Foreign Correspondence

Specding a few days at this nottheastern end ot' lake Leman, with our headquiiiters at this beautit'ul and romantic little place immortalized by Itosseau, and in f uil view of the castle of C billón froiu the wiudows of our rooms, it may uot bo altogethtu' wit.e to undei'tako to bring up tho still unfiuibbfcd notes oí' Italy, but our position aduiits of no alternativo and we reBume tbe interrupted story at our departure froiu Genoa. Laaving the región of fascinating villas we were still passing tbrough a región quite interesting in appearance, but becoining more brokcn and billy. We passed inany tunnels one of which, tbe Gallerie do Giovi, is over two miles long, and, as we atterwards learuod, not regarded as quite safe, having been in some oases strengtbened by timbéis. Thu upward grade was also considerable, reacbiug at Busalla nearly 1,200 feet above tbe sea at Genoa, and from wbich point tbo water runs southward to the Mediterranean and northward iuto the Po and so to the Adricatio. Several considerable castles in ruins were perchod upon tbe hills, and at Station Novi, a place of. no great importance, was a lofty tower in good preservatiou. Here we had to changa cars, always an unwelcome .necessity. This place was the 6cene of the Frenoh defeat in 1799, by the Austrians and llussiaus under the noted general Suwarow. Indfced, tbis región may be called onu of tbe great battle ñelds of Europe, and hostile arinies havo trod upon every road aluaost of these now peacoful and fertile plains of Lombardy and Piedmout. Passing on only one half hour, we aro between those two great nanies in military anïals, Montebello, whero Marshal Lannes wou his title and much of his fame, and ;he still more bloody field of Marengo, where European States were treinbling ou the result, Napoleon himself boing ;he ïuaster spirit of that hot day in June 1800. The mountains still appear on the right, but we have eiïectually passed the Apernimes which laj'nearer the coast, and the plain which reaches far northward md eastward ia nearly as level and fertile as our own prairies, but made singularly striking to us by the extensivo culture of mustard which was in full blossom, and by the boundary liues of fields and propriotors being nmrked with long, continuous rows of stumpy trees, of six iuches and more in diameter, kupt down to about ten feet in height, and ly bereft of all branches every third year for the poor wood thus secured. At Voghera, a bustling place of some 12,000, wo again underwant the penance of changing cars, for we were pursuing a cross, road while the great lines froin Paris to Turin and theuce to Venioo and Florence kept straight on without changfa. We crossod the Po soon after, then the Ticino, which is quite an important river dosoending from lake M;iggiore, foHowing up whose valley we stopped off at Pavia, a somevvhat slow and easy old medifflval city of 25,000 inhabitants, oncu called the " city of a hundred towers," and of some activity and importance in the tiuie of thu Visconti fauiily, whose castle is s'.ill in occupancy as a barrack after over 400 years of service. rVs we were only to st.iy a short time we jruceeded at once to the grim and uniightly Cathedral - never ñuished and jever will be. There were but few atiraotions inside, though au oíd sacristán JI the gentier sex manifested the utmost willingness to show us all thora was. In jne ot' the anus of the central rotunda, joeupying the vvhole available space exept a passage to go around it, stood the A.rca de S. Agastino, a soit of miniatura temple of wüite marble for the preservatiou of the saint's remains, upou and nhout which, in every conceivable place were finely executed small statuettes, said to nutnber in all 290, of saints, biblical personages, and allegorical charucters. lt foruaed an exquisito specimen of what patiënt work and skili can accomplish. It is ascribed to the architect of the figures upou the tombs of the Soaligera at Verona, in tho llth century, and is perhaps fifteen feet in height by nearly ten feet square ; but iu this old cathedral, where uothing else harmonized with it iu its tasteful richuess of decoration and beautiful workmanship, it seemed quite out of place. The lance of Itoland, one of the pladinas of Gharlemagrie, is also preserved here, but whether as a religious relie we are unable to say. We oxtended our walk down the principal street, Victor Emuianuel, to the substantial, covered bridge crossing the TioinO, whose carriage track was paved with solid blocks of stone and as firm and unyielding as the streot at either end. Fine viows were had froui tho open sides of the bridgo. and when we reaohed inidway point we found a snug little chapel of about flfteen feet square, with a variety of nativo offurings and a inarvelous effigy of St. , by whoso niiraculous agency persons have been rescued f rom drowning upon various ocoasions. Leaving the bridge and roturning up the sume streot wj reaobed the celebrated Universit}', the oldost in Europe, having been fouuded by Charlemagne as it is olaimed. It is an immense structure upon the ground, but only two stories in beight, and upon the principal streot is oomposüd of tour long, low edifiües, adjoining each other without any intervening spaces, and extending nearly an equal distanoe nlong the side street. We passed into the central portal, opening into a series of arcades and couits and noble eturways to tho sucond tloor, and hero as in other Universities we found excellent busts, statues and other memórials of man.v of th"ir celeV-rafcd fossors and alumni. These wotb not formally arrayed as in some real oemetery, but ratber as loving testimoníala sol here und there along frequented passages, in niches, on columns, etc, to those whose presence and influence wero not dopartcd. There was but little stir about the prcmises, Viut we were informed that as nviny as 2,000 students were usually in attuudance. Taking a short stroll nlong th fine promenade and diivc whieh haa taken the place of the anoient walls along the eastern portion of the city and the rivor bank, vvo entered a carriagu for the 'celebrated monastery at Cortosa, distant six miles. But few of the many towers which oncü formed its atriking feature aro now to be seen, and none of them are of groat merit. Tlm road was excellent, as all tho main highways generally are in Italy, but the scenery somewhat monotonous, from its lovel character and the abslute straightness of the road most of the way; but tho air wa,s delightfully mild and we wero almost sorry to reaeh our destination so soon. There is nothing at Cortosa but the monastery and a railway station, and we drove at once to the grand portal which opena into the court. This is one of the most sumptuous of all the monastories in Italy. lts facade is of the renaissance style and decorated most elaborately with various colored marbles, medalions, statues, and reliëfs, forming it is thought the finest specimen of the kind with but two or three exceptions, and to this beautiful facade is to be added the dozen or more round pinnacles of most gracelul description and symmetry. The extensivo re liefs at the principal entrance into the chapel aro very superior in execution. But rich as is the exterior, it is only in the inapection of tho various chapela and interior generally that any adequate idea can be formed of the almost inconcoivable richness of everything pertaining to the edifice. The nave is finished in the Gothic style, with aisles and transept, and appears not unusually effoctive, though in good proportions and sufficiently decorated ; but all the chapéis and choir being separatad from the nave by heavy iron soreens the iuipression is somewhat lessened. For an hour 01 more we moved about from one chapel to another, through the whole fourteen each apparently an attempt to excel the others in the rich and elabórate use o: the íinest materials and the earnest workmanship, thiough tho tribune and various portions of the ediüce and its adjoining courts and dwellings, until we were tilfcd with an ill-conueuled wonder that all this uutold wealth, in this out of the way place, should still bo preserved for the occupancy of only eight ximcomely looking Cirtbusian rnonks and their servauts, the fornioi' being by the rules oí' their order prohibited trom uonversation witfe each other. The first chapal we entered had a fino altar pieco representing Martha anc Mary, while tho altar front was inlak with a beautiful design riohly set with rare and preoious stones, Tho secont had several pictures by Perugino anc Borgoguoue, the front of the altar being a very excellent and fiuely wrought bas relief in white marble, and ttaus through the entire fourteen, the construction o the chapéis being somewhat similar fo the most part, eauh having side column of the rarest and ünest marble, verde o porphyry, tho altar tables being alter nutely inlaid witb lavish but not exces sive adornment of jewels and preoiou stones, and then every other oue wit! equal taste bearmg exquisite bas-wliei of scriptural or legeudary subjocts, ii beautiful and spotless white marble. Ii addition to these somo were furthe adorned by frescoes or stained glass, anc in most cases of suuh merit as to eiichiiii the attention. In this largo field the ilis tinguished artist Bargognoue appoars t have borne a conspicuous part, both in the designs the facade in 1473 and in th various decorativo portions of the edifice tho oeiliug pain tm gs being entirely by hiiu. In thu soutb transept stands th fine monument to the founder of th inonastery, Gian G. Visconti, a reclining figure beneath a canopy as well as an elaborately wrought sarcophagus, all in white marble, comrnemorate his claim to remembrance. In the north transep is the monument ot liuaovioo brorzii aua his wife Bratrioe d'Eite, ñames familia in tho annals of the lóth century. Th choir stalls are beautifully oarved ii wood as is also the altar and old sacristj In the new saciisty is a fiuo " Assump tion" by Luini, and frescoes cover th walls. Tha refeotory of these plain look ing old monk9 was a model of neatne& and convenienco and with fine frescoe upon the cciling and walls, richly carvec seats and table, and raised pulpit i'ron which one reads whilo the otheis ea combine to make a diniug hall of n mean pretonsions. We were taken int the cloister oonrtg, whero beneath th 8urrounding arcades aro the simple mom orial slabs to thoso who havo gons t their aecounts, and fiually had the pleas ure of inspecting one of the vacan houses.of which there are twenty-four sur rounding thp inner and larger cour oach monk having a house by himsel consisting of a room below, about 12 b; 16, with stove, olosets, water and ovor ennvenienee, nnd abovo tv.-o rooms of Uís siza for sleeping, etc, and bohind e.-;c a neat little garden with flowers anc patbs aooording to the faney of eaoh EverytUing was remrkably cosy anc comfortable, and all for what? It was about 9 P. M. when we arïive at Milan, the oapital of Lombardy, wit about 225,000 inhabitatïts, anl oltogethe one of the finost citifis of Italy in respec to business ïnteifests, enterprise, buile ings, and general of thri: and eloaulinoss. Ou. drive to the Hotol Pozzo took us through aome of tho prineip:il streets as well as in sight of the world i-enowuod C.ithdral. In tho rnoming I we srtllied forth. and beiugqtiite near the Piazza dol Duomo were soon standing in front of that peerleaa pilo of fretted j blo, so fahy likc in its delicate ornamentation and go graeefally terminating above in innumerable pinados and e that it seemed soarcely possiblo that it was wrougbt in enduring uiavble. After seeing so many of the cathedral edificea af Kurope, in all of whick the tokens of ugo and sometimos of diiapidation were ;blü in tho ncciimulated rust aud dinginess or general appearancn, it was quite a surprise to look upon a sírueire like this, so liable to overy ïujury, id find its facade so beautifully and almost dazzlingly white as well as perfect. ome of the upper parapeta aud deliite tracery are of coinparatively recent construction, but the main edifico was substantially completed in the 15th ceutury. It is not strange thut the Milanese cali it the 8th wonder of the world. It is one of the most perfect of esistiug Gothic structures. In size it is only exceeded by Bt. Peter's and the Cathedral of Seville, and ts proportions are wouderfully perfect. When the buildings are removed, as is onteuiplated, which crowd upon one ide of the piazza and encuinber that full 'reedorn of view which is needed to give be best effect to architecture so elabórate nd complete, there will be uothing wanting to realize all its beauty as it xst mcets the eye. Nor is this first imjression likely to be diniinished trom a more leiaurely and detaikd examination 'he statues and devices by way of ornanent are everywhere, upon tha sides, in n angles, in nonks and corners, behind juttresses, above, below, in the rear, in hort, wherever the eye can reach here is no place loft bare and unadorned because of being partially out of view ; nor is there any evidenca of less care in perfectness of finish. But it is wben one has climbed to tho roof and walked about, as if on the solid streets belcw, along its vanous elevations, up long ilights of steps and down others, looking up at hundreds of pinuaeles and towors and down upon hundreds of others, every one of which is not only surmountedby a beau ti ful slatue but is formed of vario, i storios of r.iche3, iu each of which stanc's soiae saint or biblical personage ; and finally when from tho central tower, 150 feet above the dome and 350 above tl; o i pavement, we survey the magicul cieation and taka iu the truly indescribabie maze of all that is fasoinating in Art and wonderful in Architecture, and have thus spent hours of' wondering and admiring amazement, thattbe mind beginsto comprehend the untold richucss and beauty of the whole. In contnbutmg to the? adornment of a building so oelebrated it has been deemed not imvvorthy the greatest artists of the. time, liko Canova and others, to place .specimens of their art in this unique gallery of sculpture. It is thus that the oathedral has been constantly approaching'its present grand completeness, till at this time 98 gothic turrets shoot up their slender, perforated forms to various htights aroutid the splendid central tower, and the almost ineredible uumbar of 4,500 perfect statues adorn these turrets, tovvers and balustrades, und appear elsswhere upon the facade and exterior, and tho distauce one can walk about, following the proper paths from ome part of the vast roof to anothnr, without retnieing his steps except in descending froin the highest tower, can scarcely be short of a mile and it seems njueh more. The interior of the noble structura is not less admirable, thou?h tbere is a little teeling of disnppeintment when the eye meets with those portions of the onee very skillfuily painted vaulting, whero the open traoery work in stone is effaced by dampnees and a plain surface appears iustead. But for these injuries the effect of a real vaulted ceiling of stone is so well preserved as to prove entirely luccessfui, and comporta so harmoniously with the loi'ty interlacing arohes that we are reluctant to forego this additional beauty. There are some fiae monuraents and other objocts of interest, but in this respect the Cathedral possesses Ices superiority than in its architecture. Among the former is that to Cardinal Garraccioli, who had the honor oí' crowuing Charles V. in 1520. The most artistic curiosity is the very large bronze candelabrum standing ifi the north transept, with its long extendtd branches, every part of which (out of reach) is set with precious stones, mauy ot those in the lower portions having been appropriated by aduuring spectators of thbir beauty. But the statue of Saint Bartholornew, occupyiug a very conspicuous positiou, is certainly the most unique, and resembles more the prepared Ulustration of some anatomical lecturo than aught of decoration to a church. The lcgc-nd of this saiut says that he was flayed alive, and the roalistic artist, Agrafe, bas mado this u marked feature in his creation, and in consequence every development of muscle and sinew and of all the prominent portions of the circulation are thrown into stroug relief upon the surface. Iu one of the chapéis is a vvooden crucifix actually borne by the S. Cario Borromoo, while going about during the plague in 1676, and which preserved him from contagión. Bonoath the choir is the subterrannan chapel ereoted to preserve the relies of this Saint Cario, which is very ricbly deeoratsd with gold and . and about which lights are kept constiintly burning. Aftpr our winter in little display of stained n, we wen find in the iiiiiiuiise choir wiudows of th's noble Cathedral very rich specimens of this art, not ancient, it is trne, but still very excellent There nro 850 subjects i sented in these windows, many beiu" copibs of old pictures. Next to the Cathedral, one of the most interestiug structures of the city is tlie Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel, which in fact is a vast awning of gliss thrown ovef two streets of oensiderable width and lungth, constituting a Latin cross meeting in an octagon at the center. ïho ; t: street is 320 yards with a width of 10 and a height üf J4 ieet : tho shorter is of about oho-third this length, while ia the targe octagonal canter rises tha splendid crystal doine i'J feet iu height, the buildings thomst;lvc.:s on eithcr sido buing of tho finest order and of equal height and uniform style. Tho whola constituios two noble halls bordered by the finest shops of the city and ia decorated by statues of distinguishcd Italiana, and in the upper part of the octagon by four fresooes repreSonting the 'four qu.irters of the globe, aud is lightsd by 2, '00 gas jets, indeed notbmg ot the kind so extensiva and well arranged istobefouud iu all Earopb, and by ugJat ór day ■ jt is ono of the most attrucüve and popular whether for shopping, proniöOAd! seeing. This aud tho Cathedral are the piide of Milán, and 11 thoy may be. Yet scarcely low attractive ais the extensiva public gurdoiis whioh are of magnifioent proportions and kept in the best order, witU íine shrubbury, rock work, fountains, aad a nieandering stream of v, i ,er as well aa a variad surface, the grand drive boing aiound it. But this lttr is long enougli. Good by. Ever yours, - J. M. WHEELEB.