The Ladies' Garland

PORTRAITURE.
ITALIAN WOMEN.

Since he first crossed the Alps, De Bree had become a passionate admirer of Italian women. He was struck with their beauty, but he was more forcibly struck by that grace of the mind --that happy mixture of softness and expression, of quickness and simplicity, of playfulness and melancholy, which form the peculiar charm of the daughters of Italy. Resembling children in some respects, especially in what relates to mental endowments, they, in all that is connected with the heart, astonish man with their courage, disinterestedness, and self-devotion. Bountiful nature has done every thing for them; education but little. Their passions are allowed to grow in wild luxuriance, but their passions are generally of the softer kind; and no women in the world are more naturally charitable and benevolent than the Italian women. Little inclined to vanity, they are pleased with their conquests for their own sakes ; they seldom make a display of their power, except towards the person whom they really wish to captivate, and when once they have him bound in their silken fetters, they little care that others should witness their triumph. With them it is the heart, and not the mind, that must be satisfied. Hence the mystery, the silence, the apparent dullness, which generally attend Italian courtship. A stranger would hardly suppose, seeing two persons of different sexes, sitting apart in company, seldom uttering a word to one another, scarcely looking towards each other, at least apparently; hardly would a stranger suppose that those two are the warmest and most passionate of lovers. Although seemingly indifferent, they contrive to be so placed as to be constantly in each other's view during the whole evening, and a glance, a slight motion, supply them with the place of the most expressive words of affection, entreaty, of displeasure, or threatening.-- The same is often to be observed at church, in the theatres, and at the public walks. This manœuvre is common to noble and plebian, to citizen and peasant. All this may appear dull to a foreigner, but the Italians seem determined to love for themselves, and not for the gratification of vanity.