The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-02-14
Scenes at Rome.

Il re DuuyHLeT UG toCtOOt, W tteS ~ 1o''SS'
Scenes at Rome.
4 correspnndent Of the Boston Trduellrr
rives US an interesting view of the utt.deScribed
wonders of the Coliseum, and other objects at
Rome.
"Ncxt to St. Peters the pride of Rome, is
the Coliseum. No drawing, no description,
can give you an idea of the imposing effect of
isfhis grandeur in ruins, and shall not attempt
N. It's chief attraction, however, is its history.
having stood there for 1900 wears IL cotenl
pnrary Of the Christian era. This great work
was completed bv Titus ten years after the
conquest of Jerusalpm; aud little thought that
pagan architect, Or the captive Jews whom he
employed to build it. what monument they
were rearing to Judea's king.
"At its dedication four thousand wild beasts
were slain IN It's arena. After that 1t was con
secrated bv uober blood For nearly four
hundred years it continued to he the scene of
pladiatoral combat, aud oftenlimes exhibited
the most frightfu barbariries; the records Of
the church being full of the names of Christian
martyrs who perished within its embrace. The
building is now a ruin, having tor nearly two
hundred years supplied the Rom IN princes with
material for their palaces, and sill the main
walls keep their ace, firm and un>hakcn, in
solid majesty, bidding defiarcc to all the inva-
siuus of man, and even to Tine himself. And
so it will remain unto all coming ages, mighty
witness to the Truth, of which ii is itself fit
ting enl!lcni,
Willie stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand;
Whnn falls the Coliseum Rome shall fall
Ard when Rome falls Ike world"
A cross now stands in the centre OF the are
na, and from rude pul pit underneath, "A monk
breaches every Friday >laug hter house OF
Christians at lehgth Christian temple.
The space enclosed within the amphithcatre
is about six acres, and would probably contain
more than Il hundred Thousand spectators.
There arc two maim entrarces-the one the an
clients devoted to the c"nquerors, through the
other they ~arricd their dead.
Probably there is no scene in the world more
impressive than that commanded by the Tow
er of the Capital. On every side around You
it is all classic ground. Here are the Scven
Hills of wore, where sat the mistress ut the
world Thvre is the old Forum, from whose
rustrum in the center Ciceros voice swayN
the multitude. These three superb columns
belonged to the temple which Augustus raised
to Jupiter Tonans, in memory oi ii thundrIb"lt
which had fallen near him "n the spot. There
is the arch erected by tue senate t" rrq'i'e the
exploits nf Sep;imu> Sevcrus. Further off You
see the Temple of Fortune, and II little distance
the ruins of temple dedicated to tie sun and
moon, 10y the Emperor lladrau. This is the
inv in = 1,YS rpli,. IS
the destruction of erlrSalrn, and interesting us
record of Scripture history. 1t is said that
no Jew will ever pass beneath II, and the lltti'
path :hey take to avoid it is pointed out
And that is the t:ium' hal arch of Constantine,
the first Christian Emperor, its insc ptinn
"Fuudalori quicHs,' t." The Founder of Peace,
announcing the end Of the prosecutions Of the
Church.
There stood the houses of Salln-t and Pom
pey. This cliff near Us, with the cluster Of
dirlv houses around it, is the famous rarpcrI
Rock, down which the traitor criminals We're
THROWN" That fatal leap which ned al am
bitiun" That hill yundrr where you see those
huge piles of stones "vergrowm with trees and
bushes, is the Palalin", and those are the re
mains Of the palace Of the Caesars. The vast
hollow lust below Oh the other side, once en-.
closed tue Circus Maximus built hy Julius Ca.
sar, and large enough to hold three hundred
thou>a people, thus amusing a whole nation
at the same moment. SO nearly did it touch
the imperial palace that Nero from his window
could give signal for the games to commence
off there in a distance you see the Tower of
Cont, from which Nero overlooked the con.
flagration of the city, after aprl!in the torch
with his own hand
The finest specimen of Roman architecture
now ext4ut j. the Pantheon Of Agrippa. The
ancients described it with admiration eighteen
centuries ago, aud it still remains the best pre-
served monument Of modern Rome The no.
bic purtco, with its sixteen columns of Oriental
granite, is pronounced fitultless in its -propur.
tons and the highest triumph of art. 1t is
also intere- ting as having once been a pagan
temple. The inscription or the trieze of the
entablature shows that it was erected by Agrip
IA in his third consulate, b. C:3 26
The Mississippi Synod Of the Presbyterian
Church lately held in Jackson, resolved to
raise forty thousand dollars 10 establish Il Book
Depository in New Orleans, the buildings of
which have already been purchased, and re-
sponsiblc guarantee oblalne in that city that
the money will be forthcoming.