and adorned with equal taste and magnificence. Among the rubbish they
found a vast profusion of columns, vases, capitals, cornices,
inscriptions, medals, statues, and among other things, the finger of a
colossal statue in bronze, which, according to the rules of proportion,
must have been fifteen feet high. From these particulars, it appears
that the edifices must have been spacious and magnificent. Part of a
tesselated pavement still remains. The antient pavement of the bath is
still intire; all the rubbish has been cleared away; and the baths, in
a great measure, restored on the old plan, though they are not at
present used for any thing but ornament. The water is collected into
two vast reservoirs, and a canal built and lined with hewn stone. There
are three handsome bridges thrown over this vast canal. It contains a
great body of excellent water, which by pipes and other small branching
canals, traverses the town, and is converted to many different purposes
of oeconomy and manufacture. Between the Roman bath and these great
canals, the ground is agreeably laid out in pleasure-walks. for the
recreation of the inhabitants. Here are likewise ornaments of
architecture, which savour much more of French foppery, than of the
simplicity and greatness of the antients. It is very surprizing, that
this fountain should produce such a great body of water, as fills the
basin of the source, the Roman basin, two large deep canals three
hundred feet in length, two vast basins that make part of the great
canal, which is eighteen hundred feet long, eighteen feet deep, and
forty-eight feet broad. When I saw it, there was in it about eight or
nine feet of water, transparent as crystal. It must be observed,
however, for the honour of French cleanliness, that in the Roman basin,
through which this noble stream of water passes, I perceived two
washerwomen at work upon children's clouts and dirty linnen. Surprized,
and much disgusted at this filthy phaenomenon, I asked by what means,
and by whose permission, those dirty hags had got down into the basin,
in order to contaminate the water at its fountain-head; and understood
they belonged to the commandant of the place, who had keys of the
subterranean passage.

Fronting the Roman baths are the ruins of an antient temple, which,
according to tradition, was dedicated to Diana: but it has been
observed by connoisseurs, that all the antient temples of this goddess
were of the Ionic order; where