Somma. All the way from this place to Milan, the country is well cultivated, and rich in pasturage. The acacias and other trees flourish luxuriantly.

At Milan, the first object of attraction is the Duomo, or Cathedral. It is a splendid building, and is constructed of light marble, which forms a pleasing contrast to the deep azure of the Italian sky. It is said to be the largest church in Italy, with the exception of St. Peter's, at Rome; and it surpasses all others in grandeur. The length is 490 feet, and the breadth 298 feet. It is divided into five parts,-a naive and four aisles. The pillars are 90 feet high, and 8 feet in diameter. The height of the cupola is 258 feet within and nearly 400 outside. There are 99 pinnacles; and the number of statues and bas-reliefs employed in the decorations is not less than 4,400. The pinnacles are surmounted by statues; and some of the windows and doors have four statues on each side.

ance.

In the interior, a very fine effect is produced by the coloured glass of the windows. The variety of colours reflected upon the marble pillars, has a beautiful appearThe floor is laid with marble of different colours, and has a show of great richness. Between the groined arches, the roof is painted in imitation of carved work; and the painting, although very well executed, is easily detected.

It was in the centre of the transept of this Cathedral that Napoleon was crowned King of Italy, on the 26th of May, 1805; and it was on that occasion that he snatched the crown from the hands of the Archbishhop, and placed it on his own head,-making use of that remarkable expression which afterwards became the motto of the Order of the Iron Crown :-Dio mi diede; guai a chi la tocca. "God gave it me; woe to him that touches it."

Many of the tombs in this Cathedral are beautifully sculptured, and enriched with ornaments. One of the most striking is the shrine of Saint Carlo Barromeo. It is placed under the altar, in a crystal sarcophagus ; and on the sides are his crosier and mitre, which are

superb. The principal events in the Saint's life are represented in basso relievo, executed in silver by Rubini, after the designs of Cerano. Behind the choir stands the famous statue, by Marco Agrati, of Saint Bartholomew, flayed alive. Earl Fitzwilliam, you will remember, contributed to the Halifax Exhibition, a painting, by Spagnoletto, of the martyrdom of this Saint, who is there represented as undergoing the horrible process of flaying alive. In this statue, the martyr is represented as having had the whole of his skin taken off: and it is thrown over his arm, as men frequently carry a coat or cloak. All the muscles, &c. of the body are exposed to view; and the sculptor has executed his task with great anatomical truth: but the impression which the statue produces, is one of horror rather than of pleasure,-the subject being one of so revolting a description.

The prevailing character of this building is Gothic; and so far as it has been built in conformity with the general principles of that style of architecture, it may be considered a good specimen of what the art was capable of producing, in the middle ages. It is impossible to form a just idea of the exterior decorations of this venerable pile, without ascending to the roof, which is reached by a flight of 468 steps. Every spire, or pinnacle, is crowned with a statue rather larger than life.

After visiting the Duomo, we went to the Palazzo delle Belle Arti, which contains a large collection of fine pictures. They fill twelve rooms of considerable size ; and as our time would not admit an examination of them all, I can only give you a description of a few of the principal.

The First Room contains frescoes, by artists of the Milanese school; and many of them have been sawn from the walls on which they were originally painted. The greater part of them are by Barnardin Louvino, as he himself wrote it; but he is better known by the name of Luini. He was the principal pupil of Leonardo da Vinci, and the most distinguished imitator of his great master. He was a native of Luino, on the Lago Maggiore. These frescoes are worthy of the Milanese school.

No. 10, by Vandyke,-the Virgin and child, with a monk in a devotional attitude,-is an excellent painting. No. 18, by Dominichino, is very good. Every figure is correctly drawn, and finely disposed both in place and action.

No. 27, is by A. Carracci. The subject is, Christ and the Woman of Samaria. There is a companion picture by the same artist. In both paintings, the figures are gracefully drawn. The depth of tone gives great force to the lights on the flesh, and makes the figures appear to stand out of the canvass.

In the Second Room, No. 26, by Bresciano, is an attractive picture, partly on account of the arrangement of its composition. A Madonna and child are in the clouds; and four monks, dressed in rich brown robes, in the foreground. These figures give a wonderful effect to those in the sky.

No. 70, by Tintoretto, I thought much weaker than a painting by Titian, hanging near to it; but in the pearly tints, it resembled No. 71, by Paul Veronese, which I considered the best picture in the room.

The Third Room is occupied by a good collection of the very early masters, except one,-Christ and the Pharisees, by Paul Veronese. There is, in the Louvre, the same subject painted by him; but that is a much better picture than this.

In the Fourth Room, No. 134, by Murillo, is a very fine head of an old woman. It is spirited in the handling, and beautiful in expression. No. 146, by Paul Brill, is painted in a singular style, but is a good picture, The best picture in the Fifth Room is by Martino; the subject is St. Sebastian.

In the Sixth Room, No. 186, Albano's Dance of Loves, is a fine picture, and in excellent preservation. The subject is one that pleases every body. A number of Cupids are dancing round a tree, and some are in the tree, playing to them.

The picture which took our attention from every other, in the Seventh Room, was Raffaelle's Marriage of the Virgin. This painting is closed up with green velvet

doors; and, when they were opened to us, it was indeed a treat. It is a most beautiful painting. The expression of Christ's, the Virgin's, Joseph's, and several other heads, is excellent. The composition, and the drawing of the figures, are very good. The dark mass of shade in one corner of the painting would have been heavy, but for a figure in red drapery, and who is breaking a rod. This has a wonderful effect in clearing up the mass of shade, by diffusing the light. The yellow mantle of Joseph, and the white one of the Virgin, unite with the background, still leaving them sufficiently distinct. The temple, and the pavement behind the figures, appear, at first sight, too harsh and cutting; but the perspective is correct, and therefore the want of aerial tones is less felt.

In the Eighth Room, No. 234, is a fine head, in profile, by Titian. It is the head of an old man, and appears to have been a study for one of his large pictures. In No 238, by Guido, St. Peter and St. Paul are painted larger than life; and the execution is fine.

Nos. 246 and 248 are excellent landscapes, by Canaletti. The execution is crispy and clear. The long lines in the architecture of the buildings are very exact, and are finished with neatness. The pencilling throughout has been done with care, and the effect altogether is very good.

No. 251 is the portrait of a female, by Rembrandt. Her hair flows over her forehead, and she wears a mantilla behind; her dress is of black velvet, edged with gold lace. In this rich painting, the greys are clear and well preserved, particularly in the shadows. The light enters the picture from the side, and gives a fine effect, which this master knew how to manage with superior skill, and in a manner quite peculiar to himself.

No. 254, an old monk asleep, by Velasquez, is very freely painted, and apparently finished at the second painting, by glazing upon the dead colouring.

No. 279, in the Ninth Room, is by Salvi, called, from his birth place, Sassoferrato. The subject is the Madonna and our Saviour, with a number of Saints. This

artist painted with a flowing pencil. When we were there, a lady and gentleman were copying it; and, for their accommodation, it had been taken from the wall and placed on an easel, as was the case with other paintings. I counted above twenty persons copying in these rooms.

The Virgin and Child, with saints, and a group of angels, cherubs, &c.-No. 280, in the Tenth Room-is by Luca Giordano. This very large and fine picture had been taken from the wall, to be copied. The handling is very bold; and it has been painted with a very stiff colour. The painting has not been injured by the picture-cleaner. From its size, I should say it had been painted for a church, and consequently not coloured in a natural style. It is related of this painter, that he was not solicitous about his colouring; and that he did not recommend his own style to his scholars, but, on the contrary, reproved them when he saw them disposed to imitate him.

The subject of No. 332, by Salvator Rosa, is Saint Paul, the first hermit. The scene is in the grand and wild manner of that artist. The trees are finely executed; and the clouds seem rolling in large masses over the distant mountains. Both the clouds and the mountains are exquisitely formed. The Sainted Hermit has one leg over the stump of a tree; and underneath it are broken branches, hanging over water.

No. 293, by F. Snyders, is a hunting piece, in composition something like that in the Halifax Exhibition.

No. 376, in the Eleventh Room, is a firm and well painted picture by C F. Navalone. In the fore-ground is a group of virtuosi, with music; and, in the background, is an artist employed in painting.

The Twelfth Room contains a few good water-colour drawings; but there were none of which I can speak particularly. Indeed, our visit was so short, compared with the extent and value of the collection, that we must have passed over many paintings of first-rate excellence; and from which, on farther examination,