ly, 'tis joy to see some glorious new births. The Italians are
getting cured of mean adulation and hasty boasts; they are learning
to prize and seek realities; the effigies of straw are getting knocked
down, and living, growing men take their places. Italy is being
educated for the future, her leaders are learning that the time is
past for trust in princes and precedents,--that there is no hope
except in truth and God; her lower people are learning to shout less
and think more.

Though my thoughts have been much with the public in this struggle for
life, I have been away from it during the summer months, in the quiet
valleys, on the lonely mountains. There, personally undisturbed, I
have seen the glorious Italian summer wax and wane,--the summer of
Southern Italy, which I did not see last year. On the mountains it was
not too hot for me, and I enjoyed the great luxuriance of vegetation.
I had the advantage of having visited the scene of the war minutely
last summer, so that, in mind, I could follow every step of the
campaign, while around me were the glorious relics of old times,--the
crumbling theatre or temple of the Roman day, the bird's-nest village
of the Middle Ages, on whose purple height shone the sun and moon of
Italy in changeless lustre. It was great pleasure to me to watch the
gradual growth and change of the seasons, so different from ours.
Last year I had not leisure for this quiet acquaintance. Now I saw the
fields first dressed in their carpets of green, enamelled richly with
the red poppy and blue corn-flower,--in that sunshine how resplendent!
Then swelled the fig, the grape, the olive, the almond; and my food
was of these products of this rich clime. For near three months I had
grapes every day; the last four weeks, enough daily for two persons
for a cent! Exquisite salad for two persons' dinner and supper cost
but a cent, and all other products of the region were in the same
proportion. One who keeps still in Italy, and lives as the people do,
may really have much simple luxury for very little money; though both
travel, and, to the inexperienced foreigner, life in the cities, are
expensive.

LETTER XXVI.

THOUGHTS OF THE ITALIAN RACE, THE SEASONS, AND ROME.--CHANGES.--THE
DEATH OF THE MINISTER ROSSI.--THE CHURCH OF SAN LUIGI DEL
FRANCESI.--ST. CECILIA AND THE DOMENICHINO CHAPEL.--THE PIAZZA DEL
POPOLO.--THE TROOPS: PREPARATORY MOVEMENTS TOWARD THE QUIRINAL.--THE
DEMONSTRATION ON THE PALACE.