The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-11

Jan look down upon all the wreck that
time has wrought. with pillars. arches,
columns. and steps OF stone. You VIII see
tlat all are covered with weeds and
grasses. and festooned with crcepers and
flowers wall-noWers. anc moncs, terms,
etc.-tho insepcrablc drapery OF mourn
Ing. tenaciously Clineng TO the nome or
the dead trying ~ shade me lack-lu5tre
cheeks and binding up the chin that
hangs 50 loose: with these last. sad acts
OF charity. these mourning weeds ana
flowers viii over keep green past that
Is dead dead. dead they VIII entWine
themselves ia and about this olden relic.
supporting 90 all they can. ana only lal-
ing when II shall fall
The Colosseum impresses a stranger
who looks upon 10 for the first time. not
only with the grandeur OF its proper
tions. tine remarkable state or its proser-
walton and an rs present existence as
stern. grand. tangible reality but also
with &c antiquity OF IT'S strange ana va
rfol history. all those scenes and assocl-
afionq SO judissOlubly connected with.
and illustrating the ways and times OF ora
Rome. II was founded I'm that fierce
age OF larharism CIVILIZED harbarlsiil.
IL was a conception that sprang from the
restless. cruel brain OF war-Nke race
whose sources Of amusement ana ifciea-
ton when not warning abroad, niiuial-
~ sought sports ar home mat were hiood-
thirsty and exciting. and conducted on
a Grand scale receiving the fun encOur-
ag,mcnt and hearty approval or an JUS
poople. the prOuicst. the best in an the
land. warriors and statesmen, patricians
and picheians. men. women ana emil
lron We can tax our Imagination 10
picture that immense tnrOng, assembled
for the first time within its mighty walls,
awaiting the bloody drama 10 Zoe enacted
iu it's famous arena. 10 is recorded as
having been inaugurate1 by games NncA
lasted a hundred days. and in which
many thousand wild beasts and many
hundred gladiatOrs were killed. and for
hundreds of years that followed. this
terrible inauguration served as the gen
crai type. showing the nature and char
actor OF the many exhibitions thar innu-
fncraIle festival occasions had Witnessed
in that gOre-stained arena, whore man
and beast had yielded up all the vital
current which flowed through heart and
vein.
Wild nrAsrs AND GLADIAToHs
AS many as ten thousand gladiators
fought boz the arena az IraJan's triumph.
and Titus gave wild-beast fight OF five
thousand in one day. besides sca-ileht
i1 which three thousand men exhibited.
10 could Doe flooded for boats al the Naval
fights. And now after the lapse Of so
many hundred years Of sunshine and
storm. 10 is still a grand and mighty old
ruin. apparently defying all the dislptc-
grading elements of time fully deter
mined 10 stand while Rome stands, and
only falling when the world falls.
Such stupendOus structure was well
suited for the period ID which u Hour
isheI, nor less had hei4 Imperial rome
and her attendant realm. when drunk
with power she ruled fierce delight"
e-~ycs. / have passed hours in that aged
ana cruel aroma sad place Of sights and
se eog, sn5 ana n,,re 5pS gentls
moonlight was brightly. glOrlOusly
Ell ti5 IA ,,ina",.9 .bro,,,.h ,,a,,
,.. i'" fs s.ara,i',, ,ss,
e,1-ore b,- ,--o,4 loi.,r,re ,1G o., NJ
lars. and over that tan. massive wall as
it had done for eighteen centuries.
a., ..,,..o .,.,, 10 coon IL in the nioon-
-" 49,
Kvai<ed about IL sat within II. all the
'.NH,t go
~, eo~i,c r,+ rovariro- all IFS
'7'
So. g.. t-,.... ...t,os ,.aile md col
'''e''''
.Hiii7' ,,, 81
''i
e.rio'is ,,,itb tho WEIGHT Of ages hoa--y
WIN "a history cruei even COR,
49, ~, 4 t...u .,,.i ..,.,-.,.~s
Nm .ioo' ,,, i,,o,.,,,.t,,r ,ooi,
I"l '' ~ ~ ,
i"Ss, as io9N'u rtom 'a,a 'l.,''l '.'' -
"il.N47' .i..N ny .nl, anu 49,.
'i7l am ~. 10 Gnu wy. Vs. 49, ~, -
"'' "' 800 SS ~ ,
+-l..'7 ~ ~ w.. -. 80 C,,i,,
ranks OF hrl iohs ut l'hlhll lIaih. tllS
inlnh OF lhe most oI liohsnls anu -
lhtS, moro Sti lhtl "lncI Nl9e' hdluidliN
yelling up I'D NINA ana htaIl as you
, stand ln lhal memorable arena ana look
ihin-
Those gloomy CaVerns. whence out
rushed
fofOre the innumerahle shouting crowd,
The ncry maldtnd tyrdnts OF the
Wllls.
lions and tigers wolves and elephants.
And desperate men more fell"
On ,,,eros,c ,xrsnrer
mere is "a vast quahu'y on history &C.
clmulated in and about TINS wonderful,
si-dui'' asel rene; III one prominent
pace We HolctI tht once ldlh"Na S'4-
tence 'Senatus fopulusque komanD rep
,..,i,. bii ,.',i,e corocoiei I'm, I'm M,
mon sight by creeping vines and wall
flowers growing over them. this reminded
us Of several noted ola objects on which
we had previously sect these cahalistic
words once so iuscneraliv connected with
the power and greatness of Rome Yes,
talisinanic characters. these same IS H.
o. r." SO often braySs borne aloft alike
iu war and peace with the bronze wolf.
the laurellel faces. the golden eagles.
proudly dcfautly carried amid an the
fierce clash of arms. the ruidv tide OF
battle. fully sharing in an the victories
and triumphs OF Roman valor To-day
they are comparatively meaningless. rep
Iescntiug neither Senate nor Roman peO-
pie. We only see them on the decaying
monuments. the venerable arches. the
tottering ruins of the past once signlh-
cant words. potent with meaning. con-
spicuously Inscribed on everything tnat
was Truly Roman Now almost as myth