wo points.
Discoveries made in 1834, when the foundations of the present apse
were strengthened, and again in 1850, when the foundations of the
baldacchino of Pius IX. were laid,[87] have enabled Signor Paolo
Belloni, the architect, to reconstruct the plan of the original
building of Constantine. His memoir[88] is full of useful information
well illustrated. One of his illustrations, representing the
comparative plans of the original and modern churches, is here
reproduced.

The plan needs no comment, but one particular cannot be omitted. In
the course of the excavations for the baldacchino, the remains of
classical columbaria were found a few feet from the grave of the
apostle, with their inscriptions still in place. He must, therefore,
have been buried, like S. Peter, in a private area, surrounded by
pagan tombs.

In 386 Valentinian, Theodosius, and Arcadius asked Flavius Sallustius,
prefect of the city, to submit to the Senate and the people a scheme
for the reconstruction _a fundamentis_ of the basilica, so as to make
it equal in size and beauty to that of the Vatican. To fulfil this
project, without disturbing either the grave of the apostle or the
road to Ostia, there was but one thing to do; this was to change the
orientation of the church from east to west, and extend it at pleasure
towards the bank of the Tiber. The consent of the S. P. Q. R. was
easily obtained, and the magnificent temple, which lasted until the
fire of July 15, 1823, was thus raised so as to face in a direction
opposite to the usual one.

[Illustration: The Burning of S. Paul's, July 15, 1823. (From an old
print.)]

The name of Pope Siricius, who was then governing the church, can
still be seen engraved on one of the columns, formerly in the left
aisle, now in the north vestibule:--

SIRICIVS EPISCOPVS [Greek: A][Symbol: Chi-Rho][Greek: O] TOTA MENTE
DEVOTVS.

Another rare monument of historical value, in spite of its humble
origin, came to light at the beginning of the last century, and was
published by Bianchini and Muratori, who failed, however, to explain
its meaning. It is a brass label once tied to a dog's collar, with the
inscription "[I belong] to the basilica of Paul the apostle, rebuilt
by our three sovereigns [Valentinianus, Theodosius, and Arcadius]. I
am in charge of Felicissimus the shepherd." Such inscriptions were
engraved on the collars of dogs, and slaves, so that in case they ran
away from their mast