Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-15

PIiny, and Cicero wrote Of the charm
ana beauty OF the Italian lakes, and
no one who visits them with ordinary
,susceptibilities fails to come under
their SPELL
How sweet II were to crown In
shades like these,
A life OF labor with an age OF ease.
Mountains like the Alps In grandeur
but softer in outline. and without
their savage ruggedness. slope down
from the blue above to the blue be-
low, and along the shores and far up
the hiIlsides nestle and cling villages,
hamlets, and villas in picturesque pro-
fusion. And never were seen such gar
ugns. There is a lingering exquisite
autumn, the grape and the olive. the
fig and the orange flourish, and all
manner Of frn;ts and flowers abound.
One could not help feeling that they
were sinSularly blessed whose lots
were cast In the midst of such scenes
of ioveIiness and smiling plenty. Down
I.ugdno and the next day from Bel
lagio to home We sailed entranced'
and longed to 60 ashore snd settle
down for good and all sv",v time the
boat stepped but VenlcG was our
goal, ard time pressed
The Milan catne ir:i.
a. Our tirst stop, and that for only a
few hours, was at Milan, where we
greatly enjoyed the vast cathedral.
{ which Is second only In size to st.
Peters. with its rich facade and num-
berfess pipnacles. We climbed up
part way over the stone roof to TIT!
top Of the lofty sp!re and looked
down on the great city. acros the fer
tile plains OF I.omhardy. ard back to
the snowy submits of the Italian
Alps, a Wow worth lorg journey to
see for half an hour, and t. remember
alawys.
Leonardo da Vinci gives Milan it's
greatest glory. and his statue stands
in prominent square. His great
monument. The Last supper paint
cd on the wall OF convent has be-
come such a ruin that we did not wilt
1t.
A few hours south of Milan on the
way to Venice lies the ancient city or
& Verona. and IL is well worth weeks
time. Large sections of Its medieval
wall are still standing, and the road
from the station passes through one
of its massive gateways. II Is town
of nearly $4,000 people.
r. A Roman Amphitheater.
And in its very center stands almost
the most perfect Roman amphitheater
III existenance, not as large as the
Coliseum. but so wonderfully preserv-
ed that the entire method of its con-
struCtion is visible, and Its vast circles
of stone seats rising tier on tier might
be used today for any spectacle or con-
test. II is one thing to read about
such place and see pictures OF 1t.
and quite another to sit down in the
midst OF 1t and see in imagination in
the arena below the fierce combats OF
the sladiators. and the martyrs thrown
to the wild beasts.
A superb Roman bridge Is still
standing across the river Adigo, and
and the city, like the rest of Italy, has
changed civilizations and masters
many times since the ancient days.
ard each race has left its mark.
There is a grim castle and turreted
Gothic bridge. built from 1859 to 1875.
Across the river. well up on the hill
side, stands strong fortress. where
the Romans had their capita! when
Theodoric, King OF the East Goths.
reigned and which was later used by
the Lombard and FraDkish kings and
the yiscounti. Verona was the BIRTH
place OF some OF the greatest Italian
artists, and their works abound on
the walls Of the many beautiful and
Interesting churches. some Of them
dating back in parts to the sixth cen
fury.
Besides all these picturesque and
historic features. every one who has
read shakespeare will remember that
ID was there that the scenes OF the
two Gentlemen Of Venice" and Of
Romeo and Juliet" were laid. giving