Apart within a forest shed, Be won for feeble Innocence— Father of All! though wilful manhood read Grant to the morn of life its natural blessedness. XXIV. THE LAST SUPPER, BY LEONARDO DA VINCI, IN THE REFECTORY OF THO' searching damps and many an envious flaw The annunciation of the dreadful truth Made to the Twelve, survives: lip, forehead, cheek, And hand reposing on the board in ruth Of what it utterst, while the unguilty seek XXV. THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, 1820. HIGH on her speculative Tower Afloat beneath Italian skies, We gaily passed,- till Nature wrought This picture of the Last Supper has not only been grievously injured by time, but parts are said to have been painted over again. These niceties may be left to connoisseurs, I speak of it as I felt. The copy exhibited in London some years ago, and the engraving by Morghen, are both admirable; but in the original is a power which neither of those works has attained, or even approached. The Statues ranged round the Spire and along the roof ct the Cathedral of Milan, have been found fault with by Persons whose exclusive taste is unfortunate for themselves. It is true that the same expense and labour, judiciously directed to pur poses more strictly architectural, might have much heightened the general effect of the building; for, seen from the ground, the Statues appear diminutive. But the coup d'œil, from the best point of view, which is half way up the Spire, must strike an unprejudiced Person with admiration; and, surely, the selection and arrangement of the Figures is exquisitely fitted to support the religion of the Country in the imaginations and feelings of the Spectator. It was with great pleasure that I saw, during the two ascents which we made, several Children, of different ages, tripping up and down the slender spire, and pausing to look around them, with feelings much more animated than could have been derived from these, or the finest works of art. if placed within easy reach. Remember also that you have the Alps on one side, and on the other the Apennines, with the Plain of Lombardy between' Sees long-drawn files, concentric rings Thus after Man had fallen (if aught Lo! while I speak, the labouring Sun O ye, who guard and grace my Home What countenance hath this day put on for you? Do clouds surcharged with irksome rain, Or was it given you to behold Like vision, pensive though not cold, Saw ye the soft yet awful veil I ask in vain-and know far less 2. Such, (but O lavish Nature! why A Sister serves with slacker hand; Then, glittering like a star, she joins the festal band 3. How blest (if truth may entertain Coy fancy with a bolder strain) The HELVETIAN Girl-who daily braves, In her light skiff, the tossing waves, And quits the bosom of the deep Only to climb the rugged steep! Though the burthen of toil with dear friends we divide, Though by the same zephyr our temples are fanned And there shall bloom, with Thee allied, The Votaress by Lugano's side; And that intrepid Nymph, on Uri's steep, descried! As we rest in the cool orange-bower side by side, A yearning survives which few hearts shall withstand: O joy when the girdle of England appears! What moment in life is so conscious of love, XXVII. THE COLUMN. INTENDED BY BUONAPARTE FOR A TRIUMPHAL EDIFICE IN MILAN, AMBITION, following down this far-famed slope In Fortune's rhetoric. Daughter of the Rock, XXIX. ECHO, UPON THE GEMMI. WHAT Beast of Chase hath broken from the cover? Stern GEMMI listens to as full a cry, As multitudinous a harmony, As e'er did ring the heights of Latmos over, A solitary Wolf-dog, ranging on Through the bleak concave, wakes this wonderous chime Of aery voices locked in unison,- near-deep-solemn and sublime! So, from the body of one guilty deed, A thousand ghostly fears, and haunting thoughts pro ceed! XXVIII. STANZAS, COMPOSED IN THE SIMPLON PASS. VALLOMBROSA! I longed in thy shadiest wood When the stillness of evening hath deepened its roar; The beauty of Florence, the grandeur of Rome, Now, risen ere the light-footed Chamois retires My thoughts become bright like yon edging of Pines, Green boughs were borne, while for the blast that shook How black was its hue in the region of air! But, touched from behind by the Sun, it now shines With threads that seem part of its own silver hair. Down to the earth the walls of Jericho, These shout hosannas- those the startling trumpets blow! And thus. in order, 'mid the sacred Grove When universal sea the mountains overflowed. Why speak of Roman Pomps? the haughty claims At length a Spirit more subdued and soft a living Stream, Still, in the vivid freshness of a dream, They, too, who send so far a holy gleam Than the fair Forms, that in long order glide, *This Procession is a part of the sacramental service performed once a month. In the Valley of Engelberg we had the good fortune to be present at the Grand Festival of the Virgin but the Procession on that day, though consisting of upwards of 1000 Persons, assembled from all the branches of the sequestered Valley, was much less striking (notwithstanding the sublimity of the surrounding scenery): it wanted both the simplicity of the other and the accompaniment of the Glacier-columns vhose sisterly resemblance to the moving Figures gave it a most beautiful and solemn peculiarity Trembling, I look upon the secret springs XXXI. ELEGIAC STANZAS. The lamented Youth whose untimely death gave occasion to these elegiac verses, was Frederic William Goddard, from Bos ton in North America. He was in his twentieth year, and had resided for some time with a clergyman in the neighbourhood of Geneva for the completion of his education. Accompanied by a fellow-pupil, a native of Scotland, he had just set out on a Swiss tour when it was his misfortune to fall in with a friend of mine who was hastening to join our party. The travellers. after spending a day together on the road from Berne and at Soleure, took leave of each other at night, the young men having intended to proceed directly to Zurich. But early in the morning my friend found his new acquaintances, who were informed of the object of his journey, and the friends he was in pursuit of equipped to accompany him. We met at Lucerne the succeed. ing evening, and Mr. G. and his fellow-student became in con. sequence our travelling companions for a couple of days. We ascended the Righi together; and, after contemplating the sun rise from that noble mountain, we separated at an hour and on a spot well suited to the parting of those who were to meet no more. Our party descended through the valley of our Lady of the Snow, and our late companions, to Art. We had hoped to meet in a few weeks at Geneva; but on the third succeeding day (on the 21st of August) Mr. Goddard perished, being overset in a boat while crossing the lake of Zurich. His companion saved himself by swimming, and was hospitably received in the mansion of a Swiss gentleman (M. Keller) situated on the east. ern coast of the Lake. The corpse of poor G. was cast ashore on the estate of the same gentleman, who generously performed all the rites of hospitality which could be rendered to the dead as well as to the living. He caused a handsome mural monument to be erected in the church of Küsnacht, which records the premature fate of the young American, and on the shores too of the lake, the traveller may read an inscription pointing out the spot where the body was deposited by the waves. LULLED by the sound of pastoral bells, The sky was blue, the air was mild; The genial spot had ever shown A countenance that sweetly smiled, + Mount Righi - Regina Montium. a name Oh GODDARD! what art thou? - We met, while festive mirth ran wild, We parted upon solemn ground Beloved by every gentle Muse, Had opened on his eager glance; Though lodged within no vigorous frame, Not vain is sadly-uttered praise; The words of truth's memorial vow Are sweet as morning fragrance shed From flowers 'mid GOLDAU's* ruins bred; As evening's fondly-lingering rays, Lamented Youth! to thy cold clay And, when thy Mother weeps for Thee, XXXII. SKY-PROSPECT-FROM THE PLAIN OF FRANCE. XXXIII. ON BEING STRANDED NEAR THE HARBOUR OF WHY cast ye back upon the Gallic shore, Of England-who in hope her coast had won, + The persuasion here expressed was not groundless. The first human consolation that the afflicted Mother felt, was deri ved from this tribute to her son's memory, a fact which the author learned, at his own residence, from her Daughter, who vis ited Europe some years afterwards. Near the Town of Boulogne, and overhanging the Beach, are the remains of a Tower which bears the name of Caligula, who here terminated his western Expedition, of which these sea-shells were the boasted spoils And at no great distance from these Ruins, Buonaparte, standing upon a mound of earth, harangued his "Army of England," reminding them of the exploits of Cæsar, and pointing towards the white cliffs, upon which their standards were to float. He recommended also a subscription to be raised among the Soldiery to erect on that Ground, .n memo One of the villages desolated by the fall of part of the Moun- ry of the Foundation of the "Legion of Honour," a ColumnRossberg. which was not completed at the time we were there. |