world, and in magnitude of outlines and variety of parts, far exceeds any of the edifices constructed by the Greeks and Romans. In this edifice the arts of architecture, sculpture, and painting, are all displayed in the highest perfection. It is 720 feet in length, 510 in breadth, and 500 in height from the pavement to the top of the cross. It was projected by pope Nicholas V.; pope Julius II. laid the first stone in 1506; but it was not finished till 1621, no less than 18 successive popes having been employed in its construction. The design was made by Bramante, and Raphael, Michael Angelo, and other celebrated architects, have displayed their talents on this great work. The whole expense of it has been estimated at £12,000,000.

Entering a circular court formed by a vast colonnade, the spectator is struck by the majestic front of the building, extending 400 feet in length, and rising to the height of 180. The eye is at the same time gratified by the majestic dome, rising from the central parts of the roof of the church, to the height, reckoning from the ground, of 424 feet. The interior of the church corresponds perfectly with its outward grandeur. Five lofty portals open into the portico, a gallery extending across the width of the edifice, and resembling in size a cathedral. This magnificent entrance is paved with marble, covered with a gilded vault, and closed at either end by statues. Opposite to the five portals are five doors, each leading into the church. On entering any of these, the spectator beholds the most spacious hall ever constructed by human art, expanding in magnificent perspective, its length being above 600 feet. The aisles and altars are adorned with a number of ancient pillars; the walls are varied with festoons, wreaths, tiaras, and other ornaments of marble.

The patriarchal chair of St. Peter is a throne elevated to the height of 70 feet. The high altar has below it St. Peter's tomb; above it is a magnificent canopy of brass, towering to the height of 132 feet; and around the tomb 112 lamps are constantly burning. The church is adorned with 130 statues, of which the most conspicuous is that of St. Peter, which is said to have been recast from a bronze statue of Jupiter Capitolinus.

But of all the objects in this admirable edifice, the most surprising is the dome, the vault of which rises to the

height of 400 feet, and extends over the spectator like a firmament. If he looks upward he is astonished at the spacious hollow of the cupola, and has a vault on every side of him, which makes one of the most beautiful vistas that can be presented to the eye. The dome is annually lighted, on the 19th June, by 4,000 lamps, and 2,000 firepots, presenting a most delightful spectacle. A well lighted stair-case leads to the roof of St. Peter's, from which the dome can be viewed with minuteness. The access to every part of it, and even the ascent to the cupola is perfectly safe and easy.

The Coliseum. See Plate, No. 55.

The most imposing object among the ancient monuments of Rome is the Coliseum, or amphitheatre of Vespasian, constructed for the combats of gladiators and wild beasts, and other public spectacles. This stupendous fabric, placed in the centre of the hills of Rome, towered as high as their loftiest summits. It is celebrated by ancient authors as a prodigy of architectural magnificence and skill, and it has been said that its expense would have sufficed for building a large city.

It was of an oval form resembling two theatres turned towards each other, with a spacious area, called the arena, in the middle. The longer diameter was 615 feet, the shorter 510; of the arena the longer diameter was 281 feet, the shorter 176; thus leaving for the seats and galleries a circuit of about 157 feet in breadth. The whole external circumference was about 1,770 feet, covering a superficies of 5 acres. It rose to the height of 120 feet, the external elevation consisting of three stories of arcades, embellished with columns of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders. Its seats, or steps, contained 87,000 spectators; and if we add 11,000 placed on the porticoes, above these seats, and 12,000 in the surrounding passages, where moveable seats might be placed, it must have contained not fewer than 110,000 persons who could behold distinctly the games and combats on the arena. Nothing can impart a more elevated idea of human power and ingenuity than this edifice. About one half of its external surface still remains; it is the most stupendous monument of antiquity at Rome, and, after the lapse of upwards of 7 centuries, is contemplated with astonishment.

At its inauguration 5,000 animals, or, according to some historians, 9,000, were destroyed; and when the combats were concluded, the arena was suddenly filled with water, on which aquatic animals were seen to contend; and these again gave place to a number of vessels, that represented a naval battle. After the triumph of Trajan over the Dacians, spectacles were exhibited for 123 days, in which 11,000 animals were killed, and 1,000 gladiators were matched against each other. Malefactors, captives, slaves, and also the persecuted primitive Christians, were doomed to contend in these dreadful games. Free-born citizens also hired themselves as gladiators; and even women, ladies too of high rank, forgetting the native delicacy and feebleness of their sex, voluntarily strove on the arena for the prize of valour-for the honour of adroitness in murder. It is impossible to contemplate without horror the dreadful scenes of carnage, which, for 250 years, disgraced the amphitheatre, or to regard without detestation the character of the people, who took pleasure in spectacles of such monstrous barbarity.

"Moralists," says Mr. Forsyth, "may tell us that the truly brave are never cruel; but this monument says, 'No.' Here sat the conquerors of the world, coolly to enjoy the tortures and death of men who had never offended them. Two aqueducts were scarcely sufficient to wash off the human blood, which a few hours sport shed in this imperial shambles. Twice in one day came the senators and matrons of Rome to the butchery; a virgin always gave the signal for slaughter, and when glutted with bloodshed, those ladies sat down, in the wet and streaming arena, to a luxurious supper. Such reflections check our regret for its ruin. As it now stands, the Coliseum is a striking image of Rome itself;-decayed vacant-serious-yet grand ;-half gray and half greenerect on one side and fallen on the other, with consecrated ground in its bosom-inhabited by a beadsman; visited by every cast; for moralists, antiquaries, painters, architects, devotees, all meet here to meditate, to examine, to draw, to measure, and to pray."