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taining, either the vital or the deadly draught. At that critical moment, the king presented the letter to Philip with one hand, while, with the other, he took the bowl, and fearlessly quaffed its contents.-The event rewarded his generous confidence with a speedy and effectual recovery.— Lib. 3, 8, 6 Extern.

The celebrated geometrician and astronomer, Archytas of Tarentum, displayed, on a trying occasion, an example of coolness and self-command, which might serve as a useful lesson to those irascible mortals who are over-hasty to inflict punishment for every slight offence.-Having been long absent from home, while attending the lectures of Pythagoras in a distant city on his return, he found his land in a state of ruinous waste, through the culpable negligence of his steward. That painful discovery naturally excited a wrathful emotion in his bosom: yet he repressed his rising passion, and, turning to the guilty slave, simply said to him, “I would severely punish you, were it not that I am angry.". Lib. 4, 1, 1 Extern.

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Pittacus, one of the famed Seven Sages, had been bitterly and scurri lously lampooned by the poet Alcæus, and was afterward, by the free choice of his fellow citizens, invested with the absolute sovereignty of Mitylene, his native city, which was also the birth-place and residence of the satirist. Thus exalted, the injured sage had ample means of vengeance against his enemy, and might have taken his life, as the forfeit for his wanton attacks: but he contented himself with gently' hinting to him, how completely he now had him in his power. Lib. 4, 1, 6 Extern.

The Syrian monarch, Antiochus the Great, after having been conquered by Scipio Asiaticus, and stripped of a considerable portion of his dominions, was often heard to acknowledge himself much obliged to the Romans for that privation, as for an important service; since, by narrowing the boundaries of his kingdom, they had relieved him from the laborious management of too extensive an empire. -Lib. 4, 2, 9 Ext.

(To be continued.}

Mr. URBAN,
Bath, Aug. 5.
PRESUME to trouble you with a
short account of an obscure man

of genius with whom, by accident, I lately became acquainted; hoping through the medium of a Publication so generally circulated and so admired as the Gentleman's Magazine, to attract the notice of the enlightened towards one on whom Nature has conferred such talents as ought not to be lost to society from want of encouragement.

During the last month, while residing at Clifton, I frequented Mr. Lane's Library there, and found much pleasure in conversing with the very obliging and respectable Proprietor, who oue day speaking of Painting, informed me that there was an untaught Artist living next door to his house, whose works had a considerable share of merit; and that he wished me to see him, and some of his performances. Soon after a young man presented himself, and produced a copy in oils, on wood, of a wellknown original Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, executed by him chiefly by candle-light, and under the further disadvantages of never having seen a picture painted, never been taught to draw, knowing nothing of the art of mixing colours, and being perpetually taken off from his pursuit by the duties of his humble station, that of footman to a lady of distinction. His portrait of the lovely and luckless Mary (which is but copied from a copy) has been declared to evince great natural powers; and the same praise has been given by several who have seen them, to different productions of his pencil, mostly likenesses, as large as life, of individuals among his acquaintances.

The applause of the unskilful is worthless; I therefore withhold mine; but cannot help saying, that I wish the abilities and enthusiasm of this man could meet with so much attention from a discerning and generous Publick as might lead to his obtaining some lessons of instruction in the delightful art, for the cultivation of which Nature seems to have designed him. The name of the person who is the subject of this communication, is somewhat remarkable; and he is a native of a county to which England is already indebted for no less a man than the illustrious John Opie. HANNIBAL LYNE comes from Helstone in Cornwall, where he was for some years an assistant gardener in a Clergyman's family.

E. M.

Mr.

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Mr. URBAN,

Oct. 1.

by a lofty flight of stone steps. The I given of water, is plea Royal apartments are situated in the

N vol. LXXXIX. ii. p. 565, you

late John Bowles, Esq.; to which you may add, that he was admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Laws in the University of Douay, 25th March, 1779; and to that of Licentiate in the same University, 11th May, 1781. A marble Tablet has recently been erected to his memory* in the Southwest aile of the Abbey Church at Bath of which I send you a correct Drawing. (See Plate IÏ.) Yours, &c.

E. D.

ACCOUNT OF RIO DE JANEIRO.

(Continued from p. 197.)

THE

HE Aqueduct is a most useful and laudable work. The outline and plan of this immense structure is grand, but the materials used in its construction are bad, the whole being built with small stones, and faced with half-burnt bricks; and the mortar, from the sandy quality of the materials mixed with it, wants adhesion; therefore it requires continual repairs to keep it in order, and preserve the regular channel for the conveyance of the water with which the whole town is supplied through this medium, from a distance of six miles. The principal division of this pile is constructed on the plan of the antient Roman works of a similar description; and it extends nearly 1200 paces over a narrow valley, and unites two mountains: the water is thus conveyed in a direct line to the street opposite the entrance of the King's garden, where a magnificent fountain of granite receives it, and from thence the element is conveyed by pipes to the monastery of St. Anthony, and the Palace Square, and from thence distributed through the same medium to the other quarters of the town.

The Palace Square, opposite to the principal landing-place, is small, it contains the Palace Royal Chapel,

and Carmelite Church. The Palace is a plain building of granite and freestone, of three stories, with balconies; it is spacious. The principal entrance leads to a guard-room, from which the ascent to the upper apartments is

The Epitaph is so legible on the Plate, that we need not repeat it here. GENT. MAG. October, 1820.

EDIT.

sant for a commercial residence; but for a Royal palace it is too near the noise and bustle of the town. The drawing room leads through a range of apartments united by folding-doors, the ceiling is richly stuccoed and gilt, and the sides are hung with gobelin tapestry and mirrors, with a few portraits of the Royal Family. Adjoining the Palace is the Chapel, attached to a square tower, in which there is a ponderous bell suspended, which in ringing projects out of the window; and produces a most dull and heavy sound. The façade of the Chapel, towards the square, forms a pediment, ornamented with pilasters, and the entrance from the square is by a flight of steps over a wooden platform. The interior of this Chapel dazzles the sight, by the elaborate profusion of carving and gilding with which it is ornamented; the ceiling is stuccoed each side, there are twelve half-length and painted in fresco, and, ranged on portraits, representing the Apostles with their attributes; the altar-piece is a picture of the Adoration of the Virgin, in which a strong likeness of the King, with some of the Royal Family, are introduced, the figures are in the act of making genuflections the Virgin is pourtrayed with the with clasped and uplifted bands, and child in her arms, surrounded by angels immerging from a radiant cloud of glory; this picture is allowed by able merit. There is a lofty organ in the best judges to possess considerthe gallery opposite the altar, richly ornamented with cherubims and an

gels, in sculpture and gilding. The establishment of this edifice is on a grand and most expensive scale.-Amongst the vocal performers there are three Italians (eunuchs), who are cousidered to be first-rate singers, and retained at enormous salaries; the instrumental performances are excellent.

The Clergy attached to this Chapel wear cocked hats with purple stockings, which gives them a singular appearance.

The Carmelite Church, which is attached to the Chapel, is, like those already described, profusely carved, gilt, and painted; in fact, the interior has more the appearance of an opera house

In

house than a temple dedicated to the worship of the Deity, particularly during the processions, which are the most gaudy pageants that can be imagined. Here they are got up, to make use of a theatrical expression, in a true pantomimical taste, and the whole arranged in heraldic order. ...................., 1819, we saw this splendid religious exhibition; the first object was a wooden image of the Crucifixion, as large as life, which was fixed on a pedestal, and carried out of the Church by four stout Monks; the next in succession were the twelve Apostles, conveyed in the same manner; the host then followed, carried under a canopy of satin, fringed with gold, and glittering with diamonds, and supported by four bishops, clad in splendid pontifical robes. On each side of the host twelve young girls appeared dressed as angels with wings affixed to their shoulders. After this part of the ceremony passed, fifty Monks ap peared marshalled three deep, with each an immense wax candle blazing in his hand, to close the cavalcade, attended by a band of music, and guarded by a company of soldiers with fixed bayonets. During its progress through the streets, several pieces of cannon were fired from the Palace Square, discharges were heard from the forts and ships of war in the Bay, sky-rockets and fire. works were displayed from the tower and roof of the Carmelite Church, the bells of all the churches in the city continued to ring, all the houses were illuminated, the streets were covered with bonfires, amidst the rattling of drums and the sound of trumpets; in fact, this day was devoted to idleness; no business was transacted, all the shops were shut, and the whole of the population, men, women, and children, turned out, dressed in their best habiliments, and paraded the streets all night.

The Church of St. Francisco de Paulo, which stands in a square at the entrance of the Rua de Ovidoro, is a modern building, and in its construction the most simple, chaste, and unadorned structure in the town; the front is a regular piece of architecture of the Ionic order; it is ornamented with two steeples, a lofty flight of steps, and a magnificent por

tico.

The Cemetery of this Church is in the form of a square, inclosed with a colonnade; under the arcades there are niches elevated about six feet above the ground, they are numbered in progression, and each serves as a place of interment; it is decorated with flower-pots and vases.

The mode of interment is to bring the corpse, dressed in the best apparel, on a bier into the Church, where it is placed on a pedestal; then a procession of Monks come out of the sanctuary, each with a lighted taper in his hand, and the whole chaunting the burial service, whilst making continual genuflections, sprinkling the body with holy water, and offering up smoking frankincense from a silver vase. When this part of the funeral rites is performed, a silent tribute of devotion takes place to invocate the mercy of God to the soul of the departed; when this is over, the body is removed to the sepulchre attended by six Monks, the relations following, dressed in black robes, the whole carrying lighted candles, when the body is deposited in the niche, without a coffin; then the principal Monk takes a shovel of quick-lime from a bag, and strews it over the body, after which he sprinkles it with the holy water; the other Priests and persons present proceed in the same manner; when the body being sufficiently covered with lime, the niche is closed up with brick and mortar, the candles are extinguished, and the funeral obsequies end. This is the general manner of interment; there are no burial grounds or church-yards appropriated for interments, and the floor of every church is divided into compartments which are numbered, and each is the separate property of a private family; in fact, from the heat of the climate, and the exploded and antiquated custom of burying in churches, if this mode of burying was not adopted to destroy the bodies, pestilence and the most fatal consequences resulting from contagion, might ensue, to the manifest destruction of the lives of the surviving inhabitants. There are some families that preserve the bones of their ancestors for this purpose. After the flesh is consumed by the corroding operation of the lime, the bones are gathered from the ground, and depo

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