from the Vatican Museum. 13. A small figure of Minerva in the ancient Greek style, of Pentelican marble, stolen from the Duke of Modena. 14. A small figure of Minerva victorious over Pallas, of marble of Luni. 15. Mars, victor, of Pentelican marble. 16. A small figure of Melpomene, of Parian marble, and found in Attica. 17. Juno, of Pentelican marble. 18. The Capitoline Venus issuing from the bath, of beautiful transparent Parian marble, stolen from the Capitol. 19. A bas-relief, of Pentelican marble, representing the sacrifice of the Suovetaurilia, stolen from the Library of St. Mark, at Venice. 20. Two Sphinxes of oriental red granite, stolen from the Vatican Museum, and now placed on the steps which lead to the statue of the Belvidere Apollo. These steps, and the platform on which the Apollo is fixed, are of the most beautiful marble, and in the center there are five squares of Mosaic antique, which represent animals in cars, drawn by birds, with other ornaments. 21. THE APOLLO BELVIDERE. This subject of the admiration and delight of every tasteful eye, particularly of the female sex, stands in a niche, at the extremity of the hall. The pillars which ornament the niche, were taken from the church at Aix-la-Chapelle, in which the tomb of Charlemagne was deposited, The statue is very properly preserved from too near an approach, by a slight handsome railing. Eternal youth and beauty bloom upon every part of this figure. But here, as with the Laocoon, I must call in the descriptive powers of my poet, for one cannot presume to speak of this charming production of the chisel in vulgar prose. In graceful act he stands, His arm extended with the slackened bow. The name of the artist who sculptured this statue, which has astonished the men, and smitten the hearts of all the women who have had the good fortune to view it, is unknown. Giovanni Angelo de Montorsoli, the pupil of Michael Angelo restored the right arm and the left hand, which were missing when the statue was discovered amidst the ruins of Antium. For more than three centuries, it excited the admiration of mankind at the Belvidere of the Vatican, where it was fixed by Pope Julius II. the illustrious patron of the Fine Arts, until, to use the language of the administration who superintend this gallery, "un héros guidé par la victoire, est venu l'en tirer, pour la conduire et la fixer à jamais sur les rives de la Seine;" which with a free translation runs thus in English," until a free-booter, guided by the genius of devastation, arrived to force it away, and to transport and fix it for ever* on the nasty banks of the Seine." On the 16th brumaire, year 1x. the First Consul Bonaparte, accompanied by the Consul Lebrun, and Benezech, one of the counsellors of state, celebrated the inauguration of the Apollo, by placing between the plinth of the statue and its pedestal, the following inscription, engraved on a bronze tablet, presented to him in the name of the artists, by the administrator and citizen Vien, both National Institute men. La statue d'Apollon, qui s'élève sur ce piédestal, Placée au Vatican par Jules II, au commencement du xvie, Conquise l'an v de la Republique par l'armée d'Italie, A été fixée ici le 21 Germinal an VIII, On the reverse Bonaparte, rer. Consul. Cambacerès, II. Consul. Lebrun, 111. Consul. Lucien Bonaparte, Ministre de l'intérieur. *This "for ever," is very problematical. It is not improbable, that it may decorate the future National gallery of the empire of Botany Bay. There is nothing like the rotatory motion of the circle of causation, which none but the learned members of the National Institute understand. It is an Eleusinian mystery. H 4 22. The 22. The statue of the Venus of Arles, of Greek marble, taken from Versailles. 23. A bas-relief representing the conclamatio, or part of a funeral ceremony among the Romans. 24. An Indian Bacchus, with the Greek word Sardanapalus inscribed on it, of Pentelican marble, stolen from the Vatican Museum. 25. The groupe of Hercules and Telephus, called the Hercules Commodus of the Belvidere, stolen from that place. 26. A Lycian Apollo, from Versailles. 27. An Egyptian Antinous, of Pentelican marble, stolen from the Capitoline Museum. 28. Bacchus resting, of Pentelican marble, from Versailles. 29. A colossal bust of Serapis, stolen from the Vatican Museum. 30. Mercury. 31. The Capitoline Juno, of Parian marble, stolen from the Museum of the Capitol. 32. The statue of Bacchus, of Greco duro marble. 33. A bas-relief of five Damsels dancing hand in hand round a temple, moulded after an antique in the villa Borghese at Rome. 34. Omphale, of Pentelican marble, stolen from the villa Albani at Rome. 35. The head of Paris, of the same marble, stolen from ditto, ditto. 36. An Indian Bacchus, of Parian marble, from the palace of Versailles. 37. Juno, of Pentelican marble, stolen from the villa Albani at Rome. VI. THE HALL OF THE MUSES contains twenty figures; but before I enumerate them, to save time and paper, it will be proper to state, that that they are all the products of Gallican theft. Unless therefore it is otherwise mentioned, you will consider every figure as stolen from the magnificent gallery, which Pius VI. built in addition to the Vatican Museum. The bashful administrators of this gallery, members of the National Institute, thus express themselves concerning the plunder of the contents of this hall. "Since the revival of the arts, the admirers of antiquity have several times attempted to form collections, or a series of the antique statues of the Muses; but none have proved so beautiful and complete as that collected by the industry of Pius VI, (in return for which we resolved to steal it, they should have said) and which victory (perfidious hypocrisy) has transported to the National Museum." With this preliminary explanation, we are now able to proceed without difficulty. 1. The head of Bacchus. 2. A pillar of oriental granite, dark grey colour bordering on green. 3. An head of Hippocrates. 4. Calliope seated on a rock of Parnassus. 5. A Cytherian Apollo. 6. Clio sitting, of Pentelican marble. 7. Melpomene. 8. An Hermes with a head of Socrates, of Pentelican marble. 9. Polyhimnia crowned with flowers. 10. An head of an Indian Bacchus. 11. Bust of Homer, of Pentelican marble, stolen from the Capitoline Museum. 12. The statue of Erato, of Pentelican marble. 13. Bust of Euripides, of Pentelican marble, stolen from the Aca demy |