Practice of this here in England is that perhaps they gather a less quantity of Honey and that should they take the like quantity of Honey from the Bees here in England they would not leave enough to preserve them in Winter But this hinders nor much For by being less covetous and not taking so much Honey from the poor Bees the great enerease and multiplying of them would soon equalize and far exceed the little Profit we make by destroying of them This is done without Smoak wherefore the Antients call this Honey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnsmoaeken Honey And I believe the Smoak of Sulphur which we use takes away very much of the Fragrancy of the Wax and sure I am the Honey can receive neither good Taste nor good Smell from it This Convent payeth but one Chequin for all its Duties to the Veivode It is a piece of Gold of the Venetian Coyn worth two Dollers and an half and about twelve Shillings English The reason of which small Tribute is that when Athens was taken by Mahomet the Second the Hegoumeno or Abbot of this Convent was sent by the Town to deliver him up the Keyes of the Gates which Mahomet was so glad of that to testifie his Joy and Content and to recompense the Messenger he exempted this Convent from all manner of Taxes and Customs reserving only one Chequin to be paid as a Quit-Rent for an Acknowledgment The present Abbot is called Ezekiel Stephaki who lives at Athens and is a learned Man for that Country understanding the Antient Greek very well and Latine indifferently with a little Italian He understands Philosophy too so far as to be esteemed a Platonist and notwithstanding that he is an Abbot yet he professes not to be a Divine but a Physician In my Return to Athens I was daily with him and of him I learned to read Greek according to the Modern Pronunciation I found him to be really a good discreet and understanding Man and what Piques soever have been between the Beninzueloe's and him peradventure have proceeded rather from the Emulation of the first than from any just or real Cause given by him I easily perceiv'd he was not over-fond of some of the Greekish Superstitions But for all that he seems to be both a good Man and a good Christian and that whatever they talk of him otherwise are but Trifles and perhaps undeâ—erv'd He hath some Manuscripts especially St John Damasoen which he offer'd to exchange with me for an Atlâ—s if I sent it him But I have not yet had an Opportunity to send it The rest of the Convents about this Mountain are called Asteri Hagios Ioannes Kynigos and Hagios Ioannes o Theologos There is another Convent near Mount St George called Asωmatos Mount Hymettus is now called Telovouni towards the north-North-East end and Lambravouni towards the south-South-West end by the Greeks as my Comrade observes This last they call Lambravouni from a ruined Town called Lambra or Lambrica situated under Mount Hymettus South and is a Corruption of the ancient Lampra which they pronounce Lambra But this is only a Point of the Mountain that lieth behind the other and is scarce seem from Athens being also separated from the rest of Hymettus by a narrow Valley through which lieth the way from Athens to Capo Colonni But I remember not that I heard it called by the Athenians otherwise than Imet or T is Imettes Vouni that is Hymettus Mountain But the Francks call it Monte-Matto which is but another manifest Corruption of Mount Hymettus Lib VI Aristolochia Longê° ibd clematitis Lib. VI. Scoizanera bulbosa II. At another time we went to see the Sea-Coasts of Athens II. To the SEA-COASTS of ATHENS towards the Saronick Gulph and to survey the antient Harbours along that Shore So taking Horses we directed our Course to the Eastern Point of the Bay Phalara In our way about a couple of miles out of Town we passed through the Athenian Vineyards and came to the Eastern end of a Marshy Lake called by Xenophon Phalaraea Palus but now Tripyrga because there were as they say three Towers by it which probably were the ruines of the Town of Limne This Lake stretcheth it self in length at least three miles along the Shore and from the Eastern end of it runneth a little Rivulet into the Sea not far from the Eastern Point of the Bay of Phalara where stands a little ruined Church called St. Nicholo The place I believe was antiently called Colias Promontorium From this to the Western Point is about three miles to which we went continuing along the shore making a great circumference till we came where the Portus Phalareus was situate at the North-West corner of the bottom of the Bay and is called now only Porto There remains yet the little Harbour to be seen with part of the Walls that secured it But it is now chok'd up with the Sand and so shallow that only small Boats lye there Neither doth the Bay afford any secure Harbour as lying open to the South Easterly and Westerly Winds and Ships that drop Anchor there are forced to keep aâ— large for want of sufficient depth So that the Antients had very good reason to change their station for Ships from hence to Piraea Hard by are the ruines of the Town and Castle belonging to it being 〈◊〉 four miles from Athens Still coasting Westwards a mile or two we came to another Harbour called in times past Munichia which was then though but small yet a very good and secure Harbour but is now quite chok'd up and useless A little from the shore there are seen ruines of Vaults pieces of Pillars and hewn Stones under water and on the shore hard by are many more besides Caves digg'd in the Rocks Vaults Walls broken Pillars and the foundations of a Temple which we guessed to be that of Diana of Munichia Thence to the raines of Pitaea is but a little way I do not believe much above a quarter of a Mile going in a streight Line But going by the Sea-Coasts by reason of the crookedness of the Shore it may be neâ—â— two miles Which shews the errour of Ptolomy and our modern Geographers that follow him who make them at least ten miles distant from each other whereas indeed Phalara which is furthest off from Pâ—â—aea is not at most above four miles distant But the Shore indeed is almost formed into a Peninsula in the Neck of which Phalard lyeth to the East and Piraea to the West Portus Piraeus is called at present by the Greeks Porte-Dracone and by the Franks Porto-Lione PORTOLIONE by reason of a Lion of Marble of admirable work placed at the bottom of the Bay in a posture of sitting but erected upon his fore-feet It is ten foot high and by a hole pierced through it answering to its mouth appears to have been a Fountain There is such another in the way from Athens to Eleusis in a couchant
Sepulchral Monuments The next Morning early we parted thence and after about three hours riding came to a desolate Church but kept in repair by the Villages about it every one of which have an Olive Tree planted by it I suppose to serve for Oyl for the Lamps in the Church Before the Church at the West end of it is the Tomb of the Founder of the Church upon which among the Stones is an ancient Basso-relievo of a Woman in a sedent posture Here groweth the biggest Lentiscus Tree I ever saw Out of several places of the Body of it Tears of Mastick Issued Which convinced me that not only at Scio but in all these parts they would yield Mastick if they were cultivated I guess also that hereabouts the Town Anaphylista was situated if not at the Town following to which after an hour and a halfs riding thence Southward we came being called Kerateia from the Karobs of which I saw several Trees growing wild This hath been an ancient and great City and did preserve it self considerable until destroyed by the Corsairs about fifty or threescore years ago They had their Epitropi or Archontes until then who did wear High-crown'd Hats like those of Athens I could discern here where an Amphitheater had been by the Foundations and some other remains of it In the Church I found an Inscription which I believe would have given me some light concerning the Antiquity of the place had it been better preserv'd From this place we were three long hours before we arriv'd at Promontorium Sunium the way being very rocky and bad up-hill and down-hill all along About midway we past over a little Mountain where in times past they digged much Silver and now some Copper out of which they say the Goldsmiths of Athens at present separate a considerable quantity of Silver LAURIUM But they let not the Turks know so much lest the Grand Signior should impose the Slavery of digging in the Mines upon them I saw abundance of Cinders lying up and down in the wayes which assured me that in times past they had digg'd great quantities of Metals there Xenophon calls this Mountain Laurium Pausanias and many other Authors mention it But whether there was a Town called by the same name I know not But if so it was done by Xenophons Counsel who advised them to build a Castle there lest the Mines should be neglected in time of War But if before I believe it was nearer the Sea-side where there is a kind of Harbour for Boats to pass over to Macronisa Promontorium Sunium is now called by the Francks Capo Colonni from the White Pillars of the Temple of Minerva PROM SUNIUM or CAPO COLONNI that yet remain on the point of it being seen a great way from Sea The Temple is situated on the top of an high Rock running far into the Sea Nine Dorick Pillars are standing on the South-West side of it and five on the opposite side At the South end remain two Pilasters and part of the Pronaos upon which are Engraven many names ancient and modern The Temple seems to have been inclosed in a Castle by the Foundations of the Walls below which are other Foundations of Walls which were undoubtedly the Town Sunium which was reckoned one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Burgess-Towns of the Athenians On the right hand it hath a little Bay which was its ancient Port But it is now quite deserted as well as the little Island Patroclea lying about a quarter of a Mile South-West off it They say here grows some Ebany yet but much destroyed by the Corsairs Whence it is that some call this place Ebanonisi or the Isle of Ebany Others call it still Patroclea but most call it Guidronisa The bad weather this day was a great prejudice to the good Prospect I otherwise should have had from hence of most of the Islands of the Archipelago notwithstanding which I observed with my Compass as followeth 1. The further end of Macronisa anciently called Helena north-North-East the hither end East 2. Zea one end East the other South-East 3. Thermia beginneth South-East endeth south-south-South-South-East 4. Seriphanto or Seripho a little more south-south-South-South-East 5. Antimilo South by East 6. Sant Georgio de Albero south-South-West 7. Capo Schillo or Promontorium Schillaeum west-south-West-South-West 8. The highest point of Aegina West North-West 9. I found a shrub growing hereabouts which hath Leaves and smell something like Stoechas Arabica But not so strong The Flowers then blowen were like Rosemary I keep it dried but I have not yet found what to call it We were forced to return on our way back again from the Promontory that Evening because we could have neither Meat Drink nor Lodging near that place We directed our course therefore more towards the Shore of the Saronick Gulph than we did at our coming and that Evening came to some Shepherds belonging to the Convent of Pendely where with all the Covert they had we could scarce sit dry it was such bad weather and our Inn being only a Tent made of a Hedge o◠Faggots covered with some Blankets over them Not far from thence toward the Sea is a Town situated upon a Hill METROPIS called Metropis which were probably the Azenenses Strabo placeth next before the Promontory Sunium The next Morning we parted early and after ten or a dozen Miles riding we came to the Ruins of a Town built on a Rock called Enneapyrgae or Nine Towers from so many Towers formerly standing on the Rock This is near a Bay of the Gulph which I believe was anciently called Hyphormus Portus and the Town it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lampra Maritima or Inferior For there was another Lampra called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Superior which without doubt was the ruin'd Town about three or four Miles more towards the Midland called yet Lambra for so the Greeks pronounce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is LAMER π after μ as we do b. At this last we sate down and dined and after Dinner we kept on something North-Westwards thorough a good and well cultivated Plain to two or three Houses in the Fields they call Fillia The distance from Athens and resemblance of the name makes me believe it was hereabouts the ancient Phlya stood which in times past was a place adorn'd with many Temples especially of Diana Lucifera if Pausanias does not confound it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phyla on Mount Parnes where also was an Altar to Diana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedicated by Thrasibulus when in a dark Night he was conducted to Munichia by a light he attributed to Diana at that time when he went to deliver the City from the thirty Tyrants the Spartans had then imposed upon the Athenians Thence we turned yet a little further North-Westwards and came into the way to Athens passing between two Ridges of the Mountain Hymettus that on the left hand being
old is almost demolished and only serves to cleanse Corn and to make fine Flour for the Seraglio The other was built in two Months time about seventeen Years ago for the Grand Signior's coming thither It is but a small Building but well contrived with Baths and Stoves and adorned with Roofs and Walls gilded and painted in pretty Knots and Flowers with Presses on one side of each Room for Bedding and Furniture according to the manner of the Turks who have not their Houses incumbred with great Bed-steads Tables Chairs and Stools but only a part of the Room raised higher than the rest and covered with a Carpet where all get up and sit cross-legg'd sometimes with Cushions to sit or lean upon and this serves for Parlour Dining-Room and Bed-Chamber When they sit to eat one bringeth a little round Table sometimes of one piece of Wood and sometimes doubled together with a low Foot whereon the Meat is set in little Dishes One Napkin is long enough for the whole Company and goeth round the Table which is seldom cover'd with a Cloth because it serveth instead of Trenchers When they go to bed a Servant cometh and taketh the Quilts Sheets and Coverings and prepareth for as many as lie there each one one It would make but a poor Palace for any of our Christian Princes But the Prospect from the Castle is more pleasant being situate upon the Brow of the Hill overlooking the Town and Country which was no more than necessary for it hath no other Garden now We expected a better Shew for our Doller a Head which the Keeper exacted of us But it is good to be undeceived of the high Opinions we have of Things which deserve them not especially when our Experience costs not too dear There is no considerable River near this Town But the Mountain doth furnish them with so many Springs that I never saw more Fountains nor with greater Sources of Water in any place where-ever I have been but they are not esteemed very wholsome I believe because the Snow-Water continually melting from the Mountain mixeth with them These with what falls from the Mountain make two little Streams one whereof we passed coming into the Town and the other I passed over by a Bridge on the North-East-side of the Town to go up the Mountain which hath another Bridge not far from this both well-built and large joyning the Suburbs to the Town The Metropolitan Church is well worth seeing having been a fair Building cased within with curious and well-wrought Marble built in the form of a Greek Cross that is square with a Cuppalo in the Middle held up by four Pillars which being beat down in the time of the Siege was repaired by the Turks and the fair Capitals of the Pillars set where the Basis should be and the Basis where the Capitals An Emblem of their Tyranny over Christendom turning all things upside down So have they made this Holy Place the Sepulcher of Orchanes the Conquerour of it and the Second King of the Turks But there yet remains the Place of the Altar which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Holy Ascent being according to their Custom a place containing three Seats one above another in form of a Semi-circle On the first the Patriarch and Metropolitans use to sit on the next the Bishops and on the other the Presbyters when the Sacrament was celebrated Adjoyning to this is the Sepulcher of Bajazet's Children Beyond the Stream on the North-East-side of the Town is a Royal Mosque and a Colledge by it with twelve Apartments for twelve â—â—â—ers who are obliged to teach to Write Read and the Understanding of the Law Thither any poor Man may come and eat at any time and on Fridays be feasted with Rice Hard by is the Founder's Sepulcher which looketh very prettily being a large Cuppalo covered with Lead on the top and the Walls cased with Porcelane Tiles Here are three or four very good Kans KANS. built two Stories high covered with Lead each Room a Cuppalo over it For this Town is a great Thorow-fare and of much Traffick all the Caravans coming from Smyrna Aleppo and most part of those from Persia to Constantinople passing by this Place The Basars are well built and furnished with Merchants and all sorts of Merchandizes A great deal of English Cloth is brought hither and no small quantity of Silk made here the Plains being covered with Mulberry-Trees to feed the Silk-Worms Here many of the Turks seem to live more gentilely than ordinary and have their Houses of Pleasure without the Town One I saw belonging to a Haga well contrived with shady Walks Chiosques Fountains and Artificial Fish-Ponds Here Dr. Covel made me take notice of a Willow-Tree whose large Branches were so limber that they bend down to the Ground from a good high-pollard Trunk and naturally make a curious shady Bower about it The Leaf is like our Osiers There is plenty of all sorts of Provisions here and most delicious Fruits especially Pomegranates which are esteemed so good that they are sent from thence to Adrianople for the Grand Signior's eating Great plenty of excellent Fresh-Water-Fish which the Lake on the Mountain and others not far off with the River Ascanius not a days Journey thence furnisheth them with Especially Carps Trouts and Eeles Of the first I saw many and eat of some three Foot in length with their large Bellies filled with fat Of the last we were made a Present of one by an Armenian that had been in England above an Ell long large and white as Silver This Armenian informed us That the Mountain was almost covered with curious Plants which made Dr. Covel who is a great Lover of them as well as my self long to go and ransack it which the stay we made being longer than we thought by reason that Mr. Cary fell sick here gave us opportunity to do So that Monday the Eleventh of October about five a Clock in the Morning having hired Horses for two Dollars five Timins to our Janizary and as much to our Guide setting out and beginning to mount Olympus we came up to the highest part we could for the Snow about Eleven a Clock Whence from a pointed Hill on the North-side we had a most Charming Prospect the height making it from North to South unbounded the Western half of the Compass from Constantinople all the Propontis the Plains of Mysia to Mount Ida with the Lake and River Ascanius lay plain before us as in a Map But more particularly thus The two Bays we passed by over the Propontis lay parallel to each other North that of Ishmit stretching it self farthest East this of Mountania having one Lake on the East end which I suppose emptieth it self into the Propontis by it and another in a Valley near to the Foot of this Mountain north-North-West by North the Island Chalcis c. and a little more West-ward Constantinople as they say an hundred
return to a little creek at the mouth just within the Promontory of the Southern-Harbour and there stay till after Dinner In which time I went and climed up a Mountainous Rock hard by where I found many other curious Plants 1. Sage growing wild 2. Tragoriganum Creticum as some will have it but I esteem it Satureia or what we call in our Kitchins Winter-Savoury and that from the resemblance of smell and substance of the leaves which are not so thick and oyly as Tragoriganum as likewise Polium Roris marini foliis or leaves like Rose-mary After Dinner we put out to Sea but not without danger the Wind continuing still high and contrary After we had made six miles which is the length of the Bay which makes the Haven of Pola a storm beginning to rise we put in between the point and the Island Veruda which with the Land and some other such Scoglio's about it make a good harbour Here the Holy Virgin is worshipped with great Devotion by the name of Madonna di Veruda Her Church with the Convent belongeth to the Minime-Fryers The next day early we parted hence to pass a dangerous Gulph called the Quarner Thirty miles over It hath at the bottom to the North the Mountain Caldiera which often sends forth such gusts of Wind as are fatal to the Vessels that must pass it It s high ridges look a far off like an overgrown Cammel with a great bunch upon the back When we had passed about Twenty miles of the Thirty and had about Ten to the Mountains of Ossero we saw a great storm pursuing of us which overtook us about four miles from Shore but with such fury as made us immediately strike Sail it being an Hurricano or Whirl-wind that had almost overset the Gally before we could furl the Sails It was accompanied with such Thundring Lightning and Rain as if the Elements had conspired to our destruction The Sea also ran so high that we could neither Sail nor Row yet by Gods mercy and the help of the Rudder we were droven after an hours time although we could no way see the Land under the Mountains of Ossero and thence we rowed into Porto-longo which is on the North side of the Isle Unia In this Isle there is but one Village encompassed with a fertile soil containing in all about nine or ten miles in circuit abounding in Corn and Wine but the rest very rocky and barren Of Plants here are abundance such as I before named and over and above a Syderitis Angustifolia flore albo The next day we endeavoured to get out to Sea but finding the water too rough we turned into Porto-novo which is a little creek between the Mountains of Ossero After noon the weather proving better we set sail and passed between many little Islands which along those Coasts are numberless as Canigula and Sansio South of us in the Gulph Quarnerette which towards the Land hath the Mountains of Morlaca Towards the East San-Pietro in Limbo being two little Isles thorough which we passed making a good Harbour with a little Fort at the east-East-end of the most Northern of them Hence we left Selva with a pretty Town upon it to the South Opposite to which is L' Ulba which hath North-Port Saint Nicola at one end without any Town there but hath one about three miles distant Here groweth abundance of Samphire of which the Mariners gathered great quantity to boil and eat with Oyl and Vinegar Here I found a Plant with a Bulbous-root which sent out a stalk about half a foot high with a crest or crown of little small flowers striped with white and Cinnamon-colour I should have taken it for a Moly but that it had no smell and for an Asphodil had I found any leaves at the root Another like Samphire but that each leaf ended with a Pricket The next day we passed by many Rocks lying in a row South of us as Melada on which is a Town called Cestron Then Rapâ—ntello and some others beyond until at last as in a River between little Islands we arrived at Zara. ZARA Lib j. Fig II Zara is situated upon a slip of plain ground almost encompassed with the Sea Zara only the East-end is joyned to the Firm-Land of Dalmatia if I may call it joyned For there also is a ditch made from one Sea to the other which is well supplied with water at high Tides The Harbour is on the North-side and is well secured by the City which serves instead of a Mole to defend it from the South-winds there being no other that annoy it from the adjoyning Land It lieth in length East and West The entrance of the Port is West where it hath two round Bastions with Cannon mounted on them which saluted our Bailo as also did the Musketteers from the Walls and upon his arrival in the Port the Count and Captain of the Military-forces received him at his Landing They were cloathed in crimson Suits and Gowns made something like the Civilians Gowns at Oxon. The Bailo also was in a crimson sute but made after the French fashion These with the Militia conducted him to the Palace of the General of Dalmatia who resides there The East-side hath three Bastions and is defended by a strong Cittadel whose Fortification shews it had a good contriver and a great deal of industry to bring it to that perfection Its Fosses are hewed out of the hard Rocks which is the substance of the greatest part of the ground thereabouts and renders it very difficult to be mined Its Bastions Half-moons and Counterscarps are well countermined and mantled with hewen stone The end of the Town next the Cittadel hath three regular Bastions and is separate from it by a deep Fosse There is no Hill near it to command it from without So that it may pass for a strong Town as it is also the chief of Dalmatia The Military-Forces then consisted of eight Companies of Foot and three of Horse being for most part Morlachs Croats and other People of the Mountainous and Northern parts of Dalmatia Men of tall stature strong nimble and hardy especially the Morlachs who are used to the cold and barren Mountains called by that name extending themselves along those Coasts and subject to the Venetians They are inveterate enemies to the Turks and never spare any of them when they fall into their clutches Whensoever they make Parties to go pillage the Turks on their Borders still they return loaden with Booty We were by many credible persons assured that such was their strength as four of them would take a man on horse-back upon their shoulders and carry them both over the Streights and dangerous places of the Mountains even sometimes twenty or thirty paces at a time which hath been tried when some of their chief Officers have been to pass those Mountains Morlacus Lib j. Fig III. Their Habit is odd For Shoes they have only a piece of Leather
above four or five times bigger than Nature and no less than a Colossus for the shoulders are six foot broad and the remaining parts of the body proportionable The beauty of it is such that I am apt to believe if Michael Angelo had seen it he would have admired it as much as he did that Trunk in the Vatican at Rome It stood upon his Pedestal upright until about three years ago as Signior Georgio our Landlord at Micone informed me an English-man who was there call'd as he said Signior Simon Captain of the Saint Barbara endeavoured to carry it away but finding it impossible he brake off its head arms and feet and carried them with him But here I must observe that my Note differs from Monsieur Spon's Tom. 1. p. 180. who saith it was a Venetian A little further among these Ruins we found the half body of a Woman the Drapery about which was carved so well that it seemed to be the work of no less a Master than the former Just by this was the body and forepart of a Centaure so admirably well cut also that life and vigour appear'd in every Vein and Muscle Upon his back appear'd a place cut as we suppose to set a sedent Figure in whence we judged that it might have been the Centaure Nessus who would have committed a Rape on Deianira which was no improper Ornament to this Temple Centaurs being consecrated to Apollo as is to be seen in many Medals especially of Gallienus one of which I found at Smyrna of a mixed Metal whose reverse hath a Centaure holding a Globe in its right hand pierced behind with a Dart and these Letters about it APOLLINI CONS AUG Not far from these we found other Fragments one piece was the head and neck of an Horse another which seemed to belong to the same part of the Bodie of a Horse with a Fragment of a sedent Figure of a Woman from the feet almost to the wast upon it the hinder part of the Figure ending like a Fish with scales I cannot well determin whether the upper part of the Woman I before mentioned belongeth to the Centaure or this These all seem to have been the Ornaments of the walls of the Temple and of the same manner of work in entire Relievo Here are seen also four other pieces which we guessed to have been of the Lyons that the Neighbouring Islanders remember to have seen formerly here On the South corner at the West end of these ruins where perhaps was the entrance of the Temple is a great piece of Marble hollow in the middle and almost buried in the ground which perhaps was part of the pedestal of the Gigantique Statue of Apollo because on the one side are these Letters ÎΑΞΙΟΙ ΑΠΟΛΛ which denote that it had been dedicated by those of the Island Naxos to Apollo The Letters on the other side we could not well tell what to make of but-upon consideration they seem to me to be Vulgar Greek From the Temple of Apollo directing our steps Southward and near the Western shore of the Island we came to the Ruins of a wonderful Portico of Marble whose vast Architraves Pillars and other the beautiful parts Bury each other in as great confusion as time and bad Fortune could reduce them to Upon one of the Architraves broken in two pieces we sound these Letters of a span deep ΒΑΖΙΛΕΩΣ ΦΙΛΛΙΠΠSignior Crescentio remembers he saw on a Fragment of the same Architrave ΜΑΚΕΔ which sheweth that Philip of Macedon was its Founder Further upon a little eminence among other Marbles we found these Letters also upon an Architrave ΔΙΟÎΥΣΙΟΥ ΕΥΤΥΧΟΥ Dionysius the Son of Eutyches another Grecian King The Pillars were Angular towards the Base and channel'd upwards being of several pieces and of the Corinthian order as appeared by their chapetes of which we found only three or four Not far from the South end of this Portique and on the West side of a little rocky Mountain which undoubtedly was the Mount Cynthus is a Theater It is something more than a Semicircle whose Diameter comprehending the seats and utmost wall is about two hundred Foot on each side without its Circumference are the Foundations of a Tower Thirty Foot long and Eighteen broad Before the Scene are eight or nine Vaults in a row answering Parallel to the Diameter of the Theater separated from each other by a wall in which is a little Arch serving for a passage from one to another These some of us took for Cisterns to hold water and others for Caves to keep wild Beasts in used to be baited in the Theaters of the Ancients somewhat resembling our Bear-gardens The whole Fabrick is of white Marble and each Stone on the outside cut in the form of a Diamond In the place of the Spectators there are some seats still remaining The whole Theater leaneth on a hill part of which seemeth to be dug away to make room for it Lab. j Fig XIII Mount Synthus the Caste of Delos From the Theater Eastwards passing over a world of Ruins we began to ascend the high Rock called anciently Mount Cynthus Which can be called high only in respect of the other hills in this Island and not in respect of the circumjacent Isles which are beyond proportion higher It is very craggy and steep and consists of a Granate Marble of several colours some reddish mixed with black others lighter other some yellowish with black spots and some a light grey It is very hard but I doubt endureth not the weather so well as that of Egypt For the Pillars at the Schools I but now mentioned seem to be of the same stone and are very much scaled by the weather This makes me doubt whether all the Pillars that are seen in so many places be of the Granate of Egypt For although Monsieur Spon took no notice where any stone hath been dug out of it yet I believe the way up the Mountain which is deep broad and winding was the quarry where much of that Marble had been taken for it resembles many quarries I saw afterwards in the Mountain Pentelicus in Attica Besides they would not have bestowed the pains to have dug so deep only for a way nor is it apparent that it was the way For on the Right hand as we ascended up a little distance from it is a Port or Gate made of such vast stones as I believe were dug not far from the place which was the entrance to go up to the Castle on the top of the hill where yet remain Foundations of White Marble Another quarry of such stone is on the Alpes near Lago-Maiore with Pillars of which the Frontispieces of most of the Churches in Millain are Beautified And I believe those of Spalato may come from some quarrie in the Mountains of Croatia as I before hinted This side of the hill hath ascents one above another distinguished by Walls on each side of the place supposed to have
an Account he gave of their Learning beyond the ordinary Opinion of the World He assured us That at Constantinople there was a Bazar or Exchange for Manuscript Books for they suffer no Printing of different Sciences in the Turkish Arabian and Persian Languages the two last beeing their learned Languages as Greek and Latin are in Christendom but that it was dangerous for Christians to frequent them as Monsieur Spon was made sensible when we passed by Prosa For seeing some Arabick Manuscripts he would have cheapned them but was reproachfully sent away with the Name of Goure or Infidel Mr. Watson assured us that they keep annual Registers of all things that pass throughout the whole Extent of their Empire and of the Wars they have with their Neighbouring Countries That one might have a Copy of these Annals in five or six great Volums for Two hundred Crowns That there are Historians and Writers who have a Salary for writing in the Seraglio That there was another good Book to be had concerning the Government of the Ottoman Empire and that he himself had bought a Chest full of Turkish and Arabian Books among which he had many very rare pieces as one of Chek-Bouni an Egyptian concerning the Vertue of Divine and Human Words full of Figures and Lines by which he pretends to do abundance of curious tricks by Anagrams Another that sheweth the Theory of the Cabalistick Art A Dictionary in Turkish and Arabick A Book of Songs wherein there are many very antient ones as of Avicen and Albucherche Turkish and Persian Grammers with Alphabets of all Languages A Book of all the Revolutions of the Kingdom of Egypt written by a Cheke or Doctor of Grand Cairo a great Astrologer whose Predictions have alwayes proved so true that when Sultan Selim made War against the King of Egypt all that King's Counsellors told him That it was but Folly to resist although he had a very puissant Army consisting of Moors Arabs and Mammalucks because according to this Book Selim was to conquer Egypt which accordingly came to pass He shewed us also a Book that he said was a Calculation of the several Degrees of the overflowing of the River of Nilus regulated according to the Motion of the Planets especially of the Moon by an Arabian Doctor Another of Chiromancy more curious than those of John Battista Porta In which the Author pretends That the Characters of the Hands are Letters of which he gives the Alphabet He also told us of another called Bauraan an antient Author containing abundance of Chimical Experiments commented on by a Cheke who was a Moor with whom he was acquainted at Grand Cairo Where he assured us there were abundance of very considerable Persons who applyed themselves to this Study and most other Sciences At another time he shewed us the History of Tamerlan in Arabick more ample than that Translated out of the Arabick of Alhacen Two Books of Talisman's teaching their Principles and Practice out of which he affirmeth That Monsieur Gaffarelle had borrowed all he had written in his Book of Vnheard of Curiosities That Hugo Grotius had stollen all his Principal Arguments for the Truth of the Christian Religion out-of Arabian Authors and particularly from the Works of an Eminent Man whom the Latins hold to be an Arch-Heretick But the Cofty's a Saint who wrote an excellent Book against the Turks and Jews for the Truth of the Christian Religion And what is more to be wondered at he assured us That he had seen an antient Book of Astronomy which did suppose the Magnetick Needle although he did not apply it to Navigation but to other Astrological uses He shewed us also a general History of Grand Cairo and a Description of all the Churches of Constantinople at the time it was taken by the Turks both written in Arabick Lastly He told us That both at Grand Cairo and Constantinople there were publick Professors that taught Astrology Astronomy Geometry Arithmetick Poetry the Arabian and Persian Languages When we were at this Corner of the Town CONSTANTINE'S PALACE we went to an old Building they say was Constantine's Palace which stands upon the highest Ground on that side of the City for from the Harbour to it is an Ascent and thence towards the Seven Towers the Ground again descends What remains of it expresses no Magnificence being only a long Stone building with a Hall sustained by Pillars and some Rooms over it Without the Walls from hence to the Seven Towers on the Brow of the Hill is a good Walk but the Valley West-wards of it being only the burying Place of the Turks and Jews makes it somewhat Melancholly Among these here and there towards the Haven are some Monuments of Turks of Quality of white Marble shaded with Plane Trees and Cypress Trees Here we went to see that of Sultan Eliub SULTAN ELIUB'S TOMB near the Harbour whom they esteem as a Prophet and great Saint and therefore it is frequented by the Zealous Turks with a great deal of Devotion The Tomb is covered with a kind of Canopy hung with Green and many Lamps continually burning about it Without is a small Quadrangle with a Portico and Gallery encompassing it and a little Chappel in the middle Here the Grand Signior is inaugurated only by the Ceremony of a Sword girt about him by the Mufti signifying that his Authority consisteth in the Power he hath obtained by that and by that must still be maintained We observed near this Angle of the City where the Water falls into a Cistern and thence conveyed into other adjacent Parts of the Town There are no Suburbs of Buildings contiguous to Constantinople THE HARBOUR the Walls standing being bare all round the three sides but instead thereof it hath over the Water great and populous Towns and Cities which we observed with great pleasure in our Return as they lay all in view round about the Harbour Whereof the North-side of Constantinople encompasseth the South and South-West Shore To which Scutari on the Asian Shore seems to be joyned East-wards and to Scutari on the Thracian Shore Tophana Fondoucli and Gallata And to Gallata some Suburbs appertaining to it where they kill their Meat beyond which are Buildings and dry Harbours to keep the Gallies from the Weather in the Winter These bound the Harbour on the north-North-East North and North-West sides All these Buildings rising by Degrees higher and higher from the several Shores to the tops of considerable high and steep Hills make the Harbour look like a vast Naumachia giving a most Magnificent Spectacle to the Beholders into it At the further end which lies North-Westwards a small River of fresh Water emptieth it self whose Banks are adorned with several pleasant Gardens and shady Trees But the Beauty is not the only Excellency of this Harbour for I believe it also excells most in the World for Security and Capacity It hath more depth than is needful good Moorage and so
but that they leave fruitful Fields round about between the Bay and them well planted with Olive-yards Vine-yards and Corn-fields among them and from the Town to Mount Sipylus is a Valley of four or more Miles in length and near a Mile broad in some places which with the Gardens about the Town and the Town it self drink up two pretty Streams of good Water one rising North-ward from the Mountain Sipylus and the other Southward from Mount Mimas which joyn together north-North-East of the Town and what it spareth which is but little the Sea receiveth at the North-West end of the Town That which cometh North-wards from Mount Sipylus is a considerable Stream driveth seven Mills and hath abundance of Fish in it The other coming from Mount Mimas is the greatest part brought to the Town in Aqueducts two of which are well built with Stone-Arches crossing the Valley or deep Foss which it self hath dug between two Hills whereof the Northern-most is where Old Smyrna stood now only a Castle The rest of the Water is divided amongst the Gardens Smyrna is a place of great Antiquity and is reputed to have had the Amazon Smyrna for its Foundress They therefore stamped their Money with the Figure of her Head I got several pieces of them very rare and saw many more in the Cabinet of an ingenious Merchant there Mr Faulkener who designs his Collection for the Vniversity of Oxford One small one hath her Head crowned with Towers and her two-edged Hatchet on her Shoulder almost worn out with Age and about it are these Letters ΣΜΥΡÎΑ Med. 32 33. on the other side the Prow of a Ship and these ΣΜΥΡÎΑΙΩΠMed. 38. From another I saw of the Empress Tranquillina is to be seen her whole Habit which is thus Her Head is crowned with a Tower as before her two-edged Axe upon her Shoulder holding a Temple in her right hand perhaps referring to some Temple Tranquillina had built in a short Vest let down to her Knees and Buskins half way her Legs There is something also the holdeth in her left hand besides her Axe which perhaps is her Bow In another she is dressed in the Habit of Hercules Of the antient Situation and Beauty of this place Strabo giveth the best and shortest Account Thence saith he describing it North-ward from Ephesus is another Bay in which is Old Smyrna twenty Stadia or two Miles and a half from the New When the Lydians had destroyed Smyrna the Country thereabout was only inhabited by Villages for Four hundred Years together After which Antigonus restored it and after him Lysimachus At this day it is of all the Asian Cities most beautiful Part of it is built upon the Mountain but the greater part on the Plain to the Haven unto the Temple of the Mother of the Gods and to the Gymnasium The Streets are most excellently and as much as possible reduded into right Angles all paved with Stone It hath great and square Porticoes both in the higher and lower parts of the City There is a Library and the Homerion which is a square Portico with a Temple containing his Statue For the Smyrnoites are very zealous for the Nativity of Homer amongst them and have a brass piece of Money called by his Name Homerion The River Meles runneth by the Walls There is a Haven on the other side of the City which may be shut up at pleasure Thus far Strabo The Old Smyrna that was in his time in all probability was on a Hill South of this that is now and West of the Castle-hill For there are some Steps of Heaps of Stones laid in some order as if a Wall had been there His New Smyrna but the Old one of our times without doubt took up all the Hill the Old Castle standeth on and that adjoyning to it down to a point running into the Bay Southwards and of the Plain much more North-East than the New Smyrna of our times But North I believe not more if so much For turning into Franck-Street is a Wall which seemeth to be part of the antient Walls of the City although the Mouth of the River Meles is just without the present Buildings which is not far and might easily be turned thither if nearer to the Walls formerly Along this Wall from the Sea you come to the Foundations of a great Building of hewed Stone they were then demolishing which might have been the Sibyl's Temple the great Mother of the Gods As to the Homerion it hath been thought that which they call the Temple of Janus perhaps from its Similitude to that at Rome because it is not far off from the River supposed to be the River Meles It is a four square Stone-building about three Yards square with two doors opposite to each other one North and the other South and a large Niche within against the East-Wall where his Image was supposed to stand But my Comrade receiv'd Letters since that digging by it hath been found a Statue with a double Visage which confirms the opinion Med. 39 40 42. That it was the Temple of Janus Of the Brass Money called by Homer's Name I did light upon one-piece not long since with his Head and Name on one side and the Figure and Name of the River Meles on the other in Greek Characters I saw another among Mr Faulkeners a Coturniate Medalion with his Head and Shoulders and a Branch before him having his Name about it On the Reverse is a Man leading a Horse Homer's Name in Mr Faulkener's begins with Ω but in mine with Ο. Where the Gymnasium was and the many noble Porticoes which adorned this Place is now past conjecturing But the Port that did shut and open at pleasure might be that little square place by the Fort which now serves to harbour the Gallies and other small Boats But other Remains of Antiquity not mentioned by Strabo although none of the least are the Theater and Cirque The Theater is on the Brow of the Hill North of the Castle built of white Marble but now is going to be destroyed to build the new Kan and Bazar hard by the Fort below which they are now about and in doing whereof there hath been lately found in the Foundation a Pot of Medals all of the Emperour Gadlienus his Family and the other Tyrants that reigned in his time which make me believe he built it or at least that it was done in his days although my Comrade seemeth to think it was the Emperour Claudius because he found his Name on a piece of a Pedestal in the Scene of it But I think without reason For that could be no part of the Theater since in the Foundation of antient Buildings it is usual to find the Coyn of the Founders or the contemporary Emperours The Cirque is dug deep in the Hill that is West of the Castle about Two hundred and fifty paces long and about Forty five broad This was used in Courses
Merciful Hand of God towards us and therefore to Him as it was most just we gave the Praise who never faileth those that put their Trust in Him Not far from hence we began to turn the Promontory of the Mountain if I may so call it upon whose high Clifts I saw the Ruins of a Castle and lost the River Caister until we came to a narrow Valley between two Mountains where again we recovered the River and passed it over by a Stone-Bridge about a couple of Miles from the Castle of Ephesus where we arrived a little before it was dark Campus Ephesius Lib III Fig VI. 1 the Bridg. 2 the Castle 3 the Aqueduct 4 St JohsÌ„ Church 5 the place of a Theator 6 grottos of the Sleepers 7 ruins of a Church 8 St Johns fort 9 a Theator 10 Amphitheator Ephesus is built in a fine Plain EPHESUS stretched in length West-ward to the Sea I believe four or five Miles and may be in many places two at least broad so encompassed about with high Mountains and rocky Clifts on the North East and South sides in so just a proportion that I can fansie it resembleth nothing more than the Cirques and the Stadiums of the Antients It hath the Mountain Gallecius on the North-side from the Sea to the Passage through which the River Caister runs Parallel to that South it hath the Mountain Corresius if I guess right out of Strabo running from West to East and thence bending up circular fortifieth the East side as well as the South The River Caister runneth through it entring the Passage between the Mountains and leaving the City South of it after various windings and turnings through the Plain mixeth it self with the Sea near the Western Promontory of the South Mountain For the City was built on the South side the River principally upon two Rocks about half a Mile from each other The first is near the East end of the Plain whereon the Castle now standeth guarded by the Turks which seemeth to be of no older date than the later Greek Emperours being built of other more antient Ruins as the Fragments of more curious pieces of Marble carelesly mixed among the other Stones assured us Over the Gate of it are set three large Tables of Marble carved in Basso-relievo The first is quite defaced the middle one is of excellent Work The first Figure of it is a Horse with a Man lying under his feet who seemeth to have an antient Armenian Bonnet on his Head A little further is another Figure holding the foot of the first Man seeming to drag him along The next is a Woman in an humble Posture demanding somewhat of another Figure standing in a Roman Habit so that it seems to be some Roman Triumph but what it is uncertain Some have thought it to represent the Destruction of Troy and Hector drawn by the Chariot of Achilles but no Chariot is there to be seen Others That it represented the Persecution of the Primitive Christians under the Romans with less probability Further within this Gate on the Castle Wall we saw a Marble whereon is cut a Face representing the Moon with two Snakes one on one side of the Head and the other on the other joyning their Heads in the middle of the Crown and their Tails pointing outwards with each of them a Circle in such shape that they both together represent a Bow The Figure I designed there and did not perceive any thing of a Bow otherwise than as I described Which was to represent the Heathen Deity they called Hecate Triformis The Moon in the Heavens represented by the large round Visage Proserpine in Hell represented by the Snakes and Diana upon Earth by the Bow Lib III ΠΑÎΗΓΥΡΙΠΚΑΙ ΑΤΕΛΕΙΟ ΕΧΕΙΡΙΑΣ ΕΙΣ ΟΛΟΠΤΟΠÎΥΜΟΠΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΜΕ Λ ÎΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΠΑΡΤΕΜΙΣΙ ΚΡΙΣΙΠΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΣΑÎΤΑ ΑΟΕΜΑΤΑ ΤΟΙΣ ΑΤΩÎΟΙΣ ΑΥΞΑΣΑÎΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΑÎΛΡΙ ΣΤΩΠÎΙΚΗΣΑÎΤΩΠÎΑΣ ΤΗ ΣΑÎΤΛ ΤΕΙΜΗΠΑÎΑΣΤΗΣΑÎΤΑ φΑΙÎΙΟΥ φΑΥΣ ΤΟΥ ΣΥÎΓΕÎΟΥΣ ΑΥΤΟΥ Coming into the Town North of this we found two or three Inscriptions half in the ground From one of them we could only learn the erecting of an Image to the Goddess Diana as the whole City was filled with her superstitious Worship And on the right hand of the way we left the ruins of an Aqueduct coming from the Eastern-hills to the Castle which as I understood by those that gave it me had this Inscription on it in Latin and Greek which was its Dedication to the Honour of Diana of the Ephesians to Augustus and Tiberius Caesars and to the City of Ephesus But my Companion mentions it about six Miles off on an Aqueduct near Scala Nova but undoubtedly he is mistaken for the Inscription it self although not well copied proveth it so For not knowing of any Inscription on it until we returned we contented our selves with a view of it at a distance But it being both in Latin and Greek comparing them together I have found the Errours of both and restored it thus DIANAE EPHE ET IMP. CAESARI AVG. ET TI. CAESARI AVG. ET CIVITATI EPHE SEXTILLIVS P. F. VOT POBLIO CVM OFILLIA A. F. BASSA VXORE SUA ET C. OFILLIO PROCVLO F. SVO CETERISQVE LEIBEREIS SVEIS PONTEM DE SVA PECVNIA FACIENDA CVRAVIT ΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΙ ΕΦΕΣΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΙ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΙ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΩΙ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΒΗΡΩΙ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΙ ..... ΥΙΩΙ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΙ Δ ΗΜΩΙ ΤΩΠΗΦΕΣΙΩΠΓΑΙΟΣ ΣΕΞΤΙΛΙΟΣ ΠΟΓΛΙΟΥ ΥΙΟΣ ΟΥΟΤΟΥΡΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΙΩΠΣΥΠΟΦΕΛΛΙΑ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΘΥΓΑΤΡΙ ΒΑΣΣΗΙ ΤΗ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ ΓΥÎαιΚΙ ΚΑΙ ΓΑΙΩΙ ΟΦΙΛιω ΠΡΟΚΥΛΩΙ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ ΥΙΩΙ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΙΣ ΛΟΙΠΟΙΣ ΤΕΚÎΟΙΣ ΤΗΠΓΕΦΥΡΑΠΕΚ ΤΩΠΙΔΙΩΠΑÎΕΘΗΚΕΠAll the Inhabitants of the once so famous Ephesus the Chief of this Asia as the Mistress governing the rest by the Residence of the Proconsul here amount not now to above forty or fifty Families of Turks living in poor thatched Cottages without one Christian among them EPHESUS now AJA-SABUCK They lie in a Knot together on the South-side of the Castle and are called now Aja-Sabuck St Johns Church now a Mosque Lib III. Fig VI The whole Face of the Earth about them is covered with Ruins fragment of Marble Pedestals Pillars and all parts of most antient and noble structure now broken maim'd and disunited I saw in the Street an Inscription almost defaced upon a Marble Sepulcher But that which most of all was the Object of our Curiosity in this part of the Town was the Church of St John the Evangelist which we desired to see and with much ado obtain'd of the scrupulous Keeper for half a Dollar for my self and Monsieur Spon passing for my Scrivan or Clerk which he might then easily do having his Pen and Ink in his Hand and for this Device we were beholding to our Armenian This Church is now sacrilegiously turned into a Mahumetan Mosque It stands on the West-side of the Castle and is no extraordinary Edifice It hath a Court on the North-side and is a long Building standing East and West covered with a double Roof
leaded and sustained in the middle with three Pillars of Granate Marble most admirably well polished one of which is twelve Foot and eleven Inches in compass with a white Marble Capital of the Compound Order The other two want not much of this but their Capitals are of the ill-favour'd modern Greek fashion Their Pedestals are not seen so they may be further in the Ground than is imagined On each Roof there is a little ill-proportioned Cuppalo and in the Court another Capital of the Compound Order with some broken pieces of Pillars which might have made a Cloyster about it in times past Thence we took Horse to see the other Rocky Hill half a Mile South-wards where probably was the greatest part of the City being near the Temple of Diana as Strabo affirmeth On the Eastern top of which we discovered Ruins and were carried first into a Cave under ground about six or eight Foot Diameter It is incrusted above with Congelations that make it a most pretty Grotto Hard by we saw a circular Place in the Hill made like a Theater but now in effect destroyed A little further North-wards but still on the East-side of the Rock goeth in a place with Arches fallen down with some Figures of a ruined Church where they tell you was the Cave of the Seven Sleepers who in the Persecution in the time of the Emperour Dioclesian hiding themselves in a Cave fell asleep and awaked not till about Two hundred Years after thinking they had slept but one Night One cannot believe but they were strangely astonished when they found how the face of the City was changed their Friends and Acquaintance all dead their Money unknown and not currant and all People become Christians This Rock hath been curiously carved at the Entrance by the Piety of former Ages Going yet forwards under the same Hill yet still West-wards we past by many vast Heaps of Ruins now without form or likeness to any thing with a Name Only one which is known to be a Cirque or Stadium by its Figure and Length and seemeth to have had a kind of Theater at the end of it being circular and as it were separate from the rest by a Wall Whence two Walls run parallel a great length West-wards with Arches underneath for Walks and Wild Beasts The Figure of which I took because I had not noted any like it before Parallel to this is the Ruins of an Amphitheater in view of the Temple of Diana and not very far from it where in all likelihood all the Rabble of the City met together to vindicate the Honour of their Goddess Diana of the Ephesians upon the account of Demetrius the Silver-Smith who made Silver-Shrines for Men to perform their Idolatrous Devotion to their great Goddess and Heâ— Image which as they believ'd fell down from Jupiter It would be wished there were not so many of such Crafts-men in these times by whose means Superstition is so much promoted A little further under the West-side of the Hill is a Marble-Arch which I guess was the Front of a Christian Church built out of the Ruins of some more antient Edifice its Walls being full of Fragments of Inscriptions and other carved Stones joyned to the rest without any regard to their former state Some are well preserved but were too high for us to make any thing of them without a Ladder which I hope will be done by the next that shall have the Curiosity to visit this Place Yet a little further South-West is a great Basin of a mixed Marble of Red and White Some call it Porphyry but I rather with Monsieur Spon believe it to be Jasper but doubt whether it is more than an ordinary mixed Marble Porphyry is a very hard red Stone speckled with small white Spots but the mixture of this is in veins and not hard enough for either Porphyry or Jasper It is fifteen Foot Diameter and is thought to be the Font St John baptized in when he was at Ephesus But I hardly think it consistent with the private Exercise of Christian Religion in those times It was all of one Stone but hath now many pieces broken off Hard by this are the Ruins of a little round Temple and about a Bow-shot further we were conducted to a great heap of Ruins supposed to be that famous Temple of Diana of the Ephesians Of what Figure her Temple was I know not But I am not of opinion That these Ruins were of that shape Monsieur Spon speaketh of viz. That the length was double the breadth nor that the Front was towards the East but the West which I observed from the top of a Wall I climbed up to For there is a heap of curious Marble before it at that end which seemed to have been a Portico and to which the Arches more inward seem to concur And still observing about me I fansied that I saw the same shape with that I described at Troy or Alexandria with a Court West-ward where are perceivable and as I there marked upon Paper the Pedestals of Pillars as if there had been other Portico's on each hand opposite to one another There are Foundations of Walls also East-ward for Gardens and Conveniences of the Building as Mr Smith also hath observed who believeth That it hath been a Christian Church but built out of the Ruins and upon the Foundations of that Temple But nothing of very great certainty can now be reported from this rude heap only that here was the Temple of Diana once built as the vast proportion of the Pillars that lie towards the East-side and the nearness to the Lake Selenusia which was dedicated to Diana and lieth near the River on the North-West of the Building demonstrate Strabo telleth also That Cheiromocrates was the Architect of this Temple and the same that built that at Alexandria If he mean that Alexandria near Troy as in all likelihood he doth I know not why he might not be the Architect of that Temple I before described there And indeed their Form so well resembling one another and the pieces of Arches that remain consisting of Brick and Stone that seem to have been covered within with some Metal by the Holes which yet remain orderly in rowes for some such purpose assuring me That the Building is not modern incline me much to be of opinion That both are the Remains of the Temples of Diana The Foundations of this Temple have worthily been esteemed a Labyrinth from the many turnings and windings with great and little Arches in rowes But whether it were designed for one or no matters not it being but necessary to have such a Foundation to so vast a Pile of Building in so wet and moorish a Place We went down to it by a long Pack-thred tied to the Hole where we first entred and with all the Light our Candles had we made no great Discoveries But when wearied with the thick Vapours of the Place we returned to
called by his own Name Patras After this it came again to be depopulated by occasion of their sending Succour to the Etolians against the French by whom the Etolians being in many Combats defeated the rest that escaped dispersed themselves into several Cities thereabout until the time of Augustus Caesar who being moved either with the Conveniency of the Haven or some other private Reason commanded the People of sundry Towns round about Patras to come and abide there Which that they might more willingly do he adorned the Place with all the Priviledges of a Roman Colony calling it Colonia Augusti Aroa Patrensis as may be confirmed by divers Medals In my small Collection I have two The first is of Augustus with this Reverse A Figure standing in a Roman Habit with a pair of Oxen before him and these Letters above Col. A. A. and under Patrens which are the Abbreviation of Colonia Augusti Aroa Patrensis or Patrensium that is Aroa of the Patrassians the Colony or Plantation of Augustus Another I have of the Emperour Domitian which is the only one I have seen of that Reverse and never yet engraven It hath for Reverse a Pillar upon a large Basis which seemeth to me to be of the Ionick Order with a Statue upon it and round about these Letters Col. A. A. Patrens which are to be interpreted as the former And by it may be learned That Domitian adorned the Town with some Magnificent Pillar on the top of which he placed his own Statue And not long since the French Vice-Consul there found one in his Garden of the Emperour Claudius which had for Reverse the Military Ensigns of the Romans with the same Letters as before only XXII added which signifieth no more than that the Twenty second Legion was at that time there As to the State of this Town in the Roman times Pausanias hath given an ample Account what now remaineth of it is but little in proportion Although for that the destroying Turks undoubtedly ought to bear the blame and not the Christians as may appear from the many ruined Churches in all its antient bounds which reached as far as the Sea Westwards but not so far East And having still enjoyed the Honour of an Arch-Bishoprick whose Pastor used in antient times to have the Thirty-second Place in the Councils or general Assemblies of the Church The present Arch-Bishop is called Daniel whom we went to pay our Respects to He told us That he had a thousand Churches in his Province which extends it self over all the Western Parts of Morea as far as Corone There was another Metropolitan then with him to wit the Metropolitan of Napoli of Romagnia called by the Greeks Anaplia The two other Arch-Bishopricks are Corinth and Misitra situate not above four Miles from the antient Ruins of Lacedaemon as Mr Vernon affirmeth The highest Point of the Hill whereon the City standeth hath a Castle kept by the Turks and commanded then by one Hebby-Bey Within it formerly were the Temples of Diana Li-pathria and of Minerva Panachaida or the Protectress of all Achaia The Monument also of Euripilus Son of Euaemon who was at the sacking of Troy of which see Pausanias What now remains of them in the Castle I can give no Account because we were not permitted to enter into it Pausanias speaketh of many more in the Market-place But now there is only the Cathedral Church to be seen turned into a Mosque We lodged at Sr Clement Harby's House Consul of the Morea and Zant. He was not there at this time but as we returned he was and shewed us many things we had not before seen The first Evening we arrived there we went to see the Church dedicated to St John St George and St Nicholas a little descending the Hill Westwards where we heard the Greek Vespers worse sung than Hopkin's Psalms used to be in some of our Country Churches It is a very antient Church but hath ill-favour'd Arches within though sustained by beautiful Pillars of the Ionique Order On the out-side among many scraps of Marble is the Basso relievo of a Peacock sitting upon a three-leav'd Tree I guess to be Anagyris which is not wanting in those Parts Whence we judged also That the Church was built out of the Ruins of some Temple of Juno which might have been thereabouts At the Door of this Church is a Stone which being struck by another Stone sendeth out a stinking Bituminous Savour This the Greeks make a Miracle telling That the Judge when he condemn'd St Andrew sate upon that Stone which hath ever since had that ill Scent But I have smelt the like smell in other Stones when broken especially a little long Stone found about Oxford amongst the Gravel The report of St Andrew That he staid a great while at Patras and that before he suffered Martyrdom there he converted a King of the Morea meaning perhaps no more than some Roman Governour of that Province They had antiently several Churches here dedicated to him one of which we went next day to see situated near the Sea-side which is indeed a very old ruinous Building There are two great vaulted Rooms standing parallel to each other in it and the Foundations of two more appear on each side which together are Forty six paces and two feet wide One of them which I guess was properly made use of for a Church hath part of a Cuppalo yet standing on the East end with great Niches in it for Statues and many lesser in other Parts Which made me then believe that it had been more antiently either a Roman Temple or Bath for by it I observed a Fountain of fresh Water although it is but a stone's-cast from the Sea And Pausanias confirms me in the same saying That the Temple of Neptune and Ceres were situate in the lower Parts of the Town and that this last had a Fountain without the Wall by which the Events of sick Persons were known by hanging up a Looking-glass in such sort by a Thred that it touched the Water only on the Back-side in which Glass the sick Persons looking saw Figures which shewed what they must trust to Returning thence South-Eastwards towards the Town we past by the Ruins of a round Temple of Brick masoned together with a very hard Cement and the Building very massive over against which Northwards is a demolished Greek Church dedicated to the Holy Apostles which hath been sustained by Marble Pillars of the Ionique Order Not far from hence appear some Parts of the antient Walls of the Town One of those Heaps of Ruins may have been the Temple of Cybele the Mother of the Gods wherein Attes also was honoured But we could not find the Theater nor the Odeum nor many other Temples which Pausanias speaks of Under the Wall of the Town is a Place that seemeth to have been a Circus or Stadium or perhaps a Naumachia for Water Combats For the Consul told me That many in the
he built there Lycoria They call it now as my Companion saith Liacoura I understood it Hiliocoro and should have thought my self mistaken by the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that he who told it me gave me the Reason of its Name viz. because it shines so bright afar off like the Sun which they call Hilios adding the Termination Coro to make it signifie the the Village of the Sun However it be both the one and the other retains still something of the sound of the old Name On this Top of the Mountain Pausanias saith it was that the Thyades sacrificed to Bacchus and Apollo inspired with a sacred Rage We came to the foot of this high Top through a large Valley of about four or five Miles compass and rested our selves at a Fountain they call Drosinigo It hath one of the plentifullest Sources of Water I ever saw and is much to be wondred at considering the height we were yet from the plain Ground For although this is a Valley in respect to the Tops of the Mountains all about it much higher than it yet is it a Mountain in respect of Delphes and Delphos a Mountain in respect of the Plains of Crissa Yet the Source of this Fountain boileth up continually a foot Diameter and near a foot high from the Surface of the rest of the Water and presently maketh a little River which goes and discharges it self into a Lake made by it a quarter of a Mile distant South-East of it in the Plain The Water of the Fountain Drosinigo is as good and cool as that at Delphos Parting from this Fountain we kept along its Stream until we came to the Lake which we still kept on the right hand of us till we came to the Eastern end of it We could find no Passage for the Water out of it but one being a Hole pierced through a great Rock at the East end which is backed with a high Hill We perceiv'd no Water then to run through the Passage whereby it used to run being stop't with Dirt and Bushes But there was a sufficient sign that it used to run when the Lake through the melting of Snow or rains is fuller of Water And I believe its ordinary Passage is deeper under the Gravel or at least through it For they say It appeareth again below Delphos and the Place with the Rivulet it makes they call Scizaliza Were it not for such Subterraneous Passages as these the whole Valley would soon be filled with Water until it ran over the Tops of the Rocks down upon Delphos And possibly it might be one natural Reason of that Deluge or Flood in Deucalion's time and that he could save himself only upon that highest Point of Parnassus called antiently Lycoria For indeed I esteem this Mountain not only the highest in all Greece but one of the highest in all the World and not inferiour to Mount Cenis amongst the Alpes It is seen very plain from Corinth But I cannot with my Comrade esteem it eighty Miles distant unless it were to be measured by Land over the Mountains and Valleys For Mr Vernon who took the Latitude both of Corinth and Delphos placeth this in Thirty eight Degrees fifty Minutes and the other in Thirty eight Degrees fourteen Minutes so that the difference is only Thirty six Minutes Latitude And for the Longitude it is the same it standing directly North of Corinth which I took with a Compass in the Castle of Corinth So that by the common Calcule of Degrees and Minutes it cannot be above six or seven and thirty Miles off in a direct Line But there are such high Mountains and deep Valleys between as may make it near as much more for ought I know But it is seen so plain from thence that if it had the advantage of being separated from other Mountains I doubt not that it would be seen further than Mount Athos Rambling up and down the Rocks to look over and have a good Prospect in which I still took great pleasure I came at last to a place where I could look down the most prodigious Precipice I ever saw between this and Mount Cirphis 1. PLANTS Here I saw Common Savin grown up to a good large Tree Mr Mercant thinks it to be the Lycian Cedar But I could find no difference either in shape leaf or smell from the Common Savin save only in the height and bigness of the Plant. 2. White and Yellow Crocus grows wild here all over the Plain 3. Poterion Plinii I found here also it differs but little from Tragacantha being something smaller 4. Another which Mr Merchant calleth Polium Gnapholides I rather believe it to be an Holostius Montanus For the Stalk is joynted about which it beareth its downy Leaves in Rundles 5. Ilex Chalmifera After this I returned and came to the Brink of the Mountain South-Eastward which we descended by a dangerous and steep way and in two hours arrived at a Village called Aracovi or Racovi RACOVI or ARACOVI which is about midway down on the side of the Mountain This Village consists of Greeks and Albaneses only no Turks but a Sub-Basha that governeth them and hath no Mosque in it but several Churches The chiefest and best is the Panagia or the Church of the most Holy Virgin the others are dedicated to St George St Demetrius and St Nicolas beside some small Chapels The Women here wear round their Faces small pieces of Money and likewise round their Neck and Arms Their Hair combed back and curiously braided down their Backs at the ends of which hang Tassels of Silver Buttons The rest of their Habit is a loose Vest of White Woollen They are all Shepherds and Shepherdesses who feed their Sheep on the Mountains We were lodged at a Greek's House called Barba-Demou who treated us civilly only he was hard put to it to get Provision for so many of us Barba is a word the Greeks as well as the Italians use for Vnkle but do also give it to antient Men in honour to them In one Church we found some Fragments of Antiquity viz. of Marble Pillars and Corinthian Capitals which made us think that this was a Place of some Antiquity My Companion judges it was that antiently called Amphryssus or otherwise Ambrysus But he must pardon me if I am not of his Opinion For I can neither find it to agree with Strabo nor Pausanias who place Amphryssus a great way distant from this Racovi For Strabo describing the Maritime Places of Phocaea not of the Corinthian Gulph as Lawrenbergius and others seem to understand him and having spoken what he thought fit of Anticyrrha and the Promontory Pharygion comes at last to speak of Mycus Portus and says of it That it is the last of the Phocaean Harbours and lieth under the Helicon and Ascra adding withal That Aba and Amphryssus are not far from that Place After which he beginneth to give an Account of the Mediterranean
ΑΡΙΣΤΩΠΦΙΛΟΚΡΑΣΙΟΣ This Town was celebrated in old times for the Oracle of Trophonius which was in a Cavern in a Hill I rather believe it was in that above the Town than that Monsieur Spon mentions and we saw in a Rock a Mile distant North of it when we parted thence to Thebes But Pausanias indeed is not so clear as might be wished by reason of his long Digression Nevertheless one may collect it being he saith That the Trophonian Grove was by the Fountain of this River Hercyna And I observ'd where the Water issueth out in greatest abundance it was made up with Boards just in the Corner under the Castle without doubt to cover some dangerous Cavern And Pausanias saith This Oracle was in the Mountain above the Grove so that it must be that above the Town if that were the Fountain Hercyna of which there is no doubt By Pausanias his Description one would believe that the Hole on the Top of the Hill reached to this at the Bottom For those that entred it to consult the Oracle were to put their Head and Knees in such a certain place and posture and were suddenly carried down as by a Vortex or Whirlepool of a most swift River This might easily be so done by stopping the Water at the Bottom until it rose very high and then letting it go of a sudden But he that went to steal the Treasure there had not so good a Preparation for it prov'd a Trap to him by which he broke himself to pieces and was taken up another way as Pausanias informs you All these things want good Search and Examination and are not easily to be found out by Travellers that stay but a little while in a Place unless we should suppose them to have so many of the antient Greek Authors almost by heart There were publick Games instituted in honour of this God Trophonius of which notwithstanding none of the â—â—tients speak unless Julius Pollux who mentions only that these Games took their Name from Trophonius Yet that they were celebrated in this Place viz. at Livadia we found by a Stone at Megara erected in honour to one who amongst the Prizes he had gain'd in other Places had won these also at Livadia We found an Inscription wherein there seems to be a Town of this Name ΤΟΙ ΙΠΠΟΤΗ ΛΕΒΑΔΕΙΕΩΠΑÎΕΘΙΑΠΤΡΕΦΩÎΙΟΙ .. ÎΠΑΞΑÎΤΕΣ ΙΠΠΑΣΙÎΠΑΜΒΟΙΩΤΙΑ ΙΠΠΑΡΧΟÎΤΟΣ ΔΕΞΙΠΠΟΣ ΑΥΚΡΑΤΕΙΩ ΕΙΛΑΡΧΙΟÎΤΩΠΑΡΙΣΤΩÎΟΣ ΘΡΑΣΩÎΙΩ ΕΠΙΤΙΜΟΣ ΑΥΚΡΑΤΕΙΩ But therein they are written ΤΡΕΦΩÎΙΟΙ if I have copied it right of which I am not so well assured as to be positive The Game Pamboiotia is here mentioned which Strabo and Pausanias say was celebrated in the Plain of Coronaea by or in the Temple of Minerva Itonia where all the Boeotians assembled for that purpose January the Twenty fifth we parted from Livadia about eleven in the Morning and about half a Mile out of Town being come to the top of a little Hill being a small Ridge of Laphystius we had the Prospect of a spacious and fertil Plain encompassed with Mountains but not very high if compared with those of Parnassus and Helicon It is stretched in length from Livadia South-East near twenty Miles and in breadth is as much comprehending the Lake and Marshes which take up near half of the North-East side of it This Lake was formerly called The Lake of Copais but now Livadias Limne or The Lake of Livadia and not Stivo-lago meaning I suppose Thiva Limne as our Modern Maps make it For that is another Lake that was formerly called Hylica palus Of all which I shall have more to say in the Last Book We left the Lake Copais at a good distance on the left hand and kept still streight forwards under the Mountains on the right hand South-Eastwards which I suppose were the Mountains Tilphusium and Laphystius I observ'd six good large Streams crossing our way and running Northwards towards the Lake which may be Ocaled Tilphusa Lophis Olmens Coralius and Permessus mentioned by Pausanias and Strabo There are many little Villages up and down in this Plain some Vineyards a great deal of Corn-ground and Pasturage well stock'd also with Sheep and other Cattle But it is very much subject to Inundations upon great Rains or melting of the Snow from the Mountains which is no wonder having no Passage above ground for the Water out of the Lake but only that into Hylica palus which also lieth so high that the greatest â—art of the Plain must needs be drowned before the overflowing Water would find a Passage that way the ordinary Passages out of the Lake being under ground About fourteen Miles from Livadia we past by a Village on our left hand called Charamenitis and about an hour before night another which they call Diminia that is to say Two Months because the Corn there is sowed ripe and reaped within the space of two Months the Floods of the Lake not permitting them to sow before April and it being Harvest-time with them by the beginning of June By this Town is a Rock on the Top of which appear the antient Walls of a Town My Companion thinketh it may be Onchestus but I think it rather Coronaea for Reasons I have elsewhere given Here is a Fountain that riseth at the Foot of the Rock which makes the Stream Coralius In half an hour thence we came to Megalo-molci where we lodged in an indifferent good Kan Molci signifies properly Farms belonging to the Grand Signior where those that inhabit are no other than his Servants and Workmen This is a large square Court composed of little Houses for those that either labour till the Ground or attend the Cattle where at night they retire to lodge These seem badly to imitate the Roman Colonies with this great difference That those had still some great Priviledges granted them but these are all Slaves The next day we parted thence by Sun-rising and within half an hour came to the South-East end of the Plain bounded by a little Ridge of a Mountain that runneth out from Mount Phoenix on the left hand and another on the right I believe was Libethrius As soon as we got on the Top of this Hill we began to see Thebes at the further end of another Plain East North-East of us and behind us we had the Hill by Livadia West North-West This Plain is now called Thivas Cambos and in old time to the same effect the Theban Plain It is bounded with Hills and Mountains and is much less than that of Livadia The Northern Bounds of this I take to be the Mountain Phoenicius from Strabo which Pausanias seems to call Sphinx or Sphingius mons That on the right hand or the Southern Bounds of this Plain I know not how it was antiently called but is a Ridge of the Mountain Libethrius which is the same of the Mountain Helicon and is the same that separates the Plain of Thespia from the Plain of Thebes I observed a Torrent run
Names altogether unknown to the Greeks Mr Smith hath Mendinitza in his Catalogue instead of Bodinitza I know not which of us is mistaken for mine and my Comrade's Information was Bodinitza I was afterwards informed That another Town called Granitza upon a Mountain near Livadia was a Bishoprick also Revenue and belonged to the Province of Athens The present Revenue of the Arch-Bishoprick of Athens is Four thousand Dollers a Year as we were informed both by the Consul and a Pappa that had always lived with the Arch-Bishop which the Arch-Bishop himself owned when we were to wait on him The Arch-Bishop himself owned when we were to wait on him Who then Arch-Bishop The Arch-Bishop that then reigned was called Antenos a Native of the Morea and is esteemed among them a wise and learned Man which in my Opinion he made the greatest Proof of when he refused the Dignity of the Patriarchal-Seat of their Church For though that be a far greater Honour and is much canvased for by the Grecian Metropolitans yet all things considered the Profit is not so great as to deserve that they should so strive for it being as their present Condition is a Charge of great Perplexity and Danger He understands the antient Greek moderately well His Learning and hath read as they say some of the Fathers But I found him much Latinized He told me He was one of those that signed the Confession of Faith lately made by the Patriarch of Constantinople and some other Grecian Bishops then present He is a Man very much respected here and lives more at his Ease than any of his Quality I have observed in Greece Although all Christians there pay a wonderful deal of Respect to their Bishops and whole Clergy I wish I could say half so much of the Laity of England who in all Gratitude ought to shew it being so extreamly more obliged to our Clergy than they are to theirs He hath some three or four Caloires to wait upon him and hath a good House upon the Hill near the West end of the Castle which they say belonged to St Denis the Areopagite where he entertain'd us civilly receiving us after the Eastern Fashion that is making us sit upon a Sopha and drink Coffee with him He told us He had a considerable number of Manuscripts but had sent the greatest part of them to the Convent of St Luca. He shewed us only one being St Dionysius his Works with the Comment of St Maximus well written upon Vellom and as we judged by the hand five or six hundred Years old The Ambassador of France offer'd him fifty Dollers for it but he esteemed it more My Comrade and I found two other Copies of the same Author that cost less Money and pleased us as well They count to the number of Two hundred Churches Churches in and about Athens whereof Fifty two have their particular Priests belonging to them wherein they ordinarily read their Liturgies the rest are seldom used but upon certain times and days of the Founders and Benefactours and are but as so many Oratories or small Chapels The Catholicon as they call their Cathedral Church is situated on the North-side of the Town between St John's Pillars and the Basar-Street It is the best kept in repair and the best adorn'd of any although in reality but mean and such as for Stateliness and Magnificence of Fabrick would be found to exceed very few ordinary Parish-Churches in England only it is indifferently well adorn'd according to their Mode They had their Pictures and carving of their Skreen done at Venice The Skreen separates the Body of the Church from the Holy-place on the top of which stand four Storks made of gilded Wood put there for Ornament or to signify the Piety and Care of good Bishops and Pastors who watch over their Flocks out of true and tender Love to their Souls and not for Lucre sake only For they use no carved Figures to do any Reverence to them Here I saw the Arch-Bishop wash the Feet of his Priests in imitation of our Blessed Saviour's Humility on Maundy-Thursday at his Institution of the Holy Sacrament The Ceremony is thus performed Twelve of the Eldest Pappaes of the Town accompany the Arch-Bishop to the Church where he is vested in a Violet-colour'd Robe and seated on his Throne until some part of the Service is past after which he descendeth and entreth into the Holy Place with the Twelve Priests that attended him thither and then changing the Robe he had on for another more Rich returneth again to his Throne The Priests also have their several colour'd Robes representing each of them his particular Apostle Out of these some venerable Old Man with white Head and Beard is chosen to represent St Peter who sitteth first of the Twelve and on the right hand There is also some other red bearded or ill-look'd Fellow appointed to represent Judas Some while after this the Bishop retires himself and putting off his rich Robes tieth a Linnen Towel about him and with a Basin of Water in his hand cometh to the Apostles and offers to wash their Feet But he that representeth St Peter riseth up and refuseth to be washed using those words of the Apostle in the Gospel John 13.9 Lord thou shalt never wash my Feet To which the Bishop representing Christ answereth in those words of our Saviour's related in the Gospel If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Upon which the Priest sits down and permits Christ to wash his Feet exactly according to the Dialogue that is in the Gospel touching this matter But coming to Judas the Bishop maketh a little stop and pauseth a while as willing to give the Traytor time better to consider what he was going about and then in conclusion he washeth his Feet also Then with some Anthems and Collects they conclude the Ceremony We could by no means tell why the French Author of Old and New Athens should dream That this was the Temple of Vulcan For we sound nothing antient to shew it nor any Tradition to confirm it more than the Product of his Fancy No more could we at the Mosque some distance East from it see any reason to make us call it The Temple of Venus Vrania although such a Temple might probably have been at that End of the Town which Pausanias saith was called The Gardens towards th I yeaeum of which I shall speak hereafter The rest of the Churches above-mentioned as in or near to Athens have nothing extraordinary in them only being for the most part composed of antient Fragments there are often found Inscriptions about them They have several Convents some for Men and some for Nuns Convents they call Calogrega's One of these is situated on the East-side of the Town where I was admitted to see the Body of a Woman they esteem a Saint upon the ground of some Visions and Apparitions they confidently affirm that
Head on her Breast as Pausanias describes her Image within the Temple Next behind her is another Figure of a Woman sitting with her Head broken off Who it was is not certain But my Companion made me observe the next two Figures sitting in the Corner to be of the Emperour Adrian and his Empress Sabina whom I easily knew to be so by the many Medals and Statues I have seen of them At the left hand of Jupiter are five or six other Figures my Comrade taketh to be an Assembly of the Gods where Jupiter introduceth Minerva and owneth her for his Daughter The Postick or Hind-front was adorned with Figures expressing Minerva's Contest with Neptune about the naming of the City of Athens But now all of them are fallen down only part of a Sea-Horse excepted The Architrave is also charged with a Basso-relievo at several distances divided into Squares of about two or three foot broad and three or four foot high That towards the South is charged as Pausanias affirmed with the Representation of the Wars of the Giants who inhabited the narrow Streights of Thrace and Pallenis the Athenian's War with the Amazons their Victory of Marathon and their Conquering of the Gauls in Mysia Where I find the Interpreter of Pausanias hath erred in translating these words In eo Arcis muro qui ad Austrum versus est for it should be In eo muro not Arcis but Templi In that Wall of the Temple which is towards the South For it is of the Temple he is discoursing and of the Statues in it This also agrees with what follows viz. That each of them are contained in spaces of two Cubits distance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the same Author I learn That this was done by the Munificence of Attalus King of Mysia and the same that was by the Oracle told He should be King of Lesser Asia or Taurica and whom the Athenians honoured by calling one of their Tribes after his Name of whose Riches and Magnificence Suidas telleth great things But it was Pericles that first built this Temple as Plutarch in his Cato telleth and employed Jctimus and Callicrates for his Architects Which perhaps was meant by him only of the Cella or Body of the Temple to which Attalus added this Magnificent Portico But the Emperour Adrian most probably repaired it and adorn'd it with those Figures at each Front For the whiteness of the Marble and his own Statue joyned with them apparently shew them to be of a later Age than the first and done by that Emperours command Within the Portico on high and on the outside of the Cella of the Temple it self is another Border of Basso-relievo round about it or at least on the North and South-sides which without doubt is as antient as the Temple and of admirable work but not so high a Relievo as the other Thereon are represented Sacrifices Processions and other Ceremonies of the Heathens Worship Most of them were designed by the Marquess De Nantell who employed a Painter to do it two Months together and shewed them to us when we waited on him at Constantinople The Cella of the Temple without is a Hundred and fifty eight foot long and broad Sixty seven foot Before you enter into the Body of the Temple from the Front is the Pronaos whose Roof is sustained by six chanelled Pillars of the same order and bigness with those of the Portico and contains near the third part of the Cella to wit Forty four foot of the length We observed in place of one of the Pillars a great pile of Stone and Lime of most rude work which they told us the Kizlar-Haga had ordered to be so done to help to support the Roof because he could never find a Stone big enough to supply the place of the old Pillar broken down although he had spent Two thousand Crowns to do it Here also we saw upon another Pillar two Inscriptions One was in Honour of Lucius Egnatius Victor Lollianus who had been publick Oratour at Athens The other is of a Proconsul of Greece called Rufus Festus whom the Athenians had honoured with the Title of Areâ—pagite ΤΗΙ ΤΥΧΗΙ Η ΕΞ ΑΡΕΙΟΠΑΓΟΥ ΒΟΥΛΗ Α. ΕΓÎΑΤ ΟΥΙΚΤΟΡΑ ΛΟΛΛΙΑÎΟΠΑÎΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΕΑΥΤΟΥΣ ΕΥÎΟΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΤΕ ΚΕΔΕΜΟÎΙΑΣ ΤΩΠΑΘΗÎΩΠΤΟΠΡΗΤΟΡΑ ΑΓΑΘΗΙ ΤΟΠΛΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΟΠΑÎΘΥΠΑΤΟΠΤΗΣ ΕΛΑΔΟΣ ΡΟΥΦΙΟΠΦΗϹΤΟΠΚΑΙ ΑΡΕΟΠΑΓΕΙΤΗΠΗ ΕΞ ΑΡΕΟΥ ΠΑΓΟΥ ΒΟΥΑΗ ΚΑΙ Η ΒΟΥΛΗ ΤΩΠΤΡΙΑΚΟϹΙΩΠΚΑΙ Ο ΔΗΜΟΣ Ο ΑΘΗ ÎΑΙΩΠΕΥÎΟΙΑϹ ΕÎΕΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΕΡ ΓΕϹΙΑϹ ΤΗϹ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΠΠΟΛΙΠΑÎΕ ϹΤΗϹΕΠΠΡΟÎΟΙΑ ΦΛΑΒΙΟΥ ΠΟΜ. ΔΑΔΟΥΧΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΔΙΑ ϹΗΜÎΟΤΑΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΠΟΚΟΜΙΤΩΠMy Comrade found the same Rufus Festus by another Inscription he met with at Rome to have been a Roman of Quality born at Vulsinium a little Town in the way between Pisa and Rome now called Bolsina where his Epitaph is in Verse and as he believes of his own because he was a Poet some of whose Works are yet extant under the Name of Festus Avienus There is also a great Vessel of white Marble and curious Work which might have been a Font to Baptize in in time past But not as Monsieur Guiliter affirmeth for Holy-Water For the Greeks use no such thing in their Churches although they do at home being made once a Year in the Church Here hang also some few Lamps that the Turks carry into the Temple when they do their Night-Devotions From the Pronaos we entred into the Temple by a long Door in the middle of the Front But my Companion and I were not so much surprized with the Obscurity of it as Monsieur Guiliter because the Observations we had made on other Heathen Temples did make it no new thing unto us as I observed at Spalato And that the Heathens loved Obscurity in their Religious Rites and Customs many Reasons may be given especially because by that means the Pomps they exposed to the People had much advantage by it and the Defects of them with all their juggling and cheating were less exposed to view When the Christians consecrated it to serve God in they let in the Light at the East end which is all that it yet hath And not only that but made a Semicircle for the Holy Place according to their Rites which the Turks have not yet much altered This was separated from the rest by Jaspar Pillars two of which on each side yet remain Within this Chancel is a Canopy sustained by four Porphyry Pillars with beautiful white Marble Chapters of the Corinthian Order But the Holy Table under it is removed Beyond the Canopy are two or three Degrees one above another in a Semicirle where the Bishops and Presbyters used to sit in time of Communion upon certain Solemn days The Bishop sate in a Marble Chair above the rest which yet remaineth above the Degrees against the Window Towards the bottom of this Window are those marvelous Stones Monsieur Guiliter makes such a Miracle of They are only of a transparent Marble
ΚΟΡΙÎΘΙΟΣ ΣΜΥΡÎΑΙΟΣ ΜΟÎΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ ΤΩΠΑΠΑΙΩÎΟΣ ΠΥΚΤΩΠÎΕΙΚΗΣ ΑΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟ ΕΞΗΣ ΠΑÎΕΛΛΗÎΙΑ ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑ ΙΣΘΜΙΑ ΑΔΡΙΑÎΕΙΑ ΡΩΜΗ ... ΕÎΙΚΑ ΔΕ ΘΕΜΑΤΙΚΟΥϹ ΚΑΙ ΤΑΛΑÎΤΙ ΟΥϹ ΑΓΩÎΑϹ ΤΡΙΑΚΟÎΤΑ ΠΕÎΤΕ ΕΤΕ .. ΤΑ ΕΤΩΠΤΡΙΑΚΟÎΤΑ ΔΥΟ ΜΗΠΩΠΤΡΙΩΠΜΑΡΧΟΣ ΤΥΛΛΙΟΣ ΕΥΤΥΧΗΣ ΕΠΟΙΕΙ ...... ΑΔΕΛΦ .. ΤΟΠΟΠΕΔΩΚΕ ΚΛΕΙΤΟΡΙϹ About this Gymnasium were an hundred Pillars of Aegyptian Marble It is hard to determine whether the Temple of Jupiter Olympius was here or no and whether the Plane of this Portico of an hundred and twenty Pillars was any more than part of it For the whole place environing them is very large as appears by the Foundations of the Walls which are of good Stone well hewn and upheld with strong Buttresses the Plane of these Pillars being only an Oblong in the middle of it Pausanias also mentions that Temple both before and just after this promiscuously But I suppose it was in another place of which more hereafter I remember that I took the Dimensions of the Plane of this Place but find them not among my Papers Under those Pillars that yet stand with their Architraves on them is a little Church built out of pieces of Pillars and other Rubbish very badly without any Chalk or Lime but rudely laid together which I should not have mentioned had not Monsieur Guiliter called it the Temple of Jupiter and Juno Panhellenii than which scarce any thing can be more ridiculous The truth of it is such a Temple might be some where in this Quarter For Adrian built a great way about here along the River Ilissus and North-Eastward towards Mount St George or Anchesmus and called it his Town as the Inscription on the Gate of white Marble between these Parts and the rest of the City testifie For towards the City it is written in Greek This is Athens in times past the City of Theseus and on that side looking toward the Pillars But this is Adrian's and not the City of Theseus Lib V Porta Hadriani This Gate looks awry towards the Plane of the Pillars without any right Angle in respect of the Wall although it seems to lead towards it This Quarter of the City was called also New Athens as we learned by part of an Inscription on an Aqueduct under Mount Saint George which may be from hence near a Mile Lib V Aquaeductus Hadriani On the South-side of the Mountain HADRIAN'S ' AQUEDUCT on a piece of an Architrave of Marble sustain'd by two Ionick Pillars which though it is but a part I easily comprehended by it what the Figure of the whole should be the one half of it being gone My Companion copied it all at Spalatro out of a Manuscript Two hundred Years old and is as you may see it in this Figure Gruterus places it at Milan in Italy but by what Mistake I know not For here is the first half of it and shews that it was begun by Adrian in the New Athens and finished by his Son Antoninus Pius I believe this was only the Frontispiece of the Repository or Receiver of the Water For behinde it is a Place large and almost square filled up with Dirt and Rubbish and looks as if it had been a Cistern cut out of the Rock Nor are the Ionick Pillars of this Architrave above half way to be seen above ground Concerning New Athens at Delos I have there already spoken One day we elimbed this Mountain which is a Rock very steep craggy and difficult to be mounted But being gat up is the most eminent and perspicuous Place of the whole Plain of Athens and from whence I securely observed every be 〈◊〉 Object 〈…〉 that only 〈◊〉 the South West-side of the 〈◊〉 excepted I wish I could make you tast the same Satisfaction 〈…〉 Prospect â—hat I then 〈◊〉 and still do when I consider it It seemed to me a more 〈◊〉 Seat of the Muses than the other Hill where Mâ—â—saeus himself chose to inhabit Here either a Democritus might sit and laugh at the Pomps and Vanities of the World whose Glories so soon vanish or an Heraclitus weep over the manifold Misfortunes of it telling sad Stories of the various Changes and Events of Fate This would have been a Place to inspire a Poet as the brave Actions performed within his view have already exercised the Pens of great Historians Here like Virgil he might have sate and interwoven beautiful Descriptions of the Rivers Mountains Woods of Olives and Groves of Lemons and Oranges with the celebrated Harbours on the Shore and Islands sometimes Kingdoms in the Saronick Sea all lying spread before him as on a Map Which I was contented to do only in Contemplation and with a Sea-compass to mark out the most considerable Places on Paper Adrian's Pillars are seen from this high Rock South-West The STADIUM and East of them but South South-West West from hence over the River Ilissus we saw the Stadium looking like a small Hill The way to it from the Town is by an antient Bridge of three Arches built cross the Ilissus of large hewn Stone laid firm together without Mortar and is about forty foot long On this Bridge was formerly a great Monastery but now forsaken since the Turks took Athens The Stadium was the Place where antiently they ran Races fought wild Beasts and celebrated those other publick Games of All-Attica called Panathenia It was probably here that they chased the Thousand Wild Beasts which Adrian every Year gave to the People for their Divertisement It s Figure and bigness continue although the Degrees be all taken away It is a long Place with two parallel sides closed up circularly at the East end and open towards the other end and is about One hundred twenty five Geometrical Paces long and Twenty six or Twenty seven broad which gave it the Name of a Stadium that length being the ordinary measure among the Greeks eight of which made a Roman Mile Mt Vernon measuring it exactly found it to be Six hundred and thirty English feet long and a just Stadium is Six hundred Twenty five foot of Athenian Measure which it seems was but very little bigger than the English but lesser than the French foot When Pausanias comes to speak of this Place he tells his Readers That they would hardly believe what he was about to tell them it being a Wonder to all those that did see it in antient times and of that bigness that one would judge it a Mountain of white Marble upon the Banks of the River Ilissus It was Herodes Atticus one of the richest Citizens Athens ever had that built it to do which he consumed much of the Marble of Mount Pentelicus which now being either all carried away or buried in the Ruins of the Place it looks now only like a great and high Bulwark cast up in that Form At the End towards Ilissus there appears yet some Stone-work the rest is now but a Stadium of Earth above Ground This was the same Herodes
There is a small Ridge of a Hill running along in the middle of it that I should not have taken notice of had not Thucydides put me in mind of it calling it Mons Oneius situate between the Port Cenchre and Cromium which hindred that part of the Corinthian Army left at Cenchre from seeing how things pass'd at Cromium with the other part of their Forces who had joyned Battle with the Athenians until by the Dust that was rais'd in the Air by means of the Engagement they had notice thereof CENCHRAEA Portus Cenchraeus was in a Bay which lieth below the Ruins of the Town Isthmus and is yet called by that Name Kenchre which they pronounce Chencri Hereabouts the Isthmus is not above four or five Miles over from one Sea to the other But nearer to Corinth there is a Village they call Hexmillia because there the Isthmus is six Miles over ISTHMUS We were here shewed the Place where in antient time they began to cut a Chanel through the Isthmus to joyn the two Seas together But were forbidden to proceed in their Work by the Oracle We alighted to visit the Ruins of that famous Place where the Isthmian Games were celebrated which was on the Hill being part of Mount Oneius before mentioned There are yet to be seen the Ruins not only of the Town old Walls and several old Churches but also the Remains of the Isthmian Theater Here were many more Temples and excellent Edifices mentioned by Pausanias and many more he gives no Account of we learned from a very fine Inscription we found half way in the Ground by a little ruined Church Which speaks of many Temples Gardens and Portico's repaired by one Publius Licinius Priscus Juventianus ΘΕΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΟΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗ ΠΑΤΡΙΔΙ Î . ΛΙΚΙÎΙΟϹ ΠΙΑΙΜ ΠΡΕΙϹΚΟϹ ΙΟΥΟΥΕÎΤΙΑÎΟϹ ΑΡΧΙΕΡΕΥΣ ΔΙΑ ΒΙΟΥ ΤΑϹ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΙϹ ΑΠΟ ΤΗϹ ΟΙΚΑΥΜΕÎΗϹ ΕΠΙ ΤΑ ΙϹΘΜΙΑ ΠΑΡΑΓΕÎΟ ΜΕÎΟΙϹ ΑΘΛΗΤΑΙϹ ΚΑΤΑϹΚΕΥΑϹΕΠΟ ΑΥΤΟϹ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΠΑΛΑΙΜΟÎΙΟΠΤΟΙϹ ΠΡΟϹ ΚΟϹΜΗΜΑϹΙΠΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΕΠΑΓΙΟΤΗΡΙΟΠΚΑΙ ΤΗΠΙΕΡΑΠΕΙϹΟΔΟΠΚΑΙ ΤΟΥϹ ΤΩΠΠΑΤΡΙsΟΗΠΘΕΩΠΒΩΜΟΥϹ ϹΥΠΤΩ ΠΕΡΙ ΒΟΛΩ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟÎΑΩ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥϹ ΕΠΚΡΙΤΗΡΙ ΟΥϹ ΟΙΚΟΥϹ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΗΛΙΟΥ ΤΟΠÎΑΟΠΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΕΠΑΥΤΩ ΑΓΑΛΜΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΠΠΕΡΙΒΟΥΛΟΠΔΕ ΤΟΠΠΕΡΙΒΟΥΛΟΠΤΗϹ ΙΕΡΑϹ ÎΑΠΗϹ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥϹ ΕΠΑΥΤΗ ÎΑΟΥϹ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΟϹ ΚΑΙ ΚΟΡΗϹ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΟÎΥϹΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΟϹ ϹΥΠΤΟΙϹ ΕΠΑΥΤΟΙϹ ΑΓΑΛ ΜΑϹΙΠΚΑΙ ΠΡΟϹΚΟϹΜΗΜΑϹΙΠΚΑΙ ΠΡΟÎΑΟΙϹ ΕΚ ΤΩΠΙΔΙΩΠΕΠΟΙΗϹΕΠΚΑΙ ΤΟΥϹ ÎΑΟΥϹ ΕΥΕΤΗΡΙΑϹ ΚΑΙ ΚΟΡΗϹ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΠΛΟΥ ΤΩÎΕΙΟΠΚΑΙ ΤΑϹ ΑÎΑΒΑϹΕΙϹ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΑÎΑΛΗ ΜΑΤΑ ΥΠΟ ϹΕΙϹΜΩΠΚΑΙ ΠΑΛΑΙΟΤΗΤΟϹ ΔΙΑ ΛΕΛΥΜΕÎΑ ΕΠΑϹΚΕΥΑϹΕΠΟ ΑΥΤΟϹ ΚΑΠΤΗΠϹΤΩΑΠΤΗΠΠΡΟϹ ΤΩ ϹΤΑΔΙΩ ϹΥΠΤΟΙΣ ΚΕΚΑΜΑ ΡΩΜΕÎΟΙϹ ΟΙΚΟΙϹ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟϹ ΚΟϹΜΗΜΑϹΙΠΑΓΟΡΑ ÎΟΜΙΑϹ ΑÎΕΘΗΚΕΠThe chief of which was dedicated to Palaemon or Portumnus as the Latines call him in whose Honour the Isthmian Games to which all Greece resorted were instituted The rest were dedicated some to Neptune others to the Sun some to Ceres and Proserpina others to Diana to Pluto to Plenty to Bacchus and the Nymph Nape There are yet remaining in several places Foundations of the Walls that were built by the Lacedemonians from one Sea to the other to secure their Peninsula from the Incursions of their Enemies which the Venetians repaired when they had in possession the Kingdom of Morea and were Lords of it Having taken as good a view and survey of the Place as the shortness of the time would permit us we took Horse and came to Corinth by that time it was dark first watering our Horses by the way at a very fine Spring that rises at the side of the Hill Oneius and falls into the Corinthian Gulph The Isthmus is counted from Corinth between six or seven Miles and is almost directly East from it Lib VI. P 459 pa 442 CORINTHUS ET AB EIUS Acoeopoli Prospâ—â—tus Corinth hath yet near upon preserv'd its old Name CORINTH for they still call it Corintho or for shortness Coritho seldom now adays pronouncing the Σ at the end of their words It is situated towards the right hand just within the Isthmus on the Peloponnesian Shore being distant from the Gulph of Corinth about a couple of Miles and from the Saronick Gulph at least six or seven It hath Athens East by South and Mount Parnassus directly North and by Mr Vernon's Calculation thirty-eight Degrees fourteen Minutes Latitude It is not big enough now to deserve the Title of a City but may very well pass for a good considerable Country Town It consists of the Castle and the Town below it North of it and at almost a Miles distance nearer the Sea The lower Town lieth pleasantly upon an easie Descent of the Ground towards the Gulph of Lepanto The Buildings are not close together but in parcels of half a dozen or half a score sometimes twenty together but seldom more with Gardens of Orange-trees Lemons and Cypress-trees about them set with more Regularity than is usual in these Countries and such a distance is between the several Parcels or Buildings as that they have Corn-fields between them The Houses are more spruce here than ordinary and the biggest quarter is where the Bazar or Market-place is consisting of about fourscore or an hundred Houses There are two Mosques here and one small Church called Panagia at which the Arch-Bishop liveth who was then absent And few Marks either of his or St Paul's Preaching Pains or Care of this famous Church of Corinth are now to be observed there The next day we went first to see Panagioti Caballari a Merchant of Athens living most commonly here and letting him understand our Curiosity by enquiring after the Antiquities of the Place he shewed us presently in his Cellar a fair Inscription in Latine of Faustina Wife of the Emperour Antoninus Pius Some distance Westwards off this and upon a Ground somewhat higher than the Bazar we went to see eleven Pillars standing upright They were of the Dorick Order chanelled like those about the Temple of Minerva and Theseus at Athens the matter of which Pillars we found to be ordinary hard Stone not Marble But their Proportion extraordinary for they are eighteen foot about which makes six foot Diameter and not above twenty foot and an half high the Cylinder being twenty and the Capitals two and an half Whereas according to Pliny the Dorick Order should have the Shaft six times longer than the Diameter as those of Athens which have more rather than less But these are little above half so much There is a Pillar standing within these which hath the same Diameter but is much taller than the others although it hath part broken off and neither Capital nor Architrave remaining near it so that of what Order it was is yet uncertain The others are placed so with their Architraves that they shew they made a Portico about the Cella of the Temple And the single Pillar is placed so towards the Western-end within as shews it supported the Roof of the Pronaes
the more particular in my Observations of it and shall give the best account of it I can Which that I may do to be the better understood I shall first give an account of the situation of the Lake and the Plain in which it is stagnated and then of the several Passages out of the Water of the Lake into the Euboean Sea This Lake is now called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lake of Livadia but by Strabo Copais and by Pausanias Cephissis It is situate on the North-side of that large Plain which is call'd by the same name of Livadia which is stretched out between the Plain of Thebes and the Town Livadia the whole Perimeter of which Country and Lake is so encompassed with high Hills and Mountains so joined one to another that there is not so much as space for the many streams and torrents that arise under and fall from them to pass out above ground into the Sea So that had not the Wisdom of the Creator provided at several places certain subterraneous Passages as Chanels to receive and suck in the Waters which in so great abundance at times do flow and pour down these Mountains and were not those Chanels either by nature or art and industry of men kept open and cleansed all Boeotia must necessarily in a short space of time be drowned and made nothing but a great Lake or standing Water For beginning first at Parnes that Mountain is join'd to Cithaeron Cithaeron is join'd to Helicon Helicon to Parnassus Parnassus to Mount Oeta that to Cnemis Cnemis to the Cyrtonum Mons That to Ptoos Ptoos to Messapius Messapius to Cerycius and that again to Parnes Which Mountains although all or most of them be well enough distinguished from each other by certain Chasms or Openings between them yet are they all so tacked and link'd together by High-Grounds that before the Waters could find Passage any way into the Sea above ground the whole Country below them must unavoidably be drowned which perhaps was one great reason of Deucalions Flood in which these parts seem chiefly concerned But beside this Circle of Mountains that encompass all Boeotia Phocis and great part of Locris there are other Mediterranean Mountains also which are tacked to one another in such sort that they divide the whole Country into several particular Vallies which from a high prospect look as if they were those places in the Earth the Gyants laid open when in their War with the Gods they plucked up Mountains by the Roots and set them upon one another intending to scale Heaven thereby For so is this Plain of Livadia divided from that of Thebes Eastward by the Mountain Phoenicius or Sphingis which joins Northwards to the Mountain Ptoos Southwards to certain Ridges which descend from Helicon From those high Mountains Helicon South-West Parnassus and Oeta North-West are poured down those quantities of Waters into this Plain which stagnating make the great Lake of Livadia by falling towards the Ridge of the Rocky Hills of Thalanda or Cyrtonum Mons against which the whole stress and fall of the Waters seems to lean but are by them as by a mighty Mound or Bank kept in from discharging themselves into the Euboean Sea Strabo counts this Lake no less than three hundred seventy one Stadia in Circumference which amounts to about forty seven Miles and a half But I believe it covers not so much ground at present For then in his time it had one passage out above ground into Hylica palus now called the Theban Lake But now the Waters are far lower than that Passage and therefore are to be thought very much abated The form of this Lake is long being stretched out under the Mountains of Thalanda or Cyrtonum Mons North-West and South-East as far as the Mountain Ptoos In the middle it is narrow but then enlarging it self again until it comes to be divided at the South-East end into three several Bayes At the two Northmost of these Bays are the principal Chanels in a wonderful manner pierced through the Mountains The whole mass whereof consists of a very hard stone considerably high and of a great extent in thickness though in some places it be greater and in others less the shortest Passage to the Sea being towards Thalanda and the North-West end of the Lake is at least four Miles through the Mountain Where this enters in under the Mountain is a Town called Palea situate towards the north-North-West end of the Lake where it riseth again on the other side near the Sea are those Mills I but now spake of about two hours riding from Thalanda This seems to be the place which Strabo calls Anchoe where the Town of Copais was also situated that gave the old name to this Lake and by the same rule on the Sea side where the Waters come out of the Lake should lye Larimna Superior or that of Locris where Strabo makes the Chanels to pass thirty Stadia or about four Miles under ground from Copais to Larimna The other Chanels I saw on the North-West end of the Lake are all a much greater distance from the Sea many of them passing at least half a days Journey under the Mountain Ptoos The Northmost of the two Bayes last mentioned divides it self again into three Bayes the first of which entreth under the Mountain by two Chanels the second and third by three Chanels apiece Another Bay also there is that divideth it self into many other little Bays and those again into Chanels Insomuch that I easily believe what an Albanese I met there told me to wit that there were at least fifty of these under-ground Chanels whereby the Lake emptieth it self into the Sea For I saw above half the number of them my self From Proscina hither a considerable part of our way lay along one of those Chanels in several places of which we saw holes down to it but could neither see nor hear the Water as it passed by reason the Chanel was every where close covered and much deeper When we came to ascend the steeper part of the Mountain we passed by ten or a dozen square Stone-Pits about a Furlong distant one from another which I found still deeper and deeper according to the rising of the Mountain until by the sound of the Stones I cast in I could not judge them less than fifty Fathom deep but I heard no sound of Water at the bottom The reason whereof I found because the Chanel which carries the Water lyeth covered deeper under them They are about four foot square a piece at the Mouth and cut out of the hard Rock of the Mountain From all which I began to be sensible of the vast labour cost and indefatigable industry that brought the whole work to such perfection For by such Pits as these the rest of the fifty Chanels were first made if made at all and are now upon occasion cleansed when ever they happen to be obstructed Pausanias saith that
was formerly Coronea MINERVA ITONIA then the Ruined Tower may have been the place where the Temple of Minerva Itonia sometimes stood which was the place where all Boeotia used to assemble in Council Thence coming nearer to the foot of the Helicon I passed by a very pleasant Prospect into a little Plain inclosed every way with prominent parts of the Mountain except one narrow Passage for entrance to it like to a Sea-Port Hence we soon mounted up to St Georgio situate on the side of Helicon having left a Village below it on the right hand Either St Georgio or this Village was probably the Alalcontenae of old time This Town is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or St George from a Monastery there dedicated to him There are two or three Churches here in which are some Inscriptions of Antiquity But I could not see them because my Guide was afraid of the Turks and my Druggerman was return'd to Athens to give the Consul an account of my Resolutions to proceed on my Voyage to Zant. So we staid not long in this place but mounted up a considerable way higher toward the top of the Helicon with intentions to pass quite over it unto the Convent of Saint Luke But we were hindred by the Snow which was not yet passable This Mountain is now called Zagara by the Turks M. ZAGARA the HELICON from the great abundance of Hares they say breed there although there be plenty of other Game also especially Wild Boars and Dear But it is known out of Strabo undoubtedly to be that famous Helicon of the ancients For agreeable to his Description it lyeth upon the Crissean or Corinthian Gulph bordering upon Phocis which it regards Northward somewhat inclining to the West And as the saith its high Cliffs hang over the last Harbour of Phocis which was therefore called Mycus nor is it not far distant from Parnassus nor inferiour to it either in height or the compass of ground that it stands on Finally that they are both Rocky Mountains and the tops of them perpetually covered with Snow Mount Helicon was in old times consecrated to the Muses by the Thracians and was the native Country of the ancient Poet Hesiod who was born at Ascra an inhospitable Town on the side of it towards the Sea whom Ovid seems to follow and imitate but with more briskness and less gravity Hesiod seems with more respect to celebrate the Gods as it became his perswasion of them and with more earnestness to press men to Justice Vertue and Humanity which is as much to be preferred before the others bawdy and lying stories of them as all Moral and Christian Vertues infinitely transcend the obscene Lampoons of our present Age being really more beautiful and attracting Objects than any Mistresses in the World I found not those Monuments either of Hesiod Orpheus or the Muses Pausanias in his time professeth to have seen there And as to the Fountain Hippocrene the famous haunt of the nine Sisters it was then frozen up if it were where I guess'd it to have been So that were I a Poet and never so great a Votary of those Heliconian Deities I might be excused from making Verses in their praise having neither their presence to excite nor their liquor to inspire me For having gone two or three Miles forwards on the top till I came to the Snow my further proceedings that way were hindred only alighting I made shift to clamber up the Rocks somewhat higher until I came to look down into a place encompassed round with the tops of Mountains so that the inclosed space seemed to me to be a Lake frozen and covered with Snow But my Guide telling me be passed that way once in the Summer time with Monsieur Nantueil the French Embassador and then saw it a very pleasant green Valley covered with Flowers having a very good Fountain in the middle of it I am much inclin'd to think the Hippocrene was there and there also in antient times the delicious Grove of the Muses I observed likewise great store of the Male-Fir-Tree growing on this Mountain whose Turpentine is very fragrant much resembling the smell of a Nutmeg and some of that Leopards-bane whose root is like a Scorpion But her partly the cold of a backward Spring and partly the time of Year hindred me from making any further discoveries in that kind I shall only tell you what Pausanias telleth me viz. that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is one kind of an Arbutus or Strawberry-Tree beareth sweeter fruit here than in any other place he knows which may well be although I took no notice of any there I saw here also a very large Tortoise newly come out of ground to enjoy the warm Sun and of which they say there is great plenty bred there We return'd to the brow of the Mountain by the same way we came and thence I had a fair and large Prospect of the Plains of Boeotia Northward and observed the Mountain Delphi of Egripo to lie exactly East of us and another of the same Island to lie east-north-East-North-East We left the way to St. Georgio and turning to our left hand descended into a Plain between the Mountain Helicon and another little Mountain the Eastern end of which comes up near to it and the Town of St. George but thence runs North-Westwards beyond Livadia which it hath under it on the North-side This Mountain from the Plain of Boeotia seems not at all distinct from the Helicon although it hath a Plain between it and that in some places I believe three or four Miles wide On the top of it on the East end we saw Granitza GRANITZA which I was told was a Town and Bishoprick under the Jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Athens Here is also a Convent of Caloires or Greekish Monks which is all I could learn of the place only from the ancients I gather that this Mountain was called by two distinct names to wit Laphytius on this end LAPHYTIUS and TELPHYSIUM mm. and Telphysium on the Western In descending we turned still round the Helicon to our left hand and in our way passed by many Fountains that issue out of the sides of that Mountain some of which run down into the Plain of Livadia as far as the Lake into which they flow others collect themselves into a Stream in this Valley One makes a fine Cascade almost from the top of the Mountain and I believe runneth from the Lake I before spake of on the top of the Helicon by its nearness to that place There was abundance of the Narcissus Flowers growing along the Banks of this Stream so proliferous that I had not before seen any the like having seven eight nine sometimes ten Flowers upon the same stalk and very fragrant Here my Guide proved to be near as ignorant and unacquainted in the Country as my self and it growing towards Night we knew not whither to go to Lodge