The Hermit in Italy. By M. De Jouy. Three volumes, London. THE Hermit in Italy is a work so amply stored with continental information, combined with so much useful anecdote, instruction and amusement, that if he who has not read it knew the worth of what he has not enjoyed, it is not improbable that he might be tempted to envy the gratification it has afforded us. The celebrated author of "The Hermit in Edinburgh," and of all the other "English Hermits," is, notwithstanding his capability to excel in this species of writing, even inferior to M. De Jouy in some respects; but the world has never yet had an author who was always equal to himself in the various departments of his composition; and while the "Hermit in Edinburgh" is inferior to the "Hermit in Italy," in his relation of useful anecdote, of that which really did exist, he is by far his superior in delineation of character, display of original wit, sarcastic humour, interwoven with agreeable story, productive of the happiest of moral. But this preference is not general, nor can it be injurious to the fame of the ingenious M. De Jouy, when the celebrity of his rival is taken into consideration and indeed there is so much genuine merit every where visible in the writings of both those amiable men, that while we recommend them in the warmest manner to the notice of the public, we perceive it altogether uncivil and unnecessary to excite any thing like jealousy among their friends and admirers, by conferring the meed of absolute preference on either. The tales of which the three volumes of the Hermit in Italy are composed make fiftythree. We give the following as a tolerable specimen of the whole.

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BOBOLI AND THE CASCINE.

Fu il vincer sempre mai laudabile cosa, Vincasi o per fortuna o per ingegno. ARIOSTO, Canto XV.

"Every traveller, provided he be acquainted with the language of the country where be finds himself, must have felt

how much more deeply the merits and peculiarities of authors are felt in their native land, than in any other spot. Until I read Dante in Tuscany, I never perceived all the energy of his poetry; nor had the exquisite narratives of Ariosto any particular charm for me. Nothing, bowever, can be more delightful than to hear a beautiful Italian woman recite the stanzas of this poet. Their mode of accentuation gives a musical effect to poetry, which we foreigners could scarcely have imagined. I recollect that on one occasion the stanza, of which the motto to this chapter is an extract, was the subject of controversy in a numerous assembly of females. Almost every one condemned the poet for his sentiment, and agreed that no praises should be awarded to those who were indebted for victory to fortune alone. Our fair hostess Madame

succeeded in convincing us, that if Ariosto were wrong in respect to the melancholy glory of triumph in war, he was at least right in regard to the gentler and more agreeable triumphs of

love. At that time there was a good

Of

deal of talk in Florentine society, with respect to this lady, who held the official appointment of court reader to the Princess Eliza. It would not be easy to find a female more remarkable for her beauty, grace, and accomplishments; she was at the head of society, and her house was the rendezvous for all the rank, fashion, and polished intellect in Florence. the persons who constituted this society I shall say nothing, because since the court of the Regent, perhaps there has been none where the tone of morality was so lax, as in that of Florence. Instead of being master of his own government and court, the poor Prince of Lucca and Piombino was entirely managed by bis wife, the sister of Napoleon. Whenever any despatches arrived from Paris, the Princess was in the habit of ordering them to be brought to her in the midst of her amusements, at a party, or even at a ball. when she would break the seals, and leave to her husband the business of taking the envelopes from the newspapers. This was the subject of much laughter and ridicule in Florence; but as Bacciochi was at heart a good sort of person enough, he was liked a great deal better than his wife.

"The Florentines are amiable and well informed. Almost every one is attached to the fine arts. It was a source of gratification to me to hear them speak highly

in praise of my old friend De Reuilly, who had been the first French prefect of Florence. He died a short time before my visit, from the effects of a wound received in a duel at the Bois de Vincennes, with a famous French general. A pretty actress of the Comédie Française, celebrated for her bons-mots, which are not always d'un tres bon-ton, was the cause of the quarrel, which terminated so fatally. The prèvalent reports of the time gave the honours to the vanquished, for it was said that the triumph, such as it was, belonged entirely to fortune. Reuilly was one of the best and most amiable men I ever knew. This is a tribute after a long experience of his good qualities, and its sincerity is not to be questioned. At Florence I met a young man whom he had brought with him, and who was now established there.. It was a source of pleasure to discourse on the virtues of our deceased friend, and I learnt at the same time some anecdotes respecting the government of General Menou, who had turned Mussulman, in Egypt, under the name of Abdallah. The des tiny of this general was indeed a singular ove, and his name is associated with events in the history of that epoch, which will long remain inexplicable. Never was there a man more fond of pomp and ostentation, and never was there one who had a greater repugnance to discharge his debts. On his return from Egypt, Menou succeeded Marshal Jourdan in the government of Piedmont. The Egyptian girl he had married, resided at Turin, with his son, young Solomon, and he never took them to Florence. He gave a grand ball at Turin, which was still talked of when I passed through that city. It lasted from Sunday evening to Wednesday morning. During that time the guests supped, breakfasted, and dined with him; the buffets and refreshments were permanent establishments; when one set of musicians was tired out, another took their places; the company retired by platoons, to snatch a little repose and to arrange their toilette; but the ball itself suffered no interruption, and ended as brilliantly as it began. The Egyptian wife, however, did not make her appearance, and if report spoke true, the general was not so amiable in his domestic, as in his public character. She was present on one occasion at a performance (by the French actors, under the management of Mademoiselle Raucourt) of Le Tyran Domestique, and she observed with great simplicity to her companions;

Now

that is so like the general when he is in a good humour!' The young Frenchman told me another anecdote of Menou, at Florence. I was,' said he, 'presented to the General, who then occupied the Pitti palace. He invited me to dine

with him the following Sunday. I accompanied Mons, Reuilly, and after traversing a long file of ante-chambers, apartments, and grand saloons, all richly furnished, we came at last to a large hall, where the guests were assembled, but the Governor had not yet arrived. He was occupied, or supposed to be occupied, in bis closet. He did not make his appearance until towards seven o'clock, when the dinner was immediately served up. This is the hour at which the common people of Tuscany take their last meal for the day. The rules of etiquette were scrupulously observed, and the seats were distributed to the different guests (whose names were placed in the plates,) according to a previons arrangement. The General was attentive and polite during dinner, which lasted about half an hour, when he rose and returned to his closet. He was greatly liked at Flo

rence.'

"Menou must have rendered some important service to Napoleon, who allowed him a pension for life of 300,000 francs a-year. He kept this even when he left Florence for Venice, where he had but the shadow of an employment. Spite of this pension and the title of Count, together with the grand cross of the Legion of Honour, he never could obtain permission to return to Florence. At Venice he fell in love, at the age of seventy-two, with the prima donna of the opera. She, after a few months' connexion, in her turn fell in love with a youth, and fled with him. Menou pursued and overtook them at Padua, but her new love would not bend to any interested propositions, and the poor General, after a long and not always inglorious life, finished his amorous fit and his life by the same melancholy catastrophe. At his death, seals were placed on all his papers, the greater part of which were at Turin. Napoleon sent a commissioner, who, with the secretary of Prince Borghese, and an officer of the General's suite, superintended their destruction. They were ordered to watch each other, and take care that neither of them should read any piece written or signed by Menou, and to destroy them without the slightest examination. There were at least sixty orders of the day and letters addressed to Kleber, which probably had been intercepted. Amongst his papers they found the proofs of a laborious life. There were plans of the course of the Nile, taken on the spot, which exactly coincided with the charts of D'Anville. That learned person, who during a life of eighty years had been occupied in arranging the geography of the world, never travelled further than from Paris to Soissons. It is not always necessary actually to see things, in order to know them well.

"These sketches, which do not properly belong to Florence, have led me into a digression from the subject of this chapter. Boboli is a garden; an enchanted garden, even to those who have seen the most beautiful in Europe; the Nymphenburg of the King of Bavaria, Kensington Gardens at London, Versailles, and the Tuileries. In these days we should look with disdain on those of Alcinous, though we were to see them just as Homer has described them. Boboli is not a garden in the French style, and its vegetation is far superior to that of England. The turf, which is singularly fresh, is cut up by alleys leading to bowers, grottos, and labyrinths. In the higher part is a belvedere, with a tower from which there is a noble prospect of the hills, plains, and distant cities of Prato and Pistoja. This latter town has acquired a right to the gratitude of mankind, similar to that of Bayonne if the one boasts the honour of having enriched the world with the bayonet, the other may claim that of having invented the pistol: these are what are called useful inventions. This beau tiful garden is so extensive, that we devoted several evenings to visit the different walks, arbours, and secret recesses of Boboli. It requires no less than an hour and a half to make the circuit of it. In every part openings are presented, which command charming views of the city and the adjacent country. From the garden there is an avenue, shaded with trees and planted with flowers, which leads to the Roman-Gate, and the country through which it runs is so rich, that it seems to be a continuation of the garden.

"The Florentines regard the grand Ducal Palace as one of the finest monuments of Italy. It is called the Pitti Palace, after the name of its original proprietor, from whom it was purchased by Cosmo I. It was erected in 1555, from the designs of the architect Orgagna, and belongs entirely to the age of the Republic. There all dignities were conferred, litigations decided, laws promulgated, commands entrusted, and harangues to the people delivered. This edifice, as remarkable for its original destination as for its architectural beauty, is at present used only as a retreat during the summer. The porters of Florence lie stretched out on those steps, which were formerly trodden by the statesmen of Tuscany. Between this palace and the old palace are what are called Uffizie. It is a building in the form of a paralellogram, three sides of which are erected, under which run a line of colonnades. It was began in 1561, by Cosmo I., after the designs of Vasari. The colonnades are a favourite promenade of the Florentines. Here one may remark taste and elegance of dress, which is not to be found amongst the

middle classes in the other parts of Italy. The men are occasionally well made, but generally they have an effeminate air. It is amongst the females, and above all the younger ones, that beauty is most to be found. Their shapes are ordinarily graceful, and their step firm and conscious. Though rarely fat, yet they are remarkable for the roundness and plumpness of their arms. Their physiognomy is expressive, equally free from a repulsive boldness and tiresome languor.

"The Pitti Palace is built of large rough hewn stones, now darkened with age, and resembles a fortress. There is a slight ascent to it in front. The interior is extremely rich. You arrive first at a lofty gallery which runs round a square court, in the middle of which is a statue of Hercules, ascribed to Lysippus. There is also a statue of David with the sling, the work of Michael Angelo when nineteen years of age. At one angle, in a fountain of marble, stands a Neptune, surrounded with bronze figures, and further on is the equestrian statue of Cosmo I., by John of Bologna. Near the old palace is a singular monument, whose general style is classical, though all the ornaments are Gothic. It is a tribune or loggia, with three large arcades. The ascent to the tribune is by a series of steps, which surround the base of the building. Under the arcade on the right is a groupe representing the Rape of the Sabines, by John of Bologna, a work highly estimated. To the right is the Perseus of Benvenuto Cellini, a statue full of vigour and talent. In the other arcade there is a Judith and Holofernes, by Donatello. It would require volumes to describe the riches of art which are heaped together in this palace. There are seven principal halls filled with sculptare, painting, and mosaics. These halls are named after Venus, Apollo, Mars, Jupiter, Hercules, the Sybil, and the Bath. The admiration of the beholder is divided amongst the productions of Salvator, Borgognone, Paul Veronese, Rubens, Pietro di Cortona, Del Sarto, Titian, Michael Angelo, Vandyck, Guido, Cigoli, Guercino, Annibal Caracci, Perugino, Tintoretto, Fra-Bartolomeo, Da Vinci, Raphael, and many other famous painters, and sculptors equally renowned.

stead of toilette ornaments, stuffs, fashions, and female decorations, I found maps and charts spread out on desks, ma. thematical instruments, and scientific works. It was the study of a scholar and a statesman, rather than that of a woman.

"Cosmo II. greatly enlarged this magnificent residence of the Tuscan sovereigns. Leopold added to it still, more out of humanity than a love of shew, for he knew that the best and most efficient aid which can be given to the needy, is the opportunity of being industrious. Thus be caused an amphitheatre and a commodious theatre to be erected in the Boboli Gardens, so that almost all the pleasures and luxuries of civilization may now be found within the walls of this delicious residence.

"The Boboli gardens are shaped like a barpsichord, the broader side of which is parallel to the palace. A wide avenue runs nearly through the middle of it towards the summit of a low hill, on the left of which is a summer-house, and beyond this there is a small fort. On turning to the right, the whole length of the garden is commanded by a single glance. One of the alleys,-it is the largest,-is bordered with statues of white marble, and basins of the same material, containing jets d'eau. The sides of this alley are also ornamented with arbours, and regular walks branch out from it to the extremities of the garden. Luca Pitti, a wealthy Florentine citizen, first conceived the idea of this palace in 1440, the plans of which were designed by Brunellesco. The work was left to be completed by one of his descendants, and since the time of Cosmo I., who purchased and embellished it, it has always been the residence of the Dukes of Tuscany, all of whom have contributed to render it more beautiful, and to augment its riches by assembling there the chefs-d'œuvre of art. The Pitti Palace and the Boboli gardens, are manifestly the models of the palace and the park of Versailles. Nature, it is true, bas done for Boboli more than it has for Versailles. The environs of this latter palace are meagre and unpleasant to the eye: those of the Pitti Palace are far more varied, and the slope of the soil, the rich verdure of the adjacent hills, the vicinity of Florence, and the Val d'Arno, contrast delightfully by their irregularity and variety with the regularity and verdure of the gardens.

"The sovereigns of Tuscany have another charming country residence, called Le Cascine dell' Isola. A dairy has been established here, and a great number of cows are kept for its supply. The road to it is through the woods of delle Cascine, which are not unlike what the Bois de Boulogne was, before the coзsacks

and the soldiers of Wellington did us the favour to cut down the trees. On Ascension-day, an immense concourse of people flock to this wood, the southern edge of which borders on the Arno. It is divided into meadows and corn-fields, and roads, shaded with trees, pass through it in every direction. The principal road leads to the country-house of the Grand Duke. This building was begun in 1787. Every evening, about six o'clock, this road is filled with carriages. To pedestrians, the Cascine are delightful, for they can escape in a moment from the bustle of a large town into the solitude of lonely forests. After driving along the grand road, it is usual to return by the side of the Arno. In the summer season this river is very much reduced in size, but still its banks are pleasant.

"Returning from the Cascine, one may visit the church of d'Ognissanti, which, however, has nothing remarkable about it. Near it is a Franciscan convent, the cloister of which is ornamented with some frescoes of Lagozzi, full of force and truth of colouring. The portraits of some of the principal persons of the order do not yield in expression to oil paintings, whilst they have a grace and lightness of touch very rarely found in oil. Opposite to this convent is the Martellini palace, the antique style of which is associated with the disturbances of the middle ages. Further on is the hospital of San Giovanni di Dio, which is somewhat rude in its architecture, though not unpleasing to the eye in its general effect, and still less so to the mind, in the care which has been taken to increase the comfort of its inmates. The entrance from the street is simple; a large corridor is passed, at the end of which is a circular staircase, with a double flight of steps. In the middle of this stands a group, in marble, representing St. Michael with St. John, having a mendicant at his feet. Behind this group, and at the top of the two staircases leading into the grand dormitory, is an altar, at the foot of which I found, on my first visit, several young priests, together with some infirm convalescent patients, reciting their litanies, whilst others in their beds repeated the prayers at a distance. Near this is the Vespucci palace, on the walls of which the priests of the church of St. John have placed an inscription to the memory of Americo Vespucci, one of the discoverers of the New World.

It is almost impossible to be tired of perambulating the streets of Florence. At every step one finds something interesting to occupy the attention. There is another very remarkable church, that of the Trinity. Its origin is very ancient, and having been frequently repaired, affords specimens of almost all the styles of