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PR OFESSl ON A L OBSER VA TI OXS 
 
 ox THE 
 
 • ARCHITECTURE 
 
 OF THE PRINCIPAL 
 
 ANCIENT AND MODERN BUILDINGS 
 
 Iff 
 
 FRANCE AND ITALY. 
 
 fy. fy. ^c. 
 
 [price lOf. 6d.\ 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
G' 
 
 PROFESSIONAL OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ox THE 
 
 ARCHITECTURE 
 
 OF THE PRINCIPAL 
 
 AXCIENT AND MODERN BUILDINGS 
 
 IN 
 
 FRANCE AMD ITAJLYs 
 
 "WITH REMARKS ON THE 
 
 PAINTING AND SCULPTURE, 
 
 AND 
 
 A CONCISE LOCAL DESCRIPTION 
 
 OF 
 
 THOSE COUNTRIES. 
 
 WRITTEN FROM 
 
 ^ifeetc{)es atiD aipemorantia 
 
 MADE DURING A VISIT IN THE YEARS 
 1802 AND 1803. 
 
 BY GEORGE TAPPEN. 
 
 Omnium bonarum artium scriptores ac 
 doctores et legend! et pervolutandi. 
 
 Cicero. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, 
 
 B? maiiam TB&Uimine, 
 
 Duke - street, Vork - buildings, Strand. 
 
 SOLD BY JOSIAH TAYLOR, 59, HI GH - HO L BO RN, 
 AND GEORGE KEARSLEY, 46, FLEET-STREET. 
 
 1806. 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 in 2009 witii funding from 
 NCSU Libraries , 
 
 littp://www.arcliive.org/details/professionalobseOOtapp 
 
TO 
 
 Sm TPIO:\IAS HYDE PAGE, Knt. F.R.S. 
 
 S^-c. &;c. (§-c. 
 
 THIS JFORK 
 
 IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, 
 
 BY HIS 
 
 MUCH OBLIGED, 
 
 x\ND FAITHFUL FRIEXD, 
 
 . GEORGE TAPPEN. 
 
 ^0X34 
 
\ 
 
 > 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 1 H E Author, in submitting the following 
 Observations to public notice, is alone 
 influenced by his love for the Arts. 
 
 Having found from experience that the 
 architectural descriptions of the buildings on 
 the Continent ^diich have been usually given 
 by Travellers wewnot sufficiently explanatory 
 or detailed, either in regard to outward form, 
 materials, or internal decoration, he was in- 
 duced while passing through France and 
 Italy to take Notes and Sketches of the 
 principal Structures which appeared to him 
 most worthy of attention: and if he has 
 conveyed a more certain outhne of their 
 beauties and defects than has been hitherto 
 given, in a general way, his object is "attained. - 
 It has been his particular wish to afford 
 coiTCct and satisfactory information to those 
 whose pursuits may incline them, but who 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 may never have an opportunity, to visit those 
 countries. 
 
 In regard to the style and composition 
 of the Work, the Author fully relies on that 
 indulgence which may be fairly claimed by 
 one whose time has been cliiefly devoted to 
 the study of his Art. 
 
PROFESSIONAL OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ON THE 
 
 ARCHITECTURE 
 
 OP 
 FRANCE AND ITALY. 
 
 X WILL endeavour, in as clear a manner as I 
 am able, to give a faithful account of the architec- 
 ture of France and Italy, with remarks on the 
 painting and sculpture, written from sketches and 
 memoranda made on the spot during a Tour 
 through those countries in the latter end of the year 
 1802 and the beginning of 1803: together with 
 various reflections respecting the arts in general ; 
 and some local observations on the different parts 
 I visited, which are occasionally introduced to 
 relieve the unavoidable dulness of technical de- 
 scription. 
 
 I landed at Calais from the packet ; and here 
 the shore is so extremely flat, that, at the time of 
 low water, passengers are under the necessity of 
 being carried on men's shoulders even from the ship's- 
 boat to land. The pier, which runs out as a pro- 
 tection to the harbour, is constructed with wooden 
 piles, connected together in different directions, 
 
 B 
 
 D. H. HILL LIB.RARY 
 fclorlh Carolina State Collj -^ 
 
and the spaces between them are filled in witli 
 large rough stones; the upper part, on which 
 people walk, is covered with planking: but the 
 whole appeared to be in a neglected state. 
 
 The only public buildings worthy of observation . 
 in this town, are tlie church of Notre Dame and 
 the town-hall, constructed chiefly with stone ; but 
 they have no beauty of architecture either within 
 or without to excite particular attention from the 
 artist. The church is a heavy Gothic structure, 
 and, as usual in all Roman-catholic countries, 
 forms a cross on the plan : and that which may be 
 considered as a great advantage to the interior of 
 the churches on the continent is, that they are all 
 without pews; so that on entering them you have 
 a complete and uninterrupted view of the whole 
 at once; which is the case only in our metropolitan 
 churches. The seats used by those who attend 
 them, are moveable benches and chairs. At the 
 east end of the cathedral is the chapel of the Virgin 
 Afar}-, the plan of which makes an oval; the walls 
 are enriched with double Corinthian pilasters sup- 
 porting an entablature, and large circular-headed 
 windows are placed between them. Above the 
 entablature is an attic with oval windows over 
 those below, and thence a dome springs with a 
 lantern in the centre, which affords additional 
 light to the interior. I thought the general cha- 
 racter of this chapel pleasing; but as the inside is 
 linished with common plastering, it had, never- 
 theless, a great meanness of appearance. Several 
 indiiferent pictures are seen against the walls: 
 one represents a shipwreck, executed in the year 
 
3 
 
 17^3, by P. Isaac j another is from the Revela- 
 tions, done in the year 1731, by T. de Feburc; 
 and a third shews Christ on the cross, by Vallerano, 
 painted in 1710; beside a few other bad pro- 
 ductions. 
 
 The interior of the church consists of a nave, 
 with two aisles : the pavement is laid in black 
 and white marble squares; and the great altar-piece 
 is of marble, adorned with the Corinthian order. 
 Although the church itself is in the Gothic style of 
 architecture, there appears on the north side of it 
 a Doric portico of a modern description. 
 
 The streets of this strongly-fortified town are of 
 a good width, and tolerably well paved; but, like 
 other places in France, they have no foot-pave- 
 ment: and the only fresh water the inhabitants 
 can obtain is the rain, which they carefully pre- 
 serve in public cisterns and reservoirs. 
 
 Before a foreigner is permitted to leave Calais, 
 his passport must be countersigned by the secret- 
 ary of the commandant; who, at the same time, 
 minutes down in a book a particular description 
 of his person. 
 
 From Calais I went in the diligence to Boulogne, 
 the harbour of which, even at high water, is only 
 capable of admitting small vessels: and thence I 
 proceeded to Montreuil, which is well fortified on 
 all sides. The streets of this town are open and 
 clean, and the houses are built in a very neat style 
 of architecture, stuccoed on the outside; but 
 many of them are no more than two stories in 
 height. Since the Revolution, this place, which 
 was formerly much resorted to by the best families 
 
 B 'I 
 
4 
 
 in France for the salubrity of its air, being only a 
 few miles from the sea, is now almost forsaken. 
 Some fine Gothic churches and convents, which 
 stood as ornaments to the town, were demolished 
 at that unhappy period, and remain but heaps of 
 rubbish. Montrcuil is situated on an eminence, 
 and commands a delightful view of the surround- 
 ing country. 
 
 Amiens, the capital of Picardy, was the next 
 place of note I arrived at. This city boasts one 
 of the finest Gothic cathedrals on the continent, 
 built in the 13th century, and the architecture of 
 it is so exquisite in point of workmanship, that the 
 French significantly call it iin beau morctau. At 
 Amiens I was told that itwas designed by an English 
 architect. The plan is in the shape of a cross : the 
 facade is loaded with an exuberance of figures, saints 
 in niches, and sculpture of various devices j and the 
 sides over the aisles have flying buttresses, with 
 windows between : but the interior, though com- 
 paratively small, may be considered as a perfect 
 model of this species of architecture in its more 
 simple and unadorned character, somewhat resem- 
 bling the west part of Winchester cathedral. In the 
 front are three doors j and over the principal one, 
 in the centre, between the two side-towers, appears 
 the great window, ^^ hich gives the largest share of 
 light to the nave, as is usual in buildings of this de- 
 scription. About the large entrance, is a repre- 
 sentation of the judgment-day, in sculpture, beside 
 other emblems and decorations. The spire rises 
 directly over the intersection of the cross, and is 
 beautifully light : it decreases to a point, in ap- 
 
pearance as small as a needle, and is universally 
 admired for its form and construction. 
 
 In this, as well as in manyof theGothiccathedrals 
 of our own country, the interior is defaced by the 
 improper introduction of Greek or Roman archi- 
 tecture. All the altar-pieces of the lateral chapels 
 are of this description; which must ever give offence 
 to a man of true taste and science: and althousfh 
 the association cannot be deemed so monstrous 
 as what Horace mentions in the opening of his 
 Art of Poetry, still I believe a man of nice dis- 
 crimination would almost as soon see the one as the 
 other ; for what can be more absurd than the con- 
 founding of two absolute and distinct species of 
 architecture in the same building .? Were an 
 architect to design a Corinthian entablature, sup- 
 ported with*all the five orders in a promiscuous 
 intercolumniation, he would not, in my opinion, 
 commit a grosser solecism in the grammar of his 
 art, nor do so much violence to the proprietv and 
 fitness of things: because, in the one instance, he 
 only uses the same sort of architecture improperly; 
 but in the other, he jumbles together indiscrimin- 
 ately two separate and incongruous styles, hostile 
 to each other in all their proportions, principles^ 
 and character. 
 
 • Behind the great altar appears a chef-d'ixuvre of 
 sculpture, representing the figure of a child weep- 
 ing : and so exquisitely w'ell has the artist deline- 
 ated the passion, that the tears really seem lo run 
 down his marble cheeks in " piteous chase." 
 
 The city swarms with beggars, who, the moment 
 they hear an Englishman is arrived, beset the inn 
 
6 
 
 in crowds, and become extremely troublesome by 
 their importunities. When they look at Mon- 
 sieur Anglois, they really fancy that his body, like 
 the candlesticks of Solomon's temple, is made of 
 pure gold. I had, however, resolved from the 
 beginning, that my pocket should never be mate- 
 rially injured by my vanity j and I endeavoured, 
 as much as was in my power, to persuade them 
 to the contrary. The princely magnificence in 
 which the Marquis Cornwallis lived while the 
 negociatlon for peace was going on with France, 
 and the noble liberality he so worthily displayed 
 in his high situation to the poor during his resid- 
 ence at Amiens, induced them to think that the 
 wealth of England is inexhaustible ^ and taught 
 them to expect the same munificence on every 
 occasion, without once considering the diiferent 
 degrees and conditions of those whom they solicit 
 for charity. 
 
 The whole city is well planned, and the streets 
 are open and spacious : the houses are stuccoed 
 on the surface with considerable architectural de- 
 corations, and make altogether a handsome ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 Departing from Amiens for Paris, at a small 
 distance out of the direct road lies the palace of 
 Chantillv: here are to be seen the remains of the 
 superb dwelling ofthe family ofConde, formerly the 
 boast of France. The principal building, which is a 
 mixture of the French with the castellated style of 
 architecture, has been defaced, and stripped of its 
 ornaments both within and without; but the stables, 
 perhaps the finest in Europe, are tolerably perfect. 
 
Thosericlily-cultivated gardens — once adorned with 
 sculpture, refreshed by fountains, and shaded with 
 pines and orange-trees — in which the greatest men 
 of France have walked with wonder and delight, 
 are now despoiled of all their beauties, and appear, 
 in a comparative sense, no better than a desert ! 
 
 The road to Paris is rendered agreeable by a 
 variety of vineyards to be seen on each side of 
 it, combined with other pleasing scenery. Yet 
 nothing can be more fatiguing than travelling 
 through France, owing to the rough pavement of 
 the roads, and the ponderous carriages in which 
 you ride. Upon entering Paris, I was much struck 
 with the noble gateway of Lewis XIV. designed 
 by Blondel. It is composed of stone, and has a 
 large archway in the centre : on each side appears 
 a square passage for the convenience of persons 
 on foot ; and over these entrances are ornaments 
 in the shape of pyramids, which are adorned with 
 figures, beside shields, spears, armour, and other 
 military instruments. On the top of the arch is 
 an entablature of the Corinthian order, with a 
 blocking above, enriched with scroll-work ; and 
 in the frieze is this inscription, " Ludovico magno,'^ 
 Immediately under the entablature is a longpannel, 
 containing bass-reliefs relating to the history of 
 Lewis XIV. Notwithstanding there is no column 
 nor pilaster used in this structure, it has so striking 
 an effect that it is impossible to pass it Avithout 
 admiration. 
 
 The dwelling-houses at Paris are generally very 
 lofty, containing five and six stories, and sometimes 
 more. They are mostly built with rough stones. 
 
8 
 
 stuccoed on the outside : their roofs are covered 
 with red tiles; and almost every window has a bal- 
 cony, ornamented with architraves, or some other 
 design. It is true that the city itself bears no kind 
 of comparison with London in point of cleanliness 
 and comforts ; still the architecture prevailing in 
 the palaces, theatres, and other public buildings 
 of a modern date, possesses a boldness and magni- 
 ficence superior to our own capital. Many of their 
 facades are adorned with handsome projecting por- 
 ticos of different orders, as may have been thought 
 most suitable to the building to which they belong: 
 and if they are not altogether unobjectionable in 
 point of architectural purity, they are, nevertheless, 
 much to be preferred to any of the modern struc- 
 tures even in Rome and other Italian cities. The 
 habitations (or hotels as they are called in France) 
 of persons of distinction are usually entered through 
 a wide gatewa^^, which leads to the court-yard 
 within, and thence to the various apartments ; as is 
 the case in Florence, and other places on the con- 
 tinent. The interior streets of the city are very 
 narrow; but the suburbs or boulevards which sur- 
 round it are wide and spacious, and by having 
 rows of trees on each side of them they assume, in 
 some instajices, the resemblance of a grove or mall. 
 In rainy weather, the water drops from the roofs of 
 the houses for want of water-pipes, in a manner 
 very annoying to pedestrians ; and the want of a 
 foot-pavement for the safety and accommodation 
 of those who walk, appeared to me a serious incon- 
 venience in a large and populous city. In the 
 night-time the streets are extremely dark^ arising 
 
from the small quantity of lamps allotted to them, 
 which are suspended in the middle of the high- 
 way in a very singular manner — that is, by a rope 
 stretching from one house to the other opposite. 
 The lamps are let down by a pulley to be lighted ; 
 so that carriages are compelled to stop for a while, 
 if they happen to be passing at that time. The 
 rope is fastened and locked up in an iron funnel or 
 case, which is fixed in the wall of the house, five or 
 six feet from the gVound, and which no person 
 can open but the lamplighter. 
 
 The Seine is about 400 feet wide on an average, 
 handsomely banked with large freestone, and 
 runs through the metropolis, dividing it into 
 two parts, which communicate with each other 
 by nine bridges ; those which lead to the small 
 island called la Cite, in the middle of it, are very 
 inconsiderable. This river often contains but 
 a small quantity of water, which appears thick and 
 muddy : and being, at the same time, very narrow, 
 when compared with the noble Thames it cannot 
 be said to be much better than a ditch ; likewise 
 the water it atTords is reckoned unwholesome for 
 drinking. 
 
 Among all the Bridges at Paris, the only one that 
 appeared to me in any degree remarkable is that 
 opposite the place of Lewis XV. which consists 
 of five arches of a very light construction; — they form 
 segments of a circle, and are so extremelv flat, that 
 the centre arch, whose span iseighty-eightfeet,only 
 rises eleven feet from the springing. Tlie side-arches 
 bear the same proportions. On the top of the 
 i^ridge is a handsome balustrade j and against the 
 
10 
 
 piers, which are eleven feet wide, are circular but- 
 tresses all the way up. 
 
 The first great object of public attention, parti- 
 cularly to foreigners and artists, is the central mu- 
 seum, or the immense gallery of the Louvre; con- 
 taining such a collection of paintings as is not, and 
 I might almost dare to say never was at any former 
 period of the world, to be seen at one view together. 
 Let any person imagine a room 1500 feet in length, 
 and the whole of the walls on each side hung with 
 the most choice and celebrated pictures of every 
 description, selected from the first galleries in the 
 Italian states, combined with the productions of 
 other countries — and the conception alone must 
 amaze him. The width of the room bearing 
 no proportion whatever with the length, when 
 viewed at either of the extreme ends, the perspec- 
 tive makes it appear as if you were looking through 
 a telescope. 
 
 In different parts of the gallery young artists 
 are seen labouring from morning till night, in 
 laudable endeavours to imitate the works of those 
 great masters which are before them. At all 
 reasonable times they have free access to this 
 exhibition, and are permitted to take into the gal- 
 lery their easels, and other implements necessary 
 lor the prosecution of their studies. 
 
 Considering these extraordinary means of im- 
 provement, it is but natural to suppose that the 
 progress in the art of painting must be rapid at 
 Paris : yet were I called upon to give a fair and 
 imj)artial opinion on the works of the existing 
 artists in France, I should, without wishing to de- 
 
11 
 
 grade the one or magnify the other, declare them 
 to be, in my own judgment, many years behind 
 the Academy of "this kingdom in almost every 
 branch of this arduous profession. Again, in trav el- 
 ling through Italy, experience soon teaches that 
 no^examples, however excellent, will lead the 
 student to perfection, unless they be accompanied 
 with real genius. Thus we see the Italian painters 
 of the present day the merest daubers in the world, 
 with the most perfect specimens of the first masters 
 continually before their eyes : and yet, in times 
 past, the schools of Italy have produced the ablest 
 painters, sculptors, and architects ; of which we 
 need no other proof than those renowned v/orks 
 they have left behind them— the everlasting monu- 
 ments of their fame ! 
 
 But,to return to thegallery. — Magnificent as the 
 sio-htof this prodigious collection must appear to 
 every beholder, he cannot help lamenting, in some 
 degree, the means by which the larger part of it 
 
 wa'^s acquired " The gorgeous palaces, the 
 
 solemn temples," the sacred altars, the silent con- 
 vents, the public buildings, and the private dwell- 
 ino-, all have been plundered and profaned to 
 make up the sum and measure of this most stu- 
 pendous spectacle ! Nor can a lover of the arts, 
 from motives of a very different nature, refrain 
 from reo-ret, when he feels, which he must do the 
 moment he enters the gallery, that it is not cal- 
 culated to display this most valuable and splendid 
 assemblage even to moderate advantage. On 
 each side it has windows which come within three 
 or four feet of the floor ^ so that the rays of 
 
12 
 
 light nearly form riglit angles with the pictures 
 opposite, instead of being thrown upon them in 
 some more oblique direction; and the pictures 
 hung against the piers, between the apertures, have 
 but just light enough, bad as it is, to shew their sub- 
 jects, not in the least the brilliancy of their colour- 
 ing. I never could view a picture under these 
 circumstances with any degree of satisfaction. — 
 Now, if the light couM not have been introduced 
 from above, still the eifect might have been greatly 
 improved by dividing the whole length of the gal- 
 lery into separate chambers, and shutting up the 
 lower part of the windows ; then the paintings 
 might have been placed against the cross-partitions, 
 by which means they would have received the 
 light in a much more advantageous manner : and 
 a door-way being left in the centre of each room, 
 the vista of the gallery might have been preserved; 
 while the extent of the object, in my own opinion, 
 would rather have been increased than dim.inished 
 by the endless suit of apartments visitors must have 
 passed through. 
 
 To attempt any thing by way of illustration of 
 the pictures would be absurd, as their names alone 
 are numerous enough to fill a volume. Kaphael, 
 Guido, Rubens, Titian, Paul Veronese, Corregio, 
 Claude de Lorrain, Pousin Vandyke, Holbeen, 
 Rembrandt, Julio Romano, Caracci, Teniers, 
 AVouvermans, Lebrun, and nearly all the cele- 
 brated painters of a former age, have contri^ 
 buted to this display of genius. I cannot, how- 
 ever, forbear mentioning one of the paintings 
 in particular, because I think it has not its equal in 
 
13 
 
 the world ;— I mean the Transfiguration of Christ, 
 by Raphael : in point of composition, drawing, 
 and colouring, it may fairly be ranked the iieplus 
 ultra of the art. This picture was placed at the 
 head of his coffin when he lay in state at Rome, 
 as a testimony of his rare talents. 
 
 Upon the same floor, and adjoining the large 
 * gallery, are two other chambers, used for the ex- 
 hibition of the various works of living artists in 
 painting and architecture'; the last of which I 
 thoudit the first in merit. 
 
 Below stairs are the different halls, which con- 
 tain a superb collection of antique statues, groups, 
 and busts, principally the spoils of Italy. Among 
 them is the Venus of the capitol, the Antinous, the 
 dying gladiator, thcDiscoboIuSjthe Torso of jNIichael 
 Ansrelo, various statues of the muses, also of Greek 
 and Roman philosophers, and other renowned 
 characters of antiquity, with a multitude of busts 
 of different sorts j above all, the Apollo of Belvi- 
 dere, and the group of Laocoon, brought from 
 Rome : and by this time they are in possession of 
 theVenusde' Medici, formerly the prideof Florence. 
 These celebrated and inimitable antiques need no 
 other eulogium than this — that when in their ori- 
 ginal situations, the greatest men of different 
 periods travelled from the most distant parts of 
 Europe to contemplate their excellences on con- 
 secrated ground. And though locality can neither 
 add nor subtract from their intrinsic value, still I 
 am inclined to think, that, in the breasts of the clas- 
 sical part of mankind, the sufferings of the Laocoon 
 must have excited more pity, and the nobleness of 
 the Apollo more admiration, when they formed. 
 
14 
 
 which they did for ages, the venerable ornaments of 
 the Vatican; and that the Venus de' Medici inflamed 
 her lovers more when she displayed her charms as 
 goddess in the tribuna of Florence, and attracted 
 her admirers there from every quarter of the globe, 
 than she can reasonably be expected to do since 
 she has been violated as a spoil, and become a 
 captive in a foreign land. 
 
 After the great gallery, the' next public building 
 most likely to engross the stranger's attention is 
 the Palais Royal, because it is a place of pastime 
 and public resort. It is surrounded by shops, coffee- 
 houses, and rooms for gaming. This palace forms 
 an extensive quadrangle within, and makes a mag- 
 nificent appearance in point of architecture; at the 
 same time, some of the proportions of the exterior 
 are far from being good. The facades within the 
 quadrangle consist of a continued open arcade 
 below, with a fluted composite pilaster on a pedestal 
 to each pier, which runs up two stories, and bears 
 an appropriate entablature: over the arches are 
 handsome square-headed windows in recesses, with 
 balustrade balconies : above the entablature is an 
 attic, set back so as to form a kind of gallery ; and 
 the elevation fmishes with an ornamental balustrade 
 and vases. 
 
 Athough this edifice has a rich and sumptuous 
 appearance, it is by far too crowded in its parts 
 to please an eye of true taste. The pilasters are 
 placed so closely together, that the arches and the 
 windows above look as if they were thrust in ; and 
 they are also too narrow to be of a pleasing pro- 
 portion : whereas, had the intercolumniation been 
 increased, these evils might have been avoided. 
 
1 
 
 p 
 
 and the building altogether would have had a 
 much tiner and bolder effect. The arcade, as well as 
 the garden within the quadrangle embellished with 
 orange-trees and gravel-walks, afford an agree- 
 able promenade for the Parisians. 
 
 The national library also forms on the plan a 
 quadrangle, and is an extensive structure, in the 
 French style of architecture. The manuscripts and 
 scarce books have been much increased bv the 
 treasures of the conquered cities of Italy; and it 
 ma}^ now be truly said to exceed any thing of the 
 sort perhaps in the world. The books are arrano-ed 
 round the outer wall, so that the light is ad- 
 mitted by the windows in the quadrangle; and so 
 extensive is the collection (absurdly said to be 
 500,000 volumes) that you cannot walk throuo-h 
 the library without astonishment. Among the 
 manuscripts are some original letters of Henry IV. 
 of France, and Henry VIII. of England. In n 
 small room where the medals and other curiosities 
 are preserved, I remarked a golden heart, in which 
 was found the heart of Anne de Bretagne, queen of 
 Lewis XII.: also a large silver Roman plate, taken 
 out of the Rhone, called the shield of Scipio ; 
 and the fme steel armour of Francis I. This 
 library is open daily, and the meanest person 
 has free access, with the use of pen, ink, and 
 paper. 
 
 In a small recess is a group representing Parnas- 
 sus, with Apollo and the muses : and in different 
 parts are busts of the French literati. 
 
 At the end of the library the floor is cut away 
 to admit two prodigious globes, the celestial and 
 terrestrial. They are placed in the ground story 
 
16 
 
 underneath i and, being thirty feet in circumference, 
 they rise somewhat into the second, the lower one 
 not being sufficient to contain them. On the ter- 
 restrial globe, the water, land, cities, and moun- 
 tains, are distinguished with their proper colours, 
 and the objects on the celestial are expressed in a 
 similar manner. 
 
 The palace of the Luxemburgh, occupied by 
 the senate, is a ponderous piece of architecture of 
 stone, said to have been built upon the plan of the 
 palace Pitti at Florence, The fa9ade consists of a 
 centre and two projecting wings, three stories in 
 height ; the piers between the windows of each story 
 are adorned with double columns, bearing their 
 own separate entablature. The first story has the 
 Tuscan, the second the Doric, and the third the 
 Ionic ; and on them appears a high and ugly roof: 
 the columns are encumbered with circular rustics, 
 resembling so many millstones, which are as ab- 
 surd as they are tasteless, AVithin this palace is 
 the new hall, for the conservative senate ; con- 
 structed nearly upon the same plan as the 
 Olympic theatre at Vicenza, It also contains a 
 handsome library: and in along gallery, lately con- 
 verted out of other apartments for that purpose, 
 hang the valuable and well-known collection of his- 
 torical pictures by Rubens; which, by receiving the 
 light from above, display themselves to every ad- 
 vantage. The gardens are laid out in the formal 
 French fashion ; — adorned with fountains, temples, 
 statues, and vases, like those of the Tuilleries. 
 
 With great truth and justice, the colonnade fi*ont 
 of the Louvre, erected in the reign of Lewis XIV. 
 by Perrault, claims the pre-eminence in regard 
 
17 
 
 to chaste design and beauty of composition o\Tf 
 every other modern building in France, and was 
 very justly pronounced by Voltaire to be " one of 
 the most au2:ust monuments of architecture in the 
 world." At the same time, nothing can be more 
 preposterous than the greater part of the old archi- 
 tecture that prevails in the inner court of the same 
 structure. There are two stones in the colonnade 
 front of the Louvre, said to be 54 feet long, 8 feet 
 broad, and 14 inches each in thickness. 
 
 Adjoining to the Louvre appears the Palace of 
 the Tuilleries, which was so named by having 
 been built on a place where they formerly made 
 tiles. This edifice was begun in the year 1564, 
 by Catharine de' Medici, and has been since used 
 as the town residence of the kings of France. It 
 stands on the banks of the Seine, with the gar- 
 den front facing an extensive place, now called the 
 Elysian-fields (where Lewis XVI. was beheaded 
 at his own request) ; and exhibits a clumsy and in- 
 elegant style of architecture, principally after the 
 designs of De Lorme. 
 
 The g-ardens are disposed, according to the 
 French fashion, in geometrical figures, ornamented 
 with spacious gravel walks, fountains, orange-trees, 
 ancient and modern marble statues, vases, &c. In 
 France, they have not the least conception that a 
 ^iece of water rolling through their pleasure- 
 grounds in a natural meandering course can be 
 an object of beauty ; with them it will not do un- 
 less constrained and fashioned by art into the 
 shape of a square, circle, octagon, or other deJSned 
 foiTn : and, to complete the whole, the water must 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 be vomited out of the mouth of some sea-fisli, wild 
 beast, or monster ; and this is what they emphati- 
 cally term bien-joU. Their shrubbery and trees are 
 disposed in no better way; they arc generally 
 planted in straight lines, with mathematical pre- 
 cision ; and you will often see a formal row of 
 orange-trees, set in tubs, reach from one end of 
 the garden to the other, without the least varia- 
 tion. — Now, for the pleasure of the contrast, and 
 to expose the false taste prevailing through France 
 in this respect, I will here quote Milton s beauti- 
 ful description of the Garden of Eden : 
 
 — — ■ Thus was this place 
 
 A happy rural seat of various view ; 
 
 Groves, whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm, 
 
 Others, whose fruit, bumish'd with golden rind, 
 
 Hung amiable : — Hesperian fables true, 
 
 If true here only — and of delicious taste: 
 
 Betwixt them lawns or level downs, and flocks 
 
 Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd ; 
 
 Or palmy hillock ; or the flowery lap 
 
 Of some irriguous valley spread her store. 
 
 Flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose ; 
 
 Another side, umbrageous grots and caves 
 
 Of cool recess, o'er which the mantlint; vine 
 
 Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps 
 
 Luxuriant ; meanwhile, murmuring waters fall 
 
 Down the slope hills, disperst, or in a lake, 
 
 That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd 
 
 Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams. 
 
 The gardens of this palace are open to the pub- 
 lic, and present a fashionable promenade in the 
 evenino;s. 
 
 Close to, the Tuilleries is La Place du Carousel, 
 Or place for military parade ; remarkable for the 
 
19 
 
 four celebrated brazen horses, that stood, till late- 
 ly, on the outside of the church of St. IMark at 
 Venice. They are said to be the work of Lysippus, 
 and were brought from Greece to Rome upon the 
 conquest of that country. Afterwards they were 
 removed from the Arch of Septimius Severus to 
 Constantinople, with the seat of government ; and 
 there they became a trophy of war to the Venetians. 
 From that time they remained as ornaments to the 
 city of Venice; till the French Revolution, making 
 an excursion through the Italian states both for 
 pleasure and profit, singled them out as very suit- 
 able subjects to decorate the new-built gates of the 
 Tuilleries. 
 
 It has often been observed by artists, that the 
 ancients rarelv formed their animals so well as 
 thev were accustomed to do the human figure ; and 
 these brazen horses I thought some corroboration 
 of the truth of this remark : beside which, some 
 parts bespeak motion, and others rest; — the head, 
 the tail, and the fore-legs, denote them to be trot- 
 ting in a playful attitude ; while both the hind legs 
 remain on the ground, and nearly in the same posi- 
 tion as if the horses were standing still. In all 
 probability, this error was originally conimitted by 
 the ancients for the purpose of better supporting 
 the weight of the statue, which they could not do 
 so well on two legs. — But in the equestrian statue 
 of Marcus Aurelius, at Rome, the hind leg that 
 moves forward in unison A\'ith the opposite fore- 
 leg, is placed on a stone, or rising part; and which 
 I think a smaller blemish than when, to avoid one 
 evil, a greater is committed by the sacrifice of na- 
 
 -c2 
 
20 
 
 tare and truth.— Stating these objections to a 
 Frenchman who was with me, he rephed, " Sir, all 
 the world admire them, because the horses are of 
 brass." True, they are of brass, but that is not 
 sufficient to make them perfect. Let us hope, for 
 the honour of the arts in England, that the time 
 may never come when a brazen horse, a silver 
 Venus, or a golden Apollo, without being able to 
 toast the more precious properties of true taste, 
 natural form and beauty, should in the smallest 
 degree engage the study or claim the admiration 
 of the members of the Royal Academy of London, 
 merely because it is made of a valuable material. 
 
 The same may be said of architecture. — Look at 
 the works of Palladio at Venice and A^icenza, 
 and the principal part of them will appear to be 
 composed of nothing more than brick, stone, 
 and plaster ; notwithstanding which, I should pity 
 the iudo'ment of anv man \\'ho could not contem- 
 plate these simple, classical, and beautiful designs, 
 with much greater delight than all the corrupt and 
 meretricious compositions of modern Rome, though 
 they be executed in the richest and most varie- 
 gated 7narbles. 
 
 With sorrow, the sculptor perceives no more the 
 fine colossal statue of Lewis XIV. \vhich stood in 
 La Place de Victoire. It was 30 feet in height, 
 cast in brass ; and at the time of the Revolution 
 was probably melted down for coin. The eques- 
 trian statue of Henry IV. which stood on the Pont 
 Neuf, and the equestrian statue of Lewis XV. in 
 La Place de la Concorde, with other similar works, 
 shared the same fate. 
 
The manufactory of the Gobelins tapestry* 
 well deserves the attention of the traveller. It is 
 so called from two dyers of that name, who in- 
 vented it in the reign of Francis I. The elaborate 
 productions of this manufactor\', w^iich hang in 
 the different store-rooms, are equal, in effect, to the 
 oil-paintings the workmen imitate; and the fine 
 historical pieces they execute are so slow in their 
 progress on the looms, that one alone requires seve- 
 ral years to be brought to perfection. They are 
 the sole property of the government; and, when 
 finished, are either sent as presents to foreign 
 courts, or placed by way of decoration in their own 
 palaces and public buildings. 
 
 Towering above other buildings, the Pantheon, 
 or Temple of Fame, appears a noble and stately ^ 
 edifice. On the plan it forms a Greek cross, 340 
 feet in length, and 250 in width ; and its super- 
 structure is of the prostyles kind, that is, having a 
 portico in the front only, which is of the Co- 
 rinthian order. The interior forms four naves, 
 decorated with fluted Corinthian columns; and 
 over the centre of the cross is a majestic dome, 
 adorned with colunms, and windows in the inter- 
 columniations. At the time I saw this building, 
 the interior was not quite finished. From the cha- 
 racter and shape of the dome, or cupola, and other 
 parts on the outside, it is pretty evident that when 
 Soufilot was designing this structure he had more 
 or less in contemplation the exterior of our magni- 
 ficent cathedral of St. Paul, which it very much 
 resembles in its upper parts. 
 
 In the history of this architecf s life, it is re- 
 
^2 
 
 lated that his days were shortened by tlic opposi- 
 tion he experienced from his enemies respecting 
 the practicability of executinGj the outer and inner 
 domes as he had designed them. However, by 
 J)erseverance and fortitude, he triumphed over all 
 those obstacles in the end, and has bequeathed to 
 posterity this proud testimony of his talents. The 
 domes, and every part of the Pantheon whatever, 
 are of stone, well chained together with iron. The 
 Vault, or mausoleum, underneath, contains the recent 
 tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau; and here the 
 ashes of these two famous men have been removed 
 since the Revolution. It is said that this edifice is 
 destined to be the future sepulchre of all those who 
 hereafter become eminently distinguished for their 
 talents, or for services rendered to their country. 
 On the front appears this inscription : 
 
 *' Aux grands hommes la patrie i^econnoissante'' 
 
 The gallery around the dome affords a command- 
 ins: view of Paris. 
 
 While I was inspecting the Pantheon, a conversa- 
 tion accidentally arose between myself and a super- 
 intcndant of the works, respecting the columns used 
 in the periptere of the dome, which I perceived to 
 have the inflated shafts : and upon my informing 
 him it was a practice not sanctioned by the architects 
 of England, he entered into a defence of its pro- 
 priety, alleging that Vitruvius had mentioned it, 
 and that in his third book he had promised to give 
 some positive and detailed instructions for the swell- 
 ins: of columns. Whether Vitruvius meant that 
 shafts of columns should be thickest in the middle, 
 
23 
 
 or that lie only spoke of their visually appearino" 
 so, which they do, when they diminish from one 
 third part of the height ; or whether he alluded to 
 some other method of diminution ; at this late pe- 
 riod of time is hard to determine : but allowing 
 that it was his intention to inculcate this prin- 
 ciple, we do not find it in any of the remains 
 of Grecian architecture (which, according to liis 
 own words, he took for his model), if the accounts 
 and drawings we have of them be correct, and 
 which there is little reason to doubt. In that 
 elaborate work the Antiquities of Athens, by 
 Stewart, there does not appear any building or 
 temple therein delineated, whether of the Doric, 
 Ionic, or Corinthian order, in which the swelling 
 of the shafts of columns is to be seen ; so much to 
 the contrary, they do not even diminish from the 
 third part upwards, but all invariably from the 
 base. See the Doric portico at Athens, the Ionic 
 temple of the Illysus, the Corinthian portico com- 
 monly called the remains of the temple of Jupiter 
 Olympius, with the other antiquities of Greece. 
 
 Nevertheless, Palladio, who profoundly studied 
 Vitruvius as a great prototype, has dropped into the 
 same error ; for, under the head of " Delia Gonjiezza 
 € Dimimitione delle Colomie degli Intercolunnii c de 
 Pilastri" he undertakes to explain his method of 
 swelling the shafts Of columns : and Alberti car- 
 ried the inflation of columns to so great an excess, 
 that he was censured by Scamozzi for having con- 
 tributed more than any man in spoiling the fine 
 architecture of the ancients. 
 
 The great church of Notre Dame, erected in the 
 
24 
 
 t2th century under the reign of Lewis VI. is a 
 Gothic building in the form of a cross, and has 
 nothing to boast, either within or without, on the 
 score of beauty. In length it is 396 feet, and in 
 width 140. The fa<;;ade consists of two towers 
 and a centre, in tliis respect like the west end of 
 Westminster abbey, with three doors of entrance. 
 Over the doors is a gallery, or range of niches 
 with figures: above them are Gothic windows 
 and a variety of sculptural grotesque orna- 
 ments. The towers finish with square tops, and 
 have a ponderous appearance. In the interior 
 a spacious gallery runs all round the nave ; and 
 the columns that divide the nave from the aisles 
 are of mixed architecture, while other parts are 
 Gothic ; but the whole inside has a dull and heavy 
 effect. Against the walls of the nave and in other 
 places hang a variety of historical pictures from 
 sacred history, by Rubens, Carracci, Lafosse, and 
 other masters : that by Carlo Vanloo, representing 
 the Archbishop of Milan giving the communion to 
 the pestiferous, is an excellent and remarkable pic- 
 ture. The oak cai-ving of the choir, the four cir- 
 cular painted windows at the extremities of the 
 cross, and the six angels in brass, as large as life, 
 under the cupola, struck me as masterly perform- 
 ances in their \yay. 
 
 ]\Iany of the paintings, the fine tapestry, and 
 marble monuments, tliat formerly beautified the 
 interior of this church, were destroyed or taken 
 away during the Revolution. 
 
 The great hall of the National Institute, in the 
 Louvre (where the society for the encouragement 
 
25 
 
 of arts and sciences meets), forms a magnificent 
 interior. On the plan it is a handsome parallelo- 
 gram, adorned on each side with Corinthian co- 
 lumns, two of which project from each pier some 
 distance from the wall, and from their entablatures 
 an elliptic ceiUng rises, which is finely painted 
 with allegorical subjects. Between these project- 
 ing parts, that look like a row of tabernacles, are 
 placed tlie windows; and between the columns 
 are marble statues, representing the most cele- 
 brated men of France. There are tables and seats 
 round the room, for the members of the Institute. 
 At the entrance door, which is at one end, arc 
 four caryatides sustaining an elegant gallery ; and 
 in the evening the chamber is lighted by chan- 
 deliers and silver lamps. 
 
 The Halle au Bled, or corn-market, is a circular 
 building of great extent, stuccoed on the outside. 
 It has arches below, and windows above. "Within, 
 thei-e is a large circular court, surrounded by an 
 arcade, over which are the granaries; and the 
 whole edifice is covered with a dome, \£.0 feet in 
 diameter, wholly of wood, which has windows in 
 it to light the interior, exactly resembling those 
 in the Prince of Wales's ridino'-house at Brio-hton. 
 
 The Hospital of Invahds, established by Lewis 
 X^''. is an immense building, very plain on the 
 outside, with several courts within, surrounded 
 by two open arcades, one above the other, which 
 serve for galleries of communication to the various 
 chambers and apartments. 
 
 This building afibrds a comfortable asylum for 
 aged and wounded soldiers. The wards are sup- 
 
 D. H. HILL LIBRARY 
 North Carolina Stale Co!!f-H 
 
2<y 
 
 plied with water from a well said to be 900 
 leet deep, which is raised by a mill worked by 
 horses, ami thence conveyed to different parts of 
 the hospital for the convenience of the inha- 
 bitants. On the east side of the hospital is a 
 handsome chapel, oblong on the plan, of a 
 modern date ; in which are hung the trophies 
 of victory taken from the enemies of the French ; 
 and I saw but one English colour among them. 
 On the outside it is adorned with the Doric 
 and Corinthian orders, one above the other, 
 crowned with a stately cupola or dome, somewhat 
 resembling (though on a small scale) that of the 
 Pantheon at Paris. In the interior are inscribed 
 upon the walls the names of those men who have 
 merited national attention, by various acts of he- 
 roism in battle ; but I perceived only one solitary 
 tomb in this chapel, and that is under tlie dome, 
 to the memory of Marshal Turenne, which was 
 brought from St. Denis after the Revolution, lie 
 is represented as expiring in the arms of Victory. 
 A bas-relief in bronze is in the front of the tomb, 
 commemorating the battle in which he was killed; 
 and there are two female ligures, one on each 
 side, personifying Wisdom and Valour. 
 
 In the Garden of Plants, situated on the banks 
 of the Seine, is the menagerie, which contains 
 tame and wild animals of different sorts, such as 
 camels, dromedaries, monke}'s, foreign goats, 
 lions, lionesses, bears, &c. ; and in large cages 
 are eagles, storks, and other birds. In another 
 detached building are elephants, ostriches, ante- 
 lopes, &c. On a liigh mount in these gardens 
 
27 
 
 stands a circular temple of brass : the entablature 
 is supported by eight halberts instead of columns, 
 and it tinishes at the top with a small open cupola : 
 the motto on it is — Nisi serenas non nuinerdjHoras. 
 
 Beside those edifices already mentioned, there 
 are other public buildings worthy of some atten- 
 tion, and a variety of villas in the suburbs of 
 Paris, in a tasteful style of architecture. The bar- 
 riers, or toll-gates, at the end of the Boulevards, 
 were desioncd bv an architect named Le Doux : 
 one represents an observatory, another a chapel, a 
 third a temple, &c. &c. ; and, however they may 
 be admired by some persons, it can hardly be said 
 to be otherwise than a bad taste, to give to 
 buildings such an appearance as does not belong 
 to their true character. — Thus, a chapel and a toll- 
 gate seem to have so little analogy to each other, 
 that their association, rigidly considered, becomes 
 extremely ridiculous. 
 
 In an excursion within a short distance of Paris, 
 the palace of Versailles, situated twelve miles 
 from it, on low flat ground, was the first object 
 of my attention; which, for magnificence and 
 extent, I think may fairly be entitled one of the 
 most distingTiished palaces in Europe. The en- 
 trance front, and the two projecting wings, which 
 form three sides of a quadrangle, are of long 
 standing, and have a noble appearance on the 
 approach; but the immense modern additions to- 
 ward the gardens were erected by Lewis XIV. 
 under the superintendance of several architects. 
 The whole length of the garden elevation mea- 
 sures a thousand feet at least, built with stone : the 
 
28 
 
 centre occupies about a tliird, and projects nearly 
 as much before the wings. It consists of three 
 stories in height : first, a rusticated substruction, 
 with circular-headed windows in recesses; se- 
 condly, a story enriched with the Ionic order, 
 and handsome circular-headed windows between ; 
 and upon that an attick, with square windows, 
 crowned with a balustrade. Still the extreme 
 length makes it appear rather too low for a pa- 
 lace; and, if I judge rightly, the effect would 
 have been more imposing and majestic with the 
 addition of another story, permitting the Ionic 
 order to have occupied two stories instead of 
 one : at present there is a want of boldness in the 
 component parts of the front. Nearly adjoining are 
 large and noble mansions in the most wretched 
 condition, formerly the habitation of the first fa- 
 milies in France : now those dwellings, once oc- 
 cupied by princes, dukes, and marquisses, are 
 changed into workshops and manufactories ; the 
 grass is growing in the streets, and the whole 
 village nearly deserted. The state apartments of 
 the palace itself have been stripped of all their 
 furniture, hangings, and ornaments, except a few 
 straggling paintings : nor can any feeling man 
 walk through the chambers, and behold the for- 
 lorn and unhappy state of every thing around 
 liim, without dropping a tear for the calamities 
 that are passed. 
 
 In order to give some idea of the architectural 
 manner in which the interior is finished, it may 
 be sufficient to remark, that the grand saloon, 
 usually called the Glass Cliumbcr, is sixty-six 
 
29 
 
 toises long, and ten in width*, with a circular 
 ceiling richly pannelled and gilt, and most beauti- 
 fully painted from history by Lebrun and other 
 great mast(}rs. On the side opposite the light are 
 large pannels of plate glass, corresponding with 
 the windows, from one end to the other, set in 
 marble. Pilasters of marble are placed at regular 
 distances round the walls, with gilt bases and 
 caps, crowned with an appropriate entablature, 
 from which the ceiling springs. These caps and 
 bases are said to be of brass ; but they are only 
 cast in lead and o-ilt, which I detected bv cuttinar 
 a small notch in one of them. All the window- 
 jambs are of inlaid marble, and the floors are of 
 wainscot. This is the general style of internal 
 decoration prevailing in the best apartments. 
 
 The king's chapel is almost wholly incrustated 
 with marble of diiferent kinds, and ornamented 
 with fluted Corinthian columns of marble round 
 the gallery, which support an appropriate enta- 
 blature, and rest on an arcade underneath. The 
 balustrade in the front of the gallery is of gilt 
 copper. The ceiling is circular, richly pannelled, 
 and painted with scripture subjects. , The floor is 
 inlaid with devices of variegated marble ; and, in 
 short, nothing can excel the whole in costliness 
 and eleo-ance. 
 
 At the end of the right wing is a theatre, erected 
 for the accommodation of the ro}al family and 
 the amusement of the court. It has been fitted 
 
 * Persons are not permitted to measure ; therefore I took 
 these dimensions from an old plan of the palace. 
 
so 
 
 up with great taste and elegance : the floor and 
 seats of the pit arc moveahle, and so contrived as 
 to answer equally for the drama, the opera, or 
 the ball. 
 
 In the library, which is in a biiildino; at a small 
 distance from the palace, is still a considerable 
 number of books; and in past times I was told 
 the collection amounted to many thousand vo- 
 himes : some of them were placed there by the 
 late queen. You are also shewn a variety of 
 prints and drawings, and among them is one 
 which represents Lewis XIV. on horseback, as he 
 appeared in the quadrangle of the Palais Royal 
 when he gave a public fete that lasted many days. 
 Himself and his horse are described to have had 
 about them on that occasion fifty-four chains of 
 the most valuable diamonds. I mention this only 
 to give an idea of the past glory of the grand 
 monarques of France. 
 
 The gardens at Versailles, with their sculp- 
 ture, promenades, bowers, superb fountains, wa- 
 ter-works, canals, and grottoes, and the stupend- 
 ous orangery, 1200 feet round the three sides, 
 must ever surprise by their magnificence : but 
 they are now in a neglected condition. I will 
 not, however, entirely forsake them, without ol)- 
 serving some of the fine and spirited works of art 
 which contribute to their embellishment. Under 
 the covered way that leads from the front court 
 to the gardens behind, appears a capital piece of 
 sculpture of Alexander and Diogenes, by Puget, 
 to the size of life. The expression and character 
 of these figures I thought excellent. Another by 
 
51 
 
 the same master stands in the garden behind the 
 palace, representing IMilo of Crotone strugghng 
 with a lion : little need be said by way of com- 
 mendation, for in the hands of a great master 
 what must not such a subject as this produce, by 
 the true delineation of muscles in strong action, 
 and the great variety of outline it admits of? In 
 the centre of the orano-erv is a colossal statue 
 of Lewis \IV. in tlie character of Mars, by Pu- 
 get, who, in attempting to clothe the figure with 
 ail the thunder of the god, has a little too much 
 caricatured the person of the monarch. Many 
 are the works in France that bear testimony to 
 the talents of tliis immortal artist. 
 
 The next fine tiling I particularly attended 
 to, was in the centre of the grand jet d'eau, at 
 the bottom of the middle walk : it is, Apollo ia 
 his car rising out of the sea, after a design by 
 Lebrun. The horses are larger than life, cast in 
 lead by an artist named Tubi ; and so ably has he 
 executed the whole of this group, and so admira- 
 bly expressed the lire of their eyes and nostrils, 
 that in effect they do all but breathe and swim. 
 
 The various basins, water-works, and fountains, 
 which decorate these gardens, display the skill 
 and abihties of those artists who were employed 
 to design and constmct them. The fountains are 
 distinguished by different names, either according 
 to the form the water produced w^hen they were 
 playing — such as, the obelisk, the wheatsheaf, the 
 domes, &c. — or were otherwise named after the 
 kind of building to which they belong: as, the 
 colonnade, whicli consists of a circular range of 
 
^2 
 
 marble columns bearing arches ; under every arcli 
 is a fountain, and in the centre of the peristyle 
 is a marble group representing the rape of Proser- 
 pine. Another is called the theatre, because where 
 it is situated are seats and other devices repre- 
 senting such a place, and the water is contrived 
 to suit the scenery. jNIanv of these fountains used 
 to throw their water fifty or sixty feet high above 
 the basins ; and that which exhibits the giant En- 
 celadus under a huge rock, considerably higher. 
 
 Leaving Versailles, it may afford the traveller 
 some pleasure to take a peep at Trianon and 
 !Marli. The first was the favourite and delicious 
 retreat of the late unhappy queen, and is situated 
 in the park of Versailles. The villa must be ac- 
 knowledged beautiful by every man of taste who 
 has seen it. It is in a most pleasing style of 
 architecture, consisting of only one story above 
 ground ; and forms on the plan half a square, that 
 is, with a projecting wing at each end of the 
 elevation. The centre is composed of an open 
 arcade, leading to the gardens behind. The piers 
 are adorned with the Ionic order, supporting an 
 entablature ; and the whole is crowned with a ba- 
 lustrade surmounted with vases. The two wings 
 are in the same style, with large circular-headed 
 windows between the pilasters. The interior has 
 been fitted up with profuse magnificence, nor was 
 any thing omitted by way of decoration that art 
 or fancy could suggest. That the different apart- 
 ments, pavilions, gardens, &c. seem to have been 
 intended for the gratification of indulgence and 
 luxury, cannot be denied ; but the truth of many 
 
3S 
 
 of tJie numerous conjectures of travellers who 
 have seen the internal arrangement of this de- 
 hghtful retirement, so far as they allude to the 
 moral character of the august and unfortunate 
 personage who used to reside there, may very 
 ftiirly be doubted. 
 
 Of the palace and gardens, I may speak of 
 them as 1 have of Versailles ; and, to avoid the 
 painful repetition of public misfortunes, we will 
 le^ve Trianon, to take a view of the great water- 
 works at Marli, which supply Versailles, Tria- 
 non, Marli, and all their diversified fountains, 
 with water from a branch of the Seine, and which 
 may afford pleasure to those whose inclinations 
 lead them to the study of mechanics. They consist 
 of an hvdraulic eno'ine, with fourteen wheels, turn- 
 ed by the current; that work a multitude of pumps, 
 and by them the vrater is thrown up into a tower 
 at the distance of 1200 yards. From this general 
 reservoir the Mater is conveved some little way 
 on an aqueduct, and afterwards thfousfh iron 
 pipes of eighteen inches bore, into various large 
 receivers at INJarli, Trianon^ and Versailles; and 
 from them all the fountains^ water-Avorks, and 
 basins, in the gardens of these palaces, w^ere for- 
 merly supplied. 
 
 The next object of my attention was the palace 
 of St. Cloud, now the country residence of Buo- 
 naparte, situated five miles from Paris, on a com- 
 manding: eminence, with a beautiful view of the 
 Seine below. Here the case is changed : I can- 
 not describe this palace and gardens fti I have 
 those of Chantilly, Versailles, and Trianon: Even 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 in the days of the hioriarchy, this house, in regard 
 to finish, furniture, and Valuables, fell considera- 
 bly short of the splendor and costliness it now 
 displays. 
 
 It is approached on one side through an avenue 
 of trees, that conducts to a pair (jf large iron gates 
 before the palace, where are stationed two horse- 
 guards, similar to those at the entrance of St. 
 James's Park ; and on the other is a coach road, 
 wmding round an extensive fountain of water, lead- 
 ino" to the same place. The guards will not let 
 you pass without a letter of introduction to shew 
 them, and that is only of service when Buonaparte 
 is absent. Nothing will gain the common traveller 
 admittance when he is there himself. When I 
 went to St. Cloud, Buonaparte was making a sur- 
 vey of the coast ; and by using some complaisant 
 expressions to one of the upper servants of the 
 household, telling him I wa§ an Englishman and 
 a traveller, he very kindly applied to Madame 
 Buonaparte, and succeeded in getting me an order 
 for admission. 
 
 The plan of the palace forms three sides of a 
 quadrangle. Its superstructure is of stone, and 
 has nothing remarkable in regard to architecture ; 
 but the roomy accommodation within makes it 
 very convenient for an establishment of some ex- 
 tent. On the right of the principal entrance, in 
 the centre of the building, are spacious apart- 
 ments fitted up for Buonaparte's body-guard; so 
 that, being within the house, they are always 
 ready at a moment's notice to protect his person. 
 The grand circular saloon is Surrounded by marble 
 
^5 
 
 colurpns with gilt capitals, supporting a eorre« 
 spondent entablature. Various marble busts of 
 the great men of France are placed on stands 
 near the wall. The mouldings and the flowers of 
 the ceiling are richly gilt, also the pannels of the 
 ceiling are painted like those at Versailles. A 
 full-length portrait of Buonaparte on horseback, 
 painted in. Italy, hangs in this room, and fully 
 proves what has been said of the modern Italian 
 painters . The audience-chamber is a long paral- 
 le\ogra.m, superbly painted and furnished, and 
 contains three large porcelain vases reckoned the 
 most valuable in Europe ; also rich inlaid cabinets 
 with ornaments of gold exquisitely wrought, sofas 
 and chairs with seats of satin, and choice tables 
 and sculpture. The eating-parlour is lined with 
 marble of an azure tint, inlaid with figures, fruits, 
 and flowers, in the Arabesque style, and splendid- 
 ly furnished and painted. 
 
 Many fine Vernets and choice pieces of Gobel ins 
 tapestry, formed into pannels, appear in the other 
 chambers of less consequence. 
 
 The cabinets in the jewel-chamber are, perhaps 
 for wise reasons, never opened to gratify the curi- 
 osity of the stranger. After this you are con- 
 ducted into a room called the golden Chamber, 
 which is inexpressibly brilliant, and so richly gilt 
 in every part as to produce the effect of real sun- 
 shine. The floors of the various apartments are 
 covered with carpets ; the hangings are of blue 
 satin with fringes of gold, and the chimney-pieces 
 are of statuary marble finely sculptured. Madame 
 Buonaparte's state-bed is in a style ©f eastern mag- 
 
m 
 
 iilficencc^ and put me in mind of the voluJii|ttous 
 extravagance of Cleopatra. Tlie posts are of solid 
 silver, and the bases of gold . The canopy and 
 hangrino's are of satin ond chintz, adorned with 
 the richest fringes, altogether the production of 
 an elegant and ingenious fancy. As state is in- 
 tended to keep people at a respectful distance, so 
 we find the state-bed of Madame Buonaparte and 
 the chief consul's at a respectful distance from 
 each other. Throughout the w hole'of the house, 
 mirrors abound with plates of great value ; rich 
 inlaid marble and mosaic tables, with gilding and 
 other decorations too numerous to be mentioned. 
 
 Near Buonaparte's bed-room is his bath for hot 
 and cold bathing. The walls are lined with plate- 
 glass, enriched with columns of marble placed at 
 certain distances, which, by being reflected, have 
 the appearance of double columns. The floor and 
 the bathing basins arc of white marble, and the 
 cocks and furniture for the use thereof are of 
 isilver. 
 
 His library is a plain long room, crowded with 
 maps of diff'erent sorts, many on an extensive 
 scale, hung against the walls ; and some were 
 spread on a large table in the middle of the room. 
 
 In the convent of the Augustins at Paris is 
 the monument of Eloisa and Abelard, and a col- 
 lection of the relics of the tombs formerly at St. 
 Denis, which contained the dust of kings. They 
 are particularly interesting to the antiquarian and 
 the artist, because they mark the progress of the 
 art of sculpture in France from time to time. 
 
 The road from Paris to Fontainbleau is paved 
 
S7 
 
 ^learjy all the way; and on each side of it, at 
 different parts, is a continuation of trees for miles, 
 that yield an agreeable shade during the summer 
 months. 
 
 When performing this journey^ I could not 
 help remarking the ludicrous appearance of the 
 French peasants, whom I occasionally met in 
 the menial employ of driving carts and waggons, 
 with their hair dressed and powdered. Such an 
 inconsistency would certainly induce any man 
 who had never heard or rea.d of the French cus- 
 toms and habits to suppose, that they liad dressed 
 themselves up in this most fantastic and ridicu- 
 lous manner for the sole purpose of affording di- 
 version and laughter to whomsoever they might 
 meet in their wav. 
 
 The %ure some of the postillions make is no 
 less laughable and strange. They are decorated 
 in a similar manner about the head, although the 
 other part of their dress is oftentimes truly mi- 
 serable ; and their legs are incased in a uair of 
 great jack-boots larger than their bodies, made 
 of iron ribs, and covered vrith thick leather ; so 
 that if the horse on which they ride should by 
 accident fall, a circumstance that now and then 
 happens, owing to the slipperiness of paved 
 roads, they can extricate their legs from the boot 
 unhurt. 
 
 By these singularities it is apparent that some 
 of the old customs and manners of the French are 
 still remaining, in defiance of the great innovations 
 that have taken place in their government and laws 
 and as the vicar of Bray would be vicar of Bray on 
 
3S 
 
 all occasions, so Frenchmeiij lot wjiatever king 
 maj^ reign, will be Frenchmen still. 
 
 The forest of Fontainbleau is every extensive, 
 and here the late unhappy king used to pass some 
 part of his time, both for pleasure and exercise, 
 in hunting the wild boar. 
 
 Nothing can be more gratifying than the 
 country as a campagne ; but I could not con- 
 sider it comparable to England as a rich pro- 
 spect, for want of trees, hedges, and enclosures ; 
 Mor is there so much fine verdure : still you are 
 delighted here and therewith vineyards and other 
 pleasing scenery, and in many parts it is even 
 romantic. 
 
 The palace of Fontainbleau is a very ancient 
 structure, forming one side of a quadrangle. 
 Around the three other sides of it are low build- 
 ings, formerly used a servants's offices and other 
 conveniences ; but they resemble some of our 
 alms-houses more than a royal abode. The pa- 
 lace and gardens remain in a ruinous and neg- 
 lected state, and the village itself is almost wholly 
 deserted. The floors of the state apartments are 
 laid with cassia wood ; and the ceilings and pan- 
 nels of the chambers have been painted in a fan- 
 ciful manner by a modern artist. Behind the pa- 
 lace, in the garden, is the fine fountain that af- 
 fords water of a blue tint, and from which this 
 place took its name. 
 
 From Fontainbleau to Neverre, which is a 
 small inconsiderable town, the country around is 
 beautiful and picturesque . The stone bridge here 
 Jias been thrown down by inundation and ice : 
 
S9 
 
 at present tliere is a tempory one erected of 
 wood for the use of travellers. On this road the 
 inns are destitute of all comfort and accommoda- 
 tion, and tlie provisions of the worst description. 
 Now you begin to feel the real inconveniences of 
 travellino: throuo-h France atagrreat distance from 
 the capital; should you, however, be lucky enough 
 to have two or three French women in the dili- 
 gence, their constant vivacity and cheerfulness^ 
 and the attention they pay to Englishmen in par- 
 ticular, will enable you to bear these evils with 
 much less discontent than you would otherwise 
 feel : and what I know must be repugnant to the 
 delicacy of English females is, that the French 
 ladies who travel in your company make no sort 
 ji)f ceremony at sleeping in the same room ; indeed 
 they often solicit it for the purpose of protection, 
 whenever necessity compels them to put up at 
 wretched and solitary inns^ and which they have 
 reason to suspect are frequented by persons of an 
 improper character. This is nothing more than 
 one of the ancient customs of the country, for in 
 other respects I found them strictly adherent to 
 (Bvery principle of moral rectitude and decorum. 
 
 The stone bridge at Roanne over the river 
 Loire, which is nearly as rapid as the RhonC; has 
 shared the same fate as that of Neverre. 
 
 Having passed this town, the scenery and ro- 
 mantic views, consisting of immense hills and 
 dales, are delightful ; and about eight miles from 
 Lyons you have a grand and distinct view of the 
 ilps. 
 
 poon after this you arrive at Lyons, which> 
 
40 
 
 for its extent and population, is reclionc^l the se-t 
 cond city in France. It is situated on the banks 
 of the Rhone and the Saone; and at a small di- 
 stance below the city the confluence of these two 
 rivers takes place, and the Saone becomes lost in 
 the Rhone, They are both wide and liandsome 
 rivers. The Rhone is liable to great floods at par- 
 ticular seasons of the year, which sometimes rise 
 as high as the bridges, and do great mischief ])y 
 their inundations to the adjoining country. The 
 architecture that prevails here very much resem- 
 bles that of Paris in design and construction ; and 
 the houses, as in every part of France, are covered 
 with tiles : yet I think Lyons altogether has the 
 preference for cleanliness and beauty, and the 
 streets are wider. There are also more open 
 places and squares in proportion to its size, and 
 the whole city is better planned. 
 
 Lyons is still famous for manufactures of silk 
 laces, and cloths, though it sufl*ered considerably 
 during the Revolution. The bridges of the 
 Rhone and the Saone, particularly those called 
 ponts volants, built of oak, aro remarkable for 
 their extreme lightness ; and experience has 
 shewn them to withstand the torrent better than 
 those of stone. 
 
 The principal church, called St. John's, is a 
 dismal ponderous structure in the Gothic style. 
 Within it contains a remarkable clock, that shews 
 the signs of the zodiac, changes of the moon, the 
 feast days in the year, and other events ; and be 
 fore the Revolution the interior could boast sons 
 fine pictures, 
 
41 
 
 The hotel de ville, or government-house, is a 
 superb building in the French style of architec- 
 ture. The entra!ice hall contains two colossal 
 figures in brass, male and female, with attributes, 
 rejiresenting the Rhone and the Saone, they are 
 considered excellent performances of the kind. 
 Also on a brass plate is engraven the speech of 
 Claudius, in Latin, which he delivered in favour 
 of Lyons, when the inhabitants petitioned to be- 
 come a Roman province. 
 
 The great hospital designed by Soufflot, is a 
 striking and magnificent edifice, and evinces con- 
 siderable judgment in its internal distribution. 
 The elevation consists of a centre and two wino-s. 
 v^^ith faint projections, three stories in height: the 
 lower one is rusticated with circular recesses, 
 containing circular-headed windows. The piers 
 between the windows of the two upper stories 
 are adorned with Ionic pilasters, crowned with an 
 entablateur ; and then the building finishes with 
 an ornamental balustrade ; but over the centre 
 part there is an atlic story instead, and above 
 that rises a stately doom which covers a spacious 
 saloon within. This saloon is lighted by the 
 front and back windows, and by circular windows 
 in the doom, and may be said to be the grand 
 veatilator of all the lateral wards in the upper 
 floors. Below are apartments for nurses, attend- 
 ants, culinary and other purposes. The facade 
 contains thirty three windows in each story, which 
 are adorned with architraves ; and the whole has 
 ^ noble appearance : but some of the exterior 
 
42 
 
 ^anaments might have been judiciously omilted, 
 ;as well as in most of the French edifices. 
 
 All the arsenals", forts, and other public ofTice? 
 of governiiient, were totally destroyed during the 
 Ivite Revolution, and the fine equestrian statue of 
 J^ewisXlV. in brass^ which stood in the great 
 ffjuare. 
 
 'i'he opera-house is another design of SoufOot. 
 Within, it bears a resemblance to the interior of 
 Covent^garden theatre ; and, what is not unusuaj 
 at many places on the Continent, it has not the 
 acco:iiodation of seats in tlie pit ; so that persons 
 who frequent this part of the house are compelled 
 to stand during the whole of the performance, 
 which is extremely fatio-uino-. 
 
 Beyond the gate of St, Justus is a noble conr 
 vent of the Carmelites, an order of begging friars. 
 ]t is situated on a delightful eminence, with spa- 
 cious gardens adjoining; and from this spot you 
 have a fine view of the city. In the church of 
 the convent there is an altar of agate and lapis 
 lazuli, which is perhaps the only thing worthy 
 of attention in point of art. 
 
 In the suburbs of Lyons I saw the people 
 building houses of clay, some of them by no 
 means small on the plan, and two stories in height. 
 The workmen use a wooden mould with two up- 
 right sides, which are fastened together by move- 
 able pieces that run through the walls. Between 
 these sides the clay is laid, and then well trodden 
 down, which soon becomes sufficiently set to ad- 
 piit of the mould being removed to other parts. 
 
<43 
 
 In this way all the walls are built; and by thest 
 means they preserve two even faces, and make 
 the walls perpendicular. 
 
 The inhabitants assert that these houses are 
 very durable, as the clav at last becomes tho- 
 roughly hardened by the weather and the heat of 
 the sun ; which seems reasonable when we con- 
 sider Lyons to be seven degrees nearer to the 
 tropics than London. After they are erected 
 and the roof put on (which always projects over 
 the walls to prevent any wet getting to them), 
 they are either stuccoed or coloured over, which 
 gives thorn a neat appearance. 
 
 From Lyons I sailed down the Rhone to Avi- 
 gnon, in the barge which goes backwards and 
 forwards for the purpose of carrying passengers, 
 goods, and merchandize of different sorts ; but on 
 its return it is drawn against the stream (wliich 
 always runs one way) by horses. On each side 
 of the Rhone the mountains rise lofty and grand, 
 and present a diversity of wild scenery for the 
 pencil of the landscape painter. At \ iemie, a 
 place you pa.^s on the left, there is an ancient 
 church, now little better than a ruin. Opposite 
 the town are the remains of a Roman bridge that 
 appears to have had four arches: one pier stood 
 pearly twenty feet out of the water when I passed 
 it. It is cased with stone on the outside, and 
 filled in with rubble work. 
 
 A small distance from Valence a rock appears 
 nearly in the middle of the Rhone, on which 
 Henry IV. of France stopped to dine when sail- 
 ing down this river on a military expedition. I< 
 
44 
 
 t« very properly considered dangerous to tlie na- 
 vigation. On the left, not far from Valence, 
 are the mountains known by the name of the 
 Hermitage mountains^ famous for the wine they 
 produce. 
 
 In performing this voyage the vessel got aground 
 several times on sand-banks, whicli was rather 
 alarming owing to the strong rapidity of the ciir- 
 rent, that drove her round and round as on a 
 pivot. Some of the passengers jumped into the 
 small boat from fear, and imprudently casting 
 themselves off, they were carried swiftly down 
 the stream, and driven with so much violence 
 
 
 
 aaainst the banks of the river that the boivl 
 ii|>sct, and they narro-vly escaped with their 
 lives. 
 
 The Rhone, like other winding and rapid ri- 
 vers, is continually changing its channel, and 
 making depredations on the concave banks. 
 
 On the tops of the mountains is a multitude 
 of vineyards and huts, belonging to the husband- 
 men and peasants. 
 
 In stormy weather the navigation of the Rhone 
 is impracticable ; and on this account we ^yere 
 compelled to put in for nearly two days before we 
 reached St. Esprit, where th© famous bridge of 
 that name stands. It is supposed to have been 
 built by the Romans, and consists of nineteen 
 arches of different sizes, beside dry ones — that is 
 to say, they are only so when the waters are ra- 
 ther low. The whole length of the bridge is 
 computed at 3000 feet, and built on a curve 
 towards the torrent, with triangular buttresses 
 
45 
 
 acjainst" the piers. I measured one of the side-' 
 arches (which is the segment of a circle), and 
 found it ninety feet span. In the spandrils of 
 tho arches are circular flood -arches, which are 
 very serviceable during an inundation : and though 
 this bridge is only fifteen feet wide between the' 
 battlements, it has proudly defied the violence of 
 this imperious river for centuries, while other 
 _ bridges apparently much stronger have from time 
 to time been totally destroyed. At different 
 places on the summits of the mountains are still 
 'to be seen the remains of old castles, generally 
 thou2:ht to be the works of the Romans. 
 
 Arriving at Avignon, the plac« of the boat's 
 destination, I took a general view of the city 
 from the hill on which the pope's palace former- 
 ly stood, and where his legate uyed to reside 
 Avhen this place formed a part of his dominions ; 
 but since the Revolution, Avignon has been 
 added to France, and the palace and arsenal are 
 almost wlioUy demolished. 
 
 The city is of considerable extent, surrounded 
 by a wall of free-stone. In the church of the 
 Cordeliers (a religious order tliat wears a girdle 
 of rope) was the tomb of the celebrated Pelrarch 
 and Laura, but there is scarcely a stone of it now 
 remainins:. The church is of Gothic architecture, 
 with lateral chapels, and in its proportions very 
 pleasing. In one of the chapels appears the tomb 
 of Louis Berton de Crillon, surnamed the Brave^ 
 the great favourite of Henry IV. of France, with 
 the following inscription to his memory, recording 
 
4^ 
 
 ihe splendid titles and situations he enjoyed ill 
 his lifetime. 
 
 LOVIS BEUTON DE CRILLON, 
 
 SVRNOMME LE BRAVE, 
 
 CONSEILLEVR d'ESTAT, 
 
 CHEVALIER DES ORDERS DV ROY^, 
 
 MESTRE DE CAMP, 
 
 DV REGIMENT DES GARDES, 
 
 GOVERNEVR 
 
 DE BOLOGNE ET DES BOVLENOfS, 
 
 DE TOVLON ET DES TOVRS, 
 
 LIEVTENANT COLONEL 
 
 DE l'INFANTRIE FRANCOISE, 
 
 PASSANT 
 
 l'histoire 
 
 IL MOVRVT 
 LE 11 DECEMBRE MDCXV. 
 
 Close to the west end of this church runs a 
 branch from the famous fountain of Vaucluse, 
 five miles distant, and which is the place where 
 Petrarch devoted himself to reading, to poetry, 
 and Laura. 
 
 Churches and convents abounded at Avignon 
 before the Revolution : they are now nearly all 
 reduced to ruins. Part of the bridge has been 
 thrown down by the Rhone: originally it had live 
 arches of eighty feet span each, or thereabouts. 
 In a chapel of the churcii of the Celestines (a re- 
 ligious order so called from Pope Celestin V.) is 
 erected a monument to the memory of some shep- 
 herds who are said to have been the builders of 
 this bridge. Through the whole of the city are 
 
47 
 
 larsfo and raafjnificent houses in an uninhabited 
 state; and every thing around wears the sad 
 aspect of poverty and desolation. 
 
 The weather being favourable, I went from 
 Avignon to Beaucaire (which is a very short 
 voyage) down the Rhone in a small open boat, 
 Avhere there appears a fine bridge of boats stretch- 
 ing from Beaucaire to Tarrascone across a wide 
 part of the Rhone, and where the river is so im- 
 petuous that in all probability it Avould not be 
 possible to construct any other bridge in such a 
 manner as to be durable. The current is alwavs 
 runnino- one wav, namelv, into the sea. The 
 boats are bound together two and two at certain 
 distances, leaving inten als for small craft to pass, 
 and the Avhole iscovered with planking, on which 
 the gravel for the road is laid. The boats being 
 moored only against the stream, they rise and fall 
 with the oTeatest ease to anv level of the water, 
 consequently at the time of oreat floods and in- 
 undations make little or no resistance. At each 
 bank is a broad moveable plane of wood, con- 
 necting the bridge and the land together, and 
 which rises liigher or lower in proportion to the 
 quantity of water in the river. A bridge of 
 boats answers admirably on some occasions, but 
 in tidal rivers it must be more complicated, and 
 consequently involves greater difficulties in its 
 construction. 
 
 At Tarrascone are the remains of an ancient 
 castle, now converied into a prison. The town is 
 badly built, and the streets are literally dark lanes 
 and passages, extremely dirty and miserable In 
 
48 
 
 days of old it appears to have been strongly forti- 
 fied. It is still surrounded by two walls : tlie 
 outer one is four feet thick, of solid stone ; to- 
 wards the top of it are ramparts for archers, and 
 for the use of naissile weapons. The towers of 
 the castle, one square and the other triangular, 
 are still pretty perfect: in the last there is a small 
 flight of steps leading to the summit ; and under 
 the ground is a vast excavation, which is supposed 
 to have been for the purpose of concealing valu- 
 ables in case of a sudden surprise. The castle 
 is said to have been built by the Romans ; and, 
 on account of the height it stands on, and its dif- 
 ficult access, must have been almost impregnable. 
 
 The church of Beaucaire is a stone building:, 
 adorned on the outside with the Ionic and Co- 
 rinthian orders ; and the pulpit and other parts of 
 the interior are of variegated marble: the whole, 
 for so poor and wretched a place, is surprisingly 
 grand, whii^h is more or less the case with all the 
 churches in Roman-Catholic countries; and may 
 be imputed to the extraordinary religious zeal and 
 piety of the people, while they themselves appear 
 in beggary and rags. Tlie vast number of priests 
 and attendants maintained bv these churches, and 
 the"great qr.an.tity of yv'ax tapers'continually burn- 
 ing before their altars, would impoverish the 
 treasures of far riclier kingdoms. 
 
 Travelling from Beaucaire to Nismes, I was 
 walking up hill at four o'clock in the morning by 
 the side of my conveyance, and on a sudden I 
 perceived a meteor in the air, about twenty feet 
 in length to tlse eye, and in the exact shape of 
 
49 
 
 a serpent. After expressing some surprise, I was 
 informed by my conductor that these were no 
 uncommon occurrences in the southern parts of 
 France. 
 
 On arriving at Nismes, in the province of 
 Languedoc, the great Amphitheatre presents it- 
 self as the first object of gratification to the tra- 
 veller. On the plan it is in the shape of an oval, 
 whose conjugate diameter is 372 feet, and trans- 
 verse 324 feet ; but not having measured it my- 
 self (which cannot })e done, owing to the heaps 
 of ruins within, except by straining a cord across 
 it each wav), the dimensions must be taken on 
 the credit of the person who shews it. 
 
 This most astonishing structure is said to have 
 been built in the reign of Antoninus Pius ; and 
 when we recollect Nismes to have been the birth- 
 place of that emperors family, nothing appears 
 more probable thati that he should erect in it 
 some monument by way of memorial of such an 
 event. Here it stands, I had almost said an ever- 
 lasting proof of the patience, talents, and glory, 
 of the Romans; and so exceedingly perfect are 
 some of the interior parts now to be seen, that 
 you cannot fail to have the most full and satis- 
 factory idea of the w^hole in its original state. 
 INIany rows of seats are entire ; and, according to 
 some computations, it would have held 17,000 
 spectators at once. 
 
 The old steps of the vomitoria having been 
 dilapidated too much to be of service, the travel- 
 ler is now conducted to the summit of the Am- 
 phitheatre partly by a temporary staircase which 
 
50 
 
 was erected for Lewis XIV. who came many 
 miles to behold these stupendous remains. When 
 he places himself on the parapet (which I sup- 
 pose is at least six feet wide), and looks down 
 into the arena, the sight becomes inconceivably 
 interesting;, and not only impresses the mind with 
 solemnity but fills it with reflection. 
 
 It is built of freestone ; and the exterior, which 
 is nearly as perfect as ever, consists of two stories 
 of arcades, with sixty arches in each. Against 
 the piers are Tuscan pilasters resting on pedestals, 
 and the entahlatures they support are broken over 
 each pilaster. On the top are a sort of hollowed 
 stone corbels, in which it is supposed poles Mere 
 placed for the purpose of bearing an awning over 
 the spectators. Some part of the lower stor}^ was 
 concealed by the gro\md when I saw it ; but or- 
 ders have been given by Buonaparte for the re- 
 moval of the earth, that the whole superstructure 
 may be seen at one view. It is said to have been 
 turned into a citadel by the Saracens, and held 
 out a long siege against Charles Martel, king of 
 France, who afterwards reduced it, and in his rage 
 filled it with wood and set it on fire : but the 
 workmanship and materials mocked all his endea- 
 vours to destroy it, though the intense heat cracked 
 many of the large stones of which it is composed, 
 and did considerable mischief, as may be disco- 
 vered even at this day. On the outside are re- 
 presentations of the Roman eagle, the bulls, the 
 priapus, Romulus and Remus sucking a wolf, and 
 other emblems of antiquity. 
 
 Could modern masons see the method in which 
 
51 
 
 these immense blocks of stone are squared and put 
 together, they would blush at the feeble and im- 
 perfect works of the present day. Their horizon- 
 tal and upright joints are so nicely and accurately 
 worked, that they look as if they had grown toge- 
 ther in one solid rock. The masonry of our own 
 country, generally speaking, has nothing more than 
 a fair outside : the bed and inside work not being 
 in sight, are considered of no consequence. The 
 same complaint may be made, with more justice, 
 against our brick walls. The workmen never 
 think it necessary to fill up, as they ought to do, 
 the inside of the walls — which is absolutely neces- 
 sary to make them capable of resisting pressure — 
 but always leave them with hollow joints and va- 
 cuities, to save their bricks and mortar; by which 
 means they are easily separated, and fractures take 
 place in the superstructure. So much did the Ro- 
 mans differ in this respect, that in no part of their 
 brick and stone walls can be introduced a pin's 
 head; and their brick-work is so well executed 
 and cemented together, that it is impossible to se- 
 parate the bricks without beating the whole to 
 pieces. 
 
 The Temple of Diana, supposed to have been 
 erected by the Romans, is in a ruinous state, and 
 capable of conveying but a faint idea of its original 
 beauty. Tliis building forms on the plan a paral- 
 lelogram, and was adorned on each side of the inte- 
 rior with the composite order resting on a conti- 
 nued plinth or zocle. The columns had capitals of 
 olive leaves, and between them (one or two of which 
 are still remaining) are niches formerly for the re- 
 
 E g • 
 
52 
 
 ceptlon of statues. From the entablature an ellip- 
 tic ceiling of stone sprung, and covered the temple, 
 a small part of which is to be seen at the present 
 day. All round the interior, separated by the wall 
 of the naos, was a narrow corridore ; a part of this 
 also now remains. A plan and section of this an- 
 cient edifice, with their several dimensions, are 
 contained in Palladio's fourth book of Architec- 
 ture, published at Venice. 
 
 Very near this temple is a piece of water deno- 
 minated the grand fountain. It consists of va- 
 rious basins, jet d'eaus, arcades ; and the whole is 
 surrounded by a balustrade embellished with figures 
 and vases, and has a handsome appearance. From 
 this fountain the city is supplied with water in dif- 
 ferent directions. 
 
 Another temple, called la ^Maison Quarr^e, is 
 also a parallelogram on the plan, and allowed to 
 be one of the finest and richest specimens of Ro- 
 man architecture to be seen at this day. The 
 whole temple occupies a space of 84 feet by 40 
 feet on the plan. In the front is a noble fiight of 
 steps leading up to the portico, which is of the 
 Corinthian order, with a pediment above. In the 
 facade it has six fluted colunms. On each of the 
 returned sides are two columns ; and then corre- 
 spondent half-columns are continued all round the 
 body of the building, which is of rusticated stone. 
 The columns of the portico are nearly three feet in 
 diameter, with an intercolumniation of one diame- 
 ter and three quarters ; and the entablature bears 
 the great proportion of one fourth of the height 
 of the column. Here let the traveller sit down, 
 
53 
 
 and gaze with admiration on this most exquisite 
 work of the Romans. Such another example of 
 tlie kind, and in such perfect condition to dehght 
 the architect and the man of taste, does not occur 
 in any part of Italy. It was erected to the memory 
 of Caius and Lucius, sons of Agrippa (afterwards 
 adopted by Augustus), in the year of Rome 754. 
 The frieze of the entablature on the returned 
 sides is enriched with foliage; but in the front 
 of the portico it was left plain, to admit of the 
 inscription, which is said to have been of brass, 
 fixed on the frieze by small irons, as was the cus- 
 tom of those days : and this enabled a learned and 
 ingenious man, M. Seguier, to decipher the mean- 
 in 2: of it bv tracing the holes the letters had occa- 
 sioned in the stones, and which he made out to the 
 following purpose : 
 
 C. C^SARI. AVGVSTVS. F. COS. 
 
 L. CiESARI. AVGVSTVS. F. COS. 
 
 DESIGXATO. 
 
 PRINCIPIBVS IVVENTVTIS. 
 
 At a small distance from Nismes stands le 
 Pont de Gard, one of the celebrated aqueducts of 
 the Romans, consisting of three tiers of arches one 
 above the other : the lower tier contains six arches; 
 the middle tier eleven, extending further up the 
 banks; and the top tier has thirty-six small arches: 
 on these the water is conducted from one side to 
 the other over a deep valley. Here is an example 
 of the Roman workmanship in another way ; and, 
 in point of strength and masonry, I really believe 
 it cannot be surpassed. The middle tier of arches 
 now serves for a bridge, with some alteration. 
 
54 
 
 In the way to Marseilles you pass through Aix, 
 which is a small town, but well built and full of 
 noble mansions, and was formerly much resorted 
 to by the French noblesse as a place of retire- 
 ment. 
 
 In the middle of the principal street are two 
 fountains very close to each other : one affords hot 
 water almost boiling, and the other water as cold 
 as ice. These waters were formerly used by vale- 
 tudinarians. Here it will be proper to remark, that 
 the road from this place to ]\Iarseilles is so ex- 
 tremely infested by robbers, that prudent people 
 travel under the protection of horse soldiers, called 
 gens d'armes, who are stationed in different parts 
 of the road. The expense attending this precau- 
 tion is trifling in consideration of the loss you may 
 sustain bv soino* without them. There are banditti 
 living in the woods, who come out in gangs to 
 plunder every thing, and every body they meet; 
 and very frequently they have been known to con- 
 tend with the soldiers themselves, although well 
 armed. I was nevertheless fortunate enough to 
 arrive at Marseilles, after having travelled 800 
 miles through the heart of France, without the 
 least molestation. 
 
 Marseilles is entered under an aqueduct. The 
 streets, contrary to most of the French towns, are 
 broad and magnificent, particularly the chief one 
 called la Promenade. There are rows of trees 
 on each side, which give it the appearance of a 
 grove, and the houses, generally speaking, are lofty 
 and grand, built in the French manner. The 
 theatre is a large square building, and its interior 
 
55 
 
 is not unlike ours in Drury-lane. Persons who fre- 
 quent the pit are compelled to stand during the 
 whole of the performance, there being no seats 
 whatever in this part of the house. The principal 
 front is embellished with a stately Ionic portico of 
 six columns; the diameter of them is four feet six 
 inches, the intercolumniation ten feet; and it is 
 crowned with a blocking instead of a pediment. 
 
 IMarseillcs enjoys the advantage of an extensive 
 trade, and has a good port for merchant ships, em- 
 banked with stone ; but I do not tliink it more than 
 half the size of the basin at the London docks. 
 Canals are made from the port to the different ware- 
 houses, for the more ready conveyance of the arti- 
 cles of merchandise. On the left, entering from 
 the ^Mediterranean, stands the circular tower of St. 
 John ; which is a lofty building, intended as a look- 
 out or watch tower. The fortifications on each 
 side were erected by Lewis XIV. for the protection 
 of the town. La ]\Iaison Commune, or govern- 
 ment-house, is a superb edifice in the French style 
 of architecture, and stands on the quay of the 
 port, where there is constantly a busy scene of 
 loading and unloading. 
 
 In the centre of the market-place is the principal 
 fountain, which supplies the city with water. It 
 consists of an obelisk resting on a pedestal, at each 
 angle of which is a large dolphin that throws the 
 water from its mouth into a capacious basin below. 
 In another part stands an Ionic column of Egyp- 
 tian granite, about eighteen inches diameter, crown- 
 ed with the figure of a naked child, which holds a 
 wreath in one hand, and a torch in the other. This 
 
56 
 
 monument was erected to commemorate the philan- 
 thropy of those persons in particular whose names 
 are engraven on the dado of the pedestal, and who 
 fell a sacrifice by humanely assisting the sick at 
 the time of the plague in the year 1720. There 
 is an inscription on each side of the pedestal, one 
 of which I copied, and is as follows : 
 
 A fetemelle memoire 
 
 JDes hommes courageiLv dont les noms sidtent : 
 
 Langeron, comma ndeur de Mai^seille ; 
 
 De Piles, capitaine gouverueur xiguier; 
 
 De Belsunce, eveque ; 
 
 TjST ELLE, premier echevin ; 
 
 MOUSTAIR, "J 
 
 Au D I M A R, > echev'ms ; 
 
 DiEUDE, J 
 
 Rose, commisaire general 
 
 Pour le quart ier de Rive Neute ; 
 
 MiLKE', jesuite, Commandeur pour la rue de fEscale, 
 
 Principal foyer de la cojitagion; 
 
 Serre', peintre, c^lebre eleve du Puget ; 
 
 Rose taine ef Roland, intendants de la Sante; 
 
 Chioineau, -jbj,rtb^^.^_ -j 
 
 VeRNEY, f TV T r. ( 
 
 V ivi I c H E L, V medecins : 
 
 rUYSEINEL, I T^ i 
 
 ' ^Deydier, \ 
 Montagnier, -^ J 
 
 ils se devourent 
 
 Pour le salut des Marseillais 
 
 Dans horrible peste de 1 720. 
 
 The other inscriptions are in honour of Pope 
 Clement XL and in praise of the virtues of those 
 
57 
 
 persons in general who fell a prey at the same time 
 
 in succouring their fellow-creatures, but whose 
 
 names were either too numerous to be engraven on 
 
 the pedestal, or else unknown, as some of the lines 
 
 mention. 
 
 " Leurs noms out perl. 
 
 " Pidssne kur example 
 
 " N^eti'e pas perdue : 
 
 " Pidssent Us trouver des imitations 
 
 " Si ces jours de catamite 
 
 " Vinaient a renaitre'' 
 
 At the distance of three miles from Marseilles is 
 a handsome building in the French style, called the 
 chateau de Brouilly, which is the name of the 
 owner. It is surrounded by extensive gardens, 
 "adorned with fountains, sculpture, &c. ; but of 
 late years it has been greatly neglected, which is 
 more or less the case since the Revolution in almost 
 every part of France. 
 
 The country around Marseilles is a fertile culti- 
 ■ vated plain, with gardens and vineyards that pro- 
 duce grapes of an extraordinary size, which are 
 often sold for less than 2 d. per pound in the mar- 
 kets. Here the most tender fruits grow on trees 
 like our apples and pears; and laurels, myrtles, and 
 jessamines, like our wild flowers. The oak, elm, ash, 
 and other timber trees, are not plentiful in France, 
 nor do they grow so large as in the more northern 
 climates. 
 
 During my stay in this city I witnessed one of 
 the heavy rains not uncommon in hot countries : 
 it lasted for several days, and had an awful appear- 
 ance. The streets became like ponds, and in some 
 
58 
 
 of them tlic impetuosity of the water was ahnost 
 dangerous. Soon after this event a sHglit shock of 
 an earthquake was felt in the city and its suhurljs. 
 
 In the port of Marseilles are many of the French 
 galleys (formerly called the kings galleys), to 
 which malefiictors are condemned. They are all 
 ironed, and kept to hard labour, some for a certain 
 iiumber of years, and others for life, according to 
 the nature of their oftence. 
 
 From Marseilles I sailed in an Italian vessel to 
 Leghorn, with about a dozen other passengers; 
 among whom was ]\Ir. Pinkney the American en- 
 voy, who had just left the court of Spain for the 
 purpose of visiting Italy before he returned to 
 America. But here let me advise the traveller not 
 to take the risk of going to Marseilles ; because it 
 sometimes occurs that he is oblii>ed to wait three 
 or four weeks, and even longer, before any vessel 
 may depart for Leghorn ; and as there is nothing 
 to be seen here worthy of his notice, he will find 
 his time hang heavy on his hands. It happened 
 fortunately for me that I was not detained longer 
 than eight days ; but this is rarely the case : after 
 all, he may be kept at sea for upwards of a 
 week by contrary winds, and tlie voyage is very 
 dangerous in rough weather : so that when he has 
 seen Nismes he will do well to travel into Italy by 
 land. We were four days and five nights at sea, 
 and experienced so dreadful a storm the last night 
 tliat it was doubtful whether we should ever arrive 
 at our place of destination. In the first instance 
 the master of the vessel, to save himself some ex- 
 pense, had put little or no ballast into the ship ; 
 
59 
 
 and in the second, the Itahan sailors, being the 
 worst of seamen, are not to be depended upon in 
 perilous situations. 
 
 Leghorn on the land side is fortified with bas- 
 tions and wet ditches. In that part called New 
 Venice are canals which lead to the different 
 warehouses, and the principal one stretches to Piza 
 and Florence ; by which means the inhabitants have 
 the privilege of conveying their articles of traffic 
 to those cities at a much less expense than they 
 could do on the Arno, because this river (like all 
 the others which are connected with the Mediter- 
 ranean) only runs one way, that is, from the coun- 
 try into the sea ; so that when the current is strong, 
 which it is very frequently, they would be obliged 
 to drag up their small laden vessels by horses. The 
 principal street did not appear to me to be so wide 
 as Ludgate-hill. The chief church standing in the 
 great square, which is surrounded by an arcade, is 
 not much better than a barn without, and has no- 
 thing within to merit a description. The two har- 
 bours are defended by a mole that projects into the 
 sea ; and they are so difficult of access, that most 
 ships, except Italian, are piloted in, though in 
 themselves the}^ are safe and commodious for small 
 vessels. On the quay of the port stands a statue 
 in marble of Ferdinand I. grand-duke of Tuscany, 
 looking towards the sea as the great source of his 
 revenue, and which was the only public monument 
 I discovered at Lea-horn ; for the inhabitants here 
 have bartered the luxuries of painting, sculpture, 
 and architecture, for the more substantial advan- 
 tages tliat result from merchandise and manufac-' 
 
60 
 
 tures ; and, if I may judge from my own experience, 
 they know how to make tlie most of their commo- 
 dities. At the corners of the pedestal, on \\hich 
 this statue is placed, are represented foui- colossal 
 slaves in bronze, at least twice the size of life. The 
 figure of the grand-duke is a tame and indifl'erent 
 perfoiwance, but the slaves are capitally executed. 
 ' The writhing attitudes of their bodies, and their 
 arms chained behind them, strongly express slavery 
 and oppression. The face of one in particular, 
 turned upwards, a s if imploring Heaven to be re- 
 leased from his bondas^e, is most naturally con- 
 ceived. The opera-hoube on the plan is an cii;s^ 
 oval, with the sm.all end tmncated, and appeared 
 to me nearly as large as Drury-lane theatre. The 
 front of the boxes are canted, and the pit has 
 open-framed backs to the seats, like some of our 
 chapels. The ceiling is elliptical, finely paintc^l, 
 and in the whole interior there is no want of en- 
 richment: but the house was so badlvlia'htcd, that 
 it had a gloomy and melancholy eifect ; and this is 
 the case m all the theatres through Italy, except on 
 gala nights. However, what was wanting to ])leasc 
 the eve, was most abundantly compensated for in 
 the delight afforded to the ear by the sweet singing 
 of Balsamini, a female performer who has made 
 1)crself famous in every part of Italy by her vocal 
 talents. 
 
 At Leghorn, as well as at most places on the sea 
 coast, the inhabitants are obliged to conduct their 
 water for drinking from a source at some distance 
 from the citv. 
 
 The lazarettos in the neighbourhood of Leghorn 
 
(51 
 
 are extensive ; but, owing to a contagious sickness 
 which prevailed in them, I had not an opportunity 
 of viewing their interiors, which are reckoned very- 
 convenient. 
 
 From Leghorn I went to Pisa ; and to peribrm this 
 short journey (only sixteen English miles) I hired 
 one of the vehicles, ^■ery like an English one-horse 
 chaise, which stand in the principal street waiting 
 for hire; but it is necessary first to agree for price, 
 or the owners of them will greatly impose in their 
 demands. The moment a traveller makes applica- 
 tion for one of these carriages, he is surrounded by 
 the drivers, like a pack of hounds, who are much 
 worse than our hackney-coachmen ; for they not 
 only practise, but even glory in the art of trick- 
 sters. Indeed I have often been informed by per- 
 sons of respectability in their own country, that 
 the lower class of Italians calculate their merits iu 
 proportion to their impositions. With them arti- 
 fice is always reckoned as a proof of wisdom, and 
 filching money from strangers by stratagem and 
 falsehood, as an infallible token of subhme genius 
 and comprehension. The man who attends you in 
 this conveyance, either stands behind and drives 
 the horse with a pair of long reins, or sits on the 
 foot-board before, as is most agreeable to his pas- 
 senoers. This is a charmino- and delio-htful ride 
 through vineyards and gardens, and may be ac- 
 complished in about three hours; but if you go by 
 the post, it may be done in a little less time. Here 
 it ma}^ not be impertinent to remark, that, as there 
 are no stages in this part of the world, travellers 
 are compelled to take either the post or vetiwim: 
 
^2 
 
 The posts In Italy, like those in France, are imder 
 the immediate direction of the government ; and 
 the profits resulting from them, form a part of the 
 revenue of the state. 
 
 Pisa is situated on the banks of the Arno, and has 
 a striking effect upon the first view : but the still- 
 ness that prevails in it denotes a want of industry 
 and wealth, and impresses the mind with ideas of 
 desolation. The streets, like those at Leghorn, 
 are paved with large broad stones resembling the 
 old Roman pavement, and have a remarkably clean 
 appearance. Persons not accustomed to this sort 
 of paving would at first suppose that horses could 
 not run on it without great risk of falling, but they 
 are soon convinced to the contrary. The two parts 
 of the city, divided by the Arno, are connected 
 by three bridges, one of marble. The river is 
 walled in, to prevent inundation; and as it is not 
 on an averaoe more than 130 yards across, the 
 bridges are not considerable in point of magnitude. 
 The general style of architecture is bad and gro- 
 tesque, nor is there scarcely one example of classi- 
 cal design among the whole ; at the same time it 
 must be confessed that some of the buildings, par- 
 ticularly those situated on the two quays of the 
 river, have in their elevations something magnifi- 
 cent, being embellished with different species of 
 marble. But the most extraordinary object to be 
 seen here is the celebrated Campanile, or leaning- 
 tower, which stands in a handscmie square at the 
 north-west comer of the city, close to the great 
 church. It is composed wholly of white marble, 
 and was built for the purpose of containing the 
 
63 
 
 bells. This surprising structure was begun in the 
 year 1 1 74, according to the city records, under 
 the management of two architects, Tedesco and 
 Pisano, and is said to have been completed within 
 two years after its commencement. On the plan it 
 forms a circle, and its superstructure has the ^hape 
 of a cylinder, comprising on the outside seven 
 stories of antique columns, thirty in each story, of 
 white marble, bearing arches on their capitals, and 
 a cornice above them. The lower story is several 
 feet under ground, with a few steps leading down 
 to it, and has but fifteen columns, which are of 
 granite, much larger, and placed close against tlie 
 wall ; but in the six upper stories the columns stand 
 insulated, at the distance of three feet six inches, 
 and form very handsome peripteres. The wail of 
 the lower story projects forwards, and is as much 
 thicker than that above as is necessary to receive 
 the insulated columns. The staircase which winds 
 up the centre of the circular wall is three feet wide, 
 cut out of the sohd materials, and communicates 
 with the diiferent stories by landings and door- 
 ways, till it reaches the top of the tower. The 
 number of steps contained in this spiral staircase is 
 293, and the height from the ground within is 179 
 feet, exclusive of the small belfry at top, about 
 twenty feet higher, and which originally was no 
 component part of the tower, having been added 
 at a subsequent period. The dimensions of the 
 diameter of tliis tower I ascertained on the second 
 story. The inside circle or well-hole, where the 
 bells are rung (which are five m number), is 
 twenty-four feet diameter. The circular external 
 
64* 
 
 wall, including the excavated staircase, is eiglit 
 feet tliick ; that in the lowest story is twx'lve feet 
 eight inches. The columns are placed three feet 
 six inches from the outer face of the eight-feet wall, 
 and are one foot two inches in diameter : so that 
 the whole diameter of the tower is fifty feet or 
 thereahouts. The columns that encircle the dif- 
 ferent stories are a mcd!ey : some have plain caps, 
 others rich ones ; some partake of the Cor'mth'um, 
 others of the composite ; and many have caps of a 
 fanciful nature, with lions' heads, eagles, and other 
 animals, instead of the regular scrolls. 
 
 INIuch has been said respecting the inclination of 
 this celebrated tower, which is nearly fifteen feet 
 out of the perpendicular. Some have thought that 
 it was so constructed to display the dexterity of the 
 architect ; others, that it has been moved by a slight 
 shock of an earthquake into that position : but I 
 believe the most o-enerallv received, as well as the 
 most reasonable, conjecture is, that it was occa- 
 sioned by a want of care in laying the foundation. 
 For my own part I am incapable of supposing for a 
 moment that any man of common sense would 
 have designed so expensive and ornamental a build- 
 ing as this, if he had only been ambitious to shew, 
 by making nice calculations on the principles of the 
 balance, how fiir he mioht construct a tower out 
 of the upright. And what may be urged as a fur- 
 ther proof that its inclination is to be attributed to 
 the partial compression of the earth is, that there 
 is every reason to suppose it began to give way 
 when the building was about half finished ; because 
 from the third story tlic whole appears to have re- 
 
65 
 
 ceived a more upright direction. The architects 
 were aware of their danger ; and though they 
 were not deterred from prosecuting the work, they 
 here began to counteract the mischief by increasing 
 the height of the columns on the inchned side, so 
 as to approach b}^ slow degrees to a level with the 
 other : and this was done by means the most judi- 
 cious — the higher they went the columns on the in- 
 clined side were increased in a greater proportion ; 
 and by this circumstance we see how strenuously 
 they laboured to correct the evil tendency of the 
 settlement, by throwing the centre of gravity as 
 much as they could within the base of the tower. 
 
 By looking over the iron railing at the top, a 
 sensation is occasioned which has much the same 
 effect as if you were falling, and, perhaps, it is in- 
 creased by the knowledo-e of the situation of the 
 tower. The great Galileo, inventor of the tele- 
 scope, and renowned for astronomical researches, 
 made many philosophical experiments from its 
 summit, particularly those on the principles of de- 
 scending matter. 
 
 After the traveller's curiosity is sufficiently gra- 
 .tified with this singular sight, the great Duomo, 
 almost as curious on account of its stvle of archi- 
 tecture, immediately arrests his attention. Its 
 plan is a Roman cross, and the facade exhibits 
 three large bronze doors, with antique columns on 
 each side, which partake of the Corinthian order. 
 Over them are four tiers of antique columns, with 
 foliage capitals, in a bad taste, placed one above the 
 other. The columns bear arches on their capitals, 
 which have a strong similitude to those of the 
 
66 
 
 Saxon structures in this country. The third tier of 
 columns does not extend so far as the tiers under- 
 neath, because here the roof falls in so as to leave 
 the front only the width of the nave ; and the co- 
 lumns of the top tier in the tympanum of the pe- 
 diment are of course shorter or longer, following 
 its raking* lines. Round the whole of the church 
 are six steps leading to a broad handsome landing, 
 which forms a sort of terrace on every side. The 
 exterior is cased with white marble on brick-work, 
 and so crowTled with ornaments in a grotesque 
 taste, and with ancient inscriptions, that it is 
 liardl}^ possible to impart without explanatory 
 drawings any correct idea of its true character. 
 We are told by the city records, that the founda- 
 tions were begun to be laid in the year 1063 by the 
 Pisans, in commemoration of a signal victory they 
 had o-ained over the Saracens, and the whole was, 
 completed in thirty years, after the designs of 
 Buschetto, a Greek architect In length it is 309 
 feet, the width is 104 feet, divided into a nave and 
 four aisles ; and the length of the transverse cross 
 is 234 feet, divided into three parts by superb 
 columns of granite. Others of rare marbles, 
 as porphyry, jasper, verd-anticpie, See. are to be 
 seen in different parts of the interior. The co- 
 lumns having been collected from ancient build- 
 ings, are found of various dimensions. False 
 bases have been added to the shorter columns to 
 make them answer to the higher in supporting the 
 roof and other parts of the church : but the co- 
 lumns themselves are all in one piece, and some of 
 them are three feet six inches and two feet eight 
 
67 
 
 inches in diameter, with fanciful caps, having 
 angels, hons' heads, eagles, &c. instead of the 
 scrolls, like those of the Campanile. The ceiling 
 over the nave is of wood exquisitely carved and 
 richly gilt. The pavement consists of white and 
 cerulean marble, and under the cupola there is a 
 splendid mosaic pavement. Attached to one of 
 the large granite columns is the marble pulpit, of 
 an octangular shape, with fine sculpture in the 
 pannels; with two staircases of white marble leading 
 into it. The front is supported by two columns, one 
 of porphyry, the other of oriental broccatello, which 
 rest on lions of white marble, with horses beneath 
 their paws. Under the pulpit are five statues ; the 
 most conspicuous personifies Pisa, and the other 
 four the cardinal virtues. The dome over the 
 centre of the cross is superbly painted with the 
 subject of the Virgin INIary ascending into heaven : 
 and among other fine historical paintings that of 
 Saint Agnes, by Andrea del Sarto, well deserves 
 the fame it has acquired. The walls are nearly co- 
 vered with magnificent altar-pieces, of the most 
 excellent workmanship, by Michael Angelo, Pietro 
 Tacca, Stagi, John di Bologna, and other eminent 
 masters. They consist of precious marbles, adorn- 
 ed with small parts of lapis-lazuli, gilt bronzes, 
 silver ornaments, vases and figures. Upon one is 
 a marble urn, said to have inshrined the body of 
 Nicodemus, which was sent as a present from 
 Geoffrey the conqueror of Jerusalem, to Pisa, as 
 a token of his gratitude for the assistance this 
 city rendered him in his expedition to the Holy 
 Land. By the small windows of painted glass is 
 
 F 2 
 
prGciucecl that mild obscurity so peculiarly adapted 
 to inspire the soul with sentiments of religious 
 awe, and which is even more congenial with the 
 practice of the Roman-catholic religion than any 
 other, because Avax tapers ;are burning from moru- 
 ino- till ni«lit in the sanctu,aries of their churches. 
 The large bronze doors at the west end enriched 
 with the history of the Virgin IMary and the Re- 
 deemer (part of the figures on the pannels in alto- 
 relievo), cannot be viewed by the most phlegmatic 
 observer as any other than prodigies of art, both 
 in regard to fancy and execution. The centre one 
 is twelve feet wide, with a proportionate height : 
 they were all designed by John di Bologna, and 
 cast by the monk Portigione. The bronze doors 
 at the east entrance are of the same description ; 
 but, according to some accounts, these were 
 brought from Egypt, and in all probability were 
 taken as a model for the other three which I have 
 more particularly mentioned. 
 
 On the outside of the eastern wall there ap- 
 pears a beautiful antique sarcophagus, which held 
 the bones of Beatrice, mother of the famous 
 Countess Matilda: and also a varietv of curiosities 
 on other external parts of the Basilick, too nu- 
 merous for explanation, and tlie beauties of which 
 are only to be felt upon the spot, I will there- 
 fore now commence a few observations on the 
 Baptistery, which stands at a small distance to the 
 westward of the church. 
 
 This solid and magnificent temple has a circle 
 for its plan, whose diameter is 112 feet or there- 
 about; and its elevation is a rotunda standing on a 
 
69 
 
 platform raised three steps from the ground. From 
 the city records we are given to understand it was 
 begun in the )'ear 1152, by an architect named 
 Diotisalvi. The whole is of white marble, and 
 the outside has been variegated with streaks of 
 cerulean. In the architecture we perceive a com- 
 pound of barbarous Greek and Italian Gothic, 
 loaded with ornaments of a bad description, and 
 strongly evincing the vitiated taste of the age to 
 which it Ijelono's. Ao-ainst the walls of the lower 
 story are coknnns, with capitals of the Corinthian 
 kind, placed at regular distances from each other, 
 and which carry arches resemblino; the Saxon. 
 Between the columns are circular-headed Vv^ndows, 
 to admit light to the lower part of the interior. 
 On the top of the arches is a cornice continued 
 round the circumference, and which ends the 
 lower story. Then come the insulated columns 
 above, much smaller and closer to each other, bear- 
 ing arches also, and exactly similar to those de- 
 scribed in tlie peripteres of the leaning tower. 
 Ever})^ two arches support a Gothic pediment, with 
 figures of saints and angels in the tympanum ; and 
 between every pediment is a small ornamental pin- 
 nacle. The upper story is divided by a kind of 
 plain pilasters, with circular-headed windows be- 
 tween, finishing above with sharp-pointed pedi- 
 ments that contain oval windows ; and last of all 
 a majestic dome covered with lead, and capped with 
 a small cupola in the shape of a bell (with a statue 
 of St. John the Baptist at tofj), stretches over the 
 rotunda, and stamps a bold and decisi\e impres- 
 sion on the whole. The dome is supported within 
 
70 
 
 by arches that spring from large marble piers and 
 columns, three feet in diameter, of Sardinian gra- 
 nite, in one piece. The upper story is formed with 
 piers and arches . of white marble, varied with 
 streaks of cerulean. They are on a circular plan, 
 and add great beauty to the inside. The capitals 
 of the columns are rich specimens of the sculp- 
 ture of the age, with heads of angels and other em- 
 blems, but of no regular order. The pavement is 
 tessellated with a mixture of white and cerulean 
 marble; and the choir displays a costly mosaic, 
 with other marbles of the richest quality. In the 
 centre of the rotunda, resting on a plinth, surround- 
 ed with three steps of white marble, appears the 
 font, in the shape of an octagon, which measures 
 ten feet across. The outside is of fme white 
 marble, with exquisite sculpture of foliage and 
 mosaic. The margin and tlie base are of brocca- 
 tello. At the sides are four small basins for bap- 
 tising young children, and the centre is for adults. 
 In the middle of the great basin rises a conduc- 
 tor of white marble, from which the water flows 
 during the ceremony ; and on the top is a small 
 statue in bronze of John the Baptist by Bandi- 
 nelli. Superior to the font in all respects is the 
 hexagon pulpit : it has a staircase oi' marble lead- 
 ing into it, and is supported by seven columns of 
 rich marbles, one in the centre and one at each 
 angle; three of them are placed upon two lions 
 and a lioness suckling her whelps. Under the 
 paws of the lions are seen small animals, with 
 M^hich they cjuietly repose. A group of men and 
 animals composes the base of the centre column. 
 
71 
 
 The columns are united together by small inter- 
 secting arches under the pulpit, and their capitals 
 are Corinthian. The sides of the hexagon are 
 enriched with beautiful bass-reliefs, expressing the 
 following subjects from the New Testament : — 
 The birth of Christ; the adoration of the magi; 
 the presentation to the temple; the crucifixion; 
 the judgment-day : altogether of the most ela- 
 borate and ingenious workmanship, by Niccola 
 Pisano, as recorded in the inscription. 
 
 Between the external and internal domes is a 
 space for several chambers, with two staircases 
 made between the walls to communicate to them. 
 In this, as in most circular buildins^s with double 
 domes, there is an echo wliich reverberates several 
 times very distinctly. 
 
 Rare and expensive as the materials most un- 
 doubtedly are with which these buildings have 
 been constructed, and much as they have been 
 embellished by the painful operations of art, both 
 within and without, I cannot nevertheless help 
 observing, so far only as alludes to the style and 
 composition of the architecture itself, that in no 
 part \\hatever, in no single instance throughout 
 the M'holc, can be discovered one genuine entire 
 example of chaste and classical design. Nay, so 
 much to the contrary, every-where appear an- 
 tiquities without selection, parts without unity, 
 magnificence without order, and richness without 
 taste. 
 
 Thus, having examined pretty attentively the 
 leaning towTr, the Duomo, and the Baptistery, we 
 ;jeed ;iot go fartlier than a few yards to obtain a 
 
72 
 
 view of the last of the four principal objects 
 which stand together in the great square, and 
 which are looked upon by travellers as the chief 
 curiosities of Pisa. It is called the Campo Santo, 
 or Holy Ground. The figure of this mausoleum 
 is a parallelogram, 410 feet in length and 142 in 
 width : within, it has a large open court in the 
 same form, encompassed by a cloister of sixty-two 
 (jrothic arches, which are somewhat like those con- 
 tiguous to the south side of Westminster-abbe}', 
 and the whole is of white marble. It acquired 
 the name of Campo Santo, because the earth with 
 which it is filled is said to have been brouo-ht from 
 Mount Calvary by the Pisans, who put it into 
 their galleys for ballast, by order of Ubaldo Lan- 
 franchi their archbishop, when they returned from 
 the wars of Saladin in the Holy Land ; and 
 having laid it very near the great Duomo, this 
 burial-place was afterwards erected in the year 
 1278 on the very same spot; and the earth is 
 esteemed to possess supernatural power and efficacy, 
 in administering peace and consolation to the souls 
 of the departed. 
 
 In the elevation it has no windows ; but in order 
 to do away the disagreeable appearance of a bare 
 wall, plain pilasters are placed, with arches spring- 
 ing from one to the other at regular distances, 
 against the face of the inclosure. 
 
 ]\Iany of the ancient families of Pisa have been 
 buried under the marble pavement of the cloisters, 
 as appears from the inscriptions; and along the 
 wall next the great open court is a tier of ancient 
 sarcophagi. The principal part of them has been 
 
73 
 
 made of fine Parian marble, and tlie Test of tlial 
 produced from the Pisan quarries. The sarcophagi 
 are ornamented on the outside with bass-rehefs, 
 representing' different fables and stories, v/ith mon- 
 sters, sphinxes, &c. Six arches are made down 
 to the ground in different parts of the Gothic 
 screen, to communicate to the open court in the 
 centre, which, as well as the cloisters, contains 
 holv earth. The walls on the inside have been 
 stuccoed in a plain way, and painted in fresco with 
 religious subjects, principally selected from the Old 
 and New Testaments. But time has so much ob- 
 literated some of these works, that you stand in 
 need of an expositor properly to understand them. 
 They were executed in the fourteenth and fif- 
 teenth centuries by the restorers of the arts, after 
 the repeated incursions of the barbarians into Italy 
 had done so much mischief to the little learning 
 and civilisation then rcmainins; in the world : and 
 when we consider them in this light, painting be- 
 ing at that time only in a second state of infancy, 
 they are by no means contemptible. The principal 
 artists were Benozzo, Simon Memmi, Buffalmaco, 
 Sanese, Giotto, and others. 
 
 In passing through a building of this descrip- 
 tion, the traveller is not only entertained by the 
 variety and mixture of objects that have arisen 
 from the superstition and mistaken notions of 
 darker ages, but also by many of the traditionary 
 accounts which are related by those udiose busi- 
 ness it is to attend him. The land of Italy has 
 ever been pregnant with wondrous stories and 
 miraculous events. 
 
74> 
 
 On the south side of the Aino stands a small 
 chapel of a Gothic description, the plan of which 
 is a parallelogram , and it is so extremely rich with 
 pinnacles and florid ornaments on the outside that 
 it cannot i)e passed without ohservation. Within, 
 it has nothing but bare plastered walls, except a 
 picture by Titian over the altar in a bad condi- 
 tion. 
 
 The university and several utlicr churches, pa- 
 laces, and public buildings, merit attention as 
 secondary objects, because tliey contain more or 
 less specimens of the fine arts. 
 
 Having thus spoken of the most striking things 
 at Pisa, it may not be uninteresting to the reader 
 to make a few remarks on a diversion practised 
 in this city called Giuco del Pontc or the Game 
 of the Bridge, and of which the inhabitants them- 
 selves do not know the origin. It has been sup- 
 posed by some to proceed irom the Olympic 
 games ; and that it was brought into the city by 
 the founders of Pisa, who are said to have been 
 Greeks. Others are of opinion it was invented by 
 the Pisans for the purpose of making their youth 
 brave and warlike, and teaching them the military 
 exercise. The city is divided by the Arno into 
 two districts, the northern and the southern. The 
 inhabitants of each form themselves into two 
 armies, and the bridge of marble is to be taken 
 by one or tlie other. As soon as the magistrates 
 announce the dav on which the festival and sham^i 
 fight are to take place— for so they niust be called, 
 since the whole is to be conducted in good hu- 
 mour; no civil discord, no factious animosity, 
 
75 
 
 no hereditary rancour, is suffered to make up any ' 
 part of tliis public contest — each division elects 
 officers and agents to receive subscriptions from 
 the citizens for defravino- tlie expenses of this 
 grand spectacle. The people, both male and fe- 
 male, enlist under separate interests : some are for 
 the northern and some for the southern combatants, 
 and very frequently, as happens at our parliament- 
 ary elections, they betray great warmtli of tem- 
 per in consequence of their party zeal. But the 
 parties themselves who are to engage reciprocally, 
 treat each other v.itli civility and moderation ; and 
 what would in the breasts of the English and 
 Irish soon become incontrollable, and lead on to 
 cudgels, broken bones, and fractured skulls, eva- 
 porates in these softer climes by means of a few 
 gibes, sarcasms, and harmless raillery. The two 
 armies are divided into squadrons, and have their 
 distinct colours. On the day of battle people come 
 from all quarters; the streets are thronged, the 
 roofs of the houses covered, and the windows and 
 balconies filled v/ith company, all waiting with 
 anxious expectation for the issue of the contest. 
 The combatants are defended by a helmet of steel 
 and a coat of mail. Their arms and thighs are 
 also incased in armour, and over all liangs a sur- 
 tout of the respective colours of the squadron. 
 Their offensive arms are of wood, made in the 
 shape of a battledore. The fiat part serves them 
 for a shield, and the edge to fight with. A body 
 of men is appointed on each side to lay in am- 
 bush, for the purpose of taking prisoners; and, 
 that they may be more light and active, are al- 
 
76 
 
 lowed no other armour than a helmet. When all 
 is ready, and the forces posted in the regular 
 order of hattle, the signed for the engagement is 
 given by the discharge of a cannon. That ])ai ty 
 which is powerfid enough in fifty minutes to pass 
 the bridge (for here lies the heat of action) and 
 take possession of the enemy's field on the otlier 
 side of the river, is decreed to have gained the 
 victory. After this, the conquerors for six or 
 seven days parade the streets in triumph, with 
 music, and colours flying, and pass their time in 
 festivities, revelry and balls, and then the city is 
 restored to its usual state of (]uietude : so that in 
 this instance it may be said to bear some resem- 
 blance to our country fairs. 
 
 In Pisa stands a square brick tower, called the 
 Tower of Famine, which is said to have been the 
 prison of Ugolino and his sons. Tliis man, in the 
 year 1288, was a leading character in the broils 
 and contests which existed between the Guelphs 
 and the Ghibellines. Ugolino joined the former, 
 and Rugieri the archbishop of that day 'became a 
 partisan of the latter ; but at length Ugolino was 
 established sovereign count of Pisa. The prelate, 
 in consequence of some disappointments after- 
 ward, inflamed the minds of the populace to over- 
 throw Uaoiino's o'overnment : they accordingly 
 commenced acts of open rebellion, and dragged 
 him and his four sons to priscm, where, with un- 
 paralleled barbarity, they were all starved to death 
 together. 
 
 This story is more minutely related in Italian, 
 in the seventh book of the Florentine history by 
 
-77 
 
 Vlllani; and more pathetically described in tlie 
 thirty-third book of Dante's Inferno, where the 
 description is supposed to be given by Ugolino 
 himself, when found by Dant6 in tlie lower rc- 
 gionsifenawing the head of the arclibishop. 
 
 I will here insert a few verses from TJr. Boyd's 
 translation, strongly expressive of Ugolino's situa- 
 tion after the first ni<j:ht's close confinement. — 
 
 VERSE IX. 
 
 The vision vanish'd in the morning sky ; 
 I \\oivL>, antl heard the children's plaintive cry — 
 I heard the little wrwtches call for food : 
 What a cold summons then their father felt! 
 And oh th}- heart is hard, unusetl to melt, 
 If now thiae eyes can hold the briny flood. 
 
 X. 
 
 Think what I felt when list'ning to the tread 
 Of him uho daily brought our scanty broad : 
 I saw their hopes and feare by turn prevail, 
 And their pale longing-looks — But now the guard 
 With clanging bolts the fatal entrance barr'd, 
 Doubling the horrors of the gloomy jail. 
 
 XI. 
 
 In dumb despondence o'er my boys I hung, 
 Yet no weak syllable escap'd ray tongue. 
 " Ah ! why so stern?" my Anselmucio cry'd : 
 I answer'd not : and thus the cheerless day 
 And night's sad ling'ring shadows wore away. 
 At length another sun our torments spy'd. 
 
 XII. 
 
 Half stupify'd witii woe, I sat to trace 
 
 JNIy image stamp'd on each expiring face ; 
 
 Then in a sudden fit of phrenzy lore 
 
 My naked arms — '• Oh ! spare thyself !" th-n pra.}'d. 
 
 " Thy love with those weak limbs our souls array'd r 
 
 Ah ! lukc our lives ! but wound our eyes jio rnoro !'' 
 
78 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Grief qucll'd my rage ; and silent still we sat, 
 While two pale suns prolong'd the work of fate. — 
 Why did my parent earth a grave deny ? 
 The fourth sad morning came: with dying look, 
 ISIy Gaddo cry'd, " I feel the deadly stroke !" 
 Then sunk despairing, with a feeble cry. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Two other suns in silent horror past, 
 
 And saw his sad companions breathe their last ; 
 
 Till in my arms my youngest hope expir'd. 
 
 Grov'ling among the dead, of sight depriv'd, 
 
 Three solitary days I still surviv'd, 
 
 And ling'ring Death with supplications tir'd. 
 
 The journey from Pisa to Florence I undertook 
 in one of the old crazy carriages which are to be 
 liired in the city, and perfomied it in a day and a 
 half The distance is forty-eight English miles. 
 It is scarcely possible for any scenery in nature to 
 be more romantic and luxuriant tlian that which 
 successively presents itself to the eye in travelling 
 on the banks of the Arno. This beautiful river 
 glides along in a deep valley below the road, and 
 winds itself like a snake between the mountains, 
 whose sides and tops are clothed with trees of va- 
 rious sorts. So perfectly suited are some of the 
 lines in Paradise Lost to illustrate this part of 
 Tuscany, that I cannot forbear quoting them. — 
 
 " With thicket overgrmvn, grotesque and wild, 
 Access denied ; and overhead upgrcw 
 Insuperable height of loftiest shade. 
 Cedar and pine and fir and branching palm, 
 A. Sylvan scene ; and as the ranks ascend^ 
 Shade above shade, a woody theatre 
 Of stateliest view." 
 
79 
 
 The road in many })laccs is extremely narrow; 
 and on tlic side next the river, where there is a 
 sharp descent, it is walled in to prevent accidents. 
 On the other side, the mountains rise in many 
 places almost perpendicular, and assume rather a 
 rocky appearance. At Empoli the inhabitants 
 carry on several manufactures of pottery, and 
 there is also a very celebrated one for makino* 
 hats. In other vilhioes thev manufacture earthen 
 vases in a variety of shapes, with fanciful and 
 tasty ornaments, wliich are soltl for the decora- 
 tion of houses- and pleasure-grounds. On the 
 banks of the Arno, twelve miles from Florence, 
 stands a royal villa, called L Imbroa-iana, which 
 was formerly used as one of the countiy resid- 
 ences of the grand-dukes. The house is a plain 
 M'hite stuccoed building, with a square tower at 
 each angle, and desirable only for its situation. 
 
 The Tuscan ladies affortl excellent subjects for 
 the pencil of the portrait-painter, as they are 
 beautiful even to a proverb. In addition to an 
 elegant and graceful ligure, their countenances 
 iire regular and expressive, and their manners sa- 
 vour of great taste and refinement. From Gre- 
 cian scidpture liave they learnt that style of dress 
 so admirably adapted to display the lieautiful 
 forms of nature. By a moderate and judicious 
 application of jewels, they adorn and improve 
 their persons ; while their dispositions, soft, affec- 
 tionate, and familiar, may be truly assimilated to 
 the sweet temperature of the climate they jive in. 
 
 Tlie lower class of Tuscan women have also a. 
 fair claim to beauty, though of a more rustic na- 
 
80 
 
 lure ; but their dress is widely difTercnt from that 
 which I have just described. They wear coarse 
 woollen gowns, with the thin formal waist, and 
 deck themselves out with ribbons, flowers, and 
 trumpery. An immense round hat, like one of 
 our large pewter dishes, shelters their heads from 
 the heat of the sun; and their feet are inclosed 
 in thick wooden shoes, resembling those they use 
 in France, which make a clattering noise when 
 they walk, but have the good property of never 
 Vv*earing out. 
 
 Thus, after an agreeable journey, varied with 
 woody hills and fertile plains, through vineyards, 
 groves of olive trees, and productive gardens, 
 you reach with great pleasure and satisfaction 
 the gates of 
 
 Florence. 
 
 The entrance into this capital is extremely nar- 
 row, and the same may be said of almost all the 
 cities both in France and Italy. As the powers on 
 the Continent have been in all aa;es more or less 
 liable to wars and disturbances among themselves, 
 this evil was probably fust introduced by way of 
 security against their enemies, since it is well 
 known that a numerous army marching into a 
 town through a narrow pass may be most se- 
 riously annoyed, if not completely repulsed, by a 
 very small force within its walls, aided by the in- 
 habitants from the windows and roofs of the 
 houses. 
 
 Florence had formerly many towers, temples, 
 theatres, an amphitheatre (part of which is re- 
 maining), a capitol, a forum, with baths and aque- 
 
81 
 
 ducts ; and, like old Rome herself, indulged in 
 public feasts, sports, and warlike games : but 
 these, as well as the greater part of the antiqui- 
 ties of that famous city, have been destroyed 
 either by time or violence. On the page of history 
 the Florentines A^dll ever be recorded, and have 
 an indisputable claim upon the gratitude of all 
 posterity, for their successful struggles in the re- 
 vival of the arts, after the barbarians who in- 
 vaded Italy had nearly obliterated every vestige 
 of learning, genius, and philosophy. 
 
 The city is delightfully situated, like Pisa, on 
 the two banks of the Arno, which is navigable 
 only for small vessels, and over which are four 
 bridges of connnunication, 150 yards in length or 
 thereabout. That of white marble, designed by 
 Ammanati, is the most celebrated and remark- 
 al^le for construction. It consists of three arches, 
 in the form of a cycloid, with triangular but- 
 tresses against the piers, and has a very singular, 
 and, I might almost add, even magical effect. 
 The span of the middle arch is 100 feet in 
 length, and its rise only twenty feet. The 
 span of the two side-arches is eighty-four feet 
 in length, and their rise only seventeen feet, sur- 
 mounted by a plain simple battlement. Four 
 fine statues of white marble, representing the 
 seasons of the year, are placed as decorations on 
 the four end-pedestals of the battlements. This 
 bridge was built in the place of the old one, which 
 was washed away in 1557 by a deplorable inun- 
 dation that did serious mischief to the city, and 
 which the following lines inscribed on the facade 
 
82 
 
 of St. Niccolo's church more particularly iUu- 
 strate : 
 
 " P'luctibus undivagis, Pi'Iago, similisque proccliis 
 " Hunc tumidis praoceps irruit Arnus aquis, 
 " Prostravitquc suae, spumanti gurgitc, Florae 
 " Oppida,agros, fontes, Mocnia, Tcmpla, A'iros." 
 
 The streets arc ratlicr narrow, paved with l:)roa(l 
 flagstones in imitation of the old Roman ways ; and 
 there i& no day of the year in which the inhabit- 
 ants cannot walk about the city without soiling 
 any thing more than the soles of their shoes ; for 
 as fast as the rain falls it runs off the pavement, 
 and leaves a cleanliness behind very agreeable to 
 pedestrians. Many excellent marble groups and 
 statues are seen in the conspicuous parts of the 
 city, and against the fronts of cluuchcs, palaces, 
 and public buildings, which will commemorate for 
 ages the genius of INIichacl Angelo, Bandinelli, 
 John di Bologna, and other celel)ra,ted sculptors of 
 the Italian school. 
 
 The architecture that prevails here is certainly 
 of a heavy and massive description, exactly suitable 
 with that order which is said to have been tlu; 
 invention of Tuscanv. But some of the iar«-c 
 edifices are of good proportions in thtir outline ; 
 and their rusticated elevations give them the ap- 
 pearance of great strength and solid grandeur. 
 However objectionable this style may be to per- 
 sons of delicate taste, we are nevertheless told it 
 was practised by Michael Angelo himself, and that 
 he was not permitted to aim at the lightness and 
 elegance of the Greek architecture, because the 
 
8 
 
 n 
 
 frequent revolutions in petty states made it neces- 
 sary that the nobihty and rich citizens should 
 build their habitations stron<>; enous2:h for citadels, 
 in case tumults and rebellions might compel them 
 to take refuge therein. The general plan of the 
 best houses is a square or a parallelogram, leaving 
 a spacious open court in the centre ; and into 
 which the inhabitants and their carriages enter 
 from the street through a wide archway, as they 
 do in France. Churches abound here, as is the 
 case in all the Italian cities ; and most of them 
 are magiiificent within, but many of their outsides 
 remain in an unfinished state, with rouo'h brick- 
 work only, which were no doubt intended to be 
 faced with stone or marble, and were e\'idcntlv 
 left in this condition on account of the expense. 
 
 Santa JMaria del Flore is the name of the metro- 
 politan church, which stands in the centre of a 
 large open area. The plan of it forms a cross, but 
 the superstructure is in so unique and hetero- 
 geneous style of architecture as to bear little or 
 no resemblance to anv other. Althouo-h this edifice 
 was bcti'un in the thirteenth century, when the 
 art of design was but just emerging from the abyss 
 of ignorance, and when all knowledge of Grecian 
 purity and excellence had been for a long time 
 unhappily superceded by a barbarous taste, it ought 
 nevertheless to be admired in every period as a 
 prodigious monument of the exertions and intellect 
 of Arnolfo di Lapo, the architect, who, by his 
 own creative and unassisted genius, designed and 
 commenced this most stupendous pile, under all the 
 
 - g2 
 
84 
 
 disadvantages of the benighted age in which he 
 lived. The walls consist chiefly of brick ; but 
 externally it is incrusted with black and white 
 marble, Forming compartments of various shapes 
 and sizes, that produce the same effect on the 
 sight as a rich piece of cabinet-work inlaid with 
 ebony and ivory. The panncls are of black and 
 the margins of white marble ; and this is the most 
 complete idea I can convey by words alone of its 
 general character. At different parts of the ex- 
 terior are groups, statues, foliage, and other fan- 
 ciful decorations. In the facade, which is modern, 
 and in the Grecian style of architecture, are three 
 lar2:e handsome doors. At a door on the north 
 side are two columns ; one stands on the back of a 
 tyorress, with her litter around her : and in other 
 parts are representations equally extravagant. The 
 octagon cupola was built a long while afterwards, 
 by Brunellesco, and in its outline has the shape of 
 half a pine-apple, capped with a small lantern. It 
 is said to measure 140 feet across. Michael An- 
 gelo thought this cupola so excellent a work, that 
 he used to say — " he might be able to imitate it, 
 but none could surpass it." This astonishing church 
 is 476 feet in length, 1 30 feet in width, and the 
 transverse cross is 306 feet. The whole of the 
 roof and the cupola are covered with tiles. The 
 side elevations form two distinct stories, that is to 
 sav, the upper one (as is usual in all the churches 
 in France and Italy) stands as far back from the 
 lower one as the width of the aisles, and is sup- 
 ported by the pillars in the interior. Long narrow 
 
85 
 
 windows below of the Gothic kind light the aisles ; 
 and the circular or wheel windows, which are 
 placed in the receding story above, afford light to 
 the nave : still nothino- can be more dismal and 
 gloomy than the inside. The nave is divided from 
 the aisles by heavy stone pillars. At the top is a 
 groined ceiling, and the walls are plastered in a 
 homely manner. Indeed, it is so extremely dark 
 within, that in many places, even in the middle of 
 the dav, vou cannot see to read without candles, 
 particidarly under the dome and at the east end. 
 The pavement consists of various marbles, beau- 
 tifully disposed, after the designs of Eaccio, San 
 Gallo, and Michael Angelo. Zuccheri painted the 
 dome with the subject of the Resurrection ; and un- 
 derneath it is a description of Hell. In regard to 
 the sculpture — the statues of the four evangelists, 
 larger than life, by Donatello ; the fine figures at 
 the altar, representing God the Father in a seden- 
 tary attitude, and the Saviour dead at his feet, 
 supported by an angel, by Bandinelli ; are excel- 
 lent performances : and in various niches are the 
 apostles, as large as life, by other artists. Over 
 the door, opposite the cloister, is a jNIadonna, full 
 size, with two angels, in marble, by Giovanni di 
 Pisa : the whole is full of sweetness, and reck- 
 oned a masterly work. Against the walls appear 
 a variety of inscriptions and epitaphs, in Latin, to 
 tlie memory of some of the celebrated men of 
 Florence ; namely, Bruncllesco, Giotto, Marsilio 
 Ficino, the reviver of the Platonic pliilosophy ; 
 and one to Dante, the great master of Tuscan 
 poetry, which is as follows :-— 
 
86 
 
 Qui Coclum ceci/ut, med'mmq ; Imumq ; Tribunal 
 Lu.stravitque animo cuncta Poet a suo 
 
 Doctus adcst Dautes sua quern Florentia saepe 
 Se?isit Co7isiHis ac Pietate pat re. 
 
 Nil potuit tanto mors saica noccre Poctae 
 Quern vivum 'virtus, carmen ^ima go j'acit. 
 
 Amono- the curiosities and relics of saints con- 
 tained in this church, are (as it is related) a part of 
 the holy cross, one of the nails hy which our 
 Saviour was fastened to it, and also one of the 
 thorns belonoino; to the crown which the Jews 
 put upon his head. They are preserved in a case of 
 massive gold, richly embossed, and studded with 
 pearls, jewels, and precious stones. In the tri- 
 bune of the holy cross is a globe of marble, upon 
 which, in the solstice of June, by the sun's rays 
 passing through a ring fixed in the lantern of the 
 cupola, the Florentines used to ascertain the 
 point of its greatest height. It was the inven- 
 tion of the celebrated Toscanclli, who died in the 
 vear 1482, and was the most ancient meridian in 
 Europe. But the great mathematician Ximcnes 
 afterward drew on the pavement of the church a 
 meridian line, in an instrument of metal, for the 
 purpose of the solstitial observations, wliicli the 
 inliabitants still continue. Leaving tlie church at 
 the south door, against the outer wall on the right, 
 appears this inscription : 
 
 Annis millenis centum his octo nogenis 
 
 Venit Legal us Roma bonitate dona t us, 
 
 Qui lapidem f.xit fiindo, simul et benedi.vil 
 
^:.?rv 
 
 ■■•X, 
 
 B7 
 
 Praesule Francisco gestanti Pontificatum 
 Istud ah Arnolpho Templum fuit aedifcatum : 
 Hoc opus insigne dccorans Florent'ta digne. 
 
 Regine Coeli construMt mentejideli 
 Qiiam tu Virgo pia semper defende Maria. 
 
 The campanile, or tower for the bells, stands as 
 usual at a small distance, detached from the 
 church. 
 
 Surprising as the tower at Pisa appeared to me, 
 on account of its inclination, this at Florence was 
 no less so, owing to its enormous height, and the 
 comparative slenderness of its superstructure ; ^d 
 is very justly esteemed the finest tower in Italy, Wv 
 not in the world. We may say of its character, 
 what we often have it in our power to do respect- T- 
 ing that description of dress so frequently adopted 
 by the ladies, and which is purely the result of 
 fancy and invention : — with uncommon singularity 
 it combines a general mixture of elegance; and 
 though capriciously disposed, it still possesses in 
 the composition that propriety and concord of 
 parts and ornaments as fully to demonstrate that 
 the hand which designed it was directed by taste, 
 genius, and experience. The plan forms a square, 
 with a buttress at each angle, continued all the 
 way up, resembling in a small degree some of our 
 Gothic towers. In height it is said to be 270 feet, 
 and only forty-six feet square in the shaft, which 
 is the same from bottom to top. In the centre 
 there is a square perpendicular well-hole, for the 
 purpose of ringing the bells. A staircase on a 
 
 1 
 
 V 
 
33" 
 
 square plan is contrived in tlie thickness of the 
 wall, whose steps fly up in a straight line on each 
 side to landings in the angles, and in this way are 
 continued till they reach the summit near wdrich 
 the bells are hung. This eminence affords a gra- 
 tifying view of the city below, and the surround- 
 ing country. The first stone of this wonderi'ul 
 edifice was laid in the year 1334, according to the 
 inscription. On the outside it is incrustcd with 
 marble of divers colours in compartments, with a 
 moderate quantity of delicate ornaments, foliage, 
 and figures, which altogether give it the appear- 
 ance of a rich piece of inlaid cabinet-work, as 1 
 have before observed, when speaking of the 
 Duomo. Notwithstanding it has been erected 
 nearly five centuries, it looks as fresh and as per- 
 fect as if it had been finished only a few months ; 
 so durable are the materials of marble, stone, and 
 brick, in a temperate climate. On each side of 
 the tower below, are niches, adorned with sta- 
 tues ; some of which were executed by Donatello. 
 Those which personify the four prophets, the seven 
 planets, and the seven virtues, are said to be 
 the work of Andrea Pisano. On the side next 
 the church are figurative representations of gram- 
 mar, philosophy, music, astrology, and geometry. 
 In the upper part of the tower are three stories of 
 windows, one above the other, of a Gothic de- 
 scription, which give light to the interior, and it 
 then finishes square on the top. This monument 
 was built after the design of Giotto, in an insular 
 situation, and stands as upright as possible, which 
 
S9 
 
 is a proof of the great caution tliat must have heen. 
 taken in its construction, particularly in the foun- 
 dation. 
 
 Opposite the cathedral remains the ancient Bap- 
 tistery of St. John, huilt for the use of the city, 
 and which has been erroneously considered by 
 some persons as a temple originally dedicated to 
 !Mars. The style of its architecture is a medley. 
 It was erected in the same age as the Duomo, and 
 like that is clothed on the outside with various 
 sorts of marble, formed into compartments. It 
 stands insulated, about the same distance from the 
 church as that at Pisa ; and there is no doubt, from 
 the similitude of its general form to other build- 
 ings of the kind, that it was intended solely for 
 baptism. The plan is an octagon, about ninety- 
 six feet diameter. On the outside it is divided 
 into three stories in height. The lower one has 
 pilasters, which carry a continued entablature. 
 The second has pilasters also, which bear arches ; 
 and on them an entablature : and between these 
 pilasters are introduced small windows to light the 
 interior. The third story, which may be called 
 the attic, consists of dwarf pilasters, with marble 
 pannels between, like those I have before men- 
 tioned. The roof is octagonal, covered with 
 slabs of marble, and rakes up on all sides to a 
 small lantern in the centre, which adds a finish to 
 the whole. Three pair of magnificent bronze 
 doors, marvellous for the excellency of their work- 
 manship, adorn three sides of the octagon; and 
 where a fourth might be supposed to be placed, for 
 the sake of uniformity, is the great altar-piece, 
 
90 
 
 surrounded by a fine marble balustrade, richly 
 worked with figures, flowers, and other ornaments. 
 The pannels of these doors are enriched with hi- 
 storical subjects, selected fiom the Old and New 
 Testament. Some of the figures are in alto-relievo, 
 and the borders round the pannels are adorned 
 -with exquisite foliage. One pair of the doors 
 was made by Andrea Pisano, in the year 1330, and 
 the others by Lorenzo Ghiberti, many years after- 
 ward. Michael Angelo was so delighted with the 
 beauty of the last, that he used to exclaim, they 
 were only fit to be the gates of Paradise. On 
 many parts of the exterior are marble statues of 
 saints and angels. The two columns of porphyry 
 at the principal door, were presents from the Pi- 
 sans in the year 1117 to the Florentines, who had 
 been guardians of their city during the expedi- 
 tion against the islands of IMajorca and Minorca. 
 Entering into the interior, there appears a small 
 gallery all round the building, supported by large 
 Corinthian columns of granite, and between them 
 are placed statues of the apostles. Under the arch 
 of the tribune, where the great altar stands, is a 
 group of one of their saints, named Precursore, 
 shewing his translation into celestial glory, with 
 attendant angels. Close by, is the figure of the 
 Agnus Dei, and underneath is the following in- 
 scription, in letters of gold, 
 
 Hk Deus est magnus viiti.s (jucm daiotot Agnus. 
 
 Here also is an inscription, recording that this 
 building was begun May 12, 1225. The floor 
 
91 
 
 and the whole of the ceiling- are covered with 
 mosaic, expressing various su])jects, some relating 
 tq the Ute of St. John the Baptist, and others to 
 the mysteries of our Saviour, the creation of the 
 world, &c. In the frieze of the entablature 
 which encircles the dome are the heads of sera- 
 phim : and it is said there was formerly an an- 
 cient font in the middle of the Baptistery, of an 
 octagonal shape, some signs of which are still to 
 be seen in the pavement. On the right is the se- 
 pulchre, embellished with various figures, of Bal- 
 dazzar Coscia, who died in Florence 1419, after 
 having renounced the pontificate in the council of 
 Constance. The sculpture is by Donatello, as 
 well as the figure in wood, which represents Mary 
 Magdalen in a state of penitence, and which now 
 belongs to a modern altar. Among the relics are 
 shewn a finger of John the Baptist, and an arm of 
 Philip the apostle, together with a variety of sa- 
 cred gold and silver utensils of immense value, and 
 other curiosities too numerous to be described. 
 Coming out of this building, at the north door, 
 is a column immediately opposite, which is said to 
 have been erected in commemoration of the fol- 
 lowing miracle : When the Florentines were re- 
 moving the body of St. Zanobi, once bishop of 
 their city, from the college of St. Lorenzo, to de- 
 posit it in the great cathedral, the bier by accident 
 touched a withered tree, which stood on the same 
 spot as this column, and to the surprise of all per- 
 sons present the sap instantaneously returned into 
 the trunk, the branches sprouted afresh, and the 
 
92 
 
 whole was covered with leaves of the richest ver- 
 dure. 
 
 The church of St. Lorenzo holds the next place 
 after the metropolitan, and is remarkable for hav- 
 ing been built on the same spot where a temple, 
 in the time of the emperor Theodosius, was erect- 
 ed to St. LorenzQ the martyr, by a beautiful young 
 widow, named Juliana, who was of an illustrious 
 family, and after the death of her luisband retired 
 from the world, and devoted herself wholl}' to re- 
 ligion. 
 
 Brunellescho was the architect of this church, 
 which was begun in the year 1425. The exterior 
 exhibits nothing to excite attention, but within it 
 is very handsome, divided into a nave and two 
 aisles by Corinthian columns of gre}' marble, which 
 support arches, and over them is an entablacure 
 running round the centre. The ceiling of the 
 nave, as is the case in most of the churches on 
 the Continent, is carried up much higher than that 
 of the aisles, and the interior thereby derives light 
 from windows in the sides of the nave, as well as 
 from a cupola over the centre of the cross. The 
 length of the church is 9.64 feet, the width sixty- 
 four feet, and the transverse cross is 110 feet. 
 The altar-pieces are of the linest marbles (particu- 
 larly the principal one), adorned with excellent 
 paintings and sculpture by renowned masters. 
 The two small pulpits, with bass-reliefs in 
 bronze, sustained by elegant columns of marble, 
 with marble staircases, and the balustrade round 
 the communion so elaborately finished bv Dona- 
 
93 
 
 tello, are justly admired for the beauty of their 
 workmanship. On the right of the gTeat altar is 
 placed the new sacristy, which was erected by an, 
 order of Leo X. who intended it as a mausoleum 
 for himself and family. It is a small buildino- 
 thirty-six feet square, enriched within by two 
 stories of Corinthian pilasters, with entablatures 
 complete, and finishes at top with a dome. The 
 sculpture it contains, by ]\lichael Angelo, who 
 was also the architect, is the chief ornament of 
 the interior. Juliano, brother of Leo X. and Lo- 
 renzo duke of Urbino, were the first persons in- 
 terred here. Above the tomb of the first appears 
 his statue, as large as life, sitting in a niche over a 
 sarcophagus, clad in a military habit, with two 
 recumbent figures, representing Day and Night, 
 one on each side. The figure of X^ight is so beau- 
 tifully characteristic, as to have occasioned the 
 followino; lines, by way of encomium, upon the 
 sculpture : 
 
 *• La Nofte die tii vedi in si dolci atti 
 " Dor mire fu da lui angelo scolpita 
 '• In questo Sasso, e peixhe dorme a fita 
 "' Destala, se ?io'l credi e parlerafti.'' 
 
 To which the figure Is feignied to answer in these 
 words, 
 
 " Grato me il so?uio e pin Vessere di Sasso 
 " Mentre die I darrno, e la I'ergogna dura : 
 " Vedcr, e non sentir jui e gran ventura 
 " Pero 7wn mi destar, deh parla basso.'' 
 
94 
 
 On tlie side opposite is the Statue of Lorenzo de') 
 Medici, executed in a similar manner ; with two 
 other ligures, expressive of grief, representing the 
 Evening and the Morning, by the same artist. He 
 who aims at perfection in the art of sculpture, will 
 do well to study with unwearied attention these 
 most astonishing, and, I might almost say, super- 
 natural performances. The statues, tluis faithfully 
 formed irom nature, appear ail but hving. So ac- 
 cordant, solemn, and well conceived are the atti- 
 tudes, that they impress the mnid as tlie acci- 
 dents of reality; and the emblems, for suitable- 
 jaess, character, and truth, will perhaps never be 
 surpassed. 
 
 Adjoining to this sacristy, and immediately be- 
 hind the choir of the churcli, is the fine chapel 
 and sepulchre of the grand-dukes. The first stone 
 of this building was laid in the year lG04, after a 
 plan and model made by Prince Don Giovanni de' 
 Medici, and under the management of an archi- 
 tect named Nigetti, who was appointed assistant 
 to the prince. Ferdinand I. then grand-duke, flat- 
 tered himself that he might be able to remove 
 secretly from Jerusalem the holy sepulchre of 
 Christ, which he intended to deposit in this mag- 
 nificent mausoleum ; but he was defeated in that 
 enterprise, by his intention being discovered to 
 the Turks, either by accident or treachery. 
 
 The plan is an octagon, nearly ninety feet 
 across ; and from the pavement to the top of the 
 cupola, in the centre of the dome, is said to be 
 190 feet in height, without including the subter- 
 raneous vault. The walls of the interior are co- 
 
55 
 
 veretl with a diversity of marbles, and adorned 
 with stately pilasters, of the composite order ; con- 
 sisting of jasper of Barga, with bases and capi- 
 tals of bronze, standing on a lofty plinth, which 
 is continued round the building. Placed upon 
 these pilasters is an appropriate entablature, from 
 which the dome springs. Tlie plinth, or zocle, 
 contains the arms of the cities of Tuscany, com- 
 posed of valuable stones and marbles; that is 
 of lapis-lazuli, of jaune and verde antique, mother- 
 of-pearl, oriental alabaster, and others. x\t pre- 
 sent the iloor is only of earth, no doubt meant to 
 be paved with marble ; and the inside of the dome 
 is of plaster, in an unfinished state, but Avhich 
 was originally intended for paintings of a suitable 
 description. Against the sides of the octagon are 
 six cenotaphs. The first, on the right of the en- 
 trance, to Ferdinand II. who died in 1670, is of 
 Egyptian granite and green jasper, and the escut- 
 cheon is of flowered Sicilian jasper. The second 
 to Cosmo II. who died in l62(), is of white orien- 
 tal granite, and on it is an enriched helmet of 
 hard stone, beset with ornaments. In the niche, 
 inmiediately over, is contained the statue, in 
 bronze, of the same prince, by John di Bologna. 
 The others are of a like description, to the me- 
 mory of Ferdinand I. the founder of this noble 
 pile, Cosmo I. Francis I. and Cosmo III. grand- 
 dukes of Tuscany. From hence, by a commo- 
 dious staircase in the thickness of the wall, you 
 descend to the subterraneous chambers ; where, 
 under the cenotaphs, arc so many chapels, de- 
 •Stined for the tombs of the princes I have already 
 
96 
 
 mentioned, and whose bodies were here deposited 
 in coffins of wood, after they had been (kig up 
 and removed from the other sacristy. The w alls 
 of the basement arc twenty-two feet thick, and 
 the exterior of the building is all of hard stone, 
 intermixed with ornaments of white marble, in a 
 fanciful and bizarre m.anner; but the interior is 
 in a regular style of architecture, and, were the 
 whole finished, it would be one of the most mag- 
 nificent and expensive monuments of art to be 
 seen at this day. 
 
 Appertaining to this church and college is the 
 celebrated Laurentian librarv\ The plan of the 
 room itself is a parallelogram, 146 feet in length, 
 thirtv-three feet in width, and twenty-six feet in 
 height. It contains a vast quantity of the most 
 rare and valuable manuscripts, in Hebrew, Greek, 
 Latin, Chinese, Arabic, Chaldee, S}'riac, Tuscan, 
 and old French; many of them enriched with 
 curious paintings and miniatures. These books 
 were collected chiefly from Asia and remote parts 
 by Cosmo I. styled Father of his country, at an 
 immense expense ; and the collection has been in- 
 creased from time to time by contributions from 
 various celebrated libraries, and donations iVom 
 successive o-rand-dukes. 
 
 At Florence there is also a royal academy for 
 the encouragement of the fine arts, which was 
 removed in 1784 from its original to its present 
 situation, as a more convenient place, by Leopold, 
 then grand-duke, afterwards emperor of Germany. 
 By the munificence of this prince it was enlarged 
 and furnished with all things necessary for such 
 
97 
 
 an institution. In its establishment are seven 
 professors, one for each of the following arts ; 
 namely, design, colouring, grotesque, engraving, 
 sculpture, architecture, and one for the youth 
 who study in the great gallery, and for practical 
 mechanics. 
 
 Over the entrance door are three crowns cut in 
 stone; the first represents a crown of oak, the 
 second of laurel, and the third of olive, which 
 are the emblems of the academy : and underneath, 
 on a frieze, is the following epigraph ; — 
 
 " LiberaUum Art'uim Incrcmento 
 Petrus Leopoldus 
 Anno MDccLxxiv." 
 
 The gallery for the arts of design and colouring 
 is furnished with specimens and casts for the use 
 of students. From thence you pass into a great 
 hall, which serves for public meetings, and which 
 is hung with many fine original pictures, from some 
 of the greatest masters of the Florentine school, 
 with a variety of other works and cartoons by 
 eminent painters of other countries. These paint- 
 ings are held out as examples for the young stu- 
 dents. Beside them are some models in wood; 
 that of a bridge with three arches, designed by 
 the jNIarquis Tacoli, is much admired : and there 
 are also many models and casts in terra cotta, by 
 different professors who belonged to the aca- 
 demy, and who bequeathed these works to it, that 
 their memory might be perpetuated among the 
 scholars. 
 
 H 
 
99 
 
 Another room is set apart for the study of the 
 naked figure; where, every day, the pupils have 
 the advantage, for the space of two hours, of draw- 
 ins: after nature. Duriu": summer the attend- 
 ance is in the morning, and in the w^inter in tlie 
 evening. The professors tjike it by turns to su- 
 perintend upon these occasions, as tliey do in tlie 
 Royal Academy of London. Not far from this 
 room is a handsome spacious gallery, containing 
 plaster-casts from the most renowned antique sta- 
 tues in Italy. They are placed in rows on pedes- 
 tals, and make a good appearance. At the end of 
 the gallery is an exact imitation in plaster of the 
 magniticent bronze doors which belong to the 
 Baptistery. 
 
 Up stairs, in the architectural chamber, the walls 
 are covered with drawings for buildings of every 
 description. Among them I saw a small design, 
 by Mr. Soane, for a hnnting-casine, dated Oc- 
 tober 1779; and this is the only one I perceived 
 to be from the English school. Twice every year 
 the heads of the academy distribute premiums to 
 tliose scholars who have profited most by their 
 studies, as an incentive to enmlation. Every 
 three years tlie first, second, and third classes 
 in painting, sculpture, and architecture, arc as- 
 sembled together; and to all the poor scholars are 
 given gratuitously, paper, crayons, colours, &c. at 
 the expense of the royal treasury. 
 
 A president, vice-president, and a secretary, are 
 appointed to transact the business of the academy, 
 and for the good order and management of all its 
 departments. 
 
99 
 
 In this academy I saw many paintings In oil by 
 the various hving members who belong to it. Se- 
 veral were by an unfortunate young man, both 
 deaf and dumb : but, generally speaking, they were 
 all indifferent performances, and admit of no kind 
 of comparison with the modern works of the 
 English school. 
 
 At a small distance to the westward stands the 
 church called the Annunziata, which is on a small 
 scale, but the interior is clothed with rich marbles. 
 The altar-pieces and their ornaments are magni- 
 ficent, and it contains some excellent pictures. 
 Among them is one, of which they tell the fol- 
 lowing whimsical story : — A painter, named Bar- 
 tolommco, was employed to execute in fresco the 
 subject of the Annunciation : when he had finished 
 the figure of the angel, and was going to begin 
 the face of the Virgin, he first sat down to con- 
 sider how he might be able to describe such a di 
 vine countenance with the best efltect. In this 
 situation, fatigued with thought, he fell into a 
 profound sleep ; but when he awoke, he perceived, 
 with amazement, that the likeness of the Virgin 
 had been painted in the interval, with so much 
 beauty, sweetness, and devotion, that he exclaim- 
 ed with a loud voice, struck with terror — A mi- 
 racle ! a miracle ! The report spread every-where ; 
 the church was soon filled with spectators, who 
 paid a small gratuity for the sight to the painter 
 and the priest, and this figure of the blessed Vir- 
 gin has been looked up to with implicit faith and 
 adoration e\'er since by all those who profess the 
 
 H 2 
 
100 
 
 tenets of the Iloman- catholic belief as the work 
 of a celestial being. 
 
 Another of the paintings represents St. Philip 
 travelling from Bologna to Modcna, where he 
 found some boys playing under a tree, and blas- 
 pheming, for which he reprimanded them : they 
 in return using abusive and injurious language 
 ao'ainst the saint, the thunder instantaneously 
 came down from heaven, split the tree to pieces, 
 killed two of them, and the others, terrified at the 
 sight, ran away for preservation. But that in 
 which the highest perfection of the art may be 
 said to concentrate, is the famous Madonna del 
 Sacco in fresco, in one of the cloisters, by An- 
 drea del Sarto. Michael Angelo and Titian usetl 
 to say, they could not sufficiently appreciate its 
 merits ; and that in all probability it would never 
 be equalled. Opposite tliis church aj)pears an 
 equestrian statue of Ferdinand I. grand-duke of 
 Tuscany, cast in bronze by John di Bologna. On 
 the horse is this inscription : " Dei metalU i^tpiti 
 al Jiero Tracer — I thought it but a very middling 
 performance. 
 
 Another church worthy of observation is called 
 Santa Croce, which is in length 440 feet, and in 
 width 128 feet, with a cupola at top, and was de- 
 signed by Arnolfo, who built the Duomo. 
 
 Travellers principally visit this church on ac- 
 count of the paintings it contains ; together with 
 the tombs of some of the most celebrated men 
 Italy has produced. The first, to the memory of 
 IMichacl Angelo, is on the right of entrance ; and. 
 
101 
 
 has three statues of marble below the urn, repre- 
 senting Sculpture, Architecture, and Painting, in 
 mournful attitudes, which strikingly indicate the 
 general sorrow felt for the loss of genius. Over 
 the urn is the bust of Michael Angelo, in marble, 
 with three crowns, and the following appropriate 
 motto : " Tergemhus toll'it hononhusr — The three 
 figures are the works of different masters. On 
 the base of the sepulchre is the following epi- 
 taph : 
 
 Z>. O. M. 
 
 M'lchaeli Aimelo Bojiarotio 
 
 E Vetusta Simojiioi^um Familia 
 
 Sculptor}, Pictoriy, &; Architecto 
 
 Fama omnibus votissimo 
 
 Leonardus Fatruo Amatiss. c^' de st optime merito 
 
 Traiislatis Roma ejus ossibus, atque in hoc Templo 
 
 Majonim suorum sepulcro conditis 
 
 E.rortant Sereniss. Cosmo I. Med. 3faono-Efr.-Duce 
 
 An. Sal MDLxx vi.vit Anno lxxxviii. Dies xv. • 
 
 No artist can contemplate the genius of this un- 
 common man without humiliation. The powers 
 of his mind were so superior and unlimited, and 
 so incessant was his application, that in the short 
 space of human life he acquired a knowledge of 
 the three most difficult and laborious arts ; which 
 the mao-nificent dome of St. Peter's church at 
 Rome, the great picture of the Judgment-day in 
 the Sistine chapel of the Vatican, and the abund- 
 ance of fine sculpture he has left 'behind him 
 as ornaments to Florence and other cities, indis" 
 putably testify and confirm. 
 
102 
 
 The tomb opposite Michael Angelo's was erect- 
 ed by subscription in tlie year 1787, to the me- 
 mory of that great Florentine politician Niccolo 
 Macchiavelli, who died in the year 1527; and on 
 it is the following inscription : 
 
 " TantoJiomini judlumpar Elogium 
 
 Nkolaus Macchiavelli 
 
 Obit An. A.p. V. mdxxvii." 
 
 The sepulchre of the famous astronomer Galileo, 
 and that of the great mathematician Viviani, are 
 also within the walls of this church. 
 
 Among the paintings, which are too numerous 
 to admit of a dcscriptiou, are some ancient ones in 
 tolerable preservation, said to have been executed 
 by Giotti and Cimabu(^", who were among the re- 
 storers of the art of painting in Italy. 
 
 Having spoken of the tomb of iSIichael An- 
 gelo, it may not be irrelevant to observe, that the 
 house is still remaining at Florence in which he 
 lived, and continues in the occupation of the 
 family of Buonarotti his descendants. Some of 
 his works are now to be seen within; and the 
 gallery, which he himself erected, has been filled 
 with pictures, sculpture, and other rare things, at 
 the expense of the present owner. 
 
 The Palazzo Vccchio, or the old palace, is a 
 dismal structure, built after the designs of Ar- 
 nolfo. Attached to it is a square brick tower, 275 
 fc'ct in licjght, wliich finishes on the top with 
 projecting brackets and military battlements. The 
 turret on the tower contains a bell; said to w^igh 
 
103 
 
 17000 lbs. and which is supported between four 
 immense cohimns. On one side of the principal 
 entrance into this palace is a gigantic marble 
 statue of Hercules by Bandinelli, and on the other 
 that of David in his youth by Michael Angelo. 
 The plan of the palace forms a square, with a 
 court-}'ard in the centre, surrounded by a loggia. 
 The columns that used to enclose this los-o'la were 
 of brick; but a Florentine architect undertook to 
 remove them (as they were decaying very fast, 
 and carried the whole weight of the upper stories), 
 and to introduce in their stead others of stone, 
 which he did, without the least damage to the 
 superstructure. Above stairs is a magnificent hall 
 for public occasions, \65 feet in length, sixty- 
 eight feet in width, and of a pro]3orti9nate height, 
 lighted by windows at each end. On the celling 
 the most remarkable events of the city of Flo- 
 rcnce, and of the house De' INIcdici, are painted 
 in handsome pannels by Vasarl. In the side-walls 
 are niches, in wliich are pliiced statues and groups 
 of figures ; some representing the labours of Her- 
 cules by Rossi, capitally executed. Over the prin- 
 cipal door is a representation of the twelve Flo- 
 rentines who, by various potentates, were sent at 
 the same time as ambassadors to Boniface VHI. 
 on which singular occasion the following lines 
 were written bv Verino ; 
 
 Romanae tnerito Antistes Bowfacius Urhis 
 Cum Florentinos diversis partihus o?'bis 
 Vidisset Romae regum mandata ferentes 
 T^rrarum semen turn quinta elementa wcavif* 
 
10^ 
 
 Many other specimens of painting and sculpture 
 in this palace I shall pass unnoticed, proceed- 
 ing to the beautiful groups and statues which are 
 deposited in the open arcade immediately oppo- 
 site. The most conspicuous among these are the 
 figures of Judith and llolofernes, in bronze, by 
 Donatello. 
 
 The next is a bronze statue in the character of 
 Perseus, with the right-hand grasping a sword, 
 and the left holding up Aledusa s head, with the 
 dead body below. It is by Benvcnuto Cellini, and 
 is a capital performance. 
 
 Another group figurative of the Rape of the 
 Sabines is equal, if not superior, to those I have 
 just described. It consists of three figures in 
 marble, by John di Bologna. The principal one 
 represents a Roman soldier in the prime of life, 
 and of a robust body, carrying away by force a 
 delicate youug ^■irgin, who is struggling to get 
 from his arms. On the ground lies an old man, 
 supposed to be her father, who, in attempting to 
 rescue his daughter, was thrown down by the ra- 
 vishcr. The resistless passion of the soldier; the 
 terror and despair of the maid ; the anger of the 
 aged parent, on whom she calls in vain for help ; 
 are well executed. Reside these are a few bass- 
 reliefs and other pieces of sculpture; and then 
 we come to the consideration of the stately foun- 
 tain designed by Ammanato, situated near the old 
 palace in a handsome square, and only a few yards 
 from this arcade. It was put np in the reign of 
 Cosmo I. and consists of an immense octagon 
 marljle basin, supplied with water by various 
 
305 
 
 jet deans. In the middle is a colossal figure of 
 Neptune riding in a car in the shape of a conch, 
 drawn by four sea-horses, two of white and two 
 of mixed marble ; three figures of tritons are be- 
 tween his leo-s. The sides are fancifully adorned 
 with children, marine shells, cornucopias, and 
 other devices, in bronze : four figures are placed 
 round the basin, male and female, in bronze, larger 
 than life ; the male represent sea-gods, and the fe- 
 male Tethys and Doris, with other figures. In 
 short, the whole is beautifully disposed. 
 
 Almost contiguous to this fountain is an eques- 
 trian bronze statue on a marble pedestal, of Cos- 
 jno I. arand-duke of Tuscanv, by John di Bologna, 
 It was erected by Ferdinand I. in honour of his 
 father. On three sides are bass-reliefs, shewing 
 the coronation of Cosmo at Rome. His triumphal 
 entry into Sienna, and his being created when 
 a boy duke of Florence by the senate. On the 
 fourth side is an inscription, merely recording that 
 Ferdinand I. erected this statue in the year 159^ 
 to the memory of the best of princes. 
 
 The next grand object which presents itself to 
 observation is the royal gallery, so highly cele- 
 brated in every part of Europe for its superb and 
 extensive collection of sculpture and paintings, 
 both ancient and modern. 
 
 For this public museum the Florentines are in- 
 debted to the munificence, taste, and researches, of 
 the Medici family ; who having accumulated an 
 immense fortune by the commerce of the Levant, 
 resolved to expend a great part of it in the laud- 
 able enterprise of acquiring as many of the works 
 
105 
 
 of the ancients as they couW from every part of 
 the globe for the revival, cultivation, and esta- 
 blishment of the fine arts in their own country. 
 
 This family continuing to grow in power, riches, 
 and esteem, were at length declared the lawful 
 sovereigns of Tuscany : and after this accession of 
 greatness, they still went on to increase the col- 
 lection ; and on that account the fabric in which 
 they are now deposited, was begun in the year 
 1564 by Cosmo I. upon the designs of Vasari, as 
 an advantageous place for their exhibition. The 
 building is situated on the banks of the Arno, and 
 forms three sides of a quadrangle : the end which 
 connects the two sides is much the shortest ; con- 
 sequently the open area left between them is in 
 the shape of a long parallelogram. The lower 
 part of this structure consists of a colonnade, and 
 is in part appropriated to different offices of the go- 
 ^■ernment. Above, is the royal gallery itself, which 
 continues round the area before mentioned. Th6 
 three sides are 970 feet in length, by only twenty- 
 two feet in width. Badly adapted for light as I 
 have represented the great gallery of the Louvre, 
 this I must confess admits of still stronger objec- 
 tions : and when we consider it to have been de- 
 signed and erected by Vasari, who excelled in 
 painting as well as in architecture, it is not a 
 little surprising that so great a master should have 
 contrived a gallery altogether inadequate to display 
 to any advantage the many productions of art it 
 was intended to contain. 
 
 In the first place, by the ceiling being rather 
 low, and the light derived wholly from the up. 
 
107 
 
 right sides next the open area, the pictures which 
 hang against the walls opposite, receive so small a 
 portion of light, and in such an improper direc- 
 tion, that it is with difficulty in any situation 
 whatever vou can o-et even a tolerable view of' 
 them. 
 
 Equally unfortunate is It for the sculpture as for 
 the paintings. On the right and the left sides of 
 the gallery are placed the statues and busts af a 
 small distance from each other, formins: two 
 rows, which make an appearance irresistibly cap- 
 tivating on the iirst entrance; but after a calm 
 and dispassionate enquiry the spectator cannot but 
 lament that the light has been so injudiciously 
 brought into these apartments as to be of serious 
 injury to the beauty of tlie exhibition. The sta- 
 tues and busts on the right-hand are placed with 
 their backs toward the liglit, by which means 
 their front parts are thrown completely into sha- 
 dow, while those most uninteresting have all the 
 light, which is of no use to them ; and this is cer- 
 tainly unavoidable, because when walking down 
 tlie gallery the statues should undoubtedly face the 
 spectator. The statues and busts on the left-hand 
 side are visited by the light in a manner no more 
 desirable nor advantageous. It comes upon them 
 in almost a horizontal line, by which they are de- 
 prived of all that contrast of light and shade so 
 essential to their meaning, beauty, and effect. 
 But what makes it more l o be regretted is, that as 
 the gallery is the uppermost part of the building, 
 the light might have been introduced from above 
 with the greatest case, and without any additional 
 
108 
 
 expense. Thus, had there been a vertical light in 
 the centre of the ceiling, a collection like this 
 must have presented a sight almost beyond a pa- 
 rallel. The rays of light would then have been 
 conducted obliquely, both on the paintings and 
 sculpture : an effulgence of light first striking on 
 the forehead of a statue — on all the prominent fea- 
 tures of the face — and by sw^cet gradations running 
 down the whole body, mingled with shade, im- 
 parts a seeming reality to the imitation, which is 
 the end and perfection of art. 
 
 Quitting the vestibule, which contains a few 
 animals and figures, you come immediately into 
 the great gallery itself The ceiling is ornamented 
 with paintings of the Florentine school, represent- 
 ing subjects taken from mythology, and adorned 
 with arabesque ornaments in fresco. Near the 
 ceiling are painted in a line round the walls about 
 500 portraits of the most illustrious men in arts 
 and arms who have lived since the fourteenth 
 century. They are arranoed in chronolop-ical or- 
 der, and make one of the greatest curiosities in 
 this famous emporium. This method of comme- 
 morating renowned characters was begun by Paul 
 Giovio, bishop of Nocera, who, upon the revival 
 of letters, undertook to collect together the por- 
 traits of great and pidjlic men in his country 
 villa near the city of Como. Afterwards the 
 grand-duke Cosmo I. sent an eminent painter to 
 his house to make copies of them ; and since that 
 time 400 others have been added, either from 
 nature or after original paintings, which make 
 up the number at the present day. From time to 
 
109 
 
 time copies have been made from them, either fof 
 different purposes of hterature or for presents to 
 foreign countries. The paintings which hang 
 against the walls are principally by the Florentine 
 school, and their subjects from holy writ. 
 
 The statues, antique and modern, are about sixty 
 in number. Among them is an exquisite copy of 
 the group of Laacoon by Bandinelli; Herculea 
 killing the Centaur (but tliis is reckoned not so 
 excellent in expression and anatomy as that by 
 John di Bologna at the end of the old bridge) ; a 
 Bacchus and a faune, antique ; a Bacchus and a 
 faune by Michael Angelo ; a Bacchus and a Venus 
 half-clothed : and manv others. Intermixed with 
 the groups and statues are about 100 busts, represent- 
 ing the Roman emperors, philosophers, and various 
 great personages of antiquity, both male and female. 
 The busts of the emperors are credited to be strong 
 resemblances ; added to which, the sculptors have 
 certainly taken care to delineate the vices and vir- 
 tues for which they were individually hated or be- 
 loved. The Romans were remarkable for the use 
 of emblems; and in all probability, when the vices 
 and virtues of each character were not visible in 
 the countenance itself, they have nevertheless made 
 them appear in the busts from motives of morality, 
 without destroying the likeness of the original: 
 otherwise it would be somewhat puzzling to assigii 
 a cause, without the aid of superstition, why the 
 Roman emperors any more than other men should 
 never fail to have stamped on their faces by the 
 hand of nature such distinguishing and unerring 
 impressions as publicly proclaim the bad and good 
 
110 
 
 actions of tlielr lives. Thus, in the bust of Ca- 
 ligula \vc see that cruelty and baseness which made 
 him a curse to Rome and a scorpion to mankind. 
 So, on the other hand, in that of Titus are deli- 
 neated the goodness and beneficence by which he 
 became the delight of the world, and precious to 
 the heart of every subject who lived under his 
 sceptre. Again, the bust of C\csar neither de- 
 notes the shocking depravity of the one nor the 
 exalted virtue of the other, but may be selected as 
 a middle example between the two extremes. In 
 it we discern too much courage to be cruel ; too 
 much magnanimity to be villainous ; and too much 
 Q'enius for artifice : at the same time it as stronu'ly 
 demonstrates pride, glory, and ambition, to have 
 formed so great a part of his character, that ho- 
 nour, public faith, and justice, he could sacrifice 
 without remorse whenever they stood in the Avay 
 of his aggrandisement, interest, and power. Si- 
 milar observations might be made witli equal truth 
 and propriety on almost every bust in the collec- 
 tion ; which is a proof that the ancient sculptors 
 generally endeavoured to unite the portrait of the 
 inind with that of the man. 
 
 Adjoining the great gallery are diflerent cham- 
 bers, which contain such works as could not be 
 conveniently deposited among the principal collec- 
 tion. In the first are some statues, busts, and bass- 
 reliefs. In the second the walls are adorned by 
 paintings from the history of the New Testament. 
 In the third chamber are paintings by Tuscan 
 artists, chiefly Florentines. The next chamber is 
 tlie celebrated octasion tribune, twentv feet in dia- 
 
ill 
 
 meter, lighted from a cupola above. Tlie dome 
 within is covered with shells of pearl, and the 
 floor is of variegated marble. This room, before 
 the French sacked Florence, boasted the well- 
 known antiques of the Venus de' ^ledici, the 
 little Apollo, the Wrestlers, the Arrotino, and 
 the Faunc ; and, owing to the good distribution of 
 the light, they nuist have been seen in the highest 
 perfection. The wooden pedestals on which they 
 stood are still remaining. 
 
 In other chambers are paintings, many from the 
 Dutch school; and other works of art, particularly 
 the fine antique hermaphrodite, of white marble, 
 reposing upon a lion's skin. The face and the 
 neck resemble a woman's, and the masculine parts 
 are naturally expressed. A similar statue to this 
 is in the Villa Bora-hese at Rome. There is also a 
 beautiful group of Cupid and Psyche, brought 
 from Rome : the two figures embracing each 
 other are finely executed. 
 
 In the cabinet of bronzes are capital copies 
 from those antiques which used to stand in the 
 tribune. The celebrated ^lercury, by John di Bo- 
 loo-na, springing into the air from the head of a 
 zephyr, displays all the beauties of art. 
 
 The thirteenth and fourteenth chambers con- 
 tain that unique and extraordinary collection, 
 consisting of 4^*2 portraits of renowned masters, 
 painted by themselves, and the statue of cardinal 
 Leopold, who was the first projector of this me- 
 thod of assembling the likenesses of distinguished 
 artists. Among them I discovered the head of 
 
112 
 
 Sir Joshua Reynolds, which I thought reflected 
 great honour on the English school. The portrait 
 of Northcote is evidently an early performance of 
 that master. A full-length portrait of Moore, who 
 died at Rome, is a tame but correct perfonnance ; 
 and the profile of ]\Ir. Prince Iloare, made up all 
 that I saw from the pencil of British painters. 
 
 In the fifteenth chamber is a variety of Greek 
 and Latin inscriptions, sepulchral ornaments, bass- 
 reiiefs, busts of philosophers and famous men, 
 hieroglyphic fragments, and Egyptian idols. Tliis 
 was the ancient vestibule to tlie great gallery be- 
 fore the present stairs were made. 
 
 Passing by a few other things of less import- 
 ance, the traveller is immediately ushered into the 
 new grand saloon, called the theatre of Niobe, 
 which contains the famous group (mentioned by 
 Pliny) of her unhappy family. It now consists of 
 sixteen Greek statues, and was brought from Rome 
 by Leopold. The figure of the mother, without 
 doubt, is the most to be admired. Niobe is fabled 
 to have been the wife of Amphion, daughter of 
 Tantalus, and mother of many children, who were 
 all handsome : and, what is very natural to women, 
 she gloried in them, and imprudently despised Iwa- 
 tona, because she had but two. Latona, enraged 
 at the insult, commanded her own children to 
 kill those of Niob6 with arrows; and, in obedience 
 to their mother, Apollo destroyed the boys, and 
 Diana the girls. After this Niob^ according to 
 Homer, was changed into a stone. The following 
 lines were intended to shew the merit of the statue : 
 
11 
 
 r> 
 
 " Lc fatal courroiix des DieiLv 
 *' Changea cettcjhnme en pier re: 
 " Le sculpteur a fait bieii mieiLv — 
 " // a fait tout le contrairer 
 
 The contour of the principal figure exhibits a ten- 
 der mother trvins: to shelter from destruction her 
 offspring, totally regardless of her own safety. By 
 the judicious disposition of the drapery, which is 
 sparing, the beauty of her form, and character, are 
 displayed to admirable advantage. Her children 
 are represented on the right and left, in writhing 
 attitudes of torture, transfixed with arrows. .Op- 
 posite the mother stands Amphion, in a distressed 
 and imploring attitude. 
 
 Hogarth has observed, in his Analysis of Beauty, 
 that the authors of the group of Laocoon have 
 chosen to be guilty of the absurdity of making 
 tlie sons half the father's size, though they have 
 every other mark of being designed for men, 
 rather than not bring their composition within the 
 boundary of a pyramid. Equally true is it, that 
 the children of Xiob^^ seem to have been designed 
 for men and women also; yet they bear but a 
 small proportion to the size of either their father 
 or mother : nor are they so placed as to form a 
 pyramid, being all distinct figures; and in this 
 respect they differ from the Laocoon. I am, how- 
 ever, inclined to think, with all due deference to 
 so great an opinion, that a more sentimental rea- 
 son might be urged as the cause of this dispropor- 
 tion. Suppose that the sons of Laocoon had been 
 made as large as the father himself, by varyip.g 
 
 I 
 
114 
 
 their attitudes and locality, there would have been 
 no difficulty in preserving that figure which Ho- 
 garth thought so essential to beauty. 
 
 Each group ouglit to be considered as a figura- 
 tive memento of inijust and cruel vengeance. 
 Niob^' lost all her children, only because she spoke 
 too highly in their praise ; and Laacoon, with liis 
 two sons, perished, because he wisely objected to 
 the wooden horse being admitted into the gates of 
 Troy. For this rashness the gods, eiiemies to that 
 city, had resolved to punish him : thus, Mhen lie 
 was sacrificing to Neptune, as the priest of Apollo, 
 two immense serpents came out of the sea, en- 
 twined themselves round the bodies of liim and his 
 two children, and fastened upon them till they 
 died. Hard as it may appear that Laacoon should 
 become a victim for doino- what he thouoht most 
 conducive to his country's welfare, it w^as nnicli 
 more so that the two children, who were perfectly 
 innocent of their father's conduct, should be con- 
 demned to the same sufferings and punislmient. 
 This the ancient sculptors who composed the 
 group, and who -studied mind more than matter, 
 were aware of : and as they had determined on 
 one hand to record in marble the injustice of the 
 decree, so on the other they were by no means in- 
 attentive to give as much force as they could to the 
 representation of the tragical event; for which 
 purpose they have introduced the sons of Laocoon 
 as two helpless unoftcnding boys, tortured by ser- 
 pents, that they might in the first instance pro- 
 duce a stronger effect by the aggravation of the 
 .father's anguish and solicitude, and in the second 
 
115 
 
 excite more pity and commiseration than they 
 could have done without the use of such an auxili- 
 ary : nor would the story haye found so ready an 
 admittance to the heart, nor haye applied so forci- 
 bly to the particular feelings of parents, or to the 
 passions in general, had they been executed to the 
 full stature of men. Interest and compassion are 
 generally felt in proportion to the strength or im- 
 potence of their objects : the slaughter of an 
 ox does not affect our humanity so much as the 
 bleeding of a lamb ; nor is the assassination of a 
 man half so shockino- to our nature, as the murder 
 of a child destitute of all means of defence. 
 
 The same arguments may be used in regard to 
 the family of Xiobe : and there is every reason 
 to suppose her children were represented by the 
 sculptors of small stature as an emblem of ju- 
 venile innocency, and as objects more suitable to 
 our protection, sympathy, and love, as well as 
 with an intent of imparting a more powerful effect 
 to the afflictions of the mother, and raising the 
 trao-edv at once to the highest pitch of human 
 calamity. 
 
 The subject of these two sad stories from hea- 
 then mythology is somewhat similar to the one 
 already related, which had reality for its founda- 
 tion, and was attended bv circumstances infinitely 
 more horrible and inhuman— I mean the fate of 
 TJo-olino and his family at Pisa; but the repre- 
 sentation of which I believe has never been at- 
 tempted in sculpture. 
 
 Leaving this temple of the fine arts, and cross- 
 ino- the Arno, vou come in a few minutes to the 
 
 I 2 
 
116 
 
 Palazzo di Pitti, which is the town residence of 
 the giand-dukes. This building was begun upon 
 the designs of Bruncllescho, by Lucca Pitti a Flo- 
 rentine gentleman, who ruined himself by the ex- 
 pense ; and it was afterwards purchased by Cos- 
 mo I. as a suitable habitation for the dukes of Tus- 
 cany. In length it is 458 feet, or thereabouts, 
 and three stories in licight; but the top story 
 does not extend so long as the lower, having only 
 thirteen windows, which are four less than those 
 below. All the windows have square heads, and 
 are recessed in semicircular arches. The lowest 
 story lias but ten windows, five on each side of 
 the entrance, exclusive of small square windows 
 in the piers ; and the whole of the front is covered 
 with rustic stone-work (as it is called in England), 
 which has a bold and durable appearance. An open 
 arcade at each end projects at right angles from the 
 front of the building, and tenninates the elevation. 
 The palace is entered through a large archway in 
 the centre, which leads to a court behind, with 
 an open side toward the gardens. The other three 
 sides consist of three orders of architecture, one 
 over the other, forming loggie or colonnades : the 
 first is of tlie Doric, the second of the Ionic, and 
 the third of the Corinthian, with appropriate en- 
 tablatures. This part of the building is quite dif- 
 ferent in its style from the facade, of a much later 
 date, and was designed by Ammanato. Facing 
 the archway is a grotto, and a basin within of an 
 oval form, with ^•arious jets d'eau, that throw 
 water up to a great height. Moses is here repre- 
 sented by a colossal statue of porphyry-. Two 
 
iir 
 
 other fountains, fancifully executed, embcHisli the 
 sides on the lioht and the left : one has two sta- 
 tues of marble — Pasquino supporting Alexander; 
 and the other, Hercules and Anta:us ; both after the 
 Greek manner. On the ri^ht hand is a handsome 
 staircase leading up to the state apartments, which 
 are square and oblong in their forms. Some of 
 them are rather dark, owing to the paucity of 
 windows ; but superbly litted up, and richly gilt. 
 The ceilings are either coved or domed, beauti- 
 fully painted with fabulous subjects, by Pietro 
 da Cortona, and other capital masters of Italy, 
 The walls are hung with rich tapestry, manufac- 
 tured at Florence : and some of the floors are laid 
 with ornamental wood, imitating black and white 
 marble squares ; others are of composition, highl}'- 
 polished, to imitate marble, as is the fashion at Ve- 
 nice ; and there is one wholly of porcelain china, 
 which is very elegant in its appearance, but slip- 
 pery to walk on. The dado part of the rooms is 
 painted in fresco, expressing pannels, fruits, and 
 tlowers. The architraves round the doors are of 
 Tuscan marble. The doors are of the \\'ood of the 
 country, painted white, and glazed, with mouldings 
 richlv c'ilt; and in the several chambers are fine 
 slabs and tables of mosaic, mother-of-pearl, por- 
 phyry, verde-antiquc, and other rich marbles. The 
 climate being very mild, there are no fire-places, 
 except in the private rooms, and they are seldom 
 used. These state apartments were heretofore 
 adorned with a superb collection of paintings; 
 but when the French visited this agreeable city, 
 
118 
 
 their sense of public justice was not sufficiently 
 powerful to resist the temptation these rich trea- 
 sures of art held out to them. As a proof of the 
 veracitv of this accusation, the empty frames are 
 now seen hanging* against the walls as a dumb, 
 yet expressive, testimony of their grateful return for 
 the hospitality they were treated with at Florence. 
 Appertaining to this palace are the gardens of 
 Boboli, which I tliought by far the finest at Flo- 
 rence, and, with a very few exceptions, I might say 
 in Italy. They consist of a very agreeable variety 
 of hill and dale. The cultivated and the wild 
 parts are judiciously and pleasantly contrasted. 
 The thickets, the lavv^ns, and the alleys, are laid 
 out with more freedom and taste than is generally 
 seen on the Continent. They are also embellished 
 w^ith a profusion of marble statues, vases, temples, 
 orange-trees, and flowers of every sort, and may 
 be said to partake of the enchantment of tairy 
 land. Immediately behind the palace are tlie re- 
 mains of half an amphitheatre, which in past 
 times was used for public games and feasts. Se- 
 veral rows of the marble scats are still perfect ; and 
 round tlie upper scat are niches containing figures. 
 At the upper end of the gardens is an insulated 
 fountain upon a large scale ; and over the basin 
 belonging to it — which is of granite, twenty-two 
 feet in diameter, cut out of one piece — is placed 
 a colossal statue of marble, representing Neptune. 
 At his feet are three other statues in a sitting at- 
 titude, signifying the Ganges, the Nile, and the 
 Euphrates, \\'liich conduct a large quantity of 
 
119 
 
 water into the basin. This work was designed, if 
 not executed, by John di Bologna, and is a mag- 
 nilicent composition. Many other fountains, sta- 
 tues, and grottos, are seen as further ornaments in 
 diiferent parts of the gardens ; but the description 
 of them would be too tedious to the reader. 
 
 In these o-iounds the o-rand-dukes and nobles 
 were accustomed to hunt the wild boar with bows 
 and arrows. 
 
 Not far from this palace is the Ivluseum of Na- 
 tural History, founded by Leopold, containing pro- 
 ductions that merit the contemplation of the phi- 
 losopher, and which fill sixteen cham])ers and two 
 galleries. Among them is a vast collection of 
 anatomical fio;urcs, in wax, executed to tlie size 
 of human nature, with a description of the mus- 
 cles from the best authors : and in another apart- 
 ment is a series of all that relates to midwifery, 
 comprehending the most difficult surgical opera- 
 tions that have been experienced under every un- 
 fortunate circunistance of child-birth. The expla- 
 natory fio'ures and examples are so well formed 
 and coloured, that on the first view they appear 
 to be real, and startle the spectator. In an ad- 
 joining gallery and rooms is an extensive collec- 
 tion of birds, fishes, insects, shells, &c. labelled 
 with their respective names. In two chambers 
 nnderneath are kept the quadrupeds ; and in an- 
 other chamber are seeds, flowers, leaves, roots, 
 woods, gums, and fruits and plants excellently 
 imitated in wax, with a curious collection: of 
 real plants and herbs, dried and pressed between 
 paper, marked with their ditlcrcnt names. From 
 
120 
 
 the rooms containing the vegetable, you pass into 
 others containing the mineral and fossile, Avorlds, 
 togetlier with stones and gems of different kinds. 
 There is also a collection of petrifications of plants 
 and animals, and large fragments of petrified wood, 
 which bear a polish equal to marble. In a garden 
 connected with the museum is a multitude of plants, 
 both native and exotic ; and in a saloon appertain- 
 in 2: to it are collected too-ether all the Tuscan mi- 
 nerals. In another place are preserved various pro- 
 ductions from the industrious islanders of the Pa- 
 cific Ocean. 
 
 This museum is opened every day for public 
 inspection. 
 
 In the square of Santa IViaria Novella stands a 
 church, built in the thirteenth century, which 
 was thou;>ht bv Michael An2;elo to be so beautiful 
 in the interior, that he distinguished it by the fond 
 appellation of his spouse. 
 
 In length it is 308 feet, in width eight3''-four 
 feet, and in the cross part 194 feet, divided into 
 a nave and two aisles by stone-clustered columns 
 of the Gothic description, which carry a groined 
 ceiling over the centre, and with the pilasters 
 against the walls support the groined ceiling over 
 the aisles. The floor is of variegated marble, and 
 the interior contains many fine pictures ; but the 
 architecture presents a mixture of the Italian, 
 Gothic, and the Grecian, in a bad taste, which 
 would make it difficult to account for the high en- 
 comium INIichael Angelo attached to it, did we not 
 know that what we denominate in England the 
 true Gothic was never understood nor practised 
 
1£1 
 
 in Italy. On the otiier hand, it must be confessed, 
 that it is uncommonly pleasing in the proportions 
 of the li'^Lve, the aisles, and the v/hole interior; 
 and in all probability it was the symmetry of these 
 srreat divisions that made tliis structure so ao-ree- 
 able to his mind, without having that regard to 
 the consistency of the smaller parts which the per- 
 fection of Gothic architecture in this country has 
 rendered indispensably necessary. 
 
 On the day before the feast of St. John, called 
 the Protector of Florence, stages are erected 
 round the square in which this church is situated, 
 in the shape of an amphitheatre, for the accommo- 
 dation of the multitude who assemble here to be- 
 hold the chariot race, a ejanie instituted by Cos- 
 mo I. in the year 1563, in mutation of those of the 
 ancient Romans. 
 
 Several theatres are opened at certain seasons of 
 the year ; but the two handsomest are similar on 
 the plan to that at Leghorn. The box set apart 
 for the grand-dukes is placed in the centre, oppo- 
 site the stage, occupying two or three tiers of 
 boxes in height, with appropriate decorations. The 
 door that leads into the pit is also generally in 
 the centre, under the royal box, and is as commo- 
 dious for entrance as the boxes themselves. All 
 the boxes are let out to the nobles and wealthy in- 
 habitants, so that strangers go into the pit from 
 necessity ; nor is there any other part of the house 
 for the reception of the lower orders of society, 
 which is the case eveiy-where in Italy, 
 
 Thus, having imparted some reflections on the 
 most striking objects contained within the walls of 
 
12* 
 
 Florence, 1 siiall conclude, by obscrvinc^, tliere are 
 several palaces, villas, convents, churches, kc. of 
 an interior description in its vicinity, which may 
 be found to recompense the examination of the 
 more curious*. And at the distaace of eighteen 
 miles is the monastery of Vallombrosa, remark- 
 able for the brooks and thi'ck v/oods with which it 
 is surrounded. This scenery INIilton poetically al- 
 ludes to in the following lines : 
 
 " Thick as autumnal leaves that strow the brooks 
 " In Vallombrosa, where the Etrurian shades 
 " High over-aixh'd cmbow'r." 
 
 The distance from Florence to Rome is reck- 
 oned 173 English miles; and the manner of per- 
 forming this journey is either by the ])ost or the 
 vetturino. 1 chose the last, as being more suit- 
 able v.-ith my views. Vetturino sio;nifies, in Ita- 
 lian, a man who lets out carriages for the use 
 of travellers. I hired a chariot and three mules, 
 which are placed like three horses in our short 
 stages, only the man who drives them rides upon 
 one of the pole mules, and guides the leading 
 mule with a pair of long reins. They travel about 
 thirty miles per day, and put in at night; but by 
 going slow, though it oftentimes becomes tire- 
 some, you have a better opportunity of making 
 
 * On the Continent all the best buildings are within the walls 
 of the cities. It is not the custom among foreigners, as it is in 
 'this conntr,', to have magnificent seats at a distance from the ca- 
 
 pital ; on which account there is not that pleasing variety in tra- 
 "velling through France and Ital)'^ as is generally experienced iu 
 
 Eniiland. 
 
' IC3 
 
 observations on the country than when travelHngr 
 by the post. 
 
 The road to Sienna is extremely mountainous, 
 but very agreeable in other respects ; and the land- 
 scape abounds in hills, covered with vines, olives, 
 cypresses, firs, &c. ; and here and there an old castle, 
 or a deserted village, by breaking in upon the fore- 
 ground, contributes to make it beautifully pictu- 
 resque. A few miles out of the road, to the right, 
 is a place called Volterra, famous for some antique 
 remains, mineral waters, and quarries of coloured 
 marble and alabaster. In approaching nearer and 
 nearer to Sienna, the country assumes a less hilly 
 and romantic appearance, but M'ith more extensive 
 views : and when at a great distance from it, the 
 lofty tower of the city palace, and the campanile 
 belonging to the cathedral, may be easily discover- 
 ed. The accommodation even of the best inns 
 upon this road is intolerable, and must be more 
 particularly so to the ladies. The bed-chambers 
 have bare white-washed walls ; floors paved with 
 bricks or tiles ; straw-beds, without a morsel of 
 furniture — frequently three or four in a room ; 
 coarse linen, not half-aired : in short, they are 
 destitute of every comfort whatever. And I mio-ht 
 with great truth add a few other objections ; for I 
 was credibly informed by a gentleman who had 
 several times been this road in the summer season, 
 that you are so tormented with vermin of every 
 kind, eno-endered bv the heat of the climate and 
 the want of cleanliness in the imis, that it would 
 be impossible to sleep for a moment, were it not 
 from the great fatigue travellers daily undergo by 
 
124 
 
 being compelled to walk up inountains which are 
 so steep that the mules can hardly drag up the 
 empty carriage itself. 
 
 The wine of the country, 1f the people would 
 give it unadulterated, is certainly "excellent : but 
 as to the provisions (I mean such as they place be- 
 fore you in these inns), nothing less than impe- 
 rious necessity, or the appetite of a hungry wolf, 
 could ever constrain you to get them down. 
 
 Stopping at Sienna (which is surrounded by a 
 lofty wall), the most remarkable sight to engage 
 the stranger's attention is the cathedral, erected in 
 the thirteenth century, after the designs of Niccolo 
 Pisano. The plan is, as usual, in the shape of a 
 cross, and nearly 300 feet in length. Its style of 
 architecture is what the Italians denominate the 
 Gothic; but it is more properly a bizarre and 
 whimsical composition. The facade surpasses in 
 workmanship, richness, and expense, any thing I 
 ever saw of the kind. Indeed, it is so exces- 
 sively loaded with statues, canopies, saints in 
 niches, emblems, tinials, bass-reliefs, flowers, and 
 other gorgeous decorations, that there is scarcely 
 a foot of plain surface to be seen in the whole 
 front: and after all it is a work more fit to be ad- 
 mired for elaborate embellishments and prodigality 
 of fancy than imitated for true taste or beauty of 
 design.- The whole is executed in variegated and 
 choice marbles, and many of the figures are gilt 
 bronze. In the outline and great parts it may be 
 compared with the elevation of the north transept 
 of Westminster abbey, particularly the three door- 
 ways, the large circular window in the centre, and 
 
125 
 
 the middle pediment, with the four pinnacles 
 above. The other external parts of the cathedral 
 are alternately incrustated, on brick-work, with 
 black and white marble, like the stripes of the 
 zebra; with pilasters instead of buttresses, at regu- 
 lar distances from each other, between which are 
 Gothic windows : but the profusion of embellish- 
 ments is chietiy reser\ed for the facade alone, as is 
 the prevailing custom both in France and Italy. 
 On the riglit and left extremities of the front 
 ilight of steps stands a column of porphyry; 
 that on the ri^ht bears a she wolf, which is the 
 amiorial ensio-n of the citv, and on the other is a 
 horse. The columns on each side of the doors 
 (from which the Gothic, or rather Sarascenic, arches 
 spring), and the end pilasters, partake of the Co- 
 rinthian order. Over them are placed a horse, an 
 ox, a lion, a bear, a monkey with wings, and a 
 wolf, being; the arms of different towns or cities 
 formerly subject to Sienna : and above (as if sup- 
 ported by them) stand statues, representing the 
 prophets ; making altogether a most heterogeneous 
 mixture, yet inexpressibly rich in its effect. 
 
 On the south side of the cathedral is the campa- 
 nile, forming a square lofty tower ; and within is a 
 staircase that continues round a square well-hole 
 up to the bells. The outside of this tower is also 
 stiiped with black and white marble, like the 
 church itself; and the interior is lighted by six 
 stories of small Gothic windows over one another, 
 increasing in number upwards, and then it ends 
 with a roof of a pyramidal form. 
 
 After ascending a noble tlight of steps, whicli ex- 
 
126 
 
 tend the whole length of the front of the church, 
 you arrive on a broad landing, and enter immedi- 
 ately the interior, which, being lined in every part 
 with black and white marble in streaks, as I have de- 
 scribed the outside, produces at first a magical ef- 
 fect. The inside is di\ided into a nave and tw^o 
 aisles by clusters of columns, and derives light only 
 from windows in the sides of the nave, from a 
 small lantern in the dome, and from two large cir- 
 cular windows of painted glass, one at each end 
 of the building. The ceiling throughout is groin- 
 ed in the Gothic style, and ribbed with cross- 
 springers; and the spandrils of the arches are 
 painted of a deep blue, studded with stars of 
 gold, intended to represent the firmament of hea- 
 ven. Over the centre of the cross is a handsome 
 pannelled and painted dome, which rests on arches 
 and clustered columns below, and above on small 
 dwarf columns, so as to form a gallery behind 
 them all round. In the aisles are many fine marble 
 altars of Grecian architecture, with sculpture of 
 various sorts, and which appear to be of a much 
 later date than the church. Directly under the 
 cornice which runs round the nave arc marble 
 busts of all the popes, set in small recesses, and 
 arranged in chronological order. The pavement 
 is of variegated marble ; and towards the east end 
 the floor consists of inlaid figures, in black and 
 white marble. The subjects are from holy writ ; 
 and, in order to preserve them from harm, they are 
 kept covered with moveable boards. The pulpit 
 is of alabaster, in tlie shape of an octagon, sup- 
 ported by marble colunms of different colours ; 
 
127 
 
 and tlie pannels are enriched with figures, part 
 alto-relievo, forming histories from the Bible, of 
 the most exquisite workmanship. "The columns 
 rest on wolves' and lions' backs : the wolves are 
 suckling Romulus and Renuis, A beautiful white 
 marble staircase, with close sides, enriched with 
 excellent bass-reliefs, leads into the pulpit, and is 
 said to be as old as the church. Under the cast 
 end of the cathedral is a small but maQ;nificent 
 baptistery, with three spacious doors communi- 
 cating to it from a lower level of the ground. 
 
 In the library, which is a part enclosed from the 
 north transept, is an inimitable antique group of 
 the three Graces, in white marble, very much da- 
 matj-ed. The fi-^'ures are about three feet hio-h: and 
 it is reported to ha,ve been found under the church, 
 where it was probably in former times concealed. 
 This room also contains ten large pictures, expla- 
 natory of the noted actions of the life of Pope 
 Pius II. painted in fresco by Pinturichio, who 
 w^as assisted in the performance of them bv Ra- 
 phael, Avhen only sixteen years of age. Other 
 paintings belonging to the altar-pieces and cha- 
 pels are to be seen in different parts of the in- 
 terior. 
 
 In the year 1798, the inhabitants of Sienna 
 were alarmed by a dreadful earthquake, ^vhi(•h did 
 serious mischief to some of the principal build- 
 ings in the city, and particularly to the east end 
 of this cathedral, which was thrown completely 
 down. It has since been rebuilt ; but what is 
 most to be regretted is, that although the architect 
 employed to reinstate it did conform to the old 
 
128 
 
 part so far as to use the black and white marble 
 alternately, yet he did not prcser\e the same lines ; 
 that is to say, the black stripes do not occur so 
 frequently in the new part as they do in the old ; 
 by which omission there is a want of resemblance 
 displeasing to the eye. In another instance he 
 has likewise differed from the original. The height 
 of the interior is divided into two distinct stories : 
 first, that occupied by the clustered columns, which 
 bear a continued cornice ; and secondly, over them 
 are small pilasters, from which the groined ceiling 
 of the nave springs. Between these pilasters arc 
 windows, with Gothic heads, that yield light to 
 the interior. Now, in the new part the columns 
 are carried up the whole of the height, by which 
 means they run through and mutilate the cornice, 
 and of course the pilasters are omitted altogether, 
 so that the groined ceiling of this part of the nave 
 springs from columns, instead of from small pilas- 
 ters, as before mentioned. Trifling as this may 
 appear to persons in general, I could not help wish- 
 ing that the architect had more rigidly copied the 
 original, thereby contenting himself witli that ap- 
 plause which, in adding to an old l)uilding, a close 
 imitation is sure to obtain. 
 
 The public palace is a pile of ancient and heavy 
 architecture, standing on one side of a large open 
 area ; and belonging to it is a square brick tower of 
 an immense height, which formerly served as a 
 watch-tower. From the top of it is a command- 
 ing view of the city and the distant country. In 
 the great hall are various paintings ; but that whicli 
 I thought the most excellent was the Judgment of 
 
12^ 
 
 Solomon, ]jy Luca Joidano. He has here repre- 
 sented the real mother of the child, in a prostrated 
 attitude, with her back towards the spectator ; and 
 notwithstanding her face is concealed, the painter 
 has so finely conceived the wdiole of this figure, 
 that the passions of the countenance are amply 
 compensated for by the judicious contour and po- 
 sition of her body. 
 
 Many paintings in fresco, of an early date, ap- 
 pear upon the walls of the different chambers in 
 this palace : their subjects are taken from the 
 Grecian and Roman histories. In other public 
 buildings, palaces, and churches, the artist will 
 discover more or less to gratify his curiosit}^ 
 
 An university of some extent is established in 
 this city, where by accident I had an opportunity 
 of observing one of its prevailing customs, prac- 
 tised on a Sunday evening. And here it may not 
 be improper to remark, that Sunday is no restric- 
 tion, either in France or Italy, to play-houses, 
 operas, or diversions of any description whatever. 
 The churches in Roman-catholic countries being 
 opened every day alike, the Sunday is not reserved 
 exclusively, as in this country, for the holy exer- 
 cises of devotion. 
 
 But in allusion to the university. — A competi- 
 tion takes place at stated periods, between the 
 students in the different branches of their educa- 
 tion. For which purpose the upper ranks of so- 
 ciety (among whom are frequently their own 
 families) assemljle in a large chamber, to be wit- 
 nesses of their comparative merits and acquire- 
 ments. Some speak poetry, of their own eompos- 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 ing, and parts selected from the first classic au- 
 thors. Others engage in a spirited dialogue, and 
 display their effusions of wit. Some again con- 
 tend together in the arts of dancing, fencing, 
 music, &c. : and all this is done before the public 
 eye, as a spur to rouse the indolent, and incite the 
 unambitious to emulation and improvement. 
 
 The ground on which Sienna is situated is ex- 
 ceedingly irregular, which perha])S may be attri- 
 buted to the various earthquakes that have taken 
 place from time to time in this city. The houses 
 are mostl}^ built of brick, stuccoed on the outside. 
 The roofs are covered with tiles, and by projecting 
 over the walls the rain drops into the streets in a 
 very inconvenient manner, an evil experienced in 
 all the French and Italian cities. The principal part§ 
 of the streets are paved with bricks, laid edge- 
 wise, and have a very clean appearance. In tiie 
 neighbouring mountains are quarries of fine marble, 
 distinguished by the name of the city. 
 
 Pursuing the journey to Rome, the next place 
 of any note the traveller arrives at is Viterbo. 
 Within this distance he is compelled to cross eight 
 or ten small ri\'ers, some of which, after a conti- 
 nuance of rain or melting of snow, swell prodi- 
 giously by the floods that descend from the moun- 
 tains, and thereby become impassable, so tliat tra- 
 vellers are liable to be detained a week or two on 
 the road until the waters abate. But at other 
 times, generally sjjeaking, the water is not more 
 than two or three feet in de]:)th. 
 
 Nearlv all the way, the country is mountainous 
 and grand, varied here and there with woods and 
 
131 
 
 wild scenery ; but there is a total want of that 
 verdure and cultivation so deli^'htful in England • 
 and in many places the smell of sulphur is so 
 strono- as to be hardlv bearable. 
 
 The tine lake called Lago di Bolsena, is con- 
 nected witli the Mediterranean sea bv the river 
 ^larta on the right. It is said to be thirty miles 
 in circumference, resembling the shape of a D, 
 and in it are two small inhabited islands. Soon 
 after passing this lake appears Viterbo, where, 
 within two miles of the city, is a pool of boihno- 
 water, about hfty or sixty feet across. A low 
 wall has been built round it, to prevent persons 
 from falling in. The water bubbles most in the 
 centre ; and the steam arises from its surface in 
 such thick vapours that it is hardly possible to 
 distinguish any person through it from one side to 
 the other. The water is so extremely hot, that 
 you cannot keep your hand in a moment without 
 scalding it ; and so sulphureous and offensive is the 
 smell, that it materially affects respiration on a 
 near approach. Several persons have attempted 
 to discover a bottom to it, but in vain. At a 
 considerable distance around, the earth is as white 
 as chalk, and sounds hollow when trodden on. 
 The inhabitants seem to suspect, that in the 
 course of time the eruption may extend to au 
 immense size, and endanger the neighbour- 
 hood. 
 
 The g-uide w ho shewed me this phenomenon re- 
 lated, that in the year 1 SO 1 a lunatic threw him- 
 self into the water ; and his body not being dis- 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 covered till the day after, wlien he was taken out 
 his flesh literally lell from his bones. 
 
 The Duomo and other buildings at Viterbo 
 are not likely to engage miieh of the artist's at- 
 tention, after those at Florence and Sienna. Tra- 
 vellers generally visit the small cliurch of Santa 
 Rosa, wherein is locked up at the side of the altar 
 a holy relic, representing the body of St. Rosa. 
 It is inclosed in a handsome glass case : the figure 
 is modelled in wax, dressed in a robe, and deco- 
 rated with flowers and precious stones; but the 
 people are told by the priests that it is the real 
 body miraculously preserved by an order of the 
 Virgin IVIary ; and under these impressions they 
 prostrate themselves before it, when it is publicly 
 shewn on particular days, with a fervor and a zeal 
 which suihciently indicate they have never in- 
 dulged either the inclination or the impiety to 
 pry into the secrets of this consecrated deposit. 
 
 Leaving Viterbo, you ascend a stupendous moun- 
 tain. The road itself is excellent, and in the sum- 
 mer months flowers of various hues and odoriferous 
 herbs grow spontaneously by the way-side. In 
 travelling from one city to the other a variety of 
 picturesque sights occasionally present themselves. 
 Sometimes, when in the vale, a train of mules, 
 laden with merchandise, is seen coming over the 
 top of a high mountain, and the distant tinkling 
 of the bells, which are hung about their necks, 
 afilords a simplicity of sound grateful to the ru- 
 ral ear. At other times you meet oxen drawing 
 small carnages of two wheels laden with wheat 
 
133 
 
 and various articles of traffic. The shape of these 
 's'ehicles broiig-ht to my recollection the Roman 
 cars so often introdiicecl in historical pictures. The 
 oxen are all of one colour, which is a whitish grey, 
 and by being so constantly under the direction of 
 man they acquire wonderful sagacity. An in- 
 stance of which I was myself a witness of in this 
 route. When walking up hill, one of these laden 
 cars, drawn by two yoked oxen, met me. The 
 driver of them was not in sight, and on a near 
 approach they seemed frightened at a stranger, 
 and ran out of tlie road down a small sliarp 
 bank. I stood still for some time to watch their 
 actions, and to see hov/ they would be able to get 
 aq-ain into the road. At first thev laboured in 
 the ordinary way to conquer the difficulty of the 
 ascent, w^hich they could not do ; but, as if tJicy 
 dreaded the chastisement of the driver, they seem- 
 ed anxious to accomplish it before his arrival. On 
 a sudden they began to back, till tliey were, I sup- 
 pose, fifty or sixty feet from the bank ; and tlien, 
 as if they had communicated to each other their 
 ideas, they set off full speed, and by this pow- 
 erful eftbrt dragged up the load Avith seeming 
 ease. 
 
 There are two other lakes on this road ; the first 
 is a small one called Lago di Vico, which is con- 
 nected with the Tyber by a rivulet on the left. 
 The other is much larger, called Lago di Brac- 
 ciano, and is connected M'ith the Mediterranean 
 by the rivulet Arrone on the right. Not fiir from 
 this last lake I saw the arm of a man hanging on 
 the bough of a tree. By enquiry I found he had 
 
134 
 
 robbed and murdered a person on this very spot ; 
 and after he was executed his arm was cut off and 
 hung up as an example to deter others from com- 
 mitting similar offences. 
 
 At a distance of some miles the traveller may 
 discover the domes and towers of old Rome, 
 wliicli to a man in any degree acquainted with 
 the history of her former events nuist be incon- 
 ceivably interesting. In approaching nearer to 
 the capital he naturally feels more and more de- 
 sirous to enter the proud and imperial city tliat 
 once gave laws to all tiie world ; but now tliat 
 haughty boast of " liberty, once so delightful to 
 every Roman ear,'' has degenerated by the changes 
 of time into the degrading tones of vassalage and 
 submission ; and we see no longer within her walls 
 the magnificence and riches of her ancient warlike 
 sons. 
 
 After crossino: the bridge Ponte AloUe, vou 
 very soon arrive at La Porta del Popolo, which is 
 reckoned the principal gate in Rome. 
 
 Notwithstandino- all that has been said concern- 
 ing the magnificence of this entrance, I candidly 
 confess it did not strike me to be so very extra- 
 ordinary in its effect. INIost certainly, as soon as 
 the traveller enters the gates he has a view of the 
 three principal streets in Rome, which present 
 themselves to the eye in a diverging direction ; but 
 when he perceives that these streets are not a 
 great deal, if any, wider than some of our lanes, 
 the real appearance of the object falls far short 
 of the prints and the description met with in 
 tours. Indeed, were it not for the two small 
 
135 
 
 twin charches that divide the streets, and whose 
 porticos immediately display themselves, with the 
 Egyptian obelisk on the left, I do not know 
 where there would be a much poorer sight. Nor, 
 even as it is, can it be said to bear the smallest 
 comparison in point of real grandeur with many 
 of the entrances into our own capital : I mean 
 those at Hyde-park-corner, the top of Oxford- 
 road, or over either of the three bridges. The 
 middle street is called II Corso, because in it the 
 horse-racing takes place ; and at all other times it 
 forms tlie parade and rendezvous for pedestrians 
 and carriaQ-es of the beau-monde : vet e\cn this, 
 wliich is wider than the other two, I think does 
 not exceed the averao-e breadth of Chancery-lane. 
 So that, however grand and spacious the palaces 
 and public edifices may be, which stand at inter- 
 vals on each side of it, owino- to their o-reat hei^-ht 
 and the narrowness of the streets, it is not pos- 
 sible to have such a view of them as can impart 
 any good eifect to the building or afford much 
 pleasure to the spectator. When travellers pene- 
 trate farther into the heart of tlie city (which, in 
 comparison with London, is very small) their dis- 
 appointment increases, because they have been ac- 
 customed by reading to attach ideas of surpassing 
 grandeur to its outward appearance ; and, if we 
 may judge from its anti([uities, was most certainly 
 the case in the days of the Romans ; but since 
 then, the people have huddled closer together in 
 the valleys, and having dropped into poverty and 
 indigence, the present city exhibits a melancholy 
 ^nd wretched contrast. Even old Tyber himself, 
 
136 
 
 that river so often sung by Latin poets, and 
 famous in history, is not more in most parts than 
 300 feet wide. Thus, if you happen to recollect 
 the noble Thames when you are viewing this 
 stream, it will appear no better than a large muddy 
 canal, because in common it contains but a small 
 quantity of water : at the same time, like the 
 Arno, it is subject in rainy seasons of the year, 
 and after the melting of snow on the mountains, 
 to ffreat inundations. Over the Tvber are three 
 bridges, which connect the two parts of the city 
 together : that of St. Angelo has five arches (the 
 two side ones are very small), and is by far the 
 most ornamental : the others, in regard to archi- 
 tecture, are very inconsiderable. 
 
 Having thus given a general description of the 
 city, which may be thought rather an unfavour- 
 able one, it is but justice to add, that there are 
 many squares, or what the Italians call piazze, in 
 different parts of it, which have undoubtedly a 
 handsome appearance ; but that is chiefly to be at- 
 tributed to their fountains, and the sculpture with 
 which they are embellished ; for, comparatively 
 speaking, the major part of them are very small, 
 and the largest of them do not at all surprise a 
 man who has been accustomed to see much fmer 
 in his own country. 
 
 From these observations, and since it is well 
 known that the French have taken away some of 
 the choicest paintings and antique sculpture, it 
 will probably be asked, why should persons now 
 go to Rome ? My reply would be — To see and feel 
 those things which the French can never take 
 
137 
 
 away : to compare cities ; to behold her antiqui-. 
 tics, connected with the places in which they are 
 found ; to tread on classic ground ; to examine the 
 numerous treasures of art tliat are still remainin"- 
 on the walls of the many palaces and public build- 
 ings ; and lastly, to see the seat of the Roman go- 
 vernment, the capital of that people who frst 
 ga\ e a polish to the barbarism of our own island, 
 and thereby sowed the seeds of all her future 
 greatness. But in regard to the professor of ar- 
 chitecture, he has all the advantages he ever had. 
 The ancient buildings remain the same. For- 
 tunately for him, the French army did not carry 
 away the coliseum, the fragments of the campi- 
 doglio, the pantheon, nor the triumphal arches : 
 and though the modern structures of Rome scarcely 
 exhibit one single example altogether worthy of 
 his imitation, he may, nevertheless, collect and 
 store up a variety of useful ideas from them, and 
 by the discovery of their defects, learn as much 
 what he ought to avoid in the practice of his art, 
 as he is taught by contemplating some of the 
 purest works of the Greeks and Romans what he 
 would do well to embrace and inti-oduce. 
 
 Nearly in the centre of the city, on a conspi- 
 cuous eminence, is situated the capitol ; and ad- 
 joining to it is a handsome square tower, from 
 which the whole of Rome may be comprehended 
 as it were at one view : on which account it is 
 pointed out to travellers as the most advantageous 
 situation they can put themselves in for that pur- 
 pose. 
 
 The capitol forms a square area, less than the 
 
138 
 
 qiiadrangle at Somerset-house. The buildings sur^ 
 rounding" it were designed by ]\Iichael Angelo. 
 Their fronts are adorned with pilasters, but the 
 parts are too crowded together to please a correct 
 eye. On the south side of it is the Tarpeian 
 rock, which did not appear to me to be above fifty 
 or sixty feet deep ; and below is a flat part of the 
 lock projecting out, on wliich it is thought male- 
 factors were thrown ; but I am inclined to think 
 they were precipitated from the top of some building 
 or tower which stood here, as there are many old 
 foundations now to be seen in different parts of the 
 capitol. In the centre of the area, on a modern 
 marble pedestal, stands the inimitable equestrian 
 statue of Marcus Aurelius, executed in Corinthian 
 brass by an unknown artist. So excellent did 
 this statue appear in the eyes of Carlo IMaratti, 
 that when he was looking at it one day, he was 
 licard to exclaim, " Go on ; dost thou forget tliat 
 thou art alive?"' — The emperor himself is represent- 
 ed in that attitude which it is supposed he as- 
 sumed when he went out to announce peace to 
 the kino's and legates of Persia. — '■'■Cum JMarcus 
 in Syriam vcnis^et bitcrfccto Cas.sio sibi occurren- 
 tihu.s irgibiif et legatis Persarum pacem conjirma- 
 rit."' — I'lie expression of the head and charac- 
 ter of the whole ligure seem so perfectly con- 
 ceived for a great prince and a great philsopher, 
 that I sincerely believe it was never equalled by 
 any other performance. IVIarcus Aurelius was 
 brave, merciful, and just; and in this unique per- 
 forni.ance all those virtues are finely exemplified. 
 His right arm stretched out, and his hand e.v 
 
139 
 
 paneled, betoken his compliance with the requests 
 of the subjugated. In his aspect there is a mix- 
 ture of o-ieat sternness with benevolence. His 
 brows ai-e compressed, not with the tyrant's frown, 
 but by the pressure of a long life devoted to pub- 
 lic cares, toil, and contemplation. The horse on 
 which the emperor rides, is also an admirable 
 work ; in it is to be discovered more of the real 
 than the ideal character of the animal. The head 
 beins: a little turned, 2,-ives more varietv and play- 
 fulness to the outline as he trots alono-. The leo's 
 are so judiciously and naturally placed, that when 
 it is viewed sidewise at a distance the whole body 
 appears to be in action. Respecting some criti- 
 cisms which have been made on the tail, supposed 
 to be too short and pointed, they occurred to- me 
 to be ill-founded. A long tail, cut quite even at 
 the bottom, has a very formal and cumbersome 
 appearance ; and is much more suited for the pomp 
 of a cavalcade than for a horse used by a general 
 in the field, where speed oftentimes becomes ne- 
 cessary. In all probability this statue was made 
 after a favourite horse of Marcus Aurelius, and the 
 tail, as well as other parts, may be a close imitation 
 of nature. Warnily as an artist may express him- 
 self, when speaking of this rare antique, still no 
 language nor drawings whatever can do it ample 
 justice ; even the equestrian statues by John di Bo- 
 loo'na, and everv other I have vet seen, accordinsr 
 to my ov.-n judgment, in comparison with this 
 sink into nothins;. 
 
 In the court of the Conservators palace are some 
 remains of colossal statues ; among which are two 
 
140 
 
 feet, seven feet long, supposed to have belonged 
 to a statue of Apollo: also, a hand six feet 
 long ; and the colossal head and hands in bronze, 
 said to be of the statue of the emperor Commodus. 
 The group, in white marble, of a lion tearing to 
 pieces a horse, nearly as large as life, was much 
 studied by ^Michael Angclo, as a production of the 
 fnst merit. Opposite the staircase which leads 
 to the apartments above, stands a rostral column 
 on a pedestal. It is about sixteen inches diamC' 
 ter, of the Doric order, and has three anchors on 
 the shaft, with the head and the stern of a ship 
 projecting horizontally. This column was for- 
 merly in the forum, raised in lionour of C. Dui- 
 lius, who was the first Roman that triumphed on 
 account of a naval victory over the Carthaginians, 
 and for which he was held in so much esteem by 
 his countrymen, that we are told in history the 
 senate ordered a band of music always to attend 
 him when he went out to supper. The various 
 halls and chambers are finely painted in fresco, 
 and contain a valuable collection of pictures, many 
 from the Roman and sacred histories. In the 
 centre of the third chamber is placed the bronze 
 wolf, which is said to have been struck by light- 
 ning on the same day Julius Caesar was assassi- 
 nated. This wolf was found in the temple of 
 Romulus, and is supposed to be a copy from that 
 i)y which he and his brother arc fabled to have 
 been suckled. One of the paintings represents 
 Romulus marking the boundar}^ line of Rome with 
 a plough. ♦ 
 
 The dying gladiator in marble, and the shcp- 
 
141 
 
 herd Martlus in bronze, used to be among tlie 
 number of statues preserved at the capitol ; but 
 they, as well as many other fine antiques, have 
 been removed to Paris. However, there is still 
 left a collection of sculpture, many Egyptian cu- 
 riosities, w^ith the ancient plan of Home on a slab 
 of marble, and the three famous doves in mosaic * 
 all well worthy the attention of the virtuoso when 
 on the spot. 
 
 Immediately behind the capitol is the ancient 
 forum Romanum, now called the Campo Vac- 
 cino. 
 
 This place once so frequented and renowned for 
 its superb edifices, is now no better than a deserted 
 juin. Nevertheless, the remains of those build- 
 ings, though few and imperfect, are still sufficient 
 to announce to the traveller the great magnificence 
 which prevailed in former ages in this part of 
 Rome. INlany of the antiquarians have presumed 
 to affix names to them ; but as there have ever 
 been manv disao-reements amono- themselves, in 
 regard to a variety of particulars, it is, perhaps, 
 most prudent to receive the greatej' part of their 
 opinions as conjecture. 
 
 These antiquities arc too well known by 
 prints and drawings to professional men to re- 
 quire much elucidation ; but, for the information 
 of the lovei's of art in g-eneral, I will 2,-ive as in- 
 telligible an account of them as I am able, and 
 some dimensions which I took on the spot. The 
 
 * I remember having seen a copy of thi? mosaic in this 
 country. 
 
142 
 
 remain known by tlie name of the Vestibule of. 
 the Temple of Concord, consists only of six Ionic 
 o-ranite columns in front, with a return-column at 
 each end. The columns have no plinths, except at 
 the two angles, and are four feet three inches in 
 diameter, with capitals in a bad taste. The en- 
 tablature has no architrave ; and the frieze is q\iite 
 plain, with the following inscription : 
 
 SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS 
 IXCENDIO C0NSVMPTV3I llESTITVIT. 
 
 The three fluted Corinthian columns of Parian 
 marble, said to have belonged to the temple of 
 Jupiter Stator, have an exquisite delicacy in tlic 
 execution, and are the most beautiful piece of an- 
 cient architecture in Rome. Their diameter is 
 four feet six inches, and their height is said to be 
 forty-five feet, with an intercolumniation of eight 
 feet. Valuable as these must certainly appear in 
 the eyes of every one, and the architect in parti- 
 cular, it is tliou2;ht thcv will not withstand much 
 lonii'er the ravaoes of time. The entablature is 
 nearly all demolished, and the bases and part of 
 the shafts of the columns are under the "-round. 
 Their capitals are uncommonl}^ elegant, as may bo 
 seen by a plaster cast of one of them, in i\Ir. 
 Saunders's collection in Oxford-street, which he 
 lu'ought from Home as a specimen of their rare 
 beauty. 
 
 At the foot of the capitol appears the triumphal 
 arch of Scptimius Severus. In each front are four 
 fluted columns of the composite order, resting on 
 
143 
 
 pedestals; and over the entablature Is a li:ind-» 
 some attic, pannellcd for the inscription : all of 
 ■whicli is more particularly shewn by the prints 
 ■\ve have of it. This arch stands insularly, and 
 was built in the third centur\' of the Christian 
 era, to the honour of the emperor whose name it 
 bears, after his successful expedition against th.e 
 Parthians : and so durable is marble, Szc. in a 
 temperate climate, that it looks nearly as perfect 
 as if it had been erected but a centurv rnxo. The 
 beautv of its effect is much lessened bv the in- 
 crease of earth around it, which conceals the 
 lovv'er part nearly as high up as the springing of 
 the two side-arches. On the top, over the centre 
 arch, was formerly a triumphal car, in v/liich v/cre 
 represented the statues of the emperor and his 
 two sons. The vault of the arch is adorned with 
 square pannels, and in them are large embossed 
 flowers, of different patterns. The columns in 
 both fronts are detached in a small degree; and 
 behind them are pilasters, with a faint projection. 
 The entablature breaks round the columns, therebv 
 denoting they were introduced for the purpose of 
 supporting statues of the vanquished, or other 
 hgures emblematical of victory, as well as for or- 
 nament. 
 
 On the left of this arch appears a portico, con- 
 sisting of ten columns of the Corinthian order, six 
 in face, and two at each return-end ; and it is sup- 
 posed to have been a part of the temple of Anto- 
 ninus and Faustina. Each of the columns is in 
 one block of Cipolin marble. Their diameter is 
 four feet six inches, and their height is reckoned 
 
144 • 
 
 forty-four feet, including tlie base and the capital ; 
 but their bases and part of their shafts are buried in 
 the ground. The cornice is without niodihons and 
 dentels, but two members in the bedmould and 
 the corona are enriclied. The frieze is adorned 
 with griffons and candelabra, but the architrave is 
 left plain. This ancient portico now serves for an 
 entrance to a modern church, wliich has been 
 erected on the ruins of the old temple, and in the 
 front of it is this inscription : 
 
 DIVO ANTONINO. Et 
 DIVAE FAVSTINx\E-F. S. C. 
 
 A small distance to the right of this portico are 
 the remains of the magnificent temple of Peace^ 
 made out of the materials of the golden house of 
 Kero, which stood on the same ground, and of 
 which Suetonius has given a detailed description, 
 somewhat to the following purpose : Concerning 
 the extent and furniture of the golden house, it 
 may be necessary to state, by way of elucidation, 
 that the porch was lofty enough to admit under it 
 a colossal statue, 120 feet in height, and the pa- 
 lace extended, by ihree colonnades, a mile at least. 
 In the centre was a pond, like a sea, surrounded 
 with buildings that had the appearance of a city. 
 AVithin the compass of this house were corn-fields, 
 vineyards, })astures, and woods, with a variety of 
 animals, both wild and tame. The interior was 
 overlaid with gold, adorned with jewels ard mo- 
 ther-of-pearl. The rooms of entertainment were 
 arched with vaults of ivory, and the ceilings were 
 
145 
 
 •50 contrived as to scatter fragrant flowers amono- 
 the guests. They were beside furnished with 
 silver pipes, for conductnig into different parts of 
 the chambers sweet-smelhng unctions and aroma- 
 tic waters. The chief banquetting room was cir- 
 cular, and tlie inside finishing was a piece of in- 
 genious mechanism, made to revolve day and 
 night, in imitation of the heavenly bodies. The 
 baths were supplied with salt w^ater from the Me- 
 diterranean ; and with warm water, conducted by 
 rivulets, from the hot springs of Baite, in the 
 kingdom of Naples. After this prodigality of ex- 
 pense, Nero used to boast he had at last a habita- 
 tion fit for a man. AVith the materials of this pa- 
 lace it is believed the temple of Peace, the baths 
 of Titus, and the ampliitlieatre of ^^espasian, were 
 afterwards parth' constRicted. 
 
 Returning to the temple of Peace, which ^vas 
 built by Vespasian, after his son Titus had .con- 
 quered Jerusalem. — Nothing of it now remains, ex- 
 cept three large arches, which look like the arches 
 of an old bridge, supposing the ground to be the 
 water, and the vaults of them are enriched with oc- 
 tagon pannels ; at the same time they do not con- 
 vey to the common observer any competent idea of 
 that splendour which writers liave informed us 
 this palace originally displayed. History records, 
 that it was not only the most superb, but the 
 largest palace in the universe, after the golden 
 house was destroyed; which is rather extraordi- 
 nary, as the dimensions given of it, if they be 
 correct— viz. 300 feet in length, and £00 feet in 
 \^'idth-"are nothing uncommon for the magnitude 
 
 L 
 
146 
 
 of a palace. The exterior is said to have been 
 covered with large sheets of gilt bronze ; I should 
 imagine this must allude to some part of the roof 
 or covering of the building. It became a depo- 
 sitory for all the riches brought from Syria, as 
 well as for the precious spoils taken out of the 
 temple of Jerusalem : and even the rich citizens 
 put their treasures into it as a place of securit}-, 
 under the protection of the emperor and the se- 
 nate. Beside which, it was adorned with the 
 finest statues, pictures, bronzes, and other rich 
 ornaments. But, to the affliction of the Roman 
 people, it was destroyed, with all its contents, by 
 a conflagration, and many families were thereby 
 in an instant plunged from affluence into extreme 
 poverty. Hcrodian, the historian, speaking of this 
 misfortune, observes, they did not know to what 
 cause to attribute this fatal accident, since there 
 had been no lightning. He, however, mentions 
 that a few slight shocks of an earthquake had 
 been felt ; and it is supposed there was emitted at 
 the same time from the bowels of the earth a 
 secret fire, which reduced this superb edifice to 
 ashes. Such was the impetuosity of the flames, 
 that the various metals of the building were melt- 
 ed, and by running in all directions in burning 
 torrents nothing could be saved. 
 
 There seems to be something so very doubtful 
 in this story, that it is more generally suspected 
 to have been set on fire by the Jews, as a vindic- 
 tive retribution for the losses they had sustained 
 when the Romans pillaged their city and destroyed 
 the holy temple of Jerusalem. 
 
A column of marble, which formerly belono-cd 
 to the temple of Peace, now stands before the 
 church of St. Maria Maggiore. It is of the Co- 
 rinthian order, fluted, and said to be forty-nine 
 feet three inches in height, which serves to de- 
 monstrate the immense magnitude of the struc- 
 ture of which it was a part. 
 
 Departing from this temple eastward, to the 
 place of the Coliseum, you pass through the arch 
 of Titus, which is the most ancient at Rome. The 
 bass-reliefs within the arch, immediately under 
 the archivolt, are of the most exquisite work- 
 manship. On one side, Titus is represented in a 
 triumphal car, drawn by four horses, attended by 
 the senate and the army. Behind the conqueror 
 appears a figure of Victory, with a palm branch 
 and a crown in her hands. Rome triumphant is 
 allegorically shewn before, in the action of drivina: 
 the car; and the horses are executed in a fine 
 , style. In the pannel on the other side of the 
 arch is a representation of the spoils brought from 
 the temple of Jerusalem by litus, which were 
 exhibited in his triumph ; and the vault is hand- 
 somely pannelled. Nearly all the exterior deco- 
 rations of this arch are demolished : they consist- 
 ed formerly of two columns of the composite or- 
 der, one on each side, with an entablature above, 
 and over the arch itself was a pannel raised up for 
 the inscription. 
 
 The arches of Vespasian and Constantine haA-e 
 three openings in each ;™a large one in the centre 
 for carriages to pass through, and a smaller one 
 on each side for persons on foot: but that of 
 
 L 2 
 
148 
 
 Titus has but one arch, seventeen feet wide, 
 which answers for both purposes. 
 
 The following anecdote may serve to prove how 
 much the Jews, even at this remote period of 
 time, lament the destruction of Jerusalem, and 
 their temple.--- -They have always discovered a 
 great dislike to pass through this arch, because of 
 the unhappy and humiliating retrospect it revives 
 in their minds ; on which account they have pur- 
 chased of the pope permission to open a small 
 passage on one side of it for their own use 
 whenever they are under the necessity of going 
 this way. 
 
 Immediately at the bottom of the capitol are 
 three columns supporting an entablature. It is 
 supposed these belonged to the temple of Jupiter 
 Fulminans ; but at this day they are buried by a 
 part of the mount almost as high up as their ca- 
 pitals. A few other inconsiderable remains in the 
 Campo Vaccino I will pass by unnoticed, to take 
 a view of the noble arch of Constantine, which 
 stands in an insular situation, at a small distance 
 from the Coliseum. 
 
 This triumphal arch was erected by the senate, 
 and the people, to the honour of the emperor 
 Constantine, as a token of their gratitude, after 
 the happy victory he had gained over the tyrant 
 Maxentius at Pont MoUe, about a mile from Rome. 
 In its general figure, it is the same as the arch of 
 Septimjus Severus. In each front it has four 
 fluted Corinthian columns of jaune antique, rest- 
 ing on pedestals. Over the entablature is an attic, 
 the centre of which forms a pannel for the inscrip- 
 
149 
 
 tion, and the two sides are enriched with bass-re- 
 liefs. The columns stand shghtly detached, with 
 pilasters behind, and the entablature breaks round 
 them ; above which are subplinths bearing sta- 
 tues of the conquered. Between the columns over 
 the side-arches are large medallions, with bass- 
 rehefs, representing the wars and expeditions of 
 Trajan. The vaults within are quite plain, but 
 under the archivolts are pannels, with bass-reliefs. 
 In the upper part of the arch the sculpture cer- 
 tamly is (as has often been observed) much finer 
 than that underneath, and accords in design and 
 execution with the work on Trajan's column, which 
 has very naturally led to a conjecture, that this 
 arch was partly formed out of some old materials 
 from an arch erected to the memorv' of Trajan. 
 The sculpture underneath, executed in the age of 
 Constantine, manifests the rapid decay of the fine 
 arts at that period. This arch is seen to much 
 more advantage than that of Septimius Severus, 
 because it is not deeper in the ground than half 
 the height of the pedestals of the columns. These 
 triumphal arches are between sixty and seventy 
 feet in height. In the attic parts are small cham- 
 bers, circular o\-erhead, which both prevented an 
 unnecessary weight on the piers and a waste of 
 materials. 
 
 Before I dismiss this subject, it will be proper 
 to observe, that there appears hi the w^orks of 
 Serlio a gross mistake, respecting the measure he 
 used in ascertaining the dimensions of these arches. 
 It is there denominated the old Roman palm ; (see 
 book iii. chap, iv.) ; only measuring eight inches and 
 
150 
 
 a half English. Tliis pahn is said to be the width 
 of twelve fingers, divided into forty-eight parts, 
 called minutes : but that this could not have been 
 the real measure he made use of, will not only be 
 proved by the dimensions I took on the spot, but 
 by the testimony of Desgodetz, who has given a 
 detailed account of the principal antiquities of 
 Rome. In Serlio's description of the arch of 
 Constantine, it is said, the middle arch is in 
 ])readth twenty-two palms and twenty -four mi- 
 nutes, which only amount (calculating the ])alm 
 given by Serlio as eight inches and a half long) to 
 fifteen English feet eleven inches and one-fourth. 
 I found it twenty-two English feet in width. Des- 
 godetz makes it twenty French feet* one inch and 
 live-twelfths. The depth of the arch is nearly the 
 same. The two side-arches are eleven palm<i 
 eleven minutes and a half wide, which is seven 
 feet eleven inches and a half Enivlish. Deso-o- 
 detz says, one is ten feet five inches and one- 
 fourtli, and the other ten feet three inches, wide. 
 The four piers arc said to be nine palms four mi- 
 nutes each in thickness, which make only six 
 English feet five inches : and I made them nine 
 feet thick each ; Desgodetz eight Erench feet ten 
 inches and one-fourth, which is much the same 
 thing. Again, speaking of the arch of Septimius 
 
 * The French foot is 12.785 English inches. Scamozzi pub- 
 lished Scrlio's works afrosh ; and although he professed to have 
 corrected many of the errors, this fundamental mistake of the Ro- 
 man palm he never seems to have discovered, because it is found 
 the same in the last edition as in the first. The palm he U'^ed 
 must have been about twelve inches Ions. 
 
151 
 
 Severus, we find the middle arch described in 
 Seilio twenty-two palms and fifteen minutes wide, 
 which only amount to fifteen English feet ten 
 inches : and I found it twenty-two feet six inches 
 in width ; Desgodetz twenty French feet and ten 
 inches. The other dimensions are also very dif- 
 ferent. Notwithstanding^ there is a small varia- 
 tion in some of the parts of these arches, I think 
 it very likely that that of Constantine was intend- 
 ed to be of the same dimensions as the other. The 
 difference between them may have arisen from 
 trifling mistakes, and inattention in those who 
 constructed the last. 
 
 Close by the arch of Constantine, appear the 
 ruins of the amphitheatre of Vespasian, com- 
 monly called the Coliseum, which still convey 
 the most grand idea of the departed power and 
 magnificence of the Romans. This vast fabric 
 was begun after the emperor Vespasian had tri- 
 umphed over Judea; and having brought home 
 with him many thousands of Jewish slaves, he 
 condemned them to hard labour in this great un- 
 dertaking. On the plan it forms an oval, whose 
 conjugate diameter (which I measured myself) is 
 627 feet; transverse, 520 feet: and the height is 
 said by Desgodetz to be 156 feet, including the 
 whole of the four stories ; but now nearly half of 
 the lower story is concealed under the ground. 
 The stone used in this structure is the produce of 
 the neighbourhood of Rome, and is called tibur- 
 tina. All the stone-work was firmly bound toge- 
 ther with metal cramps : those that were in sight 
 
152 
 
 have been wrenched out by the poor to be con- 
 verted into money. 
 
 In its elevation it contains three stories of ar- 
 cades, and above them is a story, with pilasters 
 and smaU scpiare windows between. The first 
 story is adorned with the Doric order; the second 
 with the Ionic ; the third with tlic Corinthian ; 
 and the fourth with Corinthian pilasters, as before 
 mentioned. The columns in each story, except 
 the lowest, are placed on ])cdestals bearing a 
 continued entablature, and they are all of the 
 same diameter : but they do not come perpen- 
 dicularly over each other, because as the wall 
 is diminished in thickness on each side in every 
 story, they are necessarily set back with the out- 
 waijtl diminution ; and by this means the weight 
 of the superstructure is thrown more uniformly 
 on the centre of the foundation, and the walli 
 above are less liable to be thrust out by any inter- 
 nal pressure. Between the pilasters of the upper 
 story are stone corbels, v/lth an inside sinking, 
 supposed to have been intended to receive poles, 
 which were placed round the building, either for 
 the purpose of carrying an awning that was at 
 times stretched over the theatre to defend the 
 spectators from the heat of the sun, or else to sup- 
 port stages of wood *, in order to n.iake additional 
 room on particular occasions. The entablature of 
 
 * Pliny mentions, thai Vakrius of Oslia, a celebrated engi- 
 neer and architect, built a roof of wood over the great theaUc 
 at Rome, at the time that Libo exliibited his gamers to tho 
 people. • • ' 
 
155 
 
 the Doric has no tiiglyphs nor mutule:?. The cor- 
 nice of the Ionic has dentils. The Corinthian cor- 
 nice has niodillions, and the entablature of the pi- 
 lasters is quite plain ; but what seems most cxtra- 
 ordinarv is, that the Corinthian columns have the 
 Tuscan base, although the Ionic have the attic. 
 
 Some part of the double corridores which en- 
 circled the theatre, and communicated to the 
 seats, remains as- perfect as ever. The pavement 
 on the arch-work is of laro'e bricks, covered with 
 a composition as hard as marble. The lower 
 range of corridores is now inclosed, and used to 
 make saltpetre in. Various have' been the ac- 
 counts respecting the number of persons this am- 
 phitheatre would contain. The general opinion 
 is, that it was capable of holding altogether a 
 hundred thousand persons. The way of entering 
 it is through two large archways in opposite 
 directions ; and in order to have an advantageous 
 view of the interior, the traveller must ascend one 
 of the staircases (the whole are nearly destroyed) 
 to the upper corridores ; but he must step with 
 great circumspection, otherwise he may fall through 
 some of the vacuities which are now in the crown 
 of the arches, and being in many places concealed 
 bv small bushes and weeds are verv deceiving. 
 
 Every lover of architecture must feel deep re- 
 gret \\-hen he recollects that hatl not this stupend- 
 ous monument been pulled to pieces by indivi- 
 duals for their own private use, it would have been 
 even at this dav nearly as perfect as when first 
 built: and which is fuUv demonstrated bv the ex- 
 terior oart on the north side, where it-fortanatelv 
 
154 
 
 remains in a complete state with all its stories, to 
 testify to succeeding ages the original magnificence 
 of the whole. Indeed, the late preservation of 
 these interesting ruins is to be attributed wholly 
 to the sensibility of Clement X. w^ho, touched with 
 pity for this venerable pile, and for the heroes who 
 had bled within its walls, strictly forbad the re- 
 moval of any more of its materials, either for pub- 
 lic or private occasions ; ordered it to be inclosed 
 with gates ; and also constructed round the arena, 
 which is now a grass-plot, small altars, with a 
 larger one in the middle, which he dedicated to 
 the martyrs. A hermit was then appointed to re- 
 side in a part of the amphitheatre (fitted up as a 
 dwelling) to take care of it, and to prevent any 
 nuisance or indecency therein. This custom has 
 prevailed to the present times. Benedict IV. fol- 
 lowed the example of Clement X. repaired his 
 works, and added other -ornaments to the arena. 
 
 The proportions of this edifice were in such 
 perfect harmony with each other, that there 
 w^as nothing gigantic in its appearance, although 
 the greatness of its dimensions never fail to im- 
 press every mind with ideas of sublimity. Even 
 that part which still remains, seems happily suited 
 to exemplify many of the arguments wdiich Mr. 
 Burke, in his treatise of the Sublime and Beauti- 
 ful, has applied to buildings. He says, " Besides 
 " vastness of extent, infinity is another source of 
 " the sublime ; that is to say, the eye not being 
 " able to perceive the bounds of many things, they 
 '' appear to be infinite, and they produce the same 
 " effect as if thev^ were reallv so. Succession and 
 
15.5 
 
 '* iiniforniity of parts arc also what constitute tiie 
 " artificial infinite. It is in this kind of infinity, I 
 •' beHeve, we ought to look for the cause why a 
 *' rot\ind has such a noble eflPect ; for in a rotund, 
 " whether it be a building or a plantation, you can 
 " no-where fix a boundary ; turn which way you 
 " will, the same object still seems to continue, 
 " and the imagination has no rest. But the parts 
 *' must be uniform, as well as circidarly disposed. 
 '• to o'ive this tig^ure its full force ; because anv dif- 
 " ference, whether it be in the disposition or in 
 " the figure, or even in the colour of the parts, is 
 " highly prejudicial to the idea of infinity, which 
 " every change must check and interrupt at every 
 " alteration, commencing; a new series. On tlie 
 " same principles of succession and unlforrnity 
 *' the grand appearance of the ancient heathen 
 '' temples, which were generally oblong forms, 
 " with a range of unifonn pillars on every side, 
 " will be easily accounted for. Indeed, tliere is 
 *' nothing more prejudicial to the grandeur of 
 " buildings than to abound In angles, a fault ob- 
 " vious in many; and owlno- to an Inordinate 
 " thirst for variety, which, whenever it prevails, 
 " Is sure to leave very little true taste."' Now, 
 according to these principles, this amphitheatre 
 may be fairly deemed an excellent example of tlie 
 sublime in building ; for It has greatness of di- 
 mensions In its outline, circularity In Its form, sue- 
 cession and uniformity in its parts — which consist 
 of arches, piers, and columns, regularly repeated, 
 and the entablatures of the different orders are per 
 feet, and continued all round the circumference — 
 
U6 
 
 so that there is no break nor angle to stop or in- 
 terrupt the artilicial ideas of infinity. 
 
 Upon tliese principles of Mr. Bvn-ke, even some 
 of the finest works in our own country might be im- 
 proved ; and, for the same reason, entablatures over 
 columns and pilasters should not be broken round 
 them : particularly if there do not appear to be 
 the same occasion for it as may be perceived in 
 the triumphal arches at Rome, or other structures 
 of a symbolical description, where the breaking of 
 the entablature indicates the characteristic inten- 
 tion for which the columns were so introduced ; 
 namely, that of supporting emblems expressi\'e of 
 commemorable events, and in that instance not 
 nnappropriate. But wiiere columns and pilasters 
 are em{)loyed only by way of decoration to the 
 facade of a building, which lias no historical al- 
 lusion whatever, the practice of mutilating the 
 entablatures should ever be avoided if possible.- 
 Again — to set aside for a moment Mr. Burke's ju- 
 dicious objections to many small breaks in archi- 
 tecture — where the entablatures of buildings re- 
 main complete and undivided, the columns and 
 pilasters on which they rest become not only or- 
 namental to the elevation, but appear to be placed 
 there for the purpose of utility, and the very best 
 of reasons, that of supporting them. And here, 
 perhaps, I may further observe, that even the 
 noble structure of St. Pavd's, and the beautiful 
 front of the ban(]ueting-]iouse, would have had a 
 closer affinity to the pure grandeur and simplicity 
 of true Greek architecture, had the entablatures 
 of the diifcrent orders witli which thev are em- 
 
157 
 
 bellished been preserved entire and unbroken. 
 The same arginnents respecting too great a quan- 
 tity of breaks and angles are equally applicable 
 to the outline of a plan as to the smaller parts 
 and features which compose the exterior of an 
 edifice. 
 
 In Rome there are ten Egyptian obelisks, some 
 very small. The linest among them stands in the 
 Lateran piazza or scjuare, and is supposed to be 
 that which Pliny, in the thirty-sixth book of his 
 Natural History, says was cut out of a quarry in 
 one piece, by Ramesses king of Egypt, and erect- 
 ed at Heliopolis. He further relates, that it was 
 100 feet high, wanting one; and that the king 
 was so anxious to have it raised up w^hole, that 
 in order to make the engineers and workmen more 
 careful, he bound on the top of it his own son, 
 so that in case they should let it fall, while they 
 were raising it, they must inevitably have killed 
 the young prince. Cambyses was so struck with 
 the beauty of this monument, that when that 
 city was being destroyed by his army, he ordered 
 the flames to be extinguished as soon as possible, 
 lest it might suf!er in the general wreck. It was 
 then taken out of the ruins and preserved, and 
 afterwards brought into Italy on a flotilla made 
 for that purpose. The shaft is of red granite, 
 charged with hieroglyphics. 
 
 Pope Sextus V. set it up in its present situation, 
 under the directions of Fontana the architect, after 
 it had been thrown down by the barbarians. The 
 dimensions of it are said to be, including the mo- 
 
158 
 
 dem pedestal and cross, 140 feet in height, and 
 nine feet square at the base. 
 
 That in the; Piazza del Popolo was also placed 
 there bv macliinerv, invented by Fontana, asfree- 
 ably to the orders of vSextus V. It is of the same 
 description, charged with hierogh'phics, and is 
 said to be that which was cut out of a rock by 
 Samncsertns king of Egypt. This was also con- 
 veyed into Italy by sea, in the reign of Augustus, 
 to ornament the grand circus of Rome ; and is de- 
 scribed bv Pliny to be 125 feet nine inches in 
 hei2:ht, but which now only measures, includino; 
 the modern pedestal and cross, 1 1 12 feet. An- 
 other, mentioned hy the same author, is that 
 which formerly stood in the Field of Mars, cut 
 out of the rock by Sesostris. Augustus Cassar 
 turned it to the purpose of a gnomon ; and as it 
 was erected very near the Tyber, and thereby in 
 danger of being undermined by inundations from 
 the river, as well as by floods from the mountains, 
 Pliny says, the foundation on which it stood was 
 as deep in the ground as the obelisk was high.^ 
 The others are of an inferior description. 
 
 In speaking of an obelisk erected at Alex- 
 andria by Ptolemy, Pliny gives a very curious 
 account of the manner adopted to remove it from 
 the quarry and to bring it down the Nile. He 
 says, one Phoenix caused a trench to be cut from 
 the Nile to where the obelisk lay. Then he con- 
 trived two broad barges, which he loaded with 
 stones, double the weight of the obelisk itself, so 
 that they might come under it as it lay hollow 
 
159 
 
 on the Imnlcs : when so stationed, lie ordered the 
 barges to be unloaded, and they by degrees swam 
 higher and higher, till they at last raised tlie obe- 
 lisk from the banks, and in this way it was floated 
 down the Nile to Alexandria. But the greatest 
 difficulty, he observes, was in floating the obelisks 
 across the Mediterranean sea into Italy; and that 
 the frames or rafts made for that purpose were so 
 wonderfully constructed that they were kept for 
 ages, and shewn as curiosities. 
 
 The method adopted by Fontana in raising the 
 obelisks was, by first preparing a very strong tim- 
 ber framing, well bolted together, and higher than 
 the obelisk was Ion"-. It was made slantins; each 
 way, in the shape of a frustum of a pyramid, and 
 was placed directly over the obelisk which was to 
 be raised* A multitude of pulleys was fixed on 
 the top and bottom, and other parts of the framino- 
 for the ropes. Iron chains went round the obe- 
 lisk in all directions, making a kind of open case ; 
 and the ropes which ran through the pulleys were 
 fastened to it, and coiled round the cylinders of 
 different windlasses, stationed, in various direc- 
 tions, at a small distance from the object. To each 
 windlass were three horses ; and sometimes fifty 
 horses were employed, according to the magnitude 
 of the obelisk. When all things Mere ready, the 
 horses began to work the windlasses at the same 
 moment, and consequently the obelisk was raised 
 higher and higher by degrees till it was quite per- 
 pendicular ; then it was lifted from the ground in 
 that position, high enough to be pl'accd on the 
 pedestal prepared to receive it. Underneath the 
 
160 
 
 obelisk Wds a strong iron guaid on a pivot to 
 steady the weight, while the horses stopped to get 
 wind. These obelisks were moved from place to 
 place horizontall}', as we move great weights m 
 this country ; that is, by rollers : but in order to 
 prevent the weight thrusting them into tlie ground, 
 there were provided two frames of wood as planes, 
 on which the rollers ran, and which were mo\-ed 
 forward alternately to receive them. In this slow 
 and progressive way the ol)elisks were got from 
 one place to the other as necessity re(iuired. 
 
 Not far from the Lateran obelisk is a small 
 
 edifice called Sancta Sanctorum, which was built 
 
 by Pope Sextus V. after the designs of Fontana, 
 
 for the purpose of containing the holy staircase^ 
 
 which was till then preserved in loose pieces in 
 
 the old Lateran palace. It consists of twent}- 
 
 eight steps of white marble, about four feet long 
 
 each, and they are said to be the same that were 
 
 in the house of Pontius Pilate at Jerusalem, which 
 
 our Saviour ascended and descended when he was 
 
 carried before him to be judged. Saint Helena, 
 
 mother of Constantine the Great, sent them to 
 
 Kome, with many other much-revered relics; 
 
 and such is tlic ^•eneration for this staircase, that 
 
 nobody goes up it, except on the knees. The 
 
 steps are much worn in the middle, ov.ing to the 
 
 great number of devotees and pilgrims who are 
 
 continually crawling up to the top, where there is 
 
 .a Gothic altar-piece, at v/hich they perform their 
 
 religions ceremonies, and then they sometimes de- 
 
 &C( lul by another staircase at the side. 
 
 Upon tlic ruins of the baths of Dipclesiau hiin 
 
161 
 
 been erected a modern church, designed by Mi- 
 chael Angelo, and which is esteemed one of the 
 handsomest in Rome. The greater part of its walls 
 belonged to the grand hall of these baths, and by 
 a few alterations this church has been made out of 
 them, in the form of a Greek cross, nearly 400 feet 
 in length each way. The entrance to it is through 
 a rotunda where in ancient days was one of the 
 great boilers that ser^•ed the Imths with liot water; 
 but it now contains the tombs of Carlo ]\Iaratti 
 and Salvator Rosa. The interior of the church is 
 extremely magnificent; the walls are adorned with 
 sixteen Corinthian columns fortv-three feet hig-h, 
 regidarly placed, bearing an appropriate entabla- 
 ture. Eight of them are of Egyptian granite in 
 one piece; the others are composed of brick, with 
 the same proportions, stuccoed over and painted to 
 match. These columns stand at a small distance 
 from the walls ; and from a subplinth on the enta- 
 blature, which Ijreaks round the columns, spring 
 the large groined arches of the. ceiling, \\hich 
 they seem very properly placed there to support. 
 The light issues from semicircular and other \\ in- 
 dows introduced immediatelv under the oToins of 
 the ceiling. In the marble pavement tb.e meridian 
 line of Rome has been traced bv Eianchini, an 
 Italian astronomer. The .oroined ceilino- — which is 
 only of plaster and v> hite-washed, no doubt meant 
 for painting— has a mean appearance when compared 
 with the excessive richness of the other parts of the 
 interior. The walls are divided into compartm.ents, 
 iilled v.ith large pictures taken from St. Peter's 
 church, and enriched with other productions in 
 
162 
 
 iresco, by Romanclli and Domenichino. The figures 
 are larger than life, and executed with abihty. An- 
 other church, circular on the plan, and much inferior 
 to the last, has been made out of the same baths. 
 
 These thermas of Dioclesian, we are informed, 
 were by far the most splendid in Rome; and so 
 extensive that measuring round the four sides 
 they amounted to 4000 feet. It is recorded 
 that many thousand Christians were employed 
 for the space of ten years in erecting them ; 
 but in their present state there is great need of 
 exercising the imagination to make them out in 
 any way, since nothing more remains of them 
 than a few broken walls, obliterated incrustations, 
 and old foundations : also the ruins of the baths 
 of Paulus iEmilius discover no more than a ruined 
 portico of brick in the form of a semicircle, with 
 a correspondent corridorc and a few niches ; and 
 the best description I can give of the remains of 
 the baths of Titus is, that they look exactly like 
 a range of arched coal-vaults, and are destitute of 
 every external decoration whatever. At the end 
 of each is a small square chamber, which is sup- 
 posed to have been the bathing-place. The walls 
 are covered with stucco, on which is a diversity of 
 paintings and figures similar to those executed in 
 the open galleries of the Vatican, by Raphael 
 and his school, which were done in imitation of 
 them. These vaults appear to have had no win- 
 dows; and they are now so dark that the paintings 
 cannot be distinguished without a torch, which a 
 man who lives on the spot always keeps for that 
 purpose. The fine group of Laacoon is said to 
 
163 
 
 have been found in one of these chambers by ac- 
 cidentally removing a wall, which had in all pro- 
 bability been erected to conceal it when the bar- 
 barians invaded Italy ; and from the same motive 
 it is thought many a fine antique, and other 
 things of value, were cast into the Tyber. At a 
 small distance from these vaults appear the ruins 
 of the seven halls, as thev are now called, con- 
 jectured to have formed the great reservoir of wa- 
 ter that supplied the baths. They consist of long 
 arched vaults parallel with each other, with door- 
 ways of communication in the intermediate walls 
 that divide them. They have been plastered all 
 round with a hard and durable stucco. To the 
 height the water rose a kind of tartar has incor- 
 porated itself into the body of the cement; which 
 it is impossible to get off. What I have said of 
 the baths of Dioclesian, may with equal truth be 
 repeated in regard to those of Caracalla, which 
 lie at a distance near the Appian-way. In them 
 there is nothing left but a variety of dilapidated 
 thick walls, which formed the several apartments ; 
 here and there is a niche which most likely con- 
 tained statues or other customary decorations, to- 
 gether with the remains of a mosaic pavement, 
 and a few vaults and arches scarcelv worthv of 
 observation. Indeed, were it not for the indu- 
 bitable accounts of ancient writers, in which they 
 have related the vast grandeur and magnificence 
 of these baths, the present ruins of them would 
 afford but very imperfect and unsatisfactory ideas 
 on the subject; added to which, the description 
 ^iven by Seneca (who lived in the reign of Nero, 
 
 M 2 
 
164 
 
 and consequently before these immense thermce 
 were constructed) of the baths of his own time, 
 may serve as a further ehicidation of the proch- 
 gahty and expense which were beginning to be 
 displayed in these public edifices. Comparing the 
 bath of Scipio Africanus, he says, " It was small 
 and somewhat dark, agreeably to the ancient cus- 
 tom, for our ancestors thought th.at a bath could 
 not be warm enough unless it was close ; it was 
 therefore a great pleasure to me lo compare the 
 manners of Scipio with our own. In this little 
 nook did Scipio — the dread of Carthage, and to 
 whom Rome was indebted for havino- once taken 
 that city — bathe his body when fatigued with rustic 
 labours. Under this low and sordid roof he stood, 
 and disdained not to tread so vile and mean a 
 floor. But who is there in our days who Avould 
 condescend to bathe in this way? A man thinks 
 himself poor and mean unless the walls are deco- 
 rated with large and precious embossments ; unless 
 Alexandrian marble is pointed and inlaid with 
 Numidian roughcast ; unless a rich and curiously- 
 variegated plastering be spread upon them in pic- 
 turesque ; unless the roof is covered with glass- 
 work ; unless the Thracian stone, once reckoned 
 a scarce and curious ornament even in some tem- 
 ples, now inclose the pools in \vhich we bathe 
 our bodies when enfeebled with fatigue : in 
 short, unless the water is conveyed by a silver 
 spout. I am speaking as yet of common stoves; 
 but what shall 1 say when I come to speak of our 
 freedmen? What noble statues ! what vast pillars 
 supporting nothing, but placed there for mere 
 
165 
 
 oinanient and tlie vain ostentation of expense ! 
 what large and far-sounding cascades ! We are ar- 
 rived to such a pitch of dehcacy and extravagance, 
 that we cannot tread but upon the most precious 
 marbles. In Scipio's bath are some chinks, rather 
 than windows, cut put of the stone wall to let in 
 the lio'ht. But now we call the baths moth-houses 
 and dunocons if thev are not so contrived as to 
 admit the \\'hole day's sun through spacious win- 
 dows, whereby men are tanned as well as w^ashed, 
 and from the bathing-vessels have a prospect both 
 of the meadows and the sea." 
 
 From this interesting letter of Seneca, we may 
 judge with tolerable certainty of the excessive 
 luxury and sumptuousness that must have pre- 
 vailed in the succeeding ages of the Roman empire 
 in regard to their baths. 
 
 Next I will mention some particulars of the 
 two famous columns of Trajan and x^ntonine, so 
 well known by the prints. The first is now seen 
 in the centre of a little mean square, once an ex- 
 tensive and magnificent place, called Trajan's 
 Forum, and was dedicated to that emperor by the 
 senate and the people when he was prosecuting 
 his wars in the East; but as he did not live to re- 
 turn to Rome, he never had the satisfaction of. 
 behoMing this flattering monument of public appro- 
 bation. Dion Cassius says, that the pedestal part 
 was intended for his sepulchre, and the column 
 itself as an historical record of his military glory 
 and achievements. The shaft is formed witli 
 twenty-tliree blocks of white marble strongly 
 cramped, and placed regularly one over the other 
 
166 
 
 without cement. Upon the top of the capital 
 stands a circular pedestal, which used to bear the 
 colossal statue of Trajan in gilt bronze, but that 
 of St. Peter was substituted in its room by Sex- 
 tus V. The whole height of this pillar, including 
 the bottom and top pedestals, is said, by Piranesi, 
 to be 170 Roman palms, and sixteen palms dia- 
 meter at the base of the shaft *. It diminishes at the 
 neck about one-eighth of the lower diameter. Till 
 the reiii'u of Sextus V. almost the whole of the 
 pedestal was buried in the ground, which proves 
 how much the surface of this part of Rome has 
 increased in height since the time of Trajan; but 
 this public-spirited pontiff caused the earth to he 
 removed to the very bottom of tlie pedestal, so that 
 the column now stands insulated in a square sunk 
 area walled around. There is a small flight of steps 
 to descend to the door which is in the pedestal. 
 A staircase, two feet nine inches wide, winds round 
 a solid newel in the body of tlie column till it 
 reaches the very summit, where there ig an iron 
 railing, from which you have a commanding view 
 of Rome. The steps are cut out of the single 
 blocks of marble that compose the column; and in 
 different parts of the shaft are small chinks or 
 loopholes which light the staircase. On the out- 
 side the column is adorned with bass-reliefs, dis- 
 posed in a spiral line, which seem to pursue the 
 winding direction of the staircase. The subjects 
 of these bass-reliefs are the two expeditions of 
 Trajan against the Dacians. In them are rcprc- 
 
 * The Roman palm is about eight inches and one-half English, 
 
167 
 
 sented armies on the march, battles, camps, the 
 passing of rivers, kc. This costly column was 
 first worked in pieces, and with so much care, 
 judgment, and attention, that the bass-reliefs ap- 
 pear by their perfect union to have been formed 
 out of the shaft, and the staircase to have been 
 excavated after the whole bodv of the column 
 was completely erected. 
 
 Notwithstanding time has done some mischief 
 to its surface, it still makes a fine appearance, and 
 is astonishingly perfect for its duration of upwards 
 of 1600 vears. The fio-ures in the bass-reliefs are 
 about two feet in height, disposed as if walking 
 on a bank of rising ground. Those pretty high, 
 up are said to be somewhat larger than those below, 
 but the perspective distance reduces them to an 
 equal size to the eye. They are chiselled with 
 great boldness, character, and spirit, without aim- 
 ing at that delicate finish more necessary to nearer 
 objects : and in this respect they may be said- to 
 bear a resemblance to that stvle of writino; so suit- 
 able with history, where laboured periods, a nice 
 polish of words, and splendid tropes, are not at all 
 in unison with the solemnity of the subject, nor in 
 any way requisite to hand down to posterity the 
 simple facts and events of past generations. The 
 whole seems to be the work of the same man, 
 which is not probable, therefore it is to be ac- 
 counted for by supposing that the assistant sculp- 
 tors followed in servile imitation the designs of the 
 celebrated Apollodorus, who is said to have been 
 the leading artist in this complicated work. ^Ve 
 are further told that the place round this column 
 
163 
 
 was in ancient times embellished with grand por- 
 ticos and stately buildings, but at the present day 
 there is not the smallest vestige of any sueh mag- 
 nificence. 
 
 The column of Antonine stands in the centre 
 of a handsome square, called by the same name, 
 and which is situated on the west of La Strada del 
 Corso, the principal street of Rome. This is ge- 
 nerally considered the same column that the senate 
 and the emperor INIarcus Aurelius erected to the 
 honour of Antoninus Pius, his father-in-law, whom 
 he succeeded in the go\ernment ; but upon a 
 closer view of the subject it will rather be sup- 
 posed to be that which was dedicated to jMarcus 
 Aurelius himself, and that the column of Anto- 
 ninus must have been destroyed or taken away. 
 The shaft consists of twenty-eight blocks of mar- 
 ble, each as large as the diameter of the column; 
 and the staircase being cut only partially out of 
 tiiem, tlie column is nearly as strong as if it had been 
 solid throughout, and the same may be said of the 
 other column. On the outside it is decorated with 
 bass-reliefs, disposed in the same manner as those 
 of Trajan's. The subjects of them are the wars in 
 v.liich Marcus Aurelius was enivao-ed au:ainst the 
 Marcomanni, Sarmatians, Vandals, and other bar- 
 barous nations. Among them is a representation 
 of the miraculous deliverance the Roman army 
 experienced during one of these wars. They liad 
 passed the Danube on a bridge of boats, and pur- 
 suing the enemy with too much zeal, they got 
 at last completely blocked up in an inclosed 
 situation where there was no. water, so that the 
 
169 
 
 wliole army were about to perish ; but the devout 
 prayers of jNIarcus Aurehus, their general, brought 
 down from lieaven such a fall of rain as instantly 
 refreshed them. The soldiers held up tlieir mouths 
 and helmets to catch the showers tliat came so 
 wonderfully to their relief: at the same time 
 thunder was sent from the clouds ao'ainst their 
 enemies to astonish and confound them. By 
 these means the Romans immediately recovered 
 their stren"th and courao-e, and turnino- unex- 
 pectedly upon their pursuers in the rear, they 
 made dreadful havoc and gained the victory. 
 This circumstance is mentioned in the Roman 
 history, and it will be found to have happened in 
 die latter part of Marcus Aurelius's reign. Now, 
 the commemoration of that event being upon the 
 shaft of this column may, I think, be urged as 
 strong evidence that it cannot be the same as was 
 decreed by Marcus Aurelius and the senate to 
 Antoninus Pius soon after his death ; for were we 
 to admit that its erection had been procrastinated 
 for the space of so many years — a circumstance 
 not very probable — even then it is not likely that 
 a monument raised by public affection to the me- 
 mory of one man, should be loaded with the 
 heroic virtues and military trophies of another. 
 
 Between the pedestal and the column itself there 
 is not that correspondence which we perceive in 
 Trajan's. The pedestal here has the appearance of 
 being wholly modern, owing to its having been 
 cased in the year 1589, when Sextus V. repaired 
 the pillar. The pedestal of Trajans column is 
 sculptured with old Roman workmanship, repre- 
 
170 
 
 sen ting shields, armour, and military weapons of 
 different sorts — whereas the other is quite plain. 
 Including the pedestals, top and hottom, the height 
 of the column is computed, by Piranesi, to be 201 
 Roman palms, and the diameter at the base of the 
 shaft seventeen Roman palms. In the body of the 
 column is a v/inding staircase, corresponding in all 
 respects with that I have described in the other. 
 The pedestal of this stands perfectly level with 
 the ground that surrounds it, and on the top is a 
 bronze statue of St. Paul thirteen feet high, placed 
 there when it was repaired as before mentioned. 
 
 Having dismissed the two columns, which rank 
 among the principal remains of ancient Rome, I 
 will proceed to the mention of the mausoleums. 
 
 The tomb of Augustus was erected in his life- 
 time near the Field of Mars, which lies on the 
 banks of the Tyber ; and there is no doubt, as Au- 
 gustus was then the master of the world, but it 
 was made as magnificent as possible. On the 
 plan it formed a circle like the Pantheon, and its 
 elevation consisted of three distinct stories, adorn- 
 ed with three orders of architecture, one above 
 the other, resting on a handsome solid substruc- 
 tion. The columns of the different peripteres, or 
 circular colonnades, did not come perpendicularly 
 over one another, but each story was placed back 
 on circular internal w^alls brought up from the 
 foundation for that purpose, so that the external 
 form might have been brought nearly within the 
 outline of a cone. On the top it terminated with 
 a dome, upon which was placed the bronze statue 
 of Augustus. The internal walls, contrived for 
 
171 
 
 carr3nng the receding stories, formed arched cor- 
 ridores or catacombs within, all round the Ijuild- 
 ing, and in the centre was a handsome and spa- 
 cious saloon. On the outside, between the pilas- 
 ters, behind the columns, were niches, in which 
 were placed statues of different gods and heroes ; 
 and round the whole building were plantations of 
 cypresses and other mournful evergreens, intended 
 to increase the solemnity of the mausoleum. There 
 was but one door into the interior, and on each 
 side of it was an obelisk by way of ornament ; 
 both of which are still to be seen at Rome in 
 other situations*. 
 
 The tomb of Adrian was also built during the 
 life-time of that emperor. The form of it was a 
 rotunda on a square substruction. Its elevation 
 exhibited tliree stories in height, and each was 
 embellished with a distinct order of architecture, 
 like that of Augustus, thereby forming circular 
 colonnades round the building, one over the other. 
 The exterior was completely covered with Parian 
 marble, and the Corinthian colunms formerly used 
 in this structure may be seen even at this day; 
 for they were removed from this sepulchre by Con- 
 stantine to ornament the interior of the basilick of 
 St. Paul — a church without the walls. On the 
 top of the last story were placed various statues, 
 triumphal cars, &c. ; and as a finish to the dome 
 was the immense bronze pine-apple, which is now 
 placed in a large recess in the garden of the Eel* 
 videre. Why it assumed the appellation of the 
 
 * Virgil's 6ih ^neid. 
 
172 
 
 castle of St. Angclo, arose from a story of a ml' 
 raciilous nature, propagated some centuries past; 
 which was, that while St. Gregory M'"as praying, he 
 saw on the summit of the castle an angel, wlio an- 
 nounced to him that the plague which had greatly 
 ravao-ed the city would very shortly cease. 
 
 This structure is so solid and substantial that it 
 has become a fortified ])lace ; and towards the 
 country it is surrounded by a water-ditch, defend- 
 ed by bastions. Within, are preserved the regal 
 ensigns and jewels of the po})e, together with tlie 
 archives which contain all tlie bulls, the manu- 
 scripts, the acts of various councils, and other 
 papers most interesting to the Roman court. A 
 covered gallery, upwards of a thousand yards long, 
 supported by arches, connects the castle and the 
 Vatican together, which was intended for the 
 safety of the pope in times of tumult. In the 
 evenings of particular saint-days in the year, the 
 people display from the top of this building su- 
 perb fire-works, in conformity with an ancient 
 custom. 
 
 The celebrated tomb of Caius Cestus, erected a 
 little before the time of Augustus, in the form of 
 a pyramid, is another instance of the grandeur of 
 the Romans. By the inscription on the side — 
 
 " C. Cestius Scptenrdir Epulonum,'' 
 
 we are informed it was built to contain the ashes 
 of Caius Cestus, who was one of the seven persons 
 to whom the direction of the sacred banquets was 
 committed. In height it is about 110 feet, and 
 
173 
 
 eighty-six feet square at the hase. Tlie outside 
 is covered with hirge pieces of Tihurtine stone, 
 reckoned nearly as hard as niarhle. A smaU door 
 on one side leads to the sepulchral chamber in the 
 centre, where the walls have been plastered with 
 hard stucco, and ornamented w ith arabesques. The 
 ground contiguous to this pyramid is set apart for 
 the interment of those who are called heretics ; and 
 here is to be observed among others a head-stone 
 to the memory of ^h\ Moore the Eno-lish artist, 
 who died at Rome. 
 
 Beyond the walls of the city, in the Appian- 
 way, stands the sepulchre of Cecilia ^MetcUa, wife 
 of Crassus, and daughter of Quintiis j^Ietcllus Cra- 
 ticus, as shewn by the inscription. This struc- 
 ture appears to have been the most superb of the 
 kind built during the commonwealth; and it is 
 reasonable to imagine, from its general figure, that 
 it served as a model for the sepulchres which 
 were erected in after-ages by different emperors 
 of Rome. It is circular on the plan, of a c\lin- 
 drical form in its elevation, and about eighty feet 
 in diameter. Below the surface of the earth is a 
 square substruction or plinth, and very near the 
 top is an ornamental frieze and cornice. The frieze 
 is adorned with oxen's heads and festoons. The 
 \valls are nearly thirty feet thick, composed of 
 brick, and faced with marble, leaving the space in 
 the centre only twent}'- feet in diameter, or there- 
 abouts. The height of this building I could not 
 learn. On the outside, at some distance from the 
 ground, is a small square door, which leads to 
 steps that go up to the summit of the sepulchre. 
 
.174 
 
 Pope Paul III. was the first who made a waj^ into 
 the interior through the circular outside wall, ex- 
 actlv Avhere the vault for interment came (the 
 original entrance is still remaining under the 
 ground in the substruction pari), and an immense 
 channelled sarcophagus of Parian marble was found 
 therein, which is now to be seen in the quadrangle 
 of the Farnesian palace. Owing to the solidity of 
 its construction, it was used as a citadel in the 
 middle ages during the civil wars of Rome, which 
 occasioned the military battlements and loop-holes 
 now observed on the top to be added, but which 
 evidently were no component parts of the original 
 building. 
 
 From the preceding relation of the ancient state 
 of those mausoleums at Rome most worthy of the 
 traveller's attention, I am aware how naturally 
 persons are induced to expect something very sur- 
 prising even in their remains ; but on local exami- 
 nation the traveller will experience no small disap- 
 pointment in this respect. For instance, the tomb 
 of Augustus has been stripped of all its external 
 beauties by degrees, and has nothing left but two 
 or three bare walls with a few of the arched cor- 
 ridores ; also the interior, once the resort of silent 
 and mournful meditation, is now converted into a 
 prophane and noisy theatre for fighting bulls. And 
 the hallowed vaults and catacombs that heretofore 
 inurned the sacred dust of the Ca3sars, arc at last 
 employed for the degrading purpose of holding 
 coals. 
 
 Again, the tomb of Adrian, that superb edifice 
 which was looked upon as an unrivalled display 
 
of regal magnificence, is now no more than an 
 uninteresting pile of massive stones, and can de- 
 mand no higlier appellation than a barrack for 
 soldiers or a prison-house. And although the se- 
 pulchre of Caius Cestius has suffered less alteration 
 from time and the hands of men tlian those I 
 have already mentioned, yet that is nearly covered 
 with weeds and brambles, and the holy depository 
 that once contained the relics of that revered 
 citizen, is at length become a breeding-place for 
 serpents, toads, and other reptiles. Much in the 
 eame condition is the tomb of Cecilia Metella : a 
 great part of it is buried under the ground, and 
 the sepulchral vault witliin its walls is now inha- 
 bited by owls and bats. Also the tomb of the 
 Scipios, situated in a vineyard near the gate of 
 St. Sebastian, is dwindled into a miserable brick 
 ruin ; and instead of inshrining the remains of Xht 
 relatives and descendants of Cornelia, is at tliis 
 day in the occupation of a poor peasant, and used 
 for no nobler end than as a cellar. 
 
 Ag-ain, the sepulchre of Menenius Agrippa on 
 the sacred mount, who in his dav was the idol of 
 the Roman people, now servTs as a stable for oxen; 
 and that which was erected to the individual ho- 
 nour of Scipio Africanus, near St. Peter's church, 
 has become a pump-house. 
 
 Thus great CiEsar, dead and tui-n'd to clay, 
 !May stop a hole and keep the wind away. 
 
 About a quarter of a mile fiom the gate of $t 
 Sebastian is a small field surrounded bv a kind of 
 ditch, in which vou are told the battle between 
 
176 
 
 the Iloratii and Curiatii was foviglit ; but in the 
 Roman history it is stated that the Ronian and 
 Alban forces met five miles from the city, and 
 there tlie famous combat took place between the 
 tliree twin brothers, chosen out of each army to 
 decide the fate of their countries; so that the 
 cicisiinii of Rome (who call themselves antiqua- 
 rians), zealous as they may feel in the cause of 
 trutli, and profound as they may be in their re- 
 searches into past events, seem in this instance to 
 have imatrined a circumstance that never existed. 
 Opposite this field is a brick vaulted ruin which 
 they also sav was the tomb of Iloratia, sister of the 
 Horatii, who was killed by her only surviving 
 brother, because she reproached him for slaying 
 her lover, one of the Curatii. This is very probably 
 the spot where she met him when he was return- 
 ing in triumph into the city, and may have given 
 rise to the mistake I have just mentioned. 
 
 Near the Circus of Sallust is a place called Cam- 
 pus Sceleratus, so named because the Romans used 
 on this spot to bury alive those vestals who had 
 violated their oath of perpetual chastity. The 
 ceremony of this punishment, according to the 
 description given of it by Dion Halicarnassensis, 
 must have been of the most frightful and shock- 
 ins: nature. The offender was first bound down 
 upon a bier, and covered : in this state she was 
 carried through the city, attended by persons of 
 all descriptions, who preserNed a mournful silence, 
 to the place of burial, where there was a subter- 
 raneous sepulchre, and in it a little bed, a lamp, a 
 few pro\isions, and a vessel of water. They then 
 
Unbound her and discovered her to the priests, 
 one of wlioni prayed over her, after which the veil 
 was taken from her, and as soon as she had 
 descended into the vault they drew up the ladder, 
 and immediately threw the earth in upon her till 
 the liole was completely filled up level with the 
 ground. This iniliction was in itself so dreadfid 
 that many of the unhappy women who had yielded 
 to the impulses of their passions laid violent hands 
 on themselves. 
 
 There are still some remains of the temple of 
 iVIinerva JMedica. This building was a decagon 
 220 feet round within the walls, or thereabout, 
 and what is now to be seen of it consists only of 
 rough brickwork. In the sides are large niches, 
 supposed to have been made to hold statues of 
 different gods and goddesses: a part of the dome, 
 which is of brick, is still standing; and the whole 
 forms a picturesque ruin. 
 
 Near the column of Antonine are the remains 
 of the temple of that name, which now embellish 
 the front of the Custom-house. They consist of a 
 beautifid facade, formed by eleven Corinthian 
 fluted columns of white marble bearing a con- 
 tinued entablature, and o\Tr them are pedestals 
 with pannels between resembling a low attic. The 
 height of the columns is said to be thirty-nine feet 
 seven inches, and their diameter four feet three 
 inches. Close behind these columns a modern 
 front, consisting of three stories, has been erected, 
 which belongs to the Custom-house ; but the in- 
 tcrcolumniation of them being rather small, the 
 
 N 
 
178 ' 
 
 windows which come between the coUimns have a 
 crowded appearance. 
 
 The baptister}' of Constantine, founded by that 
 emperor, is an octagon on the plan. The fonts 
 are in tlie centre, surrounded by a bakistrade; and 
 above is a cupola with pilasters, supported by eight 
 coUimns of porphyry, four of the Ionic and four 
 of the composite order. They are about three 
 feet diameter, and each in one piece of marble. 
 The walls are painted in fresco with various sub- 
 jects, such as the apparition of the cross to Con- 
 stantine, the battle he fought at the IMilvian- 
 bridge, &c. 
 
 The temple of Vesta, situated near the Tyber, 
 is a small circular edifice surrounded by twenty 
 Corinthian fluted columns of white marble in to- 
 lerable condition, but the entablature is perished. 
 Contiguous to the columns behind, a wall of marble 
 has been built, which, together with the roof, are 
 modern works. The bases of these columns rest 
 on the pavement without any plinths; and the dia- 
 meter of the body of the temple is said to be the 
 hcio-ht of the columns which surround it. 
 
 The temple of Venus and Cupid, near Porta 
 ^Mao-giore, in which the antique group of Venus 
 and Cupid was found, is now a complete ruin, and 
 appears to have been circular on the plan. 
 
 The circular edifice, about sixty -four feet diame- 
 ter, within, now called the church of St. Constance, 
 is thought by some to have been the temple of 
 Bacchus, because of certain ancient mosaics in 
 i\w interior representing children with grapes; 
 
179 
 
 but others have supposed it to have been built by 
 Constantine for a baptistery. At the top is a cir- 
 cular cupola, supported by twenty-four granite 
 columns of the composite order, sixteen inches 
 diameter, and placed doubly one behind the other. 
 The frieze of the entablature is inflated, quite 
 plain, and the cornice is of the Tuscan order. In 
 the middle appears the altar under which the body 
 of St. Constantine "was deposited. The interior is 
 daubed with some miserable paintings ; and in the 
 walls, which consist of brick stuccoed, are va- 
 rious niches for faunes and other fio-ures. This 
 temple derives light from circular-headed windows 
 in the circumference of the cupola. 
 
 Near the church Laterano appears the temple 
 of the Faune, built in 467, and dedicated to St. 
 Etienne, now called St. Etienne the Rotunda, be- 
 cause it is of a round figure. Within, it consists 
 of two circular ranges of granite columns of the 
 Ionic order, with bases and caps of white marble. 
 Upon the walls appear a great number of paintings, 
 representing the martyrdoms of different saints, 
 done by Pomarancio and Tempesta. The windows 
 in the upper part, which give light to the interior, 
 resemble the Saxon. 
 
 The temple of Fortuna Virilis, forms on the 
 plan a parallelogram, fifty-four feet in length, and 
 twenty-eight feet in width. In the front is a 
 portico of four Ionic fluted columns, two feet 
 eleven inches in diameter, made of Tibertine stone, 
 with a return-column on each side. The body of 
 the building is enriched all round with half-co- 
 lumns, two diameters and a quarter apart, bearing 
 
 N 2 
 
180 
 
 a continued entablature ^vith an enriched frieze, 
 wliich has suffered greatly by time. This temple 
 is covered with stucco, and buried in the ground 
 higher than the bases of the columns. The capitals 
 of the columns at tlie angles of the portico have 
 returned volutes, to accord with those at the sides 
 of the temple; perhaps the only instance of the 
 kind among the ancient buildings at Home. 
 
 All that remains of the superb portico which 
 formerly separated the palace from the basilick of 
 Nerva, are three Corinthian columns and a pilaster; 
 they are of white marble fluted, six feet in dia- 
 meter, and about sixty feet high, including the 
 capital and base, and nine feet apart. The enta- 
 blature displays a great deal of exquisite sculpture, 
 and is much admired bv artists for the beauty of 
 its design. 
 
 In tlie Field of Mais v/as the portico of Octavia, 
 sometimes called of Severus, part of which is now 
 standing". It consisted of four Corinthian columns 
 each way, with pilasters behind the two end ones, 
 supporting an entablature crowned with a pedi- 
 ment. This portico is said to have been erected 
 by Augustus ; and it communicated to other grand 
 buildings, which were afterwards altered- and im- 
 proved by Severus. The columns are thirty-three 
 feet high, and the entablature appears to have 
 been quite plain, bu.t tlie wliolc is in a very bad 
 condition. 
 
 In the Campus ]\Iartius, very near the Tyber, 
 are the poor remains of the theatre of Marcellus, 
 which was erected by Augustus to the memor^^ of 
 his nephew. The form of it on the plan was a 
 
181 
 
 semicircle 37S feet in diameter, or tliereabouts ; 
 but all that can now be discovered of it is only 
 a small part of tlic two stories of arcades which 
 went round the outside of the corridores. Ihe 
 lower one is adorned with the Doric order, with 
 plain shafts, three feet diameter, without any base. 
 The upper story has the Ionic. The columns pro- 
 ject a little more than half a diameter out of the 
 wall, bearing continued entablatures. The Ionic 
 order I tliouglit altogether beautiful, but the cor- 
 nice of the Doric appeared to be much too large for 
 the entablature itself, and has a heavy appearance. 
 
 Of all the pagan monuments of antiquity to be 
 seen at this day in Ron.e, the Pantlicon will be 
 found in the best state of pre*ervation. It stands 
 in an inconsiderable piazza or square, surrounded 
 by beggarly shops and houses; and, according to 
 Pliny, who particularly mentions this temple, was 
 erected a little time after the birth of Christ, by 
 jNIarcus Agrippa*, in conformity with tlie will of 
 Augustus, and was dedicated by him to Jr.piter 
 the Avenger. After\vards it becan;e a dcp'^sitory 
 for the statues of gods and heroes in gener.d. The 
 portico is octostyle, that is, with eight columns in 
 front, but it contains altogether sixteen Conuthiaii 
 columns, and produces a grand and commanding 
 effect : at the same time there is not the smallest 
 correspondence between it and the bodv of the 
 buildino- : also the awkward manner in which it is 
 connected with the rotunda — where the cornice of 
 
 * This refutes, I think, every idea of its having been built 
 during the commonwealth, and that Marcus Agrippa only added 
 the Dortico, 
 
1^2 
 
 the one, being on a different level, preserves no 
 union with the other — makes it appear pretty evi- 
 dent that this portico must have been added to it 
 at a subsequent period ; perhaps either by Marcus 
 Aurelius or Septimius Severus, as the two inscrip- 
 tions on the architrave indicate that the Pantheon 
 was repaired and adorned by them. And the square 
 projection against which the portico is placed, has 
 every appearance of having been afterwards at- 
 tached to the rotunda, because it forms a distinct 
 upright joint or separation from the circular part, 
 which it would not ha\-e done had they been both 
 erected together. 
 
 I am, however, aware that the inscription* in 
 laroer letters on the frieze may be advanced as an 
 argument that Agrippa built tlie portico as well as 
 the rotunda; whereas there is nothing unreasonable 
 in supposing that it might have been put there in 
 grateful remembrance of the original founder, 
 either by Marcus Aurelius or Septimius Sevems, 
 when they repaired the temple, and, as it is 
 tliought, added this portico. The old inscription, 
 if there ever were one, was most likely in the 
 front, and may have been destroyed by the altera- 
 tions and additions which then took place; on 
 ■which account the frieze of the new portico may 
 have been chosen as the most eligible situation to 
 receive another, for perpetuating the memory of 
 him who had constructed the principal part of the 
 edifice. 
 
 The circular external wall is nineteen feet thick, 
 
 *MARCVS AGRIPPA L. F. CONSVL TERTIVM FECIT. 
 
183 
 
 composed of brick, and in latter days has been 
 stuccoed on the surface. The rousrh arches dis- 
 covered on the outside, in the upper part of the 
 building, were to all appearance introduced for the 
 purpose of discharging the weight from the inter- 
 nal recesses, and the semicircular vacuities which 
 are left in the middle of the wall : perhaps the last 
 were intended merely to save materials. The laro-er 
 rough arches come exactly over the internal re- 
 cesses, and the smaller ones over the semicircular 
 vacuities just mentioned. Arches of this description 
 Vitruvius ad\ises to be always placed over aper- 
 tures; and, as a proof that this method was prac- 
 tised among the Romans, brick discharging-arches 
 are now to be seen in the tympanum over the in- 
 tercolumniation of the portico of the temple of 
 Concord, above the doorway of the Pantheon, and 
 in many other instances. The interior of the Pan- 
 theon is covered with rich marble of various sorts, 
 from the pavement to the springing of the dome. 
 The lower part is ornamented with the Corinthian 
 order, and magnificent altar-pieces containing sta- 
 tues and paintings. The upper part forms an attic 
 story, enriched with pannels and pilasters, and 
 on them an entablature; which is out of all pro- 
 portion to the pilasters on which it lests. In the 
 great substance of the wall are seven recesses 
 fourteen feet deep, now converted into so many 
 small chapels for rehgious purposes, but they were 
 first intended by the Romans as convenient and 
 appropriate places to receive the statues of their ' 
 gods and heroes. The front of each recess is 
 screened by two superb Corinthian columns of 
 jaune-antiquc, with caps and bases of white mar- 
 
184 
 
 blc, and on each side is a correspondent pilaster, 
 all of which have been put there since the time of 
 Pliny ; because he says, speaking of the Pantheon, 
 that tiie capitals of the columns within were of 
 copper, which is not now the case. The diameter 
 of tliis temple I measured twice, and found it be- 
 tween the walls exactly 144 feet; and it is said to 
 be the same from the marble pavement to the cir- 
 cular aperture in the crown of the dome, which 
 affords light to the interior. The pannels of the 
 dome were once plated with sheets of gilt bronze; 
 but these, as well as other valuable ornaments, 
 were removed by the emperor Constance, in the 
 year 563, to decorate tlie more favoured city of 
 Constantinople. In modern days the dome has 
 been whitewashed, and on that account it has a 
 mean appearance, not suitable with the dignity of 
 the other parts of the interior. The Pantheon is now 
 used as a church : and against the walls are many 
 monuments and inscriptions; one to the memory of 
 llaphael, Ahnibal Carracci, Winkelman, Nicolas 
 Poussin, Mengs, the great Italian poet Metastasio, 
 an<l other distinguished characters. 
 
 When speaking of the triumphal arches, I re- 
 ir.aiked some mistakes concernins; the dimensions 
 given of them in the works of Serlio; and I per- 
 ceive that the same inaccuracy prevails in his ac- 
 count of the portico of the Pantheon. He says, 
 the columns are six palms and twenty-nine mi- 
 nutes diameter, and the intercolumniation only 
 eight palms and nine minutes. Now, in this re- 
 spect, it does not matter wdiat the instrument was 
 with which he measured these antiquities, because 
 here is an egreirious error on the score of relative 
 
18j 
 
 proportion ; for, eight palms and nine minutes are 
 only one-third more than the diameter he has given 
 of the columns. I carefully measured several of 
 their shafts, and found them on an average (that 
 is to say, they vary a little in size) four feet eight 
 inches in diameter, and the intercolumniation ten 
 feet. DesQ,-odetz makes them from four feet live 
 inches French to foiir feet eight inches and one- 
 half in diameter, and the intercolumniation nine 
 feet five inches ; but in the centre opposite the 
 great bronze entrance doors he makes ten feet four 
 inches and three-fourths, which come as near as 
 possible, allowing for the difference of the French 
 foot, to my dimensions. Thus, the real interco- 
 lumniation, instead of being onl\' one-third more 
 than the diameter of the column, as described by 
 Serlio, is full twice the diameter, which is an asto- 
 nishing difference in point of relative proportion, 
 and proves how cautiously we oua-ht to rely on the 
 particulars we have of distant objects in printed 
 books, which are often made up for sale after the 
 death of the man whose name is prefixed as the 
 author, and consequently when he is beyond the 
 power of correcting the numerous miscomprehen- 
 sions and errors of the publisher. The shafts of 
 thes^ columns are plain, and said to be thirty-nine 
 feet in height. They are all in one piece of orien- 
 tal granite. The bases, caps, entablature, and pe- 
 diment, are of white marble ; but, owing to time 
 and weatlier, there is not any percei\'able difference 
 in the colour. On the riglit-hand of the portico, 
 in the thickness of the square projection, is a stair- 
 case, which leads up to a narrow passage in the 
 
186 
 
 centre of the circular wall, and communicates l)y 
 other steps to the very summit of the dome 
 without. 
 
 PHny further mentions, in Ins 36th book, that 
 the Pantheon was enriched with marble images*: 
 also that the virgins, named the caryatides f, placed 
 over the columns in the temple, were conmiended ; 
 and that the images on the top of the lantern and 
 frontispiece, made by Diogenes of Athens, were 
 excellent, but too high to be well seen. As none 
 of these things are now remaining, there is every 
 reason to suppose that this fabric has vuidergone 
 many great alterations from time to time, owing 
 to accidents by lightening, the inroads that were 
 occasionally made into Italy by the barbarians of 
 difiercnt countries, and no less so by the despoil- 
 ing barbarians of their own city. We are told 
 that in ancient times there were seven steps before 
 the entrance of the Pantheon ; but the "round 
 has so much increased by degrees around it, that 
 there is now a sharp descent to the vestibule; and 
 when inundations from the Tyber take place, the 
 floor of this temple is said to be several feet under 
 
 * Pcrrault, in his Notes on Vitruvius, observes that Montio- 
 sius found in the year 1580, on the right side of the portico of 
 the Pantheon, four images in halt-n lief, which he supposed to 
 be some of those mentioned by Pliny. The general opinion that 
 -the principal part of the ornaments of the interior of the Pan- 
 theon has been added at a subsequent period, scans to be con- 
 firmed by Pliny's description of it. 
 
 t This proves that the upper entablature was originally sup- 
 ported by caryatides, instead of the present pilasters, which, as 
 I have before observed, arc by far too small for the entablature 
 they seem to carry. 
 
187 
 
 water, for which the people have a religious yc-. 
 neration, and would not prevent it if they could. 
 
 In the centre of a handsome area on JNIount. 
 Cavallo, and very near the popes summer palace, 
 stands one of the obelisks which were at the en- 
 trance of the tomb of Augustus. The two an- 
 tique colossal horses are placed one on each side 
 of it. They are supposed to be in the act of 
 rearing up, with the figure of a robust young man- 
 holding the bridle. These statues were brought 
 here by Sextus V. from the baths of Constantine, 
 which were not far off, and are attributed to Phi- 
 dias and Praxiteles ; but Pliny, who has mentioned 
 many of the works of these artists, as well as 
 many of the works of others then known at 
 Rome, saying notliing about these, M^hich could 
 not well have escaped his observation, affords suf- 
 ficient reason for conjecturing that they must have 
 been executed after liis time. The figures of the 
 two men are spirited performances ; but the horses 
 themselves, in point of form and proportion of 
 parts, particularly the neck, which is nearly as 
 large as the body, are liable to great objections. 
 They are considered by the antiquarians at Rome 
 as figurative representations of Castor and Pollux, 
 and not of Alexander and Bucephalus. 
 
 The arch of Janus, now so called, stands very 
 near Mount Palatine, and is supposed by some 
 to have been built by the Romans as a conve- 
 nient place of shelter during the market hours 
 for those merchants who dealt in oxen ; birt 
 it appeared to me much more hke a triumphal 
 arch than a building for such a purpose, because 
 
188 
 
 there is very little space within. On the plan it 
 forms a square, and the four faces of the super- 
 structure- strictly resemble each other. Each con^ 
 sists of a handsome archway twenty-two feet 
 wide, which rises from the imposts of the four 
 great corner-piers, and they nitersect underneath 
 by a groin. Each face of these piers is or- 
 namented with six niches, three below and three 
 above, making in the whole forty-eight in nuni' 
 ber : some of them are only imitations : the 
 real ones were prol)ably intended in the first 
 instance for the reception of statues or other or- 
 naments. It is insularly situated, comj)osed of 
 large square blocks of marble, and remains in a 
 state of excellent preservation. On the top of 
 the cornice is some brickwork which did not ori- 
 ghially belong to the arch itself, but said to 
 have been added to it about the thirteenth cen- 
 turv, during tlie civil wars and disturbances, at 
 which time this solid structure was converted into 
 a fortress by one of the petty tyrants of the day, 
 for the purpose of governing this part of Rome. 
 
 Close by is a small ancient building, consisting 
 merely of a square entablature, resting on piers, 
 adorned with composite pilasters and crowded 
 with ornaments. On different parts of it are va- 
 rious instruments of sacrifice, victims, standards, 
 and military ensigns, of excellent workmanship ; 
 and by the inscription we are infoimed that this 
 arch, if it may be so called, was dedicated to 
 Septimius Severus and his family. 
 
 Immediately to the westward, on the banks of 
 the Tyber, appears the Cloaca IMaxima, or great 
 
189 
 
 circular sewer, which is large enough to admit a 
 carriage to pass through it with ease. It is con- 
 structed with immense blocks of stone, placed to- 
 gether without any cement, and disgorges the 
 refuse and filth of the city into the Tyber, very 
 near the temple of Vesta. When this sewer was 
 first built it was considered as a wonder ; vet there 
 is nothing in it capable of exciting great surprise 
 to a man m ho reflects on what has been done in 
 the same way in our own capital. 
 
 The many extensive modern palaces in Rome 
 are named after the families to which they be- 
 long ; but hardly one among the whole can be 
 said by an impartial observer to have any real 
 architectural merit in its elevation, although they 
 are not in their general appearance devoid of 
 grandeur. The conimon shape of them is square 
 or oblong, containing three, four, and five stories 
 in height, including the mezzanino. To each 
 story is a range of windows, enriched with heavy 
 architraves, caps, and tasteless ornaments, and 
 the sashes are made to open as they do in France. 
 Their walls are built chieflv with bricks, some- 
 times stuccoed on the outside, and adorned here 
 and there with members of stone or marble, and 
 the angles are usually fortifyed with rustic stone- 
 work. At the top they finish with a cornice, 
 resting on consoles ; over that are dripping eaves, 
 and the roofs are covered with a sort of pantiles. 
 In the centre or some other part of the front is 
 placed the large gateway, through which people 
 and their carriages enter into an inner court as 
 they do at Florence : and very frequently the 
 
sides of the quadrangle arc much handsomer than 
 the facade itself, heing embellished with different 
 orders of architecture of marble one above the 
 other, which form so many open galleries,, as well 
 for the reception of statues, bass-reliefs, and other 
 works of art, as to communicate with the cham- 
 bers of the several floors. The interior of the 
 palaces consists of a suite of apartments of various 
 extents, but generally rectangular in their forms. 
 They communicate with each other by doorways 
 in a direct line, as at Hampton-couit. The ceil- 
 ings are either coved, panncUed, or domed, paint- 
 ed with fabulous subjects, or from profane and 
 sacred histor}^ The walls are hung with paintings 
 of the most esteemed masters, and often with da- 
 mask and tapestry. Mirrors, with superb tables 
 of lapis lazuli, mosaic, porphyry, and other line 
 marbles, are placed between the windows; and 
 around are rare cabinets, with satin or velvet 
 chairs richly gilt. The floors are frequently of 
 inlaid marble, some are of composition, or plaster 
 elegantly painted, and others of brick onl}^ The 
 nobility scarcely ever reside in the state apart- 
 ments, which are conmionly on the first floor, 
 i>ut they are kept for mere parade and shew, 
 and for the display of paintings and sculpture. 
 The rooms for family residence are either in the 
 upper or lower stories of the palace, just as the 
 inhabitants may feel most convenient to them- 
 jselves, or suitable to the season of the year. 
 
 liavina: siven the ocneral outline of the style 
 iof architecture in which the palaces are built, I 
 shall uow more particularly enumerate some of 
 
191 
 
 the most rare and valuable specimens of art, l)oth 
 ancient and modern, still contained within tlKnr 
 walls, and which are singled out by connoisseurs, 
 as performances pre-eminently deserving the atten- 
 tion of the traveller, and more especially of the 
 artist. 
 
 In the palace Ruspoli is a capital group of the 
 Graces, some busts and antique statues, and a va- 
 riety of painting's. The staircase is celebrated for 
 having two tlights of steps of Parian marble : 
 the steps are eighteen feet long and two feet wide, 
 each in one piece, and most undoubtedly the finest 
 in Rome. 
 
 The Borghese and Doria Pamphili palaces coa- 
 tain the most superb collections of paintings in 
 Italy. The first occupies twelve large chambers,, 
 and the last six, with an extensive gallery round 
 the court-vard. 
 
 The Ghigi has a fine collection of paintings, 
 though comparatively small. Among them is the 
 Battle of Constantine, by Raphael; another by 
 Salvator Rosa ; and some delightful landscapes by 
 Claude Loraine. 
 
 The Colonna palace boasts another surprising 
 collection, arranged in a stately suite of apart- 
 ments, and in a gallery 220 feet long, by twenty- 
 five feet v*^ide, which, in regard to architectural 
 ornaments, is very handsomiC. At each end is a 
 saloon, separated from the gallery itself by a 
 screen of columns of jaune-antique, with pilasters 
 to match. They are hung with the military tro- 
 phies of the house. The ceilings are elegantly 
 painted with various battles, in which one of the 
 
192 
 
 Colonna family commanded; beside which, there 
 are innumerable statues, l^usts, &c. &c. 
 
 Amono; tlie many vahiable works in the Bar- 
 bcrini, the ceiling of the great hall, by Pietro da 
 Cortona, is not the least conspicuous : it represents 
 the triumph of Glory, accompanied with allego- 
 rical figures, expressive of some of the glorious 
 actions of the liarberini family. Another picture 
 of great excellence is, that in which is represented 
 a young unsuspecting man })Iaying with gamesters, 
 by Michael Angelo Caravagio. In another apart- 
 ment is a capital picture of the death of Germa- 
 nicus, by Nicola Poussin, who has judiciously 
 chosen the moment when Germanicus pathetically 
 exhorts his friends to revenge his death, and to 
 protect his wife and children. Agrippina is stand- 
 ing by him in an attitude of distress, and around 
 her are three of her children. This composition 
 is a work of superior genius, and considered the 
 chef-d'oeuvre of the master. 
 
 In the Albano palace are eight handsome cham- 
 bers full of paintings, by the first masters of dif- 
 ferent nations. And the Braschi palace has some 
 excellent works, with a large collection of camios 
 and intaglios, a multitude of mosaic tables, and 
 a superb vase of bronze found in the Pontine 
 marshes. 
 
 The palace Alticri has some apartments orna- 
 mented with pictures and statues : and the Justi- 
 niani palace has a good collection of statues, busts, 
 and bass-reliefs, with an abundance of paintings; 
 but they are principally large gloomy works 
 from jcligious subjects. Among tiie busts are the 
 
]93 
 
 heads of Alexander, in pierre de touche, and of 
 Scipio Africanus, in Egyptian marble ; beside the 
 heads of many of the ancient philosophers. The 
 Bacchanalian vase, and other pieces of sculpture, 
 are in high estimation. 
 
 The Corsini palace, near Mount Gianicolo, has 
 handsome gardens, groves, and covered walks, de- 
 corated with statues, fountains, &c. "Within the 
 palace is a capital collection of pictures. It also 
 contains a large marble chair, said to have been 
 used by the Roman consuls; a library, with a great 
 number of manuscripts, and perhaps the first col- 
 lection of prints in Italy ; together with two por- 
 traits in mosaic, one representing a former pope, 
 and the other a cardinal of the Corsini familv. 
 
 The Farnese palace, belonging to the King of 
 Naples, is an extensive square building, in the 
 erection of wliich manv of the columns and other 
 materials taken from the Coliseum and the theatre 
 of ^larcellus have been used. Under the lower 
 colonnade of the quadrangle the famous Famesian 
 Hercules formerly stood; which, with other choice 
 statues, lias been conveyed to Naples. On the 
 ceilings and "walls are some line Morks in fresco, 
 by Annibal Carracci ; but the best moveable pic- 
 tures and furniture have been taken awav, so that 
 the interior now remains in a naked state. 
 
 Another palace, on a much smaller scale, which 
 also belongs to the King of Naples, is called the 
 Farnesine. This is worthy of attention, princi- 
 pally on account of many excellent frescos on the 
 ceilings and walls, by Raphael and his cotem- 
 poraries. In the chamber \^'here he has so beauti- 
 
 o 
 
194 
 
 fully represented Galatea upon the waters, Michael 
 A.is>elo has sketched on the wall, in chiaro-oscuro, 
 a colossal hc;ul of Alexander in a grand style : 
 and, as the story runs, he intended it to form a 
 contrast with the works of Raphael, and to remain 
 as a reproach to the little manner he had adopted 
 in painting. This head is very high up, near the 
 cornice; and it is said that Michael Angelo 
 painted it clandestinely when the scaffold was up 
 on which Raphael was painting the ceiling. The 
 pope of that day, considering it as a malicious in- 
 tention on the part of Michael Angelo, ordered it 
 to be effaced; but the noble nature of Raphael 
 prompted him to solicit for its continuance, al- 
 leging, that it was by far the best performance in 
 the room, and that he had always blessed the day 
 when he first saw the works of Michael Angelo. 
 
 Within the great hall of the Spada palace 
 stands the celebrated colossal statue of Pompey, 
 at the foot of which it is thought Caesar expired. 
 The character, proportions, and expression, of this 
 figure are excellent. In one hand is a globe, and 
 the other is extended as in the act of addressing 
 an audience : part of the robe hangs on the left 
 arm. I was informed by an Italian who accom- 
 panied me here, that this antique was found 
 under a wall which separated tv/o distinct pro- 
 perties ; the head part was on one side, and 
 the lower part of the body on the other ; which 
 occasioned a dispute between the owners — each 
 claiming the statue. They had even commenced 
 a law-suit; but in the sequel they both agreed to 
 leave the matter to arbitration, which gave rise to 
 
a whimsical story.— The man who was appointed 
 to settle the difference, feehng the vast importance 
 of his office, Iiad recourse to a variety of what he 
 thought precedents : at last he hit upon the case 
 of tiie two concubines, in the Book of Kings; 
 and fancying himself another Solomon, after 
 much ceremony and conceit, he solemnly pro- 
 nounced that the statue should be divided in 
 twain; and that the half v/hich was found on 
 one man s ground should be given unto him, and 
 the other half unto the other: and thus poor 
 Pompey was very near experiencing a shocking 
 fate a second time. However, one of the car- 
 dinals, who was a warm admirer of the arts,, hav- 
 ing accidentally heard of this ludicrous transac- 
 tion, and of the second wise man's decree, stepped 
 in to prevent the destruction of this fine monu- 
 ment. He persuaded the pope then reigning to 
 purchase it, which he did ; and it was afterwards 
 sent as a present to the cardinal for the zeal he 
 had shewn on the occasion, and for the entertain- 
 ment it had afforded to his holiness. 
 
 There are many fine frescos, and a large col- 
 lection of paintings, in the several chambers of this 
 palace ; and below stairs are some statues and bass- 
 reliefs. In a small garden adjoining is a curious 
 perspective, produced by a diminishing colonnade. 
 The vault, the cornices, and other ornaments, are 
 in stucco ; and the whole was designed by Borro- 
 mini. From this small device it is suggested that 
 Bernini took his idea of the large vanishing stair- 
 case at the Vatican. 
 In the palaces Falconieri, Mattel, Bolognetti, 
 
 o 2 
 
196 
 
 Costaguti, Pio, and Pontifical, the man of taste 
 and encjuiry will meet with more or less to enter- 
 tain him. The last is delightfully situated on 
 Mount Quirinal, from which there is a command- 
 ing view of Rome. The greater part of the pic- 
 tures formerly in this palace was removed to the 
 Vatican by Pius VI. : there is, however, still re- 
 maining a tolerable number, with some capital 
 frescos on the ceilings and walls. Contiguous is 
 a handsome garden, about a mile in circuit, walled 
 around, in which the pope walks daily in fine 
 weather for exercise. It is ornamented with 
 groves, parterres, fountains, aviaries, and pavilions ; 
 and in a grotto, at the extremity of the garden, 
 is an organ, contrived to play several tunes by 
 machinery moved by water; but I perceived it 
 was out of condition. 
 
 Situated on the Quirinal hill is another palace, 
 called Rospigliosi, wherein are many chambers 
 hung with valuable paintings, and among them 
 are the twelve apostles, by Ptubens; but the 
 greatest rarity this place has to boast, is the ceil- 
 ing of a pavilion in the garden, painted in fresco, 
 by Guido, with the subject of Aurora. The com- 
 position glows with genius, and manifests how 
 much more the mind has to do with painting than 
 the hand, when the artist aspires to embody his 
 imagination, and render his ideas sensible by forms. 
 I do not believe this picture has its equal. In it, 
 Guido has elegantly distinguished the daybreak, 
 aurora, and the morning, by three different 
 figures. The first is a Cupid, flying with a burn- 
 ing flambeau in his hand, intended to represent 
 
197 
 
 the morning star, which shines most brilHant at 
 the dawn. Aurora precedes the car, and is typi- 
 fied by a young woman in the clouds, with her 
 head peeping out of a veil, and strewing flowers 
 around her. Lastly, the blushing morn is finely 
 personified by Apollo in his car, drawn by swift 
 and fiery steeds, who seems to drive the clouds 
 with precipitation before him-. Other figures, re- 
 presenting the hours, are dancing in fantastic atti- 
 tudes around the car. In short, the whole is so 
 full of grace, sweetness of colouring, and true ex- 
 pression, as to render all commendation whatevel* 
 inadequate to its merit *. 
 
 Beside the palaces before mentioned, there are 
 in the vicinity of Rome several villas with elegant 
 interiors, which appear to have been erected more 
 for the salce of exhibiting paintings and sculp- 
 ture, than with any intention of becoming places 
 of convenient residence. And here it may not be 
 out of place to remark, that the Roman nobility 
 feel the greatest pride and satisfaction in display- 
 ing to foreigners their magnificence in this respect. 
 At a small distance from the gate of Salara, is 
 seated the villa Albano, on a pleasant spot. It 
 was built by a cardinal of that name, afier the 
 design of Vignola. In this, as is the case very fre- 
 quently in Italy, there is no communication to the 
 rooms but from each other. The elevation toward 
 the gardens consists of a projecting centre on an 
 arcade two stories in height ; and attached on each 
 
 * The small engravings we have of such works as these, con- 
 vey but a very poor and imperfect idea o ijie extraordinary 
 richness and grandeur of the original. 
 
 / 
 
19S 
 
 side is an extensive wing only one story high, 
 forming two long galleries for the reception 
 of sculpture and other curiosities. They are 
 open in front, and terminated by two small 
 square temples. The pavement under the arcade 
 in the centre of the front, is of marble. The piers 
 of the lower story are adorned with Ionic pilasters ; 
 and between them are arches supported by small 
 Ionic columns of various marbles, imitatins: in 
 form the Venetian window. The piers of the 
 upper story have Corinthian pilasters, bearing an 
 entablature, with handsome windows between, en- 
 riched with architraves and caps ; and over them 
 are small oval windows. This centre part contains 
 nine windows in length, and finishes above with a 
 handsome balustrade. The facades of the wino-s 
 resemble the lower part of the ceutre building, 
 but the columns are of granite. Although the 
 general i'onn of this building may be said to be 
 agreeable, still the parts of which it is composed 
 are by far too small and crowded to be what 
 would be deemed in this country a fine classical 
 design. The collection of antiques which it for- 
 merly contained, was reckoned one of the first 
 in Europe, till it was so much reduced by the pe- 
 culation of the French during their stay at Rome; 
 but in this, as well as in other instances, tliey have 
 left behind them a considerable number of statue^, 
 busts, bass-reliefs, &c. worthy of attention : like 
 house-breakers, they only took away what they 
 thought most valuable and most easy for removal. 
 Upon the ceiling of the great gallery above stairs, 
 Meugs has painted, in a capital manner, Apollo 
 
159 » 
 
 on Zvlount Parnassus, surrounded by the muses. 
 The faces of these figures are said to be real por- 
 traits of well-known persons of the age. The 
 walls of the 2:allerv are ornamented with bass- 
 reliefs, and pilasters covered with mosaic, and en- 
 riched with cameos of an immense size. In other 
 parts are handsome recesses lined with plate-glass, 
 in which statues are placed, shewing their backs 
 by reflexion. Adjoining this chamber is a small 
 cabinet or boudoir, incrustated throughout with 
 mother-of-pearl, and the furniture is made of the 
 same material, which has a very delicate and ele- 
 gant effect. Among the sculpture in this s ilia, I 
 particularh'' noticed a fine statue of Mars^as; an 
 alto-relief of Antinous over a chimne\- ; some ca- 
 ryatides of exquisite workm.ansh'p ; and a magni- 
 ficent basin, eight feet in diameter and nearly live 
 feet in depth, of white marble, displaynig on the 
 outside, in bass-reliefs, the labours of Kercules. 
 It rests on a granite pedestal. Tlie hall- of the 
 billiard-room is ornamented with eight rine marble 
 columns, with an entablature complete, aiid con- 
 tains various statues and bass-reliefs. Dnectlv 
 opposite the principal entrance appears a stately 
 fountain, to which double flights of steps lead, and 
 their balustrades are crowned with ditrerent sta- 
 tues. At the extremity of the 2;arden is a large 
 semicircular pavilion, open in the front, and 
 similar in its style of architecture to the wings 
 of the principal building; that is to say, against 
 the piers are Ionic pilasters supporting an entabla- 
 ture and a small atcic : between them are arches 
 resting on small columns of granite, resembling 
 
2G0 
 
 the Venetian window. This light and airy me- 
 thod of building has a pleasing effect in a sultry 
 climate. Within the pavilion is deposited a mul- 
 titude of statues, busts, sphinxes, and Egyptian 
 idols. Immediately adjoining, is the coffee-saloon. 
 The Italians, like the French, as soon as they 
 have dined retire to take coffee, tea, or other re- 
 freshing liquors; and for that purpose there is 
 almost always belonging to the villas of persons of 
 distinction, a small temple placed in the most 
 agreeable part of the garden. The ceiling of this 
 saloon is painted with a Bacchanalian subject; 
 the floor is of ancient mosaic; and the walls 
 adorned with paintings, busts, and bass-reliefs. In 
 different parts of the garden are also some excel- 
 lent pieces of sculpture, such as statues, groups, 
 and animals ; with various fountains, cascades, 
 and other decorations. 
 
 On IVIount Pincius appears the villa Lodovisi, 
 which is said to occupy part of the ground where 
 were formerly the gardens of Sallust. The house 
 itself is in a forlorn state, and has nothing in its 
 architecture worthy of notice ; but the gardens 
 are two miles in circuit, varied with bowers, shady 
 walks, groves, fountains, vases, and statues, all 
 disposed in a set formal manner. The main build- 
 ing contains a collection of antique sculpture; 
 among which is a capital group in white mar- 
 ble, supposed to represent the young Papirius 
 Pretextatus and his mother, who is much larger 
 in stature than her son. She is endeavouring to 
 draw from him the secret of the senate. The in- 
 scription underneath mentions that it was exe- 
 
cuted by Menelaiis, son of Etienne the Greek 
 sculptor. Another fine group is a Roman per- 
 formance, and so faithfully composed for the pa- 
 thetic subject, that one could almost suppose the 
 tragical scene to be in action. — Cecinna Petus, the 
 consul, and husband to the virtuous Arria, was 
 condemned to die by his own hands, for joining 
 in a conspiracy against Claudius Caesar. At first, 
 he hesitated and trembled at the decree, which his 
 wife perceiving, she heroicly snatched the poniard 
 out of his hand and plunged it into her own bosom ; 
 after which she returned him the bloody instru- 
 ment, saying, Thou seest, my dear husband, that 
 it has given no pain to me ! A group, by Cheva- 
 lier Bernini, representing the rape of Proserpine, 
 is a beautiful production, nearly equal to the 
 antique. 
 
 Upon the ceiling of a pavilion, in the centre of 
 the garden, is a fine fresco painting by Guercino, 
 representing Aurora in her car, drawn by two 
 horses, and surrounded with alleg-orical fio-ures: 
 the whole very similar to that in the Rospigliosi. 
 But what is most remarkable in this composition, 
 is the eflfect of the chiaro-oscuro of the morning, 
 which is so skilfully managed as to appear real, 
 and astonishes every beholder immediately on en- 
 trance. Another ceiling in the room over, is like- 
 wise painted bv Guercino, in fresco, representing 
 the figure of Fame sounding her trumpet; the co- 
 louring of wliich is excellent. 
 . In a pavilion belonging to the gardens of the 
 villa Aldobrandini is the celebrated antique small 
 fresco painting known by the name of Les Noccs 
 
202 
 
 Aldohrandincs, which represents a wedding and 
 the nuptial bed. It was found in the ruins of the 
 house of Mecenas, near the batlis of Titus ; and 
 is said to be more ancient than those which were 
 discovered at Herculaneurn. Although the per- 
 spective is bad, ye': the expression and the figures 
 are well designed; and the perfect state it remains 
 in, proves the durability of the plaster on which 
 the ancients painted. The facade of the villa it- 
 self is decorated with statues and bass-reliefs of 
 excellent execution; and the apartments contain 
 some gooil pictures, by Leouardi da \'inci, and 
 other celebrated masters. 
 
 The Pamphili villa is adorned with two stories 
 of the Corinthian order, and an attic above. The 
 facade is ornamented here and there with statues, 
 busts, and bass-reliefs, and the cliambers contain 
 some excellent sculpture. On the top of the build- 
 ing is a circular hall surrounded with armour, por- 
 celain, Etruscan vases, and many other curi- 
 osities. The gardens are nearly four miles in cir- 
 cumference, comprising promenades of various 
 kinds, delicious bowers, meadows, and an abund- 
 ance of fountains, with cascades, &c. In the 
 ^liddle of a semicircular range of ornaments and 
 statues is a round pavilion, v.bcrein a Faune is 
 sitting with his reed, which plays a multitude of 
 tunes, by means of an origan moved by v.'ater. 
 These little specimens of mechanical ingenuity are 
 prevalent in Italy, and seem to afford much more 
 pleasure to the Italians, than they do to the iur 
 habitants of a northern climate. 
 
 Last pf all, I come to the famous villa Borghese;. 
 
and, in order to give any just idea of it, I shall be 
 under the necessity of going into a more detailed 
 and elaborate description than I have done of the 
 preceding villas. At the same tim.e no written ac- 
 count whatever, even accompanied with drawings, 
 would be able to convey a fidl conception of the 
 extreme architectural magnificence that prevails 
 within, nor of the fine collection of statues, busts, 
 bass-reliefs, altars, sarcophagi, &c. with which it is 
 so profusely embellished. Indeed, what they say of 
 it on the spot may readily be believed — that for 
 sculpture, taste, and elegance of interior, it stands 
 unrivalled in all Christendom. 
 
 The way to this dclightfid retreat is through La 
 Porta del Popolo, whence you turn sharp round on 
 the right, and in a very short time reach the pa- 
 vilion and iron gates that lead into the park and 
 gardens, which are said to be nearly three miles in 
 circumference. Tliey were disposed and laid out 
 under the direction of Mr. Moore, an English 
 painter, and are evidently in the English style. In 
 them you perceive that wild inequality and woody 
 appearance so much more agreeable to an eye fond 
 of nature, than the form.al straight walks and pre- 
 cise plantations of the French and Italians ; added 
 to which, they are relieved, in a judicious and spar- 
 ing manner, with fountains, statues, vases, and 
 temples of different kinds ; but the most remark- 
 able is that dedicated to Esculapius, which stands 
 in the centre of a piece of wsLtei on the left as you 
 approach the house. 
 
 The exterior surface of this building is nearly 
 all incased with antique sculpture, such as bass-re- 
 
204 
 
 liefs, in pannels, from historical subjects, and va- 
 rious statues and busts. Notwithstanding what 
 has been said of tlie interior, the facade lias cer- 
 tainly no particular beauty of architecture to re- 
 commend it. It is composed of two wings, with 
 square windows, two stories in height, beside the 
 basement. They are connected together in the 
 centre by an arcade of the Doric order, with only 
 an attic above, making thereby a kind of gallery 
 or terrace before the body of the house, which 
 stands back. This arcade also forms an open 
 loojria, into which you first enter from two broad 
 flights of steps placed sideways against the front 
 of the building, and thence directly into the great 
 hall, which is a parallelogram on the plan. The 
 ceiling of it is richly painted by Rossi, with the 
 battles of Furius Camillus against the Gauls, and 
 the tloor is of marble. The doors and the niches 
 at the ends are adorned with columns of porphyry, 
 supporting appropriate caps. In the niches are 
 beautiful marble statues of Achilles, IMercurv, ^les- 
 salina, and others. Opposite the great entrance 
 appears against the wall a Greek bass-relief, re- 
 presenting females dancing in the most graceful 
 attitudes ; and over that is an astonishingly grand 
 antique alto-relievo as large as life, shewing the 
 leap of Curtius into the abyss in the forum. Other 
 niches in the walls of this saloon contain the busts 
 of the twelve Caesars. On the right of this hall 
 is the cluunbcr of the vases, so called from the 
 fine vases it contains ; thence persons are conduct- 
 ed from room to room round the house, which is 
 nearly square on the plan, till they come again into 
 
205 
 
 the same hall on the other side. In the middle of 
 the chamber I have just mentioned stands a cele- 
 brated vase of extraordinary size and beauty. On 
 its sides is represented, in bass-relief, the feast of 
 Bacchus, elegantly executed. Also a surprising 
 figure of David, by Eernini, just preparing to sling 
 the stone against Goliath. The attitude and cha- 
 racter of this performance demonstrate how well 
 Eeraini imitated the perfection of Greek sculpture. 
 Beside these, there are a Narcissus, a Bacchus, 
 and a Venus, with a few other antiques. The 
 ceiling is finely painted with the Judgment of 
 Paris. 
 
 In the centre of the next chamber is another 
 elegant vase ; a fine Greek sarcophagus, represent- 
 ing the death of Aleleager : above, is a Bacchus 
 sporting Arith an infant. Close by is a beautiful 
 group of the Graces, supporting a vase placed on 
 a rich table of pierre de touche. The figure of the 
 dying Seneca is of the same marble, and much 
 admired, together with other statues and busts. 
 The ceiling is handsomely painted, reprcsentino- 
 the fall of Phaeton. In the chamber adioininof is 
 a group in white marble, of Apollo and Daphne, 
 of the size of nature, bv Bernini ; the fijnues of 
 which arc so beautiful, that this performance ranks 
 almost with the antique. The metamorphose is 
 described as beginning on one of Daphne's legs, 
 and the other is taking root in the ground. The 
 other interesting groups are, ^Eneas in the act of 
 carrying his father from the flames of Troy, the 
 graces, and the sleeping children. The Baccha- 
 nalian bass-relief of infants is capital : the fio-ures 
 
206 
 
 are in pierre de touche, on a lapis lazuli ground. 
 There are also four superb vases of white marble 
 charged with bass-reliefs; and a landscape, by 
 Mr. Moore, the Englisli artist. Next to this 
 chamber appears the gallery itself, which is the 
 most superb room in the house. In length it 
 is about sixty feet, in width twenty-six feet, 
 and of a proportionate heiglit; and, in point of 
 architectural finish, is superior to any thing in 
 Europe. The ceiling is coved and pannelled, and 
 beautifully painted with the history of Galatea, 
 Acis, and Polyphemus, by Angeli. The floor is 
 of variegated marble, and the walls are embel- 
 lished with Corinthian pilasters of marble, bearing 
 an appropriate entablature: between them are 
 niches for the reception of statues and other deco- 
 rations ; and above are pannels containing elegant 
 bass-reliefs. On one of the sides, lengthwise, are 
 the windows answering to the recesses opposite, 
 in which are placed the niches. The walls all 
 round the gallery are lined with jaune-anti(iue, 
 flowered alabaster, mosaics, and other oriental 
 marbles. In addition to the beauty of its archi- 
 tecture, appear a variety of vases of different mar- 
 bles, standing on tables of black and white antique; 
 also a great quantity of busts, many representing 
 the Roman emperors, arranged on granite pedestals, 
 with many valuable antique statues. In short, 
 this gallery, taken altogether, is one of the most 
 magnificent objects that can be produced by the 
 joint efforts of art and expense. 
 
 Adjoining, is the chamber of the Hermaphrodite. 
 This rare and celebrated statue was found entire 
 
207 
 
 Avhen the workmen were digging out the ground 
 for the foundation of a new portico to the church 
 called St. ]\Iary, near the gardens of Salhist; and 
 Cardinal Borghcse engaged to pay the expense of 
 the portico, provided the religious order would 
 give him the statue in return, which they con- 
 sented to do. The figure is as large as life, lying on 
 a modern mattress of Egyptian marhle, made by 
 Bernini, with the face downwards. The back part, 
 the neck, the legs, and hands, are beautiful, and 
 resemble the female. The face is delicately mas- 
 culine. The male organs are decisive and apparent, 
 and under them are those of the female more 
 faintly marked. Concealed in this apartment, is 
 another figure of the same sort, incased in armour, 
 because the orsrans of the two sexes are too ab- 
 ruptly distinguished for public exposure. 
 
 Leaving this room, which contains a few other 
 works of less note, you are led directly into the 
 chamber of the Gladiator; where, nearly in the 
 centre of the room, stands that wonderful antique 
 on a modern marble pedestal. I need not add 
 that this figure, which is known to all conversant 
 with the arts, is beyond eulogium. The inscription 
 on the foot of this statue, whicli was found at An- 
 tium, intimates .that it was executed by a Greek 
 statuary, named Agasias of Ephesus. In this 
 apartment are other antiques : namely, a colossal 
 statue of Ceres ; a charming figure of Polymnia 
 leaning on a tree, with drapery uncommonly fine; 
 a Morpheus placed on a sarcophagus, the shepherd 
 Marsyas drav/ino- from his foot a thorn; an an- 
 tique boar ; a wolf of rouge antique, as large as 
 
208 
 
 life; and other works worthy of attention. On 
 the ceihng, Jupiter, Juno, and other divinities, 
 are painted in a masterly manner, hy Pecheu ; and 
 there are several landscapes, by a INIr. Tierce. In 
 the middle of the Egyptian apartment stands a mag- 
 nificent bath of porphyry, supported by four bronze 
 crocodiles. The pavement of this room consists 
 of ancient and modern mosaic; the ceiling is coved 
 and pannelled, and richly painted, by Conca, re- 
 presenting the actions of Mark Antony and Cleopa- 
 tra in Egypt, and the seven planets arc personified 
 with suitable emblems. The walls are covered 
 and adorned with black and white antique marble, 
 granite, and pierre de touche, judiciously disposed. 
 It contains a fine statue of Juno in porphyry, the 
 head, the hands, and the feet of which, are in 
 white marble ; two fortune-tellers, as large as life, 
 in true character and archness ; Diana, with dra- 
 pery representing fine linen ; a few Egyptian idols, 
 and some sphinxes as ornaments over the door. 
 
 The adjoining chamber contains the figure of 
 Silenus, with a young Bacchus in his arms; a 
 Centaur, with a Cupid on his back ; two Muses ; 
 Cupid and Psyche; and two fine basins of por- 
 phyry. The ceiling of the room is painted by 
 Conca, shewing a sacrifice to Silenus and Bacchus, 
 
 After this, you ascend to the apartments above, 
 where there is an extensive collection of paintings, 
 by Poussin, Tintoretto, iMengs, Titian, and other 
 first-rate masters. One of the rooms is entirely 
 filled with the early works of an English painter, 
 the late Mr. Hamilton. They form a complete 
 history of Paris and Helen, and, in regard to de- 
 
209 
 
 sign and expression, are entitled to considerable 
 praise; but so much faintness and want of spirit 
 appear in the colouring, as to be very displeasing 
 when viewed after the productions of the old 
 masters. 
 
 Another chamber is hung with a great quantity 
 of portraits, taken from the most beautiful Roman 
 ladies of the dav, by Gaetan and Pandovanino ; 
 and in a contiguous saloon are many landscapes, 
 executed by a Mr. Hakert, a Prussian painter. 
 The ceilings of these chambers are handsomely 
 painted, and their interiors expensively fitted up, 
 though some of them remain in an unfinished 
 state. 
 
 After the villas, w^e will consider the churches, 
 which abound in Rome, and in reference to the 
 interior of many of them, nothing can be con- 
 ceived more rich and elegant than they are, owing 
 to tlieir marbles and paintings ; nevertheless, the 
 architectural composition of their elevations, almost 
 without a single exception, will be found to be 
 the result of a bad and vitiated taste, particularly 
 those that have been erected in more modem 
 times : and in order that every professional man 
 may have it in his power to judge for himself in 
 this instance, I have given an etching of the 
 facade of one of them, which will communicate 
 to him a very correct idea of the whole ; because 
 the same style and character are preserved in all 
 alike, only allowing for a few trifling alterations, 
 which the fancy of the various architects who de- 
 signed them may have suggested in the disposition 
 of some of their parts. To speak generally of them — 
 
 p 
 
!210 
 
 Their fronts arc encumbered with coUimns and pi- 
 lasters, arranged in a tasteless manner ; very fre- 
 quently one mutilated pediment is most absurdly 
 placed within the tympanum of another; beside 
 wdiich, they are either overloaded with statues or 
 deformed by ornaments of a depraved and local 
 description. And, as a completion to the whole, 
 thev are broken and disjointed into a multitude of 
 trivial forms and ])etty unmeaning- parts, to the 
 ntter subversion of all simplicit}-, connection, and 
 grandeur. But what renders it still more in- 
 excusable is, that these reprehensible designs 
 should be executed in the very same city where 
 the celebrated portico of the Pantheon, that 
 of the temple of Antoninus Pins, and other 
 })eautiful remains, stand as a public reproach to 
 so flagrant a perversion of all true taste and 
 classic architecture. Indeed, wliat was said by 
 our own immortal painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, 
 ouu'ht never be forirotten ; which was to the 
 following import: That true genius is seen as 
 much in singling out and adr.pting approved ex- 
 amples in the practice of the arts, as in tlie dis- 
 play of original thouglits or unprecedented inven- 
 tion : — and I think we may safely say, more so, 
 unless such new association of ideas should turn 
 out, upon mature investigation, to be equal or su- 
 perior to what has been done, otherw^ise it is much 
 better to be an imitator of good things, than an 
 inventor of bad. 
 
 Among the four ancient and patriarchal churches 
 at Rome, that of St. John Tateran stands first, 
 it was rebuilt by Clement XII. and is extremely 
 
^•J^^O fi^f,. 
 
( 
 
 I 
 
£11 
 
 magnificent. The width is divided into five parts, 
 making a nave and four aisles. The nave is sepa- 
 rated from the aisles by immense square piers, and 
 in them are niches, each adorned with a couple of 
 columns of vcrde-antique, and an entablature. 
 Tliey contain colossal statues of the apostles, of 
 good sculpture. Over the niches are some bass* 
 reliefs in stucco. The aisles are separated from 
 eacli other bv columns of marble. The ceilino- of 
 the church is in mosaic, and the sides and pave- 
 ment are of variegated marble ; but the most mag- 
 nificent thing to be seen here, is the chapel on the 
 left of the entrance, belono-infj: to the familv of 
 the Corsini. The walls are decorated with the Co- 
 rintliian order, and completely covered, as well as 
 the floor, with fine marbles. The picture over the 
 altar is a mosaic, representing St. Andrew, on a 
 ground of oriental alabaster, inclosed in a frame 
 of gilt bronze. The altar-piece is adorned with 
 two columns of verde-antique, supporting a suitable 
 entablatine. The dome is stuccoed and hand- 
 somelv pannelled, ^^•ith ornaments richly ffilt; 
 and in tlie sacristy is a valuable collection of sa- 
 cred utensils. In this chapel there is a fine urn of 
 porphyry, which was brought from the Pantheon, 
 and is supposed to be the same that inshrined the 
 ashes of Marcus Agrippa. It now appertains to 
 the tomb of Clement XII. Against the walls are 
 four niches, with figures representing the cardinal 
 virtues, and some fine bass-reliefs in marble. 
 
 The great altar of the church stands in the cen- 
 tre of the cross, ornamented by four columns of 
 marble, wliich support a Gothic canopy ; and un- 
 
 p 2 
 
212 
 
 der It, as we are told, are inumed, in silver cases 
 beset with diamonds, the heads of St. Peter and 
 St. Paul. In different parts of the church are 
 other altars, tabernacles, tombs, and statues, with 
 a superb organ placed at one end, on two columns 
 of jaune-antiquc, all well deserving the attention 
 of the tra\eller. 
 
 The basilick of St. Maria Maggiore, is another 
 of the patriarchal churches, and boasts a sumptu- 
 ous interior. The plan is said to have been mira- 
 culously marked out upon the ground by a fall of 
 snow in 352 ; and to give this story a greater pro- 
 bability of truth, we are told the snow fell in 
 August. The present principal facade was not 
 erected till 1743; it consists of the Ionic order 
 below, and Corinthian abo\e ; and vdiose geneial 
 character, there is reason to suspect, afforded some 
 liints to Mr. Gibbs, when he was designing the 
 New church in the Strand, particularly the side 
 elevations, for in both we perceive a disagreeable 
 reoetltion of small insignificant pediments com- 
 bined with similar parts. The plan forms a cross 
 SZ'JO feet in len<2:th, and fiftv feet wide in the nave, 
 which is divided into three parts, by Ionic co- 
 himns of \^'hite marble. The pavement consists of 
 mosaic. Over the two aisles are elliptic ceilings, 
 but the ceiling of the nave is flat, with square- 
 moulded pannels, each enriched with flowers in 
 the centre. The frieze which runs round the 
 church over the Ionic columns is also mosaic ; and 
 in other parts appear specimens of mosaic executed 
 so far back as the fifth century. The interior de- 
 rives light only from windows in the upper part 
 
213 
 
 of the nave. The great altar is placed, as usual, 
 in an insular situation, and the communion table, 
 consistino: of black and Avhite marble, rests on 
 four bronze children, gilt. The canopy or bal- 
 dichino over it, is borne by four columns of por- 
 phyry ; and on them stand four angels in marble, 
 holdino- a crown. On one side of the church is 
 the superb chapel of the Borghese family, built 
 by Paul V. who was a member of ir. The walls 
 are covered tlnou2:hout with rare marbles, embel- 
 lished with sculpture, and some fine paintings by 
 Guido. The tombs are decorated A\'ith statues, 
 bass-reliefs, and elegant columns. Not any thing- 
 can well be richer than the altar ; and it is ex- 
 pected that you should believe the figure of the 
 Virain Mary, which is fixed over it, was painted 
 by St. Luke himself This picture is placed on a 
 ground of lapis lazuli, surrounded with precious 
 stones, and sustained by four bronze angels, gilt. 
 Belonging to the altar are four superb fluted co- 
 lumns of oriental jasper, with bronze bases and 
 caps, which carry a rich marble entablature, with 
 a frieze of ao-ate. The whole is surmounted A\dth 
 a fine bass-relief of gilt bronze, representing the 
 miracle of the snow. The dome is elegantly 
 painted in fresco with sacred subjects. Opposite 
 to the other is the famous chapel of Sextus V. 
 finished in the same expensive manner ; containing 
 a beautiful mausoleum of that pope. The chief 
 altar-piece is situated in the centre of the chapel, 
 surmounted by a tabernacle of gilt bronze, and 
 rests on four angels : in it is preserved, as it is said, 
 
a piece of the manger in which our Saviour was 
 born. 
 
 Another of the patriarchal churches is that of 
 St. Paul, erected by Constantine the Great, upon 
 an ancient cemetery where St. Paul is said to ha\c 
 been buried. It was rebuilt by the Emperor Theo- 
 dosius; and has since been repaired and orna- 
 mented from time to time by various popes. The 
 bodv of the old church is 258 feet long, and 138 
 feet wide ; and outwardly it is no better than an 
 old brick barn, except the modern portico, which 
 consists of seven arches, with double Corinthian 
 columns against the piers, bearing an appropriate 
 entablature and a small attic above; all of which 
 were added to the facade in 1725. The three 
 large bronze doors under this portico, ornamented 
 with bass-reliefs on the pannels, M'cre put there 
 several centuries before. The interior is a com- 
 pound of magnificence and meanness ; and is di- 
 vided into five parts, namely, a nave and four 
 aisles, which are separated from cacli other by 
 rich Corinthian columns of white marble, that bear 
 arches on their capitals. Those of the nave were 
 taken from the tomb of Adrian, and are thirty-six 
 feet high each in one piece, with a part of the 
 shafts fluted ; beside them, are other columns of 
 fine marble in different parts of the church. The 
 walls being only plastered and whitewaslied, and 
 the wooden roof having no ceiling luiderneath, 
 impart to the inside a very rude and unfinished 
 appearance. But as in that country there must 
 be something marvellous on every occasion, sq 
 
o 
 
 15. 
 
 some of the beams are said to be made of the 
 cedars of Lebanon : tliey are, however, too far 
 from the eve, and too much discoloured by as:e, to 
 enable any body to judge of the truth of the re- 
 port. The pavement is composed of ancient frag- 
 ments of marble irregularly disposed. On the 
 walls of the nave, above the arches, arc painted 
 the popes, chronologically placed from the time of 
 Leo X. : over them are represented diiferent stories 
 from the Old Testament ; and above all are placed 
 the windows which afford lio-ht to the interior. 
 The great altar is adorned v/ith a Gothic pa^•ilion, 
 ending in a pyramidal form at top, supported by 
 four columns of porphyry. The other altars are 
 elegantly enriched, as well as the chapel at the 
 north end. Around the court of the convent is a 
 colonnade, and underneath it appear mosaic orna- 
 ments, and various ancient inscriptions. 
 
 The fourth and last patriarclial church at Rome 
 is St. Peter's ; which for grandeur, magnitude, and 
 costliness of interior, must, without doubt, be ac- 
 knowledged the first temple in the universe ; and 
 which is too generally known by the prints, to 
 require more than a compendious description. 
 This edifice was begun in the tribuna part, by 
 pope Nicholas V. in the year 1450, on the same 
 spot where it is said St. Peter was buried, and 
 after a design made by Albcrti. The work was 
 afterwards discontinued, till Paul IL took it in 
 hand ; and next to him Julius IL who prosecuted 
 the enterprise with more ardour and spirit, after 
 liavino; consulted the most able men of the dav, 
 who gave a variety of plans ; however it hap' 
 
i3l6' 
 
 pened that Bramante's pleased his holiness nftOsf, 
 and he was accordingly appointed to superintend 
 the building. His plan was a Greek cross crowned 
 with a stately cupola ; and he built the large piers 
 on which the present one rests. Julius II. laid 
 the first stone of them, April 18, 1506; but soon 
 atfter both the pope and Bramante died, and it re- 
 mained for Leo X. to go on with this great public 
 monument. He accordingly sent to Florence for 
 Sangallo and Raphael, two celebrated characters 
 of the age ; and they went to Rome to undertake 
 the business, but in the issue they did nothing 
 more than merely strengthen and fortify the foun- 
 dations of the piers, which they thought too 
 feeble ; and gave some drawings and models for 
 the future progress of the structure. After them, 
 Leo appointed an architect named Peruzzi, who 
 followed up the design of a Greek cross, and fi- 
 nished the tribuna under Clement VII. Then 
 came Paul III. who committed it to the care of 
 Antonio Sagallo, nephew of Giamberti. He pro- 
 posed a new plan, and executed a model of it, 
 but he died without having done much to it prac- 
 tically. At last, the direction of the works luckily 
 fisll into the hands of the famous Michael Angelo, 
 by whose rare genius the plans of his predecessors 
 were thoroughly digested and brought to perfec- 
 tion, We are told he erected the cylinder part of 
 the present magnificent cupola, jointly from Bra^ 
 mantes drawings and his own ideas; and in- 
 tended to affix to the facade of the church a 
 noble portico, resembling that of the Pantheon, 
 which was unhappily nev^r carried into execution. 
 
217 
 
 Michael Angelo died soon after Paul III.; and 
 then Vignola was appointed architect, by Pius V. 
 with full orders to observe most rigidly the de- 
 signs of ^lichael Angelo : he erected the two side 
 turrets and a few other parts. Next to liim was 
 chosen Jaques de la Porte, by Gregory XIII. ; 
 and he finished the present grand cupola from an 
 improved design of IMichael Angelo, under the 
 pontificate of Sextus V. so justly renowned for 
 the astonishing public works he caused to be per- 
 formed during his short reign. Clement VIII. 
 ornamented the interior of the cupola with mo- 
 saics ; the circular ceiling with stucco work richly 
 gilt; and covered the floor with slabs of variegated 
 marble. At last, this superb temple was finished 
 bv Paul V. of the Borohese familv, under the su- 
 perintendance of Carlo Maderno, who reduced it 
 into the figure of a Latin cross, and put up the 
 present principal facade. The two circular colon- 
 nades were afterwards added bv Bernini, con- 
 formably to an order of Alexander VII. with a 
 view of giving greater magnificence to the whole. 
 Thus was this edifice, at last, brought to a state of 
 perfection, after extraordinary delays, difficulties, 
 and expense ; and, without the least exaggeration, 
 it may be said, when we consider the ai-chitecture 
 of its interior, the sculpture of its tombs and or- 
 naments, the mosaics, the paintings, tlie gilding, 
 the ornamental stucco work, and the superb mar- 
 bles with which the walls aie adorned, that it 
 would be commendable in any artist, even singly 
 considered, to undeitake a long journey foi' the 
 
218 
 
 satisfaction of viewing such a stately edifice on 
 the spot. 
 
 Although this fabric is considerably lar2;er than 
 St. Paufs, and colossal in all its parts, it does not 
 appear nearly so stupendous nor gigantic, particu- 
 lai-ly in the interior; and this, perhaps, may be 
 attributed to its having more symmetry in its 
 great divisions. The na^T of St. Paufs being so 
 very narrow, in proportion to its height and length, 
 astonishes much more than the broad extended 
 nave of St. Peter's ; still the last is by far most 
 pleasing, independently of the superior manner in 
 which it is fniislicd. When tliis edifice is viewed 
 on the outside the same observations may be 
 made, but with this difference, that St. Paufs has 
 the decided preference in point of architectural 
 beauty. For my own part, I do not think any 
 design can be vv^orse than the exterior distribution 
 of St. Peter's ; and if we allow that the application 
 of a single order is more grand tlian wlicil two are 
 employed one above the other, yet the beauty in 
 either case depends in a great degree upon the 
 arrangement. In the principal front of St. Peter's 
 there are no less than fourteen breaks; and the 
 pediment is not only useless, by being placed flat 
 against the building, but by far too small and 
 unimportant, compared with the extent of tlic 
 facade; thus, if the four columns on which it rests 
 were brought forward so as to form a projecting 
 portico, it would be somewhat in the same pro- 
 portions as that which we see in the quadrangle of 
 the Admiralty. AVhereas the intention of Micliacl 
 
£19 
 
 Ano-clo was to have added one similar to the por- 
 tico of the Pantheon, which woukl have formed a 
 noble ami dignified feature, perfectly suitable to a 
 building of so much magnitude and expense. 
 Also the spaces bctv/een the columns and pilasters 
 are so narrow, that the windows and niches be- 
 tween them have apparently been introduced with 
 difficulty, and make at the best but a crowded and 
 confused appearance. The back and side eleva- 
 tions are, if possi])le, more objectionable ; they are 
 also broken and divided into a multitude of little 
 insignificant parts: aud even the circular pro- 
 jections of the transepts and great tribune, whose 
 chief and leading beauty resides in continued and 
 uninterrupted lines, have been sacrificed to the 
 same perverted taste and fancy. The three niches 
 placed over each other in different parts look 
 somewhat like catacombs; and the windows, as 
 before observed, seem to have been thrust in 
 l^etween the pilasters in a most awkward and in- 
 elegant manner. Here let us call to our recollec- 
 tion, by way of contrast, both the outside of our 
 own cathedral, and the beautiful front of White- 
 hall, where the columns and pilasters are so judi- 
 ciously made subservient to the more useful and 
 necessary considerations of the building, and which 
 ought always to be the case when they are placed 
 against the piers merely as ornaments. In these 
 two examples we cannot help perceiving how ele- 
 gantly the windows (which are of a bold and noble 
 proportion) occupy the spaces allotted to them ; 
 and that the distances of the columns and pilasters 
 fjom each other appear to be wholly regulated 
 
SCO 
 
 thereby. The ssme principles of disposition, un- 
 der similar circumstances, were practised by the 
 Romans, especially in their amphitlieatres ; and 
 have been almost invariably attended to by Pal- 
 ladio, and many other modern architects, as may 
 be seen by their works ; without having- that re- 
 gard to the Grecian rules of intercolumniation, 
 which ought only to be abided by in continued 
 colonnades or porticos, where windows and arches 
 do not at all go^'e^n ; and even in these cases we 
 often find them in difterent buildings of different 
 proportions, varying according to the general form 
 and character of the edifice. 
 
 Again, the exterior of the dome or cupola* of 
 St. Peters must also be allowed to fall infinitely 
 below that of St. Paul's in lineal beauty and com- 
 position. Let any man of taste compare the two 
 together, and he will be instantly struck with the 
 superior elegance and grandeur of the periptere of 
 St. Paul's, whose entablature and balustrade above 
 run so sweetly round in a circular unbroken line, 
 producing that idea of infinity so desirable in 
 works of art, united at the same time with 
 those of utility. On the contrary, the double co- 
 lumns and broken entablature placed round the 
 dome of St. Peters appear to answer no other 
 purpose than that of buttresses or counter-forts ; 
 and by being divided into a number of small dis- 
 tinct parts t they lose all that connection and cir- 
 
 • The terms cupola and dome I have used throughout indis- 
 criminately ; but the small building on the very summit of the 
 dome or cupola, I invariably call a lantern. 
 
 t "Where these projections unite with the dome are many frac- 
 
CIO 
 
 >M 1 
 
 cularltv so much aclmired in the round and oblons: 
 temples of the heathens. Nor is the form of the 
 dome itself so pleasing to the eye as that which 
 crowns the church of St. Paul. 
 
 Having: said so much in favour of the outside 
 of St. Paufs, it is but fair to allow, on the other 
 side of the question, that the magnihcent and 
 
 turcs, which most probably arose from their having been built at 
 the same time as the dome itself, and whose additional weight 
 occasioned more pressure on the ground than these lighter parts 
 by which it is surrounded. Now speaking of the ill effects of 
 partial pressure in buildings, I will here take an opportunity of 
 mentioning a circumstance by which they might in man}- cases 
 be prevented, particularly in those houses which are raised seve- 
 ral stories in height, with window over window or other large 
 apertures, and where the ground is precarious. It frequently 
 liappens, that in buildings of this description the front appears 
 distigured by fractures, and especially the arches over the win- 
 dows and apertures; but which is seldom the case in dead walls 
 or tiank ends of buildings, because in them the weight is better 
 balanced, and by pressing more uniformly on the surface of 
 the ground, if it be yielding, the walls settle regularly together. 
 On that account were workmen, in carrying up their houses, to 
 fill in all the windows and apertures with rough brickwork, leav- 
 ing upright joints, then the weight of the superstructure would 
 be thrown more equally on the foundation ; and after the walls 
 were properly settled and come to their bearings, the temporary 
 brickwork might be easily removed. Although this method 
 would be attended with some additional expense, yet I am con- 
 f.dent that in the end it would be found to answer, because it 
 often occurs that the aixhcs of the windows, and even some part 
 of the front, are obliged to be reinstated after they are supposed 
 to be finished, owing to the partial pressure and sinking of lofty 
 piers. Indeed, this must ever be more or less the case where a 
 great weight comes in one part and scarcely any in another, un- 
 less great precaution be taken in the foundation, and at a con- 
 siderable es-pcnsc. 
 
ooo 
 
 nobly proportioned interior of St. Peter's reduces 
 the other to a very secondary object of admiration. 
 The p,rcat dome bears on four j)iers and four 
 arches; and that which in my mind aljates the 
 good effect in the part under the dome of St. Pauls 
 cannot here be complained of; I mean the seg- 
 ments nnder the semicircular arches : and in regard 
 to the upper, if ever a painter invented any thing 
 repugnant to common sense, and ill-suited for the 
 place it was to be displayed in, I think that artist 
 did who has represented a distorted arcade in a 
 concave ceiling as a part of an historical picture, 
 which apparently has nothing more to stand on 
 than a few slight pilasters, which, from the delicacy 
 of their character, could never have been intended 
 for any other purpose than that of ornament. On 
 the other hand, the concave ceiling of St. Peter's 
 dome is elegantly ribbed and pannelled, tending 
 and diminishing to the centre in a proper and na- 
 tural direction. In the pannels are represented 
 the apostles among saints and angels with the 
 figure of the Almighty, all most exquisitely exe- 
 cuted in mosaic. The cylinder part of the cupola, 
 in which are the windows, with elegant pilasters 
 ])etween, consists of marbles and mosaics, and is 
 inexpressibly rich. 
 
 It is well known that St. Peter's church is much 
 laro'cr than our own, yet there is but little difiler- 
 i-nce in the size of tiie two domes within. That 
 of St. Paul's bears a much larger proportion with 
 the building to wiiich it belongs, and standing 
 much higher from the roof, becomes of course 
 more conspicuous from without. St. Peter's cupola 
 

 IS only to be seen at a good distance; for when 
 you approach near to the chiircli it sinks and re- 
 tires from the sight. The circumference of tlie 
 inner dome of St. Peter's I measured in the whis- 
 pering gallery, and found it 430 feet; I also mea- 
 sured the length of the front elevation, which I 
 made 358 feet; and the licio'ht I was told is 150 
 feet, which appeared to me rather low. In short, 
 the whole fabric is much less strikino; than can 
 well be imagined, nor does the colour of the Ti- 
 bertine stone, with which it is built, contribute in 
 any degree to make it more so; for it has the ap- 
 pearance of our modern stucco stained with a yel- 
 lowish hue. Again, the real magnitude of the 
 church is no doubt considerably lessened in a 
 visual sense, by a comparison with the immense 
 mountain Vaticano that rises immediately behind 
 it. And the facade itself seems to be swallowed 
 up between the two immense circular colonnades 
 so uselessly connected therewith. The upper in- 
 closed parts of these colonnades, by coming for- 
 ward for some distance at right angles, or nearly 
 so, apparently imprison and confme the entrance 
 elevation of the church. Thus that which to a 
 villa or a dwelling-house may not be unornamental 
 or improper, because it carries with it ideas of 
 convenience and utility, becomes extremely pre- 
 posterous and absurd when associated with a tem- 
 ple or any Iniilding of a similar description, whose 
 true character and great share of beauty consist in 
 standing completely insular, that it may be viewed 
 •uninterruptedly on all sides, in various points of 
 sight ; consequently all additions of a superfluous 
 
nature must unavoidably assume the appearance of 
 awkward and useless members totally unserviceable 
 to the main bodv, and incoherent with the inteji- 
 tion of the structure. 
 
 ]\Iuch as these colonnades may have been ad- 
 mired by the multitude and the ignorant, perhaps 
 the misapplication of them cannot be put in a 
 stronger or a truer light, than by supposing two 
 colonnades of a like nature to be erected before 
 the principal facade of St. Paufs, in order that tl>e 
 lord ma}or, aldermen, and common-council (in- 
 stead of pope, cardinals, and priests), when they 
 visit this magnificent cathedral on public occasions, 
 and perchance in a rainy day, might have the op- 
 portunity and indulgence of reaching the sacred 
 threshold of the doors, without getting as much 
 wet as could possibly damp a feather, or moisten 
 the down of a swan. 
 
 £nt€ring St. Peter s, on the left hand is a wind- 
 ing staircase composed of brick and wood, and 
 which leads to the top of the roof, which is flat, 
 paved with bricks, and covered with lead ; and so 
 €asy is it in the ascent, that you may literally ride 
 up it on horseback with the greatest safety. But 
 what the attention of tra\-ellers is more particularly 
 directed to, in order to assist them in forming just 
 conceptions of the immensity of the interior, are 
 those works of sculpture which represent two 
 children supporting the basin of holy water : when 
 entering the door they certainly look no larger 
 than infants, but by approaching nearer and nearer 
 they begin to appear, what in reality they are, al- 
 most giants. Also against each side of the piers 
 
225 
 
 of the nave is the figure of a dove, which at the 
 distance of one arch from the other seems no 
 higlier than three feet from the pavement, yet on 
 a closer view of them they are absolutely above 
 your head. These and a few other curious expe- 
 riments strangers are led to make from the ob- 
 servations and hints of others. Underneath a part 
 of St. Peter's, in the centre, is a subterraneous 
 chapel, said to be the remains of the old church. 
 It has frequently been remarked by foreigners, 
 that the cupola or dome of St. Paul's appears to 
 be considerably too large for the body of the 
 buildins^; but as I do not recollect anv classic 
 archetype, ancient model, or established rule, by 
 which such an appendage ought to be regulated, 
 this objection can amount to little or nothing more 
 than a mere matter of opinion. Nor do I think 
 this imaginary disproportion is so much to be at- 
 tributed to the bulk of the cupola itself compared 
 with that of the whole, as to the want of larger 
 columns and pilasters against the outside of the 
 church, which would have produced that prepon- 
 derating magnitude and distinctive sohdity in the 
 lower parts of the edifice, as is the case in the 
 lower limbs of the body, so suitable with their 
 situation and intent. On the contrary, the co- 
 lumns and pilasters by which the exterior is 
 adorned most certainly appear to be very little if 
 any larger than the circular range of columns 
 around the cylindrical part of the cupola ; so that, 
 to use the language of painters, there is a want of 
 that keeping and relative subordination between 
 the objects that bear, and those which seem to 
 
226 
 
 be borne, so essentially necessary in every pro- 
 ckiction of art. Notwithstanding this identical 
 impropriety docs not present itself in the church 
 of St. Peter, still the ordination in other respects 
 of the exterior of that building being so badly and 
 injudiciously disposed, emboldens me to assert that 
 there is no man of true and refined taste, after 
 viewing the two edifices on the spot, who would 
 not, without hesitation, decide in favour of St. 
 Paufs, so far as concerns the external beauty of 
 the superstructure. In the interior of St. Peter's, 
 the entablature over the pilasters of the piers is 
 continued all round the nave, and other parts of 
 the church, in a complete state ; but in St. Paul's 
 the frieze and architrave are omitted over the 
 arches of the nave, choir, &c. probably with a 
 view of giving more elevation and dignity to the 
 arciies themselves, as well as to admit a greater 
 portion of light to the nave from the side windows 
 of tlie aisles ; but, whatever may have been the 
 reason of the great artist who designed it, I do 
 not think any excuse could possibly justify so di- 
 rect a departure from the leading principles of 
 genuine architecture. In the nave of St Peter's 
 tiicre also appears a deformity in one of its parts, 
 which arises from the pilasters of the piers not 
 projecting far enougli to receive the archivolts of 
 tiie arclies, hy wliich means it juts forward in 
 <maU broken pieces before the face of the pilasters, 
 and produces a very displeasing effect ; but in our 
 own cathedral the pilasters project, as they should 
 do, SLifficieiitly for that purpose. 
 
 AdjoiniDg St. Peter's is the palace of the Vati- 
 
oo 
 
 27 
 
 can, and the way of entering It from the church 
 is up the perspective and vanishing staircase of 
 Bernini, which immediately leads to the royal 
 hail, and thence to the Sistine and Pauline cha- 
 pels. The first resembles in form the chapel of 
 the banqueting-house at Whitehall, and is famous 
 for some capital fresco paintings by Michael An- 
 gelo, particularly the immense pictm-e over the 
 altar at the east end, representing the judgment 
 day. The heads of those figures most remarkable 
 for drawing and expression are well known by 
 the engravings published by Mr. Duppa. The 
 person who shews this chapel never omits pointing 
 out the figure of a man with large ass's ears, 
 which is on the right-hand side of the picture, 
 and supposed to be among the unhappy. He 
 tells you, it is the portrait of the chamberlain of 
 the pope's household, who was living at the time 
 the picture was painting; and having insinuated 
 to liis holiness that Michael Angelo was com- 
 mitting a great indecency, by introducing so many 
 naked figures into the chapel, he entreated the 
 pope to give orders that they might be partially 
 clothed. INIichael Angelo, hearing by accident of 
 this man's absurd request, who wished to see men 
 and women rising out of their graves with breeches 
 and petticoats on, very jocosely painted him 
 among the number of the unhappy, and doomed 
 him to the additional punishment of wearing ass's 
 ears, as an emblem of his folly. So striking was 
 the likeness, that the chamberlain found out by the 
 hints and whispers of others, that this figure was 
 intended for himself; on which account he went 
 
 Q 2 
 
228 
 
 in an extreme passion to the pope, requesting 
 some satistiictlon for tlie insult he had met with 
 from IMicliael Angelo, wlio had represented him 
 as in hell. After liis liolhiess had indulged in an 
 innocent fit of laughter, lie very condescendingly 
 replied to him—" My dear friend, what can I do in 
 this husincss ? Your situation appears to me to he 
 altoo'ether irretricvahlc. Had Michael Angelo hcen 
 less cruel, and had only put you into a state of 
 purgatory, the prayers of the church might have 
 iDeen of some avail ; but it has so unfortunately 
 happened that the vengeance of the painter, not 
 satisfied with moderate atonement, has placed you 
 where hope never comes, that comes to all, and 
 totally out of the power of redemption." 
 
 Opposite the Sistine chapel is a door comnnmi- 
 cating with the open galleries round the great 
 court, which were painted by Raphael and his 
 scholars, after the arabesque designs in the baths 
 of Titus and other ancient edifices. The ceilings 
 of these galleries are painted with subjects from 
 the Old Testament. 
 
 From these loggie you pass into those interesting 
 apartments which contain the superb fresco works 
 of Raj)hael and his school. As historical produc- 
 tions, they are, without contradiction, the finest in 
 the world, although they have suffered by time ; 
 nor are the rooms in which they appear very fa- 
 vourable for their exhibition, being extremely 
 dark. Many subsequent artists have studied these 
 chef-d"ocuvres wuth the greatest advantage, and 
 have imbibed such an excellent style of composition 
 from. them, that they have acquired permanent 
 
£29 
 
 and extensive fame. Those who wish to have 
 a more comprehensive idea of them than a 
 written description could afford, will do well to 
 refer to the engravings lately published by ^Ir. 
 Duppa, who toiled in the Vatican, copying heads 
 from the best of them, at a time of general diffi- 
 culty and dismay, with the generous h<^^>pe of in- 
 Rising the genius of Raphael into the bosoms of 
 British artists, and of reviving a public spirit for 
 the encouragement of similar works in the palaces 
 and principal buildings of this country. 
 
 Contiguous to these chambers is the spacious 
 palace in which the pope sometmies- resides during- 
 the winter months. In point of architeccure it is- 
 very irregular, having been built in pieces at dif- 
 ferent periods of time. Toward the ccii^ie of a 
 Ions: corridor, which runs on oiie side of the gar- 
 den of Belvidere, is a door of iron whicii leads 
 into the great hbrary of the Vatican, d\e 1 ok- 
 cases of which are not peiTnitted to be opened; so 
 that notliing can be seen here except the room 
 itself, which is in the shape of a T. The cases 
 are placed in the middle of the room ; and it was 
 hinted to me that the manuscripts and rare books 
 were much plundered by the French when they 
 had possession of Rome, and were sent to Paris 
 to enrich what has been since termed the Imperial 
 Library, '• 
 
 In the same way the museum of the Vatican — 
 once reckoned the most valuable and brilliant 
 in the world, on account of its rare collection 
 of antique sculpture, and other works of the line 
 arts, being the reward of the zeal, labours, and 
 
330 
 
 researches, of several celebrated popes— lost many 
 of its principal ornaments : such as the Torso of 
 Michael Angelo; the group of Laacoon; the 
 Apollo of Belvidere; the fine figure of the An- 
 tinous ; Venus coming out of the bath ; the co- 
 lossal statue of Cleopatra, represented as dying ; 
 a Cupid; an Adonis and a Discobolus; an Ama- 
 zon; and the fine statues representing Apollo and 
 the Muses; beside many other excellent statues, 
 busts, &c. There is, however, a great quantity 
 still remaining well deserving the attention of the 
 artist. 
 
 In the circular saloon or rotunda stands a won^ 
 derful porphyry basin, forty-one feet in circum- 
 ference, in one piece, which is considered the 
 finest thing of the kind at Rome. This saloon is 
 so extremely elegant in regard to its architecture, 
 that a few observations mav be useful. It is about 
 fifty feet in diameter, paved with mosaic, represent- 
 ing the combats of the Lapitha?, apeople of Thcssaly, 
 with the Centaurs. The circular wall is adorned 
 with fluted pilasters placed at regular distances, witji 
 fanciful capitals, in which are eagles, angels' heads, 
 and leaves, bearing an appropriate entablature. Be^ 
 tween these pilasters are handsome niches (except 
 where the two doors are seen) reaching from the 
 pavement to a proportionate height, with heads re- 
 presenting shell-work; and in them formerly stood 
 marble statues on pedestals. The plain part of the 
 wall is painted to resemble granite. Over the en- 
 tablature comes a kind of attic, in which are Pal- 
 ladian windows placed immediately over the niches, 
 and dwarf pilasters p^er those below. From the 
 
231 
 
 cornice of this attic a stately dome springs, richly 
 panneliecl and adorned with flowers of various 
 kinds. In the centre of the dome is a circular 
 skylight, which, together with the Palladian win- 
 dows, illuminate this superb interior, and render 
 it an admirable receptacle for sculpture of various 
 descriptions. 
 
 The gardens of the Vatican palace are laid out 
 in the usual formal style, ornamented with foun- 
 tains. In the centre of one of them is a small 
 bronze ship with cannons, which used to go otf 
 by the contrivance of water, so as to produce an 
 explosion like artillery ; but it is now much out 
 of order. 
 
 Beside the patriarchal, there are other churches 
 in Home with costly and expensive interiors. The 
 church of Jesus is inconceivably rich with marbles 
 and paintings. St. Agnes is the same, built in 
 the fomi of a Greek cross, with a dome in the 
 centre resembling St. Peter's, only on a much 
 smaller scale. In the subterraneous part is a 
 fine bass-relief, in marble, representing the young 
 virsjin Ao^nes in a state of nature. 
 
 In the church of St. Agnes without the walls 
 are some antique Corinthian columns of granite, 
 of a very singular kind : the flutes and fillets of 
 the shaft are a continuation of mouldings, resem- 
 bling the astragal and hollow, alternately reversed 
 all round the column, which has a rich but con- 
 fused appearance. 
 
 The church of St. Nicola in Carcere is visited 
 by travellers only for having been erected on a 
 
232 
 
 spot where the prison stood memorable for that 
 remarkable instance of a daughter's affection still 
 termed the Roman charity. 
 
 In the church of St. Sebastian is preserved a 
 stone about two feet square, upon which it is said 
 our Saviour left the impression of his feet when 
 he appeared to St. Peter at Rome; and in the 
 chapel on the left is a recumbent figure of St. 
 Sebastian, pierced with golden arrows, executed 
 under the direction of Bernini. Beneath the 
 church is a subterraneous chapel, with a small 
 staircase leading to it, which contains a capital 
 bust of St. Sebastian, by Bernini; and from this 
 there is a communication to the famous catacombs, 
 which run in all directions to an amazing extent, 
 like narrow alleys, about six or seven feet high. 
 To this place we are told the Christians retired dur- 
 ing the times of persecution, where they performed 
 their religious exercises and buried their dead. 
 
 In the church of St. Peter ad Vincula is preserved 
 the supposed chain with which St. Peter Vv'^as bound 
 by Herod at Jerusalem ; and it is said, that when 
 Leo X. was comparing it with the chain the same 
 apostle was fastened with in the prison Mamertina, 
 at Rome, the iron became all at once as ductile 
 as if it had been melted in a furnace, and the two 
 chains miraculously united and became one in his 
 hand. In one of the transepts of this church is 
 the superb tomb of Julius II. executed by Michael 
 Angelo ; and as a prodigy of modern sculpture 
 appears the colossal statue of Moses seated on a 
 sarcophagus : the tables of the law are shewn un- 
 
233 
 
 der his right arm, and he seems to be speaking to 
 the Jews with a stern and angry countenance, as 
 if reproaching them for their disobedience against 
 God. I thought this an unrivalled performance 
 of the master. 
 
 The academy of St. Luke, hke that at London, 
 is composed of painters, sculptors, and architects. 
 One of -the rooms contains a beautiful picture 
 from the pencil of Raphael, representing St. Luke 
 painting the Virgin Mary. The collection consists, 
 as usual, of paintings, drawings, and other works 
 of art ; and here is preserved the skull of Raphael. 
 The other academy for the line arts was established 
 by Lewis XIV. for the express accommodation of 
 his own subjects who had gained the prizes in 
 painting, sculpture, and architecture, at Paris. It 
 consists of a director and twelve pensioners, and 
 has a tolerable collection of antiques, models, and 
 plaster casts, for the use of the students. 
 
 There are still to be seen some remains of several 
 circuses, which prove the general form of them, as 
 the prints specify, to have been composed of a long 
 parallelogram, terminated by two semicircles at the 
 extreme ends ; and the seats rising one above the 
 other inclosed the area. In the centre was erected a 
 line of substantial stone-work some height from the 
 ground, which used to be decorated with obelisks, 
 statues, animals, and other devices; and round 
 this the chariots were driven at their public games. 
 The ground once occupied by the circus of Sal- 
 lust remains precisely in the same shape I have 
 already mentioned, which is veiy evident by the 
 
234 
 
 mound by which it is encompassed: but there is 
 scarcely a brick or a stone left, and, instead of ap- 
 pearing hke a place of public amusement, it is 
 now con\'erted into the more profitable purpose of 
 a garden for the supply of the kitchen. 
 
 Rome has several theatres, but that most likel3^ 
 to claim the attention of travellers is called UAli- 
 berci, being so named after the architect who de- 
 signed it. The plan of it is in the usual fomi, and 
 in height it contains seven tiers of boxes, each 
 about ilxc feet wide in the front The house ap- 
 peared to me much larger than ours in Drury-lane. 
 The boxes are divided by pilasters; their fronts 
 are handsomely painted, and the whole has a su- 
 perb eft'ect. As it is not consistent with the 
 gravity of the church for the pope and cardinals 
 to visit places of pubhc pastime, there is no state- 
 box in this theatre as is always the case in others 
 that belong to secular princes. 
 
 The man fond of romantic scenery should never 
 leave Rome without making an excursion to Tivoli ; 
 the distance is about eighteen miles. Here are 
 the famous cascades, which (after having served 
 several manufactories of copper, iron, paper, and 
 mills for grinding corn) precipitate themselves 
 from a high mountain, and splashing upon pro- 
 jecting parts they divide into a variet}^ of forms, 
 till they mix with the rivulet below, and glide im- 
 perceptibly away. In the same neighbourhood is 
 also the vast waterfall made by Sextus V. in the 
 river Teveronc, which, after falling perpendicularly 
 from a considerable height, passes through a bridge 
 
ill foaming agitation, and then descends to a great 
 depth among a mass of rocks, called the Grotto 
 of Neptune. 
 
 Among other ancient remains to be seen here, 
 are a few ruins of the villas of Horace and of iVIe- 
 cenas; also a great part of the famous- temple of 
 Vesta, sometimes called the temple of the Sibyl, 
 standing on a conspicuous eminence. This build- 
 ing is circular on the plan, forty-two feet in diame- 
 ter, including tlie substruction, and is built chietly 
 with stone, named the Tibertine (which con- 
 cretes in this part of the country by the effect of 
 water of a calcareous quality), and covered on the 
 surface with a beautiful stucco, which looks like 
 marble. The same sort of stone was used in St. 
 Peter's church, as well as in many other structures 
 at Rome. The colum.ns which constitute the pe- 
 riptere of this temple are of the Corinthian order, 
 two feet five inches in diameter, with capitals of 
 olive leaves ; they stand about five feet six inches 
 from the wall of the naos, with the inner side per- 
 pendicular thereto, as is recommended by Vitru-. 
 vius, in book 3, chap. 3; because by being sq 
 placed they make a better support to the edifice, 
 and are less liable to be removed by pressure. The 
 bases of the columns rest on the platform of the 
 substruction without any plinths, to which a nar- 
 row flight of steps leads : the door of the cell is 
 seven feet wide below, decreasing upwards, with 
 a proportionate height; and the entablature, con- 
 sisting of architrave, frieze, and cornice, bears but 
 a light proportion to the columns. On the frieze 
 are oxen's heads, patlras, and festoons continued 
 
236 
 
 all round by way of ornament. The body of the 
 temple has a small window on each side of the 
 door in the same shape; and it is supposed w^as 
 formerly covered with a dome, otherwise these 
 apertures were of no use. The appearance of the 
 temple is extremely picturesque at a distance, and 
 the scenery around it romantic and beautiful. 
 
 On the road to Tivoli is a sulphureous lake, and 
 the tomb of the family Plautia stands on the left, 
 close to the road, which bears a strong simiHtude 
 to that of Cecilia Metella. Also, at a small di- 
 stance out of the road are the ruins of the cele- 
 brated house of Adrian, comprising the theatre, 
 baths, temples, and dwellings, of the soldiery. 
 The last are v^ry perfect. The remains sufficiently 
 denote, even at this late period of time, the extra- 
 ordinary magnificence and extent of the whole 
 structure. It was intended by Adrian, first, as a 
 suitable habitation to accommodate himself and his 
 household ; and, secondly, as a museum to receive 
 all the stores of art, and rarities of every description, 
 which he had collected together during his travels 
 into Greece, Asia, and Egypt. 
 
 Frascati (so called, because the ancient inhabit- 
 ants used to make small huts with the bouofhs of 
 trees among the ruins) is another place in the 
 vicinity of Rome to which travellers go, for the 
 pleasure of viewing the ruins of ancient Tusculum, 
 and many handsome modern villas belonging to 
 the Roman nobility : but as thcv are only sc- 
 condary objects, compared with those I have al- 
 ready described, I shall not trouble the reader 
 with any account of them. Ncai' this spot is the 
 
237 
 
 fine oval lake Lago di Castello, seven or eight 
 miles in circumference, with a small ancient water- 
 course leading from it to the sea, which is said 
 to have been made on an emergency by the Ro- 
 mans, in order to prevent a destructive inundation 
 that threatened the surroundino- countrv. The hills 
 in the vicinity are planted with vines and olive- 
 trees, and from their summit you may discover the 
 Mediterranean. In the cathedral church is the plain 
 tomb of the Pretender of the house of Stuart. 
 
 A few days before I quitted Rome, for Naples, 
 a circumstance occurred which afforded me a very 
 good opportunity of remarking one of the papal 
 ceremonies. It is denominated a private function, 
 in contradistinction to those the pope sometimes 
 performs in St. Peter's and other public churches ; 
 and which took place in a small chapel belonging 
 to the palace, on Mount Cavallo. On certain days 
 there is a meeting of the pope and cardinals in this 
 way : — Placed on one side of the chapel is the 
 throne, where his holiness sits during the ceremony 
 clad in a white satin robe, and crowned with a 
 silver mitre. The cardinals are seated in due order, 
 dressed in their robes and ensigns of office. When 
 they first enter the chapel they kneel before the 
 altar, and the pope himself makes a short prayer 
 at it before he ascends the throne. A variety of 
 anthems are sung and prayers read on the oc- 
 casion; and even the pope repeats certain parts 
 aloud, standing up and uncovered. The chapel is 
 perfumed, and the cardinals walk round and round 
 in solemn procession while the priests are chant- 
 ing ;' then they mount the steps of the throne one 
 
238 
 
 by one to kiss his holincss's hand, wliich lie 
 stretches out to them under his robe. During the 
 ceremony, the mitre is taken off and put on the 
 popes head several times, according to the nature 
 of" the service ; when it is off it is placed on the 
 altar. To conclude these religious rites, a sermon 
 is delivered in Latin, by an ecclesiastic ; and after 
 that the pope and cardinals return in procession to 
 the pri\'atc chambers of the palace. The pope is a 
 man of small stature, with a very mean and monkish 
 appearance; and in passing along he waves his hand 
 to and fro, scattering blessings on the heads of his 
 people, who prostrate themselves before him. The. 
 place appropriated for strangers is separated from 
 the seats of the cardinals only by a low slight par- 
 tition; and I requested one of them to point out 
 to me the cardinal Duke of York, the last branch 
 of the house of Stuart ; who informed me that he 
 was not present, being confined to his house by 
 indisposition. I could not exactly learn what end 
 this celebration was intended to answer, but I be- 
 lieve it is only for the purpose of acknowledging 
 the ecclesiastical power of the pope, and for his 
 receiving the allegiance of the cardinals from time 
 to time, in conformity with the spiritual views of 
 their church. 
 
 Notwithstanding wliat I have said respecting 
 the modern painting of Italy, I believe it is gene- 
 rally allowed that in another branch of the arts, 
 which is sculpture, Rome has it in her power to 
 boast the first artist now living in the world, whose 
 name is Canova. I went to his gallery several 
 times (he was then at Paris) to view some of his 
 
939 
 
 performances, which Impressed my mind more and 
 more with a consciousness of his great merit. 
 Among the number were tlie group of Cupid and 
 Psyche ; an unfinished colossal statue of the King 
 of Naples; a beautiful figure of Hebe; and an- 
 other of Perseus with the Medusas head : but su- 
 perior to all appeared the figures of the two Gla- 
 diators mentioned by Pausanias In the forty-first 
 chapter of his Arcadics. They are distinguished 
 by the appellation of Creugas the Epidamnian, 
 and Damoxenus the Syracusan ; who, in order to 
 decide the contest between them, agreed, in the 
 hearing of all the spectators, to receive each others 
 blow singly, and in such part as each might name. 
 Creugas desired Damoxenus to stand still, and 
 present his head, which he severely wounded; and 
 Damoxenus on his part ordered Creugas to present 
 to him his side, which he accordingly did, and so 
 violent was the blow that he drove his hand 
 through the very side of Creugas. The Argives 
 forced Damoxenus with indignation out of the 
 stadium, because he had violated the compact by 
 eivins: his adversary Several blows instead of one ; 
 and declarino- the victory in favour of Creusras, 
 they decreed a statue to his memory. 
 
 Canova has represented these two pugilists in 
 that precise attitude which it is supposed they as- 
 sumed after Damoxenus had suffered the blow on 
 his head, and was preparing to return it. Creugas 
 stands forward in a manly and dauntless manner 
 exposing himself to his adversary. His teeth are 
 closed, and his hands, one of which presses hard on 
 his forehead, are clenched, as if with an intention of 
 
240 
 
 better supporting the pain he is about to undergo. 
 In the whole of this work appear masterly skill 
 and accurate conception, as well in the true cha- 
 racter of the figures as in the active passions of 
 the moment. Although they are both intended 
 for common Gladiators and men of mean birth, 
 yet the sculptor has so strongly and tridy marked 
 the diiterence of their dispositions, that the spec- 
 tator cannot but feel interested in the welfare of 
 the one and prejudiced against the cause of the 
 other. They are both fmc muscular figures larger 
 than life, and have with great justice so much 
 established the fame of Canova in every part of 
 Europe, that very lucrative offers were held out to 
 him by Bonaparte, to induce him to live at Paris, 
 which I understand he has accepted, to the regret 
 of all his friends, as well as of the lovers of art 
 at Rome. 
 
 Departing from Rome to Naples, travellers are 
 induced, in passing through the gates, to take an- 
 other view of the walls of this ancient city, which 
 consist of brick. On the plan they form a sort of 
 zig-zag, and in some ])laces within they look like 
 a kind of double arcade, one above the other, which 
 you may walk under for a great way. They are de- 
 fended at certain distances by towers and bastions 
 without any ditch. In ancient history we are told, 
 that ^ijtila king of the Goths, after having got pos- 
 session of Rome, and being apprised that Belisarius 
 was marching; throu^■h Italv to besieo'e him, first 
 broke down the w:ills, and then retreated more to 
 the southward : and that they were afterwards rein- 
 stated bv that .o'eneral, at the command of Justi- 
 
£41 
 
 nian, the Roman emperor. On this account the 
 antiquarians very contidently maintain, that a great 
 part of the present walls of Rome was built un- 
 der the immediate direction of Belisarius. 
 
 The distance from Rome to Naples is 1 50, 
 English miles; and this journey may be performed 
 in the same way as the last. As soon as you quit 
 R,ome an ancient aqueduct appears on the left, 
 which continues for some miles along the road. 
 Here and there are ruins and dilapidated sepul- 
 chres. The first place of any note travellers ar- 
 rive at is Albano, where there are some remains of 
 a tomb, supposed to have been erected for the 
 Horatii and Curatii, who fell near this spot. On 
 the summit of it are five circular pyramids or 
 cones, which certainly add some probability to the 
 conjecture. 
 
 Continuing your route through Velietri, and 
 keeping on the right, you cross the Pontine marshes. 
 The road for many miles is as level as a bowling- 
 green, and a row of trees on each side give it the 
 appearance of a grove : a narrow river pursues the 
 road on the right, till it unites with the sea at 
 Tenacina. 
 
 At a small distance from Terracina is a garrison- 
 gate with towers, which divides the papal fi^om 
 the Neapolitan state, and where persons are com- 
 pelled to shew their passports to the commanding 
 officer. The next place you come to is Mola, 
 which is pleasantly situated on the banks of 
 the Mediterranean ; and hence to Naples the 
 wavside is varied with mvrtles and other ever- 
 greens, flowers, vineyards, and orchards of large 
 
 R 
 
lemon and t)range trees, which when I saw them 
 were loaded with fruit. In this route are two 
 conjsiderable rivers : tlie first is called Gario-Hano, 
 whicli is crossetl in a barque ; and the second V'ol- 
 turno, whicli has a bridge over it. In a very 
 short time after passing this river you arrive at the 
 gates of Naples. 
 
 The first thing to be done here, in order to ac- 
 quire a commanding and extensive view of the 
 cit}^ and its environs, is to ascend to the summit 
 of the pharos or lighthouse, which stands on the 
 shore of the bay. 
 
 In regard to the palaces, churches, and public 
 buildings, they ma}^ be said, in their general cha- 
 racter and distribution, to resemble those at Rome, 
 only with this dificrence ; — that, added to the same 
 corrupt style of architecture, they ha\e not by far 
 so much real magnificence and expense in their 
 interiors, nor have tliey any of those interesting 
 objects of anti(|uity which will ever more or less 
 excite attention at Rome. Therefore, any indivi- 
 dual description of them would be to repeat here, 
 under great disadvantages, what has been already 
 said in another place. The fronts of many of the 
 churches consist merely of a bare wall with doors : 
 also their interiors exhibit a vulgar and gaudy 
 style of embellishment ; wh.ich, excepting their 
 historical paintings on the ceilings and walls, is 
 mfiuitely more adapted to dazzle the eyes than 
 delight the mind of the classic and enlightened 
 traveller. The private dwellings are generally 
 built with brick stuccoed on the outside, and 
 erected very high like tliose in France, with bal- 
 
243 
 
 conies to almost every window. The roofs are 
 sometimes flat, covered with tarrass ; and so warm 
 is the climate that even in winter there is no need 
 of lire ; on which account no fire-places appear in 
 the difFereiit rooms, except those used for culinaiy 
 purposes. The floors of the chambers are mostly 
 of brick or composition, and the walls are stuc- 
 coed and painted with fanciful decorations. The 
 streets are paved with broad flag-stones, leaving 
 gutters in the middle ; and, except La Strada To- 
 ledo, which is the principal, and a few others, they 
 are certainly very narrow. In short, many of 
 them can ]3e called little better than lanes and al- 
 leys, and the extremiC loftiness of the houses con- 
 tributes greath' to render them more gloomy and 
 miserable, and occasions the air to be unwhole- 
 some. 
 
 There are a few piazze or small squares, the 
 chief of which is Lago del Castello, or the 
 place of the castle. But, much as they may 
 be commended by foreigners, they are scarcely 
 worthy of notice from a man who has seen this 
 metropolis : nor do the fountains which are 
 placed in them bear even a remote comparison 
 with those which appear^in the squares at Rome. 
 On the banks of the bay near Pausilippo is a beau- 
 tiful promenade of a great length, denominated 
 the Royal Villa, because here the king and royal 
 family walk in public, as the king of England 
 does on the Terrace at Windsor. It is inclosed 
 with a han(]:^omc railing, except the side bounded 
 by the sea, and decorated by pavilions, orange- 
 trees, and fountains. In the centre fountain stands 
 
 R 2 
 
244. 
 
 the famous marble group of the Toro, brought 
 from the palace Farnese at Rome. The figures are 
 represented on a rock. Another agreeable place 
 of pubhc resort, nearly a mile in length, is like- 
 wise situated . on the banks of the bay to the 
 eastward, where persons of all descriptions parade 
 up and down, either on foot or in carriages, at cer- 
 tain hours of the day, to enjoy the cool breezes 
 of the sea. The castle, at the west end of it, ap- 
 pears in a shattered condition, which was occa- 
 sioned by a cannonade from our ships of war at 
 the time the French took possession of Naples a 
 few years ago ; and when the king tied to Sicily, 
 under the protection of Lord Nelson, as a place 
 of safety. The dock-yard and magazines, as at 
 other places in Italy, are small in comparison with 
 those in England, as may easily be imagined. 
 
 The streets at Naples having no lamps, are very 
 dark in the nio-ht-time, which is the case in all the 
 Itahan cities; so that the inhabitants seem resolved 
 to make up in one way for their waste and ex- 
 travagance in anotlier; — I mean the astonishing 
 consumption of wax tapers in their churches : but 
 as it is the common practice among the Roman- 
 catholics to place different images, representing 
 Christ, the Virgin IMary, or some saint, at the 
 corners of their streets, very often a faint glim- 
 merins: candle is stationed before them, with a 
 view of attracting the attention of the pious when 
 they pass, but which is of no other service in the 
 world. 
 
 One of the most remarkable objects at Naples 
 is an excavation through the mountain Pausilippo, 
 
245 
 
 which is a solid rock. It was made as a road to 
 lead from this part of the city to the environs, 
 and bears the name of the Grotto, but in this 
 country we should more properly call it a tunnel. 
 I think it may be nearly a quarter of a mile in 
 length, in width twenty-two feet, and fifty feet 
 high, on an average. When you are about the mid- 
 dle of this passage it is not uncustomary to feel 
 some difficulty in breathing, produced by the 
 stagnated air within, which I myself experienced. 
 The obscurity is very disagreeable, and to women 
 terrifying ; and when it is viewed from one end to 
 the other, the distant aperture appears no larger 
 than a shillini;'. ^Ve are told this work was be2:uii 
 by Lucullus; but it has been made larger and 
 larger at later periods of time, by various kings 
 of Naples, for the better accommodation of carri- 
 ages. On the brow of this mountain is a ruinous 
 arched building fourteen feet square, with several 
 niches in the walls, comm.only supposed to have 
 been the tomb of Virgil; but these identities are 
 so often matters of mere conceit, that I think the 
 less we believe of them the better. From this 
 tomb you may proceed to the castle of St. Elmo, 
 and the Carthusian convent, from which place 
 there is an extensive and gratifying view of the 
 sea and land. At some distance to the westward 
 is the well-known grotto Del Cane, where a non- 
 sensical experiment is tried upon a dog: it is bv 
 holding his nose to a hole in a cave from which a 
 suffocating vapour arises, till he appears almost 
 dead ; and by being brought again into the natural 
 atmosphere he immediately recovers. A variety 
 
245 
 
 of little catchpenny tricks of this sort is prac- 
 tised upon travellers. Farther on is the place 
 called Salfatara, which is an oval area of sul- 
 phureous earth surrounded by hills : underneath, it 
 is hollow, and when the ear is put near the 
 ground, you may distinctly hear the water boiling 
 and bubbling below it, and through some aper- 
 tures in the earth even flames have been disco- 
 vered in the niglit-time. The inhabitants near 
 this spot make alum of that which they scrape 
 from the surface. At Pozzuoli arc some ancient 
 remains of temples, the mole of the harbour, and 
 an amphitheatre very ruinous. At ]3aia% a neigh- 
 bouring village, are other curiosities, all of which 
 the anticjuarians have been bold enough to affix 
 names to, notwithstanding the successive earth- 
 quakes and changes that have taken place in this 
 volcanic territory. 
 
 Returning to Naples there are two buildings 
 well deserving attention, on account of the sculp- 
 ture, paintings, and other curiosities, they contain. 
 The first is the studio or university, which has a 
 very extensive library : among the manuscripts I 
 observed the epic poem of Jerusalem Liberata 
 in the hand of Tasso; and an original copy, 
 as it is said, from the manuscript of Virgil, 
 with other works. In the museum, at the ex- 
 treme end of the room, stands the celebrated 
 statue of the Farnesian Hercules, by Glycon, 
 brought from the Farnese palace at Home, and 
 which is too well known by casts to need any de- 
 scription here; a group of Pan and Apollo; 
 Keptu.ne from the Ilerculaneum j Orestes and his 
 
247 
 
 sister, from the same; beside an abundance of 
 other statues, busts, vases, &c. The second is 
 tlie palace situated on Capo di ^Monte, which is a 
 very high mountain : it was begun as a suitable 
 residence for the kings of Naples ; but afterwards 
 fmding out, what ought to have been known in 
 the lirst place, that they could get no water to 
 supply the inhabitants, it was deserted ; and now 
 only serves as a depository for paintings, sculp- 
 ture, and natural curiosities : among them I par- 
 ticularlv noticed two o^'ster shells three tl-et in 
 diameter ; a fine head of Seneca in marble ; many 
 antique busts of the Roman emperors, and otlic-rs; 
 with vases, statues, &c. The paintings are very 
 numerous; many executed by Raphael, Annibal 
 Caracci, Guerchino, Titian, Parmegiano, Correa-io, 
 Bassans, Paul Veronese, Andrea del Sarto, and 
 other eminent hands. 
 
 The finest theatre in all Italy is in this city ; it 
 is called St. Carlo, and adjoins the royal palace. 
 In form it is similar to others I have before men- 
 tioned, but I should suppose it is full a third larger 
 than Drurv-lane theatre. In heio-ht there are 
 seven tiers of boxes, and each box bows out sepa- 
 rateh" : tlieir fronts are richly gilt, and painted with 
 festoons, eagles, and figures of different kinds. 
 Around are liandsome chandeliers for lights, but 
 the}^ are only used on particular occasions. The 
 pit has several rows of seats witli stuffed leather 
 backs, and to some of them are elbows vrhich hold 
 persons singly : many of them being private pro- 
 perty, the}'* are kept locked, which is done by 
 the seat turning back upon hinges. The kings 
 
248 
 
 box is placed in the centre of the house over the 
 door leading into the pit, as is usual ; the ceiling 
 is richly painted, and the whole interior is truly 
 magnificent. 
 
 Another theatre at Naples, called La Florentina, 
 is on a much smaller scale. The pit is elegantly 
 fitted up with seats, backs, and cushions, so that the 
 spectators sit here as comfortably as in our churches. 
 
 The palace in which the royal family resides 
 during the winter, possesses little to excite atten- 
 tion : but that at Porticii, about five nnlcs from 
 Naples, contains in one of its wings the much- 
 valued collection of antiques and curiosities dug 
 up at Herculaneum and Pompeii, including statues, 
 busts of great men, medals, intaglios, domestic 
 utensils of all sorts, ornaments once worn by the 
 Homan ladies, such as ear-rings, bracelets, &c. ; 
 also a great quantity of arms ; with a variety of 
 paintings on stucco, which ha\e been taken from 
 the walls of Pompeii and Herculaneum by the 
 help of saws. They are principally preserved in 
 glass cases made for the purpose, and altogether 
 occupy eight chambers. In the outer courts are two 
 equestrian statues in marble of the Balbi family ; 
 and in the entrance court are vases, figures, mu- 
 tilated columns, cornices, and other mouldings, 
 with a fine bronze horse from Pompeii. The pa- 
 lace itself is a plain stuccoed edifice, and as a piece 
 of external architecture, may be said to be even 
 below mediocrity : but many of the rooms within 
 are noble and of good proportions. They have, 
 howTver, been strij)ped of their tapestry, pictures, 
 ^ud other ornamentSj and in many instances they 
 
249 
 
 present no more than l)are whitewashed walls ; at 
 the same time the ceilings and coves, which have 
 been painted in fresco with historical subjects, 
 afford some relief to the poverty of other parts. 
 In one of the chambers I observed a portrait of 
 Lord Nelson, who dined in this palace several 
 times with the royal family. 
 
 The walls and ceiling of one of the chambers are 
 curiously lined with porcelain china, intermixed 
 with a multitude of figures ; some parts of them are 
 in alto-relief, which produce a very extraordinary 
 effect. The floor is covered with mosaic, taken 
 from Herculaneum. In the various apartments 
 are many modern pictures, by an artist named 
 Bon i to. From the terrace. in the 2:arden you have 
 a view of the sea ; but the gardens themselves are 
 laid out in a set formal manner, and would be ex- 
 tremely uninterestino' were it not for tlie fine 
 orange-trees that abound in them, and whose fiuit 
 has a beautiful and rich appearance. To obtain a 
 sight of the museum of curiosities, it is necessary 
 to make application to the English ambassador, 
 who has power delegated to him from the king of 
 Naples to issue cards for that purpose to his own 
 countrymen; but no person is permitted to make 
 sketches, or write down any particulars when pass- 
 ing through the apartm^ents, which to the zealous 
 artist is no small mortification. 
 
 Herculaneum is close by, and all that now ap- 
 pears of it is a small theatre, semicircular on the 
 plan, v/ith marble scats ; a model of which is pre- 
 served in the museum. It was formerly open at the 
 top. The stage, and the part behind, called the post- 
 
250 
 
 sccnium, for the players to retire to, form two narrow 
 parallelograms. The company entered by two doors, 
 one on each side of tiie outer vestibule, and imme- 
 diately ascended the staircases on the right and left, 
 which led to the circular corridore that ran round 
 the theatre and communicated to the seats. The 
 orchestra was always placed before the stage. 
 This theatre is much below the ground by which 
 it is surrounded; you enter into the excavation 
 through a trap-door, and descend dcywn a long 
 staircase which looks like the entrance into a cel- 
 lar : it is likewise so very dark within, having been 
 covered over, that unless you are attended by men 
 who carry flambeaux, it would be impossible to see 
 any thing wliatever. The other excavations that 
 were made at Porticii have been since hlled in with 
 earth ; and I have no doubt but travellers generally 
 find themselves much disappointed when they dis- 
 cover here very little more than a dismal vault, 
 instead of what their imagination is too apt to lead 
 them to expect— namely, a subterraneous city. 
 
 At Torre del Greco, a small \illage in the way 
 to Pompeii, the lava from a late eruption of 
 Mount Vesuvius ran across and obstructed the 
 road. It has however been cut through with great 
 labour and expense ; and when I was there they 
 were rebuilding some of the houses which were 
 thrown down at the same period. 
 
 Farther on, in the direct road, is situated Pom- 
 peii, about twelve miles from Naples. This city 
 stood on a considerable eminence ; and the usual 
 way of access to it is through a square court-yard, 
 called the Barracks, which was originally sur- 
 
rounded by a Doric colonnade, forming a covered 
 way or loggia for shelter, and under it was a con- 
 tinuation of small chambers for the accommoda- 
 tion of the soldiery. In those remaining are mu- 
 tilated cornices, mouldings, and ornaments, which 
 are pointed out to strangers as being parts of the 
 architecture of that day. The walls and the co- 
 lumns (I mean such as are now seen) are covered 
 with stucco, and the level situation in which they 
 appear, proves that this city was only inundated 
 by cinders and light materials, and that it was 
 not much damaged by lava or eaitiiquakes. A 
 small distance hence, in a large -vineyard, they 
 have excavated another part of the city to the 
 depth of twelve or fourteen feet below the present 
 surface of the ground. The street is about ten 
 feet wide, with a raised footway on each side four 
 feet wide, paved like the Roman roads. In the 
 pavement may very distinctly be discovered the 
 small ruts made by the carriage wheels. The 
 houses stand on the right and left of the street in 
 the usual manner, and to all appearance could 
 have been but one story in height. To some there 
 is an open square court, and the lodging- rooms are 
 placed around it : they are very small, and lighted 
 onlv from the doorways within the court. The 
 walls of these houses are built of rough stone, 
 handsomely stuccoed within; and so hard is the 
 cement that it is impossible to break it without 
 diihculty. Their interiors are painted with birds, 
 fish, fruits, flowers. See. on dark and red grounds. 
 As the roofs and ceilings were all beat in by the 
 inundation of cinders during the eruption, the 
 
252 
 
 houses look exactly as if they had been left in an 
 unfinished state, some parts of the walls being 
 higher and some lower than the rest. Tlie paint- 
 ings must of course be considerably effaced by time; 
 but the persons who attend to shew these ruins, 
 carry with them a pail of water and a small jug, 
 with which they throw some of it against the 
 walls, and then the colours come out as fresh and 
 as distinct as if they had been but lately done. 
 In one of the houses lobsters and other animals 
 are painted upon the walls, which have induced the 
 people on the spot to name it the tavern. Other 
 houses, thought to have been shops, have a kind of 
 stone stall-board, on which, very probably, articles of 
 merchandise were exposed to sale ; and it is not a 
 little curious to hear the people give to them dif- 
 ferent distinctions, such as oil-shop, coffee-house, &c. 
 At the end of the street appears the city -gate, with 
 two archways one on each side, similar to those 
 at Temple-bar, for foot passengers. Immediately 
 without the city on the left is an ancient tomb ; 
 and farther on stands a villa erected against a de- 
 clivity, presenting rooms on different levels. The 
 walls are enriched with paintings as the other 
 houses. At Pompeii are also two small open the- 
 atres, with marble seats, semicircular on the plan, 
 and about the size of that at Vicenza ; but the ex- 
 ternal walls form a square or rectangle. On the top 
 is a circular corridore with two staircases, one in 
 each angle, which lead up to it from a door in the 
 outer wall below, just as the staircases in our own 
 theatres do to the lobbies. There appears some dif- 
 ference between the plan of these and that at Her- 
 
253 
 
 ciilaneuni, particularly in regard. to the situation of 
 the staircases, which are here placed in the triangles, 
 formed by the junction of a semicircle with a square. 
 The stage, orchestra, and postscenium or part be- 
 hind, are similar to those at Herculaneum. In the 
 wall which divides the stage from the postscenium, 
 where the actors used to retire, are three doorways 
 through which they made their ingress and egress. 
 After having ascended the staircases which con- 
 ducted to the circular corridores, the spectators 
 then descended by steps cut out in the marble seats 
 to their respective places : and as these theatres 
 even now are almost as perfect as ever, the most 
 correct and satisfactory ideas may be formed of 
 the contri\'ance of all their parts. 
 
 I could not avoid smiling when viewing the 
 ruins of a villa without the gates, to hear the per- 
 son who attended me very confidently affirm that 
 the skeleton of the master was found in that house ; 
 but when I asked him how it was possible to distin- 
 guish after 1 700 years whether it was the skeleton of 
 the master or the man, I perceived he had as great 
 an inclination to indulge in a smile as myself. 
 
 It is generally supposed that these buildings at 
 Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed by the 
 eruption described by Pliny the younger, which 
 took place in the first year of the reign of Titus : 
 yet when we consider what extraordinary chanpes 
 and events may have occurred in the vast space 
 of 1 700 years ; and that the same city may have 
 been destroyed by subsequent eruptions and rebuilt 
 several times over without any record of the fact • 
 it is not very surprising to find that mankind 
 
slioiild entertain a variety of contradictory ideas 
 on the same subject. 
 
 The last great; natural object travellers visit 
 on this road is IVIount Vesuvius ; the usual way 
 of iloins: it is to ride on a horse or mule 
 from Porticii, ascending all the while, until 
 you approach pretty near the cone of the moun- 
 tain. The appearance of the surrounding ground 
 is truly awful : it consists of rugged piles like 
 black rocks, mixed v/ith calcined earth, stones, 
 cinders, and dross of various kinds, and strongly 
 evinces the dreadful convulsions of nature during 
 an eruption. People reside at the foot of the 
 mountain, who are always upon the look out to 
 attend foreigners in the double capacity of guide 
 and assistant. They wear a girdle round their 
 waists, which you may take hold of if you please, 
 and by it they ^v^ll pull you forward ; but the best 
 way is to take time and trust chiefly to 30ur own 
 exertions. A boy accompanies travellers up the 
 mountain, carrying a quantity of wine in a flasket 
 to refresh them when they have gained the sum- 
 mit, and which they stand, in great need of, as 
 the fatigue is most excessive,' owing to the heat of 
 the climate, the steepness of* the ascent, and no 
 less so to the looseness of the ashes with which it 
 is covered) so that you slip down in many places 
 nearly as fast as you get up ; indeed, were it not 
 for the curiosity and ambition natural to travellers, 
 many of them, I have no doubt, would return be- 
 fore they had reached even lialf Avay up. Every 
 three or four steps you are compelled to halt to 
 take breath, and wipe the perspiration from your 
 
face; yet when you have accomplished the task; 
 tlie surprising view from its top, which is said to 
 be 3938 feet from tlie surface of the sea, appears 
 a very adequate compensation for the tod you 
 have undergone. Having attained the summit", it 
 is customary to descend on the inside, which is 
 lined with a pr.lverised sand, to the mouth of the 
 crater : if you perchance to touch the ground it 
 will burn your hands, and when disturbed a 
 small evaporation of smoke immediately arises. 
 To get up again is even more fatiguing (only the 
 distance may not be more than 100 feet down) 
 than ascending the outside. In the crater appears 
 an arched incrustation resembling a flat dome, and 
 in it are several large orifices, through which 
 clouds of smoke are constantly issuing as from 
 chimneys. The heat felt in the inside of the 
 mountain may be compared to the exterior heat of 
 an oven, which is more suffocating than intense. 
 If any person should accidentally slip when goina: 
 down to the crater— which is not likely, because 
 the loose sand is nearly up to the knees--he must 
 perish unless he should have good luck enough to 
 miss the orifices and lodge on the incrustation^ and 
 even then in all probabihty lie would be suffocated 
 by the sulphureous vapours before any help could 
 be given him. Leaving the mountain, you descend 
 with great rapidity in a small path of loose sand, 
 which, as it were, slides along with you in so 
 easy a manner that you do all but ride down ; then 
 it is usual to ^•islt a hermitage close by, wdicre a 
 friar resides, wdio keeps different sorts of refresh- 
 ments to sell to his exhausted visitors, and who 
 
256 
 
 presents a book requesting them to write their 
 names therein. 
 
 . Anotlier excursion from Naples is to Caserta, 
 about sixteen miles, where the country palace of 
 the king is situated. It is reckoned one of the 
 most extensive in Europe, and was erected from 
 the desiiins of Vanvitelli. The walls arc of brick, 
 and on the plan it forms nearly a square. The 
 lenath of the front is said to be 800 feet, and in 
 depth 600 feet, but here, as well as at many places 
 in France and Italy, strangers are not permitted 
 to use a measure. The interior is divided into 
 four courts, by cross buildings that intersect in 
 the centre ; and although it was begun long before 
 the present king's reign, not a third part is yet 
 fmished, at the same time there is now more than 
 room enough for the accommodation of his ma- 
 jesty's household. The exterior contains five sto- 
 ries of windows in height including the mezzanine, 
 and is without much beauty of architecture. In 
 the centre of the front is a large archway as usual, 
 which communicates to the courts within, and in 
 a direct line to the gardens behind. In the centre, 
 wliere the cross buildings intersect, is a superb 
 staircase, with double flights of steps, entirely of 
 marble : it is wide enough for a dozen persons to 
 walk up a-breast. On the pedestals of the balus- 
 trade are marble figures of different sorts. At the 
 top of the staircase is a large circular saloon, with 
 a range of marble columns so far insulated from 
 tiie wall as to leave a commodious corridore !ill 
 round, which communicates to the chapel, the the- 
 atre, and the state apartments. The rooms are 
 

 generally square or oblong, and connected to 
 each otlier without any private passage. They 
 are extremely large, and many of their ceilino-s 
 are painted from fabulous history, by modern 
 artists of merit. The chapel is adorned \yith 
 elegant marble columns, of the Corinthian or- 
 der, placed round the gallery, resting on a hand- 
 some arcade below, very much resemblino- that at 
 Versailles both in shape and embeUishments. The 
 theatre is small, and round the pit are antique 
 columns of alabaster, ^\■hich appear as if they 
 were introduced to support the roof. The boxes 
 and tiie whole house are richly decorated with 
 paintings, marbles, gildings, cscc. The king's box 
 occupies the entire end of the house opposite the 
 stage, which is richly furnished, and magnificent 
 in other respects. 
 
 At a considerable distance behind the palace 
 appears a high hill with a cascade rolling down it, 
 which is so contrived as to be seen the moment 
 people enter the great archway in the front : tlie 
 water falls into an immense basin below, and the 
 whole I was infonPiCd is the work of art. The 
 gardens are extensive, but very formal, with 
 straight wide gravel walks, and in diH^erent parts 
 are pavilions, various places of retirement, and 
 other fanciful erections. Close by is the grand 
 aqueduct, with three stories of arcades, which sup- 
 plies the palace and village with water from a 
 distant source. 
 
 After the traveller has seen those thing-s most 
 worthy of his attention at Naples, he will do well 
 to return to Rome and Florence, in order to have 
 
 s 
 
258 
 
 a second view of the antiquities and otiier cele- 
 brated objects they contain, by which means he 
 will fix them much deeper in his memory than 
 if he had staid there considerably longer at first, 
 because in the interval he has had an opportunity 
 of reflectino- on what he saw most meritorious in 
 point of art. 
 
 From Florence to Bologna is a journey of 
 seventy miles. At the boundary of the city stands 
 a triumphal arch, which, when going this way, 
 you always pass through. Its general character re- 
 sembles the arches at Rome, but the smaller parts 
 and ornaments are in a bad taste. The beginning of 
 the road is very pleasant, varied with hills planted 
 with vines and olive-trees ; and at the distance of 
 three miles from the city is the public burying- 
 ground ; it not being customary for the Italians to 
 inter their dead, as we do, with.in the walls. Three 
 miles farther on is the villa of Pratolino, which 
 was formerly the chief country residence of the 
 srrand-dukes. In the 2,'ardens is a famous statue, 
 sixty feet high, in a sitting attitude, by John di 
 Bologna, intended to personify the Appennines; 
 and in the body of it is a curious cave. In other 
 parts of the grounds there is an abundance of 
 fountains, grottos, water-works, oroves, &c. but 
 the house itself is nothing more than a plain white 
 plastered building, without an}'- aim at architec- 
 tural beauty or excellence. At Caffliggiolo you 
 begin to ascend the stupendous Appennines ; 
 the highest mountain among them is named 
 Giogo. They were covered with snow when 
 I crossed them ; and we were luider the ne- 
 
259 
 
 cessity of sending a man on horseback before, with 
 a long pole, to feel out the way, lest we should 
 mistake the road, which in many places is ex- 
 tremely narrow, with deep precipices on the 
 rio;ht. AVithin half a mile of the villaoe Pietra- 
 Mala, on the top of a mountain, there is a kind 
 of volcano : flames are said sometimes to issue 
 from the ground, and in the night are visible; but, 
 as I passed it in the day, I did not distinguish any 
 thing of the kind. Leaving this place, you de- 
 scend very rapidly into the vale of Lombardy, and 
 in a few hours arrive at the walls of Bolos^na, 
 which is situated on the banks of a narrow river, 
 called the Reno. 
 
 The most remarkable feature in this city are the 
 arcades on which the houses are built; but there is 
 no regularity observed in them. In rainy weather 
 the inhabitants may walk from one end of it to 
 the other without the least annoyance from wet ; 
 and in the summer season they are defended from 
 the heat of the sun. Agreeable as these advan- 
 tages appear, and however handsome an arcade 
 mav be under some circumstances — as in mar- 
 ket-places, and others of commercial resort — still 
 the continuation of it in a citv is verv far from 
 being desirable, because it makes the shops and 
 rooms underneath exceedingly dark, and occa- 
 sions a vast quantity of stagnant and unwholesome 
 air as well as dirt. 
 
 The general style of architecture at Bologna is 
 no better than at other places I have previously 
 mentioned ; nevertheless, there are some palaces 
 and public buildings striking on the first view, 
 
 s 2 
 
260 
 
 chiefly owing to their novclt}' aiid magiiitude.. 
 The plan of them is in the usual manner of Italy, 
 and their superstructures of stone have all that pon- 
 derosity so common at Florence. In some of the 
 palaces are excellent paintings, from the pencil of 
 the Carracci and other artists, particularly those in 
 the gallery of Sampieri, representing the lahours 
 of Hercules, &c. And in the great square or pi- 
 azza stands a superb fountain, by John di Bologna; 
 it is crowned with a colossal figure of Neptune, 
 in bronze, with a trident in his hand : and figures 
 of women as syrens are placed round the rock, 
 whose breasts form so many jets-d'eau, by which 
 the water is thrown into a capacious basin below. 
 Bologna being the birth-place of this artist, he 
 presented this fine production to the citizens, as a 
 public monument of his esteem, as well as to per- 
 petuate his memory among them. On the pave- 
 ment of the old Gothic church St. Petronius, 
 which is in a heavy bad style, appears the famous 
 meridian line, with the signs of the zodiac, made 
 by Cassini, consisting of pieces of red and white 
 marble inlaid, about six inches broad, and which 
 line is said to be a six-hundred-thousandth part of 
 the circumference of the globe. The circular 
 aperture which admits the rays of the sun is in 
 the roof over the south aisle, and ,the luminous 
 spot it produces on the line shews the meridional 
 point every day. The cathedral of St. Peter's, 
 and other churches, have rich inteaiors, and some 
 line pictures. 
 
 In the centre of the city, and at the side of the 
 principal street, stand the two celebrated brick 
 
2Gl 
 
 towers so miicli observed by travellers. They are 
 square on the plan, with a staircase within which 
 leads up to the summit. The loftiest is said to be 
 300 feet high, and out of the upright three feet 
 six inches : it diminishes upwards like the tower 
 of the patent-shot manufactory on the banks of 
 the Thames, and has ornaments on the top of a 
 military description. The lowest, not one-third 
 the height of the last, is built very near the other, 
 and is said to be out of the perpendicular nin.^ 
 feet. The story they tell on the spot concerning; 
 this tower is, that the man who undertook to 
 build it was of a whimsical and enterprising dis- 
 position, and that he intended to make the two 
 meet together at the apex ; but finding that acci- 
 dent often does what no art nor ingenuity can ac- 
 complish, he thought it most prudent to abandon 
 his project, with the loss of some fame, when he 
 had erected scarcely a third part of it, as he found 
 it beo-an to diveroe a little more than he wished. 
 The high one is called Asinelli, being the name of 
 the person who constructed it, at his own expense, 
 in 1109, and was evidently intended for a watch- 
 tower ; but what end the second could have an- 
 swered, except for the purpose before mentioned, 
 I could not learn from any of the inha])itants. 
 
 Another singular object here is the astonishing 
 arcade, three miles in length, which leads from the 
 city to tlie church of St. Lucca on a hill. Parts 
 of it are level, and other parts run up sharp ascents, 
 with steps here and there, according to the nature 
 of the o-round. The side to the south consists of 
 double square pillars, which carry 700 arches : the 
 
breadth of the arcade is nine feet, the height 
 fifteen feet, and over liead is a coved plastered 
 ceihns: On the other side to tlie north it is walled 
 in, leaving apertures at certain places to admit a 
 view of the country ; and here and there are altars 
 for the ?^eiigieu.r to stop at in their way to the 
 church. This arcade was built by public subscrip- 
 tion, in order that the inhabitants, pilgrims, and 
 foreigners, might more conveniently visit the church 
 in Ixid weather. It contains a picture of the 
 Virgin Mary, brought from Constantinople, and 
 which is said to have been painted by St. Luke 
 himself. I need not obser\ e, that it is regarded 
 with '•lie utmost sanctity and x'eneration by all the 
 Roman-catholics. 
 
 The university and the academy for arts and 
 sciences, like other instituiions of the same nature, 
 are furnished with all necessary things. The last 
 contains a multitude of anatomical figures in wax 
 for the study of midwiieiy, resembling those at 
 Florence. Among the architectural designs hang- 
 ing in the hall of this academy, I perceived but 
 one from the English school, which is a design 
 for a museum for sculpture, by Mr. Tatham. In 
 the antique chamber are several mummies in ex- 
 cellent preservation, within glass cases, and other 
 curiositi.^s. Belonging to this institution is an ex- 
 tensive botanic 2:arden. 
 
 The great theatre at Bologna was built by a 
 man named Bibiena. The form of it is as usual, 
 and elegantly f nished. There are seats in the pit 
 contii\'ed to lock up, like those at Naples. 
 
 From Bologna I went to Ferrara (which by land 
 
263 
 
 is about thirty-four English miles) in the passage- 
 boat, down a canal that runs into one of the 
 branches of the Po, not far from the place where 
 the Reno intersects with it, and thence to Ferrara. 
 
 There are not many objects here worthy atten- 
 tion, and the city itself has a desolate appearance, 
 like Pisa. The tomb of Ariosto has been removed 
 from the church where it formerly was, to the 
 end of the library in the university ; and here arc 
 shewn his manuscript of Orlando Furioso, the old 
 arm-chair in which he was accustomed to sit, and 
 the inkstand he always used ; together w^ith the 
 autograph of Pastor Fido, by Guarini, and other 
 curious works. 
 
 In the different churches are some capital pic- 
 tures by Guercino and the Carracci. The great 
 castle in which the dukes of Ferrara formerly re- 
 sided, has a broad ditch round it wi:ii a Jiaw- 
 bridge, and makes the appearance altogether of a 
 citadel. 
 
 Another building is pointed out to travellers, 
 because it was the hospital in which poor Tasso 
 the poet was imprisoned, by Alplionso, the then 
 reigning duke, under the pretence of his being a 
 madman ; but the real cause of it has been thought 
 by many to have been a supposed amour between 
 him and Eleanor the duke's sister. 
 
 From Ferrara to Venice is a distance by land of 
 about sixty-nine miles ; and tills journey I per- 
 formed chiefly by boats, which you are enabled to 
 do by the different canals abounding in this part 
 of the country ; many of them were made by 
 Leonardo da Vinci : now and then you are obliged 
 
a64> 
 
 to leave one boat and walk over a small neck of 
 land to another ; and tins arises from the various 
 direetions and levels of the canals. By crossing 
 the Adige in one part, and then pursuing the canals 
 again, you at last arrive at the lagunes of Venice. 
 However pleasing this way of travelling may be 
 to men, it would be a little too romantic for the 
 delicacy of the ladies, because there is a great 
 deal of indiscriminate company in the boat, who 
 are passengers as well as yourself; but, generally 
 speaking, they are a sort of itinerant merchants, 
 and being men of the world, much useful informa- 
 tion is to be derived from them respecting the 
 country and its manners; just as by dining at the 
 public tables of the hotels, you may learn more in 
 one month of the customs and dispositions of the 
 natives, than you woidd in twelve, were you to 
 shut yourself up in a private room at ever}' inn 
 you arrive at. 
 
 Venice, from the shore, has the appearance of a 
 city situated in a low land, inundated by some 
 extraordinary overflow of water; and being so 
 dissimilar in many other respects to any city in 
 France and Italy, becomes in an uncommon de- 
 gree interesting to the traveller. Like old Rome, 
 it consisted formerly of mere huts and miserable 
 dwellings, in which poor fishermen resided; but 
 by the various calamities and persecutions that 
 took place from time to time on the continent, 
 persons were driven to those small banks and 
 islands Venice now stands on, as a place of refuge, 
 and thus by degrees it was enlarged on pilework, 
 and improved, till it became what it is at this day— 
 
£(55 
 
 a magnificent city. The most complete idea that' 
 can be entertained of Venice, is b} siipposing all 
 the streets and lanes of London to be canals, wiih 
 a multitude of small boats for the convenien^v of 
 going from place to place. In some cases there is 
 an embankment or quay before the houses, but 
 generally speaking the water flows up to the very 
 walls of them in front : behind tlie houses are 
 narrow passages like so many alle3's, which com- 
 municate to the small bridges that abound in every 
 place, and which connect the different parts of the 
 city together. Over the principal canal, which 
 runs through the heart of the city in a serpentine 
 form, is the celebrated marble bridoe of the Rialto. 
 This was begun in the year 1588 — instead of an 
 old wooden bridge, which was taken do\vn— on a 
 model made by an architect named x\ntonio dal 
 Ponte, and finished in three vears afterwards. It 
 consists of only one arch, which is the segment 
 of a circle. The span of the arch is eighty feet 
 or thereabouts, its rise twenty-two feet, and forty- 
 three feet in width. On the top of the bridge are 
 two rows of scone buildings forming t^venty-four 
 shops underneath, with circular roofs covered with 
 lead. Between them is a handsome wide wav, 
 and on each side of them is another much nar- 
 rower, defended bv the balustrades of the brida'e. 
 In the four spandrils of the arch are four figures 
 of saints in bass-relief. Such was the outcry (ac- 
 cording to an anecdote I heard), by cotemporarv 
 architects, against this design of Antonio, that it 
 was with great difficulty he could obtain the as- 
 sent of those persons to it who were publicly ap- 
 
266 
 
 pointed as commissioners to see a new bridge car- 
 ried into execution. Some said tlie arch was of a 
 bad taste; others, that it wanted science, and would 
 fall down as soon as put up, being too flat for its 
 extent, with similar objections : however, in three 
 years it was accomplished ; and thc}^ who had 
 been so hasty in their opinions lived to blush at 
 their own ignorance and invectives. The ascent 
 and descent are still very sharp, notwithstanding 
 the evident care that was taken to make them as 
 easy as possible, and for which the architect ulti- 
 mately acquired the praises of every one. 
 
 Palladio and Sansovino gr.ve designs for this 
 bridge. That by the first consisted of three arches, 
 as may be seen in his works ; but the piers would 
 have been extremely inconvenient in so narrow a 
 piece of water, if not dangerous, in the night-time, 
 to the gondolas and other small vessels that navi- 
 gate it; on which account Antonio's very justly 
 claimed the preference, nor can it be viewed with- 
 out admiration in the twofold sense of beauty and 
 usefulness. 
 
 The only place in "S^enice that can properly 
 be called spacious, is that of St. Marco, well 
 known by paintings and prints, and which was so 
 named because the body of St. Mark was brought 
 from Alexandria and Jjuried there. In Icnirth it is 
 nearly 900 feet, and 300 feet wide ; and the public 
 buildings by which it is inclosed are chiefly of 
 marble, with an arcade all round, except the side 
 which leads towards the lagunes, where the church 
 of St. Mark stands, and which is completely de- 
 tached from the three other sides of the quadrangle. 
 
207 
 
 This cluirch was built, according to the city re- 
 cords, in the year 976, by the doge Pietro Or- 
 seolo, as a mausoleum for the body of St. IVIark, 
 and in the room of one which had been destroyed 
 b)' fire. The architecture of it is a compound of 
 the barbarous Gothic or Sarascenlc, with many 
 Grecian parts ; and within it is excessively 
 ornamented with historical subjects, in mosaics, 
 fine marbles, sculpture of various descriptions, 
 and rich altar-pieces. The columns used in this 
 structure are of dift'erent marbles ; they were 
 brought from Athens, and other places in the 
 east: but they are ail in a corrupt taste, being a 
 base and confused imitation of the Corinthian. The 
 plan of the church forms an equal cross, like the 
 Greek churches. Above the roof appear five 
 domes of an ugly shape, with small lanterns on 
 the top, which give light to the interior; but it is 
 nevertheless exceedingly dark and gloomy. The 
 facade contains five doors, and is inexpressibly 
 rich and whimsical, consisting of arches which 
 spring from a multitude of small marble columns : 
 the spandrils of them, and other parts, are embel- 
 lished with curious mosaics, figures, and other 
 ornaments. The front finishes above with five 
 scroll pediments, which come over other arches 
 that retire a small distance from those below, 
 forming thereby a gallery all round. The pedi- 
 ments are enriched with scroll-work, crockets, &;c. 
 crowned with statues, and between the pediments 
 are small pinnacles containing the figures of saints. 
 The large doors in the centre are of brass, with 
 e,N.cclleut workmanship. 
 
268 
 
 This style of architecture, which prevails more 
 or less in Ital}^ seems to have arisen out of the 
 corrupted mode of building introduced by the 
 barbarians of various nations, with a mixture of 
 the Grecian architecture in its fallen state, as ex- 
 hibited in tlie churches and public edifices of the 
 Holy Land. Greece in those days was not only 
 frequently visFted by Italians of all descriptions, 
 either from impulses of religion or other motives, 
 l)ut we read of several of the public edifices in 
 Italy having been designed and erected by Greek 
 architects, wdio were in all probability encouraged 
 to leave their own country with a view of im- 
 proving, as it was then thought, the arts in an- 
 other. 
 
 At a small distance, and nearly opposite the 
 church, stands the famous square tower or campa- 
 nile, said to be 330 feet high. It is built with 
 brick, faced with marble in long narrow pannels, 
 and near the top is an arcade on each side, forming 
 a handsome gallery ; above that is another gallery, 
 and then it ends in a pyramidal form with the 
 figure of an angel on the point. From the sum- 
 mit of this tower there is a delightful view of the 
 city and all her islands ; and here the famous Ga- 
 lileo made many of his astronomical observations. 
 Within, is a staircase formed by inclined planes of 
 brickwork between two walls, leaving a square 
 WTll-hole in the centre for the use of the bells; and 
 it is lighted ])y small windows one over the other. 
 It appears that the foundation of this tower was 
 laid in 888 in a morass, and that the superstructure 
 was not fmished till some centuries afterwards. 
 
£09 
 
 It stands extremely upright to all appearance, and 
 diminishes progressively from the bottom to the top. 
 The style of architecture prevailing in the Ve- 
 netian palaces and public buildings, except the 
 ancient ones, is much better than that which we 
 see in the modern structures of Rome, and this 
 may principally be attributed to the genius of Pal- 
 ladio, Sansovino, and Scamozzi. It may be suf- 
 ficient to remark, by way of explaining the ge- 
 neral character of these edifices, that their facades 
 are mostty composed of difierent orders of stone 
 or marble placed one above the other, each oma- 
 mentino; the storv to which it belons;?, and hand- 
 some windows between, either with circular heads 
 or enriched with architraves and caps : sometimes 
 the lowest story forms a rusticated arcade or plinth 
 to the whole : and although in many instances these 
 columns, being rather small, appear to want a bold- 
 ness of effect, yet one is not a little pleased to ob- 
 serve but few violations of the grammar of architec- 
 ture in their application. I am nevertheless aware 
 that this practice has by many been considered a 
 dereliction from classical authority, because the 
 Greeks were not accustomed to place one column 
 over another ; indeed they seldom had the least 
 occasion to do it, as their houses were not built 
 more than one storv in heio-ht: but as columns 
 were first invented to support the floor or roof of 
 one storv, there cannot surelv be anv thin 2: incon- 
 sistent w^ith true art or inimical to common sense, 
 to put columns of a lighter description above them 
 for the purpose of supporting the floor or roof of 
 the second storv, when such addition is absoluteh' 
 
270 
 
 necessary for the comforts of life : no contrivance 
 can be more rational or au;reeable to tlie fitness of 
 things. The comparing of men with coUmins, 
 and other arguments of a most flimsv nature, I 
 have heard advanced against this practice. Every 
 man of taste nuist a(hnue the boldness, grandeur, 
 and importance, of large and loft}^ colunms in por- 
 ticos and fronts of buildings ; nor can it be denied 
 that they may be made to occupy with great pro- 
 priety several stories of windows at once, where 
 the face of the building is preserved exactly similar 
 and uniform, and where the extent of it is con- 
 sistent with such an attempt, because we often 
 perceive more than one range of windows to light 
 basilicks, saloons, and great chambers: slill I had 
 much rather see two stories of columns, with all 
 their parvity, judiciously disposed, than one alone, 
 provided it be applied as we often observe it, and 
 which maybe exemplified in the front of the East- 
 India House, in the city of London, where the 
 same columns are permitted to occupy a rusticated 
 story (commonly so called) as well as one with a 
 plain face. Were this portico away, and an archi- 
 tect ordered to adorn the front Mith pilasters, 
 would he not consider the rusticated story an ap- 
 propriate substruction for them? W^ould he ever 
 think of continuing his pilasters from bottom to 
 top through two distinct separate stories, thereby 
 rendering the rustic plinth an absurdity ? On the 
 contrary ; had the whole been a plain face, and 
 the present portico remaining, would he not very 
 naturally make his pilasters the same height as the 
 columns of the portico? and then the entablature 
 
£71 
 
 would be entire all round the buildlno- in a grand 
 and consistent manner, and in due proportion with 
 the height of the elevation; whereas, now, the 
 cornice (^except to the portico) looks by far too 
 heavy for its situation, because the eve onlv mea- 
 sures the distance from tlie top of the first story 
 to the cornice of the second, as the space which 
 ought to regulate its proportion. 
 
 Again ; can any thing be more pleasing than the 
 two orders in the front of the banqueting-house, 
 the beauty of which most certainly results from 
 the propriety of their application. Let us suppose 
 for a while that a prominent portico were to be 
 added to the lower story, in the centre where the 
 three-quarter columns now come; what could be 
 more adverse to judicious arrangement or harmonv 
 of composition, than to suffer the columns to run 
 through the rusticated plinth down to the pave- 
 ment of the street? "Would not tlie artist, in 
 that instance, either do away the substruction 
 altogether, if it were possible, or else consider 
 it as the inviolable line for the basis of the new 
 portico? 
 
 These principles kept constantly in view, and 
 faithfully practised, it really appears to me that no 
 sound objection whatever can be uro-ed aQ:ainst 
 the use of column over column, as is the general 
 custom at Venice, but that both they and the 
 single one may be employed with equal success 
 and advantage, as circumstances change and build- 
 incrs varv in their forms and dimensions. 
 
 Situated on two small islands, nearly opposite 
 the place of St. ]\Iarco, are the two famous 
 

 churches, by Palladio, St. Georgio Maggiore and 
 II Rcdcntoie; but the designs of which I do not 
 perceive in his works. 
 
 They are shewn to travellers as fine examples 
 of plain and classical- architecture ; and although 
 you have been accustomed to behold in others 
 what you do not in these— a profusion of the richest 
 marbles and ornaments, yet so sober, unaffected, 
 and well-proportioned, are their fronts and interiors, 
 that the man ot" pure taste will ever be disposed 
 to look at them with increased pleasure and satis- 
 faction, feeling them at the same time an agree- 
 able relief from all that gaudiness and fmery so 
 prevalent in the churches and buildings of Italy, 
 and which too often have nothing else to distin- 
 guish or recommend them. 
 
 The fronts of these churches are clothed with a 
 kind of white marble, and have a very clean and 
 delicate appearance. Tlieir general character is so 
 much alike, that they are almost one and the same 
 thing. The facade of one consists of four compo- 
 site, the other of four Corinthian, columns, resting 
 upon pedestals with a pediment above. The co- 
 lumns are placed at such a distance from each 
 other as to admit with oieat fjeedom and eleoance 
 the door in the centre, and the niches at the sides, 
 which are adorned with statues. The pediment is 
 crowned with three statues, and the capitals of 
 the columns have plain leaves. On eacli side of 
 the centre are lialf-pediments, leaning against it, 
 which bear on Corinthian pilasters of a smaller de- 
 scription than the columns. These face the two 
 aisles, as the four columns in the centre do the nave. 
 
273 
 
 The interiors are divided into three parts, by two 
 TOWS of stone cokimns (I think Corinthian); the 
 ceilings are groined with plain plastering, and 
 over the centre of the cross are domes, which 
 arc handsome within, but without they unfor- 
 tunately resemble those on the church of St. 
 Marco, which it is evident Palladio has copied. 
 Around the churches are Palladian windows which 
 afford light to their interiors, and the whole is 
 neatly eleo-ant. At the side of each stands a small 
 square tower for the bells. 
 
 The church of II Redentore (or Tlie Redeemer) 
 was besfun in the year 1576, immediateU- after 
 a dreadful pestilence that had afflicted Venice. 
 The senate made a vow^ to erect, as soon as the 
 plague should cease, a temple for religious wor- 
 ship, as a token of their gratitude for its discon- 
 tinuance ; and this church stands as a monument 
 of that eno-aoement. 
 
 Another church close by, called St. Maria della 
 Salute, was erected in the year 1631, after the 
 designs of Longhena, for a similar purpose ; and 
 as the one was dedicated to the Redeemer, so was 
 the other to the preservation of health. The plan 
 of this building forms an octagon, but its exterior 
 exhibits a corrupt broken style of architecture, 
 surcharged \^'ith scroll ornaments in a heavy bad 
 taste. The entrance side of the octagon is faced 
 with four columns, supporting an entablature and 
 pediment, which run up the whole height of 
 the body of the edifice, although another side 
 immediately adjoining is very improperly divided 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 into two separate stories, consisting of four pi- 
 lasters below and an attic above: on which ac- 
 count the outside of the superstructure is destitute 
 of , that correspondence, similitude, and reciprocal 
 connection, without which there can be no unity 
 nor harmony of design. 
 
 The arsenal, or what we term in this country 
 the dock-yard, is very extensive for a small state, 
 and forms a little island of itself, surrounded by a 
 substantial and lofty wall, with towers at certain 
 distances in which sentinels keep watch night and 
 day. In the various branches of artificers' works 
 carried on in this arsenal, I was informed ^000 
 men are sometimes employed. The most curious 
 sight to be seen here are the old galleys wiiich 
 the Venetians and Turks used in their naval en- 
 gagements : they are still sufficiently perfect to 
 shew precisely wdiat they were. Under an old 
 ropf is also the Bucentoro, the barge in which tlie 
 doge wedded the Adriatic. It is supposed to be 
 so called from a corruption of the word Ducento- 
 rum, which signifies that it was built to carry 
 *2()0 men. This vessel is of a square form, with a 
 flat bottom, and the men who rowed it sat finder 
 deck, twenty-six on each side. In length it is 100 
 feet, and twenty-one feet in width, loaded with 
 gilt ornaments, statues, and various other sculp- 
 ture. The deck was converted into a noble hall 
 for the company who attended the doge on pub- 
 lic days, and furnished with seats for their accom- 
 modation. A canopy was also stretched over the 
 baru'C to defend them from the heat of tlie sun. 
 
275 
 
 I'he seat for the doge himself appears at the stern 
 raised up in the shape of a throne : but this state- 
 galley is now going very fast to ruin. 
 
 This annual ceremony, formerly observed by 
 the doge, derived its origin from a naval battle 
 between the Venetians and the Turks, at the time 
 when pope Alexander III. had been driven from 
 Italy to Venice by the incursions of Barbarossa, 
 the Algerine, assisted by the grand-seignor. 
 
 After the doge Ziani had returned victor on this 
 occasion, among many other privileges then con- 
 ceded to him, the pope also gave to him a ring, 
 saying, " Receive this, O Ziani ! with which you 
 and your successors shall every year marry the sea, 
 to the end that posterity may know you acquired 
 the dominion of her by right of war, and there- 
 fore the sea shall be henceforth under your govern- 
 ment as the wife is under the husband's." 
 
 In large sheds are preserved two fine frigates, 
 which were spoiled by the French when they took 
 possession of this republic. They were standing 
 on the stocks nearly finished; and among other 
 mischievous acts and depredations, the French 
 soldiers removed the supports from the head and 
 stern parts of these vessels, leaving those in the 
 middle, by which means their backs were broken, 
 as it is termed by shipwrights. I suppose they 
 would be worth, in this country, 30,000/. each, 
 when completed. 
 
 There are several theatres at Venice; but as ia 
 their general form and cliaracter they are much 
 the same, I will not trouble the reader with an 
 account of more than one, which particularly 
 
 T 2 
 
57^ 
 
 struck me from its shape ; that is to say, it is con- 
 tracted so much across the stage, that it appears 
 ahriost hke a neck to the body of the house : and 
 although I tliink this theatre much larger than 
 ours in Drury-lane, the voices of the actors are as 
 distinctly heard at its extremity as if they were 
 speaking through a trumpet : this I presume is 
 to be attributed to the sound being compressed in 
 a smaller compass than it is in those theatres 
 where the stage is so much wider in proportion to 
 the extent of the interior. 
 
 In one of the churches which belongs to the 
 Jesuits, are some very curious effects produced by 
 marble. In the first place, the pulpit consists of 
 a sort of flowered marble ; and on each side of it 
 are representations of curtains in marble of the 
 same description, hanging in festoons from a mar- 
 ble canopy, which really look like linen. Also 
 the wide steps leading \ip to the great altar are of 
 marble, and so ingeniously worked as to resemble 
 a carpet with all its folds and wrinkles, which po- 
 sitively deceive the spectator till he almost begins 
 to tread on it. Also the walls of the church are 
 lined with the same kind of marble, which makes 
 the interior, on the first view, ap])ear as if it were 
 all hung with a delicate chintz linen, producing 
 thereby a very pleasing deception. 
 
 The works of Titian, Tintoretto, Paolo Vero- 
 3icse, and other great masters of the Venetian 
 school, abound in the churches, palaces, and pub- 
 lic buildimrs ; and in the church called I Trari is 
 the sepulchre of Titian, in which his bones were 
 deposited in the year 157^. He died of the 
 
plagiie at the advanced age of ninety-nine years -, 
 and over him is the following inscription : 
 
 Qix'i giace il graii Titiano di Vercelli, 
 Emulator de Zeusi, e de gli ApellL 
 
 At Venice there is neither a horse, an ox, nor an 
 ass, to be seen from one end of the city to the other; 
 nor any carriage whatever, beside boats : and, 
 among other evils, the inhabitants have no fresh 
 water, except what is brought from inland places, 
 and the river Brenta, which they preserve in large 
 cisterns and reservoirs, as at Calais. 
 
 From Venice I went to Padua (about thirty 
 miles); and ihe readiest manner of performing this 
 voyage, is to take a place in the boat which car- 
 ries goods, letters, and passengers, to and fro twice 
 every week. The boat is drawn by a horse up the 
 river Brenta, which runs from tlie country, and 
 disfforo^es itself into the Adriatic, near I^»Ialamocca. 
 
 BO ' 
 
 Variety of villas are deliglitfully situated on its 
 banks, belonging to the Venetian nobility and 
 citizens ; but the greater part of them are nothing 
 more than white plastered buildings, without much 
 attempt at architecture, surrounded by pleasure- 
 grounds. The nobility and citizens go backwards 
 and forwards to these summer retreats in barges 
 kept for that purpose, which may he compared 
 (only much smaller) with those belonging' to 
 some of the city companies of London, 
 
 The old part of the city of Padua is badly built. 
 The streets are extremely narrow, and the houses 
 stand on arcades like those at Bologna, which 
 
278 
 
 make the lower stories very melancholy and con- 
 fined. In some parts of the city, particularly in 
 the squares and other large open places, grass is 
 growing between the stones, which has a desolate 
 appearance. 
 
 Appertaining to the palace of Justice, is an 
 immense ancient hall, 300 feet in length and 
 100 feet in width, or thereabout; but as it is on 
 the first floor of the palace it seems to have 
 been pinched in height, except in the centre 
 part, and that is owing to the high-ridged roof 
 Avhich covers the building : also the walls which 
 the rafters rest on beino; very low, the hall has 
 too much the character of a barn to be grand. 
 But what tlie inhabitants so much boast is, 
 that this stupendous roof has no tye-beams ; 
 nevertheless, I perceived about half-way up the 
 rafters some iron rods running across at certain 
 distances to bind the timbers together, yet even 
 they are said to have been added latterly. The 
 walls are extremely thick, and it is pretty evi- 
 dent they were designed for the purpose of re- 
 sisting unusual pressure. The tyebeams were 
 omitted, I am inchned to think, not with a view 
 of displaying the ingenuity of the architect ; for 
 had they been introduced they would have come 
 down so low as to be verv unsio-htly in a chamber 
 of this description : and, on the other hand, the 
 vast expense of carrying up the walls to such a 
 level as would have made the height under the 
 tyebeams proportionate with the other dimensions 
 of the hall, was in all probability too serious to be 
 complied with. 
 
279 
 
 The church of St. Antonio stands in a spacious 
 area, and was built in the thirteenth century, by 
 Nicola Pisano. It is in a bad Gothic style of ar- 
 chitecture. The plan is divided into a nave and 
 two aisles by clustered columns, and lighted 
 within by six cupolas — two over the nave, and 
 two over each of the aisles. The interior consists 
 of various marbles, and contains many superb al- 
 tars, paintings, statues, and bass-reliefs. The ch-a- 
 •pel of the saint is extremely loaded with bass- 
 reliefs, representing the remarkable actions and 
 miracles of his life, combined with other orna- 
 ments. 
 
 Before this church stands an equestrian bronze 
 statue of a Venetian general, said to be the work 
 of Donatello. 
 
 Another church worthy of remark, called St. 
 Giustina, is of Grecian architecture, and supposed 
 to be from the desio-n of Palladio. The facade 
 
 O 1 
 
 remains in an unfinished state; but within, it is 
 simply elegant, resembling the cliurches at Venice. 
 The choir displays some excellent sculpture in nut- 
 wood, representing subjects from the Old and New 
 Testament; and the interior is lighted by seven 
 cupolas, three over the nave and two over each of 
 the aisles. The painting at the great altar, by 
 Paul Veronese, expressing tlie martyrdom of the 
 saint, is reckoned a chet-d'ocuvre of that master. 
 Appertaining to this church are a monastery and 
 an extensive library, containing some scarce and 
 valuable books. 
 
 The university is also generally understood to 
 be from the design of Palladio, On the plan it 
 
280 
 
 forms a square. The outside is no better than a 
 bare wall with plain windows ; but the quadrangle 
 is adorned with two orders of architecture, namely, 
 the Doric and Ionic, one over the other, making 
 thereby two open galleries all round the court- 
 yard, which communicate to the diiierent cham- 
 bers, the anatomical theatre, the museum of na- 
 tural history, and other halls and apartments. 
 
 Leaving unnoticed a few other objects in this 
 city of a secondary nature, I will now speak of 
 Vicenza, which is about sixteen English miles 
 from Padua. 
 
 The road to this city is across a fertile plain 
 well watered by small rivers and canals ; and in 
 the fields, by the wayside, orchards of mulberry- 
 trees abound. They are planted from time to time 
 to afford leaves for the silk-worms ; silk being one 
 of the staple commodities of this part of Italy. 
 Two or three miles before arriving at Vicenza, 
 you will perceive, both on the right and left of the 
 road, a few of the villas erected bv Palladio : the 
 designs of them are to be found in his works. 
 
 Vicenza is situated on the banks of the Bac- 
 chiglione, a small river which connects itself with 
 the Brenta; and it may truly be distinguished as 
 the Italian modern school for fine architecture, 
 chiefly owing to the many excellent designs of 
 Palladio and Scamozzi, who were both born here. 
 In short, the works of these two celebrated men 
 stamp on this city an incontestible pre-eminence in 
 this respect over every other in Italy ; nor should 
 we ever forget how much is due to their me- 
 mory and labours : first, for preserving their minds 
 
uiicontaminated by the corrupt and barbarous ex- 
 amples that then so abundantly prevailed in this 
 part of the world; and, secondly, for selecting 
 out of a heap of rubbish the few scraps of ancient 
 architecture most worthy of imitation that were 
 to be found at Rome, and by which they were 
 qualified to form those models and edifices that 
 now remain as examples to improve the taste of 
 others, and reflect so much real credit upon their 
 own genius, talents, and understanding. The ge- 
 neral manner in which these palaces and public 
 buildings are erected, is similar to that at Venice ; 
 that is, with order over order, decorating the story 
 to which they belong : sometimes the elevation 
 consists of a rustic basement or arcade, with a 
 story above adorned by one of the orders and 
 crowned with an attic ; and in other cases the co- 
 lumns and pilasters, resting only on a low plinth or 
 substruction, occupy two stories at once, on which 
 account they are more grand. Between them are 
 placed bold and well-proportioned windows en- 
 riched with architraves and caps, like those at the 
 banqueting-house, Whitehall. The walls usually 
 consist of bricks stuccoed on the outside; and very 
 often even the columns that form colonnades and 
 porticos are made only of brick stuccoed on the 
 surface in imitation of stone, and which is ex- 
 tremely durable in this mild climate : added to 
 that, so much plain elegance and simplicity pre- 
 side in the elevations of these structures, that I 
 do not believe there is in any one instance either 
 a column or a pilaster with a fluted shaft in an 
 exterior situation within the boundary of the 
 
Ti'hole citVj nohvithsfandinf^ many are repre- 
 sented to be fluted in Palladios books of arcbitec- 
 tnre. Otber ornaments arc again sparingly and 
 judicionsly used, particularly statues; and there- 
 fore they may be said here to form a pleasino* con- 
 trast with those which are the great evil at Rome, 
 where the churches and public buildings are so 
 profusely loaded with figures of saints and angels, 
 that when at a distance from them they appear 
 more like a throng of people standing on the 
 house-top to behold some public spectacle, than as 
 decorative appendages to enhance the beauty of 
 the architecture. 
 
 Among other buildings not to be found in Pal- 
 ladio's four books published at Venice, is the Olym- 
 pic theatre, which is undoubtedly one of his de- 
 signs, although he did not live to see it accom- 
 plished, having died in August 1580, a few months 
 after its commencement. 
 
 Upon the death of Andrea Palladio, his son was 
 elected by the Olympic academy to finish what his 
 father had only begun ; as may be proved by the 
 following memorandum registered among other 
 decrees of the academy : 
 
 " Desidero Facademia checon mao-p-ior diliaenza 
 ^' s'attendesse alia fabriea e fu cletto Messer Scilla 
 " Palladio, figlio di Andrea, con scudi d'oro 3 al 
 " mese essendo uomo perdiligentissimo."* 
 
 This academy had its origin in ]555, being one 
 of the first in Italy ; and the theatre in question 
 
 * A scudi d'oro is about 4j. 6(1. English ; so that Scilla Pal- 
 ladio only had 13«. 6d. per month for surveying this building. 
 
283 
 
 was built for the several purposes of literary exer- 
 cises in public, but is now seldom used except 
 for concerts. 
 
 The elevation is little more than a bare wall, 
 nearly encompassed by houses; but the interior re- 
 sembles the theatres of the ancients, only with this 
 difference, that they formed on the plan half a 
 circle, and this half an oval longitudinally divided, 
 intended thereby better to occupy the ground, which 
 was ninety-six feet long b}' forty feet wide, or there- 
 about. The stage, or proscenium, with the space 
 behind it for the scenes, form rectangles, as is usual; 
 and in many other respects it accords with the de- 
 scription given of these structures by Vitruvius. 
 The circular seats or steps are thirteen in number, 
 made of wood, painted in imitation of stone, and 
 are supported underneath by timber framing. On 
 the top of the highest seat stands a beautiful un- 
 broken peristyle, or circular colonnade, Avith Co- 
 rinthian columns of composition resembling white 
 marble; and over the entablature is a balustrade, 
 form.ing a handsome gallery, crowned with statues. 
 Behind the colonnade are two corridores, one on 
 each side ; but immediately in the centre it nearly 
 touches the external wall, which could not be ex- 
 tended farther out, because it abutts on a public 
 road : and in order to do away the awkward union 
 of a circular with a straight line, Palladio has very 
 ingeniously placed a circular wall behind the ten 
 centre columns with niches between, adoraed with 
 statues ; then leaving the tvro open corridores be- 
 fore mentioned — to which the spectators ascend 
 by staircases in the angles, and from vrhich they 
 
284- ■ • 
 
 descend to their several places — he has repeated 
 the same contrivance of the wall hchind the co- 
 lumns on the right and left sides of the theatre, 
 by which means he has concealed rhc deformity 
 of sharp angles, and you are thereby induced to 
 suppose there is a handsome corridore all round 
 behind the colonnade, as was the case in the the- 
 atres of the Romans. 
 
 The gallery over the circular colonnade rises 
 very near the ceiling; and in the external wall be- 
 hind are square windows, which afford both light 
 and air to the inside of the theatre. 
 
 The screen which divides the stage from the 
 scenes is fiiced by two stories of Corinthian co-* 
 lumns, with ornamental niches between, containing 
 statues of different sorts ; and above them is an 
 attic with panncls of bass-reliefs, representing the 
 efforts of Hercules. It is said this part of the 
 theatre is of a later date, and was designed by 
 some other architect ; be that as it may, it is cer- 
 tainly much inferior in point of simple beauty and 
 elegance to the other parts, which are the acknow- 
 ledged designs of Palladio. The entablatures are 
 full of breaks, the columns and pilasters are crowd- 
 ed together, and the whole is too much surcharged 
 with statues and other ornaments. In the centre 
 of this screen is a lofty archway, and at a little 
 distance on each side of it is a square wide door- 
 way ; through these three apertures the perspective 
 scenery, which is fixed and painted on wood, is 
 presented to the eye in a diverging direction, re- 
 presenting streets, buildings, &c. On each side 
 of the stage is another door, which leads to various 
 
285 
 
 contiguous apartments for the accommodation of 
 those who reside here to take care of the theatre. 
 
 The statues which decorate this interior are of 
 composition, intended as an imitation of statuary 
 marble; and they are really so well done, that when 
 the present king of Denmark visited this theatre 
 he could not be persuaded that the statues were 
 not of marble, but in order to satisfy himself he 
 cut several notches in one of them which stands 
 near the floor of the stage, and which bears to 
 this day the marks of his incredulity. I learned 
 this anecdote by enquiring how the statue became 
 mutilated. 
 
 Another building not in Palladio's works, al- 
 though an undoubted design of his, is the prefect's 
 palace. In the back elevation is the foliowina- in- 
 scrip tion : 
 
 " Andrea Palladio, Architecto."^ 
 
 The facade consists of four composite columns 
 supporting an entablature, above which is an attic. 
 Between the columns in the lower story are three 
 well-proportioned arches ; and over them, in the 
 second story, are three windows with balustrade 
 balconies : on each side of the windows are mili- 
 tary ornaments, such as drums, shields, spears, &c. 
 The windows run up into the architrave of the en~ 
 tablature, which has been condemned as a solecism 
 in the true principles of architecture; but, by way 
 of extenuation, we are told this building was su- 
 perintended by another person when Palladio was 
 at Rome. The back front is a much inferior de- 
 
286 
 
 si^n to the principal elevation ; and by the man- 
 ner in which some of the stonework is left, it 
 appears as if the edifice was to have been con- 
 tinued lonoer. 
 
 The triuni])lial arch at tlie foot of Mount Berico 
 is also supposed by some to have been designed by 
 Palladio, although the inscription denotes it to 
 have been erected fifteen years after his death : at 
 all events, it reflects no discredit on the taste of 
 the person who composed it. In length it is 
 thirty-six feet, nearly the same in height, and ten 
 feet deep. The facade may be said to consist of 
 four half-columns of the Corinthian order, placed 
 on pedestals, and bearing an entablature which is 
 brolvcn round them; over that is an attic with 
 four dwarf pilasters, and in the centre panncl is 
 the following inscription : 
 
 DEI PAR-S: VIRGINI BERICO MOXTIS 
 lACOBVS BRACADENO AMBROS. F. PR.EF. 
 RELIGIpNIS ET URBIS AMANTISS: D. 
 MDXCV. 
 
 Over this inscription a lion is represented hold- 
 ing a book open with his paw ; and on the two 
 end dwarf pilasters are statues. The two inter- 
 mediate columns are seven diameters apart, which 
 admits of a handsome archway in the centre, and 
 through which people pass up a flight of steps to 
 the church on the top of the mount : the columns 
 at the angles are about three diameters from those 
 between, and tlie lateral spaces are left plain. On 
 the cuchitrave of the arch appear two recumbent 
 
287 
 
 angels, wliich seems to indicate that it was built 
 merely as an ornament to the church to which it 
 leads. 
 
 There is also a difference of opinion respecting 
 who was the architect to the Trissini palace (so 
 named from the owner) ; but it is generally sup- 
 posed, owing to its beauty and simple elegance, to 
 be the result of Palladio's genius, although there 
 is no appearance of it in his books of architecture. 
 In leno'th it is nearly 100 feet, and two stories in 
 heio-ht. The lower one consists of an arcade finely 
 proportioned, containing fiye arches. In the se- 
 cond story are five elegant windows, w^ith archi- 
 traves and pediment caps. Tlie piers are adorned 
 with double Corinthian pilasters on pedestals, bear- 
 ing an appropriate entablature, without a single 
 break from one end of the building to the other. 
 Under the centre arch is the principal entrance ; 
 and under the other four arches are square windows, 
 with architraves, which light part of the lower 
 story. In the piers of the arches are small square 
 sinkings ; and over them, in the spandrils, are cir- 
 cular recesses, containing a variety of busts. Who- 
 ever was the composer of this facade, it struck mc, 
 taken altogether, to be one of the most beautiful 
 and unaficcted desis^ns in the whole city. But as 
 I never yet met with any thing perfect, so I think 
 the pedestals of the pilasters would have been 
 better omitted, because the lofty substruction or 
 arcade, which comes immediately below, renders 
 them entirely useless, and on that account they 
 may be justly censured as a pollution of the pure 
 simpHcity of ancient Greek taste, which never 
 
288 
 
 allowed parts in the formation of an edifice that 
 either were not or did not seem necessary and 
 beneficial to the desion in some wav or other. 
 Indeed, there are few instances in which pedestals 
 can be admitted in the facade of a building with- 
 ont injury to the beauty of the composition : one 
 of them is where there is no plinth or sub- 
 struction, as in the triumphal arches at Rome; 
 and here, by the pedestals standing on the very 
 ground itself, they seem very judiciously and sci- 
 entifically placed as a basement to the columns. 
 Also Michael Angelo has observed the same prin- 
 ciple in the side buildings on the capitol, which 
 have no substructions, and the fronts of which are 
 adorned with pilasters : but in the senators' house, 
 on another side of the quadrangle, he has with 
 equal judgment and discrimmation used the pilas- 
 ters, which stand on a high rusticated basement 
 witliout pedestals. Again, when they are placed 
 as footings to the columns of an upper story, with 
 columns inmiediately underneath — as may be per- 
 ceived in nearly all the modern churches at Rome — 
 then the evil of the misapplication becomes aggra- 
 vated and more mischievous than in the other 
 case, because the shafts of the lower columns ap- 
 pear considerably smaller than the pedestals of the 
 upper which they are supposed to support ; thus, 
 if I were permitted to compare animate with in- 
 animate objects, I should not hesitate to say that 
 such a combination is in reality no less incon- 
 sistent and unreasonable than that of placing the 
 head of a giant on the shoulders of a dwarf. It 
 may on the other hand be observed, that the Ro- 
 
mans frequently used pedestals in the upper part 
 of tlieir edifices, particularly in their amphitheatres ; 
 yet I believe the idea never entered into the 
 mind of any man conversant with the true ele- 
 ments of Greek architecture, that the Coliseum at 
 Home, or the amphitheatres of Verona and Neirns 
 (however good in their outline and general pro- 
 portions, and much as they may have excited awe 
 and astonishment by their magnitude, materials, 
 and workmanship), should ever be looked up to as 
 affording specimens of fine architecture, in regard 
 to the parts of which they are composed : indeed 
 the last two amphitheatres are no better in this 
 respect than stupendous piles of massive stonework. 
 Pursuing the subject a little closer, it cannot be 
 denied that even the great Stewart himself^ who 
 after living for years in the lap of Greece, with 
 objects around him most kindred and congenial 
 with his pursuits, has so far forgotten the vv^hole- 
 some precepts of his school, and the fine examples he 
 has transmitted us from that classic soil, as to have 
 introduced columns on pedestals over a substantial 
 substruction in the front of a house in St. James's- 
 square ; and although I contemplate the talents and 
 services of this man with a respect bordering on 
 religious veneration, still I hope that the perspi- 
 cacity of my mind will never be so completely 
 blinded by the fame of any individual whatever, 
 as not to be able to discover the errors from the 
 perfections of his works. Nor do I believe that 
 any impartial judge would ever venture to say 
 that square -headed windows, when placed in cir- 
 
cular recesses, slioulcl run higher up than the 
 springing of the arches, because Stewart, from 
 motives of internal convenience, has been hardy- 
 enough to leave such a precedent behind him in 
 the same building. 
 
 In a laige open place called Campo jMarzio 
 stands a triumphal arch of rustic stonework : in 
 length it is nearly fifty feet. The facade consists 
 of four three-quarter columns of the Doric order, 
 with rusticated shafts, bearing an entablature 
 broken round the columns. The true ancient method 
 of using the triglyphs in the frieze has not been 
 observed here. Over each column a triglyph is 
 certainly placed, but then there is but one be- 
 tween them, which leaves the space of the me- 
 topes extremely wide ; and the mutules are omitted 
 altoo-ether under the corona. Between the two 
 centre columns is a noble archway, about twehe 
 feet wide, and twice as much in height. On each 
 side of this archway appears a square doorway be- 
 tween the columns, with an aperture of similar 
 shape over it. The lower part of this arch is in a 
 good style of architecture, but the u])per part (I 
 mean that which is above the entablature, con- 
 sisting of an ugly scroll pediment like clock-work, 
 with two small obelisks, one at each end) is very- 
 inferior indeed in point of composition; and the 
 same may be said to be the bane of the architec- 
 ture of some of tlic fme fountains in Rome. 
 
 In the pannel over the centre arch is the follow- 
 ing inscription : 
 
291 
 
 PETRVS PAULVS BATTALIA 
 PREF. VICENTI-E CAMPO 
 31 ART IS VETVSTISSIMO AD 
 VRBIS SPLEXDORVM EX EXI- 
 MY IXCIVES A MORIS PERF- 
 ECTV3I MOXIMENTVM POS : 
 AXNO. M.D.CVIII. 
 
 The frieze, architrave, phnths t)f the cokimns, 
 and the archivolt, are totally plain, which alFord 
 an agreeable relief to the rustic-work of the other 
 parts of the arch. Some have attributed this de- 
 sign to Palladio (who had been dead twenty-eight 
 years before its erection), and others to Scamozzi ; 
 and if we leave out of the question the objections 
 above mentioned, it would certainly do no disho- 
 nour to either. 
 
 Se\cral villas Avithout the walls of tlie citv, be- 
 side those we find in Palladio's works, are still 
 conjectured to be from his designs; but as there is 
 no authentic account of them, the name of the 
 architect must ever remain in doubt. At all 
 events, if thev were not immediatelv by him, 
 they may fiirlv be said to have proceeded in an 
 indncct manner from his genius and compre- 
 hension. Xor does it aro-ue any want of talents 
 in an artist, when, with a nicely discriniinating 
 mind, he selects the best ideas from renowned 
 men who have preceded him, and converts theni 
 to his own practical use and advantage. All the 
 invention that can possibly take place in architec- 
 ture, amounts to little more than a few fanciful 
 alterations in old-estabhshed forms and coafirnied 
 
 u 2 
 
292 
 
 mctliocls. Every modern portico in Europe mos^ 
 probabiy derived its ongin from that of the Pan- 
 theon; tluis, whether four, six, or more cohnnns 
 be employed to support an entablature and a pedi- 
 ment, it makes scarcely any difference in the ge- 
 neral fio L.re ; and if an artist has acquired the mere 
 knowledire of the various orders of architecture, 
 there can surely be no great invention in apph ing 
 either the one or the other. lie who aims at ab- 
 solute novelty ought to be a heaven-born genius ; 
 for if he should not associate with it an uncom- 
 mon degree of excellence, he will have the morti- 
 fication to experience that his works have only 
 excited the ridicule and contempt of the judicious. 
 Painting and sculpture, being more intimately con- 
 nected with the animal world, admit of a much 
 greater fertility of invention, in regard to dispo- 
 sition, than an art which has only to do with the 
 application of dead matter : yet even in regard to 
 the first of these, it has been observed, that when 
 Ptaphael was at the head of his profession, so far 
 was he from aiming at what the vulgar call no- 
 velty, that he often composed a whole picture 
 from an individual model. The change of attitudes, 
 opposition in form, and ditference of character 
 and expression, were certainly dictated by his .own 
 prolific mind and feelings; at the same time they 
 were only so many accidental alterations from a 
 single figure, under the im])ulses of opposite pas- 
 sions. By this restraint of judgment and strict 
 adherence to the truth of nature, he has left be- 
 hind him compositions, rather than inventions, that 
 have immortalised liis name, and will as long as 
 
they last be preferred by artists of sterling sense 
 and unsophisticated ideas, as examples inMnitely 
 more deservino- their studv and imiration than all 
 the wild new-fangled and licentious productions 
 which proceed from a diseased and veiiement 
 thirst of creating, without end, new objects and 
 new forms. And notwithstanding in the grati- 
 fication of such a passion nature becomes out- 
 raged, all true drawing set at denance, and the 
 laws of order subverted, yet, p.dnfal to reflect! the 
 unthinking multitude are e\er prone to regard 
 these spurious and distorted works, because they 
 are unlike every thing else, as the spotless and 
 legitimate offspring of a sublime, intrinsic, and 
 nnparagoned genius. When spurning at novelty, 
 I do not mean that which onh* appears so to those 
 whose profession, habits, and situation in life, have 
 never led them in the slio-htest deo-ree to the study 
 of the liberal arts; and which, in reality, is so far 
 from being the description of novelty I have al- 
 luded to, that it is nothing less than an unexpected 
 and joyful revival of ancient objects and primeval 
 principles, after having been inmiured for ages in 
 the womb of oblivion unheeded by man, but at 
 length, eitlier owing to extraordhiary sagacity, 
 abstracted study, or foreign researches, they have 
 been accidentally discovered, and reanimated, as 
 it v.'cre, into a new and modern existence from 
 the mouldering sepulchre of antiquity, in full 
 possession of all those excellent properties and 
 attributes which stamped them \\'ith inestimable 
 value in the day of their origin, and which can 
 never admit of vicissitude or change, either from 
 
1294 
 
 caprice or other motives, without material detriment 
 to that specific system of which they may be said 
 to form essential and concomitant parts. 
 
 Further, we are told that the Venus de' INIedici 
 is only a compound of the most beautiful parts 
 and members separately selected from a variety of 
 the most beautiful women, for the purpose of 
 uniting them together in a single statue, so as to 
 produce a perfect whole ; and therefore it is, that 
 in this figure we have the satisfaction and pleasure 
 of beholding such matchless form, elegance, and 
 proportion, as were never assembled by nature in 
 the person of any individual female whatever. 
 The same method of selection for similar ends may 
 very successfully be resorted to in the composition 
 of architecture of every description, which would 
 open a broad ai:d sure avenue to fame, and operate 
 as a much stronger evidence of the judgment 
 and taste of the designer than could possibly be 
 derived from a thousand flimsy, whimsical, and 
 incoherent inventions, whose only merits consist in 
 not being sanctioned by any approved model or 
 admired archetype in any of the principles by 
 which they are regulated. Thus ]\lr. Dallaway, 
 in his Observations on Enghsh Architecture, in- 
 forms us, that a French critic in Gothic architec- 
 ture used to say, that it" he had to compose a 
 church on the best principles of that style of 
 building, he would select the portal and western 
 front of Rheims, the nave of Amiens, the choir 
 of Beauvais, and the spires of Chartres; hoping, 
 from a conjunction of so many excellences, to 
 acquire universal approbation. From analogous 
 
595 
 
 principles, had lie been employed to design a church 
 or temple in the Grecian style of architecture, so 
 as to conform with the religious ideas of people on 
 the continent, he might perhaps have adopted, 
 with equal success and advantage, the plan of St. 
 Genevieve at Paris, the nave and interior dome of 
 St. Peter's at Rome, the outside of the cupola of 
 St. Paul's, London, and the portico of the Pan- 
 theon of Agrippa; increasing or diminishing their 
 several dimensions as might be found necessary for 
 the harmony and consistency of the aggregate 
 composition, but scrupulously adhering to che re- 
 lative proportions of each of the distinct parts. 
 But here let it be remembered, that there must be 
 a perfect unity and concordance in the characters 
 of the buildings from which the selection is made, 
 whether they Idc of the Gothic, Grecian, or any 
 other, class of architecture. 
 
 The house in which Palladio is said to have re- 
 sided is still remaining: it is in front about 
 twenty-five feet in length, and three stories in 
 heio-ht. In the centre of the lower story are two 
 Ionic columns bearing an entablature; immediately 
 above them are two Corinthian pilasters with their 
 entablature; over them are two small square win- 
 dows, and then the building finishes with a cor- 
 nice. Between the Ionic columns below is a 
 handsome archway, on each side of which is a 
 doorway ; and above them, in the first story, are 
 windows to light the apartments. What is very 
 extraordinary in this elevation is, that both the 
 Ionic and Corinthian orders have the Tuscan base; 
 which, as I have beibre observed, is the case v/ith 
 
290 
 
 the Corinthian order of the CoHscum. Small parts 
 being irregular in so immense an edifice are not 
 perhaps of any consequence comparatively, be- 
 cause a man may look at the Coliseum from morn- 
 ing till night and not perceive these defects; but 
 in small buildings, such as dwelling-houses and 
 villas, where the members of them are presented 
 so much nearer to the eye, it most assuredly ought 
 ever to be considered a oross violation in archi- 
 tecture to put the Tuscan base to a Corinthian co- 
 lumn of pilaster, as done in this instance by Pal- 
 ladio : and even in the Coliseum, where, from its 
 combined and elevated situation, the base of a 
 column appears no more than a speck, still such ' 
 misapplications are far from being justifiable, rd- 
 though they have not in reality any pernicious 
 tendency to destroy the general effect. 
 
 Nearly all the other edifices at Vicenza worthy 
 of remark, except a few by Scamozzi, are to be 
 seen in the works of Palladio; which, when com- 
 pared with the elevations of the buildings them- 
 selves, will be found to diifer in a few trilling par- 
 ticulars. Sometimes the bases of the pedestals of 
 the orders which stand on rustic basements are 
 omitted in the execution, as mtU as the festoons, 
 under the entablature, that hang between the capitals 
 of the columns. In the palace of the Count Bar- 
 barano are pannels, with bass-reliefs, over the lower 
 windows, which seem to weaken the arches ; the 
 frieze of the lower entablature is not inflated, and 
 the windows do not diminish upwards as they are 
 represented in the designs; besides which, there 
 ^.rc ornaments in the friezes of both entablatures ; 
 
^07 
 
 similar immatciial deviations in other structures 
 iniaht be adduced. 
 
 In the beautiful villa called the Rotunda (though 
 of a square shape without), which stands about 
 half a mile out of the city, are also some varia- 
 tions ; particularly in the form of the roof, on 
 which appears a small lantern to light the circular 
 saloon in the centre; but the slopes up to it have 
 more the appearance of oblique steps than a dome, 
 like that shewn in the second hook of Palladio. 
 Also the two extreme columns of the four porticos 
 are in the real buildino- detached from the walls of 
 the loggie, and the windows on each side are or- 
 namented with caps and architraves, which is not 
 the case in the desio-ns. This villa is built with 
 brick, handsomely stuccoed on the outside in 
 imitation of stone, and is so placed on the ground 
 that its four right angles mark the cardinal 
 points ; being on that account, as they say on the 
 spot, more capable of resisting the strong winds 
 Avhich occasionally blow from those quarters of 
 the globe. 
 
 In many of the palaces and villas the end-win- 
 dows are placed very near the quoins, and the in- 
 termediate piers are thereby left extremely wide. 
 This blemish first arose from the absurd custom of 
 placing the chimneys between the windows in the 
 external walls of their houses. 
 
 The general manner of finishino- the interiors of 
 their palaces, houses, and villas, is as follows : — 
 The joists of the floors, instead of being plastered 
 over, as they are in this country, are generally 
 left exposed to the eye ; but they are planed, and 
 
2S)8 
 
 sometimes moulded underneath for tlie sake of or- 
 nament. The floors are of composition, hke those 
 at Venice ; or of plaster fancifully painted to imi- 
 tate wood or marble ; and upon some oceasicms 
 they consist of real marble* of difierv^nt kinds. 
 The doors axe of walnut-tree or other wood of the 
 country, often hung in marble doorcases ; and the 
 sashes of the windows open as they do in France. 
 The walls are stuccoed, and painted in fresco with 
 various ornaments, or embellished with hangings 
 of different sorts. The chimney-pieces are of 
 marble, very large and ponderous in their appear- 
 ance, and adorned with sculpture of an inferior 
 description. 
 
 The paintings in this city are not numerous, and 
 some of them were executed by artists who were 
 natives of the place. 
 
 On a lofty mountain two miles from the city is 
 situated a church, to which persons go under a 
 covered portico like that at Bologna; and from 
 this eminence you have a commanding and pleasant 
 view of the city and its environs. 
 
 From Vieenza to Verona is about twenty-live 
 miles, with a good road all the way. In this short 
 journey you pass several small rivers in barques, 
 which run into the Adige. Verona is well fortified, 
 and stands on the banks of the Adige, a hand- 
 
 * The Romans also often paved their houses with slabs of mar- 
 ble, and with parti-coloured mosaic ; as may be proved by the 
 remains of the small temples and houses at Pompeii, but the 
 greater part of these pavements has been lately removed to the 
 museum at Porticii, particularly what was most curious and 
 valuable. 
 
^99 
 
 some river which discharges itself into the Adri- 
 atic, and over which are four stone bridges that 
 join the two parts of the city together ; one of 
 them, called Ponte del Castel Vecchio, is very an- 
 cient, and has three arches with a kind of Gothic 
 battlements. The largest arch is one of the side- 
 arches, 140 feet span, placed there I presume to 
 suit the current, wdrlch tends strongly to this side 
 of the river. 
 
 The principal gate of the city was built in the 
 year 252, under the emperor Galicnus, as shewn 
 bv the inscrintion on the frieze, and remains ex- 
 tremely perfect. It consists of two equal arches, 
 about twelve feet wide each, for the accommoda- 
 tion of carriages that may be going contrary ways. 
 Each arch is adorned v/ith two tluted Corinthiuu 
 columns supporting an entablature and pediment, 
 and over them are two stories of arches adorned 
 with pilasters and caps as windows, and the sto- 
 ries have small colunms and pilasters against th^ 
 piers; but the upper part is in a very bad taste, as 
 mav be proved by the prints of it. The modern 
 style of architecture prevailing here, in the palaces 
 and public buildings, may be said to resemble in 
 some degree that at Venice ; but frequently it is 
 too much charged with ornaments, and the parts 
 are too often badly and confusedly disposed. 
 A great part of the fortitications, and the new 
 crnte of Paoli, are from the designs of Sanmicheli,. 
 Also the circular chapel belonging to the church 
 of St. Bernardino — which is extremely rich, and 
 intended as a mausoleum for one of the chief fa- 
 milies at Verona — beside several modern edifices. 
 
300 
 
 ^vere designed ])y the ' same master. The eleva- 
 tions ol' tiie public buildings and palaces are gene- 
 rally composed of a rusticated basement or arcade 
 below, with windows thereii*!; above, are three- 
 quarter columns or pilasters, by way of ornament to 
 the front, A\'^itli handsome windows between them 
 and over the entablature : thev finish sometimes 
 with a balustrade, or only with dripping ea^'es, as 
 it may happen: the windows are either with 
 circular heads like arches, or else embellished 
 with architraves and caps resembling those at 
 A'iccnza. 
 
 But the most interesting object within the v/alls 
 of this city is the Roman amphitheatre, in the 
 form of an oval, whose great diameter is said to 
 be 471 feet, and the smaller one 378 feet. Within 
 its circumference are forty-six tiers of seats, one 
 above the other, which are all entire, owing to the 
 interior ha vino- been whollv reinstated bv the in- 
 habitants, and wherein pla\s and other diversions 
 are perfornicd during the summer months. This 
 theatre, being now complete, the internal view of 
 it is uncommiOnl}^ grand. The elevation or outside 
 consisted formerly of three stories of arcades (only 
 a small part is remaining) of rusticated stone. 
 Pilasters of th.o Tuscan order were placed against 
 the piers of each story, except the uppermost, 
 bearino; a continued entablature: and the walls dc- 
 crease in thickness in every story, by regular set- 
 offs, so that seen sectionally they would appear of 
 a pyramidal form. A commodious corridorc used 
 to run all round the lower and one-pair stories, 
 communicating to the vomitoria, which led to the 
 
f5 
 
 01 
 
 difterent seats; but as almost all the shell or outer 
 part of the tlieatre is destroyed, there is only a 
 small remnant of these corridores now to be seen. 
 
 Not tar from this amphitheatre is a modern 
 theatre, which lias a projecting portico of six Ionic 
 colmnns, standing within a quadrangle, surrounded 
 by a Doric colonnade; under which is a variety of 
 antiquities, med:|ls, sculpture, inscriptions, bass- 
 rehefs, and other curiosities. They were deposited 
 here by the famous antiquary ]\Iaffei, and in some 
 instances elucidate the habits and domestic man- 
 ners of the ancient Romans. 
 
 The cathedral is an old Gothic stmcture; at the 
 altar is a line picture, attributed to Titian, repre- 
 senting the Assumption ; and appertaining to the 
 church is an extensive library. 
 
 In a o;arden belono-ins; to one of tlie convents 
 is a large square stone sarcophagus, which is 
 shewn for the tomb of Romeo and Juliet. 
 
 From Verona to jVIilan the distance is about 
 112 English miles. In performing this journev I 
 crossed manv sm^all ri^•ers, which communicate 
 with the Po. The road on each side abounds ^^nth 
 mulberry-trees; but they were so much lopped bv 
 the French armies for fuel when they occupied 
 this part of Italy, that the peasants, who formerly 
 kept a vast nmltitude of silk-worms for spinning, 
 liave sutTered a serious loss in their trade on this 
 account. 
 
 ]\[ilan is well fortified, situated in a fertile plain; 
 and, for the benefit of trade, the inhabitants have 
 made various canals from the city into small rivers 
 uhich connect with the Po. The architecture at 
 
so 
 
 L^ 
 
 Milan is of an Inferior description, although the 
 palaces and public buildings are very extensive, 
 and even the private dwellings t]lemsel^•es are ge- 
 nerally large on the plan. '1 iiey are entered by a 
 spacious archway in the front, as usual, and their 
 walls consist chiefly of brick stuccoed on the sur- 
 face, but they are built in a very ponderous and 
 massive manner The windows and doors in their 
 elevations have heavy stone architraves and caps 
 like those at Rome, and if possible are altogether 
 more remote from taste and elegance. The squares 
 or piazza in the different parts of the city are 
 small, and the streets upon the whole narrow and 
 dismal. 
 
 The only piece of antiquity I remarked here, is 
 before the modern octagonal church of St. Lorenzo. 
 It consists of sixteen Corinthian fluted columns of 
 marble bearinir an unbroken entablature, and has the 
 appearance of a square projecting colonnade without 
 an}'' covering, but is nnich dilapidated by time. 
 
 The cathedral stands in the centre of a large 
 square or area. It is an immense Gothic struc- 
 ture, 449 feet long, 170 feet wide in the body, and 
 275 feet wide in the transept part. This edifice 
 was begun in the year 13S6, but it is not yet 
 finished. On the plan it forms a cross, as is usual. 
 The interior is clothed with white marble, and di- 
 vided into five parts, namely, a nave and four 
 aisles, which are separated fi om each other by lofty 
 slender clustered columns of white marble, from 
 their capitals tlie groined ceiling springs, which is 
 composed of brick and stone, and laced with in- 
 tersecting ribs at the angles and spandrils of the 
 
SOS 
 
 arclies. Some part of the pavement is of marble, 
 and other parts are of brick only. Within, it is 
 lio-hted bv narrow lancet-headed windows lilled 
 with painted glass, which are placed between a 
 kind of projecting pilaster or buttress on the out- 
 side; and over them are smaller Gothic windows, 
 which afford additional light to the interior. At 
 the west end of the sacristy is a beautiful piece 
 of sculpture the size of life, in white marble, re- 
 presenting the fleaing alive of St. Bartholomew ; 
 and on tlie right and left of the church are other 
 pieces of sculpture of saints, &c. 
 
 The cupola* is octangular, crowned with a Go- 
 
 * When comparing the cupolas of St. Paul's and St, Peter's 
 together, I omitted replying to some remarks, which I intended 
 to do, made by Mr. Dallaway, in his Observations on English 
 Architecture. He there says, foreigners have enquired, " Why is 
 the inside surface of the cupola of St. Paul's made into an im- 
 perfect cone, which throws the pilasters out of their upright, 
 and forces them to lean toward the centre ?" Whether that part 
 to which Mr. Dallaway alludes is a cone or not is very imma- 
 terial ; but suppose that it had been a perfect cone, if Mr. 
 Dallaway will take the trouble of only cursorily examining the 
 whole section of this cupola or dome, he will readily perceive 
 that the pilasters would then have been thrown more out of the 
 perpendicular than they are even at present. No small part of 
 the merit of Sir Christopher Wren, as a mathematician, consisted 
 in his profound knowledge of statics and the conic sections ; and 
 it was not long before he discovered that the parabola is bettor 
 calculated to resist great weights by the slightest means than any 
 cthep figure. Now, had the wall against which these pilasters 
 come been perfectly upright, the lateral pressure and impulse 
 of the cupola would have been greatly increased, and in a place 
 less capable of resistance. The method Sir Christopher has 
 adopted, I consider one of the strongest proofs of his sound 
 judgment both as a mathematician and a practical builder: every 
 
304! 
 
 thic spire ; said to have been built by Brunellesdii; 
 and in the sides of it are quadrefoil and otlier win- 
 dows that throw liii'ht to tlic centre of the cross un- 
 derneath. The walls of this catliedral are of brick, 
 incased on the outside as well as within with 
 Avliite marble; and the exterior altogether exhibits 
 a very singular and fastidious kind of Gothic, 
 adorned with pilasters or ornamental buttresses, 
 which are richly pannelled and filled with statues 
 (many as large as life) placed one above the other 
 on sculptured corbels, and overliead are rich pro- 
 truding canopies. Indeed the whole is so profusely 
 ornamented, that it may be properl;^ called a con- 
 tinued piece of shrine-work. Above the lower storv, 
 
 part now inclines as to a centre, cordially supporting each 
 other ; and by that general position the enormous weight of the 
 dome presses pyramidally, \\ith little or no horizontal action, 
 ■where there was every precaution taken to receive it, namely, on 
 the solid piers underneath ; which also derive additional aid and 
 steadiness from the whole body of the edifice by which they are 
 surrounded. The conical part above which bears the timber 
 framing of the outer dome is also placed equally judicious, by 
 being contrived to press on that part which is stiengthened and 
 fortified, not only by the superincumbent weight, but by the en- 
 tablature and side-arches of the colonnade around the cylinder of 
 the dome, and is thereby in less danger of stirring any part of 
 the work than it would have been had it been placed higher or 
 lower than it is. If the pilasters, by being out of the upright, 
 are in an improper attitude, still, when they arc •\iewed (rom 
 below, as the defect is not perceivable, it is nevertheless of little 
 or no consequence in regard to the general cfl'ect, and is amply 
 compensated for by the wisdom disjdayed in the mode of con- 
 struction. The cupola of St. Peter's consists entirely of stone, 
 and docs not stand so high above the body of the church by a 
 vast deal as the cupola of St, Paul's, therefore I do not see how, 
 in a practicarscnsn.', they can be cor»iparcd together. 
 
305 
 
 in which arc the long lancet-headed windows, arc 
 two other stories containing smaller Gothic win- 
 dows : but each story being set back and distinctly 
 borne bv the different tiers of clustered columns 
 in the interior, the lateral elevations retire in se- 
 parate heights till they end with the sides of the 
 great nave. On each of tlie upper buttresses rises 
 a pinnacle (except those not jet finished) capped 
 with a statue ; and the battlements around the 
 church are pointed like small pediments, luxuriantly 
 enriched with delicate foliage, and minute orna- 
 ments of a capricious nature. But the manner 
 in which the interior is finished is rather plain, 
 very much resemlViing that of tlie church of i3a- 
 talha in Portugal. The roof over tlie nave is flat 
 without, paved with marble ..labs, channelled, and 
 so united together as to prevent any wet from 
 getting in. This situation affords an extensive 
 view of the surrounding country. The principal 
 facade is composed of a centre, with tw-p s(iuare 
 towers one at each angle, which are also adorned 
 with paunels, statues, canopies, &c. and crowned 
 with pinnacles suitably decorated. Between these 
 towers are five doors leading into the interior: 
 the largest is in the centre ; and they are separated 
 from each other by a rich pilaster or buttress, as 
 before described. Over these doors are windows 
 w^ith circular and pointed pediments : but wliat is 
 most inexcusable in Pellegrini, the architect who 
 designed this part of the cathedral, is, that tliey are 
 all of Roman architecture ; and by this neglect of 
 that general actuating principle, by which every 
 kind of composition ought to be regulated, the 
 
 X 
 
306 
 
 specific and distinguishing character of the edifice 
 is suUied and confused, if not entirely destroyed. 
 Grantino- that our own ilhistrious architect, Sir 
 Christopher AVren, has been deservedly censured 
 for making additions to the west end of the ca- 
 thedral at Westminster in a style of Gothic, which 
 in some degree jars with the original; what ought 
 to be inflicted upon that artist who has not only 
 failed in close characteristic imitation, but who 
 had barbarism enough to mix together two op- 
 posite and discordant modes of architecture in so 
 flagrant and gross a manner as to spoil the facade 
 of one of the most magnificent and expensive 
 structures on the continent? and which incoherency 
 no man of common sense can view without anger 
 and reprobation. 
 
 The subterraneous circular chapel of St. Carlo 
 Lorromeo, once archbishop of Alilan, with a few 
 relics and curiosities w^ithin the church, is pointed 
 out as a o-ratification to the traveller. 
 
 Unless the actuating and governing principle 
 just mentioned, which ought to preside over every 
 branch of the arts, be thoroughly felt and under- 
 stood, it would not be possible for any professor 
 whatever to compose or assemble his ideas together 
 upon such certain and fixed grounds as lie ought. 
 That like engenders like, is an old philosophical 
 axiom; and in the same way, straight lines ge- 
 nerate straight lines, and circular those which are 
 circular, thereby producing that agreement and 
 mutual compact in objects without which works 
 of art would necessarily cease to please. For the 
 same reason it is apparent, that the Romans in- 
 variably adopted circular arches and apertures in 
 
307 
 
 their rotund edifices, and in their square buildings 
 rectangular ones. Again, the Go:hic architecture, 
 which probably originated from principles equally 
 explicit and demonstrp-ble as those wliich gave 
 birth to the Greek or Roman method of con- 
 struction, imperiously calls for another kind of 
 arch, whose pointed and triangular shape is exclu- 
 sively accordant, as well with the constitut- iir parts 
 and ornaments, as with the general spiral and 
 pyramidal contour of the sacred fabrics to which 
 it belongs. Subvert this doctrine for a moment, 
 and chano'C the circular arches of the Roman am- 
 phitheatres for square apernu'es ; then all their 
 commanding strength, varied members, and noble 
 character, are sacriliced at once to a dull monotony 
 of stiif forms and too frequent succession of pa- 
 rallel lines running in a horizontally curved, and 
 consequently most feeble, direction all round the 
 circumference. On the other hand, rectanguhir 
 doors and windows are equally applicable an;.l in 
 perfect unison with the grave unassunnng ou*:line 
 of the square, sedate, and solemn temples oi Ciic 
 Greeks; and the sharp-pointed arch is no less 
 happily selected as a leading feature to those 
 structures, which, Vvljen vievvcd either in the ag- 
 gregate, in detail, or taken sectionall}', n!i^:ht, 
 almost without an exception, be encciv.passed 
 within the boundary of a triano-le. But rh.s go- 
 verning power or actuating principle gees still 
 further than merely prohibiting an assemblage of 
 shapes and images which are in avowed enimtv to 
 each other. It extends to ihe very crealion of 
 such parts and proportions as may be coniedcrated 
 
 X 2 
 
308 
 
 in the strictest bonds of amity ; that is to say, if 
 a building of any description of architecture what- 
 ever has an extended elevation, with a want of 
 altitude, then the windows, doors, porticos, and 
 every component part, should partake of that form ; 
 so on the contrary, if it be lofty and narrow, the 
 very reverse ought to be the case, as is finely ex- 
 emplified in the Gothic tower of St. Dunstan's 
 in the East, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. 
 These arguments apply even to the very ornaments, 
 and may be multiplied almost ad wjimtum. 
 
 Further, this thesis does not even admit of 
 mingling ancient with modern works, except in a 
 very limited and qualified manner, although they 
 be both of the same denomination of architecture. 
 
 In several instances I have felt as much disgust 
 on seeing a ponderous Doric portico copied fioni 
 Greece or Paestum (allowino- it to be arraved wnth 
 all the classic dress, and distinguibhing beauties, 
 of the order) placed as an ornament against a 
 modern flimsy brick building, as I should have 
 experienced had the misapplication even consisted 
 of a barbarous and savage compound oY Egyptian, 
 Chinese, and Gothic. 
 
 However grand and triumphant the Greci-an 
 Doric must always appear when it stands alone, 
 unmixed with baser matter, constituting a temple 
 devoted to the gods, where a general and equal 
 massiveness predominates throughout in one perfect 
 whole, awakening sublime emotions and stamp- 
 ing a deeper solemnity on the mmd ; it ought, ne- 
 vertheless, to undergo a variety of retrenchments, 
 and relax in a great degree from its harsh and 
 bulky proportions, before it can be considered as a 
 
309 
 
 consistent or adscititious appendage to the facade 
 of a modern building, which has no adequate 
 ponderosity, no correspondent aUiance, nor monu- 
 mental gloom, to sancdon such an union. As 
 well might a sculptor, employed to reinstate 
 a leg of the Apollo or the Antinous, amputate 
 one from the Farnesian Hercules, and annex it to 
 the body of either ; or a painter describe the head 
 of a dray-horse upon tlie neck of the fleet racer; 
 thereby confounding tfje opponent corporal qua- 
 lities of each species in the same animal: I really 
 think, speaking with sobriety, that these last co- 
 alescences would not be more monstrous and un- 
 natural in one way, than the impure conjunction 
 of the tirst is obnoxious to the \ iryin chastitv of 
 refined art in the other. 
 
 The palace of the former dukes of Milan is now 
 occupied by the French commandant. It is a 
 plain white stuccoed building without, but the 
 interior is handsomely fitted up, and contains a 
 most stately hall for music, dancing, and other 
 public occasions, whose plan forms a noble paral- 
 lelogram, and the height of it is in proportion to 
 its other dimensions. All round the room appears 
 an elegant open gallery, supported by caryatides, 
 which, as it were, spring out of the wall for that 
 purpose, so that no space is lost below. The win- 
 dows which lioht the interior are above the g-al- 
 leiv : and the whole is elci^'antlv finished lor a 
 chamber of this description. 
 
 in the refectory belonging to the church St. 
 !Maria delle Grazie, which is at a small distance 
 from the city, appears the famous picture in fresco, 
 of the Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, well 
 
510 
 
 known by the engraving of it. It occupies in 
 length one end of the room, and is painted about 
 ten feet from the floor ; but the lover of historical 
 painting cannot refrain from sorrow when he ob- 
 serves the neglected and very imperfect condition 
 in which this fine production is seen at this day. 
 
 The Ambrosian library, appertaining to the uni- 
 versity, is said to contain nearly 40,000 books, 
 with many valuable manuscripts ; and twelve o- 
 lumes of designs in geometry, architecture, me- 
 chanics, anatomy, &c. by Leonardo da Viaci. 
 This library is open every day for public use. Ad- 
 joining are other apartments, containing paintings 
 from eminent masters, beside a varietv of casts 
 from the best antique statues, for the benefit of 
 the students in these arts, together with a cabinet 
 of natural history, medals, and other antiquities ; and 
 contiguous to this institution is a botanic garden. 
 
 The great hospital — the lazaretto — (which forms 
 an immense quadrangle, surrounded by small 
 houses one storv hi oh, and a colonnade in front of 
 them), and other public buildings, deserve some 
 attention when on the spot. 
 
 The theatre is extremely magnificent, and it 
 appeared to me much larger than ours in Drury- 
 lane. It has six tiers of boxes in height, and 
 part of the pit is commodiously fitted up with 
 stuifcd-back chairs. The fronts of the boxes 
 are adorned with paintings, girandoles, and hand- 
 some curtains of silk ; and the ceiling is painted 
 with suitable subjects. 
 
 Before I quitted Milan I went a small distance 
 from the city to hear the celebrated echo at Si- 
 monctta, which is really curious. The liousr 
 
s* 
 
 11 
 
 wliere tlie echo is produced forms on the plan half 
 a square, that is to say, tlieie are two project- 
 ing wings at the extreme ends of the body of 
 the build ins;. In the inner side of one of them is 
 a window, on the second floor, where persons are 
 stationed to hear the echo, and which consequently 
 looks against the inner side of the opposite wing. 
 So voluble, distinct, and durable, is this echo, that 
 it repeats exactly like the human voice itself; also 
 on discharging a pistol, which is provided for the 
 occasion by the man who has the care of the 
 place, and by pricking upon a sheet of paper 
 with a pin every repetition, they will be found to 
 amount to sixty or seventy in number, at least. 
 In the same proportion it recites every other noise 
 which takes place in this direction. You are told 
 at the house that the opposite wing was con- 
 structed with an intention of reverberating sound; 
 but as there are various opinions on this subject, 
 it mav be difficult to detennine which of them de- 
 serves most credit. It is however certain that 
 there is no echo whatever in any other situation 
 about the palace, neither within nor without, nor 
 any arising from the disposition of the surrounding 
 country ; to all these points I paid careful atten- 
 tion, and made a variety of experiments. 
 
 The land in the neighbourhood of Milan is very 
 productive, which may chiefly be attributed to the 
 salutary effects of irrigation : indeed I was inform- 
 ed by the inhabitants, that some of their meadows 
 }ield live or six crops of grass in the year. 
 
 From ]\iilan to Turin is ninet\-three Eno-lish 
 miles, and during this journey you are compelled 
 
312 
 
 to cross several rivers in barques. Tlie road in 
 some places is very dangerous on account of rob- 
 bers; and were they not well looked after by the 
 ^•overnment, it would be almost impossible to 
 travel this way without a certainty of being plun- 
 dered. Between the towns of Novara and Ver- 
 celli are grounds of rice situated in a fertile 
 plain, which are irrigated as often as is necessary 
 by canals. Before arriving at Turin appear two 
 rivers, called Stura and Dora, which issuing from 
 the summit of the Alps, descend in torrents, and 
 discharge themselves into the Po. These rivers 
 run on a bed of stone, which I was told serves for 
 the pavement of the streets. 
 
 Turin, situated at the foot of the Alps, is rec- 
 koned the best fortified city in all Italy : some of 
 the subterraneous works run out a great distance 
 into the country, and are extremely dangerous to 
 an approaching enemy. The streets are broad and 
 handsome, and the houses are built in such a regular 
 manner, by order of the government, that their 
 elevations seem to make one immense building on 
 each side of the street they stand in ; somewhat 
 similar, in this respect, to Portland-place. 
 
 The four principal streets diverge at right angles 
 from a noble piazza or square, called St. Carlo, as 
 from a centre. Although this uniform style of 
 building has a grand appearance on the first view, 
 it very soon tires the spectator, and affords but a 
 momentary gratification to an eye which has been 
 accustomed to expect more variety in a city. A 
 very common mode of building here is to place the 
 fronts of their houses on a continued arcade, so 
 
313 
 
 that you can walk in some streets a long ^vay un- 
 der shelter, if the weather be bad. 
 
 Many of the churches and public edifices were 
 designed by two modern architects of the place, 
 named Giuvara and Guarini ; but I do not believe 
 there is in the whole city one single building, 
 either public or private, worthy of being described 
 for purity and elegance of architecture ; notwith- 
 standing which, many of them are grand, exten- 
 sive, and costly. They are generally composed of 
 brick, stuccoed on the outside, and sometimes 
 faced with stone and marble. The royal palace 
 stands in a deserted and Avretched condition, hav- 
 ing been stripped of its choicest treasures by the 
 French, when the king of Sardinia fled from the 
 capital. In the great hall of the archives, fixed 
 against the wall, over the chimney-piece, is the 
 famous Isiac table, one of the remains of Egyptian 
 antiquity; and in the difterent chambers of the 
 palace are a few other works of art not altogether 
 unworthy of notice. 
 
 The great theatre adjoins the royal palace ; and 
 is, without exception, the most superb edifice of 
 the sort either in France or Italy. The plan of it 
 resembles other Italian theatres, and it has six 
 tiers or stories of boxes in beifrht. The lx>x set 
 apart for the royal family is in the centre, as is 
 usual, and very spacious : within, it is lined with 
 glass, and adorned with an elegant canopy and 
 appropriate hangings. The ceiling of the house 
 itself is capitally painted v/ith fabulous history. 
 The boxes are supported by caryatides richly gilt» 
 their fronts are embellished with paintings and 
 
.114 
 
 other decorations of a fanciful <!oscription ; and 
 lighted by handsome girandoles, which on a gala, 
 night produce a dazzling and magnificent effect. 
 The acting, dancing, &c. at this theatre appeared 
 to me of a very inferior description. 
 
 The university, which is a stately edifice, con- 
 tains an extensive library, many bass-reliefs, an- 
 cient inscriptions (chiefly found in the vicinity of 
 Turin), and a cabinet of natural curiosities. In^ 
 the en\'irons are a variety of villas, one of which 
 in particular is seated on a beautiful eminence, 
 and was the favourite residence of the queen of 
 Sardinia ; it is called La Vigne de la Reine. Ge- 
 nerally speaking, they are merely plain white plas- 
 tered buildings, without much display of archi- 
 tectural merit ; but their interiors are finished and 
 adorned in a manner consonant with other build- 
 ings of the kind in Italy, and which I have more 
 fully explained in another place. 
 
 Some of the houses which stand in the outer 
 part of the city, near the fortilications, suffered 
 very much on the approach of the French army 
 when it first entered Italy. In their fronts are 
 still a multitude of cannon balls half buried in 
 the brickwork. The enemy having been at first 
 refused admittance into the capital. 
 
 From Turin I proceeded to Norvalese, a paltry 
 village at the foot of Mount Cenis, which is about 
 forty miles. The road pursues nearly the same 
 direction as the river Dora, and in different parts 
 is some romantic scenery. Mount Cenis is said to 
 be 6780 feet above the level of the sea. It was 
 covered with a deep snow when I crossed it, and 
 
515 
 
 in this case (no carriage can go over it at any 
 time) the best way is to hire a sledge with two 
 mules. These animals being so much accustomed 
 to pass and repass the Alps, are extremely sure- 
 footed, and can climb up the steepest ascent with 
 seemino* ease. The sledge has two handles to it, 
 like those of a plough ; one man dri\'es the mules 
 and another guides the sledge, because it often 
 happens that when the mules take a sharp turn 
 in the narrow winding path up the mount, the 
 guide behind is obliged to give the sledge a sud- 
 den cant round to avoid the intervening pre- 
 cipices. In many places the road is so narrow 
 that there is not room for two mules to pass 
 each other without difficulty, so that if you 
 should accidentally meet a train of mules laden 
 with merchandise (which was my case) com- 
 ing a contrary way, you must contrive to place 
 the sledge in a part a little wider than the 
 rest, and wait there till they are all gone b}^ 
 This circumstance sometimes detains travellers so 
 long on the mountain, that in short days, unless 
 they start pretty early in the morning from Susa, 
 they may be benighted, which is ^'ery dangerous 
 when the mountain is covered with snow : 
 also whirlwinds often take place unexpectedlv, 
 and sweep away man and beast. Unless per- 
 sons clothe themselves well, the excessive cold, 
 as they rise higher and higher, would alip.ost oc- 
 casion suffocation ; at all events, it is as much as 
 human nature can endure in the winter months. 
 The guides now and tlicn strike their passeno-crs 
 on the back to prevent them from sleeping. One 
 
316 
 
 circumstance I could not help remarking in par- 
 ticular, which was, that as the clouds roll about 
 much below the peak of the mountain, the mides 
 coming over it in an opposite direction, sometimes 
 appear as if they were really descending out of 
 the clouds ; and another was, that the mules fol- . 
 lowing each other singly in a direct line, all step- 
 ped exactly in the same holes, which were nearly 
 as deep as to the knee joint. When arriv-ing at 
 the summit, the mules are taken out of the sledge, 
 being of no further use, and the guide places 
 himself before on the same sledge, with two 
 handles fastened to it in the front, by which he 
 directs it, and then you bej^in to slide dovv^n the 
 different slopes of the mountain on the snow : 
 comparati\'ely, you descend as swift as the wind ; 
 and it frequently appears as if the guide weie 
 o-oing to launch the sledge into a precipice im- 
 mediately before, but in an instant he turns it 
 round with great dexterity, and takes another 
 direction. In this zig-zag way, down sharp de- 
 scents, you glide from the top to the bottom of 
 the mount in about fifteen minutes, a space that 
 w^ould require some hours to ascend. At the 
 bottom is the village of Lannebourg; which, 
 after such excessive fatigue, and nearly frozen to 
 death, the traveller is not sorry to sec, although it 
 is a wretched miserable place. 
 
 Leaving this village, 1 returned through France, 
 the same way as I went, to England. 
 
 TUH END. 
 
 Prmvtd bv \V. BALI.INTINE, Duke-sUeet, 
 Yov^-buildings, StrsmtJ. 
 
 D. H. HILL LIBRARY 
 hlortb Carolina Stafe Cof'sr-m 
 
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