The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

Monte Cavallo ; here the Pope resides during the summer
heat, as it is much cooler than the Vatican Palace. The
two colossal horses held by the two nude figures, called
Castor and Pollux, are a very fine imposing group, like
that of our bronze group to the Iron Duke ! more calcu-
lated to command surprise than admiration. These horses
no doubt give the name of Monte Cavallo to this hill.
The gardens adjoining the palace are extensive, but not
very well cultivated';' there is a grand prospect from one
of the walks. I had several strolls through this garden, at
different times, with a German lady and the son of an
eminent sculptor. The Quirinal Palace stands on the
ruins of the baths of Constantine ; but how very inferiOr
to the Vatican and St. Peter's. This Palace, however,
must be very interesting at the election of a new pope.
Dr. B. pointed out the closed-up window out of which ids
exhibited the votes, where every afternoon the conclave of
Cardinals meet to decide which among them is to wear the
Tiara. They are like our jurymen, almost starved into a
decision, not without bandying, however, many passionate
words, and now and then th inkstands thrown at each
other's heads. A large crowd assemble daily to receive
the decisive result, which sometimes requires many days'
argument, consultation, and intrigue, before the sacred
mantle falls upon the infallible Papa! But the immense
Palace of the Vatican, adjoining St. Peter's Church, must
command our greatest attention ; and here let me ok-
serve, that it is the magnitude of things at Rome that
astonish you; whether it be the miles of catacombs under

vastness of the tombs and aqueducts ; the
:ichness, grandeur, and number of the churches ; the
reasures of art in the palaces ; the largest collection in

grouud, t

alike to the

Each, all

thoughful mind, is
a wonder and an admiration : think of a palace stand-
ing on 120,000 square yards of ground ! Ascend that
marble staircase (from the equestrian statue of COnstan-
tine) the finest in the world, consisting of eight flights of
marble steps of immense width, adorned with a double
row of lonic marble pillars ! This staircase by Bernini,
leads you to the Sala Regia. This large saloon is deco-
rated with frescoes. Passing through this you enter the
Sistine Chapel. Here are the dark obscure works of An-
gelo, and of Raphael's master, Pietro Perugino. Opposite
this is the Capella Paolina chapel. The two columns of
the altar were brought from the pagan temple of Romu-
lus. From thence you pass out into the Loggia, or open
gallery, beautifully ornamented by Raphael; from which is
copied the decorations of the interior walls of our London
Royal Exchange. What a pleasant lounge is it upon that
gallery ! Curious works of art by Raphael on the ceilings

Ipagna

, and the mountains
. ,
brining three-fourths of a circle, in the distance. This
,lallery leads to the four Salas of Raffaelle, the halls of
Constantine, Heliodorus, SchOol of Athens, and that
of the Conflagration. These halls contain the finest

approach the museum of Pio Clemen.

by the tel

Gallery, nearly a thousand feet long. The apartments are
too numerous to describe, but to the antiquary here is food
for months—the Hall of Animals, of the Muses, apartment
of the Car Cabinet of Masks, Gallery of the Statues, Geo-
graphical Gallery, Gallery of the Candelabra, in eight di-
visions, &c. The Laocoon is wondrously fine, natural,
and expressive, but I was much disappointed in the
Apollo Belvedere, or Antinous, as I was in the Venus de
Medici, in the Tribune at Florence. The Apollo is the

stands the
No.

ne'er saw." It is all very fine to sa_
statue that enchants the world." Is it natural
Is it possible ? No. Is it true ? No. Then I hold, as

there is no beauty without truth, both the Go-11"
pnd the Angelic Vent

Apollo

images of humanity. I know I may-be called stupid,
tasteless and ignorant, but there are other statues that I
like better, that are more truthful and natural, and the
Laocoon and the Dying Gladiator are among the number
The Belvidere Antinous may b
who named a city after him, a

the Catamite of Adrian,
I ordered e

to he paid to his beautiful favouri
of the four mentioned by CicEr

If this Apollo be on

the first of

Egyptian, the three last Greek, and Herodotus styles him
the son of Osiris and Idis, Pausanias also ranks him among
the Egyptian deities, then is it purely ideal. Diodorus
Siculus also classes them in the last of the deities of
Egypt ! The Grecian fables of Apollo have most of them
their origin in the mythology of the great and wondrous
people of Africa. The hymn of Callimachus was chanted
with great enthusiasm by the Greeks at their festivals for
many ages. Innumerable were the temples erected,

-respected

and festivals

,elebrated to

statues of inferior vale
moderns to this the first of its class.
of the fine arts, of light, is beautifully treated it

Twenty oth

are referred by the
This god of music,