The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-03-29
SPONDENCE.
Letter ON Italy.

MeSSrs Editors, S,-Rabelais, on arriv-
ing in Rome, instead of writing disqui-
sition on doctrines, penned one on let
tuces, about the only fresh article to be
found in the Eternal City. So far as
commerce is concerned, the Romans ap-
pear to be chiefly interested about lottery
tickets. AS for the discoveries.of modern
science, Rome let's loose on them the
thunders of the Index Modern progress
would leave neither repose nor digestion
to her Cardinals. On the other hand,
while scientific works are prescribed by
her censorship, cabalistic books profess
ing to divine the caprices of the lottery,
are printed and published under the Pom
tifcal seal as containing nothing con-
trary to religion, morals, or sovereign
authority
But when one plunges into the anti
quities Of Rome, as diver at sea, what
happy hours may be spent with her his
tory, her art and her religion. Turning
away with disgust from modern Rome,
we sought out the traces of the ancient
city, and having traversed some cross
streets we soon arrived at
The Pantheon,
now Christian temple with dome open
TO the stars, and still preserving in its
circular form and splendid portico, much
OF the simplicity and grandeur of its abb
original architecture. Here the tribunes,
senators, Caesars of ancient Rome, bowed
down and worshipped. Here the Deities
the Romans loved were elevated upon
their altars. But the gods they believed
immortal have all perished, and the ideas
which they inspired have been whirled
like withereddeaves into the hollows and
rubbish heaps Of history No more do
the nereids rise from the foaming sea-
nor do the Nymphs sigh in the groves.
Pan has dropped his pipe, and to the
revelry of the Bacchantes have succeeded
maceration and penance. A Nazarene, a
son OF Israel of that race which Roman
charity has shut up in the Ghetto, as
dogs IN kennel-has conquered and
buried the gods who inspired Horace and
Virgil, who sustained Scipio in the plains
of Carthage, and Marius in the putrid
fields of victory. Tacitus looked con-
temptuously on the followers of the OBJ
scure carpenter of Judea, Apuleius ridi7-
culel them in his fables, Lucian poured
on them immortal scorn, Nero flung them
to the wild beasts of the amphi-theatre,
but nothing could destroy the truth and
justice which flowed from the lips of Him
who died so humbly and ANONYMOUSLY
on the cross. The gods of the Pantheon
succumbed, and the sacred rites of the
human conscience were delivered into
the hands Of the ridiculed Christians who
issued from the Catacombs, and Rome
the conqueror was conquered by the new
creed
From the Pantheon we cloAb up the
Capitoline hill, on the top of which once
stood the temple of Jove. Stretched out
before and beneath it, lay
The Roman Forum,
the scene of all the most heart-stirrinp
events In the history of that wonderful
people who rose from a band Of robbers
to be lords of the whole world There is
the spot where Quintus Curtius inmnad
his horse into the gulf-there fbe Ro-
mans carried off the Sabine women
there safe the old senators in their curule
chairs awaiting death in solemn silence
while' the Gauls ravaged the city with
fire and sword-there the cacking of the
geese awoke the sentinel when the enemy
was at the gate-there too, fell Caesar at
the foot OF Pompey's statue, which still
ezists-there Mark Anthony aroused the
people to avenge him, and there Cicero
shook the Senate with the thunders of
his eloquence. For a moment, return
in imagination to the hour when the des-
tiny Of the city hung upon the lips of this /
grand tribune Of the people. On that
famous night of.the 9Th Of December. the
conspiracy had reached it's crisis. Ata
secret meeting of the conspirators it had |
been resolved that a general rising should |
no longer be deferred. Catiline should !