Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-01-25

on the throne Of JeruSalem-tO NEE
Cleopatra at Tarsus. Up this wa
toward the capital came a processio
Of prisoners one day sixty years late
who had been shipwrecked. Anon
them was the Apostle Paul, Here
too, about that time. came Bernict
sister Of Agrippa, who heard Pau
make an eloquent defense Of tn
| Christian religion at C85area. Her
we may bring into our picture tn
chief personages who eighteen hun
dred years ago played the parts il
LIES drama.
THE PALATINE HILL.
The Palatine hill was the seat o.
the earliest settlement. 1t is no
more than forty or fifty rods from thC
Forum to the summit to the south
west side where tradition has located
the house of RomuIus. There we fine
traces OF a wall, the masonry of whicI
| is wholly unlike that to be found any
where else among the ruins, and evi
IDENTIFY belonging to a period mucl
carrier than that Of the wall built by
/ SeryiuS Tullus. The wall ascribec
to him was built six hundred and sew
cnty-eight years before Christ-ol
niuety-fye years after the time of
BomuIus. PIntarch describes in de
gail the locality Of Romulus' house
which he SAYS stood on the top of the
Palatiue toward the Circus. Cecero
house stood nearer the Forum on the
northern slope. This also was the
residence OF CataIine. Hortensius and
Cjaudius. Cicero had a villa at Tus.
culnm. but this was his town residence.
Upon this hill was the first palace
OF the Caesars, built by Augustus. 1t
wa probably in the process Of build
ing al the time of the birth Of the Say
iour. and was inhabited by Caligula
at the time OF the crucifxion. When
1t, Paul entered Rome the Palatine
must have presented an imposing ap-
pearauce. The Coliseum had not
then been erected, neither the Arch
Of Constantine, nor that OF Titus.
Towering above all other buildings
except those ON the Capitoine hill
stood the magnificent palace built Of
marble. porpbyry, and serpentinc, i'm
mense in area with rows ofC0rinthian
columns -.vstOel nails. mosaic pave
.ment@, with courts, chambers innumcr
able, passage ways, stairs, arches up
On arches, its rooms adorned Will
nymphS, tawns, satyrs. and statues 0
heatheu deitles.
w Eaow all this from what We nov
see. This hilI-oyer which the pl1w
man ha- turned hi, burrows for cen
tuie-. where iolty trees ure CROWN.
lis luil 1t chambers, with walls Still
standing, a- tbeE We're on that ia,
when Chris. was cruaitied. In 1856.
Jhe hill was purchased by Louis Ma
poleon for $4,000. for the purpoS
Of making excavations. Since thei
the work has gone on at his expense
. The excavations have brought to vicy
the house ot Il5erlos. the palace q
Callgala. and tae palace OF Ncspa,iau
Il would require much space t
giy5 "a description OF these ruins
much more than | can command-bu
il Is interesting to walk through then
10 look at the massive masonry, a
strong to-day as 1t ever was, to notic
the mosaic floors, the trascoes on tn
walls. the beautiful marbles Of ever
. hue carved and wrought with won
derlul skill. There are watcrjar 0
earthen. lamps and tapers, vases an
arms. here and there a statue, a GOO
deas, q satyr. In one OF the court
IS AynPhoam--a fountain wit
= nymphS and forms. Roman art an
Roman poetry delighted in the legai
2 derry lore Of the dim and misty pas
Of monsters, half human. We ma
? imagine the court life Of those day
of Imperial Rome-the Emperor, wit
2 cares enough Of state at the capita
5 Of wars on hand, campaigns to be CO.
q ductea, conspiracies to he suppresse
+ ambitions men, with power and j
tiuenee, to be watched, parties to |
concjIiated, enemies to be crushed an
all the multliarlous things % be dol
= il he would retain the throne. v
4 can see CaIigula in his palace, sippil
: his wine, attended by his servant
- issuing imperious orders. Perchau
e these very mosaics beneath our fe
4 were trodden by him. He stood
f this fountain. Here minstrels sal
: to him the tabled songs Of ancie
J. R0me-!hose which the Fauns play,
e upon their pipes in the wales of t
O. Alban hill. Here he issued his {
.e ders for the assassination OF his V
Elarn Il, ,,iot,0I bNu- 70