The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-01-20

No. %.
ROME, November 29, 1882.
No Dv.a r: For letter which viii
.ovs 10 do with modern Rome alone, surely tne
'hn,ch of churches, the crucifed fisherman
laaO;6cent and mountainous monunent-St
CIVIL furnish fitting, natural, and Dig
nIru Oosts;de view of ST. Peters disappointed
:. IL does almost every one; the great mum
n arA enormous size of the columns which
oel a the grand oolonnade in 'front.' and the
'J,n ble proportions of the building itself
s" 10 the eve a strangely diminishing eff
e e'., Rnt the first full view of the interior
'tr~ glorious picture upon my mind, which
~ tho waves of time can never wash away
AZ Inch il seems to me, even the light of the un.
'o,,;ng sun of eternity cannot fade. That mo.
Nsnt IS stamped into my soul, with those In
which first beheld Niagara and the Coliseum
&, Peters is not alone grand, beautiful, vast
.0d msgnfcent-it is absolutely sublime; you
sa ave.struck, utterly overwhelmed, by its
qnimagined immensely, its incompatible stu,
nsOdousness Were it not for its general har-
p,ony of style and just proportion, it would
seem not single gigantic structure, but a
uass of congregated and eonsecrated buildings
an constituting a vast accumulation of the
snsndors of art and the wonders of architect
Dre-the piled offerings of the pride and piety
of many ages and nations, the mighty type and
temple of worlds worship, towering toward
God
It were far from impossible for good Protest
ants to feel devotional at St. Peters; for though
lighter and less gorgeous than most Catholic
csthedrals we find it more solemn than any
It's stiffness and vsstness are profoundly i'm
uessve and among its countless shrines, stat.
aes, and pictures, there are comparatively few
objects offensive to our taste, understanding
and common sense My eye was most revolted
by the stiff bronze figure of st. Peter, sitting
bolt upright, key in hand and foot extended, to
receive the pious homage of the people. This
miserable production has long been the particu'
lar object of popular worship-the lip-service
of millions of the devout has repeatedly worn
away the solid metal, and the holy saint has
been st least thrice re-toed. The best of the
Joke to a hereto is, that it is not st. Peter al
all, but an old and very ugly statue of Jove
enhaloed, and simply grasping key, instead
Of bolt
One of our party had the atrocity to remark
that this Transformation and transfer were
after all, but properly typical of the saint
conversion from Jew Peter to Christian Peter.
The works of Bernini and his disciples, mark
ed as they nearly all are by the wild extrava
gance and boisterous strength with which this
master seemed to boil over-busby- headed
saints, who look as though they had just alight
cd from riding on whirlwind and directing a
storm--angeIs in such state of dishevelled
discOmposure with their drapery in such q
crazy futter of breezy folds and their very
wng-feathers SO on end, you could almost be-
Eeye them just escaped from some celestial in.
sane asylum--these are simply detestable.
There are here few monumental works by
hOrwaldsen and Canova, which 60 far to
make you forget these sculptured denominations
Many figures originally fine are utterly spoiled
by an atrocious addition of drapery, consisting
Of sheets of tin painted in vile imitation Of
marble. The modesty of Holy Mother Church
has evidently had an alarming outbreak of
late years, in the direction of art Scarce q
seam of a sanity leg or an angelic bosom is
now permitted to shock the pure eyes of the
ieTout; but figures poetic and allegorical-
muses., seraphs, and the larger. sized cherubs,
are henceforth to be mufiled up and wound
about IN this ungracefil and uncomfortable
manner. HON. SOH qm mai u pensen Oh,
sanity nuns and holy fathers
it Is really great and memorable thing to
stand under the grand dome and look hp, up,
70 the far-shnlng of the pictured glory and
mystery OF the Godhead. The splendor of those
wcndrous frescOes, mosaics and all the elabo.
rate beauty of the surrounding Ornamental
cen to strike down upon you, and dazzle you
hke the sun at MONDAY.
Just as We were leaving after that first visit,
'ne sound of an organ came from one of the
chapes nearest the altar, and rolled down the
magnificent nave, rounded solemn and sweet.
HE melodous food seemed to swell about us,
shably almost visibly-seemed to lift us off
Our feet and bear us forth.
Since seeing St. Peters all other churches
ZEN TO have sunken away out of sight. never
y TO any other, except to hear fine music, see
ome particular work of art, or witness some
ppo'ng ceremony. Yesterday we saw the
;,Vp1 perform high mass at the Sistine chapel
ond 'ae ascan, Here the music was grand
n uaa 'ne ceremonies very magnificent and i'm.
d pp'c' even TO hereto. Into that portion
-. ~. onaPei where we sat, no spectators are
Iod." 'Nu' unless dressed entirely in black-the
- must wear black wells thrown over their
S.. without bonnets; and for gentleman, q
TosS coat Is as indispensable as at the opera
snued open-work screen separates this part
y. nOm that IN which are the altar and nara
",rOne When we entered, the Pope was seat
O " On the latter, under canopy Of purple and
so'a, IN his respendent sacerdota rohas With
Jus covering mitre on his head. and With hi.
reurooed Cardinals about him Tba Ia. :,
siver and gold at the illuminated altar brcat
e through wreathing clouds of incense--ths
so,geouSly-'rescoed roof and walls where the
ssanoc genius Of Michael Angelo stands' forth
'uiernai and awful in majesty and rowa- 49,
magnihcent costume of the Cardinals R;sbons
'ua o'her high church-digntaries--tb str;L;p J
,satao costume OF the Swiss Guards. the
s s.an OF their helmets and halberds-all con.
ws SSla scene peculiarly and inconceivably
s "a home the SACRED elements are removed
svsrr Vnurch TO church, and chapel to chapel
n iorty'eight hours. This was the occasion
P, '%oIr oeing removed from the Sistine 70 the
mu chapel, which is also in the Vatican.
,.a ane rope did not oficiate constantly at the
MA out sat most Of the time on his throne
n ~ whenever he rose to take part personally
,.' ue ceremonies, whenever his soft toned voice
tDda nsard in prayer, or bis paternsl hands ex.
On m IN benediction, all the faithful dropped
mil ue'r knees, the Swiss Guard going down
-. resembling clsng Of arms
cant AZ length, the procession formed. A small
s,oPy OF white silk and silver, very like the
LsS umbrella Of Chinese Mandarin. was
s,S over the head of his Holiness and with
soS mails bishops and guards, before, around,
d. sSenind him, he walked from the altar to
,.na urs' door of the chapel, whore a larger
Nd W Of white silk and silver received him,
ssv !" :, borne over him the remainder Of the
view y 80 sne Pauline chapel had very near
,oxIv VI the sovereign Pontiff, as he passed
sruss,l 'orsn, praying audibly and apparently
Nd :, and also a. he returned, in less state
Ap.I oa much less solemn psce' ] like the
ar Pin IN oountenance extremely; il NAV be want
Ls,nr.' strength, but il 10 beautiful in shane and
s,prass; and remarkably gentle and meek in
esDss. on II is truly . benevolent fscs' and
a B is%; like that of our friend Joseph Surge