The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-03-18
EUROPEAN LETTER.
An Interesting Letter from Rome, in
Italy.

ROME, ITALY, March 1 This morning
/ went to the dome Of St. Peters, 1875 fee
high. was tired after that climb, ant
sat down and rested and drank in tn
beauty of that scene for a long time
On the west lay the dreary campagna
which is interesting historically no
physically. The soil looks poor. 1t he
had time to wear out hasn't it. during
4,000 years? The city outskirts are beltet
with pndulating hills. Farther on thes
wrinkles are smo0thed out. Still far
ther in the distance the sea may be seen
This roOl is 50 immense that familie
occupy houses built on top Of it. T,
tbs north lay the Janiculum Aventine
Capit0ine and Palatine hills. To tn,
east, the Pincian and the Quirinal, ant
in the distance the snow capped Albal
mountains. Just in front flowed the Ii
Der, separating the old densely bull
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. Peter S.
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
lagest palace in the world, the Vatican,
which is, indeed a small world in it
self, politically isolated, as is the Dis
trict of Columbia. On this territory,
sacred to the pope, no Italian soldier can
set foot refer, of course, to the palace
or Vatican gardens. From my height
| looked down upon his holiness private
grounds, beautifully laid out. Just be-
yOnd them is piece of woodland, which
looks as if it had been snatched bodily
from dense forest and set down here
so 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 medi-
tates 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. success
sor Of the Prince OF Apostles, p0ntifX Of
the Universal Church, patriarch Of the
West, primate of Italy, metropolitan
archbishop Of the province Of Rome,
sovereign Of the temporal dOminiOns Of
the holy Roman Church. Are you
out of breath? And yet he is good
man. lie cannot help his titles.
Coming down the stairs, counted
sixty-fonr marble slabs, which had been
inlaid in the wall, announcing that on
such date, such crowned head or roy
al parsonage had ascended to the dome
OF st. Peters This reminds me that one
OF the original stones of the wall of Rom
ulous which surrounded the old city of
Palatine Hill, is among the inlaid stones
in our Washington monument. Then
went down and around to the Vatican
library, where saw many relics from
the CatacOmbs, many invaluable il
Illuminated manuscripts, beautiful
stained glass, and many priceless treas
ures in the shape OF vases, ETC., which
have been presented to the different
POpes from the greatest persOnages and
from the farthest ends of the earth.
But what surprised me on tho street,
was African FRANCISCAN monk,
yesterday, under the shadow of thepri-
son, where his apostle namesake was
confined, | took Paul book and ball
and went to spend the afternoon in the
Forum Romanum. sat on the steps of
the Basilica Julia, and read while Paul
kicked his foot hall up and down the
lava flagstOnes of the sacred way. II
stones ever preach sermons, how elO-
quent are these? Presently the ball
rolled far off and fell into the ClOaco
Maxima. Then there was great anx-
iety until.I spoke to workman, who
got ladder and handed the ball up from
the sluggish water. The ladder was at
hand, or should have never taken steps
to recover the ball. We have just come
home and are tired. Yesterday, likewise
we spent the afternoon there, and the
two days preceding we enjoyed the
warm sunshine and the fine military
band on the green lawn of the Princian
hill. Here we almost always see the
King and queen taking drive. But
they are always in different carriages
and appear at different times. Thurs
day the king was driving a pair of spir-
1ted horses and yet took his hat off to
everybody who glanced toward him. A
kingly perOgatiye. 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 intended for it should
be distributed among the charitable in
stitutiOns 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 it
is too heart-sick for merry-making.