The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-17

We were held mp for few moments
by q street blockade, then crossed ano
entered the park, When we were II
its comparative quiet, Cortice re
sumcd:
"Evcrything is different. OF course
vet much remains the same, Just a'
you might find that while the ole
Main street is still there, new hote
and opera house have been built, 10
eethcr with several churches. perhaps
and a modern library. The people
too. have chlrltcd mp hit, and they w
put in trolleys and electric lights. Yet
it's the same old place, and you could
find your way around on the darkest
night
"That's all true, l guess" | made
answer "''yet not exactly what
meant / referred moro particularly
to your own mental attitude. y
.'Wen," he answered. mcditatively
'smy feeling is usually one OF curious
detachment; / recognize local details
and remember my former association
herewith vet you must keep In mind
that sometimes many ccntures-nay
cons-may have elapsed between
visits
! [ nodded undcrstandingly-l pride
myself on being n good lIstencr-and
nc went on:
''In all our experiments thus far. we
or I-have only revisited isolated
spots, like that mine in the Andes, or
the Valmond chateau, or Bouvenc
castle. What should you say TO n
more lengthy pilgrimage-just you
and I7''
For instancc?'' | querled.
"Wcll, II tell YOU what's in my
mind, Once upon a tune ] was a Ro-
man soldier-don start We in
| formed you i played many parts-and
i'll the course of that martial episode
| must have marched over Il consider
able part of Italy; ! witnessed won
derful and memorable sights, and was
familiar with some localities that arc
now historic. Would YOU be aston
| ished If | told YOU that [ bcheld the
| burning of Rome, also the destruction
of Herculaneum and Pompcii?''
] gasped. Cortice laughed. ''Dni.
cult TO believe, ism t itl-and yet I'm
not joking. Oh. | conld tell YOU Il
story stranger than that
Well, the Wandering Jew no
doubt really existed in men s minds as
cmboGYing the truth of that idea OF
| which ] am the living proof. -
| There was no gaiusaying thjs-pro.
Vided ono admitted tho basic fact OF
! rclnCarnatlon-and Corlice himself
was rs he said. n living and breathing
proof that 1t was possible To rcmem.
Der ones previous lives on earth.
There were millions of Roman sol.
dIcrS-why should he not have been
one of them7
What ! really started to say was
TINS. he went on. ''There s Il certain
stretch OF Italian soil which [ can re.
produce mentally more vividly than
anything else. I've Il great curiosity
To 20 over the ground lelsurcly. per.
haps halring here and there, as IN the
old DAYS: peomiug those classic scenes
aud noting the changes wrought by
TIME, VIII you 60 along-iust us two (,
There may he some adventures; | feel
very certain that could settle some
mootcd points of history
Would 90 along' As | have said
elsewhere, | had a rowing commission
as correspondent for my paper; | had
never visited Italy. neither had Cor
tlce during his present span on Garth.
and rather welcomed the chance TO
see how and wherein we should DIFF
fer IN our impressions. So ] promptly
SAID yes. Before we separated we had
agreed 20 meet in Paris ten davs later.
Onr objective point was Rome, and
from there | found that Corticc was
bent on following one Of his old march
ing routes when he was numbered
among the Emperor Nero s lepioparies
The way led from the Eternal City.
northWard through the towns of Roncig-
none, Nlterbo. and Moatefiascone to the
banks OF llagO iii Boscna
Naturally we fingered awhile in
Rome Itself, and through Corticc s eyes
! saw the ancient city reconstructed
IN a way that wouId have made some
OF the anti quarians gasp with amaze.
mcnt. Aud speaking Of these same
antiquarlans. it was through one OF
them that we had the adventure civ.
ing title TO this chapte
After leaving Rome we followed in
the main ono of these magnificent
paved highways which still stand as
monuments 10 the ancient road build.
erS. bordered part Of the way by the
ruins of an equally venerable aquc.
duet.
Cortice was full of his themc-here
they had camped; here. by Nero 5 or
der. they killed a few score Chris.
t!ans; on another stretch Of road Cor.
tice own company had guarded the
royal litter. and SO on II was in.
possible TO resist the belief that the
man had really been there and had
done those things. But ] was to have
more convincing proot-if proof were
needed
Al the hotel in ylterbo we Glanced
10 meet certain Count Rocco Mario
AN Italian OF the Italians. a man of
old family, independently wealthy. q
mclnbcr Of the upper house OF parIla-
mcnt, and an archaeoIogist OF reputc.
We had foregalhered at the table
,hote. aud aftcrwari the three Of us
adjourned 10 the 9lns-.roofcd garden
Tor our coffee and cigars The conyer.
salion turned upon the historical re.
mains OF the country. and Mario in.
formed us that he was even then on
his way 70 I'm old villa which he owned
on the shores of Lake Bolscna
Have ] said that Corticc could speak
Italian flucntivl Tnc count also spoke
English. hnt rs ! knew no Language
snyc my own thcy very obliginglv car
l.5lcd on thrir conversation i'm that
tongue. tount Rocco had mentioned
he fact that his Villa was very old.
indeed, he believed, one wing dated
from the Christian era itself. Then.
IN proof thereof he instanccd The fact
THAI The Emperor Nero had once made
J II his residence for a few days while
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