ROME. 



tiff, but to fupport the interefts of their refpective courts ; 

 and in order to attain this object the more effectually, they 

 difplayed a fplendonr and a magnificence nearly royal. The 

 officers of their houfehold were often nobles ot high rank ; 

 their fecretaries and chaplains were men of talents and buli- 

 nefs ; a long train of guards, fervants, and retainers, at- 

 tended their perfons when they appeared in public, and the 

 blaze of the purple, in itfelf to dazzling, was heightened by 

 all the adventitious circumftances of birth, power, and opu- 

 lence. The union of fo many illuftrious perfonages, vyemg 

 with each other in talents and magnificence, gave Rome the 

 appearance of an univerfal court, where all the fovereigns 

 of Europe were aiTembled to difcufs the general interefts of 

 Chriltendom, and to difplay their rival glories in peace and 

 fecurity." 



From this epoch the character of the pontiffs became 

 more epifcopal and pacific, and they have chiefly been 

 occupied with the government of the Catholic church over 

 which they prefide, and with the civil adminiltration of their 

 own territories, which, as we have feen, are fufficiently 

 extenlive to engrofs their utmoil attention. The arts and 

 fciences have at all times, but particularly in the latter cen- 

 turies, met with fpecial encouragement from the popes ; 

 and Rome, enlivened by their conftaHt prefence, cmbellilhed 

 by their munificence, and fed by the produce of feveral ex- 

 tenlive, populous, and well-cultivated provinces, had gra- 

 dually refumed her robes of glory, and began to promife 

 herfelf once more the return of her former dignity and pro- 

 fperity. " She had," fays Mr. Eullace, " been great even 

 in her fall, and venerable in her difalters. She had ceafed 

 to be the miltrefs of the world in arms, but (he Hill remained 

 the miilrefs of the world in arts ; fixe was no longer the 

 capital, but (he was the metropolis of Europe ; not the re- 

 fidence of the firlt fovereign, but the fee of the firft paltor. 

 She had not been fubjedted to flavery as Athens ; fhe had 

 not been reduced to a heap of ruins, as Babylon. She It ill 

 reigned widowed, but independent ; and (till claimed and 

 enjoyed the veneration of kings and of nations. Without 

 fleets or armies (he repofed in fearlefs tranquillity : public 

 reverence, more mighty than military power, covered her 

 head with an invifible aegis, guarded her frontiers, and ie- 

 cured her repofe. Even the nations which had foriaken her 

 communion, and in days of irritation had defied the thunders 

 of her fulminating pontiffs, now looked towards her with 

 refpe£t, and beheld with affection and reverence the benevo- 

 lence, the fandtity, and the humility of her p.iltors. Such 

 ■was the date of Rome during the eighteenth century ; a 

 ftate happy in the enjoyment ot peace, plenty, and increas- 

 ing improvement, and big with the hopes of future and ac- 

 cumulating prolperity. The French invalion cloied the 

 fcene. See Italy. 



Of the Prefail Stale of Rome. — The modern city poffeffes 

 many features of ancient Rome. The fame roads lead to 

 her gates — the fame aqueducts pour the fame ftreams into 

 her fountains — the fame great churches that received the 

 matters of the world under the emperors, are Hill open to 

 their defcendants — the fame venerable walls that incloied io 

 many temples and palaces in the reign of Aurelian, ilill 

 exift. Modern Rome lies extended principally on the plain, 

 and is fcattered thinly over the hills, bordered by villas, 

 gardens, and vineyards. Its population is (uppoled to 

 amount to 200,000 fouls. The Itreets are well built and 

 paved, narrower, in general, than thofe in London, and 

 wider than thofe in Paris: the houfes being low, the Itreets 

 are light and airy : they are many of them very long and 

 ttraight, and not unfrequently terminated by an obehlk, a 

 fountain, or a church. The houfes arc of Hone, but plal- 



tered or ituccoed, as at Vienna, Berlin, Sec. This city con- 

 tains 46 fquares, 5 monumental pillars, 10 obelifks, 13 

 fountains, 22 rnaufoleums, 150 palaces, and 346 churches. 



Of the fquares, the moll remarkable is the Piazza Na- 

 vona, which gradually rofe on the ruins of the Circus Ago- 

 nalis. It is adorned by the handfome church of St. Agnes, 

 and refrefhed by three fountains decorated with ttatues. 

 One of thefe fountains is an obje£t of great admiration, and 

 is thus defcribed. Four figures, reprefenting four rivers, 

 recline on a craggy rock : on its top ftands an Egyptian 

 obehlk ; from its hollow fides rufhes a perpetual ftream. 

 Thefe three fountains are fo managed during the heats of 

 Auguft, as to inundate the whole fquare on Saturdays and 

 Sundays, and afford a very refrefhing exhibition to the 

 Roman gentry, who parade along in their carriages, and to 

 the common people, who always collect in crowds to behold 

 the enlivening fcene. Modern Rome is ten miles in circum- 

 ference, but this extent comprehends gardens and uninha- 

 bited places, and it is defended by the caltle of St. Angelo. 

 In the Rione di Monte is the church of St. Giovanni in La- 

 terano, dedicated to St. John in the feventh century, and 

 raifed on the ruins of a palace built by Conftantine, in the 

 year 324. Near this church is the baptillery of Conftan- 

 tine, celebrated for its ornaments, its antiquities, paintings, 

 columns, and llatues. Before the church is an obelifk, con- 

 ilrutted at Thebes, in Upper Egypt, and brought down 

 the Nile to Alexandria, from whence, by order of Conitan- 

 tius, it was conveyed to Rome. The church of St. Ste- 

 phen, found alfo in this part of Rome, called the round, 

 from its form, is an ancient temple of Fav.nus ; it is fup- 

 ported by iixty pillars of granite or marble of the ifland of 

 Paros. The church of the holy crofs of Jerufalem was 

 built by Conitantine, and is celebrated for its relics, its co- 

 lumns, and its paintings. The ruins of a temple, dedicated 

 to Venus and Cupid : the monaftery of St. Eufebius, built 

 on the ruins of the baths and palace of Gordianus : Tra- 

 jan's pillar, one of the motl beautiful monuments of ancient 

 Rome : the remains of the baths of Titus, of temples de- 

 dicated to Concord, to Peace, to Jupiter Tonans, to Jupi- 

 ter Stator, with many other churches, palaces, and monu- 

 ments of antiquity, are to be found in this quarter of 

 Rome. 



In the Rione di Trevi is found the church of the Twelve 

 Apoltles, tirlt built in the reign of Conitantine, and rebuilt 

 by Clement XI. This ward hkewife contains a church, de- 

 dicated to our Lady of Lorctto, adorned with Corinthian 

 pillars and the molt beautiful llatucs ; the church of St. 

 Mary in Trivio, built or repaired by Belifarius ; the churches 

 of St. Vincent, of Analtafius, and many luperb palaces. 

 The Rione di Colonna contains, befides churches, the Piazza 

 di Colonna, of which the buildings are handfome : in this 

 fquare is a fountain, and a marble column of Antoninus, 

 conitru&ed in the time of Commodus, and all of marble : 

 in this ward is the great hall of Juftice ; the houfe of the 

 miflionaries, whither all eccleliallics of Rome retire for ten 

 days before they receive holy orders, witli feveral palaces 

 and monuments of antiquity. The Rione di Campo di 

 Marzo contains the ancient Campus Martins ; in this are 

 found feveral beautiful churches and magnificent palaces ; 

 among other buildings is the Clementine college, founded by 

 pope Clement VII J. The Rione di Pontc takes its name 

 from the bridge of St. Angelo; in it are found a college 

 Eor one hundred ftudents, Hungarians and Germans. The 

 Rjone della Regola, near the Tiber, contains the Famefe 



palace, in which is feen the celebrated coloflal llatuc of Her- 

 cules, and many other. : this palace was built by Michael 

 Angelo, with the llonc taken from Vefpafiau's amphi- 

 theatre : 



