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at which the exhibitions were given by the courtezans 

 of Rome. 



But of all the ancient Roman circuses, the one which 

 preserves the most considerable traces of its ancient form, 

 and by which, therefore, the modern inquirer might be 

 best assisted in gaining some idea of these structures, is 

 that which is situated beyond the Porta Capcna, now 

 Porta St Sebastiana, and of xvhich the ruins have, by a 

 uniform tradition, been designated as the remains of the 

 circus of Caracalh. 



In the plan of Rome by Panvinius, there are uncertain 

 indications of some other circuses. There likewise still 

 exist obscure traces of circuses in different parts of the 

 world that had been anciently subject to the Roman em- 

 pire ; at Tarragona, Merida, and Saguntum, now Mur- 

 viedro, in Spain ; at Nismes, at Milan, and Antioch. 

 There remains also the ancient Hippodrome at Con- 

 stantinople. 



To maintain order in such a concourse of people as at 

 tended the exhibitions at the circuses, and to prevent any 

 offence to the Roman pride, which was very jealous of 

 any mixture of persons of different ranks, there were 

 persons called designators, who were to assign to every 

 one his place. With similar views, Tarquin divided his 

 circus into 30 compartments, a number equal to that of 

 the curia into which the people of Rome were at that 

 time divided. 



Though the circuses were primarily constructed for 

 the exhibition of chariot races, they were used also oc- 

 casionally for various other purposes. Indeed the Ludi 

 circenses themselves, included several other exercises 

 besides these. The magistrates also frequently held their 

 assemblies in those edifices, and exercised those public 

 functions, which, from the great multitudes of people 

 attending, could not have been so well discharged in the 

 temples and basilicas. Cicero informs us, that many 

 harangues were pronounced in the Flaminian circus. 

 Plutarch says, that Lucullus exhibited his triumph in 

 this circus; and it was in the same place, that Augustus 

 pronounced the funeral oration of Drusus. The Agna- 

 ninians having to assemble a general council, appointed 

 it to be held in their circus, where they declared war 

 against the Romans. The circuses were also a kind of 

 public places, that were frequented by charlatans, diviners, 

 and other people of that class. See Bianconi Detcrizione 

 del Circo de Caracal/a ; Mosaique d'llatica. (K) 



CIRENCESTER, or CICESTER as it is pronounced, is 

 a borough and market town of England, in the county 

 of Gloucester : It is situated on the river Churn, on the 

 borders of Wiltshire, at the meeting of the three Roman 

 roads, Foss-way, Irmin street, and the Icknield-vray. 

 The town consists of four principal streets, and seven of 

 a smaller size, with several lanes, and occupies an area 

 about two miles in circuit. A great part of the street 

 whichleadsfrom Gloucester is a hollow way, where a small 

 branch of the Churn passes, and again falls into its chan- 

 nel at the second bridge. The houses are chiefly built 

 of stone, but the principal ones are generally detached 

 from the rest. The parish church, which was built in 

 the J 5th century, is reckoned one of the finest edifices 

 in the kingdom. The tower is 134 feet high, and has 

 12 bells. There were formerly other two towers, but 

 they are both destroyed. It lias five chapels of ease, of 

 which St Mary's and St John's have stone roofg. The 

 altar of St Mary's, which is not railed, has a stone pul- 

 pit, and is paved with black and white marble. The 

 southern porch of St John's church, is a fine Gothic 

 structure, and over the porch is the town hill. St 

 Catherine's chapel, on the north tide, is remarkable for 



tcr, 

 Cirkmtz. 



the sculpture in the compartments of the roof ; and in Cirence<s- 

 Trinity chapel, there are two monuments of marble in 

 memory of Earl Bathurst, and his son the Lord Chan- 

 cellor. The chief public institutions are three charity 

 schools, and three hospitals. The principal manufactures 

 of Cirencester, are one of curriers knives, another of 

 fine cloth, and a small carpet manufactory, beside two 

 breweries. 



Cirencester was the Corinium of Ptolemy, and the Du- 

 rocornovtum of Antoninus. It had a castle in the time of 

 the Romans, and the city was encircled with a wall and 

 ditch. The castle was demolished in the reign of Henry 

 III. A Roman mosaic pavement, and other ancient re- 

 mains, have been found in the neighbourhood, and in 1723 

 a Roman building, supposed to be a hypocaust, was dis- 

 covered. A piece of ground called the Querns, on the 

 south-west of the town, is supposed to have been the site 

 of a Roman theatre. The following is the state of the 

 population for 1811 : 



Number of inhabited houses, .... 902 



Number of families, 948 



Families employed in trade, &c. . . 526 



Males 2030 



Females, 2510 



Total population 4540 



See Rudge's Gloucestershire. (J) 



CIRKNITZ, LAKE OF, the Lugea Palm of Strabo, ia 

 a lake in Carniola, remarkable for several curious natural 

 phenomena which it exhibits. It is situated about six miles 

 from Laybach, and is surrounded on the north by rug- 

 ged and frightful rocks. It is fully two leagues long 

 from east to west, and one league in width from north to 

 south. Its depth varies from 6 to 24 feet. There are 

 three islands on the lake, the most considerable of which 

 is called Vornek, which has sufficient surface for a village 

 called Ottok, and a church. The othertwo islands are call- 

 ed the greater and the lesser Goritza. A tongue of land , 

 called Dornoschek, stretches very far into the lake, and 

 forms a peninsula which is separated from the isle of 

 Vornek by a very narrow strait. Eight rivulets run into 

 the lake, the largest of which are the Cirknitz and the 

 Obiny. The former passes by a village of the same 

 name, which is situated at half a league from its mouth. 

 Without reckoning Cirknitz and Ottok, there are seven 

 villages at a very short distance from the margin of the 

 lake. 



There is no exit for the waters of the lake, excepting 

 by two openings at the level of the surface, called the 

 greater and the lesser Karlouza, which are natural aque- 

 ducts formed out of the solid rock, and passing through the 

 middle of the mountain to the opposite side of it, where 

 they discharge the water at the grotto of St Cantiaiur:. 

 In addition to these two canals, there are no fewer than 

 eighteen apertures at the bottom of the lake through 

 which the waters often retire, and completely disappear. 



When this singular phenomenon begins to take place, 

 the waters first retire through the opening called Kamine, 

 and disappear by degrees, till at the end of the fifth day 

 the bottom of the lake appears around this opening. At 

 the end of the next five days the bottom of the lake is 

 seen around the opening called Vodomo. At the end of 

 other five days, the pool K eschello is evacuated ; five days 

 afterwards the Kuten pool is emptied ; and in five days more 

 the Leuisde is dried. In 25 days therefore the whole bed 

 of the lake has become dry, the water having during that 

 time been also carried off by the other thirteen apertures. 

 The bottom of the lake is now cultivated, and sown. 

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