O ur meffengers returned again from Epi-yatha, early in the
morning, and informed us, that no beads could be procured.
We were impatient to change our quarters. Ourfleep had been
much didurbed; the air was reputed very unhealthy; and the
wine, being impregnated with lime, was deemed ,as ruinous
to the domach and as intoxicating, as pleafant to the eye and
tafte. I now determined to tarry there no longer, and taking
an umbrella fét but on.foot, attended by our janizary, a fervant,
and two Tailors, armed arid carrying provifions and other riecef-
faries. We paffed by the fortrefs of Epi-yatha, over, hills, and
through dale? and ripe corn. The. dreams and fountains, which
occurred^on the way, with the myrtles. and ever-greens in the
water-*cóurfes, afforded us refrefhmerit-j' or the CXceflive heat of
thé fun would have been infupportable. It was mid-day when
we arrived greauy fatigued at Ligurio.
- Ligurió is the name of four feparate villages, or of a
didridt. The place, where we Hopped, is clean and enjoys a
good air. It is pleafantly feated on the fide o f a hill, the plain
beneath it overfpread with vines producing a ftrong red wine,
which is defervedly in great repute. They infufe refin indead
o f lime. .The people were abroad in the fields, and we tarried
under a fhady tree Tome time, until we were better accommodated
by an Albanian woman. The houfe was, peat though
mean, and much recommended afterwards by the honed hearth*
nefs of its owner her huiband, and of his family.
I had expected to find at Ligurió; the facrejl poffedion of
JEfculapius, but was told, that the ruins were at
an hour didaqt., In the evening an Albanian peafant. ,with a
caloyer of monk offered to conduct me to the fpot} and the
janizary with the failors; defired to accompany me* • Qri opf
return, the villagers, who had been employed, in their,harved“>
WQrkj readdy^ifMmihrid a& mauy beads-as were required, and
offeredfto proceed with them by moonlight to Epi-yatha. After
l fupping
223,
fupping on the ground before the houfe, a violin was procured.
The .janizary played, and the Albanians and Greeks began
finging and dancing, with their ufual alacrity. When they had
finiihed, we lay difperfed, in the open air, in the area of the
court. The next day about noon, my'companions arrived,
greatly fatigued, and one of them ill 5 their attendants alfo
complaining of their Tufferings by the fea-fide and on the road.
O n a fummit near Ligurio are fome vediges, it is fuppofed,
of Leffa, once a village with a temple |pd datue of Minerva,
near the confines of Epidauria and A rg°^s, or the territory o f
Argos. Below, at the foot of the oppofiie mountain, .is the
ruin o f a quadrangular drudture; the mafonry o f the fpecies
dyied Incertum, the fides inclining as ^in a pyramid. Leffa
fronted the road leading by the temple of, ASfcplapius to Epi-
daurus i and a track beneath Ligurio now paffes through the
plain by Gerao to that port.
C H A P . LIII.
th e grove o f JEfcuIapius— His Jldtue and temple-^Infcripthns
^ m p ie 0Stadmm— fb e theatre— Mount Cynortium— Water*
jj & c. '— 'Serpents.
TH E grove of iEfcUlapius was inclofed by mountains, within
which all the facrifices as well of the Epidaurians as of drangers
were ubftfumed. One was called Titthion, and on this the
god when an infant was faid to have been expofed, and to have
been Ihckled by a die-goat. He was a great phyfician, and his
temple iivas always crouded with fick perfons. Beyond it was
the dormitory of the fuppliants j and near it, a circular edifiefe
called the Tholus, built by Polycletus, of white marble, worth
feeing. The grove befides other temples, was adorned with a
PPP* - 7'1 n.uni iitt ■■ "os.'Oiq portico,