During the middle ages Pisa was a flourishing republic, and the love of liberty, with the active com→ mercial spirit which distinguished its inhabitants, raised it to the highest prosperity. At this period she conquered from the Saracens, Sardinia, Corsica, the Balearic Isles, and even received the high sounding name of the Pisan Republic. On the Tyrrhene shore the territory comprehended the Maremma from Lerici to Piombino, which at that time was cultivated and very fruitful. She rivalled Venice and Genoa by sea, established colonies in the Levant, and sent forty vessels to aid the king of Jerusalem. As a true Ghibeline, she continued staunch to the Emperor, involved herself in a bloody struggle with Guelfic Florence, with Lucca and Siena, which also adhered to the Pope, and became an object of jealousy to all her neighbours. Overcome by Genoa in a bloody naval battle, and torn by the internal dissensions of powerful families, she finally sunk under the jealousy and power of Florence. It was but for a short time, however, that Ugolino reigned over the city. Though now stripped of all her fortresses, the spirit of the republic, sustained by the courage with which eleven thousand Pisans who had preferred to suffer sixteen years of severe imprisonment, rather than surrender a fortified place to the enemy, again revived; and the republic

with its own arms defeated the army of the Guelfs of all Italy. But, finally exhausted, she was soon after sold to Duke Galiazzo Visconte, from whose successors, Florence, in 1406, obtained her by purchase. The city was compelled to surrender by famine those disposed to resist were only kept in obedience by force, and soon after the greater part of the inhabitants went into voluntary exile. Yet, after eighty-eight years of oppression, when Charles VIII. of France made an incursion into Italy, the ancient spirit of Pisa was aroused, and she again fought valiantly for her liberty. Orlandi called his fellowcitizens together, and the people who, under the protection of Charles VIII., obtained possession of their native city by a treaty with Florence, now formed a constitution of their own; yet soon there began an obstinate war betwixt Pisa and Florence. The Pisans, with the assistance of the French garrison, attacked and defeated the mercenaries of Florence, and regained their ancient territory. There courage now defied every effort of their former sovereigns; and the French garrison departing, they took the oath of allegiance to the French king as their protector. Pisa at this period became a place of great importance, and other republics and potentates negotiated, some for and some against the continuance of the revived republic. At length,

abandoned by all their former allies, the Pisans assembled and took an oath rather to perish than to submit to their hereditary foe. Florence, which by this time had become powerful, had already made herself mistress of the territories of Pisa; and in July, 1499, the siege of the city was commenced with such ardour, that the Florentines expressed their confidence that it would be in their possession within a fortnight. The females of Pisa, however, worked day and night to repair the walls; and the enemy having taken a castle by storm, they exhorted their brothers and husbands to die rather than become the slaves of the Florentines. By this fine spirit the city was saved, and the enemy fairly discomfited with immense loss. On the fourth September, 1499, they were forced to raise the siege. The Pisans now, at immense labour and expense, formed their city into a strong fortress; so resolute were they, and so impregnable their city, that even when Louis X., king of France, attacked it with a large army to subjugate it, and again resign it to the Florentines, he was baffled in every attempt, and soon forced to leave it with disgrace. In 1504, the jealousy and hatred of the Florentines increasing with their prosperity, they again laid siege to Pisa. They made a formidable attempt to dam up the river above the city; but, after much fruitless labour,

and an expenditure of some millions of crowns, were forced to give up the attempt. A third siege in the following year was equally unavailing. After another protracted and bloody struggle-when every attempt to take Pisa by force had completely failed, the Florentines surrounded the city with a large army, and gaunt famine soon began like a hungry meagre fiend to assail the Pisans, and finally subdued a resolution which never could have been overcome by honourable warfare. Pisa at last reduced-after having frustrated four attacks and asserted her freedom for other fifteen years-fell, in 1519, into the power of the Florentines, losing for ever her independence. The power of Tuscany may be said to have been established with her downfall.

LETTER THIRD.

PISA, July, 18—..

MY DEAR

THE old college or champagne establishment in which I at present dwell is close to the celebrated and magnificent cathedral or Duomo, the ancient Campo Santo or burying-ground, the Battisterio or baptising chapel, all three most beautiful edifices, standing in a large open space of ground, and is so near the well known far-famed leaning tower, that were it at last to fall down, as has been expected daily for six hundred years, (paintings of it in its present position as far back being extant, one hanging on the wall of the Duomo or cathedral,) we should have the glory of being buried in the ruins. It certainly has a very menacing appearance from its extraordinary inclination, yet it looks solid and massive, rising regularly, in beautiful diminishing circles of colonnades of white marble, to the top. I