We had letters to the commandant of the fortress, an ancient-looking
stronghold, built by the Medici family, over which we were conducted by
his adjutant, a courteous gentleman with a red nose, who walked as if
keeping time to military music. From the summit of the tower we had an
extensive and most remarkable prospect. It was the 19th day of March, and
below us, the sides of the mountain, scooped into irregular dells, were
covered with fruit-trees just breaking into leaf and flower. Beyond
stretched the region of barrenness I have already described, to the west
of which lay the green pastures of the Maremma, the air of which, in
summer, is deadly, and still further west were spread the waters of the
Mediterranean, out of which were seen rising the mountains of Corsica. To
the north and northeast were the Appenines, capped with snow, embosoming
the fertile lower valley of the Arno, with the cities of Pisa and Leghorn
in sight. To the south we traced the windings of the Cecina, and saw
ascending into the air the smoke of a hot-water lake, agitated perpetually
with the escape of gas, which we were told was visited by Dante, and from
which he drew images for his description of Hell. Some Frenchman has now
converted it into a borax manufactory, the natural heat of the water
serving to extract the salt.
The fortress is used as a prison for persons guilty of offenses against
the state. On the top of the tower we passed four prisoners of state,
well-dressed young men, who appeared to have been entertaining themselves
with music, having guitars and other instruments in their hands. They
saluted the adjutant as he went by them, who, in return, took off his hat.
They had been condemned for a conspiracy against the government.
The commandant gave us a hospitable reception. In showing us the fortress
he congratulated us that we had no occasion for such engines of government
in America. We went to his house in the evening, where we saw his wife, a
handsome young lady, whom he had lately brought from Florence, the very
lady of the pianoforte whom I have already mentioned, and the mother of
two young children, whose ruddy cheeks and chubby figures did credit to
the wholesome air of Volterra. The commandant made tea for us in tumblers,
and the lady gave us music. The tea was so strong a decoction that I
seemed to hear the music all night, and had no need of being waked from
sleep, when our _vetturino_, at an early hour the next morning, came to
take us on our journey to Sienna.
The End.
Footnotes
[1] The following is a Spanish translation of this hymn as taken down in
writing from the mouth of one of the Mahonese, as they call themselves, a
native of St. Augustine. The author does not hold himself responsible for
the purity of the Castilian.
Dejaremos el duelo,
Cantaremos con alegria,
E iremos a dar
Las pascuas a Maria.
O Maria.
San Gabriel
Aca porto la embajada.
De nuestro rey del ciel
Estareis prenada.
Ya humillada
Tu que vais aqui servente,
Hija de Dios contenta
Para hacer lo que el quiere.
Dejaremos el duelo, &a.
Y a media noche,
Paristeis reyna
A un Dios infinite
Dentro de un establo.
Y a media dia,
Los Angeles van cantando
Paz y abundancia
De la gloria de Dios solo.
Dejaremos el duelo, &a.
Y a Belem,
Alla en la tierra santa,
Nos nacio Gesus
Con alegria tanta.
Nino chiquito,
Que todo el mundo salvaria;
Y ningun bastaria
Sino un Dios todo solo.
Dejaremos el duelo, &a.
Cuando del Oriente los
Tres reyes la estrella vieron,
Dios omnipotente,
Para adorarlo ivinieron.
Un regalo inferieron,
De mil inciensos y oro,
Al bendito Senor
Que sabe qualquiera cosa.
Dejaremos el duelo, &a.
Todo fu pronto
Para cumplir la promesa;
Del Espiritu Santo
Un Angel fue mandado.
Gran fuego encendido
Que quema el corage;
Dios nos de lenguage
Para hacer lo que quiere.
Dejaremos el duelo, &a.
Cuando se fue
De este mundo nuestra Senora,
Al ciel se empujo
Su hijo la misme hora.
O emperadora,
Que del ciel sois elijida!
La rosa florida,
Mas resplandesciente que un sol!
Dejaremos el duelo, &a.
Y el tercer dia
Que Gesus resuscito,
Dios y Veronica
De la morte triunfo.
De alli se bajo
Para perder a Lucifer,
Con todo el suo poder,
Que dienuestro ser el sol.
Dejaremos el duelo, &a.
[2] Thus in the Spanish translation furnished me:
Estos seis versos que cantamos
Regina celestial!
Dadnos paz y alegria,
Y buenas fiestas tengais.
Yo vos doy sus buenas fiestas;
Dadnos dinero de nuestras nueces.
Siempre tendremos las manos prestas.
Para recibir un cuatro de huevos.
Y el dia de pascua florida,
Alegremonos juntamente;
El que mori para darnos vida
Ya vive gloriosamente.
Aquesta casa esta empredrada,
Bien halla que la empedro;
El amo de aquesta casa,
Quisiera darnos un don.
Quesadilla, o empanada,
Cucuta, o flaon,
Qualquiera cosa me agrada,
Solo que no me digas que no,
[3] Thus in the Spanish:
Aquesta casa esta empedrada,
Empedrada de cuatro vientos;
El amo de aquesta casa
Es hombre de cortesia.
[4] "Now they are fighting!"
[5] "Kill! kill! kill!"
[6] "Look, look, it will do you no harm."
[7] "Put it on, put it on."
[8] "Publicly, sir, publicly."
End of Letters of a Traveller, by William Cullen Bryant
