course than to remain invisible, and || marchesi, cavalieri, marchese, conto content themselves with the mouth-tesse, &c. who likewise remain paful of air which their close vehicles tiently in their receptacles to the right afford them. Well then, let us hast- and left, the important information, en to the oft-mentioned place of des- Fa molto caldo (It is very hot); to tination, where we shall be more which the party addressed responds, lucky, and certainly obtain compen- Si, molto caldo (Yes, very hot). The sation for the inconveniences and dashing marchesi, conti, and cavaprivations which we have had to en- lieri then appear on foot, and the dure. I behold already in imagina- doors of the vehicles are opened, tion a picturesque landscape resem- that the fair inmates may chat w with bling a delightful garden, amidst them more conveniently. Should which the coaches halt; all the doors any gallant spark be seen on horseopen, and angelic shapes descend to back, he attracts general notice; the trip with light step over the verdant company admire his extraordinary turf, or to walk along the bank of courage, and from many of the car some murmuring stream. Quick! per riages resounds the cry of Ma bra! l'amor di Dio, let us make haste!-vo contino.-Well and then?-Then!! Softly, softly, my friend, reserve your why then it is all over. "Over! poetic enthusiasm for a more suita- impossible!-Nevertheless so it is! ble occasion; for I am compelled, however reluctantly, to dispel these pleasing reveries, to annihilate these fond hopes. Neither garden nor beauteous landscape will receive us, but a bare spot, covered with stones and plenty of dust; or a piece of ground, the pleasant or unpleasant situation of which is not regarded, if it but affords the necessary space to allow the equipages to draw up; a place where we pedestrians shall find neither chair nor bench, nor so much as a draught of water to cool our parched throats; a place where nothing is to be seen or heard of meads, and streams, and banks, and all the trumpery that you have been dreaming of; and where no rational person would ever think of alighting, much less of tripping or walking.-But, gracious heaven! why then do they come hither?-To sit still in the vehicle for half an hour.-To sit still? -Yes, to sit still. By and by a window is let down and a head thrust out to communicate to the conti, it may indeed be farther remarked," that those vehicles which are occupied by young and beautiful females are most resorted to by the abovementioned marchesi and conti; and that the cavalieri serventi belonging to the first class, who are seated by the ladies, look rather blue on the occasion: moreover, that nobody is fond of approaching too near to such carriages as contain cavalieri of the second class; while those whose female inmates are gifted with more years than charms, stand as lonely and unnoticed as if they were wholly untenanted. With disappointed looks, one of this neglected class thrusts her head out at the window to see whether any thing in the shape of a' man is approaching-in vain; she' has no other resource than with becoming resignation to draw back her head within her receptacle, and return with her snoring cavaliere to the town, whither she is presently followed by the other coaches, and at length by us too, since we have en joyed in fullest measure the delights | knows every thing; whose authority, especially on theatrical matters, is unquestionable; who is fond of the society of artists of both sexes, and is the friend and confidant of all the performers that visit his native town this Count Cicalone is already exclaiming at the door of the bottega, to his friends assembled there as usual, " Do you know that the celebre cantante Signora Anitza, and the vezzosisima seconda donna Signora Lodola, are engaged for our opera?" The intimation is hailed with shouts of joy. "And do you know that the never sufficiently to be extolled tenore Signor Gallinaccio, and the never enough to be praised prima ballerina Signora Saltimbanca, together with the maestro Zanzara, whose talents transcend all commendation, are already on the road?" Evviva el nostro Cicalone! of the corso, and made ourselves acquainted with the last of the ordinary amusements of these people. Among the extraordinary, the ficra (fair) certainly deserves the first place. Why this fiera is thus named heaven above knows, I cannot tell; for as to buying and selling, there is nothing of the kind, nor do I recollect having observed, that at the time of the fiera there was a single nightcap more in the piazza, than at any other season of the year. This fiera nevertheless, like every thing else in Italy, is announced with great noise; for many weeks beforehand the people talk of nothing but the pleasures which it will bring in its train, and in which they revel by anticipation. Whatever is passing beyond the walls of their town is deemed unworthy of the least notice: whether an absolute or a constitutional" And have you heard that the Sigking reigns in Portugal, whether human beings are boiled or roasted in Spain, they neither know nor care; and the newspapers, to which the Italians never pay much attention, are now totally neglected. At church, at the corso, in the casino, in all the botteghe, and in the boudoirs of the ladies, nothing is talked of but the opera, the Corso di Barberi, and the game at ball; and no information but what relates to one or other of these subjects may expect a favourable reception. Accordingly the indefatigable cavaliere servente surprises his mistress early in the morning with the intelligence, that the famoso buffo cantante Signor Bertuccia, and the unrivalled buffo comico Signor Pipistrello, are secured for this fiera; and that Count Cicalone, a man who Vol. IV. No. XX. nori Spazzastrade and Parabolani, the inimitable ball-players, will spend the fiera with us? In fede! I have just received letters stating that they will be here next Sunday." The bottega resounds with acclamations. In these days of joy a husband is known to forget the rules of decorum, and to hurry to his wife's chamber, to carry her the enchanting news that a celebrated steed, un famoso barbero, whose fame is spread over all Italy, will embellish the fiera by his presence. When at length all this joyful intelligence is confirmed, when the Signore Anitza, Lodola, and the racer, the Signori Pipistrello and Gallinaccio, together with the celebre maestro Zanzara, are actually arrived, o che giubilo! o che contento! Friends communicate to each other this rapturous certainty with. tears of joy; the above-mentioned husband bursts a second time into his wife's chamber; the cavaliere servente, who has not arrived in time to escort his mistress to the casino, and who for this offence would have been treated at any other time like a poodle-dog, receives a full pardon; mortal enemies are reconciled; and utter strangers hug one another in the public streets as fervently as the Russians do on Easter-Sunday. But now they wish that leaden time had wings, and count the hours 'till the evening of the general rehearsal, the first fete that the fiera brings in its train*; and Conte Rimario, who is accounted a great poet, because he has written with his own hand three sonnets, which he himself ranks above Petrarch's canzoni sorelle, is preparing to tag together a fourth in lode dell'egregia Signora *For the information of such of my readers as may not comprehend how a rehearsal can be a public fête, be it observed, that to this rehearsal, which is held by the newly arrived company of performers the evening before the first representation, the public is admitted on the payment of a voluntary contribution for the benefit of the labouring class of the company. The theatre is not lighted; but lamps distributed here and there in the orchestra and in the side-wings afford the spectators a glimpse of the faces of the virtuosas, charming and otherwise young, and more especially old, gentlemen throng to this rehearsal, not only that they may be able to make a due report next morning on the music and singers, male and female, but above all in the hope that chance may favour them with an opportunity of exchanging a few words with the celebre Signora Anitza, or of touching as they pass the ་་་ Lodola, in order to present it as speedily as possible to this divina Lodola, printed on azure-blue satin, that he may thus drive all less rapid sonneteers to despair. For the ladies a most important era commences with the fiera: fashion requires them to appear daily in a new and tasteful costume at the corso, the theatre, the casino, and, above all, on the stand at the races, in a dress combining all that art and elegance are capable of producing. It is the more essential to pay particular attention to their appearance on this occasion, as the ladies of Italy, of whom in general you can only obtain a sight en buste (for wherever you see them they are sitting), shew themselves on this important day at full length. Their whole stock of fancy and invention is therefore laid under contribution, and many an hour, otherwise devoted to Morpheus, is sacrificed to the study of the Parisian or Milan Journal des Modes, in order to make conquests not only of the native but the foreign hearts that may be attracted to the fiera, and to signalize these days of delight by victories. But to many individuals these days of delight are days of misery, and with the tones of general joy are mingled sighs of the deepest distress. They proceed from the cavaliere servente, whose fate during these delicious days is truly deplorable. He can scarcely find time to take the necessary food; as for sleep, that is totally out of the question." A hundred different errands, which threaten to drive him out of his wits, are to be performed all at once with the rapidity of lightning; and a hun robe or the shawl of the enchanting Sig-dred times a day he receives repriHora Lodola. mands, which savour much more of 影 southern vivacity than of feminine gentleness. Has he at length, after the fatigues and hardships of the day, reached the theatre with his mistress, alas! there his torments recommence. In ordinary times he is permitted to sit opposite to the lady in the front of the box; but now he is not only thrust from this post of honour by the strangers who come thither to pay their visits to his absolute sovereign (for visits are very rarely paid to ladies at their homes, but generally in their boxes at the theatre), but being obliged to give way to each new-comer, he is gradually removed farther and farther back to the very door, where he can neither see nor hear, and where, unnoticed by his lady, he may think himself lucky if he is not completely excluded from the box. It must, however, be admitted, that the cavalière is seldom subjected to this 20 indignity, since some respect is al- Benedict is commonly soon aware (To be continued.) WAS IT A GHOST? 3 THE nephew of the Baron de Waldenheim quitted his uncle's mansion in Germany, where he had been brought up, to spend some months with a distant relation of his deceased mother in Provence. The time of his absence appeared very long to the baron; he had never before been separated from the youth, who was in fact the sole remaining tie that bound him to ex-mind bordering on despair. lose no time in setting out for Provence. It was evident from the tone in which the letter was written, that the writer's fears were even greater than she ventured to express. The poor baron, therefore, anticipated the worst; he thought that death was about to rob him of the only stay of his declining years, and he set out for Provence in a state of istence. He was looking forward "Is he alive?" was his first question with delight to the moment in which on alighting.-"Alive, yes; but" he should welcome him to a home" Shew me to his chamber."that he secretly determined he would not, again consent to his quitting, when he received a letter from his relation, Madame de Chauvelin, in-speak, nor even stir; only let me be in the same room with him." Madame de Chauvelin led him in si forming him that Frederic was dangerously ill, and entreating him to "That must not be; he is so weak that the least surprise would-"-"He shall not be surprised: I will not two or three times during the night. "To-morrow," said she to the bas ron, "I will give up my room to you; you will then have an opportunity of seeing him from hour to hour; but for to-night you must seek a little sound repose." lence to the chamber of Frederic. | and visited his apartment generally Ah! what a sight met his eyes! The youth whom he had seen so recently in the highest glow of health and beauty, was extended on his bed in a deathlike slumber, that seemed the precursor of his dissolution. It was only the eye of affection that could trace in his sunk and ghastly features the resemblance to what he had so lately been. 1 The baron felt that to sleep was impossible, but he was too much exhausted to argue the point, and he retired to the chamber prepared for him. It was a large old-fashioned apartment; its immense size and heavy antique furniture gave it altogether a gloomy air, which added to the deep depression of the baron's spirits. He tried for a long time in vain to sleep; at last he just began to close his eyes, when a slight noise roused him. He started up, and All the baron's self-command was scarcely adequate to repress the anguish of his soul. He hastened from the room; Madame de Chauvelin followed: she told him that about a fortnight before the spirits and appetite of Frederic began to fail him, but he made no complaint; she wished him to see a physician, but he resolutely refused, declaring that he ailed nothing. His illness, how-beheld a figure dressed in white and ever, increased rapidly, and she called in a physician, who had declared that there was very little hope. The sentence of his own death would have been comparatively welcome to the poor baron. "God's will be done!" said he; but he added, with quivering lip, " and if it be his will, may I soon follow my poor boy!" The physician at this moment arrived: he assured the baron that he must not venture to make himself known to his nephew, at least for some hours. It was then late at night, and the baron, exhausted by his long and fatiguing journey, which he had pursued without intermission, yielded to Madame de Chauvelin's pressing request to retire for a few hours to bed. The nurse who attended Frederic was an old and faithful servant, upon whom madame could entirely rely. That lady herself also slept in a small chamber adjoining that of the young man, covered with a long veil close to his bed-post. Surprise, perhaps terror, chained his tongue: the figure glided on; he saw it distinctly reach the extremity of his chamber, and vanish. Springing from his bed and seizing a light, he ran to the spot at which it had disappeared, in expectation of finding a door: there was none. He then turned to that of his chamber; it remained locked. Unwilling still to give credit to the belief that he had had a supernatural visitor, he carefully searched every part of the room, but in vain, no traces of the figure could be found; and he was driven to believe that either his imagination had deceived him, or that he had really seen a spectre. "Was it a ghost?" said he to himself. "Pshaw! impossible! besides, for what purpose could it come?" He paused: his conscience acquitted him of crime, save the common frailties of humanity, and |