98 
On the other fide of the urn, Hercules, 
conduéted by the Genius of Love, patles 
through the gate of Hadés, and itretches 
out his potent arm to Alcefté, who is 
fitting, in Elyfiurn, under a fhade of trees. 
In her lap fits Hygeia, reftoring her to 
her former health. With vifible fenfa- 
tions of joy and aitonifiment Alcefté lays 
hold on the arm of herdeliverer. Pluto, 
who had before experienced the fuper- 
lative might of Hercules, thoughttully 
furveys the fcene; and, although he won- 
ders at the bold undertaking, yet his eafy 
and tranquil mien clearly indicates that 
he has no inclination to refift.—See a 
work entitled “ Alceffis pro Marito moriens 
fiftoria, a Begero illujireta.”’ Branden- 
burg, 1703: in which is collected from 
Euripides, Apollodorus, and other ancient 
writers, every thing that relates to thas 
fable: 
As then, according te the poets, Her- 
cules really brought back Alcefte to Ad- 
metus from the infernal regions; the pryn- 
cipal charateriitic of this ttory is entirely 
the fame with that which is reprefented 
ot the farcophagus. For that ftories fo 
concordant and weil connected, and at 
the fame time fo admirably adapted to the 
object and purpole of the vate, fhould 
come together by mere accident, appears 
to me extremely improbable, nay, barely 
pollible. 
The workmanfhip on the farcophagus 
is, if I miftake not, confidered by all 
connoiffeurs to be evidently Roman: 
while the vafe is by many deemed a 
Grecian production. But this opinion, I 
think, reits on a very weak foundation.— 
Mariette has carefully examined the work- 
manthip of the vafe; and has found that, 
the bottom excepted, it is executed after 
the fame manner as the cameos were 
finifhed by the artifts of thofe times. 
Whoever has with any attention examined 
the vaie itfelf, and fhall confult Natter’s 
claffical work, <¢ Sur la Methode Antique 
de graver en fierres fines,’ will foon be 
convinced of this. 
‘That in the firft century this art was 
brought to perfe@ion at Rome, is well 
known. ‘The works of Diofcorides—the 
fine head of Cicero in the collection of 
Cardinal Chigi—the moft beautiful head 
of Caligula in the pofleffion of Count 
Walmoden, which Winkleman affirms 
to be one of the moit perfect works of the 
kind, are fuffcient proots of my pofition. 
Wow in the fame manner and ftyle are the 
figures on the Portland vafe executed.— 
Mariette mentions feveral other fuch pro- 
duétions ; and pofigiled, himfelf, ahead of 
Conjectures concerning the Barberins or Portland Vafe. (Feb: 
2 
Auguftus, which was exactly of the fame 
ftyle, and done on the fame kind of glafs- 
patte, and even in the fame colours; 
namely, the figures white, on a dark 
ground of the colour of the amechyft.. 
Whether the artift living at Rome were 
a Greek or a Roman, is, I think, a matter 
of indifference : for, fuppofing he were a 
Greek, we cculd, on that account alone, 
as little call his productions Grecian, as 
we fhould call thofe of a Natter, Pichler, 
Marchant, German or Englifh produc- 
tions. 
That the female figure at the bottom is 
a fraginent of another, perhaps ftill more 
ancient work, has been by fome afferted ; 
but, in my opinion, without any good. 
reafon. I have carefully examined both 
the original itfelf, (when Sir Willian 
Hamilton paffed with it through Ger- 
many); but fince more minutely the ex- 
cellent copy of Mr. Wedgwood: and 
the refult of my examen, with re{pect 
to the bottom figure, is this: The artift 
could not well make the vafe and its bot- 
tom of one piece; at leaft not without 
very great diMeulty. But if the urn had, 
below, a confiderable aperture, he could 
more readily give to the mafs throughout 
an equal degree of thickneis; and the. 
force of the fire could be applied with in- 
fnitely more precifion to each part, both 
within and without, as the defign re- 
quired. Befides, how could he,. but by 
this method, be certam that the figure 
intended for the bottom would not be 
{poiled by the fire 5 as the vafe in its foft 
or flexible condition muft have had fome 
refting. point ?—Thefe, and perhaps other 
confiderations, may: have determined the 
artit to make the bottom figure at firft 
feparately, and afterwards to join it te 
the vale. 
The great and ftrikine difference be- 
tween the workmanfhip of the vafe, and 
that of its bottom, may be eafily ac- 
counted for, without being under the ne- 
ceflity of fuppoling the bottom figure to 
be the fragment of a different and more 
ancient piece of art. The artift finifhed 
the figures on the urn, with the foure?, in 
the higheft degree of perfeftion; but left 
the figure on the bottom rude and un- 
finifhed, ag the mafs came out of the 
mould. Such unfinifhed ancient paltes 
are not at all uncommon. Mariette men- 
tions feveral ; and to him I beg leave to 
refer, as he is well worth confulting cone 
cerning every part of this vale. 
I would, moreover, remark, that the 
form of the Portland vafe is not Grecian. 
Kt appears to have rather the form of 
Roman, 
