The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1903-09-09
From Abroad.
SoScO0S000SNS0S0
LETTER No. XVIII.
ROME, March 30, 1908.

end now. In another hour / shall
be on the train for Naples and the
Kaiserine, and / feel that l am
nearly home again.
Probably the greatest man in the
world lives in Rome. His word is
law to more people, and more peo-
pile of high character and intellect
ual culture, than that of any four
sovereigns on earth. His life is one
OF toll, humility and devotion.
The ponderous burdens of empires
rest upon his venerable shoulders.
Thousands of great leaders in every
nation under heaven wait for his
formal and official utterance, and
to them it is infallible truth and
inviolable law. These utterances
are framed on Bonded knees before
the throne of Wisdom, where he
daily pleads for light, In humble
confession, too, he bows daily in
the presence Of the priest and asks
for forgiveness, pleading only the
merits of that precious blood in
which you trust for pardon.
Rome itself is great, modern
Rome, as well as ancient. The
tide of empire seems destined once
more to flow towards Rome.
Perhaps the Concert OF Europe"
will center here when the European
alliance shall try to determine the
destinIes of earth. This is one rea-
son l have for studying Rome.
Excepting a few details / have not
attempted to compass thoroughly
more than the distinguishing feat
ures. The first impression of the
grandeur aud artistic glory OF Rome
grows more vivid and splendid from
hour TO hour. Old historic Rome,
emerging under the spade of the
archeologist, keeps pace with new
Rome rising on ten hills and and in
every intervening valley, under the
command of the modern artist and
architect. A tour 1 made a day or
so ago in the footsteps of Paul will
interest you as much as anything 1
have done. Starting far out on the
old Appian Way, we find every
where along the way, hallowed by
the feet of the apostle to the Cen
tiles, monuments of Christian
triumphs. Myriads Of the best
men and women of earth to-day
throng this road to gaze prayerful-
ly upon the sacred places. Cata-
combs where ancient saints wor.
SHIPPED and died, and martyrs were
brought for burial, attract thous-
ands to their dark, subterranean
tombs, chambers and avenues.
Resting places of ordinary saints in
the face of the rock are marked by
common stone, but those of the
martyrs are distinguished by slabs
of white marble ornamented with
palm leaves of victory. When the
martyrs body was withheld, the
saints gathered from the arena or
street where the martyr fell, few
drops of his blood and deposited it
in niche in this subterranean GEM
etery. Passing on to the gate
through which Paul entered, l
found it walled up and another
opened near it, bearing the name of
the illustrious Christian martyr,
Sebastian.
The old Mamertine prison, a sort
Of cistern eXcavated in the solid
rock, is reverently kept as relic
of Paul. / then repaired to Nero's
bssilica on the Palatine hill and
stood awhile on the mosaic floor in
front of the tribunal where Nero
sat when Paul stood before him for
judgment, and followed his course
through the Ostian gate to the place
Of execution. The gate itself is
now called st. Paul, and every OBJ
jet on which the eyes of the great
apostle rested on his way to execu-
tion has become sacred memorial
to his memory. Around the tradi-
tional site of execution, rise mag