The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-18 00:00:00

VENETIA.

(From the Times Military Correspondent.)

PADUA, Sept. 12.
Verona is a place of many beauties, and its loss
will be almost as painful to Austria as that of
Venice, for, while the latter is the fairest seaport in
Europe, the former has charms of the land that
cannot easily be matched. Seated at the junction
of the mountains and the plains it combines the
beauties of both, while one finds there some of the
most perfect Roman remains in Europe, excellent
mediaeval architecture, with frescoes and pictures
worthy of being placed in such a situation. Before
leaving this morning I walked up the spur of the
mountain that hangs over it to see how the forts on
that side are built, and what they command. The
way lies over an iron bridge that spans the river in
one of its windings, and is defended against the rush
of the stream by wooden breakwaters. The Adige
is a good obstacle, not only on account of its consi-
derable breadth, but also because of its rapidity of
movement, which would render swimming impossi-
ble, and oppose great difficulties to the construction
of a military bridge. If late summer showers cause
its waters to hurry along as they do to-day, during
the melting of the snows or in time of storms it must
become a torrent. Like most continental rivers, the
force of the stream is utilised by placing watermills
along its edges, where the movement, checked by the
friction of the banks, is slower than in the centre ;

but they are completely detached from the shore, and

never cease working. The houses on each side take
possession of as much of the river as they can, creep-
ing over it upon arches, and peering down upon it
from balconies, whence are scattered the dying
flowers that hang over every balustrade.
We are justly proud of our English green lanes,
but Verona has lanes also, and green enough to
please the most jaded eye. Passing over the bridge
and crossing the Trent road the way lies immediately
through one of these, paved under foot, unfortu-
nately for the picturesque, but fortunately for the
pedestrian who has to toil up the steep ascent. Rough
stones, like the pavement of a country inn yard,
line the greater part of the road; but in the centre
runs a narrow strip of smooth flags easy to walk on.
At first there are walls on each side fencing off the •
gardens that lie beside it, but soon the built-up
stones give place to solid rock of a delicate sand
colour, out of which burst with a vitality that nothing
can resist rock plants, such as ferns and capers, while
from above creepers and trailing vines hang over
to clothe the rudeness of the almost perpendicular
scarpe. Italy is so rich in vegetation, and so li
temperate in climate in the north, that every
chink in the rock sends out its contribution of leaves,
and these remain green during the whole summer.
Fig trees, acacias, myrtles, oleanders, even honey-
suckles, hang over the edge, rooted in the gardens
above, and cool with their grateful shade the path
below. If tired of mounting you throw yourself on
a little pitch of green sward at the corner of crossing
paths, the air is filled with fragrance from the plants
that you have crushed. Dragon flies and butterflies
flit round you, and bright-eyed lizards rustle through
the leaves or glide up the perpendicular wall of rock.
The whole scene seems a paradise till you are
awakened by seeing clean, smooth, lately-built
walls blocking up the path, and black-muzzled can-
non grinning at you from embrasures just across the
way. As you ascend higher, forts meet you again,
everywhere the road either passes between batteries
on each side, or is turned out of its way to sneak
round a fort that bars the passage. The guns
mounted in these batteries look downwards towards
the town, and could shell the whole of the enceinte
if it had fallen into the hands of the enemy. They
overawe Verona, and would"afford protection to a
garrison or an army driven to retreat by this road.
The Italians have long complained of Austria's mili-
tary preparations in Venetia : they have now, or
soon will have, possession of Verona, and again the
qustion arises, what will they do with it ? The for-
tress, strong against Italy, is weak to resist an army
descending upon it from the hills, and if Italy does
not acquire the Tyrol she will have to make new
dispositions of the fortified places. The warklike
spirit has been kept alive by the constant presence
of the hereditary foe, but Italy has again and again
been charmed into repose by her own beauty and
riches. The barbarians who first took possession of
her fertile plains soon sank into indolence and were
unable to resist the fresh hordes from the north. At
a later period the armies of the republics fled before
the French, because the latter gave no quar-
ter, killing the cavaliers they had unhorsed,
instead of holding them to ransom, and,
though the Piedmoutese have shown themselves
brave and skilful soldiers, .it is difficult to believe
that the whole Italian people can become what they
crave above all things to be—a really warlike people.
At present antagonism to Austria is preached by the
public press, and called for by the people, but wiser
counsels may perhaps sway them hereafter, and they
may learn not to despise the alliance offered them
by their warlike neighbour.
From the heights above the forts Verona and the
whole plain are seen spread out like a map. The
windings of the Adige, the fortress itself, the de-
tached works, the low range that includes Somma
Campagna and Custozza are very distinct, and, if
you mount high enough, Peschiera becomes visible
at the south-east corner of the glittering Lago di
Garda, and in the blue distance the heights of Sol-
ferino. The whole plain, covered with mulberry
trees and vines, dividing the fields of tobacco and
maize, looks like a garden, and there is no difficulty
in comprehending either the lust of the barbarians
to possess the fertile soil, or the reluctance of the
Austrians to resign their hold on " Schone Venezia."
Free communication is not yet established be-
tween the Quadrilateral and Venice ; the railway is
not broken up, but trains do not run between St.
Bonifacio and Vicenza, and many English people
were disappointed to-day in their wish to go from
Verona to Venice. The whole distance is only about
70 miles, but what with changes from rail to road
and the non-agreement of trains, it is always a chance
if it can be got over in one day ; but is is no great
hardship to be detained on a road rich with the
buildings of Sanmicheli backed by the Alps, and
which passes near the famous bridge of Arcole, the
scene of one of Napoleon's fiercest struggles with the
Austrians. It is curious enough, too, to travel
through a country which really does not belong to
anybody at present, for the Austrians have resigned
it, the French have not a man in it, and the Italian
army is retiring to its very borders, nominally for
health's sake, but really, it is said, to leave the
people free to vote without constraint. At Padua a
farewell dinner was given to-day to some of the
officers who leave to-morrow.

The newspapers are still full of complaints at
having so much delay thrown in their way. The
Giornale di Padua asks plaintively, " Who is to
keep the peace and look after the elections ?" blam-
ing the unfortunate Government for not relieving
them of their suspense. No doubt Victor Emmanuel
would like very much to take all the control and re-
Hyonsibility into his own hands, but the fact is that
hehas
no
more right to make arrangements than
the
Queen of England, unless he chooses to defy
the French and their Emperor. He is said to have
been indispeaed, but to be recovering.

A letter from SEPT. 13.
Venice to the Corriere della Venezia
asserts that the plAiscite
willbe a mockery, because
One
in the first place no underr 21 years of age is to
vote. This will, as the Write
says,cut off that part
of the population most vivacious
and ready to re-
ceive new ideas. Secondly, the lists
s are
be com-
piled by parish priests, who will avoid the to
h' ouses of
those not in the pale of the Roman h Catholic Church.
Does liberal and progressive Franceo
whomcount
nen-
Catholics as excommunicated dogs; to civil
rights are to be denied?" The Corriere itself is
lively enough, with its articles headed, " Revela-
tions," " Austrian Lies," " Austrian Violence."
Those who complain so bitterly that there is no one
to keep order at the elections might, perhaps, be
wiser not to acid fuel to the excitement already pre-
vailing. The King Victor Emmanuel is still here,
but it is supposed that he will leave this morning
for his castle near Alessandria.

A NEW COPYRIGHT BILL, under distinguished
patrouag.o_ms provincial managers tell us of a new play—
will be produced next session.