Roscoe, Thomas; Prout, Samuel [Ill.]: The tourist in Italy (London: Robert Jennings and William Chaplin, 1831)

vi
olive groves, its sunny hills, covered with vines and
flowers; and still more, its monuments of past and
mightier ages—-wonders of art no longer to be
equalled—fragments of an older and greater worldI
Or where may we beguile pleasanter hours, or in-
dulge loftier aspirations, than amidst the scenes
where genius and valour carried their patriotic
daring and achievements to the highest summits of
human greatness and devotion ?
On the Forum, or on the Bridge of Sighs-
among the deserted fanes or ruined palaces of the
crownless queens of the earth and of the ocean, the
thoughts of the tourist still dwell with melancholy
pleasure; and “Time, war, flood, and fire” have
vainly dealt their fury upon cities whose recol-
lections present us with all that is most splendid
and daring in thought and action—in the arts of
peace or the exploits of war.
Rome and Venice are not places to be passed
over in a season. Mirrors of wisdom to future
ages—as full of moral doctrine as of monuments of
mightier days—the utter extremes of human power
and weakness are typified in their history and their
doom:

<£ Their doors sealed up, and silent as the night
The dwellings of the illustrious dead!”