Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-05-06

LctCc[ VI AACSs MI. AOIu HUH 1AOuC.
We give below another letter, written from
Rome by Mr.. Lord, to his family here. This
letter takes considerable space, but no one
who reads any of it will stop short of reading
the whole, or wish it shorter. 1t is most
vivid and striking description of some of the
grandest spectacles which the traveller sees
in Rome.
ROME, April II, 1868.
will continue the account of my doings
and seeings in Rome. I have kept you in
formed up to Good Friday. That day took
for myself, giving up the peculiar and meagre
services of the Sistine Chapel and the
Mserere, which l had heard before, for the
greater pleasure of wandering amid the ruins
of ancient Rome, and going out upon the
historic Campagna, and taking one long look
at the blue draped Soracte and the % bee
loved :" Hymettus. The Campagna is a
slightly rolling prairie, and its interest con-
sists in it's associations. On these PLAINS the
legions of Rome marched. Here the cohorts
of the empire contended with Carthagenians
and Vandals. 1 could almost hear in that
wide solitude the tramp of warriors and the
wild moaning of battle. But the days of
imperial glory are ended, and the ruins that
lift their arches into the sky, or hide them
selves under ivy and grasses and flowers, or
decay amid groves of cypress and pine, tell
only of a mighty race that have vanished from
the earth. Tombs and temples, columns
! and pedestals, blocks of marble, bridges,
bitches, heaps of masonry, pavements covered
with grass, aqueducts with their miles of
arched grandeur lying along the plain, make
one feel as if he was looking upon desolate
and ruined world. 1 could hardly dream, as
my eye and feet wandered over this wide
desolation, that the sun would ever rise
. again. And while the Church within the
walls of Rome was celebrating the death of
Christ, | was surveying the mighty fir ag
:nents of Paganism without. The gloom of
this ruin is intolerably oppressive. 1t is
/ like that of deserted, dllapidated house,
on whose hearths are the ashes of fire
quenched long, long ago
! The next day, Saturday, gave to modern
Rom" First. ] went into the church Of St.
Maria Trastavere, the oldest church in Rome.
1t was built over petroleum spring and is
the church of the holy oil. Its columns are
old Roman, and perhaps belonged to the
basillca of an ancient temple. Its ceiling is
| splendidly succeed and frescoed by Domin-
chenl. 1t contains monument to Cocceius,
who lived - forty-fve years with his wife
without any quarrel But | will not try
to describe the churches into which have
been. In general features they are all alike.
Two rows OF columns support vaulted or
square ceiling. The ceiling and sides are
frescoed, some with exquisite designs, some
with horrible ana disgusting representations
In one, scenes from the life of Christ, or
from the histories of the Old Testament in
another, hideous paintings of martyrdoms :;
In another. pictures of fortunes by men,
serpents and devils such as would give the
nightmare to look at The scene in all the
churches is the same 4 few poverty stricken
souls kneeling at this or that altar; a few
| beggars at the door to lift the great mat
which hangs before it, or shake their caps in
your face now and then a priest with pic
lures or relics to sell, or mendicant friar
with a money box jingling in your ears
Once in a while priest before the altar
with his back scored with a cross or n
dIowsy, monotonous chant, or a ringing bell
or n Encellng woman, or staring stranger
with Murray in his hand. Lamps or can
dies arcalways burning, and the gloom of the
churches is heightened by their sckly glare
There are a few churches that have a special
object OF interest a painting by one of the
old masters fresco of unusual beauty a
relic of ancient times, or a costly decorated
Banbino But aside from these, and from
st. Paul's and St. Peters, the old churches of
Rome all alike. With exteriors incom-
I parably ugly, with the interior cold and
sepulchral. there is nothing in them to attract
the eye or rivet the heart. The architecture
Of these Italian churches is of mongrel
type. 1t is part Greek, and part Gothic, and
part Italian. Doric and Corinthinan col
ulmns stand side by side in the same church.
Square ceilings and archcd chapels are under
the same roof All kinds Of art have laid
their tribute at the feet of Rome, and the
result is constant sense of discord. | have
not seen church since | left England that
satisfied the eye in its style of architecture.
| would give more for one glance at our new
church. than to the exterior of all the
churches in Italy. 1t is in itself more truly
artistic and beautiful.
| am not disposed to so into raptures over
the picture galleries of Rome There is a
vast mass of rubbish in them And vet |
saw yesterday, in the Sciara gallery, Mag
dalcn by Guido, that answered nv dream
Most of the Magdalens seem TO be inspired
with any feeling but that of penitence But
this was the very ideal of contritIon The
eye was filled with the divinest sorrow and
one could hardly refrain from tear at the
sight Of such surprising love and grief
mingled in the same face. 1t will haunt
me for life. 1t is only here and there a gem
Of purest ray repays tie long search of pic
turc galleries The Madonnas and Venuses
are all alike, save that the one are draped
and the other nude The same models in
spire the pencils of different painters, and
only here and there is there a creation of
such genius as to fasten the eye and hold the
memory captive forever. Pictures here are
valued in proportion to their age Antiques
are eragc The shops are filled with dim
paintings of centuries ago, and Yesterday
our landlord brought out for our purchase
a picture of the Virgin wood, that might
have been painted thousand years before
Christ so venerable was its appearance.
We were satisfied with the seeing.
To-day has been the great fetc day of the
ROmish Church. | wish it were possible for
Ine to give you true idea of it | will tell
YOU, however. what | have seen. I was
awakened at Il An. by the ringing of bells
and the firing of cannon, on the 4th of
July. Being quite weary with the previous
day work, fell asleep after it. and awoke
at eight Having engagement to 20 to
st. Peter with a gentleman at that hour, |
FASTENED off without my breakfast to the
church. Only the fortunate possessor of a
dress can get within the tribunes, where is
the best opportunity to see. We reached
the church at the hour of service 1t was
I dcnsely packed with people in every conceiv-
/ able costume. Rome had fairly run mad
with dress. From the Pope down to his
acolitcs, and from the general down to the
\ fifer, there was every form of drapery, and
every shade of color. White scarlet and
violet cardinals; red, green and yellow SOL
diers pink, blue and crimson attendants,
mixed with the sober black, gray and brown
of the citizens while the church was hung
all over with scarlet and gold ,-made a scene
of surprising brilliancy. The tout ensemble
of the audience was perfect. All standing,
and moving and swaying to and fro without,
the lines of soldiery along the nave; and the
procession of candles and crosses, and bishops
and priests, and cardinals and acolites, pur-
suing it's slow and solemn way down the
rrhiIo ho Pnrno chair 1nrdor