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ACCOUNT 


O    F 


The   DISCOVERIES   at   POMPEII, 

COMMUNICATED    TO 

The  SOCIETY   of  ANTIQUARIES   of   LONDON 

B    Y 

The  Hon.  Sir  WILLIAM  HAMILTON,  Knight  of  the  Bath,. 

ENVOY    EXTRAORDINARY  and   PLENIPOTENTIARY 
From  HIS    BRITANNIC    MAJESTY   to  the   COURT    of  NAPLES. 


LONDON: 
PRINTED    BY   W.  BOWYER   AND   J.  NICHOLS. 


MDCCI-XXVII. 


[    3    ] 


Account  of  the  Difcovenes  at  Pompeii,  communicated 
by  Sir  W  illiam  Hamilton. 


Read  at  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  Jan,  26,  Feb.  2 — 9,  1775. 


Plate  I. 

View  of  the  Place  of  Arms  at  the  little  Gate  of  Pompeii 

towards  Stabia. 

ACoLONADE,  round  a  fquare  court,  not  yet  cleared  from 
the  rubbifti  of  pumice  flones,  and  afhes,  B.  B.  by 
which  the  city  was  overwhelmed.  The  columns  are  of  coarfe 
flone,  coated  with  plaifteror  flucco,  and  coloured.  On  many 
of  the  columns,  the  foldiers  have  idly  fcratched  their  names, 
fome  in  Greek,  and  fome  in  Latin. 

C,  C.  C  Rooms,  in  which  the  .foldiers  were  quartered. 
The  {keletons  of  fome  were  found  in  them ;  as  alfo  feveral 
helmets,  and  pieces  of  armour  for  the  arms,  thighs,  and  legs, 
but  none  for  the  breaft.  Thefe  pieces  of  armour  are  moftly 
ornamented  with  Dolphins  and  Tridents  in  relievo,  and  fome 
are  encrufted  with  fuch  ornaments  in  filvcr,  which  moft  pro- 
bably indicates  then-  having  been  dedined  for  fea  fervice. 

B  The 


4  Sir  William  F^amilton's  Account  of 

The  helmets  are  Angularly  formed,  not  unlike  the  hats  ufed 
by  the  firemen  in  London.  Some  are  very  richly  ornamented, 
and  one  particularly  beautiful  and  interefting,  with  the  prin- 
cipal events  of  the  taking  of  Troy  admirably  executed  ia 
relievo.  Some  have  vizors,  like  the  helmets  of  the  lower  ages, 
with  gratings  or  round  holes  to  fee  through.  From  their  fize 
and  weight,  it  has  been  d.fputed,  whether  they  had  been  really 
worn,  or  were  only  intended  as  ornaments  for  trophies;  but, 
as  I  was  prefent  at  the  dlfcovery  of  fome  of  them,  and  faw 
diftindly  part  of  the  linings  which  were  then  adhering  to  them, 
and  are  now  fallen  out,  I  have  no  doubt  as  to  their  having  been 
worn.  A  curious  trumpet  of  braf-^,  wnth  fix  ivory  flutes  at- 
tached to  the  outfide  of  it,  and  all  communicating  to  one  mouth- 
piece, was  found  in  one  of  thefe  rooms.  The  flutes  are  without 
holes  for  the  fingers.  A  chain  of  bronze  hung  to  it,  probably 
that  the  trumpeter  miglit  fling  it  over  his  flioulder.  It  might 
be  a  very  proper  military  inftrument,  and  produce  a  fpirited 
Clangor  Tubanim,  but  not  much  variety  or  harmony. 

In  the  prlfon  of  this  barrack,  the  fkeletons  of  leveral  foldiers 
were  found,  and  fome  with  iron  fetters  on  their  leg-bones ; 
their  fculls  are  now  placed  on  the  flielves  D.  for  the  inlpedion 
of  the  curious.  It  is  certain,  that  in  thefe  fculls,  and  in  many 
others,  that  have  been  found  at  Pompeii,  the  teeth  are  re- 
markably found ;  perhaps  among  the  Ancients,  who  did  not 
make  ufe  of  fugar,  they  might  not  be  fo  fubjed  to  decay 
as  ours. 


Plate 


•^ 


Di/covenes  at  Pompeii. 


Plate  II. 


The  poor  remains  of  a  temple  and  altar  near  the  place  of 
arms.  It  had  been  difcovered  and  ftripped  before  his  Sicilian 
Majefty  carried  on  his  works  here.  The  peafants,  digging  to 
plant  their  vines,  often  broke  into  houfes  and  temples,  and  ufed 
to  carry  on  a  good  trade  with  what  they  found  therein.  The 
prefent  workmen  often  dlfcover  the  evident  ligns  of  former 
excavations. 

B.  A  Semicircular  ftone-feat  at  the  fide  of  the  temple. 

C.  Pumice,  and  rubblfli,   over  the  uncleared  part  of  the  city. 

D.  The  ifland  of  Caprea. 

E.  Th«  coaft  of  Sorrento. 

F.  The  town  of  Gaftel  a  Mare  ;  near  which  is  the  ancient 
city  of  Stabia,  buried  at  the  fame  time  as  Pompeii  by  the  afhes 
of  Mount  Vefuvius.  Here  it  was  alfo  that  Pliny  the  Elder 
loft  his  life. 

Before  the  king  of  Spain  left  Naples,  excavations  were 
carried  on  there,  and  many  of  the  beautiful,  monuments  of  an- 
tiquity, now  in  the  Mufeum  at  Portici,  were  taken  from 
thence.  When  the  refearches  were  carried  on  at  Herculaneum, 
and  Pompeii  was  opened,  the  entrance  into  the  ancient  city  of 
Stabia  Vv^as  walled  up,  and  remains  fo.  By  the  accounts  I  have 
received  from  the  infpedtor  of  thefe  works,  when  carried  on  at 
Stabia,' there  is  a  great  probability,  that  further  very  curious 
and  interefting  difcoveries  might  be  made  in  that  city. 


B   2  Plate 


6  Sir  William  Hamilton's  Account  of 


Plate  III. 

A.  Uncleared  rubbilh.  Over  the  pumice  flones  and  afhea 
is  a  ftratum  of  good  foil,  on  which  vines  grow,  as  they  do  over 
every  uncleared  part  of  the  buried  city. 

B.  B.  B.  Rooms,  fome  of  which  were  enriched  with  elegant 
paintings  in  Arabefque  compartments,  that  have  been  cut  out,, 
and  depolited  in  the  Mufeum  at  Portici.  Moil  of  the  floors  are 
of  tefierated  Mofaic ;  the  beft  of  which  have  been  carried 
alfo  to  the  Mufeum  at  Portici,  and  aftually  ferve  as  floors  of 
rooms  in  that  Mufeum. 

C.  Little  door,  through  which  you  defcend  a  ftair-cafe 
into  the  fubterraneous  room  reprefented  in  Plate  IV- 


Plate  IV. 

K,  Room  adjoining  to  the  bathing  apartment,  and  where, 
probably,  the  linen  belonging  to  the  baths  was  wafhed. 

B.  Well. 

C.  Wafhing  vefTel  of  earthen  ware. 

D.  Fire-place,  on  which  a  large  boiler  of  bronze  was  found, 
which  is  now,  amongfl  the  kitchen  utenfils,  depofited  in  the 
Mufeum  at  Portici. 

E.  Skeleton  of  the  waflier-woman  (for  anatomifts  fay  it 
is  that  of  a  female) .;  (he  feems  to  have   been  (hut  up  in  this 

vault. 


Difcoveries  at  Pompeii.  y 

vault,  the  ftair  cafe  having  been  filled  with  rubbifli,  and  to  have 
waited  for  death  with  calm  refignation,  and  true  Roman  for- 
titude, as  the  attitude  of  the  Ikeleton  really  feems  to  indicare. 
It  was  at  my  inftigation,  that  the  bones  were  left  untouched  on 
the  fpot   where  they  were  found. 

F.  Door   leading  to  the  flove-room   next  the   bath,    which 
is  in  a  fmall  circular  room. 

G.  Fire-place,  that  heated  the  flove-room. 


Plate  V. 

.     A   fmall  houfe,     and  garden,  near  the  Temple  of  Ifis.     A 
covered    cloyfter,     fupported    by    columns,     goes    round     the 
houfe,    as  was  cuftomary  in  many  of  the  houfes    at  Pompeii. 
The  rooms  in  general  are  very  fmall,  and  in  one,  where  an  iron 
bedflead   was   found,   the  wall    had   been   pared  away  to  iTiake 
room  for  this  bedflead;   fo  that  it  was  not  fix  feet   fquare,   and 
yet  this  room  w-as  mofl  elegantly  painted,  and  had  a  tefferated 
or   Mofliic    floor.     The  weight   of  the    matter   erupted    from 
Mount  Vefuvius  has  univerfally  damaged  the  upper  parts  of  the 
houfes ;  the  lower  parts  are  moftly  found  as  frefh  as  the  moment 
they  were  buried.     The  plan  of  moft  of  the  houfes  at    Pompeii 
is  a  fquare  court,  with  a  fountain  in  the  middle,  and  fmall  rooms 
round,    communicating,  with  that  court. 

By  tlie  conftrudion  and  diftVibutioii  of  the  houfes,  it  feems 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Pompeii  were  fond  of  privacy.  They  had 
few  vviudows  towards  the  ftreet,  except  when,  from  the  nature 
of  the  plauj  they  could  not  avoid  it;  but  even  in  that  cafe  the 

windows 


8  iSVr  W I L  L I A  M  Ha  M I L  ton'  s  Account  of 

■windows  were  placed  too  high  for  any  one  in  the  flreets  to  over- 
look them. 

Tkeir  houfes  nearly  refembled  each  other,  both  as  to  diftri- 
butioi)  of  plan,  and  in  the  manner  of  finifliing  the  apartments. 
The  rooms  are  in  general  fmall,  from  ten  to  twelve  feet,  and 
from  fourteen  to  eighteen  feet;  few  communications  between 
room  and  room ;  almoft  all  without  windows,  except  the 
apartments  fituated  to  the  garden,  which  are  thought  to  have 
been  allotted  to  the  women. 

Tk  E I R  Cor  tiles  were  often  furrounded  by  porticos,  in  very  fmall 
houfes.  Not  but  there  were  covered  galleries  before  the  doors  of 
their  apartments,  to  afford  (hade  and  fhelter.  No  timber  was 
ufed  in  finifliing  their  apartments,  except  in  doors,  and 
windows.  The  floors  w'ere  generally  laid  in  Mofaic  work. 
One  general  tafte  prevailed  of  painting  the  fides  and  cielings  of 
the  rooms.  Small  figures,  and  medallions  of  low  relief,  were 
fometimes  introduced.  Their  great  variety  confifted  in  the 
colours,  and  in  the  choice  and  delicacy  of  the  ornaments, 
in  which  they  difplayed  great  harmony  and  tafte.  Their 
houfes  were  fome  two,  others  three  {lories  high. 


Plate  VI. 

-  Interior  View  of  the  Chapel  of  Ifis. 

A,  Covered  Cloyfter. 

B.  Great  Altar,  on  which  probably  was  placed  the  principal 
flatue  of  the  Deity  ;  but,  as  there  were  evident  figns  of  previous 
fearches  in  this  fpot,   nothing  of  confequence  was  found. 

C.  Temple, 


Difcovenes  at  Pompeii.  p 

C.  Temple,  covering  the  facred  well,  to  which  you  defcend 
by  fteps.  Generally,  there  is  a  foul  vapour,  or  mofFette,  as  it  is 
called  here,  like  the  damp  of  mines,  which  prevents  your 
going  down  thefe  fleps.  In  the  pediment  over  the  dcor  of  the 
temple,  in  flucco  relief,  is  a  vafe  with  a  figure  on  eacli 
fide  of  it  in  the  acl  of  adoration.  This  vafe  was  probably  tlie 
fymbol  of  Ifis,  who  was  adored  as  water,  earth,  or  fire.  The 
other  flucco  ornaments  on  the  front  of  the  temple  allude  to 
the  Egyptian  worlhip,  being  compofed  of  the  flovv-er  Lotus, 
the  Siftrum,  the  Gods  Anubis,  Harpocrates,  &c.  and  the 
ftuccos  are  in  fome  parts  coloured. 

The  ornaments  on  the  fide  D.  reprefent  Perfeus  with  the 
Gorgon's  head  ;  and  on  the  oppofite  fide  Mars,  and  Venus,  with 
flying  Cur-ids  carrying  the  arms  of  Mars. 

E.  E.  E.  Altars  of  different  fizes.  Oh  the  great  one,  next 
the  facred  well,  the  burnt  bones  of  the  vidims  were  found, 
fome  of  which  ftill  remain  there. 

¥.  Nich,  in  which  v^^as  found  a  marble  ftatue  of  a  female, 
with  her  fore-finger  on  her  lips. 

G.  A  well  into  which  tlie  adies  of  the  vidlims  were  thrown. 
H.  H.  H.  The  wall-,  of  the  cloyfters,  that  were  beautifully 
ornamented  with  A.rabefque  paintings,  mofc  of  which  have 
been  cut  out,  and  carried  to  the  Muleum  at  Portici.  Nothin^^ 
can  be  ui  a  more  exquifite  tafte,  than  the  great  foliape  orna- 
ment,   that    went  round  trie  whole  cloyfler. 

Near  the  great  altar  B.  and  againfh  the  wall  marked  I. 
was  a  tablet  of  bafalre,  with  Egyptian  hieroglyphics  en- 
graved thereon,  which  has  been  carried  to  the  Mufeum  at 
Portici. 

Over 


lo  Sir  William  Hamilton's  Account  of 

Over  the  great  gate  of  the  Chapel  was  the  followhig  In- 
fcription  in  large  charadters,  which  has  been  likewife  depofited 
in  the  Muleum  at  Portici : 

N.  POPIDIVS  N.F.  CELSINVS 

AEDEM  ISIDIS  TERRAE  MOTV  CONLAPSAM 

A  FVNDAMENTO  P.  SVA  RESTITVIT. 

HVNC  DECVRIONES  OB  LIBERALITATEM 

CVM   ESSET    ANNORVM    SEX.    ORDINI    SVG 

GRATIS  ADLEGERVNT. 

It  is  pity  tliat  fuch  monuments  of  antiquity  as  are  not  in 
immediate  danger  of  fufFering  from  the  injuries  of  the  weather, 
fliould  have  been  removed  from  their  places,  where  they  would 
have  afforded  fatisfaftion  and  inftru6tion  to  the  curious  who 
vifit  thefe  antiquities.  Many  travellers  have  feen  this  chapel 
without  knowing  that  it  was  certainly  a  chapel  of  Ifis,  and 
rebuilt  by  N.  Popidius,  after  having  been  deftroyed  by  an 
earthquake.  The  infcription,  being  now  confounded  with  many 
others  frorti  Herculaneum  and  Stabia,  in  the  court  of  the 
Mufeum  at  Portici,  may  have  eafily  efcaped  their  notice.  The 
columns  of  the  chapel  of  Ifis  are  of  brick  covered  with  ftucco, 
and  painted. 

In  a  room  behind  the  altar  B.  a  ilceleton  was  found  with  a 
plate  near  it,  on  which  were  the  bones  of  a  fifh  ;  and  the 
utenfils  that  had  been  ufcd  in  drefling  that  fifli  were  found  in 
a  little  kitchen  adjoining.  In  another  room  was  likewife  found 
a  Ikeleton  with  an  iron  crow  lying  near  it.  The  paintings  of  the 
fides  of  this  room,  and  even  the  brick  wall,  are  much  broken, 
probably  by  this  perfon,  who  was  inclofed  by  the  cruel  fhower 
of  pumice-ftones  and  afhes  that  covered  the  city,  and  had  been 
endeavouring,  in    va'.n,   with  the  iron   crow,   to  force   his  way 

our. 


Di/coven'es  at  Pompeii.  i  r 

cut.  Clofe  to  the  chapel  of  Ifis  is  a  theatre,  no  more  of 
which  has  been  cleared  than  the  fcene  and  the  corridor  that 
leads  to  the  {eats.  In  this  corridor,  was  a  retiring-place  for 
neceflary  occafions,  where  the  pipe  to  convey  the  water,  and 
the  bafon,  like  that  of  our  water-clofets,  Itill  remain ;  the 
wood  of  the  feat  only  ha\dng  mouldered  away  by  time. 


Plate  Vli. 

A.  Principal  entrance  of  the  city  of  Pompeii. 

B.  B.  Seats  of  ftone,  one   of  which,    with  a  fepulchral  in- 
fcription,   is  now  in  the  court  of  the  Mufeum  at  Portici. 

C.  Pedeftalof  a  coloffal  flatue  of  bronze,  fome  fragments 
«f  the  drapery  of  which  were  found  near  it,  the  reft  having 
probably  been  carried  off  by  the  peafants.  Many  curious  mo- 
numents of  this  kind  have  been,  as  I  am  informed,  melted 
down  by  them,  and  fold  for  the  weight  of  the  metal. 

The  width  of  the  horfe-way  of  the  flreet  is  in  general  about 
ten  feet  eight  inches  Englifh,  and  the  elevated  foot  V'.ay,  on 
each  fide,  is  about  three  feet  wide  ;  but  in  fome  parts  both  horfe 
and  foot  way  are  wider. 

The  tracks  of  the  wheels  of  carriages  are  plainly  marked  on 
the  pavement,  by  which  we  fee,  that  the  wheels  were  near 
4  feetafunder,  and  the  wheel  itfelf  about  3  |  inches  broad. 

In  a  little  room  which  you  enter  by  the  door  D,  was  found 
the  famous  and  beautiful  Tripod  of  bronze  fupported  by  Priapi 
Fauns,  which  now  ftands  on  a  table  in  the  firft  room  of  the 
Mufeum  at  Portici.  This  gate  of  the  town  was  difcovered  many 
years  ago,  (it  is  now  twenty-feven  years  fnice  the  king  of  Spain 
began  firft  to  fearch   at  Pompeii),    but  it  is  not  above  five  years 

C  that 


12  Sir  William  Ham iLTOii*s  Account  oj 

that  they  have  thought  proper  to  enter  the  town  by  the  gate, 
having  contented  themfelves  with  digging  into  houles  here  and 
there  at  random,  taking  out  what  they  could  find,  and  filling 
up  the  holes  again. 

E.  E.  Fragments  of  columns. 

F.  F.  Uncleared  rubbilh  over  the  city. 


Plate  VIII. 

View  of  the  ruins  of  the  houfes  on  the  right-hand  fide  of  the 
ftreet  as  you  enter  the  gate. 

A.  The  firfl  houfe  was  thought  to  have  been  an  Inn.  The 
bones  of  horfes  were  found  in  the  flables ;  and  in  the  cellar  large 
e^then  vefl'els  for  wine. 

Through  flones  of  the  foot-pavement  B.B.  B.  are  holes 
bored,  which  probably  ferved  to  pafs  the  halters  of  horfes  or 
mules,  while  they  ftood  at  the  doors  of  the  houfes. 

C.  The  next  houfe  feemed,  by  what  was  found  in  the  (hop, 
to  have  been  that  of  an  apothecary. 

D.  The  Priapus,  cut  in  floue,  and  placed  in  a  niche  on  the 
outfide  wall  of  this  houfe,  is  called  here  the  fign  of  the  Brothel, 
which  they  fuppofe  to  have  been  kept  in  the  houfe;  but  it  has 
more  probably  been  placed  there  in  honour  of  the  Deity  fo 
called,  in  the  fame  manner  as  we  fee  frequently  now,  againft 
the  houfes  of  this  country,  a'  St,  Francis,  a  St.  Antony,  &c. 
It  is  evident,  from  the  very  public  fituation,  that  fuch  a  re- 
prefentation  did  not  in  thofe  days  convey  any  indecent  idea. 

E.  E.  Vine  yards  over  other  parts  of  the  city,  as  yet  un- 
cleared. 

Plate 


Dtfcoveries  at  Pompeii.  r^ 


Plate  IX. 

View  of  the  left-hand  fide  of  the  ftreet  as  you  enter  the 
gate. 

A.  A.  A.  Shops.  The  tiled  fiaeds,  reprefented  in  the  plate, 
are  modern,  and  placed  there  to  preferve  the  paintings 
on  the  walls,  which  are  very  lively.  About  one  hundred 
yards  only  of  the  ftreet  has  been  as  yet  cleared ;  it  is  thought 
to  run  through  the  whole  city,  which  is  about  an  Italian 
mile  in  length,  and  about  3  miles  |  round. 

B.  B.  Vine  yards  and  cottages  over  the  uncleared  city. 

C.  Entrance  to  the  houfe,  one  of  the  beft  as  yet  difcovered, 
and  reprefented  in  Plate  V, 


Plate  X. 

A.  Court  with  feveral  rooms  opening  to  it,  one  of  which  is 
thirty  feet  long  by  fifteen,  the  largeft  room  as  yet  difcovered  at 
Pompeii. 

B.  B.  B.  The  rooms ;  the  paintings  of  which  were  very 
elegant ;  but  the  beft  parts  have  been  cut  out  and  tranfported  to 
the  Mufeum  at  Portici. 

C.  Where  the  rain-water  was  colleded,  and  ran  into  a  re- 
fervoir  underneath. 

D.  D.  Vine  yards  over  the  uncleared  parts  of  the  city. 


C  a  Plate 


14  Sir  William  Hamilt on' s^cccunf  oj 


Plate  XI. 

A>  View  of  a  great  fepulclire,  or  columbarium,  out  of  the  gates 
of  the  city  :  feveral  marble  (latues,  not  very  well  executed,  were 
found  therein,  which  are  now  in  the  Mufeum  at  Poriici. 

B.  Coloffal  maflcs  of  terra  cotta,  in  the  fituation  in  which 
they  were  found. 

Under  them  in  vaults  C.  C.  were  found  fome  fepulchral  urns 
with  afhes  therein.  One  of  the  urns  was  of  glafs,  with  a  cover 
of  the  fame  material  J  this  urn  was-  depofited  in  an  earthen 
one,  and  that  again  covered  with  lead,  which  is  now  preferved 
in  the  Mufeum  at  Portici. 

D.  Uncleared  parts  of  the  city. 


Plate  XII. 

The  prefent  excavations  are  carrying  on  at  a  fort  of  Villa 
Ruftica  out  of  the  city. 

The  Villa  appears  as  reprefented  A.  The  lower  arcade  is 
a  covered  walk  for  fummer,  looking  into  a  garden  and  yard, 
into  which  open  feveral  coved  rooms  richly  ornamented  with 
paintings,  as  frefh  as  the  day  they  were  executed.  Over  this 
walk  is  an  open  terras  leading  to  the  greater  apartments  of  the 
■upper  f!:ory.     There  is  a  hot  and  cold  bath  in  this  houfe. 

Below  flairs  is  a  room,  B.  with  a  large  bow-window; 
fragmentsof  large  panes  of  glafs  were  found  here,  fhewing,  that 
the  ancients  knew  well  the  ufe  of  glal's  for  windows. 

Im 


Difcoveries  at  Pompeii.  i  ij 

In  the  cel-lars,  which  are  very  fpacious,  and  run  under  the 
covered  arcade,  are  numbers  of  lirge  earthen  vafes  for  wine 
rangetl  againft  the  walls  ;  they  are  full  of  earth  ;  the  wine  was 
probably  covered  with  oil,  and  no  otherwife  fecured,  as  is 
pradliled  here  now,  the  great  bottles  having  no  corks,  but  oil. 
The  Ikeletons  of  twenty -three  of  the  family  were  found  in  this 
cellar ;  Ibme  rings,  ear-rings,  &c_  &c.  and  Ibme  coins  of 
gold,  filver,  and  brafs,  mod  of  which  are  of  the  Emperor 
Galba. 

The  back  part  of  the  Villa  was  defigned  for  the  farmer,  the 
rooms  of  which  are  fimply  ornamented  ;  feveral  fpades,  pickaxes, 
and  other  implements  of  iiuihandry,  were  found  there.  It  has  a 
feparate  entry,  and  is  perfectly  ihut  out  from  the  noble  part  of 
the  Villa.  Upon  the  whole,  the  plan  of  this  houfe  is  very 
curious.  It  has  been  well  taken  by  his  Sicilian  Majefty's  order 
and  will  probably  be  publiflied  in  time,  with  the  reft  of  the 
difcoveries  at  Pompeii;  and  will  afford  infinite  fatisfadlion  to  the 
lovers  of  antiquities. 

In  the  l^reet,  juft.  out  of  the  gate  of  this- Villa,  I  faw  lately  a 
fkeleton  dugout ;  and,  by  defirijig  the  labourers  to  remove  the 
fculi  and  bones  gently,  I  perceived  diftindtly  the  perfe£l  mould 
of  every  feature  of  the  f^Ke,  and  that  the  eyes  had  been  (hut, 
I  ahb  faw  diftindly  the  imprclfion  of  the  large  folds  of  the 
drapery  of  the  toga,  and  fome  of  the  cloth  itielf  ftili  ftitking  to 
the  earth. 

The  city  was  firft  covered  by  a  fhower  of  hot  pumice-ftones 
and  alhes,  and  then  by  a  Ihower  of  fmall  afhes  mixed  with  water 
It  was  in  the  latter  llratum  that  the  (keieton  above  defcribed  was 
found.     In  the  Mufeum  at  Portici  a  piece  of  this  fort  of  hard-- 
ened  mud  is  preferved ;  it  ib  ftamped  with  the  impreflion  of  the 
bread  of  a  woman,  with  a  thin  drapery  over  it..    The  Ikeleton. 


1 6  Sir  William  Hamilton's  Account  of 

I  faw  dug  out  was  not  abov^e  five  feet  from  the  furface.  It  is 
very  extraordinary,  that  the  impreffion  of  the  body  and 
face  fhpuld  have  remained  fo  entire  from  the  year  ^9  to  this 
day,  efpecially  as  I  found  the  earth  fo  little  hardened,  that  it 
leparated  upon  the  leafl  touch. 

C.  Ruins  of  a  building  in  the  gardenof  the  Villa. 

D.Di  Uncleared  parts  of  Pompeii. 


Plate  XIII. 


Ground  Plan  of  the  Chapel  of  Ifis. 

a.  Covered  portico,  or  cloyfter.  A  gutter  runs  round  this 
portico  to  convey  away  the  water,  which  fell  from  the  roof 
and  is  defcribed  in  the  plan. 

b.  The  Temple  fituated  in  the  area  of  the  portico. 

c.  Cell  of  the  Temple. 

d.  An  altar  the  length  of  the  temple,  on  which  the  idols 
were  placed ;  it  was  hollow  beneath,  and  formed  a  cell,  from 
whence  it  is  fuppofed  the  oracles  were  iflued. 

e.  e.  e.  e.  Large  altars  before  the  Temple,  without  any 
marks  of  fire  having  been  placed  on  them. 

f.  Altar  on  which  the  facrifice  was  ufually  offered,  if  we 
may  judge  from  its  top  being  burnt,  and  from  the  wall  of  the 
adjoining  building  being  much  ftained  with  fmoke. 

g.  Altars  placed  between  the  columns  of  the  portico  of 
which  five  only  remain. 

h.  Thefacred  well,  covered  with  a  temple. 

i.  Well,  in  which  the  afhes  of  the  vidims  were  depofited. 

k.  Pedeftal, 


>L1U 


Difcoveries  at  Pompeii.  i  - 

k.  Pedeftal,  on  which  was  found  a  beautiful  ftatue  of  Ifis  about 
two  feet  high.  It  is  of  marble,  the  drapery  was  painted  of  a 
tender  purple  colour,  and  fome  parts  of  it  gilt.  She  had  a 
fiftrum  of  bronze  in  her  right-hand  ;  and  in  the  left,  the 
common  Egyptian  fymbol  which  is  explained  by  Antiquaries 
as  the  key  to  the  fluices  of  the  Nile. 
1.  Niche  in  the  wall  for  a  Statue. 

m.  Room    where    the  utenfils,    perfumes,  gums,    &c.  ufed 
at  the  facrifices,  were  kept. 

n.  A  great  hall,    where  it    is  fuppofed   that   parts    of  the 
viftim  were  eaten  by  the  prieft.    There  are  marked  on  the  floor, 
in  Mofaic  fome   names   of  the  family  of  Celfinusj  for   what 
purpofe  is  not  known. 
o.  A  kitchen. 

p.  Room  with  a  fmall  veflel  for  bathing, 
q.  Apartment  for  the  keeper  of  the  temple. 
f.  Corridor  of  the  great  theatre,   which    adjoined  to    the 
temple. 

u.   Principal  llreet  through  the  city,  the   horfe-way  of  which 
in  this  part  is  only  ten  feet  lo  inches  wide,    paved  with  flat 
ftones  of  an  irregular  pentagon  figure,  their  thicknefs  from  ten 
to  fourteen  iiiches.    On  each  fide  is  a  foot- way  raifed  eight  inches, 
and  three  feet  wide  paved   with   fmall   ftones   at  random.     It  is 
fenced  by  a  curb  /lone,  in  uhich,  at  the  diftauce  of  every  twelve 
or  fourteen  {ttt,  is  placed  a  guard  ftone  fixteen  inches  liigh,  to- 
keep  off  the  carriages,  and  it  might  alio  have  f.rved  the  purpofe 
of  horfe-blockb,  which   were   ver^    necefiary    for  the  ancients,, 
who  did  not  make  ule  of  ftirrups.     This  ftreet  is  much  narrower 
than  any  I  have  ieen ;   the    Appian  way  at  Puzzole  is  thirteen 
feet  feventeen  inches  wide  in  the  clear  of  the  horfe-way.     The 

tracks 


iS  Sir  William  Hamilton's  Account,   tic. 

tracks  of  the  wheels  of  the  carriages  are  worn  in  fome  parts  iiito 
the  pavement  of  Pompeii  four  inches  deep. 

w.  Paflage  to  the  keeper's  apartment. 

The  difpofition  of  this  temple  is  very  different  from  thofe 
defcribed  by  Vitruvius,  and  it  was  probably  built  on  the  plan 
fettled  for  the  Egyptian  worlhip.  By  the  fize  of  this  temple, 
it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  of  much  confequence ;  and 
indeed  in  the  infcrlption  it  is  only  called  the  Chapel  of  Ills. 

There  are  ruins  of  another  temple  at  Pompeii,  the  columns 
of  which  were  between  four  and  five  feet  diameter. 

Some  traces  of  a  deviation  from  the  original  plan  of  this 
temple  (when  it  was  rebuilt  by  N.  Popidius  Celfinus)  are 
vifible  :  the  columns  do  not  all  ftand  in  their  original  fituation. 
Perhaps  the  archite6l  found  it  advifeable  to  give  a  different  dif- 
pofition to  the  inter-columnatlon  of  the  portico. 

In  an  appartment  near  the  temple  is  a  bronze-ring  fixed  into 
the  pavement  marked  t.  in  the  plan.  Perhaps  the  larger 
viftims,  offered  in  this  temple,  were  firfl:  flaughtered  in  that 
place ;  and  the  parts,  or  whole  of  the  beaft,  were  carried 
from  thence  '  to  the  altars ;  which  was  not  the  cafe  at  the 
temple  of  Serapis  at  Puzzole,  where  the  rings,  to  which  the 
viaims  were  tied,  are  ftill  to  be  feen  in  the  pavement  of  that 
very  magnificent  temple. 


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