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works of ancient sculpture bad been defaced byChristian zeal or barbaric violence; the faireststructures were demolished; and the marbles ofParos or Numidia were burnt for lime, or ap-plied to the meanest uses. Of many a statue,the place was marked by an empty pedestal; ofmany a column, the size was determined by abroken capital ; the tombs of the emperors werescattered on the ground; the stroke of time wasaccelerated by storms and earthquakes ; and thevacant space was adorned, by vulgar tradition,with fabulous monuments of gold and silver.From these wonders which lived only in me-mory or belief, he distinguishes, however, theporphyry pillar, the column and colossus of Jus-tinian, ' and the church, more especially thedome, of St. Sophia; the best conclusion, sinceit could not be described according to its me-rits, and after it no other object could deserveto be mentioned. But he forgets, that a centurybefore, the trembling fabrics of the colossus andthe church had been saved and supported bythe timely care of Andronicus the elder. Thirtyyears after the emperor had fortified St. Sophiawith two new buttresses or pyramids, the east-ern hemisphere suddenly gave way; and theimages, the altars, and the sanctuary, were crush-ed by the falling ruin. The mischief indeed was

c Nicephorus Gregoras lias described (be colossus of Justinian (I. vii,12): but his measures are false and inconsistent. The editor Boivinconsulted his friend Girardon ; and the sculptor gave him the true pro-portions of an equestrian statue. That of Justinian was still visible toPeter Gjllius, not on the column, but in the outward court of the sera-glio; and he was at Constantinople when it was melted down, and castinto a brass cannon (de Topograph, c. p. 1. ii, c 17).

CHAP.

I.XVH.