Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-04-18
MARTINsBURG VA) THURSDAY, APRIL Is, 1888.

marks Of decay, so common to eve
more modern towns in Italy. Her
Caesar is said to have stopped TO delib
crate on passing the Rubicon.
The palace Of the duke is the pref
test | ever saw. There is not room
in it you could not live in--and no feel
ing is less common than this in visitin!
palaces. 1t is furnished with splendor
too--but with such an eye to comfort
such taste and elegance, that you woult
respect, the princes affections, thai
should order such one. The duke oil
Lucca, however, is never at home.
He is young man of twenty EIGHT on
thirty, and spends his time and money
in Travelling, as caprice takes him.
He Bis been now for year at Vienna,
where he spends the revenue of these
rich plainssmost lavishly. The duch-
ess, too, travels always, but in differ
ent direction, and the people complain
loudly Of the desertion. For many
years they have now, been both absent
and parted. The duke is member of
the royal family OF Spain, and, at the
death of Maria Louisa of Parma, he be-
comes duke Of Parma, and the duchy
goes to Tuscany.
From Lucca we crossed the Appe.
mines, by road seldom travelled, per
forming the hundred miles to Modena
in three days. We suffered, us all
must who leave the high-roatls in con
tlnental countries, more privations than
the novelty was worth. The mountain
scenery was fine, ofcoursc, but | think
less so than that on the passes between
Florence and Bologna--the account of
which wrote few weeks since. We.
were too happy TO get to Modena. !,
Modena lies in the vast campagnia
between the Apprentices and the Adri-
atlc--an immense plain looking like
the sea as far as the eye can stretch
from north to south. The view of it,
from the mountains in descending is
magnificent beyond description. The
capital of the little duchy lay in the
midst OF us, like speck on a green
carpet, and smaller towns and rivers
varied its else unbroken surface of vine.
yards and fields. We reached the gates
just us fine sunset was reddaning the
ramparts and towers, and giving up our
passports to the soldier on guard, rat
tied in to the hotel.
The town is full of Austrian troops,
and, in our walk to the ducal palace.
we met scarce any one else. The
streets look gloomy and neglected, and
the people singularly dispirited and
poor. This petty duke of Modena is a
man of about fifty, and said to be the
greatest tyrant after Don Miguel in the
world. The prisons are full of sus-
pectcd traitors: one hundred and thirty
of the best families of the duchy are
banished for liberal opinions, three hun
dred and over are now under arrest,
lanfong them considerable number of
ladies, and many of the Modenese no.
blllty are now serving in the galleys
for conspiracy. He has been shot at
eighteen times. The last man who at
tempted it, as | stated in former let.
ter, was executed the morning passed
through Modena on my return from
Venice. With all this he is a fine SOL
der, and his capital looks in all respects
like garrison in the first style OF dis
cipline. lie is just now absent at d
chateau three miles in the country.
I The palace IS a union of splendour
a 4
cession OF state apartments are gorge.
ously draped and ornamented, but the
entrance halls and intermediate passa.
ges are furnished with an economy YOU
would scarce find exceeded in the
worst inns worst room" Modena
is Corregio's birthplace, and it was
from a duke of Modcna that he receiv-
ed the bag of copper coin which occasi-
| oned hls death. 1t was think, the mea-
gre reward OF his celebrated "Night, y
| and nc broke blood-vessel in carry
ing IT to his house. The duke has sold
| tAis picture, as well as every other
sufficiently celebrated to bring prince
ly price. Ills gallery is a heap of
trash, with but here and there a re-
deemlng thing. Among others, there
is portrait of a boy, | think by Rem
brandt, very intellectual and lofty, yet
with all the youthiulness of fourteen;
and a copy of "Giorgione's MISTRESS"
the Glove in life" of the Manfrein pal
ace, so admired by Lord Byron. There
is also a remarkably fine crucifxion, |
forget by whom.
The front OF the palace is renowned
for its beauty. In street near it, we
passed house half battered down by
cannon. 1t was the residence of the
chief OF a late conspiracy, who was