the French Architects at Rome. 199 
been discussed with the most enlightened antiquaries and artists 
of Rome, to whom he communicated them on the very ground 
as soon as the discoveries were made, and who were obliged to 
sacrifice their opinions to the evidence of their senses. 
These results are besides perfectly in unison both with the 
inscription which the frontispiece bears, and with Pliny, the only 
one of the ancient writers who saw this monument entire; for 
by using the words Pantheum ab Agrippa facium, he has evi- 
dently testified that the erection of this building as well as its 
completion was owing to the munificence of the same man: the 
‘conception and execution were consequently the fruits of one 
and the same genius. 
To this rapid sketch of the principal chservations of M. Le- 
clerc the committee ought to add: Ist, That he has particularly 
endeavoured to give their true character to the ornaments, and 
to represent with the most scrupulous exactitude the nature, 
the arrangement, even the colour of the materials ; in short, all 
the details of construction, unnoticed for the mest part or badly 
indicated hitherto. 2dly, That he has added to his drawings 
very satisfactory explanatory notes, containing the description of 
the monument, the indication cf the sources where he got it, 
and the authorities to which he refers for restoring the lost parts. 
3rdly, ‘That the numerous drawings which M. Leclere has de- 
dicated to this fine restoration are executed in every respect 
with a perfection to entitle them to serve as models of their 
kind; and that henceforth we cannot expect to see the Pantheon, 
that chef-d’veuvre of ancient grandeur, grace, and harinony, 
represented in all its details with more intelligence, purity, and 
precision. 
M. Huyot has presented the restorations of the celebrated 
Temple of Fortune, as well as the Forum of the ancient city of 
Preneste. 
We know that this city (now Palestrina) is situated in Latium, 
twenty-three miles from Rome, towards the east, and rises into 
an amphitheatre on the slope of a mountain forming the ex- 
tremity of one of the branches of the Apennines. 
Its origin is of the highest antiquity. Cicero says that he 
cannot assign the epoch of it: what appears certain is, that long 
before the founding of Rome this city had its gods and temples, 
the most considerable of which was that of Fortune, who was 
afterwards worshipped throughout all Italy. 
When Sylia assumed the dictatorship (B. C. $2) Praeneste 
contained buildings of great importance. Cicero speaks of its 
walls‘as being of an opus incertum, or irregular polygous, which 
he says was a construction in use among the Dorians; he speaks 
N4 also 
