Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-04-16
Aortester 4aiIg SPY.
LETTER FROM ROME.
CONTISUED.
THE AVENTINE,


been preserved, has been spoiled by the cree
ton of gas works, we assembled at the north.
ern end. Perfect silence reigned. Once on
the top, we found the long area of the ridge
converted into a rope-walk. The bows en-
gagged in this work, found time to leave it, to
run to us and beg for "Baiochio in the name
of the holy virgin !" The hill is long, mar.
row, and very regular. These modem van
dals could be forgiven every thing else, if they
had not robbed the classical wanderer of the
only part of this sacred land that is really i'm
perishable. They have actually fenced in
Gods earth, and tried to wall up his very
heavens. The road on the whole length OF
the Aventine, is walled SO high, that scarcely
view can be obtained beyond. AT last, we
stole into garden, and TO the great ast0nish.
ment of the peasant, we pushed through his
cucumber and cabbage patches, until the great
Alban Hills rose up in all their glory beyond
Here we could trace the Aurelian well for
great distance, until it committed its response
bilities to the faithful Tber. 1t was glorious
view OF the Campagna on this fresh spring
morning. We passed down the southern de-
clivity, and followed the wall around ill we
came to the dark pyramid of Caius Cestius.
And as ii TO unite the past with the present
by the most sacred ties of earth, here in the
same enclosure were this forbdding tomb of
proud heather, and the beautiful little monu
mentS OF the protestant christians who have
died in Rome. Too many were from our own
land; and too many were fresh and new.
THE CAPIToLINE.
THURSDAY, March Gas we approached
this celebrated hill from the Tiber, we saw
first the little round temple which nobody
knows under any name but the temple of YES.
ia, although all antiquares assure us that no
temple of that city stood any where near the
Thar Hara Toi tUa kOw
ancien. art has been desecrated by patching
than by destroying even. The miserable
pumpkin cap of tiles that has been piled upon
this lovely fragment, makes it look as if some
body should take the Apollo Bevidere, and
squeeze modern stove pipe hat, quite seedy
by long wear, down over the eyes of the God
Of life, and poesy, and light" will defy any
man of tastt 10 look at the thing without a
burst of laughter. But it must have been ex.
quisitely beautiful in its day. Its taultess
pillars in their endless circle, still stand, with
only one fallen from its place.
The little temple Of Fortuna Virilis, hard
by, impressed me more. To be sure a mod.
ern shed has teen leaned up against it, and
it absorbs one side, quite spelling the best ia
cade. But enough remains to show what
simple grandeur was in that pure Ionic, if the
proportions were severe however diminutive.
From basement to ireize and roof nothing has
been plundered or added to ruin the perfection
of the original.
Ascending little, we came TO the ugly old
arch of Janus Quadrifous, near which we went
down into small space of the Cloaca Max.
ina which has been opened Carl was tho
roughly delighted. He had sworn that every
little ditch we had seen in Rome was The
veritabe work OF Tarquinus Priscus, and
when, at last, l withdrew all objections, and
admitted that we had reached the genuine, !
thought he would swim in The dirty water. |
was amazed at the patrOnizing way in which
French soldier, who was washing his shirt in
a spring near by, insisted upon taking off his
cap and showing us the "big ditch"
We now began to climb in earnest. From
our maps, we were sure that we ought to find
the Tarpeian Rock near the top, as we came
up. But these modern barbarians had walled
every thing up On we wandered in every
directions into barn-yards, over hencoops,
peering over garden walls, and even running
through the entries of two or three shanties, to
look out OF their back windows. At last we
were surrounded by an imperlous crowd of
beggar boys. One pulled US one way; another
auother-until the little imps actually worried
us up to a shanty, on which we found a shin.
gle, stating that the "Custode of the Tarpeian
Rock would appear, on pulling belIrope."
We pulled. He came. He unlocked a mys-
ferrous looking gaze, and ushered us into the
classic presence ot-his turnip-patch! BY
few dexterous windings, however, we sue,
ceeded in gaining a spot where we could see
the rock OF "bad eminence." l had always
supposed that this declivity must overlook
the river Tiber but it is quite the contrary.
1t looks out upon the Palatine, and las
nothing in it so very fTghtfu. Undoubtedly,
however, the housekeeping of the degenerate
sons OF Rome, who occupy the base OF the
precipice, has done much to fill up the space
below and lessen the height. Filthy smells
and discordant cacklings and barkings inter,
rupted sadly all musings on the eventful histo-
ries centering in the spot, and after enjoining
the old "custode" to keep his treasure secure,
and enforcing our injunction with paul, we
came forth TO find our crowd Of boys increased
to a regiment, each demanding "baiochio"
for showing us the lion. How we ever charged
up the hill against such odds would puzzle the
old Sabines. We distanced them at last, and
approached the summit from the west, Not
temple, not even ruin or column, has been
left to mark the reign of republic or empire
from this little mound. True. it has been
richly adorned, and by no less genius than
Michael Angelo. Stately palaces and tile
quaint old church of Ara COeli mark the site
Of the temples OF Jove. But l confess all
these seen ed diminutive and unworthy sort
of holiday dress accorded by christianity to
her fallen foe, the better to adorn her own tri-
umph On one side we visited the few rare
pictures preserved in the Palace of the Con.
servatois. 1t is an infinite relief to find at
Rome so te,C pictures. l have visited collec-
tons in the German cities that were immense
enough to set you in a whirl at once. Here
all is quiet and enjoyable. A little collection
like this gives you time to sit down before
your favOrites without n days hard work.
The grand frescOes on the walls of the palaces
do all they can to make the old history live
before you, and form fitting introduction to
the little chamber where the old bronze figure
of the wolf is sucking her Immortal cubs"
And here am reminded of piece OF advice
to give my classical friends who are coming TO
Rome for a hurried visit. If you make win
ter of it have nothing TO say. But If you
come only for few weeks then don't read M
ebuhr. or any of those terrible fellows who
won't believe anything nor let you have the
comfort of being imposed upon. Why not?
Here is the wolf There is king and Gil ero,
and there is that famous long sentence in the
third Catalina Grafton, in which you and
once made half dozen blunders on ablatives
and accusatives and infnllives, but still man
aged to get The impression that the gods were
so angry at somebody that they fired some OF
their stray thunderbolts at certain bronze
figure OF a wolf, ut the imminent danger OF Sc
riously iniuring the iustrious founder OF the
city Why not believe that this is the dentl
cal? Who is coming to Rome for nothing
But the real glory of the ancient Capitol was
still before us, Entering again the open court
or Piazza d Campidoglio we examined more
closely the antiquities that had been brought
here TO adorn the spot. The milestone which
marked the first mile on the Appian Way has