row and thorny way, first
instructs him in the seven works of Mercy, and then leads him to the
hill of Heavenly Contemplation; whence, having a sight of the New
Jerusalem, as Christian of the Delectable Mountains, he goes forth to
the final victory over Satan, the old serpent, with which the book
closes.

3. AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT IN ITALY.

I cannot close these volumes without expressing my astonishment and
regret at the facility with which the English allow themselves to be
misled by any representations, however openly groundless or ridiculous,
proceeding from the Italian Liberal party, respecting the present
administration of the Austrian Government. I do not choose here to enter
into any political discussion, or express any political opinion; but it
is due to justice to state the simple facts which came under my notice
during my residence in Italy. I was living at Venice through two entire
winters, and in the habit of familiar association both with Italians and
Austrians, my own antiquarian vocations rendering such association
possible without exciting the distrust of either party. During this
whole period, I never once was able to ascertain, from any liberal
Italian, that he had a single _definite_ ground of complaint against the
Government. There was much general grumbling and vague discontent; but I
never was able to bring one of them to the point, or to discover what it
was that they wanted, or in what way they felt themselves injured; nor
did I ever myself witness an instance of oppression on the part of the
Government, though several of much kindness and consideration. The
indignation of those of my own countrymen and countrywomen whom I
happened to see during their sojourn in Venice was always vivid, but by
no means large in its grounds. English ladies on their first arrival
invariably began the conversation with the same remark: "What a
dreadful thing it was to be ground under the iron heel of despotism!"
Upon closer inquiries it always appeared that being "ground under the
heel of despotism" was a poetical expression for being asked for one's
passport at San Juliano, and required to fetch it from San Lorenzo, full
a mile and a quarter distant. In like manner, travellers, after two or
three days' residence in the city, used to return with pitiful
lamentations over "the misery of the Italian people." Upon inquiring
what instances they had met with of this misery, it invariably turned
out that their gondolier