The New York herald., 1878-02-22
THE LECTURE SEASON.
REV. On. sPAuLDrNa ON ''sr. PETERS AND
THE VATICAN"

REV. On. sPAuLDrNa ON ''sr. PETERS AND
THE VATICAN"
Chickering Hall was well nlled yesterday. prln-
cipaly by ladies' listen the Rev. DR.. spauldings 8
lecture on .'st Psters aud the Vatican AS the leo
turer remarked, none but bold man would attempt
10 say anything new OF St Peters, tho best known
church IN the world. Most mon, with whom the
mathematical sense is greater Than the aesthetic
look up Al the great vault OF ST. Peters ana
try to calculate Its height, and having no means
for this measurement. say that ST. Peters Is disap-
pointing The persons, said the lecturer. would
probably 60 INTO the Adirondacks and complain be-
scause the builder Of bad left twenty
foot pole standing against each tree 10 show 10 hcir
practical eyes a. once Tue distance from inc esrs
scarcely believe thar the OF 81 Peters was 600
long aud would swallow up thirty ordinary domes
Michael geo, building ST. PETERS, IL Is said un
Intentionally LAID The frsi stone OF the Protestant
Reformation. The real significance OF ST. PETERS, in
historical point OF view, 10 be found In the TACT
that 1t was The visible embodiment Of the papaI power
resplendcnt jewel on the bosom oi paps Rome, the
6rancy aud 10 attract Inc gaze OF the world to the
spot where tho vicar Of Him who had not wnere 10
lay his head sat entnroned amid the splen-
dors Of more than earthly sovereignty.
view OF Rome shown upon tho screen
and views OF the exterior and interior OF the old
basilica OF ST. Pcter's wcrc also represented, with
plan OF tho present building, which was begun in
1850 The lecturer then spoke in admiration and
criticism OF this magnhc cent temple, which he
varod TO Shaxcspeare's plays and Beelhovan's
svm mnboncs and agreed with Hawthorne tuat it was
the 'grandost ediace ever built W man and painted
sRainst Gods ovellest skies. -
Rev. Or. Spauldlng then called tho attention Of mis-
audience 10 the Vatican Palace Ot the thirty sevcn
palaces at Rome tue Chief is The Vatican, which IL q
vast asscmbage OF palaces Il Is almost CITY IT.
seIi Its OF ART belong 10 nearly evcry century
interscr ana exterior OF this marvellous structure
thrown upon tho screen also sc0nes from re-
cepiion gwen by tho lato Pope: Then folio wed views
mired by Mcnael Angelo, views OF paintings ny
Raphael. The history OF the Vatican covers many
centuries Probably as early as tho time Of Constan
tno there was palace attached 10 the basllica OF ST.
PETERS, Innocent Ill rebuilt the palace IN tho twelfth
ccniury ana Nicholas enlarged 1t in the thirieenh
In 1877 the Vatican became tne permanent residence
Dr. .spauiding will bring hts interesting series of
morning lectures 10 u close on Monday next. In re-
sponse 10 y very general request be will deliver
series of evening lectures at Chckering Hail. be-
ginning tho 11th OF March. on "Roman Lilo and
Ar,," illustrated like the present course with the
s,ereopticon.
MR. w. PARSONS ON ''MrcHAEL ANGELO.
Mr. william Parsons lsctured las, nigh, in s.einway
Hall, before tho General Society of Mechanics and
Tradcsmcr, on sMichael Angelo" "He tho Gen.
trail Hgure," said Mr. Parsons, ''of ago prolific in
men Of genius. Da vinc, Rafael, Columbus were bis
contemporaries. His immortal work Of painting the
twelve compartments In the Sixtine Chapel At elo
vation OF 120 iees above tho ground occupied over
six years, at the end OF winch time no
haa acquairsd such habit OF looking up
toward The ceii0g that Letter had 10
he held above his head before he could read It, Tho
final compar artment which he psinted-'Ehc Last Judg-
ment'-excelled even his own hitherto unapproach-
able masterpieces. and remains an imperisnsblc monu-
ment to his lame. When his native Florence was be-
scigsd no away from Rome was made chief OF en-
gineers and for eight months kept the enemy ~ bay
and obliged him 10 raise the siege. Long before Vau-
ban had thought of sysom OF fornncation, which,
applied first TO the citadel OF Metz made him immor.
tal Michael ngelo had developed The same principles
In defending Florence Atmiddle age be was bachelor
and might huve died but for tho influence Of that
incomparaco woman the Countess Victoria Coonna.
VINO had said that sho would rather be wife to
an honest man than queen ap0stste sovereign.
When asked IN his old age II he would undertake
great architectural work he touched the Key note to
his unparalleled success US man Of uanscendsnt
genius when he replied, Con grdndissimo .Gmore'
He undertook tho erection OF 81 Petsr's with The
magnificent Colosseum and until then unexceed
Palace Of the CHssrs looking down upon his efforts
10 upbrnid in OF faiDre. The wonderful dome
OF she great cathedral plan ned alter she pcrect
spring Of the aroh shown In fine models Of tho hu
man SKULL"