The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-21
INTERESTING LETTERS PROM ROME.

We have been kindly permitted to read letrers
| received by our we'll known felIow-citizeps, Mr.
P Bradley and Mr.. NJ E. Gsrvey, from Rev. j
DoFlanagan, late Cotate of St. Peters Church
Father Flanagan, it will be remembered, left
here some two months ago q short visit to
HE native land, thence through France to
Rome. The extracts which we subon are
| taken from the letters referred to, and will be
READ vi pleasure not only by the people of
the Third District, among whom be labored so
lorg and wei, bat by all our patrons, as con-
taiuiug matter of general interest and instruc-
tion:
Travelling to ne is very fatIgning. Many
ard many q time did feel lonesome, having
no one who underwood our language to con
verse with. Altho' msuaged to muster up q
little French when occasion reg uired, yet
was never at bone with one who spoke only
it. have seen as You are aware, much of the
wo:ld, but believe me- there Is no place half as
good IS New Orlesns, and DO people half 80
generous and hospita bic those of the Cres-
cent Citv.
." In Europe the system of railroad
cars is miserable IL is very tiresome to make
long journey in them. The build
ipgs of Paris and Rome are superb and especi-
ally the churches. 1t is not unusual to see
private bouses lea stories high.
On the 10Th inst,, had an audience with
the Holy Father; acd indeed he msy we'll be
called holy, for he is mortified, perse ecuted
but patient man. There is q charm in his
words and manner that is very attractive. One
can speak to him as to father, with the
greatest confidence. At the end of the
audience / asked him to bless my friends in
New Orleans which he did with much plea
sure. Here one knows not what to admire
most-the monuments of pagan Rome, the
cataoombs aud relics of the early saints and
martyrs, or The magnificent BAsilicas aud
could be very profitAbly spent sin doing" the
"numerous churches, museums aud palaces of
Roma. As my time here is bat short, have
to content myself with seeing the most re-
msrkable ones.
All the costly and strongly built edi6ces, tenn
pies, and theatres of Imperial Rome are in ruins.
Those buildings, on which the riches of the
whole world were lavisbed, are fallen and
buried deep in the earth. Tne Rom Rn Forum,
where the Senate assembled, where the desti-
MES of nations were decided, where orators
charmed spell bound audiences, is now a mass
of ruins. Pillars, broken pillars several feet
below the level Of the streets, are all that re.
main OF this magnificent stru cture where were
the temple of Saturn, the temple of Jupiter
and the rostrum from which Cicero delivered
most of his orations.
The Colosseum or Flavian amphitheAtre
capable of seating 30 coo persons, is the b sst
preserved building of pagan Rome. 1t was
begun by the Emperor Vespasian his return
from the Jewish wars, and was continued by
his son Titus, Thousands of captive jews
lSbored Gas they did on the pyramids. of
Egypt on this stately amphitheatre. Here
thousands and thousands of captives were put
to death. Here kings and mobiles were sscri-
iced to Roman thirst for blood. Gladiators
met here in deadly combat and jeopsrdized
their lives for the applause of the people.
Later on thousands of Christians were here
thrown to wild beasts or put to the sword
under the reign of the Emperors. st. Igostius
of Antioch was one of the martyrs of the
Colosseum.
Isaw also the Catscombs of st. Sebastian,
where Christians lived buried for three hpn-
dred years, where they heard mass and where
were in TERED the sSints and martyrs of the
early ages. / saw where their chapels were,
the places where they were buried, the iDsoTiP.
tions on their tOmbs. The tOmbs of mSrtyTs
were 81 ways designated By small vials eODtain-
Ing their blood and placed IS fhe cOrnoEa Of