lo, which the
Emperor Hadrian built 1800 years ago as a mausoleum for himself. On the
left is the piazza of St. Peter, which, with its surrounding buildings,
its curved arcades, St. Peter's Church and the Vatican, is one of the
grandest in the world. Between its constantly playing fountains has
stood for 300 years an obelisk which the Emperor Caligula brought from
Egypt to adorn Rome. It witnessed wonderful events long before the time
of Moses. At its foot the children of Israel sang the melodies of their
country during their servitude. It was a decoration of Nero's circus,
and saw thousands of Christian martyrs torn to pieces by Gallic hounds
and African lions; and still it lifts itself 80 feet into the air in a
single block, untouched by time and the strife of men.

At the north side of the piazza is the gate of the Vatican, where the
Swiss Guards keep watch in antique red and yellow uniforms. Before us
are the great steps of St. Peter's Church. We enter the grand portico
and pass through one of the bronze doors into the church. All the
dimensions are so immensely great that we stop in astonishment. Now our
eyes lose themselves in sky-high vaulting, glittering with colour, and
now we admire the columns and their capitals, pictures in mosaic or
monuments in marble. Rome was not built in a day, says the proverb, and
St. Peter's Church alone was the work of 120 years and twenty Popes.
Italy's foremost artists, including Raphael and Michael Angelo, put the
best of their energies into the building of this temple, where is the
tomb of the Apostle Peter. The great church contains a bronze statue of
the Apostle Peter in a sitting position, and the right foot is worn and
polished by the kisses of the faithful. High above in the vaulting over
his head is to be seen the following inscription in Latin:--"Thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and I will give unto
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven."

Paul has also a worthy memorial church in Rome, St. Paul's, which stands
outside the walls. On the way thither we pass a small chapel where, it
is said, Peter and Paul took leave of each other before they went to
suffer martyrdom. On the facade the final words are inscribed. Paul
said: "Peace be with you, thou foundation of the church and shepherd of
Christ's lambs." And Peter: "Go forth in peace, thou preacher of the
gospel, righteous guide to salvation." Paul's tomb is under the high
altar of St. Paul's Chu