450 
MERGE TO GYRENE. 
to answer all the various odd questions which the good ladies of 
Gyrene proposed to us, we should have employed the whole day in 
replying to them. By the help of a few little trinkets, however, 
which we usually carried about with us, we contrived to put an end 
to the conversation, without any offence, whenever it began to 
exceed moderate limits ; and continued our route under a shower of 
pious wishes that the blessing of God might attend us. 
In passing along the galleries we have mentioned in this ravine, 
there are a great many excavated tombs, some of which are very 
beautifully finished, and one of them presents the only example 
which we remember to have met with at Gyrene of a mixture of two 
orders of architecture in the same part of a building — the portico 
in front of this tomb being supported by Ionic columns, surmounted 
with a Doric entablature. The whole portico is formed out of the 
rock itself, which has been left in the manner formerly alluded to, 
and advances a few feet before the wall of the chamber in which 
the door is excavated. The proportions are bad, and no part of 
the tomb has anything particular to recommend it to notice beyond 
the peculiarity we have stated it to possess ; but as it is the only 
instance which we observed of the kind, we have thought it as well 
to advert to it. The tympanum is here placed immediately over 
the zophorus, without any cornice intervening, and the mutules are 
in consequence omitted*. Like many other excavated tombs at 
Gyrene, the one now in question has no cellse beyond the chamber ; 
* In the tomb of Theron at Agrigentum we have a similar instance of a Doric enta- 
blature supported by Ionic columns. 
