The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-31

nearly "a much spirit rs boQy. 10 encounter
him and the Princess Spada in the waltz Is
really no trifling matter. With medium
sized partner, you are like an uncomfortable
fishing smack under the bows Of a merchant
man-run down in a moment, while the g.
gantic craft drives majestically on, with scarce
a dipping of the spars, scarce fiutter among
the rigging.
Nearly all the foreign Ministers were there,
among whom the Austrian struck me as carry
ing the ablest and ugliest face. There were
some young scions OF English aristocracy pres
ent-gay, fast fellows, with long, light curls
and carelessly-ted cravats and handsome,
healthfnl, laughing audacious faces; and Be-
date, reserved young men, with proper and
patrician sense of their position, individually
and Nationally, with their hair parted sleekly
down behind aud their heads pivoting painful
| " in syiff white neckcloths There was Sir
| Waltsr-What-do-you him, and the Hon.
Mr.-Pve-forgotten, and the Marquis-l-never-
knew, and Baron Blank, and Lord Nozoo. And
there were several English ladyships, very fair
and very cold, with very highly dressed hair
| and low dressed shoulders with prononces noses
and retreating chins--a proud, stately, and
high-bred beauty far as the North pole from
the glowing, passionate, and rkly-splendld
| beauty of the Roman ladies of high rank.
AS for the Italians, Germans and French,
\ there were none without their titles The
| countesses were Countless Marquis was
parsonage of little mark, and q Count of COM
paratively no account | should have hesitated,
| / believe about accepting one as partner,
had one offered his hand for waltz or cotillion,
thinking that for the honor of my country
should reserve myself for a crowned head or
| at least for Principe.
Of the Americans present, there were some
whose mien, manner, conversation, and princi-
1 Piles, would do honor to our country, or any
country, anywhere but there were also others
| of another stamp. Merchants, retired from
business with handsome fortunes but having
left their hearts in their counting houses, and
with souls yet undvorced from their legers-
now making the grand tour, with their portly
wives and pretty daughters and promising sons.
There are men who have come abroad from
sense of fashionable duty, and with vague
expectation of enjoyment they 60 about sight
seeing with commendable industry making
meritorious efforts at admiring and compre-
hending, and even attaining to something like
enthusiasm at times; but really enduring it all
with the resignation of martyrs. These are
usually what the Methodists cell anxious in
quirers " in regard to art and are too often the
victims of dealers in old paintings and third
rate statuary they are generally better judges
of canyas-back ducks than of canvas darkly
danbed--of old wines than of the old masters
and, turning from stocks to stones, find their
| Wall street shrewdness at fault Highly dressed
matrons who cluster together and grow dolor-
ously eloquent on the discomforts and disgusts
of travel the filth of Italian inns, the extortions
of uetturini, and the perils and perplexities of
the Dogma. Young ladies who grow warm on
sunsets expand on the Campagna, and are at
home among the ruins--who are subject to un-
conscious little lapses into tho Italian, in the
| midst of conversation in English-who con-
fess to an indulgence in the dolci far n,ente,
and q leaning toward Romanism with grow
ing attachment for tbet uurnns V'a r''r~."
I Dung men scarcely out OF long hair and into
monstaches, who yet consider themselves
booked up on all questions of European poll
tics--inclne to the conservative side, confess to
aristocratic sympathies, and pronounce their
| titled acquaintance deuced fine fellows"
In the early part of the night dancing, and
especially Waiting, was but an example of
4" the pursuit of pleasure under difficulties
but at the latter part, when the great crowd
was thinned off, it became far more agreeable.
At last, at about half past two, after the cotil-
lion, a long, somewhat intricate, and very beau
4 tlIul dance, the Dali ClOStu,
met on this night son Of Mrs Hemans
He resembles somewhat the portraits of the
poetess--has, should say, her eyes and hair.
He is q peculiarly mild and pensive young man,
whom you might almost believe had been
reared on his mothers melancholy melodies
| Mr. Hemans is devout Roman Catholic
Think of the son of the author of 1.-THE Forest
Sanctuary" as Papist
| Ry tho wav az Miss T. and Misc II no,,a in
from riding short time ago. they spoke of
having met the Pope on the Porta Angelica
road, and of having dismounted before he
passed.
"What, you pay such homage to the Pope!'
1 exclaimed.
| "Why not % said Miss H. "The worthy old
gentleman was on foot, and all the Catholics
in his way were on their knees the guard
would have commanded us to dismount, if we
| had not done 30 of our own accord"
~ would have turned and galloped back, or
leaped the hedge and taken across the fields,
or sat upright in my saddle till the guardsmen
pulled me off!-anything to save my pride and
principles as Republican and Protestant"
This | said walking the room, setting my
foot down each time emphatically and anti
Papally
A few days after this as was riding with
Miss C. on this same road, we saw the Pope
approaching He was walking in front Of his
carriage dressed in white, with red hat and
red shoes, preceded by mounted guards, accom-
panied by several Cardinals, and followed by
officers Of his household and carriages. We
were near an open space, and drew little OF
from the road, but still in full sight Of the pro-
cession. One of the Guardia Mobile rode slow
ly by, giving us as he passed look Of pious
anger and rebukc,, as much as to say, Frail
vessels of heresy, will ye then brave the Holy
See itselflo Now, if bluff Swiss Guardsman
had rudely ordered me to dsmount, should
have sat firm in my saddle and my sentiments,
and looked at my prosecutor with much the
feeling expressed by the spirited Mrs. Squeers,
81 pities your ignorance and dispises you"
But to be looked at with such silent severity
TO be thought wanting in manners and religion
by a noble young Roman, was ] must confess
quite another thing. Immediately remarked
that thought change of position wod do
me good after 30 long ride, and that ally
wished to get q nearer view Of the Pope. So
we dismounted, and giving our horses 10 the
groom, approached to the edge of the bank,
over the road, where we should have had very
near look at his Holiness, and received the full
force Of the Papal benedicton. But, when only
within some twenty yards Of us, tho provoking
! Papa paused, turned, remounted into his car
rsge, and drove back toward the Vatican. The
quizzical look Of the noble guardsman as he
repassed us, and the laugh raised against me at
dinner are two things which shall not soon
forget
On one Of the festas during the Carnival, We
forming large party in the carriage and on
horseback, went TO Veil, about twelve miles
from Rome, where we spent the day. There
are but the merest ruins of that ancient Etrus-
can stronghold, which-it makes ones brain
reel to think of it!-was o large and powerful
city when Rome was founded. Now, there is
not tower or wall standing entire and it is
with difficulty that you trace boundaries OF the