Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-12-09
... WRITTEN FOR The SrAR.
BANDITS OF ITALY.

.Tax twig and their buffets with travellers ON
~. s;ch-rOad were not interrupted by engine
E,ys electric sparks, or any of the moro
IIsT1 inventions and cOntrivances for celerity
= movement. And so to this day there are
-.r,ions Of Italy as asinnocent of the gO-aheadism
E,nkeeisms. and every other kind of inns be-
ling to the age. aS NJ. Jourdan was of the
s,-f of his having been talking prose all his
rs.-whch recall those days when gay outlaws
II as Little John, robbed the rich To feed the
- Central and Southern Italy still retain,
isnrh with lingering hold, their old classic
,pect such rs they were when Horace strolled
- an the Via Saera, " SIcRt mems est mos
~ writes.-Or when Meliboeus sang to Virgil.
Tityrus in the eclogue, reclining under the
.Esis of wide-spreading beech trte, to which
10 had been restored from his exile by the mu-
Ti6eent Augustus. The plough described in
tbs GeOrgics still burrows the land, and the
rrnitive aail still threshes the wheat. The
sandits who stopped Ariosto on his way. and
Issruiny the name of the prisoner, paid their
srtbusiastic homaGes to the poet by singing
n. verses extcliing his name, and safely es1
rortiny him beyond all danger, still thronr in
+bsir but little disturbed retreats amourst the
,rennines. 1t may very lawfully, however.
he s matter Of serious consideration with the
more prUsy individuals Of our times to ponder
whether this poetic temperament may not have
darenerated to a sterner estimation of one
r1rse and less regard aS to what may be our
sudoKments from the divine inspiration of
4r,llo For my part and experience lean dis
s5vsr no wrong to thus muse upon the subject
But at the same time. though TaSso's and Ari-
osto's nav have vanished OF the earth, and the
leaves Of the laurel crown that decked the great
posts Of Italy, Nithered up, their writings are
admired. appreciated and sung by these ro-
mantle disturberS Of the peace as BY the gon-
doIsrs Of Venice. L entertain little doubt but
tat the familiar quotation of fayorite passages
IRON the jerusalem Delivered or the wild aud
beautiful narrative of AriCsto. might under
many peculiar circumstances, loosen the bonds
Of the unfortunate traveller who NAV chance to
have been waylsid on the road from Naples to
Rome, or Rome 10 Florence. There NAV be a
little advice contained in this notion, should
the reader have ny distant prospect Of landing
at LsgbOrn or Naples amidst a world of gaping
mouths, dOleful cries of fame : fame such
piteOuS exclamatIOns As ''HR gHatTSHO SionOr
per FaEOT de DIO, or, should pass unbeed-
ingy by, wOeful attempt at some strong les
on in the English language. Bandits, how
ever, are not bagsars, though beggars may be
bandits in a certain sense. Have yUu ever seen
an Italian bandit He is sun-burnt. swarthy.
uneTenly built man. of not irregular fcaturey
nor of ungainly figure. His long hair and
keen black eve rival in their raven color. lie
Is rObber, but one OF n bold and we'll trained
band, headed by not unskillful nor uninteIli-
geRt chief And 80 he takes pride in some
distinguishing mark of his profession. in the
brilliant colOrS Of his uniform lie is described
IN the '' Inn 1T Terracina where the graceful
author Of the = Tales of a Traveller seems to
have found number of welI-told stories and
adventures. He wears Jacket of blue trimmed
With sDld. and his breeches are Of buckskin
prObably the same he stole from the unfortu-
late and affrighted esiafatte. when, breeches-
les., and In his drawers, he cracked his deaf
enIng crack crack crack crack before the,
Ina NJ TerraeIna. His breast Is often Covered
with p1ize- medals, relics and rusaries like a
soldier from the wars His hat is broad
orlnmed, nigh ant comic thaped, brilliant with
feathers and yariOusly cOiOTed ribbons His
legs are bound round with leather, and for pur-
I.'ses If n)iseless approach and easy climbing
lis sandals are made Of the same material
N0' unireguently the belt is the most fantastic
oInsa-nt 70 his person. Roman scarf, upon
Saieh some young lady once doubtless prided
herself extremely, but who had the fo0lishness
% travel through Italy. stuck full Of pistols
and sulettOs, whuse living appearance may still
Dc Of unpleasant memory To many. carbine
Is slung at his back. ami over all is careIessIy
thrown kind Of cloak or mantle answering
lhe yarouS purposes Of night covering or pro-
lection from the cold. He stands up q picture
romantic and handsome, as the Misses POpkins
LAD the satisfaction Of finding, and so wrote il
uelr DIARIES. notwithstanding barbarOus ran
seAment Of their wardrObes and the sacri-
lesous metamOTphOse OF their ancient lace
tneir point de ienise'' into shirt ruffies and
Sr's1sands At the same time the Misses Pop
Ana we're Il5ht IN their. philosophical submis-
.oh % such d misfortune. and might well fat
VI tneniseiyes that they had fallen in with nn-
- FoII
u a4VJseiler lost 70 the charms Of the sex For
70 the great Jrepidation and alarm Of the ladies
- naI Iot lon2 since whispered among them
, na' 'ne odh0lts had Of late devised new and
"a means Of obtaining money, BY carry
u " lhe mountains the fair travellers 70
Oe released only On the payment Of heavy ran
-,us' ana satisfying themselves by merely
mLPylng tne pockets Of the gentleman. As an
asslauGh Ut the matter, it was said that this
S.s1ent mad befallen an EngIishman and HE
y,,uT' ,sn muen TO the discontinue of both, until
me bag o; silver was AMY Maid down An
toian' whilst taking his usual evening stroll
- 'le ou'.kIrts If the town where he resided
"a 'hee thus arrested and released only by
D, 'aH'Oih Ot all his property and chattels.
~ the bandits of the PapaI States. for in
'1hSe oy strict command Of their leader. who
..e1' .. odnd Of two hundred men in the noun
OIL village not far from the ancient
~. N'cAHd ana tne tomb OF Dante, are not
@-i'"ed % take a travellers life unless under
issht necessity. Though in their search of
P4nder they mean no harm, ones blood is a
--a.IsI d very slight consideration if found re-
sHhs' however ieebly, TO their gruff intrusion
-Ryu an irresistible snooze in your jOggIing
TsnEte- Thus, about two years ago, y young
iIsHchman who attempted to repel by force,
i-su''' offered his mother, their carriage having
.en stopped about nine miles from Bologna. a
oi one hundred Thousand inhabitants, paid
a 1e penalty OF his life for his gallantry 1t vas
H1tsrHards reported that the bandit who had
nnltted the foul deed was severely repri-
-Aoaed Resistance is useless, as the young
S-&'s- buttDnsd, gold-laced bOastcr, who had
IN eOneVcting brilliant schemes Of defence to
- Ie'uees passengers in the diligence, found
1en Titan bandit had pinned him to a rock
~ the roadside. and given him the agreeable
- ts-usiacllon Of looking down long barreIed
nolse pistol. Not being allowed 10 carry fire.
at atnis In Italy, you must submit, under such
TT y, 70 stances, with the best possible grace
Ihi1 bandit system is perfect in all its work
r q and would not dishOnOr a Kansas faction
Peie IN Its organization, subjected 10 a
- pune, and strictly observing such notions
:. pruer as the pursuits incident 10 the profes-
,oA ,,e might allow, IL has become from time to
une The dread af all haru,lass Oh ;,nooo..