The same morning I visited the antient cirque of this city, a large oblong space flanked on three sides with the houses of the city, and on the fourth with the walls of the _mosque_ of _Sultan Achmét_. Therein stand three pillars, the first of square stone, formerly covered with gilded brass, at the end of the cirque, and supposed to have been the goal of the _stadium_. It now declines much, having suffered greatly by time, and openings in the several joints of the stones. The second pillar is of wreathed brass, not above twelve feet high, lately terminated at the top with figures of three serpents rising from the pillar, and with their necks and heads forming a beautiful triangle. But this monument was rudely broken from the top of the pillar by some attendants of the late Polish ambassador, whose lodgings were appointed in this cirque, opposite to the said pillar[69]. The third pillar is a long square stone, or obelisk, decreasing gradually from its basis, till it ends almost in a point. The matter is granate, or Theban marble; and each side is engraven with birds, beasts, and other hieroglyphical figures[70]. This had once lain upon the ground, and, as we may conceive from the inscriptions, a considerable time; till _Theodosius_ erected it on a large and square basis, adorned on each side with various images; and having fixt on the top of this basis four brass supporters, on these he set the aforesaid hieroglyphical Theban column. There is a Latin inscription on one side of the basis, and a Greek one on the other, importing what I here mention concerning the erection of the pillar. The Greek runs thus: ΚΙΟΝΑ ΤΕΤΡΑΠΛΕΥΡΟΝ ΑΕΙ ΧΘΟΝΙ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟΝ ΑΧΘΟϹ ΜΟΥΝΟϹ ΑΝΑϹΤΗϹΑΙ ΘΕΥΔΟϹΙΟϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ ΤΟΛΜΗϹΑϹ ΠΡΟΚΛΟϹ[71] ΕΠΕΚΕΚΛΕΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΟϹΟϹ ΕϹΤΗ ΚΙΩΝ ΗΕΛΙΟΙϹ ΕΝ ΤΡΙΑΚΟΝΤΑ ΔΥΩ The Latin thus: DIFFICILIS QVONDAM DOMINIS PARERE SERENIS IVSSVS ET EXTINCTIS PALMAM PORTARE TYRANNIS OMNIA THEODOSIO CEDVNT SOBOLIQVE PERENNI[72] TER DENIS SIC VICTVS EGO DOMITVSQVE DIEBVS[73] The remaining verse, mentioned by Sir _George Sandys_, is now covered in the ground[74]. April xxii.