The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-08
THE VATICAN GARDENS.
Some Populsr Delusions Dispelied by a
Personal Visit.

bis hour of exercise like other prisoners,
in fine weather and we constantly see
illusions to the melancholy functions in
the newspapers But very few of us,
says the London Standard, know any
thing more about the gardens. The
public ilnagines a fair llaisarce, no
doubt, after the style called Italian, with
broad walks and trim strawberries, foun-
tains and statues and orange trees in
tubs at due intervals among rectangular
parterres. In that scene the whits-robed
figure of his Holiness promsnading slow
ly, n scarlet cardinal on one hand and q
purple bishop ON the other, followed dis
oreetIy by group of priests and monks,
with harlequin guard nf Switzers in
the rear, makes seductive picture. Such
was our own fancy; but we conceived
taking deep interest in things horticul-
tural-that the gardens OF the Vatican
must have another charm. Confined to
such narrow bounds for the amusements
of country life, the Pope must surely al
low himself the innocent delight of col
Letting rare flowers and shrubs; and no
human being has such opportunities.
At Rome therefore, we diligently in
quired what steps were necessary to OBJ
tain admittance to the gardens. The
question seemed to be unusual. Visit
ors take 1t for granted, perhaps, that
some very special permission is needed,
as in the case of the Pope's residential
quarters. and despair. We were coun
selled finally to address some superior
attendant at the Vatican in judicious
sort of way, which is "Murray's" advice.
Bot in fact there is not the smallest diff
Guilty. A special license is required. in
truth, but parsonage who calls himself
the chief guide always keeps stock Of
them on hand, and one of his subordin-
ates may be found without trouble in
the neigh borhood of the grille opening
from the basement of the sculpture gal
tories upon the grounds. Only, as we
were told, they are forbidden to offer
their sery ices unsolicited.
Novem Der is not month for surveying
gardens, but the expert finds a Thousand
things to interest him in such oollec-
GlOu DIS Uuho VIC llOHOaA W Sou VAOuRA
flowers BIZ all absent. From the grille
stretches q handsome terrace, bordered
on the right by a fine hedge Of arbutus,
on the left by a sunken garden set with
aloes and yuccas and orange trees on Pc
destals almost as thick as they can stand
IA curious effect. The terrace ends in
denss shrubbery, untrimmed since it
was planted overhung by tall trees.
Here the guide summoned US to admire
two red macaw anda blue one in cage
he called them "cockatoos. Ellis
Holiness is very fond of animals" said
he Beyond, in the same melancholy
copse, lay brioked court, sunk twenty
feet or so below the level. occupied by
half dozen wTetched nloufflons. The
poor creatures would scarcely see the sun
at midsummer. Not a green thing
sprouted on the black and fetid earth
which they were searching, apparently,
for acorns, thrown broadcast from above.
Mouffions rank among the lest friendly
of animals; but these poor things stood
still, looking up TO rs, as we thought.
with d hopeless appeal for human SYM
pathy. 1t was pitiful. +.
"Does his Holiness, who loves ami
mails, often pay these a visit?" we asked.
Never, - said the guide. 81 will show
you the Holy Eather's promenade-al-
ways the same" We emerged from the
dismal shruhbery at the foot of a broad
walk rising gently between row of
young plane trpes and very high bank.
The road was swept. but that high bank
had never received attention from human
hands apparently. A model of untidi-
ness it presented, with long grass and
weeds thin and draggled. beaten fat by
rain, and heaps of leaves rotting rs they
lay. Upon the other hand we're spindly
plane trees with olumps of Italian reed
here and there. evidently self sown.
L. IL; E1er, rror fyo.,r
we exclaimed involuntarily. Of course
he does--an indefinite number; no
answer was required. But they would
not hold the situation long among here
tics Behind the row of plane trees
stands a wall, low, cased with yellow
stucoo, pierced with embrasures. The
guide called attention to one of them.
cannon which put the Saracens to
fight when they had occupied Rome. :"
We surveyed with deep interest spot
where gunpowder had been used in the
middle of the Tenth century.
But this Ia the Pope's Walk, some 200
yards long. In summer 1T is shaded by
the lofty bank for most part of the day,
evening, But what a CONTRAST to the
scene we had imaRined Doubtless the
gardeners "tidy up'' when theiE masters
visits begin cut the grass and clear out
the weeds, perhaps; but TO the eye of ex-
perience it is plain that the surroundings
must always be more or less unsightly-
the wild charm of nature being broken,
and that of art ignored. When we call
/ 1T the Pope's Walk, however. that is u
figure Of speech. His Holiness, unfortu-
nately, can no longer take exercise afoot.
He is carrisd up and down at gentle
pace in chair called tho Sedia Portan-
| tina, not shoulder-high, but at arms
length. And the array of scarlet and
purple dignitaries, we learr, is as fanci-
| fuI as the stately garden We had pic
tured. Only few of his household
priests and physician accompany Leo
XIII, when he takes exercise. Further
on we see the vineyard, covering, per-
haps, an scre No other wine does the
Pope consume, but our guide. tells US
that it is the worst in Italy-he had often
tasted it, and he spoke with warm con-
| viction.
Many, many hundreds of yards We
wander, always in sloppy, unkempt
strawberries or lawns as rough and rank
as water meadows in England. Deer are
shown to US. Two melancholy ostriohes
ard responding pelican occupy an en-
closure. His Holiness has mild pas-
nc