Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-04-13
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
T From the New- Fork Mirror.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EUROPE.
By N. p. WILLIS.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EUROPE.
By N. p WILLIS
VENfCE--In first visit to a great Europe
an city it is difficult not to let many things es.
cape notice. Among several churches, which
did not see when was here before. is that Of
the Jesuits: 1t is a temple worthy Of the celeb.
rity Of this splendid order. The proportions are
finer than those Of most of the Venitian churches,
and the interior is one tissue Of curious marbles
and gold. As we entered, we were first struck
with the grace and magnifcence Of large heavy
curtain. hanging over the pulpit, the folds Of
which, and the figures wrought upon it, struck
US as unusually elegant and ingenious Our as.
constituent was not lessened when we found it
was one solid mass Of verdantique marble. It's
sweep over the side and front of the pulpit is as
careless as if it we're done by the wind. The
whole ceiling of The church j, covered with Sc
quiu gold: the finest that is coined. In one Of
the side chapels is the famous Martyrdom Of
St Lawrence. "by Titan. A fine copy of it
(said in the catalogue to be the Originally was exhi.
6ted in the Boston Atheneum year or two since.
1t is Sunday, and the morning has been Of a
heavenly. summer, sunny caimness, such as Is
seen often in Italy, aud once year, perhaps, in
to breathe is to be grateful and happy. We have
been to the Armenian island-a little gem on the
bosom Of the lagune, to which place Lord
Byron went daily to study and translate With
the fathers. There is just room upon it for a
church, a convent, and a little garden. 1t looks
afoat on the water. Our gondoIa glided up to the
clean stone stairs and we were received BY one of
the order, hale but venerable looking monk, in
the Armenian dress. the long black cassack and
small round cap, his beard long and scattered
with gray, ahd his complexion and eyes of a
cheerful childlIs ciearness, such as regular and
simple habits alone can give. inquired, as we
walked through the coister, for the father with
whom Lord Byron studied. and of whom the pO.
ct speaks 50 often aud so highly IN his letters. -
The monk smiled and bowed moJestIy, and re-
lated little incident that had happened to him
and at Padua, where he had met two American
travellers, who had asked him of himself in the
same manner. He had forgotten their names,
but from his description presumed one to have
been Professor LonsfeI!ow, Of Bowdoin Unisers.
V.,
The stiffness and cleanliness about the convent,
as we passed through the cIoister aud halls. rem.
dered The impression upon stranger delightful
We passed the small garden, in which grew a
stately oleander in full blossom, and thousands
of smaller flowers, IN neat beds and vases, and
after walking through the church, plain and
pretty one, We came to the library. where the
monk had studied with the poet. 1t is proper
place for study-dislurbed by nothing but the
dash of oars from passing gondola, or the
scream of seabird. and well furnished with
books in every language, and very luxurious
chairs The monk show ed US an encycIoI aedla.
presented to himself by an English lady of rank,
who had visited the convent often. Ills hand.
some eses flashed as he pointed to 1t on the
shelves. We went next into smaller room,
where the most precious manuscripts are depo-
sted, and he showed US curious Illuminated CO.
pies of the Bible, and gave US the strangers
book, to nscribe our names. Byron had scra~-
led his there before US, and the empress Maria
Louisa had written hers twice on separate visits.
The monk then brought US volume OF prayers,
in twenty FIVE languages. translatedby himself
We bought CO pies, and upon some remark OF
one Of the ladies upon his requirements, he ran
from one language to another. speaking English,
French, Italian. German and Dutch, with equal
facility. Ills English was quite wonderful; and
lady from Rotterdam, who wss with US, pro.
nounced his Dutch and German, excellent. We
then bought small histories Of the order, writ
ten by an English gentleman, who had studied
PoSoSN
tice-the first clean one ever saw, and quite the
best appointed. Here the monks print their BIZ
bIes and prayer. books in really beautiful Ar.
menan type, besides allnanacs and other useful
publications for CoDstantinOple and other parts OF
Turkey. The monk wrote his name at our re-
quest pascal Aucher) in the blank leaves Of our
books. aud we parted from him at the wa'er.stairs
with sincere regret. | recommend this m0nas
tery to all travellers in Venice.
On our return we passed near an island, upon
which stands single building-an insane hospi.
tai. was not very curious to enter it, but the
gondolier assured US that it was a common visit
for strangers, and we consented to 60 in. We
were received by the keeper, who went through
the horrid scene like regular cicerone, giving US
cold and rapid history Of every patient that ar.
rested our attention. The mems apartment was
the first, and should never have supposed them
insane. They were all silent. and either read
or slept like the inmates Of common hospitals
We came to side door, and rs 1t opened, the
confusion Of a hundred tongues burst through.
- 49,. ,,.rs ;otroxluced into the aDartment