But, seeing that the
country really needs the assistance to be obtained from this source, it
cannot be said to be acting otherwise than reasonably in making such a
charge; and probably no one of the thousands who come to Italy to profit
by her artistic treasures will ever grudge the payment of the small fee
demanded; the only question being whether the measure is on the whole a
profitable one financially, of which I do not feel quite sure.
The first landing-place of the vast staircase and the ante-room at the
top of it are lined with the more interesting and perfect of the pagan
inscriptions which the recent movements of the soil have brought to
light. Of course, the majority of these present no specialties
distinguishing them from the thousands of similar inscriptions with
which the world has long since been familiar. But there are some among
them which contribute useful fragments of knowledge to the attempts of
our antiquaries to construct a satisfactory plan of the ancient
city--dedications of statues, showing what god or goddess inhabited such
or such a shrine, and the like. The letters of these inscriptions have
been rendered more easily legible by restoring the scarlet coloring of
them, as has been done in the case of those at the Vatican.
The visitor next enters a very long corridor or gallery giving access to
the various halls and rooms, and adorned with a series of modern busts
of the men of whom Italy has most reason to be proud.
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