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THE

TOPOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES

OF

ROME;

INCLUDING THE RECENT DISCOVERIES MADE ABOUT THE

FORUM AND THE VIA SACRA.

BY

THE REV. RICHARD BURGESS,

CHAPLAIN TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND CONGREGATION AT ROME,
AND DOMESTIC CHAPLAIN TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD AYLMER.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR

LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1831.

HARVARD

COLLEGE LIBRARY

LONDON:

Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square.

SE

46-166

7-2

TO HIS GRACE,

THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

AND CHANDOS,

&c. &c.

MY LORD DUKE,

IN presenting this work on ancient Rome to your Grace, I thankfully acknowledge the flattering manner in which my desire of dedicating it to you was gratified.

Conversant and familiar as you are known to be with the various branches of learning and science, I am confident that any work of a literary character could not be more favourably introduced to the notice of the public than under sanction of your Grace; but the peculiar satisfaction it affords me arises from your special knowledge of the subject treated of in the following pages. It was whilst you

were encouraging and promoting the study of antiquities at Rome that I first had the honour of becoming acquainted with your Grace, and of observing your extensive local information on the subject in which I was then engaged; I ventured at that time to congratulate myself on the prospect of offering to you the result of my observations, feeling that independently of any classical merit you might judge the work to possess, you would well know how to appreciate the labour and researches especially require dfor accomplishing it.

I remian,

My Lord Duke,

With sentiments of high esteem,

Your Grace's

Most faithful and obedient Servant,

RICHARD BURGESS.

London, August 16. 1831.

PREFACE.

THE ruins and topography of Rome, ever since the revival of letters, have been considered by all learned men as a subject worthy of much attention, and tending greatly to illustrate the Latin classics: indeed, the Roman antiquaries, during the last three centuries, may be said, in more senses than one, to have not "left a stone unturned." The first of them did little more than repeat the traditions of their forefathers, adding those popular passages from ancient authors which relate to the memorable scenes of Roman valour, rather than determine names and localities. Of this class of writers, Camucci, Biondo, Fulvio, may be mentioned as the most useful: Fauno, Mauro, Fabricio, and a host of others, have also their merits. But especially, being more free from controversy than their successors, they generally set down the things as they saw them, without offering their own conjectures; and thus, many ruins that have long since disappeared, are preserved in their notices and descriptions. On the other hand, as they reasoned but little upon the authenticity of the monuments, they adopted the popular name

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