at each extremity is in the same level with the elevated part of the walk. Though these seats in other amphitheatres abroad were made of stone or marble, yet they were generally covered with boards, because more wholesome; and that sometimes covered with cushions for the better sort. Dion Cassius tells us, this piece of nicety was first brought in by Caligula, who gave cushions to the senators seats, that they might not sit upon the bare boards, and _Thessalic_ caps to keep them from the sun. The vulgar had mats made of reeds. I think we may well infer from hence, that the seats in our amphitheatre were covered too with plank, if not made wholly of it. The _præcinctiones_, or, as Vitruvius sometimes calls them in Greek, _diazomata_, which commentators make a difficulty about, to me seem only balustrades, because he orders them to be as high as the breadth of the walk along them: beside that upon the _podium_, here might possibly be one upon the inner edge of the terrace which separated between the soldiers and the women. The _area_ in the middle was commonly called _arena_, from the sand it was strown over with, for the better footing of the combatants, and to drink up the blood: this again by intervals was fresh strown, or raked over, to prevent slipperiness; for if, instead thereof, the pavement had been brick or stone, it would have proved highly inconvenient. Hence this word became a common appellation of an amphitheatre, and most of those beyond sea are still called _arena_. As for the present name of _Maumbury_, perhaps it comes corrupted from the old British word _mainge_, signifying _scamnum_, _scabellum_, the same as our bench, from the multitude of seats therein; the remains of which in former times might very plausibly give occasion to such an appellation. Or is it not equivalent to the heathen _bury_, from the memory of these pagan sports therein celebrated? as our ancestors used to call heathenism by the general name of _maumetry_, corrupted from _mahometism_: of this my friend Robert Stephens, esq; J. C. first gave me the hint. Thus in Trevisa’s translation of _Polychronicon_, XIV. 18. p. 175. “Julianus had commaunded that crysten knyghtes sholde do sacrefyce to _mawmettes_,” meaning heathen idols. Or is it from the old-fashioned games of _mummings_, so frequent among us, derived from _Mimus_ or _Momus_? The _Mimi_ were frequently introduced into all shows, at theatres, amphitheatres, circs, &c. Or perhaps in the same sense it is to be understood as in Oxfordshire they call land _maum_, consisting of a mixture of white clay and chalk, Plot’s hist. p. 240. The _area_ was originally about 140 feet diameter the shortest way, 220 the longest; wherein it falls not much short of the compass of the most considerable ones. The famous amphitheatre at Verona but 233, and 136; and the vast _Colisæum_ at Rome is but 263, 165; but, I believe, as reckoned by a larger measure, the French foot. That at