The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-12-20

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| Another memorial Of the two immor
tai lovers has been better preserved
Ia garden near the church Of the
Cordellers is the tomb of Laura, where
it is said her ashes really repese. The
hallowed ground is marked by FIVE little
pyramids of cypress, shading in most
picturesque manner section of white
marble pillar rising beneath their
boughs, and resting upon neat, but
uoadorned and transcribed pedestal.
Much taste is displayed in the elegan,
simplicity of the monument. By a sim
gular and unprecedented coincidence,
the waters Of Vaucluse, drawn from the
SoTgia, and conducted through Avignon
for mechanical purposes, murmur by
the tomb, as if anxious 10 hull the sleep
of beauty, and pay back the debt of
gratitude for their fame. Unsettled as
are the claims of Laura, in the first
place TO any thing beyond "A poetical exis-
tence, and, III the second place, to those
qualities which entitle her TO remem-
brance and respect; yet Petrarch has
impaired such an interest to the real or
fictitious mistress of his affections, thai
the mind is irresistibly led TO pay hom-
age perhaps to the shadow of a shade.
Our attachment 10 her dust was almost
as great as that Of the poet to her living
charms; aud we fingered about the
tomb till the approach of twilight,
plucking twigs of cypress, as relics,
from the little shrine.
The eighth of February is entered in
my calender as one Of the happiest days
of my life for il was passed in visiting
the Vale of Vaucluse, retreat render
ed interesting by whatever is beautiful
in nature, elegant in letters, and roman
tic in love. Petrarch used TO say that
he was almost angry TO find any thing SO
enchanting out of Italy; since it had a
tendency 10 weaken his attachment to
his native country. | can SO far unite in
the sentiment as TO say, that, could the
charms of any foreign scenery shake
the constaucy Of my affection for my
native shores, the rocks, soliiudes, and
waters, the bloom and verdure, the Sc
clusion and rural quiet of this little val
ley, scarcely surpassed by that which
the imagination Of Johnson has created
in the pages of Rasselas, would present
the strongest temptations. Here, if any
where upon earth, might restless spir-
tt Soy uUTVH Uue Uuruen Oh IT'S cares anu
be at peace, finding a retirement so
tranquil, that there would be but q
slight transition from the repose OF a
cottage TO that of the grave. But the
experiment has once been tried with so
little success, as 10 offer few induce
ments TO repetition and my enjoy
ment of such an elysium will probably
be confined to short and single visit.
Vaucluse is hidden amongst the hills,
fourteen or fifteen miles 10 north-eas-
tern direction from Avignon. Having
made our arrangements the evening
previous, we left in a post-chaise at the
dawn of day, while the stars were yet
brigh, in a cloudIess and transparent fir
mament. The gradual advance of morn
ing, from the grey twilight Of the hor-
lion TO skies of the softest and richest
hues, were delightful. At length the
sun rose in all its splendour, and poured
a golden flood Of light upon the land
scape and the battlements Of the ancient
city, now seen in the distance and re-
ceding from our view. From green
eminence, crowned with orchards Of
olives, the eye catches wide and en-
chanting prospect of the vale of the
Rhone on one side, and on the other, Of
a fertile plain, opening between the
hills towards Vaucluse.
Passing the little white village of
Moliere, seated upon the brow of hill
of the same name, and those Of Tore
and Gardam, occupying the bosom of a
rich valley beyond, we reached the
banks of the Sorgia Lille, pretty town
standing upon both sides OF clear
stream, which leads the traveller to an
ticipate the purity and copiousness of
the fountain whence it emanates. Its
noisy and limpid waters battle the very
thresholds of some Of the villagers,
who from their windows may see the
trout playing upon the pebbly boltom..-
On either bank groves of trees have
been planted, and avenues for public
walks opened, embe llished with degree
of taste seldom found united with rustic
simplicity.
Beyond L'Ile, the country becomes
more solitary. The path wiads through
unfenced fields, bordering upon the
right hand of the Sorgia, which for
some miles is lost sight of, till it again
suddenly bursts upon the eye of the
visitant, 10 beautiful cascade at the en-
trance Of the vale of Vaucluse. On
one eide of the falls the rocks are high,
hraknn md nrociniinns. and On The