This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
[Picture: Portrait of Author]
FROM
THE THAMES
TO THE TIBER;
OR,
MY VISIT TO PARIS, ROME, FLORENCE, VENICE,
MILAN, SWITZERLAND, ETC.,
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
* * * * *
BY
J. WARDLE
Author of
“General Gordon, Saint and Soldier.”
“Tour in Palestine and Egypt.”
“Sound at heart,” etc.
* * * * *
A. TAYLOR,
CHAPEL BAR, NOTTINGHAM.
1909.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAPTER I.
London: Its teeming millions of population; Its commercial 1
aspect: Leaving Victoria Station for New Haven: On the
boat: New found friends: Landing at Dieppe: Leaving for
Paris: Arrival at Rouen: Its Cathedral, etc.
CHAPTER II.
Arrival at Paris: Our Hotel—“Hotel Londres and New York”: 11
Visit to the Louvre: The Cathedral of Notre Dame: The
Church of St. Geniveve: The Pantheon: Bloody Bartholomew:
Its awful massacre.
CHAPTER III.
Paris: Palace de Concorde: Champs-Elysees: The Bois de 19
Boulogne: The extensive Boulevards: The River Seine:
Leaving Paris: Arrival at Dijon: Our Hotel: Dijon: Its
Churches, etc.: Our journey to Chambery, etc.
CHAPTER IV.
Through Mont Cenis Tunnel: Passing the Customs: Our new 28
friend—Nurse Reynolds: Our scrimmage for provisions at
Turin: Arrival at Genoa and Table-de-hote: Arrival at
Rome: Our Hotel, etc.
CHAPTER V.
Visit to the Forum and Coliseum: Crossing the Tiber: 36
Castle of St. Angelo: Palace of Justice: Trajan’s Column:
Garibaldi’s Monument: The Appian Way: St. Peter’s: Its
magnitude and magnificence: Michael Angelo’s work.
CHAPTER VI.
Rome, continued: St. Peter’s Cathedral: St. Peter’s 50
Statue: His resting place: The Columns, Pictures, Fonts,
Confessionals, etc., etc.: The Vatican: The Professional
Letter Writer: The Arch of Titus: Statue of Nero, etc.
CHAPTER VII.
The Church of the Trinity: St. Maria: Church of Onesemus: 67
The Grand Corso: The British and Foreign Bible Society:
Outside view of the Quirinal: Nero’s House: Leaving Rome:
Scene at a wayside station: Arrival at Florence: Visit to
the Cathedral.
CHAPTER VIII.
Florence: Michael Angelo’s House: Baptistry of St. John: 77
The Uffizi Gallery: The Tribune: A drive to the suburbs:
Dante’s House: His Poems: Mrs. Browning on Vallambrosa:
Michael Angelo’s work: Galileo, his trial, etc.
CHAPTER IX.
Appalling catastrophe in Italy: Messina: Savonarola: His 90
defiance of the Pope: His excommunication: His prison
cell, etc.: His martyrdom: Raphael: His genius as a
painter: His works: The old Protestant Cemetery: Leaving
Florence: Bologna: Crossing the Lagoons: Venice.
CHAPTER X.
Arrival at Venice: The ubiquitous Gondolo: The Grand 102
Canal: The curious water ways: Our Hotel: A snap shot of a
Gondolo and its freight: St. Mark’s Cathedral: Its curious
history: Its wonderful Tower, and its interior
possessions.
CHAPTER XI.
The Pigeons in St. Mark’s Square: Description of its 113
interior: The Palace of the Doges: The Bridge of Sighs:
The general Archives of Venice: Church of St. Maria dei
Frari: A London Polytechnic Party: The slums of Venice:
Our leaving.
CHAPTER XII.
Arrival in Milan: Our visit to the Cathedral: Its Spires, 127
and Turrets: Its Stained Glass Windows, Altars, Pictures,
and Sculpture: The Church of St. Ambrogio: The Bera
Picture Gallery: The Hospital: Leaving Milan: Arrival at
Como: Lake Como.
CHAPTER XIII.
Arrival at Lugano: The river Tessin and its bridge of ten 140
arches: Bellinzono: Entrance to the great St. Gothard
Tunnel: Station of Andermath: St. Bernard’s Hospice: The
Devil’s Bridge: The Wood Cutter at Work: William Tell’s
Chapel: His story: Lucerne: Our Hotel: Our run up the
Sonnenberg, etc.
CHAPTER XIV.
The glacier gardens: The Lion of Lucerne: The glacier mill 153
holes: The museum: The Bridge over the Reuss: The
Cathedral: Pilatus Mountain: Leaving Lucerne: Zurich: Lake
of Zurich: Zwingli, the reformer.
CHAPTER XV.
From Zurich to Basle: Arrival in Basle: Our Hotel: Our 165
visit to the Rhine Bridge: “The Watch on the Rhine”: The
Market: The Cathedral and its sculpture, etc.: Erasmus:
The Museum: The Zoological gardens: Leaving Basle: Arrival
at Belfort: Belfort besieged.
CHAPTER XVI.
At Marseilles: Our Hotel; Meeting Mr. and Mrs. Green and 175
Mrs. Martin: The sights of the City: The Cathedral, etc.:
En route for Mentone: Toulon: Passing Nice: Cannes:
Arrival at Mentone: Our Hotel: Meeting Mr. and Miss Brown:
The scenery, etc.: Visit to Monte Carlo.
CHAPTER XVII.
Monte Carlo: Its Casino and gardens: Leave taking at 185
Mentone of Mr. and Miss Brown: Arrival at Cannes: Meeting
Mr. and Mrs. Green: Cannes, its scenery, etc.: Visit to
Grasse: Journey to Paris: London: Home, Sweet Home.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
FACING
PAGE
i. St. Martin’s-le-Grand, London 3
ii. The Marble Arch, London 4
iii. Triumphal Arch, Paris 15
iv. The Bastille Column, Paris 20
v. Christian Martyrs in the Colosseum, 37
Rome
vi. The Roman Forum, Rome 39
vii. The Pantheon, Rome 41
viii. Garibaldi’s Monument, Rome 45
ix. St. Peter’s Cathedral, Rome 49
x. The Arch of Titus, Rome 61
xi. Church of the Trinity, Rome 67
xii. Team of Oxen in Tuscany 72
xiii. Dante and Beatrice, Florence 83
xiv. Mrs. Wardle near the Duomo, Florence 81
xv. St. Mark’s Cathedral, Venice 109
xvi. Mrs. Wardle and Miss Himmel by the 116
Doges Pillar, Venice
xvii. Ditto, in Gondola, Venice 105
xviii. Milan Cathedral, Milan 129
xix. St. Gothard Tunnel 141
xx. William Tell’s Monument 145
xxi. Lion of Lucerne 153
xxii. The Rhine Bridge, Basle 167
xxiii. The Casino, Monte Carlo 185
xiv. Miss Brown at Mentone 183
xxv. Mr. and Mrs. Green, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. 189
Wardle and Mrs. Giles at Cannes
“Go, little book, God send the good passage,
And specially let this be thy prayer:
Unto them all that thee will read or hear,
Where thou art wrong, after their help to call,
Thee to correct in any part or all.”
—CHAUCER.
CHAPTER I.
London: Its teeming millions of population: Its commercial aspect:
Leaving Victoria Station for New Haven: On the Boat: New found friends:
Landing at Dieppe: Leaving for Paris: Rouen, its Cathedral, etc.
We had settled to have a holiday—not a mere pic-nic, not a week-end at
Blackpool, or a tour of a few days in the Isle of Man—but a real
first-class, out-and-out trip. Where then is it to be? Why, to Rome and
back, came the reply. From St. Paul’s in London, the largest city in the
world, to St. Peter’s in Rome, one of the great cities of the ancient
world.
“To Rome!” my friends said in astonishment.
“Yes! to Rome.” There seems to be magic in the very word. Rome—The
Eternal City. The city of the seven hills. The city of which St. Paul
was proud to be a citizen. See Acts, chapter 22, verse 25. “Is it
lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, uncondemned?” verse 28.
“Then the Chief Captain came and said unto him. Tell me, art thou a
Roman?” He said, “Yes.”
Rome stands for power. Her proud eagles once swept their wings over
almost the then known world. Rome stands for antiquity, greatness,
wealth, splendour, conquest and colonization, liberty, law, self control,
prowess, skill. But, alas! It also stands for cruelty, luxury, strife,
war, humiliation, decay, decline.
This is the objective really of our holiday. Now it is settled, ways and
means, and the route, etc., are but details. Packing! Well, I am a poor
hand at packing. I think it must be a gift to be able to pack well. I
think a good packer must be born, not made. If I pack, sure as fate, the
things I want first are at the bottom of the trunk. My dear little wife,
to whom I owe much for packing and general comfort during the tour, and,
indeed, I owe to her well-kept journal, much that assists me to make this
record of our holiday.
[Picture: St. Martin’s Le-Grand, London]
On the 25th September, 1907, we found ourselves en route for London,
followed by the good wishes and prayers of loved ones left behind, also
of the many friends we knew had kind thoughts of us. We reached London
about 6 p.m., and were soon snug and comfortable in “The Manchester
Hotel.” We had no time and no special wish just now to see London.
London cannot be seen in a day or two. Its magnitude bewilders, having a
population of about 7,000,000, and for its teeming millions, there is
need of bread, milk, beef, clothes, work, etc. We cannot understand at a
glance what it means. In London we have the largest breweries,
distilleries, and sugar refineries in the Kingdom; also many metal
manufacturers and machine makers, including: plate, jewellery, watches,
brass works, and all kinds of tin and zinc works; large printing and
publishing houses; also, as you know, large millinery and tailoring
establishments; cabinet-making on a most extensive scale,
leather-working, coopering, coach-building, ship-building, hat-making,
extensive chemical works, soap manufacturing and dye works; also dock
labourers, ’bus drivers, cab drivers, tram guards and drivers, railway
men and engine drivers, policemen, postmen, ministers of religion, there
being over 3,000 churches in this great city, and many other means of
living besides the few I have mentioned. Then there are its hotels, as
“The Manchester Hotel” where we are staying, “The Midland Grand,” “Grand
Hotel,” Trafalgar Square, “The Victoria Hotel” in Northumberland Avenue.
Many more offering accommodation to the tens of thousands of visitors to
this great city from all lands. We cannot refrain from mentioning the
religious aspect of the city. We have our noble Cathedral, St. Paul’s,
always worth a visit, if only for its monuments and torn banners, and its
choral service; then we have “Spurgeon’s Tabernacle”; “The City Temple,”
where once ministered that mighty man of God, Dr. J. Parker; also
Wesley’s Church; City Road West London Mission, and many others I cannot
describe.
Its theatres on all hands, who claim their votaries by tens of thousands
nightly. The underground electric railways give to the city traveller
and visitor an idea of the vastness and importance of the City. However,
it was no part of my intention when I began this record to describe
London, so I will content myself with saying we only spent one night in
the city on our outward journey.
[Picture: The Marble Arch, London] Many of my readers will be quite
familiar with the streets, shops, bazaars and churches of this great hive
of human life, human industry, and human skill. A good night’s rest and
we rose refreshed for our journey, now it is to Paris. We had very
little difficulty in re-packing our valise and trunk, settling our
account and calling to our rescue a porter. We were soon in train at
Snow Hill for Victoria, arriving at this latter place in time to catch
“The Continental” for New Haven and Dieppe. It is not an easy matter
even with a porter to guide you, to find out amidst such a labyrinth of
platforms and stair-cases to find the train you want, and to get a
comfortable seat. We managed, however, ultimately to reach the right
platform and to find a seat in a comfortable compartment. We noticed our
fellow passengers, by label on their luggage, were also going to foreign
fields and to Continental cities. The morning was a lovely autumn
morning. As we steamed out of Victoria Station we got a sight of the
lovely landscape, the morning sun was shining in great brilliance. We
passed villages of importance, and towns in rapid succession. Lewes was
a stopping place not far from New Haven. We did not stay long at this
station, just long enough for the railway officials to satisfy themselves
we were all furnished with tickets for the Continent. After leaving
Lewes, we were in New Haven in about half-an-hour.
New Haven is about 56 miles from London. A pretty place, lying at the
foot of the white chalk cliffs. It has a population of about 3,000. It
is, however, an important place, as the mail packets for the cities of
Europe leave here twice daily. Our train ran us very close up to the
landing stage, and the securing our luggage and getting it conveyed from
train to steamer was only the work of about ten minutes, and was managed
without the least difficulty. The weather continued all we could desire,
and it seemed quite clear we were going to have a calm sea and a pleasant
voyage across channel. We got very nice seats on the boat; we found our
fellow-passengers on the whole most agreeable, polite, and, indeed,
friendly; were we not all on pleasure bent, and should we not now, on the
wide ocean, show to others respect. We strolled the deck of our pretty
little vessel, she was a beauty, and behaved so well, we had not the
least fear of that terrible disease that afflicts so many who sail the
seas, I mean what the French call mal-de-mer—“the sickness of the sea.”
We had hardly lost sight of the white cliffs of dear, old England, when
our thoughts went back to home, and to loved ones. Then we began to
think of refreshments. We found a menu that filled us with hopefulness
that an agreeable meal at least might be obtained. We went to the buffet
and found we could get a real good English dinner. This we had and
enjoyed it heartily; I considered it excellent, and my wife, who is a
connoisseur in the cookery line, declared she was well satisfied.
A newly-married couple joined us. We found they were on their honeymoon.
A very happy couple apparently. In our hearts we wished that their lives
might be as smooth as the sea we were now crossing. We became quite
friends before we got half way across the channel. I had my Kodak with
me, so I must take a snap-shot or two of the happy pair; then I and my
wife must submit to the same process. So the time passed pleasantly, and
in about three hours we were landing on the shores of France at Dieppe.
Our little ship, as if in a hurry to serve us, was quickly up at the
landing stage, and we were safe on shore with our baggage, en route for
the Custom House. We soon found out we were in a foreign land, because a
foreign tongue was spoken, and although I am able to parley vous un peu,
I could not hold conversation with a Frenchman, he speaks so quickly. I,
however, could ask a simple question in French and also give a simple
answer to a question, and this was of immense value to me during this
tour. Our trunks duly examined, and free, we had a short time to look
round Dieppe.
On our strolling about a little, waiting for our train, we saw a little
of this rather important French town and watering place. It has a
population of about 20,000; it lies in a hollow so to speak; the white
chalk hills surround it; the quays are substantially built of solid
masonry. Dieppe seems to have an old castle, quite out-of-date, as a
defence; there is also a citadel of modern construction; a small
light-house, about 40-feet high, stands by the entrance of the town. We
learned that a large number of French people come to Dieppe for the
summer and autumn holidays. There are some works for the labouring
classes, such as: ivory works, one of the most famous in Europe; also
there are some works in horn, in bone, some in lace, some sugar
refineries, a little ship-building, and the fishing industry is fairly
prominent; a good supply of herring and mackerel is sent daily to Paris;
also there are extensive oyster beds, which are a source of profit to the
inhabitants. We boarded the train about 4 o’clock p.m., and leaving
Dieppe and the sea behind us, we steamed away at a rapid rate towards
Paris. We passed some lovely country, rich in fruit and foliage; some
most beautiful Chalets, with grounds like fairyland; also, we saw the
working-class home, apparently very poor, no windows and little
furniture; they seem to live out of doors, and eat very much fruit and
vegetables; they appear, however, healthy and strong. We saw some one or
two cemeteries, and so near we could see very strange archways of flowers
or wood, or marble over the graves, and very large crucifix’s.
We had left our new found friends at Dieppe, so now we were more alone to
enjoy each others company, and to speak of the scenery and places as we
passed them. In about an hour-and-an-half we reached Rouen. A very
large and important railway station. Here we stayed a little while, and
we could see the town was large and important. It was formerly the
capital of the province of Normandy. It is one of the best commercial
centres in France. It has been called the Manchester of France on
account of its great cotton manufactories, producing goods to the value
of 80,000,000 francs annually. It has also manufactories of hosiery,
silk and wool fabrics, hardware and machinery. It is an important
sea-port, as it has a harbour that can receive steamers of 600 tons. It
has a population of about 150,000. The Cathedral of Notre Dame, built
between 1207 and 1210, is a fine Gothic building. The spire is nearly
500 feet high. In this old Cathedral rests the remains of Rollo, first
Duke of Normandy, and his son William.
M. B. Edwards, in a poem, says of this old-world Cathedral:—
“The isles grow dim, and as by winding ways,
Eager I climb St. Onen’s giddy height,
The silver censers vanish from my gaze
As shooting stars upon a dusky night
I hear the chanting vespers at my feet
Like wordless water, music fair and sweet.
“On priest and acolyte and people falls,
From western window many a sapphire ray;
The sculptured knights within the niched walls
Look not more mute and marble-like than they,
Living and dead with fingers clasped seem praying
God and the angels hear what they are saying.
“The city gleams with lights that come and go,
The hills are cut against the opal west;
The river hath a soft and onward flow
As some tired spirit fain to seek its rest,
While from the far outlying mists of green
Tinkle some vesper bells of Church unseen.
“Monk, Martyr, Saint, and paladin arise
Around me now in pinnacled array;
An hour ago they seemed to touch the skies,
At last I stand as near to heaven as they,
And at last ’mid this mute companionship of stone
I cannot feel that I am quite alone.”