As the southern hills, the Cxlian, Aveutine, Palatine, and Esquilino became abandoned, they became also unhealthy, for populousness and salubrity go together in the whole Maremma region. But still the unhealthiness of the city was, and is, much less in degree than that of the country without the walls, and especially of the lowlands towards the sea-coast. There are families and whole religious com munities that live all the year round on the desolate hills of old Rome without any remarkable inconvenience, though no one would venture to spend the summer months, at least from choice, outside of the walls between Rome and the sea. The miasmata which produce the malaria, emanate from the volcanic soil of the Campagna, acted upon by the rays of a burning sun ; they seem to be of a dense heavy nature, seldom rising very high above the ground unless wafted by the winds. Walls appear to stop their advance, fire dispels them, and house foundations and pavements prevent their emanation.
It seems now proved that whenever the population has decreased within Rome, from political and other causes, the air has become lees wholesome, and that the thinly-inhabited districts are, independently of their situation, unwholesome in summer, when compared with the more populous parts of the town. Thus the neighbourhood of the Corso and the lower town in general, and even the low filthy quarter of the Jews, are salubrious, whilst the eastern part of the fine street of Porta Pia, the neighbourhood of Santa Maria Maggiore, and that of the Lateran are considered unhealthy in summer, although they are on comparatively high ground. The parts of the Quirinal and the Pincian which are built upon are the most desirable situations in modern Rome for fresh air and health. On the other side of the river the thinly-built district of La Lungars and the Vatican are con sidered unhealthy in summer, whilst the densely-peopled part of Traatevere is less complained ot The fact is, that wherever the population gets thin and miserable, the malaria will gain ground; it will take possession of houses and gardens from whioh the warmth of the blazing hearth, and the cheering breath of human life, and the cares of domestic industry have disappeared.
The temperature of Rome is generally mild and genial. Frosts occur in January ; bnt the thermometer seldom descends lower than 26' Fahr., and the mid-day man generally produces a thaw. The tramontana, or north wind, sometimes however blows cold and piercing for days together. Snow falls at times, but it seldom remains on the ground for more than a day. Orange-trees thrive in the open air; but lemon-trees require covering during the winter months. P.ains are frequent and heavy in November and December, but fogs are rare. In the summer months the heat is at times oppressive,
eepecially when the Retraces, or south wind, blows. The hour which follows euoset is considered the most unwholesome in Kummer, and people avoid exposure to the open air. The sky of Rome has been admired by most travellers for its transparent light, its ultramarine blue tinge, and the splendid colours of the sunset, which Claude has so well rendered.
Antiquities: Baths of Titus were constructed near the Flavian Amphitheatre about A.D. 80, bn the site of the gardens of tho golden house of Nero, between the Colosseum and the F.squiline. The ruins stand now in a vineyard. The Baths of Trojan, partly on the same site, and adjoining those of Titus, were commenced by Domitian and finished by Trajan : they extended towards the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, which they almost touched. (In the church of San Pietro in Vincoli is Michel Angelo's celebrated statue of Moms.) The Baths of Trajan resemble very much those of Diocletian In plan: they occupy an area of about 1100 feet by 800 feet. One of the great hemkycles near the northern angle still remains. On the shorter sides, near the eastern and southern angles, are the remains of two hemicycles with niches for statues. The long side opposite the Colos seum contains In the centre the remains of • great semicircular theatre. There are few (and those few are unintelligible) remains of the internal part of the building. Part of the golden hone of Nero remains under the Bathe of Trajan. In the passages and chambers of this house there are still some elegant arabesque decorations, the colours of which in many parts are still very vivid.
The Baths of Constantine were, according to Victor, in the region of the QuirinaL They were erected about A.D. 326, and were repaired in the middle of the 5th century. In 1519 some of the ruins were still in existence, but they disappeared about 1527. Palladio restored the plan, and in the reign of Clement XIL an excavation was made on their Site, when a magnificent portico, with an ornamented ceiling, and walls painted with historical subjects, were discovered.
The Baths of Diocletian, situated on the Vinsinal, were erected by Diocletian about A.D. 302. They were of vast dimensions. The extensive and capacious ruins were adapted to the purposes of a monastery, and Michel Angelo transformed the ancient tepidarinm, the esidarinm, and • part of the frigidarinm into a church with its dependencies. The church is called Santa Maria degli Angell. The rest of the ruins consist of large brick masses with arches of enormous span : some of these masses still support parts of the vaulted ceiling. On a part of the site of the baths Michel Angelo constructed a spacious and elegant cloister.