antique tomb, placed in the chapel of the Madonna del Popolo, is the most curious. It was erected to his wife, by a certain Julius Apollonius, but afterwards received the remains of St. Theodore, Bishop of Verona, which entitles it to its present emplacement. How the pious executors of the saint could reconcile themselves to the profanation of placing his sanctified body where that of a pagan had reposed, seems more difficult to be accounted for, than that they should have taken possession of the property of the dead; but the Catholic clergy here, like the rest of their brethren in Italy, have never been fastidious about appropriating the works of antiquity, and converting them to their own uses.

The monument erected by Verona, to Francesco Bianchi, is honorable to the town as well as to him. He was a universal genius, but unlike the generality of those to whom such various powers of mind are attributed, he was nearly as remarkable for his freedom from pretensions and for his amiability, as for the acquirements that rendered him so distinguished.

The church of St. Zeno is a stately pile, but very sombre in the interior. It contains some good pictures by Montegna, and a statue in red marble of the patron of the church, more resembling a half intoxicated satyr than a saint. A tomb was shown to us as that of King Pepin, the son of Charlemagne, but this story, notwithstanding that it is supported by an inscription, is said to be wholly unfounded.

Though nearly tired of inspecting churches, and their multiplicity here rendering their examination a labour, not of love, I could not leave unseen that of St. Helena; in which Dante maintained a thesis in presence of a numerous audience, and on a subject wholly apart from those supposed to engross his thoughts, namely, on the two elements land and water.* I pictured to myself the severe but intellectual countenance of Il Padre Alighieri, as surrounded by the learned Veronese of his day, he proved to them that he could do other things as well as write fine poetry.

The inscription on the monument of Leonardo Montagna, a Veronese, in this church, struck me as being peculiarly touching

Naufragus hinc fugio; Christum sequor: Is mihi solus
Sit dux, sitque comes, sitque perenne bonum.

The church of St. Anastasia, erected in the time of the Scaligers, bears evidence of the magnificence that marked that epoch; and contains a very fine monument of Fregose, a general in the Venetian service, raised by his son, and the work of Cattaneo.

Until I visited Verona, I was not fully aware of the merit of the school of painting to which it gives its name. Many of the pictures are excellent, and

*This thesis was printed at Venice in 1518, and entitled, "De Duobus Elementis Terræ et Aquæ."

would not lose by a comparison with those by more celebrated masters.

Our cicerone would insist on conducting us to the Santa Maria della Scala, built in consequence of a vow by Cane I., and he evinced such anxiety that we should visit it, that there was no refusing his entreaties, as he urged two inducements; first, that in an ancient fresco we should see portraits of Alberto and Martino della Scala; and, secondly, that we should behold the tomb of Maffei, whose works have afforded me too much instruction and pleasure, not to make me desirous of viewing his last earthly resting place.

Maffei deserved well of Verona, for to a patriotic love of it, which led him to invest it with all the interest which a historian, who writes con amore, can bestow; he brought to the task an erudition in antiquarian lore, and a poetical mind, the happy union of which enabled him admirably to illustrate his subject.

The name of Maffei is well known in the history of literature. As early as in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries it was distinguished by the writings of Vigio Maffei, the Cardinal Bernardin, Raphael, and Pietro; but it was reserved for Francis Scipio, marquis of that name, and whose tomb I this day visited, to render it still more honourably known. There is something peculiarly interesting in the life of this nobleman, whose first display of

talent was evinced in maintaining a thesis on love, when, as should ever be the case, women were the umpires. Not less brave than courteous, Maffei distinguished himself by great valour at the battle of Donawert; after which, he wrote a clever essay on duelling. Subsequently he gave to the world his tragedy of "Merope," and his comedy entitled "Ceremonia;" the fine tact and purity of language of which so justly entitled them to general admiration. Though he travelled into France, England, and Germany, receiving in all these countries the courtesy due to his merit, he preferred his native town to all other places; and ceased not until his death to enrich it by his gifts, and to do honour to it by his writings. He presented to Verona his collection of antiquities, which now bears his name; and never are the curious and interesting objects this museum contains shown to strangers, without the donor's name being pronounced with affectionate

reverence.

Saw the libraries of Verona and the chapter to-day. The first, being of recent date, has nothing either rare or curious to recommend it, but the second is rich in valuable books and manuscripts. This library contains no less than fifteen hundred manuscripts in Greek and Latin; some of them of as ancient a date as the fourth and fifth centuries, awaiting the patient researches of a scholar, like Petrarch, who here found the letters of Cicero to his friends; or

of a second Niebuhr, who discovered here the Commentaries on the Institutes of Gaius, since published in Prussia.

One cannot look on even the exterior of these manuscripts without a feeling of reverence; or without anticipating the advantage to literature which is yet to be derived from a strict examination of them.

Were I to enumerate all the churches, and the pictures contained in them, which I have seen here, the catalogue would be endless; I will, therefore, only notice the Pellegrini Chapel, which reflects great credit on San Michele, being a beautiful specimen of his taste and skill.

DESENSANO.The route from Verona to this place is very pleasant, particularly that portion of it which is parallel with the Lago di Garda, the ancient Benacus; whose beauty justifies the praise bestowed on it by Virgil, and the selection of its promontory, Sirmio, by Catullus for his residence. The country is richly cultivated, and presents gentle hills crowned by churches and villages: while to the north, the Alps rise majestically, forming a back ground to the picture.

The fortress Peschieri has an imposing effect, and seemed well garrisoned, if I may judge by the number of soldiers, not only on duty as sentinels, but loitering about. From Peschieri the promontories of Sirmio and Minerbo look exceedingly well, and tempt one to a nearer approach: but alas! I have loitered so long at Venice and Verona, that I

VOL. III.

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