Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-03-10

the city. The dome Of the great Cathedral, and
the tall tower Of the Paia=xo Vscehio, (more than
$50 feet hgh.) like fabrics Of siars--but the
scene on the Arno battles all description. Come,
stand with me upon one Of the balconies, and ina
CINE what you see below. Figure to yourself IL
YER, passing through the midst Of handsome city,
bcmmed in With fine quays and lofty palaces, all in
a bluze Of light: with bridges that, ike arches OF
fire, span It's breadth, and rejecting in It's bosom
the gliding shapes Of hundreds of illuminated lar
ses Imagine these bargss filed with bands of IN
strumentsl music. and the meuisst and handsomest
people alive, clad in their gala fnery, and delight
ing their hearts with songs and Teasing: some
playing cards, tuning their rich voices in mef.
ry choruses; while wit, wine and black eyes SPAR
ke like enchar,ment: add to this, the brilliant
and motley crowds which throng the quay', balco-
MES and windows, even to the house tops: imagine,
ever and anon wild stiains from the floating music
breaking upon the ear, amid the roar of hundred
thousand voices: and, after all, imagine than
can be written and you will have something like
picture Of Florence on that evening. The whole
city looks like scene in the French Opera-wild
and unreal, disposng one to give to imagination
holiday and let il run riot. We forget modern
Florence with her fashions and frppeiies, and call
up Florence OF the olden time, in the days Of her
beauty and her might. before the rattle OF an En-
gsh Phaeton was ever heard in her streets:
when her mobiles rode horses, and instead OF Paris
cut clad in steel: when the portals oil
her churches were adorned with the spoils Of cap
,ured cities. brough, home by her warlike Dukes,
and the bell which we now hear, would muster two
hundred thousand armed men for the need of the
fair city: when, instead Of these festal lights and
the voice of merrimen', swords flashed in the torch
es rcd glare, and the mnsing cry Of the Guelph
and Ghibbeline broke fesriuy upon the ear Of
night.
But let US escape fiom the confusion of lights and
voices, and seek some place more fitted to indulge
these reveries. Here by the side of this noble
fountain We will seat ourselves. The gurgle of the
water breaks refreshingly on the silence, and the
whole scene contrasts sgreeably with the feverish
excitement OF that which we have just left. Above
US fowns the baiements of the Palax=o Vecchio,
as dark and stern as the age in which it built,
rudely carved lion, against which you leaning,
has stood for nearly a thousand years and behind
you, if you will observe closely the wall Of the pal
ace, you will remark the outlines of a mans head
cut ia the stone. Ii done by Michael Angelo
as he stood one day in familiar conversation with q
friend. II seems TO have been done but yesterday;
and for me possesses more Intense interest than the
great works which have given him his fame. A
few PAGES from US is his celebrated statue Of David,
half by The uncertain light; and in front in the
Loggia are The works of Cellini, Donatello, Clio
vann di Bolognis, and Praxitiles the Greek. Here
on the right i. an equestrian statue of Cosmo the
FIRST, in complete armour excepting the helmet !
think he had the mobiles; head CT all the Medici,
mot excepting Lorenzo the msgnifcent) and in
deed he was esteemed by the Tuscans as their
greatest and wises, Prince. There is fearful s,o-
~ connected with his private history and am re-
minded of it the more strongly now by the dim
pickering of the light the bronze head, which
ever and anon invests it with some terrible express
sion.
Cosmo had two sons by his wife, Eenor Of To-
Iedo. The eldest manly, frank and courteous
in his bearing; while, on the contrary. the yoosger
was fiery. revengeful and full Of vile and craft
ness One day, was their wont, they went to
the chase together. and in the evening the younger
retui ned without his brother. The Circumstance
was remarked, but excited no alarm, until the ds,
waned withou, his coming The Dnke's huntsmen
returned the forest in search, found him cor pse
and bearing marks Of having been murdered, II
was the dead Of night when the body brought
into the palace, and no one was informed of it but
the father. He Immediately went TO the chamber
Of his other son. and, having awakened him out of
slumser apparently peaceful, commanded him to
follow to a secret chamber. The boy (who was
not more than is years of age,) obeyed unhesits,-
ingy and cheerfuly, and the Duke, looking him in
the face as il to read his seul required his brother
a, his hands. The replied, with calm, un-
conscious face, denying all knowledge of him, say
ing that they had parted in the morning, and he
had NJ, him after, and that doubtless he would
return. He has returned" rejoined the father,
and, drawing aside curtain, set Them face to face
the living and the dead. 1t was indeed terrible,
and the murderer in his agony shrieked the con-
by the Executioner. but thou must die" The boy
looked wildly into his fathers face. If to guess
its meaning, and, as the dagger cleaned, female
form rushed across the apartment. The next mo-
ment the mother lying senseless beside her two
dead sons.
We are once more in the light and noise. There
they go; rockets FIRE balls, and cntharine wheels,
filling the air with 6eiy serPents and many colored
stars, which, after blazing away FOR an hour, ter
inmate in a grand blow up. and leave standing upon
the lower bridge thee temples Of lamps. After
the fire works. the quieier folks generally return
home; but the fun the river wakes hotter, and
begins TO border the riotous. The songs are
louder, but less in time and tune, and the singers
crown themselves with vine leaves, like 40 many
Bachuses. Bottles are upset, the colored paper
lamps take fire and burn up unperceived, and the
candles, one by one, melt in their sockets and drop
in the river. As the lights go out the laughter in
creases bostmen are paid half paul extra to row
faster, and individuals Of the companies begin to
enact buffooneries: each boat II passes another
gives and receives broadside Of rsillery. Ever.
species Of joke and ridcule 10 tolerated with the
perfect good humor. This 10 the most re-
markable and most pleasing feature in all these
amussments in Tuscany-ihat where so many Peo-
pie Of all sorts and classes are collected together,