mentioned any more.

Our little voyage was exceedingly delightful. A picturesque country,
which at every winding of the river seemed to increase in richness and
beauty; the serenity of the sky, which formed a May day in the middle of
February; the charming gardens and elegant countryseats which adorned
the banks of the Brenta; the maestic city of Venice behind us, with its
lofty spires, and a forest of masts, rising as it were out of the waves;
all this afforded us one of the most splendid prospects in the world.
We wholly abandoned ourselves to the enchantment of Nature's luxuriant
scenery; our minds shared the hilarity of the day; even the prince
himself lost his wonted gravity, and vied with us in merry jests
and diversions. On landing about two Italian miles from the city we
heard the sound of sprightly music; it came from a small village at a
little distance from the Brenta, where there was at that time a fair.
The place was crowded with company of every description. A troop of
young girls and boys, dressed in theatrical habits, welcomed us in a
pantomimical dance. The invention was novel; animation and grace
attended their every movement. Before the dance was quite concluded
the principal actress, who represented a queen, stopped suddenly,
as if arrested by an invisible arm. Herself and those around her were
motionless. The music ceased. The assembly was silent. Not a breath
was to be heard, and the queen stood with her eyes fixed on the ground
in deep abstraction. On a sudden she started from her reverie with the
fury of one inspired, and looked wildly around her. "A king is among
us," she exclaimed, taking her crown from her head, and laying it at the
feet of the prince. Every one present cast their eyes upon him, and
doubted for some time whether there was any meaning in this farce; so
much were they deceived by the impressive seriousness of the actress.
This silence was at length broken by a general clapping of hands, as a
mark of approbation. I looked at the prince. I noticed that he
appeared not a little disconcerted, and endeavored to escape the
inquisitive glances of the spectators. He threw money to the players,
and hastened to extricate himself from the crowd.

We had advanced but a few steps when a venerable barefooted friar,
pressing through the crowd, placed himself in the prince's path. "My
lord," said he, "give the holy Virgin part of your gold. You will want
her prayers." He uttered these words i