[ 133 ] 
had been divided into two equal parts by a plate of 
glafs, the veftiges of which were ftill remaining. 
He was of opinion, that the cells made by this par- 
tition contained the remains of fome pair, eminent 
either for their conjugal affection, or fome of the 
other connections of focial life. This conjecture, 
highly probable in itfelf, is farther confirmed by 
fimilar examples in antiquity. Thus we find in 
Montfaucon * the figure of a fquare urn, wherein 
were contained the afhes of a man and his wife, as 
appears by the infcription upon it. Another urn is 
reprefented (Plate LVII.), which held the allies of 
a mother and her daughter. To which we may 
add a third (Plate LV.), covered with a fquare flat 
tablet of tone, on which were three infer iptions, 
fignifying, that the remains of three perfons, whofe 
relation to each other is not fpecified, were inclofed 
therein. 
The other inftance was tranfmitted to me by the 
Abbate Venuti, in a letter from Rome, dated Sep- 
tember 27, 1 75*5). viz. “ That, in digging up fome 
* c ruins in that city a few years ago, there was found 
4< an antient picture painted on marble, and covered 
* c with a plate of white glafs, like thofe ufed in our 
“ times for that purpofe, only fomewhat thicker. 
“ The pidture expreffed a lady’s head, and was of a 
“ very elegant compofition.” From this laft cir- 
cumftance, the Abbate infers, “ that it could not 
be the production of any later age $” meaning (I pre- 
lume) any period between the decay of good paint- 
ing among the antients, and the revival of it among 
* A ntiq. Expliq, Vol. V. p. 1. PI. 34. Ed. Par. 
the 
