G66 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



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 ''■i 



mentioned. It has been long as- 

 serted, that these horses were the 

 work of Lysippus, contemporary 

 of Alexander, who is known in the 

 history of the arts as the greatest 

 master in the execution of eques- 

 trian statues ; but several modern 

 connoisseurs dispute this, and say 

 the horses are in too clumsy a 

 style to have been the work of 

 Lysippus. 



It is admitted, however, that 

 they were brought from Chios to 

 Constantinople in the reign of 

 Theodosius I. In IgO^, when the 

 croisaders made themselves mas- 

 ters of that city for the second 

 time, pillaged it, and set it on 

 fire, this quadriga escaped the de- 

 struction that befel many ancient 

 works of art. On dividing the 

 plunder, the doge Dandolo des- 

 tined these horses for the republic 

 of Venice. After his death, the 

 podestat, Martin Zeno, sent them 

 to Venice with other parts of the 

 spoil, and the doge, Peter Ziani, 

 ornamented with them the en- 

 trance to the cathedral of St. Mark. 

 About six centuries after, in 1798, 

 they were removed to Paris, and 

 placed at the two entrances of the 

 square of the Carrousel. Since 

 that time they have been brought 

 together again, and harnessed to a 

 chariot, to decorate the triumphal 

 arch in that square. 



These four horses were not cast 

 at once, like statues in bronze, 

 but are composed of separate parts, 

 wrought with the chisel, and af- 

 terward joined together. The 

 hollows in the hind parts are filled 

 with lead, which has assumed its 

 shining reddish appearance. These 

 parts are gilt ; yet the gilding is 

 nearly effaced, though, according 

 to Buonarotti, the gold with which 



the ancients covered their bronze 

 *vas to ours as six to one. 



These horses were supposed to 

 be of copper, because this metal 

 takes gilding better than bronze ; 

 and I have been enabled to verify 

 the fact on a small piece, weigh- 

 ing 40 grains, which was sent me. 

 From this it appears, that the cop- 

 per was not absolutely pure, as it 

 contained a little tin ; but the 

 oxide of tin obtained from these 

 40 grains, amounted only to 0-35 

 of a grain ; so that when reduced 

 to the metallic state, the propor- 

 tion would be only 7 parts of tin 

 to 993 of copper. This propor- 

 tion is so small, it may be pre- 

 sumed to have been accidental. 



In our days the use of iron and 

 brass has singularly diminished 

 that of bronze, which was so fre- 

 quently employed by the ancients. 

 It is now confined to cannons, 

 bells, and statues. But is it not 

 desirable, that our copper vessels 

 should be replaced by vessels of 

 bronze or brass, as they are less 

 liable to oxidation, and to injure 

 the health ? This question de- 

 serves to be solved by comparative 

 experiments. What ought to in- 

 duce us to examine this important 

 question is, that the ancients em- 

 ployed only vessels of bronze in 

 their kitchens and cellars in gene- 

 ral, though they were well ac- 

 quainted with the injuriousqualities 

 of oxideof copper taken internally. 

 This oxide, however, they used 

 externally for cleansing and heal- 

 ing wounds. According to Aris- 

 totle, wounds made with weapons 

 of bronze were more easily cured 

 than those made with weapons of 

 iron. 



In a note subjoined, Mr. Darcet 



