The Harris-Ingram ExperimentBolton, Charles E. (Charles Edward)
Science
The Harris-Ingram Experiment
Bolton, Charles E. (Charles Edward)
Science fiction, American
The day's ride included a visit to Agrippa's Pantheon, now denuded of its
bronze roofing and marble exterior. A circular opening in the huge dome
admits both light and rain. Leo standing with Lucille by the tomb of
Raphael in one of the recesses, for a moment was silent. Then he said,
"Lucille, it is impossible to fully appreciate the many and beautiful
works of this 'prince of painters.' He was born on Good Friday, 1483, and
lived exactly thirty-seven years. He was of slight build, sallow, and had
brown eyes. Over nine hundred prints of his works are known. Besides his
works in fresco at the Vatican, for a time he had charge of the
construction of St. Peter's, and he also painted masterpieces now at
Bologna, Dresden, Madrid, Hampton Court, and executed numerous
commissions for Leo X.; and Madonnas, holy families, portraits, etc.,
for others. Raphael stands unrivaled, chiefly in his power to portray
lofty sentiments which persons of all nationalities can feel, but few
can describe. He also excelled in invention, composition, simplicity
and grandeur. For moral force in allegory and history, and for fidelity
in portrait, Raphael was unsurpassed. His last and most celebrated oil
picture, the transfiguration, unfinished, stood at his head as his body
lay in state."
Colonel Harris was interested in the restored Triumphal Arch of Titus
erected to commemorate the defeat of the Jews A.D. 70, also in the
beautiful Arch to Severus. At the end of the Rostra, or Orators' Tribune
was the Umbilicus Urbis Romae, or ideal center of Rome and the Roman
Empire. True it was that all roads led to Rome. Leo and Lucille visited
by moonlight the ruins of the great Colosseum, and the lights and shadows
in the huge old stone and brick amphitheater, made it look all the more
imposing and picturesque.
On the morning of the second day Leo Colonna guided his friends down the
Via di Ripetta, stopping at the Mausoleum of Augustus, which in the
middle ages was used by the Colonnas as a fortress. Then continuing down
the left bank of the Tiber, the Ponte S. Angelo was reached. This ancient
bridge of five arches leads directly to the Castello S. Angelo, the
citadel of Rome, which originally was a tomb erected by Hadrian for
himself and successor. The tomb is 240 feet in diameter, and must have
been very beautiful, as it was once encrusted with marble. Statues stood
around the margin of the top, and above all a colossal statue of Hadrian
himself. Later the Goths, veritable iconoclasts, converted this tomb of
the emperors into a fortress, hurling the marble statues down on the
besiegers. For centuries this castle-tomb was used as a stronghold by
the party in power to maintain their sway over the people. In 1822 Pius
IX. refortified the castle. In it was seen the gloomy dungeon where
Beatrice Cenci and others were incarcerated.
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