sent into the capitol.-Mr. Holdsworth (author of the Muscipula, then at Rome.)

The arch of the bridge, built by Augustus at Narni, is a semicircle (as all the old Roman arches are); it measures one hundred and ten feet on the surface of the water.-H.

The Italian noblemen have been so fond of getting the old Roman milestones to set before the entrance of their houses, and the collectors of antiquities are so wrong-headed, that between them, they have not left any two standing together, in their old places, all over Italy; to determine exactly how much the Roman mile was. The taking the first milestone from its proper spot to place it in the capitol, has something of the same Gothicism or ignorance in it too.-H.

The three most celebrated triumphal arches in Italy, are all either Trajan's, or ornamented from Trajan's.-H. [He had been speaking of those at Ancona and Benevento, and that of Constantine at Rome.-Spence.]

The amphitheatre of Vespasian is raised four stories high; and is adorned all round on the outside with four different degrees of pillars; Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. It is an oblong of eight hundred and twenty Roman palms, by seven hundred; and the height of it is two hundred and twenty-two. There were places in it for eighty-seven thousand persons. They formerly ascended by three steps to it; but they are now hid by the raising of the ground. There was no cement used in the whole building, but the stones are cramped together with lead and pieces of iron.-H.

They still use the method, so much recommended by Virgil, of burning the stubble, especially in the more barren fields, in most parts of Italy; and about Rome in particular,

H

where there is so much bad ground. The smoke is very troublesome when they do it, and there had been so many complaints made of it, that Clement the Eleventh resolved to forbid the practice. When the order was laid before that pope to be signed by him, a cardinal (who happened to be with his holiness) spoke much of the use of it; showed him the passage in Virgil:* and the pope on reading it changed his mind, and rejected the order.-H.

"Our religion is not founded upon reason," said the Bishop of Arles, speaking of the religion of the church of Rome. That great prelate had the goodness to attempt (in a quarter of an hour's visit) to bring us over to the love of popery, and of a popish prince. When he found that we held steady to our principles all that time, he pitied us very much, and was extremely sorry that such fine and such promising young gentlemen would shut their eyes thus against the light, when it was offered to them: he lamented pathetically over us, and begged us again to consider all that he had offered to us. If we did not, he said, it shocked him to think of the sad consequence that could not but follow from our continuing in the way we were in: " for you Protestants (added he), when you die, all fall down into hell, as the flakes of snow fall upon the earth in the winter season."-Spence.

Malherbe was the first good poet among the French; and Rousseau is allowed by everybody to be their best now. * Virg. Georg. i. 84–93.

"Notre religion n'est pas fondée sur les raisonnements," were his words. Mr. Spence has evidently mistaken the import of the word raisonnements.-Editor.

"Quand vous venez à mourir, vous tomberez en enfer; comme les flocs de neige tombent sur la terre dans le tems de l'hyver."

-Fontenelle has been the great corrupter of the French language; and the more from his writing with so much wit. Numbers endeavour to imitate him, take the same liberties with the language, and aim at nothing but to shine.— Ramsay.

While Marshal Turenne was saying some very fine and very humane things, just after the battle of Retel; the Prince de Conde said: "What signifies moralizing so much about the matter, since one night at Paris will make it all up again?”—R.

Pope and Boileau are certainly the two best poets of all the moderns. They both write extremely well; but I should prefer Pope to Boileau, because he excels in what is most material in the character of a poet. Boileau writes more correctly, and better than Pope; but Pope thinks more nobly, and has much more of the true spirit of poetry than Boileau.-R. [This had the more weight with me, because Dr. Cocchi, and other good judges I met with on the continent, agreed in this sentiment throughout, though they might express it in other words.]-Spence.

The Pretender's eldest son had been taught, by his nurses, to be extremely terrified whenever it lightened. They had used to shut up all the windows, and run into corners with him to avoid the sight of it. When Ramsay was made his tutor, he resolved to take off so bad an impression. Whenever there was a storm, he would fling up the sashes, and hold him there, forcing him to face the lightning. By this means, he in some time conquered his prejudices so far, that at last the boy came even to delight in looking at the lightning. He would run to the window, fling it up himself, and seemed to be diverted with the flashes

instead of afraid of them. Somebody had told Cardinal Alberoni of this; and the next time he saw Ramsay, he complimented him upon it before a good deal of company. "You do well, M. Ramsay (said he), you must teach him to fear nothing; neither man, nor the devil, nor God himself-for, (added he, in a lower voice and graver air, on observing the company seemed shocked at what he had said) as to the good God, we ought to love him, not to fear him."-From a friend of Ramsay's.

* Vous faites très bien, Monsieur Ramsay. Il faut l'apprendre à ne rien craindre; ni les hommes, ni le Diable, ni Dieu même. car-pour le bon Dieu-il faut l'aimer, et non pas le craindre.

END OF SECTION III.

SPENCE'S ANECDOTES.

SECTION IV. 1734-36.

HE famous Lord Hallifax (though so much talked of) was rather a pretender to taste, than really possessed of it.-When I had finished the two or three first books of my translation of the Iliad, that lord "desired to have the pleasure of hearing them read at his house."-Addison, Congreve, and Garth, were there at the reading.-In four or five places, Lord Hallifax stopped me very civilly; and with a speech, each time much of the same kind: "I beg your pardon, Mr. Pope, but there is something in that passage that does not quite please me.-Be so good as to mark the place, and consider it a little more at your leisure.

-I am sure you can give it a better turn."—I returned from Lord Hallifax's with Dr. Garth,* in his chariot; and

* This is lengthened from the short hints in the first memorandum paper. Such fillings up, and in this particular, should be flung into notes; for one can't answer for the particular circumstances at such a distance of time.-For instance, according to my memory, it was Garth he returned home with; but in my paper, Congreve's name has a particular mark under it; and so it might be he, and not Garth, that let Mr. Pope into this part of Lord Hallifax's character. This must be hinted at above, and enlarged upon in the notes.-Note in pencil on the margin by Spence.