and gaze with admiration on this most exquisite work of the Romans. Such another example of the kind, and in such perfect condition to delight the architect and the man of taste, does not occur in any part of Italy. It was erected to the memory of Caius and Lucius, sons of Agrippa (afterwards adopted by Augustus), in the year of Rome 754. The frieze of the entablature on the returned sides is enriched with foliage; but in the front of the portico it was left plain, to admit of the inscription, which is said to have been of brass, fixed on the frieze by small irons, as was the custom of those days: and this enabled a learned and ingenious man, M. Seguier, to decipher the meaning of it by tracing the holes the letters had occasioned in the stones, and which he made out to the following purpose:

C. CESARI. AVGVSTVS. F. COS.

L. CESARI. AVGVSTVS. F. COS.

DESIGNATO.

PRINCIPIBVS IVVENTVTIS.

At a small distance from Nismes stands le Pont de Gard, one of the celebrated aqueducts of the Romans, consisting of three tiers of arches one above the other: the lower tier contains six arches; the middle tier eleven, extending further up the banks; and the top tier has thirty-six small arches: on these the water is conducted from one side to the other over a deep valley. Here is an example of the Roman,workmanship in another way; and, in point of strength and masonry, I really believe it cannot be surpassed. The middle tier of arches now serves for a bridge, with some alteration,

In the way to Marseilles you pass through Aix, which is a small town, but well built and full of noble mansions, and was formerly much resorted to by the French noblesse as a place of retire

ment.

In the middle of the principal street are two fountains very close to each other: one affords hot water almost boiling, and the other water as cold as ice. These waters were formerly used by valetudinarians. Here it will be proper to remark, that the road from this place to Marseilles is so extremely infested by robbers, that prudent people travel under the protection of horse soldiers, called gens d'armes, who are stationed in different parts of the road. The expense attending this precaution is trifling in consideration of the loss you may sustain by going without them. There are banditti living in the woods, who come out in gangs to plunder every thing, and every body they meet; and very frequently they have been known to contend with the soldiers themselves, although well armed. I was nevertheless fortunate enough to arrive at Marseilles, after having travelled 800 miles through the heart of France, without the least molestation.

Marseilles is entered under an aqueduct. The streets, contrary to most of the French towns, are broad and magnificent, particularly the chief one called la Promenade. There are rows of trees on each side, which give it the appearance of a grove, and the houses, generally speaking, are lofty and grand, built in the French manner. The theatre is a large square building, and its interior

is not unlike ours in Drury-lane. Persons who frequent the pit are compelled to stand during the whole of the performance, there being no seats whatever in this part of the house. The principal front is embellished with a stately Ionic portico of six columns; the diameter of them is four feet six inches, the intercolumniation ten feet; and it is crowned with a blocking instead of a pediment."

Marseilles enjoys the advantage of an extensive trade, and has a good port for merchant ships, embanked with stone; but I do not think it more than half the size of the basin at the London docks. Canals are made from the port to the different warehouses, for the more ready conveyance of the articles of merchandise. On the left, entering from the Mediterranean, stands the circular tower of St. John; which is a lofty building, intended as a lookout or watch tower. The fortifications on each side were erected by Lewis XIV. for the protection of the town. La Maison Commune, or government-house, is a superb edifice in the French style of architecture, and stands on the quay of the port, where there is constantly a busy scene of loading and unloading.

In the centre of the market-place is the principal fountain, which supplies the city with water. It consists of an obelisk resting on a pedestal, at each angle of which is a large dolphin that throws the water from its mouth into a capacious basin below. / In another part stands an Ionic column of Egyptian granite, about eighteen inches diameter, crowned with the figure of a naked child, which holds a wreath in one hand, and a torch in the other. This

monument was erected to commemorate the philanthropy of those persons in particular whose names are engraven on the dado of the pedestal, and who fell a sacrifice by humanely assisting the sick at the time of the plague in the year 1720. There is an inscription on each side of the pedestal, one of which I copied, and is as follows:

A l'eternelle memoire

Des hommes courageux dont les noms suivent:
LANGERON, Commandeur de Marseille;
DE PILES, capitaine gouverneur viguier;
DE BELSUNCE, eveque;
ESTELLE, premier echevin;
MOUSTAIR,

AUDIMAR, echevins;

DIEUDE,

ROSE, commisaire general

Pour le quartier de Rive Neuve ; MILKE', jesuite, Commandeur pour la rue de l'Escale, Principal foyer de la contagion;

SERRE', peintre, célébre élève du Puget; ROSE l'aine et ROLAND, intendants de la Santé;

The other inscriptions are in honour of Pope Clement XI. and in praise of the virtues of those

persons in general who fell a prey at the same time in succouring their fellow-creatures, but whose names were either too numerous to be engraven on the pedestal, or else unknown, as some of the lines mention.

"Leurs noms ont peri.
"Puissne leur example

"N'etre pas perdue:

"Puissent ils trouver des imitations
"Si ces jours de calamité
"Vinaient à renaitre.”

At the distance of three miles from Marseilles is a handsome building in the French style, called the château de Brouilly, which is the name of the owner. It is surrounded by extensive gardens, adorned with fountains, sculpture, &c.; but of late years it has been greatly neglected, which is more or less the case since the Revolution in almost every part of France.

The country around Marseilles is a fertile cultivated plain, with gardens and vineyards that produce grapes of an extraordinary size, which are often sold for less than 2 d. per pound in the markets. Here the most tender fruits grow on trees like our apples and pears; and laurels, myrtles, and jessamines, like our wild flowers. The oak, elm, ash, and other timber trees, are not plentiful in France, nor do they grow so large as in the more northern climates.

During my stay in this city I witnessed one of the heavy rains not uncommon in hot countries: it lasted for several days, and had an awful appearance. The streets became like ponds, and in some