“Valerius struck at Titus and lopped off half his crest, But Titus stabbed Valerius, a span deep in his breast. Like a mast snapped by the tempest, Valerius reeled and fell. Ah! woe is me for the good house that loves the people well! Then shouted loud the Latins, and with one rush they bore The struggling Romans backward, three lances length or more:
And up they took proud Tarquin, and laid him on the shield, And four strong yeomen bore him, still senseless from the field. But fiercer grew the fighting around Valerius dead, For Titus dragged him by the foot, and Anlus by the head. Twice tenfold round the body the roar of battle rose Like the roar of a burning forest, when a strong north wind blows.
Now backward and now forward, rocked furiously the fray, Till none could see Valerius, and none knew where he lay. For shivered arms and ensigns were heaped there in a mound, And corpses stiff, and dying men, that writhed upon the ground, And wounded horses kicking, and snorting purple foam, Right well did such a couch befit a Consular of Rome.”
There are also, in this palace, the seven-branched candlesticks, and many other objects taken from the Temple of the Holy City.
Next we saw the triumphal arch of Constantine (the first Christian Emperor of Rome), this seems to be the best preserved of all the arches we saw, although now it has been standing since 311 A.D. We learned it was erected by the people of Rome in honour of the great victory achieved over Maxentius at Ponte Mollo. The central arcade is about thirty-feet high, the side ones are about twenty-feet. There are four beautiful columns of Corinthian marble which support the pillars upon which stand some fine statuary representing some of the “Dacian prisoners,” “Trajan’s entry into Rome after his victory in the east,” “The rest on the Appian Way,” “Trajan bringing help and succour to the poor children,” “Trajan speaking to his soldiers.” Under these are bas-reliefs which represent hunts and sacrifices. On the opposite side of the street we noticed a large pedestal which we were told held, in ancient times, a colossal statue of Nero, executed in bronze. After his death it was thrown down and replaced by another called “The god of the sun.” This, however, has been allowed to fall into decay; the iron tooth of time has done its work, and only the pedestal remains.