Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-05-20
LuME e3-NumBgp 80.
I WHOLE NUMBER 32ta.

nut litte Imagination to repeOple the past
and bring back the long file of her dead dorcs.
The vast piles Of mingled Greek and Arabian
architecture, where they dwelt, and where they
T worshipped the brazen steeds that still glow
on the front of st. Marks, bringing back the
far-of times and the thirteen centuries of her
wonderful history, pass before me once again.
can hardly say anything Of Venice The
\ feeling which oppresses me here is 80 mixed
and strange. These silent avenues of gliding
gondolas, with their carved palace fronts, rich
in delicate tracery these narrow, winding
paths and marble bridges the great square,
overlooked by tower and monuments and mar
yellous horologe and royal palaces the streets
and piaz1as never trod by the foot of horse, or
worn by the roll of a carriage wheel the ca
thedral, with its unduating pavement, the
mellow gold of its mosaics, and the incredible
riches Of its altar Of FURNISHED gold and silver,
sparkling with every pearl and precious stone;
the churches Of untold age the pictures Of
Titan, Cagliari and Tintoretto, that hang on
the walls Of her Academy; these, combined
with her present appearance, her circum-
stances, her men and women, produce q very
singular impression. The queen Of the Adri-
attic il queen no more Art and Nature
but her state and her power are both gone
She is like all the rest of Italy. For weeks
my way has been over the wrecks of ancient
glory, over ruins more fascinating than mod
ern structures, over region Of fallen stateF,
whose greatness is scarce half buried--over a
land
Which ,e1s the mghtiest In its old cormand
And is the. oveliest, and must ever be.
Mhuse ver weeds are beautiful whcsc waste
More rich than other clime's fertility
Her wreck glory and her ruin graccd
with an immaculate charm which cannot he de-
taced."
Tomorrow shall bid adieu to italy. and
it is well that Venice, which is the last and
sweetest strain Of her music, should be the
gate of exit to more modern, less historic
State. | shall sail across the Adriatic to
Trieste. entered Italy over the Cornici
road on the northwest, from Nice to Genoa,
thence sailing along the coast to Leghorn and
Pisa thence to Naples, Pompeii, Bae and
Pozzuoli then to Rome, across the Appennes
to Florence recrossing thence again from
Florence to Bologna then to Modena, Par
ma aud Milan; thence to Como and Belag-
gio, and thence TO Venice. Taking the map
you will see that the route has been Of great
interest and extent. Every day of my jour
ney has increased my interest in the country
and in the people. The most dsagreeable
things were the first to strike the eye. Beau
tiful scenes, superb churches, and eloquent
ruins were all spoiled by the omnipresent
latsarom The whine of beggar mingled
with the sweet notes of southern music. Ii
was the fly in the ointment that hurt its aro-
ma. But we have become used to it and give
il no attention. We do not hear il now at
all. In fact northern Italy is far freer from
it. Still it does not arrest and annoy ones
senses as at first That which is disagreeable
does not detan the eye or the ear, they are
to constantly occupied with what is pleasing.
have had three delightful Sundays here,
at Naples Florence and Venice. A few
years ago the pure Gospel was not preached
in this large realm. Now it is in all the large
towns and cities. Under the walls of Rome
herself, the voice of the preacher of Jesus
Christ as the only Saviour, and of His Word
as the only means of sanctifcation, is heard,
A few years ago, under Austria there was
not a Christian church in Venice. Now
there are three, and one composed entirely Of
Venetians, of four hundred members, and
eighty more to join it in as few days. a con
verted Italian is its pastor and on every Sum
day he addresses thronged audience. When
ltdiy snail nave u Iftc cnurcn, n Tree DiDle,
and n free school, and shall have the heart
to support them, then she will have popua-
ton that shall compare favorably with other
nations. But now we can see the traces of
despotism, civil and ecclesiastical in the very
faces and manners of her people, And It
Rome be the true church, the question con-
stanty arises, :" Why has not Rome, in such
a fair land as this, made hobler populationf"
1t is land of priests. Why is it also land
Of beggars, land of brigands, of poverty
and Of ruins2 Why is it so far behind all
other modern States in everything that makes
them great? Let the Roman church answer
these questions. Why, with supreme control
for fifteen centuries; with people naturally
gifted beyond most with climate and soil
like those Of Paradise; with the politics aud
religion, the minds and conseiences of the
people in her hands, has everything become
an obvious desolation and wreck 4? Why are
the only green and beautiful things in Italy
nourished by the care of a monarch who is
accommodated from her pale; monarch,
who, however immoral treats the conscences
OF men with respect, nor ever seeks to bind
the dogmas of religion on their souls do
not wonder that the reactionary party in Ita-
ly is infdel.
The style of living in this country Is not
perfectly suited to tastidious American pal
ate. We make it rule to refuse everything
the eye does not at once recognize. Ii il safe
to decline all dishes that you do not at once
see to be simple. Ingenuity exhausts it.
self here to invent some curious dish. Each
maitre dhotei vies with his rivals in nefari-
Gus compound of garlic, mushrooms and truf-
fle | could almost avow that have seen
dressed cats or dogs for sale in Rome and
Naples. AT least know not what they were,
save that they seemed to belong to the canine
or feline race. We have no honest roast po-
tatoes, no unadulterated maearoni, no pure
meat, no natural sauce. AT the table dhofe,
| have sometimes been unable To define ar