Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-02-01

VI dlClIIcCtuIcJ dl tiC oCCOHu IOlIC, GlC
third and fourth Corinthian. The
inner wall, or that inclosing the arena,
was of richly wrought marble, fifteen
feet high, to guard the Emperor and
mobiles from the infuriated beasts
From this wall the marble seats rose
tier upon tier to the outer wall, with
accommodation for eighty or ninety
thousand spectators.
Entering the arena, we behold the
Emperor's seat and those of the mobiles
those Of the vestal virgins. These
were the most honorable. On the
tiers above these were those of the
people. The Jewish captives-,ten
thousand Of them, it is said-were en-
ploycdin the erection of this structure.
We can imagine the despised race at
their dreary work, compelled to build
an edifce which was witness of their
humiliation as people-some digging
the clay and molding the bricks in
the Campagna; others quarrying the
marble in yonder blue mountains and
others turning the windlass by which
the huge blocks were raised aloft.
Lay your hand upon the solid ma
sonry of burnt clay and lime and try
to comprehend the fact that seventeen
hundred and ninety-siX years ago it
was laid by a Jewish captive, who
with every stroke of his trowel, sighed
for his home on the Mount of Olives,
or in the vale of Sloan. The mortar
Of this masonry was mixed with tears.
There is agony in the keystone Of
every arch-the agony of a Inundated,
subjugated people.
We enter the arena. The sun has
gone down-the light of day has
faded from the west, and the moon,
nearly at it's full, shines through the
arches, throwing fantastic shadows
across the arena, The sights and
sounds Of the day are gone and it is
a tit hour to call from their nameless
graves the multitudes who gathered
here to witness the spectacles when
Rome vas mistress of the world
On the western side is the seat Of
the EmperorS Titus, Domitian, Trajan
and Hadrian, clad in royal purple
They appear on the Imperial dais.
Above and around in every seat, in
all the passage ways, walking along
the corridors, and beneath the arches,
we see the mighty assembly Of rich
and poor, partricians and plebeians,
civilized barbarians, gathered to en-
JOY the spectacle Of brute courage,
strength, endurance, valor and death
They love blood. All! what a glori-
Gus moment it will be wheE the iron
bars are drawn which confine the
African lions in yonder arch To
see the gladiator with drawn sword
step forth to battle with the king of
beasts. What JOY to behold the hated
Christians tossed to the grOveIing
beasts, to see a fair maiden torn from
limb to limb, aud devOured as a sweet
mOrsel Of food! No cry of horror
escapes the multitude.
Not a heart in all that multitude
Shuddered at the sight Roman vir-
tue is not of that stamp. Roman
civilization rejoices in the sight. =
There or this ground, now a verdaht
turf, the lions leaped, and roared, and
licked their bloody fangs. There the
gladiators fought the beasts and each
other, deeming it an honor to die in
such a contest. From hence early
Christian martyrs went rejoicing up to
heayen-fcrociOuS beasts, men more
fierce than they, shaking the solid
structure, with the thunder of THEN
applause-the arena all dust and
bloOd--dying men and women upon
the theground-disemboweled--headle
armleSS trunkS-tOrn, disfigured-
half eaten by famished tigers Here
it was-right here where we stand
Here the eye of Faith looked through
the opening clouds of heaven, radiant
with eternal glory. Here gray haired
men and tender maidens, believing il
Jesus, went to their deaths as calml,
as to nights repose.
We can see the vast multitude
pouring out from the archways wheI
the sport for the day is over, wendin;
their way through the streets to thei
homes, talking of the play, its goo
points, how grandly the lion leape'
upon its victims, how beautiful tn
countenance of Christians lneelin
with claSped hands, how Sublimel
the gladiator rushed recklessly on t
certain death-talking it all over jus
; as your readers talk of the play a
, the theatre.
Who shall say that Alaric was nc
blessing instead of a curse to th
t world? What but fire and the sworC
) and utter extinction of such peopl
could eradicate such fiendish thir;
: for blood?
S Inexpressibly gloomy, grand an
e majestic this desolation, at once til
Y witness Of the splendor, might, civil
n zation, barbarism, degradation an
+ wickedness of that perished people.
/. have no time to talk of the change
o which have taken place in the Coils
h um through the centuries, of the tea
:, ing down by the Popes-the remov
e of nearly all of the marble to
Peters, to the Barberini palace al
e other places, nor of the restorati(
h which has been made by the prese
IS Pope and his immediate predecessor
is Further spoliation has been stoppe
1t The cross has been erected In
h. centre, and devout Catholics kneel al
"a kiss it whenever they pass the aren
n Small chapels stand around the G
of closure dedicated to the Saints, MI
lie tyrs and Apostles.