THE ARCH OF CONSTANTINE.

VIGNETTE.

Ces portes triomphales qu'on voit encore à Rome, perpetuaient, autant que les hommes le peuvent les honneurs rendus à la gloire. Il y avait sur leurs sommets une place destinée aux joueurs de flûte et de trompette, pour que le vainqueur, en passant, fut enivré tout à la fois par la musique et par la louange et goûtât dans un même moment toutes les emotions les plus exaltées.

DE STAEL.

THE Arch of Constantine is one of the best preserved monuments of Roman antiquity which have been transmitted to modern times. It was erected in honour of the signal victory obtained by the emperor, near Rome, over the troops of the infamous Matius; a victory chiefly owing to the gallantry of Constantine himself, who charged in person the cavalry of the enemy. This triumph was followed by the celebration of numerous games and festivals at Rome; and several edifices, which had been raised at the expense of Maxentius, were now dedicated to his conqueror. To preserve the memory of the victory, the triumphal arch was decreed, which is still distinguished by the emperor's name. So low, however, had the arts fallen, that no sculptor could be found whose skill was considered adequate to the erection of this magnificent trophy, and the arch of Trajan was unscrupulously destroyed to furnish the materials for that of Constantine. The ruins of the former were traced by

a diligent antiquary, whose labours are recorded by the learned Montfaucon. "The difference of times and persons, of actions and characters, was totally disregarded. The Parthian captives appear prostrate at the feet of a prince who never carried his arms beyond the Euphrates, and curious antiquarians can still discover the head of Trajan on the trophies of Constantine. The new ornaments, which it was necessary to introduce between the vacancies of ancient sculpture, are executed in the rudest and most unskilful manner." Antiquarians are not well agreed as to the particular portions of Constantine's Arch which were borrowed from that of Trajan. After speaking of the Arch of Septimius Severus, Mr. Forsyth adds, "Constantine's Arch is larger, nobler, and even more correct in its architecture; the only object now in review: but is that architecture its own? We know that its columns, statues, and relievi are not; and we may fairly suspect that even its composition was also stolen from other works, as Constantine's reign was notorious for architectural robbing."

to give an adequate description of this vast subterranean city of the dead. Those who are desirous of obtaining an accurate knowledge of the singular antiquities which it contains must consult the Roma Sotteranea of the learned Antonio Bosio, who devoted a great portion of his time to the examination and description of the catacombs. According to the narrative of a contemporary writer, Bosio does not appear to have been much affected by the solitude and sanctity of the place. He and his companions carried with them underground a complete apparatus for cooking, and a skilful proficient in that art, making the deserted mansions of the dead re-echo with the sound of their revelry. Perhaps the best specimens of the catacombs are those of Calixtus, explored by Bosio in the year 1593, and situated between the church of St. Maria in Palmis, and the Via Appia. So vast is its extent, that Bosio, though he employed many days in tracking its passages, was unable to complete his survey of it, some new gallery always presenting itself. The passages in general are high enough to allow a person to walk upright, though occasionally they are so narrow as to be almost impassable. In the solid rock are excavated spaces for the reception of the dead bodies, which are generally enclosed in stone coffins. The principal chambers of the catacombs of Calixtus are four in number, communicating with one another. Both the walls and

the ceilings are highly ornamented with historical subjects from the Old and New Testament, which may be found represented in the Roma Sotteranea.

Lady Miller, in her letters from Italy, has given a

lively description of the catacombs, and of an adventure that happened to her there. "We explored them accompanied by a ragged ill-looking fellow whose business is to sweep the church and to show these silent mansions of the dead. One of our footmen was sent of a message, the other followed us. We were provided with little wax candles, and descended the staircase, each carrying a lighted bougie; the others were for provision, lest any of those already lighted should burn out or extinguish. Having at length reached the bottom, after no very agreeable descent, we found ourselves in a labyrinth of very narrow passages turning and winding incessantly; most of these are upon the slope, and, I believe, go down into the earth to a considerable depth. They are not wider than to admit one person at a time, but branch out various ways like the veins in the human body; they are also extremely damp, being lodged in the earth, and caused our candles to burn blue. In the side niches are deposited the bodies (as they say) of more than seventy-four thousand martyrs. These niches are mostly closed up by an upright slab of marble, which bears an inscription descriptive of their contents. Several are also buried under these passages, whose graves are secured by iron grates. We followed our tattered guide for a considerable time through the passages; at last he stopped, and told M. if he would go with him to a certain souterrain just by, he would show him a remarkable catacomb. At that moment I was staring about at the inscriptions, and took it for granted that M. was really very near; but after some moments I asked the footman who was standing at the entrance, if he saw his master; he

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