Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-07-08

magazines and bridges lying in waste, vineyard.
destroyed, and the whole low country bearing mark,
of tho fury If the water. Lyons itself suffered Sc
vcrely. This is fine city, the second in France
in importance and population. IL contains about
Ice, 900 Inhabitants. like the sombre, massive
buildings of Lyons much better than the light,
gsudy style of tho portion of Paris. The
promenade. are dslig htful, and the thestre nj
ways Judge Of the refinement of city bv the style
of its theatre) is very good indeed. regret not
being able TO more of Lyons, but was obliged
TO hurry on. The steamers between Lyons and
Avisnon are considered very fine here, but would
compare very poorly with our floating palaces on
the Western waters. The Rhone, however, is a
noble river; aud if it has the terrible majesty
Of the Mississippi, it has beauty and its bold
pointed rocks, and rich pebble girt islands make you
the principal attractions of the Rhone far exceed
any of these. Each highland. each juttng point.
each giddy precipice is crowned with some stately
ruin Of the middle sgcs. t
| " Some grim old tower, whose embattled front
Has brased for centuries the trumpet's wrath;
| Some ruined wall, over whose cIumbling stones
| The ivy creepeth-"
| You cannot conceive Of the picturesque beauty Of
these old castles. They seem grouped and located
especially for n painting and you scarcely have
time to regret one interesting view fading in the
distance, before you are startled by another more
beautiful. The city Of Avignon and its en,irons
crown the whole on a tremendous isolated rock.
Overhanging the city and the river stands the Pal
ace Of the popes who had their sea, in this city
about the commencement of the fourtesnth century
Around the base Of this rock the ramparts of
the CRY. The view from the heights magnificent.
Beneath and around you the brown towers and
Notifications Of the town, washed by the rapid
Rhone who winds his sinuous way through lovely
plain and around hundred islands, until he is lost
in distant hills On the oPposi,e side Of the river
are tower, and chateaux built in the ?almy days Of
Avignou, but in ruins, and far in the distance
beyond all rises Mount venioux, an advanced sen
tnel Of the Alps. ~hose head glitters with eternal
snow. In Avignon is the tomb Of Laura, and near
it (about - miles dstani) is the celebrated foun-
tain of yaucluse, in,mortalized by Petrarch. indie
pendent OF its poetica associations, th. fountain is
we'll worthy of a visit. I he road lies through the
lovely plain of Comp,et, smiling with the olive and
yinr and refreshed by lmpd brooks, winding in
every direction. In the face of rugged mountain
al some distance, you remark a chasm, from whence
Issues little river. This, you told is the place
Of the fountain, and us approach excies some rx-
pecaion.. You enter the ctasm by road wind
ing under great rock, and proceed until you reach
small village where your horses or vehicle Is eit.
From here a rocky path leads TO the iountain-
! There most extraordinary scene bursts upon the
view. On three sides rise perpendicular cliffs t"
an immense height, almost shutting out the light OF
the snn; and nature in her freaks has shaped these
wild crags so much like ruined towers, that it
puircs close observation TO assure yourself that
they are not. From The base Of the rock in from,
gushcs the fountain, sufficient in body TO form small
liver which descends about 60 feet in the distance
of $50 yards over rocks and pebbles, forming
torrent of foam as whte snow. There is a mar
row border between the cliffs and the stream, Of
.hr sbbery, grass and moss covered rocks, where
The poet was won, to pass his days dreaming Of his
love. Sons say he wa. thinking more Of the ef-
feet his last sonnet would have on the world, than
the subject of (which is very possible. At ,be
! foot of this descent ia a rock, through which is
subterranean passage, supposed to have been wash
ed by the fountain before it formed its present out
let. On the top Of this height ia ruined chateau,
and beneath its shadow cottage and garden, said
| TO be the vcritabc residence Of Petrarch. Here
too is the laurel which he cherished, 20, the resem-
blance its name bore to that of his beloved. The
cottage looks in marvellous good repair, and the
laurel very young for their age; but ono gains no.
thing by doubling, SO we will even believe IT, That
tall building which overshadow, the cot and the
garden, and partially turns the stream from its
course, is paper mill. Alas, fol the days Of ro-
nance!
| 1t vas late when returned 20 Avgnon from
| this eghtfu excuI sion, but could not leave with.
out taking IA sketch Of the bridge and chapel of ST.
Ben yet This bridge, Of which there are but four
arches remaining is a wreck OF the architecture Of
the 18th century On the second pier, and hang
ing over the water, is chapel which altogether
is Of so wild and strange character, that you are
irresi.tiby led 10 inquire concerning its origin
Who built the bridge, whose stately arches fill us
with admir- tionf why is tho chapel placed in the
midst Of the foamng torrenti Hear the legend Of
the land Many years ago, the lord knows how
long there was a little shepherd who watched his
mothers sheep in the plains Of Provence The
flock of sheep was the widows sole dependence,
and tho boy, who was her only child, tended them
with great care and assiduity He neither piped
nor sung like the other shepherds, nor did he join
in their sports and dances but on the contrary he
was pale and thoughtful, and there was wildness
in his large black eye that was scarcely earthly.
One day, as he wns running under some zig trees
as was HIS custom, he fell asleep. The sheep wan
dered away and were returned TO the widows fold
by some unknown person. but her son returned no
more. Several days afterwards, while the Bishop
Of A'igpon was preaching the gospel to his loek,
he interrupted in his discourse by the voice of
a child. All looked with nstouishment OF tho in
uuder and saw Il shepherd boy holding his crook
IN his hand, and covered with dust and signs Of