Part 42 (2/2)
”One certainly wonders,” said Caesar, ”if Saint Peter's is not one of the buildings in the worst taste that exist in the world.”
They got out in front of the steps.
”Your friend is probably well up on archeological matters?” asked Caesar.
”Who? Don Justo? Not in the least.”
Caesar began to laugh, went up the steps ahead of the others, lifted the leather curtain, and they all three went into Saint Peter's. _THERE IS NO PERFORMANCE_
Caesar began his explanations with the plan of the church. The Canon pa.s.sed his hand over all the stones and kept saying:
”This is marble too,” and adding, ”How expensive!”
”Do you like this, Don Calixto?” Caesar asked.
”What a question, man!”
”Well, it is obviously very rich and very sumptuous, but it must give a fanatic coming here from far away the same feeling a person gets when he has a cold and asks for a hot drink and is given a gla.s.s of iced orgeat.”
”Don't let Don Justo hear you,” said Don Calixto, as if they ought to keep the secret about the orgeat between the two of them.
They came to the statue of Saint Peter, and Caesar told them it is the custom for strangers to kiss its foot. The Canon piously did so, but Don Calixto, who was somewhat uneasy, rubbed the statue's worn foot surrept.i.tiously with his handkerchief and then kissed it.
Caesar abstained from kissing it, because he said the kiss was efficacious princ.i.p.ally for strangers.
Then they went along, looking at the tombs of the Popes. Caesar was several times mistaken in his explanations, but his friends did not notice his mistakes.
The thing that surprised the Canon most was the tomb of Alexander VII, because there is a skeleton on it. Don Calixto stopped with most curiosity before the tomb of Paul III, on which one sees two nude women.
Caesar told them that popular legend claims that one of these statues, the one representing Justice, is Julia Farnese, sister of Pope Paul III, and mistress of Pope Alexander VI; but such a supposition seems unlikely.
”Entirely,” insisted the Canon gravely; ”those are things invented by the Free Thinkers.”
Don Calixto allowed himself to say that most of the Popes looked like drum-majors.
Don Justo continued appraising everything he saw like a contractor.
Caesar devoted himself to retailing his observations to Don Calixto, while the Canon walked alone.
”I will inform you,” he told him, ”that on Sat.u.r.day one may go up in the dome, but only decently dressed people. So a placard on that door informs us. If by any chance an apostle should re-arise and have a fancy to do a little gymnastics and see Rome from a height, as he would probably be dirty and badly dressed, he would get left, they wouldn't let him go up. And then he could say: 'Invent a religion like the Christian religion, so that after a while they won't let you go up in the dome.'”
”Yes, certainly, certainly,” replied Don Calixto. ”They are absurd. But do not let the Canon hear you. To be sure, all this does not look very religious, but it is magnificent.”
”Yes, it is a beautiful stage-setting, but there is no performance,”
said Caesar.
”What do you mean by that?” asked Don Calixto.
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