nder each continually transparent to the sight of all." The
atrium, with its marble floor of almost spotless beauty, its lofty
columns and noble simplicity of architecture, represented my beau-ideal
of a Christian temple. There was not a single seat or chair--which I
believe is the case with all Basilicas, the congregation standing and
kneeling only--and this fact greatly adds to the apparent vastness of
this noble structure, which forms a beautiful and suitable monument to
the great and good St. Paul.

While on the subject of churches, I may mention two other fine edifices
we visited, both full of interest, though of a diverse nature.

The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, on the Esquiline Hill, near the
railway station, is one of the four chief Basilicas of Rome, and well
repays a visit. It gives one more the idea of what a Basilica was really
meant to be than any similar edifice in Rome. The richly painted panels,
the interior colonnade with its long harmonious rows of pillars, the
clerestory decorated _en suite_ with small pilasters and panels, and the
beautiful panelled roof, all combine to give the building an air of
lofty and noble magnificence. The high altar is very beautiful, with its
decorations of marble, gilding, and precious stones: it is also
interesting as possessing the crypt in which Pius IX. was interred. The
tombs of Sixtus V. and Pius V. are also here; and in contrast to the S.
Paolo Basilica, which has no side chapels at all, this church possesses
two very fine ones, the Borghese, and the Presigio, which are as rich in
ornamental work as the rest of the building. The latter contains the
supposititious cradle of our Lord; and the former has _in veritas_ the
beautiful tomb of a Borghese princess and high-born Englishwoman (Lady
Geraldine Talbot). The altar of the Virgin is supported by four pillars
of oriental jaspar, agate, and gilded bronze; the image, which is said
to have been the work of St. Luke(!), is richly adorned with precious
stones. The church itself abounds in beautiful pictures, statuary, and
tombs. The chapel of Santa Lucia is also very interesting, possessing
many beautiful tombs, bas-reliefs, etc.

The other church we visited, S. Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains),
is considered the most ancient in Rome. It is a noble hall, supported by
twenty columns of Parian marble, and has many fine and interesting
monuments. It is always a debatable point this--St. Peter's presence in
Rome.