Journal of Travels in Italy. 



windows, cither the ruin or constant 

 absence of its master. Jn sliort, the 

 soil appeared tmiversally left to lie 

 cultivated l>y the peasantry, wliile the 

 proprietor betakes himself to the 

 nearest town, where he can drown tlie 

 ennui, which the general poverty and 

 sameness of the country produces, in 

 the cafe or tiie billiard. The most de- 

 lightful views I recollect in Champagne 

 and its adjoining province, were 

 around Cliaumont en Bassigny, Ve- 

 soul, and Besancon. 



But how sliall I do justice to Ge- 

 nt'va and its incomparaiile lake, of 

 which too much cannot be said, liow- 

 cver frequently it has been describefl. 

 We continued through tlic Vailais, 

 bordering tin's bcantiful sheet of wa- 

 ter, the sterile mountains of Savoy 

 on the right, contrasting will) the fei-- 

 tile delicious hills of the Pays de 

 Vaud. The country, alter c[uitting 

 Thonon, became delightfully pictu- 

 resque and higldy cultivated ; the 

 roads bordered vith walnut-trees: but 

 neither pen or pencil can delineate the 

 grandeur, sul)limity, and beautj%of the 

 scenery in the country we began to 

 pass through on (putting Martigny ; 

 inadequate to the task, from Ihc over- 

 ■whelming impression ■\\hic!i the scene 

 produces, I confess to have remained 

 stupified by the contemplation. Val- 

 lies glowing with every species of 

 luxuriant cultivation, and burtheued 

 witii fiuit, amidst the iiuge, rugged, 

 .nnd inaccessible, Alps, their tops here 

 reaching, as it were, to the heavens, 

 and there lost in clouds, while their 

 .sides are alternately b;irren, or cover- 

 ed with vineyards, verdure, and plan- 

 tations. The Pissevache may be 

 termed a beautiful cascade, inferior 

 indeed in sublimity to the renowned 

 Cascata delle Marmora, near Terni, 

 but picturesque, as situated in a 

 country far more majestic. 



Taking leave of this wonderful val- 

 ley, after contemplating with ecstatic 

 delight the situation of Biigge, wc 

 began to ascend the mo-mtain, — the 

 road over which is the immortal work 

 of that great genius (however much I 

 may difl'er from his whole course of 

 political conduct,) to wlumi continental 

 J'',urope is indebted for her greatest 

 improvements. The Simplon, indeed, 

 is one of the noblest achievements 

 ever completed by the hand of man. 

 As we ascended, the wildncss and 

 grandenr of the scenery surpassed all 

 my fondest e.\pcclations could hare 



[Feb. I, 



raised : mountain over mountain, rock 

 over rock, precipice over prscipice, all 

 Combined with the smiling interme- 

 diate vallies, and the pristine simpli- 

 city of the peasantry, left nothing 

 which could add to my wonder. After 

 mounting about eight hours, we ar- 

 rived ill the sunnnit, and continued 

 driving in the clouds for more than 

 two hours, amidstlightuing, rain, hail, 

 and snow, — sirange contrasts of na- 

 ture. We then gradually descended 

 to the village of Simplon, composed, 

 as usual, of very abject hovels. 



The grandeur of the descent is al- 

 most beyonil my ability to describe. 

 'J'hc bridges thrown over vast chasms; 

 the mountains tundjling as it were 

 upon mountains, which, from their 

 huge scattered (Vagmcnts, threaten to 

 overwhelm the traveller; the galleries 

 cut through almost impenetrable rock, 

 and even through solid masses of 

 "thick-ribbed ice," — the Glaciers ; ri- 

 vers of the impetuous torrents, which 

 rusli down the mountains,— hero form- 

 ing immense cascades, and there more 

 gentle streams, as they occasionally 

 mect\\ith val'ies in tJieir vast descent; 

 the hills decorated fre([uently with 

 woods and verdure, and the vales with 

 fruit and cultivation ; the romantic cot- 

 tages built of the fir-tree, and the rude 

 misery of these Alpine peasantry; the 

 tops of the mountains eternally lost in 

 clouds, or eover(!d with snow: who 

 can imagine one-half c^f the grand, — 

 the sublime, — the pic(urcs(|ne, — and 

 the beaulil'nl, — which allernately and 

 incessantly present themselves to the 

 astonished eye. 



We now reached Domo D'Ossola, 

 and were launchc.l into Italy : my 

 companion did not fail to express his 

 admiration at the liift a|ipeaiance 

 around us, — the elegant arcliifeeture. 

 of the buildings which covered tho 

 slopes of the mountains, and the exu- 

 berance which saluted us. 

 (To be cnntiiiucd.) 



For the Monthly Magazine, 



LYCEUM 01' ANCIENT LlTEHATUIiE. 



NO. XXXVII. 



JIARTIAl. (coiicfiifled). 



HAVING brielly noticed tho cluef 

 particulars of importance in the 

 life of Martial, it remains to make 

 some remarks on his productions, and 

 his general character as a writer, W e 

 have already seen that he enjoyed 

 the patronage and friendship of many 

 of the principal men of his own time, 



and 



