DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4023#0031
( xix )
AN
EXTRACT
FROM
THE NOUFELLES L IT E R A I R E S,
Published at Florence, in the year 1740.
Tranflated from the Italian.
Numb. XXX. Florence, July 22, i74o.
rnsr\ HE baron de Stosch, eminent sor so many rare accomplifhments, has
communicated to us four letters, which he received srom captain Nor-
pen, a Danish gentleman, well verfed in drawing and mechanicks, and of a
resined tafte in the polite arts; whom, in regard to his great abilities and An-
gular merit, his majefty the king of Denmark commanded, fome years since,
to undertake a voyage to Egypt, to make observations, and to take drawings of
the most remarkable monuments of antiquity, in order that an exact defcription
os them might be given, and worthy os credit. These letters assord insorma-
tions os a very curious nature, some os which appear to be criticisms upon
Maillet's defcription, os whom we must in consequence say, that he was nei-
ther a diligent, nor an exact obferver. We shall give these letters, translated
srom their originals in French, sor the subjects os this and the enfuing paper.
The sirft letter, written srom captain Norden to the baron de S. dated Grand
Cairo, July 28, 1737, contains as sollows. " In Alexandria I had the plea-
sure to be employed in examining the valuable remains os antiquity, which are
there to be sound. They are fufficiently known to you, srom the many descrip-
tions, which have already been given of them, but allure yourfeif that they far
surpass every thing that has been faid on the fubject If I remember right, you
have Maillet's defcription; but he is an author, whofe relations are idle tales.
I know not well how to pardon him, sor having so enormousfy maimed the
beautiful column of Pompey. From the defign which he gives of it, one would
be induced to think it of no value; whereas in viewing the column itself, you
obferve in it the sineft proportion that can be imagined. I have made an
-exacl design os it, which I fhall one day have the pleafure os mewing you. What
he says of the bafis, that it is much ruined, and that the whole column rests
upon a smgle stone, is a notorious salsity. It is on one side only, that the
Arabs have damaged it: the three other sides are almoft entire, and extremely
well suftain the great weight os this magnisicent mafs. I have alio given desigm
os the sour sides os the bbelisk, commonly called Cleopatra's, and already
defcribed by Pliny, with the other, which is actually upon the ground, and
which, as well as the sirst, was os old placed in the temple os Cesar. The hiero-
glyphics
AN
EXTRACT
FROM
THE NOUFELLES L IT E R A I R E S,
Published at Florence, in the year 1740.
Tranflated from the Italian.
Numb. XXX. Florence, July 22, i74o.
rnsr\ HE baron de Stosch, eminent sor so many rare accomplifhments, has
communicated to us four letters, which he received srom captain Nor-
pen, a Danish gentleman, well verfed in drawing and mechanicks, and of a
resined tafte in the polite arts; whom, in regard to his great abilities and An-
gular merit, his majefty the king of Denmark commanded, fome years since,
to undertake a voyage to Egypt, to make observations, and to take drawings of
the most remarkable monuments of antiquity, in order that an exact defcription
os them might be given, and worthy os credit. These letters assord insorma-
tions os a very curious nature, some os which appear to be criticisms upon
Maillet's defcription, os whom we must in consequence say, that he was nei-
ther a diligent, nor an exact obferver. We shall give these letters, translated
srom their originals in French, sor the subjects os this and the enfuing paper.
The sirft letter, written srom captain Norden to the baron de S. dated Grand
Cairo, July 28, 1737, contains as sollows. " In Alexandria I had the plea-
sure to be employed in examining the valuable remains os antiquity, which are
there to be sound. They are fufficiently known to you, srom the many descrip-
tions, which have already been given of them, but allure yourfeif that they far
surpass every thing that has been faid on the fubject If I remember right, you
have Maillet's defcription; but he is an author, whofe relations are idle tales.
I know not well how to pardon him, sor having so enormousfy maimed the
beautiful column of Pompey. From the defign which he gives of it, one would
be induced to think it of no value; whereas in viewing the column itself, you
obferve in it the sineft proportion that can be imagined. I have made an
-exacl design os it, which I fhall one day have the pleafure os mewing you. What
he says of the bafis, that it is much ruined, and that the whole column rests
upon a smgle stone, is a notorious salsity. It is on one side only, that the
Arabs have damaged it: the three other sides are almoft entire, and extremely
well suftain the great weight os this magnisicent mafs. I have alio given desigm
os the sour sides os the bbelisk, commonly called Cleopatra's, and already
defcribed by Pliny, with the other, which is actually upon the ground, and
which, as well as the sirst, was os old placed in the temple os Cesar. The hiero-
glyphics