The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-06-01

every pinnacle is a statue. There is in the
neighborhood of 4. 600 statues upon the
pinnaces, in the alcoves, under the eyes,
and every where about the building. No
matter where you look, whether inside or
outside of the cathedral, the dead looking
eyes of some statue are gazing upon you.
The central statue upon the highest pinnacle
is a colossal figure of the Virgin, which is
the only statue in bronze about the build
ing. In the cathedral there is guide al
ways awaiting tourists, and the very first
thing he does is to lead you to the admis-
sion gate going up to the roof, where you
/ pay two francs and commence the tolsome
ascent to the marble roof. Once upon the
roof, which is similar to the roof upon
Girard College, except that the roof at
Milan appears to be about one hundred
times as large, it appears to me the best
description | can give of the roof Of the
cathedral is Of a flower garden laid out in
beautiful patches of flowers in solid mar
/ BILE, clear, white, and extremely beautiful.
My power of description utterly fails me.
Our English language, although capable of
expressing almost every shade of meaning
utterly fails in giving perfect and true de-
scription OF this remarkable and wonder
| full building. 1t can, no doubt, be accur-
ately and fully described in the plant, YER
satile, and beautiful Italian language, but
| | would advise my readers to go and see it,
| a iS tho hest m do.
scription of it. Goethe writes:
"All the Northern church decorators
sought their greatness only in the multipli-
cation of minute details; few understood
| how to give to these small forms any mu-
| tual relations and thus rose monstrous
buildings as the cathedral at Milan, where
man has transplanted marble monument
at an immense cost, and forced it into the
meanest forms even daily they torment
the poor stones, to continue work which
can never be perfected, since the invention
less folly that planned it had also the power
| to give to the design an almost limitless
execution"
Well, Goethe was mistaken for once in
! HIS NE, lOI Uuc CdlueuTal Is uulSUeu. DIT
last, and nothing more is to be done with
it except to keep it in repair. 1t is said
the whole expense of building this cathe-
dral was betrayed by the people of Milan.
| Whether this is true OF not | cannot say,
but | really think there could be no build
ing upon the face of the earth surprising
it in grandeur and magniticence; at least,
| | never heard of any. l am not satisfied
with my description of this building. |
would describe it better if l could; but
can't. The interior of the cathedral is
more beautiful than the exterior. In the
interior they have several relics, which are
highly venerated. Away up over the heads
of the gaping multitude, suspended with
cord, is a nail, a large iron nall which, |
was told, pierced the foot of our Saviour
| at the cruciiixion. There also may be seen
a portion of the crown of thornS, which
surrounded His head on the day of the
crucitixion. There may also be seen a
handkerchief, which a woman in Jerusa
lem handed to Him, while on His way to
the Mount of Crucifxion, to wipe the sweat
from His brow, while struggling under the
weight of the cross. There may be no
truth in any of these relics, but ! must
confess that | took deep interest in them
and would have firmly believed in them, if
| had not seen at Naples, Florence, Rome
Cologne, Milan, and, in fact, almost every
important place l visited pieces of the
veritable crown of thorns, making, in the
aggregate, a good sized wheebarrow full,
and | began to doubt the handkerchief
wiped the sweat off His face, and which
bears upon it, it is said, the imprint of His
countenance. But it takes a pretty good
stretch of imagination to figure it out, and
my imagination, although pretty stretchy,
would not quite stretch that far.
| think another of the curiosities they
have in this cathedral is a skinned man,
not in the flesh, but in marble. | am not
quite sure whether saw it in this place or
not, but am certain l saw it somewhere,
and this is about as good place as any to
give description of it. The statue is
about six feet IN height, and has every par
tcle of skin taken off of it, and it hangs
disagreeably back from the nape of his
neck. | was standing looking at the
strange object, viewing it critically, en-
deavoring to figure out what it all meant,
when my guide, who spoke the worst
broken English it was ever my lot to be
inflicted with, came up and endeavored to
nsystify the matter, which he did most eff
fectually. The most l could learn from
his rambling talk and broken-yes, the
worst mashed up English | ever heard
was that this statue-this horrible looking
statue represents saint that had been
hayed alive.
Opposite the cathedral is short street,
entirely covered with glass. 1t is called
Tile Galeria Tittorio Emanuele." This
street is short one, about seventy feet
wide, entirely covered with glass roof,
and only pedestrians are allowed to enter
it. No wheeled vehicle has ever desecrated
this short street. On each side of the street
are the finest stores in Milan, in which are
sold silks, lace and jewelry. | have often
thought how delighted our American ladies
would be if they could only visit such a
charming place. The cathedral would have
no interest for them, but if they could only
get into this duck of place, filled with
such beautiful articles, how happy they
would be.
At the end of this covered street, we
come to the largest theater in the world,
d" Tile La Scald.' 1t is about twice as
high as the Academy of Music, in Phila-
delphia. 1t has six rows of tiers. and the
parquet is capable of holding about 1000
persons. | never attended a performance
at this theater, but | visited it in daylight
and went all over it. 1t cost about two
cents to make this excursion. My attend
ant, who resides in the theater, got tallow
dip, lighted it, and told me to come along,
and | went with him through a dark arch
IL, l.,