The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-23
GENOA, November s, 1852.

.,,vvvwoon LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
No. 81
GENOA, November 8, 1852.
uv DrAR =: Thus far toward tho seven
,,;llod city Of pilgrimages-thus lar III saiety
.,,J over. improving health. | seem to drink IN
I,al;no with every breath of this balmy south
arm air,-to receive strength from the beautiful
~, trc,.d, and hope ftoIa tho delicious skies
,b,,e mo. | begin to feel ~ glad confidence
,,,at the first great object of my tour is to be
f1v attained, and that, under the benehcent
ndnences of this genial climate, ! shall gam
yyor of body and elasticity of spirit-shall re-
nav nv life, and my joy in life.
The Journey from Paris TO Avignon was not
ana oC much interest The scenery during the
I.t.or mart was very fine, but the rainy weather
vented our seeing it TO advantage Our first
it,,rinc place was Chalons, on the Saone, q
,l.fasantII situated, queer and quaint town, as
=, as Iuiios Caesar. Near CiIalons is the Alb
Io, ~ st Marcel where Abelard died, which
G all mi visit From Chalons we took
,,,row dirty little steamer, for Lyons, which
wo reached ut night and left in the morning,
o., had no time to sec the famous Cathedral,
and its more famous clock. At Lyons we took
fine Rhone on yet narrower and dirtier
steamer for Avignon, stopping night at Va
l,n,e picturesque old town, whore Napoleon
one, studied. The scenery along the Rhone,
q. you approach Aviguon, is exceedingly beau
fiji and tho foliage at this time was varied
md spIendid-rich in growth, and both soft
and gorgeous in coloring All along, the gold,
crimson. and bronze tints OF autumn, were
MINGLED with the brightest and loveiest living
green
Avignon, though donsely-populated, busy
nyo with some handsome modern buildings
grl bridges, has quaint, ancient, gloomy,
and ueruiiar aspect The noisome shadows OF
Popsh tyranny, superstition, and persecution,
.,am thrown upon it yet, from the old Papsl
naIace and the prisons Of the lnquisitiOn. Re-
membering we'll the vivid and powerful descrip-
ton giycn by Dickens, in his charming PFC
TuRts rRoM ITALY,n we visited these places,
bat found them completely transformed into
barracks and store-rooms, scarcely trace of
their original state and purpose remaining
Yet there was, in the very atmosphere of tho
dim, cavernous hall where the lnquistion sat
10 examine, deliberate, and condemn, and
in that of tho chamber of torture, some
thing that sent a cold horror chilling along my
VEINS and creeping through my very bones
The tower in which Rienzi was imprisoned is
yet standing, but in ruins-n truth, the whole
place has an air of dreary decay aud abhor-
rent abandonment-thank God for the token!
| could but commiserate the soldiers who
swamed in these gloomy barracks However
stupid and unimaginative they look, it seems
that in stormy nights they must fancy they
boar the innumerable victims "of the bloody
faith shrieking under those blackened arches !;
the prayer, the sob, the vain appeal for mercy
the crack of bones upon the wheel, tho "sharp
short cry down oublicttes"
After the chill, foggy afternoon in which we
1eaeld this gloomiest of all sgh ls saoys ;mac;n
Ays"on two OF the 81 r these we took carriage
'@' 'dr5vo to The Poni de Gard bridge built
along the side of an old Roman aqucduct--s
work s.upendous in height and strength, but
marVollousiy. light, graceful, and airy, in its
eject. Tho scenery about this noble work has
peculiar character of quiet, lonely almost
melancholy beauty, and bears the look of
having been ever deserted since its grand con-
qIcrOrs and warlike masters departed On
this excursion, we first saw olives, figs, and the
rich pomogranate, bursting with its crimson
rpcness. The second day, VIC visited tho foun-
tam and romantic haunts of Vaucluse the pic
tlresquc home of Pctrarch. This is the most
primitive peculiar lonely lovely, wild, melan-
choy place you could dream of in a stormy
midsummer night Nothing could surpass the
beauty of the fountain ITSELF which gushes
brightly and beautifully from the base of
bare and rugged mountain and pours over
Mack rocks, in innumerable fairy cascades.
/ lhe waters which arc of living, luminous
greon, seemed just out for special hOlyday.
9d not realize that they always cleaned so
BRIGHTLY and sung so merrily in that solitary
phase. The waves seemed deliriously- glad to
sale from their prison, beneath the cold dark
hills and caped, and laughed, and shouted,
@rl danced in the plcasant sunshine, and ran
IN and out of the green shadows of the shore,
NE Troublesome children just broken away from
y, r,' Gull tasks and stern dominion of school.
ne house and garden, which tradition assigns
thG uNne sonnetecr are yet in existence, but
~ o'SnM state Of dilapidation and dirt. The
lp'Ip'iSrm 10 TINS shrine Of genius must pass
"Irg" penis ndescribablc, and encounter
'p''s ufitnagnablc, erc he can hope TO pluck
'P'Ig from The old laurel tree said to have
W." painted by the great poct-lover.
~ thc evening We ran down to Marscillcs
tie railway. Our party filling "A carriage,
0i'i 'he exception OF one seat, VIZ amused our
s''r', ts we approached Marseilles, by manu-
"'aring another passenger out of our extra
'4N Stuhng an overcUat with sbawls and
u''rellas we fashioned portly little gentle
nan whom We made TO rccline in n corner
IEPlng a walking-stick, and with his face
'H'h ny broad brimmcd hat. When the
%Vmaster came, VIC had the satisfaction of
"g our foolish little joke succeed beyond
~ Poudest hopes. After receiving and count
E x our tickets, he looked hard at the quiet
~ gentleman, and said, rather impatiently
.' @;d1'1''e'rj uotre 6ihet!" al bort Monsieur
t. D'' OF US. 40, without further ceremony
AMI ECU et me oblivlous traveller by the arm,
IN 'ooK nm INTO shawls Overcoats, and UNI
On anna uncomfortable bursts of laughter
ana part The Official looked little dark
e,raC', P'cous at first and made long and
"a u PsN mofIcm examination Of the depart
e,,,'I1 nliding that he was composed of no
hab a',u Articles graciously joined in the
b, ,y protesting that somebody must pay
.. "Pt'n Monsieur"
.'"rseillcs raw very little Of AZ | was busilv
Vrun, =" tho lew hours spent there, ia
fs a. ti"@'e letters and only walked out III
nm,' ,' posi- oulcc But ! believe | missed |
&\ ; 49, as There are few sights in that city, |
,.rN~'Sreshng than those stranger can |
%e ~ ssSqlI'ng or walking through its busy |
d W %eeo- left France, after all, with |
|Ey' ~ ] like the pcople-ths common
"ople ! ns%n for ] had relations with no |
Al CareieSA unreliable, cunning extortion-
az unscrupulouss ignorant, and dirty as most |
= thcm are yet NE them first for their in
nlabe, unSeary politencss; and next, for |
'hs' saiefy, their sparkling siyacity, tseir quick
VII their nonsense, heir very ridicuicasnosS |
ruth with them is myth, jest, An obsolete |
aea, but the lies theyel you are generally af
the most catering kiii-agreeable dolusions, |
w which you feel ratcr obliged than othor-
Wise and they will imhe upon you with such
Az air that you real'yre ashamed 10 show
proper resentment.
At Marsciiics was msbted to the Kindness
a. "A. IA A.