acquiring information, as well by consulting rare books as by constant intercourse with the many literati who were in pursuit of similar knowlege. He now offers to the world this elegant work, as the result of the long inquiry thus induced and thus prosecuted. To the general reader it will afford no common gratification; and it may excite a greater ardour in some minds to visit the Imperial city, the curiosities of which no description can exceed, and no anticipation can reach.

It is well known to travellers, that in Rome are found many literary characters, styled "Ciceroni," who attend them, for a moderate gratuity, during their examination of the numerous vestiges of antient splendour. To elucidate these, they quote largely from the classics with local application, or describe the subject of investigation from the most accurate topographers, or critical antiquaries. They recite, in fact, a course of lectures on antient history and the fine arts, illustrated by the several remains. The English visitant will therefore owe singular obligation to Mr. L. for concentrating, in our language, the labours of his many predecessors. In his collation of their varying opinions, he discovers a laudable candour; and in those of his own authority, an intimate acquaintance with his subject is equally conspicuous. The more fastidious reader, who, not having the power of applying them to locality, may consider these remarks in certain instances as tedious or minute, might be induced on the spot to retract that censure, and to acknowlege their inexhaustible utility.

In the introduction, Mr. L. gives a succinct account of the foundation of Rome,-the origin and progress of her architecture, as peculiar, and as borrowed from the Grecians, the form and materials of domestic buildings,-and the series of important events to which are attributed her unrivalled superiority and lamentable decay. He labours, not without success, to divert the charge of having destroyed the Pagan temples from the institutors of Christianity, and to fix that obloquy on the Gothic invaders. He then proceeds to the grand division of his subject; treating methodically of the gates and the most remarkable antiquities seen on the roads which lead from them, the seven hills and the plains within the city, and (by way of appendix) describing the most renowned places and antiquities in the vicinage of Rome.

Of the twelve antient gates, the ninth (or gate of St. Sebastian) has environs of the greatest interest and curiosity. Near to it is the Cornelian sepulchre discovered in 1780; the inscriptions of which, accurately copied, throw new light on the genealogy and history of the Scipios, as well as on antient geography. The Catacombs (or subterraneous Rome') are next

U 4

visited,

visited, in which we may wander an incredible distance among the mansions of the dead; and then the circus of Caracalla, the most perfect of the fifteen within and without the city, for combats of gladiators and wild beasts, chariot races, &c. and sometimes, as in theatres, for naumachia or naval engagements. After having noticed the Capo di Bove, or tomb of Cæcilia Metella, with its concise and singularly elegant inscription, the author favours us with a view of the public Ustrina, and with a scientific account of the Asbestos; which is worthy the perusal of those who are curious with respect to natural history.

The tenth (or gate of St. Paul) engages our attention from its vicinity to the pyramid of Caius Cestius, the only one remain. ing in Europe.

Almost joining to the gate, there is an elegant pyramid, which is built up in, and serves for part of the city wall. It had certainly stood without the city, before Aurelian extended the walls. This is the only pyramid remaining about Rome: but which conveys to us, though in miniature, an idea of those in Egypt!* It was built to perpetuate the name of C. Cestius, one of the septemvir Epulonum. But who this Cestius was, other than the title given him on this monument, is uncertain. The Epulones were a college of priests, of great dignity, who prepared these feasts to the gods, called Lectisternia, where their statues, laid on rich beds, were placed at table as the principal guests. One of those beds, of bronze curiously wrought, has been found in Herculaneum. These sumptuous entertainments were devoured by the seven noble gormandizing priests. It was to appease the gods, in time of a plague, that the Romans first instituted these feasts, in the year of Rome 356. As the ground about the pyramid is much raised, we have not so advantageous a sight of. it as formerly. It is 1643 palms high, all incrusted with white marble, and rests on a base of Tiburtine stones, whose height is 3 palms. The breadth of the square, on which it stands, is 130 palms. Agreeable to the testament of Cestius, this vast monument was built in 330 days. The sepulchral chamber had been finely painted: it is now much defaced; more perhaps from the smoke of the torches used in showing it, than from the humidity of the place. These figures and ornaments seem all to relate to the sacred ceremonies of the Epulones. The monument was judiciously repaired, without altering its form, by Pope Alexander VII.'

Among the seven hills, the boast of Rome, the Capitol claims the pre-eminence. The asylum of Romulus, two temples dedicated to Jupiter Feretrius and Capitolinus, and the Tarpeian rock, are severally described.

* Pliny, mentioning the pyramids of Egypt, justly calls themregum pecuniæ otiosa ac stulta ostentatio." Hist. Nat. I. 36.

C. 12.

Livius, 1. 5. c. 13.'

• From

From the Tarpeian rock the Romans threw down many of their

criminals.

"Et horribilis de saxo jactus deorsum." A mode of execution used by the Jews, and other ancient nations. But its situation, like that of many of the Roman antiquities, is disputed by the antiquaries. The precipice at the corner of the Caffarelli palace, and which overlooks the convent of the Tor di Specchi, is commonly shown as such. And, notwithstanding the quantity of rubbish with which it is filled up, its height is not so contemptible as represented by Bishop Burnet, who seems, unhappily, to have had a reluctancy to tell truth, even when he had no interest to do otherwise. This precipice is still about sixty feet of perpendicular height: and if we add to it twenty feet, which seems to be the height of the rubbish accumulated at the bottom above the modern street, and twenty feet more, the height of the latter above that of the ancient street; the height of the whole was about an hundred feet. Others again have placed this rock on the side of the hill towards the Forum. And, indeed, there is a considerable rock, on that part of the hill called Monte Caprino, which overlooks the piazza of the church della Consolazione, where formerly was the Forum Romanum. This rock, no doubt, might have served for this dismal purpose. But the former seems more probably to have been the Tarpeian rock, because from it the criminal was thrown properly out of the city, into the Campus Martius, which was, as I have already observed, only inclosed within the city walls by Aurelian. Yet Dionysius of Halicarnassus tells us, that Cassius, condemned for conspiring against the state, in the twenty-third year after the expulsion of the kings, was thrown down, in presence of the people, from the rock that overlooked the Forum.'

The remains of the baths of Antoninus Caracalla are seen on the plain below the Aventine, and opposite to the Calian hills. Many of the fine pieces of sculpture, preserved in the Farnese palace*, had ornamented Caracalla's baths: particularly the celebrated Hercules. This statue is well known by the name of the Farnesian Hercules. It is the work of Glycon, the Atheniant, and is justly reckoned a model of masculine strength. Horace might have alluded to this statue, when he says—

"Invicti membra Glyconis."

Hercules is here resting from one of his labours. Whether the sculptor could have represented strength better in action, than he has done at rest, as remarked by a very ingenious and eloquent writer, I shall not decide. Strength is here wonderfully expressed: and perhaps it shows more genius in the artist to have done so at rest than in action. Permit me only to observe, that this statue was not intended to have been

* These noble works of art, I am informed, are now carried to Naples, by order of his Sicilian majesty.

+ It is inscribed-ΓΛΥΚΟΝ ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΣ ΕΠΟΙΗΣΙ.

Epist. 1. v. 30.

Dr. Moore's View of Manners in Italy, vol. 2. p. 11.'

15

placed,

placed, as it now is, on the ground, and consequently level with the eye. It should have been placed in an open gallery, perhaps thirty or thirty-five feet high, and seen from the street, or from a court. This is evident from the muscles of the breast and belly being so much swelled; but which would appear in their just proportion were they thus viewed: whereas the muscles of the back part of the statue, which were to be seen near, by those who passed along the gallery, are in their natural state, and not exaggerated like those in front. The position of the head, bending forward, adds weight to this observation. Had a modern but inaccurate traveller * adverted to this circumstance, he might, without blaming the great artist, have easily accounted for the disproportion of the muscles, of the back and fore parts, of this noble statue. Few of the ancient statues are preserved entire, Thus the legs of this Hercules are restored by Guglielmo della Porta: and though the real ones were afterwards found, and which, it is said, are now at the villa Borghese, the modern were so well proportioned and executed, that Michael Angelo Buonaroti advised not to change them; in order to show, perhaps, the merit of modern artists +.

in

Here too stood the surprising group, now at the Farnese palace, cut out of one piece of marble, called the Toro, which was brought from Rhodes, and is the work of Apollonius and Tauriscus, renowned sculptors. It had belonged to Asinius Pollio. It represents Amphion and Zethus, the sons of Lycus king of Thebes, tying Dircé to the horns of a furious bull, in order to precipitate her into the sea; revenge for having enticed their father to marry her, and to divorce their mother Antiopa. This vast group has indeed been repaired by Giovanni Battista Bianchi; and many parts of it are modern: viz. the head and arms of Dircé; the head and arms of Antiopa; the statues of Amphion and Zethus, except the bodies and one leg; and the legs and cord of the bull. But it is easy to distinguish the superior merit of what is antique, from the modern additions, in this wonderful monument.'

On the Calian hill the Lateran palace was situated, and now it is adorned by the Lateran church, with its pompous inscription, "Omnium in urbe atque in orbe ecclesiarum mater atque caput." The justly celebrated equestrian statue of M. Aurelius in bronze, now in the area of the Campidoglio, was disco

Sharp's Letters from Italy. Letter 15.

Before this statue was carried to Naples, the modern legs were taken away, and replaced by its own ancient ones; which being of uniform style of sculpture with the whole, adds, I am told, to its beauty, and does not justify the partial opinion of the great modern

artist.

Plin. 1. 36. c. 5.-" Zethus et Amphion ac Dircé et taurus, vinculumque, ex eodem lapide, Rhodo advecta, opera Apollonii et Taurisci. Parentum ii certamen de se fecere: Menecratem videri professii, sed esse naturalem Artemidorum."-That is, they were brothers, the sons of Artemidorus, and scholars of Menecrates.'

8

vered

vered near the church, where his most magnificent palace once stood.

Mr. L. proceeds with his remarks on the baths of Titus on the Esquiline hill.

Titus, having finished and dedicated the amphitheatre begun by Vespasian, built, with great speed, his baths hard by it. They stand on the Esquiline hill, and many of their ruins are still extant in the vineyards of the convent of St. Peter in Vincula, Laureti, and Gualtieri. From these remains architects have endeavoured to make out the general plan of this great work: Serlio in particular had done so, prior to Piranesi and Barbault: how then could Abbot Ridolphino Venuti say, that Piranesi was the first who gave a plan of these baths? Inaccurate, however, as their plans may be, they all agree in making this a regular building, nearly resembling the other baths. But as I intend to give a detailed account of the various parts of the baths, when I come to treat of those of Dioclesian, I shall not now anticipate the subject. Some authors have ascribed these baths to Domitian, and others to Trajan. To reconcile these accounts, we may reasonably suppose that these emperors had repaired or added to the baths of Titus. Here were found the two large labra, or bathing-tubs, of granite, preserved in the villa Medici.

A little to the east of the baths, there is a ruin commonly called the sette sale. It should be called the nove sale, as it consists of nine galleries, though seven of them are only open; the other two being filled up with rubbish. These galleries all communicate with each other, by means of doors or arches placed in a transversal line, which affords an agreeable prospect. They are built with great solidity, and the walls are incrusted with a cement of an extraordinary hardThis building, which is entirely out of the plan of the baths, has no doubt served for a reservoir of water, and not for the tepidarium, as mentioned by Piranesi.

ness.

Adjoining to the baths, there are some very considerable ruins, which the antiquaries call the palace of Titus. As a proof, we are told, that the famous group of Laocoon and his sons, preserved in the Belvedere of the Vatican, was found here, in the time of Leo X. by Felix de Fredis; a fortunate discovery, which is recorded in his epitaph, in the church of the Ara-celi. For Pliny assures us that this statue, so much admired when he wrote, stood in Titus's palace."Sicut in Laocoonte, qui est in Titi imperatoris domo, opus omnibus et picturæ et statuariæ artis anteferendum: ex uno lapide eum et liberos draconumque mirabiles nexus de consilii sententia fecere summi artifices Agesander et Polidorus et Athenodorus Rodii."-How 'pathetically has Virgil related the story of Laocoon! He was the son of Priamus and Hecuba, and priest of Neptune. In the act of sacrificing to Neptune, he and his two sons were strangled by two monstrous serpents, in revenge for having sacrilegiously thrust a spear into the fatal wooden horse, consecrated to Minerva, and left by the Greeks; but in which the destruction of Troy was artfully concealed.

"Scelus