The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-19
DAILY PRESS.
N ID
SATURDAY. Morning, February 10, 1870.
Letter from Rome.
AND STATU4RY.
VISIT TO THE COLISEUM, PANTHEON
AND THE CATACOMBS.

| AND IHE CAl
ROME, Dec. 81, 1879.
10 Me Editors Of the Press:
Ihe skies of Italy for the past three weeks
nave in no wise sustained their reputation
Inelr blue has been of the indigo description
ana from the almost unintermittant rain, one
wonld think est" Niobe had been vested with
exclusive jurisdiction over the land.
However, in Rome coaches and cabs are
.tnick as the leaves in iValambrosa," theil
iares are very cheap (only eight cents pei
nead' where there are two persons, for drive
70 any place within the walls,) and taking adj
vantage OF the facility thus offered we have
not been hindered in our explorations.
VI course an important business here, is
visiting the galleries of statuary and paintings,
private as well as public-for besides those
under the charge of the church and civil or.
ganizations, there are immense collections, in
many of the grand old palaces here, which
4 kheir prineoly propriotors open to the public
But loving the creations of ''the serene and
silent art' as always have, in some of these
l have beer disappointed.
was not disposed to go into ecstacies over
the famous works in the sextine Chapel, the
ceiling of which is claimed to be decorated
with perhaps the most magnificent example
OF the pictorial art ever produced"-tbe chef
d oeuUre of Michael Angelo. The building is
badly lighted, at least Tor rainy weather; and
while undoubtedly the figures, (larger than
sife, and thrown into every possible position
that ingenuity could conceive off, are perfect
according to their distortion, in outline, limb
and muscle, and while the grouping discov-
ers wonderful artistical skill, it will hardly
pay, to break ones neck in try ing to redeem
the display from the wastes of twilight over
| head.
The paintings in the Vatican close at hand,
although not numerous, are of different
character, and comprise some of the finest
creations of Raphael, Titan, Guido REM,
and other masters of kindred fame. There is
scarcely a work here that is not worthy of a
| days study; and it is most vexatious to have
| to dismiss them with a mere cursory examin-
| alton.
The collections of statuary in the same Sc
rles of buildings, are the most extensive in
| the world, comprising specimens from all the
countries where art ever fourished, d,-good,
bad and indifferent-perfeclly preserved, de-
faced and fragmentary-and as illustrating all
| phases of sculpture from the earies. ages, are
invaluable. Here are the original Apollo
Belvedere and LAGOON, and Conova's Per-
seus, with numerous other world renowned
works, mostly ancient.
The collections at the Villa Dorghese, both
of sculpture and paintings, command ones
admiration. Here is the exquisite statue Of
Pauline Bon2hese, sister of Napoleon l., rep
resented as "Venus reclining" by Canova !;
and the painting by Titan, denominated
"Earthly and Heavenly Love'-so beautiful
| that one can hardly refrain from wishing to
adopt both!
But forgot all my devotion to art in my
| love for nature, while witnessing the inimita-
BILE view of woods, wales and mountains from
| balcony upon which one of magnificent
| saloons opened; and subsequently while dry
| ing through the avenues of green old
oaks with which the extensive grounds
| -I~,.nuJ uurrng an hour of welcome sunshine
| that reminded me of our Indian summer, 1
came to the conclusion that Gods original
works were far more worthy of admiration
than mans limitations.
| A day can be well divided between the Pal
ace of the Conservatori and the Capitoline
museum. In the former is the bronze group
of the wolf sucking Romulus and Remus,
| which dates its origin back to three hundred
years before Christ. An INJURY on one of
the legs, mentioned by Cicero as having been
caused by lightning during the consulship of
| Manius and Gotta, is such as the electric fluid
| might readily produce.
The museum fatigues one with its almost
| endless collections of ancient statuary and re-
mains. But in wandering through its halls
and galleries, you are often arrested by some
striking work, which for the noLce, makes
you forget your WEAKNESS. One Of these is
the "Dying Gladiator" referred to so forcibly
in Byron's Childe Harold, Canto ". verse
14O.
| A single room here is occupied by the
"busts of the philosophers" ninety-three in
number-and, aside from their merit as works
i VI "i ehC WIN WulSh lucy dlC
| stamped, always retained however often re-
peated, convinces you that they are reliable
likenesses-Socrates, Demosthenes, Seneca,
Euripides, for example. In q dozen repre-
sentations of Socrates which have fallen un-
der my notice, taken by different artists evil
IDENTIFY at different periods of his life, the
same massive forehead, full and wide-a-sun-
der eyes, broad nose and large Lips embedded
in moustache and -embodying sort Of
Daniel Websterish head-are ALWAYS Observa-
ble
So in the adjoining room ot 'the Emper-
ors." Any one acquainted with the collec-
tions in Rome, who looks at No. 27, and
marks the low forehead with its stiff, clasp
ing hair, earnest eye, long nose, thin lips and
breadth of hind-head, may recognize the Ira
jan with whose couutenance many stony
bust has made him familiar. And Adrian
Caesar, Caracalla, Vespatian, Nero, may be a.
readily singled out.
But on supposition that your are tired o
examining these representations of the grea
and the powerful Of the old-time empire, le
us stroll to that delightful re sort the PineiaH
Hill, where, every evening, the wealth, tht
fashion, and the pride of modern Rome dc
congregate-rulers and ruled.
| What gorgeous carriages, aud what round
limbed, sleek, and superhly caparsone(
horses, are those drawn up in front of thu
great palm-tree, where the bands are playing
and how superbly clad are the liveried out
riders! If there is any one thing in which
the wealthy Romans delight, above all others
it is in the splendor and perfection of thei
equipages. There seems to be no end tt
their lavish expenditures in this direction
and the number who thus vie with each 9th
er is astonishing. The Pincian drives arr
their great show-grounds.
If you wish to escape the display, within
stones throw are the public gardens, through
whose secluded foot paths you may wander a
will, where the trees are still green, and tn
flowers still blossoming-and the music Of tn
instruments, softened by the distance, i
blended with that of the playing fountains
Or, on the other hand, you may find sea
on one ol the casteated stone buttresse
; that brace up the hill, where the view OF tn
great city with st. Peters in the distance, un
der the purple haze OF declining day, is real
ization OF all that one can imagine of the sub