Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-10-16


which we passed in to side gallery, filled
with authentic busts of the greatest orators
philosophers, heroes, and poets of antiquity
-Demosthenes, Socrates, Alexander, Ho
mer--in word, the illustrious names o.
history. While we were here party o.
English, guide book in hand, came in, and
beginning with the bust marked No. /,
prepared to make the tour Of the gallery
Now this party consisted of three ROSY
girls, one mamma, and two rery young
men, their escorts. But it seemed that
among them all it was one of the girls to
whom the others looked up, as possessing
much and superior learning. And when,
after regarding great number of those
grand old heads, they found themselves
standing before bust with a brow of Won
drous depth and power, marked Hippoc-
rates, Miss augusta" was unanimously
appealed TOO, Augusta, you are so er-
tremaely clever. (that is learmed) do tell us
who We have here?" Agusta had hitherto
been able to satisfy every similar request,
and suppose she thought it would not do
to break down, now, so she fluentiy re-
piled, "Ah. Hippocrates! O, he was a very
great acriter--lived during the Pelopone-
sian Wars" Imagine my amusement on
seeing the ell-pleased, credulous NAM
ma move calmly on 10 the contemplation
of fScipio Africanus, who happened to come
next on the list; | am sorry, to say NJ. hur-
ried me away before 1 could listen to Miss
AS original summary ofhis distinguished
services.
In the next camera we saw an altar with
this inscription, O, SOLE sANCrIssIMo! 90,
most sacred Sum" How many a fair
Vestal has bowed before this shrine!
The prettiest little thing ever saw is
the MOSAIC called Pliny's Doves; represent
ing four doves drinking from vessel Of
water. 1t hangs in the Hall of the Bronzes,
in which also stands the famous Had Ia
bic. And now ore of the attendants un-
locked the door of round cabinet, reveal
ing the Venus OF THE CAPITOL, the bright
est vision ever wrought in marble l may
hereafter see many exquisite statutes, but
the STAR of my remembrance shall be
"The one they call by Beauty name"
the one in whose presence l have been SO
thrilled with delight this afternoon.
Sundoy--We were at st. Peters most
of the day yesterday. Dear friends, there
are no wordS to picture its subIimi;y-
This morning NJ. and went with Lima,
the daughter of our landlady, to the church
of ST. Cecilia in l rasteyere, more than
mile distant, on the other side of the Tiber.
The church stands at the entrance of the
beautiful gardens belonging to the convent
of the Sisters of ST. Cecilia, on the site of a
part Of the house of the saint. The arch-
lecture of the Interior is pleasing, and the
recumbent statute of St. Cecilia, in front of
the grand altar, most beautiful. 1t was ex-
ecuted by Stefano Maderno, to .commem-
crate the exact attitude in which her BODY
was lying when her sarcophagus was open
ed in the sixteenth century," A fine con-
noisseur, Sir Charles Bell, thus describes
its appearance: "The body lies on lis
side, the limbs little drawn up; the hands
are delicate and fine; they are not locked,
but crossed at the wrists; the arms are
stretched out. The drapery is beautifully
modelled and modestly covers the limbs
1t is the statute of a lady perfect in form,
and etfecting from the resemblance to real
iiy in the drapery of the white marble, and
the unspotted appearance of the statute al
together" A side door leads from the
church to the ONLY remaining chamber of
the house Of ST. Cecilia--the scene of her
martyrdom. 1t is paved with delicate
mosaic of precious marbles. Yet almost per-
feet, and contains her bath; pipes convey
ing warm and cold water connect with it.
The ceiling was richly painted in the style
of the noble Romans in the third century.
but age has sadly injured the once lovely
frescos. When | came home read again
the beautiful story Of ST. Cecilia in Mrs
Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art"
The inhabitants of the Trastevere claim
to be the true descendants of the ancient
Romans. and will not intermarry with the
people of the city across the Tiber. |; NAV
have been all Imagination, but it seemed
To me couid marx in them a nobler bear
ing than that of their less ambitious or less
favored neighbors. Certainly the women
| saw there this morning are handsomer.--
AS we crossed the suspension bridge over
the Tiber, on our return home, Lima point
ed out. just above the water. the massive
ruins Of the Pons Sublicius, the scene of
the heroism of Hora,ius Coolies All, how
,xoI do wo oil raman, bor tho nm, L,e;,....