he stands upon three legs, the fourth being raised very high; and though he does not feem fufficiently in movement, yet altogether it is a very fine equestrian statue. The infcription is M. Nonio. M. F. Balbo. P. R. Pro. Cos. Herculanenfes.

Opposite to this is placed another equestrian ftatue of Marcus Nonius Balbus the father; efteemed as fine an antique as the other, but is not in fuch high preservation; the head and one of the hands are fupplied, the originals not having been recovered from amongst the rubbish. The infcription is as follows: M. Nonio. M. F. Balbo. Patri D. D. These ftatues were found in the forum at Herculaneum.

The cupola of the staircase of this palace is fo well painted by one Vincenzo Re, that it deceives the eye; but I fhall defer the description of the habitable part of it for the prefent, and mention only that wing which is the refervoir of the remains of Herculaneum and Pompeia.

Amongst the antique marbles, the figures of Cabinet. animals, as well the fabulous as thofe after nature, are many of them finely done; they were used to convey water into the baths; and there is a great deal of humour expreffed in their coun tenances, 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 gar ment is edged with a lace exactly reprefenting VOL. II.

F

point;

point; it is about an inch and an half broad, and has been painted purple and gilt, great part of which ftill remains. The ftatues, buftos, bas reliefs in in bronze (which are very numerous) are of such exquifite workmanship, that I do not think it is in the power of the moft able artist of this day to execute representations in metal of any kind that can rival or even bear a competition with many of them. I fhall begin with the statues in bronze, of which I wish you to obferve, 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); these 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 a fkin of wine. Eleven fuch were found in the theatre at Herculaneum, but have been melted down and coined into fmall money by order of government. Many other antiques of more valuable metals, raked out of Herculaneum, Pompeia, and Stabia, have been appropriated to the like purpose.

In the Gallery, or chamber of buftos of philofophers and illuftrious perfons, whofe identity has for the most part been ascertained by compar

ing 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.

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

A Socrates fpeaking: fo very natural, as to furprise rather too much.

An Alexander; the features and caft of his countenance strongly refemble that at Florence: the expreffion is that of doubt, or anxiety of mind; as if big with fome arduous enterprise; 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 laurel: this ftatue breathes true bravery; not a line of cruelty or revenge in the features, but a modeft, amiable countenance, without pride, or consciousness of fuperior merit.

All the rooms (about ten in number) are paved with antique mofaic, exactly as they found their present floors at Herculaneum; these rooms being conftructed of fimilar dimenfions for their reception, and no two of them are of the fame pattern. The a l'y grec borders encompass every different floor, and are curious for their regularity and linear intricacy. One pavement particularly deferves notice: it reprefents a Roman camp, forming an exact fquare: in the middle of each

Towers of fide is a gate fronting the center. three stories high, at equal distances, encompass the whole; they are all alike in fize, &c. except thofe at the angles, which appear larger and more confiderable than the others. The feats for the mu ficians found in the orchestra at Herculaneum are curious, the frames and legs being ftill perfect; they are of bronze and have been gilt; fome of the gilding still remains; the legs reprefent two ferpents on each side of the ftool, which forming a kind of a cro's, fomewhat like two S's, defcribe the ferpentine line of beauty, and have a moft graceful effect. Here are alfo infcriptions, fetting forth the names of those who ufed the baths at Stabia; as Licinum, Fauftinum, Vatiam, &c. Amongst the utenfils in bronze, the fcales and weights deferve notice, for the delicacy of their workmanship. It appears that the weights commonly used were buftos of gods or heroes fufpended by a ring. various fizes, befides a great many inftruments for weighing, like thofe called in England fteelyards; to which the weights refembling humanfigures feem to have belonged. The moulds for ices, and various inftruments for ornamenting paftry, &c. clearly prove the luxury of thofe times to have far exceeded in fertility of invention that of our day: a great variety of ftrainers pierced in the noft curious manner, and which are frequently found in pairs, one fitting into the other but for what ufe defigned, is not

The fcales are of

ealy

easy to determine; many of them are in filver, others in bronze. Here are culinary utenfils of more various shapes and fizes than you can find in the belt furnished modern kitchen.

One of these rooms is built and furnished in exact conformity with a kitchen which was dif covered entire; it contains a number of articles, many fo complicated, that their ufe does not clearly appear; each veffel is of bronze, and of fine workmanship: upon the whole, it seems indisputable that the ancients employed more refinements in their entertainments than the moderns, and must have served up a much greater variety of dishes than we do. The dreffers, ftew. holes, ftoves, boilers, fish-kettles, &c. refemble ours, though they seem to have been better contrived. The lamps to light the apartments, and the candelabres to fuftain them, fhew a furprising fertility of invention and execution; fcarcely any two lamps are alike, amongst fome hundreds of them. Here are alfo tunable bells of different fizes for their cattle, refembling thofe in England called tintanabula; also keys, letters to tamp with, perhaps, to mark linen, &c. inftruments of agriculture, chirurgery, and mathematics, &c. Another article for culinary ufe, which would be very convenient and agreeable in England is, a kind of portable kitchen, which does not exceed the fize of a commodious plate-warmer; in the center is a vafe for water, under it a furnace for fire, with an invention for broiling meat at the