A CLASSICAL TOUR THROUGH ITALY. CHAP. I. Milan, its History, its Cathedral-Comparison between Roman and Gothic Architecture-St. Charles Borromeo, his Character-St. Ambrose -Basilica and Bibliotheca Ambrosiana-Colleges and Hospitals of Milan-Character of its Inhabitants. MILAN, Milano, anciently Mediolanum, may be ranked among the few cities of Italy which have, I will not say escaped, but risen superior to the devastation of ages, wars, and revolutions, and brought down to modern times the greatest part, if not the whole, of their ancient celebrity. This city must be acknowledged to have enjoyed, during certain periods of her history, greater in VOL. IV. B dependence, but it may be doubted whether for any length of time she could boast of so exuberant a population, so wide a circumference, or such durable peace and prosperity, as from the middle to the end of the last century. Many, we well know, are the blessings which accompany independence; but independence, by which I mean exemption from foreign influence, is only a partial advantage if it be not perfected by liberty. This observation is, I think, in a peculiar manner elucidated by the history of Milan, which, from its situation, the fertility of the surrounding country, and the mildness of the climate, soon attained, and with a few intervals of visitation and disaster generally preserved, but never exceeded, a certain mediocrity of fame and magnificence. This city, like most of those situated between the Alps and Apennines, is of Gallic origin. The Insubrians were its founders, and at an early period of Roman history, built it, or rather erected a few hovels, which gradually rose from a village to a town, and at length became a city; or so at least it was called during the reign of Tarquinius Priscus, or his successor Ancus Martius. As the capital of a considerable territory it had acquired, in the year of Rome 531, strength sufficient to keep a Roman army in check for some time, and to require the united efforts of two Consuls. Under Roman' control it enjoyed tranquillity undisturbed for many ages, increased in extent and opulence, improved in the polite arts, and became the seat of an academy honored, if we may be allowed to conjecture from an inscription still extant, with the appellation of Nova Athena. One advantage indeed this city possessed quite peculiar to itself, as its prosperity was rather increased than diminished by the civil wars and the invasions of the third and fourth centuries; so that while the other cities of Italy and of the whole empire were gradually wasting away under the increasing calamities of the times; and even Rome herself, with all her lofty prerogatives of majesty and of fame, saw her streets deserted and her pomp withering under the influence of warring Powers; Milan flourished in population and splendor, and became, not indeed the nominal but oftentimes the real seat of empire. Such was its state under some of the successors of Constantine; and particularly during the reign of the Valentinians, and such its glory when described by Ausonius, and decorated with temples and porticos, with baths and amphitheatres. But here its ancient prosperity closed, and the era of its disasters commenced. Its situation at the foot of the Alps, exposed it to the attacks, while its splendor and fame attracted the attention, of every invading barbarian. Attila visited it in his fury, and first plundered, then butchered its inhabitants. Next the Goths, under Vitiges, in order to punish an effort of Roman spirit indignantly spurning at their yoke, delivered it up to flames and devastation. It was afterwards taken and sacked by the Langobardi, under their king Alboin, and abandoned during the existence of their kingdom, to contempt and insignificance. Charlemagne restored it, in part at least, to its former dignity; but one of his successors, the Emperor Barbarossa, irritated by the insolence of its inhabitants, or perhaps instigated by the neighboring rival cities, razed it to the ground, and if we may believe some historians, tore up its foundations and passed the ploughshare over its ruins. But Milan survived even this tremendous visitation, and rose almost immediately, and even with the assistance of the same prince, from her ashes. This re-establishment, as well as her former splendor, was in some measure owing to the zeal and the authority of her pastors, who, like the Roman pontiffs, after having long been the benefactors and the fathers of their flocks,, at length became their sovereigns. One of them, |