Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-10-07
VOL. XIII.
WRITTEN FOR THE DELAwAEE GAZETTE
INCIDENTS IW ITALY.

The English cemetery at Rome is very in
terestirg to every American, although few {
our own countrymen lie there. The melar
choly history of the talented Shelley attract
the attention of every reader of English poe
try, to his grave; and the body of youn.
Keats, too, lies mingled with soil inside th
walls of Rome. On his grave I read the len
guage of despairing ambition, which he hac
uttered in the bitterness of his heart at tn
neglect of his friends, and the malice of his en-
emies.'' Here lies naan 1chose name aca
qcrit an qcater!"
knew this cemetery was on the Southsrr
side of the city, and finding myself, one day, a
the gate of St. Paul, I concluded to go al
once to see it. From this gate, which is thai
| through which it is supposed Paul was led tt
execution, the wall makes depression some
distance to the South before continuing
westward. 4 strait line westward from
the gate is occupied by light flank wall ex
tending nearly mile and encloses behind it a
military position where regiment of German
soldiers is quartered. I found that the Gene
terry lay just beyond their lines, and if could
be allowed to pass through it would save a
| walk of nearly two miles. was told, howev-
er, by several persons that this privilege was
never granted without an order from the CON-
mandant, and there was no way but to go down
one side of that long wall and come back on
the other.
walked up to the soldier who was promen-
aiding back and forth before the entrance
through which I wished to pass. / asked him
in German, some general questions, such as a
stranger might desire to know, without appear
inglto solicit permission to pass the gaze. At
last as if interested in his history enquired
What part of Switzerland was your home p
At Lnzern,"T How long have you been
away? was in France three years, and l
have served in the Roman army two" You
have been on the Rigi. at Luzern, suppose,
and seen Gesler's tower and Tells chapel
" o yes" he replied with eestaey, and added,
8. have yon been there? and did you see the
huge lion hewn in living rock, and that trian-
gular bridge with pictures Z" He continued
to call over the names of many objects fani-
lar to his childhood, some of which no traveller
could be expected to have seen. But it was
enough for him that had looked upon and ad-
mired those beautiful lakes and eternal SHOWS,
which were the pride Of his country, the orna-
ments of his city, and the attractions of his
home. When ] tod him that it was only the
past stinIer I had been in Switzerland lie CALI
ed to number Of his comrades who became
as eager as himself to hear one speak of the
familiar features of their loved and native land.
When had spent some time in Pleasant and
as | think, profitable conversation, with these
young soldiers, was conducted to gate near
by, which brought be to the cemetery in less
than two hundred yards walking, and I was in
vited to return by the same private way.
found the tomb Of Shelley in the " New
grounds" which are surrounded by high
fence except on the side occupied by tl:e city
wall. The tomb has on'y a plain PROSTATE
slab just at the base Of Rome's crumbiing bat
Elements. The grave of Keats is in the old
yard which has, instead Of fence ditch ten
feet deep, wallel with stone on both sides. A
little erect sab contains his sad obituary
The flowers are scarce permitted TO grow on
these graves, for the hands which sacrifice
genius in the body are ever ready TO steal, as
of their own and their fathers con-
duct, the verdurs which Kind Nature spreads
over their dust. This sad thought had some re
straining influence upon my own natural in
elinations. l paused and spared the flowers
but could not think it desecration but rather
idolatry to pluck the December grass, which
in the lovely climate of Italy, will renew itself
tomorrow.
Yours truly, P. @. WILSON.