Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-03-27
IN FOREIGN LANDS.
A View From the Dome of st.
Peters Cathedral.
Correspondence Of the STANDARD.

st Peters, 435 feet high. l WAS tiret
after that climb, and sat down anC
drank in the beauty of that scope foI
a long time. On the west lay the
dreary campagna, which is interesting
historically - not physically. The
soil looks poor. 1t has had time te
wear out, hasn't it, during 4 900 years
The city outskirts are belted with un'
dulating hills. Farther on, these
wrinkles are smoothed out. Still far.
ther, in the distance, the sea can be
seen. This roof is so immense that
families occupy houses built on top ol
it. To the north lay the Janiculum
Aventina, Capitoline and Paletine
Hills. To the east, the Pincian and
Quirinal, and in the distance the
snow-capped Alban mountains. Just
in front flowed the Tiber, separating
the old, densely-built section of the
city from the more open, newer part.
1t turns sharply at right angles soon
after it passes the Castle OF st. Angelo,
getting out of the way of the slope
which rises gradually to St. Peters.
To the south lay great campus, on
which counted twenty companies OF
soldiers going through their daily
drill. Adjoining the church on this
side, is the largest palace in the world,
the Vatican, which is, indeed, small
world in itself, politically isolated, as
is the District OF Colombia. On this
territory, sacred to the Pope, no Ital-
ian soldier can set foot; refer of
course, to the palace of Vatican gar
dens. From my height, l looked
down on his holiness private grounds,
beautifully laid out. Just beyond
them is q piece of woodland which
looks as if it had been snatched bodily
from dense forest and set down here
80 wild and uncultivated is it. Here,
we imagine, His Holiness takes refuge
on hot summer evenings; and with
the trees as sentinels, he walks and
meditates on how he can regain the
power he will never know. He has
enough titles to be at the head OF the
universe. Here they are: Vicar OF
Jesus Christ. Successor of the Prince
of the Apostles, Pontifex of the Uni
versal Church, Patriarch OF the West,
Primate OF Italy, Metropolitan Arch
bishop of the Province OF Rome,
Sovereign OF the Temporal Dominions
OF the Holy Roman Church. Are you
ont of breath? And yet he is good
man. He cannot help his titles.
Coming down the stairs, counted
Ga marble slabs, which had been in.
laid in the wall, announcing that on
such date, such a crowned head or
royal parsonage had ascended the
dome of st. Peters. This reminds
me that one of the original stones OF
the wall OF Romulus, which surrounded
the old city on the Palatine Hill, is
among the inlaid stones in our Wash.
ington monument. Then l went
down and around to the Vactican
library, where / saw many relics from
the Catacombs, many invaluable il.
Illuminated manuscripts, beautiful
stained-glass, and many priceless
treasures in the shape of vases, etc.,
which had been presented to the diff
ferent Popes from the greatest per-
sonages, and from the farthest ends
of the earth. But what surprised me
on the street, was an African Francis
can monk.
Yesterday, un der the shadow of the
prison where his Apostolic namesake
was confined. / took Paul, book
and ball, and went to the Basilica
Julia and read, while Paul kicked his
football up and down the lava flag.
stones of the Sacred Way. If stones
ever preach sermons, how elegant are
these!
We have just come home and are
tired. Yesterday, likewise, we spent
the afternoon there, and the two days
preceding we enjoyed the warm sun
shine and the fine military band on
the green lawns of the Pincian Hill.
Here We almost always see the King
and Queen taking drive. But they
are always in different carriages, and
appear at different times. Thursday
the King was driving pair of spirited
horses, and yet took off his hat to
everybody who glanced toward him.
A kingly prerogative! As the hill
was swarming with people he had his
hands full.
The Court ball was given up last
week on account OF the war. The
King won appreciation by ordering
that the funds which had been in.
tended for it should be distributed
among the charitable institutions OF
the city. On account of the war there
is to be no carnival this year. and no
wonder: for Italy is holding her
breath in the greatest suspense, and is
! too heart-sick for merry-making. The
Tribunal, one OF the leading papers,
has its Office very near us and each
evening, coming from dinner, We pass
through great crowd of men, boys
and wagons, all waiting to carry the