Of Rome, formerly the mistress of the globe, but which
now, in comparison of its ancient state, appears a small
town; and of the Romans, once "Sovereigns over all and the
gowned nation,"12 who are now the most fickle of men, bartering justice for gold, and dispensing with the canons for
money; of this city and its inhabitants, I say, whatever I
might attempt to write, has been anticipated by the verses
of Hildebert, first, bishop of Mans, and afterwards archbishop
of Tours.13 Which I insert, not to assume the honour
acquired by another man's labour, but rather as a proof of a
liberal mind, while not envying his fame, I give testimony to
his charming poetry.
Rome, still thy ruins grand beyond compare,
Thy former greatness mournfully declare,
Though time thy stately palaces around
Hath strewed, and cast thy temples to the ground.
Fall'n is the power, the power Araxes dire
Regrets now gone, and dreaded when entire;
Which arms and laws, and ev'n the gods on high
Bade o'er the world assume the mastery;
Which guilty Cæsar rather had enjoyed
Alone, than e'er a fostering hand employed.
Which gave to foes, to vice, to friends its care,
Subdued, restrained, or bade its kindness share
This growing power the holy fathers reared.
Where near the stream the fav'ring spot appeared
From either pole, materials, artists meet,
And rising wails their proper station greet;
Kings gave their treasures, fav'ring too was fate.
And arts and riches on the structure wait.
Fall'n is that city, whose proud fame to reach,
I merely say, "Rome was," there fails my speech.
Still neither time's decay, nor sword, nor fire,
Shall cause its beauty wholly to expire.
Human exertions raised that splendid Rome,
Which gods in vain shall strive to overcome.
Bid wealth, bid marble, and bid fate attend,
And watchful artists o'er the labour bend.
Still shall the matchless ruin art defy
The old to rival, or its loss supply.
Here gods themselves their sculptur'd forms admire,
And only to reflect those forms aspire;
Nature unable such like gods to form,
Left them to man's creative genius warm;
Life breathes within them, and the suppliant falls.
Not to the God, but statues in the walls.
City thrice blessed! were tyrants but away.
Or shame compelled them justice to obey.
Are not these sufficient to point out in such a city, both
the dignity of its former advantages, and the majesty of its
present ruin? But that nothing may be wanting to its
honour, I will add the number of its gates, and the multitude of its sacred relics; and that no person may complain
of his being deprived of any knowledge by the obscurity of
the narrative, the description shall run in an easy and familiar style.14
The first is the Cornelian gate, which is now called the
gate of St. Peter, and the Cornelian way. Near it is situated the church of St. Peter, in which his body lies, decked
with gold and silver, and precious stones: and no one knows
the number of the holy martyrs who rest in that church. On
the same way is another church, in which lie the holy
virgins Rufina and Secunda. In a third church, are Marius
and Martha, and Audifax and Abacuc, their sons.
The second is the Flaminian gate, which is now called the
gate of St. Valentine,15 and the Flaminian way, and when it
arrives at the Milvian bridge, it takes the name of the Ravennanian way, because it leads to Ravenna; and there, at
the first stone without the gate, St. Valentine rests in his
church.
The third is called the Porcinian16 gate, and the way the
same; but where it joins the Salarian, it loses its name, and
there, nearly in the spot which is called Cucumeris, lie the
martyrs, Festus, Johannes, Liberalis, Diogenes, Blastus, Lucina, and in one sepulchre, the Two hundred and Sixty,17 in
another, the Thirty.
The fourth is the Salarian18 gate and way; now called St.
Silvester's. Here, near the road, lie St. Hermes, and St.
Vasella, and Prothus, and Jacinctus, Maxilian, Herculan,
Crispus; and, in another place, hard by, rest the holy martyrs Pamphilus and Quirinus, seventy steps beneath the surface. Next is the church of St. Felicity, where she rests,
and Silanus her son; and not far distant, Boniface the martyr. In another church, there are Crisantus, and Daria,
and Saturninus, and Maurus, and Jason, and their mother
Hilaria, and others innumerable. And in another church,
St. Alexander, Vitalis, Martialis, sons of St. Felicity; and
seven holy virgins, Saturnina, Hilarina, Duranda, Rogantina, Serotina, Paulina, Donata. Next the church of St.
Silvester, where he lies under a marble tomb; and the
martyrs, Celestinus, Philippus, and Felix; and there too,
the Three Hundred and Sixty-five martyrs rest in one
sepulchre; and near them lie Paulus and Crescentianus,
Prisca and Semetrius, Praxides and Potentiana.
The fifth is called the Numentan19 gate. There lies St.
Nicomede, priest and martyr; the way too is called by the
same name. Near the road are the church and body of St.
Agnes; in another church, St. Ermerenciana, and the
martyrs, Alexander, Felix, Papias; at the seventh stone on
this road rests the holy pope Alexander, with Euentius and
Theodolus.
The sixth is the Tiburtine20 gate and way, which is now
called St. Lawrence's: near this way lies St. Lawrence in
his church, and Habundius the martyr: and near this, in
another church, rest these martyrs, Ciriaca, Romanus, Justinus, Crescentianus; and not far from hence the church of
St. Hyppolitus, where he himself rests, and his family,
eighteen in number; there too repose, St. Trifonia, the wife
of Decius, and his daughter Cirilla, and her nurse Concordia. And in another part of this way is the church of
Agapit the martyr.
The seventh is called, at present, the Greater gate,21 formerly the Seracusan, and the way the Lavicanian, which
leads to St. Helena. Near this are Peter, Marcellinus,
Tyburtius, Geminus, Gorgonius, and the Forty Soldiers,22
and others without number; and a little farther the Four
Coronati.23
The eighth is the gate of St. John,24 which by the ancients was called Assenarica. The ninth gate is called Metrosa;25 and in front of both these runs the Latin way. The
tenth is called the Latin gate,26 and way. Near this, in one
church, lie the martyrs, Gordianus and Epimachus, Sulpicius, Servilianus, Quintinus, Quartus, Sophia, Triphenus.
Near this too, in another spot, Tertullinus, and not far
distant, the church of St. Eugenia, in which she lies, and
her mother Claudia, and pope Stephen, with nineteen of his
clergy, and Nemesius the deacon.
The eleventh is called the Appian gate27 and way. There
lie St. Sebastian, and Quirinus, and originally the bodies of
the apostles rested there. A little nearer Rome, are the
martyrs, Januarius, Urbanus, Xenon, Quirinus, Agapetus,
Felicissimus; and in another church, Tyburtius, Valerianus,
Maximus. Not far distant is the church of the martyr Cecilia; and there are buried Stephanus, Sixtus, Zeiferinus,
Eusebius, Melchiades, Marcellus, Eutychianus, Dionysius,
Antheros, Pontianus, pope Lucius, Optacius, Julianus, Calocerus, Parthenius, Tharsicius, Politanus, martyrs: there too
is the church and body of St. Cornelius: and in another
church, St. Sotheris: and not far off, rest the martyrs,
Hippolytus, Adrianus, Eusebius, Maria, Martha, Paulina,
Valeria, Marcellus, and near, pope Marcus in his church.
Between the Appian and Ostiensian way, is the Ardeatine
way, where are St. Marcus, and Marcellianus. And there
lies pope Damasus in his church; and near him St. Petronilla, and Nereus, and Achilleus, and many more.
The twelfth gate and way is called the Ostiensian, but, at
present, St. Paul's,28 because he lies near it in his church.
There too is the martyr Timotheus: and near, in the church
of St. Tecla, are the martyrs Felix, Audactus, and Nemesius. At the Three Fountains29 is the head of the martyr
St. Anastasius.
The thirteenth is called the Portuan30 gate and way; near
which in a church are the martyrs, Felix, Alexander, Abdon and Sennes, Symeon, Anastasius, Polion, Vincentius, Milex, Candida, and Innocentia.
The fourteenth is the Aurelian31 gate and way, which
now is called the gate of St. Pancras, because he lies near it
in his church, and the other martyrs, Paulinus, Arthemius,
St. Sapientia, with her three daughters. Faith, Hope, and
Charity. In another church. Processus and Martinianus;
and, in a third, two Felixes; in a fourth Calixtus, and Calepodius; in a fifth St. Basilides. At the twelfth milliary
within the city, on Mount Celius, are the martyrs Johannes,
and Paulus, in their dwelling, which was made a church
after their martyrdom: and Crispin and Crispinianus, and
St. Benedicta. On the same mount, is the church of St.
Stephen, the first martyr; and there are buried the martyrs
Primus, and Felicianus; on Mount Aventine St. Boniface;
and on Mount Nola, St. Tatiana rests.
NOTES:
12. Virgil, Æneid i. 281.
13. "Hildebert was translated to Tours, A.D. 1125, upon the death of
Gislebert, who died at Rome about the middle of December, 1124, in the
Same week with pope Calixtus. (Ord. Vit. lib. xii. p. 882.)" -- Hardy.
14. For a very interesting account of the walls and gates of Rome, see
Andrew Lumisden's "Remarks on the Antiquities of Rome and its Environs, London, 4to. 1797."
15. Now called Porta del Popolo.
16. Porta Pinciana.
17. The Two Hundred and Sixty are said to have been shot with arrows
in the amphitheatre, by order of Claudius. The Thirty suffered under
Diocletian.
18. Porta Salaria.
19. Porta Pia.
20. Porta di San Lorenzo.
21. Porta Maggiore.
22. The Forty Soldiers suffered martyrdom under Licinius at Sebastia in
Armenia.
23. So called, because for a long time after they had suffered martyrdom
(martyrio coronati) their names were unknown; and though afterwards
their real names were revealed to a certain priest, yet they still continued to retain their former designation.
24. Porta di San Giovanni.
25. There is no notice of this in Lumisden: it is probably now destroyed.
26. Porta Latina.
27. Porta di San Sebastiano.
28. Porta di San Paolo.
29. Aquas Saluias, now Trefontane. The tradition is, that St. Paul was
beheaded on this spot: that his head, on touching the ground, rebounded
twice, and that a fountain immediately burst forth from each place where
it fell. See Lumisden.
30. Porta Portese.
31. Porti di San Pancrazio. |
