He suddenly recoiled, and cried with a terrible voice: "Dezio! Dezio! rise and arm thyself!"

The sleeper sprang up and felt for his arms.

"I might have murdered thee in sleep," Luigione said to him, "but that were the deed of a knave. Now, defend thyself; for my father's blood calls for revenge."

For one instant Dezio regarded the terrible man with mortal dread; then he hurled his gun far among the bushes, tore the pistol and dagger from his belt, and threw them both from him, and then he opened his breast, and said, "Luigione, shoot and avenge thy father! I shall find peace in my grave! kill me!"

Luigione regarded his ill-fated foe with astonishment, and both were silent for a while. Then Luigione put away his gun, went up to Dezio, and gave him his hand. "God," he said, "has given thee into my hands that I may forgive thee. Peace to the blood of my father! Now, come and be my guest!"

The two men entered the village arm-in-arm, and they continued friends. And, a child being born to Luigione, he asked Dezio to stand godfather as a sacred token of their reconciliation. And this he did, agreeably to the usage of their forefathers.

Dezio soon grew weary of the world, and took the cowl. His conversation was so pure and godly that he was loved by all men till the latest period of his life, and the blessing of his piety produced peace far and wide over the mountains.

When he fell asleep in the Lord, all the villages of the neighbourhood attended him to his grave; and they say to the present day in the pieve of Moriano, Dezio the Worldly, Dezio the Murderer, Dezio the Bandit, Dezio the Monk, Dezio the Priest, Dezio the Saint.

CHAPTER V.

ENVIRONS OF SARTENE.

THERE are desolate mountains about Sartene, among which the Incudine and Coscione raise their heads towards the north. The Coscione is renowned for its pastures, which are watered by the charming streams of Bianca and Viola. Hither the andsmen of Quenza drive their herds in the summer, and in place inter they descend to the coast of Porto Vecchio. One of of terroguntains near Sartene is a curiously-shaped rock, in the

form of a giant raising his uncouth head to the clouds. It is called the Man of Cogua. In the district of Sartene are also some remains of menhirs and dolmens, those ancient mythical stones which are found in the islands of the Mediterranean and in Celtic countries. They consist of columnar stones erected in a circle, and are here called stazzone. Sardinia is as rich in these architectural relics as Corsica is poor. I regret exceedingly having been unable to see the stazzoni of Sartene.

On the mountains round about are many ruins of castles belonging to the brave Renuccio della Rocca and the celebrated Giudice della Rocca. The fief of these ancient lords was round Sartene. The canton of Santa Lucia de Tallano especially preserves the memory of Renuccio by its old ruined Franciscan convent, an institution founded by this lord, with whom the power of the Corsican barons sank, never again to rise. In the church they show the grave of his daughter Serena, who lies there in marble with a rosary in her hand, from which depends a purse, as a symbol of her liberality.

In the rocks of Santa Lucia is found the remarkable kind of granite peculiar to Corsica, called orbicularis. It is of a greyish-blue ground colour, but there are many black, whitemargined eyes sprinkled over the stone, which appear on the surface wherever the rock is split. I saw capital pieces of it; polished, this fine granite looks extremely beautiful, and may be employed for all sorts of furniture and ornaments. It is one of the most interesting lusus naturæ, and a jewel in the richly stored mineralogical treasury of Corsica. This orbicular granite of Santa Lucia de Tallano has found a place in the Medicean Chapel at Florence, which is inlaid with the rarest stones.

In the valley of the Fiumiccioli, to the north-east of Santa Lucia, lies the celebrated old canton of Levie, extending as far as the small gulf of Ventilegne. It is covered by mountains and considerable forests. Here also abode some ancient noble families, especially that of Peretti, to which belonged Sampiero's friend Napoleon, the first of this name mentioned in Corsican history, not however an ancestor of the Bonapartes. He met his death in a battle against the Genoese.

To Levie belongs San Gavino de Corbini, a place mentioned in Corsican history as being the chief seat of that extraordinary sect the Giovannali, those ancient Corsican communists, who made such rapid progress on the island, and were in a manuer forerunners of the St. Simonists and the Mormons. Exciting

He suddenly recoiled, and cried with a terrible voice: "Dezio! Dezio! rise and arm thyself!"

The sleeper sprang up and felt for his arms.

"I might have murdered thee in sleep," Luigione said to "but that were the deed of a knave. Now, defend thyself my father's blood calls for revenge."

For one instant Dezio regarded the terrible man with m dread; then he hurled his gun far among the bushes, tor pistol and dagger from his belt, and threw them both from and then he opened his breast, and said, "Luigione, shoo avenge thy father! I shall find peace in my grave! kill m

Luigione regarded his ill-fated foe with astonishment, an were silent for a while. Then Luigione put away his gur up to Dezio, and gave him his hand. "God," he said, "ha thee into my hands that I may forgive thee. Peace to th of my father! Now, come and be my guest!"

Leta

by :: by the

k sever

The two men entered the village arm-in-arm, and thd his dat tinued friends. And, a child being born to Luigione, ha her han

And this he did, agreeably to the usage of their forefath is found
Dezio soon grew weary of the world, and took the cov called or
conversation was so pure and godly that he was loved by elled or
till the latest period of his life, and the blessing of his
duced peace far and wide over the mountains.

Dezio to stand godfather as a sacred token of their reconc

the stone, glit I sa extremely

re and orna

day in the pieve of Moriano, Dezio the Worldly,re, and a

Murderer, Dezio the Bandit, Dezio

Corsica. Th d a place in ith the rarest ioli, to the canton of Le It is cover o abode some , to which this name m or of the Bona Genoese.

ino de Corbin

the chief seat

ancient Corsic

the island,

ists and the

429

427

form of a giant raising his uncouth head to the clouds. It is called the Man of Cogna. In the district of Sartene are also some remains of menhirs and dolmens, those ancient mythical s which are found in the islands of the Mediterranean and Celtic countries. They consist of columnar stones erected hcircle, and are here called stazzone. burchitectural relics as Corsica is poor. I regret exceedSardinia is as rich in laving been unable to see the stazzoni of Sartene.

the mountains round about are many ruins of castles Wing to the brave Renuccio della Rocca and the celebrated Gdella Rocca. The fief of these ancient lords was round The canton of Santa Lucia de Tallano especially the memory of Renuccio by its old ruined Franciscan institution founded by this lord, with whom the pede Corsican barons sank, never again to rise. In the ow the grave of his daughter Serena, who lies le with a rosary in her hand, from which depends a bol of her liberality.

It is of a

lands of Santa Lucia is found the remarkable kind par to Corsica, called orbicularis. The pound colour, but there are many black, whiterinkled over the stone, which appear on the the rock is split. I saw capital pieces of it; ne granite looks extremely beautiful, and may be ale of furniture and ornaments. It is one of gluturae, and a orsica.

wel in the richly
cular granite of
dicean Chapel

ast of Santa
ending as far
ountains and
t noble fami
d Sampiero's
ed in Corsican
He met his

e mentioned

e from

ess in moun

ace on

ger and id wine o'er the Leavenly

cy where, trees and the perth of the ledge of dly shaped It bears d the comast, the first the Pisans, like the arms

and mountains tant. There is e land suddenly only its outlines, st agreeable sencertainty. These

f childhood.-It is 1 one of the barren eat of noon, looking of Corsica. She was al blue veil, and the ound her with white

along the coast, which

causes of the rise of such a sect must needs be present in a wild land, still subject to the natural, uncivilized state of society, where the natural equality of man was the prevailing principle of the nation, and in the bloody times of universal misery. It is much to be regretted that the chronicles of the country have not preserved more particulars of the nature of this community. Its existence seems to me a remarkable train in the physiognomy of Corsican history: fleeting and transient as it appears, it is still to me a well-marked line in the portrait of the Corsican people.

Before taking leave of Sartene, I will most heartily praise the hospitality of its inhabitants. I experienced it in the kindest fashion, and felt quite at home in simple and friendly intercourse with good people. They absolutely would not let me go, but I must hunt the wild sheep with them up to the highest mountains, and above all go into their orchards to refresh myself with fruit to my heart's content. And when I wished to depart again in the early morning, all these good people who had been friendly to me, escorted me on my way, and one of them-he was a cousin of the unfortunate Vittoria Malaspina-handed me on parting a piece of paper.

On unfolding the paper I read the following words :

"TO SIGNOR FERDINANDO.-Should you ever be in want of anything, or should any unpleasant circumstance happen to you in our country, remember that you have a friend in the town of Sartene.

"ALESSANDRO CASANOVA."

I have carried this paper about with me as a talisman, and as a token of the excellent Corsican ways, according to which my friend of Sartene was not satisfied to assure me by words, and a shake of the hand, that he had taken me in a manner under his protection as a guest for all future time, but actually also confirmed this by a special document.