hood, a
great fascination for me, those dark, dank, mysterious subterranean
labyrinths excavated by those pious enthusiasts, the early Christians,
to shelter themselves from the persecutions of their pagan tyrants.
Little did their oppressors imagine, I presume, when first a few
straggling fanatics assembled clandestinely under the dark arches they
had hewn for themselves out of the solid rock to carry on their
devotions undisturbed by candle-light, that that little sect would one
day fill the wide world with its followers to the utter extinction of
the old pagan superstitions.

How strange is destiny! Religious faith proved too strong for tyranny.
Persecutions and martyrdoms were of no avail, for still the faith
increased. The very victims of the faith, too, the holy martyrs
magnified into heroes after death, as if in defiance of the old creed.

Well, gentlemen, these facts are as well known to all of you as to
myself, yet such were my reflections as I drove off one morning to visit
the catacombs of Saint Sebastian. But I anticipate. Rising one morning
filled with the idea of exploring these subterranean burial grounds as
far as they extended, though for twelve miles those indefatigable early
Christians have undermined the eternal city, I breakfasted hurriedly,
calculating on my friend's company, but Rustcoin happened to have
business on hand that day, and could not be persuaded to go, so I
determined to start off alone.

A little before starting I accompanied Rustcoin down one of the by
streets to make a call, and whilst, waiting for him to return, I amused
myself by looking into an antiquary's shop window. There were some
ancient Roman coins, some rusty Roman armour, pieces of Etruscan
pottery, antique lamps and fragments of statuary. As I stood gazing at
these curiosities for some considerable time, the antiquary bowed me in,
giving me to understand that I was at liberty to look over the contents
of his shop without being obliged to buy. He saw that I was an
Englishman, and evidently had an eye to business.

He showed me some fragments of Roman tombs bearing a portion of an
inscription, some bronze pans, and other instruments used for
sacrifices, some spearheads, some ancient mosaic, etc., etc. I was soon
attracted by a plate of antique seals, and was poring over them with a
lens.

"Ah, signor," said the man, "I see you appreciate these gems of art.
That ring that you are looking at now was found entire in a p