objedt. I would have, perhaps, negleded ancient remains altogether,
i f the refpedtable example o f M. de Tournefort had
nor encouraged me pccafionally to take notice o f them.
Having obferved how eafily and frequently they are miftaken,
who write, and fet themfelves up for illuftrators o f antiquity,
without having made long and regular refearcheg, I have taken
the refolution to put all my gleanings into the hands o f my
learned Friend Count Ab'be' Girolamo -Silveftri o f Rovigo, and
ihall continue to do io with whatever may fall into my hands
in future tours, relative to antiquity. The danger o f deftruc-
tion daily threatens every thing o f this nature fcattered’ over
Dalmatia j and even for this lamentable reafon, I thought i t
my duty to fay thus much. You, far from condemning me,
will, certainly approve o f my diligence, which, at leaft, will
mix a little not difagreeable variety with the tirefome dryneis
o f foffil matters.
I f the mournful ruins o f Salona were not fufficient o f themfelves,
to determine the precife iituation, where it lay, on the
banks of-.the fea, this would be very clearly indicated by Lucan.
Qua marts Adriaci kngasferit unda Snlonat,
E t tepidum in molles zephyros excurrit Hyader.
The text o f Caefar, where he places Salona in edito colie, muft
be corrupted, for it cannot be imagined that he was ignorant o f
the true .iituation o f .thofe places.
This fmall river, that does not run above three :miles, obit
ructed, here and there, h y tophaceous banks, nouriihes in its
mafly grots, an exquifite fpecies o f trout. Hence fonie author,
who
who'muft have been a much better judge o f good eating, than
of the aitions o f great men, took occafion to write, that Diocletian
(ailing worfe than Efauj renounced the pleafure o f commanding
al moft alt the then known earth, to eat quietly his
belly full o f thefe fiihes, in his magnificent retirement at Spa-
latro, I k-now not i f DiOcleiian was as great a lover o f fiih, a9
he was of herbs j but believe, that Spalatro,; without any.- moj
tive of gluttony, muft then have been à delicious habitation i
and, to ftrengthen this belief, I imagine the neighbouring mountain
to have been covered with ancient woods, which, in our
times, by its horrid barenefs, reverberates an almòft unfupport-
able heat in the fummer-days. It - is certain, that a turn for
philofophy, and perhaps,, a trait o f wife policy, was the motive
o f Dioclefian’s retirement. He lived ten years in tranquillity
at Spalatro, and perhaps would have, enjoyed a longer life,
i f the letters of Conjlantmusand Licinius had riot come to di-
fturbhiihs Notwithftanding all the ill that the chriftian authors
have written (one copying the other) o f this Dalriiatinè Emperor,
. perhaps with greater piety- than- impartiality and truth, it
muft be confefled, that he was a man o f extraordinary-merit.
He mounted the throne without any effufion o f civil bloody
led to it by his own virtues) and after a reign of twenty years,;
gave perhaps the greateft example o f philofophical moderation,;
that ever was heard o f in the world. I reckon it a fingular
honour to Dioeléfian, his having been praifed by Julian, among
the Csefars, as he-certainly Would not have fpared him, i f he;,
could haveXaid any thing to his prejudice.
O f t he- Mountain of! C l i s s a and-of ‘Moss o r , ’
To.the right o f the Hyader rifes thè mountain, which common--
ly bears the name o f Clilfa, from the fort that Hands on one of.
its