National Republican., 1881-02-12
FADING GRANDEUR.
FLORENCE, ITALY OBSERVATIONS.
An Interesting Letter From Beautiful City
Something AbOut Nonsstic Institutions
and the Lessons They Teach-4n
American Girls Smartness.
Special Correspondence of The Republican.

FLORENCE, Jan. 26, 1SSl.-The snow lies
on everything, and curious mig rising gives a
weird indistnct look Just across the Arno, and op
posite my window, stands Bello Squardo on hill
.top looking down upon the city, the beautiful gar
dens seeming far away 1t was there the blind lover
of Aurora Leigh came to tell the secrets of his
heart TO the woman who had neither understood
nor valued him. Mrs. Browning dwells with tender
interest in her description of this fine estate,
and strangers make frequent pilgrimages there,
minutely tracing the familiar scene. The
house itself is prim, modern, and severe Of
angle. Close by is an old gray monastery with its
sloping olive orchard and fringe of dark, lonely
cypress trees. All through the solemn night the
bells tolls out the merry hours, and one can i'm
agine the shivering monks turning wearily upon
their hard COTS thankful perhaps, that so much of
life is ended and that there is less of unhappiness
to endure
MoE4STIC INSTITUTIONS.
could only have had their rise in monarchcial coun-
tries where caste prevailed, where the favored few
enjoyed all privileges, and the rest might feel it
were curse to be born. For them penance, depri-
vation repression, all to end in death; none ofthe
joys of domescity; only to be blanks in life, part
simply of a machine, without object or aim
This kind of life is so depressing that it
waTps and stunts the mind. The converts
| in Europe have had the best libraries;
therefore the best educational advantages; large
revenues; therefore more opportunity for scien-
tific investigations and yet the fraternity fall far
| below in mental Requirements, and have no stand
ing as inventors scientists They have not con-
tributed to ease-the burdens OF life or establish
customs that demand increased employment of
| labor thus making bread for the poor. Just now
| France appears before the world as heartless
prosecutor of these institutions; but isit so?
| THE WEALTH OF MoNAsTERIEs
is boarded. 1t is enormous in the aggregate. Their
| churches are embellished with every extravaganza
that fancy can dictate. Acres and acres of land
| they buy as an investment and let remain idle,
paying no taxes upon all this wealth The poor in
crease. Suppose Vanderbilt or any other great mil
lionare would pursue this course, how quickly he
would be denounced. Money becomes
curse unless it is kept moving, unless it
gives employment. l grant you, there are
educational institutions connected with some of
! them, but the proportion is remarkably small.
Still am inclined to believe from personal obscr-
vation that the public schools in America are
more thorough and far surpass them in facilities.
In fact the world moves too fast for drones. Yet
personally each and every one of
THE BROTHERHOOD ARE TO BE PITIED
when thus turned out into the world, knowing so
little oflife their experience totally uniting them
forthe rough and tumble. Especially will Protest
ants be called upon to show the grace OF charity
and forbcarance. When one comes to study the
Each street has had its rise and fail in
grandeur, together with the families that
made them famous. What grand pagentries
have been seen along their narrow and devious
windings. Kings have come in royal splendor
and rode through the town under golden canopies,
surrounded by handsome youths and brave knights
in glitter of Furnished steel and plumed helmets,
brocaded mantles, waving banners of velvet en-
broidered with gold, chains of gold and ornaments
bearded, and with the look of wild beasts; cuiras
siers mounted on horses whose tails and ears were
cropped close, hideous and monster-Eke, followed
closely by.
SHOUTING, GEsTICULATING MOB,
some of them dwarfeGi and misshapen, and some
of them like Apollos, cast in natures best mould.
Over the balconies leaned the fair, and oftentmes
frail Florentines stealthily, perhaps, dropping a
rose to some forbidden lover always loving show
and glitter. and taking naturally as well to in
trigue; for were not these excitements their sole
prerogatives since they were bought and sold i'll
the marriage market? Surely natural outcome
to such slavery cause, and effect. A married
woman who accepted the position of chattel in her
husbands establishment was always allowed a
lover, more than pages, more than friend, pro-
tector substitute for an indolent husband, who,
as twas rigid custom that no woman should go |
unattended, kindly delegated his best friend to |
act for him.
IT WAS TIE LOVER
who fought duels over real or fancied wrongs of |
Of my lady, while my lord was acting cavalier to |
some other mans wife, The first real check to !
this curious state of afairs came from the ridicue
that that prince of humorists, GOldoni, heaped |
upon the cisnedbue, as he satirically called the
lover They were mercilessly introduced in every |
play and the Italians being quick at ridicule took
the cue, and made life a burden to certain |
of that iIk. Sometimes as pass the statue of Col
doni, which stands facing the Arno, think how |
the old fellow would like to come back and stick |
his pen in the little princelings, the strutting Off
GERS and the bedizened, weak -pated women who
ride up and down
BEFORE HIS INsENsIBLE IMAGE;
and the other day, when the pompous little mar
quis made his rendezvous with that pallid- faced
woman wfolves on bon bons and deyours French
novels, and always dcfes the proprieties of life
think the stone Goldoni positively gave a
sardonic grin, saying, Its open vice with
out the poor excuse of sentiment" But
the old houses - landmarks of time always
take one away from modern frivolities and at
every turn and corner they loom up like phan-
toms. Often when the massive portals are thrown
open through and back of the open court yard
glimpses of wide extending gardens all green and
fragrant even in winter, with quaint fountains
and noble statues, present picture almost ori-
entail. Half-remaining towers now and
THEN CATCH THE EYE,
for when Florence was feudal they served as
strongholds where faithful retainers could assem-
bic with slung- shot and cross-bow for defense in
time of attack; and the higher the tower the
greater the pride and power of the family. The
Chinese say the higher the tower the blacker
the shGdow-referTing to scandal. Perhaps no
people in the world have such pride of
family as the Florentines, looking down
and despising people in trade, yet if they will
look up the history of each particular house as
they call the family, they Will see that the money,
power, and title, too, always came from some
guild to which they belonged. Originally it
was considered marx of distinction to do any
thing that would develop the resources and as
sist the revenue of the country. All that has
passed away. Not long since a young fellow
WITH A long TITLE
was talking in most patronizing way to pretty
American girl, saying that he supposed most of
the Americans were pork packers or cobblers. The
answer was demure and quiet enough, but it
struck him between the eyes, for she said: Oh no.
some of US are aristocratic enough to have been
and scissor grinders" 1t was q
leaf in his family history he fondly hoped pos
terity would skip; in fact, read something more
exciting. The most fascinating, the most satsfac-
tory life led here is by the artist who is in earnest
to make progress in his art. At the academy eight
hours day, drawing and painting
FROM THE LIVING MODEL,
and close study in the evening of history and
special historical characters, with close attention
to details cf living costume and general surround
ngs, not to speak of the forlnidablestuy of physi
Oiogy in science and distinct knowledge of the hu-
man form being Indispensable TheTefsinone class