DISCOVERY OF THE PHIGALIAN MARBLES. 197 subsequent extract, which will perhaps delight him even more than what I have already quoted. It is written just after his recovery from a most alarming illness, and concludes the account of the discovery and removal of the Phigalian marbles, which last event took place during an excursion which Mr. C. made into Sicily. "To what calamities we travellers are exposed! What a sad history is that of the party who left Rome, about the time I left England, for Greece! not one but has suffered in some melancholy way or other, and their adventure has been the cause of sacrificing a very fine young man, a Dane, who died in Zante of a violent fever. Another poor fellow, whom I have before mentioned to you, lost all he had during my absence in Sicily. He was making a tour of the Morea, and thinking how he might visit Maina, he wrote for himself, as from me, a long letter of introduction to Captain Murgino, whom I have described to you in a long history of our Mainiot adventures. Well, in the road from Sparta to Calamata, on the borders of Maina, he is stopped by a party of robbers: he recollects his letter, and says- I have a letter of recommendation to Captain Murgino.'- Have you?' reply they. If he were here we would play him twice the pranks we play you:' and immediately they strip him of every thing in his possession: nor could he obtain redress, though he presented the pasha of the Morea with a letter in a red velvet cover. Baron Stakelberg, in a late tour through Maina, found his watch and purse, with several other articles, exposed for sale in the house of one of the captains. The price was too enormous for him to purchase all, but he recovered a ring to which the owner attached a particular value. "The poor traveller returned quite forlorn to his friends, who were digging at the Temple of Apollo at Phigalia. How much I regret the not having been of that delightful party! You recollect perhaps my description of our former visit when we stayed there nine days. 198 DISCOVERY OF THE PHIGALIAN MARBLES. That was pleasant enough, but not to be compared with this last. The party was very large, consisting of Gropius, Haller, Foster, Bronstedt, Lynckh, and Stakelberg, besides their servants superintendants, &c. amounting to above fifteen persons. On the top of Mount Cotylium, from whence there is a grand prospect over nearly all Arcadia, they established themselves for three months, building round the temple huts covered with the boughs of trees, amounting almost to a village (a city I should have said) which they denominated Francopolis. They had frequently fifty or eighty men at work in the temple, and a band of Arcadian music was constantly playing, to entertain this numerous assemblage: when evening put an end to work, dances and songs commenced, lambs were roasted whole on a long wooden spit, and the whole scene, in such a situation, at such an interesting time, when every day some new and beautiful work of the best age of sculpture the world has ever known was brought to light, is hardly to be imagined. Apollo must have wondered at the carousals which disturbed his long repose, and have thought that his glorious days of old were again returned! "The success of the enterprise in getting permission from the pasha has astonished every one: since few would risk such an adventure, who are always surrounded with those that are glad to find any ground of complaint against them at the Porte: and this was a discovery of great extent and notoriety. "In all the circumstances connected with this event good fortune attended us. Just at this time Vely Pasha was removed from his government of the Morea: we should have been much embarrassed by our agreement with him, which made him proprietor of half the marbles; but he was now very glad to sell us his share, and scarcely were the treasures put on board a vessel, ere the officers of the new pasha came down to the port with the intent of seizing the whole; but they were then safe. Perhaps at no other time could such a per DEPARTURE FROM TRIPOLIZZA. 199 mission as we obtained have been procured, and Gropius certainly managed this part of the business with great dexterity." These beautiful specimens of ancient sculpture were landed safely at Zante, and from thence transferred to England, where they may be now seen amongst the principal ornaments of our national Museum. About noon on the 22d of September,, we left our confinement in Tripolizza, determined to represent the conduct of this pasha in its proper light at Constantinople, and return to travel through the Morea in spite of his teeth. Crossing the great plain in an easterly direction, we passed the site of Tegea about one hour distant on the right hand : soon afterwards we entered a defile of Mount Parthenion, called Steno, where the Athenian ambassador Pheidippides is reported to have held a conference with Pan, when that cloven-footed deity severely taxed the Athenians with ingratitude for having erected no temple to a benefactor who had so often assisted them by striking a panic into their enemies*. From the summit of this hill we first caught a glance of the Ægean Sea: the beautiful fountain Amymone, or the Alcyonian Lake, was scarcely visible when we passed it, through the obscure shades of twilight: we were just able to observe a white mist of malaria emanating from the Lernæan marsh, the poisonous breath of that very hydrat which has again appeared to depopulate this unfortunate country: when, alas! will another Hercules arise to crush the monster? The darkness of night enveloped Argos when we approached that city: no light gleamed now from the deserted citadel of Larissa like that which * The just representations of the Deity produced the desired effect: hence the origin of the Cave of Pan, that pooẞoppov avтpov under the north-east end of the Athenian acropolis. Herod. 1. vi. c. 106. + "Veteri (spumat jam) Lerna veneno." Stat. Theb. i. The wisdom which dictated the laborious drainage of this marsh was designated under the idea of Minerva assisting Hercules in the destruction of the Hydra. Pausan. Eliac. c. xvii. 4. shone to cheer the fugitive Polynices*: but, like him, we should have been obliged to seek a residence for the night under the protecting shelter of a portico, had it not been for the authority of our Turkish tchocodar: nor could even he gain admittance into a house at this unseasonable hour until he not only threatened to break down the door, but actually commenced the execution of his threats. "Ab Inachiis victa caligine tectis Emicuit lucem devexa in monia pandens CHAPTER VII. Larissaan Acropolis-View from thence-Reflections thereon-Plain of Argos-Excursion to Tiryns-Cotton Harvest-Description of Tiryns -Cyclopéan Masonry-Historical Inquiry into the Origin and Character of the Cyclopes, &c.-Architecture introduced by them, with its subsequent Improvements-Nauplia-Kind Reception by the Pasha-Manners of the Turks—Feast of the Bairam-Curious Incident in the Street of Argos-Visit to the Vaivode-Investigation of Argos-Theatre— Statue of Telesilla-History of that Heroine-Endeavour to explain the strange confusion of Argos and Mycena by ancient Authors— Albanian Inhabitants of Argos-Custom of the Girls carrying Coins upon their Heads-Visit to Mycena-Acropolis-Gate of the Lions— Homeric Age and Poems-Treasuries of Atreus-Defence of the Argive Character. NEXT morning I was up before the sun, which scarcely appeared above the horizon when I stood upon the summit of the Larissæan acropolis. This lofty rock, domineering over the city, is crowned with the castellated remains of a large Venetian fortress, built upon the massive substruction of its Cyclopéan walls. The view from hence was transcendantly beautiful; but even more interesting by its associations than by its natural magnificence. Before me lay that plain where knowledge was first transplanted into Europe from the prolific regions of the east; a plain so identified with the earliest ages of Grecian story* that every object upon which my eye rested might have formed a subject for the muse: the very cradle of demi-gods and * Παλαίτερα δὲ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν τὰ ̓Αργολικὰ τὰ ἀπὸ Ἰνάχω λέγω, &c. Cl. Alex. Strom. 1. i. 138. VOL. I. D D |