Rollo in Rome

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  ROLLO IN ROME,

  BY

  JACOB ABBOTT.

  BOSTON:

  BROWN, TAGGARD & CHASE,

  (SUCCESSORS TO W. J. REYNOLDS & CO.)

  25 & 29 CORNHILL.

  1858.

  Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by

  JACOB ABBOTT,

  In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District ofMassachusetts.

  ELECTROTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

  THE VATICAN BY TORCHLIGHT. See page 204.]

  ROLLO'S TOUR IN EUROPE.

  Publishers. Boston.]

  CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I.--THE DILIGENCE OFFICE, 13

  II.--THE JOURNEY, 34

  III.--THE ARRIVAL AT ROME, 56

  IV.--A RAMBLE, 68

  V.--GETTING LOST, 88

  VI.--THE COLISEUM, 105

  VII.--THE GLADIATOR, 127

  VIII.--THE TARPEIAN ROCK, 147

  IX.--GOING TO OSTIA, 167

  X.--THE VATICAN, 192

  XI.--CONCLUSION, 208

  ENGRAVINGS.

  THE VATICAN BY TORCHLIGHT, (Frontispiece.)

  THE MOSAIC SHOP, 12

  PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY, 21

  THE PONTINE MARSHES, 49

  DOING PENANCE, 59

  RIDING AMONG THE RUINS, 91

  LOOKING DOWN FROM THE COLISEUM, 109

  VIEW OF THE LOWER CORRIDORS, 123

  ASCENT TO THE CAPITOL, 139

  STATUE OF THE GLADIATOR, 143

  INTERIOR OF THE PANTHEON, 163

  THE COLISEUM BY TORCHLIGHT, 209

  ROLLO'S TOUR IN EUROPE.

  ORDER OF THE VOLUMES.

  ROLLO ON THE ATLANTIC.

  ROLLO IN PARIS.

  ROLLO IN SWITZERLAND.

  ROLLO IN LONDON.

  ROLLO ON THE RHINE.

  ROLLO IN SCOTLAND.

  ROLLO IN GENEVA.

  ROLLO IN HOLLAND.

  ROLLO IN NAPLES.

  ROLLO IN ROME.

  THE MOSAIC SHOP. See page 73.]

  ROLLO IN ROME.

  CHAPTER I.

  THE DILIGENCE OFFICE.

  Rollo went to Rome in company with his uncle George, from Naples. Theywent by the diligence, which is a species of stage coach. There aredifferent kinds of public coaches that ply on the great thoroughfares inItaly, to take passengers for hire; but the most common kind is thediligence.

  The diligences in France are very large, and are divided into differentcompartments, with a different price for each. There are usually threecompartments below and one above. In the Italian diligences, however, orat least in the one in which Mr. George and Rollo travelled to Rome,there were only three. First there was the _interior_, or the body ofthe coach proper. Directly before this was a compartment, with a glassfront, containing one seat only, which looked forward; there were, ofcourse, places for three persons on this seat. This front compartment iscalled the _coupe_.[1] It is considered the best in the diligence.

  [Footnote 1: Pronounced _coupay_.]

  There is also a seat up above the _coupe_, in a sort of second story, asit were; and this was the seat which Mr. George and Rollo usuallypreferred, because it was up high, where they could see better. But forthe present journey Mr. George thought the high seat, which is calledthe _banquette_, would not be quite safe; for though it was coveredabove with a sort of chaise top, still it was open in front, and thusmore exposed to the night air. In ordinary cases he would not have beenat all afraid of the night air, but the country between Naples and Rome,and indeed the country all about Rome, in every direction, is veryunhealthy. So unhealthy is it, in fact, that in certain seasons of theyear it is almost uninhabitable; and it is in all seasons consideredunsafe for strangers to pass through in the night, unless they are wellprotected.

  There is, in particular, one tract, called the _Pontine Marshes_, wherethe road, with a sluggish canal by the side of it, runs in a straightline and on a dead level for about twenty miles. It so happened that ingoing to Rome by the diligence, it would be necessary to cross thesemarshes in the night, and this was an additional reason why Mr. Georgethought it better that he and Rollo should take seats inside.

  The whole business of travelling by diligence in Europe is managed in avery different way from stage coach travelling in America. You mustengage your place several days beforehand; and when you engage it youhave a printed receipt given you, specifying the particular seats whichyou have taken, and also containing, on the back of it, all the rulesand regulations of the service. The different seats in the severalcompartments of the coach are numbered, and the prices of them aredifferent. Rollo went so early to engage the passage for himself and Mr.George that he had his choice of all the seats. He took Nos. 1 and 2 ofthe _coupe_. He paid the money and took the receipt. When he got home,he sat down by the window, while Mr. George was finishing his breakfast,and amused himself by studying out the rules and regulations printed onthe back of his ticket. Of course they were in Italian; but Rollo foundthat he could understand them very well.

  "If we are not there at the time when the diligence starts, we lose ourmoney, uncle George," said he. "It says here that they won't pay itback again."

  "That is reasonable," said Mr. George. "It will be our fault if we arenot there."

  "Or our misfortune," said Rollo; "something might happen to us."

  "True," said Mr. George; "but the happening, whatever it might be, wouldbe _our_ misfortune, and not theirs, and so we ought to bear the loss ofit."

  "If the baggage weighs more than thirty _rotolos_, we must pay extra forit," continued Rollo. "How much is a _rotolo_, uncle George?"

  "I don't know," said Mr. George, "but we have so little baggage that Iam sure we cannot exceed the allowance."

  "The baggage must be at the office two hours before the time for thediligence to set out," continued Rollo, passing to the next regulationon his paper.

  "What is that for?" asked Mr. George.

  "So that they may have time to load it on the carriage, they say," saidRollo.

  "Very well," said Mr. George, "you can take it to the office the nightbefore."

  "They don't take the risk of the baggage," said Rollo, "or at least theydon't guarantee it, they say, against unavoidable accidents or superiorforce. What does that mean?"

  "Why, in case the diligence is struck by lightning, and our trunk isburned up," replied Mr. George, "or in case it is attacked by robbers,and carried away, they don't undertake to pay the damage."

  "And in c
ase of _smarrimento_," continued Rollo, "they say they won'tpay damages to the amount of more than nine dollars, and so forth; whatis a _smarrimento_, uncle George?"

  "I don't know," said Mr. George.

  "It may mean a smash-up," said Rollo.

  "Very likely," said Mr. George.

  "Every traveller," continued Rollo, looking again at his paper, "isresponsible, personally, for all violations of the custom-houseregulations, or those of the police."

  "That's all right," said Mr. George.

  "And the last regulation is," said Rollo, "that the travellers cannotsmoke in the diligence, nor take any dogs in."

  "Very well," said Mr. George, "we have no dogs, and we don't wish tosmoke, either in the diligence or any where else."

  "They are very good regulations," said Rollo; and so saying, he foldedup the paper, and put it back into his wallet.

  On the evening before the day appointed for the journey, Rollo took thevalise which contained the principal portion of his own and his uncle'sclothes, and went with it in a carriage to the office. Mr. Georgeoffered to accompany him, but Rollo said it was not necessary, and so hetook with him a boy named Cyrus, whom he had become acquainted with atthe hotel.

  The carriage, when it arrived at the diligence station, drove in underan archway, and entered a spacious court surrounded by lofty buildings.There was a piazza, with columns, all around the court. Along thispiazza, on the four sides of the building, were the various offices ofthe different lines of diligences, with the diligences themselvesstanding before the doors.

  "Now, Cyrus," said Rollo, "we have got to find out which is our office."

  But Rollo was saved any trouble on this score, for the coachman drovethe carriage directly to the door of the office for Rome. Rollo had toldhim that that was his destination, before leaving the hotel.

  There was a man in a sort of uniform at the door of the office. Rollopointed to his valise, and said, in Italian, "For Rome to-morrowmorning." The man said, "Very well," and taking the valise out of thecarriage, he put it in the office. Then Rollo and Cyrus got into thecarriage again, and rode away.

  The next morning Mr. George and Rollo went down to breakfast before sixo'clock. While they were eating their breakfast, the waiter came in witha cold roast chicken upon a plate, which he set down upon the table.

  "Ah!" said Mr. George, "that is for us to eat on the way."

  "Don't the diligence stop somewhere for us to dine?" asked Rollo.

  "Yes," said Mr. George, "I presume it stops for us to dine, but as weare going to be out all night, I thought perhaps that we might want asupper towards morning. Besides, having a supper will help keep us awakein going across the Pontine Marshes."

  "Must we keep awake?" asked Rollo.

  "So they say," replied Mr. George. "They say you are more likely tocatch the fever while you are asleep than while you are awake."

  "I don't see why we should be," said Rollo.

  "Nor do I," said Mr. George.

  If Mr. George really did not know or understand a thing, he neverpretended to know or understand it.

  "It may be a mere notion," said Mr. George, "but it is a very prevailingone, at any rate; so I thought it would be well enough for us to havesomething to keep us awake."

  "We will take some bread and butter too," said Rollo.

  Mr. George said that that would be an excellent plan. So they each ofthem cut one of the breakfast rolls which were on the table in two, andafter spreading the inside surfaces well with butter, they put the partstogether again. The waiter brought them a quantity of clean wrappingpaper, and with this they wrapped up both the chicken and the rolls, andRollo put the three parcels into his bag.

  "And now," said Rollo, "what are we to do for drink?"

  "We might take some oranges," suggested Mr. George.

  "So we will," said Rollo. "I will go out into the square and buy some."

  Rollo, accordingly, went out into the square, and for what wasequivalent to three cents of American money he bought six oranges. Heput the oranges into his pockets, and returned to the hotel.

  He found Mr. George filling a flat bottle with coffee. He had pouredsome coffee out of the coffee pot into the pitcher of hot milk, whichhad still a considerable quantity of hot milk remaining in it, and then,after putting some sugar into it, and waiting for the sugar to dissolve,he had commenced pouring it into the flat bottle.

  PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY.]

  "We may like a little coffee too," said Mr. George, "as well as theoranges. We can drink it out of my drinking cup."

  Rollo put his oranges into Mr. George's bag, for his own bag was nowfull. When all was ready, and the hotel bill was paid, Mr. George andRollo got into a carriage which the waiter had sent for to come to thedoor, and set off for the diligence office. It was only half past sevenwhen they arrived there. Rollo saw what time it was by the great clockwhich was put up on the front of one of the buildings towards the courtyard.

  "We are too early by half an hour," said Rollo.

  "Yes," said Mr. George, "in travelling over new ground we must alwaysplan to be too early, or we run great risk of being too late."

  "Never mind," said Rollo, "I am glad that we are here before the time,for now I can go around and see the other diligences getting ready to gooff."

  So Rollo began to walk about under the portico, or piazza, to thevarious diligences which were getting ready to set out on the differentroads. There was one where there was a gentleman and two ladies who werequite in trouble. I suppose that among the girls who may read this bookthere may be many who may think that it must necessarily be a veryagreeable thing to travel about Europe, and that if they could onlygo,--no matter under what circumstances,--they should experience analmost uninterrupted succession of pleasing sensations. But the truthis, that travelling in Europe, like every other earthly source ofpleasure, is very far from being sufficient of itself to conferhappiness. Indeed, under almost all the ordinary circumstances in whichparties of travellers are placed, the question whether they are to enjoythemselves and be happy on any particular day of their journey, or to bediscontented and miserable, depends so much upon little things whichthey did not at all take into the account, or even foresee at all inplanning the journey, that it is wholly uncertain when you look upon aparty of travellers that you meet on the road, whether they are reallyhaving a good time or not. You cannot tell at all by the outwardcircumstances.

  There was a striking illustration of this in the case of the party thatattracted Rollo's attention in the court of the diligence office. Thegentleman's name was Howland. One of the ladies was his young wife, andthe other lady was her sister. The sister's name was Louise. Mr. Howlandintended to have taken the whole _coupe_ for his party; but when hewent to the office, the day before, to take the places, he found thatone of the seats of the _coupe_ had been engaged by a gentleman who wastravelling alone.

  "How unlucky!" said Mr. Howland to himself. "We must have three seats,and it won't do for us to be shut up in the interior, for there wecannot see the scenery at all."

  So he went home, and asked his wife what it would be best to do. "Wecannot have three seats together," said he, "unless we go up upon the_banquette_."

  But the bride said that she could not possibly ride on the _banquette_.She could not climb up to such a high place.

  Now, Mrs. Howland's real reason for not being willing to ride on thebanquette, was not the difficulty of climbing up, for at all thediligence offices they have convenient step ladders for the use of thepassengers in getting up and down. The real reason was, she thought itwas not genteel to ride there. And in fact it is not genteel. There isno part of the diligence where people who attach much importance to thefashion of the thing are willing to go, except the coupe.

  "And we don't want to ride in the interior," said Mr. Howland.

  "No," said the bride, "that is worse than the banquette."

  "Nor to wait till another day," added Mr. Howland.

  "No," said Mrs. Howl
and. "We must go to-morrow, and we must have the_coupe_. The gentleman who has engaged the third seat will give it up tous, I am sure, when he knows that it is to oblige a lady. You can engagethe two seats in the coupe, and one more, either on the banquette or inthe interior, and then when the time comes to set out we will get thegentleman to let us have his seat. You can pay him the difference."

  "But, Angelina," said Mr. Howland, "I should not like to ask such athing of the gentleman. He has taken pains to go a day or twobeforehand to engage his seat, so as to make sure of a good one, and Idon't think we ought to expect him to give it up to accommodatestrangers."

  "O, he won't mind," said Mrs. Howland. "He would as lief change as not.And if he won't, we can arrange it in some way or other."

  So Mr. Howland engaged the two places in the coupe, and one on thebanquette. When the morning came, he brought his two ladies to thediligence station in good season. He was very unwilling to ask thegentleman to give up his seat; but his wife, who was a good dealaccustomed to have her own way, and who, besides, being now a bride,considered herself specially entitled to indulgences, declared that ifher husband did not ask the gentleman, she would ask him herself.

  "Very well," said Mr. Howland, "I will ask him then."

  So Mr. Howland went to the gentleman, and asked him. He was standing atthe time, with his umbrella and walking stick in his hand, near one ofthe pillars of the portico, smoking a cigar. He looked at Mr. Howlandwith an expression of some surprise upon his countenance on hearing theproposition, took one or two puffs from his cigar before replying, andthen said quietly that he preferred the seat that he had taken in thecoupe.

  "It would be a very great favor to us, if you would exchange with us,"said Mrs. Howland, who had come up with her husband, and stood near. "Weare three, and we want very much to be seated together. We will verygladly pay the difference of the fare."

  The gentleman immediately, on being thus addressed by Mrs. Howland, tookthe cigar out of his mouth, raised his hat, and bowed very politely.

  "Are you and this other lady the gentleman's party?" he asked.

  "Yes, sir," said Mrs. Howland.

  "Then I cannot possibly think of giving up my seat in the coupe,"replied the gentleman. "I am a Russian, it is true, but I am not a bear,as I should very justly be considered, if I were to leave a compartmentin the coach when _two_ such beautiful ladies as you were coming intoit, especially under the influence of any such consideration as that ofsaving the difference in the fare."

  The gentleman said this in so frank and good-natured a way that it wasimpossible to take offence at it, though Mr. Howland felt, that bymaking the request and receiving such a reply, he had placed himself ina very ridiculous position.

  "I prize my seat more than ever," said the Russian, still addressing theladies; "I prize it incalculably, and so I cannot think of going up uponthe banquette. But if the gentleman will go up there, I will promise totake the very best care of the ladies possible, while they are in thecoupe."

  Mrs. Howland then took Louise aside, and asked, in a whisper, whethershe should have any objection to ride in the interior, in case Mr.Howland could exchange the place on the banquette for one within. Louisewas quite troubled that her sister should make such a proposal. She saidshe should not like very well to go in there among so many strangers,and in a place, too, where she could not see the scenery at all.Besides, Louise thought that it would have been more generous inAngelina, if she thought it necessary for one or the other of them toride inside, to have offered to take a seat there herself, instead ofputting it off upon her sister, especially since it was not so proper,she thought, for her, being a young lady, to ride among strangers, asfor one who was married.

  Mr. Howland then suggested that they should all ascend to the banquette.The persons who had the other two seats there would of course be willingto change for the coupe; or at least, since the coupe was considered thebest place, there would be no indelicacy in asking them to do it.

  But the bride would not listen to this proposal. She never could climbup there, in the world, she said.

  By this time the coach was ready, and the conductor began to call uponthe passengers to take their places, so that there was no more time fordeliberation. They were all obliged to take their seats as the conductorcalled off the names from his way bill. The two ladies entered the coupein company with the Russian, while Mr. Howland ascended by the stepladder to his seat on the banquette. While the passengers were thusgetting seated the postilions were putting in the horses, and in amoment more the diligence set off.

  Now, here were four persons setting out on a pleasant morning, in a goodcarriage, to take the drive from Naples to Rome--one of the mostcharming drives that the whole tour of Europe affords, and yet not oneof them was in a condition to enjoy it. Every one was dissatisfied, outof humor, and unhappy. The Russian gentleman was displeased with Mr.Howland for asking him to give up his seat, and he felt uncomfortableand ill at ease in being shut up with two ladies, who he knew weredispleased with him for not giving it up. The bride was vexed with theRussian for insisting on his place in the coupe, and with her sister fornot being willing to go into the interior, so that she might ride withher husband. Miss Louise was offended at having been asked to sit in theinterior, which request, she said to herself, was only part of asystematic plan, which her sister seemed to have adopted for the wholejourney, to make herself the principal personage in every thing, and totreat her, Louise, as if she was of no consequence whatever. And last ofall, Mr. Howland, on the banquette above, was out of humor with himselffor having asked the Russian to give up his seat, and thus subjectedhimself to the mortification of a refusal, and with his wife for havingrequired him to ask it.

  Thus they were all at heart uncomfortable and unhappy, and as the horsestrotted swiftly on along the smooth and beautiful road which traversesthe rich campagna of Naples, on the way to Capua, the splendid scenerywas wholly disregarded by every one of them.

  Now, it is very often so with parties travelling in Europe. The externalcircumstances are all perhaps extremely favorable, and they are passingthrough scenes or visiting places which they have thought of and dreamedof at home with beating hearts for many years. And yet now that the timehas come, and the enjoyment is before them, there is some internalsource of disquiet, some mental vexation or annoyance, some secretresentment or heart-burning, arising out of the circumstances in whichthey are placed, or the relations which they sustain to one another,which destroys their peace and quiet of mind, and of courseincapacitates them for any real happiness. So that, on the whole,judging from what I have seen of tourists in Europe, I should say thatthose that travel do not after all, in general, really pass their timemore happily than those who remain at home.

  I have two reasons for saying these things. One is, that those of youwho have no opportunity to travel, may be more contented to remain athome, and not imagine that those of your friends who go abroad,necessarily pass their time so much more happily than you do. The otherreason is, that when you do travel, either in our own country or inforeign lands, you should be more reasonable and considerate, and paymore regard to the wishes and feelings of others, than travellersusually do. Most of the disquietudes and heart-burnings which arise tomar the happiness of parties travelling, come from the selfishness ofour hearts, which seems, in some way or other, to bring itself out moreinto view when we are on a long journey together than at any other time.In the ordinary intercourse of life, this selfishness is covered andconcealed by the veil of politeness prescribed by the forms and usagesof society. This veil is, however, very thin, and it soon disappearsentirely, in the familiar intercourse which is necessarily produced bythe incidents and adventures of a journey. In being daily and hourlywith each other for a long time, people appear just as they really are;and unless they are really reasonable, considerate, and just towards oneanother, they are sure sooner or later to disagree.

  But though the bridal party were very much out of humor with each other,as we hav
e seen, Mr. George and Rollo were entirely free from any suchuneasiness. They both felt very light-hearted and happy. They rambledabout the court yard till they had seen all that there was there tointerest them, and then they went to their own diligence. They openedthe coupe door and looked in.

  "Our seats are Nos. 1 and 2," said Rollo.

  "Yes," said Mr. George. "One of them is next the window, and the otheris in the middle. You may get in first, and take the seat by thewindow."

  "No, uncle George," said Rollo, "you had better have the seat by thewindow."

  "We will take turns for that seat," said Mr. George, "and you shallbegin."

  Mr. George arranged it to have Rollo take his turn first, because heknew very well that, in the beginning of a journey, such a boy as Rollowas always full of enthusiasm and excitement; and that, consequently, hewould enjoy riding at the window much more at first than at a laterperiod. So Rollo got in and took his seat, and Mr. George followed him.In a very few minutes afterwards, the postilions came out with thehorses.

  But I have something particular to say about the postilions and thehorses, and I will say it in the next chapter.