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For the Monthly Magazine. DESCRIPTION of the HALL of the COUNCIL of FIVE HUNDRED, upon the fcite of the Palais Bourbon; from the Decade Philofophique.

[With an engraved plate.}

HE work of the new hall of the Trouncil of five hundred, was begun in confequence of a decree of the national convention, paffed the fecond complementary day of the third year of the republic, on the ground of the ci-devant Palais Bourbon; conformably to a programme given in by a commiffion compofed of four reprefentatives. The architects were enjoined to confine their arrangements within the limits of the ancient palais. The commiffion accepted the plans of C. C. GISORS and LECONTE, and they were begun to be put in execution the first of Vendemaire (23d September) fourth year.

The Palais Bourbon had been built for the Princess Bourbon, in 1722, after the plan of Girardini, and continued afterwards by Laffurence and Gabriel. It was greatly augmented for the Prince of Condé, by Carpentier; it was this architect who conftructed the gate which opens into the fquare. Beliffard and Leroi were the last who made embellishments

to it.

This palace, detached in every part, is erected by the fide of the river Seine, and upon the bank oppofite to the Place de la Revolution, formerly called Place de Louis quinze, with which it communicates by the newest bridge in Paris called Pont de la Revolution. It occupies a fuperficies of about 60,000 metres (180,000 feet.) Its principal entrance is not from the river fide, where, without doubt, it would produce a magnificent effect; it is turned towards the fouth, and opens into a fquare.

It is announced on this fide by a triumphal gate raised between two ground pavilions, to which it is connected by a double colonade of the Corinthian order. After having paffed this gate, we enter into the first court of 92 metres long by 32 metres in breadth. It is furrounded by buildings of a plain decoration, the cornice of which correfponds with that of the principal part of the palace which prefents itself in front. This principal part embraces the three fides of a court, fmaller than the former, and raised by eight steps. Arrived within this court, the chief entrances prefent themselves by the two periftytes in columns to the right

and left, and which ferve as entrances to two halls, one dedicated to peace, the other to victories. They communicate on one fide with apartments of the ancient palace, all of which ferve as lodgings to thofe perions who are employed by or attached to the Council: the other fide opens into two large rooms, one of which is dedicated to liberty, the other to equality. From each of thefe rooms we enter by a flight of steps into the hall of the fittings. This difpofition correfponding in the two diftant wings, one to the east, the other to the weft, has a very majestic air.

The hall of liberty and that of equality are in the form of a long fquare. Their dimenfions are large and regular, their style fimple and antique. Statues of marble and paintings reprefenting the principal epochs of the revolution are to decorate them. They communicate with each other by a circular gallery, contrived under the afcending benches of the hall of the affembly. Two grand ftair-cafes for the ufe of the members lead to the amphitheatre by doors which communicate with the hall of the affembly, at the fuperior extremity of each opening between the benches. The hall of the council of five hundred occupics the part which fronts the bridge. An edifice defigned to ferve as a dwelling-houfe contains no room of fufficient dimenfions for an affembly like this; the exterior walls therefore were the only portion of this part ot the palace which could be made ufe of.

This hall (reprefented in the two annexed medallions) is of a femicircular form. The benches look to the right, in the middle of which are placed the chair of the prefident, the defk of the fecretaries, and the tribune of the orator addreffing the affembly. The fecretaries and prefident are placed in a large niche taken out of the jutting or advanced part of the old palace, which for this purpose has been pushed backwards eight feet on the fide of the court. The removal of this ftupendous mafs was effected under the immediate view of the commiffioners in a fimple and not expenfive manner. Each column was advanced, not in pieces, but entirely whole. All the interior bafement of this part, and the rail or barricade which confines the feats, are of curious marble, crowned with brown ornaments. The fore part of the tribune is decorated with a bas relief in white marble, and attributes in griotte marble from Italy, incrufted on it with the nicest

art.

art. The bas relief in the front of the tribune exhibits two figures in a fitting pofture: one is History, writing the word Republic; the other is Renown, publishing the great events of the revolution. Between these two figures is feen the bust of Liberty raifed upon a pedestal, with the head of Janus: the fymbol of experience of the past, and forefight in the future. On the fide are acceffory emblems. Upon the fame facade in fix niches on the right and left of the prefident are fix ftatues, three of the Greek legiflators, Lycurgus, Solon, Demofthenes, and the other three of the Roman legillators, Brutus, Cato, and Cicero; they are at prefent only in compofition, but are to be executed in marble. The defk and the feat of the prefident are formed out of folid mahogany, decorated with gilt bronze in the highest ftyle. The centre has a marble pavement-floor in compartments, ornamented with allegoric attributes and emblems, and the middle of all is to be decorated with a Mofaic work exhibiting emblems of liberty. The two great doors which open into the hall are of maffy mahogany, with ftars of gold; their furrounding frames are in fine white marble, with rich fculpture. The circular part above the benches is crowned with an Ionic order of columns in white ftucco, fupporting the arch forming the gallery of the people. The furthermoft end of this part is covered with green drapery, ornamented with crowns and Etrufcan, borders. That part of the arches which refts upon the columns is enriched with octagonal caiffoons, painted in antique yellow marble, and further ornamented with allegorical figures.

The principal fubjects are: ft. Nature, with this exergue: La Nature feule dite des lois eternelles; (Nature only dictates eternal laws). 2d. Thémis venge la Nature outragée; (Themis takes vengeance for Nature abufed). 3d. Nemefis ronge le cœur de l'homme criminal; (Nemefis torments the hearts of the wicked). The other reprefent great men, with the dates of the ages in which they lived: The miftocles, Socrates, Brutus, Timoleon, &c. The light enters the hall by an opening of twelve metres diameter, which takes up the whole fummit of the arch.

The double arch on the right, which terminates the half-circle, is decorated with fine grand caiffoons, in which the following fubjects are painted :

ift. The entrance of the Gauls into Rome, at the moment the fenators waited for the conquerors in their circular chairs.

2d. Regulus's departure from Carthage. 3d. Epaminondas refufing the prefents of the Persian ambassadors.

4th. Ariftides writing his name in the fhell for his own banishment by the Oftracifm. 5th. The centre is an allegory relative to Liberty.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

from Bath, (Mag. for Feb. p. 26.) YOUR philofophical correfpondent feems much furprized that DE LALANDE fhould have published the refult of fome experiments on falling bodies, in which it is afferted that bodies fell eight lines and a half to the east of the plumb-line. from a height of 247 feet; and, almo doubting the fact, fuppofes either that tl. point at which their defcent commence did not accurately coincide with the uppe end of the plumb-line, or that the plumbline itfelf was not perpendicular. Yet it is an unquestionable fact, that plumblines are perpendicular; and that the lines defcribed by falling bodies are not fo; for were it otherwife, the well-established doctrine of the motion of the earth, and the laws of matter, would be a chimera. The fact is explained thus:-The tower from which the experiment was made being 247 feet high, it follows that the diameter of the circle deferibed by the upper part of it, in its rotation round the earth's axis, is 494 feet longer than the diameter of the circle defcribed by its bafe. But any given part of a revolution is performed in the fame time; therefore the velocity of the top of the tower muft exceed the velocity of the bafe, in the proportion of the two diameters. Now, as by the first law of motion every body perfeveres in its ftate of reft, or of uniform motion, in a right line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed thereon, a body falling from the top of a tower, will perfevere in the uniform horizontal velocity it acquired there, till it is retarded by the earth's furface; (for the force of gravity acting in lines perpendicular to the horizontal motion, will make no difference in that refpect); and that velocity, as has been fhewn, being greater than the velocity of the bafe, and the direction being from weft to eaft, the body will fall to the caftward of the base of the tower.

There are other circumftances which may affect the mathematical accuracy of this conclufion, but which are immaterial to the prefent purpose.

Derby, Feb. 13, 1199.

W. S.

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CONJECTURES CONCERNING THE BAR

BERINI OR PORTLAND VASE.

THE many differtations which feveral learned men and antiquaries have communicated to the world concerning this vafe, are too well known to require a particular enumeration. Mr. Wedgwood has, in his "Defcription," &c. quoted almost all the writers who have treated on the fubject.

I muft, however, confefs, that none of their explanations entirely fatisfy me. On the contrary, I am convinced of the neceffity of examining and comparing every circumftance relative to the vafe, efpecially the farcophagus in which it was found, before we can judge of it with any appearance of truth. It is well known with what fcrupulous accuracy it has been imitated by Mr. Wedgwood: fo that we are at a lofs, whether we fhould moft admire the original or the imitation. But the beft and most complete reprefentation of the vafe and farcophagus together, is to be found in Piraneti's "Antichita di Roma." tom. ii. tab. 31 to 35. and to thefe I fhall here refer.

I must, however, previoufly obferve, that in plate 34, the figures on the vale are improperly placed. The fitting female figure with the itaff fhould be placed by the fide of the recumbent one. On the vafe, plate 35, and in Wedgwood's “Catalogue de Camies," &c. p. 100, the representation is juft: but in the fame catalogue this female is erroneoufly said to hold a fpear. It is a staff, or scepter: 'as is more accurately reprefented in Piranefi.

My conjectures are the following:

1. The baffo-relevos round the farcophagus appear to reprefent the quarrel of Achilles with Agamemnon, on account of the fair Brifeis. On the first narrow-fide, plate 35, fits the fon of Atréus, taking Brifeis to himfelf; while fhe, as an emb em of this union, holds up the love-knot. Achilles, offended at this, immediately departs, and leaves the II. 322. 325. 345 349

Grecian army.

488. 491. and ii. 769. 772. MONTHLY MAG. NO. XLII,

2. On the first long-fide, plate 34, Achilles fits in a mournful pofture at the fea-fhore, having laid afide his arms. An embafly from Agamemnon comes to him with prefents. Ulyffes and Phænix preffingly folicit him to return to the camp. The latter, his old tutor, entreats him on his knees. He obftinately refufes. I. . 119. 157. 168. 169. 182. 185. 432. 433. 602.

3. On the fecond narrow-fide, plate 35, Achilles has given his arms, horfes, and warriors to Patroclus, but refufes to accompany him. I. . 22-60. 126—156.

On the fecond long-file, plate 33. Ulyffes and the fons of Neftor bring Brifeis, with prefents of arms and horfes, unto the affembled chiefs of the army: and Achilles is reconciled to Agamemnon. Il. 7. 238. 275.

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this purpofe, appears to me still more That the farcophagus was intended for probable from the cover: for, in the fore part, lies a female figure, with a funereal wreath in her hand; and, behind her, a man of a more advanced age, who half ftood but one fingle urn; namely, this looks towards her.-On the farcophagus fame Barberini or Portland vafe: on the bottom of which only one female figure is reprefented.

According to this hypothefis, I explain the other figures of exquifite workmanfhip on the urn itfelf, in the following manner.-I think I clearly efpy in it the ftory of Alceflé, whom Hercules brought

to Admetus from the nether-world.

On the first fide, plate 34, 35, the reclining female figure in the middle, with an inverted torch, is the dying Alcefté herfelf. By her fide fits her husband Admetus, mournfully contemplating the object of his love, and abforbed in the he leans, the principal ornament, its deepest forrow. From the pillar, on which capital, is fallen, and lies at the feet of Alcefté; who feems looking toward the nether-world, from which he is feparated only by an abyfs of water. On the oppolite fhore fits Proferpine with a royal iceptre. The grief of Admetus feems to attract her whole attention; and the dif covers a willingness to confent to the return of his wife. N

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