New-York tribune., 1906-11-10
p.osessor Lancianfs Book o" the
Renaissance in Rome.

th.iv thati q Illustrated svo, ID. xii $40 fa0usH-
y Nifiin s. Co.
lessor Ianciani is en- aAu@0N -.
is an arch@olog1st out NOT
rPos,.s Of ola Rome not oniy as
he ons whose love for the his'0i4e
pa1 =, he city embraces the pasea.' "
ns Y,s for which they have maze H'e
nA !, ether centuries II has peeh st'4N
eroun0 = s.rv ,,telIeotusl and emotional excite
there a'e - ..---,.rahie 20 those which the ex-
nsnts GU -, IN. soil is turned UP before
csvSA" -. sncient site and treasures OF ar
hn % ,,,,verirs Of q past CIVILIZATION meet
or 0'-, o,tsr having been hidden from men I0i
lis e'-, -,.o..sso- I.anciani has known TINS eh-
ages ,s ss en- adept at communicating 10
perslOss, ,bs thrill that It has given him AlI
his fe.,.s whether IN the earth or among
his ,,,,r,ents OF in old libraries nave
tan1l-o- %, .ov keener and more warmly hu-
eFe" that which falls TO the lot OF tle
Hsn - -,,ss.orlal archeolog1st, and thus tle
rs'e-s ,,olrr,a. which is full Of the fruits OF
eru5iron, is a-9O
genera -, % make vivid and actual all those
~ ,-btch mark the transition OF hoIne from
80 ssr.-,ss,lon and sQualor OF the Middle Ages
majestic splendors Of the Renaissance
- with a reminder Of one OF the most
- Facts n the history OF the city. ano
sH'A--s O. .bA wear 1877, Pope Gregory 1I, re-
- Ro-ne the seat OF the supreme pontih-
sO''- a ,-b,ob she had been deprived for the
-. ~ seventy-two Years-there were mol
s nan seventeen thousand people living II
-ut,ops waste within the old walls OF Aure-
The author gives US a startling sense OF
- 5avs upon which Rome had fallen, ana
-. ,r,r7ense amount OF work that had 10 DC
hs,ore her old gIories could be even faintiy
- The mere return OF the papacy meant
%, increase Of civic prestige, but pubic
e. ,A,essarily moved but slowly. Plague
~.-.,,A we're wont 70 complete disasters in
~,--s+sa by The mischievous hand OF man
= as-aar+h century was well under way when
30 Martin found Rome n such state OF
s-ss.stion that II could hardly be considered
.,-v fl for human habitarion; whole rows OF
boysss abandoned by their tenants many
.sr-.,As fallen 10 the ground. streets deserted
sn6 buried under heaps Of refuse. FroIessor
ro,rssr, tells how antique edihces, so far from
bsnr honored as historic monuments. were
ss,zed upon for the humblest purposes. The
butchers set up their shops IN the forum OF
vsrvs and in he theatre OF Maroellus. The
Romans bought their fish IN the portico Of oc-
tsr1a. the tanners were 10 be found in the
pled their craft IN the baths Of Agrippa. As
time went on matters were improved according
es the occupants Of St Peters chair were born
with the right temperament or not. and fortu-
nstely for posterity. most Of the Popes gave
themselves with pride ana energy to the restora-
ton Of the city. Nicholas V, a noble type Of
Italian humsnisn, achieved more Improvements
than we can pause 10 summarize Churches,
palaces, bridges and streets. ali received stten-
ton st his hands, and as We read Professor
IAncanrs brief tribute we feel the full force Of
Mannsttfs saying on the death OF the Pope, IF
the Irnnortals could shed tears over the fate
Of the mortals. surely the sacred Muses. ana the
divine Csmoenae would mourn over the loss OF
our Nicholas"
To siKtus II, Professor Lanciani gives the
tile n "the Haussmarn Of the fifteenth cen
rrry" To him We owe not only salient things
vel known 70 every one, like the Sisttne Chapel
ard the Vatican Library, but countless recon
strucrons an5 improvements bearing upon wfat
We may call the whole broad fabric Of the city.
Professor Lancaui is always careful to give due
Il prominence TO matters lying aside from the
beaten track When speaking OF Sixtus he has
occasion 10 sllude to san Cosimato Fl the Tras-
tsvere, and gives 9or the first time reproduction
q little known and very beautiful fresco at
e.
&c We have Indicated Il is not art alone that
his author puysues. He never tires Of bringing
IN old customs the little odds and ends of his
torical research that CO so much TO throw light
cs0n the life Of the past Speaking Of the pub
&c market which once occupied the space
stretching down from the Capitoline Hill into
ts plain, he says:
o. TIE boundary lines Of the market there were
-asbe tables for the exhibition OF wares and
store which was put 70 strange Use. debtor
s,rsLeo So Leo ialed 70 fulfl MS engagements was
s E3asy ieneer ana thumped thrice on that stone.
lei 80 !. repeat each time the formula Paga-
~ 1.s22eyed orders on taken unfair advantage OF
r. - s9s-aoa Vas condemned TO sit astride OF the
,-i.- -oa et TIE foot Of the steps, with paper
syD, y. nls mead on which the words 'mandati
-5.saaegt -55. va face 5esneaTed with honey and
lasted 'e' 0sa'nd his back as long as the market
4''i's mas ever been cruel city, cruel even 10
rs own. The sports Of the fifteenth century
we're perious and usually wound up with acci-
esnN painful not only 70 the participants in
mem out 10 the spectators. Professor Lanciani
O7ScIi0es the humiliation put upon the Jews at
laill'sl tine. Disguised in fantastic costumes
~ We're compelled TO run for the pdIlio, driven
o- " the yells and insults Of the heartless
'tO"c' ana whenever they slackened speed from
s-eer fatigue or In protest against the persecu-
1- ney were hurried on by mounted soldiers
ta'oIlng behind them" After while the Jews
we're condemned 10 even severer hardship They
loFoed to eat heartily before the race, and
- --- ieast one carnival they were made TO run
we could 80 on indefinitely. citing from
-s '-sss ot detail which the author has acc,l-
--'.a,eo IN order 10 give Us clearer conception
y-sl what manner Of city Rome was in the
'1ls's-' period with which he deals. II was
- q luxury and the profoundest misery
:, ..1-1e..eal I-ide and mundane corruption
,ir,e "a '-0 darkness. Il IS said that at one
80 oofi'giaRe Of Rome outnumbered the
,s1e.- ~ eood report. While mass was beine
s-.~o.- - scores Of churches, murder was
. --L---rrE- IL L.