The Irish standard., 1908-10-31

VI UIOIlleSIIOOO lildI VIII eStdUllSll JUS
tice and good will must be the aim
of those w.lo are sincerely interested in
the progress of the race. This is pre-
eminently the work of our religious
teachers, although it is a work in
ssi,ich the laity as We'll as the clergy
n1ust take Lart.
After meeting Plus ", late the be-
loved patriarch Of Venice, feel as
snred that he is peculiarly fitted to
lead his portion Of the Christian
church in this great endeavor.
The Vatican, which serves as the
home and executive offices Of the SUI
premc pontiff Of the Catholic church. is
an enormous building, or rather collec-
tion Of buildings, for it bears evidence
Of additions and annexes. One might
be easily lost in it's maze of corridors.
The ceilings Of the chief apartments
arc high, and like the walls of the
spacious rooms and halls, are covered
with frcscoes OF priceless value. The
Vatican adioins st. Peters cathedral
o, basilica as it is called-a description
of whose beauties would fill a volume.
The Rasilica is SO harmoncously pro.
rortioned that one does not appreciate
it's vastness from distance, but once
within its walls it is easy to credit the
statement that fifty thousand persons
can be crowded into it.
In a crypt just beneath the great
dome is The tomb OF st. Peter, aoout
which myriad lamps are kept constant
ly burning. Near the tomb is cruci-
fix suspended under a canopy support
ed by four spiral columns that are
replicas IF column elsewhere III the
cathedral that is said to have been q
part of Solomon's Temple. Not far
from tile crucinx is the famous bronze
statue Of ST. Peter, made from pa gan
statue Of Jupiter. 1t is mounted upon
a pedestal about five feet high and the
large toe of the right foot, which pro.
jects over the pedestal, has been worn
smooth by the lips Of devout visitors
to the basilica.
4: To INC the most remarkable of the
splendors :,s the cathedral were the
mosaic pictures, OF which there are
many Of heroic size. These mosaics
depict Bible scenes and characters and
are done with such marvellous skill
that a little way off one can hardly
doubt that they are the product of the
brush Of some great master. The COL
ors, tints and shades are so perfect
that it is difficult to believe that the
pictures are formed by the piecing to-
gether Of tiny bits of colored marbles
and other stones. The Vatican main.
tains a staff Of artists in mosaic
some of whose work may be
purchased by the public. was
shown the masterpiece Of Michael
Angelo in the cathedral Of ST. Peter
in vinculo-a statue Of Moses, seated
In the right knee there is a slight
crack visible, and it is tradition that
when the great sculptor had finished
his work, he struck the knee with his
nallet in burst Of enthusiasm ard
exclaimed, Nov speak," st. Paul's
cathedral, which stands outside the an.
cient well Of the city, is Of modern
construction and is therefore less in.
teresting TO the Visitor than the great
basilica Of st. Peters.
Next to the Vatican and the cathe.
drals in interest are the ruins of all.
cient Rome. In England and France
had seen buildings many centurie.
| old; In Rome one walks ae the foot
of walls that for nearly two thousand
years have def1ed the ravages of time
The best preserved and most stupen.
dous Of the relics Of "the Eternal City
is the Coliseum. 1t is built upon 9
scale that gives some idea Of the
largeness of Roman conceptions and OF
the prodigality with which the emper.
ors expended the money and labor Of
tho people. The arena in which the
gladiators fought with their fellows
and with wild beasts-the arena ir
which many of the Christian martyrs
met their dcatll-is slightly oval ir
form, the longest diameter being abou,
$50 feet. The arena was so arranged
that it could be flooded with water ant
used for scquatic tournaments. The
| spectators looked down upon the con.
tests from galleries that rose in foul
I; tiers to height Of $50 feet. At on.
end Of the arena was the tribune oc.
cupied by the emperor and his suite
at the other end the vestal virgins oc.
cupied another tribune. and it wa:
their privilege to confer either life Of
death upon the vanquished gladiator,
by turning the thumb up or down.