Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-12-04
IN ST. PETERS AT ROME.

supposc no two travellers ever saw the
same objects in the same light and same
moods. | had been prepared by all the
guide books and private accounts ever
read and verbal statements ] ever heard, TO
bo disiluSoncd by the actual sight OF St.
Peters. and still more by visit to lis inte-
rior. On the contrary everything outside
! and inside the grand ediicc far surpassed
nv expectations. From first to last my Wis
| its 10 st. Peter; we're agreeable disappoint-
ments. We had been cautioned, over and
over again, to be sure TO be vel! wrapped
up on entering the church, as security
against q sudden chill. We were told that
on liftiug the heavy curtain or mat which
serves as the door, the change OF tempera
ture from the external air would strike 10
| the very citadclS Of life unless We were de-
! Tended by triple thickncsses of coats and
shawls. IN the innocence of our hearts we
carried heap Of those articles in our cab.
| Aighting in the piazza al the foot OF the
steps which lead to the entrance Of st. Pc
ters. we slowly assembled, holding UNI
brellas over our heads and taking great
care not to get in the slightest degree
heated, for The September sun is still
warm in tho open air. With some trepda-
| ton we approached the great doorway,
feeling that a critical moment had arrived.
Shawls and overcoGts were then uonned
and carefully pinned or buttonca The final
preparation was putting on . thick, warm
Skull cap. Then we gently pushed aside
the ponderous mat, and 10 and behold.
r. ~, lnt II
dark and gloomy charnel house. | never
expec, TO see another building in this
world as bright, beautiful and cheerful rs
St. Peters It's atmosphere is simply pcrfec-
tion--the ventilation complete-a flood of
white sunlight pouring over every object,
and the temperature that of any we'll man.
aged private house. Cloaks and coats were
whipped off on the instant, and we proceeded
to enjoy the wondrous sights without the
least misgiving. st. Peters cannot be de-
scribed SO as to bring its greatness its
beauty and brilliancy home TO the under
standing of any reader or listener. There
fore pardon all the guide books and all the
personal informants for having failed to i'm
press upon me any adequate conception Of
the most majestic and iaultlcss of human
temples erected to the worship of God.
Like every other person who has ever vls-
| tied ST. Peters found it impossible at first
to realize the known vast dimensions of this
pile. The figures as published; are authen-
| tic. And vet, ii is ones first impulse TO
deny their accuracy. y good way to get al
some approximate idea OF Of the size of the
interiors; to walk around itand time the per-
formance Most ladies wish 10 sit down
before they have done the circuit, and it isa
good bit Of exercise even for man &C.
| Il OF, liz iI,\ \nIt
harmony Of the proportions Of ST. Peter 5
will for long time, however, defy your best
efforts 10 grasp their magnitude. They
were revealed to ne al last more by accident
than by deliberate observation. Casually
looking up at the dome | saw small dark
object swinging in the air. y second glance
showed it TO be 4 man who had been lower
ed by ropes from some platform above for
the purpose OF sweeping the dust away
from the beautiful frescocs. He swung
perlously back and forth rs he piled his
| brush aud looked with horrible fasci-
nation to see him fall. But, in few min
utes, became accustomed to the sight and
began to compare the size Of his figure (say
about 5 feet 10 inches) with that Of other
objects at the same height. Then | per-
ceived that the shapely foot of an angel
lone of many in marble which sit around
the ceiling of the church was almost as big
as this mans whole body. Seen from the
floor below, the entire angel seemed but
little larger than an average human being.
The actual height at which these images are
placed is so great-while appearing so small
to the ordinary vision-as to dwarf their
dimensions, as | have explained. The COM
parison of the man, whisking his long brush
up there, with the angels foot, gave me 81
better clew to the stupendous but harmoni-
Gus proportions Of st. Peters than any
other test whatever.
On one occasion il was my fortune to be
present at vespers in st. Peters The SER
vice was entirely choral, the pope's choir
rendering the music. \ large company OF
priests assisted, though they were listening
rather than partakcrs in the ceremony.
The lovely chants and arias seem to give as
much pleasure to them as to persons who
heard them for the FIRST time. The choir Is
admirably drilled, and has somc singers OF
the kind that theatrical advertisements call
'sphenomenal" The leading soprano oi
the force could certainly be so styled. On
entering St. Peters that evening, my ear
was struck by voice almost as clear and
loud and high as PATHS or Nilssons, rising
far above the surrounding chorus. knew
that no woman ever sings in the pope's
choir, ,and therefore my curiosity was greatly
excited to see the author of these lofty femi
nine strains The crowd prevented me
from getting good view of the singer, but
| could make out in the distance that The
soprano" was either large boy ora small
man. with round, fat face. From every
parting of the lips. without the least apparent
effort, welled forth the smoothestand sweet
est notes and the voice was so much like :
woman that only sight of the singer could
convince me that it was anything else. The
pope's choir has long been famous for it:
quasi soprano voices. | doubt if it ever had