During Cooper’s later American press troubles his close friend, Greenough, wrote him:  “You lose your hold on the American public with rubbing down their skins with brick-bats.”  And yet, during Greenough’s dark days, he said:  “What is the use of blowing up bladders for posterity to jump upon for the mere pleasure of hearing them crack?” The author’s keen delight in architecture, sculpture, and painting then gave him daily pleasure in the churches, palaces, and art-galleries of Bella Firenzi.  Familiar from youth with his father’s engravings of antique sculpture subjects, he writes of his first glimpses of the originals in the Pitti:  “I stood, hat in hand, involuntarily bowing to the circle of marble figures that surrounded me.”

[Illustration:  LEOPOLD II, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY.]

[Illustration:  PITTI PALACE, FLORENCE, ITALY, 1828.]

Attired in “a black coat, breeches, and vest with steel buttons, lace frills and ruff, a sword and a dress-hat,” our author was presented at the brilliant Tuscan Court.  Grand Duke Leopold II left on Cooper’s mind a strong impression of integrity of character; his simplicity and justice were borne out in his greeting:  “They tell me you are the author of many books, but as it has never been my good fortune to meet with them, I can say no more on this subject than that I have heard them well spoken of by those who have.”  Cooper was asked “a hundred questions as to America,” and assured of the prince’s pleasure in seeing him at court and his being in Tuscany.  When leaving Florence Cooper paid his parting respects at the Pitti in an hour’s pleasant converse, and then presented the Grand Duke with a copy of “The Wept of Wish-ton-Wish,” printed in his city of the Arno.  Here Cooper and his family had some gay carnival days with their various friends.  Among them was the Count St. Leu, son of Queen Hortense and King Louis of Holland, and the author’s sometimes host, and “one of the handsomest men of his age” that Cooper ever met.  We are told of the Count:  “He lived in good style, having a fine villa where I dined lately, and a palace in town.”  By those nearest him he was addressed “your Majesty,” and held some “little show” of royalty.  Princess Charlotte, his wife, and daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, the author also knew.  He met Madame Mere, who is described as “a slight old lady, with little remains of beauty except fine black eyes.”  She was quiet, simple; in short, motherly, when seen by Cooper the winter of 1828-29.

[Illustration:  COUNT ST. LEU.]

[Illustration:  LETIZIA BOUNAPARTE.]

[Illustration:  MADAME MERE.]