The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-08-23
In Foreign Lands.
From our own Correspondent.


Il NIB Aug. 7, 1884.
"And this Is Rome, that snt on her seven hills
And from her throne of beauty ruled the
world"
He who writes Of Rome, assumes a task
which requires volumes instead of columns,
and years instead Of hours in its compile
tion; but in spite Of this, we hope to be
able even in the brief limits of a letter, 10
give our readers some idea o. the Eternal
City.
Rome hiss had wondrous history. From
the Cime when the first fortress was built
on the Palatne Hi by Romulus, more
than two thousand six hundred years ago.
on through the reigns of the kings. She
stern rule Of the republic, the glory of the
Empire when i,s population was numbered
by millions. its decline and !all, the cen-
lnrIes Of ruin until during the wars Of the
Guelphs and Ghibellnes the number Of its
inhabitants was reduced 10 only about 90
600, ms well as during the later regeneration
Of the city, 1t presents a history without \
parallel among the nations. Tn, Rome Of
to day has a population Of about 100000
and occupies only about one half Uhe north
ern porlion) Of the spare enclosed by the
Aurelon walls. As the capital of united
Italy however, 1t is u prosperous city and
promises good things for the future. The
river Tiher, muddy, sluggish stream.
winds through the city in a srutherly di
rectinn, diyldng it in two unequal parts.
by far the larger portion, including the
Pa'atine, the Capitoine, the E>qulline. the
Coelian, the Ayentine and the Quirinal
hills being on the eastern side, with the
palace of the Vatican. St. Peters, the cast le
OF ST. Angelo and the Janiculum Hill on
the western bank. The principal street Of
modern Rome is the Corso, which extends
from the Poda del Popolo on the north, in
a southerly direction through the heart Of
the city to the foot Of the Capitoline Hill.
It is a well built street, lined with shops,
hotels. etc, and on fine afternoons is gay
with its exhibition Of modern Roman life
and fashion.
The great central point orirterest IN the
city Ia the Roman Forum, located between
the Captoline Hill on the north and the
Palatue Hill on the south and nearly in
the center of the ancient city. It's build
incs were destroyed by Guiscard in the
eleventh century and for four hundred
years it WAS a waste and receptacle for
the rubbish Of the city, until the entire
sp2ce was filled to he depth of2i feet aud
all knowledge Of the location and names Of
the ancient buildings was lost, Since the
fifteenth century however excavations have
heen carried on at intervals, until the on
tire Forum as well as many Of the adjoin-
ing buildings have been uncovered. This
little parallelogram, lees than Q thousand
feet in length and about fur hundred feet
wide possesses more of interest than any
similar spot in Europe. At the northwest
ern end where on the slope Of the Capitol
inc Hin now stands the pa lace of the Sen
ator, the Tabulnrium or Hall Of Records
was formerly located. In front rise three
white marble columns, marking the site Of
the temple Of Nespssian. little farther
on, TO the right, eight granite columns
standing on base sixteen feet high are all
that remain Of the magnificent temple of
Saturn, built long before the Christian era
On the left is the massive arch Of Septim.
Ius seyeTus, its ine proportion and imnos-
ing stolidity almost trowning on the ruin
around, Between the arch and the Tabu.
larium stood the Temple of Concord and
Senatorial Hall, where Cicero convened the
Senate and with his terrible tlcqueuce de-
nounced the conspiracy OF Catahne. Far
ther on the foundations Of the Bnsiliea
julia are seen, with the column Of Phocus
in irnut, the "nameless column with a
buried base" mentioned by Byron. BE-
You'd the basilica, three marble columns OF
the temple OF Castor and Pollux are sui
standing and directly opposite are the ruiz s
Of the temple OF Julius Caesar D,iied, built
upon the spot where Antony delivered his
memorable Grafton end where C@sar's body
was burned. Al different points through
the forum the pavement Of the Via saera,
which descended from the Capitoline Hin
and passed on beneath the arch Of Titui