6jo Chateauhriand's Travels In Greece, Palestine, Sic, 
desert place: Misitra, wblcli is four miles 
off, is inhabited. You find at Sparta, 
almost all tlie walls of the towers and the 
foundations of the temples, with many 
columns demolished, as well as their 
capitals. A theatre is yet standing, 
perfect and entire. It was formerly five 
miles in circumference, and is situated 
about a quarter of a mile from the river 
Eurotas.” 
We have now' arrived at another epoch 
in the history of the city of Athens. The 
travellers whom we have hitherto quoted, 
beheld some of the most beautiful mo- 
ruments of Pericles, in all their integrity. 
Pococke, Chandler, and Leroi, admired 
them only in their ruins. In 1687, 
while Louis XIV. was erecting the co¬ 
lonnade of the Louvre', the \’'enetian3 
were demolishing the temple of jMinerva. 
Paul Lucas speaks of Athens, as if he 
liad never been there, and what lie says 
of that city is one of the most glaring 
frdsehoods that ever traveller had the 
impudence to publish. 
“ Its ruins,” says he, are, as may be 
supposed, the most remarkable part of 
Athens. In fact, though the houses are 
very numerous in that city, and the cli¬ 
mate delicious, there are scarcely any 
inhabitants. Here you find an accom- 
moriation that you meet with no-where 
else: whoever pleases may live here 
without paying any rent, the houses be¬ 
ing given away for nothing. For the 
rest, if this celebrated city surpasses all 
those of antiquity in the number of mo- 
numents which it has consecrated to 
posterity; it may likewise be asserted, 
that the excellence of its climate has 
preserved them in better condition than 
those of any other place in tlie world, at 
least, of all sucli as I have seen. It 
would seem as if elsew'here people had 
taken delight in the work of destruction ; 
and war has, in almost every country, 
occasioned ra\ages which, while they 
have ruined the inhabitants, have at the 
same time disfigured all the monuments 
of their better days. Athens alone, 
either accidentally, or from that respect 
which muse necessarily be commanded 
by a city, once the seat of the sciences, 
and to which tlie whole world is under 
obligation—Athens, I say, was alone 
spared in the universal destruction. In 
every of it you meet with marbles of 
astonisiiing beauty and magnitude, they 
were profusely introduced; and at every 
step you discover columns of granite and 
of jasper.” 
Pococke visited Athens on his return 
from Egypt. He has described the met- 
numents of Attica with that accuracy 
which comtnunicates a knowledge of the 
arts, but excites no enthusiasm for 
them. 
Wood, Dawkins, and Bouverie, were 
just then making their literary tour in 
honour of Homer. 
The first picturesque tour of Greece 
was that of Leroi. Chand er accuses 
the French artist of a violation of truth 
in some of his drawings; and I have my¬ 
self remarked in them superfluous or¬ 
naments. Leroi’s sections and plans 
have not the scrupulous fidelity of Stu¬ 
art’s; but, taking it altogether, liis vvork 
is a moiunnent honorable to France. 
Leroi was at Lacedaemon, w-lnch he 
clearly distinguishes from Misitra, and 
where he recogtiized the theatre and the 
dioinos. 
In 1761, Stuart enriched llis country 
with his celebrated work, intituled, 
“ Antiquities of Athens.” It is a grand 
undertaking, particulaily useful to ar¬ 
tists, and executed with that accuracy 
of admeasurement which is, at the 
present day, considered such a high re¬ 
commendation : but the general effect 
of the prints is not good; the whole to¬ 
gether is deficient in that truth which 
pervades the details. 
Chandler’s Travels, which speedily 
followed Stuart’s Antiquities, might 
enable ns to dispense with all the others. 
In this work the doctor has displayed 
uncommon fidelity, a pleasing and yet 
profound erudition, sound criticism, and 
exquisite taste. 
T.he first volume of M. de Choiseul’s 
magnificent work appeared at the be¬ 
ginning of 1773. This performance I 
shall liave frequent occasion to mention 
with deserved commendation. I shall 
merely remark in this place, that ]M. de 
Choiseul lias not yet published the Mo¬ 
numents of Attica and of the Pelopon- 
nese. The author, was at Athens in 
1784: and it was the same year, I be¬ 
lieve, that M. Chabeit determined the 
latitude and longitude of tiie temple of 
IHinerva. 
The researches of Messrs. Fouclierot 
and Faiivel began about 1730, and were 
prosecuted in the succeeding years. The 
IMemoirs of the latter describe places 
and antiquities heretofore unknown. M. 
Fnuvel was my host at Athens, and of 
ills labours 1 shall speak in another 
place. 
M. Poucqueville would certainly be 
the best guide for the Moiea, if he had 
been 
