Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great BritainStukeley, William
History
Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great Britain
Stukeley, William
Great Britain -- Antiquities -- Early works to 1800; Great Britain -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
mouth like them at Persepolis, a dog’s head on one angle, and lions
on the other: upon it are busts and heads: over that is a portal of
a monumental stone, with a woman and two children, the tomb of some
player, with fine bassos of masks, the busto of the deceased; four
Genii; two lions devouring horses, finely cut: over it a priestess by
the side of a temple: eight round altars or pedestals adorned with
bulls heads, festoons, &c. which stand upon the piers of the stairs:
upon and about them are other antiquities, such as the bottom part of
Scylla; three monsters like dogs devouring three men; a receiver for an
urn. Cupid asleep lies upon this.
On the north side the front of the house, a tomb; another capital of
a horse’s head, &c. over it a basso of Venus riding on a sea-horse, a
Cupid driving; a lion over it; two Cupids, _alto relievo_: some busts
over the windows; a young Nero, Faunus, &c.
At the south end of the house, on the ground, an old headless statue;
upon the basement, a tomb of a boy wrought in channel-work, his busto
in basso upon it: over the windows a small statue; a woman with a child
in her arms; a tomb; another capital from the temple of Apollo at
Delos; a Greek mask.
Next let us descend into the garden along the middle walk. In the
parterres about the fountain stand four Greek statues very intire,
bigger than the life, of most admirable art: they are dressed in
matron-like robes, or outer garments, in most comely folds, yet cut
so exquisitely, that the folds of the inner drapery appear, and the
whole shape of the body, as if transparent: they cannot be sufficiently
commended. Between them and the house on the south side, is that
celebrated statue of Cicero intire, with his _sudarium_ in his right,
and a scroll in his left hand: the sight of the eyes is cut hollow. I
could not possibly excuse my self half a quarter of an hour’s serious
view of this master-piece, frequently going round it: where so much
seeming simplicity of the carver, has called forth all the fire of that
divine genius that could make statues hear, as this artist has made
them speak, and left an eternal monument of contention between him and
the great orator: it grieved me to think it should stand a day longer
in the open air. Answering to this on the left, is another statue of
more robust shape and workmanship: his left hand holds a scroll, his
right is laid in a passionate manner upon his breast: if sinewy muscles
denote one that worked on the anvil, it may possibly be Demosthenes.
The two next that correspond beyond the fountain, are Scipio Africanus
and Asiaticus, in an heroic dress. Beyond, on each side the steps
going down to the lower garden, are two _colossi_, Fabius Maximus the
cunctator, and Archimides with a square in his hand. At each end of
this cross-walk, or terrace, which terminates the middle or principal
one, is built a handsome stone-work with niches and pediment supported
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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