The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-05-02
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1897.

r marble. On each side of the door is
, iaige nIch-that on the right, once cor
: taAied statue of Augustus, and the othe
the statue OF Agrippa. The bronze door
We're carried off as trophies by. Genseric
an9 buried forever in the depths of tn
rMedlterranean.
The temple itself is magnificent rotun
da' hundred and fifty feet in diameter
alid nearly the same In height, with wild
aperture at the top, through which tn,
bright skies Of Italy shed cheerful light
ana give 10 the interior charming effect
Oflsi hally the outside was covered witt
git bronze, which Pope Urban WIFI
mehed INTO cannon for the castle of st. An
gelo, ana INTO ornaments for the shrine o.
St. refer, furnishing just grounds for the
satlrlcai pun, that the Bar6nrini 1.-THE fami.
| ~ name OF his Holiness) had pillaged
what the bGrbdrianS had spared. The in.
ner walls are encrusted with the riches
marbles and the pavement is OF porphyrz
blended with yellow antique Two ranges
OF arches extend refund the temple-fbe
upper one for the celestial, the lower for
the terrestrial, and the floor for the internal
deltles; while Jove with his group of great
er gods, occupying the tribute or recess
opposite the door, presided over the whole.
Among the latter, at the right hand of Ju-
piter himself, Julius Cesar was placed-an
eTtravagant and impious compliment,
which Augustus had the good sense to de-
cline
BY the exercise of plenary indulgence.
the Pantheon has been cleared of all it's
heathenism impurities, and converted into
one OF the thousand churches at Rome
half dozen shrines, more splendid than
the IDOLS OF antiquity ever found, rise round
the walls encircled with statues and pic
lures. Among the former, is a Vestal in a
sitting posture, with child by her side
She was found with many other works of
art, amidst the rubbish of the temple, and
IN the general conversion was christened
81 Anna, receiving at the same time the
aapPendage OF pdmplu0, to show that she
had ceased to belong to the ancient sister
hood. Suspended at the side of one of
the affairs, are great number of yotive ia
Dies, dozen of which exhibit rare draw
lngs of stillettos and pistols. making
the bloody weapons still more hideous, and
eVlnclng that assassinations were ranked
among the common accidents of life-by
no means comfortable idea to traveller
WHO has not full faith in the miraculous in
PREVENTION of saint to rescue him from
TIE hands of banditti. During one of our
VISITS to this beautiful temple, two female
Pilgrims came IN and knelt on the splendid
mosaic before one of the shrines. They
were clad IN black robes, hoods, and hats
decorated with shells, and each bearing a
long staff. One of them was recognized
CLINE same we had passed on the road in
was probably ]ourneylng IrvIII u'Iv 5iii Iif7
st. Loretta to Rome.
But the Pantheon has some associates OF
a more elevated character, than such gross
superstition can impart. Here were the
tombs of many of the most distinguished
men of Modern Rome, most of which have
been removed, for what reason know not.
Those of Annibal, Carraci, and Raphael
are still LETT consisting of plain tables on
the wall, by the side of one of the affairs.
The latter died in April, 1920, at the age
of IS. His epitaph is brief comprising
the following lines -
lille hic est Raphael, timente, quo sospite
vinci,
Rerum magma parens, ct moriente, mort"
Which may be thus inelegantly translated:
" Here lies that Raphael, during whose life
nature feared rival, and at his death, that she
also might expire"
If any name could justify such hyperbole,
it is that of an artist, who, in his brief and
brilliant career, in an age deemed by us
comparatively barbarous, filed the gale
ries of Italy with pictures, which it may be
said, with truth, nothing but the hand OF
nature herself can surpass. On the tablet
below is another inscription less extrava-
giant in idea, and more classically express
ed.
Cuus spirantes prope imagines."
"Whose images almost breathe"-a com
pliment as just as it is poetical.