The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-07-13
ATTENDS coNsIsToRY BY POPE.
Accompanied BY Mrs. Mcmahon and
Mr.. voss-Party Visits Other
interesting Places in italy.
Ravello. June>22, 1910.

Leamington. Oxford and its cottages,
and resume Of what we saw in Lon
don. etc. We travelled so fast and
were sightseeing SO much every day
that when we reached our hotel in
the evening. ! was SO tired and SO con.
fused from having seen so much, that
it really was hard task to get down
and write in any intelligent manner,
just what we had seen. For these
reasons. ! have not been able to com
plete . letter to you.
What / then wrote is too old now, so
81 have taken this opportunity at this
beautiful spot in southern Italy, hav-
ing the forenoon OFF, to apologize to
you for not complying with my prom
Use to write to you.
have taken notes all along the line,
but It would take much time and many
days to elaborate upon the scenes
we have witnessed.
4 will try to say something to you
about Rome, however.
1t is, of course, very ancient city,
full Of interest. Has a population OF
nearly half million. We reached
Rome from Florence, June 14th. We
visited the ruins of the colosseum, a
most magnificent ruin, four stories in
height. sanctified by the blood Of the
80 /, ! j
Christian martyrs, who gave up their
lives for Christ's sake during the
reigns Of Nero and pivelehan. The
arena Is still there. as well as the
dens underground where the wild
beasts were kept. You can also see
the passage way from below, up which
the lions came into the arena to kill
and devour their victims. The emper-
or's seat and those Of his court are
: also shown. The forum Romanum is
also Of great interest, and as we'll as
the cqueducts, the Thermae OF Cara.
Gala, the Gates of Constantine, Tro-
jan on the Appian Way, the Palace
of Caesars. the Temple Of the vestal
Virgins, etc. A reference to the his
tory Of the Roman empire is really
necessary to fully appreciate it all.
On the Appian Way we visited the
sCatacombe of San Sebastian. The en-
trance is within the Church OF San
Sebastian. A brown-robed, tonsured
and sandalled monk Of st. Francis con
Quoted us through. We each bore a
lighted taper in our hands. We de-
scended some four stories below the
surface. The passage through will adj
init only one person, SO we proceeded
in single file, the monk walking back
wards ahead of us, holding taper to
light our way. On either side Of us
were numerous tombs OF the early
Christians. especially interesting was
the tomb Of st. Cecilia, with whose
picture most all of us are acquainted.
You will remember her picture, seated
at piano. her face turned upwards,
and the choir Of angels above.
We proceeded from these to the
Church Of Quo Vadis.'' the name Of
which gave inspiration to Sienkewitz
to write the novel Of that name, and
which was so beautifully translated
by Jeremiah Curtin, without whom we
probably would never have heard Of
the book.
We also visited the Church Of st.
Peter In chains. within which are kept
the chains with which st. Peter was
bound, as we'll as the famous marble
statue Of Moses. by Michael Angelo.
Also another old church called Boea-
della veritatu. the mouth Of truth. ,
1T derived its name from circular
slab about four feet in diameter at one
end of the porch. This slab is a pic
ture Of a face with very large mouth.
4 It Is said that II a child is truthful
It may with safety place its hand with
in the mouth, but II not, s'woe betide. !"
The mouth is we'll worn, however.
from the millions of hands which have
evidently been placed within it.
We also visited the graves Of Shell
ley and Edward of Tretawney, side
by side. Upon the latter, whose body
was brought from England to rest be-
side his friend. is the following cpl
taph:
These are two friends, whose lives
were undivided,
So let their memory be, now they have
glided
Under the grave. let not their bones
be parted,
For their two hearts in life, were
single hearted.
We saw most Of the famous paint
ings Of Rubens, Van Dyke, De Sarto,
Bernini. Raphael, etc, az well Is fam
GUS pieces Of statuary. both ancient
and modern. 81