Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-07-31
that one State, at least New York, is go
much better.
Correspondence N the Free Prose
Letters From Europe.
NO. NXIN.
n. Rup n Rome.

ing as exhibiting the useful public works Of that
great people, than their roads, their sewers and
their aqucducti
From the city, in every direction, ran these
great public roads--to immense distances. The
state Of the world and Of the engineering arts be-
ing considered, it seems to inc that the public |
roads OF ancient Rome are quite as remarkable as
the railways Of modern times some Thirty Of these |
roads connected Rome with tho surrounding re-
gions. From the forum at Rome they radiatcd |,
to the frontiers tho Empire. The Appian Way |
was the most remarkable extending from Rome to |
Naples, thence to Brundusium--3CO miles long.
1t was paved all the way with hard lava stones
and had an elevated sidewalk. The road is now
but here and there revealed and where it is, the
lava pavement, almost as hard as cast iron, is
worn with deep ruts ly the great number of
wheels passing over it. Whenever there is any
attempt to explore it, a little digging-sometimcs
or % feet deep-reveals the old paved road bed.
These roads nearly straight and level as
rossiblc--and made by first layer Of stones
in ccment-then layer Of gravel, then the solid and
carefully laid pavement Curb stones divided the
sidewalk from the carriage way, and milo stones
marked the distance from the Capitol. What an
immense system Of internal improvements for
INSTRUMENTATION built and kept up at what
immense expense when it is added that al every
five six miles were public buildings, each sup
piled with relays Of forty horses-that, if necessa-
ny, expresses light be sent with almost horse
rariiity
The aqueducts whose lettering piers and br6 ken
arches stretch in such long lines across the Cam
pasna brought wholesome water to the imperial
city in solid and beautiful masonry from the
great distances Of thirty. forty, and even fifty
miles. These aqucducts were numerous, bringing
the water from various springs some supplying
one portion Of Rome and some another, The old
est Of these 2iO0 years old. When they
passed under ground, as they did for many por.
tons Of their route, they were not arched canals
but the top covered by immense blocks of
stone which supported the superintendent earth
Most Of them have fallen into curcless ruin, but
large portions Of them show still what immense
works Of utility they were. only three, be-
levc, now actually bring to Rome the excellent
water which she enjoys, and supply the many
public fountains which beautify the various pub
lie places, spouting from interesting alegorcal
sculptures and falling into beautiful basins Of
great size, thrown up into beautiful jets Of
stream and spray, sometimes to the height of 60
or 10 feet,
The sewerage Of ancient Rome might be we'll
initiated by many modern city whose low soil
is saturated by all the excrementitious and ca.
daverous materials that the sinks and grave yards
of successive mulutulnous generations have pro-
duced, and is strained into wells, from which, a
DR.. Caustic says, in drinking health3
We drink to, aud we drink our friends"
The ei,lc4 mar,m1--the grand trunk sewer
now fus and ,rs,ty huqdr.4 years oli-still yom-
its its filthy stream into the Tiber from its cav.
erlous mouth, SO large, Strabo says, that a
wagon load of hay might he driven through it. 1t
was more than - feet square within and dimiu-
ished to about 10 feet square at it, mouth, where
also, was more rapid descent, that by con.
tracted and rapid current it might be more sure.
ly cleared when the rains should be aided to the
usual supply Of drainage. Eight hundred year.
after it wa built, Pliuy wondered that it had
lasted 40 long, exposed, it had been, 10 earth
luakcs and other casualties and when you see
1t now, you wonder why it should not last forcy.
er-til the last earthquake shall break up old
marbie-tor it is built Of three conceutri, courses
of blocks of pepcrino, five feet by three It
Is like all Etruscau walls, with out cement
Near the commencement Of thi, grand coucen
tration Of filth is pure little spring Of tn,
sweetest water, pure and limpii-so extremes
meet-wc did not taste it, but it is used and Q
little further on is auother,and larger one, which
is now used a. public washing place.
These immense works for public amuscmen
and public utility, together with the temples ane
arches and forums and baths which cannot b,
enumerated, and Of the finest architectare-col
umn and capital and entablature of the sevcres
workmanship and finish, aud sculptures in infnit,
variety which have already been found and ar,
doubtless but specimens from the immense quar-
ries Of buried art which lie among the ruins Of
which the modern Sity stands, give us some idei
Of the great amount Of cultivated and intelligen
industry which characterized those old masters o
the world.
The columns and obesks which now ornamen
the public places-some Of which are but nobl
specimens preserved from the great colonnades Of
monuments of antiquity or are Interpretations
from abroad-ure other interesting objects anon.
the ruirs Of Rome The Anton.ne Column an,
the column Of Trailn and the column of the Vir
gin are justly the most celebrated-this latter il
front of santa Maria Maggiore was taken from th
basilica of Con stautne, whence it is said to hav,
been brought from some earlier temple 1t is .
beautiful Corinthan Column of white marble
surmounted by statue Of the Virgin. 1t is no
Of ancen Rome, but the column of Traian an,
that of Autouine copied from il are more than
100 years oil. That OF Trajan is in the forum
of lrajau and is the most remarkable column il
the world-thc shaft, 100 feet high o
white marble, is hollow, and through the centr
bya starr case you mount to the top Its quite
surface is its greatest wonder, for thereon in
spiral band from the base to the capital is sculp
tured in great detail the military history Of til,
reign Of Injin. The sculptures are in fine pres
eryation and are exceedingly valuable stud,
Of costume and military art. From the rude
bridge OF boats in which he crossed the Danube
to his reception of ambassadors as suing for peace
the interesting scenes IF his campaigns are siyer
with matches skill embracing $500 human
figures and the necessary horses aud fortresse
and battles. What labor,ous and beautiful
almost sublime, trophied monument 1t is now
sumounted by statue of ST. Peter The Anto
nine, like all copies and limitations, is not equal
to the original.
The obeli,ks can hardly be classed with the
ruins Of Rome-havng been brought by the en-
percr' from Egypt, antiquities, to ornament
the city. They are Egyptian, and not Roman
IA
ancient and idolatrous empire Of the Pharaohs.-
Modern Christian Popes, commencing with that
great man, SiNtus v, less than 200 years ago
have reared them anew, a proper ornaments of
a Christian crty, as they are. They are not un,
interesting mere mcmentocs of the triumphs
aud progress of the Christian religion, There are
eleven Of them IN the various public Places all of
red Egyptian granite and most of them covered
with historical hicroelyl hics-somc of them q.
ing back To the time Of Moses. They vary in