The Order Of
Architecture Is The Tuscan, But The Symmetry Of It Is
Inconceivable.
By scooping the bases of the pilasters, of the
second tire of arches, they had made a passage for foot-travellers:
But though the antients far excelled us in beauty,
they certainly fell short of the moderns in point of conveniency.
The citizens of Avignon have, in this particular, improved the
Roman work with a new bridge, by apposition, constructed on the
same plan with that of the lower tire of arches, of which indeed
it seems to be a part, affording a broad and commodious passage
over the river, to horses and carriages of all kinds. The
aqueduct, for the continuance of which this superb work was
raised, conveyed a stream of sweet water from the fountain of
Eure, near the city of Uzes, and extended near six leagues in
length.
In approaching Nismes, you see the ruins of a Roman tower, built
on the summit of a hill, which over-looks the city. It seems to
have been intended, at first, as a watch, or signal-tower,
though, in the sequel, it was used as a fortress: what remains of
it, is about ninety feet high; the architecture of the Doric
order. I no sooner alighted at the inn, than I was presented with
a pamphlet, containing an account of Nismes and its antiquities,
which every stranger buys. There are persons too who attend in
order to shew the town,
and you will always be accosted by some shabby antiquarian, who
presents you with medals for sale, assuring you they are genuine
antiques, and were dug out of the ruins of the Roman temple and
baths. All those fellows are cheats; and they have often laid
under contribution raw English travellers, who had more money
than discretion. To such they sell the vilest and most common
trash: but when they meet with a connoisseur, they produce some
medals which are really valuable and curious.
Nismes, antiently called Nemausis, was originally a colony of
Romans, settled by Augustus Caesar, after the battle of Actium.
It is still of considerable extent, and said to contain twelve
thousand families; but the number seems, by this account, to be
greatly exaggerated. Certain it is, the city must have been
formerly very extensive, as appears from the circuit of the
antient walls, the remains of which are still to be seen. Its
present size is not one third of its former extent. Its temples,
baths, statues, towers, basilica, and amphitheatre, prove it to
have been a city of great opulence and magnificence. At present,
the remains of these antiquities are all that make it respectable
or remarkable; though here are manufactures of silk and wool,
carried on with good success. The water necessary for these works
is supplied by a source at the foot of the rock, upon which the
tower is placed; and here were discovered the ruins of Roman
baths, which had been formed and adorned with equal taste and
magnificence. Among the rubbish they found a vast profusion of
columns, vases, capitals, cornices, inscriptions, medals,
statues, and among other things, the finger of a colossal statue
in bronze, which, according to the rules of proportion, must have
been fifteen feet high. From these particulars, it appears that
the edifices must have been spacious and magnificent. Part of a
tesselated pavement still remains. The antient pavement of the
bath is still intire; all the rubbish has been cleared away; and
the baths, in a great measure, restored on the old plan, though
they are not at present used for any thing but ornament. The
water is collected into two vast reservoirs, and a canal built
and lined with hewn stone. There are three handsome bridges
thrown over this vast canal. It contains a great body of
excellent water, which by pipes and other small branching canals,
traverses the town, and is converted to many different purposes
of oeconomy and manufacture. Between the Roman bath and these
great canals, the ground is agreeably laid out in pleasure-walks.
for the recreation of the inhabitants. Here are likewise
ornaments of architecture, which savour much more of French
foppery, than of the simplicity and greatness of the antients. It
is very surprizing, that this fountain should produce such a
great body of water, as fills the basin of the source, the Roman
basin, two large deep canals three hundred feet in length, two
vast basins that make part of the great canal, which is eighteen
hundred feet long. eighteen feet deep, and forty-eight feet
broad. When I saw it, there was in it about eight or nine feet of
water, transparent as crystal. It must be observed, however, for
the honour of French cleanliness, that in the Roman basin,
through which this noble stream of water passes, I perceived two
washerwomen at work upon children's clouts and dirty linnen.
Surprized, and much disgusted at this filthy phaenomenon, I asked
by what means, and by whose permission, those dirty hags had got
down into the basin, in order to contaminate the water at its
fountain-head; and understood they belonged to the commandant of
the place, who had keys of the subterranean passage.
Fronting the Roman baths are the ruins of an antient temple,
which, according to tradition, was dedicated to Diana: but it has
been observed by connoisseurs, that all the antient temples of
this goddess were of the Ionic order; whereas, this is partly
Corinthian, and partly composite. It is about seventy foot long,
and six and thirty in breadth, arched above, and built of large
blocks of stone,
exactly joined together without any cement. The walls are still
standing, with three great tabernacles at the further end,
fronting the entrance. On each side, there are niches in the
intercolumniation of the walls, together with pedestals and
shafts of pillars, cornices, and an entablature, which indicate
the former magnificence of the building. It was destroyed during
the civil war that raged in the reign of Henry III.
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