ON CERTAIN PECULIARITIES OBSERVABLE IN SOME OF THE EARLY MONUMENTAL

THE desire to perpetuate the resemblance, after death, of persons who have been honoured or beloved during life, is so natural and widely spread a feeling, that it is not surprising that we should find attempts made to effect this purpose

Dr. Moore, the author of the above poem, was father of Sir John Moore, who was killed on the retreat of the English from Corunna; and the doctor, a physician, was also the author of "Zeluco." Golden Grove is in the vale of Towy, in the county of Caermarthen, and is the property of Earl of Cawdor; near it may be seen "Taylor's Walk," so called from having been frequented by Dr. Jeremy Taylor, when in misfortune, and who received much sympathy and protection at this place; and his name is still held in great veneration in the neighbourhood. Golden Grove was also visited by Cromwell, in his way to attack Pembroke Castle. Drylswyn Castle is situated on an eminence in the vale, the siege of which proved fatal to Lord Stafford, and others, who were buried in its ruins. Newton is the seat of Lord Dynevor, and the old castle and hanging woods, alluded to by Moore, present a magnificent view from Golden Grove. Grongar Hill was celebrated by Dyer, in his beautiful poem, and is in front of Golden Grove.

ARCHEOL. CAMB. VOL. II.

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from the earliest period of civilized existence. The prevalence of hero-worship, the practice of image-worship of various kinds, the custom of impressing coins and seals with the portraits of the sovereign princes by whom they were used or issued, are all varied instances originating in this feeling.

Portraiture, in its widest extent, (exclusive, however, of graphic art,) divides itself into two branches; pictorial and sculptural. With the former, beyond noticing (in order to prove the early practice of portrait painting) the statement of Cicero in his treatise entitled Atticus, that Varro had introduced into his works not only the names but also the effigies of more than seven hundred illustrious personages, our attention will be confined, in the present article, to sculptured effigies, which may be conveniently divided into, 1st, those made during, or with more particular reference to, the life of the person represented; and

2nd, those made subsequently, or with reference, to his decease.

This division of the subject seems dependent, in a great degree, upon the mode of sepulture adopted in various nations. The Greeks and Romans, for instance, did not erect monumental effigies, similar to those of the Middle Ages in a recumbent position, because their dead were not generally buried entire; on the contrary, their heroes are represented in the most glorious attitudes of living existence. In the greater part of the tombs collected in the Museum of the Vatican, battles and games are executed in bas relief: "The memory of the activity of life was the best homage which they could pay the dead."-Mad. de Stael's Corinne, vol. viii. c. 2.

The Egyptians, on the other hand, who embalmed their dead entire, represented the deceased, as nearly as possible, in the singular mummy-cases of which there are so many

1 The distinction between the Sepulchra, in which the corpses were laid entire, and the Hypogea or Mausolea, in which the cinerary urns were deposited, must be borne in mind. The practice of burning the body, from its prevalence, would indispose the mind to the erection of sculptures representing the deceased lying on his tomb; in fact, in the instructions which Trimalchio gives for the sculptures of his own tomb, which have come down to us, we find him desiring to be represented seated in the ship whereby he obtained his great wealth, pouring out his riches to the multitude.-Petronius, vol. i. p. 326.