Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-04-04

comprehended in all its giant parts
and details. And there, at its side,
in the Vatican-a mass of palaces,
which, with the gardens, are mile
in circumference; and in the midst
resides the Chief-Priest of more than
a quarter of the human race.
The Pincian Hill is laid off into a
beautiful park, planted in palm,
myrtle, cypress, and other ornament
al and shade trees, lovely fountains
and running rills, elegant walks and
driveways, smooth lawns and scatter
ed flower-beds. Towering up in the
midst is an obIelisk from Egypt,
thirty centuries old. Along the
borders of the avenues are pedestals
surmounted with marble busts of
multitudes of statesmen, poets, he
roes, artists, whom Italy, in mod
ern, middle, and ancient times, has
produced. This hill is
THE FAvoRTE PROMENADE
of the Roman aristoeracy, of stran-
gers, and everybody who can afford
fashionable clothes or a carriage
Here the military band plays on
Thursday and Sunday afternoons,
is listened to by many thousands OF
people on the latter day, The space
covered by the Pincion, is perhaps
so or 60 acres. The north and
east fronts are bounded by the old
city wall, 50 feet high, built by the
Emperor Marcus Aurelius, 1900
years ago, still in an excellent state
of preservation, and looking as if it
might stand 1900 years longer
SO solid and perfect as it is. This
wall was the first of the remains of
ancient Rome which / saw and, you
may well imagine inspected it with
curious interest. 1t is II miles in
length and circumscrlbes ancient
Rome. However, on the opposite
side of the river (west side), the
Popes in the sixteenth century ex-
tended the old Roman wall along
the crest of the Jamiculus and Vati-
can and St. Peters from the raw
ages of their. enemies. It was on
that side of the river the French
broke into the city in %1s4s, when it
was defended by the Garibaldian
Republicans. The construction of
the old Aurelian wall was ...E
A PRoDIGoUs TASK. lr-, i
There had been no wall around
Rome from the time of the over
throw of Catharge and the expul-
sion of Hannibal, four or FIVE centu-
ries previously and the necessity
for it in Aurelian's reign marks the
fact that the decline of Rome has
already commenced, and has, made
serious headway, and that the Mis-
tress of mankind had passed her
zenith, and was descending towards
the horizon. r. el ..s ..sI
In the days of the C@sars, the site
of Pincio was chiefly occupied by the
famous villa of Llcullus, who gain ed
enormous wealth as a General of the
Roman armies, operating in, Asia,
1t was here he gave his celebrated
feast to Cicero and Pompey, which
for magnifeenee and extravaganza |
never was surpassed, even in Rome.
After the demise OF Lucullus the villa !
passed into possession of one Asiati-
Gus in the reign of the Emperor Clau-
dius, was coveted by his nth and
handsomest as well as gayest and
Easiest wife. She suborned her
sons tutor to accuse him Asiaticus of
hcentious life, and of corrupting the
army. By her influence he was
condemned to perpetual imprison-
ment. But he scorned to live on
such terms, and, after the lofty hab- |
its of the partricians, bathed, per-
fumed, had an elegant supper with |
his friends, and then opened his
veins and bled to death. As soon |
as she heard of the eternal depart
ure, Madame Claudius (her given |
name was ........,
MISS MEssALINA1 u,s...
took possession of the villa, and held |
high revels there with her faverites |
and lovers, while her lord and mas
ter was far away at the wars, and
fondly dreaming of his chaste wife.
But some of the domestics feeling |
at the high jinks and
doings i'll the palace, secretly dis |
patched letter to the Emperor,
him of what was going on
behind his back. This news aroused !
the Emperor'tO sense of her infdeli-
ties, and travelling incog, he sud-
denly returned and surprised the
lady in her ill-gotten suburban
feasts in the gardens. The ladies,
dressed in scanty fawn skins, danced |
as Bacehnals around her; and she !
herself, with hair loose and disor-
dered, danced 'Highland filings,
with her favorite paramour, Silius,
who buSkined and crowned will, ivy,
tossed his head to the Haunting
strains of Silenus and the Satyrs-
the Gods of lust and amorous songs.
In the midst of these wanton orgies
Claudius suddenly arrived in the
city, and hastily drove to the villa, |
But the rumor of his coming pre-
ceded hun a few minutes, and panic
took possession of the reyelers.
The Empress fed and hid herself, !
and sent most tender and supplica-
ting messages, asking for forgive
ness, and promising never to do so
any more. The Emperor first dis
patched all the lovers, including the |
one up the tree in the garden on the
night of the revel, who being asked |
by the Empress what he saw, re-
piled in Jest, can awful storm from |
the direction of Ostia;'' which was
the Roman port on the Mediterrane-
an, at the mouth of the Tiber, 20
miles distant; and by that route the
was at the very moment
his way to the scene of the
revel. 1t was
AN "AwFUL STORM"
for them, sure enough. The EN-
press hoped. The Emperor's anger
having cooled little, he pottered
with the treason, and began to long
for a sight of his favorite spouse;