The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-27
OUR LETTER FROM ITALY.
Roundabout tho Art Collections OF the v"u-
can-Humi,inting Blundor COMMITTED ~
The Writer-The Raphael Gailery-The
sfsiine Observation-Disclosures Of Mozart
Ienninn Abroad.
European Correspondence Of the Bulletin.l

Dear Butetta-Among the numDefleSb AZ
fractions OF Rome, the vast art collections o
the Vatican are unquestionably to be classet
in the very first rank as regards the interes
and beauty of the works there gathered to
gether. It is doubtful, in fact, whether an!
other city of the Old World can boast Of I
museum or an art gallery that approaches il
excellence those which the father of tn
church has within the walls of his gigantic
palace, and to which he kindly permits thu
admiring public to come free Of trouble OF
expense.
We have, so far, devoted two days to the
inspection of these collections, and are begin.
ming to feel that we might spend weeks within
the great picture galleries and sculpture halls
without having fully studied and appreciated
all the admirable works these contain. Al
though one may not be an admirer OF the
church of which Pope Plus TX is the recog-
nized head, it is impossible not to admire the
zeal with which the good old gentleman has
devoted hims self to the labor OF getting to-.
cether rare and beautiful works of art, and of
keeping the many historical rufus of his holy
city from suffering further injury, whether
from the hands of wanton destroyers or from
the inroads Of the common leveler, Time.
He has gathered up, bought up, brought
together in every way, all that has been dis
covered or brough. to light in his territory of
ancient art besides encouraging others to
aid him in the work by every means in his
power; he has protected the grand old monu-
ments of the past from injurious change, here
strengthening wall, there deepening an
almost illegible inscription, there securing o
loose stone, but always without changing .
single outline or making single oficious ad-
dition-always restoring, but never iDjuring
the spirit Of original identity. The public, as
above stated, are admitted to the collections
of the Vatican, gratis; but, in order to limit
the influx of visitors to the better classes,
every one desiring admittanoe has to 60
through the form of applying for personal
ticket of entry.
This is given IN the form Of Q ASS, good
for Ave persons, reading, in substance, "Ad-
NIT" say. "Jones and four friends" thS idea
being, doubtless. to provide for parry of
four aud guide. These passes are called
pemessi, and in connection with the subject
shall relate to the gentle readsE what
COMPOUNDED taur pas nads when went to
take out one fof myself and my friends.
hoping that my confession viii serve as
warning to such as may subsequently have
occasion to visit the Vatican.
Italy, Is everybody knows, is essentially
the land Of beggars. No one does you ser.
vice here without expecting to be paid for it,
md one soon gets so accustomed to this uni
verpal slipping" that the hand instinotively
reaches for few coppers whenever man
opens door for one, or oven makes bow,
and every actual service is sure to call for .
contribution. Well, the Pope's palace is
occupied bya body of Swiss guards, his pri-
vate retainers, and one of the last lingering
shows of his temporal power, and if these
fellows were not mostly gentlemen, as be-
comes an honorable service like theirs. sheir
Unborn national pride would prevent their
taking money like the beggars of the
street do.
Any man with two ideas might have known
this, but never thought of 1t, and 90 after
one Of these guards had taken the trouble to
conduct me up and down stairs, through halls
and courts to the permesso Office and back to
the room where Brown and the others were
waiting; quite naturally thought Of the reg
ular "tip," and accordingly out came the
USUAL coppers, but if l had struck him he
could hardly have seemed moro insulted, as
he informed me in German, the language
which We had just been speaking, that he was
"not slave" felt like sinking through
the foor for shame for it was in the presence
Of the whole assembly Of officers, visitors. etc,
and when looked the man in the face saw
that he must be gentleman from his very
looks.
Tipping" is usually the correct thing, but
this was one time missed it The uniform
Of these guards, by the way, is something
wildly fantastic, being Of loose, baggy get
Sup, and slashed with alternating stripes of
red, yellow and black, from collar to ankle.
said to myself, after recovering little from
my confusion, g How the mischief is one to
distinguish gentleman from peasant when
he goes and DISCUSSES himself in that bar
barous fashion," but really could have done
it by looking the man straight in the face.
The next day we devoted to the picture
galleries. These contain vast numbers of
celebrated works, whole rooms being set
apart for instance for the works. of Raphael
alone.
Here we saw the original of the world-re.
nowned Traisfguraton, and the equally
celebrated Madonna and child, both by
Raphael, and sacred scenes by the worlds
greatest masters until We were actually sur
feited with them, and wodld have gladly well
coined change, but change there was none,
save from New Testament scenes to Old Test
ament scenes, and back again. Among these
things We saw the celebrated Sistine Chapel,
- ~,h;ck kba nuob ixvorchiY,o6 last