_tout ensemble_ was picturesque indeed.

"Italia! oh Italia! thou who hast
The fatal gift of beauty."

Art rivaled here. Thy gorgeous skies have floated hither, and hover
like a halo round the town. The sun had set; the glowing tints faded
fast, till of the brilliant spectacle naught remained save the soft
roseate hue which melted insensibly into the deep azure of the zenith.
Quiet seemed settling o'er mountain and river, when, with a solemn
sweetness, the vesper bells chimed out on the evening air. Even as the
Moslem kneels at sunset toward the "Holy City," so punctiliously does
the devout papist bend for vesper prayers. Will you traverse with me
the crooked streets, and stand beneath the belfry whence issued the
holy tones?

This ancient edifice was constructed in 1692. It fronted the Plaza,
and was a long, narrow building, flanked, as it were, by wings lower
than the main apartment, and surmounted by a dome, in which were five
or six bells. This dome or belfry was supported by pillars, and in the
intervening openings were placed the bells. The roof was flat, and the
dark green and gray moss clung along the sides. The interior presented
a singular combination of art and rudeness; the seats were of
unpainted pine, and the cement floor between was worn irregularly by
the knees of devout attendants. The railing of the altar was of carved
mahogany, rich and beautiful. Over this division of the long room hung
a silken curtain, concealing three niches, which contained an image of
the "Virgin," the "Child," and in the center one, a tall gilt cross.
Heavy silver candlesticks were placed in front of each niche, and
a dozen candles were now burning dimly. A variety of relics, too