DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5264#0008
7
the ruins of old walls, we found the remains of
the Goddess herself; viz. a part of her Statue
from the head to below the waste, made of very
white marble, of admirable work, and perhaps
of no less a master than Praxitiles himself, as that
was in her Temple at Athens. It is a Colossus,
at least three times bigger than nature. She is
girt about the waste, and two belts cross each
other on her shoulders. Her breasts appear very-
natural, but her face is desfigured. Her hair
falleth back upon her shoulders, and is tied to-
gether near her neck. Upon her head is a bas-
ket, carved on the outside with clusters of Wheat-
Ears, Bundles of Poppies, Roses, and Vessels.
For it is she that was said first to have taught the
Grecians how to sow corn at Eleusis; and pop-
pics were dedicated to her. Pausanias pretends
to be forbidden to write of her mysteries, by a
dream; it being held unlawful for any to hear,
see, or know them, but those that were initiated
in them, and none to reveal them. ButMinu-
tius Felix knew them, and shews them to have
been horribly wicked and diabolical; which was
the reason of their secresie. I designed the
Statue perhaps well enough, to give some rough
imperfect idea of it; but not to express the ex-
quisite beauties of the work. A little higher,
on the brow of the hill, we found a large basis
for a Statue, which we judged to belong to that
of the Goddess. There was written upon it only
the ruins of old walls, we found the remains of
the Goddess herself; viz. a part of her Statue
from the head to below the waste, made of very
white marble, of admirable work, and perhaps
of no less a master than Praxitiles himself, as that
was in her Temple at Athens. It is a Colossus,
at least three times bigger than nature. She is
girt about the waste, and two belts cross each
other on her shoulders. Her breasts appear very-
natural, but her face is desfigured. Her hair
falleth back upon her shoulders, and is tied to-
gether near her neck. Upon her head is a bas-
ket, carved on the outside with clusters of Wheat-
Ears, Bundles of Poppies, Roses, and Vessels.
For it is she that was said first to have taught the
Grecians how to sow corn at Eleusis; and pop-
pics were dedicated to her. Pausanias pretends
to be forbidden to write of her mysteries, by a
dream; it being held unlawful for any to hear,
see, or know them, but those that were initiated
in them, and none to reveal them. ButMinu-
tius Felix knew them, and shews them to have
been horribly wicked and diabolical; which was
the reason of their secresie. I designed the
Statue perhaps well enough, to give some rough
imperfect idea of it; but not to express the ex-
quisite beauties of the work. A little higher,
on the brow of the hill, we found a large basis
for a Statue, which we judged to belong to that
of the Goddess. There was written upon it only