t 1 YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 06794 5783 YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY From the Library of WILLIAM M. ODOM ROME. LONDOS PRINTED ET SPOT TISWO 0 DE AND CO. XEW-STKEET SQtTAKE RtJ LA3TEyIjITH. S T 1 E, 3L A A ROMAN MODEL. LAST WINTER IN ROME. BY CHARLES RICHARD WELD. ' Sotto 1* ombra delle sacre penne "¦'¦¦ , G-overn.6 '1 mondo.' — Dante. 'Vieni a veder la tua Roma che piagne.' — Dante. * A man who has not been in Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see. It ought to be the business of every man's life to see Rome.' — Db. Johnson. LONDON: V LONGMAN, GEEEN, LONGMAN, EOBERTS, & GEEEN. 1865. TO MRS. KELSO (of kelsoland) this volume IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Start— London City in the early Morning in December — Across the Channel — No Summer Tourists — A learned Parisian — The S. E. E. Steamer — Mutual Mistakes — The Grand Hotel du Louvre — Upholstery versus Comfort — Varnished Boots — Passports — Lyons — French Opinion of Prize Fights — To Marseilles — A Mistral — Winter Aspect of the South of France — Marseilles — Mediterranean Steamers — The Pausilippe — A motley Crowd • — The Cardinal Archbishop of Lyons — The Distinction of a Blessing — At Sea — A strange Berth — Balmy Air — A Polish Party — A patriotic Father — Arrive at Civita Vecchia . . page 1 CHAPTER II. The Harbour of Civita Vecchia — Ruinous Quays — Fortifications — French Troops — The Landing — Custom-house Examination — Books stopped — Bathing in December — The Sights of Civita Vecchia — Miraculous Picture of the Virgin — II Lampione — Who pulls the Wires — A curious Ex Voto— Diamond Nipples — The Market of Civita Vecchia — Woodcocks — Railway to Rome — Orange Trees; — The Campagna — Alban Hills — First View of Rome — Early and mature Sensations — Ideal and real Rome — The Railway Station — Great Confusion— Hotel de Londres . .15 CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Madame Starke, and Mr. Murray, the 'Mother' and 'Father' of the English in Rome — Rome no longer a Cheap City — Rent of Lodgings — Cost of Living — Restaurants — Tea — Wine — Adulteration Pro cess — Fuel— Wood from Tiber — Coal and Coke — Blankets versus Fires— Horses and Carriages — Hackney Cabs — Hotels — Cost of Apartments— Table d'Hote — Howto silence aBore — Hotel de Rome — Hotel de la Minerve — Boarding in Roman Families — Palaces let by Roman Princes — Largo dell' Impresa — Origin of the Name — Price of my Rooms and Board — My Landlord and his Family. page 23 CHAPTER IV. My Quarters — Description of them — Charm against Evil-eye — Jettaturas and Jettatrices — View from my Windows — Grateless Rooms — Stufas — Ancient Roman Stoves — The Conte — Guiseppe — A Philological Puzzle — A ludicrous Mistake — A Family Dinner — Italian Dishes — Their Peculiarities — Garlic and Horace— Large Appetites — How Roman Girls eat — Capelletto Soup — Mental Culture among Romans — Shelley's Opinion of Roman Women — The Italian Language — How spoken in Rome — Contrast between the Voices of Roman and English Women — Gesticulation of the Romans — Pretty Feet rare in Rome — Dinner Guests — The Game of Tombola — Great Excitement — Dislike of Tea by the Romans. 32 CHAPTER V. City Noises— The Noises of Rome — Vagabond Dogs — Their Night- ways — Dog Law — Goats versus Dogs — The Dogs of the Apocalypse — How Roman Dogs are destroyed — The Cats of Rome — Their love-making Localities— More frightened than hurt — Bagging Roman Cats — Roman Butchers — Chopping Meat — A Stroll through Rome— Piale's Library — The English Quarter in Rome — Piazza di Spagna — Column to commemorate Establishment of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception — Artists' Models CONTENTS. XI — Old Beppo — Suppression of Beggars — Licensed Beggars — Want of good Reading-rooms in Rome — St. Peter's — Wretched Pave ment — Rome wants a Napoleon III. — The Immaculate Conception again — Where first mentioned — The Windows at the East end of St. Peter's — An ideal gigantic Organ — Why the Pope cannot set up such an Instrument in his Cathedral— Roman Ecclesiastical Logic — Napoleon I. and St. Peter's — The Architecture of the Churches in Rome page 43 CHAPTER VI. Advent of Christmas in Rome — Zampogni and Pifferi — Regina Cceli — The Pifferari — The Roses of Rome — Roman Streets — Peni tential Pavement — Cardinals and their Lacqueys— Christmas Eve — The Holy Cradle— Quaint Hat and Sword — Vespers in the Sis- tine — Pope Pius IX. — The College of Cardinals — Their Dress — The warbling Wethers — Singing in the Papal Chapels — Concert at the Palazzo Bonaparte — The Holy Bambino ... 54 CHAPTER VII. Christmas Day in Rome — St. Peter's — Entrance of the Pope — High Mass — Church of Ara Cceli — The Bambino of St. Luke — Infantile Preaching — Maternal Vanity — History of the Holy Bambino — Gibbon and his 'History' — Adoration of Images and Relics — Patron Saints — Gregory II. — Council of Bishops at Constantinople — Saints honoured in Rome 60 CHAPTER VIII. My Landlord in Attendance on the Pope — How His Holiness is de fended — Life of Pio Nono — Origin of the House of Mastai Ferretti — Infancy of the Pope: — His Weakly Nature — Wishes to enter the Army — His Dandyism when YouDg — Greatly admired by Women — Aspires for the Hand of the Daughter of Prince Albani — Is disappointed — Goes to Rome — Leads a Gay Life in that City — Endeavours to enter the Guardia Nobile — Falls ill— Becomes a ii CONTENTS. Priest— His Religious Zeal— His great Eminence as a Preacher— Is appointed Secretary to a Religious Mission to Chili — His Zeal and Bravery— Returns to Europe— Created Archbishop of Spoleto — Cardinal and Bishop of Imola— The Abbess of Fognano— The Countess of Spaur— Elected Pope— Hopeful Anticipations of his Reign— Becomes an Ultramontanist — His Policy more to be ascribed to his Ministers than to himself— Epigram on him — Superstition respecting Duration of his Reign — Cardinal Antonelli . page 67 CHAPTER LX. Life of Cardinal Antonelli — His great Power — Born at Sonnino — Famous for its Brigands —Enters a religious Seminary — Declines to become a Priest — Clerici senza Vocazione — Privileges of the Priesthood — Cruel Ingenuity of the Inquisition — Antonelli created Cardinal — His Influence over the Pope — His Diplomacy — Opinion of the French Government respecting him — His great Wealth — His Collections — His Personal Appearance — The Fear of Assassi nation' — Dislike entertained towards him by the People . 78 CHAPTER X. Temporal Power of the Pope — His Spiritual Influence — Ecclesiastical Offices held under the Pontificate — Number of Cardinals — Why limited to Seventy — Roman Catholic Hierarchy — Church Digni taries created by Pius IX. — Districts of the States of the Church — Representatives at Rome of Foreign Powers — Creed of the Pope — Address to the Pope by the Roman Catholic Congress at Malines. 85 CHAPTER XI. Old Rome— Subterranean Church of San Clemente — The Upper Church — Its Site — The Atrium and Quadriporticus — Marble Am- bones — The Irish Dominicans in Rome — Father Mullooly — His Discovery of the underground San Clemente — Hints for subter ranean Exploration in Rome — Discovery of ancient Pavement — CONTENTS. Xlll Wall Frescoes — Magnificent Marble Columns — Discovery of the Remains of a Pagan Edifice — Kingly, Republican, and Imperial Constructions— Antiquarian Difficulties — Confirmation of Scripture History by Frescoes— Early Representation of the Crucifixion — San Clemente — Fresco representiug Discovery of his Body — His Life and Martyrdom — Miracles following this Event — Representa tion of the Burial of St. Cyril — St. Clement's Church in London — Contributions towards the Excavations under St. Clemente — Work to be done page 95 CHAPTER XII. Confinement in Rome oppressive — A Walk beyond the City Walls — Ferry across the Tiber — The Ripetta — Custom-house Officers at the Receipt of Custom — Quaint Ferry-Boat — Madonna's Shrine — Tiber in Flood — Turbid Nature of the River — Alluvium — Ancient Feats of Natation — Tubbing not done by modern Romans — A Canine Companion — Canine Gratitude — Instinct of Dog-kind — Dogs ma ligned by Lord Byron — Right andLeft Banks of Tiber — Vicolo dell' Inferno — Barbarities of the Troops of the Constable of France — Roman Lanes — Vineyards — Manner of training Vines — Across the Country — Monte Mario — Bushes of Rosemary — View from Monte Mario — Geology of the Mount — Caught trespassing — Proprietor of the Villa Mellini — My Dog Friend — Apology accepted — The Pianist Liszt — Cypress Avenue — Solitude no Cure for Love . 108 CHAPTER XIII. I My Landlord and his Sword-cane — Unsafe Condition of the Streets in Rome last Winter — Objections against a Sword-cane as a de fence against Night-robbers — Tragical End of a Squabble in New York — Nature of Roman Houses — How they favour Robbers — Dark Difficulties — A'Lucina' — Am dogged at Sight — Suspicions entertained by Roman Housekeepers — How Visitors are received — Story of a Gentleman who was robbed of his Watch last Winter in Rome — A Gentlemanly Robber — How Roman Robbers use the Knife 121 XIV CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. The Collegio Romano — Stronghold of Jesuitism — Ascetic Figures— , Vow of St. Ignatius — Establishmentof the College— Great Nursing Mother of Jesuits — Their Duties — Church of San Ignazio— The Confessional — The Collegio Romano closed against Woman — The Museum — Its great Advantages — Special Objects of Interest — The Cista Mistica — Frescoes — Gladiatorial Combats — The Vestal Vir gins — Interesting Graphite — Use of the Stylus — Early Pictorial Allusion to the Crucifixion of our Saviour — Valuable Religious Testimony — The Observatory of the Collegio Romano — Padre Secchi — Galileo — Solar Spots — Fine Equatorial — Magnetic Obser vations — Meteorological Apparatus — View from the Observatory. page 129 CHAPTER XV. Last Day of the Year — Mild Temperature — Baths of Caraealla — Shelley — Vegetation of the 'Baths' — Recent Excavations — Boar's Tusks— Sale of Antiquities — The Roman Bath — Ignorance re specting it— Nature of the Bath — Roman Baths in Great Britain — Defect in the modern Roman Bath — Power of Human Body to withstand Heat — Influence of the Roman Baths on the ancient Romans — Their effeminate Luxury — Church of the Gesu — The Te Deum — Visit of the Pope — How His Holiness was received — The Court Journal of Rome — Last Night of the Year — A Family Gathering 138 CHAPTER XVI. New- Year's Day in Rome— Great Expenditure of Pasteboard — Mass in the Sistine Chapel — Indulgences — How to gain them — Roman Family Dinner-party— A Variety of Soups — Religious Dis cussion — A Roman Catholic Name — Its Consequences — Cardinal Weld — A tolerant Monsignor — How I did not attend one of the Pope's Receptions — Conversion among Protestants — Good Custom in Roman Catholic Churches — Doctrines concerning Purga tory, &c. — The Lyons Religious Difficulty — Ancient Galliean Liturgy —The Pope's Ultramontanism — PiusIX.and Napoleon III. CONTENTS. XV — Triumph of the Gallican Church — Policy of the French Emperor — The Pope's Reply to Napoleon III. on the proposed International Congress — Papal Rescripts — France and the ' Roman Question ' — Clarendon's Opinion of Churchmen . . page 147 CHAPTER XVII. Great Meteorological Change — Excessive Cold — Rome under Snow — Icy Fountains — Discomfort of Roman Rooms — Stufas — Scaldinas — 'Freddo, Freddo' — Range of Thermometer — Constant Temperature of St. Peter's — York Minster — Contrast between English and Roman Girls — Exercise versus Stoves — The Contessa — Walk round Walls of Rome — Time required to effect this — Probable Extent of present Walls — Pictorial Effect — Picturesque Gates — Oxen and Buffaloes — Mr. Waterton's Adventure with these Animals — A Marble-hunting Expedition — Abundance of Marble Fragments for merly in Rome — And now in the Campagna — Museum in Collegio della Sapienza — Prodigious Number of Specimens of Ancient Mar bles — Alabasters— Purposes to which Marble Fragments may be applied — Good yielding Veins of Fragmentary Marbles — ' Camels of the Campagna ' — The Villa Livia Marble Quarry — How to find good Marbles t 158 CHAPTER XVIII. The Public Abattoir at Rome — Its excellent Arrangements — Disease among horned Cattle in Italy — The Peste Ungarica — Statistics of the Disease — Microscopical Examination of the Blood — Buffalo Flesh — Roman Sheep — Disgusting Practice in London — Roman Pigs — Their past and present Excellence — Horace's Recommenda tion of Sucking-pig — A Pompeian Pig — Whipping Pigs to Death — The Modern Papal Pig — How he is fed — And how killed — End of the Pigs — Coppa 167 CHAPTER XIX. Rumours and Reports in Rome — A Sensation Report — Mr. Home and the Papal Government — Popular Belief entertained in Rome re- VI CONTENTS. specting Mr.*; Home — Ordered to leave Rome — Thaumaturgy not sanctioned in the Papal Dominions — Papal 'Promises to pay' — The Mysteries of Spiritualism— Mr. Thackeray and the Spiri tualists . page 175 CHAPTER XX. Annual Exhibition at the Propaganda — Objects of this Institution — Ordination of Youths — Missionary Strength of the Establishment — The Propagandists — Dr. A. Campbell — Declamatory Gesticulation — Address by a Dane — Musical Performance — Coro di Pastori — The Octave of the Epiphany— Sermons in St. Andrea della Valle —The Rev. F. Neve— Theological Difficulties in England— St. Maria degli Angeli — A grand-looking Monk — Saint Bruno — Michael Angelo — His Works in Rome — His Opinion of Painting and Sculpture— His Poetry — IllustratesDante's'DivinaCommedia' — Mr. Hay's ' Science of Beauty '¦ — Colonnade of the Parthenon — Cloisters of St. Maria degli Angeli- — Inscription over door of Monk's Rooms 182 CHAPTER XXI. Excessive Cold — Hospital of San Spirito — Its Revenues — Charitable Institutions in Rome — Wards in San Spirito — Suffering of the Patients — Abuse of the Charity — Unwillingness to enter the Hos pital — Pope Leo XII. and the Roman Hospitals — ' Do not Water the Broth ' — Religious Societies — Shaving the Patients — Hospital of Santissima Salvatore — The Dead-Room — Asylum for Lunatics — Foundling Hospital — Manner of depositing Infants — A Young Mother— The Pubhc Cemetery of Rome — The Foundling Hospital of Rome favourable to Profligacy — Few Infants claimed . 195 CHAPTER XXII. The Cries of Rome — Vegetables in the Streets — The Markets of Rome — Butcher's Stalls — Boars — Porcupines — Frogs — Tortoises Numerous Birds exposed for Sale — Magpies — A Musical Bird CONTENTS. XV11 Thrushes — The Sparrow of Scripture — How Swifts are caught in Rome — Flower Stalls — Manner in which Bouquets are made in Rome — Table Flower Parterres —Bouquets in the Corso — The Pantheon — Its neglected Condition .... page 204 CHAPTER XXIII. The Catacombs — The Early Christians — Recent Exploration of the Catacombs — Antonio Bosio — His 'Roma Sotteranea' — Great Num ber of Catacombs around Rome — Their vast Extent — Christian Mu seum in the Lateran — The Catacombs as Places of Sepulture — Vol canic Tufa around Rome— Inscriptions in the Catacombs — Records of Visitors — Catacomb of St. Calixtus— The Catacombs resorted to during Periods of Danger — The Martyrs — Contrast between Christian and Pagan Inscriptions — Wells in the Catacombs — Mode of depositing the Dead — Manner in which the Graves have been rifled — Discovery of the Body of St. Cecilia — Catacomb of the Ancient Jews — The Shophar — Numerous Bones — Great Interest of the Catacombs —Fulfilment of Scriptural Prophecies — Persecu tions of Early Christians — Symbols of Christianity . . 214 CHAPTER XXIV. My Landlord's Library — Books known by their Coats — The 'Lives of Saints ' — Crucifixion of Missionaries in Japan — A Non-reading Family — Roman Newspapers — Dearth of Literature in Rome — Ignorance of Modern Romans — The 'Index Expurgatorius ' — Its blighting effect — A muzzled Press — Condemnation of Books — Form of denouncing Books — ' Le Maudit ' — Its Anti-papal Character — Prayer to Jesus Christ — The Sacred Congregation — Library of the Prussian Archaeological Institute — Library of the British Academy — The Barberini Library — Interesting MS. on Public Buildings in Rome — Bad Accommodation for Readers in Public Libraries in Rome — Book-stalls in Piazza Navona — Curious Book on the Dress of Women— Fines for wearing certain Dresses —The Punishment of Vanity 228 a XVU1 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXV. The Gay Season of Rome— Balls and Parties— Gaiety last Winter— The Ancient Nobles of Rome-T?heir Privileges— The Massimi Family— The Pallavicini— Virgil and the Modern Britons — The English Church in Rome — Admiration of Englishwomen by Roman Gentlemen— The Guardia Nobile— Their Slender Pay— Fortune- hunters — Lines suggested by an English Ball in Rome — The Theatres of Rome— The. Apollo— The Argentina— Custom of the Governor giving Ices and Sweetmeats — Prices of Seats — Rossini and the Barbiere di Seviglia— Ludicrous Contretemps — Triumph of the Maestro — Private Theatricals in Rome — Theatre in the Via Frattina — Hunting in Rome — The Meet — English Influence in Rome — The Hounds blessed bythePope — 'Bass' and 'Guinness' — Miss Hosmer— Mr. Gibson's advice to her — Riding in the Cam pagna — Prowess of English Huntresses — Italians in the Hunting Field — Game of Palla — Prince Odescalchi — Hire of Riding Horses in Rome — Hunt Club Ball — Roman Princesses and their Dia monds .... .... page 238 CHAPTER XXVI. The Palatine — Its former Architectural Splendour — Milton's Vision of it — Palace of the Caesars — Present Appearance of the Palatine — Emperor of the French— The Excavations — Roman ' Navvies ' — Relics of the Past — Temple of Jupiter Propugnator — Nymphceum of Vespasian's Palace — Gorgeous Chamber —Gold Coins — Fashion able Promenade — Excavations in the Via Latina — Signor Fortu- nati — Basilica of St. Stephen — The ' Painted Tomb ' — Columbaria — Archaeological Treasures — Temple of Jupiter Latialis . 254 CHAPTER XXVII. The Villa Livia — Statues from Volsinii — Villa Csesarum — Charming Situation of the Villa Livia — Remarkable Discovery Beautiful Frescoes — Livia's Garden Bower — Probable Period at which the Frescoes were executed — Ludius — Exquisite Stucco Work Dis covery of the Statue of Augustus — Torchlight View of it — Descrip- CONTENTS. XIX tion of Objects on the Cuirass — How Canova showed his Statues — Lines by Moore on Canova — Augustus represented as a Beggar — The Empress Livia — A Dutiful Wife . . . page 263 CHAPTER XXVIII. The Tiber — Artistic Treasures concealed in its Bed — Proposal to the Papal Government to search for these — Submitted to Cardinal An tonelli — How entertained by him — Bed of Tiber cleaned by Augustus — The Bateau Plongeur— Probable Results of searching the Bed of this River 274 CHAPTER XXIX. The Sabbath in Rome — How it is kept — Early Italian Academies — The Aceademia de' Lineei — Its History — Difficulty in finding it — Attend a Meeting of the Academy — Professor Volpicelli — Curious Fall of a Gray Powder — Low State of Science in Rome — The In stitute Archeologico — Observatory of the Collegio di Sapienza — Fine View from the Roof — Ascent of the Capitol Tower — No longer allowed — The Colours of Italy and France .... 279 CHAPTER XXX. Conversation with Revolutionists — Their hatred of the Papal Go vernment — Courts of Law — The Papal Police — Crime in Rome — Murder of a Money-changer's Clerks — Escape of the Assassins — Impunity with which Murders may be committed in Rome — A new Illustration of Shutting the Door when the Steed is Stolen — Story of the Robbery of an English Lady's Jewels — French Troops in Rome no security for Property — Past and Present Area of Papal States — Former Opinion of Napoleon III. respecting Occupa tion of Rome by French Troops — The Pope's Allocution —Priest craft in Rome — Monsignor Liverani's Revelations . . 291 CHAPTER XXXI. Severity of the Winter of 1863-4 in Rome — The Spring Flowers of Rome — Violet-gathering — The Colosseum by Moonlight — An a 2 XX CONTENTS. Unruly Englishman — ARide round the Arena — The Evening Hymn in the Colosseum — Fontana di Trevi — Curious Belief respecting its Waters — Political Caricatures — L'Amieo di Casa . page 307 CHAPTER XXXII. Festa of San Antonio — Origin of the term Festa — The Protector of Italian Animals — His Fame at Padua — Church of San Antonio in Rome— Life of the Saint — Introduces Monastic Life into Rome — St. Tony's Pig — Blessing Animals in Rome — Forms observed by the Peasantry — A Smart Donkey — Blessing a Donkey and a Dog — Fee paid — The Saint's Sermon to Animals — Brigands and their Horses .......... 314 CHAPTER XXXIII. A Midnight Apparition — Bringing in a Corpse from the Country — Confraternita della Morte — Objects of the Association — Peniten tial Work done by Roman Nobles — Begging Expeditions — Result of a Begging Tour — Superstitious Feelings respecting Dead Bodies — The most terrible Malediction — The Papal Lottery — San Andrea Avellino — The protecting Saint against Sudden Death — The Lot tery Handbook — Manner in which it is used — Nature of the Roman Lottery — Origin of Jhe Institution — Drawing of the Lot tery — Lottery Prophecies — A Lottery Ticket — Revenue derived from the Lottery — The Roman Lottery and English Horse-racing and Betting— Ruinous Consequence of the latter . . .321 CHAPTER XXXIV. The Roman Carnival — Past and Present — Circular respecting it issued by the National Committee — Effect of the Circular — The Carnival of 1864 — Regulations respecting it — Throwing Confetti from Horns— The Ex-King of Naples— The Mocoletti— Spirit of Fun among the Romans— Similarity of the Carnival to the Ancient Pagan Saturnalia — The Asinine Festival— Hymn to the Ass— The Masked Balls — Throwing a Sneezing Powder — Its Effects — Family CONTENTS. XXI Suppers — Inordinate Eating — Elia's Edax — A Monster Cake — The Capranica Theatre — Pulcinella's Ninety-ninth Disgrace. page 333 CHAPTER XXXV. 'Remember that you are but Dust' — Ash- Wednesday in Rome — How celebrated — Fasting regulations — Dispensation from the Pope to Officers of the Guardia Nobile — Derivation of the word Carnival — Religious Service in theSistine Chapel — Strewing of ashes on the Cardinals' heads— English Custom on Ash-Wednesday — Indul gences granted on Ash-Wednesday — Confession during Lent obligatory in the Roman Catholic Church — Numerous Confes sionals — Ex-votos in Santa Maria in Trastevere — Licence allowed to the English by the Papal Government during Lent — Private Theatricals — Sermons during the Quadragesima — Dr. Manning's Discourses — Proposition to build a New Church in Rome — Churches ' Retired from Business ' — The English College — Church formerly attached to this Institution dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury, destroyed by fire — Sermon by Dr. Manning on St Thomas a Becket — Views of the Pope on the rebuilding of St. Thomas' Church in Rome — The Collegio Pio — Church of San Giorgio in Velabro — Its dilapidated condition — St. George — His Life — Number of Churches dedicated to St. George in England — Frescoes representing various events in his Life . . . 345 CHAPTER XXXVI. Oratorios in Rome during Lent — San Maria in Vallicella— San Filippo Neri — Life of this Saint — Founds Order of the Oratorians — Reputed Miracle — Portrait of the Saint — The Oratory — Nature of the Musical Performances — Litanies in honour of the Virgin — Sermonettas by Children — Oratorio of San Atanasio — Legend re specting him — Women not admitted to the Oratorios in Rome — Concerts in Rome — Monster Concert for the Benefit of St. Peter's Pence Fund — Performance by Liszt — Amount received for the Peter's Pence Fund — England's Contribution to Pope Leo IV. 359 XX11 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXVII. The Abbe Gerbet's ' Rome ChnHienne' — The Eternal City asserted to be favourable for Contemplation— Not the case last Winter — Explosion of a Bomb in the Piazza di Spagna — Fatal Effect — Commotion occasioned by the Explosion — Nature of the Bomb — Another Bomb discovered in the Corso — Intended destruction of Papalini — 'Garibaldi e in Caprera' — The throwing of Bombs in Rome a sign of great sense of Oppression — Political Caricatures — ¦ Blowing up the Pope — Affray between Papal and French Troops — Death of Papal Soldiers — The Pope's Orders respecting side- arms — Patrols in Rome page 366 CHAPTER XXXVIII. Political degradation of Rome — Niebuhr's observation on Modern Romans — The Gardens of Rome — Ancient and modern— A Fairy Garden Lovely Bouquets — An elegant Entertainment — Vespa sian's retreat — The Roman in Villegiatura — The Vigna Codina — Columbaria — Advantages of Cremation — Ashes of a Dog — Great variety of Antiquities — A pilfering Visitor . . . 374 CHAPTER XXXIX. Rome a manufacturing City — The Studios — Copyists of old Pictures — Manufacture of spurious ancient Pictures — Notice respecting authenticity of copies from the old Masters — Story of the ' real original' Transfiguration of Raphael — Roman Tradesmen — Bronzes — Marble Ornaments — Jewellery — Castellani's Establishment — Mr. Gibson and his Studio — His new Statue of Psyche — Colouring Statues — Mr. Gibson's opinion on this subject — Permanence of the Colour — Washing a Venus — Mr. Gibson's great popularity — Canova's life in Rome — Artists in Rome — The English Art Academy — The Italian Academy — Its Objects — Manufactory of Contadinas — Stella — Story respecting her — Pascuccio — Romans not celebrated as Artists — Photography in Rome — The photo graphic Deceit and Nuisance 382 CONTENTS. XX111 CHAPTER XL. The Jews in Rome — The Ghetto— The inconvenience of being too well dressed — The Cenci Palace — Authentic Narrative of the 'Cenci Tragedy ' — Hustled by Jews — A Human Hive — Shops in the Ghetto — A Dealer in Curiosities — A Death-Ring -A Thumb- Screw — A deadly Key — A poisoned Peach — The Acqua Tofana — The five Synagogues — Apparent absence of Religious Devotion — Ancient Shophar — Representation of the Golden Candlestick on Arch of Titus — Endeavours made to convert Jews to Romanism — Jews baptized publicly at Easter ..... page 394 CHAPTER XLI. Peasants from the Campagna — Wage of daily Labourers — Herds men — The Capanna in the Campagna — Their interior Economy — Roman Donkeys — Roman Public Letter- Writers — Antonio Brugi— - His Office — A rough Barber — Love Letters — Specimen of Amatory Poetry — Absence of Intoxication among the Peasants . . 405 CHAPTER XLII. Crime in Rome last Spring — Monster Picnics — Their Enjoyment to the English — Excursion toVeii — Ovid's Gardens— IsolaFarnese — A Cannibal Landlord — The Ponte Sodo — A liberal Spread — Archaeo logical Darkness — The Painted Tomb — Poggio Reale — Etruscan Skeletons — Contents of the Chambers within the Tomb — Excursion to Ostia— The Malaria— The Tiber — Its Delta— Ancient Port of Ostia — Pliny's Villa— His Description of it — Modern Ostia — The Bishopric of Ostia — Excavations at Ancient Ostia — Castel Fusano — The Casino of Prince Chigi — Great Pine-forest — Walk though it to the Sea — Wild View — Pia Tolomei — Her Death by Malaria in the Maremma of Sienna— Excursion to Grotta Ferrata — Basilian Monastery — Charming Sketching Subjects — St. Nilus— Domenichino's Frescoes . • 411 CHAPTER XLIII. The Pope's Royal Progress— Placards in the Streets — Demonstration by the Papalini— Former Papal Processions in Rome— Curious XXIV CONTENTS. Account of the Pope and Cardinals in the Sixteenth Century — Pasquin's famous Antithesis Christi et Pontificis — Arrival of Pio Nono at the Church of the Minerva — Showers of Yellow Paper — The Pope's bravi castroni — Reception of the Pope — His Unpopularity — Campanile of SS. Giovanni e Paolo — Temple of Claudius — Vivarium — Martyr's Prisons — Receptacles for the Wild Beasts destined for the Colosseum — Traditionary Statements — Holes in the masonry of the Colosseum — Opinions respecting them — Chureh of SS. Cosmo £ Damiano — Lives of these Saints — Popular belief in their curative and limb-restoring powers — Parti-coloured Legs — How the Virgin saved a. Lady from drowning .... .... page 431 CHAPTER XLIV. Chureh of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme — A ' Holy Nail ' — Sale of Nails — Blessing Duties of the Pontiff — The Holy Nail in Santa Croce — Copy of Official Document respecting it — Relics in Princi pal Churches in Rome — Ex-voto Offerings — Madonna in Church of S. Agostino — Her Jewels — Pagan Votive Offerings — Madonna della Tufa — Report of Institute of France on Virgin Worship — Winking Virgin at Vicovaro — Attention of Pius IX. — Portrait in the Deanery at Canterbury — The Luxury of Superstition . 447 CHAPTER XLV. Growth of Cotton in Italy — Encouraged by the Papal Government The South of Italy favourable to the growth of Cotton — The Cotton Manufactures of England — Agriculture in Italy — Cattle raised in the Campagna — Railways in Italy — Opposed by Gregory XVI.— Commercial Returns— Wine produced by Italy and other Countries — Wine Jury at the London International Exhibition of 1862 462 CHAPTER XLVI. Dr. Johnson's Opinion of Rome— The Holy Week— Its Ceremonies —Origin of this Word— Early Simplicity of the Christian Religion CONTENTS. XXV — How it became corrupted — The Council of Trent on Ceremonies — Excitement in Rome during the Holy Week — Palm Sunday — • The Palms of St. Peter's — The Tenebrse in the Sistine Chapel — ¦ The Miserere — How to ' behave in a Crowd — English Rudeness — The Cena in St. Peter's — The Cardinal Grand Penitentiary — ¦ Absolution from great Crimes — Good Friday in the Colosseum — The Armenian Service — The Scala Santa — Disadvantages of Crinoline — Baptism in Constantine's Font — -The Lavanda at the Trinita de Pellegrini — The Pilgrim's Supper — An Irish Pilgrim — Bete comme un Anglais — Origin of the Saying . . page 469 CHAPTER XLVII. Blessing Houses and Furniture in Rome during Easter Week — Easter Sunday — Easter Eggs — Various modes of dressing them — High Mass in St. Peter's — Reports respecting the Pope — The official Etiquette on the Death of a Pontiff— The Flabelli— Their Signifi cation — Pio Nono — His Indisposition — The Meteorology of Rome — Dr. Mayer's Theory of the Sun's Heat — The Illumjnation of St. Peter's — The Fireworks on Monte Pincio— The Pope's Day in Rome — Alleged Miraculous Preservation of Pio Nono — Illumina tion of Rome 493 CHAPTER XLVIH. Breaking up of the Season in Rome — Rome before and after Easter — Social Advantages of Rome — Faraday and his Audiences at the Royal Institution — Square Feet and Feet Square— Rome as the Capital of Italy— Speculations respecting her Future — Advantages of a Tidal River — UnhealthineBS of Rome and of the Campagna in Summer — Public Buildings of Rome in the Sixth Century — Aspirations of 'Young Italy' — Joseph Mazzini — His early Days — Imprisoned at Savona — His Resolve to devote his Energies to the Cause of Italy — Garibaldi's Opinion of Mazzini — and of the Future of Rome— Montesquieu's Opinion of the Papal Government — Difficulties in the way of Italian Unity .... 502 XXVI CONTENTS. CHAPTER XLIX. Regrets on leaving Rome — Journey to Naples — Passport Fees — English Consulate — ASlow Train — ' Pio Nono and Garibaldi ' — Lo comotive Engines — Ceprano — More Passport Annoyance — Enter Kingdom of Italy — Custom-House Past and Present — Whimsical Mistake respecting a Penwiper — Excessive Cold — Great Confusion at Station in Naples — Hunt for a Bed — St. Lucia— A Touter — Indifferent Restaurants in Naples — Hotel de Rome . page 517 CHAPTER L. Great Cold — Vesuvius snow-robed — The Toledo — Constant bustle — Political Caricatures — Neapolitan Aspirations — Destruction of Shrines to the Virgin — Political Freedom — Improvements in Naples — Pickpockets— The National Museum — Liberal Regulations — The 'Reserved Cabinet' — Bronzes from Pompeii — The Papyri from Herculaneum — Manner of unrolling them — National Library — San Martino — New Road under S. Elmo — New Protestant Church — A Trattoria — Unruly behaviour of Italian Officers — Teatro di San ' Carlino — Pulcinella ........ 526 CHAPTER LI. Summer again — Cabs in Naples — The Cathedral — St. Januarius — Liquefaction of the Saint's Blood — Still believed in — Inscription in honour of the Saint — My travelling Companion's Scepticism — The liquefying Recipe — Manufacture of Graven Images — Price of a Madonna and Child — The Molo of Naples— The Marinella — Trade of Cigar Ends — Silk Trade — Jewish Population — Fish Market — Opera at the Teatro Nazionale of San Carlo — Perelli — An architectural tour deforce — The Royal Palace — Prince Humbert — The Phlegraean Fields — The Solfatara . . . .537 CHAPTER LII. Pompeii — Ways of going to it— Regulations for seeing it— Director of the Excavations — His Organisation — Manner of obtaining Casts of CONTENTS. XXV11 interesting Relics — Mode of excavating Houses — Objects dis covered in a House — Recent Interesting Discoveries — Remains of four Human Bodies — Discovery of a Well containing Water — A Pompeian Inn — No Houses for the Poor yet found in Pompeii — Wall Decorations in Pompeii — Their great Elegance — The Desir ableness of imitating them in England — Sunday in Pompeii — Re ligious Procession — A ' Holy Family ' overthrown — Present State of Vesuvius — A Night on Vesuvius page 547 CHAPTER LILT. Homewards — Cook's Excursionists — Excitement of the Inhabitants of the Cities of Northern Italy produced by Garibaldi's Ovation in England — Amusing Caricatures — Portraits of Garibaldi — Photo graphs of his boot. — Desire for the Freedom of Rome — II Diavolo Zoppo — Wish to make the historical Centre of Italy the Capital of that Kingdom — Napoleon III. and the Roman Question — His Letter to M. Thouvenel— Effect of the Death of Count Cavour— Renewal of Negotiations — The Guarantee of Italy — Terms of the Convention — The Protocol — Transfer of Capital to Florence — Advantages of this City — Opposition of the Vatican to the Conven tion — The Pope and the Archbishop of Florence — Probable Posi tion of the Papacy — The Strength of the Pope — Sacred Nature of the Pontificate — Financial Difficulties of Italy — Manner in which they will be overcome — The Italian Army — Cavour's Advice re specting the Roman Question — Poem of the 'Boot' — Venetia — Remarkable Prophecy respecting her Future — The Veneti and Ancient Rome — Tradition respecting San Marco — The Winged Lion and Spread Eagle — Probable Freedom of Venice — Stirring Life in the North Italian Cities — Official Announcements — Rewards for Growth of Cotton — Restoration of Ecclesiastical Edifices at Pisa — Completion of Milan Cathedral — Turin — New Buildings — Disappointment of the Turinese — Future of Turin — Necessity for transferring the Capital from that City 564 CHAPTER LIV. Leave Turin — Night passage of Mont Cenis — Uncomfortable Dili gence travelling — Fellow Passengers — The Mont Cenis Tunnel — XXV111 CONTENTS. Erroneous title — Mont Freyjus — Precise locality of the Tunnel- Nature of the undertaking — Convention for carrying it out — Engineering difficulties — Tedious process superseded by present ingenious Machinery — Nature of this — Probable time required to complete the Tunnel — Great advantages that will arise to Italy — Plateau of Mont Cenis — Arctic Scene — Omnibus Sleighs — Descent of the Mountain — Zones of Climate — Spring again — Pine Forest — The Wolves and Walpole's Dog — Arrive at Lanslebourg — Conclu sion . . . . page 582 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTER I. The Start — London City in the early Morning in December — Across the Channel — No Summer Tourists — -A learned Parisian — The S. E. R. Steamer — Mutual Mistakes — The Grand Hotel du Louvre — Upholstery versus Comfort — Varnished Boots — Passports — Lyons — French Opinion of Prize Fights — To Marseilles — A Mistral — Winter Aspect of the South of France — • Marseilles — Mediterranean Steamers — The Pausilippe — A motley Crowd — The Cardinal Archbishop of Lyons — The Distinction of a Blessing — At Sea — A strange Berth — Balmy Air— A Polish Party — A patriotic Father — Arrive at Civita Vecchia. When a man goes to bed with the consciousness that he has to rise on a dark December morning at five A.M. to start by an express train, and that he has to take charge of three ladies, with the usual impe dimenta, throughout a long journey — the destination in this case being Eome — it will be granted that the conditions are not very favourable to sleep. And so, after a wild, dreamy, and almost slumberless night, h I Z LAST WINTER IN EOME. said ladies and the writer were driving through Lon don, while the majority of the inhabitants of the mighty metropolis were still hushed in slumber. But as we drove citywards, we encountered the tide of carts setting from Newgate Market, spreading their life-currents through the arteries of the metro polis in the shape of meat destined to aid in forming human sinews and muscles ; and before we had passed these carts, and the flaming gas-lamps blurred by fog of this vast mart, we met that other great life- tide which, flowing from Billingsgate, overspreads our capital in the form of innumerable fish. No, in London there is no general repose. For before the Sybarites of the west end of the metro polis have retired to their luxurious homes, the sons of toil have commenced their daily 'bread-battle,' administering to the comfort and luxury of those who lay themselves down to sleep, taking no thought in matters of food for the morrow. Dawn breaks through the heavy lead-hued mist that curtains the earth, as we rush behind the screaming engine toFolkstone, and in a few minutes — for here are no flocks of summer tourists with moun tains of baggage — we are on board the fast steamer bound to Boulogne, and in the tumbling Channel. For although a dead calm reigned in London, it was A CURIOUS MISTAKE. 3 blowing hard at Folkstone, and grand waves dashed beneath the bows of the steamer in broad glittering sheets of foam. Business-looking men for the most part are our companions, devoid of that holiday air which happily brightens the faces of those .who crowd the boats to France at the close of the London season— men engaged in commerce, which is daily binding England and France in closer alliance, and let us hope ren dering war between these two great master countries almost impossible. But there were exceptions, one noteworthy. He was a Parisian, who, having expa triated himself for a few weeks from his much- , beloved Paris for the purpose of learning English in London, was returning home for the winter. He was very proud of his lingual acquirement, seizing every opportunity to exhibit his accomplishment. But however pleased he may have been by his per formance, it was extremely crude and imperfect. Striking into conversation, he asked me the name of our steamer. Unable to give him the information, he went to a group of sailors at the bow, and presently returned telling me that he had found out the ship's name, and that it was Save. Somewhat puzzled, I requested further enlightenment, on which he re peated ' Save,' ' Save,' adding, in French, that 'Sare ' B 2 4 LAST WINTER IN ROME. meant Monsieur in that language, and that he had seen the name on the jackets of the sailors. ' Oh, " Sir," I suppose you mean.' ' Yes, dat is it.' Having some knowledge of the steamers running between Folkstone and Boulogne, and never having heard of one called ' Sir,' I had the curiosity to see how far my Parisian acquaintance was correct ; so ap proaching the sailors, who, according to the former, had the name of the steamer inscribed on their guernseys, I saw the letters S. E. E., which the reader will have no difficulty in perceiving stand for South-Eastern Eailway; the name of our steamer being the ' Albert Edward.' Let us not, however, laugh at our neighbours. Our long peace with them has caused our language, difficult to a Frenchman, to be much more extensively cultivated in France now than formerly ; and do we not commit many blunders quite as absurd as the foregoing, which, though often highly calculated to provoke laughter, are generally heard with cour teous indulgence ? But here we are running fast up Boulogne harbour alongside of the pier. No English in pork-pie hats and wonderful dresses are present to see us comino- in — only a few fishermen and fishwives, with the usual cordon of police. On to the station, where we gather THE GRAND HOTEL DU LOUVRE. 5 round the stove and drink soup which would be more acceptable were it hotter — you never can get real hot coffee nor soup in France — and as evening fell arrived in Paris. Hearing much respecting the Grand Hotel du Louvre and its comforts, we go there, are hoisted by the appareil mecanique to the third floor, where we take possession of good rooms; and presently, very hungry, descend to the [salle-a-manger, res plendent with gilding and mirrors, which, however, we would gladly exchange for the aspect of supper. The well-got-up waiter puts a carte into our hands, but we soon find that a great gulf of time lies be tween perusing the names of the edibles on the carte, and their appearance in substance on the table ; and however well the system may work for the hotel establishment of requiring travellers to fill up blanks in tickets, specifying date, number of apartment, cUtail de la consommation, &c, it is by no means satisfactory to the latter, who are obliged to wait a long time before their wants are supplied. At breakfast precisely twenty-five minutes elapsed be tween the time that I filled up a ticket for one modest egg, and its appearance on the table — a length of time which, bearing in mind the vaunted and much- advertised resources of the establishment, strongly 6 LAST WINTER IN ROME. reminded me of the fable of the ' Mountain and the Mouse.' Doubtless it is in consequence of this time- consuming arrangement that the saloons are so gorgeously decorated, in order that the fretful im patience of the hungry visitor may be in some measure allayed by the contemplation of the paint ings and magnificence around him. The Emperor of the French, I am quite sure, has the good sense to eat his meals in far less elaborately decorated apart ments than those in the Grand Hotel du Louvre, where comfort is sacrificed for show. But the French like all this ostentation, and especially young Paris, which delights in luxe. I heard a Frenchman demand angrily, as I was passing through one of the corridors in the ' Grand Hotel,' why his boots had not been varnished? and when the sommelier replied that he had no varnish, the Frenchman retorted in such angry language, that the poor servant was obliged to appease his wrath by assuring him that his boots should be varnished for the future. Seriously speaking, the ' Grand Hotel ' and others of the same nature are not comfortable resting-places, and are extremely antagonistic to that ease which proverbially belongs to ' mine inn.' Having procured the vise of the Papal Nuncio to our passports, which you must do if Eomewards LYONS. 7 bound, we took the express train to Lyons, and remained there the following day, which was Sunday. Amazing improvements are going on in this silk metropolis, Napoleon III. putting his mark on many parts of the city. The new Eue Imperiale pierces the entire town, and old houses are fast disappearing. So elsewhere in La belle France ; and in a few years the artist will search in vain for those picturesque old buildings which are a delight to draw. At breakfast in the large salle-a-manger, I heard expressions by no means favourable to our country men, who were declared to be ' barbares,' &c. Curious to know what occasioned this outburst of feeling, I listened attentively, and presently ascer tained that it proceeded from the accounts of the recent fight by Heenan and Sayers, copiously given in the Paris papers, the details of which gave rise to unmitigated disgust. Bluer skies shone as we left Lyons behind, sug gestive of those which we hoped would be over us in fair Italy. But a change came — for beyond Avignon we plunged into a fierce mistral, through which noble Mont Pelvoux loomed black-purple ; so fierce and strong that, large trees bent and broke beneath its influence, and the canes fringing the railway were 8 LAST WINTER IN ROME. hurled into the air like straws. Not a pleasant prospect for our voyage on the Mediterranean ; but it is the nature of these mistrals, which are cyclonic, to be very local. How different is the aspect of the Continent during winter to that familiar to the summer tourist. The south of France through which we were speeding, well known to me by repeated visits during summer and autumn, is now bare and barren. No vines heavy with clustering purple fruit mantle the earth, olive trees alone relieve the barrenness. The Ehone, by the side of which we are running, is shrivelled to a mere thread, lacking the liberal glacier supplies which feed and make it full in summer. We arrived at Marseilles at seven in the evenino-. and drove straightway to the office of the Messageries Imperiales, where we engaged berths in the steamer leaving at ten o'clock p.m. for Civita Vecchia. The vessel, as we expected, was very full ; and when we arrived on board, it was alarming to contemplate our probable fate should Neptune prove unkind. As I am writing in the hope of being of some use to those who may follow my steps and winter in Eome, I may mention that you can only obtain good berths in the steamers of the Messageries Imperiales proceeding to Civita Vecchia or Algiers at this time THE PAUSILIPPE STEAMER. 9 of the year by securing them many days in advance, which can be done in London or Paris ; but this involves the forfeiture of half the fare should you be prevented sailing on the appointed day. There was indeed a motley crowd on board the Pausilippe, all bound to the Eternal City. The confusion too, made worse by insufficient lighting, was fearful. It was a repetition of that scene so amusingly and graphically described by Byron on board the famous Lisbon packet : All are screaming, Men and women, Gemmen, ladies, servants, jacks ; Here entangling All are wrangling, Stuck together close as wax. Standing room was difficult to obtain, sitting space almost impossible; and as for berths to contain us all, that was evidently out of the question. The variety of passengers was very amusing. Con spicuous among them was the Cardinal Archbishop of Lyons, Monsignor Bonald. As soon as he was recognised, many ladies knelt reverently before him while he blessed them, de scribing with his outstretched hand the monogram of Christ, ICXC. 10 LAST WINTER IN ROME. A bishop has the privilege of giving this blessing, but a cardinal has the additional privilege of grant ing one hundred days' indulgence, whereas a bishop can only grant forty. English, French, Germans, Prussians, Eussians, Poles- — our steamer is a very Portus omnium gentium, where you may study character to your heart's content. But hark! the parting bell rings, shrill sounds the steam whistle, the paddle-wheels revolve, we glide between many ships and lateen-rigged barks, and in a few minutes are out on the Mediterranean. Fortune favoured us ; the sea was of lake-like calm ness ; countless stars were mirrored on its tranquil waters ; no mistral had fretted the ocean here into mad clashing waves. Thus favoured I remained long- on deck, for the air was balmy ; and having no berth, there was no temptation to go below. But towards the morning hours the increasing chilliness compelled me to seek my unknown sleeping quarters. They were sufficiently singular to merit description. Fancy a large sofa divided rectangularly into four portions by a slight division breast high. Three of these spaces were occupied by ladies, the fourth A STRANGE BERTH. 11 was vacant. ' There, sir,' said the steward, pointing to this, ' that is your gite.' ' But the ladies ? ' I de-: manded. 'Well, they have not taken off their clothes, and of course monsieur will not take off » his ! ' I thought of Sterne, and of his bedroom difficulties ; but mine were greater, for he had only one lady in question, and the shield of two curtains, besides numerous corking pins, whereas I had three ladies for my companions and no curtains, nor any friendly nook that might do dressing-room duty, the sofa being placed in a small ante-chamber leading to the ladies' saloon. However, there was no choice ; so merely divest ing myself of boots and coat, I threw myself on my portion of the couch, and was only sensible of my proximity to womankind by seeing occasionally a white and well-rounded arm interposed between me and the sky-light, the effect perhaps of an uneasy dream. With the first streak of dawn I was on deck. The sea was absolutely without a ripple, broken only when some sea inhabitant leaped, or sea bird dashed down to seize his prey ; and the air was so balmy, that it was not easy to realise that we were in December. The custom on board the Messageries Imperiales 12 LAST WINTER IN ROME. steamers is to give you a cup of coffee early in the morning, followed by a substantial breakfast at ten o'clock. At the latter all were present, or rather as many as could find seats in the saloon. ' Make way for the Cardinal,' exclaimed some of the French passengers, anxious to do honour to the Archbishop of Lyons ; and space being cleared, in stalked His Eminence with his attendant priests, receiving rever ence from several ladies as he passed to the place of honour reserved for him. Monsignor is going to Eome on important ecclesiastical business, of which we may hear something in the course of this work. It is the happy privilege of sea voyaging that, once on board, your travelling anxieties respecting inns and luggage, coaches, railways and time-tables are over. And when favoured by calm seas and fine weather, what locomotion more pleasant than that in a good ship ? Our voyage from Marseilles to Civita Vecchia was most enjoyable, for throughout we quietly steamed on, While never a breeze did breathe ; Slowly and smoothly went the ship, Moved onward from beneath. A pleasant party, too ; among them four Polish girls of great beauty robed in rich sables, going with their father to Eome for the sake of one of the girls A PATRIOTIC POLE. 13 who was consumptive. Though inhabitants of Prus sian Poland, and not at present suffering from the oppressor's wrong doings, they were full of lamenta tions and indignation respecting the treatment which their less fortunate countrymen were undergoing. Their father, though a wealthy man, stated that however much he might like to spend the winter at Eome with his daughters, he did not feel that he should be justified in being absent from his country, so he proposed returning to Poland as soon as he had placed his daughters in the hands of their uncle in Eome. The patriotism of this gentleman was very great. As an instance of it, I may state that having come into possession of a very valuable watch that had been given to Lord Nelson by a continental sovereign, he stated that he would present it willingly to any rich Englishman disposed to assist his unfortunate countrymen by a gift of arms or other munitions of war. And so we glided on through the tranquil sea in which porpoises rolled lazily, the air so warm and still that it seemed as if The ocean had no blast ; while when evening fell, His great bright eye most silently Up to the moon was cast. 14 LAST WINTER IN* ROME. Another night, during which I beheld the white arm again waving over me, though profoundly ignorant of the similitude of its owner's face, and when morning dawned, the anchor of the Pausilippe was dropped in the harbour of Civita Vecchia. 15 CHAPTEE II. The Harbour of Civita Vecchia — Ruinous Quays — Fortifications — French Troops — The Landing — Custom-house Examination — Books stopped — Bathing in December — The Sights of Civita Vecchia — Miraculous Picture of the Virgin — II Lampione — Who pulls the Wires — A 'curious Ex Voto — Diamond Nipples — The Market of Civita Vecchia — Woodcocks — Railway to Rome — Orange Trees — The Campagna — Alban Hills — First View of Rome — Early and mature Sensations - — Ideal and real Rome — The Railway Station — Great Confusion — Hotel de Londres. Whatever romantic or pleasant ideas the traveller bound to Italy for the first time may have formed of that country, entering it by Civita Vecchia will in all probability dispel them in a very summary and rude manner. A more unlovely place it would be difficult to point to, and your first impressions are rather strengthened than otherwise on close acquaintance. The quays, bearing the inscription ' ALEX. VI. Pont. Max.,' of infamous memory, are in a most ruinous condition ; but while commerce is abased, war lifts up its head, the grand fortress planned by Michael Angelo having been thoroughly restored by the French, who have also added considerably to the defences on the land side. 16 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Though Civita Vecchia is a free port, the trade is very limited, being almost entirely confined to the import of coal for the gas-works at Eome, and to a small coasting trade. The stagnation is however greatly relieved by the French troops who occupy Civita Vecchia, and who as usual torture the morning air by shrill trumpet-blasts and a never-ceasing roll of drums. They are very conspicuous on the quays, bustling about after their fashion, and are indeed so numerous that you fancy you are in France. But a blue sky of great glory, on this December morn, arched sea and land, and presently puffs of white smoke were blown from the sides of a war-ship in the harbour, followed by the roar of cannon. The Papal Government was saluting His Eminence the Cardinal, who, scarlet hat in hand, bowed farewell to his fellow-passengers, as he descended the steamer's side to the man-of-war's boat that bore him on shore. Not so easy was our disembarkation. We had to undergo the passport ordeal, the more vexatious now that the European States are relaxing their inquisito rial grasp on travellers ; but it is due to the authorities af, Civita Vecchia to state, that this and other annoy ances have been considerably ameliorated lately. The golden rule to be observed, if possible, by the traveller CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICIALS. 17 in the States of the Church, is not to be in a hurry ; and if you can discipline your mind into the convic tion that there is nothing to be gained by attempting even to hasten the movements of police officers or porters, you will probably get through the official gates of the Papal States without losing your temper. The Custom-house examination was, on the whole, mild, books only being strictly examined. Several works interdicted by the Papal Government were seized, among others many of George Sand's, all of which are in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. They belonged to a Parisian, who looked forward, as he told me, to their affording him during the winter pleasant mental pabulum. The English reader will be probably of opinion that his mind suffered no loss by being without them. He was, however, greatly vexed by losing their companionship, for although the Custom-house official stated that he was at liberty to apply to the authorities at Eome for their restoration, it is needless to say that he saw them no more. Anywhere but in the Papal States, a special train would have been prepared to take us on to Eome, seeing that we numbered more than two hundred passengers. Such an innovation could not, however, be thought of for a moment here, so we had to wait until twelve o'clock for the usual ordinary train. c 18 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Bathing under a very hot sun — fancy this in mid De cember — and seeing the few sights of Civita Vecchia, filled up the time. The most noteworthy 'lion' in this poor town is the so-called miraculous picture of the Virgin in the church. This painted figure is said to have per formed numerous miraculous cures, several of so surprising a nature that scepticism, which often breaks forth in caricature, has not been slow to flatly deny the wonder-working power of this painted canvas, accounting for her singular movements in a very prosaic manner. ' II Lampione,' a publication akin to our ' Punch,' which appears weekly at Florence, devoted a number last winter to the exposure of the imposture of the Civita Vecchia Virgin. A large pictorial sheet represents the people bowing before the image — priests receiving their offerings ; while our Saviour appears in the background draw ing aside a curtain, behind which are two priests pulling the strings by which the reputed miraculous image is made to wink. Beneath are these words : ' 0 popoli, non e 1' imagine che muove gli occhi, ma sono i fili e le macchine dei falsi sacerdoti che con questi miracoli da giocolieri cercano di resvegliare il fanatismo religioso e 1' infame brigantaggio. Siate fedeli al vostro E&, amate la patria, e la mia divina THE 'LADY' OF CIVITA VECCHIA. ]9 madre, che non entra per nulla in questa imposture, benedira alia vostra resurrezione.' Despite this and other exposures, the power of our Lady of Civita Vecchia is not questioned by many persons. The numerous ex votos surrounding . the picture attest this. Among these is a small gold bosom with a diamond nipple, the offering of a lady cured of a breast disease ! As we shall see presently, another miraculous picture of the Virgin has recently started up near Eome. On leaving the church we strolled through the market, in which were many vegetables more in keeping, as we should imagine, with the season of summer or autumn than with that of winter. But winter had not yet chilled the air, and thus, with heat as great as that of June in England, it was curious to see strings of woodcocks for sale. The price demanded was six pauls a brace, equal to 2s. 6d., probably above their market value. They were fine birds, shot for the most part in the myrtle groves surrounding Civita Vecchia. Shortly after noon we were en route for Eome. The railway carriages were constructed in England, and rolled on English iron made by English capital. The second-class carriages are cushionless, the third- class seatless. The fares are high, 9s. and 7s. for c 2 20 LAST WINTER IN ROME. first and second class respectively, the distance be tween Civita Vecchia and Eome being forty-two miles. The charge for luggage is enormous. The line runs parallel to the sea-shore half the distance, here — A bare strand Of hillocks, heaped from ever shifting sand. On leaving the coast it enters the lonely Campagna. Not however entirely lonely, for you pass large herds of grand grey oxen which gaze curiously with their lus trous eyes at the train, and occasional flocks of sheep tended by the ever-watchful dogs, and shepherds clad in goat -skin breeches. Fringing the ravines — for the Campagna is far from level — are tangled wildernesses of myrtle, bay, wild figs, and numberless plants sown by the wandering winds. Near Santa Marinella you may see date, and orange trees, the latter starred with globes of ripe fruit; and as you draw Eomewards, large cane-br»kes, the cover of many wily foxes, skirt the railway. And now, as we round the heights of II Truglio, the purple Alban hills appear, their fine picturesque out line culminating in Monte Cavo, and their broad breasts dotted by the white villages of Albano, Lericci, Castel Gandolfo, Grotta Ferrata, and Frascati. You would fain gaze long on this lovely scene, but the train sweeps on, and Eome is before us. FIRST VIEW OF ROME. 21 And here the reader may apprehend that I shall break forth into sensational writing, as is the wont of many travellers when they first behold the City of the Caesars. But I knew Eome of old — saw it first from the well-remembered heights near La Storta; and having then given vent to feelings appropriate to the occasion, I am not disposed to let them run riot now. But I would not have the reader imagine, though my pulse did not beat as of old when the vast ellipse of the Colosseum first awed my soul into silence, that I gazed again on the world's former mistress unmoved. Not so. The very name of Eome cannot be heard without emotion ; and there breathes no man, be he ever so world-worn, who having drank deep of the influences of Eome during his early years, can revisit that fascinating though fallen city without being moved. The wild delight which stirred the pulse then, is now tempered by experience and knowledge ; and whatever we may lose in the nature of romance is amply compensated for by a more correct appre ciation of the great and the beautiful. But be you ever so disposed to romance, the first view of Eome from the windows of a railway carriage is not the most likely to realise your ideas of the city on the seven hills. Visitors to Eome, and especially classical visitors, are, I apprehend, apt to imagine 22 LAST WINTER IN ROME. that the city is as Augustus is said to have left it — marble; whereas it is, with few exceptions, only brick — a kind, in short, of classical Monte Testaccio. Crumbling walls, patches of tawny soil — vine-mantled in summer, but now bare and unlovely — broken arches, tottering towers — such is the Eome that meets your view as the train sweeps round the south east portion of the city, and finally comes to rest near the baths of Diocletian. My courier duties, often severely taxed during the journey, now culminated to a most patience-trying degree at the station, where an amount of malorgani- sation exists which conveys a very poor idea of the capacity of Eoman railway officials. At length, how ever, we had the satisfaction of finding ourselves, with all our impedimenta, rattling over the lava pavement to that, centre of the English quarter in Eome, the Piazza di Spagna. Here we met with a friend who recommended us to go to the Hotel de Londres, not yet quite packed by English, and took possession of rooms until our plans of residence be came formed. 23 CHAPTEE III. Madame Starke, and Mr. Murray, the 'Mother' and 'Father' of the English in Rome — Rome no longer a Cheap City — Rent of Lodgings — Cost of Living — Restaurants — Tea — Wine — Adulteration Pro cess — Fuel — Wood from Tiber — Coal and Coke — Blankets versus Fires — Horses and Carriages — Hackney Cabs — Hotels — Cost of Apartments — Tabled'Hote — Howto silence aBore — Hotel de Rome — Hotel de la Minerve — Boarding in Roman Families — Palaces let by Roman Princes — Largo dell' Impresa — Origin of the Name — Price of my Rooms and Board — My Landlord and his Family. If dear old Madame Starke was, as the Eomans called her, the Mother of the English visitors in Eome, assuredly Mr. Murray is entitled to be called the Father of our countrymen and women who make that city their home during the winter. Well, as several who read these pages are probably aware, our great and privileged cicerone tells us that Eome is now fully as dear as any European city. Such an announcement is not pleasant to those who, possessing only a moderate income, imagine that a residence in Eome will be economical.* Yet so great * Reichard's Itinerary of Italy, a guide-book of considerable cele brity in its day, states somewhat amusingly, under the date 1819 : 'A prudent Englishman, not ambitious of being thought a nobleman, may certainly live in Rome very cheap.' 24 LAST WINTER IN ROME. are the attractions of the Eternal City, and so anxious are all who can appreciate them, to see the once proud mistress of the world and the possible capital to be of the kingdom of Italy, that considerable pecuniary sacrifices will be made to gratify that wish. To those, therefore, who may contemplate wintering in Eome, the lights of experience with reference to living in that city may not be unacceptable. I purpose, therefore, throwing together in this chapter a few notes on the subject ; and first, with respect to lodgings. Unless you are willing to live in a part of Eome unfrequented by English, where the streets are narrow, close, and very dirty, apartments, with few exceptions, are as expensive as in first-class European cities. The fact is, that while the demand for lodgings increases annu ally, the supply in the English quarter does not in crease ; and thus those who have apartments to let ask and obtain higher prices, the augmentation in the price of provisions also compelling housekeepers to demand higher rents. You cannot now obtain a comfortably furnished sitting-room and bedroom in a good situation in Eome for much less than forty scudi a month (81. 10s.), while the price of rooms in fashion - able and favourite localities exceeds this sum. The cost of living has not increased in the same ratio as that of apartments. Mrs. Starke, who was very exact COST OF LIVING IN ROME. 25 in her information on these matters, states in her guide to Eome, published in 1834, that 'the best Trattorias charge English families ten pauls a head for dinner, bread and wine not included ; ' while ' one Trattoria,' she adds, 'will supply dinner, though of an inferior description, for five pauls a head.' At present, notwithstanding the cattle disease which has carried off thousands of animals within the last five years, the restaurants of Eome will furnish a sufficiently good family dinner for six pauls a head, exclusive of bread and wine; and few families, I apprehend, give as much as ten pauls. Eome is still wretchedly supplied with restaurants, there being only two or three where a lady can dine in any comfort, and these are expensive. Men, how ever, may dine at others very unexpensively, some of the best dinners that I partook of in Eome as regards good meat and cooking having only cost four pauls ; butlmust add that the dirt of these restaurants went far to mar the enj oyment of the good food and cooking. Excellent tea may be procured in Eome, but the price is six shillings a pound. Wine, as in other large cities in Italy, varies greatly. At the hotels it is, as a rule, indifferent ; and the same remark applies to the wines generally sold in Eome, which are all more or less adul terated. Many of the country wines, when genuine, 26 LAST WINTER IN ROME. are wholesome and good; and I have frequently had a foglietto, equal to a pint, of excellent wine at roadside inns near Eome for which I have only paid six baiocchi, or three pence. A family occupying apartments for the winter in Eome might easily procure a barrel* of good country wine ; but to ensure its being genuine, care should be taken to convey it into Eome by a trustworthy agent, as the adulteration generally takes place during the transit of the wine from the vineyard vaults to the city. The process is very simple, the barrel being tapped, the wine ex tracted sold to the landlords of roadside inns, and the vessel filled up with water. Fuel has increased enormously in price, in conse quence of the great demand for wood and the inade quate supply. So scarce, indeed, is the latter, that when the Tiber is in flood, you will see men and boys in small boats moored in the river engaged in securing any fragments of timber that may be floated down, the smallest pieces even not being overlooked. Coal and coke, since the establishment of the gas works, may be purchased, but both are also extremely dear ; so that large fires, absolutely necessary if you would be comfortable during a cold winter in Eoman rooms, become very expensive luxuries. I * A barrel contains about seventy foglietti. COST OF CARRIAGE HIRE IN ROME. 27 have known more than one Eoman lady, inhabiting handsome apartments, have recourse for warmth in winter days to cheerless blankets on account of the high price of fuel. No articles, however, have risen so much in price as horses and carriages. Mrs. Starke states that the charge for a good carriage and pair of horses and driver was 81. a month. Now 30Z. is demanded, and you will not probably succeed in obtaining one for less; and even at this increased price you are not empowered to take the carriage beyond ten miles from Eome without extra charge. Happily for the visitor who has not a large credit at his banker's, the fares of hackney carriages have not gone up in proportion to those hired by the month. For four pauls an hour, the price in 1834, you may at present hire a two-horse carriage ; and the fare for a set down in a one-horse cab is only fifteen baiocchi. The small reticulated lava pavement in Eome is so painful to walk upon, that however much you may like pedestrianism, you will scarcely be able to walk in the city with impunity: ladies in thin kid boots would assuredly come to grief in a very short time. Good quarters are so essential to the comfort of a family in Eome during the winter, that I strongly recommend those who propose occupying lodgings 28 LAST WINTER IN ROME. in that city during winter to proceed to it not later than the latter part of November. During that month choice will be easy, whereas in December you will find the most eligible apartments taken. With regard to hotel life in Eome, preferred by many on account of its independence, there is little to be said. The hotels in Eome have undergone great improvements during late years, but as a rule it costs more to live in them than in lodgings, that is, presuming you have private apartments.* Wearisome, too, is the monotonous table d'hote, at which you may have unpleasant neighbours, and yet not be disposed to plead the infirmity of deafness to check conversation. Should you, however, have no such scruples, you may try the plan adopted by a gentleman who I am assured finds it answer admirably. When he sees a person who he appre hends will prove an undesirable neighbour, he places a card in a conspicuous position on the table, inscribed ' I am very deaf,' which effectually turns the current of the neighbour's talk in an opposite channel. The Hotel de Eome, a large and new establish ment in the Corso opposite the Church San Carlo, * These of course vary according to size and situation. A sitting- room and two bedrooms on the third floor in the Hotel de Rome were charged last winter twelve scudi a week. HOTELS IN ROME. 29 possesses the advantage of having various public apartments, comprising drawing, music, reading, and billiard rooms. Here, however, as at the other large hotels in the English quarter, all the visitors, with scarcely an exception, are English. Should you desire to mix with foreigners, you must patronise the Hotel de la Minerve, a large establishment near the Pantheon, enjoying the well-merited reputation of a good cuisine, but inconveniently situated. The prices at this hotel are lower than at those in and round the Piazza di Spagna. Holding that to go abroad and live entirely among your countrymen is, to say the least, not the most likely course to acquire useful information, or to profit by opportunities, as soon as my travelling companions were comfortably settled in lodgings, I resolved on endeavouring to live with an Italian family. Now this in Eome is not easily accomplished. For willing as many Eoman families are to let rooms in their houses — the princes even let parts of their palaces — taking strangers as boarders has not yet become their practice. However, thanks to a lady acquaintance who has been married for some years to a Eoman nobleman, I was introduced to a family, the head of whom was a count and an Officer in the Guardia Nobile, who 30 LAST WINTER IN ROME. were willing to receive me into their circle. I left the terms entirely in the hands of the family, and they became thus adjusted. For the use of two rooms, breakfast — consisting of coffee, bread and butter, meat or eggs — luncheon, dinner, and tea, including atten dance and all extras excepting fire in my rooms, I was to pay forty scudi a month, on the understanding that I occupied them for three months. The situation of the house was good, being in the Largo dell' Impresa,* about a minute's walk from the Corso where it abuts on the Via Frattina; but my rooms were eyrie-like, requiring the surmounting of 104 steps to gain access to them. One member alone of the family, the head, spoke any language but Italian ; and as the latter comprised three ladies, two of whom were his youth- * So called from the first government lottery having been estab lished, or, as ' Impresa ' means, undertaken there. The locality is celebrated as being in the centre of the famous Campus Martius, and an inscription over the door of one of the houses records that on its site the grand obelisk was found now erected on Monte Citorio, which, according to the interpretation of the hieroglyphics on its sides, possesses the venerable age of nearly twenty-six centuries. It was conveyed to Rome from Heliopolis by Augustus, who made use of it in the construction of his famous sun-dial. I take this op portunity of acknowledging my obligations for the above information respecting the origin of the name of Largo dell' Impresa to Rufini's Dizionario Etimologico Storico dette Strode, Piac.e, §c, di Roma. I am the more desirous to mention this source because several persons have expressed a desire to see such a publication, not being aware of the existence of Rufini's Dictionary. MY LANDLORD AND HIS FAMILY. 31 ful dark-eyed daughters, it will be seen that oppor tunity was not wanting to acquire a speaking know ledge of the language. In short, while it was certain that English comforts would not be my portion, yet at the expiration of my term I hoped that I should be able to say — I 've taught me other tongues, and in strange lands Have made me not a stranger. Nor did the result disappoint my expectations. Bacon pithily advises those proceeding to foreign countries ' to sequester themselves from the company of their countrymen, and diet in such places where ' there is good company of the nation where he travelleth.' Acting in a great measure on this counsel, I was soon enabled to converse in Italian, and made such good friends with my landlord and his family, that I venture to believe we were mutu ally sorry when the day arrived for my departure from Eome. 32 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE IV. My Quarters — Description of them — Charm against Evil-eye — Jettaturas and Jettatrices — View from my Windows — Grateless Rooms— Stufas — Ancient Roman Stoves — The Conte — Guiseppe: — A Philological Puzzle — A ludicrous Mistake — A Family Dinner — Italian Dishes — Their Peculiarities — Garlic and Horace— Large Appetites — How Roman Girls eat — Capelletto Soup — Mental Culture among Romans — Shelley's Opinion of Roman Women — The Italian Language — How spoken in Rome — Contrast between the Voices of Roman and English Women — Gesticulation of the Romans — Pretty Feet rare in Rome — Dinner Guests — The Game of Tombola — Great Excitement — Dislike of Tea by the Romans. Behold me now established in my Eoman quarters, and as you may have some curiosity to know what they are like, here is a sketch of them. They consist of two rooms communicating with each other ; the salon is furnished in French style, and contains a piano, on which my landlord's daughters sometimes play. Over my bed is a Madonna surrounded by golden glory, and as I often when lying in bed look at her, I wish the painter had made her prettier. On a chest of drawers near my bed are a pair of mag nificent ox's horns highly polished, and mounted on CHARM AGAINST THE EVIL EYE. 33 pedestals, the avowed object of said horns being to avert the evil eye. This information was solemnly im parted to me by my landlord the Conte, so that if there happened to be a jettatura, or what is worse, a jetta- trice, in the family or among their visiting acquaint ance, the evil influence might be happily averted. And with greater probability seeing that there were two horns, for two are more powerful than one. If evil fascination lurks in dark eyes, then indeed my landlord's daughters, and particularly the youngest, may be a jettatrice, and her father may have con siderately done all in his power to protect me from her influence. But according to Albertus Magnus I need not be under any apprehension with respect to the eyes of the latter, for they are full, swimming, and lustrous, whereas, says that renowned authority in all matters appertaining to the art of magic, the true evil eye is dry, rigid, hollow, and an unlovely object set in a pallid skin, and such as you would instinctively turn away from. Well, thus preserved from evil influences, I sleep, of course, well ; for how could it be otherwise ? My landlord's house being at the corner of a piazza, my windows command three long streets issuing from it, in which much variety may continually be seen. An amusing look-out ; and evidently this is the opinion of D 34 LAST WINTER IN ROME. others besides myself, for I frequently see the heads of my neighbours projecting from the windows of the adjoining houses. Opposite my sitting-room window is a noble frieze surmounting the walls of a vast house. The carving is as fresh as if it had been executed yesterday, and yet, like many other friezes doing similar duty, it once belonged in all probability to some grand Eoman building of the Imperial period. Now when I add that my rooms are carpeted, and amber-coloured cur tains, Eoman fashion, drape the doors, you will say I am in comfortable quarters. Alas, no; said rooms are grateless, and instead of grates there were portable stoves, or stufas,* as they are called, in which a species of charcoal procured from the bakers is burned. Dear reader, wherever you may lodge dur ing winter at Eome, go not where such stoves are, and fire-places are not. The stufas were my skeletons. If half filled only, the heat they gave out during cold weather was miserably weak ; if entirely filled, my head became racked by such pain, that the cold, such as it often was, was far more endurable. * It is worthy of remark that these stufas resemble in form those used by the ancient Romans in houses unprovided with hypocausts. It seems, however, to have been customary to anoint the fuel which they used with the lees of oil (Amurca) to prevent smoke, hence it was called ' ligna acapna ml coota, nefumum facient.' COLD IN ROME. 35 Though acquainted with Eome, my first sojourn in that city was during spring, and I had there fore no experience of the winter season. This I imagined would be mild, rendering fires almost unnecessary. Never did I make a greater mistake. Hope not to escape cold by wintering in Eome Indeed, if not proof against cold, you will probably be far more comfortable during winter in the south of England than in any Italian city. It is only, however, I may observe, in the old Eoman houses that the rooms are without fire-places. Massively built, frequently with materials stolen from temples or palaces, their builders seem to have ' been anxious only to exclude the heat of the sun. When I took my lodgings I was not aware of the chilly discomfort in store. For during December the temperature was mild, rendering artificial heat unnecessary. I generally breakfasted alone, for an Italian break fast and that pleasant English repast have little in common. Occasionally the Conte favoured me with his company while I breakfasted ; more frequently, however, the man-servant Giuseppe, who I suspect had been specially retained on my account, indulged me with the gossip gathered during his visits among the neighbouring tradesmen. Giuseppe was a curious D 2 S6 LAST WINTEE IN ROME. character ; he suffered from some kind of paralysis which twitched his legs in a very surprising manner, and occasionally seemed to influence his upper organs, and even affected his power of expression. At first I conceived that my inability to understand him arose from my limited knowledge of Italian, but when I could converse pretty fluently in that lan guage I still found Giuseppe a philological puzzle. My frequent erroneous construction of his words was a cause of the greatest merriment to him. Shortly after my arrival he came into my room while I was in bed, and sputtered out in a most extraordinary manner, ' Avete voi panni sporchi ? ' so incoherently that, after many ineffectual attempts to understand the question, I came to the conclusion that the police had demanded my passport, the manner that he pronounced the foregoing words being more like ' passi porti ' than ' panni sporchi ; ' so I replied that the troublesome document was in the hands of those officials. My answer had, however, the effect of send ing Giuseppe reeling out of the room convulsed with laughter ; my interpretation of his words being, as the Italian scholar will have seen, very wide of the mark. Left to my own devices during the day, I joined the Conte and his family at dinner. At this meal I ITALIAN DINNERS. 37 was initiated into many Italian dishes remarkable, as a rule, for their oleaginous character. During the first month I rather dreaded this family repast ; * for, apart from my inability to appreciate several condiments which indeed appeared to my unedu cated palate to be positively nasty, the excessive desire to heap food on my plate, despite my earnest protestations that I could eat no more, filled me with despair. Under no circumstances being a large eater, the oily pabulum soon satiated me, and long before my companions had got through half their dinner I had dined. * You eat nothing,' was their exclamation ; ' take, take, pray take, senza complimenti,' a favourite expression among Eomans, and mighty masses were heaped on my plate. But as a perhaps too- fas tidious ' minister of the Interior ' generally sturdily resisted further invasions, I- was obliged to decline their polite attentions in a very peremptory manner. It was satisfactory to find, however, that the surplus was never wasted. The appetite of Eomans is * I am bound in gratitude to say that my English antipathy to garlic was respected, dishes flavoured with this awful root never having been proffered to me. Surely Horace must have had a British horror of garlic when he wrote his Detestatur allium, quod apud Maecenatem ederat. 38 LAST WINTER IN ROME. amazing, nor is it confined to the sterner sex. It has been my painful lot to witness elegant-looking Italian girls eat until it became a serious problem to deter mine where what they had eaten had been stowed away. There are two dishes so greatly relished by the Eomans, that I verily believe they would eat of them until absolutely surfeited. The one is a soup called capelletto, literally small hats, in which float, as the name implies, diminutive hats made of paste moulded into the form of a hat and filled with spiced meats ; the other, the orthodox and indigenous macaroni, which, dressed in various ways, is always a favourite bonne bouche among Italians. To me, the justice done by a Eoman family gathered round their dishes, for the soup in question may be so called, is a sight which does not tend to increase my admira tion of, at all events, young handsome ladies. ' Unless you eat largely you cannot be well,' is a common remark among Eomans; and I have even heard the death of a lady attributed to insufficient eating. Let it not be imagined that this picture is over drawn. Eating enormously is the rule, and not the exception, in Eome, among the Eomans ; nor did it appear to me that anything came amiss to them. Hap pily for me, who played so indifferent a knife and fork ROMAN LADIES. 39 part, talking filled up every moment that the jaws were not otherwise employed; and thus, profiting by good opportunities, I was soon enabled to take part in the conversation. Naturally enough great curiosity was manifested by my landlord's family, and especially by his daughters, respecting England and English customs. Innumerable and sometimes most amusing questions were asked, betraying for the most part amazing ignorance. Being aware how little educa tion enters into domestic life in Italy, I was in a great measure prepared for this ; but the reality far exceeded all ideas I had entertained from previous acquaintance with Eome. Eomans have evidently undergone but little change in mental culture since Shelley wrote of those people when residing in Eome : ' The Eomans please me much, especially the women, who though totally devoid of every kind of information or culture of the imagination, and in this respect a kind of gentle savage, yet contrive to be interesting.' ' Those that are beautiful,' he adds, ' cease to be dangerous when you hear the commonplaces which escape from them. They are totally destitute of that fascination with which English intellectual women entangle the heart of man in soul-woven labyrinths. ' * * Letters from Abroad. 40 LAST WINTER IN ROME. It is our fate, as we journey through life, to see many fondly-cherished beliefs destroyed by practical experience. Those familiar only with the Italian language from hearing it warbled on the stage, and knowing it to be a many-vowelled tongue, will scarcely be prepared to hear that when spoken by Eoman ladies the infliction to susceptible ears is positively painful. Harsh screaming is a more appropriate term. Assuredly the majority of Italian women, though possessing a dolce lingua, have no idea of the beauty, tenderness, and grace of a soft and low intonation. I have frequently been rendered almost distracted by the screaming voices of Italian women at Eoman parties, each lady endeavouring to outscream her neighbour. After hearing these, the soft sweet voice of an English girl is inconceiv ably soothing. If it be true, and I do not question the assertion, that woman is very much as man makes her, Italian men must be very indifferent to the harsh sounding voices of their wives, sisters, and daughters ; for if they suffered half as much pain from them as is felt by English ears, they would endeavour at least to effect a reform. When I became better acquainted with my land lord and his family, I frequently, when the storm of SCREAMING VOICES. 41 conversation howled around me, entreated the ladies to speak a little less loud, as fortunately no one present was deaf. This screaming propensity arises doubtless, in a great measure, from the excitable temperament of Italians. Arouse an Italian and his entire body speaks. The famous musica muta of the ancient Eoman still lives in him, and even still more in an ' Italian woman, of whom it may be truly said, There 's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip, Nay her foot speaks. Which leads me to observe that Eoman ladies have not pretty feet, Nature having apparently lavished all her beauty on the upper part of their persons. We had occasional dinner guests, among others an old Marchese and his young wife, so young that when first introduced to her I supposed the lady to be his daughter ; and as all the nobility ran in his veins, I concluded it was one of those not uncommon marriages in Italy when parents save their daughters the trouble of choosing husbands. On these party days, when dinner was over, the game of Tombola was always introduced. This is a species of small lottery ; ninety numbers are placed in a bag, and those win who soonest cover cards which they have chosen, and which bear numbers 42 LAST WINTER IN ROME. corresponding to those drawn from a bag. The excitement of players at this game is prodigious, and though we never played for higher stakes than a few baiocchi, winners shouted aloud with joy, while losers gave vent to their feelings by expres sions which, as they often involved the name of God, are better left untold. When I remained at home, the ladies generally •honoured me with their company at tea, of which however they partook most sparingly, as even a quarter of a cup caused them, as they alleged, to have sleepless nights. On these occasions I made great progress in colloquial acquirements, and who but a very dullard would not with three ladies for instructresses, two of whom were young and very spirituelle. 43 CHAPTEE V. City Noises — The Noises of Rome — Vagabond Dogs — Their Night- ways — Dog Law — -Goats versus Dogs — The Dogs of the Apocalypse — How Roman Dogs are destroyed — The Cats of Rome — Their love-making Localities— More frightened than hurt — Bagging Roman Cats — Roman Butchers — Chopping Meat — A Stroll through Rome — Piale's Library — The English Quarter in Rome — Piazza di Spagna — Column to commemorate Establishment of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception — Artists' Models — Old Beppo — Suppression of Beggars — Licensed Beggars — Want of good Reading-rooms in Rome — St. Peter's — Wretched Pave ment — Rome wants a Napoleon III. — The Immaculate Conception again — Where first mentioned — The Windows at the East end of St. Peter's — An ideal gigantic Organ — Why the Pope cannot set up such an Instrument in his Cathedral — Roman Ecclesiastical Logic — Napoleon I. and St. Peter's — The Architecture of the Churches in Rome. Had you ever, dear reader, the good fortune to reside close to a great thoroughfare in a city un troubled by disagreeable noises ? Probably not, at least such has never been my fate ; and though Eome has nothing so dreadful as our London organ nuisance — now, however, somewhat abated — yet there are noises within the city which are very painful ; sleep- disturbing, too, seeing that they commence a little after midnight. Perhaps the most common is that 44 LAST WINTER IN ROME. of houseless howling vagabond dogs, who, unblessed by kind masters, spend the greater part of the night in endeavouring to pick up their living. As in Constantinople, they perform much scavenger duty, nosing every heap of immondezza festering in streets, lanes, alleys, and piazzas. The majority consider that they have a prescriptive right to certain districts, in which they will not, if they can help it, tolerate trespassers. Often, when returning home late at night, I have recognised the same dogs grubbing in streets where I have seen them before ; and one was so constant to his beat, that I never passed by it without seeing him hard at work upon the heaps of garbage within it. When these tenants in possession descry a poacher on their manor weaker than themselves, they fall on him with great ferocity ; and I generally knew when a dog was under going summary justice by the piteous howls startling the midnight air. On the advent of Easter these vagabond dogs are often very severely punished by the goats driven daily into Eome at that season from the Campagna. These goats, which supply many of the householders with milk, have the habit of standing close to the walls of the houses ; and when they see an unwarv dog engaged on a dainty bonne louche in the middle THE DOGS OF ROME. 45 of the street, a goat will make a tilt at him and butt him with such violence as to knock him clean over in the heap of immondezza, from whence he slinks away uttering grievous cries. These dogs, I may add, would increase very rapidly in numbers were their ranks not thinned annually. At the commencement of summer all wandering dogs are collected in an appointed place, and after due notice those not claimed are destroyed.* Cats, too, abound in Eome, and as the portones of the houses are generally open during the night, these animals are extremely fond of carrying on their inharmonious amours on the stairs leading to your apartments. Many a time, when I have been groping my way at night up lightless and unknown stairs, I have been startled by cats dashing spasmodically across my face. When these midnight disturbers become very numerous, a raid is made against them ; many are then bagged and conveyed to the tawny Tiber, or cast into Trajan's forum, from whence, how ever, strong muscular cats generally contrive to escape. * A Protestant who was endeavouring to show the points of simi larity between the ' great city ' in the Apocalypse and Rome, frankly admitted that the comparison did not hold good in one respect. For whereas in Revelations (xxii. 15) it is stated that ' without are dogs,' it is quite certain that these animals are, at all events at present, within the city. 46 LAST WINTER IN EOME. But there is a noise peculiar to Eome which dis turbed me far more than dogs or cats, and I am led to mention it in order that, should any of my readers contemplate spending a winter in that city, they may, if possible, reside at some distance from its influence. It is caused by butchers chopping up carcases of animals slaughtered in the abattoirs. The operation generally commences about three o'clock in the morning, and lasts some three or four hours, during the whole of which time the noise produced by chopping meat alternates with the ringing of the cleaver on the block, for at every two or three chops the instrument is flung down, occa sioning a most disagreeable clashing noise. Under no circumstances is it pleasant to be within view of a butcher's shop, and especially of those in Eome, which are by no means remarkable for their cleanli ness, and this noisy disturbance renders their proxi mity the more undesirable. Of course aristocratic Piazza di Spagna is uncontaminated by butchers' shops, but several good and otherwise eligible lodg ing-house streets near it contain butchers, and an adjoining thoroughfare bears the name of Due Macelli. Having delivered myself of these admonitory hints, let us take a stroll through Eome, or rather PIAZZA DI SPAGNA. 47 through the main arteries, to see whether any improve ments have been effected in the city during recent years. And first to Piale's library, for, English like, we want to see the newspapers, and ascertain from the visitor's book who are here. And so we go through the Via Condotti, meeting what Tommy Moore calls Cursed round English faces ? at every step ; for although December is not over, Eome is already full of Britons — so full, that if the fashion for wintering in Eome continues, and in creases in proportion to the influx of visitors during late years, the English quarter will become ere long half the city. Whew ! what is that vile erection deforming the Piazza di Spagna, which has sprung up since we were last in Eome ? We approach a pillar of Cip - polino marble, reared in front of the Collegio di Propaganda Fide, and read that it has been erected by. Pope Pius IX. in commemoration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, established by His Holiness in 1854. Erected too, it might be added, to testify the low state to which art has fallen in Eome. The Cippolino shaft, fine in itself, is en tirely spoiled by trumpery bronze tracery, which, in the form of lattice-work, coats a considerable portion of its base. Turning away vexed and disquieted; we 48 LAST WINTER IN ROME. pass at the foot of the steps leading to the Church of the Trinita di Monte, observe that the quaint old boat- shaped fountain is sadly in need of repair, and that the broad steps leading to the church are no longer the resort of artists' models. True, there are one or two groups who by virtue of their years are privileged to remain here for hire ; but the models, as a body, are not now permitted to dispose themselves on these marble steps in picturesque attitudes, and even old Beppo, long associated with them, has ceased to per secute you for alms as you pass up or down them. The municipal government has effected no greater reform in Eome, during recent years, than that of putting down the great begging nuisance. There are, it is true, a few beggars still to be seen, but these are licensed to beg, wear a brass plate, and rarely pester you for relief. The great influx of visitors to Eome has led to no improvement in Piale's library and reading- rooms, now quite too small for the requirements of visitors. They are, moreover, very badly supplied with newspapers and periodicals. Indeed the latter branch of literature was represented, as far as I could observe, during last winter, by one stale Eeview. Why does not some spirited man open commodious reading-rooms in Eome? They are ST. peter's. 49 much wanted, and would assuredly prove remunera tive if conducted on liberal principles. If the en trepreneur were English, it is probable that greater facilities would be accorded to him for carrying on his business than would be granted to an Italian. Papers that would be stopped at the post-office, if directed to Eomans, are allowed to enter the English club on the understanding that they will not be permitted to circulate beyond the club. You are not likely to be many hours in Eome with out visiting St. Peter's, and so, having the afternoon to myself, I strolled to the mighty cathedral. How, picking one's way over those foot-torturing stones through the filthy streets leading to Eome's great Basilica, one longs for a Napoleon III. to wave his enchanter's wand over this part of Eome. The world can show no cathedral comparable to that of St. Peter's, and nowhere will you see fouler streets than those by which it is approached. Lifting one of the ponderous leather curtains, we stand within the fane. Fresh as ever are the marbles lining the walls, and the mosaics in the dome, recently cleaned, are bright and beautiful. Time seems to pass so tenderly and gently over this vast temple of God, that you cannot detect its traces. More even to be deprecated than the tasteless 50 LAST WINTER IN ROME. column commemorating the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the Piazza di Spagna, is the defacint of the tribune by huge marble slabs bearing the names of the cardinals and bishops who were present in St. Peter's on the publication of the dogma. They are painfully like the tablets too commonly seen in many English churches, ostentatiously re cording the names of donors to charities, and are wholly out of place where they are. Not taking it for granted that every schoolboy knows where the first mention of this dogma is made, I may inform my readers that it is among the doctrines and legends derived by Mahomet from Christian sources, and received back from him into Christendom. 'The assertion,' says Dean Stanley, ' of the Virgin Mary's entire exemption from all stain . of sin first appeared, so far as is known, in the 3rd chapter of the Koran.' * Thus Pius IX. is not after all the inventor of this dogma, but has only reintroduced it into the church of which he is the head. Vain would be the man who might even hope to , write anything that has not been said before of St. Peter's. Forbearing, therefore, any attempt at description, I will merely observe that I was impressed * Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church, p. 312. THE WINDOWS IN ST. PETER'S. 51 j'aore than ever by the eye-sore occasioned by the ;old glaring windows at the east end of the cathe dral.* The windows are, I am well aware, in archi tectural harmony with the cathedral, but they are not the less offensive to the eye, and especially during the forenoon, when floods of light pour through them. I have always longed to mask them with a mighty organ that should be worthy of such a cathedral. It is the one thing wanting to make St. Peter's perfect, for though there are several organs in the building, they are small instruments, and only calculated for chapel service. Conceive the glory of a gigantic organ pealing through the f world's greatest religious temple, rolling its grand waves from end to end of the vaulted nave, and filling aisles and chapels, tribune and dome, with harmony. Talking once to a High-Church dignitary in Eome on this subject, and expressing my surprise that the Pope did not furnish St. Peter's with a large organ, he informed me that His Holiness had not the power to erect such an instrument, papal etiquette re quiring all music in the presence of the Pope to be sung without any instrumental accompaniment. ' What ! ' I exclaimed, ' is it possible that the pontiff * The east extremity of St. Peter's is that of the principal entrance, over which are these windows. E 2 52 LAST WINTER IN ROME. who introduces the dogma of the Immaculate Con ception cannot put up an organ in St. Peter's ? ' The ecclesiastic did not see the logic of this remark, but the reader will agree with me that my observation was at least based on common sense. It was, as you may remember, the intention of the first Napoleon to be crowned in the Basilica of St. Peter ; but this, like other ambitious designs on the part of that wonderful being, was never fulfilled. Had it been carried into effect, I have often thought that such an organ as I conceive would have been added to the glories of Eome's great cathedral. While writing this I am well aware that the great glory of the Eomanesque or Eound architecture is, as Mr. Buskin expresses it, 'being without corrup tion.' To overlay it with decorations is at once vicious and disfiguring. All the churches in Eome may be classed under one or other of the following simple forms. o o Pantheon. ZH Basilica. Pantheon. Lathi Cross. Greek Cross. There can be no doubt that the Eoman churches would impress us more if they were less ornamented ORGANS IN CHURCHES. 53 by decorations in the upholstery style. Even the Minerva, the only Gothic church in Eome, though weak and unsatisfactory compared to the glorious Gothic creations in the north of Europe, would be far more pleasing were it less tricked out with orna ments. But all churches should have organs. The nature of this noble instrument is admirably adapted to combine with architectural decoration. All ac quainted with the great Eoman churches must lament that, while they groan under the weight of altars and their trappings, not one possesses an organ worth hearing. 54 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE VI. Advent of Christmas in Rome — Zampogni and Eifferi— Regina Cceli— The Pifferari— The Roses of Rome— Roman Streets— Peni tential Pavement — Cardinals and their Lacqueys— Christmas Eve —The Holy Cradle— Quaint Hat and Sword — Vespers in the Sis- tine— Pope Pius IX.— The College of Cardinals — Their Dress — The warbling Wethers — Singing in the Papal Chapels — Concert at the Palazzo Bonaparte — The Holy Bambino. No need at Eome to be told that Christmas is at hand ; for hark ! the streets resound with the buzz and drone of zampogni and pifferi blown by pious Italians at this season of the year to celebrate the praise della Eegina Cceli. Look out when you may, you always see a couple of pifferari in their well-known picturesque costume standing beneath the shrine of a Madonna, taking no heed of numerous ragazzi, who regard them and their rude instruments at first with stupid wonder, often followed byjeers and derision. You will meet them in every piazza, via, and vicolo in Eome, exploring their intricacies in search of the images of their beloved Madonna, their devotion being apparently real, for I never saw them begging. But you cannot look long at them without seeing THE PIFFERARI. 55 baiocchi cast into their hats, for they are liked by the adult population, many of whom regard them with reverential feelings, representing, as they are sup posed to do, the ' shepherds to whom the wondrous birth was first revealed in the heavens. Indeed, so beloved is the Virgin, that any show of outward devotion to her is sure to meet with a ready response, and when the pifferari, in the course of the Novena, sing Ma guardate la Vergine beata, Che in ciel e in terra sia nostr' awocata, zealous and religious listeners generally reward them with baiocchi. Yes, Christmas is near, but its advent is not heralded by holly starred with crimson berries, making gay the market-places ; nor can you, when contemplating the deep pure skies filled with Hues which have words, and speak to us of heaven, believe that this season of religious rejoicing has commenced. Myriads of roses still make the gardens in and around Eome gay, and large bushes of rose- ' mary are blue with blossoms. But out of the sun shine the streets are cold, and, chilled by the blast, you walk fast, or endeavour rather to do so, for unless your feet be of hoof-like structure you cannot walk fast over the Eoman pavement. More than 56 LAST WINTER IN ROME. half a century has passed since Forsyth wrote — ' The streets of Eome seem only to have been made for the rich. Their small reticular pavement galls the pedestrian ; they afford no protection against the fury of carriages, and are lighted only by the lamps of a few Madonnas.'* Oil lamps now feebly illumine the side streets and alleys, and gas makes the corso and a few leading thoroughfares bright; but the vile lava pavement remains. Sometimes when limping over it I thought that the priests, who manage all things here, may regard the said pavement as doing wholesome peni tential duty. For if pilgrims put peas in their shoes for penance, they may wound their feet in Eome without being at this trouble. I wonder whether it was out of consideration to the tender feet and often puffy ankles of cardinals that ecclesiastical etiquette forbids that their eminences should walk in the streets of Eome. I am quite sure that they could not do so without speedily suffering. Their eminences may not unfrequently be seen taking their prome nades without the walls, or on the Pincio, followed by their lacqueys bearing wonderful umbrellas ; in the streets of Eome, never ! To the Eoman Catholic, every day, as you will see * Italy in 1802-3. pius ix. 57 by the ' Diario Eomano,' or ' L'Annee Liturgique,' is a festa ; but during Christmas week the Eoman Catho lic Church shines resplendent, as is fit and meet, in her celebration of the birth of our Saviour. On Christmas-eve the cannon roared from the Castle of St. Angelo ; the chapter of St. John Lateran went in procession to the Sancta Sanctorum, and exposed the figure of our Saviour ; glorious Santa Maria Maggiore blazed with myriads of wax candles, while a portion of the reputed holy cradle was exhibited to the faith ful in juxtaposition with the extremely quaint hat and sword sent annually as a present from the Pope to some sovereign. As usual, His Holiness was present during vespers in the Sistine. My landlord introduced me to a gen tleman of the papal household, who kindly took me into the chapel by a private entrance — a privilege which those who have undergone the fatigue and crush incidental to long waiting at the doors of the Sistine Chapel before they are opened, will duly ap preciate. On this occasion, I saw Pius IX. for the first time. His benevolent face is well adapted for photography, and is generally well rendered in his > photographic portraits. A generation of cardinals has passed away since I had last seen the Sacred College in the Sistine Chapel. Those now assembled 58 LAST WINTER IN ROME. within this edifice seemed to me in all respects inferior in dignity to their predecessors. Heavy saturnine-visaged men for the most part, having doubtless pensieri stretti, though most certainly not volti sciolti. Divested of their gorgeous robes, scarlet caps, glittering rings, and lace, which must make many women's breasts flutter with envy and covetous de sires, and clothed in plain priestly garments, they would certainly fail to excite admiration. It was a wise act on the part of Pope Innocent IV. to so clothe these dignitaries of the church as to inspire the people generally with respect. Prior to 1244, they wore no red hat or any mark of distinction. On Christmas-eve in that year the Sacred College first appeared habited as we now see them, and we cannot doubt that many cardinals of the Wolsey type have been, in some measure at least, indebted to their magnificent dress for the awe they have inspired. But, hark ! the warbling wethers within their gilded cage fill the Sistine with melody. Are those indeed the voices of men, which flute-like steal upon the ear ? You think that one cantatrice from the Apollo must be concealed behind the lattice, so woman-like is that voice, so exquisitely sweet that solo. But no ; the singer is a fat man, by no means THE POPE'S CHOIR. 59 lovely in appearance, so we are glad that he is con cealed, and that we hear without seeing him. Though occasionally extremely beautiful, the singing in the papal chapels is, as a rule, monotonous. In deed, although the Eoman Catholic ritual is admir ably adapted for music, Eome is far behind other cities in the'excellence of her musical performances in connection with her churches. When the Pope's choir put forth their strength, and sing the grand and impressive music of Palestrina or Allegri, you cannot fail to be delighted ; but these performances are rare, and the ordinary church music on Sundays is extremely poor, and quite unworthy of the build ings in which it is executed. On Christmas-eve a grand concert was given at the Palazzo Bonaparte, at which several fine compo sitions by the old masters of sacred music were per formed ; and, as the singers were all of high merit, tlfe execution of the various pieces was excellent. All the handsome rooms were thrown open. One contained a representation of the Nativity, the bambino being swathed in rich robes, and placed in a manger surrounded by figures intended to represent Joseph, the Virgin, &c. This bambino exhibition is common at this period in Eome, in houses of the upper ranks. 60 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE VII. Christmas Day in Rome — St. Peter's — Entrance of the Pope — High Mass — Church of Ara Cceli — The Bambino of St. Luke — Infantile Preaching — Maternal Vanity — History of the Holy Bambino — Gibbon and his 'History' — Adoration of Images and Relics — Patron Saints — Gregory II. — Council of Bishops at Constantinople — Saints honoured in Rome. Christmas Day. Cannon again boom from St. Angelo ; the great bell of St. Peter's rings out, and vast multitudes, obeying the call, radiate from all parts of the city to the vast Basilica. Vast indeed, for, be the multitude ever so great, there is still always room within that cathedral. No one, even during the Jubilee years, ever saw St. Peter's absolutely full. I was indebted to my landlord for a place within the tribune. Habited in his ' tenuta di gala,' as his orders prescribed, and headed by a Suisse, who clove the serried ranks of the English, struggling fiercely to improve their positions, he conducted me to an excellent locality behind the cardinals, and close to the Pope. How the latter entered CHRISTMAS DAY IN ST. PETER'S. 61 the Basilica, floating as it seemed above the heads of the kneeling multitude, between the gorgeous ostrich wing-like fans, the choir meanwhile chant ing the well known Tu es Petrus ; how cardinals and prelates, with training robes, passed sweeping up the tribune to do homage to their sovereign high pontiff; how the fine clear voice of Pio Nono was heard proclaiming the usual indulgenza proper for the day ; how, when His Holiness at the high altar, surrounded by glittering ecclesiastics and military pomp and glory, beat his breast thrice and exclaimed ' Domine non sum dignus ' before he swallowed a portion of the wafer ; * and how, above all, when the ostia was elevated and the silent people were on their knees, the never-to-be-for gotten silver trumpets were blown from the far-off gallery, typical to the faithful of the trump of the archangel, are ceremonies which have been too often described to render it necessary to dwell upon them here. But, grand and imposing as are these solemnities, they are held in little esteem by the people generally, who greatly prefer visiting the curious old * The wafer is divided into' three portions ; the Pontiff partakes of one, the two remaining portions are given to the officiating cardinal and to the suddiacono. 62 LAST WINTER IN ROME. church of Ara Cceli during the Christmas week, than their grand cathedral. In that church, which stands, as you will remember, on the site of the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus — where Gibbon, as he tells us, while listening to the sandalled monks singing vespers, conceived the idea of writing his immortal history — is a small, insignificant, and badly- executed image of a bambino. This figure, said to have been carved by a Franciscan, and painted by St. Luke, is regarded with peculiar veneration by devout Eoman Catholics, and no wonder, if one quarter of the miracles which it is stated to have per formed be true. And so during Christmas week the bambino, arrayed in costly robes and jewels, is laid in a manger, surrounded by figures representing the Virgin, Joseph, and others, and all day long crowds of excited devotees press forward to admire and pray before the sacred image. But this is not all ; during the week a miniature stage is erected opposite the chapel, from which children, principally of the high or middling class, deliver short discourses laudatory of the infant Jesus. This is really a most entertaining sio-ht. O O Tricked out in the gaudiest dresses that the vanity of their mammas can afford, the little children, many scarcely able to lisp, are lifted on the stage THE BAMBINO OF ARA CtELI. 63 by monks, and having learned their lesson by heart, declaim piccolo sermonettas to the satisfaction of their parents, and the infinite delight of the crowds surrounding them. And it is a curious spectacle to see how these children, many mere infants, are imbued with that spirit of acting which may be said to be innate in the life of an Italian. You will see the tiny creatures tossing their arms about, shrugging their shoulders, and stamping their little feet with an empressement reminding you of the stage. A brisk sale of representations of the ' bambino,' and of a small book containing the history of the image, was going on at various stalls outside the church. The pictures are more truthful than the history, for this states that the wood of which the image is composed is olive, whereas it is mahogany. The book further states that Gibbon was moved to write the ' Decline ' by contemplating the ceremonies in the Ara Cceli, which he regarded as little better than Pagan ; but, adds the little book, Signor Gibbon was an ' infelice Protestante pieno di mal talente.' Surprising adventures befel the bambino on its voyage to Eome ; the ship containing it being over taken by a fearful storm, it became necessary to throw all the cargo, &c, overboard, including the box containing the precious image. This, after 64 LAST WINTER IN ROME. having been long buffeted by the waves, was eventually cast ashore at Leghorn, and transported amidst much rejoicing to the Church of Santa Maria Ara Cceli in Eome. The auspicious event occurred in 1250, since which period, according to my authority, the image has continued to be regarded with intense veneration not only by the citizens of Eome, but also by the spiritual subjects of the Pope; and as these comprise some one hundred and forty millions, it is evident that the bambino has a large number of adorers. 'As little better than Pagan.' How far Gibbon was correct in making this assertion, is a question forced on all thinking Protestants who behold the ceremonies of the Catholic Church in Eome, and [particularly those connected with the adoration of saints, relics, and images. There is scarcely a day on which the images of one or more saints are not set up, if not for adoration, at least with the effect of moving the people to think more of them than of God. Every- church has its festa, a kind of benefit, when the patron saint of the edifice is exhibited in a very conspicuous manner, his or her effigy being sometimes a masterpiece of art, and some times a wretched plaster image gaudily painted, but which nevertheless finds adorers, for I have often pppn such busts kissed fervently by man and woman. IMAGES IN CHURCHES. 65 This multiplication of images is entirely opposed to the pure and simple doctrine of the early Chris tians. To Gregory II. (a.d. 715) attaches the re nown of justifying their adoration. The images set up by the Greeks and Eomans were, he avowed, mere fanciful representations of gods or demons, whereas those in Christian churches are in the similitude of the Virgin, Christ, and the saints. How Gregory hurled his thunder against the bold iconoclast Emperor Leo, and how that pontiff's exertions, aided by the Empress Theodora, pre vailed, is well known. Images and their worship became established, and from that period they have held a foremost place in the Eoman Catholic Church.* The fact is the more surprising, because in the year 754, in the reign of Constantine IV. (who bore the nickname of Copronymous), a general Council consisting of three hundred and thirty-eight bishops met at Constantinople, at which the worship of images was not only declared abominable, but it was further decreed that all such things should be cast out of the Christian churches. * ' Leon et son fils firent la guerre aux images, mais Gregoire II et l'lmperatrice retablirent les images ; et alors les moines r£com- mencerent a abuser de la piet6 publique.' — Montesquieu, Grandeur et Decadence des Romains, p. 183. 66 LAST WINTER IN ROME. The ' Annee Liturgique a Eome ' gives a list of six * hundred and seven saints, all of whom are more or less honoured in that city. And this number, be it observed, far from exhausts the list, the martyrs being a very 'army,' as our own Prayer Book calls them. 67 CHAPTEE VIII. My Landlord in Attendance on the Pope — How His Holiness is de fended — Life of Pio Nono — Origin of the House of Mastai Ferretti — Infancy of the Pope — His Weakly Nature — Wishes to enter the Army — His Dandyism when Young — Greatly admired by Women — Aspires for the Hand of the Daughter of Prince Albani — Is disappointed — Goes to Rome — Leads a Gay Life in that City — Endeavours to enter the Guardia Nobile — Falls ill — Becomes a Priest — His Religious Zeal — His great Eminence as a Preacher — Is appointed Secretary to a Religious Mission to Chili — His Zeal and Bravery — Returns to Europe Created Archbishop of Spoleto — Cardinal and Bishop of Imola — The Abbess of Fognano — The Countess of Spaur — Elected Pope — Hopeful Anticipations of his Reign — Becomes an TJItramontist— His Policy more to be ascribed to his Ministers than to himself — Epigram on him — Superstition respecting Duration of his Reign — Cardinal Antonelli. As I was dressing this morning, my landlord stalked into my room in full uniform, helmeted, booted, and spurred, carrying his sabre in one hand, and in the other a brace of small horse-pistols — a truly warlike figure, for, be it observed, the Guardia Nobile, while rigidly shaving the whiskers, encourage their mustachios to grow to a great length, twisting the ends in corkscrew fashion. The Conte had received orders to be in attendance at the Vatican F 2 68 LAST WINTER IN ROME. early in the forenoon, as the Pope was going to drive out. ' Do you always,' I enquired, ' attend His Holiness thus armed ? ' ' Invariably, when he drives out ; and see,' he added, 'the pistols are loaded and capped.' ' Is the life of the Pope in danger, that these precau tions are taken?' ' Who knows? ' he replied; 'there is a National Committee in Eome holding secret meet ings, and assassination is unhappily not very rare.' It was the observation of a man who had much experience of life, that the greatest temporal happi ness would probably be found could a human being combine the three following conditions : — To live as a beautiful woman to the age of twenty, be a successful general from that age to fifty, and hold a high ' office in the priesthood during the remainder of life. I greatly doubt whether popes would be willing to endorse the latter part of this theory. The history of their lives does not assuredly warrant us in supposing that they have enjoyed much happiness as chief priests of the Eoman Catholic Church. Pius IX. cannot be considered an exception. For though he ascended the throne under favourable auspices, and gave great hopes that his policy would be liberal, yet he soon trod in the footsteps of his pre decessors. THE HOUSE OF MASTAI-FERRETTI. 69 Eetribution quickly followed. From being a popular prince he became extremely unpopular ; and by establishing the Inquisition immediately after his return from Gaeta, he evinced his determination to rule with an iron hand. But though not popular in Eome, I do not think that his life is in any great danger from the assassin's knife. At the same time there are men whose minds have become so warped by oppression and political wrongs, fancied or real, as to be dangerous. Such are the fifty priests in the great asylum of lunatics at Aversa, near Naples, who are said to be mad on account of the temporal power aud its abuse by the Pope, and who would doubtless raise their hand against the pontiff if opportunity presented, and so His Holiness does not go abroad without armed men at his side. And here it will not be out of place to give a sketch of the life of Pio Nono, in whose person, as many think, the perplexing problem of the Eoman question is principally centred. Towards the end of the sixteenth century, a comb- maker, Alberto Mastai, of Brescia, with whom the world did not go well, went to live at Sinigaglia. Fortune smiled on him in his new home ; the comb- maker flourished, and became so rich that he obtained the hand of a young lady of fortune, named Ferretti, 70 LAST WINTER IN ROME. and at the same time the rank of count. Such is the origin of the house of Mastai-Ferretti. Giro- lamo Mastai-Ferretti, descended from the latter, married a daughter of Count Sallazzi, and the issue of this marriage is Gian-Maria Mastai, born in 1792, now Pius IX. From his infancy he seems to have been weak, subject to epileptic fits, and difficult to manage. When a boy, he was sent to the college at Volterra, presided over by the learned astronomer Inghirami ; but his chronic indisposition did not permit him to derive much advantage from that seat of learning. On returning home, however, his health greatly im proved, and as he grew stronger he manifested a keen desire to enter the army. To fit himself for this profession, he devoted much time to athletic exercises, and soon became remarkable for his military bearing. Those familiar with the appear ance of Pius IX. as seen in St. Peter's or the Sistine, will scarcely be prepared to hear that in youth he was noted for his dandy dress, appearing always in a semi-military uniform, wearing boots, and spurs, and seldom seen without a cigar in his mouth. Being very handsome withal, a tolerable poet, and good musician, he soon became an object of admira tion to many, and of affection to some, girls ; but THE YOUTH OF THE POPE. 71 although more than one loved him, he aimed high and sought the hand of Elena, daughter of Prince Albani. This lady, who is said to have been ex tremely beautiful, at first encouraged young Mastai, but eventually married the colonel of a regiment quartered at Sinigaglia, whom she was in the habit of meeting frequently at the reunions in her father's house. The disappointment was so severely felt by young Gian, that to alleviate his misery he plunged into dissipation, drank deeply, and gambled largely. About this juncture Napoleon's career had termi nated; Pius VII. returned to Eome, and public affairs began to assume a tranquil phase. Accordingly young Mastai, who was leading a very unsettled life, was sent to Eome, where two of his uncles resided, who it was believed were in a position to be of service to him. Arrived in the capital he engaged a very humble apartment, his allowance being only 3l. a month. Nevertheless, so fascinating were his manners and so handsome his person, that he soon became one of the most fashionable young men in Eome, and was a constant visitor in the palaces of the highest nobles in that city. A successful player, his winnings enabled him to live in a manner that made him the envy of less fortunate youths, and led to love adventures not yet entirely forgotten in Eome. 72 LAST WINTER IN ROME. But though young Mastai was well pleased with the life he was leading, it was far from satisfying his parents, who naturally desired to see their son esta blished in some honourable profession. Accordingly, as the mihtary spirit still burned strongly in Gian- Maria, an attempt was made to satisfy it, to some extent at least, by placing him in the Guardia Nobile, which had been established immediately after the Congress of Vienna. His interest was sufficiently great to cause him to be enrolled as a candidate for admission in the corps, but a representation having been made to the secretary of state that he was subject to epileptic fits, his name was removed from the list of candidates, and he was advised that he must not hope to be a Guardia Nobile. The intel ligence overwhelmed him with sorrow; his spirits became depressed ; a dangerous illness supervened, on his recovery from which — due, as some of his biographers declare, to the intercession of the Virgin — he determined on devoting his life to the cause of religion. Eeport says that he was led to this determination by the Pope saying to him, ' Caro giovane, you are suffering from two cruel diseases — epilepsy and love. Be advised by me — fatevi chierico — and you will be cured of both.' BECOMES A PRIEST. 73 There are many still living in Eome who remem ber the sudden and extraordinary change in young Mastai. Discarding his fashionable costume, the neat boot and clanking spur gave place to thick shoes, the- laced coat to a black soutane, and the jaunty step to a measured walk with bent head and downcast eyes. At this- period Mastai was twenty-four years old. Hard study followed, and finding that this, though pushed to excess, did not impair his health, but rather improved it — a change due more probably to an abstemious life — he conceived that God especially called him to the work of priesthood, and* having obtained the necessary medical permission to enter the Church, he was ordained. His religious zeal now rapidly unfolded. Ambition too, that powerful mainspring of the human mind, prompted him to turn his natural gifts to the best account. En dowed with a peculiarly fine melodious voice, well remembered by all who have had the pleasure of hearing him read the offices in St. Peter's or the Sistine Chapel, he studied elocution, practised preaching extempore, and soon acquired such a mastery of language as to draw vast crowds when ever he ascended the pulpit. He was particularly brilliant in his fervorvni — short impassioned dis courses, such as you may hear during holy week 74 LAST WINTER IN ROME. at the Gesu — and carried his congregations entirely with him. Women who had admired Mastai as a youth of fashion now hung on his impassioned words, and buzzed round his confessional ; strong-minded men, too, became weak before him. For he shook their souls by his pictures of the terrors in store for the wicked, and simulated purgatorial flames by plunging his hands in burning spirits. But gratifying as all this was, the youthful priest sighed for more active occupation and a more exten sive sphere of usefulness. An opportunity was not long wanting. Pius VII. having decided on sending a political-religious mission to Chili, Mastai applied to be appointed secretary, and succeeded, though against the will of his family, in obtaining the appoint ment; The mission, headed by the Bishop of Civita di Castello, after a long and hazardous voyage, arrived at Buenos Ayres. The journey from that city to Chili was attended with great suffering, but although the mission underwent many perils, they were pro ductive of no other effect on the secretary than that of causing him to desire to remain in he country ; one reason doubtless being that his health, so far from being impaired by the hardship and climate, was sensibly ameliorated. Indeed he has been heard more than once to say, that he never enjoyed better CREATED ARCHBISHOP OF SPOLETO. 75 health than during this period of his life; and so entirely did he enter into the spirit of the under taking, that when his chief, discouraged by the ill success attending his efforts to convert the natives, determined on returning to Europe, Mastai was for remaining in Chili at all hazards, preferring even possible martyrdom to abandoning a measure to which he had committed himself. On Mastai's return to Europe, Leo XII. filled the pontifical throne. This pontiff, naturally enthusiastic and energetic, testified his entire appreciation of Mastai's conduct by creating him Archbishop of Spoleto. The elevation seems to have had a very unhappy effect on his disposition. He soon became unpopular in his diocese, and eventually so disliked, that when Gregory XVI. assumed the tiara, he was removed from Spoleto, and created Cardinal and Bishop of Imola. In his new see Mastai was less violent, his more placid conduct being due, according to some authorities, in a great measure to the influ ence exercised over him by the Abbess of Fognano, and subsequently by the Countess of Spaur. Many stories are current respecting Mastai's affection for this lady. That she had great power over him, is pretty evident from the circumstance that one of Cardinal Antonelli's first actions, when Mastai became 76 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Pope, was to banish that dangerous and fascinating lady from Eome. Though Mastai's early life was not by any means uneventful, yet the Eomans knew very little of him until he was elevated to the tiara. In grateful re membrance of the kindness of Pius VII., he assumed the name of Pio. Elected Pope on June 16, 1846, he had reigned eighteen years last June ; and as his health is far from good, it is not likely that he will in his own person belie the proverb applied to the papacy, Non videbis annos Petri — no Pope since St. Peter having occupied the pontifical throne for twenty-five years. But it will be a consolation to many should His Holiness die before 1871, as a general belief is entertained that, should any Pope reign for the same number of years as the Apostle who presided over the Church, Eome will be imme diately destroyed. Such in outline has been the life of the great high priest of Eome, a man who, when he ascended the papal throne, was hailed by the liberal party with a frenzy of enthusiasm, but who soon, by his policy, became the champion of Ultramontanism and the oppressor of freedom.* In justice, however, * When it was found that the hopes entertained of the Pope's liberal policy were visionary, the following line appeared on the walls inRome : ' Pio ? no no — ma stai Ferretti.' CARDINAL ANTONELLI. 77 let it be added, that Pius IX. inherited an accumu lation of difficulties, postponed and complicated by his predecessors ; that he is a man easily led, and that to his ministers, and particularly to Cardinal Antonelli, more than to himself, may be ascribed the policy which has rendered Eome a blot on the fair face of Italy. The influence of that subtle priest- secretary is enormous ; who he is let us now see. 78 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE IX. Life of Cardinal Antonelli — His great Power— Born at Sonnino — Famous for its Brigands — Enters a religious Seminary — Declines to become a Priests — Clerici Senza Vocazione — Privileges of the Priesthood — Cruel Ingenuity of the Inquisition — Antonelli created Cardinal — His Influence over the Pope — His Diplomacy — Opinion of the French Government respecting him — His great Wealth — His Collections — His Personal Appearance — The Fear of Assassi nation — Dislike entertained towards him by the People. 'L'Empire c'est moi,' exclaimed the first Napoleon, con scious of his marvellous power. Cardinal Antonelli, conscious also of his power, though of a very different nature, probably thinks, if he does not give utterance to the thought, 'La Papaute c'est moi.' Europe believes that the ' Eoman question,' as it is called, turns almost entirely on the French occupation of Eome. That French bayonets have propped the papal throne since 1848 is certain, but there has been another force at work, which has silently assisted to a far greater extent than is generally supposed in per petuating the good and the bad of the papal govern ment. This emanates from Cardinal Antonelli, no ordinary man, of whom it is said in Eome that, POWER OF THE VATICAN. 79 living as he does above the Pope'in the Vatican, he is in two senses superior to the Holy Father. That Antonelli, unassisted by foreign military force, could have kept the latter on his throne, is by no means probable, and conscious of the necessity which has hitherto existed for the presence of the French troops, he has had great influence in causing them to be retained in Eome. That the Pope still exercises power over ' the eldest son of the Church ' is certain,* notwithstanding any manifestation to the contrary arising from the recent Lyonese ritual re bellion ; and that this power emanates from the Pope, influenced by Antonelli, is equally true. Antonelli, in many respects, is indeed a second Mazarin. Born of obscure parents at Sonnino, in 1806, Antonelli was early made familiar with scenes of violence and bloodshed. For Sonnino is notorious as having been the head-quarters of the most daring * It is curious to note, as confirmation of this, how even M. About, who certainly is not scrupulous as to what he says against the Pope in his Question Romaine, acknowledges the power of the Vati can in France. Alluding to his book having been published in Belgium instead of France, he says : ' Si je suis alle chercher un exliteur a Bruxelles quand j'en avais un excellent a, Paris, ce n'est pas que le regime de la presse ou la rigueur des tribunaux francais m'inspire aucune inquietude. Mais le Pape, qui a le bras long, aurait pu m'atteindre en France, et je me suis recule un peu plus loin pour lui dire ses verites.' 80 LAST WINTER IN ROME. bands of brigands that have ever infested the country between Eome and Naples. The village, as well as its neighbour San Lorenzo, harboured desperate ruffians, and more than once the heads of those gentry have decorated the top of St. Peter's gate in Sonnino, adjoining the house of Antonelli's father. When Pius VII. returned to Eome, young Antonelli saw several of his father's acquaintances executed who had often taken him up in their arms. Such a spectacle had probably a wholesome effect on the boy ; be this as it may, he wisely turned his back on his native village, and entered a seminary in Eome. This led the way to priesthood ; but though Anto nelli was ordained, he declined entering on the religious duties of his profession, preferring the more profane occupation of a magistrate, for which his nominal calling did not disentitle him. A large proportion, indeed, of the priests that you see in Eome have no church duty. The attributes of the priesthood are made inherent at ordination, but to exercise those appertaining to religious duties requires a second license. Thus you will constantly hear of elerici senza vocazione, and unless all the churches in Eome were open for daily service it would be quite impossible for the vast numbers of priests in that city to find employment. But these INGENUITY OF THE INQUISITION. 81 unattached ecclesiastics are considered to be as holy as duty-doing priests, enjoying the privilege of being held inviolate from the hands of the laity;* and thus, though Antonelli is a civil minister, he is not the less a priest in the eye of the canon law of Eome. Fortunately for him, Gregory XVI. became his friend, and under that Pope he rose to be secretary- general and minister of finance. Professing liberal principles in accordance with those entertained by Pius IX. on his accession to power, Antonelli was rewarded by receiving a cardinal's hat and being made secretary of state. Quickly, however, discerning the present pontiff's character, and well aware of his vacillation and weakness, Antonelli soon gained an ascendency over him, and was the first to turn him from that liberal policy which had made the com mencement of Pius IX.'s reign popular and hopeful. * There is a curious story painfully illustrating this canonical law, and at the same time the happy ingenuity of the Inquisition. A priest of the name of Bassi, who lived at Bologna, actuated by liberal principles, joined the revolutionists of 1848. After performing deeds which would have gained a soldier laurels, he fell into the hands of the Austrians, who immediately sentenced him to death. But as Bassi was a priest, it became difficult to carry out the sentence, and he would probably have been spared had not the Inquisition hit upon the ingenious device of partly skinning him, asserting that by this flaying process the poor priest was deprived of his sacred character, and could be legally handled by the executioner. 82 LAST WINTER IN ROME. An opportunity now offered of strengthening this power by the Pope's voluntary exile to Gaeta, and during his sojourn there Antonelli drew the net ' closer round his not unwilling victim. That Pius IX. is but a tool in the hands of his secretary is most evident. However, it is quite possible that, like other cardinals who have by over- ambition undone themselves, Antonelli may yet say with Wolsey — fling away ambition ; By that sin fell the angels ; how can man then, The image of his Maker, hope to win by 't ? The French Government, as is well known, have long chafed under his policy. Some months before the recent Convention, of which more presently, Count Sartiges, who represents France at the papal court, was instructed to inform Antonelli that 'it would be impossible to go on much longer protecting a power which persists as Eome does in committing itself in the face of Europe, and that therefore the papal government must be prepared for a change in the policy of France.' It has been said by an eminent diplomatist that Antonelli is 'un amiable causeur noyant son idee dans une longue phraseologie diplomatique.' He is undoubtedly an able man ; unhappily, however, his abilities are used to bad purposes. All parties, ANTONELLI S WEALTH. 83 excepting his own small circle, detest him cordially. ' C'est un ministre,' says M. About, ' greffe sur un sauvage.' Eather a fine savage, however, as those will say who have seen him assisting at the offices of the church. No cardinal dresses so well, nor wears richer lace or more splendid rings, than this cardinal- secretary. He is enormously wealthy. Many of the public buildings in Eome, such as theatres and hotels, belong to him and to his brother, who he has made governor of the Government bank ; and his landed estates are vast. He has also accumulated a large collection of treasures, principally minerals and gems, which would cause Christie and Manson's rooms to be crowded by dilettanti were they sold by auction. And who shall say that this may not be their fate some day? The Campana collection is in Paris. The Antonelli collection may yet find a home in London. Thus prosperous, you may suppose that the papal secretary of state is a happy man. Not so. A grim skeleton abides always with him — death itself. Of this he is in constant terror, apprehending assas sination in that form known to the Eomans as ' aocidente^ and especially dreaded by them. Indeed, you have only to look at Antonelli to be sure that he is not a happy man. That saturnine G 2 84 LAST WINTER IN ROME. countenance does not seem capable of being lighted up by a good healthy laugh. A great reader of humanity declared, that 'the man who cannot laugh is not only fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils, but his whole life is already a treason and a stratagem.' Of course by this is meant a hearty laugh, the zenith to that nadir of the crafty diplo matic smile which lies on the face bike the cold glitter of ice. Lofty as are the apartments of the cardinal-secre tary in the Vatican, they are still within earshot of the wail that goes up from oppressed Eomans. Drop ping metaphor, be sure that he is well aware that just as the ripple is the parent of the wave, so the low murmurs that disturb the political atmosphere of Eome may be the prelude of the coming storm. Should it break, will he flee before it ? To Antonelli, far more than to Pius IX., may the wrongs and oppression from which the Eomans are suffering be ascribed ; and should a day of reckoning come, this will be remembered against him. In the meanwhile, from his lofty eyrie in the Vatican, we can fancy hearing him exclaim : Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch Of the ranged Empire fall ! — Here is my space. 85 CHAPTEE X. Temporal Power of the Pope — His Spiritual Influence — Ecclesiastical Offices held under the Pontificate — Number of Cardinals — Why limited to Seventy — Roman Catholic Hierarchy — Church Digni taries created by Pius IX. — Districts of the States of the Church — • Representatives at Rome of Foreign Powers — Creed of the Pope — Address to the Pope by the Roman Catholic Congress at Malines. Although the temporal power of the Pope is on the wane, and may soon suddenly collapse, his spiritual influence, as set forth by the official record of the ecclesiastical offices held under the pontificate, does , not appear to be curtailed. It may not be un interesting at this juncture to specify these. My authority is the Annuario Pontificio for the present year. The Pope is described in this official publication as the Vicar of Jesus Christ ; Successor of the Prince of Apostles; Sovereign Pontiff of the Universal Church; Patriarch of the East; Primate of Italy; Metropolitan of the province of Eome; Bishop of Eome; and Sovereign of the temporal possessions of the holy Eoman Church. He has the right 86 LAST WINTER IN ROME. of creating seventy cardinals,* of whom six are of the order of bishops, fifty of priests, and fourteen of deacons. The Sacred College consists at this period (1864) of four cardinals above eighty years of age, twelve above seventy, thirty-two above sixty, twenty above fifty, and two under that age. There are three patriarchs of the East with pa triarchal jurisdiction, and seven Latin patriarchs stationed at Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Venice, the East Indies, and Lisbon. The Eoman patriarchy is composed of ninety-six sees spread over the globe, attached to twelve metro politan sees, and eighty-four cathedrals, all of which are immediately under the Pope's jurisdiction. The Eoman Catholic hierarchy consists of twelve patriarchal sees, one hundred and fifty-four arch bishoprics, and six hundred and eighty-six bishop rics. To them have to be added the sees in partibus infidelium, comprising thirty-one archbishoprics, * This number was established by Pope Sixtus V. in conformity, as he remarked, of 'Moses choosing seventy elders from among the whole nation to take counsel with them.' Although this number has not been adhered to invariably, yet it may be regarded as the standard number of the Sacred College. The great privilege enjoyed by the cardinals is the election of a Pope. Previous to the year 884 the Pope was always chosen by the people. Alexander III. abolished this privilege, and vested the election in the College of Cardinals. ECCLESIASTICAL OFFICES. 87 and one hundred and ninety-one bishoprics, forming a grand total of nine hundred and sixty-five patri archs, archbishops, and bishops. There are also one hundred and one apostolical vicars, twenty-one apostolical prefects, and five apos tolical delegates, all of whom have been educated at the Propaganda. The present Pope has created four archbishoprics, ninety-three bishoprics, and raised twelve sees to the dignity of metropolitan. The spiritual rank and duties of the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops are thus defined : — Secretaries of state ; inquisitors ; members of the index ; heads of the Propaganda ; overseers of spiritual discipline, of indulgences, of relics ; guard ians of St. Peter's ; overseers of the works at St. Paul's ; examiners into ecclesiastical matters; regulators of religious rites ; examiners of bishops ; heads of the penitentiary tribunals, of the courts of civil, commer cial, and criminal law ; heads of the lower courts of justice, whether spiritual or civil ; reporters to the Pope on petitions &c. from various parties ; and audi tor to His Holiness. The Capella Pontificia (Pontifical Chapel) is com posed of cardinals and patriarchs ; archbishops and bishops ; the auditor and treasurer of the apostolical chamber ; the Pope's majordomo ; of the non-assisting 88 LAST WINTER IN ROME. archbishops and bishops ; of the college of the aposto lical prothotonatories; of the archimandrite of Messina ; of the commander of the order of the Holy Ghost ; of the regent of the chancellor ; of the heads of the monastic orders ; of the chamberlains attached to the papal household (di spada e cappa) ; of the Pope's family ; of the Guardia Nobile, and of the Swiss and palatine guards. The States of the Church are divided into five great districts called legations, each of which is subdivided into several provinces. The Eoman district always bears the title of the presidency. The following are the territorial divisions : — 1. Under the Eoman presidency: Eome, Viterbo, Civita Vecchia, Orvieto. 2. Under the legation of the Eomagna : Bologna, Ferrara, Forli, and Eavenna. 3. Under the legation of the Marches : Urbino and Pesaro, Macerata, Ancona, Fermo, AscoH, Camerino. 4. Under the legation of the Umbria : Perugia, Spoleto, Breti. 5. Under the legation of the Maretima and Cam pania : Frosinone, Velletri, and Benevento. The Pope is represented among foreign powers by seven nuncios, at Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Lisbon, Munich, Naples, and Brussels : by three sub-nuncios, THE PAPAL CREED* 89 at The Hague, Florence and Modena, and Eio Janeiro : by one charge d'affaires at Lucerne, and by thirty-five consuls. The corps diplomatique accre dited by the Pope consists of three ambassadors, representing France, Austria, and Portugal ; of four teen minister plenipotentiaries, and of three resident ministers in Holland, Saxony, and the United States of America. While on the subject of the papacy, its powers and privileges, the reader will probably be interested to see a summary of the papal creed. It is the same as that of Pius IV. The late Irish Eoman Catholic bishop, Dr. Doyle, states it to be entirely in accordance with the tenets of the Eoman Catholic Church. ' 1. I most firmly receive and embrace the aposto lical and ecclesiastical traditions, and all the other observances and constitutions of the Holy Catholic Church. '2. I do receive the Holy Scriptures in the same sense that holy mother Church does, and always hath, to whom it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of them ; neither will I receive and interpret them otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the fathers. '3. I do also profess that there are seven sacra ments, truly and properly so called, instituted by 90 LAST WINTER IN ROME. our Lord Jesus Christ, and necessary to the salvation of mankind, though not all to every one, viz. Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Orders, and Marriage, and that they do confer grace. I do also receive and admit the re ceived and approved rites of the Catholic Church in the solemn administration of the above said sacra ments. '4. I do embrace and receive all and everything that hath been defined and declared by the Holy Council of Trent concerning original sin and justifi cation. ' 5. I do also profess that in the Mass there is offered a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and the dead ; and that in the most holy sacrament of [the Eucharist, there is truly, really, and substantially the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and that there is a change made of the whole substance of bread into the body, and of the whole substance of wine into the blood, which change the Catholic Church calls transubstantiation. ' 6. I confess also, that under one kind only, whole and entire Christ, and a true sacrament, is taken and received. ' 7. I do firmly hold that there is a purgatory, THE PAPAL CREED. 91 and that the souls there detained are relieved by the suffrages of the faithful. '8. I do likewise believe that the saints reigning together with Christ are to be worshipped and prayed unto, and that they do offer prayers unto God for us, and that their relics are to be had in veneration. ' 9. I do most firmly assert, that the images of Christ, and the ever Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints, ought to be had and retained, and that due honour and veneration ought to be given to them. '10. I do affirm that the power of indulgences was left by Christ in the Church, and that the use of them is very beneficial to Christian people. '11. I do acknowledge the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Eoman Church to be the mother and mistress of all Churches; and hold that true obedi ence is due to the Bishop of Eome, the successor of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ. '12. I do also without the least doubt receive and profess all other things which have been delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred canons and oecumenical councils, and especially by the holy synod of Trent ; and all things contrary thereunto, and all heresies whatsoever condemned, rejected, and 92 LAST WINTEH IN ROME. anathematised by the Church, I do likewise con demn, reject, and anathematise. This true Catholic faith, without which no man can be saved, which at this time I freely profess and truly embrace, I will be careful (by the help of God) that the same be retained, and firmly professed, whole and inviolate, as long as I live ; and that as much as in me lies, that it be held, taught, and preached by those under my power, and by such as I shall have charge over in my profession. So help me God, and these his holy Gospels.' That this 'faith,' professed by the Pope, is en dorsed by Eoman Catholics is certain; and it is equally evident that the pontiff's religious polity is approved by a large portion of his spiritual subjects in Europe. As proof whereof, and as a fit conclu sion of this chapter, read the following address presented to Pius IX. by the Eoman Catholic Con gress which lately assembled at Malines: ' Most Holy Father ! More faithful even to the unanimous suggestion of their hearts than to the voice of duty, the Catholics assembled at Malines inaugurate their labours by prostrating themselves humbly at the feet of the Vicar of Jesus Christ. Attached to the Holy Eoman See, mother and mis tress of all the churches, by the bonds of a strict THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CONGRESS. 93 obedience, and by the most filial love, we come, most Holy Father, to offer to you, Divinely predes tined to the care of the sheep and of the lambs, to the government of the pastors and of the faithful, the respectful expression of these sentiments. We recognise solemnly in all their plenitude the rights of your supreme authority. You are the priest par excellence ; the incorruptible guardian and the in fallible interpreter of the Divine verities ; the pilot of that mystic vessel which leads humanity regene rated by the blood of Jesus Christ to the shore of its eternal destinies. While bowing to youri spiritual power we recognise also, most Holy Father, the temporal power which is its providential bulwark. The more the Pontifical Eoyalty is attacked and misunderstood, the more ardently we apply ourselves to its defence; the more we condemn the sacrile gious usurpations of which it is the object, the more closely we rally ourselves round the Holy See — the fruitful and inexhaustible source of truth and of j ustice — against which the league of the unbelieving and the impious has for ages used its efforts. As sembled at Malines to cement the union of the Catholics, to develope Catholic works, to cooperate, in the degree which becomes laymen, for the defence of our mother Church, we proceed to open our second 94 LAST WINTER IN ROME. session by this solemn profession of our faith, of our submission, of our love. May it be received with kindness by your Holiness, and obtain for us one of those paternal benedictions which give to hearts with good intentions, confidence, strength, and peace, and which have spread themselves from the time of St. Peter to that of Pius IX. as a beneficent dew urbi et orbi, over the city and over the world. — We subscribe ourselves the submissive and respectfully devoted Sons of your Holiness.' 95 CHAPTEE XI. Old Rome — Subterranean Church of San Clemente — The upper Church — Its Site — The Atrium and Quadriporticus — Marble Am- bones — The Irish Dominicans in Rome — Father Mullooly — His Discovery of the underground San Clemente — Hints for subter ranean Exploration in Rome — Discovery of ancient Pavement — Wall Frescoes — Magnificent Marble Columns — Discovery of the Remains of a Pagan Edifice — Kingly, Republican, and Imperial Constructions — Antiquarian Difficulties — Confirmation of Scripture History by Frescoes— Early Representation of the Crucifixion — San Clemente — Fresco representing Discovery of his Body — His Life and Martyrdom — Miracles following this Event — Representa tion of the Burial of St. Cyril — St. Clement's Chureh in London — Contributions towards the Excavations under St. Clemente — Work to be done. It is one of the many characteristic features of Eome, that while time gradually decays and entombs numerous ancient relics of the past, a kind of compensating process is simultaneously going on. For in some localities the dust of twenty cen turies, in which buildings and statues, cunning carvings and elegant ornaments have calmly reposed, has been cleared away, and we stand face to face with the works of those who lived and moved when the city of the Cassars was the talk and wonder of the world. 96 LAST WINTER IN ROME. The subterranean Church of San Clemente is in this category, and though the excavations hitherto made have not revealed a Laocoon or an Apollo, yet the ' finds ' have been of extraordinary interest. San Clemente stands about half a mile from the Colosseum on the left side of the Via di San Giulio in Laterano. The accretion of soil arourd the Flavian amphitheatre is not confined to that locality. As you ascend the gradual slope of the Ccelian hill, you see many evidences that modern Eome is considerably elevated above the ancient city, and even the upper church of San Clemente is entered by a slight descent. This edifice has always been a favourite resort of archaeologists, not only on account of its great antiquity, but also because it contains several highly interesting ecclesiastical decorations. According to the most trustworthy authorities, the upper church, or rather that occupying the site of the present edifice, was erected about the latter end of the tenth century. Tradition affirms that it stands on the site of the house of Clement, St. Paul's fellow- labourer, of whom the apostle writes in the fourth chapter of his Epistle to the Philippians. That church appears to have been a smaller edifice than the pre sent building. This was erected by Pope Paschal II., CHURCH OF SAN CLEMENTE. 97 and as that pontiff occupied the papal chair from 1099 to 1118, it must have been built during those years. Among the most remarkable features of this building are the atrium and quadriporticus,* both of which are in excellent preservation. Sixteen columns of various marbles, taken from some ancient building, partly support the roof. A very singular choir, surrounded by white marble walls about six feet high, is situated within the body of the church. In this choir are two white marble ambones.f Ad joining that, to the north, is a curious candelabrum richly carved and covered with glittering mosaics, in which the paschal candle was placed. Quaint mosaics also cover the vault of the tribune, princi pally representing events in the life of our Saviour. There is no obscurity respecting the date of them, as Cardinal Caltani, who decorated the tribune, took care to have his name and date of the work (1290) •inscribed beneath them. Closer investigation will detect a vast variety of other interesting details in this church, including several curious frescoes by Massaccio, now unfortunately extremely dim. * The quadriporticus was allotted to those who were not thought worthy, by reason of their sins, of mixing with the rest of the con gregation in the body of the church. f It is extremely interesting to observe that these ambones, com bining a pulpit and reading-desk, are precisely similar to those now used in the Church of England. H 98 LAST WINTER IN ROME. We can well understand that the Dominicans, to whom the religious duties of San Clemente are con fided, have always been proud of their venerable and most interesting church ; but it is certainly not a little singular that while generations of monks have been exhibiting its ecclesiastical curiosities for many years, they have so far walked in darkness as to have been utterly unconscious that beneath their feet lay another church far more ancient than that we now see attached to their monastery, and which was in all probability much more richly decorated. Such, how ever, is Eome, a city as it were above a city ; for where the ground has not been disturbed, you have only to penetrate a few yards beneath the surface to come to relics of the past. It was reserved for Father Mullooly, the head of the Irish Dominicans of San Clemente, to unfold the wonders beneath that edifice. Happily for our countrymen, Father Mullooly is a man of high in- ' tellectual culture, extremely obliging withal; and though his self-imposed duties of cicerone are highly taxed, I can vouch, from repeated visits to San Clemente, that he is always willing to give the visitor all the information in his power relating to the ex cavations carried on under his superintendence, pro vided always that the visitor shows some interest in FATHER MULLOOLY. 99 the operations. For, as I have heard him more than once observe, nothing can be more disheartening than to find, after having been at considerable pains to explain the various interesting features recently developed by the excavations, that the visitor is utterly indifferent to all that he has seen or heard, voting, with unhappily no uncommon singularity, 'the whole thing a bore,' and wondering how anyone could have advised him to waste his time by such an underground exploration. It was in the latter part of 1858 that Father Mullooly, having occasion to make some alterations in the adjoining convent, discovered, to his great sur prise, that a second church lay concealed beneath the edifice in which he had long been officiating. Look ing down at this substructure, part of the pavement of which was to be seen last winter through an opening in the floor of the upper church, it is wonderful how so many years — centuries indeed — should have elapsed between the period when the last stone closed over the lower church and its recent dis covery. But buildings and even cities are destined, like their constructors, to pass rapidly into oblivion. We know how often of olcLGod made ' of a city a heap ; of a defenced city a ruin.' And you will re member that even Pompeii, the situation and history H 2 100 LAST WINTER IN ROME. of which were well known, remained undiscovered until the end of the last century. On the occasion of my first visit to San Clemente, Father Mullooly was not at home ;* but while wandering through the church, I came upon a yawning chasm in the floor. Looking down, I perceived workmen excavating, and a ladder giving access to the depths, I descended. Partly illumined by daylight, but more strongly by candles, I saw portions of a pavement laid bare con sisting of small pentagonal slabs of rosso antico much worn, probably by the feet of early Christians. The slabs, with few exceptions, exhibited unquestionable evidence of having been submitted to active igneous agency, an observation applying to a. large proportion of the ancient marbles of Eome. Conceiving it pro bable that Father Mullooly would return, I remained looking at the excavations until the excessive cold compelled me to ascend to warmer regions. Nothing * The best time for visiting San Clemente is between ten and twelve in the morning, and two and four in the afternoon. During these hours Father Mullooly is generally in attendance. As the lights of experience are generally valuable guides, I may advise you to be provided, when any underground exploration is con templated, with a, roll of wax taper. This is easier carried than candles, and by twisting it into two, three, or more lengths, you may obtain as much light as you desire. Take also a warm close-fitting cap to replace your chimney-pot hat, which you will find more than usually in the way in subterranean explorations in Rome. SUBTERRANEAN SAN CLEMENTE. 101 was disinterred when I was present but the pavement alluded to, and a few bones, which crumbled to dust on exposure to the air. My second visit was more interesting. Father Mullooly was in the sacristy, on the point of descend ing to the lower church with a visitor, and having delivered my letter of introduction, I was provided with a taper, and we were soon below ground. Now, as you will, I trust, have seen ere this that it is not my desire to trench on the province of guide-books, I shall not attempt to describe all that I saw under the admirable guidance of Father Mullooly ; but as the discovery of the subterranean San Clemente is very recent, I venture to believe that some account of the excavations 'will be interesting. When Father Mullooly opened this very rich and valuable archasological mine, the first vein that he * struck was a wall covered for the most part with frescoes. The base of this wall is twenty-three feet below the surface of the ground. When this interesting discovery became known, the commis sion of sacred archaeology, acting under the orders of government, continued the excavations. Unhappily, however, after labouring for two years, funds fell short, and the works were stopped ; but a sufficient portion of the old church had been opened to make 102 LAST WINTER IN ROME. it clear that it was much larger than the upper edifice. Eecently the excavations have been re sumed under Father Mullooly's directions, but as the funds are derived entirely from voluntary gifts, at the present rate of working many years must elapse before the vast area of rubbish occupying the centre of the church will be removed. ' Do you not receive any funds from Government ? ' I asked Father Mullooly, bearing in mind the lavish sums spent on the adornment of San Paolo-fuori-le- Mura, and other churches. 'Nothing,' he replied: ' the dear good old Pope,' he added, ' occasionally gives me something out of his private purse, but he is very poor, and can do but little.' The principal feature developed by the excavations carried on by the sacred commission has been the dis covery of a wall composed of the best possible masonry forming the exterior portion of an aisle, the adjoining division being formed by grand columns of rare marbles comprising rich verde, antico, and breccia corrallini. All this is very surprising, but more astonishing was the discovery that the substructure, buried so to speak in the bowels of the earth, rested on another substructure that turned out to be the remains of a vast pagan edifice, how vast may be conceived by the fact that some of the peperino VAST PAGAN EDIFICE. 103 blocks forming the walls are eighteen feet long, and that the extent to which these reach has not yet been ascertained. Further researches disclosed the existence of several chambers beneath the aisle, the construction of which has led to the supposition that they appertain to the republican period. This is however doubtful, for in another locality excava tions have brought to light distinct constructions of the kingly, republican, and imperial periods. The existence of the latter may indeed be regarded as certain, for the names of two well-known consuls of the reign of Constantine have been discovered on portions of the pavement. But here, as almost every where in old Eome, the antiquary, be he ever so acute and learned, may be said to at best but ' stumble o'er recollections,' so involved is all hitherto discovered in doubt and oblivion. Passing, however, from this debateable ground, doubtless destined to furnish tough archaeological pabulum for many years to come, it is evident that on the ruins or remains of one or more vast edifices, including probably a pagan temple, a large church was erected, and just as the Church of Ara Cceli was built on the site of the celebrated temple of the Capitoline Jove, so may the lower Church of San Clemente have been raised over another pagan 104 LAST WINTER IN ROME. edifice.* Emerging from this mist of antiquity, we tread on firmer ground when contemplating the frescoes to which Father Mullooly draws the atten tion of his visitors. By these we have indisputable evidence that within this still more than half-buried structure the early Christians met to worship the one true God, and to pray to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ, who had not long before been crucified. The walls, which are very extensive, may indeed be said to have been covered with frescoes ; and, remembering their great age, it is wonderful how well they are preserved. All confirm more or less Scripture history, many in a very remarkable manner. Their testimony is indeed of great value, represent ing, as they do, scenes and events of the deepest im portance in the history of Christianity. Among them is, perhaps, one of the earliest representations of the crucifixion. The church being dedicated to San Clemente, frequent representations of that saint appear in the frescoes. Having led a most exemplary life, he became the third Pope, succeeding Linus who died in a.d. 67. Here we see his induction * It is worthy of note that the marble chair within the upper church bears a great resemblance to the cella of pagan temples. Indeed the form was probably borrowed from them. INTERESTING FRESCOES. 105 into the pontifical chair. In another fresco he appears performing mass, the same ceremonies, as Father Mullooly emphatically observed, being in use now as then; and in other paintings he appears in a subordinate position. But by far the most interesting recent fresco discovery is that re presenting the finding of the saint's body. To those unlearned in hagiology it is necessary to state, that San Clemente, by reason of the great success attending his conversions, was banished by the prefect who go verned Eome during Trajan's reign to an island where, with many other Christians, he was employed to break stones. During this period, according to legends, he performed many miracles, which so incensed his per secutors that he was seized, and an anchor having been attached to his body, was cast into the sea. But a far more surprising miracle than any performed by the saint followed. The Christians, mourning the death of their chief, knelt to pray for his soul, when lo ! the sea receded for some miles and revealed a small temple which had long been submerged, and within which the body of San Clemente was found, with the anchor still attached to him.* * St. Clement's Church in London, dedicated to this saint, has an anchor as a weathercock, and the same emblem appears on the buttons of the beadle. Those ignorant of the legend of this saint might very naturally be surprised that such a symbol of stability as an 106 LAST WINTER IN ROME. His body was subsequently conveyed from Pontus during the Pontificate of Nicholas, and with that of St. Ignatius, the eminent Bishop of Antioch, now reposes under the high altar in San Clemente. For many consecutive years the anniversary of Clement's martyrdom was marked by the sea retiring for seven days as far as the temple, to enable faithful Christians to offer up their prayers for the martyred saint within the edifice. Such is the legend, and as told, so is it represented on the fresco. I shall not soon forget how Father Mullooly's eyes glistened with religious rapture as he related this legend, pointing as he went on to the various incidents portrayed in the fresco. Another recently disinterred fresco represents the body of St. Cyril borne by four men to his grave in San Clemente. The saint is seen with the episcopal insignia richly gemmed, and nimbus crowned. Our examination of these and other interesting relics lasted upwards of two hours, during which time Father Mullooly performed his office of cicerone with an intelligence that made the visit extremely instructive and pleasant. He has caused a small superficies of several of the columns to be polished in anchor should be chosen for a weathercock. There are forty-nine churches in England dedicated to St. Clement. BEAUTIFUL MARBLE COLUMNS. 107 order to show the fine marble of which they are composed, and indeed does all in his power to render the visit to the underground church as interesting as possible. ' I am not habitually a beggar,' I have heard him say more than once, 'but I am never ashamed to beg for San Clemente ; ' and bearing in mind that Father Mullooly is dependent on voluntary contributions for carrying on the excavations, you will not of course visit them without leaving an offering to the good work. You may also assist by purchasing photographs of the frescoes from carefully executed drawings. The whole of the middle portion of the church remains to be excavated, nor can the earth and rubbish filling this area be removed until means are taken to sup port the upper church, which partly rests on the latter. 10 'I LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XII. Confinement in Rome oppressive — A Walk beyond the City Walls — Ferry across the Tiber — The Ripetta — Custom-house Officers at the Receipt of Custom — Quaint Ferry-Boat — Madonna's Shrine — Tiber in Flood — Turbid NaturB of the River — Alluvium— Ancient Feats of Natation — Tubbing not done by modern Romans — A Canine Companion — Canine Gratitude — Instinct of Dog-kind — Dogs Ma ligned by Lord Byron — Right andLeft Banks of Tiber — Vicolo dell' Inferno — Barbarities of the Troops of the Constable of France — Roman Lanes — Vineyards — Manner of training Vines — Across the Country — Monte Mario — Bushes of Rosemary — View from Monte Mario — Geology of the Mount — Caught trespassing — Proprietor of the Villa Mellini — My Dog Friend — Apology accepted — The Pianist Lizt — Cypress Avenue — Solitude no Cure for Love. Most pleasant is it, after being confined for some days to the narrow damp streets of Eome, to break the wall bounds, see a more extensive horizon, and breathe a purer air on the Campagna. Frequently, when street-oppressed, I have crossed the Tiber by the ferry at the Eipetta, and ran like a boy set at liberty from school amidst the fields behind the Castle of St. Angelo. Sometimes, however, these fields were too limited to satisfy my yearnings for space, and then I went beyond them. Let us re trace one of these walks. It is a glorious day for QUAINT FERRY-BOAT. 109 exercise ; the sun, bright as during summer, is not too hot — the air indeed feels as if winter were at hand ; and it is, for see, the loftiest crests of the Alban hills are already silvered with snow. We will cross the ferry, so we proceed to the Eipetta ; and while the ferryman lazily adjusts the rope of his boat to cant her across the Tiber, we look in at the Dogana and air our Italian with the officers sitting at the receipt of custom. Sitting, yes ; but as for receipts, I apprehend they are nil, for never saw I, often as I passed the Eipetta, commerce casting anchor there. ' You have not much to do,' I ven tured to say. ' Poco, poco.' Niente was probably- meant ; but knew you ever an official who did not endeavour to impress you with the importance of his place ? But here is the ferry-boat. We pass cautiously down the steps encumbered with the Tiber's ooze, and less pleasant filth, and jump on board the bark. What a quaint craft it is ! As broad almost as long, roofed, and adorned at the stern with a tiny Ma donna's shrine, before which a lamp is burning and flowers are suspended. The Tiber, in consequence of recent rains, is rolling down a great tawny flood ; so yellow and thick that the water has no transparency. You may remember how Professor Faraday was 110 LAST WINTER IN ROME. represented by ' Punch ' giving Father Thames his card, and that the latter document had no sooner been delivered when moistened to the river in ques tion, than it was lost to view beneath the turbid waters. Profiting by the hint I gave my card to the Tiber, and so opaque was the water, that at the depth of an inch I could see it no more. No wonder that, bearing down as it does such vast alluvial deposits, the mouth of the Tiber should be silted up, and that the delta should be encroaching on the sea at the rate of twelve feet a year. For ages upon ages countless tons of alluvium have been borne down to the sea by this river, choking it to such a degree that the increasing wants of imperial Eome led Augustus, Claudius, and Trajan to execute gigantic hydraulic works to facilitate the navigation. The Tiber is certainly not a lovely river, and yet, just where you embark at the Eipetta to cross it, the Eomans were wont to exhibit feats of natation. To these Shakespeare alludes in the lines Cassius utters when he endeavours to fire the indignation of Brutus towards Caesar : — We can both Endure the winter's cold as well as he: For once, upon a raw and gusty day, The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores, Caesar said to me, ' Dar'st thou, Cassius, now Leap in with me into this angry flood, THE TIBER. Ill And swim to yonder point ? ' Upon the word, Accouter'd as I was, I plunged in, And bade him follow, so, indeed, he did. The torrent roar'd ; and we did buffet it With lusty sinews ; throwing it aside And stemming it with hearts of controversy. And in that grand legend of Horatius Codes, you may remember how, when the bridge over the Tiber went down ' with a crash like thunder,' the hero swam across the river with his armour on : — ' 0 Tiber ! father Tiber ! To whom the Romans pray, A Roman's life, a Roman's arms, Take thou in charge this day!' So he spake, and speaking sheathed The good sword by his side, And with his harness on his back Plunged headlong in the tide.* No Eoman bathes in the Tiber now, and as for feats of natation with or without ' harness,' I do not suppose that, were the Tiber the most pellucid river in the world, modern Eomans would feel any inch- nation to learn the art of swimming. Water ablu tions of a comprehensive nature are, I take it, very antagonistic to the habits of the present inhabitants of Eome. Tubbing is not a want among Eoman gentlemen. ' Felicissima passagio,' exclaimed the ferryman, as * Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome. 112 LAST WINTER IN ROME. I handed him my baioccho and stepped on shore. Not alone, however, for a dog, who had made many attempts to follow me into the ferry-boat but was expelled by the ferryman, has swam the Tiber and is at my side — a large mongrel-looking animal, not entirely a stranger to me, for he is the same dog to whom I have given a little bread occasionally on leaving my lodgings in the morning. For he and I are neighbours; the difference being, that while I live au quatrieme, he is generally to be seen nosing the heaps of immondezza in the streets. A vagabond dog, and yet not without some gratitude and affection, for he is evidently bent on attaching himself to me, and would perhaps say with Metastasio, if he could, Per quell' onda, All altra sponda, Voglio anch' io Passar con te. Among the many surprising characteristics of dog- kind, there is none more remarkable than their instinctive power of knowing by a sniff who loves them. I am one of their most devoted friends, and have always believed that they are aware of the fact ; for during my wanderings through many lands and cities, I have frequently found dogs, houseless and friendless perhaps, following me. And it needed no CANINE AFFECTION. 113 great knowledge of their race to perceive, by their expressive eyes and talkative tails, that they were ready and willing to be faithful unto death, through weal and woe, sunshine and storm. Byron greatly maligned dog-kind when he wrote that his dog, when fed by stranger hands, would tear him when he returned to the hall of his fathers. If he had been kind to the animal he would have licked his hand, though long years might have elapsed since they parted. The dog of Ulysses is no myth ; but alas ! . Byron was at war with man as well as dog-kind, when he bade his native land ' good night ! ' Great is the contrast between the right and left banks of the Tiber, within the walls of Eome. With the exception of that part of the city situated around the Castle of St. Angelo and the Trastevere, the right bank is a desert, while the left is crowded with houses to the water's edge. Opposite the Eipetta are two paths, the Vicolo della Barchetta and the Vicolo dell' Inferno, leading to the valley of that name.* Happily, the latter path, unlike its great namesake that leadeth to destruction, is not so broad nor so * This valley derives its unpleasing appellation from the terrible barbarities committed by the troops of Charles Duke de Bourbon, Constable of Frauce, on the occasion of the assault on the city in 1527, which cost the constable his life. The soldiers are stated by contemporary historians to have behaved ' come demonii.' I 114 LAST WINTER IN ROME. plain to find as the Via della Barchetta, which in deed is immediately opposite the landing-place from the ferry-boat ; so, as this is our road, we follow it. The path lies between hedges, where, as soon as spring quickens nature, you may see dozens of lizards. We presently emerge on the fields behind the Castle of St. Angelo, in which a kind of mimic warfare is almost daily going on, drums beating, trumpets blaring, and flags flying. The garrison are out manoeuvring, a fine body of men highly disciplined, and so numerous that the great high-priest of the Vatican need not quail while they are near him. Passing the Castle of St. Angelo, we turn to the right, and follow the Stradone Castello, expecting it will communicate with a road or path leading to the summit of Monte Mario. For this is our bourne, and there it rises very conspicuously before us. But Eoman paths and lanes are delusions and snares, pro mising much but performing little. The fact is, that the ground immediately without the walls of Eome is generally occupied by vineyards, the proprietors of which have a very natural desire to render their property as inaccessible as possible to the public ; and thus, what with walls, high gates, and broad ditches, should a path break off suddenly at the entrance of a vineyard, you will not find it easy to take up the ROMAN VINEYARDS 115 thread at the other side. The road I pursued ended in such a cul-de-sac, but having followed it for a considerable distance, I was not at all disposed to retrace my steps. So, incited by the spirit of enter prise, which is sure to possess you, if strong-limbed, after being confined for some time to the Eoman streets, I bounded across the ditches and strode through the vineyards, followed by the dog. How ugly were the vines creeping like brown snakes on the tawny earth amidst reeds, now fallen and tangled, which had supported them when they were heavy with purple fruit; and will again, for see, there are the husbandmen manuring their roots, sure that in the fulness of time their vats will again overflow with the red juice. Far more beautiful to the eye are the vines when hanging like garlands from tree to tree, but not from these comes the best wine. A French vineyard is certainly not a lovely sight. But France produces excellent wine, whereas the picturesque old method of cultivating vines described by Virgil, and still gene rally practised in Italy, yields a harsher and coarser wine than that grown from the low vines in France. My desire to proceed direct to the summit of Monte Mario met with no opposition from the vineyard proprietors. Now, they said, I was free to wander at i 2 116 LAST WINTER IN ROME. will through their vineyards, and to make my way, if I could, straight up the mount. So I pushed onwards and upwards, followed by my four-footed friend, who, on more than one occasion, had to do battle with fierce dogs in upland vineyards, who were evidently trained to guard the vines from pil fering trespassers. Up the steep face of Monte Mario is, of course, a mere trifle to the man of tough thews and sinews ; but it is just steep enough to give the ascent a zest after a confinement in Eome, and would puzzle a lady, unless divested of her crinoline and shod in stout boots. Midway, a slight divergence brought me to a knoll rising out of the vines, clothed with great bushes of rosemary in bloom, and rose-trees gemmed with breaking buds and flowers. Where the vines terminate a scarped breastwork succeeds, the surmounting of which is rendered, however, com paratively easy in consequence of its being clothed by long wiry grass, affording good hand-hold. Being sound in wind and limb, I soon stood on the crest of Monte Mario. Very glorious is the view from that eyrie. City and Campagna ; the Tiber, like a great tawny snake gilt by the sun, gliding through plains, and amidst palaces, temples, and churches ; St. Peter's, a very mountain in stone, uprising near ; MONTE MARIO. 117 afar the sea, a silver line fringing the dark pine forests near Ostia, and farther still, bounding the panorama, the picturesque outline of the Alban and Sabine hills. Nowhere will you obtain so com prehensive and minute a view of Eome and its setting, as from this elevation. The scene has inspired many poets, Dante among others, and the man indeed would be very soulless could he gaze on the view unfolded from Monte Mario unmoved. Nor is the view the only interesting feature of this hill. To the geologist it is a rich storehouse, being composed almost entirely of tertiary mosaic beds overlying volcanic tufa. These beds abound in fossil shells of the Pliocene period. About three hundred species have been found in them, and at the base of the hill, in the diluvial deposit near the Tiber, the bones of the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, ox, lynx, &c, have also been found. Though no conchologist, after satiating myself with the views, if indeed there can be any satiety in contemplating such a scene as is unfolded from the summit of Monte Mario,* I was amusing myself picking up specimens of the fossil shells, when a * It is not always easy to identify Monte Mario with descriptions of the views from it. For it was known to the ancient Romans as Clivus Cinnce and to Dante as Montemalo. See Paradiso, xv. 109. 118 LAST WINTER IN ROME. voice almost roared in my ears, ' Che fatte voi qui ? ' Turning round, I beheld a paunchy man gesticulat ing vehemently, and evidently very irate at my presence. The truth immediately flashed upon me, I was a trespasser, for however willing the vendem- miatores might have been to allow me free passage through their vines, it was evident that they had no power to grant me leave to enter the precincts of the Villa Mellini. Eapid questions were put how I had entered the grounds, and on stating that I had climbed the steep hill-face, the gentleman, probably measuring the difficulty by his ability to overcome it, answered emphatically that no one could surmount that scarpside; and my re newed assurance that thus had I entered the for bidden ground only elicited from Signor Manzi — for it was indeed that person, the proprietor of the Villa Mellini, who stood before me — direct contra dictions to my assertion. I could not help, as thoughts of Alpine heights and Alpine climbings came over me, laughing at the supposed impossi bility of climbing the steep in question, for though strongly insisting that I had forced no gate, nor climbed any wall, I greatly doubted whether my story was credited. Feeling, however, entirely in the wrong, I was THE VILLA MELLINI. 119 conscious that there was but one course to take, viz. to apologise for having trespassed : this I did, throwing in at the same time laudatory remarks on the exquisite beauty of the views, and hinting that the man must be happy who possessed such a charming eyrie as the Villa Mellini, a by no means logical sequitur, however. It had nevertheless the effect of considerably mollifying Signor Manzi, who now, in softer words, proceeded to inform me that he had recently purchased the Villa Mellini, and that the grounds might be visited on Wednesdays by orders granted by himself. I think that I should have pacified the signor sooner had not the dog — a mongrel, as you will remember, who had been hitherto lying quietly at my side — kept up a continuous growl while M. Manzi was rebuking me for my trespass ; and so regularly did the animal's anger rise when the signor's words ran high, that had we come to blows, I am sure that the beast would have taken my part. So you see that you must not invade the Villa Mellini without proper credentials, and then only by the circuitous and dusty road. The villa itself con tains nothing worth seeing. It was a general belief last winter in Eome that the house enshrined a remarkable being, Lizt having been reported to 120 LAST WINTER IN ROME. have been living there. But this was a mistake. The once great and erratic pianist occupied a couple of rooms in the house of the cure, behind the church, half way down Monte Mario ; where he lived in great seclusion. But he occasionally strolled into the grounds of the Villa Mellini, and might be seen at evening hours walking up and down the fine cypress avenue cresting the mount. And if nature has power to calm a troubled mind, that avenue, every tree in which is like an iEolian harp when soft breezes sigh through the dark leaves, combined with the lovely views, must surely have a soothing effect. But quiet, as one of our greatest poets well remarked, to 'quick bosoms is a hell.' Not every soul racked by a great passion finds peace in solitude, even where nature wears her loveliest robes. Petrarch was not consoled by the charms of Vaucluse. 12] CHAPTEE XIII. My Landlord and his Sword-cane — Unsafe Condition of the Streets in Rome last Winter — Objections against a Sword-cane as a de fence against Night-robbers — Tragical End of a Squabble in New York — Nature of Roman Houses — How they favour Robbers — Dark Difficulties — A ' Lucina' — Am Dogged at Night — Suspicions entertained by Roman Housekeepers — How Visitors are received — Story of a Gentleman who was robbed of his Watch last Winter in Rome — A Gentlemanly Robber — How Roman Robbers use the Knife. But a few mornings having passed since my landlord presented himself at my bedside, pistols in hand, I confess I was somewhat surprised to see him enter my room on the morning after my climb to Monte Mario, flourishing a sword-cane. 'To protect His Holiness?' I enquired. 'Not at all, to protect your own person ; ' and thus saying, he handed me the weapon. 'Well,' I observed, after examining the stiletto-like blade, which I perceived had been made at Solingen in Prussia, 'it seems good steel, and would, I have no doubt, give a man his quietus, being considerably larger than a "bare bodkin;" but what do you mean?' I added. Upon which the 122 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Conte proceeded to inform me, that as the streets were by no means safe at night, and the night hours were now long, it would be as well if I carried the cane with me in case of being attacked. This speech was the more remarkable because my worthy landlord had stoutly contended, when arguing the question at his dinner-table respecting the security of the streets, that the reports respecting the quick use of knives when persons felt disinclined to part with their property were entirely unfounded. The fact is, that, as December came upon us, robberies from the person in Eome became more frequent, and thus insecurity increased. A gentle man during the first week of the above month was pounced on by three men, who, using the rather irresistible argument of knives held to his breast and back, demanded his watch and money, which were surrendered under this force of circumstances. The adventure happened within a short distance of my lodgings, and many others of a similar nature were of weekly occurrence. Now, although I should have no hesitation what ever in even killing a highwayman or street-robber if my life were in jeopardy, I confess that, in common probably with the majority of my countrymen, I have an objection to the use of steel as a mode of SWORD-CANES. 123 defence. One reason may be, that T am ignorant of the nice science of carte and tierce ; not that a night- robber would stand on such punctilios, but without some skill and practice it would not be easy to handle a sword-cane dexterously. The weapon itself may also be turned against you, for in a struggle it may be wrenched from you, and thus become a much more fatal instrument in the hand of an Italian assassin than in yours. I remember, when I was in America, that in a squabble at one of the hotels in New York, a gentle man was killed in this manner, the sword-cane which he carried having been suddenly whipped out of his hand and used with deadly effect by the person with whom he was quarrelling. Nor even, were you ever so quick and expert, would a sword-cane avail you much if attacked by Eoman robbers. For their manner of proceeding generally precludes the possi bility of your being able to use such a weapon, as they are on you, open knife in hand, before you are aware of your danger. The nature of the Eoman houses greatly favours robbers. With few exceptions, they are unprovided with porters, as in Paris, and the portone or hall door being left open to a late hour at night, and in many houses throughout the night, robbers, who 124 LAST WINTER IN ROME. are aware of the exits and entrances of the inmates, and think them worth attacking, conceal themselves in the retiring angles of the staircases, and pounce upon their victims with tiger-like quickness. But how can this be, you may ask, assuming that the staircases are lighted, and that concealment, therefore, would not be easy ? But although Eoman citizens are compelled by law to light their staircases at night, the law, like many others in Eome, is more honoured in the breach than observance, and thus staircases are generally, when night falls, dark. The inhabitants are not, how ever, entirely to blame, for gas being very rarely intro duced into Eoman houses, housekeepers are obliged to use oil-lamps, and these are so frequently stolen when even they are almost valueless, that after two or three trials they give the matter up in despair. The commonest tin lamp worth only a penny will be stolen if accessible ; and a landlady, who lets lodgings in the Via della Croce, assured me that she had lost five lamps last winter in succession, each less valu able than the former, and even a broken wine-glass was' taken, probably for the sake of the oil it con tained. To meet this dark difficulty it is usual in Eome to carry a small box containing matches and a taper, which you light at the foot of the stairs ; but it always DARK STAIRCASES IN ROME. 125 remained a doubtful question with me whether this course was not more dangerous than going upstairs in the dark, provided, of course, that you are ac quainted with the topography of the stairs. For, when carrying a lighted taper, the effect is to cast just sufficient light on yourself to enable a lurking assassin to see you to advantage. Generally, there fore, when alone, I passed up the stairs to my lodgings in the dark ; but in strange houses I was, of course, obliged to make use of a lucina. I must, however, do the Conte the justice to state, that up to ten o'clock at night the stairs leading to my rooms were lighted, a lamp having been cunningly hung in such a manner as to baffle the dexterity of thieves. But as ten o'clock was often nearer the time of my going out to parties than returning from them, I did not derive much benefit from this arrangement. Besides the cats, which, as I have stated, often startled me on my way upstairs, I was rendered apprehensive, perhaps unnecessarily, by having received information, from a source that I considered trustworthy, that I was watched, the consequence, probably, of wearing a gold chain attached to a valuable watch. After this hint, I always left my watch at home when going out at night ; but, although watchless and chainless, I was 126 LAST WINTER IN ROME. dogged on more than one occasion by suspicious- looking fellows. To oblige the Conte, I carried his sword-cane for a few nights, but having no confi dence in the weapon, soon laid it aside. You cannot legally carry defensive weapons in Eome without a license from government, but I knew several gentle men who carried small pocket-revolvers at night during last winter without legal permission. The habitual timidity of Eoman housekeepers in their dwellings is very apparent by the excessive care that they take to bar, lock, and bolt their doors. At all times of the day, but especially at nightfall, your ring at their doors is answered by an enquiring 'Chie?' accompanied sometimes by the opening of a diminutive wicket, barred with iron, through which you see an eye gleaming inquisitively on you. Occasionally the ' Chi e' is heard from above, and looking up, you see a small opening in the ceiling, through which the janitor or janitrix make their observations before admitting you within the house. In the absence of any kind of authentic intelligence respecting crime in Eome, it was of course extremely difficult to arrive at a just knowledge of the num ber and extent of robberies from the person during last winter in Eome. That many were committed A ROMAN ROBBER. 127 is certain, and it is equally certain that violence was in all cases threatened, if the demand of the robbers was not complied with. Happily, I am not able to give my personal experience of one of these noctur nal encounters, but the following communication made to me by one of my friends, of the manner in which he lost his watch will place the reader in possession of the general modus operandi of Eoman robbers. ' I was returning,' said my friend, 'to my house about dusk in the evening, when having passed the portone and gained the foot of the stairs, I heard a step behind me. Turning round, I saw a man in the act of stooping, and heard immediately three sharp clicks, much like the sound produced by the cocking of a pistol. Before I had time to make any further observation, the man was at my side, and putting to my breast a long-bladed knife, the opening of which had caused the clicking sound, exclaimed, " Silenzio! " then, pointing with his left hand to my watch-chain, added, " Give me your watch." On expressing my determination not to give it up, my assailant pro ceeded to inform me, in very emphatic language, that if I did not immediately surrender the coveted object he would stab me. Again refusing, he put the knife between his teeth, collared me with his left hand, and 128 LAST WINTER IN ROME. placing the right . within my waistcoat, detached my watch-chain, and abstracted the watch. When he had obtained possession of it, he enjoined me to proceed upstairs silently, and having seen me ascend a few steps, he turned suddenly round, darted down the stairs, and disappeared.' ' What manner of man was he ? ' I demanded. ' Slight in figure, and dressed very much like a gentleman.' The reader will probably be as much surprised as I was, that with such an opportunity as the robber afforded when the knife was between his teeth, the tables were not in some manner turned upon him. A mere tyro in the noble art would, as it appeared to me, have administered a good knock down blow to the fellow when he left himself so completely exposed. However, it is easy on such occasions to criticise the conduct of others. I need scarcely add that my friend never saw his watch again. From the manner in which the robber held the knife, threatening to strike upwards, he was judged to have been a Neapolitan, for they use the knife in this fashion : a Eoman strikes downwards. 129 CHAPTEE XIV. The Collegio Romano — Stronghold of Jesuitism — Ascetic Figures — Vow of St. Ignatius — Establishment of the College — Great Nursing- Mother of Jesuits — Their Duties — Church of San Ignazio— The Confessional — The Collegio Romano closed against Woman — The Museum — Its great Advantages — Special Objects of Interest — The Cista Mistica — Frescoes — Gladiatorial Combats — The Vestal Vir gins — Interesting Graphite — Use of the Stylus — Early Pictorial Allusion to the Crucifixion of our Saviour — Valuable Religious Testimony — The Observatory of the Collegio Romano — Padre Secehi — Galileo — Solar Spots — Fine Equatorial — Magnetic Obser vations — Meteorological Apparatus^-View from the Observatory. Among thepleasantest and most instructive hours that I spent in Eome during last winter, were those in the Collegio Eomano. This vast institution, founded by Gregory XIII. in 1582, is frequently mentioned as the Gregoriana. Here Jesuitism in its most austere form has set up her standard, and from the gates of the University go forth yearly hundreds of youths trained to follow the steps of Ignatius Loyola You have only to pass through the great gates into the spacious quadrangle to feel that you are in another world. Dark-robed figures glide noiselessly along the long-drawn corridors, apparent realisations for the K 130 LAST WINTER IN EOME. most part of ascetic abnegation, many appearing as if they had followed their master's example, who fasted occasionally from Sunday to Sunday. Strict, however, as are the rules of this establishment, the members are, according to their own account, very happy, and have no desire to leave it. St. Ignatius, you will remember, when he threw aside his armour for the cowl, declared that, if per mitted to rise from the couch where he lay wounded, he would devote himself during the rest of his life to a far lovelier and higher lady than those of noble birth to whom he had been paying his devoirs. This was the Holy Virgin, and from henceforth he, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Francis Borgia, the two other great saints of the Jesuit community, devoted themselves with unwearied zeal to the establishment of their order. The primary duties of the society of Jesus, as Loyola designated the order, were to preach, to arouse sinners to repentance by means of the confessional, and to educate youth in their doctrines. After considerable difficulty Ignatius prevailed on Pope Paul III. to grant a license to the college which he founded, and since that period (1534) the Collegio Eomano has been the great nursing-mother of Jesuits. Within its walls theology, learned languages, and various THE COLLEGIO ROMANO. 131 branches of science are taught; and a system is adopted by which a most searching examination is made into the religious conduct of Eoman families. The fair face of woman never brightens the interior of the Collegio Eomano, but the Jesuits are not shut out from womankind. Their gorgeous church is attended by the highest ladies in Eome, and their confessionals are more resorted to than those of any others in that city. Though habitually attending their parish church, yet it was to a Jesuit that my landlord's daughters confessed ; and I always sus pected that, through this medium, whatever may have been thought interesting or desirable to be known in the life of the Englishman lodging in their father's house was communicated to their reverend Father Confessor. It seems paradoxical that a society professing to advance human knowledge should shut their doors against woman, and the more so because the Collegio Eomano contains one of the most instructive and interesting museums in Europe, and an observatory of world-wide reputation, and it was to these special institutions I alluded with reference to the pleasant hours passed in the Collegio Eomano. These depart ments of the college are only open to the public on Sunday forenoons, but both Padre Tongiorgi K 2 132 LAST WINTER IN ROME. and Padre Secchi, the respective directors of the museum and observatory, will always admit learned and scientific men when application is made. I spent many hours in both places, and have no hesitation in saying, that an attentive visitor will gain more information relative to the archaeology of Eome by studying the various objects of interest in the museum, commented upon as they are by the director, than in any other institution of a similar nature in Eome. The museum possesses the very great advantage of not being crowded by objects of second-rate importance and interest. Every object is valuable as illustrating the manners and customs of the ancient Eomans, and the learned and courteous director who goes round with visitors on Sunday takes care that no object of interest shall be overlooked. As a matter of course, different pursuits and tastes will cause visitors to pay attention to special objects, but whatever may be your archaeological predilec tion, many opportunities will be found in the museum for its gratification. The antiquities appertaining to the gladiatorial exhibitions are deeply interesting, illustrating as they do that extraordinary phase of ancient Eoman life. THE MUSEUM. 133 Here is the celebrated Cista Mistica, consisting of a bronze cylindrical vessel elaborately chased with figures, about two feet high, and eight inches in diameter. This vessel contained a great variety of articles used by gladiators before entering the arena, and was awarded as a prize to the most successful in the death-fight. Some frescoes suspended round the walls, obtained for the most part from ancient palaces, depict many of the terrible scenes which crimsoned the arena of the Flavian amphitheatre. Especially note worthy is one representing the dying agonies of a gladiator, his victor standing over him, while the Emperor, with the vestal virgins at his side ar rayed in festal robes and decorated with flowers, are smiling on the horrible scene. What manner of women were those who could even contemplate such horrors as were enacted to make ' a Eoman holiday ?' But do not Spanish girls look on unmoved while a horse is being gored to death ? More interesting, however, than these frescoes is the graphite obtained from the palace of the Caesars. It was the habit of the ancient Eomans to carry a graphium or stylus,* with which they wrote on wax or * This instrument was sometimes used as a weapon. Hence, perhaps, the stiletto of modern times. 134 LAST WINTER IN ROME. other soft substances, and just as boys of our day draw caricatures on walls with chalk, the Eomans used a stylus for the same purpose ; the difference being, that whereas chalk marks are not perma nent, lines traced on mortar or cement by a sharp- pointed instrument are very enduring. On the walls of the rooms supposed to have been occupied by the guards or soldiers on duty in the palace of the Caesars, many drawings have been found, very rude for the most part, being precisely such performances as soldiers might be expected to execute in their idle moments.* The majority possess little interest, but that, a copy of which is annexed, is a notable exception. For here we have probably one of the earliest pictorial allusions to the manner of our Saviour's death. If executed, as generally believed, during the reign of Septimus Severus, it must be accepted as undoubted evidence that the great event that had caused the veil of the Temple to be rent and darkness to overspread the land was at that time noised abroad. The prophesied persecutions had commenced, and those who professed the name of * The probability that the graphite in question was executed by a soldier is greatly strengthened by the fact that many of the gra phites are representations of soldiers. I have seen the French sol diers stationed at the gates of Rome make drawings of a very similar nature on the walls with chalk. To face page 134. ^B p. GRAPHITE, FEOM THE PALACE OF THE CiESABS. INTERESTING GRAPHITE. 135 Christ were scoffed and insulted. We can fancy that the hand which drew this was that of a Pagan soldier who, holding firmly to the faith of his fathers, wor shipped the Capitoline gods. Angered, probably, by some Christian who eloquently urged the Pagan to adore the one true God and to seek redemption through His crucified Son, the soldier deridingly drew this caricature, adding the words in Greek, signi fying, ' Alessamenos worships his God.' Little did the person who drew this figure think that it would be cherished as valuable testimony to the truth of the record of the Christian religion. The Jesuits of the Collegio Eomano regard it in this light, and they have done well and wisely to preserve it with great care in their museum. Should a lady honour these pages by perusing them, she will doubtless think it hard that her sex should not be permitted to see even this antiquity in the Collegio Eomano, and she may be inclined to ask, is there no way by which her natural curiosity can be gratified ? Yes, fair reader, there is ; for though the Jesuits shut their gates against woman, the Pope can order them to be thrown open to you, and thus, if you have the good fortune to be acquainted with His Holiness, or can influence him through Cardinal Antonelli, he can pass you within the college walls. 136 LAST WINTER IN ROME. It is a long climb from the museum to the obser vatory, intricate withal ; but the Jesuits are very obliging, and directed by them, after passing up many stairs, you arrive eventually at the door of a small garret-like room. Here Padre Secchi holds converse with the stars, not only in astronomical fashion, but with the lights of science in the form of books around him. The observatory of the Collegio Eomano is highly creditable to that institution, and I could not help wishing that Galileo, who uttered the memorable words 'E pur si muove,' almost within hearing of the site of the Collegio Eomano, when, soul-shaken by persecution, he abjured the doctrine of the earth's motion as heretical, could see the fine astronomical instruments in this observatory. Padre Secchi, who, I may state, converses fluently in English, enjoys a European reputation as an astro nomer of high order. His researches into the curious and little-understood solar spots are well known in the scientific world, and his drawings of the moon's surface are among the best and clearest that we possess of this satellite. Provided with a letter of introduction to the padre, he obligingly showed me over the observatory. The equatorial, furnished with a 9i-inch object-glass by Merz, is a remarkably fine instrument ; but with OBSERVATORY OP THE COLLEGIO ROMANO. 137 the very small annual government grant to the ob servatory (only forty scudi), not much use is made of it. In consequence of the observatory resting on the solid stone walls destined to support a cupola over the Church of San Ignazio, which, however, was never constructed, Padre Secchi has been enabled to suspend magnets and make magnetical observations. He is thus able to note the curious coincidences between magnetic intensity and the spots on the sun with great precision. Padre Secchi has also invented an admirable self-registering meteorological apparatus, by far the best that I have seen. If the weather be propitious, Padre Secchi will take you out on the roof of the observatory, from whence there is one of the finest city views of Eome, enabling you to study the architecture of the nume rous domes and towers rising around. Talking with the good padre on scientific matters, it was difficult to realise that I was within a convent ; for although the dull illiterate routine of monastic life has passed into a proverb, here at least the lamp of science burns brightly, and you will find few men so richly stored with knowledge as the excellent and learned director of this observatory. 138 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XV. Last Day of the Year — Mild Temperature — Baths of Caracalla — Shelley — Vegetation of the ' Baths ' — Recent Excavations — Boar's Tusks— Sale of Antiquities — The Roman Bath — Ignorance res pecting it — Nature of the Bath — Roman Baths in Great Britain — ¦ Defect in the modern Roman Bath — Power of Human Body to withstand Heat — Influence of the Roman Baths on the ancient Romans — Their effeminate Luxury — Church of the Gesu — The Te Deum — Visit of the Pope — How His Holiness was received — The Court Journal of Rome — Last Night of the Year — A Family Gathering. It is the last day of the year. The air is as mild as during midsummer in England. I walked to the Baths of Caracalla, and spent a couple of hours basking in the sunshine on the crumbling roofs. On these, Shelley, whose ' heart of hearts ' lies in the not-far- distant Protestant cemetery, wrote the greater part of his c Prometheus Unbound.' In the preface he says, 'This poem was chiefly written upon the mountainous ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, among the flowery glades and thickets of odoriferous blos soming trees, which are extending in ever-winding labyrinths upon its immense platforms and dizzy. arches suspended in the air. The bright blue sky BATHS OF CARACALLA. 139 of Eome, and the effect of the vigorous awakening of spring in that divinest climate, and the new life with which it drenches the spirits even to intoxica tion, were the inspiration of this drama.' Thicker than ever is the vegetation mantling these ruins, and masking the chasms that lurk treacher ously beneath your feet. If inclined to explore, you must tread cautiously, for there is danger at every step. But what an idea is conveyed of the solidity and magnitude of these ruins, remembering that centuries have passed over them, and we can still walk over a considerable portion of their roofs ! Vieni a veder la tua Roma che piagni Vedova, sola, e di e notte chiama, sang Dante; and as you sit on these heights, and hear the wind sighing athwart the long grass and pendulous creeping plants, you may fancy it to be the moan of desolation.Rome has fallen ; ye see her lying Heaped in undistinguished ruin ; Nature is alone undying. neapea in unaisimguisne Nature is alone undying. And surely never was desolation more lovely than this, for out of every rift and interstice spring trees, plants, and waving grasses, while the stones are coated by many-hued mosses. One might spend a long day 140 LAST WINTER IN ROME. wandering amidst those ruined baths, which, vast as they were known to be, appear by recent researches to have been even larger than was supposed. With out the wall bounding the baths, and on the SW. side, excavations made in a vineyard have disclosed a series of chambers decorated with rich frescoes, the colours of which are extremely bright. The floors are paved with mosaics, and several flues have been found in connection with the chambers, leading to the inference that they formed portions of the calidarium. It is evident, from the nature of these ruined cham bers, that there are others contiguous to them, for the walls dip as it were into the ground, leading to the conclusion that substructures lie beyond them. Dislodging a portion of the undisturbed earth, I found several boar's tusks, and teeth of other animals, besides fragmentary bones. The earth within the chambers which have been opened has been found full of broken marble and masonry. It would be highly interesting to continue these excavations, which now stand still for want of funds. The proprietor of the vineyard in which the ruins are situated has discovered several small statues and fragments of rich sculptures, which are for sale, as well as a variety of antiquities. But he is most unreasonable in his demands, asking prices so antipodal to your expecta- ROMAN BATHS. 141 tions, that you will probably conceive that you can never approach an equatorial medium. However, like other Eoman vendors of antiquities, true or fictitious, he is always open to an offer, and unless this is very much below the value of the article it will be accepted. As a rule, you may safely offer one half of the sum demanded, and expect that the offer will be taken. The true nature of the Eoman bath has not long been understood. Not unreasonably, we generally connected with our idea of this bath vast reservoirs of water, in which hundreds might bathe; and not finding any remains of enormous tanks, were puzzled to reconcile the circumstance with the statement of thousands of bathers frequenting the baths. But we now know that the Eoman bath was not mere water immersion, for although the piscina or plunging-bath was often used to restore the tension of the skin and muscles, yet the tepidarium and sudatorium, where perspiration was effected by hot air, were the great features of the Eoman bath. So necessary was this bath to the ancient Eomans, that wherever they settled hot-air baths were established, and no villa was esteemed complete without such an appanage. In Dr. Eobert Wollaston's recent interesting work 142 LAST WINTER IN ROME. on Eoman baths in Britain,* he informs us that there has already been discovered no less than twenty Eo man baths in our island, all of which seem to have been constructed on a similar plan to those in Eome. The practice carried on nearly two thousand years ago in London is now revived, for the modern Sybarite who reposes in indolent bliss on the couch of a modern Eoman bath in the metropolis is but experiencing the delight felt by the Eoman of that long bygone time in baths, the remains of which may be seen under the Coal Exchange in Upper Thames Street, and in a small passage out of the Strand opposite St. Mary's Church near Somerset House. The evident delight experienced by the Eomans of old in their baths renders me curious on one point. When within the sudatorium, did they experience the burning and stifling sensation which oppresses our air-passages, and which is sometimes so great as to render the modern 'Eoman' bath almost painful? I cannot help thinking that the ancient Eomans had some contrivance by which, while their bodies were undergoing the perspiring process, they breathed pure cool air. This to me is a great want in the modern Eoman bath. It could, I apprehend, be easily sup- * Therma Romano-Britannica. ROMAN EFFEMINACY. 143 plied by means of tubes to which a kind of respira tory apparatus might be fitted. With this arrange ment the body could endure a far higher degree of heat than is found in any sudatorium.* There is no doubt that these Eoman baths had considerable influence in bringing about the deca dence of the Eoman empire. Can bathing, it may be asked, be charged with such a result ? For is not cleanliness allied to godliness ? and who can impute such an effect to ablutions ? But these Eoman baths, though originally calculated to do good, became, as the Eoman empire waxed in greatness, instruments of evil, by pandering to the luxuries and immorality of the people. Within the area of these ruined halls were various apartments whose very names are significant of a nation already feeble and corrupt. The strength and life of a nation must be deeply sapped, when we read that the thousands who re sorted to those gigantic baths used to spend hours in the unctuarium, where their bodies were anointed with perfumed oils and essences ; in the conisterium, where they were powdered ; and in the coreicum, * The power of the human body to withstand very high tempera ture is well known. The most remarkable example, perhaps, is that at Magnus' Enamelled Slate works in London, where the workmen remain in the chambers used for enamelling the slates sufficiently long to cook meat for their dinners. 144 LAST WINTER IN ROME. where their hair was trimmed and their corns cut.* In other apartments, Sybarites reclined listlessly listening to poetic recitations, a custom frequently alluded to by the Latin poets. So Horace in his Satires, In medio qui Scripta Foro recitent, sunt multi, quique lavantes ; Suave locus resonat voci conclusus. Practices not to be mentioned here were carried on in these gigantic establishments, which more than all others destroyed the vigour of the Eomans, and accelerated the fall of the empire ; for a people who indulged in them could not exist long as a nation. All English Eome flocked in the afternoon to the Gesu, to see the Pope and hear the Te Deum, which is annually performed in this church on the last day of the year before His Holiness and the Sacred College. Eeports were rife that the Pope was unwell, and would not attend, but he appeared to me to show no signs of indisposition. The magnificent church was decked in gala costume, and brilliantly illuminated. In strange and jarring contrast to this grandeur was the weak and very poor music pro- * It is almost satisfactory to find that we, with our malcon- structed chaussures, are not singular in having corns. The Romans, with their comparatively free sandals, suffered from these plagues. new year's eye. 145 ceeding from two organs that would scarcely be tolerated in a small parish church in England. The Te Deum sung by the Pope's choir was of course a better performance, but even this fell short of the high standard of excellence expected from these cele brated singers. At the conclusion of the service there was the usual rush to see the Pope depart in his state carriage, and how he departed, hear the 'Court Newsman : ' — ' Colla serenita dell' uomo del Cielo, con un sorriso attraente ed incantevole il Santo Padre guardava e benediva quella moltitudine dei suoi suddetti. Quivi nella piazza innanzi al tempio musicali armonie rispondevano al clamore plauso popolare e salutavano 1' augusto monarca.' The first part of this account is true, but the cheering was not hearty, proceeding rather from a select few of the higher ranks than from the people. As with us, the last night of the year in Eome is devoted to family gatherings. I spent it in the house of an acquaintance whose rooms were full of Italians. The young people were anxious to dance, but as dancing, with few exceptions, is only allowed in Eoman houses on the primo piano, and we were on the third story, they could not be indulged. However, Eomans are never dull when together, and whatever care and L 146 LAST WINTER IN ROME. anxiety they may feel in private, they do not seem to be depressed at a conversazione ; so amid a storm of voices, and quaffing brimming glasses of punch a la Eomaine, we hailed the advent of the new year. 147 CHAPTEE XVI. New- Year's Day in Rome — Great Expenditure of Pasteboard — Mass in the Sistine Chapel — Indulgences — How to gain them — Roman Family Dinner-party— A Variety of Soups — Religious Dis cussion — A Roman Catholic Name — Its Consequences — Cardinal Weld — A tolerant Monsignor — How I did not attend one of the Pope's Receptions — Conversion among Protestants — Good Custom in Roman Catholic Churches — Doctrines concerning Purga tory, &c. — The Lyons Religious Difficulty — Ancient Gallican Liturgy — The Pope's Dltramontanism — Pius IX. and Napoleon III. — Triumph of the Gallican Church — Policy of the French Emperor — The Pope's Reply to Napoleon III. on the proposed International Congress — Papal Rescripts — France and the 'Roman Question ' — Clarendon's Opinion of Churchmen. A great portion of New-year's day in Eome is oc cupied by the upper and middle classes in leaving cards on everyone with whom even the slightest acquaintance exists. In no city is there a greater expenditure of pasteboard. The vases appropriated for the reception of these missives literally overflow, and you will see a broad stream of cards running over the tables. ' Cento mille di questi giorni ! ' may be heard like a running fire in the streets, and even the gamins exchange buoni augurii for the new year. It is remarkable that this day is not celebrated L 2 148 LAST WINTER IN ROME. in Eome by any great Church festival. The cannon in the Castle of St. Angelo are fired, and flags float from the walls ; but the only papal ceremony is the celebration of mass in the morning by a cardinal in the Sistine or Pauline chapels, followed by a sermon in Latin. Services are held in other churches, and great opportunities are afforded for obtaining indul gences ; * but mighty St. Peter's makes no sign on this day. All shops are, however, closed ; and in the afternoon the Pincio and Corso are thronged with promenaders. I joined a Eoman family dinner-party, at which the much-loved capelletto soup was, as usual, in great request, followed by many dishes entirely new to me. An Englishman, anxious of experiencing the sensa tion of new tastes, might gratify it abundantly in Eome, for the dishes are extreme'ly various. At the Lepri restaurant you may try fifty-seven different soups, prepared at different times of the year, when the various condiments of which they are composed are in season. Our dinner was accompanied by seve ral wines, the produce of vineyards close to Eome, * ' Pour gagner l'indulgence pleniere il faut etre en eiat de grace, s'etre confesse dans les huit jours, avoir communis le jour meme, visiter l'eglise indiquee et y prier pour la Concorde des princes Chretiens, l'extirpation des heresies et 1' exaltation de l'eglise.' — L'Annee Litwrgique. RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 149 some so good, that it is surprising the native wines at the hotels are not better than they are. My host being in the service of the papal govern ment, conversation was carefully directed into chan nels not at all likely to raise political questions ; and, as it is the custom in Eome for ladies and gentlemen to leave the dinner -table together, there was no op portunity for the latter to discuss any topic which gentlemen might regard as post-prandial. The salons were filled at an early hour with nume rous guests, among whom I found acquaintances ; and joining a group, we contrived in a few minutes to plunge into a rather violent religious discussion. I have no wish to change the name that I bear, but in my pilgrimage through life I have occasionally been subjected to some inconvenience by it, and nowhere more than in Eome. Being the same as that of a well- known Eoman Catholic family, strangers even jumped to the conclusion that I was a Eoman Catholic, and more than one disclosure was made to me that I am sure would not have been imparted to a Protestant. The circumstance that I should bear the name of Weld and be a Protestant seemed so impossible, that over and over again I was questioned how such an appa rent anomaly could be. The unctuous countenance of Monsignor Talbot, to whom I was introduced 150 LAST WINTER IN ROME. one day in the Vatican, beamed brightly when he heard my name ; but having abruptly, and as I thought not very courteously, added after preliminary greetings, ' Of course you are a Catholic ? ' a great and marked change came over him when I stated that I was a Protestant. Indeed, whenever I found myself in the society of Italians conversant with the name of Weld, I felt that until I had declared my faith I was in a false position. An aged monsignor to whom I was presented at a large reception, on hearing my name launched out into the highest panegyrics re specting the late Cardinal Weld, who he had known well, adding that he had the greatest esteem for all Welds. 'What,' I rejoined, 'Protestants as well as Ca tholics ? ' ' Oh, but they are all Catholics.' ' Not so,' I replied, ' for I am a Protestant,' In this case the monsignor was extremely tolerant, admitting that a Protestant might be saved as well as a Eoman Catholic ; and as a proof that he bore me no grudge nor ill will, he kindly called on me the fol lowing day and presented me with a copy of a reli gious work that he had dedicated to Cardinal Weld.* * I may take this opportunity of stating a circumstance tending to confirm the impression that my Protestant faith was inimical to me in PROTESTANT CONVERTS. 151 Gathering my recollections of numerous conversa tions that I held with various ecclesiastics in Eome, one remembrance stands out prominently. Every where the greatest anxiety was manifested to know how the work of conversion went on among our Pro testant clergymen, and a general belief appeared to prevail, that before long all the clergymen of Great Britain will abjure Protestantism. This belief, which I believe to be sincere, arises partly from the ignorance that generally prevails among Eoman Rome. Having expressed a desire to my landlord to attend one of the Pope's receptions, he assured me that it could be easily gratified, and undertook to make the necessary application. Several weeks having elapsed, and the usual official invitation to an audience not having been sent to me, two or three audiences having in the mean while been given to large companies of English and other visitors, I sought an explanation from my landlord. He saw Monsignor Pacca at the Vatican, who issues the invitations, and with whom he is acquainted, and was assured that my name had been omitted by mistake, but that I should assuredly receive an invitation. More weeks having, however, passed, and the promise nothavingbeen fulfilled, a friend kindly spoke on my behalf to M. Pacca ; and at the suggestion of my landlord, I accompanied him to the Vatican, where we saw M. Pacca's secretary. He received me very courteously, and stated that an invitation would certainly be forwarded to me for the next week's audience. Hearing this, I ventured to say that, as I should then be absent from Rome, I begged that I might be included in a later audience. The secretary, who was a priest, replied that lip would make a note of this ; how much to the point will be seen by the fact that the invitation arrived on the day after I had left Rome, and was for the audience that I could not possibly attend. So I had not the honour of kissing the Pope's hand. Should the reader have 152 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Catholic priests respecting our country, but more from the presence in Eome during winter of several gentle men, formerly clergymen of our Established Church, who from purely conscientious motives have made large pecuniary sacrifices in order to enter the Eoman Catholic priesthood, and who hold that there can be no religious peace without the pale of Eomanism. And when we see such master minds as Manning and Newman falling down before the papal throne and declaring that the Church of Eome contains the only true fold, we cannot be surprised that Eomish priests should implicitly believe what is any curiosity to peruse the document in question, here is a copy of it : — Vaticano, 8 Aprile 1864. Dall' Anticamera Pontificia E pregato giungendo in Anticamera di esibere il presente biglietto. Si avverte che non potr'a essere ammesso se non in Uniforme, e non avendone Vuso, in frack nero, cravatta bianca e Scarpa. Si previene T HLrno Signor Weld, che Sua Santita si degnera ammetterlo all' Udienza Dome- nica 10 corrente alle ore 12 me- Awektenza. E' prohibito di presentare al riod. Santo Padre douande in iscritto II Maestro di Camera di S. S. per Indulgenze, Facolta, Privilegi od altro ad oggetto di ottenere 1' autograft) di Sua Santita. ROMANISTS IN ROME. 153 assuredly greatly desired, viz. that the cathedrals of England will ere long be again fragrant with incense and their altars blaze with artificial splendour. Such a day the English Protestant sincerely believes is far distant ; and yet it is impossible to deny that there are features in the Eoman Catholic Church which Protestantism might adopt with advan tage. In a spirit that we should do well to imitate, Eoman Catholic cathedrals and churches are open to all comers during the greater part of the day, and every facility is given to the sinner suffering from an oppressed conscience to pour forth his sorrows in the temple of God. On the other hand, even our great national cathedrals are in many cases put on a par with show-houses, and are only visible, except by a system of fees, during the short period devoted to the daily services. Another impression received by conversing with educated Eoman Catholics in Eome during the past winter was, that belief in the doctrines concerning ' purgatory, pardons, worshipping, and adoration, as well of images as of reliques, and also invocation of saints,' properly regarded by Protestants as 'fond things vainly invented,' is losing hold over many minds. Catholicism, like Protestantism, presents nu merous phases ; and it is not at all improbable that the 154 LAST WINTER IN ROME. little cloud which darkens the papal sky in France may be the precursor of a great storm, which will clear the religious atmosphere of much superstition. I heard the mission of Cardinal Bonald to Eome fre quently discussed, and the majority of those with whom I conversed on the subject appeared to me to bear more to the side of the Lyonese than to that of Eome. The case, interesting on account of the consequences that have arisen and may yet arise from it, is this : For many years the clergy of Lyons have been in the habit of using a liturgy, which, though identical in spirit with that used in Eome, differs in some forms. In the early period of the Eomish Church it was customary to use various local liturgies ; but it is a curious fact that, although Pope Adrian, backed by the powerful influence of Charlemagne, did all in his power to suppress these liturgies in France, the old Gallican liturgy continued to be used in some dioceses, and is still used by the Eoman Catholic clergy of Lyons. The Pope, whose conduct of late has been marked by excessive ultramontanism, ordered the Gallican liturgy to be suppressed and the Eoman missal to be substituted, not probably apprehending that any re monstrance would be made. But the Lyonese clergy refused to obey the papal rescript, and applied to the Emperor of the French to support them in their THE LYONESE LITDRGY. 155 opposition. The latter, though possessing the title of Eldest Son of the Church, and desirous of standing well with the Pope, has of course a greater desire to be popular among his subjects than in the Vatican ; and Lyons being the second city of the empire, Napoleon III. has deemed it more prudent policy to side with the Lyonese clergy than with the Pope, being well aware that no spiritual thunder from St. Peter's can shake his throne. This is a considerable triumph for the Gallican Church party, and strikes a blow at papal ultramontanism, the effects of which may be far greater than is now imagined. The policy of the French Emperor is the more remarkable, following, as it did, his letter to the Pope respecting the projected International Congress, and the Pope's reply. In the latter His Holiness says : ' Your Majesty cannot hesitate to believe that the Vicar of Jesus Christ, from the duties of his sublime representation, and from the conviction he entertains that in the Catholic faith, in conjunction with practice, is to be found the sole means proper to moralise the peoples, cannot in the midst of con gresses, even political ones, fail in his obligation to sustain, with the greatest rigour, the rights of our most august religion, which is one, holy, Catholic, apostolic, and Eoman. 156 LAST WINTER IN ROME. ' The confidence which we express of seeing vio lated rights vindicated, springs from the conscien tious duty imposed upon us by their guardianship. In showing ourselves full of solicitude on the sub ject of these rights, we do not wish your Majesty to suppose we could ever entertain any doubt with regard to those appertaining to this Holy See, since, besides the other motives which militate in its favour, we have also the assurances which your Majesty has several times given, and caused to be given publicly — assurances which it would seem to us offensive to doubt, coming from so high and powerful a sovereign.' But it is now evident that the Pope may reason ably question whether his ' Eldest Son ' will support all papal rescripts ; and in this Lyons difficulty we may perceive one among the many reasons for the recent ' Convention,' and regard it as a step towards the solution of that knotty problem, 'The Eoman question.' There is no doubt that many thinking men in France, who, in their anxiety to escape from the gross superstition unhappily too much mixed up with Eomanism, are not unbelievers, have much in common with Protestants ; and it may well be that the time is not far distant when France will lend CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 157 the powerful aid of her intellectual strength to put an end to a religious system of government which blights all within its influence. Clarendon wisely observed, that of all mankind, none form such a bad estimate of human affairs as Churchmen, and as suredly the government, dei preti, in Eome, forms no exception. 158 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XVII. Great Meteorological Change — Excessive Cold — Rome under Snow — Icy Fountains — Discomfort of Roman Rooms — Stufas — Scaldinas — 'Freddo, Freddo' — Range of Thermometer — Constant Temperature of St. Peter's — York Minster — Contrast between English and Roman Girls — Exercise versus Stoves — The Contessa — Walk round Walls of Rome — Time required to effect this — Probable Extent of present Walls — Pictorial Effect — Picturesque Gates — Oxen and Buffaloes — Mr. Waterton's Adventure with these Animals — A Marble-hunting Expedition — Abundance of Marble Fragments for merly in Rome — And now in the Campagna — Museum in Collegio della Sapienza — Prodigious Number of Specimens of Ancient Mar bles — Alabasters— Purposes to which Marble Fragments may be applied — Good yielding Veins of Fragmentary Marbles — ' Camels of the Campagna ' — The Villa Livia Marble Quarry — How to find good Marbles. Those who made Eome their home during the winter of 1863-4 will be slow, I imagine, to find fault with the changeableness or severity of our English climate. For never in Great Britain was there a more sudden meteorological change than that which visited Eome early in January of the latter year. Amidst sunshine and roses, blue skies and balmy air, the old year softly died : the new seemed to have been cradled in the arctic regions.and COLD IN BOME. 159 sent to us with rough blasts by Boreas. The roofs on the 3rd of January were white with snow, the streets ankle-deep with half-frozen sludge ; the fountains were garlanded with icicles — those hanging from that in the Piazza Barberini were so long and pictu resque, as to draw photographers round them all day; and in the Piazza of St. Peter's the gamins of Eome had established long slides. Cold like this is felt keenly in Eome. A friend who occupied one of the best suites of apartments in the Hotel de Londres was unable, though burning large fires, to raise the temperature above 52°. In rooms provided with stufas a higher degree of heat was attainable, but the gain in warmth was only acquired at the cost of a headache of such severity, that I preferred suffering from cold to being warm under such con ditions. The ladies of my landlord's family clung tenaciously, however, to their scaldinas, small por table stufas which they carried always about with them, and with which they contrived to keep their hands at least warm. ' Freddo, freddo,' you heard muttered by the lower orders as you passed through the wretchedly cold and dank streets, for, creatures of warmth and sunshine, they are ill adapted to bear a rigorous winter. My thermometer, one of Casella's standard 160 LAST WINTER IN ROME. instruments, marked some mornings in January 29°, and during the nights 22° 5'. The only comfortable place in Eome was the interior of St. Peter's, where, during the cold weather, the temperature appeared to be equable ; at least the mean of several observa tions that I made recorded a temperature of 63°, while that out of doors was 47°. I believe that the temperature within this vast temple rarely varies. At all events, great heat or cold is a long time filter ing, as it were, through the massive walls. The same may be said in some degree of our English cathedrals. Very cold weather was found by Pro fessor Phillips to be fourteen days penetrating York Minster. During such weather the power of being able to walk is a great boon, for there is no way of acquir ing a supply of caloric like this, and if feet-sound, you may have delightful rambles over the Campagna. It was curious to note the contrast during this weather between English and Eoman girls. The former, as is their wont, might be seen gathering roses on their cheeks by wholesome walks on the Pincio or in the Borghese gardens, whereas the latter never stirred out, their faces waxing paler day by day. I frequently remonstrated with my land lord's daughters, or rather with their mother, on WALK ROUND THE WALLS. 161 their mode of life, and urged them to take exercise. ' ImpossibileJ was the reply — a word often in the mouth of Italians — the weather was too severe, and indeed the idea even of walking to acquire warmth seemed quite preposterous; besides, how could Eoman girls walk alone? So they hugged their scaldinas, while the contessa, I believe, retired to her bedroom ; at least during the very cold weather she disappeared, her absence being accounted for by a slight indisposition. Among the walks that I took during this period, was one round the walls of Eome. Having heard many statements of the time required to compass the walls on foot, I had the curiosity to time myself. Deducting thirty-seven minutes for crossing the Tiber twice, I accomplished the distance in four hours and eleven minutes. This, at the rate I walked, making due allowance for a few stoppages, makes the circuit a little over twelve miles ; and this, I believe, approximates very closely to their present extent. It is remarkable how nearly this measure ment agrees with the circuit of the walls erected by the successor of Eomulus. These are stated to have been about thirteen miles, a vast inclosure for an infant city, as Gibbon observes ; but, as he adds, necessary. Under Aurelian, the walls were twenty-one miles in 162 LAST WINTER IN BOME. extent. All persons who love ' colour ' should make this expedition. The walls in many places appear as if they had been painted, so various and rich are the hues from the lichens and grasses clothing them. And though the polygonal outline of the walls them selves is rather monotonous, yet the towers, nearly three hundred of which remain, break the line often with fine effect, and some of the gates are also ex tremely picturesque. On the north side you run some risk of being diverted from your course by oxen and pigs on their way to the shambles near the Porta del Popolo. The former are occasionally rather viciously inclined, and more than once I was glad to entrench myself within the stout wood pens constructed specially to enable the wayfarer to re main in safety until the herd has passed. Buffaloes are even more dangerous, but these animals are rarely seen under the walls of Eome.* Pigs you * In justice to Roman buffaloes generally, I cannot forbear citing Mr. Waterton's opinion of them : ' These wild-looking animals have got a bad name in Rome for supposed ferocity, and when I expressed my determination to approach them, I was told not to do so, as buffa loes were wicked brutes, and would gore me to death. In despite of this warning I went up to the herd. They all ceased eating, and stared at me as though they had never seen a man before. Upon this I immediately threw my body, arms, and legs into all kinds of antic movements, grumbling loudly at the same time ; and the whole herd, bulls, cows, and calves, took off as fast as ever they could pelt, leaving me to return sound and whole to my inn. — Autobiography. ROMAN MARBLES. 163 will see during winter by hundreds, for this is the time of their sacrifice, of which more presently. I was greatly struck during this walk by its exces sive solitude. Excepting near the principal gates leading to the great highways, the road around the walls was almost deserted — so deserted and lone that I was constantly reminded of the Evangelist's descrip tion of Eome sitting on her seven hills in the wilderness. On another day equally propitious for a long walk I accompanied a couple of friends on a marble- hunting excursion in the Campagna. The time was when there was no need to go without the walls of Eome to find rich and rare marbles. I possessed several paper-weights, since given to friends, made from fragments which I picked up in the Baths of Caracalla and elsewhere not many years ago. But prodigious as were the quantities of marbles in Eome they could not last long when railways brought thousands of visitors annually to the city, and now it is very rare to find even a small piece of marble within the walls. Without these the quarry is still far from exhausted. All over the Campagna, even within four or five miles of the city, you constantly kick against fragments, some too large to be con veniently carried, and many bearing traces of rich M 2 164 LAST WINTER IN ROME. carving ; and certain localities prove, on digging, to be literally broken marble quarries. But you have only to visit the museum in the Collegio della Sapienza to be in some measure prepared for this great mar ble wealth. In this institution, placed in glass cases conveniently arranged, are no less than 607 specimens of various marbles and alabasters used by the ancient Eomans. It is, indeed, only by examining these that you truly realise the magnificence of that people in their buildings.* Many varieties are so beautiful that they seem like precious stones ; and so indeed they are, for we know that the Eomans incurred enormous expense in quarrying and conveying them from distant parts of Africa. Among the most beautiful marbles are Verde Eannocchia, Breccia Verde di Settebasi, Eossastra, Pavonazzetto, Africano Principe, Africano Eose, Giallo antico (che ha sofferto l'azione del fuoco), Lavagna Antica di giallo, Basalto di bronzo, Breccia a seme santo ; and of the thirty-one varieties of alabasters, Corallino, Fiorito a pecorella, Occhi,Eosa, Giallo, Verdognolo, Sardonico, and Chiaro * This collection was made and arranged by the late Professor Sanguinetti, a gentleman of great scientific acquirements, and pro fessor of mineralogy in the college. Many English families who have benefitted by Professor Sanguinetti's instruction in Rome as an Italian master, will learn with regret that he fell a victim to fever in the spring of this year. MARBLE-HUNTING EXPEDITIONS. 165 may be especially cited for their curious markings and exquisite hues. Looking at this unique collection, which no visitor to Eome should omit seeing, you can well under stand how, ruined as Eome has been by earthquakes, sieges, conflagrations, and the effects of time, there are still thousands of marble columns in her churches and palaces, and who shall say how many under ground ? Murray, who caters well for the amusement of visitors to Eome, is silent on the pleasure to be derived from marble-hunting expeditions, and the profitable and beautiful results that they may be made to yield. For if you meet with even tolerable success, you will find many fragments that will form pretty tazzas, paper-weights, &c. ; and if very suc cessful, you may have extremely beautiful table-tops made from the fragments. Good yielding veins of fragmentary marbles run parallel to the Appian and Latin ways. Near the aqueducts you are also likely to find several varieties, for these ' camels of the Campagna,' as they have been called, rough in their exterior when far from the city, were often clothed in marble when near Eome, that they might be in keeping with the architectural grandeur of that city. Perhaps, however, the richest 166 LAST WINTER IN ROME. quarry lately opened is that around the recently discovered Villa Livia. Here, in the course of a very short time, a party of which I formed one filled several baskets with fragments of marble and ala baster. But as this villa is eight miles from Eome, you can scarcely go on a marble-hunting expedition to it on foot. You will be frequently saved trouble and disap pointment if you are provided with a sponge and a bottle of water in order to wash the surface of the marble fragments, for often a piece that coated with dirt seems worthless, turns out on being cleaned to be rare and beautiful ; and oh the other hand, what appears rich hued may be only stained by vegetable matter. A geological hammer will also be an assist ance in your explorations ; but this is a dangerous tool on Eoman ground, and should be used very sparingly. 167 CHAPTEE XVIII. The Public Abattoir at Rome — Its excellent Arrangements — Disease among horned Cattle in Italy — The Peste Ungarica — Statistics of the Disease — Microscopical Examination of the Blood — Buffalo Flesh — Roman Sheep — Disgusting Practice in London — Roman Pigs — Their past and present Excellence — Horace's Recommenda tion of Sucking-pig — A Pompeiian Pig — Whipping Pigs to Death — The Modern Papal Pig — How he is fed — And how killed — End of the Pigs — Coppa. Paradoxical as it may appear, one of the most gratifying sights in Eome is the public abattoir. Not that the spectacle of animals being slaughtered is pleasant, but, admitting that they are given to man as food, it should always be the object of a munici pal government to see that animals are killed in the most humane and sanitary manner. The abattoir at Eome eminently fulfils these conditions. It is situated without the walls, a short distance to the west of the Porto del Popolo. The buildings are capacious, well constructed, and furnished with an abundant supply of pure water, which runs in two streams through them. The oxen are stunned and felled by being struck on the head by a large mallet, 168 LAST WINTER IN ROME. heavily leaded. Great care is taken to ascertain that the animals brought in from the country for slaughter are free from any taint of the terrible disease that proved so fatal to horned cattle in Italy during 1863. According to an official statistical report placed in my hands by Signor Trocchi, pre sident of the Eoman chamber of commerce, it appears that in a very limited area near Eome, out of 8,688 oxen, 3,635 were attacked in 1863 by what is called the Peste Ungarica, and 3,009 died. Buffaloes, too, were equally subject to it ; out of 1,900 animals in the Cisterna district, 318 were attacked and 308 died.* The disease is very infectious, and it has been ascertained that, although naturally con fined to oxen and buffaloes, it may be communicated to other animals by inoculation. A microscopical examination of the blood of diseased animals shows that it contains a great number of entozooic worms. The disease may be said to have now ceased, and such sanitary measures have been taken to prevent in fection, that great hopes are entertained that it will not reappear. Companies of French soldiers were waiting to * Though the flesh of buffaloes is poor, it is eaten by Jews and by the peasants south of Rome. It is said to be much more delicate when the animals are exhausted and fatigued, and they are generally killed in this condition. THE PUBLIC ABATTOIR. 169 carry off the rations for their regiments, which were scrupulously examined by officers before they were received. It was surprising to witness the dexterity and rapidity with which a large ox was killed, skinned, quartered, and cut up. Calves and sheep are also killed here : the latter, compared to our fine sheep, are poor animals ; a London butcher would not admit their carcases into his shop. I left the abattoir greatly impressed with the excellence of its arrangements. In this respect Eome contrasts most favourably with our metropolis, for nothing can be more disgraceful than the filthy and disgusting scenes occurring daily within a few yards of St. Paul's. In narrow streets out of Paternoster Eow, close to the open door, hundreds of animals are killed daily, the only screen interposed between them and passers-by being a bloody cloth. In any city or town such an exhibition would be disgraceful. In London it is abominable. But although we have left the abattoir, we have more to see ; for not within this are the pigs killed, and it was principally to see this operation that we have come here. Murray, fearful, perhaps, of offend ing delicate nerves, is reticent on this subject, and yet the manner in which Eoman pigs are killed is one of the most curious sights in the city. Not, 170 LAST WINTER IN ROME. certainly, precisely such as you would take a lady to see, though ladies in these days, and particularly unprotected females, do certainly contrive to see many very queer things ; but it is a spectacle that a man, unless he be very sensitive, should see, on ac count of its singularity and humanity. Eoman pigs have always enjoyed the reputation of being good to eat ; ancient Eomans loved them. Did not Horace recommend that tender delicacy, a " Porcus bimestris,' to his friend CElius Lama ? and in the house of Proculus at Pompeii was found, on a brazen dish, a sucking-pig prepared for cooking Many, too, will doubtless remember how the Helioga- bali of the day whipt the animals to death, conceiving bhat the flavour of the flesh was thereby improved. Disease among pigs was esteemed a terrible national calamity, and that they were subject to a murrain is evident. Juvenal says : — Grex totus in agris TJnius seabie cadit et porrigine porei. In modern times, the pig seems to have escaped. At least the late disease among cattle in Italy has not extended to swine, and you have only to look at a papal pig to be sure that he is as healthy and well fed as the sleekest and most healthy cardinal of the ,Sacred College. Beared in the Campagna, his pabu- THE ROMAN PIC. 171 lum wholesome roots and herbs, his ribs become comfortably covered with flesh, without any super abundant fat ; and the flesh, let me assure you, is excellent. The Eoman pig, in the language of incomparable Elia, ' is no less provocative of the appetite, than he is satisfactory to the criticalness of the censorious palate. The strong man may batten on him, and the weakling refuseth not his mild juices. He is the least envious of banquets. He is all neighbours' fare.' True, Elia applied these glowing words to the young and tender suckling, but the papal pig, while still juvenile, merits their application; and if his ancestors were as good as the present generation, we may be sure that they often graced those vivacious long-continued meals of the Eomans in olden time. The papal pig is not destined to live long ; ere he has time to become obese, he is killed. During the short Eoman winter, thousands are driven from the Campagna to inclosures near the abattoir, where they lay down their lives for the benefit of the in habitants, and, let me add, visitors to Eome. For the modern Eoman is a great lover of pig, eating him in various ways ; and you have only to look at the shops of the pork-butchers — particularly on Twelfth Night, 172 LAST WINTER IN ROME. when they are illuminated — to become aware how extremely pig is patronised in Eome. Now if these pigs — thousands remember — were killed as pigs generally are, I believe the effect would be to drive half the English out of Eome. For as the locality of their death is within a short distance of the Piazza del Popolo, the united voices of hun dreds of porkers proclaiming, as they do in England, that the hand of death is at their throats, would assuredly drive the English from that part, at least, of the city. But the papal pig dies in a very gen tlemanly manner, so meekly and quietly generally, that as you contemplate him extended on his side, apparently unwounded, you fancy he is not dead but sleeping. The manner of his death is this. Stout wood pens, capable of containing about fifty pigs, are erected near the abattoir. With com mendable reluctance, the pigs crowding the adjoining sheds object to enter the narrow inclosures, their instinct causing them to apprehend foul play ; but their drivers, picturesque men in goat-skin breeches and ample cloaks of dark cloth lined with green baize, soon overcome their objections. Now commence the ills that flesh is heir to, pigs not excepted. Cribbed, cabined, and confined, it is evident that the pigs in the pens are not comfortable, nor in their struggles PIG-KILLING. 173 to obtain more space is their condition, or that of their neighbours, ameliorated ; but this state of things is not of long duration. In a few minutes at most two men of muscular build, by no means lovely in appearance, clad in coarse garments, their legs cased in leather, climb over the railings into the pens. The commotion of the swine on the advent of these men is very great, and doubtless apprehending that their business is not kindness, their cries and struggles are redoubled. The men seem unprovided with any weapon, but on close examination you will see a shining piece of steel protruding from their leggings. This is an instrument about six inches long, resemb ling a large bodkin, the point extremely sharp, and the handle curved thus — <5 With iron-like grasp, the pigs are now seized by a fore-leg, thrown down, and the stiletto-like instru ment inserted close under the left shoulder to the handle, turned three or four times round, and drawn out. The stabbed, animal utters two or three cries, plunges half a dozen times, and all is over. So quickly is the operation effected, that you can scarcely follow it : now you behold a pen full of 174 LAST WINTER IN ROME. angry and noisy pigs struggling in tangled confusion, and in less than fifteen minutes they are lying on their sides apparently asleep, for no blood flows from the punctured heart. Piggie has in short realised how, 'with a. bare bodkin,' life may be terminated, and you cannot help wishing when your hour has come you may die as easily. In pig-killing, as in all other arts, practice makes perfect ; and while the tyro is generally obliged to throw his pig in order to insert the stiletto, the expert pig-killer will in sinuate the 'bodkin' into the animal while he is standing, or even walking. In all cases, however, the work of death is very rapidly accomplished. I am not able to say whether the Eoman method of killing pigs is better than ours. That it is more humane cannot be doubted ; and who that lives in the country has not had his ears tortured and his mind, to say the least, discomposed by hearing the interminable cries of a dying English pig? Without the pens, carfs are in waiting to convey the pigs to the butchers in the city, from whose shops they eventually emerge in the form of pork, bacon, and many varieties of coppa, or sausages. 175 CHAPTEE XIX. Rumours and Reports in Rome — A Sensation Report — Mr. Home and the Papal Government — Popular Belief entertained in Rome respecting Mr. Home — Ordered to leave Rome — Thaumaturgy not sanctioned in the Papal Dominions — Papal ' Promises to pay ' — The Mysteries of Spiritualism — Mr. Thackeray and the Spiri tualists. In the absence of local newspaper intelligence, dwellers in Eome during winter catch at all manner of reports, and any incident becomes magnified, dis torted, and exaggerated, not in a remarkable manner, but precisely as such reports, when not subject to the wholesome discipline of being thoroughly ex amined, are sure to be warped. Life in Eome is generally sufficiently monotonous to give a zest to any unusual event, and though during last winter we were kept pleasantly excited by the probability of a mild revolutionary outbreak, actual incidents were rare. But we were gratified by one in January which gave us matter to talk about for days. ' Have you heard the news ? ' I was asked by several persons at the Hotel de Eome on entering the drawing-room one morning early in January ; ' Mr. 176 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Home is ordered to leave Eome.' ' Dio mio ! ' ex claimed a Eoman who happened to be present, and who perhaps thought that he might be ordered to leave too, ' e perche ? ' The intelligence was true. Mr. Home, of spirit-medium renown, favoured more than any other mortal by revelations from the departed, had incurred the displeasure of the Vatican, and received intimation that he must leave the city. It was really absurd to witness the excitement that this news created ; you would have thought that Garibaldi or Mazzini had suddenly been discovered fomenting a revolution. If Mr. Home be a vain man, he must have been gratified by the excitement that he occasioned. I confess, from the moment I heard that he had taken up his quarters in Eome, I felt certain that he would be sent out of the papal dominions. For, apart from the surprising revela tions contained in his book, the most absurd and wild rumours were circulated respecting his dealings with another world. Spirits of all kinds came at his bidding. He was even engaged in making a statue into which he proposed instilling life. Above all, he had the power of foretelling the five numbers that would be drawn at the weekly Government lottery, a gift which elevated him in the estimation of the Eomans to the rank of a god. How could a SPIRITUALISM. 177 government like that of the Pope's, professing to be at the head of Christianity, permit a person to remain under the shadow of St. Peter's who, not to mention the foregoing reports, had the power of floating in the air ! So Mr. Home was requested to pay the police a visit. He responded to the invita tion, and has published in the ' Spiritual Magazine ' a detailed account of what took place on that occasion. Signor Pasqualoni, the advocate, received Mr. Home. Various questions were put to him as to the name of his father, mother, his profession, &c. &c. ; and, then came the all-important one : ' What do you do to cause spirits to be present ? ' He was about replying, ' Nothing,' when, mirabile dictu, we are told that three distinct raps were heard, and the table near which the advocate and Mr. Home were seated, moved. If, after this, we had been informed that thunder had proceeded from the Vatican, we should not have been surprised, for here was matter to arouse the wrath of all the pontiffs who have worn the tiara. Can we wonder that the Papal Government desired to place as great a distance between them and Mr. Home as possible ? Were they omnipotent, they would probably have banished him to the antipodes ; limited as their power is, they could only order him H 178 LAST WINTER IN ROME. out of the Papal States. But Mr. Home had many acquaintances in Eome, and having incurred ex penses incident to professional studies as a sculptor, he was naturally unwilling to leave the city. Accordingly, strong interest was brought to bear on the powers that be in the Vatican, and the order requiring him to leave Eome was rescinded. But, meanwhile, fresh and more searching enquiries were made, and the result was that Mr. Home received a second and peremptory order to depart. Mr. Eoebuck, as you may remember, brought Mr. Home's case before the House of Commons, alleging that he had been unjustly treated by the Papal Government, but there can be no doubt that the latter had a perfect right to order him to leave the papal territory. The Church of Eome, though rank ing among its members believers in miracles, per forming Madonnas, and the healing power of saintly relics, will not allow Thaumaturgy to be practised by laymen within its dominions ; and it is only common justice to the Pope, the Secretary of State, and the Sacred College of Cardinals, to believe that they consider Mr. Home's performances, as related by himself, closely allied to witchcraft. It is also right to add that, when the ' spiritualist ' was ordered for the second time to leave Eome, he was requested MR. HOME AND THE PAPAL GOVERNMENT. 179 to furnish the Papal Government with a statement of the pecuniary loss to which he would be subjected by being banished from the city. In accordance with this request, Mr. Home spent some hours of the night previous to his departure in preparing such an account, which, however, not to the credit of the Papal Government, has not been paid. On the following day, Mr. Home, escorted by two gensdarmes, shook the dust of Eome from his feet, and will not probably revisit that city while a papal government prevails. I have noticed this matter, not only because it was a leading incident in our life at Eome last winter, but also because it was dwelt on at considerable length by English newspapers. Now what does all this mean? One of two things. Either the world believes that Mr. Home is honest, and can float in the air, or that he is one of the most expert Thaumaturgists that ever existed. Nothing, indeed, is more surprising than the manner in which persons of education and keen per ception are either deluded by the tricks of jugglers, or are favoured by real spiritual manifestations. I remember well meeting the late Mr. Thackeray at a large dinner-party, shortly after the publication in the Cornhill Magazine, then edited by him, of the N 2 180 LAST WINTER IN ROME. paper entitled 'Stranger than Fiction.' In this paper, as will be remembered by many readers, a detailed account was given of a spiritual seance, at which Mr. Home performed, or caused to be per formed, many surprising things ; the most astounding being his floating in the air above the heads of persons in the room. There were several scientific men at the dinner-party, all of whom availed them selves of the earliest opportunity to reproach Mr. Thackeray with having permitted the paper in ques tion to appear in a periodical of which he was editor — holding, as he did, the highest rank in the world of letters. Mr. Thackeray, with that imperturbable calmness which he could so well assume, heard all that was said against him and the paper in question, and thus replied : ' It is all very well for you, who have probably never seen spiritual manifestations, to talk as you do; but, had you seen what I have witnessed, you would hold a different opinion.' He then proceeded to in form us, that when he was in New York at a dinner party, he saw the large and heavy dinner-table, covered with decanters, glasses, dishes, plates — in short, everything appertaining to dessert, rise fully two feet from the ground, the modus operandi being, as he alleged, spiritual force. No possible jugglery, MR. THACKERAY AND SPIRITUALISM. 181 he declared, was or could have been employed on the occasion; and he felt so convinced that the motive-force was supernatural, that he then and there gave in his adhesion to the truth of spiritualism, and consequently accepted the article on Mr. Home's Seance. Whether Mr. Thackeray thought differently before he died, I cannot say; but this I know, that every possible argument was used by those present, to endeavour to shake his faith in Mr. Home's spiri tual manifestations, which were, as they declared, after all but sorry performances compared to the surprising tricks of Houdin or Frikell. And they are right; for, while these, and other masters of Thaumaturgy appear before you in a blaze of light, professing that they intend to mystify you — so- called spiritual mediums, in almost all cases, perform in a sombre light ; some, like the Brothers Davenport, in perfect darkness; and all take every possible means to prevent those present exercising their inquisitiveness. 182 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XX. Annual Exhibition at the Propaganda — Objects of this Institution — Ordination of Youths — Missionary Strength of the Establishment — The Propagandists — Dr. A. Campbell — Declamatory Gesticulation — Address by a Dane — Musical Performance — Coro di Pastori — The Octave of the Epiphany— Sermons in St. Andrea della Valle —The Rev. F. Neve— Theological Difficulties in England— St, Maria degli Angeli — A grand-looking Monk — Saint Bruno — ¦ Michael Angelo — His Works in Rome — His Opinion of Painting and Sculpture — HisPoetry — Illustrates Dante's 'DivinaCommedia' —Mr. Hay's ' Science of Beauty ' — Colonnade of the Parthenon — Cloisters of St. Maria degli Angeli — Inscription over door of Monk's Rooms. The famous Annual Exhibition at the Collegio di Propaganda Fide, in the Piazza di Spagna,in honour of the holy Magi, took place as usual last winter during the Epiphany. There was a great demand for tickets, and a fierce struggle to obtain admission, in which ladies did not participate, for they are not allowed to be present in the body of the church when the exhibition is held. The Propaganda is one of the great engines of Eomanism, causing its influence to be felt in the remotest regions of the EXHIBITION AT THE PROPAGANDA. 183 earth. About 180 youths, from various countries, are received in this college. The expenses of their journey are paid, as well as all other expenses inci dental to their education and training to the office of the priesthood. On being ordained, they are, almost in all cases, sent abroad as missionaries. On no account are they allowed to remain longer than one month in the college after ordination. Thus, the number of young men who come forward at the annual examinations may be regarded in some manner as indicative of the missionary strength of the College at the time of the annual exhibition. On referring to the lists of previous exhibitions I observe that the average number is fifty, last January there were only thirty-three. The church in .which the exhibitions are held is that attached to the college ; a platform is erected at the altar end, and seats are provided for visitors in the body of the building. As this is small, and the visitors at the last exhibition were extremely numerous, very incon venient crowding resulted — inseparable, apparently, in Eome, to every sight patronised by the English. Who that has sojourned in Eome does not re member meeting youths in that city habited in black robes turned up with red, striding along in com panies of three or four, engaged generally in arguing 184 LAST WINTER IN ROME. knotty theological questions ? These are the Propa gandists, who, under the superintendence of a Jesuit priest, are training the body by severe physical exer cise for the hardships they will probably have to undergo when engaged in missionary duties. Fine young men, for the most part full of zeal, and ready to lay down their lives in the cause of the religion they are destined to teach. On entering the church, I found a band stationed in the gallery, playing music, by no means partaking of a sacred character. When the music ceased, the Rev. Dr. A. Campbell, of Armagh, in Ireland, de livered a discourse in Latin, in which the purposes of the Exhibition were briefly sketched. Then followed the declamations, all of which were well delivered. It was remarkable how the youths from the east out did those from northern climes in vehement gesticu lation. Indeed, this peculiarity increased in an almost constant ascending ratio, as the zone of the country from which the youths came approximated to the equator — Chinese, Arabians, Cingalese, Bengalese, and Africans, far exceeding the natives of more northern countries in vehemence. The performance of two Africans was especially remarkable — for they acted as well as spoke — eliciting loud applause. Indeed, had you seen them without being aware of C0R0 DI PASTORI. 185 their business, you would have supposed that they were the 'bones' in a party of Ethiopian Serenaders. The speeches were generally short. The following translation from the Danish may be taken as a fair specimen. ' My beautiful Denmark, why art thou still walking in darkness? why wilt thou not see the heavenly light that is above thee, and follow in the path that leads to salvation ? Be converted, and thy days shall be blessed and thy warriors conquerors ! ' The Exhibition was interpolated by a musical performance, entitled ' Coro di Pastori,' bewailing the Massacre of the Innocents, sung by thirty of the students, in a very creditable manner. The music was composed by the Professor of Music in the College. The Exhibition was altogether pleasing, although a Protestant must regret that such pains should be taken to propagate a faith to which he cannot subscribe. The Octave of the Epiphany is a great season in Eome for religious manifestations. During this period, sermons are preached daily in various lan guages, in the church of S. Andrea della Valle. I heard that preached by the Eev. F. Neve, Eector of the English College on the Nativity. He expatiated at great length on the necessity of placing 186 LAST WINTER IN ROME. implicit faith on all the events connected with the birth of our Saviour ; adding, that, in England, where men are most proud of their intelligence, the greatest falling off from the true faith is found. All the theological difficulties and doubts which perplex members of our Established Church arise, he averred, from England having rejected the Pope's supremacy. Bow implicitly to this infallible authority, and all doubts, misgivings, and difficulties will cease. Granted, but is the Pope infallible? Assuredly not to a man, though tiara- crowned, and attired in gorgeous robes and calling himself the successor of St. Peter, and Vicar of Christ, will the Protestant look for the solution of those high questions which affect the salvation of his soul, but rather to that sacred volume which, in the words of Locke, has ' God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter.' As usual, when either Dr. Neve or Monsignor Manning preached, the Church was filled by crowds of English, who, however they may have differed in religious matters from those gentlemen, invariably gave them the benefit of a patient hearing. Great was the contrast between the fashionable crowd gathered in the gaudy church of St. Andrea ST. MARIA DEGLI ANGELI. 187 della Valle and the group of peasants which I saw in the afternoon, listening to a sermon from a monk in the magnificent interior of St. Maria degli Angeli. While a figure-painter would have turned away from the first in despair, knowing well that nothing before him was adapted for reproduction on canvas, the latter would have filled him with delight — for the grouping of the peasants was most picturesque ; and the men and women, mostly from the country, were studies in themselves. ' Nowhere does the plant man grow so well as in Italy,' said Alfieri ; the remark holds good, however, as a rule, only among the lower orders of Eomans — for the nobles stand apart from the people ; and, if more intellectual, are certainly inferior to the peasants around Eome in a physical point of view. The difference, indeed, is so great, that a learned Italian thought, that science would some day detect, by means of a very powerful microscope, a difference between their blood globules and those of the peasants, for he firmly believed that globules of blood differ according to man's physical vigour.* * This idea will probably recall to the reader, George Stephenson's proposition, made in badinage, to examine the blood of Sir R. Peel, when he was Prime Minister, under a microscope. The wish was expressed at a party one evening at Tamworth, when those present willingly submitted to be slightly punctured; but Sir R. Peel could not be persuaded to be pricked, being unable *to bear even the slightest pain without much suffering. 188 LAST WINTER IN ROME. The fine monk who preached, was a living repre sentative of the noble statue of St. Bruno, in the Vestibule; of which Clement XIV. said, 'it would speak if the rule of the Carthusians did not prescribe silence.' It is satisfactory to see that the choir of this grand edifice is at length in a fair way of being completed. According to a Carthusian who was my cicerone, it will be finished in about a year. The design of Michael Angelo will then be seen in all its imposing grandeur. Nowhere is the genius of this mighty master more conspicuous than in this church. For here, his favourite theory that a Christian temple should be in the form of a Greek Cross, is carried out ; and we are enabled to form an idea what St. Peter's would be, had it been built in this form. Originally the Cella Calidaria of the Baths of Diocletian, St. Maria degli Angeli is now only second to St. Peter's in simple grandeur ; and, more than any other building designed by Michael Angelo, illustrates his theory that all beauty becomes sublime by unity and simplicity; and that that which is grand in itself, acquires an accession of grandeur by simplicity of execution. The majesty of this interior is singularly in harmony with his lines : Per fido esempio alia mia vocazione Nascendo, mi fu data la bellezza, Che di due arti m* e lucerna e specchio. MICHAEL ANGELO. 189 It is only in Eome that you become really aware of the greatness of Michael Angelo. Desirous of studying and understanding the works of that great master, I devoted several days to an examina tion of the sculptures and paintings by him in that city. The impression left on my mind is, that the works of Michael Angelo are stamped with the charac teristics of unity of thought, sublimity of conception, and a grandeur of design possessed by the works of no other artist. Goethe observes : ' In design the soul gives utterance to some portion of her inmost being ; and the highest mysteries of creation are precisely those which rest entirely on design and modelling ; these are the languages in which she reveals them.' It was Michael Angelo's peculiar gift to be able to seize and give expression to, with a kind of divine power, all that was beautiful in nature. Conscious that great beauty lies in strength, we find his architecture embodying this principle. Equally con scious of the power of sublimity, his statues awe us by their authority, while his paintings combine a grandeur, beauty, and originality entirely their own. ' The Last Judgment,' which, although sadly blurred and indistinct, may yet be studied advantageously with powerful glasses on a bright day, and the composi tions on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, are examples, 190 LAST WINTER IN ROME. in existence, of an almost perfect and harmonious union between architecture and decoration. It was always a great object with Michael Angelo to form an harmonious, and therefore beautiful, whole. When young, he held that painting was excellent, in proportion as it approaches relievo, and relievo bad as it approaches painting.* But when his judgment became more matured, he changed his opinion ; and, in a letter to his friend Varchi, written at the time when the respective merits of sculpture and painting formed the subject of fierce disputation at the Florentine Academy, he declared : ' If greater judgment and difficulty, impediment and labour, do not constitute greater excellence, painting and sculpture are one and the same thing ; and, being so estimated, no painter ought to value sculpture less than painting, nor the sculptor, in like manner, painting less than sculpture. I understand by sculpture, that art which works by removing the superfluous — by painting, that which works by ad dition.' The decorations in the Sistine Chapel are eminently illustrative of Michael Angelo's devotion to painting, * One of Michael Angelo's earliest works was a relievo of the Battle of the Centaurs, and he is understood to have liked it so much in his latter years, as to have regretted that he had not devoted more time to that branch of the fine arts. MICHAEL ANGELO'S POETRY. 191 just as his statues evince his love and high opinion of sculpture. And visitors to Eome who contemplate his works with reverential wonder and delight, will form even a higher opinion of Michael Angelo, if they bear in mind that he was also a deeply philosophic poet. Varchi justly describes him as ' unico pittore, singolare seultore, perfettissimo architettore ed eccel- lentissimo poeta ; ' and Berni, alluding to all his poems, and their depth of feeling, says, in reproving contemporary writers : Ei dice cose, e voi dite parole. Mr. John Edward Taylor, who has translated, with singular felicity, several of Michael Angelo's sonnets, observes truly, in his preface, ' The poetry of Michael Angelo is all devoted to the depicturing of feeling, of the passions of the soul. In the course of a long life, troubled by constant vexations, he rallies his affections successively around two objects : first, the love of the beautiful in art ; and, finally the pre paration for death by the contemplation of eternal truths.' Thus, throughout his existence, he derived consolation, and was supported, during many trials, by a poetic feeling which broke forth into expression on many occasions ; and, even when on the verge of the. grave, he wrote these touching lines : 192 LAST WINTER IN ROME. L' anima mia, che con la morte parla, Seco di se medesma si consiglia, E di nuovi pensieri ognor s' attrista; E '1 eorpo di di in di crede lasciarla Onde 1' immaginato cammin piglia, Di speranza, e timor confusa e mista. — Michael Angelo was an intense admirer, as may well be believed, of Dante. From him the great artist borrowed many ideas, which he has made immortal ; and how thoroughly he loved the ' Divina Commedia,' appears, by his having with infinite pains illustrated a copy of that poem, by the most exquisite and beautiful marginal designs.* An ingenious attempt has lately been made by Mr. Hay, in his 'Science of Beauty,' to show that definite ratios, and known proportions, which produce harmony when a string is vibrated, will, if acted upon in architecture, give rise to agreeable feelings to the eye. He adduces an example in the Parthenon, the colonnade of which, he states, bears the same relation to a right angle that the musical ratio of one fifth bears to the fundamental note. Whether this theory be correct or not, it is certain that simple beauty conveys impressions of pleasure not derived from rich ornamentation. All the great ancient statues are nude. ' Greeca res * This copy was lost, with many other valuable objects, in a ship wreck. CLOISTERS, ST. MARIA DEGLI ANGELI. 193 nihil velare.' Even when drapery was introduced, the garments on the model were frequently soaked in water, to make them cling close to the form, and thus reveal the outline of the limbs. As sculptors declined in excellence, they took shelter under copious draperies. Bernini's statues may be said to flutter in marble; and degenerate architects, unable to comprehend the majestic beauty of sim plicity, had recourse to rich ornamentation. If Mr. Hay's theory b.3 correct, the interior of St. Maria degli Angeli must be nearly allied to the sweetest musical harmonies ; for assuredly it approaches closely to the ideal beauty of perfection. Look, too, at those grand, yet simple, cloisters surrounding the huge cypresses planted by Michael Angelo. Where will you see a more beautiful mo nastic picture ? For, without suggesting that ascetic abnegation which makes the cloisters of many con vents gloomy, an air of repose pervades these, at once delightful and soothing. ' You are well lodged,' I remarked to the Carthu sian, a silver-bearded man, who accompanied me round, and showed the rooms of a monk. 'We are, indeed,' he replied; and, pausing before the entrance to one of the chambers, he drew my attention to these words inscribed over the door : vol. i. o 194 LAST WINTER IN ROME. ' Bonum est nos hie esse, quia homo vivit purius, cadit rarius, surgit velocius, incedit cautius, quiescit securius, moritur felicius, purgatur citius, prcemia- tur copiosius ' — words pregnant of meaning ; thus rendered by Wordsworth : Here man more purely lives ; less oft doth fall ; More promptly rises ; walks with nicer tread ; More safely rests ; dies happier ; is freed Earlier from cleansing fires, and gains withal A brighter crown. 195 CHAPTEE XXI. Excessive Cold — Hospital of San Spirito — Its Revenues — Charitable Institutions in Rome — Wards in San Spirito — Suffering of the Patients — Abuse of the Charity — Unwillingness to enter the Hos pital — Pope Leo XII. and the Roman Hospitals — ' Do not Water the Broth ' — Religious Societies — Shaving the Patients — Hospital of Santissima Salvatore — The Dead-Room — Asylum for Lunatics — Foundling Hospital — Manner of depositing Infants — A Young Mother — The Pubhc Cemetery of Rome — The Foundling Hospital of Rome favourable to Profligacy — Few Infants claimed. Bitter cold still ; indeed, during the whole of last January, the temperature was as low in Eome as it generally is in England in mid-winter. But we were assured that the oldest Eomans never remem bered such a severe winter- — a not uncommon remark, by the way, on such occasions in other countries. On one of these cold days in the above month, I accompanied Dr. Valeri, physician to the great Hospital of San Spirito, through that establishment. It is the largest institution of the kind in Eome, and so liberally endowed, that it is popularly called ' the richest gentleman in Eome.' Established in 728, it has gone on growing in extent and wealth, and now o 2 196 LAST WINTER IN ROME. its revenues, derivable from lands and funded property, are enormous. How large, however, I cannot say ; for, in the absence of authentic official information, I am unwilling to cite guide-book statements. No city in Europe, I may observe, possesses a greater number of charitable institutions, compared to its population, than Eome. So abundant, indeed, are they, that want should never be known by the citizen reduced to penury. Yet, with all these benevolent advantages, very great destitution exists in the city. The fact is, that the funds of these establishments, including that of San Spirito, are in the hands of the priests, who, there is too much reason to apprehend, divert them from their lawful purposes. It is well known, with regard to San Spirito, that the poor prefer undergoing great misery at home in the time of sickness, rather than enter this hospital, although its doors are freely open to all comers, no recom mendatory ticket of admission being required.* Let us take a walk through it. Situated on the right bank of the Tiber, near Ponte St. Angelo, San Spirito extends many hundred feet, comprising within its walls, not only a general hospital, but also an * An English lady, who has long been in the habit of visiting the poor in Rome, informs me that great distress prevails among the lower classes in that city, and that it is rare to find this relieved by the priests by more than two or three baiocchi at a time. HOSPITAL OF SAN SPIRITO. 197 Asylum for Lunatics, and a Foundling Institution. Males only are admitted into the Hospital. The average number of patients is 620 ; but, during the malaria season, these increase to about 1,300. The wards are on the ground floor, divided in the centre by a space fitted up as a chapel, which is visible from each ward. Two rows of beds run down the sides — a bad arrangement, as the patients are thus brought into too close contiguity with each other. All the beds in the two longest wards were occupied by patients. It was pitiable, as we passed along, to hear their shuddering cries of ' Freddo, freddo.'' The cold was indeed intense ; for, though the wards are pro vided with stoves, they are too few and small to heat them. Dr. Valeri, who is a kind man, stopped at the beds of several complaining patients, soothing them fco the best of his power. He had made his official inspection early in the morning; and was thus enabled to observe, in many cases, whether any amendment had taken place in the interim. One poor fellow, who seemed as if his hours were num bered, moaningly complained to Dr. Valeri, that he was very cold and suffering much pain. The doctor, remembering that he had ordered some meat to be given to him in the morning to keep up his failing strength, asked how he had relished it, and whether 198 LAST WINTER IN ROME. he would fancy a little more. ' What meat ? ' said the patient. ' Why, the fritta ! ' replied the doctor. The sick man exclaimed that he had not tasted meat of any kind. Dr. Valeri, conceiving that some mis take had been made, sent for the clinical clerk, and enquired how it came to pass that Number 17 had not had the fritta that he had ordered. ' I obeyed your directions, sir,' replied the clerk, ' so far as to order the fritta to be prepared ; but the priore countermanded it — alleging that it was too expensive a luxury, and that such extravagance could not be allowed.' I shall not soon forget Dr. Valeri's expression when he heard this — his remark had probably better be suppressed. Is it surprising that the poor of Eome will not, if they can possibly help it, enter San Spirito ? They are familiar, with the outside of the imposing edifice ; but, acting on their pithy proverb — Fidare e un buon uomo, Non ti fidare e meglio — won't go into the hospital if they can possibly keep out.* I could not help contrasting this almost brutal conduct, on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities of Eome's chief hospital, with the treatment of our * It is recorded that Pope Leo XII. was in the habit of visiting the hospitals and convents of Rome; and that, on one occasion, he punished a baker severely for supplying bad bread to San Spirito. I fear that the inmates of this establishment have no such friend now ' DO NOT WATER THE BROTH.' 1 99 sick prisoners. These, as is well known, frequently simulate illness, for the purpose of being removed to the prison infirmary, where they obtain more dainty fare. So liberal, indeed, are the authorities, that a prison matron, in her entertaining work, recording her experience of female life in prison, states that on one occasion, when a prisoner longed for grapes, at a time when they were almost worth their weight in gold, the delicacy was purchased for her. No wonder that British prisons are popular institutions. From the wards of San Spirito, we passed into the kitchen, where sisters of charity were busily engaged over huge steaming cauldrons, which emitted a savoury odour. ' Let us taste your bouillon,' said Dr. Valeri ; upon which, a sister ladled us out a cup- full. It was extremely good. ' As you value the salvation of your souls,' said the doctor, addressing the sisters, who had now gathered round us ; 'do not ivater i/t-is.' Whether the diluting process had commenced, I cannot say, but the startled expression of the sisters was very striking. It is, probably, on account of the privations to which the patients in the Eoman hos pitals are subjected, that Eoman gentlemen form themselves into various religious societies, for the 200 LAST WINTER IN ROME. purpose of visiting and affording relief to the patients. Eooms adjoining the wards are furnished with presses containing the dresses of the members of the ' Confraternita ' which they wear when visiting the patients. On Sunday morning, I was informed, many gentlemen may be seen shaving, cutting the hair of the patients, and doing other services for them. Besides the terrible blot on the management of the hospital, to which I have adverted, its dirty condition was very striking — and, making every allowance for Italian habits, San Spirito is not kept as it should be. The same remark applies to the hospital of Santissima Salvatore, near the Lateran, where I saw upwards of six hundred sick women. All this mal-administration arises, in a great measure, from the hospitals being in the hands of priests. The head of San Spirito is always a priest; who, by virtue of his office, will, in the fullness of time, be rewarded by a cardinal's hat. In all the Eoman hospitals, patients, when believed to be dead, are removed to a room destined for their reception, where they are extended on sloping boards ; a string, communicating with a bell, being attached to their right hand. The surgeons and physicians have the power of ordering anybody to be dissected that they may think proper. THE FOUNDLING HOSPITAL. 201 If you recoil from pages bristling with statistics, you will be pleased to hear that, whatever desire I may have to inflict them upon you, I cannot gratify my inclination. No official tables of the mortality in the Eoman hospitals are published. My inquiries respecting admission to see the Asylum for Lunatics, elicited the answer that the institution is not shown to visitors. Admission to the Foundling Hospital, adjoining San Spirito, was also denied. This building can take in 3,000 children. The average number within the walls is 900. About three infants are received daily. The mortality among the foundlings is fearful. Upwards of fifty per cent, die while they are babies, and scarcely one- tenth reach maturity. The ease with which a woman in Eome can disemburden herself of the cares and duties of maternity is very great. Without the walls of the Foundling Hospital, is an apparatus consisting of a cylinder, similar to a small barrel, made to revolve on its longest axis. Above, in large charac ters, is the word EOTA. A half revolution of the cylinder rings a bell, and brings to view a crib, occupying the interior, lined with a mattress, which, when I saw it, was foul and most repulsive looking. On this the unhappy infant is placed, and another turn of the cylinder consigns it to unmotherly 202 LAST WINTER IN ROME. humanity. A terrible thought is this, and we cannot envy the feelings of the woman who parts thus with her offspring. The finest part of womanly nature must be, in her case, buried beneath a strong in crustation of insensibility. Sad, most sad, to think how the poor little innocent creatures are cast on the world as nothing worth. It is difficult to think that anything so precious as a gem of immortality is thus treated ; and that the link which love and passion creates between man and woman, should ever have such a termination. Passing one afternoon through the Borgo San Spirito, I saw a young girl advance stealthily to the wheel. Perceiving that she was observed, she passed it ; but presently retraced her steps, and stopped opposite the cylinder; then, throwing open her mantle, she gave the wheel a turn, cast a small, dark object within it, and fled precipitately up the street. The whole affair did not occupy a minute. It is the little bodies of these blighted beings that feed the worms in the great public grave-yard of Eome. Each day a vault is opened, and each day a tangled mass of naked humanity is shot into the yawning void. I did not see this repulsive sight in Eome ; for, having witnessed, one morning, a similar exhibition in Naples, when no less than twenty-seven men, women, WHOLESALE BURIAL. 203 and children were precipitated naked into a pit, my memory of the revolting sight was too painful to cause me to wish to see such a spectacle again. As a matter of course, the Foundling Hospital system of Eome must encourage profligacy. Accord ing to statistics that I have seen, illegitimate births, in Eome, show a very high percentage of the popu lation. Ecclesiastics, with whom I have conversed on the subject, were in favour of the system, alleging that children of pauper parents are less likely to be destroyed, than if such an institution did not exist. This may be true ; for, in England, there is but too much reason to apprehend, that many infants are destroyed by parents who escape punishment ; but it is equally certain, that hundreds of deserted infants in Eome, though not killed by their mothers, are nevertheless exposed by them to such treatment as often proves fatal. It is always possible to reclaim a child from the Foundling Hospital in Eome, provided the infant bears some mark by which it can be identified. All names or marks attached to the child, are carefully registered ; but, according to Dr. Valeri, very few infants are claimed. 204 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXII. The Cries of Rome — Vegetables in the Streets — The Markets of Rome — Butcher's Stalls — Boars— Porcupines— Frogs— Tortoises — Numerous Birds exposed for Sale — Magpies — A Musical Bird — Thrushes — The Sparrow of Scripture — How Swifts are caught in Rome — Flower Stalls Manner in which Bouquets are made in Rome — Table Flower Parterres —Bouquets in the Corso — The Pantheon — Its neglected Condition. From a very early hour in the morning, many hand carts pass under my windows filled with various vegetables, the names of which are screamed in (to me, at least) unintelligible words, by the vendors. Looking out, I see, from many doors, men and women buying these comestibles; for the Eomans of the present day are quite as fond of roots and herbs as Horace seems to have been. You may remember how, in his sixth Satire, in which he gives us some account of the manner in which he passed his days in Eome, he states that he bargains for herbs — and, having made an equitable purchase, dines frugally on them and pancakes. And elsewhere, he tells us that, had Aristippus been content, like himself, to dine on pot-herbs, he would have been quite indifferent to ROMAN MARKETS. 205 feasting at the tables of nobility. But these per ambulating vegetables are only the overflow of the markets and of numerous stalls in the streets, where you will see vegetables and fruits piled high in vast heaps. The markets in Eome are not creditable to the city ; and, if it be true, as an eminent political economist said, that markets reflect the condition of a people, then the inhabitants of Eome cannot be congratulated on their prosperity. The great market of Eome is situated near the Pantheon, the walls of which are disfigured by all manner of refuse cast at their base. In sad and disgusting contrast to the abattoirs, are the butcher's stalls, where meat is sold in as repulsive a form as possible. Miserable mutton and attenuated kid are also here, with hedgehogs, porcupines, frogs, and tortoises. Boars, too, in winter — enormous animals, for the most part — which frequent the wild country near Ostia, and afford extremely good sport to enterprising sportsmen. I do not pretend to be learned in the mysteries of the butcher's craft, but I fancy I detected, in the Eoman shambles near the Pantheon, signs that St. Hilaire's hippophagous advice has found favour in Eome. In other words, I think I saw portions of horse-flesh exposed for sale, though the butchers 206 LAST WINTER IN ROME assured me the flesh was that of buffalo and not horse. It is, however, certain, that horses are coming into the market — not as saddle, carriage, or cart horses, but in the form of human food. This useful animal has, also, I am sorry to see, been strongly re commended in Paris, by certain scientific men, to be handed over to the butcher when too old for work ; and, as horse-flesh is pronounced to be extremely good, even when no longer young, we may reasonably expect, ere long, to see cotelettes de cheval a selle, and frican- deau de jument au cabriolet, figuring in the Cartes of Paris restaurants.* London, it is well known, has long indulged in hippophagy — half the cheap meat pies at the east and other ends of the metropolis being made of horse-flesh from the knackers' yards ; and the Eoman Coppa, which I am bound to say is extremely good, may consist of other flesh besides that of pigs. The number and variety of birds in the markets of Eome is very surprising. They are caught, for the most part, at night in the Campagna, by means of nets, * The Lyonese are also, it appears, desirous tobecome horse-eaters. According to a document recently drawn up, by several of the leading men in that city, horse-flesh is stated (on experience) to be as good as beef, and more succulent than pork. By using it, no less than 80,000,000 lbs. of flesh would, they state, be added to the meat pro duce of France. ROMAN BIRDS. 207 to which they are attracted by strong artificial light. They include sparrows, thrushes, larks, red-breasts, gold-finches, swifts, and house martins; and, among larger birds, woodcocks, crows, hawks, magpies, and owls.* Although I have great faith in a clever Chef de Cuisine who, by the adventitious aid of condiments, has the power of rendering almost everything pala table, I greatly question whether hawks, owls, and magpies, are not entirely beyond the most artistic of French cooks. How magpies are appreciated by modern Eomans, I cannot say, but this saucy bird did not enjoy high reputation as an article of food in an cient Eome. Martial, contrasting his fare with choice repasts of the wealthy sybarite, Ponticus, says : — Aureus immodicis turtur te clunibus implet, Ponitur in cavea mortua pica mihi.f But, indeed, I apprehend that modern Eomans pre fer treating the magpie as a domestic pet to eating him. And in this they imitate their ancestors ; for magpies were frequently kept by the Eomans of old, who took great pleasure in cultivating their talking powers. But, according to some ancient writers, they were as famous for their power of imitating musical * Ornithologists state that, in Central Italy alone, there are 250 species of birds. t Epis. iii. 60. 208 LAST WINTER IN ROME. sounds as words. Here is a story to the purpose, to be found in Plutarch, which I give in the words of the late Mr. Broderip : ' A certain barber at Eome who had a shop before the temple or sacred enclosure, which was called Forum Graecorum, kept a remark ably vocal and garrulous magpie, which repeated words, and imitated the lowing of oxen and the sounds of instruments — not from any training, but from its voluntary and intense study, in order that it might master words and every sort of sound, so as to give them out perfectly. It happened that, in the neighbourhood, a rich man was borne along, with an accompaniment of many trumpets ; and as the music of the trumpeters pleased, they were desired to prolong and repeat their flourishes. The magpie listened, and from that day became mute, abstaining even from those sounds by which it made its wants known. This was so much a matter of wonder to those who had been accustomed to the amusement of listening to him, that some of them attributed the silence of the bird to witchcraft, while others thought that the blare of the trumpets had struck it deaf. No such thing ; the student was, it seems, conning over in secret the exciting music ; and suddenly, one fine day, came out with all the flourishes, without missing a single note or intonation.' ITALIAN SPARROWS. 209 But although magpies may not be esteemed in the kitchens of modern Eoman housekeepers, birds in general are certainly extensively patronised by them. Here you may sometimes see the Aziola, which puzzled Shelley ; who tells us, when he heard its cry, he thought it was that of a woman, until he ascer tained that : 'Twas nothing but a little downy owl. And, in his poem on this bird, he declares that its sad, sweet cry at eventide, is : Such as nor voice, nor lute, nor wind, nor bird, The soul ever stirred. Horace, you will remember, states that he used to sup on thrushes ; and these birds are still in high favour in Eome. So are sparrows ; but the Italian sparrow is very unlike his pert English namesake. The name of this bird in Eome is L Passera Soli- taria,' his habit being to spend a considerable part of his life alone on house-tops. It is the bird alluded to by David, in the penitential Psalms : ' I have watched, and am become as a sparrow, all alone upon the house-top.' Mr. Waterton was the first to point out, how that this so-called sparrow is the solitary thrush. It is like the common thrush in size, shape, and song — with this difference, however, that it is remarkable for sitting alone on the habita- VOL. I. p 210 LAST WINTER IN ROME. tions of man. You may see the bird leading a lonely existence amidst the ruins of Eome ; but though solitary, it is not shy, spending much of its life on buildings in the inhabited parts of the city. Mr. Waterton relates, that when he was in Eome, one of these solitary songsters had its nest in the roof of the Propaganda, only a few yards from the window of his residence in the Via di due Macelli.* The manner in which the swifts and house-martins are caught, is extremely curious. The captors are generally boys. Taking advantage of the habit of these birds to seize on any materials suitable for lining their nests, the Eoman gamins procure a fine string, about fifty feet long, to one end of which they attach a small feather — making, immediately behind it, a running noose in the line. Flying the feather in favourable eddies of wind, which raises it aloft, the poor birds, in their attempt to seize it, get their necks into the noose, and are quickly hauled in and killed. As the time when this species of bird- catching takes place is in May, it is rarely wit nessed by English visitors, as they generally leave Eome before the commencement of that month. A pleasant set-off to the food-stalls, are those where flowers are sold. There is no special flower market * Essays on Nat. Hist., 2nd series. ROMAN BOUQUETS. 211 in Eome, as there is in Paris ; but, throughout the leading thoroughfares, and generally at the corners of streets, flowers arranged in bouquets are exposed for sale. Nowhere will you see more lovely bouquets than in Eome ; the colours harmonise with true artistic effect. Great pains are taken in their manu facture ; for the making of a Eoman bouquet may be regarded in this light. Each flower is tied on a slender twig, in such a manner as to show it to the best advantage. Nothing can exceed the beauty of the bouquets — parterres, rather — of flowers adorning the dinner and supper tables. A lady, pleasantly remembered by many in Eome for the elegance of her parties last winter, was particularly noted for the great beauty and size of the flower parterres at her entertainments. The flowers blended with leaves, maiden hair, and spikes of rare grasses, are, for these purposes, when tied on twigs, planted in moist clay, by which means they can be made to assume any pattern. Frequently, at large parties, I have seen the greater part of the tables radiant with the loveliest exotics. As, however, the stalks of the flowers are very short, and imbibe no moisture from the clay in which they are set, their beauty is evanescent; the loveli ness of to-night is faded in the morning ; and, if you walk through the streets before breakfast, you will see P 2 212 LAST WINTER AT ROME. large and small bouquets, which graced parties of the previous evening, cast into the gutters with the Immondezza. It is a sad example of the transitory nature of beauty — and I always thought that Eoman bouquets, beautiful as they are, are not, from their perishing nature, the most appropriate love-gifts. However, there are many thousand bouquets sold in Eome for this purpose during winter — English ladies who have been woo'd in the Eternal City, have received many such offerings from their admirers. During the Carnival week, the Corso is alive with bouquets from end to end — thrown, for the most part, from gentlemen to ladies in balconies. Wandering amidst the Eoman markets near the Pantheon, you naturally pause in admiration before that matchless structure. Nineteen centuries have rolled over this building ; and we now, in the latter half of the nineteenth century, do not seem, with all our science and knowledge, to be able to rear such a structure as this. Sad, very sad, to see it so uncared for as it is. Foul without, and filthy within — no pains seem to be taken to preserve it from corroding in fluences. I kicked against loose pavement near Eaphael's tomb — fragments for the most part com posed of porphyry and ' giallo antico,' which pilfering tourists will not be slow to appropriate. We cannot, of THE PANTHEON. 213 course, but rejoice that the polytheism of the ancients has given place to Christianity ; but assuredly the Pagans of old would reverence and cherish such a master-piece of architecture, far more than is done by the Pope and Sacred College, who spend thousands of scudi on ideal portraits of departed Pontiffs, and allow the Pantheon to go to premature ruin. 214 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXIII. The Catacombs — The Early Christians — Recent Exploration of the Catacombs — Antonio Bosio — His 'Roma Sotteranea'— Great Num ber of Catacombs around Rome — Their vast Extent— Christian Mu seum in the Lateran — The Catacombs as Places of Sepulture — Vol canic Tufa around Rome — Inscriptions in the Catacombs — Records of Visitors — Catacomb of St. Calixtus— The Catacombs resorted to during Periods of Danger — The Martyrs — Contrast between Christian and Pagan Inscriptions — Wells in the Catacombs — Mode of depositing the Dead — Manner in which the Graves have been rifled — Discovery of the Body of St. Cecilia — Catacomb of the Ancient Jews — The Shophar — Numerous Bones — Great Interest of the Catacombs —Fulfilment of Scriptural Prophecies — Persecu tions of Early Christians — Symbols of Christianity. Worthy of deep thought is the fact, that, while ruin has whelmed every vestige of the domicile of the Gods of ancient Eome — the Catacombs, those dark regions where the true God was worshipped in secret, while Pagan temples blazing with splendour existed — are still preserved, presenting almost the same appearance that they did nearly two thousand years ago. In those interminable labyrinths, Christianity may indeed be said to have struck her roots, a feeble plant at first — finding, as it endeavoured to lift its head above ground, many thorns to choke it ; but, THE CATACOMBS. 215 though persecution of the most terrific nature assailed it, still persevering, until it became a tree of gigantic dimensions. Bearing in mind the intense interest of these sub terranean passages ; it is surprising, that only during comparatively recent years, the Eoman Catacombs have been explored — discovered, indeed, we may say ; for, during the long period of eight centuries, they re mained closed, and the very existence of many of them was unknown. The merit of awakening public interest in them belongs to Antonio Bosio, a man of indefatigable zeal and energy. He may be said indeed to have devoted his life to the exploration of their dark subterranean labyrinths ; and well nigh fell a sacrifice to his ardour, for he was more than once lost in their dreary windings. His ' Eoma Sotteranea,' published in 1632, aroused the curiosity of Archaeo logists. We might naturally suppose, that Bosio's labours would have been followed by some systematic and comprehensive plan to explore these interesting memorials of the past ; but, after a short time, interest in them seems to have flagged, and it is only as I have said, very recently that this good work has been per formed. All works on Eome, excepting those published within the last few years, are entirely silent on the subject. Great credit attaches to Pius IX. for 216 LAST WINTER IN ROME. having instituted measures for the efficient explora tion of the Catacombs. They are now under the surveillance of the Commission of Sacred Archaeology ; and Signor de Eossi, by the Pontiff's direction, is en gaged in investigating and publishing every interesting feature in connexion with them. These recent labours and researches have renewed public interest; and no wonder, for around Eome, adjoining the great ancient highways, the ground may be said to be honey combed j by no less than sixty Catacombs, only a portion of which have been explored. How many miles of passages these include is not known, but that their extent must be enormous, is evident, from the fact that Signor de Eossi, the great living authority on the subject, states that the galleries in the Catacombs within three miles of Eome, extend to nearly six hundred miles. Thus, the Catacombs have become one of the great sights of that city ; and no visitor, be his time ever so limited, should omit seeing at least one of them. During last winter, I accompanied several parties to the most interesting Catacombs sometimes having the advantage of intelligent cicerones, and sometimes with merely the local guides. As a rule, large parties in the Cata combs are objectionable. For, as you must pass VOLCANIC AGENCY. 217 through the galleries in single file, it is difficult for those who are not near the cicerone, to hear his explanations. The number of visitors should never exceed eight. It is a matter of opinion whether or not you should visit the Christian Museum, in the Lateran Palace, before going to the Catacombs. This Museum, formed by the present Pontiff, contains many thousand inscriptions and drawings removed from the Catacombs. They are all admirably arranged, and throw great light on the history of these early Chris tian sculptures. Explorations carried on within the last few years, have confirmed the belief that the Eoman Catacombs were, without exception, excavated for the purposes of sepulture, and not for the extract of. pozzolana. The entire area of Eome and its vicinity was formerly the seat of active volcanic agency, long before the upheaval of the Sabine hills. All through this area, volcanic tufa of great hardness ; and softer tufa, known as tufa granolare ; and a still softer and more friable substance, called pozzolana, are found ; the latter always underlying the tufa granolare. The volcanic tufa has long furnished materials for building. The foundations of Eome at the base of the Palatine, known as the wall of Eomulus, the massive blocks 218 LAST WINTER IN ROME. forming the substructions of the modern Capitol, are volcanic tufa ; while, from the friable pozzolana, the famous Eoman cement is made. Now it is always in the tufa granolare, which, while being sufficiently soft to render quarrying it easy, yet does not crumble, that the Catacombs are found. In no instance have galleries been discovered, piercing tufa granolare, without niches for sepulture in the sides of the walls. Eecent explorations have also led to the conclusion, that the early Christians made more use of these galleries as places of abode, than was generally sup posed. It would be difficult to conceive more dreary or soul-depressing dwellings, than the Eoman Cata combs ; but, dreary as they are, the Christians who took refuge within them, doubtless deemed them havens of rest, compared to the city above them, where they were persecuted in the most terrible manner. Hundreds of inscriptions, found in the Catacombs, touchingly record that the true God could not be publicly worshipped, without incurring the greatest danger ; nor was the Christian always safe even in these subterranean labyrinths. 'Here,' says an inscription over a grave in the catacombs of St. Calixtus, ' lies Alexander; who, while on his knees, and about to adore the true God, was ST. CALIXTUS. 219 executed. Oh ! sad times ! when, even dwelling in dark caverns, we are not safe. The man can scarcely be said to have Lived, who was born in Christian times.' Very affecting, too, are the traces of visitors to the tombs of their fellow-Christians. The survivors seem to have made frequent pilgrimages to their resting- places. Not unfrequently, the names of those dear to the survivors are scratched rudely on the walls — ' Vivat in © E 12,' and other expressions of a similar nature being added. In the catacombs of St. Calixtus, I observed the words ' Sophronia, dulcis Sophronia,' frequently written on the walls of various galleries ; the last loving remembrance of this person being in the crypt of St. Calixtus, where I read — Sophronia dulcis Sophroniae vivis in Deo. The discovery, during recent years, of a great number of entrances to the Catacombs, long choked by earth, confirm the belief that they were much resorted to as abodes, during periods of danger. For, had the entrances been fewer, they would soon have become known to the Pagan Eomans. Authentic records tell us that Popes and bishops who sought refuge in the catacombs were butchered within them ; and there is no doubt that, among the noble army of martyrs, many 220 LAST WINTER IN ROME. thousands laid down their lives in these gloomy recesses, preferring death to denying the one true and living God. An inscription informs us that, ' under the reign of the emperor Adrian, Marius, a youthful military officer, meekly resigned his blood for the sake of Christ; and, after much suffering, he at length rests in peace. To his memory, this inscrip tion is set up, with tears, and in fear.' The contrast between the blessed hope and faith of the Christian, even under the most trying circumstances, and the levity of the pagan is very strong. Here are two inscriptions, the first being that over a Christian's grave in the catacombs of St. Calixtus : the second, over a pagan tomb. CECILIVS MARITVS CECILIAE PLACIDIANAE COIVGI OPTIMAE MEMORIAE CVM QVA VIXI ANNIS X BENE SE NE VLLA QVERELLA IX9YC Cecilius, the husband of Cecilia Placidiana. To my wife of cherished memory With whom I lived ten years without any quarrel. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. INSCRIPTIONS IN THE CATACOMBS. 221 V : AN. LVII D : M. TI CLAVDI. SECVNDI HIC SECVM : HABET OMNIA : BALNEA. VINVM. VENVS COREVMPVNT. CORPOEA. NOSTRA : SED VITAM. FACIVNT. B. V. V. KARO CONTVBERNALI FEC : MEROPE CAES : ET SIBI ET SVIS. P. E. To the Divine Manes of Titus Claudius Secundus, Who lived fifty-seven years. Here he enjoyed all things, Baths, wine, women ; Which, though they destroy the body, Still make our life. To her dear chamber-fellow Merope Csesarea made this, And for herself and theirs after death. Numerous wells have been found recently, in the most retired recesses of the galleries, and particularly in those localities where they expand into chambers, and in which divine service was performed. Another noticeable feature with respect to Signor de Eossi's recent labours is the circumstance that, where new explorations are made, disclosing fresh net- works of passages, all the graves, without exception, are found 222 LAST WINTER IN ROME. to have been broken open. It was the custom, as has been observed, to form these graves by excavating horizontal niches in the tufa walls, the opening being invariably closed by marble slabs, or tiles cemented firmly to the edges. In no instance does a grave seem to have been reopened to receive a second corpse, so that the graves in the Catacombs were literally like that of our Lord's : ' a new tomb hewn out of the rock ; ' or as John tells us, ' a new sepul chre, wherein was never man yet laid.' Now, bearing in mind the great extent of the catacombs, and that all graves hitherto discovered, have been opened ; and, moreover, taking into account that the marble slabs or tiles, which closed the graves, cannot be broken without considerable difficulty, it is pretty certain that the barbarians who rifled these graves, must have occasionally found objects to encourage them in their labours. Popes, we know, in defiance of the precept: 'Nemo martyrem distrabat, nemo mercetur,' removed objects, now adored as relics, but the great mass of graves were rifled for purposes of plunder. The discovery of the body of St. Cecilia in the Catacomb of St. Calixtus, which was removed lo the church in Eome bearing her name, shows that the shrouds were sometimes valuable. The sarco phagus in which she had been placed was opened with JEWISH CATACOMBS. 223 great solemnity in 1599. ' The saint,' says Baronius, ' was found lying within a coffin of Cyprus wood, enclosed in a sarcophagus, not in the manner of one dead and buried, that is on her back — but on her right side as one asleep, and in a very modest attitude, covered with taffety, having her head bound with a cloth, and at her feet the remains of the cloth of gold found in her original tomb.' Eecent researches in the catacombs beneath the Vigna Eondanini, entirely confirm the opinion ex pressed by some archaeologists that they were devoted almost exclusively to Jews. This people, who formed a numerous colony in Eome in the early Christian period, appear to have had a catacomb of their own at Monte Verde, contiguous to their abode, which was at that time on the right bank of the Tiber, opposite to the present Ghetto. Bosio partly explored this catacomb, but recent attempts to find it have failed. Another Jewish catacomb was discovered as recently as 1859. I visited this twice ; and, on the second occasion, had the good fortune to be accompanied by Dr. Heidenheim, a learned Hebrew scholar, who explained various inscriptions and figures of a very interesting nature. The seven-branched candlestick is frequently depicted on the walls, and it is note worthy that there is a great similarity between the 224 LAST WINTER IN ROME. representations of it, and that on the arch of Titus. The Shophar is also to be seen, and the drawings of it are in all respects like the instrument preserved in the synagogue at Aldgate in London. Another notice able feature in this catacomb is, the vast number of bones in the graves, far exceeding those in other cata combs. That the Jews were in the habit of interring their dead in catacombs, anterior to the period that they were used for the same purpose by Christians, is highly probable; and thus, this Jewish catacomb may be considered one of the most ancient burial- places in Eome. It is given to us to see things in different lights ; and, accordingly, there are persons who take no inter est whatever in the Eoman Catacombs. This may, in some measure, be due to the scepticism yet felt by many in their authenticity, as the burial-places of the early Christians. In sad ignorance, Bishop Burnet, the eminent historian of the Eeformation, wrote: ' Those burying-places in Eome, now graced with the pompous title of Catacomb, are no other than the " Puticoli," mentioned by Festus Pompeius, where the meanest Eoman slaves were laid ; and so, without any further care about them, left to rot.' * To me, I confess that the Catacombs possess an all-absorbing * Letters from Italy, 1685-6. SIGNS OF MARTYRDOM. 225 interest ; for, in those long and dreary passages, was fulfilled the prophecy of St. John, 'and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held : and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth ? — and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants, also, and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.'* The most severe Protestant, while unwilling to endorse the rescript of the Congregation of relics, that, ' whenever a palm and vessel, tinged with blood, are found in a grave within the Eoman Catacombs, they are to be considered most certain signs of martyrdom' — cannot deny that here were enacted events foretold by the Apostles, which had great influence on the spread of Christianity. ' They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake,' * Revelation, ch. vi. ver. 9-11. VOL. I. Q 226 LAST WINTER IN ROME. says St. Luke ; and St. Paul's account in his Epistle to the Hebrews, of the persecutions of the prophets and saints of old, which they endured, hoping ' that they might obtain a better resurrection,' applies with remarkable force to the sufferings to which the early Christians were subjected. There is, indeed, every reason to believe that the representations of the horrible atrocities on the walls of St. Stefano Eotondo are veracious. But, terrible as were those cruelties, they had not the effect of quenching the light of Christianity. ' Assemble in the catacombs,' said St. Clement to the faithful band of Christians, undismayed by the horrors pass ing around them, ' attend to the readings from the sacred books ; offer up the Eucharistic mystery ac ceptable to God; and so, fail not to follow your departed brethren in the faith with chaunting of psalms.' No wonder that we read in the Apocalypse, in no doubtful words, the terrible future that awaited the great Babylon, drunken with the blood of saints and martyrs. We must not overlook the fact that the Catacombs possess peculiar interest to Protestants. For, while the walls and roofs of the galleries and cubiculi are covered with figures, always symbolical of the Chris- CHRISTIAN EMBLEMS. 227 tian faith, such as an Anchor, for hope ; a Stag, sig nifying the aspirations of David ; a Ship, emblema tic of a Church ; a Horn, strength in faith ; a hunted Hare, persecution ; a Fish, in Greek, the anagram of Jesus ; a Peacock and Phoenix, resurrection, &c, — no example has been found of those ceremonies which, in the eyes of Protestants, deform the Eoman Catholic religion. The early Christians, receiving their faith from the apostles, regarded God as a Spirit, and worshipped him in- spirit and in truth ; looking to our Lord Jesus Christ as their Eedeemer. Q 2 228 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXIV. My Landlord's Library — Books known by their Coats —The 'Lives of Saints ' — Crucifixion of Missionaries in Japan — A Non-reading Family — Roman Newspapers — Dearth of Literature in Rome — Ignorance of Modern Romans — The ' Index Expurgatorius ' — Its blighting effect — A muzzled Press — Condemnation of Books — Form of denouncing Books — ' Le Maudit ' — Its Anti-papal Cha racter — Prayer to Jesus Christ — The Sacred Congregation — Li brary of the Prussian Archaeological Institute — Library of the British Academy — The Barberini Library — Interesting MS. on Public Buildings in Rome — Bad Accommodation for Readers in Public Libraries in Rome — Book-stalls in Piazza Navona — Curious Book on the Dress of Women — Fines for wearing certain Dresses — The Punishment of Vanity. ' Pray,' said I to my landlord one morning when he came to have a chat with me during my breakfast, ' have you any books that you could lend me ? ' It was a rainy day, and my limited stock of literary pabulum was running low. ' I will send you all I have,' was the reply; and, accordingly, one of his daughters presently entered my room with some half-dozen volumes. If, dear reader, you have had much to do with books, and belong to the literary craft, you know how often they may be judged by their coats. The volumes placed before me, quarto in size, were my landlord's LIBEARY. 229 all soberly clad in rusty brown calf; and I felt confident, before I had glanced at the contents of one, that the matter would prove, if not dull, at least heavy and prosaic. And so it turned out. My landlord's library, which, as you see, was extremely small, consisted of ' Lives of Saints,' and on these the minds of his family pastured, whenever they felt an appetite for literature. But, to judge by the con dition of the books, this was very seldom ; for dust lay thick upon their covers, and their leaves gave no evidence of having been disunited for a long time. Well, it must be confessed that the ' Lives of Saints,' is not very entertaining reading ; at least, not to young people ; and we cannot be surprised that the Conte's family should have abstained from perusing such works. To be sure, one volume gave an account of the martyrdom of the missionaries sent to Japan ; and contained some sensational chapters, with a terrible frontispiece, representing some fifty priests undergoing crucifixion, and other horrors; but, al together, the books were not lively reading; and this evidently was the opinion of my landlord's family. Did they not, then, read at all ? you may ask. No magazines, no newspapers ? Nothing, I have every reason to believe. Magazines, there are none ; and the same may be almost said with respect to news- 230 LAST WINTER IN ROME. papers. To be sure, there is the ' Giornale di Eoma,' and the ' Osservatore Eomano,' considered the papal paper ; but it is almost a farce to call these news papers, their size being eighteen inches by twelve inches, the news bald and stale ; local intelligence (excepting that connected with the pope) nil — and the advertisments generally limited to two. Nor were my landlord's family at all singular in their abstinence from literature. Eomans generally pre fer talking to reading; and, whatever knowledge they may attain, rarely flows through the channel of books. Of course there are exceptions, but my remarks apply to the majority of Eoman families. If you pay a visit to a Eoman, you will scarcely ever find a book on his tables. The natural result of all this is, that Eoman minds are very poorly cultivated; the highest classes being deplorably ig norant of matters known to an English charity- school boy. ' Eoman nobles,' observed an eminent man, 'are but big babies, fond of sugar plums.' Whether, if books were common, a taste for reading would be formed, I cannot say ; but it is certain that at present it does not exist. Let me not be mis understood. There are many works to be found at the booksellers' in Eome, but nearly all treat of archaeology, hagiology, and theology. Many institu- THE SACRED CONGREGATION. 231 tions are a sad clog to Eome, but not one more than the ' Index Expurgatorius,' established by Alexander VI., to screen a corrupt government from hostile criticism. This may be said to have blighted all attempts at a Eoman literature. Over the Eoman press, the authorities have, of course, absolute power ; and though the presses of offending printers are no longer burnt, as well as the obnoxious publications issuing from them ; no printer dare put his press in motion, without obtaining a license. Foreign litera ture is not so easy to muzzle, but the sharp eyes of the Sacred Congregation are quick in detecting a work at all inimical to their interests ; and scarcely a week elapses that you do not see the noble columns of St. Peter's and other churches defaced by huge placards, denouncing publications. Here is their heading : — DECRETUM. Sacra Congregatio eminentissimorum ac reverendissimo- rum sanctse romanas Ecclesise Cardinalium a Sanctissimo Domino Nostro PIO PAPA IX. sanctaque Sede apostolica Indici librorum pravas doctrinaa, eorumdemque proscrip- tioni, expurgationi, ac permissioni in universa Christiana Republica preepositorum et delegatorum, habita in Palatio apostolico vaticano, damnavit et damnat, proscripsit pro- scribitque, vel alias damnata atque proscripta in Indicem librorum prohibitorum referri mandavit et mandat Opera quae sequuntur. 232 LAST WINTEB IN EOME. The titles of the works are then enumerated, and the notice thus concludes : — Itaque nemo cujuscumque gradus et conditionis pras- dicta Opera damnata atque proscripta, quocumque loco, et quocumque idiomate, aut in posterum edere, aut edita legere vel retinere audeat, sed loeorum Ordmariis, aut hsereticas pravitatis Inqnisitoribus ea tradere teneatur, sub po?nis in Indice librorum vetitorum indictis. Quibus Sanctissimo Domino Nostro PIO PAPiE LX. per me infrascriptum S. I. C. a Secretis relatis, Sanctitas Sua Decretum probavit et promulgari prsecepit. In quo rum fidem, etc. Among the books singled out, last spring, for special repeated condemnation, was ' Le Maudit, par L'Abbe .... The denouncement of this work was so frequent, that author and publisher must have been greatly obliged to the Sacred Congregation for having advertised the work so largely. The book, notwithstanding its having been damned, has reached a ninth edition. It is evident the author anticipated that his book would be proscribed ; for he says that the Inquisition would, if possible, burn him ' comme dans le bon vieux temps ; ' and adds, addressing Monsieur Cousin and others : ' Vous, Monsieur Cousin, tout academicien que vous etes, vous auriez ete traine au bucher de Jean Hus ; vous, Monsieur Jules Simon, avec vos plus belles pages ; vous, Monsieur de Lamartine, qui avez cree dans Jocelyn l'epopee mo- DENOUNCEMENT OF BOOKS. 233 derne et fabrique cette touchante heresie qui place dans une meilleure vie les chiens fideles aupres de ceux qu'ils ont aimes ; vous, George Sand, au genie viril, aux pages brulantes ; vous, Victor Hugo, avec vos sublimes Miserables, vous auriez expie dans ces horribles flammes le crime de ne pas avoir soumis vos ecrits a la censure de ces fanatiques. Oh ! nous fremissons en le disant, ces hommes de mceurs irreprochables eussent regarde comme l'hommage le plus pur fait a la Divinite, a l'Eglise et au Pape, l'holocauste de tous ces ecrivains qui se sont permis de penser autrement que la theologie.'* 'Le Maudit,' however, I am bound to say, does contain many damning chapters against the papal government, to which those in other proscribed works are weak in comparison. Benan'«s 'Vie de Jesus' was another book denounced last winter by the Sacred Congregation ; and it was not a little remark able that, during the time that it was denounced, the walls of Eome were covered with the announcement, that a prayer had been compiled, addressed to our Lord Jesus Christ, calling on Him to avenge the outrages against his Divine Majesty — a strange pro ceeding, when we remember how little adoration is paid to our Saviour, and how much to the Virgin. * Le Maudit, v. iii. p. 189. 234 LAST WINTER IN ROME. The fifty-seven members of the Sacred Congregation are all Jesuits. They are divided into judges, coun sellors, reporters, and a permanent secretary. The former are always cardinals. The author of a work may render himself liable to a sentence of the 'Index' for very trivial causes ; many books being prohibited, in which it would be extremely difficult to find matter to render them worthy of being thus noticed. Others are denounced in consequence of the political ten dencies of the authors. Thus, though the works of A. Dumas were allowed to circulate freely through the Papal States for many years — the moment that the Sacred Congregation discovered that the eminent novelist was a friend of Garibaldi's, his books were proscribed. Wily and energetic as are the Sacred Congregation in suppressing works inimical to their interest, the great quantity of periodical literature and pamphlets,' renders it impossible for them to examine all publications of this nature; and, as it frequently happens that this species of literature has the greatest effect on a people, the press is not entirely deprived of its power by the ' Congregation.' Well, though my attempt to obtain literary nourish ment at home, was, as you see, very unsuccessful ; I was more fortunate elsewhere. And, having de rived much instruction and enjoyment from the THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. 235 sources which supplied me with books during my sojourn in Eome, I am led to make grateful mention of them. They were two-fold, and both gratuitous. By the liberality of the Prussian Government, the Archaeological Institute, founded by the last king of Prussia, possesses a very good library of standard works, more particularly having reference to the objects of the institution, but still of great interest to the visitor in Eome. Any gentleman provided with an introduction to an officer of the institution, is allowed, not only to read the books in the library, but to take them home — a great advantage, as the day hours of visitors are generally spent from home. A smaller library, consisting for the most part of works on Art, belongs to the British Academy. By virtue of the Trust, any British subject is at liberty to read in the library of this institution, and to take books home on giving his address. With these wells to draw from, and the auxiliary support of newspapers at Piale's library, I was never at a loss for whole some literary food. When I brought home illustrated works, it was amusing to witness the enjoyment that the illustrations afforded to the lady members of my landlord's family. But, while their curiosity was gratified, my Italian was improved; so we were mutual gainers by the transaction. 236 LAST WINTER IN ROME. If disposed to be studious, you will find the Bar- berini Library a mine of great wealth ; for, apart from its treasures, duly chronicled in the guide-books, it possesses a good store of standard works. It is worth while visiting this library, to see the admirably con structed winding staircase, the best in Eome, up which you might ride with great facility. The library is in the keeping of a priest, a courteous man, who will, if you evince a love for literature place many curious works before you. Among those that he showed me, was a large MS. folio, on vellum, containing notes and drawings of the most remark able public buildings in Eome in 1495. The volume also contained a representation of a galley furnished with paddle-wheels, precisely like those of steamers, but worked by windlasses on the deck.* Should you be a book collector, you will do well to examine the literary stores exposed on stalls in the Piazza Navona every Wednesday. I frequently visited them, and generally found some interesting or curious work. One noteworthy was entitled, * There are several other libraries in Rome, to which admittance for reading purposes may be procured, but the hours are extremely inconvenient, and the accommodation in all respects had. At the Vatican Library, with vast space at the disposal of the authorities, there is only very limited accommodation for the examination of the MSS. LAWS REGULATING DRESS. 237 'Eemedio per curare La Vanita Feminile,' dedi cated to the Princess Borghese, and published in Borne, 1680. It appears that the love for dress at that period was so great in that city, as to cause laws to be enacted, strictly defining the manner of dress to be worn by married ladies and maidens. Under the head of Wives and Maids, it is ordered that they shall not wear artificial flowers, nor feathers, nor handkerchiefs embroidered with gold, nor per fumed gloves, nor more than one skirt trimmed with gold or silver lace, nor shoes with sandals of the same materials. It then goes on to state, that all women transgressing these laws shall be fined one hundred scudi, a large sum at that period ; and it gives many relations of how women who dressed showily were visited by demons, who inflicted sum mary punishment on them for their vanity. 238 LAST WINTER IN EOME. CHAPTEE XXV. The Gay Season of Rome — Balls and Parties — Gaiety last Winter — The Ancient Nobles of Rome— Their Privileges — The Massimi Family — The Pallavicini — Virgil and the Modern Britons — The English Church in Rome — Admiration of Englishwomen by Roman Gentlemen — The Guardia Nobile — Their Slender Pay — Fortune- hunters — Lines suggested by an English Ball in Rome — The Theatres of Rome — The. Apollo — The Argentina — Custom of the Governor giving Ices and Sweetmeats — Prices of Seats — Rossini and the Barbiere di Seviglia — Ludicrous Contretemps — Triumph of the Maestro — Private Theatricals in Rome — Theatre in the Via Frattina — Hunting in Rome — The Meet — English Influence in Rome — The Hounds blessed by the Pope — ' Bass ' and ' Guinness' — Miss Hosmer — Mr. Gibson's advice to her — Riding in the Cam pagna — Prowess of English Huntresses — Italians in the Hunting Field — Game of Palla — Prince Odescalchi — Hire of Riding Horses in Rome — Hunt Club Ball — Roman Princesses and their Dia monds. With the Carmval, which commences shortly after New Year's Day, the gay season of Eome sets in. Parties and balls are of nightly occurrence, and the English quarter is a miniature May Fair. Eome, last winter, was unusually full of English ; who, having for the most part, long purses, and being supremely indifferent to the ills arising from the bad papal government, hunted pleasure with great diligence ROMAN GAIETIES. 239 — too much so, I strongly suspect, for the comfort of certain sober Paterfamilias's, who, constrained to go out for the sake of their daughters — felt, if they did not exclaim, that the late Sir George Lewis was not far wrong, when he held that this world would be tolerable, were it not for its pleasures. If you have a few good introductions, you will soon, if you care for such gaieties, be launched into a sea of parties, which, as the season ripens, assume a maelstrom form, engulfing you more and more, until your night hours are almost engrossed. These English parties are so very similar to those given in London during the season, that it is extremely difficult to realise that you are in Eome. The Creme de la Creme of high Eoman society, consisting of the ancient nobles, do not mix with the English ; while those beneath them in rank, do not live in a manner to enable them to exchange hospitalities with our wealthy countrymen. A curious paper might be written on the ' vicissitudes ' of the Eoman nobility, their titles, privileges, derivation of their names, and the manner in which they were created. Among the higher nobles, there are nice distinctions, such as having the privilege of erecting a baldacchino in their ante-chambers, bearing in state processions a blue silk umbrella, &c. The Massimi boast of being descended 240 LAST WINTER IN ROME. from Fabius Maximus, and bear on their armorial shield, the famous 'Cunctando restituit,' of that valorous Eoman.* Some of the titles are highly suggestive, such as the Pallavicini, Flay Neighbours, Male Spini, Evil Thorns, &c. English parties in Eome are almost entirely con fined to English, and the same crowding maybe often seen at them, as in London — greater, indeed, if pos sible, sometimes, for there is no friendly staircase that you can convert into a kind of safety valve, to let off the superfluous pressure. I often thought, when contemplating the English in Eome, who occupy almost exclusively five large first-class hotels' besides hundreds of lodging houses, what Virgil would say, could he revisit the Eternal City ; and learn that those well-dressed strangers and beautiful women, come from that small island of which he contempt uously wrote : ' Penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos.' Throw all the congregations of the upper classes attending the principal Eoman Catholic churches together, and they would be out-numbered by the English, who attend the plain English Church with- * Napoleon I. once asked a Massimo, in his usual brusque manner, ' Is it true that you are descended from Fabius Maximus ? ' 'I can not prove it,' was the answer, ' but the report has been in our family for more than a thousand years.' THE ENGLISH CHURCH. 241 out the walls. Outdone, too, in aristocratic bearing and in the beauty of the women, for beauty does not exist at present among Eoman ladies. During last winter, though the English Church is tolerably capa cious, it was necessary to have two morning services, to accommodate the English.* On each Sunday, at the conclusion of the services, many young Eoman gentlemen might be seen standing near the outer doors, regarding the English ladies with evident admiration. This is no unfounded assertion ; for some Eomans with whom I was acquainted, did not scruple to inform me that they made a point of going to our church when the services were over, to see and admire what they were pleased to call the most beautiful women in the world. This attrac tion, and that of substantial suppers, which contrast pleasantly, in the estimation of Eomans, with the slender refreshments provided at their conversaziones, cause English parties to be much run after by Eoman gentlemen. Many of low estate, the normal condition of the Eoman gentry and second-class nobility, who are numerous in Eome, see, from * At the first service, the Dean of Canterbury (Alford) preached, and though the service necessarily commenced at an early hour, the great eloquence of the Dean and excellence of his sermons soon drew large congregations. , 242 LAST WINTER IN ROME. time to time a Guardia Nobile, or other smart officer, gain the hand of an English lady with a fortune; and as ladies with fortunes are not very uncommon visitors during the winter in Eome, there is a great desire on the part of many Eoman gentlemen to be introduced to them. Three hundred pounds a year would entice few gentlemen to marry in England ; but a lady with this fortune would be a prize in Eome, and when I state that the pay of a Guardia Nobile is only twenty-five Scudi a month, (51. 6s. 3d.) and that some exist on this slender pay, it is evident that a lady with one hundred Scudi a month is deemed by these gentle men worth looking after. I do not however wish it to be supposed, that all Eoman gentlemen having an eye to matrimony think only of fortunes. Some Eomans with whom I became acquainted through my Italian friends, lost their hearts at first sight ; and reticence forming no part of their passion, they were generally very communicative on the subject of their admiration for certain English beauties whom they had seen at balls. It was, indeed, in consequence of the havoc made on the hearts of certain young Eomans by ladies at a ball given in Eome last winter, that the following lines were composed and sent to the lady hostess : M0DEEN ROMAN CAPTIVES. 243 The time was once, when mighty Rome sent forth To that small isle, ringed by the Northern Sea — Britain by name— a land all savage then, Legions, which 'neath imperial Caesar drove The rough barbarians from their wattled homes, And bound them captives to the Conqueror's car. But mark the change — that little isle has risen To be the talk and wonder of the world, While Rome, her mistress once, has fallen low. But though no British armed hosts are here, To sack the city or to spoil the land, Yet are invaders yearly at her gates, Thronging her streets, her palaces and halls. And if Anacreon, in that ode, sang true, When praising lovely woman, he declared, That all a world is weak before her smile — ¦ Then surely Roman youths and Roman men May tremble for their peace ; for here are charms, Beauty, and grace — fair flowers of Britain's soil ; Such loveliness as no land else can show. Yes, Caesar triumphed by his warlike arts, But English beauty conquers Roman hearts ! At the commencement of the Carnival, the two large theatres, the Apollo and the Argentina open for grand and comic operas. At the first, it has always been the custom for the governor of Eome to present ices and sweetmeats to the occupiers of the first, second, and third tiers of boxes on the opening night. Considerable dissatisfaction was felt last winter, by the governor departing from this custom, for what reason I could not learn. The operas in these houses were unworthy of Eome, being with few ex it 2 244 LAST WINTER IN ROME. ceptions badly performed. One tenor, Euggero Sirchia, sang well, but the other singers were very indifferent. Nor was there much novelty, the same operas and ballets being given over and over again until one was weary of them. The prices, however, are so moderate, that it would be unreasonable to expect much novelty or variety. The subscription for a large box on the second tier (the best), for 37 performances, is 198 scudi at the Apollo, and 110 scudi at the Argentina. The price of a good stall at the former is 50 baiocchi, or 2s. Id. The ballet was generally better than the opera ; that at the Apollo, which ran through the season, entitled Cristofero Colombo, was effectively got up, and creditable in all respects. It is customary among Eomans to share a box among three or four families. Eoman ladies are very fond of the opera, and never miss their subscription nights. On these occasions, they receive friends in their box ; and as I was informed, are very sensitive, should you, if on visiting terms, forget their opera evenings, of which they take care to give you due notice. An English lady told me, that having accidentally over looked the opera engagements of a Eoman lady, and invited her to a party on one of these evenings, she received a note in reply, refusing the invitation and THE ' APOLLO ' AND ' ARGENTINA.' 245 expressing great surprise that the English lady should have made such a mistake. Both the Apollo and Argentina Theatres have seen the birth of some of the most celebrated standard operas. It was at the Argentina, in 1816, that Eossini's Barbiere di Seviglia was first represented. There is an amusing account in an Italian work of Eossini's trepidation on this occasion, caused by a series of contretemps. On his appearance at the piano in the orchestra, wearing a quaintly cut coat of vivid amber colour, a general laugh arose among the audience. Garcia, who played Almaviva, had no sooner struck the strings of his guitar under Eosina's window, than they all gave way with a loud twang. The same accident happened to the mandolin of Zamboni, who under took the part of Figaro. As soon as Basilio appeared on the stage, he was tripped up by a wire, and fell on his nose, which was quickly deluged with blood. He wore a white robe, and this in his attempts to staunch the blood became besmeared by the crimson stream. At this spectacle, the audience, far from well behaved from the first, broke forth in uproarious convulsions of laughter, amidst which, and a confusion of cat calls and jeers, poor Eossini rushed from the orchestra, and never drew breath until he arrived at home. 246 LAST WINTER IN ROME. The next evening witnessed a very different state of things. The opera went off admirably, but no persuasion could induce Eossini to leave his room to witness the performance. Towards midnight he heard a great commotion in the street ; and presently numerous voices crying ' Eossini, Eossini.' ' Ah,' thought he, ' here are the people determined to let me know that my poor opera has been even more damned to-night than it was last evening.' The story runs that, when the tumult increased, and steps were heard ascending the stairs, the maestro hid himself under his bed. Presently, loud knocks were heard at the door, and Eossini was urged to come forth with shouts a sveg- liar i morti. But, as they had no further effect than causing him to remain perfectly quiet, it was sug gested that Eossini had perhaps misinterpreted the intentions of his admirers, and that he was silent from fear. Such indeed was the case, and when the great composer was at length prevailed upon to open the door, he was found half dead from alarm. To seize Eossini, and bear him in triumph to the theatre was the work of a moment. There he be came assured that his opera had signally succeeded ; and to crown his triumph, was conducted, through a lane of blazing torches, to a neighbouring osteria, AMATEUR THEATRICALS. 247 where a supper had been ordered at which his friends were present who kept up wild mirth and jollity until far into the morning hours. Private theatricals given by the Eoman Amateur Dramatic Society were among the eveningamusements last winter in Eome. The society rent a small and elegant theatre in the Via Frattina, well adapted for their purpose. On each night of performance the little theatre was crowded with a highly dressed and fashionable audience. The pieces selected were standard comedies and burlesques, generally ex tremely well performed. The great day amusement of the English in Eome during winter is hunting — not that many follow the hounds on horseback, but the meet is always numer ously attended. And very pretty is the sight on a bright day in winter, when the Alban hills, crested with snow, stand out against the deep blue sky, and the air is delightfully bracing — to see the gathering of healthy English faces, the girls with nature's roses on their cheeks, at a meet in the Campagna. The distance from Eome is generally sufficiently near to enable pedestrians to be present, and several visitors attend in carriages. Here again, English influence prevails. At the beginning of the season, il> was apprehended that 248 LAST WINTER IN ROME. there would not be any hunting; as, in consequence of a Eoman gentleman having been injured by a fall from his horse during the preceding winter, the Pope had interdicted the sport on the ground of its dangerous nature. Think of this, ye Meltonians, who would never more doff leather, if fox hunting were not spiced with danger. Why, it is this element that gives it zest! Did not Assheton Smith 'ride for a fall ' ? and are there not hundreds of fox hunters who go forth three days a week, during the hunting season, intent on running the risk of breaking their necks ? To English interest yielded Pope and Cardinals, and last winter many a happy day was spent following the hounds. But His Holiness did more. Somehow or other, though foxes were abundant, the sport was not good in the early part of the season, runs being few, and brushes fewer still. Was there a jettaturain the hunt; or, worse still, a fair jettatrice, under whose fatal influence scent did not lie, foxes got to earth, and hounds became disheartened and would not work? Non so ! but thus it was, and so one day a proposition, emanating of course from a Eomanist, was made that the Pope should be requested to bless the hounds. The Pontiff's blessing could do no harm, and might be productive of benefit. No objection was made by the master of the hounds, and an opportunity soon THE EOMAN HUNT. 249 offered to put the question to His Holiness, whether he would give his benediction to the animals. Con sent being accorded, the hounds were assembled beneath his carriage windows, when he was driving in the Campagna, and the ten couples were duly blessed. Whether sport improved after this I am unable to say. The Eoman Hunt partakes largely of a picnic gathering : Spillman, the restaurant of the Via Con- dotti, is in the habit of pitching a marquee at the locality of the meet, filled with comestibles, conveyed from Eome in an omnibus like van, including an abundance of Bass's bitter ale, and Guinness's porter. These beverages are greatly approved by the Eomans, who indeed patronise Spillman on these occasions far more extensively than the English. A well known figure at the Eoman hunt is that of Miss Hosmer, the clever American sculptor, who rides so well that it is a pity the Campagna has no stiff fences to try her prowess. Gibson, who is a great friend of Miss Hosmer, is reported to have said to her, ' you will never excel in your profession if you hunt so much.' ' Mr. Gibson,' was her reply, ' if you could ride as well as I do, you would hunt too.' I am not at all sure that the great sculptor would be tempted, rode he ever so well, to turn Nimrod now, 250 LAST WINTER IN ROME. or to leave his studio for the fairest scene in the Campagna ; but, notwithstanding his remark to Miss Hosmer, most persons will agree that she is quite right to hunt, and that her skill is not at all likely to suffer by this wholesome exercise. If active on your legs, you may easily see a great portion of the hunt in the Campagna. For generally, when foxes are numerous, they rarely run far, betaking themselves, like wise animals as they are, to the numerous holes honeycombing the country. These holes which generally adjoin ruins, cannot be stopped ; indeed they communicate sometimes with the Catacombs, for the English of the nineteenth century gallop over the dust of martyrs. By cutting across the Campagna, climbing grass-grown mounds or ancient tombs, you will, if at all experienced in the course hounds are likely to take, see probably more of the run than those who are mounted. For, although the Campagna is hedgeless, it consists of so many undulations, fissures and ravines that equestrians have frequently to make long detours to avoid these. Bold riders often come to grief at these localities, and more than one gentleman last winter was injured by falls, arising from the dangerous nature of the ground. The lady huntresses are confined, with the exception of some American ladies, to our countrywomen. Among those LADY HUNTRESSES. 251 last winter, were some ladies who would, had they been well mounted, have been in the van in Leicester shire. Italian ladies do not hunt ; at least, I never saw one in the field. Among the many features of English life in Eome that amazed my landlord's daughters, none surprised them more than hearing of English girls, riding furiously across a country after a fox , at the infinite risk, as they believed, of breaking their necks.* Woman, in Italy, is brought up to shrink from the public gaze and the free air of heaven ; and to ride or handle the reins forms no part of her education. My landlord's daughters were not, how ever, singular in their astonishment, that risks should be run by Women or men, for the sake alone, as they imagined, of obtaining a fox's tail ; I heard several Eoman gentlemen express almost equal astonishment. It is true, you occasionally see a few Italian gentle men at the meet, including one or two Cavalry officers in their uniforms ; but you will rarely find * The prowess and daring deeds of some Englishwomen in the hunting-field is well known, and sometimes elicits the admiration of those who might not be expected to appreciate them. A lady cele brated in the North of England for her hunting feats, on one occasion, during a bitter day when snow and sleet were driving fast, swam her horse across the Tees. When midway, she was seen by a countryman, who happened to be rowing down the river. Unable to suppress his admiration, he exclaimed — 'Hey, but thou'rt a bonny lass, I'd loike to have thee for my wife ! ' 252 LAST WINTER IN ROME. them riding to hounds, a low wall or fence acting as insuperable barriers. Not thus chicken hearted were their forefathers ; but we need not go back to the days of Eome's greatness, to find manliness among her citizens, that unhappily no longer exists. The fine games of Pilotta or Palla,* Trucco, &c, were formerly played by Eoman youths, the very nature of which is unknown to the majority of the present generation. The Eoman hunt last winter was principally managed by Prince Odescalchi and Miss Hosmer. The hounds, numbering, as I have said, ten couples, were in good working condition. Horses adapted for hunting now cost thirty scudi a month. All the best are hired early in the season. The demand at present greatly exceeds the supply. Indeed, it would, I believe, pay an English gentleman fond of hunting to import a couple of hunters, which might be sold very advantageously at the end of the season. We were indebted to the Hunt Club for one of the best balls given in Eome last winter. All the * The Piazza of this name in Rome is called from this game, which Moroni in his Dizionario di Erudizione Storico Ecclesiastica, states was very much played by the Roman Nobles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. JEWELLED LADIES. 253 arrangements were on a most liberal scale, and the affair went off with great eclat. Not, however, at the English balls will you see the jewelled glory of the Eoman ladies. The Eoman princesses blazing with diamonds is a sight well worth seeing ; and should you have a weakness for these things, you may gratify it by attending one of the great charity balls which the high Eoman families patronise. You may also see them at the receptions of the Ambassadors, which are open to all attired in proper costume. At one of these, given by the French Ambassador, there sat, during the greater part of the evening, six ladies side by side, literally cuirassed in diamonds — diamonds, too, flashed from their heads, which seemed radiant with a nimbus like glory ; there was a fascination in the brilliancy though the eyes ached from the splendour. The pos sessors of these gems were Eoman princesses, in whose families the jewels have been preserved for many centuries. 254 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXVI. The Palatine — Its former Architectural Splendour — Milton's Vision of it — Palace of the Csesars — Present Appearance of the Palatine — Emperor of the French — The Excavations — Roman ' Navvies ' — Relics of the Past — Temple of Jupiter Propugnator — Nymphceum of Vespasian's Palace — Gorgeous Chamber —Gold Coins — Fashion able Promenade — Excavations in the Via Latina — Signor Fortu- nati — Basilica of St. Stephen — The ' Painted Tomb ' — Columbaria — Archaeological Treasures — Temple of Jupiter Latialis. Among the many localities in Eome which stir our thoughts to their innermost depths, not one possesses a greater interest than the Palatine. On this hill, Eome may be said to have been born ; and here the Csesars reared structures, the baldest des cription of which fills us with amazement. Temples and palaces, baths, and theatres, academies and libraries, corridors of marvellous length and design, and terraces covered with statues, were here ; and now, though they were constructed of titanic strength, their very site is but a tumbled heap of ruins : made up of broken columns and fragments of friezes, statues, and masonry. A more impressive picture of fallen greatness cannot be conceived, and we are THE PALATINE. 255 perplexed to imagine how such complete ruin could have been wrought. Not fanciful is Milton's vision of the glorious edifices which formerly crowned this far-famed hill : On Mount Palatine The imperial palace, compass huge, and high The structure, skill of noblest architects. With gilded battlements conspicuous far, Turrets, and terraces, and glittering spires : Many a fair edifice besides, more like Houses of Gods (so well I have disposed My airy microscope) thou mayest behold Outside and inside both, pillars and roofs Carved work, the hand of famed artificers In cedar, marble, ivory, or gold.* Euins, too, upon ruins ; for not one, but several struc tures have disappeared. In the early part of the fifteenth century, there was not a single building . standing on the Palatine, excepting the Church built by Calixtus. Later, a splendid villa was erected by the Farnese. Michael Angelo designed it, Eaphael adorned it, and some of the choicest sculptures from the baths of Caracalla were stolen to beautify it. But this too, became ruined, though the Farnese gardens remain. Amidst these, on each Thursday, you will see during the winter, crowds of English ; for the Palace of the Caesars has become a fashionable promenade. * Paradise Regaintd. 256 LAST WINTER IN ROME. No longer, as in the days when Gibbon meditated among the neighbouring ruins, is the Palatine the abode of foxes ; and though at night you may still hear From out the Csesar's palace The owl's long cry, the greater part of the Palatine consists of trim walks and flower-beds, terraces garlanded by creeping plants and roses, gushing fountains, and all the acces sories of pleasure grounds. To the Emperor of the French is this change due. The Palatine is his property, and under his orders the present excava tions are carried on.* Do not imagine when you read of excavations in Eome, that the excavators are like those stalwart British Navvies, who work with surprising will and energy, due to good wages and plenty of beef and beer : your Italian labourer is a very different animal. Piano, piano, is his motto, and so daintily does he handle the mattock that you might suppose he was a dillettante antiquary. In keeping with this perform ance, reminding you strongly of children with * The Palatine is of a rhomboid form, and nearly one mile-and-a- half in circuit. Its height above the sea is 172 feet. The height of the other hills in Rome is as follows : — Pincian, 216 ; Capitoline, 162 ; Esquiline, the most extensive of the seven hills, 180 ; Quirinal, 145; Ccelian, 146; Aventine, 148. THE PALATINE. 257 their tiny spades on the sea-shore, are the small carts drawn by impotent mules, in which the rubbish is conveyed away. Slow and lazy as it all seems, there is this advantage in the method, that the labourers are not likely to injure, by violent and hasty digging, any fragments of sculpture, or other antiquities, on which they come ; and so abundant are these remains, that the entire hill, one mile and a half in circum ference, seems sown, as it were, with them. Very interesting indeed is it to watch the workmen. Every few minutes you see fragments of marble, or portions of fresco, the colours as bright as the day they were laid on, or a delicate piece of sculpture, or a fragment of oxidised glass, radiant as a gem, brought to light. The most profound archaeologists are unable to assign names to the various chambers, &c, discovered, generally underlying a fragmentary stratum, twenty feet deep, made up of crumbled masonry. Names, it is true, are attached to them, but they are for the most part but feeble guesses at truth. What has been discovered renders it probable that the Palatine was covered by buildings, with spaces between them laid out in gardens. The remains of the majority of these buildings will, doubtless, some day be laid bare, but this hill can never be s 258 LAST WINTER IN ROME. effectually excavated until the Villa Palatina, now occupied by nuns, is removed. The most recent excavations are those on the site of the building erected by Domitian and Vespasian over the palace of Augustus. In the course of last winter a portion of the Temple of Jupiter Propug- nator was disinterred. This was one of the original structures erected on the Palatine. It adjoins the Nymphseum of Vespasian's Palace, and its existence, even as a fragment, can only be due to the circum stance of its having been a religious edifice ; otherwise it would, in all probability, have been pulled down to make room for the Emperor's Palace. When all the rubbish now encumbering the Palatine is cleared away, the visitor will be enabled to enjoy a com prehensive view of an imposing mass of the remains of the palaces of various emperors, who vied with each other in raising edifices of amazing achitectural grandeur. For, though clouded in obscurity, there is sufficient evidence to confirm all that has come down to us respecting the gorgeous magnificence of the structures on this hill. A glimpse of the glory of one imperial palace has been seen by persons living in com paratively modern times. Bartoli tells us, in his Memoirs, that a vast chamber discovered during the MAGNIFICENT STRUCTURES. 259 pontificate of Innocent X. (1649) was covered with a species of gold brocade originally apparently of„ great richness and still extremely beautiful ; but as those who had the good fortune to see the dazzling sight looked on in wonder, it faded away before their eyes, and soon entirely disappeared. The walls of another apartment were found inlaid with silver, and a third room was lined with sheets of lead, a space being left between the lead and the walls, within which an enormous quantity of gold coins were found. No ' finds ' like these have recently rewarded the ex cavators, but the discoveries made are still sufficiently valuable and interesting to encourage further re searches. Happily, although the Palatine is a fashionable promenade, the area is sufficiently large to enable you to wander through arched corridors and along terraces without encountering crinoline at every step, and if you desire to be influenced by the locality, you must be beyond ear-shot of the frivolous chatter of visitors, who come here merely to lounge away a few hours. Alone, or with a sympathising friend, an afternoon spent amidst the ruins on the Palatine is most enjoyable. Then you will see the Colosseum standing aloft like a Titanic creation, ' backed by the Alban hills, rosy beneath the western 3 2 260 LAST WINTER IN ROME. sun, and you will realise the feelings of the graceful poet, who tells us that he loved to climb the Palatine, Dreaming of old Evander and his guest, Dreaming and lost on that proud eminence', Long while the seat of Rome, hereafter found Less than enough (so monstrous was the brood Engendered there, so Titan-like) to lodge One in his madness.* Second only in interest to the ruins on this most classical mount, are the recent excavations on the Via Latina. Few localities around Eome exceed this in interest, and it is indeed most surprising that this great ancient highway should have been only laid open within the last few years. Fully as sur prising, too, is the circumstance that the discoveries should have been made, not by the Papal Govern ment, but by a private individual. The fact is the more astonishing, when it is borne in mind that the Via Latina was known to have been lined with sepulchral monuments, this great highway having been a favourite locality for the tombs of illustrious persons. The conservative power of the earth under which old Eome is buried, made it highly probable that researches carried on here would lead to interesting results ; but, though the attention of the * Rogers' Italy. THE VIA LATINA. 261 Papal Government was called to the subject at various times, no action was taken. It was not until 1859 that Signor Fortunati, an antiquary of great eminence, in the course of archaeo logical researches in this district, discovered the Basilica of St. Stephen, founded in the pontificate of Leo the Great (a.d. 440). Encouraged by this dis covery, he continued his labours, undertaken entirely at his own cost, and was rewarded by finding the original pavement of the Via Latina and several sepulchres. Some of these contain exquisite paint ings. That called par excellence ' The Painted Tomb ' * is a marvel of art, the stucco ornaments being of cameo , fineness, and the paintings of miniature-like delicacy. The tombs are supposed not to date from an earlier period than the reign of the Antonines. Signor Fortunati's labours were followed by some works undertaken by Government, which resulted in the » discovery of various Columbaria, but of no tombs at all comparable in beauty or elegance to those pre viously disinterred. This circumstance seems to have deterred the Papal Government from continuing the excavations. At all events, no works are now in progress ; but you have only to look at the configura tion of the yet undisturbed ground beneath which the Via Latina runs, to feel persuaded that mines of 262 LAST WINTER IN K0ME. archaeological treasure lie beneath your feet.* In deed, there is no part of ancient Eome that would, probably, reward archaeological researches more than this, but there is no prospect of anything more being done during the present pontificate. It is interesting to note that the vista of the Via Latina is terminated as you look beyond Eome by Monte Cavo, on the crest of which stood the famous Temple of Jupiter Latialis, while the vista looking citywards is bounded by the glorious dome of St. Peter's. The pagan temple has entirely disap peared, while the cross of Christ crowns the Christian fane. * Those who may be desirous of investigating the topography of the Via Latina, will be greatly assisted by consulting Gli Edifizi antichi dei Contorni di Roma cognlti per alcune Reliquie. Roma, 1856-64. This great and most valuable work, commenced by L. Canina, is now completed, the fifth and sixth volumes having lately been published by Spithover, at Rome. The last volume con tains plans, &c, of the discoveries on the Via Latina. 263 CHAPTEE XXVII. The Villa Livia— Statues from Volsinii — Villa Caesarum — Charming Situation of the Villa Livia — Remarkable Discovery — Beautiful Frescoes — Livia's Garden Bower — Probable Period at which the Frescoes were executed — Ludius — Exquisite Stucco Work — Dis covery of the Statue of Augustus — Torchlight View of it — Descrip tion of Objects on the Cuirass — How Canova showed his Statues — Lines by Moore on Canova — Augustus represented as a Beggar — The Empress Livia — A Dutiful Wife. To the numerous and interesting localities in Eome, which make intimate acquaintance with that city the business of a life, has now to be added the Villa Livia. The discovery of this villa is another confirmation of the opinion advanced by Eoman archaeologists, that you have only to probe undis turbed ground in the vicinity of Eome, to come upon relics of this wonderful city's former greatness and splendour. Many ancient disentombed statues and fragments of sculptures adorn the halls of the Vatican and other galleries, and many more are still buried in the ground, and will some day reward the zeal and enterprise of antiquaries. The number of sculptures which Eome obtained from conquered 264 LAST WINTER IN ROME. provinces is amazing. From the Etruscan city of Volsinii, Pliny tells us, upwards of 2000 statues alone, many of them of great excellence and beauty, were removed to Eome ; and hundreds of other cities and towns were laid under contribution to adorn their powerful mistress. The Villa Livia, alluded to by Pliny as Villa Caesarum,* ranks among the most interesting re cent discoveries in or near Eome. It is situated at Prima Porta, about eight miles from the city, to the right of the road leading from Eome to La Storta. The remains of the foundations, which have been laid bare, show that it was of great extent. The Villa was built on the brow of a slight eminence above the Tiber, which winds beneath, and overlooked what is now the lone Campagna, whose grassy waves roll in loftier ridges as they approach the Alban hills. The view of these hills, crowned by grand Monte Cavo, is extremely beautiful. A more charming site for a villa near Eome could not have been selected, and there is little doubt that it was a favourite retreat of Livia. Above ground nothing now remains but a few crumbling walls, and vast fragmentary masses of masonry, including marble and alabaster. Beneath, however, a great discovery has been made. In the * Hist. Nat., xv. 40 . THE VILLA LIVIA. 265 course of the explorations, under the direction of Signor Gagliardi, the workmen came, in May 1863, on a flight of steps, which led to two apartments about twenty feet under ground, one vaulted, divided by a wall, the other about thirty-five feet square, adorned with perhaps the most beautiful ancient frescoes hitherto brought to light. The ceiling of this exquisite apartment was principally composed of marble. When discovered, the centre was filled with marble fragments and rubbish, but so little damp existed, that, with the exception of two or three places of insignificant extent, all the frescoes were as fresh as if they had just been painted. It is supposed that this part of the villa was situated in the midst of a plantation or garden, and that this painted room was intended to be in harmony with the objects around. Be this as it may, it is impossible to conceive anything more beautiful than the ornamentation of the apartment. The lower portion of the walls, to the height of about four feet from the floor, represents trellis-work, from which spring the most exquisitely painted trees, shrubs, and plants. These are loaded with fruit and flowers, among which a variety of birds and insects are feeding, fluttering, or reposing. The vegetation is for the most part tropical, and the painter has been careful to introduce amidst this, 266 LAST WINTER IN ROME. those animals only which are natives of tropical regions. The grace and exquisite delicacy of the foliage and fruit are worthy of Eaphael's happiest efforts ; indeed, it may be doubted whether any part of the famous paintings by that artist in the Loggie of the Vatican are more beautiful than these. Amidst the foliage is the representation of an elegant cage suspended from a bough, containing a goldfinch; the bird being in all respects most life-like. The artist evidently bestowed very great pains on the adornment of this chamber, which antiquaries are disposed to believe was the garden bower of the voluptuous Livia. And so beauti ful are the paintings, that these gentlemen, who are in all countries noted for their inquiring spirit, have spent a considerable time in endeavouring to throw light on the probable date of the fres coes, and the name of the artist. The result of their inquiries appears in a brochure, which, being printed for private circulation only.* leads me to transfer a portion of it to these pages. After dwell ing at considerable length on the exquisite beauty of the frescoes, the writer adds : ' It now remains to be seen what is the artistic era of these paintings. Let * Illustration de la Statue de Cesar Augusts recemment trouvee dans les fouilles faites a Prima Porta. BEAUTIFUL FRESCOES. 267 us first recall to mind that passage in Vitruvius (vii. 5) where he says that the ambulationes are painted, portus, promontoria, littora, fiumina, fontes, euripi, fana, luci, monies, pecora, pastores per topia, ceteraque quce sunt eorum similibus ratio- nibus a rerum, natura procreata. Another passage in Pliny may be cited that Ludius " divi Augusti aitate .... primus instituit amcenissimam parie- tum picturam, villas et porticus ac topiaria opera, lucos, nemora .... blandissimo aspectu mini- moque impendio." It is true that Pliny seemed to attach great importance to argutios facetissimi salis, expressed by various groups of figures in their connexion with landscapes. Nor must we take as exactly literal the expression primus instituit. Under any circumstances, however, it is certain that in the hands of Ludius this kind of painting acquired new features, and became at the same time highly developed ; and as the paintings in question are in a villa built for Livia by Augustus, it is but reasonable to conclude that they are of that period, and were painted by Ludius. They are in all respects worthy of that artist; for they far surpass paintings of a similar nature hitherto found at Pompeii. No feature is neglected, every portion is painted in a rrtanner exhibiting the most intimate acquaintance 268 LAST WINTER IN ROME. with the trees and flowers represented, and the same may be said of the various birds and insects which are introduced. In short, all points to the conclusion that the artist of these exquisite paintings was no other than Ludius, whose fame as a fresco painter is greatly exalted by the discovery of these chefs- d'oeuvre.' You see that Eoman antiquaries are, like their brethren generally, quick at arriving at conclusions. Without attempting to disprove these, we can fortu nately admire the frescoes, whether painted by Ludius or another cunning hand. It is difficult by artificial light to see these frescoes properly. They require daylight to do them justice,' and it is to be hoped that when the explorations are renewed, and more chambers are laid open — for probably others are contiguous to those already discovered— they may be effectively lighted, so as to permit the paint ings being seen during the day. It is believed that they were originally Lighted from openings in the ceiling. Besides these frescoes, there are several exquisite fragments of stucco work, in the form of arabesques, scrolls, &c, which, I am sorry to see, are fast dis appearing; as the custode of the villa, whether rightly or not I cannot say, sells them to visitors. STATUE OF AUGUSTUS. 269 Two gentlemen on the day of my visit carried off nearly a carriageful of these relics, which they had purchased for a few pauls. Although the paintings, of the beauty of which I have given but a faint idea, constitute the great charm of the Villa Livia, we must not forget that it was amidst the ruined walls of the upper portion of the villa that the famous statue of Augustus, now in the Vatican, was found. Among the numerous masterpieces of sculpture which arrest your steps, as you pace the halls in that treasure-house of art, this statue holds the highest rank. It represents Augustus as he has been made familiar to us by history, the type of a man who possessed the rare tact of exercising absolute power over a people who, though jealous of their freedom, became not only his willing but also his grateful subjects. Psychologically similar in many respects to the first Napoleon, who had the power of moulding multitudes to his will, the countenances of these men bear a great similarity, especially in the pro minence of their chins, and the massiveness of their foreheads. Ancient sculptors were always extremely careful to embody whatever attributes appertained to the sub jects of their statues, and which were at all likely to 270 LAST WINTER IN ROME. identify them. Tb us, the statue of Augustus is highly emblematic of the man, but the various insignia with which it is covered, and its great artistic merit, can be only properly seen and appreciated by viewing it by torchlight. I saw it twice by this light, and on the last occasion was even more struck by its ex cellence than when I first examined it. And I have entertained a higher idea of the aesthetic taste of the Pope, since hearing that His Holiness spent an hour before the statue last winter, seated at a small table, on which was placed hot coffee — a great luxury on a winter's evening in the Vatican — an attendant meanwhile exhibiting all the excellences of the statue by means of a small light properly screened.* This statue, of fine Greek marble, is not only * Canova' s favourite mode of showing statues was by the light of a small taper. Thomas Moore relates that he was present when Canova showed Chantrey by this light his famous statue of the Princess Pauline Borghese as Venere Vincitrice in the Villa Borghese, at Rome. Or rather commenced exhibiting it, for Chantrey snatched the light out of his hand, desirous of paying Canova the compliment of illumining it himself. This graceful act led Moore to write these lines : — When he, thy peer in art and fame, Hung o'er the marble with delight; And while his ling'ring hand would steal O'er every grace the taper's rays, Gave thee, with all the generous zeal Such master spirits only feel, The best of fame — a rival's praise ! SCULPTURES ON THE CUIRASS. 271 highly valuable as being one of the finest exam ples of ancient sculpture in Eome, but because it embodies a very interesting history. Of colossal size, the emperor is represented in a cuirass, the right arm elevated, the left holding a sceptre. The cuirass is covered with elaborate sculptures, all of which have distinct reference to the principal military events in the life of Augustus. In the middle of the cuirass is the representation of a Parthian presenting his eagle-headed lance to Augustus, symbolical of the reconquest by the latter of the Eoman ensigns captured by Orodes and Fraates in the reverses experienced by M. Crassus and Mark Antony. The youth who is represented receiving the lance from the Parthian is Tiberius, at that period twenty-two years of age ; and the sculptor, in order to testify how faithfully the latter carried out Augustus' orders, has placed a dog at his feet. Above these figures is a symbolical representation of the birth of Augustus, foreshadowing his brilliant career. On one side of the front of the cuirass Apollo is seen, on the other, Diana, tutelar goddess of Sicily ; the figure of Apollo being supposed to allude to Augustus's great victory of Actium, Apollo having been held in particular veneration in that city ; and" that of Diana, to the emperor's conquest 272 LAST WINTER IN ROME. of Sicily. Beneath these figures are representations of two prisoners, symbolical of the conquest of Spain and Dalmatia. The two sphinxes on the shoulders of the cuirass are in like manner emblematical of Augustus's conquests in Egypt.* At the bottom of the cuirass, in a recumbent attitude, a woman is represented, clothed in a long flowing robe, crowned with a wreath of corn, holding a cornucopiae, and having two children at her side. This figure is typical of the earth at rest, enjoying the fruits of the conquests of Augustus. The two children are supposed to represent Caius and Lucius, nephews of Octavius, who were adopted by Augustus in their infancy. Finally, the dolphin at the feet of Au gustus, on which a child is riding, is symbolical of the divine origin of Augustus, who was supposed to have sprung from Venus, goddess of the sea. Horace refers to this in the words Clarus Anchisos Vene- risque sanguis, and this accounts satisfactorily for the figure of Cupid riding on the dolphin. The cuirass and other part? of the statue bear distinct traces of having been coloured. It is difficult to imagine a greater contrast than is presented by this statue of the great Augustus and that of this Emperor in the Villa Borghese, representing * Augustus sometimes sealed his imperial despatches with a sphinx. THE EMPRESS LIVIA. 273 him in the supplicatory attitude of a beggar. It was in deed long believed that this was a statue of Belisarius, but Winkelmann rectified the mistake. We cannot, however, wonder at such a misapprehension having existed, because our knowledge of Augustus does not at all accord with any idea of him as a beggar. The fact is, that Augustus had a vision, in which he was warned to humble himself, and sit as a beggar before his palace, in order to appease Nemesis, and in this attitude he is represented in the statue in question. With regard to the statue found in the Villa Livia, it is extremely probable that it was often contem plated by that empress. What Augustus's affection for Livia Was, is well known. ' Preserve the remem brance of a husband who has loved you very tenderly,' were the last words of the emperor, as he lay on his death-bed. And when asked how she contrived to retain his affection, Dion Cassius tells us that she replied, ' My secret is very simple. I have made it the study of my life to please him, and I have never manifested any indiscreet curiosity with respect to his public or private affairs.' A pattern wife this, you would say from this speech ; but, although the widow Livia duly mourned her lord, and kept watch over his ashes, her character as an exemplary woman will not, it is apprehended, bear too strict an investigation. T 274 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXVIII. The. Tiber — Artistic Treasures concealed in its Bed — Proposal to the Papal Government to search for these — Submitted to Cardinal An tonelli — How entertained by him — Bed of Tiber cleaned by Augustus — The Bateau Plongeur — Probable Results of searching the Bed of this River. While looking one day at the excavations on the Palatine, and seeing the ground render up curious fragments of the long past, I thought of the tawny Tiber, which winds not far from the base of that hill, and of the numerous treasures buried, in all proba bility, in its bed. It has always been the habit of be sieged citizens to caist valuable property into rivers ; and when pressed by foes from without or from other causes, vast hoards of treasure and sculptures have doubtless been from time to time thrown into the Tiber. The golden spoils from the Temple of Jerusa lem, including the famous seven-branched candlestick and the gold table, fell, we are told, into the Tiber from the Milvian bridge, when Maxentius fled before Constantine ; and there is a general belief that these precious relics are still in the bed of that river. Without, however, insisting on this, no one at all THE BED OF THE TIBER. 275 conversant with the history of Eome can hesitate to believe that the Tiber contains many statues, bronzes, and other artistic objects. Often, when hanging over the Ponte Eotto, on the site of the Pons iEmilius, from whence you enjoy one of the most picturesque views of Eome, including the Isola di San Bartolomeo, I speculated on the antiquities lying, in all probabi lity, beneath me. We know that many valuable objects of art are lost in the sewers of great cities. May not the Cloaca Maxima, whose cavern-like mouth is seen from this bridge, have been the depository of number less treasures which have passed into the Tiber, when floods flushed this gigantic sewer ? Thinking of these things, and taking counsel with some friends, I was induced to draw up a proposal for searching the bed of the Tiber, with the view of bringing to light some of its hidden treasures. I took considerable pains to show that the undertaking would, in all probability, be successful, and argued that if the scheme did not produce the expected results, something would be gained by ascertaining that the Tiber did not contain the treasures believed to be buried in its bed. I proposed, moreover, that the undertaking should be confided to a small public company, on the understanding that the Papal Government would grant a concession of the right T 2 276 LAST WINTER IN ROME. to search the river bed for a certain number of years ; the Government to be at no expense whatever, but to receive a royalty on whatever objects of value were found. My next step was to cause the proposition to be laid before the Papal Government, and ais this may be said to be represented by Antonelli, I requested a friend, who is well acquainted with that cardinal, to place the document that I had drawn up in his hands, and to obtain an interview with him on the subject. The latter was granted, and as this wais not an occasion for the cardinal to conceal his thoughts in diplomatic verbiage, after hearing all that my friend had to say in favour of the scheme, he stated that he had perused the document, and had given it his most attentive consideration; that he did not question the statements to the effect that the Tiber did contain many objects of great artistic value, be sides gold and silver treasure, but that any derange ment of the bed of the river would be so certain to engender malaria, that he could not entertain any scheme that would lead to such a result. I confess that I did not expect a favourable answer, though I was not exactly prepared for the objections raised by the Secretary of State. The Eoman emperors, we know, were at especial pains to keep PLAN FOR SEARCHING THE TIBER. 277 the bed of the Tiber as free as possible, in order to enable ships to ascend the river to Eome. Augustus, we read, cleared the bed of the river without pre judicial results to the population, then greatly larger than it is now, and in these days of high engineering science, the Tiber might be searched without danger to the population. Indeed, by means of the Bateau Plongeur, invented by Mougel Bey, the bed might be effectively examined during winter without even incurring any risk of producing malaria. I may mention, that in the course of conversation with Cardinal Antonelli, he stated to my friend that a kind of Societa, as he called it, had some years ago been empowered to search the Tiber for treasures. The apparatus employed was a species of iron plunger, furnished with hooks which closed on any objects that it grasped. With this rude contrivance, several fragments of statues, &c, were recovered. Nearly all the great ancient statues in the Vatican, and other galleries in Eome, were found dismembered, the heads frequently having been constructed of a separate piece of marble, and inserted, socket fashion, into the body. Thus it became easier to cast such statues into the Tiber than if they had been entire, and that hundreds are still reposing in the embraces of its mud is highly probable. 278 LAST WINTER IN ROME. In these days when every scheme, in the least likely to be profitable, is brought forward in the form of a Public Company, such an undertaking as this would, in all probability, find supporters ; for, apart from the probable pecuniary gain, there are many gentlemen of fortune so deeply interested in the question that they would, I am quite sure, embark a little money in the venture, if only for the sake of ascertaining whether the treasures supposed to be concealed in the Tiber are really there. If they are, and that even moderate success attended the undertaking, the profits arising would be large. For at no period have such high prices been given for works of art as at present, and when these are authentic antiques, their value is enormously en hanced. The present time, I am well aware, is not pre cisely the fittest for the initiation of any undertaking in Eome; for even should concessions be made to a public company for any object, no dependence could be placed on the stability of any contracts entered into with the Papal Government. But le bon temps viendra, and when Eome is an integral part of Italy, it is quite possible that her new governors may be inclined to entertain a proposition which would, in all probability, yield valuable and interesting results. 279 CHAPTEE XXIX. The Sabbath in Rome — How it is kept — Early Italian Academies — The Accademia de' Lincei — Its History — Difficulty in finding it — Attend a Meeting of the Academy — Professor Volpieelli — Curious Fall of a Gray Powder — Low State of Science in Rome — The In stitute Archeologico — Observatory of the Collegio di Sapienza — Fine View from the Roof — Ascent of the Capitol Tower — no longer allowed — The Colours of Italy and France. Among the many anomalies in Eome, a city profess ing to be at the head of the Christian religion, none is more striking than that those who, by their posi tion, might be expected to set an example of propriety and consistency, should pay little respect to the com mandment to abstain from labour on the sabbath. We know that Eoman Catholics take strange, and, as Protestants believe, unwarrantable liberties with the commandments, but still I am not aware that they repudiate that which orders the sabbath to be a day of rest.* * The Dottrina Cristiana allows that there are ten command ments ; but as the second is omitted for saintly reasons, the ten are made up by dividing the tenth into two portions. But, with strange inconsistency, Ireland is provided by the Infallible Church with the ten commandments of our rubric, including the second. Who can say that the Vatican,' at least, does not do justice to Ireland ? 280 LAST WINTER IN ROME. We have seen how the good Father Jesuits of the Collegio Eomano throw open their Museum and Observatory on Sunday, and if we desire to know how science is cultivated in Eome, we shall only find her halls open on this day. On the first Sunday in each month, during winter, the Accademia de' Lincei meet. The hour is one o'clock, and the meetings are public. I felt consider able curiosity to attend a meeting of this society, because it is the oldest scientific institution in Europe, having been founded in 1603. The pontificate of Leo X. was highly distinguished by the encouragement given to the arts and litera ture. The Eoman Academy flourished under his protection, and in 1514 above one hundred professors attached to it received salaries. ' Those were happy days,' says Sadolet, writing, in 1529, to Angelo Co- locci, ' when in your suburban gardens, or mine on the Quirinal, or in the Circus, or by the banks of the Tiber, we held those meetings of learned men. Then it was, after a repast which the wit of the guests rendered exquisite, we heard poems or orations recited, to our great delight.' * While art and literature were thus patronised and cultivated, science was not dormant ; and among the * Epist., p. 225, ed. 1554. EARLY ITALIAN ACADEMIES. 281 numerous associations established in the sixteenth century, for the advancement of knowledge, science, and particularly physical science, was not neglected. Tiraboschi * gives a list of no less than one hundred and seventy-one academies and societies founded in Italy about this period. Many bore highly fantastic names, which, however absurd they may now seem to us, were strictly in keeping with the spirit of the age. Thus, among these bodies were, The Inflam mable, the Sympathetic, the Intrepid, the Unripe, the Fiery, the Intricate, the Valiant, the iEtherial,the Un deceived, the Bran or Delia Crusca, f the Arcadians,! and the Humourists. The latter institution, strange as it appears, was devoted to philosophy, the mem bers under this name having cultivated physical * Storia della Lett. Hal. t The object of the Delia Crusca Society was the cultivation and improvement of the Tuscan dialect. The members declared that they would separate the bran (Crusca) of their language from the fine flour, and all their devices are in accordance. Their motto was — II piu bel fior' ne coglie. J The Arcadian Academy, still existing in Rome, was originally es tablished for the improvement and refinement of literature. But, although at one time more than 2,000' members were on its books, the association became notorious only for its imitation of Arcadian con ceits and follies. Every member assumed an Arcadian name. Goethe was enrolled as an Arcadian in 1788, by the title of Megalio Melpo- menio, and received a paper grant of lands sacred to poetry. The Academy' continues to hold meetings in Rome, but the business transacted is, as I am informed, of a most unliterary nature. 282 LAST WINTER IN ROME. science. The distinctive symbol of the society was rain dropping from a cloud, with the motto — ' Redit agmine dulci.'1 But all these academies and societies were short lived, the majority enjoying only a very ephemeral existence. On their ruins, in some measure, rose the Accademia de1 Lincei of Eome, the most famous scientific institution in Italy, which, although more than once suppressed during political disturbances, still exists.* The founder of this remarkable society was Federigo Cesi, a young Eoman noble, whose devotion to science has not been as highly appre ciated as it deserves to be. Influenced to some extent by the temper of the times in which he lived, he proposed that the new society should be entitled the Lynx, with reference to the piercing vision and watchfulness which that animal is supposed to possess. At the period of its establishment (1603), Cesi was only eighteen years of age. His father, the Duke d'Acquasparta, who had no sympathy with philosophy, conceived that his son's dignity as a noble was lowered by addicting himself to scientific pursuits ; and, his influence being great, he so far * The fir6t society instituted for the investigation of physical science was that established at Naples in 1560, under the name of Accademia Secretorum Natures. ACCADEMIA DE' LINCEI. 283 succeeded in opposing his son, that the young insti tution was temporarily broken up, and his associates and himself, apprehending that the Inquisition would lay hands on them, fled from Eome. By degrees, however, the opposition of the elder Cesi diminished, and in 1609 the academy became fairly organised. It was Cesi's wish that the Lincei society should be a central institution, having branch societies in various towns throughout Italy ; but the time was not ripe for the realisation of such a scheme. The early history of the Lincei is very interesting in connection with science. Among the rules laid down for the observance of the members, are distinct declarations that they are not to follow the example of other societies, in reciting poetical effusions, but to act as 'becometh philosophers eager for real knowledge, and willing to give themselves up to the study of nature and mathematics.' At the same time the members are enjoined 'not to neglect the ornaments of elegant literature and philology, which, like a graceful garment, adorn the whole body of science.' Shortly after the establishment of the society, Galileo joined it, and it is probable that his associa tion with a body of men who were banded together for the avowed purpose of cultivating science, hasten ed the persecution which embittered the latter years of 284 LAST WINTER IN ROME. that eminent man, and brought eternal infamy on his oppressors. At the period of Galileo's arrest and appearance before the Holy Office in Eome (February 1633), the power of Eome was supreme. How Galileo's mind so far succumbed beneath the terrors of the Inquisi tion as to give in his adhesion to their dogma of the immovability of the earth, is well known ; and though the faintly muttered ' E pur si muove ! ' may have in some measure relieved his burdened conscience, he yet must have keenly felt that he had wronged science. But Galileo was not the only member of the Lyncean society who was persecuted in Eome. Hecke, an eminent Flemish physician, who had been associated with Cesi in founding the society, was obliged to leave Italy altogether ; and Cesi himself, who had devoted a great part of his life to the cul tivation of natural history, was so maligned and harassed, as to have died of a broken heart. This event, which occurred in 1632, had a fatal effect on the Lincei ; for, although its existence was prolonged for some years under the patronage of Urban VIIL, it gradually decayed, until, by the death of its leading members and dispersion of the rest, it became entirely extinct. Subsequently, however, it was re established, and, with intervals of non-existence, has HISTORY OF THE ACADEMY. 285 endured to the present time. Beset by difficulties, it would be unreasonable to expect much from the society ; however, notwithstanding the persecution by which it was assailed, the members performed some good scientific work. Perhaps the most important was the publication of ' Phytobasanos,' an account of the natural history of Mexico ; a very remarkable work, taking into consideration the period when it was published. It was written by a Spaniard named Hernandez, and enriched by numerous notes and emendations by Cesi and other members of the Lyn cean society. To this society is also due the credit of having first made Bacon's works known in Italy ; and so great was the admiration felt by the society for that philosopher, that some members strongly recommended that he should be elected a member of the society. Thus, the Accademia de' Lincei, from its antiquity and renown, should be known, if not honoured, by the Eomans. Being assured by Padre Secchi, of the Collegio Eomano, that I should have no difficulty in finding its locale in the Capitol, I went to that build ing, expecting to obtain ready access to it. But all my attempts to discover the academy by tb e use of my eyes failed, and so I addressed myself to various persons for the necessary topographical information. But 286 LAST WINTER IN ROME. here again I was foiled. For although I asked all manner of persons, including even the custodes of the neighbouring Palace of the Conservators, and of the Museum of the Capitol, no one had even heard of the academy. At length good fortune directed me to a woman who I saw coming out of an adjoining house, and from her I acquired such information as enabled me, after climbing long flights of stairs, winding in a very erratic manner to the summit of the Capitol, to arrive at the door of the academy. I could not help thinking, during this hunt, of poor Buckle, who, in the only lecture that he gave, declared that whenever he lost his way in a strange town, he always applied to women to set him right. Well, it is evident that the members of the Accademia de' Lincei make no parade of their light, and that, if it be a burning light, its rays do not extend far. The academy is located in three rooms : in the outer or antechamber hangs a large painting, repre senting a very red lynx, which glares at you with keen eyes as you pass before it. Within this apart ment is the library, containing about 5,000 volumes ; and beyond this the hall of meeting. The academy consists, at present, of thirty resident and sixty corre sponding members, with the usual officers. Professor Volpicelli, eminent for his researches in Physics, MEETINGS OF THE ACADEMY. 287 is the permanent secretary. I attended two meetings of the academy. On the first occasion, among the presents announced, was an autograph of Galileo's, which was ordered to be suspended under his bust in the meeting-room. A long paper was read by Monsignor Nardi on the recent Nile discoveries, followed by a discussion. At my second visit, con siderable interest was excited by the exhibition of specimens of a fine gray powder, found on the object glass of the telescope and other instruments of the ob servatory in the Collegio Eomano. It had also fallen in large quantities over a great part of Eome during the night, and was generally believed to have been blown by violent winds from Africa. Some persons present conceived it to be of volcanic origin, and even thought that it might have come from Vesuvius ; but this volcano was quiescent when it fell, and it was subsequently ascertained that there was no founda tion for this hypothesis. A lively discussion took place respecting it, which, though abounding in theories, did not originate one likely to be true. It was even tually decided that a specimen of the powder should be sent to Ehrenberg, for microscopic examination. At the conclusion of the first meeting that I at tended, I was introduced by Padre Secchi to Professor Volpicelli, the Duke of Massima — eminent 288 LAST WINTER IN ROME. among the Eoman nobles for his scientific acquire ments, who long presided over the academy — and to Prince Boncampagni, author of various scientific works. With these I had a long conversation on the state of science in Eome. They did not affect to conceal that it is at a very low ebb. And how can it be otherwise ? A Galileo or a Cesi would not now, it is true, be persecuted by the Inquisition ; but there is no freedom of thought, espionage exists, and men's motives are questioned. Any money granted by Government for scientific purposes is placed in the hands of the Jesuits ; and thus science, which in England and France progresses, if not quickly, at all events steadily, in Eome is nearly at a stand still. An apt illustration is at hand. The Instituto Archeologico confines its labours and researches entirely to Pagan archaeology, apprehending that if it entered the field of Christian archaeology the members would speedily find themselves in hot water. The interpretation of Christian records by German philologists and antiquaries would assuredly often jar with Papal infallibility, and thus the Prussian Instituto Archeologico wisely avoids this dangerous ground. Above the rooms occupied by the Lynceans is the THE OBSERVATORY OF THE CAPITOL. 289 observatory in connection with the Collegio di Sapienza. It possesses a good equatorial, though not equal to that in the observatory of the Collegio Eomano. Here again priesthood reigns supreme. The present director of the observatory is an ecclesiastic, so old and infirm, that when I visited the observatory one day with some friends, the ancient, gentleman gave me the keys of the room containing the telescopes, and kindly allowed me to act as cicerone, stating frankly that he was too infirm to climb the observatory stairs. From the roof of this observatory there is a grand panoramic view of Eome and the Alban hills, not equal of course to that from the summit of the adjoining tower of the Capitol, but since an enthusiastic visitor waved a handkerchief with the Italian colours from that lofty eyrie, the Government no longer allow visitors to ascend it. Colours in Eome, if at all like those of the Italian nation, are regarded with great suspicion. A lady who gave a ball last winter ordered an awn ing to be erected over the doorway of her house in the Corso; a portion of the canvas was blue and white. The blue at night appearing like green, immediately attracted attention. A crowd assembled 290 LAST WINTER IN ROME. at the entrance of the lady's house, and she was ad vised to have the colours removed as soon as possible; for, though they were highly popular in consequence of their resembling the Italian colours, they found no favour in the eyes of the Papalini. 291 CHAPTEE XXX. Conversation with^ Revolutionists — Their hatred of the Papal Go vernment — Courts of Law — The Papal Police — Crime in Rome — Murder of a Money-changer's Clerks — Escape of the Assassins — Impunity with which Murders may be committed in Rome — A new Illustration of Shutting the Door when the Steed is Stolen — Story of the Robbery" of an English Lady's Jewels — French Troops 5 in Rome no security for Property — Past and Present Area of Papal States — Former Opinion of Napoleon III. respecting Occupa tion of Rome by French Troops — The Pope's Allocution — Priest craft in Rome — Monsignor Liverani's Revelations. Among the letters of introduction with which I was furnished, were some to two gentlemen well known in Eome, whose names, however, cannot appear here. I the more regret the necessity of this reticence, because I received great kindness from them, and it would have gratified me to connect the mention of it here with their names. I had not been long in Eome before they put me in possession of their political sentiments and aspira tions. Eevolutionists to the extent of striving by all legal means to gain their country's freedom, they chafed under the wretched Papal Government, long ing to see a change now evidently not remote. It u 2 292 LAST WINTER IN ROME. gave them great pleasure to converse upon their political grievances. They also placed publications in my hands which bore the seal of the National Committee, and political caricatures, some of which were of so violent a nature that I was rather uneasy as long as they remained in my possession. These publications they informed me are delivered securely sealed, generally late in the evening, by trustworthy agents, their authenticity being guaranteed by their being stamped with the seal of the National Com mittee, and it is customary when the publications are read to burn them — a prudent measure; for assuredly, if found in the possession of Eomans, they would speedily become acquainted with the interior of St. Michel or other prisons, while Englishmen would probably be sent out of the country. The result of my conversation with these and other Eoman gentlemen was to impress me forcibly that the present Papal Government is greatly ab horred ; that the same abhorrence is felt for the priesthood as a body; that the French are almost equally disliked, and that Garibaldi and Mazzini are idolised. It is quite unnecessary, I consider, to enter here on the reasons why the Papal Govern ment is odious to Eomans generally : abuses are THE PAPAL G0VERNM so numerous, corruption among officials so cornmoD, that justice is a mere farce. Should a man be suspected of any political offence, though he may be allowed to choose his own advocate to defend him, he cannot be sure that his choice will be sanctioned ; for the criminal code says : ' Si communica il processo col ristretto a Monsignor Avvocato, o il difensore nominato dall' accusato, quante volte la scelta del medesimo venga approvata dal capo del Tribunale Supremo.' But worse remains, for the prisoner is not even allowed to cross-examine witnesses brought forward against him, nor indeed to see them. Here is the clause : ' Nei suddetti delitti non si ammette con- fronto personale coi testimoni.' The terrible mystery shrouding the so-called courts of justice in Eome causes them to be justly dreaded. Under the French in the First Napoleon's reign, Italy enjoyed the incalculable advantage of a cri minal code which allowed the cross-examination of witnesses, and gave publicity to all the proceedings of justice. In no country is the system of secret pleadings and closed courts so mischievous as it is in Italy, for the ingenuity and cunning of an Italian enables him to dress up a story on paper, whereas 294 LAST WINTER IN ROME. his passionate temperament invariably leads him to contradictions on cross-examination.* Generally, from the moment that a man falls into the hands of the Papal police he disappears from his re latives and friends. An eminent sculptor in Eome was thus deprived last winter of the services of one of his most skilful carvers. The poor man was carried off during the night by the police, and all attempts to ascertain what had become of him failed. The city prisons have long been filled by political prisoners; others in the country are now used. While political offenders, real or assumed, are punished with frightful severity, persons guilty of deep social crimes often escape with impunity. Scarcely a day passed last winter that we did not hear of robberies and assassina tions, but never of the criminals being arrested and punished. One case was of so flagrant a nature, and so strongly illustrates the police system where grave crimes are involved, as to deserve special mention. A money-changer of the name of Boldini, carrying * The late Mr. Henry Lushington, a man of rare abilities and discernment, was instructed by the Colonial Office, when Chief Government Secretary at Malta, to make inquiries into the local and municipal administration of Italy. Respecting the Papal States he says : ' The general result of all my inquiries is much what one might anticipate. Find out the law supposed to be in force if you can, then assume the direct opposite, and you will be pretty near the practice.' A DARING MURDER. 295 on business in the Corso, opposite the Piazza Colonna, was in the habit of sending his money, bills, &c, to his house every night for security, in the custody of two of his clerks. The custom became known, and accordingly on the evening of the 20th of February, between seven and eight o'clock, as the clerks were proceeding in a carriage through the Via in Lucina to their master's house, they were set upon by six men, who stabbed them furiously, and made off with the booty, amounting to 10,800 scudi, no attempt even having been made to arrest them. One of the clerks died immediately ; the other/ who had been carried to an hospital in the Corso, in the course of the night. He was sufficiently conscious to describe the terrible incidents of the murder, and stated that the assassins did not appear to be of the lower class. To add to the catastrophe, the wife of one of the murdered men died from the shock to her mind occasioned by her husband's death. Now, when the reader learns that the Via in Lucina is a short street leading from the Corso to the Largo dell' Impresa, a great thoroughfare, and, moreover, that the murder was committed within thirty yards of the Corso, at a time, too, when the streets are full of people, and that French and Papal troops and gendarmes were pa trolling as usual within very short distances of each 296 LAST WINTER IN ROME. other, two deductions must arise — that there was no safety whatever last winter for property or person in even the leading streets of Eome, and that when outrages were committed the perpetrators almost in variably escaped. For here was a deed of singular atrocity and violence committed in the evening close to the greatest thoroughfare in Eome, within hearing and probably sight of many persons, including sol diers and police, and yet the villains escaped. Why, it may be asked, if civilians were at hand, was no attempt made by them to arrest the murderers? Because there are few things more dreaded by Eomans than to be summoned to give evidence in the courts — I will not call them of justice — but law. They know that all proceedings in those chambers closed to the public are venal ; that they may be made to attend, day after day, during even long months, losing valuable time, perhaps, for which they receive no compensation, and, more than all, are well aware that they become marked men, and consequently liable at any moment to fall by the assassin's knife. Thus, whenever a street outrage is committed in Eome, passers-by hurry from the locality, and the robbers or assassins are allowed to work their deeds of darkness with impunity. In vain did the money changer's unfortunate clerks cry aloud for help in PAPAL POLICE. 297 their agony ; help was near, but no hand was held out to save them. But the reader, ignorant of Eome, may again ask, Were not the perpetrators of this brutal murder and robbery ultimately arrested, seeing that Eome is strong in her police machinery, and that a large reward was offered by the money-changer for the apprehension of the murderers ? Not so : reports were rife from time to time that the assassins had been arrested — now in Eome, now at Frascati, now at Grotta Ferrata, Tivoli, &c. ; but they proved to have no foundation in fact, and the villains were at large for many months — not, however, as I firmly believe, without the knowledge and sanction of the police, who in all probability found it more to their advantage to share the booty of the murderers than to arrest them for the reward offered by the money-changer : and yet there was an appearance of vigilance put on, perhaps to deceive the inhabi tants. For, night after night, precisely where the murder was committed, within a recess formed by the projection of a house into the Via in Lucina, six gendarmes were ensconced, whose business ap parently consisted in examining every passer-by during the night-hours. I well remember these gentry ; for, as my way home from parties generally 298 LAST WINTER IN ROME. lay through the Via in Lucina, I always saw them huddled in the shadow cast by the projecting house. On the first night that I made their acquaintance they startled me not a little; for, walking in an abstracted mood near the wall, instead of, as was my usual custom, in the middle of the street, just when I had arrived opposite the recess a cloaked figure stepped before me across my path. It was one of those occasions when you seem to live hours in a mo ment. Deeds of dark assassination rushed through my brain ; a glittering weapon in the gendarme's hand appeared to me an assassin's knife, and I expected to see an arm raised to strike, when, to my great relief, the gendarme made himself and his business known. Frequently after that night I paused to talk to these watchers. Forcibly illustrating, as it appeared to me, the proverb of shutting the door when the steed is stolen, they were placed where I have described in ex pectation, as they stated, of arresting the murderers ! To this end they were perfectly useless ; but I took some comfort, living as I did at the end of the Via in Lucina, that no more murders or robberies would be in all probability committed in that street while they remained there. Let me add another story, the facts of which came under my own cognisance. An English officer and ROBBERY OF JEWELS. 299 his wife leaving Eome, found on their arrival at the railway station that their handbag was missing. Besides travelling articles, it contained all the lady's jewels, valued at 300L The bag was believed to have been put into the carriage conveying the officer and his wife to the station : strict search was accordingly made for it, but in vain. The officer's leave of absence having nearly expired, he was obliged to continue his journey, but, before starting in the train, he gave directions that a reward should be offered for the bag. The sum was small, and, as I expected, the bag was not forthcoming ; but on the reward being in creased the police immediately came forward with the property. According to them, a woman had offered one of the lady's rings to a jeweller for sale, stating that she had been requested by a ballerina of the Apollo opera-house to dispose of it. The danseuse, they added, asserted that she had received the ring as a gage d'amour from a gentleman. The bag, with all the contents, was restored to the officer's relatives in Eome on payment of the reward. No hint was even given that the woman who was stated to have had the bag in her possession, or the ballerina, would be prosecuted. Nothing connected with law in Eome is, or can be, done without a system of fees and rewards. A friend 300 LAST WINTER IN ROME. of mine, desirous of photographing the ancient build ings, had brought a photographic apparatus to Eome. As usual, it was seized at the custom-house, the gen tleman being informed that his property would be restored to him on his complying with the necessary legal conditions empowering an amateur to practise photography. On the last occasion that I saw my friend, he had been no less than thirty-two times to the custom-house and police-office on this business ; had filled up and answered innumerable forms and questions, but had not succeeded in recovering his apparatus. He had not, however, feed the officers. Can we wonder that a government like this should arouse hatred, wrath, and indignation ? And these feelings rage all the more strongly, seeing that the government is in the hands of the priests. Fearful indeed will be that day should the contemplated changes in Eome fail to satisfy the legitimate expec tations of the people, and an opportunity be afforded them of avenging the injuries that they have received from the Vatican ! ' Of what avail is it,' said the National Committee, in a remonstrance addressed to the French general of the forces in Eome, ' that our streets are full of your soldiers, when we have no security for person or property ? ' During the whole of last winter patrols FRENCH TROOPS. 301 consisting of six French cavalry soldiers occupied the streets — a melancholy spectacle in the so-called capital of the Christian world; but their presence seemed to be of no avail. Bobbers still walked abroad, assassins still struck their terrible blows. Not surprising, therefore, is the fact that the French occupation is greatly disliked in Eome — so much so, that it is highly dangerous for a single French sol dier to walk the streets. Collisions were constantly taking place between them and the Papal troops ; and, in short, although the presence of the French has hitherto prevented a general rising, yet it is a fertile element of quarrels and broils. Even French officers find the houses of nearly all the Eoman families closed against them. Nothing indeed can be more anomalous than that the ' Vicar of Christ ' should require foreign soldiers to keep him on his throne. French bayonets since 1848 have usurped the freewill and love of his subjects; for assuredly, if the Papal Government gave satisfac tion, foreign troops would not be wanted in the Papal States, reduced in extent as they now are.* * Before the annexation of Romagna, &c, the Papal States com prised twenty provinces, forming an area of 75,259 square miles, and a population of 3,124,668 ; the present area of the States is 21,440 square miles, the population 700,000. I may add here that a census recently taken by the Italian Government gives the population of 302 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Eome may be said to have long been surrounded by a mighty wave of liberalism, but French soldiers have hitherto acted as a barrier to its advance. It is, how ever, due to that strong monarch across the water to state that, although his troops have occupied Eome for many years, he was originally opposed to their presence in the Papal dominions. On December 2, 1848, Napoleon III., then a member of the National Assembly, addressed the fol lowing letter to the editor of the ' Constitutionnel ' : Monsieur, — Sachant qu'on a remarque mon absence au vote pour 1' expedition de Civita- Vecchia, je crois devoir de clarer, que bien que resolu a appuyer toutes les dispositions propres a garantir la liberte et 1'autorite du Souverain- Pontife, je n'ai pu neanmoins approuver, par mon vote, une demonstration militaire qui me semblait perilleuse, meme pour les interests sacres que Ton veut proteger, et faite pour compromettre la paix europeenne. (Signed) L. N. Bonaparte. ' Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis,' the Emperor may have said when he gave his Imperial consent to the French occupation of Eome; but seeing that circumstances have now led him to bring about the gradual withdrawal of his soldiers from that city, he may look back with satisfaction to the course their territories at 21,777,334 souls, the fifth population in Europe. If all Italy were united, the population would be 27,000,000. PRIESTLY RULE. 303 he adopted when a member of the National As sembly. I have alluded to the strong feeling entertained by the Eomans against their clergy. They cannot tole rate the idea even of being governed by priests. The Secretary of State is a cardinal, the Minister of War is a priest, the head of the police is a priest, — priests everywhere filling all offices, and wielding all power. Among the books placed in my hands by my friends was one entitled 'II Papato, l'lmpero, e il Eegno d'ltalia,' by Monsignor Francesco Liverani, Prelato Domestico, Protonotario Apostolico participante, &c. This work, published in 1862, contains several astound ing disclosures relative to the clergy of Eome. M. Liverani had many opportunities from his position of seeing the working of priestcraft in that city. Under the head ' Present Condition of the Priests in Eome,' he says: 'I had the honour during my sojourn in Eome of frequently assisting in the services of St. Maria Maggiore. Everyone who has visited Eome is acquainted with that magnificent church, calculated in all respects to inspire religious sentiments and devotion. But what are the facts ? At the ringing of a bell you will see eight or ten persons wearing priestly vestments proceeding to one of the chapels, from the sacristy, in order to perform the daily services ordered 304 LAST WINTER IN ROME. by the Church. You doubtless imagine that they are intent on their religious duties and observances. By no means. While ostensibly chanting litanies, they are conversing on the revelations of the " Libro dei Sogni delV estrazione del Lotto," on which they make calculations in conjunction with dates in their breviaries and the church calendar. If they assemble subsequently for vespers, they do not fail meeting after the service in one of Bacchus' temples, and their purple and flushed faces on leaving these shrines testify that they have been offering ample libations to that god. Nothing, in short, can be more irreverent than the conduct of these priests during the church services. It has been my fate to hear a canon more than once intoning a ritual with much mock solemnity (molto goffamente), while the deacon responded in a manner I dare not describe.' * M. Liverani goes on to say, that he was so scan dalised by what he saw and heard during his ministry at Eome that he presented a remonstrance to the ' Sacred Congregation,' and that, finding no attention whatever was paid to it, he next addressed the Pope, representing what he had witnessed ; but although * It is due to M. Liverani to state that the Dean of Canterbury (Alford), in his interesting Letters from Abroad, published in Good Words, declares that he has verified ' with his own eyes ' M. Liverani's account of the conduct of the canons of St. Maria Maggiore. m. liverani's exposures. 305 his letters were acknowledged, no action was taken upon them. But a worse relation remains. ' When,' says M. Liverani, ' I was governor of a religious body in Eome (1853), I had frequent duties to perform in Santa Maria in Via Lata, in the Corso. Beneath this is another church, containing a spring of water, which, according to church legends, sprang up when St. Paul lodged in the house of the centurion, which occupied the site of the present church. On one occasion this subterranean and holy church was the scene of a fearful orgy, in which women as well as men participated.' * In his chapter on the ' black militia of Ignatius,' the Jesuits, M. Liverani represents them as not only fanatics, but meddlers and intriguers, ever doing mischief, and retarding all progress. The receipts arising from l'Obolo di San Pietro, he declares, are with few exceptions sadly misapplied. On one side the hand is held forth begging ; on the other, thousands and hundreds of thousands of scudi are squandered on building new vestibules to useless * These ribald priests, according to the decree of the Second Council of Carthage, ought to have been anathematised. The decree declares — ' Si quis clericus, aut monachus, verba joculatoria risum moventia serat, anathemata est.' 306 last winter in rome. churches, erecting monuments to commemorate the dogma of the ' Immaculate Conception,' gilding St. Paul's, and, in short, doing everything but what should be done with the money. Finally, M. Liverani contends, that there is such an influence for evil in Papacy, that Eome can never be the capital of a King of Italy while a Pope occupies the Vatican. 307 CHAPTEE XXXI. Severity of the Winter of 1863-4 in Rome — The Spring Flowers of Rome — Violet-gathering — The Colosseum by Moonlight — An Un ruly Englishman — A Ride round the Arena — The Evening Hymn in the Colosseum — Fontana di Trevi — Curious Belief respecting its Waters — Political Caricatures — L'Amico di Casa. Though the severity of last winter in Eome was unusually great and prolonged,* yet it was brief compared to the winter of our more northern lati tude, and long before February closed the earth smiled with flowers. On the 15th of that month crocuses, bluebells, jonquils, and anemones gemmed the grounds of the Villa Pamfili Doria, under the great solemn stone pines — Religious once, and always green, That yet dream out their stories of old Rome. A little later and the air became balmy, the sun * I was reminded by the cold in Rome last winter of Forsyth's complaint of similar weather when he was in Italy, and the peculiar reason given for it by a priest. ' It is,' the latter observed, ' sent to us as a mortification, and will continue until Easter, because it was cold when Peter sat at the High Priest's fire, on the eve of the cruci fixion.' x 2 308 LAST WINTER IN ROME. tvaxed strong at noon, the peach and almond orchards were flushed with roseate hues, and rich-scented violets made the ground purple, strewing the green lap of spring. The violets of Italy have been the theme of many poets ; their great loveliness did not escape Byron's quick eye. A song by that poet, supposed to be sung by Italian peasants, alludes especially to the spring violets in the country around Eome : The virgin, virgin violet, The firstborn child of the early sun, With us she is but a winter's flower, The snow on the hills cannot blast her bower ; And she lifts her dewy eye of blue To the youngest sky of the selfsame hue. The advent of these lovely visitants drew hundreds of visitors to the Borghese and Pamfili Doria villas — Eomans, too, as well as strangers; and for many days groups of men, women, and children might be seen gathering vast quantities of these delicious-smelling flowers, which gave out their odour in rooms until the air was heavy with their perfume. More than one fair figure, who had come to Eome for her health, might be seen engaged in this pleasant occupation, her friends gathering hopes, as the sun warmed and brought colour into the cheeks of the invalid, while she, animated by the beauty around, doubtless SPRING IN ROME. 309 thought what Mrs. Tighe has so elegantly ex pressed : Odours of Spring, my sense ye charm With fragrance premature ; And, mid these days of dark alarm, Almost to hope allure. Methinks with purpose soft ye come To tell of brighter hours, Of May's blue skies, abundant bloom, The sunny gales and showers. How vainly in many cases such hopes are cherished, the graves in the Protestant cemetery at Eome attest.* Now commence on favourable moonlight nights those visits to the Colosseum when half the English in Eome seem to throng the mighty arena. The entrance to this ruin is guarded at night by French soldiers. Accompanying a party one evening we found a sentinel opposing the passage of an Englishman, who, unprovided with the necessary order of admis- * I am more and more impressed, as my acquaintance with the Continent increases, by the fallacy it may be almost said, in the majority of cases, of expatriating unfortunate consumptive patients abroad during the winter months. Apart from the sad and depres sing effect resulting from exchanging a comfortable home in England for very generally an uncomfortable residence abroad, vital statistics show that the rate of mortality in our southern counties is far lower than that on the Continent. The excessive arctic-like cold experi enced last winter in Rome was not felt at Bournemouth or Torquay. Nearly all our watering-places are on good sites ; and there is little doubt that they will be more resorted to than they are by invalids, now that it has been ascertained that the rate of mortality in Tor quay and the Isle of Wight is only 15 per 1,000, in Eastbourne 17, and in Worthing 18. 310 LAST WINTER IN ROME. sion, was endeavouring to force his way into the arena. Our countryman, with unwise and ungentle- manly obstinacy, had evidently little respect for the soldier, and was for pushing him aside. But the latter, though physically small, had a great sense of his importance, and after warning the Englishman that he would not allow him to pass without an order, endorsed his words by putting his bayonet to his breast. The sight of the glittering steel quickly subdued the Briton's bluster, for there wais no doubt the Frenchman was in earnest.* Bearing in mind that orders for admission to the Colosseum are obtainable with the greatest ease, it is, to say the least, highly improper on the part of our countrymen to set regulations at defiance, established for the benefit of visitors to these ruins ; for in the present unsettled state of Eome, it would be extremely dangerous to wander at night through the broken arches of the Colosseum, affording as they do innumerable lurking- places for the assassin, if visitors were not protected by the military. ' La lune c'est l'etoile des mines,' said Madame de Stael. Nowhere will you be more impressed with * This unruly Englishman was not, however, as bad as another countryman of ours, who, in defiance of sentinels and custodes, rode into the arena of the Colosseum and round it at full gallop, to the imminent danger of those who were within it. THE COLOSSEUM. 311 the truth of this remark than in the mighty amphi theatre of Eome, provided you are fortunate in the night that you visit it. When the huge ellipse is partly filled _with silver light, and partly obscure, it is indeed a witching place, and so picturesque that you can hardly regret that it has been ruined as we see it ; * but to thoroughly enjoy the wondrous scene you must be alone, or at least not with a party composed of fast young ladies and faster men, whose flippant remarks will probably jar considerably with your mental ideas. One of my pleasantest memories of the Colosseum by moonlight was an hour that I spent within it on one of the loftiest arches alone. As I sat musing on the scene, sweet voices from a party in the arena sang the evening hymn ; the strains came floating up in happy mental contrast to the maddening shouts that once filled that space, when those awful words : ' Ave Caesar Imperator ! morituri te salutant ! ' heralded fresh scenes of butchery. A common conclusion to moonlight rambles in * ' Quod non fecerunt Barbari, fecere Barberini,' has often been said with reference to the supposed spoliation of the Flavian amphi theatre by the Barberini family. But the vast palace in Rome bearing this name was not built from the spoils of the Colosseum, whereas the Palazzo di Venezia and the Palazzo Farnese are mainly composed of blocks abstracted from the great work of Vespasian and Titus. 312 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Eome is a visit to the Fontana di Trevi, where Madame de Stael makes Corinne see her lover's image reflected in the water. This is a poetical licence not precisely borne out by the laws of reflection, and therefore as unsound as is, the belief that if you drink the water of this beautiful fountain from the hollow of your hand and desire to return to Eome, your wish will be gratified. On returning to my lodgings, I found a packet carefully sealed lying on the table bearing my name. It contained two publications, one a political carica ture representing the Pope and his ministers being tossed in a blanket held by representatives of the nations of Europe. As usual, the Pope was getting the worst of it, though it was evident that Cardinal Antonelli and M. de Merode were also coming to grief. The other publication was a small book entitled ' L'Amico di Casa,' which, under the form of a popular almanack, disseminates Protestantism and censures Papacy, and exposes many abuses in the Eoman Catholic Church. The preface states that the almanack, now in its eleventh year, enjoys a very ex tensive circulation in Italy, 80,000 copies being printed, and that it has made Bible truths known to hundreds of families. The Scripture stories contained l'amico di casa. 313 in the number of this year are extremely well related, and calculated by their interest to send readers to the Bible itself. It is also gratifying to find that this little publication raises its voice against labouring on Sunday, the general practice throughout Italy. This picture of the Sabbath-day in the chief towns of Italy is very truthful : ' The manner in which the majority of our operatives pass Sunday is extremely disgraceful. They work a considerable portion of the day, and spend the evening in dissipation. Thus the day, instead of being a blessing to them, as God ordained that it should, is a curse. From henceforth resolve not to perform any work on the Sabbatb. Let the day be to you a season of rest, and be assured that you and your families will be all the better for this salutary change.' As a matter of course, this almanack is not allowed to be sold by any bookseller in Eome. I have reason to believe, however, that it is nevertheless circulated in that city to a greater extent than the sacred con gregation are aware of. 314 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXXII. Festa of San Antonio — Origin of the term Festa — The Protector of Italian Animals — His Fame at Padua — Church of San Antonio in Rome— Life of the Saint — Introduces Monastic Life into Rome — St. Tony's Pig— Blessing Animals in Rome— Forms observed by the Peasantry — A Smart Donkey — Blessing a Donkey and a Dog — Fee paid — The Saint's Sermon to Animals — Brigands and their Horses. Among the many festas in the Eoman calendar, that of San Antonio is one of the most popular, and it differs from the majority of Church festas * in this respect, that while they generally only last one day * The term festa is probably derived from the dies nefasti of the Romans, when it was ordered no public business should be trans acted. These days, which originally had no religious significance, became subsequently dedicated to the gods, and were most strictly observed. Latterly they were so numerous as to entail a great loss to the State, and accordingly Claudius abridged their number. The example might be followed with advantage by the Roman Catholic Church, for festa days occur so frequently as to seriously affect public business ; and it is worthy of remark that, while the Roman mechanic is allowed to work on the Sabbath-day, he is severely pun ished if known to work on a festa. Being on one of these days in the studio of a sculptor friend, he had occasion to send one of his men on a message. Before going out the latter changed his dress, being well aware that if he had been seen in his working-clothes he would be fined. FESTA OF SAN ANTONIO. 315 the Festival of San Antonio continues for eight days, to the great comfort, and benefit it may be added, of the priests attached to the Saint's church. This is a short distance from Santa Maria Maggiore, and annually, on the 1 7th of January, the interior of this edifice is dressed in draperies of flaunting colours, the altars blaze with lights, box-leaves strew the floor, a vile plaster bust of San Antonio is placed on a table between two lighted candles, and a priest sits behind it at the receipt of custom. And very good custom is that enjoyed by these gentlemen, though of late years it has somewhat fallen off. San Antonio is the protector of Italian animals, as St. Cornelius is of French, that is of four-footed creatures ; and as the Eomans place great faith in the power of their saint, his church is extensively patro nised during his festa. But it is at Padua that Saint Anthony is especially honoured. That town is his true religious habitat, and there you must go to become fully aware of this ' prodigiorum patratori potentissimo,' as an inscription in his church alliteratively styles him. There, too, you may buy an ' authentic ' copy of the famous sermon which he preached to a congregation of fishes, and which must, it is to be presumed, have been taken down by a learned phoca as a shorthand reporter. 316 LAST WINTER IN ROME. The history of St. Antonio is interesting. He lived on Mount Colzim in Egypt, and led so ex emplary and holy a life, that he soon gathered round him a vast number of followers, amounting, say his biographers, to no less than 30,000. In the year 341 he introduced monastic life into Borne, created the order of San Antonio, which, among various privileges, enjoyed that of keeping consecrated pigs fed at the public expense. To steal one of these holy animals was considered a heinous sin ; and as they fed well and became sleek, the proverb arose ' as fat as a pig of St. Tony.' San Antonio early acquired a reputation in Italy for his animal-protecting powers, and although faith in him has somewhat waned during recent years, the Eoman peasant still clings to the pleasant belief that the Saint has power to keep his horse from harm. ' 0 San Antonio, prego te d'avere pieta sopra il mio cavallo ! ' you will hear a peasant sometimes exclaim ; and it is to get their animals blessed by the priests in San Antonio's name that causes his festa at Eome to be a busy scene. All day long horse's, mules, and donkeys are led up before a porch adjoining the church, where stands a priest, who delivers in bad Latin the following blessing : ' May this (or those) animal (or animals) receive thy benediction, through BLESSING ANIMALS. 317 which they may be preserved bodily, and be freed from all evil, through the intercession of blessed San Antonio! ' At the conclusion of the blessing, the beast or beasts are sprinkled with holy water, and led away. Devout peasants, previous to having their animals blessed, enter the church to offer up a prayer before the shrine of San Antonio, kiss the cheeks of his plaster bust, and make an oblation to the attendant priest. In all cases it is customary, though not obli gatory, to make an offering to the priest who blesses the animals and sprinkles them with holy water, and who in return presents the owner of the animal with a portrait of San Antonio and a small metal cross. * Driving one day during the festa in a friend's carriage, the coachman to whom the horses belonged begged that he might be allowed to have the animals blessed. ' Do you believe,' we asked, ' that they will really be benefited by the act? ' ' Certainly,' he replied. Of course no objection was made, and the animals were liberally sprinkled with holy water, while the * Copies of these are before me. The saint is represented with a pig at his feet, signifying his dominion over evil spirits ; fire in his hand, in reference to the disease popularly known as St. Anthony's fire ; the letter T on his left breast, the Egyptian sign of the cross ; and a hell, to show that he went about soliciting alms for the poor. 318 LAST WINTER IN ROME. priest pronounced a benediction. It was amusing to witness the contrast between the manner in which the rich and poor man's horses were blessed. When the dashing equipage of a Eoman prince or noble appeared, the priest came forth from the porch, delivered the blessing loudly and plainly, and gave the horses an abundant share of holy water ; but when a poor man's horse was seen, the priest did not advance beyond the threshold of the porch, mumbled the blessing in a very unintelligible manner, and cast the holy water with so weak a hand that scarcely a drop touched the animal. Peasants are in the habit of decorating their animals for this ceremony with artificial flowers and ribbons. Great merriment was created among the crowd one day, by a donkey being led up to be blessed. The animal was decorated with a wreath of flowers encircling its neck, and made to look as smart as possible, but all this was lost upon the priest, who gabbled the prayer, and appeared to take espe cial care that not a drop of holy water should touch the donkey. Perhaps the priest was irritated by the owner of the donkey, who, when the water was about being thrown, clapped his dog on the animal's rump, in order that it might participate in the blessing, an act which the donkey resented by kicking up its PREACHING TO ANIMALS. 319 heels. The peasant may have thought with the Indian that as the dog is man's faithful companion in this world he will continue with him in that to come : And thinks, admitted to that equal sky, His faithful dog shall bear him company. The owner of the donkey told me that he paid the priest ten baiocchi for this double blessing. It would be interesting to know the average annual sum arising from this church benefit ; it must be considerable, for it lasts eight days, on each of which many animals are brought to be blessed, the owners of which give more or less to the officiating priests. There is a very quaint picture in the Borghese gallery, representing San Antonio preaching to a great variety of animals, and if you are curious to know what the saint said, you will find his sermon in ' Addison's Travels in Italy,' or rather the dis course which Addison supposes the saint delivered on the above occasion. May we receive the fact, that the Festa of San Antonio is diminishing in estimation, as evidence that the light of truth is breaking through Papal darkness ? We are told that formerly all the Eoman nobles sent their horses to be blessed ; now there are but few at the festa from aristocratic stables, the great number being the property of the middle classes, 320 LAST WINTER IN ROME. farmers, peasants, and it is said of brigands. The brigand doubtless believes that his horse having been sprinkled with holy water can no longer be influenced by the evil eye of a gendarme, but brigands we know are superstitious rascals ! 321 CHAPTEE XXXIII. A Midnight Apparition — Bringing in a Corpse from the Country — Confraternita della Morte — Objects of the Association — Peniten tial Work done by Roman Nobles — Begging Expeditions — Result of a Begging Tour — Superstitious Feelings respecting Dead Bodies — The most terrible Malediction — The Papal Lottery — San Andrea Avellino — The protecting Saint against sudden Death — The Lot tery Handbook — Manner in which it is used — Nature of the Roman Lottery — Origin of the Institution — Drawing of the Lot tery — Lottery Prophecies — A Lottery Ticket; — Revenue derived from the Lottery — The Roman Lottery and English Horse-racing and Betting — Ruinous Consequence of the latter. I was sitting late at night in my rooms writing, by the not very brilliant light of my Eoman lamp, when the curtain before my door was pushed aside, and, looking up, I beheld a draped figure, the head enveloped in a hood, through two slits in which I saw gleaming eyes, while from the waist depended a large rosary, terminated by the representation in ivory of a death's head and cross bones — not a pleasant apparition at any time, and now, towards midnight, invested with more than ordinary mystery. Was it a brain fancy ? had a ghost been manufactured a la Polytechnic fashion to startle me ? or was the Y 322 LAST WINTER IN ROME. cloaked figure real flesh? Lengthened speculation was, however, cut short as the hood, being thrown back, disclosed the face of my landlord. He had just returned from conveying a corpse into Eome — a business which he is sometimes called upon to perform; — not singly, however, but in companion ship with the members of a society to which he belongs, the Confraternita della Morte. This associ ation consists principally of noblemen, who in a reli gious spirit undertake, whenever called upon, to go at all hours of day and night, within a certain distance of Eome, and convey bodies of persons found dead and unclaimed to some church in the city. When these are deposited within consecrated walls, they have done their business, the church does the rest. There are several of these societies in Eome. Each has a locality for meeting, where the robes of the members are kept, and from whence the summonses are issued, calling them to ' take up ' * dead bodies and convey them to a church, or to walk in proces sion on the occasion of the corpse of a relative or friend being conveyed from the place of his death to a church. The latter is the business on which they are usually summoned; you cannot be in Eome more than a few hours without seeing members of * Literally peck up, the term in Italian being beccare; to peck. CONFRATERNITA DELLA MORTE. 323 these confraternitas, cloaked and hooded, following in the long train of priests and monks behind a coffin, while another coffin, or what appears very like one, is carried in the rear.* Every person is provided with a wax candle, which if large is sure to be attended by a satellite in the form of a Eoman gamin, holding aloft a paper horn to catch the dripping wax. The entrance fee paid by the members of these confra-* ' ternitas is one scudo. Occasionally, when there is a ' fat ' funeral, as it is called, the members come in for several large wax candles, equivalent in Italy to the voluminous scarves and hat-bands given at English funerals — a custom now, however, happily more honoured in the breach than in the observance. Is it that Eoman nobles have heavy sins to answer for, and uneasy consciences, that so many of them belong to the above and other confraternitas ? for they all partake more or less of a penitential char acter. Be this as it may, the fact remains that there is a great amount of penitential work done in Borne by the higher classes. English ladies, who are often startled by a cloaked and hooded figure rattling a brass money-box in their faces when they are intent on admiring the elegant jewellery in the Eoman * That in front contains the corpse, and that in the rear is used to hold wax candles. V 2 324 LAST WINTER IN ROME. shops, are little aware that the searching eyes glar ing on them through the eye-holes may be the same perhaps that met theirs the previous night at a conversazione or ball. A nobleman with whom I was acquainted, and who I frequently met at parties, was in the habit of going forth on begging expedi tions among the English last winter. On these occasions, when confining his walk to the Corso, Piazza di Spagna, and connecting streets, he generally ob tained about eighteen pauls, nearly nine shillings. My landlord did not belong to one of the begging confraternitas, but he attached great importance to the duties and labours connected with the association of which he was a member, and never hesitated re sponding to a summons to bring in a corpse from the Campagna at whatever hour he received his notice.* What a picture, however, does this system convey of municipal organisation, which leaves work like this to be done by private hands ! Fancy London gentle men leaving their fire-side on a winter's night to bring in a corpse from Plaistow marshes, or Wimbledon Common to a city church. Yet police are not wanting * The present Pope accorded the Confraternita, della Morte the privilege of releasing two criminals annually from capital punishment, provided they are not political offenders. SUPERSTITIOUS FEELINGS. 325 in Eome ; but their business lies more in the way of apprehending living political offenders than finding dead bodies in the Campagna or deserted streets. In any country the spectacle of death shrouded in mystery is awful, but in Eome, where the people believe firmly in the power of the evil eye, accidents, and above all sudden deaths, give rise to very super stitious feelings. The most terrible malediction that a Eoman can utter is accidente, meaning thereby sudden death from apoplexy or other cause : and thus the discovery of a dead body in the Campagna or elsewhere, particularly when bearing marks of violence, is sure to occasion great excitement.* But * Among the legions of saints famous for their specialities is S. Andrea Avellino, the protecting saint against sudden death from apoplexy. I possess a small book entitled Obblighi de' Fedeli concorsi alia Divozione di S. Andrea Avellino per esser liberati dalla Morte improvisa ; and here are the three prayers which the faithful are enjoined to say to glorioso S. Andrea Avellino, as he is called. Gloriosissimo Santo, che specia protettore siete stato destinato da Dio eontro le apoplesie, per essere stato da quella assalito, instante- mente vi preghiamo di preservarci da un male cosi pericoloso, e fre- quente. Gloriosissimo Santo, se mai per li suoi giusti giudizi volesse il Cielo colpirci con qualche accidente apopletico, instantemente vi preghiamo di attenerci almeno tempo da poter reeevere i Santi Saerimenti, ed a morire in grazia di Dio. Gloriosissimo Santo, che patiste prima di morire per gii assalti del Demonio cosi fiera agonia, da cui vi liberarono la Beatissima Vergine e S. Michele Arcangelo, instantemente vi preghiamo di ajutarci nel punto tremendo della morte nostra. 326 LAST WINTER IN ROME. it does more : it is made subservient to a passion deeply-rooted in the breast of Eomans — the love of gambling — and every possible means are taken to acquire information respecting the cause of death, age of the deceased, &c, in order to play the numbers corresponding to these circumstances in the lottery. Gambling in the State Papal Lottery is indeed a national vice. All classes more or less engage in it. My landlord played weekly, obtaining for a small outlay a little pleasant excitement ; and I knew other Eoman nobles who did not consider it derogatory to their dignity to invest a few pauls on the chance of obtaining a lottery prize. Among the books in the limited library of my friend the Conte I omitted mentioning a work which I fancied he was somewhat ashamed of letting me see that he possessed. It was entitled ' II Einomato Metodo per vincere al Lotto,' published in Eome, and from the state of the pages gave evidence of having been much used. In this publication, a copy of which is before me, numbers are attached to a great variety of substantives and proper names. Thus, supposing that the corpse of a man was found in the Campagna, covered with The 10th of November is the day set apart for the festa of this saint. The Annee Liturgique says under this date — ' St. Andri Avellin de l'ordre des Theatins mort l'an 1608. On l'invoque contre la mort subite. THE PAPAL LOTTERY. 327 wounds, implying a violent and quick death, on referring to the book we see that to sudden death the number 52 is attached, to Campagna 9, and to mortal wounds 49, forming the terno, 52, 9, 49. The Eoman lottery consists of 90 numbers, from 1 to 90 inclusive; only 5 are drawn. Should you have the luck to select tickets bearing the five numbers in sequence as drawn, your gain, provided you even staked only a few scudi, would be very large. A terno, or the three first numbers drawn in sequence, is a less rare event, and, as the prize is also large compared to the stake, a great number of players take tickets for this issue. When the very rare good luck of holding a quin quina, or the five numbers drawn, occurs, it becomes the talk of Eome, and the shop of a fortunate tradesman in the Corso is still pointed out, which was established many years ago by winning a quin quina in the lottery. This is indeed the great public institution in Eome ; and while the Church professes to teach morality, she encourages this description of gambling in every possible way. The head of the Eoman lottery is a Eeverend Monsignor, who on each Saturday when the lottery is drawn in the Piazza Madama, officiates in his ecclesiastical robes, and the sign of the cross is made over the glass barrel 328 LAST WINTER IN ROME. previous to the tickets being drawn by a boy. Accord ing to the EinomatoMetodo,the Eoman lottery owes its origin to the private speculation of a Genoese named Patrizio, who set up a lottery in that city in 1550. The institution speedily found favour; lot teries multiplied throughout Italy; and although some Popes endeavoured to suppress them, others shrewdly saw that they might be made to yield a large revenue to government, and accordingly the lottery was established by law. The first public drawing took place in 1732 in the capital, since which period it has always existed. The weekly drawing is one of the sights of Eome ; the proceedings, often described, are soon over, but the student of humanity will find much to interest him, observing the populace who gather in the piazza, and witnessing the excitement as the numbers are drawn, and, indeed for a considerable time after the wheel of fortune has ceased to revolve. I was fre quently present, and always witnessed curious scenes. On one occasion a young man and woman had a fierce altercation, arising from the circumstance that they missed a terno by one, the numbers of their tickets being 11, 42, 61, while those drawn were 11, 42, 62. The young man held a paper covered with quaint drawings and signs, opposite to which LOTTERY PROPHECIES. 329 were numbers. He argued, and endeavoured to per suade the girl that he had played these according to the true laws of divination. The girl, however, differed from this, alleging that if he had played otherwise, fortune would have smiled upon them — by no means a logical sequitur. There are many offices in Eome where they sell lottery prophecies : a famous wizard is known as the Barba Nera, who must, I ap prehend, make a large sum by pandering to the gul libility of the Eomans. On the occurrence of any great local event a terno is immediately concocted, and the numbers demanded at the ticket offices by thousands of persons ; and as, of course, it is pos sible that the terno may be drawn, in which case the government would have an enormous sum to pay as prizes, a limit under these circumstances is placed on the issue of the tickets referring to the par ticular terno. You may always know in Eome, on Saturdays, when noon is at hand. Shortly before that hour, the lottery offices are besieged by crowds waiting to know the numbers drawn, which are communicated to the offices with great celerity, and exhibited con spicuously. As may be supposed, the usual result attends the great majority of ticket holders. You may be sure that fortune has not smiled upon 330 LAST WINTER IN ROME. them by their countenances, which are as blank as their tickets. Disappointment does not, however, damp their ardour. Week after week thousands stake their baiocchi, pauls, or scudi, encouraged by seeing occasionally that somebody has been made suddenly rich by drawing a large lottery prize. The lottery tickets may be had all over Eome, offices for their sale being in almost every street. They are headed ' Lotteria Pontificia,' have a water mark representing the pontifical arms, and a rude engraving of Fortune standing on a wheel casting showers of gold coins from a bag. The revenue de rived by the Papal government from the lottery is variously stated, and in the absence of official returns not easy to arrive at with precision. Probably the amount is about 1,500,000 scudi annually, the greater portion of which is derived from the middle and lower classes. It is impossible to witness the working of the Eoman lottery, its pseudo-religious formalities, and observe the pernicious effects arising from it, without deprecating such a mode of filling the Papal coffers. But let us beware how we cast stones. We have, it is true, abolished state lotteries, but is there not among us a social evil even more demoralising than the Eoman lotterj', in the form of betting on horse-races ? For what are our horse- EVILS OF BETTING 331 races but gigantic lotteries, tempting alike the lord and the clown ? The difference is but this : the lord bets his pounds at the ' corner,' the so-called lower classes their shillings on the pave of the Haymarket or in Farringdon Street, and in all our large towns, amongst ill-looking blacklegs and swindlers, who make books, frequently to the ruin of clerks, shop- boys, and apprentices. Look, too, at the sporting newspapers. With a few honourable exceptions their columns abound with advertisements, setting forth certain methods of winning on horses ; and just as in Eome, by the payment of a few pauls to Barba Nera or some other knave, you are put in possession of the infallible numbers that will win a terno, so by tips of from pounds to shillings, the 'Derby and other prophets ' declare that they will give you the names of the winning horses in forthcoming races. It is all very well to talk of horse-racing improving the breed of horses, but if it does, which is extremely doubtful in these horse-racing days of ' light weights,' it is destructive to public morality. For English horse- racing, with its complicated system of knavery, is now nothing but a great national lottery, possessing this disadvantage over the lottery in Eome, that, while the latter is conducted fairly, betting on horse- racing is gigantic gambling, open, to say the least, to 332 LAST WINTER IN ROME. very grave imputations of unfairness. Its conse quences, too, are often fearful. As I write, a case appears in the public papers of a gentleman who committed suicide under very distressing circum stances. The inheritor of a large fortune, consider ably augmented by subsequent legacies, he lost all by betting on the turf. When this demon entered his soul, and he became depressed by heavy losses, to an enquiry from his wife whether any business mis fortunes had overtaken him, he replied, ' It is a business you do not understand.' No, nor did he. When he was discovered dead in one of the public parks in London, a bottle labelled ' poison ' was found in one pocket, and in another a document purport ing to give the names of the winning horses at recent races. This was the real poison of which he died, which indeed is Worse poison to men's souls than they are well aware of. Bad as is the Papal lottery, it does not lead to such tragedies as this. 333 CHAPTEE XXXIV. The Roman Carnival — Past and Present — Circular respecting it issued by the National Committee — Effect of the Circular — The Carnival of 1864 — Regulations respecting it — Throwing Confetti from Horns — The Ex-King of Naples — The Mocoletti — Spirit of Fun among the Romans— Similarity of the Carnival to the Ancient Pagan Saturnalia — The Asinine Festival — Hymn to the Ass — The Masked Balls — Throwing a Sneezing Powder — Its Effects — Family Suppers — Inordinate Eating — Elia's Edax — A Monster Cake — The Capranica Theatre — Pulcinella's Ninety-ninth Disgrace. Although the Eoman Carnival nominally commences, as I have stated, immediately after New- Year's Day, the week when Eome was wont to go mad is that preceding Lent. But during recent years you might look in vain in that city for the scenes made famous by Pinelli's clever and spirited etchings. The Papal priestly government, though often assuming the mask, will not allow masks to be worn during the Carnival week excepting at the masked balls, and I greatly doubt, if the interdict were removed, whether one hundred Eomans would be found to wear them. The truth is, that the political state of Eome has so broken the spirit of the inhabitants 334 LAST WINTER IN ROME. that they have no heart for gaiety, and thus the Carnival, that used to be a season of boisterous mer riment, has degenerated into a very commonplace spectacle. We were prepared for this collapse, and reports reached us that the National Committee had taken active measures to prevent the Eomans, as far as they could, from sharing in the gaieties. It was probably from the circumstance that I was living in the house of a Eoman, that I received a circular from the above committee a few days before the Carnival commenced, and as the document was not circulated among the English, and throws con siderable light on the modus operandi of the party who are labouring to free Eome from her bondage, I reproduce it. It is headed by the seal of the National Committee, and runs thus : Monsieur, — Le Comite soussigne, au moyen d'un avis imprime, a invite les Rorcains a s'abstenir, comme dans les annees precedentes, de prendre part aux fetes du Carnival. Le Comite, en vous remettant copie de cette avis, a I'honneur, Monsieur, de prier vous et vos amis de vouloir bien vous y conformer afin de respecter l'opinion du pays. Rome : le 27th Janvier, 1864. Le Comite National Romain. The ' Avis ' referred to is in Italian, and as this CIRCULAR FROM NATIONAL COMMITTEE. 335 language is not as generally known as French, I subjoin a translation of it. ROMANS. During this momentous period, when high aspira tions are entertained for the freedom of our country, the priests, always hypocritical and designing, invite you to partake in the orgies of the Carnival. To insult they desire to add injury ; for would it not injure you in the eyes of Europe were you seen as mummers at a time when your country is oppressed by the yoke of priests and of strangers ? Romans, you will, w6 feel assured, respond to such conduct by your habitual con tempt for the Carnival. Horse-races and fetes of all kinds may amuse Bourbons, Papal officers, women belong- irg to their party, and the refuse of nations who happen to be in Rome doing the work of the priests, but such amusements are not for you, and we depend on your heroism and patriotism for steadily declining to take part in them. Be emulous of the proud Venetians, your brethren in misfortune, who religiously abstain from all demonstrations calculated to give their oppressors any hold over them. . Bear in mind that patient calmness and union will go far to make up what may be wanting in force, and that you are descendants of those valiant Romans who conquered under Fabius Massimus. Energies wasted in useless complaints and juvenile impatience can be productive of no good, and by irritating our oppressors will only rivet our chains more strongly, injure the cause of Italy, and complicate our position. The Roman people will, we feel assured, spend the forth coming hours in dignified solitude, and be especially careful 336 LAST WINTER IN ROME. to avoid all scenes of gaiety or dissipation. By this conduct tbey will help the great cause which has for its objects a national king and parliament, and will, not only terminate their sufferings speedily, but also see their city what it should be — viz. the capital of Italy. Long live the King and Italy. Rome : January 25, 1864. The National Roman Committee. The circular, and enclosed document were posted in Eome, but neither, as may be supposed, bore any manifestation of the precise locality in the city from whence they emanated. I heard that the effect of this circular on some Eomans was to prevent them attending the Carnival, apprehending that if seen in the Corso they would become marked men, and might suffer retribution should a rising take place, when it is said the Tiber is expected to run crimson with the blood of oppres sors from St. Angelo to the Eipa Grande. Be this as it may, the Eoman Carnival of 1864 was a sorry affair as compared with the Carnivals of bygone years. Indeed, whatever fun and gaiety prevailed arose from the English, who may be said to have had a little carnival of their own. The walls on the morning of the opening day were covered with long official notices, setting forth the regulations for the week, and rigorous punishment was threatened to all THE CARNIVAL. 337 who infringed them even in the slightest degree. So determined, indeed, was the government to suppress all possible inducement to create an emeute, that it was contemplated forbidding the throwing of con fetti. No notice, however, was issued to this effect, but strict orders were given that' they should not be thrown from horns, and at a balcony where I hap pened to be, a gentleman, who had been seen using a horn for this purpose, was pounced on by a Papal gendarme and quickly relieved of the offending in strument.* To describe a Eoman carnival, were it even as Eoman carnivals were wont to be, would be very superfluous; that of 1864 may be dismissed in a few words. Almost all the balconies were occupied by English, who certainly in a great measure made up by the vigour of their confetti assaults what was wanting in numbers. Here and there you saw Eo mans, Papalists for the most part, and the only vehicle conspicuous for its decorations was filled by Papalini, who kept up a hot fire as they flaunted up and down the Corso under the yellow Papal flags. * The horns in question are made of tin, and enable you to throw the confetti, small balls of lime about the size of a large pea, with greater force than when they are propelled from the hand. Z 338 LAST WINTER IN ROME. The ex-king of Naples and his party occupied a large balcony nearly opposite the Caffe Nuovo, and, to judge by the volleys of confetti and clouds of flour and lime discharged from it, and the merriment that prevailed, you would not have imagined that care weighed heavily on the deposed monarch. English money, always abounding in Borne, caused the bou quets to exchange hands with great rapidity, thou sands being thrown every day from the promenaders in the Corso to ladies in the balconies, and by the latter to gentlemen. On the last day of the Carnival, to many of the bouquets, cardinelli, or goldfinches, were attached, and thrown up with the flowers to ladies — a rather cruel diversion, for the poor birds incur considerable risk of being injured in the transit. The usual horse-races concluded each day's amuse ment, the same horses (eight in number) running, and always, as it seemed to me, with the same result ; so after the first day there would not have been much excitement in betting on the issue. Probably the best, or at all events least disappointing, portion of the Carnival was the exhibition of the Mocoletti, or small wax tapers. They lighted the entire Corso, and the effect of this long and very picturesque thoroughfare, illuminated by many thousand lights ASININE FESTIVAL. 339 in perpetual motion, is one of the prettiest sights that can be well imagined. But this part of the entertainment has the disadvantage of being dan gerous, for while showers of confetti can do you no harm if your eyes are properly protected by a wire mask, the latter is insufficient to guard the eye from the thrust of the long sticks, having rags attached to them, with which everyone endeavours to extin guish his neighbour's light. The spirit of fun, and I may add mischief, latent in the Eomans broke out on this occasion. There was ample evidence on the part of those who parti cipated in the excitement of the Mocoletti, that if circumstances permitted they would exhibit as much folly as their predecessors did at this season of mirth. Under the cover of darkness, many wild excesses were committed which would not have found favour with the National Committee. Observing Eomans in this mood, you cannot fail being struck by the similarity of their character to that of their forefathers, as described to us when they were celebrating their notorious Saturnalia. The Eoman Carnival may indeed be traced to that Pagan festival. As late as the fourteenth century the great feast of the Ass was observed. On this occasion a King of Buffoons, popularly called the Pope of Fools, 340 LAST WINTER IN ROME. crowned with grapes, was mounted on an ass, and while the animal was paraded through the streets, a hymn in Latin was sung, of which the following is a translation made for this work by one of our living poets : — FESTA ASINARIA. From the regions of the East Came an Ass, a goodly beast, Fair to see, and very stout, Fit to bear great loads about. On the hills of Sichem fed, Under Reuben train' d and bred, Straight he jump'd old Jordan's stream, Bounding on to Bethlehem. In his leaping he could clear More than horse, or kid, or deer ; Madian's dromedary's stride Went for nothing by his side. Gifts from Araby he bore, Incense, myrrh, and golden ore, All of them the church to dower, Tributes from the great Ass-power Signor Ass, he never flags, Tho' the stiffest loads he drags, While his patient jaws discuss, Fare too tough for horse or us ; MASKED BALLS, 341 Barley tops he doth discuss With the prickly carduus ; Tho', to give us our life-staff, He treads the bread-corn from the chaff. Say Amen, 0 Signor Ass ! Then, for this feed of festal-grass, Bray a duplicate Amen, And spurn the forage thou hadst then. This asinine festival became ultimately the occasion of so much licentiousness that it was suppressed, but it had taken so great a hold of the people that, long after it was put down, it was customary among many families to celebrate it privately, one of their num ber being chosen King of Fools. On the same principle that whatever gaiety may have been dormant among the Eomans during the Carnival of this year was most conspicuous at the evening fun of the Mocoletti, so the masked balls exhibited the Italian character in its lightest aspect. Those given at the Apollo and Argentina Theatres, notwithstanding the influence of the National Com mittee, were well attended, and, masks being allowed, it was not of course easy to detect those who were present. At each of the four balls attempts were made to spoil the fun by throwing an extremely fine powder about the theatres. It was usually flung 342 LAST WINTER IN ROME. from the upper boxes and fell among the maskers, who were soon made aware of its presence by being seized with violent fits of sneezing, accompanied by a running from the eyes, and considerable irritation in the throat. The effect was indeed so unpleasant as to cause many ladies to leave the theatre. At one ball a large quantity of the powder was thrown in the middle of a numerous quadrille party, and, although there were many Papal gendarmes and soldiers in the vicinity, the perpetrators of the extremely unpleasant practical joke escaped detection. The only means to _ alleviate the annoyance was to keep the floor of the theatre, which extended over the pit, well watered, which was by no means agreeable to ladies who wore thin satin boots or shoes. But, although the masked balls were attended by some Eomans, they were principally indebted for their success to the English, who mustered strongly, and derived great amusement by mystifying friends. And as, happily, masked balls in Italy are so well conducted (political sneezing powder excepted) that no lady need be under any apprehension of being scandalised or annoyed by the behaviour of rude or drunken men, those in Eome last spring were at tended by the majority of English ladies, who experienced no other inconvenience than that re- A ROMAN SUPPER. 343 suiting from the powder to which I have alluded, and its watery antidote. It is de rigueur among Eoman families to cele brate the last evening of the Carnival by a supper of more than usual magnitude. My landlord gave a liberal entertainment to a party of friends, which was remarkable for the number of heaped-up dishes, all of which found favour with the guests. Oh the appetite of these Eomans ! I wonder whether their ' arrow-root and pappish days' are marked by similar exorbitances. They always, when eating, reminded me of that Edax, so graphically described by Elia, whose inordinate appetite caused him, as he states, to be 'pelted with phrases from Graduses' by his school-fellows. ' Ventri deditus, Vesana gula, Escte gurges, Dapibus indulgens, Ventri natus.' But these ' double-meal ' Italians are fortunate in one respect — no gluttony seems to induce aldermanic proportions. The supper was crowned by an enormous cake, about two feet in diameter, covered with flowers made of sugar. Eoman confectioners excel in these productions, which are deemed as good to eat as they are artistically beautiful. But, although strongly pressed to taste the cake and a saccharine rose, I could not touch the compound, which seemed as lusciously nasty as can well be imagined. 344 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Supper over, we went to the Capranica Theatre, where we found Pulcinella in his glory, convulsing a crowded house with laughter. The piece was entitled 'Pulcinella's Ninety-ninth Disgrace,' and if any one of the preceding ninety-eight disgraces brought on him such condign punishment as he received on this oc casion, the wonder is that he survived to get into fresh scrapes. 345 CHAPTEE XXXV. 'Remember that yon are but Dust' — Ash- Wednesday in Rome — How celebrated — Fasting regulations — Dispensation from the Pope to Officers of the Guardia Nobile — Derivation of the word Carnival — Religious Service in the Sistine Chapel — Strewing of ashes on the Cardinals' heads — English Custom on Ash-Wednesday — Indul gences granted on Ash-Wednesday — Confession during Lent obligatory in the Roman Catholic Church — Numerous Confes sionals — Ex votos in Santa Maria in Trasfcevere — Licence allowed to the English by the Papal Government during Lent — Private Theatricals — Sermons during the Quadragesima — Dr. Manning's Discourses— Proposition to build a New Chureh in Rome — Churches ' Retired from Business ' — The English College — Church formerly attached to this Institution dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury destroyed by fire — Sermon by Dr. Manning on St. Thomas a Beeket — Views of the Pope on the rebuilding of St. Thomas' Church in Rome — The Collegio Pio — Church of San Giorgio in Velabro — Its dilapidated condition — St. George — His Life — Number of Churches dedicated to St. George in England — ¦ Frescoes representing various events in his Life. ' Memento, homo, quia, pulvis es et in pulverem re- verteris.' Such are the words spoken by the Pontiff to all those privileged to bend their knee before him on Ash-Wednesday. Formerly the Pontiff walked on this day in procession barefoot ; but, though this practice is discontinued, the church still does all in A A 346 LAST WINTER IN ROME. her power, by ceremonies and ordinances, to draw the faithful from the paths of folly incident to the Carnival, into her fold. The cardinals assume their purple robes, that colour being the mourning of the Eomish Church, and the usual edicts are promulgated respecting the observance of Lent. Principal of these is fasting, or rather abstinence from meat.* Being aware of this, I was surprised that no difference was made at the dinner of my landlord. Asking the reason, the Conte told me that, in consequence of his being an officer of the Guardia Nobile, he had a dispensation from the Pope to eat meat, which with great libe rality was extended to his family. So you see, fair lady maiden, should you go to Eome and marry a Guardia Nobile, you will not be obliged, though you change your religion, to fast during Lent.t My landlord's daughters were very anxious to see the ceremony of strewing ashes on the cardinals' heads by the Pope ; and on expressing my surprise that they had never witnessed it, they stated that * The precise words of the Church are : ' Le jeiine est obligatoire chaque jour de careme, le dimanche excepte. Un edit du Cardinal Vicaire regie ce qui concerne 1' abstinence et l'usage des aliments gras.' t Although Muratori and others derive the word Carnival from carnis-levamen, alluding to the great consumption of meat at this season, some etymologists conceive that it is derived from came vale, or the farewell to flesh following the period of gaiety. ASH WEDNESDAY. 347 they had not the courage to struggle through the crowds of English surrounding the entrance to the Sistine Chapel. ' We always hope to go,' they added, ' but English visitors become more numerous every year, and thus really we do not now expect ever to see the ceremony.' Through streets deep in snow I drove with the Conte, who was on duty, to the Sistine, and, favoured by being well placed, I saw the Pope sprinkle ashes on the venerable heads of the Sacred College. Some cardinals, having perhaps irritable skins, did not appear to like the ashes on their bald pates. At all events they rubbed them vigorously after the cere mony. You may remember bow an ambassador from Turkey declared, on his return from Eome, that before Lent the Eomans were mad with excitement, and that to cure them it was customary to rub ashes on their heads. Certainly, if the people were for merly as grave as their chief priests appeared when ash-bestrewn in the Sistine Chapel, the ambassador was not far wrong in his conclusion. And if we regard the ceremony in its proper light, as an act of humiliation on the part of sinful man before the throne of his Maker, we cannot fail to be struck by its significance. Sober practical English eat salt fish A A 2 348 LAST WINTER IN ROME. on Ash Wednesday — surely it is quite as rational to receive a few ashes on the bowed head. Much more to be deprecated is the great number of indulgences that may be obtained on this day at various churches in Eome. These are so numerous that you might, if moderately active, run up a score of many thousand years in a very short time by hastening from church to church. But you must be careful not to visit any one church twice on the same day; for TAnnee Liturgique' says: 'Quoique la station ait lieu simultanement dans plusieurs eglises, on ne peut gagner l'indulgence qu'une fois en visitant une des eglises indiquees. Ces eglises restent ou- vertes toute la journee.' Every facility, indeed, is given to enable the peni tent sinner, during the season of Quadragesima Quaresima, or Lent, to make his peace with God ; and those not spiritually moved to observe the cere monies are, under any circumstances, obliged to con fess during this season. To fail in this most important duty incurs the risk of being excommunicated — a severe penalty to the Eomanist, involving as it does the prospect, should death occur, of being buried in unconsecrated ground. This, then, is the period of the year when the nu merous confessionals in the churches are resorted to LENT ORDINANCES. 349 by the people, and, in order to meet the wants of all visitors, confessionals are appropriated to different nations, each having inscribed over it the language in which the priest enshrined within is prepared to hear confession. Pro lingua Hispanica, pro lingua Gallica, pro lingua Francesca, pro lingua Anglicana, &c. ; all tongues are here represented, and the pilgrim from every country has no difficulty in finding a spiritual home in the Eternal City. That the season of Lent possesses great influence over Italians is certain. Visiting St. Maria in Tras- tevere during this period, I was greatly struck by the number of Eomans, principally of the lower orders, engaged in acts of devotion in that fine old church. Assassins, too, must have lately sought to wipe out old scores, for the number of knives suspended around the image of the Madonna in the nave had considerably increased during the past few weeks. With an inconsistency by no means singular in the Papal Government, while ordering religious matters thus sternly, licence is extended to the English, which must go far to neutralise the effect of their ordinances on the minds of Eomans. For, while the public theatres during Lent are rigorously closed, 350 LAST WINTER IN ROME. and balls are interdicted, the English last Lent ob tained leave to open the theatre in the Via Frattina for private theatricals, and it was at this season that the performances were most fashionable. Dancing, too, was permitted, for, though invitations to balls were not issued, many parties at which I was present concluded with a dance. Lent in Eome is a favourite season for sermons. Discourses in Latin, French, English and German, are given in various churches. Dr. Manning favoured us with several sermons, judiciously selecting for his preachings the church at the angle in the Piazza del Popolo, between the Corso and the Via del Babuino, and for hour the time when the English were dis missed from the afternoon service in the Protestant Church outside the Porto del Popolo. Dr. Manning always commanded crowded audiences, and especially on the occasion of preaching a sermon in favour of building a new church in Eome. What! probably exclaims the Protestant reader, a new church in Eome, which already possesses more than three hun dred parish churches, man3>- of which have ' retired from business,' besides the Basilicas ? Even so, and this was the occasion. There formerly existed, attached to the English college at Eome, a church dedicated to St. Thomas ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY. 351 of Canterbury. This church was destroyed in the first great revolution, and has never been rebuilt. It possessed considerable interest, having been erected by Egbert on the site of a church founded in 775, by Offa, king of the East Saxons. When Thomas a Becket visited Eome, he lived in the hospital attached to the church, and on his canonization the sacred edifice was dedicated to him. The chapel made use of at present by the members of the English college is in the building, and having attended service in it, I can attest that it is not sufficiently large for the college ; but as there are many churches in Eome of which no use whatever is made, it is a question whether one of them might not be handed over to the English college. Such, however, is not the opinion of the Pope, and His Holiness and the Sacred College having resolved to rebuild the church, Dr. Manning was requested to appeal to the charity and piety of the Eoman Catholics of England, and of all other nations, to assist in the undertaking. The announcement that Dr. Manning would de liver a discourse on the great English saint com pletely filled the large church of San Carlo. He gave a masterly and eloquent sketch of the life of St. Thomas, dwelling at considerable length on the cir- 352 LAST WINTER IN ROME. cumstance that he was a martyr for the liberties of the Catholic Church, and stating that it was a reflec tion on the latter that England should, be without a church in Eome. He added that it was his firm conviction that Great Britain was now undergoing punishment for having, through Henry II. and subsequent kings, re pudiated the saintship of BeGket, her punishment being, great and increasing wealth and luxury, and an arrogance of intellectuality which would assuredly be fatal to her as a nation. For, though possessing enormous wealth, not one half of the population attend any description of church, and are little better than heathens ; and those that do attend a place of Protestant worship have no faith in what they hear. Under the fostering and fatherly protection of the Holy See can salvation only be found, and if nations when armed and eager for war would only, as of old, have recourse to the Pope as an arbitrator, all dissensions would be healed. Possessing a silver voice, exquisitely modulated, and using the best lan guage, Dr. Manning was listened to with great attention, but, judging from remarks that I heard on leaving the church, it is doubtful whether he suc ceeded in impressing his hearers that, with scores of churches lying spiritually fallow, there is any neces- PROPOSAL FOR BUILDING A NEW CHURCH. 353 sity for building another. The hat was not sent round after the discourse, but a paper was placed in our hands, setting forth the views of the Pope on the subject, and adding the localities where subscriptions would be received. The document in question con tains some interesting passages. After stating that the proposed undertaking had received the full ap probation of the Holy Father, and his benediction, it adds : ' The moment for such an undertaking could not be more suitable, when the sacred rights of the Holy See are violated on every side ; when the im munities of the church are trampled under foot ; when for fifteen years the temporal power of the Holy See has been assailed ; when cardinals, arch bishops, and bishops, are exiled and cast into prison; at such a moment it seems especially fitting to erect in Borne a church in honour of Saint Thomas of Canterbury, who was exiled and martyred in de fending the rights of the church, and has therefore been declared by the Holy See the defender of its immunities, so that the sacred congregation of the immunities, every year on his festival, holds a cap- pella in the small chapel within the precincts of the English college. ' The Holy See has always approved of the erection of national churches in Eome, under the shadow of 354 LAST WINTER IN ROME. St. Peter, and the special protection of the Vicar of Christ. 'France, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Sclavonia, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, Naples, Sicily, Lombardy, Venice, Lucca, and Genoa, the United States, the Armenians, the Maronites, the Copts and the Euthenians, and others, all possess churches in Eome, mostly dedicated to their patron saints. ' Now, therefore, that His Holiness Pius IX. has re-united England in a special manner to the uni versal church by restoring the hierarchy, it would seem to reflect upon the faith and the devotion of the Catholics of England to the Holy See, if they were the only nation in Europe which has not a church in Eome dedicated to their great saint and martyr. ' This appeal is not limited to the Catholics of England, because, since the erection of the hierarchy, the church has made so great a progress that the charity of the faithful has been heavily and con tinually burdened in the founding of churches, col leges, seminaries, schools, and other charitable institutions, it would therefore be hardly just to cast on them the whole effort of defraying the expenses needed for erecting a church in honour of a saint THE COLLEGIO PIO. 355 declared by the Holy See to be the defender of the rights of the church throughout the world.' The document is signed ' George Talbot, proto- notary, apostolic and private chamberlain of His Holiness, delegate pro-protector of the English college.' Bearing in mind what the Pope has done for the church of which he is head, and the sums expended on the restoration of the basilica of St. Paul, we may be sure that, even should subscriptions fall short, the English college will not be long without a church of its own, provided always that His Holiness re mains on his throne ; and there is the greater reason for coming to this conclusion, because an institution called the Collegio Pio has been recently added to the English college, the purpose of which is to re ceive converts to Eomanism, and to train them to the priesthood. Though not disposed to contribute to the re-erec tion of Becket's church, there is one in Eome which I should like to see restored, or at least put into something like decent condition. This is the church of San Giorgio in Velabro. How many Englishmen, I wonder, who rap out St. George's name as an emphatic adjunct to their speech, are aware that the head of England's patron 356 LAST WINTER IN ROME. saint, is preserved in a church in Eome. The edifice containing this relic is so dilapidated that you might suppose the ecclesiastical authorities, remembering rath-er the early deeds of George the Cappadocian, whose employment, says Gibbon, 'being mean, he rendered it infamous,' * than his meri torious death, were ashamed of allowing any church to stand dedicated to him. •I confess that the condition of his church pained me. For accustomed as we are to esteem, and in some degree at least reverence, our tutelary saint, it is somewhat humiliating to an Englishman to see the building containing a portion of St. George's body fast falling to decay. The situation of San Giorgio is certainly far from attractive, the roads adjoining the church being as neglected and ruinous as the church itself. It was with great difficulty that we found the custode, an ancient crone who seemed to wonder what motive could have led us to visit the tottering fabric of which she held the keys ; and yet San Giorgio, the patron saint of soldiers and armourers as well as of England — ' le tores loyal Chevalier de la Chretiennete ; ' Der Heilige Georgius of Germany, one of the fourteen * In allusion to his having been brought up as a fuller. SAN GE0RGI0 IN VELABRO. 357 saints whose memory is cherished in that country as Noth-helfers — is not wholly forgotten in Eome, for he has his festa day (April 23). On this occasion, says the ' Annee Liturgique,' his skull, lance, and banner of red silk, are exhibited in his church, and the senate make their annual offering of two torches and a small barrel of oil for the supply of the lamp before the altar. It is certainly curious that the church of a saint thus honoured in the calendar should be suffered to fall to ruin. There are, according to Parker's Cal endar of the Anglican Church,' no less than one hundred and sixty-two churches in England dedicated to St. George, not one of which, I apprehend, is so desecrated as that bearing his name in Eome. Stern Gibbon, it is true, declares St. George's life to have been bad in all respects ; but he is nevertheless a very popular saint, the Greeks, indeed, style him the great martyr and captain of the noble army of martyrs, and devotional representations of him are to be found in many churches throughout Europe. It is sad to think that the tribune of his church in Eome was once covered by exquisite frescoes by Giotto, representing various events in the life of the ' fiera pronta e vivace ' warrior, as Vasari styles him, and that all these paintings have perished. 358 LAST WINTER IN ROME. Especially beautiful we are told was that fresco where he appeared Clad in mighty arms and silver shield, As one for knightly jousts and fierce encounters fit, doing battle with the dragon about to devour the fair Cleodolinda. 359 CHAPTEE XXXVI. Oratorios in Rome during Lent — San Maria in Vallicella— San Filippo Neri — Life of this Saint — Founds Order of the Oratorians — Reputed Miracle — Portrait of the Saint — The Oratory — Nature of the Musical Performances — Litanies in honour of the Virgin — Sermonettas by Children — Oratorio of San Atanasio — Legend re specting him — Women not admitted to the Oratorios in Rome — Concerts in Rome — Monster Concert for the Benefit of St. Peter's Pence Fund — Performance by *Lizt — Amount received for the Peter's Pence Fund — England's Contribution to Pope Leo IV. The English who make Eome their dwelling-place during winter are not, I apprehend, generally aware that extremely good oratorios are performed in that city during Lent, and that admission to them is gra tuitous. The fact, it is true, is mentioned by ' Murray,' but only incidentally, in connexion with the church of San Maria in Vallicella. This edifice, one of the finest of its kind in Eome, was built by San Filippo Neri, under the patronage of Gregory XIII., and the adjoining convent is occupied by the oratorians,. whose order was founded by the above saint. San Filippo Neri was a very remarkable person. He was the son of a Florentine lawyer, and was born in Florence in 1515. In early youth he went to Eome 360 LAST WINTER IN ROME. in search of employment. There he became tutor to a nobleman's son, through whose patronage he was placed in an independent position, and enabled to perform various charitable works. Among these was his establishment of a society for visiting the poor, the members of which met in a small oratory, built by Neri, and, increasing in numbers and importance, eventually took the name Oratorians from their place of meeting. Having had a taste for music from his earliest years, he cultivated it for religious pur poses, and invented those* sacred compositions, which, originally performed in the oratory resorted to by the religious community established by him, became known as oratorios, and now under this name enjoy a world-wide reputation. Although the sect founded by Neri were bound by no vows, they soon became celebrated for their pious deeds, while their head acquired so great a renown for sanctity that miracles were attributed to him. The special miracle received by the Eomish Church, and which led to his canonization, was that of raising from the dead young Paolo Massimi, son of Fabrizio, lord of Arsoli. In commemoration of this act, which is said to have taken place on the 16th March, 1583, it is customary for the Pope to attend on this day, annually, in the chapel of the palace of the Massimi SAN FILIPPO NERI, 361 family, where a service is performed commemora tive of the occasion. Protestants cannot endorse this reputed miracle, but there is no doubt that San Filippo Neri was a very good man ; and if one half of the ' Maxims and Sayings'* attributed to him were his utterances, he must have also been a very learned Christian philo sopher. The church contains a portrait of the saint,f and several of his relics are preserved in the adjoining convent. But the great monuments to his memory are the various hospitals that he founded, and the oratory built on the site of the former structure. This is a large and handsome hall, the master-piece of Borromini, combining great elegance, with perfect aptitude for its purposes. At one end is a small altar, surmounted by a singing gallery, and at the side a larger gallery for the orchestra and singers. The oratorios commence in Advent, and are con- * An edition of these, arranged for every day in the year has been published in Italian and translated by the Rev. J. D. Faber. t The best, and indeed only authentic, portrait of Neri is in the Trinita de' Pellegrini. The saint would never allow his likeness to be taken. It happened, however, that among the inmates of the above hospital was a painter, who, in gratitude for kindness received from the saint, painted him surreptitiously. When Neri discovered that his portrait had been thus painted, he mildly rebuked the artist by saying, ' You should not have stolen me unawares.' B B 362 LAST WINTER IN ROME. tinued, with a few intermissions, on each Sunday until Easter. They commence half an hour after Ave Maria, but to secure a seat you must be at the doors at least half an hour previously, as, admission being gratuitous, there are crowds at each perform ance. As a rule, the oratorios during Lent are the best, the closing of the opera houses at this period enabling the most eminent singers and instrumental ists to be engaged. The oratorios are always preceded by litanies in honour of the Virgin, and by a short sermon, or ser monettas as they are called, delivered by children, perched very puppet-like in a high, quaint stone pulpit. The effect of the infantine treble in the vast hall, is almost ludicrous, and as the matter delivered is of the most commonplace kind, this part of the performance would be far better honoured in the breach than the observance. I attended several of these oratorios last Lent, and derived, with few exceptions, more gratification from them than from all the other religious music that I heard in Eome. Small books containing the words of the oratorios are sold at the doors. Perhaps, the best last winter was one entitled Sant' Atanasio azione sacra in due parti di G. M. Marini, posta in musica da F. Capocci, professor in the Academy of St. Cecilia. ORATORIO SANT' ATANASIO. 363 The subject is taken from the Eoman breviary. Sant' Atanasio, patriarch of Alexandria, is accused before a council of bishops of having cut off the arm of a child for magical purposes, and brought about the death of the Bishop Arsenic But just when the enemies of Athanasius conceive that they have pre vailed by means of false witnesses in inculpating the saint, the dead bishop appears in the flesh before the council, and Athanasius is, of course, triumphantly acquitted. Lady readers fond of this description of music, who may contemplate wintering in Eome, will be disappointed to hear that women are not allowed to be present at these performances. The Oratory is unfortunately within the precincts of the convent, and therefore the fair sex are excluded. If ever there was an occasion to make an exception to this rule, it should be in the case of these oratorios ; but the Ora torians hold to their order, and close their doors against womankind, unless provided with a pass from the Pope. Lent in Eome is a great season for concerts, many of which partake of a religious character. A monster concert was given last spring by Liszt, at which reci tations by him on the piano, and religious discourses alternated. The programme set forth that the con- B B 2 364 LAST WINTER IN ROME. cert was ' in onore della Croce per l'obolo di S. Pietro,' and as the tickets were two scudi each, double the usual price, and the attendance very large, a consider able sum must have been collected for the representa tive of St. Peter. For English, who in all probability would have sternly refused making oblations to St. Peter's pence fund, had no scruple in coming forward with their money when it procured them the gratification of hearing the once great pianist. Very curious are the means employed to swell this fund, which I believe is much larger than is gene rally supposed.* From all countries where Eomanism is professed, the pence come, and even poor Ireland contributes largely. How much may flow from rich England I cannot say, but the Pope, if he ever passes through the Stanze of Eaphael in the Vatican, must regard a fresco in the hall of the Incendio del Borgo with feelings of regret. I allude to that representing King Ethelwolf carrying a vase heaped up with gold coins, destined as the monarch's offering on the part of England to Pope Leo IV. Ethelwolf, was the first English sovereign who agreed to pay tribute to the Vatican. He made a pilgrimage to Eome in 854, remained there a year, which he passed * The Diario Romano states the fund to have amounted in 1863 to 35,483,580 francs. TKIBUTE TO THE VATICAN. 365 in exercises of devotion, and undertook to pay three hundred crowns annually, to be devoted partly to supplying oil for the lamps in the churches of St. Peter and St. Paul, and partly to the main tenance of the Pope's establishment. Ethelwolfs example was long followed, and the offerings often amounted to enormous sums, when it was thought by trembling kings that the wrath of angry pontiffs might be averted, or their favour gained, by such oblations. Indeed the soul-stirring words which Shakspeare makes King John put back the preten sions of a Eoman bishop to ' tithe or toll ' in his dominions, shows how the spirit of national in dependence chafed in the poet's mind when thinking of the spiritual rule of the chief priest of Borne over some of England's kings. * i 366 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXXVII. The Abbe1 Gerbet's ' Rome Chretienne ' — The Eternal City asserted to be favourable for Contemplation — Not the case last Winter — Explosion of a bomb in the Piazza di Spagna — Fatal Effect — Commotion occasioned by the Explosion — Nature of the bomb — Another bomb discovered in the Corso — Intended destruction of Papalini — 'Garibaldi e in Caprera' — The throwing of bombs in Rome a sign of great sense of Oppression — Political Caricatures — Blowing up the Pope — Affray between Papal and French Troops — Death of Papal Soldiers — The Pope's orders respecting side- arms — Patrols in Rome. Among the numerous advantages of Eome held out by the Abbe Gerbet, in his ' Eome Chretienne,' is one to which he makes frequent allusion, returning to it with evident affection. This is, the peculiar aptitude, as he affirms, of the Eternal City and its vicinity for quiet contemplation. Uncommercial, the seat of art, and the head quarters of the ' Infallible Church,' the very desolation of Eome is, in his opinion, eminently favourable for religious meditation and studies. To liome, in the language of one of Michael Angelo's most beautiful sonnets, he advises all oppressed by a cumbrous load, To shun like shatter'd barks the storm, and flee To her protection for a safe abode.- EXPLOSION OF A BOMB. 367 Nor is the Abbe singular. For it has ever been the boast of the clergy of his persuasion that in Eome, and Eome only, can man have that complete peace for which the soul often yearneth. For while in other cities The crowd, the hum, the shock of men, war with mental repose, in Eome, says the church, the most vexed spirit may be at rest. Not so — at least such was not the calm inspiring influence of Eome last winter. I was spending an evening in February with a friend occupying apartments on the second story over Spithover's book shop in the Piazza di Spagna, when a bomb that had been placed at dusk near the entrance of the shop, exploded, and blew in several windows. Fortunately, the fragments inflicted no injury on those inside the shop, nor on passers by ; but the explosion was so terrific as to bring the majority of the inhabitants of the Piazza and adjoining streets out of their bouses, all of whom were greatly terrified, one lady, who was ill, so much so that she died. The locality of the explosion was immediately surrounded by an excited crowd, anxious to glean information, difficult under the circumstances, as the wildest and most absurd rumours were flying about. In a few moments the mass was riven by a posse of 368 LAST WINTER IN ROME. gensdarmes — neverfar distant in Eome — who gathered up the debris of the bomb and tied them -carefully in a cloth, for minute examination at the police office. The carcase was a vicious-looking affair, and had evidently contained a large quantity of powder and many missiles, intended to do much more mischief than shattering windows, but, some how or other, bombs, and particularly those exploded by re volutionists, generally signally fail to carry into effect the wicked intentions of their constructors. Another, placed a few evenings before at the door of a cafe in the Corso, was happily discovered before the fuse had burnt down to the powder, and speedily rendered innocuous. These, it will be admitted, are by no means pleasant companions in the streets; and even sedate and philo sophical Gibbon would probably have been scared from that musing mood amidst the ruins of Eome to which he touchingly alludes in his great work, had such a bomb as alarmed us at Spithdver's exploded near him, By whom these bombs were laid we never knew ; for not tbe slightest allusion was made to them in the journals, which, while Eome was in the most unsettled condition, continued to publish their usual milksop articles. That one object desired was the THE PAPALINI. 369 destruction of the Papalini is pretty certain, for a very large infernal machine was planted at the entrance of the cafe frequented by them. It is worthy of remark that, from the crowd gathered round Spithdver's shop after the explosion of the bomb, a voice was heard faintly singing Garibaldi & in Caprera > Sperando la primavera — two lines of a song which goes on to say that the enemies of Italy cannot resist this man, sent specially by Jesus Christ to free Eome from her enemies. Under any circumstances, the throwing of bombs in a city among the inhabitants is a dastardly act, and cannot possibly be justified. The existence of such a practice, however, carries with it the convic tion that a great sense of oppression must be felt by those who, unable to take arms against oppressors in a manful and open manner, resort to this mode of revenge. Whether the manufacture of the bombs in question was known to the National Committee I cannot say, but, just at the period when they were thrown, several political Caricatures, two of which were surreptitiously delivered at nightfall at my lodgings, made their appearance, and as some of these produc tions had a very close relation to the bombs, I am 370 LAST WINTER IN ROME. inclined to think that #they emanated, if not from the same party, at all events with their cognisance. One of the caricatures represents the Pope blown up by a bomb, the fragments of which have killed Antonelli and De Merode, while under are the words, ' E cosi finira — la gloriosa istoria.' Another represents the Pope dying, surrounded by his ministers in a state of great grief, while above the Papal couch are portraits of celebrated Neapolitan banditti, who have usurped the place of the Virgin. These manifestations, and others of less note, had, however, one unmistakeable meaning, overwhelming hatred against the Papal Government, and a desire to foment revolution. For this, indeed, the Eomans as a body were and are well prepared, but in the absence of sufficient force, and a Garibaldi to lead them, their efforts would hitherto have been utterly unavailing in the face of the eighteen thousand French bayonets at their breasts. True their forefathers Spared neither lands nor gold, Nor son, nor wife, nor limb, nor life, In those brave times of old — but the odds have been too much against them. Whether, when opportunity offers by a reduction in the number of French troops, they will take arms ' against their sea of troubles,' or quietly await the FRENCH TROOPS IN ROME. 371 issue of the proposed two years for the French evacuation, remains to be seen. A circumstance happened at the period when Eome was startled by the bomb explosions, so illus trative of the working of French dominion and power in that city, as to be well worth recording. A squadron of Papal dragoons, commanded by the Count de St. Nac, was quartered at Castel-Gandolfo, in the barracks adjoining the Pope's palace. Some of the soldiers took a walk one day to Albano, where there is a French garrison, and entering a cafe, a dispute about a very trivial matter arose between the soldiers and persons in the cafe. The French troops, hearing the altercation, entered the cafe, and ordered the dragoons to depart in a very peremptory manner. This they refused to do, declaring that they wTere in no way amenable to the French soldiers. Eventually, however, they were persuaded to leave the cafe, in consequence of the friendly mediation of a Pontifical gendarme, and they left Albano quietly. At the gate of the town it appears that one of the men un buckled his sabre and laid it aside for a few moments, when it was instantly seized by some French soldiers who were in the vicinity, and carried by them to their barracks. The Papal dragoons, naturally indig nant at such a proceeding, wished to re-enter Albano 372 LAST WINTER IN ROME. to rescue their comrade's sword. The Papal police now interfered, and pledging their word that they would cause it to be returned the following morning, induced the dragoons to proceed on their way home. But on the road between Albano and Castel-Gandolfo, they were pursued and overtaken by seventy French soldiers, forming part of the Albano garrison, who insulted and menaced them. The Italians, whose temper it must be acknowledged had been very severely tried, now faced round, drew their sabres, and drove back their pursuers. But the latter being reinforced by a second body of their comrades, com manded by a captain, succeeded in driving the dragoons to the gates of Castel-Gandolfo, where they made a stand, and refused to allow the French soldiers to pass. The captain of the latter, who seems to have been a hot headed man, quite unfit for a command, forthwith drew his revolver in the most deliberate manner, fired at the dragoon near him, wounded him mortally, and then ordered his men to fire. The order was promptly obeyed. The French soldiers killed four dragoons and wounded seven others. The scene that followed may be conceived. The Papal garrison rushed to arms, backed by the inhabitants of Castel-Gandolfo, and the Count de St. Nac had the greatest difficulty in preventing his BROILS BETWEEN FRENCH AND PAPAL SOLDIERS. 373 men returning the fire. The French captain was ordered to be tried, but with what result I cannot say. It was, moreover, reported that the Pope was greatly affected when he heard the particulars of this very disgraceful affray, and said to the French general, ' Pray spare my troops, for I have but very few left.' * Can we wonder, in the face of the foregoing inci dents, which are authentic, that a strong feeling has prevailed on the part of the Eomans against the French occupation, or that they should have felt powerless to act, though galled by oppression and wrong. We constantly heard, during winter and spring, of altercations and fights between the French and Papal troops; they generally occurred near the Colosseum, and I believe that the object of the patrols met with in all parts of the city was more to prevent and suppress these outbreaks than to guard the in habitants against robbers and assassins. * With the view of preventing fatal results arising from quarrels between French and Papal soldiers, His Holiness has ordered that the latter, when off duty, are not to wear their side arms. 374 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXXVIII. Political degradation of Rome — Niebuhr's observation on modern Romans— The Gardens of Rome — Ancient and modern— A Fairy Garden — Lovely Bouquets — An elegant Entertainment— Vespa sian's retreat — The Roman in Villegiatura — The Vigna Codina — Columbaria — Advantages of Cremation — Ashes of a Dog — Great variety of A ntiquities — A pilfering Visitor. It will probably be as pleasant to the reader as it was to the writer, to pass from scenes and events like those described in the preceding chapter to others of a more cheerful nature. Indeed the state of Eome, her political degradation, and the cheerless gloomy air of the people, had fre quently so depressing an influence on me, that I some times contemplated leaving the city; but the kindness of friends, and of one in particular, whose house was to me as a home, interposed between thought and action. For, as Niebuhr says in his account of Eome in 1830, 'How can a man, who feels himself made happy only by the human soul and the human heart, find compensation from statues, paintings, and architecture. The Eomans, as a nation, are walking dead men.' And it is when seeing the art wonders of the THE GARDENS IN ROME. 375 Eternal City with a friend possessing sympathetic tastes, that we forget bad government, dirty streets, foul smells, and even the chance of being blown up by a bomb. With the friend to whom allusion has been made, I visited, not under cicerone coercion, but leisurely, the greater portion of the interesting monuments of Eome ; and to the same friend I was indebted for several extremely agreeable acquaintances. Especially remembered is a gentleman who possesses one of the most beautiful gardens in Eome, in which, when spring came round, he loved to receive his English friends. The vast space within the walls of Eome unbuilt upon enables several families to have gardens, to which they resort in evening hours, and in which they grow a great variety of lovely flowers. Indeed the demand, I was told, for gardens has lately become so great that high prices are asked and obtained for one of even very small dimensions. For the modern Eoman is satisfied with a very modest garden retreat compared to the gardens of the ancients. The old Eoman garden was a splendid creation. That df Sallust, we are told, was replete with all manner of luxuries, and abounded with exquisite statues. Never, however, were more lovely flowers cultivated, 376 LAST WINTER IN ROME. even in the gardens of the Csesars, than now grow within the walls of Eome. The garden belonging to the gentleman — who will be recognised by many readers of this book who have lately resided in Eome — though small, is certainly one of the most fairy-like creations that I have seen. Within its narrow bounds are a casino, diningroom, conservatory, rockery, fernery, a tiny lake, parterres, and walks so artfully winding amidst the shrubs that the area of the garden appears doubled. Never assuredly was so much made out of so little. c Parva, sed apta mihi,' you may remember Ariosto inscribed over the door of his house in Ferrara, and my Eoman friend might well set up a similar inscription over his garden entrance, for though small, he contrives to make it yield very great enjoyment. In one sense, indeed, he might desire it to be larger. Socrates, when found fault with for building so diminutive a house as he had done, replied, ' Small as it is, I fear I cannot fill it with friends.' The gentleman — whose name I should like to mention, but whose retiring nature might be averse to such publicity — could have, I am certain, filled a much larger garden that he possesses with friends last spring. His lady friends alone would have mustered strongly; and no wonder, for to him were many ladies indebted for the finest A FAIRY SCENE. 377 bouquets that graced ball or opera in Eome last season. One entertainment given by him, to which he kindly invited me, was so perfect in its way as to merit special mention. All present, with one excep tion, were English. The garden was arrayed in the greatest beauty. Tree-like camellias glowed with flowers — orange trees bent beneath their golden fruit — a vast variety of plants were coming into bloom in the parterres, while the conservatory was radiant with many colours of others in full flower. Creepers of great beauty and luxuriousness climbed and masked the walls; and the whole scene was so lovely that I was almost led to exclaim, in the words of the garden loving poet, Bind me, ye woodbines, in your twines Curl me about, ye gadding vines ; And oh ! so close your circles lace, That I may never leave this place. The poet, you may remember, fearing that the graceful fetters might prove too weak, entreats the brambles and briars to chain him too ; but in this wish, as applied to my friend's garden,, I cannot follow him — for no brambles or briars are there. It was a breakfast party, for my friend, out of com pliment to the English, had done so much violence to c c 378 LAST WINTER IN ROME. his good sense as to call an afternoon's repast by this name. Well, called by any other name it could not have been better. Assembling in and around a tent pitched in the middle of the garden, the ladies ele gantly but not over dressed, the gentlemen happily not, as the Eomans say, Martiri in guanti gialli, we filed off to the salon. The walls of this large room were covered with frescoes, and the room itself liter ally garlanded with flowers, while before every lady was a splendid bouquet, and before every gentleman three camellias in glasses. The breakfast — a substan tial dinner — was composed of a great number of delicacies, and the wines included varieties which I had never before tasted. After the breakfast we adjourned to the roof of the casino, where coffee and liqueurs were served, and from which we enjoyed delightful views of the Alban and Sabine hills. Vespasian, we are told by Suetonius, even when at the pinnacle of imperial greatness, passed a great portion of his time in the small villa near Eeate, where he was born, preferring the limited and modest extent of its accommodation to the grandeur of his palaces; and there are several Eomans who, though possessing vast palaces, prefer spending the greater THE VIGNA CODINI. 379 part of the year in villegiatura as it is called, where the gloomy grandeur of slenderly furnished apart ments is exchanged for the snugger, if not more comfortable, villa. My friend's charming casino in his lovely garden would go far to make you in love with Eome, for it was difficult, when within the latter, to think of the many desagremens within that city, and it possesses the great advantage of being literally rus in urbe. There is another garden, or, more properly speaking, vineyard, within the walls of Eome, in which I spent many hours. It is known to visitors as the Vigna Codini, and is situated near the tomb of the Scipios. I became acquainted with the proprietor through Signor Eossetti, the distinguished sculptor, and frequently spent a portion of the afternoon with the latter in the loggia of the casino overlooking Eome, when Signor Codini regaled us with a bottle of his best wine, the growth of the surrounding vineyards. Within this vineyard, are the most perfect Col umbaria in Eome ; one recently discovered abounds with vases and urns, surmounted, in many instances, by extremely interesting inscriptions. Here, within a space little larger than an ordinary sitting-room, are the ashes of more than two thousand bodies which have undergone cremation. Many of the ollae, c c 2 380 LAST WINTER IN ROME. or urns, are of elegant design, displaying great taste on the part of the relatives or friends of the deceased, while the inscriptions certify that they were not only cared for, but mourned. It has always appeared to me that cremation is an admirable mode of disposing of the dead. Purified by this process, you can cherish the ashes of those most loved, and a very small space, as you may see by the Eoman Columbaria, suffices for the remains of many thousand human beings.* The Columbaria in the Via Codini belonged almost entirely to the freedmen of the Csesars and great Eomans, and thus more than ordinary elegance is displayed on the vases containing the ashes, and the frescoes decorating the walls. It would, I fear, shock the feelings of rigid Christians to see among the urns one containing the ashes of a favourite dog. The urn is surmounted by a portrait of the animal, which seems to have been of the spaniel species, and the inscription informs us that tbe dog was the much-loved pet of his mistress, Synoris Glauconia. But those who have * The Romans adopted the custom of burning their dead from the Greeks. Under the emperors cremation became almost universal, but was afterwards gradually discontinued on the introduction of Christianity, and had fallen into disuse about the end of the fourth century. A CANINE MONUMENT. 381 been made happy by the affection of a dog — that affection which knows no change during life— will look at this canine monument with interest, and we may be sure that the lady was a loveable being who thus cherished the memory of her little friend. Signor Codini has accumulated an extraordinary variety of antiquities, many obtained from the neighbouring Columbaria. The walls around the casino are covered with fragments of sculptures, and others lie in heaps on the ground. One afternoon, when lounging over the balcony in the loggia, an English party made their appearance. They had come to see the Columbaria, the keys of which are kept in the casino. While the necessary permission was being applied for, one of the gentlemen, not of course supposing that he was overlooked, was quietly proceeding to pocket a fragment of sculpture, when, greatly to his astonishment and mortification, Signor Codini exclaimed, in a stentorian voice, ' Monsieur, il ne faut pas prendre pa ! ' The celerity with which the covetous man dropped the marble was amusing to witness, nor could any persuasion on the part of Signor Codini induce him and his party to carry out the principal object of their visit. 382 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XXXIX. Rome a manufacturing City — The Studios — Copyists of old Pictures — Manufacture of spurious ancient Pictures — Notice respecting authenticity of copies from the old Masters — Story of the ' real original' Transfiguration of Raphael — Roman Tradesmen — Bronzes — Marble Ornaments — Jewellery — Castellani's Establishment — Mr. Gibson and his Studio — His new Statue of Psyche — Colouring Statues — Mr. Gibson's opinion on this subject — Permanence of the Colour — Washing a Venus — Mr. Gibson's great popularity — Canova' s life in Rome — Artists in Rome — The English Art Academy — The Italian Academy — Its Objects — Manufactory of Contadinas — Stella — Story respecting her — Pascuccio — Romans not celebrated as Artists — Photography in Rome — The photo graphic Deceit and Nuisance. According to the strict meaning of the word, Eome is entitled to be called one of the largest manufac turing towns in Europe, for if by ' manufacture ' is understood articles made by hand, then the vast number and variety of art objects annually produced in Eome entitles that city to preeminence as a manufacturing town. The studios of Eome are one of its chief attrac tions ; and many visitors who profess utter indiffer ence respecting antiquities, spend half their time in artists' studios and shops devoted to the sale of MANUFACTURE OF ' OLD ' PICTURES. 383 artistic objects. The number and value of these pro duced annually in Eome, specifying the number sold to visitors, would be a curious and interesting sta tistical return. ' How many copies do you suppose,' I asked one of the best-known copyists of the old masters, ' have you made of Guido's Beatrice Cenci ? ' ' Upwards of five hundred,' he replied. Now, as the studio of this copyist contains copies of all the celebrated pictures in Eome, and of many in Naples, Bologna, Florence, and Venice, most of which he and his assistants* have produced over and over again, some idea may be formed of the manufacturing process going on in this speciality. Then, again, look at the manufacture of spurious ' ancient pictures,' which is carried on in Borne to an immense extent. A veritable manufacture this, for the picture passes through many operations and processes before it is submitted to the hoped-for dupe. The effrontery of some of the Eoman dealers in ancient pictures is amazing. One, imagining pro bably that I was a rich and gullible Englishman, was * I add, assistants, because, as the reader must see, it would be manifestly impossible for any one hand to reproduce all the copies at tributed to eminent Roman copyists. The diluting process of copy ing copies is, indeed, so well known to the proprietors of the great masterpieces in Rome, that some affix notices in their picture-galleries to the effect that no copy can be considered genuine that has not the seal of the proprietor of the original attached to it; 384 LAST WINTER IN ROME. at great pains to impress upon me that he had acquired the real original Transfiguration of Eaphael. Curious to see to what lengths he would go, I was reticent respecting the state of my finances, and accordingly he proceeded to relate, a long story of how he had lent money to a nobleman on the security of this picture, which had always been in the nobleman's family; that, in consequence of the noble man's inability to repay the loan, the picture had come into his possession, with documents showing on the most incontestable evidence that the work had been executed by Eaphael in a year agreeing with the date (in shining gold) on the picture, and that it was, moreover, the original design of the famous painting in the Vatican, and indeed superior to it in all respects. ' And pray,' said I, when he had come to the end of his story, ' what is the price of the picture ? ' ' Five thousand pounds ; I will not take a Paul less.' I should have been sorry to have offered him 5001. Then, again, with respect to bronzes ; how many copies of the Temples of Tivoli and Vesta, the Pan theon, &c, are made, of all sizes, annually? How many in marble of Scipio's famous Tomb ; of the Columns in the Forum, &c. ? Many hundreds, for no visitor leaves Eome without purchasing one or ROMAN JEWELLERY. 385 more art-souvenirs of that city. Look, too, at the trade in mosaics and cameos. Few visitors are pro bably aware of the great number of artists following these elegant arts, who are toiling all day long, and often far into the night, in garret-like rooms, wearing out their eyes.* Then, if we turn to jewellery, who visits Eome without buying a specimen of the elegant and unique Eoman gold- work ? Castellani's studio — for it seems degradation to call their place of business a shop — will alone yield many hours' instructive study and pleasure, for here high art is allied to exquisite work manship. In the hands of the Castellani, for there are two brothers, Eoman jewellery has acquired a world-wide reputation. Augusto Castellani has indeed published a very interesting work on the subject, entitled ' Dell' Oreficeria Antica ; ' and how well this firm imitate the exquisite Etruscan jewellery is well known to all who were at the International Exhibition of 1862. I made the acquaintance of the brother who resides in Eome, and heard from him that the artisans engaged on the finest gold-work earn as much as 61. a week — -a rate of wage that goes far to * I visited several of these artists, and was greatly astonished by the difference in price between mosaics and cameos purchased from them, and the same objects retailed by the shopkeepers in the Piazza di Spagna and elsewhere. 386 LAST WINTER IN ROME. explain the price of jewellery at this eminent estab lishment.* High, however, over all artists in Eome must be placed the veteran Gibson, whose studio is a charm ing resort. You will generally find it full on wet days, when the studios are sure to be besieged by swarms of visitors. I was provided with a note of introduction to the great sculptor. With his usual courtesy he received me kindly, and invited me to visit him in his studio whenever I felt inclined. I had the less compunction in availing myself of his kind permission because my presence never seemed to interfere with his work. I always found him seated on low steps by the side of his new concep tion, at which he has been working for many months. This is a full length statue of Psyche, representing her on her way to the infernal regions, just at the moment that she is supposed to see Cerberus. She holds in her left hand Pandora's box and half-moon bakes, and is in the act of casting one of the cakes to the dog with her right hand. ' The action,' said * The Castellani, and Rey, the jeweller in the Via Condotti, have adopted and hold fast to the good English custom of fixed prices for their goods. Other Roman tradesmen, with scarcely an exception, demand much more than they will eventually take, and are always prepared to be beaten down. Indeed, the prices generally asked by Roman tradesmen were so exorbitant that I rarely entered their mr. gibson's studio. 387 Gibson, ' is my rendering of the expression " throw ing a sop to Cerberus," ' and a very masterly and lovely rendering it is. For while on the one hand Psyche is evidently afraid of Cerberus, on the other she is determined to advance. The figure is draped from the waist. ' You will colour the statue, I pre sume ? ' I ventured to say, on the occasion of my first visit. ' Indeed I will,' was the reply ; and so the talk fell upon colouring statues, the famous sculptor every now and then giving a touch to the beautiful clay figure before him. ' I had long con ceived the idea,' he added, ' of colouring my statues, but wanted courage to take the step. Now, however, I am quite convinced that colour is essential; the Greeks coloured their statues; some of the finest statues in the Vatican, including the new Augustus, bear traces of colour ; and where will you find higher- authority? By colouring I do not mean giving statues of women pink cheeks, but imparting a soft rosy hue to the flesh, such as I have given to my Venus, exhibited in London at the Exhibition of 1862. When there on that occasion, men standing very high as artists and art critics urged me not to use colour on my statues ; but all they advanced in the form of arguments has entirely failed to convince me that I am wrong — they right ; and it is my in- 388 LAST WINTER IN ROME. tention to continue using colour, probably even to a greater extent than I have hitherto used it.' 'Will the colour be permanent?' I enquired. ' Well, as to that,' he replied, ' I believe it will ; at all events water has no effect upon it. For, during the Exhibition, observing that my Venus was in a very dirty state, I expressed a desire to wash her, and permission having been given, I went to the Exhi bition one morning early, provided with sponges, and having been furnished with water, to the great astonishment of numerous policemen I thoroughly washed my statue, or, rather, that of Mrs. Preston, for to her does that Venus belong, and it looked all the better for the operation.' ' Why do you find,' he continued, ' people looking more at pictures than at statues ? Simply because the former are coloured and the latter are not.' ' Then you think,' I rejoined, ' if that admirable collection of casts of celebrated statues in the Crystal Palace were coloured, the people, who now pass them by unheeded, would linger to look and admire?' 'Undoubtedly,' he replied ; ' and, moreover, be assured it is only want of education that prevents tinted statues being generally appreciated and admired. The Venus de' Medici was coloured and gilt in various places, but the numerous casts taken from it have effaced both COLOURING STATUES. 389 gilding and colour; in short, all the fine ancient Greek statues were coloured.' Such is Mr. Gibson's opinion on this subject; and so strongly does he feel convinced that he is right, that he will not allow a replica of his ' Exhibition ' Venus or Hebe to leave his studio untinted. Mr. Gibson's studio contained three replicas of the ' Exhibition ' Venus, and others are ordered ; the right of reproducing copies of this statue remaining with the artist. The popularity of Mr. Gibson in Eome is, as it should be, universal. Standing as he does at the summit of his profession, he is above any petty jealousies, being regarded as supreme authority on all matters of sculpture — excepting the tinting process, in which he stands very much alone. Bearing this in mind, it is not surprising that regret is felt in the art world of Eome that the great artist does not take a higher social position, and in a manner patronise art. His kindness to young artists is well known ; and so liberal is he, that he allows his carvers to copy any of his works in their leisure hours for their own benefit ; but what is wished is that he should come more before the world. Unmarried, he leads a very unassuming life. You may see him every morning 390 LAST WINTER IN ROME. at the Cafe Greco, Sundays included,* breakfasting for a few baiocchi, at a little spider-legged table, along-side of the humblest artist; and so greatly does he love his profession, that I firmly believe he will continue to labour in it many hours daily as long as he can mould clay.t To attempt even to give an account of the other artists in Eome, and their works, would require a volume. Their numbers are almost infinite ; all countries where civilization exists sending their countrymen and women to this artistic city. Among them are a great many of our compatriots, and bearing this in mind, few things surprised me more than to see the forlorn condition of the ' English Art Academy.' This was established by Mr. Gibson, Sir Charles Eastlake, and others, sufficient funds having been raised to hire rooms, pay for models, and establish a small art library. Yet, although an * All Roman artists work the greater part of Sunday. Mr. John Adams is, however, an exception ; but the closing of his studio on this day is by no means popular among his workmen, who are paid by the quantity of work done. t Mr. Gibson's modest life recalls to mind the equally simple existence of Canova. On the occasion of the second visit of this great sculptor to Paris, in 1811, Napoleon offered him princely apartments in Paris or at Fontainebleau, besides a pension of 50,000 francs. Both, however, were declined by Canova, who returned to Rome and his lodging on the terzo piano. THE ART ACADEMIES. 391 excellent nude model sat nightly last winter, I never saw more than one artist drawing from him. This is the more astonishing because the institution is entirely gratuitous, the model, as I have stated, good, the lighting admirable, and the rooms well ventilated and comfortable. But the English artists in Eome consider, perhaps, that they are above being improved by drawing from the nude ; such, however, was not the opinion of Mulready or Etty, who drew the human figure to the last. While the English Academy is thus deserted, the Italian Academy overflows nightly. Here, for a pay ment of fifteen pauls a month, you have the privilege of drawing from the life peasants in picturesque atti tudes, dressed in their festa costumes. Here is the great manufactory of those contadina's, who, on canvas or paper, appear to have been limned at Tivoli, Grotta Ferrata, or Frascati, reposing in vine-garlanded bowers, or on picturesque balconies. The shops abound with these productions ; and you may some times trace a figure from sharp profile, the face becoming fuller and fuller, until you see it in front, and then again retreating on the other side — the natural consequence of one hundred and seventy men and women, seated semicircularly round the model. Here, formerly, was occasionally to be seen ' Stella,' 392 LAST WINTER IN ROME. whose portrait graces the frontispiece of this book — a beautiful woman, so beautiful that she is now, as well as her rival model L Pascuccio,' in constant request as a model to eminent artists.* How is it, with all the advantages possessed by Eoman artists, that there should not be one of Euro pean reputation ? Hundreds are to be found who can paint a pleasing landscape, or a pretty figure — more than this seems unattainable. They live on the re putation of their ancestors. Italy has had her Eaphael ; it would, perhaps, be as unreasonable to expect another as it would be to hope to see a second Shakespeare. But indeed Borne has never been prolific in men of genius. These make her their * A curious story, illustrative of priestly influence, is told in con nection with ' Stella.' Wheu she came to Rome, and became in great requisition as a model, the priest of the village where ' Stella ' came from, apprehensive, as he declared, that she would be seduced, pre vailed on his bishop to require the girl to either abandon her calling or marry. The prelate accordingly wrote to the papal police, who issued an order to the above effect. The artists were in consterna tion, and succeeded, though not without considerable trouble, in obtaining a respite for poor ' Stella.' But the village priest and the bishop were too powerful for the artists. A husband was found for 'Stella.' He was a peasant of her village, ugly, stupid, and, says the story, entirely unworthy of her. However true this may be, he is the father of handsome children by her, and let us hope the marriage has not proved so ill-assorted as the story would have us believe it to have been. I may add here that the usual payment to the best Roman models for a sitting of four hours is five pauls. PHOTOGRAPHY IN ROME. 393 home, and she adopts them, but she cannot claim them as her children by birth. I cannot close this chapter without adverting to photography. This art, favoured by a pure atmo sphere, is practised in Eome with great success. Besides Macpherson's excellent photographs, well known in England, there are numerous Eoman photographers, whose works are admirable, and extremely moderate in price. But let the visitor be on his guard respecting the photographs professing to be taken from pictures. In Eoman picture galleries a system has sprung up of foisting photographs on visitors, which the custode insists were taken from original pictures, whereas in almost all cases they are copies of engravings, and often of inferior merit. Indeed, to the many petty plagues that worry tourists, may now be added the photographic nuisance ; guides and ciceroni of all places persecuting visitors to purchase photographs. More than once during my late travels in Italy, I have been lured into localities from whence it was difficult to escape, and almost worried by the ciceroni into buying photo graphs worthless in themselves, and often of a very inconvenient size. D D 394 LAST WINTER IN ROME. CHAPTEE XL. The Jews in Rome — The Ghetto — The inconvenience of being too well dressed — The Cenci Palace — Authentic Narrative of the 'Cenci Tragedy ' — Hustled by Jews — A Human Hive — Shops in the Ghetto — A Dealer in Curiosities — A Death -Ring — A Thumb- Screw — A deadly Key — A poisoned Peach — The Acqua Tofana — The five Synagogues— Apparent absence of Religious Devotion — Ancient Shophar— Representation of the golden Candlestick on Arch of Titus — Endeavours made to convert Jews to Romanism — Jews baptized publicly at Easter. Although the Papal government has so far removed the ban from the Jews in Eome that they are no longer confined to the precincts of the Ghetto, yet with that love of herding together which characterises the Hebrew race, they still crowd that part of Eome. Nothing can testify more strongly the enduring- nature of that peculiar people than finding them still in Eome. For the Papal government would hardly have been true to the polity of the Vatican had they not done all in their power, by unmitigated perse cution, carried on with unbending severity through long ages, to get rid of a people whose religion is so entirely opposed to Papacy as that of the Jews. But THE GHETTO. 395 persecution has entirely failed in bringing about the desired object; and they still, to the number of about 4,000, form a colony, which, for compactness and dirt, has not probably its equal in any other city in Europe. The fact is that Eome, although a fallen city, still possesses so many money attractions that Jews would be found willing to undergo even greater persecutions than they have endured in the Papal city, for the sake of the gains to be derived from trade. I often walked through the labyrinthine lanes and passages, running like fissures through the Ghetto, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. Alone I never was inconvenienced. Once, however, when I rashly undertook to pilot a lady through the district, we were not only hustled but subjected to rather rough treatment. As very usual under such circum stances, boys initiated the disturbance — Piccirilli Ebrcei, Jewish gamins, for the most part young in years, but old in cunning. They had seen us enter the ruinous Cenci palace,* and when we came out * Allusion to this vast pile, whose gloomy chambers and corridors are singularly in keeping with the terrible tragedy connected witli the Cenci family, leads me to draw attention to a recent public cation on the latter subject. It will probably be remembered by many of my readers, that an attempt has been lately made to estab lish the innocence of Beatrice Cenci. The authority for this is a D V 2 396 LAST WINTER IN ROME. they were round us like a dirty animated net. Im portuning in the first instance for money, they presently commenced pushing us, pulling our clothes, and placing themselves in such a way before us as to render it difficult to advance. Their be haviour speedily attracted attention, and before we were half through the Ghetto we were surrounded by a crowd of Hebrews, reinforced by many of mature years, who came out of their cavern-like tract entitled Beatrice Cenci Romana, Storia del Secolo XVI., Raccon- tata dal D. A. A. Firenze. The author is supposed to be Agostino Ademollo. According to this, Beatrice is acquitted of all share in her father's murder. She is represented as a poor weak creature, quite incapable of planning or even comprehending the deed for which she suffered. Anyone, however, who will take the trouble of reading the documentary evidence bearing on this most interesting cause celebre, cannot, I think, come to any other conclusion than that Beatrice was guilty of parricide. But, indeed, the publication to which I allude is amply sufficient to lead to this inference. It is entitled Narrazione della Morte di Giacomo, a Beatrice Cenci, e di Lucrczia Petronia Cenci loro Matrigna, Patricidi inRoma nelPontificatodi ClcmenteP.P. VIII. in giorno di Sabato, 11 Settembre, 1599. The tract has been repub lished by the Philobiblon Society, under the editorship of Sir John Simeon, Bart. A perusal of this authentic narrative, though its effect is to criminate Beatrice, does not cause us in any degree to feel less commiseration for the sufferings and wrongs of that beautiful woman, immortalised by Guido in that marvellous portrait of her in the Barberini Palace in Rome. It is also satisfactory to find that Shelley's Beatrice in his tragedy of The C