church. It was of white marble, and the floor Mofaic. The fite is now occupied by another church, a recent and mean ftructure; and there are fragments of columns and marbles lying in and about it. The Mofaic pavement, Dr. Chandler fays, was ordinary, much broken, and covered with dirt, fwarming, as the travellers experienced, with large fleas. A fkull or two, and fome human bones, were fcattered on it. They found there an Ionic capital with marks of the compaffes ufed in forming the volute.

Beneath the Eleufinium, in a rocky dell, is a small church with fome buildings, and trees, and veftiges of the fountain. Callirhoe, the fame which, after Pififtratus had furnished it with nine pipes, obtained the name of Enneacrunus. This was without the gate of Diochares, and near the Lyceum; the water copious, clear, and fit to drink. The current is now conveyed into the town, and only the holes, at which it iffued into the cistern, remain.

In one of the dialogues of Plato, Socrates is represented as meeting Phædrus, who was going from a houfe by the temple of Jupiter Olympius toward the Lycéum, which was without the city. Perceiving, as they walked, that he had a book in his left hand, under his garment, Socrates propofed turning out of the road, and fitting down by the Iliffus. Phædrus confents, pointing to a lofty plane tree as a proper place; and obferving, that as both had their feet naked, it would not be dif agreeable to wet them, efpecially at that time of the year and day. The converfation changes to a local ftory, that Boreas had carried off Orithyia, daughter of Erectheus, as he was fporting by the Iliffus, not by the fountain, but two or three ftadia lower down, where was the croffing over to go to the temple of Diana Agræa, and where was the altar of Boreas. On their arrival at the chofen fpot, Socrates admires it, like a ftranger or one rarely ftirring out of the city into the hilly country round about. He praifes the large and tall tree; the thicket of Agnus Caftus, high and fhady, then in full flower and fragrant; the cool delicious fountain running near, with the girls by it, and the images, which made it feem a temple of the Nymphs and Achelous; the grateful and fweet air; the fhrill fummer-chorus of locuits; and the elegance of verdure, prepared as it were to meet the reclining head,

The vicinity of Enneacrunus has ceased to deserve encomiums like thofe bestowed on it by Socrates, fince it has been deprived of the wafte water of the fountain, which chiefly nourished the herbage and the plane-tree. The marble-facing and the images are removed; and the place is now dry, except a pool at the foot of the rock, down which the iliffus commonly trickles. The water, which overflows after rain, is used by a currier, and is often offenfive. The church in this dell occupies,

it is probable, the fite of the altar of the Mufes, to whom among other deities, the Iliffus was facred. One lower down ftands perhaps where Boreas had an altar. This God was be lieved to have affifted the Athenians in the Perfian war, and was on that account honoured with a temple. By the Iliffus Codrus was flain.'

The next objects which prefent them felves on following the courfe of the Iliffus from Enneacrunus, are the theatre of Bacchus and the Odéum at a distance on the right hand. The intermediate plain, which made part of the Ceramicus within, the city, has in feveral places the fcattered ftones and rubbish, of its former edifices. By the bed of the river are fome maffes, of brick-work and traces of building; with a folitary church founded on a fmall rock. Farther on is the mountainous range lying before the acropolis, of which the portion next. to the Iliffus was called the Muféum, from Mufæus, a difciple of Orpheus, who was faid to have died in that place. The path of the wall which afcended the hill, may yet be feen, when the ground is free from corn and herbage.

In the fide of the rock of the Muféum next to the Ilius, proceeds our author, are the fepulchres, which we noted in our way from the Piræus. Some time after Solon, it was enacted at Athens, that no fepulchre thould have more labour bestowed on it than could be performed by ten men in three days; that the roof fhould be plain; and that no Hermæ or Mercurial ftatues fhould be allowed. Thefe perhaps are of a remoter an tiquity, and were defigned for no vulgar tenants; but, though manfions of the illuftrious dead, they have long fince been stripped of their marble-facings and ornaments, and are now open, and defiled; ferving chiefly to fhelter cattle from the

fun.

We now enter the valley at the foot of the hill of the acropolis, in which is a track leading between pnyx and the Areopagus, toward the temple of Thefeus. This region was called Cole, or the Hollow. On the left hand is a gap in the mountain, where, it is believed, was the Melitenfian gate; and within, is a fepulchre or two in the rock. Going on, other fepulchres hewn in the fide of the mountain, like thofe firit mentioned, occur; and here again we may regret that no friendly infcription informs us of their respective owners; but thefe were named The Cimonian fepulchres. Herodotus relates,

that the fepulchre of Cimon, father of Militades, was fronting the acropolis, beyond the way called Through Cale; and that near him were interred his mares, which had obtained for him three victories at Olympia. Cimon, fon of Militades, died in Cyprus, and Thucydides the hiftorian was flain in Thrace ; but the relics of each were tranfported to the burying-place of their family. The fepulchre of Thucydides was by that of

El

Elpinice, the fifter of Cimon, in Cale, not far from the Melitenfian gate, and in it was a ftela or column infcribed "Thucydides fon of Olorus, of Alimus." There also was shown tomb of Herodotus

The afcent to the brow is farther on the left hand, beyond Pnyx; and by the track are small channels, already mentioned, cut in the rock, perhaps to receive libations. From that eminence, on which the Perfians, and before them the Amazons. encamped near the Areopagus, the Venetians battered the acro. polis with four mortars and fix pieces of cannon in 1687, when the roof of the Parthenon was deftroyed. This event was remembered by a little old man living at Athens, who conducted me to a ruined windmill above Pnyx as ftanding on or near the fpot from which the bomb was thrown.'

VIII. A View of the Internal Evidence of the Chriflian Religion. By Soame Jenyns, Efq. Small 8vo. 2s. ferved. Dodfley.

F Chriftianity had been an imposture, it could never have maintained its credit for almoft eighteen hundred years, or ftood the test of the most acute and accurate examinations of friends and enemies, of wits and infidels, critics and philofophers of all denominations; fome fundamental defect, fome irreconcileable contradiction, or fome grofs abfurdity must have been discovered. But this is fo far from being the cafe, that the more it is confidered, the more it convinces; every new enquiry produces new light, new evidence; and from every fresh attack it gains an additional triumph.

The author of this treatife is a writer, whofe opinion may have a very confiderable weight with the generality of readers; and especially with fuperficial fceptics. For he affures them, that he is no enthufiaft; that he once perhaps believed as little as themselves; but that having fome leifure, and more curiofity, he employed them both in refolving a queftion, which feemed to him of fome importance, whether Christianity was really an impofture founded on an abfurd, incredible, and obfolete fable, as many fuppofe it. Or whether it is, what it pretends to be, a revelation communicated to mankind by the interpofition of fupernatural power? On a candid enquiry, he fays, he foon found, that the firft was an abfolute impoffibility; and that its pretenfions to the latter were founded on the moft folid grounds. He adds, that, in this investigation, he perceived at every ftep, new lights arifing, and fome of the brighteft from parts of it the moft obfcure, but productive of the cleareft proofs, becaufe equally beyond the power of human artifice to invent, and human reafon to difcover.

In pursuance of his defign he states and explains the following propofitions.

First, that there is now extant a book intitled the New Teftament.

Secondly, that from this book may be extracted a fyftem of religion intirely new, both with regard to the object and the doctrines, not only infinitely fuperior to, but unlike every thing, which had ever before entered into the mind of man.

Thirdly, that from this book may likewife be collected a fyftem of ethicks, in which every moral precept founded on reafon is carried to a higher degree of purity and perfection, than in any other of the wifeft philofophers of preceeding ages; every moral precept founded on falfe principles is totally omitted, and many new precepts added peculiarly correfponding with the new object of this religion.'

The first propofition is undeniable.

In illuftrating the fecond, the author obferves, that the object of the Chriftian religion is entirely new; and is this: to prepare us by a state of probation for the kingdom of heaven. This, he fays, is every where profeffed by Chrift and his apoftles to be the chief end of the Chriftian's life, the crown for which he is to contend, the goal to which he is to run, the harveft which is to pay him for all his labours; yet previous to their preaching, no fuch prize was propofed to mankind, nor any means prefcribed for the attainment of it.

But although this object, and the principle on which it is founded were new, and perhaps undifcoverable by reason, yet when discovered, they are fo confonant to it, that we cannot but readily affent to them. For the truth of this principle, that the prefent life is a flate of probation, and education to prepare us for another, is confirmed by every thing which we fee around us it is the only key which can open to us the defigns of Providence in the economy of human affairs, the only clue, which can guide us through that pathlefs wilderness, and the only plan on which this world could poffibly have been formed, or on which the hiftory of it can be comprehended or explained. It could never have been formed on a plan of happiness: because it is every where overspread with innumerable miseries; nor of mifery, because it is interfperfed with many enjoyments: it could not have been conflituted for a fcene of wildom and virtue, because the hiftory of mankind is little more than a detail of their follies, and wickednefs: nor of vice, becaufe that is no plan at all, being deftructive of all existence, and confequently of its own: but on this fyftem all that we here meet with, may be easily accounted for; for this mixture of happinefs and mifery, of virtue and vice, neceffarily refults from a ftate of probation and education; as probation implies trials,

fuf

fufferings, and a capacity of offending, and education a propriety of chaftifement for thofe offences.'

In the next place he obferves, that the doctrines of this religion are equally new with the object; and contain ideas of God and of man, of the prefent and of a future life, and of the relations, which all thefe bear to each other, totally unheard of, and quite diffimilar from any, which had ever been thought of previous to its publication. He then informs us, what these new doctrines are.

No other, fays he, ever drew fo just a portrait of the worthleffness of this world, and all its purfuits, nor exhibited fuch diftin&t, lively and exquifite pictures of the joys of another; of the refurrection of the dead, the last judgment, and the triumphs of the righteous in that tremendous day," when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality." No other has ever reprefented the fupreme Being in the character of three perfons united in one God. No other has attempted to reconcile thofe feeming contradictory but both true propofitions, the contingency of future events, and the foreknowledge of God, or the free will of the creature with the over-ruling grace of the Creator. No other has fo fully declared the neceflity of wickedness and punishment, yet fo effectually instructed individuals to refift the one, and to escape the other no other has ever pretended to give any account of the depravity of man, or to point out any remedy for it: no other has ventured to declare the unpardonable nature of fin without the influence of a mediatorial interpofition, and a`vicarious atonement from the fufferings of a fuperior Being. Whether these wonderful doctrines are worthy of our belief muft depend on the opinion, which we entertain of the authority of thole, who published them to the world; but certain it is, that they are all fo far removed from every track of the human imagination, that it feems equally impoffible, that they should ever have been derived from the knowledge, or the artifice of man.'

This is our author's fyftem of theology; but we beg leave to afk, how we come to know, that there are three perfons united in one God, if we are not informed (and he says we are not) whether this union does, or does not imply equality ?' Where does our Saviour, or his apostles, attempt to reconcile the contingency of future events with the fore-knowledge of God; or advance any fentiment, refpecting the divine omnifcience, more comprehenfive than what we find in the 139th Pfalm? Where do they reprefent the grace of God, as overruling the powers of the mind? How is it pothible to reconcile the necefity of wickedness and punishment, with effectual inftructions to refift the one, and escape the other? Where do the writers of the New Teftament deduce our depravity from

he