in the life of business and politics.  Let the cross, the sword, and the arena answer, whether the world, that then was, so understood its first preachers and apostles.  Caesar and Flamen both instinctively dreaded it, not because it aimed at riches or power, but because it strove to conquer that other world in the moral nature of mankind, where it could establish a throne against which wealth and force would be weak and contemptible.  No human device has ever prevailed against it, no array of majorities or respectabilities; but neither Caesar nor Flamen ever conceived a scheme so cunningly adapted to neutralize its power as that graceful compromise which accepts it with the lip and denies it in the life, which marries it at the altar and divorces it at the church-door.

NOTE TO THE CATACOMBS OF ROME.

In our first article on the Roman Catacombs we expressed the belief that “a year was now hardly likely to pass without the discovery” of new burial-places of the early Christians,—­the fresh interest in Christian archaeology leading to fresh explorations in the hollow soil of the Campagna.  A letter to us from Rome, of the 2lst of April, confirms the justness of this expectation.  We quote from it the following interesting passage:—­

“The excavations on the Via Appia Nuova, which I mentioned in a former letter, prove very interesting, and have already resulted in most important discoveries.  The spot is at the second milestone outside of the gate of St. John Lateran.  The field is on the left of the road going towards Albano, and in it are several brick tombs of beautiful fine work, now or formerly used as dwellings or barns.  You and I crossed the very field on a certain New Year’s Day, and lingered to admire the almost unrivalled view of the Campagna, the mountains, and Rome, which it affords.

“The first discovery was an ancient basilica, satisfactorily ascertained to be the one dedicated to St. Stephen, built by Santa Demetria,—­the first nun,—­at the instigation of the pope, St. Leo the Great. [A.D. 440- 461.] Sig.  Fortunati, who made the discovery and directs the excavations, told me at great length how he was led to the investigation; but as he has published this and much more in a pamphlet, which I shall send to you, I will not repeat it here.

“Twenty-two columns have been found, many of rare and beautiful marble, one of verde antico, most superb, others of breccia and of cipollino marino, said to be rare, and certainly very beautiful.  Forty bases and over thirty capitals of various styles have also been found, as well as architectural ornaments without number, many of them carved with Greek or Roman crosses.  The rare and superb fragments of marble show that there must have been costly and beautiful linings and finish.  There are also numerous inscriptions of great interest, which connect this church with illustrious families and famous martyrs.