* lovingly granted of every of us, we fhall the better devyfe the refiftaunce and withstanding of our foreign enemies.' Now when the earl of Salisbury had ended his tale, there was no replie made, but with one voice they confented to enter into devifes for defence. And whereas the taxes and tailliages were great in France, in like wife at that time they were great in Englande, fo that the realme felt great grief thereof. Now there were at that time ready in England for defence, of good fighting men a hundred thousand archers, and ten thousand men of armes. "Then the French king came to Arras, and daily there came down people from all partes in fuch great numbers that the countrie was almoft eaten up; and to fay truth, nothing remayned in the countrie but it was taken from them, without making any payment for them. And when the poor people called upon them for fomé amends they anfwered, As now we have no filver to pay, but when we returne we will bring you enough, and then every thing fhall be fully anfwered and payd.' But when the poor people lawe their goodes thus taken away and fpent, and they durft not complain thereof, they curfed them between the teeth, faying, Get ye unto England, or to the devil, and God grant ye never returne agayne," "Nowe the French king came down to Lifle to fhewe that the journey pleafed him, and to come nearer to the paffage; and yet at this time the duke of Berry was behinde, and came fayre and foltly, for he had no great appetite to this journey of going into England." "The conftable of France departed from Lenterginer, standing on the fea fide in Bretagne. He had feventy-two great fhippes, and he had with him the closure of the field, made of timber, and they had good wynde at the beginning, but when they approached neare to England the winde rofe fo fiercely, and was fo tempeftuous about the entrie of Margate and the Thamys mouth, that their fhippes were scattered, fo that they kept not toge-1 ther, and fome were driven per force into Thamys, and taken hy the Englishmen ; and fpecially there was taken two or three hippes laden with part of the clofure of tymber that was ordeyned to clofe in the fielde, and certain master carpenters and artificers with them, and fo they were brought to London, whereat the king had great joy, and all the Londoners." "The king of France returns to Paris; and fo broke up this most wonderful voyage for this time," adds the Chronicle," which coft the realme of France a hundred thousand franks thirtie times told, which of English money was 333,3331. 6s. 8d. after nine frankes to the pounde. And fuch an end have every fimilar attempt." The particulars of the expedition are taken from an elaborate extract made from the chronicles of the time, by Craven Ord, efq. F. R. S. and A. S. *Many a man," fays Froyffart, "forrowed long after; but by cause the commons fawe it was needful, they faid, it is not against reafon that we be taxed now, and so give of our goods to knightes and squyres to defend their herytages and ours.” Account tranflated from the Latin. Emmanuel Martini to the most Illuftrious and Honourable Antony Felix Zondadari, Archbishop of Damafcus, and Pontifical Legate to the Catholic King. WH Account of the Theatre of Saguntum, minds of the fpectators are overflowing there with the greateft pleafure, their bodies, being unmoved and captivated, and allured by delight, have gaping paffages, and open pores, into which the furrounding winds eafily enter, which, if they be noxious and unhealthy, or any ways infectel, may bring deftruction by their blaft; therefore their force from the fouth is to be avoided for when the fun fills the curvity of the theatre with its fcorching heat, the air fhut in the hemicycle, and having no power of getting out, grows hot with its continual turning, circumaction, and whirling rotation. From whence it comes to país, that the bodies being exhaufted of their natural moisture, are burnt up, and being overheated, fall into difeales. Moreover, our theatre is, by the difpofition and nature of the place, prepared for founding, which is very neceflary therein; for the voice being collected by that curvity and embrace of the mountain, climbing with increafe up the fummit, ftrike stronger upon the ear with a diftinct termination of words, which I myself experienced; for Emmanuel Mignana, a HEN we lately conversed together upon various fubjects, and one thing drawing out another as ufual in converfation, mention happened to be made of the theatre, at Saguntum; which, when I faid I had in every particular defcribed in a draught thereof taken by me, you exprefled a 'defire of feeing it, together with certain fhort notes or obfervations added by me, not fo much for the fake of thewing my learning, as explaining of a very obfcure matter. Behold it, therefore, most honoured fir, reftored and brought to light from the darkness of oblivion, although in tattered and obfolete clothing. The true and priftine ftructure whereof, traced out by all its veftiges, I fhall confeerate to late pofterity in as brief a manner as I can. The theatre of Saguntum is fituate in a most fit and healthy place; for it opens itself against the north and the rifing fun, adjacent to a most pleasant valley, which a river flows befide, and has the eastern fea in profpect. It is defended froin fouthern and western blafts by the interpofition of a mountain, by which it is furrounded, and, as it were, embraced in its bolom: wherefore it admits only the northern and eaftern vital breezes to breathe upon it; the reft, that are hurtful to human health, being entirely excluded; which Vitruvius admonishes, in the first place, to be taken care of in building theatres; for when the moft worthy gentleman, and moft near to me in all friendly offices, recited to me fome verfes of Afinius, out of the fcene in Amphitryon. which I heard very well from the top gallery or cavea, which, as I live, filled me with incredible pleafure; for thofe rocks are vocal, nor that only, but five times founding: and thus much for the pofition of the theatre. Now as to the ftructure-The ambit then of its hemicycle, which the Greeks cali Primetron, has 564 of our palms or fpans, or three quarters of a Roman foot; and, meafuring its diameter, the line being drawn from each horn, it has 330 and a half of the like palms or fpans. The height of the theatre, from the orchestra to the top gallery is 133 palms and an half; but, to the top of the remaining fummit of the decayed party wall, 144 palms and an half: allo the diameter of the orchestra hath 96 palms; from which it is certain the defcription of the whole theatre arifes, as it were, from a centre; therefore the name orchestra was allotted by the Greeks, because in the Greek theatre it had been a place deftined for dancing and gefticulations; yet among the Romans it had quite another ufe, at leaft from what C. Atilius Serranus and L Scribonius Libodid; who, being the Curule Ediles, following the fentence of the fuperior Africanus, affigned the orchestra for the feats of the fenators in that therefore, in the most honourable place, fat the prince or prætor in his ftall, the veftiges whereof remain in the middle of the orchestra to the podium; afterwards were placed the veftals, priefis, ambafladors, fenators; and, left the profpect of the ftage fhould be taken away by any objects ftanding before them, it was very carefully contrived to a nicety that the pavement of the orcheftra, from the prince's stall, fhould arife gently and by degrees into an acclivity up to the lowest step of the equeftrians, the pavement being lowered and cut away by degrees into a circle, in the manner of a belt, by placing and fixing the feats: a fpace being left between the orders of the feats a little more advanced that it might afford the coming in and going out, which I be lieve no one has hitherto taken notice of; and indeed it had flipped me, unless, having called for dig gers, I had not bid them remove the earth with which the whole orchestra was buried. From the bottom of the orchestra the equeftrý broke forth, or 14 fteps fet apart for the equeftrian order, by the Rofcian and Julian theatric laws, 10 the feventh of which fteps two vomitories afford paffage, which therefore is wider, left by the ftraitne's of the place the equeftrian multitude fhould be prefied, but might pour themselves into their feats with free paflage. And because this theatre is founded in the hardest ftone, whofe ftubbornnefs deludes the attempts and industry of art, the equeftry has only two doors in it, which, when they are not fufficient to admit the number of the knights, there are added from thence a double ladder, in the open and spreading place of which the bottom steps go under the arch in the profcene itself. A precinction or inclosure referves the higheft ftep of the equeftrian order, by which name the ancients called the step that was doubly higher and broader than the reft, which as it were begirt and in clofed the reft that were fmaller, which the Greeks called Diazomata, for they were a fort of tranfverse girdles, from whence they are by fome called belts, that is, they are breaks and little beds of steps running circular; which are fo inferted, that the diftinctions of the fe natorian, equeftrian, and plebeian orders might appear manifeft to the eyes by that divifion, nor any com munication be between them; afterwards follow twelve fteps of the populace in a higher and more remote place, in which fat fpectators of the plebeian order, which they call the upper gallery or cavea. Into thefe feats very many paflages lead, and thence to the inner arches or neft of chambers; alfo the upper the body, Moreover, thofe that portico, whofe ufe was twofold, were fhut out of the wedge, or exthat it might have where the people cuneated, to ufe a theatric exprefmight retire themselves if any fud- fion, beheld the shows standing.den ftorm or fhower fhould inter- There is that difference between rupt the plays; and that the thea- the inner doors and outer, that the tre beneath might be defended from inner are fquare and open wider, the injury of waters and filth. That and the outer are arched and lefs. portico hath eight fore doors, and as There is befides an upper portico many back doors oppofite, yet 15 palms broad and a quarter, and oblique, and which mutually face twelve palms and a fpan high, each other; that by the wind ad- therefore the breadth is greater than mitted through them, the theatre the height. Wherefore? For this might be refreshed, nor the air un- reafon, that left while they are moved grow torpid and ftagnant. crowding in or going out, they Into thefe doors a flight of feven fhould labour in the ftrait of the fteps afford afcent, breaking out portico. Which portico does not from the lower ftep of the equef- reach to the angles of the theatre, trians at the orchefira, not indeed but ftands much before, cut off from interfected therefrom and varying, both by an interval of 35 palms, as in moft amphitheatres, but in a which the quatern fteps filled, fepa direct leading and continuity; by rated by that only from the cavea which it comes to pafs that they or gallery placed under it, because form wedges very long, from the the top of the populary or place of loweft feats to the top, very plea- the common people exceeded the fant to the eyes of the fpectators; reft in breadth, and was, as it were, and thefe ftairs were ways be- a certain boundary or little space tween the wedges to afcend or de- diftinguishing the fuperior order fcend; for whereas thofe degrees or from the inferior: from whence it fteps of feats were higher than a 'may be guelled the lictors, tipftaves, man's ftep, and not without the fummoners, and other attendants greatest difficulty to be climbed,,of the magiftrates, fat in that place, thefe ftairs are contrived nicely for the purpose, by placing a third ftep between every two, unless where the precinctions or inclofures intervene, for there four are inferted.The breadth of the higheft of thefe is three palms and a half, and the height of the fteps a palm and an inch, which twofold ineafure the degrees of feats exhibit. These ftairs are fo made that the multitude, fo feated, might have an easy exit, and as it were at hand where to turn themselves, left, be ing there inclofed, they might be driven to undergo the neceflities of as well to be ready at call, as to deter the cavea or gallery beneath from contention and firife, and break off the infolence of quarrelfome fellows, which I find to have been the cuffom at Athens from the fcholiaft of Ariftophanes's Eirenes, to which opinion I am the more inclined, becaufe certain fecret ladders lead from thofe very steps through hidden meanders into dungeons, one of which remains hitherto, and fetters or iron rings fixed in that wall to bind malefactors; add to this, that this very portico is broke in the middle, and a fpace left In left of 22 palms, in which both the quatern flairs reach out feven palms and a half, which I judge were built to the end that the officers might overlook the feats every where, and keep the peace. the middle fpace of which fome veftiges, although decaying and almoft obliterated, inform us that there was a statue, for its bafe indicates as much; becaufe even the ratio itself of the ftru&ture and the proper modulation of the work required it, to defign the middle of the hemicycle. The fides of this bafe are fix palms and a span. Upon the top ftep of the cavea or gallery, at each angle of the theatre, open fix arched windows, three in each. What to let in air? Truly I follow no one, if any one can tell me their ufe, I thould be very much obliged to him. Upon the portico alfo four fteps are placed. But to what order? Truly the fenatorian fat in the orchestra, the equeftrian in the fourteen, the plebeian in the cavea. What is left befides? When I revolve the steps in my mind, I am almoft caft down from my ftep. Yet if in an affair fo obfcure I may conjecture, I fhall have believed that the fervants, freedmen, courtezans, and others of that fort of fhameless vulgar rabble, were fpectators from thofe diftant steps, to the end that filth of that fort might not he joined with the more honeft order of the plebeians. The ftructure of the upper degree helps my opinion, for it is the wideft of all, although you bring in to the reckoning the precinctions themselves, which I think was done for this reafon, that there might be a place in the plain for fetting forms for the feat of the women for, by the decree of Auguftus, it was not lawful for them to as Calpurnius fays. From the lictors' feats into this top gradation, certain rifes afford afcent as well to the two horns of the theatre, as in the middle, that by them the officers might run in time, if by chance their help fhould be wanted, into those feats of the rabble. What afcent and what entrances were thefe? The beft truly, and difpofed with a cer-tain proper defign; for there are certain ladders behind the top portico thrown backward and forward, standing against the mountain, which lead to certain little arched doors in the wall's extremity, of which only one remains. In the back part of this mutilated wall certain of them are prominent, feparate from one another by the fpace of ten palms and a half in a square form, two palms on every fide. To the explanation of which you ought to know, that formerly umbrellas were wont to be fuperinduced as well to theatres as amphitheatres, for keeping off the heat and fun, which were bound to poles, fet up under them extending tranfverfe with ropes, that they might not flutter by hanging loofe: therefore thofe poles being thrown acrofs through round holes excavated in the upper ftones, or tied with ropes, for both used to be done, they were received by those ftays, in the middle of which, for the fake of firmnefs, certain little grooves were dug, left by the flipperinefs of the ftone, the cords flipping and unfirm should give way. The |