On reaching Sarzana, at night, it was rather difficult to realize upon refering to the signatures on my passport, that during the day's ride of less than forty miles, I had passed through the territories of five Dukes-a striking evidence of the divided state of Italy. At dawn, the following day, we crossed the Maga in a broad, flat ¡ferryboat, and as the grey light fell upon a time-tinted village on an adjacent hill, the scene would have furnished a pretty subject for a landscape, including the dingy stream and motley cargo of quaintly-attired travellers, weather. worn peasants and white cattle. On landing, a carriage passed us under the escort of four gen d'armes on horseback, conducting an unfortunate party to the frontiers, who had been discovered travelling without a passport. The scenery grew more rich and variegated until in descending a hill, we came at once in view of the beautiful gulf of Spezia. Upon its finely-cultivated borders, are several low, massive and ancient forts. Not far from the shore a spring of fresh water gushes up through the sea. In the midst of the calm, blue bay, several fishing vessels lay at anchor, distinctly reflected on the water. Along the beach were sauntering dark-visaged men with long red caps, and many sunburnt and savage-looking women, with curious little straw hats, placed coquettishly upon the side of their heads. Everywhere is the sea sublime, its breezes invigorating, its music plaintive; but when it flows thus clear and broad to the shores of a southern land, there is an unspeakable charm in its presence. The waves seem to roll with conscious joy to the warm strand, and throw up a shower of sparkling tears as they retreat, and the cool, briny air steals over the fertile and sultry plains like Valor bracing Love. Here some of the happiest months of Shelley's life were spent. He loved to go forth in his boat alone upon this bay and commune with himself in the moonlight. Here he enjoyed during the last year of his existence, the society of a few cherished associates, and here his wife and friends vainly awaited, in agonizing suspense, his return from that fatal expedition to Pisa whither he had gone to welcome Hunt to Italy. It was between the Arno and Serchio that Shelley's boat went down, and on the shore near Via Reggio, that his body was burned under the auspices of Lord Byron. 'A restless impulse urged him to embark And meet lone Death on the drear ocean-waste; The shining caverns of the populous deep.** How appropriate to the beach of Spezia are his touching lines, written near Naples :- 'I see the deep's untrampled floor With green and purple sea-weed strown: I see the waves upon the shore Like light dissolved in star-showers thrown : I sit upon the sands alone, The lightning of the noontide ocean Is flashing round me, and a tone Arises from its measured motion, How sweet did any heart now share in my emotion.' * Alastor. GENOA. "The ocean-wave thy wealth reflected." Rogers, 'THE beauty of an Italian sunset has not been exagger. ated either by the pencil of Claude, or the pen of the poets,' I musingly affirmed, while loitering down a long curying declivity, in the twilight of a warm summer evening. The farthest range of hills my eager vision could descry, were bathed in a rich purple, occasionally verging to a dark blue tint, the adjacent sea glowed with saffron hues, while the horizon wore the aspect of molten gold, fading towards the zenith, to a pale amber. The pensive whistle of the vetturino came softened by the distance to my ear. Before me was the far-stretching road, and around the still and lonely hills. A few hours previous, we had left the little town of Borghetti, and on the ensuing day, anticipa. ted repose within the precincts of that city, which enriched with the spoils of a splendid commerce and brilliant maritime adventure, so long boasted the title of superb; that city whose neighborhood gave birth to Columbus, and who prides herself, in these more degenerate times, in having produced the prince of fiddlers. The wide sweeping chain of the Appenines we had traversed, is covered with rough bushes, the most meagre vegetation, and so rock-ribbed as to have rendered the construction of the road an enterprise of extreme difficulty. For a long distance there is no sign of life, but the venerable looking goats clambering about in search of subsistence, and the children that tend them, whose air and faces are painfully significant of premature responsibility. Sometimes we came in sight of the sea, calm as crystal, and dotted with a few distant sails. It was easy to realize the bleak and dangerous ride to which the traveller is here exposed in winter. But the succeeding morning displayed a new and richer vegetation. Aloes and fig-trees, remind one of Sicily, a [resemblance which the vicinity of the Mediterranean enhances. The first part of the day's ride, lies along the margin of the water, and afterwards chiefly over verdant hills, which often slope down to the shore. The gulf of Sesto, as you withdraw from it, appears singularly graceful. Its beach has a most symmetrical curve. So placid was the water, that the town of St. Margueritto, seen from above, was perfectly reflected as in a mirror, and the picture resembled a miniature Venice. The scenery throughout the ride, is remarkably variegated; and the garniture of the country sufficiently blended between vegetable gardens, olive and fig orchards, and wild trees to render it pleasingly various. Several grottoes are passed which are plastered over interiorly, in order to prevent the springs from dripping; but the lover of the picturesque, cannot but wish they had been left rough-hewn like those of the Simplon. From the last of these, Genoa is seen far below on the borders of the sea. The view is not comparable with that on approaching it by water. It gives no idea of majesty. Clusters of lemon and orange line the remainder of the way, as well as innumerable villas admirably exposed to the sea-breeze, but as usual, lacking the vicinity of trees-a charm which rural taste can scarcely consent to yield, even though the deficiency is supplied by inviting verandahs. There are decided maritime features, even upon first entering Genoa. The mixed throng, the sun-burnt faces, the garb and even the manners of the lower order, immediately bespeak a sea-port. From the extreme narrowness of the streets, much of the actual beauty and richness of the city is hid from the gaze. Even the numerous palaces do not at first strike the stranger, situated as they frequently are, in thoroughfares so confined as to afford no complete view of their façades. Many a pretty garden and cool arbor is placed upon a roof so lofty, or a terrace so secluded, as to be wholly concealed from observation, yet affording retired and delightful retreats, overlooking the bay, and no less attractive to the meditative recluse or the secret lovers, from being far above the crowd and out of sight of the curious, the country in the very heart of the city, a garden independent of territory! Many of the peculiarities of Genoa, are fast losing themselves in modern improvements. The streets are widening every year, and carriages, once quite unknown, are coming daily in vogue. There is something here congenial with the alleged sinister tastes of the Italians. The finest caffé is in an obscure street. One is continually stumbling upon luxurious arrangements, and agreeable nooks, |