SMALL | MEDIUM
I
resided for some time in the family of a foreign
prince, at his villa, about fifteen miles from Rome,
among some of the most interesting scenery of
Italy. It is situated on the heights of ancient
Tusculum. In its neighbourhood are the ruins
of the villas of Cicero, Sylla, Lucullus, Rufinus,
and other illustrious Romans, who sought refuge
here occasionally, from their toils, in the bosom
of a soft and luxurious repose. From the midst
of delightful bowers, refreshed by the pure
mountain breeze, the eye looks over a romantic
landscape full of poetical and historical associa-
tions. The Albanian mountains, Tivoli, once
I assisted the prince in the researches which he
was making among the classic ruins of his vici-
nity. His exertions were highly successful.
Many wrecks of admirable statues and frag-
ments of exquisite sculpture were dug up; mo-
numents of the taste and magnificence that
reigned in the ancient Tusculan abodes. He
had studded his villa and its grounds with statues,
relievos, vases and sarcophagi, thus retrieved
from the bosom of the earth.
The mode of life pursued at the villa was de-
lightfully serene, diversified by interesting occu-
pations and elegant leisure. Every one passed
the day according to his pleasure or occupation;
and we all assembled in a cheerful dinner party
at sunset. It was on the fourth of November,
a beautiful serene day, that we had assembled
in the saloon at the sound of the first dinner bell.
The fears of the company increased as evening
closed in. The prince ordered out forest guards,
and domestics with flambeaux to search for the
confessor. They had not departed long, when a
slight noise was heard in the corridor of the
ground floor. The family were dining on the
first floor, and the remaining domestics were oc-
cupied in attendance. There was no one on the
ground floor at this moment but the housekeeper,
the laundress, and three field labourers, who
were resting themselves, and conversing with the
women.
I heard the noise from below, and presuming
it to be occasioned by the return of the absentee,
I left the table, and hastened down stairs, eager
to gain intelligence that might relieve the anxie-
ty of the prince and princess. I had scarcely
reached the last step, when I beheld before me a
man dressed as a bandit; a carbine in his hand,
and a stiletto and pistols in his belt. His coun-
tenance had a mingled expression of ferocity and
trepidation. He sprang upon me, and exclaimed
exultingly, "Ecco il principe!"
I saw at once into what hands I had fallen,
but endeavoured to summon up coolness and pre-
sence of mind. A glance towards the lower end
of the corridor, showed me several ruffians,
clothed and armed in the same manner with the
one who had seized me. They were guarding
the two females and the field labourers. The
robber, who held me firmly by the collar, de-
manded repeatedly whether or not I were the
prince. His object evidently was to carry off
the prince, and extort an immense ransom. He
was enraged at receiving none but vague replies;
for I felt the importance of misleading him.
A sudden thought struck me how I might ex-
tricate myself from his clutches. I was unarm-
ed, it is true, but I was vigorous. His compa-
nions were at a distance. By a sudden exertion
I might wrest myself from him, and spring up the
staircase, whither he would not dare to follow me
singly. The idea was put in execution as soon
as conceived. The ruffian's throat was bare:
with my right hand I seized him by it, just be-
tween the mastoides; with my left hand I grasp-
I had to let go my grasp. The bandit, once
more released, fell upon me with fury, and gave
me several blows with the butt end of his car-
bine, one of which wounded me severely in the
forehead, and covered me with blood. He
took advantage of my being stunned, to rifle
me of my watch, and whatever valuables I had
about my person.
When I recovered from the effects of the
blow, I heard the voice of the chief of the ban-
ditti, who exclaimed, "Quello e il principe,
siamo contente, audiamo!" (It is the prince,
enough, let us be off.) The band immediately
closed round me, and dragged me out of the
palace, bearing off the three labourers likewise.
I had no hat on, and the blood was flowing
from my wound; I managed to staunch it, how-
ever, with my pocket handkerchief, which I
bound round my forehead. The captain of the
band conducted me in triumph, supposing me to
be the prince. We had gone some distance, before
he learnt his mistake from one of the labourers.
His rage was terrible. It was too late to return
to the villa, and endeavour to retrieve his error,
for by this time the alarm must have been given,
and every one in arms. He darted at me a fu-
rious look; swore I had deceived him, and caus-
ed him to miss his fortune; and told me to pre-
pare for death. The rest of the robbers were
equally furious. I saw their hands upon their
poniards; and I knew that death was seldom an
empty menace with these ruffians.
The labourers saw the peril into which their
information had betrayed me, and eagerly as-
sured the captain that I was a man for whom
the prince would pay a great ransom. This pro-
duced a pause. For my part, I cannot say that
I had been much dismayed by their menaces.
We descended rapidly towards the road of la
Molara, which leads to Rocca Priori. In the
midst of this road is a solitary inn. The
captain ordered the troop to halt at the distance
of a pistol shot from it; and enjoined profound
silence. He then approached the threshold alone,
After pursuing our road a little farther, we struck
The captain now held an ink-horn, and giving
I knew enough of the desperate character of
these beings to feel assured this was not an idle
menace. Their only mode of insuring attention
to their demands, is to make the infliction of the
penalty inevitable. I saw at once, however,
that the demand was preposterous, and made in
improper language.
I told the captain so, and assured him, that so ex-
travagant a sum would never be granted; "that
I was neither a friend or relative of the prince,
but a mere artist, employed to execute certain
paintings. That I had nothing to offer as a ran-
som but the price of my labours; if this were
not sufficient, my life was at their disposal: it
was a thing on which I sat but little value."
I was the more hardy in my reply, because I
saw that coolness and hardihood had an effect
The robbers now prepared themselves for sleep,
and I was told that I might do the same. They
spread their great cloaks on the ground, and lay
down around me. One was stationed at a little dis-
tance to keep watch, and was relieved every two
hours. The strangeness and wildness of this
mountain bivouac, among lawless beings whose
hands seemed ever ready to grasp the stiletto,
and with whom life was so trivial and insecure,
was enough to banish repose. The coldness of the
earth and of the dew, however, had a still greater
effect than mental causes in disturbing my rest.
The airs wafted to these mountains from the dis-
tant Mediterranean diffused a great chilliness as
the night advanced. An expedient suggested itself.
Day at length dawned, and I was roused
from my slumber by the voice of the chieftain.
He desired me to rise and follow him. I obey-
ed. On considering his physiognomy attentive-
ly, it appeared a little softened. He even assist-
ed me in scrambling up the steep forest among
rocks and brambles. Habit had made him a vi-
gorous mountaineer; but I found it excessively
toilsome to climb those rugged heights. We ar-
rived at length at the summit of the mountain.
Here it was that I felt all the enthusiasm of my
art suddenly awakened; and I forgot, in an in-
stant, all perils and fatigues at this magnificent
view of the sunrise in the midst of the moun-
tains of Abruzzi. It was on these heights that
Hannibal first pitched his camp, and pointed out
Rome to his followers. The eye embraces a
Fancy this scene lit up by the glories of a rising
sun, and bursting upon my sight, as I looked forth
from among the majestic forests of the Abruzzi.
Fancy, too, the savage foreground, made still more
savage by groups of the banditti, armed and dress-
ed in their wild picturesque manner, and you will
not wonder that the enthusiasm of a painter for a
moment overpowered all his other feelings.
The banditti were astonished at my admira-
tion of a scene which familiarity had made so
common in their eyes. I took advantage of their
halting at this spot, drew forth a quire of draw-
ing paper, and began to sketch the features of
the landscape. The height, on which I was
seated, was wild and solitary, separated from the
While I was sketching, my attention was call-
ed off for a moment by the cries of birds and the
bleatings of sheep. I looked around, but could
see nothing of the animals that uttered them.
They were repeated, and appeared to come
from the summits of the trees. On look-
ing more narrowly, I perceived six of the robbers
perched on the tops of oaks, which grew on the
breezy crest of the mountain, and commanded an
uninterrupted prospect. From hence they were
keeping a look out, like so many vultures; cast-
ing their eyes into the depths of the valley below
us; communicating with each other by signs,
or holding discourse in sounds, which might be
mistaken by the wayfarer, for the cries of hawks
and crows, or the bleating of the mountain flocks.
I had my book of sketches in my hand; he
requested to see it, and after having run his eye
over it, expressed himself convinced of the truth
of my assertion, that I was a painter. I thought
I saw a gleam of good feeling dawning in him,
and determined to avail myself of it. I knew
that the worst of men have their good points and
their accessible sides, if one would but study
them carefully. Indeed, there is a singular mix-
ture in the character of the Italian robber. With
reckless ferocity, he often mingles traits of kind-
ness and good humour. He is often not radical-
ly bad, but driven to his course of life by some
unpremeditated crime, the effect of those sudden
bursts of passion to which the Italian tempera-
ment is prone. This has compelled him to take
I took occasion from the observations of the
captain on my sketchings, to fall into conversa-
tion with him. I found him sociable and com-
municative. By degress I became complete-
ly at my ease with him. I had fancied I per-
ceived about him a degree of self-love, which I
determined to make use of. I assumed an air of
careless frankness, and told him that, as artist, I
pretended to the power of judging of the physi-
ognomy; that I thought I perceived something
in his features and demeanour, which announced
him worthy of higher fortunes. That he was
not formed to exercise the profession to which
he had abandoned himself; that he had talents
and qualities fitted for a nobler sphere of action;
that he had but to change his course of life, and
in a legitimate career, the same courage and en-
dowments which now made him an object of
I had not mistaken my man. My discourse
both touched and excited him. He seized my
hand, pressed it, and replied with strong emotion,
"You have guessed the truth; you have judged
of me rightly." He remained for a moment si-
lent; then with a kind of effort he resumed. I
will tell you some particulars of my life, and you
will perceive that it was the oppression of others,
rather than my own crimes, that drove me to the
mountains. I sought to serve my fellow men,
and they have persecuted me from among them.
We seated ourselves on the grass, and the rob-
ber gave me the following anecdotes of his his-
tory.