The Dickinson press., 1910-11-26

seems almost to have been iivinely in
spired. How otherwise could he have
conceived o. imagined the wonderous
and CHANGING beauty that II presents
under different lights and shadesf I
have seen It almost under everysshade
aud light and It has always looked
different. At times as you approech 1t
It seems to be rising higher and4hisher
into the air, almost with the likhtness of
q kite. at others It lay dead andNstill.
IN fact the different lights and shades
make St Peters appear almost a living
thing. l.asked myself. could America
produce such a workf Yes, for II has
the beautiful blue sky and sunshine of
Italy and every one Of the other elements.
but I fear that we are hurryine 50 fast
that no genus, however gifted. can wait
for the true moment of inspiration, and
in the hurry the inspiration has passed
away.
The square of St. Peters is a real
Prodigy of magnifcence and beauty. To
be enjoyed. however in. all its lowell
ness. its greatness and its glory it must
be seen at midday under the blazing sun
of q blue Italian sky. with the glorious
bells Of St. Peters peeling out the
Angelus in thunderous tones. and with
the fountains below spouting up their
waters into the air until they are lost
in crystal spray in the sunlight and de-
scend like dew drops all around. It was
with tears in our eyes wesleft 81. Peters.
suppose never to see it again.
The church of Saint Maria Mageiore
is the largest church in Rome, dedicated
in honor of the Blessed Virgin. II was
founded in 1858 and gives. origin in the
Catholic church to the feast Of st.
Mary of the Snow" for on that day and
year there was, what was considered by
all, a miraculous fall Of. SNOW on the hill
where now stands the Basilica. and a
Roman noble named Patrick and his
wife, took this as a sign from heaven
that it was. there they were to build q
church in honor of the Blessed Virgin.
Santa Maria Mageiore is a noble and
, superbly adorned ediRce:' With st: John
of the Lateran Hill, of which ! shall soon
speak, it is one of the seven LARGEST
churches Of C%hristendom. Here is all
the first gold that vas brought by; Column
bus to King Ferdinand Of Spain, from
America. The King presented it to
Pope Innocent VIII who gave it to the:
church of Santa Maria Mageiore: It
guilds the ceiling of the nave: I.have
seen that ceiling golden blaze in the
evening sunlight end that golden blaze
was American.
In the Sacristy is the flag taken from
the Turks in the battle of Lepanto. The
italian air seems to have nc. corrodina
influence as the flag looks as fresh and
new as when taken there. Here also is
preserved in a shrine some timbers of
the crib at Bethlehem. In the little
church Of St. Praxide adjacent is the
pillar at which, our Lord was scourged
at Jerusalem before his craclfxion.
With much veneration we looked at it
through the glass door Enclosed in it's
golden shrine. l have brought a photo
graph Of. 1t to America with me.
Only two or three minutes walk down
the Via Cavour" and we reached the
!!church in honor of St. Peter in Chains
and here. over the high altar. are some
of the very chains with which St. Peter
was bound when in prison at Rome and
Jerusalem. They are preserved in a
shrine. In the same church is Michael
Angeles masterpiece of sculpture. Moses
after coming down from the presence of
God in the burning BUSH That master
piece Of human genius. so well worked
out with the skill and art and care that
distinguishes that sculptor. tells-you of
the wonder and amazements, the awe
and veneration, that the divine pres
ence had inspired him with. The dis
tant look seen in the eyes tells that the
mind within is still wrapped in divine
contemplation. The whole face ex-
presses. at the same time, the sorrow
and anxiety that we can so we'll under
stand from the scripture narrative. The
strong feeling under which he labors is
seen in the firm set of his upper lip, so
well expressed in the slight curve Of the
beard over the right corner of his mouth
Though he seems all strength, yet he Is
seated as one after some areat struggle,
with the tables Of stone under his right
arm as you would have a large atlas.
The veins and sinews in the neck and
arms tell us of the emotion and the
efforts of self restrain. under which he
is laboring. Well may you ask, how
is all this expressed . in stone7 But
there it is, manifest to anyone who has
t-e eyes to see. ! am no art critic,
only a plain business man but l could
Esee it all. Michael Angeles works ID
u