The title of Augustus was given by the Roman senate to Octavius, January 13th, B. C. 27. The successors of Octavius assumed the same title,- -so that Emperor and Augustus became synonymous; this may be observed in the Acts, where St. Paul, speaking of Nero, speaks of him under the title of Augustus.

CHAPTER XIV.

The Borghese Gallery-The Pantheon-La Vergine della Rotunda -Bronze of the Rotunda.

THE liberality of the Italian princes cannot be too much praised in allowing foreigners and artists to see their gal leries of pictures. The Principe Borghese stands preeminent in this liberality; he married one of the sisters of Buonaparte; she is now dead, and he is in Paris, and his beautiful palaces are vacant. It would be like enumerating all the flowers of Paradise, to mention all that charms us here. There is a Sybil, in the first room, of Cagnaci; Sir Joshua Reynolds must have seen this;-perfect ease, enchanting grace, and fine colouring. In the second room is a chef-d'œuvre of Dominichino, "La Caccia di Diana," with all his strong and living action. I could have looked very, very long on an exquisite head of St. Francis, by Annibale Caracci, with all his harmonious, vigorous colouring. In the middle of this room is a magnificent porphyry urn, said to have held the ashes of Adrian, found in his mausoleum. It is now used as a fountain.

In the third room is "St. Anthony preaching to the Fish!" They are devoutly lifting up their heads to hear— very ludicrous, but most noble in its warmth of colouring; it is by Paul Veronese.

Near this is a deposition of the cross by Raffaello, full of thought, expression, and beauty. We were charmed with

VOL. I.

L

the St. Cecilia of Dominichino, usually called the “Cumean Sybil;" the colouring is strong and beautiful, and it almost lives and breathes music and love.

The Resurrection of Lazarus, by Caracci, is a most noble composition; and the Prodigal Son, by Titian, embraces all the perfection of chiaroscuro and mellowness of colouring, with all the effect of guilt and of repentance. Cæsar Borgia! by Raffaello, an astonishing effect of art -really perfect-darkly living, magic colouring.

Divine and Earthly Love, by Titian: most beauteous colouring; but Earthly Love is sadly vulgar and sullen; the Celestial, that of Paradise, these, as well as his Three Graces, are beyond all commendation. St. John in the Desert is a There are four pictures of

noble effort of Paul Veronese.

Albano's, representing the Seasons.

In the sixth room is

a Leda, painted with a just conception; a good imitation of Leonardo da Vinci, Susannah, with all the flowing line and warm colouring and true expression of Rubens. Julio Romano's portrait of the Fornarina of Raffaello-all that painting ought to be, and all that a woman ought not to be. This, indeed, may be called the room of Venus. One in the bath, by Julio Romano; one by Paul Veronese, with a satyr; one in the sea, by Cambiasi.

In the last room is the wife of Titian, under the character of Judith; a Holy Family, by Julio Romano; a Cook, by Caravaggio, and an infant Jesus, all partake of the superb talents of these princes of painters. Indeed, one is more than ever convinced that, to obtain real perfection in this art, the industry of a whole life must be added to the bounteous gifts of nature. It requires years merely to examine what these gifted men have produced.

The Principe Borghese has eleven apartments full of

these treasures of art. But, it is not possible to walk here, and in the noble gardens of his villa, to know that he is a widower, and to learn all that he endured in the time of Buonaparte, without perceiving that "he builds too low who builds beneath the skies." Volumes would be needful to do justice to this gallery. There is no end to the wonders of genius in Rome.

We went soon afterwards to view the Pantheon.

THE PANTHEON.

This magnificent temple is in the best preservation of any ancient building in Rome; it was built twenty-six years before the Christian era, and dedicated to Jupiter; and to Augustus, in commemoration of his victory over Anthony and Cleopatra. It is circular, and has a most noble portico of pillars of the Corinthian order, formed of red granite, with white marble capitals.

The unfolding of prodigious doors exposes to view a circular hall of vast extent, with a lofty dome lighted through a central aperture; its pavement and lining are of marble. Its cornice, which is of white marble, is supported by sixteen pillars of giallo antico; there are eight recesses, and eight altars, formerly occupied by heathen deities. The diameter of this pavement is one hundred and thirty-two feet, the same as the height of the building; the walls are nineteen feet thick; the opening in the vault of the roof is twenty-six feet in diameter. It is beautiful to see the clear blue of an Italian sky over this fine dome; but the light of heaven should not fall on the idol altars of pagan, or of modern Rome. "For the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and

Godhead, so that they are without excuse." The statue of Jupiter the Avenger was found in the middle of the Tribune. In the place of Jupiter, in 608, Boniface set up a large female idol, calling it "La Vergine della Rotunda," and the niches of the inferior gods are now occupied by the idols of the Romish calendar. A friend told me, that walking in the Pantheon, and not taking particular notice of this Idol Virgin, the costode followed her, and drawing her back, said, "Ha parlato, ha parlato:" he then said, that being without a crown, the Virgin had demanded one, and accordingly she now shines in a golden crown and stars ; we observed very many persons at her shrine. This is the very idol of which Mr. Wolff, the missionary, speaks in his memoirs. He says, "I frequently heard the noise of a crowd of people flocking to the church, called the Rotunda, and exclaiming, The mother opens her eyes, and works miracles.' The clergy send soldiers to guard the image; one priest reads mass, and another collects money for the Mother.' It is true, the greater part of the clergy we conversed with contended that this was only the fanaticism of the people. But why does the Pope approve such idolatrous fanaticism? Why do priests collect money for the support of that image? and celebrate mass before the altar of that image? The Vicar General, in a printed paper, approved the miracles said to be wrought by this image of the Virgin! and this in the year 1819!!!" Pope Urban added all the saints, and instituted the feast dedicated to them.

The busts of artists, which once decorated the pedestals where the inferior pagan gods had been placed, have been removed to the Capitol. "Hélas Corinne, nous ne reviendrons jamais quand votre buste y sera placée." If this