s
in two crossing carriages similarly assault each other; and there are
long balconies hung the whole way with a deep canvas pocket full of this
mortal shot. One Russian Grand Duke goes with a troop of youngsters in a
wagon, all dressed in brown linen frocks and masked, and pelts among the
most furious, also being pelted. The children are of course preeminently
vigorous, and there is a considerable circulation of real sugar-plums,
which supply consolation for all disappointments."

The whole to conclude, as is proper, with a display, with two displays,
of fireworks; in which art, as in some others, Rome is unrivalled:--

"_February 9th_, 1839.--It seems to be the ambition of all the lower
classes to wear a mask and showy grotesque disguise of some kind; and I
believe many of the upper ranks do the same. They even put St. Peter's
into masquerade; and make it a Cathedral of Lamplight instead of a stone
one. Two evenings ago this feat was performed; and I was able to see it
from the rooms of a friend near this, which command an excellent view of
it. I never saw so beautiful an effect of artificial light. The evening
was perfectly serene and clear; the principal lines of the building, the
columns, architrave and pediment of the front, the two inferior cupolas,
the curves of the dome from which the dome rises, the ribs of the dome
itself, the small oriel windows between them, and the lantern and ball
and cross,--all were delineated in the clear vault of air by lines of
pale yellow fire. The dome of another great Church, much nearer to
the eye, stood up as a great black mass,--a funereal contrast to the
luminous tabernacle.

"While I was looking at this latter, a red blaze burst from the summit,
and at the same moment seemed to flash over the whole building, filling
up the pale outline with a simultaneous burst of fire. This is a
celebrated display; and is done, I believe, by the employment of a very
great number of men to light, at the same instant, the torches which are
fixed for the purpose all over the building. After the first glare of
fire, I did not think the second aspect of the building so beautiful
as the first; it wanted both softness and distinctness. The two most
animated days of the Carnival are still to come."

"_April 4th_, 1839.--We have just come to the termination of all the
Easter spectacles here. On Sunday evening St. Peter's was a second time
illuminated; I was in the Piazza, and admired the sight fro