Chapter 12

FOUNTAIN OF TREVI.View larger image.

The principal objects are the fountainLa Barcaccia, by Bernini, at the foot of the Spanish Stairs. It is here that the model and flower girls most do congregate. The column of theImmaculate Conception, found in the Campo Marzo, is supported by statues of Moses, David, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. Its summit is crowned by a statue of the Virgin, in bronze, designed by Poletti. It was erected in 1854.Beyondis the Collegio di Propaganda Fide, founded in 1662 by Gregory XV.Taking the streets on the right of the Propaganda,Vias PropagandaandS. Andrea delle Fratte,then theVia del Bufaloon the right, turning into theVia Polion the left, brings us to

"which draws its precious water from a source far beyond the walls, whence it flows hitherward through old subterranean aqueducts, and sparkles forth as pure as the virgin who first led Agrippa to its well-spring by her father's door. It is a great palace front, with niches and many bas-reliefs, out of which looks Agrippa's legendary virgin and several of the allegoric sisterhood; while at its base appears Neptune with his floundering steeds, and Tritons blowing their horns, and other artificial fantasies. At the foot of the palatial façade is strewn, with careful art and ordered irregularity, a broad and broken heap of massive rock. Over the central precipice the water falls in a semicircular cascade; and from a hundred crevices, on all sides, snowy jets gush up and streams spout out of the mouths and nostrils of stone monsters; while other rivulets that had run wild come leaping from one rude step to another, over stones that are mossy and ferns planted by nature. Finally, the water, tumbling, sparkling, and dashing, with never-ceasing murmur, pours itself into a great marble-brimmed reservoir. The tradition is, that by taking a parting draught, and throwing a sou in, the traveller will return to Rome, whatever obstacles seem to beset his path." Such is Hawthorne's description of this beautiful fountain.

Turn to the right, Via Muratte, the first on the left, Via della Vergine, brings us into the Piazza SS. Apostoli.On the rightis the Balestra Palace, where Prince Charlie died in 1788.On the left is

Several fragments are built into the portico, the most interesting of which is the bas-relief of the eagle which once decorated Cæsar's Forum. The church has been entirely redecorated, and is now reopened. In the course of the alterations, in 1873, the bodies of SS. Philip and James the Less were found enclosed in a marble sarcophagus. A new extensive crypt, decorated after the style of the catacombs, has been made to receive these remains.

The heart of Maria Clementina Sobieski is preserved here.

Just beyond is

Open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, from 11 till 3. Entry, 17 Via Archi della Pilotta.

The pictures have the names of the artists on them. In the first room we enter, the collection consists of Colonna portraits; then three rooms of tapestries, and some ancient draped statues, and a pretty statue of a dancing girl, "Niobe."

First Room.—Early schools. Holy Family, by Luca Longhi; Boy in a Red Cap, by Giovanni Sanzio, Raphael's father; Crucifixion, by Giacomo di Avanzi; Moses, by Guercino.

Second Room.—Throne room.

Third Room.—Guardian Angel, by Guercino; Peasant Eating, by Annibale Carraci,—true to life; S. Jerome, by Lo Spagna; Portrait, by Paul Veronese.Ceiling, Apotheosis of Martin V., by Lutti and Battoni.

Fourth Room.—Landscapes, by Poussin; Battle-pieces, by Wouvermans; Sea-shore, by Rosa; Cabinet, with reliefs in ivory; Subjects from the Sistine Chapel.

The Great Hall.—Ornamented with statues and mirrors. Assumption, by Rubens; Roman Charity, by Subtermans; Ecce Homo, by Albano; Narcissus, by Tintoretto; Venus, by Vasari; Rape of the Sabines, by Ghirlandajo; S. Peter, Madonna, and Child, by Palma Vecchio; Venus and Cupid, by Bronzino; another, by Salviati; Madonna Liberating a Child from the Demon, by Nicolo da Poligno.

Sixth Room.—TheColonna Bellica, surmounted by a statue of Mars, with low reliefs round the column.

In the Via dei Fornari,on the right, at No. 21, lived Michael Angelo.

Crossing the new Via Nazionale, either of the streets on the sides of the Prefettura leads into

This was the largest and grandest of all the fora, being built to one design by the celebrated architect Apollodorus of Damascus (Dion Cassius). No author has given us any detailed account of the beautiful group of buildings that formed this forum, but what passages there are tend to show its magnificence. There was first of all an open space, or the forum proper, surrounded by a double row of shops, one above the other. In the centre of this space was the colossal equestrian statue of the emperor (Marcellinus, xvi. 10). Beyond this, crossing the whole width of the forum, was the basilica called, after the family name of the emperor, Ulpia. Beyond this was the celebrated pillar, behind which stood the Temple of Trajan, with the libraries on either side. The portion excavated is only a small piece of the whole, which extends under the houses all round. The size of the basilica can be made out from the gray granite pillars which once supported the roof. It was sometimes called the Hall of Liberty, from the slaves receiving their freedom here.

A magnificent marble pillar, the pedestal of which concealed the chamber where the ashes of the emperor were deposited. The bas-reliefs on the basement are among the most beautiful decorations of ancient or modern times; they represent the arms taken from the Dacians, against whom Trajan had made several campaigns. It marks the height of the Quirinal Hill, cut away to make the open space for the Forum of Trajan in which it stands. A series of bas-reliefs, representing the Dacian war, forms a spiral round the shaft of the pillar. ErectedA.D.114. It is 127 feet high, including the base, and is surmounted by a statue of S. Peter, 11 feet high, placed there by Sixtus V. in the sixteenth century.

The pillar is composed of thirty-four blocks of white marble. The reliefs are two feet high at the bottom, and gradually increase in size as they go upwards, thus making the figures at the top and bottom seem of equal size. There are two thousand five hundred figures, besides animals and other details.

Dion Cassius (Xiphilin, Trajan) says: "He erected in the forum that bears his name a vast pillar, as well to serve as a receptacle for his bones as to be a monument of his magnificence to posterity. In good earnest, it was a piece of work that could not be finished without extraordinary expense, because it was necessary to cutthrough a mountain as high as the pillar, to make the level for the forum."

PLAN OF THE FORUM OF TRAJAN.View larger image.

"The bones of Trajan were put into the pillar we have mentioned; and, to reverence his memory, sports were celebrated for several years after, which were called Parthica" (Dion Cassius, "Hadrian").

"Trajan, of all the emperors, was buried within the city. His bones, being put up in a golden urn, lie in the forum which he built, under a pillar, whose height is 144 feet, Roman" (Eutropius).

Going down theVia Alessandrina,which commences at the left-hand corner of the above forum, as we come into it, take the first turning on the left,Via Campo Carleo.The gate on the left leads to thedouble row of shops that surrounded the Forum of Trajan.Custodi at the Forum. Following this street, we pass themedieval Torre del Grilloon our left. On our rightare massive remains of theSecond Wall of Rome. (Seepage xviii.)Turning to the right under the arch, we are within

"The reason of his building a new forum was the vast increase in the population, and the number of cases to be tried in the courts; for which the two already existing not affording sufficient space, it was thought necessary to have a third. He placed statues of the great Roman generals in both the porticoes of his forum. In building his forum, he restricted himself in the site, not presuming to compel the owners of the neighbouring houses to give up their property" (Suetonius, "Augustus," lvi.).

It was restored by the Emperor Hadrian (Spartianus).

the Avenger. Vowed by Augustus at the battle of Philippi,B.C.42, and erected by him in the centre of his new forum.

Three beautiful pillars, and part of the wall of the cella and of the roof of the vestibule, still exist near the Arco dei Pantani, which owes its medieval name to the marshes caused by the water collecting in this neighbourhood. They stand upon a substruction only excavated a few years ago, and present one of the finest specimens extant of a temple, all the essential parts of which have been preserved. The gigantic walls of rectangular blocks of tufa, into which the travertine arch already mentioned was introduced for the purpose of forming a communication with the other part of the city, are most imposing, and formed part of the second wall of Rome and the boundary of the Forum of Augustus.

TRAJAN'S FORUM.View larger image.

"The Temple of Mars was built in fulfilment of a vow made during the war of Philippi, undertaken by him to avenge his (adopted) father's murder. He ordained that the senate should always assemble there when they met to deliberate respecting wars and triumphs; that thence should be despatched all those who were sent into the provinces in the command of armies; and that in it those who returned victorious from the wars should lodge the trophies of their triumphs" (Suetonius, "Augustus," xxix.).

"The Emperor Augustus, being consul with Caninius Gallus, gratified the eyes and minds of the Roman people, on the occasion of dedicating the Temple to Mars, with the most magnificent spectacles of gladiators and a sea-fight" (Velleius Paterculus, ii. 100).

By entering the stonemason's yard,oppositethe temple, we can see the travertine niches built by Augustus up against the wall of the kings, to receive the statues which he put up in the porticoes.

Passing down this street, Via Bonella, in the direction of the Roman Forum, on our right, No. 44, green door, is

Open every day from 9 till 3. Fee, half a franc.The principal pictures are:—

In the Large Hall.—11. Bacchus and Ariadne, by Poussin. 13. Virgin and Child, by Vandyck. S. Jerome, a sketch, by Titian. 22. Thirty-five sea-pieces, by Vernet. 40. Vanity, by P. Veronese. 49. Vanity, by Titian. 54. A Seaport, by Claude.

Room of Portraits.—A portrait of Virginie Le Brun, by herself; Iris, by Head; and a portrait of H.R.H. the late Duke of Sussex, in the costume of an officer of a Highland Regiment. 238. The skull shown in S. Luca belonged to Don Desiderio de Adintorlo, founder, in 1542, of the Society of the Virtuosi.

Saloon of Raphael.—Bacchus and Ariadne, by Guido Reni. 28. Susanna, by P. Veronese. 29. Calista and Nymphs, by Titian. 22. Venus and Cupid, by Guercino. 25. Tarquin and Lucretia, by Guido Cagnacci. 26. The Galatea, copied by Giulio Romano. 27. Fortune, by Guido Reni. 15. S. Luke Painting the Virgin, by Raphael. A Boy, fresco, by Raphael (very beautiful and life-like), formerly in a room of the Vatican.

Resuming our ramble up the Via Bonella, we take theVia Alessandrina,on the right; and theVia Croce Bianca,on the left.This was the site of

"Domitian erected a forum, which is now called Nerva's" (Suetonius, "Domitian," v.). It was known by several names, being called after Domitian, because he commenced it; Nerva, because he finished it; Pervium, because it was a thoroughfare; Pallas and Minerva, from the temple that stood in it, and which was destroyed by Pope Paul V. to build the fountain on the Janiculum; it was also called Transitorium, because a street passed through it for traffic. The only remains left are,on the right,

the prettiest bit of ruin in Rome, consisting of Corinthian columns, which support an architrave adorned with a frieze, and divided by ressauts, and an attic above. On the attic is a colossal figure of Minerva, represented in relief as the patroness of labour; on the architrave the goddess appears engaged in instructing young girls in various female occupations, and in punishing the insolence of Arachne, who had ventured to compete with her in the labours of the loom.

The wall upon which this altar stands was also a piece of the wall of the kings: in it was evidently a gateway, which was filled in when the wall was utilized for the altar. In the yard of the large new house opposite remains of a tower can be seen, probably the tower called Turris Mamilia. (See Festus.)

Leaving this ruin on our right, we proceed up the Via Croce Bianca, into theVia Madonna dei Monti,the district of the Suburra.(Carriages must proceed straight on down the Via di Torre di Conti, and turn up the first street to the left.)

TheTorre di Conti,on the right, is a massive tower of the middle ages, built as a fortress, and supposed to stand on the site of the Temple of the Earth. "Lenæus, the grammarian, opened a school in the Carinæ, near the Temple of the Earth, where stood the house of the Pompeys" (Suetonius, "Grammarians," xv.). "Tiberius removed from Pompey's house in the Carinæ" (Suetonius, "Tiberius," xv.). "The house of Cassius was demolished; and to this day the place remains void, except that part on which they afterwards built the Temple of the Earth, which stands in the street leading to the Carinæ" (Dionysius, viii. 79).

Going up that street, we come to some old steps,on our right, at the top of which is the lane that led down from the Carinæ to the Vicus Cyprius, across which was the Sister's Yoke (Dionysius, iii. 22).

The house at the top of the steps was the

Here Cæsar Borgia, Francesco, Duke of Gandia, and Lucrezia, supped with their mother Vanozza, on the evening that Cæsar assassinated the duke, and had his body thrown into the Tiber, where it was afterwards found by a fisherman, pierced with nine wounds.The dark archway leads to the

(The Chains of Peter.)

It has three aisles, with twenty Doric columns of Greek marble, and two of granite, which support the middle arch. On the first altar, to the right, there is S. Augustin, by Guercino. On the right of the high altar is the famous statue ofMoses, byMichael Angelo, rendered hideous by two horns sticking out from the forehead. Although we read that Moses was a horny man, it does not follow that he had horns, but that his flesh was hard like horn. The S. Margherita, in the adjacent chapel, is by Guercino; the tribune of the high altar was painted by I. Coppi. The new confessional, built by Pius IX., contains the tomb of the seven Maccabees. Here also are preserved the chains of S. Peter. The last altar but one of the other aisle has a S. Sebastian, a mosaic of the seventh century. In the sacristy there are the Liberation of S. Peter, by Domenichino; a Holy Family and Faith, of the school of G. Romano. Guido Reni's Hope was in this church, but it has been replaced by a copy, the original having been sold to an Irish gentleman.

From the front of the church a lane on our left,Via della Polveriera,leads, left(carriage right),to theVia Labicane,a short distance up which is the entrance to

Entrance through a gate on the left; one of the custodi speaks English. Fee, one lira; Sundays, free.

"He completed his palace by continuing it from the Palatine to the Esquiline, calling the building at first only 'The Passage;' but after it was burned down and rebuilt, 'The Golden House.' Of itsdimensions and furniture it may be sufficient to say this much:—The porch was so high that there stood in it a colossal statue of himself 120 feet in height; and the space included in it was so ample that it had triple porticoes a mile in length, and a lake like a sea, surrounded with buildings which had the appearance of a city. Within its area were corn-fields, vineyards, pastures, and woods, containing a vast number of animals of various kinds, both wild and tame. In other parts it was entirely overlaid with gold, and adorned with jewels and mother-of-pearl. The supper-rooms were vaulted, and compartments of the ceilings, inlaid with ivory, were made to revolve and scatter flowers, while they contained pipes which shed scents upon the guests. The chief banqueting room was circular, and revolved perpetually, night and day, in imitation of the motion of the celestial bodies. Upon the dedication of this magnificent house Nero said, in approval of it, 'that he had now a dwelling fit for a man'" (Suetonius, "Nero").

BATHS OF HADRIAN AND GOLDEN HOUSE OF NERO.View larger image.

"Nero, dressed like a harper, was at the top of a tower in his palace, from whence he diverted himself with the sight of the fire" (Dion Cassius).

On the left of the entrance are the remains of theOratorio of S. Felicita, a Christian church of the sixth century. The rooms on the left of thePassage, substructions formed by Hadrian, are supposed to have been used as private habitations in the middle ages. On one of the piers are two snakes (see below). At the end of this Passage a part of the pavement of theHouse of Nerocan be seen.Long Corridor, penetrated into by Raphael and Giovanni da Udine, who copied the frescoes for the Vatican. On the vault are some beautiful arabesque paintings of flowers, birds, and animals; and on the walls two snakes, with a basin placed between them. Above them is an inscription, now almost obliterated, telling us that it was the notice equal to our "Commit no nuisance."

DVODECImDEOS IIT DEANAmET IOVEMOPTVMVmMAXIMVmHABEAT IRATOSQUISQUIS HIC MIXERIT AUT CACARIT.

Retracing our stepsdown the corridor, and crossing some chambers, we come to theTricliniarium, or summer banqueting room, with the winter rooms on each side, having a southern aspect. At the end of this room there was originally a garden; and in the basin of the fountain was the porphyry vase now in the circular hall of the Vatican Museum. Beyond this is theCavædium, an open court or garden, from which the surrounding apartments receivedtheir light. It was surrounded on three sides with columns, and in the centre was a fountain: it was subsequently occupied by the substruction arches of the baths. Adjoining is theCorridor of Rhea Sylvia, so called from the fresco representing the conception of Romulus and Remus. In another room is a representation of Venus and the Doves.

On the Plan, the dark lines show the remains of Nero's Palace, which was nearly destroyed by the Flavian emperors. The remains left were used by Hadrian for the underground part of his thermæ; and by building walls over the courts and gardens he formed a large platform. The light lines show his work. The circular wall in front supported the seats for the stadium attached to the baths above. Remains of some of the large halls of the baths can be seen in the vineyards above the House of Nero. Some remains of these baths exist under the Church of S. Martino. These baths are generally ascribed to Titus; but the construction,opus reticulatum, within bands of brick, shows that they are of the time of Hadrian.

Turn to the left on coming out. A short way up the road, on the right, is the entrance to the

belonging to the Irish Dominicans, of which the late Father Mullooly was prior, to whose instrumentality we are indebted for the discovery of the ancient church, and the Temple of Mithras beneath it, under the present edifice. On some occasions (November 23rd, February 2nd, and the second Monday in Lent) they are illuminated. Father Mullooly has written a book on his discoveries; it can be purchased of the sacristan, and will be found very interesting.

The excavations have been carried out by voluntary subscriptions, and visitors are expected to make a donation in furtherance of this object. A book for the names and amounts will be found in the sacristy.

The usual entrance from the street is by a side door, but the proper entrance is by a gate with a Gothic canopy of the thirteenth century, which originally formed part of the earlier basilica, thence through the atrium and quadriporticus, the only perfect ones of Rome. The aisles are formed by sixteen ancient pillars of different materials and orders. In the middle of the nave is the choir (514–22) from the earlier basilica; on each side are the ambones. The wallsare adorned with Christian emblems, and a monogram of Agios—Holy. The nave is separated from the high altar by an ancient marble screen. Behind is the presbytery, which contains an ancient episcopal chair, with the name of Anastasius, who was titular cardinal of the church in 1108, engraved upon it. Upon the vault is a mosaic of 1297, representing Christ on the Cross, from the foot of which issue the four rivers of Paradise, with shepherds and their flocks, and peacocks. On the face of the arch is a mosaic of the time of Paschal II.—our Saviour; on either side two angels, and the emblems of the four evangelists; below are S. Peter, S. Clement, Jeremiah, S. Paul, S. Lawrence, and Isaiah; at the bottom, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, with the mystic lamb and sheep. In the chapel, on the right, the statue of S. John is by Simone; on the left, the picture of the Virgin is by Conca. The monument composed of two half-columns, with basket-work capitals and foliage reliefs, is to Cardinal Venerio, who died in 1479.To the left on entering, in the Chapel of the Passion, are the interesting frescoes by Masaccio (much spoilt by restoration), representing the Crucifixion, &c., and events from the lives of SS. Clement and Catherine.Outsidethe arch, the Annunciation, and S. Christopher carrying the infant Christ over a stream;within, S. Catherine forced to Idolatry, Instruction of the King's Daughter in Prison, Dispute with the Doctors, Miracle of her Deliverance, Martyrdom. Opposite is the history of S. Clement.Proceeding into the sacristy, which is adorned with paintings of various interesting parts of the more ancient buildings,a wide stair conducts to the

founded on the site of S. Clement's house, it is supposed, in the time of Constantine. S. Jerome says: "The church built to S. Clement keeps the memory of his name to this day." So that it must have been erected beforeA.D.400.

An inscription found in the excavations, bearing the name of Pope Nicholas II., shows that this basilica was perfect in 1061, when Nicholas died, so that it could not have been destroyed, as some think, by the earthquake of 896; but it was ruined in 1084, when Robert Guiscard burned all the public buildings from the Lateran to the Capitol, when he came to the rescue of Pope Gregory VII.

The ruin seems to have been purposely filled in by the builders of the upper church, and all the fittings possible removed into the latter, which, from the nature of its walls, was evidently constructed in haste, and before 1099, as Paschal II. was elected pope there on August 13thof that year. The lower church was discovered in 1857, when Father Mullooly was making some repairs in the church above. It consists of a nave and two aisles, formed by a line of ancient columns of various marbles: the space between each column has been built up to support the foundations of the church above.

In descending, the walls are covered with ancient fragments, and a small statue of the Good Pastor, found in making the excavations; as also the two sarcophagi and other fragments in the portico of the ancient basilica. At the entrance, on the left hand, is a painting of an ancient female figure, and a male head on the opposite wall; a little further, on the left, Christ surrounded with Saints, giving his benediction in the Greek manner; opposite, the Miracle at the Tomb of S. Clement at Cherson.[15]

Further along, translation of the relics of S. Clement from the Vatican to this basilica:—

FOR ALL AGES: MAY THE PEACEOF THE LORD BE EVER WITH YOU.—HITHER FROM THE VATICAN IS BORNE (NICHOLAS BEING POPE) WITH DIVINE HYMNS WHAT WITH AROMATICS HE BURIED.—I, MARIA MACELLARIA, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND REDEMPTION OF MY SOUL, HAD IT PAINTED.

FOR ALL AGES: MAY THE PEACEOF THE LORD BE EVER WITH YOU.

—HITHER FROM THE VATICAN IS BORNE (NICHOLAS BEING POPE) WITH DIVINE HYMNS WHAT WITH AROMATICS HE BURIED.

—I, MARIA MACELLARIA, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND REDEMPTION OF MY SOUL, HAD IT PAINTED.

Right, north aisle, right hand wall, painting of S. Catherine; further on, in a niche, Virgin and Child, with two females, SS. Catherine and Euphemia; below, Abraham and Isaac; at the top, Head of our Lord; beyond, a Council; the next, above the steps of the tribune, Christ in the act of giving the Benediction; just beyond, an inscription:—

WHOEVER READS THESE LETTERS OF MY NAME, LET HIM SAY, GOD HAVEMERCY ON UNWORTHY JOHN.

Passing into thenave, in the right-hand corner, is a fresco of our Saviour releasing Adam from Limbo. On the left wall, looking towardsthe modern altar (erected beneath the one in the church above, under which are placed the remains of S. Ignatius and S. Clement. Behind this a door leads to a space, recently excavated, where a portion of the first church, once covered with marble slabs, may be seen), Installation of S. Clement by S. Peter; Clement performing Mass; the Miracle of Sisinius; and Men drawing a Column—all on one pier.

On the inside of this pier are S. Antoninus, and Daniel in the Lions' Den. On the same wall, higher up, Life, Death, and Recognition of S. Alexius; above which is our Lord seated, attended by Gabriel, Michael, Clement, and Nicholas, holding a book.

The arabesque ornament at the bottom is very beautiful. Beyond this, at the side of the pier, are S. Giles and S. Blasius; at the end of the wall, S. Prosperius, the Maries at the Sepulchre, Christ releasing Adam and Eve from Hades, the Supper at Cana, the Crucifixion; and just beyond, the Assumption (eighth century).

Passing into thesouth or left aisle, on the wall, at this end, is a painting representing the Miracle of S. Libertinus, and one representing

WHERE THE ABBOT BEGS PARDON OF LIBERTINUS.

At the west end of this aisle, over the stairs, are the remains of a painting of the Crucifixion of S. Peter; and in the right-handcorner, S. Cyril's parting audience with Michael III. In the opposite corner is a baptism of some barbarian by S. Cyril, beyond which the projecting brickwork marks the site of the tomb of S. Cyril.

The nave is formed by a line of seven columns in their original places, in a wall ofdébrisbuilt to support the church above. These columns are of beautiful marbles, and stand upon a wall of the imperial period, which has been traced for 98 feet.

At the west end of the north aisle a flight of narrow steps leads down to a passage, 25 inches wide, formed between massive walls: that on the right is brick of the imperial period, forming the wall of S. Clement's house; that on the left, tufa, of the kingly period, being part of the walls of Servius Tullius. This has been heightened by a travertine wall of the republican period. The tufa wall has been traced for 500 feet, and the travertine wall upon it for 410 feet. About 20 feet is still buried, showing how low ancient Rome was in this valley. At the end of this passage another flight of steps leads up into the south aisle. In the centre of the passage is an entrance through the imperial wall (now blocked up on account of the water) into

reached from the south aisle by a broad flight of twenty steps. The Roman Catholic Church has faithfully handed down the tradition that S. Clement erected an oratory in his own house, between the Cœlian and Esquiline Hills, which must have been built, as we have seen, close to the walls of the city—a not unusual thing as the city grew. Several chambers remain to be excavated at some future time. A long passage has been cleared out, in which was found a doorway bricked up. This was broken through, and found to be a

the Persian sun-god, whose mysteries, Plutarch tells us, were first brought to Rome by the soldiers of Pompey the Great. "They celebrated certain secret mysteries, among which those of Mithras continue to this day, being originally instituted by themB.C.67." This worship was finally extirpated inA.D.394. The temple was found filled up with earth as though done purposely. It is 30 by 20 feet, and has a vaulted roof, covered with mosaics, in which are several windows. The continual dripping of water has destroyed the colour, but the mosaics can still be distinctly seen. The altar on which the sacrifices were made was found near the two squarepilasters in the passage outside, and a statue of Mithras was found in three pieces. The altar has been placed within the temple. It represents an allegorical picture of the sun's influence upon the earth: A bull represents the earth; Mithras is plunging a sword into the bull's right shoulder; a dog and a serpent are emblems of animals nourished by the earth through the influence of the sun; a scorpion gnawing the scrotum is autumn bringing decay; youths with torches, erect and depressed on either side, represent the rising and the setting of the sun. Under Elagabalus (218–22) and Aurelian (270–75) the worship of the sun was the national religion of the Romans, and its votaries tried in vain to establish it, to resist the rapid spread of the worship of the only true God through Jesus Christ his Son.

From S. Clement's we proceed up the hill Via di S. Giovanni in Laterano.Near the top, on the right, is the villa of Mr. Warrington Wood, the English sculptor, in whose grounds there is a tomb of the republic. Beyond is the square of the Lateran, in which is the highest

in Rome, which the inscription informs us was thirty-six years in cutting.

From Marcellinus (xvii. 4), we get many interesting details of its voyage and erection:—

"And because the flatterers, who were continually whispering into the ear of Constantine, kept always affirming that when Augustus Octavianus had brought two obelisks from Heliopolis, a city of Egypt, one of which was placed in the Circus Maximus, and the other in the Campus Martius, he yet did not venture to touch or move this one, which has just been brought to Rome, being alarmed at the greatness of such a task,—I would have those who do not know the truth learn that the ancient emperor, though he moved several obelisks, left this one untouched because it was especially dedicated to the sun-god, and was set up within the precincts of his magnificent temple, which it was impious to profane, and of which it was the most conspicuous ornament.

"But Constantine deeming that a consideration of no importance, had it torn up from its place, and thinking rightly that he should not be offering any insult to religion if he removed a splendid work from some other temple to dedicate it to the gods at Rome, which is the temple of the whole world, he let it lie on the ground for some time while arrangements for its removal were being prepared. And when it had been carried down the Nile, and landed at Alexandria,a ship of burden hitherto unexampled, requiring three hundred rowers to propel it, was built to receive it.

"And when these preparations were made, and after the aforenamed emperor had died, the enterprise began to cool. However, after a time it was at last put on board ship, and conveyed over sea and up the stream of the Tiber, which seemed as it were frightened lest its own winding waters should hardly be equal to conveying a present from the almost unknown Nile to the walls which itself cherished. At last the obelisk reached the village of Alexandria, three miles from the city, and then it was placed in a cradle, and drawn slowly on, and brought through the Ostia gate and the public fish-market to the Circus Maximus.

"The only work remaining to be done was to raise it, which was generally believed to be hardly if at all practicable. And vast beams having been raised on end in a most dangerous manner, so that they looked like a grove of machines, long ropes of huge size were fastened to them, darkening the very sky with their density, as they formed a web of innumerable threads; and into them the great stone itself, covered over as it was with elements of writing, was bound, and gradually raised into the empty air, and long suspended, many thousands of men turning it round and round like a millstone, till it was at last placed in the middle of the square. On it was placed a brazen sphere, made brighter with plates of gold; and as that was immediately afterwards struck by lightning and destroyed, a brazen figure like a torch was placed on it, also plated with gold, to look as if the torch were fully lighted.

"But the writing which is engraven on the old obelisk in the Circus we have set forth below in Greek characters, following in this the work of Hermapion:—

ΑΡΧΗΝ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ ΝΟΤΙΟΝ ΔΙΕΡΜΗΝΕΥΜΕΝΑΕΧΕΙΣΤΙΧΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ ΤΑΔΕ.

"The first line, beginning on the south side, bears this interpretation:—'The Sun to Ramestes the King—I have given to thee to reign with joy over the whole earth; to thee whom the Sun and Apollo love; to thee, the mighty truth-loving son of Heron, the god-born ruler of the habitable earth, whom the Sun has chosen above all men, the valiant, warlike King Ramestes, under whose power, byhis valour and might, the whole world is placed. The King Ramestes, the immortal son of the Sun.'

"The second line is:—'The mighty Apollo, who takes his stand upon truth, the lord of the diadem, he who has honoured Egypt by becoming its master, adorning Heliopolis, and having created the rest of the world, and having greatly honoured the gods who have their shrines in the city of the Sun, whom the Sun loves.'

"The third line:—'The mighty Apollo, the all-brilliant son of the Sun, whom the Sun chose above all others, and to whom the valiant Mars gave gifts. Thou whose good fortune abideth for ever; thou whom Ammon loves; thou who hast filled the temple of the Phœnix with good things; thou to whom the gods have given long life. Apollo, the mighty son of Heron; Ramestes, the king of the world, who has defended Egypt, having subdued the foreign enemy; whom the Sun loves; to whom the gods have given long life—the master of the world—the immortal Ramestes.'

"Another second line:—'The Sun, the great God, the master of heaven. I have given unto thee a life free from satiety. Apollo, the mighty master of the diadem; to whom nothing is comparable; to whom the lord of Egypt has erected many statues in this kingdom, and has made the city of Heliopolis as brilliant as the Sun himself, the master of heaven,—the son of the Sun, the king living for ever, has co-operated in the completion of this work.'

"A third line:—'I, the Sun, the god, the master of heaven, have given to Ramestes the king might and authority over all; whom Apollo, the truth-lover, the master of time, and Vulcan, the father of the gods, hath chosen above others by reason of his courage; the all-rejoicing king, the son of the Sun, and beloved by the Sun.'

"The first line looking towards the east:—'The great god of Heliopolis, the mighty Apollo, who dwelleth in Heaven, the son of Heron, whom the Sun hath guided, whom the gods have honoured. He who ruleth over all the earth, whom the Sun hath chosen before all others. The king, valiant by the favour of Mars, whom Ammon loveth, and the all-shining god, who hath chosen him as a king for everlasting.'"

On our right of the obelisk is

said to have been erected by Constantine. Eight columns of porphyry support a cornice, upon which are eight smaller columns; these sustain the cupola. The font is of green basalt. A tradition says Constantine was baptized here, though Socrates says he receivedChristian baptism at Nicomedia just before his death. Gibbon says Rienzi bathed in the font on the night before he was made a knight. The two side chapels, dedicated respectively to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, are said to have been made out of the house of Constantine. The mosaics are of the fifth century, after the arabesque paintings in the Baths of Titus.Adjoiningis the Oratory of S. Venantius, in which is a mosaic of the seventh century—our Saviour in the act of giving his blessing. Two grand porphyry columns, supporting an entablature, formed the portico of the baptistery, opposite side to where we entered. There is a mosaic vault of the sixteenth century in the left chapel of this portico, and in the opposite one a good S. Philip Neri by Guido.

On our left of the obelisk is

From the time of Constantine to 1377 this was the palace of the popes. In 1843 Gregory XVI. founded the museum. The original palace was destroyed by fire in the time of Clement V., and the present pile was built from the designs of Fontana in the pontificate of Sixtus V. It was subsequently used for many years as an hospital.

On our left is the entrance to

Ring the bell on the right in the passage, if the custodian is not at the door. The custodian will conduct you over, if desired; and he can give a good account of the objects of interest. It is open every day from 9 till 3, and is comprised in sixteen rooms. Fee, half a franc each person. The principal objects are as follows:—

First Room.—Bas-reliefs: Procession of Lictors and Senators, with figure of Trajan, found in his forum; Dares and Entellus, boxers, a fragment, found near the Arch of Gallienus; part of a sarcophagus, with the history of Mars and Rhea Sylvia, Diana and Endymion; a Circus Race; Helen and Paris; Soldier and Wife Parting; Leucothea feeding the Infant Bacchus. Bust of Marcus Aurelius; pavement mosaic of Boxers, from Baths of Caracalla.

Second Room.—Portions brought from the Forum of Trajan, representing arabesques, children, chimeras, griffins.

Fourth Room.—Faun of Praxiteles, copy; bust of the Young Tiberius; bas-reliefs, Medea and Pelias's Daughters; statue of Mars; Germanicus; sepulchral cippi and bas-reliefs, found on the Via Appia.

Fifth Room.—Stag in gray marble; a Cow; Mithraic group;mutilated figure of a lynx; bust of Scipio; an altar with bas-reliefs, one representing cock-fighting.

Sixth Room.—Statues of members of the family of Augustus, found at Cervetri, 1839: Drusus, Agrippina the elder, and Livia, full figures; Tiberius and Claudius, sitting; Germanicus and Britannicus, in armour; Head of Augustus. Inscriptions to the members of the family; a bas-relief of an altar; recumbent statues of Silenus.

Seventh Room.—Statue of Sophocles, the best object in the museum; a Dancing Faun; female draped figure; Apollino; sepulchral inscriptions, from the Columbaria of the Vigna Codini (seepage 283), to Musicus Scuranus of Lyons, a tourist to Rome, who died there, with the names of the persons of his suite, on jamb of door.

Eighth Room.—Statue of Neptune; curious bas-reliefs, a man surrounded with masks; Cupid and Mars.

Ninth Room.—Fragments from the Forum.

Tenth Room.—Bas-reliefs from the tomb of the Aterii, representing a temple, with a crane moved by a tread-wheel for hoisting stones.Opposite, monuments in Rome, the Arch of Isis, Colosseum, Arch of Titus, and the Temple of Jupiter Stator. (Seepage 95.) Cupid and Dolphin.

Eleventh Room.—Bas-reliefs of Boxers; Diana Multimammæ.

Twelfth Room.—Three large sarcophagi; Niobe and her Children; Orestes and the Furies; festoons and masks. A very interesting well-head, not unlike that represented on a denarius of Scribonus Lebo, and which stood in the Forum Romanum.

Thirteenth Room.—Busts of the Furia family, found on the Via Appia; statue by Dogmatius; alto-relief of Ulpia Epigoni; fragments of a colossal porphyry statue; two fluted spiral columns of pavonazzetto marble.

Fourteenth Room.—Unfinished statue of a captive barbarian, with the measuring points still in; mosaic masks, with the name of the artist,HERACLITUS, in Greek. On each side is a distinct mosaic representing an unswept floor after a banquet, such as Pliny (xxxvi. 60) ascribes to Sosus, "who laid, at Pergamus, the mosaic pavement known as the 'Asarotos Œcos,' from the fact that he there represented, in small squares of different colours, the remnants of a banquet lying upon the pavement, and other things which are usually swept away with the broom, they having all the appearance of being left there by accident." In a corner of this room is a terra-cotta siphon.

Fifteenth Room.—Objects found at Ostia, in the window-cases,between a mosaic niche of Silvanus and his dog.Oppositeare, Agrippina; Head of Atys; Woman, unknown.

Sixteenth Room.—Fragments found at Ostia, in case in window; sepulchral urns; recumbent statue of Atys; leaden water-pipes. On the walls are frescoes: a pagan funeral banquet, time of Hadrian; Pluto carrying off Proserpine; Orpheus; Ops giving Saturn stones to swallow instead of his sons; a guinea-fowl and fruit. There is also a very beautiful bronze statuette of one of the Three Fates.

Entrance to the right in the court. Fee, half a franc.

Founded by Pius IX., and composed of Christian antiquities. There are many bas-reliefs, fragments, inscriptions, mosaics, &c., worthy of admiration.

TheCorridor,upstairs, is decorated with Christian inscriptions from the Catacombs. The oldest isA.D.238. They relate to persons, dogmas, rites, and ranks of the clergy of the early Christians.

From the end of the corridor on the left two rooms open out, ornamented with copies of frescoes found in the Catacombs.

Sometimes the entrance is made from the court through the

Long Hall.—Sitting statue of S. Hippolitus, found near S. Lorenzo fuori le mura. On the chair is the Paschal Calendar in Greek, composedA.D.223, and a list of Hippolitus's writings.

Landing of the Stairs.—Bas-relief of Elijah ascending to heaven. This hall is decorated with a number of sarcophagi of the early Christians, found in the early churches and catacombs. They are placed so as to illustrate how the tombs were situated in the vestibules of the catacombs.

From the Loggia upstairs we enter the

First Room, or Mosaic Hall.—This beautiful mosaic was found in the Baths of Caracalla, and represents full length figures and busts of boxers, each occupying a separate panel, some having the names upon them. The walls are decorated with scenes from the life of Constantine the Great.

Second Room.—Early medieval frescoes from old churches. Frescoes cut from the walls of the Church of S. Agnese fuori le mura. Paintings of prophets and birds, from the crypt of the Church of S. Nicolò in Carcere.

Third Room.—We commence with the left-hand wall immediately onentering the different rooms.Crowning the Madonna, by Lippi; S. Thomas receiving the Belt from the Virgin, by Benezoto Gozzoli; Scenes from Life of the Virgin, by the same; S. Antonio, by Antonio di Murano; Madonna, by Carlo Crivelli, 1482; Virgin and four Saints, by Bartolo di Murano, 1481; Assumption, SS. Lawrence and Benedict, Catherine and Gertrude—all three by Cola di Amatrice, 1515; S. Jerome, by Santis,in tempera; mosaic flooring from the Palazzo Sorra on the Via Nazionale.

Fourth Room.—Holy Family, by Andrea del Sarto; Annunciation, by Francia; Virgin and Saints in fresco, by Botticelli; Crucifixion, a fresco; Baptism of Christ, by Cæsar da Sesto; a panel, by Perugino; copy of the Transfiguration; copy of Giulio Romano's Coronation; Deposition, by Luca Signorelli; S. Stephen, a sketch, by Giulio Romano.

From here we enter into two off-rooms containingstatues, busts, and reliefs, representing North American Indian life, by Pettrich.

Fifth Room.—Madonna of the Belt, by Spagna; the Virgin with S. John and S. Jerome, by Marko Palmezzano, 1500; three tapestries; S. Peter, by Fra Bartolomeo; Sixtus V., by Domenichino; S. Paul, by Bartolomeo; Madonna and Saints, by Palmezzano; Sixtus V. as Cardinal Peretti, by Sassoferrato; mythological subject, by Paul Veronese; a Pagan Sacrifice, by Caravaggio.

Sixth Room.—Cartoons of Volterra; Annunciation, by Arpino; Christ and the Tribute Money, by Caravaggio; the Supper at Emmaus, by Caravaggio; copy of Guercino's Assumption, original in Russia; copy of Domenichino's S. Andrew; "The First Gentleman in Europe," by Lawrence; S. Thomas, by Cammuccini; a Head, by Vandyck.

Seventh Room.—Cartoons of Maratta's, for S. Peter's dome; a Greek Baptism, by Nocchi, 1840. The last room contains plaster casts of ancient statues.

On the left coming out of the Museum is the back entrance to the Church of S. John. Enter here, and pass out to the front.The bronze statue on the left of the back portico is that of Henry of Navarre.

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