On a line with the extremity of this quadrangular court commences the peristyle of the temple ; and the situation of the columns alone can be traced, of which, very fortunately, nine remain standing, and have their entablature perfect. There arc ten in front, and nine teen on the sides, counting those at the angles twice, The extreme length over the columns measures 285 feet, the breadth 157. The diameter is 7 feet at the bottom, and 6 feet 5 inches at the top. The intercolumn is from 8 feet to 8 feet 10 inches. The middle, or en trance, opening at each end, is 13 feet 9 inches. The shafts consist of three pieces, joined by iron dowels above one foot diameter. The whole height of the order, in cluding a plinth of four feet, is 87 feet. The bases are attic ; the shafts are plain ; the capitals arc a chaste, beautiful Corinthian, with the members of the abacus quite plain ; the architrave has the small beads, and two upper members, viz. an ovolo and cavetto, enriched; the frieze is very low, the ground plain, enriched by invert ed trusses, with heads and masques over each, and fes toons of flowers between them fastened to the masques by ribbons. Immediately over these lies a small, but very beautiful guilochi. A small fillet and bead divides this guilochi from the dentils ; and they are only divided from the modillions by an enriched ovolo. Over the modillions projects the corona, having its face enriched by a double fret ; and a small fillet and twisted ribbon divides this from a large semi-recta, fully enriched with the acanthus leaf, Corinthian caulicola and masques. This seems to have been as rich an entablature as could be devised ; and, in order to obtain richness, elegance has been sacrificed, by annihilating the deep Greek frieze, aild converting the whole entablature into a massy cor nice. There are no means of knowing, whether there has been any attic placed upon this entablature. The peristyle stood upon a basement of rough masonry, which it is thought was intended to be covered by a sub basement of large square stones, like those which now form one row of a terrace, along the north and west sides. The length of these stones are from 31 to 35 feet; their breadth besides the projection of the mouldings, is 10 feet 5 inches; and their thickness is 13 feet. Our travellers could not get to measure the height and breadth of the stones which composed the second row ; but they found the length of three stones to make above 190 feet, viz. 63 feet 8 inches +64+63 feet.
The next object is the smaller though more perfect temple ; it stands upon lower ground than the former ; its length over the columns measures 222 feet, and feet 7 inches in breadth, so that even this smaller temple is longer than that of Minerva Parthenon in the Acro polis at Athens. It consists of 8 columns in front, and 15 on the sides ; their diameter is 6 feet 5 inches, the in tercolumns 8 feet 6 inches, and 8 feet 104 inches, and 9 feet ; that of the entrance is 11 feet 6 inches. Along the front are two rows of columns, besides other two in a line with the pilasters or anti of the porch ; along the sides and the other end there is one row only ; these lat ter stand 9 feet 82, and 9 feet 9 inches from the wall of the cell. The height of the order, including a plinth 1 foot 9 inches, upon which each column stands, is 76 feet 6 inches, being one and a half of the height of that of the Parthenon ; therefore, in point of dimensions, even this edifice commands admiration. The entablature so exactly resembles that of the great temple, that it is un necessary to repeat the description. The pedestal, upon which the order is elevated, measures 16 feet 4 inches in height, and is ascended by a stair in front 97 feet in length, to the level of the floor of the portico and temple. The soffit, or lacunari, between the columns of the peri style and wall of the cell, all round the temple, is fully enriched with sunk and moulded pannclling; they are in hexagonal, rhomboidal, and triangular forms ; those which arc rhomboidal contain busts of gods and heroes; the hexagonal contain entire figures of Leda, Ganymede, &c. all cut in marble in alto relicvo. In the vestibule,
the distance from the inner side of the second column in front to the entrance of the cell is 50 feet ; the entrance door is 41 feet high, and 21 feet 4 inches wide ; the side architraves are each of one piece, and those, as well as the frieze and flat cornice, are highly and delicately en riched ; the architrave is 4 feet in breadth. On each side of this doorway there is a small staircase in the middle of the wall ; and in the anterior angle of the cell, at this place, there arc two small portions of columns clustered together. Along three fourths of the length of each side there is a colonnade, but instead of being in sulated or attached to the wall, there is first square projections of two feet, placed at the distance of 6 feet 7 inches from each other, upon the face of which are at tached semi-columns 4 feet I inch diameter, which, add ed to the former, makes a projection of 4 feet. This order stands upon a pedestal 11 feet high, the order it self measuring 49 feet, making the height from the floor to the springing of the arched roof 60 feet ; the columns are fluted, and also the flat frieze ; the small beads and tipper members of the architrave are enrich ed, as is the whole of the cornice. It was judged that this part of the cell had been arched with ribs, corres ponding to each pillar below, springing from the top of the entablature, and having their suns enriched by guilochi, and the spaces between the ribs by sunk mould ed square punching. Upon the face of the wall between the columns, there arc arched recesses with enriched imposts and architraves; and over these, upon a mould ed bracket, stands a regular entablature and pointed pe diment. At three-fourths the length of the cell, there is an ascent by steps to the height of 11 feet above the level of the floor of the body of the cell. Upon this level two semi-columns, each united to a pilaster, divide off this remaining space or thalamus, which is also orna mented by smaller pilasters, some of them in two heights arched recesses or niches between them; there is a vaulted space under this raised floor, which also descends lower than the other or general floor.
The only other remaining edifice is the small circular temple, 32 feet in diameter, filled with tabernacles, of which the peculiarity is, that the entablature of the lower range is continued uninterrupted round the apartment, and that in the space between these in the upper range there stand single insulated columns ; over the whole there passes a full entablature, and some of the stones, which composed the arched roof, still remain. The ex ttrnal order stands upon a pedestal 12 feet high; the or der itself, including a plinth 1 foot 9 inches, is 39 feet high ; the columns are 3 feet 1 inch diameter; the floor of the temple is upon a level with the level of the top of the pedestal, and is arrived at by means of a stair 19 feet in length; here 4 columns stand in a straight line, and a small segment is cut off the edge of the circle where the entrance doorway is placed ; this forms a portico 50 feet in length. The remainder of the external circum ference is encompassed by five reversed semicircles, each 24 feet diameter, and upon each of the points where they meet, which is 12 feet from the face of the wall, stands a column, between which the entabh.ture, passing in the same circular manner as the basis, forms five se micircles. Opposite to each of these columns there is a pilaster upon the wall of the cell, and between these are enriched niches upon pedestals. Under the soffit of the general entablature, the upper part of the wall of the cell, between the before mentioned pilasters, is ornamented by festoons of flowers held up by boys. The whole edifice has a very light and striking effect.