The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-04

JesuitS college, high on our left, and after spurring our weary donkeys and at the same time rolling and pitching about like little boats on a very rough sea we came to gate in a high wall, and as we passed through this we found ourselves in a grand avenue of expresses which led us quite long distance to the celebrated and world renowned Villa of Hadrian,"
 This villa, with it's adjacent grounds, covered a very large tract fully eight square miles. The villa was built about TAO A. D. by the rich and highly edu- cated Emperor Hadrian, who had trav- eled extensively in distant lands. It was marvel Of architecture and land- scape gardening, and to it's different parts he gave the names of celebrated Greek buildings and localities, That gifted monarch even represented Te.A4e and Tartarus in his extensive grounds. During the emperor's life time the villa and its surroundings made probably the grandest and most magnificent establishment in the Roman empire. After Hadrian had passed away, this gorgeous series of palaces and gardens fell gradually into decay, and when the Goths carved their desolating path through cities and forests to Rome, the villa was transformed into a gigantic fortress. For centuries afterward the whole place became a perfect stone quarry, and whole villages were actually constructed from material taken from the villa. Among the ruins of Han drian's Villa were found many precious works of art, and very many of the
 treasures of the Vatican and churches of Rome were unearthed in this lovely villa. This place was for over two cen turies a rich mine from which was taken an ineXhaustible series of splendid works of art. All is now silent, save the notes of the song birds in the trees, and spirit of sadness pervades the place, but the gorgeous views are the same as of old, and the Sabine and Alban hills loom grandly, just as they did in the days of Hadrian.
 'Tempus edax rerum' seems written all about us.
 "Time wrecks the proudest piles we
 raise,
 The towers, the domes, the temples fall, The fortress crunbles and decays"
 This villa was the home of the great
 est possible refinement, and where thou
 sands of Roman soldiers and retainers
 daily gathered about their emperor.
 Mould and decay reign triumphant, and
 loneliness hovers where the. glitter and
 pomp of imperial power held sway. We
 pass the ruins of beautiful Greek
 theater, where we notice the stone seats still remain. Passing through an ave-
 nue of expresses we come to the Poe cile," an immense structure built in imitation of the celebrated painted
 porch" of Athens. This was originally
 750 feet long and 3S0 feet broad. This
 magnificent building has entirely dis appeared save the great northern wall It consisted of an immense colonnade and it was lined inside and outside with
 the splendid red, white and yellow mar
 bles of Italy.
 In the center of this colonnade is an immense water basin, which formerly
 must have greatly added to the beauty of the place. Just below this there are
 one hundred vaulted chambers. These are in a good state of preservation. They were occupied by the Roman
 guards. At a later period they were the apartments of the slaves.
 A little further on we come to the
 great Hall of Philosophy" The inches are still to be seen in it's walls. This must have been one of the most attrac- tive buildings connected with the villa to judge from it's size and situation. From this we enter a circular building which is called the ''Natatorium," or swimming bath. It contains a large water basin and large artificial island with many columns. We ascend to a {! little hill covered with ruins, with great
 trees growing through the pavements. This is the library. The pavement is composed of beautiful mosaic work, and it must have been retreat of special i refinement The view of Tempe and the mountains is delightful in the ex- trene.
 As we proceed we pass through the Triclinium to the Doric Peristyle and reach rectangular court. Here were found most of those splendid mosaics which are to be seen in the Vatican. From this extend what is called the
 ''Oecus Corinthus," a beautiful hall of noble proportions having at each end a large semi-circular recess. Close by is the Basilica, with forty marble pill lars. There has been discovered here a beautiful marble floor. The empe- TOTS state apartments are situated in this quarter. One of these still contains an "exedra," indicating that here was l the throne room. Here is to be seen the Piazza d'Oro," or court, with a colonnade of nearly seventy columns,
 every alternate one being Oriental gran | ite and cipollino. The columns have long since disappeared, but their bases are still in their original position. The many valuable marbles which were
 found in this place during the excava- 1 tions of the last century gave the name
 Piazza d'Oro" to this beautiful spot. Then there are so many interesting
 places to be seen here that I fear an 1 account of them may weary my readers. My notes on the villa are very full in i their detail, but I can not develop them at this time.
 In this locality we find the "Stodima, D l or race course, and beyond is the
 "Cryptoporticus," which leads to se- ries of grand apartments, and still fur 1 ther on we behold the Valley of Cano- ! pus, which the emperor caused to be 1 cut out of the rock. Handrian visited Canopus in Egypt. It was named for | the steersnan of Menelaus, who died l there and a temple of Serapis was to be seen in the same city. So well pleased was the Roman emperor that he had | the whole place duplicated af his villa