name to the Sect of Stoics, had by an Ch.III. oppreffive Proconful been defpoiled of its fine Pictures; and that, on this devaftation, it had been forfaken by thofe Philofophers*: IN the thirteenth Century, when the Grecian Empire was cruelly oppreffed by the Crufaders, and all things in confufion, Athens was befieged by one Scgurus Leo, who was unable to take it; and, after that, by a Marquis of Montferrat, to whom it furrendered t. ITs fortune after this was various; and it was fometimes under the Venetians, fometimes under the Catalonians, till Ma *See Synefii Epift. 135. in Gronovius's Collection, T. V. (as before) p. 1751, and of this work, p. 265. + See Gronovius's Collection (as before) p. 1751, 752, 1753, 1754. homet P. III. homet the Great made himself Mafter of Conftantinople. This fatal catastrophe (which happened near two thousand years after the time of Pififtratus) brought ATHENS and with it all GREECE into the hands of the Turks, under whofe defpotic yoke it has continued ever fince. THE City from this time has been occafionally vifited, and Defcriptions of it published by different Travellers. WHEELER was there along with SPON in the time of our Charles the Second, and both of them have published curious and valuable Narratives. Others, as well natives of this Ifland, as foreigners, have been there fince, and fome have given (as Monfr. Le Roy) fpecious publications of what we are to fuppofe they faw. None however have equalled the Truth, the Accuracy, and Elegance of Mr. STUART, who, after having refided there between three and four years, has given us fuch Plans, Plans, and Elevations of the capital Build- Ch.III. ings now ftanding, together with learned Comments to elucidate every part, that he feems, as far as was poffible for the power of Description, to have restored the City to its antient Splendor. He has not only given us the greater Outlines and their Measures, but separate Measures and Drawings of the minuter Decorations; fo that a British Artist may (if he please) follow PHIDIAS, and build in Britain, as Phidias did at ATHENS*. SPON, speaking of Attica, says that the Road near ATHENS was pleafing, and the very Peasants polished. Speaking of the Athenians in general, he fays of themils ont une politeffe d'efprit naturelle, & * This moft curious and valuable Book was published at London, in the year 1762. beau P. III. beaucoup d'addresse dans toutes les affaires, qu'ils entreprenent*. fpeaking of the WHEELER, who was Spon's fellowtraveller, fays as follows, when he and his Company approached ATHENS-We began now to think ourselves in a MORE CIVILIZED COUNTRY, than we had yet paft: for not a Shepherd, that we met, but bid us WELCOME, AND WISHED US a good journey—p. 335, ATHENIANS, he adds This must with great truth be faid of them, their bad fortune hath not been able to take from them, what THEY HAVE BY NATURE, that is, much SUBTLETY or WIT. p. 347. And again-THE ATHENIANS, notwithstanding the long poffeffion that Barbarifm hath had of this place, feem to be much MORE POLISHED in point of MANNERS and CON * Spon, V. II. p. 76, 92, Edit. 8vo. VERSATION, VERSATION, than any other in these parts; Ch. III. being civil, and of refpectful behaviour to all, and highly complimental in their difcourfe*. STUART fays of the prefent Athenians, what Spon and Wheeler faid of their forefathers; he found in them the fame addrefs, the fame natural acuteness, tho' feverely curbed by their defpotic Masters. ONE cuftom I cannot omit. He tells me, that frequently at their convivial Meetings, one of the company takes, what they now call, a Lyre, tho' it is rather a fpecies of Guitar, and after a short prelude on the Inftrument, as if he were waiting for inspiration, accompanies his inftrumental Mufic with his voice, fuddenly chanting fome extempore Verses, which feldom exceed two or three Diftichs; that he then delivers the Lyre to his |