Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-07-20

and perfec, of the ruins of Antient Rome.M Y. POSI-
Extracts of letters from Europe.
ROME
The Colosseum is surely the most majestic
Of ruins. Elhptical in form, more than sixteen
hundred feet in circumfe ence and one hundred
and six,y in heigh,, il is pierced by three rang
IS of arches, one above another, whose narrow
in,erva ais are adorned with columns Of The DO
rio Ionic aud Corin,hian orders respectively:
Above is a range Of quadranguiar window anu
composite pilas,ers ssrmounted by hgh' ana
appropriate cornice. This vast edihce is com
posed Of ,ufa srone. One Of the blocks when
observed more particularly, though III the
third story and only Of the ordinary 'ize, mea'
SUI ed at leas, eight feet in length by three IN
height and four in thickness. The walls, howe
YER, are often fac ed internally with Trick, when
is also used in the arches that support the
starc ase IN the subslruction OF the sea's, an"
in some other parts Of the edihce. ne arena
within is about three hundred feet long ana TWO
hundred broad. Around the arena rises wall
pierced by doorways, through which the g'a-
diators and wild beasts entered. This was
called the Podium, and from this assembled The
frs, range Of seats, SCI apart for the emperor,
his family, and court, the senators, the magis-
trates, and Iproh! 2udor) for the Vestal VIZ
gins Above this, separated by broad pas
sage and a perpendicular wall, arose another
range Of seats, and still above, divided IN Ike
manner from the second, lowered a third. Even
beyond the top Of this range, there was gal,
lery surrounding the whole edihoe, adorned
witt columns, tho unprovided with seats, and
| appropriated to The populace. The seats were
nothing more than a series OF broad stone steps,
none Of which are now remaining. The toun'
da,ions upon which they were laid are, howe.
yer, still firm ihr rug hout almost tn whole oil
the circumference. The various slaitt as sur
vive only in part. Owing to This TACT, and I"
their grea, number il is next 10 Impossible 10
ascertain, even upon the spot, their exact ar
rangemenl--an arrangement which rendered IL
easy for child TO find any given place in the
caves, and enable The am2hitheatre 20 discharge
its, Il Of us one hundred thousand spectators
in the course of few moments. L say one
| hundred thousand spectators, tor, although
eiehty-se.en thousand only could be seated,
there was room for twenty thousand more H.
the gallery above. There were as many walls
| around he ambhitheatre IS there were ranges
Of seats, differing in height according TO the
| several ranges which they supported, and oil
pierced with arches corresponding with thos"
Of the external wall The external wall is de
mohshed for about half Of its circumference,
but the second still presents itself behind the
breach, a new bulwark against the ravagfs oil
time The effect produced BY this peculiar ar
chitec,ure, BY arches which multiply as you
advance or retire, presenting themselves now
obliquely and now full in from, here sinYly, aud
there in long sweeping iii m5tffts
varied and imposing. l. IS tenoer.u .,.,y do
the fallen partitions and The broken s,aircases
create greater variety Of outline, and open,
| as il were, the hidden recesses Of the building
to the investigation Of the eye, out the whole
inferior is overgrown with moss, with shrubs
waving wildly in The wind, with vines twined
grace fully around its crumhlng hes or hang
ing in natural frstoons from its unequal walls,
and even with the fresh tho short lived flower
a contrast at once both 70 its decav s. It's endur-
ance. An additional effect is, Of course, pro-
| duced by the vas;ness Of the fabric and the
massveness Of its construction, illustrating, as
they do, the power of mechanics, the impress
Of mind on matter, and presenting an imposing
instance of the wealth and magnfee! &c OF an
| tient Rome.
| The Colosseum is, on these various accounts,
! pr haps the best place to mediate upon the
| fallen city. AS stood upon the highest poin,
| to which / could ascend, and turned E ON the
contemplation Gifts massive ruins 10 the view
Wi hou,,-as looked down upon the columns
| and arches IF the Forum aud the Sacred Way,
or regarded the Wondering walls which are
scattered over the whole surface Of the neigh
boring Palaline, or through the arches of he
amphitheatre itself, pereeiving towards the
| sou h nothing but scattered ruins, a region un>
| inhabi,ed-When ma ked the silence and de-
srrtion Of This, the most populous region of the
ancient mistress Of the world, l was ready to
exclaim, the city doth indeed sit solitary -
without surrounded by desert and an a,mos-
4 rka re nj ~ Ia
graves Of her ancient magnifcence In vain
e"dravored to call up before mt, the tnrong-
ing multitude, the gli,'ering pomv, the Impe
rial pagean,; In vain endravor.d 10 pain, in
my minds eye the Roman form and s'ep-rhs
graceful habi, Of the "gens toga a,'-,hr veil-
ed matron s. The s'olrd philosopher, the slave,
the freedman and the artisan. aud all he strange
varieties OF ancient life. The present impress
sion was too strong, The stern reality of desola-
,ion too powerful TO afford any scope &c The
Imagination