CHAP. XV.ROME.
I took up my residence at Francis’s hotel, in the Strada Conducto; this house has a table d’hôte, said to be the only one in Rome, ready at four o’clock, and consisting of partly an Italian, and partly an English dinner, for which, with a bottle or more of good wine, they charge six pauls, equal to about two shillings and nine pence sterling. The house being very full, I did not succeed in getting so good a bed-room as I could have wished.
In the morning, I engaged aservitore de piazza, orvalet de place, and sallied forth to deliver the letters with which I had been intrusted, and particularly to call upon Dr. Clarke, to whom I had an introduction. After attending the English divine service, I visited that most magnificent of all Christian temples, the church of St. Peter’s, in which every Christian country in the world, at the time of its erection, may fairly claim a proprietorship, as each contributed largely to its edification. On entering it, I felt myself impressed with awe and veneration, and notwithstanding the distinctions of ceremony, did not fail to offer up myhumble adoration and thanks to the Almighty, for his protection, and mercies so abundantly bestowed upon me, since the first moment of my existence.
It would be ridiculous in me to attempt a description of this grand and magnificent structure, while so many correct and interesting delineations exist.
I spent the evening at Dr. Clarke’s, where I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman, Mr. L⸺, who had been robbed three nights before, on his return from Tivoli. He did me the favour to relate the circumstances, which were as follow:
Having, with three other gentlemen, engaged a carriage for the day, to see the falls of Tivoli, the party imprudently deferred their return, until the approach of evening. On arriving within two miles of Rome, they were compelled to turn out for a short distance, into a temporary road, in consequence of the main one being under repair; here, from the darkness of the night, which had become so intense that they could not see their horses’ heads, the coachman lost his way, and was obliged to make inquiries of various charcoal drivers, whom they fell in with; as they were on the point of regaining the main road, the coachman cried out “Genti, Genti,” immediately upon which, the carriage was surrounded by banditti. The gentlemen attempted to rush out of the carriage,in hopes of escaping through the darkness of the night, but, with the exception of Mr. L⸺, were immediately secured and plundered. The latter gentleman, after having a musket discharged at him, the fire of which singed his coat and waistcoat, while the ball passed so near as to leave a black mark on his side, succeeded in getting to a dry ditch, bounded by a wall, which he in vain attempted to scale; he therefore determined to lie quiet until the affair was over, taking a valuable watch out of his pocket, and concealing it in one of his gaiters: shortly after, he heard his friends calling him by name, and concluding that the robbers were gone, quitted his place of concealment, in order to rejoin them, when, to his great surprise, he was seized and plundered. They felt for his watch, which he pretended not to have with him, but this would not do; with a dagger at his breast, they menaced instant death if it was not produced; he then stated that he had left it at his place of concealment, and begged them to accompany him to search for it, when after pretending to seek for it, he gave it up, requesting that one particular seal might be returned: this however, after a consultation with their captain, was refused.
The banditti now departed, directing them not to stir until they were off the ground, when theyproceeded without farther interruption to Rome. The reason of Mr. L⸺ being called by his friends to be robbed, was this; that the banditti, fully aware of a fourth person having escaped, threatened to murder the whole of the three, unless he was produced, so that they found it necessary for their own safety to discover him. One of the gentlemen was slightly wounded in the hand by a stiletto, in his attempt to escape. On reaching Rome, they immediately repaired to the police, who expressed concern, but took the matter very cooly, and instead of sending out a party in pursuit, desired them to call again in the morning; and here the affair ended. Strong suspicion fell on the charcoal drivers, for they had passed many of their carts just before; and such persons, as well as the peasantry of this country, are notorious robbers, whenever a convenient opportunity offers.
I shall follow up the above anecdote, with an account of another occurrence of the same nature, that took place about this time.
A French ship of war having put into Civita Vecchia, the captain, with his surgeon and another officer, engaged a carriage to take them to Rome; at one o’clock they stopped to dine at a small village, and set off again at three; soon after this they all fell into a sleep, from which they wereroused by four peasant-like fellows, armed with muskets, who made them get out of the coach, and lie on the ground upon their faces, one man standing sentry over each officer, while the fourth plundered the carriage; while this was proceeding, the captain ventured to propose to his companions, in French, which the banditti did not understand, that each should spring up, at a signal, and seize his guard by surprise, expressing his belief that he could overpower his man before the one from the coach could get to assist him, in which case he should be ready for his reception; the proposal was acceded to; the word given, and the attack made; after a severe struggle they succeeded in disarming the whole four, who scampered off, the Frenchmen firing after them in their retreat, and wounding one of them; they then entered Rome with the captured muskets in triumph.
On the following day, after delivering letters and arranging some private business, I visited Monte Cavallo, so named from two colossal statues representing Castor and Pollux, each holding a horse. The figures of these gods are remarkably fine antiques, the one supposed to be the production of Phidias, the other of Praxiteles, and once adorned Athens. The horses are very inferior, and of modern workmanship. Afterward I returned to dinner at my hotel, and had thepleasure of meeting there Count K⸺, whom I had known at Nice. Two English ladies also dined to-day at our table d’hôte; and some American naval officers belonging to the Peacock sloop, who had been cruizing off the coast of Barbary; these gentlemen, from the similarity of their uniform, were, by some of the English, mistaken for British officers.
As I proposed to spend at least a month in Rome, and found the bustle of an hotel unpleasant, Dr. Clark did me the favour to procure me comfortable lodgings in the Piazza di Spagnia, and within a very short distance of his own residence. I cannot too strongly acknowledge the kindness of this gentleman and his lady, during my residence in this city.
On Wednesday, the fourth of April, I began, in company with two friends, to examine the remains of antiquity which abound in this city. We first directed our steps to Trajan’s pillar, in our way to which we passed a parade of his holiness’s soldiers; they were fine bodied men, but their state of discipline evidenced the degeneracy of the warriors of modern Rome.
We now ascended the pillar of Trajan, by a spiral staircase of one hundred and eighty-three steps, cut out of solid marble, twenty-three blocks of which, placed horizontally one over the other,compose the column; from the summit, which is surrounded by an iron railing, there is a fine view of the city. This beautiful pillar had formerly a gilded bronze statue of the emperor Trajan placed on its summit, with a globe in his hand, containing his own ashes, which was, by Pope Sextus the Fifth, exchanged for one of St. Peter. At its lower extremity the pillar is twelve feet in diameter, gradually diminishing as it ascends to ten; the height, from the base to the top of the statue, is one hundred and thirty-three feet; the outside of the column is beautifully ornamented in basso relievo, with a representation of the Dacian war, admirably wrought on a continued spiral line from the bottom of the column to its top, as a memorial of his success in which, the Roman senate erected and dedicated this noble structure to the emperor, whose name it still bears. The spot, on which it stands, was formerly the centre of the forum of Trajan.
After this we walked over what was once the celebrated Forum Romanum, originally built by Romulus, and where the courts of justice were held. This once important square, now known by the name of the Campo Vaccino, was supposed to have been seven hundred and fifty feet in length and five hundred broad.
From hence we extended our walk to the Palatine-hill,passing near the Via Sacra, which lay about eight or ten feet below us, and from which the rubbish had been cleared to make it visible; we then pursued our way to the baths of Livy; the Coliseum; and the tomb of Cestius, which is a pyramidal structure, one hundred and twenty feet in height, and ninety square at its base; it is situated adjoining to the wall of the city, very near the burial ground for foreigners, amongst the various tombs of which my companions noticed several with English inscriptions.
We now passed on to Monte Testaccio, which has derived its existence and name, from the quantities of broken vases, mixed with rubbish, which have been deposited upon its site. The top of this mound is surmounted by a cross.
Although our Ciceroni were much fatigued with their excursion, we could not forbear visiting the Tarpeian Rock, and the Pantheon. On our return, as it was too late for Francis’s table d’hôte, we dined at atrattorias, where a variety of dishes are kept ready cooked, or ready for cooking at a moment’s notice. They have also a great variety of good wines, and amongst the rest, we here tasted the Orvieto, so justly extolled as a delicious beverage, and which reminded me forcibly of good bottled Devonshire cider.
During my residence at Rome, I generally preferreddining at one of these houses, as possessing some advantages over the table d’hôte; strangers find here a great facility in acquiring the language, as the conversation is carried on almost exclusively in the Italian tongue; while, at the same time, an Englishman is sure to meet with numbers of his countrymen. The present was the season of Lent, when Rome is generally thought to be badly supplied with provisions; I was not, however, conscious of any deficiency, except in the article of lamb, which is forbidden to be sold or made use of during this season; but they contrive to have young kid as a substitute, and which is made use of in great abundance. I am told that different houses of entertainment pay the pope for a licence to serve heretics, during the season of Lent, with forbidden viands.
On the following day, being Thursday, I visited the Vatican for the first time: this museum is open for public inspection every Thursday and Sunday, but it is possible to gain admittance on any other day, and also to see it in the evening by torch-light, although by a late regulation, the nocturnal parties are restricted to twelve persons at a time, as many as can see the rooms with advantage.
My feelings on entering the museum of the finest sculpture in the world, were not of that rapturous nature, which I hear every amateur of thisbeautiful and interesting art, or even a common observer, express. No! it was not with me as with others, who, on entering the room, are struck by a collection of the finest statues bursting on their view, not knowing what first, or most to admire, being for a time lost in the confusion of delightful variety, and viewing them collectively, before they can fix their attention on any single object; how different were my feelings! for when it was announced that I was in the midst of these exquisite works of art, although my imagination was raised to the highest pitch, and well adapted to supply the deficiency of visual organs, it could but faintly convey to my mind, the impressions which an ocular inspection, as above described, must have excited. This coup d’œil, with me, was not only wanting, but I had to walk up to each statue in rotation, and listen to a tame description of its beauties. I was even not allowed the advantage of examining by the touch, as soldiers were placed in each apartment, to prevent such violation: had I been freely permitted this kind of examination, I doubt not, that I might have been as highly gratified as those who saw, for the sense of touch conveys to my mind as clear, or at least as satisfactory, ideas of the form, and I think I may add, the force of expression, as sight does to others. I did occasionally examinethem in this way by stealth, when I was apprised that the soldiers’ backs were turned towards me.
After leaving the Vatican, I walked with a friend in the gardens of the Villa Medici, where we met the Cardinal Pacca, to whom I had the honour of being introduced, and who behaved in the most polite and affable manner, conversing with me for some time in French.
On Saturday, the 12th of April, a criminal was guillotined in the Piazza del Popolo, for committing various robberies and murders, notwithstanding, he was only twenty-three years of age. Criminals are not here arraigned before their judge and accusers, but the charge is examined, and the sentence awarded in private; nor is the convict acquainted with the nature of his sentence, if the punishment of death is decreed, until the middle of the night before execution, when a priest gives the information, and urges him to confession, in which case, the sentence is carried into effect at nine o’clock in the morning; otherwise, if he refuses to confess, it is deferred until three in the afternoon.
In the middle of the night, of the 11th and 12th of April, a fire broke out in the house where one of my particular friends, Mr. H⸺, resided, and which compelled him to remove Mrs. H⸺, hisfamily, and valuable effects, in the first instance, into the middle of the street, and afterwards to the residence of a friend. The accident originated in the apartment of an Italian lawyer, who resided on the floor above Mr. H⸺, and, in consequence of a drunken servant dropping a candle on his straw mattress; the whole room was soon in flames, which burst out from the windows, and made a most frightful appearance, but were at length extinguished by throwing in buckets of water, and without communicating beyond the room in which they commenced. Perhaps I ought rather to say, they extinguished themselves for want of more fuel, having lasted until the few contents of the room were consumed, being prevented from extending, in consequence of the stone floors and staircase, and the thickly plastered walls. The engines were brought, and immense crowds of people assembled, evidently for amusement, for although Mr. H⸺ exerted himself to the utmost to extinguish the flames, he could not induce the by-standers to give the least assistance. In the morning, his family returned to their apartments, without having sustained any other injury than the fright.
On Sunday I attended divine service, at the English place of worship, which was a large room in the house of Mrs. L⸺. After this I visitedthe Capitol, where I met with no one to prevent my touching the statues, &c. In the evening, we had some delightful music and singing in the Chiesa Nuova, the operatic character of which, however, impressed me more with the idea of a theatre, than a church. After this we concluded the day at Dr. C⸺’s.
We had now several rainy days, which prevented my getting out as usual. On Thursday the 12th, I again visited the Vatican, with increased pleasure, as I was enabled to recognise many of the statues as old acquaintances. On the following day, Mr. C⸺ and myself visited the churches of St. Pietro in Vinculis; Sta. Maria Maggiore; St. Martin; and the chapel of Remus.
We afterward explored the baths of Titus, the Forum, and the Coliseum. At the latter, we remained some time examining the Arena; we ascended the long staircases; traversed the encircling corridors; looked into the baker’s oven; and carried off, as sacred relics, a small piece of brick pavement, and one of the many wild plants, which grew upon the walls. During this research, a monk, attended by a number of followers, entered the Amphitheatre, took his station near the centre, and treated us with an exhibition of very correspondent character, to what had so frequently been displayed on this spot, during theperiods of the glory of Rome. He paced backwards and forwards upon the space of a few yards, ranting most violently, and accompanying his voice with such gesticulations and actions, that he might, by a slight effort of imagination, have been readily mistaken for a wild beast displaying on the Arena. I am almost ashamed to acknowledge, that a ludicrous comparison of former, with present times, suggested itself to our minds while he was detailing to an admiring and approving audience, in this roaring manner, the virtues of the blessed Virgin, and asserting her claims to be worshipped in preference to our Saviour himself, and every other power in heaven or on earth, above or below; the only cool spectators besides ourselves, were three German artists, who, however, paid a greater compliment to the orator than we did, for although they continued their sketches of the building, they took off their hats out of respect for the religion of the country.