f

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

LETTERS

OF A

TRAVELLER.

LETTERS

O F A
TRAVE LLER,
ON THE VARIOUS COUNTRIES OF
EUROPE, ASIA, AND AFRICA:
CONTAINING ~
SKETCHES OF THEIR PRESENT
STATE, GOVERNMENT, RELIGION, MANNERS,
AND CUSTOMS; WITH
SOME ORIGINAL PIECES OF POETRY.

EDITED
By ALEXANDER THOMSON, M. D.

LONDON,
PRINTED FOR JAMES WALLIS, No. 46, AND WYNNE AND
SCHOLEY, No: 45, PATER-NOSTER-ROW.

1798.

CONTENTS. EUROPE.
LETTER L PAGE
REENLAND and Iceland. - - - i
LETTER II.
The SuhjeB Concluded. - , - - 9
LETTER IIL
Norzvay. - - - - 15
LETTER IV.
Denmark. - - - - - 24
LETTER V.
Lapland. - - - - 32
A Lapland Ode.
LETTER VL
Sweden. - ' - - 7 - - 40
LETTER VIL
RnJJia. - - ¦¦;- - 4S
LETTER Vm.
Shetland, Orkney, and Wejlern Iftes of Scotland. 64
LETTER IX.
Scotland. _-_--- ^6
LETTER X.
England. - - - - 91
LETTER XL
1^/:'^ Siibjfdi Concluded. . . - - 104.
LETTER

VI. CONTENTS.
LETTER XIL page
Ireland. - - - - ii8
LETTER XillL
France. - - - - - ".^3°
LETTER XIV.
Netherlands. - - - 142
LETTER XV.
Germany. - ~- . - - - \i^3
LETTER XVL
Pi'ujfta, Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland. -. - 1 65
LETTER XVIL
Switzerland. r t - - - 183
[Anecdote of Monf. Voltaire.
LETTRR XVm.
Spain. - - - - igz
LETTER XIX.
The SuhjeS Conduded. ¦, - - 1215
LETTER XX.
Portugal. - r - - 227 ,
LETTER XXL
Italy. - *¦ - - - - . , 2/^.2, .
Comjiarifon of Hannibal with Julius Cafar.
LETTER XXIL
Italy Continued. - - - 2Ci
Verfes on Semiramis.
LETTER xxm.
The SubJeS! Continued. - . . ^ ^.ej
LETTER

CONTENTS. VlU

LETTER XXIV.

PAGE

The SubJeSi Continued.

268

LETTER^XXV.

The SubJeSi Continued.

- ¦¦278

LETTER XXVL

The Subje£l Concluded.

289

LETTER XXVIi.

Italian Iftands. . . .

¦'500

LETTER XXVIII.

The SubjeU Concluded. - --
310
Verfes addrejj'ed to the Knights of Malta.
LETTER XXIX.
Greece. - - - •
318
LETTER XXX.
The SubjeSl Concluded.
An Ode.
340
~ . LETTER XXXL
Iflands of Turkey in Europe.
3it
ASIA.
LETTER XXXIL
NatoHa. - - -
3%
-LETTER XXXm.
Syria, and Palefiine, or Judea.
390
LETTER XXXIV.
Other Provinces of Afiatic Turkey.
- 399
LETTER XXXV.
. Tartary. - - -
408
LETTER
viii.

eoNTENTS.

China.

LETTER XXXVL
LETTER XXXYIL

PAGE 417

Continent

of India. - - '

428

Perfia.

LETTER XXXVm.

438

Arabia.

LETTER XXXIX.
AFRICA.
LETTER XL.

455

Egypt.: - - - - 465
LETTER XLL
The SubjeE Conthfued. - - 475
LETTER XLir.
The Subject Continued, - - - 485
LETTER XLin.
The SubjeSi Concluded, - - 494
LETTER XLIV.
States of Barbary. - - - - 5^^
' * Erratum,
Fpr agmire, -p. 479* read dgminet.

LETTERS OF A
TRAVELLER, ^c.

LETTER L:

I

S I R,

N compliancs with your de£re, I now
commence a Series of Letters on the dif
ferent countries of Europe, Afia, and Africa,
thofe great divifions of the globe, which
are ufually denominated the ancient world.
It is a fubjeft of vaft extent, and, from its
nature, ,pix)du£tive of rational entertain
ment, as well as information. It has ne
ver yet been the lot of any individual to
vifit all thofe countries ; and therefore in
fuch an undertaking as the prefent, it be
comes neceffary to have recourfe to the ac
cumulated fund of obfervations made by
travellers of the moft approved difcern-
B ment

2 LETTERS t)F A TRAVELLER.
ment and veracity. In refpedt of the
countries which I have vifited in perfon, I
I know that you will be fatisfied with my
own authority ; ahd in treating of the
others, I fhall faithfully adopt the account
delivered by the lateft travellers of the
character above defcribed.
As fuch an excurfion will properly com^^
mence froiri one or other of the extremi
ties of the globe, I ftiall begin with thofe
regions which form the limits of the
northern hemisphere, and thence purfuing
my courfe fouthward and laterally, explore
the numerous objects which particularly
court the attention.
' Imkginatioti alone can fupply the mind
.with a piiSture of the inhofpitable fcene
.which exifts.. between the 8 ift or .Sad de
grees of north latitude and the Role, where
a frozen ocean, and exceffive cold have
placed eternaf-bai^riers to the farther ap^
proach of navigators. Near the boundary
of this tremfendoBs profpedt lie Eaft and
-Wdft .Greenland ; on the coafts' of which,
and of Iceland, the entrerprizing fpirit of
commerce has puflied its bold refearches ih
the. fiftiing for whales. The fields of float ing

¦ tET. I.] GREENLANp AND ICELAJ^D. ^
ing ice, amidft which they venture drl
thofe oceans, are frequently more than a
mile in length, and upwards of a hundred
feet in thicknefs. , How terrible muft be
the fpedlacle, when thefe enormous maffes
are put into motion by a llorm ! By a
dreadful cataftrophe, refulting from fuch
an incident;, no lefs than thirteen Dutch fhips
were crufhed to pieces in one feafon. It
often happens that the wood which is drift-
fed, along between thefe floating mountains,
is fo much, chafed, and preffed with fuch
violence together, that it takes fire ; a
circumftance which has excited an errone*
ous opinion that the ice was in flames.
In Weft Greenland, though the winter
be inaredibly fevere, the country is not
uninhabited ; and the natives experience^
jn the fummer, the temperature of the
oppofite extreme : for in the longeft days
it is fometimes fb hot, that they are obliged
to throw off their garments.
There are various kinds of whalfes on the
coaft of Greenland, fome of which are
black, and others of a white colour ; but
the former are moft in efteem, on account
of their magnitude, and the great quantity
Bz of

4 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER*
of fat, or blubber, which they afford. The
toftgue of this huge animal is about eighi
teen feet long, enclof6d on each fide with
250 long pieces of what is called, "ivhale-
isone ; which are covered with a kind of
iiair refembli^ig that of horfes. He has no
teeth, and is commonly between fixty and
eighty feet -lon^ ; exceeding thick about
the hfead,°''bu? tapering thence to the tail.
Me is ge'neraTIy firft known to the feamen
by fpoWtihg water in the air ; when the
akrmi fall! falH being inftantly^iven,
evdry one haftens from the fhip to his
baat. Six or eight men ¦ are appointed to
this vehicle ; and four or five boats ufually
belong to one fhip. On approaching the
whate, V the ;harpdoner ftrikes him with
hil harpoon, made in the form of a barbed
dart ; when the monfter, eorifeious of be-^
ing x^^ounded, runs fwiftly down tnto the
deep, and would inevitably carry the boat
along with him, if they did Tiot give him
line faft enough. After having- dived
feme hundred fathoms, he is forted ' to
come up for air, when the noife he makes
with fpouting is fo loud, that it has been
compared to the firing of cannon. He no
fooner

LET. I.] GREENLAND AND. ICELAND. 5
fooner appears on the furface of the
water, than another harpoon is fixed in
him ; upon which he again plunges into
the deep, and when he next comes up,
they pierce him with fpears in the vital
parts, till he fpouts out ftreams of blood
inftead of water. He now beats the waves
fo iriuch with his tail and fins, that the fea
is all in a foam ; the boats continuing all
the while to follow him fome leagues, till
his ftrength is exhavifted. Then, turning
himfelf upon his back, he is drawn on
fhore, or to the fhip, if they are at a dift
ance from , the land. Thus perifhes this
enormous animal, which is then cut in
pieces, and communicates its ftrong fmell
to the fhips, which either bring home the
blubber barrelled up in pieces, or, if they
have convenience, extract tb^e oil from it:
on fhore. It is computed that every fifl^
yields between fixty and a hundred barrels
£)f oil, amounting each to the value of three
Of four pounds.
The large wh^le refembles a cod, with
fmall eyes, a d.ark marbled fkin, and \yhite
belly : They fpout out the water which
they take io by infpjration thrpugh tvy^p
B 3 hol6&

6 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
holes or openings, in the head. They co
pulate like land animals, ftanding upright
in the fea. A young whale, when firft
produced, is about nine or ten feet long ;
and the female fometime brings forth two
at a birth. The whale devours fuch an in
credible number of fmall fifh, that his belly
is often ready to burft ; in which cafe he
makes a moft tremendous noife from pain.
The fmaller fifh have their revenge ; forrie
of them faften on his back, and inceffantly
beat him ; others, with fharp horns, or ra
ther bones in their beaks, fwim under his
belly, and fometimes rip it up ; fome arc
provided with long fliarp teeth and tear
His flefh. Even the aquatic birds of ^rey
declare war%is:ainft him when he comes
near the furface of the water ; and he has
been known to be fo tortured, that he has
beat himfelf to death on the rocks.
It may appear furprizing, that though
Iceland is fituated fo far to the north, earth
quakes and volcanoes are more frequent
than -in many of the fouthern countries.
Many ofthe fnbwy mountain? have alfo crta-
dtiaily become volcanoes. Among thefe one
®^.!^^ principal ' is Hecla, fiituated in the
fouthern

LET. I.] GREENLAND AND ICELAND. 7
fouthern part of the country, about four
miles from the fea-coaft. This mountain
rifes at the top into three points, the higheft
of which is that in the middle, computed to
be more than five thoufand feet above the
level of the fea. Its eruptions were particu
larly dreadful towards the end of the laft
century, and have been feveral times repeat
ed, though with lefs violence, fince the mid
dle of the prefent. While the country has
been occafionally defolated by thefe calami
ties, in feveral parts, it has made in others
an acquifition of territory from the bofom
of the ocean. In 1783, the inhabitants of
Iceland obferved a phenomenon of feme-
thing rifing and flaming in the fea, to the
fouth of Grinburg. It was afterwards dif
covered to be a new ifland, daily increafing
in dimenfions, and from two eminences of
which there iffued great quantities of fire.
Unfavourable as this country may feem to
the genius ofthe mufes, we are told that po
etry formerly flourifhed in Iceland, and
the names of five or fix are nqientioned as
piirticularly eminent. The art of writing
however, was not much in ufe before the
eleventh century ; though the Runic cha-
radera

8 LETTERS OF A TjlAVELLEft.
raders were known in the country at a
time preceding that period, and were pro
bably brought thither from Norway. But
this alphabet which confifts only of fixteen
letters, gave way to the introduftion of the
Latin charaders, after the reception of the
Chriftian Religion. It appears from the
ancient chronicles of Iceland, that from
the beginning of the eleventh to the four
teenth century inclufivCj the fciences of
morality, natural hiftory and aftronomy
were much cultivated in this country ; and
we are affvired that more knowledge may
be found among the lower clafs of people
in Iceland, than is to be met with in moft
other countries. Like the Highlanders of
Scotland, many of them can repeat the
works of fome of their poets by heart ; and
befides being well inftruiSled in , the princi
ples of religion, they are acquainted with
the hiftory of their own country : a know
ledge acquired by the frequent repetition
of their traditional hiftories, which confti-
tutes one of their principal amufements.
I am, &c.
T LETTER

LET II.] ICELAND.

LETTER IL

Ai

.MONG the natural curiofities in Ice
land, the moft worthy of attention are the
hot fpouting water-fpringsj with which the
country abounds. Some of them fpout co*
lumns of water, of feveral feet in thicknefs,
to the height of many fathoms ; and, as
fome affirm, of feyeral hundred feet. They
are of unequal degrees of heat. From fome^
the water flows gently as from other
fprings, and it is then called a bath ; from
others, it fpouts boiling water with great
noife, and is called a kettle. But though
the degree of - heat be unequal. Dr. Van
Troil affirms, that he does not remember
ever to have obferved it below i88 degrees
of Farenheit's thermometer. At Langer-
vatin, in the ground, at a fmall hot cur
rent of water, the thermometer rofe to 213
degrees.

IO LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
degrees. It is very common for fome of
the fpouting fprings to ceafe, and others to
rife up in their ftead. In feveral of thefe
hot fprings, the inhabitants who live near
them, boil their viduals, only by hanging a
pot, into which the flefh is put, in cold wa
ter, in the water of the fpring. They alfo
bathe in the rivulets that run from them,
whi^h by degrees become luke-warm, or arc
cooled by being mixed with rivulets of cold
water. The cows that drink of thefefprings
are faid to yield an extraordinary quantity of
milk ; and the water is likewife efteemed
very wholefome, when drunk by the hu
man fpecies.
The -largeft of all the fpouting fprings in
Iceland is that at Gayfer, about two days
journey from Mount Hecla. In approaching
towards it a loud roaring noife is heard like
-the rufhing of a torrent precipitating itfelf
from a ftupendous height. The water here
fpouts feveral times a . day, but always by
ftarts, and aftc" certain intervals. Some tra
vellers affirm, that it fpouts to the heio-ht of
fixty fathoms. The water is thrown up
much higher at fome times than at others.
When Dr. Van Troil made his obfervations upon

LET. II.] ICELAND. 1 1
•upon it, the utmoft height to which it
mounted was compiited to be ninety- two
feet.
•<-' Another natural phenomenon, very com
mon in Iceland, is Bafaltine Pillars, fuppof
ed to be the production of fubterranean fires.
They have generally from three to feven
fides ; are from four to feven feet in thick
nefs, and from t\yelve to fixteen yards in
length, without any horizontal divifions. In
fome places they are only found fcattered
among the lava in the mountains ; but in
others they extend two or three miles in
length without interruption. The lov/er
fort of people imagine thefe pillars to have
been piled upon one another by giants.
Great damage is done to this country
every year by immenfe maffes of ice, which
alfo affefl the climate, and commonly ar
rive with a north weft wind from Green
land. What is called the field-ice is of two
or three fathoms thicknefs, is feparated by
the witids, and lefs dreaded thaiv the rock
or mountain ice, which is often feen to the
height of more than fifty feet above the
water, and is at leaft nine times the fame
4:epth belo\v water. Thefe prodigious maffes

12 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
maffes of ice are frequently left in fhoal
water, fixed as it were to the ground; and
in that ftate remain many months, it is
faid even years, undiffolved, chilling all the
circumambient part of the atmofphere to
the diftance of many miles. In i y^^ and
1754, the ice caufed fo violent a cold, that
horfes and fheep dropped down dead on
account of it, as well as for want of food.
Horfes were obferved to feed upon dead
cattle, and the flieep to eat of each other's
wool. Along with the ice. there arrives
yearly a number of bears, which corrimit
great ravages, particulg;rly among the fheep.
Irnmediately on their appearance the na
tives attempt to deftroy them, and fome
times drive them back to the ice, with which
they often float off again. The government
of Denmark encourages the people to de
ftroy thefe animals, by paying a premium of
ten dollars for every bear that is killed : and
their fkins are alfo purchafed for the king.
It is commonly obferved that- wood
thrives well in Iceland ; nay, there are very-
few trees to be found in the whole ifland,
yet indubitable proofs exift, that wood for
merly grew there in . great abundance. Iji
General vegetation is remarkably deficient. Corn

LET. II.] ICELAND. 1 3
Corn cannot be cultivated here to any ad
vantage ; though cabbages, parfley, tur
nips, and peafe, may be met with in five
or fix gardens, which are faid to be all that
are upon the whole ifland.
Notwithftanding all the difadvantages of
the climate, the nuniber of inhabitants of
Iceland is computed at about fixty thoufand.
This however is by no means adequate to
the extent bf the country, which is com
puted at four hundred miles in length, and
an hundred and fixty in breadth. It has
been much more populous in former times,
but great numbers have been deftroyed by
contagious difeafes ; and many parts of the
ifland have alfo been depopulated by famine,
chiefly occafioned by the Grenland floating
ice, which, when it comes in great quanti
ties, prevents the grafs firom growing, and
puts an entire ftop to fifhing, the principal
occupation of the inhabitants.
To the honour of the Icelanders, though
they enjoy the comforts of life in a far lefs
degree than moft other nations, they are
much inclined to religion. They never pafs
a river, or any other dangerous place, with out

X.4 LETTERS, OF A TftAVfiLLEE,
put previoufly taking ( off their hats, and
imploring the divine protedlion ; and they
are always thankful for their prefervation
when they have paffed the danger. I wifh
I could fay as much in favour of the general
piety and fenfibility of the .people of our own
country; where, with a genial temperature
of climate, we enjoy in an extraordinary
degree all tbe phyfical bleffings of ^ivine
Providence, and live under a political con-
fHtution which is the admiration and envy
of the world.

LETTER

LET. III.]- ; ,., , NORWAY. /, 1 5

J ,) .. .

nu

LETTER III.

ROOEEDING from Iceland towards
the fouth-eaft, we come to Norway, which
fkirts the north- weftern extremity of the
continent of Europe. The climate of this
country varies according to its extent and
its pofition towards the fea at Bergen, which
lies in about the 6oth degree of latitude.The
winter is moderate, and the fea is prafticable
at that feafon; but in the eaftern parts of Nor
way, which are commonly covered with
fnow, the cold generally fets in about the
middle of Oftober withintenfe fever ity, and
continues till the middle of April, the wa
ters being all that time frozen to a confider
able thicknefs. As to the more northern
part;s of this country, called Finmark, the
cold is fo intenfe that they are but little
known. The air is fo pure in fome of the
inland parts, that it has been faid the inha
bitants

i6 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
bitants live fo long as to be tired of life, and
caufe themfelves ta be removed to a lefs fa-
lubrious air. A Norwegian of an hundred
years of age is not accounted paft his labour;
and in 1733, four couples ^Y^^'s married,
and danced before his Danifh Majefty, at
Frederickftall, whofe ages, when joined,
exceeded eight hundred years.
y. Even froft and fnow have here their con-
Veniencies, as they facilitate the convey
ance of goods by land ; but fudden thaws,
and fnow-falls haye fpmetirmes dreadful ef-
fe&s, and deftroy whole village^. , , ,,
No country experiences greater viciffi-
tudes from the re volution of the earth round
the fun. At Bergen, the longeft days con-
fif^ of nineteen hours, and the fhorteft of
about fix. In fummer the inhabitants can
read and write at midnigiit by the light of
the flcy ; and in the mofl northerly parts,
about midfummer, the fun is continuallv
above the horizon. In thofe parts, howj-
ever, in the middle of winter, there is only
a faint glimmering of light at noon^ for
about an hour and an half, owino- to the
refleftion of the fun's rays on the moun-
.tains. Nature, notwithftanding,, has been fo

LET. iil] NOfeWAY. ij
fo kind to the Norwegians, that in the
midft of their darknefs, the fky is fo ferene,
and the moon and the aurora borealis fo
bright, that they can carry on their fifhery
and v/ork at their feveral trades in the open
air. Norway is reckoned one of the moft
mountainous countries in thfe world, con
taining a chain of unequal mountains run*
ning from fouth to north ; of which that
cf Dofrefield is accounted among the high
eft in Europe. They are interfefted by ri
vers and catarafts, which fall down dread
ful precipices, and are paffable only by
flight tottering wooden bridges, which ren
der travelling in this country exceedingly
terrible and dangerous.. But providence haS
endowed the inhabitants with ah intrepidi
ty proportioned' to their exigencies. This, ap
pears from their aftonifhing aftivity in reco
vering fheep and goats, when penned up
through a falfe ftep, in one of thofe tre
mendous precipices. The owner direft*
himfelf to be lowered down from the top
of the mountain, fitting on a crofs ftick,
tied to the end of a long rope ; and when
he arrives at the place where the creature
C ftands.

1 8 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
ftands, he faftens it to the, fame cord,^
and it is drawn up with himfelf.
In the mountains of Norway there are
caverns of fuch prodigious extent as fur-
paffes all that we meet with ih the accounts.
of other countries. One of them, called
Dolfteen, was in 1750, vifited by two cler
gymen, who reported that they proceedec][
in it till they heard the fea dafhing over
their heads ; that the paffage was as wide
and as high as an ordinary church, the^
fides perpendicular, and the roof vaulted ;
that they defcended a flight of natural
ftairs, but when they arrived at ano
ther, they durft not venture to proceed,
but returned ; and that they confumed two
candles going and returning.
The rivers and frefh-water lakes in this ,
country are numerous, well ftocked with,
fifh, and navigable for fhips of confiderable.
burden. Some of thofe lakes contain floatr
ing iflands, formed by the/cohefion of roots
of trees and of fhrubs ; and, though torn,
from the main land, bear herbage and trees. »
Elxtraordinary inftances. are related of the
formation of fome of j;he fmaller lakes. In
1 702, the noble family-feat of Borge, near;
Frede-

LET. m.] i^OfewAY. 19
Fredericffcadt, fuddenly funk with all its
towers and battlements, into an abyfs an
hundred fathoms in depth ; and its fcite
vi^as inftantly occupied with a piece of wa^
ter, which formed a lake nine hundred feet
in length, and about half as broad. This
melancholy accident was occafioned by the
foundation being undermined by the waters
of a river. ,
The moft apparently fabulous accounts of
the ancients, concerning fea-monfters, are
rendered credible by the produftions of the
Norwegian feas ; and the fea-fnake, or
ferpent' of the ' ocean, is no longer ac-^
counted a chimera. In 1756, one of them
was fhot by the maftef of a fhip. It's head
refembled that of a horfe ; the mouth and
eyes were large and black, and a white
mane hung from its neck. It floated on
the furface ofthe water, and held its head
at leaft two feet out of the fea. Between
the head and neck were feven of eight
thick folds, and the length of the fnake
was more than an hundred yards, fome
fay fathoms. They have a remarkable aver-
fion to the fmell of caft-or ; fof which reafon
fliip - mafters provide themfelves with
quantities of that drug, to prevent beino*
C 2 overfet ;

20 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
overfet; the ferpent'solfaftory nerves being
endowed with great fenfibility. The parti
culars related of this animal would be incre
dible, were they not attefted upon oath.
Wc are informed by Eg'ede, a very reputa
ble author, that on the 6th of July, 1734,
a large and frightful fea-monfter raifed it
felf fo high out of the water, that its
head reached above the main-top-maft of
the fhip ; that it had a long iharp fnout,
broad paws, and . fpouted water like a
whale; that the body feemed to be co-»
vered with fcales ; ¦¦ the, fkin was uneven
and wrinkled, and the lower part was
formed like a fnake. The body of this
monfter is faid to be as thick as a hogfr
head ; his fkin is variegated like a tortoife-
fhell ; and his excrement, which floats on
the furface ofthe water, is corrofive, and
blifters the hands of the feanten who hap*
pen to touch it.
But a more wonderful produftion yet
remains to be mentioned — the Kraken, or
Kerven — which nothing but the ftrono-eft
proof of its exiftence could admit into the
catalogue ofthe animaL kingdom.; Its.^bulk
is faid to be a mile and a half in circumfe->.
rence ; and whgn part of it appears above the

•ET. III.]- NORWAY.

21

the water^ it refembles a number; of fmall
iflands and fand-banks, on which fifh dif-
port themfelves, and'fea- weeds grow. Up
on its , emerging further, there appears a
number of pellucid antennae, each about the
height, form,- and fize of a moderate maft ;
and^by their aftion and re-aftion he gathers
his food, which confifts of fmall. fifhes.
When hejfiriksi whigh he does gradually, a
dangerous. fwell of the fea fhcceeds, and a.
kind of whirpool is immediately formed in
the water. In i68oj ayoung kraken pe
rifhed among the rocks and clefts at Alfta-
hong, and his death was attended ,by fiich
a ftench, that the channel where it died
was impaffable.
On the coaft of Norway, in lat. dy deg.
is that dreadful vorte± or whirlpool j called i
by navigators the. Navel of the Sea, and by <
fome Maleftrom, or Mofkoeftrom. The
ifland Moflcoe, from whence this ftrearn de
rives its na-me, lies between the mountain
Hefleggen in Lofoden,-! and the ifland Ver,
which are about one- league dd'ftaht ; and be
tween the iftand and coaft on each fide, the
ftream -makes its way* Between- Mofkoe
and Lofoden it is nearfour hundred fathoms.
C 3 deep ;

22' LETTERS OF A THAVELLER,
deep ; but between the former and Vet, is
fo fhallow as not to afford paffage for a fmall
fhip.^ — When it is flood, the ftream runs up
the country with a boifterous rapidity ; and
when it is ebb, returns to the fea with a vio
lence and noife unequalled by : the loudeft
cataf afts. It is heard at therdiftance of many
leagues ; and fo violent is the current, that
if a fhip comes near, it is immediately
drawn irrefiftibly intO' the vortex,, and car
ried down to the bottom- in a moment,
when it is dafhed to pieces againft the
rocks: -and juft at the turn of the ebb
and flood', when the water becomes ftijlfor
about a quarter of an hour, it rifes again in
fcattered fragments, fcarcely to be knoWn
for' the parts, of a fhip. When it is agitated
by a ftorm, it has reached veffels at the dif
tance of more than a Norway mile, where
the crews' have thought themfelves in per-
fedt fecurity. ' Even animals, which havie
come too near the vortex, have expreffed
their utmoft torrior, i whten they find the
ftream- irrefiftifele. .^Whales are frequently
carried- away ; arid the moment -they feel
the foree.of the watery they .ftruggle ao-ainft
it withall their mirght, -howling and bellow^

mg

LET. III.] NORWAY. - 2^
ing in a frightful manner. The like happens
frequently to bears, which attempt to fwim
to the ifland to prey upon the fheep.
The Norwegians themfelves are almoft
as extraordinary as the country which they
inhabit. Every native is an artizan, and
fupplies his family in all its neceffaries with
his own manufadlures ; fo that in Norway
there are very few trades by profeffion.
From being formerly the moft turbulent and
refraftory, they are now the moft quiet and
loyal fubjefts in Europe ; which may be ac
counted for from the barbarity and tyranny
of their kings, when a fepar^te people.
Since the union of Calmar, which united
Norway to Denmark, their hiftory and in-
terefts are the fame with thofe of that kiiig-
dom ; the fovereign of which derives from
them an annual revenue of near two hun
dred thoufand pounds, chiefly from the pro
duce of the immenfe foreft with which the
fountry abounds.

C 4 LETTER

24 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.

LETTER IV.

P-

ASSINGtheScaggeneSea, orCategate,
on the fouth of ]^^orway, we arrive in Den
mark, vvhich is divided into two parts.
One of thefe is the peninfula of Jutland ;
and the other the iflands at the entrance of
the Baltic. It deferves to be, remarked,
that though all thefe colleftively conftitute,
the kingdom of Denmark, yet not anyone
of them is feparately called by that name.
'Copenhagen, the metropolis, ftands in the
iflaind of Zealand.
Jutland is the largeft, as well as tnoft fer
tile, of all the provinces of this kingdom,
and produces abundance of all forts of grain
and pafturage. A great number of fmall
cattle are bred in this province, and after
wards tranfported into Holftein, to be fed
for the foreign markets. Zealand is for the
moft

LET. IV.] DENMARK. .^ 25
moft part a fandy foil, but not unfertile in.
grain and pafturage ; and is agreeably varie
gated with woods and lakes. Spring and
autumn are feafons fcarcely known in Den-
rxiark, on account of the fudden tranfitions-
from cold to heat, and from heat to cold,
which diftinguifh the, climate of this king
dom. In all the northern provinces of Den
mark the winters are extremely fevere, and
during thofe feafons all the harbours are
frozen up.
The feudal fyftem ftill prevails in this
country, in a degree moft; injurious^ to
the interefts of the people. The greatefl
part of the lands in Denmark and Holftein,
are fiefs; and the ancient nobility, by grants
which they extorted at different times from
the crown, acquired fiich a power over the
peafantry, and all thofe who refided upon
their efta,tes, that at length they reduced
them to a ftate of extreme flavery. The
liquation of the people has indeed been ren
dered fomewhat lefs grievous by modern
edifts, but they ftill are fubjeft to the op
preffion of ariftocratical tyranny ; continu
ing to be difpofed of at the will of their
lords, many of whom retain the power of
- . life

26 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
life and death upon their eftates. Nothing
is more common in this, country than to fee
an induftrious peafant, after labouring feve
ral years to cultivate a poor farm, with a
view of enjoying at laft the profit of his
toil, removed by his rapacious landlord to
another fpot of a fi'milar defcription, where
the fame ungrateful talk, and the fame dif-
appointment again await him. This perni
cious praftice throws the greateft damp up
on the efforts of induftry, and prevents thofe^
improvements in agriculture which would
otherwife be introduced ; the confequence
of which is, that nine parts in ten of the in
habitants are in a ftate of great poverty.
By an aftual numeration made in 1759,
ofhis Danifh majefty's fubjefts in his do
minions of Denmark, Norway, Holftein,
the iflands in the Baltic, and the counties of
Oldenburgh and Delmenhorft in Weftpha
lia, they were faid to amount to 2,444,000
fouls, exclufive of the Icelanders andGreen^
landers. However difpr6porl:ioncd this
number may feem to the extent of the Da
nifh dominions, yet it is greater than could
be expefted from the uncultivated ftate of
the country, ¦
The

LET. IV.] DENMARK. 27
The ancient irihabitants of Denmark pof-
feffed a degree of courage which approach
ed even to ferocity ; but they are now great
ly declined from that enterprifing fpirit,
which, in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh
centuries, ren<lered them formidable to the
Britifh dominions. They are now become
indolent, tirhid, and duUof apprehenfion.
They are much addifted to intemperance in.
drinking, and convivial ewrifrtainments ;
but their nobility j who now begin to vifit
the other courts of Europe, are gradually
refining from the vulgar habits of their an
ceftors. -' ' '
Denmark Proper affords fewer curiofities
than the other parts ofhis Danifh majefty's
dominions, if we except the Royal Mufeum
at Copenhagen, which' contains a numerous
colleftion, both natural and artificial. We
find here a iioble affemblage of ancientcoins,
particularly thofe of the Confuls in the time
ofthe Roman Republic, -and of the-Empe-
rors, after the feat of empire was divided
between Rome and Conftantinople. Among
the contents of this repbfitory, is a be'autiful
cabinet of ivory and ebony, made by a Da
nifh artjf]: who was blind. Here are likewife to

Z8 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
to be feen two famous antique drinking vef
fels; one of , gold, the other of filver,; and:
both ofthe form of a hunting horn. That
of gold feems to be of Pagan manufafture-;;.
and from the raifed hieroglyphical figures oiv
its outfide, it probably was ufed in, religious
ceremonies. It is about two feet nine inches
long, weighs an hundred and two ounces,
and contains ^wo Englifh pints and a half,
Tlie other, o> filver, weighs about four
|>QUnds, and is called Co/^«i^ Oldenburgicum.
This, they fay, was prefented to Otho, firft,
Duke; of Oldenburg, by a ghoft ;: hut the,
more probable opinion is, that this veffel.
was made by the order of Chriftian I. , King
o/ Denmark, the fiift ofthe Oldenburg race>
who occupied the- throne about; the middle.
of the fifteenth century. This mufeum is
likewife furnifhed witha.prodigious number i
of afironomical, optical, and mathematical'
inftruments. Many curious ;aft-fonomical-
inftruments are likewife placed in the round-
tower at Copenhagen, which. is fo contrivedi
that iaj^coach may drive to its top* With-;
this e:>itraordinary ftrufture the name of;
Tycho Brahej the celebrated aftronomer of
Denmark, and) one of the- greateft men it
:1 ever

LET. IV.] DENMARK'. 29
ever produced, obtrudes itfelf upon our re
membrance. Among the curiofities in Denmai-k-are
the ancient infcfiptions upon rocks, which
are mentioiied both by antiquaries and hif-
torians. Thefe charafters are Runic, and fo
imperfeftly underftood even by the learned,
that their meaning is extremely uncertain*
They are however conjeftured to be hifto-
rical, and to be the old and original manner
of writing, before the ufe of paper of ^nf
kind, and waxen tables was known. The
village of Aftglen, lying between Kenfburg
and Kefwick, is alfo efteemed a curiofity,
as giving its name to the Angles, or Anglo-
Saxon inhabitants of Great Britain, and the
anceftors of the bulk of the modern Eng-
lifh. In contemplating fuch an incident in
the hiftory of our country, I know not whe
ther the national pride of an Englifhman
receives addition or abafemeiit ; and it
would feem, that to determine the point,
he muft have a more perfeft acquaintance
with his genealogy than ever can be acquir
ed. To thofe, however, who efteem them
felves defcendants of the Anglo-Saxons, it
may afford fome pleafure to refl'eft, that the
purity

'^O LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
purity ofthe Latin language Was revived iri
Scandinavia, in the perfon of Saxo-Gfam.
maticus, at a time (the twelfth century,)
when it was dormant in all other parts of
the European continent. This northern
Hiftorian, like his cotemporaries, : has
adopted the moft ridiculous abfurdities of re
mote antiquity ; but he has enobledtheni
by a ftyle which gives dignity even to the
extravagance of fiftion. We learn from
him, at the fame time, that the ancient
Danes had their bards, who recited the mi
litary atchievements of their heroes ; and
that their firft hiftorical produftions were
compofed In verfe.
¦ The famous city of Hamburg lies, geo-
o-raphically fpeaking, within the limits of
Ducal Holftein, the property of the King
of Denmark ; but it is an imperial, free,
and Hanfeatic city, having the fovereignty
of a fmall diftrift round it, of about ten
miles in circuit. It is one ofthe moft flou
rifhing cbmmercial towns in Europe ; and
though the kings of Denmark ftill lay claim
to certain privileges v/ithin its walls, it may
be 'Confidered as an independent common
wealth. The number of its inhabitants amount

Let. IV.] DENMARK. ,,j . ^t
amount to near 200,000. Befides a vaft va
riety of noble edifices, both public and pri
vate, it has two fpacio,us harbours, formed
by the river Elbe, which runs through the
town ; and no lefs than eighty-' four bridges
thrown over its canals. >

LETTER

32 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.

LETTER V.

JL HE country next in my rout is Lap
land, partof which belongs to the Danes ^
the moft valuable to the Swedes ; and the
eaftern diftrift to the Ruffians. But the
Swedifh Lapland is the objeft chiefly confi
dered by authors in deferibing this country. .
Frorri the northern fituation of Lapland,
you will eafily conceive, that for fome
months in the fummer, the inhabitants!
have perpetual day, and during winter,:
their night is of fimilar duration ; but in
the latter feafon they are fo well affifted by^
the twilight and the aurora borealis, that:
they are never obliged to difcontinue their
work on account of darknefs. The heats
of fummer are exceflive for a fhort time ;'
but fuch is the fe verity of the winter cold^
that it is no unufual thing for the lips to be
frozen

t£T V,] tAfLAND. 53
frozen to the cup in attempting to drink ;
and the limbs of the inhabitants are very
often e^tpbfed to mortificatiori from extreme
frigidity >
Laplattd confifts of a vaft mafs of moun
tains, irregularly crowded together, but in-
terfefted by rivers and lakes, containing aii
incredible nuiriber, of iflands, forne of which
are exceedingly pleafant, and regarded by
the natives as the terreftrial paradife. Duf-
ky fotefts, unhealthy moraffes, a:nd bairren
plaitisi conftitute a great part of the flait
couritry, where the ftate of the inhabitants,
notwithftanding the powerful influence of
habitj muft be extremely Uncomfortable.
If ariy thing can compenfate the inteihpera-
ture of thbfe dreary climates, it is when a
froft, fucceeding a temporary thaw, pre
fents the Lapkndef with a fmooth level of
ice, over which he travel^ with a rein-deer
in a fledge, at a rate of prodigious' rapidity.
This cclebi'ated anim.al has a great referh-
blande td the ftag, only it foniewhat droops
tKe head, arid the horns pfbjeft forward.
On thoviftg its legs, it makes a crocking
lidife. Which is attributed to the feparating,
and aftfirWatd^ bringing together the divi-
D fions

34 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
• fioris of the hoof, the under part of which is
entirely covered with hair. The fame ne
ceffity which dbhges the Laplander to ufe
fnow-flioes, makes the extraordinary for-
maltion of the rein-deer's hoof to be equally
eonvenient in paffing over fnow, by pre
venting it from finking too deep, which
would unavoidably be the cafe, did the
weight of the animal's body reft only on a
fmall point.
In fummer the rein-deer provide them
felves with leaves and grafs, and in the win
ter they live upon mofs. This they have a
wonderful fagacity in finding out ; and
when found, they fcrape with their feet the
fnow that covers it. It is inconceivable on
how fmall a quantity of food they fubfift,
and the length of journey which they are
neverthelefs able to perform. The rein
deer isharneffed to a kind of fledge, fhaped
like a fmall boat, in which the traveller,
well fecured from cold, is laced down ;
holding in one hand the reins, and in, the
other^a kind of bludgeon,' to keep the vehi
cle clear of any impediments from ice or
fnow. The rein-deer are fo fafe and trac
table, that the driver is at little of no trou ble

LET. V.j LAPLAND* 2$
ble in direfting them ; their iriftinft in
choofing the road, and fhaping their courfe,
t)eing affifted by their acquaintance with the
country during the fummer months, when
they live in the woods. At night they look
out for their provender ; and fcanty as is
their ufual fare, their milk often helps
towards the fupport of their mafter^ Their
flefh is a.well-tafted food, as are likewife
their milk and cheefe ; their fkin forms ex
cellent cloathing; both for the bed and. the
iaody ; and their inteftines and tendons fup-
ply their mafters with thread and cordage*
With all thefe excellent qualities, the
r^in-deer have their inconveniences : they
are fometimes buried in the fnow, and
they frequently grow reftive on their
journey, to the no fmall danger of the
driver. The Laplanders ha've neither writing nor
letters among th,em, but a number of hiero**,
glyphics, that they ufe in their Rounds^ a
fort of fticlcs which ferve them for an alma
nack. Thefe hieroglyphics they alfo ufe.
inftead of fignatures in matters of law. An
attempt -has been made to introduce among
|hem the Chriftian rehgion, by ny.fiionafies
P ^ frori*

36 LETTERS Ot A TRAVELLED.
from thofe pafts of ScalndinaVia, where the
light of the gofpel has reached ; but thcjr
cannot yet be faid to be Chriftlans, thougtt
the king of Denmark has inftituted fome'
religious feminaricB among them. The ma
jority of the inhabitants praftife as grofs fu
perftitious and idolatries as are to be found
amongft- any people ; and thofe of a na;-
turc fo abfurd, thatthey fcarcely defervg"
to be mentioned, were it not that the num
ber and extravagance of thein have induced
the northern traders to believe that they'
are fkilful in magic and divination. To fa
vour this deceit, their magicians, who are a
peculiar fet of men, employ what they
call a drum, made of the hDllowfid trunk of
a fir, pine, or birch tree, one end of which
is covered with fkin. On this they draw
with a kind of red colour, the figures of
their own gods, as well as of Jefus Chrift^/
the apoftles, the fun, moon, ftars, birds,
and rivers. To fome of thefe they loofelf
attach one or two brafs rings, which, wHeri
the drum is beaten with a little hammer,
dance over the figures ; and, according to
their progrefs, the forcerer forms .his prog-
noftications, Thefe wHimfical ceremonies are

LET. v.] LAPLAND. ^7
are ufually performed for gain ; and the nor
thern fhip-mafters are fuch dupes to the
arts of thefe impoftors, that they often buy
from them a magic cord, containing a
number of knots, by loofening which, ac
cording to the magician's direftions, they
have the weaknefs to expeft that they fhall
obtain what wind they defire. The Lap
landers ftill retain the worfhip of many of
the Teutonic gods ; but have likewife
amongft them great remains of the Druidi-
cal inftitutions, and they .believe the trans
migration ofthe foul.
To this account of Lapland I have to fub-
join the tranflation of an ode, compofed, as
you will fee, by a young peafant of that
country, on the courtfhlp of his miftrefs ;
and I am perfuaded you will efteem it as no
fmall curiofity. It is written -in the verfe
which we call the Sapphic.
A LAPLAND ODE.
What mean thefe tedious forms and w^s.
That ftill by frefh and frefh delays,
, Protraft a lover*s paia?
Five5rears I've woo'd my Orra fair,
Five ycfirs my fighs have fill'd the air.
But woo'd and figh'd io vain.
D3 Of

Is LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
Of brandy-cags almoft a fcore.
Of beaver's tongues a hundred more,
I've giy'n her kin by turns :
But neither cags their hearts can warm,
Nor tongues prevail to foothe the charm,
, With which wy bofom burns, .
The longeft night that Lapland knows,
The -longeft day that ever glows.
Though they for months endure;
Are nought, compar'd to one fad bout,
In which my heart i^ rack'd with doubtj
That Orra's not fecure,
Q! could I but obtain confent.
And lead her fmiling with content, ' '.
' Home in ; her bridal: gown ;
No {wain in Lapland could outgo
The. joy, the raptures , I fhould know,
Whep Qrra was my own !
Our happy days and nights would then,
Pafs noted 'midft the haunts of men,
In a delightful round j
Smooth as the ice, fwift as the race,
When rein-deer in the rapid chace,
O'er frozen vallies: bouijd» . .

When

LET. v.] LAPLAND. 3^
When years on years had flown away,
At laft we'd feal pur clofing day
With a perpetual kifs;
And lips to lips adhering faft, /
As a Cup * by the northern blaft.
Expire in mutual blifs !

* An explanation of this will be found in the preceding
account of Lapland, where mention is made of the extrenae
Severity of the cold.

LETTER

40 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEJ.

LETTER VI.

.ETURNING from Lapland we enter
the kingdom of Swedc*\, the face of which
refembles much that of the neighbouring
countries, in mountains, marfhes, and bar
ren plains ; with this difference, that it has
the advantage of a few navisjable rivers. It.
is computed to be in length eight hundred-;
miles, from fouth to north, and in breadth .
five hundred. The foil is much the fame,
with that of Denmark, and fome parts of-,
Norway, generally very poor, but in other ;
places furprizingly fertile. The riches of ,
Sweden are chiefly in the bowels of the -
earth, having mines of filver, copper, and
iron, which exceed any in Europe. The
firft gallery of one filver mine is a hundred
fathoms below the furface of the earth : the .
roof is fupported by prodigious afhen beams, and

LET. VI.} SWEDEN. 41
and from thence the miners defcend above
forty fathoms to the loweft vein. This mine
is faid to produce 20,000 crowns a year.
The produce of the copper mines is uncer
tain. The iron mine employs a vaft num
ber of fmelting houfes ; but this manufac
ture begins to fuffer confiderable diminu
tion, by the importation of American baf
iron into Europe. The whole of the
Swedifh mines is loaded with vaft taxes tp
the government, the'exigences of which are
chiefly fupported by the jefources arifing
from tliofe fubterranean treafiires.
The Swedes, till of late years, were ex
tremely negligent of tillage, but they now
begin to follow the agricultute of France
and England ; and, according to fome ac
counts, they raife almoft as much corn as is
jieceflSary for internal confumption. Goth
land produces wheat, rye, barley, oats,
peafe, and beans ; and in cafe of deficiency
the people are lupplied from Livonia an^.
the Baltic provinces.
The national charafter of the Swedes
has varied greatly in different ages ; at oij?
time bold, maitial, enterprizing ; at an
other, languid, inaftive, and unambitious :
fome-

42 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
fometimes high-fpirited and jealous of li-
herty; at other times paffive and fubmiffive.
At prefent the bulk of the people are a
heavy plodding race of men, ftrong and
hardy, but without any other ambition than
that of fubfifting themfelves and their fami
lies as well as they can ; but to whatever
objeft they apply, their perfeverance is in
defatigable. The nobility and principal
gentry of Sweden are brave, polite, and, hof-
pitable ; have high notions of honor, and
are jealous of ther national interefts. They
are in general more converfarit in polite li
terature, than thofe of many other more
flourifhing ftates.
'- Stockholm, the capital of the kingdom,
¦ftands upon fix contiguous iflands ; and is
huiltupon piles. The caftle, which is co
vered with copper, has neither ftrength nor
beauty ; but is commodious, and accom
modates the royal court, as well as the na
tional courts and colleges. The harbour is
fpacious and convenient, , though difficult
of accefs; and the city difplays all the extcr
rior marks of magnificence. But the com
parative poverty of the kingdom muft ap
pear in an unfavourable light, when we
'  know

tET. VI.} SWEDEN. 43
know that the capital of the national bank
fcarcely amounts to half a million fterling.
An academy of arts and fciences was fome
years fince eftablifhed at Stockholm, and
flourifhed under the patronage of the late
king, whofe unmerited fate reflefts difgrace
on the annals of the country. It is proba
ble, however, from the education of the
prefent fovereign, that he will extend to
fuch an inftitution the fame benefits of the
royal influence with his illuftrious prede-
ceffor.
' The principal univerfity in Sweden is
that of-Upfal, inftituted about the beginning
of the fifteenth century, and patronized by
feveral fucceffive monarchs; particularly by
the great Guftavus Adolphus, and his
daughter Queen Chriftiana, who emulated
the glory of her father by her liberal encou«
ragement and example, in promoting the
arts of peace. There are in this univerfity
near fifteen hundred ftudents; but for the
moft part they are extremely indigent, and
lodge five or fix together in very poor ho-
vek. The profeffors in different branches
of literature are about twenty-two, but their
-falaries in General are fmall. There is an-
*¦ other

44 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
Other univerfity at Abo in Finland, but lefs
flourifhing than the preceding. A" third,
which formerly exifted at Lunden, in
Schonon, is now fallen into decay. In eve?
ry diocefe a free fchool is eftablifhed, where
the youth are qualified for the univerfity.
Sweden, like the northern countries in
general, can boaft of few antiquities, or ar
tificial curiofities ; and thofe of the natural
clafs are likewife not numerous. A few
leagues from Gottenburg, there is a hider
ou€ precipice, down which a dreadful catar
raft of water rufhes with fuch impetuofity,
that large mafts and other bodies^pf timber
. that are precipitated, difappear, fome for
half an hour, and others for double that
fpace, before they are recovered. The bot
tom of this abyfs has never yet, been found,
though founded by lines of feveral hundred
fatthorns in length. In the fouthern part of
Gothland, there is a remarkable flimy la^^e,
which finges things put into it.
That powerful inftinft, which attaches
animals, as well as the human fpecies, to
the climates of their native country, is
#rongly evinced in Sweden by various tribes
of the birds .gf paffage. The Swedifti hawks^

LET. VI.] SWE'DEM. 4_$
hawks when carried to France have been
kriowh tote -vifit the Scandinavian fhores ; as
appears from orie that was killed in Finland
¦with an infcription on a fmall gold plate,
importing that it belong'd to the French
King. - ^
I cannot avoid mentioning the inconVe-
riieHce experienced in this country from
the nature of its coin, which bririgs to one'$
rinind the iron money of Lycurgus. Cop*
per is here the chief medium of commerce.
Large pieces of this metal bear upon them
the ftamp of their current value. Some
of them are as large as tiles, and a cart or'
whcel-barrow is often required, to carry.
home a moderate fiim.
The annals of SWeden have been in fe
deral ages, illuftrious by the atchievementi
of heroic princes and a 'martial people;
yet the forces of the country confift Only'
of a regulated militia. Calculated at pre
fent at about forty thoufand men, but be^-
fore the lofs of Livonia, at fixty thoufand.
The cavalry is cloathed, armed, and main
tained, by arateirapofed upon the nobility
arid gentry, in proportion to their eftateS ;
and the infantry by the peafaots. Every farm

46 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER^ ^3.:
farm of fixty or feventy pounds per annum^
is charged with a foot foldier, furnifliing
him with diet, lodging and ordinary cloaths,
and about one pound a year in money. Ih
lieu of this a little wooden houfe is fome
times built for him by the farmer, who air
lows him hay and pafturage for a cow, and
ploughs and fows land enough to fupply him
with bread. In former times, Sweden has
likewife made a confiderable figure as a
maritime power, and fitted out forty fhips
of the line ; ^ but of late years, their fhips,
as well as their docks, have been greatly
neglefted. Chriftianity was introduced into Sweden
in the ninth Century, and the people are
now, of the Lutheran church ; the tenpts
of which were propagated amongft them.
by Guftavus, Vafa, about the year 1523,
So great is their gverfion to popery, that
caftration is the fate of every roman-ca-
tholic prieft difcovered in their country*
A converfion to popery, or a long ,continu-
ance under excommunication, which can^
not pafs without the King's permiffion, ig,
punifhcd by imprifonment and exile. The

LET. VI.] SWEDEN. 47
The afcendency acquired by France
fome years fince, in the councils of Swe
den, in confequence of an annual fubfidy,
has had a pernicious effeft upon the interefts
of that kingdom, and proved the caufe of
much domeftic jealoufy among the friends
of the conftitution. To this, doubtlefs,
the Swedifh crown was ftrongly induced
by the deficiency of its own finances, and
the defire of fecuring an, alliance which a
might proteft it againft any hoftile defign*
from Ruffia and Denmark,

LETTER

4S LETTEllfrS OF A TRAVELLER.

-ik— alliaiMa

LETTER VII.

A H E Country comprifed under thdf
iame Ruffia, comprehends the northern
parts of Europe arid Afia ; ftretching from
the Baltic and Sweden on the Weft, to
Kamtfchatka and the Eaftern Ocean ; and
on the North, from the Frozen Ocean, to
the 47th degree of latitude. It is of an
extent nearly equal to all the reft of Europe,
and greater than that of the Roman Em
pire in the zenith of its power. The ex
tremes both of climaj:e and foil, are exem
plified within the limits of this vaft 'domi
nion. The cold at St. Peterfljurg, during
the months of December, January, an^
February, is ufually from 40 to 52 degrees
b^low the freezing point ; though com-
ipqnly, in the courfe of the winter, it is
far a week or ten days fome degrees Iqw^f^
¦ ,.-'v..,  Yoy

L^ti VII.^ . ' RUSSIA. . -if ji 49
You iriay fortn fome idea of a cold fo
greatj on being told, that when a perfon
walks out in th^t fevere' feafon, the cold
makes .the eyes , water, and that water
fre.ezing^ hangs in little icicles ou the eye-
LfKes. As the commCin peafants , ufually
wear their beardsj you may fee them hang
ing at. the chin like a folid lump of ice.
Even iri this ftate, however, the beard
js foui^ very ufeful iri protefting .the
glands pf the throat ; fo that tl;ie foldiers
Who dp riot wear their beards, are obliged
to lie a handkerchief undet the chin to fup
ply the. defeft. When the thermoriieter
has ftood at 25 iegrees below o^ boiling-
¦Watet, thirbWn up ^nto the air by an engine^
which made it fpfead, has fallen . down
j)ef feftly dry, and forri:ied into ice*
N0lwithffa.nding this feverity df the cold
in Ruffijlj the inhabitants are furnifhe4
with fuch var&ius liieans to gUard againfl
it, that they fuffer much lefs th^n might be
expefted* They warm their houfes by an
oven conftrufted With feveral flues, and thef
country bounds with w pod, which is the
common fuel* They can regulate the
Vrarmtiii in their apartments by the ther-
E mometet,

50 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLElt:
mdrfieter, with great exaftnfefs ; ''opeiiing
or fhuttirig the flues, to increafe 6r dirrii-
riifh the heat. 'Add" tb this, that' the' win
dows in the huts of the poor are vefy fmall,
that as- little cold may be 'admitted ^s pof
fible ; while in the houfes of perfonS of
condition, the windows- are caulked' up
a^gainft winter, and have commonly' doit -
ble glafs frames. ' ' " '/' ' '
¦ Such is 'the fituation of the Ruffians
Within doors ; and when they go Out, they
are cloathed fo warmly, ' and 'covered W^ith
furs, ^t hat they almoft bid defiarice to froft
and fndw. It is obfeiVable,' befides, that
the wind is feldom violent in winter ; but
vi'henit blows muchj the cdld'ls exceediiigly-
piercing.' ^ ' '' ' ¦
The Ruffians derive from the rio-5f'of o - -
their' climate, one ad'vkntage unknown to
the inhabitants of other natioris^" which is
that of preferving provifions " by the froft.
About the end of Oftober, it is 'tiftial for
good houfe wives to kill their poultr^, a'rid
keep them in tubs packed up' with k' layer'
of fiiow hetween them, and then take
them' out for ufe as occafion req^iires?*^ By
this means, they likewife' fate the 'ASH^-
rifhmcnt

LET. VII.] 1 It^"! ^ RtJSSIA. -I-.;:., ^ 51
rifhment of the animal for feveral inonths*
Frozen provifions. are brought iri this way
even from thte diftance of Archangel ; and
the markets in^eterfburg are fupplied with
them in ^winter,": af^ a cheaper 'rate .than
would-, othemife be poffible. j .One may
there fee; vaft ftacks of whole, hogs, fheep,
fifh ,> and other, animals, which are piled up
in the markets for fale. ii'J
*' The method they have of thawing frozen
provifions is by -immerging them .in cold
water, by which the ice feems to be ex-^
trafted out of the hody, and forms a tranf-
parent incruftation round it. The fame
end has been attempted by the means of
heat, but fuch a procefs occafiotis a violent
fermentation, and almoft' a fudden putre-
faftion of the body immerged.
In- the warmer provincesof Ruffia grain
grows in great plenty ; but in thofe to-'
wards the north this article -6f life, fo com
mon inmoft other countries, is extremely
defeftive. In fome parts, the inhabitants,.
like the people of Scandinavia, ufe, infteadi
of bread, a kind of faw-duft, and a prepa
ration of fifli bones* In others, they, are.
kilown to fubfift chiefly on mufhrooms,
:-,.'*- E 2 which

52 , LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
which the fini produces in great ahundance.
In a word; the bulk of the people are hi
therto miferably fed, though the moft lau
dable efforts have been made by Peter ths
Great, and the fubfequent. foverelgns, to
promote an acquaintance with agriculture.
This exteirfive country is particularly fa
voured by nature in one refpeft,. I mean,
the vaft communication by means of rivers,
which the inland parts of' the nation have
with each other. The imoft confiderable
efthefe are the Wolga, or Volga, rimning
eaft and fouth, which, after traverfing the
greater part of Mufcevy,, and winding; a
courfe of 3000 EngliiH mile«, difcharges
itfelf irito the Cafpian fea. What deferves.
to be remarked, there is not in the whole
of this courfe, a fingle cataraft to interrupt
the 'navigation. While it produces all
kinds of fifh, it fertilizes the lands on each
fide with the richeft trees, fruits, and vege*
tables of various kinds ; increafing likewife
in its progrefs the benefits it communicates,
by dividing itfelf, in the end-, into "more
than feventy branches, hy which it entei^-
the Cafpian. . By means of this noble river,
the city of Mofcow preferves a- comm-uaai*' cation

LET. VII.} RUSSIA., ^3
cation, not only with all the fouthern parts
of Ruffia, but even with Perfia, Georgia^,
Tartary, and many other circumambient
countries. 1 Next to this is the Don, orTanais, which
icparates the moft eaftern parts of Ruffia
from Ana. In its courfe towards the eaft,
it comes , fb near to the Wolga, that th^
Czar Peter had projefted a communication
between them by means of a canal ; but
this grand defign was fruftrated by an irrup
tion of the Tartars. This river difcharge?
itfelf into the iPalus Maeotis, or Sea of
^zoph ; -andexcluftve of its turnings and
windings, runs a courie of .four hundred
miles. The Borifthenes^or Dnieper, whi'ch -
is likewife one of the largeft rivers in Eu
rope, runs through Lithuania, the country
«f fome tribes of the Coffacs, and of the
Tartars, and fells into ifhe Euxine, or Bkck
Sea, at Rinburn, near Oczak(3»3¥' ; exhi-
bifing thirteen cataraftsi at a finall diftianee
from each other. To thefe .may be.idd^l',
the two Dwiiias, one of which difcharge^
itfelf at Riga into the Baltic;; the; other,
dividing itfelf into two branclhes near Arch
angel, falls there into the White Sea.
E3. kuffia

54 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLeIr.
" Ruffia is in' general a fla;t level' country,
except towards" the riorth,' where lie the
Zimnaporas tnouritains, fuppofed to be the
famous Montes Riphaei of the ancientSi
On the weftern fide of the Diiieper, a part
of the Carpathian rnfountkins extends' ; and
between the Black Sea arid: t he. Cafpian;
^ount Caucafus borders-; a range of vaft
plains ftretching to the Sea of ' Oral, The
northern and iiorth-eafternj' provinces are in
a manner defart ; but in. general, forefts
abound over the face of this: extenfive couiir
try I and thewildnefs of 'i' the fcenes is
equalled by that of the irihabitants^ who in
many paits may juftly be accounted. Pagans
rather than Chriftlans. ¦ .'. -.: ' ' r.^n
-'> Amongthe 'fpecies of iifhes with* which
na:ture has plentifully ,pi-ovided the Ruftians,
is' that haalled; Beluga, which refembles .a
ftuigeon, 'It is' cdmmonly from twelve to
-fifteen rferet-in lerigth,.fweighifag from nine
to fiMeeh n-dr - eighteen : hundred, weight.
The -flefh is white and.delicate, and of the
roe^of it i® ' rriade . the famous cavear, fp
much efteemed for its richiiefs and: flavour.
The -nuptiaLceremonles of the Ruffians
are peculiar to" thbmfelves ; 'and formerly confifted

LET. VII.] RUSSIA. ^^
confifted, ; of J fopae very whimfiqal., rites,
many of. whiph are noW; fallen into difufe.
Matches are . frequently made- by the par
fents, without the parties ever feeing each
other. After the preliminaries haye been
fjettled, the brid-e is examined ftark naked
by a certain number of females, who have
the charge c^f correfting, If poffible, any
(Jefefts that may be difcovered in her per
fon. On the day of folemnizing the mar
riage, fhe is crowned with a garland of
wormwood ; andi after the prieft has per
formed his part pf the ceremonial, his clerk
pr fexton throws a handful of hops upon
the head of" the bride, expreffing at the
fame time a wifh that fhe may prove as
fruitful as. that plant. She is then condufted
Jiomje to.the houfe of the bridegrom, amidft
abundance of ribaldry and indecent gefti,->
jjulation.s, which are now, however, daily
declining gYen among the loweft ranks.
The barbarous treatment of wives by their
.Jii^fb^nds, which formerly exteijded.eyen
to fcourgingj or broljing theni tQ death, is
now ; eiflT,er . exprcffly prohibited by law,
or by particular ftipulatipns in the marriage
cpntfacStg. ,; ¦ ..-,;&;¦ .,,,,;
' The

e6 LETTERSfOFjA TRAVELLER.
The inhabitants of this country, * like
other uncultivated people, entertain many
falfe notions with regard to the ftate of de^
parted fouls. Among^ the better fort of in
habitants, the dead body is ufually kept
above grpund for eight pr ten days ; during
which time the prieft, who is hired to pray
for the foul of the deceafed, fprinkles the
body frequently with holy water. When
it is carried to the grave, which is done
with a parade of lamentation, the prieft
produces a ticket ftgned by the biftiop and
and another clergyman, as a paffport to
heaven. This being put into the cofflri
between the fingers of the corpfe-, and the
interment concluded, the company return
to the deeeafed's ho-ttfe, where there enfues
a fcene of intoxjcatioii, which, among
perfons of condition, continues, with few
iritermiffions, duririg - the fpace of forty
day^ ; the prieft' ev^ry day fayiligi- prayers
bver the grave pf the deceafed.
; The barbarity of the Ruffians is in no
thing more confpicuous than in the feverity
of tjtieir' Icorporal 'punlfhments, which, how
ever are fi'eqtie^tly undergone with afto-
.pifhing infenfibility, The finglpand dtju*
.y-- ble

LET. VI*. J ' ^ ^ RUSSIA.^ - -'^7
He knout are both remarbably excruciating.
The boring arid cutting out of the tongUe
are likewife punifhments not Uncommon';
and Peter the Great ufed to fufpend riie
robbers upon the Wolga, and other parts
of his dominions, by' iron hooks fixed to
their ribs on gibbets, where they Writhed
in Agonies, to the number of hundreds, nay
J:houfands at a time.
You may well imagine, that to travel
over the defarts of Ruftia, in their naked
ftate-, muft be both Very tedioUs and fa
tiguing ; but in winter, when they are co
vered with fnow, this is performed With
great facility. The fnow being frozen hard
enough to bear them, the people travel in
fledges, lined, with thick felt, and mariy of
them drawn by rein-deen In the interior
parts of Ruffia, however, horfes are ufed
/or the purpofe, The fledge-way becomes
fo well beaten towards Februaryj that they
ereft'upon thofe vehicles a kind of coach,
in which they may lie at full length, and fb
travel night arid day, wrapped up in good
furs. In this manner they often perfofnl a
Journey of about four hundred miles, fiifcrh
ss that from Peterfburg to Mofcow, in three days

^B LETTlSS^S-PF^yi TRAVELL£R,-y .XSJ

*

days and nights-. Herniate imperial rjaajefiy,
in her winter journles, was draiwnby twenty-
/ four poft horfes. In an ,ereftIon made of
timber, which contained fufficie^it conveiii-
encies to accommodate four perfons. .^.^ ,.
Learning has for a confiderable time be
gun to be cultivated in Ruffia, ,an(i, rnade
particularly great progrefs under the, ^ufpi-
ces of the, late Emprefs, Peter th^ Great
founded threecolleges at Mofcow ; one -for
claffical learn(ing ,and philofophy, the, fe
cond for mathematics, and the third for
navigation and aftronomy: fince which
time an univerfity has likewife beeij fpundr
ed ill, that city.; The late Czarina. .fpunded
an univerfity at Peterfburg, to' whiph fhe
invited fome of , the moft learned foreigners
iri. every faculty, and . fettled upon them
haiudfome ;falarles. ,Sh,e; therp alfo infti?
tuted, a military academy, where the young
nobility', and. the fons^ of officers, are in,j
ftrrufted. in the af t of war. ,^
Peterfljurg, ^he modern capital of this v^^
empire, is fituated in latitude ^o, on both
fides of the river. Neva, at its junftion with
the lake of Ladoga. -About the beglnnjng
.pf-the prefent century, it confifted , of ^a^fpiv
I' '-. - ' fmafi

L.tr. vir.} -. : Russia. 59
fmall fifliinghuts, on a fpot fo fwampy, that
the ground was formed into nine iflands; ;
but "'fiich is at prefent the ftate- of this
wond.erful emporium', that It rivals in mag
nificence the moft- celebrated cities in Eu
rope. Among the public ftruftures worthy
of notice, I cannot forbear mentioning a
convent, in which four hundred and forty
young ladies were educated at the expence
ofthe late; emprefsi . Two hundred of thefe
were of fuperior rank, and the others,
daughters of citizens and tradefmen ; who
, after: receiving a fuitable education, were
prefented with a fum of money, to procure
themfelves a proper livelihood on quitting
the convent. Peterfburg is fuppofed to
contain about four hundred thoufand inha
bitants,' and is ornamented with thirty-five
great churches.'. It alfo contains five pa
laces, fome of which are fuperb, particu-
larlyrthat which is called, the New Summer
Palace, fituated near" the Triumphal; Port,
an elegant, piece of archltefture. The num
ber of foreign fhips trading thither in the
fummer time is prodigious ; and in winter
three thoufand one-horfe. fledges are em
ployed for paffengers.in the ftreets. Before

^0 LETTERS'OF AiTRAVELLER.
:Bef<^re the eftablifhment of Peterfisurg;
¦ the city of Mofcow was the capital of this
vaft empire, and though now declined
from Its former grandeur, it ftill continues
to make an eminent figure among the firft
cities in Europe. The houfes pf the inhabit
ants In s;eneral are mean ftruftures of tim-
ber: but the palaces,* churches,; convents,
and other public edifices, of which there is
a great number, are fpacious and lofty. The
Krimlin, or grand Imperial palace, is one of
the nobleft edifices in Europe. ,","
Having-mentioned the convent erefted at
Peterfburg by the late emprefs, I cannot
pafs over In filence an inftitution of a fimi
lar nature in Mofcow, promoted likewife
by her patronage, and fupported by volun
tary contributions, legacies, and other cha
ritable endowments. What I allude to is
the Foundling Hofpital, an iriamenfe pile oi|-
I>uilding, of a quadrangular fhape, co^ntain-
ing at prefent upwards of three thoufand
foundlings ; arid when tbe eftablifhment is
completed, It is intended to contain eight
thoufa'nd. , ?
Iil ;Ruffia having only lately emerged frmn
barbarifm j we Cannot here look for any of
thofe

LET. VII.]' .:¦ RUSSIA. .^r'^^',' ^^
thofe antiquities uftially met with in J^ia.-
tions ¦which have long been in a ftate of
cultivation. She exhibits, however, fome
ftupendous monuments of the public fpirit
of her foverelgns ; partidularly the canals
rriade- by Peter the Great for the benefit of
commerce': and I am perfuaded you wuli
agree with me that fuch peaceful atchieve
ments confer more real glory, as well as fa-
tisfaftion, than that which is fought for
ami^^the din of arms, and. the brilliancy
of conqueft. With regard to the memo
rials of remote times, however, Siberia is
not unproduftive* It abounds with old fe
pulchres of an unknown people, whofe in
ftruments and arms appear to have been all
made of copper. In the cabinet of natural
hiftory at Peterfburg, there is fhewn a
rhinoceros, which was accidentally dug up
en the bianlcs of the river Valui. The fkin,
with' the hair upon it, is entire. The city
of Mofcow is diftinguifhed by containing
the largeft bell in the world. It is nineteea
feet high, twenty-three In diameter, and is
laid to .be 443,772 pounds* weight. By
a fall received in confequence of the beam
on which it hung being burnt, a large piece fs

62 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLElRi-V-' •/ -^
•
is broken out of it. -K-By this accident,' i
has fince kin ufelefs, to the no' fmaU re
gret pf the inhabitants of that capital,- .wht
are remarkable for a -peculiar attachmenti tc
the ringing of -bells. IS . ; .-.li;;!-,*^©*'.^ '(ei! *i
t^The. building of Peterfburg, with its .fud'
den tranfmntation from a. few fifhing hut:
into a pppulous and'giceat capital:, is.' an in
cident perhaps not V to be parallelled in thf
hiftory ofthe world.; If we:except the ad
joining fortrefs of Cronftadt, which is;aJp,.ofl
impregnable. Thefe wonderful objefts.
equal In magnitude of defign, but infinite!}
fuperior in utility, to the pyramids of Egypt,
employed, for fome years, .without any in
termiffion even during night, three hun
dred thoufand men in driving piles, and lay
ing their ftupendous foundations. • Yet;
aftonifhing to. fay, 'the whole plan of thofe
works was drawn by the hand of Peter him
felf. with a very little afliftance from fome
German engineers. But the extraordinar,)i
merit of this prince was not confined to
greatnefs of conception ; he united, aftiylty
with invention ; and wrought in perfon not
only iu thofe vaft undertakings, but In the
eftablifhment of' a naval force, which he
raifed by a fudden creation.

LET. Vn.] - ¦ RUSSIA. 63
The eftablifhed religion of Ruffia is that
ofthe Greek Church ; _ft)r the tenets of
which I refer you to theological writers. It
is fufficlent for me to fay, that the Ruffians
deny the fupremacy of the pope, and dif-
claim the worfhip. of Images. They retain,
however, many idolatrous and fuperftitious
cuftoms.

LETTER

64 LETTER GF A TRAVELL^tl!^

LETTER VIII.

h ¦' i wfa ¦ ^ K

'UR northern excurfion will recei
fome relief, from quitting the vaft extc
of the Ruffian plains, for a trarifitory V:
to the numerous iflands of Scotlani
which are thofe of Shetland, Orkney, a
the Hebrides^ or weftern ifles* The She
land iflands are forty*fix in number, b
ibatiy of ihem uninhabited* The large
which is that of Mainland, is fixty miles
length, and twenty in breadth ; but t
whole number of families in the ifland dc
not exceed five hundred. On this iflai
the t)utch begin to fifh for herrings at mi
fummer, and their fifhing feafon lafts f
moriths. Ofthe Orkney iflands, which are abo
thirty in number, many are likewife nnir
habited. The largeft is Pomona, abo-
thir

LET. VIII.] SCOTLAIW). >¦ 6^
thirty-three miles in length, and its breadth
is infome places nine. It contains nine parifh
churches, and fome excellent harbours.
The cathedral of Kirkwall, the capital of
the Orkneys, is a fine Gothic building, de
dicated to St. Magnus, but now converted
into a parifh church. Its roof is fiip-
ported by fourteen' pillars on each fide, and
its fteeple, which has a good ring of bells,
by four-large pillars. The three gates of
the church are ehecquered with red and»
white polifhed ftone, emboffed and ele
gantly flowered.
The "VVeftern Ifles are more numerous.
than either of the preceding, and fome of
them large. Sky is forty miles long, and
in fome places thirty broad ; fruitful and
well peopled. The ifle of Mull is twenty
four miles.long, and in fome places almoft
as broad. Lewis, or Harries, forming
bothibut one ifland, is a hundred miles in
length, and thirteen or fourteen in breadth, j
Bute, which is about ten miles long, and
three or four broad, is famous for contain
ing ike caftle of Rothfay, which gave the
title of Duke to the eldeft fons of the kings .

66 , LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
of Scotland, as it now does to the Prince of
Wales. Befide thefe, are Ha, Jura, Urft, St. Kil-.
daj, and a numerous lift of inferior iflands ;
among which I muft particularly mention
the famous ifleof Jona, or St. Columb-kill,
once the feat and fanftuary of learning in
the weft, and the burying-place of many
kings of Scotland, Ireland, and Norway.
This place is ftill confpicuous for the relics
of a fanftimonlous aptiquity. The church
of St. Mary, which is built in the form of
a cathedral, is a beautiful fabric ; within
which are fome Gaelic infcriptions, and the
bodies of the kings abovementioiied. The
tomb of Columba, who lies buried here is
uninfcrlbed. The fteeple is large, the cu
pola twenty-one feet fquare, the doors and
windows are curioufly carved, and the lat
ter is of the fineft marble. Innumerable
infcriptions of ancient cuftoms and ceremo
nies may be obferved in different parts of
the ifland.
The ifland of Staffa exhibits a moft beau-
¦ tiful fcene of the Bafaltis, rifing amidft the
waves, in the form of a new Giant's Caufe-
way, For a mile in length, and half a
mile

LET. vm.] SCOTLAND. 67
mile in breadth, the end of this ifland is
fupported by ranges of natural pillars,
moftly above fifty feet high, ftanding in
colonnades, according as the bays or points
of land have formed themfelves. Sir Jofeph
Banks, who vifited this ifland in 1772, in
forms us, that upon a firm bafis of rock
above thefe, the ftratum which reaches to
the furface of the ifland, varied in thick
nefs as the ifland itfelf formed Irito hills or
vallies ; each hill. Which hung over the
columns below, forming an ample pedi
ment. Some of thefe, above fixty feet in
thicknefs, from the bafe to the point,
formed;; by the floping of the hill on each
fide, almoft into the fhape of thofe ufed in
architefture. Proceeding further to the
north weft, " You meet (fays Sir Jofeph
Banks,) with the higheft ranges of pillars,
the magnificent appearance of which is
paft all defcription : Here they are bare to
their very bafis, and the ftratum below
them is alfo viftble." ^
In fome parts of Staffa, inftead of being
placed upright, the pillars were obferved
to be on their fides, each forming a feg-
ment of a circle; but the moft ftriking
F 2 objeft

6S LETTERS OF A TRAVELIeR.
ohjeft in this field of fcenery is Fingal'S
Cave, which is defcribed In the following
terms: "We proceeded along the fhore,
treading upon another Giant's Cay.feway,
every ftone being regularly formed in a
certain number of fides and angles, 'till in
a fhort time we arrived at the mouth of a
cave, the moft magnificent, I fuppofe, that
has ever been defcribed by travellers. The
length of this cave from the arch without,
is 371 feet; the breadth at the mouth 53
feet; and the height in the fame part 317
feet. The mind can hardly form an ide^
more magnificent than fuch a fpace, fup
ported on each fide by ranges of columnsj
and roofed by the bottoms of thofe which
have been broken off in order to form it ;
between the angles of which a yellowifh
ftalagmitlc matter had exuded, which ferves
to define the angles precifely, and at the
fame time vary the colour with a great deal
of elegance. To render it ftill more
agreeable, the whole is lighted from with
out ; and the air within being agitated by
the flux and reflux of the tide, is perfeftly
dry and wholefome, free entirely from the
damps of vapours with which natural ca
verns .

LET. VIII.] SCOTLAND. 69
Verns in general abound." Sir Jofeph Banks
has affured me, that nothing he had ever
feen afforded him greater pleafure than the
furvey of this Ifland.
In general the iflands annexed to Scot
land exhibit many pregnant proofs in their
ehurches, the veftiges of old forts and other
¦buildings, both facred and civil, that they
were formerly more populous than at pre
fent. The ufe and conftruftion of fome of
thefe works cannot now be eafily accounted
for. In a gloomy valley in the ifland of
Hoy, one of the Hebrides, is a kind of
hermitage, cut out of a ftone, called a dwarf
ftone, thirty-fix feet long, eighteen broad,
and nine high; in which is a fquare hole,
about two feet in height for an entrance,
with a ftone of the fame fize for a door ;
within ia the refemblance of a bed, with a
pillow cut out of the ftone, large enough
for two men to lie on ; at the other end is
a couch, and in the middle a hearth, with a
hole cut out above for a chimney.
I fliould tire you to recount the various
Veftiges of the Druidical temples remaining
in thefe iflands ; fome of which muft have
been raifed with prodigious labour, and, are
F 2 ftupendous

70 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
ftupendous ereftions, of the fame nature
as the famous Stone-henge, near Salifbury.
Others feem to be memorials of particular
perfons^ or aftions, confifting of one large
ftone ftanding upright. Some of them bear
the marks of having been fculptured ; and
others have ferved as fepulchres, and are
compofed of ftones cemented together.
Cairns, or barrows, as they are called in
England, are frequent in thefe iflands, and
the monuments of Danifh and Norwegian.
fortifications might afford ample room for
defcription. The gigantic bones found iri
many burial places here, afford room to be
lieve that the former inhabitants were of
larger fize than the prefent. It feems like-^
wife probable, from fome ancient remains,
particularly catacombs, and fome filver fibu
lae or clafps, found at Stennis, one of the
Orkneys, that the Romans were well ac
quainted with thefe parts. There is not a
doubt but one of the iflands on the north of
jof Scotland, was thpir Ultima Thule.
It has been the opinion of many learned
men, that the Hebrides, being the moft;
wefterly iflands where the Celts fettled, their
language muft remain there in its, greateft purity :

Lfet. VIII.] SCOTLAND* /'t
|jurity : but this opinion, though Very plau*-
fible, is contradifted by experience. It is'
true that many Celtic words, as well as cuf-
toriis!, ate found in thefe iflands ; but the
great intercourfe which the Hebrides had
¦with the Danes, the Norwegians, arid othet
northern people, Whofe language is mixed
with Sclavonian and Teutonic,- the latter
of which has^ no aflfinity with the Celtic,
has rendered their language a compound ;
fo that it approaches in no degree to tbe pu
rity of the Celtic, commdnly called Erfe,
which was fpoken by their neighbours in
Lochabar and the oppofite coafts of Scot
land, the undoubted defcendants of the
Celts, among whom their language remains
more unmixed.
There is very little difference ifi the cll-
ttiate of thefe iflands, the air being keen,
piercing, and falubrious ; fo that many of
the natives live to a great age* In the Shet
land and Orkney iflands they fee to read at
midnight in June and July ; and during
four af the fummer moriths they have fre
quent communicationsj both for bufinefs
and curiofity, with catch other* The reflr
»f the year, however, they are almoft inac- •
ccffible^

71 LETtERS OF A TRAVELLER.
ceffible, thrpugh fpgs, darknefs, and ftorms*
It is a curious faft, that in May, 1689, a
Scottlfh fiflierman was imprifoned in the
capital of the Orkney iflands, for pub-
lifhing the account of the Prince and Prin
cefs of Orange being raifed to the Britifh
Throne the preceding November : and he
would probably have been hanged, as a po
litical ^impoftor, had not the news been
confirmed by the arrival of a fhip.
It does not appear from hiftory, to whom
the Shetland and Orkney iflands were fub-*
jeft before the clofe of the eleventh cen
tury ; but they were conquered by the
Normans in 1099, fome years after the re-
duftion of England by William the .Con
queror. In the year 1263, they were in the
poffeffion of Magrius of Norway, who fold
them to Alexander, king of Scots, and he
gave them as fiefs to a riobleman of the
name of Speire. After this period, they
became fubjeft to" the crown of Denmark.
Chriftian I. In the reign of James III. cbn-
¦veyed them in property to the crown of
Scotland, as a marriage portion with his
daughter Margaret, and all future preten
fions were entirely ceded on the mar riage

LET. VIII.] SCOTLAND. '^^
riage of James VI. of Scotland, with the
Princefs Aftne, of Denmark.
It iriight be thought unpardonable to give
an acPount of the Hebrides without menti-
bning the fecond fight, for which the inha
bitants are faid to be remarkable. If^is
pretended, that there fwims before their
eyes, either real or typical, reprefentations
of certain events Which are to happen
within the fpace of tWenty-four or forty-
eight hours. The truth perhaps is, that
thofe highlanders by indulging themfelves
in indolent habits, acquire vifionary ideas ;
and thefe giving birth to extravagant phan
toms, they miftake the latter fo'r the refult
of fatidical or prophetic revelations. They
therefore begin to prophecy, and there be
ing a great chance that amidft many thou-
fands of prediftions, fome or other fhou^ld
happen to be fulfilled, one Well-attefted in-
ftarite of accompllfhment confers credit on
the general imputation. I fhall, however,
relate to you one faft of this kirid, which I
had myfelf from a reputable fchoolmafter on
the borders ofthe Highlands, when I vifited
that part of the country, and it is among the
• *' • moft
L

^4- LETTERS OF A tRAVELLlft*
moft remarkable inftances of the kind that
I have heard ori the fiibjeft.
Mr. M-^ went one evening atjout fom6
bufinefs into a fmall houfe adjoining his
own, where there happened to be an elderly
woman from Glenlion. On feeing hint
enter fhe uttered in the Gaelic Janguao-e
fome expreffions which indicated furprize ;
and fixing her eyes on his legs, exclaimed
with a. look of aftonifhmpnt, ¦ 7"^ chafs ! te
chafs! that is, " your leg, your leg.'* He
thought no more of the incident till next
' night, when returning home from a houfe
in the neighbourhood, a beetle was maliei*
oufly thrown at him by a worthlefs perfon
who had formerly been his pupil, by which
one ofhis legs was fraftured. Recolleftins
the incident of the preceding evening, he
was told by thofe who had been prefent on
that occafion, and underftood the Erfe, that
one of his legs appeared to the woman of
Glenlion to be broken and bloody, and fhe
was aftonifhed to fee him walk in fuch a
condition* I told this anecdote to the late
Dr. Samuel Joli^fon, who wifhed he had
known it before the pubhcation of his Tour
to the Hebrides, The

LET. vm,] SCOTLAND. ^5
The inhabitants of the Hebrides, like the
Highlanders on the continent of Scotland,
are a hardy and martial race of people ; and
had they come within the verge of Ho
mer's defcription in the Iliad or Odyffey,
it is -probable that many of thefe iflands
would have been no lefs diftinguifhed by
their lords or chieftains, than Ithaca by tJie
celebrated Ulyffes*

LETTER

7& LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER*

LETTER IX,

I

COME now to the continent of Scot
land, a country celebrated both for the
martial atchievements of its inhabitants,
and the genius of many of its writers. The
air of Scotland is more temperate than
could be expefted in fo northerly a climate.
This arifes partly from the variety of its
hills, vallies, rivers, and lakes ; but
ftill more, as in England, from the vicinity
ofthe fea, which affords thofe warm breezes
that not only foften the naturalkeennefs of
the air, but by keeping it in perpetual agi
tation, renders it pure and healthful. The
foil in general is not fo fertile as that of
England ; and. In many places, lefs fitted
for agriculture than for pafture. Yet there
are particular plains and vallies ofthe moft
luxuriant fertility ; and the whole of the
eaftern

t£T. IX.J SCOTLAI^D. 77
eaftern coaft, for many miles up the couii-
try, is abundantly fertile.
Scotland contains feveral capital rivers^
fiich as the Forth, the Tay, the Spey, the
Tweed, and the Clyde ; with many of an
inferior fort, well provided ^ with falmon,
trout, and other fifhes, which equally en
rich and beautify the country. Its princi
pal mountains are the Grampian Hills,
which run from eaft to weft, almoft the
whole breadth of the kingdom. Two other
chains of mountains, towards the fouth, run
in the fame direftion ; befides which, 1
may mention the Cheviot or Tiviot Hills,
on the borders of England.
The face of Scotland is agreeably dlverfi-
fied by a charming intermixture of natural
objefts. The great inequalities of_ the
ground, in many parts, though unfavour
able to the labours of the hufbandman, are
particularly pleafing to a traveller, and af
ford thofe delightful fituations for country-
houfes, of which many of the Scottlfh no
bility and gentry havefojudicioufly availed
themfelves. I do not exaggerate when I affure you,
that Scotland contains a greater number of
ancient

yS LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. »
ancient caftles and noble edifices than are
commonjy to be met with in countries of an
equal extent. This is owing not only- to
the general tafte of the nobility and gentry,
but to the cheapnefs of the materials for
building ; by which their paffion for archi
tefture may be gratified at a moderate ex-
pence. Many of thefe feats are cmbelliflied
with beautiful pleafure-grounds, where art
and nature feeni to have vied in the pro-
duftion of agreeable profpefts. To form
an adequate idea of thofe fcenes, you muft
vifit Dunkeld, and Blair in Athol, the refi
dence of the Duke of that name ; but you
will find all the charms of local beauty yet
more happily united, fome miles towards.
the weft, where Taymouth, the incompa
rable feat of the Earl of Breadalbane, dif
plays all her attraftions to the view. Ver
bal defcription can but faintly exprefs the
delightful affemblage of objefts by which
this place is diftinguifhed. Hill and valley,
wood and water, form the general inter
mixture of topographical Variegation ; but
here the effeft of them is enhanced with
peculiar felicity. The pofition and fhape
of the hills are not only highly advantage ous,

^^ m^

LET. IX.] SCOTLAND. 79
ous, but they are ornamented with natural
rocks, pifturefque both in form and fitua
tion, and adorned with hermitages, or
ruins, or towers, or traces of antiquity,
that afford the moft pleafing profpefts.
The vallij^s are ftretched in an expanfe fb
agreeably romantic, that for a juft reprefen-
tationofthem I refer to your own concep-
tidns of the celebrated Tempe. The
woods are delightfully mixed in variety as
well as arrangement ; and the river Tay,
befides the profpeft of a beautiful lake, pro
ceeds in fuch meanders as feem to have
been accommodated by nature to the per-
feftion of a landfcape. To, all thefe circum-
cumftances let ids add, the temples and
cafcades, the walks, the terraces, and the
nutting-paths, which in extent, variety,
and beauty, furpafs all I ever met with in
travelling. You have heard, perhaps, ofthe Maiden,
an inftrument of decapitation, introduced
into Scotland by the Earl of Morton, who
was himfelf the firft who fuffered by it ; and
you are fufficiently well acquainted with
the Guillotine, which difgraces the annals
of France; but I queftion whether you
ever

8d ' LETTERS OF* A TRAVELLfiS.
ever have been informed of a fimilar in
ftrument, called the Lochabar Axe. This
I have feen where it Is depofited, in the pe
netralia of Taymouth. It was employed
for extirpating the clan of M'Gregors,
whofe outrages rendered them univerfally
fo obnoxious to government, that thofe
among them who wifhed to avoid a capital
punlfhment, were obliged to change
their name ; which, I have been told, was
not, tin lately, revived in the country.
Scotland abounded anciently with mag
nificent Gothic cathedrals, and other reli
gious edifices, but they were moftly demo-
lifhed by the fury of the mobs at the time
of the reformation. The Carthufian Ab-,
bey at Perth, which was alfo a royal refi
dence, and where James I. was murdered,
is celebrated for the grandeur of its archi
tefture. The cathedrals of Elgin in Mur
ray, Dunkeld, Dumfermline, Kelfo, Mel-
rore, Jedburg, and-Qthers, with the Gothic
Chapel at Roflin, about four miles from
Edinburgh, are beheld with veneration and
pleafure by , every traveller. Many of thofe
edifices were founded by King David, who
was remarkable for his piety and liberality to

LET. IX,] SCOTLAND. 8 1
to religious inftitutions ; but the ftruftlire
laft mentioned was founded towards the
rniddle ofthe fifteenth century by William
St. Clair, Prince of Orkney, and Duke of
Oldenburg. Exclufive of romantic fituation,
it is confeffedly one of the moft curious
pieces of workmanfhip in Europe.
The palaces of the Scottlfli kings, in ge
neral, were likewife magnificent buildings.
That of Dumfermline, the refidence of the
famous king Malcolm, has long been in
ruins ; but there ftill exifts, clofe by it, a
memorial of Celebrated royalty. Under the
pulpit of the ancient cathedral, are interred
the remains of the great King Robert
Bruce, whofe heart, at his own defire, was
carried at his death to Jerufalem. The pa
lace of Scone, where the kings of Scotland
were ufually crowned, is diftingufhed by
an elegant fimplicity ; while that of Falk
land exhibits a magnificence correfponding
to the dignity of a crown ; and the palace
of Linlithgow, the favourite refort of
James V. has been the admiration of ftibfe-
quent ages for the beauty of its architec-
turer G , Edin-

Sa LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
Edinburgh, fince the addition of the new
town, may be regarded as one of the hand-»
fomeft cities in Europe ; and the new Uni
verfity, when completed, will be a ftrufture
proportionably noble. Between the old
and new town, lies a narrow bottom or
vale, at the weft end of which the caftle,
fituated on a folid rock, near two hundred
feet high, looks down with awful magnifi
cence ; and the eaftern extremity is bound
ed by a lofty bridge, the middle arch pf
which is ninety feet high ; erefted for the
purpofe of joining the new buildings to the
city, and of rendering the defcent on each
fide the vale more commodious.
Facing the caftle, at the diftance of a
mile, ftands the palace of Holyrood-Houfe,
commonly called the Abbey. It is a quad
rangular building, of magnificent architeci
ture, begun by James V. and finifhed Isy
Charles I. Round the quadrangle runs an
?ircade, adorned with pilafters ; and the
infide contains noble apartments, r^ow occu
pied by different noblemen, The chapel
belonging to this palace was an elegant
piece of Gothic architefture, It had a very
lofty rpof, and- two ftone galleries, fupport- §4

LET. IX.] SCOTLAND. 83
ed by curious pillars. The infide was de-
molifhed and rifled of all its rich ornaments
by the fury of the mob at the Revolution.
They even broke into the repbfitories of the
dead, and difcovered a vault, tlft then not
generally known, which confained the bo
dies of James V. his firfl queen, and
Henry Darnley. The walls and roof of
this beautiful chapel gave way and fell
down in 1768, occafioned by the enor
mous weight of a new ftone roof, laid over
it fome years before, which the walls were
unable to fupport.
The hofpital founded by George Herlot,
goldfmith to James VI. for the education
of poor children belonging to the citi
zens of Edinburgh, is fituated fouth-weft
of the caftle. It was planned by Inigp Jones,
who went to Scotland as architeft to Queen
Anne, wife of James VI. and is the fineft
fpecimen which he has left us of his Go
thic manner.
Befides the Univerfity of Edipburgh,^
there are in Scotland three others, which
are thofe of St. Andrew's, Aberdeen, and
Glafgow. Even befpre the time of Charle
magne, the Scots began to be fignalized by
G 2 their.

84 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
their literary purfuits ; and of their fuc-<
cefsful progrefs we meet with ample docur
ments in the writings of Adamnarus, and
other authors. Who were nearly contempo
rary with the period of the Norman Inva
fion. Barbour, a Scottlfh poet, is cele
brated eVen prior to the time of Chaucer ;
and the Latin ftyle of Buchanan's hiftory is
hitherto regarded as one ofthe moft claffical
of modern produftions. Indeed, claffical
learning feems to have been more cultivated
even at the court of Scotland than at any
other in Europe 5 as appears from the letters
of the Scottlfh kings to the neighbouring
princes, which are incomparably the moft
elegant compofitlons pf the times in which
they were written.
The difcovery ofthe logarithms, fo ufe-,
ful in the fcience of navigation, will ever
render the name of Napier of Merchef-:
tone one of the moft confpicuous in the
catalogue of memorable inventors. In ma
thematical fciences, Keil, Gregory, Mac-
laurin, Simfon, and Stuart, are particularly
eminent ; while in philofophy, hiftory, and
the belles-lettres^ feveral naitives of Scptlariid hav($

tE-T. IX.] SCOTLANIJ. 85
have fhone likewife with diftinguifhed
luftrci So numerous are the Roman and other
antiquities found in Scotland, that a mi
nute account of them might extend to
many volumes. The moft remarkable for
extent is the Roman Wall, called by
the people of the country Graham's Dyke j
but by others named the Wall of Antoninus,
under whofe direftion it was completed,
though firft marked out by Agricola. It
ftretched the whole way from the Clyde to
the Forth, croffing the country in the nar-
roweft part. The courfe of it is ftill dif-
cernible, but the ftrufture has long fince
vanifhed, with the neceffity of its conti
nuance. Near the weftern extremity of this wall,
at Duntocken, fome labourers, in digging a
trench on the declivity of a hill, upon
which are feen the remains of a Roman
fort, turned up feveral uncommon tiles,
which led to the difcovery of a fuhter
raneous building. The tiles are of various
fizes, the fmalleft being feven, and the
largeft twenty-one inches fquare. They
are from two to three inches iri thicknefs, of

S6 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
of a reddifh colour, and in good preferva
tion. The fmaller tiles compofed feveral
rows of pillars, which form a labyrinth
of paffages about elghteeri inches fquare ;
and the larger tiles being laid over the
whole, ferved as a roof to the ftrufture.
The building is furrounded by a wall of
hewn ftone. From the bones and teeth of
animals, with a footy kind of earth found
in the paffages^fome have conjeftured that
this building ferved as a hot-bed for the ufe
of the neighbouring garrifon.
One of the moft entire and beft preferved
of any Roman antiquity in North-Britain,
is fituated at Ardoch in Perthfhire. It has
five rows of ditches and fix ramparts on the
fouth fide ; and of the four gates which led
into the area, three of them, viz. the prse-
toria, decumana, and dextra, are ftill -very
dlftinft. Upon the banks of the river Cafron, in
Stirlingfhire, there ftood a Roman temple,
or building, in the form of the Pantheon
at Rome, but which has lately been demo-
lifhed by its Gothic proprietor, for the pur
pofe of mending a mill- pond. Its height
, was twenty-two "feet, and Its external Cir
cumference

tEt. ix,] SCOTLANiJi 8^
cumference at the bafe eighty-eight feet ;
fo that upon the whole it was one bf the
moft complete Roman antiquities in the
World. As it ftood near the northern boun
dary of. the Roman empire in Britaiiij it is
thought to have been built by Agricola, or
fome of his fucceffors, as a temple to the
god Terminus. Near it are fome artificial
concealments of earth, bearing ftill the
name of Dunipace, or Du^i pads ; which
feem to confirm that thete was a kind of
folemn compromife between the Romans
and the Caledonians, that the former fhould
not attempt to extend their empire beyond
thofe limits.
By infcriptions' found on ftories near the
Wall, we are made acquainted with the
names of the legions that built it, and the
particular departments of each. The re
mains of Roman highways are frequent in
the fouthern parts of Scotland.
Near Auchtefarder, in Perthfhire, there
is a barrow, refembling the figure of a fhip,
with the keel uppermoft. It appears to b^
of remote antiquity, and is the moft beau
tiful of the kind I have ever feen. As it
lies not many miles diftant from the fcene of

88 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEaj.
of Agricola's operations, there may be room
for conjefturing that it was erefted to. the
memory of fome Britifh prince, who afted
as auxiliary to the Romans.
There are in Scotland fome buildings of
a very extraordinary conftruftion, and fup
pofed to be of., Piftifh origin, from their
ftanding within the dominions of that peo
ple. One of thefe is at Brechin in Angus,
and the other at Abernethy in Perthfhire.
Both of them are columns, hollow in the
infide. That of Brechin is the moft en
tire. It is covered at the top with a fJDiral
roof of ftone, and has three or four win
dows above the cornice. It confifts of fixty
regular courfes of hewn ftone, laid circu
larly, and regularly tapering towards the
top. Upon it are fome fculptures, denoting
it to be of Chriftian origin ; but thefe, per
haps, are of a later date than the bulldlno-.
At a place called Aberlemno, near Bre
chin, there are ftill to be feen four or five
ancient obelifks, called the Danifh ftones of
Aberlemno.' They have been erefted to
commemorate the viftorles of the Scots
over that people ; and are adorned with bas-

LET. IX.] SCOTLAND. ^9
bas-reliefs of men on horfeback, with ma^
ny emblematical figures and hieroglyphics.
But there ftands near the town of ForraS
in Murray, a column, which furpaffes all
others in grandeur. It rifes about twenty-
three feet in height above the ground, and
is faid to reach about twelve or fifteen feet
below ; fo that the whole height is at leaft
thirty-five feet, and its breadth near five.
It is all one entire ftone. Many figures in
relievo have been carved upon It, fome of
which are ftill vifible ; but the injury of
the Weather has much affefted thofe of. the
upper part. It is probable that this monu
ment was erefted in commemoration of the
final expulfion of the Danes out of Murray,
where they occupied their laft fettlement
in Scotland, after the great defeat they
had received from the celebrated King
Malcolm. At Sandwick, in Rofs-fhire, is likewife a
noble ancient monument, furrounded at the,
bafe with large well-cut flag ftones, formed
like fteps. Both fides of the column are
enriched witha variety of fculpture ; among
which is a fumptuous crofs, with a figure of

9^ ^ LETTERS OF A TRAVfiLLES.
of St. Andrew on each hand, and the repre-
fentation of many birds and animals.
The ruins of the cathedral of Elginftill^
exhibit a remarkable grandeur in their ap^
pearance. The weft door in particular is
highly ornamented, and there is much ele
gance in the fculpture*
Among the remains of ancient caftles de
ferves to be mentioned that of Keldrummy,
in the north of Scotland. It was formerly
a place of great ftrength and magnificence,
and often reforted to, as ari afylum, by noble
families, "in times of civil wars. Inverugie
Caftle, the ancient feat of the Earl Mar-^
flials of Scotland, fituated on a fteep rock
upon the bank of a river, is a large and lofty
pile. The front is terminated by two high
towers, which, even in their decaying
ftate, give the building an air of much
grandeur and antiquity*

LETTER

LET. X.] ENGLAND. 9I

LETTER X.

I

NEED not inform you that the tranfi-
tion from.North to South Britain, is imper
ceptible to a traveller, unlefs he croffes the
river Tweed, which feparates the two
countries only for fome, miles towards the
eaft. In other parts they are contiguous
alohg an extenfive frontier ; and they feem
not more happily adapted to forhi one
united kingdom, by geographical fituation,
than by the habits, commercial intercourfe,
and interefts of each.
If we entered Scotland with emotions of
triumph, on account of its civilization
and ancient celebrity, we fhall find the
fame reafon to congratulate ourfelves on
our arrival in England, where arts and
arms have long been cultivated with pecu
liar fuccefsj and the glory of her military
atchievements

Q2 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER^
atchievements is dirriiniflied only by thd^
facility with which fhe repeatedly fubmitted
to the yoke of foreign powers. But let us
draw a veil over tranfaftions the apparent
incongruity of which was alleviated by the
circumftances ofthe times. * She has, fince
the laft of thefe conquefts, difplayed fuch
feats of valour, as will ever throw luftre on
her annals.
In refpeft of the temperature of the air,
perhaps no country in the world is, upon
the whole, preferable to England. But it
is peculiarly expofed to fudden viciffitudes
of the Weather ; and the fucceffion of the
different feafons is in moft years Very irre
gular. Its infular fituation fubjefts it to all
the variety of winds that agitate the face of
the furrounding ocean ; while to compen
fate this difadvantage, riot a current of a.it
can blow from any point of the compafsj
in which many of her ports are not open
to the benefits of commerce. The nu
merous canals made within the fpace of
half a century, have extended her internal
navigation to ari aftonifhing degree ; and fo
great are fhe improvements in agriculture
and manufaftures, that the profperity of
her

|:ET. X.] ENGLAND. 9 j|
her traffic is unrivalled In every quarter of
the globe.
The Rivers in England add greatly to its
beauty as well as Its opulence. The chief
of thefe are the Thames, the Medway, the
Trent, the Oufe, and the Tyne. , There
are here but few lakes ; though It is evident
from hiftory, and indeed, in fome places
from the face of the country, that meres
and fens have been frequent in England,
till drained and converted into arable land.
Though moft parts of the country are full
of delightful rifing grounds, yet it contains
few mountains. The moft noted , are the
Peak in Derbyfhire, the Endle in Lanca-
fhire, the Wolds in Yorkfhire, the Cheviot
Hills on the borders of Scotland, the Chiltern
in Bucks, Malvern in Worcefterfhire, Elf-
wold in Gloucefterfhire, and the Wreken
in Shropfhire ; to which may be added,
thofe of Plinlimmon and Snowdon in Wales.
In general, however, Wales and the nor
thern parts may be termed mountainous. > v
In ancient times England contained large
woods, if- not forefts, of chefnut trees,
which exceeded all other kinds of timber
for the purpofe§ of buildipg, as appears from
many

94

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.

many houfes ftill ftanding, in which the
chefnut beams and roofs remain undecaycd,
though fome of them are above fix hundred
years old. The firft Norman Kings, partly
for political purpofes, and partly from the
wantonnefs of power, converted immenfe
trafts of ground into forefts, for the benefit
of hunting. The number of thefe amounted
at one time to no lefs than fixty-nine ; but
by degrees they have all been disforefted ex
cepting four, which are thofe of Windfbr,
New Foreft, the Foreft of Dean, and Sher
wood Foreft.
Among the minerals in this country, the
tin mines in Cornwall defervedly take the
lead. They were known to the Greeks and
Phsnicians, the latter efpecially, fome ages
before that of the Chriftian aera.
London, the capital of the Britifh Em
pire is of great antiquity. It appears to
have been founded between the reigns of
Julius C?efar and Nero, but by whom is un
certain. It was firft walled about with
hewn ftones and Britifh bricks, by Conftan
tlne the Great ; and the walls formed an
oblong fquare, in compafs about three
miles, with feven principal gates. Lojidon is .

LET. X.] ENGLAND. 95
is now the emporium of commerce ; and
enjoys, by means of the river Thames, on
which it is fituated, all the benefits of navi
gation, without the danger of being fur
prifed by foreign fleets. Of the extent of
this city, Weftminfter included, an idea
may be formed from the number of edifices
devoted to the fervice of religion. Of
thefe, befides ^t. Paul's Cathedral, and the
collegiate Church of Weftminfter, there are
a hundred and two parifh churches, and
about feventy chapels of the eftablifhed re--
ligion, exclufive of a vaft number of cha
pels appropriated to the ufe of foreign
ers, and independent meetings of various
kinds. The Cathedral of St. Paul's is, beyond
doubt, the moft capacious, magnificent,
and regular proteftant church in the World.
It is built, you know, upon the model of
St. Peter's, at Rome, but greatly inferior
in extent ; the whole length of this cathe
dral meafiiring no more than the breadth of
the latter. The length within the walls is
five-hundred feet ; and its height from the
marble pavement to the crofs, on the top
pf th© cupola, is three-hundred and forty. The

9^ LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
The expence of re-building it, after
the fire of London, was defrayed by a
duty on coals, and is computed at a
million fterling. Monuments to eminent
" perfons are now begun to be erefted in this
Cathedral ; and it has likewife been re
cently decorated with the trophies of naval
viftorles, obtained over our different ene
mies, in the laft three memorable engage
ments. Weftminfter-Abbey, or the collegiate
church of Weftminfter, is a venerable pile
of building, in the Gothic tafte. It was
origirially erefted by Edward the Confeffor.
King Edward III. rebuilt it from the
ground ;' and to the eaft end of it was added
by Henry VII. a fine chapel, in which is the
burying-place of the Royal-Family. The
walls of this abbey are now almoft entirely
occupied with the accumulated monuments
of perfons cither high in rank, or cele
brated for extraordinary aftions in arts ot
arms. Weftminfter-hall, though it difplays no
grandeur of appearance without, Is a noble
Gothic building, two hundred and twenty
feet long, and feventy hi-oad. It is fuppofed tP

J-ET. X.]" ENGLAND,

97

to be the largeft room in the world, the
roof of which is not fupported by pillars.
The ftately column, called the monu
ment of London, erefted at the charge of
the city, to perpetuate the memory of the
great fire in 1666, is worthy of atteiition.
It is of the Doric order, two hundred and
two feet in height, with a ftaircafe in the
middle to afcend to the balcony ; whence
there are other fteps leading thirty feet
higher.^ to the fummit, which terminates in
the form of an urn, with a flame iffuing
from it. On the bafe of the monument next
the ftreet, the deftruftion ofthe city, and the
relief given to the fufferers by Charles II.
and his brother,, are emblematically repre
fented in bas-relief.
When fuch monuments are erefted for
the purpofe of mere commemoration, what
may not be expefted from thofe which are
deftined to public utility ? Gf this kind are
the three noble bridges over the Thames';
thofe of London, Weftminfter, and Black-
friars. The firft was huilt about the middle
of the twelfth century in the reign of Henry
II. by a tax laid upon wool, which in
courfe of time ^ave rife to an erroneous
H idea

n8 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
idea that it was founded upon wool-packs.
It has nineteen arches, each about twenty
feet wide, but the centre one is confiderably
larger. Weftminfter-brldge is reckoned one of
the moft elegant ftruftures of the kind.
It ftands at a place where the river is twelve
hundred and twenty-thrbe feet broad, which
is about three hundred feet more than at
Loridon-bridge. On each fide is a fine baluf-
trade of ftone, with places of fhelter from
the rain. It confifts of thirteen large, and
two fmall arches, all femicircular ; that in
the centre being feventy-fix feet wide,^ and
the reft decreafing four feet each from
the other. This ftrufture. was begun in
1738, and completed in 1750, at the ex-
pence of three hundred and eighty-nine
thoufand pounds, defrayed by the parlia
ment. Black-frlars-bridge, in point of workmian-
fhip is not inferior tothat of Weftminfter ;
bui- the fituation of the ground on the; two
fhores, obliged the aichlteft to employ ellip-.
ti :al arches. This bridge was begun- in
^760; and finifhed in ten years, at the ex-
peince.pf about a hundred and fifty -three
z:..i: thoufand

LET. X.] ENGLAND. 99
thoufand pounds, to be difcharged by a toll
upon the paffengers, which is now taken
off. Eaftward of the monument, at the dif
tance of almoft half a mile, ftands theTower
of London, which was anciently a royal
palace, and has been for many ages the for-
.trefs of the city. It is fuppofed to have
been originally built by William the Con
queror, about the year 1076, when it con
fifted only of that part called the White
Tower, which was new built in 1637, ^^^
1638. A great number of other buildings
have been fince added. Here are now a
church, the offices of ordnance and of the
mint ; thofe of the keepers of the records ;
of the jewel office, the Spaniffi armoury,
the horfe-armoury, and the new or fmall
armoury ; with barracks for the foldiers of
the garrifon, and handfome houfes for fe
veral officers who refide here. In 1098,
King William Rufus furrounded the Tower
with walls, and a deep ditch, infome places
a hundred and twenty feet wide ; but on
the weft fide it is narrow. In this quarter
is the principal entrance, by two gates, one
, within the other ; both large enough to ad-
H 2 mit

TOO LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
mit coaches-, and parted by a bridge, built
over the ditch. In a part of the Tower,
feveral lions, and other foreign animals are
conftantly kept for the gratification of the
curious, at the expence ofthe crown.
Tower-hill has been lately embelliffied
with an elegant building, called the Tri-
nity-Houfe, for the accommodsition of thp
Trinity-company at their meetings: a Com
pany which, confidered both in a commer
cial and nautical point of view, is of great
utility to the public.
Among the late decorations of the capital
is a noble pile of buildings, erefted at the
public expence, in the Strand, where for
merly ftood Somer fet- houfe. This magni
ficent edifice is appropriated to public of
fices, and affords likewife elegant apart
ments for the ufe of the Royal Society, the
Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture,
and the Society of Antiquaries.
I ffiould exhauft your patience were I to
- defcribe to you all that ' is remarkable in
this celebrated capital, pertaining either to
the purpofes of government, thofe of great
-commercial companies, or of private indi
viduals ; and fhalJ therefore mention only one

LET. X.] ENGLAND. lOI
one more ftrufture, but fuch a one
as unites fcientlfic improvement with na
tional grandeur ; I mean the Britlffi Mu
feum, depofited in a noble edifice, which
had been built by the Duke of Montague
for his town refidence. Sir Hans Sloane,
who died in 1753, may not improperly be
called the founder of this vaft treafure of
curiofities, which, with his valuable library,
he left to the public, on condition that the
parliament would pay to his executors twen
ty thoufarid pounds, about a third part only
of the fum which the v/hole had coft him.
To this colleftion Were added the Gottonian
Library ; theHarleian Manufcripts, colleft-
ed by the Oxford family, and purchafed
likewife by the Parliament, and a colleftion
of books, the property formerly of Dr.
Mead. His late majefty was gracioufly
pleafed to enrich the repofitory further, by
a donation of the royal libraries of books
and manufcripts collefted by the feveral
kings of England. The catalogue of the
whole of this vaft colleftion occupies a
number of large volumes.
In the royal library juft now mentioned,
is the moft ancient manufcript of the Old and

I02 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
and New Teftament that is extant. It is
written in Greek, on parchment, and cal
led the Alexandrine manufcript, from the
place where it was found. This valuable
piece of antiquity was fent In the year 1628
to King Charles I. a prefent from Cyrlllus
Lucaris, then patriarch of Conftantinople.
An account of it is ¦wrritten in Latin, at the
beginning of the firft volume by the donor,
importing^ that it was the work of Thecla,
an Egyptian lady of quality, who lived
about the time ofthe council of Nice. It
is probable that this manufcript was written
before the year 396 ; for, except the Evaii-
gelifts, none ofthe books of this New Tef
tament are divided Into chapters, that cuf
tom not having been introduced till the
above period. We may therefore conclude,
thefe manufcripts to be upwards of fourteen
hundred years old. The gofpel according
to Matthew is moftly wanting. A beauti
ful fac-fimlle of this celebrated manufcript
was publlffied a few years ago.
I had the curiofity to examine fome of
the poetical manufcripts in the Mufeum,
among which I foujtad a ffiort Latin poem,
written by John Seward, in the time of
Henry

LET. X.] ENGLAND. I03
Henry V. who conquered Charles VI. of
France ; with which, and a tranflation of
of it, I ffiall clofe my prefent letter.
It e per extremam Tanain,ftigrofque Triones,
lie per arenlem Lybiam, fuper ate calores
¦ Soils, y arcanos Nili deprenditef antes,
Herculeumque finum, Bacchi tranfcurrite met as;
Angli juris erit quicquid compleSlitur orbis.
Anglis rubra dabunt pratiofas aquora conchcis,
Indus ebur, ramos Panchaia, vellera Seres,
Dum viget Henricus, dum nqfter vivit Achilles.
Eft etenim laudes longe tranfgrefius avitas..
G-), where the ftreams of utmoft Tanais roll,
"Where endlefs winter reigns around the pole ;
Go, where the fands of fcorched Lybia glow.
And hidden fources of the Nilus flow : ,^ :
In glorious conqueft, prefs beyond the bounds
Where Fame the deeds of ancient heroes founds :
To England's empire fhall the nation's bend,
. Far as the limits of the world extend.
To her, the fea, on Egypt's eaftern fhores,
Shall pay the tribute of its pearly ftores,
Arabia Ipices, India ivory, yield.
And Cathay, golden fleeces from each field i
While Henry lives, while our Achilles' name
Shines forth traiifcendeiit in the lifi of fame.
LETTER

104 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,

LETTER XI.

I

,T is probable that civilization was in
troduced into England by the Rohnans ;
and there is no doubt biit the Latin Lan
guage was cultivated in this country while
it continued to be a province of that em*
pire, The night of darknefs, which fuc
ceeded the extlnftlon of the Roman poWer,
involved England with the other nations
in the general wreck of learning ; but this
country was among the firft to difpel the bb-
fcurity ; and fo early as the ninth century,
an attempt towards the reftoration of fci
ence, amidft all the obftruftions arifing from
barbarifm, was made by the great King Al
fred. H,e it was who firft inftituted,the fe
minary which has :fince encreafed to the
famous Univerfity of Oxford ; and Cam
bridge, in a fubfequent period, claims like- wife

Let. xl] :england. 105
wife the diftinguiffied honours of literary
renown. I forbear giving any account
af thefe Univerfities, as the fubjeft would
prove too copious for my prefent defign ;
and ffiall proceed to take a fuccinft view of
the antiquities found in England. Thefe
are of different periods, correfponding to
thofe of the particular people, who, for the
time, were mafters of the country ; and
may be divided into Britlffi, Roman, Sax
on, Daniffi, and Normanic.
The chief Britlffi antiquities, like thofe
of moft other nations, are fuch as have a
conneftion with the religious inftitutionsof
the early inhabitants of the country. They
confift of circles of ftones, which were pro
bably places of worffiip in the times of the
Druids. The moft celebrated of thofe is
that called Stonehenge, which is fituated
on Saliffiury Plain, fix miles north of the
city of that name, in Wlltfjiire. It is a
pile of huge ftones, concerning the origin,
ufe, and ftrufture of which, antiquaries are
much divided in opinion. The name Stone
henge is purely Saxon, and fignifies Aang-
ing-fiones, or a fione gallows: It probably
alludes to the difpofition of feveral of the
ftones

I06 LETTERS OF A traveller. -
ftones of which this extraordinary fabric
confifts. Some, however, conjefture the
name to be Stonhengefi, and fuppofe the
ftones to be a monument erefted by Ambro-
fius, a Britiffi King, in memory of the Bri
tons flain at or near this place, by Hengift
the Saxon. But Dr. Stukely, who has
written a learned treatife on this piece of an
tiquity, endeavours to ffiew. that the original
name of Stone-henge was Ambres, whence
he fuppofes the ancient town of Ambref-
bury to have been denominated. The an
cient Britons called it Choir-gaur, which
Dr. Stukely Is of opinion fignifies the great
church, or cathedral. The Choir-gaur
of the ancient Britons was by the monks
Latinized Chorea GIgantum, or the Giant's
Dance, a name ffiited to the ffiperftltlous
notions they entertained of its ftrufture.
Stone-henge confifts 'of the remains of
two circular and two oval ranges of rough
ftones, having one common centre; The
outer circle is a hundred and eight feet in
diameter, and when entire, confifted of
thirty upright ftones, feventeen of which are
yet ftanding, and feven more lying upon
the ground, either whole or in pieces. The
upright

LET.XJ.] ENGLAND. I07
upright ftones are from eighteen- to twenty
feet high, from fix to feven feet broad, and
about three feet thick. Being placed at the
diftance of about three feet and a half from
one another, they are connefted at top by
impofts, or ftones laid acrofs, with tenons
fitted to mortlfes In the uprights. Of the
impofts, or crofs-ftones, fix are yet ftand
ing, each of which is feven feet long, and
about three feet and a half thick. The up
right ftones have been wrought a little with
achiffel, and are fomethlng tapered to
wards the top, but the impofts are quite
plain; All the uprights are fixed In a kind
of fockets, dug in a chalky foil, with fmall
flints rammed between the ftone and the
focket. The inner circle, which never had any
impofts, is a little more than eight feet
from the infide of the outward one,, and
confifted originally of forty ftones, the ge
neral pr(^ortions of which are half the di
menfions of the above-mentioned uprights
every way. Of the forty ftones which ori
ginally compofed this circle, about nine
teen remain, and of thefe only eleven are
ftanding. The fpace between the two cir
cles

loS LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
eles is three hundred feet in circumference,
and from this fpot the ftrufture has an aw
ful effeft on the beholders.
At the diftance of about nine feet from
the inner circle, is the outer oval range,
which is fuppofed to be the principal part
of the work, and by moft writers is
called the Cell, or the Adytum. The ftones
that compofe it are ftupendous, fome of
them meafuring thirty feet in height. This
range confifts of five compages, or trili-
thons, as they are fometimes called, being
formed of two uprights, with an impoft at
top, like the outer circle ; and of thefe corn-
pages three are entire, but two fomewhat
decayed. The inner oval is compofed of
twenty ftones, each about fix feet high ;
and near the eaftern extremity of this oval,
is a ftone of eoarfe blue marble, about fix
teen feet long, and four broad, which lies
flat upon the ground, is fomewhat preffed
into it, and fuppofed to have been an altar.
This work is enclofed by a deep trench,
near thirty feet broad, and upwards of a
hundred feet from the outer circle. Over
this trench are three entrances, the moft
confiderable of which faces the north-eaft. At

LET. xl] ENGLAND.

IOC

At each entrance, on the outfide of the
trench, there feems to have been two hiige
ftones fet up in the manner of a gate ; and
parallel to thefe, on the infide, two other
ftones, of a fmaller fize. The whole num
ber of ftones originally compofing this ftruc-
ture, is computed to be exaftly a hundred
and forty.
The rude magnitude of Stone-henge has
rendered it the admiration of all ages ; and
the ufe and origin of this work has been
the fubjeft of various conjeftures. The
opinion moft generally received however is,
that it was a temple of the Druids, built, as
Dr. Stukeley thinks, before the Belgaecame
into Britain, and not long after Cambyfes
invaded Egypt, where that Prince commit
ted fuch horrid outrages among the priefts
and inhabitants in general, that they dif
perfed themfelves into' all quarters of the
world, when fome of them, it is imagined,
arrived in Britain.
The heads, of oxen, deer, and various
animals, with wood-affies, and other appa
rent relics of facrifices, have been dug up
in and about thefe ruins. Around them is
alfo a great number of barrows, or monu
mental

IIO LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER
mental heaps of earth thrown up in the
form of a bell, and each enclofed with a
trench, from a hundred arid five, to a hun
dred and feventy feet in diameter. The
barrows extend to a confiderable diftance,
but are all fo placed, as to be feen
from the fuppofed temple. In fuch bar
rows as have been opened, fkeletons, or
the remains of burnt bones have been
found. In one of them was an urn, con
taining affies, fome bones, and other fub
ftances, which the funeral pile had not con
fumed. Upon the whole, the moft probable con
jefture is, that Stone-henge has been a
temple In fome remote period ; and anti
quaries muft ever regret, that a table of
tin, with an Infcription, which was difco-
covered here- in the reign of Henry VIII.
and might probably have confirmed this
opinion, ffiould not be preferved. But as
the charafters were not underftood by fuch
as were confulted upon the occafion, the
plate was deftroyed, or at leaft thrown by
and loft.
Monuments of the fame kind are to be
met with in many parts of England, as
/Well

LET. XI.] ENGLAND. 1 I I
well as in Scotland and the Ifles ; parti
cularly in Anglefey, which appears to have
been the laft afylum of Druidical fuperfti-
tion in the weft.
, Of the Roman antiquities in England,
the moft confpicuous are the veftiges of
roads, many of which ferve as foundations
to our prefent highways. The remains of
Roman camps are difcernible in various
parts of the country. There is one in par
ticular, very little defaced, near Dorchef-
ter, where likewife is a Roman amphithe
atre ; but the moft amazing monument
ofthe Roman power in England, is the
Wall of Severus, commonly called thePift's
Wall. It begins at Tinmouth, on the eaf
tern coaft, and running weft ward through
Northumberland and Cumberland, termi
nates in the Soleway Frith, a courfe of about
eighty miles in length. At firft, this prae-
tenture confifted only offtakes and turf,
with a ditch ; but Severus built it with
ftone fdrts, and turrets at proper dlftariceS ;
fo that intelligence could be fpeedily com
municated along the whole of its e'xtent.
It was attended from one end to the other
by a deep ditch, or vallum, on the north fide.

1 1 2 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER;.
fide, and on the fouth, a military highway.
In fome places, the wall, the vallum, and
the road, .are plainly difcernihle ; and the
latter has been employed as a founda
tion for a modern work of the fame kind.
Other Roman antiquities In England con
fift chiefly of altars, urns, and monumental
infcriptions ; and many private cabinets,
as well as public repofitories, contain a vaft
number of Roman arms, coins., fibulas,
and a variety of domeftic utenfils.
The Saxon antiquities in this country are-
m.oftly thofe. of ecclefiaftical. edifices, and
places of ftrength. At "Winchefter is
ffiewn the .celebrated Round Table of King
Arthur, wi,th thenames ofhis knights. The
antiquity of this relic is difputed .by feveral
Writers, but if not of Britifh,, it is undoubt
edly of Saxon origin. The cathedral of
Winchefter was ufed. as,.,the, burying-place
of feveral Saxon kings. JMany monuments
of Saxon antiquity prefent themfelves ail
over the kingdom, though they a,rp qften
not to be diftinguiffied .from thofe ^of Nor
man ereftioii ; and numerous Saxon char
ters, figned by the Jiing and ,his,np.^e|,
.»-.... with

Let. XI.] ENGLAND. 113
with a plain crofs, inftead of their names,
are to be met with in different parts.
The Daniffi ereftions, which are alfp
numerous, are hardly difcernible from the
Saxon. The form of their camps is circu
lar, and they are generally built upon emi
nences, but their forts are fquare.
All England abounds with monuments
built under the reign of princes of Norman
e?ctraftion. •
Wales, the refuge of the ancient Britons,
likewife difplays many anti^qulties. Seve
ral of its caftles are ftupendoufly large ; and
in fome, the remains pf Roman architefture
are plainly difcernible. Some appear to be
partly Britiffi ,and partly Roman. Among
other artificial curiofities, is King Offa's
Dyke, which Is faid to have been a boun
dary between the Saxons and the Welch,
or Britons. Charphilly Caftle in Glamor-
ganffiire, is accounted the largeft in Great
Britain, next to Windfor ; and the re
mains of it ffiew that it has been likewife a
beautiful fabric. One h;^lf of a round tower
has fallen quite down, but the, other over
hangs its bafis more than nine, feet, and is
I . deemed

114 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLElt. - '^ * '¦
deemed as great- a ctiriofity as the leaning
tower of Pila in Italy."" - " ' '
:- Among the natural curiofities in Wales,
t fhall only mention the high rriountain of
Penmanmawr, in Carnarvonffiire. Acrofs
the edge of it the public road is fo remark-;
ably fituated, that it occafions no fmall ter
mor to many travellers. On one hand, the
impending rock feems ready eyery minute
to cruffi them to pieces ; while the vaft
precipice beloW, which harigs over the
feai, is fb hideous, and till very lately, wherl
a wall was raifed on the fide of the road,
full of danger, that^one falfe ftep would
have been produftive of fatal confequence.
I have referved for the conclufion of my
letter an account of One of the greateft an-
ti(|ulfieti in the World, arid which rio wiles
depofited in the Univerfity of Oxford ; I
mean fhe Parian Chronicle, otherwife
called the Arundelian marbles.
The Parian Chroriicle, engraved on a
marble tablet of crinfiderable extent, is fiip-
pofed to haVe been written 264 years be
fore the Chrlll:ian aera/ In itsperfeft ftate,
it -contaIfied''a chronological detail of the
.... D
" ¦ principal

LET. xl] m- ¦ ENGLAND., ¦ t:_t,. H^
principal events of Greece, during *; period
of 1318 years, begitinirtg .with Cecrops, be
fore Chrift. 1582 years^ and ending with
the archonffiip x>f Diognetus. But the
chronicle of the laft ninety years is loft;
fo that the part now remaining end& at the
archonffiip of Diotimus, 354 years before
the birth of Chrift ; - and in this fragmenl^
the infcriptipn is at prefent fo much cor
roded and effaced, that the fenfe can only
be difcovered by very ledrned and induftri-^
ous antiquaries, or, perhaps rhore properly
fpeaking, fupplied by their conjeftUres;
The date pf the Chronicle coincides with
the twenty-firft year of the reign of Pto-t
lemy Phil^delphus in Egypt> the fplendid
age of the Poetarum Pie las ^ and the reign
in which ehrpriologers ufually place the
Seventy Interpreters*
_ .This Chronicle, and mariy other I'eliCs of
antiquity, were purchafed in Afia Minor^
in Greece, or in the iflands of the Archi'-
pelagp, by Mr. William Petty, who in the
year ]f 624 was fent by the Earl of Arundel^
for the purpofe of making fuch eolleftiPns
for him , in the Eaft. They were brpught
into England about the beginning of the
I i yeaf

Il6 * LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
year 1627, and placed iri the gardens be
longing to Arundel-houfe in London. Sbon
after their arrival they excited a general
curiofity, and were viewed by many inqui
fitive and learned: men ; among others, by
Sir Robert Cotton, who went immediately
to Selden, and entreated him to exert his
abilities in explaining the Greek infcrip
tions. Selden readily complied with his
requeft ; but defired the affiftance of their
common friends, Patrick Young, or, as he
ftyled himfelf in Latin, Patricius Junius,
and Richard James.
The next morning, thefe gentlemen met
in Arundel-gardens, and commenced their
operations, by cleaning and examining the
marble, containing the league, which the
cities of, Smyrna and Magnefia entered
into, in favour of Seleucus Callinicus, king
of. Syria. Afterwards, they proceeded to
the Parian Chronicle, and other infcrip
tions. The following year Selden publlffied a
fmall volume in quarto, including twenty-
nine Greek, and ten Latin infcriptions,
copied from the marbles; with a tranfla
tion, and a commentary. ^ In

LET. XI.] ENGLAND. t- - 117
In the turbulent reign of Charles I. and
the fubfequent ufurpation, Arundel-houfe
was often deferted by the illuftrious owners ;
and in their abfence, fome ofthe marbles,
which were depofited in the gardens, were
defaced or broken; and others either ftolen,
or Aifed for the ordinary purpofes of archi
tefture. The upper part of the chronolo
gical marble, cpntalnlng almoft half of the
infcription,. is faid to have been worked up
in repairing a chimney in Arundel-houfe :
but a cppy of it has been luckily preferved
by Selden. In the year 1667, the Hon.
Henry, flo ward, grandfon of the firft col-
leftor, on the application of John Evelyn,
Efq. prefented thefe curious remains of an
tiquity to the Univerfity of Oxford.

LETTER

'l 1 1 LETTERS' 6f 'A TRAVELLiEk,

"Mim^T^^

LETTER XII,

c,

/ROSSING from England the Irifh
. fea, we foon reach the ffipres of that coun
try, which it has becom? ufual with mahy
to .4enominate the Sifter Kingdom. The
climate of Ireland differs little from that of
England, excepting that it is more moift,
and more frequently produftive of rain.
The foil in gejieral is rocky, but in many
parts extremely fertile ; and requires only
a greater attention to agriculture, to im
prove its natural advar^tages. l^he bogs of
Ireland, however, are very extenfive ; that
of Allen extends no lefs thari eighty iriiles,
and is cpmput:ed ^o contain three hundred
thoufand acres. There are others alfo
which occupy la^ge grafts; and bogs of
fmaller extent are fcattered over the whole
kingdpm : but it has been obferved, that
there are in general riot more than are
wanted

LET. XU.] IRELANDt , J r^
wanted for peats and turfs, the common
fuel of the countiy, where wood and coail
are fcarce.
Many theories have been invented to
account for thefe phenomena in the natu
ral hiftory of this country. It is obfervable
that in thefe bogs, various roots of trees,
fome pf them of a great fize, are generally
.found, and ufually at the bottom ; the
common Jrinds being oak, fir, arid yew.
The roots of thefe trees are faft in the
earth. Some of the trees feem to be broken
off, pthei-g^ have the appearance of being
cut ; but more of them bear the marks of
fire. Under fome bogs, of' confiderable
depth, are yet to be feen the furrows of
land once ploughed. The black bog is a
Jfolid weighty mafs, which cuts almoft like
butter, and upon examination, appears to
refemble rotten wood. Under the red bdgs
is always a ftratum, npt quite fo folid as
the former fpecies, but makes as good fuel.
,Bpth kinds of bog. are covered with a
fpongy ¦vegetable mofs, which is thicker
on the_ furface of the black. The fponta
neous growth is moft commonly heath,
with fpme bpg-myrtle, riifhes, and a little
Te^gy

I20 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
fedgy grafs. ' The depth of the bogs is va
rious, many of them having been fathomed
to that of fifty feet, and fome are faid to
be 3^et deeper. '' They differ extremely
frorri the bogs in Englandin the inequality
of the Turface ; the Iriffi being rarely 'le
vel, but rifing into hills.
'•' Ireland rears Vaft numbers of blaek cat
tle and ffieep ; and the prodigious quantities .
of' butter and fait provifions, exported to
all parts of the world, afford the ftrorigeft
proof of the natural fertility of the'^ Iriffi
foil. In forne of the northern parts of the
kingdom, hemp and flax are greatly culti
vated ; from the latter of which- the
country has, for many years, been farrious
fof the linen manufafture. - -
A notion has been induftrioufly propa
gated, that Ireland is entirely exempted
from noxious animals ; but this opinion
feems not to be founded upon any juft ob-
fefvatlon of her naturalhiftory, which ^fo
far as my enquiries have reached, is fimilar
to that of the neighbouring countries?.
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, ¦ ftands
about feven miles from the fea, at the bot
tom of a fpacious bay, .to which it gives
name

LET. XlK] lUEIiAl^D. 121
name, upon the river LIffey, which divides
it almoft int^ " t"Wo 'equal parts. In point
of riiagnitude, and -the • number of inha
bitants, it may "be regarded as the fecond
city "^ in hih Majefty's dominioris. The en-
creafe of it within the laft" thirty years is
incredible. Over the LIffey are tWo hand
fome bridges, lately built, of ftone, in im
itation of that of Weftmlfter ; befides
three others of an inferior kind. There
has likewife been erefted a new exchange,
which is an elegant ftruftmre of white
ftone, richly embelliffied with pilafters of
the Corinthian order, a cupola and other
ornaments. "
The parliament houfe, which was com
pleted about fixty years ago, at the expence
of forty -thou fand pounds, is a fuperb
ftrufture, of the Ionic order. The portico,
in particular, ismuch admired; and the
manner in which the building is lighted,
difcoVers ' great ' ingenuity in architefture.
But one of themoft laudable and public
fpirlted undertakings that diftingulffi the
prefent age, is the building a ftone wall,
about tne breadth of a moderate ftreet, of
a prdpoftioriable' height, and three miles in
length

..tS.% LETTERSlOr^ «IAVELLK1V -: .. .
rlength, :ta confine the channel .lof the bay^
and to ffielter veffels in^ftormy weather. _
. . In fpeaking of the public ¦ buildings -of
;this kingdom, one's attention is excited by
the numerous barracks where thp foldiera
are lodged. This meafure has,, by fome,
been confidered as unfavorable . to. liberty ;
but it contributes equally, tp the eafe and
convenlency of 'the inhabitants, ^ which. are
circumftances effentially iconnefted l with
the enjoyment of pubhc freedom. It muil
Tikewlfc, be admitted, that the refraftory
:dlfpofitibu of the lower claffes of the Iriffi
in many parts, .renders expedient fuch
means as are calculated for the jpeedy fup-
.preffion of any tumults which, may. arife.
The great fource of political calamity in
.Ireland is the ignorance of thC; people, the
bulk of whom are urider the influence of
Romiffi priefts, who inftil into theif: minds
the moft pernicious prejudices, both civil
-and religious. But it is to be hoped that
this evil will abate with the growing prof
perity of the country.
\xi the interior parts of the kingdom „fpriie
. pf the pld uncouth cuftoms ftill prevail, par-
^ipvdarly their funeral howlirigs \ h^it., the
fame

' LET. XIl4'-:-" ¦ lEEL^AJSED. ' HS^
v-feme Temainsi of barbarifm may- be traced
infome countries on the Continent. Their
diforderly meetings on Sunday afternooi;,
with dancing to the bag-pipe, and the
'^b*awlings in which they commonly ter-
.jninate, are offenfive to every ftranger.
My firft vifit to Dublin happened on a
Sunday evening ; and though I had, from
previous information, in fome degree an
ticipated the fcene, I really was ftruck with
equal aftonlffiment and difguft. The ex
tremely tattered, or naked coridition -of the
lower people, the barbarous fiercenefs of
their manner, the jargon, the oaths which
they uttered, the favage tone of their ex
clamations, ^.nd the general inebriety which
feemed to prevail, afforded altogether fuch
"a piftufe of wretchednefs an4 prpfligacy as
I had never before, feen realized in any
Country* The celebrated Pean of St, Pa
trick's hasj you kpow, been charged with
mJfanthropy : whethpr juftly or not I leave
to others- to determiii^e ; but it muft be
pwned, that thefe odious examples of hu
man nature in ^ ftate of barbarifn^, of
which he jvas daily an eye witnefs, afford
'-'^ ftrong apology for prejudices the mdft
unfavorable

124 LETTERS OF AITRAVELLER.
unfavorable to the fpecies. But let. me at
the fame time obferve, that to counter
balance fuch prejudices, he enjoyed the
friendffiip of men who were ornaments of
the age in Which they lived. He might
'tranfport himfelf In-imag'ination toTwick-
'enham, or ; Batterfea,' and partake with
Pope and Bolingbrpke a flow of fentiments
"c'dngenial with his own. ^^ '-".
'- In various parts of Ireland we meet with
'caverns, romaritic profpefts, catarafts, and
Other pleafing and uncommon natural ob-
' jefts. Of artificial rarities, the chief a*e
'the round Pharos, or ftone towers, on dif
ferent parts of the coafts. They are fup
pofed to haVe been erefted by the Danes
and Norwegians in their piratical incurfions,
to ferve them as light-houfes or beacons.
The greateft natural curiofity in Ireland
"is th6 Giant's Caufeway, in the county of
Antrim, about eight miles from Colerain.
-It is compofed of pillars all of angular ffiapes,
from three fides to eight. Each pillar con
fifts of feveral joints or ftones, lying one
upon another, from fix inches to about one
foot in thicknefs. ' The pillars are from
one to two feet in diameter, and»generally confift

LET. XII.] ¦: IRELAND. 12$
Cbrifift of about forty joints. From the
Cliff where it begins,, it extends upwards
ef four hundred feet, till it is loft in the
Sea. 1
The cuffs themfelves exhibit likewife an
extraordinary appearance. From the bot
tom, which is of black ftone, to the height
of about fixty feet, they are divided at equal
diftances by ftripes of a reddiffi ftone, about
four inches iri thicknefs, refembling a ce
ment. Over this lies another ftratum of the
fame black ftone, with a ftratum of the red"
five inches thick. Then follows a ftratum
of the red ftone" twenty feet deep, over
which is a ftraturn of upright pillars. Above
this lies another ftratum of black ftones
twenty feet high ; above this again another
ftratum of upright pillars, rifing in fome
places to the tops of the Cliffs, in others
not fo high ; and in others again above it,
where they are called the Chimnies. The
face of ^ thefe Cliffs extends about three
Engliffi miles.
A difference of opinion has prevailed
with refpeft to this extraordinary pheno
menon, fome imagining it to be really the
work of human art, and others conjefturing with

t±6 LETTERS 6V A T%AVEtLE^* "'^ "' '^ ^
With' greater probability,'th4t it is the effe<5!;
of natural operation. When we confidei'^
every clrcumftance relative to this produC---
tion, fuch as its total inaptitude to any ufe--
ful purpofe, and the analogy which it bears
to other objefts of a fimilar kind, which
have never been regarded as faftitious, we-
cannot hefitate a moment to join in opinion
with thofe who afcribe it entirely to natural
caufes ; and this feems to be fully con
firmed ty the appearance of the Cliffs. ' <->
It reflefts honor on the memory of Queen
Elizabeth, that ffie founded a univerfity at
Dublin, before which time- the advance
ment of learning in Ireland' muft have been'
greatly obftrufted. This feminary confifls-
now of two Iquares, and is named Trinity-*-
College. Three fides of one of the fquarea
•are of brick, and the fourth is a fuperb li
brary ; but being built of bad ftone, it is
unfortunately mouldering away. '»The in
fide is commodious, and embelliffied with
bufts of feveral ancient and modern wor^-
thles. The New Square, three fides . of
which have been built more than thirty-
years by parliamentary bounty, and thenee^
called Parliament- Square, is of hewn flone;;
... •''¦s^' , . having

LET. XIl]t ¦^^ .¦• .- ^ IRELAND. ; r^ ?t%-j: , tl";
having the front of it towards the City of
Dublin ornamented with pilafters, feftoons,
and other' architeftural decorations. ..,^urfn
¦Learning feems to have been cultivated
in Ireland at an early period ; though we
cannot admit the hyperbolical affertion of
One of her hiftoriansj that the Iriffi ap- '
pear to have been, from the moft remote
antiquity, a poliffied people ; and that with
propriety they may be- called the " Fathers
of Letters." We are even told, by the
fame authority, that Egypt received arts
and , letters from Niulus the Phaenician,
who is reprefented as the great anceftor of
the Irifh nation. But this is repugnant
both to analogy arid the moft credible
hiftorical documents. Little doubt can bc
entertained that Ireland was firft peopled
from Great-Britain. • According to the
rrioft general account, St. Patrick, the titu
lar Saint of Ireland, was a Scotfman ; and
no literary monuments have yet been dif-*
covered in. Ireland previous to the intro"
duftion of the Chriftian religion by him in
the fourth century. The evidence, there-*
fore, of all tranfaftions preceding that
period, refb entirely on the credit of Iriffi
; bards-.

128 LETTERS OP A THAVELLES*
bards, upon whofe authority, in matters
"of faft, it would be very abfurd to rely.
In modern times, however, the Iriffi
have undoubtedly diftinguiffied themfelves
in the republic of letters. Archbiffiop
Uffier ftands high in the lift of literary
fame. Dean Swift, whp will ever be re
nowned in the walk of humour and fatire,
was alfo a native of this country ; to which
are likewife to be afcribed the refpeftable
names of Farquhar, Sir Richard Steele,
Biffiop Berkley, Parnel, Sterne, and
Goldfmitbc

LETTER

feET. XIII.] FRANCE, lip

LETTER XIII.

r r ¦¦¦ -' ^

ETljRisriNG to thecdntinent, 1 fhall
take my rdute by France^ as the neareft iri
fituation to England. But,' Good God ! —
how much is it changed fince firft I vifited
that country ! I then beheld it a great and
united nation, warm ih its attachment to
the kingi and fiouriffiing iri the bleffings
of commerce. No more now a kingdom,
it has torii up monarchy by the roots, and
carried to fuch a length its deteftation of
the ancient gpvernrhent^ as to raze even
the niiriuteft memorial of regal power frorri
the annals of the nation. Not content
With the extinftion of the crown, and
even of the life of the foverdlgn, the peo
ple, in the frenzy of revolution^ have pro
ceeded to the iriipietyj unparalleled in mo
dern times, of attempting to abolifti the
¦\v©rffiip> and I know not whether I may
K nst

130 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.^ .
not add, to deny the exiftence of God him
felf! Through what a deluge of blood
have they waded, to eftabllffi a fpecies of
temporary government, neither fuited to
the extent of the ftate, nor to their own
inherent difpofitions J But I am weary of
the profpeft. Let us turn, our attention
from the people, towards the country itfelf,
which forms an extraordinary contraft.
France, from its great extent, compre
hends a variety of climates; but though the
air is more clear and fettled than in England,
it is not, upon the whole, efpeclally in the
interior parts, more falubrious than that of
our own country. In the fouthern pro
vinces, the fummers are fometimes immo
derately hot,, and In the northern, the
winters are more intenfely cold than with
us ; the inhabitants, at the fame time,
being not fo well fupplied with firing,
which In France is chiefly of wood. The
country, however, is happy In an excellent
foil, and the animal and vegetable produc
tions, are found in great plenty.
The country Is watered by the Loire,
ihe Rhone, the Garonne, the Seine, aijd
other confiderable rivers ; thp advantages of

LET. XIII.] PRANCE. 13!
of which, in point of commerce, are won
derfully improved by the artificial rivers
and canals, which form the chief glory of
the reign of Lewis XIV= That of Lan-
guedoc was intended for a cdmmunicatlon
between the Ocean and the Mediterranean,
for the fpeedier paffage of the French fleet,
but though carried dn at an immenfe ex-
pence, for a hundred miles, over hills and
vallies, and even through a mountain in one
place, it has not anfwered that purpofe*
By the canal of Calais, travellers eafily
pafs thence by Water, to St. Omer, Grave-
line, Dunkirk, and other places. The ca
nal of Orleans is another noble work, and
runs a courfe of eighteen leagues, to the
immenfe benefit of the adjacent parts of
the countrys Befides thefe, there are other
canals, which render the inland navigation
of France extremely commodiouSi
The reign of Francis I. was aufpicious
to the literature of the country ; arid many
learned men then diftinguiffied themfelves
by their writings : among whom was the
celebrated Rabelais. But Lewis XJV* may
be confidered as tl^e Auguftus, of France.
The proteftiori he gave to letters^ and the
K 2 penfipns

j_32 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
perifions he beftowed on learned men, hoth
at home and abroajd, which did not how
ever amount to above twelve thoufand
pounds per annum, have gained him more
glory than all the military enterprizeSy
upon which he expended fo inany millidns.
Then arofe among others, the famous tragic
poets, Racine and Cornellle; the formeif
diftinguiffied for fkill in moviiig the paf
fions, and the latter for peculiar elevation'
of fentlment and language. The facetious
Moliere ffione confpieuous in comedy j and
in works of fatire and criticifm Bdileau dif
played claffical abilities. As a hifk>riarf
i)e Thou is entitled to high praife. The
Writings of Pafcal place him ainongft the
moft eminent bcnefaftors to religion y and
the works of the amiable Archbiffiop of
Cambray breathe alike the diftates of mo--
Y'als and the genius of poetry. M"ontef(|uieu,
as a political phllofopher ; may be faid. to be
unequalled. I- fay nothing of D'Argensy
Voltaire, and others whp- have written mif^*
cellaneous produftions. Their works are
comparatively recent and generally known.
It has been remarked that fculpture is
iil general better underftood in Frarice than
1" i^

tET. XIII.] FRANCE. 1 33
in moft countries of Europe. Their trea-
tifcs pn ffiip-building, and engineering
ftand unrivalled in didaftic obfervation;
but happily, in praftice they are both out
done, by our own country.
Few countries, if we except Italy, dif-
piay more valuable remains of antiquity
than France, i^ome of the French anti
quities belong to the time of the Celts, and
confequently, compared to them, thofe of
Rome are modern. At Rheims, and in
other parts, are to be feen triumphal arches;
hut the moft entire is at Orange, erefted
on account of the viftory obtained over th©
Cimbri and Teutones, by Caius Marius and
Luftatius Catulus. After Gaul was re
duced to a Roman province, the Romans
induftrioufly adorned it with magnificent
edifices, both civil and facred; fome of
which are more entire than any to be met
with in Italy itfelf. The ruins of an am
phitheatre are to be found in Chalons, and
likewife at Vienne,
Nifmes however, exhibits the moft
valuable remains of ancient architec
ture of any place in France. The
famous PonI du Garde was raifed in the
^ 3 Aguftaa

^34 LETTERS dF A TfiAVELLER
Auguftan age by the Roman colony pf
Nifmes, td convey a ftream of water "be
tween the two mountains,' for the ufe of
that city, and Is at this day as entire as any
modern building. It cOftfifts of three
bridges, ori tiers of arches one above an
other.'' The height is ^a' hundred and' fe-
venty-four feet, and the -length" extends to
feven huridr-ed and twenty- three. Many
other ruins df antiquity are found at Nif-
rries' ;''but the chief are, the Temple df Di
ana-, the'veftiges of which are ftill -rerrialn-
irig ; "^the Amphitheatre, which is thought
td be the' fineft and moft entire ofthe kind
•of ariyin Europe ; but, above all, the houfe
erefted by the erriperor Adrian, called the
Malfon'- Carree. The architefture and
Sculpture-" -'of -this building are exquifitely
beautiful, and, what is extraordinary, are
very little affefted by the ravages' of time.
At Paris;' in La Rue-de la Harpe,' may be
fee?i the remains' of a pala-cfe, or'thermse,
fuppofed to have been built by Julian,' fur-
named'^the 'Apoftate, about the year -356,
after the- faine models' as-the baths of DIon
elefian. -The remains- of this ancient edi-?
fice donfift of many -arches, and within
them S^ large faloon. It is fabricated of a
kind

Let. xiii.] France. 135
kind of maftic, the compofition of which is
now unknown, intermixed with fmall
fquare pieces of free-ftone and bricks.
At Aries, in Provence, is to be feen an
obellfk of Oriental granite, fifty-two feet
high, and feven feet diameter at the bafe,
but all of one ftone. Roman temples are
frequent in France. The moft remarkable
are in Burgundy and Guienne. The paf
fage cut through the middle of the rock
near Briancon in Dauphiny, is thought to
be a Roman work, if not of greater anti
quity ; and the round buckler of maffy fil
ver, relative to Sclpio, taken out of the
Rhone in 1665, is Imagined to be coeval
with that great general. It Is twenty
inches in diameter, weighs twenty-one
pounds, and contains the celebrated anec-^
dote relative to Sciplo's continence.
It would be endlefs to recount the dif
ferent monuments of antiquity to be found
in France, particularly in the cabinets of
the curious ; and the colleftion muft be
greatly encreafed by the depredations which
the French have lately committed among
the moft celebrated of the portable antiqui
ties at Rome. It is, however, the pride of
conqueft, more than any tafte for the arts, that

136 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEJS.
that' has e-xcited them to this outrage on the
prefcrlptiye rights of that capital ; and
fliould.thofe elegant fpecimens of Roman
genius efcape the peculation of their new
poffeffprs, they will, in addition to their
former purpofe, remain tp future ages,
iT^onuments of the violence and rapine
which aftuated the revolutipnary banditti of
France. It may perhaps be imagined, by the poll-?
tical enthufiaftg of that country, that the
celebrated rarities of ancient Rome will
transfer, like a palladium, to the new re
public, the feat of fovereign empire in the
weft ; pr, if their ambition cannot be gra
tified with fo flattering a diftinftlon, that
they will at leaft attraft to Paris the curious
of pther nations, by the inagnet of Roman
antiquity. In the latter pf thefe notions,
their expeftation indeed may be fulfilled ;
and a democratical conftitution of citizens.
will doubtlefs require fome adventitious !at-
traftiori, to cpmpenfate the luftre of which
the nation has been deprived by the defo-
latlng hand of equality.
Paris, with all its advantages, will not
he^ a cpmparifon with London, in the
more

LET. xiii.] France. * -r-rr ' 137
more effentlal circumftances of public prof
perity and comfort. By thefe I mean a
thriving foreign and domeftic trade, the
cleannefs of the ftreets, the elegance ofthe
houfes, efpecially within, the plenty of wa
ter, and that of a better quality than the
Seine. The Parifians, however; as well as
the natives of France in general, are tem
perate in drinking ; but whether from any
regard to fobriety, as a virtue, or from a
natural propenfity to more fantaftic mod^s
pf diffipation, I ffiall not take upon me to
determine. Happy were it for them, had
they been as little difpofed to intoxication
from the Daemon of civil'rage, as they are
from the exceffes of Bacchus.
Though Paris and Verfailles be no new
objefts to you, I cannot conclude my letter
without giving fome account of them.
Paris is ufually divided into three parts ;
the largeft of which, called the Town,
ftahds on the north fide of the river Seine ;
the City, which is the moft ancient part,
confifts of three fmall iflands in the middle
of the river ; and the other part, or the
Univerfity, is feated on the fouth fide of the
P^eine, having in it feveral Uttle hills. The
whole

138 ILETTERS OF A TRAVELLER-.
whole town is of a circular form, and about
eio-hteen miles in circumference ; but tho',
o
according to this computation it occupies
more ground than London, it is not near
fo populous, the inhabitants of Paris not
amounting to more than feven hundred
thoufand, whereas thofe of the. former are
ftippofed to exceed this number, in the pro-^
portion of almoft a third part.
¦ The houfes of Paris are built of white
hewn ftone, five, fix, or feven ftories high ;
and there are a great many palaces, with
beautifurgardens, which formerly beldnged
to the nobility ; but being ffiut up frorii the
ftreets by high dead walls, they rather in
creafe the bulk, than add to the embelllffi-
ments of the city. The ftreets are gene
rally narrow : till within thefe few years
there was no -where any pavement for foot
paffengers ; and they were illuminated by
lamps fufpended on ropes placed acrofs.
About twelve miles fduth-weft of Paris
ftands Verfailles, fituated on an eminence
in the midft of a fine fporting country, and
encompaffed with' hills. It confifted ori
ginally of a Caftle built by Lewis Xlllth,
as a hunting feat, which was afterwards converted

LET. XIU.] '^*'^'* FRANCil. " "^ J39
converted into a magnificent palace, by
Lewis XIV. who alfo annexed to it a hand
fome town. The avenue leading to the
palace divides the town into two parts ; one
of which is called Old Verfailles, the other
the New Town. On the fide towards Pa
ris this avenue forms^ three vlftos, that iit
the middle being- ftxty feet wide, and the
Others thirty feet each, all planted with elms.
The great court of the palace is four
hundred and eighty feet long, with a large
pavilion at each corner. It is enclofed with
an iron baluftrade and two large buildings
that form the wings on each fide, which
have balconies fupported by columns, and
adorned with fine ftatues. Thefe wings with
the pavilions, ferve for offices, and have
behind them others for the fame purpofe.
From this court is an afcent of three
marble fteps, into a large landing place,
and thence by five more into a little court
paved with black and white marble ; in the
middle of which is a marble fountain and
bafon, with ftatues of copper, gilt. The
front and wings are of brick and free-ftone,
adorned with marble bufts and .brackets ;
^nd before this front is a balcony, fupported by

I40 LETTERS, OF A TRAVELLER,
by eight marble columns of the Doricprder,
with red and white fpots like jafper, and
their bafes and capitals of white marble. In
the two angles of the wings in the front,
are hanging pedeftals, which fupport two
cldfets, encompaffed with gilt iron cafes ;
and underneath are two bafons of white
marble in the form of ffiells, where young
Tritons fpout water. The middle building
has three gilt iron doors in the porch, with
apartments on the right and left.
On quitting the great court, thrpugh an
open porch, we afcend by a ftair-cafe eighty
pne feet long, and thirty broad. From the
porch an entrance leads to two painted
halls. The cielirig of one of them is fup
ported. by eight marble columns ofthe Doric
ordef, with red and white veins. The ca
pitals and bafes are of a greeniffi colour,
and the columns, of which there are four
on each fide, divide the haU into three
parts, On the fides oppofite to each co
lumn, are pilafters that fupport a cornice
under a platform ; and fronting th? win
dows are nicbps with ftatues.
The other hall is fupported by twelve
columns of. the Ipnic order, which have
beliin4

t£T. XIH.] FRANCE. '' 14!
behind them marble pilafters, with red,
black, purple, and yellow veins, their ca
pitals and bafes being of white marble.
From this we enter a third hall of the fame
dimenfions, J:he cieling of which is an oc
tagon, with twelve double pedeftals of fine
marble, on which are placed emblematical
figures of the twelve months, in gilt cop
per. All the parts not hung with tapeftry
are lined with marble.
The royal apartments are extreriiely
magnificent, and richly ornamented with
fculptures and paintings. Their furniture,
even to the bedfteads, baluftrades; and rails,
Confift chiefly of maffy plate.
Such was the palace of Verfailles in the
days of regal fplendor ; but in what con-'
dition it is at prefent, or to what ufe ap
propriated, I know not. It-was faid, fome
time ago, that, owing to the defolated ftate
of the place, the valuable tapeftry wag
greatly injured by rats. The maffy plate^
without doubt, has become the prey of the
rapacious revolutlonifts ; who we may be
affured, have indulged themfelves in efery
democratical outrage, againft a fabriq
which had long been the favorite habitation
of royalty, CHAR

143 LETTERS OF AT&AVELLER^

LETTER Xiv*

QUITTING the ancient limits of
France, we ftep immediately into a coun
try where we find the revolutionary fyfterri
operating with all its concomitant train of
violence and diforder. Here the Emperor
is relinquiffiing his hereditary dominions i
there the Stadtholder is abdicating an efta
bllffied government. On one hand, we
behold ten extenfive provinces, which had
been confirmed to the houfe of Auftria by
a long fucceffion of ages ; on the other, a
whole confederated heptarchy, which has
withftood the affaults of the ocean, by the
ftrength of its dykes ; all giving Way to the
irrefiftlble inundation of French principles
and politics. On the waving of the three-;'
colourd flag, as by the magical wand of
Circe, fee Infatuated provinces dance to the
frantig:

tET. XIV.] NETHERLANDS;. I45
frantic found of Ca., ira ; while with a fa
tality, to which nothing but popular • de*
lufion could be blind, wherever the tree
of liberty is planted, that inftant, flavery
takes place. We thenceforth behold thofe
people nothing more than the mifera
ble vaffals of ufurpation ; bereaved of
their Independence, defpoiled of their pro
perty, and reduced to maintain a ffiadow of
political exiftence, at the mercy of the ci
tizens of France. Thefe are the precious
fruits that enfue from the hug of fraternity!
from the deceitful embraces of men wh6
have laboured to eftabllffi their own power
by a ferles of enormous crimes ; who have
induftrioufly rent afunder the facred bands
of civil fociety, and impioufly trampled on
all laws both divine and human.
The feventeen provinces have obtained
the general name of the Netherlands, , or
Low Countries, from their fituation in ref
peft of Germany. The northern contains
the feven United Provinces, ufually known
by the name of Holland ; and the fouthern,
thofe which were hitherto the Auftrian,
iand French Netherlands. . . . -u. The

144 LETfERS OF A TkAVELLEft*
The fprmer of thefe Countries is only i
narrow flip of low fwampy land, lying be
tween the mpuths of feveral great rivers,
and what the inddftry ofthe inhabitants has
gained from the fea by irieans of dykesj
which have been raifed, and are ftill fup
ported, with incredible labour arid expence.
On account of this fituation, the air df the
United Provinces is foggy and grofs, until
it is purified by the froft in winter ; when
the eaft wind ufually fets. in for four
months, and their harbours are frozen up.
The foil is unfavorable to vegetation,^ butj
by the induftry of the inhabitants in ma
king canals, it is rendered fit fPr pafture,
and in many places eVeri for tillage^ The
whole face of the country, when viewed
from a tPWer Pr fteeple, ( for there is no
natural eminence, ) has the appearance of
a cofttlnued marffi or bog, drained, at cer
tain dIftariPes, by innumerable ditches ; and
many of the canals which in that country
ferve as high roads, are in the fummef
months no better than dffenfive ftagnated
Waters. I
The chief rivers are the Rhine,- the
Maefe, tbe Scheld, and the Veeht. There are

tET. J£IV.] NETHERLANDS.' i4j
are .few good harbours in the United Pro
vinces. The beft are thofe of Rotterdam,
Helvoetfluys, and Fluffilng : for that of
Amfterdam, though one of the largeft and
fafeft'in Europe, has a bar at the entrance
of it, over which large veffels cannot pafs ,
without being lightened. But with all the
natural difadvantages of the Seven United
Provinces, they are perhaps the beft peopled
of any fpot of the fame extent in the
world. Though the inhabitants are in general of
a phlegmatic temperament, Holland has the
honor of producing many men diftinguiffied
for their genius and learning,' At the bead
of thefe. ftand Erafmus and Grotlus ; and
in medicine, the celebrated Boerhaa-^e.^-
Haerlemi difputes with the Germans the
invention of printing ; and the moft elegant
editions of the claffics have come from the
preffes in this country.
• The greateft curiofities iri fhe Unlteci
Provinces, abftrafted from thofe in the mu-
feums, are the prodigious dykes, conftrufted
by the Dutch to guard their country againft
inundation, from which it forniierly fuffered
L much.

146 LETTERS OF A TSAVELtfifi.
much. Some of thefe are ftupendous
moles, and hardly to be equalled.
Amfterdam, the capital of Holland, is
thought to be, next to London, the moft
commercial city in the world. Its corive-
nieney for trade, arid the grandeur of its
public works, are almoft beyond defcription.
It labours, however, under two great difad-*
vantages; namely, thofe of bad air, and
the want of freffi wholefome water, which
obliges the inhabitants to preferve the rain
water in refervoifS.
Rotterdam is next to the preceding iri
refpeft of commerce and wealth ; but con
tains not of inhabitants above a fourth part
of the number. Leyden and Utrecht are
both cities, and celebrated for their univer
fities. The feat of government in Holland,
was formerly at the Hague, which, though
but a village, is diftinguiffied by the mag
nificence and beauty of its buildings, and
during the time of the Stadtholderian con-
fiitution, was regarded as the emporium of
politics. So great is the induftry of the Dutch,
there is fcarcely a manufafture ;which they d©

IeT. xiv.] ¦'*"•'' NETHE^LANlfs. i4;^
dd ndt carry ori, or a ftate in the world to
which their traffic does not extend : I fpeak
of the peri-bd before the commencerhent of
the prefent war. In this they .are favored
by the populoufnefs of their Country, the
cheapnefs of their labour j and above all,'
the water carriage, which, by rtieans df
their carials, gives them advantages beyond
all other nations. It is doubted, however,
whether the riches and luxury of Indivi-
dvials have ndt damped the general Indiiftry
of the inhabitants ; for there is reafon td
think that their cornmerce, navigation, rha-
nufafttireS, arid fiffieries have not been for
feveral years in fo flouiiffiing a ftate as
they were in the beginning of the prefent
century; The fouthern Netherlands are a beautiful
traft of country, as well as remarkable, in
many parts, for the ridhnefs df the foil;
Flanders alone has been reckoned the gra
nary of France, Germany, and forrietiriaes
likewife of bur own country. The fociety
of Jefuits fdriheriy produced the trioft
learned men iri the Auftrian Ldw Coun-^
tries, in which they had inany comfortable /
fettlementSi Their works related chiefly
L2 to

148 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
to theology, and the civil and canon lawj
but among their publications, were likewife
latin poems, and plays. Sfrada is diftin
guiffied for the elegance of his compofitlons,
both as a poet and hiftorian. The Flemiffi
painters and fculptdrs have likewife great
merit, and form a fchool by' themfelves,.
The works of Rubens and Vandyke are ce
lebrated whereyer painting is known.
Some Roman monuments of temples and
other buildings are to be found in thefe
provinces ; but the fcenes moft interefting,
to a Britiffi traveller are thofe where the
valour of our anceftors ffione forth with
unparalleled luftre, in the reign of Queen
Anne. I formerly furveyed thofe memo
rable fields with a degree of enthufiafm ;
but were I again to vifit that country, it is
probable that the fentiments of triumph
would be mixed v/ith refleftlorirS of a dif
ferent nature. I ffiould be filled with re
gret, to behold that all the blood which had
been fpllt, and all tbe wonderful exertion s-
of courage and conduft, which were dif
played, could not perpetuate the obje.ft- of
our glorious eferts even to the end of the
cientury. . We ought not, however, fronv
contingent

LET. XIV.] JsTETHERLATSTDS. 1 49
contingent events, to condemn the policy
which aftuated the Britiffi nation at that
period. Let modern patriots affeft to ri
dicule the balance of power as a chimerical
idea; but thofe who eftimate more juftly
the interefts of nations., will admit that the
aggrandizement of any one power beyond
a degree compatible with the Interefts of
others, muft ever prove highly dangerous
to the general fafety. Since the days of
Charlemagne,* the truth of this propofition
was never more evident than at prefent. ^ —
View France, which was formerly confined
towards the north, within her provinces of
Luxemburg, Hainault, Cambrefis, Artois,
and her diftrift of Flanders, extending her
dominion over the whole of the Nether
lands, and on the eaft, not only to the banks
of the Rhine, but within the empire of
Germany; and fay, whether- fuch an ex
tenfive ufurpation is confiftent with the
general interefts of Europe, or even with
the interefts of any individual power, ma
ritime or not maritime.
The profecution of this fubjeft might
perhaps excite in a real patriot fome unfa
vorable apprehenfions ; but to preclude all
L 3 fuch

I ^p LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
fuch,- let us indulge ourfelves in the animae
ting refieftion, that on the coaft of thi?
fame country of which I am writing, the
Britiffi fleet, under the command of Adr
miral, now Lord, Duncan, obtained, on thp
eleventh of Oftober, 1797, the moft deci-
five and glorious naval viftory, of which
there exiflis an account in the annals of any
i-iation. Haying juft now had occafion, to mention
the fortuitous fucceflion of events in hu
man affairs, I cannot forbear from reciting
to you an anecdote of tlie fame kind, which
the name of Lord Duncan has fuggefted
tp my remembrance. To the medical fkill
of the Uncle of this great Admiral? the
Hon. Charles Fox is indebted for hi?
life. When an Ififant, I believe, of about
two years old, he was attacked wl|:h thp
meafles, and no hopes were entertained of
his recovery. A lady, who vifited in the:
family, told his mpther. Lady Carpline Fox,
-that ffie bad knowri much benefit received
from the advice of Dr. Duncan, and exr
preffed a defire that he ffiould be called.
The propofal was immediately acceded to,
aiid Dr. Duncan was requefted to attend a
confultation

LET. XIV.] NETHERLANDS. 151
confultation of the ordinary phyficians at
an hour which was fixed. Amongft them
was the celebrated Dr. Mead, with two or
three others. They all of them looked
with a jealous eye on their new affociate ;
and having before prefcrlbed, without any
good effeft, every thing which they thought
moft likely to remove the complaint, they
with a fupercilious air defired Dr. Duncan,
if he could think of ariy thing elfe, to men
tion it. He told them, that in his opinion,
there was only one thing neceffary, and he
doubted not but as foon as it was ufed, they
ffiould find the child to be much better. — ¦
On being defired to prefctibe it, he ordered
blood-letting in a proper quantity ; which
being performed, the infant patient quickly
recovered, and his life was protrafted to be
come a celebrated man. This anecdote!
had from Sir William Duncan himfelf.
Much as the power of France muft be
encreafed, by the acquifition of the Auftrian
Netherlands, and the fubjeftion of the
Dutch ; much likewife as the general inde
pendence of Europe has been affefted by
the defertion of our allies, let Great Britain
and Ireland only remain true to themfelves, and

1^2 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
and with the bleffing of God upon our arms,
we ffiall be able to fruftrate all the efforts
of our Implacable enemy againft us. While
the known valour of our country bids de
fiance to their menaces, and the vigilance
of adminiftration continues to guard us
from the danger of improvident fecurity,
we may reafonably hope ftill to preferve
our'national independence, and to compen
fate the preponderancy of power on the
Continent, by afferting the empire of the
ocean. To take my farewel of the Nptherlands ;
were I to pafs the remainder of my life
abroad, there is no fpot I ffiould fooner
chufe for my refidence than fome part of
the fouthern Provinces ; and almoft none
which I ffiould more diflike than any part
of the northern.

LETTER

LET. XV.] GERMANY. ' 1 53

LETTER XV.

I

N performing our next excurfion, we
have to *pafs the Rhine, that noble river
which rifes in the country of the Grifons,
in Switzerland, and running northward,
and towards the weft, difcharges itfelf by
different fchannels Into the German fea.
No bridge, however, conftrufted like that
of Caefar, is neceffary to tranfport us into
the German empire.
This extenfive traft of country is now
divided into nine circles ; three of which
are in the north, three in the middle, and
three in the fouth. In the whole, it com
prehends about three hundred princes, each
of whom is arbitrary with regard to the go
vernment of his own eftates ; but they all
form a great confederacy, governed by po
litical laws, at the head of which is the
Emperor.'

154 LETTER? OF A TRAVELLER.
Emperor. It is doubtlefs the moft extraor
dinary affemblage of independent potentates
ever exhibited to the world ; and it was
only by fuch a confederacy that fo great a
number of princes, differing extremely
from each other In the extent of their ter
ritories, could ever be fo long preferved
from becoming the prey of thofe who were
the moft powerful amongft them. The
fupreme power in Germany is the Diet,
which is compofed of the Emperor, or, in
his abfence, of his commiffary, and of the
three colleges of the empire. ' The firft of
thefe is the Elcftoral College ; the fecond
the College of Princes ; and the third,
that of Imperial Towns. In this colleftlve
body, the power of the Emperor is only
executive ; but even this gives him extra-
prdlnary influence.
Under the race of Charlemagne the em
pire was hereditary, but afterwards became
elefti%'e ; at which time all the princes, no
bility, and deputies of cities enjoyed the
privilege of voting ; but in the twelfth
century, under the reign of Henry V. who
was a weak and wicked prince, the chief
officers pf the empire altered tl:|e mode of
eleftlon

LET. XV.] GERMANY. 1 55
eleftion in their bwn favor. A few years
after, the number of eleftors was reduced
to feven ; fincp which period, two others
jhave been added to that body.
The power of the Emperor is regulated
by the capitulation which he figns at his
eleftion ; and the perfon who in his life
time is chpfen King of the Romans, fuc-
ceeds to the vacancy of the empire without
a new eleftion. T^he Emperor can confer
titles, and enfranchifements upon cities
and towns ; but he can levy no taxes, nor
make war pr peace, without the confent of
the Diet. When that confent is obtained,
every prince mull contribute his quota of
men an,d money, as valued in the matricu
lation roll, though, perhaps, as an indivi
dual, he may efppufe a different fide from
that of the diet. Of this there happened a
curious inftance withiri our own memory.
George II. of Great-Britain, as Eleftor of
JIanover, was obliged to furniffi his quota
againfl the houfe of Auftria, and alfo againft
the King of Pruffia, while he was fighting
for them both.
The Emperor, as the head of fp great a
jDonfederacy, claims a precedency for his
ambaffadors

156 letter! OF A TRAVELLER. '
ambaffadors in all foreign courts. His an
nual income, however, as Emperor, does
not exceed fix thoufand pounds fterling,
and arifes from fome inconfiderable fiefs-In
the Black Foreft. The dignity of the em
pire has for fome centuries been conferred
on the houfe of Auftria, as being the moft
powerful of the Gerrria'n princes ; but of
late years the aggrandizement of the King
of Pruffia feems to prognofticate a rivalffiip
between thofe princes Iri a future period ;
and, what may prove yet more fatal to the
Empire, an Infringement of its ancient
conliitutlon. The fymptoms of the latter
of thefe events are already fo threatening,
that they cannot fail to excite apprehenfi
ons for the future tranquillity ofthe empire.
Some of the German princes have much
larg-er revenues than others ; but it is im-
pofhble to fpeak with any precifion on the
fubjeft. 'i he Auftrian revenues, however,
before the prefent war, "were thought to
amount to feven millions- fterling in Ger
many and Italy ; ' and it is probable, that by
the revolutionary partition, lately con
cluded, they will be confiderably Increafed.
This is fuch a fum as goes far In Germany-. To

Let. XV.] GERMANY. 157
To behold the magnificence of many of the
German courts, a ftranger is-apt to conceive
very high ideas of the incomes of their
princes. ; which is owing to the high value
of money In that country, and confequently
of the low price of provifions and manu
faftures. It is unfortunate for the empire,
that the petty princes affeft the fplendor of
the more powerful In all their domeftic
arrangements ; to fupport which pomp
and parade, many of them opprefs their
fubjefts to an extreme degree. In fome
parts the burghers of Germany enjoy great
privileges. In Franconia, Swabia, and on
the Rhine, the peafants likewife are gene
rally a, free people, or perform only cer
tain fervices to their fuperiors, and pay the
taxes ; but in the marqulfate of Branden-
burgh, Pomerania, Lufatia, Moravia, Bo--
hemia, Auftria, &c. they may juftly be de
nominated flaves, though m different de-*

grees.

The climate of Germany, as in all large
trafts of country, differs greatly, not only
on account of fituation, but according to
the improvements of the foil, which has a
great effeft on the temperature of the air.
The

158 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
The moft mild and fettled weather is found
in the middle of the country, at an equal
diftance from the fea and the Alps. Upori
the whole, there is no great difference be
tween the feafons of Germany and thofe of
Great-Britain. But there are more wood^
and chafes yet ftanding in Germany than iri
moft other countries ; owing to the paffion
which the inhabitants have for hunting the
wild boar. The Herdrilan foreft. Which
iri Caefar's time was nine days journey in
lengthy and fix in breadth, is now cut
down in many places, or parcelled out into
woods, which have all their different
names. Moft ofthe woods confift of plrie,
fir, oak, and beach. There is a vaft num
ber of forefts of lefs note in almoft every
part of the Country ; there being fcarcely a
riobleman or gentlerrian, who has not a
chafe or park adorned with pleafure houfeS',
and well ftocked with game, fuch as roe
bucks, ftags, hares, foxes, and boars.
Tke German wild boar differs in colour
from our coriimon hogs, arid is; four times
as large ; but its fleffi, and the hams made
of it, are by many fireferred to every
Other of the kirid, both for flavour and
grain*

L£T. XV.] GERMANY. *59
grain. The glutton of - Germany is ac
counted the moft voracious of all animals.
It feeds on almoft every thing that has life,
which it can procure ; but its chief prey
is birds, hares, rabbits, goats, and fawns.
On thefe he feeds to fuch an excefs, that
he falls into a kirid of torpid ftate, and not
being able to move, he is killed by the
huntfmen. His colour Is a beautiful brown,
with a faint tinge of red.
The Germans are naturally a frank, ho-
neft, hofpitable people ; but the higher or
ders are ridiculoufly proud of titles, an-
ceftry, and ffiew. Induftry, application^
and perfeverance are the great charafter-
iftics of this people, efpeclally the mecha
nical part of them. They have been
charged with intemperance in eating and
drinking, and perhaps not unjuftly, owing
to the vaft quantity of wine, and provifions
of every kind, which the country produces*
But thofe praftices feem now to be wearing
out. At the greateft tables, though the
guefts drink pretty freely at dinner, yet
after three or four public toafts have been
given, the repaft is commonly finiffied by
coffee. No people, however, have more
feafting

l6o LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEft. --
feafting at marriages, funerals, and on. birth
days. In no country is there to be found a
greater tafte for reading than in Germany.
Printing is encouraged even to excefs.^-
Books are therefore multiplied without
number ; and almoft every man of letters
is an author. There are in Germany thirty-
fix univerfities, of which feventeen are
proteftant, feventeen Roman catholic, < and
two which partake of each religion. Many
of. the Germans have diftinguiffied thern-
felves in various branches of learning ;, but
it was not till. about the year 1730', that
they began to write with elegance in their
own language. It is however, ari unfa-
vourable circumftance for the literature of
this country, that the French language
ffiould be fo faffilonable in the German
courts. Even Frederic the Great, King of
.Pruffia, or.dered the philofbphical tranfac-
tions of his royal fociety at Berlin, froria
the beginning of its inftitution, to be pub
llffied in the French tongue.
With refpeft to the fine arts the Germans
are by no means- deficient. This country
has produced fome good painters, archi-
tefts, fculptors and engravers. They even
pretend

LET. XV.] GERMANY. t6l
pretend td have been the firft inventors of
engraving, etching, and mezzotinto. Print
ing, if firft invented in Holland, was foort
after greatly improved in Germany. The
Germans are generally allowed to have
been the invento^rs of great guns, as alfo of
gunpowder in Europe, about the year 1320.
Germany has likewife produced fome ex
cellent muficlans, at the head of which
ftands the immortal Handel.
The cities in Germany being fo nume
rous, I muft content myfelf with giving a
very ffiort account ofthe principal amongft
them, Berlin is now accounted the capital of
his Pruffian majefty's dominions, and af
fords the moft extraordinary example of
fudden improvement, of any place that I
know. It is fituated on the river Spree ;
and befides a royal palace, has many other
fuperb edifices. .The king's palace, arid
that of Prince Henry, are magnificent
buildings. The opera-houfe is alfo a beau
tiful ftrufture ; and the arfenal, which is
handfomely built in the form of a fquare,
is faid to contain arms fpr two hundred
M thoufand

l6z LETTERS OF -A TRAVELLER.^
thpufand men. The ftreets a-nd^fquares-are-
fpacious, and built in a very regular manner,
Drefden, in the eleftorate of Saxony, is
beautifully fituated on both fides of the Elbe ;
and in the magnificence of its palaces and
public buildings, is unequalled, It is like-
wife the fchool of Germany for -ftatuary,
painting, enamelling, andfcarving ;• not to
mention its mirrors, -.and founderies for
bells and cannon, and its foreign com
merce carried on by means of the Elbe.
The Eleftorate of Saxony Is indeed, by
nature, the richeft covintry in Germany, if
not in Europe.
The city of Leipfic, in upper Saxony,
forty-fix miles diftant from Drefden, ftands
in a pleafant and fertile plain on the Piaffe,
It has long been diftinguiffied for the liberty
of confclence allowed tp perfons of differ
rent fentiments in religion ; but that efta?
-bliffied in the place is the Lutheran, Here
is a Univerfity, which is ftill very confider
able. -The exchange is an elegant building j
and in this city there is an annual fair, dur
ing feveral days, to which great numbers
|efort from all quarteis pf the Germanic

Jl^npv?]-,

tET. Xy."} GERMANY. , 1 63
Hanover, the capital of that eleftorate*
ftands on the river Leins, and is a neat,
thriving, and agreeable city, containing
about twelve hundred houfes, among which
is the elcftoral palace. At the diftance of a
few miles lie the palace and elegant gardens
of Herenhaufen. The whole population
of the eleftorate of Hanover is computed
to amount to about feyen. hundred and
fifty thoufand perfons ; befides which,
there are about fifty thoufand inhabitants
belonging to Bremen and Verden, two dif-
trifts purchafed by the Eleftor, at an early
period of the prefent century. The towns
in thefe dominions are not without trade
and manufaftures ; but the whole of the
Eleftorate has fuffered much by the acceffion
of the houfe of Hanover to the crown of
Great Britain ; notwithftanding a refpefta
ble civil and military eftabliffiment is con
ftantly maintained, out of the revenues of
the country. The fecularized „biffiopric
pf Ofnaburgh,,now held by the Duke of
York, lies feventy-five miles weft of Haiji-
over, between the rivers Wefer and Ems.
The chief city of this territory has been long
famous all over Europe, for the manoifac-
M 2 , tures

1^4 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLJ^R.
tures knpwn by the name of Ofnaburgh^
and likewife. for that ofthe beft Weftphalia
hams. The whole revenvie of the blffiop-
rlc is eftimated at thirty thoufand pounds
per annum. " , -
Breflau, the capital of Silefia, lies on the
river Oder, and is a free city, where all
fefts of Chriftlans and Jewl are tolerated,
but the maglftracy is Lutheran. The ma
nufaftures of Silefia have been greatly im
proved, fince the Country fell under the do
minion of the' houfe of Brandenburg. It
has been faid to yield his Pruffian majefty ^
revenue of near a million fterling ; but this
eftimate is probably exaggerated, as the
houfe of Auftria never drew from it above
the half of that fum ; and I cannot think
that the reyeque is dpubled fince that
period. There are in Gernaany, you know, two
cities of the name of Frankfort : one of
them lies ori the Oder, and is fubjeft to the
king of Pruffia ; but the other ftands on
both fides the river Maine, and is: an Im
perial cify ; I mean by that appellation a
ipvereign ftate, poffeffing a pbnfiderable
territory around it, and governed by its
own

IET. XV.] GERMAN-^i 165
own magiftrates. In the Stadthoufe, or
Guildhall pf this city, the eleftorS affemble
for the choice of ari eniperor, and here i^
prefei'ved the \vritten iriftrument Called the
Golden Bull, which contains the fundamen
tal laws of the empire. It is a fortified
city, of a circular fdrrri^ withdut any fu-
burbs. It is adorned with feveral magnifi
cent buildings, ahd three priricipal fquares ;
butj in general, the ftfeets are narrow, arid
the houfes riloftly built of timber and plafter^
and covered with flate.
Vienna iS the capital df the Circle of
Auftria, and being the refidence of the Em
peror, is regarded a^ the capital df Gerrfia-
ny; It would be eridlefs to enumerate the
many palaces iri this rriagnificerit city, two
of which ate Imperial* Here is alfo an ex
cellent univerfity, arid a ritinaber df rich
converitS. Among thpfe is one fdr the
Scottiffi' nation^ biiilt in horior df their
countryman, St. Colmaui the patfdn df
Auftria ; and orie of the fix gates of this
city is called the Scots' Gate, Iri remem
brance of fome figrill eicpldit performed
there by the troops of that nation. The
inhabitants of Vienna, iricluding the fu-
burbs^

166 LETTERS OF A" TRAVELLED*
bUrbs, which are larger than the city, are
computed at about three hundred ilhoufarid.
In tbe number of fuperb ftruftures Vienna
is doubtlefs remarkable ; yet after all, I
muft abate frdm this general eulogiiirii of its
grandeur. The ftreets, excepting thofe in
the fuburbs, are narrow * and dirty ; the
houfes and furniture of the citizens are
greatly difproportloned to the magnificence
of the palaces, fquares, and other public
buildings ; but above all, the exceffive im
pofts laid by the houfe of Auftria upon every
commodity in its dominions, muft always
keep the manufafturing part of their fub
jefts in a ftate of poverty, as is but too Vi
fible In the -capital itfelf. Of late years,
however, the condition of the Auftrian fub
jefts has been greatly meliorated, and the
beft effefts will foon be found" to arife from
this prudent change of fyftem.
With refpeft to antiquities and curiofi
ties^ there is not a court in Germany but
produces a cabinet of curiofities, artificial
and natural, ancient arid modern. Every
city of any note has likewife Iri it a valua
ble public library. The vaft Gothic palaces,
cathedrals, caftles, and- above all, town-
. ' """ houfes

LET. XV.] GERMANY. l6^
houfes in Germany, are ftriking objefts to
every traveller. They exhibit the fame ap
pearance of rude magnificence as they did
four hundred years ago ; and many of them
have an effeft fuperior even to that of
Greek architefture, Among the artificial
curiofities, I nyjft riot opiit mentioning the
celebrated ton at Heidelburg, which con
tains eight hundred hogffieads^ and is gene
rally full of the beft Rheniffi wine, with
which they neVer fail to regale ftrangers
who are not averfe to the invitation.
Ainong the chief riatural curiofities in
Germany are caves and rocks* Near Black-
enburg, in Hartz Foreft, there is a cave,
of which it is faid that none has ever yet
found the end, though many, we are told,
haVe advanced .into it for twenty mlleSi
But the moft remarkable curiofity of that
kind is near Hammelin, about fifty miles
from Hanover, where, at the mouth of tbe
cave, ftands a monument^ which comme
morates the lofs of a hundred and thirty
children, who were there fwallowed up In
1284. This faft, though ftroiifly attefted^
has been difputed by fome writers. I cannot

l6S LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER* « -
I cannot take my leave of Germany with-*
out expreffing a fervent wiffi, that a confti
tution which has fo long refifted the en-
croachments of foreign powers, and endea
voured to maintain its internal tranquillity,
may continue to preferve among its mem
bers that rriutual union which can alone fe
cure their profperity and independence.
Great Britain and the Proteftant part of Ger^
many are linked together by peculiar con
nexions. We have received from that
country an illuftrious family, which has
fwayed the fceptre with great advantage to
the nation. We have interchanged with
each other princeffes, whofe virtues are an
ornament to royalty ; and I doubt not but
the connexion will be yet more ftrongly ce
mented, by a matrimonial alliance of more
of our amiable princeffes with fuitablc
princes of that empire.

LETTEfl

LET. xvl] PRUSSIA 169

LETTER XVL

. Y prefent letter ffiall be devoted to
the kingdoms adjoining Germany, which
are thofe of Pruffia, , Bohemia, Hungary,
and Poland.
Pruffia, confidered as a kingdom, is dlf
tinft from Germany, which however it re
fembles in all its natural produftions, as
Well as in the manners of the inhabitants-
The Pruflian monarch,, by means ofthe ad
vantageous fituation of his dominions, and
the wife political regulations which have
been introduced, derives a vaft revenue
from this country, which, about a century
and a half ago, was the feat of boors and
barbarifm. It is faid that amber alone
brings him in twenty-fix thoufand dollars
annually. His other revenues arife from
ijis, demefnes, his duties of cuftoms and
tolls,

170 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER*
tolls, with the' fubfidies yearly granted by
the feveral ftates ; all which muft amount
to a very confiderable fum, exclufive of
thofe which arife from the partition of
Poland. Hitherto the kings df Pruffia have all
paid particular attention to the improve
ment of their military force. The army,
even in time of peace, confifts ufually of
a hundred and eighty thoufand of the beft
difciplined troopS in the world ; which is
the means by which that kingdom has
lately attained to fo great confideration on
the Continent. But this large military
force, though it aggrandizes the import
ance of the fovereign, is extremely inju-'
rlous to the interefts of the people. What-'
ever number of fons a peafant may have,
they are all liable to be taken into the fer
vice, except one, who is left to aflift in the
management of the farm. The reft wear
badges frpm their childhood, to mark that
they are deftined to be foldiers^ and obliged
to enter into the fervice whenever they are
called upon. This has oCcafioried fuch a
drain from populatiPn,/arid fo mUch dimi-
rilftjed the exertions of agriculture, that
¦ Frederick

LET. XVI.] BOHEMIA. lyl
Frederick II. endeavoured in fome degree
to fave his own peafantry, by drawing as
many recruits as he could from other coun
tries. Thofe foreign recruits remain con
ftantly with the regiments In which they are
placed ; but the native Pruffians have every
year" -fome months of furlough, during
which they return to the houfes of their
fathers or brothers, and work at the bu
finefs of the farm, or in ariy other way
they pleafe.
The air of Bohemia, which is alfo dlf
tinft' from Germany, is not thought fo
wholefome as that of the latter ; though in
general its foil and produce are pretty much
the fame. This kingdom Contains rich
mines of filver, quick-filver, copper, iron,
lead, fulphur, and feltpetre. Prague, the
capital of Bohemia, is one of the moft mag
nificent cities in Europe, as well as very
extenfive, and famous for its noble bridge
over the Muldaw. It is hoWeVer a place
of little or no trade.
'^ Of the old Bohemian conftitution there
now remains nothing but the form, the
government under the houfe of Auftria be
ing now defpotic. Their ftates are com
pofed,

172 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. ^^ ,^ -
pofed of the clergy, nobility, gentry, an^
reprefentatives of towns. In general the
"people have an averfion towards the Auf
trians ; on which account, of late^ the Auf^
trian princes have been cautldiis of pro
voking them by ill ufage. The revenues
of this country are whatever the fovereign
is pleafed to exaft from the ftates of the
kingdom, when they are annually affem
bled at Prague ; and their amount may be
about half a million fterling. * v'i
The kingdom of Hungary may be divided
into the upper and lower Hungary, td
which may be added Temefwaer, which has
been confidered as dlftinft from Hungary^
becaufe it was formerly governed by an in
dependent king. The air in the fouthern
parts of Hungary is unhealthy, on account
of its numerous lakes, ftagnated waters,
and .marffies ; but the northern parts being
mountainous and barren^ the air is falu
brious. No country in the world can boaft
a richer foil than that plain which extends
three hundred miles from Preflburg to Bel-^
grade, and yields variety of produftions.
Corn is therein fuch plenty, ,that it fells
for one fixth part bf its price in Eng-^. lands

LET. XVI. J HUNGARY. 1 73
land. The Hungarian bath's and mineral
waters are efteemed the mpft fovereign of
anyin Europe ; but their magnificent build
ings, raifed by the Turks when in poffeffioil
of the country, are fuffered to go to decay.
The Hungarian wines, particularly Tokay,
are preferable to thofe of any other country
in Europe.
Jt w^s late before the Northern barba-»
rians drove the Romans out pf Hungary ;
and fome of the defcendants of their legl-^
onary forces may ftill be diftinguiffied in the
inland parts, by their fpeaking of Latin.
In the country of Temefwaer there are
many faraons or gypfies, fuppofed to be the
real defcendants of the ancient Egyptians,
whom they refemble in their features, in
their propenfity to melancholy, and in ma
ny of their manriers and cuftoms. I had
no opportunity of afcertaining the faft by
ocular demonftration, but have been af
fured, thgt the lafcivious dances of Iris, the
worffiip pf pnipns, many famous Egyptian
fuperftitionS, a;nd the Egyptian method of
hatching eggshy means of dung, are ftill in
ufe amongft the ferriale gypfies in Te
mefwaer, One

174 LETTERS OF A. TRAVELLER^
One of the_. moft remarkable natural cu
riofities In Hungary, is a cavern in a moun
tain near Szelitze. The aperture, which
fronts, the ibuth, is eighteen fathoms- high,
and eight broads Its fubterranean paffa,ges
confift entirely of folid rock, ftretching
farther than has, yet been, difcovered. , As
far as it Is praftlcablc to go, the height is
found to be about fifty fathoms, and the
breadth twenty- fix.
The artificial curiofities of this coun
try confift . chiefly of its bridges. The
Bridge of .Eff^cjc, built Over the Danube,
and Drave, is, properly fpeaking, a conti-
¦nikatlon of bridges, five miles in length,
fortified with towers at certain diftances.
A bridge of boats runs over -, the - Danuhe.,
half a mile long, between Buda and Peft ;
and about, twenty Hungarian miles diftant
from, Belgrade, are, the remains of a bridge
.erefted by the Romans,, judged to be" the
moft magnificent of any in the world.
The Hungarian ;governn:ient preferves
the remains, of many checks upon the reo-al
power. They have a Diet or Parliament,
befides the Gefpan Ghafts, refembling our
Juftice§

LET. XVI.] T-— POLAND, I75
Juftices of the peace ; and every royal town
has its fenate.
Both Bohemia, and Hungary have under
gone great changes in their ancient confti-
tutlon ; but no kingdom has been more un
fortunate than that which 1 am now on the
point of entering ; I mean Poland.
Bleffed by nature with a healthful cli
mate, and , a foil remarkable for its ferti
lity ; yet the happinefs of the people has
been perpetually obftrufted by a pernicious
conftitution of government ; nominally re
gal, but in faft an' arlftocracy, and that of
a kind the moft oppreffive. When I fpeak
ofthe common- wealth of Poland, you will
readily conceive that I allude to that form
of government which exifted before the
partition of the country ; for there now re-
pialns np traces of its former ftate, nor in
deed of its exiftence as a dlftinft nation.
The king was then nominally, as I before
obferved, the head of the republic ; and he
was elefted by the npbility and clergy, 011
horfeback, in the plains of Warfaw. One
diffentient voice, pronouticing Feto, was
fufficlent to invalidate the eleftion. When
a minority proved refraftory, the majo- . rity

1 76 LETTERS OF A "TRAVELLER,
rity had no other means of enforfcing the
eleftion, than by'cutting their opponents
in, pieces With their fabres ; but if the mi
nority was fufficiently ftrong, a civil war
enfued. Immediately after the eleftion,
the king figned the faSla conventa of the
kingdom, by which he engaged to intro
duce no foreigners into the army or go
vernment. He was henceforth only prefi-
dent of the fenate, which was compofed
cf the primate, the archbiffiop of Limbufg,
fifteen biffiops and a hundred arid thirty
laymen, confifting of the great officers of
ftate, the Palatines and Caftellaris, who
were the grandees of the kingdom.
' The Diets of Pdland were ordinary and
extraordinary. The former met once in
two,' arid fometimes three years: the latter
was fummoned by the king upon critical
eriiergencies ; but here likewife one diffen'
tient voice rendered all their deliberatioris^
ineffeftual. The king could nominate the
great officers of .ftate, but they were ac
countable only to the fenate ; and he Could
not difplace them when once appointed.
¦ Such are the outlines of this motley cori-
ftitutidn, which changed its fprm with aU
niofl

LfeT. XVI.] POLAND. 177
moft every, hew king, accordirig to the
ftipulatioiis which he Was obliged to figtiat
his acceffion. The tribunitial Feto was
founded Upon Gothic principles, repugnant
to the diftates of civilized and rational ju-
rifdiftion ; and what greatly increafed Its
bad effefts, it was fo, far from being exer-
fcifed from any motive of patriotifm, that it
always originated in the influence of fome
of the neighbouring powers, who were in
terefted to foment anarchy and confufion
in t^e councils of Poland. Nor was this i
matter of any difficulty ; fof many of the
firfb nobility did not fcruple to receive pen-
fions frorri foreign Courts, whofe views and
interefts, confequently, it became their bu
finefs to promote; This ancient common
wealth has at length been dlfrriembercd by
the three great Potentates of Ruffia, Pruf
fia, and Auftria ; and it feems at prefent to
be determined that no veftlge of its former
government ffiall be allowed to exift. But
this tranflation of the territory and jurifdic-
tion of Poland, however arbitrary and vio
lent, can very little affeft the interefts of
fhe bulk of the nation; for they have hitherto
lived in a ftate of fuch fubjeftion and flavery
N to

.178 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
to their mafters, as never was furpaffed
even during the moft barbarous periods of
the feudal ages.
The chief rivers of Poland-are theViftula,
or Weyfel, the Niefter, Nieper, or Borif-
thenes, the Bog, and the Dwina.- Some of
the vegetable produftions of Poland are pe
culiar to itfelf, particularly a kind of manna
(If it can be called a vegetable), which in
May and June the inhabitants fweep into
fieves with the dew, and dreffing it in vari
ous ways, make ufe of it for, food. In Li
thuania, which country was annexed to
Poland, great quantities of yellow amber
are frequently dug up, ih pieces as large as
a man's fift, fuppofed to be the produftion
of a refinous pine.
The forefts of Warfovia contain great
numbers of Uri, or buffaloes, the fleffi of
which the Poles reduce to a powder, and
efteem it an excellent diffi. The fleffi of the
Poliffi elk is likewife much admired by the
natives, and forms a principal part in all
their great entertainments. The body of
this animal refembles the deer, but exceeds
it both in thicknefs and length : the legs
are high, I the feet broad and clpyen, .the
. - - horns

tkt. •!KVR] POLAKb. if(^
horns large, rough and broad, like thofe
of a wild goat. Naturalifts have dbferved,
that upon diffefting an elk, there were
found in its head fome large flies, with its
brains almoft eaten away ; and it is a faft
well attefted, that in the large woods and
forefts of the north, this animal is attacked,
chiefly towards the winter, by a large fort of
flies, which, through its ears, attempt to
take up their winter quarters in its head.
This perfecutlon is thought to affeft the elk
with the falling-ficknefs, by which means
it is taken ; an event which would other*
wife not be eafily accomplifhed.
Among the natural curiofities of Poland,
I ffiall mention an ambiguous fpecies of
animal, which has all the form of huma
nity, but is deftitute of its properties. It
is beyond a doubt, that fuch beings haVe
been found in the woods of that country.
When taken, they generally, it is faid, went
on all fours ; but this circumftance I ffiould
much queftion, confiderlng that the forma
tion of the human knee and feet is ex
tremely unfuitable to fuch motion. It is
further faid, that fome of them have, by
proper management, attained to the ufe of
N 2 fpeech,

iSo LETTERS OF A TKAVELLEE* S
fpeech. Of the hiftory of thefe creature*
"We can only form a conjefture. It is pro
bable that tbe frequent incurfions of the
Tartars, and other barbarous nations into
Poland, have forced the women fometimes
to leave their children expofed in the
woods ; but how thofe miferable objefts
could afterwards fubfift, we can account
for only upon the fuppofition, that they
were nurfed by bears, or other wild beafts.
I once had occafion to fee one of thefe hu
miliating fpeftacles in a village in Germany.
Under the mountains adjoining, to Riow,
in the deferts' of Podolia, are feveral grot
tos, where a great number of human bo
dies are preferved., They are fuppofed to
have lain buried through a long fucceffion
of ages ; but are neither fo hard, nor fa
black as the Egyptian mummies. Among
thena are two princes in their ufual habitsv
It is thought that this preferving cfuality is
owing to the nature of the foil, which is-
dry and fandy.
The falt;mines pf Poland confift of won
derful .caverns,, feveral hundred yards deep,'
at. the bottom of which are many intricate
windings and labyrinths. Out of thefe are
Ul.- , <Sug

LET. xv;;] POLAND. iSl
dug four different kinds of fait ; one ex-'
tremely hard, like cryftal ; another fofter,
l)ut clearer ; a third white, but brittle ;
thefe are all brackiffi, but the fourth is
fomewhat freffier. Thefe four kinds are
dug in different mines, near the city of
Cracow : on one fide of them is a ftream of
fait water, and on the other, one of freffi.
Few antiquities are to be met with in
Poland ^ for old Sarmatia was never per-
feftlv known to the Romans themfelves :
•and in artificial curiofities, it is almoft
equally unproduftive. ^
The capital of Poland, you know, is
Cracow, which ftands on an "extenfive
plain watered by the Viftula. Including
the fuburbs, it occupies a vaft fpace of
ground, but altogether fcarcely contain
fixteen thoufand inhabitants. It is fur
rounded With high btick walls, ftrengthen
ed 'with round and fquare towers in the
ancient ftyle of fortification.
Warfaw, 'which difputes with the pre
ceding the honor of being the metropolis,
lies on the Viftula, and almoft in the cen
tre of- Poland. It is, or rather was, the
royal refidence, and contains many magni- '
N 3 ficent

1^2 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
ficent palaces and other buildings, befides
churches and convents. It is computed to
contain near feventy thoufand inhabitants,
but of thefe great numbers are foreigners.
The ftreets are fpacious, but ill paved, and
the greater part of the houfes, particularly
in the fuburbs, are mean wooden hovels.
The city exhibits a ftrong contraft of wealth
and poverty, as indeed does every part of
the ancient Poliffi republic.
Dantzic is the capital of Poliffi Pruffia,
and is famous for having been formerly at
the head of the Hanfeatic affociations,
commonly called the Hanfe-Towns. It is
fituated on the Viftula, near five miles from
the Baltic, and is a large, beautiful, and
populous city. The houfes are generally
five ftories high ; and many of Its ftreets
are planted with' chefnut-trees. It has a
fine harbour, and enjoys an extenfive com
merce. , This city Is a republic, and claims
an adjacent territory about forty miles round
it, which was formerly under the proteftlon
pf the King and republic of Poland. LETTER

Let. xvir.] Switzerland. 183

LETTER XVII.

F

ROM furveying, in my laft letter, the
relics of feveral kingdoms, which have
changed their ancient conftitution, I now
proceed fouthward to Switzerland, a moun
tainous country, but which, on that ac
count, has long been the facred afyluni of
liberty on the Continent. It is divided
into thirteen cantons, which, though all
confederated together, enjoy not the fame
conftitution. Some are ariftocratical, others
are democratical ; and every canton is ab
folute in its own jurifdiftion. The confe
deracy, confidered as a republic, compre
hends three divifions. The firft are the
Swiffes, properly fo called. The fecond
are the Grifons, or the ftates confederated
with the Swiffes, for their cornmon protec
tion. The third are the Prefeftures, which
though

,184 letters OF A TRAVELLER. ' '
though fubjeft to the other two, by pur,
chafe or otherwife, preferve each its own
particular magiftrates. Every canton forms
within itfelf a little republic ; but wher^
any coi^troverfy arifes that may affeft the
whole confederacy, it is referred to the gcr
neral diet, which fits at Baden, where each
canton having a vote, every queftion is de
cided by the majority.
The Cantons being fo various in extent,
population, and produce, it is difficult to
form any precife eftimate pf their revenues;
Thofe of the Canton pf Bern are faid to
amount annually to three hundred thou-r
fand crowns, and of Zurich to a hvindred
and fifty thoufand ; the pther Cantons
in proportipn to their produce and ma
nufaftures. Whg^tever is faved, after de
fraying the neceffary expences of govern
ment, is laid tip as a common ftock ; and
it has beei^ faid, though I cannot affirm it
uppn indubitable authority, that the Swiffes
are poffeffedof five hundred thoufand pounds
fterling in the Britiffi furids, befides thofe
in other banks.
The internal ftrength ofthe Swifs Can-r
tons, independent of the militia, confifts of
thir-

LET. XVII.] SWITZERLAND. 185
thirteen thoufand four hundred men, levied
according to the population and abilities of
each. The oeconomy and wifdom with
which this force is raifed, and employed,
lare truly admirable ; as are the arrange
ments made by the general diet, for main
taining that body df mllltia, which are
fupplied from foreign ftates and princes,
fo as to benefit the republic, without
any prejudice to its population. Every
burgher, peafant, and fubjeft, is obliged to
exercife himfelf in the ufe of arms, appear
pn ftated days for ffiooting at a mark, fur
niffi himfelf with proper cloathing and ac
coutrements, powder and ball ; and td be
always ready, when called upon, for the
defence of his country. The Swifs engage
in the fervice of foreign princes and ftates,
either irierely as guards, or as marching re
giments. In the latter cafe, the govern
ment permits the enliftlng of volunteers,
though only for fuch ftates as they are in
alliance with, or with whom they have en
tered into a previous agreement on that ar
ticle. But no fubjeft is to be forced into
foreign fervice, or even to be enlifted, with
out the concurrence of the magiftracy. The

it6 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. T« |
The moft confiderable city in this coun
try is Bern, which ftands on the river Aer.
This city and canton is fuppofed to form
almoft a third ofthe Helvetic confederacy,
and can, upon occafion, fit out a hundred
thoufand armed men. In this canton is
Laufanne, fituated on the north fide of the
lake of Geneva, and celebrated for its uni
verfity. Bafil is by fome accounted the ca
pital of Switzerland. It is fituated in a fer
tile and pleafant country, on the banks of
the Rhine, and the confines of Germany.
It contains two hundred and twenty ftreets,
and two market-places. The town-houfe,
which ftands on the river Birfee, is fup
ported by very large pillars, and its great
hall is finely painted by the celebrated Hans
Holbein, who was a native of this. city.
Baden is famous for its antiquity and baths.
In the arfenal of Zurich, which is far lefs
confiderable than Bern, is ffiewn the bow
of the famous William Tell, who proved
the means of delivering Switzerland from
the Auftrian yoke. In the library of the
fame city, there is a manufcript of letters,
Writteu in elegant Latin and German by
¦1 the

lET. XVIl] SWITZERLAND. 187
the uqfortunate Lady Jane Grey, to the
judicious reformer, Bullinger.
The ruins of Csefar's Wall, which ex-'
.tended eighteen miles in length, from
Mont Jura to the banks of Lake Leman,
are ftill difcernible ; and nxiny monuments
of antiquity have been difcovered near the
Baths of Baden, which were known to the
Romans in the time of Tacitus,
In paffing over the mountainous parts of
this country, a traveller is ftruck with ad
miration, to obferve rocks that were for
merly barren, now planted with vines, or
abounding with luxuriant pafture ; and to
mark the traces of a plough along the fides
of precipices fo fteep, that a horfe could not
even mount them without much difficulty.
The feet of the mountains, and, fometimes
alfo the fummits, are covered with vine
yards, corn-fields, and pafture-grounds.
Other parts are dreary, confifting almoft en
tirely of barren and inacceffible rocks, fome
of which are continually covered with fnow
and ice ; and the vallies between them ap-
V pear like fo many fmooth frozen lakes. In
fome parts there is a regular gradation from
cxtrerhe wildnefs to high cultivation ;
in

iM LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
in others, the tranfitions are abrupt and
ftriking. In. ffiort, Switzerland abounds
with the moft pifturefque fcenes that can bc
imagined ; and every diftrift in this country
prefents the traveller with fome natural cu
riofity, in the ffiape of wild but beautiful
profpefts. , -
Geneva, though under the proteftlon of
the Helvetic body, is an independent re*
public. This city is fituated upon the afflux
of the Rhine from the fine lake of Geneva,
Jtis well built and fortified, and contains
twenty-four thoufand inhabitants, moft of
whom are Calvinifts. It is celebrated for
the learning of the profeffors of its univer
fity, and the good government of Its col
leges, the puri'ty pf its air, and the polite
nefs of its inhabitants. At Ferriey, a villa
ill the neighbourhood of this city, I had firft
the pleafure of feeing the celebrated Mon
fieur Voltaire, with whom, upon invita^
tion, I pafled almoft a whole week. On
this occafion I muft relate tp you the fol-t
lowing anecdote.
, One day after dinner as we were fpeaking
ofthe beauties of the lake of Geneva, Vol
taire, with that facetious vivacity which dif
tinguiffied

LET. XVII.] sWITZERLA^ffi. iSp
tingulffied him^ defired that I would pro-«
duce four lines of Engliffi poetry in pralfe of
thatfubjeft. He faid he ffiould not confine me
to the attitude of L.-ucil'ius, fans pede inuno,
but that I ffiould have only two minutes for
performing the talk ; and he appointed his
amiable and fprightly niece to be arbltrefs of
the tranfaftion. She was to give the fig-
nal when the period commenced, as well
as to announce its expiration. For this
ptirpofcj taking from her fide an elegant
gold watch, ffie laid it down upon the table..
Her politenefs induced her to protraft the
entrC'tems, for, I believe, about a minute.
She then gave the fignal ; when he plea-
fantly called out to her, comptez a un mo
ment. Before the two minutes were ex
pired, I produced the two following couplets,
of which your candour will judge with the
indulgence due to an extempore.
Freedom's retreat \, O facred lake renown'd,
'Whom Nature's felf -with Alpine fame has crown'd,
"Geneva, ball ! too great for feeble lays,
Voltaire alone can celebrate thy pralfe.
He read it with apparent fatisfaftion,
and taking me by the hand, faid, enve-^

,*

J go LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER
rite, Monfieur, dmervei lies I Then adding,
that it was too good not be tranflated into
French, for the pleafure of the company,
he fet about writing with a pencil the fol
lowing verfion ; in which I need not tell
you, he ingenioufly fuppreffed the compli-*
ment I had paid him.
" O Lac facre, Geneve ! de la liberte la borne,
" Que la nature meme des plus grands honneurg
" orne,
'' Ce n'eft pas a moi a chanter ta louange j
" II faudroit pour cela la trompette d'un archange,''^
The whole, I think, and particularly
the laft line, is highly charafterlftic of his
manner. > ,
' Nothing can be more delightful to a tra-
veller than the fummer months in Switzer
land ; and the beauties of the country are
heightened by the agreeable charafter of the
inhabitants, who are diftinguiffied by a na
tive fimplicity of manners, and an open uii-
affefted franknefs. Even the common
people are far more Intelligent than the
fame rank of men In moft other countries ;
and, bpfides an air of general content and
fatisfaftion, they difcover in their houfes, their

LET. XVIL] SWITZERLAND, I9S
their perfons, and their drefs, a cleanlinels
not to be found in- the neighbouring na-
tions, which are under a defpotic goverft-
ment. On the whole, I cannot but ap
prove the tafte of thofe who refort to this
favoured country for the enjoyment of pure
air, delightful fcenes, cheapnefs of living,
and the rational pleafures of fociety. On
all thefe accounts, my friend Mr. Gibbon
had a great attachment to Switzerland,
P. S. Before clofing this letter, I have
fhe mortificatiori to learn, that the Swifs
have fubmitted to the imperious diftates of
the French. Their behaviour on this oc
cafion Is far from correfponding to their
former valout and magnanimity ; but their
union and firmnefs were previoufly weak
ened by the emiffaries and principles of that
infatuated people ; and now the riches of
the country, whatever they are, will be
come the fpoil of the invaders.

LETTER

i(^i Letters OF A TfiAvELLERd

LETTER XVilL

I

NSTEAD of croffing the Alps at pre^
fent, I ffiall direft my courfe towards the
Pyrenees, and pais from a land where li
berty reigned triumphant, to the gloomy
regions of a defpotifm, equal. If not
greater in feverity, to any that ever exift
ed. You will anticipate, from my circum-*
locution, that I mean the kingdom of Spain*
With' hovV ftriking a contraft does thl3
tranfitlon prefent rrie I In Switzerland^^
the ¦inhabitants, have fur mounted, by Induf
try, every obftruftlon which foil, fituatidn,
and climate, had thrown in their -way;
while In Spain, a fatal indolence has ren
dered ineffeftual all the local advantages of
the country. The former have refcvied
from barrerinefs the very rocks, and the
fummits of mountains ; the latter, abandons ta

LET. XVIII.] SPAIN. 193
to fterlllty large trafts of plains,"^which are
capable of high cultivation. Such, how
ever, is the natural fertility of Spain, in ma
ny places, that it produces, almoft fponta-
neoufly, the richeft and moft delicious
fruits that are to be found in France and
Italy ; fuch as oranges, lemons, prunes,
citrons, almonds, ralfins, and figs : at the
fame time that their wines, particularly fack
and ffierry, are in high requeft among
other nations. Even fugar-canes thrive
in this country ; and it yields faffron, ho
ney, and filk. In great abundance. No
country produces a greater variety of
aromatic herbs, which renders the tafte of
their kids and ffieep exquifitely delicious.
Some of the mountains of Spain are cloathed
with rich trees, fruits, and herbage, to the
tops ; and Seville oranges noted all over the
world. In ffiort, few countries, as I have
already intimated, are more indebted to
nature than Spain, and lefs to induftry.
This country however, is much Infeft
ed with locufts. They have fometimes
appeared in the air in fuch numbers as to
darken the fky. Their fenfe of fmelling,
it is faid, is fo delicate, that they can difco-
0 ver

194 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
ver a corn-field, or a garden, at a confider
able diftance ; and which they will ravage
almoft in an inftant. Some travellers are
of opinion, that the Spaniards, by timely at-.
tention, might deftroy the eggs of thofe
pernicious Infefts, and thereby totally ex
tirpate them.
The chief mountains in Spain are the Py
renees, which extend two hundred miles
in length, from the Bay of Bifcay to the
Mediterranean. Over thefe mountains
there are only five narrow paffages to
France ; one of which, in particular,
namely that which feparates Roufillon from
Catalonia, has been greatly improved.
Here It formerly required the ftrength of
thirty men to fupport, and nearly as many
oxen to drag up a carriage, which four
horfes now do with eafe. The Cantabrlan
mountains are a kind of continuation of the
Pyrenees, and reach to the Atlantic Ocean,
fouth of Cape Finifterre,. No Briton
is unacquainted with Mount Calpe, now
called the Hill of Gibraltar, and in an
cient times, one ofthe pillars of Hercules.
But among the mountains of Spain,
Montferrat is one df the mofl remarkable in

LET. XVIII.] SPAIN. 195
in the -world for fituation, compofition,
and ffiape. It ftands in a vaft plain, abovit
thirty miles from Barcelona, and nearly in
the ceritre of the principality of Catalonia.
It is called by the inhabitants of the diftrift
Monte Serrado, which fignifies a cut or
fawed mountain, and it Is fo called from its
extraordinary and fingular form. For it is
fo broken and fubdivlded, and fo crowned
with an infinite number of cones, that
viewed at a diftance, it has the appearance
of being artificial ; but upon a nearer ap
proach, of being evidently the produftion
of nature. Each of the conical fummits
appears then of itfelf a mountain ; and the
whole compofe an enormous mafs, about
fourteen miles in circumference, and com
puted to be in height three thoufand three
hundred feet. It is a fpot fo admirably
adapted for retirement and contemplation,
that it has, for many ages, been inha
bited by monks and hermits, whofe firft
vow is never to forfake it. There is erefted
on the mountain a convent, dedicated to
our Lady of Montferrat, to which pilgrims
f onftantly refort from the fartheft parts of
O 2 Europe,

196 LETTERS OF A TRAVELtER..
Efirope. All the poor who come thither
are fed gratis for three days, and all the fick
received into the hofpital. Sometimes, on
particular feftivals, feven thoufand perfons
arrive In one day ; but people of condition
pay a reafonable price for what they eat.
On different parts of the mountain arc a
number of hermitages, all of which have
their little chapels, ornaments for faying
mafs, water-cifterns, and moft of them
little gardens. The inhabitants of one of
thefe hermitages, which is dedicated to St.
Benato, has the privilege of making an
annual entertainment on a certain day, to
which all the other hermits are invited ;
v/hen they receive the facrament from the
hands of the mountain vicar, and after di
vine fervice dine together. They meet
alfo at this hermitage, on the days of the
faints to whom their feveral hermitages
are dedicated, to fay mafs, and converfe
with each other. At all other times they
live in a very reclufe manner, perform va
rious penances, and adhere to very rigid
rules of abftinence, nor do they ever eat
fleffi. They are not permitted to keep
within their walls either dog, cat, bird, or
any

Let. XVIII.] SPAIN. 197
any living creature, left their attention
ffiould be drawn from heavenly to earthly
affeftions. I made enquiry with refpeft to the lon
gevity of thofe monaftic Inhabitants of
Montferrat ; and I was told that moft of
them live to a great age. This, doubtlefs,
is owing not only to their habitual tempe
rance, but to the purity of -the air, which
in this fituation cannot but be highly fa
lubrious. The rivers of Spain are the Duero, the
Tayo, or Tagus, the Guadiana, Guadal-
qulver, the Ebro, and the TInto. The
laft of thefe is fo named from giving a tinge
to its waters, which are as yellow as a to
paz, hardening the fand, and petrifying it
in a furprizing manner. If aftone happens
to fall in, and refts upon another, they be
come in a year's time perfeftly united.
This river withers all the plants on its
banks, as well as the roots of trees, which
it dies of the fame colour as its waters. No
fiffi live in its ftream. It kills wprms in
cattle when given them to drink ; but In
general, no animals will drink out of this
river, exceptipg goats, the fleffi of which,
neverthelefs,

I9S tETTERS 6F A TRAVELLER.
neverthelefs, has an excellent flavour.
Thefe fingular properties continue till
other rivulets run into it, and alter its
nature. Spain abounds both in metals and mine
rals. The Spaniffi iron, next to that of
Damafcus, furniffies the b^ arms in the
world, and in former times brought in a vaft
revenue to the crown. Even to this day,
Spanifli gun-barrels, and fwords of To
ledo, are highly valued. In ancient times,
Spain was celebrated for gold and filver
mines. The latter was in fuch plenty,
that Strabo informs us, that when the Car
thaginians took poffeffion of Spain, their
domeftic and agricultural utenfils ¦U'^ere
of this metal. Thofe mines have now dif
appeared ; but whether by their -being ex-
haufted, or through the indolence ofthe in
habitants in not working them is uncertain.
The Spaniffi horfes, efpecially thofe of
Andalufia, are thought to be the handfomeft
of any in Europe, and at the fame time
very fwift. The country likewife fur
niffies mules and black cattle ; and is fa
mous for the. ferocity of its wild bulls.
Wolves are the chief beafts of prey that
' pefter

Let. XVIII.] SPAIN, 199
pefter Spain, which Is well ftored with all
the game and wild fowl ufual In other
countries. Sheep are In fuch plenty in
Spain, efpecially In the northern parts, that
according to fome late information, the
number of fliepherds amount to forty thou
fand. Hiftory affures us, that in the time of Ju
lius C^far, there were in Spain no lefs than
fifty millions of fouls. Before the difco
very of America, in 1492, the number
was computed at twenty gnllllons. This
difcovery however drained the kingdom of
almoft half Its inhabitants ; to which na
tional lofs was added the expulfion of a
million of Moors, about the fame period,
with another million in 16 10 and 161 2.
At prefent, it is computed, that the num
ber of perfons who are of age to receive
the facraments, is about fix millions and a
half. But in this computation there are
included fixty-feven thoufand monks, and
half that number of nuns, who are a ufelefs
burden upon the ftate. Including children,"^
it is probable, that the whole inhabitants of
the kingdom do not amount by feveral mil
lions, to the number at which they were
rated

200 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
rated in the beginning of the laft century f
an evident proof' of the declining ftate of
this once powerful monarchy.
The Spaniards are remarkable for enter
taining ideas of felf- importance beyond that
of any other nation ; but this pride, how
ever ridiculous, is not without its good ef
fefts. It infpires them fo much with fen
timents of honour, that a Spaniffi noble
man, gentleman, or even trader, is feldom
guilty of a mean aftloii. But the common
people who live on the coafts, partake of
all the bad qualities that are to be found in
Other nations ; of which, indeed, they are,
for the moft part, a motley affemblage.
After all that has, been faid ofthe Spa
niffi ladles, their beauty reigns chiefly in
their novels and romances, which are filled
with extravagance ori this fubjeft. The
country doubtlefs produces fOrne as fine wo
men as any in the world ; but beauty by np
means forms their general charafter. In
their perfons they are commonly tall and
flender ; but they are faid to employ much
art in fupplying the defefts of nature. Their
indlfcriminate ufe of paint, not only upon
their faces, but their necks, arms, and
hands,

LET. XVIII.] SPAIN. 20 1
hands, undoubtedly injures their com
plexion, and ffirlvels the fkin. It is, how
ever, generally admitted, that they have a
great deal of wit and vivacity. The Spa
niards, among their many good qualities,
are remarli^able for fobriety in eating and
drinking. They frequently breakfaft, as
well as fup, in bed. Their breakfaft is
¦ufually chocolate, tea or coffee being fel
dom drank. Both fexes ufually fleep after
dinner, and take the air in the cool of the
evenings. Dancing is fo much their favo
rite entertainment, that it is no uncom
mon thing to fee a grandmother, mother,
and daughter, all in the fame country
dance. I did not fee the Fandango, which Is
faid to refemble a dance at Otaheite, as de
fcribed by the voyagers ; but it prevails oidy
among the lower kind of people.
The ufual time for their vifits, as in
Other hot countries, is the evening. At this
time the men meet abroad In public places
of refort, and the ladies vifit each other at
their houfes', where the floors of the apart
ments are covered with rich carpets, and
pufhions of filk or velvet ; they yet retain ing

2t03 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
ing the cuftom of the Moors of fitting on
the floor. They never addrefs one another
hy any diglngulffilng title, as, your hlgh-
nefs, your grace, &c. but fhe title of donna
is given to ladles of every rank. Thofe of
diftinftlon, however, pay their vifits in
great ftate. They are carried in a. chair
by four men, of whom the two foremoft
are uncovered. Two others attend as a
guard, and a feventh carries a lantern, A
coach drawn by mules immediately follows,
containing her women, and another the
upper male domeftics, feveral menial fer
vants walking after. The whole procef
fion is very flow, conformable to the
gravity of the people. Few coaches, ex
cept the king's, are drawn by horfes,
though hardly any country affords a .finer
breed for the purpofe.
Every town in Spain has a large fquare
for the purpofe of exhibiting bull-fights.
As I believe you have never feen any of
thofe fpeftacles, I prefent you with an ac
count of one which occurred to my obfer
vation In paffing through Spain.
On the fpot where any of thofe are ex
hibited, fcaffolds are previoufly erefted for
the

LET. XVIII.] Spain. 203
the fpeftators, and the beafts are ffiut up in
ftalls, made as dark as poffible, to render
them the fiercer on the day of battle. Every
thing being ready, the bulls remained to
be driven acrofs the area ff om the ftables in
which they were confined, to a fmaller, be
hind the amphitheatre, where they were
to be kept apart from each other. The firft
ftable was almoft clofe to the amphitheatre,
and a wall of boards fix feet high was put
up on each fide of the way by which the
bulls were to pafs. At a quarter paft four
in the afternoon, ten bulls were let into
the area, in order to be put into the ftables
at the oppofite door ; a man on foot lead
ing before them a tame ox, which had been
bred with the bulls, to decoy them into
thofe receptacles. Three combatants on
horfe-back placed themfelves at fome dif
tance, one on each fide of, and the other
oppofite to the door at which the bull was
to enter. A trumpet was then founded, as
a fignal to let in a bull, and the man who
opened the door got behind it immediately.
During a quarter of an hour preceding
this period, the bulls had been teazed by
pricking them in the back. This is done by

204 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER-,
by perfons placed on the cieling of the fta
bles, which was low, and conftrufted in
fuch a manner as to afford convenience for
the operation. The bulls were diftinguiffi
ed by a fmall knot of ribband fixed to their
ffioulders. The bull made direftly at the firft horfe-
man, -who received it on the point of his
fjpear, held In the middle tight to his fide,
and paffing under his arm-pit. This wea
pon making a wide gaffi in the bull's ffioul-
der, occafioned it to draw back, the blood
in the mean time ruffiing out in a torrent.
The force with which the bull attacked the
man was fo great, that the ffiock had nearly
overfet both hirii and his horfe.
A freffi bull now entered the amphithe
atre, where it ftared about, frighted by the
clapping and hallooing of the multitude.
It then ran fucceflively againft the two
other combatants on horfeback, and from
each received a deep wound. A fignal was
now given with the trumpet for the horfe
men to retire ; and the men on foot began
their attack, who ftruck barbed darts into
every part of the animal's body. The
trurnpet again founding, the matador ap-
vn: pearedj

LET. XVlin.] SPAIN. ^©5
peared, carrying in his left harid a cloak
extended on a ffiort ftick, and In his right
a two-edged fword, the blade of which was
flat, four inches broad, and a yard long-
At the moment when the bull ran furioufly
at him, he plunged his fword into its neck,
behind the horns, by which it Inftantly fell
down dead. If the matador miffes his aim,
and cannot defend himfelf with the cloak,
he is almoft fure to lofe his life, as the
exafperated animal exerts its remaining
ftrength with almoft incredible fury. The
dead bull was immediately dragged out of
the area by three horfes on a full gallop,
whofe traces were faftened to its horns.
Another bull was then let in, more furi
ous than the former. The horfeman miffed
his aim, and the bull thruft his horns into
the horfe's belly. The latter becoming
ungovernable, the rider was obliged to dif
mount and abandon it to the bull, which
purfued it round the area, till at laft the
horfe fell, and expired. Four other horfes
were fucceffively killed by this bull, which
only received flight wounds, till the laft of
the horfes kicked its jaw to pieces. One of
the horfemen broke his Ipear in the bull's
neck,

jlp6 letters of a traveller^
neck, and the horfe and ridet fell to the
ground, when the latter breaking his leg,
was carried off. The footmen then fet to
work again, and afterwards the matador
put an end to his life.- The third bull killed
two horfes by goring them in the belly.
On this occafion, ten bulls were maffacred,
and the fpeftacle concluded in two hours
and a half. The bulls fleffi was immedi
ately fold to the populace at ten quartos a
pound, which amounts to about three
pence. The Romans were not more delighted
with the combats of the gladiators and wild
beafts, than the Spaniards are with thofe en
tertainments, which are, however, of late
years, become far lefs frequent than for
merly. Another diverfion almoft peculiar to the
people of this nation, is that of ferenading
their miftreffes. It is performed either
with vocal or Inftrumental mufic, the latter
of which Is extremely rude. In this amufe-
ment, however, there is hardly a young fel
low who fpends not the beft part ofthe night,
though perhaps almoft utterly unacquainted with

LET. X"VIlI.] SFAIN, . 207
with the lady to whom the compliment is
paid. Spain has not produced learned men in
proportion to the excellent capacities of Its
natives ; but a few of the Spaniffi writers ,/
are diftinguiffied by extraordinary merit.
The memorable Cervantes, the author of
Don Quixote, does immortal honour to the
country, by his humorous fatire, which had
the happy effeft of exploding the ridiculous
fpirit of knight-errantry, that univterfally
prevailed in that nation. This extraordi
nary man was born at Madrid, In 1549.
He enlifted In a ftation little fuperior to
that of a common foldier, and at laft died
neglefted, after fighting bravely for his
country at the battle of Lepanto, in which
he loft his left hand. He was in prifon for
debt, when he compofed the firft part of
his hiftory,
Quevedo is alfo well known for his Vi-
fions, and fome other produftions of the
humorous and fatlrical kind. He was
contemporary with Cervantes, and equally
excelled In verfe and profe. Poetry appears
to have been cultivated in Spain at an early
period ; I mean, however, pofterlor to the
f time

ao8 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.;
time of the Romans, though under them
there were feveral Latin poets in Spain^
After the Saracens had fettled in this king
dom, they introduced into it their own lan
guage, religion, and literature ; and the
oriental ftyle of poetry then very generally
prevailed. The Spaniards had before this
epoch addifted themfelves much to Roman
literature ; but abandoning that purfuit,
their tafte ran fo much towards oriental
produftions, that they could write Arabic
with remarkable purity, and compofed
verfes in that language with as much flu
ency and elegance as the Arabians them
felves. ' About this time alfo the Spaniffi
Jews made a confiderable figure in litera-
rature ; for the purpofe of promoting
which, they brought over men of learning
from Babylon, where they maintained aca
demies at their own expence. The Spa^
niffi Jews had alfo fiouriffiing fchools at
Seville, Granada, and Toledo; from whence
arofe the numerous Hebrew proverbs, and
modes of fpeech, that have crept into the
Caftillan language, and form a confpicuous
part of its phrafeology. The

LET. Xyilli] Si'AINi 209
The Spaniffi writers alfo boaft of their
Troubadours as far back aS the twelfth dr
' thirteenth centuries ; the Provengal and
Galician dialefts being then very prevalenti
Many other Spaniffi poets, fince that tlme^
Jiave gained confiderable reputation : but
the moft diftinguiffied dramatic poet of this
country was Lopez de Vega, who was con
temporary with our Shakefpeare. His works
difcover an imagination aftoniffiingly fer
tile, but not fufficiently reftrained within
the bounds of probability. He indeed
wrote too much to be correft* His lyric
compofitlons, and fugitive pieces, with his
profe effays, form a colleftion of fifty vo
lumes, befides his dramatic works, which
amount to twenty-fix volumes more ; ex-^
clufive of four hundred fcriptural dramatic
pieces, called in Spain Autos Sacramentales.
His genius, fuch as it was, he exerted
with indefatigable induftry ; and this qua
lity appears predominant in feveral other
Spaniffi writers. Teftltus, a theologift of
that nation, was the moft voluminous that
ever wrote ; but his works have long been
diftinguiffied only by their extraordinary
bulk. Herrera, and Solis, in particular,
P with

2IO LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
with a few other writers, have difplayed
hiftorical abilities : but at prefent, a tafte
for literature of any kind, is far from being
prevalent in Spain. There are, however, in
this country, no lefs than twenty-four uni
verfities, the chief of which is Salamanca,
founded by Alphonfus, king of Leon, in the
year 1200.
Some Spaniards have likewife difHn-
guiffied themfelves in architefture, fculp
ture, and, painting ; of which arts we meet
v.'lth many excellent fpecimens in the cities
and palaces, particularly the Efcurial.
Spain contains feveral antiquities, both of
Roman and Mooriffi origin. Near Sego-
via, a grand aqueduft, erefted by Trajan,
extends over a deep valley between two
hills, and Is fupported by a double row of
a hundred and fifty-two arches. Other
Romaii aquedufts, theatres, and circi, are
to be found at Terrago, and different parts
of Spain. Near the city of Salamanca are
the remains of a Roman way, paved with
large flat ftones ;' it extended to Merida,
and was thence Continued to .Seville. At
Toledo, once the metropolis df Spain, are
tlie remains of an old Romair theatre,
• - ^ which

LET. XVllt.] SPAIN* "211
which is now converted intP a cathedraL
The roof is fupported by three hundred and
fifty pillars of fine marble, in ten rdvvSj
forming eleven aifles, in which are three
hundred and fixty-fix altars, and twenty-
four gates ; every part being richly adorned
with the moft noble and coftly ornamentSi
At Martorel, a town fome miles from Bar
celona, there is a very high bridge, biiilt in
1768, out of the ruins of a decayed one,
which had been erefted by Hannibal, and
exifted 19S5 years. At the north end is a
triumphal arch, or gate-way, faid to have
been raifed by that general. In honour ofhis
father Hamilcar. It is ftill almoft entire,
well proportioned and fimple, without any
kind of ornament, except a rini or two of
hewn ftone. In the neighbourhood of
Murviedro, the ancient Saguntum, are
fome remains of a Roman theatre, an exaft
femicircle, about eighty two yards in dia
meter. Some of the galleries are cut out
of a folid rock.
Among the Mooriffi antiquities in Spain,
the moft diftinguiffied, as well as the moft
entire, is the royal palace of the Alhambra,
M Granada., It was built in 128P, by the
¦ P % fecond

212 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,"
fecond Mooriffi king of Granada ; and in
1492, was taken by the Spaniards. It is
fituated on a hill, which is afcended by a
road, .bordered with hedges of double or
imperial myrtles, and rows of elms. On
this hill, within the walls of the Alhambra
the Emperor, Charles V, began a new pa
lace in 1568, which was never finiffied,
though the ffiell of it remains. It is built
of yellow ftone. The outfide forms a fquare
of a hundred and ninety feet. The infide
confifts of a grand circular court, with a
portico of the Tufcan, and a gallery of the
Doric order, each fupported by thirty-two
columns, made of as many fingle pieces of
marble. The grand entrance Is ornamented
with columns of Jafper, on the pedeftals of
which are the reprefentations of battles, in
inarble baffo relievo. The Alhambra itfelf
Is a mafs of many houfes, and towers walled
round, and built of large ftones of different
dimenfions. Almoft all the apartments
have flucco walls and cielings, fome carved,
fome painted, and others gilt, and covered
with various fentences in the Arabic lan
guage. Within are feveral baths, the .walls
floors, and cielings of which are of white
marble.

Let. XVIII.] spain. 213
marble. The gardens abound with orange
and lemon trees, .pomegranates, and myr
tles. At fhe end of the gardens Is another
palace called Generallph, fituated on a more
elevated ftation than the Alhambra. From
the balconies of this palace Is one of the
fineft profpefts I ever beheld, over the
whole fertile plain of Granada ; bounded
.by the fiiowy mountains. The Moors to
this day regret the lofs of Granada, and ftill
offer up prayers to God for the recovery of
the city. Many other noble monuments,
erefted in the Mooriffi times, remain in
Spain, fome of them in tolerable preferva
tion, and others exhibiting fuperb ruins
Spain Is not remarkable for natural curi
ofities ; but a royal cabinet of natural hif
tory was opened at Madrid, for the ufe of
the public, by the King's order in 1775.
Every thing in this repofitory is ranged with
neatnefs and elegance, but the colleftion of
birds and beafts, at prefent is not large.
The cabinet contains mauy fpecimens of
Mexican and Peruvian vafes and utenfils,
which evince that the arts had made con
fiderable progrefs in thofe countries.

In

2114 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
In blowing up the rock of Gibraltar,
many pieces of bones and teeth have been
found incorporated with the ftone ; fome
of which have been brought to England,
and depofited in the Britifh Mufeum. On
the weft fide of the mountain, is the cave
called St. Michael's, eleven hundred and
ten feet above the horizon. Many pillars
of various fizes, fome of them two feet in
diameter, have been formed in it by the
droppings of water which have petri
fied in falling. The water perpetually
drops from the roof, and forms an infinite
number of ftalaftitaj, of a whitlffi coleur,
compofed of feveral coats or crufts, and
which, as well as the pillars, continually
increafe in bulk,
After furveying *fo much of Spain in my
prefent letter, I ffiall fufpend the farther
account of that kingdom till my next ; and
in the mean time enjoy the hofpitable en
tertainment afforded to a Britiffi traveller on
the pelebrated fpot pf Gibraltar.

LETTER

LET. XIX.] SPAIN. ;.... 215

LETTER XIX,

I

N my progrefs through Spain, I ftopped
feveral weeks In the capital of the king
dom, Madrid, which by means of the im
provements made lately In point of cleanli-
nefs, Is now become a much more com
fortable refidence than formerly, when the
weather Is not too hot. This city is envi
roned, at fome diftance, with very lofty
mountains, the fummits of which are fre
quently covered with fnow, as they were
during a part of my excurfion. It is fur
rounded by a mud wall, and contains about
three hundred thoufand, inhabitants. The
ftreets are. fpacious and handfome, and it
is now well paved and lighted. The houfes
are of brick, and laid out more for ffiew
than convenlency. For one muft generally
pafs through two or three large apartments of

21 6 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
of no ufe, to come at a fmall room* at the
end, where the family fit. The windows,
befides haying a balcony, are grated with
iron bars, particularly the lower range, and
fometimes all the reft ; fo that the houfes
in general look more like prifons, than the
habitations of people at their liberty. Se
parate families commonly inhabit the fame
houfe, as in Paris, and Edinburgh, Fo
reigners are often much diftreffed for lodg
ings at Madrid, as the Spaniards are not
fond of receiving ftrangers into their
houfes, efpeclally when known to be pro
teftants, Provifions here are cheap, but
in the whole city there is neither tavern
nor coffee-houfe, and the only newfpaper is
the Madrid Gazette, the perufal of which
can afford very little entertainment.
The royal palace ftands on an eminence,
on the weft fide of the city. It is a fpacious
and magnificent ftrufture, confifting "of
three courts, and commands a beautiful
profpeft. Each of the fronts Is four hun
dred and feventy feet in length, and a hun
dred high. No palace in Europe is fitted
up more fuperbly. The great audience
chamber is a hundred and twenty feet long, and

Let. XIX.] spain. 217
and hung with crimfon velvet richly em-*
broidered with gold. It is ornamented alfo
with twelve looking glaffes, each ten feet
high, and with twelve tables of the fineft
Spaniffi marble. The other royal palaces
round the capital are defigned for hunting-
feats, or houfes of retirement for the royal
family. The chief of thefe are Buen Re-
tiro, Cafa del Campo, Aranjuez, ^and St.
Ildefonzo. The firft two are not confpi
cuous, and Buen Retiro is now ftripped of
all its beftplftures and furniture. The pa
lace of Aranjuez itfelf is rather an elegant
than a magnificent building, but its gar
dens are extremely delightful. Here Is alfo
a park many leagues round, cut acrofs in
different parts, by alleys of two, three, and
even four miles extent. Each of thefe al
leys is formed by two double rows of elm-
trees on each fide, '¦ which afford a very
agreeable ffiade in the fummer months.
The alleys are wide enough to admit of
four coaches abreaft ; and between each
double row there is a narrow channel,
through which runs a ftream of water. In
the intervening fpaces of the park, there
are thick groves of fmaller trees of various kinds ;

21 8 LETTERS OF A TRAVELiER.
kinds ; and thoufands of deer and wild
boars wander there at large, befides num-
berlefs hares, rabbits, pheafants, partridges,
arid feveral other kinds of birds. The ri
ver Tagus runs through this place, and dii^
vides it into two unequal parts. The pa
lace ftands in the centre of this great park,
and is partly furrounded by the gardens,
which are exceedingly pleafant, and adorn
ed with fountains and ftatues.
The palace of St. Ildefonfo- is built of
brick, plaftered and painted, but no pare
of the architefture is agreeable. It is two
ftories high, and the garden front has thir
ty-one windows, and twelve rooms in a
fuite. The gardens are Mi a flope, on the
top of which is a great refervoir of water,
which fupplies the fountains, and is fur
niffied by the torrents which pour down
the adjacent hills. In the gardens are twen-
ty-feven ,fountains, ;-The bafons are of
white marble, and many of the ftatues are
admirable. But the Ijpaft ofSpainis the Efcurial, one
of the largeft edifices in the world. It is
faid to have been built by Philip II. of Spain,
in confequence of a vow he made to St,
Laurence,

LET. XIX.] SPAIN. 219
Laurence, before the battle of St. Quintin,
which was fought on rhe loth of Auo^uft,
1557. According to the Spaniffi accounts,
fix millions of ducats were, expended upon
its conftruftion. It confifts of feveral courts,
and quadrangles, which altogether are dif
pofed in the ffiape of a gridiron, the inftru
ment of the martyrdom of St. Laurence.
The building is an oblong fquare of fix
hundred and forty feet by five hundred and
eighty. The' height up to the roof is all
round fixty feet, except on the garden fide,
where the ground is more taken away. At
each angle is a fquare tower two hundred
feet high. The number of windows in the
weft front is two hundred, in the eaft three
hundred and fixty-fix. The orders em
ployed are the Doric and Ionic ; but the
outward appearance of this vaft mafs is ex
tremely plain, and far from being gratify
ing to the view. With its towers, fmall
windows, and fteep floping roof, it cer
tainly exhibits an uncouth ftyle of archi
tefture ; notwithftanding which, the domes
and the prodigious extent of its fronts, ren
der it a wonderfully grand objeft. The

226 lEAVTTERS OF A TRELLER.
The church, which ftands in the centre
of this vaft convent, is large, awful, and
richly, but not affeftedly, ornamerited.
The cupola is bold and light. The high
altar Is compofed of rich marbles, agates^
and jafpers, of great rarity, all of them the
produce of Spain. Two magnificent Ca-
tafulquas fill up the fide arcades of this
fanftuary. On one, the emperor Charles
V. his wife, daughter, and two fifters, are
reprefented in bronze, larger than life,
kneeling ; oppofite are the effigies of Philip
II. and his two wives, of the fame mate
rials, and In the fame devout attitude.
Underneath is the burial place of the
royal family, called the Pantheon. This
maufoleum is circular, thirty-fix feet dia
meter, and incrufted with fine marble, in
an elegant tafte. The bodies of the kings
and queens lie in tombs of marble, in
niches, one above another. There are
twenty-fix of thefe urns, but as yet only
thirteen are filled ; the laft two kings, and
all the queens that died without iffue, be
ing burled elfewhere. The plan of thefe
fepulchres is grand, and executed with a
princely magnificence ; but the whole may ap-'

LET. XIX.] SPAIN. 221
appear too light, and two delicately fitted
up for the idea we are apt to form of a re
pofitory of the dead.
The colleftion of piftures difpofed about
various parts of the church, &c. is equal,
if not fuperior, to any gallery In Europe,
except that of Drefden. It was formed
out of the fpoils of Italy, and the wafted
cabinet of Charles' I. of England ; and con
tains fome ofthe moft capital works ofthe
greateft painters that have flourlffied fince
the revival of the art. Amongft thefe is
the celebrated Madonna del Pefca pf Ra
phael, one of the moft valuable piftures in
the world. The perfonages that compofe
the fubjeft are, the Virgin Mary feated,
with her fon in her arms. On her right
the angel Raphael introduces Tobit, who
kneeling prefents the fiffi, which gives
name to the whole. On the other fide
ftands St. Jerome, in the habit of a cardi
nal, kneeling near a lion.
Seville, the Julia of the Romans, is next
to Madrid, the largeft city in Spain, but is
greatly decayed both In riches and popula
tion. The walls appear to be of Mooriffi
<ronftruftion. The fuburb of Triana is re
markable

222 LETTERS OF A tRAVELLER.
markable for its gloomy Gothic caftle,
where. In 1481, the inquifition was firft
eftabllffied in Spain. The cathedral of this
city is a. fine Gothic building, with a cu
rious fteeple or tower, reckoned the greateft
curiofity in Spain ; having at the top a
moveable figure of a woman, called La
Giralda, which turns round with the wind,
and Is referred to in Don Quixote. The
profpeft of the country round this city, be
held from the fteeple juft now mentioned,
is extremely delightful.
Salamanca is a large, ancient, and po
pulous city, built on three hills and two
vallies. There are in it ten gates, and it
contains' twenty-five churches. The river
Tormes runs by this city, and has a bridge
over it of twenty-five arches, built by the
¦Romans, and yet entire.
Barcelona, formerly Barcino, is faid to
have been founded by Hamilcar Barcas.
It is fituated on the Mediterranean, facing
Minorca, and is one of the handfomeft ci
ties in Spain, as well as one of the moft
populous. A fingular cuftom prevails here
t)n the firft of November, the eve of All
"Souls, They run about from houfe to
hdufe

LET. XIX.] SPAIN. 223
houfe to eat chefnuts, believing, that with
every chefnut they fwallow, with proper
faith and unftion, they ffiall deliver a foul
out of purgatory.
The interior cities of Spain, and thofe
on the Mediterranean, are In general plea
fant, but I cannot fay fo much for Cadiz,
the great emporium of Spaniffi commerce.
It ftands on an ifland, feparated from the
continent of Andalufia, by a very narrow
arm of the fea, over which is a fortified
bridge that joins it to the main land. The
entrance into the bay is guarded by two
forts. The houfes are lofty, with flat roofs,
and moft of them have a turret for a view
of the fea ; but the ftreets are narrow, ill
paved, and nafty, and during night ex
tremely infefted with rats.
When fpeaking of Cadiz, I muft inform
you, that all along the coaft of Spain, there
are watch-towers from mile to mile, with
lights and guards during night ; fo that
from Cadiz to Barcelona, and from Bilboa
to Ferrol, the whole kingdom may be foon
alarmed in cafe of an invafion.
The annual revenue pf Spain is eftimated
at from five tp eight millions fterhng. The
king

324 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER." , ^
king has likewife a fifth of all the filver
mines that are worked in South ^ America ;
but It is faid that very little of this property
ever comes into his coffers. The taxes are
of various kinds, and In the payment of
thefe the clergy and the military orders are
exempted. In all the courts of Europe, a folemnity
of behaviour is ufual in the royal prefenee^
and is affefted even by the fovereigns them
felves ; but at Madrid I found it different
from any thing I had formerly ffeen. The
Spaniffi court, in this refpeft, partakes of
the general charafter of the nation. Po-
litenefs is almoft entirely loft in a ftiffnefs
of demeanour ; and in that of the royal fa
mily, there is an air of fupercilious ftate,
by no means favourable to real dignity.
But amidft all this affumed fuperiority, it
is remarkable that this court is diftinguiffied
by the toleration of one privilege, refpeft-
Ino' which the fovereigns in other countries
have been peculiarly referved. J^he Spa
niffi nobility, who are unmixed with the
Mooriffi blood, are denominated Hidalgo^
and are divided into princes, dukes, mar?
ouiffes, and other inferior titles. Such as
are

LET. X'lX.] SPAIN-. 225
arc created griandees, may ftand covered
before the king, and are treated with
princely diftinftions. Befides thefe, certain
other dignitaries, both in church and ftate,
are allowed the enjoyment of the fame in
vidious privilege.
With all the external pomp of royalty,
the Spaniffi monarch muft appear at this
moment in a Very degrading fituation.
Connefted With the royal family of France
by the clofeft ties of confanguinity, he en
tered into a folemn treaty with great Bri
tain and other powers, to take up arms
againft the faftion which had overturned
the government in that country. He had
not long perfe vered in this train, when
changing his meafures, he not only re
nounced his engagement, but even entered
into a confederacy with thofe regicides,
againft his former ally. Tergiverfation is
a bafenefs, not unfrequent with fovereign
powers; but that ofhis Moft Catholic Ma
jefty is, like his apoftolical title, in the fu-
perlatlve degree. He afts in concert with
the French republicans, againft all the unit
ed motives of honor, inclination, and inte
reft. His trcafury, as deftitute of riches, as
Q ? his

2a6 LETTERS OF A, TRAVELLE&--
his councils of wifdom and magnarilrnlty,-
he profecutes a war immediately pernicious
to the commerce ofhis kingdom, and ulti
mately, even if fuccefsful, fatal to the
exiftence of his crown. The eventual efta
bliffiment of the prefent French govern
ment would operate as an incentive to re
volution, in all the provinces of Spain j
and the degraded ftate of that monarchy
would not a little facilitate the change.

LETTER,

LET, X3i*J PORTITGAL. '3^- 227

L E T T E R . XX,

JUITTING a kingdom, declined from
its grandeur through ruinous impolicy, I ftep
nextinto one which has long, if not always,
been inconfiderable frPm its natural weak
nefs ; namely, that of Portugal^ the an
cient Luntania of the Romans. -The laft
objeft we Viewed in Spain, was the mo
narch tottering upon his throne ; and here
we are prefented with a fimilar profpeft of
the viciffitudes of human grandeur, though
from a caufe fuperior to the fagacity or
prevention of mortals; But enough of this
melancholy fubjeft.
The air of Portugal, efpeclally about
LIffion, is foft and genial, but the foil, in
general, is not equally favorable to the pro
duftion of corn with that of Spain. The
fruits, however, are the fame as in the lat-
Qj5 ter,

228 LETTERiS OF .ffTllAVELtE*i<
ter, though not fo highly flavoured, Th6
face of this country is mountainous, or ra-*
ther rockyj for the mountains are generally
barren. The chief rivers are thofe of Spain,
all of which ru lining weft ward, fall into
the Atlantic Ocean. Among thefe the Ta
gus, or Tayo, was anciently celebrated for
its golden fand.
LIffion, the capital of Portugal, is beau
tifully fituated on the north banks of the
Ifagus, in the form of a crefcent. Though
a great part of it was ruined by an earth*
quake in 1755, it ftill contains many mag^
nificent palaces, churches, and public
buildings ; and is defervedly accomated the
g-reateft port in Europe, next to London
and Amfterdam*
Like Rome, it is built on feven hills.
The ftreets are narrow and fteep, very bad
ly paved with ffiarp ftones ; nor are they
lighted at night. The houfes are generaifcy
two ftories high, fometimes three:, without
any other chimney than thatof the kitchen.
The number of houfes at the time ®f the
earthquake above-mentioned, was com
puted at thirty thoufand. The houfes of the
citizens are ill contrived buildings, with
lattice

Let, XX.]- " - POUTUGAL.

229

lattice windows ; but thofe of the nQbllity
arc grand, ftruftures, built of hewn flone.
Bbw have courts before them, but they are
generally furniffied with yards and gardens^
and occupy a great extent of ground. The
town being deftitute of common fewers,
all naftinefs is thrown into the ftreets in
the night-time, as was the cafe till lately at
Madrid, of which city it has however an
advantage, by the ftreets; lying upon a de-
fcenti and being therefore more eafily
cleaned. It is furrounded by an old wall
and towers, and has a caftle on a hi4l,
which commands the place, but could
ma?ke no great defence in cafe of a fiege.-
Befides the cathedral, there are here forty
pariffi churches with as many monafteries
of both fexes, which makp a tolerable ap-
pparance. Among the buildings the royal palace is
the .moft remarkable. As the plan has ne-
ver been completed, the ftrufture is not
very regular ; but lying upon the river,
it commands a fine profpeft ofthe country
on the oppofite fide, as well as pf the port
sKid the ocean, Qi Th#

230 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
The moft magnificent church is thai of
the Dominicans, in which are three chapels,
almoft entirely covered with gold from the
pavement to the roof. In Pne of thofe the
holy facrament ; is continually expofed.
This chapel is illuminated with wax tapers,
and a vaft nvimber of lamps ; and over the
portal are Infcrlbed the names of thofe who
have been burnt by the inquifitipn. The
magnificence of the converit is fuitablc to
that of the church; and near it isjthe
palace ofthe Inquifition, to which the Por-
tu'geufe give the name of Santa Cafa,. or
the Holy Houfe. In the, front there is a
fine fountain, adorned with, marble, ftatues,
throwing out water on every fide.
; .Jn the church dedicated to the Mother of
God,- every Holy Thurfday they ffiew the
handkerchief faid to be ufed by our Saylour
at his crucifixion ; a relic not unfrequent
in many other: poplffi churches.
Another church here is much admired*
founded by the queen of John V. the fides
of which are' lined with ebony, and the.roof
ffipported hy pillars of the fame.
The palace of Alcantara ftands a mile
weft of LIffion. It is a magnificent ftruc-
^ " ture.

' Let. xx»] PORTUGAL, 231
ture, but chiefly admired for its beautiful
gardens, which abound in grottos^ foun
tains, and cafcades, and are planted with
orange and citron trees, and the choiceft
flowers of the climate, , Ih the adjoining
valley is the celebrated aqueduft which joins
two hills. The number of arches in this
part is thirty-five, fourteen of which are
large, and the others fmaller. The largeft
is three hundred and thirty feet in height
and forty-nine in width. Towards the
city there are ten arches of inferior dimen
fions, and many lefs near the fource of the
water which fupplies the aqueduft. The
water thus conveyed Is emptied in a great
refervoir at one of the' extremities of Lif
bon. This aqueduft is built of a kind of
white marble. The pillars which fupport
the arches are fquare, the largeft meafuring
thirty-three feet at each fide of the bafe.
The palace of Bellem is a mean wooden
edifice, but the church and cloifters are
noble buildings. The former of thefe Is
lined from top' to bottom with jafper and
the fineft marbles ; and here are the tombs
of feveral of the kings of Portugal, admi»
rably executed, ,, . v
Near

23ft ~ LETTERS. PF A TRAVELLER.. .? TS'i
Near the mouth of the Tagus, is a pro
montory, or cape, . anciently named Pr^.-
montoriu^. Lunee-, and which the Britifh
mariners diftingulffi by the name of the
Rock of LIft>on, This is a branch of a high
mountain, formerly called the Mountain
of the Moon, and at prefent MoUnt Cintra ;
on the top of which is a fine monaftery,
dedicated to our Lady of the Rock, and a
church, whither people refort in great
numbers, to perform their devotion for
nine days. . Both the church and cloyfter,
with an inn that ftands near them for the
accommodation of the devotees, are hewn
out of the folid rock. This lofty fituation
commands one of the moft beautiful prof
pefts Jn the world. At fhe foot of the,
mountain, on the promontory, are the ru
ins of an ancient temple, dedicated to the
Sun, and Moon,, on one of the pillars of
which, a part of a Latin infcription is ftill
vifible- About twenty-two miles to the fouth
ward, of LIffion, at the bottom of a fine
bay, ftands Setuhal, commonly called St.
Ube's. It is a modern town, built out of
the ruins of the ancient Cetobriga, which ftood

LET, XX,} PORTUGAL. 23J
ftood a little to the weft ward, and had in
it a temple dedicated to Jupiter Ammon,
of which there are yet fome rem.ains. Here
is a great manufafture of white fait, which
is exported to the north countries of Eu-^
rope, and to America. The capital of the
province of Alentajo is Ebora, fituated
about fixty miles fouth-eaft of LIffion, on
a hill encompaffed with mountains. It is
three miles in circumference, furrounded
by an antique wall and towers. This city
is faid to have been built by the Phoeni
cians, who gave It the name of Ebora, in
allufion to the fruitfulnefs of the foil.' Ju-
liua Caefar changed its name to Liberalitas
Julia, as appears from an ancient infcrip
tion. This was a confiderable town in the
time of the Gothic kings. It remained
under the dominion of the Moors till the
year xi66, when king Alphonfo retook it,
with the' other towns ofthe province. The
vallies in this part of the country are
exceeding fruitful, and there are mines of
^Iver in the mountains.
Eftremos ftands near twenty miles north-
eaft of Ebora, on a hill, and is divided into
the Higher and Lower town, the former.
ferving

234 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. '
ferving as a caftle to the latter. The houfes
of the people of condition are built of white
marble, and make an elegant' appearance...
Here is a manufafture of fine red earthen
ware, and without the town is a fountain,
endowed with the quality of petrifying al
moft whatever is thrown into it. , ¦
On a hill, about twenty-four miles to the
eaftward of Eftremos, lies Elvas, near the
frontiers of the Spaniffi- Eftremadura, It is
well-built, is defended by a caftle,. and
ftrongly fortified. Here is a cifternfo large,
that it could hold water enough to fupply
the whole town for fix months. This place
is of great antiquity, and was formerly cal
led., Helvis, from a people of Gaul who
built It. It is at prefent efteemed one of the
ftrongeft fortreffes in the kingdom, and the
neighbouring country affords fome of the
beft wines in Portugal.
In the northern part of Portugal, the
principal town is Braga, This is a very an
cient city, and was known to the Romans
by the name of Bracara Augufta. When
the Suevi came from Germany, and made
a. conqueft , of Galicia and Portugal, this
was the feat of, their governn^ent, and con-.
, : _ 1" tinued

LET. XX.] PORTUGAL. 235
tinned to be the capital of a kingdom under
their fucceffors the Goths. The houfes are
generally old ftone buildings, without
much elegance. Even the cathedral and arch-
blffiop's; palace are more admired for their
antiquity and magnitude, than the beauty
of their architefture. This prelate Is both
fpirltual and temporal lord of the place ;;
on which account he: has a f^^ord as well
afr. a crofs carried before him. He difputes
the primacy with the archbiffiop of Toledo
ip, Spain. j , i
CImbra ftands on an eminence on the
ndrth-fide of the , ; river Mondego. The
bridge of this place is a. fine ftone fabric,
confifting of two.: rows of arches, one above
another, and forms a covered way, through
which people pafs, without being expofed
to the weather.. The- aqueduft which-
brings water to the town is alfo much ad
mired. ^ The cathedral, and other churches
and monafteries, are handfome buildings,
but the private houfes not elegant. The
city is diftinguiffied by one of the tribunals
of Inquifition, and the moft celebrated uni
verfity in Portugal ; in the latter of which
there are fifty profeffors. There

23^ LETTERS , OF AfTRAVELLER.
There is in this country a great number
of other towns, befides thofe above men
tioned ; and amongft them I muft not
omit. Oporto, which contains about thirty
thoufand inhabitants, and is reckoned the
fecond city in the kingdom. The chief ar
ticle of commerce here is wine, of which
our own country is allowed the diftin'ftion
of confuming by far the greater part. Half
the ffiops in this place are thofe of wine-
coopers. In the principal flreet the mer-^
phants affemble daily to tranfaft bufinefs |
and they are protefted fom the fun by awn
ings hung acrofs from thc-houfes on each
fide. Here are feveral Engliffi families,
who; are chiefly concerned in the wine-^
trade. Since the difcovery of the rich mines ini
Brazil, and the fuppreffion of the Jefuits .
and other religious inftitutions, the reve
nues of the crown are computed to be worth
near four millions ; notwithftanding which
the forces of the kingdom are very incon-
fiderabie. The military eftablifhment, tho'
now improving, cQnfift:ed for many years
pnly ef a raw and undlfciplined mili
tia ; and with refpeft to naval force, . the.
< Portu*.

LET. XX»] .PORTUGAL. ^37
Portuguefe are the leaft formidable of all
the maritime powers. Their fecurity againft
the encroachments of Spain, feems to de*
pend chiefly on the matrimonial connexions
of the two crowns ; and on the commercial
alliance which it is always the intereft of
Portugal to maintain with the Britiffi
nation. . About the middle of the fixteenth cen
tury, and for fome time after, the Portu
guefe were more eminent for the knowlege
of aftronomy, geography, and navigation,
than aU other nations put together. But
learning of every kind is now at an ex-*
treme low ebb in Portugal ; owing not to
any defeft of genius, but to the want of
proper education. There are, however^
amongft them a few univerfities, viz. that
of Cimbra, before-mentioned, founded in
J 29 1 ; Evora, about the middle of the fix*
teenth century ; and a pollege at LIffion,
where the young nobility are educated.
The Lufiad of Camoens may be faid fcsl
be the only work of genius ever produced
by a natiVfe of this country. In general,
the fine arcs al-e uncultivated ; and with
J«fpeft to that of paintings in particular, there

238 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.'* " ^
there is not, I believe, in the whole king
dom, a fingle pifture from any of the Ita
lian fchools. '
Antiquities in this country are not nu*
merous ; but the Roman bridge and aque-'
duft are almoft entire, and defervedly ad-^
rhlred. The walls of Saritareen are like-
wife faid to be of Romanereftlon. Some
caftles in the Mooriffi tafte ftill exift
in different parts. The churCh. and mo
naftery near LIffion, where the kings of
Portugal are burled, are extremely magni
ficent ; and feveral monafteries, in other
places are dug out ef the hard rock. The
chapel of St. Roch is allowed to be-one of
the fineft artd richeft in the worlds The
paintings are executed in Mofalc, and fo
curioufly wrought with ftones of different
colours, as to exhibit an appearance equally
delightful and aftoniffiing.
Fi In general, the Portugeufe are neither fo
tall nor fo well, made, as the Spaniards, but
they moftly imitate the habits and cuftofns
pf that people. The ladies I think, drefs
even more magnificently than thofe of
Spain ; and they are taught to exaft from
their fervants an homage, which in other
iroj:: countiries

LET. XX.] PORTUGAL* 239
countries is only paid to royal perfonages.
In compeiifation, however, for this fubmif'-
fion, they never difcharge any perfon who
has been in the fervice of their anceftors ;
on which account, in fome families, the
number of domeftics is very great. In the
houfes of the nobility, the furniture is rich
and fuperb to excefs ; but the poorer fort
have fcarcely any furniture at all ; and iri
imitation of the Moors, they fit always
crofs-legged on the ground. As the Spai-
niards have relaxed in national induftry
fince the difcovery of Ariierica, fo have the
Portuguefe degenerated in all their virtues,
from the time that the hoUfe of Braganza
afcended the throne : for they retain no
trace of that fpirit of enterprife which fd
much diftinguiffied their forefathers in the
fifteenth century. It is fuppofed that their
degeneracy is owing to the weaknefs of
their monarchy, which renders ' them in*
aftive, from an apprehenfion of giving of
fence to their more powerful neighbours.
This fatal inaftivlty proves the fource of
feveral vices ; among which the Portu
guefe are particularly charged with trea
chery, ingratitude, and an intemperate paf-
. - 1 fion,

246 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER*
fion for revenge. By the lower people
thieving is very commonly praftifed ; and
all ranks are accufed of being unfair in
their dealings, efpecially with ftrangers,
Befides ordinary fervants^ the quality re
tain many dwarfs, and they have alfo a train
of flaves, both Turks and Moors, each of
whom is valued at four or five huntdred
Crowns, The mafters formerly had th^
power of life and death over this clafs of
their dependantSj but the government now
reftrains them from the exercife of capital
jurifdiftion, though they continue to infliift
corporal puniffimerit with great feverity.
Thofe flaves, however, are incomparably
the beft fervants in Portugal ; for the other
fervants having the common pride of the
iiatlon, often prove refraftory, and are apt
to be extremely Irripeftinent. Even beg-^
gars afk alms with a tone that favours more
of requifition than intreaty ; alledging, that
they are defeended from primitive chriftlans,
.or the ancieiit Gothic nobility.
The ladies here often ride dn burros^
orjack-affts, with a pack faddkw A fet-
-vant attends with a ffiarp ftix:k, which he
¦ufes inflead of a whip ; arid for retarding the

LET. XX.] |»6RTUGALi 241
the beaft when it goes too quick, the expe
dient is to pull it by the tail. Coaches are
not fo frequent among the Portuguefe as in
Spain, but in place of them the litter or
mule is commonly ufed on a jdurney; and in
many parts, the moft common way of tra
velling is by water.
In Portugal, nobility is riot hereditary.
The chief order of knighthood is called the
Order of Chrift, and was inftituted in 1283.
Though worn by the king himfelf, it is
often proftituted to the meaneft candidates
for royal favour, and is become fo common,
as almoft to preclude the diftinftlon which
it was meant to confer.

R LETTER

242 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,

LETTER XXI,

-L HE boundaries of Italy have been
£xed by nature, but no other country has
fluftuated more -with refpeft to its internal
divifions. Extraordinary changes have
taken place, within the laft two years ; and
even at the moment I am writing to you
they are ftill proceeding. In what a ftate
of fubjeftion is, at prefent, the king of
Sardinia, hitherto denominated the Janus
of Italy, as being its conftant guardian
againft the encroachments of the French I
Where is now the republic of Genoa, for
merly diftinguiffied for -its opulence and
power? And where, the fuperior republic
of Venice, one of the moft celebrated fince
the extinftion of the Roman ? But greater
ftill. In point of fame, Where the Ecclefiaf
tical State, the feat of papal hlerarchV, and
formerly

LET. XXI.] iTAL-if. ii\,^
formerly the capital of the world ? E-ven
thither, we find, the revolutionary princi
ples and violence of the French have pene
trated. They have driven from his throne,
without the fmalleft refiftance, a power,
whofe predeceffors, fome centuries ago,
gave law to the nations of Chiiftendom,
and ffiook eftabllffied kingdoms to their
foundations with the thunder of the Vati
can. Whether thefe great events be really
the accdmpllffiment of fcriptural predic
tions, as is the opinion of fome, I am not
fuch a cafuift as to take upon me to deter
mine ; but they doubtlefs afford ufeful
leffons both to kings and their people* Tp
the former they inculcate moderation in the
exercife of power and authority ; and to
the latter they proclaim the expediency of
the fame virtue, in all attempts to the re
fiftance of eithet. A mob may, in the rage
of violence, overturn an eftabllffied confti
tution ; but the chance is a thoufand to
one, that they never will be a£le to ereft
any adequate fubftitute in its room ; and
when the paroxyfm of revolutionary phren-
zy has ceafed, they will experience fuch a
relaxation in the political fyftem, as no-
R i ^^^%

244 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER-
thing will preferve from the moft fatal ef*
fefts, but a recurrence to arbitrary powers
The country may^ in the mean time, be
deluged with blood, and expofed to all the
horrors of anarchy ; while In the end, pub
lic freedom is found to have been facrificed
to a nominal change in the government.
In taking a view of Italy I ffiall begin in
the moft northern part with the Duchy of
Savoy. This country belongs to its own
Duke, who, fince the commencement of
the prefent century, is better known by
the title of Iting of Sardinia, an ifland ia
the Mediterranean. From its fituation
clofe to the Alps, it is mountainous and
barren, but contains fome pleafant fruitful
vallies, producing corn, wine, and fruits,
and affording pafture to numerous herds of
cattle. In this country are the celebrated Gla
ciers, which are five in number. They
extend almoft to the plain of' the vale of
Chamouny,; and are feparated by wild fo
refts, corn-fi.elds, and rich meadows; fo
that immenfe trafts of ice are blended with
the higheft cultivatiori,and perpetually fuC-
C'eed to each otjier, in the moft fingnlar and

tET. XXI.] ITALY. 245
and ftriking viclffitude. The Glacier of
Furca extends at leaft three miles in
length, and near a mile in breadth ; ftretch^
ing from the feet of huge ffiagged rocks of
great height, and reaching almoft to their
ffimmits. This glacier is the principal
fource from whence the Rhone takes its
rife. That river here foams with amaz
ing rapidity, and falls in a continual cata
raft at the foot of prodigious mountains.
In thefe mountains likewife are the fources
ofthe Aer, which rolls down in an impetu
ous torrent from the neighbouring glaciers.
It is aftoniffiing what a chaos of mountains
. are here heaped upon one another ! In the
vicinity of this fcene is alfo the fource of the
Reichen, which rolls In numerous' cata
rafts down the fteep fides of Mount Shel-
dec, until it forms a junftion with the
Aer. The celebrated fall of the Stoub-
back rolls down perpendicularly from a
height of nine hundred and thirty feet.
One contemplates with aftonlffiment the
great central chain pf the Alps ; rocks
towering above rocks, and mountains rifing
above mountains, not more diftinguifhed
for their ftupendous heights/ than for the
R 3 immenfe

¦246 LETTERS OP A TRAVELLER.
immenfe variety and riidenefs of their
forms. Mount Blanc is particularly dif
tinguiffied, by having its fummits and
fides, to a confiderable depth, covered
with fnow, almoft without the inter
vention of the leaft rock to break the glare
of the white appearance, from whence its
name is derived.
Turin, the capital of Savoy, ftands at the
confluence of the Po and Doria, and I may
fay with juftice, is one of the fineft cities
in Europe. The ftreets and fquares are fpa
cious, the buildings lofty and magnificent,
-and the royal palace in particular, abeautifi|l
ftrufture. The ordinary income of the
king, befides his own demefnes, have been
eftimated at half a million fterling; but his
revenues are now greatly reduced by the
dilapidations of the French. The fate of
this venerable prince, (I mean the fathejr
of the prefent king)., has a diftant refem
blance to that of Priam. He did not, live,
indeed, to, fee theejstlnftlon of almoft all his
offspring, but he had. the pain to behold a
miferable reduftion of his family, and an
almoft total annihilation of his crown.
Jlis anceftor, Viftor Amadeus, was the
laft

LET.'xX'L] ITALY,

247

laft prince who gave the world an inftance
of magnanimity, by retiring from the ex-.
ercife of fovereign power, while his domi
nions were in a ftate of profperity, and his
own. health and conftitution unimpaired.
While I was paffing the Alps, my ima
gination recalled to view the celebrated
perfons of ancient times, whp had croffed
thefe mountains at the head of numerous
armies. You will know that I mean Han
nibal and Julius Caefar. In cornparing thefe
commanders with each other, I remarked
a great: diverfity in feveral particulars re-
fpefting them, with which. I beg leave to
prefent you.
The principal motive which Hannibal
had for leading his army acrofs the Alps,
was a hereditary hatred to the RomanSi,
which, when nine years old, at the defire
of his father, he fplemAly fwore at the altar
never to abandon. But the. motive of Cae
far, in his pafiage of thefe mountains, was
ambition. They were both great com-
noanders ; but Hannibal was a barbarian,
Caefar an accompliffied fchpl^r, and^ri elf -

gant writer.

The

248 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
The Carthagiriian forfeited allhis fiiccefs
by not improving his viftory ; the Roman
obtained his final and decifive viftory by im
proving a defeat. Hannibal fled from the
field of Zama, a wretched exile, into Afia;
Caefar on the plain of Pharfalla, rofe mafter
of the world. The former expired by a
voluntary death, after all his military efforts
had terminated in difappintment ; the latter
by the hands of affaffins, when, to ufe his
own remark, he had lived fufficiently long
to nature and to glory.
I am ftrongly of opinion, from the ge-
, neral contrariety of their fortunes, that
had Caefar flourlffied during the fecond Pu
nic war, Hannibal would never have re
mained any confiderable time within the
limits of Italy. I ffiall not fay, that in
fightihg with . fuch an antagonlft, Caefar
would have ufed the laconic terms which he
did on mentioning his defeat of Pharnaces,
veni, vidt, vici ; but I think, at the fame
time, it never cPuld have been faid of him,
eun&andoreftituit rem. His natural ardor
of mind, his thirft of glory, his well-
founded confidence in himfelf, - and the at
tachment of his veteran legions ; all thefe
caufes

Let. XXI.] iTaly. 249
caufes wolild have urged him foon to an en
gagement. Between two generals of fuch
abilities, and two armies aftuated with fuch
inveterate and mutual animofity, the con-
teft muft have been fierce and obftinate ;
but it Is probable that the military fkill, and
good fortune' of Caefar would have procured
him the viftory. Hannibal would have been
forced to retreat from Italy with precipi
tation ; or perhaps his deftiny might have
referved him for a more ignoble alternativei,
to follow, in ignominious chains, the tri
umphal proceffion of his conqueror ; while
amidft the general chorus of Io Triumphe I
the temples of the gods .would have re-
founded with praifes, for the juft retribution
of Punic faith.
But this would have only been a prelude
to a yet more fignal cataftrophe. Caefar,
by his eloquence, would have, induced the
fenate to retaliate the invafion of their
country. A tranfport of patriotifm would
have burft from the Roman capital, in ac
clamations of vengeance on their inveterate
rival ; and the applauding people have join
ed with the Patrician order, in nominating
• to the important command, the conqueror of

25P LETTERS- OF. A "If^AVELLEfe.' ¦
of Hannibal. With an army fluffied with
viftory, he would have immediately croffed,
the Mediterranean, as he forlnerly had done
the Britifji Channel ; and gathering freffi lau
rels on the plains of Carthage, Czefar, and
not Sclpio, would have been the Africanus
of Rome. — But I have inadvertently led,
you into Africa fooner than I intended, and
ffiall therefore break off.

id' ^-i

LETTER

LET. XXII.] iTALt. 25 1

LETTER XXII.

I

HAVE already hinted at the fluftua-
tions of government in Italy, both in an
cient and modern times. In the former
period, thofe changes arofe chiefly from
arbitrary, ufurpations of power: but in the
latter, to this caufe has been joined the in
trigues of the church. It is a mortifying
confideration, that the afcendancy acquired
by the Roman pontiffs over the nations of
Chriftendom, was almoft conftantly em
ployed, either in temporizing, for its own
advantage, or fomenting jealdufies and di
vifions deftruftive to other powers. Arro
gating to themfelves an authoaity for dif-
penfing with the eternal laws of God, as
fuited their own paffions or interefts, they
tyrannized over the confciences of menj
^nd under the %ecious mafk of the minifters of

253 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
of peace, were in faft the daemons of
difcord. The riext Italian diftrift in our progrefs
fouthward, is the Milanefe, which lately
belonged to the Houfe of Auftria, but ];ias,
in the plenitude of French ufurpation, been
converted into a republic, and fufficiently
fleeced of its riches. This province, when
under its own dukes, gaye law to all Italy ;
but what may be its future importance in
the fcale of power, or how long it may
retain its new form of government, I ffiall
not exprefs any conjefture. The beauty
and fertility of the country, however, is
almoft Incredible. Its former revenue was
eftimated at three hundred thoufand pounds.
The capital, Milan, contains about thirty
thoufand inhabitants, and is furniffied with
a magnificent cathedral in the Gothic tafte.
To this duchy was incorporated, that of
Mantua; and in their united ftate, they
took the name of Auftrian Lombardy,
I cannot mention Mantua without recalling
to mind, by an affociation of ideas, the ad
joining village of Cremona, (now Andes)^
which had the honour of gloving birth to
the immortal Virgil. Is it not furprizing, that

LET. XXli.] ITALY. ' 253
that no monument to his memory lias ever
been erefted at this place ? But indeed, he
has himfelf raifed one, of greater duration
than brafs or marble ; and he was ambi
tious of doing fo :
Tentanda via efi, qua me quoque pojjim
Toller e humo viSlorque vir4m volitare per era.
Georg. lib. iii.
Let me add, that in Mantua the poet
Taffo was born.
Continuing our route ftill towards the
fouth, we arrive at Genoa, the prefent
ftate of which I anticipated in my laft let
ter. The city is fuperb, and contains fome
Very magnificent palaces, with confidera
bly more than a hundred thoufand inhabit
ants ; but with all its external grandeur,
its maritime power had almoft totally de
clined ; and the chief fafety of the republic
confifted in the jealoufy of other European
powers, who were each appehenfiyc left
it ffiould become an acquifition to any
other than themfelves. The principal
manufaftures of this place are velvets, da-
mafks, gold arid filver tiffucs, and paper. The

^54 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLED.
The government was ariftocratical, being
Veftedin the nobility, and the chief ma-
giftrate had the title of Doge, or Duke*
He was chofen every two years ; and none
could be promoted to this dignity till he
was fifty years of age^ The common peo
ple of Genoa are extremely wretched, and
the foil, of its territory very barren ; but
near the fea, fome parts are tolerably well
cultivated. The republic, however, pof-
. feffed a revenue barely fufficlent to pre-t
ferve the appearance of a foVereign ftate.
In -my tour through Italy, I had the goo4
fortune to meet, at this place, with aii
amiable Engliffi Lady, whom I had for-»
merly feen at London, where ffie married
' Mr. Cilefia, a native of Genoa, who had
been fome years in England in a public ca-
pacityi She was the eldeft daughter of
Hr. Mallet, vt^ho ranks high in the lift of
Britiffi poets ; and ffie inherited, from her
father, a great tafte for poetry i to which
ffi'e joined an uncpmmon proficiency in mu-
^c. I found myfelf fo much at home in
this familyj for Mr* Cilefia likewife was a
moft agreeable and accompliffied perfon,
that I came again by 'Ge/ioa, on my return from

LET. XXII.] ITALY. 255
from the fouth, and made a ftay of fome
week.d. Happening to tell Mrs. Cilefia of what
had occurred at Ferney, the humour feized
her-likewife of giving me an exercife in po
etry ; and ffie requefted that next morning
I ffiould produce an addrefs to a lady of thp
higheft diftinftlon. To avoid all appear
ance of perfonal confiderations in her
choice, ffie fixed upon Semiramis, Queen
of Babylon. In compliance with her de
fire, I accordingly wrote the following
verfes, which I fend you for your amufe-
ment.
O Thou ! whofe luftre gilds Affyria's throne,
"Whofe royal cares applauding millions own.
Accept the tribute which thy fame infpires.
Thy fame produftive of the poet's fires j
"Who fcorns alike to taint his gen'rous lays,
¦With venal pomp, or proftltutec^ pralfe.
How ffiall the mufe in ardent verfe dlfplay^
The matchlefs fplendor of th' aufpicious day^
¦Vyhen firft thou, deckt in all thy radiant charffi'S^
¦With rapture blefs'd th' exulting monarch's arms j
When feftive triumph reign'd without alloy.
And Babylon's towers proclaim 'd the public joy ?
How

256 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLERv.
How fliall her ftrains, expanding with her view.
Attempt the glorious, fubjeft to purfue ;
¦When cities captur'd, and when king's o'erthrown.
Thou ftretch'd thy conquefts o'er a world unknown?
Then India's plains beheld thy martial toils,
Whilft vanquifh'd nations trembled for their fpoik.
Then lofty Baglftan, untrod before.
Thy pow'r acknowledg'd, and thy trophies bore.
The gods aftoniffi'd faw thy ftruftures rife.
And hail'd a fecond "Venus to the Ikies.
Long as Euphrates ffiall his waters roll.
Long as ffiall ftand the Babylonian Mole,
Long as thy empire's glory, ne'er furpaft.
Of thine own more than -human works ffidl laft j
From envy, rage, and time itfelf fe ure.
Thy fame. Immortal princefs ! ffiall endure-

LETTER

i
IeT. xxiil] iTAL-y. 2^y

''¦•^- -¦'^'¦-'«^-"r'^ ¦^¦¦-

LETTER xxm.

^ H E republic of Venice is now no
more, and 1 therefore can fpeak of it only
as it formerly exifted ; but in refpeft of its
topographical fituation, I ftill may ufe the
prefent tenfe. It is feated on feventy-two
iflands, near the end of the Adriatic Sea,
and is feparated frdm the Cdntlnent by a
riiarffiy lake of five Italian miles in breadth,
its chief defence againft any attack from
that quarter. Venice, when I was there,
preferved the veftiges of its ancient mag
nificence, but in every other refpeft, was
degenerated. The conftitution of this re*^
public was originally democratical, and the
magiftrates were chofen by a general af
fembly of the people ; till, after various
changes, a body of nobility was formed,
which becoming hereditary, took into their
S \ , own

258 LETTERS OF- A TRAVELLER^
own hands the whole of the governmentjf
both legiflative and executive, and a Com
plete ariflocracy was eftabllffied. The no-*
bihty were divided into fix claffes, ^amount-
ing altogether to two thoufand five hun
dred ; each of whom, at the age of twenty-
five years, was entitled to be a member of
the grand council. Thefe elefted a Doge,
or chief maglftiate, who was invefted with
great ftate, and with the emblems of fu
preme authority ; but fo limited was his
power, that he was not permitted to ftir
from the city without obtaining leave of the-
grand covmcil.
The Venetian nobility, like the fenators
of ancient Rome, were habited in a man
ner different from the other claffes of the
people, but hot in the faffiion of the Patri
cians. They all wore black gowns, large
wigs, and caps which they held in their
hands. I was once prefent at the annual ce
remony of the t)oge's marrying the Adriatic
Sea, by dropping a ring into it from his ftate
gondola, or barge. He was accompanied
at this folemnity by the whole body of the
nobility, in their different barges ; and tho'
it was the irioft fuperb exhibition in Venice^

&

Let. xxm.] .italy. , 259
I did not think it comparable in pomp even
to a Lord Mayor's ffiew. But in the grandeur
ofthe city, particularly the public buildings,
Venice was almoft without a rival. There
are near five-hundred bridges over the fe
veral ¦ canals in Venice, and the greater
part of them of ftone. The chief manu
faftures of this place were fcarlet cloth,
gold and filver ftuffs, and above allj fine
looking glaffes.
The Venetians are a lively ingenious
people, and in general fober, though ex
travagantly fond of public amufements. I
counted eight or nine theatres, including
the opera-houfes; It was ufual for great
numbers of ftrangers to vifit this city during
the time of the carnlvalj and to thofe the
natives were always extremely obliging.
The cuftom of going about in tnafks at Ve
nice was prevalent ; but I could not find
that there was fo much ground for the
imputation pf licentioufnefs as has been
-generally faid.
Some centuries ago, the Venetians were
the moft formidable maritime power in Eu
rope, Towards the end of the twelfth
century, they conquered Conftantinople,
S 2 hen

±66 LETTERS OF A TR,AVELLE*,'
then the feat of the eaftern empire, anJ
held it fpr fdme time, together with great
part of the Continent of Europe and Afia.
For many years they mdnopolized the trade
of India ; but the difcovery of a paffage to
that country by the Cape of Good Hope,
gave the firft bioW to their greatnefs, which
was afterwards farther reduced by confede
racies formed againft them among the other
powers of Europe,
Padua is fituated twenty-tWo miles weft
of Venice, on a fine plain, watered by the
rivers Brintac and Bachiglione, arid is about
feven miles In circumference ; but the
ground withlri the wails is not half built
at prefent. It was formerly, however, one
of the moft fiouriffiing cities in Italy. In
the time of the Romans, the inhabitants
amounted to a hundred thoufand ; but at
prefent they do not exceed thirty- thoufand :
and the Univerfity, M'hich was fo famous-
two or three hundred years ago, is now
reduced t-o one college. Here is ftill a ma
nufafture of woollen cloth ; and the adja
cent country abounds with oil and wine^-
aiid the moft delicious fruits : but the peo
ple live in great poverty, from the. tyranny of

tET, XXIH,] ITALY, 261
of the Venetian republic. They ffiew at
this place an image of the Bleffed Virgin,
which, according to their legendary creed,
flew thither from Conftantinople, when
that city was taken by the Turks, Padua
was the birth place of the celebrated Ro
man hiftorian, Titus Livius ; and we are
told by Virgil, that it was originally built
by Antenor,
AnteHor Jiotuit, mediis elapfus Achivis,
Illyricos p£netrare Jinus, at que intima tutus
Regna Liburnorum iS fontem fuperare Timavi :
Unde per ora novem vafto cum murmure montis
It mare proruptum i^ [lelago premit arva fonantl.
Hie iamen ille urhem Patavi fedefque locavit
Teucrorum, ^ gettti nomen dedit, armaquefixit
Tro'ia.
There is not at prefent a more fiouriffiing
ftate in Italy,- than the duchy and city of
Parma, with the duchies of Placentia and
Gueftella. Both in Parma and Placentia
the foil Is fertile, and produces the richeft
fruits and pafturages, The former contains
confiderable manufa<^ures of filk. It rs the
fea* of a biffiopTic, and an Univerfity ; and
ipme of its' magriifi-cent churches are :pa;inted
S3 fey

262 LETTERS OF A TkAVELLiEft, J-
by the celebrated Corregglo. The city of'
Parma is coriiputed to contain fifty thoufarid
inhabitants. Hiftory ha-s tranfmitted, with
out difguife, that the firft Duke of Parma
was natural fon to Pope Paul III. It./Would
feem as if the cuftom had not then been
introduced of denprriinating a perfon fQ
nearly related to the holy father, the Pope's
nephew. . :
The Duchy of Modena, formerly Mu-
tina, is governed by its own Duke, the
head of the houfe of Efte, from whom the
family of Brunfwick is defcended. The
Duke of York, brother tp King Charles II,
married the Princefs Mary, fifter to the
Duke of Modena, 1673 ; and to this match
were afgribed the misfortunes which he in
curred after afcending the throne,
Lucca is fituated in a fmall delightful
plairi, on the Tufcan Sea, and is the capital
of a fmall republic. ; the territory of which
is fo well Improved, that though the popu
lation does not exceed a hundred and twenty
thoufand, their annual revenue is computed
at eighty thoufand .pounds fterling. Sq
much are the inhabitants of this ;"epublic
devoted to liberty, that they bear its name upon

LET, XXIII.]' ITALY, 263
upon their arms ; and Its image is not
dnly impreffed in their coin, but alfo on
the city- gates, and all their public buildings.
The Duchy of Tufcany Is an extenfive
territory in this quarter, being a hundred"
and fifty miles long, and about a hundred
broad. The capital, Florence, called, on
accdunt of its beauty, Florence the Fair, is
one of the moft elegant cities In Italy, and
fuppofed to contain about feventy thoufand
inhabitants. The valuable colleftion of
Greek and Roman antiquities In the Grand
Duke's' palace, furpaffes defcription, and is
the admiration of all travellers. In a room
called the Tribunal, ftands the celebrated
Venus of Medicis, univerfally regarded as a
mafter-plece of ftatuary, and as the ftand-
ard of tafle in female' beauty and propor
tion, A part of one of its arms has been
broken off, but is fupplied with ftucco,
painted. So exqUifite is the workmanffiip
of this flatue, that foftnefs and animation
feem to be united iri the marble. She ftandg
jn the attitude defcribed by Ovid :
Ipfa Venus pub es, qudties velamina ponit,.
frqtegitur lava femiTedu^d mam,
The

264 LETTERS OF A^TRAVELLEB,
The Infcription on the bafe affi.gns th^
produftion of it to Cleomenes, an Athenian,
the fon of Apollodorus, * It Is of w|ilte
marble, and furrounded with other admi
rable fpecimens of Greek fculpture, fome
o|" ¦^hich are faid to be the work of Praxi
teles, Indeed every quarter of this beaur
tiful city exhibits wonders In the arts pf fta
tuary, painting, and architefture.
Florence, ftands between mduntains co
vered with pllve trees, vineyards, and
delightful villas, and is divided by the Arno,
Statues ^nd fountains are feen in almoft
every ftreet.' The private buildings are
lofty, the fquares fpacious; and the churches,
the, number of which is prodigious, a,re
little inferior to thofe of Rome. Here i^
an Archblffiop's fee, aixd, a Univerfity, as.
well as feveral academies,. The Florentines
bpaft of the i,mpro.ven:i,ents they have made
In the Italian tongue, by means of thp Aca-t
demja Pella Crufca, which is doubtlefs 4
ufeful, inftitution, an(l ,h^% ferved to refine
the language, of the country.
In general, the people of condition in
Florence affeft great fla^e ; yet the nobility
and gentry fcruple net to drive a retail trade in

LET. XXIII.] ITALY, 12.6$,
in winesj which they fell from their cellar
windows ; and it is not uncommon to fee
a broken flafk hang out as a fign of the traf
fic. - But wine is not the only commodity
in which they deal ; they can likewife fup
ply purchafers with fruits, and are even ha-?
berdaffiers in gold and filver ftuffs,
The other principal towns of Tufcany,
are, Pifa, famous for its hanging tower ;
Leghorn, and Sienna. Pifa lies on the
river Arno, and is now greatly decayed.
Sienna is much in the fame fituation, but
ftands on an eminence, in a pleafant fruit
ful country, and Is elegantly built. Leg
horn is a handfome city, well fortified,
and has a commodious and fecure harbour.
It is a free pprt, and the number of Inha-,
^itantg.is cprnputed at forty-thoufand.
Thg Hetrurlans, the .ancient inhabitants
pf this country, derived their origin from
the remoteft antiquity ; but it is generally
allowed, that they were a colony fronci,.
Lydia. . — „  „ — ^, — . , . ^ Lydia quondam
Gens bello praclara Jugis infedit Ettufds. VlRGIl.

It

266 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
It is certain that they flourlffied in Italy
before the Trojan war. - Many ancient
hiftorians bear teftimony to the fame of
this people. DIodorus Siculus calls them
^t^ert^m, lovers .of the arts ; and we are
told by Heraclides Ponticus, that Homer
made a vifit to their country, in confe
quence of the reputation in which they
Were held. They were no lefs renown
ed for arms than for arts ; and it was
not till almoft five hundred years after the
building of Rome, that the whole power
of the Romans could overthrow them.
They were pnuch addifted to fuperftition
and divination, though their religious re
cords are now loft. But the lofs: of thofe
writings deferves little to be regretted, in
comparifon oP the -^^ more valuable monu-
Hients of their political conftitution, and
the famous book on the Tufcan laws, written
by Ariftotle. We need no farther evidence
of both their civil and military virtues, than
that it was by adopting the Tufcan cuftoms,
and by the continual exercife of arms in
the wars which they maintained againft the
Romans, that the latter became qualified to
attain the fummit of grandeur, to which they

Let. xxiil] italy*. s.6f
they at laft arrived. As the people of He-c
truria contefted for antiquity with thofe of
Egypt, their learning has alfo ffiared the
fame fate with the hieroglyphics of that
pation ; for the language and the charafters
of the Hetrurians are now no more under
ftood. '
The republic of St Marino may be ef
teemed a political curiofity. The whole of
its territories confift of a high craggy moun
tain, with a few eminences at the bottom*.
The inhabitants boaft of having preferVed
their liberties, as a republic, for 1300 years,
and it is probable that their poverty may
continue to exempt them frpm any change
l?y French devaftation.

LETTER

g68 LETTERS. OF A TRAVELLEK,

blfl> k ¦•¦ .'"j'; J'H*/r.

' ( (
nj':':i.-t:<

LETTER XXIV,

»"

JL HE ecclefiaftical ftate is fituated about
the middle of Italy, and exhibits, in the
llrongeft light, the pernicious effefts of po-.
piffi tyranny and fuperftition. Thpfe fpots
which under the mafters ofthe world were
adorned with elegawt villas, are now Coa-
, verted into peftlleutja-I marffies ; and the
Campagna di Roma, that formerly contain
ed a, million of inhabitants, could not at pre
fent, pf itfelf, afford fubfiftence to five
hundred. Some late popes have endeavoured
to improve their territories, but with little
fuccefs. The difcouragement of induftry
and agriculture feem to be interwdven with
the principles of papal adminiftration,
which, by a pernicious policy, is vefted in
proud and lazy ecclefiaftlcs, whofe only ob
jeft is to fleece the people, and retain them both

LET. XXiV.] ITALY. 2.6^ I
both in flavery and ignorance. Amidft
public poverty, however, the fplendor and
furniture of churches in the papal domi
nions, are beyond defcription, and partly
accounts, for the wretched condition ofthe
fubjefts ; though this remark admits of ex
ceptions even in the fuburbs of Rome.
The reveriues of the apoftolic fee have
been varloufly eftimated, but, according td
the moft plaufible calculation, in late times,
it has amounted to eight hundred thoufand
pounds, including both the territorial in
come and ecclefiaftical emoluments. It
muft, however, have been greatly reduced
by the fuppreffion of the order of Jefuits,
and ftill more by the emancipation of France
from papal jurifdiftion and authority.
Modern Rome ftands upon the Tyber,
about fifteen miles from the Tufcan fea, and
contains within its circuit a vaft number of
gardens and vineyards. Being built upon
the ruins of the former city, it is feated
about fourteen or fifteen feet higher thaa
ancient Rome ; fo that it is difficult to dif-
tinguiffi the feVen hills on which it was
erefted. On this account, the Tarpeian
rock, anciently a terrible precipice, from the

^"^O LETTERS OF A TRAVELIJERi; .
the top of. which malefaftors were thrown,"
is not now twenty feet high. Its chief for
trefs is the Caftle of St. Angelo, which
could not, however, make any long de
fence, , were it regularly befieged. The
number of inhabitants is calculated at
about a hundred and fifty thoufand*
This celebrated city contains three hun
dred churches, filled with all that is rare iri
architefture, painting, and fcuplture. That
of St. Peter is the moft aftoniffiing, bold,
and regular fabric, that ever perhaps exifted
in the world ; and fo perfeft iri refpeft' not
only of defign, but of execution, that the
moft expert architefts behold it with ad-
miratlouj It is incrufted both within and
without with marble.
The pope's palace, named the Vatican,'
is extremely magnificent, fituated on a'ri
eminence, one of the feven hills on which
the ancient city was built. It is faid to con
tain five hundred and fixty rooms. The
parts I moft admired were the grand ftair
cafe, and the pope's apartment ; but chiefly
the Vatican library, the richeft in the world ^
both in printed books and manufcripts.- AriiQrig

LfeT. XXIV.] =:;iTALY. ' ''^1^
Among the antiquities of the moft ftrik
ing magnificence, are the remains of a
remarkable amphitheatre, which Was be
gun by Vefpafian, and finiffied by Domi*
tian. In the building of it twelve thoufand
Jewiffi captives were employed by the
former of thefe emperors. In its entire
ftate, it is faid to have been capable of con
taining eighty- feven thoufand fpeftators
feated, and twenty thoufand ftanding. The
architefture of this amphitheatre Is remark
ably light, and Its dimenfions fo juftly pro
portioned, that it appears to the eye much
lefs than it really is. But it has been ftrip
ped of all its magnificent pillars and orna
ments , by different ravagers : the Goths,
and other barbarians, began its deftruftion,
and thofe who ought to haye been the guar
dians of ancient relics, popes and cardinals,
have contributed to efface it. The triumphal
arches of Vefpafian, Septimiius Severus, and
Conftantlne the Great, are ftill ftanding
though. decayed. The ruins of baths, palace^
and temples, correfpond to the higheft ideas
we can form of the Roman grandeur. The
Pantheon, now converted into a modern,
church, and which, from its circular figure, is

¦kfi letteSs OF A traveller;
is commonly called the rotundo, is mote
entire than any other Roman temple at pre
fent exifting. There ftill remain feveral
of the nifches, which anciently contained
ftatues of the heathen deities. Thfe outfide
of the edifice is of Tivoli free^ftorie, and
within It Is encrufted with marble. The
roof of this celebrated ftrufture is a round
dome, without pillars, the diameter of
which is a hundred and forty-foUr feet ; and
though lighted only by ari aperture in the
centre of the dome, a fpeftator finds no in
convenience from the want of windows.
The pavement Confifts of large fquare ftonesi
and porphyry, floping round towards the
centre, where the rairi Avater falling down
through the aperture abPvementiPnedi is
conveyed away by a proper drain, covered
with a ftone full of holes. The colonnade
in the front, which confifts of fixteen co
lumns of granite, three feet high, exclu
five of the pedeftals and capitals, each crit
out of a fingle block, and which are of the
Corinthian order. Can hardly be viewed
without aftoriiffimerit. The entrance of the
building is adorned with columns forty-
eight feet high, arid the architrave is form ed

LET. XXIVi] ITALY. ' 273
ed of a fingle piece of granite. On the left
hand, on entering ^ the portico, is a large
antique vafe, of Numidian marble ; and in
the area in thcfront, is a fountain, with
an aritique bafon of porphyry.
, The prifon, which was built by Tullus
Hoftiliusj and afterwards enlarged by An-
Cus Martins, yet retnains, under the name
of II Careera MarpentiriP. iThe moft an
cient part of it is a dungepn, to which the
defcent is by a few fteps. The walls are
exceedingly folid, arid are made to flope
inwards pyramidically, while the roof is left
nearly flat, in order tp counterbalance the
lateral preffure. In this prrfpn-they ffiew
theinarkof St, Peter's head againft the wall,
and the miraculous fpuritairi which fprung -
np for the baptlfm of Jthe prifpners. This
is -alfo the place of which Juvenal fpeaks in
his third Satire,, and Salluft in his Confpi
raey of Catiline.
The pillars of Trajan and Antoninc
ftill ftand confpicuous in their place ; the
former a hundred and feventy-five feet high,
and the latter covered with ^^rnblematlcal
fculpture. The .fight of thpfe lofty co
lumns fills the mind ¦yvith agreeable emo-
T tions;

i-^^ LETTERS dF A TRAVEJLLS*,f : .'
trotts ; but my attention was yet- more ri"^'
~ -vetted on the roftrated columft erefted by
Duillius, iri eommemofation of the firf^
naval viftory which the Romans 'gakied
over the Carthaginians ; the ftatue of the
wolf giving fuck to Romulus and Rem«s,
with vifible marks of the ftroke of light
ening, mentioned by Cicero j the original
brafs plates containing tbe laws of the
twelve tables ; arid a thoufand other iden-^
tical antiquities, fome ®f tbem fortunately
tranfriaitted entire to the prefent times.
About eight or ten miles fouth-eaft frons
Rome, are ffiewn the ruins of a palaee,^
faid to have been formerly tbe refidence of
Macenes } and a few miles further, at Ti-'
¥oli, the villa of his fovo^rite M^tat^i
The Appian, Flamiftian, and .^miUart
roads ; the firft, two hundred miles, the fe«
cond, a h*uri^dred and thirty, and the thirdy
flfty miles in length, are in many pl^e®
ftill entire }- and magnificent ruins of vil
las, and other ftruftures-, are frequent aU
over Italy.
Of all the towns in the ecclefiaftical ftate,
the moft fiouriffiing is- Bologna, which is a
hundred and ninety-five miles north-weft fram

tfet. Xxi-^i] v.'v ITALY* :-a fi/S
from RomCj ^rid is perhaps? Indebted for its
profperity to the diftane^i of ^he fitufetipiu .1
mnft own, that this inference is riot very
ionformable io ctJtritiioti dbfervatloa ia
refpeft to dtlegated governments ; but that
of the ,^ope3 iri moft circumftances is diffe*
tent from every other that I kndW* The
fucceftrori of the Roman poritiffs bei n g riot
hereditary, but /elexiltjyfcij it is more the
ftnariy of each irifcmhbent to enrich and ag-
grafidize his own family by opjpreflittg the
pedple-i thai! to tranfmit, to ari unknown
fuGceflocF, the patrimioriy of the church in
a: pr©fperdus condition. , His delegates,
therefore, in Rome, arid the.adjacent parts,
beuig immediately under his infpeftiori, are
InorsiJitift and 1 fevere J in their exaftions
frran. the papal .flibjeiSts, fchaii tbio>& who are
hiore remote froni the capitaL Tjhe govern-
merit of Bologna is. alsxfays entrufted to i,
cardinal, who i& changed every three years*
But if he is motd indulgent to the people
than .other governors; 'it is probable thae
hii benignity is noturirevsi^ardedby avolun-
taifTi&Mrtf^w-, to himfelf. '

Tz The

276 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
. The grandeur of Ferrara, Ravenna, RiJ
mini, Urbino,* Ancona, arid many other
cities, illuftrious in former times, is now
to be. noted only in their ruins andancient
hiftory; while Loretto, an obfcute . fpot^
arid unknown in the times of antiquity,
has, through the fuperftitious influence of
the Romiffi clergy, become the admiration
and idol of the Catholic world. They in^
duftrioufly propagated, a belief, that the
' houfe in which the Virgin Mary is faid to
have dwelt at Nazareth, was carried thi
ther through the air by'a!ngels; boldly af
firming dike wife, that on the arrival ofthe
facred manfion,^ all the trees in the neigh.*
bourhood bowed' with the profoundeft re
fpeft. Mecca is . not more , the refort of
Mahometan pilgrirtis, than Loretto has been
of the;7 Catholic. Two hundred thoufand
have been known to arrive in a year. The
valuable treaffire of every kind amaffed in
this place j is Inconceivable ; but the prodi
gious depofit.jhas at laft<fcr.ved only to allure
the rapacity- of the French, who, by this
and other depredations, have been enabled
to maintain a war, not only againft the
liberties,

LET. XXIV.] ITALY. 277.
liberties of the people who made thofe vaft
donations at the ffirine of Loretto, but
even againft the exiftence, both temporal
and ecclefiaftical, of that papal power,
which fomented the popular delufipn, and
fuperftitious prodigality.

T 3 LETTER

Zf^ LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER*

J. E T T B R XXV.

Vy HEREVER I now direft my courfe,
I may be faid to tread on claffic ground ;
^midfl the veftiges of ancient towns, and
ancient objefts celebrated by the Latin
poets. From Rdme I proceed to the king-?
dom of Naples, the largeft dominion in Italy,,
beipg two hundred and feventy-five nillesi
long and al^out ahuudred broad. The air here
is hot, and the foil fertile in all the ufual
produce of Italy. Serpients are frequent in
this climate, but the bite pf them is feldom
attended with any fatal effefts. It was a
general opinion among the ancients, that
thpfe creapures were affefted by fafcInatiPn.
We meet with fp many different kinds of
this art in ancierit authors, that it would be
tedious: to repeat them ; but the kind moft
' qo. celebrated

LET."XXV.] ::y f^ IT AL¥. .-^r.^-n- .-..;• . 3^7^
celebrat.ed is that called enchantment, or
fafcination by iinging. The poets aftbrd
innumerable* inftances of this kind, of »
magic. Fiperea generi, & graviter£iirantibtis kydris.
Sparger e qui f<mn»i eantuqtce, manu^eifelebat.
. ' ' VIRG,.
Ad quorum cantvs, ferpens pblita veneni,
,4d quorum cantus mites Jacuere ceraft/e.
"¦"' • SIL. ITALIC,
The power of this encharitment Was be
lieved fd irrefiftlble, that ferpents Wer^
jifade to burft, and even their heads to fly.
off by it.
Z"^) ' , ¦ .. \
Frigiiits ht pfatis cantando rumpitw anguish. vi R c*
The profeffion of magic was in ancient
times very profitable, and there could be no
better method to Pbtalri' a reputation hi
this art, than bypretensdmg to a fupernaturat
iMffluence over ferpents. Two circtimV
jfiances, which very muehfovowed' thi's iriiv^
pofture, were, that they jKappofed the fer-*
ptiats whofe poifon, was njoft virulent, to.b?
D*j • fome-

2-^0 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
fometimes above the power of enchant-
;ment. And If they ffiewed no figns of being
affefted by finging, it was concluded that
they had ffiut their ears. The power of pro
ducing any furprifing effeft from a natural
caufe, difcovered perhaps by accident, an4
kept fecret from the people, was fufficlent,
with the addition of a few myfterious words
or ceremonies, to pafs for preternatural en
dowments. It would however be too bold
to deny, that ferpents can in fome degree
be charmed by mufic ; fuch a fenfibility be
ing often obferved in other animals. And
Mr. Shaw .tells us of feveral worah, a fpe
cies of lizard, which he had feen dance tp
mufic. It is therefore not improbable, tha^
many of thefe animals'' have been induftri-
Qufly tamed by thofe whp pretended to > the
art of enchantment, In order to delude the
people, ,And I am of opinion, that the.fa-
^3E^pus; ferpent whiph went frpm the temple
of Efculapius, in a ffiip to Rome, to cure
the, city of a plague, had been for fpme
timea, pupil of the priefts of that deity. Nor
fh?,ll,I ever believe that the ferpents, which
tjip Bacpl^analians twifted rpund their hair,
^. and

LET. XXVl] * ¦' •• « r iTALY. ' ^ ' 2^1
and threw upon each other's breaft, for the
admiration ofthe multitude, were any other
than the moft harmlefs of the kind.; tho'
Horace, in his Odes to Bacchus, would in
finuate to the contrary.
I have been led Into this ffiort dlgreffion
by two cavtfes : one is, the country through
which I am paffing, is that of the Marfi,
who were famous for their power oyer
ferpents ; and the other, that one of
horfes was bitten by a ferpent, which
happened to crofs the road in our jour
ney.
*& Naples, the capital of this kingdom, ftands
on an eminence, rifing gradually from- the
fea, which forms here a fine bay, thirty
miles in diameter. This city is aftoriiffi-
:' jngly ffiperb, and adorned with all the pro-
*/ufion of art and riches. The houfes are in
general five pr fix ftories in height, and
flat at the top, on which are placed num
bers of flower vafes, or fruit-trees in boxes
of earth, producing a very pleafing effeft.
Some of the ftreets are remarkably hand
fome, particularly thofe which lie open to
the bay. In this city; you will find the rich eft

aS2 ' LETTERS.OFA TRAVELLER*' ;¦:•'»..
eft: and moft commodious conventsr in. Eti-^
rope ; and the moft fertile and bpauitiful
hills in the neighbourhood am covered with
tiaera. Upon the bay at this place ftoOd
one of Cicero's villas ; and fome ruins yet
to be feen are faid to be the veftiges of it.
The dignified clergy and nobility of this
kingdom are very numerous. In the cata-
Jogue of the former, we meet with no lef$
than twenty- five archbiffiops, and a hun-
4red and twenty- five biffiops ; and in that
of the latter, about three hundred princes,
dukes, marquiffes, and carls. A great part
of this clafs is comipofed of Genoefe, and
other foreigners, who have purchafed titles
isn thg kingdom. It is computed that one-.
thir4 ofthe dominions pf Naples belongs to
tbe clei"gy, and the remainder tp the crowjfi
the nobility and gentry refpeftively, Every
lord or gentleman who is proprietor of am
eftate, is fovereign pf the people who live
•upCBi it, imd may be faid to have the ahfo-*
lute difpofal of all their effefts. While they
pittugh his la^nds, aad plant bis vineyards
and olive-yards, they are hardly alkjwed
provifiorss! fuffieient for enabling them to.
msdergp the toil 5 and the more to encreafe their

LET.JCXV.] ITALY, -'_ Z%^
Jheir dependence, they are amenable to th©
courts, of their refpeftive. lords, in cvery-
cafe that is not capital. The confequenco
0fthlsg#eat oppreffion is, that though. th«
0ountry abounds in filks, the manufafture is
very inconfiderable. They fend moft of
it. abroad un wrought, and that in fuch a
manner as is highly, difadvantageous to the
traffic of the nation. For having few ffiipa
of their own, as well as being deftitute of
the fpirit of commerce, the proprietors pf
the lands fell the produce of their eftates to
foreigners, who ufiially export them in vef
fels belonging to their own country.
The king's ordinary revenues are com-.
puted at a million a year, arifing from a
compofition with the nobility and gentry
for certain fums, in lieu of their perfonal
fervices, from a duty on houfes, and an al
moft general excife.. The crown alfo
elaims a power of laying additional taxes, on
the landed intereft, according to thenc-
eeffities of the ftate. The clergy are fub"'
jeft tp uo impofts, but grant a free gift#
which however is for the moft part, pro!"
portionabie to the taxes on the laity. . . , :
About

i(,^4- Letters of a traveller.
About fix miles eaft of Naples, -ftands
Mount Vefuvius, in awful grandeur. Its
declivity towards the. fea is every where
planted with vines and fruit-trees, and it
is equally fertile towards the bottom ; but
within a mile and a half of the top, it Is
covered with black cinders and ftones.
Vefuvius has been a vplcano beyond the
reach of hiftory or tradition. Long before
the firft recorded epoch of its irruption, it
was defcribed by authors as bearing the
marks of fire on Its fummit. A moft ani
mated defcription of its ravages in 79, is
left us by ¦ the younger Pliny. From that
time it now and then burft out, and alarm
ed the neighbouring country; but feemed
]3y degrees to lofe its vigor, till in the lower
ages it fcarcely gave fufficlent alarm tP me
rit a place in the chronicles of the times.
In 1 63 1, it broke out again with accurriu-
lated fury, and fpread fuph devaftation
around, as almoft equalled the firft-men-
tioned. Sipce that time, it has had its pe-s
riods of turbulence and repofe ; and of late
years it has fo encreafed its violence, as to
toit fmpke continually, and every year^ ^at

LET, X^V,] I.TALYj 28 j
at leaft,' a torrfent of la-va; It is probable,-
however, that with all its terrors, Veffi-
vius, open and afti'Ve^ is lefs hoftile to
Naples, than it wpuld be, if its eruption?
were to ceafe, and its fury confined to it^
bowels. It is completed that about two thirds of
the property of this kingdom is in . the
harids.of the ecclefiaftlcs; a ftrong tempta
tion td his Neapolitan MajeAy ' to reduce
thefe emokiments. The nobility here are
very numerous, but generally very poorv
They' are neverthelefs extremely fond of
ffiew and fplendor, which they endeavour to
difplay in the. richnefs of their drefs ^ the
brilliancy of their equipages,' and the num-'
ber of their attendants, ¦; i;
Between Naples and Mount Vefuvius
ftood the ancient city of Herculaneum^
which was overwhelmed- by a torrent q|
lava from that mountain, in the firft year
cf the emperor Titus Vefpafian.;
The precife fituation of this fubterra*
neous city was not known till, the year 1 713,
when it was accidentally difcovered by fomp
labourers. Little progrefs was made in the
- : - . - ' • : f xcavations

LETTEEs d^ a TRAVELL^kftii K.'f st
excavations till Charles, infant of Spahi,
afcended the Neapolitan tht'odej By hisr
unwearied efforts and liberality, a very con-»
fiderable part of Herculanfeum has' beeiri*ex-
plored, and fuch treafures of antiquity
drawn out, as form perhaps the moft " curi
ous mufeums in the world. It beirig fo ar
duous a taffc to attempt the removirig of thd
covering, the I king contented hiinfelf with
cutting galleries td the principal buildings^
and caufing the extent of one or tw<J^'of
them to be cleared. Of thefe the moft con-*
jEderable is the theatre* On a baluftrade^^
which divided the orch^ra from theftage,;
¦W-as found a row of ftatues, and on each fide
of the pulpitum, the equeftrian figure of a
perfon of the Nonia fam.i\y.-i>:.ii,v.-'.*' 'a-?fi ¦:
o: Since the king of Spain left Naples^ the
digging has been continued j~ but with lefs
fpirit and expenditure than before* ; Indeed
the number ©f curiofities already, eollefted
h fo great,, that a relajiatioa ofxisskzt^
aftavity becomes excufablci; iiiiec ;-Tfc =
This mufeum contains not. only ,ftatues>
bufts, altars, infcriptions, and other orn3«
etentai appendages of opulence and luxury^ ~
but alfo an. entire affortment of the domef-
,-^^^: tie.

LET, XiiVi] ITALY. iiy
tic, mufieal, and chirufgical inftruirientSj
ufed by the ancients; tripods of elegant
form and ex^uifite workmanffiip, lamps ir*
endlefe variety, Vafes and bafons ; of great:
dimenfions, chandeliers of the moft beau«
tiful ffiapes, pateras, and other appurte
nances of facrifice, mirrors of poliffied me
tal, Goloufed^lafs fo hard, clear, and well
ftained, as to appear emeralds, fapphires,
and other precious ftones ; a kitchen com
pletely fitted up with copper pans,
lined with filver, kettles, cifterns for heat
ing water, and every neceflary for culinary
purpofes ; corn, bread, fiffi, oil, wine, and
flour ; a lady's toilet, completely furniffied
with combs,, thimbles, rings, paint, &c*
The bufts fill feveral rooms, but Very feW
of the originals whom they were meant to
delineate, are known. The floors are paved
With ancient Mofaic.
A more valuable acqulfitiori than bronzes
and piftures was thought to be made, when
a large parcel of manufcripts was found
among the ruins. Hopes were entertairied
that many latent works of the claffics were
on the point of being reftored to light ; but
the difiiculty of unrolling the burnt parch ment,

aS^S LETTERS OF A TRAVELLED.
inent, of paffing the fragments on a flat ffir«
face, and pf decyphering the obfeure letters,-
have proved fuch obftaeles, that very littltf
progrefs has yet been made in the work. A
prieft invented the method of prpceeding,-
but it would- require the joijit labours, of
many lear;ned men to carry on fo nice and
tedious an. operation with any fu(i^elsv

LET-rEl^

LET. XXVi.] ITALY, 389

LETTER XXVL

A

Few miles frPm Herculaneum Is fitu
ated Pompeii, which likewife unfortunately
periffied by the fame cataftrophe with the
preceding. The entrance of Pompeii Is
iiear the quadrangular barracks of the Ro
man cohorts that compofed the garrifon.
A portico runs round the Courtj fupported
by pillars of ftone covered with ftucco, and
painted. The troops feem to have been ac
commodated with every convenience, and
even luxury ; for they had both a theatre
and ari amphitheatre belonging to their
quarters. The excavations have npt been purfued
with regularity, but carried on in different
fituations, juft as hope or caprice aftuated-
the minds of the engineers. The centre of
the city is yet hidden under the vineyards,
while the principal exertions are made near
. U the

290 LETTERS Of A TRAVELLER.
the walls and gates. One opening difplays
fome houfesj part of a ftreet ; and a temple
of Ifis. The outward appearance of the tem
ple istheffidft fimple that can be imagined.
The penetrate of the temple is a fmall
pavilion , raifed upon fteps, under which is
a vault that may have ferved for the pur
pofes "of oracular impofitlon.
A cavity of confiderable extent has laid
open part of a principal ftreet, one of the
city gates, a length of wall, fome tombs,
and a road without the gates. The toWn
walls are built with large fquares of lava
in irregular courfes, and the ftreets; '• are
paved with the fame materials Irregularly
laid ; the feci: of horfes and the wheels of
carriages have worn deep marks in the
lava. The people of this town had paid no at
tention to uniformity In building their
houfes ; for fome projeft, while others re
tire behind theline. The ffiops have ftone
feals before them, and over the doors, em
blems, in relievo, of the trade of the in
habitants. , The houfes are fmall and built round,
courts, from which all the apartments re-
-iiJ" ,r.-^ ceived

LET. XXVI,] ITALY. 29 1
ceived their light. The walls of the rooms
are ftuccoed, and painted in a moft beau
tiful tafte. The apartments are fmall and
fquare, and many had no light but through
the door. In the kitchens and apartments
of the fervants, a green ferpent is painted
upon the wall, before which a lamp was
kept burning. The fame divinity was wor-
ffiipped near the road, without the walls.
Poeftum, or Pofidonia, another ancient
city in the neighbourhood, was difcovered
in the fame manner, above thirty years ago,
and has likewife afforded much gratification
to curiofity. One experiences a melancholy
kind of pleafure In beholding fcenes which
had lain concealed from mortal fight during
almoft feventeen hundred years, efpecially
when they are memorials of an extraordi
nary convulfion in nature ; but nothing
gratified my curiofity fo much, as the cele
brated objefts which are clofely interwoven
with mythology. On the fea coaft adjoining
to Naples, I looked with eagernefs for the
grotto of the Sybil, amidft the rocks where
it is defcribed to have formerly exifted, but
i looked in vain. The cave with a hun
dred openings is not now to be found ; and
U 2 there

^92 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEft^/
there remain no more traces of her fa
cred habitation, than of her famous predic
tions. Like ^Eneas, however, I went di
reftly from the fpot to the lake Avernus,
now Averne, which I found In a condition
far more agreeable than it was in the time
of the Trojan hero. -
This celebrated lake is circular, and al
moft entirely hemmed In by an amphithe
atre of hills on every fide ; charafterlftic
marks of a volcanic crater. The land
fcape, thpugh confined, is extremely plea
fant. The dark blue furface of the un
ruffled waters, faid to be three hundred
and fixty fathoms deep, ftrongly refleft the
tapering groves that cover its floping en-
clofiires. Shoals of wild fowl fwim about,
and king's- fiffiers ffioot along under the'
banks. A large oftagon temple, In ruins,
advances majeftically to the brink." ' Its
marble ornaments have been long fince re
moved, but its form and fize ftill render it
a noble objeft. It was probably dedicated
to the infernal gods, to whofe worffiip thofe
folem-n fcenes were formerly confecrated.
Black aged groves ftretch their boughs over
the'' watery -abyfs, which they- darkened witJb

Let. XXVI.] n -¦italy, 293
with their foliage impenetrable to the rays
of light ; while mephitic vapors afcending
from the hot bowels of the earth, being de
nied free paffage to the upper atmofphere,
floated along the furface in polfonous mifts.
Thefe circumftances produced horrors fit
for fuch gloomy deities, and fuperftition
early feized this fpot to celebrate her difmal
orgies. Here ffie invoked the manes of
departed heroes, and here ffie offered facri
fices to the gods of hell, and attempted to
dive into the fecrets of futurity. Poets
enlarged upon the- popular theme, and
painted its aweful fcenery with the ftrong
eft colours of the art»
But a fudden glare of light Was at laft let
in upon Avernus: The axe of Agrippa
brought Its foreft to the ground, and gave
room for all its malignant effluvia to efcape.
The horrors of the place were immediately
difpelled, and with theni the faflftity ofthe
Jake. The virulence of the exhalations
from Avernus, Is defcribed by ancient au
thors as very extraordiiiiary : modern writers
who know the place in a cleared ftate only,
charge thofe accounts With exaggeration ;
\)ut it is probable t|iat they w?re founded in
faft 5

294

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.

faft : for even now the air is not of the
pureft kind, as appears from the complexion
of the vine dreffers, who have fucceeded
the Sybils and the Clmnaerians In the pof
feffion of the temple.
At prefent, the Avernus abounds with
tench, as the Lucrine does. with eels. The
change of fortune in thefe lakes Is fingular:
In the fplendid days of imperial Rome, the
Lucrine was the chofen fpot for the brilli
ant parties of pleafure of a voluptuous
court. They are defcribed by Spneca as the
higheft refinement of extravagance and lux
ury. A flimy bed of ruffies now covers the
fcattered pools of this once beautiful ffieet
of water, while the dufky Avernus is clear
and unmolefted, offering a moft alluring
fcene for fimilar amufements.
Tbe Lucrine Lake, fo famous- amougft
the Romans for it§ fine oyfters, and other
fiffi, lay near the ffiore, but alriipft the
whole bed of It is now occupied by a moun
tain, which rofe inftaritanepufly in the night
between the ninetieth" and twentieth of
September, 1538, during an earthquake,
which caufed a terrible devaftation in.. the
neighbourhood. The fubterranepus ^fire
')!. ejefted

LET. XXVI.] ITALY.- 295
„ejefted by a wide chafm fuch a quantity
of ftones, affies, fulphur and fand, as formed
the prefent mountain ; the perpendicular
height of which is not lefs than four hun
dred rods, and the circumference three Ita-.
Han miles.
Between the lake Agnano and Puzzoli,
the ancient Puteoli, lies the village of Sol
fatara, fo called from the vaft quantities
of fulphur continually forced out of the
cliffs by fubterranean fires. Near it is the
Grotto del Cani, remarkable for its polfon
ous .fteams, and Is fo denominated, from its
, fatal effefts on dogs which happen to enter
it, if they remain there any confiderable
time. The laft objeft in the neighbourhood of
Naples which I ffiall mention, is the Grotto
of Paufillppo. It pierces through the pro
montory of its own name, in a direft, but
afcending line from eaft to weft. It is cut
in the tufo ftone, is arched, and receives
light from the two mouths, and fome dia-
gonal apertures In the roof. It Is eighty-
nine feet high in the moft elevated part, not
rlfiiig in the loweft above twenty-four ; in
length exaftly two thoufand four hundred
. and

2^.6 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEK.
and fourteen feet ; in breadth twenty-two»
The fcantlnefs of light here is at all times
diftreffing; for that which Is admitted thro'
the openings abovementloned, "and the
feeble, glimmerings of a lamp burning be
fore a pifture in the middle, are no fecurity
againft the dangers of being run over, and
cruffied to pieces againft the wall, or at leaft
hurt by the faggots which affes are continu
ally bringing from the wopds. Befides this
inconvenience, the duft is' intolerable in
¦fummer, and the nulfance is increafed every
time that the King of Naples paffes through,
as the road is then ftrewed with a freffi co
vering of fand. It is furprifing how paf
fengers venture to travel along this fuhter
raneous road at all hours, fingly, or in com
pany, without any guard, to prevent af
faults, or fufficlent light to deteft a lurking
affaffin. It reflefts honor upon the national
charafter of the Neapolitans, that people
have fuch fecurity In a country fo ill pro
vided with officers of police. ,
Different pplriions are entertained with
refpeft to the firft openers of this grotto.
This kind of rocky fubltence is perforated
with forriuche^fe, and the praftice of form

ing

LET. XXVI.] ITALY. 297
ing fuhterraneous galleries feeiiis to have
prevailed at fo very early a period of fo
ciety, that fome authors have afcribed the
work to the giants or the Cimrherians, who
were wont to make caves their place of re
fidence, as well as the repofitory of their
plunder. Others affirm It to have been ex
ecuted by Coccelus, an architeft ofthe Au
guftan age ; but this feems to be founded
upon the mifconception pf a paffage in Stra
bo. From Seneca's expreffioris complain
ing of its inconvenience, it appears to have
been at that time only open for foot paffen
gers. Alphonfus I. widened it for carri
ages, and fince hlS reign, It has been con
fiderably heightened and levelled;
Above the eaftern entrance, on the very
brink of a precipice, ¦ a ruinous vaulted
building, accompanied with a bay tree, is
ffiewn as the tomb of Virgil ; but there is
no other authority than that of traditidri,
that his affies were depofited in this fe
pulchre. Speaking of the neighbourhood of Na
ples In generalj I think it the paradlfe of
Italy. It has no other alloy than the appre
henfion of danger from Mount Vefuvius ;
and

298 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
and Hannibal expofed his army to more
certain deftruftion, when he fuffered the
Carthaginian ardor of difclpline to be re
laxed in the voluptuous climate of Capua.
But the atmofphere of Naples appears not
to have the fame effeft on the natives of the
country and foreigners. In different ages,
this province of Italy has given birth to men
of great celebrity both in arts and arms.
Cicero and C. Marius were born within the
boundaries of the prefent kingdom of Na
ples. To give an account of the illuftrious
writers which Italy produced in ancient
times, would lead me into an extent of de
tail far beyond the Intended limits of my
epiftolary correfpondcnce. I ffiould have
to trace the hiftory of Latin literature, from
the time of Ennlus, to Its extinftion on the
downfall of the Roman empire. 1 1 ffiall
therefore content myfelf with barely menti
oning tjie moft diftinguiffied authors who
have arifen In this country.
In profe, the writings of Cicero, Julius
Caefar, Salluft, Livy, and Tacitus, difplay
fuperior excellence In different ftyles : of
compofition ; while Virgil, Horace, Ovid, and

LET>. XXVI.] ITALY, 299
r
and Lucretius, have difputed with the
Greeks the palm of poetic celebrity. Since
the revival of letters In Italy, Galileo, To-
rlcelli, and others, have cultivated mathe
matics and natural philofophy with fuccefs.
Strada, Father Paul, Guicclardini, Benti
vogho, and Davila, who wrote both In Latin
and Italian, revived among the moderns the
fplrit and genius of ancient literature. But
tmong the Italian poets, Dante, Ariofto,
and Taffo, are the moft diftinguiffied ; and
Metaftafio has acquired great famic by writ
ing dramatic pieces fet to to mufic. San-
nazarius, Fracaftorius, Bembo, VIda, and
other natives of Italy, have written Latin
poetry with an elegance, correftnefs, and
fpirit, which rival the compofitlons of anti
quity. With regard to Italian painters,
fculptors, architefts, and muficlans, they
have carried their refpeftive arts to the
higheft degree of perfeftion.

LETTER

300 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.

LETTER XXVII,

QUITTING the continent of Italy, t
go for the ifland of Capri, anciently called
Capreae, fituated about eighteen miles
fouth of Naples, at the entrance of the
Gulf. It extends four miles In length from
eaft to Weft, and about one in breadth.
Steep cliffs and maffes of rock give It a
wildnefs of appearance-, which on advanc
ing hearer. Is gi-adually fofteiied by patchy
of verdure, and clufters of white houfeS,
Ori a ridge between two fugged eminences,
which form the extremities of' the ifland,
and near their fliaggy fummits, to a tre
mendous height, are feen the cupolas and
buildings of the epifcopal city ; a confider
able placcj apparently, when viewed at a
diftance, but afterwards dwindles to a vil
lage. From hence there runs an ancient
caufeway,

Let. XJiVII.] ITALY. 301
caufeway, to the eaftern fummit of Capri,
where ftupendous cliffs overhang the chan
nel, which feparates the ifland from ^Cape
Campanella, anciently Promontorlum Athe-«
naeum, or Minervae. The view from this
place Is fo extenfive, grand, apd beautiful,
that It is impoffible to behold it without
emotions of furprife and rapture. At one
glance, it difplays a range of coaft exceed
ing a hundred miles In length : Naples,
with all its hills and fwarming fuburbs,
backed by the towering Appennlne ; Vefu
vius pouring forth the volumes of fmoke ;
at its feet innumerable villages and verdant
plains, contrafted with purple lavas ; im
mediately below, Minerva's promontory
.advancing towards Capri, and dividing the
Neapolitan bay from the femicircular bafon
of Selerno, at the bottom of which are feen
the white ruins of Pseftum. In this part of
the ifland ftood the fummer palace of Tibe
rius Caefar, where he paffed almoft ten
years, hidden from the world, and wallow-'
ing in the moft brutal debaucheries. Pro
ceeding northward through vineyards and
orchards, we come to the palace of La
Marina, where the fame emperor had a
winter

MX LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER^ " ^
winter refidence. Columns, and other frag^
ments of architefture, fcattered in the fandsy
remain as memorials of Its fplendor. The:
cdndult that fupplied the place with water
ftill exifts.
The odium attached to the memory of
Tiberius proved fatal to his favourite abode;
for fcarcely was his death proclaimed at
Rome, when the fenate iffued orders for
the demolition of every fabric he had raifed
on the ifland, which was thence forward
deftined to anfwer the purpofes of a ftate
prifon. In this ifland, acrofs every break'
in the woods, or chafm In the hills, rows
.of nets are placed, to Intercept ftock-doves-
and quails, in their annual flights ; and the
quantity taken of each fort, efpecially of the
latter, is almoft Incredible.
The iflands of the Syrens, ffippofed to
be thofe now called Galli, on the coaft
of Calabria, and which Ulyffes paffed with
fo much caution and hazard, are five in
number, ,and have experienced great revo
lutions from the effefts of fubterranean fire.
The tradition of Syrens refiding hereabouts^
is very ancient, and univerfally admitted ;
but what they really were, divefted of their
fabulous

LET. XXVfl.] ITALY. ''^^-V 303
fabulous and poetical difguife, is not eafy io
difcover. It has been conjeftured, that ou
thofe promontories fome female fovereign
once dwelt, in times of which no records
are exifting. The poft. flie chofe for her
refidence was no doubt ftrongly fortified,
and well fituated for her piratical fubjefts to
dart out upon, and intercept all veffels that
navigated thefe feas In ages when it was not
, the praftice to fall at any confiderable dif
tance from land. Thus they may have
rendered themfelves . formidable to man-^
kind by violence and martial exploits ; but
it is more natural, and more confonant to
the idea generally entertained of them, to
veft the power ofthe Syrens In the arts and
corruptions of peace. Thefe iflands bear
all the marks of having been, formed by
ftibterranean fires.
Scylla and Charybdis, fo much cele
brated by the ancient poets, are now di
vefted of all the terrdrs which rendered
them dreadful to navigators. Scylla is fitu
ated near the Cape of Pelorus. Modern
voyagers may glide clofe under thofe dread
ed rocks without any apprehenfion of dan
ger : for the water fcarce undulates, and
V no

304 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
rio furf Is feen to break at the foot of the
cliff, nor belloWing heard among its dark
caverns. When a tempeft rages, however,
the daffiing and roaring of the billows, as
they are driven into thefe broken cavities,
is truly horrible, and capable of ftriking
terror Into the moft intrepid mariner, if his
Veffel drives near. A large caftle covers the
fummit of this famous rock ; and from it a
row of houfes extends on both fides in a
_flope to the beech; which is femicircular,,
planted with trees, and ffieltered by very
high cliffs.
What Is now ffiewn as the Charybdis of
the ancients, is a kind of whirlpool In the
harbour of MfefCma, where voyagers obferve
nothing more than a rippling, occafioned by
the meeting of the tide and torrents. The
bottom of the - ftraits is ffiallo w, and full of
rocks ; confequently numberlefs points and
cavities muft occur to obftruft and perplex
the regular courfe ofthe current j and caufe
whirlpools that are dangerous in ftormy
Weather ; or even in dead calms, when Vef
fels may be embayed, and drawn amon^the
ffiallo wSj from which they want wind tp
extricate themfelves. It is highly ^proba ble

LET. XXVII.] ITALY. 305
ble that the fea has worn itfelf a paflage
through the Farp much more eafy and ex
panded than it was when Homer compofed
his Odyffey, which was perhaps not many
centuries after the waves had burft through
the connefting Ifthmus between Sicily and
the coaft of Reggio. Then Scylla might in
deed be a tremendous rock ; and the hol-
Ipws under the fea, where the waters yet
foaming, and agitated by the refiftance they
had met with at Scylla, were hurried and
whirled about, muft have been an Irrefift-
jble vortex, from which no ffiip , could
efcape. The alternate aftlon offwallowing
up and vomiting the wreck, was fimilar to
that of a pool at the foot of any lofty
cafcade. I have already come upon the coaft of Si
cily, ancienly called Trinacria, from its
triangular ffiape. It is the largeft of the
Italian Iflands, being about a hundred and
eighty miles long, and a hundred and
twelve broad. It lies in a warm, but plea
fant and healthful climate, conftantly re-
fre^ied by cool breezes from the ocean and
mountains. It is feparated from Cala*
brian Italy only by the S,trait of Mcffina,
X which

306 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
wl^Ich is not feven miles over in the nar-
roweft part. This Ifland, once the granary
ofthe world for corn, ftill continues to fup
ply Naples and other parts with, that com
modity ; but its cultivation Is now greatly
dimlniffied, and confequently its fertility.
Palermo, the capital of Sicily, is computed
to contain, a hundred and twenty thoufand
inhabitants. The two principal ftreets, and
which crofs each other, are very fine. It
carries on a confiderable trade, as alfo did
Meffina, which, before the earthquake in
1 783, was a large and well-built city, con
taining many churches and convents, gene-
5FalIy elegant ftruftures. Religious founda
tions are extremely nvimerdus in Italy.
Som^e parts of the ifland are remarkable for
the beauty of Its female inhabitants ; and
there are a great number of remains of an
tiquity in ruins, ,
The contrivance of Dionyfius, the tyrant
of Syracufe,. for llftening to the converfa
tlon of thofe perfons whom he had thrown
intp prifon from motives of jealoufy, is ce
lebrated by ancient hiftorians. This famous
excavation, which Is eighteen feet wide,
and fifty-eight high, runs into a huge rpck
^ifSi in

LET. XXVII.] ITALY, 307
in the form of a capital S: the fides are
chlffeled very fmooth, and the roof co
vered, gradually narrowing to almoft as
•ffiarp a point as a Gothic arch. Along this
point runs a groove, or channel, which ferv
ed, as is fuppofed, to colleft the found
jfrom the fpeakers below, and convey them
to a pipe in a fmall cell above, where they
¦were heard with the greateft diftinftnefs.
But the place ha'ving been too much opened
and altered, has now loft its virtue in the
interior part ; though the echo at the
mouth of the grotto is fo very loud, that the
tearing of a piece of paper made as great a
noife as a fmart blow of a cudgel on a board
would have done. That it was, however,
conftrufted intentionally for a llftening
place, it is impoffible, after an attentive
furvey of the whole, to entertain any doubt;
and rings are cut out of the angles of the
walls, to which, we may fuppofe, the more
obnoxious criminals were faftened.
The greateft natural curiofity in this
ifland is Mount ^tna, which has' been a
volcano beyond the records of hiftory :
Monf, Buffon is even of opinion,' that it
was fo from the creation ofthe world. Its
X 2 figure

308. LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
figure is circular, and," when viewed at ^¦
diftance, appears conica,l. The top of it,
however, is a vaft ridge, almoft level, hav
ing a rpund eminence at each extremity,
and about the middle a forked hill rifing
higher than the reft, and furrounding the
crater, from which the fmoke afcends. This
part alone is of a dark colour, one ffieet of
fnow covering all the remainder. At. the
foot of this ftupendous ridge lie gloomy
vallies of prodigious depth, fepa,rated from
each other by mahy mountains ; below.
which, moft beautiful woods form a mighty
girdle round the frozen region.
On a rifing ground, in the defcent, about
a mile frorn the crater, are to be feen the
remains of a foundation of an ancient build
ing. It Is of brick, and feems to have been
ornamented with white marble, many frag
ments of which are fcattered about. It is
called the Philofopher's Tower, and is faid
to have been inhabited by Empedocles. As
the ancients ufed to facrifice to the celeftlal
gods on the, top of -^tna, it. may be the
ruins- of a temple which feVved for that
purpofe, . ].^_,' Near

i.ET, 5£XVn.] ITALY. 30.9
Near the entrance of the woody region
tof ^tna, chefnut and oak trees are Inter-
riilxed, but afterwards oak alone is to be
feen, Sorrie of thefe are of a prodigious
fize. One of them meafures twenty eight
feet in circumference. But what exceeds
all other produftidns of the foreft, hitherto
defcribed, is the celebrated chefnut-trecj
called from its aftoniffiing fize Caftagno di'~
cento cavalli, as fuppofing it capable of ffiel-
tering a hundred horfe under the canopy of
its boughs. It ftands fingle, on a gentle
rifing. This wonderful produftion of the
vegetable kingdom confifts of a trunk, now
Iplit to the furface of the earth, but united
into drie body at a very fmall depth below.
Df this trunk five divifions areformed^ each
of which fends forth enormous branches ;
iand the circumference of it, at one inch
above the grdund, is a hundred arid ninety-
fix Epgllfh feet. ./Etna has never been mea
fured with gedmetrical accuracy ; but fdme
compute the height of it to be twelv©
thoufand feet;

X 3 LETTER

3IO LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER*

LETTER XXVIII.

JL HE ifland of Sardinia, which gives
a royal title to the Duke of Savoy, lies
about fifty leagues weft of Leghorn. It is
about a hundred and fixty miles long, and
eighty broad. The foil is fruitful in corn,
and wine, but the air is bad, on account of
marffies ; and this iflarid was therefore a
place of exile for the Romans-,^ At Cagliari,
which is the capital, there is an univerfity,
and an archbiffiopric ; and theie alfo the
viceroy refides. But It is hardly an objeft
of any great attention In a political vicw^;
-for it is thought that his Sardinian majfefty's
revenues from this ifland, do not exceed
five thoufarid pounds fterling. It was for
merly annexed to the crown of Spain, but
at the peace of Utrecht,' was ceded to the
emperor, and in 1719 to the houfe of Savoy, The

-Let. XXVIII.] ITALY. 3 IX
The ifland of Corfica lies between Sardi
nia and Genoa, to which republic it was
m fubjeftion at the middle of the prefent
century; but the oppreffion exercifed by the
Genoefe excited the Irihabitants to revolt.
The ifland was then ceded td the French,
who endeavoured to continue the fame tyr
rannical forni of government which had
been introduced by its former mafters; At
length. In an affembly of the people, held
in 1794, it was refolved^ that a tender of
the crown of Corfica ffiould be made to the
king of Great Britain. ^This, was accord
ingly done, and the offer accepted by his
majefty, whenj as you know, a viceroy
was fent out to take upon him the govern-
inent of the ifland ; and a military and
iiaval force appointed for its proteftlon. I
always was of opinion that we ffiould not re
tain it lorig ; for the Corficans are an igno
rant and refraftory people, neither capable
of difcerning their dwn interefts, nor of
iacrificing their riatural turbulence to any
fixed conftitution of government. This
difpofition was probably fomented by the
intrigues of the French, which, for once,
proved, favorable to the interefts pf Great
Britain ;

312 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
Britain ; as it accelerated an event which
muft have taken place at a future period,
and faved us an annual experice, which the
value ofthe whole Ifland, except fo far as it
afforded a ftation for our ffiips, was not fuf
ficlent to compenfate. The ifland is moun
tainous and'woody, containing likewife ma
ny marffies. It however produces corn,
wine, figs, almonds, olives, and other
fruits, befides fome cattle and horfes. The
inhabitants are faid to amount to a hundred
and twenty thoufand.
Malta Is reckoned among the Italian
iflands, and I was fond of feeing it on ac
count of the fingularlty of its conftitution.
It is fituated twenty leagues fouth of Cape
Paffaro in Sicily, and is of an oval 'figure,
about twenty miles long, and twelve broad.
The air is clear, but exceffively hot, occa
fioned partly by the drynefs of the foil ; the
ifland being compofed of a white rock, co
vered with a thin furface of earth. It is
however extremely produftive of excellent
fruits, and other vegetables,
Malta, the capital, confifts of three
towns, feparated by channels, which form
fo many peninfulas of folid rock, rifing a
great

LET. XXVIIL] ITALY; , 313
great height abpVe the fea, and have within
them fecure harbours, capable of receiving
large fleets. No art has been wanting to
improve by fortifications the natural ftrength
of the place. The ftreets are fpacious, an^
built of white ftone hewn out ofthe rock.
Malta has been fucceffively fubjeft to the
Phaenlcians, the Carthaginians, and Ro
mans ; and was given by the emperor
Charles V. to the knights of St, John of
Jerufalem, after they had loft the Ifland of
Rhodes, which they had bravely defended
two hundred years againft all the force of
the Turks. They now affumed the title of
Knights of Malta, and were attacked in
their new fettlement by Solyman, the
Turkiffi emperor, in 1566, but he was
forced to abandon the Ifland, after lofing
thirty thoufand then In the attempt.
The' knights of Malta originally confifted
of eight different nations, but now only of
feven, the Engliffi having withdrawn them
felves at the reformation. They have con
fiderable poffeffions in the Roman Cathohc
Countries on the Continent, and are under
the government of a grand-mafter, who iS
elefted for life. The lord-prior of th'e
order

^14 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. 12 3
order was formerly accounted the prime-ba«
foil in England, The knights are in num
ber about a thoufand : five hundred are td
refide on the ifland, and the remainder in
their femlriaries in other countries ; but
are bound to make a perfonal appearance
when called upon. They are fworn, to de
fend the church, to obey their fuperiors^
and to live On the revenues of their order
only. They are likewife under vows of ce
libacy and chaftity ; but It is obferved that
they keep the former much better than the
latter. They wear the badge of the order,
which is a golden crofs of eight points,
enamelled white, pendant to a black watered
ribband. On the 1 8th of September there
is an annual proceffion at Malta, iri comme
moration of the Turks having precipitately
I'aifed the fiege on that day, in 1563. It is
a day of great feftivlty among the knights,
who not being debarred by any vow frdni
fatrificing to Bacchus, are the riibre liberal
iri their libations, from a hatred df theprin-
ciples as -vvell as the perfons of the Turfcsj
againfl whom they have been confidered as
the great bulwark of the catholic nations
on that fide.' i had

LET, XXVIII*.] ITALY. 315
I had the honor of receiving an Invita
tion to their entertainment ; and havirig
got a hint that a poetical compliment from
a Britiffi traveller would be acceptable td
the knights, 1 wrote the following lines on
the occafion.
Hail 1 Malta's valiant fons, a glorious band 1
Fara'd for great- deeds o'er earth's remoteft land;
"While papal ftates their annual tribute pay,
Albion prefents you -with a votive lay :
Herfelf a pow'r whom gen'rous pdffions roufe.
She loves your valor, though ffie hates your vows j
Hates a reftralnt that violates nature's laws.
And dreads the profpedt of a perjur'd caufe.
Long may your ifle through profp'rous years en
dure.
In virtue great, from Turkiffi rage fecure 5
Long may the Chriftian faith your zeal infpirej
' And ancient glory fan the facred fire.
There happened to be in the company a
few who were acquainted with the Englifh
language ; and to the others, the fentiments
" ton tained in the verfes were haftlly explained
in French. "You cannot conceive how much
the knights were pleafed with the compli
ment I had paid them. The grand-feaft'er inftantly

^t6 LETTEkS ot A TRAVELLER,
filled a bumper of wine ; a figria:l for thd
company at the different tables to follow
his exam.ple. He then gave a toaft, which
to the difgrace of Britiffi patriotifm, would
be excluded from the public feafts of fome
focieties in London that I could name : It
was, " Profperity to Great Britain, and
" may her' glorious conftitution live fdr
*' ever !" The enthufiafm with which it
Was univerfally drunk, really warmed my
heart to the Knights of Malta,
I never vifited the northern iflands in the
Mediterranean, though I once had a favor
able opportunity. Indeed they contalnno-
thing which can much excite the curiofity
of a voyager. The moft confiderable of
them are Majorca and Minorca^ the Baleares
of the Romans. The former is about
fixty miles in length, and forty-five iri
breadth ; the latter about thirty miles in
length, and generally ten in breadth. They
are not unfruitful, and fome of their pro
duftions are efteemed excellent in their
kind. The principal, defeft in Minorca is
in refpeft of water, of which, except what
is faVed from rain in cifterns, there is little
either palatable or healthy. A difeafe ex
tremely

|.ET« XXVIII.] ITALY. 317
tremely frequent in this ifland Is the tertian
fever, or ague, which an intelligent fur^
geon, who refided fome time at Port Ma-
hon, Imputes to the Influence of two
caufes. One Is the general praftice of wa
tering the gardens too much ; which, joined
to their being clofely planted with fuccu-
lent vegetables, occafions a copious exhala
tion of putrid Vapours. Another caufe is,
with great probability, fuppofed to be the
foft nature of a fpecies of ftone much ufed
^n building, which being eafily penetrate4
\)y water, renders the houfes very un-
|}ealthy,

LETTER

5 if LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,

LETTER XXIX.

JL ROM Italy, where I had occafion to
fee a great transformation of goverments,
fome reduced almoft to a ftate of infignifi-
Caiice, fome totally fubverted, and others
apprehenfive of a fimilar fate, I now take
¦fxiy paffage over the Adriatic Into Greece, a
country once more celebrated for the genius
of Its inhabitants than Italy itfelf. But
how prodigious a change ! This however is
no recent event. The glory of the Gre
cian ftates expired with their freedom,
which long fince funk under the incumbent
weight of the Eaftern empire; and the people
have been farther debafed by the barbarifm
of their fubfequent mafters, the Turks,
Amidft the difafterg of fortune, nature has
laviffied on this country a variety of pecu-^
liar bleffings. The foil, though^nnimproved,
hrj ' ^ is

^ET. XXIX.] GREECE. 3ig
is in rnany parts luxuriant beyond defcrip-'
tipii ; the air is falubrious, and friendly to
the imaginaripn, unlefs when it is corrupted
from the neighbouring countries, or thro'
the indolence and uncleannefs ofthe Turk
iffi manner of living. The feafons are here
regular and pleafant, and have been cele
brated from the remoteft antiquity.
The very mountains of this country,
without deriving any fame from volcanos^
are the moft celebrated of any in the world,
and at the fame time, often the moft fruit
ful. Mount Athos ftands pn a peninfula
running into the Egean fea ; and the
mounts Pindus and Olympus, celebrated in
Grecian fables, feparate Theffaly from Epi-
rus. Parnaffus in Achaia, fo famous for
being confecrated to the mufes, is univer
fally known. Mount HaemUs is likewife
often mentioned by the poets ; but moft of
the other mountains have changed their
names ; and even thofe above-mentidned
have modern names impofed upon them by
the Turks.
Befides the mountains above-mentioned,
pf which the ancients efteemed Olympus
the higheft in the world, are thofe of Peiion and

320 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
and Offaji mentioned likewife fo oft.eni by
the poets, and not much inferior in height,
Between the two laft-mentioned mountains
lay the celebrated plains of Tempe, repre
fented by the ancients as equal in lo.cal
beauty to the Elyfian Fields, and noted for
producing fine grapes, with other fruits of
a delicious flavour. According to the ac-
count delivered by Strabo and ^Ellap, this
beautiful vale extended five miles in length,
and In breadth near an acre and a half. On
the right and left it was bounded by gentle.
convexities; the Pcneus' gilded along the
middle ; and the furrounding groves were
harmonioufly vocal with the mufic of thp
fineft birds. Livy, however, mentioning
this celebrated place. Informs us, that the
Romans, in marching through it, were
ftruck with a degree of horror rather than,
delight : for befides that the defile was dif-
ficult to pafs, there were fteep rocks on
each hand, down which the profpeft -wa^
apt to caufe a dizzinefs ; and the awful-
nefs of the fcene was heightened, by the
noife and depth of the interfluent Peneus.
When we confider the various feas which
furround this country, ijamely the Euxjne, or

Let. XXIX.] GREECE, 321
or Black Sea ; the Palus , M^otis, or
Sea of ' Afoph ; the Sea of Marmora,
Which feparates Europe from Afia ; the
Archipelago, the Ionian Sea^ and the Le
vant, we muft acknowledge that no other'
country was fo well fituated for univerfal
dominion as Turkey In Europe^ particularly
that part df.it where the city of Conftanti
nople ftands. The Straits of the Hellefpont
and Bofphorus are joined to the fea of Mar
mora, and are remarkable In modern as
well as ancient hiftory.
The rivers moft confpicuous in this
country are the Daniibe, the Save, tlie
Niefter, the Nieper, and the Don ; but
many others have been celebrated by poets
and hiftoriansiwhich have now alfo changed
their names. As to lakes iri this country,
they are not numerousj nor entitled to any
great applaufe. The Lago di Scutari lies
in Albania, arid communicates with the
Lago di Plavcj and the Lago di Holtl, The
Stymphalus, fo famous for its harpies and
ravenous birds, lies in the Morea ; and
Peneus, from its qualities, is thought to be
the lake from which the Styx iffues, con
ceived by the ancient Greeks to be the paf-
Y fage

322 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEK.
fage into hell. This was in Greece wh^t
Avernus was reputed in Italy,
Vegetable produftions are excellent all
over European Turkey, efpecially when
affifted by the fmalleft degree of induftry ;
and It produces in great abundance and per
feftion oranges, lemons, citrons, pome
granates, grapes of. an excellent and uncom
mon fweetnefs, figs, almonds, olives, and
cotton ; exclufive of many drugs, not com
mon in other parts of Europe.
Almoft every fpot of ground, every river,
and eyery fountain in Greece, prefents the
traveller with the ruins of a celebrate^ anti
quity. On the Ifthmus of Corinth, the ruins
of Neptune*s temple, and the theatre where
the Ifthmean games were celebrated, are
ftill vifible. Athens, now Setlnes, which
coritains at prefent above ten thoufand inha
bitants, abounds with the moft magnificent
and celebrated antiquities in the world. Of
a few of the * moft remarkable of thefe I
fliall give you a ffiort account.
Among the antiquities of this once fu
perb city, are the remjiins of the temple of
Minerva, built of white marble, and en
compaffed with forty-fix fluted columns of
the

Let. xxix.] Greece. 323
the Doric order, forty-two feet high, and
feven feet and a half In circumference.
The afchitraVe is adorned with baffo-re-
lievos, admirably executed, reprefentlrtg
the wars of the Athenians. The Acropolis
is how a fortrefs, with a thick irregular
wall,' ftanding on the brink of precipices,
and enclofing a large area twice as lorig as
broad. Some portions df the an'cierit wall
may yet be difcovered on the outfide, and
iu many places it is patched with pieces of
cpiumnsi and with marbles taken from the
ruins ; and the rerifiains of fome of the edi
fices extant In the Acropdlls, cannot be be
held without admiration. It Is, in particu
lar, hot eafy to conceive a more ftriking
objeft than the Parthenon j though now a
mdre ruin.' Several figures in -alto-relievo
are ftill almoft entire ori the fide next Hy-
mett^s. Their fubjeft is the battle of the
Centaurs and Lapithae. On the freeze of
the cell. Was carved, iri baffo-relievo, the
folemnity of a facrifice td Minerva ; and of
this a hundred and feventy feet are ftand
ing, the greater part iri good prefervatipn,
containing a pfoceffion on horfeback. On
two ftones which have fallen, are oxen led
Y 2 as

J24 LETTEiiS OF A TRAVELLER.
as vlftlms. On another, fourteen feet Ion g#
are the Virgins called Canephoroi, who af
fifted at the rites, bearing on their heads
the facred canlfters, and in their hands each
a taper ; With Other figures, one a vene
rable perfon with a beard, reading iri a
large vdlume, which is partly fupported by
a boy. The ruin of the Eritheum is of white
marble, the architeftural drnarrieiits of ex-
quifite wdrkmanffiip, and uncommonly
curious. The columns of the front ofthe
terriple of Neptiine are ftanding, with the
architrave, and alfo the fereen and portico
of Minerva Pollas, With a portion ofthe
cell, retaining traces of the partition wall.
The order is Ionic. '\. '
The Pandrofeum Is a fmall, but veryj)ar-
ticular building, of which rio fatlsfaftory
idea cari be dommuriicated by defcription.
The" entablafure^ is fupported by wprrieJEi:
Called Caryatides.
The hill which is fp wards MdUnt Hy-
mettus, is indented with the 'fite of the
theatre of Bacchus, Where formerly ftood
the moft an<:ient tehiple of that deity, and
which was- adorried with images of the tra-

LET. XXIX.] GREECE. 325
glc and comic poets. Some ftone-work re
mains at the two extremities, but the area
is ploughed and produces grain.
The temple of Thefeus is of the Doric
order, a,nd in the ftyle of its architrave
greatly refembles the Parthenon.
The ruin ofthe temple of Jupiter Olym-
plas confifts of prodigious columns, tall and
beautiful, of the Corinthian order, fluted ;
fdme fingle, fome fupporting their archi
traves, with a few maffive marbles beneath.
The columns are about fix feet In diameter,
and near fixty in height. The number
without the cell was a hundred and fixteen
or twenty ; feveriteen of which were ftand-^
irig in 1676, »
On the fouth-weft pf Athens, is a beau
tiful ftrufture, cpmmonly called the Lan
tern of Demofthenes. It is a fmall round
edifice of white marble, the roof of which
is fupported by fix fluted colums:' of ^he Co
rinthian order, nine feet and a half high.
Ill the fpace between the columns are pan-
nels of marble ; the whole is covered with
a cupola, carved with the refemblance of
fcales ; and on the frieze are beautifully re-
prefented in relievo the labours of Hercules.
Y3 Here

326 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
Here are alfo to be.feenthe teriipleof the
Winds ; the remains of the theatre of
Bacchus; the temple of Auguftus; and
the magnificent aqueduft of the emperor
Adrian. In the conftruftion of thefe various edi
fices, .the Grecian architefts were fortunate
in having materials of a quality proper^
tioned to their dM'ii tran.fceiidant genius ;
for \he marble In Greece is efteemed one of
the finefl In the world.
A variety of emotions agitated my mind
while I furveyed the antiquities of this me-
mprable city, the birth-place of philofophy,
and of. almoft all polite learning. My imagi
nation attached a kind of fariftity to the.
ground which had been .trodden by Socrates,
Plato, Ariftotle, and Ariftldes. Had Athens.
retained her liberty and civilization to
the prefent time, even the ruins of their
houfes iriiglg: ftill have attrafted the vene
ration of pofterity ; and. been preferved
with as much folicitude as was, by the Ro
mans, the thatch-roofed palace of Romulus.
On the banks of the celebrated Ilyffus, a
very fmall ftream, there remains not a vef
tlge, of the Lyceum, fo famous in the annals
rt' of

LET. XXIX.] a^-^-c GREECE, ' \Ti:. 327
of philofophy.*'! ( The only memorial that I
could difcover, relative to literature, was a
plain tomb-ftone, apparently of great an
tiquity and faid to be that of the tragic
poet ^Efchylus. It Is probable that the
fingular manner of his death has contribut
ed to Identify this monument. You know •
that he was killed by the fall of a tortoife,
which an eagle daffied againft his bald head,
miftaking it for a ftone.
The Turks here are in general more
polite, focial, and affable, than Is common
to their nation, and partake In fome degree
ofthe Greek charafter. The citizens of
Athens are yet diftinguiffied by a native
quicknefs of apprehenfion, but which, not
being duly cultivated, Inftead of producing
genius, degenerates into cunning. They
are reputed a moft crafty, fubtle, and acute
race; and it has been jocofely affirmed, that
. no Jew can live among them, becaufe he
would be continually outwitted,
'„ Provifions of every kind are here good
and cheap ; the frequent and fevere fafts
having an influence on the markets. Hares,
Game, and fowl, may be purchafed for
little more than the value of the powder and
"im ffiot.

328 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEK. VV rii
ffiot, Oranges, lemons, and citrons, grow^
in the gardens : the grapes and melons are
excellent;, ^as are alfo the figs, which were,
celebrated of old. The wines are whole
fome, but the pitch infufed to preferve
them, communicates a tafte which proves
at firft dlfagreeable to ftrangers. When the
olives blacken, vaft flights of pigeons,
thruffies, and other birds repair to the
groves for food. Wild turkles are here not
iincommon, and partridges very frequent...
In winter, woodcocks likewife abound j
defcending, after fnow has fallen on the
mountains. Into the plain, and as fuddenly
retiring. In the time of froft, they enter
the gardens of the town in great diftrefs, ra
ther than crofs the fea, and are fometimes
taken with the hand. Snipes, teal, wid
geon, ducks, and the like, are alfo found
in great plenty. ¦- .<!.¦(!
The large horned owl, the favourite bird
of Minerva, and which the ancient Athe
nians placed as her companion in her temple
In the Acropolis, is here alfo to be foeu.
This fpecies of bird is as ravenous as an
eagle, and if preffed by hunger, will attack
lambs and hares. . < U
•- ¦ - , Many

LET. XXIX.] GREECE. ' 329
Many of the ancient wells yet 'remairi all
over Attica, Some are feen In the ¦vine
yards and gardens nearly in their priftlrie
ftate. They confift of a circular rim of mar
ble, about a yard high, ftanding on a fquare
pavement; adorned not inelegantly with
wreathed flutings on the outfide ; or plain,
with mouldings at the top and bottom.
¦ The olive-groves are now, as anciently,
a principal fource of the riches of Athens 7
and the honey of Attica continues to' main
tain its repute, particularly that of Hy-
mettus. The wild beafts which find ffiel
ter In the mountains greatly annoy theffiep-
herds, who conftantly guard their folds with
large fierce dogs. Anciently the perfon
who killed a wolf, was entitled by a law of
Solon to a reward, if a- female, to one
drachma,' or feven pence halfpenny ; if a
male, to five drachmas. Afterwjirds a ta
lent, or one hundred and eighty pounds
fterling, was paid for a young wolf, and
double that fum fpr one full grown. The
peafant now produces the fkin in the bazar
or- -market, and is recompenfed by volun-'
t^ry contribution. '" io*-
^¦^pjf , In

230 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. •''^ ¦ ¦¦^'¦
In the eaft part of Attica, on the lofty
Promontory of Sunium, ftood the temple
of Minerva Sunlas, vifible from afar ou the.
fea. This ftrufture was of white marble,
and had the fame proportions with the Par
thenon before-mentioned, but greatly in
ferior in magnitude. The order is the
Doric, and It appears to have been a fabric
of exquifite beauty. It had fix columns
in front. Nine columns were fta-ndlng on
the fouth-weft fide in the year 1676, and
fi-ve on the oppofite, with two antae pr pi
lafters at the fouth end, and part of the
-Pronaos. The number Is now twelve, be
fides two in front, and one of the antasi-^^
Ten miles fouth-eaft of Athenslles the
field of Marathon, famous for the viftory
there obtained by the Athenians over the
Perfians, under the command of Miltlades.
This celebrated plain is long and narrow,
and the foil reputed exceedingly fertile.
The barley which it produces was ancieritly
named Achillean, perhaps from its tallnefs;
and at prefentit yields corn of the moft lux
uriant growth. The principal barrow, pro
bably that of the gallant Athenians, men
tioned by Paufanlas, ftill towers- above the
level

LET, XXIX.] GREECE.

OO'

level of the plain. It Is of light fine earth,
and has a buffi or two growing on it. At a
finall dlllance northward. Is a fquare bafe-
ment of white marble, perhaps part of the-
trophy erefted by the Athenians ; but we
now look in vain for the pillars on which
the names were recorded.
About fifteen miles north- weft of Athens,
on the weft bank of the Cephiffus, near the
fea-coaft, lie the ruins of Eleufis, a city
that contended with Athens for empire, un
til it was taken by Thefeus. Here ftood the
magnificent temple of Cefts, where the
Eleufinian myfterles were performed. Some
marbles uncommonly maffive, and fome
pieces of the columns remain on the fpot.
The breadth of the cell is about a hundred
and fifty feet ; the length. Including the
pronaos and portico, two hundred and fix
teen feet ; and the diameter of the co
lumns, which are fluted, fix inches from.
the bottom of the ffiafts, is fix feet and a
half; The Temple had ten columns in the
front, which was to the eaft. The perlbo-
lus,^ or enclofure, which furrounded It on
the north-eaft and on the fouth-fide, mea
fures three hundred and eighty-feven feet in

33? LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
in length, from north to fouth, and threp
hundred and twenty-eight feet in breadth
from eaft to weft. Between the wall of the
enclofure and temple, and the wall of the
citadel, was a paffage forty-two feet fix
inches wide, which led to the fummit of a
high rock at the north-weft angle of the en
clofure, on which are vifible the traces of a
temple in antis. In length feventy-four
feet fix inches from north to fouth, and in
breadth fifty-four feet. It was perhaps, the
temple facred to Triptolemus. , This fpot
commands a very extenfive view of the
plain and bay.
At a fmall diftance from the north end
of the enclofure is a heap of marble, con
fifting of fragments of the Doric and Ionic
orders ; the remains probably of the. tem
ples of Diana Propylea, and of Neptune.:
Near it is the buft of a coloffal ftatue of
Ceres.' She carries on her head a bafket,,
carved on the outfide with handfuls of
wheat-ears, rofes, and bundles of poppies.
A bafis, fuppofed to belong to the ftatue,
lies at a little diftance from It, on the fides
of which is reprefented the proceffion of
Ceres, in baffo-relievo. The proceffipn, you

Let, xxix,] GREECE. 233
you know, was made by the Athenians in
commemoration of this goddgfs rambling
about the world in fearch of her daughter
Proferpine, ftolen by Pluto, after ffie had
lighted her torches at Mount Etna ; the
whole company having torches in their
hands, A well, yet In the village, maybe
that which was called Calllchorus, where
the women of Elufis were accuftomed to
dance In honour of Ceres. - ,
Delphi, the modern Caftri, ftands oft
the fouth-fide of Mount Parnaffus, about
half way to the top. This celebrated place
was much reforted to by the ancients, on
account of the temple of Apollo, and the
dark cave whence the Pythian prieftefs ufed
to deliver her oracles fitting upon a tripos.
The mountain Parnaffus appears with two
tops, from one of which, called Kyampeia,
the-Delphians threw the famous ..^fop. Be
tween the two fummits rifes a fpring, fup
pofed to be the fountain of Caftalia. The
defcent is by fome marble fteps, and the
water, from its agreeable coolnefs, is highly
tefreffiing to a traveller.
In the neighbourhood of Parnaffus is
Mount Helicon^ likewife confecrated to
Apollo,

J3i4 LETTERS' OP A TRAVELLEsK.
Apollo. They are both rocky hills, and
are covered with fnow during a great part
of the year.
The moft noted river in this province is
the Achelous, called by Homer the prlrice
of rivers. It rifes In Mount Pindus, arid
running fouthward, difcharges itfelf into
the bay of Corinth.
' Corinth ftands in an elevated fituatioiij
with an eafy defcent towards the Gulf of
Lepanto, the ancient Naupa6bis. 'Except in
the bazar or market-place, the houfes are
iri'terfperfed with cypreffes, corn-fields, arid
gardens of lemon and orange' trees. Tile
chief remains of antiquity afe at the fouth
weft corner pf the town, where' we meet
with eleven columns fupporting their archi
traves, of the Doric order, fluted, aiid
Wanting In height near half the commdri
proportion to the diameter. Within ' thBhi
is one taller, though not entire, which pro
bably contributed lo fuftain the roof. They
are not marble, but flone. This riiiri is
believed to be of very remote aritlquity,
and a portion of a fabric elefted riot onlv
before the Greek city was deftroyed, but
before the Doric order had attained to ma
turity.

LET. XXIX.] GREECE,' w '" 33f^
turlty. Perhaps it is the Sirypheum men
tioned by Strabo,
Corinth was the moft illuftrious of all the
Greek cities, and grew to great power and
riches by the commodioufnefs of its fitua
tion. But imprudently infulting the Ro
man ambaffadors, it was involved In a war
with that nation, under the conduft of
Mummlus, who took and burnt the city to
the ground. In this conflagration different
metals running together produced a third,
which was held In great efteem, and called
ces Corinthium. The city was afterwards
reftored by Caefar to its ancient fplendor,
and made a Roman colony. The prefent
inhabitants are generally Chrlftians, and it
is the fee of a Greek archbiffiop. The air
of Corinth Is reputed to be bad in fummer,
and in autumn exceedingly unhealthy ; but
the adjacent country abounds with com,
wine, and oil.
,. The narroweft part of the Ifthmus of
Corinth is about fix miles oVer, and here,
on a moujit called Oneius, were celebrat-ed
the Ifthmlan games every five years, in ho**
nour of Neptune, The ftadlum, however,
is not vifible ; but fome fragments remairt of

33^ LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER;
of the aricient buildings. A few veftigeg
may be tracedof the wall built, by the Lace
daemonians acfdfs the Ifthmus frdm fea to
fea, td fecure the Peloponefian peninfula
from the incurfions of the Athenians. At
tempts to unite the tWo gulphs by cutting
acrofs the Ifthmus, were fucceffively made,
without effeftj by Demetrius, Julius Cae
far, Caligula, and Nero, and afterwards
hy Herodes Atticus, a private perfon, , j
Ofthe celebrated Olympian now called
Longinico, hardly any veftlge now re
mains; but it will eVer be held iri veneration
for its precious aera by the chronologer and
hiftorian. Here the games were celebrated
the beginning of every fifth year ; a period
of four years complete being called an
Olympiads I have already mentioned Mount Athos,^
now corrimonly called Monto Santo, as ly
ing in a peninfula which extends into
the .Egean Sea. It is- indeed a chain of
mountains, reaching the whole length of
the- peninfula, feVen Turkiffi miles In
length, and three in breadth ; but what is
properly called Athosis only a fingle moun
tain. This is fo lofty, that on -the top, as
the

Let. xxix.] GREECE.- 337
the ancients relate, the fun . rifing was be
held four hdurs fooner than by the Inha
bitants of the coaft ; and at the folftlce, its
ffiadow reached irito tiie agora or market
place of Myryna, a town in Lemnos, which
ifland was diftant eighty-feven miles eaft
ward. There are twCnty-two convents on
Mount Athos^ befides a vaft number of
cells and grottos, with the habitations of
no lefs than, fix thoufand monks and her
mits ; though the proper hermits, who live
in grottos, are not above - twentyi The
other monks are anchorites, or fuch as live
in cells. Thofe Greek mOnks, who call
'themfelves inhabitants of the Holy Moun
tain, are by no means flothful people ; for
befides their daily religious avocations,
they cultivate the olive and vineyards, and
are likewife tradefmen^ as carpenters, ma-
fons, taylors, &c. It is obferved that thefe
men lead a very auftere life. They feldom
eat animal food, and their fafts are many
and fevere. This eourfe of temperance^ .
with the healthfulnefs of the air, rendet
longevity fo common in this part, that
many of them live above a hundred years.
The iame obfer-vation was made by the an-
Z cients :

338 LETTERS QF A TRAVELLED* t;3J
cients: for Elian informs us, that t|i|S
mountain iri geueral, and particularly the
fummit, was accdunted very healthy, and
conducive to long life ; whe;nce the iri
habitants were called Macrpbii, or long-
lived.. We are further informed by Philo-
ftratus, in the Life of Apollonius, that
numbers of philofophers ufed to retire to
this mountain, for the better contemplation
ofthe heavens and of nature j and it is pro-
hable that frdrti thofe examples the monBt
w^erc induced to build their cells.
Speaking of Mount Athos, I am remind
ed td rriake fome mention of the animals
mdft cornmon in Greece ; and have learned
from my prefcrit excurfion, that in order
to know the antiquities of a country, we
ought to have a competent acquaintance
with its natural hiftory. I have always
been furprifed that the ancient Greek
fculptors reprefented the God Pan as
having the head of a goat. Which, arriorig
us, you know, is ari animal of no great
Gonfideration. But the Cafe is otherwife
in Greece. There I found that- goats arc
the moft valuable part of the animal cre
ation to the inhabitants, for the riutrition tliey

tET. XXIX.] GREECE. 339
they afford Both of nillk and flefh. I kndw
riot any kind of meat more delicious than a
^Grecian kid. It was probably, therefofe,
out of coriiplittiellt to that deity, that they
diftiriguiffied him with fiich a cornxited head,
though td \xi the repreferitatiori appears
whimfical and ludicrous. I imagine that
fome fimilar reafon induced the Egyptians
to reprefent their god Anubis -^yith the
head of a dog. ^
* The black cattle in Grrcece are of a large
kind ; and Theffalian horfes are excellent
hoth in point of beauty and ferVice. Large
eagles abouiid in many parts of Turkey,
and their feathers are held in grdat efteem
for arrows by the. Turkiffi archers. Par
tridges are very plentiful, as well as all
iJther kinds of fowls and quadrupeds;

Zi LETTJER

340 LETTERS Of a TRAVELLEK*

fT*

LETTER XXX.

¦•;¦

'N approaching Conftantinople, the
capital of TTurkey in Europe, I was ftruck
with the grandeur of its fituation", and the
magnificent profpeft it enjoys. It ftands on
the European fide of the Bofphorus, and was
built updn the ruins of the ancient Byzan
tium, by the Roman emperor Conftantlne
the Great, as a more inviting fituation than
Rome for the feat of empire. It became
afterwards the capital of the Greek empire;
and having efcaped the deftruftive rage of
the barbarous nations, it was the greateft,
as well as the moft ^eautlful city in Eu
rope, and the only one, during the Gothic
ages, in which there remained any veftlge
of civilization and elegance. While it re
mained in the poffeffion of the Greek em-
perprs, it was the only mart in Europe for
th©

LET. XXX.] TURKEY, 34 1
the commodities ofthe Eaft Indies ; and it
derived great advantages from its being the
rendezvous of the Crufaders, Being then
in the meridian of its glory, the European
writers, in thpfe ages, fpeak of It with
aftonlffiment; and they exprefs the fame
opinion of its comparative grandeur, a§
TItyrus did of Rome. ,
Verum hac tantum alias inter caput extulit urbes
Quantum lent a folent inter viburna cuprejji.
Conftantinople is certainly at this day
one of the fineft cities in the world in re-
ippft pf its fituation and port. It is built
iijL a triangular form, with the feraglio
ftanding on a part of one of the angles ;
whence theje is a profpeft of the delightful
coaft of Afia Minor, fuperior to any thing I
have ever feen. By the feraglio I do not
mean the apartments allotted to the Grand
Seignior's wives and concubines, but the
whole enclofure of the Ottoman palace,
which is of great extent. The wall which
furrounds the Seraglio is thirty feet high,
and is built with battlements and towers,
in the ancient ftyle of fortifications. There
i^re in it nine gates, but only two of them
Z 3 magnifi'!

342 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEK.
magnificent; arid from one of thefe the
Ottoman cpurt takes the name ofthe Porte,
or the Sublime Porte, in all public tranfac-
tions and records, ^ "
The moft regular" part ofthe city is the'
Befoftin, enclofed with walls and gates.
Where the merchants have their ,' ffiops ar
ranged in beautiful order. I^ another part
of the city, is the Hipppdromp, an oblpi;i:g
fquare of four hundred paces by a hundred
and fifty, where they exercife on hprfeback.''
On the oppofite fide of the Porte are four
tPwnsj, viz. Pera, Galata, Pacha, and Top-
hana, which are all confidered as a part of
the fuburbs. Pera is the refidence of» the
foreign ambaffadors, and all the Franks or
ftrangers; for none of thefe are permitted
to live in the city. But no ftranger can re
gret this reftaint, as Pera is fo much:better
aired than the city, where the ftreets arc
generally narrow. Galata is alfo moftly in
habited by Franks or Jews, 1^^ sd j
In the markets for live cattle, flaves of
all ages and both fexes are publicly fold,
who are generally Chriftlans of the Greek
church, Amongft the moft beautiful elrls
thus expofed, the Turks frequently recruit
{.,a& ^.' their

LET, XXX.] TURKEY. ^43
their harams, employing old women to ex
amine, whether thofe they are inclined to
purchafe retain their virginity,
Conftantinople abounds with antiqui
ties ; among which is the' tomb of Conftan
tlne the Great, ftill entire. The mofque
of St, Sophia, once a Chriftian church, is
thought in fome refpefts to exceed In gran-.
cleur of architefture St, Peter's at Rome,
By the moft moderate computation, Con
ftantinople is fuppofed to contain about fix.
hundred thoufand inhabitants, of whom
nearly three fourths are faid to be Greeks
and Armenians, and the reft are Jews and
Turks, This city is much expofed to fires,
which often caufe great devaftation. One
great caufe of this calamity is the iiarrow-
nefs of the ftreets, with the ftrufture like-
wife of the houfes, which are generally
built of wood. But it is fufpe*fted that thefe
fires are fometimes wilfully occafioned by
the Janizaries, who embrace the opportu-
htty of comtnitting depredations on the un
fortunate fufferers,
Oppofite to the Seraglio, on the Afian
fide, and about a mile and a half diftant
acrofs the water, is Scutari,, where the

544 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
' s ¦ . . ' _ . "
Grand Seignior has a pleafure - houfej^
adorned with a royal mofque.
The fecond city of the Turkifh empire
in Europe, is fituated in a fine plain on the
river Mariza, about a hundred and fifty
miles north-weft of Conftantinople.. The
ancient name of this city Was Oreftes ; but
-being deftroyed by an earthquake, it was
rebuilt by the emperor Adilan, froth whom
it has fince been denominated. It is about
e^ight miles In clrcuiiiference, and contains
feveral grand mofques. The pleafaritnefs
of the place occafions it to be often vifited
by the grand Seignior, whd has here a Se
raglio equal in beauty, though n.ot in ex
tent, fo that of Conftantinople. This city
was taken by the Turks In 1362, and be
came the feat of their empire^ before they
ihade a conqueft of Conftantinople,
In their buildings the modern Greeks ob
ferve the fame 'difpofition as the ancients.
The men arid women have feparate apart
ments, called Andronltis, and Gynzecbrii-
tis ; of which the latter, for the fecurity of
their wives, is always iri the interior part
of the buildipg. There are no chimnies in
the Greek houfes. A brafier is placed in
the'

LET. XXX,] TURKEY, ' 34^
the middle of the room, that thofe who are
not ffifficiently warmed at a diftance, may
more conveniently draw near it ; and this
utenfil, as in ancient times, is placed upon
a tripod. To defend the face from the heat and
fmoke of the brafier, it is covered with a
tendour, or fquare table ; over whic!(i Is a
carpet, with a cloth of filk, more or lefs
magnificent. Round this apparatus, fofas or
cuffiions are placed, for the accommodation
of -the company. The tendour is ufed
chiefly by the ladies, while engaged at their
embroidery, an employment which occu
pies the greater part of every day during the
winter ; the remaluder being fpent in re
ceiving the vifits of their friends.
The Greek ladles, conformably to thp
cuftom ofthe ancients, prefent their harid
to bekiffedby their daughters, their flaves,
and other perfons who are their inferiors.
The.manner in which the girls falute thofe
of their own fex and rank, is klffipg the
eyes, while they mutually take hold of each
other's ears. This cuftom, as we find froni
Theocritus, is likewife veryancipnt. The

34^ LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
;The Greeks have an enthu^aftic paffion
for black eyes ; and the wornen ftill conti
nue the cuftom of painting the eye-brows,
and the hairs ofthe eye-lids, of a black co
lour, which they perform by .means of a
preparatipn of antimony and gall-nut.
At the marriages of the modern Greeks
an epitnalariiium is ftill performed, and the
celebrated torch of Hymen^ continues to
blaze in the proceffion tp the nuptial bed,
yiear which It is afterwards placed, whers;^
it burns till the whole is cpnfurped. If by
^ny accident it ffiould be extinguifhed, the
moft onilnous prefages 'would be drawn ;
on which account it is watched ^with as
much care as the facred fire formerly by the
Veftals. Various other cerpitipnies atteriEt-^
ing the marriages pf thp ancierit Greeks
are likexyife ftill praftifed. Que cuftom,
however, is peculiar to the'moderns, which
is,^hat by their religion they are enjoined
continence the firft night of marrlage.'This
injunftton was formerly eftabllffied in fome
other countries of .Europe, ' and was intro
duced at the fourth councilof Carthage, in
the year 398. As the priefts had the power of

^ET. XXX.] TVRKEY. 347
pf difpenfation, the cuftom was probably the
fource of great emolument to that order.
Being now upon the point of leaving the
continent of Turkey in Europe, I ffiall pre
fent you with a few ftanzas, written in
my paffage through that celebrated couu-
try, which I could not quit without offer
ing fome facrifice, however inconfiderable,
to the mufes. From the fcene where this
fmall piece of poetry was compofed, I ffiall
give it the name of a Grecian Ode,
Firfl Orpheus rofe, a mighty bard,
Whofe genius got fhe high reward, .
To found the vocal ffiell :
With which, . 't;is wond'rous to declare, ¦
-He trees an,d ftpnes niade dance in a,ir,
And charm'd the powers of hell !
But this ftrange tale, however fam'd.
Means only that he mankind tam'd.
By reafo^, ipdt by rhymes ;
'Twas fure a .work not for a drone,
O ! would to. heay'n the ajrt were known,
In thefe diftrafted times.
Next rofe a bard in fame fupreme,
gtill gods and heroes were his theme,
Qn harp divinely ftrang:
Of

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
Of battles fierce, adventures rare.
And incidents without compare.
In ft rains fublimehe fung.
To him, by fate, the boon was giy'n,
To mix with all the gods in heav'n, .
When round thenedlar flow'd;
And thence, with more than mortal pow'r,
When wrapt in the exftatlc hour.
His ardent fancy glow'd.
' From fwee.t.Ipniathen there came
' A fage, -whom verfe can hardly name,
But to the mufes known :
O'er fea an^. land, he hi'.d tp gal^j.
On the Olympic crojvded plain,
Hiftorical rehown.
Simple and pleafing ^ was his ftyle.
Nor rude, nor' poUffi'd with the file
That oVvns the critic's laws : '
Wide o'er the world hls.eyes he caft,
And various deeds through ages paft,
From vague tradition, draws. ,
Now Eloquence, whom all the Nine,
With ev'ry mental pow'r combine,' '
To form to high renown; '• ' '
Rais'd her fam'd voice amidft the crowd.
Applauding Athens eccho'd ipud,
And gaVe the laurel crown. AgalA

LET. XXX,] TtTRKEY. 34^
Again the h^v'nly -Nine infplre J
Apollo tunes the golden lyre.
To gain eternal praife :
Then Sappho foft, Alcjeus ftrong,
And Pindar rapid, pour'd along
Their rich immortal lays.
Anacreon too, a jovial wight.
Harmonious verfes would endite,-
When Bacchus' raptures fir'd ;
Of love and wine he conftant fung.
On wine and love the changes rung,
And by the grape expir'd.
'Twas then, the mufe firft trod the ftage
With comic pow'r, and tragic rage.
That knew alike no bound :
To charm the heart with keen delight.
Or tears of tranfport to excite.
By fympathetic wound.
One, wifdom gaily to impart,
Pourtray'd with dext'rous ftrokes of art,
The follies of mankind :
The other, deep in pafHon Iklll'd,
With terror rouz'd, with pity thriU'd,
And humaniz'd the mind.
While Gfenius thus difplay'd her pow'rs,-
In all thatcharrns the ling' ring hours.
With pleafures high refin'd ; Bright

^50 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
feright feafon, with celeftlal rayj
i^juick darted in effulgent day.
On the benighted mind.
Then role th' illuftrious moral Sage
Whofe naine's rever'd through ev'ry age.
To whom the charge was giv'n,
By force of truth and converfe gay.
To teach mankind the arduous way
To virtue and to heav'n.
Then, too, the fplendid arts arofe,
- The marble breathes, the canvafs glowSj
With itilhiic life ihfpir'd :
Upheaves the column'd pile fublime> ;i
Deftin'd to triumph over time, aii-ff
By all the world admir'd, VjJ, £
Such were the arts, and heav'nly ftrainS," ''
Which fpread o'er Greece's hills and plains,'
In thofe trarifcendant daysj'
¦ When all Caftalla's fluices fiow'd.
And all the fire of fancy glow'd.
With ardor for the baysi
With trees and men,' in Homer's page^
Leaves fllll to leaves, and age to agcj
Succeed in endlefs ftore ;
*Tis nature's impulfe o'er this ball j
But oil I when arts and empires fall,"
They faU to rife no more,
LETTER

LET, XX^l] r,v^,TURKEY. 35!

LETTER XXXI,

A

Tour through the iflands belonging
O DO
to Turkey in Europe, is one of the mdft
pleafant excurfions which a claffical travel
ler can make ; and as you are converfant
with ancient hiftory, of which they form
a diftiriguiffied part, my prefent letter ffiall
be devoted to a brief account of their pre
fent ftate*
Negropont, the ancient Euboea, lies ori
the eaftern coaft of Achaia, or LIvadia, and
is ninety miles long, by twenty-five in
breadth. Here the Turkiffi gallies gene-
tally lie.
The moft remarkable circumftance re
fpeft ing this Ifland is the tides of the Euri-
pus, which have, baffled the inveftigation' of
all natural enquirers, frorii Ariftotle to the
prefent time. Thofe tides are regular from the

/

^^2 Letters of A TRAvELLESi
the l,aft three days of the old moon to thd
eighth of the new. The ninth they be
come irregular, and continue fo to the thir
teenth inclufively. The fourteenth they
again become tegular, and obferve ftated
periods till the one and twentieth exclu-
fively, when they return to a variable
cOurfe, in which they continue until the
twenty- feventh day. When they arc irre
gular, they flow twelve, thirteen, or four
teen times, ahd ebb as often in twenty-four
or twenty-five hours ; at which times the
the water is a,bout half ari hour rifing, and
three .quarters of an- hour falling. But
when the tides are regular, they obferve
the fame rule as the tides in the ocean.
In the Euripus, however j the tide never
rifes above a foot, or little more; The
ifland Itfelf is very fertile, producing coi-n,
wirie, fruit, and cattle in great abundance,
fothat all kinds -pf provifions are extreriiely
cheap* ¦
• 'Lethrios, 'dr Italimerie, lies in the notth-
erri'^ part of the Egean fea, or Archipeiag(y,
and is almoft a fquare of tWenty-five mile^
each fide; It likewife produces corn: and
arid Wirie^ but its principar riches afifl"
-' " ¦" from

Let, xx;xi'.] tvrkey, , 353
from its mineral earth, called Terra Lem-
nia, or Sigillata, much ufed in medicine.
It receives the latter appellation from being
fealed up by the Turks, who draw from it
a confiderable revenue.
Tonedos is fituated oppofite to Old Troy,
and is mentioned by Virgil as the place to
which the Greeks retired, and left the Tro
jans in a, fatal fecurity. If we give credit
to his authority, it Avas formerly an opu
lent place.
Eft in confpeStu Teiiedos, notijftma famd
Infula, dives opum, Priami dum regna manebant :
Nunc tantum finus, & ftatio mala fide carinis.
, Scire, formerly Skyros, is fituated about
twenty miles north-eaft of Negropont, and
is eighty miles in circumfbrence. The foil
near the coaft is very fertile, but further up,
the country is rocky and barren, yielding
only pafturage for goats. The number of
inhabitants is computed at one hundred
thoufand, four-fifths of whom are Greeks,
and the reft Jews, Turks, and Catholics.
Their wealth confifts in milk, butter, wine,
and filk, of which they make annually tp
A a the

3.54 letters of a travelled, -r
the amount of a hundred thoufand
.Crowns. .
The rriaftich in this ifland being reckoned
the beft in the world, is entirely appropri
ated to the ufe of the Grand Seignior's Se
raglio, where the ladies chew it, in prder
to whiten their teeth, and render their
breath more fweet.
,: Partridges are here in great numbers ;
fo tame, that they feed all day in the
fields like poultry, and at night return to
the farmer's hdufe dn the call of a whiftle.
This ifland was the country of king Ly-
comedes, where Achilles, in the habit of
a girl, was educated, and lay concealed, to
prevent his going to the fiege of Troy, It
was alfo famous for the exile of Thefeus,
king of Athens, Pallas, who was protec-
trefs of thia ifland, had a temple on the fea-
coaft, of which fome cohimns yet remain
ing are fuppofed to have been a part.
Leffios, or Myteleneis about fixty miles
long, and twenty-five broad, and contains
upwards of a hundred villages; ^one of
which, Eriffo, is fuppofed to be the ErifSis
of the ancients. I furveyed this beautiful
ifland witli particular pleafure. It iscfa-
•:"• - mous

Let, xxxi.] " Turkey:'"' "^ - * 3^5
¦ - hious for*the number of philofophers arid
poets which it has produced. Among the
moft celebrated of the natives, were Pit-
tacus, orie of the wife men ; Sappho, the
Jjoetrefs ; and Arion, who is faid to have
charmed the dolphin with his mufic* Epi
curus and Ariftotle read leftures here. '^It
produces corn, figs, oil, arid Wine ; the laft
of which was much admired by Ariftotle,
- Horace, and Strabo.
.(go Engina,- or Engia,. is fituated In the
Gulph of Engia, to which it gives name,
between' Achaia and the Morea. It is a
fruitful country, about thirty miles in cir
cumference, and abounds with partridges to
that decree, that the people are fummoned
anriUally to deftroy their eggs, for the pre
fervation of their corn.
On the fumrriit of the mountain Panhel-
leniiis are the remains of a magnificent tem
ple, dedicated to Jupiter, arid vifited from
all parts of Greece. It -was of the Doric
brder. Twenty-one of the exterior co-
luriins are yet ftariding, with two in the
front of the Pronaos, and of'the Protlcum,
arid likewife five of thofe which formed the
ranges within the cell. The fituation of
A a 2 this

3<6 letters OF A TRAVELLER*

T ;.{ H

this ruin on a lonely mountain, at a diftance
from, the fea, has ' preferved it from total
demolition amidft all the changes and acci
dents of numerous centuries ; aiid if lias a'
claim to be confidered as the moft ahcient
riiohunient ofthe heroic ages,
. This Ifland was the kingdom of ^acus,'
arid the inhabitants were called myrmi-
dones, or a nation of ants, from their great
application to agriculture. It formerly vied
with Athens for naval power, and at the
fea- fight of Salamis' difputed the' palm of
viftory with that republic. This rivailhip
induced the Athenians fo an aft, that ^ai^^
reproachful to the humanity of a people fo
much civilized. They'paffed a decree to
cut off the thumbs of all Ivich of the .iEgine-
t^ as Were fit fdt fea-ferVice, t
, Porus, another iftand in the Gulph df
Erigia, is eighteen miles in circUfnference,
and remarkable only for the banlffiment of
Demoflheiie's, who here polfoned himfell",,
to'a-void falling into the hands Of Antipater^
, Coluri, the ancient Salamis, is fituated
in the fame bay, feven miles fouth of
AtheiYs,'and feparated from the Continent'
by a' ftrait about a mile in breadth. This
.,;^!  -, " little

LET. XXXI.]' TURIiEY, ^^j
little Ifland, not above ten miles long, and
five or fix broad, was the kingdom of xAjax,
the fon of Telamon, fo famous in the hif
tory of the Trojan war. It was alfo the
country of Solon, the celebrated law-gJver
of Athens.
Scio, or Chios, lies eighty miles weft of
Smyrna, and is about a hundred miles in
circumference. This ifland, though roCky
and mountaiaous, produces oil and excel
lent wine, but no corn, and Is fuppofed to
contain upwards of a hundred thoufand in
habitants ; of whom only about ten thou
fand arc Turks, the reft being Greeks, who
.have here a great number of churches,
T|ie women in this, and almoft all the
other Greek iflands", have in all ages been.
.jcelebrated for their beauty ; and their per
fons have been the moft perfeft models of
fymmetry.to painters and ftatuarles. Thofe
are ftill the moft ftriking ornaments of
Chios, They commonly fit at their doors
and windows, twifting cotton or filk, or
employed in fpinning and needlework ; and
they are not backward, in accofting ftran
gers with familiarity. They bade us weir
come as we paffed. On Sundays and Holi-
Aa3 days

358- LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. TT,
days the ftreets are filled with them in
groups. They wear ffiort petticoats,, reach
ing only to their knees, with white filk or
cotton hofe. Their head-drefs, which is,.
peculiar to ¦ the ifland, is a kind of turban,;
made of linen, extremely thin and white,
Their flippers are chiefly yellow, with a
knot of red fringe at the heel. Some wear.
them' faflened with a thpng. Their gar-'
ments of filk are of various colours ; . and
their whole appearance was- fo fantaftic and
lively, as to afford us much entertainment.
The Turks Inhabit a feparate quarter,
and their women are concealed. Among
the poets faid to be born in this ifland, the
irihabitants reckon Homer, and ffiew a little..
fquare houfe. Which they, call Homer's
fchool, Samos lies oppofite to Ephefus, on the
coaft of Afia Minor, about feven miles from
the Continent, It is thirty miles long, and
fifteen broad; Befides wine, which is. in
high requeft, it produces oil,; pomegra
nates, and fjlk. It was the native country
of Juno, Samia the Sybil, and Pythagoras,
The ruins of Junp's ternple, and of, the an-.
^i^Ii^

LET. XXXI'.] TUJIKEY. 359
cient. city of Samos, are the fineft remains^
of antiquity in the Levant.
South- weft of Samos lies Patmos, one of
the fmalleft of the iflands in the Archipe^
lago, and extrernely barren. It has, how
ever, a commodious harbour. To this
place St. Joh^i the Evangelift was baniffied;
and the monks who are upon the ifland
ffiew a cave where he is fuppofed to have,
written the Apocalypfe.
The Cyclades iflands lie in a clufter
round Delos, the chief of them, which is
fituated about midway between the Conti
nents of Europe and Afia. Delos is not
more than fix miles in circumference, but
is one of the moft celebrated of the Grecian
iflands,' as being the native fpot of Apollo
and Diana. Notwithftanding its ancient
glory, however. It is now almoft deftitute
of inhabitants ; and we meet with no vef
tlge of the temples of either of thofe deities,
Paros is one of the Cyclades, Like moft
of thei Greek iflands, it contains magnifi
cent ruinsfof antiquity.; but is chiefly cele
brated for the beauty and whitenefs of Its
marble, *as well as for being the birth-place
of the famous ftatuaries, Phidias and Prax- iteles«

26o LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.v-
itcles. , Frpm this Ifland were brought the
Arundelian marbles, or Parian Chronicle,
iv'hich I mentioned in my letter on
llrigland. ~ . , .: ,
Cerigo, or Cytherea, lies near the, Mo
rea, oh the eaft, and is between, forty, and
fifty miles in circumference, biit,^-ocky and.;
rhbuiitainous. It is chiefly remarkable for
being the favorite refidence of Venus, and-
the native country of Helen, who gave rifo .
to the war of Troy. • . rn-'
Santorin, forrherly called Califta, -^iid.
afterwards Thera, is one of tlie moft fouth-?
erly iflands In the Archipelago. . Though"
feemingly covered, with pumice. ftores, ^yet
bythe induftry of the Inhabitants,- who are
about ten thoufand,' it produces, barley and-.
¦wane, with fome wheat. Near- this ifland-
ariothef of the Tame name, rofe from the
bottom pf the fea, in 1 707. Attjig time of
its Afcent there Was an earthquake, attended '
with the moft direadful lightning arid, thun-
de*f , and ebullitions ' pf the fea for fpveral-
days. ¦''When 'it aro^, it was aftijere; vol-,-
cano, but thfe; burning foon, ceafed. It is,;,,
elevated about two hundred feet above the,
fea,; and ^t the tijl^e of its pn3crging,.,was,.'

LET. Xf:ir.]' ¦ ¦* TURKE-S^. ' ' 36!
^byut- five-'inllfe^ in circumference, tut A^
has-fihce incferafed. Several other iflan<ls
iri the .Archipelago appear to have .had. the
like origin ; but the fea in their nelghbotir-
hood is fo deep as not to be fathomed.
' The famous Ifland of Rhodes lies abp.ut
feven leagues fouth-weft of the coaft of
Afia^ Minor,' beliig about fixty miles long,
and twenty-five broad. This ifland is
healthful and pleafant, and abounds with
wine and fruit, but the inhabitants import
their COtii from the neighbouring coun
tries. The chief town, which bears th?
fame name, ftands on the fide of a hill
fronting the fea, and is three miles in cir-
cumferericeV interfperfed with gardens,,,
iriiriurets, churches, and towers. The
harbour is" the -(jrand Seignior's principal
arfenaf for ffiipping, and the place is ef
teemed among the ftrongeft fortreffes be- ,
longing ko the Turks. At the mouth of,,
the harbour of Rhodes, which was fifty
fathoms wide, anciently ftood the .CplofluS'-
of brafs , ' Which was defervedly accounted ;
one of the wonders of the world. One foot
being placed dn each fide of the harbpur,
fliips paffed- between its legs ; and it held
- ixi

^2 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
in one hand a light-houfe for the direftloiii
of mariners. The face of the Coluffus re
prefented the fun, to whom this image was
dedicated ; and its height was about a hun
dred and thirty-five feet. The' Knights of
St. John of Jerufalem, after lofing Palef-
tlne, took' this Ifland from the Turks in
1308 ; but lofing it iri 1522', after a bravp
refiftance, they retired to Malta.
Candia, the ancient Crete, lies almoft
equally diftant from Europe, Afia, and
Africa. It is about two hundred miles
long, and fixty broad. This Ifland was an
ciently renowned for Its hundred cities, fof
its being the blrth^placp of Jupiter, and'
the feat of leglflature to all Greece ; but the
jurifdiftion of Minos and Rhadamanthus
has long fince ceafed. About the m'iddlo
of the ifland ftands the famous Mount Ida,
which is no better than a barren rock ; and '
nothing but the luxuriant imagination of Ho-'
mer ever covered It with flowers. Lethe, the
river of oblivion. Is a torpid ftream. Some
of the vallies, however, produce wine-,
fruits,, and corn, all of them excellent ia*
their kinds,
^.-iiji Cyprus

LET. XXX;.] TURKEY, - 36^3
j^ Cyprus lies in the. Levant, about feven
leagues - from the coaft of Syria and Palef
iine. It is a hundred and fifty miles long,,;
and feventy broad. Here is one of thdfe
mountains called Olympus, but no fprings
or rivers except what the. rains produce;
and there was fuch a deficiency of this-re^
fource, during thirty, years, in the feign of
Conftantlne the Great, that the inhabitants
were obliged to abandon the ifland forTome
tirne. Its natural produce, however, is fo
rich, that many European nations have con
fuls and faftors refiding upon it. It affords
great plenty of grapes, which yield excellent
wine. Cotton alfo, of a very fine quality,
is, here cultivated, befides oil, filk, and tur
pentine. The capital is Nlcpfia, which lies
in the middle of the ifland, and is the fee
of a Greek archbiffiop. Its ancient ca
pital was Famagufta, which has a good har
bour. This ifland was formerly famous
for the worfhip of Venus, the Cyprian god-
defs ;^ and its female inhabitants feem not
to, have degenerated from their anceftors
as devotees to Venus. Paphos, that an
cient feat of pleafure and corruption, is one
9f ^hp divifions of tlie ifland ; and in it are
fome

36| LETTERS OF AITRAVELLER.' "
fome ruins, fuppofed to ..Ije thofe of the
temple of Venus. During the time of the
Crufades, Cyprus was a rich and fiouriffi
ing kingdom. Inhabited by Chriftlans, but
the oppreffion of the Turks has Impoyc-
rlffied it to fuch a degree, that the revenue
they draw from it, I was well affured, does
not amount to fifteen hundred pounds fter-
ling. _ ^_ ^ _ " -; -; A
Of the iflands in the Ionian fea, the rnbft'
confiderable are Xante arid Corfu, The for-''
mef has a confiderable trade, efpecially in'
cuYra,nts, grapes, and wine' ; the latter is ^
the refidence of the Governor General over
all the iflands, which are in general fruitful
arid lately belonged to " the Vehetiaris,
Ainong the iflands of fmaller note is Ifola
del' Compare, which would ' not deferve
robe mentioned, had It not been thean- '
ci'eftt Ithaca, "the birth-place and kingdorn .
oflJiyfles.-

LETTER

let'. XXXII.] ASIA. ^6^$

LETTER XXXlh

ji\. FTER travelling over the various
kingdoms and ftates of Europe, I now ar^-
rive in a different quarter of the world,
upon the continent of Afia ; which exceeds
both Europe and Africa in the extent of its.
territories. Whatever partiality we may
entertain for Europe, as the moft civilized
part of the globe, it is certain that Afia
excells both the other quarters abovemen
tloned. In many particulars ; thefe are, the
the ferenlty of its air, the fertility of its
foil, the delicioufnefs of its fruits, the fra-
grancy and balfamic qualities of its plants,
fplces, and gums, the falubrity of its drugs,
the quantity, variety, beauty, and value of
its gems, the richnefs, of its metals, and
the finenefs of its filks and cottons It

^^6 LETTERS bF A TRAVELLER.
It was in Afia that the all-wife Creator
planted the 'garden of Eden, in which he
formed the parents ofthe huinan race. Afia
became again the nurfery of the world after
the deluge, when the defcendants of Noah
difperfed their Various colonies into all the
other parts of the globe. ~ It was in Afia
that God placed his once favourite people,
the Hebrews, whorri he enlightened by re
velations dellvered'by the prophets, and to
whom he gave the oracles of truth. It was
here that the great merciful Work of our
fedemptlon was accompliffied by his divine
Son ; and It was thence that the light of his
glorious gofpel was carried with amazing
rapidity Into all the known nations by his
difclples and follo-wers. Here the firft
Chriftian churches were founded, and the
Chriftian faith miraculoufly propagated and
cherlffied, even with the blood of iniiu-
hierable martyrs,' It was iri Afia -that the
firft edifices were reared, and the firft em
pires founded, while the other parts of the
world were inhabited only by wild animals.
On all thefe accounts, this quarter clalrris
a fuperiority ; though it muft be owned
that a great change has happened in that
part

LET, xxitli,] Asia. - 367
part of It called Turkey, which has loft
much of its ancient fplendor, and from the
mpft populous and beft cultivated fpot In
Afia, is become a wild and, uncultivated
defert. The other parts of Afia continue
much in their former condition, the foil
being as remarkable for its fertility, as moft
of the inhabitants for their indolence, effe
minacy, and luxury. This effeminacy ap
pears to be chiefly owing to the warmth of
of the climate, though in fome meafure
heightened by cuftom and education ; and
the feveral degrees of it are more or lefs
evident, as the nations happen to be feated
nearer to, or farther from the north. We
find that the Tartars, who live nearly in the
fame latitudes with us, are as brave, hardy,
and vigorous, as any European nation.
What is wanting in the ftrength of perfonal
conftitution among the Chinefe, Moguls,
Indians, and all the Inhabitants of the moft
fouthern regions, is in a great meafure
comperifated by the vivacity of their minds,
and ingenuity in various kinds of workman-
fiiip, which our moft fkilful mechanics
have in vain endeavoured to imitatCb this

a

6-8 LEtTERS OF A TRAVELLER*

This vaft extent of 'territory was fficcef^
fively governed in paft times,- by the Affy-
rians, the Medes, the Perfians, a,nd the
Greeks ; but the immenfe regions of India
and China were little known to Alexander
or the conquerors of the ancient" ¦w'orld.
Upon the decline of thofe empires, great
part of Afia fubmitted to the Roman arm& j
and afterwards, in the middle ages, the fuc
ceffors of Mahomet, or, as they are ufually
called Saracens, founded in Afia, in Africa,
and Europe, a more extenfive empire than
that of Cyrus, Alexander, or even the Ro
man when in the height of its power and
fplendor. The Saracen greatnefs ended at
the death of Tamerlane ; when the Turks,
vlftorious dn every fide, took poffeffion of
the middle regions of Afia, which they ftill
enjoy, ¦ • „ .«:
Befides the countries poffeffed by the
Turks and Ruffians, Afia contains at pre
fent three large empires, the Chinefe, the
Mo^l, and the Perfian, upon which the
lefs extenfive kingdoms and fovereigrities '
of Afra generally depend, - tii*
The prevailing government in this quar
ter j of the world is abfolute monarchy. If

Let, 5ix^ii.] .,?-.. ASIA, ^ 369
If any of them can be faid; to enjoy fome
ffiare of liberty^ it is the wandering tribesj
fuch as the Tartars and Arabs.
Turkey^ Arabia, Perfia, part pf Tartaryj-
and part of India, profefs Mahometaiiifm.
In the other parts of Tartary, India, China,
Japan, and the Afiatic iflands j they are ge
nerally heathens and idolaters, Jews are
to be found every where, in Afia*
Natolia, or Afia Minor, eoriiprehending
various provinces celebrated in. Greek and
Roman hiftory, is orie of the mpft defirable
couJatries in the world, for the purity of
its air, the. riatural fertility of the foll^ and.
thp , beautiful profpefts it affords ; but with
aU thefe a,dyantages, it is now, through the
Turkiffi indpl§rice and tyrannyj either for-
faken, or become , a theatre of, ruins, , The
fites ofthe ancient cities arc ftill difcernible.
Towards the. northern extrenxity ftppd the
celebrated city of Troy, immortalized in
the, poems, of Homer and Virgil.
The ruins of the ancient Ilium were,
fought for in vain in the time of Julius Ciefar.
 ¦  totaieguftiur -
Per gama duntet^ : etmm fierier e ruina. LucAir.
Of the Troja Nova, which is ffippofed
to have been built by Alexander the Great,
Bb or

37<3 letteSs of a tr:avellerv.
or at leaft much enlarged by him and iijifi*
machus, there are ftill fome noble remains;
but the ingenious Mr. Wood ftrongly con
tends, that this place mUft be at a confider
able diftance from the famous Ilium.' This
opinion he founds upon an examination of
the prefent ftate of the Troad, compared
with tbe topographical fcenes, attd fome of
the incidents in the Iliad, The' prefent
Troy, he obferves, ftands upon the fea ;
but this is not the Troy of Homer; for that,.
Was higher up, and looked towards tbe
Hellefpont, not towards the ^gean. He
is certain that the Scamander is confidera
bly changed from what it was in the d^ys
of Homer, The hot fpring, accordiiig to
the poet, was one of the fources of this:
river : but it is now much lower than the:
prefent fource, and has no communication
With the Scamander. The fountains whence
the river took its rife were, accordlnggtO;
Homer, clofe by the walls of thp city ;x>hvt%-
thc ground about the fountain, iti^ob-;
ferved by Mr,* Wood, is too fteep andcTugr^
ged for the fituation of a city. Suth a fitu- ..
ation, he remarks, cannot be madetpac-
eprd with the puifiiit:; of Heftpr, npr.w-ith
i^isiM " many

LET'. XX5£ir.]^'^ "'¦ ^- " ¦ ASIA. •¦ •- - 371
many dthef incidents in the poem. The
diftance alfo of the prefent fource from the
Hellefpont is too great to adnciit pf the ac-^
tions pf the day. For thefe reaforis Mr,
Wood fixes the fituation of the city lower-
down than the fprings of the Scamander;
and he likewife Ventures to cut Off fome
miles from our ancient map of the Trojan
plain, upori a prefumption, fupported by the
natural hiftory of the country, that a great
part of the plairi^ which extends tO the
Hellefponti has been produced firite the
time of Homer,
It is hot to be qUeftibnedi that iri the
coUrfe of hear three thoufand years, the
Troad, as well as othef parts on the Ionian
coaft, has undergone great alterations ; but
it wOuld perhaps; be , precipitate to deter-
mine thofe alteiations, from the diflimilarity
between thepreferit ftate of this territory,
and the reprefentation of it in Homer. No
thing is more- probable, than that much of
the fcenery in: the Iliad exifted only in the
poet's imagiriation ; and that this was the
cafe, therfe*lEeein& additional reafori to cdn-
clude, from the admired epifode at the be
ginning of thetwelfth book, intended to ob-
B b 3 TJate

571 letters of a traveller. -"^^ ^
viate the queftion, why no ruins remained
of the Grecian wall ? This paffage being fo
pertinent to the fubjeft in controVerfy, de
ferves to be quoted.
" This ftood,, while Hedor , and Achilles rag'd.
While facred Troy the waning hofts eng^g'd ;
But when her fons were flain, her city burn'd, ^
And what furviv'd of Greece to Greece returij'd i
Then Neptune and Apollo ffiook the ffiore.
And, Ida's fummits pour'd their wat'ry ftore ;
Rhefus and Rhodius then unite their rills,
Carefus roaring down the ftony hills,
.iEfepus, Granicus, with mingled force.
And Xanthus, foaming from its fruitful fource;
And gulphy Siiriois, rolling to the main
¦Helmets and ffiields, and god-like heroes flain :
Thefe turn'd by Phcebus from their wonted ways,
Delug'd the rampires nine contjnuaf days :
The weight of water faps the yielding -wall,.
And to the fea the floating bulwa,rk^ fall. ,.
Inceffant catarafts the thund*rer pours.
And half the ikies defcend in flulcy,ffiow'xs.;
The god of ocean marching ftern before.
With his huge trident wounds the trembling ffiore ;
" Vaft ftones and piles frorri their foundation heaves,
And~ whelms the fftioaky ruin in the waves.
' Noiv fmooth'd by farid, and levell'd by the flood,
-No fragment tells Where 'once the ruin ftood.
!.:.3i..- But

LET. XX^II.] ASIA. 373
, ,Butwha.tever increafe or change the p^aln
may have received fince the fiege of Troy,
the adjacent mountains could not eafily, l3;p
affefted by the caufe of any fuch alteration.
We therefore find that Mount Gargarus,
Cotylus, and Leftum? have only changed
their names, and continue to make the
farne confpicuous figure, which diftingulffi-,
pd them in the Iliad. The defcription given
by Homer of Mount Ida likewife corref-
ponds with its prefent ftate ; fpr its nume
rous fummits are ftill covered with pine-
trees, and it abounds with fountains,
Monf. Chevalier, a Frenchman, pub
llffied a few years ago an interefting ac
count of the Troad, in which he contends
that the prefent fituation of the Plain of
Troy correfponds exaftly with the defcrip
tion of it in fhe Iliad. It is ftill diverfified
by a few barrows ; and into the largeft
of thefe, which he conjeftured to be that of
Achilles, Monf. Chevalier informs us that
he ,made an ppening. He affirms that he
fpu.rid in this repofitory the identical urn
mentioned by ,Hpmer, which Achilles re-i
pelved of his mother Thetis, and deflined
^o contain his own affies, with thpfe of his.
:p b 3 friend

J74

letters of A TRAVELLEK.

friend Patroclus. But I wiffi, that for the.
fatisfaftion of the public, Mr, Chevalier,
in order to corroborate his own teftimoriy,
had procured the attendance of fome re-,
•fpeftable gentlemen from Conftantinople,
to be witneffes of the difcovery. He
doubtlefs might have formed a party for
that purpofe aniong the foreign ambaffadors
at the Porte, who Would have made fa
ffiort an excurfipn with pleafure, to gra
tify antiquarian curiofity.
According to Mr. Wood's computation j
the ancient kingdom pf Priam includes in
its circumference about five hundred Eng
lifli miles. Of this above two hundred are
a maritime traft, waffied by the Propontis,
Hellefpont, and ..^Egean Seas. Fe-vy fpots.
of equal extent enjoy more natural advan
tages. The climate is temperate and health
ful ; the hills are covered with woods, and
the plains, which are fertile, well watered.
The country produces oil ; and in ancient
times fome parts of it were famous for
wine. There are mineral waters and .hot
baths, which the natives ufe for feveral difr
prders j and the mountains contain mines,
¦¦ which.

LET, XXXII.] ASIA. 375
which probably, might be wrought to ad
vantage. In this quarter of Afia Minor, lies Lydia,
or Meonia, the kingdom of the celebrated
Croefus. The capital city, Sardis, was fitu
ated on the river Paftolus, about feventy
miles eaft of Smyrna. It was once the fineft
city In Afia Minor, and one. of the feven
churches raentioned in Scripture ; but be
ing demoliffied -by an earthquake, is now
in ruins. The fite of it, which at prefent
js named Sart, is green and flowery. Com
ing from the eaft, we have the ground-plot
of the theatre on our left hand, with a fmall
brook running before it.; This ftrufture
was in a brow, which unites with the hill of
the Acropolis. Some pieces of the vault,
which fupported feats, and completed the
femicircle, remain. Going on we pafs by
remnants of maffy buildings ; marble pieces
fuftaining heavy fragments of arches of
brick ; and more indlftinft ruins, Thefe
are in the plain before the hill of the Apro-
polls. On the right-hand near the roa^, is
a portion of a large edifice. The walls are
ftanding of two large, lofty, and very long
jpoms, with a fpace between them, as of a
paffage.

376 LETTERS 0<P:;A.TRAVELtESJ
-pgffage. This is cpnjgftured: to have beeii
part; of the houfe of Croefus. The walls in
this ruin have double arches beneath, and
confift chiefl.y of brick,, with fome: layers oi"
ftpne The bricks are extremely fine and
good, pf various fizes, fome flat and broad,
andj.yv^pre united v/ith a cement fo tenacious,
that It Is faid to be unfufceptlble of decay,
^ jNdt far from the weft end is the cele
brated river Paftolus, which rifes in
Mount Tmplus, and once flowed through
the middle of the Agora, or market
place of Sardis, in Its way to the Herjnm,
bringirig down from the mountain bits of
gold. ,, The treafures of Croefus and his an
ceftors were collefted chiefly from, the ri
yer, , but in time the fource failed. The
Paftolus, after fnow or raiuj ruffies down
ill atprrenjt ; but at other times the ftream is
ffiallow. The bed is fandy, in colour inr
cllning to arejidlffi yellow. . \^
In afcending the Acropolis,' we are fudt-
deply ftruck with a view of the ruin.pf a
temple, in a^ retired, fituation, beyond the
Paftolus. , Five columns are ftanding, one
\^ithout,the capital, and a.nother with the
papitaLawry, Jt is. conjeftured that this. wi$ the

Let. xxxie] asia. « 377
the temple dedicated to the local goddefa
Cybebe, or Cybele, and which was da-r
maged in the conflagration of Sardis by the
Mdefians. It was of the Ionic order, and
had eight columns in front. The ffiafts are
fluted, and the capitals defigned and carved
.with exquifite tafte and fkill. It is impof
fible to behold, .without deep regret, this
imperfeft remnant of fo beautiful and glo
rious an edifice*
Before Sardis, on the oppofite fide of the
plain, are many barrPws on an eminence.
Near the lake Gy gpea, five miles from
Sardis, was the burying-place of the Ly-
dian kings ; and here the barrows are of va
rious, fizes. Four or five are diftinguiffied
by their fuperior magnitude. All of them
are covered with green turf, and retain
their conical form. One of thefe barrows
is inferior only to the Work of the Egyptians
and Babylonians,' It was the monument of
Halyartes, the father pf Croeffis.
Not far from thence is Mount Sipylus,
to a phaenomenon extant in which, the fable
of the transformation of Niobe, the daugh
ter of Tantalus, is indebted for its origiff.
This phaenonienon is found to be the effeft of

37^ LETTERS OF AITRAVELLER.
of a certain portion of light and ffiade on a
part of Sipylus, perceivable at a particular
point of view, ' '
. Other towns In this province are the an '
cient Philadelphia, Thyatira, and Laodicea,
each of them one of the feven churches
mentioned by the ^ apoftle St, John- The
latter was confiderable fpr t;rade in the time
of Cicero, but is now in ruins. The firft
ruin which prefents Itfelf is of an amphitheT
atre, in a hollow, the form oblong, and
the area about a thoufand feet in extent,
with many feats remaining, At the weft
end is a wide vaulted paffage, defigned for
the horfes and chariots, about a hundred
and forty, feet long, The entrance from
without is choaked up, except a fmall
aperture, at which a glimmering light en
ters ; and the foil has rifen above the ina-
pofts of the interior arch.
On the north fide of the amphitheatre,
towards the eaft end, is the ruin of a large
edifice. It confifts of many piers and arches
of ftone, with pedeftals and marble frag
ments. This fabric was perhaps the repo
fitory ofthe laws, and included the fenate^
houfe, and public offices. Fron>

|,ET. XXXII.] ASIA, 37gj
From this ruin may be feen the Odeum,
which fronted the fouth : the feats remain
on the fide of the hill. The profcenium
Hes in a confufed heap : the whole was of
piarble. Sculpture had been laviffied on It,
and the ftyle favoured lefs of Grecian tafte
than Roman magnificence.
On the bank of the Meander we difco
ver the ruin of an ancient bridge, confift
ing of half the central arch, with on«
fmaller arch entire ; and we may obferve
fome ftones and veftiges of a building, which
Is fuppofed to have been a temple of
Menes, called Carour 5 a deity that was
worffiiped in a peculiar manner. The teril-
ple was between Cafoura and Laodicea, and
had once heeii a great feminary of phyfi
cians. The river Maeander, which makes fo
many windings in this couritry, was anci
ently noted for the produftion of new land,
occafioned by Its paffing through the
ploughed grounds of Phrygia and Cariaj
whence collefting much fllmc, it added tO
the coaft at its mouth. The Masander was
iridiftable for removing" the foil, wheri its
margin tumbled in ; and the perfon whd
¦ recovered

LETTERS pF A TRAVE^L^R^ . --- x
recovered ^damages, was paid from the pro
duce of the ferries. Thofe downfalls of
the,t[anks were very frequent, and are fup
pofed to;be the caufe of the windings fo re
markable in the channel of this river.
From ,the alterations already effefted at the
mouth of the Masander, there is reafon ta
believe, that in a ferles of years the ffiore
will protrude far into the fea, and perhaps
unite the iflands which at prefent lip at a
diftance. To the fouthward of this diftrift ftood
Miletus, ,a city of great antiquity, faid tp
have bepn built by Miletus, the companion
of Bacchus, This once flouriffiing empo
rium is now a very mean place, but ftill
called Palat or Palatia, the Palaces.. The
chief relic of its former magnificence is a
ruined theatre, which is vifible afar off, ^nd
was a moft capacious edifice, meaffiring in
length four hundred and; fifty-feven feet.
The external face of this vaft fabric is mar^
ble. The profcenium or front has been
removed. The feats, ranged, as ufual, pn
the flppe of a hill, and a few of therp.; re-
ni^in. The vaults which fupported theje^-
tfemities, with, the arches or avenues in
' the

LET. XXklll] ASIA/ 3§|
the two wings, are conftrufted with great
folidity. The veftiges of the aricient city are ffieCes
of wall, broken arches, ^nd a few fcattered
pedeftals, with iftfcriptions, a fquare mar^
ble urn, and feveral fountains. This was
the country of Tliales, orie of the feveii
Wife men ; of Anaximander, his fcholaf arid
fucceffor, the inventor of fun-dials; of
Anaximenes, the phllofopher ; Timotheus,
the celebrated mufician, and other eminent
perfons. Among the numerous trophies of
this ancient city, it was famous for its wooL
' — '  quamvis Milefid mdgno
Feller a muiantur, Tyrios incoEla rubor es.
Myndus is a port town on a bay of the
fea, in a part bf the divifion called Doris.
This is the city whicli Diogenes the cyiilc
obfer-ving to be very fmall, and the gates
difproportlonally large, called to the inha
bitants to ffiut their gates, tO prevent th?
efcape of the town. '
Priehe Was fituated On the fide of mount
MyCale, near which the Ipnians celebrated
the Panionia, or yearly affemblies iri honoi:
of Heliconian Neptune, tt was alfo the
Country of Bias, one of the feven wife
men ;

^%2, LEtTERg OP A TRAVELLERJ-XX o'^"
men ; who, when the place was taken hf
the enemy, and the citizens were flying
With their mpft Valuable effeftsi, being afked
why he did not do as they did ? replied, he
always carried his beft effefts With himi
meaning his philofophy and wifdom. Being
a man of the ftfifteft equity, Juftitid Pri-
i?«^«/S^j became proverbial;
This city was famous for the temple of
Minerva Pollas, the remains of which yet
evince its former elegance and grandeur;
Wheri entire it overlooked the city. Which
was feated on the fide of the mountain, flat
beneath flat, in gradation, to the edge of
the plain. The areas are levelled, and the
communicatlori preferved by fteps cut iri the
flopes. Below the temple are broken co
lumns, and pieces of iriarble, the remains
of edifices of the Ionic and Doric order's.
Further doWn is the ground-plot of the
Stadium^ by the city wall; The area was
narrow, and the feats ranged only ori'the
fide facing the plain. The whole circuit of
the wall df the city is ftanding, befides^fe-
teral portions within it of admirable folidity
and beauty. M

LET. XXXII.'} -.-¦¦ ASIA. ¦- ¦-r'-rTi.l
At Ure, about twenty-two miles from
Miletus, is the celebrated temple of Apollo
Didymeus^ It is approached by a gentle
afcent, and feen afar off, the larvd towards
the fea lying flat and level. The columns^
yet entire, are vfo exquifitely fine, and the
marble mafs fo vaft, arid noble, that it is im
poffible perhaps to conceive greater beauty
and majefty of ruin.
=Halicarnaffus, Price a flouriffiing city, is-
now nothing more than a heap of ruins. No
veftlge remains of the tomb erefted by Ar-
temifia for her huffiarid Maufoleus, though
formerly efteemed one of the feven won
ders. .Of this city was Herodotus^ called
by Cicero The Father ef Hifiory ; and like-
Wife Dionyfius, not only a good hiftorian
but a critic J
Ionia and Eolis form iri corijunftion a
long traft of land, extending from fouth to
nprth, upon the coaft of the Archipelago.
In this territory was fituated Ephefus, the
moft illuftrious city of Ionia, and called by
Pliuy the bright ornament of Afia. Here
ftood the celebrated temple of Dianav
which Eroftratus burnt to perpetuate ' his
memory, the fame night that Alexander was>

2^4 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER;
was born. Many grand ruins are yet to be
feen of the Stadium Theatre, Odeum j and
other buildings; and fome of them ffippofed
to be the remains of Diana's temple, there
having been a fecond erefted to the honour
of that goddefs^ not inferior to the former^
TheEphefians are now a few Greek peafants,
living in extreme wretchednefs and infen
fibility ; the reprefentatives of. an illuftri
ous people, and inhabiting the wreck of
their greatnefs;- fome |:he fubftru£lipn§ of
the glorious edifices^ which they raifed ;
fome beneath the vaults of the Stadium,
once the crowded fcene of their diverfions;
and fome, by the abrupt precipice, in the
fepulchres which received their affies. Of
this place was Heraclitus the weeping phi-
lofopher, Hipponax the poet, and Parrha-^
fius the celebrated painter.
On the banks of the Cayfter, near Ephe
fus, are thick groves of tall reeds, fome of
which are more than twenty feet high.
This extraordinary luxuriance is perhaps
the reafon why the river-god is reprefented
on the Ephefian medals with this aquatic,
as one of his attributes,
Myts

LET. XX5^II.] ASIA. 3^5
Myus W-as orig^'iiially feated On a bay of
the fea, but the bay being changed into k
lake, becahie freffi ; and the town was fo
much infelled "With gnats, which fwarmed
frofti the Water, that the inhabitants retired
to Miletus'. The fite df Myus is as roman
tic as its fortune was ektraordlriafy ; and
there are here many rertiiiiarits of antiquity
to attraft the attention. The city-wall,
which was coriftrufted With fquare towers,
like that of Ephefus, is ftill ftanding, ex
cept on the fide towards the wateri We
behold the theatre hewn iri a branch of
Mount Titaniis, with fome maffy rem
nants of the wall of the Profcenium ; but
the marble feats iare removed. The priri
cipal ruin is the fiilall temple of Bacchus.
It is feated ori ari abrupt rock, with the
front only, Which is towards the eaft, ac-
ceffible. The roof is deftroyed; The cell
is well built of fmooth ftone covered with
d brown cruft. The marbles which lie fcat
tered about, the broken columns,- and mu
tilated ftatiies', all witnefs a reriiote ari-
ti<^uity. Without the city afe the cerhetaries of its
early Inhabitants ; graves cut in the rock,
C e fuited

386 LETTERS OF A TftAVELtEft,
fuited to- the human ftature at^ all ages ;
with innumerable flat ftones, which ferved
as lids. The city of Myus was allotted to
Themiftocles, by Artaxerites, to furriiffi his
table with fiffi, in which the lake greatly
abounds,
"f- At the head ofthe lake are veftiges of an
ancient building, fuppofed to have been
Thymbria, By it was a charonium or fa
cred cave ; one of thofe which the ancients
imagined to communicate with the infernal
regions. At Zelle, the ancient Claros, fome ruins
are to be feen, fuppofed to be of the temple
of Apollo, who had an oracle at this place ;
but there exifts no memorial of the facred
;grove of affi-trees. In the neighbourhood of
Claros ftood Colophon, one of the cities
which laid claim to the birth of Homer,
Teos, riow called Bodrun, is at prefent
almoft entirely defolate. The walls appear
to have been about five miles in circuit 5
-without which are vaultsof fepulchres ftrip-
"ped of their marble, i-Here are the remains
of a temple of E^chus, one of the moft
..celebrated ilru.ftures:iaToiiia j and ,athe-
-atre is confpicuous , in the fidp . of the hdL
:a?I> . a . This

Let, xxxri.]: ,-, ¦¦AgiA. 387
This: was 1 the country of Anacreon, the
ppetj Hecatasus the hiftorian, and Prota
goras the philofopheri The books ofthe
latter, as containing atheiftical doftrlnes^
were burnthy order of the Atheriians ; and
his father Menander was fo opulent as to
entertain Xerxes and his numerous at
tendants on his march againft Greece.
„_Erythr2e has long been deferted j and
even ftripped ; of its rviins, except fome
vaults of fepulchres, and. other fragments.
The walls of Erythrae were erefted ori
two femicircular rocky brows j and had
fquare towers at regular diftances. In the
.middle was a ffiallow purling ftream, clear '
as chryftalj which now turns a folitary mill
in its way to the fea. This rivulet was an
ciently named Alcos, and was rem arkable
for producing hair on the bodies of thofe
who drank of it. Near the mouth is a piece
of ordinary Mofeic pavement. By a conical
hill on the north, arc veftiges of an ample
theatre in the mountain fide* Of the. cele
brated temple of Hercules no traces Diow
remain* Lampfacus is fituated on the fouthern
fliore of the Propontis, and retains its an-
C c 3 eienfi

388 LETTERS Of A TftAVELtE^ - .
cient name. It was affigued by Artaxerjtes
to Themiftocles, for furniffiing his table
with wine, in which the cotintry abounded*
Alexander ha^ving threatened this city with
ruin, /or the favor it had fhewn to the
Perfians, it was faved by the addrefs of
Anaximenes the hiftoriart, who was fent by
his fellow citizens to deprecate the king's
difpleafure. The latter being informed of
the defign, folemnly declared he would do.
the very reverfc of Ariaximenes's requeft ;,
who therefore, on - his arrival, begged the
king utterly to deftroy Lampfacus ; which
he could not do on account of his oath.
Smyrna, now called Ifmir, is a con
fiderable city, and has the largeft and
moft commodious harbour in the Levant.
The city is about four miles In circumfe
rence, and contains feveral. thoufand inha
bitants, ampng whom there is a number of
Greeks, Jews, and Armenians. The neigh
bourhood of Smyrria is exceedingly plea
fant, on account of the gardens and vine
yards, olives and orange-groves, with which
it is furrounded; and through thefe runS:
the river Melus, on the banks of which,
according tp the tradition of the place, the
poet

LET. xxxlf.] Asia. 385
poet Homer W'as born. Many valuable an-
tiquities'iare ilill to be feen in the environs
of Smyrria ; but the plague, with which
it is fo' often vifited, beginning to make
its appearance, I was induced' to quit
Smyrna fooner than I intended.
At this time I had occafion to obferve the
fatal prejudice of the Turks with refpeft to
predeftiriation. I took the liberty, by means
of an interpreter, to fuggeft to them the
propriety of having recourfe to medical af
fiftance, againft the ravages of that terrible.
difeafe ; but a ffirug of the ffioulder, or a
ffiake of the head, was all that my remon-
ftrance could produce. They are firmly
perfuaded that a precife time is fixed for the
death of every perfon ; and that it is. in vain
to endeavour to protraft this period by any
pie^icinal application.

Cc3 LETTER

39P LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,

LETT i; R XXXUU

ROCEEDING fouthward from Afia
Minor, I came to Syria, and Paleftlne, or
Judea, now prodigioufly altered " from its
foffner flate, The Turks are particularly
fond of reprefentlng this fcountry in the
moft dreadful colours, and have even propa
gated a thoufand falfehoods concernlrig it.
But it Is admitted by all impartial men who
have'vifited the couhtiy, that wefe the Holy
Land as well cultivated as in former times, .
it would be more fertile than^ the very beft
parts of Syria and Phoenicia. Its prefent
barrennefs does not proceed from the natu
ral unfruitfulnefs of the foil, but from the
want of inhabitants, the indolence which
prevails among the few who poffefs it, and
the perpetual difcords and depredations df
the ^etty princes who ffiare amdrigfi; them this

LET. XXXIII.] ASIA, 391
this fine country. It is a well-attefted faft,
that in this country the huffiandman when
fowing, is often accompanied by an armed
friend, to prevent his being robbed of the
feed ; and after all, it is uncertain whether
he ffiall ever reap the harveft. Under fuch
extreme difcouragement, it cannot appear
furprifing that It ffiould be neglefted.
There are ftill in this country many ci
ties, but greatly decayed from their ancient
grandeur, and have little or no trade.
Seandaroon ftands upon the fite of Old
Alexandretta, but is now almoft depopu
lated. In its. neigbourhood are fuperb re
mains of antiquity. Aleppo preferves a
refpeftable rank among the cities of Afiatic
Turkey. It continues to be the capital of
Syria, and is fuperior in its buildings and
conveniences to moft of the Turkiffi cities.
Its houfes, as ufual in the Eaft, confift of a
large court, with a dead wall to the ftreet,
an arcade or piazza running round it, paved
with marble, and in the middle an elegant
fountain of the fame. Aleppo ¦ and its ffi-
burbs are feven miles in circumference,
ftanding on eight fmall hills, on the hio-heft
of which is erefted the citadel or 'caftle, but

392 LETTERS, OF A TRAVELLE?.
but -of no great ftrength. -Haying ri^iany
gardens within the wall, it i§. furniffied
with mpft of the conveniences of life, ex
cepting good water, and even that is fup
plied by an aqueduft, four miles In extent,
and faid to have beeri ere^ed by the em
prefs Helena. The city contains fome
magnificent mofques and bagnios. The
Englifh, French, and Dutch have confuls
here. The firft of them is treated witl^
partlculai; diftinftlon ; aud at his houfe I
had the pleafure pf refidingduring my ffiort
ftay -at Aleppo.
The pity of Jerufalem has been fo often.
razed tp the ground, and rebuilt anew,
that no fcene of Our Saviour's life and fuf-
ferings pan no-w be afcertained ; yet the
Greek and Arminian priefti in thajt quarter,
who, fubfift by the credulity of ft.r angers,
pretend to guide trayellers to eyery fpot
meiitioiied in the Old ^nd New Teftament.
The church of the Holy Sepulchre, as it is
called, f^d to be built by Helena, mother
to Conftantlne the Great, is ftill ftanding,
and of tolerable good architefture ; but its
differeut divifions, and the difpofitions made
round it, are cliiefly calculated tp, fupport the.

LET. x;xxiii.] ASIA. 393
the forgeries of its keepers. Other churches
ijullt by the fame pious lady are fcattered
pver Paleftlne ; but the altered ftate of the
country has left no traces of the kingdom
of David and Solomon, under whom it
was undoubtedly rich and flouriflilng.
Thp ancient cities of Damafcus, Tyre,
and Sidon, ftill retain part of their former
trade. Damafcus is now called Sham, and
the approach to it by the river is inexpref-
fibly beautiful. It is about two miles
fquare, and encompaffed with gardens
highly cultivated. It fiill Is famous for Its
,fteel-work, fuch as fword-blades, knives,
:&c, and contains a fine mofque, which
was formerly a Chriftian church. The na
tives maintain this place to be the feat of
¦Paradlfe, and have a tradition that Adam
was formed of the duft of the neighbouring
fields, Sidon, now Said, which likewife
was within the ancient Phoenicia, has ftill
fome trade, and a tolerable harbour. Tyre,
now called Jur, about twenty miles diftant
from Sidon, which was famous anciently for
its purple .dye, is now inhabited by fcarcely
any but a few miferable fiffiermen, who
|ive in tlie ruips of its ancient grandeur. I was

¦$n

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.

I was extremely defirous of feeing BaI-»
bee, the ruins of which are fo much cele
brated. It ftands on a rifing plain, between
Tripoli in Syria and Damafcus, at the foot
of Mount Lebanon; and is the ancient He-
liopolis of Syria. Here are ftill to be feen
the venerable remains of magnificent edi
fices. The portico of the temple of Heli-
opolis is remarkably fuperb, though disfi
gured by two Turkiffi towers. Of the pil
lars, which were fifty-four in number, the
greater part are broken. The whole length
of the building is two hundred and nine
feet, and about a hundred and four in
breadth. It is furrounded by a beautiful
colonnade, the pillars of which are of the
Corinthian order, feven feet in diameter,
and in height almoft forty-four. They
ftand at the diftance of nine feet from each
other, and the fame from the wall. The
decorations of thefe pillars, together with
the architrave and cornices, are extremely
magnificent. The length of the infide of
the temple is a hundred and twenty feet,
and the breadth about half that meafure.
AU around it are two rows of pilafters, one
above another, and between them are
niches,

LET. xxkiii.] ASIA, 395
niches, probably for the reception of idols.
At fome diftance from the temple, is a row
of large Corinthian pillars, of a greater
height than thofe in the temple ; and there
are feveral other places where fuch pillars
had ftood, the ruins of which are now lying
on the ground.
Making tbe circuit of the edifice on the
outfide, one is aftonlffied to behold the pro
digious ftones which are the remains of the
old wall. They are in general not under
fixty feet in length, twelve feet high, and
the fame in breadth. Thefe ftones lie conti
guous to each other in a rpw, at the height
of twenty feet from the ground ; and from
the difficulty of accounting how fuch huge
bodies could be ranged there in fuch a fitu-
atiOn, the people in the : neighbourhood
have a tradition that they were brought thi
ther by fupernatural agents.
' Not far from the temple, or caftle, as it
is now Called, is another ancient edifice, of
a round form, confifting of the fame kind of
'ftones as thofe before-mentioned, and
which has a ftrong refemblance to the tem
ple pf Janus at Rome; The pillars are
likewife

^9^ LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
likewife of the Corinthian order, decorated
with architraves and cornices of exquifite
workmanffiip. Various haye been the conjeftures con
cerning the. founders of thefe immenfe
buildings. The inhabitants of the country
generally afcribe them to Solomon, but
fome to the time of Antoninus Plus. Per-
-haps they are of different ^ras ; and though
that prince and his fucceffors may have re
built fome- part of them, yet the boldnefs
of their architefture, the beauty of their
ornaments, and the admirable excellence
ofthe whole, feems to fix their foundation
to a period before the Chriftian ^ra, but
vrithout afcending to the amcient times of
the Jews or Phoenicians, whp probably
Isnew little of the Grecian ftyle of ar
chitefture. '
Balbec is at prefent a fmall city, encom.-
paffed with a wall. It contains abou;t five
thoufand inhabitants, chi^y Greeks, who,
live in or near the circular temple, in houfes
built out of fhe ancient ruins. A free-ftone
quarry in the nighbourhoqd, furniffied the
ftones for the body of the temple ; and one of

LET. XXXIII.] ASIA. •^(^'J
of the ftOaies,- not quite detached from the
bottom of the quarry. Is feventy feet long,,
fourteen, broad, fourteen feet five inches
deep^ and reduced to our meafure, is ele
ven hundred and thirty- five tons. A
eoarfe white marble quarry, at a greater
diftance, furniffied the ornamental parts.:';
Near the road leadlrio; from Balbec to
Mount Lebanon, at the diftance of a few
miles from the city, ftands a pillar of th©
Corinthian order, confifting of fifteen
blocks of ftone, placed -on each other, to
the height of fifty-feven feet, and five feet
in diameter. The caufe of its being erefted
is utterly unknown, there not remaining
on the pedeftal the leaft trace of any in
fcription. Mount Lebanon Is ftill .diftinguiffied by
cedars, which are remarkable both on
account of their great antiquity, and the
mention made of them in Scripture. They.
feem to be of very different ages: the
younger ffioot up vertically, with their
branches expanded, all round, but the old
ftandards have a low and eoarfe ftem,
not above fix feet high to the branches,
' growing

398 LETTEiiS OF A TRAVELLER;
growing in figure like fruit-trees^ Some-
of thefe are four or five fathoms in cir
cumference, with feveral names cut on
them* On this mountain are to bc
found ftones, which have alt the appear
ance of having been formerly mud; con
taining the bones of fiffies, and fome en
tire fiffies, fuppofed to have been depofited
at the time of the deluge*

LliTti:!^

tET. XXXIV.] ASIA. 39^

LETTER XXXiy.

Y

OUR tafte for the Arabian Nights
Entertainment will no doubt render you
defirous of knowing the prefent. ftate of
Bagdad, which was the metropolis of the
caliphate under the Saracens. It is built
upon the Tigris, and fuppofed to be near
the fite of the ancient Babylon, It retains
but few marks of its ancient fplendor,
but has ftill a confiderable trade. The
houfes are generally large, built of brick
and cement ; and moft of them have a
court yard in front, in the middle of which
is a fmall plantation of orange trees. The
inhabitants of this place were anciently fa
mous for making various figures of earth or
clay, with which the country abounded.
The fame materials ftill exift in the neigh
bourhood ; the clay is of a browniffi colour, and

400 LETTERS of A TRAVELLElfi
and bituminous quality, and I obferved
feveral chiidferi amufing themfelves with
forming imag-es of it. ; ; ~:
The ancient Thrievea is noW a heap of
ruins,. and the fite of- it is- occupied by Cur-
diftolj the capital of a country of the fame
name, which Was the ancient Affyrla.
As I know the eftimatiori- in Which you
hold a certain celebrated critic of antiquity^
Who ffiall hereafter be mentioned, 1 may -.
be- affured of your defire to- feceive fomo
account of P-almyfa.-' ;**:¦' . . .
Palmyra, nof -as-it W^as called by the anci
ents, Tadmor in the Defert^ is fituated ii*
the wIMs of -Arabia- Petrsea, -aboiii two hun
dred miles to the fouth-eaft of Aleppo. Ic
is approached through *a narrow plairi^
abbUnding with remains of antiquity^ at the
termination of which the eye is pfeferited-
With a fig-ht the moft' mag-nlficent that can
be imigiried in arehltefturei The Temple
of the SUn lies iri ruins ; but the accefs tP it
is*' through a vaft number of beautiful Co^
ririthlan •cdlumns of white marble, the
grandeur and beauty of which can Pnly be
conceived from drawings; and - for this I s
muft- refer you td theBaceurate plates pub-'
liffied

LET, XXXlV.] ASIA. 40]t
liffied by Mr. Wood, Superb arches,
ama^iing columns, a colonnade extending
four thoufand feet in length, terminated
by a noble maufoleum, temples, fine porti*
cos, periftyles, intercolumniations, and en
tablatures, all of them in exquifite tafte,
and executed with the moft heautifujL ma
terials, appear ori all hands- ; but now fo
much disjointed, that it is impoffible from
them to forpl ariy adequate idea of th«
whole of the ftrufture wheri perfeft.
Thefe ftriking remains are contrafted by
the miferable huts of the wild Arabs^, -who
refide in or near them;
Amidft the prefent deiblation of this
Wonderful place, there yet exifts in it one
of the moft perfeft pieces of antiquity that
is any Where to be founds It is a maufo*
leum, j^confifting of five ftories, the flpors
and ftaifs of which are ftill entire. Aa
infcription upon it informs us that it was
¦built by Jambelicus, fon of MocimUs, as a
burial-place for himfelf and his family J and
the date of it corrdponds With the third
year pf the Chriftian aera : fo that it is now
1795 years old. Dd That

4-02 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLeS.
That fo fuperb a city, formerly ten miles
in circumference, could exift in the midft
of what ate now trafts of barren uninha
bited fand. Is a faft which appears almoft
incredible. Yet nothing is more Certain,
than that Palmyra was formerly the capital
of a great kijjgdom ; that it Was the empo
rium of the Eaftern world, and that its
merchants carried on a trade with the Ro
mans, and the weftern nations, for the
merchandizes and luxuries of India and
Arabia, Its prefent alter'd fituation, there^
fore, can be accounted for only by natural
caufes,- which have turned the moft fertile
trafts into barren deferts. The Afiatics
think that Palmyra, as well as Balbec, owes
its origin to Solomon, and their opinion re
ceives fome countenance from facred hif
tory. No mention of it occurs in profane
hiftory before the time of Mark Anthony,
and Its mpft fuperb buildings are thought to
be of the lower Empire, about the time of
Galllenus, Odinathus, the laft king of
Palmyra, was highly careffed by that Em
peror, and even declared Auguftus, His
widow Zenobla reigned in great fplendor
for feme time, and her fecretary, as you
know J

.know- was Longinus, the celebrated critit.
rl^pX being, able to brook theRbriiah,tyranriyi
/ffie^de^cl^r^'d, waf agairift the Em^efoi: Au-
.reiiari, who made he"r.priforief, led her iii
Iriurnph.tp^Rpme, where he put td death
hef; principal .nobility, arid ahiohg Others
t^e. ,excellent .Lpngirius, the critic above
mentioiied. Fie afterwards look poffeffion
x>f her city, and maffacred its inhabitarits;
,hut expended large funis but of ZeriObia's
treafure oi\, repair irig the Terriple ofthe Sun.
L_-,,^Xu]f|:py.iiv Europe and Afia forms a Very
: large ,pmpii;e, but the ppptilatioii Of the
. coUntry^S by tig riiearis equal to its extent
dr ,fei"tility. It. is Certainly hot fp great as
it was ;, before, the chriftian asra, dr even
Under the Rpman Emperors. One prm-
cipal caufe, bf this declenfion is the tyfaririy
- ,uii,dei',^,which. the, inhabitants live; and
another their polygamy. That the latter is
; unfavorable to population, rrihy be evinced
, frpm mauy reafons; and in faft we find
, tliat the i Greeks arid Armettiaris, among
whomj it is not praftifed, are incomparably
,;;jm ore- prolific thaii the Turks, riotwith-
, llanding the rigid fiibjeftipn iinder which
, they are kept by that natipri. Aii additl-
i) d i ' ^ ' ' onal

404. LETTERS O.F,A TRAVEtL^Ri^:
onal caufe of depopulation is the plague,;;
lo frequent in many parts of thefe Cpuntries.;
After all, I believe the Grand Seignior^ has
more fubjefts than ::¦, anyi two Euj:opean
princes; though they are-* a greater mix
ture, of people extremely .idiffereiit from
each other in religion, than is to, be found
in moft other countries.'i >/rhough-this ex-.
tenfive empire contains materials for the
largeft. plan of induftry arid commerce,: yet.:
the Turks content themfelves -with manuj?
fafturing cotton, carpets, leaflier, land foapi
The moft valuable of their commodities^-
fuch as filk, a variety of drugs, :anddying
ftuffs, they generally export without giving
them much additional value from their own
labour ;u a circumftance highly , difad^ari?
tageous to themfelves, 'but what renders
the commerce with them more. favOrable to
other nations. In one article, however,
which is that of dying cotton fcarlet, they
evince a dexterity beyond eyery other pep-
pie In the world.
¦5,. The internal commerce of .the empire is
extremely fmall, ' and managed entirely by
Jeyvs and Armenians. ^ .In thciritraffic with
the,; feveral maritime countries of Europe, the

LET. xxsrv.] ^,A ' "' Asia. * - -^ - ^ 405
the Turks are entirely paffive; leaving to
thpfe nations the benefit of refortin 2; thither
with their comriiodities, and bringing back
thofe of Turkey In the fame bpttoms. But
the inattention of the Turks to objefts of
commerce is perhaps the beft fecurity to
their government ; for did they profecute
it with an aftivity fuitable to the advantages
they enjoy, they would excite in other na
tions fuch a jealoufy as might ffiake the
Ottoman throne. It is certain that if the
Turkiffi dominions were in the poffeffion
of Ruffia, or any aftive ftate, the trade
maintained at prefent by other nations,
would experience a vaft diminution.
In gerieral the charafter of the Afiatic
Turks is preferable to that of the European,
They are hofpitable to- ftrangers; and the
vices of avarice and inhumanity prevail
chiefly among their great men. Their
charity and public fpirit is Confpicuous in
their building caravanfaries, or places of en
tertainment, on roads that are deftitute of
accommodation, for the refrpffiment' of
poor pilgrims or travellers. Wjth the
fame laudable view, they fearch out the
Dd3 ¦ ^^¦¦- beft

406 LETTERS OF ATRAVELLER.
beft fprings, and dig wells, for the conve
nience of fuch paffengers.
The fedent pofture of the Turks Is pe
culiar to themfelves. They fit crofs-legged'
upon mats, or fofas, not only at their
meals but in company. They dine about
eleven o'clock In the fprenoon, and fup at
five in tbe winter, and fix In fummer,. arid
this is their principal meal. Among the
great people the diffies are ferved up one by
one ; but they have neither knife nor fork,
and they are not permitted by their religion^
to ufe gold or filver fpoOns. Their vlftuals
arc always high feafoned. Rice Is the
common food of the lower fort, and fome
times It is boiled up with gravy, but their
chief diffi Is pilau, which is mutton and
fowl boiled to rags ; and t;he rice being
boiled quite dry, the fpup, which is high
feafoned, is poured upon it. Their drink is
¦water, ffierbet, and coffee ; and the only
debauch they kriow Is in Opium. Guefts of
high rank fometimes have their beards per
fumed by a female flave. They are fober
from a principle of their religion, which
forbids them the ufe of wine ; but in pri
vate

LET, XXXIV.] ASIA. 407
vate, many of them indulge themfelves
in the ufe of ftrong liquors.
The Turkiffi mode of life is extremely
prejudicial to health and the vigor of the
conftitution. It is very uncpmrnpn to fee
any of the confiderable inhabitants of this
vaft empire take the exercife of walking or
riding either for health or amufement.
They fpend almoft their whole time within
doors, converfing with the women, driiikr
ing ppffee, fmpaking tobacco, pr chewino;
opium. In Afiatic Turkey in particular, nature
feems to have brought all her produftions
to the greateft perfeftion ; and if the cha
rafter of the inhabitants does i^ot bear a
juft proportion to the pxcellencc of the ve-r
getable and animal kingdoms, it is becaufe
they are debafed by the form of their go
vernment, enervated by indolence and other
caufes, and deprived of all means of ac
quiring either ufeful or elegant knowledg;e, LETtlER

LETTERS Of A TRAVELLER,

I. E T T E H XXXV.

I

AM riow to write to you. of a country,
which having never vifited, (as very few
Europeans have done,) I can only defcribo-
from the imperfeft accounts which have hl-
thertp" been delivered of it by travellers.
This country is Tartary, in Afia, a region
of prodigious extent. You may well ex-
Cufc the defeft pf information pn this fob-
jeft, when even the Emperor pf Ruffia,
to whom a great part of itbelongs, and his
miniftry, are ignorant pf its precife limits
with the Chinefe, tj^e Perfians, and other
nations. Tartary, taken in its fulleft extent, is
bpunded by the Frozen Ocean on the north;
by the Pacific Oce^n on the eaft ; by Chi
na, India, Perfia, and the Cafpian fea, on
the Iputh, ^iid by Mufcpvy oil the weft.
'The

L^iy . XX3igK.] -I.aY.JiJ.'S ASIA* ¦¦ '* -¦ -'¦' - . ' '4^
The air of this country is greatly diverfified,
by reafon of^ifs vaft extent from north to
fouth ; the northern parts reaching beyond
the arctifiipolar circle, and the fouthern be
ing in the fame latitude with Spain, France,
Italy, and part of Turkey.
Nova Zembl'a and Ruffian Lapland arc
moft uncomfortable regions ; the earth,
which is covered with ffiow nine months
in the year,' beifig extremely barren, and
encumbered with uriwholefome marffies,
uninhabited mountains, and impenetrable
woods. The climate of Siberia Is cold, but
the air ptire and wholefome ; and a pcrfoii
of credit who has vifited that country, ob
ferves, that its inhabitants, in all probability,
would live to extreme old age, if they Were
not addifted to an immoderate ufe of intox
icating liquors.
;?' Siberia produces rye, oats, and barley,
almoft^ to the 66th deojree of northern la-
titude. Same of the common vegetables
likewife grow tolerably well ; but eyery at
tempt tO bring fruit-trees to bear,; has hi
therto proved ineffeftual.- There is reaifOn
h6\vever, to believe, ; that induftr)r an^ pa-
tie^iee may-'in &e ejid ^-V'^c^irib diiS Vude-
-' -' , nefs

4iq LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. ,
nefs pf the climate. There are np bees ir|
Siberia, but though it be therefore a land
that flows iiot with honey, it is not defti-,
tute of milk, for cattle conftitute the greater
part of Tartarian property,
Aflrachan and the fouthern parts of Tar
tary are extremely fertile, owing more to
nature than induftry. The parts that arc
cultivated produce excellent fruits of almoft;
all the kinds kno-wn in Europe, efpecially
grapes, which are reckoned the largeft and
fineft In . the world, Thp fummers are
very dry, and from the end of July to . fhfs.
beginning of Auguft, the air ;s: peftered;,
and; the foil foinetlmes ruined, by incredi
ble quantities of loCufts.
No probable conjefture can be formed
with refpeft to the number of inhabitarits
in Tartary ; but there is reafon tp concludcj
that they are far from being proportioned to
the extent of the country. They areirji
general, ftrong-made ftout men. The
beauty of the Circaffian women is a kind of
ftaple commodity in- that country ; for pa
rents there make, no fcruple of felling their
daughters, to recruit the feraglios of the
'great men of Turkey and Perfia* They
'nuuhL "are

LET. XX^V.} ¦-'¦ ASIA, 4'-^
-afe purchafed when young, by merchants,
aiid taught fuch accompliffiriients as fuit
their capacities, to render them mor'e valu?
able ag-alnft the 'day of fale.
The Tartars are in general a wandering

leJ' In their peregrinations they fet
put in the. fpring, their nUrnbers in. one
body being frequently ten-thdufand, pre
ceded by their flocks and herds. Wheri
they coriic to an inviting l^ot, they live
¦tippff It till all its grafs and^verdure is eaten
up. They have little money, except What
they get from their neighbours, the Ruf
fians, Perfians, or Turks, iri exchange fof-
tattle. With this they purchafe cloth, filk,
ftuffs, and other apparef for- their women.
There are feW rnechanlcs amongft them
except thofe \yho make arms. They avoid
all labour as the greateft flavery : their only
em|)loyment being to tend their flocks, and
:'mahage their hprfes.
' The dwellirigs of the Tartars are huts,
half funk in the ground ; they have a fire
In the middle. With a hole in the top to let
but the fmoke, and benches rpund the fire
td*fit or iye upon. In the extreme nor-
^ihern provinces^, during the winter, every
&x^ ' family

413- - LETTERS. Of: A TRAVELLER. - .T:l 1
family., burrows .? itfelf asa it . werc^ urader"
ground; and they are faid to be fo foci able
in their difpofitions, that they make fuhter
raneous communications with each- other.'
They are immoderately fond of horfe-fleffi^
efpecially if it be young and a httle tairited,^
which makes theii" habitations, extremely
riaufeous. Some of fhe northern tribes
prefer the fleffi raw, but the. general Avay of
eating it, is after it has been fmoaked and
dried, ;.gi •:.> ^¦ i-fx; t>B- cj;di-iov.f

o The religion of the Tartars is for
moft part accommodated s?to that of their
neighbours ; for it partakes of the Maho
metan, the Geiitoo, the Greek, and Veven^
the Popiffi religions. Some of them arc
profeffed idolaters, and b worffiip httl^?
rude iinages dreffed up in fags. But the
religion of the kingdom of Thibet, and
Leffa, a large traft of Tartary bdrdpring;
Upon :=' China, is the mofl remarkable.-'*'^
XtiLefe.cpeople are governed by the GraHd;
Laixia,.who.m they not-^only acknowledge:
as.tlieir/. fovereign, buttheir deity;. and he'
i^!:alfo the great objeft of adoration for the'
various tribes of Heathen Tartars, who;
,roam through the vaft traft which ftretc|ies
':::ii:^:iiA from

Let. xxxV,] iv-X,??* asia. .^'k^T^.i 4,1 3^
from the banks of^the Wolga to Corea on
the fea of Japan, He is not only the fo
vereign pontiff,'' the vicegerent of the 4e-
ity on earth ; but, as fuperftition is eVef the
flrongeft where it is moft renioved from its
Objeft, the more remote Tartars abfolutely
regard him as the deity himfelf. They be-^
lieve i him to be imriiortal, and endowed
with all ,6 knowledge and virtue. Every
year they come up from different parts to'
Worffiip and make rich offerings at his
fhtine. Even the'Emperor of China, Who
iaaManchou Tartar, does not fail of ac
knowledging him inffiis religious capacity,
thowgli the Lama is tributary to him. s^Jfff
-^Thefe people entertain the notion, that
wheii the Grand Lama feems to die either
of old age orficknefs, his foul in faft oiily
quits ,a crazy habitation, to look for another
younger arid better ; and it is difcovered
again iri^the body of fome child, by certain,
tokens known only to the lamas or priefts j
in, Which order he always appears^^'^ Befides-
his religious influence and authority,' bh©
Grand Lama 0 is poffefledl of "3 unlimited
power through his dominions, which arP'
very extcnfiye, and horde t on Bengal; ffii" "' i
au^h Another

t>

41.4 letters OP A TRAVELLER. - •;
Another religion vefy prevalent among
the Tartars is that of Schamanifm, the
profeffors of .which believe in ohe fupreme
God, the creator of all things. They be
lieve that he loves his creation, and all his
creatures ; that he knows every thingj and
is all powerful ; but that he pays no atten
tion to the particular aftions of men, being
tod great for them to be able to offend him,
or to do any thing that can be meritorious
In his fight. But they alfo maintain that
the fupreme being has divided the govern
ment ofthe world, arid the deftiny of menj
among a great humber of Inferior divinities j
Under his comhiand and controul, but who
neverthelefs geiierally aft according to their
own fancies ; and therefore mankliid cannot
difpenfe with ufing all poffible means for
obtaining their favor.
You will perhaps be furprifed to. fee rrie
mention learning among a nation, of Tar
tars ; yet nothing is more eertairi than tliat
under ZIngIs Khan, and Tamerlane, and
their early defcendants, Aftrachan, and the
neighbouring countries were the feats of
learning and politenefs, as well. as empire
and magnificence. The moft fplendid mo
dern

iEt^ x)txV.] ^'A;ry 'AsrAr--^--''"^'<^ 41 1
dern luxury falls ffiort of that of thofe prin
ces; and fome remains of their tafte in
architefture are ftill extant, bht in fpots fo
defolate that they are almoft inacceffible;
Thdugh Tartary, foririerly known by the
nime of Scythia, was the nurfery which
peopled the northerri parts of Europe, and
fufidffied thofe arnazing iiiimbers, which
under ¦various names, overturned the Ro
man empire, yet it is now but thinly In
habited. This muft be owing to the dread
ful maffacre made by the tWo abovemen-
iioncd princes and their defce'ndants ; for
nothing is more coirimoii in their hiftories,
c than their putting to the fword three or
¦3 four' hundred thoufarid perfons , in a few
"• days. The country of Ufficc Tartary Was once
the feat of a more powerful empire than
that of Greece or Rome. It was not only
the native country, but the favorite refi
dence of ZIngIs Khan, and Tamerlane,
who enriched it with the' fpoils of India and
the eaftern World. Some authors have ab-
furdly queftioned the veracity of the hifto
rians of thofe great conquerors, "though in
^ reality

<l6 letters OF A. TRAVELLEK.
reality it be better eftabllffied than that of
the Greek or Roman writers.
The prefent inhabitants of this litiriienfc
common, compofe innumerable tribes, whb
range at pleafure with their flocks and
herds, in the Old patriarchal rriahner. Their
tribes are commanded by feparate khans,
or leaders, who, upon particular emergen
cies, ele ft a great khan, who claims a pa
ramount. pOwer. over ftrange/s as well as
natives, and can bring into the field from
twenty to a hundred thoufand horfemen.
Their rnethod of carrying, on war ' is by
wafting the country ; and this circumftance
renders them a dreadful enemy to regular
troOps, who muft bc deprived of all fub
fiftence; while the Tartars having always
many fpare horfes to kill arid eat, are at no
lofs for provifioriSi
Thus have 1 giVeri you an account of a
people the, moft rude in their polity., arid the
moft fingular in their fuperftiriori, of any
that we find on the globes Biit in general,
Angularity appears to bc a predominant fea
ture in the charafter of the Eaftern nations.
LETTER

let. XXXVI.] . "Asia.' 417-

LETTER XXXYL

I

AM riext to conduft you to China, un
der the particular Irripreffion of the fentl
ment with which I concluded riiy laft
letter. Excepting towards the north it Is
a plain country, containing no remarkable'
mountains. But there are in it mariy arti
ficial mountains, on the tops of which are
temples, monafteries, and other edifices.
The Country is better fupplied with rivers,
of which there are feveral ; but the com
mon water in China is vefy indifferent, and
is in ferae places boiled to make it fit for
ufe; To correft its bad quality, they like-
wife infufe in it, ia many parts, the leaVes
of the tea plant ; and I believe it is by
that expedient that other nations firft fee-
came acquainted with this celebrated ffirub,
riow fo generally ufed in the Britiffi do
minions, E e It

4f^ letters OF A traveller.
It appears- from Sir Gedrge StauntonV
account, , that we have hitherto been in a
fnlftake refpefting the green tea, which
was faid to acquire its colour by being dried
upon plates of copper. But he informs us
that there is no fuch praftice iri China, and
that the green colour is entirely owing to
the leaves being -plucked, off the ffirub be
fore they have come to maturity: A
roaghnefs of ,quality even from this caufe,
may prove hurtful to perfons of a nervous
eonftitutioii, but by no means in fuch a
degree as from an ImpregHatlon of copper.
The charafter of the- Chinefe for wifdom
and Induftry, is in nothing moreJcorifpi-
euous than in their early attention to the
conftruftion of canals, for the purpofe^ of
facilitating commerce/ The commodiouf-
-nefs and length of their ' canals' - are almoft
-incredible. The chief of them are lined
¦with hewn ftone on .the fides, arid they are
¦fp deep as to carry veffels of great burden.
They fonietimeg extend above a thoufand
••fnlles-^In length.. Thefe veffels are fitted up
for-airthe convenience df..-life ; and. it has
¦been .^thought by fome, -that in China the
^#ater\,Goni:ains as~ many inhabitants as:the-
-'¦ '¦ land.'

LET. XXX^I.] ; -ASIA. 419
land. They are furniffied with ftone quays,
and fometimes with bridges of an amazing
conftruftion. The nayigation is flow, and
the veffel fometimes drawn by men, ]^p-
precautions are wanting that could be
formed by art or perfeverance, for the fafety
ofthe paffengers, in cafe a canal Is croffed
by a rapid river, or exppfed to torrents from
the mountains, Thefe canals and the ya-
riety that Is fejen upon their borders, render.
.China highly pleafant as Well, as fertile in
places which are not fo by nature. -.
This country being of great extent, the
temperature of the air is different according.
to the fituation pf the places, fo that while
ffiarp in the norths it is extremely hot in
the fouthjern parts; The foil is, either by
nature or art, fruitful of every thing that
can minifter to the neceffaries, conveni-
encles, or luxuries of life; and this it is
that renders the nation fo populous. The
millions of inhabitants which China, is faid
to contain are almoft beyond credibility;
and all between twenty and fixty years, pf
age pay an annual tax. Notwithftanding
the induftry of the people, we arq told that
their amazing population frequently occa-
E e 2 fions

420 LETTERS OF A TEAVELL^R.
fions a dearth. Parents who cannot fup?
port their female children, are perriaitted to
caft them into the river ; but they faften to
the child a, gourd, that it may float on thc-
¦Water ; and it often happens that fome
compaflionate people of fortune, who are
moved by the cries of the children, fave
ihem from periffiing.
The Chinefe in general have; been repre
fented as the moft diffioneft, low, thieving
fet of people in tbe world. Their hypo-
crify is' faid to be. without bounds ; and the
men .of property among them praftiec^-thc
moft avowed bribery, and the loweft' mean-
iieffes to obtain preferment. But this cha-
3tiafter has been drawn by thofe who were
little acquainted with any parts -of that
empire but the fea-port towns, where the
inhabitants probably are worfe than in thjt
interior parts of the country. -i^
-S Among the cuftoms pecuhar to Chin^,
one is, that every Chinefe keeps in his houfe
a tahle upon which are written the names
of his father, grandfather, and great grand
father/ before which they frequently burn
inperife, and proftrate , themfelves ; and
when the father of the family dies, the name ef

LET. XXXVI.] •: ^ ASIA. V! 42X
of .the great grandfather is taken away, and
that of the deceafed is added. ,v?
One of the greateft peculiarities in this
country is its language. The Chinefe laiir
guage contains only three hundred and
thirty words, all of one fyllable; but each
word is pronounced with fuch various mo
dulations, and all of them with a different
meaning, that it becomes more copious
than;Could be eafily imagined, and enables
them to exprefs themfelves fufficiently well
in the communications of life. The Chi
nefe oral language being thus: barren and
contrafted, is unfit for literature ; and
therefore their literature is all comprifed
in arbitrary charafters, which are ama*
zingly complicated, and fo numerous that
it has been faid they amount to aboutelghty
thoufand. Whatever euloglums have been
beffowed on the learning of the Chinefe,
this circumftance is, in my opinion, friffi-
cient to refute the poffibility of any Tgreat
excellence in refpeftof fuch an acompliffi*
ment. In no part of the world, however,
is learning attended with fuph honors and
rewards as in China; The literati are re
verenced as men of another fpecies, and are
E e 3 the

422 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
the only nobility known in the country. Tf
their birth be ever fo mean and low, they
become mandarins of the higheft raiik, in
proportion to the extent of their learning.
On the other hand, however exalted their
birth may be, they quickly fink, into obfcu-
rity. If they negleft the ftudies which had
diftinguiffied their fathers.
The Chinefe range all their works of
literature Into four claffes ; cpmprlfing, re
fpeftively, religion, hiftory, philofophy, and
poetry. What proficiency they have really
made in thofe feveraf branches, it is Impof
fible for any perfon not acquaiinted with
their language to afcertalri ; but if We may
form an opinion from the extreme venera
tion In which they hold the celebrated
Confucius, the father of their moral philo
fophy, we may reafonably fuppofe that this
is the branch which, next to that of reli
gion, they confider as the moft perfeft pf
their fclenpes. With natural philofophy
they appear to be but little acquainted.
That they have, however, a juft claim to
the invention of gunpowder, is fully afcer
tained, from their maklpg ufe of it againll
Tamerlane, before any fuch compofition was.

LET. XXXVI.] ._ . ASIA. 423
was known in "Europe; but they were ac
quainted with cannon only, and knew
nothing of fmall fi.re arms. Their induftry
in their manufaftures of ftuffs, porcelane,
japanning, and the like fedentary trades-is
amazing, and can be equalled only by their
labors in the field, In making canals, le
velling mountains, raifing gardens, and 11a.-
vigating their punts and boats.
C.hina contains few natural curiofities,
but thofe of the artificial kind are ftupen
dous. The great wall feparating China
frorn Tartary, to prevent the incurfions of
that nation, is fuppofed to extend about
.Jfifteen -hundred miles. It Is carried over
movmtains and vallies, and Is built for the
,moft part with brick and mortar, ^ from
twenty to twenty-jfive feet high, and about
half as much in thicknefs. The Chinefe .
bridges cannot be fufficiently admired. —
They are erefted fometimes upoh barges
ftrongly chained together, yet fo as to be
parted Qccafip.nally, for allowing paffage to
the veffels which fail up and down the
river, Spttie of them extend from moun
tain to mountain, and confift only, of one
arch : that, oyer the river Saffrany is four
hundred

424 LETTERS DF A TRAVJ^LLER..,; . v • 1
hundred cubits long, and five hundred high,
though a fingle arch,' and joins twp moun
tains. It is faid that in the interior part^
of the empire fome are yet mpi-^ftupendous.
The triumphal arches of this country
form the next fpecies of artificial curiofities.
They are not built in the Greek and Roman
ftyle of architefture, but they are , fuperb
and beautiful ; erefted with vaft labor and
expence, and all of them to the memory of
.their great men. The number of theni
oyer the ernpire is faid to amount to many
huridreds. Their fepulchral, monuments
make likewife a diftinguiffied figure.
Their towers, the inpdels of which are now
frequent in Europe, under the nanie of Pa
godas, are great embellifliments tdthe face
ofthe country. That pf Nanking, which
is tvyo hundred feet high, and forty in dia
meter, is the mpfl admired, and is called the
Porcelane Tower, or account of its being
lined wltli Chinefe tiles, Their temples
are chiefly remarkable for the uncouth tafte
in whiph they are built, their whimfical or^
namcnts,,arid the uglinefs of the idol? they.
contain. The Chinefe, like the people of
Cracow, are rentjarkably fond of bells; of
which

LET, XXXVI.]' ASIA. ' ' 425
which there is one at Peking that weighs
one hundred and twenty thoufand pounds,
but its found is faid tp be dlfagreeable. The
laft curiofity f -ffiall mention is their fire
works, whieh are generally allowed to ex
cel thofe of all other natipns.
The empire of China is fa^d to contain
four thoufand four hundred wall'd cities,
the chief of which are Peking, Nanking,
and Canton, The firft pf thefe, the capital
ofthe empire, is fituated in a very fer
tile plain, upwards of fifty miles diftant
from the great wall, and Is faid to contain
of inhabitants to the enormous amount of
many millions. The walls and gates of
Peking are of the extraordinary height of
fifty cubits, and are fo broad that the fen-
tinels are. placpd upori them on horfeback-
The principal edifice is the imperial palace,
the grandeur 'of which confifts not fo much
in the elegance of the architefture as in the'
multitude of its buildings, courts, and gar
dens, all regularly difpofed. The palace is
faid tP be thrpe miles in circumference ; -
andr-the front of the building fliines with
glMIrig, paint, arid yamiffi, while the infide
i^fet off with every thirig th^t is- moft beau tiful

426 LETTERS OF. A. TRAVELLER.
tiful and precious In China, the Indies, and
Europe. The gardens of this palace are
of great extent, and there are raifed in
them, at proper diftances, artificial mounts,
from twenty to fixty feet high, between
which are a number of fmall vallies, plen
tifully watered with canals, and which
uniting, are formed into a number ' of
lakes. Beautiful and magnificent barks fail on
thefe pieces of water, , and' the banks are
ornamented with ranges of buildings, con
ftrufted in the moft pleafing and fantaftic
variety. The mounts are covered r with
fuch trees as produce beautiful and aro
matic flowers; and the canals are edged
with ruftic pieces, of rock, fo happily dif
pofed as to imitate the wildnefs^ of nature.
Of the religion of China little can be faid
with any certainty. It feems as if the bulk
-of the people worffiipped fenfible objeftsii;
but their philofophers, we are told, enter
tain more juft fentiments ofthe Deity ; and
ih general the morality of tjje nation apr
proximates to that pf Chriftianity, But
when I fayfo, I would bc underftood tp
fpeak exclufively pf the charges of diffionefty /and

I^ET, XXXIV.] ASIA. 43^
and hypocrify which have been mentione4
above, r
The original plan of the Chinefe go
vernment feems to have been patriarchal,
almoft ill the ftrlfteft fenfe of the word,
arid the emperor has hitherto been held by
the people in the higheft degree of ve
neration. But if we may give credit to
fome late accounts from that country, the
fame fpirit of fedition and tumult which at
prefent aftuates different provinces of Eu
rope, has made its appearance in the erripire
of China, What may be the Iffue of thefe
dlforders it is difficult to fay ; but ihould in-
¦teftine divifions proceed, it is probable that
the Tartar nations on the north of the great
wall, will embrace fb favorable an oppor
tunity of furmounting the barrier which
has been raifed to prevent their hoftile in
curfions ; and the ftandard of the Grand
Lama may. yet be erefted on the imperial
palace at Peking.

LETTER

428 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEK,

LETTER XXXVII,

.AVING previoufly taken a furvey of
China, I come by a circuitous courfe to the
continent of India ; a country not unknown
even In the time of Solomon, and whence
the Greeks and Romans drew their moft
precious materials of luxury. What credit
do you think would have been given to any
prophet who ffiould have predifted that in
the courfe of the prefent century, a com
pany of Britiffi merchants would acquire in
this country a dominion far more extenfive
than that of their own native fovereign ?
 quod oplanti divum promittere nemo
Auderet, volvenda dies en attulit ultro.
Yet fuch an event has taken place; an ex
traordinary phaenomenon, and unexampled
in the hiftory of mankind. This country
is generally divided into three great parts ;
namely,

Let, XxxVli.] Asia. 4¦^
namely, the Peninffila of India beyond the
Gangesj called the Farther Peninfula; the
Main-Land, or the Mogul's Empire ; and
the Peninfula within, or on this fide the
Ganges. The original inhabitants of India are
called Gentoos ; or, according to others,
Hindoos, and the country Hindoftan or
Indoftan; They pretend that Brumina,
their legiflator, both in politics arid religion,
was inferior only to God, and- that he ex
ifted many thoufand years before our ac
count of the Creation, The Bramins, who
are the Gentoo priefts, farther fay, thathc
bequeathed to them a book ' called the
Vidam, containing his doftrines and in
ftitutions, and that though the original is
loft, they are ftill nn poffeffion of a com
mentary upon it, called Shatfka, which is
written in the Shanfcrite tongue, now a
dead language, and known only to the
Bramins who ftudy it, The foundation of
Brumma's doftrine confifted in the belief
of a Supreme Being, who has created a re
gular gradation of beings ; m the immor
tality of the foul,, and a future ftate of
rewards and puniffiments;' which is to con fift

iH.^O LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
fift of a trartfmlgratlon irito different bodies^
"according to the lives they have led in their
pre-exiftent ftate. From -this it appears
more than probable that the Pythagorean
Metempfychofis took its rife in India, The
BraminSj however, to operate upon the
minds of the people^ have had recourfe to,
fenfible reprefentations of the Deity and
his attributes, fo that the original doftrines
of Brumma have degenerated into rank and
ridiculous idolatry, in the worffiip of fe
veral animals, and various Images ; which
are likewife of the moft, hideous figures^
either painted or carved. *Mip,
The Hindoos have, from time immemo
rial been divided Into four great trlbeS,
comprehending the different claffes of fo
ciety : the firft and nobleft of thefe are the
Bramins j who alone can officiate in the
priefthood, like the Levites among the
Jews. Befides this divifion into tribes, the
Gentoos, or Hindoos, are , alfo' divided into
cafts ; of which It is computed there are no
lefs than eighty-four, though fome make
the number ftill greater. All thefe cafts
differ from each other in point of rank, and
tliey are extremely tenacious of the privi leges

LEt. XXXVII-.} -, fi r ..ASI-Ai ,S.irh -A^t
le<?-es and cuftoms annexed to, their different
divifions. An Indian of an inferior would
think himfelf honored by adopting the
cuftoms of a fuperior caft ; hut the latter
would have,! recourfe to blows, fooner
than not vindicate its prerogatives. The
inferior receives- with refpeft the vlftuals
prepared by = a fuperior caft, but the latter
will not partake of a meal which has been
prepared by the hands of an inferior ; and
their marriages are circumfcribed by the
fame barriers as the reft of their intercourfes.
The diet of thofe people is' chiefly rice
and vegetables,' dreffed with ginger and
other fpices, which grow almoft fpontane-
oufly in their gardens. They efteem milk
the pureft of food, becaufe they think it
partakes of fome of the properties ofthe
neftar of their gods, and bpcaufe they ef
teem the cow herfelf almoft as a divinity.
Their manners are gentle, and their hap
pinefs confifts in domeftic life. Their re
ligion permits them, to have feveral wives,
but they feldom have more than one ; and
It has been obferved that their, wives are
diftinguiffied • by a decency of behaviour,'
and a faithful attachment to their huffiands, which

4S^ Letters of a traveller;
which might do honor to married wdmeii
in the moft civilized couritries. The cuftom
of women burning themfelves upon the
death of their huffiands^ feems not td bc
abotlffiedi though it is now lefS frequent
than formerly.
The reliorlon of the GcntoOs forbids theni
to quit their own ffiores ; and this injunc
tion feems to be founded upon a principle
of policy. They are taught that the waters
of the three great rivers, Ganged, Kiftna,'
and Indus, jhave the fadfed virtue pf puf i-
fyirig. thofe who bathe in them from all
pollution arid fins ; and hence they are re
ftrained from emigrating into diftant coun
tries. The facred rivers are fo fituated
that there is no part of Itidia where the
inhabitants may hot have an opportunity
of waffiing away their fins. The Ganges^
which rifes in the mountains of Thibet,
runs through the provinces of Bengal^ Ba^"
liar, and Orixa, arid the upper provinces of
Oude, Delhi, &c. The Kiftna divides the
Carnatic from Golcon-da, and runs through
the" Vifapour Into the interior parts of the
Decan; while the Indus, bounding the
Guzarat

LEt. XXXVII.] ASIAi 433
Guzarat prpylnces, feparates Indoftan from
the dominions of Perfia, ; ^ .
The Gentoos are much lefs. urider the iri-?
fluence of their paffions than the inhabit
ants of other countries ; and for this there
feems to be two caufes. Their vegetable
diet affords lefs nouriffiment than that which
confifts of animal food ; and by marrying
early, the males before fourteen^ and the
female^s at ten or eleven years of age, they
are kept low and feeble in their perfonSi
A man is in the decline of life at thirty,
and the beauty of the women is in decay at
eighteen ; at twenty-five they have all the
marks of old age.
Such are the people who form the great
body of the fubjefts of the Britiffi empire
in India ; and confiderlng they are ex
tremely numerous, it is fortunate for the
fecurity of our fettlements in that country,
that they are of pacific difpofitions. This
is more than can be faid pf the neighbour-',
ing natives in India.
The Mahometans, Who, iri' Indpftan are
called Moors, are of Perfian, Turkiffi, Ara
bic, and other extraftions. They early
began, in the reigns of' the caliphs of Bag-
F f dad,

434

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER;

dad, to Invade Indoftan. They penetrated
as far as Delhi, which they made their
capital ; but their empire was overturned
by Tamerlane, who founded the Mogul go
vernment. Thofe princes being ftrift Ma
hometans, reCelyed under their proteftlon
all who profeffed the fame religion, and
who being a brave^ aftive people, counter
balanced the number of the natives. They
are faid to have Introduced the divifion of
provinces, over which they appointed fou-
bahs ; and thefe provinces^ each of which
might be ftyled an empire, were fubdivlded
into nabobffilps ; each nabob being imme
diately accountable to his Soubah, whp, in
procefs of time became almoft independent
of the Emperor, or, as he is called, the
Grreat Mogul, upon their paying him an aii-
liual tribute.- The vaft refort of Perfian
and T^artar tribes has likewife ftrengthened
the Mahometan government ; but it is ob
ferved, that in two or three generatioris,
the progeny of thofe adventurers degene
rate into ail the indolence and fenfuality of
the'. Eaft. -v
- ¦ Of all- thofe tribes^ the. Mahrattas at pre
fent make the greateft figure. They are a
kind

LEt. XXXVII.] , ASIA. 435
kind of mercenaries, who ' IWe on the
mountains between Indoftan and Perfia,
They commonly ferve on horfeback, and
when well commanded, they have beeri
known to give law even to the court of
Delhi. Though originally Gentoos, they
are of bold aftive fpirits^ and pay no great
refpeft to the principles of their religion.
Bengal, of all the Indian provinces, is
perhaps the moft interefting to a Briton.
It Is regarded as the ftore-houfe ofthe Eaft-
Indies: Its fertility exceeds that of Egypt
after having been overflowed by the Nile ;
and the produce of Its foil confifts of rlce^
fugar-caiies. Corn, refamum, fmall mul*-
berries and other trees. Its calicos, filks,
faltpetre, lacca, opium, wax, and civet go
all over the world ; arid provifions here arc
in great plenty, and. incredibly cheap, par-
ricularly- pullets, ducks, and geefe. The
country is Ittterfefted by caiials cut out of
the Ganges for the benefit of commerce,
and extends near a hundred leagues on both
fides of the Ganges, full of towns and vil
lages. The principal Engliffi faftory In
Bengal is at Calcutta, which is likeWife
F f 2 the

^ 436 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
the capital feat of the Britiffi governnient
in that country.
The winds In this climate generally blow
for fix months from the fouth, and fix from
the north. April, May, and the beginning
of June are exceffively hot, but refreffied
by fea-breezes ; and in fome dry feafons,
the hurricanes, which tear up the fands,
and let them fall in dry ffiowers, are ex
tremely dlfagreeable. In general the Eu
ropeans who arrive at Indoftan are com
monly feized with fome illnefs, fuch as a
flux, or fever, under different appearances;
but when properly treated, efpecially if
the patients are abftemlous, they recover,
and .afterwards prove healthy. ,
In the peninffila within the Ganges,
about the end of June a fouth-weft wind
begins to blow from the fea on the coaft of
Malabar, which lies to that afpeft ; and
this, with continual rains, lafts four months,
during which time all is ferene on the- coaft
of Coromandel, on the eaft fide of the pe
ninfula. Towards the end of Oftober, the
rainy feafon and the change of the mon-
foons begin on the Coromandel coaft,
which being deftitute of good harbours, renders

LET. XXXVII.]' ¦ ASIA. 437
renders it extremely dangerous for ffiips to
remain there during that time ; and to this
. is d-vving, the periodical returns of the
Engliffi ffiipping to Bombay, upon the Ma
labar cdaft.' The air is naturally hot in this
peninfula, but it is refreffied by breezes ;
the wind, changing every twelve hours.
The inhabitants in this part are more black
in complexion than thofe of the other pe
ninfulas of India, though lying nearer to
the equator, which has made fome fufpeft
them to be the defcendants of an ancient
colony "frorp Ethiopia. Fort St. George,
better known by the name of Madras, Is
the cajpital of the Engliffi Eaft India Com
pany's territories in this part. But I have
faid enPugh to you of this country. The
farther peninfula pf India is ftill very im
perfeftly known ; and I ffiall not enter up
on any account of the numerous iflarids in
the Indian fea, as the diftinftlon between
them confifts chiefly in the difference of
extent, and the diverfity of produce, vi^hich
is moftly that of the fpices.

LETTER

43^ LETTERS Or AtRAVELLEK.

LETTER XXXVIII,

Wrefting our courfe weftward frortj
India, we enter the kingdom of Perfia,
formerly the dominion of the great Cyrus,
and a country which gave name to one
pf the moft celebrated monarchies In the
ancient world; In fo extenfive. an empire,
both fhe air and the foil rnuft differ greatly
in the feveral provinces. Thpfe In the
northern part, as lying near mountains
commonly covered with fnow, are cold ;
but in the fouthern provinces, the air is
ho.t, ^nd fometimes cornmunlcates noxious
blafts to the midland part, which otherwife
enjoys a ferene and pure atmofphere. The
foil is not luxuriant towards Tartary and the
Cafpian fea, but with cultivation it might
produce abundance of corn and fruits.
South of Mount Taurus, the fertility of the
country

LET. XXXVIII.] ASIA, 439
country in corn, fruits, wine, and the other
luxuries of life, are equalled by few coun
tries. The fruits in general are delicious,
'and in fome parts, near Ifpahan efpi cially,
produce almoft all the flowers that are cul
tivated in Europe, but of a more exalted
flavour. There is, however, perhaps no
country of fo great an extent, that has fo
few rivers as Perfia. The moft confider
able are thofe of Kur, ancient Cyrus ; and
Aras, anciently Araxes, which rife in the
mountains of Ararat, and joining their
ftreams, fall into the Cafpian fea. Some
fmall rivulets falling from the mountains,
water the country in particular parts ; but
upon the whole, there is a fearclty of wa
ter, though this defeft, where it prevails,
is ufually fupplied by means of jrefervoirs,
aquedufts, canals, and other ingenious ex
pedients. Water, In all the Mahometan
countries, Is an article of great cpnfump-
tlon, on account of their frequent abluti
ons ; and this is no where more neceffary,
than in Perfia, as the inhabitants feldom
change thpir linen : a cuftom in hot cli-.
mates particularly prejudicial, In

440 LETTERS OF A TRA-VELLER.
In the morning early the Perfians drink
coffee, and about eleven o'clock go to
dinner, which confifts of fruits, fweet-
mcats, and milk. Their chief meal is at
night. They eat at their repafts cakes
of rice, and others of wheat flower ; and
holding It an abomination to cut either bread
or any kind of meat, after It Is dreffed, thefe
cakes are made thin, thatthey may be eafily
broken with the hand. Their meat which
is generally mutton, or fowls, / is fo pre
pared, that they divide it with their fingersi
But with refpeft to one diffi in particular,
they have deviated from the tafte of their
anceftors. The ancient Perfians never fat
down to a great entertainmerit without a
roafted afs before tbem, which was always
ferved up entire. This luxury Is now fallen
Into difufe ; but the change feems not to~
proceed from any fuperior delicacy in their
entertainments of eating and drinking.
They are temperate, ho\yever, in every
thing, except in the ufe of tobacco ; of
which they are fo Immoderately fond, that
fome of them have been known to leave
their country, rather than be debarred from
^hat enjoy mejit. They fmoke through a
tube

Let, XXXVIII.] Asia. 441
tube fixed in' water, fo as to be cool in the
mouth. The Perfians, are paffionately fond
of poetry, moral fentences, and hyperbole ;
and in all ages have been remarkable for
hofpitality. They are likewife fond of
riding, and excel, as their anceftors the Par-
thlans did, in archery. /
There is In Perfia an extraordinary fine
breed of ffieep, the wool and fleffi of which
are equally valued. It is not uncommon
for them fo have tails that weigh eight or
ten pounds, and they have fix or eight
horns ; fome of which ftand out horizon
tally, and occafion a great deal of blood to
be fpilt when the rams engage with each ,
, other. Their goats likewife are much ef
teemed for the fine wool on their bellies, as
well as for their fleffi.
Men may marry for life, or for any de
termined time, in Perfia, as well as over all
Turkey ; and travellers or merchants, who
intend to ftay fome time in any city, and
are difpofed for fuch a contraft, commonly
apply to the cadee or judge, for a wife dur-
insf the time of his refidence.
The Perfians in ancient times were fa-
jnous for learning, and their poets renown ed.

442 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER, -' „TI .5
ed all over the eaft ; but I fufpeft, from
the tafte which the Perfians have for> hyper
bole, that however animated their com'po^j
fitions might be, they would furniffi a cri
tic with more examples of bombaft than
of the genuine fublime. Be this. as It may,
there certainly is in the Univerfity of Ox
ford, a manufcript, containing the lives of.
no lefs than a hundred and thirty-five of the
fineft poets. One of thefe, named Ferdofi,
comprifed the hiftory of Perfia, In a ferles'
of epic poems, which employed him near^
thirty years, and which Mr. Jones affirms.
to be a 2:lorIous monument of Eaftern o-e-
nlus and learning. Two other celebrated
Perfian poets are Hafiz and Sheik Sadi ; and ,
the tombs of both,- which ftill remain, are
held in great veneration. That of Hafiz
ftands about two miles from the city of
Sherauz. It is conftrufted of fine white
marble, eight feet In length, and four in
breadth. On the top and: fides, of the tomb
are feleft pieces from the poet's own works,.
moll beautifully cut in the Perfian cha
rafter. During the fpring and fummer fea
fons, the inhabitants vifit here, and amufe
themfelves with fmoaking, playing at chefs, and

LET. XXXVIII.] ASIA. ' 443
and other shames ; readlno; alio the works of
Hafiz, whofe memory they venerate almoft
to a degree of adoration.
About three or four miles from the tomb
of Hafiz, is that of Sheik Sadi. This is a
large fquare building, at the upper end of
which are two alcove receffes In the wall,
built of ftone. In good prefervation. On
the fides of it are engraved many fentences
relative to the poet and his works. Sadi-
flouriffied about five-hundred and fifty
years ago, and his produftions are ' held
in great efteem among all the eaftern
nations, for their morality, and the ex
cellent precepts they inculcate. On the
top of the tomb is a covering of painted
wood, black and gold, on which is written
an ode of the Sheik's, and on removirig
this board, is perceived the ftone coffin in
¦wffiich his remains were depofited. This
the votaries who come thither, take care to
ftrew with flowers, rofaries, and various
offerings. -
At prefent learning is at a very low ebb
gmoiig the Perfians. Their boafted fkill in
aftronomy is reduced to a mere fmattering
in that fcience, and terrninates in judicial
aftrology,

444 LETTERS OF A TRA"VELLER.
aftrology, to which' the Perfians are now
fuperftltloufly addifted. The learned pro
feffion in greateft efteem amongft them is
that of medicine, which is at perpetual va
riance with aftrology ; becaufe every dofe
muft be adminiftered in the aufpicious hour
fixed by the aftrologers : a reftriftlon which
muft often defeat the fuccefs of whatever
has been prefcrlbed. '^
The' moft remarkable' piece of antiquity
in Perfia, Is the famous palace of Perfepolis,
which ftands at the diftance of between
thirty and forty miles from Sherauz. It is
fituated on a rifing ground, and commands
an extenfive profpeft over the plain of
Merdaffit. The mountain Rehumut encircles
the palace in the' form of an amphitheatre.
You afcend to the Columns by a grand
flair-cafe of blue ftone, confifting of a hun
dred and four fteps. The firft objeft that-
ftrlkes the beholder on his entrance, are
two portals of ftone, each about fifty feet-
in height. The fides are embelliffied with
two fphinxes of an immenfe fize, dreffed
out with a profufion of bead-work, and,
contrary to the ufual method, they are re
prefented ftanding. On the fides above are

LET. XXXVIII.] ASIA. 445
are infcriptions in an ancient charafter, the
meaning of which no perfon hitherto has
been, able to decypher.
At a fmall diftance from thefe portals
you afcend another flight of fteps, which
lead to the grand hall of columns. The
fides of this ftair-cafe are ornamented with
a variety of figures in baffo-relievo. Moft
of them have veffels in their hands ; here
and there a camel appears, and in other
parts a triumphal car, defigned after the
Roman faffiion. Befides thefe, are feveral
led horfes, oxen and rams, which diverfify
the prpceffion. At the head of the ftair-
cafe. Is another baffo-relievo, reprefentlng a
lion feifing a bull; and clofe to this are
other infcriptions in ancient charafters
On arriving at the top of the ftair-cafe,
you enter what was formerly a moft mag
nificent hall. Fifteen of the colunins yet
remain entire, and are mafterly pieces of
mafonry. Their pedeftals are curioufly
worked, and appear little injured by the
ravages of time. The ffiafts are fluted
up to the top, and the capitals are adornec}
with a profufion of fret work. Proceeding

44^ LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
Proceeding eaftward from this hall, yoit
arrive at a very large fquare building,
the entrance to which Is through a door
of granite. Moft of the doors and win
dows of this apartment ^ ftill exift ; they
are of black marble, and poliffied like a
mirror. On the fides of the doors, at the
,entrance, are bas-reliefs of two figures- at
full length, they reprefent a man in the
attitude of ftabbing a goat ; with one hand
h^ feizes the animal by the horn, and With
the other thrufts a dagger into its belly,
.One of the goat's feet refts upon the breaft
of the man, and the other upon his right
arm. This device Is common throughout
the palace. Over another door of the
fame apartment, is a reprefentation of two
men at full length: Behind them ftands a
domeftic,. holding in his hand a fpread um
brella. They . are fupported by large
round ftaves, appear to be in years, have
long beards, and a profufion of hair upon
their heads.
At the fouth-Weft entrance of this apart
ment are two large pillars of ftone, upon
which are carved four figures ; they are
dreffed In long garments, and hold in their
'^*i hands

LET. XXXVIII.] ¦'' ASIA. 447
hands fpears ten feet in length. At this
entrance alfo the remains of a ftair-cafe of
blue ftone are ftill vifible, , Vaft numbers
of broken pieces of pillars, ffiafts, and ca
pitals, are fcattered over a confiderable ex
tent ,of ground ; fome of them of fuch an
enormous fize, that It is wonderful to think
how they qould have been brought whole,
and fet up together.
The materials of which this palace Is
compofed, are chiefly hard blue ftone ; but
the doors and windows of the apartments
are all of black marble, and fo beautifully
poliffied as to refleft an objeft like a mirror.
One of the principal things worthy of re^
mark, is the imrnenfe ftrength df the foun
dation. The whole of the palace takes in
a circuit of fourteen hundred fquare yards ;
its front from north to fouth Is fix hundred
paces, and from- eaft to weft three hundred
and ninety. The height of the foundation,
in front, is in feveral parts from forty to,
fifty feet, and confifts of two immenfe
ftones laid together. The fides are not fo
high, and are more unequal, owing, to the
vaft quantity of fand which has fallen from
the mountain. The

44^ LETTERS OF A TRAVELLEK*
The hall of pillars appears to have been
detached from the reft of the palace, and
to have had a communication with the
other parts by hollow galleries of ftone.
By the pedeftals of the pillars which remain,
the hall feems originally to have confifted
of nine dlftinft rows of columns, each
containing fix ; making confequently in all
fifty-four. The fifteen that remain are
from feventy to eighty feet in height, the
diameter at the bafe is twelve feet, and the
diftance between each column twenty-two.
By the pofition of the front pillars, the hall
appears to have been open towards the
plain ; but four of the pillars facing thp
mountain, and which are at forne diftance
from the reft, feem to have been intended
for a portico, or eiitrance from the eaftl'
The materials of the columns are a mixed-
fort of red ftone, granular. Tbe hall, fi
tuated on an eminence, and commanding
an extenfive view of the plain of Mer
daffit, Is ftrikingly grand, arid conveys to
the beholder the idea of a hall. of audience
of a powerful and warlike monarch.
When and by whom this palace was ori
ginally built, It is impoffible tp determine. Some

LET. XXXVIII.] ASIA. ' 449
Some have afcribed it to Darius, the Perfian
emperor, who was conquered by Alex;-
ander. That it is however pf great anti
quity no doubt can be entertained.
Behind the hall of pillars, arid clofe under
the mountain, are the remains of a very
large building of a quadrangular form, — •
This may have made either a part of the
palace, or perhaps a detached temple ; as it
has Withiri-'fide fytfibols emblematicalof re
ligious apprdpriatlon. This buildlrig has
four priiicipal entrances in different quarters.
Notwifhftattding the' magnificence of
,thefei and other ancierit buildings fdund in
different parts of .Perfia, they are -yold of
,that elegance and beauty which We admire
in the Greek architefture. The tombs of
the Perfian kings are ftupendous works,
cut out of, a rock, and highly ornamented
with fculpture.
The - houfes of the meri of quality in
Perfia are in the fame tafte with thofe of
the Afiatic Tufks. They are feldom above
one ftory high, built of bricksj with flat
roofs for Walking on, arid thick walls. The
doors are narrow and clumfy, the hall
arched; aud the room* have no communi-
G g cation

450 LETTERS OF A. TRAVELLER.
cation but with the hall, the kitchen and
office houfes being built apart. Inftead of
chimnies, moft: of them have a J-ound hole
in the middle of the room. Their fur
niture chiefly confifts of carpets ; and their
beds are two thick cotton, quilts, which
ferve them likewife for coverlids, with car-
-pets under them. • •
Ifpahan, the capital of Perfia, ftands in
a fii).e plain, within. a mile of the river
Zenderharid, which fupplies it with water.
It Is computed to be twelve miles In cir
curiiference; of which thc; rpyal palace
occupies a great part. The ftreets^ are nar
row and. crooked, and the chief amufement
of the; inhabitants Is on the flat roofs of
their houfes, where they generally fpend
the fummer evenings. There are in If
pahan no lefs than . a hundred and fixty
mofques, and eighteen hundred caravan-
feras. The number of public baths is like-
wife very great, ^ -
. The Perfians equal. If not exceed: all the
manufafturers in the world In filk, woollen,
¦mohair, carpets, and leather. In their ^ar-
;:pets,:rin, particular, they have -the alt of
-.jpinin-g fancy, tafte, and elegance, to. rich-
jfi:? .. . ' ^- ? V' nefsy

Let. xxxviiii] '^iT-"*" AsfA. tai-. '451
nefs; neatnefs, and ffiew ; notwithftanding
which they are ignorant of painting, and
their drawings are Very rude; Their dying
excels that of Europe. Their filver and
gold laces, and threads; are admirable for
preferving their luftre. Their embroideries^
and horfe furniture are not to be equalled ;
nor are they ignorant of the pottery and
window-glafs manufaftures. Ori the Other
hand, their carpenters are very indifferent
Workmen ; which Is faid to be dwiiig to
the fearclty of timber all over Perfia. Their
-jewellers and goldfmiths are alfo clumfy
artlfts, arid they are ignorant of -cldck-
^makinsT, and the manufafture of looking
glaffes. But they lie under great difadvan
tages from the arbitrary form of government,
and the rapacity exercifed by thofe who
often afcend the throne by ufurpation* .
The irrevocable laws of the ancient
Medes and Perfians arc no longer known^
having periffied, it is probable, with the
conftitution to Which they owed their ex
iftence. At prefent, in Perfia, as In every
raahometan country, they have no other
law but the koran, and the comments of
the ecclefiaftlcs upon it. The priefts enjoy
X-*' ¦ G g 2 the

4j2 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER*
the privilege of being judges in all Cafes,
both civil and religlpus ; but fuch as are
criiTiiual, the governors take upon them to
decide: not however without this authority
being protefted againft by the priefthood.
In refpeft to the judgments of the king, pr
his viceroys, they are alh arbitrary.
The law In cafes df debt Is extremely
fevere. If the debtor be unable to pay, he
is delivered to the creditor to be dealt with
as he ffiall determine ; ,the latter having it
in his power to fell him, with all his family,
or make -flaves of the whole, if be pleafes.
All perfons here plead their own caufe,
the women as well as the men ; only the
former are veiled, and haye a partiieuiar
parJL of the court afligned them to flan d Ip^
The principal bufinefs for .which they ap
pear before a judge, is to obtain a divorce.
They ufually ground their aftion on the
impotence of their huffiands, and are always
on thofe oGcafipns extremely clamorous, ,
Murders and robberies rarely occur in
Perfia, guards being placed on every road
to prevent them, pr apprehend offenders.
Bakers .and cooks have fometimes beeri
baked or roafted alive, for defraudiiig the
'•. ¦ . ; people

LET. XXXVIII.] ASIA. 453
people of their provifions* by falfe weights;
but for the moft part, they are only con
fined, or coride'mhed to the baftlnado.
Though the Perfians profefs the religion
of Mahomet, no lefs than the Turks, they
differ confiderably in their principles from
thofe of that nation; thc latter foUowing^
Abubeker, Omar, ahd Ofman, and the for
iner the comriaents of Hali. Such is the
antipathy- between thofe two fefts, that,
riot content with the moft rancorous ha
tred, they even curfe each other In their
prayefs. Both parties j however, call them
felves Muffelmen, or of the number of the
faithful. They have two articles of faithj
ri'amely, that there is but one God ; and
that Mahomet is his prophet. The com
mandments of their religion are, to obferve
corporal purifications ; to pray five fives a
a day ; to gi-ve alms ; to faft in the morith
Ramezan ; and to go on pilgrimage to
Mecca. To this fyftem the Perfians add
another article of faith, which is, that Hali
is the vicar of God. - \
'Their religion is, if pdffible, in feme
things, more fahtaftical andfenfual than that
ofthe Turks, and is in many pbihtS mingled
G g 3 with

454 , LETTERS Of A TRAVELLEil. '?
with Brarnln fuperftitious. Some of them
even .maintain the Pythagorean dpftrine of
tranfmigration. There are ftill in the
country a vaft nurnber of Guebres or Gaurs,
who pretend to be the difciples and fuc
ceffors of the ancient Magi, the followers
of Zoroafter. A combuftible fpot of ground,
about ten miles diftant from Baku, a city
in the north of Perfia, Is the fcene wh'efe
thefe people perform their folemn devotions.
There are upon this ground feveral pld
little temples', in pnc of which the Guebres
pretend to preferve the facred flame of the
Viniverfal fire, which rifes from the end of
a large hollow pane flick in the ground^ re
fembling a, lamp burning with very purp
fpirits, ,*

- , LETTER

LET. XXXIX.] ASIA, 455

LETTER XXXIX,

L ROM the kingdom which I laft vlflted,
there is an immediate tranfitlon into Arabia,
This country is formed into three diyifions,
which are Arabia Petrasa, on the north-
weft ; Arabia Deferta, in the middle ; ^and
Arabia Felix, on the fouth-eaft. It is al
moft furrounded with feas, and there are
few fountains, fprings, or rivers in this
country, except the Euphrates, which
waffies the north-eaft limits of it. As a
confiderable part of this territory lies under
the Torrid Zone, the air is exceffively hot
and dry, arid the country is fubjeft to hot
peftilential winds, like thofe on the oppo
fite ffiores of Perfia, which often prove
' fatal, efpecially to ftrangers, Thp foil in
fome parts, is nothing more than immenfe
fandsi which, when agitated by the winds,
roll like the troiffiled ocean, and fometimes form

456 LETTERS OF A ,TRAVELLEcR.

..-.fi-Js.

form mountains, by which whole caravans
have been overwhelmed. In thefe deferts
the caravans having no tracks, are guided
as at fea, by a compafs, or by ths ftars, for
they travel chiefly In the night. - :,::
This country, except fometimes at the
equinoxes,* is never refreffied with rain ;
and the intenfenefs of the cold in the riight,
is almoft equal hi degree to that pf the heat
ih the day-time. But the fouthern parts of
Arabia, defervedly called the happy, is
bleffed with an excellent fpll, arid in ge
neral, is very fertile. The cultivated lands,.
which are chiefly about the tpwns near the
fea coaft, produce balm of gllea,d, manna,
myrrh, caflia, alpes, franki^ncenfe,, fpike--
nard, and other valuable gums, •,: \^ith cin
namon, pepper, oranges, lemops, pome-
granates, -figs, and other fruits; Honey
arid wax ai e in great plenty, and there is: a,
frriall quantity pf corn and wine. This.
country is famous for its coffee, and its. dates,
the laft of which aje fcarcely found any
¦where in fuch perfe^iou as here and in
Perfia, There are few trees fit for timber
in Arabia, and little wopd of,any kind.

LET. XXXIX,] ASIA.' 45?
¦ The moft ufeful animals in this country
^re camels and dromedaries^, which are ad
mirably' fitted by Providence for traverfing
the dry and parched deferfs ; for by a pe
culiar contrivance in their oeconomy, they
can throw up the liquor from their ftomach
into their throaty and by that means caii
travel fix or eight days without water,
ThC' camels ufually carry eight hundred
pounds; weight on their backs, Which are alfo
peculiarly formed for the fecurity of bur
dens,- which are not rempved during the
whole journey : for the camels naturally
kneel down to reft, arid afterwards rife
without difcompofing their loads. The
dromedary is a finall camel that will travel
manymiles a day. It is a comrnon bbferva-
tion among the Arabs, that wherever there
arc trees, water is not far off. The camels
will fmell a pool at a confiderable diftance,
and fet up their great trpt'till they come tp
it, I need not tell you, that the Arabian
horfes are well kiiown in Europe, and haye
contributed to improve the breed of thofe
in England,
Thp Arabians,; like moft" of the nations in
Afia, arc p( a middle ftature, thin, and of a

458 LETTERS OF A TRAVE|.LER,
a fwarthy complexion-, wfth their hair.- and
eyes black. They are fwift of foot, excel
lent horfemen, and in general a martial
people, expert at the bow and lance, and,
fince they became acquainted with fire
arms, 'good markfmen. The inhabitants
of the inland country live In tents, after
the manner ofthe Tartars, and remove
from place to place with' their flocks and
herds. But they are in general ffich rob
bers, that travellers and pilgrims who' come
thither from all nations, through motives
of devotion or curiofity, are ftruck with
terror on approaching towards the deferts.
For thofe banditti, headed by a captain,
traverfe the dountry in confiderable troops
on horfeback, and affault and plunder the
caravans. On the fea coaft they aft like-
wife as piraj:es, and make prizes of every
vefiel which they- can mafter, of whatever
nation. The roving Arabs have all the appearance
of banditti. Their habit is a kind of blue
ffiirt, tied about them with a white faffi or
girdle ; andvfome of them have a veft of
furs or ffieep fkins over it. They wear
drawers, -and fometimes flippers, but no
^^ '1 , ftockings ;

LET, XXXIX.] ASIA. 459
ftockings ; and have a cap or turban Pu
their heads. .Many of them go almoft
naked ; but, as in the eaftern countries,
the women are fo wrapped up, that nothing
can be feen but their eyes. Like other
Mahometans, the Arabs eat all kinds: of
fleffi, except that of hogs ; but prefer the
fleffi of camels to any other. Their ufual
drink is water, fometimes fweetened with
fugar, or ffierbet made of oranges. They
likewife .drink, coffee, and even tea ; but
ufe no ftrong liquors,
The~ Arabians In former times were fa
mous for their learning, and fkill in all the
liberal arts, particularly that of medicine ;
and fcience was known amongft them even
during; the period of the darkeft ages in
Europe : but there is fcarcely any country
at prefent where the people are fo univer
fally ignorant. The common language in
the three Arabias is the Arabick, or corrupt
Arabian, which is likewife fpoken with
fome variation of dialeft, over great part
pf the Eafl, from Egypt to the court of the
Cjfreat Mogul. The pure Arabic whichijs
faid to be a dialeft of the Hebrew, and ac
counted by the eaftern nations. the moft co
pious

400 LETTERS OF A'TRAVELLER,
pious and eneTgetic language in the \vbi*ld,
is taught in their fchools, as Greek and' La
tin among the Europeans, and ufed by Ma
hometans in their worffiip ; for as the Kd4
ran was written In this language, they will
^lot fuffer It to be read In any other.
The famous Mount Sinai,, is fituated iu
Arabia Petreea. From it may' be feen
Mount Hpreb, where Mofes kept the flocks
of Jethro, his father-in-law, when he faw
the burning buffi. On both thefe moun
tains . are many chapels and cells, occupied
by the Greek and Latin monks, who, like
the religious at Jerufalem, pretend to ffiew
the very fpot which was the fcene of ariy
rhiracle of tranfaftidn recorded In fcripture.
What is Called the Defert of Sinai, is a
beautiful plairi iiear nine miles long, and
about three In breadth. It lies open to the
riorth-eaft, but to the fouthward is clofed
by feme of the lower pminerices of Mbiint
Sinai ; and other parts pf thc mouritaih
pflake fuch encfoachments upon the p^ain,
as' to divide it in two', each fo capacious, as?
to haye been fuffieient to receive the whole
camp of the Ifraelltes.
The

LET. xx^ix.] Asia. 46 f
The chjef cities' in Arabia, are Mocha,
Aden, Mufcar, Suez, and Juddah, where
mpft pf^thfi. trade of this country is carried
on. Mocha is well-built, the houfes very
lofty, and covered wifh a ftucco which
gives them a dazzling whitenefs. The cir
cuit pf the walls , is two miles, and there
are. in it feyeral handfome mofques. Suez,
the Arflnoe of the ancients, is forrounded
by the Defert, and is but an Ill-built
place, Juddah is the place of the greateft
tr^de on the Red Sea. But the capital of
all Arabia is Mecca, the birth-place of Ma
homet. /There is >here a mofque which is
generally accounted the moft magnificent
of any temple in the Turkiffi domiinioijiS.
Its rdof, which is lofty, 'is raifed in thc
faffiion pf a dome, and covered with gold ;
having at the end two beautiful towers, of
extraordinary height and architefture. The
rnofque has two gates, with a window ovf r
each ; and the ivhole building within Is
decorated with the fineft gildings and ta
peftry. The number of pilgrims v/ho
yearly vifit this place Is almoft incredible.;
every muffelman being obliged by his-reli-

46t LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
glon to come thither once in his- life timej
or fend a deputy* -
At the city of Medina likewife, to which
Mahomet' fled when he was driven out of
Mecca, and which is the place where he
was buried. Is a ftately mofque, fupported
by four hundred pillars, ahd furfilihed with
three hundred filver lamps, which are con
tinually burning. The Turks give this
mojque the name of the " Moft Holy," be
caufe In it is placed the coffin of their pro
phet Mahomet,eovered with cloth of gold,
under a canopy of filver tiffue, which the
Baffiaw of Egypt, by order of the -Grand
Seignior, renews every year. The camel
which brings it, is hcild ifl a fort of verier-;
ation, and is never afterwards to be em
ployed in any drudgery; Over the foot of
the coffin Is a rich golden crefcent, curioufly
wrought, ,and adorned With precious ftones.
To this place the pilgrims refort, as to
Mecca, but not in fuch numbers. '^^"^
From the -licentioufnefs of the Arabs^
and the predatory life which they lead, one
would be apt to think that there was no
political fubordlnatlon amono-ft them ; but
the inland country of i\rabia Is under the
government

LET. XXXIX.] ASIA. 46J
government of many petty princes, ,who
are ftyled Xerlfs and Imans, both of them
comprifing the offices of king and prieft,
in the fame manner as the caliphs , of the
Saracens, the fucceffors of Mahomet. They
are in faft abfolute ,both in temporal and
fpirltual authority ; the fucceffion is here
ditary, and they have no other laws than
thofe found in the koran, and the comments
upon it. The northern Arabs owe fubjec-
tioh to the Turks, and are governed by
baffiaws refiding among them; but it is
certain that they receive large gratuities
from thc; Grand Seignior, for protefting the
pilgrims that pafs, through thofe parts, from
the danger of beino; robbed.
The fouthern and inland parts of Arabia
have had thp. fingular good fortune not only
to maintain their freedom arid independente
through all ages, but. to : have made the
moft extenfive and rapid conquefts ever at-^
chic ved by any nation. This was,' however,
not ,the effeft of valor, or military exertion
alone, but of an enthufiafm, inflamed with
fuperftition, which bore down every thing
before it. An ignorant, but artful impoftor,
.Mahomet, a native of this territory, had the
addrefs-

464 Letters of a t|iaveller,
addrefs to impofe himfelf upon his country
men as a prophet fent immediately by God
into the world, fpr the purpofe, as he pre
tended, not pnly of iriftruftiing mankind in
the divine will, but of compelling them to
obey it* The refult of the fiftiori exceeded
his moft fangulneexpeftatlons. All Arabia
inftantly caught the flame of innovation^
and It was fpread in a ffiort time over a vaft
part of Europe, Afia^ arid Africa; all fefts
of religion were either overawed^ or ren
dered profelytes tp fhe belief pf the new
doftrlpe; chriftian churches were converted
into mofques; a new sera was introduced
into the hiftory of mankind ; and in the
end an impoftor, who Would have merited
the fevereft puniffiment iii civilifed fociety,
not only received in his perfon the homage
of a multitude of nations, but obtained fuch
pofthumous honors as never before were
conferred on any rriortal; and has tranfmitted
his name, with that of his fpurious doc-
rines, to half the habitable worlds.

LETTER

LET. XL.] AFRICA. 465*

Letter xl.

.JL^feAVliSlG Afia ori the eali, I entered
the third grand divifion of the globe ; and
it was optional to take my paffage thither,
cither by fea or land : for though the two
continents iiow mentioned are, feparated
from each other, alortg the far greater part
of their extent, by the Red Sea, they are
joined towards the north by a neck df land,
about fixty rrilles over, called the Ifthmus
of Suez, which lies between the extremity
df that fea and the Mediterranean.
As the equator divides this extenfive con
tinent alirioft iri the middle,' and the moft
confiderable part of it is within the tropics,
thc heat is in many parts almoft Infupport-
« able to a European ; it being there increafed
by the rays of the Sun reflefted from the vaft
deferts of burning fands. The coaft, however,
H h and

46-6 LETTERS of!' A TRAVELLEEi -
and banks of the rivers, fuch as the Nile,
are generally fertile ; and moft parts of this
region are Inhabited, though it Is far from
being fo populous, as Europe or Afia.
In many parts of Africa fnow is generally
never feen but on the tops of the higheft
mountains ; and the inhabitants have no
conception of the pofiibllity of water beirig
congealed into the form .of a folid fu4>-
ftance. The moft confiderable rivers are
the Niger and the Nile, each of which
runs a prodigious courfe ; and both of them
increafjlno; and decreafing; alike, fertilize the
adjacent countries' in a wonderful manner.
The greateft mountains on the Continent-
are the Atlas, a ridge extendlns; frdm the
Atlantic. Ocean as far as Egypt, and had its
name from a king of Mauritania, a. great
lover of aftronomy, who ufed to obferve
-the -ftars from Its fummit; on iwhich ac
count the poets reprefent him as. bearing
the heavens ori his ffioulders : The Moun
tains of the Moon, ¦ extending themfelves
betAveen 'Abyffmla and Monomotapa, and
are ftill higher than thofe of Atlas : Thofe,
of Sierra Lepne, or the Mountain of the
iLions, which divide Nigritia from Guinea,
r'if .. and

Let. XL.] _¦ J ,r« AFRICA. /, 4^7
Jtnd extend as far as Ethiopia. Thefe were
ftyled by theancierits the Mountains of God,
on account of their heing fubjeft to thunder.
and lightning. .
The- fituation of Africa for commerce Is
extremely favorablcj having a much nearer
eommUnicatlon with Europe^ Afia, and
America^ than any of the other quarters
has With the reft. Yet, though ftored with
/ inexhauftible treafure, and capable, under
proper improvements, of producing many
luxuries as well as conyenieiicIeSj within
itfelf, iti-feems to be, almoft entirely neg
lefted, not only by the natives, but the
more civilized: Europeans who are fettled
in it.- It is however to be hdped, that the
eftabliffiment lately made, at Sierra Leone,
by fome -public fpirlted men of our own
country, will prove the means of Improv
ing thofe benefits which nature has beftowed
On this continent,
'Afrita: once contained feVeral kingdoms
arid ftateSj eminent for the liberal arts, for
wealth and power, and the moft e.x:tenfive
bommeree; The kingdoms of Egypt and
Ethiopia, In particular, were much; cele
brated ; and the rich and powerful ftate of
Hh 3 Carthage,

468 letters of a TRAVELLER.
Carthage, that once formidable rival of
Rome Itfelf, extended her commerce to
every part of . the then knowii world.
After the reduftion of thefe countries by
the Romans, the natives, conftantly plun
dered, and of courfe Impoverlffied, by the
governors fent from Rome,^ neglefted trade
and cultivated no mpre of their lands' than
might ferve for their fubfiftence. Upori
the decline of the Roman empire, in the
fifth century, the north of Africa was over
run by the Vandals, who contributed ftill
more to the deftruftion of arts and fclenc'es ;
. and to add to the calamity pf this continent,
the Saracens made a fudden conqueft of all
the coafts of Egypt and Barbary in the fe
venth century. Thole were fucceeded by
the Turks ; and both being of the Maho
metan religion, the profeffors of which
carried devaftation wherever they came,
the ruin of this once flouriffiing part of the
world was by that means compleated. "'
The inhabitants of this continerit, with,
refpeft to religion, may be divided' Into
three claffes, namely Pagans, Mahometans,
and Chriftlans. The firft are the moft nu
merous, poffeffing the greateft part of the
country

LET. XL.] AFRICA. 4^9
country from the Tropic of Cancer, to the
Cape of Good Hope, and thofe are gene
rally hlack. The Mahometans, who from
their mpre noi-thern fituation are of a tawny
complexion, poffefs Egypt, and almoft all
pf what is called the Barbary coaft. The
people of Abyffinia, or the Upper Ethiopia,
are denominated Chrlftlaiis, but retain ma
ny Pagan' and Jewifli rites. , There are
many Jews in the north of Africa, who
manage all the little trade that is carried
pn by that part of the country.
Having faid thus much of Africa in gCr
neral, I proceed to my furvey of Egypt,
,. In April and May the air In Egypt is hot,
and pften Infeftlous ; arid the inhabitants
are almoft blinded with drifts of fand : but
thefe evils are remedied by the rifing and
pverflowiug of the Nile. This celebrated
river, fupplying the want of rain, of which
yery .little' falls in the country, begins to
rife when the Sun is vertical in Ethiopia,
aiid.the annual rains fall there, which hap
pen periodically from the latter end of May
to September, and fometimes Oftober,
At the height of its flood in the Lower
Egypt, which is the northern divifion of
Hh3 the

470 LETTERS OF ATfeAVELLER.
the country, nothing Is to be feen in the
plains but the tops of forefts and fruit-trees^
all the towns and villages being built updri
eminences either natural or artificial. Wheri
the Inundation of the river is at Itsheight,
the Inhabitants celebrate a kind of jubilee,
with all forts of feftlvlties. The banks or
mounds which confine the waters of the
river are cut by the Turkiffi baffiaw, at
tended by the chief inhabitants df the
country. The water Is then laid into what
they call the chalis, or grand canal, which
runs through Cairo, whence it is diftributed
into cuts, for fupplying the fields and gar
dens. This being done;, and the waters
beginning to retire, fo great is the fertility
of the foil, that the huffiandman has alrnoft
nothing to do with cultivation. He throws
his wheat and barley into the ground in
Oftober and May ; he turns his cattle out
to graze in November ; and, you would be
delighted with the profpeft which the face
ofthe country prefents in about fix weeks;
in rifing corn, vegetables, and verdilre'of
every kind. The air is perfumed with
oranges, lemons, and a variety of friiils,
March arid April are the harveft months. The

LET, XL.] , ^FRICA. , 471
The Egyptian 'pafturage is equally prolific,
moft of the quadrupeds producing two at
a time, and the ffieep four lambs in the
, Ariftotle informs us, that the new waters
of the. Nile, whether drunk, or ufed in the
way of a batli, never failed to render the
women fruitful ; that they ufually conceived
in, July or. Auguft, and were delivered in
April or May. According to DIodorus Si-
cuhis, they . fometimes were delivered of
four children at a birth, fometimes of feven.
But I have not been able to find upon the
firifteft enquiry, that there is at prefent the
finalleft foundation for thofe affertions. The
women of Egypt, like thofe of other coun
tries, are delivered equally In all months
of the year ; nor do they feem any way
peculiarly difpofed to the produftion of two
or mpre children at a birth. ^
,,^ The couritry abounds in black cattle ; fo
that in all ages the fleffi pots of Egypt have
been well fupplied. The Egyptian horfes
are very fine.: they never trot, but walk
well, and gallop with great fpeed. The
breed of the affes is of a large kind,' and
upon them the Chriftlans ride: fcr they are
not

4/3 LETTERS pF A TRAVELLED. '
not perniitted by the Turks to make ufe cf
any other animal ; but this reftriftlon is not
extended to travellers. The Hippopotamus,
or river horfe, an amphibious animal,- re
fembling an ox In Its hinder parts, is com
mon in Upper Egypt; and among various
other creatures, there is In this country an
ape with the head like a dog. The crocodile
¦was formerly thought peculiar tP Egypt;
but there does not feem tp be ariy effentlal
difference between It arid the alligators of
India and America. . The Ibis, a creature
forriewhat refemhling a duck, and which
was deified by the ancient Egyptians for its
deftroying ferpents and noxious infefts,; was
alfo thought peculiar tp Egypt ; it appears,"
however, that a fpecies of thcpa has- been
lately difcovered in pther parts* of Africa.
Oftrlches are common, here, and are fp
ftrong, that the Arabs-fpmetlmes ride uppn<
their backs.
Egypt is certainly at prefent not near fo.
populous as formerly, owing to the oppref
fion of the inhabitants by^ the Turks; but.
they are ftill very numerous. The def
cendants of the original Egyptlaus. are dif-:
tinguiffied by the name of Coptis. In'
complexipn.

LET. XL.] AFRICA, 473
complexion, they are rather fiin burnt than
fwarthy or black; and are an ill looking
flpvenly people,' immerfed in indolence.
Their anceftors^ were once chriftlans, and
in general they ftill pretend to be of that re
ligion ; b'ut mahometanifm is the prevailing
worffiip among the natives. Thofe whp
inhabit the villages and fields, at any con
fiderable diftance from the Nile, confift of
Arabs, or their defcendants, who are of a
deep fwarthy coriiplexlon. They pafs their.
time In tending; their flocks, and many of
them have no fixed place of abode. The
Turks who refide In Egypt, retain ail their
Ottoman pride and Infolerice, with the
Turkiffi habit, to diftingulffi themfelves
from the Arabs and Coptis, -vyho drefs very
plain. The ordinary drefs of the latter is
of blue linen, with a long cloth coat, either
pver or under it ; and their chief finery i'g
an upper garment of white linen, and llrien
drawers. The Chriftlans and Arabs of the
meaner fort content themfelves with a linefi.
pr Woollen wrapper, which they fold like a
blanket round their body. The' drefs of
the worrien is tawdry and unbecoming; but
their cloaths are filk, when they can' afford it ;

474 LETTER§,-,OF: A TRAVELLER.
it ; and fuch of them as are not expofed to
the fun, have . delicate complexions. AU
Egypt Is over-run with jugglers, fortune
tellers, mountebanks, and, travelling fllght-
of-hand men.
The papyrus Is one of the natural curi
ofities of Egypt, and ferved the ancients to
write upon ; but we are unacquainted with
the manner in which they prepared it.-^
The pith ol" it Is ^ nouriffiing food. The
method of hatching chickens in ovens is
common In Egypt, and is now praftifed, in
fome parts of Europe. But I ffiall fufpend
till my next letter the farther account of
this country,

LETTER

|.ET. XLI.^ AFRICA, ^ 47J

LETTER XLL

E

jGYPT abounds more with antiquities
than peAaps any other part of the world ;
for its cities were very numerous, and re
markably fplendid in ancient times. In
•many places, not only temples, but the
walls of cities, buift before the time of
Alexander the Great, are ftill entire, and
many of their ornaments, particularly the
colours of their paintings, are as freffi and
vivid as when firft laid on. Alexandria,
which lies feyeral miles' ' weft of the
Nile, was once the emporium of all the
world ; and by means of the Red Sea, fur
niffied Europe and great part of Afia with
the riches of India. It owes its name to
- the founder, Alexander the Great. It rofe
upon the ruins of Tyre and Carthage, and is

476 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,
is famous for the light-houfe erefted on thc
oppofite ifland of Pharos, for the direftion
of mariners, defervedly efteemed one of
the wonders of the world. All the other
parts of the city were magnificent in pro
portion, as may be feen from the ruins,
particularly the cifterns and aquedufts.'—
Many of the materials O'f the old city,
however, have been employed in buildlrig
New Alexandria, which at prefent is a very
ordinary fea-port, known by the name of
Seandaroon. Notwithftanding thc»poverty,
ignorance, and Indolence of the inhabi
tants, their mofques, bagnios, and other
public buildings, erefted Within thefe ruins,
preferve a great air of*majefty.
Near Alexandria are to be feen the re
mains of the maufoleum of Cledpatra. It
is the farne in which ffie had depofited the
body of Anthony, and where ffie herfelf Was
likewife Interi*ed, in confequence of her
1 equeft to Oftavlus 6-asfar, immediately
befdre hef death. This ftrufture was begun
in her own life time, and completed by the
order of Ciiefar. That it wa's very grand,
we have the teftimony of hiftorians, and
Martial

LET. XLI.] AFRICA. 477
Martial alludes to it In the following beau
tiful epigrarri,
De viper a eleEtro inclufa.
Flentibus Heliadum ramis dum vipera-ferpit,
' Fluxit in obftantem fuccina gemma feram.
' Qux dum miratur pingui fe rore teneri,
'¦''"• Concretoriguit yinSla repente gelu. .. '
Ne tibi regali placeas, Cleopatra, fepulchro,
Vipera fi tumulo noUliore jacet.
. Lib. iv., ,Ep. 46*
Near this fpot are the foundation and
ftately ruins of an ancient ftrufture, which
forne affirm to have been Casfar's palace.
In the neighbourhopd, likewife, ftands
Pompey's pillar, which is a fine regular co
lumn of thp Corinthian order, eighty-four
feet nine Inches high, and all of one ftone.
Including the capital and pedeftal, the
height of the whole is a hundred and four-
tepu feet..
Rofetta, or Rafphld, ftands twenty-five
miles north- weft of Alexandria, corii-
ri^apdlng a beautlful.profpeft of the country,
or Ifland of:Deka, formed by the Nile near
its mouth; and is a place of confiderable
trade.
Thc

47^ LETTERS OT A TRAVELLER. f
The whole country towards Grand Cairo,'
is a continued fcene of antiquities, of
which the oldeft are the moft ftup'endous,'
but the more moderri the moft beautiful.
Cairo^ now Mairs, the prefent capital of
Egypt^ is a large and populous citf., but
dlfagreeable on account of its peftilential
air, and the narrownefs of the ftreets. - It
is divided Into two towns, the Old and the
New, and defended by an old caftle, the
Works of which afe computed to be three
rrilles In circumference. This caftle is faid
to have been built by the famous Saladine,
about fix hundred years ago. At the weft
end are the remains of very noble apart-
mentSj feme of which are covered with
domes, and adorned with piftures in mo
faic work. The well, called Jofeph's welly
is a curious piece of mechanlfm, about three
hundred feet deep. You muft krioW that
the rriemofy of that Patriarch is ftill re
vered in Egypt ; they ffiew granaries, arid
many other works -of public utility, that go
under his na^me. They are certainly of
great antiquity; but Y^'hethcr they have
been erefted bv him may ftill be matter of
doubt. On the banks of the Nile,' facing
-*'-¦' Oairo^

LET. XLI.] AFRICA. 479
Cairo, 'lies' the village of GIzie, which is
thought to be the ancient Memphis.
A favorite exhibition in this p&rt of the
country, is dancing camels, which. When
young, they place upon a large heated
floor: the Intenfe heat makes the poor
creatures caper; and being plied all the
time with the beating of drums, the found
of that inftrument fets them a dancing all
their lives after.
But what afforded more gratification to
ray tafte, was the opportunity 1 had of fee
ing the fiftrum, a mufical Inftrument anci
eritly ufed at the Egyptian facrifices ; and
with, which Virgil makes Cleopatra affem
ble her troops at the battle of Aftlum.
Regina in mediis patrio vocat agmire fifira.
It is an iron hoop of ax). oval form, about
four iiiches long, through which run three
moveable crofs bars of the fame metal. It
has Ti. wooden handle ; fornewhat refembles
a gridiron, and makes a rattling noife on
being ffiaken.
¦v.i The other towns of note in Egypt are
Damietta, fuppofed tP be the ancient Pelu-
fium ;

4§d Letters of A traveller* v
fium ; Bulac, vv- here they cut the banks of
the Nile every year, that it may fill their
canals ; Seyd, on the weft bank of the
JMIle, two 'hundred miles fouth of Caird^
laid to be- the ancient Egyptiari- Thcbes>j'
where are ftill many remains of antiquity.
Would not the greater part of mankind
be-ajst to qiieftion my veracity, when I af
firm, that I have really feen feveral perfons^
who, if they did not precede the age of
Solomon, may have been at leaft his con-
lempdraries ? Yoti will feadily underftand
that I mean mummies, which I have feeri
taken from the catacorrib&of Egypt. There
are fuhterraneous vaults hewn ih the rockj '
and ufed by the ancients for burial places.
They confift of a vaft number of apart
ments, communicating with each other ,-
znd eicteridlng to a very great diftarice under
ground. Round every apartment ruii three
ranges of nkhes, all large enough to con
tain a coffin. The rock in which they are'
hewi being foft, many of the apartments
afe- iii ruins* At the entrance are ftill
fotrie-ferriains of fteps cut in the rock ; and
.it »^ is-* riot doubted but thefe places were fof-
•merly verv magnificent? '^'
"-' ' The

Let. xLi.] AFHrcA; "^ ' 4Si
The bodies which I have feen are painted
with hieroglyphical figures, and were prfe-
ferVed in cafes made of the fyfcamore tree^
a fort of wood as durable as themfelves;'
Near therrij in the cataCorilbs, Were feveral-
of the birds Ibis, embalmed in earthen pots.! :
Vaft antiquity; of itfelf^ is dpt to excite
iri the mind fome degree dfverteratlon ; but
this is perhaps more particularly due to the
inhabitarits of the catacombs thari td any
other natural dbjefts, when we dpiifider-'
that they have faffed the foleriih and impar
tial trial aftef death, from which even thofp^
df the higheft : quality iri Egypt, were riot
exempted ; by which their aftioris and cha-
i-after^ vvere fully earivaffed arid .approved,
before they could be allowed interment.-
Indeed there is reafon to thliils;, that this
ferutiny was not carried with fo much rigor
into the private fcenes of life; as in the more
public fteps of conduft, which might affeft
the welfare of the cominunity.
The art of embalming amortg the aticient
Egyptians has been Very imperfeftly tranf-,
mitted by hiftorians. It is doubtlefs more
a matter of ciiriofity than. ufe. From the
blacknefs of the bones, however j and- the
I i pitchy

483 LETTERS QF A TRAVELLES, JX ot ¦! J
pitchy fubftance found within them, It
would- feem to have confifted in boiling the
body in pitch, after having embowelled it,
and extrafted the brains through the nofe,
as Herodotus Informs us, • -jyo;
The praftice of embalming was origi
nally founded on the opinion, that after a
certain number of years, the foul ffiould be
re-united to thc body. ..Whether fiich^prac-
tice could really have any influence on the
morals of the Egyptians, by keeping in re
membrance the virtues of their anceftors,
as feme have imagined, is not eafy , to de
termine. Perhaps we have attributed .(to
that cuftom an effeft, which proceeded
©nly from- the principle on which the cuf
tom was founded. It is probable that the
greateft advantage which the ftate derived
from' its dead, was in relation to commerce.
For by a law of Afychls, it was euafted,
that no perfon ffipuld borrow money without
pawning the -body of his anceftor, which it
:Was reckoned the greateft infamy not to
redeem. oiButi' ¦whatever effeft uit might
have had on the virtue, of Individuals, fl am"
inclined to think, that, from the. efteem in
.A?v'hichit..was held,;-the cuftom of embalm-
¦ ing

LEt. XLI;], T iav/.. AFRICA. : 4^3
BQg muft,' upori the whole, have had a very
pernicious influence pn their national cou
rage. For they would not readily expofe
their bodies to danger, who were fo ambi
tious of preferving- them as entire as piof-
fiMp, till the time they expefted the refur-
reftioti. And in faft we find, that never
any people were fo often, or fo eafily con
quered as the Egyptians. They regarded
the dwellings of the living as inns, which
were intended to accommodate them for a
ffiort "^fpate of time only, while they called
the manfions of the dead their houfes,
which they were tp poffefs for a long, revo
lution of ages} and provided they enjoyed
tbe fecurity of the latter, they were little
difpofed to defend the former^ -
ThelakeMxris in Egypt is likewife a pro
digious excavation; and of all the aricient
wonders in this country, it feems to have
been the only one which united utility with
grandeurs for we are told that it was dug
hy order of an Egyptian king, to correft
the irregularities of the Nile, and to com
municate with that river by canals and
ditches which ftill exift,
->'-iiidh\ Ii 2 '.'¦ Adjoining:

484 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
Adjoining to It, was the celebrated laby
rinth, which contained twelve magnificent
palaces, anfwering to the twelve provinces
of Egypt, In each of them was a vaft hall,
with an equal number of doors oppofite to
each other; fix opening to the north, and as
many to the fouth. The number of cham
bers In this edifice was three thoufand ; in
the lowermoft of which were the fepulchres
of the holy crocodiles, and of feyeral of the
kings. But what was more aftoniffiing than
its prodigious magnitude, was the intricacy
which prevailed through thc whole. The
paffages between the chambers ran In di
reftions fo extremely various, that by no
thing but fuch an expedient as the clue of
Ariadne was it poffible to unravel them.

LETTER

LET.XL.il] AFRICAi , 4^5

LETTER XLII,

AVING In my laft letter made men
tion of the " Holy Crocodiles," I cannot
refrain from expreffing my furprife, at the
abfurd veneration which was paid by the
ancient Egyptians to that animal, as well
as to feveral others, as the. cat, the dog, the
hawk, and the ibis. Particular lands were
appropriated for the maintenance of each
fpecies ; and the care of feeding and at
tending them was accounted the moft ho
norable employment In the kingdom. To
thofe animals the Inhabitants folemnly of
fered up their prayers; and with fuch pro
fufion were thofe ridiculous deities enter
tained, that by one man, who had the care
of"a number of them, no lefs, we are told
by DIodorus Siculus, than a hundred talents
were expended. They were kept in con
fecrated inclofures, where their vlftuals
I i 3 confifted

letters of A TRAVELLER, ' "
confifted of the greateft dainties. The. moft
ufual food was the fineft flour boiled in
milk; .cakes of feveral forts made with
honey ; and the fleffi of geefe either boiled
or roafted, Thofe which fed on faW meat
were fupplied with birds of dlffereiit kinds.
Thc conduft of the Egyptians In the
maintenance of their animals? arid of their
own children, difplayed a remarkable con
traft. For while they laviffied fuch exor
bitant fums on the former, the latter were
fed and cloathed at fo fmall an expence,
that from birth to thp age of manhood, a
boy feldom caft his father more than
twenty drachms, or about thirteen ffiillings.
They went for the moft part naked; and
their ufual diet confifted of the ftalks and
roots of the plants which grow in the
marffies. This frugal manner in whlcl^
they brought up their children was pro
bably one great caufe of the populoufnefs
of Egypt. ¦ , .
My progrefs now leads me to give ym^
an account of the Egyptian pyramids,
which have been the wonder of the worl|l
for upwards of three thoufa,nd years, The

let. XLII.] AFRICA. ''tTS 4%
3 The greateft of thefe pyramids ard three
in nuthber, and are fituated in the neigh
bourhood of the ancient Memphis^ The
Jargeft ftands on a rock hewn in the form
of a camel's back, about. fixty feet hlgh>
and traverfes obliquely the bafe of the py-
famid from north to fouth. The bafe Is an
exaft fquare,,-, each fide meafuring fix hun
dred and ninety three Engliffi feet. . The
four ffdes face the four cardinal points, and
the entrance is pnthe north. The perpen
dicular, altitude of this ftupendous ftrufture
js fivehuudrpd feet, and the length of its
inclofed plain-fix hundred and feventy feet.
The ipile is afcended on the outfide, not
by regular fteps, there being none, but by
,ihe ftones of the building, thegreat thicknefs
of which renders the journey exceedingly
troublefome, a The top is covered with fix
ftones, each about fix feet in length, but
with an interval between each, which
would require fix other ftones of equal di
menfions to fill up. This circumftance
giv4s rife to. a conjefture, either that the
pyramid never was completely finiffied, or
that fome attempt had been made to pull it
down. The pyramid is entered by a nar row

LETTERSr OF .A TRAVELLER./ T3J
row aperture a little above the level of* the
bafe. But before a traveller attempts lo
gratify his curiofity by fuch an adventure,
it is neceffary to difcharge fpme piftols, to
frighten away the owls, bats, fiiakes, and
Other reptiles harbouring here^ and which,
nn thofe explofions, hafteir away to. their
lurking places. -¦ .•:?] .?fj,J .ito jqao^ft^ ..di
' 1 ffiall notMetaIn you with a minute aci.
count of the internal arrangements, -but
oidy inform you, in general, ^hat, after a
defcent of feveral feet, you afcend through
two narrpw paffage?, pne pf which is eighty
four feet in length, and the pther ulnetyTfix.
This leads into a gallery of poliffied marble,
the height of which Is twentj^two feet and
a half above the pavement ; whenp% you
pafs ¦ Into a magnificent chamber,'* built of
Thebaic marble, thirty-fix feet In "length;
eighteen in breadth, and the fame in height.
In this apartment i§ a marble cheft, but
without either cover or contents, fuppofed
to have been'defigried for the tomb ofthe
founder, ij Afcending ftUl higher, through a
paffage of a hundred and thirteen feet -in
length, you come, to anpther large, apart
ment, the finell of which is extremely of-*
ebh; ^^^I'l^ve^

LET. XLIL] ...iAMA^JilCA,
ferifive, and daubtlefs arifes from the ordure
of the multitudes of vermin which infeft
this place,
: About, a mile from this ftrufture ftands
the fecond pyramid, which appears to have
been covered with marble, but hitherto the
entrance of it has'not been difeovered. It
is, except on the fouth fide, well preferved,
having iieither chafms nor fiffures; and
from- its furfsce being every where fmooth
^iid even, there Is no pofllbllity of afcending
it. . Not far thence Is another pyramid, but
fomethlng lefs than the preceding : and at
fame diftance in the defert, feveral others
pf inferior ^Ipierifions.
i.Diftprent accounts are delivered by au
thors, refpefting the building and objeft of
thefe wppderfui ftruftures. Pliny affirms
that they were built for oftentation, or to
keep : ^ idle people in employment; but
others, xthat they werp deftined for the fe
pulchres of Egyptian Kings; and this is
the .more general opinion. Jofephus tells
Hs:that the Egyptians compelled the Ifrael-i
ites: to build them; but Herodotus afcribes
fhe firft and largeft pyramid to king Cheops,
10 flouriffipd after the Trojan War;' arid
adds

49& LETTEBS:0F A TRAVELLER, - T
adds, that this king began the building :Df
it, in ordet' to vfind, employment for his
fubjefts; that it was byilt of ftones dug
frpm quarries in the mountains of Arabia,
brought thither by veffels on the Nile; and
that above a hundred thoufand perfons were
employed, thirty thoufand ^very ¦ month.
DIodorus Siculus calls the founder of this
pyramid Chemmis ; but agrees with Hero^
dotus, with regard to time, though he in-
creafes the workmen to three hundred and
fixty thoufand ; and both agree with Pliny,
that it was twenty years in, building, s.
With regard to the fecond pyramid, both
Herodotus and DIodorus Siculus make the
founder to have been Cephrenes, brother
to Cheops, or Chemmis, The third Is
generally afcribed tO' king .Mycerlnus, the
fecond ion of Chemmis; though others al-
ledge that It was built by Rhodope, a fa
vorite concubine of king Amafis. ¦
There Is the fame difference between
writers, in refpeft of the great pyramid,
whether it was ever completed. Moft of
them maintain the negative, as feveral
ftones are wanting at the top : nor does it
^ppear to have been ever povered with
{J- i marble,

LET. XLII,] AFRICA. 49I
marble, like the fecond. It is added, that
this pyramid being built by Cheops, one of
the moft tyrannical kings of Egypt, the
inhabitants would neither fuffer the pyramid
to be completed, nor his body depofited in
it ; it being the -general opinion, as already
mentioned, that the pyramids were in
tended for fepulchres,
- Others on the contrary affirm, that this
pyramid was completely finiffied ; but that
afterwards attempts were made to demollffi
it : and accordnigly the marlde with which
it was covered, was taken off, and the
ftones, which feem to be wanting at the
top, were thrown down. It Is certain that
feveral modern princes have formed defignS
of demoliffiing It, Even in the year 1580',
Jbrahim Pafcha intended to blow it up with
gun-powder, imagining that he ffiould find
amdng the ruins immenfe treafures. But
Georgio Emo, then conful from the re-
|)ublic of Venice, at Cairo, diverted him
from his projeft ; convincing him, that the
explofion of fo large a quantity of gun
powder as would be requlfite for that pur
pofe, and the fragments of ftones which
would be violently projefted from the ftruc- ture,

.49? LETTERS OF. A TjRAVELLEE, ^ =T:'. '
Jure, would demoliffi at leaft t the greater
part of Cairo, and at the fame time, deftroy
multitudes of people, '=^^: r'?H
That the ftones for building the pyramids
were brought from fo great a diftance as is
related by Herodotus, notwithftanding the
great extravagance, and aftoniffiing* uij-
dertakings of the Egyptian kings, feems
extremely improbable, . as they might: be
fupplied with thofe materials in the nelgh-^
bourhood of the pyramids ; and in faft, thc
quarries adjoining them difcover fo much
the fpecific marks and charafteriftics of the
pyramidal ftones, that they are not to be
diftinguiffied from, them. On the whole,'
the- pyramids of Egypt are the moft ftupen
dous, and, to appearance, the moft ufelefs
ftruftures, that ever were created by the
hands of men,
Near thefe pyramids, on the weft bank
of the Nile, is to be feen the famous Sphinx,
which confifts of the head and ffioulders of
a woman, cut out of the rock, and is forty
feet in height. There were ancientlv ma-
ny of thefe fphinxes on the banks of the
Nile ; they were fymbollcal figures, with
the head of a woman and the body of a lion,
fignifying

LET. XLIl] '^'¦'AFRICA.- 493
fignifying, that the Nile began to fwell In
the months of July and Auguft,' when the
Sun paffes through the figns of Leo and
Virgo. One .of them in particular, cut
Qut'of a rock, was remarkable for its pro
digious dimenfions. According to Pliriy,
the body was a hundred and forty- three
feet in length, well proportioned ; and the
circumference of the head a hundred arid
two feet.

LETTER

494- LETTERS OF: A iSRAVELLERo

LETTER XLilL

r 11 s
Ji HOUGH It Is generally admitted, that
the Greeks derived the rudiments of feiencP
from the ancient Egyptians, and that ThaleS
and many other philofophers. vifited Egypt
for improvement in knowledge, yet there
fcarcely remains a veftlge of It amorig th©
prefent inhabitants of the country. The
bigotry and ignorance- of their Mahometan
mafters might be fuffieient to produce this
change; which however j was effefted ma
hy ages ago. The Caliphs, pr Saracens,
who fubdued Egypt were of three, kinds.
The firft, who were the immediate fuc
ceffors of Mahomet, made war frpm . prin
ciple upon all kinds of literature, excepting
the koran; and to this it was owing, that
when they took poffeffion of Alexandria, which

LET. XLIII.] ('//¦ AFRICA. '4.9-5.
which contained the moft magnificent li
brary the world ever beheld, its valuable
manufcripts were applied for fome months
in cooking. their vlftuals, and warming their
baths. The fame fate attended the other
magnificent Egyptian libraries. The ca
liphs of the fecond race were men of tafte
and learning, but of a peculiar ftrain.
They bought up all the rnanufcripts that
furvived the general conflagration, relating
to aftronomy, medicine, and fome ufeful
parts of philofophy, Ixit they had no tafte
for the Greek arts of architefture, fculpture,
painting, or poetry ; and learning was con
fined to their own courts and colleges,
without eVer finding its way back to Egypt.
The lower clafs of Caliphs, efpecially thofe
who called themfelves caliphs of Egypt,
difgraced human nature ; and the Turks
have fivetted the chains of barbarous ig
norance which they impofed.
But we ought not td confound the ftate
of learning in Egypt, at the deftruftion of
the Alexandrian library, with that in which
it exifted in the. time of Thales and other
Grecian Philofophers who had vifited that
country. For the Alexandrian library con
tained

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLED,

tained not only the Egyptian literature, but
that likewife of the Greeks and Romans^
which probably formed the mdft valuable
part of the colleftion. Notwithftanding
the reputation of learning, which the an
cient Egyptians had acquired, there is no
fatlsfaftory evidence of their having made
much prdgfefs In any ufeful refearch. Ge
ometry was the only fcience which they
appear to have underftdod in any tolerable
degree, For^ though they made obferva
tions on the ftars, they were ignorant of
thofe principles which are indifpeufible for
erefting a fcientifie fyfteni of aftronomy, >
And in the knowledge of any addrtidrial
feience, if we except the vifionary doc-
rines in which they rivalled the Chaldeans ;
they were equally deficierit with other
natldris, »•
Ohe circumftance Was peculiar to the'''
Egyptians, and, if I miftake not^ proved^
the caufe of that celebrity which they uni
verfally obtained. The priefts, befide the"
common alphabet ufed in the ordinary af
fairs of life, had, as we are informed by.
Herodotus, a fymbolical charafter appro
priated to fubjefts of fcience. This being

LET. XLlII.] AFRICA.  49,7
a hereditary poffeflion in their families,
and acceffible orily to the prlefthopd, it fur
niffied them with the means not only of
concealing from the world the knowledge
which they had really acquired, but of im-
pofing upon mankind by a fallacious difplay
of learning which had no foundation,—
The pretenfions to knpwledgei could not be
difproved which were never (fubmitted to
invefUgatidn ; and ignorance might fafely
bid defiance to deteftion, when the v^ilof
myftery within which it lay concealed was
impenetrable. .,.
Under the management of, the moft
learned of the priefthood, this boafted fym- -
bolical charafter wass abfolutely incapable
of accommodation to the purpofes of fci
ence. For, admitting that the reprefen
tation which it afforded of ideas was not
both too arbitary and ambiguous to be uni-
¦vprfally Intelligible in any definite fignlfi
catlon, yet the language muft- have been
extremely circumfcribed, which afforded
no.' expreffion for any other ideas than fucb.
as could be reprefented by the piftures of.
mater^ial objefts, numerous as they might
be. to any native of the moft extenfive ob-
- . K k fervation

4^8 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLfelf;
fefVatlon iri Egypt. Such a charafter, fa
fat from being ufeful, was Utterly inade
quate to every exigence of precifion. It
could neither mark the copulation nor dif-'
junftion of Ideas. It could exprefs neither
prepofitlve nor adverbial fignlficatlon. In
a word, it was incapable of deferibing any
determinate relations of Ideas, and could
never attempt to delineate the abftraft evo
lutions of fentlment.
To what piirpofe then, it may be afked,
did the Egyptian, priefts make ufe of this
fymbollcal charafter? The anfwer Is ob
vious: they ufed it for the purpofe of that
prieftcraft which in thpfe times, univerfally
difgraced the principles of men who fub
fift ed by popular fuperftition. To this I
will add another reafon. The Egyptians
were always addifted to oftentation of myf
tery : they excited the aftonlffiment of the
world by their pyramids, which, though
* built as royal fepulchres, never Included
the afhes -of any king ; and they affefted to
conftr-uft a language, which notwithftanding
its arrogated fuperiority, contained not a
-tittle of any fcience, ¦.:/.!-;, . :'
' ¦ The

Let. kLiii.] ^ AFRICAi 499.
. The polity of the ancient Egyptians has
been no lefs the ohjeft of adipiration than
the fuppofed learning of the priefthood*
but I think the excellence of their con
ftitution has been greatly exaggerated, -^^
Perhaps the moft falutary of all their laws
was that which related to the celebrated
trial of the dead; But admitting that this
praftice had aftually a beneficial influence
on the morals of the people, the inftitution
of it proceeded not fo much from any fu
perior legiflative wifdom^ as frorii the uni
verfal prejudice of the nation. The greateft
ambition ariiongft them was, that their bo
dies ffiould be preferved as entire as poffible
to the end of the world ; and nothing there-
fore could offer greater violence to their
fondeft hopey than to be denied the privilege
of interment.
But in my opinion, this fingular mode
df trial is a ftrong proof that the adrninif-
tratlon of criminal juftice in Egypt was
extremely imperfpft. If men had com
mitted crimes for which it could be deemed
proper to deprive them of what the Egyp
tians held as the moft valuable of all human
privileges, why were they not brought to a
K k 3 legal

500 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. , \.
legal trial ? Was it confiftent with com-,
mon juftice that men fliould be condemned
upon any accufation wh'en they could not
be heard in their own defence? Or was it
equitable, to puniffi with eternal infamy.,
offences which had not been thought of fuf
fieient magnitude to juftify the Immediate
cognizance of tbe laws? In every light , In
which this trial can be viewed, I muft con
fider It as an abfurd violation of the moft
facred rights of mankind, and the refourpe
of a leglflature indifputably feeble and
capricious. But if the enforcement of morality
amongft the Egyptians required fuch an.
inftitution' as was unknown to any pther
people, the neceffity of that reftralnt affords
a fjtrong prefumption that their polity ¦was
defeftive in other parts. I am well fup
ported by the evidence of hiftory when f
affirm, that no nation was ever lefs expofed
than Egypt to the perpetration of ,thofe'
crimes which prove- moft Injurious tp fo
ciety. The extreme fertility of the land,
and the fimplicity of cloathing, precluded
the ufual temptations to rapine and theft;
whilft the unlimited number of wives in
which

LET. XLIII.] AFRICA. 50I
which men were indulged, and the gerieral
praftice' of early marriage, equally tended
to prevent the unlawful commerce of the
fexes. If in fuch afituatipn, therefore,
the Egyptians required the moft forcible
induceriient to moral conduft, to what
principle In their natural or political coii-
ffitution ought we to afcribe this neceffity?
They Were not more difpofed to voluptu-
otifnefs from the temperature of the climate
than the irihabitants of many other couri
tries. On this fubjeft, there is fome reafori
to fufpeft, that ,the morals of Egypt were
corrupted by a caufe which has generally
beeii donfidered as produftive of falutary
effefts. I mean the praftice of introducing
the figure of a dead perfon at entertain
ments. That the objeft of this cuftom
was fp promote, and not reftrain feftlvltyi
or rather intoxication, is evident from the
words with which the ceremony, as Hero
dotus relates, was accompanied : ** Look
uppn this, and be merry; for fuch as this
is, ffialt thou be when thou art dead;" and
it is further confirmed by the acknowledged
intertiperance to which the praftice was
>ieildered ffibfervient. We are told by thc
' " K k 3 fame

$02

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER,

authority, that the Egyptians Were remark-:
ably addifted to drinking ; and that they
ate every night of boiled cabbage, as a pre
parative for the greater Indulgence of their
favorite vice.
In fubjefting men to the employment
of the diftaff, and other domeftic offices,
whilft the women alone performed all bu"-
finefs without doors, the polity of Egypt
was a direft 'inverfion of nature. By this
prepofterous cuftom the men became fo ef
feminate, that they Were ffiamefully van-
quiffied by an inferior army of Perfians,
and indeed became the prey of every fub
fequent enemy who invaded them; It is
faid of Sefoftrls that he erefted in Syria
feveral ftones, bearing upon them a repre
fentation of the private parts of a woman,
as a reproach on the imbecility of his ene-^
mies; but one ihlght almoft be induced to
fufpeft an error in hiftory, which has con
verted into a farcafm dn foreign nations
what was meant as a memorial of female
valor; that the viftorles of this celebrated
prince were obtained not by men, but, the
women of Egypt, ¦ The

LET. XLIII.] AFRICA. 503
The cuftpm of all trades being hereditary
¦was alfo Hable to ftrong objeftlons. Though
it fuited oeconomy, and feempd to favor pro
ficiency in the various arts, it fupported a
reftralnt detrimental to the' efforts of ge
nius, and placed thoufands pf people in fi
tuations for which they were unqualified
hy nature.
• ,, Wheri I confider all thefe circumftances,
and the rude feverity of the Egyptian pu
niffiments, I ffiall never admit, notwith
ftanding the claims of this people to high
antiquity, that they afforded any example
of .that political ,wIfdom which dlftln-
, guifficd, in all other countries, the periods
tof refined civilization.
Thqir religion was the moft odious mafs
of fuperftition ever invented by the ^ hu
man mind. Exclufive of geohcietry, and
fome aft.ronpmical obfervations, their learn
ing, with all its oftentation, I affirm It,
was but igijprance iu difguife; and their
-polity, their boafted polity, had its foun
dations in e??tra vagant caprice. The Egyp
tians neverthelefs have had the peculiar
fortune not only to impofe upon contem porary

504 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. ,
porary nations, but even to be venerated
by pofterity. That eternity which they
wiffied with ardor to their own natural
bodies, they have fecured to the farne of
thei^ country. The wifdom of the Egyp
tians has been echoed from age to age. It
is a mighty name, like the pyramids of
the nation, but is In faft no more than a
name ; and I ffiall now fuggeft to you the
means by which it arofe. -
Great populoufnefs, and facility of fub-,
ftftence have ever been regarded as the
fureft figns of a flouriffiing nation. Thefe
objefts, being in general, attainable only
by wife regulations of governtnent, the
countries in which they are moft confpi
cuous are therefore fuppofed to enjoy a
happy fyftem of polity. Egypt was re
markable both for populoufnefs and plenty
of provifions : on which account it acquired
the reputation of tranfcendant excellence
in refpeft of its cuftoms and municipal
laws. But the inference -which in all other
cafes was juft,. coincided not with truth
when applied to the particular circum
ftances of Egypt. This

LET. XLIII.] rr,? AFRICA.' ^0$
I'r- This kingdom was indebted for its great
profperity to the annual inundation of thc
Nile ; and the beneficial effefts which pro
ceeded entirely from this caufe, were erro-
neoufly afcribed by inattentive obfervers to
zithe fuperior polity of Egypt.

LETTER

^¦o6 LETTERS-0F A TRAVELLER.

LETTER XLIV.

rnr^

HE next and laft objeft of my furvey,
is the States of Barbary, which confift of
thofe countries iri Africa that lie on the
coaft of the Mediterranean fea. Thefe
States, under the Roman pmplrej were
juftly denominated the garden of the world.
The 'produce of their foil formed the ma
gazines which furniffied all Italy, arid great
part of the Roman empire, with corn,
wine, and oil. Though the lands arc now
uncultivated, through the oppreffion and
barbarity of their government, yet they
are ftill fertile, not only in the abovemen-^
tioned commodities, but In dates, figs, ral
fins, almonds, apples, oranges, and other
fruits, with plenty of efculent roots and
herbs. ¦ In ffiort, the country abounds in
all that can add to the pleafures and conye-
, : : ^ niences

LET. XLIV.] AFRICA. 507
niences of life. ' Neither the elephant nor
rhinoceros- are to be found In the States of
Barbary; but their deferls abound with
lions, tygers, leopards, hyaenas, and mon-
ftrous ferpents. The Barbary. horfes were
formerly very valuable, but their breed is
now not equally good. Among their beafts
of burden, which are camels, dromedaries,
affes, and mules, there Is a fpecies called
kumrahs, a fervlcable creature, begot by
an afs upon a cow. Their cows are but
fmall, and the _ quantity of milk they give
fcarcely proportioned to their fize. Their
ffieep yield indifferent fleeces, but are yery
large, as are their goats. Bears, porcupines,
foxes, affes, hares, rabbits, and all kinds of
reptiles are found here ; as are likewife
partridges, eagles, hawks, and wild fowl
pf various kinds. Vermin, however, Is
frequent in this country ; and feldom a
night pafl'es but one's repofe Is Interrupted
by the bite or fting of the fcorpion, the
viper, or the venemous fplder. Thc feas
and bays of Barbary abound with the fineft
and moft delicious fiffi of every kind, which
were preferred by tbe ancients to thofe of
Europe, Having

50S LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
Having here had ah opportunity of fee
ing the falamander, that famous creature
which is faid by the ancients to live in the
midft of fire, J was extremely defirous of
bringing the faft to the teft of experiment.
Ariftotle tells us, that it npt only' lives
anildft fire, but eV^en extlnguiffies that ele
ment. The truth Is, thaf on being laid
upori the fire, there flows from between Its
fcales a watery liquid, which at firft pro
duces, in fome degree, that effeft ; but af
ter this moifture is difilpatsd, the fala
mander is no longer capable of refiftin'g
the force of fire. ' "
The territory of Tripoli was once the
richeft, and moft populous of all the ftatPs
on the coaft, but it is now much reduced ;
though the Inhabitants are ftill computed
to amount to between four and five hun
dred thoufand. The city of Tripoli con-
fills of an old and a new town, the latter
of which Is the more flouriffiing, but great
inconveniences attend its fituation, ' parti
cularly the • want of fweet water. The
city of Oran, lying upon the coaft. Is about
a mile and a half in circumfefence, and
- , - • well '

LET. XLIV.] , AFRICA. , 5O9
well fortified, but commanded by the neigh
bouring hills
Proceeding weftward, we come to the
kingdom of Tunis, which is the moft po
liffied of all the Barbary States, and contains
the remains of many noble cities, fome of
thgm ftill iri good condition. The capital
contains about ten thoufand families, and
above three thoufand tradefmens ffiops. —
Though the men here be fun burnt, the
complexion of the women Is very delicate,
nor are they lefs neat and elegant in their
drefs,; but they improve the beauty of their
eyes by art, particularly the powder of fead-
ore ; ffippofed to be the fame pigment that
Jezebel made ufe of, when ffie is faid to
have painted her face : the words of the
original being, that flie fet off her eyes
with the powder of lead-ore. The better fort
of inhabitants, in general, are fober, or
derly, and clean in their perfons, their be
haviour genteel and complalfant, and a won
derful regularity prevails through the whofe
_town. The Dey of Tunis is an abfolute
prince, elefted by the Turkifh foldiers; but
his reign is very precarious, and feldom, of
long duration; depending entirely upon the

5lO LETTERS' OF A TRA-VELLfeR.; -
the caprice pf thait body,- who are generally
compofed of renegadoes, pirates, and the
very refufe of mankind;
Weftward of Tunis-, lies the territory
of Algiers,- which though tributary to the
Grand Signlor^ is likewife governed by a
Dey, elefted by the foldiers, by whom he
is often depofedj or put to death, upon the
moft frivolous pretext. The capital of that
territory ftands on the fide of a hill rifing
gradually from the . ffiorcj It is computed
to contain upwards of a hundred thoufand
irihabitants, among whom are fifteen thou
fand Jews, and two thoufand Chriftian
flaveSi The environs of the town are
adorned with gardens and fine villas, where
the many fountains and rivulets are no
fmall addition to the pleafure of the Inha
bitants, who refort thither in the hot
feafons. ¦None of the gardens here are laid out
with any degree of regularity, the whole
being a confufed mi.^ture of trees, with
beds of cabbages, turnips, beaiis, garvancos,
&o. 'nay fometimes of wheat and barley
difperfed amongft them. Tbe foil is for
the rnoft part of a loofe and yielding na
ture.

LET. XLIV.]': AFRICA. 51!
ture, in fome places black, and in others .
inclining to red ; but both kinds are equally
fruitful, and impregnated with great quan
tities of fait and nitre. The banks of fe
veral rivers, to the depth fometimes of two
or three fathoms, are ftudded in the fum
mer with nitrous and faline particles and
exudarions.' To this ftrong impregnation
of. fait, we may with juftice attribute the
great fertility for which this eountry has
ever been fo remarkable, without any other
manuring than the burning of the ftubble
in a few places. It Is however extraordi
nary, that the province of Briaclum, which
.was formerly in fo much repute for the-
richnefs of the foil, is at prefent the moft
barren and unprofitable part of thofe
kingdoms. The fait pits of Arzew are enclofed
with mountains, encompaffing an area of
about fix miles. The pits appear in win
ter like a lake, but are dry in fummer, the
water being then exhaled, and the fait left
behind chryftalllzed. In digging, feVerat
different layers' of this fait are difcovered',
fome of which are an inch, and others
more In thicknefs. The whole area con fifts

5:13 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
fifts of a fucceffion of fimilar ft rata ; arid
in the fame manner are the faline pits be
tween Carthage and the Guletta, thofe of
the Shott, and other places in this quarter.
Jebbel Had-Deffa is entirely a mountain
of fait, fituated near the eaftern extremity
of the lake of Marks. The fait here is of
a different quality and appearance from that;
of the falt-plts, being as hard and folid a^,
ftone, and of a reddiffi or purple colour.
Yet what is waffied down from thofe pre
cipices by the dews, becomes perfeftly
white, and lofes the bitternefs it originally
poffeffed in the rock. The fait in the moun-,
tains near Lwotaiah and Jebbel-MInifs, is
of a blueiffi or grey colour, and without
undergoing the like accidental purification
as at Had-Deffa, is very agreeable to the^
palate. This country abounds, likewife in hot
and fulphureous fprings. In fome of thofe,
the waters are little more than luke-warm,
others are of a grpater heat, , and very pro
per to bathe in, whilft the Hamman-Mef-
konteen, and the upper fpring at Mercega
are much too hot for that purpofe ; the for-:
mer

LET. XLIV.] AFRICA. ^IJ
mfcr boiling a large piece of mutton very
tender In a qu-arter of an hour.
•Befides the hot mineral effluvia that are
conftantly difcharged by the Thermse,-
there remains below the furface an inex
hauftible fund of fulphur, nitre, and other
inflammable bodies, which frequently prove
the caufe of local earthquakes in different
parts of the country.
Morocco is the moft wefterly of the
States on the Barbary coaft, and has the
title of an empire ; to the crown of which
is now united the territory of Fez, The
country is not now fo populous as formerly; '
and the Emperor is faid to maintain eighty
thoufand horfe and foot of foreign negroes
in his armies, -The crown Is confidered
as hereditary, but if there be more fons
than one, they ufually fight for the domi
nion, on the deceafe of their father, till
only one of them furvives. The Emperor
is not immediately fubjeft to the Porter yet
he acknowledges the Grand Slgnior to be
his fuperior, and he pays him a diftant al
legiance as the chief rcprefentative of
Mahomet, "^^
LI BefideS'

514. LETTERS OF A TRAVEL|:,ER, "^ ' '
'¦¦' Befides the aboVe towns and cities, many
Others, formerly of great renOwri, lie feat-
tered in the various parts of this immenfe
traft of country. The city of Fez, at prer
fent the capital of Morocco, is faid to con
tain near three hundred thoufand inha
bitants. Its mofques amount tP five hun
dred; one of them magnificerit beyond
defcription, and about a mile and a half m
circumference; Maquinez is ndw efteemed
the great emporium of Barbary. Sallee
was formerly famous for the piracies of its
inhabitants. Tangier " was the capital of
the ancient Mauritania Tangitana, and is
fituated two miles within the ftraits of Gi
braltar. This place was 'given by the crdwn
of Portugal as part of the dowry of Queen
Catherine, conlbrt of Charles the Second,
to England; and it muft have been an im
portant acquifition, had It remained in the
hands of the Britiffi natlori : but the mif-
underftanding which fubfifted betWeeri the
-King and his parliament, not permitting the
King to fupport the charge of malritaintng
its^ fortifications, he was induced to blow
them up, and demollffi its harbour; fo that
¦from being pne of the fineft cities in Africa,
-¦t-'^- it

Let. xl.iv.] . . africa.^ ¦ • 515
it I^ ;iOw little better than a fiffiing town.
Ceuta, :up the fame ftrait, alrnoft oppofite
to Gibraltar^ is in the haiids of the Spani
ards, but often, if not always, befieged or
blpcked ,up by the Moors,
The eftabllffied religion of all the Bar
bary States is the Mahometan ; but many
fiibjefts of.Morpcco follow the tenets of
pn6:.Hamed, a modern feftary, and an
enemy to the ancient doftrine of the Ca
liphs, All thc northern coafts of Africa,
as well as, Egypt, are fond of ideots ; and
in fome cafes their pfoteftion fereens of-
-fenders from puniffimentS) for the moft
notorious crimes.
- -There are In thefe countries mariy cu-
.rlous remains of antiquity, but lying fcat
tered -amidft ignorant and barbarous Inha-
hitants, they are difficult of accefs. Some
veftiges of the Mauritanlan and Numidian
greatnefs are ftill to be inet with, and many
ruins which bear evidence of their ancient
grandeur and populoufnefs. Thefe point
out jthe old Julia Casfarea of the Romans,
which was little Inferior in magnificence to
Carthage itfelf. A few of the extei,ifive
aquedufts of Carthage ilill remain, hut no
L 1 a veftiges

5i6 LETTERS' OF A Traveller. -^l r ,
Teftiges of its walls. The fame is the fate
of Utica, and many other renowned cities
of antiquity; for fuch Is the barbarifin of
the prefent Inhabitants, that the very fites
of thofe places are not known, even by
their ruins, amphitheatres^ and other public
buildings, which remain ftill in tolerable
prefervation. Befides thofe of claffical an
tiquity, many Saracen monuments, of the
moft ftupendous magnificence, are likewife
found in this vaft traft. The walls of them
form the principal fortifications of the
country, both Inland and maritime. ¦//.:>
When Rome was miftrefs of the world,
,, the States of Barbary formed the faireft
jewels in the Imperial diadem, but their
fplendor, power, and glory, have long fince
been extinguiffied. And though the Car
thaginians, who inhabited this country,
had greater fleets and a more extenfive
commerce, than any other nation, or than
all the people upon the face of the earth,
when that ftate flourlffied, yet the prefent
inhabitants- have fcarcely any merchant
^ ffiips belonging to them, or Indeed any
\ other than what afe fitted out for piracy,
^^Nothlng can afford a more convincing
'.'fritesioiu proof

let. XLIV.] AFRICA." ~ 51^
proof of the ^pernicious effe6ls: of continual
oppreffion, and frequent anarchy, dn the
interefts and exertions of men ; tearing up
by the roots every motive to induftry arid
commerce, which alone conftitute the po
litical profperity of nations.
This part of Africa was doubtlefs peo
pled from Afia, from which It is feparated
only by the Ifthmus of Suez and the Red
Sea ; but the Phttenicians or inhabitants of
Tyre- feem to have preceded all other na
tions in fending hither colonies. The firft
town they^ built dn the Barbaiy coaft was
Utica, afterwards called Byferta ; near
which runs the river Bagarda or Bagrada,
where we are Informed that AtiliusRegulus,
and his whole army, attacked with warlike
engines, and flew a ferpent, which meafured
a huridred and twenty feet in length.
-Carthage is fuppofed to ha-^e been built
ftiiich later than 'Utica, riamely, in the year
df the world 3120, before the building df
Rome a hundred and thirty- five years, and
eight hundred and eighty-three before the
birth of Chrift. At this time. It is probable,
the territory of Carthage was comprehended
withiri very narroAV liiriits, till gradually
increafing

5iS Letters OF A TfiAvELLEit. , -.-.-,
increafing in power by the great extent of
tjielr commerce, the inhabitants ftretched
their dominion as far as the Atlantic Ocean;
According to the defcription of Carthage
by ancient writers, it was fituated on three
hills in a peninfula, almoft furrounded by
the fea. It meafured in circumference
twenty-two mlles^ and contained two har
bours within its works; one for men of
war, and the other for merchant veffels.-^ —
On the Ifthmus ftood the citadel, called
Byrfa, defended by a triple wall, and towers
at proper diftances.. The walls were two
ftories high, built upon arches. In the
lower arches, were kept three hundred ele
phants, with their provifions and warlike
accoutrements ; and in- the upper arches
were ftore-houfes and ftables for four thou
fand horfe, and barracks for twenty thou
fand foot. When the Romans Invefted the
city, it contained feven hundred thoufand
fouls; and there was found In it four hun
dred aud feventy , thoufand pound weight
of filver, befides what was plundered by
the private foldiers, and buried in the ruinsi
The religion of the.Carthaginians. appears
to , bave been the fame with that of the
Canaariites

LET, XLIV.] AFRICA. 5 1 9,
Canaanifes orPhoerilcians, from whom they
d!efeeiided. That they Worffiipped a multi
tude of deities is obvious from the preamble
of a treaty concluded between them and
Philip of Macedon, reciting that the com-
paft ' was made in the prefenee of Jupiter,'
Juno, and Apollo ; in the prefenee of the
daemon or genius of Carthage ; In the pre
fenee of Hercules, Mars, and Neptune, and
all the confederate gdds of Carthage ; in
the prefenee of the fun, moon, earth, ri
vers, meadows, &c. The gods which they
chiefly invoked, howeyer, were the moon
( called Coeleftis, and fometimes Urania )
and Saturn, named Moloch In facred' hif
tory. To the latter they facrificed their
Ghtldren, fometimes burning them in a
brazen ftatue of Saturn, heated for that
purpofe ; founduig at the fame time drums
arid trumpets, that the cries of the vlftims
might not be heard. It was confidered as
a meritdrious piece pf heroifm in their mo
thers to affift at thofe facrifices with dry
eyes, and without the leaft fymptoms of re
gret, the offering not being thought accept
able to Saturn, if made with any reluftance.
But as thc moft violent fupeffHtion could not

^20 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
not perfeftly reconcile their minds to the
horror of thofe unnatural rites, they were
ufually contented with making their chil
dren pafs through the fire ; iu' which their
miferable offspring frequently pcriflied. — ¦
|n great calamities, however, they aftually
burnt them, choofing for this purpofe the
moft beautiful and nobleft youths of the
natipii ; and on thofe occafions, they have
facrificed children to their deity from morn
ing till night.
Some laudable attempts have lately been
made by a fociety In London, towards ex
ploring the ftate of the Interior parts of
Africa; and there is reafon to expeft that
important difcoverles may be made by. the
prpfecution cf this plan. At prefent,' how
ever, our acquaintance with the more fou-
ihern trafts of Africa, extends only to thofe
parts where fettlements have been efta
bllffied by different European Powers. We
are ignorant not only of the bounds, but
even of the names, of feveral inland coun
tries. In many material circumftances,
the inhabitants of this extenfive continent.
fLgrep with ^ach other. If we except the
people of Abyffinia, who are tawn&y and
.; profefs

Lfet. XLIV.J AFRICA* , - 521
profefs a mixture of Chriftianity, Judaifm,
and Paganifm, they are all of a black com
plexion. In their religion, except on the
coafts, which have been vifited by ftrangers,
they are Pagans; -and the form of govern
ment is every where monarchical. Few
princes, however, poffefs an extenfive jurif
diftion ; for as the natives of this part of
Africa are groffly ignorant in all the arts of
utility and refinement, they are little ac
quainted with one another, and generally
united in fmall affociations, each governed
by its own prince. In Abyffinia, indeed,
and fome other parts, we are told of pow
erful monarchs ; but it appears, on exami
nation, that the authority of thefe princes
ftands on a very precarious foundation. In
the fucceffion to the throne, force generally
prevails over right, and an uncle, a brother,
or other collateral relation, is on thj4* ac
count commonly preferred to the lineal
defcendants, whether male or female.
In a country fo prodigioufly extenfive, it
might be expefted that there was a great,
and regular variation of fertility in the dif
ferent climates ; but in faft, there is neither
gradation nor medium in this part of Africa, .
M m w^th.

5^2 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER.
with regard to the quantity of vegetable
produce; and the ground is either perfeftly
barren, or extremely fertile. This arifes
from the intenfe heat of thc fun, which,
where it meets with fufficlent moifture,
produces the utmoft luxuiiancy ; and in
thofe countries where there are few rivers,
reduces the furface of the earth tO a barren
fand. Of the latter kind are the countries
of Anian and Zaara, which, for want of
water, and confequently of all other necef
faries, are nothing more than deferts. In
thofe countries, on the other hand, where
there is plenty of water, and particularly
where the river overflows the larid, during
part of the year; as in Abyffinia, the pro
duftions of nature, both of the animal and
vegetable kind, are found In the higheft
perfeftion and greateft abundance. Some
of the countries in Africa are extremely
rich in gold and filVer. The baler metals
likewife are foUrid in different parts. But
the perfons of the natives make the moft
confiderable article in the produce and traf
fic of this miferable quarter of the globei
Among the negroes, a man's wealth confifb
in the number of his family, whom he fells
• v.! ? like

LET. XLIV.] AFRICA. 523
like fo mariy cattle, and often at an inferior
price ; and when fuch is the praftice with
refpeft to the neareft relations, what enor
mities may wc not fuppofe to be committed,
to pirocure thc iperfons of ftrangers fOr this
lucrative traffic ? Gold and Ivory, next to
the flave trade, form the principal branches
of the African commerce, which are car
ried on from the fame coaft by feveral of
the maritime nations of Europe.
Amongft the fettlements eftabllffied by
the Britiffi, there is none fo much entitled
to commendation as that of Sierra Leone,
which, inftead of being undertaken for the
purpofe of an unjuftifiablc commerce, has,
on the contrary, been made folely with the
view of abollffiing the, flave trade, by en
couraging, through the means of voluntary
labour, the cultivation of thofe artieles by
which that commerce fubfifts. In addition
to this advantage, it will fet a beneficial
example of induftry to the natives In the
neighbourhood, and may prove the happy
means of introducing among them the ru
diments of civilization, which has hitherto
never reached thofe fequeftered and inhof
pitable regions. Our own country has
likewife

5^4 LETTERS OF A TRAVELLED.
likewife lately made an important acqui
fition, in the Cape of Good Hope, which
cannot but prove highly advantageous to
the commerce of the Eaft India Company.
The poffeffion of it is of great confequence,
in a negative, as well as pofitive view : for
were It ftill in the hands pf the Dutch, con
fiderlng the prefent fubjeftion of that coun
try to the poWer of France, it^could not
fail of immediately becoming an appendage
to the latter, who would render it a fource
of great annoyance and depredation upon
the ffiips of our Eaft India Company. — •
When I mention the Cape of Good Hope,
I cannot refrain from congratulating my
country on the acquifition of two of the
moft important fortreffes in the world ; one
in the fouthern extremity of Europe, and
the other. In that of Africa.

FINIS.