Foreign Correspondence

Eome, Feb. 20, 1873. Fkiend PoirD: It would be irapossible to spoak at any length of the individual objects of sculpture in tho Vatican, even tho best, those wbich excite in the visitor tho warinest admiration, without occupying more time and spaoe than this hurried correspondente will justify. But in the notice alrcady given we passod over scarcely one-half the ground, and, partly to convey an idea oí the immense extent of these collections and in part to explain the wonderful richness of its contenta, we will continue our walk through the Museum. The Hall of the Animáis is one of tho most unique as woll as interesting portions of the great collection - is in foot the rarest and besi of the collections of animáis ever formed froin the anciewt sculptures. Iu all respecta it is niarvolous, iu tho value of the speoiinens, their variety, and the great richness of the aocessories and arrangement. The hall alone, without the animáis, would be iuten&ely interesting and curious. The finely sculptnred brackets, consoles, and niarble tables, the griifins, lion's hen ds, and animáis' paws, assupports; the Egyptian granite pilasters, the line pavenient with its mosaies, and the richly decorated eeilings, are all beautif'ul. The entrance is guarded by two large Molossian dogs, resembling those we saw at Florence, very lifelike indeed. A stag attacked by a dog, and two greyhounds playing together are extremely fine. An allegorical group called the Mithraic Sacrifice, in Parían inarble, is quito celebrated for its excellence; hut the remark may be general, there are 110 poor works heie, and witii equal truth and fidolity to nature all the animáis aro portrayed. Some mcsaics found in 1807 at Tivoli are of the greatést beauty. One represents a lion attokinaj a buil, while a cow rushes down the hillsido toward the sea. The other represents a number of goats grazing, and ft protecting deity holding a scepter, with ruins in the view. A stag in f uil run is sculptured in oriental alabaster of precious varieties, the horns being a different kind from the body. A lion of yellow marble has its teeth and tongueof other varieties, which niake it apptavery natural. A panther is sculptured in a variety of flowered alabaster, which gives its proper colors in rernarkablo perfection. A bleating goat has in its mane the fragment of a child's hand, from íhich it is supposed to represent the ' oat Amalthea, which suekled Júpiter. T inother raosaic from Kuma Vecchia is uch as was laid in the dining-rooras of ' he ancient8 - being divided into twelve ompartments, in eaoh of which are reposentod in various colors fishes, chickens, ;ame and vegetables. Those and other ingular objects were constantly giving nterest by their peculiarities. Occasion,1 large groups, cquestrian figures, ifcc , erved to break up all appearanco of moiotony. One of these groups was very eautiful. It represents a Triton carryng off a Nereid in his arma, who throws iut her arras in affright while he is blowii g through a large sea-shell; two cu)ids seated upon tho tail of t.ho monster ippear to be in deep sympathy for the ïyinph, but look in vain for aid. The ie waves are well representod in the iorrugations of marble. Altogether :hero eould not well be a more novel and ;uripus as well as really interesting colection than this menagerio of animáis, iot one of whieh is probably less than 1800 ypars old. Butleaving these we entei tho gallery af statues, like all that precede it a boautiful and fitting receptacle for these treasures. The first statue is that of Clodius Albinu?, collague of Septimus Severus, standing upon a cippus pedestal of Travertine, the inscription upon which statcs that the body of C. Ctesar, grandson of Augustus, was buried within it. Tho celebi'ated Cupid, a work believed ta b an original of Praxiteles, occupies a pedestal near. A statue of O iligula, vaina ble becauso rare as woll as on acount of its close reseinblance 1o the Imperial coins The statuos of this loathsoine tjirant were ordered by the Senato to be dtroyu d, the order being mad after his cleath. This was fonnd at Atricoli. We next visit the Hall of Busts, never quite so interesting as full-length figures to the eyes of casual observers. Occiipying a niche at the end of the hall is a sitting statuo of Júpiter holding the thtiiiderbolts and scepter, and the eagle at his feet. It is of the best stylo Greek art and thonght to be a copy of the work of Puidias in ivory and, gold, so celebrated in an anción't times. Dido is a fulllength representing the unfortunate queen upon the tunera! pyre, one loot only having a sandal, as Virgíl describes ïier. The Wounded Adonis is a very beautiful statue and full of expression. Bat the chief ornament of this room and one of the fioest in the Vatican is the oelehrated reclining statue of Ariadna. It has been callad Cíeopatr by sonie and so appoars in man y Cíitnloguei and upon prints, but critios have beoome sati?fiod by various circumstauces that it repregents Ariadna, fanwn asleep, with an expression of profound sadness upon her features causea by the desertion of her ficklc lover. It is öno of thoso masterpieces upou wlúch one can look with an ;■-' r-imr aíing sdmiratíoñ. In the Cabinet of Masks the statiie of Venus coming frem the bath is another of those genis cf statuary that retains our attention. Stooping down and half iéating i:pori tl1 ; raiaed heel of her right foot, the whcle attiti.de is charming apd the features of corr esponding loveliness. An Adonis in this room ie of nearly equal merit in ths great beauty of the marblo, and its workmanship. The Hall of Muses containa snnie moat intorastinr ■rvorka of art, anrt is itolf repleto wifch all the attraotiüuH which noble architecture and painting can do in the way of einbellishing an abode for the muses. It is octagonal, and the ceiling is snpported by sixteen columns of Cararra marble with fine ancient capitala of the Corinthian order, with frescoe and oil paintings of mythological subjects. The stataes of the Musea are all worthy of espcial note. The most admh-od by oritics is that of Culliope represen ting the muse of Epic Poetry seated upon a rock in meditation, with an arrangement of drapery thought to bo nearly perfeot, and holding the waxen tableta upon her knees in readiness to write. But the Apollo Cithaneclus seems more full of inspiration as he stands in the act of playing upon the harp, and robed in the graceful fulds of the flowing mantle. It is madnes8 to continue f urther notice of this grand gallery of the Vatican. - Euough has been written to give some ftiint idaa of the most extensivo and valuable colleotion of ancient Bculptures in the world. In completing the survey wo foei a8touuded by tho inexplicable fact that all this valuable and rare Btatuary once adorned the public and private fices of the Roman people, were atterwards prostrated and 60 far neglected and uncarcd tor, and for such a considerable period of timo that they beoame buried and hidden in tlio accumulating debris of centuries and remained forgotten until about the 14th oentury, when a taste for art and liberal studies began to revive, and slowly, onë after another, these beautiful creations wore discovered and are still being discovered, in such perfection and numbers as to be fairly surprising. That such a night of heathenism should have existed, and that these beiutiful creations should have lain abut uncared for till actuallyjhidden from sight seems incredible, but the fact remains nevertheless. The collection is made doubly valuable because of the fact that all the accessories are made to oorrespond. Nearly all the pedestals in use are anciont altars or receptacles for the ashes of the old Romans, with thoir inscriptions and reliëfs; and urns, vases, columns, sarcophagi, and similar antiquities aro everywhero iuterspersed. Wero the collections made aocessible like the galleries at Florence, so that the visitor oould go in the inormng and stay all day if he ohose, and without the interruptiou of a long midday recess, it would be vastly more enjoyable. The entrance to the Gallery of Soulpture is from the rear, and to get there tho road passes beneath the aroile of St. Petjr's, an I leuda completely around the two euds and rear of the immense edifioe, giving a better idea of its vastness than could otherwise be got, and then the butire length of the Vatiean extensión has to be gSseed, the distance being over half a mile from the ime of leaving the arcade. We made a visit to 8. Paolo fuori Ie Mura a few days ago. This church is one of the largost and most celebrated, 5ut being sitmited noarly two miles beyond the St. Faul gate out in the camjagna, requires a special day for tho yisit. As usual with all the roads near the city, ïigh walls bordered each side to protect the vineyaris, and so of course shut off all the prospect, though this is not particul.trly attractive until the more open country is reachod. About half way out we passed the smull chapel orected where it Í3 said St. Peter and St. Paul had their lust parting. Just bef ore reaching St. Paul's quite a wide open space is devoted to public use, and wheu the various shade trees are in leaf must be quite delightfui, buing bordered on bne side by the winding Tibor. The situation is, however, regarded as an unhealthy one and the plaio is quite deserted in surnmer, even the mcviks tbemselves quitting the raonastery. Yt the spot was believed tü have been consecratod by the death of St. Paul neir, and by his burial on this round, and as early as 388 wa marked by the erection of a ohurch by Theodosius. And so greatly was this sito favored by the various Popes that it became one of the finest and most rernarkable ohurohss at Rome, adorued with marble and statues. A fine colonuade faoed tho Tiber and a long arcade extend ed into the city. In July, 1823, this splendid edifica was altnost completely destroyed by five, but tho work of restoration immediately began, and -with the excfiption of the principal entrance on the Tiberit agiin stands amongthe most attrautive of Roman churches. It po sesses no great exterior beauty, but its interior is so spacious - 410 feet long by about 200 wide - and its entire finish is ia materials so rich and beautiful that oue cannot but admire even while in eome respeots not quite satisfied with the plan. The general forui is that of the Litin cross, though the transepts are exceedingly short, tho nave and aisles exceedingly wide, and the long portion of the nave below the transepts seems escessiv'e, yet no spioe is lost in irregular projections and recessed chapols, all the lutter being confïned to the transept end of the cburch - six in all, and inatead of heavy buttresses a forest of fine columns supports the ceilingof the aisles. Everywhere the richest mayblo of ficest polish oovers the lateral walls and paveuaent. Four lnrge pillars, over two feet in diameter, of a yellowish-eolorcd alabaster, proacnted by the viceroy of Egypt, support tíie canopy of tbe bígh altar, and malaohite ot' brightest green in great sbvbs, adorns the grand altar, and of the same material ore of tho transept altars is well-nigh construoted, a prosent froin tho Czitr of Hussia, every square inch of which wowld form a rich setting for jewo!ry. Finely oxecuted medallion portraits, ík raosaic, of aliaje Popes - nearly ;500 - oach five toet in diameter, set in a rioh fraiKiug, adorn the walls above the columns about the nave and trauaepts and even aior.g the aisles, while along the samo walls, filling the spacs betweeu the windows of nave and transept, are fino froanofls frorrj th Ufe of Si, Paul. Very beautiful represeutations of the Apostles and fathers of the church, of stained glass, fill the aiale windows. The Uonfessio, in front of the graad altar, ! fairly gleams with the rofleotcd light of the lampa on the polished suri'ace of rosso and verdo from Greece. Mosaics of the óth century cover both sides of the triuinphal arch spanning the nave above the high altar, and beneath the canopy is the altar itself, of beautiful design - a siuall temule of rich tracery and spiral columns of delicato mosaic. The arch of the Tribune ia completely filled with mosaics of the 1-lth century. SuoharoBome of the prominont features of this spleni did interior, the ceiling being equally mugnificent iu its decorations of stuceo and gilding. The chapéis arranged along ono end of the church only did not display anyunusifal ornamentation, and with the eiception of the Capella del Coro, which escaped the firo in 1823, seemed rather plain, though fine altarpieces and pictures adorned the walls. The latter chapel is much inoro elaborately decorated, the entiro wall-spaoes and ceiling being covered with beautiful frescoes, and contains also fine stalls of carved wood and rich altar furniture. It was in the Chapel of the Crucifixion of this ohurch that Ignatius Loyola. and his assouiates took the vows of the, order foundod by him, April 22d, 15,41. It is ouly upon the principal festivals of this church, the conversión of St. Paul, January 25th ; oommemoration of tho 6aints' apotheosis, June 29; and on December 28th, that any large attendance is present at the services. At other times, indeed, it would seem the priests (or monks, rather) hold regular services in the chapel of the crown, but the doors are closed, und others who may be present are outsiders literally and can witness the ceremony only through the glass doors : this was tho case during our visit. It seems I wondert'ul that any proper sentiment of ! charity or religión should cause the erection and re-ereotion of au edifice of such magnificence where neither oonvenience or apparent necessity required it, and an humble chapel would have subserved all the purposes of a memorial. Another of the spots consecrated by i logendry history in the life of St. Paul ia tho celebrated Tre Fontane, only two miles furt.her on, and our trip was tnerofore extended to that point. After leaving St. Paui's a short distanco the road passes ovar aud among the hills which cover a portion of the campngna in this vioinity, and whose singularly cavernous appearance soon attraets attention. - Look where you may the hillsides and Bummits are full of sunken cavities, and frpquently the mouth óf some subterranean passage is disclosed large enough. for the admission of a mulé and cart. - Thess hills are all composed of the worldrenowned pozzulanurh of which the best known cement is made. and these underground ways havo been made in process of mining this reddish-colored volcanio earth, much resembling moist brick dust. The work is extensively carried on, and a narrow-gauge railway ;rack facilitates the transportstion to the city. In the rnidst of these honeycombed ïills we found the ancient but nearly desorted Abbey of the Thrae 'Fountains. The iron gateway was opened by one of the monks arrayed in the garb of the Ier of Cistercians, au outer dalmattica or wrapper of wbite woollen cloth with hood bound about tho waist with knotted ropo, benring a gcnejal resemblance to tho more cominon brown garb of the Francisoans except in color. Undcr guidanco of the-communicative and very agreeable monk we proceeded direetly to the circular church S. Maria scala coeli, so named because here St Bernhardsaw the visión of a ladder upon which angels were conducting to heaven those vrhom the prayers of the saint had released from purgatory. A picture of this visión, said to be the work of Guido Ileni, adorns one of the altars, and mosaics ornament thé Tribune. Going a little further we entered the S. Paolo alle tro Fontani, which oocupies the identical spot, it is said, where St. Paul wa& beheaded, and where tho head separatea from the body was eeen to inake three distinct leaps. Tho places where it first feil, where it next reached tho ground, and whei-e it finally resttd, aro desiguated by three altars, upon each of which lies a sculptured head of the saint, and before each ia an opening in the pavement over the fonntains which at once miraculously burst forth and still exist. According to the legend the first should be perneptxbly the warmest; tho next more cold, and the last coldcr still. We were unfortunately too dull of apprehension to poroeive any difference, nor eau we greatly. comineud its good qualities as a beverage. ïho springs are about ten feet distant froni eaoh other, and of oonrse excite sonie surprise at the great leaps the head must have made. In the corner of the ohapel, proteoted by an iron grating, stands the 6tono pillar, about three feet high and ten inches in diameter, across the top of whioh lay the saint's neck when beheaded. As the sword was not there it is fair to presume thit it has been lost or inislaid. Various paintings Ilústrate these interestin'g mcidonts. Those two chnrches date from thfr sixteeuth ceutury, but tho tbird, SS. Vincenzo id Anastasio, is of muuh oidor origin, A. D. 1221, and presonts a very ilcient style, the nave boing exceedingly narrow in proportion to its length and height, open to. the raf'ter and roof-beams withont deooration abovo. The pillara that support the aisles are adornod with. figurcis of the Apostlos, after designs by Eaphael. The situation being low, debris and earth to tho dopth of two feefc had accumulated above the anoient mosaio pavomcnt and another floor of niarble slabs placed upon this, and outside tho debris accumulated to the depth of six f eet ormore, but recently considerable labor has been expended npou improvoment, and all th,is accretion has been moved and a new floor placed in the old church, with tho hope of rendering it moro tenantobls áhd healthy for tho monks whoso vows require of them so mueh abstineneo from ordinary worldly enjoyment. Thoy belong to the Trappists, and exoept for an hour each day are not allowed to converse with each other, and in other respecta are are as rigidly abstemious as any other order. The one who acted as our guide seeraed to enjoy the opportunity of letting his tongue wag, and he was, withal, quite an enthusiast in hia way, po3ted in botanicul studies, in church architecture, and in ;he hisory of his order. There are íranehes os the Trappists at Louisville and Dubuque and two or three places in Canada, and it was with no sraall degree of pride he exhibited to us his litÜ9 menorandum book in which the3e sta.tion3 11 various parts of tho world were care'ully noted. Wc noticed a rather thriftyooking deciduous tree, withafinesmooth ong leaf, in shipe like that of the peach, jut with a strong, spicy fragrance whon landled : our conductor informed us that ie was intending to set out inany of them and vvould like to be allowed the stocking of the campagna with these trees, beliaving haf they would counteract the fobrile and inalarious influences which have depopuiated this once fertile plain. It is called by the botanists Encalyptus globulus, and is a native of Australia. It seems a singular determiuation that should thus impel sensible raen to abandon the bustling activities of life and immure themselves within theso convent walls. far out among the desolate bilis of the desolate campagna, and in addition bind tbemselves to deprivations and austerities of living bo different from the lot of men ordinarily. There may be coinpensauons of soine kind,, as there doubtless are, for they seldom prove recreant to thcir vows, but to a superficial obseruer the extent to which this custom prevails in southern Europe is a constant subject of wonder. This week we shall be in the height of the carnival season, and then the othor extremo will be rerched, Light-headed folly and abandonment to the day and the huur will be the aim and object of sensible people. "Truth lies in the middle," now, as in by-gune days, probably; inese tnmgs, nowever, give some additional variety and zest to the traveler's Bight-seeing propensitios, and as a general thing, perhaps, for tho benefit of the future observer and stranger from the west, we had better not overturn these time-honored institutions of Italy - though in many respects a vast changa is evidently coming over " the spirit of her dream." Yours ever,