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tripods, to be placed on the family monument, forty-nine years after it was erected by Thrafyllus his father.

Proceeding from the theatre of Bacchus, we come to an extenfive corn-field, once part of the Ceramicus within the city, on the left hand, now bounded by the bed of the Iliffus, beyond which are rocks; and before us, on an eminence, is the monument of Philopappus. At fome diftance from the theatre begins an outwork of the fortrefs, ftanding on ancient arches, fuppofed to be the remains of a ftoa or portico, which was connected with the theatre called the Odéum. The wall of the inner front of the profcenium is still standing, very lofty, with open arches; ferving as part of an out-work of the caftle and beyond it, turning up toward the castlegate, a portion of the exterior wall of the right wing is vifible.

The next object that occurs in furveying Athens, is the hill of the Areopagus; but we muft again fufpend our progress through those traces of antiquity.

[ To be continued. ]

IV. Letters from Italy, defcribing the Manners, Cuftoms, Antiquities, Paintings, &c. of that Country, in the Years MDCCLXX and MDCCLXXI. By an English Woman. 3 vols. 8vo. 12s. Dilly.

THE

THE public has been fo frequently favoured with accounts of Italy by different authors within these few years, that one who has perused the several narratives may be deemed no stranger to the Hefperian manners, cuftoms, antiquities, &c. even though he never had fet a foot on the continent. To fuch, therefore, the performance of another literary tour may perhaps prove an infipid avocation. It muft, however, be acknowledged, that though the route pursued by the feveral travellers be, for the most part, the fame, yet the ideas they excite may differ greatly in point of precifion, according to the defcriptive talents of the writers. Juftnefs of remark, ́and fidelity of detail, are not the only qualifications requifite in those who would convey a representation of foreign countries. They ought also to be endowed with a certain vivacity of difpofition, which may derive additional entertaininent as well as inftruction from the incidents that occur in their journey; though care fhould be taken that this quality do not deviate into an oftentatious display of frivolous pleasantry or fuperior acuteness, which never fail to prove uninteresting, and perhaps even difgufting, to the reader.

Con

Concerning the author of thefe Letters, we are informed in the preface that fhe made the tour of Italy in company with her hufband; and that her correfpondent had requefted, at parting, to be favoured with a circumftantial account of whatever might' occur on her travels that was curious or interefting; in the view of comparing her communications with the best modern French or English authors on the fame fubje&t. At the defire of that friend the Letters are now published, with little other alteration than the expunging fome repetitions, and the fuppreffing fuch paffages as were merely of a private nature.

The first letter is dated Sept. zoth, 1770, at Morges, a town in Switzerland, within a few miles of Geneva; from whence the travellers proceeded by the way of Aix and Chamberry to Turin. We meet with the following account of the fuperb theatre in this capital, and of the Table Ifiaque.

As to the theatre, it is ftrikingly magnificent, and fo far fuperior to any theatre I ever faw before, that at first fight I could not believe it admitted of criticifm. Notwithstanding, I am at prefent convinced of the juftrefs of Cochin's obfervations, which are fo clear as to render every reader a competent judge of its proportions, &c. if endued with the mallet degree of tafte, or the mott fuperficial knowledge in architecture. I could with with all my heart, to fee a theatre at London but half as well built; and would willingly compound for all the faults Cochin may juftly difcover. The form is that of an egg cut acrofs. There are fix rows of boxes; which are narrow in front, but very convenient within; and hold eight persons with eafe. The king's box is in the fecond row, and fronts the Hage; it is thirty feet wide, Paris measure, and the back part is covered with looking-glafs, which reflects the flage, fo that those who happen to have their backs turned to the actors, be ing either converfing, or at play, may fee the performance in the glaffes. Thefe glaffes form a partition, which can be moved whenever they choose to enlarge the box, there being a room behind. The very great breadth of the ftage produces a moft noble effect. The profcenium meafures forty-five Paris feet, (this measurement I took from Cochin) he does not give the extent of the ftage behind the coulifes: the depth of the stage 105, beyond which they can add a paved court of twenty-four feet. A gentle rifing contrived at the fides, by which may introduced triumphal cars, for great proceffions, horfes, &c. They can also throw a draw-bridge acrofs when the scene requires it, and have a contrivance for letting in water, fo as to prefent a jet d'eau of thirty feet high. Sixty horfes at a time have been brought upon the ftage, and have manoeuvred with eafe in representations of battles. The orcheftra is fo curiously conftructed, as, by having a place left underneath, which is

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concave and femicircular, to augment the found of the inftruments very confiderably.'

The Table Ifiaque is one of the most celebrated Egyptian antiques in all Italy. This flab or table is of copper; it is covered all over with hieroglyphicks. The principal figure is an Ifis, fitting: fhe has a kind of hawk on her head, and the horns of a bull. Many and various are the conjectures formed by the learned in regard to the meaning of the figures upon the table. Some have imagined, they could prove it to be a compafs; others, a perpetual calendar; and not a few have pretended to find in it principles of philofophy and politics; while, more ingenious ftill, fome have afferted that it contains a complete body of theology. After what I have faid, you cannot expect from me an opinion upon this fubject. I am not impertinent enough to pretend I difcovered any thing more, than a ftrange chaos of men, women, ugly birds, and other animals, frightfully delineated, by ftraight lines fometimes fpringing all from a point, like rays, then fuddenly turning into angular figures, formed by filver incrufted into copper. It is evident that much filver has been taken out of this table, as the grooves remain. Notwithstanding the feeming confufion of the reprefentations, the filver lines are very neat, and extremely well inferted into the copper.-Monf. Groffʊ Cayallo gave himfelf a great deal of trouble to procure me a very learned performance on the subject of this famous monument of antiquity, which he borrowed from a friend of his. But I frankly confefs I returned it foon after; for, either want of capacity or tafte, it tired me to death, but did not inform me.'

The lady likewife gives a particular account of the valuable paintings in the royal palace; from which, as well as her defcription of those in other parts, fhe feems to poffefs a confiderable share of tafte for the productions of that elegant art. She informs us that the punishment of breaking upon the wheel took place at Turin in the year 1770, which had never before been practifed in that country.

From Turin the travellers direct their course to Genoa, the theatre at which city is also one of the objects which claims the notice of a stranger.

We were last night at the play (for at prefent there is no opera); the theatre is rather large than fmall, but not beauti. ful, either as to architecture or painting. All the boxes below stairs are shut in with jaloufits, except when the owners choose to fhew themselves to the audience; at which time they light them up with wax candles, and the jaloufies are removed. I think the play we faw meant to be a tragedy, as Harlequin kills feveral people on the ftage; but it cannot be efteemed an epic poem; for, to the beft of my knowledge, there was neither be ginning, middle, nor end. This piece of confufion began at

feven o'clock, and lafted till eleven. Several pistols were fired to roufe the attention of the audience. There were magicians, devils, conftables, fine ladies, robbers, princes, ambassadors, and troops of wooden horses. The audience talked louder than the actors. The ladies turn their backs to the ftage, which has an impertinent, ill-bred appearance. There was dancing, and no refpite between the acts. It feemed to me, the actors might have continued killing each other, till not a man remained alive to speak the epilogue; but I fuppofe the piece ended from their being, through fatigue, difabled to proceed, or the play might have lafted till now.'

Through Piacenza, Parma, Modena, and Bologna, the reader is conducted to Florence, where the noble collection of antiquities and paintings affords ample entertainment for the virtuofo. We fhall, however, without ftopping, proceed to the palace of Portici at Naples, at which place we cannot avoid introducing our readers to fome of the curiofities in the cabinet.

Amongst the antique marbles. fays the lady, the figures of animals, as well the fabulous as thofe after nature, are many of them finely done; they were used to convey water which fupplied the baths: and there is a great deal of humour expreffed in their countenances, particularly in thofe of the chimeras, bafilifks, &c. An elegant ftatue of Diana, in white marble, draped after the purple gowns worn by the Roman ladies of antiquity; the garment is edged with a lace exactly representing point; it is about an inch and an half broad, and has been painted purple and gilt, great part of which still remains. The tatues, bultos, bas reliefs in bronze (which are very numerous) are of fuch exquifite workmanship, that I do not think it is in the power of the most powerful artift of this day to execute reprefentations in metal of any kind that can rival or even bear a competition with many of them. I fhall begin with the Atatues in bronze, of which I wish you to observe, that I mention but a very few of the many that demand the most accurate attention of the curious traveller.

• Drufus and Livia, large as life, found in the theatre at Herculaneum; he is draped in his confular drefs, a large ring in intaglio, the confular fignet on his third finger. Livia has a ring on the first joint of her fore-finger (as now worn at Naples); thefe ftatues are finely executed.

A Mercury, large as life. Another Mercury and two wrestlers running against each other.

• The drunken fawn (in bronze) large as life, reclined upon afkin of wine. Eleven fuch were found in the theatre at Herculaneum, but have been melted down and coined into grains (halfpence) by order of government. Many other antiques of

more

more valuable metals, raked out of Herculaneum, Pompeia, and Stabia, have been alfo coined into money.

In the gallery, or chamber of buftos of philafophers and illuftrious perfons, whofe identity has for the most part been af certained by comparing them with medals, coins, bas reliefs, &c. amongst many of great merit, the immortal Plato is one of the most striking: the ingenuity of the fculptor, in the various curls and natural wreathings of his hair and beard, is wonderful.

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Scipio Africanus expreffes in his countenance, the utmost dignity, fenfe, and affability.

A Socrates fpeaking: fo very natural, as to surprise rather

too much.

An Alexander; the features and caft of his conntenance ftrongly refemble that at Florence: the expreffion is that of doubt, or anxiety of mind; as if big with fome arduous enterprife; but he does not appear to fuffer bodily pain.

A young Nero, in marble, of great beauty.

A fine Ptolemy Philadelphus, in bronze.

A beautiful wreftler, in the fame metal, crowned with lau rel: this flatue breathes true bravery; not a line of cruelty or revenge in the features, but a modeft, amiable countenance, without pride, or consciousness of superior merit.'

Our author presents us likewise with a particular account of the Grotta di Paufilippa, Grotta del Cané, the Lake Avernus, with the other natural and artificial curiofities in the vicinity of Naples.

We fhall not detain our readers with any account of the antiquities at Rome, as the bare enumeration of them might fill the extent of feveral pages. The lady, however, it must be acknowledged, defcribes them in a juft and lively manner.

In the account of the city of Venice the author mentions the Cafinos, which are small houses of one or two rooms on a floor, neatly fitted up, but never fine; intended for the reception of fmall coteries, where the company play at cards, and generally fup together. When it is confidered that, befides the regatta, a Venetian entertainment introduced to this metropolis laft fummer, a houfe alfo is lately opened under the title of a eafino, there feems to be reafon for apprehending that the Venetian manners are making fome progress among us. How far they are worthy of imitation in the fubfequent inftance, we fubmit to the determination of the reader.

• The custom of cavalieri ferventi prevails univerfally here: this ufage would appear in a proper light, and take off a great part of the odium thrown upon the Italians, if the cavalieri ferventi were called husbands; for the real hufband, or beloved friend, of a Venetian lady (often for life), is the cicibeo. The

hufband

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