The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-04-03
From the New York Observer.
THE PANTHEON.

deed 1T is among the most perfect monu.
ments OF ancient times. IL is still a won.
der OF architecture, quite faultless in its
oea"uiui and grand proportions, and, not
w'thstanding its simplicity, it never fails
10 excite the admiration of every one whose
eyes are SO happy as to rest upon it. An
artist OF Rome, whose route TO his studio
led him by it every day, once remarked TO
me that he never passed it without sion.
ping TO admire its magnificent portico and
entering TO contemplate its unrivalled
! fo'uhua. 1t formerly stood in the midst
OF me Campus Martius. surrounded by the
buildings belonging 10 the Therme of
Agrippa, OF which 1t probably formed a part,
and was reached by "a flight of steps, all of
winch must have added greatly to its effect.
Now 1t Is IN one of the iithiest quarters Of
Rome, and is surrounded by some of the
meanest novels of the modern city, many of
which aFe built directly against its walls,
biackenlng them with their smoke. The
! present government, however. are seeking
10 redeem 1t from its degrading associations.
by purchasing and tearing down the adloiu
ing buildings, with the design of leaving il
IN Tie midst of an open square. They can
not secure It's former elevation. l}v some
strange accretion, the level of the ancient
city Is several feet below the mo!crn soil
the pavement of the Forum itself being
twenty feet under ground. The Pantheon
has thus been brought down TO a level with
The surrounding streets, If not below them
lis portico, which is regarded as model
IN architecture, is 10 feet long. a. in
depth, and is composed of lG Corinthian
columns of oriental granite, each one of
winch Is single block or shaft. They are
40 IL feet IN height, and ) feet in cir.
cumierence. With the exception of three
which Were replaced from other buildings
about two centuries ago, they stand just as
they were erected hy Agrippa 81 years be-
fore the Christian era. The entablature
and pediment are still perfect, and the triczc
bears the following inscription, extending
along the entire lronI: M. AGRIPpA.
l.. +. COS. TERrlVI FECIr." This
inscription sufficiently defines its date.
Crossing The poiiico, we enter the build
ing by the massive bronze doors, acknow-
lodged by the best authorities To be The
same set u 10y Agrippa. Although nearly
forty feet IN height, aud having swung upon
their Images for nineteen centuries, they
may still be moved by thehand of child
The aperture for the door reveals the thick
ness OF the walls, some twenty feet of solid
masonry, which accounts IN part for the
preservation OF the structure. The build.
ing Itself is circular, l43 feet in diameter
or more than 400 feet in cmcumicrcuce
The walls Use to the heigh, Of 20 feet, when
they pass into one vast dome. the centre of
MlttsI - nj IL
Tins dome IN lis simplicity aud grandeur.
, = lar more impressive than that 1T : rr.
i'r'~. ani there i one peculiar feature
which ald~ such ctaim To ,lat impiv,
I >iou a. | have never found in coutcupla
;I"S ANY other hui'dug The dome l. open
at IL centre, the aperture being - feet IN
diameter. II was never closed even hy
glass, and the storms Of nearly two thou
sand years have beaten through it and ial
len upon the pavement below This might
seem de'ett IN the structure. but il cousti.
tutes lis most beautiful if not lis Cranlest
feature. The circular walls are unbrokcn
even by windows. aud when the massive
bronze doors are closed behind Us as we
enter, tli' aperture in the dome is the ONLY
source of light, and communicates directly
with The heavens above. We look up aud
see the clouds floating by, or gaze into the
blue ether while The whole lower world is
shut out 10y walls which no earthly sounds
can penetrate. The poetry aud suhlimitv
oi this conception for a temple may be ina.
glned. 1t excludes all things terrestrial, and
opens heaven alone TO the wor,hipper, and
tha: too without any intervening medium.
An anecdote characteristic OF Roman
morals is related of this part of the Pan
theon. In manuscript narrative of the
sack OF home, preserved at the Vatican, il
Is recorded that Charles V, when he visited
Rome in 1886, wished to ascend the build
ing, which lie did, looking in through the
aperture from above. a young Roman
who had been ordered to accompany him
afterwards confessed to his father that he
was strongly tempted to push the monarch
over upon the pavement below, depth of
nearly 100 feet, in revenge for the sack Of
the city few years before. The willy old
Italian said, MY son, such things should
be done and not talked about"
Ih" Pantheon has lc,en ,ifipt OF MI il,
costly ornaments, leaving only its simple
grandeur to delight the eye. Formerly
The outer wall were faced with marble.
which is now all gone. The vast dome
was covered with glided bronze, and its in
terror either lined or profusely ornamcnlcd
with silver. The plates of bronze that GOV.
cred the rcof, aud the silver were removed
by Constans H., \. -. 655. and aftorward,
taken to Alexandra. Pope Urban VIII.
completed the plundcr of The building, by
taking the bronze beams of the porlico to