Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-09-20
LETTER FROM EUROPE.
MO. 2xvII.
RoME, March 81, 1860.

I AsS-NSt
Yesterday We visited two churche
Of peculiar interest, as connecte'
: with the early history Of christianity
st. Peters and St. Paui's. The.
are small and bear the names o
these respective Saints from the cir
cumsiance, MS church history informs
; 6s, that the iolmer was erected OF
the spot where st. Peter Was crucified
and the latter upon the idsntica
place where st. Paul was bebeaded
In the cloister Of St. Peters, under
heath a richly orDnmented Chapel
is shown hole iu the ground where
they tell US, Was planted the Cross
on which The Prince of the Apostles
was crucifieG with his head down.
wards, esteeming it too much honor
TO suIier death like his divine master,
with his head upwards. The other
Church is iunr miles without the city
walls, 10 the midst Of a desolate part
ol lbe country; ii is generally Called
The Church of ''TiE THREE F0UN-
TAINs." These three fountains are
liz the interior of the building, and
are said, by Church legend, to have
sprung up where the head Of the
a iostle bounded as many times from
the earth at the time of his decapita.
.iun. These fountains are about
Unity feet apart. and are enclosed
with marble, with a bas-relief OF the
mead ui 81. Paul sculpiured iu the
front Of each. The devout hold
,hese in high veneTatlon, and on
entering the Church drink from each
fountain upon their knees, after kiss
ing the bas- relief placed over the
entrance. Many sincere and credu-
iojs Christians perform a pilgrimage
nom distant Iarts Of the Catholic
.crd to pay homage aud veneration
20 Ills s.cred and holy shrine. and
10 commemorate The death OF thls,
en.ly Christian martyr. Here is
also Seen the stone block on which
ne WIS bebeaded, placed ia cue Cor
uer Of the Church, enclosed in a
suorg iron railing, and guarded as
au invaluable relic.
To-day we have been reviewing the
most interesting ruins within The
siiy: the Roman Forum. once the
place of assembly for the Roman
people, filed with temples to the
gods OF Sepiimus Ssy.rus. Cons!an-
iine the G,eat. Titus: the latter
rected to commemorate his conquest
VI J,russiem; and that Of Conslan'
tine iu me morv of lis victories over
We paid our list re-
>rocts 10 The CoL!sEuM. that noble old
ruin, and ascended The top OF ITS
walls cov,rtd with the growth Of CEN
turies, and just NOV yornamented wpn
"A great variety oethe early flowers oi
spring. From, 'his elevatios can De
spen most of,he ruius OF ancient
Rome. on oae side the Capitol sur
mounIiny Capitoliue bill; on another
I he ruids of ii e Palace OF he CEsARs,
The PATHS Of Catacalla; and others,
those of the Claudian agne1uct; the
Baths Of Titus, The Palace IF Nero.
6a,hs of DiocIetian. the temple Of
C,audius, the 'Bssiiia oil Conss'ntine;
and in the distance the two cttbra-
I'D coIompe erected to The menory
Of Tr,au and Marcus Anrelhs,
y bick have stood for seventeen huh
arrd years. no, only as memorials to
,l,ese Emp.rors but as monuments
of .rt at the commencement o! our
era.
PALMtSUSDAY.- This day properly
iced the great ceremonies OF
the lbly Week iu the Catholic
CburcI, which. at Rame, are pecul-
arly hterosiing; witnessed by many
som VII parts Of the civilized world.
l hall eise you ii short account OF
the paucip.t features Of this extra
ordinary OCCASION. Most Of these
ceremoaisspossess nootal and mys-
tic meaning, aud have been practlced,
ihey say. tfoM> the early ages OF
Christianity. Ttey are types, sy M
5o!s, or spiritual aliegnrirs, aud are
befpetuated by the Catholic Church.
IS proof Of devotion and love Of their
a 49, M