The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-12-01 00:00:00

-the simplicity of their lives,
t could enable them to march

with sixty pounds of armour, to climb frozen•&
tains, to bear the sun's meridian heat, to
rivers, to endure with fortitude the extrei
hunger, and thirst, to subdue by their indomi

d moon-
= rapid
es of cold,
'ile cou-

,r and grandeur

rfell by the insidious mining

every other nation ; yet all this p
sod imperceptibly

fluence of luxury! And-the cruel tyranny of the army
over the laws and civil power completed the downfall of
all-prwerful and majestic Rome ! Where is now the
Tabularium ? Where the Animarium, filled by animals
and beasts from every part of the world ? Where the
golden house of the tyrant Nero, and the bronze statues,
one hundred and twenty feet in height, near it? We see
no more, the chariots, the horses, the cohorts, the le-
gions, the triumphal cars! We bear no more the exulting
shout, the multudinous cry, the clangour of martial
music, the lanreated victor emperor! The slave thrown
to the tiger and wild dogs all alike sleep in the dust!
Truly, _ _

."
The melancholy ghosts of dead renown,
All point to earth, and hiss at human pride."
The mausoleum of Augustus with its statue of him on
its summit, and its two Egyptian obelisks at its entrance
must have been a grand edifice of three stories in height;
now, despoiled of its statue, its obelisks removed to grace
the front of the Church Santa Maria and the Piazza di
Morte Cavallo, it is degenerated into an amphitheatre for
bull fights and fireworks. The tomb of Cecilia Metilla is
a picturesque object out on the vast campagna where the
sepulchres of Scipio and the the catacombs attract the
wandering strayer's gaze. There are thirty of these cata-
combs, some of immense extent, without the fifteen gates
of Rome. Through the kindness of my esteemed friend,
Mr. Gibson, brother to the justly celebrated artist, who,
since the death of the venerable Thorwalsden, is consi-
dered the first living sculptor in the world, I explored the
largest and most interesting of these catacombs with a
party of ladies and gentlemen. After hearing a most
learned address from him, we were conducted by Mr.
Gibson through these vast ancient and interesting ceme-
teries and harbours of repose for the primitive Christians
and persecuted Jews. In several of these the halls are
painted, and stone altars and chairs remain in the small
places of worship. We were one hour and three quarters
exploring these streets of the dead, much have I been in-
debted to the three talented Gibsons for their kind and
polite attentions to me. Both at Rome and in Liverpool
how many delightful walks to distant villas, how many
objects of rare interest, unknown to the multitude of hur-
rying travellers, have I through their interesting kind at-
tentions had access to, benefitting by their refined talk
and classic conversation. Long before I ever thought of
visiting Italy, I enjoyed one long evening's talk with Mr.
S. Gibson and one or two friends, which began at five
P.M., and continue with ones light intermission for re-
freshment, until four a.m. ; thus the feast of reason and
flow of soul lasted eleven hours ! Immediately after that

relation of his two years tour in Italy and residence at
Rome, I wrote those stanzas published in a Liverpool
journal :

" Ah, shall they ever greet my longing eyes,
Say, Italy's her plains, its azure skies ?
Shall I behold tho e snow clad towering mountains,
Rome's august palaces, high lanes, and fow,tains,
Pause at the watch dog's bark by 'f'iber's wave,
Or sadly mourn o'er Keats the poet's grave." &c.
How loath am I to leave ancient for modern Rome, how
can I tear myself from the grandest and subl.mest objects
my eyes have ever beheld ? what associations reign over
the mind and hold it all enthralled with the great, the
powerful, the mystic past. One evening, I was on the
Tarpein Rock, another on the " Campidoglio"—no, the
camp oil will not, must not, supersede the name of capi-
tol. There at the capitol, gazing at the dying gladiator
so antique, or at the Vatican on the Laocoun, found at
the Shetta antique also, or in modern villas, their choicest
gems of art are the antique. Thus looking at objects mel-
lowed by time, surrounded by a halo of sublime asssocia-
lions, who cannot respect age? And thou, mysterious
temple of Janus, who cannot remember thy double face,
thy war and peace, thy now empty niches for thy twelve
statues, (that of Janus himself is gone) and thy brazen
gates, no more open in war, nor shut in peace, give indi-
cations so fraught with interest to the bane or weal of
mankind, but still there it stands, sold, firm, lasting, al-
though its brazen covering laid on at the time of Romu-
lus, is gone, still it is an object of surpassing interest, and
like the dark CloacEe near it, sublime in its age, neglect,
and decay.

Imperceptible, however, at Rome are the transitions
from one century to another. The Partheon, once dedi-
cated to all the gods or virtues, now dedicated to the vir-
gin and all the martyrs, is of great antiquity, repaired and
ornamented by Agrippa, son-in-law to Augustus. Its
L eight and diameter equally 144 feet, round its vast cir-
cumference are 14 columns of yellow marble, fluted en-
tire. and the finest in Rome. M. AGRIPPA. L. F.
COS. TERTIvm FECIT is inscribed upon the porphyry
figures of its portico, but many fatal spoliations and acci-
dents have befallen this beautiful temple ! its bold and ele-
gant roof was much injured by the dreadful eruption of -Ve-
suvius in the reign of Tiberius ; its walls decorated with lead
and brass, with works of silver over them ; its ornamental
gilded bronze plates were stripped; Alaric carried of all
its statues of gold and silver; Genseric afterwards loaded
a ship with its finest marble statues, the inestimable
works of Diogenes became the prey of the barbarous
Constantine 11., and the early christian Pontiffs pillaged
it, and also all the rich pagan temples of Rome. Boniface
IV. made a church of it; Rapphael, Hannibal, Caracci,
and other artists left money by will for it; reparation ;

Benedict 11. covered it with lead; Pope Urban VIII. re-
paired it and built up two wretched ugly belfries; at one
time its beautiful portico with its sixteen granite columns
four feet in diameter were chisell'd, cut, and their capitals
injured to support wretched shops and pedlar's sheds;
Eugene IV. knocked all these out, but still the Partheon
like our St Paul's is sadly hemmed in and its effect de-
stroyed by small houses and shops; close to it is a boar-
butcher's place, with heads, bides, and offal spoiling the
effect of this superb antique relic ! A great overflowing
of the Tiber took place from the mountain snow being
suddenly dissolved, and a heavy day's rain. Some of the
lower streets were inundated to the depth of eight feet.
Torlonia's Great Theatre and the Partheon were alike
flooded, and it was a beautiful sight to stand upon the
altar, and from the watery mirror see the beautiful roof
of the Partheon reflected with its grand aperture at the
top. No wonder that Pliny in the palmy days of the Par-
theon, from its richness, thought it " one of the wonders
of the world." But farewell the Caesars' Palace, the

golden house of Nero, the Tarpsean rock, and the Capi- Nor can we hope that God will be reconciled to us
tol !—farewell the vast Campagna, with its encircling whilst we remain unreconciled to one another. How im-
mountains, its aqueducts and tombs! Ye arches, portant, then, is the abundant outpouring of the Holy
temples, baths, and fountains, I shall never see ye more ! Spirit, to convince the members of the universal church
To behold the fragments of thy greatness, all-powerful of Christ of their sinful neglect of their Lord's new corn-
Rome, was a privilege, an honour, a delight, a solemn mandment, " Love one another;" and at the same time
lesson silently shooting the soul, never, never to be for- to incline the hearts of his people to the exercise of bro-
gotten. Still, in my imagination I see Titus Vespasian therly love. For He alone can remove these obstacles
entering by the Coliseum, pass the temple of Peace, along which unrenewed nature, long cherished habits, educa-
the Appian way where the stones still bear traces of their tional prejudices, narrow-minded bigotry, and sectarian
chariot wheels. I see the captive Jews, seven hundred selfishness, have raised. He alone " can break in pieces
of the handsomest of them selected at the destruction these gates of brass, and cut in sunder these bars of
of Jerusalem to grace his triumphal entry into Rome. iron." Let your prayers, then, be earnest for his mighty
Hear the acclamations of myriads of people as the trum- aid, that he who on the day of Pentecost brought the very
pets sound at his approach up the Capitol! Here too Co- crucifiers of our Lord to be of one heart and mind with
riolanus passed, crowned with his oaken garland ; before his chosen disciples, would pour such streams of love
him clamorous noise, behind him tears; he addresses upon the church of Christ, that they who are now fur-
Virgilia, "My gracious silence ; hail! would'st thou have thest off may be brought "to love one another with pure
laughed had I come coffin'd home, that weerest to see me hearts fervently."
triumph ? "Ah! my dear! such eyes the widows in Co- There are other very important calls for prayer which
rioli wear, and mothers that lack sons." Here too at have been referred to in my former Invitations, which the
brevity of the present address presents my
the base of Pompey's Pillar great Caesar fell. "Julius purposed
Caesar who at Phillipi to good Brutus ghosted : what was again mentioning. Entreating you to bear these calls in
it made pale Cassius to conspire? and what the all remembrance, as well as those pressing necessities ad-
honest, honoured Roman Brutus, with the armed verted to in this paper, let me affectionately invite all
rest,. courtiers of beauteous freedom, to drench who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity TO com-
the Capitol? but that they would have one man HENCE THE NEW YEAR, FRIDAY, JANUARY IST, 1847,
but a man!" Shakspeare, the inspired poet, who, as Dr. BY UNITING IN THE GENERAL PRAYER FOR THE
Johnson observes, " exhausted worlds and then imagined OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
new," must have had—as he appears to have bad upon The following suggestions are respectfully offered, to
every thing—a just conception of the power, weakness, assist those who are desirous of this union :
luxury, privation, military tyranny, and slavery, that Ist. Let Christians folkw the example of our blessed Lord.
oppressed and were the curse of Rome, when. Coriolanus (Mark i., 25,) who rose up a great while before day for secret
was banished, and, heading the Vulscians, threatened the pr:.yet. themtoLetthy
Father thu
which
hsecure
seeththc
blessingsei to f Him who says,
Pray e and thy Father
burning of the city. ' The entreaties of his friends and which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
brother officers are coldly bean!, and abruptly answered ; 2nd. Let them call upon the Lord in their families, for his
but when the mother, wife, child, present themselves, the Spirit to be poured upon themselves and their households, their
and neighbours,our co eiiers otuhrei t rrny
tnusetleurds Including
tChree aLt
oßrrdi,t athi ne aenhdu
rife/.
teileasn
od
f,
dred fights, with nine wounds upon his gallant body,
obdurate, cold, flinty-hearted soldier, the hero of a hun-
uCphorinstt,hteheGreennitilreiawntoorifd scattered Judah and outcast Israel, and
relents ; and when his mother says to him, " Do you
know this lady ?" how beautiful is the reply ! " The 3rd. Where circumstances will admit of a morning service,
noble sister of Publicola, the moon of Rome ! chaste as let the congregation be assembled, and, in addition to the ap:
the icicle that's curdled by the frost from purest snow, pointed prayers and a suitable sermon, let all who are devoutly
and hangs on Dian's temple! Dear Valeria I" disposed partake tog.they of the Supper of tl.e Lord: or, as may
be more convenicn let tile whole congregation meet in the

—mop— evening for public Worship, and let an appropriate discoursebe
Iu Russia coffins are generally brown, but children have preached.
pink, grown np unmarried girls sky blue, while other fe- 4th. Let the ministers of the Lord meet on the following Mon-
day, with their brethren of their own communion, in earnest
males are indulged with a violet colour. prayer for themselves, tiler flocks, the whole body of Christ, and
POTATO BRANDY.—Dr. Kane states that potato starch the world at large, and then especially consult together upon
is readily convertible into sugar, and this sugar, by fer- the most effectual means for hastening the coming of the Lord's
mentation, yields spirit. On the continent, the manufac- kingdom, and particularly for the continuance of such a general
lure of sugar from corn is almost abolished. Potato spi- (cloe‘i.tocuerttcfoomr
commencement.
bles the year may proceed according to this
tit is almost universally used, and, in flavour, it so resem- May the Lord accompany these means of grace, or
bles brandy, that it is well known that a large quantity of such others as may be adopted, with His abundant bles-
the French brandy brought into London, is potato spirit •
from Hamburgh, coloured with burned sugar. sing ! Oh ! may it indeed be a season of special refresh-
ment from the presence of the Lord!
FEROCITY OF THE PHEASANT.—The cock pheasant Let this be the prayer of all who read this paper; and
sometimes exhibits marks of great daring and fierceness, as the New Year is now approaching, it would be a great
even attacking man. I was once staying with a friend, kindness if those who approve the object, and have influ-
who had a bird of this character in the plantations near ence over the press, would republish and circulate this
his house which was accustomed to make frequent sallies invitation, which any one, into whose hands it may fall,
upon persons passing near the place of its resort. I saw HAS FULL PERMISSION TO DO.
it myself fly boldly at the proprietor of the grounds, who Peace be with all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity !
purposely approached the spot, in order that I might wit- Thus prays their affectionate Brother
ness the extent of its courage and ferocity; it commenced and Servant in the Lord,
pecking his legs, and striking with its wings, pursuing him JANIES HALDANE STEWART.
for a considerable distance down one of the walks. He Limpsfield Rectory, Godstone, Surrey,
said that be generally carried a stick to beat it off, when- November, 1846.
ever he went that way. Some wood-cutters, who were at
work close by, were in the habit of protecting their legs The Count de Montemolin, (eldest son of Don Carlos)
with strong leather gaiters from the attacks of this bird, called by his adherents, de jure King of Spain, arrived in
which was constantly interrupting and annoying them in London last week. His Majesty is accompanied by a
this manner.—Rev. L. Jenyns' Observations. ! limited suite and travels incoy.