42

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

anciently celebrated for a stupendous temple of Minerva,which was so constructed as to enclose the town on three ofits sides, that is, the side towards the plain, or campagnabelow the level ground on the mount to the west; and thereverse, which is towards the rise of the Appennine mountainsabove the level of the town, which is itself about 1,000 feetabove that of the campagna.

During the oligarchical wars between Marius and Sylla,the elder Marius, being compelled to flee from Rome , hisson took possession of, and defended himself in Preneste forseveral months. The temple, above mentioned, formedhis chief reliance. But it ended in the capture and devasta-tion of the city. At this place, as in many others, we weretold several anecdotes of the eccentric Lord Bristol, Bishopof Derry. His lordship travelled about with two or threewomen of loose character, their degraded husbands, togetherwith children and attendants; all along feasting andspending money in a way which, to the frugal inhabitants,appeared positive insanity. The eccentricities of this manwere, however, harmless and very frequently of publicbenefit. He caused several good paved roads to be con-structed, for the mere purpose of visiting the places towhich they conducted, with more convenience to hislordship. Amongst others, he made a road of severalmiles in length up Mount Vesuvius , great part of whichstill exists, and he was a liberal purchaser of modern paint-ings and works of art.

From Palestrina we proceeded to Tivoli. The antiquities,cascades, and romantic features of this place, have been toooften described by travellers, for it to enter into my plan todescribe them. I will only mention, for the benefit of suchbrethren of the angle as it may concern, that they will findgood small trout fishing in those waters, and swarms ofbeccafichi in the fig orchards in summer.