. at the Temple of Ser apis. 95 
centre columns that remained standing, and perhaps also the 
upper part of the colonnade, would be seen projecting. 
The stream which was conducted into the Temple for purifi- 
cation, to which the gutters and pipes since dug out, and the 
singularly cut marble slabs, bear sufficient testimony, and which 
still flows past at no great distance, being obstructed, would 
form a small lake, which may be supposed to have risen to the 
height of five feet, and to have washed the columns of the pom 
tico to this extent. 
In this water was generated a kind of muscle, of the genus 
Pholas, which perforated the Grecian Cipolin marble all round* 
and quite upon a level with the water. 
It is unknown how long this treasure remained concealed. It 
is probable the walls became covered with bushes, and, indeed, 
the whole country is so full of ruins, that the few projecting co- 
lumns would scarcely attract notice. 
At last, however, some modern architects made here an ac- 
ceptable discovery. The water was led off, and an excavation 
undertaken ; not to restore this ancient monument, but rather 
to use it as a quarry, and the marble was actually employed in 
building Caserta, which was begun in 1752. 
This is the reason why there are so few regular remains to 
be seen ; and hence the three columns standing on the cleared 
pavement particularly arrest the attention. These, to the height 
of 12 feet from the ground, are seen quite free and entire; and 
the next 5 feet in ascent is what has been perforated by the 
muscles before alluded to. On more minute inspection, the 
depth of the holes thus excavated has been found to be 4 inches ; 
and the remaining shells have been extracted quite perfect. 
Since the excavations for the purpose of obtaining building 
materials were discontinued, these ruins appear to have under- 
gone no farther change ; for, in a work, intituled 44 Antichita 
di Puzzuolo,” in folio, with plates, published without a date, 
but dedicated to Ferdinand IV., on his marriage with Caroline 
of Austria, 1768, the state of the ruins is represented in the 
fifteenth plate, very nearly as we found them, and as exhi- 
bited in a drawing by Verschaffelt, 1790, which is preserved in 
the Library of the Archduke at Weimar. 
