Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

by Mr. Challis, a young artist destined to rise in his profession. The plan of a Roman House intended to give some idea of the disposition of the several apartments round a court,

While fancy brings the vanish'd piles to view,
And builds imaginary Rome anew,

is copied from an edition of Vitruvius, published at Venice in 1511.

Numerous works relative to the important discoveries at Pompeii, have already made the subject familiar to most persons. These, and the books of Civil Architecture by Vitruvius, are extensive stores of information; but the chief source has been the description of a Roman House, published at Paris under the title of the Palace of Scaurus. For the use of

a faithful translation, containing valuable notes by Mr. Michael Jones, who is no less distinguished by refined taste, than by extensive acquaintance with classical literature, the author is under great obligation to that gentleman, as well as for the means of reference to many books in his valuable library. The numerous quotations and references by notes in this essay, will sufficiently evince the author's desire to do ample justice to his very interesting subject.

November 1st, 1833.

[blocks in formation]

THE

ROMAN VILLAS

OF

THE AUGUSTAN AGE.

IN the early times of the Republic, the Romans strictly confined themselves to what was useful, even in their public works: it was only during the reigns of the Emperors that they began to give to the Temples of the Gods an air of magnificence by the regularity of their architectural disposition '.

Before the war with Pyrrhus, which happened four hundred and seventy years after

Strabo, lib. 5.

B

« FöregåendeFortsätt »