SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER 
TO THE THIRTY-SECoND VOLUME of the 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
VoL. 3^2. No. 222.] JANUARY 30 , 1812 . [Prite 2s. 
HALF-YEARLY RETROSPECT OF DOMESTIC LITERATURE. 
TRAVELS 
LiG ?'€£ce, Palestine, Eghpt, and Barba?y, 
During theYears 1806 and 1807. 
BY F. A. DE CHATEAUBRIAND. 
In Two Volumes. 
[The sketch given of these Travels in a late 
Number of the Monthly Magazine, cannot 
fail to have created in our readers a desire 
to see further extracts. We confess we 
think it one of the most interesting works 
that has for a long time issued from the 
press, and have therefore been very liberal 
in our quotations ; at the same time, we are 
persuaded, that our readers would not wil¬ 
lingly dispense with any of the passages 
we have selected. The translation, as 
may be perceived, is executed with spirit 
and elegance.] 
MODERN ACCOUNTS OF ATHENS. 
O sooner had Athens, the slave of 
the Mussulmans, disappeared in 
modern history, than she began to receive 
a new kind of illustration more worthy 
of her ancient renown. When she 
ceased to be the patrimriny of obscure 
princes, she resumed, as it were, her an¬ 
cient empire, and summoned all the arts 
to her venerable ruins. 
As early as 1465, Francesco Giambetti 
made drawings of some of the monuments 
of Athens. The manuscript of this ar¬ 
chitect was on vellum, and was preserved 
in the Barherini library at Rome. It 
contained, among other curious things, a 
view of the Tower of the Winds at 
Athens, and another of the ruins of La- 
cedtemon, four or five miles from Misi- 
ira. On this subject Soon observes, that 
Misitra does not stand on the site of 
Sparta, as had been asserted by Guillet, 
after Sophianus, Niger, and Ortellius; 
and he adds, “ I consider the manuscript 
of Giambetti as the more curious, be¬ 
cause tlie drawings were taken before tlie 
Turks had made themselves masters of 
Greece, and laid in ruins several fine 
monuments which were then entire.’’ 
Ttie observation is just respecting the 
monuments, hut false in regard to the 
elates; the Turks were masters of Greece 
in 1465. 
In 1550, Nicholas Gerbei published 
ar Basle, his work, intituled, Pro Veda- 
Month j.Y Mag., No. 22?. 
ratione Picture sive Dcscripfionis Greedce 
Sophiani libri scptem. This description, 
excellent for the time, is clear, concise, 
and yet substantial. Gerbei says very 
little concerning ancient Greece; of mo¬ 
dern Athens, he observes: — “ Al,neas 
Sylvius says, tfiat Athens, whose very 
strong citadel was delivered by a certain 
Florentine to Mahomet, now exhibits 
the appearance of a very small town, so 
ibat Ovid might but too truly exclaim 
What, besides the name, is left of Pan- 
dionian Athens ! 
“ O the deplorable vicissitudes of Im- 
man things ! O the tragic change of hu¬ 
man })ower ! A city once renowned for 
its wails, barbours, buildings; pre-emi¬ 
nent in arms, w'ealth, citizens, wisdom, 
and every species of learning, is now re¬ 
duced to a petty town, or rather a village. 
Formerly free, and living under its owm 
laws; now oppressed by the most cruel 
monsters, and bowed down by the yoke 
of slavery ! Go to Athens, and, instead 
of the most magnificent works, behold 
iieaps of rubbish, and lamentable ruins. 
Beware, beware of confiding too much 
in thine own strength, but put thy trust 
in Him who says, I am the Lord your 
God.” 
This apostrophe of an aged and re¬ 
spectable scholar to the ruins of Athens, 
is highly impressive. We cannot cherish 
too much gratitude towards those who 
opened the way for us to the beauties of 
antiquity. 
Dupinet asserted, that Athens in his 
time was hut an insignificant village, 
exposed to the ravages of foxes and of 
wolves. 
Laurenberg, in his Description of 
Athens, emphatically exclaims; Fuit 
quondam Grwcia, fuerunt Athena : nunc 
neque in Gracia Athena, neque in ipsa 
Gracia Gracia est. —“There was a time 
when Greece, when Athens, existed; 
now neither is there an Athens in 
Greece, nor is Greece itself any longer 
to be found.” 
Ortellius, sui named the Ptolemy of his 
time, furnished some new information 
respecting Greece, in his Theatrum Orbis 
Te.rrarum, and in Ins Synonima Geogra* 
phicoy reprinted with the title of The^ 
suun-'? Geographlcus ; but he erroneously 
Oon found? 
