The first time I visited the Vatican it was in company with Mr. Scott, and after passing the Sala regia, we hurried impatiently along the loggie of Raphael, to what were pointed out to us as the celebrated Camere. On our arrival we were refused admittance. The door at the other end of the suite was open, but that into the loggie permitted strangers only to depart. This arrangement obliged us to make the tour of the museum, a circuit of above half a mile; and whatever you may think of it, half a mile of the finest productions of sculpture cannot be walked through very quickly. Was it possible to pass the Apollo without stopping to look at it? Or the Laocoon without notice? Even the inscriptions delayed us; nor could we help paying some attention to the tomb of Scipio. We peeped into each open doorway, just to see what we had to expect for another and more leisure survey; and this walk occupied us about an hour and a half, though intending to go with the greatest rapidity from one door of the rooms containing the frescos to the other.
Before the paintings, we stop at the Arazzi of Raphael; the subjects of these are,
1. The Stoning of St. Stephen.
2. St. Peter curing the cripple, in the porch called Beautiful.
3. Conversion of St. Paul.
4. Religion, Justice, and Charity.
5. Slaughter of the Innocents, No. 1.
6. Elymas the sorcerer.
7. Christ in the garden. Noli me tangere.
8. The committal of the keys to St. Peter.