The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-06-06
Letter from DR.. cu,rler.


Every day / find myself irresistiblv q
tracted back to spots l had visited ar
considered finished, days before, for u
,asGlnaolons :.n OF home grow upon yc
with every day of your stay. 10
Inc city Is so very old that IL is in
possible for historians TO agree as to h
exact age, but few days ago ther
was grand illumination Of Beng,
lights in the ruins of the capitol an
the old Roman Forum, which occasio
was reckoned to be the 2,6OOth ann
versary, counting back to the 21st {
April, " B. c., when Romulus, ON tn
occasion of religious festival, laid on
the city limits, and declared that ever
year thereafter, on that same day, ther
should be rejoicing and celebration il
honor of the event ID
Inc Old part Of the city Is ono vas
memory of past grandeur and presen
ruin. "Ichabod" seems writer, on 1b,
crumbling monuments which stand a,
lngerb posts, pointing back to the tim,
when at the highest eminence of he,
pride and glory, and perfection in ar
and civilization, Rome was acknowl
edged "mistress of the world.o =
Solitary arches and columns, and Dor.
tions of ruined palaces and temples. are
all now left standing of her former
nagnificcnce. The present Italian gov.
ernlnent, however, is now at work ex.
cavating in the old Roman Forum and
Its viciniit,apd is constantly uneartb-
ing some Interesting relic of the mast
connected with the days of Imperial
Rome. Sometimes the spades of The
laborcrs bring TO light portions of an
elegant chamber, which once formed
part OF a sumptuous NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
times ii is an exquisite statue, which.
tlough stained with the earth damn ot
centuries, puts to blush any efforts of
the present age to rival or excol its
loveliness.
III Is considered that ancient Rome
lies buried under from fifteen to twen-
iy-ilve feet of rubbish and soil, and IL
Is from the description given by old
historians and poets like Tacitns and
Ovid, that the localities of certain old
sites and buildings have been CORRECTLY
though much confusion
SIN exists about the vicinity OF the
rorum, ana the visitor TO this interest
ing spot must be content to trust to his
own power of Imagination, since the
of discouraged archeoloe-
sts make it impossible to reproduce
with any certainty the real past of the
people. of ruinsIof magnificencc found
here. -
One of my first visits in Rome was
o st. Peters; it is grand old church.
ully justifying the admiration layisbed
lpon it by generations. AT first. like
many others, | was impressed with a
ceiling of disappointment because 1t did
lot seem larger as L approached the
ong flight of steps between me and the
hurch, but as it grew familiar to nv
light, its immensely dawned and grew
lpon me. Its length is 6l3 feet, and
landing half way up the length of the
Interior, grown people walking at Ell
her end seem like small children. II
said to be the largest temple in the
World, and l can well believe that it is
lso the most beautiful, but it is SO
lied with memorials of popes, and is
o gorgeous in splendid ornament, that
hardly conveys the idea of church,
o much as it does declaration of the
over of popedom.
l have wandered for days about the
Id Coliseum, have assembled ND into
s high galleries and spent hours in
iapping out the ruins of temples and
alaces which cluster about its feet.
.ooking down into the arena, and
round at the massive walls and circ-
ng seats, | have tried to picture to
lyself the 100000 spectators who once
ssembled here to witness gladiatoriai
ombats and other savage shows, and
there 10000 early Christians are said
, have suffered martyrdom. Ten
lousand captive Jews were employed
IN years in the latter part of the first
entury, in its erection, and its massive
rength would have defied all time,
ad it not been for the ravages of those,
no, for the sake of its building mate
ais, plundered it of its stone and mar
lie and iron, which latter commodity
'as of great value in the middle ages.
reat holes show where the immense
on clamps have been extracted.
1t is said that Cardinal Farnese, in the
'urteenth century, extorted permis-
on from his uncle Paul, to remove as
luch stone as he could carry away in
velvc hours. In availing himself of
le permission, he set 1900 workmen
'ose upon the building. o..
1t is quite the fashion among visitors
ere, Protestant as well as Catholic, to
tend the receptions given weekly at
le Vatican, but as it entails the neces-
ty of receiving the papa greeting
pom bended knees, and the highest
lark of condescension fiom his Holi-
css is being allowed to kiss his hand,
have not availed myself OF the privi-
ge.
The pope keeps neutrality-suspicious.
/ these degenerate days. Holy week
Rome is no longer what it once was,
efore the pope refused TO officiate in
is religious Offices outside the chapel
t the Vatican. He has never shown
imself in public since Rome was de-
Jared the capital of United Italy. Itis
incerely TO be hoped that she may new
/ fall back into her old condition,
hen the chief power was vested in the
hurch, who owned all the valuable
eal estate throughout the country,
uilt and endowed magnigceDt church.
5, supported an army of religious or
ers, and left the poor to struggle and
tarve in ignorance and degradation.
There is probably no man in Italy to-
ay, so well or SO universally beloved
S Garibaldi, who is now here, an inva-
ID, suffering from rhematism and COM
letely shattered in health. He is car
led about on litter whenever be ap-
ears in public, and still wears the tra-
itional red shirt and blue cap.
He is almost an object of worship TO
he people, in whose cause he has done
nd suffered so much. He is most kind
nd aflable to all visitors. heard OF
n energetic little lady from St. Paul,
Eho, not speaking one word of intelligi-
lie French or Italian, presented herself
he other day at Garibaldi's door, and
haking her passport in the face of the
ttendant who answered her summons,
aid "Garibaldi, Garibaldi," and on the
trength of her demonstrations, was adj
nitted to the presence OF the old veter-
n, who is said to have special liking
Or all Americans. tl.4ft.'
1t is impossible in one short letter 10
ell of one tithe of the interest that gath
rs about Rome, in her ancient relics
,,l ,r.ca..f lovalsnoae Tk.ara ma.