Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-02-22


a- The following letter, received by friend from
one of our young citizens, now in Europe. has been
kindly placed at our disposal by the gentleman to
whom it is directed To the classical scholar or the
student of Italian history ancient and modern, some
of the details may be already familiar but this Will
not detract from their interest to the general reader
nor interfere with the appreciation of other matters
of more immediate concern at the present time:
HOTEL DE L'EURoPE, ROME, Dec. 18th, 1855.
DEAR ***** :-On yesterday arrived in the Eternal
City, after journey land, from Florence, OF seven
DAYS thus passing speak, through the heart OF
Italy On the second day from Florence we were arrested IN
travelling by storm 1t fortunate so happened
Thrasmene country very celebrated in ancient history as
being the place where hannibal the Carthagenian General
routed the Romans completely from which fact many per-
infer that, had Hannibal continued his march on to
then capital of the world and the seat of the most powerful
empire and by which the destiny of would have
speculation This certain: he withdrew his army
wards the seacoast and did not follow his victory the
practice of skillfu military in modern times
The grandeur of the scenery Italy route cannot
be and rarely equaed The lofty Appenne noun,
with and their base the Earth laughing with fat
tain side till too cod climate stunts its growth and the
hardy mountain pine with its foliage of living green comes
to cover the afeP ana @ m M ne vg
it the welted fields and the local habitaon of
MANY of the towns sees the road are stua
ted high up on elevated ground and when first observed
is mind low possible get up
is So Elevated that When rst Observed YOU appear to be d.
recy below it, and to to it, you must travel three
tour Me often seems as II the Traveller e WITH ms o4fe
task. Another instances We visited the falls of Terni,
M Es nDss s uop S SP is
wide but deep and runs on the The stream
leaps from the brow of the mountain into the River Mar
distance of hundred feesome twelve hundred O
What do you think of that grand and sublime light it
is The water in the rapids moves at the rate of seven
w
full perpendicular height to elevation of $50 feet
that this an artificial Yes by the wisdom of
man You must not think can sit down and write these
long letters without stopping Quite the contrary have
my letter dated many days before Mailed another rea-
paper for postage in this country is small John
Taylor received letter from his father, his arrival in
Rome and the postage amounted to one dollar and seventy
Christmas great time this city The Pope goes
to his private chapel for YOU must know he has church
his in his palace it is called the Sstine Chapel Well
on Christmas he made his appearance surrounded by
I na he door OF the hape was guarded
peculiar uniform that must tell about it, The hat is
Th the ' v7P
white tail of horse which falls around the top of the
hat quite beautifully Thei' Jackets side of the breast
blue and the other side yellow the back part striped
ongudlnaly, one stripe yellow another blue belt Of
black patent leather goes round the waist The rowser
reach only to the knees from the wastband the stripes be-
gin and they are all gathered together at the knee-he
queerest looking rowsers your behed From the
blue yellow The epauettes are red and they carr,
geher they the fellows ever saw On
of them would be perfect show in Wilmington. The Pope
and his Cardinals sing and celebrate in the chape
above written this night in honor of the advent of
Saviour 1t is kept until twelve O'clock when they al
retire On Christmas day went to the church of Saint
Maria Maggiore where cradle shown in the high altar
They is the very identical cradle which our Saviour
was rocked It'll encased in glass, and there
gold about eight inches long This cradle rests on legs
god and this again on sarcophagus o of poTPyy sup
hbited once year. and that on Christmas day have ais
visited the great church of St Peter In this the Pop
down among the people but he is we'll guarded Their
being large number of soldiers stationed in the centre
the church With their guns and they form wall or lane
the fact that there the churches in
ca everybody stands or kneels
q Now, tell you something about Peters Church.
the largest in the world If you standing
and friend the other end you cannot tell for your m
there would be enough for as many more It ha
some of the finest marble the world The cen
hand of Of the greatest painters that vedRs
aoe Now for the steepc 1t is large and the steps
when up to the dome the horse would have STOP FOR
the ascent steep You keep going until you
Will hold sixteen persons with The is sixee
feet high Now come down and look where you have bee
cumternce than ordinary New England cheese and thu
cross looks not to be twelve inches high But look
the potlco 1t is hundred and fortyfve high
What do you think of such building 1t COSTS kee
the FRi s bndpFP Pay the M oPS &c
respectable sized book tell all about it, have on
"a touched some points which you can think
Now word about the winter palace of the Pope 1t
IS called the Vatican. 1t of seven or egl
" acres of ground and has 1000 rooms have yet
* tied it, but shall take occasion poI when
shall please his holiness admit
Rome has according to the divisions made history
TT epochs the early time, the Republican, and the period
II the lmperators would call them Emperors Th
period which has lett its traces visible the phys
IN world Is that of the Empire Vast and stupenduous
OF architecture lie about in crumbng ruin the old
the city. Among these must tell you of the Coliseum
cd was built by tavus It is of ellipcal FORM fly
tire that the gadator met in the deadly struggle to plea
" the yltlaed taste of depraved populace AT side
gate achway called the Living Gate out of which tt
victorious gladiator the bath and to the fountain
n cool his evered spirit Directly opposite this is anoth
N arch gate called the Gate Death Out of this gate
slaughtered dead carried. The contests the ampl
nt theatre were not always between often they foug
OF against savage beasts and informed by hstor
that particular day, there slain wild
mi such Wild Bears Tigers Swiss Leopards and other fer
A. cous animals Connected with this amphitheatre su
terranean archway, which dug for the purpose
alr keeping the beasts in When the performance off,
number of beasts wanted would be kept this archway
starved almost desperate frenzy and conba
took place between the beasts and the capives
" captive proved hmse valiant fellow Staying beasts
master would pit him in the gaatoral games where ala
all He was, instances obliged succumb in the
ms for be should kill quite number reputation would
49, raised and his master elaed to such extent to pa
him against such odds that he would be necessarily killed
As fingers this spot and calls back the history
the past cken the heart to behold in the bloody pctu
the deformity of human Then the religion Jes
Christ had not shed its benign Ger the darkened
man. and all that they knew of God embodied in tn
ne fiery and uncontrolled imagination This amphitheare
eight of ground and had for 900
pie This ruin for it giving way before the hand
about Rome Several of the Popes years gone
ILL., that it would to decay, have literally made appropr
ad- lions to keep 1t in repair.
the Near to the Coliseum the ruin of the Impe
the Caesars Walls six eight feet thick covered with