was carrying, moft probably, a fmall The three ftatues which were firft At the Villa (near the fquare) the Abbe mentions (among others) a fmall room detached from the house which admitted no light, where was found a picture reprefenting ferpents. He conjectures that this place was defigned for the Eleafinian myfteries, and what ferves to confirm this conjecture is, that there was found in that room a very beautiful tripod of copper gilt. The paintings are not, properly fpeaking, in water colours, but in Dif temper, the first being mixed up with E gum, whereas the other is with fize and water, and thereby fitted for large works. As it was thought at first that they were all in Frefco, they were imprudently varnifhed, fo that it is no longer poffible to diftinguish the manner and the methods that the antient artifts employed in executing them. The finest of these represents female dancers, and the Centaurs on a dark ground; "they are," fays our elegant author, "as light as thought, and as beautiful as it they had been *fketched by the hand of the graces." He has almost as high an opinion of two G other pieces, a young Satyr attempting to kifs a nymph, and an old Faun e namoured of an Hermaphrodite. By his account, nothing can be conceived" more voluptuous, or painted with' more art, As to the fruit and flower pieces, he thinks, that in that way nothing was ever more finished. But I if fuch beautiful paintings were found The Cartoons of Raphael (fo called from heir being on paper) are executed in this on the walls of the houses, what must have been the pictures? Four of thefe choice pictures were found at Stabia, leaning against the wall of an apartment, two and two, which were moft evidently brought from fome other place, perhaps from Greece, in order to be hung up in that room, if the eruption of Vesuvius had not happened. This important difcovery was made about the end of 1761. Thefe four pictures are thought fuperior to any thing that has been hitherto produced: The Abbe Winckelman has described them in his Hiftory of the Art among the Greeks, a tranflation of which (into French) is impatiently expected. Jofeph Guerra, the Venetian, who counterfeited the paintings of Hercula neum, is lately dead. This impofture has deceived the beft judges, and, if we believe our author, the Count de Caylus himself; but the editor, by re. ferring to his Collection of Antiquities, Vol. IV. proves that that noble con noiffeur was the first who exclaimed against the cheats of Guerra. The leaves of the Papyrus, or Egyp tian Reed, on which the MSS are written, are fingle, thinner than those of a poppy, laid one upon the other, and rolled either upon themselves, or round a tube. It was that, no doubt, which the ancients called umbilicam, the novel of a book, either because this tube was in the center of the roll, as the navel is in the middle of the belly, or be cause that which appeared on the outfide resembled it. For this reafon, adumbilicum aducare, was used to fignify a writing ready to be rolled up, and ad umbilicum pervenire, the having finished the reading of a book. One of thefe rolls may be feen in the ad plate of the ad Vol. of the paintings of Herculaneum, where it is in the hands of the mufe Clio. Philodemus the Epicurean, fome of whose works have been found, was contemporary with Cicero. Some ink was discovered in an inkhorn at Herculaneum. It appeared like a fat oil, with which one might fill write. As to unrolling the MSS, no man was ever more dexterous than Father Piaggi, nor can any thing be more in genious than the machine which he employs, and of which there is a de fcription in Mr Winckleman's letter. But his procefs is very tedious, and. Jequires infinite patience. He is four or five hours unrolling the breadth of an inch, and a month in arriving in that of a foot. Our learned Abbe, therefore, has good reafon for wifhing that he would felect fome of the MSS, and that, when he has begun to open one whofe fubject feems uninterefting, he would day it by for a time, and proceed to the discovery of fomething better. What pleasure, for inftance, would it be, to find, amidst fo many MSS. A those books that are loft of Diodorus, the history of Theopompus, and of Eporus, or, rather, the judgment of Ariftotle on dramatic poetry, the tragedies that are wanting of Sophocles or Euripides; the comedies of Menander and Alexis; the treatifes on architecture, the rules B of fymmetry, of Pamphylus, a work composed for painters? in thefe withes, no doubt, all the literary world will most ardently join; and it is evident, that, in fpite of F. Piaggi's dexterity and affiduity, his work must be attended with many inconveniences. c Befides the trouble of unrolling, he must copy the Greek, which he does not understand, and afterwards muft write it over fair. The Abbe concludes with an account of the difpofition of the cabinet of Portici, where he lays they have begun to make models in plaiiter of the D fineft ftatues, in order to fend them to Spain. He fubjoins to this account fome criticisms, which certainly will not be much relifhed by the academiCians at Naples. Foreigners will have a better opinion of them, and, above all, they will not forget the promise which the author has made the public in these remarkable words: "I am in hopes that this letter, written in "the country, at Cafel Gandolfo, one of the most magnificent houses of "my mafter, and, I may fay, my friend his eminence Cardinal Al*bani, and, confequently, without the " help of any book, will one day become a more rational treatife; for I pro. ** mife myself the pleasure of reviewing thefe treafures from time to time, and perhaps I may begin it this autumn." I am, Sir, &c. D. D. Mr URBAN, London, Jan. 3, 1766. of December 1, a tea tree is fad to be lately imported from China toto France, and to be the Git ever teen in Europe. But this is too hally an allertion, as there were tes trees at Upfall before it; but England, I believe, may claim the priority, for in the year 77 39 there were tea upes in Caplan G Goff's (of the Eaß ludia company) garden at Enfield. In the year 1742. I visited this garden on purpose to see the tea-trees, and there I faw two fine trees in great profperity; the largest between three and four feet high, the other lets. The great one bloffomed annually, bearing a fingle white flower, like that of the wild briar rofe that bears the hipps. The gardener told me they were fo hardy as to require no more carethan an orange-tree; it is a beau tiful ever-grean, and, no doubt, will thrive well in Weft Florida, when some public spirits fhall arife that are zealous to improve their country*. At Capt. Goff's, befides the tea trees, there were fome farlet-gold cbina fifb, larger than any I have feen fince; and four most beautifully spotted Bengal deer. Thefe were both great rarities at that time, but are now grown common. In about the year 1725, China gold and filver fish were for the firit time thewn me at that great virtuofo's Sir Hans Sloan's, who had kept them fome years in a great china jar. I well remember when there were no spotted deer in any of our parks, the herds in all the parks that I faw being only our native fallow deer, a few white deer, and the very darkbrown, or black deer. This latt, it is faid, K. James the First brought over to Scotland from fome of the ter ritories of Denmark, or Norway, where he frequently indulged his favourite. diverfion of hunting, and thinking them a hardier kind, and likely to live with lefs care than our fallow-deer, he, foon after he was King of England, conveyed fome of them hither, and fettled them in his two chaces of Ep.. ping and Endfield; in the firit he allo placed a colony of itags, or red deer, heing natives of the North of Scotland,· and fome of the Western islands. The white deer, it is faid, came from. France; these mixing with the fallow and black deer, produced fome little variety. But the elegantly spotted mennil deer,now the great ornaments: of our parks, came from Bengal in the Eaft Indies. They were first brought by Mr Hamfon, governor of Fort St George, to his park at Balls near Hertjord, about the year 1720, and they have been fince brought by others, for I faw fome in penns, on board an Eaft There has been also a tea tree in Mr Cole's parden at Southend,near Br mley Villag India Lip, in the year 1742. As these have increased, the parks of the nobility and gentry have, by degrees, been ftocked with them; and, at this time, few are without those beautiful crea- A tures. I am, Sir, yours DAMANIANUS. Mr URBAN, Har-b-rb, Dec. 12, 1765. IN ded by Mr J. Lyon of Margate, this quere," From whence is derived the cuftom of putting up laurel, box, holly, or B "ivy, in churches at Chriftimas; and what "is the fignification thereof?' And in the Palladium for 1766, we are told, that it was answered by Nobody, Having employed fome thoughts on that fubject, I fhould be glad (by means of your Magazine) to offer to the confideration of the curious the following conjecture. It feems very probable that the origin or C Arft hint of the antient custom of dreffing our churches and houfes at Christmas with greens, was owing to, or taken from certain expreffions in the following prophecies of the coming of our Saviour: "Behold, the days come, faith the Lord, "that I will raife unto David a RIGHTE OUS BRANCH (1): For behold, I will D "bring forth my fervant the BRANCH (2) "Thus fpeaketh the Lord of Hofts, lay"ing, Behold the man whofe name is the "BRANCH, and he shall grow up out of "his place (3). At that time will I caufe "the BRANER of RIGHTEOUSNESS to E F grow up unto David (4). Thus faith "the Lord God, I will alfo take of the "highest BRANCH of the high cedar, and "will fet it; I will crop off from the top **of his young Twigs, a tender one, and "will plant it upon an high mountain, " and eminent. In the mountain of the "height of Irael will I plant it; and it "hall bring forth BoUGHS, and bear "fruit, and it fhall be a goodly cedar (5). "In that day fhall the BRANCH of the "Lord be beautiful and glorious (6). For "he fhall grow up before him as a tender "PLANT, and as a root out of a dry "ground (7); and the Lord shall reign o⚫ "ver them in mount Zion from henceforth " even for EVER (3). There fhall come "forth a rod out of the ftem of Jeffe, and "a BRANCH fhall grow out of his G "roots (9), which shall stand for an enfiga "of the people (to); and my fervant "David fhall be their Prince for E« VER(11).” For it must be allowed, that those passages and expreffions in which our Saviour is reprefented under the type of a branch, a righteous branch, a bougb, the branch of Jeremiah xxiii. 5. (2) Zechariab iii. H righteousness, who will reign for evet, &a in the above-mentioned clear and eminent prophecies, of his first appearance in the ftesh, upon earth, are, in a most lively manner, brought to our memories, and ftrongly alluded to by thofe branches and boughs of ever greens, &c. with which our churches and houses are adorned, whofe gay appearance and perpetual verdure in that dead feafon of the year, when all nature looks comfortless, dark and dreary, and when the rest of the vegetable world have lost their honours, does agreeably charm the unwearied beholder, and make a very fuitable appendage to the univerfal joy which always attends the annual commemoration of that holy festival. It is not at all unlikely, but that this cuftom was farther intended as an allufion, to thofe paffages of the Prophet Ijaiab, which foretell the felicities attending the coming of Chrift, viz. "The glory of Lebanon fhall come unto "thee, the FIR-TREZZ, the PINE TREE, and the Box together, to beautify the place "of my fanctuary, (Ifaiab Ix. 13.) Inftead "of the thorn, fhall come up the FIR"TREE, and instead of the brier fhall "come up the MYRTLE-TREE; & it fhall "be to the Lord for a name, for an ever « lafting fign that fhall not be cut off." I am, Sir, &c. GOTHIC P.S. I have met with another opinion concerning the origin of this ancient cuftom, which you have below, in the anonymous author's own words: "William of Malmbury, in his book of "Antiquities of Glaftonbury, affures us, that` "Frecupbus affirms, in the fourth chapter "of his fecond book, that Philip the A* poftle, preaching the word of God in "Gaul, which is now called France, chofe "out twelve of his difciples, whom he «fent to Britain, to preach the word of "life. He appointed over these, as chief, "Jofeph of Arimathea, his dear friend, "who buried our Lord. "Thefe, according to John Capgrave "who brings Milkin and Merlin for vouch"ers, came into this land in the year of "Cbrift's incarnation 36, in the time of "Arviragas, who gave to them the isle of "Avalon, where they built an oratory of "wrythen wands, or boughs, which was the firft Christian church, if one may so call it, which was erected in Britain. "We find this custom was followed in "the first times, in building the Christian "churches in Britain, of boughs; and I ❝am apt to think that the custom of a"dorning our churches at Cbrifimas, as well "as our houfes with ever-greens, proceedi "from what has been related.' Defence of fame Palages in MILTON'S Paradife Loft. In anjwer to Voltaire's Objections. Mr URBAN, A Opening their brazen folds, difcover wi Let us now hear M. Voltaire. "This "feat, (fays he) built for the parlia44 ment of devils, feems very prepof "terous; fince Satan had fummoned "them altogether, and haranguir g "them just before, in an ample field. "The council was receity, but where it was to be held was very "indifferent. The poet feems to de N the Year 1727, M. de Voltaire (being then in England) publithed at London two effays, one on the civil wars of France, and the other in Epic poetry; in both which, there are many things that deserve the attention of the reader. It were to be wished that the former effay was ge nerally read, as it gives fuch strong and flagrant proofs of the fatal and bloody effects of a blind zeal and fuB" perftitious fury. The author prettily fays, in excufe of his ftyle." It is "to be hoped the reader will look "with fome indulgence on the dic"tion of this effay, and pardon the "failings of one who has learned En glib but this Year. A nurse, "(continues he) is not displeased "with the ftammering articulations "of a child, who delivers to her "with much ado his first undigested "thoughts." C g This is fo reafonable an expectation that I believe no one has ever cavilled at the inaccuracies of his ftyle. But D the printer could fcarce make fo good an apology for disfiguring thele effays with fo many groís errors of the prefs, there being above 70 in the compafs of eight theets, bendes inif. pointings in almost every page. M. Voltaire's remarks on Milton are, in my opinion, rational and well ground. ed, except fome few which feem to me rather witty than juft, particularly his cenfure on the Pandemonium, and on the fallen fpirits contracting their forms, in the frßt book of Paradife Loft. In order to make a fair appeal to the reader, I will hit fet down the pallages objected to, in Milton's own words, with M, Voltaire's Frnique and then confider what may be tand in defence of thew. The firß passage is this: Aped out of the Earth a fabrics buge light in building this Pandamonium "in Doric order, with frieze and cor. "nice, and a roof of gold. Such a "contrivance favours more of the "wild fancy of our Father Le Moine, "than of the ferious fpirit of Milton." Since Mr Voltaire owns " it was in"different where the council was "held," why might it not be fummoned in the Pandemonium as well as in the field? And, confequently, what reafon can there be to charge this invention as prepofterous? In or der to prove this, it fhould be fhown that there is fome abfurdity in it; which is denied. The council might indeed have been harangued a fecond time in the open field; but then we fhould have loft this magnificent defcription (which is not inferior to any thing in Homer or Virgil of the like kind) and all the beauties which this noble fiction gave Milion an oppoštu» nity of inferting. The fecond passage objected to, is that of the vulgar fellen fpirits, confretting the dimentions of their fub#lance. The whole in Milton 1014 thus, --- As bres In spring-time, when the fun with Tourus H Intent, with jotund mufic charm his ear; Tho' without number fill, amidst the hall I appeal to the reader, whether there extravagant tales. And to crown "all, Satan, and the chief lords pre"ferving their own monftrous forms, "while the rabble of the devils fhrink into pigmies, heightens the ridi. D "cule of the whole contrivance to an inexpreffible degree. Methinks, "the true criterion for difcerning "what is really ridiculous in an Epic "poem, is to examine if the fame' thing would not fit exactly the "Mock Heroick Then I dare fay, "that nothing is fo adapted to that "ludicrous way of writing as the me"tamorphofis of the devils into "dwarfs." This puts me in mind of what M. Voltairs himself, fays in another place! "Nothing is more common than au"thors who mangle Homer and Virgil, in their own productions, without fufpecting that the very things "which are to be admired in Virgil, "may be ridiculous in them." But to answer more particularly; First, what is here ascribed to the fallen an. Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they A Secondly, Milton feems to have in- gels is not impoflible, according to E G |