iazza of St. Peter's, he stopped to observe the concourse of
workmen in the midst of a forest of machines, and saw, admiring, Rome
rising again by the hand of Sixtus V. In fifty-two movements the pyramid
was raised, and at the setting of the sun it was placed firm upon its
pedestal. The castle disappeared, and the artificers, intoxicated with
joy, carried Fontana on their shoulders in triumph to his own house,
amidst the sound of drums and trumpets, and the plaudits of an immense
crowd.

"In placing it upright on the pedestal, Fontana considered the method
adopted by the ancients as the least difficult; which was to rest one
end on two globes, then draw the point round, raising it at the same
time, afterwards letting it fall perpendicularly on the pedestal. It is
conjectured that this was the practice adopted by the ancients, because
two dies alone were always covered with lead for a foot or more, and
were moreover crushed at the extremities. Sixtus V. placed a cross 7
feet high at the top of the obelisk, which was carried in procession,
and which made the whole height 132 feet.

"For this undertaking, Fontana was created a knight of the Golden Spur,
and a Roman nobleman; he had a pension of 2000 crowns, transferable to
his heirs, ten knighthoods, 5000 crowns of gold in ready money, and
every description of material used in the work, which was valued at more
than 20,000 crowns. Two bronze medals of him were struck; and the
following inscription was placed on the base of the pyramid by order of
the pope:--"

Dominicvs Fontana,
Ex. Pago. Agri. Novocomensis.
Transtvlit. Et. Erexit.

REMOVAL OF AN OBELISK FROM THEBES TO PARIS.

In 1833, the French removed the smallest of the two obelisks which stood
before the propylon of the temple of Luxor to Paris, and elevated it in
the Place de la Concorde. The shaft is 76 feet high, and eight feet
wide on the broadest side of the base; the pedestal is 10 feet square by
16 feet high. Permission for the removal of both the obelisks having
been granted to the French government by the Viceroy of Egypt, a vessel
constructed for the purpose was sent out in March, 1831, under M. Lebas,
an eminent engineer, to whom the undertaking was confided, it being
previously determined to bring away only one, and M. Lebas found it
sufficiently difficult to bring away the smallest of the two. After
three months' labor with 800 men, the obelisk w