or be defigned as a prefervation of the likeness of fome beloved person.

The well-trained eye of an artift, or of a connoiffeur, become fagacious by his own labours and intercourfe with artifts, will eafily be able to judge, from the character of the flesh, the expreffion of the mufcles, and the individualities of the vifage, whether the ftatue may belong to a Hercules, a gladiator, a Mercury, or an Apollo. But the many fhades of ftrength, youth, and age, mellow or ftrongly wrought mufcles, which in male bodies are a guide to the eye, on the other hand refufe their office in female figures. They are, for the most part, either half or entirely cloathed, always young, and are very much alike in the gentle fweep of the contour. As here the head is as feldom feen to stand on its ancient trunk, as with the males, but is generally either wholly borrowed from another figure, or is restored in its prominent parts; for example, the nofe and the lips; or even entirely invented for the purpose by a modern artist, the phyfiognomy in this cafe will not decide a great deal. In like manner, the other extremities, which denote the attributes, as they are nearly all fupplemental and modern, in moft cafes are highly fallacious. Among the whole troop of Diana, Ceres, Pomona, Fortuna, Abundantia, of Atalanta, of Bacchants, and Amazons, of nymphs and mufes, there are but few which deferve to be celebrated as ftatues of the ancients, under these adfcriptitious properties.

Yet among them there are fome which must be held remarkable above others, as well on account of the intrinfic fuperiority of the workmanthip as the authenticity of their attributes, to all lovers of the remains of the ancient artifts. For example, there is a Diana Venatrix, with beautiful drapery, at Florence; but the most beautiful is at Rome in the villa Pamfila. She appears in a fhort

veftment in the galeria Giustiniana; again with flowing robes at Rome in the Capidoglio. But the fo very famous Diana at Versailles, deferves no notice here, on account of its numerous and various restorations. The fame must be said, alas, of the beautiful Diana Lucifera, which is admir. ed in the collection of the Campi doglio. She has a veil on her head, blown out behind by the wind. It is much to be lamented, that we do not know of what antiquity it is.. The torch at least is modern. The Ceres has ufually a beautiful face, fomewhat long. Her attributes are ears of corn, poppy-heads, and horns of plenty. But, as thefe attributes on the head, and in the hands, are generally found to be partly modern, not much is to be concluded from them. Her cloathing, attitude, and attributes on coins, render her not easily distinguishable from the Spes, Abundantia, and Fortuna. It was, moreover, a character under which the empreffes were very fond of appearing, (of Livia we know it for certain,) accordingly it is impoffible to determine whether we fee before us a portrait of fome illuftrious lady, or the ideal of a divinity.

Under the notion of Amazons, the ancients drew young damfels, of a fierce and daring afpect, in Grecian habits. This feems to have been a favourite idea of the artifts, but more in bas-reliefs than in ftatues. That which has been the longeft famous is in the orti Martelli with the quiver under her arm. The most beautiful figure of this kind, is faid to have been brought from Italy, and is to be feen in the Earl of Pembroke's collection. She is reprefented lying under a horfe and defending herself against the ri der. It is affirmed to be the work manfhip of Cleomenes, whofe chiffel produced the famous Medicean Ve.. nui. In the palace Cefi, ftands fine figure in long drapery, under this name. She is celebrated on ac COURT

a

count of this drapery, and remains unreftored. Epifcopius has given us a drawing of her in his 37th plate. However, this is no Amazon, but rather a Juno Regina.

The Juno Regina too belongs to the clafs of thofe ftatues which are often confounded with others. She is betokened by the diadem on her head, and the majefty of her perfon. Under this name there is, in the Giuftinian palace, a female ftatue, long renowned, of a drapery extraordinary fine. But the too ftriking individuality in the character of the head, which altogether deviates from the ideal of this goddefs, gives us room to fuppofe it to be the portrait of fome imperial lady. The figure that appears under this name, larger than life, in Perrier, is probably rather a mufe in a rapture. The Juno Regina is often like the Venus Coeleftis, and it has frequently happened that the restorer has made either the one or the other, according to his fancy, out of fome ancient trunk.

Juno Lanuvina, as fhe was worfhipped at Lanuvium, with linen drawn over her head, is now ftanding in the Campidoglio. She has bare arms, with a patera in her hand, and is cloathed with wonderful beauty.

Atalanta, with Hippomenes, appears perhaps but once inconteftably in all antiquity, and this is the group in the Barberini palace.She is ftill running, with the garment fluttering about the waift. Hippomenes, quite naked, has just reached her. In Perrier, there is a figure under this name, from the palace della Valle, and is called Atalanta for no other reason than becaufe it can be neither a nymph nor a Diana. A fimilar one may be feen in Sandrart, taken from the palace Cefi.

The figures which at prefent are fhewn under the name of Bacchantes, were probably defigned by their firft artifts for different denominations.

It is an object which the ancients were uncommonly fond of, as it gave a large fcope to their art in exhibiting a number of fine and various attitudes. A flowing garb, difhevelled hair, the thyrfus, grapes in the hand, or in the lap, and a dancing attitude, are their ufual infignia. They appear but rarely as ftatues much more frequently in reliefs and gems. The reprefentations on a farcophagus, or an altar, are scarcely ever any thing elfe than the hiftory of Bacchus. They are commonly flightly cloathed, the arms bare, and the whole contour of the body is faintly feen through the drapery; they fometimes hold up the garment with one hand, as may be feen in Perrier. Thefe figures are feldom in long robes, like the bacchant in Capitolio, which is dreft in the baffara, or the training habit, from which Bacchus had the name of Baffareus. The beautiful head, which Winkelman, mifled by a paffage in Euripides, gives to a Leucothea, would by other judges be rather regarded as the head of a bacchant.

What has been fo often remarked holds good when applied to these objects, that the refloration of modern artifts here likewife, by the added extremities and attributes, have frequently converted a nymph,a dancer, or fome other figure, into a bac chant.

We pafs the fame judgment on the articles Fortuna, Abundantia, Pomona, as it is impoffible to diftinguish them from a Ceres. As well on coins as in ftatues and fmall bronzes, it is often plainly difcernible,that the head is made to reprefent the portrait of fome particular perfon, and it may generally be decyphered by the known characters in a cabinet of me

dals.

wha

who can be ignorant how uncertain this character is? They are always difcernible by the long drapery, by the fitting posture of feveral of them, and the enraptured, thoughtful countenance. Eight of them were in the collection of Queen Chriftina. The ninth and the Apollo were adapted to them by a fcholar of Bernini. From the poffeffion of that fovereign they paffed into the Museum Odefcalcum, and from thence to Ildefonfo in Spain. In the tenth book of Maffei we fee a good drawing of them. Apollo is fitting, and in the attitude of a maniac. Clio has the tuba and a roll in her hand. Euterpe, with the flute, has a cupid fanding by her. Melpomene, with roll and the tragic mafk, and near her a club. Terpfichore is playing on the cithera; Erato on the teftudo, and has a cupid with her; at her feet lie a bow and quiver., Polyhymnia holds up her robe in her hand; the pen in the hand of Calliope is certainly the addition of a moderu artift. Urania, in a penfive at titude, has a fphere in one hand, and her head is fupported by the other, Thalia has the comic mask and the tibia. However, we can as little truft to these attributes and fupple. mentary heads as to others. The little heads are unquestionably modern, fculptured with the true French delicateffe, and the attributes adjusted according to old reftored bas-reliefs.

Of all the fingle figures, the Calfiope at Wilton- houfe is, without doubt, the most beautiful. But the fo much famed Urania, in the fame collection, a fitting perfon with her head reclining on her hand, is no mufe, but rather a Provincia victa.

Perfectly unreftored and genuine is the Terpfichore, with the lyre a mong the Oxford monuments. Avery fine Euterpe at Wilton-houfe is held to be the work of Cleomenes, For the fake of brevity, we here pafs

over the others which appear in Perrier, Epifcopius, Maffei, de Rubeis, Cavaceppi, and the collection of statues at Venice.

The best defignation of the Mufes and their attributes, is given in the painting found in Herculaneum in water-colours. They are to be feen in the eleventh volume of Pitture Hercolane, towards the beginning. Apollo is fitting in a leaning pofture. Clio has a crown of lau rels, a roll in her hand, and near her. a veffel with other rolls. Thalia is ftanding, has the mask and the pedum. Melpomene is ftanding, with the club and the tragic mafk. Terpfichore, ftanding, with the lyra, and enraptured. Erato, with the cithara. Polyhymnia has only the defignation of the torch. Urania is fitting, with the globe, in a reclining pofition. Calliope has only the roll. Euterpe is wanting.

On a fepulchre in Villa Mattei, they are all in relief in marble.

It would require a book if we would give but a curfory difcuffion of the numerous naked female ftatues which are pronounced to be the images of Venus, or of those which are dreffed in the long ftola, and have been bought for Minervas,

Thefe few remarks will fuffice to call the attention of admirers in fome degree to the difficulties that may arife in pronouncing on the figures and flatues of antiquity in regard to their being genuine or not. Whether the work itself in the whole be really antique or modern, is a matter that will not give any long embaraffment to a real artift; and never does this contraft appear more ftriking than when ancient and modern are mingled in the fame collection, as at SansSouci. But it will be more difficult to decide, where each restoration begins or ends; whether this particular head formerly fat on this trunk ? and especially in female figures, what was properly and originally intended

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by the firft fculptor of the figure, and what may have been its peculiar determinate character? For it is not only bunglers that employed themfelves in reftoring, but frequently

the greatest masters of modern times, as William della Porta in the Farnefe Hercules, and others of merit fufficient to gain them a place befide artists of antiquity.

WHO has not heard of the ifle

of Cythera, fo much celebrated by ancient and modern poets, the darling abode of the goddess of beauty and pleafure? The Abbé Spallanzani, profeffor of natural history at Pavia, paid a vifit to this island a few years ago, and found nothing on it to induce a mortal, much less a god. defs, to wish to be there. He difcovered not fo muck as a trace of its boasted fertility, fplendor, or beauty. He calls it an affemblage of barren and tremendous rocks, which the government of Venice have juftly appointed to be the place of banishment for the dangerous fyrens and fharks that infeft the streets of that city. What chiefly attracted his notice was an undefcribable variety of volcanic productions, which were partly mixed with petrified marine bodies, and are elsewhere only found in chalk ftones. He held this for a new difcovery, though it is not unfrequent in the mountain Ronca in the Veronefe. The large oftracites which he found on this island among the difperfed lava, even appear to be much like those of Ronca. He does not believe that they have been floated hither from foreign feas, though he at the fame time confeffes that the Mediterranean at prefent contains no oftracites of that fort. The island. must have produced them with itfelf from the profound abyffes of the fea; and the climate of the foreign region, where they are now indigenous, must have reigned here once. Among the volcanics, which are the

moft numerous, there are also chalk

hills, which a fubterranean fire has cleft and half calcined. That he met, however, with perfect caverns in the volcanic mountains, which were decorated with the most beautiful pendant cryftals, is somewhat new, as these are only found in chalk, hills. He contradicts what is affirmed by the ancients, that this island abounds in porphyry, and thinks they were deceived by the colour of the rocks, which are of a red hue like that of iron ochre. On the way from the fea fhore to the caverns which are so rich in ftalactites, he found three volcanic cratera, but does not give us their dimenfions, contenting himself with only pointing out fuch characteriftics as place the existence of them beyond all doubt.

The moft furprifing object which he met with on this ifland, is an entire mountain, compofed of petrified human bones and bones of other land animals, to which the inhabitants give the name of Bone hill. It ftands on the fouthern fide of the ifland, not quite an Italian mile from the chief city. It is an Italian mile in circumference, rifes with a fleep afcent, and its furface as well as its interior, as far as it has yet been perforated, is compofed of bones, which are not calcined, but are completely petrified. They are as heavy and as hard as fione, and the hollows of them are filled with hardened earth, which is frequently feen changed into a fpat-cryftal of curious and elegant forms.

In

In fine, the obfervations of the Abbé Spallanzani which are published in the third volume of the Memorie di matematica e fifica della Societa Italiana, at Verona, fupply

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us with a fresh demonftration, that the great revolutions that are perceptible in and upon the earth have been effected alternately by fire and water.

Rofalia's Sanctuary. HE holy Rofalia, guardian-faint of Palermo, is fo univerfally known by the defcription which Brydone has given of her feftival, that it may here be not unpleafing to read fomewhat of the place where she is particularly adored.

The monte Pellegrino, a huge mafs of rock, broader than it is high, ftands at the north-weft end of the gulph of Palermo. It is beyond the power of words to defcribe the beauty of its form; an imperfect draught of it is to be found in the Voyage Pittorefque de la Sicile. It confifts of a grey chalk-ftone of the firft epocha; the whole rocky fubftance is quite bare; no tree, not even a fhrub, grows upon it: fcarcely are the flats of it covered with a fort of turf and mofs.

In a cave in this mountain, the bones of the faint were found about the beginning of the last century, and brought to Palermo. Their prefence delivered the city from a peftilence; and Rofalia, from that moment, has been the tutelar faint of the nation; chapels were built, and fplendid folemnities were inftituted to her honour.

Pious pilgrims induftrioufly repair to the fummit of the mountain; and a road has been constructed at a vaft expence, which refts, like an aqueduct, on pillars and arches, and afcends in a zigzag along a fiffure in

the rock.

The place of devotion itfelf is more fuitable to the humility of the faint who made it her refuge, than

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the pompous celebration that is inftituted to the honour of her complete dereliction of the world. And perhaps all Christendom, which has now, for eighteen hundred years, been accumulating its opulence, erecting its magnificence, and inftituting its folemn entertainments on the wretchednefs of its first founders and moft bigoted confeffors, has no facred place to fhew which is ornamented and revered in fo harmless and fentimental a manner.

When you have afcended the mountain, you turn an angle of the rock, where it rifes against you like a fteep wall, on which the church and the monaftery adjoining are both conftructed.

The outfide of the church has nothing inviting or promifing: the gate was opened without delay; and, on entering, I was furprised in an extraordinary manner. I found myfelf in a fpacious hall or parlour which runs the whole breadth of the church, and opens to the nave. Here are feen the ufual veffels with holy-water and fome confeffionals. body of the church is an open court ; inclofed on the right fide by the rude rock, on the left by a continuation of the hall. The roof is covered with flat ftones, with a proper flope for the rain to run off; and there is a well of water in the middle of the church.

The

The cave itfelf is formed into the choir, without being in the leaft deprived of its natural rude appearance. A few steps lead up to it; in front ftands the great desk with the anthem

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