Mmediately upon my Arrival at Rome I took a View of St. Peters, and the ·Rotunda, leaving the reft 'till my Return from Naples, when I fhould have time and leifure enough to confider what I faw. St. Peters feldom anfwers Expectation at first entering it, but enlarges it felf on all Sides infenfibly, and mends upon the Eye every Moment. The Proportions are fo very well obferv'd, that nothing appears to an Advantage, or diftinguishes it felf above the reft. It seems neither extreamly high, nor long, nor broad, because it is all of 'em in a juft Equality, As on the contrary in our Gothic Cathedrals, the Narrowness of the Arch makes it rife in Heigt, or run out in Length; the Lownefs often opens it in Breadth, or the Defectiveness of fome other Particular makes any fingle Part ap

pear

Tho' every

pear in greater Perfection. thing in this Church is admirable, the most aftonishing part of it is the Cupola. Upon my going to the Top of it I was furpriz'd to find that the Dome, which we fee in the Church is not the farme that one looks upon without Doors, the last of 'em being a kind of Cafe to the other, and the Stairs lying betwixt 'em both, by which one afcends into the Ball. Had there been only the outward Dome, it would not have fhown it felf to an Advantage to those that are in the Church; or had there only been the inward one, it would scarce have been feen by thofe that are without; had they both been one folid Dome of fo great a Thickness, the Pillars would have been too weak to have fupported it. After having furvey'd this Dome, I went to fee the Rotunda, which is generally faid to have been the Model of it. This Church is at prefent fo much chang'd from the ancient Pantheon as Pliny has defcrib'd it, that fome have been inclin'd to think it is not the fame Temple; but the Cavalier Fontana has abundantly fatisfy'd the World in this Particular, and fhown how the ancient Figure, and Ornaments of the Pantheon, have been chang'd into what they are at prefent. This Author, who is now esteem'd the best of the Roman Archite&s. has lately written a Treatife on Vefpafian's Amphitheater, which is not yet Printed. After having feen thefe Two MasterP 3

pie

pieces of Modern and ancient Architecture, I have often confider'd with my self, whether the ordinary Figure of the Heathen, or that of the Chriftian Temples be the most beautiful, and the most capable of Magnificence, and can't forbear thinking the Crofs Figure more proper for fuch fpacious Buildings than the Rotund. I muft confefs the Eye is better fill'd at first entering the Rotund, and takes in the whole Beauty and Magnificence of the Temple at one view. But fuch as are built in the Form of a Crofs, give us a greater Variety of Noble Profpects. Nor is it eafie to conceive a more glorious Show in Architecture, than what a Man meets with in St. Peters, when he ftands under the Dome. If he looks upward he is aftonish'd at the fpacious Hollow of the Cupola, and has a Vault on every fide of him, that makes one of the beautifulleft Viftes that the Eye can poffibly pass thro'. I know that fuch as are profefs'd Admirers of the Ancients will find abundance of Chimerical Beauties, that the Architects themselves never thought of, as one of the most Famous of the Moderns in that Art tells us, the Hole in the Rotunda is fo admirably contriv'd, that it makes those who are in the Temple look like Angels, by diffufing the Light equally on all fides of 'em.

In all the old High-ways, that lead from Rome, one fees feveral little Ruins on each fide of 'em, that were formerly fo many

Se

Sepulchres; for the ancient Romans generally bury'd their Dead near the great Roads.

Quorum Flaminiâ tegitur cinis atque Latină.

I. L. I.

None, but fome few of a very extraordinary Quality, being permitted to lay their Athes within the Walls of the City.

Our Chriftian Epitaphs, that are to be feen only in Churches, or Church-Yards, begin often with a Sifle Viator. Viator precare falutem, &c. probably in Imitation of the old Roman Infcriptions, that generally addrefs'd themselves to the Travellers; as it was impoffible for 'em to enter the City, or to go out of it without paffing thro one of these melancholy Roads, that for a great Lenght was nothing else but a Street of Funeral Monuments.

In my way from Rome to Naples I found nothing fo remarkable as the Beauty of the Country, and the extream Poverty of its Inhabitants. It is indeed an amazing thing to fee the prefent Defolation of Italy, when one confiders what incredible Multitudes of People it abounded with during the Reigns of the Roman Emperors: And notwithstanding the Removal of the Imperial Seat, the Irruptions of the Earbarous Nations, the Civil Wars of this Country, with the Hardships of its feveral Government, one can scarce imagine how fo plentiful a Soil

should

fhould become fo miferably unpeopled in Comparison of wat it once was. We may reckon, by a very moderate Computation, more Inhabitants in the Campania of Old Rome, than are now in all Italy. And if we could number up those prodigious Swarms of People that had fettled themselves in every Part of this delightful Country, I queftion not but they would amount to more than can be found, at prefent, in any Six Parts of Europe of the fame Extent. This Defolation appears no where greater than in the Pope's Territories, and yet there are feveral Reasons. that would make a Man expect to fee thefe Dominions the best regulated, and most flourishing of any other in Europe. Their Prince is generally a Man of Learning and Virtue, mature in Years and Experience, who has feldom any Vanity or Pleasure to gratific at his People's Expence, and is neither encumber'd with Wife, Children or Miftreffes; not to mention the fuppos'd Sanctity of his Character, that obliges him in a more particular manner to confult the Good and Happiness of Mankind. The Direction of Church and State are lodg'd entirely in his own Hands, fo that his Government is naturally free from thofe Prineiples of Faction and Divifion that are mix'd in the very Compofition of most others. His Subjects are always ready to fall in with his Defigns, and are more at his Difpofal than any others of the most

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