The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-04
A Monument to Partenope the Dro,u,1ed Siren

conceptions so common to Italy and yet
so repulsive. the tomb OF a decedent. rep
resenting a coffin with the lid pushed
open and the deceased rising from the
casket.
Two other churches are Of interest S.
Domenioc Maggiore and 5. Pau1o Mag
giore. In the former is wonder-work-
ing Deposition and the Christ In the
picture was said to have been heard en-
gagged I'm conversation with the spirit OK
Thomas Aduinas The Deposition is by
Zlngaro. Upon the site now occupied bv
the cloisters of the latter once stood a
theatre and In this theatre Nero played
the big pipes in public while an earth
quake destroying Hercullaneum.
Pompeil and part of Naples in the year
A. u. 6S
A spot which appeals to me perhaps
more potently than any other locality in
the city Is the Castle Nuovo. where Con-
radine. the last OF the Hohenstauffens.
was executed. This unfortunate boy was
one OF the most charming characters
that history has to present. Brave as
a lion, Vet gentle as girl. his lart
words. when brought to the scaffoid.
We're of his mother. He possessed all the
affection and courtliness of the sweet
prince but without that madman's
cruelty.
An added evidence of the parting of
Ncopulitan charms - the absence OF
music upon the boats plying between
Naples and Capri. But few years ago
the soft voices and duicet notes of the
viclin mandolin and flute of the minstrel
band charmed the passengers en- route to
isle. but the voices ars now gone, the
Instruments are silent and the journey is
prosaic except SO far as relieved by an
tioipatiou of the tourist. The Blue Grotto
win. of course, never lose it's fame or
its glory, but to many the chief pleasure
OF the visit is confessedly the lying prone
in the bottom of the boat while the
steersman pulls YOU through that hole In
the rock by an iron chain stretched along
the roof of the aperture 1t reminds ons
SO much OF the children following tho
Ped Piper of Hamlln into the mountain
side of the open sesame" to the secret
es i'm the days Of Aladdin OF old.
Tiberius held his orgies upon the Island
Of Capri and here he built twelve palaces.
one for each month OF the year. At Its
eastern end is a prominence known as
the leap Of Tiberius, frcm which the
imperial monster had hls prisoners thrown
for his diversion. 1t IS a fearful height
and yet Tiberius had his soldiers sta
tened at the bottom of the clif that those
OF his victims who were not killed by
the fall should have further agony added
to their death by their homes being broken
hy the watching soldie-y. The spot Is not
often visited to its crest, but | ONCE made
tie ascent upon donkey back. Near the
apex was a restaurant where I first saw
the tarantella danced but | noted that
while the dance was italian the dancers
were German and tho signs In the rest-
airant were all In tho Toutonic language.
This was In the hey day of Herr krupps
life and while ! am regardful OF de NOR
tuis nil nls bonum." | nm forced to credit
much that was said OF this gun makers
i. ts.4x2 sl.I
denunelations that were Numbered by the
Kaiser in person from the coffin side OF
Germanys first commoner."
The envrons of Naples are full of dream
spots Amalh. that city of old that once
controlled the trade of the Mediterranean.
Ponpeii with it's bees lingering over tho
porpies that bestud its excavations and
its ruts of the chariot wheels of % CEN
turtles ago still glistening in the slanting
rays of setting sun; Castellamare. Its
twin sister in the disaster of A. ID. 70.
and Ischia. that Incompatible island
which Renau loved so we'll to call his
dear 1schia" " Ischia should be called Isola
Tremola, for It is continually shivering
with earthquakes. The ancients accredit-
ed Il with being the place OF the Giant
TNphoeus translation by Jupiter, groan-
ing like Eneeladus under Aetna, and caus-
ing fearful eruptions of fire. The last
quake occurred in 1883. wien nearly 1900
persons perlshed. 1t came during the
banquet hour and from the debris OF
ruined palaces women We're taken cold In
death and robed in evehng attire. Here
also fed that charming heroine of his
tory, Vittoria Colonna, t. spend her hourc
OF grief and iwidowhood The island is
the very personification of pathos and it's
song Is n threnody of fate.
But though robbed OF luch OF Its music
ano picturesaaeness Naples is still a city
of incompatible beautyN its fascination
creates a spell that fingers and to once
behold II is to dream of 1t FOR aye.