New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-03-02

till dark, you dine in the evening at the town
! where you sleep. In arranging plan for long
iourney it is therefore very important to manage
to breakfast at the places where there Is most to
see, as then you have some idle hours, and to
sleep at the less interesting ones where you usu-
ally arrive and depart by starlight.
The terrible passage of the Bridge Of Lodi In
1896 is one of the most interesting points in the
military career of Napoleon. Here for time his
fortune seemed to waver, and his destiny, and
with it that of Europe to be doubtful, till decided
by his own courageous personal exposure, and
the Unprecedented selEimmolation of his troops.
But the river whose bloody current was once
filed with the dying, and whose shores were
crowded with the contending armies, is now 81
lent and solitary as the grave-whlch indeed 1t Is
to many thousands. The stream is wide and
shallow and interspersed with numerous sandy
islands. covered with willows and oslers. Its
low banks are joined by long plain wooden
bridge, and this is the scene OF the bloody strug
gle The bridge is outside of the walls of the
town, and looks strangely lonely, without house
or human being near. The locality was pointed
out by two Italians, who seemed delighted at our
interest in ia gran Ebattaglia, and proud of the
exploit of their ensaver, with the obtuseness and
perveersion of feeling so general in looking at
military achievements.
In Lodi, as in all Italian towns the other chief
objects of interest are the Churches. Readers of
travels get heartily tired Of the Churches and pic
lures which are so often commended to their adj
miraton, but they should remember that they are
the mental meat and drink Of the traveller. Lit
tie would need to be said of the Churches, if they
were such bare and tasteless barns as are too
MANY of the houses Of worship in America, but in
Italv the hiphest genius of the best architects,
scnlntors and painters has lavished on them CEN
turtles of it's poetic labors. Kings have left their
own palaces unfinished, and devoted their reve-
nues to adorn the abode Of the King of Kings
The finest minds of the nation have left their i'm
press in these shrines of magniicence; the no.
blest conceptions Of the architectural poet in
| stone-have been here embodied; the artist has
summoned his highest skill when called upon to
represent some touching event in sacred history
! for the instruction and improvement of the un-
learned devout; the sculptor has left his master
| pieces here in the statues of the great men-he-
roes, divines, and poets-who lie beneath the
marble pavement; and every Church thus be-
comes an interesting volume in the history of
the past, recording the exploits Of mind as well
as of body.
The Churches of all Catholic countries are
| generally in the form of a cross. AT the extreme
end is the high altar, and along the sides are
ranged smaller ones, dedicated to various Saints)
over each Of which hangs sacred picture, often
times masterpiece of art. The Churches are
never closed against worshipers, and enter them
at what hour you may, you will always find some
devotees kneeing before their favorte affairs, and
seemingly absorbed in their prayers. They are
generally old women of the poorer class-for those
who find little enjoyment in this world naturally
seek for it in another-but at high mass the la
dies of the highest wealth and birth kneel on the
pavement beside the beggar, and at other times a
fierce looking man is often seen prostratng him
self on the altar steps and apparently repenting
| most sincerely Of some great crime
Among the Churches in Lodi, the Duomo, or
Cathedral, is remarkable only for its antique
Lombard style, one oddly of which is that the
columns of the porch rest on crouching lions =
The most beautiful Church is the Incoronata,
which is eight-sided with an altar in each side,
all enlightened by dome in the center, while the
whole interor-walls pilasters and dome-is
covered with rich paintings in fres o. They may
be called dolatrous, but how infn tely more de-
voonal, as well as beautiful, are these rich hues
than the white wash Of our meeting houses!
Leaving Lodi, and continuing along the same
fiat plains, level as the sea in calm, about sun
set we reached the banks of the Po and across it
saw PAcENzA, seeming mass Of towers cupo-
las, castles, turrets, belfcs and domes, with their
dark outlines strongly marked against the rosy
purple Of the Apprentices behind. Our greatla land
scape-poet Cole, might do justice to the forms,
and to some of the hues but the whole effect of
such lovely combination, can never be fully
given in a picture, unless painter could turn
Italian air to canvas, and make brushes of sun
beams.
The river Pc divides Austria from Parma, and
your passports must here be endorsed with per-
mission to leave the Imperial and Royal King
DOM This formality executed, you enter the
bridge of boats which spans the mighty Pc. At
this season the river is shallow and peaceful but
the great width Of his bed, the high and massive
banks raised to restrain his overhowings, and the
marks of the deyastations which he has caused
when he has broken through these bonds, all show
how the Pc occasionally vndicates his claim to
Virgl's title Of King of Rivers