The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-05-17
Florence.

Inc early history OF lOfenCe1s III
volved in doubt and Obscurity. Accord
ing to some authorities, the city was
founded by the Romans; according to
others, by the Etruscans. The most
probable conjecture is that it owes its
origin to a colony from Fiesole, whose
ancient ruins are still visible on the
neighboring heights,
What vicissitudes has she not expert
encedi What experiments in govern
ment has she not triedY Foreign inva-
sion followed by internal strife and
dissensiOn-Frank, Lombard, and Os-
tIogoth, Guelph and Ghibeline, Bian-
Chi and Neri, White Lily and Red. Now
fief of the German Emperor, now an
appanage of the Pope; then depen-
dency of the King of Naples, or pro-
vince of the Austrian kaiser; duchy.
grand duchy, republic; at one time ar
istocratic, then democratic, afterward
theOcratic, while running through all
the political phases of civil liberty, re-
publican license, anarchy, and chaos;
then ending in military despOtism, un-
til at length she has found repOse be-
meath the standard of constitutional
monarchy.
And yet with her dukes, grand dukes
consuls, priOrs, gontalOniers, and the
rest, as if human experience did not
furnish sufficiently wide range for
her political experiments, she elects the
MarzOccO, a brazen lion, as gOnfalonierj
and then, by a strange freak of religi-
Ous fanaticism, casts her ballots for
Jesus Christ as king, who, having been
declared duly elected, was strangely
enough deposed by his vicegerent, a
Pope.
1t is scarcely possible to photograph
with pen and ink the physiOgnomy of a
great city, Or if you could, it would only
be a photograph after, all, lacking
warmth of color and depth of tone. We
must content ourselves with silhOu
cite. Let us take a brief survey of
Florence from the heights of San Mini
alto or the Boboli Gardens. 1t is like
looking at person in profile. You get
a clearer outline of the more prominent
features. though it may be at the ex-
pense of the minuter details of form
and expression.
The city lies mapped out before us
in the form of an irregular pOlygOn un-
equally divided by the Arno, which
with its broad and handsome quays and
its numerous bridges with their grace
full arches, constitutes one of the most
striking features in the landscape. To
the extreme right, conspicuous with its
lofty tower and ornate facade of varie-
gated marbles, is the dark, gloomy
mass of Santa CrOce, the" Pantheon
of Florence. Beyond are the funeral
expresses of the Protestant cemetery,
where sleep the remains of Mrs. Brown
ing and Theodore Parker. Farther on
are the heights of Fiesole, the ancient
rival of Florence, with its Franciscan
convent and hoary crown of Cyclopean
walls. Between Fiesole and Carreggi,
once the seat of Lorenzo the Magniti-
cents Platonic Academy, is the famous
Villa Palmieri, where BoCcacciO, the
father of Italian prose, laid the scene
of his ''DecamrOn," which inspired the
Canterbury Tales" of our own Chau-
Ger, the Father of English poetry.
Directly in front of us is the enOr-
nous rectangular mass of the PalazzO
Vecchio, with its medieval tower und
frowning battlements. To the right
the tapering spire of the Badia shoots
heavenward. Beyond, looming up in
imposing grandeur, is the wondrous
dome of Brunelleshi, t1anked by the
marvellous Campanile of GiottO, solid
as fortress, and yet light and ether
cal as an air castle. Immediately to
the left of the Cathedral you can just
see the OctagOnal dome of the Baptis-
terry, the "beE San OU UdnRie"Of Dante,
whose magnificent bronze doors trans
ported Michael Angelo to the seventh
heaven of artistic enthusiasm. Beyond
the Baptistery, San Lorenzo, the West
minister Abbey of Florence, proudly
lifts it's crest, as if in ambitious rivalry
of the DuOmo, while farther to the left
Santa Maria Novella, with its graceful
campanile, beautiful facade, and spaci-
GUS cloisters, reiOices as the mystic
bride of the great BuonarOtti.
Crossing the ArnO and sweeping
westward, the eye is arrested for a
moment by the dome of Santo SpiritO.
and then finds repose upon the beautiful
heights of BellosguardO. Nearer by is
the Pitt Palace, with its famous gal
lery. From this you can trace the
covered corridor that connects it with
the Uflizi, uniting the two like Siamese
Twins of art, as they are, and construc-
ted, it is said, upon the model Of that
which, according to Homer once con-
nected the palaces of Hector and Priam.
As for the rest, Florence resembles
most Italian cities viewed from an en-
inence-a Heterogeneous tumble of red
tiled roofs, chimney-tOps, dormer-win-
dows, sky-lights, terraces, belfries,
crosses, and Aag-stafls, without the
faintest hint of the crowded squares
and throughfares below. - Harpcr'S
Magazine.
women's Training.
1t Is a sad fact that a woman Is as
sumed to be able TO keep her house