Hellenic Academy, the
University, Library, Royal Palace, Parliament Building, various church
buildings, hotels, and business houses. The University, founded in 1837,
is rather plain in style, but is ornamented on the front after the
manner of the ancients, with a number of paintings, representing
Oratory, Mathematics, Geology, History, Philosophy, and other lines of
study. At one end is a picture of Paul, at the other end, a
representation of Prometheus. The museum is small and by no means as
good as those to be seen in larger and wealthier countries. The Academy,
finished in 1885, is near the University, and, although smaller than its
neighbor, is more beautiful. On the opposite side of the University a
fine new Library was being finished, and in the same street there is a
new Roman Catholic church. I also saw two Greek Catholic church houses,
but they did not seem to be so lavishly decorated within as the Roman
church, but their high ceilings were both beautifully ornamented with
small stars on a blue background. I entered a cemetery near one of these
churches and enjoyed looking at the beautiful monuments and vaults. It
is a common thing to find a representation of the deceased on the
monument. Some of these are full-length statues, others are carvings
representing only the head. Lanterns, some of them lighted, are to be
seen on many of the tombs. There are some fine specimens of the
sculptor's art to be seen here, and the place will soon be even more
beautiful, for a great deal of work was being done. In fact, the whole
city of Athens seemed to be prosperous, from the amount of building that
was being done.

The Parliament Building is not at all grand. The Royal Palace is larger
and considerably finer. At the head of a stairway is a good picture of
Prometheus tortured by an eagle. The visitor is shown the war room, a
large hall with war scenes painted on the walls and old flags standing
in the corners. The throne room and reception room are both open to
visitors, as is also the ball room, which seemed to be more elaborately
ornamented than the throne room. There is a little park of orange and
other trees before the palace, also a small fountain with a marble
basin. The highest point about the city is the Lycabettus, a steep rock
rising nine hundred and nineteen feet above the level of the sea, and
crowned with a church building. From its summit a splendid view of the
city, the mountains, and the ocean may be obtain