1 68 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1751. 



is a whole loaf of bread burnt to a coal ; which they will not suffer any one to 

 touch. It is covered with a glass bell, through which are perceived letters on . 

 the loaf, which possibly were the baker's mark. 



There are many other valuable curiosities locked up in the king's closet, and 

 private apartments ; such as medals, intaglios, and cameos. 



Of the pictures, some were taken out of a temple near the theatre, others 

 from the houses. They have all preserved their colours to admiration, which are 

 very lively. They are painted in fresco, and were sawed out of the walls, with 

 much trouble and care ; and are now fixed, with binding mortar, or cement, in 

 shallow wooden cases, to prevent their breaking, and varnished over, to preserve 

 their colours. You must think, that these pictures are not alike valuable, 

 otherwise than from their antiquity ; some doubtless have been done by good 

 hands, others by bad, as one sees by the works of those now-a-days. There are 

 two as large as life. One of these pictures, they say, represents Theseus. The 

 figure is naked, and holds a snnall club in his hand : between his legs lies a Mi- 

 notaur, the posture of which produces a most admirable foreshortening. There 

 stand about him also three little boys, one of which kisses his right hand, an- 

 other embraces his left arm, and the third his left hand ; all extremely well ex- 

 pressed. The other picture is of the same size as the former, and composed of 

 many figures as large as life. A woman sitting with a wand in her hand, and 

 crowned with flowers : on one side of her stands a basket of pomegranates, grapes, 

 and other fruit : near her is a little satyr or fawn, playing on one of the ancient 

 instruments, of 6 or 8 tubes, joined together in a row. There is a lusty naked 

 man standing by her, with his face turned somewhat towards her, with a short 

 black beard. He has a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a club. In the same piece 

 is another woman, who appears talking to the first ; she is crowned with ears of 

 com. There is also a hind giving suck to a boy, which they say represents the 

 story of the discovery of Telephus. Another picture represents a winged Mer- 

 cury, with a child sitting across his neck, near whom is a woman sitting, and 

 taking Mercury by the hand. This, we were told, was supposed to be Bacchus 

 carried to nurse. Another piece represented Jupiter embracing Ganymede. In 

 another is a hunt of stags and swans. Three others, in each a Medusa's head. 

 Another, representing two heads of imaginary animals. A beautiful one, re- 

 presenting 1 of the muses, one playing on the lyre, the other with a mask on 

 her head. Another, with a lion, a wood, and distant views. In another, various 

 centaurs, buildings, &c. In another, a stag ; over which is a bird flying, and 

 seeming to beak at him. Two other small pictures of a dolphin. Another with 

 architecture, and distant views. One with a peacock. Another with a temple, 

 adorned with various pillars. 



There have been also found two large cornucopias of bronze gilt, a large 



