"We reached the Pantheon-the Pantheon of ancient Rome. Time had been, when perishing mortals received apotheosis there. But things are changed, yet scarcely for the better. The beautifully proportioned and graceful structure is now overrun with Popery. Altars are erected at every part of the bold circle; and Popish devotees were actively engaged in what they deemed religious exercises, before each. On the steps of one altar lay a large crucifix, with wax candles in abundance burning on either side. Many persons knelt and fervently kissed the feet of the wax caricature of our adorable Redeemer, and at the same time dropped a small pecuniary offering into a little dish, placed for that purpose near the object of adoration. Money and devotedness are inseparably connected in the Church of Rome.

"The next object which fixed our attention was the Mons Capitolinus-the site, and part of the ancient structure of the Capitol, around which memory congregates associations of the most heart-stirring kind. In front of the Capitol stands the undoubtedly ancient equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius . . . it is as fresh as ever, and as nobly graceful. From the tower of the Capitol we obtained a general view of the chief remains of Rome's greatness, together with the far-spreading Campagna, and the course of the muddy Tiber. Directly under us, and somewhat to the left, were the Mamertine prisons; those gloomy abodes of torture and death, in whose sad shadows the great apostle of the Gentiles once lay captive and bound; and near them, rather more towards the south, the remains of the temple dedicated to Jupiter Tonans, consisting of three exquisitely beautiful Corinthian columns of marble; to the right of these the portico of the temple of Concord, and to the left, the richly sculptured arch of Septimus Severus. And there, too, lay the site of the Forum Romanum, all silent and desolate ;-no voice of riveting eloquence is there. Carrying the eye onwards to

the left, and passing the remains of heathen temples now transformed into churches, and bearing about them the trinkets and trappings of Popery-the Colosseum, that noble monument which attests alike the greatness and the littleness of Rome, stands prominently in the field of vision.

"Viewed by daylight from the summit of the Capitol, or at night, when the rich flood of moonbeams is poured upon it, the Colosseum is indeed a wonderful object of interest. I contemplated it under both aspects, and the impression will not be easily obliterated. Time was, when the noble and the graceful, the royal and the gifted, the virgin and the matron, the poet and the philosopher, found their places on those now crumbling seats, capable of containing their thousands upon thousands; and, gazing on the vast area formed for deadly conflict, there sought, in the sad excitement of the scene, for gratifications which the graceful and

rational pursuits of life had failed to afford. Popery has set up her symbols in that scene of Pagan heartlessness, only exchanging one kind of darkness for another. Penitential stations now surround the area; a large crucifix occupies its centre; and indulgences are granted in proportion to the number of kisses which it receives from devotees.

"Glancing onwards from the Colosseum to the right, the eye rests upon the arch of Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome-Christian, alas! whose way to the imperial purple was tracked in blood. Returning up the Via Sacra, or Via Triumphalis, we find it spanned by the arch of Titus, sculptured with the story of Jerusalem's fall under the Roman arms, and with the symbolic furniture of the temple in bold relief, restored after a lapse of nearly eighteen centuries. Whatever may be the feelings with which we contemplate the arch of Titus, and whatever the motive which led to its erection, whether pride, vanity, or ostentation, yet there it stands, a record of prophecy fulfilled, and of the purposes of Jehovah accomplished in the destruction of Jerusalem, the sacking of the temple, and the final dispersion of God's ancient people; and there probably it will stand, till the city of David shall again put on her glorious apparel, and the now scattered multitudes of Israel shall say, 'Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.'

"To the right of the arch of Titus, as seen from the Capitol, stands the Palatine Hill, crowned with the crumbling remains of those palaces in which the Cæsars moved the machinery of Rome's mighty and once irresistible empire. Not a trace remains of anything, but of the perishableness of earthly greatness; and of this there is abundance. The ploughshare has passed over those scenes in which pride and luxury and cruelty held united sway; and now, rank overgrowth and squalid wretchedness are left to declare how the glory which was not after godliness has passed away like a dream. If kings and empires were disposed to learn, a rich volume

of instruction is to be gathered from the Mons Palatinus, and the heart-humbling history which is embodied in the very name."-FISK's Pastor's Memorial.

ARCH OF TITUS.

"We must ascend from the Colosseum towards the Arch of Titus-the distance is short. We have broken masses of brickwork and fragments of pillars, with the temple of Venus, and Rome, at our right; the ruins of the Palatine, not hidden by the vegetable gardens, on our left. As we approach the beautiful Arch of Titus slowly, we have an opportunity of examining its proportions, ornaments, and bas-reliefs. The extreme whiteness of the marble, which is as if cut yesterday from the quarry, proves the purity of the air, which seems peculiarly favourable to the preservation of architectural edifices. The arch of Titus is much smaller, but more elegant than that of Constantine, and has but a carriage-way through the centre. The carvings relate to Jewish ceremonies, and the monument has a profound interest in reference to the history and prophecies of Christianity. The interior is decorated with two basreliefs; one represents Titus in his triumphal car, crowned with victory, and surrounded by the Roman soldiers carrying the fasces; the other represents a procession, with the spoils of the Temple, the seven-branched candlestick, the trumpets, the table with the shew-bread, and the captive Jews, &c. We can read the historian's narrative of the triumph of the conqueror of the Jews with a deep interest.

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The Senate had decreed a triumph for the Emperor, and another for Titus. Vespasian chose to wait till he had a partner to enjoy the glory of the day. They both entered Rome in the same triumphal car; the pomp and magnificence displayed on the occasion exceeded all former splendour. The spoils of war, the wealth of conquered nations, the wonders of art, and the riches

of Egypt, as well as Jerusalem, presented a spectacle that dazzled the eye, and filled the spectators with delight and wonder. The colours and ensigns exhibited a lively representation of the Jewish war;-the battles that were fought; the cities that were stormed; the towers and temples that were wrapped in flames; all were drawn with art, and decorated with the richest colouring. The prisoners of war formed a long procession."-WHITESIDE'S Italy.

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THE APPIAN WAY.

Quitting the city by the (gate of St. John) we had on our right the remains of the Appian way, with its fragments of ancient Roman tombs. On the left were the aqueducts-those splendid and costly means for supplying Rome with her overflowing fulness of fountains.

"Our route lay towards Albano, near to which the Appian way is met by the more modern road. A drive of between three and four hours brought us to Albano, from the heights of which the eye could range over the whole Campagna,-bounded on one side by the Mediterranean, and on the other by the Apennines, and there lay Rome-that once 'mighty heart' with her now faint pulsation, scarcely telling of life... it was something thus to look down on Rome-as the seat of some of the earth's most astounding dramas—as the seat of apostasy's worst form.

"On our right, as we descended from the carriage, and proceeded on foot up the hills of Albano, we had a tract of rich agricultural country, bounded by the sea

We were on the very road traversed by St Paul, when, after his shipwreck, he went up to Rome by way of Appii Forum and the Three Taverns, the usually assigned sites of which places lay before us. Although, in all probability, the country has in many of its details undergone considerable change since it was visited by the great Apostle of the Gentiles, yet it was deeply interest