The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-17

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| llsk in the centre make a. glorious pic
ttIre which one can never tire of admir-
ing.
The Piazza of st. Peters is an ellipst
enclosed by two eolonnades its length
is 1890 feet, the breadth is $50 feet. The
colonnades are in four series of col
umns, (there are three hundred of these,
and on the roof of the colonnades are
nearly two hundred statues. To con
struct these colonnades in 1867 cost nc
less than 100000. The beautiful pave
ment cost over 100000. Surely no tenn
pie of God in this world occupies such
a noble position as st. Peters, and the
approach, to 1t is like going UP to Tthe
very gates Of Paradise. v gv% "
was particularly impressed with'the
silent obelislc from the mysterious land
of enigmas; which stands in the centre
of the Piazza between the fountains.
This oheiislx. points far backward to
Plagiarism and darkness, while the Bas-
illca beyond is radiant with the wor-
ship of the true and liking Cod named
for one of the intimate followers of our
Lord, an obscure fisherman on a little
lake in Syria, to whom our Lord once
exclaimed, Thou art Peter and upon
this rock Will build my churchw The
obelisk stands for the darkness and
death Of the early ages. The church
is firm in defending the faith which
Christ died to preserve. This obelisl
is of red granite and was brought from
Heliopolis in Egypt by the Emperor
Caligula about the year 35 A. d. 1t is
thought by a careful estimate, that the
ship which brought 1t to Rome was at
least Of 1900 tons burden, and Pliny des-
cribes it as long as the left side of the
port Of Ostia; the length Of this gran
lite monolith is about "a feet, its weight
is 500 tons, it has no hieroglyphics upon
its sides, and this is true Of some other
obelisks Of Rome. This obelisk former
ly stood before the great temple of the
Sun God at Heliopolis, which was the
city of Gu mentioned in Genesis, where
1T is recorded that Joseph Married the
daughter of the priest of Gu" and no
doubt Joseph passed and repassed this
stone many times. Gu was a sacred
city not many miles from the capitol
city of Memphis, and doubtless this obe-
lisk was erected there centuries before
the days of Joseph, and to-day it looks
as fresh as when 1t first. came from the
quarry at Syene I once visited the
Matareeyeh, (aneient Ou) eight miles
from Cairo. All that is remaining is a
circular mound where the city walls
once stood, in the center is a swamp,
and standing In 1t is what / consider
the most glorious obellsk in the world
1t is completely covered with the cur
ious sacred writings Of forgotten race.
There 1t stands brooding in silence, a
Of the past glory OF GU Of the
Genesis, Probably this obelisk at ST.
Peters formerly stood at its side, and
the two were sister emblems for many
If 1t could only but speak,
It might tell us much of Egypt and
could describe to us the sack and burn
Ing of Rome, for 1t has been mute
witness of the glory of old Rome; IT,
has beheld the viessitudes which the
city has undergone during 1900 years.
Pope Sixtus V. in 1886 had it removed
10 its present position from the Vatican
Circus, where it had stood for more
han 1,500 years, and to re-erect it was
/ great undertaking; 800 men, $50 horses I
md 46 iron cranes assisted in its remov-
Il and erection. Upon itstapex is plac- :,
ID a cross which conveys a deal of sig 4
and every one of the dozen or
more obelisks in the city are slirmount-
d with the cross. Close by this square
vas the Circus of Nero, where 1t is said
hat st, Peter suffered nartyrdom, and
lere It was that Nero, that cruel lion"
turned unoffending Christians as they
we're wrapped in garments, soaked in
itch. These men were living torches
which illuminated the profigate en-
,eror's banquet, while he and his court
lie and drank from golden vessels
which had been brought from. far-off !
onquered nations. This gra nd yobelisk
il ALL 1t saw the rush of |
foths and Vandals the Huns and Sar-
Gems In their mad entry into the city, |
nd as the piIlage and sack endured, |
trough the smoke Of burning temples |
his monolith witnessed the dreadful |
Gene. OF, all the monuments of an |
lent Rome this Is the only one which
,as not overthrow. Around it's Ceas-
r Borgia, son Of Pope Alexander VI. In
he Jubilee of 1900 set up bull ring
nd with his own hand slew six bulls.
7 first saw this obelisk at noon in the
right sunshine and the red granite
airly glistened in the rays of the sun.
was surprised to see no hieroglyphics |
pom its surface, but did see what 1
hall never forget, something which
lade a deep impression upon my mind.
/ was an inscription in Latin, placed
here by order of Pope Sixtus ", of
hitch the following is the translation.
Christ conduers,