Extracts of Two Letters to Thomas Hollis, Esq; Concerning the Late Discoveries at Herculaneum

the Georgians the Doctor mentions, and not have fell under his knowledge. To vindicate his ignorance, he distinguishes the parts of Georgia, or its divisions. He has never been at Cackett, and staid but three weeks at once in Tiflis. J. P. XXII. Extracts of Two Letters to Thomas Hollis, Esq; concerning the late Discoveries at Herculaneum. Read April 10, 1755. ALL the antiquities, which were in the royal palace at Naples, that is, those which did belong to the Parma collection, have been carried to the King's new palace of Capo di monte; and it is reported, that Padre Pancrazi will have the care of them. Paderni has the custody of all the bronzes, and things in gold and silver, which have been found in the different places where they have dug, by order of the King; and they are handsomely arranged in several rooms at Portici. The great gallery there is almost finished. In it are to be deposited the statues in bronze and marble, the pictures, the inscriptions, and the columns of verd'antique and oriental alabaster found throughout the kingdom. Near the royal palace at Portici, has been discovered a large garden, with a palace belonging to it. In one room of this palace was found a mosaic pavement (which I have seen) made up of different coloured stones. It represents a city surrounded with walls, walls, having four towers, one at each corner; and has since been taken up, to be placed with other beautiful antique pavements in the said gallery. For some time past they have been digging at Santa Maria di Capua, by the King's order. There they have met with several very fine statues of Greek workmanship; and among them a Venus, which is intire, and matchless; and all of them have been carried to the King's new palace at Caserta. Extract of a Letter from Camillo Paderni, dated at Naples, January 1755. Read April 10, 1755. October 22, 1754, was found a bust in bronze, larger than the life, and of excellent Greek workmanship; which from some circumstances may be thought to be a Syrian king. It has eyes of white marble, like many other busts, which have been met with. November 27, we discovered the figure of an old fawn, or rather a Silenus, represented as sitting upon a bank; with a tyger lying on his left side, upon which his hand rested. Both these figures served to adorn a fountain, and from the mouth of the tyger had flowed water. This Silenus was of bronze, and of good workmanship. The head was crowned with ivy, the body all over hairy, and the thighs covered with a drapery. From the same spot were taken out, November 29, three little boys of bronze, of a good manner. Two of these are young fawns, having the horns and ears of a goat. They have likewise silver eyes, and each of them the goat-skin on his shoulder, wherein they patiently put wine, and through which here the water issued. The third boy is also of bronze, has silver eyes, is of the same size with the two former, and in a standing posture like them, but is not a fawn. On one side of this last stood a small column, upon the top of which was a comic mask, that served as a capital to it, and discharged water from its mouth. All the figures before described are two palms in height without their bases. December 16, in the same place were discovered another boy, with another mask, and three other fawns; in all respects like those, which were found the 27th and 29th of November, except that there was no tyger. Besides these we met with two little boys in bronze, somewhat less than the former. These likewise were in a standing posture, had silver eyes, and held each of them a vase, with handles, upon his shoulder; from hence the water flowed. We also dug out an old fawn, crowned with ivy, having a long beard, a hairy body, and sandals on his feet. He sat astride upon a large goat skin, holding it at the feet with both his hands, from which had issued a larger quantity of water than from the others; though the fawn himself is of the same size with the former. All the above-mentioned figures were taken out of a place not exceeding eight palms square, and were covered with the ruins of the building: for they were not in a garden, but in a room paved with mosaic work, the remaining part of which we are now going on to examine. You may rely entirely upon what I write, as nothing can be moved from the the place where it is discovered, but in my presence. We have likewise found a large quantity of household furniture, made of earthen and iron ware, and some glass. At present this is all that I am at liberty to mention. Shortly will be published a general catalogue of all the things, which have hitherto been found; and this year will come out also the first volume of the paintings. Both these I will take care to convey to you. XXIII. Copy of a Letter from a learned Gentleman of Naples, dated February 25, 1755, concerning the Books and antient Writings dug out of the Ruins of an Edifice near the Site of the old City of Herculaneum; to Monsignor Cerati, of Pisa, F.R.S. sent to Mr. Baker, F.R.S. and by him communicated; with a Translation by John Locke, Esq.; F.R.S. Read April 17, 1755. In obedience to your commands, I send you the best account I can of the writings. You must know then, that within two years last past, in a chamber of a house, (or more properly speaking, of an antient villa, for by many marks it is certainly known, that the place, where they are now digging, was never covered with buildings, but was in the middle of a garden), there has been found a great quantity of rolls, about half a palm