tracted in its import; so that by some it means little more than a few of the more remarkable objects of the external world. Some have given it a local habitation, as well as misapplied the name; and men have been gravely sent for it into the country, as if nature were only or principally there. This is a great misuse of the term. Wherever man is, there truly and emphatically is nature. It is within and around him every where. His endless capacity of all greatness and of all goodness; his perception and his enjoyment of all that is external to him, and of all the creations of his own soul; every thing with which it is worthy of his noble nature to sympathize, and all of good he can feel and communicate; all this is nature, a part of that glorious creation in the very midst of which he is placed. He does not require to be transported to new regions and other scenes, to be in the midst of, and to enjoy nature. His own mind is the highest work of that power which created every thing, and by its own mysterious endowments brings him nearer to that which it is his highest interest to comprehend and adore. Nature to him is an expression of power. It is, in its grand and its little, a simple manifestation of power, but a manifestation for him, and always present to him. Can he be far from nature, who has within himself that for which all this is made, and which, of all created beings, he is alone capable of feeling and loving? These remarks are made to remove an objection not unfrequently brought against human condition as we actually find it, that this condition is unfriendly to the whole enjoyment of nature, in other words, the reaching to the highest happiness and intellectual growth, which is attainable on earth. The harmony of our condition (infinitely varied as it may be) with all about us and with our whole nature, is as complete as it is beautiful. Nothing in it of itself, and necessarily, can make man unhappy, vile, or wretched; for he is in the full possession of a power originally designed for, and capable of a supreme control. It can make him happy where his condition seems most calamitous. It creates for him a new heaven and a new earth, for it is itself the dwelling-place of principles and emotions, which are in natural correspondence with all of good, grand, and beautiful, around him. Give him the blessed light of the sun alone, and is he placed beyond the power of nature? Make him blind, but is he in darkness? The light of his own soul is around and within him. This is a brighter ray than the sun's, and it will glow and beam more brightly, when that glorious orb has forgotten its splendor. Is the painter at his easel, or the poet in his garret, shut out from nature? Whence, then, that dazzling light, that impenetrable depth of shade, that sky, and that ocean,-and whence that verse of inspiration and prophecy, but from nature, nature most deeply felt, and most truly enjoyed? It would be trite to say, that there are situations more favorable than others for the apprehension and love of nature. But it is exceedingly important that it should be said, and felt, that this influence does not belong exclusively to place, and that a mind fitted for the happiness, can never be wholly deprived of the means of obtaining it. ITALIAN LYRICAL POETRY. ALAMANNI. LUIGI ALAMANNI is chiefly admired at the present time for his didactic poem in blank verse, on agriculture, entitled La Coltivazione. His poetical writings, however, were very numerous, and of many different kinds. He wrote a comedy in blank verse; an heroic poem in the style of Ariosto, called Girone il Cortese; a travesty of the Iliad; together with a number of lyrical pieces, including elegies, eclogues, satires, sonnets, hymns, and other poems of the same class. Alamanni was born at Florence, in 1495. His family were originally partizans of the Medici; but, in consequence of their tyrannical conduct, Alamanni, on his arrival at manhood, separated from his old party, and, in concert with Macchiavelli, in 1522, joined in a conspiracy against the Medici. The conspiracy was discovered, but Alamanni fortunately escaped from his country. He wandered about in different parts of France and Lombardy, until 1527, when, during the temporary triumph of the republican party, he was recalled to Florence, and invested with some of the highest offices of the state. The return of the Medici to power, in 1530, again compelled him to seek refuge in France. He was favorably received by Francis I., and employed by him and by his son, Henry II., in many important embassies, and continued attached to the court until his death, which happened in 1556, at Amboise. The fidelity and uncommon ability displayed by Alamanni, were well rewarded by his royal patrons; and in addition to this, Alamanni had, long before his death, reaped all the advantages of extensive literary reputation. The minor poems of Alamanni were distinguished for their elegance, grace, and felicity of diction. Indeed, he is said to have possessed the talent of improvising with great facility. His narrative poems, in the opinion of Sismondi, although not deficient in harmony of versificationn or variety of incidents, are yet dull, and incapable of awakening that vivid interest, which is the charm of his model, the Orlando Furioso. They are, therefore, comparatively forgotten even in Italy. But the poem on Cultivation still retains a place among the classical poetry of the language, by reason of the purity and elegance of its style, and the method and wisdom of its precepts. In illustration of the manner of this poet, I have selected a couple of his most admired sonnets. TO ITALY. Thanks be to God, my feet are now addressed, After six weary years,-since destiny While hope and joy my troubled spirit flee, I turn me, then, the snowy Alps to tread, And seek the Gaul, more kindly prompt to greet Since Heaven decrees, and thou dost so incline. Vaucluse, ye hills and glades and shady vale, Which breathes throughout the immortal poet still, CAPPELLO. BERNARDO CAPPELLO was born at Venice, of an illustrious patrician family, about the beginning of the sixteenth century. He was happy in possessing the friendship of Bembo at an early period, whilst the latter resided at Padua; and formed his taste according to the principles and instructions of his distinguished friend. A maxim advanced by him in the senate, which was esteemed dangerous to the public tranquillity, caused him to be condemned, in 1540, to perpetual banishment from Venice. After living two years on the island of Arba, his place of exile, he was cited to render an account of his conduct, and thought it safest to seek refuge from his enemies in the States of the Church. He was cordially received by cardinal Alessandro Farnese, and honored with the government of Orvieto and Tivoli. He lived first at Urbino, where the rarest geniuses of Italy were then assembled, and afterwards at Rome, where he died, in 1565, without having ever succeeded in making his peace with the republic. His poetry is considered by his countrymen as claiming to rank with the best compositions of his age. The feeling of his persecution is strongly expressed in the following SONNET. Thoughts of desponding and despairing grief,- Few are the fleeting moments, few and brief, C. MY DEAR C LETTER FROM AN AMERICAN IN EUROPE. Göttingen. By way of concluding my sketch of Göttingen, I propose to throw together, in the present letter, some detached memoranda, whose want of connexion I trust you will pardon, if they are in any wise illustrative of the peculiar manners that are here prevalent. To begin, I will take you with me to a dinner-party at the celebrated Professor E's, to which my friend and myself were the other day invited. The invitation was sent verbally by a servant, requesting that we would take soup with her master the next day at one o'clock. We were shown up stairs, and carried our hats with us into an uncarpeted room, where the gentleman and lady of the house were receiving their company. We all remained, standing and conversing, above half an hour, when dinner was announced. The company then separated into two lines, as if by word of command. Much modest reluctance was displayed with regard to taking precedence in entering the diningroom; but, after repeated efforts, our entertainer succeeded in shoving forwards two old clergymen. An elderly professor then stepped out of the ranks, and led Madame E to her place at the table; and the rest of the party, after bowing to each other for a minute, followed in the exact order of their rank. Each person found his name written on a little strip of paper, and left on the plate assigned to him. Not an article of food was on the table when we sat down. Soup was soon produced, and placed before the lady of the house, who filled the plates, which were then carried round by the servants. The other dishes followed in considerable number, but at long intervals. They were first placed on the table, but soon removed, carved by the servants at a side-table, and carried round to every guest. Four different wines were successively produced, of which Champagne was the last, and glasses of a different shape with each. After the formalities of entrance, much ease and sociability characterized the manners of the company. Our hostess, who was the only lady at table, did not leave it sooner than the gentlemen, nor was the cloth removed while we staid. When we rose, every one turned about to his right and left, and made a bow to his neighbours. Our host stood at the door, and each one, as he passed into the next apartment, took his leave by bowing or shaking hands. On this I took it for granted we were to separate forthwith, but found myself much mistaken; the whole company remained in the adjoining room, where coffee was immediately served. They stood chatting and sipping their coffee for half an hour, and then gradually departed, without any farther leave-taking. Dining so early as twelve or one o'clock, these good people find it requisite to take another meal at eight. The first evening that I was invited to supper, after the company had stood, hat in hand, a full hour, we sat down to table at nine. The board was tastefully decorated with vases of flowers, that intercepted the glare of the lights. The ladies carved, while the gentlemen sat unemployed. But such was the unending succession of dishes, |