The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-04-06

leading in triumph captive kings and the
rich spoil Of conquered nations to the
sound Ofmatial music and the acclamations
Of millions Of people, nAught Is now
heard but the querulOus Oicala, or seen
but the green lizard gliding through
the grasS. Well might It have sOothed
the naughty Palmyrian queen or the
monarch OF golden Pontus 10 have but
dreamed ofthis day. Yet meet 1t Is that
tho place should be LEFT alone 10 the
mighty dead where their proud phantoms
may stalk by unchallenged at mid noon.
Do they not throng around us now!
In MY Imagination / hear the honey
cd elOquCnCe Of Cicero, see the stern
countenanCe Of Cato or behold the
majestic Cesar, folding his robe about
him as he falls, make the aSsaSsin's
dagger his instrument and die an empcr.
or, while stern Brutus with his rugged elO-
quence proclaims the death Of tyranny
lifting alOit the steel with which lie has
riveted the chains Of his country.
Proceeding onward we soon stood be.
meath the Coliseum which towers fur
above our heads in massive majesty, ter.
rible as fate, banishing from the mind at
once all thoughts Of other things, and an.
Initiating at once the weak cOnCeit OF be-
Ing able to embOdy in words It's majestic
desOlatiOn. Wcmay measure It's height,
count tho number Of its immense arches,
springing one above another, or ascertain
how many acres Ofground II covers, and
still We hive hut words and figures, Ink
and paper. There Is no soil on these bare
rocks 10 mature the flowers Of fancy.
Here IS the old Roman sOliditY and stern
ness; solitary, gloomy, like M carth. born
Titan, II braves the thundCrbolts Of time
and triumphs even In It's fall. AZ.
ter centuries of neglect and spoliation
the brilliant idea Of Converting the Coli.
scum into church, struck the mind Of
one Of tho Popes. He therefore rounded
Off the ends Of crumbling walls and filled
up the gaping assures with smooth brick
and mortar taking care TO imbed therein,
tablets, on which arc inscribed, Il, Pope
so and so, did this" Within arc placed
puny shrinGs. and In the centrc Of the
arena, cross with transverse spears, the
whole dedicated to those carly Christians
who here suffered martyrdOm; Of whom
in this place, we would surely not have
thought but for thrscpiolis rrmemhrances.
Time in It's slow but inevitable rcvolu-
ti0ns, allows unto all their hour Oftriumph.
The weak take the place Of the strong, the
oppressed become the opprcssOrs, the
worm battcns on the body of tho dead
lion. ,.,f ,f.t5.
On passing outward through one Oftie
enormous archways, mOurnfllly musing on
the mutability Of I'LL things, We were
suddenly startled by tho sound Of unwont-
cd nirtil md music. A company of Con-
tadini returning from the festival, had
halted undcr tho most imposing portion Of
the ruin. They were swarming oil over
the top ofa rude cart, peculiar as the pe0-
pie which It contained. The shafts ex-
tended above the shoulders Of the horse;
where they were united to on ornamental
yoke, beneath which bells were suspended,
and above waved tall blaCk plumes.
Plumcs were nodding also on the head Of
the animal. Great numbering wheels sup
ported the bed, high above which sat the
wild drivcrsheltcret from the sun by bull
skin stretched upon q frame enclosed on one
side and opening toward the other, so that
the driver did not sit with Ills tace to-
wards the horse. The cart appeared to be
well filed with merchandise, on top Of
which and completely covering It were
pcrchcd the wild COntalini dressed in
their holiday apparel, the long black hair
OF the men streaming ont from under their
pointed brigand hats, from beneath whose
broad brims cleaned wild black eyes,
dangerous and bright as lightning
Tho females were dressed in white
bOlices, their skirts Of brightly figured
stuff, md on their heads were folded bright
embroidered scaris tho ends Of which Tell
gracefully behind. They were all gesti-
culating in the widest manner, beating
upon tambOurinCs and shouting or sing.
ing at the top Ofthcir voices. 1t would be
difficult to conceive scene ofwildcr con.
fusion. To them enter priest with his
broad hat, and black gown, and self satis.
fed, patronizing mir and the scene is COM
plctc. The wild, fantastic, thoughtless
present revealing unhGcdingly In the
shadow Of the mOurnful and majestic past,
who gazcs down upon 1t from his unnp!
proaChublc and dcsOlate hight filed with
the unuttcrablc sadness OF UNDERSTANDING
greatness. L. g. L.