Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-26

,ar'eo up III reai''y before one-u is oil,
the cupola that you can eompr.AeaS My SG,y a
Angelo. '''eh!cl
On my dece ending and re.en!sr inc ,,.
found ,espers had commenced. Tr.M m9t
in their white SUPPLIES and purnle r ,N"''
were sweeping gradually from III, s. s,. "ish'''
their chapel. A swell Of voices broke "nnM
through one Of Marccllus's mos, r. apos nt,
Psalms. followed he procession =, SsH:'a'ea.
30 their choir. Nothing gives so We'll , ,ts
tent ofSt Peters as the human yo,a s"e *
sounds at few steps from The ch,nI '%
most IS faint and uncertain as in the oDrn q
Ga en'ering. ! heard little; the organ 49,, M:
accompanied, is too powerful for four r ~'''
and the Pope does well to prohibi, i, rro ,n[ S
chapel altogether. What litllr heard ~,'a Us
mere enjoyment Of an art-,he qacc,s css,. ""
these tones, which cannot BE- srnr,,isdr
the singers is disagreeablc; here is soms, n'"
"serannel," as Milton calls il, and Jrs.;aS
even in q sensual sense-in moral ,b,v, :"
,oIcrabIe. Yet, as formerly in the ,bc,,asE H.
late indeed as Goldoni,) they still arr cranSE
here. 1t is curious thing to sec the po.S
on one side connive at an Italian oner, w. F
The frs, singers iS Italy perform, and n, :,
e. ALI
character OF The voices who are destined e.
the service Of his own ritual. Tn. rS,s =.
wos crowded with English, and the ladies ~,
dominated, as III al. such places, over he r r
tiemen.
On the conclusion Of ve5pers, sauD,,..,
once more slowiy round the church. AIM
hour it becomes perfect promenade: and :,
monGst tn frs, exhibitors in The saioon r,;.
is really profaned 10 such, every eye mus, p,
mark our Own countrymcn. In whatever coo,
try have been, wha'c,er places Of wor,hinr
have visited, whoever hsse been the wcr,f;,
pers, have found Engi,hmrn, Of all o,Ir.
lie most self sufficient rrprovers Of the oni,or'
and conduct OF strangers. The preiudics, Is
millions and generations demand respect ana
tina, man or his faith has lille claim on hr ia,
diligence Of others, who refuses to accord "a
others, what he requires for himself. ThcEs.
gli,hman abroad isvery unlike the Enclishm,,
al home. The vices of the national cha,ac,,.
come al once to the surface, and that habi,vJ
condition Of Superiority which forms So essen
,ial feature OF his education confirmed a,a
is by the absurdities and aoquiescence Oft,
nations whom he visits, prccipi,a,e him I'M,
excrsses, which he would be ashamed 70 n.
knowledge or permit al home. If a strange,
were TO conduct himself in Westminster Abbrr
as some English ladies are allowed 10 do in ii.
very centre Of ST. Peters. he would soon draw
down upon his head in the freest Country in En-
rope, The Immediate vengeance Of our ecces
astical police. PoPery may be very horrible
monster to Protestant, but 4 Protestant shou!!
not forget he is mar, and ought to convinc:
others he is Christian.
remained amongst the lat at ST. Peters
The day hega" gradually todeelne. surrrR.
dered mys~l! by degrees 10 vague, indsm
,suishabIe, passive pleasure, like the Ugh, about
me; lounging qualification, which Is particu
larly delicious when the fatigue Of review is O.
yer, and the microscope has deGnitiyely faIca
from ones hand. A new enjoyment ross ~ah
every instant How admirable is The evening
scene Of this place. We were now i'll NOysm
berthe sunset was that Of summers daI
The heavy hazy, streams Of rich red, parted BY
the enormous buttresses Of the arcades, still
fell upon the white marble pavement, and ball
penetrated into the opposite recesses. The
6guers distan, and various-of different age
port, and step, passed into the light aud dark
ness alternately. The cup0la threw It's JlmIs
Elections below, the diving sunbeams shot d.
rect'y across, and Illuminated only the grove
mosaics Of its mighty span;-a gentle su'fuH
tone soon followed, which melted away cvrY
thing harsh, and represented for nom nj ia:
mists and purple vapors Of The evening 10
another moment all his took deep tone, an!
twilight percrptibility spread above ever
thing below. The hundred lamps burnt lIsh'
ter-tlle statues looked more vague and gho',
like in their colossal inches: none remst"ed
Of the visitors o! the day but the wriehea
and the devout, The hungry, the naked and ''s
bouseless: all ostenlation aud attitude had ces
sed. and every one seemed lett TO their Owl
heart and heir Creator.
leaned for few minutes Oh the baIas
trade o! the Confrssion--listrning to The nap
ping of the distant doors, the whispers OF pray
er, the quiet fretting Of he lamps, and the Foi
saries which sometimes fell from thr HANDS d
the ,ged and decrepid on the marble slabs ps'
side me. My eyes were fixed on the wre,'n'
ings Of the canopy Of baldichino, som're' ~
attic, and enchanted -looking-then on 'ne ~ ~.
id darkness of the vault overhead, ana hn'D.
on the expanse of the arcades, which open.
in sweep and line, deep, dilatins, ard unossn
ed around me. The keys jinglins IN the oa''{
of the porters, awoke me f ON my rrve''e'. ,'
turned once more to the altar, and III Nv
moments, had passed the portal. go.
! had scarcely left the 'estibn!e, ana W,
still on The steps Of the edifice, when inc s'..,