nate traveller ever returned." When I stood upon this Bridge of Sighs, I thought of the thousands of unhappy wretches who had trodden these cold stones, on their way to torture and to death. But the murderers and the murdered have long since appeared before a just and upright Judge; and many a cruel prince and wicked doge have been compelled to walk that eternal bridge of sighs, into far deeper and blacker dungeons than were ever seen in Venice. I have spent this day pretty much in my gondola, and have threaded every hole and corner in this singular city. There are 4,000 gondolas in Venice. You hire them generally by the hour. The usual price per hour is 1 zwanziger, or 14 cents. Venice is certainly a very bad place for a drunken man, for the deep salt water (20 feet deep) comes up to the very door-sill of every house, the tide rising here only about 3 feet. The city reminds one of Cairo, (Illinois,) or Napoleon, (Arkansas,) or Lake Providence, (La.,) in time of a crevasse. If I were the father of a dozen or more children, I do not think I should settle in Venice, unless they were all web-footed. Ever since I have been here I have involuntarily been on the look-out for old Shylock and Antonio, for the Moor and his Lieutenant Cassio, for Pierre and Priuli. Alas! they have all gone to their long homes. The gonfalons of Venice no longer wave from the Piazzo San Marco. Her winged lions crouch before the double eagle of her conqueror, while the very palace of the doges has become a common barrack for Austrian soldiers. In going to the Café Florian to-day, I met a Shylock-a veritable Shylock. As he passed me with a bag of gold in his hand, he gave it a closer grip, and stared at me as if he could cut a pound of Christian flesh from next my heart, without even batting his eyes. Venice is perhaps more remarkable for its beautiful Piazzo San Marco, than any thing else. It is a large oblong area, 562 feet long by 232 wide, and is surrounded by elegant buildings on every side. In the Piazza is a lofty square tower or campanile, 316 feet high and 42 feet square. From the top of this tower the prospect is truly delightful. On one side you see the mouths of the Adige and the Po, and on the other the placid waters of the beautiful Adriatic. Venice has given the world some of the best painters. Here were born Titian and Tintoretto. This was the home of Paul Veronese, and the great Leonardo da Vinci. Venice has but little commerce. Its revenues are all absorbed by the Austrian rulers, to support their immense standing army. Occasionally an American ship comes here, loaded with cotton or tobacco. But the principal revenue brought to the city is by strangers. Many English and Americans spend their winters here, and thus distribute a good deal of money. Watches and jewelry of all kinds, particularly a very delicate species of gold chain, are manufactured here in large quantities. But one thing I was surprised to see, or rather not to see. There is not a Venetian blind in all Venice ! To our very popular consul, Mr. Sarmiento, of Philadelphia, I am under many obligations. He showed me much attention, and contributed much to my enjoyment while in Venice. Yours truly, H. W. A. LETTER NO. XXIV. EDITORS ADVOCATE : HOTEL DE LA Rose, Milan, ITALY, From Venice to Milan is 176 miles-fare by rail 32 liras, or about $5 50. I, however, did not go on directly to Milan, but stopped at Padua, Verona, and Solferino. Padua is an old, seedy place, with the grass growing in the middle of the streets. It has a few fine churches, and a university, which is still much patronized by Italian students. The public square or grand piazza is a very pretty place filled with statues. I noticed in one of the largest and finest churches of Padua, a large quantity of army stores-barrels of meal, and bread, and oats, all piled upon the beautiful tessellated marble floors! What a desecration! In this church is a painting by Paul Veronese, which would command almost any price in our country, but it hangs now on deserted walls, as the priest refuses to perform divine service in a church desecrated by a tyran nical soldiery. Padua is 23 miles by rail from Venice, and has a population of 50,000 inhabitants. It followed the fortunes of Venice, and is now a part of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom. Its Palace of Justice contains an immense chamber, or hall, covered with many curious frescoes. I noticed in Giotto's chapel a most remarkable piece of art; it is by the sculptor Agostino Fasolata, and is called "Lucifer and his companions cast out from Heaven." It is composed of 60 figures, all carved out of one block of Carrara marble. The Café Peddrochi is the finest building of the kind in Italy, and kept in a very elegant manner. After spending the day in Padua, I got a most excellent dinner at the Hotel de la Stella d'Or, and set out late in the evening for Verona. From Padua to Verona is 50 miles. Already the atmosphere told me that I was among the mountains, for the night became cool and pleasant. After a delightful night's rest, I took breakfast on melons and fruits, and began my daily labors. Verona is situated near the gorges of the Tyrol, and is surrounded by the fortresses of Peschiera, Mantua, and Legnago. It is inclosed by a series of turreted walls, and the cannon frown down upon you in every direction from rampart, bastion, and parapet. The Adige, a bold and muddy stream, divides Verona into almost equal parts. It is a rapid river, that rushes down from the Tyrolese Alps, and furnishes great water power to the manufacturers of silks, and woollens, and cottons. The |