The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-13

interest
This hill which at the time of the re-
public teemed with sWarming thou
sands, is now as silent and deserted as
its grim neighbors, the Palatine and
IAventine, which seem to sit mourning
in their stately grandeur which he has
rendered their names famous through
out the world Near by was the Porta
Capena or Capuan gate, from which
the Via Appia, within the walls of
Rome, extends to the Porta st, Sebas-
tiano.
Many historic scenes We're connected
with this old Capuan gate. Close by it
stood the temples of Mars ana Hercu-
les; only their foundations remain; at
this gate Cicero was received in tri-
umph by the senate and people of
Rome when he returned from Danish
ment in 60 B. C. Not far away is seen
a reedy thicket where little stream
gurgles and gambols like little child
at play, and finally loses itself among
the tangled underbrush while the song
birds fly about and sing sweetly.
What pretty place is this? Let us stop
and rest In this sweet nook, for this is
remarkable locality, and such deli
cious retreats are not often to be found
near large cities.
Archaeologists have determined that
this is the true fountain of Egeria,
where Numa Pompilius nearly thirty
centuries ago resorted to meet the god
dess so mysteriously. 1t is indeed pos
sible that this sweet brook and these
smooth white stones and tangled wild
reeds together form one of the most
historic spots in historic Rome! Yes,
this is the very place and what an en-
chanting locality it is It's very name
has been classic for centuries.
Here didst thou dwell in this enchant-
ed cover;
Egeria! thy all heavenly bosom beat
ing
For the footsteps of thy mortal lover"
Resting here I fancy can see old
| Umbritius loading his wagon on his
| departure for Curnae, and tarrying
| here as he exclaimed 'the sun is set
| ting and my beasts summon me to
move on. The muleteer cracks his
whip and I must be going" so
| Umbritius journeyed on to Cunlae.
| We are now driving along the Via di
Porta San Sebastiano and far away to
the right we can see a large collection
of ruined arches; these are the famous
Baths of Caracalla, which with the
| temple, stadium and magnificent
ference, and formed one of the most
splendid establishments in the Roman
empire These are the most extensive
ruins, with theexception of the Collos-
Feum to be seen in Rome.
| At a future time hope to devote a
letter to the Thermae or Baths of an
Gent Rome, when | will give minute
description Of the Baths of Caracalla.
we shortly pass the interesting
church of St. Nerco ed Achilleo, little
later the very old church of st. Caesa-
REQ which was erected long before the
days of ST Gregory, or previous to
COCA. D.
| Near the church is a little octagonal
chapel built over the place where st.
John was thrown into cauldson of
boiling oil; he was miraculously pre-
served alive, however, and this little
old church marks the spot where the
miracle took place. We are now near
| ly outside the walls of Rome and on
our left we notice a door in a stone
wall which leads into the Tomb of the
Scipios; this is place of great inter-
est. From this series of tombs was
| taken the celebrated sarcophagus
which once contained the remains of
L. Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Consul
300 B. G. The bones We're found in 1880,
or nearly 2,1S0 years after his DEATH
| they We're carefully buried in Padua;
his comedian signet ring is now in the
possession of Lord b in England.
The grand old saroophagus is pre-
served in the Vatican; it is to be seen
in the third vestibule right next to the
Torso Belvidere. 1t is of simple yet
perfect proportions and from its beau
! tiful and unpretending simplicity it has
served as model for marble and gran
lite tembs in all quarters of the globe.
| 1 regret I have not the time to write
particularly concerning the last rest
| ing place of the noble family of Scipio.
1.-THE Scipio's tomb contains no ashes
now;
The very sepulchres lie tenantless
Of their heroic dwellers."
! In the vineyard near by these tombs
there were discovered forty years since
four Columbaria; these are most Inter
esting burial pits, like doVe-cotes, from
which they are named. I will allude to
these again before closing this letter,
| We are now just within the Porta st.
! Sebastiano, and we must stop mo-
ment beneath the famous arch of Dru-
sus, on the top of which is still to be
seen a portion of the aqueduct which
once conducted the water from the far
away Sabine Hills to the great Baths
| of Caracalla. This arch is magnifi-
cent work of great trapertine blocks,
and is quite as strong and enduring as
when built here in the year s A. d.
/ Drussus was the father of Germani
Gus and the Emperor Claudius, and
own brother of Tiberius.
! When the Apostle Paul, who was
shipwrecked and worn out by his long
/ voyage into Italy, came to Rome by
the Appian Way he Of course passed
beneath this arch
The sight of this great piece of an
Gent masonry made the account of st.
Paups journey to Rome as narrated in
the twenty-fourth chapter of Acts
seem very vivid to my mind. fancied
l could see Paul the aged after his long
journey meeting his friends who had
come out from Rome as far as April
Forum and the Three TaVerns; under
this same wide arch that devout little