Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-03-10
19cu s. Ink Shetehes of an artist
N U NJ Ii L II VII.

ROME, December, 184l
will fill up this letter with some accounts Of
the amusemenis and processons which took place
during my residence in Florence.
Military displays in France dog fights and box
ing matches in England; and political and civic
shows in the United States, set forth the charac-
,erslic bias and genius of the respective nations.
In Italy, religion Ia kes The place of all the others.
There is no highway or by-way, no street, no
house, ruin, that is ador ned by some symbol
and no public amusement parade that is not
mingled in some way with the ceremonies of re
sion. There are many things about these ceremo-
MES that might strike a stranger ludicrous; but
disposition to rdcule, even the prejudces which
we who have been differently educated cannot APP
preciate understand, argues more Of barbsrisn
and narrow mindedness than superior WISDOM
The celebration of Faster, which took place few
days after | arrived in Florence, is curious in the
extreme. First there is a series Of parades Of he
military, who escort the Grand Duke and Couri in
their visits to all the principal churches. This
ended, there is an ark covered with FIRE works,
placed in the piazza del Duorno, opposite the
door Of the Cathedral. Alta given signal the fire
works are let 1T. and amid the roar and smoke, a
dove, propelled b, rocket flies OF tie ark into
the church, and after making circuit Of the grand
altar, returns again into the ark. The flight Of
this dove is watched with the most intense anxiety
| by the thousands of Coatadini who crowd the pi-
azza II It's successful it is cheered by loud hug
zas and long, for all believe that rich hurvess and
plentiful vintage will follow: but should any
thing occur TO interrupt its course, should it take
fire or blow up, il will be vain to prune
the vne neither will the olive or the fig tree -four
ish that season. So strong hold has this super
stition on the country people, that several years
ago some spectators having monopolized the corn,
wine and OF, bribed the artistic who was employed
TO prepare the FIRE works, to blow up the dove
The consequence was that the Contadini could not
be induced to work all, thinking it entirely
less failure OF the crops ensued, Of course. and
the SPECTATORS realized fortunes. To prevent a
recurrence Of this, there is law in force, pun
ishing the maker with heavy fine and imprison-
ment in such case; which arrangement secures it
against all future accident. And indeed with the
delicious climate fertile soil and the cheerful ia
uustfy Oh thc ptdshn'sI VI iuscehy, tho uoNe Can
only mistake when it promises misfortune.
| Some time after this, think about two months,
comes the great procession Of the Corpus Domint.
A life size representation Of the cIucihxion pre-.
cedes the procession, which is composed of all the
priest hood and religious fraternties, amounting to
several thousand individuals. The streets through
which they pass canopied and strewed with
flowers, and the Grand Duke himself marches with
Them, carrying great wax candle. and srrayed as
Knight of Malta. Of which religious order he is a
member. The banners and insignia very rich,
leresting The whole is quite imposing, and the
chanting Of the priests produces solemn effect.
But in the midst Of it ALL creeps ia the ridiculous,
in the shape of hundreds of ragged urchins who,
with funnel OF PAPER or an old cap, stick by the
side Of the candle bearers, (who generally carry
their lights at uail) to catch the wax i,
nels.
There is very pretty and picturesque little pro-
cession which will describe, saw it from my
window morning, issuing forth from the church
OF Santa Croee. First, came sixty or seventy cou-
Piles of fes,aes arrsyed in white wells, commencing
with the cherub faces Of infancy. and running back
through ell the intermediate ages to the wrinkled
grandam who toitered along with her crutch.--
Then followed several priests, leading ass richly
caparisoned, wherein sat beautiful girl of or S
years of age, who carried in her hand cruise Of