The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852Various
History
The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
accordingly let our adventurer go, counselling him, however, to write to
the English ambassador at Vienna for a passport, lest he should get into
further trouble.
Jackson passed through the Tyrol into Italy, every where indulging his
love of scenery and still greater love of adventure; studying with all
the acuteness of his countrymen the varied characters of the people he
met with, and in his correspondence with home friends, sketching them in
language striking for its force, its propriety, and originality. Some of
his remarks on men and manners are conceived in a truly Goldsmithian
vein, whilst all testify at once to the goodness of his heart and the
quickness of his perceptions. At Venice he says that he felt it to be
"such a feast of enjoyment as seldom falls to the lot of man, and never
to the lot of any but a poor man, who has nothing conspicuous about him
to attract the notice of the crowd," to possess such facilities as he
did for learning what the people of foreign countries really were.
At Albenga, in Piedmont, Jackson arrived one night, tired, hungry, and
drenched with rain. Intending to put up at the "Albergo di San
Dominico," which he had been informed was the best inn, he went by
accident to the convent of the same name, and entering, called loudly to
be shown to a private room. "Instead of telling me I was wrong," he
says, "the young brethren looked waggish, and began to laugh: when a man
is cold and hungry, he can ill brook being the sport of others;" so
accordingly--peppery again--he shook his stick angrily at the young
monks. And at last one of the most courteous and demure of the number,
coming forward, said that although theirs was not exactly a public
house, still the stranger was heartily welcome to walk in, rest, and
refresh himself. Discovering his mistake, Jackson of course lost no time
in making his bow, his apologies, and acknowledgments.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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