The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-01-26

progress Of events in Italy. He con-
structed an Imperial palace upon the
banks of the Rhone, and ornament
ed the city with a number Of other
royal monuments, and even after his
brilliant victories had permitted him
to enter Rome in triumph and estab-
lish his court upon the seven hills, he
returned to Aries from time to
time and continued with such a Law
ish hand the enlargement and embel-
lishment of this latter city that its in
creasing power and splendor merited
the appellation of the "second
Rome" Year by year, Aries grew
stronger and Treves proportionally
weaker, and finally Aries became in
name as we'll as in fact the capital
Of Gaul.
The religious history Of Aries is
equally illustrious. She was the first
provincial city to receive the teach
ing Of the Evangelists and later be-
came the first stronghold Of the Lat
in Church in Gaul. According to ira
dition, Immediately after Christ's as
cension, the Jews seized Lazarus,
Martha, the three Marys, Trophime
and a number Of other disciples, and
after forcing them aboard rudder-
less, leaking ship, abandoned them to
the mercy Of the waves; by divine
aid the little band was waited safely
across the Mediterranean and landed
on Arlesian territory, at the point
called Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer The
legend may possess semblance Of
truth, for recent geological surveys
have proven that the coast in the i'm
mediate vicinity Of t. Maries, un-
Ike the adjacent seaboard, has suf-
fered little or no change during the
past 1000 years. Also Christian
tombs have been discovered in the
Camarque, apparently belonging to
the first century A. D., while two
miles from Aries a monument has
been unearthed, which bears the de-
dication in Latin,
"To the Mother Of Christ, still liv-
ing"
Aries uiraculously escaped destruc-
ton during the great barbarian IN
vasion of the fifth century and later
emerged triumphant from her long
conflict with the Saracens, though
these latter savage warriors were sew
eral times in temporary possession OF
the city. After a number Of more or
less happy alliances with various
kingdoms and republics, Aries finally
became, in $50, the capital Of Bur-
eoyne, and Conrad IL was crowned
"King Of Arles.'' Two centuries lat
er Frederick Barbarossa espoused a
princess Of this House. These facts
indicate that the eleventh century
Aries was still an important and
powerful city-but already her hour
was sounded. The sea had gradually
retreated, the coast was many miles
away, the great inland lake was a
useless. unnavigable, uninhabltable
marsh. Her Importance as seaport
had been the foundation of all her
glory. This lost, all was lost. Her
complete decadence was only a mat
ter Of time. Vjcissitudes followed in
rapid and .unbroken succession, and
when Louis XIV ascended the throne
Of France, Aries was merely medic
ere provincial town. She managed to
preserve, however, a certain aristo-
cratic and intellectual prestige, as at
tests the history Of her academy,
which enjoyed the royal patronage.
But the Revolution destroyed every
thing, and today Aries, the former
capital Of a mighty Empire, is merely
the seat Of sous-perfecture. Her his
tory is ended, but many antique mon
uments still stand, silent witnesses OF
her glory, and in second letter !
mean to describe briefly the most not
able Of these ruins.