The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-04-06
SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN
TRAVEL.
BY IL Citizen of Wheeling.
Written for he htSLigEHeer.
mourn

From 81. Peters, passing Under the
shadow Of the Mole Of lladrian and
across the anCicnt POns IElius, the two now
undermined into the bridge and castle Of
St. Angelo, we plunged into the heart Of
Rome. We were soon lost in II labyrinth
Of narrow streets, which were crowded
with the most degraded Of human beings,
whose very humanity seemed lost beneath
an incrustatiOn of filth Here were to be
seen NIL the various types Of sqlalid indo'
lCnCC and poverty; seated OIL some fallen
column, lying stretched across the way
asleep in the rays Of July sun, or
swarming ut the portal Of some ancient
temple, now. converted into their obscene
abode! 80 b
Thoroughly disguised, We tried in vain
To cxtricatc ourselves, but only appeared
to become the more involved. We found
recolnpensc, however, In the relies OF
departed greatness strGwn on every side;
here an eXQuiSilcly carved fountain, dried
up and broken; against yOn wall is the
bust Of IL gigantic female figure that in
anyNOther country would he treasured up
us u precious relic of art, here the sport
Of the lowest Migrants. On one shoulder
is seated blcar.eycd slattGrn, while her
urkcmpt brnlS arc pCrChed upon the
other, and dGtile with filthy fingers the
GOd.likc Countcnance. How are the
mighty fallen, Ceres or VCSta, Minerva or
Juno, u become the sport Of creatures
such MS tlcscl ~.
In our blind efforts to escape We
sometimes struggle ont upon small
piazza, when siraightway our. vcXu.
lions nrc lOrgOtten and lost in our nd.
niratlon as we gaze upon the perfect
Pantheon with its forest Of lofty pillars
and unparalleled dome, or follow in their
slow ascent the irlumphal professions
winding up the column Of I'rHjan or An.
tOninuS, victor und VunQuished alike, now
triumphGd over by u foreign. dcspised foe.
Sometimes our progress Is arrested BY
the muddy Tibcr, skirlfng whose banks
we come upon tho Temple OF Vesta,
whose shrine has been desecrated, her
statue dragged in the dust, and nHught
now rcnaius but the flutCd C0rinthian
columns which supported the circular roof.
Plunging again into still deeper gull
and nearly SuIiocatCtl by the myriad
stcnchcs Of Rome, we siaggcr blindly on.
ward, even the light Of heaven intercept
ed by the crOwding walls, when suddenly
We iind ourselves ut the foot of the Tar.
pean rock. All! could those old Romans
but have thought that their country could
have been plunged into such degradation
us now lies wcltrringHt its foot, east down
the Tarpcln rock of time! Climbing the
marble steps, guarded on either hand by
groups Of Castor md POlluX hanked by
The trophies Of Marine, We come to the
piazza Campcdoglia, verify field Of sOr.
SOW, where the genius Of ancient Rome
might weep unavailing tears over the ru.
ins Of the Capital, before her eyes the ell.
Nv Of that miScrCAnt who slew his gods,
slew his country, antl filed up the cata.
loguc of his iniquiiiGS by slaying his own
son.
Passing through u narrow entrance on
the opposite side Of the square, we
reach the dcclivily Of tho hill and
behold ancient Rome lies before
us; her hrAd buried in tho dust
the insignia Of her empire lying
scattered md broken around her; though
fallen, still majestic In her ruin; nNughi
but her own greatness could so have over
whclmcd her. The crumbling walls Of
her fallen temples and palaces rise into
mountains, and the columns still standing
like the trunks Of blasted, branChlcss trees
have lost half OF their altitude by the NC.
cumulatCd rubbish of ages, What vistn
opens TO my eyes along the line Of tic
Forum. Atmy feet is the half buried arch
Of Scpiimus SGvGrlls, and ~ the right the
colossal columns or the temples Of Con-
cord and Of Jupiter Stator.
Along the line Is the temple Of Antoni.
nus and Fnustcna, the three magnificent
arches Of that which Is called the baSilicO
Of Constantine, the Arch OF Titus. tho
Temple Of Venus, md the magnificent
arch which was stolen from Trajan by
TINT imperial tilcF, Constantine, and, clos.
ing tho vista looming into the heavens
gigantic, the last Of the Oarth-bon Tltans
stricken and rivcn by tho thunderbolts,
yet still threatening heaven, the Coliseum.
Descending from the Capitol, we wan.
der through tho silent Cnhpa Naccina.
HCrc,whCrc passed Rome's glorious heroes,