[• 5S9 ] 
a truer Idea than either his or Mr. Lajjels’s Words 
feem to convey, as there is indeed nothing like the 
Body of a Man, but only a Clufter of disjointed Bones 
cemented together by the fame Matter that incrufts 
them over. Mr. MiJJ'on in his Travels has more 
truly defcribed them, when he fays, that “ in the fame 
“ Room they fnew a fmall Heap of Bones, faid to 
“ be the Sceleton of a petrified Man; which is a 
“ Miftake, for the Bones themfelves are not petrified, 
“ but there has gather’d about them a fort of candied 
“ Cruft, or Bony Incruftation, which has made them 
<c pafs for being of real Stone.” Mr. Wright alfo, 
in his late Obfervations made in travelling through 
Italy, &c. has taken notice, that in the Villa Ludo- 
'vifia “ they fhew’d fome Bones of a human Body all 
“ crufted over with a petrified Subftance.” 
When I was at Rome in the Year 1734, I myfelf 
faw this Curiofity, which is ftill preferved in the fame 
Cafina of the Ludovifian Gardens ; and in the very 
fquare Box lined with Velvet, that is mentioned by 
Mr. Laffels , and reprefented by Father Kircher : 
and as I had before heard it much fpoken of, and 
had conceived an Idea of it very different from the 
Truth, I was willing both to preferve a true Notion 
of it myfelf, and to be able to give fuch a one to 
others. I therefore employed an ingenious young 
Painter to make as exaft a Drawing of it as he could 5 
and I afterwards very carefully compared his Draw- 
ing with the Original, which is the fame I have here to 
produce, hoping that the Sight of it will not be un- 
acceptable to the Company. Theftony Subftance that 
joins the Bones together is of a whitifh Colour, and the 
fame as that which incrufts the Bones themfelves : fmall 
Fraftures 
