The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-06-14
AMUSING MISCELLANY.
FROM TIE ANTHOLOGY.
Original Letters, from an .American Traveller
ia Enroiie, TO his friends In this country.
LETTER EIGHTH.
Rome, Dec. 7th, 1904.
az pEAn sIsTER,

xY DEAR SISTER, M
n HAVE undertaken task more arduous than
hsd anticipated The description OF Rome Is work of
time and exerton Its beauties too varied, too
great and too striking, to be passed over in slight
and cursory manner. When you ramblc out OF the
popuios part of the city beyond the seven hills,
which Rome originally STOOD you find yourself amidst
deserted and melancholy fields, strcwed here and
there with the magnificent remains of Roman edi.
fees Rorpe is singular and unique in its appear
ace as il has been in its fate. It's walls, which
antique and have been preserved in their full extent
as they existed in the time Of the Cesars, cmbrac-
ed several miles square, which scarce habitac
edifice now rcars its solitary head. Perhaps some
lonely convent, or some splendid and vacant church
adds 4 sort of gloomy variety to the scenery You
must not infer from this, that Rome is dull, or un-
interesting city. It is crowded with people in its
habitabe parts, and motion and .splcndour vs-
ibie as in any city of the continent Amidst the de-
serted fields Of ancient Rome strangers often delight
TO stro and scarcely step is taken but offers some
new object TO crafty and amusc. Hero some temple
80 the fanciful Gods of the Romans its nutilated
form; there the vast arches Of magnificent aque-
duct astonsh you by their grandeur and extent On
this side your eye ranges along the immcnce pile OF
the palace Of the Crsars on the other, the huge
licts of some mausoleum, or the more extended
ruins Of an imperial Thermes, attract your cagcrat-
tention The baths Of Diocetian, situated about a
mile from present population, though still within the
walls were surprising cditce, OF which considera
ble relicts are yet to be seen. The present pope,
filed with anoblc ardour for the fine arts, and will
ing presume. to repair the losses which Rome has
sustained Ivy the depredatons of their good allies,
and the protector Of catholicism, the emperour Of
the French, has taken unweared pains to restore the
the monuments of antiquity, and either to discover
new ones, or the residue Of those which have been
partly discovered. shall notice these excrtons and
discoveries as they occur.
ID
occupied in digging up the remains of the baths Of
Diocetian The foundations of this vast edifc are
from Is to so feet below the present surface Of the
earth. The dancing hall the emperour Diocletian
which appcrtaned to these baths, was discovered in
the time Of Michael Angelo (indeed it had never been
covered) and by that first modern architect con-
yertel into church. t.
The grandeur, simplicity, and beauty of this fine
edicc proves the superiority Of ancient artists, and
the columns OF granite, Of uncomfortable tomod-
ern builders, or single blocks OF that prodgously hard
stone, Justly excite our admiration. These pillars
cannot less tb nine feet in circumference and up
wards of thirty feet high. That emperours should
have exertcd all their power and wealth to bring such
monuments as the obclsks from Egypt, one can con-
ceivc, though the manner may be incomprchcnsble,
but that they should have incurred the enormous
pence transporting from Egyptthese monstrousp
lars for every house edicc Of luxury devotion,
is, ] confess, to me almost incredible
This church being one of the largest in Rome, the
astronomers have availcd themselves oft by drawing
rreridian line init. As we have nothing Of the kind
in our country, any building which could display
one to advantage will describe it to yo To form
a meridian line, YOU require large surface, and
sipooth uninterrupted one The churches Of Rome
having marble floors, and no interruption from pcws
or any other objects, (because the devotion Of the
pcopie is secondary consideration, andis done in a
different manner) they are very we'll adapted to this
purpose The object of the meridian line is to cx-
4 --.-l /. 49, -,sl-