The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-11-22

a. passed the grim gates ffvm shich my
ancestors held The road az far a. the river,
and almost held Rome itself
Az we went past the Island, ] did not
even raise my head 10 see the Theater OF
Marcellus. within which lay another and
the oldest Of our family houses. having come
TO US through Pierleone towards the close
Of the eleventh century.
Jacopo was for going straight on past the
monastery Of the Aracoeli, on the Captoli
but, unluckily, discovered that my horse
had cast a shoe, aud this was q matter not
10 be neglected. SO we turned 10 the right
and entered the Campo Vaccine, formerly
the Forum Of Rome. II being now sunset,
hire were collected hundreds OF oxen and
bufIaloes, and from the height Of Monte
Caprino we could hear the bleating Of the
herds Of goats which we're pasturcd there
on, and the tinkling OF their bells as they
moved slowly down towards their shelter
for the night A hundred fires were blazing
cheerfully, and served TO disslpate the blue
vapor which began TO hang over the place
Round these fires were groups Of people,
mostly countrymen, who seemed in the best
Of spirits, a. they listened 10 songs, or
watched numbers Of their party, who danced
merrily 20 the tune OF pipe. Hard by were
a number Of sheds. used by mechanics, and
the blaze, which showed a forge in work.
soon attracting our attention, We made
there at once, and had the horse attended to.
Whilst the smith was beating out shoe,
I sat down on a rough bench, my horse be
ing fastened TO a wooden post, and Jacopo
holding his nag by the bride paced up and
down, occasionally stamping his feet on the
ground 10 free them, as he said, from the
ants. In other words, be was suffering
slightly from cramp. To my right was
large crowd, evidently enjoying a show Of
jugglery, and from their cries OF wonder
ment and pleasure they seemed 20 be hay'
ing their moneys worth. So | rose and el-
bowed my way TO a good place, unfortunate
" only In time TO see the end OF the adair.
The juggler was ROBBED in q doctors gown,
and after performing a trick he distributed
nostrums for various ailments, free Of pay
ment. Imagine my surprise IN recognizing
in him no other than Mathew Corte; and a.
I came up he placed tAmbourine in his lit
tie dogs mouth, and babe him carry u
round for subscriptions. Coppsrs were free
~ flung in, and as the little animal stopped
before me dropped in a form and stoopea
10 pat its head As rose | csught Corte's
eye, and saw he knew me, but az he made
no sign stayed quiet. Collecting his money,
the doctor bowed his thanks aud began
packing up the instruments Of his trade.
went back to my seat and watched the smith
at work on ms horse. thinking that Corts
must have somehow come into funds.
by this time the blacksmith had completed
his task, and we DELAYED no longer, but went
of at once. II was fortunate that JAeopo
knew Ror1e as he did, or we might have been
hopelessly lost in the labyrinth Of streets.
some Of them In total ruin, some Of them
entirely uninhabited. for at the time %
hideous was the misgovernment Of the city
that all who could do 30 had fed from
Rome, and those who remained could not
have exceeded 5000 in number. Of whom
at least 10000. men and women. were beings
who had lost all claim TO the respect OF man
kind. and were capable Of almost any crime.
These are hard words. but true. nor, indeed.
have j ever seen place where all that vas
bad was 30 shamelessly exposed as IN Rome
when Roderigo BorgiA was pope. At length
we reached the Strangers Quarters, but
Jacopo's hostel was not to be found, and,
after searching for il in vain, we were con
tent 10 pull up before the door Of a small inn
built on the lower slope Of Monte Pincio.
barely bow-shot from $. Trinita dc Monte.
the church erected by Charles Of France In
1895, and little beyond the convent Of the
Danes du Sacre Occur. i cannot say that
the hostel was an inviting looking place; In
fact, II was little better than one Of the com.
mon osterie or wineshops with which Roms
abounded; but il was too late 20 pick and
choose, and for the night, at least, deter.
mined Ia etav here Our frNt duty was q