The Continental Monthly, Vol. 2 No 4, October, 1862: Devoted To Literature And National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 2 No 4, October, 1862: Devoted To Literature And National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Caper and Dexter were meanwhile as busy as they could be sketching the
scene before them and endeavoring to catch notes of the first plunges
and excited motions of the horses. The active motive-power of the
foreground finished, with a hasty sketch of the Piombinara at the right
hand, in the middle ground the Campagna with its corn-fields and ruined
towers, while in the distance the Lepini mountains stretched away into
cloud-land--all afforded a sketch from which both Caper and Dexter
afterward made two very excellent paintings.
The sketches finished, Signor Ercole insisted upon the artists taking a
stirrup-cup with him before they left for Segni, and accordingly
accompanying him to the house, they drank success to their hospitable
entertainer, and departed highly pleased with this Representative Man.
It is his class--the intelligent Producers of the Papal States--to whom
we must look for all the life that will keep that worn-out old body
sufficiently animated to last until Regenerated Italy can take it in
hand, see it decently buried, and over its tomb achieve a brilliant
future.
PAINTING A DONKEY.
Segni might well boast of her hogs and donkeys. As the sun rose, a
wild-looking fellow stood by the Maggiore Gate and blew on a long horn
many rough blasts; then from all the streets and alleys rushed out black
hogs tumultuously, to the number of one hundred or more, and followed
their pastor with the horn, to the field or forest. There he guarded
them all day, and at sunset brought them back to the town; when as soon
as they reached the gate, the herd separated, and right and left, at
top-speed, every hog hastened to his own house. Poor as the inhabitants
were, yet among the five thousand of them living in the town, besides
countless black hogs, they owned over two hundred and fifty donkeys and
mules, the majority donkeys of the longest-eared, smallest-body breed
you can conceive. Costing little if any thing to support them, they were
excellent labor-saving machines, and did three quarters of the work that
in our country would have been done by hod and wheelbarrow labor. Very
sure-footed, they were well calculated for traveling the mountain-roads
around; and with their enormous saddles, a direct copy of those now used
in Egypt, of course attracted the attention of the two animal-painters,
who determined to secure a good specimen, and make a sketch of donkey
and saddle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account