The Irish standard., 1889-10-12
The Ang6lus at Rome.

The Ang6lus al Rome.
Among tie many striking impressions
which visit to the Eternal City pro-
duces upon the religious mind there is
one peculiarly beautiful aud enduring;
1t is that caused by the bells of Rome as
they ring out the evening Angelus or
Ave Maria, as the Italians love to call
this sweet prayer to the Queen of
Heaven.
Every day the sound of cannon,
fred from the Castle of st. Angelo, an
nounces the hour Of noon. At this sig
nal the bells of the city peal forth, IN
yitlng, as it we're, all the people to sus-
pend their ordinary awocations for a fe "
moments, and, forgetting the things of
earth, direcr their thoughts. to Heaven,
and invoke the inte1cession of her who is
the help, the consolation, the safeguard
of Christians. But especially beautiful
is the sound Of these bells at the evening
Apgelus. which is always rected at sum
set It will be readily seen that this
time varies according to the different
seasons of the year.
When the Ave Maria sounds, all labor
ceases, the streets are deserted. students
return to their colleges, monks to their
converts, the monasteries are closed, and
no one can gain admittance under any
pretext.
The Ave Maria is thus the most solemn
tune Of the day at Rome, it is also the
most impressive. There are three hun
dred aud seventy churches in the city,
and the sound Of their numerous bells,
forming a grand harmonious concert of
praise to the Queen of heaven and earth
is Of all music the most pleasing to the
ear, and the sweetest. most touching to
the heart of the devout listener. But
| this concert of harmonious voices. ever
beautiful, receives additional beauty and
grandeur when heard from the magnif
cent promenade of the ,Pinclo. or from
the Forum, or from the Appian Way.
When heard from the Pincio the ffecf
is grand and sublime, for the sounds
that predominant are those of the bells
of st. Peter and the largest churches of
Rome. From the Forum the impression
is more calm and soothing, and leads na-
turally to recollection and meditation;
for there one finds himself in the midst
of the ruins of ancient Rome--and the
sound Of bell, VIXEN heard amid RUNS,
saddens and depresses the heart. One
seated on the side Of the Capitollne Hill,
as the day draws to close, sees before
him Workmen returning from their day. 4
toll, monks. priests, and people of all
classes--ali blessing themselves and
prayilg 8 as the sound Of Mary's bell is
heard, The shadows grow deeper and
! deeper, and forms are mingled and con-
fused In the increasing darkness. Sud
denly all the bells burst forth in one
peal, and the monuments around seem
to receive, renew, and send forth again
The sound and proloug it's echoes. Soft
and sweet come those aerial voices from
churches and chapels built upon the
runs of the palaces of the C@ sars, or
upon the environments of the Coliseum,
haliowed centuries ago by the blood oi
the first martyrs.
tls at such moment that one realizes
the emptiness Of all things earthly, the
instability of all human institutions and
their grandeur. The power Of the
Caesars is broken; the trumpets of wal
no longer resound with their notes o
slaughter; the tiger ard the lion have
/ been changed BIZ mighty hand into ths
inoffsnsive lamb md now the swee
voices of bells, calling to prayer, ar,
/ heard through these ruins, lmposln,
still. but sombre and mute like SO man,
gigantic sepulchres. One glory alon,
remains, and one exalted far above al
the glories so dazzling in their spiendo
Of ancient times-the glory Of Mary, tb
! Virgin Mother Of God, who, through he
Il dlvinely communicated privilege of th
Immaculate Conception, has crushed th
/ head OF the serpent. and still continue
to destroy the work of his emissaries o.
earth.
i Some, poor foolish men who have q