New-York tribune., 1905-11-19


that ! do not wonder why Ameri-
cans 60 to the Eternal City, many ~ = s
# them knowing little or nothing 10y ~
If art and history. little moth
ing Of the associations connected
with the scenes they hurry through at express
speed. Sarely If the. would read up little,
he It never 50 supericialiy they would immensely
heglt-n the pleasure of their experience As 1t is,
-lev DO certainly furnish vast entertainment to the
various nationalties who flock to and fro at all
seasons IN Rome.
Episodes. anecdotes and incidents connected with
HE cQmicl blunders and "howlers' pcrpetrated
.E ~elr-ying American tourists in Rome are as
common fountains IN the city. The statues par
u-ulrly. both classical and Christian have puzzled
-r-uE traveller ever since the daV when Z man from
Chicago inquired about the equestrian statues of
to1stlntine and Charlemagne under the portico
# ST Peters
Ii: cpmpanion. pitying his ignorance. glanced
lit the st4tueS and said: Why, they're St. Peter
and ST Paul, of course 3; whereupon the other
ohstiaatclv remarked: l thought St Paul glve
up riding after his little accident on the Damascus
road
IN American woman of considerable prominence
in pttsourg- Is really not tdr to give names-one
evening announced at dinner At tie Grand Hotel
that she had been visiting the museum in the Villa
B1rglcse G. Bur-gecze' she called it,, and being
asked what she had most admired IN that world
renowned and most precious collection replied
uahc5itatiagly: Oh, gucas Rampolla and Daph-
re OF course she meant Bcrnini's exquisite
masterpiece OF Daphne flying from Apollo
NE of the American colony always get these
delightful stories rctailcd to US; and we thought
On this occasion how the majestic Cardinal at that
time Papal Secretary of State would have rclished
icing confounded with the anorous deity-ci 10 sd2
TO give personal experience of my own, | remem-
Der Countrywoman OF mine coming up to me in the
s--ne museum pointing out the group OF Leda
4 he and haCu
t. inform her Who IS the lady with the pet
lird:"
But surely the record ''howler' is the woman from
New-Yorll (why are these blunderers so often of
my scNJ who glanced at the famous Bronze Wolf
Of the Capitol, and noting Romulus and Remus,
remarked delightedly to a companion: Oh, how
cute, Just look at Romeo and Juliet having their
breakfast"
This reminds me of another delightful man who,
asked IN public what was his favorite among the
Roman sculptures, replied: Well, | reckon the
Farmacy Bull Che meant of course the Farnese-
which happens to be at Naples: the Diving Golfer
and the Apollo with the Beveled Ear
good dame went into Alinari Photographic
shop ON the Corso and asked TO see a photograph
OF certain group the Vatican Sculpture Gallery,
representing the New Testament text Suffer Little
Children to Come Unto Ne" The courteous Signor
Ahnarl replied somewhat doubtfully that he feared
he dld just remember that particular group but
when he produced book OF photographs of the
statues IN the gallery the woman promptly picked
out the great antique group OF The Nile and Its
Tributaries
Every visitor to Rome IS familiar with this great
allcgorlcal group, in which the colossal river is
represented by a patriarchal figure half lying,
hall sitting, with crowd Of infants at play upon its
huge body.
Naturally the Forum and the Pa1atine visitors
Yield plentiful crop of amazing blunders, and the