238 jiniiqvities. — Power of Imagination. 



of accuracy or fairness in other matters ot higher con* 

 sequence. 



I am, sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 



Edinburgh, Sept. 6, 1812. JOHN LesLIE. 



P.S. — I inclose a copy of Van Hehnont's sketch. [See 

 Plate V. fig. 7.] 



ANTiaUITIES. 



The tessellated pavement discovered last year at Bignor 

 in Sussex, ^vas covered with earth to preserve it durina the 

 winter. Jt has hten Istelv opened again, and the surround- 

 ing land dug up, tor the purpose of further discovery. 

 A series of apartments are now e.x posed, all paved wiih 

 beautiful mosaic, the most of it in the highest state of pre- 

 servation, and exhibiting perhaps the best specimen of the 

 Iciud in this country. '1 he various figures are well defined 

 and delineated, some oF them vtry beautiful, particularly an 

 eagle with Ganymede, a pheasant, adolphin and some others. 

 Walls are erecting on the ancient foundations, the ruins 

 furnishing materials, so that the plan of the building may 

 be tolerably traced. It no doubt has been the villa of some 

 of the Roman generals, the chief city of the Regni, Chi- 

 chester, where Vespasian fixed his head quarters, being 

 within a few miles, and the ancient Roman road thence to 

 London crossing the Sou h Downs directly in front of the 

 edifice. The surroundmir scenery is very romantic, and 

 must have been always mteresting. We conceive the de- 

 struction nKi\ be dated, with ihal of many other monuments 

 of the power (^nd splendour of the Romans at one time n\ 

 this county, from the barbamus invasion of the Saxons 

 under the ferocious Ella, who, irritated with the formidable 

 opposition he met at Chiche^^ter, ravaged it and the sur- 

 rounding country »nith fire and sword with ihe most unre- 

 lenting tury. So completely hud timetflaced all appearance 

 of former habitation, that the same family have ploughed 

 the field every "ear for th rty years past, without the re- 

 motest suspicion of the treasute it contained, till last 

 auiumn the ploughshare came in contact uith one of 

 the iarge stones of the l)uilding. 



EXTRAORDINARY POWER OP IMAGINATION. 



♦'During our stay at the Dardanelles, we lived in the 

 house of Ihe Neap 'li'an Consul. 1 his re<-pLCtable old 

 man put in force a stiatagem which may scive lo bhow the 



extra- 



