Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. II.djvu/129

Rh people; the poor, or laboring classes, are ignorant and rude—not much above mere animals.

I obtained from M. de Martino, Padre Tosti's work, La Lega Lombarda, “the best book ever written!” added the Neapolitan minister, whom I find to be an intellectual, liberal-minded man, astonishingly frank in his mode of expression. His appearance is kind, clever, and refined, and shows also decided character.

The Neapolitan quality sat at the card-table, gentlemen, for the most part, with beautiful heads and glossy black hair. A young princess, beautiful as a statue, with a red camelia in her dark-brown hair, sat there the whole evening. For the rest, these handsome princes, with their handsome names, are not treated with much more ceremony than less noble people.

“Prince d'Isola Bella, be so good as to ring the bell!” said Madame de Martino, to a young, noble-looking gentleman, who hastily obeyed. My blonde young Swedish friend, with her fair complexion, and bright blue eyes, her quiet, agreeable demeanor, looked extremely well in that circle of dark-eyed, dark-haired Italians. De Rossi was also present, and devoted himself principally to her. Guests were still arriving at midnight.

Yesterday (January 11th), Jenny and I were present at the Lutheran service in the Prussian chapel, on Monte Caprino, near the Capitol. How pure, simple, and sincere, it appeared, in comparison with the worship of the Romish church, and how much more edifying! It was exactly like coming out of the