1303,), 
infamous « of Sporus, the.vile Nero, 
{wote. Te dks, particularly the Cre- 
tans and the Sicilians, rendered worhhip 
to the celeftial Urfi, *6r Bears (conttella- 
tions fo called) under the name of mo- 
thers, But it may appear doubtful whe- 
ther the wh shape te of Gaul, of 
Britain, Germany, Spain, &c. were the 
fame divinities, At leaft,,it is certain 
that in that cafe, by tranfmigration, the 
notions relative to thele goddefles, their 
functions, and their a‘tributes, had been 
ftrangely aitesed. With srelpeet to tie fi- 
gures publifhed by Montfaucon, they held 
children in theis,arms, like the figures of 
women, that appear on the medals of fome 
emprefies, with the Jegend Juno Lucina: 
which confirms the opinion of Citizen 
Mongez, that his figures reprefent the mo- 
ther-goddefles in general; and the Juncs, 
or the Genii of women in particular. He 
has before endeavoured to prove, that the 
inclofare difcovercd near Aurillac was a 
place defi for the burning of bodies, 
and that it had been made ufe of as fuch 
by the Gauls, under the firft emperors. 
But the fcience of antiquity is not con- 
fined to ftatues, to columns, to vafes, or 
to garments; it embraces, in general, all 
thei erie done, in every kind, from 
the casle& times of the world, to thot 
that approach the times wherein we live ; 
its ramifications are fo varied, fo multifa- 
rious, that no wile individual would pre- 
tend to poffels it in all its extents. Altho’ 
the knowledge of the cofiume of ancient 
nations is but a very circumfcribed divi- 
fion of it; it is, notwithftanding, im- 
menfe; and neither the labours of the in- 
defatigable literati that have preceded us, 
nor the new and frequent difcoveries of 
antique monuments in modern times, have 
been able entirely to difpell the obfcurity 
which conceals a great part of it from 
our refearches. 
Men renowned for their erudition and 
profound knowledge, the Salmaftuses, the 
Cafaubons, and many other literati who 
have been. employed on this intercitmg 
part of antiquity, never fulfilled the pro- 
_ mile they haa made of forming znd pob- 
lifhing complete treatifes of it; and per- 
_ haps, withoat falling fhort of the refpeét- 
: in pa we entertain of their ability 
and knowledge, it is only fair to prefume 
_ that they were difcouraged by :he extreme 
_ AMifficulty of the undertaking. 
_ To prefent this {cience in its exfemble ; 
_ fo pursue it through all its details; to de- 
velope its gradual progrefs ; and, laftly, to 
in and teach it with precifon, per- 
ity, and the evidence indifpenfable to 
Proceedings of Learned Scicties. 447 
the right underflanding of it, is a tafk fill 
relerved for the fagacity, judgment, affi- 
duous fiudy, and perfeverarce, of fome 
future author; not one having, to this 
day, fatisfa€torily executed it. 
But the efforts employed to fucceed in 
this dificuk labour, hcwever mfufficient. 
they may be, never failing to occafon 
freth improvements, it is ufeful to appre- 
ciate and to encourage them. ; 
Citizen Maillot, profefior in the cen- 
tral {chool of the department of Upper 
Garonne, has lately prefented to the In- 
ftitute a new Treatife on Coflume; it is 
principally defigned, however, for young 
pupi's who cultivate the fine arts. A coma 
riffion has been appointed to render an 
account of it to the clafs, and fome no- 
tice has been already taken of it ina for- 
mer number of this Magazine. 
—_——— 
TRANSACTIONS of the SOCIETY infiituted 
at Lonvon fir the EXcoUZAGE- 
MENT Of ARTS; MANUFACTURES, 
and COMMERCE. 
FEW months fince, a2 number of 
public-fpirited and wealthy perfons 
aflociated for the prrpofe of abolithing 
the common methed of chimney fweep- 
ing. Feeling themfelves perhaps imade- 
quate to the carrying their laudzble in- 
tentions into execution, they applied to 
the Society of Arts in the Adejphi, te+ 
quefting them to offer premiums on the 
fubject. In confequence of this applica- 
tion, the Society departed from their ufual 
“routine of bufinefe, and offered the gold 
medal to the perfon who fhould invent the 
moft effectual mechanical or other means 
for cleanfing chimneys from foot, ard ob- 
viating the neceffity of children being 
employed within the flues; and to the 
Next in merit, the filver med2l. On the 
third of May, the time limited by the So- 
ciety for candidates to put in their claims, 
five perfons had fent in machires with pro- 
per certificates of their having been nfed 
with cficé& in fweeping chimneys. The 
candidates were Meiirs. Horneblower, 
Wyat, Smart, Barber, and Orme; their 
feveral machines were referred to the 
Committee of Mechanics, in order that 
they might appreciate their various me- 
rits. The candidates were dcfred to at- 
tend the Society’s rooms to fhew the effect 
of their machines by aétual experiment: 
A chimney was fixedon for the purpofe, 
upwards of 7o feet high. Mr.Wyatt’s ma- 
chine confifted of a fet of bruthes with pul- 
leys and weights, which were to be let 
down from the top of the chimney ; Fut 
as the object of the Suciety was to find an 
3M: apparatus. — 
OE os ek EN ee TE Re ER RR a AD mi me ee eae eg We 
