Having crossed the Lagune, we entered the Brenta, but could continue our route by that river no farther than the village of Doglio, where there is a bridge; but the waters were so much swelled4 by the late rains, that there was not room for our boat to pass below the arch. Quitting[263] the boat, therefore, till our return, we hired two open chaises, and continued our journey along the banks of the Brenta to Padua.
Both sides of this river display gay, luxuriant scenes of magnificence and fertility, being ornamented5 by a great variety of beautiful villas6, the works of Palladio and his disciples7. The verdure of the meadows and gardens here is not surpassed by that of England.
The Venetian nobility, I am told, live with less restraint, and entertain their friends with greater freedom, at their villas, than at their palaces in town. It is natural to suppose, that a Venetian must feel peculiar8 satisfaction when his affairs permit him to enjoy the exhilarating view of green fields, and to breathe the free air of the country,
[264]
Among the pleasant villages and farms
Adjoin’d, from each thing met conceives delight.
Or dairy; each rural sight, each rural sound.
I confess, for my own part, I never felt the beauty of those lines of Milton with greater sensibility, than when I passed through the charming country which is watered by the Brenta, after having been pent up in the terraqueous town of Venice. As one reason which induced his Grace to visit Padua at this time was, that he might pay his duty to his R—— H—— the D—— of G——, we waited on that prince as soon as we had his permission. His R—— H—— has been here for some time with his D——ss. He was very ill at Venice, and has been advised to remove to this place for the benefit of the air. It is with much satisfaction I add, that he is now out of danger, a piece of intelligence with which you will have it in your power[265] to give pleasure to many people in England.
No city in the world has less affinity13 with the country than Venice, and few can have more than Padua; for great part of the circuit within the walls is unbuilt, and the town in general so thinly inhabited, that grass is seen in many places in the interstices of the stones with which the streets are paved. The houses are built on porticoes14, which, when the town was well inhabited, and in a flourishing condition, may have had a magnificent appearance; but, in its present state, they rather give it a greater air of melancholy15 and of gloom.
The Franciscan church, dedicated16 to St. Antonio, the great patron of this city, was the place we were first led to by the Cicerone of our inn. The body of this holy person is inclosed in a sarcophagus, under an altar in the middle of the chapel17, and is said to emit a very agreeable and[266] refreshing18 flavour. Pious19 Catholics believe this to be the natural effluvia of the saint’s body; while Heretics assert, that the perfume (for a perfume there certainly is) proceeds from certain balsams rubbed on the marble every morning, before the votaries20 come to pay their devotions. I never presume to give an opinion on contested points of this kind; but I may be allowed to say, that if this sweet odour really proceeds from the holy Franciscan, he emits a very different smell from any of the brethren of that order whom I ever had an opportunity of approaching.
The walls of this church are covered with votive offerings of ears, eyes, arms, legs, noses, and every part almost of the human body, in token of cures performed by this saint; for whatever part has been the seat of the disease, a representation of it is hung up in silver or gold, according to the gratitude21 and wealth of the patient.
[267]
At a small distance from this church is a place called the School of St. Antonio. Here many of the actions of the Saint are painted in fresco22; some of them by Titian. Many miracles of a very extraordinary nature are here recorded. I observed one in particular, which, if often repeated, might endanger the peace of families. The Saint thought proper to loosen the tongue of a new-born child, and endue23 it with the faculty24 of speech; on which the infant, with an imprudence natural to its age, declared, in an audible voice, before a large company, who was its real father. The miracles attributed to this celebrated25 Saint greatly exceed in number those recorded by the Evangelists of our Saviour26; and although it is not asserted, that St. Antonio has as yet raised himself from the dead, yet his admirers here record things of him which are almost equivalent. When an impious Turk had secretly placed fireworks under the chapel,[268] with an intention to blow it up, they affirm, that St. Antonio hallooed three times from his marble coffin27, which terrified the infidel, and discovered the plot. This miracle is the more miraculous28, as the Saint’s tongue was cut out, and is actually preserved in a chrystal vessel29, and shewn as a precious relic30 to all who have a curiosity to see it. I started this as a difficulty which seemed to bear a little against the authenticity31 of the miracle; and the ingenious person to whom the objection was made, seemed at first somewhat nonplussed32; but, after recollecting33 himself, he observed, that this, which at first seemed an objection, was really a confirmation34 of the fact; for the Saint was not said to have spoken, but only to have hallooed, which a man can do without a tongue; but if his tongue had not been cut out, added he, there is no reason to doubt that the Saint would have revealed the Turkish plot in plain articulate language.
From the Tower of the Franciscan church we had a very distinct view of the beautiful country which surrounds Padua. All the objects, at a little distance, seemed delightful35 and flourishing; but every thing under our eyes indicated wretchedness and decay.
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1
relinquishing
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| 交出，让给( relinquish的现在分词 )； 放弃 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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7
disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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8
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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9
populous
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| adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的 | |
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10
sewers
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| n.阴沟，污水管，下水道( sewer的名词复数 ) | |
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11
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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12
tedded
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| v.翻晒( ted的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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porticoes
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| n.柱廊，（有圆柱的）门廊( portico的名词复数 ) | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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16
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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18
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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votaries
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| n.信徒( votary的名词复数 )；追随者；（天主教）修士；修女 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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fresco
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| n.壁画；vt.作壁画于 | |
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23
endue
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| v.赋予 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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25
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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27
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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28
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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29
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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30
relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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31
authenticity
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| n.真实性 | |
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32
nonplussed
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| adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
recollecting
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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34
confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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35
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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