THEATRE-AMPHITHEATRE-CATACOMBS-CHAPEL OF SAN GIOVANNI-TOMB OF ST. MARGARDEN OF THE CAPPUCCINI-FORTIFICATIONS-RETURN CIAN-CONVENT AND SYRACUSE-COSTUME OF THE INHABITANTS. ΤΟ "I marked the beauties of the land and main, O'er the vain shrine of many a vanished god." THE theatre, hewn out of a rock on the shelving side of the hill, beneath the nymphæum, and commanding a view of the fertile valley of the Anapus, with the mountain of Hybla in the distance, is still in tolerable preservation, though in parts entirely overgrown with brushwood and wild flowers, over which innumerable butterflies were chasing each other in the sultry sunshine of a Sicilian afternoon. Cicero called this theatre "Maximum ;" and Diodorus thought it the most beautiful edifice of the kind in the whole island. But little remains of the Scena; most of the materials of which it was composed were used by Charles the Fifth, of Spain, in building his fortifications around the modern city on the island of Ortygia. The shape of this immense theatre is nearly a semicircle, the seats arranged one above another in A contrivance is visible in some parts for preventing the feet of one person from interfering with the comfort of those in front, by the back of each tier of seats being slightly raised above the rest of the stone; the diameter is nearly 120 feet, and persons have computed it to have held 40,000 spectators. It is generally considered to be the most ancient Greek theatre now in existence, and is built of white marble. The positions where poles for the support of an awning were fixed, are still evident; and among the seats of the upper corridor is one having a Greek inscription graven on the back, portions of which I perceived were easily legible. After climbing among the seats of the theatre, and searching out every cranny and corner, I picked up rows. and brought away with me a bit of the marble-the pure and white Parian-that by it I might still remember the great theatre of the Greeks. I would not have my readers here condemn me for sacrilege, for there is no one deprecates the barbarian, yet too frequent, custom of mutilating antique remains, more than myself: still I considered the loose and scattered fragments of the theatre to be like the ears after harvest-common property. Not far from this spot is the amphitheatre, considered to be the work of the Romans, and to have been constructed when the cities of Sicily were under the yoke of that nation. Until the commencement of the last year, this vast building was almost entirely overgrown with trees and a great part of it covered with earth. It has, however, been lately excavated, and many perfect remains of antiquity have been brought to light. In the centre is a naumachia, where probably the water fights were exhibited. The corridors are covered, and almost entire. The low covered ways for the beasts are also remaining; from these are several openings into the arena, from whence the animals were let loose to the combat. The grand entrance by a flight of steps, which we descended, is to the north, and we found ourselves in the centre of the amphitheatre, which sloped up gradually on all sides. At each end is an arch, formerly covering the entrance to the arena, which together with portions of the columns and mouldings of the ornamented parts of the building, are in good preservation; the aqueduct runs beneath one side of the walls towards the south. The next object claiming our attention was the catacombs, or "Le Grotti di S. Giovanni," situated near the little chapel of St. John, and not far from the amphitheatre. On regaining our footpath, my guide accosted a primitive looking monk, who was slowly wandering along on a donkey. The beast appeared as much a recluse as its master, and now and then stopped to crop the herbage, unchecked by the monk, who sat with arms folded, leaving the donkey to pursue its own way homewards to the convent. He saluted us as we approached, and I presently discovered that he had the charge of the catacombs, towards which we bent our steps with some degree of alacrity, which was also imparted to the beast by a good cudgel from the holy father. On reaching the entrance to the catacombs we halted, and the monk having prepared an earthen lamp with four wicks, lighted it and went forward, followed by Signor Polité and myself. The antechamber is an oblong room cut out of the solid rock, from whence many passages branch off in various directions; these again terminating in other chambers, and sepulchres for whole families. At several intervals in the main street, or passage, are holes communicating with the air above, probably cut to admit light, and also to purify these abodes of the dead. Many of the sepulchres consist of hollow coffins scooped out of the rock, and lying in rows parallel to one another, of various sizes; those intended for very young infants are mostly cut in the sides of the walls at some height from the ground. In one of these chambers I particularly noticed a |