within her? and that daily affliction there is a sort of ambulatory market, -imposed on her with such unneces- outrivalling all other markets, at least sary cruelty-of eating her meat with- in the commodity of noise--a comout vegetables, or her vegetables with modity in which the populace of out meat ?

Rome generally abound.

On apStill on she went—bustling, elbow- proaching it you think some desperate ing, sighing, scolding, complaining— affray is going on; but the men are but nevertheless travelling on. Being only parading and vaunting their disat Rome, in the same hotel with gusting fish, or most uninviting vegeWinston, and finding that he had tables. The merits of these they proanswered one or two of her questions claim with a perfect storm of vociferavery civilly and satisfactorily, both tion. Mrs. Jackson, who had heard she and her daughter had frequently of revolutions on the Continent, did applied to him in their difficulties. not doubt for a moment but that one of And these difficulties generally re- these frightful things was taking place sulted from a lack of knowledge so before her. She and her daughter hureasily supplied, that it would have ried back with precipitation, haunted been mere churlishness to withhold by all the terrors of the guillotine and the necessary information.

the lamp-post. Louisa remembered a These difficulties, however, seemed certain beautiful princess she had read to increase rather than diminish with of, who had been compelled to drink their sojourn at Rome; and well they a cup of blood to save her father. might. Louisa Jackson found them What if they should treat her as they the most convenient things imaginable: did the beautiful princess, and offer She had been all the way on the look- her such another cup, and force her to out for adventures, counts, and barons, drink it, as the only means of saving and had hitherto met with nothing of her mother? Her heroism did not the sort. But Alfred Winston was desert her. She resolved she would as handsome as any count need be drink half. But as they were hurrywhy not fall in love with him ? A ing away full of these imaginary gentleman she was convinced he was; dangers, they rushed upon one of a of wealth she had sufficient, and to do more real, though less imposing deher justice, had quite generosity scription. It is no joke in the narrow enough to be indifferent as to his pos- streets of Rome, to meet with a string sessions; and for the rest, she would of carts drawn by huge oxen, wallowlet her eye, let her heart, choose for ing along under their uneasy yokes. her. The brave Louisa! And her Just such a string of carts encountered eye and her heart—which mean here them as they turned one of the many pretty much the same thing—had narrow streets that conduct to the made no bad selection. As she had Pantheon. The enormous brutes went mentally resolved to bestow herself, poking their spreading horns this way and all her “ stocks, funds, and secu- and that, in a manner very quiet perrities,” upon our hero, and as she had haps in the animal's apprehensions, wit enough to see that her only hold but very alarming to those of Mrs. upon him at present, was through his Jackson ; huge horns, that were large compassion for their embarrassments, enough, she thought, to spit an aldershe was determined to keep an ample man, and still have room for her at supply of them on hand.

the top. The two ladies, seeing the They came sometimes without being first of these carts approach, had called for, and without the least col- drawn up close against the wall, and lusion on her part. It was from no placed themselves on a little heap of principle of economy, but from a cu- rubbish to be more completely out of riosity which could not be gratified so the way. To their dismay the line of well in any other manner, that Mrs. these vehicles seemed to be endlessJackson and her daughter occasionally there was no escape-in that position ventured to thread their way on foot they had to stand, while each brute through the streets of Rome. On one as he passed turned his horns round of these expeditions they found them to them, not with any ferocious intenselves in the neighbourhood of the tion, but as if he had a great curiosity Pantheon. Opposite this building to feel them, and examine their texture

66

-an attention which would have been dignity—no, these cannot belong to an highly indecorous, to say the least Amazon." of it.

" To a woman,” said Mildred, “it What could Winston do, who en- is allowed to be indifferent on certain countered them in this predicament, points of learning; and, in such cases but offer his escort? He calmed their as this, I certainly take advantage to various terrors—both of mad bulls the full of the privilege of my sex. I and of revolutions—reconducted them care not what they call the statue. to the Pantheon, and secured an ex- It may have been called an Amazon ceedingly happy day for one at least by Greek and Roman—it may have of the party:

been so named by the artist himself Winston had now been some time when he sent it home to his patron : in Rome, and with an inconsistency I look at it as a creation standing so natural that it hardly merits the between me and the mind of the name of inconsistency, he found him- artist ; and sure I am that, bear what self looking about in the galleries and name it may, the sculptor has emchurches for Mr. Bloomfield and his bodied here all that his soul had felt party, and with a curiosity which did of the sweetness, and power, and not bespeak a very violent determina- dignity of woman. It is a grander tion to avoid them. He began to creation than any goddess I have seen; think that they had lingered a long has more of thought while at Florence. He had forgot And, as a consequence, more of the danger

he remembered the sadness, of unhappiness. How the charm.

mystery of life seems to hang upon One morning — having stolen out that pensive brow! I used to share early and alone from his hotel-as he an impression, which I believe is very was engaged in viewing, for perhaps general, that the deep sorrow which the last time, the sculpture of the comes of thought, the reflective melanVatican, he observed standing before choly which results from pondering on the statue of the Amazon, a female the bitter problem of life, was peculiar figure, as beautiful as it, and in an to the moderns. This statue, and attitude which had been unconsciously others which I have lately seen, have moulded into some resemblance of the convinced me that the sculptor of pensive, queen-like posture which antiquity has occasionally felt and exthe artist has given to the marble. pressed whatever could be extracted It was Mildred. He hesitated — he from the mingled poetry of a Byron approached. She, on her part, met or a Goethe." him with the utmost frankness. His “ It seems that the necessity of half-uttered apologies were imme- representing the gods in the clear diately dropped.

He hardly knew light of happiness and knowledge, in whether to be pleased or mortified, as some measure deprived the Greek she made him feel that the peculiar artist of one great source of sublimity. footing on which they stood tasked But it is evident," continued Mildred, him to no apologies, no ceremonial, " that the mysterious, with its attenthat he was free to go—and withal dant sorrow, was known also to him. very welcome to return.

How could it be otherwise ?

Oh, " You are before the Amazon,” said what a beautiful creation is this we he: “it is the statue of all others stand before! And what an art it which has most fascinated me. I is which permits us to stand thus cannot understand why it should bear before a being of this high order, and the name it does. I suppose the note all its noble passions ! From learned in these matters have their the real life we should turn our eyes reasons: I have never inquired, nor away, or drop them, abashed, upon feel disposed to inquire into them; the ground. Here is more than life; but I am sure the character of the and we may look on it by the hour, statue is not Amazonian. That atti- and mark its graceful sorrow, its tude -- the right arm raised to draw queen-like beauty, and this overaside her veil, the left hand at its mastered grief which we may wonder elbow, steadying it—that beautiful at, but dare not pity." countenance, so full of sadness and of They passed on to other statues.

governs in !"

They paused before the Menander, trator of the world who has the Fates sitting in his chair. “The attitude,' for his council! His power irresistible, said she, “ is so noble, that the simple but no pride in it, no joy, no triumph. chair becomes a throne. But still He is without passion. In his right how plainly it is intellectual power that hand lies the thunder, but it reposes sits enthroned there! The posture is on his thigh ; and his left hand rests imperial ; and yet how evident, that it calmly upon his tall sceptre is the empire of thought only that he mounted by an eagle. In his counte

nance there is the tranquillity of un“ And this little statue of Escula- questioned supremacy; but there is pius,” she added, “ kept me a long no repose. There is care; a constant while before it. The healing sage

wakefulness. It is the governor of a how faithfully is he represented ! nature whose elements have never What a sad benevolence ! acquainted known one moment's pause.' with pain-compelled to inflict even “I see it as you speak,” said Winin order to restore."

ston. Winston then proposed that They passed through the Hall of the they should go together and look at the Muses.

Apollo; but Mildred excused herself. 6 How serene are all the Muses !" “I have paid my devotions to the said Winston. " This is as it should god,” she said, “this morning, when be. Even Tragedy, the most moved the eyes and the mind were fresh. I of all, how evidently her emotion is one would not willingly displace the imof thought, not of passion! Though pression that I now carry away for she holds the dagger in her down-dropt one which would be made on hand, how plainly we see that she has fatigued and jaded attention.” .not used it! She has picked it up

• Is it not godlike?” from the floor after the fatal deed was " Indeed it is. I was presumptuous perpetrated, and is musing on the enough to think I knew the Apollo. terrible catastrophe, and the still more A cast of the head-esteemed to be terrible passions that led to it.” a very good one-my uncle had given

They passed through the Hall of the me. I placed it in my own room; Animals; but this had comparatively for a long time it was the first thing little attraction for Mildred. Her that the light fell upon, or my eyes companion pointed out the bronze opened to, in the morning; and in my centaur for her admiration.

attempts at crayons I copied it, I be“You must break a centaur in half,” lieve, in every aspect. It seemed to said she, “before I can admire it. me therefore that on visiting the And, if I am to look at a satyr, pray Apollo I should recognise an old aclet the goat's legs be hid in the bushes. quaintance. No such thing. The I cannot embrace in one conception cast had given me hardly any idea of these fragments of man and brute. the statue itself. There was certainly Come with me to the neighbouring no feeling of old acquaintanceship. gallery ; I wish to show you a Jupiter, The brow, as I stood in front of the seated at the further end of it, which god, quite overawed me; involuntarily made half a Pagan of me this morning I retreated for an instant; you will as I stood venerating it."

smile, but I had to muster my courage “ The head of your Jupiter," said before I could gaze steadily at it.” Winston, as they approached it, “is “I am not surprised; the divinity surpassed, I think, by more than one there is in no gentle mood. How mabust of the same god that we have jestic! and yet how lightly it touches already seen; and I find something of the earth! It is buoyant with godhead." stiffness or rigidity in the figure; but 6. What strikes me," continued Milthe impression it makes, as a whole, dred, “ as the great triumph of the is very grand."

artist, is this very anger of the god. It " It will grow wonderfully on you is an anger, which, like the arrow he as you look at it,” said Mildred. has shot from his bow, spends itself “How well it typifies all that a Pagan entirely upon his victim; there is no would conceive of the supreme ruler recoil, as in human passion, upon the of the skies, the controller of the mind of him who feels it. There is powers of nature, the great adminis- no jar there. The lightning strikes

EUGENE, MARLBOROUGH, FREDERICK, NAPOLEON, AND WELLINGTON.