The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-14 00:00:00

SECRET TRADITIONS OF ROME.

Yesterday Professor Filopaati gave the first of a
series of lectures at Willis's Rooms, King-street, St.
James's, on the secret tradition@ of Rome, the object being
to vindicate the autleafisity of the early history of that
country against the representations of Berthold Niebuhr.
The lecturer eounneseedi by observing that within the last
few years it had benne She fashion to take it for granted
that the early histery WI the eternal city was nothing but a
eollsetiwa of legeniery Polka. and, according to Niebuhr,
snit manse as Romelne sad Nun were imaginary and
weldsierical. Hie pument purpose, therefore, was not only
to the auk el the: history which has been
i
dawn
tar hem lie earliest ages, but also to ex-
pldin. ant 'mein as the development of that history by the
vrtadof Indkins hitherto secret and unknown.
eatieditises bed sins into his penesion by legitimate
nuns% but it was net nessesary for him to explain what
them meow were ; *at he should endeavour, to
the beet of his ability, to deimmlefelle tb truthfulness of tha
eemminniestiaes et width belted bees merle the channel. Al-
=the only binned Rosie was replied the most
paned the mann el mankind he might mare his
heiress** dm tradition alluded.to wen still more Interest-
ing eminementie, and in order to annoy ea idea of their na-
ture, he went on to observe tbat:they sombilshed the theory
that the destinies el the eternal city were from the earliest
ages powerfully iniesseed a Keret society, founded by
a man of 'god's. who was tither to Romulus by his mar-
riage with Rhea Sylvia. The founder and the Sodality"
considered theeeselne as an especial priesthood appointed
by divine ',widows. to further by occult meow the spread
of liberty aad el to the whole human race and be
(the lenner) eaemed that most of the marvellous jail-
dents related In Roman history were neither miracles, as
believed by easiest supareation, nor legenduy fables
ea le Illeused by a modern school of criticiato,
bee gamine hats due to the invisible agency of this mys-
terious amoslation, whose adepts had it in view, by their
hidden eastrineces, to cane the new city to appear to the
world es constituted under the immediate protection of
Heaven. Professor Filopanti proceeded to demonstrate his
views by the testimonies of ancient historians, and by re-
prance to monuments and utronominl obeervstions, which

he contended gave abundant cause for astonishmeit that
the theories of Niebuhr should still find so many votaries
after the grand discoveries of Nineveh. Niebuhr, be
maintained, had offered to his country the greatest injury
that it could ever be in the power of a literary man to in-
flict, and feeble as he (Profemor Filopanti) was, he would
endeavour to combat his doctrines through the medium of
truth and reason, which he was quite sure would always
prevail with an English audience. The lecturer was lis-
tened to with much attention.

A RELIC OP TILE ORION.—On Wednesday, We
were shown • gold watch guard chain, and small shield,
which had been recovered a few days previously by the
divers from the wreck of the lated steamer, the Orion,
which, as our readers will recollect, went down off Portpa-
trick, under most unhappy circumstances, exactly three
years ■ago. It appears that the owners sold the wreck, as it
lay under the waters, to a person who has from time to time
employed divers to Ash up whatever was available and
could be removed, and it is understood that the spe-
culation has paid him decently. These submarine work-
men accordingly, while engaged in their operations,
discovered a small chain in the crevice of a rock, and
when rubbed up a little it was ascertained from an
inscription on the shield, to be the property of
Mr. Tait, baker, George-street, in this city. Through
the agency of Mr. Shaw, baker, Stranraer, the long-lost
chain has been transmitted to our townsman, by whom it
has been acknowledged, and the divers duly remunerated.
When the Orion went down, Mr. Tait being in a cable
berth, eking with his little boy, and in the struggle for bare
life, he had something else to think of than the gold watch
and chain, which, when retiring to rest, he had placed
under his pillow. Mr. Tait, with his son, found a place in
the first boat which left the sinking ship, but she was im-
mediately swamped. Many were drowned ; and our towns-
man, along with his son, reached the shore under almost
miraculous circumstances. The watch and appendages
were thought to have been lost for ever, but the chain has
turned up, as we have said, although the watch itself must
have been ground off by the abrasion upon the rocks below.
The chain will be treasured by our townsman as a memento
of the most eventful circumstance in his life.--4llasgete
Herald.