JOTTINGS FROM A TRAVELLER’S JOURNAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1252, 13 May 1884, Page 2

JOTTINGS FROM A TRAVELLER’S JOURNAL.

[SPECI ALLY WRITTEN FOR " THE ASHBURTON GUARDIAN.”} CHAPTER XXDL A Great Library—Guido's Osnoj— A Suggestive Picture. The library contains many literary treasures and curiosities, and is especially rich in manuscript letters of Galileo, Bembo, Rellarmine, and other men of mark. Amongst the varieties is a Biblp of the fourth century, and a gorgeously illuminated missal. The spacious hall is - adorned with a number of statues, and the ceiling is superbly ornamented with frescoes. The subjects are mostly mythological—Vulcan’s Forge, the destruction of the Titans by Minerva, and other groups, the exact meaning of which I did not understand. There are also four large frescoes of the Fathers of the Church—they were removed from the dome of St Peter’s to make room for mosaics and some tapestries of cations interest; one of them represents the Virgin herself, assisted by angels, bringing to Urban the insignia of his office as head of the Church.

r The picture gallery contains several of ■ the works of the great masters, besides a - great number of paintings of less note. I ' single jout the portrait of Beatrice Oencl, by Guido Reni, as one of the chief attractions. Some authorities assert it'to have been painted from life shortly before her . execution ; others, that Guido painted from memory after having seen her on her way to the scaffold; while others maintain that it is but the likeness of a model, and that Beatrice was dead before Guido came to Rome. I cannot pretend to decide between these conflicting statements ; 1 can only sty it is a most> remarkable picture, and undoubtedly the original of the numberless copies to be seen in almost every corner of Rome. The commonly received history of the portrait' is as follows Fire days had'been passed by Beatrice in the secret prisons of the Torre Savclla, when at an early hour in the morning, her'advocate; FafU nacci, entered her sad abode. ’ With him appeared a young man of about flve years of age’, dressed' in the fashion of a writer in tbe ciiurt of justice of fjiaf day. Unheeded by BeafiHoa, he ps? girding bw at a littlg ‘distance, with fixed attention. She hijd rjsoq frop) b«F miserable pallet, bqt, qnljke thg wretched inmate of a duqgeqn, she seem*d echoing frotp a brighter -piece, Lior eyeaNtero of liquid softness, her forehead large nd clear, her countenance]of angelic mysteriously beautiful Around her a fold of white muslin had been wrapped, from whence in rich fell her f i uni tav’io,; hau-. • sorrow imp tried an air touching semi*

bility tabor lovely features With ell the eagerness of hops ehe ugge l Farmseat to tell her frankly if his visit fore- . boded good) end easured him of her gratitude for the anxiety he evinced to save her life. Farinaoci convened with her for some time, while e% e distance sat his companion, alr+ffthmg the features of Beatrice. Turning round she observed this with displea sure and surprise. Farinaoci explainet that this seeming writer was the cele bated painter Ouido Reni, who earnestly desired her picture, had entreated to b admitted into the prison for the purposi of obtaining so rich an acquisition. A first unwilling, but afterwards consenting she tamed and said —‘ Signor Guido your renown might make me desirous o; knowing you, but how will you under value me in my present situation. From the fatality that surrounds me you will judge me guilty. Perhaps my face will tell you I am not wicked; it will show yon too that I now languish in this prison, which I may quit only to ascend the scaffold. Your great name and my sad story may make my portrait interesting ‘ and,’ she added with touching simplicity, 'the picture will awaken compassion if you write on one of its angles the words innoeeate.’ The great artist set himielf to work and produced the picture now in the Folazzo Barberini—a picture that rivets the attention of every beholder, ; which, once seen, ever after hovers over the memory with an interest the harrowing and mysterious.” There is one other picture in the gallery abont which 1 must say a few words. It attracted my attention, not because of the attractiveness of the subject, but the extraordinary power with which the subject is treated. Joseph and Potiphar’s wife by Beloverti is. a remarkable production. The artist has contrived to make the voluptuous nature of the woman apparent in every Ine of her figure. The effect is ■lmply marvellous. Not only every feature of her fa* a betrays guilty passion, „ but every limb of her body proclaims her i lustful eagerness. In her struggle to detain the unwilling youth, whose countenance expresses mingled shame, surprise and horror, she baa placed her naked foot oh one of his; the artist, by some occult ■kill, has made it almost painfully evident that this casual contact has added fuel to the fire of the unlaw* fol desire of the faithless wife. Altogether it is a picture of mirprising power* verbal description couldfhot more ' vividly pouxtray the iniquitous scene than has been done by the artist with his colors on the canvas. . Whan I say that the Ba berini Palace is of snch vast dimensions that a single 'Compartment embraces forty rooms, its extent as a . whole may be imagined. I spent a considerable time there, and yet mysuryeyof the splendid but comparatively useless edifice was but superficial. I returned te my quarters in the hotel tired, but not dissatisfied with the day’s work. Yiatob.