Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-02-29

detail concerning the old bell tower,
that it is useless for me to make what
would not be an addition, but simple
repetition.
With no reason other than the spongy
nature of the ground on which it stands,
some incline to the opinion that its
leaning is altogether the result of acct
dent, but arguments to the contrary are
brought forward, Eet wholly conjectural.
Climbing to the summit of the tower,
we pass eight stories each of which has
an outside gallery projecting seven feet
The topmost story OYerhangs the base
about fifteen feet, and is one hundred
and ninety feet from the ground. One
does not realize the wonder of the tower
until he stands upon its summit and at
the oyerhanging side, gazes downward.
The feeling of suspension in mid-air is
paramount to all others, and abashing
to reason as it was, could not resist the
thought that too many of us on the
oyerhanging side would prove the ''hair
that broke the Camel's back" and alto
gether we might topple over For six
hundred years the massive bells have
swung to and fro, and the old Campan-
lie has leaned with the center of gravity
ten feet within its base Vegetation, so
obdurate in Southern climes, shoots it's
green heads from the creyices on the
very summit of the tower, and | have
plucked few tiny blossoms as memen-
toes of the spot. The general view from
the tower is very extensive. On the one
side the distant spires of Leghorn, we
may distinguish far over the stretch of
green valley and woodland; the shad-
oWs playing tag over many meadows
and wheat fields, through which, like the
letter S, the sluggish Arno winds. And
then the far off mountains, sterile but
grand, in verdureless sublimity. At our
feet is the wonderful old cathedral and
the quaint old city, and the beautiful old
Baptistry, and here, challenging for a
kindred in all the universe, leaning east
ward, stands a remnant of the days
when it was said, Eastward the star of
empire takes its way" and keeping ST
lent guard, defying the rayages of time,
this tower stands a mentor of the long
gone centuries.
Descending from the summit we pass
to the front of the Cathedral, and gaze,
to marvel over the beauty of its front,
which is one hundred and twenty feet
high, and composed of five stories,
formed of half pillars, supporting some
circular arches The church forms a
Latin cross. and its dome is composed of
columns and arches as are its sides. Tis
certainly the grandest piece Of church
architecture we have seen in our travels.
The interior is most imposing. Would
that l might picture it for you, but alas,
| cannot describe the great altar. ana
pulpit, as they rest on porphry pillars,
the aisles formed by four rows of 60
Oriental granite columns. There are
twelve affairs, designed by Michael An
gefo, after whose designs Italy was
fashioned, Mark Twain tells us.
When a small lad at a country school,
l well remember the nasterto have told
how Calico conceived the roundness of
the world. and Of its revolutions. and not
harmonizing with the teachings of
Jesuitism, he was thrown into prison for
heresy, and his writings committed to
the flames. He was compelled to retract
his teachings. but when released from
the dungeon, he stamped his feet upon
mother earth, and exclaimed, "But ID
does more after all That same Calico
passed his boyhood days in Pisa and has
trodden these cathedral floors, and here
is the old lamp-we might better call it
q chandelier - which the philosophic
brain Of that lad, eighteen years old,
could not pass unobseryed, and as it
swung to and fro he conceived the idea
of the pendulum.
From the Cathedral We 70 to the Bap-
tistry, which is circular and is one hun
bred and fifty feet in diameter and one
hundred and sixty feet high, surmountcd
by a cupola and cone, upon the pinnacle
of which is a statue of John the Bap-
fist. The beautifully proportional in
terror is noted for its wonderful echo,
Wilson sung three notes iii rapid success
sion, and all blended III one, came back
to us on wave of enhancing sweetness
and surprising harmony This old bap-
/ tistry originally had its fonts for INNER
/ sion, but the priests assured lis that they
! had no longer use for them, the form of
/ ordnance having been changed by one
/ of the holy Popcs, since the completion
of the baptistry in 1862. The priest
told me that where now stands the bap-
tismal font for sprinkling children, was,
in olden times, basin for immcrsing,
We next go to Camp Santo, a ccmctc-
ry from which, Fetridgc says, every 9th
cr place Of interment in Italy derives its
name In Olden times the dead were
compelled to pay fee on entering it,
but as they never left it, Of course moth
ing more could be demanded of them.
Now the living enter it free, but art
compelled to pay well before leaving
it," This place is called the Museum
of the Tombs, and we'll it deserves tho
name. Antiquity and its twin sister, Ill
lapidation, may be seen on all sides
There arc IA number of frescoes ON the
walls, one of which is said to have fur
nished ideas to Dante, for that master
piece "The Inferno. But the socre3
ness of the earth we tread! To til,
depth of nine feet is blessed dirt
brought by fifty galleys from Jerusalem
in the year 1928, on the Pisans return
from the third crusade. The crcduou,
people of Pisa maintain that ANNA
substances will dccompose in it in TWEEN