canopies of Italy. Red prevails in the costumes of the peasantry, and their festal dresses increased the novelty of the spectacle. The little mount, which was the ruin of an old redoubt, presented a glorious view of the lake and its shores, of the distant mountains, and of the hamlet of Sermione, composed of fishermen's huts, sheltered under the promontory. The number of inhabitants does not exceed five or six hundred, who subsist on the products of the lake.

In entering the gate, we crossed an old bridge, which for aught I know may be the remains of that, on which the fair country girl of Catullus used to dance at evening. The houses and streets were emptied of their tenants, all gone to the festa. A local guide was found to conduct us over the Peninsula, and show us whatever it contains. It is perhaps a mile in length, and half a mile in width, actually separated from the shore by a canal. Its highest point is something more than a hundred feet above the water, terminating in perpendicular cliffs of limestone. The surface is covered with olives, interspersed with mulberries, and here and there a pyramid of cedar. On the very verge of the rocks are the ruins of an extensive fortress, said to be a Roman work, but more probably of after ages. Upon the summit also stands the antique Gothic church of San Pietro, now in a ruinous condition, dark and desolate, looking as if it had been pelted by storms for centuries. The circerone, without shoes or hat, took us to the Baths and Grotto of Catullus. I will not trouble my readers with speculations, whether or not they belonged to the poet. The first is a small square building, with an aperture to admit the water at the bottom. It appears from the masonry to be of Roman origin. The grottos are long subterranean arches, now in a state of dilapidation. They are pierced at top for windows. Here perchance Catullus kept. his Falernian, and quaffed his goblets with Lesbia. Seating myself upon the ruins of the building, which is said to have been his mansion, I read his description of Sirmio, "the little eye of Italy."

Two hours were delightfully passed in rambling over the peninsula, in examining its ruins, and in tracing the outlines of the lake above, which may hence be seen for nearly its whole extent, till its head is lost to the eye amidst Alpine solitudes. In coasting along the shore on our return, the chant of the procession could still be heard, and glimpses of crucifixes and banners were caught above the intervening fringe of rushes. The devotees had been on a pilgrimage to a shrine, at the distance of a mile and a half from Sermione. Towards evening the skies became cloudy, and as a fresh wind was directly against us, we did not reach the bridge of St. Mark till about 6 o'clock. Amidst the heedless enjoyments of the excursion, it was forgotten what a

formidable length of road was to be traversed in reaching Verona. Half of the remaining hour of daylight was spent, in wrangling with the landlord of the Three Crowns, who charged us six francs for a mutton chop. We gave him half what he demanded, when he pulled off his black cap, made his parting bow, and requested us to recommend his house to all English travellers. He was a real character, and would figure in a novel or play.

Night came on soon after our departure from Peschiera. In passing a thick forest, I saw the vetturino whisper to the valet de place, who was sitting with him upon the box. The latter leaned back into the coach, and told us in an under tone, that we were beset by banditti-that their voices and the trampling of their feet were heard in woods on the right of the road, but a few paces ahead. As robberies had recently been committed on the same route, the information appeared not improbable. We sat still a moment, deliberating what should be done. In the meantime, the coachman leaped from his seat in a panic, seized his horses by the head, and was about to turn back. Against this measure we remonstrated, concluding there was as much danger in retreating, as in going forward. A peasant came along at the instant, and in some degree quieted the agitation of the vetturino, by expressing an opinion, that the persons heard conversing together were not footpads. Remounting his box, he gave the lash to his horses, alternately using the whip and his handkerchief, to wipe the sweat from his brow. He did not pause long enough to look back, till he reached the gates of Verona. It would have required a fleet highwayman to have overtaken us, and there was real danger of having our necks broken in the race, if not in encountering banditti.

The next day was appropriated to an examination of the objects of interest at Verona, commencing with the Amphitheatre, which is situated in the oldest part of the city, upon a spacious square, surrounded with palaces and other public buildings of no ordinary magnificence. This Roman structure is nearly of the same form and dimensions as the one at Nismes. It was originally four stories high, like the Coliseum, and would accommodate twenty thousand spectators. The body of the work was composed of small stones and mortar, encased with blocks of marble. No part of the exterior is entire. Four arches alone remain of the outer walls. They are only three stories high; but the young showman stated, that there used to be a fourth, and backed his authority by an old print, wherein an Ionic colonnade is represented above the present ruins, which seem ready to tumble. The interior is nearly entire, having been restored under the auspices of Napoleon. It has four ranges of seats and vomitories.

Excavations have been sunk to the level of the old arena, five or six feet beneath the present level. The French erected a wooden theatre within the walls, which obstructed a full view of the interior. Over the entrance are two inscriptions; one commemorative of the visit of Joseph II. Emperor of Austria, and the other, of Pope Pius VII. who here pronounced his benediction upon the assembled Veronese. There appears to be no clue to the precise period, when this amphitheatre was erected.

At the distance of a few yards, stands the Public Palace, built by one of the Doges of Venice, at the time Verona was tributary to the Islands of the Adriatic. It is a stately edifice, with open arches in the basement, and Doric columns above. Fronting the same square, is the Philharmonic Academy, containing a pretty theatre for music and the opera. The boxes next the stage are rounded, so that the occupants face the actors. They are elegantly finished. The young custode pointed out the one, in which Alexander of Russia used to sit, during the Congress of Sovereigns at this place, in 1822. He coolly added with an air of pride and exultation, that "the Emperor took such a fancy to one of his sisters, as to induce her to accompany him to St. Petersburgh, where she still resides." Such was the occupation of the Holy Alliance, while convened in Italy to settle the pacification of Europe. Happy would it have been for the world, if its members had passed still more of their time at the opera, in recruiting mistresses.

In the front of this edifice is a handsome Ionic portico, which is a depository of sepulchral monuments, and other specimens of ancient sculpture, presented by Maffei, founder of the Academy. The most curious article in the collection is a quaint circle of Gothic figures, ycleped the Nine Muses. No Graces mingle in the group. Our attention was also attracted to a representation of the fall of Phaeton into the Po. We asked the cicerone into what part of the Po, the young charioteer was precipitated. He replied, "it was near Ferrara, about 60 miles from Verona, where the place may still be seen!" These Italian showmen feel themselves bound in all cases, to give a positive answer to the inquiries of the traveller, whether they know any thing of the subject or not.

An arch, built by the celebrated architect Vitruvius, who was a native of this city, spans the Corso. It is two stories, ornamented with Ionic pillars, fluted and spiral, with windows above. It has double passages; one for ingress, and the other for egress, in entering and leaving the city. The face is full of indentations, made by the shot of the Veronese, in disputing the entrance of the French, during the

formidable length of road was to be traversed in reaching Verona. Half of the remaining hour of daylight was spent, in wrangling with the landlord of the Three Crowns, who charged us six francs for a mutton chop. We gave him half what he demanded, when he pulled off his black cap, made his parting bow, and requested us to recommend his house to all English travellers. He was a real character, and woul figure in a novel or play.

Night came on soon after our departure from Peschiera. In pa ing a thick forest, I saw the vetturino whisper to the valet de pla who was sitting with him upon the box. The latter leaned back the coach, and told us in an under tone, that we were beset by ditti-that their voices and the trampling of their feet were hea woods on the right of the road, but a few paces ahead. As rob had recently been committed on the same route, the inform appeared not improbable. We sat still a moment, deliberating → should be done. In the meantime, the coachman leaped from in a panic, seized his horses by the head, and was about to tur Against this measure we remonstrated, concluding there was danger in retreating, as in going forward. A peasant came the instant, and in some degree quieted the agitation of the v by expressing an opinion, that the persons heard conversing were not footpads. Remounting his box, he gave the le horses, alternately using the whip and his handkerchief, to sweat from his brow. He did not pause long enough to 1 till he reached the gates of Verona. It would have requi highwayman to have overtaken us, and there was real dange our necks broken in the race, if not in encountering bandit

The next day was appropriated to an examination of th interest at Verona, commencing with the Amphitheat situated in the oldest part of the city, upon a spacious rounded with palaces and other public buildings of no c nificence. This Roman structure is nearly of the sa dimensions as the one at Nismes. It was originally fou like the Coliseum, and would accommodate twenty thousa The body of the work was composed of small stone encased with blocks of marble. No part of the ex Four arches alone remain of the outer walls. They stories high; but the young showman stated, that th fourth, and backed his authority by an old print, w colonnade is represented above the present ruins, w to tumble. The interior is nearly entire, having bec the auspices of Napoleon. It has four ranges of sea