Onmyaskingifhethoughthecouldbearthesevereruleofhisorder,especiallythatofrisingaboutfouro’clockinthemorningandretiringearlyintheevening,heansweredthatformerlyhefearedthathecouldnot,butthatnowhebelievedhecould。OnmytentativesuggestionthathecomeandestablishaBenedictineconventonCayugaLake,hetoldmethatheshouldprobablybesenttoScotland。
Therenownedoldmonasteryseemstobemindfulofitsbesttraditions,forithasestablishedwithinitswallsanadmirablyequippedprinting—house,inwhichIwasabletosecureforCornellUniversitycopiesofvariousbooksbylearnedBenedictines——someofthem,bythebeautyoftheirworkmanship,wellworthytobeplacedbesidetheilluminatedmanuscriptswhichformerlycamefromtheScriptoria。
AtRomeIwastakenaboutbyLanciani,theeminentarchaeologistincontroloftheexcavations,whoshowedmebeautifulthingsnewlydiscoveredandnowkeptintemporaryroomsneartheCapitol。Tomysurprise,hetoldmethatthereisabsolutelynoauthenticbustofCicerodatingfromhistime;butthiswasafterwarddeniedbyStory,theAmericansculptor,whopointedouttomeacastofoneinhisstudio。StoryspokegloomilyoftheconditionofItaly,sayingthatformerlytherewerenotaxes,butthatnowthetaxesarecrushing。HeaddedthatthegreatestmistakemadebythepresentPopewasthat,duringthecholeraatNaples,heremainedinRome,whileKingHumbertwentimmediatelytothatcity,visitedthehospitals,cheeredthecholera—stricken,comfortedthem,andsuppliedtheirwants。
OnEasterSundayIsawCardinalHowardcelebratehighmassinSt。
Peter’s。HehadbeenanEnglishguardsman,wasmagnificentlydressed,andwastheveryidealofaproudprelate。Theaudienceintheimmediateneighborhoodofthealtarwerenonetooreverential,andinotherpartsofthechurchwerewalkingaboutandtalkingasifinamarket;allofthisirreverenceremindingmeofthehighmasswhichIhadseencelebratedbyPopePiusIX
atthesamealtaronEasterdayof1856。
Callingontheformerprimeminister,Minghetti,whohadbeenanassociateofCavour,Ifoundhimveryinteresting,aswasalsoSambuy,senatorofthekingdomandsyndicofTurin,whowaswithhim。MinghettisaidthattheItalianschoolsystemwasnotyetsatisfactory,thoughyoungmenaredoingwellinadvancedscientific,mathematical,historical,andeconomicstudies。OnmyspeakingofastatisticalmapinmypossessionwhichrevealedtheenormouspercentageofpersonswhocanneitherreadnorwriteinthosepartsofItalymostdirectlyundertheinfluenceofthechurch,hesaidthatmatterswereslowlyimprovingunderthenewregime。HespokewithrespectofLeoXIII,sayingthathewasnotsobitterinhisutterancesagainstItalyasPiusIXhadbeen。
DiscussingBismarckandCavour,hesaidthatbothwereeminentlypractical,butthatCavouradheredtocertainprinciples,suchasfreetrade,freedomofthechurch,andthelike,whereasBismarckwaswonttotakeupanyprinciplewhichwouldservehistemporarypurpose。Minghettihopedmuch,eventually,fromCavour’sideaoftoleration,andspokewithpraiseofthechecksputbytheAmericanConstitutiononunbridleddemocracy,whereuponIquotedtohimtheremarkofGovernorSeymourinNewYork,themosteminentofrecentDemocraticcandidatesforthePresidency,totheeffectthatthemeritofourConstitutionisnotthatitpromotesdemocracy,butthatitchecksit。MinghettispokeofSirHenryMaine’sbookon"FreeGovernment"withmuchpraise;inspiteofitsanti—democratictendencies,ithadevidentlyraisedhisopinionoftheAmericanConstitution。HealsopraisedAmericanscientificprogress。SambuysaidthatthepresentgrowthofthecityofRomeisespeciallydetestedbytheclergy,sinceitismakingthecitytoolargeforthemtocontrol;thattheirbitternessisnottobewonderedat,sincetheyclearlyseethat,nomatterwhatmayhappen,——evenifthekingdomofItalyweretobedestroyedto—morrow,——itwouldbeabsolutelyimpossiblefortheoldregimeofPope,cardinals,andpriestseveragaintogovernthecity;thatwiththisincreaseofthepopulation,anditslongexerciseofpoliticalpower,theresumptionoftemporalpowerbythePopeisanutterimpossibility;thatevenifrevolutionoranarchycame,thepeoplewouldneveragaintakerefugeunderthepapacy。
VeryinterestingweresundrygatheringsattheroomsofStory,thesculptor。MeetingtheretheBrazilianministeratthepapalcourt,IwasamazedbyhisstatementsregardingtherulesrestrictingintercoursebetweendiplomatistsaccreditedtotheVaticanandthoseaccreditedtotheQuirinal;hesaidthatalthoughtheministerfromhiscountrytotheQuirinalwasoneofhisbestfriends,hewasnotallowedtoacceptaninvitationfromhim。
TheAmericanminister,JudgeStalloofCincinnati,seemedtomeanadmirableman,inspiteofthestoriescirculatedbyvarioushostilecliques。AtthehouseoftheBritishambassadorStallospokeinaveryinterestingwayofCardinalHohenloheasfarabovehisfellowsandcapableofmakingagreatpope。ThepoliticaldifficultiesinItaly,hesaid,wereverygreat,and,greatestofall,inNaplesandSicily。Diningwithhim,ImetmyoldfriendHoffmann,rectoroftheUniversityofBerlin,andanumberofeminentItalianmenofscience,senators,andothers。
AtthehouseofDr。Nevin,rectoroftheAmericanEpiscopalchurch,ImettheDutchminister,whocorroboratedmyopinionthattheBritishparliamentarysystemgenerallyworksbadlyintheContinentalcountries,sinceitcausesconstantlyrecurringchangesinministers,andpreventsanypropercontinuityofstateaction,andhenaturallyalludedtotheconditionofthingsinFranceasanexample。
Amongotherinterestingpeople,ImettheabbotofSt。PaulOutsidetheWalls,towhomLordActon,inresponsetomyquestionastowhethertherewassuchathingasa"learnedBenedictine"
extant,hadgivenmealetterofintroduction。ThegoodabbotturnedouttobeanIrishmanwithsomeofthemoreinterestingpeculiaritiesofhisrace;buthisconversationwasmorevividthanilluminating。HehadreviewedvariousbooksfortheCongregationoftheIndex,oneofthese,abookwhichIhadjustbought,beingon"TheArchitectureofSt。JohnLateran。"HeheldapositioninthePropaganda,andIwasgreatlystruckbyhisminuteknowledgeofaffairsintheUnitedStates。ThequestionbeingthenundecidedastowhetheranewbishopricforcentralNewYorkwastobeestablishedatUticaorSyracuse,hediscussedbothplaceswithmuchminuteknowledgeoftheirclaimsandofthepeopleresidinginthem。IputinthebestwordIcouldforSyracuse,feelingthatifabishopricwastobeestablished,thatwastheproperplaceforit;andafterwardIhadthesatisfactionoflearningthatthebishophadbeenplacedthere。TheabbothadknownSecretarySewardandlikedhim。
LeavingRomeinMay,wemadevisitsofdeepinteresttoAssisi,Perugia,Orvieto,andotherhistorictownsand,arrivingatFlorenceagain,sawsomethingofsocietyinthatcity。CountdeGubernatis,theeminentscholar,whohadjustreturnedfromIndia,waseloquentinpraiseoftheTajMahal,which,ofallbuildingsintheworld,istheoneImostdesiretosee。HethinksthatthestoriesregardingjugglinginIndiahavebeenmarvelouslydevelopedbytransmissionfromEasttoWest;thatgrowingthemango,ofwhichsomuchissaid,isaverypoortrick,asisalsothecrushing,killing,andrestorationtolifeofaboyunderabasket;thatthesemarvelsarenotatallwhatthestoriesreportthemtobe;thatitissimplyanothercaseoftherapidgrowthoflegendsbytransmission。HesaidthathatredforEnglandremainsdeepinIndia,andthatcastespiritisverylittlealtered,hisownservant,evenwhenverythirsty,notdaringtodrinkfromabottlewhichhismasterhadtouched。
DiningwithCountRessiathisnoblevillaontheslopetowardFiesole,InotedvariousdeliciousItalianwinesuponthetable,butthechampagnewaswhatisknownas"PleasantValleyCatawba,"
fromLakeKeukainwesternNewYork,whichthecount,duringhisjourneytoNiagara,hadfoundsogoodthathehadshippedaquantityofittoFlorence。
AveryinterestingmanIfoundintheMarquisAlfieriSostegno,vice—presidentoftheSenate,——amannotedforhishighcharacterandhiswritings。Heisthefounderofthenew"SchoolforPoliticalandSocialStudies,"andgavememuchinformationregardingit。Hisfamilyisofmediaevalorigin,butheisaliberaloftheCavoursort。Preferringconstitutionalmonarchy,butthinkingdemocracyinevitable,heasks,"ShallitbeademocracylikethatofFrance,excludingallreallyleadingmenfrompower,orademocracyinfluenceddirectlybyitsbestmen?"
Inhisschoolhehasattemptedtotrainyoungmeninthepracticalknowledgeneededinpublicaffairs,andhopesthustopreparethemfortheinevitablefuture。Thiscollegehasencounteredmuchoppositionfromthelocaluniversities,butismakingitsway。
AnothermanofthegrandoldItaliansortwasPeruzzi,syndicofFlorence,aformerassociateofCavour,andoneoftheleadingmenofItaly。Callingformewithtwoothersenators,hetookmetohiscountryvilla,whichhasbeeninthepossessionofthefamilyforoverfourhundredyears,andthereIdinedwithaverydistinguishedcompany。Everythingwaslargeandpatriarchal,butsimple。Thediscussions,bothattableandafterward,aswesatupontheterracewithitswonderfuloutlookoveroneoftherichestpartsofTuscany,mainlyrelatedtoItalianmatters。Allseemedhopefulofareasonablesolutionoftheclericaldifficulty。Mostinterestingwashiswife,DonnaEmilia,wellknownforherbrilliantpowersofdiscussionandherbeautifulqualitiesasahostessbothatthePeruzzipalaceinFlorenceandinthisvilla,whereonemeetsmenoflightandleadingfromeverypartoftheworld。
FromFlorencewewentontotheItalianlakes,stayingespeciallyatBaveno,Lugano,andCadenabbia。EspeciallyinterestingtomewerethescenesdepictedinthefirstpartofManzoni’s"PromessiSposi。"AneminentItaliantoldmeatthistimethatManzonineverforgavehimselfforhishumorousdelineationsofthepriestDonAbbondio,whofiguresinthesescenesafterasomewhatundignifiedfashion。InterestingalsowasavisittothetombofRosmini,withitsportrait—statuebyVela,inthemonasterylookingoverthemostbeautifulpartoftheLagoMaggiore。ThencebytheSt。GotthardtoZurich,wherewevisitedmyoldcolleague,ColonelRoth,theSwissministeratBerlin。VerysimpleandcharmingwashisfamilylifeatTeufen。InthelibraryInoticedacuriousshield,anduponitseveralswords,eachwithaninscription;and,onmyaskingregardingthem,IwastoldthattheyweretheofficialswordsofColonelRoth’sgreat—grandfather,grandfather,father,andhimself,eachofwhomhadbeenLandammanofthecanton。HetoldmethatasLandammanhepresidedfromtimetotimeoverapopularassemblyofseveralthousandpeople;thatitwasarepublicsuchasRousseauadvocated,——allthepeoplecomingtogetherandvoting,by"yes"
and"no"andshowingofhands,ontheproposalsoftheLandammanandhiscouncil。Drivingthroughthecanton,Ifoundthat,whilenoneofthepeoplewererich,fewwereverypoor,andthattheCatholicwasmuchbehindtheProtestantpartinthriftandprosperity。
MyloveforhistoricalstudiesinterestedmegreatlyinavisittotheAbbeyofSt。Gall。Themediaevalbuildingsarevirtuallygone,andamassofrocococonstructionshavetakentheirplace。
Gone,too,inthemain,isthefamouslibraryofthemiddleages;
buttheeminenthistorianandarchivist,HenneAmRhyn,showedmetheancientcataloguedatingfromthedaysofCharlemagne,andoneortwooftheoldmanuscriptsreferredtoinit,wh...剩余内容请长按扫描二维码或下载丁香书院APP继续免费看:
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