh ich all th e ch i val ryand grace

,and poetry h ave departed . But su ch l essons

o r ro as te r: ma ven. 2 19

teach us to w ish no longer for the lyrical d ays when Cupi dwas j ust as capri ciou s as now. Poo r Petrarch l h i s pass ionfor Lau ra was one of th os e pl eas i ng fancies that serve topoin t a mo ral and to hang a ta le.And t hen Rienz i—Rienz i w ho was t ran sfo rmed from a

poe t ic d reamer i n to a pol i tical re former. Th i s w i l d revoutio nist is another sancti fy i ng memory of A v i gnon.

Rieu z i, the compan ion of Pet ra rch,who l angu ished in

pr iso n wh i le the l atter l ux u riated i n pal aces . Rienzi , whoperi shed on the Capi to l steps at the hands of the i n fu ri atedpop u lace,—the same w i ld popu l ace that had gathered hereto d ign i fy Pet ra rch w i th the d iadem of fame. Y es l On eis fasc i nated w i th the profound h i s tor ica l refle ctions o f thev i c i n i ty

,and l ongs to l i nger by the way to v is i t the h aun ts

o f the poets. W ith these close assoc iat ions,and the so u th

e rn fl ush and hush of the landscape,one i s i nc l i ned to be

l ieve he has al ready crossed the bo u ndar ie s of the C i sal pi neGa u l o f the ancien ts . The grad ual trans i ti on i n to I ta ly i sat o nce d isting u i sh able i n the soft pro n u nciat ion and d u lcet to nes o f the peasan ts, the freq uen t appearance o f holyfi tbers from the clo i ste rs , moun tai n goats on the rockypasses

,and l i tt le donkeys hea ri n g weigh ty bu rdens over

perilous crags . Mou n ta i n sp ri ngs pl u nge from thei r d izzyhe igh ts to feed the g reat we l l s o f i rrigation that aretu rned th rough vas t tracks o f a rable l and . Tun nel s arebecom i ng freq uen t now

,and we i ss ue from thes e subter

ranean ce l l s, someti mes to fi nd ou rsel ves perched u ponlofty l edges ove rhanging the flowering dale or sharp dc

file, and someti mes at the base of a sterile promon tory

rea ring its summ i t skywards. Sk i rti ng the E tang de

Bar re, an i n lan d lake , a vast sheet o f water b l uer thanhea ven

,and as si l en t as death , we en te red the l onges t

mountain cavern i n France , from wh ich we emerged to

greet the mystic Med i terranean , where the l i ttle boats w i ththe i r l ateen sa i l s we re gl id i ng over the azu re r i pples l i kebu tte rfl i es paus i ng upo n flowers

,w i th gay wings ele vated

,

no t ou tspread ; whe re Ma rse i l l es l ay in her exten s i ve sandbeds , ca ressed by the bl ue su rge , protected by the isolated

pile of Chdtecru d ’If , and the lon g pier and bl i nd i n g bastio ns of Fort St. Jean , and shel te red by the stony apex oft re Dame de l a Garde.Com ing i n to Marsei l les I was i m pressed by i ts Moori sh

appeara nce and Sou thern a roma. I t i s wholly O ri en ta l .There is the smel l an d the moistu re of the sea , t he lux uriant foliage of grace fu l pal ms, and a m iasmat ic

,st ifl i ng

220 rxc'ruass A ND poaraarr s

a tmosphere. The w indows are sh adedof the Tu rk i sh type ; a flam ing combi nabl ue, green and maroon, pi n k and pu rplebroader than my two hands. O ver th ecapari son s ex tend in variega

the margi n o f the sidewalkwav i ng palms exhale thei rfi sh and fru i t s tand at theshade

,

and o r

they haveo f ravent ially earthy. The gal l ey-s laves , 0

work on the stone h arbor and on

They toi l i n pai n fu l si l ence , and the stra in slat

'

se are suppre ssed i n the i r agony.

As we d rove in to the cou rtyard o f thel ike a scene in a fai ry palace. There wasth rong cl u ste red abou t the tabl es under theand by the golden fru i t-t rees ; canarybrazen cages, wh i le i n val id lad ies , whoby physic ians to the sal u bri ty of a so ft

dos ed i n the sleepy atmosphere , and

over th eme , and

h eal th .

frescoes,the chamc rhnson

o usly appo i n ted bath-roomsand ca rr ied i n to the apartmeMy sou l exu l ted a t the re velat ion , andoccupy one of the welcome novel t ies. I t wasan o ld and appreciated frien d i n a fore ign land .

u pon inq u i ry,repl ied they were al l vacan t

,an d

prepare one fo r my reve l i mmed i ately.

Now “prepa ri ng a bath ” i n E u rope, bei ng imeans placi ng a Turk i sh towel , as large as a shl ower level o f the tub

,wh i ch i s an excess i vely

able process , and n ot prov id i ng soap , wh ich i si ncon ven ien t. I have al ready lea rn ed to carry

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222 Pl cr uans AND Poaraarrs

mazari ne waters of the Med i te rranean,t h rong to these

houses o f chan ce and r is k t he i r pu rses upon a d ress, a ha t ,a watch , a bed , a set o f jewely

,or a broken m irror

,wh ic h

a re al l gathe red i n to a mot ley heap. I even saw bi rds fromthe Le van t and M al tese ki t ten s gambled for in the sam ebreath w i th an old teakettl e . There was a fasci nation inthe st rata of l i fe gathered about these Fares , and I lo i teredi n them to study the pass ion w h ich flattered some wi ths uccess and happi ness , w h i le others were se n t home w re tc hed by thei r d i sas te rs and d i sappo i n tmen ts . E ven the fru i t~woman m ust leave her t ray at the corner , where the flam i ngt orch casts a mo re lusci ous g lamou r over her s parse s to re

,

to enjoy the w i ld hazard . The pean u t-boy and th e raggedgamin from the docks blen d in th e ex c i ted rivalry , andpe ri l the i r few coppers—earned , o r begged , or stole n ,Heaven and themse l ves a lone know best—for th e fal segl i tter o f some empty baga te l le. A nd he re they flock

,n igh t

after n igh t,to feed th i s u n healthy and in sat iable pass ion .

L E T T E R X L V I I .

In the ages o f fai th , before the dayWhen men were to o pro ud to weep or pray,There stood in a red -roo fed Breton town,Snug ly nest led

‘twixt sea and down,

A chape l for s imple sou ls to meetN igh t ly , and si ng w i th vo ices sweet,

Ave Maria."

Ms asm ns s, May, 1878 .

A VI SIT to the docks of Marse i l les , i f no t so h azardou s ,i s certai n ly more i n te resti ng than to adven tu re the cres t o fNotre Dame de la Gard e. This ch u rch, perc hed u pon t h eA lpi ne vertex she l te ring the old port , i s regarded by theMarsei l l a i se as thei r p illa rs o f Hercu l es ; t he refore, no t toh ave ri sked i ts perillo ns pa ths , is not to have seen the ci ty ;so I determ in ed u pon do i ng Notre Dame de la Garde ,w i thou t a s uspici on o f i ts s i tuat ion

,i ts meri ts

,or the mod e

of access . I had no t proceeded fa r over the h i l ly streetsl ead i ng to the p l i n th of the em i nence , before I was te r rors tricken

,and I woul d have abandoned the u ndertaking ,

or roas te r: TRAVEL. 223

ha d i t no t been a confess ion of my pus i l l an i m i ty . I t was ated iou s pu l l over rocky slopes and fu rrowe d coi l s, u n t i l theinc l inat ion became a straigh t o b l ique plane, and the d ri verd ismoun ted to gu ide the horse over the prec i pi tous ri dge.A t t imes the road con tracted i n to a mere stony ledge ,sc arcely w ide enough to al low the wheel s o f ou r con veyance to pas s , freq uen tly ro l l i ng and bounc i ng over fragm en ts o f bowlders that bes t rewed the way ; then , upo n

t he brink of the preci pice the grave l crushed and y ielded ,and we often h eard i t ratt l i ng among the tliu ty c ragsbe low. These repeti ti on s of the ea rth crumbl i ng awayfrom u nder our feet, as i t were , t ran sformed my jou rneyf rom one of pleas u re, as I h ad co n templa te d, i n to one of

p ai n . F rom vast gran i te va u l ts w here rough-hewu wal l sc l osed i n on every s ide , on ly the sky v is i ble, we tu rneda bru pt corners to find ou rsel ves u pon sharp spu rs , w i th theblu e waves toss i ng far away to the left, the busy l i fe of thec i ty i n d izzy con fus ion below . Yet st i l l far ahead stoodN ot re Dame de la Garde, i n cl ea r ou t l i ne aga i n st the ho riz o n. The coachmau man i fes ted some so l ic i tude fo r myp l easu re by stoppi ng u pon every giddy he igh t, and poin ting to Marsei l les, excl aimed

“regarde z , c

’est trap grands ,

”

b u t I was not i n trepid enough to take h i s ad v i ce . Hec o u l d not comprehen d my fea r, and repeated h is i m portu n it i es un t i l I en treated h im to pass on. I t was th ri l l ing i ni ts grandeu r, but i t was no t a pict u re I cared to dwel l u pon .

I t was a rel ig ious festa, and the peasa n ts i n thei r fan tast ic co stu mes and broad brows , many from the ham let o fC atalans , were scal i ng the rocky a l t i t udes to offer t he i rw axen tr i bu tes at the sh ri n e of thei r Holy Patroness .M any of the ch i ld ren car ried gay chaplets o f paper flowers

,

w h i l e the i r e lders bore tapers of every si z e,vary ing from

the ord i nary tal low to spermacet i fi ve feet l ong and s i xi n ches i n ci rcumference. Freq uen tly these men and womenin hol iday atti re

,on the i r way to thei r V irgi n Goddess ,

o ffe ri n gs i n thei r hands and ori son s on thei r l i ps , pauseda t ou r carriage to beg centimes, and so pe rti nacious werethey that they ofte n forgo t the i r re l igious m iss ion . Uponreac h i n g the c rest whe re the sacred fortress i s en th roned

,

a n ocean o f ch i ld hood l i te ral ly o verflowed the l ong fl igh t o fs te ps l eading to the goal a handsome structu re

,but not so

efiec t ive as I had a righ t to expect, as a reward fo r mytravai l ; bu t the v iew of the c i ty , obtai ned from th i s van tageg ro un d , wh ic h ex panded ove r the enti re valley , the galaxyof sh i n ing v i l l as couched upon the enc i rcl ing h i l l s i des

,the

224 Pic'runns s un Po araarrs

ste ri l e base of Chateau (PH and Rato nneau , ca res sed bythe az u re wave s

,and t he forest o f s h i ppi ng w i th the col o rs

o f many nat ion s float i ng ove r the ha rbor, as i f to wel cometrave l l e rs from every zone

,was an en trancing compens a~

t ion . The coachman l ed h i s poor beas t over the decl i v i tyw i th an empty voi tu re, wh i le I passed on w i th bru i sed fee tand agi tated l i mbs over the rocky pathway on ly to be bese tby photog raph , cake, lemonade, and sou ven i r vende rs ;b l i nd beggars , ha l t beggars , scarred beggars, and mend i~can t fr ia rs

,who , i n the i r l u s ty man hood , seemed cou n te r

fei t beggars , ass um i ng the wai l of woe u pon the appea ran ceo f any one who appea red to have two so ns to give away .

I f we refused to sow ou r coppers broad cast,double-d ist i l le d

cu rses , u tte red w i th vehemence, an d th r i ce repeated , h u rl edou r sou ls down to the depth s o f perd i t ion . Many o f the

peasan t men we met had cr imson or gaudy-st r i ped snood sk notted abou t thei r head s ; t hese I in sti nct i ve ly avoided a tiirst feari ng they were bandit/i , bu t u pon fu rther acq uai n tance

,d iscovered them to be o f that element known as the

Cata lnns or Span ish gyps ies , i n hab i t i ng the del ta at thesoutheast o fMarse i l les , and s tretch i ng i n to the Med ite rra~

nean,—the commun i ty from wh ich you ng Edmond Danté s

,

afte rward s Cou n t Mon te C r i sto , D umas’s hero

,chose h i s

br ide. Th is popu l ation that I passed on the moun tain are

the offspri ng o f the Span i sh colony w ho perched l ike pe n

gnins upon the promon tory many cen tu ries ago , and in

thei r short beaded and broidered jackets,and flauu t ing

kerch iefs wound about the i r h eads , we traced the i r Moori shorigi n . The co lors and tri nkets o f the i r heterocl i te costum ehave degenerated w i th the years, bu t st i l l th e pri nc ip le o ft he d ress o f thei r an cestors i s preserved .

To the ci tadel Nicolas , an d thence over the qu sys of theoblong old port

,the re was a d ifl

'

erent l i fe from that we left ,c raw l i ng u p and down the rough , re l igious l adder th at ledto the heavenward sh rine. Bcggars l Oh , yes , there were ah u nd red fold more beggars and swagge re rs among the dock sthan u pon the gran i te mou n t

,bu t the re was too muc h

d i vers ion to heed the tr icks of sharpers i n the crush of themy riad craft and the th rongs of sailo rs on d u ty o n the

merchan tmen , the hordes o f poor pan t i ng h uman toilersload i ng and u n loa di ng the t rad i ng vesse l s l ocked i n the

bas i n s,and the care-free t roops o f seamen off d uty

,w i t h

fu l l pockets and l ight hea rts,whose go l d was soon to

v ani sh i n the sed uction o f the glittcning cas i nos and the i rblack-eyed sweethearts.

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226 v iew ers aan eoa'raarrs

the Prado I have loll ed i n d reamy mood u nder th e shadowso f leafy aven ues that s tretch beh i nd and before i n u n brokencolon nades o f green , and even i n the Bou leva rd de Lon gchamp , w i th the t ranscenden t fou n ta i n and statuesq ue fro n to f t he Palai s i n the perspec ti ve ; al l these bea u t i es and fasc inat io ns , together w i th the h u nd red ot her attrac t ion s o fa great c i ty

,are st i l l i n fer io r to the solemn majesty of t h e

en v i ro n s.Sta rt i ng from the careen ing naval basi n on the easte rn

ext rem i ty o f the ol d po rt, we co n ti n ued over a con t ract edpat h bo rder i ng the sea th at w i nd s abou t th e tongue o f l a n dthat forms the C reek de l a Rese rve

,then to the northeas t

we met the broad wh i te level Corn iche,th e pr ide o f Southe rn

Fran ce and I ta ly,wh ich extends from Marse i l les .down to

the toe of I ta ly along the border of the Med i te rranea n .

In the v i l lage des Catal an s we found the hom es o f t h eco mmun i ty we met u pon the A l pi ne pas ses. L i ttle wh itewashed nests that seemed fal l ing to decay , some ho l eshewn i n the s ide of rocks, apparen tly constructed o f ear t h

,

crumbl i ng to a fine powde r ce rta i n to evaporate w i th thefi rst breath of the hyperbo rean Mistral that sweeps o ve rProvence i n scou rg i ng veloc i ty . Sq ualor and pove rtyre igned supreme, yet abou t al l t here was a p ictu resq ue

phas is at least pleas i ng. I t may have bee n the l u x u rianta rbors o f roses , the toweri ng he igh ts , the zigzag ti tledpaths

,where these hovel s reposed s leepi ly

,the bri l l i a n t

d ress o f the i nhabi tan ts u pon the gla ri ng al leys,or the

myst ic lapis lazu li of the sea.O n the left of th i s scene we had al l the beau ty of a rug

ged,subl i me landscape w ith i ts pastoral an d even gy psy

l i fe. O n the r igh t were the bl ue wate rs lav i ng the C o rni che, and dash i ng u pon the base of the ste ri l e i sland s, w i t hth e glamou r of romance and peri l h anging over them .

Far ah ead the chemin dc Com iche co i l s abou t the bo rd e rof the la nd l ike a s i lver ri bbon .

I n reach i ng t he Rest Roubion we passed the Val l ey ofthe Shepherds ,” and the Val lon de l’Orio l, that l ay l i kes l um beri ng tw i n s cradled between the heigh ts of No t reDame de la Garde and the mar i ne ridges .

The Rest Roubion stands u pon a platea u aboveEn teri ng the grou nds of the hote l we cl i mbed slapingpaths and grou ps of l i tt le steps u nti l the scene be l ow iacreased ia beau ty w ith every v iew . Exqu i site parte rres ,and vases bu rdened by an exuberance of bl oom i ng rosev ines , and cl osely-cropped award , gave the spot a mytho lo~

or roamoa raav z n. 227

z ics i ai r, resem bl ing the h aun ts of the G recian gods andN ea po l itan fa i ries .

The rain fel l , bu t the sea l ost n one of i ts wonderfu l color ,a sh arp penet rati ng wi nd greeted us even here o n

this so u the rn shore and in these declin i ng days of May.

L E T T E R X L V I I I .

“O ! The earth is fair inplai n and glade,

I n val ley and mounts 11 range,But it changes as the es fade.W hi le the brave sea nows no changeAlo ng the shore, as in a

ges past

,

His noisy footsteps falAnd the gray rock me l ts to h is tou ch at last,For the sea ru les al l lY es ! the sea ru les all l

NICE, May, 1878.

M r task shou l d be rese rved for the poet. I t i s not ins o ber black and w h i te prose that the splendors of theR i viera shou ld be calenda red . They demand the glow i ngha rmony of Byron and the inspi red penc i l o f Raphael .A rou nd th i s Med i ter ran ean n est there i s j ust now an ihe fl

'

able beati tude i n the a i r and a glor ious sp ri ngtide ofc o lor.

“Ah me ! what hand can pencil guide. or pen,To fol low ha lf on which the eye dilu tes,

Thro ugh views more dazz l i ng unto morta l kenThan those whereo f such th ings the hard relates,Who to the awe-struck world unlocked E lysi um

‘s gates ?"

Fol low ing the l i ne o f the Corn ich e al ong the bri m of seaf rom Marse i l l es one rea l iz es the Frenchman ’s pat rio t i ca phorism ,

“La bel l e F rance .” To determ i ne j ust whatbea ut ies are in cl uded i n th i s compl imen t i s an i nsol ub l e

p roblem , as the bou ndaries o f Fran ce are sh i fted tw ice i na generation , in con formi ty w i th the revol u t i on s of the

po l i tica l ax i s. Despi te ste reotyped eu logy , the Englishl andscape neve r k i n d l ed in me m uch ecstasy , bu t here Godhands us such a perfect ch rysol i te , that man

’s gen i u s cannot d ivine no r descr i be its peer less rad iance. I t i s no tmunic i pal taste nor m u n icipal governmen t, re l ig ious sent i

228 mcru ass All ! ) murm urs

men t nor pol i t ical equ i po i se , no t moral dogmas, no r soc ial

d i scipl i ne , that mas ters the s tranger behold i ng this lovelyregi on fo r the fi rst ti m e. I t i s the chaos o f ench antm entt hat cove rs t h is whole rou te o f t rave l . Even the topplingtowers of the wh i te con ven ts

,floating ’twixt sky and sea,

seeme d to me natu re’s crow n to the whole panorama, j ustas i f she h ad “sna tched a g race beyond the ru les of art .

”

There was a cloud overshadow ing Ma rsei lles when I leftit, not a pol i t ical n or commerc i al cloud , bu t a dense atmospheric frown that was seve red i n to sh reds by the sh i n i ngsc im i tar of the sun before we came i n sigh t o f Tou lon , thewar harbor o f F ran ce , where h uman beasts of bu r den to ilin l ong fi les

,manac led by the gal ley-chai n ; w he re the

sybarit ic s harpe r, the del icate pe rfumed lover, who i n a

frenzy of jealou sy had k i l led h i s fair one, and the dou b led ist i l led felon , su ffe r s i de by side .From the heigh ts beyond Tou lon there is a view of earth ,

sky,and water, that stamps it as one o f n atu re ’s chefs

d ’muvre. Through the tu n nel s,and over the l e dges , w e

tu rned an angle , and yonde r , nestl ed on the s lopes of D es

Mau res, we saw what looked to be a grea t wh i te cathe dra l ,o r cl oi ster. I t proved to be the town o f Hyeres, rapi d lyexpand i ng i n to a great san i tari um , though perched upo ntoo lofty a ri dge to be shel te red from the scou rgi ng bl as tso f the mistral. I n anothe r c u rve the to wn is lost, but weget a fhll v iew o f i ts i s lands

,ly i ng o ff i n th e Med i te rra ne an,

the i r ste ri le foundat ion s and fortified cap i tal s bl ended w it ha heap of spark l i ng rugged rock.

For al most se ven ty m i les we sk i rted the base of theMari time A lps , n atu re

’s ete rna l mon umen ts,pi led r id ge

upo n ridge, final ly fad i ng away in the c louds, u ngarni s hedby a bl ade of verd u re. They extended c lose to ou r ca r

,

u n t i l each projec t ion wou ld seem abou t to dash the w i ndows to spl i n te rs ; then by an abrupt evol u t ion we we rew h isked i n to the black bowel s of the t u n nel led Colos su s .A t the l i tt le harbor o f St. Raphael, about half an ho u r

from Cannes,Napoleo n lan ded when he came from Egypt ,

bathed i n the glo ry o f tran scenden t v ictory. Fou rteenyears afte r

,crushed by h is own reverses

,and followed by

the sco rn o f h i s people , he agai n weighed anchor from the

same port u pon h i s ost rac ism to E l ba,an d w i th i n the yea r

retu rned and landed not many m i l es from the same spo t.What more cogen t example o f the i rony o f fate th an t heseu n forgo tten lesson s i n the meteor ic career of the Co rsicanCorporal

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230 Plor uass a s ! ) mar aarrs

where a few mon th s ago sky, ocean , and ai r resou nded wi ththe i r satu rna l i a.

Follow ing the cou rse of the waters , the ramparts seemablaze i n a wh i te co l umn of sunl ig h t, capped by an odo ro usand ferv id bl ush of cactus and cri mson cypress , glo w in goleander and golden oranges , the t ropica l pl umose pa l m swav i ng over the au reate fru i t and flam i ng flowe rs. The at

mosphere seems asl eep i n an agony of sweetness , and l i fe i sas morbid in the streets and gardens as i t i s i n the en vi ro n s ,where we meet on ly the goatherd or the blo ssom-gat he re rs

,

and see on ly the mon asti c towers o f con vent or cloi s te r.Mou n ti ng the apex o f C imies and St. Pans we hear o n lythe ri ppl i ng laugh o f a l i ttle ch i ld , a s ign o f sol i tude The reis over the h i l l s and th rough the dales a rel ig ious h us h , anodor o f sancti ty, a bea u ty o f hol i ness , i n marked con trastw i th the wh i r l of th e capi tal an d the th ri ll. of the prov i nces ,and I am pro ne to bel ieve I am al ready w i th i n the sp i ri t u alsovere ignty o f Holy Mothe r C h u rch . We see none of t hetrad i t ional sq ualor of I taly

,bu t a l l i ts s i lent com fo rt.

Rough wooden cro sses, u ncou th c ruc ifixes , and grace lcsssh r i n es , protec t the crops and hal low the roadsides. W ho

can enjoy such a cou n try bu t those born upon its soi l, a n dwho have m i ng l ed i n i ts cu s toms ? Su re ly not those w h oendeavor to gai n an id ea of i ts beau ty from can vas, a n dm uch less reade rs o f novel s and t ravel s. You may fig u rea steep h i l l s ide clad i n royal pu rple and emeral d

,l igh ted

by the cri mson d ress o f the peasan t g i rl , and a l i ttle w h i teco ttage home i n an arbo r of aloe an d cypres s ; a r udeascend i ng path , over w h ich v i n tage rs are d raw ing grapewagon s to w h ich they themselves are harnessed , wh i le t he i rw ives o r daughters push the wheels ; a garden wal l , beh i ndwh ich fallow fr u i t gl i s ten s ; a v i l lage pr ies t co u n t i ng hisA ve Marisa and Pate rnos ters ; and the hoary ru i n s of ca thed ral or chateau as a sacred coro n al u pon the mou n ta inbro w . You may even see th e scene v italiz cd by broad ac re so f wheat and t imbe r ; but n o brush can pa i n t o r q u i l l descri be the soft laugh o f the maiden , the tender low i ng o fthe kine, the perfume of garlands, the m arve l lous maze o f

color,an d the subl ime i nfluences of atmosphere ; they m ust

be i n haled and fel t to be real ized. I t i s not so m uch perception as emotion .

The world wou ld tell me I have. l ost much by find i ng th i ss i ren ’s n es t stri pped of i ts gay aud ie nce and thei r gaye rp u rs u i ts and tastes. But i f it was rife wi th frol i c, m us i c ,recep tions

,baccarat saloon s , and the r iot of h uman li fe ,

or roasmn raav s t . 231

w o uld this spir ituous elemen t be poten tia l ? No ! I havev iewed the fai r goddess of the sea i n a l l the sweet pu ri ty ofn aked ness , an d fi nd her one of the sacred c reatu res that thefla sh of jewe l s and the gl it te r of gol d wo u ld carnal i ze.There are fi ne bou levards o f shops

,ex tend i n g from one

e x t remity o f the tow n to the o ther,bu t

,w ith few exceptions

,

they exh i bi t on ly the extract o f the rape and the o live ,and these appear i n great profu s ion . he st ree ts seem toh ave been swept and th e gardens garn i shed for S unday ;the den ize ns have don ned thei r Sabbath garb

,the wh i te

ro ads , wh i te houses, honey-laden atmosphe re , the ferven tc le arness of the sky , each m an and woman tak i ng she l te rf rom the noonday heat u nder a cr imson

,bl ue

,p i nk

,green ,

o r yel low umbrel la ; the who le place looks l i ke the Open i ngscene i n a n ope ra bo ufl’e. Natu re i s i n a swoon and the

p eople a re i n a holiday .

A lthough a ci ty o f the sea,there is n one of i ts moi s

t u re i n the cl i mate ; the mou n ta in a i r i s volat i l e ; the Mayow n i s fu l l o f peace ; Harleq u i n is i n h i s bed ; the fidd leis at res t ; al l t he f un of the pl ace is pan tom ime ; and no

t h i ng seems al i ve but the sweet melody of a d istan t ch imeand the sad ca l l o f a sol i tary rob in.

L E T T E R X L I X .

“O C h rist l it is a good ly sigh t to see

W hat Heaven hath done fo r this del icious land !W hat fruits of fragrance bl ush on every tree lW hat good ly prospects o

‘er the hi l ls expand !Bu t man wou ld mar them w ith an impious hand ,

And when the A lmigh ty l ifts his fierces t scourge'Gainst those who must transgress his h igh command,

W ith treble vengeance wi l l his ho t shafts urge,Gau l ‘s locu st hos t, and earth from fe l lest foeman urge.

Cru so e aaono .

Monaco, May, 1878.

Monaco i s the Princ i pal i ty , bu t Mon te Carlo i s theC as i no, and Cas i no i s k i n g. Monaco si ts u pon a lo ltyp romon to ry overhangi ng the sea

,look i ng l i ke the ru i n s o f

a great cathed ra l. But there are no arch i tectu ra l o r

geog raph ica l r u i n s at Mon te Carlo, on ly an inealc u lable

232 v iew ers ans PORTRA ITS

w reck of l i ves , and these are no t exh ib i ted to th e seek i n gst ranger l i ke crumbl i ng mou nds and dec ay ing castles , b u th idden u nder the gayety and g l i t ter o f sed uct i ve v ices an dcost ly adornmen ts. Few stop at Monaco ; all go to Mon teCarlo, and when I left N ice on my fu rther sou th-boundrou te along the Ri v ie ra , pass i ng away from i ts pu re , res tfu l , rel i gi ous atmosphe re, -enhanced by the sweet Sabbath ,—I fel t as if I was tak i ng one stu pendous leap from hea ve nto wel l no, for Mon te Carlo i s a st range and fasc inating hybrid of heaven and he l l .The same beau ty of featu re and ou tl i ne pre vai l s th rou gh

the sho rt r idge that leads from N ice to Mon te Ca r l o .

Perhaps the roses are i n cl ose r cl usters,the cactuses i n a

greate r ‘

blnz e of fi re , t he sea bl uer, the sky more i n ten se ,and t he heights more d i zzy ; but the characte r i stics a reexactly l i ke those of th i s F ranco-I ta l ian region si nce I l e ftMa rsei l les. Adm i ral Le Roy ’s vesse l lay i n the bay o fV i l l afranca at the come r o f N ice, wh ich I on ly gl an ce dat from a natu ra l louver w i ndow i n the rocks . The l i n ew as now w hol ly s ubterranean

,except at the stations o r a

re n t i n the moun ta in,where we wel comed dayl igh t on ly

fo r a second , to be agai n wh isked i n to u tte r darkness .A round a great p rojecti ng cu rve Monaco bu rsts u pon

you ! I t seems detached from the mai n l and,and han gs

’tw i x t earth and sea l i ke a great sw i ng i ng garden . No velsand tracts

,M u rray o r Baedeker had pai n ted the A rcad i a

t o wh ich I was has ten i ng ; al t hough none have succeed e di n ex tol l i ng . no r even j ust i fy i ng i ts a ttraction s

,as i ts mos t

pronou nced i nfl uences a re a sen se, not perception . T heCorn iche coi l s abou t i t, and t he rai lway trave rses th ePr i nci pal i ty from one ex trem i ty to the other

,where t he

Mari t ime A l ps project i n bo ld spu rs i n to the Med iterra

nean . I t i s the star o f the most l ux u r ian t and charm i n gd istr ict of the R iv i e ra, though the v iew obtai n ed from the

car i s greatly d isparaged by the i rrepress i ble gran i te mon umen ts. Monaco crests the cu l m i nat i ng poi n t of the road

,

though i t and Mon te Carlo and the en v irons are overlooke dby the towered ped i men t of Tu rbia.The h i story of the pew. p ri nci pal i ty i s c loudy

,bu t i t has

been u nder the sovere ign ty of the G ri mald i s i n ce the te n thcen tu ry , o f wh ich the rei n i ng pri n ce , C harles Honoré l l I ,i s a d i rect descendan t. e i s a man (i f s i xty

,sen s i t i ve o f

a l l the del ic ious beau ty a nd begu i l i ng pleasu res o f hismonarchy , and a vol uptua ry i n cost ly Paris , w he re h epasses s i x months of the year. Ti red o f en terta i n i ng a nd

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234 p row ess s un Pes r au'

rs

l i tte ri ng process ion and take i n the points of the orga nz ed spectac le. How su pe rb the l andscape here i n t he

lovel i est part of o ld I ta ly and new France , w here the pu r p l eh i lls I have so often seen i n fore ign pictu res clo se abo u tme . There i s a go lden g low i n the atmosphere, an d th esestrange yet fasc i nati ng co lors exceed i n myst ic rad i ancethe cop ies I on ce thought im poss i bly art ificial . Mon teCarl o i s a rock pol ished i n to a so rt o f dev il ’s elysi um , and

the pu rp le h i l l s,o ften ve iled i n a sadder m i st, ri se abou t

i t as i f they had been placed by some mec han ical i n ven t i on ,and a dd rather to the prepared beau ty ; smal l de l ica tehouses of w h i te stone, and Cathol ic ch u rches i n sn owypu r i ty

,set o ff the darker h ues

,l i ke seagu l ls float i ng in a

black tem pest on the deep ocean .

The Mon te Carlo fare i s u pon the plateau o f rock hove ring over th e station . G rea t fl igh ts o f marble steps and

glow i ng ter races,gl isten i ng parapets and spark l i ng bal u s

t rades,l ead to the fai r C i rce. A rumbl i ng l i tt l e coach

ca r ried us over a steep narrow road , flanked by bea u tifu lcottages and garden s , to the H6 te l de Pa ri s, w i th i n theCasino grounds . I saw i t was a si l very place upon en te ring by th e vast marb l e vest i bu l es , spac ious sta i rways , andcos t ly appo i n tmen ts ; no t so refresh ing and ca l m as thehotel at N ice

,with the shady pa lms wav i ng th rough th e

stone cor ridors , and the l i t t l e bed sfd i'

aped w i th thei r fleecybobinet cu rta i n s. The smal lest and simplest dou ble c h amber i n t h i s castle o f a hote l was two dol l a rs a day, ra testhat wou ld exceed ou rs at home

,when th e table and ex tras

were i ncl uded . A l though we are o u t of season , the ballsare r i fe w ith the h um and jargon o f foreign voices and

hu rry ing footsteps . Here at least there i s none o f the

pai n fu l s i l ence pervad ing the E ngl ish hotel s. Every o ne

seems sel fish ly heedfu l o f his own d es i res and pleas u res,

and ben t u pon h is own pu rs u i ts. There i s a con ti n ual t i d eo f gambl e rs d rift ing between the hote l an d th e Temple o fFaro

,on ly a few yards apar t.

The last stra i ns o f the aftern oon conce rt have d ied u po nthe a i r

,but still t he votaries of th i s st range and sed ucti v e

worsh i p come and go . The plot i n fron t o f the piazza andthe broad steps o f the sanctuary of s i n a re ever fu l l an dever changi ng. The wh i r l o f h uman fl ies l ooks like the ev ol u t ion s o f meats i n a spot of noonday sun l igh t. The s tee pgray rocks and loftier mou n ta in s close i n the Cas i no a renaon the north , the east , and t he west , and the w h i te pal i sade soverhang the bl ue sea on the sou th . From where I s i t

or FOREIGN rnav er.. 236

a nd gaze about me,I d i scover no v is i bl e egress fo r the

po or unfortunate neophy te w ho real izes an ill-ch osen v o

ca tion and too ard uous a r ubric i n the Holy of Hol ies , exc e pt to p l unge from the snowy parapet i n to the s u rgi nge te rn i ty be low . But cou ld any one ever grow heartsoreo r ennwied i n so bea u ti fu l and wel l-attuned a sect ion ?S urely , they m ust he i ngrates. I t i s an enchan ted reg ion ,and the i ns u rmou n table w al l s of gran i te close abou t us ,no t to i m press us w i th a sen se of impri sonmen t, bu t on lya s a sweet retreat from the v u lgar world . Th i s i s the innoc ent v is i to r ’s fi rst i mpress ion . Lit tl e k iosks

,cafés , and

p av i l i on s, d azzl i ng i n O r ien tal frescoes , border the coas tand are scat te red over the garden s ; fou n tai n s cast thei r

p lay fu l wa ters to and fro m vases toppl i ng u nder the i rw e igh t o f l ux u riance and perfume , and marb le god s and

g odde sses g l ance between th e fol iage o f pi nes , aloes , pa lm s ,and Oleanders

,arou nd whose roots

,and over the ea rth ,

g reat b l ack gu tta-pc rcha wate r-pi pes coi l l ike v i ta l iz i ngs e rpen ts . A Dom i n ican fr i ar

,i n black gown and ca lotte ,

flan ked by h is acol) tes, crosses the wh i te square , bu t pers i s ten tly ignores the colon n ades and d isci ples o f the Pa laceo f Chan ce . W ith the gatheri ng shadows a ch i l l air b lowso ff the nort heas tern peaks

,that chasten s the atmosphere

o f a l l i ts sal i ne mo istu re,and the sound of the d i n ne r-gong

d i st u rbs the devotees . The re they come,flock i ng o ut from

the solem n i ty of Vespe rs to the flesh-pots .Di n ner at the Hfltel de Paris i s one of the most nove l

and characte ri st ic processes o f th i s gam i n g c i ty . The salond i ffers from any o f the ot he rs I ha ve seen a long the sou the r n shore

,and con tras ts v i v id ly w i th the one at the Hote l

de Louv re et de la Paix at Marse i l l es,where my eye sough t

v a i n ly fo r res t upon one sq uare i n ch of l at h and plaste r ,that was not bl i nd i ng i n a glare o f wh i te

,gold repou s se,

and fresco es ; even the doors were ch i na gloss , frescoedpa nel s, and gi l t bead i ng . Here al l decoration s are equal lyelabo rate , but i n dark ve l vety tones o f Pompei ian red , o l i ve ,green

,d u n shades

,wal n ut a nd ebony woods and p late-glass ;

no crysta l and gi l t chandel ie rs,but bronze metal . The

room is an extensi ve ob l ong w i th a lofty dome,a nd long

wi ndows set i n deep embrasures,gorgeously uphol stered

,

a nd l ooks l ike th e ha l l where A pic i u s m igh t have hel d h isbanquets. Co l um n s separa te it i n to two sect ions ; the fi rstfu rn i shed w i th smal l tables

,where v iands are ordered it la

ca r le ; the l atte r assigned to the table d ’hflte. The (2 la

c a rts departmen t was t h ronged by those whose fai t h was

236 pxcr uass AND murmu r s

thei r m ist ress , and he re the femal e e lemen t prevai l ed . A h 3it gladdened my very sou l to gai n so potent i al a p roo f o fth e unselfishness and cons tancy of my sex ; even i f man ifested i n beha l f of an impu re cau se , i t p rocla imed a loft i ercas t o f ch aracte r th an that shown by the male cormoran tsby whom I was su rrounded . Thei r wedded w ife wasforgotten i n the i r appeti tes. They had two goddes ses

,

Hazard and Glu tony ; wh ich was the most despot ic I amunable to say . I s i t n ot George E l iot who says , “fl

‘

he

pass ion o f jealo usy makes fie nds , and the passion of h u n ge rmakes beasts o f men The l a tter species we re a l l a ro u n dme at the tab le. They a re the s usta i n i ng elemen t of t h i sg l i tter i ng pal ace

,and have b ribed al l the wai ters i n to th e i r

s laves. They were the fi rst to be served wit h ev ery co u rse ,and if a l ady i n tervened she was om i tted fo r t he nextgambler i n the l i ne. I f t he su pply of food was unequal fo rthe n umbe r o f guests , a lady wou ld be den ied the de l i cacy ,w h i le a mys terious w i n k or s ign to a wai te r from thegam bl er next her commanded a replen ished d ish o f the

l u x u ry she had been told was q u ite exhausted . I orde redi ce-c ream . A s I was abou t to hel p myse l f one o f the

i nd i v id ual s n ear gave the cue,t he c ream and serv an t

were transported as i f by el ect rici ty,an d when I co l le cted

my d i sbanded facu l ties I had the pleas u re of see i ng myfe l low-d i ner enjoy ing my desse rt aft er hav i ng d isposed o f

h is o wn. Need I d wel l o r moral ize u pon this gross v u lgari ty ? Need I say that men w i th these base man n e rshave baser mora ls

,and that to be robbed o f one 's ice-c ream

was not so flagran t an i ndecency as to be robbed o f one ’sam iabi l i ty by the leer i ng gaze of th ese heart l ess ghou l s ?But we were here as others were

,even the best o f ou r k i n d

,

to grat i fy a n at u ral cu rios i ty ; and true safety was to getou t o f i t, q u ick ly and uietly as poss i ble. To remonst ratewou ld be as great a folly as a propos i ti on to pu rchase thebank . Such monsters are th e foundati on u pon wh ich theg reat temple res ts , the fu lcru m wh i ch su pports i t, the gi rde rthat bi nds i t

,the pi l l ar that st re ngthen s i t, the stanch i on that

u pho ld s i t, the ax is u pon wh ich i t revol ves. These c rewtnres are the A t l an tes , Caryati de s , and Hercu les that ca rryi t. They are the e l ect ch i l d ren

,the fa i th fu l bel i evers , t h e

clergy , the propagand i sts , and the soc iety o f the Tabernac le o f Fortu ne.The gambl i ng-hal l i n th e hotel i s en d ésimbille, be i n g

garn ished fo r the w i n te r frol i c ; the green-bai z e tabl es w i ththe chal ked n umeral s are tu rned u ps ide down, and the fres“sters

’ trest les are consp icuou s i n thei r stea d. A l though th i s

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238 Prc'

runs s AND rem a i n s

the most successfu l , ri sking very l i ttl e at a time, bu t i n variably add i ng to i t. The men are of two c las ses ; the you n gand brai n l ess fops o f fortu ne

,who are here cutt i ng th e i r

social eye-teeth , perhaps w i th less pai n to them selves th anto the i r paren ts

,u pon the bri l l ian ts of Mon te Car l o

,an d

the bu r ly,bu l ly i ng ro ués and sharpers I have al read y

spoken o f. The women are o f every age , station , and u s

tion u nder the sun , the you nger tos s i ng down the i r stak esw i th the playful reck lessn ess o f ch i ld ren , and the e l de rones seated at the tab l e

,brows fu rrowed w i th though t an d

anxiety , as i f they were sol v i ng the problem of the i r fa te .

I stud ied the game long. The more I l i ngered the m o rei n terested I became. Several t i mes I though t I h ad unravelled the warp o f i ts progress and penetrated i ts dark es tsecrets , when by some new l aw of s uccess I bec ame awareof my u tter hel plessness to d i sen tangl e the skei n .

The a musemen t i s absorbi ng and sed uct i ve, and as Il ooked I too fel t i ts pecu l i a r i n fluen ce . I t i s the charm i n gexpecta ncy o f-l u ck that ench an ts , and we are begu i l ed i n tothe mach i nat ion by an ecs tasy o f an tici pation . Se ve ra lt i mes I fo u nd my hand upon my porte-monnaie, for I co nfess my ev i l gen i us was b usy , pa rticu l arly as I watched a

you ng lady who never staked more than a fi ve fran c p iece ,and yet whose star was ever propi t ious. Besides here , inthe presence o f the del us i ve evil, we do not th i n k of thepr i n ted admon i t ions o f the moral is ts .A l l i s peace fu l and l u xu r ious

,and w i th the excepti on o f

now and then a broken-hear ted-look i ng old woman o r a

h aggard man leav i ng the table i n despa i r,we see no n e o f

the m isery we had ex pec ted wou ld stare at u s l ike w re tcheddeath s'-heads from every corner. There are many eage rcand idates fo r the vacan t chai r of the u n fortunate one , ando ur budding sym pathy for h im i s soon fo rgotten i n the r isk sand t ri umphs of h i s s uccessor. I ceased to recol lec t thewhole category of pai n fu l affect ion s

, the i nev i table o nt

growth of th i s pass ion ; I forgot the attend i ng si n s an dso rro ws , and sa w on ly the lotte ry whee l o f a ch u rch fa i r .Su rely , I then said , there can be no w rong i n th is, s i nc ei t i s on ly the mach i ne empl oyed to fulfi l a pu re ly rel ig io u sand chari table end . The si n is so h igh ly veneered byg l i sten i ng prospe ri ty and artifice that t h e h ide ous fact islost

,and a sed u lous men ta l rev i ew of the thousand t rag ic

sc enes enacted on the spot i s n ece ssary to w i th ho l d one ’s se l faway from the vampi re ’s talons. Rou lette seemed not h i n gmore than a mere i n nocent ch i ld ’s game o f chance , or fa i r

or t eaman m a v en. 239

vi th i ts revo lv in whee l and bal l s,d roppi ng i n to the

te red and him: sockets , bu t treats“

ct guarantee, toone apartmen t is devoted , i s m uch more ser ious. I t

e d wi th ca rds,and n oth in g bu t gold co i n i s staked .

>t so exci t i ng as the rou lette,fewer i nd u lge

,and o f

mo stly women are seated at the tables ; a most death lyre igns

,and the gamers devote thei r most su bt le ln

to the work. Vast ro u leaux of Napoleons and heapsk of France notes l ay on the tab les , and afte r the.re deal t around tw i ce , the game decla red , the moneyd i n by the c rou pie r and d istr ibu ted amongst t hes. I saw fi fty dol lars staked

,and by some trick o f

; on the fi rst card dea l t, the w i n ner recei ved fift eend.

Cas i no i s not the on ly gambl i ng sa lon o f Monaco ;.there are n umbers of assembl ies o r ci rc les in all theand ham lets of the R i v ie ra where baccarat i s playedlong. A lmost every pri vate house and ho te l hasilet te tables , as they are fo r sale i n the shops as

as pean u ts at ou r corn ers . Gambl i ng is the m iasmaai r

,and to remai n i n the atmosphere yo u can no

nope to escape the i n fect ion than the ye l low fever i nl IS , o r the malaria u pon the Po nt iac marshes.bliug i s not t he on ly v ice o f th i s chosen d i str ict .s iness of pleasu re -and ru i n—i s stud ied i n i ts mostdeta i l s and abstract ph ases , and al l that may conto the enjoymen t of man is congregated here . I

c ard loathsome tales of loose mora l s and free l i fethe lamias ,

’

who swee p down i n hordes u pon unsus

gyou ths , and of freq uen t m u rde rs and su ic ides. Of

my l i m i ted stay preven ted me from seei ng any ofII. where so m uch s i n ex is ts retri bu t ion is inev i tabl e.is i s as certa i n as Satan .

in Empe ro r Wi l l iam ostrac ized Monsieu r Blanc an d’

ario us com rades from Bad en Baden,i t wa s here

,

corner o f Pri nce Monaco ’s parad i se, that he fou nda ry refuge u nder the French T ri-color. I c al l thet ion nefarious ; st i l l i s i t any more gu i l ty than ra i ltook , commercia l , and pol i t i ca l Specu l ation s ? I t i s.bu t before the E te rna l J udge i t w i l l n ot be more

y pu n is hed than the systematic vi l l any th at i s praclai ly by those who make the food , t he com fort , andsee o f n ations the s po rt o f great co rners

,the ex

ir l i v ing i n l u xu ry u pon property not thei r own,

aoppo rt un i ty to r u i n those who i n vest i n the i r fal se

240 Prc'ruaas AND Poaras rrs

specu l ation s. Human law j ustl y ch asti ses the gambl e r,

and the ch ief of Mon te Carlo has massed m i l l ion s u ponmi l l i on s by h i s organ ized v i ce '

; but there i s no h uman l awfo r the ru le rs who gamble w i th th e l i ves of the i r peop le ,and s laugh ter m i l l ion s in great and useless wars .

L E T T E R L .

Ilero ic guide l w hose w ings are never fu rl'

d .

lay

thee Spain 's voya er so u ht ano ther worldhat but poetic impo se cou d sustain

That daun tless pi lgrim on the dreary main IDay after day his mariners protest,And ga z e w i th dread a long the path less westBeyond tha t realm o f waves, untrack‘

d before,Thy fai ry penci l traced the promised shore.

Th rough weary storms and fac tion's flerccr rage,

The scofl’s o f i ngrates and the. chi l ls o f age ,Thy voi ce renewed his earnestness o f aim,

And w hisper’d pledges o f eterna l fame

Thy cheerin smi le s to ned fo r fo rtunes'a frown,

And made h s fette rs garlands of renown .

"

Tucx s anau .

Gaxoa , June, 1878.

I WOULD no t dare to apply the th read bare and hack neyedboast o f La S upe rba ” u pon Mon te Carlo , and yet i tm igh t be j ustly appl ied to that gl i ttering pagean t , an d notto Genoa. Genoa i s d irty

,d ismal

,and d i l apidated , and

though the beau ties of Monaco sti l l l i nge r i n my mi n d l i ket he pomp of some gorgeous pagean t

,th e fi rst p ict u re t h at

met my ga z e he re as I th rew open my casemen t w i ndow ,made a sad and last i ng im press ; a manacl ed defi le of c o wv icts pass ing over the rai l way embankmen t u nder my l a ttice

,from the i r toi l u pon the quays

,as the A ngel u s be l l

ch imed the even i ng hou r.For some m i les afte r l eaving Me

‘ te Carlo, we had the

fa i r F rench l andscape abou t us, and the pedd l i ng peasan t sof F rench Savoy push i ng the i r l i tt le wagon s of car vedwooden ornamen ts and c uckoo clocks over the w h i temo u n ta i n paths, but after pass i ng the l i ne of the c ustoms tation , Vent i m igl ia , I ta ly was apparen t i n a gene ral as

pe c t o f u n tid i ness , squa l or, an d decay , wh ich we saw on ly

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242 c'

rus se a rm poa'

raaxrs

se l l macaron i and pick rags ; but u nde r these same colonnades we pushed open a d oor and ascended the marb lesta i rway of the Hote l T rom be tta

,fo rmerly the Palace o f

the Adm i ra l ty . Spaciou s d i n i ng h al l s , vast marb l e co r r idors

,and l u xu rious chambers

,fo rmed a str ik i ng con trast

to t he exter ior fi l th and decay . Th rough zigzag passages ,and da rk

,damp , sl i my al l eys

,where the an t iq ue pal aces o f

the al te rnate b lack and wh i te stone b locks rear thei r headsheaven ward , 1 fou nd the Doria es tate, and en teri ng met noteven a symptom o f the ou ts ide po l l u t ion

,bu t a man s io n

crowned w i th the glories o f Perino (tel Vaga, one ofRaphae l ’s pu pi l s. The ch u rch of the Annum iata

,though

the br icks and mort ar appear moth-ea ten,i s as su perb ly

fi n ished i ns ide as a mosai c pictu re o r a l ady ’s en ame l l edgewgaw

,and to me more beau ti fu l th an the Made la i ne i n

Pari s . Hou rs cou ld be passed i n th is h igh ly em bel l i s h edsanctuary

,and g l ad ly wou l d I have l i nge red longe r w i th

the young I ta l ian acolyte as gu ide,feast i ng u pon the

beau ties of the su pe rb temple , had not ti me beckoned meaway . Th i s i s my i n i ti a l d ay i n the re l ig i ous to u rnamen to f l taly. I t i s a coun try o f ch u rch es and a churcho

go ingcommun i ty ; every one who co mes here immed iate ly lau nchesu pon the peacefu l sea o f sancti ty ; hol i ness is the i n fec t i on ,and we can no more escape i t than the gambl i ng con tagionat Mon te Ca rlo. I do not know whether the Cathol ic c ustom o f keepi ng the i r ch u rches open a l l day and every dayfos ters a moral an d powerfu l popu lation

,bu t i t cer tai n ly

has its meri ts. I t i s the on ly proper way fo r the house o fGod to be cond ucted . I n ever approved the sys tem byw h ich snpplicat io n and repen tance are conden sed i n to on econglomerate mas s d u r i n g s ix days , to be h u rl ed , a pio u sproject i le

,u pon the seven th . Rel igion shou ld

,l i ke love

,

be an emotion of the heart—an ecstasy ; and we sho u l dseek ou r God as o u r sweetheart , at the momen t i rresis t i b l ei mpu l se prompts u s to sweet commun ic ation . Worsh i ppi ngGod by rou t i ne and woo i ng by ru le are fo r auste re b igo t son ly. I f we s i n on the fi rst day o f the week

,and u pon th e

second o r th i rd o u r sou l c ries Pecea vi,we m ust bear th e

sti ngs o f the st i l l smal l vo ice w i th in fou r more days be forewe may cast ou r con trite heart‘s u pon the al ta r of the G rea tCon fessor, and i t woul d dem and a very tender cons cien ceto b leed w i th the same remo rse after th is l apse of ti me .And so when S u nday morn i ng sh i nes, the ardor of ou rpen i tence has coo l ed ; ou r hea rt-scou rgi ngs have bee nseared by t ime and the wor ld ly work ; we veneer on e pa rt

o r FOREI GN raavnr. 9 48

o f o u r gu i l t and forget another, and go o u r way w i th on lya part ia l forg i veness. There i s a prologue of pen i tence

,

b u t the wounds are on ly cau te rized,the poison st i l l fester

i ng at the co re.If my proc l i v i ti es are Rom ish

,let i t be attri bu ted to the

fac t, I en te red a con ven t school at the age o f e leven , andt hough my se n t imen ts are fa r too l ibe ra l ever to adopt al lthe precepts o f the Ch u rch

,yet at so early an age the m i nd

is placable, qu ick to rece i ve and sl ow to remove , and thes u rro u nd i ngs and teach i ngs have le ft the i r v i v id a nd end u ring colors .Genoa i s bu i l t u pon al ti tudes , and the stree ts coi l rou nd

and rou nd , u n ti l the fi rst , the eas iest , and the most freq u en tt h i ng a stranger i s gu i l ty o f i s

,to l ose h imsel f. There a re

spaci ous sq ua res and fi ne sto res , bu t they are the except ion .

The new Maz z in'i Ga llery, ch ri stened i n honor o f the fierceand i n spi red I tal i an repub l ican

,i s the pri de o f the Genoese.

I t i s an exq u i s i te g l ass-covered aven ue, l i n ed by fresh andcostly estab l i shments

,wh i le t he half o f one s ide i s occu pie d

by the new hote l .I had hea rd m uch of Campo San to

,the pictu resq ue

ceme tery o f Genoa,and my fi rst steps were tu rne d towards

it. I fou nd almost as m uch food for reflecti on upon myrou te as i n the swi generic necropol i s. A nd of all I saw

and al l I stud ied, d i rt and donkeys we re the most affec ti ng .

A l l along the qu ays rag hovel s—Genoa i s the great rag

mart o f the world—were p len teous. Dark,fo u l

,half-naked

men were assort i ng thei r tatte red merchand ise,and ba l i n g

it u pon the n umberless d rays that we re to con vey i t to thev esse l s. The a i r was pe rmeated w ith th e fumes o f had

tobacco and garl ic. By a myste rious tu rn we fou nd o u r

se l ves in the broad Via N uova,where the sun l igh t seemed

t o pou r down w i th t reble efl’u lgeuce upon the wh i te squareby be i ng debarred hy na rrow byways ; where the Pal az z ode l M un ic i pio reposes u pon an i ncl ination adorned by theet e rnal sto ry o f Dogs Grimal d i i n fresco , and guarde d byM azz in i i n marbl e. The sta i rway from the cou rt i s one o fth ose costly and mas terly works that

,alas , sad ly reca l l to

u s th e art of bygone days, n ow a soi l ed vest ige of formerl ovel i n ess. I n the Counci l C ham ber Col umbus and MarcoPol o are blazon ed i n gaudy mosa ics

,and in a room adjo i n

i n g i s preserved the v iol i n i n to w h ich Pagan i n i breathedthe melod ious l i fe that elect ri fied the world . Th i s and twoau tog raph let te rs from Co l u mbus were the on ly objects o fi n teres t i n th e m un ic ipal pal ace.

244 rtc'ruaas a s h Poaraarrs

The l ad ies of Genoa are , as a cl ass , e l egant and fan tast i c .They have ever been noted fo r the s ignal g race of the i rs tep Add to th i s most e loq uen t beau ty o f woman

,a pre

matu re ly developed,yet s hape ly form , clear ol i ve com

plex ion,l arge l um i nous eyes

,and a wea l th of raven ha i r,

that seems a bu rden to the wearer, i n i ts m u l t i p l ied co i l s ,and you have a mode l o f th is at t racti ve prov i nce . Thenthei r cost ume is so biz arr e and roman t ic

,they loo k l i ke

t he an tique females stepped from the can vas o f a Span i s ho r I tal i an p ictu re, i n the i r r ich , bri l l ian t co l o rs , w i t h o nlya fi l my scarf of black l ace d raped abou t the head and th roa t,and the i r l arge O rien ta l fan s . There seem to be fewe rv i s i tors u pon the streets th an i n any o f the ot her fore i gnci ties . I can not accoun t fo r th i s dearth of strangers

,bu t

I can poi n t ou t every a l ien female by her bon net. The

upper cl asses o f th e nat i ves ’ w elf are i s on ly the ve i l , fastened on one s ide by a l usc iou s damask rose or g i l t ornamen t.The shop w i ndows d i spl ay bu t one characte r of jewe l ry—the filagree. There are th ree spec ies man u factu red : t hep u re go l d , the pu re s i l ver, and the s i lver w i th gold fac i n g ;an d every descri ption of bau ble for wh ich the female heartl ongs may be found i n con fused superflu ity . These , w i thve l vet

,are the ch ief s taples

,and the pri ces

,compared to

tho se at home, are excess i ve ly moderate. A n exqu i s i teset of ear-ri ngs and pi n of the pu re gold , are so l d fo r eigh tAmer ican dol l ars , a brace let for twel ve, a n eck l ace fo r s i xteen

,—rangi ng h igher

,acco rd i ng to the i n t ri cacy o f t he

work and we igh t o f metal,wh i le the l ower grades dep re

c iate w i th the val ue of the s i l ver.Toward the Ports Romans we passed th rough s t reets i n

wh ich I feared we m igh t be wedge d. Certai n ly somecal am i ty wou ld have occu rred had a m u le, a -man, or evena mouse

,been encoun te red . Fortu nately ne i the r convey

ance no r an imal was met . Where e i t he r wou ld have sough tre fuge from the con tact i s s ti l l a seal ed p roblem, as th erewere on ly he re and there h oles beaten i n to the hedg i n gwal l s where bl acksm ith s

,t i n ke rs, cobb lers , and rag-pickers

ply the i r meagre trade. Once ou ts ide the gates we b reat hethe fres h ai r and try to force from o ur l u ngs the nox io u sgases that have al l bu t strangled us i n ou r r ide th rough thecramped to wn. Laund res ses are beat i ng thei r l i nen onstones i n the Bisagno , whose waters seem i nsufficien t fo rthe process . I t i s a pecu l i ar way these I tal i an r i ve rs h ave

,

y ield i ng more pebbles t han wa ter. The flow is al ways

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246 I ncr ease AND PORTRA ITS

L E T T E R L I .

0 Rome ! my country l city o f my so u l !The o rphans o f the heart must turn to thee

Lone mother o f dead empi res 1 and con trolIn thei r shut breasts thei r petty misery .

W hat are our woes and sufi'

erance ? Come and see

The cypress, hear the ow l , and plod your wayO ’er steps o f broken thrones and temp les, Y e lW hose a ouies are evi ls o f a dayA world s at our feet as fragi le as our clay .

”

Braon.

Rou x, June, 1878 .

THE i mpoverished cond i tion of I taly is pai n fu l ly appa reu t i n the totter i ng habi ta t i on s , decay i ng stations , cru mbliug aqued ucts, and broad stretches o f barren moor lan d .

Last n ight I passed th rough some forty tu n nel s,bu t

thanks to Somn us , be folded h i s peacefu l w i ngs abou t me .and I d reamed of triple-act ion spri ngs and l ux u rio us mat

t resses i n these dark cavern s , on ly to waken w i th t h edawn

,and fi nd my cramped l imbs and ach i ng head pain

fu l ly real in comparison w i th my happy del usions.Pisa was th e fi rs t station I saw i n the early morn i n g

,

and I though t i f I co u ld catch the l east s igh t of the Leani ng Tower I shou l d go on my way con ten ted and sat isfiedthat I had not va i n ly cl i m bed i ts apex , traversed the w i ndi ng ways of the town , and w i tnessed the repu ted sens ual i tyo f the popu lace. But not a l i ne o f i ts col umns nor a sc rol lof i te fretwork gladdened my expec tan t gaze. A grou p ofd usky I ta l ian boys lou nged abo u t the platform

,and I

beckoned one to the carriage w i ndow . Hand ing h i m atowel

,I asked him in Fren ch to d i p i t i n wate r ; the bo y

’seves wandered al te rnate ly between the towel and my facei n blan k amazemen t ; then , in terrogating me i n I ta l i an , Icomprehended he had not the s l igh test i dea o f the languagei n wh ich I was add ress i ng h im . I made th i s d i scove ryw i th some su rprise , as i t was the fi rs t peasant or nat i ve Ihad met on the con ti nen t n ot abl e to speak the pol i te andreal ly standard language of Bumper—an d I could no t

master one word of I tal i an . A tt er a few momen ts ’ an noy‘

ing hes itat ion and si lence fi l led w i th panto m im ic gestu res ,I made an endeavor u pon him w i th the Lat i n word aqua,w h i ch was the magic key to h i s u nderstand ing. For mybreak fas t I pu rchased a smal l fiagon of w i ne fo r ten cen ts,

or mamas raav sn. 247

a nd a sandwich made of bol ogna sausage so i m pregnatedw i t h garl ic that the atmosphe re was redolen t at once , andh ad i t not been fo r a cold fow l t ucked away i n one cornero f my l u nch basket

,at Genoa

,I shou ld have been obl iged

to go fasti ng to Rome .The I tal ian ra i lway stat ions a re freq uen tly separated by

ex tended s tretches of cou ntry,utter ly houseless and god

fo rsaken . The t ra i n often makes a ru n of th ree o r fou rho u rs w i thout cessat ion . and , u n l i ke America, there are nol u xu ries , no r even con ven iences ; if you a re su fferi ng fromh u nger or th i rs t you m ust bear i t u n t i l you r necess i t ies

g row i n to agony . Then at the fi rs t stoppi ng-place,wh ic h

is freq uen tly a l i t tle mou lde r i ng town , w i th an o fi‘

ensive

rai l way boufl'

et , the re i s a gene ral outpou ri ng o f passengers ,and the s l igh test s uccor or rel ief mus t be pa id fo r. HowI recal led the sp l end id comforts o f the rail ways of my own

co untry l

I t hough t I shou l d be made aware of my approach tot he Eternal C i ty by certai n s ign s o f sancti ty

,wh ich wou ld

at once transform me i n to a devolée o f h i s Reverence LeoX I I I . Su re ly th is cou ld no t be the c i ty o f Caesar and

B ru tus,o f A ugust u s and T raj an , and the great Con s tan

t i ne . Su re ly th is i s not the Rome o f Rom u l us and the Seco f St. Pe ter

,reveal ed to me i n the crumbl i ng aqued ucts

a nd wh i te cattl e knee deep i n the l ush grass o f the llam

pagnian marshes . Where i s the glory of the G racch i,the

g l amo u r of M i chae l A ngelo,Raphael , and Canov a

,the

grandeu r of Trajan , and th e c ruel ty o f Nero ? O h where ,w here a re all these i nfl uences and e lemen ts that real lym ake the subl i m i ty of Rome ? I asked myse l f agai n andagai n as I came th rough the new quarte r o f the c i ty , wheret he facades a re as fres h and glar i ng, and l i fe as inso uciaata nd youth fu l as i n Pari s. I vai n ly looked fo r some s ign

by wh ich the con sciou sness o f the sac red ci ty m igh t takepossess ion o f me . Perhaps I sough t an empe ro r i n cri mson-bordered toga and saudalled feet. Perhaps a legion o f

g lad iators,or th e early d i sc i p les o f Jesus. There we re

sco res o f Capucini and Dom i n ican fria rs u pon the streets ;b u t these were fam i l i ar obj ec ts

,and then they were a l l

e i t her too d i rty or too corpu len t and carn al to s ummon the

g hosts of the past ; they we re pre-em i nen tly of the presen t.A nd so my entrée i n to th i s Etru rian cap i ta l was disap

po i n t i ng. I had expected i ts splendor to bu rst u pon mel i k e some great meteor of a sou thern sky . I was premat u re ; m uch th at was magn i ficen t

,and m uch that was

948 mor on s wan murmu r s

a nomalous , awa i te d me , bu t it is not the order of grande u rt hat overpowe rs by one glo ry o f c tfu lgenee . I t is all so u ni

fo rm i n its magn i tude that you m us t grow in to and slow lyabs o rb i t.My fi rst steps were not t u rned toward S t. Peter 's. I t

was too late i n the day ; ano t her reason , I al ways “sa vethe best w i n e un t i l the l as t.” 80 alter d i n i ng s umpt uou s l yupo n rob i n . a rt ichokes , maca ro n i , prawns, and Lacr fma

Christi, i n the swee t g low of the dy i ng day,I jo i ned i n

the gl i tteri ng l i ne o f eq u i pages slowly moun ting Mo n teI'inc io . I shou ld have preferred to wa l k ; then I co u l dh ave st ud i ed the cu rious street co rners , spa rk l i ng w i th thespray o f fou nta i n s , and sac red w i th the V i rgi n sh rines , bu tI d id not know the way , and m ust subm i t to velmr ino .

T he l i fe I met was as m uch a vanity fai r as Par is , and o n lya r epeti t ion o f a r ide t o the Bo i s de Bou logn e. Th e rewas no fragrance of an tiq u i ty, nor ch ime of ho l i nes s, n o rg loss o f itu |w rialiam. No Angelus bel l s made swee t andso lemn m us ic ; no or i son s floated u pon the a i r , no p raye rfu lhush u pon the plac e , n o peacefu l ben ed ictio n to bal sam ableed i ng so u l , no Te Drum of p ra ise, no geunfiex ion o f

worsh i p t o t el l me I was i n the c i ty c l'

Go d. Long rad esof cos tly t u rnou ts , w i th h igh-steppi ng steeds and ive rie d

attendan ts , osten tatious cr ests , and dark , ga ud i ly-d ressedwomen , chape ron i ng thei r i n fant i l e p rogeny and n u rs e sth rough the proces s i on . The n u rses , as gay as peac o ck sin the i r gari s h pl umes, l at fi rst m i stook fo r l ad ies o f someh igh degree of nob i l i ty , and w h i l e I d id not adm i re th e i rpompos i ty o f paraphernal i a and stream i ng pi nk head r i bbona

,—l th i n k the pi nk pen nons a re the u n i versal i nd ice

of th is o rder,—I d id. regard the repu b l i ca n ism and mate rnalp ride w i th wh ic h these grand d uchesses bore thei r o wn

ch i ld ren—as I then su pposed .

The Roman matron s do not seek to al lev i ate no r even tos pi ri tual i ze the i r essen t ial ly earthy faces and ‘

fo rms by the i rmode of d ress . Many among the showy commun i ty in

wh ich I m i ngled last n igh t—on ly the uppentendom- we remagn i ficen tly beau ti fu l women , bu t w i th sensual M es .

Thei r charms l i e i n mass i ve coi l s of d usky hai r, eyes tha tare l um i nous w i t h the dew of u n shed tears , and creamyl u sc ious th ro ats .We en tered Mon te P i neto from the P iazza del Popolo ,

where the obe l i sk o f Ilamase, w i th i ts q uartette of gua rdi ng beasts and danci ng fou n ta i n s , crowns the cen tre o f thegreat oblong ci rcle

,wh i le the mon umen tal ch u rches , grea t

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25 0 rte-runes s un rom arrs

L E T T E R L I I .

“Or turn ing to the Vatican, go see

Laoco on’s to rture dignifymg pain

A fa ther’s lo ve and mo rtal ’s agonyW i th an immorta l 's pat ience blend i ng z—VainThe strugg le vain, against the coi l i ng st rain

And gripe, and deepen i ng o f the dragon's grasp,

The o ld man ’s clench the long evenom'

d chai nRi vets the liv ing hung—the enormo us aspEnfo rccs pang on pang, and S ilfl t s gasp on gang

.

m o s .

Rou x, June, 1878 .

A s I rode home from Mon te F i ncio and the V i lla Bor

g l iese , a few even i ngs si n ce , the l i tt l e lamps shone l i ke s ta rsi n fron t o f virgi n sh r ines at th e st reet co rne rs and over thedoors

,wh i le the great ce les ti al l am ps sw ung i n the broad

dome above,cast i ng more o f a ca rn i va l than a rel ig i ou s

glow over the Cathol ic cap ita l . When I woke n ext mo rni ng, w i th the daz z l i ng I tal ian su n flood i ng the c h am be r ,and th row i ng the rude h igh ly-colored frescoes in to bl ind i n gbr i l l iancy , the troops o f Ki ng H umbe rt were d ri l l i ng i n thegreat squa re beyond

,wh i le the t i nk l i ng of ch u rch ch ime s

made fes t i ve the early day . .A nd th i s double para de o f

so ld ie rs and sa i n t ly worsh i p was on th e Sabbath ! I co u l dno t rea l i ze that i t was i n Rome I had slept.I t i s a ci ty for reflect ion ! “Rome was not bu i l t i n a

day ;” th i s idea flas hes u pon one th rough every ste p o f

ex perience. Nei the r can i t be seen no r stud ied i n a day ,and one m ust med i ta te , whethe r he w ill o r not. Everymomen t some aged rel ic o r mou lder i ng ru i n muses a v iv id

recol l ec t ion ; anyth i ng modern i n th i s venerable shad owseems a profanation . Wh i l e I feel o ld i n the p resen ce. o f

these c rfimbling cen tu ri es , yet i t i s w hat I sough t i n Rome .

'I'

hé broad streets , brigh t new hou ses , and u nfi n ished P rotes tant ch u rch , are u nant i c i pa ted p leas u res i n Rome, ye tt he on ly rea l s ubl im i ty , the on ly i n spi rat ion in th i s capi ta lof the cen tu ries , i s the mou ld , and rust, and dampnes s o fthe an tiq ue. Sti l l how love ly the aged c i ty i n i ts anc ie n tnoblease and tattered lazzaron i ; w i th its souven irs o f

g reatness an d ev idences of decay ; w i t h the memory o fmy rrh

,frank i ncense , and all the a romati c sp ices o f the

East , and the t oo o ti‘

ens ive odors o f the p resen t ; w i t h it swea l th of med i terai a rt and ho rdes of modern d isc i p les .

o r w ast e s m av en. 25 1

Here on ly do I fal te r i n my st rong procl i v i t ies fo r the prim i

genio us . The grea t n ames that form a ci rcl i ng ha lo toRoman h istory are here portrayed , not i n the fresh nessan d fash ion of thei r day

,b u t w i th al l the i mpress ion o f

t he fi fteen th and si x teen th ce n tu ries u pon them . O u r eye,

no t i n u red to primeval art,even at the rugged heigh t of

i ts glory,wanders to the modern 0 0 pies and back to the

o rigi na l s,wh ile the t reasono us though t creeps i n : Wou ld

t hese immortal names sh i ne w i t h the same l u st re i f theywere o f the prese n t epoch , an d if they were the product oft he gen i u s o f th is magn ificen t era of sc ien tific d i scover ies,ph i losoph ical demonst rat ion ; art i st i c cu l t i vat ion , and arc hteo logical e xploration s—in o u r day , when h uman l i feand h uman brai n s

,weal th

,and i n vention are devoted to

t he ed ucation and e levation of the masses ; when the world’s

batt le-cry i s advance ? I s i t not on ly the l egenda ry cloudof age that hangs i n t ranscen den t myste ry arou nd thechefs d

’oeu vr e o f earl ie r days ? T ime

,to the u n taugh t

m i nd , has robbed the canvas and marble o f thei r expectan tc harms. A re we d isappoi n ted because we beho ld art touchedby the despoi l i ng finger of age, because , as he passes on fromyea r to year, he adds a br ig h te r tone to the names theyhea r ? The fame that to day sh i n es on ly w i th a wan and

pa l l id l igh t, suffic ien t to il l um i nate a ci ty , may, in the nex tce n tu ry , when death h as c la imed and seasons h ave hal lowe di t , bu rs t forth a meteor to dazzle and bewilder wo rlds. Whata vol ume to read ! What mon umen ts to study ! Whatrel i cs to gather

,to deci pher, and to organ ize !

Come th rough the P iazza d i Spagna, where we find grea tl i brar ies o f Engl i sh books

,cafes

,photograph shops

,and

w i n dows laden with the gaudy scarfs o f Roman s i l k ; wherethe pictu resque bu t soi led model s (soi led body and sou l )recl i ne in arti s t i c costumes u pon the great rows of s tepst h at lead to Tri n itade Mon t i . From dawn ti l l the s i n k i ngs u n th rows h i s ro sy man tle over the h i l l s o f A l bano

,these

beauti fu l,l uscious

,un washed Roman womenswarm in th i s

q uarter,wai ting to be chosen by one of the h u nd reds o f

st uden ts of the v ici n i ty . Glance at t hem as yo u pass, thencome w i th me to St. Pete r’s. I t i s not a temple to bev is i ted

,bu t a sanctuary i n wh ic h to l i nger ; where we may

re tu rn again and agai n , and the oftener we come the morewe sha l l fin d to feast u pon . I t i s the one spot to resortw hen the hear t is Oppressed and the sou l c raves a ba lsam

,

there to rema i n u n ti l these holy shadows fold yo u i n thei rs weet embrace. Do not l ook i n when you are has ten i ng

52 PICTURES ans Poa'

rau'

rs

to ward another mon umen t. That an n i h i lates the en t i resplendors of the efl

'

ec t . Y o u r m i nd fi rst absorbs enoughof the grea t cathed ral to be en th ra l l ed by i ts sove re ign tythen , when sufficient ly fi l l ed w i th its majes ty

,you a re sa fe

fro m the i nfl uence o f su bord i nate ch arms.Now come and d ri n k d eep ly of i ts i mpe ri sh abl e mosa ics

that are as bri l l i an t to-day as they were centu ries ago .

Come l i nger at the tom bs w here a l l t he horror o f the decaying bones w i th i n i s l ost i n adm i rat ion o f the statua ry o n

the top. I n tru th the place is a pu rified charn el-house,an d

we are su r rou nded by the sa rcophag i of mou lderi ng sa i n tsand van ished popes ; but we see only th e deeds o f grea theroes , and the fasti ng, prayer, and cast igat ion s of devo teesi n class i c marble. I t i s not a vau l t o f the dead

,bu t a

temple of art to keep thei r memor ies fres h forever.The Piazza of St . Pete r’s res ts u pon the i nc l inat ion o f

the h i ll . I n the cen tre an Egypt i an obel isk , w i th foun ta i n so n e i ther s ide

,i s dwarfed i n the shadow of the g reat bas i

l i ca. Sem ici rcu l ar w i ngs o f the temple,i n the form o f pe r i

sty les,a perfect labyri n th o f Do ric col um n s and mass i ve

p i l aste rs,s u rmoun ted by colossal stat ues o f sai n ts and

popes , i nclose the square. The i n te r ior seems to boa s t a

pecu l iar atmosphere of i ts o wn. When the malaria l su n i sscorch i n g al l Rome i n the porticos beyond , here i t i s ca lmand coo l

,even ch i l ly , though never damp. Far u p the nave

men appear l ike m ice, and t he wonde rfu l Con fess ion o f S t.Peter , the cynosu re o f the i n te rio r, where one h und red and

forty-two bronze l amps shed perpetual i mmorta l i ty u ponthe Ch ri st-elected pope , seem s on ly a tw i nk l i ng star. In

the crypt beneath res t the ash es of the apos t le,d i rect l y

u nder the b road gi lded canopy . l f you wou ld descend an dbe in the holy presen ce o f the anoi n ted dead yo u must pay .

Such favors are no t fo r the impvcnnio ns .

“Pu t money inyou r pu rse

,

” as Iago te l l s Roderigo, and a l l path s d o lieope n . Chapel s adorn eve ry nook and nave, chape l s w hosemosaics and mon umen ts spo theos iz e the names o f M i c hae lA ngelo , Canova , Bern i n i , G u ido , and Sacch i , and u nd e rw hose garlanded and carv ed arcades

,al iens

,such as Ch r i s

t i n a of Sweden , who abd icat ed the th rone before s he was

t h i rty , the S t uart s , and th e Coun tess Mati lda, have fo u n dt hei r las t sleep far from the cou ntry o f the i r fa the rs .A las ! the mosai cs that we regard as wo rks o f art i st ic

de l i cacy i n the dome , hangi ng l i ke a great bal loon at a d izzyheigh t above u s , are rude eno ugh npo n c loser exam i nat ion .

Bu t the p recious marbles o f the al ta r, the porphyry step s ,

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254 excruaas AND eoa'

rnarrs

sh un s pa rt i ng w i th i t,beca u se the re i s mo re of h i s l i fe i n

the col d marble than i n the v i ta l frame.A s I pass u p the royal s tai rs of Bern i n i , the equestri an

arch ety pe of Constan t i ne seems to frown me dow n; an dw hy ? I t m ust be th at. I passed h im so often w i th on ly aglance, ever hasten i ng on to other gods. Now the tapestr i es ,then the pi ctu res, agai n the Las t J udgmen t , and then backto the statuary or th e papal l i brary .

The Last J udgmen t of A ngelo in the S ist i ne Chape l i scon sidered the maste rpiece of h i s l ife. The fresco i s i n h i sv i goro u s con tort i onate sty le , but the concept ion i s an

avengi ng J udge, no t a merc i fu l Sav iou r. C h ri st u pon the

ce l est ia l th rone seems to be h u rl i ng the offend i ng sou l s i n toetern al damnat ion i n con fused m u l t i tudes ; his eye i s aflame

,

scorch i ng-even h i s mother, who t rembles at h i s s i de,w h i l e

M ary Magdalene i s i n an equ i vocal posi t ion o f su ppl icatio n ,h al f fearfu l o f farther exc i ting her Master ’s w rath ; yo ualmost hear the u n uttered p rayer fo r the condemned d ie ina stifled sob. The upper part o f the fresco is fi l led in w i thsoa ring figu res—the b l essed , who have recei ved thei r tes ta~

men t o f v i rt ue and are ascend i ng to the golden tr i bu na l i nhappy i nd i fference. The artis t h as woven a si l houet te o fh i s l i fe i n to the pi ctu re : the angel s have the faces o f h isfrien ds , wh i ls t the si n ne rs are po rtra i ts of h i s enem ies , w i thh im to w hom he bore the grea test hatred as J udas i n t hedepths o f hell.The Vatican l i brary teaches u s the opu len ce

,roya l ty ,

power,and world-w ide i nfl uence o f Catho l i c i sm . N o t in

the vol umes and MSS . alone do we read t h i sp ro fou nd tru th , but i n the sumptuous saloons and cost lygifts of fore ign potentates. Sev res vases from Napoleo n

,

mal ach i te t imep ieces and o rnamen ts from the Czar , Eg y p~t inn alabaster from Mehemet A l i ; buh l cab i nets and tabl eso f ra rest G recian an d I ta l ian st ones l i n e the grc at h al l ,where frescoes and gold repoussé seem to have had th e i rfin ish i ng touches overn igh t. I n fact , I fancied I co u l dsmel l the pai n t, and stood aloof from the pi l lars and wal l s ;and th i s i s on ly one of the ce l l s i n the sacred p ri son e r ’sd ungeon .

Then the garden s , where h i s reve ren ce may ven t i l ate hisever pious plan s

,are n ot a dark and slimy cave rn w here

toads do procreate and se rpen ts craw l , but inclosnres asbeau ti fu l and brigh t as a Pa ri s ian pleasance. They ex te n dalong the decl iv i ty o f t he hill, and man i fest a l l the splen do rof natu ral and art ificial em be ll ishmen t ; the sh rubbe ry i s

o r ro as to u ras v an. 255

e xqu isi tely trimmed ; pedestal s and bron z es stand here andthe re ; even cu rious and i ngen ious water works su rpri se thes t ranger

,by i ss u i ng from i n v i s i ble ape rtu res beneat h h is

feet as he pauses to adm i re the h uge p i ne cone from themauso le um o f Ad rian, o r passes on from terrace to te rrace.The man u fac tory of mosa ics w i th i n the Vat ica n wal l s i s

a cat ch pen ny. I do not i n ten d to i n ti mate that i t i s nuw orthy a v is i t, for to see i t ‘i s t he on ly way to gai n an ideao f the se Cathol ic workmen and adapts. Even the coarses to f the i r prod ucts req u i re pai n s and time to fi n i sh . Thous ands o f boxes of the en amel l ed stone, o f every h ue and

s hade , are arranged u pon the shel ves that surrou nd thelong roo ms from floor to cei l i n g . They are at p resen t em

p l oyed upon the medal l ion po rtrai ts o f the Popes for S t.P au l ’s in Late ran

,or beyond the wal ls . Each execu to r has

an o i l p ict u re of the s ubject before h im as a model,and

w atch i ng the p rocess we d iscover i t req u i res some sk i l l to

p e rfec t the copy . Now,I cal led th is man u factory a ca tch

pen ny , because ou r gu ide , who i s, as I th i n k , even an exag

g erat io n of the immrtunate bor i ng and fals i fy i ng trad i t iona l

g u ide, to l d us it was free to st range rs . True,there was no

c h arge to en te r, bu t the ransom of del i verance was heavy ;e very one who opened a door, or tu rned a pictu re, or handed

yo u a specimen o f stone, expec ted and demande d some o f

t he smal l coi n of the k i ngdom .

Though not i n spi red w i th the same h ush of sol i t ude andheal i ng rest in the pr i vate palace gal leri es . perhaps I gai neda more i nstruct i ve idea o f art than i n the ho ly m useums .O f cou rse , I wen t to the Barbarini to h u n t ou t the origi nalBeatrice Cenc i by G u ido

,o f wh ich they say al l t he copies

t h at float the u n i verse as th ick as fl ies upon the sham b l esa re shamefu l t ravest ies. I fou nd i t amongst a whole fam i lyo f Oenc is, and that was a d i sappoi n tmen t. Su re ly th i sb rave, fanat i c gi r l deserves a p l ace a lone, as the sufferi nghe roi ne of her l i ne, i n s tead of bei ng grou ped w i th s tepmother , aun t, s i ster-in-law , and a host of othe r rel at i ves , o fwhom the wo rld never heard . Perhaps i t was done thathe r k i n m igh t sh i ne i n the reflection o f her l ustre ; bu t theg l ory o f a sel f-crea ted marty r shou ld not be sacri ficed to thev an i ty of a fami ly . There are those whom th i s sad fac e

,

l i gh ted by the great pathetic eyes,have hau n ted a l i fetime

,

b u t I freely con fess , and let it be attr i bu ted to my igno ran ce o f art or dearth o f i n te l l igence , t hat i t d id not im pres sm e as deeply

,v iew i ng i t from the protoplas t I h ad i n m i nd

,

as a l i t t l e pai n t i ng I have a t home , by no very em i nen tmaster . Sorrow and suffer i ng are adm i rab ly depicted

,bu t

9 107 0 113 8 a rm nonraarrs

there are cold l i n es abou t the mouth and nose,and even

eyes, that Beat r ice, as I concei ve the cha racter, n eve r bad .

There i s fixed pu rpose and strong dete rm i nat ion u po n t hecan vas

,and these were her r u l i ng attr ibu tes .

Raphael ’s E‘o rnarina glows w i th all the magic of he rl over ’s brush . I t is no t a bea u t ifu l face , ne i ther 18 i t a fac eof a patr ic ian

,bu t one to be l oved ; a face o f Sou th e r n

warmth and passion and you thfu l fresh ness. Bu t al l enchantmen t faded w hen I heard she was a baker-gi r l , an dex isted i n one o f the thousan d dark

,d i rty l i tt l e hol es of

Ro me,where “forno

” appears over the door i n l arge tex t .

“Porno” i s the oven,and Fornari n a was the you ng l ady

who kneaded and baked the black bread in ya rd measu resfo r the I ta l ian mass. Yet

,th rough the l ove of the ar t i st

,

she i s immortal ized i n o il from zone to zone.Del Sarto ’as V irgin more complete ly fi l l s my con ception

of Mary , at the bi rth o f C h rist , than any I have l ooke du pon amongst the thousand s here. Sacred pai nt i n g w asparamou n t i n the halcyon days o f art ; what el se had theseearly masters as su bjects bu t the B i bl e and mythol ogy ?There are some few i l l ustrat ive o f thei r own l i ves

,bu t s u c h

sce nes labor u nder a d isad van tage that bibl ica l ones neve rcan con te nd w i th ; the former often need an i n terpreter, t helat ter are read at once. Now Del Sa rto d raws the M a

don n a as a lusc ious , rad ian t young female , w i th the i n fan tSav iou r u pon her lap ; al l other art i sts rep resen t the womanw i th the i n fan t

, and the woman cl i ngi ng to the cro ss u po nMoun t Cal vary , th i rty-th ree yea rs atterward , of the sameage , cast o f featu re, and w i th the same exp ression of wei g h tand care ; a physical imposs ib i l i ty .

But the re i s a smal l p i ct u re , I know not by whom ,t h at

made an inefi'

aceable i mpress . So long as l ife l asts I s h a l lsee it as I saw i t then . Mark i t wel l ; i t h angs i n a smal lsalon at the rear o f the gal l ery . No d i ary nor guide w i l leve r be necessary to recal l i t

,fo r i t l i ngers i n my memo ry

l i ke stra i n s of u n forg otten mu s i c O rpheu s Charm i n gB i rds and Beas ts ;

” very odd,touch i ng , and grotesqu e ,

the l isten i ng a i r and att i t ude of the capt i vated cow,t h e

hearkeniug horse , the absorbed owl , the mesmeri zed m onkey , the si lenced magpie, the su rpr is ed fox , the t ick l ed fish,the arrested eagle

,t he terr i fied tiger, the langu i sh i ng l i o n ,

and even the whal e ca l led o u t from the ocean by the d u l ce tm usic ; the bi rds st ilted i n the i r fl igh t, and the very a i r l i stiug among the branches o f the trees. When you v i si tRome seek i t, and see and hear th i s en raptu red an i malwo r ld i n the l ’a lasso of the Barbarini.

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258 Prcr uaas A ND Poar aarrs

Thei r weal th o f ha i r,black as a raven ’s w i ng and l u st rou s

as sati n,i s the on ly end ur ing att ribu te o f fo rmer beau ty .

And then the babies ! The superflu ity o f babies i s on e o fthe most impres sit e featu res of I ta l i an l i fe. Eve ry womanhas an i n fan t u pon her a rm , and two sca rcely ol der c l i ngi ng to her sk i rts or wal low i ng at her feet 1n the gutt er ; awoman m i n us the i n fan t i l e appendage would be as grea t scu rios i ty as the fabled Cen tau r, Minotau r, or Cyclops . Av ery us ual p ictu re in these Lati n ci t ies i s a scan ty doo rstep

,u pon w h ich tw o you th ful sc ion s of a plebe ian fam i ly

a re at work ; the second i s perched at an al t i tude over loo ki ng the former ’s crown , wh i ch he man i pu l ates i n the mos tsed u lou s man ner ; so I was at fi rs t nonpl ussed to wh ich Ishou ld apply the te rm o f “ i nd ustr ious fleas

,

” the hu n ted o rthe h un ters . These u rch i n s seem to be u n i versal ly ski l le dart i san s i n this

,thc on ly t rade they a re taugh t. And th u s the

so i l procreates po l l u tion . In no other coun try are the co nv ent ionalit ies o f social l aws so completely abandoned . A ll

that i s sweet and sacred i n t he ti es o f natu re i s u tter ly ignored . I h ave read m uch of the cl assic d ign i ty of t heRoman women , but certai n ly i n th is commun i ty i t i s an

u nknown quan t ity . The august chast i ty o f Cornel i a, thei n nocence of the you th fu l M ete l la

,seem to have van i s hed

w ith the u n forgotten dead , and on ly the satu rn al ias o fFau sti n a

,the cupid i ty of Danae

,and the l icen tiousness o f

Mc ssaliua,rema i n as a code and a pri n c i ple to these mod

e rn Laid is . Y et , l et me say , i n this w h i r l pool of profligacythe in he rent del icacy of woman stood fort h pre-em i nen t tothe d isparagemen t of the opposi te sex . Never had I s uc ha ra re opportun i ty to read the poten t pa rable : A woman ’sv ices may be most offen s i ve and flagrant

,but there i s a

someth i ng that her C reator has pl aced i n her sou l—a common endowmen t of the sex—wh ich deters her from si n k i n gto the same degree of br u ta l i ty and v u lgari ty w i th he rbu rly bro thers.S uch were the l i fe-pictu res I saw , and the l i fe-lesson s I

st ud ied . But w hat o f the palaces o f the Cres ars, the homeof Cal igu l a

,and the hou se o f C icero ? What of the

Roman Forum , where great Caesar fel l ; o f the form idab l eTarpeian Rock , from wh ich Cassi us—not the lean and

h ungry” conspi rator agai n st Cz esar,but of the same l i n eage—was h u rled Ru in s all ; a mou lder i ng mass of shat te red

grandeu r ;—these bath s where the vol u ptuary was won t topass h i s hou rs ; th ese tem pl es o f fal se god s where the

g reat pagans worsh i pped ; th ese t r i umphal arches u nde r

or FOBElGN TRAVEL. 25 9

w h ich the conquerors rode ; these theatres where the cons o l e and prw to rs enjoyed the w i l d cr uel ty o f the ea rlys ports ; and these prison s where the ad herents o f Catalincpe ri shed

,and St. Peter lang u ished u nder the ty ran ny of

th e sa vage Nero.The remai n s of the mans ion s of these E t ru rian poets,

po ten tates,and ph i l osophers are ti resome , and though the

d u rabi l i ty of the early mason ry i s marvel lous ly rea l i n thefou ndations o f t hese structu res

,where t ime seems to have

added to the imm u tabi l i ty of the br icks and the flxednessof the mortar

,the h igh art and end u ri ng pigmen ts of the

anc ien ts poten t i a l ly s ign ifican t i n t he remnan ts of mosa icpavemen ts and the bri l l ian t h ues o f frescoes , yet i t req u i resthe fancy of the poet to su pply the departed beau ty an dmi ss i ng membe rs that once gave the scene i ts s u bl im i ty.

The chambers of Cmsar’s palace are mere sl eepi ng c ri bs ,no t so spacious as the bath rooms of ou r moderate-s izedhou ses

,and wh i l e th e a rt i st i c adornmen ts i n the co u rts an d

grou nd-floo rs were costly,i f n ot chaste , these ancien t k i ngs

had none f the common an d cont i n uou s l ux u r ies of ou rday. A rol l amongst the fragmen ts o f Roman l ux u ry i st ed io us and peri lous. The memo ry of grea t names and ihtrepid explo i ts , t h e class ic odor and empy rean l ust re o f

o ther e ras,i s shadowed i n th e heavy pa l l of death . A h l

pi ti ab l e the d i lapidat ion o f the crumbl i ng, moss grown ,m uti lated stat ues

,once the embod ied v i rt ues and v ices o f

a now dead relig ion ! What a re they now ? Nor man , norw oman

,no r th i ng . Here we fi nd a h uman tru n k

, there abod i l ess head , agai n a head less face , or a face le ss head , andso we go search ing about t he garden s for members th atm igh t complete one perfect man

,where wandered the plead

i ng Calphurnia upon the fated ides of Ma rch , when herl ord u nheed i ng wen t forth to fal l at Pom pey ’s statue .The awe-i n spi ri ng Tarpei an Rock

,wh ich h i sto ry i n the

sc hool room,and Byron i n th e Par lor

,taugh t u s was steep

and

Fi ttest goa l o fTreaso n‘s race,

The promo n tory whence the Trai tor’s leapCured al l ambi tion

i s another sad de l usion . I n stead of a l ofty and ruggedv ertex

,w i t h a ragi ng torren t below

,I fou nd a gen t le

mou nd , aga i n st wh ich dwel l i n gs recl i ne, the Arc lueo logical

I n s t i t u te,and Prussi a n Embassy garden s st retch aroun d

i n pleasan t perspecti ve,w i th a very d i rty

,s l uggis h st ream

260 " crus t s a n ronru lrs

d ro wning at the hu e , and a nu t q uan t i ty of bro ken soil,pa rtly the accumu lat i on of time, and the exhuma tio na o f

the vic i n ity , filling the s u rrou nd i ng d itc h and le velling the

mi hty a l t i tude to an i nd i ffe ren t hillock .

ome , so overc rowded w ith the dead is , nevertheless,ofte n su tfocatingly fu l l of the l iv i ng , and it has been wellsa i d of th i s pagau ~Chris t inn capi tal thatby t he Latino and popu lated by thei r dmore thGermans, the Englis h , and the American s .in strol l i ng th rough

Pan theon , St. Pete r’s, th

c um, I met crowds and

w i th n i des and othersscri pt one on the mon umen ts ,d i scovered and recovere d secretsA mong these foreigners were socan, and even monarc hs , cal le dwonders o f the sac red ci ty. The-opent enormous sums inhug the g reat Popes , who from the beg i ven t ime and money to the revel ationof ancien t Rome. The Col ise um

,abou t

and though t so much , was one of thosescended i magi nation i t has been pain tedand eng raved , no r u n s theh uman habi tat ion o r ed i fice

,

ti on of pri ncesjectcd by Veepthe dust ofa fresh wo nder of c i v i l ibu t a Roman day w i tho f the Campagna i n thethe fron t cou rt o r vesti bu l e oflegendary i n su rgen t Th rac ianin glad iator ial com bat, an d wjewel ry stand w i th grea t t rays of rough mosa icof the ru i ned h i l l s.A l though the c i ty was bare o f v is i tors, and

preparln to c lose for the summer, l h ad an opto ace tie majestic ru i n u nde r exceptional adThere i s someth i ng awfu l in th i s migh ty spac e ,if you are not fami l i ar w i th the h isto ry of thea re forced to s top and etc

so vast that a l t hough two

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262 r te-ru nes am) Poa

'

raarrs

al as ! have been sacri leg iously rifled by v i s i to rs i n s ea r c hof souven i rs ; occasional ly havi ng a l i tt le incis ion in the

wal l , nea r a codia-shel f covered by glass, po i n ted ou t asthe casket th at con ta i n s the bl ood of a sa i n t , ca ug h t fromh is wounds wh i l e dy i ng, and p rese rved th rough the cen turies , and wh i l e you search fo r t he v i tal fl u id an d d is cove ron ly a smear l i ke a so i l ed finger-mark u pon the glass, you rcanoni cal gu ide te l l s yo u the res t h as evaporate d , and th envan i sh es a rou nd a co rner , some corner, the re a re so manyco rne rs you are u ndecided w h i ch one to t u rn. To fo l l owthe w rong path w i l l be death ; to hes i ta te w i l l be dea th.

In anot her momen t ou r holy fri end , cu rtailed of h i s fa i rp ropor tion s

,w i l l have swept another cu rve

,and then the

wan gl immer is lost forever. We fol low i n a state of nupl easan t and eage r expectan cy , and heave a sob of re l i e fwhen we see the gh astly flame and grim v isage. All t h i sand more i s not the most del ectab le en terta i n men t, and ye tth i s “i s see ing the Catacom bs." We tel l o ur ano i n tedbre th ren we have had su ffic ien t of the repu l s i ve repas t, an dbeg to be excused from tast i ng i t fu rther. But we are iaformed there can be no ret raction ; h u ngry or satiated thespect ra l banquet-hal l h as been en te red ; to stop at theentrees i s not pe rm i ssib l e ; we must agon ize th rough t h esucceed ing cou rses of b l ood and bones , d ust and darkne ssand c l ay , to t he tai l-end of the menu . With these u n pl easa n treflec tions we are asked to pay for the m u rderous and can kcroc s meal

,wh ich we do u n resi sti ngly

,glad to escape the

fu rther ho sp i tal i t i es o f the grim host. He i s obseq u i o u su pon rol l i ng ou r s i l ve r i n h is grimy palm , and impo rtanceu s to gaze upon a spl i n ter from the Holy C ross and one o fthe C rown of Thorn s as a s ort of rece i pt for ou r pa i n s !l h ave touched the stone that con ta i ns the sacred foot

pr i n ts of Ch ri s t when he m et St. Peter on the Appi anWay

,but I ha d to pay for i t ; and to see the origi n al n a i l

t hat pierced o ne of h i s han ds at the crucifix ion al s o re

q u i res some Iiras ; these th i ngs are not p rese rved for thesanc t iiicat ion of sou l s, bu t as so m uch stock i n trade.Far ou t along th i s anc ien t br id l e pa th are l i nes of

mou lderi ng tombs—these and the broken aqued ucts theon ly featu res of the barren , desol ate Cam pagna . Tom bsof heroes and royal fam i l ies , where the h uman i ty i n ter redhas l ong si n ce faded i n to ai r, bu t the scul pt u red figu resand stone fou ndat ion s remain to procl a im the immortal ityof art.A ll along the road the workmen of K i ng H umbe rt we re

or roamea raavm. 263

bu i ld i ng new ramparts,and I asked why the you th fu l

monarch was tak i ng th i s precau tion . I f I ta ly be endan

gered , I saw no sign of i t. I p resume i t i s the papalpower he fears, that o verflow ing fon t of omn i potence andbigotry . The whole society here save rs of the Cathol icC h u rch . The masses proper a re ad heren ts of the Vatican .

Cathol ici sm is so m uch cap i tal,and the resu l t i s , even

o ther rel igion s partake of the odor o f the Holy Mother.P rotestant i sm is a very feeble a ffai r, an d as the Romannobi l i ty and ca rd i n al s hol d the keys of the social Sesame ,it on ly opens to obed ien t worsh i ppers , or gene rou s g ivers .The l abo re rs h ad ceased work to take the i r noonday

meal , as we tu rned toward a d i l apidated farm i n n , to takea piece of black bread and a flagon o f sou r wine, u nder theshadow of great trees and u pon the green sward , whered ogs and babies lay sl eepi ng i n each othe r’s embrace, andRoman women were pick i ng and mak i ng the i r d i n ner fromraw peas . The pro letaires o u t u pon the road were feasti ngu pon thei r “hard tack and raw on i ons

,tha t cast the i r

a roma—st ronger,t hough no t so sweet as n ew-mown hay ,

orange blos som s, or tangeri nes—u pon the atmo sphere fo r

m i les . Th is cepivo ro us race, patr ic ia n and plebe ian , feedupon the bu l b pu ngen t

,and s ubject i t to a l l t he in tr icacies

o f the i r cul i nary art.An at tempt to epi tomi z e the chu rches of Rome

,w i th

t he i r th ri ll ing pictu res and append i ng stori es, wou ld be aw i ld en te rp ri se. Long I stud ied the beau t i fu l fres h adornmen ts o f St. Pau l beyond the gates

,and St. Joh n , where

c raw l repen tan t si n ners over the Sca la San ta,sa id to have

been the steps o f Pi l ate ’s ho use,over wh ich the su fferi ng

Sav iou r descended after j udgmen t. Here the con tr i te pi lg r ims cr i nge and creep and go th rough the i r genuflex io nsu po n each o f the twen ty-eigh t steps

,and every step

gran ts

e igh t h u nd red years ’ i nd u lgen ce—ao I was to ld . Oh whata con ven ien t and el ast i c c recd lA nd St. Pau l ’s , apart from the tomb o f the body of St .

Pau l ,—h is head l ies s ide by s ide w i th h i s brother evangel ist,Peter, i n t he Lateran ,—i s o f s i ngu lar beau ty , w i th an un usual abund ance of prec ious decoration

,yet fresh and u u tar~

nished from the hand o f the art isans,the bas i l ica hav ing

been red uced to r u i ns by fi re i n the su mmer of 1828. I fnot so vast

,i t i s certai n ly mo re compact than St. Pete r’s

,

and by mos t t ravel le rs con s idered the gem o f Romanchu rches.

264 Pi cruas s AND Poa'

rau rs

L E T T E R L I V.

There is a new Home upon the ruined site,A bright and modern metrepo le,W here te legraphs and a l l their ki ndred l ightAssert the presence of the monopole.Low down the Corso wi l l the horse car fly,A l ready newsboys fill the ambien t airW i th the wi ld clamor o f thei r hourly cry ,And now the bycicle awakes the dusky fair.

Imperia l Rome is rushi ng to its doom .

The democratic age is hammeri ng at the door.Caesar and Rien z i are in deserted gloom,

Beatrice Cenci is an ecstasy no more.”As om ons.

ROME , June, 1878 .

W as i t not C icero who sa id , every fragmen t of ston eu pon a Roman roadside had i ts h isto ry ? and th i s was twothou sand yea rs ago , be fore the Pagan ravages and the

Ch ri s ti an i n novations .To r ide a long the A ppian Way now i s l i ke a jou rney

th ro ugh the remembered o r w ri tten ages . That sti ll sp lend id aven ue i s e loq uen t o f th e long-gone past , and the Paganand Ch r i stian time marks may be easi ly defined . A las ! i ft he i conoclasts had been one-ten th less busy i n destroy i n gt he vest iges of the dead th an the modern s have been inrestori ng them ,

the A pp i an Way wou ld now be fu ll of themarb le effigies of the van ished generat ions . For wh at isl e ft

,l et us than k th e era of the pri n t i ng press

,te legraph

,

and rai l road . T il l they came to rule the worl d and a r res tt he ru i n

,Rome was becom i ng more and more the ghast l y

graveyard o f the ages . O ther capi tal s have fel t the p resence o f the sal t that saves th e earrion, and Rome has beensaved to the futu re by the new-born energy of the nat i on s.W i th one hand th i s res istless energy has l i fted the s i n k i n gbody of the

'

Im pe ri al c i ty,and w i th the other imparted new

l i fe i n to the deso l at ion of death . The Roman Govern me n tis now v i tal , act i ve , and fu l l o f the ti re o f enfranchisemeu t .

The press i s free, speech i s l oud , and I taly has fou n d a

new cal l to reform . Even the Catho l i c Ch u rch h as gone al i ttl e i n to the fash ion

,and i f Rome pervades al l Pa r i s

,

Paris makes the clothes and modern arch i tectu re of Home .

To be i n Rome, where Te Deums and an thems float abo u tu s ; where the G reat St . Pete r halluws u s and ca rn i va l sinto x icatc u s ; whe re the story of the G racch i th r i l l s u s

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266 r lcr uass AND eoa'

raaxrs

Pompe i i , a bust of a New York belle, a bustl i tt l e daugh te r

,and the Lost Pleiad

,are In

ach ievemen ts. The l atter i s represe n ted i nfrom the go l den th rone

,afte r hav i ng fal len i n

mortal ; her l i m bs float u pon a

z one, wh i le her l i ttl e h andthe l ustre of the i r v i rtuou st he g racefu l cu rves , pu ri tys ion of her wond rous eyesas mortal i ty . Look i ng atthe exqu i s i te pe rsonat ion osm i led at myof her as the young l ady who left her o ld maidE lysi um to foll ow her h ubby .

" My d ream wasthe h aze o f romance faded , an d I saw on ly themarble. Th us i n l i fe do ou r sweetest del us ionou r gods are dashed from thei r pedestal s by the jm i n u te

,a

and pass h i s l i fe i n one of t hose coo l ,t u rns , among h is o wn creation s ? A ndbe world ly

,h ave the rem u neration o f go

B ut w here do the nobi l i ty reside ?constan t se l f-i n te rrogat ion . I do no t

Doria,Borghese

,Barber i n i

,and

to the publ ic. I f thei r fortu nes have decayed,or the fam i ly

i s ex t i n ct,the prope rty becomes the home of one o f t he

fore ign ambassadors,o r weal thy Eng l i sh or A mericans .

Nor do I refer to the royal res idences in the d i str i c t ofTrastevere , Palest ri n a, no r u pon the Sabi ne h i l l s. I n eve rd reamed that t hese lofty

,spac ious structu res, w i t h the

jai l-l i ke grated w i ndows,and cow o r m u le s tables occu py

i ng the grou nd floor,were the mansions o f I ta l ian 7tr1m

Yet so they are. Once hav i ng made the d i scovery I ra p id lygrew fam i l iar w i t h the si gh t

,and learned to look beyond

the stal l s o f an imal s , and heaps o f decayed vegetabl es , i n tot he cool shade o f palace-cou r ts , where crystal fo u n ta i nsd rip

,and green sward and gay flowers l ight the pic tu re ;

wh i le i lex and palm s wave th rough the atri um,i n the per

spec tive . The Romans , wh i le pe rfect ly i n sens ib le to am:

iou s odo rs,are keen ly al i ve to aromatic es sences ; they l i ve

i n stench be low,and glory i n perfume abo ve !

or res ale s raav sn. 267

The Mo l e o f Adrian , l ong the papal s trongho ld , is on lyi n terest i ng to me as the prison o f the you th fu l Bea tr iceCenc i. I t i s a great c i rcu lar c i tadel

,en te red from the bridge

o f St. A ngelo , guarded by archangel s , and has serve d as afort ress fo r St. Pete r ’s, a tomb for ancien t em perors , asecl us ion fe r eccles i ast ica l i ns u rgen ts , an appendage ofroyal ty , a ret rea t fo r the po pes , the scene of many a satu rnal ia in the ten th cen tu ry. and , i n fact , an epi to me ofRo man h i s tory from the second Ch rist ian per iod to theprese n t. To v is i t such a tower teaches us th at the t i t l e ofru le r i n the ancien t monarch ies was o ften a bre vet. TheseI ta l ia n d ukes we re many o f them

,tyran ts fea rfu l o f the i r

su bj ec ts . The walls of th i s fort are forty-five feet th ick ,wh ile here and the re along the sta i rway narrow w i ndowspie rce t he depth o f stone

,th rough wh ich the l igh t s trug

gles. A nd th is precau t ion the Em peror Ad rian took toprotect h i s body , l i v i ng o r dead , from h is foes. Bu t theroman tic and hal low i ng i n fl uence i s that o f Beatr iceOeu c i, who l angu ished i n one o f these cel l s. We yiel d o u r

sym pa t hy to t he m u rderess,not th e mu rdered . Who

,wi th

those hau n ti ng eyes u pon them,and the fresh memory of

her sweet gi r l ’s st rength and w rongs,cou l d c lass her as a

parr ic ide ? There are some t raged ies bette r t h an sometex ts ; some sin s can ce l l ed by a holy log i c , and hers waso f t hem . The s l uggish st ream that washes the base of theMol e i s the same that ou r schoo l books descr i be as thetu rbu len t Ti ber. The r i ver i s a correspond i ng l i n k i n thecha i n o f ancien t Roman rem i n iscences. L ike the commanity of the Palat i ne and Capi tol i ne i t craw l s i n i ts pu treacen t bed foul as the rotten shambles on its s lan t shores .

Commerce repud iates i t, i n fection r i ses from i t, and dogsmake i t thei r gra ve. Oh l spi r i t of the great Gal i leo

,i n spi re

these i n structo rs of the you th fu l m i nd i n ou r academics ,and l et the t ru th be told of these Roman r u i ns ! A nd th i sis the fierce rol l i ng T iber !Nea r to the Cas tle S t.Ange lo i s the house where Raphael ’s

presence sti l l hangs a sanc t i fy i ng i nfl uen ce no t the granderres iden ce whe re he d ied , no r the wa l ls that te l l the storyo f h i s love-l i fe i n the s ubu rbs

,but the casket w i th wh ic h

he i n vested the chape l of h is sarcophagus i n the Pan theon !At whose tomb I ba r tered for sp icy pi n ks w i th a d uskyRoman boy, and then looked u pon the al tar w here res tsthe l a te sold ier monarch

,V icto r Eman uel . The marve l

lous ca nopy of the Pan theon i s a so rt o f one-eyed gian t,

th rough wh ich the dews of heaven fel l fo r cen tu r ies upon

268 Plc'

rua z s asn Poarnm s

pagan idolato rs and C h rist i an worsh i ppe rs,and

Go d penet rated as i f to l ight the way fo r thethe world .

St. Marie Maggiore, sacred crown to the Esqmit, i s the most bea u ti ful of al lRome. You ascend the heigh t

ed i t, stop at an in te rven i ng cafe(Roman ice-c ream ), then con ti n ued us ty em i nence . You w i l l meet a n

girls, who have been at the i r o ri sons ,men

,who exhale a cogen t

garl ic. A n aged woman , cri ppled and iyou r en trance

,w i th a flam ing tongue—not

tended arms,u n t i l she d rops her kn i tt i ng

t he porta l s to hol d as ide the great swin

Can ton matt i ng. I f you areas you pass i n , a shade of d io ld eyes ; t hat i s a l l .gems and holy marbles , pontifical tombs , anand royal chapel s , of wh ich the one bea ri ngarms i s t he rad ian t star

,and you gaz e at t he

men t beneath , and the bri l l i an t adornmen tsyou y ie ld to t he ho ly peace of the hou r , andw i th the l abo rers i n the i r n oonda prayers.by the weal th of the Cathol ic hnrch, thedevotees

,and i ts i n creas i n g power. There

th i ng as permanen t Protestan tism i n I taly.

touches me most i s the eq ual i ty of the i r d i sc icou n tess , i n her s i l ks and jewel s, knee ls s ide lthe d i rty lazz aroni

,and d i ps her dai n ty hand i n

cha l ice of holy water where he pl unges h i s fllThe sc rubogirl comes i n w i th her bucket and bruhe r Holy Mother fo r her k i lo of blac k bread

,

suppl icates forgiveness for he r petite fo nts .

A s you make you r ex i t t here stands the female St . Pe te r,

guard i ng the holy en t ran ce ; she sc ramb les from her ha unches and aga in makes a p l u nge fo r the cu rtai n

,wh ich she

snatches , and th rows obsequ ious genuflex ions aro und youi n a ci rcle ; then , i f you be sti l l o f an uncompensatin tu r n

,

o r i f smal l co i n does not fal l l i ke a shower i n to he r eather

pa lm . the flam ing tongue h u rl s scath i ng cu rses u pon you roffend ing sou l , and sco rc hes you r charity i n to a ci nder.

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270 Prc'

rc aes AND Po araa rrs

h ide the i r holy heads u nder t he i r blessed togasbe i ng con tam i nated by a gl impse o f the l ust re .Pope has a h und red jo llificat ions to every one ofth us st rengthen ing h imse l f so much pe r cen t. ino f theand nohe whoarch

,i f no t

The moreread i ly do Iceremon i es

than by s tudy,an d the masses are u n iversal ly

the med i um of the sen ses.Certa i n ly the Cathol ics have many ways

con vert s . They lay al l m anner of customsand they exce l i n the glo ry

,the gory

, and

They deal in blood and th u nder ; they flo uriscrim son and gold

,and l i terally revel i n bones .

repas t o fi‘

ered i n Rome i s the Capuc ini Con vt i on o f pet ri fied co rpses , and a v ast cryptdead . Fancy you r ancestors l aid o ut i n the i r cerethe cel l ar she l ves ; the i r bones on ly rema i n i ng, allformer resembl an ce fled , and each man labe l l edp roper n ame. There are the g rim and grin n i ngt icketed and stand i ng i n the i r places j ust l i ke abot t l es or a student ’sto d iscover whether the d ried anatomy at you r side was aRoman republ ican or im pe ri al i st ; a man of the town or ofthe to o ; or at l eas t I so though t ti l l I was qu ietly info rmedthat many of these bony genseveral h und red yea rs , and theou t w i th the i r flesh . There i sdea th , and I endeavored to be as no uchalant amongst thesewel l-o rdered and s i len t ve rtebra as the pries t besi de me

,

bu t I confess I had j ust a sci n ti l l a o f poor J u l iet’s emo tionwhen she conj u res u p the ghosts of her fo refathers i n theirfes ter i ng sh rouds al l abou t her i nSevera l at tempts were made

the Capuc ini Con ven t , creati nthe P iazza Barbe ri n i . We hadRome u n ti l we had wal ked thei n sp i red hoCatacombs

o r roas te r: raavnn 271

w h i ch door I shoul d knock , as they al l seemed to be ba rredin a hermet ica l ly s ign ifica n t manner. I moun ted the mainfl ig h t o f s teps ascend ing from the piazza ; after a prolonge da nd ard uous encounter w i th the be l l-h and le and brass rappe rw h ich I attached alte rnate ly , one of the fr iars made h i sa ppearance beh i n d the grea t door and comm un icated w i thu s th rough the sh ifting panel . I demanded en t ran ce inF ren ch , and he answeri ng i n I ta l ian , conste rnation en sued ;f rom what words I imag i ned I u nderstoo d, and h i s express i v e gestu res , I fel t assu red he was endeavori ng to con veyt hat one o f the rules i n th ei r code was to adm i t males on ly.

.A nd so we pa rted , he seem i ng re l ieved by my tak i ng mys h ad ow from o fi

’ h i s door, and I i nd ignan tly m u rmu ri ngc ontracted m isogyn ist, as I wa lked over the broad squarea nd stepped to chat w i th on e o f the vegetable huckters whoh ad her sparse store sp read u pon the arid , d usty grou nd o ft he p iazza, where market was bei n g hel d ; and what a mark e t l No sta l l s, no co u n te rs , no coveri ng ; the sun pou ri nga ll the flood o f h i s fi re down u pon stock and traders ; w ithe r i ng the vegetables , mel t i ng the fi sh , weary i ng buyers an ds e l l e rs , and stu pef i ng the poor old m u les that were h i tche dt o the garden wal o f Barbe ri n i Palace . My d usky commu

n icant o f doubtfu l erud i t ion , to l d me lad ies were adm itted ;however

,my patience exhausted and temper r uffled

,I su p

p l i cated no fu rt her th at day .

Next morn i ng I con su l ted the clerk at the hotel,and re

ly i ng u pon h i s i n formation , started u pon the v i s i ta t ion ofsk u l l s and skeleton s aga i n . I wen t to the same great doorat w h i ch I had pl ayed one of the characters i n the pan tomime befo re . I was n ow greeted by a younger, more secompl i shed

,and placabl e brothe r, w ho d i rected me i n the

Gall i c vernac u l ar to apply at a s ide door , where I was re

ceived by one of the ho ly o rder, w ho add ressed me i n s u r

prisingly clever English , bu t was a walk i ng pe rsonat ion ofuneleanliness . Th is con federacy i s regard less o f the oldaphor ism

,

“clean l i ness i s n ext to god l i ness.” They haveacq u i red the ch i efes t v i rt ue and pay no heed to subo rd i

nate on es.I t was a wonderfu l and ghastl y spec tacl e , th is gal lery o f

bones , where ove r s i x thousa nd skeletons of the monks ofthe frate rn i ty a re ar ranged i n cu rious dev ices and emblemsto ornamen t floor, ce i l i ng , and s ide wal l s. Mante ls hel veso f bone s su sta i n c rosses and other sacred design s madefrom the smal ler par ts of t he h uman an atomy. Hangi ngbasket s and sw i ngi ng-l amps i n every variety of fan tas tic

272 mor on s AND roarau r s

shape a re suspended from the ce i l i ng,wh ich i s frescoed and

st uccoed i n the most i ngen iou s pattern s w i th the bones o fth i s si cken ing sepu lch re . Many of the dead were l a i du pon she l ves i n the i r gra\

'

M l0 t ll88 , the sh ri vel led sk i n o n

the i r bony hands , and the bea rd st i l l c l i nging to t he i rfleshless chins , wh i le othe rs pee red at me from the corn e rs,w here they stood stark u pr igh t ; some posed agai n st co l

umns or brackets , and some were s t i l l i n thei r na r row be dso f cl ay . The l as t o f these strange i n te rmen ts has takenplace fo r the last t ime. No more w i l l a Capuch i n t ran s»fo rm h i s uno fi

'

cnd iug brother i n to a lamp, ja rd i n ie r , sh ie ld ,anchor

,or star. No more w i l l one poor o ld friar be ex

h omed from h i s cold bed of ear th fo r a brothe r u s u rpe r tores t i n h i s couch , wh i le the former u ndergo es the embalm~

i ng process,on ly to appear a lt e r a t ime i n some gro tesq ue

shape. By a w i se dec ree o f Victor Eman ue l t he horr i b leand i n h uman p ractice was forever proh i bi ted i n 1870 .

Th i s charnehho use was as c lea n and sweet as a lady ’sboudo i r, and I i nqu i red what deodorize r or ac id they madeuse of

,and marve l l ed at the answer, “none.” I d iscove red

my condemnation of these good men as m isogyn i sts wasu nj ust, as ou r cou rteous gu id e told u s they had en te rta i n eda few mo nths prev ious seve ra l n u n s from Amer ica , w howere v i s i ti ng E u rope . Th i s led to a pleasan t l i tt le con i

’

aho f my experience w i t h the religeu s ea of my scho olday s

,

and when I le ft the tabernacle of death I felt nea re r to thed i rty cloiste re r, who looked as i f the u se o f wate r h adbee n tabooed i n the monas te ry . As we were abou t tomake ou r ad ieu the mo nk qu iet ly repeated , they were absol u te mend icau ts, and l i ved on ly by the chari ty of v i s i to rsand alms begged on the stree ts o f t he I mperial C ity . T h i sl anguage needed n o i n te rpretat ion , so we fi l le d h is pa l mw i th pen n ies .A s u i gener is pagean t ce rtai n ly , and one to be remem~

bered long after the mo re roman t ic have faded i n to obl i v ion.

I l i ngered here, ar rested as i t were , by a fasc i n at i ng awe ,not w i th th e ecstasy I had d wel t u pon the gracefu l sh apeso f the marble gal ler ies , the very names o f whose au th o rshave been obl i terated from the memory of man , an d i n towhose d reamy eyes I have gazed u n t i l I w ished thei r sto nyl i ps wou ld open and revea l th e lost sto ry of thei r o rig i n .

But t he st reets o f Rome l Here i nd eed are food andre freshmen t fo r t he st uden t . I had though t the l i bid i no usc us toms o f t hese people, so u nequ i voca l ly la i d down i nt he pagan class ics , a fable, or , i f no t , so ambiguous t h at a t

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274 PICTURES AND Posrau rs

val es and l ux u ri an t v i neyardsr igh t the i n fec t i ous moors exteni s l ands we find all the romance

i s fi ne the wav i ng pl ume of Vesfo re the tra i n traverses th e ferti lyou at fi rs t m i stake for a cloudthe gracefu l feather u pon the mi t is upon the dome of heavewhether i t i s a v i s i tor of ti n the Med i terranean are the haun ts oflegendary rendezvous of the nymphs.w h ich C i rce al l u red her v ict ims i s not tfluence o f the shores of southern I ta lycaves where the s i ren s sang ;v iets are p ri soned to-day ; an draged fathers and h usbandsd augh ters

,some to seek re

ant deaths ; the pla i n s ove r W itand

,i ndeed

,the re seem s to be

legendary i n the story of l l ly riat ies to the garland that h angsWe seem to have tran scended tb

amid s t fabu lou s charms , w i thi ng abo ut us i n aand crysta l grottos

,over wh ich

and d i p ; where the go l den g lowh igh roc ks and finds i ts i mage i nl ow ; where a rio to us magn ificentmarvel lous m ist of i ncense from 8

w i l d he igh ts of

the rocked-r i bbed gal l er ies o f Amalfi, whoto the dolce far ments of the pl ac e and tl i ng i sl es , rocked i n the caress i ng seas athe fi l my corona l of haughty Vesu v i us

,n

empi re nor omn i poten t ch u rcheven the cl assi c art o f ea rlysplendor. Here i n the rage

lishc r’s odorou s sk i rts , the rot

or w as ru n s . 275

and i l l u m i nated the grea t p i ct u re w i th h is own eternalp igmen ts.Naples i s a gen u i ne seaport. E very desc ript i on of man

th rongs the depo t ; the Tu rk w i th h i s long ti n se l led togaand c ri mson cap i s t here, so that not on ly a cosmopol i tanbu t an O rien tal odor pervades the town . A s I rode to t hehote l great l oads of w i l ti ng vegetables were heaped u ponthe q uay

,where vessel s were deposi t i ng thei r varied sto res

bo rdering the parapets o f the Ch isja are parte r res o f gayflowers of r uddy sou the rn cu l t i vation ; h alf-n ude men an dboys lou nge i ndolen tly i n the p ubl ic road s

,ove r wh ich the

heigh ts o f qua i n t houses th row the i r shadows,—houses

th at seem jammed up,one aga in st the other

, and o ne o n

top o f the other, w i thou t any regard to comfort o r appearance, w i th great cu rtai ns o f gaud i ly pa i n ted matti ng floati ng from the w i ndows

,from w h ich are stretched c lothes

l i nes,adorned w i th t he motley appare l o f the fam i ly . So

tattered were these habi l i men ts that i t was an i mpossi bi l i tyto d is t i ngu i sh the ori gi nal-s h ape or sex o f the garmen ts.I marvel l ed how they stood the ablut ing process, and howthey were to be worn

,and who wore them The fore igners

are t he on ly wel l-d ressed peopl e I see, except i n g the cabmen and priests ; the nobi l i ty I do not see at al l ; and themasses u pon the streets seem to have don ned a costumemany years ago, how long I cou ld n ot say , as the greasy ,cl i ngi ng fragmen ts seem neve r to have q u i tted the bodyt hat cl aims them si nce fi rst the work of decl i ne began ; thed ress has grown ol d and so i l ed w i th the ind i v id ual ; theyare part of one another , and on ce i so lated , l i ke partedlove rs , never agai n cou ld enjoy graceful and mel t i ng ad

herence . The poor l i tt l e don keys a re as shaggy as thei rmas te rs ; and so w ith the overwrough t beas ts and sloth fu lat te ndants

,the re i s an ai r of sadness and laz i n ess a l l

rou nd .

The Neapol i tan s al l r i de. Perhaps carriage-h i re i ssl ig h tly lower i n Rome , bu t i n Naples i t i s a con fess ion o fshameful pen u ry n ot to patron ize the hackmen , and a veryfreq uen t s igh t i s the l i tt l e one ho rse publ ic cal as h l a denw i th young women and men

,bon netl ess and hatless

,on a

hol id ay fro l ic. The cou n try people possess a we i rd l i t tl edon key to car ry the i r prod uce to market

,and oft en har

ness an ox and a horse w i th thei r su refooted quad ru ped ,o r debas i ngly yoke the mother o f the fami ly w i th the b eas to f bu rden , wh i le a great , torp i d , lazy h usband st re tc hes h i slarded l ength upon the wagon . I not i ced female car-con

d i Ro ma (the Neapo litan Chestnu tco vering, their boson s quite hare,pm ailing mode it hu a startling

The greates t expeuse and mo st ne tario e s ex tort ious in

I taly arise trom the trausfer of baggage. All mus t be paid

ext ra fo r, as no appu rt enanc es are conv eyed w it h the pas

senger or included in his fa re o f t ran spo rtation. Eve rypackage is weighed at the statio n and a heavy du ty lev i ed.Upon no considerat ion whatever allow yo u r baggage to beexpressed in ad vance. When we tried this plan from N iceto Rome we were sad ly sw i ndled . After h aving stoppedat several i nte rmed iate c i t ies we arrived in Rome, fo u nd not runk , an d afte r telegraph i ng fo r th ree days, liv i ng in

an xiety, going th rough an endless red-tape process, and

paying fifl een do llars, we obtained ou r one trunk. Theq uest io n in my mi nd was , had i t no t been more comfortableand economical to buy a new equipment ?O u r hotel on t he Strada Chiatamo ue is one of those new

palati a l structu

a nd gold frescoes and fupe ia n d raw i ng to g l o rifyto have had the p laste rstran spo rted tote ccelo .

proud ly d i n e dAgamemnd i sco rdan tThose whosympath i ze w i t h nor conce i ve the afllic t io

tal s who have wad ed th rough the try i ngend less s lough o f 161718 d ’hote. I am notmy own cou n trywomen i n th i s pa ragraphl oq uac i ty

,the usual wa i l of such a chapte r.

sh r i n k from the wordy and em pty bubb l e indnl

ing thei rthe i r ignhearts clamori ng for u tte ran ce , ye t, leti ndecen t man ners at table I have noticed haof fore igne rs. I th i n k some of the I ta l ianHebrews are the worst. I f an American gi

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278 mw ana arm m ean s

in habi tants ; then comes a mscene as the last l igh t of dayo f the fiery monster i s nowfriend on the oppos i te cu rv es igns of unco n trol l able i r r i tatito belch forth new worlds andth is deep gro wl is on ly 0

anx iety to l earn. The nagerons temper from thefriend , and I hear the 1

fiel d for pl u nder, from wh ich thesharpers al ways garner r i ch ha rvests.A crimson col um n of flame is

accompan ied by bu rsts of stonewhen the whol e moun ta i n assuaspect

,whi

rock far onin heigh t 11conspic uou

deem it is upreme i n cend ia ryone of h i s magniflcv i s i t and rev i s i t thed isgorg ing ti re andfo rth to-n igh t ? so if

ejection as the flamious stomach .A s dawn spreads

of the bu rn i ng moun ta i n su bs ide ; th ehave d ied w i th the part i ng n igh t, andwaves i n the gen tl e breeze of th e new-bortial cu rta i n i s grad ual ly fu rl i ng beh i n dthe backgrou nd i s a scarf o f delicate vso il. as si lk and as fleecy as Ithe re the spark le of a t i n se lC u po n to the engu l fing st ream o f ti re and fren zy .

o r roas te r: m a v en. 279

L E T T E R L V I I .

W ith Pompei i i tsel f at the d istance o f a few mi les—the see thatonce bore her commerce. and received her fugi ti ves at his feet—andthe fata l mountain o f Vesuvius, sti l l breathing forth smoke and fi re,co nstan tly before his eyes i" BULWER.

Nar t as. June, 1878.

Tar. o ld aphori sm ru n s See Naples and d ie .

” Myad v ice is, havi ng gotte n to Naples , do no t d ie un ti l yo usee Pompe i i ; t hat i s , i f i t be poss ib l e to su rv i ve a n i ght inth e c i ty w it h those pestil

'

ero us be dfe l lows v u lgarly knownas fleas. They d rai ned the venom th rough my vei ns

,u n t i l

I bel i eved the adage was i ndeed to be verified . I , however,st ruggled w i th my ad versaries, and when day rescued mefrom thei r cl u tches I sti l l l i ved . I was thorough ly resol vedno t to r i sk anothe r n igh t amongst them before walking theci ty of the dead , and so started o n my Pompe ian excu rs ionat once.The en ti re scene seemed the tableaux o f a romance .

From the i n iti al , where the l i tt le d usky N ubian boy , in hisEas te rn garb and polyglot t ongue , assi sted me i n to thecar r iage w i th i ts gay ly comparisoned horses and l i ttl et i nk l i ng be l ls, and clapped h i s s l ender Eth i opian hands andgabb l ed h i s j argon as we dashed o ff. to the retu rn i n thego lden tw i l igh t over the wh i te roads sac red w i th the footpri n ts o f Sal l ust and Glaucus , i t was as quaint as a pictu retwo t hou sand yea rs old .

Satu rday i s market-day here i n the l an d of the gods, asi t i s i n adolescent Amer ica ; and though I was d i sposed tobe l ie ve that provis io n for the creatu re comfo rts was an un

known v u l rity i n a section apotheos ized by the splendo ro f cl ass i cs de i ties, I fou nd the georgica l suppl i es i n moreabundan t masses than at home. A cara van of donkeyo carts

ti l l ed the st reets. Poor l i ttle beasts, how oppr essed theylooked hau l i ng the i r heavy load s , or bu rdened by two g rea t

pannierc baakets en ti re ly concea l i ng the an i mal ; al l I sawwas a success io n of wai l i n g faces , wi th great nodd i ng ears,and spi ndle legs trott ing

,trott i ng, trotting , over the l ava

path s Two great brass horns p roject from e i ther s ide thepl ai n ti ve eyes , from w h ich are su spended on a yoke th reebel l s—bel l s th at re-echo each other’s melody. Owi ng tothe sal ubri ty of the Neapol i tan cl i mate every variety oftrade i s ca rr ied on i n the Open ai r. The cobb le r and car

280 r icr uaz s axn roarna rrs

pentcr, t i nker an d tai lo r, batter and hos ier. wo rk a t th"

stree t corners , the i r s tock spread abou t them on the pavemen t ; here they sew an d saw, sweat and solder, pa i n t and

po lish , and bowl fo r cenlis imr'

when they spy a st ra nge r.Ii n t t hese are not the profess ional mumpe rs, whose s to cki n t rad e i s i n ad vert i s i ng nameless deform i t ies and no velmalad ies , illo shapen monsters , Calibans, each a Laza rus o fthe lazza ron i .The st reet merchan ts on ly try t heir l uck as momen ta ry

mend ican ts , bu t the oflic ial beggars a re an organ i zednational n u i sance, the remnan ts of an ancien t system bo r ni n t hese d ist ri cts, when the weal th of cen tu r ies was co n

t rol led by such houses as t he Med i c i and Borgi a. Tho ughband i tt i a re erroneously s u pposed to be d i fferen t from the

old ev ils, the p resen t e leemosynary classes look l ike brigands—reek less and wicked , da r i ng and repu l s i ve. These beggars seem to move i n batta l ions

,that sp ri n g ou t from the

walls in certai n neighborhoods where they are ind igen ou s ,and these loca l i t i es m u l ti pl y as Pompe i i i s approached , t i l lt he n umbers i nc rease i n to a smal l army.

A l l al ong the rou te were the macaron i and I ta l i an pasteman u factor ies . The uncl othed men and boys were atwork i n the dough , wh i le others were sp read i ng the w heatenblankets upon the pavemen t, over racks , and npon roofs tod ry ; dark and d i ngy establ i shmen ts , that not even theampl i tude o fflo ur-d ust has power to chasten . E very coupleof steps were vendors of ea rthen j ugs of the early Romanform—large round bod ies, ~long n arrow necks, a hand le one i ther s ide. Travel le rs p u rchase them to take home asrel ics ; the nat ives sti l l u se them as hou sehold u ten s i l s.The road was d usty as i t i s ever in the d ry seas on

,and the

i n habi tan ts seemed crumbl i ng in to ea rth . Here pau pe rsand pr i nces cl uste r togeth er. The filthiest peopl e l ive and

carry on thei r t rade i n the fi rst stor ies of the palaces ,wh i le above them and beh i nd them are inefl

‘

able extrava

gance and beau ty . The h igh-road is the empi re of theun washed , u ncombed , and u nkempt classes , a very s i nk ofcorru pt ion , w h i l e th rough i ron-barred cou rts I caugh t ex

qu isite v iews of the magn ificence beyond , where the palacel awns s lope down to the marg i n of the bl ue bay and the

hoary pal lor of the marbles cas ts the v iv i d I ta l ian h ues ofnatu re i n to a richer color. Here the ol d apothegm i s t ran sposed , fu u l w i thou t and fai r w i th i n .A s we rode on , the etern a l c rater,—cloud by day and

fire at u ight,—kept us company . Sometimes we seemed

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282 PICTURES AND roaraarrs

o f th e frown i ng vol cano was al most sta rtl i ng. The variedbri l l iancy o f the vegetat ion grew to the very crown o f thecrate r i n the softes t and most daz z l i ng ga rmen ts. I t i s

the i n te rnal an d all-cons um i ng fi re i n the wom b of themother, that gi ves t he hect ic fl ush to the face , and thefever is h del i r i um to t he bl ood of her p rol ific offspri n g.A nd th i s i s th e en t rance to E u thanas i a ! Th i s the Stygianshore flow er ing i n the l usty beau ty of the fabled gods . Ve

en v i ne i s death robed i n the gau dy raimen t o f a gala' day ;jocu nd Jove th rows h i s sh i n ing man tle o ’er the h i l l s abovethe tomb o f cen tu r i es ! The jaws o f death are fri nged bythe lot us flowers ; the stra i n s o f the chant da sygne a resmothered by the note o f the la rk ; the wofu l deatho ratt le i sd row ned by the playfu l dash i ng o f the wan ton sea

,the l ast

gasp i s st ifled by the trai l an d ta ngl e o f v i nes , and the humo f myriad i n sect creation ; a bravura of l i fe at the th roa t o fthe fiery sepu lch re.Need I mar the harmon iou s chan t of Pl i ny

,Bu l wer

,D o

mas , o r N i col i n i by a d iscordan t repeti t ion ? They havebequeathed to the worl d the rel i gion , the spo rts , an d t heromance of th i s early Roman Newport . They have add edan accou n t o f the mora l d iseases

, gnaw i ng l ike canke rworms at the heart of soc iety

,when poor Pompei i was ove r

taken by the tr i p le storm o f fi re,ashes

,and lava

,on th at

dark and d readfu l A ugust day o f 79 A . D .,when w i ve s

sought h usbands, mothe rs th ei r ch i ld ren , and lovers c r i eda loud i n va i n fo r each other , find ing peace on ly i n ete rnity. I had read th e stor ies of that even tfu l day

,w i th th e

same wonder and awe as I had read o f the C reat ion , t heF lood , the C rucifix ion ; perhaps w i th some of the vaguebew i ldermen t w i th wh ich I read Revel at ion s

,an d a season

i ng of the roman t i c skept i c i sm w i th wh ich I read the Ara

bian N ights , Robinson Cr usoe , or Gu lliver ’s Travels .

There,i n the museum

,I sough t t he ex h umed proofs of the

ex i stence that was choked so lon g ago as scarcely to havea lineal con nection w i th ou r world . I fou nd eigh t h u manb od ies perfectly pet rified i n the i r ashen sheath s ; i n these Iread the encou rag i ng les son that C ice ro , Pompey , or Ma rc usA n ton i n us

,Glaucus or Clod ius , were not men of greater

physica l statu re than ou r presen t poets , statesmen , and orators . The skeleton of a dog , a bi rd , a bone of ro ashbee f, aloaf o f bread

,a d ish o f barl ey , a napk i n (the warp st i l l pre

served), hronz e lamps , household l u x u ries , ea rni ngs , b racel ets , and neckl aces , teach u s that the work o f creation , theh uman appeti te

,the prepa rat ion of food

,the hab i ts a nd

or roaaio n TRAVEL. 283

crav i n gs of females fo r gewgaws , were the same i n the

c l as s ic ages as they are to-day . I t i s a cold,stern fact that

the l i fe we fou nd i n the st ree ts o f Naples is very m uch theli fe that was stilled i n the st reet of Tombs eigh teen centuries ago, where the fron t and lower story of the palaceswere l et to merchan ts , wh i l e th e sed i le s u pped i n the atr i u mw i th h i s lord ly guests , u pon lampreys, pi s tach io, figs , and

w i ne. We saw tha t the bat hs,th e thea t re , the

templ e , and the forum were the loadsta rs of men an dwomen then as now. Luxu rious ly as these Sybari tes l i vedi n the i r hou ses , spark l i ng w i th a l l the g l ory o f fresco , mosai cstatua ry , rich i n the i r reti n ues of s laves , l u l led by the fa l lo f fou n tai n s

,cha rmed by the beau ty o f Greek female love

lines s , sti l l the most opu len t homes were comparat i velysmall , wh il e vast spaces were devoted to the pub l i c bu i ldings , where the popu lace met to d i scu ss s tatecral

'

t i n theforum

,soc ial scandal at the ba ths

,to worsh i p the fal se gods ,

and be d u ped by the charl a tan ry o f such fal se priests asA rhac es i n t he temples , and enjoy the best ia l sports o f theamph i theatre . Here the masterpieces o f G reek and Romanpri n ces of the ch isel and the brush were exh ib i ted here thesong of the poet and vo ice o f the declaimer rang th roughcol um n and archway , from

’

foundat ion to capi tal ; here thepat r ic ian s fel ic i tated i n a t ran sport o f oi l and aromatic oi n tmen t ; here the con tr i te matron and maid repa i red to sol i c i tpardon fo r the old s in

,and s ign a con t ract w ith her absol ver

for a new one .

The st reets are narrow , th e car ri age-way scarcely broadenough to adm i t one of o u r two -wheeled veh icles of to-day ,si nk i ng more than a foot be low the s idewal k

,i n the cen t re

of wh ich are steppi ng-stones , reta i n i ng the pri n t o f horses’

hoofs . The r u ts o f wheel s and the worn and rou nded cu rbsare ev idences o f th e su pe ran n uation of the ci ty before i tsde struction , or, as I have hea rd i t term ed , i ts preservat ion .

Wou l d we have Pompe i i i n so perfect a state o f con se rvat ion to-day had not th e ashes from Vesuv i us embalmed i t ,and protected i t from the decay an d co rrupt ion of ages ?The fo untainf basins at the st reet corners are wo rn i n toho l l ow s by the press o f wea ry h uman hands upon the b r i m

,

wh i le the wa ter fi l led the pai l , o r by l azy i n dolen t h a nd sthat l ol led here wh i le the i r owners chatted the hou rs away .

The stone steps are worn i n t o grooves by the tram p ofmany feet , bu t the wo rd o f welcome

, sales , or once canem

(beware o f the d og) are st i l l i n pe rfect black and w h i temosa i c i n the pavemen ts . Shafts are gone

,co l umns broken

,

28 4 Ple'

ruas s armm urmu r s

a nd al ta rs defiled , bu t the col ors and forms ofare marvel lously u nmarred . Walk i ng the stcl ai me d at th e l i m i ted d imens ion s o f the towns leeps st i l l u nder yonder h i l l s o f pum ice-s toneCome w i th me to the house of B i omed . Ev

to the hou se of D iomed l Of

I sho u l d neglect i t ? I tfrom the road . A fl i gh t of s teps l ead to th e pe riw h ich we en te red the bat h s

, the at rium ,the cat

the garden s, the l i brary ; anothe r fl igh t o f stepsthe ce l l a r, t o the sc u l le ry offices of the house ,the amphoric of w i ne were kept ; the vau l t thatthe dead th at sought she l te r i n i tand food ; the s ubterranean retreatcame wi th her jewel s and frai l l i fe,ago , hopi ng to foi l the insatlatec hambers where J u l i a w r i thed i nshe h eard the fai r lone had won

here the ha l l s w here va lgagen i us ; he re the l i b ra ri essc ro l l s, from wh ich to f G reek l i te ratu re ;cameo, that formed the pr ide ofhere the spot whe re the sk ele tons t i l l u pon the wh i ted bone the

n ame “J u l ia," a fal se cha rm thatd re dyears afte r the decay o f n atat wh ich B iomed was tran sfixed i n a preservesteam as a sampl e and a text to pos ter i ty .

Come then to the house of the t ragi c poet , anthe pu re adoration o f th e Thessal i an sl ave-gi rl ,her maste r for the charm s her sight less eyesbehold ; ah ! I can see her now , s i tt i ng i n theb roken col umns

,weav i ng a

s i ngi ng away h is hou rs o f

fancy I hea r the ec ho of the i r m u tdei t ies l

'

or one gl eam of l igh t to hreaw i ndows of her so nl,—her prayer thatthe rad i ance of her k i ng ; h i s , that sheo f h i s lone. Oh ! what a sati r i s t i s Le ve lCome to the w i ne shops

,where the

and den ted by the arms of l oungest i l l s tand as i f the proprietor had j ust stepcuss the new prmto rship w i th a neighbor-polto the sh ri ne of the Cypri an goddess , where y

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286 PICTURES AND Penm an-s

su ch a sweet legacy of hal l ow i ng sub l im it ies and begu i l i ngromances ; to the G reek d ramat i sts and sc u lpto rs fo r t hebenefae tion of the i r l i te ratu re and art

,and to th e flam ing

scou rge wav i ng h i s grac efu l pl ume over the complete demol i t ie n o f the ci ty of s i n and debauchery .

The gu ide was one of tho se i nco rrupt i b l e officia l s w h ocan not be feed w i th two fran cs , bu t who does cond uct youto a photograph shed

,w here yo u are requested to buy

an al bum fo r eigh t, ten , or twen ty fran cs , wh ich he div i deswi t h the p roprieto r of the atel ie r.Back to Naples th rough t he val ley sacred w i th the th u n

deri ng eloq uence of Cice ro,or the song of V irgi l

,and the

praise of Taci tus,o r the k i sses of Jo hannas Secundas , and

the panegyrics o f Sal l us t,where the l i tt le asse s were retu rn

ing from the busy ci ty r id of thei r bu rden of prov i s i o n s,bu t carry i ng thei r d reamy maste rs to thei r su b u rban homes

,

w here the most grotesq ue forms were bea ten w i th blac kpebb les i n to wh i te wa l l s

,and lamps were l i gh ted to hono r

cu r ious dwarfed V i rgins,that resembled jo i n ting-dol l s of

the l ast cen tu ry .

la the M use um Borbon ico a perfect feast o f i n scri ption s ,whole quarters o f wal l s , w ith the frescoes prese rved , takenfrom the exh umed c i ty , and mosai cs, statuary , pai n t i ngs ,gems , an t i qu i t ies , and papy ri i s spread for the an t iq ua r ian s.O f the Pompe ian frescoes we note strong colors , fi ne l i nes ,and cons iderab l e g race of treatmen t .The one val uable tex t of th i s wonderfu l sermon of

Pompe i i i s th at infidels who doubt the wonde rs and them i racles of the Scri ptu res, and others who laugh at Robin.son Cr u soe and P ilgr im

’s P rogress , and Arabian N ights,

w i l l fi nd the romance of real i ty and the fict ion of fac t int h i s u n ea rthed ci ty .

or reunion ras van. 287

I t

L E T T E R L V I I I .

“We gaze and turn away, and know no t where,Daz z led and d runk w i th beauty, ti l l the heart

Ree ls wi th its fu lness there—for ever thereChain

’

d to the chariot o f triumphale Art,We stand as capti ves, and wou ld not depart .

Bvaox .

Ft o aas ca, June, 1878.

AT Home I remai n ed overn igh t e nroute to th i s l ovelyci ty w he re I am now w ri ti ng. The papal cap i tal i s in torpo r and i ts hotels are d i sma nt l e d, but i t i s ever fasc i nat i ngto m e. I bel ieve the Costan z i was the only startl i ng ex

perience of that nigh t i n Rome, a nd th e stagge ri ng blowwas i ts hote l b i l l . Env ious fr iends may say i t was a j ustret r ibu t ion for my choice of s uch os ten tatious lodgings .I t was not pretens ion that prompted me to the costlyalbergo where A merican sovere ign s d i ne forei g n pri nces ,bu t the rat iona l mot i ve o f a modes t trave l ler , who fou ndt he Costanz i near t he depot. Possess i ng a keen apprec iat i on of the l u xu ries o f l i fe

,I revel led

,of cou rse, in the

palatia l apartments ass igned me, d ined i n the royal basemen t d in i ng-hal l , amongst Pom peian and Egypt i an frescoes,and cong ratu l ated mysel f on all the land lo rd ’s excess ofcou rtesy . A las ! when the accou n t came to be sett led thesweet de l usion van i shed ; every bl ue sphinx and cr imsond ragon‘ea the wal l

,every block of marb l e i n th e floo r

,and

every an tiq ue bra z ier o r lam p that had so del igh ted me thep rev ious even i ng

,had to be b ravely pa id fo r. There i s n o

pl ea su re eq ual to that o f the travel-s ta i ned tou ri s t as herecru i ts h i s strength i n a regal ha l l hu ng w i th costlytapes tri es and laces

,bu t you who have had to square such

debts i n gold pai n fu l ly rea l ize how rap id ly the sheen o f thesat i n and t he fleec iuess of l ace fade under these c i rc umstances , and how soon remorse comes to en force a s terneconomy . B ut there i s some compensat ion fo r one sucht hough t l ess extravagance . I t was a hea l thy react ion

,and

as I reflected upon the Roman epicu re A pic i u s , who l i vedin the t ime of A ugu stus and T i ber i us

,and spen t one h u n

d red m i l l ions of sesterees (abo u t on h i s k i tchena l one

,and po i soned h imsel f becau se he had only $360 000

left , I fe l t that I m igh t be pardoned th i s fol ly o f a n igh t a tthe Costanz i .

PICTURES AND PORTRA ITS

The en trance to Florence i s a con ti n uousof qu i te twen ty m i les. The more ex tendedI ta ly the more marvel l ou s become the var ieo f vegeta tion . The spon ta nei ty o f st i li n terrupted del igh t of the voyager. The Tu scanthe emblem of l i fe as the protector of the i r arev o utly as th e Cal ab ri ans , and ve ry curious are

pc rso nat io ns appeari ng i n the fiel ds and at theof the i r t u te lary god . The bl ue heavens , the golwav i ng u nd e r the shadow o f the gray moun tai n s

,

roads,th e emerald tu rf

, and thet rees

,make up the colors o f th

subu rbs o f the sweet c i ty of art.mo re l i v i ngden s u p thecoi ls to the summ i t

,wh ich

F loren ce i s perhaps th econ sidered in rel ation to irecen t i mprovemen ts

,and the i nfl uence 0

cen‘

t rated he re,t hough at p resen t i t i s

n at ional poverty , and feel s the exigenc i

less than America. I ts garn i tu re i s,ho

th readbare than the you ng republ ic ’s, btri bu table to age than presen t ind igence .

romance havebeen newly mnor Caste l l oc rack i ng o f wnor traffic ofcompen sa tedthe art empori um

,the noble pal aces, and the

bathed i n the s i l ver beams o f the love ly moonlis so cal m and i ts m u rm u r so melod ious that ian i mated phan tom beneath my w i ndow .

I fi rst saw Floren ce by moonl i gh t , or by mgas l igh t

,as the gas l igh ted up the piazza of t

i ng l i ttl e fai rs,thei r tawd ry s tock glorified

torches , wh i le the moon l igh t chastened tthe Pon te Tri n i ta and i n th e open squares

,

memory w il l l i nger longer than any other.t u rn here w i thou t encou n tering a fresheac h new one seems to el bow the preced i ngta l . I t i s qu i te imposs ible to forget the sanctify

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290 Prcruas s AND poarau rs

on ly the deeply flow ing waters ben eath , whiand tapestries are on al l s ides . I shou ld saygn iebi ng featu res of th i s thesau rus of a rt are tof tapestry that embel l i sh the wal l s of thethe gal le ries on e ither shore of theare the man u factu res of the establis

Cosmo de ’ M ed i c i over t h ree cen tucabi nets o f gems , woodcu ts , andare here i n magn ificen t profus ion ,wh i le the woven represen tations o ffort h i n sal ien t splendor. There istween these museums of Florence and tNaples . Pi tt i i s opu len t in the n umber andpai n t i ng ; Borbon ico i n its gems

,an t ique m

Pompe ian p rese rves . No t hav i ng enjoyed thetaglios an d thei r cameo obverse , -jewe l s fromt ion s of Sal l u st and Pan sa

,—t hose i n the U

h ave been a gratify i ng treat ; bu t the gracefual l egorical and mythological comb i n ations, andexecu tion , shadow the r i va l l i ng col lec t ion i n to 0o bscu ri ty .

Then the marbl es ! Does the F lo ren t i neto i n anyth i ng as start l i ng i n the i r sty le o f msthe Farnese B u l l and tuat ing l i ttl e Bacchube m istaken

,though

gods ? A nd wheret reas u ry as con ta iM useum . I

i s warned by a flam ing I tal i anread by one of almost any nation al i ty ; wherei l l u strat ions o f pagan v i t i at ion are spread iefl

'

rontery ; design s that proc la im each steplo so phy th rough the era o f idolatry. Yet 0 111few

,the archselogical studen ts , are perm i t ted

deposi tory , and if a priestess o f the sanctumw i th all the ap lomb o f on e of the elec t she isa fi rebrand from a powder magazi ne. Thel esson taugh t by these remai ns I m ust dwel la momen t . Never do I refer to the dessome new and te rri ble ev i den ce of God ’s

gc ance s ugge sts i tsel f to my m i nd . Notd o wn the l iq u id fi re o f H i s w rath u pon twh i le p l u nged i n the very summer of thserved c

or retu rns ras v an. 29 1

decla ration of thei r shame to al l s ucceed i ng ages , wh i l ethe re remai n s h ard ly a trace of whatever v i rtuous or ch i valric tendencies may have graced them . In the Pi tt i al l thatis great in governmen t , en nobli ng i n art, pu re i n rel igion ,and sweet i n domestic i ty i s p rese n ted . I n each salon thede iflcat ion—ei the r pagan or C h ri st ian—o f o ne o f the early

pat rons o f the gal le ry i s port rayed in fresco ; i t m ay betermed by the S to ie a roman ti c conception , bu t does i t notinspi re a spi ri t of pub l ic benefaction ? Then , i n th e hal lof po rtrai ts of pa i n ters—i s i t no t an i nce n ti ve to youngambi t ion that he may i n the fu tu re fi l l a place i n one ofthese pane l s ?I n Florence one n eed no t go to publ i c hal l or pr i vate

pa l ace to enjoy the fai rest flowe rs of a rt that ever bloomedupon the plant o f h uman gen i us

,nor the rares t jewel s

co ined i n the cruc i bl e of the h uman m i nd . Every p iazzais crowned by i ts sh i n i ng coronal o f marb le gem s ; everystree t i s bordered by a zone of beau ti fu l co o ce its and precio us dev ices. A rt i s as pl en ty as chestn u t cakes at thecorners ; Ven us, Cupid , Ma rs , J u no , or Adon i s, spark l i ngi n a l l th e symmetry o f i n spi rat ion , fresh from hands thattoi led i n u n is on to the pu rest prompt i ngs of th e so n] , aresold i n shops , wh ich a re as freq uen t as d rygoods stores onChes tn u t St reet.On the Rou te Vecch io is a marvel l ous st reet of jewel ry

shops . How long have they stood ? Ah l s i nce the daysFra A ngel ico prayed and pai n ted at F ieso le , or Savonarol a ’s voice th u nde red th rough the st reets i n zea l ou s an dcrude eloq uence agai n st the co rru pt ion of the de Med ic i s .Perhaps the Floren ti ne dem i monde decked themsel ves i ntu rq uo i se and pearl s from these dark, low-roofe d sto resu pon the bridge . Pea rl s befi tt i ng the pu ri ty of Desde~mona ; pearls hangi ng i n great banks i n th e w i ndows , i nsuch ampl i tudes as we d ispl ay wax heads at home ; pear l sfo r wh ich my woman

’s heart yearned , yet from wh ich Iwas ob l iged to tu rn , w ithout even ven tu r in g to price.All these I ta li an towns , cert ain ly s i n ce the access ion of

V icto r Eman uel and the dazz l i n g tri umphs of Gari bal d i ,have added to th ei r ol d art t reas u res i n the public an dprivate palaces , beau t i fu l gal le r ies , or, as they cal l them ,

piazzas , as also fi ne parks , and walks , and d rives ; and th egen ius of U n i ted I taly i s seen everywhere in abundan tstatuary to Cavou r

,Garibald i

,M az z i n i , and the later

lead e rs of though t and act ion . You mark the hea l thydiffe rence between anc ien t k i ngs and favor i tes and the

292 s torm s arm roaraan s

recen t republ ican i nno vato rs, by the mo ney sp e nt u ponthese l a tter, and al though many of the worshippers o f the

past w i l l tearfu l ly te l l yo u of the grea t lo ss su stained bythe d isman tl i ng o f t he palaces beretofbre belongin g to thec rown , and to the d iscrow ned d ukes and nobi l i ty of suchfa l se ly-cal l ed republ ics as Gen oa , Venic e, Florence , M ilan ,and Nap les , I hai l the bet te r t ime when the mo ney o f the

s tate i s rather given to the st ate for popu la r ed ucatio n ,than l av i shed u pon the lu x u ries of princes . Am ong thesebeau tifu l , popu la r pl aces let me rank the Casc i ne o r pa rkof Florence , call e d, from a farm to wh ic h i t once belonge d ,cas i no or da i ry. Bounded by the ri vers A rno and M ugaone ,the ro ad r i ses to a st rik i ng “open” about two m i les in

l ength , approached by broad h igh ways , l ead i ng to a la rgeci rc l e

,where the m i l i tary baud pl ays seve ra l t imes a wee k.

A s we stood l i sten i ng to the m usic, car riages , fi l l ed w i t hthe nobi l i ty , d rawn by sp i r i ted horses , came u p, th e occ upan ts pausing al so to hear

,and to see th e so l d iers fl i rting

w ith the gir l s i n the shade ; we next started o ff th ro ug hthe un ique avenues rad iati ng to the mo n umen t of the Raj ahof Ho lapo re , a young I nd i an pri nce who d ied at F lo re nc ei n 1870 on h is way home from Engl an d , an d whose bodywas cremated on the spot, his attendan ts mak i ng the w ho leneighborhood resou nd w i th thei r st ran ge and melan cholyworsh i p. These aven ues were s i ngu l arly w i ld and pict u r

esque,t he tall and venerable t rees by wh ich they we re

l i ned recal l ing some of the natu ral a rcades i n ou r Fai rmo u n t I’ark .

But older and more i n te res t i n g than th i s fash ionabl e ret reat are the Bobol i Gardens, wh ich are approached th ro ughthe Pi tt i Palace

,and whose h is tory takes you back to i ts

orig i n 350 years ago . F rom i ts heigh t the re i s a charm ingv iew of Florence, w i th i ts pal aces and ch u rch es , and as I

stand and gaze u pon the ample l andscape below,and en

joy the mas s of sh rubbe ry , and stat uary , and fou n ta i n s,w i th thei r swans and other water-fowl immed iately a ro u ndme, I th i nk my gaze never d rank i n a more en raptu r i ngs igh t. The even i ng was so m i ld

,the ai r so balzrny and so

heavy w i th the i ncen se of the spicy odors of cedar and ofpalm

,t hat I d id not wonde r at the p ride o f the F lo ren t i n es

i n th i s exq u i si te and elaborate conservatory.

F lo ren ce l ay d rowsi ng sweet ly i n th e valley of the A rno,w i th the golden m ists o f heaven fal l i ng between the r ig i dpalac e wal ls and i n the nar row streets where ch i l l i ng dam pastrike to the sou l , wh i le the piazza beyond is in one blaze

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29 4 r icr t ans AND rem arrs

wh i le non pa re i l wou l d be the chosen ph rase of the p rint er.I m ight cal l i t a n eccen tric i ty of n atu re , an aber rat ion o f

ea rth , a prod igy of the cosm ical sphe re, an i n cong r uity ofthe un i ve rse ; and so rich ly c lothed in pa rl ance, yet no pict u re of th i s fa i r A ph rod i te wo u l d be p resented , rocked inhe r bri ny crad le, whose h ues have aschameleo n—now az u re

,then smera l

Opu line ro se .I t was e igh t i n the eveni n g when I l eft Flo rence, and as

arid and breath less a nigh t as one m igh t expect i n the to rr id zone. Emanu let ta, the celebrated flo wer-girl o f Ita ly ,—who has, alas l long si n ce sh ed he r yo u thfiu l and bri llia n tpl umage,—was at the sta t ion , toss i ng her nosegay s intoth e lad ies ’ laps, and presen t i ng them to the gentleme n w it hall the begu i l i ng co quet ry o f e igh teen . I had heard m uc ho f th i s g i rl , who had re igned q ueen of her clan fo r dec ad es,somet i mes appeari ng i n one I tal i an capital , then i n anothe r,float i ng and d i ppi ng i n to al l the satu rnal i as these so u the rnc i ties afi

‘

o rd, now the pet of a d uke , then the pro tege of a

coun tess , a l ways t he favori te of the comm un i ty . S he is

no w a woman of qu i te s i x ty,bu t her natu ra l graces and a rt i

fic ial persona l pe rqu i s i tes mak e her look at l eas t t wen tyyears you nger. Her fu l l figu re and fan tas t i c costu m e a reher ch aracteri st ic ad van tages . With her, l i fe has bee n o neu n i n terrupted d rama from the crad le ; al l the nat u ra l i n c iden ts and tastes o f the seve ra l epochs of a woman ’s ex i stence have been gi ven to the w i nds , and the play h as goneon day after day i n a success ion of tabl ea ux . To day she

wears the same c rimson petticoat, the same ve l ve t bo d ice ,the same lace kerch ief, neatly folded over her bosom ,

t hatshe d id forty-th ree years ago ; even the same sm i le c u rves he rl i ps , the same nai ve spa rk le brigh tens her eyes , the same bonmots d rop from her t ongue

,and the same qu ick repartee .

Her life~chain of ad ven tu re has not d u l l ed w i t h t i m e,bu t

rather brigh tened w i th i ts attri t ion s. As she has l i ved sow i l l she l i ve on to the end . The deep n igh t rap id ly growi ng th rough the tw i l igh t h as no t deadened any o f her gayd ress nor efi

'

ervesc iug spi r i ts , and when l i fe has been ecl i psedby death she w il l be remem bered as Emanu letta the floweri rl .gA s we left the gen tl e v a l ley of the A rno far beh i n d

,the

clouds bu rst i n to a flood o f water, and the atmosphe re hecame more end u rab l e ; but as tun nels were freq uen t , and myfel l ow-travel l ers i n the ca rr iage , on e a Bri t i s h daugh ter o f

nobi l i ty,—the Lady Lou i sa and her compan ion

,- wc re ex

or roamun m av en. 295

ccss ively fidgety regard ing the adj ustmen t o f the w i ndows ,the blessed ob l i vion o f s l eep was no t the po rti on o f anyof the occupan ts u n t il ou r ti t led Engl ishe r changed carsfor the Ty rol ; then we poor repub l ican mortals resigne dou rselves to the sed uct i on s of the sweet soother, and

d reamed the hou rs away u n ti l mo rn i ng.

The approach to Ven ice i s marked by th e swamps thatdot the l andscape, where vegetation i s pro l i fic and t h rustsits glowing l i fe th rough the brac k i sh estu aries, an d ani n fin ity o f vegetable color gl ows i n the shal l ow wate ro f the bl ue l agoons. These marshes i ncrease and ex tendu n ti l the great bridge is crossed that carries t rave l l ers d irec tly i n to the sta t ion on one of the large isl and s washedby the G rand Can al . As I stood i n the dawn loo kmg o u t

u pon the ci ty of the sea from th e depot quay the dank at

mo sphere en vel oped land and water i n a m isty cloak , theweeds cl u ng to the door-posts and fou ndation stones , and as al i n e odor and taste fi ll ed the ai r. The l ines of Rogersc ame to me then , and not those of By ron , wh ich i s theacknow ledgmen t o f an und i sc i pl i ned m i nd ; su rely theC h i lde” shou ld take precedence , and yet there i s a theory

a float attach ing schoo l-gi rl romance to these poems , and i fw e wou ld be considered past ou r ty ron ism we must keepo u r men tal ce l l s well swept of these vagran t ve rses. Butw ho ,

w i th the sen timen t of a m ud-tu rt le, cou l d cross theB ridge of S igh s , pass the palace o f the Fo scari, ascend theG i an t’s Stai rway , or l i nger i n the piazza of San Marco w i tho u t reca l l i ng the lor dly Engl i s h ba rd ? Who d ri ft u ndert he Rial to wi thou t reco l l ecti ng Shakespeare ? O r w ho gazeu pbn the widowed Ad riat i c and forget O tway ? Some sayt h ese are the i nfl uen ces of the past, bu t they are the powersw h ich w i l l end u re, and be they ha ck neyed o r hav i ng theo dor o f a young l ady ’s manual

,they are popu lar beca use

t h ey are permanen t .There i s a dec ided flavor of the O rien t abou t Venice. I t

may l ie ch iefly i n hi storica l associat ions , and certa i n ly thet raders from the Levan t , the decay i ng glory , an d p revai l i ngmoresque styl e o f arch i tec tu re , rev i ve the legen d s of theTurk i s h wa rs cen tu ries agoRid i ng to the hote l i n a gon dol a , th rough a street o f

water,an d dr iven by two sa i lo r-boys i n w hite sh i rts and

bl ue r i bbons , was a pecu l iar ex perience , and not a pleasan tone to me. I had con templ ated a del i r i um of ecstasy flo ating t

h rough the canal s whe re Desdemona h ad d 1 ifled,and

swimm i ng i n the boats th at had carried Belv idera and

296 increa se a rm Poa'

rau 'rs

Portis. Thep rese n t. Thethe gr im-v isagt he cr umbl i ng

of the gondol i er ’s o so arsmau as he wh i rl sn ers o f the wa tery pto me ; i ndeed , I fel tthe dead than I did

sai l ing hearses o f expi red majesty.

The ho tels as a ru leen t rance than the sea

,

atr i um,as the Roman

sents’

very much th e appea rance of achand l e ry . Ascend i ng a spac ious sta i rway the reth i r d, fou rth , and fi ft h floors

,abou nd i ng i n all th

eq u i pmen ts o f a Pari s ian house ; the chambe rsthe floors mosa i c, and the i nev i tabl e porcel a i nconspicuous featu re that baffl ed my i maginati onI d iscovered i ts use. I n every hall andgreat

,wh i te , fl uted , cy l i nd ri ca l apparat

rou nd and round them , tam i ng every screw andat l ength d i v i ned thei r pu rpose

,and al though

thei r wa r mth i s n ot u n welcome i n the sa l t oi

the ch i l l i ng rai n .

The formation of th i s st range prod uct of the2000 years ago pu z z l ed and i n terested me.here ? was my con t i n ual menta l i n terrogat ion . Imou n ta i n debri s and d ri ft i ng a lpi ne cu rren ts thatth is floati ng ci ty ? Whi le i t i s dec l i n i ng i n poweri ng i n l at i tude. E very year ea rth is added to

is lands covered by the l agoons , and some day these foetu sworlds w i l l h ave completed the i r gestat ion and spring i n toex i s tence

,glo r ious and beautin spheres . Ch i ld ren of the

sea,may I call them ? and Ven ice the regent, though hoary

and su pe ran n uated,i s augmen ti ng her progeny each year.

A nd a hea l thy o fl’

spring i t i s ; rich i n i ts capabi l i t i es, affluent i n i ts growth of fru i ts, vegeta bles, flowers, and an imalli fe.These lagoon s , so l usty w i th l i fe, woul d be s inks of infec

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298 Prer oaas AND pom-au ra

lowered,the riotou s w i nds came sweepi ng o ve

bosom o f the ocean , c reep i ng amongst theswel l i ng the waves i n to foam-c rested bi llows ,i n to tempestuous edd ies

,and rocked the fra

aft w i th the grow ing sto rm .

grew louder, and as I ro de amI though t i f I were careened in the brine i tand soon forgotten sl eep .

The ci ty may be trave rsed t h rough theways

,and by the br idges that serve as ate

the mammoth gu tters of sea-water. Th i s i so f t ran s i t, but t he on ly method by wh icho f the con struction of Veni ce. A r ide in ap iazza of St. Mark conden ses al l the beau ty andthe s i tuat ion ; but to th read the l aby ri n th i ne s it he footpath a pi ctu re of low ly Venet ian l i fe i s beNarrow aven ues

,th at seem on ly ar cades, flan ked

o us shops,whose doorsteps al most to uch i n th e

passage . Wande ri ng th rough these cu rta i ledthe town , I fou nd mysel f i n the noble sq uare 0I can not rel ate by w hat route I came , su ffice i t,my sau n ter i ngs brough t me face to face w i th tthe t u tel ary sai n t guarded by the w i ngedA pocalypse. I ndeed

,where may the eyes tu

and not res t u pon these prophet ic monste rs ?the i mmed iate p iazza o f the tabernac l e i nrie ty and m u l t i tude. They are gaudy i nmosa ic

,gloweri ng i n bronze, moun ted

d i z z y al t i tude ; t hey hover i n the cou rt o f

crouch at the tomb of Canova, and crown'

l it ian ; they hai l you from common an d cou rt ,porta l and ped imen t

,symbol ize sai n t and s i n ner

o f pri nce and pauper,and are the g en i i of the Qu

Adr iat ic.The piazza of St. Mark i s the focus o f mu n ici

I t h as an open i ng quay toward the sea 0

fenci n g of pal ace, shop, andcheeks . The devotees come to tthe -fash ion s come to enjoy the gayety ant ravel ler to see , t he lad ies to be seen , theh is m i ss ion , the Jew to barter, the seamenthe flower-gi rl to se l l her bouquets and recei

of adm i rat ion from the t h rong. Tru ly , aw i tchery when the gl ow i ng l amps th rowgo l den l igh t over the squ are and i ts gossipi

or roamo s ru n s . 299

and fi nd a tri pl e reflection i n the bl ue waves , wh ich a rel igh ted i n to a phosphoresce n ce by the moon , and the swee tstrai n s of th e d u lce t I tali an band float over all a s u rge ofmel ody.

The Venetian nower-girl i s the most con sp icuous objecto f the p ictu re ; she c i rc u lates between the cafes an d thel i tt l e tab l es u nde r the a rches. They are most decided lythe younges t, best-d ressed , and bes t-look ing women o f th i sschool I have seen , and are a lso the most i m portu natecan vasse rs for personal favo r. I watched the s ubt letyand cajolery of one of these fa i r ones as she endeavo red todecoy the male fish i n to the net she wove—the woof o fsm i les and b l u shes ; she co urtsied , w i n ked , bl i n ked , sm i l edarch ly , wafted k isses from her aromat ic fingeb t ips , and , asa bi nd ing favor, fastened the flowers u pon the caval ie rs ’

coats .The Cath ed ral i s a flashingly ornate structu re , w i th low

mosq ue or m i nare t domes . B lackene d by time, i t stands amajest ic re l ic of t he pas t. The coarse

,gar ish mosaics in

the facade that overarch the doors a re rendered moredau n t i ng by contrast w i th th e sombre pi le and i ts poorsu rro u nd ings. I ns ide there is none of the character i st i ccl ean l i ness o f the bas i l i cas i n Rome and F lorence. Themosa i c bl ocks o f the pavemen t are l acerated and d isl ocatedby the scythe o f Time , gr imed by the d ust he carr ies w i thh im

,and un was hed by friend ly hands . The jewe l s and

preciou s marbles o f the al tar have alone defied the a lm igh tydes po iler, stand i ng forth the stars of the w i theri ng sanctuarThe Palace of the Doges i s a d ream o f wonder to the

st ranger. I ts great rows of cl o iste rs or col umned gal leriesa re o f arch i tec tu re so grace fu l as to appear the po et ry and

music o f mason ry , and yet so end u ri ng as to last t h roughthe etern i ty . Such el aboration of base and cap i tal I had

yet not beheld ; cu rves , loopho les , and en tablatu res thatseemed the i n spi rat ion o f t he t roubadou r. A great sta i rway—the Gian t ’s Stai rcase—down wh ich Mar in o Fal iero ’shead is sai d to have rol led at h i s execut ion , though i t wasnot e rected un til afte r he was gu i l lotined , l eads from thecou rt to the colon nades above . A gapi ng wou nd i n thewal l marks the spot where conspi rato rs d ropped the po i sonous bi l lets agai n st the i r enem ies i n to the l ion ’s mou th ,in the dead watches o f the n igh t. Next day the u nsus

pec t ing, pi tiable w retches were t ried by the Cou nci l ofTea or the Counc i l of Th ree, and condemned to death o r

300 Prem iu mAND PORTRAITS

a d ungeon—gu i l ty ever, as the t ri bu nal eHere a re the chambers w here the i nqu ii n nocen t, l i ned by a wealth o f cun n i ngthat en rapt u res the sou l of the gazer bymomen t

,on ly to make the despai r

w h ich i t i s p l u nged the next, by thS ighs, that span s the n ar row can aland pri son , and the tenebrious eel

where no my of hopeh ole i n the upper poapertu re th rough wh ich food wasThere was a mysterious glamou r ant hese subterranean dens that carr iof sh adowy confessors , sec ret docI expected to see the fou r walls coa th reaten i ng fi rebrand appear i n tover my uuofl

‘

end ing head , orthe cave and swal low me i nground u pon wh ich I s toodbeasts ready to devou r me . Ic d

‘

fel t fai rly r i d of the ghast ly ph an tom .

ace was a p ronthere was anl ustre t hat d id not please myand reflect ion th rough the v ipoverty and t h raldom of the massesparent in con tras t with l av i sh weal th andI had often read and l i stened to the

“Pigeon s of St. Marla" I w i l l not sayau then t ic i ty

,but I though t there was som

bug or sugges'

tio falsi , so to speak , abou tdeterm ined to con v i nce mysel f of

own hands. I was i n one oof the pi azza, overhau l i ngblue pictu res—th ree tonesand sky . I n the pictu res

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302 r icr uass awn poaraaxrs

L E T T E R L X .

On (‘omo's lake the sunset fe l l ,

Then passed away i n golden flame,And fairo

‘er vi ne and o l i ve de l lThe star through purp le shadows came,

W hi le far o 'er leagues o f twi l igh t g lo om ,

The A lps sti l l humed in may glow ,

And mi rro red back , l ike scattered bloom ,

Luy , shining in the wave be low .

Mums . Cansnannu on Lana Como, June , 1878 .

I no no t say tha t there is noth i ng i n teresti ng i n M i la nsave the Ca thed ral ; bu t that i t i s my only v i v id impress io n .

I saw i t fi rst at the tw i l igh t hou r, when the shadows o f

n igh t had so fl ened every l i n e o f i ts thousands o f stat u es

(some author i t ies say ove r ot hers 80 00 , I d id n o tpause to cou n t them), mel l owed each Goth ic tu r ret th a tc l owns the roof, and cast a gauze of tenderness over th een t i re structu re as i t couched agai nst the W i tch i ng b l uesky

,where i ts gracefu l l i n eamen t s we re traced i n a fret

work o f stone as a i ry and del i cate as t he finest lace . I roderou nd and rou nd to grat i fy the passion its etherea l bea uti eshad k i nd l ed i n to l i fe , and at every w i ng and bu t tress themarve l g rew . The my riads o f marbl e ange ls , sa i n ts , so l

d ie rs,and s tatesmen , a l so popes , pai n ters , and sc u lptu re

m i ng led amongs t i ts many fo lds and i n terweaving l i n es,

seemed the wo rk o f celest ial art. I ts many pierci ng spi re sl ooked the ephemeral pi n nacles o f some fa i ry pa lace . I nthe holy d u sk and sombre decl i ne o f day it resembled afrozen poem , ai l

-an them , or a d rama i n ma rb le . The ext e rio r had red uced me to a s tate of revery

,so my mood

was i n harmony w lth the re ligio u s glamou r and ha z e o f

i ncense w i th i n,when I pu s he d back the great doo rs , and

fou nd myse l f i ncon t i n en t ly y iel d i ng to the bew i lde ri ng iiafluence. Whi le i t lacks al l o f the osten tatious adornmen tof the great St. Peter ’s i n Rome , i t i s th i s ve ry chast i ty tha tl ends the grace of sanct i ty that the greatest Ro man cathed ral can never cla i m w i t h i ts gar is h g l ory . The one i s a

go rgeo us palace , where art and weal th have been exh aus ted ,the other a cl assi c temple that i n spi res prayer. I no longe rwonder at the arm ies o f papal devotee s i n th i s Catho l i ccou n try the rel igion is so pleasi ng , ca lm , and restfu l . As

I s tood a few feet w i th i n the porta ls , u pon the rich mosai cfloor

,the lofty vau l ted roof above and the rega l banne rs

or roas te r: TRAVEL. 303

and pai n ti ngs hangi ng u po n eve ry pi l lar o fg’

ro uped col umns ,l was spe l lbound by the spi r i t of hol i ness en th roned i n mybosom

,and as I u nconsc ious ly obeyed the prompt i ngs o f

my hea rt an d knel t , I cou l d have sighed my sou l away inone eternal apost rophe to my God .

There are n o jewel led sh ri nes uo r frescoed panel s, noR uss ian marb les nor Eastern al abaster here. The archeso f the roo f, the al tar, and cap i ta l s of the pi l lars , from wh ichstart h u nd red s of statues

,are w rough t i n an i n te rm i nabl e

fi l igree o f stone , so pu re, so co ld , so hoary , that the go ldenl igh t that fal l s i n sem i tones th rough the great co lo red gl as sw i ndow over the en trance eupho u iz es al l i n to o ne oratorio .

I said,“Th i s m us t be the man s ion o t’ the A l l-merc i fu l , the

peace a nd res t o f Heaven is u pon me.

" The cause o f mysupreme con ten t seemed someth i ng pal pable , and inad vertently I groped th e ai r fo r a tangi ble i n fluence ; a maze o fho ly i ncense was abso rb i ng an d beari ng c d’ my earth i nessi n i ts mesmerism

,when I was amu sed to a sen se of ch i l l

and darkness. As I passed o u t I longed for the morrowwhen I m igh t retu rn .

Bu t. w i th the dawn came Co rpus Dom in i. H igh so lemnit ies were to be celebrated , the c i ty was i n gal a-day garb,and thousands o f every cl ass th ronged the st reets . Therewere m i l i ta ry and eccles iast ical pa rades , crowds of people ,band s of m usi c

,cl oud s o f i n ce n se ; the shops we re closed

and a general spi ri t o f t’

ro lic prevai led . The Cathe dral d idnot seem the holy of lto lies i n wh ich I had med i tate d then igh t before ; the crowd desec ratet l i t , and so feari ng thesubtl eties o f the yesterday m igh t be qu i te u ndone by theimpend i ng ceremon ies and th icken i ng t h rong , I h u rriedawav.

Mi lan i s so pu re and clean and el egan t one m igh t read i l ybe pe rs uaded he had passed o u t o f I ta ly

,proverb i a l fo r d i rt .

The w h i te houses and gay shops lend to it a Pari s ian ap

pearance . But there are ample reco l l ect ions o f I ta ly i n theVictor Eman ue l Gal lery

,the statue o f Cavou r

,and the

many mon umen ts to l oca l cel ebri t ies .Th i s gal lery i s a palat i al a rcade o f shops i n the form o f

a Lati n cross,connecting the Cathed ral piaz za w i th the La

Scala opera—hou se. The facades o f the sto res are flor id w i thsc rol l s and jalou s ies a nd caryatides

,th e overarch i ng canopy

o f glas s adm i ts the l igh t o f day , and by n igh t the domelooms ou t l i ke some sou thern meteor

,dazzl i ng in i ts two

thou sand gas~jets,cast i ng a resplendence over the great

frescoes of the rotu nda, and a rad iance over the archety pes

304 r tcr ras s A an rem nan ts

o f the p res id i ng art i stic and pol i t i ca l genn. The great se rv ices o l

’

the la te Emperor, Gari ba l d i , and Cavou r, are commemo rated th r oughou t I ta ly by s tat ues , galleries , pa i n t i ngs ,a nd ed ifices . A s I w ri te Cavou r i s l ook i ng at me w i t h h i sbronze face from h i s pedesta l o f gran i te

,where Fame s i ts

carv i ng h i s name w i th an i nd e l i ble styl us.The La Scal a i s closed fo r the summer, bu t I wen t to

enjoy i ts vast proport ions , the majesty of the Emperor's

box , and the stage whe re Adel i n a I’att i has ach i eved her

g reates t t ri umphs . The i mmense a ud i tor i um , and stage asla rge as a ci rcus arena , somewhat mod ifies the oppress i veo rnamen tation o f the t i e rs and boxes. D i rectly oppos i tethe stage

,si t uated to what we ca l l the balcony

,is the roya l

loge , beari ng the crown and pri ncely cr im son h angi ngst he vest i bu le are sta t ues o f Mal i bran

,Rossi n i , and De ni

]

z o tt i . Bu t i t was at the La Verme that I passed s uch ade l igh t fu l even i ng w i th La So unambula,

” and tho ugh asecond-cl ass opera hou se was exceed i ngly capac iou s . I ti s ev iden tly a summer estab l i shmen t

,whe re al l the gen t le

men smoke,and the lad ies attend i n ord i nary street cos

t ume. A fter the ope ra prope r came a protracted ha l let ,—theope ra i n I taly i s general ly s ucceeded by a hal let, -I maycal l i t a pan tom ime ba l let

,Di scovery of A meri ca by Cc

Iumloo .

" Very u n iq ue,i n te resti ng

,and i n st ruct i ve. The

danci ng was the poet ry o f motion , and the d umb show theeloquence o f gracefu l s i lence . Withou t the a id of speechthei r ges tu res were so i n te l l i g ibl e as to make a language byi tse lf.A l l the I tal ian ci ties b oast o f fine parks and d r i ves. That

o f M i l a n i s very beau ti fu l,t he cou rse fo r the carr iages an d

ho rsemen bei ng over the ram parts ; the to p o f the ori g i na lm i l i tary wal l t hat hemmed iu the desi rable ci ty from fo r

ag i n g despo i lers. Here the nob i l i ty and gen t ry come tov en t i late t hei r regal i ty in the soft I tal ian g loam ing. Tov ie w i th each other ’s c rests and l i ver ies seems t he i r hea ven ,and as the d imens ion s are l im i ted , they r ide rou nd and

rou nd the park l i ke puppets i n a toy c i rcus . The M i l anesemay d ress plai n ly

,he may l i ve econom ical ly

,he may even

d i ne w i th o u t macaron i , bu t no t to own an equ i page an dd ri ve upon the bastions i s a sign of shamefu l impecunio s ity.

I d readed v is i ti ng other ch u rches i n the fea r of d i spe ll i ng the en t h usi as t ic th ra ldom of the Cathed ra l , b u t I cou l dno t l eave M ilan w i tho u t see i ng Leonardo da V i nc i i n h i smost i n spi red work . My on ly erra nd to the S. Mar ie de l l e

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306 PICTURES AND roa'

raarrs

a a: a a at: 1 :

The town o f Como,d istan t from M i lan by rai l abou t one

hou r and th ree-quar ters on one o f the mos t beau ti fu l lakesin the north o f I taly , was exto l led by V i rg i l before theb i rth o f Chri s t. Passi ng u p the lake i t i s on e success i onof tran scenden t panoramas . The mounta i n s r ise to aheigh t o f seven thousand feet from the ex t reme marg i n o f

the lake,wh ich is kept constan tly fu l l i n s ummer by the

mel ted snows from the var ious a l t i tudes by wh ich i t i sh emmed i n , and abou nds i n fish . The trou t have none ofthe del i cacy of the A merican o r E ngl i sh fish ; the i mmen ses i ze to wh ich they grow frequently eq ual s ,

twen ty po u nds,

render ing them to ugh and taste less .

I t i s a decl i n i ng man u fact u ri ng town , d usty an d smoky ,where the ind ustr io us i n hab i tan ts are engaged at the s i l kl oo m .

Como is the Newport of M i lan , and ly i ng on both banksof the l ake are the l u x u r i ous res idences of the M i l anesearis toc racy . They look l i ke fa i ry abodes

,sw i ngi ng be

twee n the oli ve heigh ts and azu re m i rror,embowered i n

den sest p i n e and wreath i ng v i nes. The re i s a sp i r i t ual exis tence abou t al l t hese sou thern F rench and I ta l ian town s ;the ai r

,the water, the sky, the stars , the vegeta t ion , and

the flowers are all sacred o r sem i-tropica l . The haml ets o f

the Lake of Como are to me the last express ion of th i sthough t . I t i s an olla pa.d rida of ari stocrat ic v i l las , gardens , v i neyard s , moun ta i n s , and defiles , and seated by it swaters I find mysel f u ncon sc ious ly m u rm u ri ng the word so f Me lu o t te i n the “Lady o f Lyons

,

” when he p ictu resComo to h i s sweetheart as his ea rth ly pa rad ise .

My firs t i mpress ions o f Como left me dest i tu te o f powerto descri be them . I saw the lake first i n the tw i l igh t b itaho f J une, from the iron bal cony o f the Bel le V iew on theweste rn s ide i n the exqu isi te tow n of Cadenabbia. Sai l i ngu p the lake from the d i rty cap i ta l of the prov i nce on acrowded local s teamer

,if you were apt to bel ieve B u l we r ’s

rhapsody o f the i n land wate r supply an i n n ocen t fa lsehood,

his en tranci ng pict u re wou ld be s ubl i mated i n to a subl i mereal i ty upon locati ng at o ne of the many begu i l i ng se tt lements. 1 can eas i ly conce i ve h is exac t emotion s w ri t i ngas I do now i n .the sweet subject ion of th i s transcenden ta c t .pThe lake seems mou n ta i n-bou nd on fou r s ides w i thou t

any v i s i b le ou t l et. The d ay i n M ilan was as hot as A frica ;the eveni ng at Cadcnabbia as m i ld as the close o f an Arnc~

or rouato u TRAVEL. 807

r ican au tu mn day . I t i s l ike a pai n ted pictu re i n a glowi ng me l o drama and so perfect i s i t i n all the m i n u tiae o f

scen i c e ffec t , tha t i t seems to have been rehearsed fo r myspecia l de lec ta t ion . Below me a p icturesq ue pagean t ; th elake l ies as st i l l and waveless as a baby i n i ts earl iest softestsl um be r

,save the start i ng an d flash i ng cars of the ti ny

boats sen t o ut at i n terva l s w i t h thei r gay ly d ressed fre ight .One o f these l i tt l e she l l s has fo r i ts oarsman a beau t i fu lgi rl

,carry i ng ou t her aged , wh i te-hai red mother on the

t ran q u i l water ; another floated from i ts prow the emb lemo f my own dear cou n t ry

,w i th i ts br ight red str i pes and

its spark l i ng sta rs ; another has a company of Eng l i s hpeop le , the women i n t hei r heavy u l sters , the men s u tfo cati ng u nder the Tu rk ish towe l ve i l s wou nd abou t thei r h ats.A m i le across the lake i s a cl u ster of wh i te cot tages

,where

the s tarry l igh ts , com ing o ut o ne by one , and t reb led i n theglassy wate rs o f the l ake

,are touch i ng i n the i r s i len t beau ty

,

wh i le across the o ld h i l ls sou nd the aud i ble th robbi ngs o fd i stan t ch u rch ch imes. I t i s a scene o f pensi ve and soo t hing an d con sol i ng majesty , and i f any i n fluence were neede dto make i t mo re impress i ve i t i s fu rn i shed by the al te rnatechanges o f the moun tai n s as the afternoon sobers i ntoeven i ng , and as the even i ng d arken s i n to n igh t . Fi rst thego lden glow o f the si nk i ng s u n

,then the v io let of the d e

parted god of day and the loom i ng sha dows o f the h i l l s int he water, the n the gray sh roud over the more d i s tan t A l ps ,and fin a l ly n igh t

,w ith i ts ebon vei l , gra dua l ly st udde dw i t h

the same s ta rs that have shon e fo r ten thousand thousandyea t s ; and now noth i ng i s seen except t he flash o f the l igh ti n the bo ats l i ke c r imson and yel low fire-flies danc ing i n thewaves .The hote l i s ev iden t ly an ol d castle. Stone sta i rs

,marble

and mosa ic floo rs, frescoed salon s , and a ma rvel lous ly lovelygarden arou nd i t . U l tra neatness and elegance of sty lepervade the establ i shmen t . A djacen t i s the Villa Carlotta ,now the pro perty of Duke George of Saxe M e i n i ngen

,

fi l led wi th magn i ficen t s tatues by Thorwaldsen and Canova,and adorn ed w i th costly objects o f v ir tu .

To desc r i be Cadenabbia and the V i l l a Carlotta is to pictu re all the ot her hotel s and v i l las bo rder i ng the love lyexpanse of water fo r th i rty m i les . A l l the-l akes of NorthernI ta ly are sou rces o f weal th to the great ci t ies i n thei r ne ighbo rho o d

,an

’

d Magg io re and Lugano have the same pec u l i a rsed uct ions o f atmosphere , colo rs , fo l i age , and arch i tectu re .To these m i n iatu re i n land seas flock the cu l tu re and art

308 rte'ruaas AND Poa

'rau r s

o f all the wo rd ; and I met many o f the Bonanza k i ngs ofmy o wn cou nt ry i n the t ra i n s and boats trave l l i ng i n th i slove ly region . A l l the s hores o f th ese m i rro red waters aregemmed w i th the places o f t i tl e d and u n t i tled m i l l iona i res

,

and th ese are so beau t i fu l and so fin i shed , th at if natu rew ere no t he rsel f sti l l more so

,one wou l d take the who l e

pano rama for a pai n ted and pol i shed me da l l io n ; bu t as i tis,though man excel s h i mse l f i n h i s i n ven tions and h i s

expend i tu res,God i s the rea l maste r

,becau se H i s works

are no t on ly more lovely,bu t mo re lasti ng.

L E T T E R L X I .

T was late—the sun had almost shoneHis last and best, when I ran on.

A nxious to reach that splend id v iewBe fo re the daybeams quite wi thd rew'Twas at th is i nstant—whi le there glowedThis las t, i n tensest g leam o f l igh t

Sudden ly , thro ugh the openi ng road ,The val ley burst upon my sight l

That g lorious val ley , wi th its lake,And A lps on Alps in clusters swe l l i ng

Mi rhty and pure and fit to makehe ramparts o f a Godhead ‘

s dwel l i ng lTen Moons .

GENE VA, June, 1878.

THE ride from M i l an to Turi n,the capi ta l of P iedmo n t

,

i s th rough an exqu i s i te territo ry of ri ce p lan tat ions , whe rethe fresh be ry l st i l etto-shaped l eaf r i ses l ike a world o f

m i n i atu re ch u rch spi res above its bed o f water—the A lpi nest reams that are t u rned th rough the fiel ds to i r rigate andflood them . I enjoyed the beaut i fu l vegetab l e more i n th efields than I d id on the tab l e

,where i t appeared i n every

d i sgu i se.There are many h i stor i cal mon umen ts and memor ies by

the way, as Piedmon t seems to have been the des t i ned a ren aof warl i ke act ion, and the focus of the strugg les of thenation w it h a lmos t every power and i n every epo ch . Bu t

these even ts appear to l ose prestige i n s igh t o f the love lymaize and r ice o f the plai n s , and the v i nes and co co o uerie s

o f the h i l l s , g uarded by the u ncou th c ruc ifixes and hea then

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3 10 Ptcr uass AND Poar aarrs

o f i n terest The re was a l ong success ion o f tu n nel s,w i th

here an d there a gl impse o f w i ld,rugged landscape from

the start. The Val ley of the Dora l ay sweetly peacefu lamongs t i ts v i n e-clad h i l l s

,over-frowned by i ts lofty mou n

tai n s , where the goats and don keys were sk ipp i ng the c ragsand t rudgi ng the rugged h i l l s .A t the l i tt le v i l l age o f Bardonchia the ascen t of the ter

ri ble heigh t o f the A lps began . I t was over these h i thertoi naccessi ble mou n ta i n ranges that Napol eon seven ty yea rsago carri ed h i s arm ies and pou red them down i n to the.p lai ns o f Pied mont and Lombardy , t h us mak i ng h imse l fmas ter o f al l l taly ;—these al t i t udes , th rough wh ich I was t openetrate i n a few minutes

,aided by the m igh ty mode rn work

by wh ich these u nattai nabl e he igh ts are pierced . H igherand st i l l h igher we moun ted

,sometimes sk imm i ng along

the sharp ledge of a spu r o f rock ,then bangi ng u pon a

th read of stra igh t obl iq ue g ran i te , and agai n perche d u ponw hat seemed the cu lm i nati ng pi n nacle o f the st u pendou srange , wh i le , beyond , sw i ft moun tai n streams wound thei rwaters l ike sat i n ri bbons abou t the gray rocks. A t myside foam ing torren ts gushed an d leaped l i ke angry mo u

s ters,carry i ng every th i ng i n the i r cou rse ; the l i ttl e wh i te

c i t ies of t he plaiu s'

sceming toy towns from the ai ry he igh t ,wh i l e beneath

,great chasms yawned

,bl ack and bottom less

as ete rn i ty .

The experien ce o f passing th rough the tu n nel was n ewand unexpected . The former t u n nel s had been close ,no i some

,and dark

,and i n th i s most form idab le of a l l I

an tic i pated awfu l poss i bi l i t i es ; a col l i s ion , a cav i ng i n o f

roof,perhaps su ffocation . B u t th i s a lmost supernat urit l

construction,eigh t m i les l ong, was so l igh t and wel l ven

t ilated that the atmosphe re was as pu re as the a i r of al ady ’s boudoi r. G reat w i ndows were eat he re and therei n the rocks, and l arge lan te rns cast a pleasan t glowth rough the long cave rn . We entered from the so u th ,4 163 feet above sea level , and mai n ta i n ed th is heigh t u n t i lwe grad ual ly descended on the righ t at a level o f 3802 , sothat ou r mean ave rage was 40 93 feet be low the s u rface ofthe mou n ta i n . The amaz i ng featu re of t h is wonderfu l excavatio n i s t he adm i rable manner i n w h ich i t i s lig thed ,

ven t i l ated , and d ra i ned . The enginee rs s tart ed at opposi te s ides

,aud so acc u rate was the i r su rvey that the work

men w i th the i r d iamo nd ~

po inted d ri l l met pl umb i n the

m idd l e. I t was the i nsp i rat ion of gen i us defy i ng time andnatu re .

or rosmo u raavm . 3 1 1

I mmed ia te ly upon emergi ng from the hea rt of th e eterna lA l ps we hal ted at Modane , the fro n t ier town betwee n I ta lyand France, to subm i t to th e an noy i ng exam i nat ion ofpas sports. Perhaps those who rave agai n s t ou r coun tryhave no t con s idered al l these uu eccessary vexat ion s abroad .

Whi le between ou r respect i ve Sta tes we are one peopl efrom zone to zone

,and may travel from the A t l ant ic shore

to th e Paci fic s lope w ithou t q uestion o r stoppage by govcramen t official or change o f coi n ; here there are omc ialcustoms and sen ti nel s at every fron t ier

,and as many co i n s

o r cu rrency as d ia lects .Now we were i n France again , and Gal l i c clean l i ness , sanc

tifying con ven t , and castle ba t t le-men ts were m ingled w i ththe w i ld sub l im i ty of A l pi ne scenery

,l u x u rious v i neyard s ,

and fas h ion ab l e reso r ts,s uch as A i x les Ba i n s ; and the

azu re crysta l lake , a l ong the bo rd e r o f wh ich the t ra i nrushed rapid ly fo r twe l ve m i les , fo l low i ng the b l ue flow o f

the plac id water. A short , heaven ly ride in Fia nce ; t hen,y ield i ng to another fron t ie r pause , we we re wh isked i n toSwi tzerl and , the o ld cu riosi ty s lmp o f the A lmigh ty C reato r. A bou t fi fty m i les o ff lay Geneva, ch ief of the repu bl ic,ci ty o f Joh n Cal v i n

,Rou sseau

,and Vol ta i re , whose env i

ron s a re memorable fo r many i n teresti ng sou ven i rs . A swe approached

,i n the sweet

,odorous su nset o f J u ne

,I had

my fi rst g l impse of M o nt Blanc . The fad i ng beams of thesu n gave to the d i stan t SHOW llefi k S fi rst a glow i ng p i nk

,mel

lowi ng i n to a deep v iolet, and fi na l ly soberi ng i n to gray .

Na t u re ’s my ste rio us mach i nery was profou nd ly touch i ngby i ts awfu l man i festation s.

‘

1 fou nd Geneva i n a g low o f preparat ion fo r th e celebrat i on o f the cen tenary o f the death o f i ts great social re

fo rme r,

.1ean Jacques Rousseau . The ci ty was i n a regal i aof flag s o f the nat ions ; wreat hs were s uspended from s treetto st reet , and t ri um pha l arches i n every sq uare ; su rgi ngcrowds hus tled each other i n the h igh ways and on the

quays. The pagean t , wh ich I v i ewed from my window onSunday , was conspicuou s on ly fo r the absence o f m i l i ta ryof any descri p t ion ; a few o f the hands we re good

, bu t thel o ng parade of trudging c i ti zen s was monotonous. Th reedays were devo ted to the fest i v al

,and ev i den tly the who le

popu l at ion joi ned i n the demonstrat ion . Roussea u hadnone o f the gen i us o r cou rage o f Vol tai re

,ne i ther was h e a

republ ican l ik e the sage o f Ferney ; but what reeked thepeople o f Geneva

,so they co u ld e xtract a fro l ic from the

memo ry o f the man who was bo rn in the i r tow n the greate r

3 12 Plc'

ruas s AND Poa'

raan s

part o f tw o cen tu ri es ago ? What d id they k now of h i m ?

A s l i ttle as they cared . The first day of jo l l i ty the townswam i n a sea o f glo ry—speeches

,cannons

,mus ic

,and

every th i ng that was wi ld and exci t i ng, noth i ng real ly c lass ic o r good . The women danced q uad ril les an d wa l tzesi n the st reets to pub l ic m us i c

,and the cou n try dames stru t

ted i n the l i n e w i th the men , wh i le at n igh t there was atolerabl e i l l um i n ation of the c i ty ; the vari ed co lors o f thel igh ts

,red , green , bl ue , and yel low , i n l ong rows u pon the

b ridge,and sh i n i ng from the boats u pon the lake , con tr i ved

to make a dazzl i ng spectacl e . Before m id n igh t a pandemonium o f d ru nken Sw iss choruses began that con t i n uedt i l l nex t morn i ng , and , as I lay i n my d ist u rbed dem i-s l umhe r, I though t o f the i r inev i tab l e retri bu t ion for th i s foo l i shd issi pation

,and then marve l led how many o f these w i l d

bacchautes though t o f J ean J acques Roussea u .

I fear the good Swi tzers a re not as g racefu l and successfu l i n art as the vo lat i l e French . Geneva , as a rule , Ishou ld say

,was a qu i e t town o f man u fac tori es—a town o f

m u s i cal-boxes and watches. These greet us at every co rnerand w i ndow , and deman d atten tion . I t has many of theF rench and I ta l i an characteri s t i cs o f a rch i tect u re an dtopography

,very l i tt le o f the pu re ly Sw iss ; even the

market-women speak good French . There are many finehote l s and cafes

,rows o f n ob le shops , and broad st reets ,

bu t the ch ief i n teres t o f the Swiss capi tal l ies, no t i n thec i ty , bu t i n i ts s u rrou nd ings—i ts odorou s ways ide path sand w i lderi ng waters .On an em i nence a few m i l es from the ci ty I l ooked

dow n upon a lovely freak o f n atu re ,—the mar riage o f thebl ue , arrowy Rhone and th e gray

,ashen A rve. The c i ty

i t sel f lay mapped out before me,a love ly queen seated i n a

l ap o f bills , crown ed w i th her snowy d iadem of Mon t Blan e ,wh i le al l arou nd was green and peacefu l . A t the end o f

the lake the two streams m i ngl e and flow o n i n one cou rse,

sleep i n t he same bed , and yet each p reserv i ng its ow npecu l i a r colo r and cha racte r fo r many m i l es. I had w it

n eesed the amalgamation of other grea t streams w here theyblen t natu ral ly i n to one

,but he re t he u nex pl ai ned ph e

nemenou of two great tr i bu tar i es o f the ocean , flow i ng fromthe same moun ta i n sou rces , jo i n i ng , yet forci b ly two cu rren ts , set me to moral i z i ng and mak i ng personal appl icat ion s. I t was noth i ng mo re than a sym bol of the ma rr i ageo f man

,where bod ies , no t soul s , are u n i ted . A l i ttl e v i l lage

occup ied the de l ta of land between the two waters,w he re

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3 14 PICTURES AND Poa'

raarrs

w i th gol d embroidery , and a gaudy scarf careless ly th rownover her shou lde rs ; i n he r hand she bears the i nev i tab l eand s i gn ifican t myr t le spr ig. There are vari ous o the rmodel s o f her scattered th rough the apartments , i n cu riou s

g u i ses and character ; th i s brigh t conste l lation o f i n tel l ec th ad the fatal v i ce o f he r sex

,van i ty . Her h usband and

son hang side by s ide ; the fi rs t, though a man o f rank , wasa l lowe d to figu re very l i tt le in her des t i ny . Her daughte r

,

afte rwar d the D uchess de Brogl ie, was a su perb ly bea ut i fu l woman

,as shown by her s tatuette and po rtra i t . The

l ib ra ry,con ta i n i ng few o f t he o l d books

,i s i n te res t i ng on

accou n t o f i ts associations,and the po rtra i ts of he rse l f as

Cori n ne ; Raphae l , a copy of the o rig i na l pa i n ted by h i mse l f; J enn Jacq ues Rou sseau . and the German poet S c hlegc l,who ac ted as her good fri end , adv iser, and precepto r o f he rch i ld ren . A djo i n i ng her l i b rary was her chamber. The

wa l l s were upho l stered i n t he o ld tapestries embro i de redfo r her i n her t i me. Her hed

,desk

,and other fu rn i tu re are

used by the presen t d uches s when she comes from Paris tothe lovely Sw iss ham le t on t he northern bank of LakeLeman .

How many t imes have these ancest ral hal l s spark l edw ith the w i t and beau ty of the eigh tee n t h cen tu ry ! Howmany o f l i fe ’s romances and traged ies have been enacted inspo rt and real i ty

,no l i v i ng tongue can re l ate ! How many

t i mes has the beau t i fu l Recam ier swayed i n the poet ry o fmo t ion i n these sa lons ! How many t imes have th e vo iceso f Constan t , Ta l ley rand , and Sch lege l v i brated i n th i s ret reat ! ll ow many times h ave the powerfu l oratory an dda z z l i ng energies of th is woman tu rned to tea rs and moan si n these very bal l s !The beauti fu l bo rde rs o f the l ake , and the sweet shady

roa ds that i n te rsect the neighborhood a re punctuated by hist o rical Ch ateaux and baron i a l es ta tes. Far more i n te res ti ng to me was Ferney , the home o f the cyn ic Vo l ta i re , t ha nNyon , where the celebrated adhe ren ts o f Napol eon I fou n da refuge

,and the chateau formerly the prope rty o f Josep h

Bonaparte , and that be long i ng to Pr i nce Jerome Napol eon .

Th rough a br id le-path , where the w reath i ng v i nes o f Fran cebordered ou r left, wh i le the golden grai n o f Sw i tzerl an dwaved on o ur righ t

,we found Ferney , a v i l lage on the

Sw iss fron tier, i n French te rri tory ; a beau ti fu l h am let fu l lo f French habi ts

,and al though on ly d i vo rced from its

Sw iss consort by a narrow bar of h ighway,marked by all

t he Gal l ic pecu l iari t ies.

o r res ale s m a v en. 3 15

Need I say Vol ta i re was a rad i cal , an ex treme repub l ican ,a no nc o n fo rm ist, a deis t, a free th i nker, and a specia l frien do f Wash i ngton and Frank l i n ? On the 30 th o f May h ewas dead o ne hu nd red years. and the L i beral s o f the Cont inent rose to do h im honor

,to the u tte r d i sgust o f th e

Cathol i cs . Bes ides,to worsh i p h i m was to protest agai n st

Rou sseauThe grou nds of the m vo u t

’a estate are prese rved i n al l

the i r origi n al beau ty . Rose v i nes clamber over arbors andform fai ry ret reats , sepa rated from vast parter res o f gaudyflowers

,plan ted in symbol ic dev ices , by wello ro lled grave l

wal ks. Voltai re ’s famous arched bower i s a masterwork ofbo tan ica l art

,where the everg reen s i n terl ace. and fo rm a

canopy roo f,wh i le at i n te rva l s w i ndows a re cut i n the wal l s

o f fol iage to adm i t the l igh t to th i s st range man’s l oved

sn ugge ry. The rooms shown to v i s i tors face a nob l e te rrace , wh i le there i s an i mmed i ate pl atea u o f smal l flowersand bo x edgi ng. Away o tf l i es the ci ty of Geneva , thefros ted-s i l ver peak o f Mon t B lanc

,and a c i rcular range of

r ude h i l l s .Rooms bu rdened w i th luxu ries, st i l l th e re was the same

wei rd,myster iou s spi r i t pe rvad i ng them that al ways was

the grotesque express ion of h i s featu res and l i fe. In the

fi rst a pa rtmen t was the facs i m i l e of h i s mausol eum , fi ne lyexecu ted , a spect ral ornamen t ; al so a colossa l b ron ze busto f h i msel f

,w i th keen French face

,and the wal l s were rich

w i th the origi na l s of em i nen t art i sts. In h is chambe r were

gathe red his l i terary favori tes and con temporaries . O verhis bed w i th i n shadow o f the cu rta i ns

,was a fi ne head of

LeKain, the ce lebrated actor. A bove th e man tel h u ng alarge.allego rieal subject by D u Reissy, o fMelpomene—museof Tragedy—le ad i ng Vol ta i re from the temple o f Fame toprese n t h im to A po l lo . A t the base Human i ty , Liberty ,a l l the v i rtues and graces pa id cou rt to the i l l u s t riou sFrench poet. wh i le s t i l l lower Ty ran ny , I

’riestc raft , Bigot ry ,

and Hypocr isy were fly i ng in te rror before h i s scath i n g denunc iat io ns. Repu b l ican th ough he was

,Cat hari ne o f

R uss i a and Frederick o f Pruss i a were h is nea rest friends ,whose pictu res are hangi ng above h i s bed

,presen ted by

th emse lves . But greater powers than k i ngs o r queen s weret he re

,—Wash i ngton presen ted by Lafayette

,Frank l in

pai n ted i n Par i s , I saac Newton , M i l ton , Raci n e, D’Alem ‘

be rt,Diderot

,and an embroide ry execu ted by the honora ry

maids of Queen Cathari ne,an d presen ted by her. O n the

s ide of the wal l oppos ite the doo r h ung a proo f engrav i ng

3 16 PICTURES A ND PORTRAI TS

o f the coronat ion o f Vol ta i re i n the Theatre F ranca i se ,

March 3oth, 1778 , upon the occasion of the prod uction o fone of h i s i mmortal traged ies . I m ust not be u nde rstoodas speak ing o f h i s rel igion

,wh i ch was dou btfu l , nor o f h i s

v i rtues wh ich were d isp u ted ; I on ly recal l h is eccen tr i cand dazz l ing gen i us .

L E T T E R L X I I .

I lmd a dream. which was no t al l a d ream .

0 i Q b Q Q

And dreams in thei r deve lopment have breath ,And tears , and to rtures, and the to uch o f joyThey leave a weigh t upon our waking thoughts,They take a weight from ofl

' our waking to i ls,They do d i vide o ur bei ng ; they becomeA port ion o f ourse lves as o f our time,And look l ike heralds of etern i ty .

”

Brnos .

Lausaxms, Ju ly, 1878 .

NATURE makes amend s to Sw i tzerlan d fo r the s te rnsever i ty o f her w i n ters by the magn i ficen t lakes wh i ch shesets l i ke so many emeralds among her l ux u ri an t and gigant ic mou n ta i n s and mysterio u s glac iers. With these word su pon my l i ps I stepped u pon the deck of the clean an dg racefu l steamer Mo nt Blanc that was to carry me fromGeneva over the p lac id wate rs of Leman . I t h i nk that waslast week , but i t seems ages ago ; i n the i n te rva l I have hada stran ge d ream that appea red to cover cen tu ries .The day was perfect ; perhaps s l igh tly cool for the season ,

bu t so bri l l i an tly transpa ren t that l i fe was a l ux u ry w i th .

t he doubl e attract ion s of earth and sky. I was j ust as

keen ly sens ible o f al l these beau ties as I h ad ever been ,and when the u nexpl ai ned lethargy overtook me, and I fe l las l eep , I remember a l i tt l e p ranci ng greyhou n d at my sid e ,and i ts e longated shadow reflected i n the sun sh i ne on thequay . My d ream was not a fancy where al l i s del ici ou sl yi ncoheren t ; nor a fi ne fren z y , where al l i s w i ld ly romantic ;neither was i t one o f those fl i msy somnatnbu listic vagar iesw he re sco res of i nciden t s and objects are t h rust ou t o fs igh t—even the most attract i ve—to make place for eq ual ly

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3 18 rxcr uans ann Poarau'

rs

flec ted i n th i s o dd az u re cave over wh ich I so a red , u n t i lt hey appeared sou nd i ng the very depths w ith th ei r m ig h tyshadows. The heaven above and the water below we re ofa shade so marve l l ou sly h armon iou s that I wondered fromw hich each had bor rowed i ts beau ty . To add awe to th isen raptu r i ng pictu re there was i n the fa r backgrou nd ac ha i n o f snow -wh i te moun ta i ns , and one peak loomed l i kea mammo th iceberg, far above i ts compeers . Everybody ’satten tion was attracted to i t, and i n my d ream I v iewed i tth rough a lo rgnette . There he stood

,the hoary mona rch ,

w rapped i n the u n w rin k led folds o f h i s snowy man tl e.Sa id I

,i s th i s the gia n t of the bills , o r the ev i l gen i i o f the

s pot ? So majes t ical ly col d and despotic d id he look , t ha tI tu rned from h im w i th a chi l l i ng sad nes s, fo r as l gaz ed Itraced upo n the g lacie r

’s po l i s hed h ips phan tom ske le ton s ,

gri n n i ng sk u l l s,and ghost ly forms o f mortal s who had

been sh rouded i n the fo l d s o f the icy d rapery . In th e i rspectral band s they he ld sc ro l l s whereon were wri tte n inw i erd characte rs and ta les o f w idowed w ives and fathe rlesso rphan s

,an d others bore ex ti ngu is hed torches of you t h fu l

am b i t ion ; horr i ble ch asms yawned grim and frigid,and i n

the i r depths I seemed to see a mass o f fleshless bones,

broken ladders , and tangle d ropes, chas te ued by the hoa rfros t i n to a plai t i ng o f s i lver. Thes e were the remai n s o fph i l osophers and scien t i sts who had sough t to pl uck ou tthe secrets of th i s mys te ri ou s creati on fo r inte l l ectua l advancement ; of asp i r i ng you ng women who h ad an i n fi rm i tyfo r l ofty ad vent u re ; of foo l hardy trave l le rs and over-tr u s t.fu l gu ides. I t was begu i l i n g

,and at the same t ime fo rbid

d i ng, aud I tu rned from it w i th a sh i ver o f awe ; yet I wastempted to look and l ook agai n , and as I passed on I sawo n one s i de

,eng raven i n let te ts fie rcely v i si ble by thei r

u l tra wh i teness and ston i ness u pon th e ghast ly en tablatu re,

His Inclement Maj esty, Mont Blane .

”

We were no t the on ly occu pan ts of th i s beau ti fu l l ake ;other boats s teamed by , l aden w it h passengers , tra i l i n g agreat col um n of gray smoke after them ; l i t tl e skitfs ho lding one or two gl ided by rattl i ng the water w i t h the i r oa rs ,and ti ny sai l s started ou t from the shore l ike spot lessdoves fan n i ng w i th the i r w i ngs the wave tops .On and on we sk immed ; chaste b ridal towns sm i l ed up

on u s from eve ry s ide , anc ien t and modern poets ’ n ameswe re wri tten u pon each h i l l

,and as I leaned over the ta tf

ra i l I saw d o wnj n th e m i rro red waves the i mages of th os ewho, th rough the i n sp i ra t ion o f these same scenes in the

o r roasma TRAVEL. 3 19

peri shed yea rs . have left u s th e i r records u pon can vas and

parchmen t. We paused at town s that seemed to l i e a longt he l ake borde r and closed i n by an amph i theatre o f roc ksp i led one on the other to an i mmen se he igh t. Somet imesa long handso me pier ex tended far ou t i n to the lake tow h ich the boat moo red , and again we cou rsed up to thevery moun tai n s ide and ancho red by a fl igh t of stone stepsc u t i n the roc ks

,wh ich led to the hote l t hat seemed to

hang to ste ri l e crags and j u tt i ng el bows ; fai ry pav i l ion ssta nd i ng i so l ated from the mai n lan d o n sp u rs of rockwere i n impress i ve con tras t w i th the form idable towerspe rched o n lofty al ti t udes

,by wh ich they were overlooked .

A t length,after mak i ng many i nsign ifican t pauses , we

stopped at a,l i ve to wn ; the A l pi ne streets we re fi l led w it h

peop le,bu t th ey al l seemed hol iday peopl e ; the re were no

signs of o ccu pation , and no pro le ta ires t read i ng the pat hs ;they were al l we l l-d ressed

,wel l fed , and fat-pocketed plea s

u re-seekers,wou l d-be i n va l i ds fan ned i n to comparati ve

v i ta l i ty by the sal ub r ious airs and congen i a l sk ies , andpictu resque rowers . On a gre at board su spended over thepier gate I read “Duchy

,

"and th i s I heard them say was

the l ake-port to Lausan ne,w h ich lay over a m i le fart her

u p i n the mou n tai n s.We steamed o ff agai n , and pass i ng exqu i s i te hamlets

whe re ti t led v i l las fr i nged the lake I saw ol d and fam i l ia rfaces and forms at each and every stoppage. They werenot al l people I ha d known , bu t many on ly the l i fe copiesof wel l-remembered pictu res ; each seemed to have someimportan t story i n con nect ion w i th h i s appearance. French ,Engl i sh , German , A ustri an , and Belgian nobi l i ty , men o fwea l th

,and men o f l ette rs h ad sough t these sy l van retreats

as h aven s of rest or safety . The Bonapartes were all

there , from the “L ittl e Corpo ral ” to the young Pr i nceImper ial , and i n my d ream , i t d id no t seem strange thatthe exi le o f St . Helena shou l d be promenad i ng w i th t hedeth roned Empress E ugen ie

,nor that I s hou ld pass Mad

ame de Stael and Rousseau w i th i n the same hou r. A l lthe ce lebr i t i es of the O ld Wo r l d seemed c l uste red abou tthes e enchan t i ng spots . By ron fo l lowe d me pers i sten t lyl ike some elfin sp ri te. The others I saw and lost agai n tomeet strange faces as I d i d thei r scen ic su rround i ngs , bu tbefo re

,beh i nd , above , below , and i n terweav i ng al l e l se, was

that perpetual ly recu rring poe t ’s face and name. I t madeof my d ream a horr i b l e n igh tmare by i ts cons tan t pu rsu i tan d my fru i t less e tfo rts to escape i t . The rocks were

320 PICTURES AND Poaraarrs

gi rd led by the famous n ame ; on the bl ue cap i ta l s o fheaven the m i n st re l ’s face was meda l l ioned ; as the wave sbroke under ou r keel a h u nd red i mages shone i n t he edd i es ,bi rds l i sped h i s verses i n the i r song

,and ' the waters mu r

m u red h i s words , wh i le he h im sel f,I though t

,appeared in

every to wn fol l ow i ng and po i n ti ng to his own glory . Heseemed defraud ing Roussea u o f h is l i tt le woo d at C la ren s ,Vo l ta i re of h i s resi dence at Ferney

,and Madame de Stae l

o f Coppet.We stopped at a pl ace ca l l ed Vevey . Th i s

,I saw , was a

fash ionable s ummer resor t by the ho st of fioun ced an dr i bboned lad ies

,—Americans too , I cou ld see by the i r de l i

cate beau ty,and was s u re o f i t w hen I heard one o f my

fel low-travel lers excla im,

“What s ty l i sh young girls l” I

can not say why,but even i n my s leep I too k th i s ph rase as

a persona l offence,as I knew “sty l i sh w as on ly appl ied

to my cou n trywomen by foreigners , and then I vague lyd readed hear i ng voices pi tc hed in the h ighest and th i nnes tregi ste r (lo st out from the shore where the bevy o f cri s p.

rufilcd l ad ies were cl uster i ng. I ndeed , i t seemed as if Iwere transported to Cape May or Long Branch ; sti l l , therewas a m i ngl i ng o f fore ign elemen ts t ha t made i t cosmopol i tan

,i n the s lender fly i ng flags , and the great s igns o f

“hotel ” and “p ension , and the we l l-d ri l l ed wai te rs

,wi th

here and there scattered ove r t he s l o pi ng sward an i n validE ngl i sh matron or a langu ish ing Rus s ian cou n tes s si len t lyignori n g the noncbalent Americans. ' As we paused here Itho ugh t I saw the danci ng can i ne o f the French fam i ly

,

after s l id i ng ou t o f the laps of the l ad i es and caperingabou t the knees o f the gen tlemen w i th care less grace , gleefu l ly sk i p on shore , bel iev i ng we were to l ose ou r companion s

,I fou nd to my d ism ay h i s owners on board as th e

boat backed i n to the wate r, wh i le the poor l i tt l e I ta l ia ndog stood mou rn fu l ly meas u r i ng the d i s ta nce between thew harf and the reced ing steamer. When the French fam i lyd iscove red the melancho ly fugi ti ve , the dowager was

frozen i nto d ign i fied and majest ic s u rpri se , the you ng husband o f her daugh ter was tran sfixed w i th amazemen t ,wh i le h i s gen tlemen fr iends gave ven t to sh r ieks o f l a ugh te r

,

and last of al l the su ppress ed anger of the you ng w i fe , asshe flashed rebukes u pon he r cu l pr i t h usband fo r neg l ectingher pet, and fas tened her i n d ignan t sta re u pon the lou dmerri men t of her o wn friends , wh i le d i sappearing i n thed i s tance was the so l i tary form and p i teous face of thetruan t quad ruped .

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322 moron s AND PERM ITS

h u ng from the corners o f the eaves ; li t tle, dingy , W , “

w i ndows I saw too, h ere and there in the old stony fo rtreg s'

I t i nspi red me w i th sorrow, and I t u rned from i t wi th

my h uman sympath ies well i ng i n my so ul. E ven t his love,'

°l

region then was no t free from sor row and shame l I v eg ”

i n to the ho te l, and they told me there i t was a p rison ; thtv flmy heart san k and the worl d seemed da rker, and na tu r’ I

t hat h ad on ly a moment before been th ro bb i n g w i th t 3 "

raptu re of beau ty, was s tr i pped o f he r g lor iou s p l u mes.i nq u i red w ho langu i sh ed in th e l i v i n g tomb, bu t the.seemed none to te l l the story ; then I wonde red how loir 'I m igh t rema i n at th i s halcyon spo t

,for even i n my d ream

I had a vague d read of some u nseen and unc o nt ro llah‘

power i n terru pt ing my happi ness.The hotel had spaciou s apartments , bu t the la r der mug

have been scan ty , for I remem be r a gnaw i ng h unge r teariu;at me that seemed i nsatiab l e

,not because I wa s s uch a

prod igi o u s gastronome, but because there was abso l u te ly'

, 5noth i ng to eat . N igh t lowe re d h er sab le pail, and st i l lsu fferi ng from an u nappeased des i re I seemed to s l eep ; the :a horr ib l e phan tom car ried me to a banquet-h al l wheta “

tab les,bu rdened w i th del icac ies maddened me w i th thei.

i n v i t i ng aroma , and i nc reased my ravenous appeti te—9Somet i mes great bow l s o f terrap i n , pyram ids o f croq uettes , e

rav i sh i ng salads, pate de

-fois-gras , cav ia re , or ba rbec ued f’

rob i n s tempted me , and as I was abou t to prop i t ia te my‘ 1

persi s ten t enemy by one o f these, they mag i ca l l y d isappeared ; t hen l usc iou s fru i t, for wh ic h I reached , recede dfrom my grasp

,and as I fo l l owed the dece i ver i t e ver kept

nea r enough to begu i l e me and far enough to escape ; lasto f all I saw a bottl e o f champagne , from whi ch t he co rkseemed to be r i si ng spon taneous ly ; Here , sa i d I , “ ist he u nk nown power to al l ev iate my snfi

’

ering,”and pu rs

i n g my l i ps for the l i fe-gi v i ng d raught , I h eard the w i neflowi ng to the ground

,and I thought I awakened w i t h

frenzy at my heart.The enervat ion of h u nger and lethargy was u po n m e

,

yet I had an imagi nary recol l ect ion o f a grim towe r theycal led pr i son . I t was day aga i n

,bu t vei ls o f m is t hu ng

o ver J u ra ’s heigh ts , and the water was black and fo rebod i n g.

I looked o u t u po n al l th i s from my wi ndow , then wen t dow nto fol low the rugged A l pi ne path to the fort res s . I t was

o r w anton TRAVEL. 3 33

great waste o f wate rs,where even the b i rd s ch i rped notes

o f sor row , and the waves heaved me lancho ly s ighs fo r thela ngu ish i ng v ict i ms—before c ross i ng the c rude bridge , t heso l i tary l i nk between the lakeo bo und rock and the ma i n land .

‘l‘

he re were othe r s t rangers th e re pay i ng thei r francs to thecas te l l an , and buy i ng neat l i ttle pa i n t i ngs of the h ist orie dprec i nc ts from the arti s t at t he door.I was u s he red th rough a d i rty cou rtyard , where rats and

m ice and m i scel l aneous verm i n m igh t gambol ad Isl/6mm.

Dungeons,I saw

,where h uman sl aves h ad per ished and

h uman wo l ves had left the i r inefl'

ac eable footpri n ts ; hal l swhe re pri nces o f Savoy had l odged , sti l l h ung w i th armo ro f departed ch ieftai ns ; arsen a ls of arti l l ery ; hal l s o f j u st ic s and co l umned and arched d i n i ng-cham be rs . At las t Icame to the s ub terranean balls that a re exca vated from theroc k . far down u nder the wal l s o f the strongho ld , and yetabove the su rface of the stream ; l ong narrow w i ndowswere cu t t h rough the gran i te that reflected the l igh t u ponthe wate r bac k u pon the roof, mak i ng an etherea l gl amou rt h rough the d ungeon s ; l i t tle dark ho les i n te rst iced theseveral apartmen ts where

,they wh is pe red , prisoners had

been exec u ted . I n the last o f these d i smal chambers Isaw the fo rm o f a man perched u pon a footho l d i n therocky wal l and peeri ng th rough the grated loopho l e. Heturned , when I en tered , and com ing forward i n a mys te rio us man ne r to ok my hand and said

,

“D o no t fear. I amon ly a pr isoner now

,by sel f-intposed fetters. I h ave grow n

to love bondage.” I was no t frigh tened , i n m y d ream ,at

be i ng so fami l i arly greeted by a détenu , bu t I looked u pand saw a man gray , stooped and wea ry , bu t not w i th age ,and re tai n i ng al l the remai n s of s t rong phys i cal beau ty .

He spoke to me i n a nebu lo u s tone i n consonance w i th ou rsu rro u nd i ngs , and said , Come !” I fo l l owed h im and hecond u cted me to a smal l d a rk room on the grou nd doo r.I t con ta i ned two other occu pan ts—con v ict and escort ; atrap o f pl anks fixed to the floo r by i ron h i nges was l i fted

,

and my new ci cerone gave me t he cue to l ook, but not to ventu re near the gap ; I saw a few steps l ike the begi nn i ng ofa con tracted obl iq ue sta i rway , all el se was l os t i n i n ten seobsc u ri ty . I sa id noth i ng

,bu t s tepped back overawed

,

i magi n i n g these steps to lea d to a deepseated d ungeon ;then the condemned wa lked fo rward

,and as he took h i s fi rs t

descend i ng st ep a su pe rnatu ra l bush seemed to perva de theha l l . We al l stood breath less

,and , i n my d ream,

I fe l t asif a heavy weigh t was press i ng u pon my breas t ; another

324 PICTURES AND pos rau'

rs

h e took , then a l l was st i l l as death a pl u nge, a sp l ash ofwaves , and I k new a bu rdened sou l was be i ng ca rried o u tto i ts submari ne g rave t h rough the abyss. A s my gu ideled me away he on ly sa id N i nety feet deep bu t I u nd e rstood . He cond ucted me ba ck to the ha l l of seven pi l la rs ;he po i n ted to the fi fth , wi th i ts canke ri ng, c langi ng ri ngand chain , say i ng,

“Here my ances to r,the brave k n igh t~

erran t Bonivard , langu ished then to the th i rd , whe re Isaw the name By ron , and my eye caugh t sti l l othe r nam es—Engéne S ue and V icto r H ugo—that I had a myst ic re

membrance were fi l l i ng the earth w i th gl ory . H e told meh i s ped igree and the sufferi ngs o f h i s ancestors fo r nat iona ll iberty

,and the t r i umph s of the pr ior of Sa i n t V ictor mo re

than th ree cent u ries ago for th e abatement o f papa l ty ran nyand ecc les iast ica l degradation

,and added . The re shou ld

be no s laves o f rel igion o r government.” No ! I shoo k my

head d isma l ly ; t h i nk i ng we were all vassals to some mysterio us au tho rity .

I do not k now how many hou rs elapsed,but we wa lked

back th rough the v i stas o f t ime and seemed to see all the

episodes and characters tha t fi l led these h is torica l ba l l sw i th fame.He sa id , Before yo u l eave me I must te l l yo u that I am

he of w hom the poet speak s

My hai r is gray, but no t w i th years,N or grew it w h i te

I rai sed my hand w ith an expostu latory motion . “Oh,m e rcy !” I cried ; " spare me

,a l low me to go i n peac e ;

that i nev i table fame and face and fo rm have been pu rsu i ngand preced ing me for days .” “But

,

” he i ns isted , “yo um ust bear, fo r i t i s the m u s i c of his me l o dy and the ha l oo f h is gen i u s that have g l orified th is charnelhonse ; theromance o f poetry has supp lanted sober hi sto ry . Un ti l hepou red the l igh t of h is i n te l lect u pon th is pr i son , LakeLeman was comparatively u nknown ; his poem has gi ve ni t a price l ess value , and l ike t he fabled m usic o f the nymph satt racts thousands of strangers to the i s land . Now

,

"

sa id be ,“i t occu rs to me that By ron ’s posteri ty sho u ld

have a l egal cla i m to the roya l ty , j ust as playwrigh ts o rpatentees have thei r pou ndage . o rou r thou sands of v i s itors they a l l leave a subst ant ia l token ; now i f th i s i s notto prove a portion of the i ncome of his descend ants i tsho u ld at l eas t be devoted to a mon ument to h i s memo ry .

Bu t w hat vo ice ha ve I ? ” he con t in ued ;“ I

,who am o nly a

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326 PICTURES AND poa'

rnarrs

I sat wr it i ng i n the garden where the great E ngl i sh h i sto rian , G ibbon , wro te the conclud i ng port ion of h is po nderons book , The D ecline and Fall of the Roman Empi re ,n inety-one yea rs ago. The Hote l G ibbon deserves a g l o r io ne name, for i t i s a gem o f i ts k i nd , and worthy of e u l ogi um as we l l for i ts u nexceptiona l cu i si ne as for i ts moderateraces .pThe Engl i sh were presen t i n fu l l force at the fi ne ho use

ded icate d to the i r lea rned cou ntryman . A cold,ret i cen t

,

excl u s i ve race are they , and w h i le M rs . Joh n B u l l and he rgent le he ifers are as easi ly d ist i ngu ished for thei r charact e rist ics as M rs. B rothe r Jonathan , Joh n Bu l l i s genera l ly more l oq uac iou s and compan ionab le than h i s s i s ter.J ust here I am remi nded that an Ameri can woman gene ra l ly prefers the sterner sex—eu aspe rs ion to wh ich I d i sdaina re ltiuvsanne i s a peacefu l , pict u resque town , bu i l t u pon

crags and moun ta i n-s ides . Whereve r a st reet or v i l la m igh tbe hung, whether u pon tu rret , spu r, or pass , we find one .Every road i s a h i l ly path , and every hou se on an i nc l i n edp lane . The s lopes are rig id and oft en tim es ci rc u i tous . A n dw h i l e my s is te rs were b ro i l i ng at home, l was rol led i n aheavy shaw l , for t he ai r was co lder than an Ameridan O c tobe r. I t i s a cu r ious town , w i th pretty shops of woo d-ca rv :i ngs , and great bills to c l i mb, and a sooth ing i nfluence ,w here one m ight res t con ten t and fo rget th e world .

Above the ci ty the paths tw i ne abou t the A lps,ove r

w h ich the,peasan ts trudge i n thei r coarse costumes , bea r i ng

the i r bu rdens of wood and water u pon the i r backs. Fewstrong men I saw , mos t ly women ; some sh rivel l ed and ben tby the we ight of yea rs ; ot hers young, bu t rapid ly pas s i ngfrom the spri ngtime o f l i fe i nto the au tumn by the i r do u blet ri al s. They carry the necessaries of ex istence u p the rugged ascen ts to thei r l i tt le A lpi ne h uts , tucked under thegran ite edges. There are no i nd i v id ua l hyd ran ts a ndwood-pi les i n each of t hese h umbl e homes, as we haveacross the water. Here t he water m ust be d rawn at t hep ubl i c street-foun tai ns , and carried i n great wooden pa i lss trapped u pon the back , and the k ind l ing m ust be gatheredin mountai n forests from the fallen brushwood .

Th is part of Sw i tzerland i s cu l t ivated i n the highestdegree. Every rood i s u ti l i zed . The reg ions a long the

lakes are a success ion of villas and stone town s, the road sbe i ng su per-sol id , t hrift and c lean l i ness a re jo i n e d to l ux u ryand taste. Th is l i tt le republ ic , sandw iched between grea t

or roamon TRAVEL. 327

k ingd om s , flou rishes u pon trave l lers. The long and r igorous w in te rs exhaust the garnered gai ns from the harves t ofsummer tou r ists , so each year fi nds the hote l and shepkeepers feed i ng u pon the u nsuspecti ng strangers l ike co rmo rants. The i ron-roads are use d l i ttle by the nat ives

,

who are most ly i nd ustrious and fruga l . I ngen ious andsimp l e, they are happy among thei r fu tu re oils and vines

,

i n the skil l o f the i r exq u is i te wood-scu lptu res,and pretty

l i ttle pain t i ngs o f mou nta i ns and lakes. I ver i ly be l ieveeve ry one in Sw i tzer land is maste r of the brush and ch i se l ;and t here they s i t npon lake sho re or A l pi ne ledge, tran sm u t i ng Go d's ma sterp iece s i n to gold .

Natu re has been prol ific of beauty to Switzer land . Tothe Un ited States i t has vouchsa fed the wea l th of the wor ld .

Ou r cou n try i s a success ion o f c l imates and zones . W i tho u t pass ing beyond ou r own terri tory we may

,w i th smal l

ex pen se , l i ve i n perpetua l spr i ng and summe r. Th is newwo r ld

,w i th a l l i ts g ift s , seem s a spec ia l d ispensa t ion of

P rovidence,as the fina l re fuge and sa l vation of mank i nd .

Here,w ith compa rative ly few of these ad van tages, the l ong

w i n te rs and short summers , w i th the marve l lous g l ac iers ,snow mou n ta ins on ly s l i htly e levated above fie lds gree nw i th verd u re

,A lps on A ps , the absence of coa l and i ron ,

make the peop le dependen t u pon the i r own ind ustries o rthe bou n ty o f stra ngers . The who le face of the country i swri n k l ed

,i ndented , and cu t u p i n to rocky mou ntai ns o f

vast heigh t ; yet , by the law of compensat ion , the cav i tiesare trans l ucen t lakes, wh i le t hei r narrow shores are ex

q u is ite ly a dorned by public resorts or elegant pri vate res ideri ves.N ear Lausanne I saw the fi rst gen u i ne Sw isser barns

,a

comb i nat ion o fdwelling-house , k i tchen , stable, and granary ,a l l u nder one roof, and not an u np leasant accum u lat ion ofcomforts

,i f the man u re-heap was not i n variably before th e

d i n i ng-room wi ndow .

I n the ride between Lausanne and Ber ne the Sw isse rba rn s began to mu lt i ply . F rench cost umes gave way tothe short pett i coats of broad

,awkward women and large

footed men i n brogans. I ta l i a n art recedes before Germanind ust ry . Cathol i c crosses d i sappear from the roads ide .Cal v i n and L uther push ou t the Pope and card i na ls. Theshaven fields

,com fo rtable homes

,and broad , gen u i ne faces

have a Lancaster or Be rks Cou n ty ai r. Th e nauseat i nggar l i c o f the I ta l i a n cond uctors is lost i n the eq ua l ly strongodo r of Limberger cheese and bee r. The beggars of I ta ly

328 PICTURES AND eoa'

raarrs

are replaced by to i l i ng women in the fie lds and on the h ighways.The rai lway-carri ages of Sw itzer land are en tered from a

p latform front and rea r, l i ke ou r own ; not i n pa ra l le l seats ,however, bu t d iv ided in to sma l l sections , w i th co n nectingdoors and passages th rough the cen t re (the efi

‘

ect of th isarrangemen t i s to make less space

,and less comfort), and

eve ry a l te rnate sect ion i s devoted to smok i ng.

The cold cl i mate of Lau san ne has d i sappeared u nde r asummer su n in Berne

,t hough the re i s none of the i n ten se

heat of an Ameri can J u ly.

The fi rst p icture I me t was a bevy of Swi ss peasan ts atthe depot

,i n the i r pictu resq ue costumes o f coarse b lack

petticoat , pla i ted fu l l at the waist and fa l ling j ust abovethe ank les ; b lack vel vet corsage , h igh in the back

,o u t i n a

low square on the bosom , expos i ng a chem isette of crudecotton c loth . Most of these moun tai n-bred women aresho rt , st u rdy , and sol id as pi ne knots . They are as u tte r lygraceless as i f they were sex less

,and possess a l l the h ard i

hood of an ima ls of bu rden .

Borne i tse l f,the pol i t ica l capi ta l of the Re publ ic of

Sw i tzerland , i s not ha l f so handsome and brigh t a c i ty asRead ing

,yet somewhat resemb les i t by the l ofty mou n ta i n

i n the rear. Here there i s ne i ther grace i n the men,beau ty

i n the women , e legance i n the st reets, nor perfume i n theai r. The women saw and sp l i t wood , c lean h ighways, pu l lheavy wagons u p steep h i l ls , hau l thei r own mov i ng, and ofcou rse bear a l l the i l l s en ta i led by natu re u pon the sex j ustas i f they were the pe tted dar l i ngs of roya l ty. Bu t theframe in wh ich th i s ug ly old town is place d i s i nconcei vablylove ly ; the fie lds a re al te rn ate ly green and go lden ; themoun tai nous A lps are from seven to ten thousand feet i nhe ight

,covered w i th snow o r sh i n i ng w it h v i nes ; wh i le the

ri vers,br ig ht as jewe l-beds, flow rou nd the c i ty

,end less

stream s of heal th.My fi rst i mpress ions of Berne were that i t was a cl ean

,

ca lm,D u tch town , a stri k ing con t ras t to F rance o r I ta ly ;

afte r I had seen i ts pub l ic p laces and st reets,that i t was a

ve ry d u l l,very d i rty , and ve ry D u tch town , w ith a nomen

c lature i n wh ich B ig ler. Bae r, Bau r , R i tter, Karnhaus anda ler h eqnently appear. T rue there i s an am p l i t ude ofsq ua lor i n I ta ly

,bu t al l i s ha l l owed by the i r s u per lat i ve

art.I was abou t to say they had no art or m us ic i n t h i s

anc ien t bu rgh . Yes. they have the Ty rolese a i rs , and the i r

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330 Prc'rnaas Ann PORTRAITS

saw . The awkward an ima l i s everywhere. Fou r l i v i ngbears are kept at the m un ic i pa l expensq i n a pi t i n the

ve ry hea rt of the ci ty,and ve ry offens i vely kept i n add i

t ion ; to add d isgust to the repellent den d i rty boys a ndbloated men overhang the i ron rai l i ng toss i ng food to t herank an ima ls. Two gran i te bears , bad ly exec u ted , kee pguard over th e Aberthun—mai n gate to the ci ty . O th e rssupport the sh ie ld of the Co rnhall a who le troop of bea rsth rough a series of genuflex ions at the c l ock tower.he re are bear photograph s i nn umerable, bears i n wood asornamen t s , bears i n gold and si l ve r as cha rms o r tr i nkets,bears danci ng , bears fighti ng , bears coo i ng, bears at hill ia rds

,baby bears , mother bears, and father bears , i n a

word , a commun ity of bears , and for a qu ie t peo p le a barefaced commun i ty . I ndeed the anc ient Egypt ians had nota greater reve rence for Ib i s t han these peop le have fo r the i rtu te la ry emblem .

The c lock tower i s anot her h ideous cu rios i ty,i f I may

hono r the structu re by such an epi thet. I t was o r igi na l lyerected as a watch-tower i n 1 19 1 , and renovated i n 1770 .

I t i s now poor ly preserved,as i f to perpetuate the habi ts

of the old Bernese. The value o f v ig i lance seems to bethe apothegm en ta i le d by i ts c u rious mechan i sm . T h reem in u tes before every hou r a wooden cock c laps i ts w i ngsand c rows ; a m i n u te later the bea rs m arch a rou nd in aci rc le ; a D u tch clown stri kes the hou r on a be l l as thehands of the c l ock po in t to the hou r ; an old man cou n tsthe t ime by tu rn ing a g lass and ra is ing a sceptre w i t h eachstroke ; and a bear on h is right accompan ies h im by i n e l ina t ions of i ts head . Th is s i l ly spectacle a ttracts a n um berof v i s i tors hou rly

,and when I saw i t , to add to my d i s

comfort, the en ti re squa re w as fi l led by a stifl ing and namel ess odor

,that I presume aro se from the gutte r that flowed

th rough the m idd le of the s t reet.Yet Berne may c laim a gen u i ne sentimen t , as a recen t

i nciden t wh ich 1 gathered from a residen t here proves. Thewe l l-known J ub i l ee S i ngers , who have been mak i ng a tou ro f Eu rope for some mon th s i n the i n te rest of the FiskUn ivers i ty at Nash v i l le , Ten n ., seven fema les and fou rma l es

,gave thei r fi rst co nce rt at Berne on the eve n i ng of

the loth of last M ay , i n the F rench chu rch. A co lo redperson i n Sw i tze rland i s as ra re as a Tu rk i n America

,

and so,apa rt from the i r ta len t as m us ic ians , was th e ex

c itement c reated by thei r bronze faces. T rue,rumo rs o f

the i r profic iency had preceded them ; they had el ectr i fied

o r renew s m a v en. 33 1

the sauants, scien ti sts , and art i s ts of Berl i n , Le i ps ic, M agdebu rg, L ubeck , Ham bu rg , Cologne , F rankfort-o u-t he-Mai n ,and some of t he most d i st i ng u i shed professors of schoo l sand col l eges y ie lded to the i nfl uence of thei r sweet , yetwe i rd and sacred me l od ies . I n London , em i nen t pe rsons ,—tbe D uchess of S uther land , M r. G lads tone , the D uke ofDevonsh i re , wh i le the D uke of A rgy le pa id t r ibu te to t he i rgen i u s by i n v i t i ng them to h is cast le. I n Hol land theyroused a perfec t enth us iasm . Queen V ictor ia , the C row nP ri nce and P ri ncess o f Germany , and Empero r of A ustri aat tended the i r concerts a nd testi fied to the i r ext raord i n aryab i l i t ies.A t the close of thei r fi rst ex h ibi t ion i n Berne , M r. V an

Bu ren , Presiden t o f the c i ty , i n v i ted them to retu rn fo r aseco nd con cert , and p laced the Cathed ral at the i r d iapo sal.To enab l e tho se res id i ng a t a d istance to attend . th e concert was fixed for the afternoon

, and i n the even i ng t heyd ined w i th the i r pat ron at the “Enge,

”a celeb rated res

tau rant i n the subu rbs , to mee t such pe rsons as had ev i ncedi nten se i n terest i n the i r h isto ry . Th i s concert in the Cathed ra l was a grea te r s uccess than the former, when theywere welcomed to Sw i tzer land by M r. Van Bu ren

,who

spo ke o f t he great sympathy thei r wonderfu l gen i us andt he i r del i verance from s lave ry had exci te d among h i speo ple . The respo nse was made by M r. F. J . Loud i n

,one

of the m i n strels,w i th touch i ng eloquence. A t the Enge ,”

the m u s ical Soc iet ies of Be rn e came to hono r the J ub i l eeS i nge rs w ith Moody and San key me l od ies

,and

,fat igued

as they were,‘ they rep l ied to the eu logist ic serenade in

the i r famous song of “The Bel l s .”

An i mpress i ve i ncident shows how these colored arti stsa rou se a l l nat ions w ith the i r harmon ies and th e i r su ffe r i ngs .A n E ngl i sh lady

,Madame de Wat tev illemée O’

Co nno r, wasso m uch moved by the th ri l l i ng fervor of the i r m usic that shei nv i ted them to her e legant v i l la near Tho uue to pass aweek w ith her.Be rne pres erves mo re thorough ly i ts o ld eccen tric i t ies than

any othe r Swiss c i ty . It is fi ne to i ts an c ien t l iq uor andlegends—beer and bears , though there i s a w i ne-ce l lar w i thhogsheads con tai n ing s ix ty-two thousand quarts of w i ne.The re a re a few rea l ly im posi ng pub l ic bu i ld i ngs

,bu t the

simp l ic i ty of repub l ican ism i s severe ly ma in tai ned in theci ty o f the Sw iss Congress . Yet even he re

,i n t he very

heart of repub l i can i sm , we find a r ich and poor a r istocracy .

The fam i l ies wi th a long ped igree are as exc l us i ve as theywere a thousand years ago .

332 morna ss AND Po a'

raarrs

W h i le i n Rome I heard curio us sto ri es of the po ve rtyand pride of t i t led fam i l i es . Many o f them res ide i n thece l lars of the i r own pa laces and l ive u po n the ren ta l s w h i lefrequen t ly the u pper floors of the old cas t l es a re o cc u p i edby wea l thy Americans and Eng l i sh

,and the I ta l i an d ukes

and cou n ts are con ten t to h ide the i r own dest i t u t ion byshari ng the same floo r w i th t he pigs and pou l try . But i twas even more i n te rest i ng to me , who had no t lo ok ed fo rbl ue b l ood amongst the Ge rman Swi ss

,to find tha t the re

was so much of the m ise rable p ride of ancestry here.There i s some excuse, however, fo r th i s foo l i s h a rro gance

i n E u rope,and we to l erate i t when we remembe r that these

narrow sou ls were not on ly bo rn to,bu t have i n heri ted the

be l ief of thei r espec i a l su pe r io ri ty ; s t i l l the re is no apo l ogyfor Americans who are e i the r ashamed of thei r ancesto rs o rove r ly fond of boast i ng o f them .

Such a cou rse i s ever a co nfession o f persona l i n feriori tyHe who has won h is o wn tit le to nob i l i ty neve r po i n ts t o

h i s ped igree,whe the r h i s grand fath er be a sa int , a so ve r

eign or a scavenger. H is i nd i v id ua l patent of roya lty i stoo apparen t to need the ad vert i s i ng m ed i um of h i s progen i tor’s d ust. He neve r resu rrects h i s grand fathe r ’s ghos tto heave at you twen ty t imes i n an hou r as the fam i ly cres tof hera ld ry.

On an e levat ion beyond the botan ica l gardens stand s abeautifu l res idence, the home of the American M i n iste r ,N icholas F i sh , son of the late Secre ta ry of State. T h eh igh ly-cu l t i va ted officia l and h i s fam i ly reflect grace and

cred i t upon ou r cou n try , and form the con t rast i ng and re

deem ing l i n k i n the cha i n of m i n i ste rs and consu l s w hoforce themse l ves i n to pos i tions for wh ich they are nei the rq ua l ified by nat u re o r ed uca t ion by a too e laborate pe rsona l can vass, or as the reward fo r pa rt isan zea l. T h is intr igue on the part of the pol i t ic ians

,and coward ice on the

part of t he appointi ng power at Wash ington , has me ri te dfo r ou r cou n try and some A merican am bassado rs at fo re ignco u rts many mort i fy i ng s l u rs .My task i s done

,my no tee o f Berue are taken, and now

at the cl ose of the sweet Sabbath I look from my w i ndowu pon a broad expanse o f g l oriou s landscape where natu rere ign s supreme . God has done so m uch to embel l ish th i sexq u i s i te pictu re that art seems to have been awed i nt os i l en ce by the stroke of the maste r-hand . The A a r i s flo wi ng swift ly i n i ts cou rse th is q u iet Sunday a fternoon

,dash

ing again st t he stone pie rs of a l i tt le br idge,wh i le fa r the r

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33 4 PICTURBB axn m urmu r s

l finishml the prod uc t iboar d of ed ucat ion fo rthe nat iona l pos i t ion o fI have seen l nte rlaken ,

of yea rs.The d i st rict between

taken from a story-boothan twen ty-five m i l es is c rowded a comb i n ation of beau tiefi '

The r ide from Th u n is across a leve l meadow-garden , lw/tween two chai n s of m igh ty A lpine h i l l s , i n te rspersed w i tvas t swisser barns , and an imated by th ro ngs o f men ant?women labor ing i n the fie lds

,with the oversha dow i ng pre/

seuce of the Bernese Obe rland , that frag men t of Sw itzerland famou s for we i rd and romant ic scene ry , dange rouspasses

,sh i n i ng lakes , and rivers fu l l of me l ted snow, t hat

pou rs and plunges i n torren ts from the h i l l s .A l l th i s se ct ion i s con trol led by the Protes tan ts, and

eve ryw he re the presence of Pro testant influence is mreept i

b le . There a re about Cathol ics in Sw i tz e r la nd,

and P rotestan ts,bu t i n the Can tons of Be rne and

Z u ri ch the Papists n um ber fi ve to one.Then i s a d u l l , u nc l ean ly town , w i th l arge and

'

cos t lyhote l s. T he mai n st ree t i s bu i l t i n arcades , whe re the

fron ts of the hou ses p rojecting abo ut ten feet above the

On the ro of of these is the pa ve'

l‘

here are many busy shops , andaic as the bills by wh ich t hey a re

or roas ton m a v en. 335

i nclosed . Bu t in the m idst of a l l th is an tiq u ity are almostcou n tless fr esh and go rgeous hote l s : Ho te l s whose deeorations are someth i ng al toge ther foreign from o u r American estab l ishmen ts i n the mere mat ter of frescoes , gi ld i ng,carv i ng

,stucco , statuary , mosaic and parq ueterie floors ,

arbors,wa lks

,fountai ns

,cascades ; i n a word , of i n fin i te

variety and sk i l l . The con st ruct ion and improvemen t ofthese ho te ls prove two facts : t he bound less resou rces of th ecapi ta l i sts of E u rope

,and the eno rmous profits gathered

at E u ropean summer resorts. They abou nd i n every re

gion . They are not confi ned to the great cit ies,bu t i n

every l i tt le French,I ta l ian

,German , Swiss , and D utch

town , on eve ry romant ic p lateau , or mou ntai n summ i t , orlake bo rder, and i n every nook and corner that h istory o rpoe try has i mmorta l ized , there are these resp l enden t temptstion s to the pu rses of the wea l thy st ranger.Every new hote l i s a fresh marve l to me , and a new one

r i ses every yea r i n every avai lab le spot ; bu t there i s nosu rprise mo re start l i ng than the apparen t scarc i ty of guestseven i n the most success fu l season . These hote ls are neve rc rowded

,and j ust now the su perior magnet of the Par i s

Expos i tion i s d raw i ng away the i r patron s and exhaust i ngthe i r excheq ue rs. I have wondered that a jou rna l ist doesnot u ndertake to record the stat i stics of th e expen se , ihcome , and ownersh i p of th i s co n t i nen ta l hote l system .

W e d i ned at the Bel lev ue,j ust beyond t he city boundary

,

perched on an edge of land overhangi ng the va l ley of theAar. The food was good

,p la i n and i nexpens i ve

,but w hen

we attempted to con t ract for a carr iage to d ri ve u s to someof the cas t l es and v i l las on the lake w h i le we tarr ied for theboat to l nter laken , we d iscove red that the sched u le of pricesexceeded those i n Ph i lade lph ia o r New York ; so th isp leasu re was abandoned—rel uctan t ly—as we ha d no aspirat ion s to become the bene factors of the Th u n l iverystables .A bo u t one m i le from the ci ty proper

,at the head of th e

lake , we took the boat fo r l nter laken . A l l a long the shorethe re were enchan t i ng g l i mpses of Swiss natu re and modernart . I t was neat and trim , c lean and beau ti fu l , yet d ifferen tfrom the Lake of Como w i th its g lamou r of t rad i tion andromance. The superb scene had a pecu l iar fasci nat ion ofgrim majest ic heights blended w i th cosy rest and you th fu ljol l i ty . The banks were studded w i th pictu resque v i l lasand g l ow ing gardens

,bu t eve rywhere there were chateau x

and hote ls and home attraction s for trave l lers ; eve rywhere

336 mornans asn roarnarrs

b ri l l ian t parte rres , emera ld terrace s, and bloom ing s l opes ,l i tt le boats danci ng o n the t rans l ucen t waves, t he joc u ndvo ices of tou r is ts , with the ringi ng laugh of ch i ld ren an dyou ng gir l s m ing l i ng l ike s i l ver he l ls i n the chorus .A s our boat ad vanced ove r the path i t p loughed for i tse l f

i n the se rene wate rs. t he colossa l h i l ls seemed to c lose overhea d i n an arch of gran i te ; they bowed the i r majest icp i n nac les befo re u s and ba rred ou r way . J ust at the mo.

men t when a l l egress was apparen t ly cu t o ff the g ran i tec l i ffs opened , and we g l ided th rough as prov ident ia l ly as

t h e ch i ld ren of I s rael crossed the Red Sea when the wate rsheaved i n to two grea t wa l ls on ei ther side of them ; and ,indeed

,ou r pa th between the frown i ng rocks seemed as

m i racu lous. A ll was so w i ld , i n sc rutable, mysterious, ands i l en t

,tha t toi l seemed to have d ied o u t o f the wor ld ; yet

among these rocks and rav i nes labor ’s hands are so re,and

woman d rudges l ike a s lave w hi le she d ischarges the do ubled u t ies of w i fe and mothe r.See yonder she i s p i l ing the sheaves of wheat upon the

wagon , sweepi ng the scy the th rough the bend ing grai n ,pu l l i ng heavy loads u pon the mou n ta i n-s ide ; and fartheron are fou r stu rdy

,musc u lar peasant women stra i n i ng at

th e oars of a boat bu rdened w i th hay , and push i ng i t i n tothe ne ighbo ri ng shore ; and over on the roadside is a gi r l ,no t more than s ixteen

,and her aged mother sp l i tt i ng gran i te

w i th a pick fo r a tu rnpike.W he re are the fathers

,the b rothers , the h usband s, or the

l overs ? Such creatu res m ust ex ist i n th i s region, else howthe w i ves and the daughters ? A nd these s laves are thecreatu res to whom men refuse suffrage

,because such an ac t

wou ld en ta i l upon them an u n sex i ng se rv i t ude,and subj ect

them to degrad ing pos i t ion s or hazardous exposu re ; theseare t hey agai nst whom men bar t he i r u n i vers i ty doors , because they are too fragi le to bea r the travai l of ard uousstudy

,or too rose-l i ke and beaut i fu l to come i n cons tant

con tac t w ith a prom i scuou s crowd of men , or too deliw te

and fa i r and chaste to li sten to learned d i scussion s onpathology and anatomy. These are the creat u res u ponw hom even the more favored of thei r own sex say i t wou ldbe a demoral izing and degene rat ing i nfl uence to a l l ow themto take part i n the scien ce o f governmen t and the h igherprofess ion s w i th the i r b rothers ! Let us he l ogical i f wecannot be j ust. A t leas t i n these o ld coun t r ies

,i f women

m us t wo rk,and m en m us t figh t

,let the bu rdens of l i fe he

eq ual ized . Do not say that those we call i n America the

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333 w or s ens AND meas u re

was true, so my next quest ion was : li ave you any idea o fyou r popu lation For a few moments he had a fanawayexpress ion , and then rep l ied F ive h u nd red .

” Then sa i dI,Yo u have as many great hote ls as you have peop le

and he rep l ied w i t h supreme comp laisan ce,

“Y es , j u s t asmany .

” I d id not sol ic i t fu rt her know ledge from th is you ngpe rson ; but as he wa lked uway l thought w ha t a c leve rhype rbol e the poo r fel l ow had u nconsc ious ly ach i eved .

The V ic to r ia i s the best fi l l ed , has a be tter cu is ine, an dhas eq ua l ly mode rate rates w ith the

.

o t liers , bu t I was

frigh tened away from i t by t h e expens i ve dower-pots , andconcl uded not to he lp the land lo r d defray the flo rist ’s bi l lfrom my bank accou n t. B ut there is noth i ng cheap at I nte rlaken. The p l ace is too fine

,and every st ranger i s fa i r

game to pl uck . Cab h i re i s j ust doub led here, and w hen Iattempted to i n ves t i n photographs I was astou nded at thetari ff. B ut how exh i larat i ng the ai r, how sweet the flowe rs ,how green the grass , how l i ke m ighty fort ification s t h emoun tai ns

,and how l i ke a w h i te-robed Goddess of Peac e ,

the J u ngfrau looks down from her snowy th rone upo n thet ranqu i l va le lAnd why has th i s exqu i s i te town to complai n of a dea rt h

of patronage ? S i mp ly be cause peop le a re gett i ng ti re d o fi m pos i t ion , and I pred ict a speedy down fa l l fo r those ex to rt ionate proprietors i n the nea r fu tu re.My stay at I nte r laken was ha l lowed by a swee t expe ri

en ce w i t h the old lady i n the Eng l i s h l ibra ry . I do no tk now what i n my face or man ner struck the con fiden t i a land pathetic cord of he r organ ization however

,she to l d m e

he r story , wh ich was ne i th er an o rd i nary nor u n roman tico ne. Said she : My grandfather establ i shed a newspa pe ri n Th u n eigh ty years ago , wh ich i s st i l l pri n ted by myf ami ly . We have severa l ed i t ions , a dai ly and th ree way] :lics i ssued from the same offi ce

,and you k now

,

” she added ,

“Th u n i s a sma l l town fenced i n by a rocky and t h i n lypopu lated ne ighborhood

,bu t my fam i ly have been prospe r

ous pr i n te rs, and proud am I to say devoted heart and so u l

to l ibera l ism . My l i fe,

” she said,has been an easy

,h appy

one on the who le , t hough l ike a l l others I have had mycross to bea r. My l i tt le grandson , who was des t i ned to

become a pri nte r and so honor a nd prolong the fam i ly n amewas sudden ly ca l led away i n the spri ng. Now I fee l as i f Ihad noth ing mo re to hold me to earth .

” The old l ad y ’sl i brary is a rendezvous for i n te l l igen t t rave l le rs

,and sh e

he rse l f a great and deserved favor i te .

or roasro u m a ven. 339

I n I n ter laken stand s a t ree , a great t ree, the mon arch ofthe wood

,on ly less majest ic th an the A lps themse l ves , w ith

i ts lo rdly branches , and great corona l o f emera ld , and deepcool shad e, and as I aaw the forest gian t hemmed i n bysma l l houses my so u l cri ed a l oud fo r room to let the noblemammoth breathe , by mak ing i t free and u n con fined ,

i n steadof suffe ri ng i t to langu ish and to d ie su rrou nded by st ifl i ngl i m i ts . Mark i t we l l , stranger. The dear old lady , M rs.C h ri st ian , w i l l poi n t it ou t to you , and w i l l doub tless te l lyou how the American prayed w i th her to ask the au tho rities to gi ve the lo rd ly monarch ai r .I n terlaken i s the ch ief cen t re for wood sc u l ptu re s and

t he exq u i s i te l i tt l e pai nt i ngs w h ich prese rve and pe rpetuatethe lovely Sw i ss lakes and moun ta in s. These two vocat ion s and keepi ng hotel s seem to fi l l the w i n te r and summerof the i n hab i tants . W i thou t these resou rces h u nd redswou ld scarce ly know how to ex is t

,and w i th ou t strange rs

Sw i tze rland wou ld be almos t a sol i tud e . S tr i ke out theAme ricans

,Eng l i sh

,R ussi ans

,and Germans i n the tide of

t rave l that swee ps over the Cont i nen t,and the cou nt ry

wou ld become bankrupt . A merican tou rists a re m uchmore n umerous than other trave l lers , w it h the except ion ofthe Eng l i sh , and mo re gene rous and appreciati ve than anyothe r nation . There are more American a rt is ts in Romethan F rench , Russian , or E ng l ish , and when we come tosuch places as A bbotsford and Strat ford-o n-Avon we findmore Amer ica n s wors h i pp ing at t he sh r i nes o f Shakespeareor Sco tt than Eng l i shmen . We have great oceans to cross ,yet year after year i n a l l season s we penetrate every c rannyof the O ld Wor ld . Americans are at on ce the most en terprising, l ibe ra l , i nq u is i t ive , i n ven t i ve, and i n terest i ng peop leon the face o f the globe . W herever we. t u rn o u r steps wemee t them , yes ! and thei r contr i vance s , the i r dol lars, andthe i r books.

L E TT E R L X V .

“ I'

re rnumed amou z st the eternal Alps. I‘

ve nood

And gaaod ou the dimiaid ted w rwhl helow ;

l ashing at frighttul dm oe. field aud nood.And rpm: and town. like things o f pigmy sho w.

Shrink into no thing : wh ile those peaks of sno w ,

W hile yet the w inds themselm bm seldom d in h,A ron like giants trm the void below .

"

BM Wam Paocrn

Lam as , July,

Kar en : has w ri tten a wonde rfu l langu age in the to pography o f Switzer land ; a language weird , myster iou s, andi nsc ru tab le. T hese masses of rock, mou lded i nto vas tmou n tai n s and hu rled in to st range shapes ; t hese vas t gla~c ie rs, ex tend i ng cont i n uou s ly eigh teen hund red miles , croppi ng out in perpetual snow , an d again spark ling in solidmas ses o f azu re and i ridesc ent ice, deep down in the earth ;these i ndesc ri bable lakes of pu re water ; and then the abu ndan t and dash i ng cascades flowi ng in gl i tte ri ng ri vu lets fromthe h i l ls i n to the valleys

,create al toge ther a region o fcease

l ess and bew i lderi ng fasci n ation. The Sup reme ord inanc ehas made of Sw i tzer land an i nexhaustible c u rio sity~sho p to

baffle modern sc ience ; and man has convert ed the m ightym useum into a mach i ne fo r specu lat ion and show . E veryWhe re we m u st render u n to man tribu te, to e njoy whatnature gave us for noth ing ; bu t be i s no mo re an owner inthese phenomena than myse l f.A short l i ne of rai l took me from I n te rlaken to the boat

stat ion on the Lake of B rienz, over wh ich we gl id ed to theGiesshach, th e N i agara of Swi tzer land . T h i s s tartl ing fal lo r wate r p l unges from an a l ti tude of e leven h und red and

fo rtyo e ight feet in to Lake Bricnz i n a series of seven eas

cades,bo und ing from rock to rock, and cas t i ng back i ts

rainlio w spray i n jewe l s on the b rown crags and bow lders.We ha l ted at a rude plank la nd ing

,w ith on ly a shanty

t icket-othee, bu i l t aga in st a proj ect ion of gran i te. The rewere many Amer ican and Bri tish tou ris ts and a hos t ofsavage-l ooki ng old men w i th pa lanqu i n s to car ry del i ca tet rave l lers to the mou n ta i n summ i t,—the on ly po i n t fromwh ich the wate rfa l l cou ld be seen w ith sati sfaction ; an d as

t h is was the ch ief th i ng to be seen in these w i ld mou n ta i n s,those who wou ld not s ubm i t to be conveyed by a cou ple ofc reatu res w ho looked very l i ke br igands, Alpi ne ba nd i tt i,

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342 inc rease as h POIITRAI‘PB

baby i n i ts fi rs t s l umbe r. I t was green,and golden

,and

wh i te ; and ove r the roads came nea t peasan ts from theirco ttage homes. i t was a sce ne of m igh ty maj esty and do

c i le domestic i ty that l rested upon u n til the veil of n igh tu n fu rl ed i ts fi rs t gauzy folds .A fte r the sharp ed ge of nove l ty prod uced by the c rash ing

and sp lash i ng, and g leam i ng an d stream i ng, and fl ushi ngandgus h i ng torren t w as d u l led , I stud ied an American

fam i y ar ou nd me. There was t he lo rd s u preme—to be conventio nal I begin w i th bim,

—a man rap id ly approac h i ng th eva l e o f yea rns—and h i s w i fe and progeny as d ist i nct i ve andpecu l i ar as the new civi l izat ion from w h i ch they came. H ewas a cotto n , a woolen . o r a rai l road k i ng, for he mov ed as

'

i f he h ad made h i s m i l l ions w ith sudden s uccess . I l i kedh im because he had the easy s ubm iss i ve consc ious m on eyai r t hat spoke o f complet e con tent ; he seemed to care nomo re fo r E u rope than fo r so me imposs i ble story of rabb i n ical l ore. He was a res igned sacr ifi ce on the a l ta r of h i sw i fe’s amb i t ion and h i s ch i ld ren ’s des i re

,and tha t is why

he ha d a l l my sympathy. Then , there was the w i fe andmother, a p l ump, pretty l i t t le woman abou t fo rty-five, a rrayed i n a l l the laces and feathe rs den ied her i n ea r l ie rdays ; she was now supp i ng boun teous ly upon the harv es tfeast of h is i n ves tmen ts ; sh e m ust be ca rr ied over the st eeprough path i n a pa lanqu i n ; how cou ld she wa lk , and w hyshou ld she ? Hav i ng ru n ba refoot over the thorny a n dstony ways of l i fe

,she now soothes away the memory of

sharp cuts and weary pu l l s am id downy cush ions. T he rewas the fi rst born

,—a daugh te r of twen ty-two,—a prim lit

t l e pe rson who assumed d i lettante ways and tas tes , and

knew on ly enough to fee l su re that the e ldest of a r i c hhouse sho u ld take o n hersel f m

‘

uch state. Then there wasthe pri nce imper ia l to th i s noble l ine, say twen ty he asthe i r he i r apparen t had been pampe red and pe tted un t i l hewas an an noyance to h i mse l f ; he cal l ed for a dozen d iacrrnt d ishes and d ri nks. and w i th oversa ted pa late and ass umed fastid iousness d ism i ssed them a lmost as rapid ly asthey were se t be fo re h im . He was one of tho se m i serablestri p l i ngs at whose con st i tu t ion prematu re d i sease w asgnaw i ng l i ke a canker-worm . Bes ides the phys ica l i n d ispos i t ion , he had con tracted an in su fferable ego . O physh

ciau l i s t here no vacc i ne to check the ravages of th i s h ideo u sma ladyThere was the you nger daughter, a grace fu l gi r l of eig h

teen . She made h er dé but upon th is mo rta l co il”j ust in

or m art en Ta iw an. 343

t ime to be taught her own ins ignificance i n con trast w ithher e lder siste r and brothe r. The resu l t was benefic ia l ;i n p lace of a n i nflated pigmy she was a sweet sensiblewoman w i th the aroma of the seminary c l i nging to hersk i rts and a l i nger i ng love of books and natu re ; she sa tapart bus i ly w r i ti ng a descri ption of the exqu i s i te scene.Her two younger sis te rs

,j ust at the age when gi r l s do not

know what to do w ith themse l ves,and nobo dy knows what

to do w ith them,compl eted the fam i ly party .

A nd now my eyes fe l l u pon th e father,and my pi ty and

tenderness we re a l l h is ; ou t o f the s ix dependen t uponh im

,there was on ly one who was retu rn i ng an atom o f

happi ness afte r h is l ong strugg le. Th is i s on ly one pict u re of thousands of origi na l s.The terrace seemed to be a rendezvous of the n at ions

,

i ncl ud i ng a band of w retched st rol li ng m instre ls , a cong lome ration u nconsc iou sly photographed . John Bull

,al

ways i n w hite towel as a h eadgea r and read i ng M u rray ;M rs . B ull , rub icu nd and beery ; two M i ss Bu l l s i n longgray u l ste rs

,a l l bu ttoned down before the en t i re party

si lent and sou r. The F rench gracefu l ly atti red and cha tte ri ng l ike magpies . The Ge rmans smok i ng long p ipesand sketch i ng the fa l ls

,w h i le the i r taw ny ha i r fe l l in

gusty flo w.

” A Sw iss fam i ly , grand father, grandmo the r,son s , daugh te rs , and grandch i ld ren , at tended by fancycost umed peasant women , made a beau t i fu l l i tt l e grou p i nthe rocky p latform . W i tha l

,the Ame rican fam i ly was the

most a ttract i ve,gen tee l

,and i n te l l igen t. But

,i s i t not

na tu ra l that we shou ld search fo r the fau l ts of ou r ow nch i ld ren , because we are amb i tious they shou ld r i se abovethe ord i nary leve lThe bl iessbach is frequen t ly compared to N i aga ra, but

the s i m i l e i s as prepo ste rous as l iken i ng the Thames to theM i ss i ssi pp i. If N i agara we re on the Conti nen t i t wou ldbe tu rned into as many sou rce s of profi t by specu lators asi f the E u ropean s had d iscove red and brough t down between heaven and ea rth a new ce lest ia l wor ld .

A t 8 P . M. the fa l ls were to be i l l um i nated,for wh ich I

d id not wai t,as i t is a sad fraud

,l i ke many ot her th i ngs

i n th i s land of na tu ra l marvel s and hol low art ifices. Bu tdescend i ng the gray and ghost ly paths

,fol lowed and

flank ed by e l ves and w rai th s,to the m usic of roar ing

wate rs and reverbe rat i ng sho u ts on the h igher he igh ts , 1reac hed the lake , where I was importuned by a br igad e ofroman boatmen to cross i n their l i t t le skifl

'

s and u nde r

344 P ICTURES AND Pea-m an

's

t he i r protect ion,an hono r I decl i ned. and

s teamer fo r Brienz , wh ich lay modest ly wai t i nglake.B rienz i s a l i tt le v i l lage of wooden hou ses

a long the mountai n base , w i th a q uai n t ho teLB lanche”—where we had a capi ta l su pper a t 9the tw i l ight the peasan ts were d riv i ng home them u les, wh i l e the i r tinklinthe h i l ls. Some came wl aden w i th food

,for the

l i ttle mou ths m ustA h ! what a l i fe i t seemed as l gazed u poncat faced women and bu rly men

,w i th no

g reat world beyond . A l l looked so s i m plea rcad ian . yet h uman passion and h uman vhere. W here the re is l i fe there is s i n .

A natty femme de-chambre i n the hote lw i th such an u nm i stakab le American are

t empted to ask her w he re she was born,

i n the S ta te o f M issou ri ! On accou n t of hher father had retu rned to h i s nat i ve va l ldea vo red to ex tract ph i l osophy from th

fa i led . However dark the times,howeve r

to rpid the town , there co u ld be noterly desti tu te of ways and meanA lpi ne de l l .N ext mo rn i ng, b right and ea rly ,

mote good tempe r,I was waken ed

the d i l i gence tha t was to carry meN ow cross ing the A l pi ne pass i n a Federa lt h i ng new

,and my sen sations were those

l ooked down u pon the cum brous es tablislafter those o f the Engl i sh system of o ldF i ve spi ri ted steed s stood ne igh i ng, i m pathe i r mou nta i nous jaun t

,wh ips cracked

w h i le my spi ri ts rose in consonance w i th the newous sounds abou t me . So after break fasting at 6.

we sta rted on the haza rdous jou rney . Theg lorious ! No d ust , no d ice , no heat , and the sun

erate as i n Sep tem be r ; and though 1 w rappedshaw l abou t me as we set o ff

, the ad vanc i ngequa l ized the ch i l ly tem peratu re. 1 m ust need scho ice seat at the banq uet—on the toI m igh t m iss no m i te o i

'

the phenThough ts of cross i ng the B run

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346 "m as m ro axaarrs

and child ren, like mou nta in chamo is , clic hed the ro ugh

What ghast ly and ind escribab le battlernents this ro ckymgion pm ents to the stn ngo rl A t times tbe coach plnngedin to deep valleya, from which l lo oked np to the stony fo ru ,

that pierced the very c lo ods ; then we crawled along the

c rest of a precipicg from which l gaz ed into an almo st na

Jt was a si x ho u rs ’ jou rney over the hil ls , and in the iato rval we passed other lakes, considerable towns , an d manybeau tiful valleys. But o f all the da l es fo r sweet sal u b ri ty.gent le and th ri v i ng domest ic i ty , l uxu riant pastu res, and

g l ow i ng o rc ha rd s, give me the Val l ey of Sam oa , lyi ng s ide

by side w i th i ts azu re lake abound ing i n finny food . Oh,

wha t a wealth of natu re was the re ! G reat t bu s po u redhis l usty l ight with dou b le forc e u pon the fa i r und u latio nsof the sapph i re lake by be ing c losed o u t of the gray cran~n ies beyond , and k i ssed all abo u t h im i n to a gl ow of beau ty.

S park l i ng wate rs l ost themse lves in the o lefin of rocks ,w h i le the o ld gro i ned h ills ides shone i n g ird les of jewe ls .

I n the town I fou nd a better c i v i l izat ion , a h igher deg reeof comfo rt , and more i n te l l igence was revealed. The peas.

an ts of Sarnen have a pecu l ia r and pictu resq ue cost ume ;all the women i n te rlace the p la i ts of the i r hair wi th w h i ter ibbons fastened w i th a un ique spoon l i ke s i l ver buck le.

But how few were come ly ! even the you ngest were hard~featu red and prematu re ly w ri nk led . S unday , as it was ,

everyw hére many were work i ng i n the fields , and gene ra l lyno t a man to be seen . A l l th is d i strict i s u nde r Rom is hi nfluence ; Cathol i c ch u rchya rd s, Cathol ic ch u r ches

,crosses

,

and wayside sh rines , n u ns and ch ild ren say i ng the i r ros ar ies and Ave Maria predom inated , and as we approachedthe Lake o f Lucerue, the papa l p reponderance became m o reand mo re apparen t ; but there was not a begga r on therou te.Descend ing my lofty th rone on the back of the d i l ige n ce,

I stepped u pon the pretty steamer at A l pnach and sa i l edup the love ly lake. Inco nceivahly grand was t he sce ne aswe p roceeded al ong the famous wate r. w i th i ts j utt i ng p romou tc rie s and vast mounds of a l l uv i a l depos i t. On ou r le ftIl i gi , and to the r igh t P i latu s esc orted us , both shores iaden ted w i th handsome v i l las and ant iq ue towns , wh i le manyo f the heights were crowne d w i th m i l itary and med ical iast it utions. T he wate r was a level shee t of eme ra ld , and as

I leaned over t he tafl'

rail I saw in the l i tt l e crevices of the

or roamo u m a v en. 347

h il l s art ific i a l fou n ta i ns cast i ng u p thei r s i l ver spray,wh i le

pu shed out from the coast we re wha rves wh ich sent fort hand rece i ved passengers. Neat boats were gracefu l ly g l idi ng over the wave less mai n , and as i f to harmon ize w i ththe Su nday panorama a band o f P rotestan t s i ngers blendedthe i r vo ices i n the touch ing sacred me l ody of the SweetBy

-and-By.

” The fam i l iar st rai n s carr ied my memory tomy own dear home

,so fa r away .

I had been among othe r charm i ng sce nes before—ia t hemajest ic harbor of New York

,Delaware Bay

,Boston Bay

,

the un ri va l led ocea n home at Martha’s V i neyard,C hesa

peake Bay , the Potomac at Wash i ngton , and I have l i ngened i n the g lamou r of the G u l f of Genoa , the Gulfo l

'

Lyon sat Marse i l les , t he Med i te r ranean: at N ice, the Neapol i tanBay , the beaut i fu l Seine, and the sl uggi s h Thames i n i tssweetest rest i ng-p laces , bu t never was l so afl

‘

ec ted as bythe su pe r lative i n fluences of the qu iet Sabbath noon on thewate rs of Lucerne.

L E T T E R L X V I .

E’en now , w here A lpine sol i tudes ascend ,

I sit me down a pensi ve hour to spend ;And p laced on h igh anove the sto rm

's career,Look downward w here an hundred rea lms appearLakes, fores ts, cities , p lains extending w ide,The pomp o f k ings, the shepherd

’s humb ler pride .

Omvan Gonnsm r u .

Lucs ana, e ven run Run , J u ly, 1878.

APART from the u n riva l led pos i t ion of Lucerne on thelake

,l oving ly p lac ed i n the amph i theatre formed by s u r

rou nd i ng mou n tains , t he most im press i ve featu re o f thecity is i ts cons i s ten t and si ngu lar c lean l i n ess an d thesu perexcellence of i ts hote ls. A l l a long the Sch weizerhof

Quay , fron t i ng the lake, there i s such a co rdon of thesego rgeous palaces

,tha t one wonders how they are s up

po rted in th i s town of and as we d rove o u t on them o re sequeste red road s lead i ng to Kussnach t and thegreat mou nta i ns there were more of t hese same su perbs t ructu res. T he season is short

,bu t the infl ux of v i s itors

348 incr eas e axn PORTRAITS

i nc reases each day fro m the m idd le of J u ne u n ti l the l astof A ugust , when there i s a general s tagnat i on . Yet, a tLuc erue

,the charges are mo de rate, an d the en te r ta i nmen t

s u rpasses most of the other mou n tai n c i t i es .Lueerne i s held i n the protect i ng a rms of the st ronges t

Sw i ss battlemen ts,some rea ri n g the i r desol ate heights in

sol i tary splendor, othe rs bo u n d peak to peak by iron roador bridge ; and aga i n , t hose t hat stand i n all the vi rginalic i ness o f pu ri ty . Luce rn e may t ru ly boast o f i ts pos i t ionand en v i rons, perhaps of i ts l egenda ry association s , bu t i nthe c i ty there i s l i tt l e o f a rt i st ic beau ty or i n te rest.The famous Lion o f Luce rne , cut i n the s olid san dsto ne,

i n a roman tic corn er of the town, after a model by t hei l l u str iou s Dan ish scu l pto r Thorw al dsen , i n memory of theSw iss ofiicers and sold iers who fel l i n defence of the expi ring French monarchy of Lou i s XV I ., i n thei r nobl eefforts to save the Tu i l eri es, A ugust, 1792, i s on ly i n te resti ng by the s tory i t re lates. The art may he marvel lou s,ch i sel l ed as i t i s from the fixed bowlder o f sandston e

,bu t

i t i s i l ly kept , and a spri n g above i t d ri ps i ts everl asti n gt ri ck le i n to a s tagnan t pool , wh ich does not rep resen t th epict u re we someti mes see o f the expi r i ng beast reflected ina crystal g reen lake. The royal l ion , wh i le w ri th i ng i n theagon i es of death , protects t h e French sh iel d andM r de lie

w i th i ts paw . True , the ex pressi on o f u n u tte red suffe ringof the co lossus i s effect i ve, an d when I fi rs t saw i t I ex

cla imed,“Oh , the dy i ng gl ad iator .

” Th i s was the fi rs tand strongest impress ion th e work

.made upon me ; so h asi t remai ned . I t seems a cu riou s memen to fo r a rep ubl icto hold amongst i ts choice t reas u res , bu t the work is cons idered a su preme ach ievemen t , and i t i s in th i s l igh t thati t i s cher i shed fo r poste ri ty

,and al so to perpetuate the

bravery of the Swi ss G uard of the unfort unate Lou i s andh is queen .The G lad iator” i s sh own grat i s , bu t as i f to ex press

regret for th e l i beral i ty one franc i s charged adm ittan ce tothe g l ac ier ga rden adjoi n i n g. Now a glac ier breathes vol

nines o f wonderfu l and reveren t i al th i ngs to me . So , th i sao-cal led phenomenon I m ust see, i f, l i ke Prometheus, lm ust filch the fi re from heaven to obtai n en t rance. Therewere no such v iolen t mean s requ i red , however , and I dono t bel ieve I was ever t ricked by so poor a cheat. Therewere no gl ac iers , some bad statuary—wh ich m igh t havebeen pe tr ified i n i ce—a n umbe r of i n expl i cable ae rol i tes

,

several s ick ly foun tains , a l ong hyster i c sta i r of rust ic logs

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850 Pncruass s un mam rrs

i sl and,eve ry h i ll and val l ey , is pl an ted w i th t rees and

flowers,decorated w i th l i t t le wh i te sh r i n es , where wooden

v i rgin s pray in gen tl e peace. The l i t tl e town s al ongthe lake were crowded wi th tou ri sts, and gayly d ressedstrange rs th ronged abou t the quays to welcome the incomers , o r wave farewel l to th e depa rt i ng guests. Thescene was fu ll of harmony w i th th e si lence o f natu re andt he repose o f man . The lake-border seemed i n h ol id ay t rim

,

bu t on the boat h uman i ty was i nd ustriou sly satisfying thei n ner h u nge r.A Swiss lake steamer is a new study of the h ab i ts o f

travel le rs. Eati ng and d r i nk i ng i s the u n i versal pas t ime .

I t begi n s early and con t i n ues th rough the en t ire tou r. A ssoon as the boat d rops o ff the quay the Swi ss fam i l i es whohave come fo r an out i ng, order the ration s , bu t whethert he eat i ng was a l abor or a p leasu re I cou l d not d iscern .

My fi rst concept ion was that i t was a pl eas u re ; but w henit ran th rough hou rs I concl uded i t had grown i n to a sorto f d uty . The Sw i ss are as successfu l in the practi ce ofeat i ng cheese and d ri n k i ng beer as the Eu l i sh, who nevert ravel by land o r sea w i thou t fi ve fu l l mesfa a d ay.

Tel l ’s platte at Fluelcn was ou r des t i nation ; a ve ry poo rl ypai n ted

,fragi l e l i tt le bu t

,covered w i th awkward frescoes

,

and scrawled over w i th v u lgar penci l led names and des ign sto keep al i ve the doubtfu l t rad i tion of the d ramatic pat r ioto f Sw i tze r land , w h ich Sch i l ler an d Sheridan Know les havelanded i n to end u ri ng fame by thei r gl or ious pl ays . Thenw hy shou l d we cherish these ambiguous memori es w henSw i tzerland h as a st ronge r h ol d on the respect o f man i ni ts real poets

,heroes, and statesmen ? By the names of

W inkelreid , Freliegrath, and Zwingle , on the boats and

pensions, I fel t compensated fo r the d isappoin tmen t atTel l 's chape l an d i ts dest i t u t ion o f h i storica l fou ndat ion .

N ext day a steamer carried us from Lucerne to V itz nau ,a moun tai n v i llage w i th a new and e legan t station , when cethe rai lway sta rts ove r t he R igi, that form idable an dh i therto insu rmou n table gran i te barr ier. I do not k nowwh i ch con templation bad for me the most fasc ination

,

crossi ng the Brunig or ascend ing and descend i ng the Rigi .The former was i n vested w i th a l l romance and ecstasy butno fear, wh i le R igi inspi red me w i th horrible forebod ingsof bei n g sudden ly precip i tated from a cloudy p i n n acle in toan abysmal rav i ne with a mass of broken bones an d mangled fles h clos i ng the l ast st ruggle fo r l i fe. The ra i l waythat traverses and con nects th is series of lofty peaks is

or rou tes m av en. 35 1

cons tr ucte d i n im i tation of the i ron road wh ich br i ngs theWh i te Mou n ta i ns of New Engl and i n to commun icat ionw i th the heretofore i sol ated sky-world of that region .I t is on ly s i nce 1848 th is myste r ious an d i n terest i ng com

bi nat i on of rock and ice,ly i ng between Lakes Lueerne an d

Zug,arres ted the ser ious atten t ion of men of sc ience and

gene rous gove rnmen ts . Before that period th i s vast mou ntain system was o nly a d i str ict of cowherd s, pas tu re-l ands ,and a colony of degenerate peasan ts ’. h u ts . Before thenpi lg rims made the tou r of these steep , and rugged , and deserted path s w i th m uch l abor and fat igue. The rai l waygauge is constructed after the model of the ord i nary A meri ca n road

,bu t i t h as ra i l s w i th in ra i l s prov ided w i th teeth

on wh ich a cog-whee l u nder t he l ocomot i ve catches w i theach revol u t ion . The locomoti ves are o f one h u nd red andtwen ty horse-power, having upr ight boi le rs, and the passenger carr iages a re placed always above the engi n e, fromwh ich i t i s d iscon nected by cou pl i ngs

,a nd can be stopped

i nstan taneous ly i n case of ac ciden ts ; and a l though I perfec tly u nderstood the system and was dou b ly assured ofthe imposs i bi l i ty of danger, yet as the train began to craw lup the h i l l backward l ike a l i tt le i ron crab

,and I fe l t the

car s lopi ng away from me ti l l my sensat ion was ak i n to thatof hangi ng on the i ncl inat ion o f the roof o f some h ighbu i ld i ng

,a th ri l l of terror con v u l sed me

,wh ich was no t

dec reased as I loo ked from my starry heigh t i n to thefr igh tfu l v acancy below .

eing the heigh t of the seaso n t he l i tt l e station pl atformwas staggeri ng beneath i ts h uman fre igh t that su rged andscramble dfo r places as the trai n came up to ou r s ide. O u rascen t th rough the beaut i fu l l i ttle pas tora l v i l l age was

grad ual , and after passi ng a few o f the loft ier al ti tudes anexqu i s i te v iew of the green lake

,the spi res and towers o f

Lucerne, and then one by one the famous A lpi ne summ i ts

dawned u pon us,and l astly

,as a frame to the pictu re

,came

the u n du l ating yet u nbroken wave-l i n e o f the Be rneseOberl and . A hal f an hou r o n ou r ai ry tou r and we penetrated a tu nne l t h rough conglomerate rock as sudden ly as

a l ightni ng flas h , and on ly emerged to cross a fragi let restle bridge span n i ng a dark and awfu l gorge

,se ven ty

five feet deep. A t th i s peri lous po i n t i n the fl igh t the reckless passenge rs rushed to the r ight of the car to gaze in tothe gap below , and made the a i r h ideo us w ith exclamatio u sabou t i ts i mposi ng bea u ty , wh i l e the l i ttle car swayed and

shook w i th the overbalanci ng weigh t. Step by step w e

852 encr uaas s un Poaraaw s

pene t ra ted fores t and rocky was tes at an easy grad ient ,pass i ng peasan ts and tou ri sts mak i ng the jou rney , some onfoot, others astr ide the i r braying beast. The se n sat ionsmay have been someth i ng l i ke those expe rien ced i n a r i s i ngbal l oon

,w ith th i s d i fference, t he ea rt h d id not recede from

u s ; we gradual ly seemed to be mel ti ng in to i l l i m i tablespace . Despi te the poss ib l e ca l am i ties , i t was gl oriou s torise l i ke a bi rd i n a i r, and float i ng among azu re clo uds a ndm i sty mou n ta i n-tops gaze in to the heart of th e val leys bel o w

,the sh immeri ng lakes

,and mounta i ns o f glowi ng ve r

d u re , hemmed i n by dazzli n g r idges o f ice, u ume lted by thefiery g lance and scorch i ng breath of the sun, an d to hearthe sweet t i n kl e o f co w-be l l s com i ng from the deep vale s ,mel lowed and m i ngl i ng in the nebu lous a i r and perfumes ofthe sweet J u ly .

The two i n te rmed i ate station s,Kal tbad and Stad

'el,were

busy scenes of tour i s t l i fe ; but why rest at the gate o r

vesti bu le w hen we m igh t mou n t to the cu pola o f the

Nymphs and Saty rs ’ glorious man s ion ? So we pushed on

to Rigi-Ku lm,where , paus ing on the m i na ret o f the gran i te

temple , I tu rn ed my eyes u pon the marvel l ous panoramaa rou nd me. Various emot ion s strugg l ed for u tte ran ce an dchoked each other i n their rap id s uccess ion . Fi rst

,the

bou nd l ess power and majesty o f Go d the dar i ng con fiden ceand i ngen u i ty o f man ; the sad and ben igh ted s tory rel atedby the an ted i l u v ian homes perched on these i naccess ib l etowers by generation s passed away , who t rod these pathsand knew on ly of earth what they cou ld see far

,far beneath

them ; l i ke the crows, they had grown old and d ied i n thet rees where they were born .

The lower dales lay at ou r feet w i th the l i nes o f t he farms ,and streams, and road s , fa i n t by the d i stance, greatly re

sembl i ng a toy m i n i atu re o f some d i stan t met ropol i s . Fewo f the pioneers of the granite h i l l s ever t rod the eart h atthe base of the R igi

,bu t worsh i pped Go d and natu re

among the i r own field s and herd s. C lose by was the morepreten tious modern c i v i l i z ation ; the ou tgro wth of the ra i lroad and the cou rse of i n te l l igen t trave l attracted from all

parts o f the world . 1 seemed to be stand i ng on t he edgeof a great plan et, w i t h al l the marve l s, a i r, sky , and waterand l and spread o u t bel ow and around me. Then agai n Ifel t s uspended i n the atmosphere l i ke the fa i ry on the greatbi rd i n the Arabian N ights , when the snow-cl ad A l ps , o neh und red and twen ty m i les i n length

,bu rst u pon my as ton

ished gaze : the chai n began i n the far east, and grow i ng

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354 v iew e rs s un rom an -rs

food from th e Bal t ic,an d his l igh t from the petroleu m of

Penn sy l van ia.

The Val ley of A rth , th e Lake o f Zug, and i ts city fo rman el abora te and g l ow ing en try to the c i ty of Z u r ich .

L E T T E R L X V I I .

On Z urich ’s spi res, w i th rosy l ight,The mountains smi le at morn and eve,

And Z urich 's waters , blue and bright,The g lories of those bills recei ve.

”

THOMAS BUCHANAN Ram .

Z m ucn, July , 1878 .

A LTHOUGH i t was an i n ten sely t rop ical afternoon whenI came i n to Zu rich , yet I marked the absen ce of d ust andi n sects . Its posi t ion at the head of i ts l ake , bi sected as i ti s by several smal l streams and rivers, may be the an t idoteto the former pest, wh i l e it wou ld be on ly reasonable tosu ppose these very causes wou ld prove hotbed s of mosqu i tos and verm i n .Zuri ch is fasci n at i ng from i ts resemblance to Venice in

the color of sky and water toward su n set , and th i s i m press ion i s en hanced by the rosy haze that hangs from and

part ly vei l s t he d i stan t mou n ta i n s , and the express ion ofthe clear perspec t i ve of the r ush i ng l ake t ri bu tar i es

,that

seem d rift i ng far away to some d istan t ocean . Sti l l,t rans

fo rmed in to an al most I talian' lookiug c i ty by the influences of col or an d cl i mate , and by i ts b usy l i fe abou tthe quays, t he pre ponderance of German elemen ts weighsdown the w hole pl ace. There are the heavy

,gracel ess

l i nes of Teu tonic a rt , the b road awkward phys iq ue of thewomen

,the stol i d bear ing of the men . I ndeed , the bridges,

boats,publ ic i n st i tu tions, and mon umen ts all speak o f a

race of beer d ri n kers and sp ec consumers. Therei ndeed some modern sq uares, some gl i tter i ng shops , andother tran scr ipts of Paris ian prototypes

,but they are

sad hybr ids among the heavy crumbl i ng stones of theSwei tzer an t iqu i t ies.Even the v i l las bordering the water-edges seem to have

l ost the i r beau ty of ou tl i ne,be ing ne i ther F rench nor Ger»

or roamc a ras v an. 355

man ; yet here aga i n the wonde rfu l natu ral po ints o f graceand s ubl im i ty i n al l the v ic i nage fu l ly compensate fo r thede fects of h uman creat ion .

Sw i tz erl and lacks en ti re ly the pal at ial i n l and steame rso f t he U n i ted States. I ndeed

,from the Mersey to the

Med i terranean,no such su perb float ing hotel s are eve r

met as ad o rn ou r great American r i vers. B ut Sw i tzerland

,like Ven ice , i s a marve llous arch i tect of the gracefu l

smal le r craft wh ich p ly l i ke but te rfl ies up and down herna rrow streams.Zu rich be i ng a learned city—a c i ty of school s

,sem i na

r ies , soc iet ies , and l ibraries—i s al so a m us i cal c i ty , an devery even ing i n the Ton hal le

,a flue Open saloon on th e

lake , are excel len t con ce rts, and sometimes ba l l s , whe re allc lasses m i ngle . Seated arou nd l i tt l e tables , they eat ,d ri n k

,and decorously make merry , wh i l e ou t on the gl i t

tering star l i t water,h und reds of the more exc l us i ve res i

den ts o r trave l lers l i nger i n th e i r danci ng boats and enjoythe music of one of the fi nest orchestras I h ave met s i nceI left Pari s . Though o ur pos i t ion o n th e lake was sati sfactory

,by paying twel ve cen ts adm is s ion fee we changed

i t fo r a seat i n the temple‘

o f h armony,where the aud ience

was w hol ly gen teel,con s i st i ng fo r the most part o f trades

men and the i r fam i l ies enjoy ing w i ne and wal tzes i n t ruedomesti c fash ion . Un l i ke such am usemen ts i n A merica

,

these concert garden s partake of no featu re of the var ietyshow

,an d are therefore ever th e resort o f the refined .

Cu riously,th is tabernacle of E rato i s t ransfo rmed every

F riday i n to the scene o f a d i scordan t body by the sess ion so f the Z u rich E xchange o r Bou rse , where h und reds andthousand s of cotton deal ers

,s i l k man u factu rers

,ra i l way

k ings,and expatriated err-sove re igns, eagerly cong regate to

r isk thei r fortu nes u pon the tu rbu len t wate rs of barter,

here frequently most v iol en t ly agitated,espec ial ly among

the s i l k merchan ts . But the hal l o f mellifluo us caden cesw i l l no t l ong be deflled by the money-c hangers after thenew Bou rse i s completed

,now con struct i ng

,wh i ch is to be

no t on ly an impos i ng adornmen t to the ci ty , but an epi taphin stone to the generou s c i ti zen w ho bequeathed severa lm i l l ion s of francs as a tr ibu te o f grati t ude to the town i nwh ich he acc um u l ated h is fortu ne ; an d h i s grand gi ft paysfor the new exchange.Zu rich i s the cen tre of varied and confl i ct i ng theori es ,

and I was m uch su rpri sed to fi nd i n th is republ ican cen treso many sympath ize rs w i th mona rchy

,and to hear of a

356 moronss s un Poa'

raa rrs

success i on o f d i scrowned German noblemeu among i tshabilués. But d i st u rbe rs o f the peace , enem ies of k i ngsand m u rderers of royal ty

,l i ke Nobl i ng and his assoc i ates

,

make th i s a poi n t also of rendezvous and con ve rge nce.The commun i ty i s o f pronou nced sen timen ts and s trongattachmen ts to republ i can i n st i t u t ions ; and free speech i s themot to o f the l i ttle republ i c as i t is o f ou r greate r one . The

Z u rich ho tels are i nd i fferen t after enjoy ing the s upe riori tyo f t hose o f Lucerne . They are costly

,and wh i l e theBau r an

Lac may boast an u n r i val led pos i t ion at t he con fl uen ce o f

t he lake and the Limmat, w i th exten s i ve wooded ga rde n s ,t hat seem to float i n the st ream , the Bel l ev ue , on the Opposi te q uay

,adds poor fare and bad attendance to excess i ve

cha rges . Carr iage h i re i s double in republ i ca n Z u richwhat i t i s i n i m pe ri al Rome. The charm ing si m pl i c i ty ofthe be tter classes i s s hown by the i r w i l l i ngness to w a l k i nZ u rich , wh i le i n the sou thern and sleepy c i t ies of I talyeven the l azz aron i m us t r ide.I n the s ubu rbs o f Zu rich , u pon an elevat ion over l ook i n g

the ci ty and a noble stretc h o f cou n try , there i s a charm i ngresort. Weary merchan ts ri de ou t here i n s ummer afte rnoon s to d i ne u nder the shade of great trees , and travel l e rsl eave the c i ty wi thou t enj oy i ng one o f its greatest lux u r i esu n less t hey have

,as we had

,residen t fr ien ds to con d uct

t hem th i the r. Li tt le tables are spread on the brow of theh i l l i n the open ai r, and al l a rou nd the grounds are o l dl ad ies k n i tti ng , you ng ones read i ng , w i th the i r ch i l d renpl ay i ng at thei r si de or rock i ng i n the swings ; here andthere fam i ly pa rties d i n ing upon frugal cake and red w i n e.There was no id le cu rios i ty, as i s al ways the case w i th toomany o f the ho l l ow pretenders who i n fest the grea t hote ls ;no v u lgar s tar i ng crowds, and no wh ispered commen t. Nosooner does a stranger take a seat than he becomes one o f

th e domestic c i rcle at the low ly Beau Séjour ; h umble an du nosten tat ious i t was, bu t h ad i t been more ar istocra ticand costly, i t cou ld not have been mai n tai ned w i thou t theprese nce of, what i s ca l l e d at home, the fast cl ass . Herethe l igh t w ines and modest charges repress i n tox icat ion

,

and the meret r icious elemen t,even i f it were al l owed

,wou ld

not patron ize i ts p lai n domesti ci ty.

From th i s lofty seat the c i ty l ay compact and smoky ben eath ; great col umn s o f gray and wh i te steam i ssued fromthe ch imneys o f t he factories, wh i l e broad aven ues o f t reesgrad ua l ly i n s i n uated themse l ves th rough blocks o f ho u sesand o ld stree ts

,u n t i l al l c i rcumsc ri bed ci ty l i ne was dis

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358 r tcrc nz s as p roarw ‘

rs

ce rta i n ly no t to the adv ancement of mank ind tod i scove ri es presented as vagaries. Theadbare

facts may se rve as a basi s to sco res of roman ticparadox ical theo ries t rea ted i n a l i ke mann ernone other th an an ev i l in fl uenc e.Now , i n th i s m u seum , t

dwel l i ngs wh ich ex is ted in these ter ri toriesepoch s of stone

,bronze, and i ron , thousa nds

fore the bi rth o f Ch rist ; here a re the rel i cs offu l d iscovery of a people more o r l ess c i v i l i zedwate r val leys between the A l ps i n hous es, ore recte d u pon pi les d ri ven i n the bottom of the

In the w i n te r o f 1853were l ower than they hadLake Z u rich

,some wo rkm

waters to excavate ea rt hpose o f fi l l i ng i n add i t ional gar den spo

w h i le th us engaged they were aston i shedspades i n to what proved to be the tops o f mpi les , arranged i n cl usters and i n rows.

” Th isnote to the whole amazi n g re vel at ion .Before me were spread m i n iatu re model p

homes o f these an tique and myste riou s peoplep i l es d r i ven in the ea rly lake-beds

,u n t

the s low progress o f time they formed

u ponr ies before . TI

they wore, theic lo th i ng , an d the remaisecret of the u n ravel ledof c i t ies that were oldS trongest amon at the proofspeat formed unger th e wate r.q u i res to grow th i s substance hetel l noth i ng of the era of thei rstone and bronze, i s the one fac

i ncred u l i ty. Those who m igh tcan be so n o longer, afte r suchbad i n the p resence of pe r formed fac ts.Sc ience is qu iet ly assu m ing the

u n iverse, and p resen tly, that i s , i n

or two, there w ill be no m i le of skn o rood o f wate r, that wi l l n ot be probed by tthe astronomer

,the geologist, the geographer,

or roamun m a ven. 359

m ist , or the ex plorer . What a l l s uch processes w ill do,we can foretel l by w hat they have done. The ou tlook i svery i n te res ting , and we may fond ly hope that i f man hasen tered u pon so grand a career, he may improve h imsel f ashe impro ves the face of the worl d i n wh ich he l i ves.

L E T T E R L X V I I I .

The Temple bui lders, where are they IThe worshippers most passed awayW ho came the fi rst to o fl

'

er thereThe song o f praise, the heart o fprayer !Man ’s generation passes soonI t comes and changes l ike the moon .

He rears the perishable wal l ,But ere it crumble he h imself must fal l .

Ano s'

vmo us .

Sraasss uao , July, 1878.

SWI T Z ERLAND i s so small a cou n t ry i n compari son w i ththe rest of E u rope

,that despi te her beau t i fu l l akes

,great

mou n tai n s,and brave people

,one i s compel led to wonder

why she has not been ground to powder by the great nat ion sranged abou t her . So

,when I l eft Z u rich

,bidd i ng farewel l

to S w i tze rl and , fo r Constan ce, a German town i n the provi nce of Baden-Baden , i t was very l i ke leav i ng a v i l l age fo rthe broader s igh ts o f a vast c i ty .

There was the us ual array o f A l pi ne heigh ts and gl ensflush w i th the fragran t flowers of ru ra l rest un ti l we camei n s igh t of t he Rh i ne Fa l l s

,whose foam i ng flow varied the

German Sw iss pictu re . Th i s cata ract,a tame tran scri pt o f

the wh i te t hunders o f N iagara, 15 a cascade of greater vol

ume t han any other i n Eu rope . From the car w i ndow Icould enjoy i n q u iet d ign i ty the vol um i nous emux of th eu pper waters and the agi tati on o f the lower stream , as t heto r ren t afte r l eap i ng over th ree u n equa l ridges of rockpl u nged i n to i ts chan nel

,fermen t i ng the glassy green su rge

i n to a bro i l o f creamy froth , and rush i ng away down thetide i n a variegated foam . There were l i ttle skifis , d r ive naro u nd i n the wh i rl pool by the waves, that seemed abou t tobe r ifled of thei r h uman fre igh t, wh i l e n umerous ra i n bowsfo rmed above them i n arches of sp ray . Perhaps i t wou ldh ave been a proof of my own i n t rep id i ty had I r i sked

860 c ru s s s AND Pours a trs

my l i fe i n one o f these cook i e-shel l s th at I m igthe pav i l ion on the summ i t of the cen tra l rw h i rl be low

,or t raced the many footpaths

pl atform overhan gi ng the roari ngterraces and parapets near the sl u ices left and

l rel i nqu ished al l these del i gh ts i n favor of thememories o f a safe i ns ide s i t u ati on .

I do no t know if one may say he has seenmere ly rid ing th rough i ts streets and along i ts wI feel su re I saw as much of the m un i ci pal i tyhausen i n my desu l tory rambles as i f I hadsevera l weeks. I saw t hat i t retained al l theand none o f the beau t ies of i ts med ite val or igin.

i ngs were,w ithou t except ion

,ta l l an d flat

,w i

show iu

flo r id D utc h corn ices andin startl i ng places. Theyage , and seemed fa l l i ng to dclean ly ; and the fierce rayamong a l l th is moth-eaten

,r

exaggerated the deficienc iest he w i ndows and sh u tte rsasleep, and the atrocious statuary o f thebo ld ly forth i n h ideous ugl i ness.A boat that wou ld have been a d isgrace

nia cana l befo re rai l roads were d reamed o f

bl i ng, worm-ea ten wharf to carry us u p theLake Constan ce. I t was l i tt le l arger thanpassenger craft employed be twee n Harrisbu rgliamspo rt , bu t w i thou t a s i ngle con ven ience o f

toi se con veyances , wi th one exception : i t w as prsteam . F i rst an d second cl ass passengers werethe u pper and on ly deck

,and i ndeed

,

brought aboard at some of t he l ake statip ied a corner o f the same floor. Thereof r ude sl ats alternated w i th spaces , toccu pan ts wecare was notfo rated and v

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362 view ers AND Poa'raarrs

forests,that someth ing of an I tal i an gl amou r su rrou nded

me .I n Germany ! The buzz of the b road gu tt u ral ve rn a

c h lar,and the demands of c ustom-hou se officers to ex

am i ne baggage, told the poten t t ru th . By the t reaty o f

Presbu rg i n 16 05 Con stance was adj udged to Baden , an dw hen Germany was u n ified i n 1866 i ts own local sovereign ,together w i th al l the host of l i ttl e d ukes

,was swept away

by t he ste rn i ron arm o f B ismarck , and now Germany i sl i ke the Un i ted S tates

, one harmon ious people.We came i n to the harbor of th e Bay o f Con stance i n

the sweet even i ng,after ou r day of dam nabl e bast i ng on

the water, and as we nea red the long cu rved pier th e q ua i n to ld German ci ty lay ca lm ly beau ti fu l i n the opa l i n e glo ryo f the falling sun on the d i stan t snow peaks. The reflec

t ion on the mounds of ice,and thei r co lors d u pl i ca ted

agai nst the sky,ha d so ble nded cloud and mou n ta i n t h at

w here the c rys tal ri dges ended and the ethe rea l d omebegan was u tterly ind iseernihle. u n t i l as the s u n d i sappeareden t i re ly , the dark rocks d rew the i r own profi le aga i n s t theheavens .Early the n ex t morn i ng—Sunday—I was awakened by

a German m i l i tary band comi ng over the bridge , d i sco u rsing the march from Fatinitz a ;

” what w i th the trahscenden t music o f the brass i n strumen ts

,the h ush of the new

day , and the pe l l u ci d reverbation of sou nd as i t fel l on th ewater, the who l e prod uced an effect I shal l never ou tl i ve ,and wherever or whenever I hear the same strai n s aga i n

,

but one though t w il l be suggested , one code of even ts reprod uced—Con stance and i ts memories.The flou rish o f trum pets and beat of d rums mean t a

parade o f the Constance fi re br i gade. So I l ooked frommy wi n dow i n the warm Sabbath and saw i n the a r i dstreets bel ow a crowd an d d i spl ay very l i ke ou r o wn

pagean ts o f a sim i lar characte r,w i th th e one exce ptio n o f

the Su nday frol ic. Here aga i n we h ad Par i s. I had bee nso long am idst the rigid Cathol ic i sm o f ita ly , and so fu l lof the prov i ncia l i sm o f Sw i ss forests , that th i s satu rnal i awas very l i ke sac ri lege. The stree ts and broad squa reswere a l ive w i th m i l i tary melody and su rgi ng popu l ace, hu tshor tly after twe l ve o ’clock the revel l ers re ti red , sober,subd ued

, and sati sfied . There were no Swiss costumes i nthe th rong ; the odd d ress of the German bu rgher and hishomely w i fe i s grad ual ly assum i ng i ts au thor i ty , as i s theGerman s i l ve r mark . The Hel vetian coi n s and I tal ian l i ra

or reuni on ras van. 363

are no more,though the F rench f ranc has been w i th u s

from Pari s, i t too has d i sappeared and we are to learn a newmoney table o f marks, pfen n igs , flo rins , thal e rs , and k reu tz ers . I t seems only yesterday s i nce the F rench cu rrencyru led all now the h an d o f th i s powerfu l gove rnmen t overspreads i ts en tire domai n ; t he broad German mark and

t he ubiqu i tous sold ier v i nd icate the master i n te l lect thatdom i nate s the great state th rough al l i ts borders .The charac ter ist i cs of the German i n America are typi

ca l of them on the i r n ati ve heath . The Sunday noon be i ngfai 1 , the ra i l way carriages we 1 e fi l l ed by the bette r cl assestravel l i n g i n fam i ly pa 1 t ise on l i tt le pas toral jauu ts, aswel l as by th i rd class the same as the wo 1k i ng people. In

al l th i s broad exten t o f cou n try there was no t a beggar ;the poorest were cl ean and decorou s ; the h igher degreesrobed i n the Paris ian fash i on s ; bu t the re were manystrange u n i forms amongs t the peasan try . In the d i stric to f Homberg the women wore black petticoats

,scarle t

bod ices,broad-br immed straw hat, setti ng arou nd the face

l i ke a n i mbus,ornamen ted w i th black or red rosettes

wh i l e the men trudged by the i r s ides in b lack coats l i n edw ith cr i mson

,and very cu r iou s was the effect th ey pro

d uced ; as the su n wen t down on the gray h i l l s they shon el ike fi refl i es i n the deepen i ng shadows . Sunday as i t w as ,the fields were fu l l of l abore rs o f both sexes. Have I notsa id enough of t he way i n w h ich the females are bu rdene dhere ? With the hau l i n g, and mov i ng , and saw i n g, a ndbei ng harn essed wi th dogs and donkeys

,th ey are so un

sexed that a l l the h igher femi n i ne fac u l t ies and fasci nation sseem to have fa ded

,l eav i ng the an imal natu re paramoun t.

Yet we have been taught,and st i l l the re i s an effort afoot

to sustai n the doctr i ne,that al l connection w i th science

,

ph i l osophy , and logic, energizes the female m i nd beyond i tsc i rcu m scri bed l im i ts

,—once hav i ng d ri fted i n to the chan ne l

of t he d eeper arts t here i s an i rres isti ble u ndercu rren t tha tcarries he r ou t and out beyond her del icate stat us , andeven tual ly makes her v i r i l e

,prosa ic, and u n sen timen tal .

But wh ich is to make the most u tter devastat ion w i th thespi r i t u al an d carnal beau ty of woman , bru ti sh labor o r

mental exerci se ? True,the l atter may

,i n t i me

,dep rive

her cheek of some of i ts exqu i si te con tou r,or red uce the

bloom i ng flesh ti n ts to a tone less daz z l i ng, and the eyemay be restless i nstead of so il. and l us t rous ; bu t , the l igh tof i n tel lect s heds a g lor ious halo over a l l persona l de l ic icncies.

3M r tc‘

ruaes Aim mam a s

A ssu redly ,th i s practice o f ex t reme man ual labor must

acco un t fo r the absen ce of beau ty among the lower ordersof women i n Con t inen tal E u rope. I scan ned the c rowdscom i n g and goi ng i n the ca rs, and save t hat they wereclean , sobe r, and apparen tly happy, there was no t a comelywoman in the th rong. The men were far better look i ng asa c lass ; their fresh blonde compl ex ions and hai r, an d e rec tbeari ng

,rathe r i nd icated th at wh i le the women were reared

to wo rk the men were e ducated to war. I h ad ample o po

po rtunity to study the Ge rman faces an d phases, as t hereh ad been an i nd u st r i a l ex h i bi ti on at Tri be rg i n t h e veryheart of the B lack Fo res t, and here the peasan ts came i nd roves from thei r vario us l i t tle h am let-homes , where the i rl i ves are passe d i n maki ng watches and cl ocks, to be sen tfar out i n the g rea t world o f wh ich th ey know so l i t tle.O u r way th rough the Bl ac k Forest was marked by many

o f the i mpress i ve fea tu res of the borders of th e Med ite r

ranean or the A lt u n nel s, and th enl abor o f the fo resb wo rkers . Sweepi

and flinty mou n ta i n-ranges , flew bya bri l l ian t m i r ror. Yet i t was iheavy

,i m penetrable , and sto l i d G

or qual i ficat ion . Very l i ke th esou thern French o r I tal i an-Swi ssal l o f the i r i ndesc ri bablefasc i nation . The landscaThe t u n nel l i ng o f the B

i n rai l way sci ence. U n t i l

exte n t o f cou n tnotions faded beigh t co nsec ut ithe n i ne cont iniio i

ing joi n t ly by I tsrevel at ion o f thest upendou s worktreasu rescoal , and water m ingle w i th i nc red iblet u re and a long cata logue of d i versi fied manone h u nd red m i l es of t rave l there was a ser

‘carr i age-roads,br idges

,an d v iad ucts th at

other inmarvel lo us and rapid success ion .

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366 r l c'ruas s ann m arau rs

Engl i sh s i l ence and the prompt i tude o f o nbu t I remembered that Engl and is a very smal lpact k i ngdom , and t hat A merican ra i lways run il i n es w i th comparat i vely few branches

,wh i le the

o f Eu rope i s made complex by its various powd ia lects

,rel igion s

,cu stoms,

roads rece i ve and discharge e

and passengers.o f a h eav i ly l a den t rai n o f cosmopo l i tan tou ri samusi ng confl ic ts w i th th e Germa n Irelners,d rivers

,and hotel porters

,when they

,speak i ng

guage and the u nderl i ngs no t more than two,thei r quest ion s to he an swe red immed ia te lygen tly , whether appl ied i n T u rk ish ,nese

,Russian

,or J apanese , and then

tu rbu len t pass ion,wh i le the Teu ton

equan im i ty .

A t the h i stori c town o f Keh l—hal f an honbu rg—I saw for the fi rst t ime some o f the sewar of 1870 . Th i s was i nd eed Germany , ora French heart . Fo rtificat ions st retched al las the eye co u ld reach

,i n every d i rection

ci rc u la r project ing mou nds,and I cou ld

o f the advanci ng col umns o f the m ightydown u pon the F ren ch battal ion s.S t rasb u rg, the cap i tal o f A lsace and G

the headquarters o f the 15 th corps o f thGerman i n speech , German i n d ress , antyears German i n the customthorough ly French , heart and so n

Rue de Rivol i or the Fau bou rg SStrasbu rg i s a qua i n t c i ty of

red-t i led roofs, and a m i ng l i ngSw i ss arch i tec t u re. Ii mpressed me as bei ngi n the busi ness port ionwh ich were i n tended aappearance , and the d ust seemedhouses ; as was th e fact at the hotunexcellcd and the floors and fnrnra l a roma i n con trad ict ion of theo ’er a bank of v io lets .” There i s

or seamen raav s i. 367

are colored ye l low,or red

,or bl ue

,wh i l e m u l t i tud i nous

ch i m neys start o u t from the most i nconce i vable poi n ts inas g reat a d i versi ty of shapes as i n n umbers , an d facadesand caves are florid w i th wood carv i ngs. The bu i ld i n gcal l ed the O ld House i n Strasbu rg is h igh ly ornate w i thwooden sc u l ptu res , capi ta l s and caves

,and gab l ed roof

,

and very li ke an exal ted e di t i on o f a Sw iss chale t. I t i sthe oldest stand i ng ho use o f th e c i ty , and though i ts arch itectu re is wei rd i ts l ooks of prese rvat ion be l i e i ts yea rs.One can not speak of St ras bu rg and om it i ts Cathed ral

with i ts seven h u n d red yea rs of h i sto ry,i ts m i ng l ed arch i

te ctu re—Roma nesque and Goth ic,—i ts n umerous scu l p

tu res,i ts bea u t i fu l i n te r ior

,and -i ts d i zzy tower

,wh ich I

d id no t ascend ; I am ti red craw l i ng up and down crookedsta i rways to meet w i t h noth i ng but ach i ng l i mbs and un

req u i ted effo rts,and per i l my l i fe th rough the stone fre t

work o f the u pper tower. Nei ther d i d I look u pon theembalmed bod ies of a German P ri nce and h i s daugh ter, asI ha ve tasted ad nau seam of canon i zed sa i n ts and apothecsized s i n ners , dead priests ra ised to the empy rean

,and

su bl imated pr i n ce s.I tu rned away from all these attracti ve rem i n i scen ces of

d ist i l led carnal i ty i n to one o f the many cramped crookedstreet s

,and was su rpr ised at the vas t q uan tity o f sabots fo r

sal e at an h um b l e shop door. They were packed in b arre l sand t u bs , and heaped upon the sidewal k , where the peasan tswere pu rchasi ng t hem at th ree marks (seven ty-d ve cen ts )per pa i r ; one pai r wears two years . Heavy , awkward ,crue l , tortuous i n ven t ions, r ude r t han the rudest brogan s ,and con fess i ng

,as i t were

,the ex t reme dest i tu tion o f the

pro letaires . The poor toi lers w ho wear these barbarouswooden shoes were work ing on the h ighways , and d ifficu l tit was to d is t i ngu is h the sexes ; they looked l i ke p ictu reso f a feudal age.The cynosu re of Strasbu rg is th e barracks , wh ich con

stitu tes a series o f gi rd l es to the ci ty . O ne gate afte ranother, guarded by grim Teu tons , we passed ; one mou ntai n of earth after another we rode over, u n t i l I s u relythough t we m ust have passed the l i m i tation o f fo rt ifi cation

,

and s t i l l agai n and agai n the strong ou tworks loomed be foreme i n the J u ly tw i l ight. Th i rteen ridges o f defence , fou rand fi ve m i les from the town , proved no t on ly what theF rench had constructed to dehar the German s

,and bu i l t

iu' va i n,bu t wh at the German s have si nce e rected as a pro

tect ion shou ld the F re nch attempt to step in and renew

368 mor on s a sp murmu r s

the dan ce wh ich they so i m pu l sively opened e ig h t yea rsagfl‘

he d river of the back was a thorough A lsa t ian , and th evol u b i l i ty o f h i s German con firmed the s i ncer i ty of h isF rench affect ion s. He poi n ted ou t the ex tens ive m i l i tarybarracks of the vari ous d i v i s ions o f th e Ge rman army corpsnow quarte red at Strasbu rg ; the capt ured ammu n i tionand valuabl e bronzes, rel ics o f th e conq uests o f NapoleonI . ; des ignated the portion s of the ci ty destroyed by the res istless German s i n thei r te rr ific bombardmen t fo r fi ve daysi n A ugust of 1870 . There seemed enough co n fi scated firea rms and ba lls to make wa r on the un i verse , and as thep oor fel low l oo ked at these v icto rious troph ies of the co nq uero rs , be rel ated h i s sto ry w i th al l the gestu res of a nexc i ted Pa ri sian , and not w i th the stol id auste ri ty of thev ic to rs. He had con v i nced h imse l f th at th e F rench empi rewas the on ly govern men t fo r the work i ng classes , and Iwas impressed w i th the con tras t between th i s plebe i an Im

pe rialis t and the qu iet , strong d ign i ty of the office r i ncommand of the fortification s

,i nd icati ve, as i t were , o f th e

d i ffe ren ce between the volat i l e gasc on ade o f the A l sat ia nand the s i len t power o f th e German .

A s we crossed the great b r idge o f boats over the Rh i n ewe we re greeted by a swarm o f mosqu i tos that boa rded u sw i th sp i tefu l u nan im i ty

,v i v id ly recal l i ng home. We fled

from the assa u l t i n honest terror , but w hen we re ente redthe c i ty ou r my ria d enem ies had re t reated they Se emed tocon fi ne themsel ves to the r i ver prec i ncts.

L E T T E R L X I X .

No ise less ( ‘arlsruhe, grave o f Ducal pt idc lW hos e s i len t l i fe is speech less books.

The dai ly haven o f the truant bride,Or evening shelter of the noisy ro c ks .

Ax onvno us.

Caat samm , J 0 1y, 1878.

IN pass i n g from th e mou n tai n s , glaciers, and lakes ofSw i tz erland , I m iss the congen ial c l imate , w i ld p ict u res ,and qua i n t d ress o f the peasan t-women , w ith the wh i te ribbons wou nd i n th e plai ts o f the i r brown hai r ; but i n Ge rmany I have foun d excess i ve heat, fl ies , and mosqu itos ,

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370 i ncr eas e AND roars anrs

from wh ich the town rad iates fan-shaded . The u proot i ngo f the host of smal le r em pi res by wh ich Germany was overru n has proven immen se ly advan tageous to the com fort ofthe masses.Carl sruhe seems more a town of wealthy bu rghe rs and

studen ts than of man ufactu res . I t is clean , an d has a domeati c ai r no t found i n any of the Sw iss-German c i t ies . I ti s a ci ty o f art school s , l i b rar ies, and a vast poly tec h n ic

,

w ith seven h u nd red studen ts . What labo rers I saw seemedto be work i ng le i su rely on expens i ve new houses ; the re isa calm

,sl eepy, pu lse less i ndo lence i n the p lac e th at in v i tes

repose,yet the i nst i t u t ion s o f l earn i ng i nd i cate excep tional

p rospe ri ty . These attract ion s and arch i tectu ra l wonderso f harmony and sty le l oud ly procl aim the d i fferen ce between the s im pl i ci ty o f rep u bl i cs and the ex t ravagance o fmonarehies. The American c i ty passenger cars th at passmy w indow

,the happy ch i ld ren o n the i r way to school

,wi th

t heir sh i n i ng,mo rn i ng faces ,—carry i ng the same desc rip

t ion o f satchel we see at home, and wh istl i ng the same ai rswe hear the re—an d the wel l-d ressed wayfarers reca l l keen lys im i lar s igh ts i n Ph i l ade l ph i a. There i s l ess character i nd ress and habi ts here th an i n I taly o r Swi tzerlan d

,yet

h uman costumes and customs are very muc h al i ke e verywhere. Germany d ifl

’

ers from France,as Be rks Co un ty

d i ffe rs from Ph i l a del ph i a ; as , i ndeed , plai n people d i fferfrom pol i sh ed ones ; yet for a l l th i s d i spari ty the re i s infini te grandeu r in the palaces and parks of the o ld d i smant led nob i l i ty , and i n the great pu b l i c ed i fices t hey erectedwhen they were lords and maste rs of the m u l ti p l ic i ty o f

German d uch ies and town s .The es ta tes of the presen t G rand D uke, that i s the pa lace

and parks,may be said to occu py the acropo l i s or ce n t ral

poi n t o f a d istr ic t from wh ich the c i ty d i verges i n fron t,

wh i le th e h u n t i ng-grounds of Hardwald spread c u t . to therear. The castle and i ts appendages—d i n i ng ,

banqueting ,a nd reception h al l s ,—sumptuously appoi n ted , form a semic i rc l e

,w i th the stables on th e east and the cou rt theat re on

the r igh t, wh ich i s st i l l u sed for public am usemen ts. Herei s an other o f those mon umen ts o f rega l fol ly i n a tow n o fl i m i ted popu l at ion

,w i th a h igh ly fi n ished exte rio r ; t he

ped imen t con ta i n i ng re l iefs of Goeth e,Sch ill e r, Moza rt,

Beethoven , and G l uek , wh i l e the i n te rior i s on ly a repetit ion of al l those h igh ly embel l i sh ed p ubl ic structu res an

abu ndan t on the Con ti nen t. The palace garden s are asexqu i s i te in foun tai n s , s tatues , gay flower-plots, palm

or roamen Taav z t . 371

d oran geries as a fresh ly pa i n ted scene i n a g lowThe flag was fly i ng from the t u rret to i nd icatepresen ce ; a detachmen t o f German so ld iers wasn gate as we en te red , and the sove re ign ’s t h reeervants at the i r many vocations , yet w i th a l l

there was a p ronou nced a i r of i ndolence abou t the palaceas we saun tered th rough the hal l s a nd art gal lery enjoy i ngt he gems of the modern German school . M ost of the pai n tings a re from th e penci l of the former and presen t d i rectorof the Carl sru he Academy

,though there are some few by

the older D utch art i s ts,Jan Steen and Rembrand t. Bu t

Oarlsruhe be i ng an art c i ty w i th an art quarter, and agalax y of s t ud ios gathe red i n on e co rner of the town , pa tro niz es and en cou rages pr i nci pa l ly the modern school andthe ri s i ng aspi rants . Rhen ish art i s progress i ng rapid lynow i n al l the larger German ci t ies

,as we not i ce i n the a r

chitec ture as wel l as i n pai n t i ng.

M i l i ta ry guards were stat ioned al l abou t th e vast palacegrounds

,st i l l there were no sign s of act i v i ty

,no gues ts ,

and no ev idence s of a fam i ly . A t length I came across oneo f the young scions of the nobl e house pl ay i ng w i t h a ba l lon a back porch , yet playi ng i n a restra i ned way, as i f h ehad been i mbued

,by long an d th orough i n st ruct ion . w i th

the thoug h t that to s u rrender h imsel f to h is impu lses andspo rti ve des i res wou ld be to deg rade h i s d ign i ty ; and so

the boy grows u p never to know what t rue, bl i the, heed less ,u nam b i tious ch i ld hood i s ; ch i ld hood w it h m ud and m i re

,

tched breeches and tops , scu ffed boots and scarred hand s .

he absence o f a l l l i fe and h i la r ity seemed to be the normalcond i t ion o f the regal home ; yet there were other ev idenceso f h igh and l u xu rious l i v i ng i n the presence of the papercapped French chef and h i s corps. As the son-in-l aw o f

t he Empe ror of Germany , and th e descendan t of the GrandD ukes of Baden , he is perhaps en t i tl ed to except i onal adv antages, but the v is i t made rather a sad impress ion .

Here was the th rone-room o f the Kai ser,when he came to

h i s daugh ter ’s palace,w i th a su i te o f l u x u r ious apartments ,

yet all d eserted and s i l en t , wai ti ng as i t were fo r the v i s i ttha t is no t paid bu t once a year. The Duke is fo rt u nate i nh is n ear re lat i on to the re ign i ng fam i ly o f the empi re

,and

in h i s fidel i ty to the German cause wh ich made i ts manyprin ci pal i ti es o ne i n the struggl e twel ve years ago . O the rsfled to the s ide o f A ust r ia

,o r fa l te red

,and su ffered i n con

sequence o f the i r defect ion,but th e Grand Duke of Badc u

rerea ined true, and is now rewarded by the con fidence ofh is king and the love o f h is people.

372 moron s A ND Pos rau rs

What w i th h is ser van ts , and h und red carriages , andeighty horses, and con ti ngen t of i n v i ted gues ts , the D ukem ust spen d every year a la rge fortu ne. When we reflecthow many such es tab l i sh men ts exist th roughou t the Cont inen t an d the Bri tis h I sles

,do we longer doubt the re is j us

t i ce i n the wai l o f those who demand a red i str i bu tion ofthe accum ulated weal th of the worl d ?

L E T T E R L X X .

A blended glory spread aroundThe workshop o f impe rial mindGoethe has made it holy ground ,

And Lu ther sacred to mankind .

Axosm ou s.

Fam xroar -oa hiam , Ju ly , 1878.

One route from Carlsruhe to Fran kfort carried us th rougha cou n try closely connected w i th the h i sto ry of A meri cani ndependence . A nd though Heidel be rg was the fi rst andch ief featu re

,the Gran d D uchy of Hesse holds a dearer

pl ace i n the heart o f my nation . They are both pregn an tof h i story. Heide l berg t h rough i ts i l l ust rious u n i ve rs i ty ;Darmstad t

,capi tal of Hesse , has a d ifferen t claim u pon ou r

regard : the one has gi ven u s great scho l ars , l i gh ts to science and art ; the othe r sustai ned an equ ivocal rel at ion tothe A merican struggl e fo r equal i ty and i ndependence.Heide l berg i s no l onger an excl us i ve n u rsery of savants

i t has been modern ized by a brisk commerce,and has l ost

m uch o f i ts p rec ious l i terary character. The aged dust o fcen tu r i ed learn i ng has been swept away by the besom oft rade

,the clouds of golden lore have evaporated

,m usty

professors have been pushed as ide by bustl ing merchan ts.an d the odor of books has been repl aced by the variety ofother man u factu res. The U n ivers ity, though still enjoy i ngan attendan ce of seven h undred students, i s bereft of i tsformer prest ige. The cast le

,a mon umen t o f the th i rteen th

cen tu ry , i s l ike Ken i l worth , a vast r u i n ; hav i ng been theprey of vandal hordes for fi ve h u ndred years , the v i ct i m o f

great fi res, and fi nal ly the target of the l igh tn i ng bolt.The studen t reads i n i t th e pro gress o f the feuda l ages

,and

i n i ts i vy-h ung remains con t rasts the eternal rejuvcnescence

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374 excr uas s AND Poarau r s

so much athese very Hess ian s , and thethem , ou r coun try rece i ved the fou ndmost usefu l fam i l ies. Penn sy l vani a wforced by th is elemen t.W ith such reflect ion s I came in to

long and bri l l i an t record as one of thGerman confederat ion . I t dates frommagne

,and the atmosphere of weal th and d ign i ty wh ich

pe rvades i t i s no t o nly an i nd icat ion of i ts commerc ia l importance , bu t o f i ts lo ng con t i n ued fi nancial ascendancyand pol i t ica l i ndependen ce . The i nfl uences th at madeFrank fort w hat i t i s

,are patriotism

,weal th

,i ndus try

,

energy,and commerce.

Frankfort i s a royal garri son town set in a broad pla ini n the very heart o f the Taun us range, that seems to closeover i t

,and at the same ti me a ffords a m u lt i tude o f l ea fy re

treats w here the rich Fran kforte rs pass thei r s ummers . The

c i ty proper l ies on the righ t bank o f the Main ; o n the l efti s i ts subu rb , that seems i n habi ted by qu i te another commun i ty . Whi le the s t reets i n the old po rt ion o f the townare crooked , narrow, dark , and d i rty , those in the n ewe rsections a re broad

,w i th an ex pression o f pe rspecti ve

,

fla nked by handsome st ructu res , flori d w i th the art o f theRena i ssance , odorou s and i n v i t i ng by the many ope nsq uares plan ted w i th t rees

,where the w inds from the

bleak heigh ts o f the Tau n us rustl e among t lbeauti fu l sh adowed aven ues , where the belc i ty sau n ter o r l i ngercl osely resembl i ng i n fwomen at home. Theythe fast F renchwomenRemoved from the oldt he i r s tor i ed p rec i n cts

,

c ial wharves , i s t hescu l ptu re

,col um ns

and extravagan t houses ,fore ign embassies . I t i saway from al l that tells u s o f Guttenbor the Rothsch i l ds.F rankfort has many stri k i ng attraction s

, so

wo rthy o f a fa r m e rs preten tious c i ty . NextOpera House

,the F rankforter Ho f

,a hotel o f

tions,i s the boldes t example . The 0 1

w i th ancien t sto ry and renown . The ' l

o r ros s ton raav s t . 375

orig i nal Roth sc h i lds was bo rn and l i ved , w i th i ts h igh stepsand flat awkward facade , oppos i te an open platz , where thesquare-h i pped women sold w i l ted vegetabl es i n the tw i l igh tas l rode by , bad a tongue for every stone , te l l i ng tales oft he fou nder of the great Hebrew house of Mammon ; the

p rin ces who dea l w i th empi res and k i ngs as i f they were somany figures on the g reat pol i tica l chessboard . I wass hown the house , 148 J udenst rasse , i n wh ich the progen i toro f the go ldc o ining race l i ved , i n the days when the Jewsw ere closed w i th i n thei r own sq ual id pu rl ie u s every even i nga t e igh t o ’

,clock and th roughou t t he en tire Sabbath and

h ol idays were not al l owe d to ven tu re abou t the c i ty u nde rp enal ty of a heavy fine. Th is nefarious custom prev ai l edu n ti l the presen t cen tu ry i n the free ci ty of Fran kfort

,and

n o w the Rot hsch i lds , who once were prisoners i n thei r ownc i ty , no t on ly w ield sovere ign power w i th thei r m i l l ion sa nd bi l l ion s

,bu t occupy the i r place i n par l i amen ts, wh i le

t hei r sons and daugh ters are glad ly wel comed i n marriagew i th the noblest fam i l ies . Protestan t sen t imen ts hold dom i n ion i n F rankfort

,but the g reat n umber of res ident He

brews is read i ly seen by a v i s i t to any of the pu bl ic reso rts,

where they compose the bette r part o f t he attendance .

Th is proscr i bed race now ran k amongs t the best m usician s,

au thors , pai n te rs , orators, s ta te smen , h i storians, sc ien t i s ts ,nd ph i losophe rs

,no t on ly i n these Teu ton i c d is t r icts

,but

a l l over E u rope .

In t his same tu mbled own , u nswept , and u ngarn ishedquarte r are memen tos o f greater ones than the lo rd lymoney-changers. Opposi te the northeas t corner o f the oldcathedral s tands an archai c sl a te-covered hou se

,bear ing a

grotesque marble efllgy and a Lati n i n sc ri pt ion u pon it s face.From a w indow in th i s an t i que st ructu re the ce lebrated t e

ligio us reformer add ressed the m u l tit udes on h i s way toWorms

,and from the w i ndow st i l l looks the face o fMart i n

Lu ther i n a l l i ts q uai n t and l ud i c rou s ston i ness . The hou sew here the poet Goethe was ho rn i s more o f an obj ect o f att racti on than the s u perb colossa l mon umen t

,w i th its a l l e

go rical rel iefs and its ch aste i l l u strat ion s o f h i s poems , to h i s

glo ry , i n the plats adjo i n i ng the Ro ssmarket, where i s themass i ve cenotaph of G u tten be rg

,hold i ng h i s types and su r

ro u nded by statues of other mas te rs of the a rt prese rvat i veo f a l l arts . Here then were the fou r mon arch s of thei r dayand ti me ; Roth sch i lds, the father of the money k i ngs Ln

ther,father o f Protestan t refo rm ; Goethe , the father of

poetic philoso phy ; . and Gutten berg, the i n ven tor o f thea rt o f pr i n ti ng.

376 Pi cruaas AND Poaraarrs

These mon umen ts and thei r penden t h i sto r i cal i n cid entssuggested many pleasan t reflec tion s , but my v is i t to theRomerherg and i ts market place i n fron t , and i ts col l ec t ionof w retched portra i ts i n t he kaisersalle , was a d ismal d isenchan tment . I th readed my way th rough many d i rtystreets u n t i l I came to a great Open , d usty , rusty

,moth

ea ten square an d an equal ly decay i ng temple,wh ich had

lofty gables and broad doorways stand ing open . I en te redt he gapi ng vest ibu l e o r arcades

,—al l damp and dark and

grimy . A t fi rst I though t i t the ren dezvous of rats , an dimag i ned lizards

‘

an d loathsome i n sects play i ng i n an d ou tthe ch i nks o f the pavement and wal l s after n igh t fa l l . Iascended a broad sta i r to my righ t and en tered the kaisersalle o r gal l ery of emperors

, on the fi rs t floor. The po rtra i ts from the day o f Char lemagne are wi thou t except i onhad , yet prec ious to the m i nd , as every i nd i v id ual w ho en

tered that sa loon was watched by two German women as i feach w as a famous professional th ief. No one was all owedto make h i s ex i t u n ti l h e h ad contr i bu ted someth ing to th esu pport of th e sen t i nel s o f these travesties o f the -ea rlyGerman ru lers . The strategy w as on ly another vers ion ofthe spider and the fly story . The Romerberg i s the market pl ace of every publ i c rejoic i ng , and another of theformer prescr i bed prec i ncts o f the Jews .Bu t there i s one rea l work of art here, the i n spi ration of

gen i us,—the group of A ri adne on the Pan ther.” Th i s

chaste and art i st i c fancy of B an neker i s shown i n an a l coveo f M r. Be thman

’s m useum . That gen tl eman pu rchased i t

for the sum of twen ty thousand flo riu s, and preserves i t andseveral lesser casts and carv i ngs i n an add i tion to h i s ownresid ence . The cr im son d rapery o f the tabe rnacle wasd rawn as ide by an o ld servan t o f the hou se

,and the famous

grou p appeared l i ke a frozen poem i n a sort o f transcendentgolden l igh t

,o rfata morgana , th at en veloped it and floated

abou t i t,yet every l i ne and c u rve o f the marb le shone as

d ist i n ctly as i f i t we re cu t i n th e strange ambe r glare. I thad al l the glow o f l i fe , and as the figu re revol ved u pon the

p i vot o f the ped imen t I imagined I cou ld see th e s i news ofthe l imbs con tract and rel ax , and the flesh qu i ve r. Theeasy and mobile pose of th e figu re , the gracefu l l ines , thealmost sent ien t stone, the doub le poetry of l ife and bea u ty ,the varied phases o f ex pression , prove not alone the idea l i smof the art ist

, but t he grow i ng i n fl uence o f h i s work . I t has

the grea t and end u r i ng v i rt ue that even the most ce l ebratedconceptions of ou r modern art i sts lack

,-it i s no t too la rge

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378 c r ux es AND Po a'

rau rs

r i fe w i th the subtl eties of frangi pan n i, ylang

o

ylang, ormusk .

There are great hotels,parks w here the l ad ies su n them

sel ves after thermal bat hs , and sweet, secl uded wal ks overan i ron port ico to t he Tri nkhal le

,and Cursaal grou n ds

g l ow i ng i n floweri ng parterres,t hat are apt to chase away

al l mo rbi d o r i mmo ra l re flection s ; yet I can not hel p thecon v iction t hat the re i s st il l a substratum o f the o ld soc i alco mposi te u nderly i ng the presen t qu iet afl

'

ec tat ion of convalescence.

Sti l l there a re many beau ti fu l v i l las bordering the town,

and excu rs ion s to the adjacen t heigh ts of Son nen be rg,Neroberg, and the P lat te ; or to the san i tary bath s an dwaters o f Sch langen bad and Sch walbach , both ly ing in

green val leys noted fo r t hei r med i c i na l an d cu rati ve p ro

perties . The ai r at all o f these hea l t h spas i s clear and iav igo rating, though s i t uate d i n d ales r i ch ly wooded ; an dthe brid l e and carr iage paths of the moun ta in s afi

’

o rd ra rev iews o f the Rh i ne and Ma i n , and the su rround ing coun t ry ,as we r i se and fal l w i th t h e und u l ation s of the road ; no wi n a n arrow val l ey w i th com fort an d plen ty about u s ; an dthen on the h i l l to p, where the v i n es are tra i ned to the s nmuni t

,and the road cu t th rough the fru i tfu l v i neyard

,he ld a t

figu res that wou ld appear enough to pu rchase the r i ch ac resthemsel ves.The r ide from Frankfort to W iesbaden i s a short jou r

ney o f an hou r an d a qua rter,th rough a d istrict l i tera l l y

bu rs t i ng w i th the varied weal th o f a bo unteo ns and bou n t il’u l natu re. The ra i l way i s one o f t he o ldest i n Germa ny

,

and i ts branches are n umerou s, reach i ng many h i s tor i ctown s and Roman settlemen ts i n the time o f the Caesars .A good story i s afloat of General an d M rs. G ran t wh i l e atI lomberg, the most popu l a r wateri ng-pl ace i n the Rh i nel and . There are many remai n s o f the Roman occupationbefore the Ch rist ian era ; on a wooded he igh t abou t o neand th ree-fou rth s m i les from the reso rt there i s what on cewas an archaic cemetery . A n umber o f tombs were excavated in the p resence o f the ex Pres iden t , and t he u rn scon ta i n in g the h uman ash es found i n excel len t prese rvapt ion ; the Roman coi n placed on the lid o f the bu rial vaseaccord i ng to Pagan custo m , to pass the body of the deceased over th e r i ver S tyx , sti l l remained , and as the e :h umer handed i t to General G ran t , he qu ietly remarked toh i s friend , Genera l Badean ,

’l hey are ev i den tly not tak

i ng to l l down there now .

"

o r roa s te r: r as v an. 379

Many am usi ng paragraph s are told o f the sold ier-P res id en t ’s v is i t to E urope . He has been h igh ly and cons tan t lyhonored. Ki ngs

,cou rts

,parl i aments , and great commu n i

t ies have been spon tan eous in the i r t r i bu tes, yet th roughthem al l he has rema i ned the same u naffected an d unobt ru

s i ve repub l ican . H is reticen ce has been at t i mes pai n fu li n the m idst o f noisy speeches , h igh-flown compl i men ts , andthe blazon of pagean try. I t has even gi ven offence tothose who expec ted some demonstrat ion i n retu rn fo rthei r lo ud welcome .

In pass i ng from the red w i nes o f Sou t he rn Fran ce andI taly to the wh i te w i nes o f the Rh i ne and Mosel le , there i sas great a d i fferen ce i n the growth and trai n i ng of thev i nes as there i s i n the j u i ce they y ie ld . la the Hockhe imer d istr ict

,where the ce lebrated spark l i ng hook i s

man u fact u red,the v i ne i s grown on tall arbors more close ly

resembl i ng the American p lan t ; and so val uable is th i s part ic ular species that w hen the rai l road was su rveyed th roughthe section

,the con tractors agreed to pay over two dol l ars

and a quarter for each v i ne removed o r des troyed d u r i ngthe necessary excavations Th is was ove r forty yea rsago to—day the w i ne ranks among the fi nest growths of theRh i ne . So Wiesbaden i s a p rosperous , e legan t town , andthe cen tre o f a reg ion o f su rpass i ng ferti l i ty an d love l i nes s .The cl i mate i s mo re pe rfect—that i s , more hea l thfu l—th ant he sou thern cou n t r ies , bu t i t has noth i ng o f the feveri sh

,

i n tox icati ng i nfl uence of the regions bo rder i ng the M ed iterranean and I on ian wate rs. Here we have an atmosphere that energi zes and nerves the n ati ves to l abor ; sou th ,t he wor ld-famed sal ubri ty enervates an d renders s loth fu lno t on ly the sons of the so il but al l w ho l i nger w i th in i tsshadow .

Here orchards,v i neyards , and m ineral spri ngs are th e

gi fts of generous natu re , wh i le w ide and sweepi ng road s ,wh i te a nd gl i tteri ng palaces

,an d ran ks of gigan tic b road

spread t rees enc i rcl i ng green squares,rad i an t flower

patches,and silvery foun ta i n s are the ach ievemen ts of

man.

Everywhere one may t u rn i n W iesbaden there i s l avis hproof o f the gambler ’s l i beral i ty . Befo re the Empero r W il

l iam cl osed them o u t they had al ready beaut ified the l i tt leGerman resort i n many ways , and t he mon umen ts o f th e i raffl uence are not on ly preserved

, but supplemen ted by theci ty w i th new sp lendoI n the grand ha l l o f the Curassl the re are i nstrumen tal

380 " creat e an : ronm rr s

c once rt s every Friday, and danc ing every Saturday. Bu t

t he park adjo i ning the l ong bu i ld i ng i s a much mo re pope »

lar rendezv ou s than the conversa tio n hall. I walked amongits gay parte rres in the da rkness o f n igh t, w it h noth ing bu tthe grou ps of lam ps along the lake margi n and the twinkl ing sta rs overhead to l igh t up the gl i sten ing wate rs , wherethe wh i te swan s padd l ed and floated l i ke animated snow»d rifts, an d the complete com b i nat i on s o f flo ric u lt u re rosei n mou nd s of bloom . The sk ill d isplayed i n weaving the

flowers by the sc ient ifi c process of sow ing the seed i n part icu lar dev ices has been red u ced to the e legance of wr i t tencha rac te rs ; and as I pas sed away from the perfumed al l ey sthe stra i n s of the del ic iou s mus i c i n the adjacen t bu i l d i ngcame floati ng th rough the p in es and dropped i n to the

water l i ke th e melod ious t i n kle o f l iqu id bel l s. I cro ssedthe way , and u nder the shadow o f the l au rel and ol ean de r,i n l arge green tube that stand cl ose to the w i ndows of theg reat hotel s, I watched the pedest rian s. Where we re theyall goi ng ? Very few femal es , but battali on s o f male strag

glers fash i on ed after th e model I have al read y pres ented .

Through a bea u t ifu l valley i n the fu ll fl ush o f t he summe rafte rnoon I sough t the G reek chapel. I t i s m idway up theNero berg. and we rod e th ro ugh v i n eyards , wi th here an dthere a l i tt le grou p of w h i te cottages, l i ke a flock ofdoves nestl ed i n a dale between the h i l ls

,mak i ng a minias

t u re wor l d and commun i ty o f i ts own. Then u pon the

summ i t of an e levation,over w h ich the ri pe fru i t clambered

i n riotous con fus ion,stoo d a spacious stone man s ion , t he

home o f the pri nce ly owner o f the r ich l an ds i t overl ooked .

I t was ve ry regal and excl us i ve in i ts majestic sol i tud e,

bu t i t seemed col d and iso lated at i ts he ight, wh i le t h ec l u ste r o f h umble homes below shone i n the warm th ofhappy domest ic i ty .

The chapel , erected by theD uke o fNassau i n commemo rati on of h i s M uscov i te w i fe

,co n ta i n i ng her mausoleum ,

s tand s al one u pon a smooth ly-s haven mound . I n the fo rmo f a Greek cross , i t i s su rmou n ted by fi ve mosque domes o rm i naret towe rs , spark l i ng i n golden con trast to the pa l l i dfacade. The i n terior i s dazz l i ng w i th deco ration s and ther ich stufi

‘

s o f Wh i te Russ ia. The floors,wal ls

,and ceil ings

o f pure wh i te marbl e gl ow i n stained gl ass and preciou sstones, en ame l led screen s from the nat i ve home of thed uch ess, and i n a recess rec l i n es the fu l l-l ength mon umental figu re o f the pr i n cess he rse l f. Upon ei ther s ide of thesa rcophagus are statuettes o f the twelve a post les , and at

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382 p rcruas s AND Poursarrs

fores ts , i s another proof th at , u n ti l the consol idat i on o f

Germany , he was the good shepherd o f al l t h i s d i s t r ic t ; hegave m uch and when ex patri ated he l eft m uch , as i f toshow that even i n h i s ban i sh men t he des i red to be remembe red i n h i s sol i tary gardens and v acan t pa laces . The

terraces of the long barracks of bu i ld i n gs overlook theRh i ne, wh i le fo r a m i l e rea rward a wel l-kept pa rk gro w si n to a mammoth p ict u re

,w i th i ts majesti c timbe r and

den se fol iage l igh ted u p by glow i ng dower-beds, w heresmooth walks and d r i ves d i sse ct wel l-shaven l awns

,m u r

mu ron s w i t h the s i l ver harmony o f cascad es and foun tai n s,

and spark l i ng w i th the gl i s ten of marbl es . And these,

w i th the i n terior beau ti es of the mansion , a re left a lone togl adden the sen ses of strangers

,i n care of the se rvants an d

workmen reta i ned by the l u x u rious ex i le.The day, that had been cool and rayless as we rod e

th rough the sweet chestn u t groves,had settl ed in to a d u l l

,

d isagreeable d rizzl e as we cou rsed u p the Rh ine . Perh apsthe d i smal atmosphere exerc i sed a pronou nced i nfl uence i nd isenchan ti ng me w i th the h i s toried wate r ; o r

,perh aps

,

my expectation s had swol len u n reason ably w i th the ebu llit ion o f my fancy ; bu t the aft e rnoon was bad , the wate rsblack

,and the expected beau ty van ished . I looked i n vai n

for the sapph i re b l ue i n the stream over wh ich I sai l ed ;but

,al as ! I d i scove red no to ne or shade that I m igh t e t he

rea l i ze i n even my w i ldest fl igh ts of imagi nat ion . Thewaters we re no t on ly da rk w i th storm , bu t had a gray and

g rimy tone , as if fu l l o f al l u vi um , or a moun ta i n depos i tconstan tly d ri ft i ng down from the Sw i ss A lps , bo rne i n thetor ren ts from St. Gothard ’s

,or car ried i n the wake of the

Rheinwald g laci e rs.There i s no beau ty of flow no r majesty of vol ume to l en d

d ign i ty to the stream . Str i p i t of i ts l ege nds,it s r u i n s

stand i ng o n every side l ike grim skel eton s o f faded glo ry ,it s u nequal led v i nes o f Rhei ngau , i ts fo rests o f N eiderwald ,i ts castl ed c rags o f D rac lwnlb ls , and we wou ld have noth i ngbu t a very con tracted , s l ugg i s h cu rren t , c raw l i ng l ike ato rpi d serpen t th rough a co u n try real ly t ropica l i n i ts profuse growth o f the grape . The r i ve r seems as i f i t hadd r un k i tse l f stu pid w i th the j u ice of the sed uct i ve v i ne.The cou rse o f the iron road fol lows the wate r’s edge on

either s ide ; no w and then we see the great mec han i ca l fie ryho rse van i sh i n to what I at fi rst supposed to be the rema i nso f some regal home of the cen tu ries ,—o f wh ich ou ly a Got h ica rch and a few towers remai ned ,—and , be i ng lost to us fo r

or cosmo s ras van. 883

a few seconds , emerge on the oppos i te s ide , and a fter pas sing a success ion of t hese pre tty cathed ra l domes and tu rre ts

,I d i scovered they were the en t rances and ex i ts to the

t un nel s th rough moun ta i n s j u tti ng i n to the wate r. Theya re fres h and ornate w i th a v as t deal of arch i tectu re, andseem a fi tt i ng pl ace of worsh i p fo r the l im i ted popu lationo f the w ine d i str ict. One l i t tl e town after anot her studsthe shore l ike w hite do ts upon a green and golden s u rface ;-ham lets o f 600 to 1000 v iue~gro weis and w i ne-makers . Yetthe homes o f the h umb le and th e con ti n u i ty o f the sma l lt racts i n wh ich the precious and cost ly Rh i ne w i ne i s grown

,

seemed scarcely more frequen t than the great estates of theGerman nob il i ty

,—a l ternate ly decayi ng and b l ossom i ng.

The boats are pleasan t ,—when I say pleasan t, I do notmean that they approach the fresh-water steamers o f America

,but an improvemen t on the transport that brought me

from Schatl'

hausen to Con stance. The t ravel le rs o f th ebest cl ass German s

,largely i n terwoven w i th foreign tou r

i s ts,were as we l l d ressed , pol i te and deferen t ia l as the

F rench , bu t th e absence of the Gallic gabbl e and the a l lpe rvad i ng gu ttu ral Teu ton spoken by cu l t i vated womenand men proc la ims the perpo nderance of the cl assic Germandomi nation at Berl i n

,and t he bo ld se l f-assertion o f the

German race.The r ide upon the Rh i n e was a revel at ion and a peren

n i al fou n t o f study , med i tat ion , and specu lation ; from thech ief l ower embarkature at M ayen ce to Cologne i t i s c rowded w i th i n ciden t and h istory and novel ty to the st ranger

,

and wh i le my m i nd wandered an d wondered over each consecutive even t, the Germans between whom I was mort i sedwere ind ifi

’

erent to the i r own trad itions . Though I hadread m uch o f the mystic orig i n o f the Rh i ne

,and of i ts

eq ually abstruse term i nat ion ,—as no d rop empties i n to thesea

,—o f i ts var ied an d rich prod ucts , an d of i ts feudal

castles and battlements , yet I h ad the crav ing cu r ios i ty fora more i n t imate know ledge o f the h i stor ic locale.

The s lopes o f J ohanu isberger and Ste i nbe rger are smal ls t re tches

,where the v i nes are grown u pon te rraced rocks

and tended pr i nci pal ly by monks ; and the vineyard s overlooked by the gray aud rugged towers o f the castles. Eachsmal l town has it s special v i ne terr i to ry

,but these two

a re the ri val de i ties of th e bacc haualian area. The old fo rt,

“ Cat,

” and the M ouse Tower , may be i n te rest i ng objec tsto the average travel ler

,bu t th i s marvel lou s w i ne-y ie ld i ng

cou n try can never lose poi n t to the st uden t.

384 PICTURE S AND poa'

raar'

rs

The l igh t wh i te w i nes of the v i cinage are the beve rage,

and wh i le many have gai n ed popu lar i ty from the i r l u t rin~s i c value

,many owe m uch of thei r exal ted repu tati on to

thei r name. The Leibfraumilch,a Rhen ish-Hes se n w ine

,

se lls here for figu res i t no more commands by its s upe r iori ty of qual i ty alone than the Lach ryma Ch ris ti of I ta ly.

The Mosel le w i nes,—and the spark l i ng ones are real ly fine,

—are ch iefly cu l tivated among the slate rocks . Champagne i s a rare p rod uct of the Rh i ne

,though there i s a

mammoth establ ish men t i n the en v i ron s of W iesbaden .

Spark l i ng w i nes are g rown at M ayen ce , Ho ckheim,Rnde~

eheim , Coblen tz , and , i ndeed , i n al l the w i ne co u n try , butthe v i n tages are always smal l , and m ust of n ecessity bevery far below the quan ti ty that floods the d ifferen t cou n t riesand i s con sumed u nder the original l abe l sold here .

Bu t this un i ve rsal and p l enary adaptation of the grape»j u ice h as a ben eficial efl

’

ec t u pon the commun i ty . Thel igh t F rench , German , and I tal i an w i n es are proc u redfor a t rifle by the lower c lasses i n their d i stri cts ; they invigo rate , but do not i nebriate , and in these co u n tr i es therei s l i t t le or n o i ntoxicat ion . B randy is rare w herever w i nei s the grow th of the n eighborhood

,and even beer i s reject

ed by the l abor i ng classes . Those two busy Bs , t hat havew rough t so m uch havoc and angu i sh i n E ng l and and athome, are here u nable to work thei r m isch ief s ide-by-s idewi th t he pu re j u ice of the fr u i t, d isti l l ed from the fai r fieldsof the Rh i ne, the Mose l le , the Rhone, an d the class icstreams o f I l ly ri a. The cl imate i s so co n se rvati ve andheal thfu l , the i n h abi tan ts so moderate, i nd ust r iou s , and

frugal , that the w i l d emot ions engendered by brandy , orthe ph legmatic i n dolence born of beer

,fi n d no more con

stituency here th an r iotous satu rn al i as found among theA rcad ian s.The Rh i ne abou nds i n p leasan t ret reats and vi l l as o f

wea l thy fore igners , o ld as th e Med i terranean and the A l pi nel akes. Disman tled castles and ru i ned fortres ses are notalone th e featu res of t he ce lebrated stream ; and h ad Inever heard th rough poet or au thor or h i stor ian of thetrascendent cou n try , w i th i ts gen tle vales ly i ng bet weenp rojecti ng rocks and fierce hei gh ts , the l i te rat u re sold u po nthe boa t and at the s tat ions, as profu se as the t racts wi thwh ich the passengers are bombarded en rou te to Mon teCarlo, would have told me the mos t flattering ta les of theenchan ted region . Byron , Bu lwer, and the Hon. M rs.

Norton are still consp icuous and popu lar. Here are the

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386 rlcrnaz s arm roaraarrs

c rowned by the mach icolated battlemen ts, and the hoarychapel stee ples, was reac hed , and the d oors opened u n to u sby the lady caste l lan ; the baffled bu l le t o f Nobling had

prevented the ro al fam i ly from o ccu pying t hei r s umme rhome, so the brilI

yan t ch ateau was left in the ha n ds o f the

seneschal s.I en te red a large vest i bule

,and i n one corner saw twenty

o r more pa i rs o f wh ite fe l t moccas i n s , wh ic h each o f the

v i s i to rs was requested to don before en teri ng the po l i s hedfloors o f parquet ry i n the severa l banquet and recept io nsal oon s. There are many h i storic su i ts o f armor, t h e hatherd s an d match locks of a h und red k i ngs

,an d pain tings by

al l the best Low land art ists . The re are si x memor i al pict u res relat i ve to ch ival ry i n the sma l l e r sa lo n , th at cou l dnot bu t im press the s tranger ; they are of the Rheni shS t hool

,,

iyet agl ow w i th all the dazzl i ng rad i an ce of Ru bens ;

Fai th , i lust i ated by Godire de Bou i l l on at the Ho ly Sepulchre ; J ustice, typified by

h“Rudo lph of Hapsbu rg s i tt ing in

j udgmen t on robbe r k n igh ts ; Poetry , t roubadou rs w i thPh i l i p of Swabi a and h i s q ueen on a pleasu re excurs ion ont he Rh i ne ; Love , the Emperor Frederi ck welcom i ng h i sbr ide ; Loyal ty , Herman n von S iebene ichen sac rific in h isl i fe to save Frederi ck Ba rbarossa ; B ravery , bl i n d i ngJoh n of Bohem ia at the batt le of C recy ; but, above all

these,there i s one , a fresco i n t he chape l , of Adam an d Eve

w hose memory , l i ke the w rink les of care, w ill grow deeperw i th the years .Stolzen fe l s overl ooks the te rm i n ation of the most roman

t ic and con tracted val ley o f the Rh i ne, an d a l l th e beau tyo f the section seems concentred at i ts feet and abo ut i tstop. Ch u rches stand at the marriage of the wate rs ; pi lgr im sh ri nes u pon rock-bou nd s umm i ts : quondam com eu ts

upo n i sol ated i s l ands , and back of al l , beyond al l , and abov ea l l

,the impenetrable Eh ren bre i ts te i n frown ing ; form id able

i n i ts proport ion s,subl ime i n i ts majesty .

The pal ace o f the regal pai r i n the ci ty i s bowered i ngroves and ga rden s, and su rrou nded in the flowery walksth rown open to the people. L i ke most o f the royal homesi t i s mai n tai n ed in si len t a nd vacan t g randeu r. St i l l th oughthe monarchs cannot occu py the i r many castl es

,th e many

p leasan t tales of the be nevolence o f the empress to he r su b

jec ts somewhat temper the mad ext ravaga n ce o f th i s opul e n t and a ri stoc rati c system .

Upon the b ridge o f boats l ead i ng to the po rtals of

Eh renbreitste i n I wa i ted i n the m idday sun h al f an

or roaaron r as v an. 387

hou r wh i le a success i on o f craft d ri ft ed u p and down thestream the ascen t i s ted ious

,and though the gr im fortress

evokes a m i ngl i ng of ad mi ration and awe, i t i s s u re to become ti resome to the American because o f the omnipres

ence of m i l i ta ry power. A fee for ent rance goes to thet reas u ry of the d i sabled vete ran s, and after pass i ng an o s

ten tations success ion o f bars and ba rr icades , and fool i shfan fa ronade

,we made the ascen t o f the van tage-grou nd ,

where the you ng sold ie rs we re d ri l l i ng on the topmostparade , wh i le others were beati ng the i r cl oth i ng c l ean onthe crude stones near the pum ps ; Sunday seems to bewash-day i n the garri son s. These poo r fe l lows go th ro ughthe d i smal monotony of the i r s l a very to the Emperor, andare rem u nerated w i th th ree or fi ve cen ts a day for the i rserv i ces ; wh i l e of such s ubj ects as do not en ter th earmy , th e males a re ob l iged to pay a tax o f twel ve do llars a year

,and the females th ree. Wel l may we cal l o u r

cou n try free,and wel l may the poor o f foreign nat ions bail

i t as a sal vation w he re we have no great army to eat awaythe su bstance o f the pub l i c weal , no tremendous fortsguarded by gangs of mart ial se rfs

,and no tax u po n the

work i ng cl asses , who can not , ei ther fromthe i r cond i t ion o rthe i r sex

,become sol d ie rs. View Eh renbrei ts tei n from the

lowe r oppos i te on ly ; from that po i n t i t i n sp i res every loftysen timen t ; we see on ly what i s grand and fasci nat i ng because seem i ngly nnattainable , and l i ke one o f the enchan tedwatch-towers o f a fai ry ta l e that m ight on ly be approache dby su pern atu ral aid ; bu t hav i ng scaled i ts heigh t and

v i ewed i ts m i l i ta ry d i sci pl i ne , there i s a poi son of i mperati ve ru l e mak i ng the w ho le atmo sphere a pes t i le nce .

Wai t i ng fo r the boat to go to Cologne, I stud ied a grou po f peasan ts on the quay . I n a l l these count ri es the lowercl asses ad here to the d ress of the i r stat io n w i th apparen tpride. Whether i t he a wh i te r i bbon tw i sted i n thei r hai r

,

a bl ue blouse,a si l ve r cl asp i n thei r pl ai ts , o r a bl ue ker

ch ief abou t thei r necks,i t i s u n i versa l ly and happ i ly adopted

by the same damse l who wou l d in Ameri ca ape her m i st ress ’s trai n , and pu ffs, and bangles , and bang, th ree weeksafl er steppi ng from the em igran t sh i p .

From Cob len tz to Co l ogne I fou nd the coun try flatte rand less i n terest i ng than the fi rs t part o f my Rh i ne jou rn ey

,and marked by a st range geo logical formation o f pum

ice-stone . M any of the town s a re attract i ve,but the neare r

o ne d raws to Co l ogne the more ev iden t becomes the factth a t you are pas s i ng from the land of the v i n e . Soon after

388 P ICTURES AND Poaraarrs

l eav i ng Coblen tz , th e seven moun ta i n s , Drachen fel s , an do ther poin ts made fam i l i ar by pen and penci l

,showed them

sel ves i n u nd ispu ted posi t ion . G reat crowds came on thes teamer from the i r s ummer hol iday

,agai n presen ti ng to

v iew the better classes of Germany. Com i ng from t he i rday ’s out i ng as they were, there was no s ign o f d iss i pat ion ,no r the s l igh test degree o f excess ; many lad ies bore th emark of h igh d ist i nction , w ith al l the g race of qu iet d ign i ty,wh ich is ever more att ract i ve than id le vol ubi l i ty .

As we approached Bonn,the u n i versi ty town

,the trade of

t he cou n try seemed to be rath er i n sl ate and a pec u l i a r wh i testone , partak ing o f the vol can ic characte r o f the region , andu s ed largely fo r bu i ld i ng pu rposes . I n the tw i l igh t th i s in te reat ing c i ty seemed m uch more populous than rep resen ted .

Nea r all these German town s there are o ld pal aces , mon umen ts

,exti nct m i nes , and any n umbe r o f eccl es i ast i ca l

remai ns. Bonn was one of the fi rst Roman’

fortresses,and

i s spoken of by Taci tus,and i n i ts ancien t m i nste r se veral

of its early German k i ngs were cro wned . I n sc ience,a rt

,

c lassical l earn i ng,and i n general acq u i remen t, th i s col l eg iate ci ty mai n tai n s a h igh celebr i ty . I t has recen tly he

come a favori te residence o f the E ngl i sh , and now , l i gh tedby a young moon , the steamer, afte r depos i t i ng mos t ofher passengers , gl ided on to Cologne.

L E T T E R L X X I I I .

As I am rhymer,And now , at least, a merry one,Mr. Munls Rud isheimer

And the church o f S t . Geryon ,Are the tw o thi ngs alone,That deserve to he known ,I n the body and soul-sti nking town Colo e.

ou t smart .

COLOGNE , August, 1878.

Fan off I saw the many ligh ts o f a grea t town , cas t i ngthe i r ye l low gl are ou t u po n the water, and defin i ng cl earlyt he con tou r of the sem ici rc u l ar ci ty ,—m i rrori ng it agai ns tthe ferven t sky and dark-pu rple wate r as i t never cou l dhave appeared to me had I not en te red it by r i ver and

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390 r te-mu s a sn pom a ire

the w il d caravansera of Co lo gne. I ts motto is : rapid i tyo f ac t ion ; the r es u l t : i n a t te n tion, d i sorder , ill~mannera,and in te rm in able del ay . The riotous scene at table d ’hfilcyeste r day was a su bject fo r Hogart h , and the l udicrou soppos i te to the gracefu l cou rtesy and re fined p le n ty ofthe splend id establ i sh men t

,the Cavou r in M i lan. There

i s a c l assic e legance pervad i ng Northe rn I tal and the

sho res of Sou the rn Fran ce met in no othe r ontincnta l

coun try. Be i t on ly a fiagon of Ves u v io or Capri fo r fi ftycen times

,a k i lo of black bread , a bl ad e o f garl ic , or a wafe r

of Bologna sau sage, taken at the base of the volcano , or i n-t he stablcyard of a road side i n n of the Appian Way , thereis anatt i c grace i n the refin ed pove rty , a myst ic pictu resq uensss i n the s u r round i ngs , wh ich even the impu rity and deeoeracy o f the lower cl asses of I taly cannot d is pe l.th ere i s a ce r ta i n lusciou s , l uxu r ious ease and e legancenever attai ned o r approached by the same orders in Germ any , whe re froli c i s v u lgar an d pove rty o flensive.

I can l ook from my wi ndow at the in te rm inable rev iewof m i l i ta ry i n the great sq uare o f t he Cat hed ral , and thenwatc h th e long l i n e of pl umed troops c latte r over the i ro nbridge and d i sso l ve amongst the fores ts an d mo u n tainsacross the Rh i ne. A l l day there a re sold ie rs ; and eve ryw here so ld ie rs ; now a grea t revo l v i ng tra i n o f arti l lery thatshakes the ea rth l i ke an eart hquake , then a calvac ade o f

horsemen , thei r i ron hoofs clu tteri ng over the ston es , thensol id co l um n s of i n fan try s u rgi ng by ; and al l fo r what ?Why th i s pesti len tia l presence of war i n a l and of peace andp len ty ? A nd as I queri ed the ke l l ner an swered , Th ismartial monste r i s on ly to tax the poo r , to feed royal ty , toch i l l ou r hearts , to d r i ve u s from o u r Fathe rland ,

”and as

he spoke h i s face glowed and h i s voice rang with hat red ofthe da rk shadow o f the om n ipresen t so ld ie r. The gloomyraven sadden s and madden s t hem and makes them an ia~

d i fferen t and d issat isfie d peo ple.The Ca thed ra l at Cologne i s th e offs pri ng of Goth i c art

i n the M idd le Ages,wh ich hav i ng passed th rough si x cen

tu ries o f ges ta t ion , i s s ti l l i ncomp lete. I t is ca l le d themost magn i ficen t ed ifice i n the world ; yet the arch i tec t u reis not so comp l i cated , no r has i t the grace fu l a i r i ness of thesuperb Dom at M i l an , that seems a creat ion of the pu res tsnow . I t i s the pr ime att ract ion

,bu t i ts i n terior i s most

u nclean . Hav i ng passed t h rough many ages and su rv i vedrevol u t ion s i t has grown ol d in its u nfin ished sta te. Ofcou rse

,i n all these years i t has had a n um ber o f arc h i tects,

or reuni on raavm 39 1

bu t the sc hoo l s and peri ods have no t been m i xed , althought he rou nded w i ndows and doors

,the groi ned and vau l ted

roofs, and the arch-con nected p i l la rs o f the pu rely Roman

esque,have been preserved . Its low naves lend a mag

nificent ex pression o f d istance , and i ts ser ies of heigh ts ,and arches , and lofty domes a marvel lous g race of alt i tude.Th i s rel igious bauble

,that h as been supported by royal ty,

has bee n taken i n h and by the go ve rn men t, and wi th private subsc ri pt ion s and the proceeds of a lottery , -th at i smai n tai ne dspec ial l y to defray the po u nd s yet to be pa id ,i ts complet ion

,even to the topmost to wer

,i s p ledged w i th in

t h ree years .A wal k th rough the new quarter of Cologne v i v id ly re

ca l l s Pa ri s ; reveal i n g s e l assie tas te i n domest ic fu rn i t u re ,fash ionable costumes

,photographs

,pai n t i ngs

,and engrav

i ngs,fu l ly eq ua l to the loca l repu tation fo r arc h i tectu re

and mus i c. Long stree ts st retch away from the Cathed ralthat compare favorably

,i n poi n t o f shops , w ith C hestn u t

Stree t o r Broad way,and the vast gal le ries mak i ng Mal

tese and G reci an crosses i n the cen t re o f the c i ty , g low i ngi n pai n ted glass and fio rid capi tal , have ca fes and b ijouterie estab l i s hmen ts that wou ld pu t the gay metropol i s tot he bl ush . And i n al l t hese magaz i nes ta l l bottles o f theorigi na l Eau de Co l ogne of the o ld Fari na fi rm stare oneou t o f cou n tenan ce . I t i s a pesti l ence—a sweet pesti l ence

,

nevertheless a pesti lence—the way strange rs are bes iege dby th is h i s tor i c man u factu re from al l quarters. I t i s thefi rst th i ng th rust upon a new guest i n the hotel s ; i f he ca l lfo r some personal n ecess i ty

,from a pi tcher o f wash-wate r

to a glass o f bee r,Sel t z er

,o l d rye

,or Cognac

,the Eau de

Cologne i s brough t i n by the answer i n g kellner , and a saleis accompl i shed before the fi rst des i re i s sat isfied . Foreverafter he d reads the s igh t of the ta l l bottles that d ress t heshop-w i ndows

,or the l i tt le , w icker~co vered fiago ns fo r sa le .

He has been del uded once,and avoids a second betraya l .

The re i s m uch o f the pu re art i c le to be obta i ned,b ut

,l i ke

the s uperfiu ity of w i nes o f t he famous brand t hat floatGermany , more than two-th i rd s o f the del uge i s spu rious .Co logne has

,o f l a te years , become the seat o f scien t ific

mus i c,and i t was a h igh pl ume i n G i lmore’s bon net that he

shou ld have secu red the app lause o f the c i t i zen con no leseu rs when he came over here se ve ra l years ago. What o fd isappoi n tmen t I expe rienced i n the me lody of I taly h asbeen more than compensated by the d i v ine harmon ics ofGermany . Not on ly i s i t a city o f first~c lass musica l

392 rrcr uans AND m araarrs

so c iet i es and i nst i tu t ions,u nder the baton of su ch a rt i st s

as Webe r and Dr. H i l ler,bu t the m i l i ta ry a i rs

,exq u is i te l y

ren dered by the several bands o f the German troops stw

t inned here, a re heard from revei llé to tattoo so that w i t hthe i ncessan t beat o f the d rum

,toot of the fi fe

,blare of

the tr umpet,an d t ramp of a rmed men , th e re i s a s u rfei t o f

so ld ie rs,and something too muc h o f the whole fan faronade .

Nor do I wonder a t the a ppa ren t i nd i ffe rence of the residen ts to the i n te rm i n able pagean t, when i t is su pported bythe taxes and hard tasks of en forced serv itude i mposedu pon a re l uctan t people.

L E T T E R L X X I V .

A co un try that draws fifty feet o f water,In which men l i ve as in the hold o f natu re ;A land that rides at anchor and is moored ,In wh ich they do no t l i ve bu t go aboard .

BUfl .ER .

HOLLAND, August, 1878.

I FELT as I left Co logne for Amsterdam that I was descend i n g to the seashore , and other characteri st i cs cou ldno t have been more marked than the houses

,l an guage ,

d ress,and cu rrency of the D utch . I fu l ly real i z ed fo r the

first t i me the w idespread d i ffere nce between German an dD utch . The great h i l l s and b l ue wate rs o f the Rh i n e a rel ost i n the lo w l and s

,th e canal s , the windm i l l s , and th e

sq uatty red-roofed ho uses. The language i s gro tesque an d

pai n fu l ly gu ttu ra l , and a no nea re r re l ation to the Germanthan i t i s to the Dan ish o r S wed ish . I t i s not a patoi s o ra hybr id o f German as i s popu l arly and erroneously su p

posed , bu t a cu l t i vated d ial ect o f pu rely Teu ton ic o rigi n ,w i th non e of the u ngrammat i cal feat u res that cons t i tu tethe body o f a hal f-caste tongue. Cana l s and w i ndmi l l s a rethe objects of the lo w moorland s , and t hough the re aremany barges to en l i ven the waters , wh ich are i n va ri ab lycovered by a green pesti l en t i a l scum o r sti r red i n to m uddypoo l s

,the scene was not a pleasan t one. I t i s all Du tch

and heavy .

I was passi ng from the l and o f w i ne,bu t I was en te ring

the h eaven of pai nters . Y es l th is very n ondescr i pt co u n

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894 r i cruass A ND PORTRA ITS

scape ; a m u l ti pl ic i ty of cattl e grazed i n the so ft summerafternoon , many roam i ng at w i l l o r wad i ng i n the morass,wh i le h u nd red s were bei n g m i lked by men or boys ; yet,w hen I cal led for a gl ass o f cream in the hote l they sai dthey had none , from wh i ch I conce ived what an arti cle ofco mmerce m i l k m ust be .Amsterdam I loved to traverse ; i n the o ld and Jew is h

q uarters there a re establ i sh men ts and sect i on s resembl ingChatham Stree t

,New York Seven D ial s

,London , and the

Itue d o Temple,Paris then i n the broader streets I

s tud i ed the art and l i te ratu re of the Lowl ands. The hou sesare spac iou s , an d closely resem b l e the homely b rick str uetu res o f Ph i ladel ph i a

,pol i sh ed and scr ubbed w i th u l t ra

ca re i n to pa i n fu l cl ean l i ness . The nu rse and baby o f ana ri stocratic fam i ly are no t a mo re pecu l iar sigh t , an d i nmore ch aracte rist ic u n i form , than the housemaid of thesame dom ic i le ; w h i le the abigai l i s d ocked i n qu i l l i n gs androsettes l i ke a c i rcus mare , t he i n fan t i l e appendage l iesspread ou t dorman t across her arms, the whole en ve lopedi n an immense bridal vei l ; and th e scrub gi rl o r woman ,or man

,w h ichever I may term those who do the gene ra l

la bor of the househo l d , for the i r d ress ages them ,and the i r

con s tan t and un necessary work u n sexes them to s uch anex ten t that I cou ld make no est imate o f age o r gende r

,

t h is creatu re i s i n var iably i n a short. black ski rt , and a pu rple chiutz sacque fastened about the waist by an apron , andw h i te cap .

The quays are exqu i s i te ly paved and shad ed by l on gcol umn s o f t rees , wh i l e t he boats and sh i ps d ri ft i n the und redged cana ls ; fu rn i shed w i th femal e cooks , washers , an dlabore rs to push t he floating tenemen ts th rough the sl uggish water ; to man age the ti l le r or the he lm ; to load and

u n load,and i n every case to mother the m u lti tude of ch i l

d ren spraw led over th e decks.Th is, wi th the other Ho l l and towns, are deposi to ri es of

Du tch art ; and , wh i le the R ijks Museum is considered thefinest col l ection i n the Netherl ands

,the a rray i n the gal le ry

at the Hague seemed to be more cho ice , though not son umerous. They are both tru ly national ga l le r ies , yet theIl ijks con tai n s many represen tation s o f even ts o f n at ion alh i story. The two great pictu res are t he monogra phs,so to speak , of ancien t pol i t ica l sympos iac . Fi rs t

,the

Banquet o f the A rquebu s iers” i s more remarkab l e fo rthe total efi’ec t prod uced by its vast si z e , and the aggre

~

gate of figu res c l uste red w i th th e many other deta i l s,than

or seamen ras van. 395

fo r beau ty o fou tl i ne. I t cel ebrates the peace o fWes tphal i a,

and the twen ty-five con v i v ia l d iners are l i fe port ra i ts . On

the oppos i te wal l hangs Rembrandt ’s “Nigh t-watch,

” acompan ion to the former. I t i s su pe rb

,as a l l th i ngs are

that t he pencil of that artist ever touched ; a wonderfu lcreation o f grouped figures

,d i ve rs i fied pigmen ts

,and mys

t ic l igh ts and shadows , wh ich make i t a whol e gal lery o fart i n i tsel f. Bu t the most c u rious an d fan tasti c work o fa very old Dutch master represe n ts th e Madon na i n ablack vel vet d ress , embro idered i n seed pear ls, and a bl ueve l vet bod ice

,cu t pompadou r, whi le her wea l th of sh i mmer

i ng crimped hai r fa l l s over her shou lders ; th e in fan t C h ri s tl i es u pon her lap ; he has a C h i nese face ; and two l i tt l eboys

,cu rled at her feet l i ke s tar ac robats , have banged

hai r. To complete th is r id icu lous i l l ustrat ion one o f thefemale members of the ho ly fam i ly s i ts n ear w i th an c penB ible an d a pai r of eyeglasses ! Now th is was the fi rs ttime I had ever see n a trad i t io nal fash ion-plate o f the Vi rg i n ’s costumes , and though t the ve l vet and pearl s ratheri n con s i sten t paraphe rnal ia for an obscure carpen te r ’s c o uso rt .

But the galle ries of the Lowl ands , l i ke the dykes andsand-h i l l s

,that repe l the th reatened i n vas ions of t he sea

,

are numerous i n te rest i ng o ld stor ies,and m ust be seen to

be enjoyed . Like the crowd i ng commerce,the trad e and

Opu lence , they are fam i l i ar pi ctu res, never om i tted by thepainstak i ng stat i st ic i an or the plodd i ng compi ler of thegazet tee r.I had been warned of the exorb i tan t prices of the Ho l

land hotel s , and soon rea l i z ed the admon i t ion . The wate ri s execrable , i ndeed so offensive as to asse rt i ts pote n t odo r

‘ w hen t ran sformed i n to so up . The necess i ty o f i mportedw i nes makes them equal t he prices pa id i n America fo r th esame article. Perhaps th i s is the ch ief reason for t hemarked sobriety of the Du tch as a race ; wh i le the i r excusefor us ing i n tox icati ng beve rages is s ufficien t , the i r sa fe tymay l i e i n the fact that they , l i ke u s, are obl ige d to payfo r the i r w i nes i n th e shape o f protecti ve d ut ies.I t was moon l igh t my w i ndow ove rlooked a swamp

,and

th e hordes o f mosqu i tos came i n and fed upon me l i ke cormoran te, so I dete rm i ned to l eave the pretty D u tc h c i ty assoo n as I had v i s i ted the d iamond pol i sh i ng m i l l s o f Amsterd am. There are several o f these es tabl i shmen ts

,bu t

the one of wh ich I speak i s the most i mpo rtan t i n t heden se ly settled Jewish quarter. A tal l

,vaporou s

,squal i d

396 c'

ruass AND Pon'

raarrs

structu re l oomed before us ; passi ng th rough an eq ua l lyimpu re cou rtyard fi l l ed by the m i l l employés ,—male andfemale , —we ascended loft y fl igh ts o f steps an d passedth rough a succession o f work rooms . The pol i she rs impressed me more than the p rocess

,o f wh ich I on ly u n der

stood enough tomender my v i s i t i n terest i ng, not i n struct i ve.The mach i nery of the m i l l s i s d r i ven by steam power

,and

the rough stone i s po l i shed by bei ng pressed agai nst arap id ly revol v i ng i ron d i sk d ressed w i th a decoct ion of oi land d iamond d ust. When the stones are cu t or sawn

,th e

same m ix tu re i s u sed upon the hai r w i res , by wh ich mean sthey a re spl i t . The stone to be spl i t i s p ressed i n to thetop of a small st ick covered w i th wax , and afte r a l i tt l enick i s made by a fi ne fi l e , the sharp edge of ano the rd iamond i s pres sed i n to the sl igh t i nc i s ion , u n t i l w i t hwonderfu l accu racy and bril l i an cy the ston e even ly bi sec ts.Of the fou r h und red em pl oyed i n the estab l ishmen t few

had good faces. I n con sid erat i on of the del icacy of the i rwork

,i t was amaz i ng an d sadden i ng to note the wi ld and

depraved ai r o f the gi rl s, ra ngi ng from fou rtee n to twen ty .

They had a certa i n k i nd o f O r ienta l , dark , u n was hed bea u ty ,w here more of the bru ta l th an the spi ritu al was devel oped .

They ev i nced u nc i v i l i zed pr ide i n t he tat tooed deco rati onson thei r hands and arms ; and where the i r brothe rs d ispl ayed one o f these jewel s ; they , w ith a fem inine lo ve

'

of ext ravagan t embel l i shmen t

,brocaded themse l ves w i th almos t

savage pr ide.These m i l l s are the estate of the Portuguese Jews of

A ntwerp and Amste rdam ; they cond uct the en t i re t radei n the p rec ious stones wh ich a re gathered at the Cape ofGood Hope, and th i s m ust accou n t fo r the eager av id i tyw ith wh i ch they seek and horde the gems. Amste rdam to “

the Hebrews is a second Jer usa lem .

Rotte rdam , the second commercial c i ty of Hol land,l i es

one and a h al f hou r be low Amste rdam ,over the same even

sandy cou n try , presen t i ng the same feat u res o f soi l andprod uction . Wi th on ly on e-th i rd the popu lat ion o f theformer c i ty, i t possess es t reble i ts attraction s i n the l i fe ofits floati ng commun i ty . The houses are more an t iq ue

,th e

arch i tectu re plai ner, and the can als more popu lous . Mosto f the st ructu res have a downward grade fol lowing the

s i nking earth to the sea, and on al l th e poorer aven ues Ifi nd sign s o f hot coals and boi l i ng water for sale ; the lowercl asses pu rchase j ust enough of these req u isi tes to makethe i r tea and cook thei r potatoes fo r each repast. Bu tthere i s someth i ng inetl’ably charm ing to s i t i n one o f the

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398 c r uass a un Poaraarrs

The Dutch school s are o f immorta l renown , the Germanem inen t

,and the reflection su rprisi ng that th i s smal l k i n g

dom,w i th an u n i mportant a rmy , and comparati vely sma l l

navy,control s its i n creasi ng commerce, and i ts vas t dis tan t

possess ion s w i th al l the qu iet s tol id dete rm i n ation of realD utchmen .

O u t beyond the treetops o f the Boompjes the canal i st h ronged w i th vessel s from every sea. Many moored to

the wharf,and others mov i ng i n and ou t for or from fore ign

stat ion s . M u l t i tudes of the names fly i ng on the pen non s o fthese craft ind icate their t rad i ng w i th the Dutch co lo n ies o fSemarang, Borneo , Sumat ra. wh i le the i r fre ight of s ugar,coffee

,spice , and ri ce strengthen the p rocl amat i on of the

ban ners. The craft con nected w i th the i n te rior t rade i sl argely man n ed

,if I may be perm i tted the paradox , by wo

men ; all popu lous wit h voc i ferous babyhood .

I bad ly feel that I may tru st myse l f to speak of th eD u tch seat of governmen t , the Hague , i n my presen t stateof i n ten se en th us iasm . Perhaps i t was the rec ol lecti on o fthe acco u n t s of the mel t i ng hea t at home i n co n trast w i ththe de l i cious atmosphere i n th i s beau tifu l po l i t i ca l cap i ta l

,

and perhaps the vast d ifl’

erence between the forme r commercial towns , and th is , th e ar is toc rat i c rendez vous o f re

finement and cu l t u re . No t on ly the res iden ce o f the k i ng,the l eg isl at i ve cen tre , the favori te home of the D u tch no bility, a11d the choice resort of those moneyed pr i nces who haveacc um u l ated thei r fo rtu nes by trad ing w it h the colon ies i nI nd ia

,but t he seat o f art

,and

,by its nearness to the ocean

,

the spot mos t sough t fo r by tho se who del igh t i n the pleas.u res of the seaside ; th us i t has the double charm of metropolis an d pastora l reso rt .I t i s a c i ty o f broad stree ts , splend i d res idences , impo s

ing sq u ares , fi ne publ i c bu i ld i ngs, and excess i ve and uni

v ersal clean liness . The canal s are less numerous,and th ose

t hat adorn the s treets a re so embel l i shed by w h i te stonequays and double colon n ad es of fol iage as to render th em achee rfu l adornment. Home and foreign cu stoms a re charmingly i n te rwoven , so I do not marvel that the rich come he reto spend the i r money

,the ol d prefer to e loes ou t thei r lives

am id i ts enchant i ng su rrou nd i ngs an d myst i c memor ies ,

the scho lar loves to l i nger i n i ts l i braries, ga l ler ies , andparks

,and that the poor seem happier he re i n the air of

gen tle improvemen t. Fo r cen tu ries i t has been the Co u rtci ty

,and though less absorbed i n commerce

,i ts great

a rti sts , the p rod ucts of i ts mechan ics , the d ress of the

o r roas ron raav s t . 399

be tter cl asses,and the ev iden t su pe riori ty o f the men , al l

poi n t to i ts command i ng i n fl uence at home and abroad .

The gods of Du tch idol atry i n the rea lm o f art are Rul ie n s

,Vandyke

, Jo rdeans, Jan Steen,Rembrandt, Pau l

Potte r, and wh i le scarcely da ri ng as a con noisseu r to d i scuss the i r works

,I was natu ra l ly anx ious to see someth i ng

of each i n the region i n w h ic h they l i ved , and labo red ,and

d ied . Rembrand t ’s “School of A natomy ,” pai n ted twoh und red and fi fty years ago , and pu rch ased by Ki ng W i ll i am for the m useum here, i s a wei r d and wonderfu l worko f fore-shorten i ng. Pau l Potter ’s famous Bu l l” andVandyke ’s “Magdalen ," an d Jan S teen ’s Fam i ly G rou p

,

"

are the most i mpressi ve work s i n the gal le ry . There aremany pictu res w it h al l t he shaded and me l low gloom of theD ut ch sc hool , gems i n themse l ves to be stud i ed , bu t sostart l i ngly bea ut i fu l and sad i s the pen i ten t Magda len o f

the Flem i sh a rt i st, i n a l l the magn ificen ce of melanc ho lyl ovel i ness , and w i th the dew o f con tr i tion ly i ng l i ke vapo rous pea rl s upon her cheeks, that al l others seemed dwarfedi n to ins ignificance by its om n i poten ce . Here begi ns ap len ti t ude o f Rubens, an in t rod uction t o the end less proofsof h is gen i u s. I men t ion t hese art i sts not to descri bethem or the i r works so m uch as to pay a tri bu te to theF lem ish schools they rep resen t w i th such exqu isite fi n is hand fidel i ty .

The good Queen Soph i a, bei ng dead . the royal fam i lyseems to be i n bad odor w i th the peopl e. The K i ng i scon t ro l l ed Ivy an e lecti ve Parl iamen t, and h i s renegade son ,Prin ce o f O range , riots h is fortu ne away i n the fo re igncap i tals. The c i ty i s aglow w i th bridal a rches and platfo rms and w reaths for the comi ng n u pt ial fest i v i t ies ofP ri nce Hen ry and h i s bride, who i t i s confiden tly hopedw i l l s ucceed to the th rone.The late Quee n ’s “home i n the woods” is a heal thy co n

t rast to the sad state o f royal moral s. A m i le and a hal ffrom the c i ty

,the H u i s ten Bosch l ies i n a beau ti fu l park

complete ly isol ated from o ther habi tat ion s,w i th the excep

t i on of a p retty villa on the same estate formerly occu piedby o ur own Joh n Loth rop M ot ley

,the best h is torian of

the Dutch republ i c. The royal res idence was erected byt he w idow o f the late Pri n ce Wi l l i am Hen ry F reder ick ofHol land , i n honor o f h i s memory . The park is a lahyrinth of shade , d ri ve, wood , fo l i age , and waterfal l ; one ofthose memen tos wh ich rev i ve the l av ish opu len ce o f theo l d Du tch pri nces and k i ngs. A s I came u pon the pa l ace

400 rrcr uas s AND roa'raarrs

I saw only a sq ua re , awkward , br ick dwel l i ng w i th a greatdeal o f wh i te abou t i t ; I was very m uch i mpressed by thesevere plai n ness

,bu t su rpri se was changed to pleas u re as

I passed i n to and th rough the i n te ri o r,whe re the d i ve rs i ty

of apartmen ts and decorat ion man i fested a prod igal i ty oftaste and expen d i tu re. I n al l t he su perb pa laces the re i sa ha rmon ious repet i t ion of adornmen t . I t i s on ly thenovel ties th at impress me. I n the d i n i ng-room there weretwo mu ral o il pai n ti ngs, exec u ted i n gr i sa i l l e by De W i tt ,o ne h und red and fifty yea rs ago ; so i n u n i so n were themonotones o f white and gray blen t that they arrested and

held my admi ration w i th greater strength t han the brigh th ues

,d ramatic att i tudes

,of more general ly acceptab l e

works . So en ti rely b i za rre i n tone, sen timen t , and nat u ra lpoise , though d rawn and fi l l ed i n u pon can vas , th ey stoodi n rel ief, l i ke s tatuary o r st ucco, but, un l i ke marbl e , seemedto breathe i n the exqu is i te swel l and motion o f thei r pr oport ion s.The piéce do resis tance of the late Queen ’s castle i s the

o range sa l on ; an octagonal hal l , adorned on the e igh t s i desand cu po l a wi th sce nes from the l ife of Pri nce Hen ry , execu ted by a rt i sans o f the R uben s school . The effect i s fine

,

bu t th e figures are ove rcrowded,though bo ld ly con cei ved

and po rtrayed . The lofty s ides of th i s sal on evince the

p resence of carefu l preservat ion . B ut the poten t att rae~t ion to an Amer ican i s th e fai th fu l portrai t o f the NewEngland scho l ar an d h isto rian of the Du tch repub l ic ,who endea red h imsel f to the Queen and i n the hearts oft he people by h i s marve l lou s an na ls o f thei r cou n try. Hew i th h i s fam i ly stood i n such h igh favor w i th the Queenthat the v i l l a adjo i n i ng the royal res idence was fixed fo rthei r home , parted on ly by a w icker b ridge , wh ich the

A merican l i tte ra te u r crossed eve ry day to see h i s Queena most s i ngu l ar coi ncidence , i n con nection , i s the fact t ha tthe am iable Queen and gen tl e h i sto r ian , afterwards o ur

M i n ister to G reat B ri tai n , d ied w i th i n th ree days of eachotherThe Royal Bazaa r at the Hagu e i s a depos i tory of br ie

a-b rac,and now here may a bette r i ns ight be ga i ned o f the

wea l th o f many o f the an cestors o f the ri cher Hol l anders .Trad i ng as they d id and do w i th the Du tch co lon i es

,and

dea l i ng w i th pr i nces and potentates,vast sums were in

vested ia fan tast i c a rt, and gold and si l ver orn amen ts,and

various conce i ts i n fu rn i tu re. Many of the fam i l ies st i l lboard the archa ic t reas u res

,wh i l e othe rs have been fo rced

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402 rrcr uas s AND Po araArrs

lia, pictu resque to the l ast degree ; the g randdams wasatti red as the grandch i ld o f s i x ,—a fu l l sho rt b l ack pett icoat, wh i te chem isette and s l eeves , a smal l pu rple and wh i teor bl ue and wh i te pl a id woollen kerch ief fo lded over th ebosom

,and an apron , com pleted the costume. Bu t the

headgear i s sti l l more grotesque , and i s cal led the boch td ize r.” A s i l ve r plate fits c l osely on the back o f the headand j ust above the na pe of the nec k ; i t i s fas tened by twogi l t horn s o r skewers on e i the r s ide the face

,and over a l l

i s a l arge wh i te m usl i n cap.

I n fact i t was very m uch l ike a scene i n a play . Thesehappy

,u npreten t iou s pe0 ple , iu the st range o ld-t i me dresses ,

as t hey passed i n an d o u t the odorous a l leys o f the magn iheen t forest , seemed ra ther the actors in some p repa redfest i val t han the s im ple l abor i ng people o f the an tiqu eand un ique fish i ng v i l lage . I t seemed impossi b le that i nthe immed iate v i ci n i ty o f the br i l l ia nt and co st ly modernl i fe of the capi ta l t he peop le shou ld adhere so strictly tot he customs of the i r an cesto rs.

L E T T E R L X X V .

In Rubensland we find the dual fruit work,Of master artist, and pupi l Vandyke

Both now l ie shrouded m g lo ry mute,And bo th in history are be loved al ike.

Aaoa rnons.

Anrwaar , August, 1878.

Tan way from the Hague to A n twerp i s th rough a r ichand fru i tfu l cou n try. Noth i ng i n the topography d i ffersfrom the great ex panse of l ow land i n Hol land , except theim penetrabl e forests o f Belg i um

,wi th here and there l i tt l e

w h i te ham lets squatted down upon thei r borde rs, and be

tween thei r glades and i n the i r shadows , li ke a warren ofrabb i ts o r flocks o f quai l ; hamlets fu l l of the romance o fan i n v i s ib le l i fe ; h umble comm unes whe re the gi r l s st i tc hthei r l i v es i n to fragiie l aces , to be d ragged i n the d ust byt he great l ady w ho noth i ng knows or ca res of the sorrow,

and sadness,and heart pangs, con tai ned i n eve ry sp ri

gan d

w reath o f the woof sh e desecrates at n igh t revel s ; v i l agesw here the you th s tend the k i ne, wh ile t he. o ld men are e lf

or roaato s TRAV EL. 403

on th e b road seas , and the o ld women bobble th rough l i fei n cl at teri ng sabots , cou nti ng thei r beads , and m umbl i ngA ves i n the i r F lem ish tongue , and igno ran t, yet unso phist icated bigot ry to the Holy Mother. They how thei r k neea t t he ways ide sh ri ne , i n voke a pa rd on , l i sp a h al l el ujah ,m utte r a l i tany

,and pass away as b l i nd ly con fiden t i n the

omn i potence o f the G reat Un know n as the Pagans were i nthe i r Hermes . Bu t these B raba n t peas ants often l ea ve theq u iet shade of the gigan t ic fo re sts , an d th rough vale andwood come, i n the i r l ong-ca red caps, s i l ve r ornamen ts , an dcl ick ing

,cl ash i ng

,cl appi ng , wooden shoes , beat i ng a dev i l

’stattoo over the rough cobbles , to the great ci t i es, to sel l abunch o f v iolets , o r a sh red of lace, at the doors o f the majest ic Cathed ra l or u nder the florid portals o f the Hotel deV i l le. They come and sel l thei r bouquets to a stranger, andlose the flower o f the i r chasti ty , and the fragran ce o f the i ri n noce nce i n the wh i rl w i nd of the cruel

,flatteri ng metro po

l i s ; and then go back i n d iscon ten t , or remai n to si n kdee pe r and deeper i nto the m i re , seek i ng gayer flowe rs , andmo re ecs tat ic

,w i lder i ng aroma among the poisonous airs

o f a fa l se society .

A t the Belgian fron tier the’

eustoms ofl‘ieers came to exam i ne the baggage o f passenge rs , and a sol i tary m i l i taryd ign i tary loomed dark u pon the platform

,wh i le the yel low

and green and red lan tern s o f th e brakemen gleamed alongthe meadows

,fol low i ng the l i ne o f ra i l

,l i ke fire-flies i n the

sombre gloom .

We rol l ed i n to the only seaport o f the flou ri sh i ng k i ngdom o f Belgi um on S unday n igh t

,and at my fi rs t g l i mpse

I suspected i t o f the same indec o ro ns reve l s that greetedme at Cologne . A t the stat io n I i nqu i red fo r my hote l ;t he porter sa id i t was about two sq uare s above

,and i n h i s

care I concl uded to t ru st my l uggage,and foo t the short

d istan ce. I wa l ked seven or eight long blocks,wh ich

seemed to be a l i ve w i t h the people from beyond the bast i ons

,eat i ng and d ri n ki ng i n the cafes of th is s ubu rban

section,as I d iscovere d i t to be , as I con t i n ued i nq u i ring

my way from pi l l ar to post of the F lem is h or Wal loon sw ho und erstood l i ttl e French . A t last I go t i n to a nobl es t reet that l ooked as i f there was a poss i b i l i ty o f l ead i ngme to my dest i n at ion . Great struct u res o f efllo rescent

arch i tect u re l i ned the way , and on ei the r s ide the foo tpassages colossal l amps

,i n grou ps o f th ree glaring pen

dan ts,l igh ted th e aven ue that seemed to stretch o u t in

in te rm i nable length . I t was the Place de Me i r,ado rned by

An twe rp is a po rt o f va st comme rce, m uch wea l th , andsome so cial pre st ige, and w h i le t he su premacy it enjoyedi n the M idd l e A ges has fade d w i th the years, i ts a rt re

mains to proclaim i ts med iaeval ascendency , and estab l is hits conced ed i nfl uence. i t i s a fragme n t of a sem ici rc l eupo n a st ream wh ic h forms its ch ie f ad van tage ; it h as fewor no pa vements, old marke t-plac es, trading shops o f on lyord i nary s ta tus ; a grea t m idd le c l as s, and mar ine populace ;a popu la t ion that rests wi th closed o flices and shops threehou rs in the m iddle o f the d ay , and res umes b usine ss againin the afle rno on. Y et it pos sesses its flne homes, its aris

toc racy, i ts zoo logica l ga rdens , i ts parks , and above all itsa rt scho o ls , and the cho ice treasu res o f i tsO ve rw hel m i ng ly Catholic, it con ta i n s all

o f th e Fle mi s h pa in ter Ruben s,and h i s pu pi l Vandyke ,

w hose flower o f ri pe gen i us endears it to the hea rts of the

Romis h soc iety of all cou n tries. Mas te r and p rotege g lorihed the ea r l i e r part o f the se ven tee n th centu ry w ith the i rsuccessive an d successfu l labors. Both the fa vo rites ofprinces, the e lde r pre em i nent fo r the exce l lence o f h i s histo rical and sacred s ubjec ts , the you nger fo r his royal po rt ra i ts , scattered th rough the co u rts o f the enti re Con ti nent.Rubens , though a Pru ss ian by nat i v i ty , made A n twerp hisresidence and the theatre where he ac h ieved his grandes tglory. I fea r many of the s t u pendous works bea ring hiss ignat u re, l i ke the ocea ns of su perio r w ines, are s pu rio us.He may have conce i ved the models , and lefl. them to re

ce ive flesh and c loth i ng, and col oring and l ife , from h isjou rneymen studen ts, t h us lea v i ng a bad impression ofsome of the work sa id to be the grea t art i st ’s. H is ins pirations are eve r of the most subl i me and bro ades t ch arac ter

,though t here was often l it tle de l icacy or cons onance

o f tone . Viv id co lor i ng and brawny co u to rt iuns—o f theM i chae l A nge lo s choo l—seem to have been h i s pec u l iartalent, thou gh his most cele b rated d iscipl e, Vandyke, sequ i red all the we i rd grace and mellow beau ty h i s patronnever po sse ssed. I n the works of the former the re appea rs

ht, that ca rna l izes the mos tl atte r have a soft tw i l igh trofligate pr i n ce or sensuo u s

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406 mor on s AND Po a'

raarrs

that does not own suc h an i n s ti tu t i on , and yet wi th al l ou rbo as te d l i be ra l ed ucation i n Ame rica we have ye t to learnth i s great repu bl ican lesson .

Rubens ’s masterpi eces i n the Cathed ral , the “Descen tfrom the C ro ss ,” the “ El evat ion o f the C ross ,

”and the

“Assumption” d i d no t overcome no r i mpress me. Theremay have been someth i ng o f d i sappoi n tmen t i n these workson accoun t of my own i nex pe rience , and someth ing of tool o fty expectations from the bu rden o f ad u l at ion showeredupo n them ; o rt here may have been m uch in the coun te racti ng rad iance o f the spl end id decorat io n s o f the Catheo

d ral i tsel f, wh ich had j ust been fu l ly d ressed for one o f then umerous re l ig ious fest i val s , that l ed me to tu rn from thep ictu res to the body o f the ho ly art-gal lery .

Here,again , I no ted the pag ean try of the Cathol i c Ch u rch

and the i n fluence it w ields. l t ru les t he masses w i th themagi c power o f a ca duce us , and whether the c tfec t be u ponthe heart , the i n te l l ect , or the sen ses , i f the resu l t he benefic ial

,the ca u se is good . The majori ty of Papis ts go to

ch u rch to enj oy the pictu res,the exqu i s i te sta ined gl ass

w i ndows,the b ron z es

,the ban ners , and the sweet m u s i c , bu t

once h av i ng en te red the sanctum they pray ; no i r rep ress i b l el ongi ng to lay t he i r hea rts down before thei r Make r wou ldhave gu ided the i r s teps i n to the Ho ly o f Ho l ies bad it no tbeen an art depos i tory as wel l as the house o f God .

The Cathed ral i s one of those Go th ic fancies so pre val en ti n the ch u rch arch i tectu re of Catho l i c E u rope . A w i lde rness o f s teeples and towers and fly i ng buttresses . I n s i de,apart from the Rubens pi ctu res and the pai n ted w i ndow s ,the ampl i tude o f del icate and i n tricate wo od carv i ngs seemto be the loadstar. The el aborate t race ry of the s u pe rbchapel s

,n aves and chancel s , i s as marvel lous an d mysti ca l

a p iece of a rt as the exte r ior of th e M i l an d uomo. Religi

ou s ens igns i n the pontifica l colors floated from every pi l l a rand post , and fo rmed w reathed d rape ry from the dome ; theclouds o f i ncense symbo l i zed a serv i ce wh ic h keeps i tselfforever befo re i ts worsh i ppe rs .The popu lace were ou t

,l i ke a great sea l et l oose , to wel

come the A rchb i shop. It was a line spree fo r t hem , bu t i twas a deco rous , sober, si ncere frol i c. No sloth , nor intox icat ion

,nor profan i ty characterized the herd that swa rm ed

th rough the lofty aisl es o f the Cathed ral an d fi l l ed the Opensquares o f the c i ty. E very age and s tation m i ngled i n thej u bi lee

,the poorest and the smal lest seem i ng to sympathise

w i th the even t . The resp lenden t i l l um i nat ion i n the even

o r roas ion raav sn. 407

i ng i n honor of the pat ron sa i n t was the new ecstasy thats u ppl emen ted the gl ory o f the day.

What th e Antwerpians call Moun t Cal vary deserves n obette r t i t l e th an the Ch ambe r of Horrors . I n the cou rtadjacen t to St . Pau l ’s a h uge mound of rock and sing s u r

moun ted by a cruc ified Ch ri st represen ts the sac red h i l l .H ideous prototy pes o f sai n ts , angel s , and pat ria rchs , standat var ied heights upon the project ion s , and su rrou nd thegrotto i n tended to i l l u strate t he sepci lchre at Jerusal em ,

beh i nd wh ich a del i n eat ion o f Pu rgatory gleamed,whe re

the condemned s tood neck deep i n flames beh i nd i ron bars.The en t i re conception was the fantasy o f some ignoran tbigot

,and adm i rably d i sposed to make men tu rn back from

the Cathol ic Ch u rch,who m igh t have besen converted by

the other fasc i nation s and d i spl ays . '

l he statues wi thou texception were repu l s i ve

,and the holy tomb

,w i th al l i ts

w ret c he d and tawd ry pa i n ti ng o f pu rgato ry fo r a background , forms a ch ief object to i n spi re ben igh ted ad heren tsw i th awe

,by a con stan t prese n tati on of the te rro rs o f eter

nal damnat ion . To i n tensi fy the ghastly and m isshape ns ight

,several clothes-l i nes stretched from the tenemen t

houses adjoin i ng,floa ted al l the repu ls i ve rags

,j ust w ru ng

fro m the wash tubs , over the heads o f the holy conc iave.

L E T T E R L X X V I .

And Ardennes waves above them her green leaves,D ewey w i th nature ’s tear-d rape, as they pass ,G rieving, if augh t inanimate e

'er grieves,

Over the un return ing brave.”

Cart on H AROLD .

Banan as. August. 1878 .

Nor an hou r’s r ide on th e rai l s from A n twerp to thel i t t l e Pari s

,o r h i l ly city o f B russel s , as mou n ta i nous as a

Sw i ss town h u ng u pon the A l p ine crags , and al l th e wayi s marked by the vagran t detachmen ts o f can al s, the lowwh i te lands st retch i ng away from the d u nes o f the Netherl ands , and the tal l pop lars o f France,

Whose only boughsAre gathered round the i r dusky brows.

{08

M is fitfie in th w w thesc Lo wland cit ies to

Thamfit iu l W nn is M a d u t Pfi is

o l its lertik and raried mmAn a q uk iu d ty is BM d m m d u chM ctu rmo f

dm, gallery, and palace. A mongrei city, so to speak ;a haflm g w ith in its l ineage ; a conn oentre n d an in pnrtant comme rcial station ;

w ith tbe traMc o f the Z uyder Z ee , the iey Baltic coast , and

national co lo rs fly in gfrom the lo fty masts, and the wh i te sails swaying in the

breez e of the canals and tributa ries tha t flow away to theScheldt ; a c ity where the lo w ly pa sant o r burgher life

Antennas or

loo , w i th itsor m i lk-ca rt drawn

n

i

l

r

ia big yellow dog, is far mo re inte r

esting than the sh voiced bo ufle singe rs at the Thea trede la M onna ie cu tt i ng their ambiguous an t ic s, or t he

weal th in the Qua rt ie r Leopold , o r the extra vagan t s hepso f the rues Royals , de la Regenc e, and de l a Made la ine.

I n the early mo rning th e m i lk or bread wagons , d raw nby dogs an d d r iven by broad , sq uare, brown Walloonwomen

,clat te ring their sabfits and Flem ish tongues i n

u n i son , fill the rugged h il ly streets. Two can i ne bru te sha rnessed to the tongue and one u nder th e m i n iat u re ca r tp u l l wi th all t he i r m igh t the bu rden u p the h i l l , and

when the m i stress ha l ts in t he v icin i ty of her t rade, eac hand every dog d rops ex hauste d u pon the wh i te roads

,bu t

w i th the tru e i n s t i nct of that i n tellec t ual and fai t h fu l bru tesp ri ngs to h i s feet at the sound of his part i cu l ar m is t ress ’8step. They se rv e the i r ' m i lk , flap the long tabs of the i rw h i te caps and j ingl e the s i lver pend ant s i n t he ir ea rs ,en te r the shady , holy recesses of S t. Gud nle and prayto the G reat U nknown , i n the glow of th e Belgian s u nst reaming th rough the go l den and crim son glass of themarvel lou s windows , u nder the protect ion of the n i mbus sed cherubs

,and i n the seductive clouds of i ncense that

reveren tly veil the angels of t he dome, and ret u rn to the i r

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4 10 Plcr caxs a s s PORTRAITS

ca use the gal lan t c i t ize n s fancy th is way o f at once per~

pe tuat ing the fame o f t hei r grea t ones and adorn i ng thei rsq uares . I s no t the equest rian statue o f God frey de Bo u i llo n, erected upon the spo t where h e exho rted the Belgianso n to war for the Holy Sepu lch re, a more fi t t i ng t ri bu te tothe cen tu ried hero than some fan tastic al legori ca l marbl ereq u i r i ng i n scri bed explanat ion ? The Place des Marty rs

,

back o f the Rue Nenve, and approached th rough the Rue S t.M ichel , con tai n s the cenotaph of the brave who fell i n t h ea u tum n of ’

30 . In a su n ken gal lery , or open tomb, a re inc losed stone s labs record i ng the names o f the martyrs . Thefigu re o f enfranchised Belgi um su rmou n ts a ped imen t gua rded by angel s o f mercy and con solat i on and p rayer, wh i l ePatri a hersel f ch ron icl es wi th he r s ty l u s t he even tfu l d ayst hat un l ocked her gy ves , u n bou nd her p i n ion s, an d gave h erfreedom ; the base con ta i n s re l i efs of a n ation

's oaths,its

confl ict,i ts grat i tude

,and i ts tom bs. The Cou n ts Egmon t

and Hoorne st i l l stand before the M aison d c Ro i i n a l l thes tony cal m ness and majesty they d i spl ayed the day

,th ree

cen tu r ies ago , they met t h ei r t reacherous fate , wh ich rea l lywas the i n i ti al scene o f the th i rty years ' tragedy th at endedi n bu rst i ng the Span i sh hal ter. Open i ng from the RueRoyal e, and on a verti cal l i ne w i t h the celebrated man s ionwhere sat B run sw ick ’s fated Ch iefta i n" on the ca lam i tou snigh t when a t housan d “l amps shone o ’

er fai r women an dbrave men

,

” the Do ric column of Congress loses i ts l oftyh ead i n the clouds . The fact w h ich the heaven-kiss i n gtower commemora tes gave to Belg i um i ts k i n g , i ts l i be rtyof press

,freedom o f ed ucat ion , i mm u n i ty of assoc iat ion s ,

and l at i tude i n publ ic worsh i p,and Belgium rec i proca ted

by gi v i n g the cloud-capped memoria l to th e c i ty .

Bu t w ith al l these u n fad i ng tes t imon ial s to the independence

,valor

,and gen i us of a coun try

,t he grotesq ue Fou n

ta i n of the Man n ik i n i s a greater m un ic i pa l attrac t i on . I ti s worsh i pped by the l ower Fl em ish

,an d sough t by stran

gers ; i t i s poi n ted‘ to by valels dc place, and atti red i n

fi tt i ng costume u pon pol i t ical or re l igious fest i val s. TheMan n ik i n i s a racy l i ttl e d iplomats , who changes h i s nat ional sen timen ts w i th the spr i n gt ide o f publ ic opi n ion , an dtherefore i s ever a fai th fu l subject of the en th roned regime,and don s a cos tume i n con sonance w i th h i s precepts. Hehas been a Fren chman , a B raban t , an O rangeman , a Revolut ionist, and i s now a loya l adheren t o f Leopold , o f SaxeCobu rg. He always cou rts th e ru l i ng power and by hissycophant natu re remai n s t he favor i te of th e masses .

or renew s m av en. 4 1 1

Whi l e Patri a i n her u n l oosed shack les , look i ng heal thyand holy

,may some day tu rn a g reen and s i ck ly h ue, or

Egmon t i n h i s go ld l ace an d feathers may be torn dow nfrom h i s pedesta l and beaten i n to the defiling d ust of thestree ts by the u ngratefu l and fo rget t i ng poste ri ty o f thosefo r whom he su ffered , and the Co lonue d a Co ugrés frownnpo n the th reaten i ng i n su rgen ts be low , the Mann i k i n w i l lre ig n in state , for he w i l l be a const i t uent o f the stronge rfact ion .

The c i ty is bathed i n a sea o f pomp and gl ee, for i t i sthe festal season of the si l ver wedd i ng of Leopold and h i sQueen Hen r ietta

, and wh i le the s teed s from the royal stab l es , gay i n gi l t trappi ng and scarlet cloth , and the roya lguard cl im b the steep stree ts , and the s i l ver ch i mes o f

ch u rch towers make sweet me lody , and the blare of trumpetand beat o f d rum reverbe rate th rough the crowded waysand gal l eri es , and s i l ks and laces and d i amonds r i val eac hother i n sh immer and textu re and rad iance in the pal acesaloons

,and orators endeavo r to d rown each othe r ’a voices

and con v iction s i n the pub l ic hal l s and pa rks , the peasan tsare trudgi ng thei r leafy roads

,where the shade of poplar

and pi ne cast a ho ly m i st a ro u nd,to the great ci ty to jo i n

i n the pagean t to the i r sovere ign,a b ri l l ian t ovation where

I catch gl impses o f ce lebrated characte rs and meet frequen t revelat ions o f the man ners and customs o f the labori ng m u l titude. I watched the parade of the Belgian freeschools and the Belgian Par l iamen t

,w i th thei r ch iefs and

l eaders of the rea lm,as i t wound abou t the broad bou le

varda that fo rm the town i n to an ill-shaped tr i angle , l ike abri l l ian t-li ned serpen t, and pass i ng before the roya l fam i lyu nder the portico o f the pa lace was lost in the roa ds lead ~

i ng away to the su bu rbs. Detac hmen ts from the far-awaycoal d ist r icts of Mon s and Liege , the l ace sec tion s of Ma

l i nes , the northern pla i ns o f Ghen t and B ruges,and the

sou thern sy l van shades of A rdennes came i n fan tas t i cd ress to pa rt ic i pate i n the j ub i lee and, offer p recious gift s inhomage to thei r monarch .The communal pu pi l s formed a vast a rmy of ch i l d hoo d,

and though the majori ty are Roman Catho l i c t hey are alli n s tructed from a common fu nd

,the t rai n i ng bei ng thor

o ugh and prac t i cal,no t rel ig ious . The gi r l s hau nte d t he i r

w h i te d resses,long pan t ies , and gay r i bbon s u nder the

sc rol led and g i lded ba lco n ies o f the metropol i s,perhaps fo r

the fi rst and l ast t i me i n l i fe , and the boys marched l i ke am i n iatu re battal ion of freedmen

,i n the i r ga la s u i ts and

“2 fl ow e r s AND PORTRA ITS

h igh hate. as proud of the i r i n trod uction i n to thei r cap ital as an American gi rl o f her presen tation at Victori a ’scou rt . The fu tu re mothers and fa thers of the k i ngdomcho ru ssed the i r fes ti ve a i rs i n exq u is i te ha rmony as theyproceeded u nder the gol d and crimson flags from the i rhomes at A n twerp

,Liege

,Li l le , Bruges, Ghen t , Ma l ines,

B raban t , Luxembou rg, Hai n au l t , and Namu r, cheered bythe en th u si asm o f the raptu rou s crowds and st i m u l ated bythe Witchery o f nove l ty bu t as the Li beral depu ties la te l ye lected to the 'Belgi an Parl i amen t appeared they weregreeted wi th a s te rner and manl i er ebu l l i t ion of joy. A ndt hese men had vanqu ished the U l tramon tan i sts at the l atee lec t ion s

,—despi te the overwhel m ing Cat ho l i ci sm o f Bel

gi um,- and i n structed the i r K ing to organ ize a l i bera l o r

repu bl i can m i n is t ry !A l l th rough the long days th rongs of bu rghe rs pass to

and fro i n the hal l s o f the Hotel de Vi l l e,w here th e lace

tra in and jewel l ed coronal t o be presen ted to the Queen byher female s u bjec ts l ay on exh ib i t ion , and a l l th rough thesun l igh t hou rs fi ne m u s i c band s march and co untermareh

i n the g l a ri ng s treet s,wh i te w i th th e sand from the d u nes

o f Hol l and ,—m i l i tary bands, show i ng a profici ency i n th eart s uch as l have heard i n no o ther foreign capi tal

,except

a t German Cologne. Y et , i n the m idst o f this musica ls u premacy , i t was no t d i spleasi ng to hear that o ur G i lmore ’s o rchestra fa i rly electri fied the cu l ti vated and cense ri ou s professors o f m usic i n the cr i ti ca l c i ty of B ru sse l sno t l ong si nce , an d w h i l e many u nj ust c ri t i cs cla i m thatthe American leader ’s organ i zat ion i s composed of Germans , su ch has been the developmen t o f scien tific mus ic i nthe Un ited S ta tes that some of the most val uable con tr ibu t ion s to the Ope rat ic stage a re nat i ve and to the man ne rbo rn.

The revel s an d hol i days o f Cathol i c cou n tr ies are un

eq ual led for brilliancy,abandon , and u n i versal part ic i pa

t ion . The i nord i n ate l ove o f d ramatic effect , wh ich hasbeen fed by the garish show and scen ic attri bu tes o f the i rchu rch, c reates a th i rs t fo r al l attract ions need ingfigu ranteso r pu lchinello . The i l l um i nat ion i n the even i ng was a

grand subl i mat ion or de ificat ion o f the glor ies o f the day .

G reat w reaths o f mammoth flowers bridged the h igh waysfrom pi l la r to post ; a rches o f the nat ional colors and various dev ices o f many-co lored l an terns fi l led the open places ;bands and streamers o f black and orange and crimsonh oneycombed the stree ts

,floated from every w i ndow and

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4 14 P ICT URES A ND Poa'

ramr s

i t requ i res the fleece o f ten goats and a year ’s work to prod uce a w rap o f on ly o rd i nary qual i ty and u nder s ize ? Yett hese goods may he pu rc hased fo r a th i rd less pr ice he re

,

from the Compagn ie des I ndes , than at o ur em porium s.My fi rs t experience i n the l ace-shops left me d i sappoi n ted

and pe rpl exed . They cou ld not boast o f the correspondingly and ama z i ngly low figu res of t he shaw l s . I f the re i s

any o ne th i ng i n w h ich a w oman may he sa id to pos sessi n s t i nct i ve know ledge i t i s i n costume , detai l and en t i re ;t herefore she i s ever awake to the i nconsi stency o f ove rrates. The aristo c ratic lace and shaw l man ufactory o f

Bru ssel s i s nc l‘ ad vert i sed there i s ever the a l l-pervad

i ng presen ce o f qu ietude an d concea l men t. I had mad e my

pu rchase o f Cashmeres and was con su l t i n g w i th a fri endh ow I shou l d carry them home withou t pay i ng d uty ,—thead roi t A merican female neve r pays impost

,i t i s no t i n he r

code,—when the salesl ady began to tel l o ff the co st o f he r

laces,l i ke a Cathol ic cou n t i ng her bea ds . What she th re w

before me were of the fi nest ti ssue , but a l l beyond my pr i ce.The attendan t d i splaye d a b lack th read man t le that hadbeen orde red by one o f the Cal i forn ia money pri ncesses , tocost $8000 , and the d u ty at fi fty pe r cen t. wou ld add $4000 ;but to escape th i s necessary impos i ti on the garmen t re

mains at the depos i to ry u n t i l the l ady m i l l i ona i re ca l ls forit an d carr ies it home on he r fa i r shou l ders

,and so cheats

poor old Uncle Sam o u t of h i s righ tfu l ta r id'. A fio unce

o f p oi n t d ’aigu i l le , cost i ng two h u nd red and twen ty-five.dol l ars a meter, had each spray elevated from th e fo undat ion and the open i ng leaves o f each rose consumed a dayo f the lacewo rker’s t i me ; labo r wh ich req u i res an arti s t fo rw h ich she rece i ves eigh ty cen ts per d iem

,wh i le the wo rke rs

o f less snht ile port ions rece i ve ten or fi fteen cen ts o f ou rmoney . What I saw was inst ruct i ve bu t admonito rynandI h u rr ied away from the a i ry fabrics w i th the weigh typ ri ce. A fter many days ’ sea rch I fou nd the en v ied gossamer i n the Rue des Paroiss ien s

,where the fi nest textu res

may be procu red at rates i n moderate con tras t to tho se o fthe I nd ian i mporters

,

O n a mound of earth adjoi n i ng the Zoological Garden Isough t and found what looked to be an ant ique ru i n . I twas the home and st ud io o f the e rrat i c art i st W iert z w h i lehe l i ved

,and i s now the casket o f h i s works and a nat ional

p roperty . I had heard o f the fan tastic vagaries o f th i s

g i fted man , and fel t a nat u ra l h u nger to feast u pon thefru i ts o f h i s we i rd gen i us en masse. The pa i n t i ngs t hat

o r FORE IG N m a v en. “5

have wo n the fame o f th i s st range be i ng a re th e creat ion so f a w i ld

,i magi nat i ve bra i n

,to wh ich the owner seems

genera l ly to have al lowed un l i m i ted scope —to use anA merican i sm ,

“ let h imse l f l oose .

” He was an expert w i thi n terval s o f i n san i ty ; often work i ng w ith gen u i ne i n spi rat ion , and oftener w i th a reck less d ash and gross ex trava

gance ; yet from h is portra i t, pai n ted at various ages , I sawa ph i losoph ical face , and far from any evi dence o f i n ebrietyo r i n sa n i ty . The pictu res i n h is gal le ry are al l i n te res t i ngand o rig i nal emanat ion s most o f the concept ions col ossa land strongly i n d i ca t i ve o f developed perso nificat ions oft he man i ac s-pow . With the v i vid colori ng o f Rubens

,the

d i storted and b rawny anatomy of M i che l A ngelo,the pro

d igiu na concei ts o f Carly le , and the fanat ic i l l u sions o f

P M,he was at once fasc i nat i ng and spectra l . I t seemed

very l ike a l unatic gift ed w i t h supreme bu t momen ta rypower

,th row i ng o tt h i s dark and bri l l ian t vagari es u pon

can vas . S ti l l there were some o f h is ach ievemen ts tha tman i fes ted a soft and touch i ng sen t imen t , mys t ica l an dbea u ti fu l beyon‘d expression . Many of h i s women seem tohave been co i n ed ou t o f the me l ted love o f h i s hea rt. Thepo rtraye d hor ro rs o f th is man ’s frenz ies are a lone worthya t r i p to B russel s.I t i s strange t hat the th i ck ly sett led k i ngdom o f Bel

gi um,crowded w i th g reat even ts and n umbe rs o f d i st i n

gu ished arti s ts , wri ters , and statesmen i n i ts an nal s, wou ldbe ob l iged to take its k i ngs from othe r cou n tries . Thefather of the presen t K i ng was Leopold o f Saxe-Cobu rg

,

son-ia-l aw o f Lou i s Ph i l i ppe,o f France

,and h i s w i fe was a

p ri ncess o f the house o f A u s t r ia ; so i t may be said thatn ei ther are Belgi ans. Despi te the d ispari ty o f not oneProtes tan t to eve ry five h u nd red Cathol i cs

,the Extrem i sts

were co nq uered by a large majority at t he l ast election bythe Li bera ls. The Queen is a Protestan t

,and her royal

spouse i s a moderate Cathol ic,qu iet and domes t ic i n h is

customs. wh i le Hen rietta i s fond o f the tu rf, ho rsefiesh,s awdust

,spangles , ru sh l igh ts , and l egs , wh ich i s eq ual i zed

by her ph i l an th ropy,and though a grandmother

,st i ll

d ri ves fou r-in-hand and freq ueum the American ci rcus.

a at: t t

The pin is done, the curtain d rops,S low ailing to the prompter

's be l l

A momen t yet the actor stops,And looks around to say

—Farewel l .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

4 18 I NDEX

D ijon , 213 Gnidecca, 297Biomed Inn, 281 Guttenbe rg , 375

books at Liverpoo l , 17 Gu y‘s Clifl'. 71Books at Marsei l les

,224

Do reGal l e ry, 33 Hagu e , 398Dream of Chil lon, 316 Hande l , harps ichord o f, 41

Hansom,15

Eaton Hal l , 53 Has tings, 108Eh renbre itste in, 386 Hathaway, Anne , 62Emannle tta . 294 H e ide lberg, 373Engl ish churchmen, salaries of H erald ’s Co llege , Londo n, 48some, 46 Ho l land

,392

Engl ish Literati, 105 Home o f Frenohtnen,1 95

Eng l ish women, 27 Ho te l des lnvalides , 167Estates at Live rpoo l , 17 Ho te l , London and No rthwes te rnEthelfled a, 70 at Liverpo o l , 1 5Eus ton Sq uare S tation, 2 1 House o f Commons , 129

Eu thanas ia,282 Hnis ten Bos ch , 399

Evan's, 85 H uman inte l lec t in Repu bl ican

Expos ition Universalle, a day at,

France 20 9

143, 205 Hyde Park , 120Ex trac t o f Alderney

,63 Hyeres, 228

Farrar, Canon, 46 Ind ia House , 205Faubou rg S t. Antoine , 1 52 Interlak e n

,333

Fe rney , 3 14 Irving, Henry, 87Figu res o f Bri tish paupe rism,

37Pio neers , 139 Jubi lee S ingers , 330F lorence , 287 Jud lc , Madame

,193

Fluelen, 350 Ju ngfrau , 337Fog, Lond on, 30

Fo rwood , reception o f Mr. and Kaisersalle , 376Mrs . , 1 6 Kal tbad , 35

Fo und ling Hos pi tal , 46 Kenilwo rth, 73Frankfo rt-on-Main, 374 Ku lm

,353

Fre nch charities , 1 99caricatu res

,15 1

flats, 138labo r, 148m i l l iners , 150restauran ts , 197sheps , 198

Frogmore, 1 19

Geneva, 308

Giessbaoh, 340

Glnok , 81God iva, 75Goethe , 375Go ld , power of, 91Greek Chape l , 380Grise tte , 1 55Grosvenor, Marq u is o f

,

Lake dwel l ings , 358La Scala

,304

Last S upper," 30 5Lat i n Quarter, 152Lausanne , 326Leamington, 73Le ices ter Sq uare , 92L iberia Eye lid ct Fralel 'ail é

'

,

Lion of Luxeme , 348

Liverpoo l , 1 3Loc k ed in and left

,

” 20

Lond on, 18

Lond on, a wa lk throu gh . 96Lo tteries o f Marse il les

,221

Louvre , 173Lu l ly , 8 1Lu tet ia, 152Lu ther, 375

I NDEX .

Lu ther, finger organ o fMartin, 4 1 Pont d e Jena, 203Lu xembo urg, 156, 176a e rne, 340

Lyc e um Thea tre , 87Lyons , croix-Rumsc, 210

Mahille,Jard in, 159

Mada me Miche l , 151Nannikin, 4 10

M a rch! da Tammie, 154Marine Aq uarium, 1 12

Marse il les,217

Mars ha l l and Sne l lgrove , 29

Po u te Vecch io , 29 1Prince ofWa les , pav i l ion, 202

Qnai d’orsay , 203

Rajah Holapore, 292Regent

’s Park, 121

Rest Roubion, 226

Res tau rants , London, 9 1Rh ine Fa l l s

,359

Rh ine, from Biebrich to Co logne ,381

Mauso lea o i Tit ian and Cano va, 3 13 110 , 297

30 1 Rieu z i, 2 19Mend icants , scarred and scarilied , Rigi, 35037

Me rsey, 17Mi lan, 302

Monaco ,231

Mont Ce nis , 310Mont-da 154Mont Pilat , 2 18Monte Carlo , 231Monte Pinc io

, 248

Mo t ley , John Lo throp, 399Mo unt Vesu v i us

,278

Ne therlands , re l igion of the , 397New P lace , 58Nice , 227

No tre Dame Cathed ral,1 56

No tre Dame de la Garde , 222No tre Dame de Lo re tte , 140Nonvel Ope ra, 189

Oak Lodge , 89Opera, Lo ndo n, 79Oxford Mus ic Ha l l , 86

Paesiello , 81Pa lace o f the Doges, 299Palais Royals , 141Pa lestrina, 81Paris, 132Parl iament Pa laces , 128l'

auperism, Englis h , 37l’ere la Cha ise , 169Peter Robinson, 29Pe trarch and Lau ra, 218Phil l ips , J . 0 . Hal l iwe l l ,P icc ini

,81

Pigeons o f S t . Mark , 300

P i t t i Pa lace , 289

Pompe ii, 279'

Rome ,246

Ro thsc hi lds, home o f,375

Ro tterdam, 396

Ro u lette ,238

Ru e d e la Roqu ette, 169

Rugby, 2 1

4 19

Sa lve, 283

Santa Croce, 289Schaii

'

hansen, 3 60

Sc hev eningen, 4 0 1Seagu l ls , 13Se fton Park , 17Se rvant-girlisni , 186Shakespeare Ho use , 57Shakespeare

’s birthp lace , 60

Sho ttery , 62Silk fac to ries o i Lyons

,2 15

S lave trad e , 16Soap fac to ries , 17So u th Kens ingtou Museum, 38S tafl

'

e l, 352

S tanley , Dean, 43S tation liars and boo k ing omoo s

,

Sto ke Pages , 1 19S to lz ent

'

e ls , 385

S trattord-on-A von, 57S trasbu rg, 3 9S t. Geo rge

’s H a l l , 14

S t . James Park , 12 1

St. James’s Ha l l , 86

S t. Leonards-nn-Sea,1 10

St. Lo renz o , 289S t . Marco , pia z z a and cathed ra l

,

298,299

St. Pete r’ s Cathed ral,252

Sydenham H i l l,1 12

420 mnnx .

Tapestry o f Bayeu x, 1 10 V esu v ian Bay , 277Te l l ’s Chape l , 34 9 Ve vay, 320Thames , its co u rse thro ugh Rich V i l la Bo rghese , 24 9moud , Kew , Hampton Co u rt

,V irt ue and Vice

,in London

,34

etc , 100 Vit z nau ,350

Theatre s, London 90

Theatres, Paris, 1 89 W ales, poor of, 37Thuu , 334 Wal loons , 403Tou lon, 228 W arwick , 61 , 64 , 65

Towe r H i ll , 96 W ea l th and pov erty o f Lond on, 34

Trave l l ing carriages , English ,1 9 W e isbadeu , 377

Trinity Chape l , S trat l'

o rd-ou -Avou , W estminster Abbey , 2 1, 25

59 W estminster Hal l , 13 1Tro cadéro , 200 W estminster, Marqu is of, 53

Tu rin,309 W estminster Pa lace Ho tel , 22

Tussaud , Madame, gal lery and W iertz Ga l lery, 4 14

career, 31 W indsor,—towu and cast le , 1 1 6,

1 17, 118, l l9 , 120

Underground rai lway, 30 W ood sc u lptu res , 339

Val ley ofMarne,212 a , Lake , 353

Venice , 293 Z u rich,354

Versai l les,178