266 THE GRAND DUCHESS. dress. He is very affable and unassuming in manner, moving about among all, seeming to delight in the enjoyment of those around, visiting the different rooms, and appearing quite gratified with the provision made for the entertainment of his numerous guests. The grand duchess is a fine looking woman, and was very richly dressed with a tiara, necklace, and stomacher of superb diamonds. The arch-duchess, who is engaged to the young prince of Bavaria, is very pretty; and the two betrothed seemed very fond of each other, dancing together all the evening. The young prince wore one brilliant star; and though looking very good natured and happy, is not at all handsome. The ladies of the court, the dames d'honneur, were dressed very richly, each with their badge of honor fastened near the left shoulder. And no where have I seen such a display of dress, diamonds, and other splendid ornaments; and there was, too, quite a display of beauty. The music was fine; the ices and other refreshments excellent and ample; and the ducal family and their honored guests, seemed all to enjoy themselves exceedingly. We left about two; and then, though many had previously departed, they seemed at the height of enjoyment. The card-rooms were still filled with players, and the drawing-rooms occupied with those fatigued with dancing, or who did not dance at all. And now we take leave of Florence-the lovely and the beautiful--one of the few places that will cause one to cast many a longing, lingering look behind; and leaving such an impress upon the memory, as to induce us to wish to be again on the banks of its beautiful Arno. We remember it with more affection; but our thoughts do not revert to it, with that interest that is ever called forth by the "pyramid of empires," Rome! "There is given Unto the things of earth, which time hath bent, FAREWELL. A spirit's feeling, and where he has leant His hand, but broke his scythe, there is a power For which the palace of the present hour, Must yield its pomp, and wait till ages are its dower." 267 268 PISA. TUSCANY LETTER XXIX. THE PEASANTRY--PISA - THE CATHEDRAL CAMPO SANTA-LEGHORN-THE CARNIVAL-WOMEN SPIN NING-CARRARA. February, 1844. AT Pisa, I commence this letter, fearing, unless I begin thus early, I shall not find time to say all I wish, as our movements will be somewhat rapid between this and the 20th, when we intend to sail from Toulon for Algiers; returning thence, we hope to reach the port of Marseilles, and there take steamer, and sail along the coast of Spain, visiting such cities as the steamer touches at, without venturing in the present disturbed state of the country much into the interior. With the "Etrurian Athens," we have been quite delighted, literally charmed and are fully prepared to coincide with the assertion, that as Italy is the garden of Europe, so Tuscany is the garden of Italy, and Florence the fairest lily of the garden. The city seems placed in the bottom of a huge bowl, the green and sloping hills that environ it, are the sides, and the points, peaks and cones of the Appenines enclosing the whole, form a beautiful turretted edge. These verdant hills are rolling and undulating, and besides being covered with groves of olive, fig trees and vineyards, are studded all over with the beautiful villas of the nobility, and the lovely village of Tuscany. These snow-capped mountains, rearing their heads upwards into the clear blue sky, bounding as they do, the horizon on every side, the lovely Arno winding itself in graceful bends through the centre of the city, with its many beautiful, light-arched bridges cross LEGHORN BONNETS. 269 ing it at frequent intervals, form altogether, when spread before you from the heights of the "Bellas Guardas," as lovely a picture as the eye could wish to dwell on. Leav ing Florence, you pass through these pretty villages, and view more closely the handsome villas; and go which way you will, all Tuscany seems one beautiful garden. There, as in all the old and large cities of the continent, but especially of Italy, the roads leading to the neighboring villages are lined with houses, so that you scarce perceive the termination of one, or beginning of the other. There is another striking peculiarity, both in the palaces of the rich, and the dwellings of the poor,-all the windows of the lower story are guarded by heavy iron cross bars, like those of a prison; and as if this were not sufficient to keep out the most formidable house-breakers, many of them have besides a close net-work of wire. This, I have no doubt, was adopted as a defence in feudal times; but is still retained from, as we were told, the danger of thieves and burglars. The dwellings of the poor are large, affording accommodations to many families; but they have nothing attractive in their exterior appearance, like the English cottages and farmhouses, or our own small, but comfortable houses of the poor, or those in moderate circumstances. The view of their interior, which you obtain in passing, is any thing but inviting, from the disorder and filth that seems universal, and the palaces themselves are without, more extensive and grand than beautiful; and though within, they are lofty and spacious, and filled with marks of luxury, are mostly comfortless and dreary. Still, what meets the eye of the passing traveller, seems very beautiful. In passing through the villages between Florence and Pisa, we saw groups of the peasant girls and women sitting round their doors, their fingers busy in plaiting the straw for the bonnets, for which Florence and Leghorn are so famous. Possessing a pecu liar fancy for bright colors, their costume is beautifully picturesque, when viewed at a little distance, though it may prove coarse and somewhat dirty, on closer examination. The dress is usually blue or green, stockings of blue, apron of bright red, with a kerchief of some gay color, meeting the skirt before and behind. About their houses, they generally wear a red shawl over the head, tied under the chin, but in the streets a broad brimmed leghorn, with bright gay streamers. Yellow seems the favorite color, and with their bright black eyes beaming beneath, they look like so many gipsies. So much for the people. The country is charming. You ride hundreds of miles through groves of olives, which even at this season, retain their beautiful and luxurious foliage, contrasting strangely with their gnarled, knotty and time worn trunks. In contrast to these, are the fig trees. These grow to the size of our peach trees; their trunks smooth and well shaped; though with branches the most craggy, knotty and misshapen that it is possible to imagine. They really seem "the hunch-back" among trees, (though made so, believe, from the manner of pruning and trimming,) and being at this season leafless and bare, expose all their deformity. These latter are planted at regular intervals, affording a beautiful support to the grape vines planted beside them, 'fit companions, with their crabbed, knotted trunks and twigs, and they twine and wind themselves about every branch of the fig, then leap from tree to tree, forming a canopy that art can in no wise surpass. They grow here, too, Indian corn, and immense fields of wheat. The last is sown in beds, and the fields look beautifully. The beds are formed by ditches for irrigating the land, and on either side of the ditches enclosing the field are planted the vine and fig tree. Can you imagine a more beautiful fence or hedge wherewith to enclose these lovely fields of green? The straw, too, of this wheat it is, that |