Ave Roma Immortalis, Vol. 1: Studies from the Chronicles of RomeCrawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
History
Ave Roma Immortalis, Vol. 1: Studies from the Chronicles of Rome
Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
Rome (Italy) -- Description and travel
There are traces, even now, of the enforced privacy in which they lived.
For instance, no Roman lady of today will ever show herself at a window
that looks on the street, except during Carnival, and in most houses
something of the old arrangement of rooms is still preserved, whereby
the men and women occupy different parts of the house.
One must try to call up the pictures of one day, to get any idea of
those times; one must try and see the grey dawn stealing down the dark,
unwindowed lower walls of the fortress that flanks the Church of the
Holy Apostles,--the narrow and murky street below, the broad, dim space
beyond, the mystery of the winding distances whence comes the first
sound of the day, the far, high cry of the waterman driving his little
donkey with its heavy load of water-casks. The beast stumbles along in
the foul gloom, through the muddy ruts, over heaps of garbage at the
corners, picking its way as best it can, till it starts with a snort and
almost falls with its knees upon a dead man, whose thrice-stabbed body
lies right across the way. The waterman, ragged, sandal-shod, stops,
crosses himself, and drags his beast back hurriedly with a muttered
exclamation of mingled horror, disgust and fear for himself, and makes
for the nearest corner, stumbling along in his haste lest he should be
found with the corpse and taken for the murderer. As the dawn
forelightens, and the cries go up from the city, the black-hooded
Brothers of Prayer and Death come in a little troop, their lantern still
burning as they carry their empty stretcher, seeking for dead men; and
they take up the poor nameless body and bear it away quickly from the
sight of the coming day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account