building, the mingled stream of these numerous lights might be seen flickering like the red, uncertain rays of a northern meteor, and with as strange and unnatural a beauty. The inhabitants of the neighbourhood, as they occasionally peeped from their iron casements, crossed themselves with redoubled earnestness whenever they beheld their cathedral; but at the hour of midnight, and after the city had remained throughout the long day and half of the night hushed in melancholy silence, its heavy repose was suddenly broken by the loud and solemn peals of the Miserere, which burst from the lips of a hundred choristers at the altar, was repeated by the crowds of suppliants that filled the aisles, and was re-echoed from every house in which two or three trembling citizens with their families were gathered together, to encourage and comfort each other in their sorrow.

Several successive days and nights passed away in this manner, and terror was beginning to be a worse enemy than the tyrannic monster which occasioned it; the business of life was altogether at a stand; the fruits of the field fell ungathered, and were left to rot on the ground; the cattle, forgotten by their keepers, sunk famished in their stalls, and the flocks, which had been penned by their terrified shepherds, bleated in vain for the pasture. Even the calls of charity reached only deaf ears, such was the effect of fear on the people who had never hitherto failed in that Christian duty. The sick and the aged, who had not friends in their own homes, cried in vain for the help of their accustomed visitors; and, as a still greater instance of the terror

which prevailed, when a cry was heard in the streets from some miserable creature whose temerity had exposed him to the dragon, there was no one who durst go forth from his house to help him.

Such was the condition of the city, and the neighbouring district, when the brave and magnanimous Uberto Visconti formed the noble resolution of attempting the destruction of the cruel monster by his single arm. Clothing himself therefore in a coat of mail, and taking his sword and shield with which he had performed miracles in battle, he prepared to proceed without attendant to the lair of the dragon. The night was far advanced when the perilous design entered his mind, and his youthful wife sunk on her knees in an agony of grief to dissuade him from the enterprise; but he was resolved, and, disengaging himself from her embrace, ordered the porter at the gate to withdraw the bolts. As he stepped into the street the chilliness and gloom which prevailed in the air had the effect of occasioning a momentary depression in his spirits, and he paused to commend himself again to heaven. He then resumed his way, and, as he passed the cathedral, the midnight anthem burst on his ear with deep and unusual solemnity. The Miserere thrilled through his bosom as if it were the appeal of a whole people to heaven for his safety. The same feeling was rendered still stronger as he hastened along the streets and heard the same sounds repeated, though with low and faultering voices, in almost every house he passed. At length he approached the monster's retreat. The grave of a person long out of

mind is scarcely so silent as was that melancholy spot The air was wet with a heavy rain, but no drops fell, and no pattering was heard either among the trees or on the earth. The air itself seemed dead-it was moist, cold, and motionless. Uberto would have sunk to the ground, but he roused himself by striking his sword briskly and heavily on his shield. The clang of the weapon appeared to startle the country for miles around, and the warrior, awakened to new life, firmly awaited the coming of the monster. It soon approached him; huge, grim, and horrible, such as the poets have described all of the same progeny; and the conflict between Uberto and him was in all its points like that waged between other knights and tyrantdragons of later ages. It is sufficient for the purposes of the Visconti genealogists that Uberto gained the victory, and that the city of Milan was restored by his means to its former state of tranquillity.

Other early heroes of the same race performed deeds of valour equally renowned, and of a less suspicious character. The celebrated Aliprando Visconti, the son of Obizzo, was made general of militia. by the Archbishop Eribert, and at the head of his little band defied for many months the whole strength of the imperial forces under Conrad II. Eight thousand Germans fell beneath the swords of the Milanese on that occasion, and Aliprando himself, not content with the general triumph of his arms, challenged to single combat a German of extraordinary strength and stature, named Bavers, and who was nephew to the Emperor. The conflict took place under

the walls of the city, and, coming to swords, Aliprando speedily dispatched his enemy, after which he cut off his head and carried it with his armour in triumph into Milan, where he was hailed as the father of his country.

The son of this prince inherited his valour, and was chosen on account of this and his other virtues to lead the seven thousand Milanese who had taken the vows of Crusaders to the Holy Land. Some time after the arrival of the army before Jerusalem, and while they were preparing for the siege, a Saracen of gigantic form was seen to cross the Jordan, and defy any of the Christian soldiers to single combat. The strength of this warrior, it appears, had become a theme of common conversation among the faithful, and no one seemed willing to accept the challenge, till the son of Aliprand stepped forth and offered to support the honor of the Christian army against the taunts of the infidel. The combat was long and fierce, but the ardour of the Milanese lord prevailed, and the Saracen fell dead beneath his sword. The fame of this and other similar deeds raised the heroes of Milan to the highest rank among the warriors of Italy, and, poetry and romance uniting their efforts with signorial vanity, it became an easy matter for the lords of later days to decorate their genealogies as they chose.

But, to return to the cathedral,-although it has always been intended that the cathedral of Milan should be finished according to the original plan, and consistently with the style of architecture adopted in its earliest parts, yet the length of time which had been spent upon it, the frequent interruptions to its progress,

the love of change and of finding fault with each other's drawings which animated the different architects, have occasioned a departure from a strict adherence to that plan. Notwithstanding this temple was begun so early as 1386, it is not yet completed, and the number of architects who have been employed or consulted concerning it is incredible. The enormous expense which was required to finish the work, independently of the length of time necessary for sculpturing so many statues and agalias, bas-reliefs, and other ornaments in marble, was the main cause of this delay. Various inhabitants of Milan left most munificent donations for assisting the progression of the building, and amongst others one Carcano bequeathed the sum of 230,000 crowns of gold for that purpose.

In earlier times not only the tyrannical power of the Dukes of Milan, but that of the Popes, and the produce of indulgences, were employed to forward the completion of the cathedral, and it was by the will of a despot that a powerful impulse was given to the speedier accomplishment of the work. The façade of the cathedral had been often projected, and its erection begun, but as often interrupted, when in 1805 Buonaparte ordered that 5,000,000 of Milanese livres, proceeding from the sale of the property belonging to the church itself, should be applied for that object. No original drawing existed of this part of the church, and after long discussions the plans presented by Carlo Amati and Giuseppe Zanoja were approved of, and in about three years the façade was completed, as well as several other parts of the building. For the façade