Glimpses of Greek Life and Scenery

Chapter I. Page

An Atlantic Storm 1 Rough Weather in the Channel — ' We shall all go to the Bottom ' — Making for New York instead of for Gibraltar — The blue sky of the Mediterranean over our Heads — The Fate of the Kenmure Castle.

Chapter II

First Impressions of Athens . . . .12 We leave Naples — The barren Island of Cythera — Feel ings on touching Attic Ground — Athens at Last — Temple of the Olympian Jove — Theatre of Dionysus — Propylæa — The Parthenon — The Towers of the Winds — Dr. Kalopo thakes' Service — Theatre of Herod Atticus — The Cave of the Eumenides — A Drive to Colonus. CHAPTER HI. In Athens 45 We climb Lycabettus, and have splendid Views — We engage a good Courier — A Discussion in the Boule, or Par liament—A Walk to the Acropolis — The Clepsydra — A Snow-storm — Museums at the Propylæa and Parthenon — Excavations — A Funeral Procession — The Archiman drite's Sermon — Are the Greeks Honest 1 — Obstacles to Ægina Excursion. contents. VI PACE 96

Chapter IV

Sunium and Hymettus 62 We set out for Sunium — Bad Roads — Sunium, ' the Portico of Attica ' — Barrenness of Attica — Hymettus — Splendid Views — Encounter with two Fierce Dogs — The Greek Shepherds a Simple and Kindly Race — Greeks give Heathen Names to their Children — How to get Good Water and escape Fevers.

Chapter V

Marathon and Ægina 76 The Plain of Attica Greener than Before — Aspects of Marathon — The Polyandrium — Celebration of the Anni versary of Greek Independence at Athens — Indifferent Music and Bad Designs in the Church — Their Majesties of Greece — The Difficulties of their Rule — A Religious Discussion — Ægina Visited — Trials of the Voyage — A Hunt for Homeric Words — A Happy Evening at Dr. Schliemann's.

Chapter VI

The Isthmus and the Acro-Corinthus We Start from the Piræus — A Ring of Famous Moun tains — New Corinth — Old Corinth — The Theatre — Lodg ings in the Priest's House — Ascent of the Acro-Corintbus — Helicon and Parnassus — View of the Ruins of sSicyon — sShepherds and Shepherdesses — A slight Earthquake.

Chapter VII

Mycenæ and the Argive Plain . . . .113 A Glorious view of Parnassus — Mycenæ — The Treasury of Atreus — The Lion Gate — Argos — Has Reason to be proud of its Daughters — Points of Likeness between Greeks and Scotch — Arcadia — Wonderful Sunset — Scopos where Epaminondas was Killed — Primitive Agriculture — Tripolitza. CONTENTS. VII

Chapter VIII. Page

In Sparta 131 Tegea and its Byzantine Church — A View of Taygetus — A Characteristic Peasant-woman — A Difficult Path — The Approach to Sparta — A Greek Palm-Sunday — A Walk to the Old Acropolis — The Site of the Ancient City.

Chapter IX

Near Taygetus 147 A Heavy Rain — ' Good for the Crops ' — The Course of the Eurotas — Attractive Quarters — Sinano, the Ancient Megalopolis — On Ground twice Hallowed by Struggles for Freedom — Town of Leondari — A Restless Night — Sufferers from Curiosity.

Chapter X

On Ithome . . ■ 163 The Messenian .Plain — On Ithome — Aristomenes and .Sir William Wallace Compared — The Monastery on Evas — Mount Ira — Capture of Ira.

Chapter XI

Easter in a Monastery 175 Afternoon .Service, or ' Second Resurrection ' — A very Interesting sService — True Religion Defined — A Gentle Crea ture — Byzantine Music — View from the Ridge connecting Evas and Ithome — ' Oh, how little is Greece !' — Ruins of the Gate of Messenia — The oldest Inhabitant.

Chapter XII

From the Monastery to Kreki . . . .194 Bad Roads — Garanza — A Crowd of Visitors — We Cross the River Neda — Boundary between Messenia and Elis — CONTENTS. VIII PAGE The Ruins of Phigaleia — Bassæ — View of Olympia — A Betrothed One — The Picturesquely-situated Village of Kreki — Splendid Views.

Chapter XIII

In Olympia . . 212 Village of Krestena — Excavations near the Alpheus — The Temple of Hera — The Museum — Fragments of Praxi teles' Hermes — The Earliest Olympian Temple — The Hip podrome — Milon, the Prince of Victors — The Altar of Zeus — German Fellow-travellers — The Excavation Works Incomplete.

Chapter XIV

From Olympia to Megaspelion .... 230 An Intelligent old Peasant — Beautiful Views — The wild Glen of Bibri — Where is England I — Earnings in the Cur rant Fields — Tripotamo — An Invasion of Cats — The Ery manthus is Crossed — Describing the Figure 8 — The Mon astery of St. Theodore — Kalabryta.

Chapter XV

A Journey to the Styx 243 Megaspelion Described — First English Ladies Entertain ed Here— The Way to the Styx — The Highest Peak of Mount Chelmos — Resembles the Aiguilles of Chamouni, without Mont Blanc — The Styx is Small, but its Sur roundings Romantic — The Convent at Megaspelion — Its History and Leading Events.

Chapter XVI

Greek Hospitality 256 A View of the Waters where Lepanto was Fought — Of Parnassus and Œta — TheWealthiestProprietor in the Pelo- CONTENTS. IX PAGE 283 ponnesus— Aigion, the Centre of the Currant Trade— A Greek Marriage— A Charming Walk— A Panorama of Mountains— The Gulf of Corinth in a Storm.

Chapter XVII

Difficulties .267 Galaxidi — Delphi — Temple of Apollo — The Castalian Fount — Arachova — Alexandros Deserts Us — An Offshoot of Parnassus — The Corycitm Cave — The Women of Ara chova, the Handsomest in Greece — The People reach Great Ages — Purchases in Athens — Relative Height of Places Visited — Constantine Christopoulos. CHAPTER XVHI. A Thunderstorm on Mount Parnassus An Accident — A Terrific Hail-storm — An Awkward Crossing — Daulia — Cordial Welcome — The Spot where Œdipus Killed his Father — The Famous Daulian Nightin gales — Chæronea — The Birthplace and Home of Plutarch — The Acropolis — A Trophy in Honour of the Vanquished — Monastery at Orchomenos — ' You Bring us Good Luck ' — A Picturesque Dance — ' Trata ' — The Treasury of Minyas — The Fountain of the Graces.

Chapter XIX

From Parnassus to Corfu 306 Renewed Troubles — We leave Petra and begin the Ascent by a Spur of Helicon — The Scenery Soft and Pastoral — A Scene of Wild Excitement— Leuctra— The Ruined Walls of Platæa — Bœotians and Athenians Contrasted — The City of Cadmus— Visitors— Character of the Thebans— Eleusis and the Pass of Daphne— Corfiotes not Desirable for Cabin Companions— Corfu— A Turkish Lady— We bid Farewell to Greece and the Greeks. X contents. PAGE

Chapter XX

Language and Character of the Modern Greeks 329 Close Resemblance between Ancient and Modern Tongues — Advantages of Teaching those who learn Greek to >Speak it — Words Derived from Modern Tongues — These are much used by the Uneducated when Talking to a Foreigner — -Mrs. Schliemann's Advice — 'The English of the East' — Greece is Commercial, not Manufacturing — Condition of Agriculture— Improved Accommodation Wanted — Greeks perfectly Accessible to Western Ideas — Monsieur About's Experience .about Beggars — Greeks profoundly Sensitive to Criticism.

Chapter XXI

Comparison of Syrian and Grecian Travel . 346 Lack of good Dragomen in Greece — Bad Accommoda tion — Advantages Syria has over Greece — A Dragoman's financial Difficulties in Syria and Greece — Mark Twain's Idea that all Greeks are Thieves— The Cargo of Fruit he let Drop — Mark Twain on Syrian Horses — Misleading Reports. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Monastery of Vurkano (see p. 185) . Frontispiece. Portrait of Galani (see p. 132) . . Vignette. The Acropolis of Athens . . . To face page 34. Ruined Temple at Old Corinth . . . ,, 103. Monastery of Megaspelion .... ,, 243. Map of the Author's Route .... „ 352. GLIMPSES OF GREEK LIFE AND SCENERY.

Chapter I. An Atlantic Storm

Rough Weather in the Channel — 'We shall all go to the Bottom ' — Making for New York instead of for Gibraltar — The blue sky of the Mediterranean over our Heads — The Fate of the Kenmure Castle. Returning from the Holy Land in 1869, I spent a few days in Athens. The sight of its wonderful ruins, and of that vigorous national life which contrasts so strikingly with the de solations of Asia Minor, aroused in me an irrepressible wish to learn more of the country and people. Years passed, and it is only in the spring of 1883 that I have accomplished my purpose, thanks to the sympathy and co- B greek life and scenery. operation of my twin-sister and of a dear friend, whom — as in my former narrative — I shall, for convenience' sake, call Violet and Edith. We left Gravesend, nominally, on the 25th, but really on the 26th, of January, in the steamer Iberia, of the Orient Line.

She was bound for Australia, but took a few passengers to Naples. "We had rough weather in the Channel, rougher still after leaving Plymouth. On the 31st we were still in the Bay of Biscay, having over come our sea-sickness, and got accustomed to the vagaries of the screw, whose revolutions were but too audible in the cabins allotted to us. Violet and I occupied one state-room, Edith another. The wind was very high when we retired to rest, and in a few minutes our whole attention was engrossed in listening to the move ments of the machinery. Now it seemed to stop altogether, and the vessel rolled heavily ; now it made a great effort, till a furious wave, breaking over the upper-deck, forced it to slacken speed. I cannot say that this prolonged strife betwixt science and the elements left us wholly without alarm, but we had confidence in our good ship and in the skill of her officers.

SMALLER TROUBLES. 3 Smaller troubles came thickly. Our door was torn from its fastenings, and it was only at the peril of breaking our arms that we could make it secure. Portmanteaus, black-bags, a basket of medicines, and articles of apparel careered wildly about. But our chief perplexity was with a small box of wine. It had originally contained a dozen pint bottles of claret. Their number was now diminished to seven, but it was still heavy enough to make a terrific thud as it was tossed like a shuttlecock from one end of our small apartment to the other. We bethought ourselves of Victor Hugo's wonderful description of the loose cannon in the hold of a man-of-war ; and of how the vessel's safety was imperilled by its mad freaks. At length Violet could stand it no longer. She leaped down from the upper berth, and tried to secure the offender.

But, with the heavy box in her arms, she was pitched right on the top of me. A second valiant effort secured it behind the foot of the sofa. Sleep was of course out of the question. I rose with daylight, and ventured into the saloon, and found the passages drenched with water. b2 GREEK LIFE AJSD SCENERY. A skylight had been broken ; and the head steward was going about, looking unaccountably pale. I sat down to partake of a light refreshment. The waves, as viewed from a port-hole, were terrific — they looked like nothing so much as alps of ice, each fringed with flying jets of vapoury foam ; they were dark, grim, forbidding. I preferred contemplating my orange. But I was struck by the stewards' faces. They looked like men who had watched all night, and were trying to hide their apprehensions.

To several I put the question, 'Are we in any danger ?' 'Oh no, miss,' was the invariable answer. ' We are accustomed to this sort of weather.' But they were deadly pale, and I could not help observing that one and all were barefoot, and in their shirt-sleeves. I also saw that the stair leading to the deck was drenched. Then a young lady entered. She hardly noticed me, but knelt on the cushions, looking out on the wild waters. ' Is there any danger ?' I asked her. She turned on me a terror-stricken face. MOUNTAINS HIGH. 5 ' How can there be anything but danger,' she replied, ' with such waves ? Why, they're moun tains high ! One of them will come on, and swamp the vessel.' I tried to explain to her that we had got good ballast, and were more likely to ride over them. Then came her mother, a lady who had made the voyage to Australia five times.

She took my hand with a touching solemnity. ' Miss S.,' she said, ' we shall all go to the bottom.' I was, to say the least of it, considerably startled. ' Why do you think so ?' I asked. ' Do you not know,' she said, ' that we are out of our course, and have been so all night ? They are keeping the ship's head to the wind ; that is all they can do. She is moving at the rate of two miles an hour. It would be a fair wind for us, if they could get her turned. But they dare not try it ; everything on deck would go at once. Oh, the sea is vicious ! And I'm not ashamed to say that I always was afraid of death.' The poor woman hid her face in her hands. Her husband and daughter sat near her. ' I have lain with my teeth chattering all night,' said the latter. ' My hands are very cold.' How hard it is to console others at such a moment !

How one's favourite texts slip away from the tongue ! I could only ask her if she did not believe that the day of our death was fixed even before we were born. And fear is a very conta gious thing. I thought it only right to slip away and warn my friends that they must not be too slow in dressing. The passengers all gathered gradually in the saloon. The gentlemen expressed their belief that we were in a serious, though perhaps not in a dangerous position. Their pocket compasses told only too truly that we were making for New York instead of for Gibraltar ; we then heard how twelve men had been washed down from the quarter-deck, and how one had broken his thigh. None of us were permitted even to approach the stairs leading from the saloon. I could see that, with few exceptions, all were trying to hide their fears, and that, although the officers assured us of there being no danger, they were dissembling their anxiety.

Twelve o'clock came, and no change. Then ' they've turned her.' 7 the purser came down, and expressed his opinion that we should have another night like the last. Some took up books, which I cannot think they read. Most were, I believe, engaged in silent prayer. The sea showed no sign of abating. It was now a quarter to one. Suddenly the ma chinery began a regular pulsation. ' How can they be so rash?' thought I. Then a gentleman sprang up and cried, ' We're going south 1' He held out his compass. A sudden brightness came over every face. Down came Captain Slater, of the Austral (now lying sunk in Sydney Harbour), who had spent the night with our own captain on the quarter-deck. ' They've turned her,' he said. ' How did they manage it ?' ' The wind began to veer about, and they seized the opportunity, and risked it.' ' And how is she going now ?' ' Splendidly ; we've got a sail set.

Words would fail to tell of the delight which followed. The waves were as monstrous as ever, but we were skimming over them. Our speed was almost alarming. We then endeavoured to ascertain what had been our position. All were unanimous with regard to it ; they expressed their confidence in the Iberia and in her Scottish captain ; but such a sea had not been seen in the course of forty, nay, fifty years' experience. The ship's head had been turned at midnight, simply because there was no other way of easing her. Her head was kept to the wind, but the waves were coming in a different and ever-shifting direction — in fact, all the officers' vigilance was required to keep her from being taken on the broadside by one of them. ' You may say,' said our captain, ' that you have been in a gale — I won't say in a gale that comes once, but in one that does not come once a year.

Two days later, with the blue sky of the Medi terranean over our heads, with all the passengers seated upon the deck beneath an awning, it was hard to believe that it was not all a nightmare. But we know very well why the sailors of the ancient world never ventured beyond the Pillars of Hercules. And we had indeed a happy escape. Lookino* at the furious sea, we had one and all felt con vinced that it was in the act of engulfing some the 'kenmure castle.' 9 gallant craft. Our prognostications were but too true, for on that very Thursday morning the Kenmure Castle, an iron-rigged screw steamer of 1,951 tons, entered the Bay of Biscay, and had her saloon crushed in. I insert the account of what followed from the Graphic of February 24th :— ' The lady-passengers were taken by the officers into the engine-room for safety ; and, as they were merely in their night dresses, some men's clothing was supplied to them.

At ten the next morning, one of the passengers came down and told them that they must get into the boats. Accordingly a boat was safely launched — thanks to a large can of oil, which, being poured overboard, smoothed the water — the occupants being eight passengers, viz., Mr. and Mrs. Henry, Mrs. Mann and her three daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Horrocks, Mr. Holmes, the second officer, Mr. Higgins, the third officer, and a crew of seven Chinamen. Scarcely had the boat put off when the vessel went down, carrying with it the second lifeboat, which was being got ready by the chief officer ; the captain remaining to the last on the bridge, smoking a cigar, and waving his hand to Mr. Holmes, saying, " Good-bye, good-bye." ' Mr. Holmes, knowing that they were one hundred and sixty miles from land, endeavoured to steer for the track of outward and homeward bound ships ; but none were sighted that day.

He tried his best to keep up a brave heart amongst his crew, and asked the ladies to sing, " Pull for the Shore, Boys," and " A Life on the Ocean Wave." There were no provisions in the boat, not even a drop of water ; and Mrs. Mann, in her touching narrative published in the Daily Telegraph, relates how " I remembered reading that flannel was a good thing to chew in order to assuage thirst — our suffering from this cause be coming very great. Mr. Horrocks found a piece, which we divided into fragments about one inch and a half square, and this we sucked. Our tongues were very much swollen, and we felt thirst more than hunger. After we had been in the boat a little time, Mr. Holmes was washed into the sea, but was ultimately rescued by means of an oar which Mr. Henry threw overboard." 1 On the morning of the second day (3rd inst.), the third officer went out of bis mind, and jumped overboard twice, being rescued the first time, but subsequently drowned.

The ladies were still in their night-dresses, with coats and trousers, bare-headed and bare-footed. The Chinamen were well clothed, and provided with ample oil-skins ; but, despite the threats of the officer, one and all refused to part with a single article for the ladies, saying, " No, me catchee cold." More over, Mr. Holmes states that they wanted to alter the course of the boat, and narrowly escaped mutiny. Mrs. Henry had a brown shawl, which was used as a signal-flag. During the whole time the water was being baled out of the boat. On the third day the ladies were sinking fast, and Mr. Holmes de scribes the cries of the poor ladies, who were suffering from cold and privation, as piteous, though Mrs. Mann's little girl sang, " Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave," and cried, " I am sure we shall be saved, mamma ; I am sure there will be a ship coming soon." ' Finally, on Saturday evening, fifty-five hours after leaving the steamer, they were sighted by SURE WE SHALL BE SAVED.' 11 the French steamer Montataire, of La Rochelle, after being in the boat three days and two nights.

Chapter II. First Impressions Of Athens

We leave Naples — The barren Island of Cythera — Feelings on touching Attic Ground — Athens at Last — Temple of the Olympian Jove — Theatre of Dionysus — Propylæa — The Parthenon — The Towers of the Winds — Dr. Kalopothakes' Service — Theatre of Herod Atticus — The Cave of the Eumenides — A Drive to Colonus. We left Naples, on February 12, in the well appointed ship Mendoza, of the Messageries Mari times. She had a fine broad deck, but I hardly think she would stand such waves as those through which the Iberia carried us. The vessels of this company generally put into port when a storm is. known to be coming on. Their sleeping accommodation is much superior to their cuisine. The weather was splendid, and we seemed rather to be gliding down a river than traversing the open sea. We were the only Britons on board.

There was a large party of Americans, CYTHERA. 13 and a goodly representation of London Greeks, most of whom were going for the first time to visit their native shores. After their ladies had recovered from the first qualms of sea-sickness, they began to converse in their native language. This was a source of great amusement, particularly when they discovered that Edith and I could join them. We were delighted to get their ap. proval of our pronunciation and grammar, and did not in the least grudge them their many laughs at our archaic words. Being told on Wednesday that we should arrive at 7 p.m., four hours before the appointed time, we ventured to ask some of them what was the Greek term for 'boatman.' Thereupon five gentlemen and one lady found the laugh turned against themselves. Not one of them knew !

Their ambassador to Rome was on board, so it was decided to refer the matter to him. He replied that the proper word was \efi/3ovxo<;, but that the functionary in question was more likely to understand /3aptcdpr]<;. Early on Wednesday morning we passed the large, barren, hilly island of Cythera, where Aphrodite sprang from the waves. Then a multi tude of others, among them Karavi, which means, in some Oriental language, a little ship, and is so called from its shape. Also Hydra, which has in modern times given birth to a race of heroes. And we enjoyed a distant peep at Mount Tay getus, the snow-clad barrier betwixt Sparta and unhappy Messenia. We dined at six, then came on deck to find ourselves steaming slowly betwixt hilly shores. The lights of the Piræus gleamed around, and there came crowding upon us the memories of Themistocles, and of those heroic citizens who forsook their beloved city and committed them selves, their families, and their fortunes to the little wooden ships.

A solitary light broke on the darkness of the surrounding hills ; it gleamed over Salamis. ' He that loseth his own life shall find it,' was strikingly verified by the Attic nation at the time of that wonderful battle. For its results having convinced Themistocles that his country's real power lay upon the sea, he at once deepened the harbour of the Piræus, con necting it with Athens by a wall. And it seems to us that our country may learn from this many a precious lesson. LESSONS FROM GREECE. We are, in some respects, the modern repre sentatives of these Athenians. We have the same passionate love of freedom, and we have inherited a maritime empire. It was not Marathon which broke the might of Persia. The power which can command the waves commands the world. And can we avoid their mistakes?

Shall we pamper the untaught Demos till he becomes our master ? Shall we cease to be a true aristocracy by allowing political power to pass from the hands of our best men ? Shall we traduce and worry them till their lives are hardly wortli having ? Shall we yield to an insane lust for military glory, until we find a second Syracuse ? Will the love of luxury and pleasure make our children the ready slaves of another Philip? Surely our purer faith will keep us from such a fate ! It is impossible to describe one's feelings on touching Attic ground. It is difficult to realize that we are approaching that extraordinary little city, hardly larger than many an English burgh, where man, without the aid of a revelation, first felt that he had a soul. Yet, why do I say without a revelation ? For surely the Spirit who spoke to Paul, spoke also, though less clearly, to Socrates.

A crowd rushes into the boat, we hear a Babel of sounds, and the few words which fall upon our ears are classic. We commit ourselves and our baggage into the hands of Dionysius, a commissionaire from the Hotel d'Angleterre, and then find ourselves in a boat, gliding along the moonlit water. Dionysius tells us to sit still, and banish care, 'comme si vous £tiez chez vous.' This is not so easy for poor Violet, who has, by an unlucky accident, had her bunch of keys thrown into the sea, and is in dread of the Custom-House officers detaining her boxes. At length we touch the quay, the officers appear, and one trunk is lifted out. After a great deal of chaffering betwixt them and our guide, they pronounce their verdict, ' 8ev avoi^oofievA — ' We shall not open it.' We glided along an avenue of steamers, and were deposited on another quay, waiting for car riages.

There were only a few loiterers about, and we sat on our boxes watching the landing of our fellow-passengers. We at length got under way in two vehicles, and proceeded, in ' WOMEN, WOMEN ALONE.' 17 a somewhat jolting manner, over a white, dusty road. Then we stopped at another Custom House, which Dionysius says is ' du commerce.' Here was a prolonged parley. Violet hid her bags, in dread lest they should be confiscated. We strained our ears to catch what sounds we could, and were excessively amused when Dionysius said, in most pathetic tones, ywaiKe^, Ywawce? fiovatA — ' Women, women alone.' He opened the door to exhibit us, and I strongly suspect that he supplemented his appeal to the officers' chivalry by a little backsheesh. Then the door was shut, and we drove on. Another halt of five minutes, at a wine-shop, and our driver, refreshed, made haste to reach the town.

We had a glimpse of white houses, with closed shutters, and then alighted in the vestibule of the hotel. We found three nice rooms allotted to our use, and Edith had the supreme pleasure of ordering tea in Greek. It was brought up nice and hot, with a specimen of the white butter which I enjoyed so much on our previous visit. This butter we could never persuade Violet to touch. An American gentleman had declared c it to be full of lard. At this the Greek ladies were indignant. ' It is half from cows, half from goats,' they said. We spent the next day (February 15th) in arranging our things, and in wandering along Hermes Street. The sun was bright, but the wind bitterly cold, so that we had to return for our fur cloaks. Our inspection of shops and shop-windows led us to the conclusion that there is not much wealth in the town.

Our windows commanded a view of the Acro polis, crowned . by the few stately pillars which represent the Parthenon. The hill of which we had a glimpse above the housetops was said by the waiter to be Parnassus, but was in reality Parnes. We could not look at it without thinking of the Aristophanic Socrates, and imagining that every cloud near its summit would take the form of a goddess. And we very soon took a walk which is one of the most memorable in our lives. We had seen it all before, but it certainly bore repetition. We turned first into Constitution Square, with its little garden, its hotels and cafes, TEMPLE OF OLYMPIAN JOVE. 19 and its royal palace. This latter, though boast ing a few Doric columns, has very much the look of a barrack. Behind it stretches the only large garden of which Athens can boast.

It is open to the public between three and six p.m. Residents iD the town may also pro vide themselves with tickets, which allow them to enter at any hour. This seems a proof of royal liberality, . but I doubt if the king could act otherwise. From a discussion in the BouTe, started by a Radical Deputy, we learnt that the nation pays a rent for it to the ex-king, Otho. Proposals to save this money by letting the ground for houses are not wanting. Should such ever be acted on, the inhabitants will be deprived of their chief refuge from the dust and glare of the streets. We strolled onwards to Hadrian's Arch, and to those few grand columns which represent the temple of the Olympian Jove. This, we are informed by Wordsworth, is co-eval with the greatness of the city. It was begun by Pisis tratus, and finished by the Roman Emperor, Hadrian.