The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-30
IEuropean CORES pondence Of the Bulletin.l

lEuropean Correspondence Of the Bulletin.l
ROME, December, 1875.
Dear Bulldin-When one arrives for the
first time in Rome, it is provokingly hard &c
realize taat this is really the wonderful city
that once "sat upon her seven hills and from
her throne of beauty ruled the world besides
doing various other very grand poeuo thlrgt
to be handed down to posterity in classic
latin for the edification and to the vexation
of nunberlsss e. nerations Of school-boys IN
different parts of the world formerly 50 ruled.
ga few wears ago, before the sub. criber had
any idea of becoming one of distinguished
ouartette, organized for purposes of travel
and observation in foreign lands, and the
recorder Of their adventures, if any one had
said "Get ready Jones, you are going to
Rome soon," it is probable that the announce
ment, or even the idea Of the trip to the i'm
mortal city, would have completely turned
tho subscribers head, but SO far from feeling
any special elevation of spirits on being
actually in Rome, when we arrived a. the
station this morning, the place might have
been the familiar, smoky, dingy, old jackson
Railroad Station, in Nav Orleans, as far as
enthusiasm, on the part Of the quartette. or
its recorder, was concerned.
To travel is certainly charming. but tie
rose still has its thorn, and when one hos
done a week or two of steady Sightseeing.
wonders become SO commonplace that the
contemplation of them no longer ELECTS that
keen and eager delight with which the trav-
eler beheId his first days treasures Of the
curious, celebrated or beautiful Sill, though
the anticipation Of "doing Rome does not
make us as wild as it would have done if We
could have been nrned loose here quite sud-
denly, and without having climbed the Alps
or reyeled in the wondrous cities of Northern
Italy, yet we expect to enjoy ourselves i'm
mensely, and at the end of our first days ex-
periepces we feel satisfied that this expectation
will be realized.
As yet, shall not enter into particulars ns
regards what we saw to-day, for We have fit
ted restlessly about the whole day without
any settled purpose in view, just looking in
upon this grand relic of the past, this tower
ing temple of religion, that historical m onu-
ment, etc, etc, SO as to satisfy ourselves
little as to how things lay, and to get q sort
of general impression before going fairly to
work studying separate objects. 1t is really
very delightful to be in wonderful place like
Rome, as free as air, and with feeling that
there is nothing on earth to prevent our
going wherever we like and doing whatever we
please. Talk about The delights Of freedom, we
are in the fullest enjoyment of as bright little
spot Of that much eulogized boon as it is the
power of the half made goddess with the pole.
and cap to grant; no business to attend to,
no visit Of courtesy or ceremony to make, no
mortal thing to do but enjoy ourselves in any
way we sec fit, and by Jupiter and all the
heather deities that ever held sway in this
old town, We are the fellows to do
that thing. Toe reader is requested to excuse
this little blast of bombast, but really it does
m IKE one feel elf-contented and generally we'll
satisfied to be in the active, waking realiza-
ton of q dream cherished since the early
days of Roman history, Cesar,
Cicero, etc. Whoever doubts it, let him just
come over and try it on himself.
And what stunning names everything has
here; for instance, We lodge at the Albergo
CESAR, close to the Piazza di Petra, and just
around the corner from the Piazza Colonna,
in the center Of which rises the triumphal
column of Marcus Aurelius, and ct every
third street we run upon some renowned
place or thing whose name Is an euphonius
rattle of syllables that strike admiration to
The heart of the stranger; and how we delight
10 rehearse these magnificent names with |
forced accents and laundering emphasis on
The double consonants, in which the language |
Of Dante abounds.
1t would be little curious, however, to an
alyze the admiration we feel for these names, |
and to settle exactly how far the same is due |
10 certain memories We have of brilliant Wis |
ions of the tight rope, the flying trapezs, the |
stage, and in other similar associations, when |
t is supposed that people born to the homely |
names of Smith or Jones show to better ad- |
vantage when labeled with some extravagant |
tumble Of Italian appellatives. We would be |
pleased to think that such was not the case,
but we fear that our instructive admiration for |
Italian sounding names is somewhat due to
such memories.
What is the first thing one naturally wishes
10 visit in Rome-what but ST. Peters. whose
vast dome the traveller has most probably |
watched with attention for miles before his |
train reached the city, for it towers above the |
landscape as landmark that can scarcely |
all to catch the eye at a distance Of ten or |
fifteen miles? At any rate, We determined to
10 first to St. Peters, and the first thing after |
breakfast we set out on foot. We are very
,roud of being able, as a rule, to find our way
q a strange city by the aid of map alone,
nd have done 50 famously we'll up to to-day,
,ut defy any one to WORK his course with
nv degree Of confidence in Rome by means