41 



6th February^ igoo. 



Mr. Thomas Workman, J. P., President, in the Chair. 



SOME THOUGHTS ON ROME. 

 By Conway Scott, C.E. 



{Abstract.) 



At the outset the reader surveyed the early history of the city 

 on the Palatine hills, and inquired into th'; causes contributing 

 to the greatness of the Roman power. But walking through 

 the streets of the Rome of to-day, with the mind full of 

 memories of the past, one could hardly realise that it was 

 Rome, the once mighty mistress of the civilised world. Every- 

 thing became so modernised that little remain<»d of the old 

 Pagan city on the Tiber. The ancient architectural magnifi- 

 ce ce of Rome was dealt with, and a minute description given 

 of the present state of the ruins of those monuments of former 

 greatness. He considered that one of the causes of the fall of 

 Kome was the extent ot her possessions, which more or less 

 extinguished her early spirit of patriotism. Another cause was 

 her opposition to Christianity, which in the end won its 

 triumph, and subdued a far vaster realm than ever was held 

 sway over by Roman dictator or Emperor. But the Roman 

 civilisation formed a splendid basis for the Christian civilisation, 

 and to day the once capital city of the world was as famous for 

 sending out the soldiers of the cross to conquer the world for 

 Christ, as ever it was for sending out its legions to win earthly 

 dominions. 



