New-York daily tribune., 1851-07-30


would command your pro'oundest Ss> -,
hu, everything around and beyond 1t is ~
excellent. and YOU soon cease to wonder snsd 90
main to appreciate and ENJOY.
i devoted most OF the day TO st. Peters, see
ing 1t under many different aspects, but no other
view Of the interior is equal to that presented IN
the stiffness and comparative solitude OF the
esrly morning The presence of multiiudes does
rot cloud your consciousness of It's immensely,
fer ten thousand persons occupy no considerable
portion Gifts area and might very easily De present
yet wholly invisible to one who stood just ms ie
he on,rsnce and looked searchingly through the
body OF he edliice to find them. but there are
usua Is very few seats, and those for the prlvl-
legged, that hundreds constantly moving
from place to place. which dIstracts attention
and mars the feeling OF repOse and delighted
awe which the naked structure is calculated to
inspire Go very early some bright summer
morning II YOU would -. Peters IN Its calm
and stately grandeur
i ascended to the roof. and thence to the sum
nit of the dome, but, apart from prolounder con-
sciousnesS OF the vastness and admirable proper
tons of the ediice, tbs Is Of little worth. True.
the entire city and lis suburbs lie clearly and
fully beneath and around you; but So they do
from the tower of the Capitol. Views from com
manding sights are obtained In almost every city.
The ascent, however, AS far the roof, Is easier
than any other ever found within building
Instead Of stairs, here is a complete road. more
hike the ascen, of a mountain. than Church
Cne single view Is obtained. however, which
richly compensates for the fatigue OF the ascent.
1t is that from the interior OF the dome down into
the body Of the Church below. The Alps may
present grander. but never expect to have
another like this.
Here had personal evidence of the mean,
reckless sefshness wherewth public edltices
are regarded by too many, and the absolute ne
cesslty of constant, omnipresent wachfulneSs TO
preserve them from wanton dapidatlon. Five
or SIX French soldiers had been permitted to as
cend the dome ust before did, and came down
nearly at the same time with me As | stood
gazing down from this point INTO the church be-
low, two of these soldiers came IN on their way
down, and one Of them, looking around to see
that no one was present but stranger, whipped
the hayonet he wore out of It's sheath. forced the
point into the mosaic close behind as we'll as
above us pred ont one of the square pieces OF
agate or some such stone OF which that mosaic
Is composed, put 1t IN his pocket and made Oh.
| had no idea that he would deace the edlhce
until the moment he did II, and then hastily re-
moustrated, but of course without avail |
locked a, the wall on which he operated, and
found that two or three had preceded hun IN the
same work of paltry but most outrageous rob
bery. OF course each will boast OF his exploit
to his comrades Of kindred spirit, and they will
be tempted to initiate 1t, until the mischief done
becomes sufficiently serious to attract attention,
and then Nobody will have a serious reckoning
to encounter. A few acts of unobServed rapine
as trifng as these may easily occasion some
SIGNAL disaster In an edIhce like this, there
should be no point accessible to visitors un-
watched by faithful guardian eventor one hour
In the afternoon, attended the Celebration
OF High Mass. this being observed by the Catho-
lie world as st. Peters Day, and the Pope him
self officiating IN the great Cathedral. Not
understanding The service, | could not profit by
it, and the spectacle impressed me uniavorably
Such 4 multiplicity of spears and bayonetS seem
TO me strangely out of keeping In a place OF
worship; if they belong here why not bring in
a regiment Of horse and park Of artillery as
well There is ample room for them IN st. Pc
ters, and the cavalry might charge and the can
nonlers fire few voleyS with little harm to the
building, and with great increase both to the num-
bers and the interest OF the audience. | am not
pretending to nudge this for Others but simply to
state how IT naturally strikes one educated IN
the simple, sober observances Of Puritan New
England have heard of Protestants being
converted in Rome, but it seems to me the very
last place where the great body OF those edu.
Gated in really Protestant ways would be likely
TO undergo conversion. | have seen very much
here TO admire and there Is doubtless many times
more such that have not seen, but the radical
antagonlsm of Catholic and Protestant IDEAS, OBJ
servances and tendencies never before stood out
in a light so clear and strong as that shed upon
1t by a few DAYS IN Rome | obtained admission
Yesterday TO the Sstine Chapel of the Vatican
and saw there among the paintings IN iresco,
representation of the death of Admiral Coligny
at the Massacre Of st. Bartholomew and II this
were not intended to express approval OF that
horrible massacre, would like to know what
,ros meant by having 1t painted and placed
there.
But to return TO ST Peters. The entrance
of the grand procession from the Vatican was
very slow process In its ranks were the Noble
Guard. the Swiss Guard the Cardinals, aud many
other divisions, each IN Its own imposing and
picturesque costume. At length came the Pope
borne in a magnificent chair on a raised platform
or paanquin, the whole borne on the shoulders OF
some ten or twelve servltOrs. This was a cap
ital arrangement for US strangers, who wished
good view at His Holiness but arm sure II was
very disagreeable TO him, and that be would
much rather have walked like the rest. He