The Venus, the Hercules, the Atlas, the Antinous (not equal to that in
the Capitol,) the Ganymede, the Apollo, the equestrian statues of the
two Balbi, etc. are all familiar to my imagination, from the numerous
copies and models I have seen: but the most interesting department of
the Museum is the collection of antiques from Herculaneum and Pompeii,
which have lately been removed hither from Portici. One room contains
specimens of cooking utensils, portable kitchens, tripods, instruments
of sacrifice, small bronze Lares, and Penates, urns, lamps, and
candelabras of the most elegant forms, and the most exquisite
workmanship. Another room contains specimens of ancient armour,
children's toys, etc. I remarked here a helmet which I imagine formed
part of a trophy; or at least was intended for ornament rather than
use. It is exceedingly heavy; and on it is represented in the most
exquisite relievo the War of Troy. Benvenuto Cellini himself never
produced any thing equal to the chased work on this helmet.

In a third room is the paraphernalia of a lady's toilette: mirrors of
different sizes, fragments of combs, a small crystal box of rouge,
etc. Then follow flutes and pipes, all carved out of bone, surgical
instruments, moulds for pastry, sculptors' tools, locks and keys,
bells, etc.

The room containing the antique glass, astonished me more than any
thing else. I knew that glass was an ancient invention: but I thought
that its application to domestic purposes was of modern date. Here I
found window panes, taken from the Villa of Diomed at Pompeii; bottles
of every size and form, white and coloured; pitchers and vases;
necklaces; imitations of gems, etc.

There is a little jeu d'esprit of Voltaire's "La Toilette de Madame de
Pompadour," in which he wittily exalts the moderns above the ancients,
and ridicules their ignorance of the luxuries and comforts of life:
but Voltaire had not seen the museum of Portici. We can add few
distinct articles to the list of comforts and luxuries it contains:
though it must be confessed that we have improved upon them, and
varied them _ad infinitum_. In those departments of the mechanics
which are in any way connected with the fine arts, the ancients appear
to have attained perfection. To them belongs the invention of all that
embellishes life, of all the graceful forms of imitative art, varied
with such exquisite taste, such boundless fertility of fancy, that
nothing is left to us but t