'200 ST. PETER'S, AT ROME. 



being such, that there is actually more of the material below than above 

 the surface of the ground on which it stands. 



A beautiful Egyptian obelisk, which had once adorned the centre of the 

 circus of Nero, and still remained standing on its original site, was 

 removed by Domenico Fontana, one of the architects of St. Peter's, to 

 the piazza or square in the west front, which was further beautified by 

 two magnificent fountains, each consisting of an immense basin nearly 

 thirty feet in diameter at the level of the pavement, with a stem springing 

 out of the centre, supporting two diminishing granite basins at different 

 heights, and raising itself to the height of upwards of fifty feet. From 

 the summit of each of these stems or shafts gushes and sparkles a 

 torrent of water, the central jets of which rise to nearly seventy feet from 

 the pavement in perpendicular height, and thence the water falls in 

 a tripple cataract from the summit of the jets into the upper, which is 

 the smallest vase or basin ; then passing over the rim of this upper basin 

 in an enlarged column, it descends into the second basin, from which in 

 still greater columns it drops into the lowest, the largest basin of the 

 three, thus producing the beautiful effect of a cone of falling waters. 

 The quantity of water thus in continual play is so great that the materials 

 of the fountains are completely enveloped and hidden from view, though 

 of course, from the translucency of the fluid, the general form of the 

 fountain is obvious enough. The copious supply of water is brought by 

 an ancient Roman aqueduct, from the Lake of Bracciano, about seven- 

 teen miles from Rome; the effect of these fountains are striking and 

 beautiful beyond description, and their flowing is perpetual and un- 

 diminished day and night. Every thing is vast in this splendid pile, the 

 interior of which is surpassingly grand ; the figures of the Evangelists 

 in the inside of the Cupola are of colossal size; the pen in the hand of 

 St. Mark is six feet long. 



The central nave is one hundred and fifty-two feet high, and eighty- 

 nine feet broad ; it is flanked on either side by a noble arcade, the piers 

 of which are decorated with niches and fluted pilasters of the Corinthian 

 order. A semicircular vault, highly enriched with sunken pannels, 

 is thrown across from side to side, and has a most splendid appearance. 

 ' The Cupola" (Michael Angelo's Cupola), says Forsyth, " is glorious, 

 viewed in its designs, its altitude, or even its decoration; viewed either as 

 a whole or apart it enchants the eye, it satisfies the taste, it expands the 

 soul. The very air seems to eat up all that is harsh or colossal, and 

 leaves us nothing but the sublime to feast on, a sublime peculiar to the 

 genius of the architect, and comprehensible only on the spot." The 



