The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-07-09

shouting 'I our money or Your LIE
they chartered off a confused recital
of measurements and technical de-
tails regarding the number Of tons OF
bronze used in the dome'S construc-
ton. But the result was the same,
and they succeeded in getting every
cent Of my pocket change.
The view from the topmost balcony
which runs around the outside Of the
lantern directly beneath the great
bronze ball and cross, is one Of the
finest in the world. In the foreground
are the rambling palaces. the court
wards and gardens Of the Vatican; at
the foot Of the hill, flows the Tiber,
which one may follow with the eye in
its southwestern course toward the
sea, and on clear days the Mediter-
ranean itself is visible, silver line
along the horizon. Closer lie the
Seven Hills of Rome; it is easy to
distinguish the Aventine witt its
monastery and orchards; the Palatlne,
with its massive ruins; the Capitol,
with its medieaval tower; and the
Quirinal. surmounted by Victor
Emauel's yellow palace; but the
Caelian, the Viminal and Esqulllne
form less prominent features of the
landscape.
Beyond the city walls is the green
Campaena. with its miles of erumb-
ling acqueducts stretching in irregular
broken lines toward the Alban Hills.
1t is difficult TO imagine a more I'M
pressive or more beautiful panorama,
but it is human nature to never be
satisfied, and on this particular morn
inc. Young woman, Who had made
the ascent with one Of Cooks guides,
was sulking because that latter wor-
thy individual was unable to point
out to her Naples and Vesuvlus. The
guide. who seemed TO be a quite de-
cent chap. instead Of telling the girl
she was an ignoramus or throwing
her bodily over the railing. suavely
assured her that if she would return
another clear day with a good pair of
opera glasses it would be a simple
matter to see the volcano.
But after all the real reason why
the ascent should be made by every
visitor, who has the time and energy,
is the new conception it gives of the
immensely of the cathedral, for its
enormous proportions cannot be COM
pretended or appreciated either from
the piazza or from the interior, even
when one is standing beside the balde-
chino directly beneath the dome. By
ron, whose poetry contains more solid
information about the monuments Of
Rome than all the guide-books COM
bined, noticed that the immensity Of
the building is entirely lost on the
observer standing in its nave, and
commented on it as follows:
"Majesty, power, glory, strength and
beauty, all are aisled
In this eternal ark Of worship un-
defled.
Enter, its grandeur ovarwhelms thse
not;
And why? It is not lessened; but thy
mind
Expanded by the genius Of the spot,
Has grown colossal and can only fnd
4 fit abode wherein appear enshrlned
Thy hopes Of Immortality
The perfect proportions Of the ar
chitecture, with the more than heroic
size Of tho statues. mosalcs and other
decorations diminish the real maenl-
tude Of the building; the eye IS so ac-
customed to such figures that these
supply false standard by
which the spectator measures the de-
tails of the edifce without being SEN
sible that he is doing so: the marble
cherubs which support the two bap-
tismal fonts at either side of the main
entrance appear to be the size OF
ordinary children, but are in reality
larger than full-grown men. These
curious visual phenomena may ac-
count for the fact that many visitors
are disappointed on their first en-
trance to St. Peters, but If they re-
main in Rome and return often to the
great cathedral, its sublimity begins
gradually to dawn upon them.
St. Peters is the embodiment OF a
Thought, of Religion, of humanlty,s
loftiest aspirations; it is q temple
destined to enshrine the philosophy
,,,l f,;+b of rnankind. Michel Angelo