Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-02-19


and our company Of priests, we observed
before the shrine, a solitary monk saying
mass. Our guide and the priests dropped
in alteration. while we stood involuntarily
bowing before the strange and awful spec
tacle. Around were the graves Of the
dead. The spectral shadows upon the
mosaic and bas-relieis peopled the narrow
chambers; while gloom seemed here TO
linger as If in her own dark home Our
breathing grew short and our step fearful
as we wandered amid this home OF depart
ed priesthood. AT last we emerged again
into the nave Of the church, with the prayer
that our last repose might not be in such
corridor of stone and darkness but under
the pleasant light of heaven. amid the
beauty Of nature, where birds might sing,
in the place where affection should prompt
and love TO lingcr.
Having viewed The depth. we could not
refrain from visiting the hcighth Of ST.
Peters. A broad paved spiral staircase
leads by gentle ascent to the roof of stone
One might easily drive up with horses and
carrlage. The two would form also, a
pleasant drive. On the walls are the
names the sovercigns who have been up
to the cupola-a long list. The list might
be increased considerably if the Ameri-
can sovereigns were added. The roof
seems to be a city in itself Around you
are beltravs, domcs, houses, and other ap-
pcndages Of city. Rome begins to grow
small below. The head grows dizzy as
the eye dares to descend but we are not
half up.
The Pantheon stands before us upon the
roof, surmountcd by the brass ball, which
seems some two feet in diameter, and into
which. it is said, sixteen people may be
slowed. Through winding stairs, by tug
ging and resting, and gazing out of win
dows, we reached the top of the dome, and
walked cut into balcony whose railing
is invisible below, and into the open air
some four hundred feet above the city.
Around and below US are the Towering
orange trees and gardens Of the pope far
TO the south east, the Coliseum and its bro
ther ruins fling their broken shadows to
the earth still farther beyond. under an
exquisite web Of mist, lie in quiet beauty,
the hills Of Tusculum Viterbo, Tivol and
the chain Of Appcnines. TO the left, old
Mount Soracto Of classic memory, wh;tens
its top in the sky. Monte Maria relieves
its badness by green summit, nearer to
our view. Between, in dead long levels,
the freshly mown Campagna spreads its
grea; carpet about the seven Hills, the dim
blue fringe of which carpe,ing, is none
other than the Mediterranean. visible in
long line upon the left. The birds chirrup
among the fragrant gardens, and fountains
endeavor TO climb upward, only to curl in
beauty aud mnrmur their music. The
Tiber, seemingly a little run, plays awhile
amid the roofs below, and under the Ange-
10 bridge, and then darts away toward the
horizon, to mnglc its thread Of yellow in
that fringe Of blue.
Can ascend higherl Try that per
pendicular iron ladder, and follow it up
" ard, through that long narrow neck, and
you are in the ball Itself One of our dies
even dared it. The atmosphere was little
tepid to be sure, owing to the proximity
ofthc BAH to its solar companion. Tie
echo Of our voices clnled so fcarlully on
its sounding metal, that--ycs-it was
really fearful. The sense of bcing so high,
worse than the sight through the little
chinks. made me feel more ndcscribably
queer and qualmy than ever felt before.
The trembling knees almost refused the
rapid descent while perspiration dropped
beads like Oriental trees their "medcinal
gum" My second ascent in company
was much more pleasant Oar guide told
us good story Of an obese Frcnchman,
ho the other day squeezed through the
neck and found selfpufing in theiing
ing bali. He illustrated the old Horatian
fable beautifully; for he could not take the
back track He was too-"Oh, call it not
lat-o'eagiaons" 10 return. There he re.
mained in Purgatory, between heaven and
earth half day, all the while dripping ike
fountain, Or ike Falstalr. "lardng the
lean earth" until the prolusencss of the
pcrspiration somewhat diminished the 70.
tundliy of his corporosity, when he dcscen-
dcd from his oven, a sadder and thinner
man!
On our return down, we saw the lamps
with which ST. Peters is Illuminated on
fcstal days. Boys are tied in strings (Iikc
Wethersfcld onions) and hung down in
great garlands along the lamp-lines Three
hundred and eighiy-two men are also on
hand to assist in the Lighting. Every col.
umn, cornice or frieze, and all the details,
even to the summit Of the cross above the
ball, are to be lighted. In eight seconds,
at given signal, $500 golden lights leap
into being, and burn against the gigantic
architccturc--a firmamcnt Of fire! Would
not that be sight?
The sun-dial, upon the roof, points to
the hour of ten minutes after thirteen!
which is our ten minutes after nine. Anoth-
er slngularity as to time in Rome, is thai
at noon a gun is fired, black ball rises
over the college, and every bell rings the
time. Il produced quite a startling effect
on the stranger. S.S.C.
Intemperance.
"And vet its march Of ruin IL onward