Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-12
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES OF TRAVEL IN THE OLD WORLD.
Writ en- for the National hteligencer By Citisea
Of Washingtoa.

that the t ought upon entering It's gates Is OF The
marble will erness through which old Tiber flows One
naturally poets to see whole of dark and moss
covered wall ., broken columns, and time-worn monu
ments All tese exist and may be found in the
time but they not to be at glance The CHIEF
ruins are outso Of the modern city and those that
in the suburbs hidden away among houses that il
requires time ant patience to find them without guide
have now been hree weeks hunting up ruins altogether
through the aid Of bad Italian and Vasi and very
certain much vet re- mains be But the first inn
preston Of Rome up entering the Piazza del Popoo
was very different fro what had anticipated quite as
unlike what all previo, reading had led to expect as
Florence Fer Ita ,n city it has peculiarly modern
and civilized appearance The idea OF dark
ness and gloom which ury all travellers entertain va
nishes at it is d cult to avoid running into the
other extreme osurprise its gay and Partisan appear
ance 1t is the best part owever rather the newest
that comes first The Pinc the Piazza del Popoo, and
Corso all thronged this season with fashionable
foreigners as looking and unsuggestive Of
wreckd world Ger which time sleeps motionless as
part Of Turin Milan To feel entirely satisfied that you
the City ofthe Soul you must pass out from the
Corso and stand upon the Captolne h where tho Fo-
rum and the Coliseum and abodes of the Caesars
brought within sweep of the eya What feel then
depends upon your temperament and reading of the classic
ages.
The whole city was overaowng with visers when had
the good fortune aEiye. 1t the 4th Of April
the beginning of the Ceremonies of Holy Week. Not
single to be had for love money from the
ground floor to the uo piano. throughout the whole ha
bitabe part of the had to go down to the part
considered by all strangers uninhabitabeon the banks
Ct the Tber just opposite the old castle of St Angelo
dare undertake to tell you of all in that week
of the grandeur of ST. Peters, and the fine music the
countless professions of cardinals priests and soldiers
the washing of the feet of the twelve pilgrims by the Pope
the blessing of fifty thousand people in the Piazza the
chanting of the Miserere, mingled with the clash of
armor the blowing of trumpets and the soemnties Of
prayer And how is it possible, with ones brain filed
with strange sights describe the street scenes the
rattle Of ten thousand carriages the long lines Of gayy
dressed people pouring through all the public thorough
fares the prancng steeds of the French soldiers running
down common peoples the wild chants of hooded monks
the torchght professions by day and night the pros
trate crowds in front of every Madonna the confusion
of tongues and variety Of costumes; and the strange
minging of the panp and circumstance of with the
soemnties of regonsodiers arrayed for murder going
through the mockery Of worship the hatred of
wards man, and contempt of human rights all turned to
the glory of the Creator 1t is wonderful and impress
sve sight enough make mortas sad and angels weep
q
dminuon of thousands in the transient population
of Rome The are no longer thronged with pro-
cessons and humble pedestrians who cannot aspire
to prncey carriages and will rush through the classic
hauns Of the Eternal City in common hacks are once
enabled to rambe about at leisure without risk of
life or limb Now, have made up my mind to thing,
and trust you will humor in the idea, for it strikes
rather novel-to tip the wings of fancy with little
Of the lead Of reality, and hold rerside chat with you
about Rome just to convince you that much learning hath
not yet made me mad. The madness Of learning is
epidemic here, and expect by the time get through
certain ponderous which friend insists upon my
reading, land without which he boldly asserts man
might just well be shot up like rocket through the
broad expanse of knowledge and explode without know
ing what happened to him. to sit in the Coliseum by
moonlight and gaze through the rents Of ruin without
rhyme reason. Only think how many difficulties one
labors under in refining up his enthusiasm in this the Nobe
of Nations At the present writing old Tiber just
below the window flowing with his yellow through
the marble wilderness; within almost stones throw
stands the grand old mausoeum Of the Emperor Adrian
the castle of ST. Angelo, boldly defended by Bell
sarus against the Goths little further of to the left
looms up the majestic dome of St Peters a gigantic
monument Of mortal power standing aoof from the
raj wreck and the ELAN bridge, still nearer resounds
with the rattle Of arms and the broad plain in front
suggests the memory Of many battle halowed in
classic lore. s..
In my immediate vciRity various obscure cafes and
fatteras under the most astounding signs among which
need only the Temple Of vesta where you get co
fee and rolls for three bioci the Cafe Of juno the Hall
Of Apollo, the Forum Of Trajan and Others where
you get oats nicely Drowned that IL resembles coffee
and costs good deal less besides having soothing in
fuence the nerves breakfast on oats every morning
and this reminds of the Trattona of Castor and Pol
lux which may be recognised by the sign Of two brawny
holding horses copied from the original Greek sta
tues; rather nice sort Of place. where sometimes ge
mutton chop made Of capri goat and waited upor
by Antoninus, Titus, Meteus Adrian, and other smar
fellows with white aprons on while at the Temple o.
Vesa have the pleasure of being served to coffee and
mullins merely at nod by such men as Michael Angelo
Rafaee, Claude, and Dpminicino have only 10 oper
my ears and am filed soul and body with the magic
strains Of Corinne, which friends are reading aloud
in the next room. II stroll out for exercise uncon
sciousy find my way 10 the top Of one Of the Seven Hills
and sooner look around IL the line of tourists
marked by red books extends all this distance from thu
Corso than ragged urchin steps up and in spite Of III
most resolute deafness my part begins 70 encbte
all the antiquities in the vicinity for witch he ba
the impertinence demand 5aioeeo or half cen
The other day, down the Paatine Bridge was a
tackled by sturdy little Roman not more than ten yea
Of age who in minutes told me the name Of ever
ruin from the Temple Of vesa round by the Fortuna vrl
and the house Of Nicholas Rienz to al the old bridges
4, sight-the Fsbrcan, the Gratan Jameulum and don
know how many others; and when paid him the sum
10