﻿622 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  A. 
  W. 
  Cutler 
  

  

  IN 
  A 
  SUNLIT 
  ROMAN 
  COURT 
  

  

  But 
  we 
  are 
  forgetting 
  Sixtus 
  V, 
  the 
  

   "strong 
  man" 
  of 
  his 
  time, 
  "the 
  one 
  man 
  

   who 
  is 
  worthy 
  of 
  my 
  hand," 
  quoth 
  Queen 
  

   Elizabeth. 
  There 
  is 
  much 
  we 
  are 
  forget- 
  

   ting. 
  We 
  have 
  not 
  climbed 
  the 
  Scala 
  

   Santa, 
  the 
  twenty-eight 
  marble 
  steps 
  from 
  

   Pilate's 
  palace 
  at 
  Jerusalem, 
  where 
  Luther 
  

   heard 
  the 
  voices 
  declaring, 
  "The 
  just 
  shall 
  

   live 
  by 
  faith" 
  ; 
  nor 
  seen 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  the 
  

   Sancta 
  Sanctorum, 
  the 
  private 
  chapel 
  of 
  

   the 
  popes, 
  which 
  remains 
  from 
  the 
  palace 
  

   of 
  1278. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  to 
  the 
  Palazzo 
  del 
  

   Ouirinale, 
  built 
  for 
  a 
  summer 
  residence 
  

   for 
  the 
  popes 
  (1574) 
  because 
  the 
  hill 
  was 
  

   higher 
  and 
  airier 
  than 
  the 
  low 
  Monte 
  

   Vaticano, 
  and, 
  since 
  1870, 
  the 
  residence 
  

   of 
  the 
  King 
  (see 
  page 
  614). 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  slighted 
  the 
  museums 
  and 
  

   galleries, 
  the 
  great 
  palaces 
  and 
  gardens; 
  

   we 
  have 
  bought 
  no 
  flowers 
  by 
  the 
  "Span- 
  

   ish 
  Stairs," 
  nor 
  watched 
  the 
  urchins 
  turn- 
  

   ing 
  cart-wheels 
  in 
  the 
  hope 
  of 
  soldi. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  given 
  no 
  thought 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  

   monastic 
  orders 
  nor 
  their 
  influence 
  on 
  

   Roman 
  history. 
  

  

  WHEN 
  ROME 
  OUTWITTED 
  THE 
  CENSOR 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  not 
  asked 
  Pasquino's 
  opinion 
  

   on 
  political 
  questions 
  of 
  the 
  day, 
  but 
  if 
  

  

  dispatches 
  are 
  being 
  censored 
  he 
  is 
  sure 
  

   to 
  have 
  one. 
  He 
  and 
  Marforio, 
  the 
  river- 
  

   god, 
  held 
  long 
  satirical 
  dialogues 
  in 
  the 
  

   days 
  of 
  overcensored 
  Rome. 
  He 
  is 
  the 
  

   fragment 
  of 
  an 
  ancient 
  marble 
  group 
  by 
  

   the 
  Palazzo 
  Braschi. 
  Tradition 
  says 
  a 
  

   tailor 
  gave 
  him 
  his 
  name. 
  

  

  The 
  ironical 
  epigrams 
  were 
  pasted 
  on 
  

   the 
  marble, 
  and 
  in 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  day, 
  possi- 
  

   bly 
  an 
  hour, 
  an 
  answer 
  appeared 
  on 
  Mar- 
  

   forio, 
  yet 
  none 
  saw 
  them 
  arrive. 
  

  

  The 
  popes 
  were 
  often 
  pilloried 
  thus, 
  

   and 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  wanted 
  to 
  throw 
  the 
  

   statues 
  in 
  the 
  Tiber, 
  but 
  did 
  not 
  dare. 
  

  

  Marforio 
  is 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  Vatican 
  and 
  

   presumably 
  silent 
  — 
  but 
  how 
  lonely! 
  

   When 
  Napoleon 
  carried 
  off 
  Pius 
  VII 
  to 
  

   Paris, 
  Pasquino 
  said, 
  "I 
  Francesi 
  son 
  

   tutti 
  ladri" 
  (The 
  French 
  are 
  all 
  robbers), 
  

   and 
  Marforio 
  replied, 
  "Non 
  tutti, 
  ma 
  

   Buona-parte." 
  ( 
  Not 
  all, 
  but 
  a 
  good 
  part. 
  ) 
  

  

  A 
  VISIT 
  TO 
  ST. 
  PETER'S 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  to 
  St. 
  Peter's, 
  but 
  

   we 
  can 
  see 
  it 
  from 
  here, 
  its 
  great 
  dome 
  

   floating 
  in 
  the 
  blue. 
  Go 
  nearer 
  it 
  if 
  you 
  

   will 
  ; 
  learn 
  the 
  meaning 
  of 
  its 
  bigness, 
  of 
  

   your 
  own 
  insignificance 
  (see 
  page 
  624). 
  

  

  The 
  great 
  colonnades 
  reach 
  out 
  their 
  

   arms 
  to 
  inclose 
  you, 
  the 
  fountains 
  toss 
  

  

  