Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-26

i
undertake to give you the faintest idea of the
sensation We produced in making exit from Florence
the wonderful in which every body in the streets
avoided being over the cracking and hourishng Of
Angeles whip the tumbling Of the horses on slip
perry payements and getting up again the barking OF ten
thousand dogs the shouting of messages to be delivered
the road the popping out Of heads from the windows
all along the Streets and cries of "buon viazzio when
veturno stopped to embrace brother or cou-
SIM and the crash of harness and wheels with which
brought up the Porta San Ncholo where two officers
of State beautifully adorned with feathers stood ready
to make final examination of our passports. We had
made up minds that the distractions TO leaving
Florence, kindly meant by the Tuscan Government had
already trouble and expense enough when one
of these gentlemen handed back the passports with po
lite bow we returned the bow with great cordaty and
thanked him very warmly for his trouble Grazza Sig
nor " Gra.za tanto p' " Padyone " said he but he still
kept bowling and smiling, with most wistful look to-
wards pockets We thanked him again, and he bow
ed again, but this time it with gayanic SMILE and
when the cracking Of the whip commenced it was smile
at ALL but look Of such blank despair that it haunted
me with remorseful feeling for two hours after.
The just rising passed out from the dark
and streets into the fresh air of the counry all
along the road the green fields and hedges gered with
dew and the peasantry already at work in the vine
yards singing merrly they pruned the grapevines;
muleteers past u.s. cracking their whips pleasantly
and whistng an accompaniment; and heavy wagons la
den with mountains Of sacks, blocked up the way now
and thon and were barely caused 10 get out OF the way
by waking up the drivers top with smart touch Of
the whip and by the violent language the part Of
ystuno who was continually calling upon the saints
to crush all such people
Overhead the sky deeply clear; not cloud to be
seen in its whole broad expanse; flood of genial
light poured through the atmosphere that rested upon the
fields and mountains, filing it with rich cooring and
gradually absorbing the soft msts that hung the val
ley Of the Arno AS advanced out from the plain into
the region Of hills the variety and beauty of the scenery
perfectly enchanting; villas half Swallowed in the
green valleys below with all their picturesque Irregular
ty of roof and out-buldings quaint old standing
in bold outline every eminence; runous locandas by
the wayside with innumerabe queer chimneys and arch
ed doorways and dogs baskng in the sun, and lazy host
lers lying in front fast asleep and long of
each side of the road clipped to resemble inverted
baskets fastened poles and containing who were
clipping them still coser and old witches of with
dsa in their hands spinning thread high up among the
rocks where ocks of sheep browsing; and all the
charming variety of colors that could exist from the
snowcapt SUBMITS of the Apprentices the bright green of
the ost-felds CLEAN of silvery sunshine flashed up
from the Arno and there incense of sweet odors
from beds of yoets and flowers that made the heart
glad and filed the soul with underlined thoughts Of the
realms where beauty is imperishable But here
again, canterng off the old Pegasus, while An
gelo is beseeching to cast eyes towards Monte
Varche, where to be furnished with such coHaz
veturni don't often feed their passengers with
but the padrona of the hotel being relative of his there
viii be mistake about good treatment.
Although well that there had been good deal Of
travel this road of late could scarcely get rid of
the impression that the worthy people of Monte yarche
had before strangers that could compare with
in point of novelty. Live bears or kangaroos could
not have excited intense wonder than we did as we
stepped out Of the vettura in front of the Abergo The
exhibition must have attracted least oneourth Of the
suburban population of the town and such was the in
ensty of their curiosity and establishment that long
we had disappeared up the steps, where led In
triumph by the waiter there large concourse of
people continually peepng into the vettura and examin
ing every part Of in detail, both inside and out and
although il very rckety concern, believe they
considered it the finest thing Of the kind that had
made its appearance in Monte Yarche The quality of
the colazziOne bad but the quantity as usual in
Italian inns calculated with such extreme nicely that
not much as a crumb was eft. Physicians advise
people to leave the table wishing for more we considered
the advice good, and always made it point follow it
when there nothing to be had.
Having hour spare walked out to see the town
1t is just the same far could see as any other
Italian town with piazza filed with market people,
old Duomo with old daubs Of pictures in it. shown by
old Sachrisan who tells the old story TO every
traveller; long street through the main part of the
town. darkened by high houses shoemakers ailors tnk
and carpenters working out in front Of their shops
grayheaded old with distafs, and young women
sewing halfway out in the street. always talking OF
screaming at each other loud that you expect each
moment to see the scratching commence, but it
commences for they in the best humor and there are
men with bare and white aprons frying balls Of -four
in grease and making up strange and sayory that
I'll the air with greasy smell of garlic and there
dogs and hosters lying asleep before all the stable doors
and many other slow and dreamy sights that remind one
Of something he has read about long while nco now
plain reality, showing that such things do exist in the
world, but only in part Of the world very much behind
the times Here in all the interior towns through
which passed. the great Of the people seemed to
have finished their work and TO have nothing to do hence
forth but pass the time comfortably as possible An
the pleasant and sunny places occupied by oilers OF
every description, sleeping smoking, playing at pitch
penny, Indifferent to the world and all its cares as II
there could be greater sbsurdty than troubling their
heads about such things.
Now behold tumbed into the rumbling old yettura
again. beset by whole legion Of beggar whose cries are
drowned At last the deaenug rattle of the wheels over
the stones the whip cracks pokas and watzes in Ange
los most ambitious strain; dogs without number bark
de =, ~ 49,