Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-06-24
81 consection frsm the temples Of Ro-
/. &c

he establishment OF the CHRISTIAN feHSioii
and the period of ancient, though not the
commencement of modern history. On
every side we witness the triumphs of the
cross over the errors OF paganism ; heath
N TEMPLES converted inio christian
chapels: the saints OF the kalendar sub
stituted for the gods Of the pantheon; y
Roman heroes replaced by catholic
priests. Even the statues OF tie gods
pay their tribute in the decoration OF the
churches. and the foet OF ore. which was
once Jupiter. but which now personates
st. Peter. is kissed with great devotion
by every good catholic that finds himself
i,l Rome IL have repeatedly seen little
|cbiidren demand this qualification, and
wien raised Sufficiently hlsh, (the statue
lis elevated some feet from flle groand)
Kiss with the greatest satisfaction, the
sainted foot, winch wenld 'ere this have
|aeen completely DESTROYED from the fe-
guency Oh these salutatlons, were it not
protected by sandal in bfonZe, which
is from tine to time reaewed.
| have been so much occupied with tie
!observatiops OF antiquities. during the
|short time have been here, that have
'auch neglected that wonder OF the world
!St Peters, and tile Vatican, although
during the last week | have been there
almost every day, attending the interest
ing ceremonies peculiar to the season.~
On Wednesday heard The sFisereri
|chaunted by the choir Of the Fope's Cha,
|pel. Il is said by ccnnoiseers TO be one
|of The iinest pieces ofmusic ever colnPas-
led, and the performers afe certainly
such as are ret 20 be found oft 81 she Pa
pal territory, Tie ceremonies of the
week finished yesterday, Easter Sunday.
irhe scene was b far the most imposing
that ever witnessed. Grand Mass was
said by the Pope, attended by all the car
iiaaIs and dignitaries Of the church. To
stcnd to describe such ceremony,
performed in such a church at S Peters.
would De piece ST impertinenCe in one
possessing infinitely greater powers of
description tran nyeelf. Mass being f.
flushed, the Pope, from TIE balcony OF
,ie facade Of ST. Pete s, gave his bene-
lictien to the multitude collected in the
!aameaee square beneath. Fancy to your.
self at ieasl 50,oC9 people Oh their knees
recciving. IN aaiui silence, this b.ne!lic
icn, alth9asA much too sei''om impress
! ed yYj,5 feisiol- feeling. ! assure ysu.
Bat kaeita; that nnneut with is inuc3
Ideyojiun as a Catholic, & received most
ssraci9yoly the papaI blessing.
/ VII not Actend to say any thing 70
| sou of the paintings ard statue have
| seen in 2gne. Wcee opce to GET into
he Vatican, dcscYiejos the apollo, Ia,
cocoon, the Gha6.be'> and Lodges Of Ra-
Iphael, tie iraas gWatioD, etc, etc. |
should never 6m h. will therefore con
Ite myself for the moment. with telling
you how | CAME here, and ny present
Views.
a Jew days after !! write you from
| ,iarseiles, started for Nice in comps-
iaY with Mr. -----, Of New-Yolk, anG
Ir -, of i2aihmore. We stopped
at foulon day, but could not enter the
arsenai, as the admission of strangers is
vigorously and indiscrlminately prohibit.
led. Mics, is very pleasantly situated
flown, containing abnut observation-disclosures
1t was Tor G5 years annexed to the French
Issvernnlent; but i. now un5er the GO
jYernment Ct the king OF Sardinia. We
There embarked our carriage and ceastet
tthe I.igurian shore as lar as Genoa, tn,
imost Splendid town have ever seen; i
Imay in teuth be sailed city Of pala
ices. ] may, perhaps, give you somc
account OF it in future letter ;--het
must now hurry you on to Leghorn. agait
coasting the Guph of Genoa, until We
reach The guTph of SPECIFIC. We tier
disseminated, and proceeded by land
passing through Massa, Carrara, hucci
land Pisa. At Leghcrn we staid FIVE o.
six, days: il is merely a commercial tcwn
tand my object for so long stay wa
!commercial information. From Leghorr
we took the road of Sc;ehna and Fiterh'
tie Rome. We hope, in day or two Il
receive our passports to enter the king
dom Of Naples, (having sent for then
1.-THE day after cur arriyal) and shall sci
Observation-Disclosures Iierculanium, Pom
Ipeii and Vesuvius--empIoy a few day:
Ionly in viewing the city, and hurry back
Ito Paris. WHERE / mean 10 De by the 20fF
Inlay. l hope shall soon have the plea
sure os addressing you letter from th'
lCrater of Vesuvias-. ii not. YOU shall hea'
from ME in Florence. could write
Iyou volumes from hence, but tine is tot
|preoio-'s.