The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-08-26
PROHIBITION TACTICS.
NJ W Mail o,d Ex,oracC
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.


Every stone on the Palatine Hill would Of
fer to the greedy eyes of the delivers in archa
ology and legendary lore untold pages of
thrilling tales, could only some magician in
philology arise who might discover in the
scratches and the footprints of time i'm
pressed upon them a written language. 1t is
surprising that so much has been accom-
plished in this direction by the patient
matching of co-parts, comparing of dates and
forms, and the sitting the true from the false
testimony of prejudiced writers. These sue
cesses never satisfy, but only create visions
in the dreams of the students of still greater
victories, and lead them on with fresh vlgor
to pursue their searchings into the misty
records of the past. Each tourist entertains
a secret, faint hope of coming in just at the
nick of time when some great find is brought
to the light of day. You feel impatient over
the time-serving oyerseerS and eye servants
who throw out a handful of dirt and rest on
their spades to smoke 1t has not in all
cases been easy to make the teachings of the
unwritten stones agree with the accounts of
ancient writers, and until lately there have
been some sharply disputed points The old
foundations of Roma Quadrata, the city in
which Romulus set up his primitive throne,
have recently been verified. While we were
scaling the walls and marking out with our
own footsteps the identical path over which
he drove his milk-white COW and bull yoked
together to plough the line of the city, the
workmen reached the landing of the Porta
Romano, alluded to by writers as lending in
square," We stood upon this square,
where the flights of stairs ascend on three
sides, and the fourth is the wall itself of the
city. This is great delight to some topo-
graphical students, who made lucky hit in
their theory as to the positions of the gates
and walls. We went down the narrow gate
way of Porta Carmenta where Evander re-
ceived Kneas and escorted him to the tenn
pie, piece of whose walls still exist, in
which his mother, Carmenta, offered appro-
pirate sacrifices. Here has been unearthed
large stone, the inscription upon which
might have raised many queries and unwar-
ranted theories had not tale in an ancient
book deciphered its meaning Like the altar
the Athenians consecrated to the unknown
god, this is dedicated to either a god or god
dess. 1t stands on the Palatine to substan-
tiate the truth of story which in old times
had been regarded as mere myth. At one
time soldier went in great terror to the au-
thorities to inform them that voice from
the heavens had warned him of approaching
danger to the city. No heed was given to
the alarm; but in few days an enemy APP
peared and would have vanquished the army,
but for an apparent interposition of divine
power in their behalf. After the miraculous
preservation from defeat the soldiers eau
ton was remembered, and he was sent for
and questioned, that they might know to
what particular divinity they were indebted
for their deliverance. He could not tell
whether it was male or female voice. which
spoke to- him, but pointed out the exact spot;
and here was founded the altar, with the
comprehensive inscription, at which no one
of their deities could take offence.
The ruins Of the imperial palaces are piled
one upon another, as the later emperors
fitted in the cavities of earlier ruins and
built their homes on higher level AS
many spots of earth were consecrated to
their gods, the emperors would not violate
the holy vows by putting secular buildings
upon them, and often dedicated the upper
buildings to the same purpose. In this way
Domitian located his private palace and state
buildings over the debris of Nero's Basilica,
which was the only judgment hall in Rome
in Nero's reign AS we know Paul must
have stood in Caesars judgment hall to meet
the charges of his enemies, it is no stretch of
credulity to think that underneath the floor
of Domitian's Basilica, on which we walked
and from which we looked out upon the
whole grandeur of Rome, the debris might
be cleared away to the very spot where Paul
would calmly face the court and give the
reasons of the hope within his heart, that
justified his stirring up seditions" among
the people. We can fancy Paul standing on
the prisoners stone near the door, surround
ed by mob of Infatuated Romans, who re-
garded him as the incendiary of their homes
and the ringleader in rebellion against
their time-honored rites. The judge was
seated in the tribunal at the end of the hall,
which correspondent to the bishops throne
in the Romish church; between him and
Paul, in the place of the present communion
table, was statue of Apollo The witnesses
would occupy the aisles on either side, at the
door was a basin of water in which the judge
washed his hands to typify his cleansing his
mind from all prejudice; this afterwards
yielded its place to basin of holy water; in
deed, the analogy of the whole arrangement
and of the ceremonies, to those of the Rom
ish church of today is quite remarkable, and
forms connecting link where the early &C.
clesiastical powers grated slightly altered |
forms on old pagan customs.
If we had attempted to see the five hundred |
churches of Rome we would not bore our
friends with descriptions of the details. We |
went first to Ara Coeli which we shall ney-
er see again, since the day of its doom is
liked New Italy is fast tearing away the
behind it to make room for an inn
posing monument to Victor Emmanuel. 1t
must give way as it would hide
The view of this statue from the
citizens dwelling in the more modern
parts OF the city. Except for its quaintness
md antiquity it is worthless. 1t is filled
With queer pictures and mosaicS; the stone
ioor is worn into waves by the tread of the
the draperies are faded and
altered, and the whole place has an air of
'qualor We strayed by chance into chap
Il with devout traveller, who had made a
pilgrimage to see the 'Bambrino. After
he had exchanged a few words with the
'riest he opened his treasure box and lifted
Up doll, about foot and half tall,
in cheap inery, as the italian nurses
Wathe their babies, and bedecked with Jew
lis. 1t had fat, round face and clever
dutch look, and wore a crown. The LADY
melt, kissed the little image tenderly, made
n offering to the father and retired. The
Id friar beckoned to us, and we could not IN
ourtesy refuse to look upon his image OF his
nfant Lord, nor to purchase the proffered !