The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-06-19
ON TnF SANE.
AsAAa .Ls.1A-.- :. I .


FINN he Richmond gh..
Eriyaeis Of a letter from az .Iftia, lafe qreudsni
ofhs ctiy 10 a friend, daied m Florence, I ha-
w. March ~. 1927.
" Il Is 500 tct full ofsadness 10 me 10 learn
The dlssenuous which prevail in my native lsnd.
Could the restless % lis that lgilair her nedcs
fal Bdrn know me envy which tsnklrs here in
the boslns OF tilted Arisiocsacy aud hc twishiui
eyes that are turned upon our blessed lnshtu-
tons by than,alds of oppressed aud degraded
son, Of Europe could they perceive the dlsas.
fros ELECT OF American disunion upon the dies
times of Ia ope, aud the wprid.--i am pcrsua-
ded that noue but fends would perseyere in a
course 30 fraught with mischief To mankind.
You are better acqHal0icd with the political IN.
stituilons o. Europe than ! am, bni you have no
conception OF the sretchedness, vice, and irno.
rance, WHICH prevail among the lew,f classes. -
Every where you are met with the rags of ind
gence, the brutality of wee and that insulting
servility which makes you blush for yonr spc.
cics. IN Tuscany there sless wreiohrdness than
than IN any part ofthp continent The laws are
eqn'tabie, the soii prolific, aud the Duke posses
sod OF Immense est ties mas no occasion 10 bur.
them the people with oppressive taxation -
Whilst Austria however, retains supervising
poWer-ihe press Ehackied with rcstrIctons-
and the clergy continue to latien on the labors
OF the husbahdman, holding tho condolences of
oil IN their keeping, fear that even Tuscany
VII hnl RESTING The intellectual superiority aud
i'p raj principles she once possessed, when
Dante, Petrarch aud Boccacio enriched her Ian
gnhge andhbrlrles, and Leonards Da Vnci
hl'ehnrl Angelo aud Raphael pro luecd those mo
nd'heatN o. ant whlc.' remain the admin alton of
the NO "
. II may not be known 10 YOU TIA, Giovanni
I'm 'uc. a iorentlne, produced Inc filst PANT
Iag N ilty N l24o, ate tbr art had been lost
NOR 'hdn 1nb yeas, Giotfo, Memni the friend
OF fet'arch, Da Vlucl aud Michael Aagclo wct =
successive ertsls from TINS rst master, were
All o"tn IN tuscany. lou can therefore con.
teNc WIN whu interest tnteicd the " Arnda.
mia drile Belle ArtI.' which presents M on. view
chronological series Of those artists tracjne
'h'h .f'u ihe ii hard manner OF a beginner
70 ne sou mellow udls on proficient aud tbrougn
th'ir dec'ihe 10 a., prldniic mimiery OF the mrs.
cut sc nool--bdt tnc pIrs an Gallery of FIorence
rs 1r depository OF Ancient siainary and poin.
ting supeIb fight OF STAIRS. three hundred
steps hisl leads You 10 the Vestbule in which
are placed ihr busiS Otthe Aledieis hayipo pa,d
respect to i"ose Distinguished patrons of The arr,
hhh y'u"ls tine people, you pass INTO the first
'ohs eu'ldor' ana stand sufi 0unded with the
a''."u"l"'eu monuments OF ine and genius of
ancient rome ur more ancient Greece tho ,o,Ls
oil fh'diaS aud raNitcles. II was a fllfiInrot nj
my eaily dreams, aud long cherished homes IN
JOCK npon tue faces otmen who aourshed IN the
time OF the Holman Republic or contributed IN
ehe despotism winch succeeded The SPARE mud
animated oonnteuance ofJulius Cesar. Is c,nrc,.
s''e OF the hfe aud activity OF his genius The
Dust OF cicero seems 10 glow with the treasures
oil intellect The face OF llbriius does NOT e..
press those passions winch d owe him In old noc
10 the 'olupthouS climate Of Caprea. TO Danish
the remembl dnCc OF hs CRIMES Aagr;nn,no
anu her murderer Nero, ore once moe nn;,od
mere, and ms countenance wears that pleasan,
serenity which proves thai man NAV sn,,lc and
snlle, aud bea villain The aooalne nnse or
Nespdslan reminds me daily as pass of Govern.
or II l. sad 10 be indicative of n soar
ing genius which marks the cbainr,er oc ,b;y
soldier, VINO was elevated from the ranks IN tho
imperial purple. hrutus, the yIrinhuS 1;,,lh.
anu LEI oclous Caracalla, charact,led in their
Respective busts, bur II would fail me 10 dc>c,ib,.
Tue contents OF a Gallery 30 feet long. The
most valuable antiques are the Venus de Nedi
.c,s, the N'obe, the dancing Fawns and two
Niesuen. The most valual e PAINTING * mo
Venus of ll2Iano rival of the Venus de AIrdi.
CAS-, aud "ih her an occupant OF the Irlb,t..
lhs painting Is of equal dimensions With the A.
fIa1ne oi Nand'rltn, but a more perfect nudity.
II Is my p essen, subject, and should aoihi,,p pre.
Ne"'' my cPy "iii DC eXhIoaed nthc L. states
IN Xxx months"
The clcar blue skies ot italy of which YOU
Speah, hdNenot the pleasure of seeing The
aessin iabiIanI. complain OF having never seen
sue" winter. We have had four lnsnths of al.
mos inceSsant ram. and with such severity of
cold thai the ice houses We're filled before hrist-
mas. The Appennies, only few mile. distant
have been constantly covered with SNOW and
Florence mas been visited by il twice baveno
hesitation IN saying that the mest winters are
but little superior 10 the climate OF Virginia and
The interest winch Italy excites must be referred
TO other causes. Il has been for ages The theatre
-oi great events, and its rivers, mountains and
fakes have mighty influence over The magma
tloh but to an American vino has been accustom.
ed 10 the scenes of the world Italy is al first
not striking, or even pleasing, and the Tyher and
the Arno, though renowned in song, shrink into
hstohiiicdnce by the side of the James River or
Potomac. lie contrasts too the fallen magni6.
cence OF her cities with the increasing prosper,
ny that Is every where visible in his native land
la tins comparison lac iorgets how often horles
Oh bar blasts, have swept over the surface of this
IAN peninsula EVERY object announces THAT i,
ilds been long the theatre OF mans restless mas.
SONS, aud her moral and intellectual grandeu,
like her architectural monuments is inutiat,d
and faded. Eucompassed by the spien,.jd a,
chieyements OF art, often scken at the deprayi
ty ofman, and languish for mypeacefu counry.
3fao American can boast of no magnificent, d /.
zloes-if no ruined convent. OF ancient f,ttre.xc,
grown the tops of his bills, it is because the
plains beneath have never owned the sway of
ieudtl or monastic tyrants Had we these vene.
,rabIe ruins, on moon would bethe same enchap.
SreSs Of the night that she IS in Italy"
"a A few days since the Luogo del rAno or
guays, were crowded with thousands ofg,otesque
Ggures rebed in the antiquated uunpery of
courts and the discarded paraphernalia Of thea
tics. Swiss Peasants. Scotch Highlnasns,