New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-18


cotton cloth. Why this need Of protecting 20
carefully these vehiclesl A sisht iD,dsdon 20
plsster dust satisfies at once sueh inquisitive de-
mspds. Unfortunately, the folly Of the Carnival
ia deeeperated within the memory Of man, and
hence these whiiened inings. Now vulgar frol,
ickers throw not the real tiny sugar plums OF
long ago, which showeIed on the fete IKE Dan1e
gold, but on the contrary, white and colored pias,
Ter imitation ones, which blind bright eyes and
vbit4p black hair and stain loathsome, ieprous
spot on the once gay and graceful merriment
ForiQpers are particularly accused OF this 'he in
nov alton and Americans and Englsh fngms,Le1
ss the principal aggressors. ne french ana i'@i'
ian mind, faulty ss It may DC IN o,hef iesPoo'I
r.pels qros,ptss in public amusements. \ breacn
NJ cood f,itb in fun is gross breach OF honor |
cs,not imagine that continental person could
eyer have been the first to throw the plaster con-
f,; in the CorsO; but now the pest deeply nocu-
lated in the masses, and bushel baskets oil IL are
,old at every corner, and English families prom
euade like millers with loads Of 1t IN their car
riaees. saw many with tin shOves and horns to
facilitate their dashiDgs of the dust, and some
wagons with boxes of good carpenter-work at
tocb.d TO their sides TO contain the plaster. ms
amuses greatly many minds. II is fun to throw
and be thrown at, to wbiten and be whitened, to
bind and be blinded. But everybody much ex-
posed wears wire mask or goggles 10 protect his
eyes-so there is really little danger from the
QuEt, fOIMtIIy JtGl Hdthb ntiO H'V''~Nf ~-'~
then the Carnival was in its glory. 1bere was no
cheap, mean confetti to annoy one but showers VI
suear-pums and bits Of gilded paper, and nailings
Of Qlitterng triDkets, and waves OF unknown and
unknowable faces, and crowds of the most curl
ously.costumed bodies. Then wit, gallantry IN
triQnes, firtations, flowers and sweets were
in power. Princes, mobiles, people and beg,
oars were equal. As in the days of good
Father Saturn, when Liberty and License
reveled in harmony together, and Love led Bac-
Gins and Baccbus Minerva, and the other gods
and goddesses, wise and willy, joined for moment
in the festiye train. The masks made all sport
ard pleasantly tOlerabe. Each did as ne might
be done by: but with this freedom was mingled q
certaio reserve, for no one knew but it might be
his brother, wife or mother that be coquetted with
But now the old inhabitants talk mOurnfuly OF the
present and its contrast with the past. The fun
is grown bare faced and vulgar. The higher
classes have fOrsaken their carriage promenades
and their rich costumes The glory is departed;
the fpell is broken; the purple and gold is become
sackcloth ard ashes. But, as q spectacle, the
Carnival is still curious to strangers, especially to
us. as contrasted with our national customs.
Imsgine all New-YOrk at play for fortnight
BANKERS preachers and cOquettes tossing flowers
and sugar-plums at each other, and induging IN
all the caprices and whims and jokes which utter
liberty might induce, and this III the dead OF WIN
ter! 1t is a material as well as a moral impossi
busy. We do not love pleasure, or rather do not
know it, and then We have national Lent to fol-
low IT, and 10 Holy Week to come after. But
suppose such festivities were inaugurated IN our
northern June; where could intOxcatlOn, anger
and boxing find a retreat for seven such sue
cessve days. Evidently we are not the people
TO make an Italian carnival; for temperance
ard good bumOr are its peculiar charms.
The Carnival opeIed with two severe hail
storms on Saturday afternoon, but these did not
cool the ardcr Of the crowds just gatht red OH the
Corso ard in its balconies. They only laughed and
reioiced the more heartily that Heaven should con-
deecend to sprinkle its own boDbons so plentiiully
on the fcte. The streets were whitened with the
pelting storm. 1t was hailed as happy omen, an
auspicious inauguration of the festival.
Euch day the promenades and gatherings COM
mence about two In the afternoon. Horse guards
are stationed at all the squares and crossing streets
of the Corso to watch the crowds and to regulate
carriages. All the city isg gay costumed people are
gathering in from the country. The Plnclan hill
with its architectural mask of parapeted ter
races is crowded with spectators. At the foot OF
it the Piazza del ropoo (place of the peOple), is
tbronCed thence the swarmlng COrs0 extends a
mile on to the Venitian Palace. A deep amph
theater of raised seats prolOnes the Corso to The
Obelisk of the Piazza del POpolo. There is not
seat of il vacant in the afternoons of the fetes.
All the windows aud balconies of the favored
street are hung with bright colored and white
draperies, from pavement TO garrett, aud filled
with handsome women and gay men throwing and
receiving flowers and bOnbOns. Some are showerlng
down the confetti and crowds below are dodging
and receiyingit Carriages filledwith wrc-masked
people, men and women, some in costumes and
others only covered with tastefully bOrdeTed white
cotton skirts and sacks with hoods to protect from
dust, are repeating their promenades. Many of
the common Italian women are in the Albanian
cOstumC-their heads and necks quite uncovered,
with hillCcks of paster-dust lying on their shOul
ders and sliding down their backs and bosoms
But with what spirits they bearit Their dark hair
is powdered white, and their only care is to clear
their eyes to direct their throws of dust and flow
ers to their antagonists. Foreigners, native men,
boys, poor low women, barefoOted children, and
costumed, noisy rabble crowd the sidewalks. Men
dressed as women, puff their pipes from out their
mustaches and false curls. What vile burlesques
on femiDility Men never seem so frightfully ugly
as in female attire. There are buresqued soldiers
and burlesqued mobiles, burlesqued everybody but
ecclesiastcs. Borns and tamborines are the IA
vOlite noisy instruments of the clamorous crowd.
Innocent boxing is done with inflated bladders
which effect more noise than harm in their blows.
You see poor old man as if being beaten to death
with these weapons, and then he quietly turns
around to ward of smilingly the silly boys who
would not really hurt him for the world.
But let us take our place in a balcony sbOut
midway the Corso, and see the length and breadth
of the fun. We are up one story, and so almost
out of reach of the confetti from the street. and be
assured will not trouble you with it. We can
easily throw and catch bouquets, aud enjoy to the
best advantage, as much as we will, the sport be-
low. Occasionally we recognize in the crowd
friend, or one Who has grown familiar, with a
white frock over his coat, and his hair hid, per-
hsps, by long white nghtcap, and his face COW
cred with wire net. He huTls us o small coax
ING hnuomnt and waits for rntIlrn We dash hacL