"intelligent, as well as communicative, than the I found also at Ravenna much educa"tion and liberality of thinking among the «men. "was unbroken in upon by society. Ra"venna lies out of the way of travellers. I 66 was never tired of my rides in the pine-fo"rest: it breathes of the Decameron; it is poetical ground. Francesca lived, and Dante "was exiled and died at Ravenna. There is something inspiring in such an air.*q oder » Lorbrunt * The following lines will shew the attachment Lord Byron had to the tranquil life he led at Ravenna: "Sweet hour of twilight, in the solitude Of the pine-forest and the silent shore mię Rooted where once the Adrian wave flow'd o'er Evergreen forest! which Boccaccio's lore The "The people liked me, as much as they "hated the Government. It is not a little to 66 say, I was popular with all the leaders of the "Constitutional party. They knew that I " came from a land of liberty, and wished well "to their cause. I would have espoused it too, "and assisted them to shake off their fetters. "They knew my character, for I had been liv ❝ing two years at Venice, where many of the "Ravennese have houses. I did not, however, "take part in their intrigues, nor join in their 66 66 political coteries; but I had a magazine of one hundred stand of arms in the house, "when every thing was ripe for revolt. A 66 curse on Carignan's imbecility! I could have pardoned him that too, if he had not mi"peached his partisans. The proscription was The shrill cicalas, people of the pine, Making their summer lives one ceaseless song, "immense in Romagna, and embraced many of "the first nobles: almost all my friends, among "the rest the Gambas, who took no part in "the affair, were included in it. They were "exiled, and their possessions confiscated. 66 They knew that this must eventually drive "me out of the country. I did not follow "them immediately; I was not to be bullied. "I had myself fallen under the eye of the "Government. If they could have got suf"ficient proof, they would have arrested me: "but no one betrayed me; indeed there was "nothing to betray. I had received a very high degree, without passing through the "intermediate ranks. In that corner you see papers of one of their societies. Shortly after "the plot was discovered, I received several anonymous letters, advising me to discon"tinue my forest rides; but I entertained no 66 66 66 66 } apprehensions of treachery, and was more on horseback than ever. I never stir out "without being well armed, and sleep with pistols. They knew that I never missed my "aim; perhaps this saved me. An event "occurred at this time at Ravenna that made 66 a deep impression on me: I alluded to it " in Don Juan.' The military Commandant of "the place, who, though suspected of being se 66 cretly a Carbonaro, was too powerful a man "to be arrested, was assassinated opposite to 66 my palace; a spot perhaps selected by choice "for the commission of the crime. The mea 66 sures which were adopted to screen the mur"derer prove the assassination to have taken 66 place by order of the police. I had my foot "in the stirrup at my usual hour of exercise, "when my horse started at the report of a gun. On looking up I perceived a man "throw down a carbine and run away at full "speed, and another stretched upon the pave"ment, a few yards from me. On hastening "towards him, I found that it was the un"happy Commandant. A crowd was soon "collected, but no one ventured to offer the "least assistance. I soon directed my servant "to lift up the bleeding body and carry it into 66 66 my palace; but it was represented to me that by so doing I should confirm the suspicion " of being of his party, and incur the displeasure of the Government. However, it was "no time to calculate between humanity and 66 66 66 danger. I assisted in bearing him into the house, and putting him on a bed. He was "already dead from several wounds; he ap 66 66 peared to have breathed his last without a struggle. I never saw a countenance so "calm. His adjutant followed the corpse "into the house. I remember his lamentation "over him :- Povero diavolo! non aveva fatto "I am sorry," said he, "not to have a copy "of my Memoirs to shew you; I gave them to "Moore, or rather to Moore's little boy, at Ve"nice. I remember saying, 'Here are 20007. 4 "for you, my young friend.' I made one re |