Life and Letters of John Greenleaf Whittier, Vol I (Paperback)

Life and Letters of John Greenleaf Whittier, Vol I Book Description

AT the present moment, when Italy is the central 1 oint of interest to the whole of Europe, no apology, it is hoped, will bc necessary for the contribution of ally inforlnation tending to throw a light upon tlie chnrncter, condition anilclem of the people of that land. TII c classic and historical associations of Italy, its wcl itcctural rcmains, and thc trcasurefi of ancient and nlodcrn art contained iu its churches, museums and pictnrc galleries, haw been the thcrnc of so mauy eloquent writers, that it would bc su pcrfluous, if not presumptuous, for any onc not highly qualified by lcarning and rescarcll, to treat of snch subjects. Avoiding, therefore, topics to which, under any circumstances, no interest arising from novel t-j-can now possiblj attach, I venture to hope that these inqwessious of the aspects of Life in Tuscnuj, derived from n ten montlls fiojollrn in that country, will prove neither tritc nor unacccptablc. Tuscany, it is trne, with barely two rnilliotls of inhabitants, constitutes but a small section of Italy, which counts n population of twenty-five millious but the part which this pctty State may enact, in thc c e notf an insurrectionary morcmcnt throughout the land, will ccrtninly exercise n porerful influence over the destiuies of the Italian Peninsula. For Tuscany, small though it bc, is far from all in ignificant province of Italy, embracing as it clocs seve acl ities and towns of considcrablc inll ort lnce - Florcncc, Yisn, Sienna, Lucca, J, cghortl, Pistoin, and Arezzo aild thus it possesses power ancl influence far beyond rrhat it would dcrivc from its limitcd population and extent of territory. For cities, important and iuflueutial in every country, areespecially s o in Italy in thcm arc conccntratcd thc cutire wealth, intelligence, commercial cnter-m prise, and intcllcctunl activity of tllc provinces. Were it not for Milan and Venice, Lombardy oulcl lie supine ber cath th e iron heel of Austria tllc dcs tiny of the States of the Church depends on the will of Rome and Naples gires the lam to that kingdon1 of which it is the mctropolis. Erery vherein Italy cities dominate it is only by their power that tyranny, domcstic or foreign, can or mill be over thrown in addition to the polver and iufluc icet hat Tus cany dcrires from its cities, Florence, iildissolubly associatcd as it is with glorious recoIlections of past grcrttncss, gives to the provirlcc of which it is the capital, a, distinguished poaitiorl among other Italian States. Froud memories of the fame, the power, the riches and conquests of Florcncc in bygone times-of the great namea which have shed lustrc on its literature, arts, science and arms-foster the bright hopes and lofiy aspirations iu which Italians indulge, of the future of their. rlstire land. Judging from the past as well as from present iudications, Tuscany will not remain iucrt if a strcggle for frccilom should begin in Kortl crn I taly. The pcoplc, united by a bond of conlmon grievaiices proceeding from thc same source, will join in the cry of DOTV w T i th the Austrians and the first callnon hot from the fortress of Milan vill Lc echocci from the ramparts of Florcncc.

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