Washington telegraph., 1851-04-02

| IHE NATICAN.-1he 81. Louis Nepubll.
can has letter from a correspondent at
Rome, describing the Vatican. The
writer says:
| This is probably the most Interesting
palace in the world. 1t has been used
for more than thousand years, and how
much longer is no: certainly known.
| Charlemagne, it is said, resided here at
the time he was crowned by Leo 80, in
the eighth century Its length is eleven
hundred and ffty-one English feet, aud
its breadth is seven hundred aud sixty
seven feet. 1t has no regularity or out
ward architectural beauty TO recommend
it, for ii has received so many additions
on different plans, and undergone so many
changes during the reign of its numerous
occupants. each of whom has pulled down
or built up according TO his own taste,
that the most you can say of its exterior
is, that it is 4 huge pile. But its museums
of antiquities and of exquisite works OF
art are unrivalled. The number of paint
ings, frescoes and mosaics, to say nothing
of the relics of past ages that are garner
ed here, is almost Incredible. No labor
or expense has been spared to make this
the dePositary of every thing that Is
beautiful in art or wonderful and interest
ing in antiquity. IT has four thousand
four hundred and twenty-five apartments,
and one of these, the Hall of the Can
delabra, is one thousand feet long. No,
only are the walls of the various rooms
covered With rich paintings. but the cell
| ing overhead is adorned with many Of
the finest frescoes in the world. Every
scene, almost. described in the Bible.
| you will find here represented in tapestry,
| mosaic, frisco or oils, and the historical
events Of ages, with the heroes Of every
age, and all the neurological and allegori-
cal figures Of classic lore, all are embodied
before you In the Gallery Lapidaria,
you almost feel tha. you are walking
through cemetry. Embedded in the
wall OH tile sides of the room, are all the
marble Inscriptions that have been re-
moved frbm the ruined tombs and COL
umbaria, ID the number Of three thousand
or more On one side are the Pagan in
scriptions, aud ON the other are those Of
the early christians, in Greek or Latin,
many of hem originally found in the
! catacombe.
| was greatly interested in the Hall Of
Busts. Here | saw Alexander Severus,
Julius Cesar, Augustus, Marcus Agrippa,
Marcus Anrelus, Cato Septimus Severus,
Nero, Uadrian, Julia, the daughter oi
Titus, &c.
In the Hall of the Greek Cross are two
sarcophagi Of great beauty. They are
made of prophyry and are Of immense
size. One containing the remains of St,
Helena.
The Library contains manuscripts,
Greek, Latin, and Oriental, TO the amount
of twenty-three thousand five hundred
and eighty. There is no other such col
lection in the world The lumber OF
printed books is only thirty thousand
Among the treasures of the Library is a
Virgil of the 4th century, with portrait
of Virgil himself; large Hebrew Bible,
in folio, for which the Jews of Venice
once offered its weight IN gold; seventeen
! letters of Henry the Eighth TO Anna
Boylen, nine III French and eight in Eng
lish; several manuscripts of Luther, and
| numberless other literary cnriositles.
The Capitol contains many fine works
Of art
Here is the celebrated Dying Gladiator.
1t is master piece of statuary. lnoticed
also mosaic, called "Pliny's Doves,
one of the finest specimens of ancient
! mosaic. 1t represents four doves, drink
ing; and is composed Of natural stones OF
such extreme minuteness that seven hun
dred and sixty are contained in one square
inch. Here among the busts. saw Titus
Julian the apo>tate, Antoninus Pius'
Plotina, the wife Of Trajan, and Julia
Sabina, the wife of Hadrian; also Virgil,
| Cicero, Socrates, Seneca. Diogenes,
| Pythagoras. Demosthenes, Homer, Sap,
pho. and many other distinguished charac-
| ters.