The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-12-27
The Vatican Basilica.
" What wordrons monument
What pile is this l"-ChuttertOn.

What pile Is this si'-ChdhertOa.
OF Rome's patriarchal churches, though
second in rank, the first in grandeur is the
Vatican Basilica. This shrine, is well
known, preserves the relics of Christianity's
pioneers, and is dedicated to the Prince of the
Apostles.
When viewed from a Latian Sabine Noun
tain even at distance of about twenty miles,
st. Peters cross-surmounted dome may be seen
towering, in isolated majesty, above the city
of the seven hills. The Believer and the Infdel.
the Christian and the Jew, gaze upon it, if not
with equal respect, at least with equal admira-
tion: for the baptized may we'll feel within so
sacred place the presence of the Deity; while
Hebrews must acknowledge that a nobler sub
stitute for Jerusalem's fallen temple has never
yet been raised to the God of Israel
Such alien critics GibboD, De la Lande
Forsythe, and Byron, have been enthusiastic in
praise of Romes Vatican Basilica. Even the
skeptio Dupaty avowed that visit to st.
Peters Church sufficed to fix his thoughts on
God and eternity.
According to the account of it by Richard
Lassells "a. D. 1895 "You will wonder, per-
chance when you shall hear that this church
is the eighth wonder of the world; that the
pyramids of Egypt, tho walls of Babylon, the
Pharos, the Colosseum, etc, were but mere
heaps of rubbish compared to this fabric; that
it hath put all antiquity to the blush. and all
posterity to a nonplus; that its several parts
are all incompatible masterpieces; it's pictures
oil originals it's statues perfect models; that
the prime architects of the world-San-
CELLO; Bramante, Raffaele, Michael Angelo,
Fontana, Maderno. and Hermini-have brought
it to that perfection that the whole church
itself is nothing but the quintessence of merit
and wealth, strained into religious design of
making handsome house to God"
Since Mr.. Lasselis' pilgrimage, nearly two
centuries have elapsed and, considering the
adjuncts and improvements made to the edfice
by munificent Pontiffs, Childe Harold's address
may not be deemed an exaggeration:
"Ob, Thou of temples old or affairs new,
standest alone with nolhing like to thee
Since lions desolation. when that He
Forsook His former city, what could be,
OF subIimer aspectl Majesty,
e. aP are 'ed
The exterior illumination of st. Peters
Church is an electrifying spectacle on festive
occasions. The cupola is twice metamorphosed,
as it were, into a hemisphere of light. The
earliest illumination ut nightfall displays the
buildings architectural outline to great ad.
vantage. For this purpose are prepared 400
lamps of q cylindrical form. The task of the
lamplighters is apparently not without peril.
ing ropes suspended high in the air, swim ging
to and fro, from architrave to pediment, from
frieze to cornice, and from capital to pillar, to
arrange their lanterns in symmetrical order.
An hour later, thousand larger lamps are
enkindled simultaneously. To accomplish the
changes with all possible speed, at proper dis
men are suspended with ready lighted though
concealed torches. At third signal from the
belfry, the cross on the apex of the dome sud
denly glitters into flame; the rest of the
enormous fabric then seems to ignite, and to
burst forth into a splendid conflagration.
A flood of vivid light soon spreads itself over
surrounding objects. Alta distance, not unlike
an aerial phenomenon, spangled with stars,
the fiery dome seems to be aeitated by
mysterious hand, and to hang suspended from
the vast canopy of heaven.
The Vatican home of Christ's Vicar upon
earth suggests some discursive, and not unin-
terestinR, reflections did time and space now
permit to turn over the wide pages of it's his
tory. d
Chattard confesses that his (three octave
volumes) description of the Vatican cost him
sixteen years. labor. This will. perhaps, not
astonish when one reflects that, besides the
Basilioa ffteen-fold larger than Soloman's
temple, he had also two church-like chapels,
twenty-five court-yards, twelve assembly halls,
!1,OOO chambers, several galleries, twenty-five
immense staircases not to mention other minor
avenues, to measure and survey.
To form an adequate idea of the Vatican's
extent and size, an observer should survey it's
churches, chapele, piazzas, colonnades, gale
Ties, libraries, museums, Offices, gardens. Let
him also bear in mind that the site of all these
irregular buildings is said to cover q space as
large in circumference as the old city of Turin.
Buy your trusses and braces where they are