New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-09-07

with a scene before US, if not the most magnih
cent at least the richest in association, of any IN
the world. Just as we were leaving the village,
We passed the tomb of Pompcy the Great, a
huge, gray structure, rising in single square
tower Of gray stone, erected by Cornelia over his
ashes. He sleeps well with his uncovered mon
umcnt looking down on the Rome that was almost
his. Adown the entire descent the whole desc
late campagna Of Rome, Gas far as Socrate) was
in view. Amid its ruins, with its towers and
domes and obclisks, arose the modern CITY, a
living tombstone over the ancient one long dead.
Between us and it, like long broken colonnades,
stretched the miles of her ancient aqueducts.-
Beyond in the smoky distance, the blue Med-
terranean drew its pencil along the sky, making
single line on the horizon, while around all,
like guardian spirits seemed to lean IN mournfu
attitude the ancient, silent centuries. The grand
eur and the loneliness of the wide scene weighed
on my heart ROME, the brightest vision OF my
early dreams, and the Mecca Of all my boyish
imagnatons, was before me, and yet how differ
emit from those dreams! a person at home can
not appreciate the feelings of who for the first
time looks down on imperial Rome The i'm
childhood, has craven on the soul, and the aspect
presented to the actual eye, are SO widely differ
ent, that one seems Il ruggling between waking
and sleepmg-he cannot wholly shake OIL the
early dream, and he cannot believe that what
rises before him is all of that about winch he has
dreamed so long. But the very desoateness OF
the campagna around Rome which every traveller
50 deeply regrets is, after all, great rellct TO
ones feelings. 1t harmoniscs more with their
mood and speaks their language. Bright fields
and thrifty farm houses and all the lc and AMI
nation of a richly farned country would present
too strong contrast to the fallen "glory OF the
world" But the sterile earth, the ruins that lie
strewed over the plain and the lonely aspect all
things around it wear, seem to side with the pill
grim as he muses. over the crumbled empire. Be-
side, his faith is not so gricvousl taxed and his
convictions SO unnecessarily shocked. Heis not COM
PEELED to dig through modern Improvements to
rnd the lines that move him so deeply. There
they arc, the very characters the centuries have
writ. He secs the foot prints of the mighty ages,
and lays his hand on their mouldering garments.
As we passed over this mournfu tract, every
stone that lay in the sunshine seemed a history
We were on the Appian way, over which the
Roman Legions had Numbered so often, in the
very plain where the Sabines-the Volsci-the
Peasgi had in their turn striven TO crush the in
FAINT empire.
AS we came near the city we passed pictur
esque ruin, which has long been considered the
remains Of the temple Of Fortuna Muliebris, but
which is most evidently tomb Of the first cen
fury of the Empire. Near by is also the spot
where Milo and Claudus quarrelcd and the lat
ter fell, which occasioned the famous Grafton pro
Nilone which every schoolboy is familiar with
At length we entered the gates, rolled over the
Ceian hill and decended into the heart Of mod
cn Rome.
The sensations one experiences in passing
through the streets are odd enough. His feet arc
on dead empire, and here an ancient obcllsl
and there fountain or aruin keeps up the mys
terry and awe with which he first contemplated
the city. But suddenly an object passes between
him and that ruin-he looks, and 1t is modern
belle-a Roman, with her French hat fnery and
bishop rustling by He rubs his eyes and looks
again. II cannot be: for upon that proud mar
bic front stands written in naughty characters,
S.P. Q. r. SENATE AND PEorLE OF ROME" He
turns the black.cyed Roman has trippcd by, but
hight among those grim, old columns is blacksmith
quietly shoeing Romans horse. Thus you go
on, one moment reminded of Cmsar--thc next OF
tobacco--one moment imagining the naughty
form that once passed beneath that arch-the
next seeing bcggar crouched in his rags beneath
it
After had become domiciled the first object L
sought was St. Peters. Every body has written
Of St. Peters, and every body says that the first
view disappointed them-that the admirable pro-
portion maintained throughout Giminishcs the
greatness of the whole. 1t was not so with me.
Although in general every thing is under my an
ucipatlons, this was beyond them.
as stood in front of the noble area with the
ancient obelisk rising in the centre, and the snow
anu the snow-whte fountains sending up their
ieam against the fourfold colonnade that swept
uoWn IN semi.circle on either side TO where l
s'00o' surnounted by their one hundred and nine
I'wo statues and looked up to the front of ST.
.e'ers rising macstically from its noble flight OF
-e.s' lifted up my hands in anlazcmcnt.
wy establishment was only increased as /
sseehoed INTO the vcstibule and entered the main
uy Of the church. The rich marble foor-the
10y naye-,he stupendous columns, and the
.sa'n OF slatuary that leans out on every side,
lake II appear more like an artists dream than
actual creation.
4 0u are lost m Il "a ,x,rl+,,Jo around ,,n,, and