the complete writings-2-第35章

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to　us　than　the　palaces　with　sculptured　fronts　and　old　Roman　busts；　or　tombs　of　the　Scaligers；　and　old　gates。　Perhaps　I　ought　to　except　the　wonderful　and　perfect　Roman　amphitheater；　over　every　foot　of　which　a　handsome　boy　in　rags　followed　us；　looking　over　every　wall　that　we　looked　over；　peering　into　every　hole　that　we　peered　into；　thus　showing　his　fellowship　with　us；　and　at　every　pause　planting　himself　before　us；　and　throwing　a　somerset；　and　then　extending　his　greasy　cap　for　coppers；　as　if　he　knew　that　the　modern　mind　ought　not　to　dwell　too　exclusively　on　hoary　antiquity　without　some　relief。

Anxious；　as　I　have　said；　to　find　the　sunny　South；　we　left　Verona　that　afternoon　for　Florence；　by　way　of　Padua　and　Bologna。　　The　ride　to　Padua　was　through　a　plain；　at　this　season　dreary　enough；　were　it　not；　here　and　there；　for　the　abrupt　little　hills　and　the　snowy　Alps；　which　were　always　in　sight；　and　towards　sundown　and　between　showers　transcendently　lovely　in　a　purple　and　rosy　light。　　But　nothing　now　could　be　more　desolate　than　the　rows　of　unending　mulberry…trees；　pruned　down　to　the　stumps；　through　which　we　rode　all　the　afternoon。　I　suppose　they　look　better　when　the　branches　grow　out　with　the　tender　leaves　for　the　silk…worms；　and　when　they　are　clothed　with　grapevines。　Padua　was　only　to　us　a　name。　　There　we　turned　south；　lost　mountains　and　the　near　hills；　and　had　nothing　but　the　mulberry　flats　and　ditches　of　water；　and　chilly　rain　and　mist。　It　grew　unpleasant　as　we　went　south。　　At　dark　we　were　riding　slowly；　very　slowly；　for　miles　through　a　country　overflowed　with　water；　out　of　which　trees　and　houses　loomed　up　in　a　ghastly　show。　　At　all　the　stations　soldiers　were　getting　on　board；　shouting　and　singing　discordantly　choruses　from　the　operas；　for　there　was　a　rising　at　Padua；　and　one　feared　at　Bologna　the　populace　getting　up　insurrections　against　the　enforcement　of　the　grist…tax；a　tax　which　has　made　the　government　very　unpopular；　as　it　falls　principally　upon　the　poor。

Creeping　along　at　such　a　slow　rate；　we　reached　Bologna　too　late　for　the　Florence　train；　It　was　eight　o'clock；　and　still　raining。　　The　next　train　went　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　was　the　best　one　for　us　to　take。　　We　had　supper　in　an　inn　near　by；　and　a　fair　attempt　at　a　fire　in　our　parlor。　　I　sat　before　it；　and　kept　it　as　lively　as　possible；　as　the　hours　wore　away；　and　tried　to　make　believe　that　I　was　ruminating　on　the　ancient　greatness　of　Bologna　and　its　famous　university；　some　of　whose　chairs　had　been　occupied　by　women；　and　upon　the　fact　that　it　was　on　a　little　island　in　the　Reno；　just　below　here；　that　Octavius　and　Lepidus　and　Mark　Antony　formed　the　second　Triumvirate；　which　put　an　end　to　what　little　liberty　Rome　had　left；　but　in　reality　I　was　thinking　of　the　draught　on　my　back；　and　the　comforts　of　a　sunny　clime。　　But　the　time　came　at　length　for　starting；　and　in　luxurious　cars　we　finished　the　night　very　comfortably；　and　rode　into　Florence　at　eight　in　the　morning　to　find；　as　we　had　hoped；　on　the　other　side　of　the　Apennines；　a　sunny　sky　and　balmy　air。

As　this　is　strictly　a　chapter　of　travel　and　weather；　I　may　not　stop　to　say　how　impressive　and　beautiful　Florence　seemed　to　us；　how　bewildering　in　art　treasures；　which　one　sees　at　a　glance　in　the　streets；　or　scarcely　to　hint　how　lovely　were　the　Boboli　Gardens　behind　the　Pitti　Palace；　the　roses；　geraniums　etc；　in　bloom；　the　birds　singing；　and　all　in　a　soft；　dreamy　air。　　The　next　day　was　not　so　genial；　and　we　sped　on；　following　our　original　intention　of　seeking　the　summer　in　winter。　　In　order　to　avoid　trouble　with　baggage　and　passports　in　Rome；　we　determined　to　book　through　for　Naples；　making　the　trip　in　about　twenty　hours。　　We　started　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　I　do　not　recall　a　more　thoroughly　uncomfortable　journey。　　It　grew　colder　as　the　night　wore　on；　and　we　went　farther　south。　　Late　in　the　morning　we　were　landed　at　the　station　outside　of　Rome。　　There　was　a　general　appearance　of　ruin　and　desolation。　　The　wind　blew　fiercely　from　the　hills；　and　the　snowflakes　from　the　flying　clouds　added　to　the　general　chilliness。　　There　was　no　chance　to　get　even　a　cup　of　coffee；　and　we　waited　an　hour　in　the　cold　car。　　If　I　had　not　been　so　half　frozen；　the　consciousness　that　I　was　actually　on　the　outskirts　of　the　Eternal　City；　that　I　saw　the　Campagna　and　the　aqueducts；　that　yonder　were　the　Alban　Hills；　and　that　every　foot　of　soil　on　which　I　looked　was　saturated　with　history；　would　have　excited　me。　　The　sun　came　out　here　and　there　as　we　went　south；　and　we　caught　some　exquisite　lights　on　the　near　and　snowy　hills；　and　there　was　something　almost　homelike　in　the　miles　and　miles　of　olive　orchards；　that　recalled　the　apple…trees；　but　for　their　shining　silvered　leaves。　And　yet　nothing　could　be　more　desolate　than　the　brown　marshy　ground；　the　brown　hillocks；　with　now　and　then　a　shabby　stone　hut　or　a　bit　of　ruin；　and　the　flocks　of　sheep　shivering　near　their　corrals；　and　their　shepherd；　clad　in　sheepskin；　as　his　ancestor　was　in　the　time　of　Romulus；　leaning　on　his　staff；　with　his　back　to　the　wind。　　Now　and　then　a　white　town　perched　on　a　hillside；　its　houses　piled　above　each　other；　relieved　the　eye；　and　I　could　imagine　that　it　might　be　all　the　poets　have　sung　of　it；　in　the　spring；　though　the　Latin　poets；　I　am　convinced；　have　wonderfully　imposed　upon　us。

To　make　my　long　story　short；　it　happened　to　be　colder　next　morning　at　Naples　than　it　was　in　Germany。　　The　sun　shone；　but　the　northeast　wind；　which　the　natives　poetically　call　the　Tramontane；　was　blowing；　and　the　white　smoke　of　Vesuvius　rolled　towards　the　sea。　　It　would　only　last　three　days；　it　was　very　unusual；　and　all　that。　　The　next　day　it　was　colder；　and　the　next　colder　yet。　　Snow　fell；　and　blew　about　unmelted：　I　saw　it　in　the　streets　of　Pompeii。

The　fountains　were　frozen；　icicles　hung　from　the　locks　of　the　marble　statues　in　the　Chiaia。　　And　yet　the　oranges　glowed　like　gold　among　their　green　leaves；　the　roses；　the　heliotrope；　the　geraniums；　bloomed　in　all　the　gardens。　　It　is　the　most　contradictory　climate。　　We　lunched　one　day；　sitting　in　our　open　carriage　in　a　lemon　grove；　and　near　at　hand　the　Lucrine　Lake　was　half　frozen　over。　　We　feasted　our　eyes　on　the　brilliant　light　and　color　on　the　sea；　and　the　lovely　outlined　mountains　round　the　shore；　and　waited　for　a　change　of　wind。　The　Neapolitans　declare　that　they　have　not　had　such　weather　in　twenty　years。　　It　is　scarcely　one's　ideal　of　balmy　Italy。

Before　the　weather　changed；　I　began　to　feel　in　this　great　Naples；　with　its　roaring　population　of　over　half　a　million；　very　much　like

the　sailor　I　saw　at　the　American　consul's；　who　applied　for　help　to　be　sent　home；　claiming　to　be　an　American。　　He　was　an　oratorical　bummer；　and　told　his　story　with　all　the　dignity　and　elevated　language　of　an　old　Roman。　　He　had　been　cast　away　in　London。　　How　cast　away？　　Oh！　　it　was　all　along　of　a　boarding…house。　And　then　he　found　himself　shipped　on　an　English　vessel；　and　he　had　lost　his　discharge…papers；　and　〃Listen；　your　honor；〃　said　he；　calmly　extending　his　right　hand；　〃here　I　am　cast　away　on　this　desolate　island　with　nothing　before　me　but　wind　and　weather。〃




RAVENNA

A　DEAD　CITY

Ravenna　is　so　remote　from　the　route　of　general　travel　in　Italy；　that　I　am　certain　you　can　have　no　late　news　from　there；　nor　can　I　bring　you　anything　much　later　than　the　sixth　century。　　Yet；　if　you　were　to　see　Ravenna；　you　would　say　that　that　is　late　enough。　　I　am　surprised　that　a　city　which　contains　the　most　interesting　early　Christian　churches　and　mosaics；　is　the　richest　in　undisturbed　specimens　of　early　Christian　art；　and　contains　the　only　monuments　of　Roman　emperors　still　in　their　original　positions；　should　be　so　seldom　visited。　　Ravenna　has　been　dead　for　some　centuries；　and　because　nobody　has　cared　to　bury　it；　its　ancient　monuments　are　yet　above　ground。　　Grass　grows　in　its　wide　streets；　and　its　houses　stand　in　a　sleepy；　vacant　contemplation　of　each　other：　the　wind　must　like　to　mourn　about　its　silent　squares。　　The　waves　of　the　Adriatic　once　brought　the　commerce　of　the　East　to　its　wharves；　but　the　deposits　of　the　Po　and　the　tides　have；　in　process　of　time；　made　it　an　inland　town；　and　the　sea　is　four　miles　away。

In　the　time　of　Augustus；　Ravenna　was　a　favorite　Roman　port　and　ha