I T A L I A N S C E N E R Y , M A N N E R S , A N D C U S T OMS . 35
P L A T E X V I I .
THE PROTESTANT CHURCHYARD AT ROME, WITH THE
PYRAMID OF CAIUS CESTIUS.
I n this plat e two mo n ume n t s to the memo r y of the de ad appear . On e is a ma gni f i c ent remain
of anc i ent Rome , and one of the Ijest preserved ; l)Ut the n ame of the man, wh o s e ashe s
it cove r ed, is wliolly unint e r e s t ing: the other, on the cont rary, wl i i ch is of mod e rn cons t ruc -
tion, and plain arcliiteeture, c ommemo r a t e s an artist, wlio wiil be for ever c e l ebr a t ed, not for
tile richness of his t omb, but for his merit.
Going out of that g a t e of Rome whi ch is cal l ed Ostiense, we pe r c e i v e a quadr angul a r p y -
ramid, whe r e the remains of Caius Cestius we r e depos i t ed, agr e eably to the di r e c t ions c ontained
in his will, and whi ch was bui l t in 3 3 0 days , Tliis he a v y mas s is c omp l e t e l y c o v e r e d
with a cas e of white ma rbl e one f o o t t h i c k ; it's lieight is 1 1 0 feet, and the l eng th of e a c h s ide
at the bas e 89 f e e t . As Caius Ce s t ius was one of the epidones, and had the supc r int endane e of
the banque t s cal l ed lectistcrnia, wh i c h were c e l ebrat ed in t empl e s in honour of the Go d s , the
sepulchral chambe r of the interior is pa int ed in various c omp a r tme n t s wi th figures and attributes
a l luding to his sacred digni ty.
In the field be for e this pyramid are bur i ed the Engl i sh, and other p e o p l e of the Prot e s tant
communion ; and this forms the pr inc ipal subj e c t of the Pl a t e . The r e is onl y one t omb , h owever,
to be seen in this c eme t e r y : that of JACOB MOKE, a nat ive of Scot land, and a l a n d s c a p e
painter of great celebrity. He wa s born at Ed i n b u r g h in the year 1 7 4 0 , and br ought up to the
trade of a hous e p a i n t e r ; b u t he soon threw awa y his h e a v y ni e chani c al brush, to taiie up the
pencil of the artist. He at first appl i ed hims e l f to figures, but his genius soon de c l a r ed itself
for l ands c ape . T h e praises he r e c e ived for s ome s c ene ry pa int ed for the Theat r e of Ed i n b u r g h
determined him to c ome to Lo n d o n for the s ame purpose , and he was e n g a g e d at Drur y - l ane
wheuGarrick wa s the ma n a g e r o f that house . Hi s pe r formanc e s there b e i n g admi r ed, he resolved
to go to Rome , the true seminary of the a r t s ; whe r e he w-as soon di s t ingui shed as an e x -
cellent l a n d s c a p e painter. As his works f e t ched very g o o d prices, he k e p t a nobl e and e x p e n -
sive establishniciit till his de a th, whi ch h a p p e n e d in the mo n t h of Oc t obe r , 1 7 9 3 .
l i e never cluitted Rome , be c aus e be was of the opini on of Ni c h o l a s Pous s in, that, to foster
and improve genius , it is not only necessary to see Rome , b u t to enj o y the bene f i t of it's air.
Altliou.di he did not s u c c e ed in pa int ing figures, he had the ambi t i on to work at his own pormsmm