132 
SUBTERRANEOCS WOMDERS 
terraneous investigations. 
The condition of Hercul<'i’^ 
was at that time much more interesting, and more 
the notice of the traveller, than it is at present 
iect of it.s excavation having unfortunately been 
the discovery of statues, paintings, and other curio.siti«‘’’jj,j( 
not carried on wilh a view to lay open tire city, and 
to ascertain the features of its buildings and streets, 
^1,,, 1.,*-^.^ r.. ts-i. j^s 
the latter were again tilled up with rubbisb 
assoon j‘= .ft; 
Averc divested of ever)' thing moveable. The marbls^ |f| 
was torn from the walls of the temples. Hercnlaneurn^j^y:' 
therefore be said to have been overwhelmed a second d j 
by its modern discoverers ; and the appearance it 
presented, can now only be ascertained from tire nc<^^' [Jf 
of those '’.ho saw it in a more perfect state. ^t 
to them, it must at tliat time have afforded a veiy i‘d^ 
ing spectacle. J 
i'he theatre was one of the most perfect specim^^^jj, i 
ancient architecture. It had, from the floqr 
eighteen rows of seats, and above these, three othef’^jr 
which, being covered with a portico, seem to have 
tended for the female part of the audience, to screen 
trom the rays of the sun. It was capable of conlf'Jjfli! 
bettveen three and four thousand persons. Nearly the'' i|i), 
of il-s sill lace was, as well as the arched walks which ^ 
the seats, ca.sed with marble. The area, or pit, was 
wilh thick squares of gui/lo antko, a beautiful marble j 
yellowish hue. On the lop stood a group of four bn.,ji( j 
horses, drawing a car, with a charioteer, allofettdnK' 
workmanship. The peilestr.l of white marble is slid 'j,ii 
seen in its place j but the group itself had been 
and broken in pieces by the immense weight of lava '' .j# 
The fragments having been collected n 
fell on it 
r \F 
easily have been brought together again, but having I 
carelessly throw’n into a corner, a part of them vrcrC’'’ jj ^ | 
and another portion fused, and converted info J | 
their Neapolitan Majesties. At length, it was resob_^^,:j^. 
f ' 
make the best use of what remained 
the tour horses into one, by takinji 
that is, 
a fore leg oi 
diem, a hinder leg of another, theliead of a tliir°’ 
and, where the breach was irremediable, to cast 
piece. To this contrivance the bronze horse in th«V 
yard of the Aluseum of Portici owes its existen*^®* 
