New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HAwTHoRNEs ITALIAN NOTEBOOKS.

2yols. xmo. James r. Osgood d Co
It's not a little remarkable that so imaginative
and ORIGINAL a writer as Hawthorne should exercise
such aphotooraphic fidelity Of detail as 10 MANI -,
local descriptive sketches the best " W
,aoos that were the subjects of his almost prefer
natural acuteness OF observation. lhS Is 'io o"so
10 singulardecree with the journals contained IN
tho nrosent volumes. which are mainly devoted TO
.bo record of his impressions of Italy. 1heTe is no
hool Of travels in our language, not even except
Sc fhe admirable work of Mr. Hillard, when
affords suoh an accurate picture OF ltalan hle as
,boso transnarent sketches. Mr.. Hawthorne never
;oldod IN the traditional illusions with regard to
fbe destinations Of the sunny land which has tur-
nished romantic tourists with So tempting an occa-
sion for the display of gorgeous epithets lie LOOKS
upon the charms Of the famous peninsula Wild as
calm an eye as if they had not been the favor"e
theme for the Authorizations of poetry. His own
exoniste prose is no less wonderful for its veracty
than for the sweetness Of its flow and the athleuc
force Of its dction.
Mr. Hawthorne's first impressions of the Eter-
nal City were of a singularly somber CHAR
acter. After the lapse of fortnight ne
had not recovered from the wretcnedness
ef his arrival 1t was nearly night in the month
of February when he made his entrance into Rome'
The night was cold and dismal He was half frozen
!, the w1ntry rain and received into damp and
cherries nOtCl WUcIe nc lVi cC'Ni"i ""S''
His first enterprise was to seek for better lodgings
among the sunless, dreary alleys which are called
streets in Rome" The weather was miserable
striking chill TO the very marrow of the bones and
"cuttinc in twain as with sword, keen and sharp,
and poisoned at point and edge" As he describes 1T
The atmosphere certainly has peculiar qualty OF
malgnity After DAY OF Two we hTV one Tst or
rooms. hHs far have been very uncomfortahy, 81 he
d Wei
faoEed rariincia frcplsces unless had the 'rcat
sSi in ny corner by the fresGc with clothes on
than ever were before, aud my the 81 gre@coa, oEe
hour two, hut have only once been warm enVusn
even In the sUuFiuc, and out OF lie sun never Rt any
time. understand now TIC force OF Nc story OF dog
sucs when asked tbe CONC cIer as the only FAVOR ne
could Lin. stand out OF bis sunshine there being
ouch o'l renee IA these Southern cimes oI
Europe between sun and shade. II my wits had
too uamb. l should like to have kept MN MN
S l me ,r,g my I Monld an" have shown mod
Rome aspect in which has never yet been de
and the rt freshness Of my discomfort of SO
that shall be able to express how dislike the
place ana how wretched have been nit; and soon,
suppose warmer weather will come. and perhaps recon
ellie to Rome against my will Cold. narrow lanes
between tall ugly, mean-lOOkng whtewashed houses
sour bread paveens most uncomfortable 10 the ieet
prices for poor living; beggaTs' pekpoek9ts,
hanging TO dry them; French soldiers monks and
prirsts OF every dcHee; shabby population, smoking
bad cgarstese would have been some OF the points OF
my description
His second visit to Rome. after a STAY of several
months in Florence, more agreeable in its char
acter and in It's contrast to his previous experience,
suggests q naive confession
Tue next day we drove along the Cassan Way towards
Rome. It was q most delightful morning. genial at
mosuhere; the suppose, because this was the
CHrpacna the regions OF pestilence and death had
quiet. gentle comfortable pleasure, as H. AFTER many
Wanderings, was drawing near Rome, Tor now uat
have IL once, Rome certainly does draw ltse1
into my heart as t think even LoI nsgr e sSd never
will. Besides, 10 stay here six months, ana we
had house all prepared to receive us; SO mat TINS
present approach the noOntide of genial day, was
most uni ke first when crept towards Rome
weary, ana knowing whittier TO betake ourselves
ALI that a dismal tue.
Towards the close Of his visit, he whites as fol-
lows:
Lam weary of Rome without having seen and known
has ought, and shall be glad TO get away from IT.
though doubt there will be many warnings to return
hereafter and many regrets that did not make better
nse of the opportunities within my grasp. st have
been in Rome long enough to be nbned with its atmos
pherc and this the essential condition of knowing
place such knowledge does not consist IN having
of mind in which now stand toward Rome, there is
onger
Some of the most interesting passages of the
Roman journal relate to the Faun of Praxiteles,
howing the process by which the conception Of the
Marble Faun" took shape in his mind as the sub
Get of q romance. His first notice of this statue
bears the date Of April, 1853:
We aferward went into the sculpture gallery, where
looked at Faun of Praxitees, and was sensible of
peculiar charm in 1t; sylvan beauty and homenness
pOserOus ears and the little tail, which, infer, have
cXQukte effect, and make the spectator smile IN ms
very heart This race OF fauns was the most delightful
IF an that antiquity ima gned. 1t seems to me that
story with all sorts OF fun and pathos IN 1t might be con-
rived the idea OF their species having become inter-
mingled with the human race family with the faun
blood in them having prolonged itself from the classic
al our own days: The tai might have disappeared
On dnt OF constant intermarrages with ordinary
ais; but the pretty hairy ears should occasionally reap
pear members Of the family, and The moral Instincts
ma intellectual characi erste OF the fsun might De most
pcturasQuely brought out without detriment 10 the
human Of the story. Fancy this combination III
she person Of "a young lady!
A few days after be writes: Il went yesterday to
he sculpture gallery of the Capitol, and looked
pretty thoroughly through the busts of the illusri
aus men, and less particularly at those of the
perors and their relatives. likewise took partcu-
lar note Of the Faun of Praxteles because the idea
Keeps recurring to me of writing a little romance
about it, and for that reason l shall endeavor
10 set down a somewhat infinitely itemized de
tail of the statue aud its surroundings"
Nj Hawthorne's account of visit to Miss Bremen,
who was temporarily residing in Rome at the same
time with himself and his comments on the charac-
ter of that gentlehearted novelist, so character
lstic that we cannot omit them from our notice.
Att O'Clock we went by invitation TO take tea with
Miss Bremen After much search, ana numbering pam
fully up three tareases IN yain and at last going
about in a strange circuty, We found her In small
chamber OF large old building. situated little way
from the brow Of the Tarpeian Rock. 1t was the
Rome Just large enough 10 hold her narrow bed,
her tea-table and table covered with books
by herself wonder whether she be poor. Probably
so for she told that her expense OF living here is
the greatest cOrdality and ladylke simplicity, making
slusOn 70 the hunbleness OF her environment land
apology any than II she were receiving Ne III
palace There is not better bred woman and yet one