Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-07-23
Correspondence OF the Free Press.
FROM EUROPE.
NO. XLVII.
Bologna 10 Padna.
PADuA

We left Bologna about eight in the morn
ing in the coupe of the Diligence for Padua,
whence we go by rail to Venice. From
Bologna to Fcrraia we logged industriously
on through level and fertile country covered
with luxuriant crops of hemp, grain, rice and
hay, with nothing of special interest to no.
tice, and arrived at the old city, Ferrara, in
time for an early dinner, which we took at
our leisure, and we had also time to take n
stroll through the city, once 50 magnificent
and prosperous, now so deserted and decayed.
In its days it contained 1000 people,
now perhaps little more than 10000. Its
streets are wide, spacious, and light-built
up with lofty and noble palaces,-but the
streets are solitary, the grass actually grows
up green upon its pavcmcnts, and the pal
aces look neglected, forgotten, and crumbling
With the exception of small central portion
of the city the population is exceedingly
sparse-here and there an inhabited house
in compactly built streets. In the days of
its glory its Ducal Court was equal to any in
Europe for its cultivation e taste. Its Univer-
sity was one of the largest and most cclebrat
ed in Europe. Its art and artists were so
meritorious as justly to be raised in history
to the dignity of school of Art, and the
of those who are justly considered as i'm
mortal. 1t would require stay of days
instead of a mere rest for dinncr-to 90 over
its localities and admire their proper beauties
and objects of interest, and associate them
with the once living celebrities that at differ
ent times made Ferrara their home for longer
or shorter periods We went into the dun
geon prison of Tasso, and wrote our names on
| its low brick arch, lighted from the door,
tempted to do so by the great multitude OF
names already there among which we saw
the autograph of Lord Byron and those Of
other celebrated, but less celebrated, travellers.
We took hurried look at the cathedral
| 600 years old), and we went through the
courts and gates and passages of the old ducal
palace, and took look at the room which
John Calvin occupied while he resided here,
in retreat, under the name of Charles Hoppe
vile, and received the distinguished protec,
ton and favor of the royal Duchess, who
did so much to favor the cause of the reform.
alton. There are those who insist that the
Imprisonment of Tasso, in this dungeon, can
not be more than an invention of incredible
cruelty, because this prison, if prison it was
was so dark and unwholesome that he could
hardly have lived in it for the long perioc
mentioned in the inscription, much les
could have written there, as he is said to hay,
done. 1t is easy to believe any such tradition
in Italy to be fabricated, but | wonder tina
one who knows any thing of the prisons ant
cruclties of the middle ages, can find, in any
rigor or inhumanty, any reason to doubt the
suiitrings of Tusso, or the barbarity o
| Alfonso.
Ferrara may, one day, be whclmed by the
waters of the Po,-the bed Of which is on
higher level than the roofs of the houses
The county is low, and the river in its rapid
course of 4OG miles, brings along great mass
of earthly material, which, deposited in sedi
ment, has constantly raised the bed of the
river, and as constantly the people have rais-
ed the banks of the stream to prevent its
overflow-so the great and rapid river runs
between artificial banks, like great aqueduct
far above the level of the surrounding country
If, in some time of great flood, these banks
should burst away, Ferrara, as well as the
plains, would be entirely buried beneath the
water.
Some three or four miles from Fcrrara or
the southcrly bank of the Pc is the papa
frontier Custom house at Ponte Lagoscuro-
the Pc divides the Papal States from Lombar
dovenetian Austria-and here leaving Cispa.
danGaul we crossed the Pc and found ourselves
at the Austrian frontier staton-a solitary
building few rods from the river. w,
debarked from the diligence and waited,
don't know how long, nor for what. The
Custom house was open and airy, windows
up, officers and clerks at their desks-opcn
rooms on each side of wide hall from front
to rear. OF course | looked about to while
away the time. l walked fore and aft the
cool hall. | looked in on the right hand
and on the left-looking up and down and
round about wherever window or door per-
mitted. | observed too that | was eyed
askance by the officials as a stranger might
expect to be and | though: the head man
looked at me impatiently and finally step
ped inside the public Office where they were
busy writing and glanced around an instant,
without saying any thing. This brought
matters to crisis, and the head man in Il
rough and peremptory manner, suddenly
asked me 'what is your profession ?" gave
promptly and positively but respectfully
the answer that | was lawyer. This SEEM
ed to silence and to content him. came to
the conclusion that he had suspected me of
being some dangerous person, some soldier
or conspirator or brgand in disguise, explor-
ing and taking note of the situation of his
two-and-six-penny little frontier Custom
house, with view to revolution or to plum
der, and that his sudden question might
entrap me into an answer which should betray
me, After we were properly vised and our
apparently unnecessary delay was ended,
we took our seats and were trundled over
the plains of Transpadan Gaul.
We had crossed the Pc, at Ponte lagos
euro in a ricketty old rattletrap of ferry
boat. After got aboard the boat, seeing no
horse power, no steam engine, no strong arm
| cd On rsm on N rou tho In roa scou lilo contr;